Dickson County High School Wins Tennessee State High School Fishing Open On Lake Barkley
The Dickson County High School team of Dylan Dunnagan and Shader Brown brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 18 pounds, 7 ounces to win the 2014 Tennessee State High School Fishing Open on Lake Barkley. The win advanced the team to compete in the High School Fishing Southeastern Conference Championship tournament held Sept. 28 on Nickajack Lake in Kimball, Tenn.
Neither Dunnagan nor Brown claimed extensive experience on Lake Barkley, but both had spent time on nearby Kentucky Lake.
“We did pretty good today,” said Brown. “We probably caught 20 or 30 bass.”
“We wanted to fish deep, so we fished in 25 feet of water for most of the day,” added Dunnagan.
“The first spot of the morning was a long point with a really steep drop,” Brown explained. “The fish would move up on it and were hitting shad.”
The pair said that after filling their limit with fish caught on a variety of topwater baits they culled them all fishing deeper ledges with a Strike King Pro Model 5XD crankbait, a 10-inch worm and a ¾-ounce football jig.
“We’re definitely looking forward to the Conference Championship,” said Brown. “I’ll read up on my FLW Bass Fishing magazines and look up anything I can on the lake. Hopefully we can do as well there as we did here.”
The top three teams on that advanced to the Conference Championship were:
1st: Dickson County High School – Dylan Dunnagan and Shader Brown, five bass, 18-7
2nd: Calloway County High School – Trevor Salyers and Cody Jackson, five bass, 16-9
3rd: Obion County Central High – John Coble-Garrett and Jonathan Pool, five bass, 13-11
Rounding out the top 10 teams were:
4th: Alabama Student Angler Federation – Mathew Hand and William Stirling, five bass, 13-0
5th: Obion County Central High – Allen Wilson and Matt Lamastus, five bass, 11-15
6th: Calloway County High School – Brandon Bogard and Colton Jennings, three bass, 11-10
7th: Logan County High School – Jon Clarc-Todd and Thomas Poole, four bass, 10-10
8th: Gallia Academy High School – Zach Graham and Hunter Martin, five bass, 10-9
9th: Lafayette High School – Riley Cobb and Fisher Mobley, four bass, 9-0
10th: Dover High School – Hunter Coy and Cole Keatts, three bass, 5-9
The 2014 Tennessee State High School Fishing Open was a two-person (team) event for students in grades 9-12. The top three teams from each SAF High School Fishing Open held this season will advance to a High School Fishing conference championship along with the top 10 percent of each state championship field. The top 10 percent of each conference championship field will then advance to the High School Fishing National Championship coinciding with the TBF National Championship and an FLW Tour stop in the spring of 2015. The High School Fishing national champions each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.
In addition to the High School Fishing National Championship, all SAF members nationwide automatically qualify for the world’s largest high school bass tournament, the 2014 High School Fishing World Finals, held on Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Ark., on July 15-19. At the 2013 World Finals more than $40,000 in scholarships and prizes were awarded. Visit HighSchoolFishing.org for details.
Grogan goes shallow, wins BFL slugfest on Eufaula
“I started off mid-lake fishing in shallow grass with a swimjig,” said Grogan. “That’s where I caught my big fish, I think it weighed 7-11. I stayed there until about lunchtime, and then moved out and fished some deeper places in 6 to 8 feet of water around some stumps.
“The grass was anywhere from 2 to 3 feet deep,” explained Grogan. “The water is a little high right now and there are a lot of bream bedding. There was also a mayfly hatch. I think that’s why the grass was so good.
“Knowing it was a shallow bite was key,” Grogan said. “The big fish are just up shallow now.
“I think I’ve finished everywhere else inside the top-10 on Eufaula,” finished Grogan. “It feels pretty good to finally win.”
Grogan said that he fished a watermelon-colored Strikezone Lures Swim-Tastic Jig shallow and Texas-rigged Zoom worms on his deeper areas.
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Ryan Ingram, Phenix City, Ala., five bass, 21-3, $2,059
3rd: David Lowery, Phenix City, Ala., five bass, 19-4, $1,374
4th: Mark Holloway, Madison, Ga., five bass, 17-3, $961
5th: Pat Fisher, Colbert, Ga., five bass, 16-13, $824
6th: Jeffrey Gentry, Phenix City, Ala., five bass, 16-12, $720
6th: Mike Millsaps, Cartersville, Ga., five bass, 16-12, $720
8th: Ken Greene, Lumpkin, Ga., five bass, 16-9, $618
9th: Kenneth Westmoreland, White, Ga., five bass, 15-12, $549
10th: Justin Lanier, Macon, Ga., five bass, 15-10, $480
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Chris Kirksey of Cartersville, Ga., weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 14 pounds, 5 ounces Saturday to win $2,059 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Charlie Dick, Conyers, Ga., five bass, 13-2, $1,030
3rd: Matthew O’Connell, Brooks, Ga., five bass, 11-13, $583
3rd: Joseph Renfroe, Cartersville, Ga., five bass, 11-13, $583
5th: Buck Hilliard, Peachtree City, Ga., five bass, 11-11, $412
6th: Austin Santos, Temple, Ga., four bass, 11-01, $378
7th: Mike Garrett, Pensacola, Fla., four bass, 10-15, $343
8th: Justin Paulus, Atlanta, Ga., five bass, 10-7, $309
9th: Brad Poole, Lawrenceville, Ga., five bass, 10-4, $275
10th: Tyler Morgan, Columbus, Ga., five bass, 10-0, $240
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 2-4 Regional Championship on St. John’s River in Palatka, Fla. 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.
Nash Wins Bfl On Old Hickory Lake
Anthony Nash of Quebeck, Tenn., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 12 ounces Saturday to win the fourth Walmart Bass Fishing League Music City Division tournament of 2014 on Old Hickory Lake. For his victory, Nash earned $2,838.
More on High Rock BFL with winning pattern notes
Jeff Chandler of New London, N.C. weighed a five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds, 7 ounces Saturday to win the fourth Walmart Bass Fishing League North Carolina Division tournament of 2014 on High Rock Lake. For his victory, Chandler earned $6,009.
“It’s an awesome feeling to win,” said Chandler. “I have quite a few top-10 finishes, six on High Rock alone, so it is good to finally win one.
“I went to the back of a creek and threw a buzzbait first thing in the morning, I had two bites, but only caught one of them,” Chandler explained. “That was my best fish. It was probably about five pounds.
“In June, the thing to do on High Rock is to fish docks. So, I did that the rest of the day. The water was falling so I just targeted the floating docks. They needed to have some brush on them to be good.
“My local knowledge was key to winning,” Chandler went on to say. “I never practiced for this tournament. The good Lord just blessed me. I know how to fish docks on High Rock in June and that’s what I did.”
Chandler said that his main bait was a green-pumpkin-colored ½-ounce Lunker Lure Rattleback Flipping Jig.
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Rob Digh, Denver, N.C., five bass, 19-0, $2,005
3rd: Andy Greene, Spindale, N.C., five bass, 16-10, $1,336
4th: George Lambeth, Thomasville, N.C., five bass, 16-9, $935
5th: Shane Lineberger, Lincolnton, N.C., five bass, 16-8, $802
6th: Ron Wolfarth, Oakboro, N.C., five bass, 16-2, $735
7th: Robert Walser, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 15-5, $668 + $300 Evinrude Bonus
8th: Thomas Ludwick, Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 15-3, $601
9th: Rodney Bell, Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 14-15, $535
10th: James Blankenship, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 14-14, $468 + $300 Evinrude Bonus
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Tyler Fisher of Salisbury, N.C., weighed in four bass totaling 11 pounds, 6 ounces Saturday to win $2,005 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Bill Burton, Vernon Hill, Va., five bass, 10-15, $1,002
3rd: Allen Snyder, Kannapolis, N.C., four bass, 10-14, $668
4th: Graham Rushing, Charlotte, N.C., three bass, $468
5th: Alex Hester, Monroe, N.C., four bass, 10-0, $401
6th: Michael Smith, Lexington, N.C., four bass, 9-13, $368
7th: Stanley Carper, Winfield, W.Va., four bass, 9-5, $334
8th: Chris Carnes, York, S.C., four bass, 9-3, $301
9th: Michael Fickel, Wendell, N.C., three bass, 9-2, $267
10th: Philip Morris Jr., Raleigh, N.C., three bass, 9-0, $234
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.
117 Teams Qualify for the Alabama Bass Trail Championship on Lewis Smith Lake in October
Decatur, Ala. – The Alabama Bass Trail is pleased to announce 117 two-person teams have qualified for its first Tournament Series Championship. Hosted by Chamber of Commerce of Walker County, the championship tournament is set for October 10-11, 2014 on Lewis Smith Lake and up for grabs is a 2015 Phoenix 619 Pro and $40,000 in cash and prizes.
The 117 boats are comprised of the top 50 teams in points from the North and South divisions that fished all five events in their respective divisions, along with the top 17 student boats collectively from both divisions that fished all five events in their respective division.
The championship is a no entry tournament and the first place prize is a fully-rigged 2015 Phoenix 619 Pro with a Mercury 150, trolling motor and electronics valued at $37,495 with an additional $40,000 in cash and prizes. The official bass boat of the Alabama Bass Trail, Phoenix Bass boats will also offer the tier one First Flight incentive plan to tournament winners in a qualifying Phoenix boat.
Fishing enthusiasts are invited to cheer on their favorite teams during take-offs and weigh-ins. Take-off is set for safe daylight and weigh-in will start around 3 p.m. at the Smith Lake Dam both days.
Anglers Qualifying from North Division:
William Davis / Tim Cummings
Hadley Coan / Scott Keeling
Mike Dutton / Hensley Powell
Nicholas Reeves / Blake Hall
Jimmy Mason / Lance Walker
Bill Mayo / Walton Roberts
Nathan Brewer / Michael Brewer
Jamie Smith / Michael Rains
Brandon Staggs / Jerry Wright
Jesse Wiggins / Jordan Wiggins
Charlie Cummings / Greg Pugh
Justin Atkins / Grant Galloway
Mark McCaig / Tim Hurst
Craig Daniel / Jackie Flack
Billy Sharp / Kevin Stubblefield
Marty Likos / Michael Carter
Rahn Hogeland / Allen Guyse
Luke Kyle / Arch Cornett
Jeremy Utley /Robert Boyd
Rex Chambers / Kevin McMahan
Joe Hartley / Joey Steward
Phil Mansfield / Roger Riddle
Damien Willis / Mark Steward
Randall Stutts / Patrick Hailstone
Kenny Mattox /Drew Mattox
Michael Stevens, Jr. / Paul Arnold
Tony Parton / Marty Giddens
Adam Bain / Kris Colley
Eddie Jewell / Bobby Simmons
Kenneth Chambers / Jason Grape
Clay Madison / Kyle Patterson
Derek Fowler / Shannon Vinson
Bud Wilson / James Robinson
Kyle Glasgow / Josh Bragg
Waylon Hancock / Timothy Little
Rodney Hopkins / Richard Barthel
Donnie Story / Wayne Atchely
Charles Hemm / Rusty Strickland
Mike Raney / Michael Pharr
Jeremy Christian / Logan Johnson
Joel Green / Allen Johnson
George Crain / Rick Williams
Chad Greeson / Robbie Evans
Greg Tucker / Dillon Tucker
Jason Borden / Steve Lowery
Benjie Seaborn / Johnathon Seaborn
Christophe Leopard / Howard Kinch
Gil Summerlin / Willie Staten
Josh Butler / Jeb Tate
Scott Giddens / Paul Watson
Anglers Qualifying from South Division:
Jeston Anderson / Robbie Robinson
Chris Rutland / Coby Carden
Ralph Moseley / Terry Stevens
Ben Etheredge / Patrick Currie
David Caylor / Allen Hayes
Keith Dees / Tommy Walley
Shaye Baker / Ben Weldon
Brian Graham / Johney Weaver
Nicholas Turner / Joe Lay
Kevin Dees / Jim Smith
Wayne Miller / Rick Haynie
John Pollard / Dallas Weldon
Rickie Knight / Randall Carter
Lowell Everett / Lawrence Curd
Sambo Fish / Sam Fish
Travis Northey / Mike McDaniel
Tommy Pegues / Tyler Strock
Kyle Tindol / Ricky Baker
Justin Hamner / Chris Payne
Rex Chambers / Brent Crow
Jonathan Perritt / Jason Krasnosky
Ronnie Mask / Jimmy Harrison
Josh Aaron / Derrick Roberts
Jack Tibbs / Durward Henderson
Karl Youngblood / James McMon
Buck McDonald / Thad Crowley
Michael Hardin / Mike Hardin
Michael Presley / Lamar Ingram
Morgan Brown / Micheal Roush
Scott Luster / Brannon Jones
Clemm Parker / Donald Parker
Cecil Williams / Jerry Davis
Rusty Mask / Cody Farr
Ken Sessions / Greg Sessions
Mark Wallace / Aaron Smith
Michael Eubanks / Tyler Pitts
Will Rigsby / Greg Smith
Mitch McCall / Jimmy Simmons
Anthony Goggins / CJ Knight
Chris Ward / Herbert Ward
Jimmy Sims / Bob Lowery
Ernie Faulkner / Ken Walters
Wayne McDade / Richard Howell
Joey McCall / Mike McCall
RJ Thompson / Ryan Kelley
Larry Blount / Robert Blount
Larry Bullock / Jeremy Lowery
Billy Poiroux / Todd Sharpe
James Richerson / Craig Hamilton
James Oswalt / Linda Oswalt
Student Teams Qualifying:
Shane Cox / Ty Cox
Jack Napier / Ross Napier
Derek Pearson / Steve Thrash
Kenneth Chambers / Eli Chambers
Chris Kanute / Chase Kanute
Merrell Bell / Kyle Ragsdale
Brent Jones / Bronson Jones
Heath Greene / Ethan Greene
Jeff Benefield / Dustin Benefield
Scott Ashley / Taylor Ashley
Donnie Gamble / Trey Gamble
Kelly White / Dee White
Ryan Landers / Brent Butler
Randall Barbee / Houston Barbee
Jamie Anderson / Eli Anderson
Tyler Hicks / Zac Roberts
Lee Stephens / Aaron Stephens
Registration and briefing will take place on Thursday, October 9th at the Community Health Systems Building in Jasper, Alabama. Registration will be from 5 to 6:30 p.m. with dinner and pre-tournament meeting beginning at 6:45 p.m.
According to Alabama Bass Trail’s Program Director Kay Donaldson, the tournament is expected to pump an estimated $500,000 into the local economy of the host city through revenue generated by anglers and their family members dining, shopping, and overnighting in local hotels and motels.
Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series’ sponsors include Bill Penney Toyota, the Alabama Tourism Department, Phoenix Bass Boats, Inc., Fishlife, Elite Outdoors Media, McDonalds of Alabama, and Pradco-FISHING representing BOOYAH and YUM, Dobyns Rods, Randy Jones Agency – Nationwide, T-H Marine Supplies, Inc., Alabama Power Company, Buffalo Rock, Inc., Jet-Pep, Inc., Tennessee Valley Authority, Rigid Industries, Inc., and Frogg Toggs, Inc., Go Pro, Gander Mountain, HydroWaveTM, Garmin, and Yeti Coolers.
For more information on the Alabama Bass Trail and the tournament series, call Program Director Kay Donaldson at 855.934.7425 or visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.
About Alabama Bass Trail
The Alabama Bass Trail is a program of the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association. Its mission is to promote Alabama as a year round fishing destination, to preserve natural resources for generations to come, and to educate high school and college aged students to be good stewards of natural resources. The 11 bass fishing lakes consist of Lake Guntersville, Wheeler Lake, Pickwick Lake, Lewis Smith Lake, Neely Henry Lake, Lay Lake, Logan Martin Lake, Lake Jordan, Alabama River (Millers Ferry), Lake Eufaula, and the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta. For more information, visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.
Chandler wins; weights are tight at BFL on High Rock
Jeff Chandler of New London, NC won the Walmart BFL tournament on High Rock this weekend with a sack of bass that weighed 19 pounds, 7 ounces. Chandler won over $4,000 PLUS Ranger Cup bonus money – an additional $2,000.
Close behind Chandler, in the runner-up spot, was Rob Digh of Denver, NC with 19-00.
Andy Greene of Spindale, NC, owner of Greene Boat and Motor, placed 3rd with 16-10.
Just an ounce behind was George Lambeth of Thomasville, NC with 16-09.
Shane Lineberger of Lincolnton, NC rounds out the top 5 a mere ounce behind Lambeth with 16-08.
Johnson Wins Flw Tour Finale On Kentucky Lake
Rookie pro Skip Johnson of Goodells, Mich., brought the fourth-largest stringer of the entire tournament to the scale Sunday – a five-bass limit weighing 24 pounds even – to win the Walmart FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Evinrude. Johnson’s four-day total of 20 bass weighing 88 pounds, 10 ounces gave him the win by a narrow 1-pound, 2-ounce margin over second-place pro Jason Lambert of Pickwick Dam, Tenn., and earned him the $100,000 prize in an exciting finale to the four-day event that wrapped up the 2014 Walmart FLW Tour regular season.
“I’m almost speechless,” said Johnson, who earned the win in his first career top-10 showing on the FLW Tour. “I knew that I was on something special and that I had a spot that I could win the tournament on. I found the spot a few years ago in another tournament and I went to it a 9 a.m. on the first day of practice. It was a creek channel, way inside where everyone else was fishing.”
Johnson said that his creek channel was located up the Tennessee River, near New Johnsonville. After realizing that he was on to something special he spent almost his entire practice nearby, making sure that no other tournament competitors found his secret.
“I’ve been watching guys drive by me all week long and it just amazes me that nobody really came in and checked it out,” Johnson continued. “It comes off the shore and makes a couple of real hard bends, and there are a couple of oxbows in it where there are two or three channels with humps in between. I was ledge fishing, but it was the ledges of the creek channel that dropped off. The fish sat on the edges of those humps in 11 to 13 feet of water. I really just banked on that one spot.”
Johnson estimated that he caught 50 to 100 fish every day and said that his key baits throughout the week were black and blue- and green-pumpkin-colored ¾-ounce Strike King Tour Grade Football Jigs with Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craws with the claws dipped in chartreuse dye. He said that he made a key adjustment today by slowing down with a 10-inch crawdad-colored Western Plastics worm.
“I moved to Michigan from Southern California 10 years ago and a big part of that decision was so that I could get into professional fishing,” Johnson said. “I got held up a few years and I couldn’t jump right into the Tour, so I fished a lot of local tournaments and worked my way up. I took my shot this year and now here I am today. I think I proved that I belong.”
The top 10 pros finished the tournament:
1st: Skip Johnson, Goodells, Mich., 20 bass, 88-10, $100,000
2nd: Jason Lambert, Pickwick Dam, Tenn., 20 bass, 87-8, $30,000
3rd: Snickers pro Jim Moynagh, Carver, Minn., 20 bass, 86-13, $25,000
4th: Randy Haynes, Counce, Tenn., 20 bass, 85-11, $20,000
5th: Clent Davis, Montevallo, Ala., 20 bass, 84-3, $19,000
6th: Tom Redington, Royse City, Texas, 20 bass, 83-12, $18,000
7th: Brett Hite, Phoenix, Ariz., 20 bass, 83-2, $17,500
8th: Andrew Upshaw, Tulsa, Okla., 20 bass, 82-4, $16,000
9th: Straight Talk Wireless pro Scott Canterbury, Springville, Ala., 20 bass, 80-9, $15,000
10th: Tim Malone, Gatlinburg, Tenn., 19 bass, 77-14, $14,000
A complete list of results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Overall there were 49 bass weighing 203 pounds, 10 ounces caught by pros Sunday. Nine of the final 10 pros caught five-bass limits.
For the second straight season, Livingston Lures pro Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tenn., wrapped up the Kellogg’s Angler of the Year title on Saturday. He narrowly edged out Repel pro Cody Meyer of Auburn, Calif., by just 9 points in a tightly contested race that thrilled fishing fans throughout the season. Morgan clinched the second Angler of the Year title of his career after finishing the tournament in 14th place. Morgan, who received $100,000 for the title, also will receive an automatic berth into the 2015 Forrest Wood Cup.
Jason Lambert of Pickwick Dam, Tenn., clinched the 2014 Walmart FLW Tour Rookie of the Year award Friday, which is awarded to the rookie pro angler who finishes the season with the highest point total.
Cody Kelley of Conway, Ark., won the co-angler division and $20,000 Saturday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 54 pounds, 9 ounces, followed by Joe McClary of Kirkwood, Mo., in second place with 15 bass weighing 54 pounds, 1 ounce worth $7,500.
Braxton Setzer of Auburn, Ala., was declared the 2014 FLW Tour Kellogg’s Co-angler of the Year early Sunday morning, just one day after the title appeared to have slipped through his grasp on Kentucky Lake. Jason Johnson of Gainesville, Ga., was declared the winner Saturday after finishing the tournament in 11th place. Unfortunately for Johnson, who has fished the FLW Tour as a co-angler since 2012, that all changed when it was discovered that he had made a cast from the front deck of Cody Meyer’s boat Saturday, a clear violation of FLW Tour rules. As a result of the infraction, Johnson’s catch for the day was disqualified, giving Setzer the Co-angler of the Year title.
Coverage of the Kentucky Lake tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network when “FLW” airs Sept. 7 from 8 p.m.-9 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.
The Tour stop on Kentucky Lake presented by Evinrude was hosted by the Henry County Alliance and was the sixth and final event of the Walmart FLW Tour’s 2014 season. The 2014 Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart will be the next tournament and will be held Aug. 14-17 in Columbia, S.C., on Lake Murray. The event will be hosted by Capital City Lake Murray Country. Boats will launch from the Dreher Island State Park in Prosperity, S.C. Coverage of the Forrest Wood Cup will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC when “FLW” airs Oct. 5 from 2 p.m.-3 p.m. ET. 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.
SETZER NAMED FLW TOUR CO-ANGLER OF THE YEAR AFTER JOHNSON DISQUALIFIED
Redington still leads as FLW Tour on Kentucky Lake heads into final day
Tom Redington hangs onto the lead with one day left to fish on Kentucky Lake. photo by Garrick Dixon
Boy Scouts of America pro Tom Redington of Royse City, Texas, brought a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds, 13 ounces to retain his lead after day three of the Walmart FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Evinrude. Redington now enters the fourth and final day of competition as the No. 1 seed in the event featuring 162 of the best bass-fishing anglers in the world casting for the top cash award of up to $125,000.
Redington has brought a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 65 pounds, 12 ounces to the scale, which gives him a slim 1-pound, 2-ounce lead over second-place pro Skip Johnson of Goodells, Mich., who caught five bass today weighing 19 pounds, 12 ounces. Johnson has weighed in 15 bass totaling 64 pounds, 10 ounces in his three days of competition.
“It was way tougher today and my fish just weren’t there,†said Redington, who made his first top-10 cut of the season. “I didn’t get a limit until mid-morning. The schools that I had yesterday were kind of broken up and I was forced to scramble around and find some new fish today.
“The numbers of fish that I caught were about the same, but they were way smaller in size. And I didn’t see nearly as many fish there on my electronics. The weather was a little different today. We’d been getting storms in the afternoon, but today we had storms in the morning. I had to use finesse tactics today, like the first day. I tried throwing the big power baits, but I still only caught small fish.â€
Redington said that he threw five different baits today, but only caught fish on three. He said that because the top-10 weights were so close he isn’t really feeling much pressure heading into the final day.
“Less than four pounds separates me from 10th place,†Redington said. “Whoever catches the biggest bag tomorrow will win. It’s basically a one-day tournament now, so there isn’t much pressure.
“The worst that I can do is 10th place, so I’m not going to try to put together a small limit to save my ego,†Redington went on to say. “I’m going to fish for the big ones and if I don’t get them, then so be it. I’m going for the win.â€
The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition on Kentucky Lake are:
1st: Tom Redington, Royse City, Texas, 15 bass, 65-12
2nd: Skip Johnson, Goodells, Mich., 15 bass, 64-10
3rd: Jason Lambert, Pickwick Dam, Tenn., 15 bass, 64-10
4th: Brett Hite, Phoenix, Ariz., 15 bass, 64-6
5th: Snickers pro Jim Moynagh, Carver, Minn., 15 bass, 63-11
6th: Tim Malone, Gatlinburg, Tenn., 15 bass, 63-6
7th: Randy Haynes, Counce, Tenn., 15 bass, 63-2
8th: Clent Davis, Montevallo, Ala., 15 bass, 62-11
9th: Andrew Upshaw, Tulsa, Okla., 15 bass, 62-6
10th: Straight Talk Wireless pro Scott Canterbury, Springville, Ala., 15 bass, 62-2
Finishing in 11th through 20th are:
11th: John Voyles, Petersburg, Ind., 15 bass, 61-8, $12,000
12th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 61-7, $12,000
13th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 15 bass, 60-15, $12,000
14th: Livingston Lures pro Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 59-6, $12,000
15th: Repel pro Cody Meyer, Auburn, Calif., 15 bass, 58-14, $12,000
16th: Jason Christie, Park Hill, Okla., 15 bass, 58-7, $12,000
17th: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 15 bass, 57-14, $12,000
18th: Charlie Ingram, Centerville, Tenn., 15 bass, 57-11, $12,000
19th: Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., 15 bass, 57-10, $12,000
20th: Walmart pro Mark Rose, West Memphis, Ark., 15 bass, 51-12, $12,000
Final results for the remaining field can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Overall there were 100 bass weighing 373 pounds, 11 ounces caught by pros Saturday. All 20 professionals weighed in five-bass limits.
