2014 FLW CUP Preivew with AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh
AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh says there is no doubt this years FLW CUP on LAKE MURRAY will be won shallow.....click on the video for full story!
Duckett Leads Elites After First Day On Delaware River
Oh, boy, do they. Boyd Duckett showed how those bass can be caught when the four-day Bassmaster Elite Series event on the Delaware River kicked off Thursday out of Philadelphia for the first time in Bassmaster history.
Bringing in a limit of five largemouth bass that weighed 16 pounds, 14 ounces — a respectable total anywhere during midsummer — Duckett of Guntersville, Ala., led the field of 106 pros, each after the event’s first prize of $100,000 and an instant qualification for the 2015 Bassmaster Classic.
Duckett — the 2007 Bassmaster Classic champion — posted a hefty lead over Morizo Shimizu of Osaka, Japan, who took second place with 12-2.
Third place after one day was claimed by James Elam of Tulsa, Okla., with 11-12. Kevin Short of Mayflower, Ark., had 11-6 for fourth place. Fred Roumbanis of Bixby, Okla., had 11-5 for fifth place.
Those five pros on top of the leaderboard all weighed five-fish limits, unlike many others in the field.
Knowing well after two and a half days of practice time that Delaware River bass were going to present one of the Elite season’s biggest challenges, Duckett made a key decision: go for the big bass during the river’s just-right tidal conditions, taking the chance that he would not end up with five in the box.
“I found a couple of deals that work a little better to get a bigger bite,” he said. “I’m throwing bigger baits. There’s no guarantee you’ll get five bites in a day here. At least if you get them, I want them to be bigger ones.”
Duckett said that toward the end of the day, he had a limit, but the smallest, a 2-pounder, was bugging him.
“I was like, ‘Oh, if I could just cull this one.’ Then finally I got my sixth bite, and it was a 3 1/2. I knew I had about all the river was going to put out for the day,” he said.
The five he weighed looked like cookie-cutter bass. The largest was 3-13.
Duckett said he’s working the main river as well as backwater areas, always trying to follow the tides.
Shimizu said he caught four of his five bass within one midmorning hour. When the action shut down, he moved to one of his secondary spots, but nothing worked for him there. He returned to the place that gave up the quartet. And there he landed his fifth largemouth of the day.
It was a stellar day after a very slow practice, he said.
“I say, ‘Never give up,’” he said, repeating what is not only a Michael Iaconelli mantra, but what has been Shimizu’s slogan for 15 or 16 years, he said.
Elam, with 11-12 worth of largemouth for third place, said he was learning how to work with the massive tide swing of the Delaware. The water drops 7 feet at low tide.
“I saw one place today in the morning (at low tide), where I caught a fish later. I thought I could pull up at high tide there and get bit,” he said. “I spent my practice time trying to figure out how to run the tides and the windows when the fish would be biting.”
The largest bass of the day, a 4-3, was caught by Brandon Card of Caryville, Tenn., making him the frontrunner for the event’s Carhartt Big Bass award of up to $1,500.
Duckett leads the event’s competition for the Berkley Heavyweight award of $500 for the tournament’s largest bag of bass.
Philadelphia native son Iaconelli produced a limit of bass that weighed 9-2. It was good for 21st place. Now living in Pittsgrove, N.J., the Elite pro received a resounding vote of confidence from the crowd: “Ike, Ike, Ike, Ike,” they chanted.
Another hometown notable took the stage Thursday: Mayor Michael Nutter made an appearance to welcome the Elite Series to Philadelphia.
The full field will return to the river Friday for the second round. They’ll take off from the Frankford Arsenal Boat Launch (5701 Tacony St.) at 6:15 a.m., and then weigh their catches on stage at the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing (211 S. Columbus Blvd.) beginning at 3:15 p.m.
Fans are invited to watch the takeoff and weigh-ins all week through Sunday. There’s no admission charge to attend.
Other free Bassmaster activities at Penn’s Landing include boat rides Friday, Saturday and Sunday in new Nitro, Triton and Skeeter rigs powered by Mercury and Yamaha engines. Fans can sign up for the demo rides at the Nitro, Triton and Yamaha booths.
The Bassmaster Elite Expo, which features local exhibits as well as those of Elite Series sponsors, will open Saturday at noon, and again at noon on Sunday. Free Expo activities include the screening of the newest Costa GeoBASS film on Saturday preceding the weigh-in.
2014 Bassmaster Elite Series at Delaware River 8/7-8/10
Delaware River, Philadelphia PA.
Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts
1. Boyd Duckett Guntersville, AL 5 16-14 100
Day 1: 5 16-14
2. Morizo Shimizu Osaka JAPAN 5 12-02 99
Day 1: 5 12-02
3. James Elam Tulsa, OK 5 11-12 98
Day 1: 5 11-12
4. Kevin Short Mayflower, AR 5 11-06 97
Day 1: 5 11-06
5. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 5 11-05 96
Day 1: 5 11-05
6. Chad Pipkens Holt, MI 5 11-04 95
Day 1: 5 11-04
7. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 11-01 94
Day 1: 5 11-01
8. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 5 10-15 93
Day 1: 5 10-15
9. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 5 10-09 92
Day 1: 5 10-09
10. Byron Velvick Boenre, TX 4 10-05 91
Day 1: 4 10-05
11. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 5 10-04 90
Day 1: 5 10-04
12. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 4 09-14 89
Day 1: 4 09-14
13. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 09-13 88
Day 1: 5 09-13
14. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 5 09-12 87
Day 1: 5 09-12
14. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 5 09-12 87
Day 1: 5 09-12
16. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 4 09-12 85
Day 1: 4 09-12
17. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 4 09-06 84
Day 1: 4 09-06
18. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 5 09-04 83
Day 1: 5 09-04
19. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 4 09-03 82
Day 1: 4 09-03
20. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 3 09-03 81
Day 1: 3 09-03
21. Michael Iaconelli Pittsgrove, NJ 5 09-02 80
Day 1: 5 09-02
21. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 5 09-02 80
Day 1: 5 09-02
23. Kevin Hawk Guntersville, AL 5 08-15 78
Day 1: 5 08-15
24. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 4 08-15 77
Day 1: 4 08-15
25. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 08-13 76
Day 1: 5 08-13
26. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 4 08-10 75
Day 1: 4 08-10
27. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 5 08-09 74
Day 1: 5 08-09
28. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 3 08-01 73
Day 1: 3 08-01
29. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 5 08-00 72
Day 1: 5 08-00
30. Derek Remitz Grant, AL 3 07-15 71
Day 1: 3 07-15
31. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 3 07-12 70
Day 1: 3 07-12
32. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 4 07-09 69
Day 1: 4 07-09
33. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 4 07-08 68
Day 1: 4 07-08
34. Fletcher Shryock New Philadelphia, OH 5 07-06 67
Day 1: 5 07-06
35. Kenyon Hill Norman, OK 4 07-06 66
Day 1: 4 07-06
36. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 3 07-05 65
Day 1: 3 07-05
37. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 4 07-04 64
Day 1: 4 07-04
38. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 4 07-03 63
Day 1: 4 07-03
39. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 5 07-02 62
Day 1: 5 07-02
40. Bobby Lane Lakeland, FL 4 06-14 61
Day 1: 4 06-14
41. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 3 06-14 60
Day 1: 3 06-14
42. Brandon Card Caryville, TN 2 06-14 59
Day 1: 2 06-14
43. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 3 06-11 58
Day 1: 3 06-11
44. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 2 06-10 57
Day 1: 2 06-10
45. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 4 06-09 56
Day 1: 4 06-09
46. Randy Howell Springville, AL 5 06-08 55
Day 1: 5 06-08
47. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 3 06-07 54
Day 1: 3 06-07
48. Mike Kernan Wylie, TX 4 06-04 53
Day 1: 4 06-04
49. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 3 06-04 52
Day 1: 3 06-04
50. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 4 05-14 51
Day 1: 4 05-14
51. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 3 05-13 50
Day 1: 3 05-13
52. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 3 05-08 49
Day 1: 3 05-08
53. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 4 05-06 48
Day 1: 4 05-06
54. Zell Rowland Montgomery, TX 3 05-03 47
Day 1: 3 05-03
55. Brandon Palaniuk Hayden, ID 2 05-02 46
Day 1: 2 05-02
56. Tracy Adams Wilkesboro, NC 3 04-13 45
Day 1: 3 04-13
57. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 4 04-08 44
Day 1: 4 04-08
58. Scott Ashmore Broken Arrow, OK 2 04-05 43
Day 1: 2 04-05
59. Nate Wellman Newaygo, MI 3 04-04 42
Day 1: 3 04-04
60. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 3 04-02 41
Day 1: 3 04-02
61. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 2 04-01 40
Day 1: 2 04-01
61. Jacob Powroznik Port Haywood, VA 2 04-01 40
Day 1: 2 04-01
61. Randall Tharp Port Saint Joe, FL 2 04-01 40
Day 1: 2 04-01
64. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 2 04-00 37
Day 1: 2 04-00
64. Jared Miller Norman, OK 2 04-00 37
Day 1: 2 04-00
64. John Murray Phoenix, AZ 2 04-00 37
Day 1: 2 04-00
67. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 2 03-12 34
Day 1: 2 03-12
67. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 2 03-12 34
Day 1: 2 03-12
69. Billy McCaghren Mayflower, AR 3 03-10 32
Day 1: 3 03-10
70. Chad Morgenthaler Coulterville, IL 2 03-09 31
Day 1: 2 03-09
71. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 2 03-08 30
Day 1: 2 03-08
72. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 2 03-03 29
Day 1: 2 03-03
73. Boo Woods Oneida, KY 3 03-02 28
Day 1: 3 03-02
74. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 2 02-15 27
Day 1: 2 02-15
75. Grant Goldbeck Boerne, TX 1 02-15 26
Day 1: 1 02-15
75. Jeremy Starks Scott Depot, WV 1 02-15 26
Day 1: 1 02-15
77. Joel Baker Talala, OK 2 02-11 24
Day 1: 2 02-11
78. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 1 02-11 23
Day 1: 1 02-11
79. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 2 02-10 22
Day 1: 2 02-10
79. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 2 02-10 22
Day 1: 2 02-10
81. Dennis Tietje Roanoke, LA 2 02-07 20
Day 1: 2 02-07
82. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 2 02-06 19
Day 1: 2 02-06
83. Josh Bertrand Gilbert, AZ 1 02-06 18
Day 1: 1 02-06
83. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 1 02-06 18
Day 1: 1 02-06
85. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 2 02-05 16
Day 1: 2 02-05
86. Trevor Romans Plano, TX 1 02-05 15
Day 1: 1 02-05
87. David Walker Sevierville, TN 1 02-02 14
Day 1: 1 02-02
88. Casey Scanlon Lanexa, KS 1 02-01 13
Day 1: 1 02-01
89. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 1 02-00 12
Day 1: 1 02-00
90. Chris Zaldain San Jose, CA 1 01-12 11
Day 1: 1 01-12
91. Glenn Browne Ocala, FL 1 01-08 10
Day 1: 1 01-08
91. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 1 01-08 10
Day 1: 1 01-08
91. Pete Ponds Madison, MS 1 01-08 10
Day 1: 1 01-08
94. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 1 01-06 7
Day 1: 1 01-06
94. Joseph Sancho New Windsor, NY 1 01-06 7
Day 1: 1 01-06
96. Kelly Jordon Palestine, TX 1 01-05 5
Day 1: 1 01-05
97. Hank Cherry Jr Maiden, NC 1 01-03 4
Day 1: 1 01-03
97. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 1 01-03 4
Day 1: 1 01-03
99. Kurt Dove Del Rio, TX 1 01-01 2
Day 1: 1 01-01
99. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 1 01-01 2
Day 1: 1 01-01
101. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
101. Jamie Horton Centerville, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
101. Michael Simonton Fremont, OH 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
101. David Smith Del City, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
101. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
101. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 23 302 590-07
----------------------------------
23 302 590-07
Grass Getting Right Just In Time For Snag Proof Open On Lake Guntersville
The grass is getting greener in Lake Guntersville just in time for the 10th annual Snag Proof Open out of Goose Pond Colony.
“A couple of weeks ago we had a cold front, but now we are back to summertime,” said Jamie Shay at The Bait, Tackle & Grill at Goose Pond, headquarters for the Snag Proof tournament Saturday. “The grass is topping off. The last two weeks it has changed drastically and it's looking good now.”
As the grass grows on one of the best frog lakes in the country the fishing, especially topwater frog fishing, keeps getting better and better, Shay said.
“We've already had a frog tournament, an inaugural team frog tournament some guys started up, two weeks ago with a 50-boat turnout. That was a little early for a frog tournament, but the fishing was pretty good, and there have been some guys cashing checks frog fishing in tournaments, too.”
Shay said the Snag Proof tournament features a $10,000 first place prize if 150 boats are entered – and he believes Saturday's tournament will reach that mark or better.
“We've averaged about 150 boats every year of the tournament here. We had 168 boats last year so we think it will be pretty close to that again.”
The $180 entry fee includes big fish and there will be multiple big fish payouts. The tournament will pay back to 20 percent of the field.
Registration will be held 3 to 6 p.m. Friday at The Bait, Tackle & Grill at Goose Pond, with a short meeting to follow at 6 p.m., Shay said.
“If anglers can't make it to the Friday registration, we will be taking registrations Saturday morning before the tournament,” he said.
Only Snag Proof Frogs will be allowed in the tournament and they must be fished topwater. Modifications by adding rattles or bbs, trimming skirts, painting and changing hooks are permitted. No trailers of any kind will be allowed.
Winners will be determined by the heaviest three fish.
Snag Proof Open Guntersville
Sat, Aug 9, 2014
Lake Guntersville
Goose Pond Colony
Call Jamie Shay 256-599-0132
Email: [email protected]
Rainy Weather, Good Fishing Forecast For End Of Year Tournament Saturday On Kerr
Anglers in the Piedmont Bass Classics End of the Year Trail tournament on Kerr Lake Saturday better make sure they have their rain suits handy.
“It looks like it will be kind of wet,” said tournament director Phil McCarson. “We've been kind of lucky all year, but Saturday looks like a washout.”
McCarson said the temperature at Kerr is like everywhere else in the Southeast right now – hot. But by Saturday that could change drastically.
“They are calling for a big high pressure front coming in from the north Friday evening into Saturday, with showers and thunderstorms. The wind is going to change and come out of the East-Northeast at about 5 to 10 miles per hour.”
It should not be terribly stormy, he said, but it will be wet.
“I don't know how that pressure change will affect the fishing. If it moves on out at midday I don't know if the fish will be deep or shallow. You might be having a good shallow bite flipping docks and stuff and then you might back off and do real good with crankbaits.”
McCarson said that with a good cloud cover, depending on oxygen levels shallow, there should be a good shallow bite down to about 10 feet. Another factor is the surface temperature. Kerr is running around 75 degrees on the surface, while most of the lakes around North Carolina are up in the 80s.
“It's hard to say what the bass will be doing, but Kerr is a good fishery and winning weights up there are running around 18 pounds for five fish. I'd be surprised if the winning weight went over that,” he said.
“The fish at Kerr are not as big as most of the fish in the other lakes around here because of a bass disease they had a few years ago. That is supposed to be over now and the fish are looking healthier and getting up a little bigger in size, but you don't seen many fish over 4 1/2 to 5 pounds right now.”
McCarson said Saturday's tournament will be the third of eight qualifiers leading to the championship.
The Cashion Fishing Rods 'End of Year' Team Tournament Bass Fishing Trail schedule includes Aug. 23, Falls, Ledge Rock; Sept. 13, Jordan, Farrington Point (Right Side); Sept. 27, Mayo, Triple Springs; Oct. 11, Shearon Harris, Cross Point Landing; and Oct. 25, Falls, Ledge Rock; with the championship Nov. 1, also on Falls, out of Ledge Rock.
McCarson said he combined the previous summer and fall trails into the Cashion Fishing Rods 'End of Year' trail to give the fishermen a break in entries.
“Because of the economy, we combined the two and called it the 'End of the Year' Trail. It starts in July , which gives me time and gives the anglers a break. They don't have to fish through the fall so there is not so much pressure on them – and it gives me a break, too. I get to stay home a visit my grandkids occasionally,” he said with a laugh.
He's hoping for a field of 30 to 40 boats at Kerr on Saturday.
“That would not be too bad for this time of year,” he said. “I hope we have a good catch. It's a good lake to fish.”
Piedmont Bass Classics End of year Team Trail
Sat, Aug 9, 2014
Kerr / Buggs Island Lake
Flemingtown Landing
Call Phil McCarson 919-971-5042
Jason Williamson and Buckeye Lures Double Bladed Buzzbait!!