Pros are competing for a top award of up to $125,000 this week plus valuable points in the hope of qualifying for the 2014 Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart, the world championship of bass fishing. The top 35 anglers in the point standings from the six events on the 2014 Walmart FLW Tour will qualify. The 2014 Forrest Wood Cup will be in Columbia, S.C., Aug. 14-17 on Lake Murray and is hosted by Capital City Lake Murray Country. The winning angler in that event will win $500,000 – professional bass-fishing’s richest prize.
Anglers were also vying for the prestigious 2014 Walmart FLW Tour Angler of the Year presented by Kellogg’s title that is determined by the most points accumulated over the six Tour events in 2014.
For the second straight season, Livingston Lures pro Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tenn., wrapped up the Kellogg’s Angler of the Year title on Saturday. He narrowly edged out Repel pro Cody Meyer of Auburn, Calif., by just 9 points in a tightly contested race that thrilled fishing fans throughout the season. Morgan clinched the second Angler of the Year title of his career after finishing the tournament in 14th place. Morgan, who received $100,000 for the title, also will receive an automatic berth into the 2015 Forrest Wood Cup.
Cody Kelley of Conway, Ark., won the co-angler division and $20,000 Saturday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 54 pounds, 9 ounces, followed by Joe McClary of Kirkwood, Mo., in second place with 15 bass weighing 54 pounds, 1 ounce worth $7,500.
“These pros that we fish with are so good and they are so tough to fish behind,†said Kelley. “You have to find one little bait or one thing unique that you can do to catch a few. This week for me, it’s been a new bait from Crock-O-Gator bait company called a Swamp Bug Sr. I was able to get 8 or 9 keepers each day by slow rolling it and it was the key for me this week.â€
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Cody Kelley, Conway, Ark., 15 bass, 54-9, $20,000
2nd: Joe McClary, Kirkwood, Mo., 15 bass, 54-1, $7,500
3rd: John Wilson, Six Mile, S.C., 15 bass, 50-6, $5,000
4th: Brian Wilson, Somerset, Ky., 15 bass, 49-5, $4,000
5th: Joshua Weaver, Macon, Ga., 15 bass, 49-4, $3,000
6th: Dennis Cameron, Travelers Rest, S.C., 14 bass, 48-9, $2,500
7th: Timothy Curran, Huntsville, Ala., 15 bass, 48-7, $2,000
8th: Doug Back, Fort Myers, Fla., 14 bass, 47-7, $1,800
9th: Kyle Prskalo, Hobart, Ind., 15 bass, 47-2, $1,700
10th: Kyle Monti, Okeechobee, Fla., 15 bass, 46-11, $1,600
For a full list of results visit FLWOutdoors.com.
Overall there were 84 bass weighing 247 pounds even caught by co-anglers Saturday. The catch included 12 five-bass limits.
In addition to the top award of $25,000, co-anglers were also fishing this week for valuable points that would help them qualify for the 2014 Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart. The top 35 co-anglers in the point standings from the six events on the 2014 Walmart FLW Tour will qualify.
Jason Johnson of Gainesville, Ga., clinched the Walmart FLW Tour Co-Angler of the Year presented by Kellogg’s title Saturday and won a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard plus an automatic berth into the 2015 Forrest Wood Cup.
“I’ve been fishing as a co-angler for three years,†said Johnson. “My first year on Tour I practiced with Brett Hite. Last year I practiced with Cody Meyer. This year, I’ve been practicing with Brent Ehrler. Those guys are the best in the world and when you practice and fish with them, these kinds of things tend to happen.â€
The final 10 pros will take off from Paris Landing State Park located at 16055 Highway 79 N. in Buchanan at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday. Sunday’s final weigh-in will be held at Walmart located at 1210 Mineral Wells Ave. in Paris beginning at 4 p.m. The event is being hosted by the Henry County Alliance.
Fans will also be treated to the FLW Expo at Walmart on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. prior to the final weigh-in. The Expo includes Ranger boat simulators, a Chevy Truck Tour, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by sponsors, and fans can learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public. Country music star Michael Ray will perform a free live concert on the Walmart weigh-in stage at 3 p.m.
Coverage of the Kentucky Lake tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network when “FLW†airs Sept. 7 from 8 p.m.-9 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.
Bethel U's Wilson And Morris Win College Wildcard On Pickwick
Wilson and Morris won the Wild Card with a two-day total of 48 pounds, 4 ounces of bass. After bringing in 27-5 in the first round Friday to take the lead, they slammed the door on the competition with 20-15 today to not only win the event, but also qualify for the 2014 Carhartt College Series National Championship. The team also took home the Livingston Lures Leader Award, worth $500 in Livingston products and the Nitro Big Bag honors for their Day 1 bag of 25-7.
“We had one big bass at 10:30 and only two fish with about 15 minutes to go,” Wilson said. “We were running in and decided to make one more stop on a school we hadn’t been able to get on all week.”
That stop paid off big. With only a few minutes to fish before they were due back at the docks, Wilson and Morris stopped their boat and quickly started firing casts. The bass were fired up as well.
Morris lost the first bass that bit, but Wilson boated his. “Then we both cast out and doubled. I netted mine, and he ‘boat-flipped’ his, and then we were gone.”
The duo relied heavily on a Ben Parker Signature Series spoon. It’s basically an oversized flutter spoon about 8 inches long. Wilson and Morris would fire the bait out, let it sink to the bottom, then snatch it vigorously back up into the water column before letting it fall again.
“Those were the only five keepers we caught all day,” Wilson said. “That’s the thing with that spoon, it’s tough to catch one, but when you do it’s the kind you need.”
The team that started the day in second finished in the same place. Bethel University’s Cody Ross and Dewey Swims brought a two-day total of 42-14 to the scales to finish 5 pounds. 6 ounces behind their teammates. Swims captured Carhartt Big Bass honors with his 7-10 largemouth from Day 2.
Justin Atkins and Joseph Marty of Mississippi State University finished third with 42-10.
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.
The National Championship on Chatuge Reservoir is the next stop along the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series. That event will be held in Young Harris, Ga., July 31s through Aug. 2. Check your local listings for the airing of this week’s Wild Card on ESPNU.
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Redington leads FLW Tour on Kentucky Lake
Tom Redington weighed 24-9 today to take the lead on Kentucky Lake. photo by Collin Moore
Pro angler Tom Redington of Royse City, Texas, brought five bass to the scale Friday weighing 24 pounds, 9 ounces to grab the lead on day two of the Walmart FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Evinrude. Redington now has a two-day catch of 10 bass weighing 46-15 and holds a 1-pound, 8-ounce lead over second-place pro Scott Martin of Clewiston, Fla., in the four-day event, hosted by the Henry County Alliance, that features 162 of the best bass-fishing anglers in the world competing for a top cash award of up to $125,000.
“I caught a quick limit in the morning, but there was a definite lull and it was getting to be a bit of a grind,” said Redington, who is sponsored by the Boy Scouts of America. “Then the storms rolled in and it was hammer down time. It was a short window and only really lasted for about two hours, but I went to four different spots and caught fish. One of the spots was just one after another.
“Yesterday I had to fish with a lot more finesse and work for them,” Redington continued. “I caught 12 keepers. Today was full-throttle power fishing and I caught around 40 keepers. Every bite was a good one. Most of my fish were three pounds or bigger.”
Redington said that he threw shad-type baits throughout the day and that he caught fish on three different baits.
“I’m not even sure if I’m on the right pattern, but I know what they do during the storm. In practice, the whole time it was a lot of wind and storms rolling through. I kind of got dialed in on what was working, so when it storms I know what the fish like to do.”
Redington said that he was not fishing the big community holes, but that there were a few anglers fishing near him Friday.
“I didn’t back off at all today,” Redington said. “You really need to build up a lead, because it only gets tougher in these tournaments. If I could have caught 30 pounds today, I would have. These guys behind me are too good and someone could easily catch 30 pounds, so you better get them while you can.”
The top 20 pros that will fish Saturday on Kentucky Lake are:
1st: Tom Redington, Royse City, Texas, 10 bass, 46-15
2nd: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 10 bass, 45-7
3rd: Charlie Ingram, Centerville, Tenn., 10 bass, 45-0
4th: Skip Johnson, Goodells, Mich., 10 bass, 44-14
5th: Snickers pro Jim Moynagh, Carver, Minn., 10 bass, 44-2
6th: Randy Haynes, Counce, Tenn., 10 bass, 43-12
7th: Jason Lambert, Pickwick Dam, Tenn., 10 bass, 43-8
8th: Andrew Upshaw, Tulsa, Okla., 10 bass, 42-10
9th: Livingston Lures pro Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 10 bass, 42-10
10th: Tim Malone, Gatlinburg, Tenn., 10 bass, 42-4
11th: Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., 10 bass, 42-2
12: Brett Hite, Phoenix, Ariz., 10 bass, 41-11
13th: Jason Christie, Park Hill, Okla., 10 bass, 41-9
14th: John Voyles, Petersburg, Ind., 10 bass, 41-7
15th: Straight Talk Wireless pro Scott Canterbury, Springville, Ala., 10 bass, 40-13
16th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 10 bass, 40-2
17th: Repel pro Cody Meyer, Auburn, Calif., 10 bass, 40-2
18th: Walmart pro Mark Rose, West Memphis, Ark., 10 bass, 39-15
19th: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 10 bass, 39-13
20th: Clent Davis, Montevallo, Ala., 10 bass, 3-13
For a full list of results visit FLWOutdoors.com.
Castrol pro Mike Surman of Boca Raton, Fla., won the Bridgford Big Bass Award and $500 Friday on the pro side with a bass weighing 9 pounds, 6 ounces.
Overall there were 712 bass weighing 2,344 pounds, 6 ounces caught by 152 pros Friday. The catch included 131 five-bass limits.
Pros are competing for a top award of up to $125,000 this week plus valuable points in the hope of qualifying for the 2014 Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart, the world championship of bass fishing. The top 35 anglers in the point standings from the six events on the 2014 Walmart FLW Tour will qualify. The 2014 Forrest Wood Cup will be in Columbia, S.C., Aug. 14-17 on Lake Murray and is hosted by Capital City Lake Murray Country. The winning angler in that event will win $500,000 – professional bass-fishing’s richest prize.
Lambert clinched the 2014 Walmart FLW Tour Rookie of the Year award Friday, which is awarded to the rookie pro angler who finishes the season with the highest point total.
Cody Kelley of Conway, Ark., leads the co-angler division with 10 bass weighing 39 pounds, 13 ounces followed by Joshua Weaver of Macon, Ga., in second place with 10 bass weighing 36-12.
The top 20 co-anglers fishing Saturday are:
1st: Cody Kelley, Conway, Ark., 10 bass, 39-13
2nd: Joshua Weaver, Macon, Ga., 10 bass, 36-12
3rd: Theo Corcoran, Independence, Mo., 10 bass, 36-0
4th: Joe McClary, Kirkwood, Mo., 10 bass, 35-15
5th: Kyle Prskalo, Hobart, Ind., 10 bass, 34-6
6th: Brian Wilson, Somerset, Ky., 10 bass, 34-0
7th: Tony Bennett, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 10 bass, 33-3
8th: Mark Howard, Mesquite, Texas, 10 bass, 32-9
9th: John Wilson, Six Mile, S.C., 10 bass, 32-8
10th: Dennis Cameron, Travelers Rest, S.C., 10 bass, 32-7
11th: Casey O’Donnell, Bradenton, Fla., seven bass, 32-1
12th: Doug Back, Fort Myers, Fla., nine bass, 31-15
13th: Dennis Kirby, Lakeland, Tenn., 10 bass, 31-4
14th: Josh Smith, Hamilton, Ohio, 10 bass, 31-4
15th: Mike Hardin Sr., Robertsdale, Ala., 10 bass, 31-4
16th: Kyle Monti, Okeechobee, Fla., 10 bass, 31-3
17th: Jason Johnson, Gainesville, Ga., 10 bass, 30-15
18th: Keith Honeycutt, Temple, Texas, nine bass, 30-11
19th: Timothy Curran, Huntsville, Ala., 10 bass, 30-6
20th: Jeff Gengler, Fort Collins, Colo., 10 bass, 30-5
For a full list of results visit FLWOutdoors.com.
Eddie Laster of Morton, Miss., caught Friday’s Bridgford Big Bass in the co-angler division weighing 8 pounds, 4 ounces to win $250.
Overall there were 573 bass weighing 1,601 pounds, 4 ounces caught by co-anglers Friday. The catch included 74 five-bass limits.
Co-anglers are fishing for a top award of $25,000 this week plus valuable points that could help them qualify for the 2014 Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart. The top 35 co-anglers in the point standings from the six events on the 2014 Walmart FLW Tour will qualify.
Anglers will take off from Paris Landing State Park located at 16055 Highway 79 N. in Buchanan at 6:30 a.m. each day of competition. Saturday and Sunday’s final weigh-ins will be held at Walmart located at 1210 Mineral Wells Ave. in Paris beginning at 4 p.m.
Fans will also be treated to the FLW Expo at Walmart on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. prior to the final weigh-ins. The Expo includes Ranger boat simulators, a Chevy Truck Tour, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by sponsors, and fans can learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public. Also on Sunday, country music star Michael Ray will perform a free live concert on the Walmart weigh-in stage at 3 p.m.
Coverage of the Kentucky Lake tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network when “FLW” airs Sept. 7 from 8 p.m.-9 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.
Wilson And Morris Of Bethel University Lead Carhartt College Series Wild Card On Pickwick
“We lost two fish that would have culled today,” Wilson said.
With a 5 1/2-pound average leading the event and a chance for that weight to have been even bigger, Pickwick certainly didn’t disappoint on Day 1. The typical offshore game paved the way for all the leaders who caught their fish on main river ledges.
The 2013 Carhartt College Series National Champions from Auburn University of Montgomery sit in 3rd place with a total of 23-14. Jacob Nummy and Tyler Strock are hoping for a chance to repeat for their school.
“Making it back to Chatuge for the National Championship is everything,” Nummy said.
This week’s Wild Card is the last opportunity for anglers to qualify for the National Championship, which will be held next month on Chatuge Reservoir.
A few anglers who have already qualified are fishing this event just for the chance to win the trophy, but the remainder teams have their eyes on the Top. The Top 17 boats will advance to the National championship and complete our field. If one of the teams has already qualified prior to this event, the invitation for the National Championship will move down the standings until 17 teams have qualified from the Wild Card.
Saturday is the second and final day of the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series. The launch will take place at McFarland Park at 5:30 a.m., and the weigh-in will begin at 2:30 p.m. on the University of North Alabama’s campus. To follow the action, visit Bassmaster.com.
Carhartt Bassmaster College Series - Wildcard
6/27/2014 - 6/28/2014
Pickwick Lake - McFarland Park - Florence, AL
STANDINGS BOATER DAY
Today's Activity Accumulative
Name # Fish # Live Lbs - Oz # Fish # Live Lbs - Oz
1. Dalton Wilson - Randall MorrisBethel University 5 5 27- 5 5 5 27- 5
2. Cody Ross - Dewey Swims Bethel University 5 4 24- 6 5 4 24- 6
3. Jacob Nummy - Tyler Strock AUM 5 5 23-14 5 5 23-14
4. Justin Atkins - Joseph Marty Mississippi State University 5 5 21- 6 5 5 21- 6
5. Dawson Lenz - Robb Young University of North Alabama 5 5 20- 0 5 5 20- 0
6. Bryan Carroll - Alan Horwatt Clemson University 5 5 19- 8 5 5 19- 8
7. Kenny Johnson - Bradley Rilling University of West Georgia 5 5 19- 3 5 5 19- 3
8. Scott Cain - Jacob Argo UAB 5 5 18-11 5 5 18-11
9. Byron Kenney - Will Tredwell University of Georgia 5 5 18- 9 5 5 18- 9
9. Nathan Woodruff - Lowell Gann Mississippi State University 5 5 18- 9 5 5 18- 9
11. Justin Cooper - John Ledet Northwestern State University 5 5 18- 5 5 5 18- 5
11. Mitch Mitchell - Evan Reid Auburn University 5 5 18- 5 5 5 18- 5
13. Michael Corbishley - Ronnie Moore East Carolina University 5 5 17- 7 5 5 17- 7
14. Mike Huff - John Hunter Georgetown College 5 5 17- 5 5 5 17- 5
15. Patrick Walters - Gettys Brannon University of South Carolina 5 5 17- 1 5 5 17- 1
16. Hayden Tilley - Alex Clayton Northeast Alabama Community College 5 5 16-14 5 5 16-14
17. Andrew Warbington - Mark Grant University of West Alabama 5 5 16- 8 5 5 16- 8
18. Jay Kendrick - Alec Castonguay Stephen F Austin State University 5 5 16- 1 5 5 16- 1
18. Justin Rivers - Colton Henderson Wallace State CC Hanceville 5 5 16- 1 5 5 16- 1
20. John Nolan - Tyler Collins University of West Georgia 5 5 16- 0 5 5 16- 0
20. Justin Royal - Colby Ogden Lamar University 5 5 16- 0 5 5 16- 0
22. Tim Painter - Jordan Backus U. of Tennessee 4 4 16- 0 4 4 16- 0
23. Thomas Oltorik III - Aaron Comeens Daytona State College 5 5 15-15 5 5 15-15
24. Josh Oliver - Nathan George Gadsden State Community College 5 5 15-12 5 5 15-12
25. Adam Neill - Logan Shaddix University of Alabama 5 5 15-11 5 5 15-11
25. Joe Thompson - Young Harris College 5 5 15-11 5 5 15-11
27. Jennings Earnest - Murphy Klumpp University of South Alabama 5 5 15-10 5 5 15-10
28. Tyler Watson - Sam Mughal UT Chattanooga 5 5 15- 0 5 5 15- 0
29. Dustyn Pendergraft - Mike Hall Oklahoma State University 5 5 14-15 5 5 14-15
30. Taylor Odom - Josh Cameron Mississippi State University 5 5 14-13 5 5 14-13
31. Matt Lipscomb - Justin Woodruff UAB 5 5 14- 9 5 5 14- 9
31. Tyler Wesley Stewart - Blake Alford U. of Louisiana Monroe 5 5 14- 9 5 5 14- 9
33. Gatlin Edge - William Shipes Clemson University 5 5 13-12 5 5 13-12
34. Logan Thomas - Ryan Kirkpatrick Murray State University 5 5 13- 8 5 5 13- 8
35. Derrick Hoffman - Brody McWilliams Indiana University 5 5 13- 6 5 5 13- 6
36. Layne Bynum - Travis McGuire Texas Tech 5 5 13- 5 5 5 13- 5
37. Kyle Price - Savanah Wride New Mexico State University 5 5 13- 2 5 5 13- 2
38. Colby Harville - Hunter Haney U. of North Alabama 5 5 13- 1 5 5 13- 1
38. Austin Herring - Tanner Ellis University of Montevallo 5 5 13- 1 5 5 13- 1
38 John Maner - Ryan Darracott University of North Alabama 5 5 13- 1 5 5 13- 1
41. Trent Palmer - Dean Mullett Georgia Southern University 5 4 12-13 5 4 12-13
42 Dalton Darnell - Daniel Green AUM 5 5 12-11 5 5 12-11
43. Brayden Price - Northwest Shoals Comm College 5 5 12- 9 5 5 12- 9
44. Tyler Craig - Joseph Grassi U. of Louisiana Monroe 4 4 12- 8 4 4 12- 8
45. Jason Shaw - Mathew Cardani Murray State University 5 5 12- 4 5 5 12- 4
46. Cody Spears - Drew Cook Florida State University 5 3 12- 2 5 3 12- 2
47. Daniel Perry - Joseph Fuller University of Montevallo 5 5 12- 1 5 5 12- 1
48. Carson Orellana - Mitchell Community College 5 5 11-15 5 5 11-15
49. Jesse Wilkinson - Nicholas DiCamillo New Mexico State University 4 4 11- 7 4 4 11- 7
50. Ethan Flack - JR Sapp Wallace State CC Hanceville 5 5 11- 6 5 5 11- 6
51. Josh Bensema - Texas A&M 5 5 11- 4 5 5 11- 4
52. Ross Burns - Richard Nesbitt Clemson University 5 5 11- 3 5 5 11- 3
53. Michaela Anderson - University of St Thomas 5 5 11- 2 5 5 11- 2
53. Travis King - Brandon Easterling University of Montevallo 5 5 11- 2 5 5 11- 2
55. Zach Bodford - Bryce Owen NC State 5 5 11- 1 5 5 11- 1
56. Weston King - Lealand Johnson University of Alabama 5 5 10-13 5 5 10-13
57. Austin Brown - Josh Holley AUM 5 5 10- 4 5 5 10- 4
58. Jacob Burns - Wesley Minor UAB 5 5 10- 2 5 5 10- 2
58. Curtis O'Daniel - Jai Rogers Northeast Alabama Community College 5 5 10- 2 5 5 10- 2
60. Bryant Quattlebaum - Jordan Tuten Wallace State CC Hanceville 5 5 10- 1 5 5 10- 1
61. Garrett Roberts - Ben Curry Auburn University 5 5 9-11 5 5 9-11
62. Brianne McMillan - Christian Smith Florida Gulf Coast University 5 5 9-10 5 5 9-10
63. Isaac Payne - Jace McDill Savannah College of Art & Design 5 5 9- 7 5 5 9- 7
64. Grant Kelly - Daniel Dix Southern Polytechnic State University 5 5 8-11 5 5 8-11
65. Layton Jones - Luke Greenwell Georgia Southern University 4 4 8-11 4 4 8-11
66. Frankie Appaluccio - Keith Kirkley University of Alabama 4 4 8- 7 4 4 8- 7
67. Shelby Concon - University of Florida 4 4 8- 0 4 4 8- 0
67. Dane Lecoq - Jordy Bloodsworth LSU 4 4 8- 0 4 4 8- 0
69. Cody Harrison - University of North Alabama 4 4 7-12 4 4 7-12
70. Tanner Crim - Marshall Hughes Tarleton State University 4 4 7- 7 4 4 7- 7
71. Kyle Alford - Clark Lawrence Mississippi State University 3 3 7- 7 3 3 7- 7
72. Zach Courtney - Seth Courtney Southeastern Louisiana University 3 3 7- 1 3 3 7- 1
73. Brandon Black - Darius Williams University of West Georgia 5 5 7- 0 5 5 7- 0
74. Blake Thomas - Clint Frederick University of North Alabama 3 3 6- 8 3 3 6- 8
75. Colin Bennett - Dylan Powley UT Martin 2 2 6- 7 2 2 6- 7
76. Konner Kennedy - Houston Turner Wallace State CC Hanceville 2 2 6- 5 2 2 6- 5
77. Cale Mathis - Kolby Bowers Abraham Baldwin Ag College 4 4 6- 3 4 4 6- 3
78. Andrew Jackson - Trey Stewartson Virginia Tech 3 3 5-10 3 3 5-10
78. Mitchell Jennings - Chuck Wise Auburn University 3 3 5-10 3 3 5-10
80. Stephen Carlisle - James Altmann University of Florida 4 4 5- 4 4 4 5- 4
81. Sam Starr - Kansas State University 2 2 5- 4 2 2 5- 4
82. Kyle Gates - Katie Edgar St Ambrose University 1 1 5- 4 1 1 5- 4
83. Andrew Tate - Colt Kelso U. of North Alabama 4 4 5- 1 4 4 5- 1
84. Jessy Meherg - Austin Keeton JC Calhoun Comm College 2 2 4-14 2 2 4-14
85. Cy Floyd - Nick Barr Eastern Washington University 2 1 4-13 2 1 4-13
86. Quinton Evans - Bryce Rambo Lamar University 3 3 4-11 3 3 4-11
87. Candler McCollum - Will Bates Auburn University 2 2 4- 8 2 2 4- 8
88. Zachary Blalock - Kyle Albers East Carolina University 2 2 4- 4 2 2 4- 4
89. Cody Kennedy - Nic Davis JC Calhoun Comm College 2 2 3- 8 2 2 3- 8
90. Andrew Suggs - Chase Coker Darton State College 2 2 3- 2 2 2 3- 2
91. Jacob Reome - Matthew Garvin Clemson University 2 1 3- 0 2 1 3- 0
92. Brandon Worthey - Auburn University 1 1 2- 7 1 1 2- 7
93. Brett Webster - Kenny Elkins U. of North Alabama 2 2 2- 6 2 2 2- 6
94. Tyler Helms - Christian Shirley Mississippi State University 1 1 2- 4 1 1 2- 4
95. Braxton Heaton - Wallace State CC Hanceville 1 1 2- 2 1 1 2- 2
96. Charlie Sipe - Christian Cook Appalachian State 1 1 2- 0 1 1 2- 0
97. Logan Brewster - Christian Peake U. of Tennessee 1 1 1-13 1 1 1-13
98. Nathan Martin - University of North Alabama 3 3 1- 6 3 3 1- 6
99. Mitch Brumbeloe - Cody Rogers University of West Alabama 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
99. Trey Coile - John Bryant University of Alabama 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
99. Benjamin Freeman - Dillon McGee Bethel University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
99. Samuel Freeman - Shawn Callahan 0- 0
99. Jarod Hughes - Zack Remedies LSU 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
99. Daniel Hughes - Lucas Johnson Georgia Regents University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
99. Austin Meeks - Josh Cagle Middle Tennessee State University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
99. Corey Pierce - Hayden Hillyer AUM 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
99. Brandon Rivers - Whitney Perkins University of West Alabama 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
99. Andrew Schoenekase - Darren Smith U. of Central Missouri 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
99. Wesley Steinmeyer - Justin Gill Georgia Regents University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
BIG BASS TOTALS
Day Name City,State Lbs-Oz
Day # Fish # Live Lbs-Oz # Limits
1 Cody Ross Jackson, TN 7- 0
1 407 401 1112-15 62
2 0 0 0- 0 0
Daniel Gray Hangs On To Win B.a.s.s. Nation Divisonal On Buggs Island
Hailing from Butler, Pa., Gray placed sixth on Day 1 and then took over the lead on a tough Day 2 after plucking two bass — both weighing 4-1 — off a spot where he had caught a 5-pounder in practice. The key area was a sandy bar extending off a clay bank right outside a small creek.
After trying other areas in the morning, Gray returned to his key area around mid-morning on Day 3 and caught a couple more keepers that sealed his victory by a 1-pound margin.
“Today, I had a great boater (William Goots of the Virginia team), and we went to his spots in the early morning, where I caught two keepers off deeper brushpiles,” Gray said. “Then he said ‘Whatever you want to do.’”
“We went to my spot, and I can’t believe it happened — it was great.”
On the brushpiles, Gray caught his fish by flipping Texas rigged plastics. His best colors were green pumpkin and watermelon red. On the sandy bar, he fished 3 1/2-inch tubes goofy rigged — essentially a weedless arrangement using a 1/4-ounce jig head.
A member of Pennsylvania’s Extreme Anglers bass club, Gray caught four bass for 10-5 on Day 3. He also broke 10 pounds on Day 1 (10-4) and had the Big Bass for Day 2 (4-1).
Overall, the Day 3 weights were better than Day 2. The average fish was a little less than 2 pounds. The Top 10 had 18 pounds or more, but the vast majority of competitors brought in 7 to 12 pounds for their total weight. Only six anglers boasted limits.
Gray not only won the overall tournament; he also topped the Pennsylvania team, which finished three spots behind first-place Virginia, the host state. The Virginia B.A.S.S. Nation state team had two anglers in the Top 10 and won the state competition by a margin of 15-1. Virginia had 181 pounds, 11 ounces, followed by Delaware with 166-10, and New Jersey with 149-15.
Gray earned an invitation to the 2014 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, November 6-8 on Louisiana’s Ouachita River. Other state winners were Greg Alexander, Delaware; Brian Trieschman, Maryland; Michael Sentore, New Jersey; Rodney Rice, Virginia; Randy Huffman, West Virginia.
Essential to Virginia’s team victory was the performance of high school anglers Brandon Strayer and James Graves, who finished 15th overall and third on the Virginia team. Their limit of 11-9 was the largest of Day 2 and the second-largest of the tournament.
High School anglers only fish on Days 2 and 3, so their performance was particularly impressive.
“This is our fourth Divisional this year, and we’ve seen it in every one where the high school team has played a key role in the winning team’s (collective performance),” said B.A.S.S. Nation Director Jon Stewart. “Strayer and Graves had two good days of fishing on a fishery that was tough, and they ended up third on their team in two days, not three. The high schoolers are playing a huge part in what the teams do.”
Ronald Littleton’s 5-pound, 1-ounce bass won the Carhartt Big Bass honors, a $500 prize awarded to the biggest bass of the tournament. Gray won the $250 Livingston Lures Leader award, which goes to the Day 2 leader.
The next divisional in which anglers will earn berths into the championship is the Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Northern Divisional to be held August 13-15 on Indiana's Lake Monroe. More information is available on Bassmaster.com
2014 BASS Nation MidAtlantic Divisional 6/25-6/27
Kerr Rervoir, Buggs Island VA.
(ANGLER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts
1. Daniel Gray Butler, PA (PA) 11 28-11 0
2. Michael Sentore Gloucester City, NJ (NJ 12 27-11 0
3. Mike Moran Ruffsdale, PA (PA) 12 25-08 0
4. Randy Huffman Charleston, WV (WV) 12 24-14 0
5. Greg Alexander Hebron, MD (DE) 14 24-07 0
6. Rodney Rice Narrows, VA (VA) 10 22-06 0
7. Brian La Clair Denton, MD (DE) 11 22-04 0
8. Michael Burchett Pulaski, VA (VA) 11 19-12 0
9. Mark Hogan Milford, DE (DE) 11 19-02 0
10. Jerrod Lloyd Millville, NJ (NJ) 10 18-14 0
11. Bobby Smith Laurel, DE (DE) 11 18-13 0
12. Brian Trieschman Ellicott City, MD (MD) 9 18-04 0
13. Keith Cowan Mt Ephraim, NJ (NJ) 9 17-13 0
14. Paul Gietka Abingdon, MD (MD) 9 17-12 0
15. VA HS- Strayer/ Graves Madison, VA (VA) 8 17-11 0
16. Jerry Burkhart Belpre, OH (WV) 10 17-09 0
17. Ronald Littleton Seaford, DE (DE) 8 17-03 0
18. John Mcgraw Bordertown, NJ (NJ) 8 16-08 0
19. Jason Vaughn Bridgeville, DE (DE) 8 15-08 0
20. John Conway Henrico, VA (VA) 7 15-04 0
21. James Goins Baltimore, MD (MD) 8 15-03 0
22. James Dingess Barboursville, WV (WV) 8 14-09 0
23. Joe Devoe Aberdeen, MD (MD) 7 14-01 0
24. Cavin Young Prince George, VA (VA) 7 14-00 0
25. William Hubbard Ridgeway, VA (VA) 8 13-14 0
26. Roger Castillo Goode, VA (VA) 7 13-13 0
27. Greg Hylton Martinsville, VA (VA) 6 12-05 0
28. Mark Mounts Washington, PA (PA) 7 12-01 0
29. Dave Menard Henrico, VA (VA) 6 12-01 0
30. Robert Brennan Forked River, NJ (NJ) 6 11-12 0
31. Damien McMahon Pilot, VA (VA) 8 11-11 0
32. Richard Lane Pittsburgh, PA (PA) 6 11-10 0
33. Kenneth Hackworth Charleston, WV (WV) 5 11-06 0
34. Tim Stump Dover, DE (DE) 5 11-01 0
35. Russell Awad Brooklyn, NY (NJ) 5 10-15 0
36. Tyler Trent Nathalie, VA (VA) 5 10-09 0
37. Dion Bright Fairmont, WV (WV) 6 10-08 0
38. Jon Blaine Frederick, MD (MD) 5 10-07 0
39. Craig Townsend Westampton, NJ (NJ) 4 10-02 0
40. William Goots Reidsville, NC (VA) 4 09-15 0
41. Douglas Zittle Thurmont, MD (MD) 5 09-04 0
42. Eddie McNeil Poca, WV (WV) 5 08-15 0
43. David Price New Windsor, MD (MD) 5 08-12 0
44. Brian Keister Atco, NJ (NJ) 5 08-12 0
45. Darren Brooks Wenonah, NJ (NJ) 4 08-10 0
46. Bret Winegardner Swanton, MD (MD) 4 08-10 0
47. PA HS-Gower/ Mertz Lewisburg, PA (PA) 3 08-07 0
48. Bob Austin Marydel, DE (DE) 5 08-06 0
49. Christopher Napier Virginia Beach, VA (VA) 4 08-06 0
50. Mark Westrick Hastings, PA (PA) 3 08-02 0
51. Shelton Walters Felton, DE (DE) 5 07-15 0
52. Ken Baumgardner Monongahela, PA (PA) 5 07-12 0
53. DE HS- McKee/ Draper Milford, DE (DE) 4 07-09 0
54. Corey Gue Kenova, WV (WV) 4 07-06 0
55. Jeff Hall Butler, PA (PA) 4 07-05 0
56. Richard Martin Jr Sparrows Point, MD (MD) 3 07-04 0
57. Mike Morris Dover, DE (DE) 4 07-01 0
58. Eric Bennet Forked River, NJ (NJ) 3 07-00 0
59. Matt Becker Finleyville, PA (PA) 4 06-15 0
60. Al Fiorille Mt Airy, MD (MD) 4 06-05 0
61. Cliff Humpreys Philadelphia, PA (NJ) 3 06-03 0
62. Jim Fields Camden, DE (DE) 3 06-01 0
63. Randy Baran Old Bridge, NJ (NJ) 3 05-11 0
64. Todd Caddy Carnegie, PA (PA) 7 05-08 0
65. Bart Keck Finleyville, PA (PA) 2 05-08 0
66. Jeremy Mathias Monrovia, MD (MD) 3 05-05 0
67. William Kennedy Mineral Wells, WV (WV) 3 05-01 0
68. Andrew Sams Easton, MD (MD) 3 04-13 0
69. Tony Keller Charleston, WV (WV) 3 04-12 0
70. Ryan Buttermore Leetsdale, PA (PA) 3 04-06 0
71. Tommy Ford Leslie, WV (WV) 2 03-08 0
72. Joshua Cross Elizabeth, WV (WV) 2 03-07 0
73. MD HS-Wannall/ Stewart La Plata, MD (MD) 2 03-07 0
74. Jerry Meadows Uniontown, PA (PA) 2 02-09 0
75. WV HS-Goff/ Sigmon Clendenin, WV (WV) 1 01-05 0
76. Don Denault Jr Delmar, MD (DE) 1 01-04 0
77. NJ HS-Curran/ Stevenson Westampton, NJ (NJ) 0 00-00 0
77. Bradley West Vincent, OH (WV) 0 00-00 0
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 8 167 339-01
2 4 142 257-08
3 6 141 278-12
----------------------------------
18 450 875-05
TEAM STANDINGS Day 3
----------------------------------
State Lbs-Oz
1 VIRGINIA 181-11
2 DELAWARE 166-10
3 NEW JERSEY 149-15
4 PENNSYLVANIA 134-06
5 MARYLAND 129-07
6 WEST VIRGINIA 113-04
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Day 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DELAWARE
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Greg Alexander Hebron, MD 14 24-07 0
2 Brian La Clair Denton, MD 11 22-04 0
3 Mark Hogan Milford, DE 11 19-02 0
4 Bobby Smith Laurel, DE 11 18-13 0
5 Ronald Littleton Seaford, DE 8 17-03 0
6 Jason Vaughn Bridgeville, DE 8 15-08 0
7 Tim Stump Dover, DE 5 11-01 0
8 Bob Austin Marydel, DE 5 08-06 0
9 Shelton Walters Felton, DE 5 07-15 0
10 DE HS- McKee/ Draper Milford, DE 4 07-09 0
11 Mike Morris Dover, DE 4 07-01 0
12 Jim Fields Camden, DE 3 06-01 0
13 Don Denault Jr Delmar, MD 1 01-04 0
MARYLAND
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Brian Trieschman Ellicott City, MD 9 18-04 0
2 Paul Gietka Abingdon, MD 9 17-12 0
3 James Goins Baltimore, MD 8 15-03 0
4 Joe Devoe Aberdeen, MD 7 14-01 0
5 Jon Blaine Frederick, MD 5 10-07 0
6 Douglas Zittle Thurmont, MD 5 09-04 0
7 David Price New Windsor, MD 5 08-12 0
8 Bret Winegardner Swanton, MD 4 08-10 0
9 Richard Martin Jr Sparrows Point, MD 3 07-04 0
10 Al Fiorille Mt Airy, MD 4 06-05 0
11 Jeremy Mathias Monrovia, MD 3 05-05 0
12 Andrew Sams Easton, MD 3 04-13 0
13 MD HS-Wannall/ Stewart La Plata, MD 2 03-07 0
NEW JERSEY
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Michael Sentore Gloucester City, NJ 12 27-11 0
2 Jerrod Lloyd Millville, NJ 10 18-14 0
3 Keith Cowan Mt Ephraim, NJ 9 17-13 0
4 John Mcgraw Bordertown, NJ 8 16-08 0
5 Robert Brennan Forked River, NJ 6 11-12 0
6 Russell Awad Brooklyn, NY 5 10-15 0
7 Craig Townsend Westampton, NJ 4 10-02 0
8 Brian Keister Atco, NJ 5 08-12 0
9 Darren Brooks Wenonah, NJ 4 08-10 0
10 Eric Bennet Forked River, NJ 3 07-00 0
11 Cliff Humpreys Philadelphia, PA 3 06-03 0
12 Randy Baran Old Bridge, NJ 3 05-11 0
13 NJ HS-Curran/ Stevenson Westampton, NJ 0 00-00 0
PENNSYLVANIA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Daniel Gray Butler, PA 11 28-11 0
2 Mike Moran Ruffsdale, PA 12 25-08 0
3 Mark Mounts Washington, PA 7 12-01 0
4 Richard Lane Pittsburgh, PA 6 11-10 0
5 PA HS-Gower/ Mertz Lewisburg, PA 3 08-07 0
6 Mark Westrick Hastings, PA 3 08-02 0
7 Ken Baumgardner Monongahela, PA 5 07-12 0
8 Jeff Hall Butler, PA 4 07-05 0
9 Matt Becker Finleyville, PA 4 06-15 0
10 Todd Caddy Carnegie, PA 7 05-08 0
11 Bart Keck Finleyville, PA 2 05-08 0
12 Ryan Buttermore Leetsdale, PA 3 04-06 0
13 Jerry Meadows Uniontown, PA 2 02-09 0
VIRGINIA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Rodney Rice Narrows, VA 10 22-06 0
2 Michael Burchett Pulaski, VA 11 19-12 0
3 VA HS- Strayer/ Graves Madison, VA 8 17-11 0
4 John Conway Henrico, VA 7 15-04 0
5 Cavin Young Prince George, VA 7 14-00 0
6 William Hubbard Ridgeway, VA 8 13-14 0
7 Roger Castillo Goode, VA 7 13-13 0
8 Greg Hylton Martinsville, VA 6 12-05 0
9 Dave Menard Henrico, VA 6 12-01 0
10 Damien McMahon Pilot, VA 8 11-11 0
11 Tyler Trent Nathalie, VA 5 10-09 0
12 William Goots Reidsville, NC 4 09-15 0
13 Christopher Napier Virginia Beach, VA 4 08-06 0
WEST VIRGINIA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Randy Huffman Charleston, WV 12 24-14 0
2 Jerry Burkhart Belpre, OH 10 17-09 0
3 James Dingess Barboursville, WV 8 14-09 0
4 Kenneth Hackworth Charleston, WV 5 11-06 0
5 Dion Bright Fairmont, WV 6 10-08 0
6 Eddie McNeil Poca, WV 5 08-15 0
7 Corey Gue Kenova, WV 4 07-06 0
8 William Kennedy Mineral Wells, WV 3 05-01 0
9 Tony Keller Charleston, WV 3 04-12 0
10 Tommy Ford Leslie, WV 2 03-08 0
11 Joshua Cross Elizabeth, WV 2 03-07 0
12 WV HS-Goff/ Sigmon Clendenin, WV 1 01-05 0
13 Bradley West Vincent, OH 0 00-00 0
Collins Bass for Cash Series hits Lake Gaston
- 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 as you are launching your boats near the ramp.
- 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.
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.
Daniel Gray Takes Lead In Tough B.a.s.s. Nation Divisional Tourney On Buggs Island
The angler from Butler, Pa., caught only those two fish today, but with temperatures reaching 95 degrees and productivity down across the board, his 8-2 weight was actually among the day’s better sacks.
“It was tough today,” Gray said. “Yesterday, I had a limit by 11 a.m. Today, I caught these fish in the last hour. I fished yesterday’s pattern today and it was totally different.
“I was running around, trying to figure it out all day. I pulled into this one spot, got a bite and lost a 2 1/2-pounder. On the next cast, I caught one of my fish and about 15 minutes later, I caught the other one.
Gray, a member of Pennsylvania’s Extreme Anglers bass club, said he had caught a 5-pounder in today’s area during practice, so he was confident that it held big fish. Targeting breaks, Gray positioned his boat in 20 feet, cast up to 2 feet and slowly worked his bait down the contour.
“Yesterday, I was fishing some wood cover with heavy tackle; today, I had to go finesse,” Gray said. “I fished a little deeper on specific stuff I found. I tried to find out what these fish want and I think I have a good idea now.”
Overall, the Day 2 weights were significantly lower than Day 1. The average fish was a little more than 1.8 pounds. The Top 10 had 14 pounds or more, but the vast majority of competitors brought in 5 to 10 pounds for their total weight. Only four anglers boasted limits.
Tomorrow’s forecast shows partly cloudy conditions with possible afternoon thunderstorms for Day 2. The expected cloud cover will hold the air temperatures to the mid-80s.
“Today, we had clear, blue skies and the generators at the dam weren’t running at all, and that makes the water start backing up,” said Mike Bryant, Virginia B.A.S.S. Nation president. “When the water backs up, it makes for a very tough bite because you have to go find the fish. On this lake, they move out deeper.”
Gray, who had the biggest bass of Day 2, is tops on the Pennsylvania team, which sits four spots behind first-place Virginia, the host state. The Virginia B.A.S.S. Nation state team has one angler in the Top 10 (Day 1 leader John Conway) and a 1-pound, 8-ounce lead for the state competition. Virginia has 119 pounds, 15 ounces, followed by Delaware with 118-7 and New Jersey with 113-14.
If Gray maintains his lead for Pennsylvania, he’ll be invited to the 2014 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, Nov. 6-8, on Louisiana’s Ouachita River. Other state leaders as of Day 2 are Greg Alexander, Delaware; Joe Devoe, Maryland; Michael Sentore, New Jersey; John Conway, Virginia; and Randy Huffman, West Virginia.
Ronald Littleton’s 5-pound, 1-ounce bass is currently in the lead for Carhartt Big Bass honors, a $500 prize awarded to the angler who catches the biggest bass of the tournament. Gray won the $250 Livingston Lures Leader award, which goes to the Day 2 leader.
Competition resumes Friday at 5:45 a.m. ET for the launch at Occoneechee State Park. The weigh-in will be broadcast live at 2 p.m. ET on Bassmaster.com.
2014 BASS Nation MidAtlantic Divisional 6/25-6/27
Kerr Rervoir, Buggs Island VA.
(ANGLER) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Daniel Gray Butler, PA (PA) 7 18-06 0
2. Michael Sentore Gloucester City, NJ (NJ 7 17-03 0
3. Mike Moran Ruffsdale, PA (PA) 9 16-14 0
4. Randy Huffman Charleston, WV (WV) 7 15-08 0
5. Greg Alexander Hebron, MD (DE) 9 15-08 0
6. John Conway Henrico, VA (VA) 7 15-04 0
7. Brian La Clair Denton, MD (DE) 7 15-04 0
8. Keith Cowan Mt Ephraim, NJ (NJ) 7 14-14 0
9. Jerrod Lloyd Millville, NJ (NJ) 8 14-05 0
10. Joe Devoe Aberdeen, MD (MD) 7 14-01 0
11. John Mcgraw Bordertown, NJ (NJ) 6 13-09 0
12. Jason Vaughn Bridgeville, DE (DE) 7 13-05 0
13. Ronald Littleton Seaford, DE (DE) 6 13-03 0
14. James Dingess Barboursville, WV (WV) 7 13-02 0
15. Bobby Smith Laurel, DE (DE) 7 12-13 0
16. Brian Trieschman Ellicott City, MD (MD) 6 12-10 0
17. Robert Brennan Forked River, NJ (NJ) 6 11-12 0
18. Roger Castillo Goode, VA (VA) 6 11-10 0
19. VA HS- Strayer/ Graves Madison, VA (VA) 5 11-09 0
20. Mark Hogan Milford, DE (DE) 6 11-05 0
21. Rodney Rice Narrows, VA (VA) 6 11-03 0
22. Tim Stump Dover, DE (DE) 5 11-01 0
23. Greg Hylton Martinsville, VA (VA) 5 10-15 0
24. Cavin Young Prince George, VA (VA) 5 10-13 0
25. Michael Burchett Pulaski, VA (VA) 6 10-12 0
26. Mark Mounts Washington, PA (PA) 6 10-09 0
27. Damien McMahon Pilot, VA (VA) 6 09-05 0
28. Paul Gietka Abingdon, MD (MD) 5 09-03 0
29. Russell Awad Brooklyn, NY (NJ) 4 09-00 0
30. Eddie McNeil Poca, WV (WV) 5 08-15 0
31. David Price New Windsor, MD (MD) 5 08-12 0
32. Darren Brooks Wenonah, NJ (NJ) 4 08-10 0
33. James Goins Baltimore, MD (MD) 5 08-08 0
34. William Goots Reidsville, NC (VA) 3 08-03 0
35. Jerry Burkhart Belpre, OH (WV) 5 07-15 0
35. Shelton Walters Felton, DE (DE) 5 07-15 0
37. Douglas Zittle Thurmont, MD (MD) 4 07-06 0
38. Kenneth Hackworth Charleston, WV (WV) 3 07-02 0
39. Richard Lane Pittsburgh, PA (PA) 3 07-01 0
40. Bob Austin Marydel, DE (DE) 4 07-00 0
41. Bret Winegardner Swanton, MD (MD) 3 07-00 0
42. William Hubbard Ridgeway, VA (VA) 4 06-04 0
43. Tyler Trent Nathalie, VA (VA) 3 06-04 0
44. Ken Baumgardner Monongahela, PA (PA) 4 06-04 0
45. Cliff Humpreys Philadelphia, PA (NJ) 3 06-03 0
46. Jim Fields Camden, DE (DE) 3 06-01 0
47. Randy Baran Old Bridge, NJ (NJ) 3 05-11 0
48. Jeff Hall Butler, PA (PA) 3 05-06 0
49. Jeremy Mathias Monrovia, MD (MD) 3 05-05 0
50. William Kennedy Mineral Wells, WV (WV) 3 05-01 0
51. Jon Blaine Frederick, MD (MD) 3 05-00 0
52. Dave Menard Henrico, VA (VA) 2 04-15 0
53. Andrew Sams Easton, MD (MD) 3 04-13 0
54. Brian Keister Atco, NJ (NJ) 3 04-12 0
55. Al Fiorille Mt Airy, MD (MD) 3 04-10 0
56. Mark Westrick Hastings, PA (PA) 2 04-08 0
57. Richard Martin Jr Sparrows Point, MD (MD) 2 04-08 0
58. Eric Bennet Forked River, NJ (NJ) 2 04-04 0
59. Dion Bright Fairmont, WV (WV) 2 03-15 0
60. PA HS-Gower/ Mertz Lewisburg, PA (PA) 1 03-12 0
61. Craig Townsend Westampton, NJ (NJ) 2 03-11 0
62. Tommy Ford Leslie, WV (WV) 2 03-08 0
63. Matt Becker Finleyville, PA (PA) 2 03-07 0
64. Tony Keller Charleston, WV (WV) 2 03-00 0
65. Christopher Napier Virginia Beach, VA (VA) 2 02-14 0
66. Mike Morris Dover, DE (DE) 2 02-04 0
67. Joshua Cross Elizabeth, WV (WV) 1 02-03 0
68. MD HS-Wannall/ Stewart La Plata, MD (MD) 1 01-11 0
69. Bart Keck Finleyville, PA (PA) 1 01-10 0
70. Todd Caddy Carnegie, PA (PA) 5 01-08 0
71. DE HS- McKee/ Draper Milford, DE (DE) 1 01-08 0
72. Don Denault Jr Delmar, MD (DE) 1 01-04 0
72. Corey Gue Kenova, WV (WV) 1 01-04 0
74. Ryan Buttermore Leetsdale, PA (PA) 0 00-00 0
74. Jerry Meadows Uniontown, PA (PA) 0 00-00 0
74. WV HS-Goff/ Sigmon Clendenin, WV (WV) 0 00-00 0
74. NJ HS-Curran/ Stevenson Westampton, NJ (NJ) 0 00-00 0
74. Bradley West Vincent, OH (WV) 0 00-00 0
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 8 167 339-01
2 4 142 257-08
----------------------------------
12 309 596-09
TEAM STANDINGS Day 2
----------------------------------
State Lbs-Oz
1 VIRGINIA 119-15
2 DELAWARE 118-07
3 NEW JERSEY 113-14
4 MARYLAND 93-07
5 PENNSYLVANIA 79-05
6 WEST VIRGINIA 71-09
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Day 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DELAWARE
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Greg Alexander Hebron, MD 9 15-08 0
2 Brian La Clair Denton, MD 7 15-04 0
3 Jason Vaughn Bridgeville, DE 7 13-05 0
4 Ronald Littleton Seaford, DE 6 13-03 0
5 Bobby Smith Laurel, DE 7 12-13 0
6 Mark Hogan Milford, DE 6 11-05 0
7 Tim Stump Dover, DE 5 11-01 0
8 Shelton Walters Felton, DE 5 07-15 0
9 Bob Austin Marydel, DE 4 07-00 0
10 Jim Fields Camden, DE 3 06-01 0
11 Mike Morris Dover, DE 2 02-04 0
12 DE HS- McKee/ Draper Milford, DE 1 01-08 0
13 Don Denault Jr Delmar, MD 1 01-04 0
MARYLAND
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Joe Devoe Aberdeen, MD 7 14-01 0
2 Brian Trieschman Ellicott City, MD 6 12-10 0
3 Paul Gietka Abingdon, MD 5 09-03 0
4 David Price New Windsor, MD 5 08-12 0
5 James Goins Baltimore, MD 5 08-08 0
6 Douglas Zittle Thurmont, MD 4 07-06 0
7 Bret Winegardner Swanton, MD 3 07-00 0
8 Jeremy Mathias Monrovia, MD 3 05-05 0
9 Jon Blaine Frederick, MD 3 05-00 0
10 Andrew Sams Easton, MD 3 04-13 0
11 Al Fiorille Mt Airy, MD 3 04-10 0
12 Richard Martin Jr Sparrows Point, MD 2 04-08 0
13 MD HS-Wannall/ Stewart La Plata, MD 1 01-11 0
NEW JERSEY
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Michael Sentore Gloucester City, NJ 7 17-03 0
2 Keith Cowan Mt Ephraim, NJ 7 14-14 0
3 Jerrod Lloyd Millville, NJ 8 14-05 0
4 John Mcgraw Bordertown, NJ 6 13-09 0
5 Robert Brennan Forked River, NJ 6 11-12 0
6 Russell Awad Brooklyn, NY 4 09-00 0
7 Darren Brooks Wenonah, NJ 4 08-10 0
8 Cliff Humpreys Philadelphia, PA 3 06-03 0
9 Randy Baran Old Bridge, NJ 3 05-11 0
10 Brian Keister Atco, NJ 3 04-12 0
11 Eric Bennet Forked River, NJ 2 04-04 0
12 Craig Townsend Westampton, NJ 2 03-11 0
13 NJ HS-Curran/ Stevenson Westampton, NJ 0 00-00 0
PENNSYLVANIA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Daniel Gray Butler, PA 7 18-06 0
2 Mike Moran Ruffsdale, PA 9 16-14 0
3 Mark Mounts Washington, PA 6 10-09 0
4 Richard Lane Pittsburgh, PA 3 07-01 0
5 Ken Baumgardner Monongahela, PA 4 06-04 0
6 Jeff Hall Butler, PA 3 05-06 0
7 Mark Westrick Hastings, PA 2 04-08 0
8 PA HS-Gower/ Mertz Lewisburg, PA 1 03-12 0
9 Matt Becker Finleyville, PA 2 03-07 0
10 Bart Keck Finleyville, PA 1 01-10 0
11 Todd Caddy Carnegie, PA 5 01-08 0
12 Ryan Buttermore Leetsdale, PA 0 00-00 0
12 Jerry Meadows Uniontown, PA 0 00-00 0
VIRGINIA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 John Conway Henrico, VA 7 15-04 0
2 Roger Castillo Goode, VA 6 11-10 0
3 VA HS- Strayer/ Graves Madison, VA 5 11-09 0
4 Rodney Rice Narrows, VA 6 11-03 0
5 Greg Hylton Martinsville, VA 5 10-15 0
6 Cavin Young Prince George, VA 5 10-13 0
7 Michael Burchett Pulaski, VA 6 10-12 0
8 Damien McMahon Pilot, VA 6 09-05 0
9 William Goots Reidsville, NC 3 08-03 0
10 William Hubbard Ridgeway, VA 4 06-04 0
11 Tyler Trent Nathalie, VA 3 06-04 0
12 Dave Menard Henrico, VA 2 04-15 0
13 Christopher Napier Virginia Beach, VA 2 02-14 0
WEST VIRGINIA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Randy Huffman Charleston, WV 7 15-08 0
2 James Dingess Barboursville, WV 7 13-02 0
3 Eddie McNeil Poca, WV 5 08-15 0
4 Jerry Burkhart Belpre, OH 5 07-15 0
5 Kenneth Hackworth Charleston, WV 3 07-02 0
6 William Kennedy Mineral Wells, WV 3 05-01 0
7 Dion Bright Fairmont, WV 2 03-15 0
8 Tommy Ford Leslie, WV 2 03-08 0
9 Tony Keller Charleston, WV 2 03-00 0
10 Joshua Cross Elizabeth, WV 1 02-03 0
11 Corey Gue Kenova, WV 1 01-04 0
12 WV HS-Goff/ Sigmon Clendenin, WV 0 00-00 0
12 Bradley West Vincent, OH 0 00-00 0
Brett Hite Leads FLW Tour event on Kentucky Lake
Hite holds the Day 1 lead on Kentucky Lake with 24 pounds, 14 ounces. photo by Brian Lindberg.