Buckeye Lures Pro Staffer Jason Williamson demo's why this Buckeye Lures Double Bladed Buzzbait is the absolute BOMB for topwater success this time of year!!
Jason Williamson and the Magnum Spot Remover from Buckeye Lures
Buckeye Lures Pro Jason Williamson gives us the inside scoop on the Magnum Spot Remover and how its a MUST HAVE in anyone's tackle box!
Ten-Year-Old Angler Enjoys Cartoons And Beating The Pants Off Igfa Records
You likely saw Captain Wes Winters and his merry men. A now retired Westhampton, New York commercial maritime pilot, Captain Winters often treated his crew to bluewater trolling while moving freight athwart the Seven Seas. He tells stories of container-ship-caught mahi-mahi being “fixed up” in the galley and sailfish hooked off the coast of Miami.
But when asked about his greatest fishing moment, Grandpa Winters immediately turns to his granddaughter’s ongoing quest to establish and smash International Game Fish Association (IGFA) records.
In Winters’ eyes, 10-year-old Julia Grace Ketner is quite the catch. Ketner was four years old when she found a picture of a girl holding a plaque in grandpa’s IGFA quarterly publication. She turned to her mentor and said, “I can do that.” And so began a now decade-long and -lasting commitment to setting and besting IGFA records.
Under the tutelage of Grandpa Winters, Ketner has literally been putting on clinics. To date, she owns 24 approved IGFA world records — ten of which were caught on St. Croix rods. She also has 28 pending world records — 25 of those on St. Croix rods. In addition to this impressive resume of ‘Small Fry’ category successes, are three female line-class records.
Julia Ketner demonstrating she can do it with a flyrod, too.
Although young Ketner’s records are cast wide, from saltwater to freshwater, she has clear favorites; the fishing phenom names mahi-mahi, white marlin and locally-grown pickerel as her top species to tangle with.
What drives Ketner besides her documented achievements? “It’s fun. It’s exciting to fight a big fish,” she says with a glow. That’s a feeling that obviously doesn’t discriminate against age or dull with graying. And to the Captain’s delight, she also chases fins to “fish with Grandpa and spend time together.” That, in fact, is the essence of it all.
St. Croix Rod first became aware of the motivated lassie at an IGFA function where V.P. of Product Management and part-owner Dave Schluter met Grandpa Winters and Ketner. The rodsmith was so enamored by the girl and her pursuit that he fashioned Ketner a custom Avid Pearl embossed with her name. She fishes the Pearl proudly and sets records with it to this day.
Notwithstanding Ketner’s beyond-her-years competitive spirit, she does have a normal-kid side. The 6th grader giggles at Sponge Bob Square Pants and loves playing with her sister, Abby.
By the way, 8-year-old Abby already owns one IGFA record and has another pending.
Like granddaughters, like grandpa.
___ LINK to the story ___
Julia being presented with her 2013 Female Small Fry award at the 11th Annual IGFA World Record Achievement Awards banquet.
Bobby Barrack talks about new TFIT video at ICAST!
Frog Master Bobby Barrack wants to turn YOU into a frog-fishing champ! He tells us about his NEW 2-hour HD video - Turning Frogs Into Toads (TFIT) from the floor of the 2014 ICAST show in Orlando. To catch a preview of the video, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=72YOJVQWX_A&list=UUgubT7HhLhyOGYKJhXITXYA
Collins Bass For Cash Looking Fwd To 2015 After A Great 2014!
Hello to all of our Bass For Cash Series competitors. We’ve had some great success so far this season within our tournament trail events. Our attendance has increased this season as compared to last. For only a second year tournament series, we are proud to have the numbers that we are receiving at each event. We know this tournament trail would not be a success without the anglers that make up the fields at each tournament event. We appreciate your support, the kind words that many of you have spoken of our events, and most importantly the camaraderie and friendships that have grown over the past two years.
As our tournament season starts to wind down, many of you will lay down your rods and lures and replace those items with arrows and ammo. We wish you well in your continued fall outdoor adventures. But, before you close the garage door on your boat, be sure to put it away in good condition and ready to go for next season.
As a means of showing appreciation for the success of the Collins Inc. dealership and the business that many of you have conducted at their location, Collins Inc. would like to offer some special deals on service work, whether it be a need for a repair, preventative maintenance, or that accessory you’ve had your eye on. Give them a call if they can be of assistance to you.
End of Summer Service Special
- Have your engine serviced between July 30th and September 15th and receive 10% off parts and Labor!!
- All Yamaha Oil and Lube 10% off!!
- Buy any Depth Finder, GPS, Stereo, VHF Radio, Power Pole, Talon or other qualifying add-on and get $20 per hour discount on Labor!!
- Some OEM Parts may not qualify, call Collins Parts and Service with questions!!
- For those of you that competed in one of our tournament events this season, simply confirm your tournament attendance with our staff and receive a complimentary boat wash at the time of your service!!
Once again, thank you for your support in the Collins Inc. – Bass For Cash Series tournament trail.
Jeff Narron
Tournament Director
Collins Inc. – Bass For Cash Series
Brett Preuett Wins College Series Bracket; Is Classic Bound
If you look at all the setbacks that Brett Preuett suffered throughout the course of the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Classic Bracket, you’d be as shocked as he was that he made it past the first day. Before today, he lost fish, missed fish, had a giant treble hook buried in his skull and nearly fell into Lake Chatuge chasing a rod that he eventually lost. But, today everything that could’ve gone his way went his way.
“Today is the best day of my life by far, everything just sort of happened for me,” he said. “I had fish hooked with just one hook and landed them, and I got everything in the boat. It was meant to be.
“It’s been a long week. I’ve had hooks in my head, and there have been some long days on the water, but it’s all been worth it,” he said. “We’ve been here for nine or 10 days fishing, and you definitely have to earn it to get here. Every year, every pro is fishing for the chance to compete in the Bassmaster Classic, so to get that opportunity to go is great.”
Next year’s Classic is on South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell, a body of water that Preuett is unfamiliar with. But, he plans to be ready.
“I guarantee that I’ll put in the work to do good,” he said.
Preuett relied on a trio of topwater baits for his catch during the Classic Bracket, including a Lucky Craft Sammy, a Triton Mike Bucca Baits Bull Shad and an Academy H2O Express prop bait. He also caught a few fish on a drop shot rig and Fish Head Spin the first two days of the bracket.
“I was just waiting each day for the schooling to start,” he said. “I had so many hit it and blow up on it and not get hooked, and some that came off each day, but not today. The big ones that ate the bait today got to the boat. With the Lord’s blessing, I fished clean today for the first time.”
Besides the berth in the 2015 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell, Preuett also won the use of a 2015 Toyota Tundra for a year, a Nitro Z8 with a 250-horsepower Mercury Optimax ProXS, as well as $7,500 from Carhartt to be used as an entry fee for the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens division of his choosing.
“I want to thank everybody, my family, Jackson (Blackett) and my friends for all the texts and phone calls I’ve gotten,” he said. “They’re the drive that keeps me going. I won’t ever quit, and I want to make it as a professional fisherman. It’s awesome to be able to win for everyone.”
For Preuett to win, Bethel University’s Zach Parker had to lose. Parker was the most consistent angler in the field, weighing in close to 10 pounds each day. However, since the weights did not accumulate in the bracket, his multi-day totals couldn’t carry him to the win. Every fish that Parker weighed in ate a drop shot rigged Roboworm in prizm shad. He saw nearly all of them on his depthfinder.
“Lowrance electronics are so good that you could see everything that’s down there,” he said. “Each day, as a team, we were one of the most consistent, and I carried that into the bracket. I was so blessed this week. So much of the stuff that happened this week would not have happened if I hadn’t been guided that way.
“Things might not have turned out the way I wanted them to today, but the Lord’s blessed me with this great opportunity, and I’m going to make the best out of it.”
Yesterday Parker said on stage that the lake is changing, and he was correct. The bigger pelagic fish were more active and aggressive today, which played to Preuett’s favor.
“When I left the dock this morning, I said that I didn’t want to have any regrets, and I don’t,” he said. “I started the day with four keepers including one good one, and I wasn’t fishing for those schooling fish, so I couldn’t just go out and try to find them fresh today. I had to stick with what had been working for me. Those schoolers just turned on, and I knew that if he got them on the boat, he’d have a big stringer.
Although today marks the end of his collegiate fishing career, Parker plans on taking on the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens circuits to make a go at a career.
“I want to thank everyone who’s been there for me through all of this, especially my family, friends, Matt (Roberts) and my sponsors, Triton, Mercury, Strike King and T-H Marine,” Parker said.
Preuett Vs. Parker For Classic Berth
“I tried to make a long cast in a hurry, but left too much line out and snagged myself in the neck. It hit so hard that it straightened out the split rings,” he said. “But, I wouldn’t stop fishing for anything. If I had a toe cut off I’d probably try to keep fishing because I love it so much.”
It’s that drive that’s gotten Preuett this far, put a limit weighing 9-5 in his boat today, and got him past the bad luck he endured today, but his fiercest competition comes tomorrow.
“I’ve got to catch ’em much better than I did today; it’s going to be a battle,” he said. “I know that B.A.S.S. made (the championship and bracket) this hard for a reason; it’s got to be tough to make it to the Classic. Zach’s a great fisherman, so it should be tight tomorrow.”
Preuett said that the most difficult obstacle for him to overcome tomorrow is execution.
“I’ve got to capitalize on my bites and put fish in the boat,” he said. “That’s been hurting me, and I know Zach’s going to catch ’em tomorrow, so I’m going to have get each bite into the boat.
“Everything’s on the line, and I know I’m on the right fish to win this thing, so that makes me feel better,” he said. “No matter what, I know everyone’s proud of me, but I do want to win for all the people sending thanks and prayers, and I just want to come through for everybody.”
Preuett sent Manning packing today, but Manning says that he’ll be back since he still has several years of eligibility left. Manning weighed two fish for 4-11 today.
“I didn’t lose a fish today and put every one that bit in boat. Two were short, and I did everything I could. I fished quite a bit of new water today because I thought I figured something out yesterday, but apparently I didn’t,” he said. “But, the whole experience has been awesome. This has been one of the toughest lakes I’ve fished on, and the first couple of days me and my partner whacked ’em, but the last few days have been hard.”
Opposite of Preuett’s bad luck has been Bethel University’s Zach Parker. He’s not lost a fish for several days, and everything has gone his way so far. His 5-fish limit of 9-9 bested Tennessee Tech angler Robert Giarla’s single fish that weighed 1-5.
“I only got six keeper bites, and I think I’m going to change some stuff up tomorrow,” Parker said. “I saw some stuff today that I think will help me tomorrow if I can adjust to it. The lake is changing a lot, and I think it’s changing right now, so I’ve got to make some adjustments to keep it going.”
His early morning spot has been key the last two days, and the hole seems to keep replenishing overnight. His biggest decision tomorrow will be whether or not he stays the course and start there, or take a new approach to an ever-toughening Chatuge.
“I didn’t let up today, I fished hard all day and everything just fell into place,” he said. “The Lord blessed me with my fish, and hopefully tomorrow will be another good day.”
He stressed that zigging when Chatuge zigs is paramount.
“Tomorrow, the most important thing will be making adjustments. I had two fish over 3 pounds blow up on my topwater and that hasn’t happened all week, so even not catching those fish tells me that if I get bit, it’s going to be a bigger one.
“You can’t be worried about anything. You’ve just got to go out there and fish your best. It’s whoever can figure those fish out that day,” he said. “This afternoon, having those fish blow up gave me some confidence in throwing that topwater tomorrow.”
Unlike Parker’s inexhaustible honey hole, Giarla seined shallow water but came up short.
“This has been a dream come true, because I never thought I’d ever get here, so to have it happen is amazing. Hopefully my run here gives Tennessee Tech’s fishing team some credibility and maybe even a new sponsor,” he said.
Like Preuett, Giarla had a good run of bad luck today, but couldn’t recover.
“I had two fish spit the bait, one of ’em I never connected with, and basically everything that could’ve gone wrong today went wrong,” he said. “I had five keeper bites, and when you don’t connect this happens. But, I’m not holding my head down one bit. This has been awesome.”
Like Manning, Giarla has a few years of eligibility left and plans on making a return next year.
The conclusion of the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Classic Bracket is tomorrow, where either Preuett or Parker will be crowned bracket champ and earn a Classic berth.
Top 4 Anglers Advance To Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Classic Bracket Semifinal
The Top 4 college anglers move on to the second day of the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Classic Bracket. From left to right: Bentley Manning of Tennessee Tech, Zach Parker of Bethel University, Brett Preuett of University of Louisiana Monroe and Robert Giarla of Tennessee Tech.
The Top 4 teams from the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship set out on Lake Chatuge today in a head-to-head bracket-style competition, which pitted anglers one-on-one. The competitors were Zach Parker, Bethel University, versus Jackson Blackett of the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM), Brett Preuett of ULM versus Matt Roberts of Bethel University, Jake Whitaker of University of North Carolina (UNC)-Charlotte versus Tennessee Tech’s Robert Giarla and Bentley Manning against Andrew Helms of UNC-Charlotte.
Anglers across the board reported tougher-than-usual fishing conditions, many citing the warmer weather, and more importantly, the pressure that the fishery has received for the past seven days as reasons for a declining bite. All 83 teams practiced for three days then endured the three-day championship, which could be considered ample fishing pressure. Now, these last four anglers must find a way to make Chatuge’s bait-conditioned fish eat again tomorrow.
The matchups and results:
Robert Giarla (Tennessee Tech), 5-4 vs. Jake Whitaker (UNC-Charlotte), 2-3
Despite being completely unfamiliar with Chatuge’s deep, clear water, Florida native and Tennessee Tech student Robert Giarla managed to best Jake Whitaker, who had just claimed the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship title with teammate Andrew Helms.
“Today was really a grind, and just like (Whitaker), I fished shallow. I was born and raised in West Palm Beach (Fla.), which has shallow, muddy water with grass everywhere, so I just went and fished how I was comfortable, shallow, and it paid off,†Giarla said. “I’m going to get a game plan going for tomorrow and give it everything that I’ve got.
“Advancing feels awesome. I feel like I’m in the Final Four of the NCAA basketball bracket,†he said. “Words can’t describe it. I’m going to do the same thing again tomorrow, but if it’s different, I’ll switch it up. It doesn’t matter who I’m fishing against, I’m just going to stick to my own game.â€
Monday, Giarla will take on Parker of Bethel University.
Zach Parker (Bethel), 10-13 vs. Jackson Blackett (ULM), 0-0
Jackson Blackett had some difficulties with his electronics early on, which left him scrambling to find the spots that he marked in practice. He didn’t weigh in a keeper-length fish today. Parker, on the other hand, was the only angler who managed to bring a limit to the scales and bested the whole field.
“This is awesome, things just kind of fell into place,†Parker said. “I fished a ton of new stuff today. The spot I caught the largemouth at, I don’t know why I stopped there, but I did. I was really looking for a new spot for tomorrow because our stuff is getting kind of beat down.
“I can tell a difference between practice and now, in terms of how many fish are still out there. I had to go run new stuff, and I even spent an hour scanning, not even fishing,†he said. “But, all in all, tomorrow is a totally different day, and I plan on making the same rotation as I did today.â€
Parker will face Tennessee Tech’s Giarla Monday.
Brett Preuett (ULM), 7-1 vs. Matt Roberts (Bethel), 2-5
Brett Preuett had the second highest total weight today, weighing four fish while his opponent Matt Roberts scored a single bass, leaving him shy of advancing to the semifinal. Despite the tough bite, Preuett managed to keep his head in the game
“Fishing’s in my blood, and no matter how hard things get, I’ll always keep after it,†he said. “This has been an incredible experience that I’ll never forget, regardless of what happens.
“You can tell the pressure is getting to the fish, because I used to be able to go down a stretch of docks and catch a few, and I don’t think neither me nor Jason caught one off of our best spot,†he said. “I knew it was going to be tough, so I tried to get a limit with some schooling fish and missed a few, but I think I’ll just have to see what tomorrow brings and kind of roll with the day as it progresses.â€
Preuett will face Tennessee Tech’s Manning Monday.
Bentley Manning (Tennessee Tech), 1-4 vs. Andrew Helms (UNC-Charlotte), 0-0
With Whitaker suffering a defeat at the hands of Giarla, and Helms failing to catch a keeper fish, the National Championship winners have been eliminated from the bracket competition. However, as he drove his Nitro Z-7 back to the dock, Tennessee Tech’s Bentley Manning was certain that he was going home, since he could only muster a single bass today.