Pro angler Brett Hite of Phoenix, Ariz., brought a five-bass limit to the scale Thursday weighing 24 pounds, 14 ounces to grab the lead after day one of the Walmart FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Evinrude. Hite now holds a 2-pound, 3-ounce lead heading into day two of the four-day event, hosted by the Henry County Alliance, that features 162 of the best bass-fishing anglers in the world competing for a top cash award of up to $125,000.
Right behind Hite in second-place is pro Randy Haynes of Counce, Tenn., who weighed in five bass for 22 pounds, 11 ounces. Haynes was the winner of the Rayovac FLW Series tournament held on Kentucky Lake just one month ago.
“I had an early boat draw, and I ran to a spot that I had found real late in the last day of our practice period,” said Hite, who won the first FLW Tour event of the season at Lake Okeechobee in February. “I got my boat in just the right position and I was catching them literally cast after cast after cast.”
Hite estimated that he caught around 20 keepers, but stopped fishing at noon to conserve his fish.
“You start throwing back 3½ -pounders and you know that those are going to be crucial fish later in the tournament,” Hite said. “I fished there until about noon, then got off in the flats and put my Minn Kota Talons down and just kind of protected that spot. I probably could have stayed on it and maybe caught another big one, but that’s always a tough decision. I figured that I wanted to catch around 25 pounds. You can’t win the tournament the first day, but you can lose it.”
Hite said that he used a variety of different baits to get his school of bass biting.
“I’ve got a whole deck full of rods. You catch one on a certain bait and then you have to go back and kind of trick them to bite on something else. I’m just rolling through a bunch of different baits trying to get that school fired up.
“I’ve got a couple of other really good ledges that I didn’t even go to today,” Hite went on to say. “I had a lot of spectators watching me, but they were all really considerate. They gave me plenty of space to work.”
The top 10 pros after day one on Kentucky Lake are:
1st: Brett Hite, Phoenix, Ariz., five bass, 24-14
2nd: Randy Haynes, Counce, Tenn., five bass, 22-11
3rd: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., five bass, 22-8
4th: Charlie Ingram, Centerville, Tenn., five bass, 22-6
4th: Tom Redington, Royse City, Texas, five bass, 22-6
6th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 22-4
7th: Jason Christie, Park Hill, Okla., five bass, 22-1
8th: Skip Johnson, Goodells, Mich., five bass, 22-0
9th: Snickers pro Jim Moynagh, Carver, Minn., five bass, 21-6
10th: Livingston Lures pro Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 21-4
For a full list of results visit FLWOutdoors.com.
Hite also won the Bridgford Big Bass Award on the pro side Thursday with a bass weighing 7 pounds, 5 ounces to win the $500 prize.
Overall there were 736 bass weighing 2,362 pounds, 2 ounces caught by 159 pros Thursday. The catch included 131 five-bass limits.
Pros are competing for a top award of up to $125,000 this week plus valuable points in the hope of qualifying for the 2014 Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart, the world championship of bass fishing. The top 35 anglers in the point standings from the six events on the 2014 Walmart FLW Tour will qualify. The 2014 Forrest Wood Cup will be in Columbia, S.C., Aug. 14-17 on Lake Murray and is hosted by Capital City Lake Murray Country. The winning angler in that event will win $500,000 – professional bass-fishing’s richest prize.
Theo Corcoran of Independence, Mo., leads the co-angler division with five bass weighing 22 pounds, 6 ounces followed by Mark Howard of Mesquite, Texas, in second place with five bass weighing 21-1.
The top 10 co-anglers are:
1st: Theo Corcoran, Independence, Mo., five bass, 22-6
2nd: Mark Howard, Mesquite, Texas, five bass, 21-1
3rd: Greg Scott, Dearborn, Mich., five bass, 20-15
4th: Keith Honeycutt, Temple, Texas, five bass, 19-14
5th: Tony Bennett, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., five bass, 19-7
6th: Cody Kelley, Conway, Ark., five bass, 18-11
7th: Dennis Cameron, Travelers Rest, S.C., five bass, 18-8
7th: Timothy Curran, Huntsville, Ala., five bass, 18-8
7th: Joe McClary, Kirkwood, Mo., five bass, 18-8
10th: Jeff Rikard, Leesville, S.C., five bass, 17-13
For a full list of results visit FLWOutdoors.com.
Corcoran caught Thursday’s Bridgford Big Bass in the co-angler division weighing 6 pounds, 2 ounces to win the $250 prize.
Overall there were 622 bass weighing 1,735 pounds, 1 ounce caught by co-anglers Thursday. The catch included 94 five-bass limits.
Co-anglers are fishing for a top award of $25,000 this week plus valuable points that could help them qualify for the 2014 Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart. The top 35 co-anglers in the point standings from the six events on the 2014 Walmart FLW Tour will qualify.
Anglers will take off from Paris Landing State Park located at 16055 Highway 79 N. in Buchanan at 6:30 a.m. each day of competition. Friday’s weigh-ins will be held at Paris Landing beginning at 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s final weigh-ins will be held at Walmart located at 1210 Mineral Wells Ave. in Paris beginning at 4 p.m.
Fans will also be treated to the FLW Expo at Walmart on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. prior to the final weigh-ins. The Expo includes Ranger boat simulators, a Chevy Truck Tour, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by sponsors, and fans can learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public. Also on Sunday, country music star Michael Ray will perform a free live concert on the Walmart weigh-in stage at 3 p.m.
Coverage of the Kentucky Lake tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network when “FLW” airs Sept. 7 from 8 p.m.-9 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.
Girls Come To Fish In Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Wild Card On Pickwick
Savanah Wride, right
Savanah Wride is going to Yellowstone National Park later this simmer for an internship working with cutthroat trout, but first she has a little business to handle with the black bass in Alabama's Pickwick Lake.
Wride just graduated from New Mexico State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. But, as a member of the school's acclaimed fishing team, she is still qualified to fish in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Wild Card on Pickwick this week in hopes of qualifying for the 2014 Carhartt College Series National Championship on Georgia's Chatuge Reservoir in August.
She is one of six coed anglers fishing the Wild Card, said Hank Weldon, tournament director for the college series, who said the field this week includes 260 anglers in 130 teams.
“There is a growing number of girls joining the college fishing teams. We see more and more of them competing with us each year,” Weldon said.
Wride has been on Pickwick practicing since Monday for her fourth tournament as a competing college angler.
“We did really good at Clear Lake,” she said. “We were just four places from qualifying for the national, so we came down here to see if we could get in.”
The winner at Clear Lake, site of the Carhartt Western Bassmaster College Conference Regional last month, was another New Mexico State fishing team, Guillermo “Memo” Nunez and Tanner Cooper who added the Western Conference title to the Central Conference title they won in 2013.
“We have not talked too much to them on this trip since they are already qualified but we have learned quite a lot from them” Wride said. “Tanner is a good teacher.”
Although they have found some “decent” fish in practice, Wride said they are still looking for the kind of fish that could win the tournament. However, the week has already provided one success for her.
“I caught my biggest smallmouth here, about 3 pounds. I was hoping for a big smallie this week and I got it.”
While she and her teammates have managed to get in some solid practice time, some of the other collegiate anglers are not so fortunate.
Whitney Perkins, a senior at West Alabama University, has been in mid-term exams all week.
“I will be leaving for Pickwick about 7:30 Thursday morning,” she said. “If my boat gets there in time we are going to try to get on the water for a little bit before we have to go to the meeting Thursday.”
Perkins, who has never fished Pickwick before, said at this point she is not sure what her strategy will be for the tournament.
“I think they will be out on the ledges, but I guess I will just have to figure it out when I get there,” she said.
To be eligible to fish the Wild Card, anglers had to fish their regional qualifying tournament or have a medical or school excuse that prevented them from fishing their qualifier. They have a mandatory pre-tournament meeting Thursday evening.
The contestants will take off from McFarland Park at 5:30 a.m. CT Friday and Saturday. Weigh-ins will be held Friday and Saturday beginning at 2:30 p.m. CT at the University of North Alabama.
Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Wildcard
Jun 27-28, 2014
Pickwick Lake
Pickett Planning To Compete Hard And Have Fun In Bfl Music City Tournament On Old Hickory
Lloyd Pickett Jr
As much as he loves the competition and as much as he loves to win, tournament angler Lloyd Pickett Jr. loves the fishing even more.
“One of the great things about bass fishing is that I really enjoy it,” said Pickett, a veteran of numerous FLW and B.A.S.S. competitions over the years. “It's relaxing for me. A lot of guys stress out in a major tournament, but I am pretty calm with it – and I have had some success with it.”
The Bartlett, Tenn., angler just fished the BFL All-American on Wilson Lake two weeks ago and he will be trying to elevate his status in the points standings in the BFL Music City Division tournament Saturday on Old Hickory Lake near Nashville. He finished 6th in the All-American, earning $12,000 plus a $5,000 Ranger Cup bonus.
“That was a tough one at Wilson Lake,” he said, “three days of storms, storms, storms and wind. Old Hickory is going to be an easy tournament.”
Pickett said he believes the winning pattern will be on the offshore ledges, although some anglers, he said, will also be fishing shallow.
“If you go upriver and up some of the smaller creeks there are bushes and brush. I think guys will be able to catch fish early throwing topwaters and buzzbaits around that, and probably swimming flukes under the limbs on the shady side, but I'll be out in the middle of the lake Carolina-rigging,” he said.
“The fish are in a summer pattern. While Old Hickory is not really known for ledge fishing, there are a lot of ledges, roadbeds and drops. It's like fishing the Tennessee River system lakes. I've been able to locate some bigger fish out on those drops.”
Pickett said he also plans to fish with a new Bass Assault jig that he acquired before the All-American.
“It's a really good jig for jerking. It has a groove from the eye down to where the skirt stops. Like on Kentucky Lake you can take this jig and let it drop, then jerk it up about three feet and let it fall. That jig worked for me at Wilson Lake so I imagine I will do a lot of that along with Carolina rigging.”
Pickett said his goal at Old Hickory will be to improve his position in the Music City Division standings where he is in 26th place.
“I need to catch a few keepers for the points and then go for the win,” he said. “Then I need to go to Pickwick and have a good shot at the All-American.”
Even though he will probably have to fish hard to reach those goals, Pickett said he will still have fun doing it.
“If you get to the point where you set the hook and your heart is not pounding a little bit, then maybe you need to be swinging a golf club or something. But I am really not a good golfer, to I guess I will just keep fishing.”
Walmart BFL – Music City Division
Sat, Jun 28, 2014
Old Hickory Lake
Bulls Creek Access (Flipper’s)
John Conway Leads B.a.s.s. Nation Divisional On Buggs Island
Keeping his cool in hot conditions was the key for Virginia angler John Conway, who leads the first day of the Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Mid-Atlantic Divisional on Kerr Lake/Buggs Island Reservoir with a five-bass limit that weighed 11 pounds, 13 ounces.
“I used a mix of reaction baits and slower presentations today,” Conway said. “I started out with moving baits in the morning and then went to flipping in the afternoon. In this hot weather, they’d tuck up under the shade when the sun got up.”
With overcast skies greeting anglers at the morning takeoff, Conway said he threw a buzzbait during the early morning hours. He then transitioned to flipping jigs and big Texas rigged worms later in the day.
Deeper docks in 10 to 12 feet of water were his main flipping targets. No one spot produced particularly well, so Conway had to hit approximately 25 locations.
“It was just a whole lot of moving and a whole lot of casting,” he said.
Residing in Henrico, Va., Conway is a member of the Big M Bassmasters Club. He holds a 13-ounce lead over second-place competitor Michael Sentore, of Gloucester City, N.J., who caught four bass for 11 pounds.
Overall, the Day 1 weights were light. The average fish was a little more than 2 pounds. The Top 10 had 8 pounds or more, but the vast majority of competitors brought in 3 to 6 pounds for their total weight. Only eight anglers boasted limits.
Tomorrow’s forecast shows more sunny conditions for Day 2. Mike Bryant, president of the Virginia B.A.S.S. Nation, said he thought the weights were a little lower than anticipated. Many of his team members reported that the bass were noncommittal, and several anglers said they lost fish that hit hard but avoided solid hookups.
“This lake changes every day, so tomorrow we may see everybody bring in limits,” Bryant said.
Conway not only leads the overall tournament, he also is tops on the Virginia team, which is in second place behind leader Delaware. The Delaware B.A.S.S. Nation state team has one angler in the Top 10 and a 13-pound, 3-ounce lead for the state competition. Delaware has 74 pounds, 1 ounce, followed by Virginia, the host state, with 60-14, and New Jersey with 57-13.
If Conway maintains his lead for Virginia, he’ll be invited to the 2014 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, Nov. 6-8, on Louisiana’s Ouachita River. Other state leaders as of Day 1 are Jason Vaughn, Delaware; Joe Devoe, Maryland; Michael Sentore, New Jersey; Mike Moran, Pennsylvania; and Randy Huffman, West Virginia.
Ronald Littleton’s 5-pound, 1-ounce bass is currently in the lead for Carhartt Big Bass honors, a $500 prize awarded to the angler who catches the biggest bass of the tournament. The competitor who has the overall tournament lead Thursday will win the $250 Livingston Lures Leader award, which goes to the Day 2 leader.
Competition continues Thursday and Friday at 5:45 a.m. ET for the launch at Occoneechee State Park. The weigh-in will take place at the same location both days at 2 p.m. ET. Check for updates throughout the day on Bassmaster.com.
2014 BASS Nation MidAtlantic Divisional 6/25-6/27
Kerr Rervoir, Buggs Island VA.
(ANGLER) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts
1. John Conway Henrico, VA (VA) 5 11-13 0
2. Michael Sentore Gloucester City, NJ (NJ 4 11-00 0
3. Randy Huffman Charleston, WV (WV) 4 10-12 0
4. John Mcgraw Bordertown, NJ (NJ) 5 10-09 0
5. Mike Moran Ruffsdale, PA (PA) 5 10-07 0
6. Daniel Gray Butler, PA (PA) 5 10-04 0
7. James Dingess Barboursville, WV (WV) 5 09-10 0
8. Jason Vaughn Bridgeville, DE (DE) 5 09-04 0
9. Mark Mounts Washington, PA (PA) 5 09-02 0
10. Joe Devoe Aberdeen, MD (MD) 4 08-14 0
11. Ronald Littleton Seaford, DE (DE) 3 08-07 0
12. Rodney Rice Narrows, VA (VA) 4 07-14 0
13. Damien McMahon Pilot, VA (VA) 5 07-13 0
14. Bobby Smith Laurel, DE (DE) 4 07-13 0
15. Brian La Clair Denton, MD (DE) 3 07-13 0
15. Tim Stump Dover, DE (DE) 3 07-13 0
17. Cavin Young Prince George, VA (VA) 3 07-10 0
18. Paul Gietka Abingdon, MD (MD) 4 07-08 0
19. David Price New Windsor, MD (MD) 4 07-07 0
20. Brian Trieschman Ellicott City, MD (MD) 3 07-06 0
21. Mark Hogan Milford, DE (DE) 4 07-05 0
22. Michael Burchett Pulaski, VA (VA) 4 07-03 0
23. Greg Alexander Hebron, MD (DE) 4 06-07 0
24. Shelton Walters Felton, DE (DE) 4 06-04 0
25. Jerrod Lloyd Millville, NJ (NJ) 3 05-15 0
26. Kenneth Hackworth Charleston, WV (WV) 2 05-15 0
27. Robert Brennan Forked River, NJ (NJ) 3 05-13 0
28. Bob Austin Marydel, DE (DE) 3 05-12 0
28. Douglas Zittle Thurmont, MD (MD) 3 05-12 0
30. Richard Lane Pittsburgh, PA (PA) 2 05-12 0
31. Roger Castillo Goode, VA (VA) 3 05-05 0
32. Andrew Sams Easton, MD (MD) 3 04-13 0
33. Eddie McNeil Poca, WV (WV) 3 04-09 0
34. James Goins Baltimore, MD (MD) 3 04-07 0
35. Russell Awad Brooklyn, NY (NJ) 2 04-05 0
35. Cliff Humpreys Philadelphia, PA (NJ) 2 04-05 0
37. Eric Bennet Forked River, NJ (NJ) 2 04-04 0
38. Tyler Trent Nathalie, VA (VA) 2 04-02 0
39. Dion Bright Fairmont, WV (WV) 2 03-15 0
40. William Goots Reidsville, NC (VA) 1 03-15 0
41. Jim Fields Camden, DE (DE) 2 03-11 0
41. Craig Townsend Westampton, NJ (NJ) 2 03-11 0
43. Greg Hylton Martinsville, VA (VA) 1 03-10 0
44. Matt Becker Finleyville, PA (PA) 2 03-07 0
44. Keith Cowan Mt Ephraim, NJ (NJ) 2 03-07 0
44. Jeff Hall Butler, PA (PA) 2 03-07 0
47. Mark Westrick Hastings, PA (PA) 1 03-04 0
48. Randy Baran Old Bridge, NJ (NJ) 2 03-00 0
49. Ken Baumgardner Monongahela, PA (PA) 2 02-15 0
50. Richard Martin Jr Sparrows Point, MD (MD) 1 02-10 0
51. William Kennedy Mineral Wells, WV (WV) 1 02-05 0
52. Mike Morris Dover, DE (DE) 1 02-04 0
53. Bret Winegardner Swanton, MD (MD) 1 02-03 0
54. Al Fiorille Mt Airy, MD (MD) 1 01-12 0
55. Jerry Burkhart Belpre, OH (WV) 1 01-11 0
56. Tommy Ford Leslie, WV (WV) 1 01-10 0
56. Bart Keck Finleyville, PA (PA) 1 01-10 0
58. William Hubbard Ridgeway, VA (VA) 1 01-09 0
59. Todd Caddy Carnegie, PA (PA) 1 01-08 0
59. Brian Keister Atco, NJ (NJ) 1 01-08 0
61. Tony Keller Charleston, WV (WV) 1 01-06 0
62. Don Denault Jr Delmar, MD (DE) 1 01-04 0
63. Jon Blaine Frederick, MD (MD) 0 00-00 0
63. Darren Brooks Wenonah, NJ (NJ) 0 00-00 0
63. Ryan Buttermore Leetsdale, PA (PA) 0 00-00 0
63. Joshua Cross Elizabeth, WV (WV) 0 00-00 0
63. DE HS- McKee/ Draper Milford, DE (DE) 0 00-00 0
63. VA HS- Strayer/ Graves Madison, VA (VA) 0 00-00 0
63. Corey Gue Kenova, WV (WV) 0 00-00 0
63. Jeremy Mathias Monrovia, MD (MD) 0 00-00 0
63. Jerry Meadows Uniontown, PA (PA) 0 00-00 0
63. Dave Menard Henrico, VA (VA) 0 00-00 0
63. PA HS-Gower/ Mertz Lewisburg, PA (PA) 0 00-00 0
63. Christopher Napier Virginia Beach, VA (VA) 0 00-00 0
63. WV HS-Goff/ Sigmon Clendenin, WV (WV) 0 00-00 0
63. NJ HS-Curran/ Stevenson Westampton, NJ (NJ) 0 00-00 0
63. MD HS-Wannall/ Stewart La Plata, MD (MD) 0 00-00 0
63. Bradley West Vincent, OH (WV) 0 00-00 0
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 8 167 339-01
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8 167 339-01
TEAM STANDINGS Day 1
----------------------------------
State Lbs-Oz
1 DELAWARE 74-01
2 VIRGINIA 60-14
3 NEW JERSEY 57-13
4 MARYLAND 52-12
5 PENNSYLVANIA 51-12
6 WEST VIRGINIA 41-13
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Day 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DELAWARE
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Jason Vaughn Bridgeville, DE 5 09-04 0
2 Ronald Littleton Seaford, DE 3 08-07 0
3 Bobby Smith Laurel, DE 4 07-13 0
4 Brian La Clair Denton, MD 3 07-13 0
4 Tim Stump Dover, DE 3 07-13 0
6 Mark Hogan Milford, DE 4 07-05 0
7 Greg Alexander Hebron, MD 4 06-07 0
8 Shelton Walters Felton, DE 4 06-04 0
9 Bob Austin Marydel, DE 3 05-12 0
10 Jim Fields Camden, DE 2 03-11 0
11 Mike Morris Dover, DE 1 02-04 0
12 Don Denault Jr Delmar, MD 1 01-04 0
13 DE HS- McKee/ Draper Milford, DE 0 00-00 0
MARYLAND
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Joe Devoe Aberdeen, MD 4 08-14 0
2 Paul Gietka Abingdon, MD 4 07-08 0
3 David Price New Windsor, MD 4 07-07 0
4 Brian Trieschman Ellicott City, MD 3 07-06 0
5 Douglas Zittle Thurmont, MD 3 05-12 0
6 Andrew Sams Easton, MD 3 04-13 0
7 James Goins Baltimore, MD 3 04-07 0
8 Richard Martin Jr Sparrows Point, MD 1 02-10 0
9 Bret Winegardner Swanton, MD 1 02-03 0
10 Al Fiorille Mt Airy, MD 1 01-12 0
11 Jon Blaine Frederick, MD 0 00-00 0
11 Jeremy Mathias Monrovia, MD 0 00-00 0
11 MD HS-Wannall/ Stewart La Plata, MD 0 00-00 0
NEW JERSEY
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Michael Sentore Gloucester City, NJ 4 11-00 0
2 John Mcgraw Bordertown, NJ 5 10-09 0
3 Jerrod Lloyd Millville, NJ 3 05-15 0
4 Robert Brennan Forked River, NJ 3 05-13 0
5 Russell Awad Brooklyn, NY 2 04-05 0
5 Cliff Humpreys Philadelphia, PA 2 04-05 0
7 Eric Bennet Forked River, NJ 2 04-04 0
8 Craig Townsend Westampton, NJ 2 03-11 0
9 Keith Cowan Mt Ephraim, NJ 2 03-07 0
10 Randy Baran Old Bridge, NJ 2 03-00 0
11 Brian Keister Atco, NJ 1 01-08 0
12 Darren Brooks Wenonah, NJ 0 00-00 0
12 NJ HS-Curran/ Stevenson Westampton, NJ 0 00-00 0
PENNSYLVANIA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Mike Moran Ruffsdale, PA 5 10-07 0
2 Daniel Gray Butler, PA 5 10-04 0
3 Mark Mounts Washington, PA 5 09-02 0
4 Richard Lane Pittsburgh, PA 2 05-12 0
5 Matt Becker Finleyville, PA 2 03-07 0
5 Jeff Hall Butler, PA 2 03-07 0
7 Mark Westrick Hastings, PA 1 03-04 0
8 Ken Baumgardner Monongahela, PA 2 02-15 0
9 Bart Keck Finleyville, PA 1 01-10 0
10 Todd Caddy Carnegie, PA 1 01-08 0
11 Ryan Buttermore Leetsdale, PA 0 00-00 0
11 Jerry Meadows Uniontown, PA 0 00-00 0
11 PA HS-Gower/ Mertz Lewisburg, PA 0 00-00 0
VIRGINIA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 John Conway Henrico, VA 5 11-13 0
2 Rodney Rice Narrows, VA 4 07-14 0
3 Damien McMahon Pilot, VA 5 07-13 0
4 Cavin Young Prince George, VA 3 07-10 0
5 Michael Burchett Pulaski, VA 4 07-03 0
6 Roger Castillo Goode, VA 3 05-05 0
7 Tyler Trent Nathalie, VA 2 04-02 0
8 William Goots Reidsville, NC 1 03-15 0
9 Greg Hylton Martinsville, VA 1 03-10 0
10 William Hubbard Ridgeway, VA 1 01-09 0
11 VA HS- Strayer/ Graves Madison, VA 0 00-00 0
11 Dave Menard Henrico, VA 0 00-00 0
11 Christopher Napier Virginia Beach, VA 0 00-00 0
WEST VIRGINIA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Randy Huffman Charleston, WV 4 10-12 0
2 James Dingess Barboursville, WV 5 09-10 0
3 Kenneth Hackworth Charleston, WV 2 05-15 0
4 Eddie McNeil Poca, WV 3 04-09 0
5 Dion Bright Fairmont, WV 2 03-15 0
6 William Kennedy Mineral Wells, WV 1 02-05 0
7 Jerry Burkhart Belpre, OH 1 01-11 0
8 Tommy Ford Leslie, WV 1 01-10 0
9 Tony Keller Charleston, WV 1 01-06 0
10 Joshua Cross Elizabeth, WV 0 00-00 0
10 Corey Gue Kenova, WV 0 00-00 0
10 WV HS-Goff/ Sigmon Clendenin, WV 0 00-00 0
10 Bradley West Vincent, OH 0 00-00 0
Morgan and Meyer square off for FLW AOY Title
Reining FLW Angler of the Year, Andy Morgan, has been the model of consistency over his 19 year career highlighted by his current streak of seven straight seasons finishing within the top ten in AOY standings dating back to 2007. En route to his first title in 2013, Morgan placed 10th or better in five of the six FLW Tour events outpacing his nearest competitor by nearly 50 points. This season, however, heading into the final event this week at Kentucky Lake, a far different scenario has unfolded. Despite a nearly identical ledger of quality finishes, Morgan finds himself with company atop the leaderboard and is faced with the very real possibility he may amass the highest points total in FLW history only to be eclipsed by Cody Meyer, who currently sits in 2nd with a mere 8 points to overcome.
In only his fifth season on the FLW Tour, Cody Meyer has already established himself among the most consistent players in the game accomplishing three consecutive years within the top 15 of the points standings. To date, his best overall season came in 2012 where he finished 5th overall. Although a tough task lay ahead, there may be no angler better suited to take it on. Earlier this season Meyer set the FLW record for consecutive limits weighed in competition at 50; a streak that spanned over 3 years of competition.
When asked about what it takes to win the Angler of the Year, it’s no surprise what Meyer pinpointed as the key, opining, “Winning the Angler of the Year is all about consistency, it’s what makes Andy so great. I have worked hard at being consistent and I think it’s starting to pay off. "
While consistency is certainly of value in the year end points race, with only a single tournament remaining it begs the question, does Meyer alter his strategy in hopes of making up the eight points? When asked if he’d considered such a thing, Meyer replied. "I won't change how I have been fishing, but I know it's going to take an incredible tournament to beat Andy by eight or nine spots.†Despite his realistic viewpoint, Meyer is still confident in his ability, stating, “Beating Andy by even one spot is tough. It's a big challenge, but I like challenges."
Although it wasn’t until 2011 that FLW began awarding a cash prize for the Angler of the Year, the title has always held an unparalleled prestige especially among the anglers themselves. It not only recognizes a tremendous season-long accomplishment, it also positions the angler among the greats of the sport, an achievement that is for lack of a better word: priceless. When asked what the title would mean to either angler their responses were indicative of the type of competitors they are.
Meyer explains, "I am trying not to think about the A.O.Y. title, but if I should win it, it would be huge for me. To come out here and compete with these guys has always been an honor and to win an award, amongst this level of competition from over 150 phenomenal anglers, well, that would be unreal. Honestly, I'm not too sure what I would do should I win, but I'll figure that out if or when it happens."
Morgan, known for his gunslinger style, appropriately said, "I just go fishing and bring my best five bass to the scales. I've never set out to do anything other than catch the biggest five fish I can each day. It's worked out for me over the years, and I think I'll do the same thing this week. Will it be enough to win the A.O.Y., you never know, but I hope so."
After taking a moment to reflect on the possibility of hoisting the trophy for the second consecutive year, Morgan deflected the attention back to the quality of his competition saying, "It'd be nice to win a second angler of the year title, but Cody is going to make it a challenge. I’m certain of it. He might be in his fifth year, but he fishes like a veteran. With his talent, he’s going to be a regular contender for the Angler of the Year title for many years to come.â€
At the conclusion of the Kentucky Lake event it is highly likely that whichever angler prevails, he would also break the FLW record for total points in a season. To break the record, currently held by Kevin VanDam in 2001 (1105 points), Morgan would only need to finish in the top 40 in this event. Morgan has finished in the top 40 in eleven of twelve events over the past two seasons. For Meyer to break the record, he would first need to finish at least eight places ahead of Morgan and also finish in 32nd or above overall. Meyer has finished in 32nd or above in nine of his last eleven FLW Tour events.
Andy Morgan is sponsored by Livingston Lures, Bullet Boats, Evinrude, Typhoon Optics, New Breed Archery, Zoom Baits, Sheffield Financial, and War Eagle baits.
Cody Meyer is sponsored by Repel, Shimano, Jackall, Typhoon Optics, Evinrude, Ranger Boats, Hi's Tackle Box, Top This, and Power-Pole.
Blake, Harrison Use Frogs & Jigs To Win Snag Proof Open On Lake Cherokee, Presented By Morristown Marine
The Cherokee event was unique in that it gave contestants the option to use any Snag Proof product they chose, including Bass Grabber Jigs. The rest of the Opens allow for only the use of Snag Proof Frogs. The Cherokee event featured a 3-fish limit.
The Lake Cherokee Open was also special because, even though turnout was decent considering the wet weather, there was a $10,000 top prize up for grabs among a field of only 68 boats – excellent odds!
Derrick Blake and Clint Harrison used a combination of frogs and jigs to win $10,340 in total prize money for 1st place (15.04 pounds) as well as the Big Bass award in the largemouth category (5.28 pounds).
Brant Grimm and Bobby Drinnon had the biggest smallmouth at 3.79 pounds.
2014 Snag Proof Open on Lake Cherokee Top 10:
1 DERRICK BLAKE/CLINT HARRISON 15.04 $10,340.00
2 SKYLAR HAMILTON/JOSH CHRISTIAN 12.85 $2,000.00
3 BRANT GRIMM/BOBBY DRINNON 11.55 $1,840.00
4 RICK DIAMOND/NICK DIAMOND 11.38 $1,000.00
5 TONY DRINNON/MARK TRENT 11.30 $600.00
6 RANDY OLIVER/CLINT DYER 10.75 $500.00
7 J R HENARD/TRAVIS CARPENTER 9.90 $400.00
8 GARY PILKENTON/TIM SMILEY 9.88 $350.00
9 JASON MARSHALL/LANCE BUCHANAN 9.73 $300.00
10 KELLY MILLSAPS/BRANDON HARRIS 9.28 $250.00
Wiltfong & Bain Take Catt Nc Championship Kerr
Tim Wiltfong & Phil Bain brought in the winning sack weighing in at 17.10 lbs and took home 1st Place worth $5,000.00. Add in the 1st BONUS $ which was $1,470 and they took home a total of $6,470.00. They also received some Mr. Wags from Yee Ha Baits. www.fishyeehabaits.com
2nd Place went to Bobby Chrisman & JT Palmore with another good limit weighing 16.63 lbs worth $3,000.00. They claimed the 2nd BONUS $ and took home $3,630.00.
Chris Bullock & Robert Perkins finished 3rd with a limit weighing 15.59 lbs and earned $2,000.00.
Coming in 4th were Eric Schell & Steve Vann with a limit weighing 15.11 lbs and took home $1,500.00.
5th and $1,000.00 went to Howard & Justin Bohannon with 5 bass weighing 15.00 lbs eaven.
The rest of the money places shaped up like this…
6th Tony Lamar & Todd Owens 14.42 lbs $800.00
7th Greg Creech & Chis McDuffie 13.93 lbs $650.00
8th Todd & Jeff Sumner 13.41 lbs $550.00
9th Mark Cooper & Steve Roberts 13.26 lbs $500.00
10th Jerry & Robert Dean 13.06 lbs $430.00
11th Todd Massey & Brandon Grey 13.05 lbs $375.00
12th Scott Falkner & Toney Brewer 12.74 lbs $350.00
13th Bowman Grey & David Lanaville 12.48 lbs $300.00
14th Cory Byrum & Cory Leonard 12.42 lbs $275.00
15th Jeremy Jacobs & Mitch Garner 12.40 lbs $250.00
The LEW”S BIG FISH award went to Jeffrey Hall & Ronnie Thompson with a 5.54 lbs bass. They received a new LEW”S BAIT CAST Reel… a $200.00 value. & $920.00 in cash
Thanks for fishing CATT and the 2 day Championship format will be back in 2015!
Brett Collins
Carolina Anglers Team Trail LLC
Bienville Big Bass Blast offers excellent payout, solid weights
The Bienville Big Bass Blast is in its 2nd season. Congrats to this month’s winners, Ryan Worthington & Eric Roberts who weighed-in 20.54lbs.
Worthington and Roberts won by the slimmest of margin, 0.02 pounds, over Donnie Feagle & Joey Woods who placed 2nd with 20.52lbs & Big Fish at 6.74lbs
Jamie Hanks & Pete Jannotti placed 3rd with 19.50.
Total payout was $3,825 for a field of 17 boats. That’s strong.
With the win, Worthington and Roberts remain atop the points standings after 2, of 6, regular season events.
There is still time to join the fun and qualify for the Bienville Classic – call 386-397-1989.
Butler, Tate Win As Alabama Bass Trail Series Concludes Regular Season On Logan Martin
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The Alabama Bass Trail Series just concluded its regular season schedule with the North Division’s final tournament on Logan Martin Lake. Weights were tight and fishing was good. Josh Butler and Jeb Tate won with a 5-fish limit that weighed over 20 pounds.
Congratulations on a great first year for the ABT Series which paid a guaranteed $10,000 to the winners of each qualifying event.
The no-entry-fee championship tournament will take place October 10-11 on Lewis Smith Lake. Up for grabs is a fully-rigged Phoenix 619 Pro bass boat.
Your Top 10 from Logan Martin Lake:
1 JOSH BUTLER-JEB TATE 5/5 20.13 20.13 200 $10,000.00
2 MARTY LIKOS-MICHAEL CARTER 5/5 19.99 * 7.68 19.99 199 $5,000.00
3 BRANDON STAGGS-JERRY WRIGHT 5/5 19.08 19.08 198 $4,000.00
4 WES LOGAN-KENNY PANNELL 5/5 18.83 6.77 18.83 197 $3,000.00
5 HADLEY COAN-SCOTT KEELING 5/5 17.76 17.76 196 $1,500.00
5 MIKE RANEY-MICHAEL PHARR 5/5 17.76 17.76 196 $1,500.00
7 JUSTIN ATKINS-GRANT GALLOWAY 5/5 17.37 17.37 194 $900.00
8 NATHAN BREWER-MICHAEL BREWER 5/4 17.84 1 16.84 193 $800.00
9 JOEL GREEN-ALLEN JOHNSON 5/5 16.55 5.49 16.55 192 $700.00
10 CHRIS KANUTE-CHASE KANUTE 5/5 16.47 5.13 16.47 191 $600.00
KEMP WINS RAYOVAC FLW SERIES NORTHERN DIVISION TOURNEY ON POTOMAC RIVER
William Kemp. photo by David A. Brown
Bass Bite Getting Really Good For Snag Proof Open On Cherokee Lake
Snag Proof Pro Staffer and 2012 Bassmaster Classic Champion Chris Lane
Anglers in the Second Annual Snap Proof Open on Lake Cherokee in Tennessee can expect excellent fishing Saturday, according to tournament director Sam Phillips at Morristown Marine.
“We've had reports that the Snag Proof Jig bite is great and the Snag Proof Frog bite has been really good,” Phillips said. “There are reports of 11 to 14 pounds for three fish taken on the frog.”
Phillips said the water level is coming up a little and some anglers are fishing deep with the jig while others are fishing shallow with the frog. The weigh-in limit is three bass, which can include both smallmouth and largemouth.
“They are throwing the jig off points and bluffs and a lot of them are swimming the white jig for suspended fish in deeper water,” he said, noting that white is the primary color for the jig with black and blue as a backup color. “We don't have a lot of grass in the lake, but up the rivers there are some shallow logs and some grass. Then there is the shoreline. We don't know exactly where they are throwing the frog because they won't reveal their spots.”
Phillips said a lot of anglers are waiting on Snag Proof to bring its new in-line spinnerbait so they can try it out, too.
“All the Snag proof products can be used in the tournament,” he said, “not just the plastics. We are allowing a lot of modifications, as long as the original bait is a Snag Proof product. That can include any brand of trailer, any brand of jig skirt, any brand of swim bait; they can paint it, dye it, add weight and take weight off. It's pretty much wide open.”
Phillips said the entry fee is $140, which includes big fish for both smallmouth and largemouth, with $10,000 guaranteed for first place. There is Skeeter Real Money for the tournament. A Skeeter-Yamaha owner can sign up for a shot at winning an additional $3,000.
“We are expecting between 100 and 150 boats and anglers can sigh up here at Morristown Marine this week or at the ramp the morning of the tournament. They can phone in and sign up as long as they pick up their flight card before the blastoff Saturday morning,” Phillips said.
“If anybody has any questions they can call me at Morristown Marine, 423-587-3555.”
Snag Proof Open
Sat, Jun 21, 2014
Cherokee Lake
Boat Launch Road Ramp
Call Sam Phillips 423-677-3004
More Water, More Schools Of Fish For Flw Tour Final On Kentucky Lake
After finishing a disappointing 73rd at Pickwick Lake earlier this month Matt Arey is looking to spread his wings a little in the final 2014 FLW Tour Major next week on Kentucky-Barkley Lakes.
“At Pickwick fishing was dominated deep. Most of the guys were catching their fish in the 20-foot range. Kentucky Lake will be similar, but the difference will be that we'll be able to spread out more. There's a lot more water and a lot more schools of fish to be found,” said the Shelby, N.C., pro.
Arey, who is seeking to qualify for his fourth consecutive appearance in the Forrest Wood Cup, said there will be two ways to approach the tournament on Kentucky Lake. Up the river fishing will be dominated by grass fishing, he said, while downlake it will be typical ledge fishing.
“We'll be looking for main channel hard spots and little humps, but mainly for shell beds. It will be a big crankbait, big worm, football jig, swim bait, that kind of stuff. I've found fish out there from 15 feet deep all the way out to 35 feet. It just depends on the water level.”
Going into the Pickwick tournament Arey was ranked 16th, but slipped in the standings after that low finish to 24th, but he figures any kind of decent finish at Kentucky Lake will send him on to the Forrest Wood Cup Aug. 14-17 at Lake Murray near Columbia, S.C.
“A top 100 will probably get me in. I've got a 50-point lead over the last man in the Cup right now, but I just can't screw up,” he said.
As for fishing the Cup close to home, Arey said he was excited about it being close, but not excited at all about fishing Lake Murray in August.
“I've been on Lake Murray plenty of times, and I've had some great days down there in February and March, but I don't think I've ever fished the lake after about the end of April. It's a great fishery, but it's a tough time for us to be there.”
While local anglers such as Anthony Gagliardi and Casey Ashley, should be considered favorites for the Forrest Wood Cup since they live so close to the lake, Arey said other factors will probably be decisive at Lake Murray.
“Murray is a big blue-back herring bite and the one who figures out a combination of that and shallow water fishing could come out on top.”
But first there is Kentucky Lake, he said.
“I'll head out Saturday morning for Kentucky Lake and then hopefully get back home and start preparing myself for the Cup in August.”
FLW Tour Major
Jun 26-29, 2014
Kentucky-Barkley Lakes
Paris Landing State Park
Bass Can Be Caught Shallow, Deep, In Between On Logan Martin In Alabama Bass North Division Final
Over the years Logan Martin Lake has been good to Mark McCaig of nearby Oxford, Ala., and he hopes that good fortune holds Saturday for the final Alabama Bass Trail North Division tournament.
“I moved here because of that lake. The first time I ever went fishing on Logan Martin I met my wife. My future father-in-law took be fishing and I went home and gave a two-weeks notice on my job.”
McCaig was 19 years old at the time. A year later he married that girl he met on his first fishing trip to the Alabama lake.
“We've been married for 24 years, so that worked out with her, too,” he said.
McCaig has come to know Logan Martin intimately over the past 25 years and he expects fishing to be really good for the Alabama Bass Trail tournament Saturday.
“The lake is fishing really good right now,” McCaig said. “It will likely take a mixed bag of fish, both spotted bass and largemouths. I doubt that one species will win the tournament, but there is a good population of both.”
He said the largemouth bass population has really come on strong in recent years and this time of year they can usually be caught deep.
“The spots can be caught from two feet out to 20 feet deep. They are real nomadic fish, here today gone tomorrow.”
The spotted bass can be caught using the same tactics as fishing for the largemouths, he said.
“They will bite deep baits, too. You catch a lot of them on jigs and a Shakey head will definitely play a role in the tournament,” he said.
“The thing about Logan Martin is that it can be won shallow, deep, or in between. It's a really good lake for numbers of fish. You are not going to have the weights you will find at Guntersville, for instance, but I think it will take close to 20 pounds to win it.”
McCaig said he and teammate Tim Hurst, also of Oxford, tuned up for the Alabama Bass Trail tournament by fishing the Weekend Bass Series Alabama South Division tournament last Saturday. Hurst finished 5th with 14.9 pounds, including the second Big Fish of the tournament at 4.39 pounds, and McCaig finished 6th with 14.84 pounds.
“It was good practice,” said McCaig who has won the Weekend Series Alabama North Division Angler of the Year title two years in a row.
Currently, he and Hurst are ranked 11th in the Alabama Bass Trail North Division Points race, but McCaig said he feels they can move up strongly Saturday and possibly even take the points title.
“Not because we know the lake so well, but because a lot of the guys ahead of us don't know it very well,” he said. “Most of them have already fished the lakes they consider their home lakes and the ones they know best. If everybody ahead of us catches them Saturday it really won't matter, but if those guys stumble we could move up and have a chance to go fish in Arkansas.
If they climb at least three spots to 8th place they would qualify for the Bassmasters Team Championship in Arkansas and possibly earn a berth in the Bassmaster Classic. The top 8 in both the Northern and Southern Divisions get to move on to the national championship.
The top 50 teams in both divisions also move on to the Alabama Bass Trail Championship in October on Smith Lake.
“The ABT final event on Logan Martin is the culmination of a lot of hard work and dedication from the anglers and staff,” said tournament director Kay Donaldson. “I am thrilled with the response this year and I am looking forward to the Championship in October on Smith Lake.”
Alabama Bass Trail - North Division
Sat, Jun 21, 2014
Logan Martin Lake
Lakeside Landing
Call Kay Donaldson 855-934-7425
Boats Unlimited Nc Team Trail Championship Results - Kerr Lake - Jun 14, 2014
What a great day for the Boats Unlimited NC Team Tournament Bass Trail Championship at Kerr Lake.
76 of the 84 qualified teams enjoyed the beautiful weather and a great day of catching bass! It was very nice that morning at about 65 degrees with very little wind and around 84 that afternoon with light winds. Water temps averaged 88 depending on the area fished. Kerr, again, really seems to be on the rebound after the bass virus. The fish really looked healthy and a putting on some good weight!
Tony Stanley of Four Oaks & Travis Parker of Benson smiled all the way to the stage to weigh in their 5 bass weighing 16.48 lbs. to win the Championship by just 3 100ths of a pound! They won $10,000 for 1st, & 1st place Big Fish (5.77 lbs.) worth $1,050 & 2 beautiful JB Custom Fishing Rods for a grand total of $11,450 in cash & prizes! The team stated most of their bass were caught on plastics.
Rodney Hilber of Hillsborough & Ken Penderman of Durham almost won but instead took 2nd with 5 bass weighing 16.45 lbs winning $1,325 along with $1,540 for 1st place TWT and a $200 Gift Certificate compliments of Outhouse Tackle in Raleigh for a total of $3,065.
Points Champions for the Trail were the team of Bryce McClenney of Cary & Michael Christie of Cary winning them $1,000 and 2 nice Kistler Rods compliments of Skeeter Boats. Tow Boats US $100 Member Bonus went to Todd Massey of Chapel Hill.
Almost every team weighed in for a whopping total of 269 fish weighing 626 pounds for an average of 2.33 lbs. each. We had two fish over 5 lbs. one of which weighed over 6 but the team was not in the big fish pot! Hot baits for the day were , c-rigs, shakey heads, finesse worms, jigs, crankbaits and some top water early. Most fish were caught from 1 to 10' in depth.
After the weighin the teams were treated to a wonderful cookout compliments of Ridgecrest Baptist Outdoor Ministries in Durham during which, over $8,000 in sponsors door prizes were given away!
I want to thank all the anglers that participated and all our sponsors that supported this trail. The next tournament will be Cashion Fishing Rods End of Year Team Bass Trail Qualifier #1 at Jordan Lake on July 12th, out of Farrington Point Wildlife Ramp
All the information on our tournaments can be found at http://piedmontbassclassics.com/
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Tony Stanley & Travis Parker of Four Oaks & Mebane...5 bass...16.48 lbs...$10,000
2nd Place: Rodney Hilber & Ken Penderman of Hillsborough & Durham...5 bass...16.45 lbs...$1,325
3rd Place: Dave Murdock & Tony Fofi of Sanford & Spring Lake...5 bass...15.89 lbs...$815
4th Place: Billy Bledsoe & Brian McDonald of Fayetteville & Hope Mills...5 bass...15.82 lbs...$600
5th Place: Robert Perkins & Chris Bullock of Rougemont & Fountain...5 bass...15.35 lbs...$547
6th Place: Todd Massey & Brandon Gray of Chapel Hill & Bullock...5 bass...15.23 lbs...$486
7th Place: Troy Horne & Darryl Peele of Goldsboro...5 bass...13.95 lbs...$425
8th Place: Bryce McClenney & Michael Christie of Cary & Fuquay Varina...5 bass...13.88 lbs...$365
9th Place: Todd & Jeff Sumner of Southern Pines...5 bass...13.85 lbs...$304
10th Place: Phillip Johnson & Geno McCree of Durham...5 bass...13.78 lbs...$243
11th Place: Richard Cooper & Allen White of Clayton...5 bass...13.71 lbs...$243
12th Place: Bill Recher & Roger McLamb of Henderson & Stem...5 bass...13.58 lbs...$182
13th Place: Eric & Jennifer Christian of Graham...5 bass...13.53 lbs...$182
14th Place: Thomas Sheffer & Ken McNeill of Cary & Raleigh...5 bass...13.29 lbs...$121
15th Place: Seth Ellis & Chuck Byrd of Lillington & Sanford...5 bass...13.05 lbs...$121
16th Place: Johnny Wilder & Mike Harris of Butner & Oxford...5 bass...12.52 lbs...$121
1st Place Big Fish..1st Place Team above...5.77 lbs...$1,050
2nd Place Big Fish..11th Place Team above...4.88 lbs...$450
1st Place TWT..2nd Place Team above...16.45 lbs...$1,540
2nd Place TWT..3rd Place Team above: 15.89 lbs...$600
Tow Boats US Award: Todd Massey of Chapel Hill: $100
Contact Information:
Phil McCarson...Tournament Director---922 Valetta Rd.---Durham, NC 27712
Home: 919-471-1571 Cell: 919-971-5042
email: [email protected] website: http://piedmontbassclassics.com/index.html
Ranger Boats thoughts on the new G2 E-TEC
Matt Raynor from Ranger Boats joins us for his take on the new Generation 2 E-TEC and what it means for Ranger Owners and all boat owners moving fwd.......their take very similar to ours: It's a GAMECHANGER
Steve Phillips wins BFL on Lake Wateree
Steve Phillips of Lugoff, S.C., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds, 12 ounces Saturday to win the third Walmart Bass Fishing League South Carolina Division tournament of 2014 on Lake Wateree. For his victory, Phillips earned $4,977.
“I was kind of surprised to win,” said Philips, who has now won three BFL tournaments on Lake Wateree. “I thought it would take more like 21 pounds to win.
“I’ve fished that lake since the mid-70’s,” said Phillips. “I only live about 15 minutes from there so I know it pretty well.
“I knew what I was going to do. I was going to go deep and stay deep,” Phillips explained. “The key for me was sticking with the crankbait all day long. I had cramps in my hands at the end of the day.
“Wateree isn’t a very big lake and it can be hit or miss,” continued Phillips. “You are fishing behind a lot of people and you have to time when the fish are ready to feed just right. I would say I caught around 13 bass throughout the day.”
Phillips said that he targeted ledges, points and humps with stumps and rocks on them in about 15-feet of water and that he was throwing a chartreuse-colored and shad-colored Norman DD22 crankbait.