“It was ridiculously tough today, and I only figured something out about 30 minutes before weigh-in, and I caught that fish about 10 minutes before I had to come in,†Manning said. “Until 2:15, I only had three bites. Then I figured something out, got 10 bites in 30 minutes but could only land the one; I looked like a fool out there. Since I could only catch the one, I figured I was going home.â€
Manning takes on Preuett of ULM in Monday’s semifinal.
The Final Four anglers will launch Monday at 6:45 a.m. ET from The Ridges Resort and Marina where they will fish until 2:45 p.m. and then weigh in to determine which two anglers will go head-to-head in the final for a berth in the 2015 Bassmaster Classic, set to be held next February on South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell.
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Fukae Wins Bassmaster Open On Champlain
Shinichi Fukae of Palestine, Texas, wins the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open #2 presented by Allstate held on Lake Champlain out of Plattsburgh, N.Y. Fukae brought 18 pounds, 13 ounces to the Saturday's weigh-in giving him a three-day total weight of 56 pounds, 13 ounces.
Lake Champlain has been good to touring pro Shinichi Fukae.
The Palestine, Texas, pro earned his first B.A.S.S. victory at Champlain today by taking first place in the pro division of the Bass Pro Shops Northern Open presented by Allstate with a three-day catch of 56 pounds, 13 ounces. He earned the top prize of a Nitro Z9 bass boat/ Mercury 225 Pro XS outboard rig worth $40,000 and $7,595 in cash.
He caught all of his fish on two baits — a Gamakatsu shad-shaped worm on a drop shot rig and a 4-inch Senko attached to a 3/16-ounce wacky rigged jighead. The drop shot rig worked best for smallmouth while the wacky rig coaxed bites from quality largemouth. Fukae noted the drop shot is his key bait whenever he fishes Lake Champlain because he can “catch so many fish on it.”
The Texas pro disclosed he had both deep and shallow patterns working during this event. “I caught the big largemouth in shallow water — not too shallow though — (about 10 feet),” he said. “I had three or four key spots where I was fishing shallow and then deep back-and-forth. When I fished shallow too much they wouldn’t bite, so I would leave for a couple of hours and then come back there.“ The deep pattern produced smallmouth for him each day.
The victory fulfills Fukae’s dream of fishing a Bassmaster Classic since he will earn a berth in the 2015 Classic to be held on Lake Hartwell in Greenville, S.C., if he competes in the final Northern Open. “I’ll be happy when I fish the Bassmaster Classic,” Fukae said.
Latham, N.Y., angler Sean Wilkes caught the heaviest bag of the tournament today to climb into second place with 54-15. He caught his limit of largemouth today flipping a black-and-blue 1/2-ounce jig in shallow grass.
“That was my Plan D. My first plan was to fish a grassbed that had fish all over it, but when I got down there I wasn’t catching them,” he said. “I found out that one of the locals had ripped apart the grass before I got there. So I went to Plan B and that didn’t work out. Plan C didn’t work out either. Plan D was actually my kicker plan.”
The other Top 5 pro division finishers included Mike Iaconelli, Pittsgrove, N.J., in third, 53-8; Sam George, Athens, Ala., fourth, 52-3; Micah Frazier, Newnan, Ga., fifth, 52-0.
James Schneider of Watervliet, N.Y., won the co-angler top prize of a $25,000 Triton 17 Pro bass boat/Yamaha F115LA outboard with a three-day total of nine bass weighing 32-1. He caught all of his fish the first two days on a Li’l Hustler spinnerbait, but today he had to mix up his presentations with the spinnerbait and a tube bait.
Scott Siller, Milwaukee, Wis., and RC Cooper, Nashua, N.H., tied for the Carhartt Big Bass of $500 as both anglers caught 5-15 largemouth.
The Livingston Lures Leader Award of $250 for finishing as the top pro on Day 2 was given to Scott Siller. The Day 2 leader on the co-angler side, James Schneider, received a Livingston Lures gift pack worth $250.
Anglers in both divisions who advance the most places up the leaderboard from Day 1 to Day 2 receive the “Allstate Good Hands, Great Day” award. Pro division angler Chris Zaldain received $250 by jumping 68 places from 107th to 39th. Co-angler Marvin Stith Jr., earned $150 by climbing 72 places from 115th to 43rd.
The Toyota Bonus Bucks paid $1,500 to Mike Iaconelli, who was the highest placing eligible pro angler entrant for the award.
2014 BPS Bassmaster Northern Open 7/31-8/2
Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh NY.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Shin Fukae Palestine TX JAPAN 15 56-13 200 $48,095.00
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 19-03 Day 3: 5 18-13
2. Sean Wilkes Latham, NY 15 54-15 199 $18,037.00
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 17-15 Day 3: 5 21-01
3. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 15 53-08 198 $13,528.00
Day 1: 5 19-06 Day 2: 5 17-09 Day 3: 5 16-09
4. Sam George Athens, AL 15 52-03 197 $12,104.00
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 5 18-11 Day 3: 5 16-09
5. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 15 52-00 196 $10,561.00
Day 1: 5 16-04 Day 2: 5 18-00 Day 3: 5 17-12
6. Jordan Lee Vinemont, AL 15 51-11 195 $9,019.00
Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 5 16-11 Day 3: 5 17-03
7. Dave Wolak Wake Forest, NC 15 50-15 194 $7,595.00
Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 5 19-12 Day 3: 5 13-13
8. Scott Siller Milwaukee, WI 13 50-13 193 $6,552.00
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 19-02 Day 3: 3 11-11
9. Chris Daves Hopewell, VA 15 48-10 192 $4,509.00
Day 1: 5 17-03 Day 2: 5 18-05 Day 3: 5 13-02
10. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 15 48-02 191 $4,153.00
Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 5 17-01 Day 3: 5 14-00
11. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 15 47-06 190 $3,797.00
Day 1: 5 17-07 Day 2: 5 18-11 Day 3: 5 11-04
12. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 15 45-08 189 $3,560.00
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 17-11 Day 3: 5 11-05
CARHARTT BIG BASS
Scott Siller Milwaukee, WI 05-15 $250.00
RC Cooper Nashua, NH 05-15 $250.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 138 776 2040-13
2 133 742 2072-02
3 11 58 183-02
----------------------------------
282 1576 4296-01
2014 BPS Bassmaster Northern Open 7/31-8/2
Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh NY.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. James Schneider Watervliet, NY 9 32-01 200 $25,000.00
Day 1: 3 10-15 Day 2: 3 09-14 Day 3: 3 11-04
2. Rob Jordan Suwanee, GA 9 31-08 199 $5,815.00
Day 1: 3 10-05 Day 2: 3 09-03 Day 3: 3 12-00
3. Matt Madlener Lake Villa, IL 9 30-15 198 $4,391.00
Day 1: 3 09-04 Day 2: 3 11-01 Day 3: 3 10-10
4. Joey Bedra Lake Orion, MI 9 29-12 197 $2,967.00
Day 1: 3 07-15 Day 2: 3 11-08 Day 3: 3 10-05
5. Richard Janitschek Ledgewood, NJ 9 29-06 196 $2,729.00
Day 1: 3 09-13 Day 2: 3 10-05 Day 3: 3 09-04
6. Alex Peric Wheeling, IL 9 29-02 195 $2,611.00
Day 1: 3 08-15 Day 2: 3 09-15 Day 3: 3 10-04
7. Peter Jerrom Pipersville, PA 9 28-11 194 $2,492.00
Day 1: 3 08-14 Day 2: 3 10-01 Day 3: 3 09-12
8. Shawn Parenteau Kingston, NH 9 28-09 193 $2,373.00
Day 1: 3 11-09 Day 2: 3 08-04 Day 3: 3 08-12
9. JP Kimbrough Bossier City, LA 9 27-15 192 $2,255.00
Day 1: 3 10-05 Day 2: 3 09-06 Day 3: 3 08-04
10. Chris Molineaux Hope Valley, RI 9 27-09 191 $2,017.00
Day 1: 3 09-11 Day 2: 3 10-08 Day 3: 3 07-06
11. Shawn Gokey Milton, VT 9 25-11 190 $1,780.00
Day 1: 3 10-02 Day 2: 3 09-09 Day 3: 3 06-00
12. Chad Valentine Rome, NY 7 22-09 189 $1,661.00
Day 1: 3 09-09 Day 2: 3 10-05 Day 3: 1 02-11
CARHARTT BIG BASS
Matthew Jones Delmar, NY 04-08 $0.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 126 435 1072-13
2 128 421 1094-10
3 11 34 106-08
----------------------------------
265 890 2273-15
Siller Still Leads on Champlain
The Milwaukee, Wis., angler bagged a 19-pound, 2-ounce limit today to retain the lead in the pro division with 39-2. “Yesterday was a really awesome day after the weigh-in to be on the top of a Bassmaster leaderboard,” Siller said. “It was like a birthday all day long, so I almost didn’t want today to come around.”
Now he is glad today did come around because he kept the lead and is in position to win his first Bassmaster event. “It was a tough day,” he said. “I had a couple of fish I wished I could have culled out.”
The 44-year-old police officer caught a two keeper bass early on a jig, but when he couldn’t get any more bites, Siller switched to a square bill crankbait. On the second cast, he caught a 5-pounder. “I stuck with that for a while, and then went back to the jig; I just mixed it up a bit to try to figure out what would trigger the fish to bite,” he said.
Siller didn’t throw the square bill in practice but he felt like it was a good option to get some bites after the fish stopped hitting the jig Friday. “I am not a big crankbait fisherman, but the conditions and the cover and structure I was fishing pointed toward a crankbait,” he said.
For the second straight day, Siller had his limit in his first hour of fishing. “But I had one that was over 5 and the other four were under 3 pounds,” he said. “Two of them were around the 2-pound mark, and I culled both of them out with some decent fish.”
Fishing pressure has been nil in Seller’s area, but he did have some observers around today. “There is a club tournament tomorrow in that area, and I probably had about half a dozen bass boats that were watching me fish for most of the day,” he said. “I went to three of four areas, and they followed me everywhere I went. So I don’t know if they were watching as spectators or if I am going to have company tomorrow.”
Touring pro Shin Fukae moved into second place with 38 pounds. The Palestine, Texas, angler fished for largemouth again today and caught a small limit in the morning. He later added two 4-pounders while rotating between three spots. “Most of my fish though came from one spot,” he said.
Rounding out the Top 5 in the pro division are Dave Wolak, Wake Forest, N.C., in third place with 37-2; Mike Iaconelli, Pittsgrove, N.J., fourth, 36-15; and Aaron Martens, Leeds, Ala., fifth, 36-2.
Watervliet, N.Y., angler James Schneider moved into the co-angler lead with 20-13. The 49-year-old orthopedic surgeon said he has fished Champlain about 20 times. “I am very familiar with what the bass want to eat here,” said Schneider, who disclosed he has caught all of his smallmouth both days on Li’l Hustler spinnerbaits.
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First Time for Greenblat, Second Chance for Gagliardi at Upcoming FORREST WOOD CUP
The Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart, the world championship of bass fishing, will return to Lake Murray and the Columbia, S.C. area Aug. 14-17 to crown bass fishing’s top angler of 2014. Hosted by Capital City/Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism, the tournament will feature 45 of the world’s best bass pros and co-anglers casting for the sport’s biggest awards – $500,000 cash in the pro division and $50,000 cash in the co-angler division.
Local angler Matt Greenblatt of Port St. Lucie, Fla., will be one of the 45 anglers competing in the championship event. Fishing against 179 of the best anglers in the world on the Walmart FLW Tour, Greenblatt finished the season ranked No. 33 in the Kellogg’s Angler of the Year race and qualified for the first Forrest Wood Cup appearance of his career.
One of the anglers competing against Greenblatt is Chevy pro Anthony Gagliardi, who lives on Lake Murray and is considered an early favorite.
“The most exciting thing about this tournament is that it’s being held in my backyard,” said Gagliardi. “I disappointed myself the last time that the Cup was held here in 2008 and I didn’t think that I would ever have this opportunity again. To get another chance to possibly win $500,000 in front of my hometown crowd is a dream come true.”
Gagliardi said that he expects this tournament to play out very similar to the last time the Forrest Wood Cup was held on Lake Murray and that the tournament could be won with a variety of different tactics, allowing competitors to fish to their strengths.
“Some guys will be catching fish shallow, some guys will be catching them out deep,” Gagliardi said. “I think that the majority of the field will most likely be fishing a combination of both. There will be a lot of junk fishing going on. You can look at the results from the last time and get a really good idea of how this one will play out.”
The 2008 Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Murray was won by California pro Michael Bennett, who “junk-fished” for the first two days of competition, moving down the bank casting to “junk” – lay-downs, trees, grass, docks or anything else that could hold fish. Bennett then moved shallow for the final two days of competition and fished a topwater frog around docks with grass to seal his win and earn the title of Forrest Wood Cup champion.
“I think that if a guy can catch 11 pounds a day, he’ll make it through to the weekend top-20 cut,” Gagliardi said. “I think the winner is going to have a four-day total right around 60 pounds.”
Fishing fans that can’t make the trek to South Carolina can still follow along with all of the tournament action at ForrestWoodCup.com. Live on-the-water tweets, updates and videos will be posted throughout the four days of competition as well as a live streaming video feed of the weigh-in held at 5 p.m. each day.
Coverage of the Forrest Wood Cup will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC when “FLW” airs Oct. 5 from 2-3 p.m. ET. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show is hosted by Jason Harper 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 FLWOutdoors.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
North Alabama Team Leads Collegiate Championship, Dedicate It To Dad
But Dave Gullette, Michael’s father and biggest fan, died in January, right after Michael qualified for the championship.
“We’re dedicating this tournament to him,” Michael said.
“We came here to win it for him,” Martin said.
Gullette and Martin weighed in 14 pounds, 15 ounces today, putting the University of North Alabama (UNA) team 9 ounces ahead of the second-place Bethel University team of Zach Parker and Matt Roberts.
“I grew up fishing with my dad in Illinois,” said Gullette, who headed south to go to college because UNA was the only school that had both the major he wanted, culinary arts, and a bass fishing team.
And he’s really glad he made that move.
“If it weren’t for this UNA team, I wouldn’t still be in school,” Gullette said. “These last few months have been so tough, but these guys have been there for me. They’ve been really supportive.”
His teammates even gave him a custom rod inscribed with “In memory of Dave Gullette.”
“That rod is always with me, whether I’m using it or not,” Gullette added.
Gullette and Martin still have quite a ways to go before they can proclaim a win, especially with less than a pound of cushion between them and their nearest competitors.
“It’s going to take everything we’ve got and everything we know to bring it home,” Gullette said.
“Today has been so tough,” Martin said. “We only had eight bites all day. I was here last year for the championship, and I got my heart broken. We lost so many fish.”
This time, Martin is determined to have a solid tournament, and he’s off to a good start. “We’re running three different patterns,” Martin said. “Two of them worked today. Tomorrow, it just depends on the weather.”
What’s helped them so far is that they are specifically avoiding what so many other teams are doing — using the wooden rat that last year’s winners, Tom Frink and Jacob Nummy of Auburn University at Montgomery, employed to catch 15 pounds a day here.
As for Friday, they’ve got brushpiles all over the lake that they are planning to hit. “I’ve got 120 more of them waypointed from last year,” Martin said. “You can never have enough brushpiles.”
Gullette and Martin were working with less practice than most of the other anglers. They got into town over the weekend, but they had to come off the water before noon on two of the three practice days because the boat’s motor overheated, and they had to get it repaired.
Yet they still did better on practice time than a couple of others. Jake Gipson of the University of Alabama team only arrived the night before the championship began because he was taking the bar exam. And Jacob Wall and Kyle Schneider of University of Oregon arrived mere hours before the tournament began.
“We’ve been up for 38 hours because of flying in late on some messed up travel plans,” said Schneider.
The Oregon anglers got only a 20-minute nap before going on the water. “We did manage to get a fish in the last 10 minutes,” said a red-eyed Schneider. “It was on one of the most delirious casts of my life!”
Wall and Schneider’s one fish weighed 2-3, only slightly higher than the average 2-pound bass brought to the scales on Day 1. About one-third of the field managed to catch a five-fish limit, and 12 teams zeroed.
The biggest fish caught was 6 pounds, 7 ounces — and there were two of them. The leaders, Martin and Gullette, caught one of them, and Garrett Cates and Graham Howard of Kansas State University caught the other. The two teams are tied for Carhartt Big Bass honors, which are awarded to the team that catches the biggest bass of the tournament. Martin and Gullette are also in the lead for Bass Pro Nitro Big Bag honors for their 14-15 sack Thursday. If that holds up, the teammates win a $250 Bass Pro Shops gift card.