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Matthew Nettles, Columbia, S.C., five bass, 18-6, $1,489
3rd: Glenn Altman, Marion, S.C., five bass, 17-8, $992
4th: Greg Rikard, Leesville, S.C., five bass, 17-6, $645
4th: Thomas Rubbo, Lexington, S.C., five bass, 17-6, $645
6th: Jerry Freezon, Elgin, S.C., five bass, 16-11, $546
7th: Jay Keith, Camden, S.C., five bass, 16-7, $471 + $300 Evinrude Bonus
7th: Rob Thames, Lexington, S.C., five bass, 16-7, $471
9th: Alan Fletcher, Hartsville, S.C., five bass, 16-6, $397
10th: Derek Schlotterback, Simpsonville, S.C., five bass, 16-2, $347
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Calvin Sharp of Round O, S.C., weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 14 pounds, 15 ounces Saturday to win $1,489 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Richie Dixon, Camden, S.C., four bass, 12-14, $744
3rd: Jimmy Bihlear Sr., Goose Creek, S.C., four bass, 12-9, $497
4th: Lee Montgomery, Hendersonville, N.C., five bass, 11-5, $347
5th: Jeff Rikard, Leesville, S.C., four bass, 11-3, $298
6th: Evan Weaver, Lexington, S.C., four bass, 10-3, $273
7th: Tyler Moore, Walterboro, S.C., five bass, 9-9, $248
8th: Kevin Edge, Conway, S.C., three bass, 9-7, $223
9th: Gregory Littles, Columbia, S.C., three bass, 9-4, $198
10th: Vernie Haltiwanger, Lexington, S.C., four bass, 9-2, $174
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 2-4 Regional Championship on the James River in Richmond, Va. 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.
Eddie Smith and Michael Carson win the CBC w/17.53 lbs and took home the First Place Prize of $9,825--FULL RESULTS HERE!
Carolinas Bass Challenge NC Division Qualifier #1 - Lake Wylie (Postponed from March 1st)
Eddie Smith and Michael Carson bested the field of 138 boats w/ 17.53 lbs and took home the First Place Prize of $9,825!
Micheal and Eddie also won the Top Finishing Skeeter Bonus of $5,000 and $1,000 in Skeeter REAL MONEY to bring their total Pay-Day to $15,825!!
Lake Wylie Championship Stringer
| Place | Team Name | Team # | Fish Weighed | Net Weight | Big Fish | Points | Winnings |
| 1 | Eddie Smith - Michael Carson * | 78 | 5 | 17.530 | 4.810 | 310 | $15,825 * |
| * Includes $5,000 Skeeter Bonus and $1,000 Skeeter REAL MONEY!! | |||||||
| 2 | Brian Travis - Ashley Brotherton * | 56 | 5 | 17.430 | 5.360 | 309 | $5,225 * |
| * Includes $1,000 Big Fish Bonus!! | |||||||
| 3 | Jimmy Carswell - Bobby Carswell | 128 | 5 | 15.800 | 0.000 | 308 | $2,525 |
| 4 | Dale Surrett - Brian Morgan | 8 | 5 | 15.760 | 0.000 | 307 | $2,000 |
| 5 | Roger Hoover - Scott Hamrick | 61 | 5 | 15.600 | 4.850 | 306 | $1,250 |
| 6 | Wesley Cashwell - Shane Doughtie | 4 | 5 | 15.510 | 0.000 | 305 | $910 |
| 7 | Brian Triplett - Stacey Richards | 122 | 5 | 15.240 | 0.000 | 304 | $700 |
| 8 | Parks Jones - Daniel Hill | 36 | 5 | 14.870 | 4.500 | 303 | $650 |
| 9 | Hunter Hicks - Mike Stephens | 63 | 5 | 14.550 | 0.000 | 302 | $600 |
| 10 | Greg Sims - Michael Huffman | 127 | 5 | 14.320 | 0.000 | 301 | $550 |
| 11 | Gary Love - Ricky Todd | 33 | 5 | 14.130 | 0.000 | 300 | $500 |
| 12 | Marcus Leech - Tim Chapman | 16 | 5 | 13.960 | 4.300 | 299 | $475 |
| 13 | Tony Foster - Robert Mixon | 38 | 5 | 13.920 | 0.000 | 298 | $430 |
| 14 | Brandon Williams - Reid Mcginn | 21 | 5 | 13.790 | 0.000 | 297 | $410 |
| 15 | Thomas Vickers - Brian Huskins | 100 | 5 | 13.710 | 0.000 | 296 | $375 |
| 16 | Reggie Pollock - Bobby Smith | 104 | 5 | 13.660 | 0.000 | 295 | $350 |
| 16 | Dempsey Carter - Ted Mobley | 134 | 5 | 13.660 | 0.000 | 295 | $325 |
| 18 | Jerry Lineberger - Shane Lineberger | 26 | 5 | 13.510 | 4.230 | 293 | $300 |
| 19 | Robin Cairco - Matt Queen | 94 | 5 | 13.300 | 0.000 | 292 | $275 |
| 20 | Josh Warren - Marc Humphries | 51 | 5 | 13.150 | 0.000 | 291 | $260 |
| 21 | Joshua Queen - Mike Queen | 129 | 5 | 13.010 | 0.000 | 290 | $240 |
| 22 | Keith Porter - Mike Allman | 25 | 5 | 12.710 | 4.300 | 289 | $225 |
| 23 | Robert Stilner - Rob Digh | 108 | 5 | 12.680 | 0.000 | 288 | $200 |
| 24 | Reggie Guffey - Tommy Chapman | 91 | 5 | 12.560 | 0.000 | 287 | |
| 25 | Nathan Webber - Paul Rigsbee | 120 | 5 | 12.520 | 0.000 | 286 | |
| 26 | Brent Berry - Steve Shaw | 10 | 4 | 12.470 | 5.250 | 285 | |
| 27 | Larry LeHew - Troy LeHew | 57 | 5 | 12.230 | 0.000 | 284 | |
| 28 | Louie Hull - Chuck Montgomery | 87 | 4 | 12.070 | 0.000 | 283 | |
| 29 | Jerry Craig - Bobby Lateuch | 137 | 5 | 11.990 | 0.000 | 282 | |
| 30 | Robin Collins - Ronnie White | 27 | 5 | 11.810 | 2.820 | 281 | |
| 31 | Chris Graham - Ricky Byrd | 93 | 5 | 11.600 | 0.000 | 280 | |
| 32 | Chad Sinclair - Caleb Conner | 123 | 5 | 11.400 | 0.000 | 279 | |
| 33 | Mark Mitchell - Mike Kirkley | 11 | 5 | 11.360 | 0.000 | 278 | |
| 34 | Reginald Pickett - Larry Kirk | 106 | 5 | 11.280 | 0.000 | 277 | |
| 35 | Bernie Davis - Billy Gunter | 40 | 5 | 11.210 | 0.000 | 276 | |
| 36 | Patrick Tierney - Todd Auten | 35 | 5 | 11.070 | 0.000 | 275 | |
| 37 | Roger Pope - Michael Smith | 46 | 5 | 11.030 | 0.000 | 274 | |
| 38 | Junior Mobley - Fredera Dibb Wyie | 60 | 5 | 10.910 | 0.000 | 273 | |
| 39 | Wiley Jr Nifong - Matthew Nifong | 88 | 5 | 10.760 | 0.000 | 272 | |
| 40 | Chris Wagner - Chase Deal | 85 | 5 | 10.730 | 0.000 | 271 | |
| 41 | Thomas Richmond - Artie Phillips | 34 | 5 | 10.670 | 0.000 | 270 | |
| 42 | Kevin Toler - Rodney Lambert | 74 | 5 | 10.470 | 0.000 | 269 | |
| 43 | Jason Threadgill - Todd Walters | 42 | 5 | 10.460 | 0.000 | 268 | |
| 44 | Earl Proctor - David Fortenberry | 59 | 5 | 10.370 | 0.000 | 267 | |
| 45 | Randy Mathis - Jody Jones | 121 | 5 | 10.340 | 0.000 | 266 | |
| 46 | Jay Adams - Bobby Carroll | 118 | 5 | 10.250 | 0.000 | 265 | |
| 47 | Eric Jeter - Darren Jeter | 102 | 5 | 10.210 | 0.000 | 264 | |
| 48 | Bryce Owen - Jonathan Phillips | 48 | 5 | 10.180 | 0.000 | 263 | |
| 49 | Tyler Hoopaugh - Chris Hoopaugh | 53 | 5 | 10.140 | 0.000 | 262 | |
| 50 | Robert Fowler - Scott Willis | 17 | 4 | 9.940 | 0.000 | 261 | |
| 51 | Nick Beaver - Roger Beaver | 101 | 5 | 9.870 | 0.000 | 260 | |
| 52 | Josh Wimbish - Alan Johnston | 103 | 5 | 9.730 | 0.000 | 259 | |
| 53 | Russell Hoyle - Jerry Pruitt | 43 | 5 | 9.710 | 0.000 | 258 | |
| 54 | Scott Henley - Dean Minor | 131 | 5 | 9.690 | 0.000 | 257 | |
| 55 | Aric Dwyer - Zack Bolick | 31 | 4 | 9.680 | 0.000 | 256 | |
| 56 | Charlie Hanshaw - Jeffrey Hanshaw | 77 | 5 | 9.510 | 0.000 | 255 | |
| 56 | Bill Grier - Robby Byrum | 96 | 5 | 9.510 | 0.000 | 255 | |
| 58 | David Williams - Gerald Williams | 80 | 5 | 9.430 | 0.000 | 253 | |
| 59 | Danny Mason - Lionel Mason | 132 | 5 | 9.340 | 0.000 | 252 | |
| 60 | Mitchell Cook - Todd Huffman | 111 | 5 | 9.250 | 0.000 | 251 | |
| 61 | Jason Wilson - Kelly Logan | 124 | 5 | 9.100 | 0.000 | 250 | |
| 62 | Justin Bach - Adam Bach | 19 | 5 | 9.020 | 0.000 | 249 | |
| 62 | James Wall - Jimmy Wall | 117 | 4 | 9.020 | 0.000 | 249 | |
| 64 | David Winters - Cacye West | 133 | 5 | 8.920 | 0.000 | 247 | |
| 65 | Todd Lawrence - Doug Young | 23 | 3 | 8.820 | 0.000 | 246 | |
| 66 | David Clanton - Derek Lilley | 86 | 5 | 8.810 | 0.000 | 245 | |
| 67 | Steve Addington - Scott Beattie | 49 | 5 | 8.680 | 0.000 | 244 | |
| 68 | Chris Dover - Chad Lail | 68 | 5 | 8.560 | 0.000 | 243 | |
| 69 | Mark Swink - Chuck Camp | 24 | 5 | 8.530 | 0.000 | 242 | |
| 70 | Dale Luckey - John Brown | 136 | 5 | 8.510 | 0.000 | 241 | |
| 71 | Eddie Davis - Rob Fitch | 72 | 5 | 8.240 | 0.000 | 240 | |
| 72 | Phillip Frady - Dirk Porter | 116 | 4 | 8.240 | 0.000 | 239 | |
| 73 | Nathan White - Chris Guest | 75 | 5 | 8.180 | 0.000 | 238 | |
| 74 | Steven Austin - Roger Wood | 2 | 5 | 8.090 | 0.000 | 237 | |
| 74 | Keith Speece - Wendell Ireland | 54 | 3 | 8.090 | 0.000 | 237 | |
| 76 | Adam Ridings - Chris Beaird | 3 | 3 | 7.660 | 0.000 | 235 | |
| 77 | Phil Hennessee - Rob Johnson | 130 | 5 | 7.530 | 0.000 | 234 | |
| 78 | Brent Kukowski - Patrick Carter | 1 | 5 | 7.500 | 0.000 | 233 | |
| 79 | Billy Scoggins - Eddie Parker | 84 | 5 | 7.430 | 0.000 | 232 | |
| 80 | Ernest Stephens - Richard Greene | 67 | 3 | 7.320 | 0.000 | 231 | |
| 81 | John English - Victoria English | 76 | 4 | 6.410 | 0.000 | 230 | |
| 82 | Randy Gray - Dave Whitehead | 9 | 3 | 5.900 | 0.000 | 229 | |
| 83 | John McBride - Shaun Hall | 52 | 2 | 5.350 | 0.000 | 228 | |
| 84 | Tim Hollar | 64 | 3 | 4.720 | 0.000 | 227 | |
| 85 | Thomas Gavin - Gene Sparks | 92 | 3 | 4.200 | 0.000 | 226 | |
| 86 | Greg Osborne - Wyatt Blevins | 15 | 2 | 3.190 | 0.000 | 225 | |
| 87 | Duke Denison - Jamie Denison | 5 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 88 | Brad Anderson - Brian King | 6 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 89 | Dennis Cable - Tim Harrison | 7 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 90 | Alton Rockett - Timothy Moore | 12 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 91 | Todd Garner - Shane Hartman | 13 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 92 | Adam Fillmore - Jeremy Cabe | 14 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 93 | Jim Davis - Rusty White | 18 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 94 | Bobby Snyder - Tim Cline | 20 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 95 | Chuck Morton - Lonnie Fox | 22 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 96 | Donald Poteat - Johnny Allen | 28 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 97 | David Pless - Keith Revis | 29 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 98 | Marvin Godard - Robert Adams | 30 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 99 | David Wright - Jeff Coble | 32 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 100 | Scott Threadgill - Dwayne Saunders | 37 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 101 | Jeff Grindstaff - Keith Peek | 39 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 102 | Steven Helms - Dean Blankinship | 41 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 103 | Greg Whittington - Robert Church | 44 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 104 | Jake Carter - John Permenter | 45 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 105 | Ronald Farrow - Roger Farrow | 47 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 106 | James Hobbs - Dustin Calloway | 50 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 107 | Scott Sellers - Randy Childers | 55 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 108 | Morris Ruff - Kelly Ruff | 58 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 109 | Mike Brehm - Craig Rozema | 62 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 110 | Shawn Crosby - Linda Patterson-Woodside | 65 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 111 | Rory Saliger - Rob Ross | 66 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 112 | Juddie Revels - David Oxendine | 69 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 113 | Matt Stout | 70 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 114 | Dennis Allen - Travis Allen | 71 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 115 | Shannon Stowe - Brian Stowe | 73 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 116 | Grady Oliver - Mike Jennings | 79 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 117 | Bron Hemphill - Nathan Dellinger | 81 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 118 | Donnie Ott - Chris Vallance | 82 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 119 | Zack Jeney - Corey Stone | 83 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 120 | Ben Parker - Jimmy Drumm | 89 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 121 | Doug Easton - Pete Bejte | 90 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 122 | David Few - Tracy Schiff | 95 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 123 | Milton Yancey - Larry Yancey | 97 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 124 | Marty Stone - Lance Isenhour | 98 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 125 | Mike Branch - Brian Branch | 99 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 126 | W C Reed - Judy Reed | 105 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 127 | Lester Elton - Chris Martin | 107 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 128 | Lee Hoilman | 109 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 129 | Chris Ellis - Justin Shropshire | 110 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 130 | Bryan Welch - Troy Searcy | 112 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 131 | Robert Branch - Stuart Parker | 113 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 132 | Chad Hastings - Eric Jeter | 114 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 133 | Jim Wagers - Pete Sherbert | 115 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 134 | Darrell Fisher - William Gregory | 119 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 135 | Steve Harwood - Steve Godfrey | 125 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 136 | Brian Hall - Doug Stallings | 126 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 137 | Dwight Dellinger - Doug Dellinger | 135 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 138 | Allen Eaker - Jason Eaker | 138 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
Wheeler Wins Bassfest On Chickamauga
The 23-year-old from Indianapolis, Ind., amassed 90 pounds, 6 ounces over four days of competition on Chickamauga Lake. His margin of victory was 5 pounds and 10 ounces over arguably the best angler on the planet, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Kevin VanDam, who stepped up from third place to finish as the runner-up.
After leading for two days, Wheeler added a pad of 22-1 Sunday to clinch the win. He took home $125,000 and a qualification for the 2015 world championship, the Bassmaster Classic.
“I feel unbelievable,” said Wheeler, who at age 21 made a name for himself on the FLW tour by winning the 2013 Forrest Wood Cup. “To be the first BASSfest champion, and to do it in my first Elite Series event … I mean, these (Elite) guys are the best in the world. I couldn’t feel more humbled. The stars lined up for me this week.”
The Classic qualification means as much to him as the event win, he said.
“That’s so big, qualifying for the Classic,” Wheeler said. “That’s the event you want to be in for your career to advance. I’ve wanted to qualify for a Classic since I was 10 years old.”
BASSfest was a rare opportunity for Wheeler to earn a Classic berth. He was one of 33 who came up through the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series presented by Allstate to be a BASSfest qualifier. Not being a Bassmaster Elite Series pro, Wheeler’s only other Classic avenue besides BASSfest would have been to win an Open event. To claim his BASSfest-won Classic entry, Wheeler must complete the 2014 season of the Northern Open, the division he’s currently enrolled in.
Wheeler came to Chickamauga with a cache of productive spots off the beaten path. They were the product of fishing Chickamauga in all seasons and often with a Tennessee buddy he met when competing in the 2008 Bassmaster Junior World Championship in New York.
Several of Wheeler’s key spots were revealed to him when the lake’s levels had fallen enough to see structure and cover.
The upshot of his lake knowledge was being able to break away, and not feeling forced to share water on community holes and well-known ledges of the riverine fishery.
Sunday, Wheeler resumed his planned rotation of spots, both deep and shallow, beginning with one ledge he’d laid off Saturday to decoy spectators away from it so he could rely on it for winning bass.
His decision was golden. He landed 17 1/2 pounds by 9 a.m. Sunday. It was the early limit he had hoped for.
“That allowed me to chill out and relax, get in a rhythm,” he said. “I was then able to calm down, make good decisions.”
He knew Elite pro Matt Herren was on his tail. And, he said, with superpro VanDam behind him, any mistakes could prove fatal.
Wheeler next ran to his “swimbait hole,” a secondary ledge with a hard-shell bottom. This was the magic spot that has produced his 8-15 and two 7 1/2s earlier in the competition. There, he added two to his catch total and culled up.
“The key to getting those fish to bite was coming in on top the ledge, casting out, letting the bait fall in 20 feet of water, and bringing it up the ledge into 15, and they would eat it when it got to the top,” he said.
A 4 1/2 was his final keeper of the day that made a difference. It gave him a 2-plus pound cull.
He landed 14 keepers Sunday to cull to his best five bass for his 22-1 weight.
Of all the techniques and lures he used to win BASSfest, Wheeler could not pinpoint one as most important.
“They all were so key,” he said. “I caught the majority of my fish on a swimbait, but some of the bigger ones were on a hair jig, a few on a worm and some on a crankbait.
The lures were a 6-inch Basstrix swimbait in the Tennessee shad color rigged on a 3/4-ounce VMC Ike Approved swimbait head, a Rapala DT20 in disco shad and a homemade hair jig.
“The jig is something subtle. It’s 1/2 ounce with a good hook,” he said. “If the fish won’t bite anything else, sometimes they’ll eat the hair jig if they’ve been feeding on gizzard shad. The hair flattens out in the water to look like a big gizzard shad.”
Wheeler offered a special Father’s Day salute to his father, who taught him to love fishing.
“Without my dad, I know I wouldn’t be here,” the young angler said.
VanDam — a 20-time Bassmaster winner including four Classics, and a seven-time Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year — moved up from third place to finish in second place at 84-12.
VanDam’s final-day weight of 23-8 made a run at Wheeler. He began the day with more than 7 pounds to make up.
“Anyone can have a monster day here,” he said. “I did get into a couple of flurries today, but it was not enough.”
VanDam couldn’t help but look back at lost fish and Saturday’s disappointment at coming to the scales without a full five-bass limit.
“Yesterday I could catch only four fish,” he said. “It’s killing me now.”
Finishing in third place at 83-15 was Herren of Ashville, Ala. He had been just 1-1 behind Wheeler at the beginning of the final round.
“I fished a perfect game plan,” Herren said.
It included hitting deep-water ledges as well as shallow places. Sunday he was on a dock pattern, picking up isolated bass holding near or under the structures. Several lost bass in the 5-pound class hurt his finish.
Gerald Swindle of Warrior, Ala., finished fourth to post his second consecutive Top 5 Elite Series finish. His final weight was 74-10.
Fifth place was taken by Brett Hite of Phoenix, Ariz., who won the first Elite event of 2014 on Lake Seminole. His weight was 71-5.
Part competition, part festival, the five-day BASSfest is a new-format addition to the slate of Bassmaster events. The competition began with 107 pros of the Bassmaster Elite Series plus 33 anglers from the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens presented by Allstate circuit. After two days on Chickamauga Lake, the Top 50 stayed on shore to meet fans at the Bassmaster BASSfest Expo while the remaining 90 anglers moved to Nickajack for a shootout. The Top 10 from the shootout rejoined the Top 50 for Saturday’s semi-final round on Chickamauga. Only the Top 12 competed Sunday for the trophy.
Bonuses earned at BASSfest were:
* Toyota Bonus Bucks award of $3,000 to the highest eligible finisher: Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C.
* Toyota Bonus Bucks award of $2,000 to the second-highest eligible finisher: Russ Lane of Prattville, Ala.
* Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Bonus of $1,000 to the leader in the Elite Series points race: Davis. Elite pros did not earn points at BASSfest via their performance. Each pro who completed the participation requirements was awarded 100 points. Davis, the points leader going into BASSfest, had no trouble staying atop the list.
* Berkley Heavyweight Award of $500 for the best five-fish limit: Wheeler for his Day 2 bag of 29-13.
* Carhartt Big Bass of the tournament of $1,000 plus another $500 for wearing Carhartt apparel: Hank Cherry of Maiden, N.C., for his Day 2 lunker of 10-11.
* Power-Pole Captain’s Cash award of $1,000 to the highest finisher equipped with a Power-Pole anchoring system : Wheeler.
* Livingston Lures Leader Award of $500 for being the Day 2 leader: Wheeler.
* Rigid Industries Jackpot: Rigid offers a daily prize of $250 to anglers registered for the program who produce a 25-pound or heavier bag. Unclaimed daily awards roll over into the next tournament day of the season. Awarded jackpots at BASSfest were: $2,000 to Michael Iaconelli of Pitts Grove, N.J., for posting 25-12 on Day 1; and $250 to Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Ala., for 25-5 on Day 2.
*A.R.E. Truck Caps Top Angler award of $750: Hackney.
The local host of the event was the City of Dayton.
The Bassmasters on ESPN2 will present coverage of BASSfest in four hours of programming beginning June 29 at 8-9 a.m. ET. The next two hours will air July 6, 6-8 a.m. ET, including the finale. It will reair July 13 at 7-8 a.m. ET.
The Elite field travels next to Pennsylvania for the Bassmaster Elite Series at Delaware River, Aug. 7-10 out of Philadelphia.
On Lake Michigan with the new G2 Evinrude E-TEC, a Ranger 621 VS, and captain Dave Calamia
Going out on the water and actually feeling the power and torque of this new G2 E-TEC is simply amazing.........captain Dave Calamia steers us out on Lake Michigan and shows us why this is absolutley the latest and greatest outboard on the market today.
New G2 E-TEC on the water at Lake Michigan
On the water up on Lake Michigan we see the first set of new Evinrude Generation 2 E-TEC's behind several different rigs. This engine promises to be cutting edge for years to come........notice the different and awesome colors!!
Wheeler Still Leads Bassfest On Chickamauga
DAYTON, Tenn. — Last June in a major tournament on Chickamauga, Jacob Wheeler finished in 92nd place.
He’s a fast learner. Thursday he led the June 11-15 Bassmaster BASSfest competition on the same fishery. Saturday he did it again.
“When it’s your time, it’s your time. I put that out there on the line here. If you’re meant to win, it’s going to happen,” he said near the start of the event.
So far, so good. Wheeler, who’s won one Forrest Wood Cup and placed second in another, started BASSfest strong in seventh place. By the second day, he had a 6-pound, 12-ounce lead after weighing an eye-popping 29-13.
In Saturday’s third go at Chickamauga Lake’s bass, apparently it was still the 23-year-old’s time. With a catch of 16-2 and total of 68-5, he was able to hold the lead — but not by much.
Enter Matt Herren. The Ashville, Ala., Bassmaster Elite Series pro helped whittle Wheeler’s lead to 1 pound, 1 ounce by posting 23-6. Herren bumped up from fourth into second place at 67-4.
Elite pro Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., was in third place with 61-4, more than 7 pounds behind the leader. Two other Elite anglers rounded out the Top 5: Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., fourth place at 58-7; and Terry Scroggins of San Mateo, Fla., in fifth place at 56-4.
Those five led the 12 finalists who made it to Championship Sunday.
Wheeler boated his first bass soon after the 7 a.m. Saturday start time. It was about a 1 3/4-pounder. He didn’t get another keeper until late morning, when he rotated to the spot that brought magic on Day 2. There he boated a 7-7 — his biggest of the day — plus a 4 1/2-pounder.
“I had been saving that place for a certain time of day,” he said.
With 30 minutes left in his fishing time, he added a 2-pounder.
The fifth for his limit? He didn’t have it.
Wheeler was philosophical about two bass he failed to land. One shook his hook, one got into a brushpile.
“Every bite’s so important, it could have made a huge difference. But it happens to all of us,” he said.
Wheeler said he followed a studied rotation of spots the first two days. Saturday he mixed up that rotation on purpose to try to decoy 30 spectator boats away from what had been his first stop of the day, the ledge where he caught bass two days running. He was anxious that the watchers would move in and fish out the spot after he left, and there would be nothing left for him come Sunday, when he most needed those fish.