Day 1 set the stage for the championship, but Day 2 will be a big day for anglers who have a lot of ground to make up. To make the cut for Day 3, the team has to be in the Top 5. The Top 5 teams will compete for the championship trophy, and then the Top 4 teams advance to the 2014 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series College Bracket, Aug. 2-5, also on Chatuge Reservoir. In that event, the anglers will fish individually, and the winner earns a berth in the 2015 Bassmaster Classic.
Competition resumes Friday at 6:30 a.m. ET at The Ridges Marina & Resort in Hiawassee, Ga., for takeoff. The Day 2 weigh-in will be held at Young Harris College at 3 p.m. ET. Stay tuned to Bassmaster.com for updates.
2014 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Title Sponsor: Carhartt
2014 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Quantum, Yamaha
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Siller Leads Windy, Wavy Day 1 At Bassmaster Open On Champlain
The 44-year-old police officer from Milwaukee, Wis., also experienced a rough ride on wind-swept Champlain, which reminded him of fishing back home. “It reminded me of Lake Erie,” he said. “It was terrible. We got soaking wet.”
Siller noted Champlain fishes similar to his home waters of Sturgeon Bay, so he was able to fish his strengths. He found some areas in practice that were holding smallmouth bass, but he could never catch any brown bass more than 3 pounds.
“I really didn’t have a very good practice,” he said. “I had a couple of areas where I caught some big fish (largemouth), and I went in there today and within an hour and a half I had about 20 pounds.”
After culling out a keeper, Siller left the area and looked for some spots to help his partner catch some fish. Siller noted that he didn’t see any other competitors in his primary area, so he plans on making the long run again tomorrow.
The Wisconsin angler is competing in his sixth B.A.S.S. event, and his previous highest finish was a 22nd-place effort last year in a Northern Open at Lake Erie.
Challenging Siller is Bassmaster Elite Series pro Mike Iaconelli, who moved into second place with a 19-6 limit. Iaconelli has plenty of history on Champlain, having fished club tournaments here in the early 1990s and winning his first professional tournament, a Bassmaster Top 150 event, in 1999. “That was a pretty special thing, so I would like to win here again,” he said.
The wind changed the lake level in the area Iaconelli was fishing, so he had to make some adjustments. “It was a slower day than what happened in practice,” he said. “My (lake) level rose today and the fish got scattered.”
“I am concentrating on largemouth, but I am catching a few smallmouth mixed in,” he said. “I went out of my way in practice this week to strictly fish for largemouth.” The touring pro from Pittsgrove, N.J., knows smallmouth tend to roam this time of year on Champlain, so he is sticking with a more reliable largemouth pattern.
The rest of the Top 5 in the pro division includes Ryan Cooper, Nashua, N.H., in third place with 19-1; Shinichi Fukae, Palestine, Texas, in fourth with 18-13; and Rick Nitkiewicz, Pittsburgh, Pa. in fifth with 18-11.
Fishing for only the second time on Champlain, Shawn Parenteau of Kingston, N.H., caught a three-fish limit weighing 11-2 to take the lead in the co-angler division. “I was drop shotting and catching all smallmouth,” said the 39-year-old Parenteau, who caught his limit by 8 a.m.
2014 BPS Bassmaster Northern Open 7/31-8/2
Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh NY.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts
1. Scott Siller Milwaukee, WI 5 20-00 200
Day 1: 5 20-00
2. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 5 19-06 199
Day 1: 5 19-06
3. RC Cooper Nashua, NH 5 19-01 198
Day 1: 5 19-01
4. Shin Fukae Palestine TX JAPAN 5 18-13 197
Day 1: 5 18-13
5. Rick Nitkiewicz Pittsburgh, PA 5 18-11 196
Day 1: 5 18-11
6. Jimmy V. Vitaro Wooster, OH 5 18-09 195
Day 1: 5 18-09
7. Jordan Lee Vinemont, AL 5 17-13 194
Day 1: 5 17-13
8. Joseph Wood Westport, MA 5 17-09 193
Day 1: 5 17-09
9. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 5 17-07 192
Day 1: 5 17-07
10. Dave Wolak Wake Forest, NC 5 17-06 191
Day 1: 5 17-06
11. Chris Daves Hopewell, VA 5 17-03 190
Day 1: 5 17-03
12. Richard McCrone Cream Ridge, NJ 5 17-02 189
Day 1: 5 17-02
13. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 5 17-01 188
Day 1: 5 17-01
14. Woo Daves Spring Grove, VA 5 17-00 187
Day 1: 5 17-00
15. Sam George Athens, AL 5 16-15 186
Day 1: 5 16-15
16. Chris Johnston Otonabee CANADA 5 16-14 185
Day 1: 5 16-14
17. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 5 16-08 184
Day 1: 5 16-08
17. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 5 16-08 184
Day 1: 5 16-08
17. Thomas Lavictoire West Rutland, VT 5 16-08 184
Day 1: 5 16-08
20. Sonar Burghoff Guntersville, AL 5 16-07 181
Day 1: 5 16-07
21. Mark Daniels Fairfield, CA 5 16-06 180
Day 1: 5 16-06
22. Todd Schmitz Goshen, IN 5 16-05 179
Day 1: 5 16-05
23. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 5 16-04 178
Day 1: 5 16-04
23. Bryan Labelle Hinesburg, VT 5 16-04 178
Day 1: 5 16-04
23. Dan Owens Byron, IL 5 16-04 178
Day 1: 5 16-04
26. Seth Feider Bloomington, MN 5 16-03 175
Day 1: 5 16-03
26. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 5 16-03 175
Day 1: 5 16-03
26. Paul Pagnato Reston, VA 5 16-03 175
Day 1: 5 16-03
29. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 5 16-02 172
Day 1: 5 16-02
30. Joe Lucarelli Center Harbor, NH 5 16-00 171
Day 1: 5 16-00
31. Andrew Buss North Liberty, IN 5 15-15 170
Day 1: 5 15-15
31. Sean Wilkes Latham, NY 5 15-15 170
Day 1: 5 15-15
33. Matt Greenblatt Port St Lucie, FL 5 15-14 168
Day 1: 5 15-14
34. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 5 15-12 167
Day 1: 5 15-12
35. Kyle Kempkers Hamilton, MI 5 15-11 166
Day 1: 5 15-11
35. Scott Parker Candia, NH 5 15-11 166
Day 1: 5 15-11
35. Boo Woods Oneida, KY 5 15-11 166
Day 1: 5 15-11
38. Tom Belinda Williamsburg, PA 5 15-07 163
Day 1: 5 15-07
38. Brent Ehrler Redlands, CA 5 15-07 163
Day 1: 5 15-07
40. Wil Hardy II Harlem, GA 5 15-06 161
Day 1: 5 15-06
41. George Fiorille Moravia, NY 5 15-05 160
Day 1: 5 15-05
42. Brandon Palaniuk Hayden, ID 5 15-04 159
Day 1: 5 15-04
42. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 5 15-04 159
Day 1: 5 15-04
44. Steve York Bronson, MI 5 15-03 157
Day 1: 5 15-03
45. Masahiro Yanase Knoxville TN JAPAN 5 15-03 156
Day 1: 5 15-03
46. Matt Stefan Junction City, WI 5 15-02 155
Day 1: 5 15-02
46. Derek Yasinski Senoia, GA 5 15-02 155
Day 1: 5 15-02
48. Bill Byers IV Lewis Center, OH 5 15-01 153
Day 1: 5 15-01
48. Jamey Caldwell Carthage, NC 5 15-01 153
Day 1: 5 15-01
50. JT Kenney Palm Bay, FL 5 14-14 151
Day 1: 5 14-14
50. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 14-14 151
Day 1: 5 14-14
50. Michael Sentore Gloucester City, NJ 5 14-14 151
Day 1: 5 14-14
50. David Walker Sevierville, TN 5 14-14 151
Day 1: 5 14-14
54. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 5 14-13 147
Day 1: 5 14-13
55. Paco Giner Danbury, CT 5 14-11 146
Day 1: 5 14-11
56. Craig Workman Fort Worth, TX 5 14-11 145
Day 1: 5 14-11
57. Koby Kreiger Bokeelia, FL 5 14-10 144
Day 1: 5 14-10
57. Jack Rinkers Swarthmore, PA 5 14-10 144
Day 1: 5 14-10
59. Erhardt Tulgestka Posen, MI 5 14-09 142
Day 1: 5 14-09
60. Terry Baksay Easton, CT 5 14-08 141
Day 1: 5 14-08
60. Chad Pipkens Holt, MI 5 14-08 141
Day 1: 5 14-08
62. Richard Dunham Arlington Heights, IL 5 14-07 139
Day 1: 5 14-07
63. Tim Grein Winston Salem, NC 5 14-05 138
Day 1: 5 14-05
64. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 5 14-03 137
Day 1: 5 14-03
65. Powell Kemp Scotland Neck, NC 5 14-02 136
Day 1: 5 14-02
65. Patrick Pierce Jacksonville, FL 5 14-02 136
Day 1: 5 14-02
67. Philip Holwerda Ada, MI 5 14-01 134
Day 1: 5 14-01
68. Travis Manson Conshohocken, PA 5 14-00 133
Day 1: 5 14-00
68. Jesse Tacoronte Orlando, FL 5 14-00 133
Day 1: 5 14-00
70. Chris Flint Potsdam, NY 5 13-15 131
Day 1: 5 13-15
71. Blake Nick Adger, AL 5 13-13 130
Day 1: 5 13-13
72. Buck Mallory Lawton, MI 5 13-09 129
Day 1: 5 13-09
73. Ed Loughran Mechanicsville, VA 5 13-08 128
Day 1: 5 13-08
74. Ben Nielsen Lowell, MI 5 13-07 127
Day 1: 5 13-07
75. Kurt Dove Del Rio, TX 5 13-06 126
Day 1: 5 13-06
75. Jacob Wheeler Indianapolis, IN 5 13-06 126
Day 1: 5 13-06
77. Larry Draughn Fairborn, OH 5 13-05 124
Day 1: 5 13-05
77. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 13-05 124
Day 1: 5 13-05
79. Matt Lee Auburn , AL 5 13-03 122
Day 1: 5 13-03
80. Stephen Longobardi Northford, CT 5 13-02 121
Day 1: 5 13-02
81. Luke Clausen Otis Orchards, WA 5 13-01 120
Day 1: 5 13-01
81. Troy Morrow Eastanollee, GA 5 13-01 120
Day 1: 5 13-01
83. Gerald Sensabaugh Gray, TN 5 13-00 118
Day 1: 5 13-00
84. Troy Lindner Los Angeles, CA 5 12-15 117
Day 1: 5 12-15
84. Casey Lyon Eden, VT 5 12-15 117
Day 1: 5 12-15
86. Wade Curtiss Meadow Vista, CA 5 12-14 115
Day 1: 5 12-14
87. Rob Grabow Morgantown, WV 5 12-12 114
Day 1: 5 12-12
87. Jeff Hippert Hamburg, NY 5 12-12 114
Day 1: 5 12-12
89. Drew Sadler Richmond , KY 5 12-11 112
Day 1: 5 12-11
90. Jim Dillard West Monroe, LA 5 12-09 111
Day 1: 5 12-09
91. Shannon Jones Kimper, KY 5 12-08 110
Day 1: 5 12-08
92. Michael Murphy Lexington, SC 5 12-07 109
Day 1: 5 12-07
92. Jeremy Roberts Rutland, VT 5 12-07 109
Day 1: 5 12-07
94. James Elam Tulsa, OK 5 12-04 107
Day 1: 5 12-04
95. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TX AUSTRALIA 5 12-03 106
Day 1: 5 12-03
95. Kirk McMullen Greensburg, PA 5 12-03 106
Day 1: 5 12-03
95. Derek Remitz Grant, AL 5 12-03 106
Day 1: 5 12-03
98. Gene Eisenmann Frisco, TX 5 12-02 103
Day 1: 5 12-02
98. Jim Lindner Baxter, MN 5 12-02 103
Day 1: 5 12-02
100. Donald Holt Jr Perrysburg, OH 5 12-00 101
Day 1: 5 12-00
101. Bill Day Frankfort, KY 5 11-15 100
Day 1: 5 11-15
101. Mike Wolfenden Warwick, RI 5 11-15 100
Day 1: 5 11-15
103. John Hempel Brownstown, MI 5 11-13 98
Day 1: 5 11-13
104. Shaun Kruzitski Stevens Point, WI 5 11-13 97
Day 1: 5 11-13
105. Brian Cook Sandusky, OH 5 11-10 96
Day 1: 5 11-10
105. Skip Johnson Wales, MI 5 11-10 96
Day 1: 5 11-10
107. Chris Zaldain San Jose, CA 5 11-09 94
Day 1: 5 11-09
108. Dakota Brown Charleston, WV 5 11-08 93
Day 1: 5 11-08
109. Jimmy Kennedy Plainfield, VT 5 11-07 92
Day 1: 5 11-07
110. Carroll Blevins Jonesboro, GA 5 11-05 91
Day 1: 5 11-05
110. Jonathan Carter South Portland, ME 5 11-05 91
Day 1: 5 11-05
110. Scott Cremeans Albany, OH 5 11-05 91
Day 1: 5 11-05
113. Bmac McDonald Greenwood, IN 5 11-00 88
Day 1: 5 11-00
114. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 5 10-15 87
Day 1: 5 10-15
115. Sean Caswell Highland, NY 4 10-15 86
Day 1: 4 10-15
116. John Malzahn Sparrow Bush, NY 5 10-13 85
Day 1: 5 10-13
117. Tim Aldrich Shutesbury, MA 5 10-11 84
Day 1: 5 10-11
117. Gregory Dipalma Millville, NJ 5 10-11 84
Day 1: 5 10-11
119. Don Warren Chesterfield, VA 5 10-11 82
Day 1: 5 10-11
120. Paul Molan Chardon, OH 3 10-09 81
Day 1: 3 10-09
121. Paul Mazzitelli Pittston, PA 5 10-08 80
Day 1: 5 10-08
122. Michael Neal Dayton, TN 5 10-07 79
Day 1: 5 10-07
123. Jonathan Case Swanton, VT 5 10-05 78
Day 1: 5 10-05
124. Brian Latimer Belton, SC 5 09-15 77
Day 1: 5 09-15
124. Greg Mansfield Burnsville, MN 5 09-15 77
Day 1: 5 09-15
124. Kendall Newson Decatur, GA 5 09-15 77
Day 1: 5 09-15
127. Art Ferguson III Saint Clair Shores, MI 5 09-14 74
Day 1: 5 09-14
128. Mike Hancin North Franklin, CT 5 09-13 73
Day 1: 5 09-13
129. Josh Douglas Shakopee, MN 5 09-08 72
Day 1: 5 09-08
130. David Smith Del City, OK 5 09-06 71
Day 1: 5 09-06
131. Joshua Cook Clarksville, TN 4 09-03 70
Day 1: 4 09-03
132. Steven Pickard Fulton, NY 5 09-01 69
Day 1: 5 09-01
132. Dan Straitiff IV Nashua, NH 5 09-01 69
Day 1: 5 09-01
134. Erny Janzen St Catharines ONTARIO C 5 08-14 67
Day 1: 5 08-14
134. Franklin Janzen St Catharines Ontario C 5 08-14 67
Day 1: 5 08-14
136. Roland Martin Naples, FL 5 08-13 65
Day 1: 5 08-13
137. Todd Sterner Mechanicsburg, PA 4 08-10 64
Day 1: 4 08-10
138. Randy Elliott Bowie, MD 5 08-08 63
Day 1: 5 08-08
139. William Beal Lenox, MI 3 08-07 62
Day 1: 3 08-07
140. Jay Clingenpeel Washington, PA 3 07-15 61
Day 1: 3 07-15
141. Nassa Khanfour Ales FRANCE 3 07-14 60
Day 1: 3 07-14
142. David Morrissette South Hadley, MA 4 07-11 59
Day 1: 4 07-11
143. Tommy Robinson Westland, MI 4 07-08 58
Day 1: 4 07-08
144. Douglas Hammond South Westerlo, NY 4 07-03 57
Day 1: 4 07-03
144. Matt Vermilyea Perrysburg, OH 4 07-03 57
Day 1: 4 07-03
146. Mike Weiss Union Grove, WI 3 07-03 55
Day 1: 3 07-03
147. Shane Rees Middletown, IN 5 07-01 54
Day 1: 5 07-01
148. John Pelletier Castleton, NY 2 07-01 53
Day 1: 2 07-01
149. James Hanson Yulon, NY 3 06-11 52
Day 1: 3 06-11
150. Mark Costa Andover, ME 3 05-15 51
Day 1: 3 05-15
151. David Mizenko Wrightsville, PA 3 05-05 50
Day 1: 3 05-05
152. Roy Minnick New Lenox, IL 2 05-04 49
Day 1: 2 05-04
153. Tony Johnson Alexandria, OH 3 05-02 48
Day 1: 3 05-02
154. James Root Greene, NY 3 04-14 47
Day 1: 3 04-14
155. James Mcmullen Quakertown, PA 2 04-14 46
Day 1: 2 04-14
156. Shirley Crain Fort Smith, AR 3 04-11 45
Day 1: 3 04-11
157. Trait Crist Fort Worth, TX 3 04-10 44
Day 1: 3 04-10
158. Ron Ottinger Crystal Lake, IL 3 04-09 43
Day 1: 3 04-09
159. James Jeffries Rouses Point, NY 2 04-00 42
Day 1: 2 04-00
160. Gary Clouse La Vergne, TN 2 03-13 41
Day 1: 2 03-13
161. Pete Garnier Lindsey ONTARIO CANADA 2 02-12 40
Day 1: 2 02-12
162. Wayne Hauser Mooresville, NC 5 02-11 39
Day 1: 5 02-11
163. John Figi Bloomington, MN 5 01-10 38
Day 1: 5 01-10
164. Michael McCoy Mentor On The Lake, OH 1 01-10 37
Day 1: 1 01-10
165. Pete Gluszek Mount Laurel, NJ 5 01-09 36
Day 1: 5 01-09
166. Devon Banks Lake Orion, MI 1 01-05 35
Day 1: 1 01-05
167. Jared Shuler Marion, VA 1 01-03 34
Day 1: 1 01-03
168. Michael Caver Southfield, MI 4 00-00 33
Day 1: 4 00-00
169. Roy Brooks Hedgesville, WV 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
169. Brandon Card Caryville, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
169. Charlie Evans Gilbertsville, KY 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
169. Chris Gerrein Villa Hills, KY 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
169. Mark Hicks Glouster, OH 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
169. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
169. Emery Peine Newton, NJ 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
169. Ripnlips Smith Harrison Twp, MI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
169. Craig Townsend Westampton, NJ 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
169. Gary Walker Amesbury, MA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 138 776 2040-13
----------------------------------
138 776 2040-13
2014 BPS Bassmaster Northern Open 7/31-8/2
Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh NY.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts
1. Shawn Parenteau Kingston, NH 3 11-09 200
Day 1: 3 11-09
2. James Schneider Watervliet, NY 3 10-15 199
Day 1: 3 10-15
3. Andrew Zapf Whippany, NJ 3 10-09 198
Day 1: 3 10-09
4. Rob Jordan Suwanee, GA 3 10-05 197
Day 1: 3 10-05
4. JP Kimbrough Bossier City, LA 3 10-05 197
Day 1: 3 10-05
6. Trent Masterson Goodrich, MI 3 10-03 195
Day 1: 3 10-03
7. Shawn Gokey Milton, VT 3 10-02 194
Day 1: 3 10-02
7. PJ Mcmanamon Ruby, NY 3 10-02 194
Day 1: 3 10-02
9. Steve Williams Harrington, ME 3 10-01 192
Day 1: 3 10-01
10. Matthew Zimmer Haledon, NJ 3 10-00 191
Day 1: 3 10-00
11. Corey Horelick Uncasville, CT 3 09-15 190
Day 1: 3 09-15
12. JJ Smith Avon Lake, OH 3 09-14 189
Day 1: 3 09-14
13. Mark Fennell Lagrange, IN 3 09-13 188
Day 1: 3 09-13
13. Richard Janitschek Ledgewood, NJ 3 09-13 188
Day 1: 3 09-13
13. Thomas Rizzo Rochester, PA 3 09-13 188
Day 1: 3 09-13
16. Chris Molineaux Hope Valley, RI 3 09-11 185
Day 1: 3 09-11
17. Matthew Jones Delmar, NY 3 09-10 184
Day 1: 3 09-10
18. Bob Green Pine Grove, PA 3 09-09 183
Day 1: 3 09-09
18. Chad Valentine Rome, NY 3 09-09 183
Day 1: 3 09-09
20. Justin Lonchar Clinton, PA 3 09-06 181
Day 1: 3 09-06
20. Nick Ray Ingleside, IL 3 09-06 181
Day 1: 3 09-06
22. Gregory Hammond Amsterdam, NY 3 09-05 179
Day 1: 3 09-05
23. Matt Madlener Lake Villa, IL 3 09-04 178
Day 1: 3 09-04
24. Mark Horton Nicholasville, KY 3 09-03 177
Day 1: 3 09-03
25. Fred Ingalls Groveland, NY 3 09-02 176
Day 1: 3 09-02
25. James Papierz Woodbridge, NJ 3 09-02 176
Day 1: 3 09-02
27. Mandel Pettus Sound Beach, NY 3 09-01 174
Day 1: 3 09-01
28. Mark Bell Pewee Valley, KY 3 09-00 173
Day 1: 3 09-00
28. Michael Cooper Sellersville, PA 3 09-00 173
Day 1: 3 09-00
30. Alex Peric Wheeling, IL 3 08-15 171
Day 1: 3 08-15
31. Mark Babcock Warwick, NY 3 08-14 170
Day 1: 3 08-14
31. Michael James Indiana, PA 3 08-14 170
Day 1: 3 08-14
31. Peter Jerrom Pipersville, PA 3 08-14 170
Day 1: 3 08-14
34. Steve Hanley Schenectady, NY 3 08-13 167
Day 1: 3 08-13
34. Peter Valente North Clarendon, VT 3 08-13 167
Day 1: 3 08-13
36. Drew Dupre Clinton, CT 3 08-12 165
Day 1: 3 08-12
36. Dan Posta Poughkeepsie, NY 3 08-12 165
Day 1: 3 08-12
38. Michael Barton Endicott, NY 3 08-10 163
Day 1: 3 08-10
39. Austin Hopfensperger Appleton, WI 3 08-09 162
Day 1: 3 08-09
39. David Paul New London, CT 3 08-09 162
Day 1: 3 08-09
41. Kyle Labarge Tupper Lake, NY 3 08-09 160
Day 1: 3 08-09
42. Danny Sprague Hastings, MI 3 08-08 159
Day 1: 3 08-08
43. Brent Heyn South Hero, VT 3 08-07 158
Day 1: 3 08-07
43. Greg Linscott Jr South Hadley, MA 3 08-07 158
Day 1: 3 08-07
45. John Watts Flushing, MI 3 08-06 156
Day 1: 3 08-06
46. Steve Prange Niles, MI 3 08-05 155
Day 1: 3 08-05
47. Peter Summa Jr. Rome, NY 3 08-04 154
Day 1: 3 08-04
48. Sam Spina Jr Rome, NY 3 08-03 153
Day 1: 3 08-03
49. Brian Ruetz Toledo, OH 3 08-02 152
Day 1: 3 08-02
49. Mike Sciacca Augusta, NJ 3 08-02 152
Day 1: 3 08-02
51. Rick Kloetstra Lynden CANADA 3 08-01 150
Day 1: 3 08-01
52. Tim Hamburger Quakertown, PA 3 08-00 149
Day 1: 3 08-00
52. Steve Kaczinski Kintnersville, PA 3 08-00 149
Day 1: 3 08-00
52. Greg Mauldin Archdale, NC 3 08-00 149
Day 1: 3 08-00
55. Robert Hayes Galloway, OH 3 08-00 146
Day 1: 3 08-00
55. Jarrad Nickolite Shakopee, MN 3 08-00 146
Day 1: 3 08-00
57. Joey Bedra Lake Orion, MI 3 07-15 144
Day 1: 3 07-15
57. Tyler Morgan Pine Grove, PA 3 07-15 144
Day 1: 3 07-15
59. Kenneth Higgins Brant Lake, NY 3 07-14 142
Day 1: 3 07-14
60. Brian Stockl Glassboro, NJ 3 07-13 141
Day 1: 3 07-13
61. Jon Zera Newington, CT 2 07-13 140
Day 1: 2 07-13
62. Charles Gabbeart Plymouth, MI 3 07-12 139
Day 1: 3 07-12
62. Henry Mckee IV Haddon Heights, NJ 3 07-12 139
Day 1: 3 07-12
64. Billy Briere Mooresville, IN 3 07-11 137
Day 1: 3 07-11
64. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 3 07-11 137
Day 1: 3 07-11
64. Joseph Zapf Whippany, NJ 3 07-11 137
Day 1: 3 07-11
67. Barry Brandt Jr. Newport News, VA 3 07-09 134
Day 1: 3 07-09
67. Scott Deitrich Berrysburg, PA 3 07-09 134
Day 1: 3 07-09
67. Brook Pauley Morgantown, WV 3 07-09 134
Day 1: 3 07-09
67. Chris Van Vliet Cleveland, OH 3 07-09 134
Day 1: 3 07-09
71. Lee Rogers Swartswood, NJ 3 07-08 130
Day 1: 3 07-08
72. Cory Krawczyk Angola, NY 3 07-06 129
Day 1: 3 07-06
72. James Whelan Cadillac, MI 3 07-06 129
Day 1: 3 07-06
74. Paul Blimkie Burlington CANADA 3 07-05 127
Day 1: 3 07-05
74. Paul LaFleur Benton, AR 3 07-05 127
Day 1: 3 07-05
74. Frank Miller Nanticoke, PA 3 07-05 127
Day 1: 3 07-05
77. Bill Alexander Sylvan Beach, NY 3 07-03 124
Day 1: 3 07-03
77. Brandon Baker Eagle Mountain, UT 3 07-03 124
Day 1: 3 07-03
77. Buddy Cipoletti West Islip, NY 3 07-03 124
Day 1: 3 07-03
77. Gary McClain Chesapeake, VA 3 07-03 124
Day 1: 3 07-03
81. Kenneth Garland Hamilton, OH 3 07-01 120
Day 1: 3 07-01
82. Paul Marchaza Mentor, OH 3 07-00 119
Day 1: 3 07-00
83. Christopher Lemon Mooresville, IN 3 06-15 118
Day 1: 3 06-15
83. Christopher Liobis Branchburg, NJ 3 06-15 118
Day 1: 3 06-15
83. William Schwartz Sheffield Village, OH 3 06-15 118
Day 1: 3 06-15
86. William Mcdermott Jr. Freeland, MD 3 06-14 115
Day 1: 3 06-14
87. Joe Zellers Westminster, MD 2 06-13 114
Day 1: 2 06-13
88. Destin Demarion Grove City, PA 3 06-12 113
Day 1: 3 06-12
89. Anthony Lorefice Jr Johnson City, NY 3 06-11 112
Day 1: 3 06-11
89. Brett Rounsaville Indianapolis, IN 3 06-11 112
Day 1: 3 06-11
91. Jim Oconnell Castle Rock, CO 2 06-10 110
Day 1: 2 06-10
92. Alex Antipenko Brooklyn, NY 3 06-06 109
Day 1: 3 06-06
93. John Hutton Derry, PA 3 06-05 108
Day 1: 3 06-05
94. Chris Clarke Fairmont, WV 3 06-04 107
Day 1: 3 06-04
94. Daniel Kane Surry, ME 3 06-04 107
Day 1: 3 06-04
96. Dereck Bigford Cicero, NY 3 06-03 105
Day 1: 3 06-03
97. Doug Fowler Conover, NC 2 06-03 104
Day 1: 2 06-03
98. Andrew Fryer Grove City, OH 3 06-02 103
Day 1: 3 06-02
98. Eric Grant Elmira, NY 3 06-02 103
Day 1: 3 06-02
98. Frank McPherson Gloucester, VA 3 06-02 103
Day 1: 3 06-02
98. Keith Pease Cheektowaga, NY 3 06-02 103
Day 1: 3 06-02
98. Keith Sensenig Jane Lew, WV 3 06-02 103
Day 1: 3 06-02
98. Scott Shafer Glenville, NY 3 06-02 103
Day 1: 3 06-02
98. Buddy Valentine Westernville, NY 3 06-02 103
Day 1: 3 06-02
105. Nathan Powe Greece, NY 3 06-01 96
Day 1: 3 06-01
106. Joseph Sterner Mechanicsburg, PA 2 06-01 95
Day 1: 2 06-01
107. Stephen Schneider Selden, NY 2 06-01 94
Day 1: 2 06-01
108. Ben Merkley Port Byron, NY 3 06-00 93
Day 1: 3 06-00
109. Allen Rix Carbondale, IL 3 05-14 92
Day 1: 3 05-14
110. Akira Okuyama Forest Hills, NY 3 05-11 91
Day 1: 3 05-11
110. Anthony Roy Lancaster, KY 3 05-11 91
Day 1: 3 05-11
110. George Yund Glenmont, NY 3 05-11 91
Day 1: 3 05-11
113. Brian Winchell Warrensburg, NY 2 05-11 88
Day 1: 2 05-11
114. Marvin Stith Jr. Piscataway, NJ 3 05-10 87
Day 1: 3 05-10
115. Garrett Hysong Georgetown, PA 3 05-07 86
Day 1: 3 05-07
115. Robert Rieder West Milford, NJ 3 05-07 86
Day 1: 3 05-07
117. Todd Brisebois Granby, MA 3 05-05 84
Day 1: 3 05-05
117. Justin Busby Columbus, OH 3 05-05 84
Day 1: 3 05-05
117. Jimmy Hayes Fayetteville, NC 3 05-05 84
Day 1: 3 05-05
120. Don Sangster Mississauga CANADA 2 05-05 81
Day 1: 2 05-05
121. Eric Rumley Princeton, WV 2 05-02 80
Day 1: 2 05-02
122. Chuck Cunningham Wellford, SC 3 05-01 79
Day 1: 3 05-01
122. David Evans Memphis, NY 3 05-01 79
Day 1: 3 05-01
124. Tom Balachvili Brooklyn, NY 3 04-13 77
Day 1: 3 04-13
124. Marc Letourneau Brome CANADA 3 04-13 77
Day 1: 3 04-13
126. Mike Fedio Fenton, MI 2 04-13 75
Day 1: 2 04-13
127. Michael Naventi Lee, MA 3 04-12 74
Day 1: 3 04-12
128. Gary Whiteley Catoosa, OK 2 04-12 73
Day 1: 2 04-12
129. Tom Hill Lexington, KY 3 04-11 72
Day 1: 3 04-11
130. Scott Fairchild New Windsor, NY 3 04-04 71
Day 1: 3 04-04
131. Mike Rinaldi North Haledon, NJ 2 04-04 70
Day 1: 2 04-04
131. Justin Thomas Arlington, MA 2 04-04 70
Day 1: 2 04-04
133. Jeremy Seamans Dracut, MA 3 04-03 68
Day 1: 3 04-03
134. Daniel Beebe Jr Niota, TN 2 04-03 67
Day 1: 2 04-03
135. Eric Mcdonald Barkhamsted, CT 3 03-13 66
Day 1: 3 03-13
136. Bill Longstreet Falls, PA 1 03-13 65
Day 1: 1 03-13
137. Mike Drisko Leesburg, FL 3 03-11 64
Day 1: 3 03-11
138. Frank Sipple White Haven, PA 2 03-11 63
Day 1: 2 03-11
139. Bob Brody Avoca, PA 3 03-10 62
Day 1: 3 03-10
140. John Brzozowski Plymouth, PA 2 03-10 61
Day 1: 2 03-10
141. Robert Sweeney Baltimore, MD 3 03-09 60
Day 1: 3 03-09
142. Roy Moon Gloucester, VA 3 03-06 59
Day 1: 3 03-06
143. Kenny Woods Oneida, KY 2 03-06 58
Day 1: 2 03-06
144. Zachariah Dunham Stroudsburg, PA 1 03-02 57
Day 1: 1 03-02
145. Eric Kuehne Lyman, ME 2 03-01 56
Day 1: 2 03-01
146. Mark Wilfong Ann Arbor, MI 1 03-00 55
Day 1: 1 03-00
147. Charles Pruitt Detroit, MI 2 02-14 54
Day 1: 2 02-14
148. Kadin Thens Warrenton, VA 1 02-14 53
Day 1: 1 02-14
149. Michael Sweeney Mansfield, MA 2 02-08 52
Day 1: 2 02-08
150. Bean Lefebvre Malden, MA 1 02-06 51
Day 1: 1 02-06
151. Jeffrey Fink Girard, PA 1 02-04 50
Day 1: 1 02-04
152. Tina Chang Milwaukee, WI 2 02-01 49
Day 1: 2 02-01
153. Michael Pikulinski Syracuse, NY 1 01-15 48
Day 1: 1 01-15
154. Chad Levey Montour Falls, NY 1 01-14 47
Day 1: 1 01-14
155. Benjamin Wright Peru, NY 1 01-12 46
Day 1: 1 01-12
156. Bill Facompre, Jr. Woodstock, NY 1 01-10 45
Day 1: 1 01-10
157. William Beekman Diamond Point, NY 1 01-09 44
Day 1: 1 01-09
158. Ike Taylor Westerville, OH 1 01-04 43
Day 1: 1 01-04
159. Joe Pope New Kensingtn, PA 1 01-03 42
Day 1: 1 01-03
160. Robert Pelletier Nassau, NY 3 00-00 41
Day 1: 3 00-00
161. Edward Dyer Alto, MI 1 00-00 40
Day 1: 1 00-00
161. Howie Range Gouldsboro, PA 1 00-00 40
Day 1: 1 00-00
163. Lance Asbury Rural Retreat, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Gary Besmer East Islip, NY 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Stephen Collins Hastings CANADA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Jeff Cutler Minersville, PA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Ryan Doherty Russell, MA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Barb Elliott Richland, NY 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Bryan Humphreys Lewisburg, WV 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. William Langille Kent, OH 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Nick Lindner Pequot Lakes, MN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Nathan Mapes Alburgh, VT 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Jerry Norakus Wilkes Barre, PA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. George Saliba Lakefield CANADA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Tyler South Bonita Springs, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Vic Walker Nashua, NH 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Holli Woodward South Beloit, IL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. AJ Zitzmann Montreal QUEBEC CANADA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 126 435 1071-13
----------------------------------
126 435 1071-13
Artist Mike Savlen works live at ICAST 2014. His choice of canvas? Miss Ashley Gilbert
Donna Lee Savlen introduces her husband, Mike, as he re-creates one of his finest pieces, "A Place I'd Rather Be", on the body of professional model, Ashley Gilbert. Savlen, who served in TWO BRANCHES of the United States military, has been featured in most major fishing publications. To see his work, including "A Place I'd Rather Be" - on canvas or on Ashley - visit his Facebook page Fish Art Gallery of Mike Savlen. While he likely won't paint you, if you want to wear Savlen's art, visit SavlenSportswear.com or take a look at SavlenStudios.com.