“Thinking back, maybe I should have started there,” he said Saturday afternoon after the competition. “Tomorrow, everything’s on the table. I can go catch 16, 17, 18 pounds off that place, and be right where I need to be, then go catch two big ones.”
Wheeler said he isn’t relying only on his ledge patterns. He has shallow-water places to run to, and a few others. He said he felt sure each one would help him.
“You have to have confidence in what you’ve got. You have to pull up to a spot and say, ‘I’m going to get a bite here, I’m going to get a bite here,’” Wheeler said.
That’s his plan to capture the BASSfest trophy. It’s worth $125,000 and a berth in the 2015 Bassmaster Classic.
Wheeler qualified for BASSfest through the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series presented by Allstate. He not only has Chickamauga experience from competing last June on the fishery, he has a stock of knowledge about the lake. One of his best fishing friends lives nearby, and Wheeler visits often. He said he’s fished Chickamauga dozens of times.
Trailing by 1-1, Herren is the most likely candidate to derail Wheeler. Herren’s been fairly consistent over three days: 22-7, 21-7 and 23-6. He said one key is making small adjustments to conditions.
“The current’s changing every day,” Herren said. “Today they slowed the flow down, and the fish positioned differently. I picked up on that and adjusted, and, man, I had a phenomenal day. I caught 12 keepers, really quality fish. And I really dialed in on a pattern.”
He said he has three offshore ledge spots and two shallow spots to go to Sunday in his quest for his first Bassmaster victory.
Like Wheeler, VanDam brought in four bass instead of five.
“I could see they’d moved a lot of water during the night (increased flow through the dam). There was a lot of trash floating out in the middle of the river. With the full moon, I’m sure the fish fed all night. By morning, they were really scattered,” VanDam said.
Lack of wind and cloud cover hurt too, he said.
“The fish were in a real neutral mood. I really struggled,” he said.
VanDam quit on the spot that he’d shared the first two days with two other competitors. He stuck with a deep-water ledge pattern, he said.
“I was torn to go and fish shallow, but the fish I’d been catching up there were 2- or 2 1/2-pounders,” he said. “So I kept saying to myself that I’d hit that one spot (on deeper ledges) and have another big day. I lived with that (decision) to the bitter end.”
The biggest haul of the day, 27-9, was by Elite pro Tracy Adams of Wilkesboro, N.C., who on Friday won a second chance in a shootout on Nickajack Lake to continue in the event. But even 27-9 wasn’t enough to push Adams into the Top 12; he ended the event in 17th place with 48-8.
Wheeler’s 29-13 Day 2 catch remained the top contender for the event’s Berkley Heavyweight award of $500.
The 10-11 single on Day 2 by Hank Cherry of Maiden, N.C., continued to reign as the event’s biggest bass. (That lunker is also the largest of the 2014 Bassmaster Elite Series season so far.) Cherry remained the frontrunner for the event’s Carhartt Big Bass award of up to $1,500. He also qualified at number 11 to compete on Sunday.
Part competition, part festival, BASSfest is a new and unique event. The competition began with 107 pros of the Bassmaster Elite Series plus 33 anglers from the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens presented by Allstate circuit. After two days on Chickamauga Lake, the Top 50 stayed on shore to meet fans while the remaining 90 anglers moved to Nickajack for a shootout. The Top 10 from the shootout rejoined the Top 50 for Saturday’s semi-final round on Chickamauga.
Sunday’s 12 finalists will take off from Dayton’s Point Park at 7 a.m. They’ll weigh their catches at the park beginning at 4 p.m.
The BASSfest Expo at the park will open at noon. The Expo features local vendors with merchandise and food, activities for kids and exhibits by Bassmaster Elite Series sponsors. Fans can meet and talk with bass fishing experts, see the latest outdoor gear, and sign up for free demo rides in new Nitro, Triton and Skeeter boats powered by Mercury and Yamaha engines.
There’s no admission charge for any BASSfest event. All times are Eastern.
The local host of the event is the City of Dayton.
The Bassmasters on ESPN2 will present coverage of BASSfest in four hours of programming beginning June 29 at 8-9 a.m. ET. The next two hours will air July 6, 6-8 a.m. ET, including the finale. It will reair July 13 at 7-8 a.m. ET.
BRP Evinrude Presentation Video
See the excitement of the 2015 Evinrude Global Reveal presented on Friday, June 13th 2014 in Milwaukee, WI. Thousands of people witnessed the unveiling of the next era of outboards.
Click on the link to view: Global Reveal
Club BRP Team
New E-Tec Presented in Milwaukee Friday Night-and Anglerschannel was there!
We are up in Milwaukee this weekend for the presentation of the brand new Evinrude E-TEC, which is simply going to blow your mind. Yes, they have been a sponsor with us for years, but when you see what they have put into this GENERATION 2 E-TEC, its going to be very hard not to step up or switch over! Totally new desgin from top to bottom, with more power and more effeciency than ever before. Over 400 color combinations which you will some of below. There is a new 5/5/5/ protection plan which is:
-5 years NO MAINT
-5 Years Corrosion Warranty
-5 Year Overall Warranty
That is unheard of in todays market................a few more tidbits to chew on:
-20% more Torque than before--up to 600 ft lbs of TORQUE. Hole shots are like SLING SHOTS
-15% mroe fuel effecient than before!
-New custom lower end-stronger than ever with Titanium
-Dynamic Power steering integrated directly into the mid-section of the engine
-Auto engine trim engages after you are on plane and gaining speed.
Thats just a sample-here are some pics from last night:
New E-TEC on Ranger Z521C
New E-TEC Color Sample
E-TEC in Graphite
E-TEC on Hurricane Deck Boat
E-TEC on Ranger Z521C
Vols Win Bassmaster College Series Event, Weigh-In At Bassfest
Lance Geren and Robbie Moore posted a two-day total of 31 pounds, 2 ounces to score the come-from-behind victory.
“This is so amazing that it really hasn’t even sunk in yet,” Geren said. “We don’t really know when it will.”
Geren, 24, is an engineering major at the University of Tennessee system school. Moore, 20, majors in business. Both students plan to graduate in the coming year.
Two students from the main UT campus in Knoxville finished in second place after leading the tournament after Day 1.
Tyler Wadzinski and Matt Beeler were knocked out of the lead after posting a final-day catch of 14-4. The team brought in a two-day weight of 30-9.
“We’ll take it,” Wadzinski said. “It’s good to be here, and those guys just out-fished us.”
Geren and Moore fished a classic summertime ledge pattern with a twist.
“We decided to fish a bit shallower than everyone else,” Geren said. “It made sense to us because no one was really hammering the fish way out deep.”
The team positioned their boat in 20 feet of water, making casts to bass positioned in 10 feet or shallower. The bass held on secondary drops between the shoreline and the deeper water.
A heavy jig did the trick for both days. The team used a locally made Jenko Jigs 3/4-ounce football head shape in all the summer candy color. A matching Strike King trailer was impaled on the jig for added strike appeal.
Staying near the launch site was another key.
“It’s pure coincidence that our spots were near the launch,” Geren added. “But it did allow us to keep fishing longer.”
More competition time paid off in more ways than one. Moore caught the team’s biggest bass weighing 5-11 going into the final hour of fishing.
Wadzinski and Beeler were confident going into the final round, although their areas failed to produce enough quality bites to sustain the lead.
“We couldn’t get that one kicker fish,” Wadzinski lamented.
Austin Neary and Zach Hicks represented Western Carolina University with a third-place finish. The team’s high hopes of a win were dashed on Day 1 after a bass estimated at 10 pounds broke free at the boat.
Geren and Moore took home more than the winner’s trophy. The anglers earned the Bass Pro Nitro Big Bag award of $500 for catching the 19-6 heavyweight sack of the tournament. They also took home the Livingston Lures Leader award, worth $500 in Livingston products.
William Shipes of Clemson University won the Carhartt Big Bass award for catching a 6-2 largemouth.
The Top 12 teams from the Eastern Regional are invited to the Carhartt College Championship, July 31-Aug. 2. The tournament will be held on Chatuge Reservoir in northern Georgia.
19-year-old Hamilton tops field in second chance shootout on Nickajack
Skylar Hamilton was perfectly satisfied Friday to get just one second chance. After all, one was all he needed to stay in the Bassmaster BASSfest game for $125,000 and an instant-in to the 2015 world championship of bass fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.
With a Nickajack Lake catch of 25 pounds, 13 ounces — including a 9-15 kicker largemouth — the 19-year-old angler from Dandridge, Tenn., topped the list of the 10 competitors who won the right on Friday to advance to Saturday’s round of BASSfest competition on Chickamauga Lake.
The icing on Hamilton’s cake: He had the best day of his life as an angler.
“Today was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I’m not that old, but I’ve fished a lot — most of my life,” said Hamilton, who said he began competing at age 12.
Besides Hamilton, the best at Nickajack were: Mike Kernan of Wylie, Texas, second place with 17-15; Charley Hartley of Grove City, Ohio, third with 16-13; Kotaro Kiriyama of Moody, Ala., fourth with 16-4; David Mullins of Mount Carmel, Tenn., fifth with 15-14; Tracy Adams of Wilkesboro, N.C., sixth with 15-9; Brock Mosley of Collinsville, Miss., seventh with 15-7; Steve Kennedy of Auburn, Ala., eighth with 15-7 after a tie-breaker was applied; Matt Reed of Madisonville, Texas, ninth with 14-15; and Mike McClelland of Bella Vista, Ark., tenth with 13-12.
Eighty anglers fell out of the competition. The 10 Nickajack winners will pick up their Chickamauga weight total from the first two days when they join the 50 pros who qualified for the semi-finals through the Wednesday and Thursday rounds on Chickamauga Lake.
Hamilton, fishing Nickajack for the first time despite living nearby in Dandridge, said he began his day by running to the Chickamauga Dam. So crowded with other competitors, Hamilton turned around and went looking.
He stopped at a ledge just outside a creek mouth, where he saw bass breaking the surface, feeding. He threw a football jig and hooked into his first bass, about a 2-pounder.
Then he noticed a mudline where the creek met the main river. His first cast over the mudline yielded a 6-pounder. His next cast brought back a 4-pounder. On the third cast, the 9-15 was on the hook. It was the largest bass he’d ever caught.
Later he landed a 12-inch spotted bass to complete his limit.
“I really needed to get rid of it, but couldn’t until about 12 o’clock or so. I finally did with one of about 4 pounds,” he said.
His “mudline” lure setup was a 10-inch plum Berkley Power Worm with a 3/8-ounce Tungsten weight. His hook was a Gamakatsu 5/0 straight-shank model.
That one spot held winning bass because of the big forage, highly attractive to recent postspawn largemouth, he said.
“That cold water creates a lot of oxygen for shad. A lot of bigger fish trying to feed up after the spawn were after those shad. I saw shad there as big as 12 inches,” he said.
Hamilton was, perhaps, more excited about landing the largest bass of his life than he was about besting 90 other anglers.
“I feel amazing,” he said. “And I’m happy to make it back to Chickamauga.”
Kernan started his day by flipping to manmade river structures. A bust, he went to the dam. There he caught eight keepers. His best was a 5-pounder.
Even though he’ll begin the next leg of the tournament in 52nd place, his weight from the first two days of 22-11, plus a really good day’s weight, possibly could jump him into the Top 12, he said.
“Chickamauga has proved it can produce some giant sacks,” Kernan said.
Hartley, after beating the bank, gave up on that tactic when it produced only three small bass.
“At about 11 o’clock, I said, ‘If you don’t even go out there and try, you won’t have a chance,’” he said. He turned to the strolling technique, something he said isn’t one of his strengths. He lost two fish on the first and second passes over a shoal.
On the third try, he hooked into a 4/5 double on his crankbait.
“They tried to jump, but they couldn’t,” he laughed. “They were pulling against each other.”
Hartley landed them both. With another 4-pounder, and a few bass, he was on his way to claiming his second chance. His final weight was 16-13.
Hamilton’s 9-15 was the largest bass weighed in from Nickajack. But, for his 10-11 on Day 2 on Chickamauga Lake, Elite pro Hank Cherry of Maiden, N.C., remained the top contender for BASSfest’s Carhartt Big Bass award of up to $1,500.
Part competition, part festival, BASSfest is a new and unique event. The competition began with 107 pros of the Bassmaster Elite Series plus 33 anglers from the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens presented by Allstate circuit. After two days on Chickamauga Lake, the Top 50 stayed on shore to meet fans while the remaining 90 anglers moved to Nickajack for Friday’s shootout. The Top 10 from the shootout qualified to rejoin the Top 50 for Saturday’s semi-final round on Chickamauga.
The Top 12 after Saturday will move into the final round Sunday on Chickamauga to compete for a first-place prize of $125,000 and a berth in the 2015 Bassmaster Classic.
The 60 semi-finalists will take off from Dayton’s Point Park at 7 a.m. Saturday. They’ll weigh their catches at the park beginning at 4 p.m. Sunday’s takeoff and weigh-ins also will be at 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. All times are Eastern.
There’s no admission charge for any BASSfest event.
The local host of the event is the City of Dayton.
The Bassmasters on ESPN2 will present coverage of BASSfest in four hours of programming beginning June 29 at 8-9 a.m. ET. The next two hours will air July 6, 6-8 a.m. ET, including the finale. It will reair July 13 at 7-8 a.m. ET.
2014 BASSfest Second Chance Nickajack Lake 6/13-6/13
Nickajack Lake, Dayton TN.
Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts
1. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 5 25-13 0
Day 1: 5 25-13
2. Mike Kernan Wylie, TX 5 17-15 0
Day 1: 5 17-15
3. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 5 16-13 0
Day 1: 5 16-13
4. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 5 16-04 0
Day 1: 5 16-04
5. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 15-14 0
Day 1: 5 15-14
6. Tracy Adams Wilkesboro, NC 5 15-09 0
Day 1: 5 15-09
7. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 15-07 0
Day 1: 5 15-07
8. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 15-07 0
Day 1: 5 15-07
9. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 5 14-15 0
Day 1: 5 14-15
10. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 5 13-12 0
Day 1: 5 13-12
11. Kevin Short Mayflower, AR 5 13-10 0
Day 1: 5 13-10
12. Billy McCaghren Mayflower, AR 5 13-09 0
Day 1: 5 13-09
13. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 5 13-08 0
Day 1: 5 13-08
14. Mike Elsea Mooresville, IN 5 13-05 0
Day 1: 5 13-05
15. Joel Baker Talala, OK 5 13-00 0
Day 1: 5 13-00
16. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 5 12-15 0
Day 1: 5 12-15
17. David Kilgore Jasper, AL 5 12-13 0
Day 1: 5 12-13
18. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 5 12-12 0
Day 1: 5 12-12
19. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 12-04 0
Day 1: 5 12-04
20. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 4 12-04 0
Day 1: 4 12-04
21. Zell Rowland Montgomery, TX 5 12-03 0
Day 1: 5 12-03
22. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 12-00 0
Day 1: 5 12-00
23. David Walker Sevierville, TN 5 11-15 0
Day 1: 5 11-15
24. John Murray Phoenix, AZ 5 11-10 0
Day 1: 5 11-10
25. Kurt Dove Del Rio, TX 5 11-05 0
Day 1: 5 11-05
26. Gerald Spohrer Gonzales, LA 5 11-03 0
Day 1: 5 11-03
27. James Biggerstaff Odessa, TX 5 11-01 0
Day 1: 5 11-01
27. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 11-01 0
Day 1: 5 11-01
29. Brian Clark Haltom City, TX 5 11-00 0
Day 1: 5 11-00
30. Byron Velvick Boenre, TX 3 11-00 0
Day 1: 3 11-00
31. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 5 10-15 0
Day 1: 5 10-15
32. Kendall Newson Decatur, GA 3 10-15 0
Day 1: 3 10-15
33. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 5 10-13 0
Day 1: 5 10-13
34. Brian Potter Claremore, OK 5 10-11 0
Day 1: 5 10-11
35. Fletcher Shryock New Philadelphia, OH 5 10-10 0
Day 1: 5 10-10
36. Pete Ponds Madison, MS 5 10-07 0
Day 1: 5 10-07
37. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 4 09-14 0
Day 1: 4 09-14
38. Michael Simonton Fremont, OH 5 09-10 0
Day 1: 5 09-10
39. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 5 09-05 0
Day 1: 5 09-05
40. Jamey Caldwell Carthage, NC 5 09-02 0
Day 1: 5 09-02
41. Chad Pipkens Holt, MI 5 08-08 0
Day 1: 5 08-08
42. Tommy Durham Whitney, TX 3 07-11 0
Day 1: 3 07-11
43. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 3 07-08 0
Day 1: 3 07-08
44. Powell Kemp Scotland Neck, NC 3 07-05 0
Day 1: 3 07-05
45. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 1 07-01 0
Day 1: 1 07-01
46. Derek Fulps Broken Arrow, OK 2 06-10 0
Day 1: 2 06-10
47. Chad Wiley Pineville, LA 3 05-12 0
Day 1: 3 05-12
48. Morizo Shimizu Osaka JAPAN 4 04-11 0
Day 1: 4 04-11
49. Josh Bertrand Gilbert, AZ 1 03-13 0
Day 1: 1 03-13
50. Kevin Hawk Guntersville, AL 1 03-08 0
Day 1: 1 03-08
51. Patrick Pierce Jacksonville, FL 1 00-01 0
Day 1: 1 00-01
52. Scott Ashmore Broken Arrow, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Jeff Cloud Lubbock, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Gary Clouse La Vergne, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Jim Dillard West Monroe, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. James Elam Tulsa, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Charlie Evans Gilbertsville, KY 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Al Farace Cockeysville, MD 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Grant Goldbeck Boerne, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Kenyon Hill Norman, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Jamie Horton Centerville, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Randy Howell Springville, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Rich Howes Oviedo, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. JT Kenney Palm Bay, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Bobby Lane Lakeland, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Matt Lee Auburn , AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Jared Miller Norman, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Chad Morgenthaler Coulterville, IL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Paul Pagnato Reston, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Lucas Ragusa Gonzales, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Derek Remitz Grant, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Trevor Romans Plano, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Joseph Sancho New Windsor, NY 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Casey Scanlon Lanexa, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Steve Sennikoff Forney, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Dennis Tietje Roanoke, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Boo Woods Oneida, KY 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
52. Chris Zaldain San Jose, CA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 37 221 577-01
----------------------------------
37 221 577-01
Anglerschannel on site at Evinrude's Big Event
Vols Take Lead In Bassmaster College Event On Watts Bar
Meanwhile, Wadzinski and Beeler weighed 16 pounds, 5 ounces to take the slim lead after Day 1 of the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Eastern Regional.
The Vols completed their limit at 11 a.m., and then went searching for new water. Wadzinski and Beeler live only an hour’s drive away from their campus. Even so, they’ve only made a collective six trips to Watts Bar Reservoir.
That’s partially due to their recently awarded degrees. Wadzinski got his in Biochemical Cellular Molecular Biology (BCMB). Beeler has a degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science. The study time no doubt cut into their fishing.
“It did, but we’re pretty confident in what we have going on here,” Beeler said. “We didn’t see any boats doing what we are doing on the lake.”
What that might be remains a secret. The team admitted to catching bass shallow and deep. In the latter case around 8 feet, which is still shallow by how the prevailing offshore patterns are evolving.
“We decided early on that we had either the choice to fish conservatively and try to make the (national) championship or swing for the fence and win this tournament,” Wadzinski added.
Good thing they did. So did Western Carolina’s Neary and Hicks. They gambled and ran far up lake. Taking a short cut through a canal as a timesaver proved nearly disastrous.
The boat struck bottom and nearly destroyed the outboard’s lower unit and severely bent the ears of the high performance prop. Somehow, the team pressed on and arrived at their intended destination.
The perseverance paid off with the limit. Then their luck changed.
“At the boat we had what easily was a 10-pounder,” Hicks said. “It came off right in front of us.”
The fish was close enough to splash both anglers with water before disappearing into the depths of the lake.
“We still feel pretty good about what we’re doing,” Neary said. “We’ve just got to get the motor fixed for tomorrow.”
The Carhartt Eastern regional is part of BASSfest, a weeklong tournament featuring 107 Elite Series pros and 33 top anglers from the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series presented by Allstate.
Tomorrow marks a first for this collegiate format. The college anglers weigh their catches on the same scales and stage used by the Bassmaster Elite Series pros. Some of them will be spectators after making the Top 50 cut leading up to this weekend’s championship round.
Lots of prizes are up for grabs at tomorrow’s collegiate final round. The Carhartt Big Bass award worth $500 goes to the team weighing the heaviest bass. The winning team receives the Livingston Lures Leader award, worth $500 in Livingston products. The Bass Pro Nitro Big Bag award of $250 goes to the single-day heaviest weight.
Follow the final day of competition on Watts Bar at Bassmaster.com. You’ll find a live blog and photo galleries leading up to the weigh-in at 4 p.m. ET at the BASSfest venue. The location is 175 Lakeshore Dr. in Dayton.
PIEDMONT BASS CLASSICS SPRING MINI TRAIL CHAMPIONSHIP - Falls Lake - Jun 7, 2014
The Piedmont Bass Classics Team Bass Spring Mini Trail Championship went off like magic!The weather was absolutely wonderful for the 16 teams that qualified, with temps at about 63 in the morning & around 83 in the afternoon. The winds were very light and remained that way all day. Water temps averaged 80 to 87 degrees. The post spawn bass were biting and the ones caught were strong and healthy looking! The water level was about back to normal and the bass were moving back to deeper water during the day. Most of the fish were caught on c-rigs & crankbaits with others caught on spinnerbaits, topwater and other reliable baits for this time of year in 1 to 10 feet of water.
Jesse Wise of Erwin & Terry Hobbs of Garner, caught 5 nice bass weighing a total of 25.16 lbs. taking 1st Place & 1st Place TWT for a total of $2,007 in winnings. 2nd Place went to the team of Chad Emory of Durham and Joe Shambley of Rougemont, with 5 bass weighing 24.35 lbs. They took home a total of $520. Emory had to catch all of those alone being that Shambley couldn't fish this day! Big fish for the day was caught by the 4th place team of Rodney Bowen of Timberlake & Barney Compton of Leesburg, weighing in at 7.35 lbs and winning them a total of $368 in prize money!
Points Champions for the trail were Keith Deal of Holly Springs & Ricky Kenworthy of Cary. They were awarded trophies & $444 in cash. Tim Goss of Franklinton won the Tow Boats US Member bonus of $100. Tow Boats US fed the whole crowd after weighin with a great feast from Smithfield Chicken & Bar B Que!!!
68 bass were weighed in for a total of 224 pounds. This averaged right at 3.29 lbs. a fish. Fishing at Falls is on right now!
I want to thank all the anglers that participated and all our sponsors that support these trails. Our next tournament will be the 2014 Boats Unlimited NC Team Tournament Bass Trail Championship, Saturday, June 14th at Kerr Lake out of Flemingtown Landing Wildlife Ramp. (for qualified teams only).
All the information on our tournaments can be found at http://piedmontbassclassics.com/
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Jesse Wise & Terry Hobbs of Erwin & Garner...5 bass...25.16 lbs...$1,776 & Trophies
2nd Place: Chad Emory & Joe Shambley of Durham & Rougemont...5 bass...24.35 lbs...$520
3rd Place: Scottie Morris & Scott Anderson of Rougemont & Oxford...5 bass...24.07 lbs...$312
4th Place: Rodney Bowen & Barney Compton of Timberlake & Leesburg...5 bass...19.64 lbs...$208
1st Place Big Fish: 4th Place Team above...7.35 lbs...$160
1st Place TWT: 1st Place Team above: 25.16 lbs...$231
2nd Place TWT: 3rd Place Team above: 24.07 lbs...$99
Mini Trail Points Champions..Keith Deal & Ricky Kenworth of Holly Springs & Cary...$444 & Trophies
Tow Boats US Member Bonus Award: Tim Goss of Franklinton: $100
Contact Information:
Phil McCarson...Tournament Director---922 Valetta Rd.---Durham, NC 27712
Home: 919-471-1571 Cell: 919-971-5042
email: [email protected] website: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Bassfest Off To A Fast Start On Chickamauga
DAYTON, Tenn. — There are few secrets on Lake Chickamauga this week among the 140 anglers in the June 11-15 Bassmaster BASSfest event.
Even Michael Iaconelli, who caught 25 pounds, 12 ounces of bass within one hour to take the first-day BASSfest lead, claims not to have a spot to himself or a unique technique to catch the bass he’s located on the Tennessee River impoundment.
“I found five schools of fish — and they were all found by others, too. I have nothing to myself. There are no secrets here,” said the Bassmaster Elite Series pro from Pitts Grove, N.J.
“But seeing them and catching them are two different things. Ask anyone here. They’ve all found amazing, winning schools of fish. You have to get the first one to bite and fire up the school,” he added.
Camped on one of the five schools, Iaconelli did just that. But, he added, perhaps what he tempted the bass with wasn’t as important as his timing.
“My timing was right. I figured out how to get the first one to bite, and the rest of the school was ignited. I was there for that. You take away that hour, then I had a really tough day,” he said.
Iaconelli, a seven-time Bassmaster champion, including the 2003 Bassmaster Classic, has never competed before on Chickamauga.
Edwin Evers’ account of his first competition day was almost identical to Iaconelli’s. A 30- to 40-minute flurry late in the afternoon yielded 24-3 from one school of bass. His last-hour bounty was good enough for second place, just 1 pound, 9 ounces behind Iaconelli.
“It was all timing,” said Evers, an Elite pro from Talala, Okla.
Evers said he’s sharing water with other competitors, and everyone knows what everyone else is doing.
“I don’t think there are any secrets here,” Evers said.
At least one Elite pro has a secret he’s trying to keep. Tommy Biffle of Wagoner, Okla., was cagey about the bait combo he used to land 24-1 and third place.