Collins Bass for Cash kicks off at Roanoke River this Sat
Tournament event #6 for the Collins Inc. – Bass For Cash Series will take place this Saturday, August 2nd, on the Roanoke River along the Plymouth City Waterfront. You can visit the “Schedule” tab at our site for a map to the ramp location.
§ Morning registration is planned to begin on-site at approximately 4:15 AM. Cash or check is the only form of payment accepted.
§ Every team must check in at our Yamaha registration tent the morning of each event. Even if you have pre-registered, we need to know that you are in attendance and provide you with important information.
§ A livewell check will be conducted on the water at the gazebo near the registration area.
§ Blast Off Will Begin At Safe Light – Approximately 5:30 – 5:45 AM.
§ Please be checked in, have your livewells checked, and your boat in the water well in advance of the start of the event.
§ Return / Weigh-In – 3:00 PM (Be Sure To Check In With A Tournament Official). Depending on the number of total entries, we may create additional flights and return times. This information will be announced prior to blast off.
§ Five (5) fish limit per boat. Minimum size for this event will be 14” in length. Reminder, no courtesy measurements allowed.
§ Complimentary food items and door prizes will be available during afternoon weigh-in, so stick around if you can.
Off Limits Period: We would like to remind everyone of the off-limits period as specified within the tournament rules. If you feel that you have violated this rule in any way, please contact us so that we may make arrangements to have your entry fee moved over to a future event.
Please take time to read over the complete 2014 BFCS rules as tournament rules may vary from tournament trail to tournament trail. We do not want to see anyone caught off guard.
Click on this link for 2014 BFCS rules: 2014 Rules
HIPSHER WINS BFL ON KENTUCKY AND BARKLEY LAKES
Craig Hipsher of Benton, Ky., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 22 pounds, 13 ounces Saturday to win the fourth Walmart Bass Fishing League LBL Division tournament of 2014 on Kentucky and Barkley lakes. For his victory, Hipsher earned $3,756.
“I kind of got lucky,” said Hipsher, who has 10 career top-10 finishes on Kentucky Lake in BFL competition. “The last bite I got in practice game me a clue that the fish were chasing. The next morning when we went out my plan was to fish deep ledges with a jig and a worm. But it was cloudy and the wind was blowing and I thought the fish could be up on the shallow flats.
“So, I started on a little 4-foot deep flat in the middle of the lake and threw a ¾-ounce Accent Fishing Products spinnerbait with double willow leaf blades. By 6:40 a.m. I had caught about 19 pounds. Those spinnerbaits have a very thin wire. Every time I would catch two or three that were over 4 pounds, I would change spinnerbaits. I went through four spinnerbaits.
“My goal this season was to win the LBL division Angler of the Year title” said Hipsher. “I practiced a lot for this event and my plan was to run brush piles with a jig and a worm. But, I went with my gut and it worked. I guide on the lake and I fish about 300 days per year. Some days things just go right and when that happens you are meant to win. I was a hero for a day, but tomorrow I might blank.”
Hipsher said that he caught four of his big fish with the aforementioned spinnerbait and one of his bass in deep water on a on a Luck-E-Strike Ringleader Worm. Hipsher also made sure to credit Shiner Bock for extensively supporting his fishing career.
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Terry Bolton, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 22-9, $1,878 + $300 Evinrude Bonus
3rd: David Young, Mayfield, Ky., five bass, 20-8, $1,253
4th: Robert Behrens Jr., Dyersburg, Tenn., five bass, 17-12, $813
4th: Edward Gettys, Columbia, Tenn., five bass, 17-12, $813 + $300 Evinrude Bonus
6th: Billy Schroeder, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 17-5, $689
7th: Brent Anderson, Kingston Springs, Tenn., five bass, 16-10, $626
8th: Ronny Webb, Dyersburg, Tenn., five bass, 16-8, $563
9th: Kyle Hackemack, Georgetown, Ind., five bass, 14-1, $469
9th: Eli Torres, Festus, Mo., five bass, 14-1, $469
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Darrell Carroll of Independence, Ky., weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds, 14 ounces Saturday to win $1,878 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Michael Luce, Ledbetter, Ky., five bass, 13-1, $939
3rd: John Wilkerson, Nashville, Tenn., three bass, 12-0, $627
4th: Jeff Johnston, Nashville, Tenn., four bass, 11-7, $438
5th: Jeff Scrimager, Mattoon, Ill., four bass, 9-13, $376
6th: Brennon Binkley, Nashville, Tenn., two bass, 9-3, $344
7th: Jerry Wittmer, Louisville, Ky., three bass, 8-9, $313
8th: Stan Evans, Newburgh, Ind., two bass, 7-15, $282
9th: Steve Ward, Simpsonville, Ky., two bass, 7-13, $250
10th: Kyle Radake, Cape Girardeau, Mo., three bass, 7-12, $219
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 9-11 Regional Championship on Lake Cherokee in Morristown, Tenn. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
American Bass Anglers Introduces 100% Plus Team Tour!
The 100% Plus Team Tour will offer 2 divisions for 2015, one located in North Alabama and the other in Tennessee/Kentucky. The North Alabama division will hold 5 events to be held on Guntersville and Wheeler Lake. The Tennessee/Kentucky division will hold 5 events to be held on Kentucky Lake out of Paris Tennessee and Old Hickory Lake out of Hendersonville Tennessee.
Points will be awarded at each event and the top 5 from each of the two divisions will advance directly to the Ray Scott Championship. The top 5 team captains from each division will compete as a boater and fish for first place prize valued at over $100,000. Their partners will compete as a co-angler and fish for first place prize valued at over $50,000. This allows local weekend bass anglers to fish for a new boat at every tournament and advance directly to the no-entry fee $100,000 first place Ray Scott Championship.
Entry Fee for 100% Plus Team Tour events is $250 and ABA members can fish any or all of these events. There will be no late fees and anglers will be allowed to register through 5pm CST Wednesday prior to the event by phone, mail, fax, or at www.americanbassanglers.com .
Tour’s Key Features
- 100% Plus Payout (Payout Link)
- Total Purse $60,000 based on 200 boats
- Triton Bass Boat with Mercury Outboard guaranteed first place (20,000 value)
- Entry Fee $250 per Team
- Anglers Plus Pot (Optional $100 per Team)
- No Late Fees Ever!
- Contingencies will include Triton Gold, Mercury Bonus plus Local Triton Dealer Bonuses
- Open to all ABA members in good standing
- Register through 5pm CST Wednesday of the week of the event
- Only one member must attend meeting
- Top 5 teams by points from each of the two divisions will advance directly to the Ray Scott Championship
- 20% of the field gets a check
- Off Limits Monday - Thursday the week of each event
- Official Practice Friday prior to the event
- Polygraph(s) given at every event
- No Guides or Pros will be allowed in the events
Registration will begin August 11, 2014 for both Divisions. Schedules, Rules and complete tour information will be available July 31, 2014 at www.americanbassanglers.com
About American Bass Anglers: American Bass Anglers is committed to providing low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers, the Weekend Bass Series, the American Fishing Tour or the American Couples Series, Military Team Bass Tournament and the 100% Plus Team Tour visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
ABA is sponsored by: Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Royal Purple, Best Western Hotels, Livingston Lures, Garmin, Carlisle Tire & Wheel, Odyssey Batteries, T-H Marine and North American Fisherman
American Bass Anglers, Inc. PO Box 475, Athens, AL 35611
Phone: (256)232-0406, Fax (256)233-2295 email: [email protected] website www.americanbassanglers.com
Mark Menendez shows the BIG NEW Strike King 8.0!
From the ICAST show in Orlando, Mark Menendez introduces the shallow-rooting counterpart to Strike King's wildly popular 10XD - the new 8.0 Squarebill. It's a chunk that hunts!
From Tackle X: Bernie Schultz introduces Rapala BX Waking Minnow
Tackle X was an invite-only event on legendary Lake X in Central Florida. Held the day before ICAST 2014 kicked off, Tackle X gave us a chance to see new products in action on the water. Bassmaster Elite Series Pro Bernie Schultz demonstrated the waking, rolling action of Rapala's NEW BX Waking Minnow.
As seen on Shark Tank TV show, Jeff Stafford tells about Shell Bobbers
Perhaps the funnest product at this year's ICAST show, the Shell Bobber was pitched by company co-founder, Jeff Stafford on the hit television show Shark Tank. Investors took notice, so have anglers and other outdoorsmen (recognize the guy on the signage in the background?). A custom-made Shell Bobber would be the best business card an angler or guide could have. Stafford offers that service too.
Late July Tournament Preview with AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh
AC Pro staffer Rob Digh joins us in looking back the Rayovac last weekend on Lake Champlaign as well as some upcoing events, especially the FLW CUP coming up on Murray-click here for more!
University Of South Carolina Team Primed For Carhartt Bassmaster College Championship
Gettys Brannon and Patrick Walters have scored a couple of significant firsts for Anglers at USC, the University of South Carolina's competitive bass fishing club, not the least of which is earning a slot in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Championship July 31-Aug. 2 on Georgia's Chatuge Reservoir.
Brannon, a junior advertising/marketing major from Gaffney, S.C., and Walters, of Summerville, S.C, who is majoring in business management, qualified for the college championship with an 18th place finish in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Wild Card tournament on Alabama's Pickwick Lake in early July. In all, 17 of the Top 20 teams qualified for the Carhartt College Series National Championship. Three of the Top 20 teams had previously qualified for the National Championship, extending the Wild Card invitations down to 20th place.
That landmark qualification for the USC club came on the heels of the first significant tournament qualification for Brannon and Walters a month earlier when they finished 5th in the FLW College Fishing Southeastern Conference event on Lake Guntersville, which earned them a spot in the FLW College Fishing Southeastern Conference Invitational on Tennessee's Lake Chickamauga Oct. 18-19.
“The Tennessee River lakes have been good to us this year,” said Brannon, who hopes their good fortune on reservoirs in that drainage system holds up in the National Championship as Lake Chatuge is a Tennessee River impoundment.
“We've never been to Lake Chatuge, so it is going to be interesting,” Brannon said. “It's a deep, clear reservoir with an abundance of spotted bass. I believe it will be won on some spots and probably a few largemouths.”
Brannon, who is president of the Anglers of USC, said he expects drop-shotting to be a primary tactic, but he and Walters have some other ideas they want to try, too.
“We've fished lakes similar to Chatuge so we'll try to put together some of those similarities with what we know about the lake itself and then with the limited 2 1/2 days of practice we'll have before the tournament,” he added.
“Chatuge is not as big as Guntersville and the fish are not as big as those in Guntersville. It's going to be a tough, really hard lake to fish, the type deal where the people will separate themselves.”
Their goal at Chatuge will be to be in the top four on the last day of competition to get a shot at registering the third major landmark for the USC Bass Club, Brannon said. On the last day the teams break down into four individual anglers who will compete for a spot in the 2015 Bassmaster Classic, which will be held on South Carolina's Lake Hartwell.
“There would be nothing better than to for our team to qualify for the chance to fish the Classic in our home state,” Brannon said. “We are one step closer. If we go to Chatuge and executive well, hopefully we will have a chance.”
Carhartt / Bassmaster College Championship
Jul 31-Aug 2, 2014
Lake Chatuge
The Ridges Marina
Arkansas-Little Rock Team Anxious To Fish Flw College Fishing Tournament On Dardanelle
Anglers in the final FLW College Fishing Southern Conference tournament of the year on Arkansas' Lake Dardanelle Saturday should be able to catch bass just about any way they like to fish, according to a college angler who fishes the lake pretty regularly in regular tournament competition.
“I've been fishing a pro-am series the last five or six years on the amateur side so I can learn from the pro anglers and a lot of the guys we have around here are pretty good. They could go pro full time if they wanted to. So, I've fished Dardanelle every year for the past five or six years and I've had a lot of success there,” said Zach Rollings, who is vice president of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock fishing club.
Rollings, who will graduate in December with a degree in business administration and general finance, said his partner, Tyler Hamby, a rising sophomore from Mabelvale, Ark.,who is fishing his first year on the team, just returned from practice fishing on Dardanelle.
“He pretty much caught them on whatever he wanted to throw. There is a lot of stuff you can do on that lake – throw a frog in the pads, throw a swim jig in the grass, go out and fish the ledges,” said Rollings who hails from Bryant, Ark.
“We just had this cold spell come in and I don't know if that will affect the fish or not. Last week it was 100 degrees and this past week it has been as low as 67 degrees, but I am expecting it to warm back up to the 90s by next week.”
The Dardanelle tournament will be the last of three qualifying tournaments in the Southern Conference this year. The top 15 teams from each regular-season tournament will qualify for one of five conference invitational tournaments. The top 10 teams from each conference invitational tournament will advance to the 2015 FLW College Fishing National Championship.
“If we do well enough in this tournament we could go to the Regional at Sam Rayburn in October – and from there possibly to the National Championship,” Rollings said, noting that there is historical precedent for his club. Although the club is small in number – it has only five or six “really passionate” members, he said – one of its teams won the Under Armor College Bass National Championship in 2008.
As for Rollings, when he graduates in December he will likely be looking for a job.
“I'd like to go pro, but I will probably keep fishing the local tournaments for a while. Maybe one day I can make a name for myself enough to make it to the pros,” he said.
FLW College Fishing – Southern Conference
Sat, Jul 26, 2014
Lake Dardanelle
Lake Dardanelle State Park
http://www.flwoutdoors.com/bassfishing/collegefishing/tournament/2014/7296/lake-dardanelle-details/
Anglers Should Be 'fizzing' In 'end Of The Year' Trail Tournament On Mayo Saturday
The Piedmont Bass Trail is serious about two things – having fun fishing and keeping bass alive.
“I tell guys if you don't want to have fun, don't come,” said tournament director Phil McCarson, “and we do have a good bunch of guys fishing the trail.”
In the hot summertime, McCarson said he is just as serious about keeping bass alive.
“One of the biggest problems is keeping fish alive anytime of year except in winter,” McCarson said. “Anglers need to keep their live wells oxygenated, keep them cool and, when necessary fizz their fish. That takes care of them most of the time.”
'Fizzing' is a technique fishermen use to deflate a fish pulled up from deep water, McCarson said.
“The rapid change of pressure coming from deep water to the surface real fast puts too much air in his bladder and the fish can't swim,” he said. “If you don't treat them, most of the times they die.”
The air pressure can be relieved by inserting the needle of a syringe behind the side fin of a bass, he said. It should be done underwater so the air bubbles can be seen coming out of the syringe because care must be taken not to release all the air from the bladder. Special 'fizz' kits can also be purchased at tackle dealers and there is a video tutorial on You Tube that anglers can view to learn how.
“Our guys do a pretty good job of fizzing,” McCarson said. “I would guess our mortality rate for the whole year is around 2 or 3 percent. I don't think there are many other trails that can claim that.”
'Fizzing' is a necessary procedure in a lake like Mayo, especially in the summertime, McCarson said, because it is a deep clear lake and many fish are caught in the deeper parts of the lake.
“Mayo is one of the smaller lakes that Piedmont Bass goes to, only 2,800 acres. But it is a very popular lake and it has deep, clear water this time of year so there is a lot of vertical jigging going on in the hot summertime. You are looking at lighter line, lighter colored lures because the water can be 60 feet deep and sometimes this time of year you have to go deep to catch fish.”
McCarson said he will be at the ramp by 5 a.m. Saturday to take entries, with blast-off around 6 a.m., and the weigh-in will be held at 2 p.m. instead of 3 to help keep the fish alive because of the hot weather.
“We are also one of the few trails that allows teams to weigh in anytime they want to. If they get a dead fish it cost's them money and we don't like dead fish at all. We do everything we can to keep them alive and return them to the lake,” McCarson said.
McCarson said he combined the previous summer and fall trails into the Cashion Fishing Rods 'End of Year' trail to give the fishermen a break in entries.
“Because of the economy, we combined the two and called it the 'End of the Year' Trail. It starts in July , which gives me time and gives the anglers a break. They don't have to fish through the fall so there is not so much pressure on them – and it gives me a break, too. I get to stay home a visit my grandkids occasionally,” he said with a laugh.
The Cashion Fishing Rods 'End of Year' Team Tournament Bass Fishing Trail began July 12 on Jordan Lake, with the second tournament July 26 on Mayo, out of Triple Springs; followed by tournaments Aug. 9, Kerr, Flemingtown Landing; Aug. 23, Falls, Ledge Rock; Sept. 13, Jordan, Farrington Point (Right Side); Sept. 27, Mayo, Triple Springs; Oct. 11, Shearon Harris, Cross Point Landing; and Oct. 25, Falls, Ledge Rock; with the championship Nov. 1, also on Falls, out of Ledge Rock.
Cashion Fishing Rods / Piedmont Bass Classics Trail
Sat, Jul 26, 2014
Mayo Lake
Triple Springs
Call Phil McCarson 919-971-5042
Email: [email protected]
Sonar Phone brings fish-finding technology to the masses - at ICAST 2014!
Boomer Stelmach introduces us to Sonar Phone which puts fish-finder technology within reach of everyone - dock and shore anglers, kayakers, waders, potoon boaters - starting at only $130. The castable TPod transducer is the size of a baseball. Sonar Phone is brought to you by Vexilar and their decades of experience in the sonar industry. Because it operates on WiFi, multiple users can read the same transducer. Also, it was revealed at ICAST that Sonar Phone can be used in conjunction with GPS software such as Navionics. User friendly, budget friendly, super portable and super cool!
Browne offers the best technical fishing tip at ICAST show
Bassmaster Elite Series Pro Glenn Browne is a shallow water expert who specializes in using a long rod and short line to haul heavy bass out of cover. Take a look at the tackle he uses. Browne offers great advice on setting up your reel for maximum accuracy when pitching and flipping. From ICAST 2014!
Peacock bass, anyone? Plus, Jarod Higginbotham shows us what sets Yakima baits apart - at ICAST 2014!
Yakima Bait Company turns out eye-popping color schemes on some very unique lures - and they do it all by hand, in the U.S.A. They offer plenty for the bass fishing crowd, but Jarod Higginbotham shows us a lure you'll want to pack when you take that peacock bass trip of a lifetime!
Kevin VanDam on Rigid Lighting - from ICAST 2014!
KVD runs Rigid lights on his rig, as well as his Bad Boy buggy. Find out why.
NEW at ICAST: Lynx Precision System gives you 100% confidence
The most promising new technology at the 2014 ICAST show was the Lynx Precision System that connects line to lure without a knot and, therefore, gives you 100% of your line’s intended tensile strength. It’s not a crimp; it’s a compression tool that employs nearly TWO TONS of force. Fast, easy, and very strong – you must check this out for yourself to believe it!
Susquehanna Valley Team Wins First Bassmaster High School Championship
Nick Osman (left) and Garrett Enders of Susquehanna High School in Mifflinburg, Pa., win the Bassmaster High School Championship presented by Carhartt July 16-19.
With tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces, the Susquehanna Valley team of Garrett Enders and Nick Osman hoisted the championship trophy into the air. The Pennsylvania anglers outlasted 59 high school teams to take home the inaugural Bassmaster High School Championship presented by Carhartt trophy.
With a Day 3 weight of 7 pounds, 4 ounces, they sat in second place and were in prime position to take over the lead on the final day of competition. Using a weightless wacky rigged Senko, Enders and Osman caught four more keepers Saturday, and their Day 4 weight of 4 pounds, 11 ounces was just enough to hold off the hard-charging anglers from Benton, Ill., who jumped six places to finish second.
“It’s amazing, I mean honestly I’m still speechless, and it probably won’t sink in for a few weeks,†Osman said. “We worked so hard to get here, and it paid off. We are champions.â€
Enders and Osman didn’t have an easy final day whatsoever as they were in the penalty box early Saturday morning. A 30-minute penalty was accessed to the team after they failed to promptly take their mandatory halftime break at 9:30 a.m. on Day 3. Seven minutes later they realized what had happened and took the 15-minute halftime break.
After their 30-minute penalty, the Susqehanna Valley team launched and headed straight for the Carroll County 1,000-acre Recreational Lake dam. Once they arrived at the dam they fished up and down the rocky banks with their weightless wacky rigged Senko, which they threw on spinning tackle.
For their victory, Enders and Osman received $4,000 ($2,000 per angler) in scholarship funds from B.A.S.S. They were also offered $20,000 scholarships (over four years), if they attend Bethel University.
The second place team of Dailus Richardson and Trevor McKinney of Benton High School were a force to be reckoned with this week, as the Illinois anglers were the Day 1 and 2 leaders from Kentucky Lake.
McKinney and Richardson came back to the scales on Day 3 with just three fish for 5 pounds, 3 ounces, moving them into the final day in eighth place.
“I’m a flipper, and I really like to flip a lot,†McKinney said. “But we didn’t do that until 11 o’clock on Day 3, and that cost us.â€
The Benton High School team flipped creature baits into flooded timber to catch their 6-pound, 5-ounce limit on the final day. The duo received $2,000 ($1,000 each) in scholarships from B.A.S.S., as well as $1,000 from Triton. For their Day 1 efforts on Kentucky Lake, the anglers received $1,000 courtesy of Mud Hole for their Heavyweight Bag of 20 pounds,14 ounces.
The third place team of Blake Albertson and Evan Wheeler of B Town Bassers in Indiana received $1,500 ($750 each from B.A.S.S. and $1,000 from Yamaha.
Zeke Gossett and Hayden Bartee of Pell City High School in Alabama climbed from 10th to fourth to take home $1,500 in scholarships from B.A.S.S.
The fifth through 10th place teams all received $1,000 ($500 each) in B.A.S.S. scholarships.
Jack Garner received the Carhartt Big Bass for the week after he brought a 7-pound, 4-ounce Kentucky Lake largemouth to the scales. The angler from the Douglass Indians fishing team received a $1,250 scholarship courtesy of Carhartt.
The local hosts for the event are Paris-Henry County, Carroll County, Northwest Tennessee Tourism and Bethel University.
Pros share thoughts on 2015 FLW Tour schedule
Immediately following the announcement at ICAST Scott Martin, Ish Monroe, Mark Rose and Wesley Strader give their opinions on the 2015 FLW Tour schedule!
FLW announces 2015 Tour dates, locations
FLW Outdoors President of Operations, Kathy Fennel, broke the news at a press conference on the floor of the ICAST trade show in Orlando, Fla. this week. The Tour will kick off a month later than usual, and just little farther north.
Piedmont Bass Classics Cashion Fishing Rods 'End Of Year' Trail Qualifier Results
The Cashion Fishing Rods 'End of Year' Team Tournament Bass Fishing Trail had a good start Saturday at Jordan Lake!
40 teams showed up to fish Jordan, which can be tough to fish, especially in the hot summer with all the pleasure boats and jet skis speeding around! But we have some of the best anglers in the state and they pretty much showed how good they could be under the conditions at this 1st Cashion qualifier. Turned out to be a great day weatherwise. About 69 in the am and around 88 in the afternoon. The wind never got up at all which pleased most of our anglers. Water temps averaged 88 degrees. The fish were caught in shallow water early on to 20' of water later in the day, which is a regular summer pattern at Jordan. Jigs, C & T rigs, spinnerbaits and crankbaits seemed to be the hot baits.
Scott Gatton & Mark Brogan landed 5 bass weighing a total of 24.64 lbs. taking 1st Place worth $976. 2 bass weighing over 6 lbs. helped them win on this day!
Close by was the 2nd Place Team of Tony Fofi & Dave Murdock with 5 bass weighing 23.50 lbs. They also won the 1st Place TWT and took home a total of $1,225. 3rd Place Team, Jason Suggs & Britton O'Quinn, had 20.92 lbs, 1st Place Big Fish & won the 2nd Place TWT to take home a whopping $1,265! 7th place Team Member Scott Smith won the Tow Boats US Member Award of $50.
117 bass were weighed in for a total of 369 pounds. This averaged over 3 lbs. a fish and they were nice and healthy looking. Jordan is still a great fishery! Also heard from some anglers of White Bass, Crappie & Stripers on the rebound at Jordan.
I want to thank all the anglers that participated and all our sponsors that support these trails. Our next tournament will be the Cashion Fishing Rods 'End of Year' Team Tournament Bass Fishing Trail Qualifier #2, Saturday, July 26th at Mayo Reservoir out of Triple Springs Wildlife Ramp.
All the information on our tournaments can be found at http://piedmontbassclassics.com/
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Scott Gatton & Mark Brogan of Cary & Durham...5 bass...24.64 lbs...$976
2nd Place: Tony Fofi & Dave Murdock of Spring Lake & Sanford...5 bass...23.50 lbs...$560
3rd Place: Jason Suggs & Britton O'Quinn of Fayetteville & Linden...5 bass...20.92 lbs...$448
4th Place: Lonnie Whitfield & Phil Smith of Burlington & Mebane...5 bass...17.81 lbs...$352
5th Place: Steve Upchurch & Tony Barham of Raleigh & Durham...5 bass...17.78 lbs...$288
6th Place: Roy Blackwood & Butch Williams of Pittsboro...5 bass...16.47 lbs...$224
7th Place: Scott Smith & Tony Woodard of Apex & Four Oaks...4 bass...16.36 lbs...$192
8th Place: Joe Langley & Brian Fritts of Benson & Raleigh...4 bass...16.19 lbs...$160
1st Place Big Fish: 3rd Place Team above...7.68 lbs...$532
2nd Place Big Fish: 8th Place Team above...7.24 lbs...$228
1st Place TWT: 2nd Place Team above: 23.50 lbs...$665
2nd Place TWT: 3rd Place Team above: 20.92 lbs...$285
Tow Boats US Award: Scott Smith of Apex: $50
Contact Information:
Phil McCarson...Tournament Director---922 Valetta Rd.---Durham, NC 27712
Home: 919-471-1571 Cell: 919-971-5042email: [email protected]
'samurai Fishing' Expected In Snag Proof Open On Potomac River
Many of the anglers in the Snag Proof Open on the Potomac River Saturday will be doing some Samurai fishing in addition to angling for the $10,000 first place prize for the heaviest three-bass limit.
“We have a bonus side pot for for snakehead fish,” said tournament director Dave Kilby. “Snakeheads are quite the predator so by and large you have to kill them when you catch them. You’ll see guys carrying clubs, machetes, everything in their boat for that. It looks like Samurai fishing.”
The Samurai, the military nobility of medieval and early-modern Japan, were often depicted as being armed with multiple swords, clubs, spears and other weapons..
Snakeheads, also called "frankenfish," have teeth, can breathe and move out of water. Considered a predatory and undesirable exotic species by the Commonwealth of Virginia, the species is blamed for the vanishing populations of Potomac River shad, bass and even frogs. Importation of snakeheads is against the law.
Entry in the optional “Super Snakehead Showdown” pot is $20 per team, Kilby said.
“The three heaviest snakeheads will win the money in the pot with 50 percent to the heaviest, 30 percent to next heaviest and 20 percent to the third heaviest. Hopefully, in addition to catching some bass, we will rid the Potomac of a few snakeheads.”
And, he added, the snakeheads probably will not go to waste. They reportedly are a delicious eating fish and are prized in Asian cultures, the part of the world they are from. Cooks of Asian heritage are expected to be at the weigh-in in anticipation of getting some snakeheads to take home for supper – or to feature in their restaurants.
Entry fee for the Snag Proof Open is $180 per boat, either a one-man or two-man team, and that includes an automatic entry into the Big Fish Pot for $20. The Big Bass payback will also be at 50, 30 and 20 percent, Kilby said.
The only lures allowed are Snag Proof Frogs, along with the Wiggle Wog, Bobby’s Perfect Buzz and Fish's Poppin' Phattie, all made by Snag Proof, he said.
“They all incorporate the topwater frog into their design, which is why they are allowed. You can't alter the frog or weight it to fish under the surface,” Kilby said. The official rules state that Snag Proof Frogs cannot have a weight added for the purpose of using a Texas rig, Carolina Rig, or drop-shot rig. Modifications by adding rattles or by painting, marking, or dipping the Snag Proof Frog are permitted. Trailer hooks are also permitted if attached directly to the Snag Proof Frog, with no leader between the frog hook and the trailer hook
While pre-registrations are going slow, Kilby said that is to be expected since there was no way to schedule an anglers' meeting the night before the tournament because of the launch venue at Smallwood State Park.
“The park is going to open at 4 o'clock the morning of the tournament and we are going to have our meeting early in the morning. People know they don't have to come to a meeting on Friday, they can just come to the ramp and sign up there that morning,” Kilby said.
Snag Proof Open Potomac River
Sat, Jul 26, 2014
Potomac River
Smallwood State Park
Call Dave Kilby 443-617-1850
Rayovac Winner On Lake Champlain Will Be The Angler Who Finds The Right School Of Bass In The Grass
Finding fish is not going to be a problem for the anglers in the Rayovac FLW Series Northern Division tournament on Lake Champlain this weekend, said veteran angler Dave Lefebre. Finding the right fish, however, might prove a little harder.
“It's going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack,” said the pro angler from Erie, PA. “The largemouth bass are in post spawn and they are schooling up in the grass. The problem is there are miles and miles of grass, acres and acres of grass. There are a million schools of bass, but you have to find those that are 3 1/2 pounds and up.”
Fishing the deep-water grass that is prevalent in Lake Champlain is like ledge fishing on other lakes, Lefebre said.
“There are definitely the right-sized fish in there – if you can get around them.”
To complicate matters, the lake is about 100 miles long. Anglers can motor 30 miles north and find plenty of grass to fish, or they can run 70 miles south to find more grass to fish in. The winner likely will be the one who makes the right decision about which end of the lake to fish – unless he just happens to be incredibly lucky.
Lefebre said lure selection will take a back seat to hitting the prime location. He said that good largemouth baits would not be any surprise – standard lures like jigs, frogs and flipping soft plastics.
In the first part of his practice this week he concentrated on the southern part of the lake, but he planned to head north on Wednesday to check things out before deciding on whether he will trade more fishing time for a possibly better location down the lake.
And, he noted, what he found down the lake in practice was very good. The fish are in total post-spawn, he said, and they do not appear to be in a normal post-spawn slump.
“Usually at first after the spawn the fish will be all messed up, but they are really healthy. Even the 2-2 1/2-pounders are like footballs. They are probably as fat as I've ever seen them.”
Lefebre said he has not checked out the smallmouth population in the lakes because he feels it will take a daily limit of largemouths to win the tournament – maybe 18 1/2-19 pounds a day.
And he is in it for the win. He has finished 8th and 2nd in the last two Northern Division tournaments held this same weekend in July and that second place last year still sticks in his craw a little.
Lefebre was sitting in first place with a three-day total of 51 pounds, 14 ounces, when pro angler Thomas Lavictoire Jr. of Vermont came to the scales and knocked him down to second.
“I need 1 pound, 4 ounces, more than I had last year,” Lefebre said.
He is also fired up for the 2014-2015 season after missing qualifying for the Forrest Wood Cup for the first time in his 12-year FLW career. He was unable during the year to recover from a zero finish the first day of the first FLW Tour tournament of the year on Lake Okeechobee because of motor problems back in February.
He is focused on fishing the FLW Tour and the Rayovac Northern Division, with the hope of returning to the field of anglers invited to the 2015 Forrest Wood Cup. The top 35 pros from the AOY race for the FLW Tour are invited to the Cup and spots also go to the 2013 Rayovac FLW Series AOYs in each of five divisions.
“You'd better believe I've got that on my mind – to qualify for next year,” he said.
There is also a bonus with the top anglers from each division earning the opportunity to fish in the Rayovac FLW Series Championship which will be held Oct. 30-Nov. 1 on Wheeler Lake in Rogersville, Ala.
Rayovac FLW Series – Northern Division
Jul 17-19, 2014
Lake Champlain
Dock Street Landing
Price Comes Out On Top Wateree Summer Catt Final
We wrapped up the 2014 CATT Lake Wateree Summer Trail Saturday at Clearwater Cove Marin with 27 teams entering. Fishing was tough on sme but the ones that found em caught em good!.
This time last year CATT had paid back $31,000.00 on Lake Wateree. After Saturdays results the payback at Wateree is over $61,000.00 so far! Thats with the Catawba Clash and the SC Championship added in but with those 2 events subtracted from the payback we’re still over $42,000.00! Great year so far and we still have the Fall trail left. Also check out the TOM CATT Series..there’s not a membership and it’s just a group of us getting together to fish.
Friday August 15th at Lake Wateree, Jay Keith will be looking for boat captains to help with the TBF Junior Championship. Give Jay a call and he’ll let you know what you need to do. 803-427-413 Max Price is our big winner at the 2014 CATT Summer Final on Lake Wateree. Max brought in 5 bass weighing 22.54 lbs taking 1st Place and the BONUS $. He also weighed the 2nd BF at 5.20 lbs. All total Max collected $2,518.00.
2nd went to Barry Holloman & Joey Bramlett with 5 bass weighing 20.69 lbs. They earned $1,000.00! What a year this two have had fishing the CATT Trail on Lake Wateree. After Saturday they have took home $12,268.00 fishing the Spring & Summer CATT Trail!
Coming in 3rd were Jerry Freezon & Jason Miles with 5 bass weighing 19.19 lbs. They took home $610.00.
Jay Keith & Donald Hinson finished 4th with 5 bass weighing 18.71 lbs and took home $300.00.
Steve Phillips & Randall Bock claimed 5th with a limit weighing $15.00 lbs evan. They earned $200.00.
The Lews Big Fish went to Richard Smith & Jesse Williams with a 6.10 lb bass. They collected $182.00 plus Richard took home a brand spanking new Lews Baitcast Reel! www.lews.com
Thanks Lews for supporting the CATT Trail!!
Next up is for the CATT Trail Sept 13 at Clearwater Cove Marina and will be a TOM CATT. Also there is an open at Cleawater Cove Saturday July 19 put on by some friends of an angler who is in bad health. Come on out and fish!
Brett Collins
Carolina Anglers Team Trail LLC
Reputation For Big Bass Has Anglers Eager For Bfl Saturday On Falls Lake
Wally Szuba is second in the Piedmont Division standings going into this tournament
Falls Lake has a well-deserved reputation for producing numbers of quality largemouths, including 8-pound and larger bass, so expectations are high for anglers in the Walmart BFL Piedmont Division tournament there Saturday.
So high that even FLW Outdoors, which conducts the BFL series, is predicting it will take a five-fish limit at about 23 pounds to win it.
Veteran tournament angler Wally Szuba, who is second in the Piedmont Division standings going into the tournament, agrees, but said it might even take more.
“Falls has some tremendous fish in it. I heard of a guy catching one over 9 pounds while practicing for a team tournament on the lake Saturday. It took 28 pounds to win that tournament with a five-fish limit, but it dropped off pretty quick after that, down to 22 pounds and then into the teens. But the last place they paid was for 15 1/2 pounds, a good 3-pound average.”
Szuba said he believes in an individual angler tournament like Saturday's BFL it could possibly take 25 pounds to win, with the last angler to get a check having to weigh in around 13 or 14 pounds.
“But the non-boaters will have just as much an advantage fishing that deep. You could see a non- boater come in with 20 pounds easily,” he said.
Some of the larger bass likely will be caught in the area around the Ledge Rock launch site off the traditional producing ledges there, Szuba said, but he believes the better limits will come off the ledges downriver.
“There will be some good fish caught out on the ledges out of Ledge Rock – 5 to 7, maybe 8 pounds –
but I don't think you can fill out of a limit of fish over 4 pounds each because they get beat up so bad out on those ledges. They've seen every kind of big crankbait come by, all the big worms and jigs. You might fish a Shakey head with a 4-inch trick worm, not a 5- or 6-inch worm because they are just not going to chase the bigger baits.”
Some anglers might also try their luck up the lake beyond the I-85 bridge, but those will probably be local guys who have intimate knowledge of the waters up there, Szuba said.
“With this water level if you don’t know the channel you don't need to be running it,” he said. “And I don't think they are going to be able to get more than 13 to 15 pounds up there. You might catch a couple of decent fish there, but the rest will be 2-pounders.”
That leaves the river channel down the lake, he said.
“All the bigger fish will be caught on the ledges down the river, fishing rock and boulders,” he said.
Although he lives in Cary, N.C., just a short 45-minute drive from Falls, Szuba has not fished the lake competitively in four or five years because most of the tournaments there are team tournaments and he is concentrating on individual angler tournaments like the BFLs.
“I have a friend who has shown me a couple of hotspots downriver,” he said. “I am not that optimistic, but I could get lucky and catch a 6- or 7-pounder. I might have to stay in a 100-yard strip for two to three hours to get a good bite over five pounds. You have to keep beating that one stump to make a fish so aggravated it will take a swipe at your bait. If I'm lucky, I might get five quality bites Saturday.”
The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Rayovac FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
Walmart BFL Piedmont Division
Sat, Jul 19, 2014
Falls Lake
Ledge Rock
Sportsman's Warehouse Mid-July Report and BFL Preview with Mgr Craig Baird!
Sportsman's Warehouse fishing Mgr Craig Baird joins us to talk BFL and FLW CUP-both coming to LAKE MURRAY! It's topwater and drop shot time as most of you know, and we have a few tips for both-click on the video for more!
Texas Team Trail announces 2015 Schedule!
Texas Team Trail Presented by Cabela’s Announces 2015 Schedule
Strong mix of popular venues for upcoming season
NORMAN, Okla. (July 10, 2014) – The Texas Team Trail (TXTT) presented by Cabela’s recently unveiled the 2015 schedule, which includes stops at some of the most popular tournament bass lakes in the country.
The regular season will kick off January 30, 2015 at Sam Rayburn Reservoir. The timing of the opening stop at Rayburn should put fish in a variety of phases of the spawn, and could very well feature some of the biggest weights of the year. The following month, the TXTT will return to Toledo Bend, which just last month played host to the 2014 championship event and was highlighted by an incredible two-day total of over 60 pounds for first place.
In March, the TXTT will visit Lake Ray Roberts, a familiar favorite that’s hosted a regular-season event each of the past three seasons. Finally, the 2015 regular season will wrap up on April 24 when the TXTT returns to Lake Texoma, a favorite among both Texas and Oklahoma anglers alike.
The two-day, entry-fee championship is tentatively scheduled for June and will once again feature higher payout and contingency prize opportunities. The location of the championship event will be announced at a future date.
2015 TXTT scheduled events:
January 31 – Sam Rayburn Reservoir
February 21 – Toledo Bend
March 28 – Lake Ray Roberts
April 25 – Lake Texoma
Championship – TBD
Along with title-sponsor Cabela’s, Texas Team Trail has also welcomed Lucas Oil®, Ranger Boats, Stratos Boats, Triton Boats, Evinrude®, Minn Kota®, Talon, RAM Trucks, Lowrance, Power-Pole, Amphibia, iON Cameras, Garmin, General Tire, SuperClean, Valley Fashion, Mustang Survival, Artic Ice and Protect the Harvest as official partners.
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Bryan's Spotted Bass Certified As New All Tackle World Record
Keith Bryan with his 10.48-pound World Record Spotted Bass - photo by Steve Adams - Bass Angler Headquarters
Keith Bryan, president of Powell Rods, a Novato, Calif. based premium fishing rod manufacturer received notice today from the IGFA that his February 22, 2014 catch of a 10.48-pound spotted bass from New Melones Reservoir has been declared the new All Tackle World Record, and eight-pound-test Line Class Record for the species.
Bryan was competing in a two-day, California Tournament Trail (CTT) Pro-Am event; an event that he eventually won, the record catch occurred on the first day of the event.
"I am speechless at this moment," said Bryan. "I already felt like I had lived a dream by winning a Pro-Am event that day, but to have that fish be declared a world record is something I would have never dreamed of being a part of."
Bryan caught the bass using a wacky rigged green pumpkin purple and copper flake (color 330) five-inch Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits Senko in approximately 10 feet of water. Bryan inserted a 3/32 Lunker City Nail Weight in the nose and rigged it on a size 2 Gamakatsu Wide Gap Weedless Finesse Hook. He threw the rig on a 6103mef Powell Inferno spinning rod and size 3000 Shimano Sahara reel filled with eight-pound-test Power Pro braided line, tipped with a leader of eight-pound-test Seaguar Invizx fluorocarbon.
"I am so proud and humbled at the same time by this notification and I am absolutely beside myself with joy," Bryan exclaimed. "I think it is a great thing for the entire Northern California fishing community and for California as a whole that the world record was once again broken in our state; I'm just felling so blessed that I get to be a part of it."
Bryan remains realistic about how long his record will stand. "As great a spotted bass fishery as the state of California has become, I'm certain that this record will fall again soon," he said. "But, to have held this record for even one day is a dream, and an accomplishment that any angler should be proud of; it is something that I can say for the rest of my life, that I caught a World Record spotted bass. This has truly been a dream come true."
B.a.s.s. Nation And Old Milwaukee Sign Deal
Old Milwaukee has become the title sponsor of 2014 B.A.S.S. Nation events.
“Old Milwaukee is a time-honored brand,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “B.A.S.S. is proud to partner its grass-roots B.A.S.S. Nation fishing tournaments with such a well-known name.”
Old Milwaukee, a Pabst Brewing Co. brand, is a lager that has earned many accolades. One of the brews, Old Milwaukee Light, is a repeated award winner at the Great American Beer Festival.
“Old Milwaukee strives to connect and reward outdoors enthusiasts on a grass-roots level,” said John Genest, Old Milwaukee brand manager. “With freshwater fishing being so ingrained in millions of Americans’ lives, Old Milwaukee is excited to support an organization that is critical to the sport’s health and growth on all levels. B.A.S.S., especially through its B.A.S.S. Nation organization, creates invaluable opportunities for passionate individuals to connect and share memorable experiences in communities nationwide. Everyone at Old Milwaukee is excited for the opportunity to enhance these efforts.”
Old Milwaukee takes the title sponsor spot for all six B.A.S.S. Nation Divisionals as well as for the 2014 season finale, now named the Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, set for Nov. 6-8 on the Ouachita River out of Monroe, La.
Next up on the 2014 B.A.S.S. Nation schedule is the Aug. 13-15 Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Northern Divisional on Lake Monroe out of Bloomington, Ind. Qualifiers from eight Northern states will compete to advance to the Ouachita River championship. There, successful anglers from all six divisions will compete to win a coveted entry in the 2015 world championship of bass fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.
“We are very pleased that Old Milwaukee has joined the B.A.S.S. Nation as the title sponsor,” said Jon Stewart, B.A.S.S. Nation director. “What better time — summertime — to pair our members’ love for bass fishing and the outdoors with a cold beverage like Old Milwaukee.”
The six Classic qualifiers will be eligible to be on the Old Milwaukee Classic Fishing Team, which will be outfitted with decals on their bass boats and special jerseys designed for the Classic competition.
For more about Old Milwaukee, go to www.OldMilwaukee.com, where the entertaining “Pass Me A Beer II” video is now available, or search using the hashtag #OldMil on social media platforms.
Frog Bite Is On!!!
It's that time of year - weather is fit for only mad dogs and Englishmen . . . and frog fishermen!
Oh sure, lots of folks will trot out onto the lake for the first couple of hours each day and try to get in on the topwater bite, but few will still be out there under blazing mid-day sun. That’s too bad because in areas with ample overhead cover, the middle of the day can be the best time to get blown-up topside – if you’re throwing a Snag Proof frog.
Captain Steve Chaconas of National Bass Guide Service says the frog bite has opened-up on the Potomac River. He suggests white frogs under sunny skies, black under darker conditions.
Capt. Steve advises us to make long casts with braided line and to work lily pads which stand tall on the high tide or grass beds that get bunched into thick mats on the low tide.
One guy who knows tons about throwing frogs is Bobby Barrack of Fish Delta TV. The legendary frog-fishing pioneer has a new DVD coming out – “Turning Frogs into Toads”.
“We're pretty excited!! A compilation of HUNDREDS of hours of frog fishing come together. Learn the "How's" and the "Why's" even the "WHERE"!!!” shared Barrack. He offers a sneak peak at the NEW, full HD video on his YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72YOJVQWX_A&list=UUgubT7HhLhyOGYKJhXITXYA
University Of North Alabama Crowned Cabela's School Of The Year
The University of North Alabama capitalized on their season by taking home the much sought after Cabela's School of the Year title with a vicious lead over the rest of the field. After winning the title last year, the University of Louisiana-Monroe came in second place this season, followed by the recent B.A.S.S. Wild Card victor, Bethel University.
When asked just how prestigious this title is, the Director of College Operations, Wade Middleton, said that "this is the ultimate trophy of college fishing and most people don't quite understand the significance of the competition and the title. In order for a school to win the Cabela's School of the Year title, schools have to perform at their very best all year round, and not just one event, which is not easy by any means."
The UNA team had two of their teams finish in the top fifteen in the recent B.A.S.S Wild Card which gave them a total of 201 points to add to their overall points, now standing at 2,289 points. The staggering 133 point lead over the second place team and previous Cabela's School of the Year champions, the University of Louisiana-Monroe, was exactly what the UNA team expected by the end of the season.
Being his first season with the team, UNA junior, Cody Harrison, didn't know what to anticipate from college fishing. Harrison transferred to the university with hopes of being part of one of the best college angling teams in the nation, and is now very pleased to take home the Cabela's School of the Year title.
"I came to this school with hopes of becoming the Cabela's School of the Year. I didn't know what to expect or if it was as serious as the rest of the guys on the team made it to be, but they were right," Harrison stated. "I've fished other big tournaments and this series this was no cake walk. There are some things I didn't get to accomplish, but winning this title makes up for it all. I'm more than happy to have won the Cabela's School of the Year title in my first year as a part the University of North Alabama Bass Team. Now we have to work even harder to make sure this title stays with us!"
Robb Young, now alumnus of the University of North Alabama, past president of the UNA team, and last remaining founder of the team, will be handing over the responsibility of the team to the current team president, Dawson Lenz. Young was pleased that all of his hard work that he put into the UNA Bass Team finally rendered the prestigious Cabela's School of the Year title.
"I've been through it all with this team and honestly this title means everything to me," Young said. "From the first stages of building this team to winning the Cabela's School of the Year title, it is really a dream come true to win the biggest title in college fishing and just the way I wanted to pass this legacy off to Dawson and the rest of the team."
Middleton added, "Winning this title is the one of the biggest trophies you can win in the sport of college fishing and throughout the year the University of North Alabama proved that they can bring their 'A' game to every event."
With future seasons in mind, Lenz took ownership of the team throughout this past season as he personally recruited many new members with the intention of growing a stronger team capable of winning the Cabela's School of the Year title for years to come.
"Robb handed off the responsibility of the team and we did a lot of recruiting last year. It has been a true rebuilding year as our team has doubled in size and everyone is very passionate about winning this title in particular," Lenz said. "Now that we have such a skilled team, our expectations are to keep on this path and continue to grow as a team and win the 2015 Cabela's School of the Year title."
Rounding out the Top Ten teams in the Cabela's School of the Year title are as follows:
1. University of North Alabama - 2,289 points
2. University of Louisiana Monroe - 2,156 points
3. Bethel University - 2,103 points
4. Murray State University - 1,860 points
5. University of Alabama - 1,832 points
6. University of Tennessee - 1,711 points
7. Mississippi State University - 1,671 points
8. Georgetown College - 1,514 points
9. Clemson University - 1,482 points
10. Kansas State University - 1,467 points
For more information and complete standings of the School of the Year visit: www.collegiatebasschampionship.com
July 4th Tournament Report with AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh!
AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh talks Tournaments, and lots of em'!! His 2nd place finish at the BFL on High Rock, plus the upcoming Rayovac on Lake Champlain, the CBC on Kerr, and the FLW Cup on Murray coming this August--Click on the video for more!!