“I am doing something different. It’s working pretty well,” Biffle said.
But Biffle was candid about where he found his quality bass: outside grasslines in about 16 feet of water.
His bite was slow; he didn’t have a limit until 11:30, he said. He hooked into about six keepers all day, including a 5-pounder that came unhooked, and would have improved his weight via a cull by about 2 pounds, he said.
“Seemed like every time I caught one, it was a good one,” he said.
Biffle weighed the day’s largest bass, an 8-6, making him the frontrunner for the event’s Carhartt Big Bass bonus of up to $1,500.
Fourth place was taken by an Elite pro and 2004 Classic champ, Takahiro Omori of Emory, Texas. He weighed 22-15. In fifth place was another Elite pro and four-time Classic champ, Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., with 22-9.
Part competition, part festival, BASSfest is a unique event. The field includes the 107 pros of the Bassmaster Elite Series plus 33 anglers from the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens circuit. They are competing over five days for a first-place prize of $125,000 and a berth in the 2015 Bassmaster Classic.
Wednesday was round No. 1 with the full field on Chickamauga. All 140 pros will return to Chickamauga Thursday.
But come Friday, the Top 50 from Thursday will stay on shore. The other 90 anglers will go into a shootout on nearby Nickajack Lake. The 10 pros who survive the shootout will rejoin the 50 anglers Saturday for the next round on Chickamauga. Sunday, the Top 12 will return to “The Chick” to compete for the trophy.
While the pros are fishing Friday through Sunday, fans can enjoy the BASSfest Expo and Bassmaster University seminars solely on Friday at Point Park in Dayton. Bassmaster University sessions will feature some of the Top 50 anglers teaching their techniques for catching bass on Chickamauga and other fisheries. Fans also are invited to watch the pros take off from the park’s docks at 6:15 a.m. Thursday and at 7 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Weigh-ins — free, like all BASSfest events — will begin at 3:15 p.m. Thursday and at 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The Nickajack weigh-in will be streamed live to the park on Friday beginning at 2:30 p.m.
All times are Eastern.
The local host of the event is the City of Dayton.
2014 Bassmaster Elite Series Chickamauga Lake 6/11-6/15
Chickamauga Lake, Dayton TN.
Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts
1. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 5 25-12 0
Day 1: 5 25-12
2. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 5 24-03 0
Day 1: 5 24-03
3. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 5 24-01 0
Day 1: 5 24-01
4. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 5 22-15 0
Day 1: 5 22-15
5. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 22-09 0
Day 1: 5 22-09
6. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 5 22-07 0
Day 1: 5 22-07
7. Jacob Wheeler Indianapolis, IN 5 22-06 0
Day 1: 5 22-06
8. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 5 22-05 0
Day 1: 5 22-05
9. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 5 21-08 0
Day 1: 5 21-08
10. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 5 21-03 0
Day 1: 5 21-03
11. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 5 20-10 0
Day 1: 5 20-10
12. David Smith Del City, OK 5 20-06 0
Day 1: 5 20-06
13. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 20-05 0
Day 1: 5 20-05
14. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 5 20-00 0
Day 1: 5 20-00
15. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 5 19-07 0
Day 1: 5 19-07
16. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 5 19-02 0
Day 1: 5 19-02
16. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 5 19-02 0
Day 1: 5 19-02
18. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 5 19-01 0
Day 1: 5 19-01
19. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 18-14 0
Day 1: 5 18-14
20. Brandon Palaniuk Hayden, ID 5 17-15 0
Day 1: 5 17-15
21. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 5 17-05 0
Day 1: 5 17-05
22. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 5 17-03 0
Day 1: 5 17-03
23. Randall Tharp Port Saint Joe, FL 5 17-01 0
Day 1: 5 17-01
24. Mike Kernan Wylie, TX 5 16-13 0
Day 1: 5 16-13
24. Chad Morgenthaler Coulterville, IL 5 16-13 0
Day 1: 5 16-13
26. Joseph Sancho New Windsor, NY 5 16-12 0
Day 1: 5 16-12
27. Gerald Spohrer Gonzales, LA 5 16-05 0
Day 1: 5 16-05
28. Tracy Adams Wilkesboro, NC 5 16-04 0
Day 1: 5 16-04
29. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 16-02 0
Day 1: 5 16-02
30. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 5 16-01 0
Day 1: 5 16-01
31. Stephen Mui Bartlett, IL 5 16-01 0
Day 1: 5 16-01
32. Boyd Duckett Guntersville, AL 5 16-00 0
Day 1: 5 16-00
33. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 5 15-15 0
Day 1: 5 15-15
34. Michael Murphy Lexington, SC 5 15-13 0
Day 1: 5 15-13
35. Chris Zaldain San Jose, CA 5 15-10 0
Day 1: 5 15-10
36. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 4 15-10 0
Day 1: 4 15-10
37. Luke Clausen Otis Orchards, WA 5 15-08 0
Day 1: 5 15-08
38. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 5 15-05 0
Day 1: 5 15-05
39. Nate Wellman Newaygo, MI 5 15-03 0
Day 1: 5 15-03
40. Jacob Powroznik Port Haywood, VA 5 15-00 0
Day 1: 5 15-00
41. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 5 14-15 0
Day 1: 5 14-15
42. Brandon Card Caryville, TN 5 14-13 0
Day 1: 5 14-13
43. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 4 14-13 0
Day 1: 4 14-13
44. Rich Howes Oviedo, FL 5 14-08 0
Day 1: 5 14-08
45. Jared Knuth Wahoo, NE 5 14-03 0
Day 1: 5 14-03
46. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 5 14-03 0
Day 1: 5 14-03
47. Kevin Short Mayflower, AR 4 13-15 0
Day 1: 4 13-15
48. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 5 13-14 0
Day 1: 5 13-14
49. Hank Cherry Jr Maiden, NC 5 13-13 0
Day 1: 5 13-13
50. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 3 13-13 0
Day 1: 3 13-13
51. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 13-11 0
Day 1: 5 13-11
52. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 5 13-10 0
Day 1: 5 13-10
53. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 5 13-09 0
Day 1: 5 13-09
54. David Lefebre Erie, PA 5 12-15 0
Day 1: 5 12-15
55. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 5 12-14 0
Day 1: 5 12-14
56. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 12-13 0
Day 1: 5 12-13
57. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 4 12-13 0
Day 1: 4 12-13
58. Kurt Dove Del Rio, TX 4 12-12 0
Day 1: 4 12-12
59. Chad Wiley Pineville, LA 4 12-11 0
Day 1: 4 12-11
60. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 5 12-10 0
Day 1: 5 12-10
60. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 5 12-10 0
Day 1: 5 12-10
62. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 5 12-08 0
Day 1: 5 12-08
63. Glenn Browne Ocala, FL 5 12-02 0
Day 1: 5 12-02
63. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 5 12-02 0
Day 1: 5 12-02
65. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 5 12-00 0
Day 1: 5 12-00
66. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 11-11 0
Day 1: 5 11-11
66. Bobby Lane Lakeland, FL 5 11-11 0
Day 1: 5 11-11
68. Jamie Horton Centerville, AL 4 11-09 0
Day 1: 4 11-09
69. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 5 11-08 0
Day 1: 5 11-08
70. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 11-06 0
Day 1: 5 11-06
70. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 5 11-06 0
Day 1: 5 11-06
72. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 3 11-05 0
Day 1: 3 11-05
73. Brian Clark Haltom City, TX 5 11-03 0
Day 1: 5 11-03
73. Kevin Hawk Guntersville, AL 5 11-03 0
Day 1: 5 11-03
75. Jim Dillard West Monroe, LA 5 11-00 0
Day 1: 5 11-00
75. Morizo Shimizu Osaka JAPAN 5 11-00 0
Day 1: 5 11-00
77. JT Kenney Palm Bay, FL 4 10-14 0
Day 1: 4 10-14
78. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 5 10-12 0
Day 1: 5 10-12
79. Boo Woods Oneida, KY 4 10-11 0
Day 1: 4 10-11
80. Michael Simonton Fremont, OH 5 10-08 0
Day 1: 5 10-08
81. Joel Baker Talala, OK 5 10-05 0
Day 1: 5 10-05
82. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 10-04 0
Day 1: 5 10-04
83. Charlie Evans Gilbertsville, KY 5 10-00 0
Day 1: 5 10-00
84. David Walker Sevierville, TN 5 09-15 0
Day 1: 5 09-15
85. Jeremy Starks Scott Depot, WV 4 09-15 0
Day 1: 4 09-15
86. Billy McCaghren Mayflower, AR 5 09-11 0
Day 1: 5 09-11
87. Jared Miller Norman, OK 2 09-11 0
Day 1: 2 09-11
88. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 4 09-10 0
Day 1: 4 09-10
89. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 5 09-07 0
Day 1: 5 09-07
90. Derek Remitz Grant, AL 3 09-07 0
Day 1: 3 09-07
91. Casey Scanlon Lanexa, KS 4 09-06 0
Day 1: 4 09-06
92. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 3 09-06 0
Day 1: 3 09-06
93. Randy Howell Springville, AL 4 09-00 0
Day 1: 4 09-00
94. Mike Elsea Mooresville, IN 3 08-15 0
Day 1: 3 08-15
95. James Biggerstaff Odessa, TX 3 08-14 0
Day 1: 3 08-14
96. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 3 08-11 0
Day 1: 3 08-11
97. Tommy Durham Whitney, TX 4 08-10 0
Day 1: 4 08-10
98. Trevor Romans Plano, TX 3 08-08 0
Day 1: 3 08-08
99. Scott Ashmore Broken Arrow, OK 3 08-07 0
Day 1: 3 08-07
99. Byron Velvick Boenre, TX 3 08-07 0
Day 1: 3 08-07
101. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 3 07-13 0
Day 1: 3 07-13
102. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 3 07-12 0
Day 1: 3 07-12
103. Derek Fulps Broken Arrow, OK 3 07-10 0
Day 1: 3 07-10
104. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 4 07-04 0
Day 1: 4 07-04
105. Kelly Jordon Palestine, TX 3 07-04 0
Day 1: 3 07-04
106. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 2 07-00 0
Day 1: 2 07-00
107. Paul Pagnato Reston, VA 3 06-14 0
Day 1: 3 06-14
108. Matt Lee Auburn , AL 2 06-11 0
Day 1: 2 06-11
109. Josh Bertrand Gilbert, AZ 3 06-08 0
Day 1: 3 06-08
110. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 4 06-07 0
Day 1: 4 06-07
111. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 3 06-07 0
Day 1: 3 06-07
112. Brian Potter Claremore, OK 2 06-07 0
Day 1: 2 06-07
113. Dennis Tietje Roanoke, LA 3 06-06 0
Day 1: 3 06-06
114. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 3 06-05 0
Day 1: 3 06-05
115. Zell Rowland Montgomery, TX 3 05-04 0
Day 1: 3 05-04
116. Al Farace Cockeysville, MD 2 05-03 0
Day 1: 2 05-03
116. Kenyon Hill Norman, OK 2 05-03 0
Day 1: 2 05-03
116. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 2 05-03 0
Day 1: 2 05-03
119. Kendall Newson Decatur, GA 2 04-14 0
Day 1: 2 04-14
120. James Elam Tulsa, OK 2 04-11 0
Day 1: 2 04-11
120. Powell Kemp Scotland Neck, NC 2 04-11 0
Day 1: 2 04-11
122. David Kilgore Jasper, AL 2 04-07 0
Day 1: 2 04-07
123. Steve Sennikoff Forney, TX 2 04-02 0
Day 1: 2 04-02
124. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 2 04-02 0
Day 1: 2 04-02
125. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 2 03-15 0
Day 1: 2 03-15
126. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 2 03-13 0
Day 1: 2 03-13
127. Chad Pipkens Holt, MI 2 03-12 0
Day 1: 2 03-12
128. John Murray Phoenix, AZ 1 03-10 0
Day 1: 1 03-10
129. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 2 03-08 0
Day 1: 2 03-08
130. Jeff Cloud Lubbock, TX 1 02-15 0
Day 1: 1 02-15
130. Pete Ponds Madison, MS 1 02-15 0
Day 1: 1 02-15
132. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 1 02-13 0
Day 1: 1 02-13
133. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 1 02-10 0
Day 1: 1 02-10
133. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 1 02-10 0
Day 1: 1 02-10
135. Gary Clouse La Vergne, TN 1 02-02 0
Day 1: 1 02-02
136. Patrick Pierce Jacksonville, FL 1 02-01 0
Day 1: 1 02-01
137. Grant Goldbeck Boerne, TX 1 00-00 0
Day 1: 1 00-00
138. Jamey Caldwell Carthage, NC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
138. Lucas Ragusa Gonzales, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
138. Fletcher Shryock New Philadelphia, OH 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 75 542 1617-01
----------------------------------
75 542 1617-01
Montgomery Hoping To Find Chickamauga's Bass Treasure Trove In Bassfest
Lake Chickamauga in Tennessee has a growing reputation as one of the best bass fisheries in the nation, currently ranked 7th on Bassmaster Magazine’s 100 Best Bass Lakes, with 20 pounds plus the norm lately for winning local tournaments.
Following the introduction of Florida strain bass, it is common to see 5-, 6-, and 7-pound bass – and bigger! On May 5, local angler Mark Powell reeled in a 13-pound, 13-ounce largemouth, surpassing the previous lake record by a narrow 4 ounces and only 1 pound shy of the standing Tennessee state record.
With fish like that swimming in the Tennessee River impoundment, the stage is set for the 107 Bassmaster Elite Series Pros and 33 BASS Open anglers fishing the 2014 BASSFest tournament on Chickamauga this week.
But, as hot as the fishing in Chickamauga has been, it's pretty chilly for Elite Series pro Andy Montgomery.
“Fishing seems to be way off for me,” Montgomery said following practice Tuesday. “I'm not getting many bites at all.”
The Blacksburg, S.C., pro said the bass are all in post-spawn and in a summertime pattern.
“It's the Tennessee River and it's summertime. It definitely will be won off the bank,” he said.
Montgomery said he planned to start out the first day of the tournament on the spot where he caught a 4-pounder in practice.
“I just hope there are more there,” he said. “There are some big fish in this lake and it's going to take a lot of weight to win. If you can catch five fish offshore you are going to have a pretty good chance, but for me, it's just been tough to get bites.”
Although there are no points involved in BASSFest, the anglers are vying for a share of the $875,000 purse, with the winner earning $125,000 AND an entry into the 2015 Bassmaster Classic on South Carolina's Lake Hartwell.
Montgomery has been fishing both the B.A.S.S. Elites and the FLW Tour in hopes of qualifying for championships on lakes in his home state. The 2014 Forrest Wood Cup, the FLW Tour championship, will be held this August on Lake Murray in South Carolina.
A win on Chickamauga would redeem the season for Montgomery who is ranked 60th in points, a long way from qualifying for next year's Classic. With just two regular Elite tournaments left – on the Delaware River in early August and on Cayuga Lake in late August – his chances are growing slim.
“We've got one in Delaware and one in New York,” he said. “I've not fished those waters. I've not been to either one of them.”
But a very strong finish in both could push him back up the standings and possibly into the list of Classic qualifiers.
“I really don't have a strategy for those tournaments,” he said. “I'll just try to do the best I can in every event – and hope it works out.”
Which is just what he plans todo on Chickamauga this week.
Bassmaster Elite BASSFest at Chickamauga Lake
Jun 11-15, 2014
Chickamauga Lake
Teams Fishing For Shot At Carhartt College National Championship In Eastern Regional On Watts Bar
The more than 70 teams expected for the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Eastern Regional on Tennessee's Watts Bar Lake this week should find plenty of fishing action as the lake reportedly is full of 2- and 3-pound bass.
“We've got 70 teams from 29 or 30 different universities entered so far,” tournament director Hank Weldon said Tuesday. “The Eastern Conference Regional is one of five different regionals through the year.”
Weldon, who is following in the footsteps of his dad, Trip Weldon, a long-time tournament director for B.A.S.S., said the college anglers are fishing for the pride of representing their universities, and for a chance to advance to the National Championship on Georgia's Chatuge Reservoir in August. With 70 teams fishing at Watts Bar, at least a dozen will qualify for the championship, he said.
The top angler in the Carhartt National Championship also wins the ultimate prize – entry into the 2015 Bassmaster Classic next February on South Carolina's Lake Hartwell.
“They are really not fishing for a lot of money,” he said. “If they win prizes the cash money is awarded back to the fishing teams. No individual prizes are awarded. We do that to preserve the amateurism of the sport. They are fishing for the pride of representing their schools and then there is that one angler who will be headed to Greenville, S.C, in February to represent all college anglers.”
Weldon, who was a member of the University of Alabama Fishing Team until he graduated in 2008, said B.A.S.S.'s colelge fishing competition has been around since 2005.
“Fast forward to today and we are at almost 200 different institutions across the country that have fishing teams. We have well over 1,000 members who fish with us and that spans from Mexico to Canada and from Florida to Washington State. We started this year in January at Lake Okeechobee and we just got back from California, so we cover all four corners of the United States.”
The Carhartt Eastern regional will be held concurrent with BASSfest, a five-day tournament featuring 107 Elite Series pros and 33 top anglers from the Bassmaster Opens, who are fishing on nearby Chickamauga Lake this week.
Competition for the college teams begins Thursday at Watts Bar Dam in Decatur, Tenn. Teams will weigh in at that location on Thursday. On Friday, the college anglers will weigh in on the Elite stage at BASSfest in Dayton, Tenn., at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Bassmaster Carhartt College Series Eastern Conference Regional
Jun 12-13, 2014
Watts Bar Lake
One Good Turn Deserves Another In Carolina Bass Challenge On Lake Wylie
Shane and Jerry Lineberger bested the field of 156 boats at Lake Hickory on May 17 with 19.51 lbs!
One good turn deserves another.
In May 2012 Tony Foster filled in for Robert Mixon in a Carolinas Bass Challenge North Carolina Division tournament on Lake Hickory to help Mixon and Steve Sink win the CBC points championship.
This year Mixon gets to return the favor because Sink, who is teamed with Foster in the North Carolina Division this year, can't participate in the divisional final Saturday on Lake Wylie.
“I can't fish Wylie,” Sink said. “My granddaughter graduates from high school Saturday and I can't miss that.”
So Mixon will reciprocate that 2012 substitution.
“Maybe it will work out again,” Sink said. “They are going to have to catch 14 to 15 pounds. They need to get a top 10 finish, which would be great, but a top 5 would be better.”
Sink and Foster, who have won the Skeeter BONUS $5,000 twice this year, finished 63rd at Lake Norman on March 22, but have been at the top of their game ever since, finishing 1st at High Rock April 12, 7th at Lake Hickory May 17, and 5th at Falls June 7.
They also have apparently taken the points lead in the North Carolina Division. Although the results of the last tournament, which was held last Saturday on Falls Lake, have not yet been posted on the CBC website, and the points have not yet been updated, Sink and Foster appeared to have moved well ahead of other challengers with that 5th place finish.
The leading team going to Falls, Scott Sellers and Randy Childers, finished well down in the field Saturday, apparently leaving Sink and Foster at the top. At question is whether the Falls tournament was a double-points or single-points tournament, Sink said.
“We could have as much as a 16-point lead if it was single points and a 32-point lead if it was double points. If it was double points I know we have it, but it looks like the title is coming down to about a 4-team race.”
That will be decided Saturday on Lake Wylie, which was postponed from earlier this year because of a snowstorm, with a sub angler once again hoping to help clinch the points title.
This time Robert Mixon gets to return the favor.
Carolinas Bass Challenge - North Carolina Division
Sat, Jun 14, 2014
Lake Wylie
Buster Boyd Access Area
www.carolinasbasschallenge.com
Phil Marks and Tim Reneau win the TTT Championship on Toledo Bend-Take home NEW Z520C-Full results here!
TEXAS TEAM TRAIL PRESENTED BY CABELA’S WRAPS UP CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT AT TOLEDO BEND
Event pays out over $131, 000 in total cash and prizes
NORMAN, Okla. (June 9, 2014) – Phil Marks, of Dallas, Texas, and Tim Reneau, of Del Rio, Texas, brought 63.28 pounds of bass to the scales to win the two-day championship event of the Texas Team Trail presented by Cabela’s (TXTT) on June 8 at Toledo Bend. The winning anglers took home a brand new, fully rigged Ranger Z520C boat and Ranger Trail trailer powered by an Evinrude 225 hp outboard, valued at $66,000.
On day one, the team fished isolated spots with jigs, bagging 24 pounds of fish by late morning.
“Our plan on day one was to start off flipping to some little isolated patches,” said Marks. “We thought it would take 50 to 54 pounds to win, so 27 pounds was our first goal.”
With a decent limit in the boat before noon the team headed 20 miles up the lake looking to upgrade a few of their fish.
“We ran up there and caught two seven pounders, which culled two four pounders,” said Marks. “We essentially had our limit by noon so we basically went practicing and found four or five more spots that afternoon.”
Going into day two with a six-pound lead, the anglers relied on the same tactics from the previous day’s action.
“Sunday, our goal was to get 25 pounds,” said Marks. “We had a six-pound lead, so we did basically the same thing.”
Returning to their original spot from Saturday, the anglers quickly found themselves with 22 to 23 pounds of bass. Once the team culled to 25 pounds, they moved locations.
“We fished some of the new spots we found on Saturday and ended up culling more fish. On day two, we culled around 12 fish with probably half being over five pounds.”
Attributing their success to fishing one particular pattern, the anglers brought in a day two total of 32.10 pounds and won the tournament by a 19.30-pound margin.
“We fished a very particular pattern,” said Marks. “We were just fortunate enough to run that pattern the last four hours of day one and it also helped us go big on day two.”
Having fished every one of the TXTT’s tournaments, Marks has been impressed with the Texas Team Trail so far.
“We were very excited when the Texas Team Trail came out three years ago,” said Marks. “I have fished every one of the events so far. It is the premier team trail in Texas.”
Second-place finishers Joe Setina, of Pittsburgh, Texas, and Lamont Loyd, of Gilmer, Texas, won a total of $46,162, including a boat upgrade from the Ranger Boat contingency program and $1,162 in Anglers Advantage cash.
Lee Yowell, of Ennis, Texas, and Brian Schott, of Longview, Texas, took home $2,996 for their efforts. Their 9.7-pound bass won the Big Bass award and an extra $500. The team’s third-place finish catapulted them to the top of the Lucas Oil Team of the Year. The anglers narrowly won by one point in a close Team of the Year race and will receive Lucas Oil rings along with paid entry fees for the 2015 TXTT season.
The championship wraps up another successful season for the TXTT. The 2015 tournament stops will include some of Texas’ legendary bass fisheries and feature high payouts with unprecedented contingency opportunities.
For additional information, anglers are encouraged to call 210-788-4143 or check out the TXTT website at www.texasteamtrail.com. Site visitors can register for events, review the television schedule, get official Texas Team Trail gear, view results and learn more about what’s in store for 2014.
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.
http://texasteamtrail.com/uploads/pdf/TXTT_Final_Champ_Results.pdf
Texas Team Trail 2014 Champions!
HACKNEY WINS FLW TOUR TOURNEY ON PICKWICK LAKE
Professional angler Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., won $100,000 at the Walmart FLW Tour on Pickwick Lake presented by Straight Talk Wireless Sunday with a four-day total of 20 bass weighing 97 pounds, 7 ounces, the heaviest four-day catch ever weighed at Pickwick Lake in FLW Tour competition. Hackney brought a five-bass limit weighing 21 pounds, 9 ounces to the scale Sunday to clinch the victory.
The catch gave the 2009 Forrest Wood Cup Champion the win by a 4-pound, 1-ounce margin over 23-year-old Michael Neal of Dayton, Tenn., who brought a total of 20 bass weighing 93 pounds, 6 ounces to the scale and earned $30,000.
“I was beginning to wonder if this would ever happen again,” said Hackney, who has earned more than $1.1 million in FLW competition. “It’s so hard to win one of these because it’s four days. There are so many variables and these guys are so good. These tournaments are getting harder and harder, so to get the win is a blessing.”
Hackney said that he fished differently than most of the other professionals competing in the tournament this week. Instead of targeting deep ledges, Hackney keyed on a shallow bar that had three different mussel piles on it.
“The bar is maybe a couple of hundred yards long, half-way between the bank and the river channel,” Hackney said. “The fish were set up on the mussels on the upstream side of it. I found the school about 45 minutes into the first day of practice. There was an oil slick about the size of my boat and truck. It was from the bass feeding on gizzard shad. I’d seen it before while saltwater fishing, but I’ve never seen it in freshwater. I made a cast and could feel my crankbait running over their backs because there was so many fish there.
“I didn’t realize until the first day of the tournament that it was a live bottom – covered in big mussels. I would set up on top of the bar in 5-feet of water and cast out to about 7½-feet deep and drag back up the heel. That’s where they were. Every fish that I weighed in this week came from 6-feet of water or less.”
Hackney said that his key baits for the first two days were a Strike King KVD HC 2.5 square-bill crankbait and a 7 ½-inch Strike King Shadalicious swimbait fished on a ¾-ounce jig head. After the gizzard shad left his area on Saturday, Hackney switched to a ¾-ounce Strike King Denny Brauer Structure Jig in two specific colors – a green-pumpkin jig with a Double Header-colored Strike King Rage Craw and a black and blue jig with a Plum Crazy-colored Rage Craw.
“You always think you have a shot at winning – it’s why we fish these tournaments. But, I had no idea that I was going to,” Hackney went on to say. “It’s been a heck of a week. I must have had 60 spectator boats watching me yesterday. These kind of tournaments don’t just happen. When you find a spot like that, it’s the spot of a lifetime.”
The top 10 pros finished the tournament in:
1st: Greg Hackney, Gonzales, La., 20 bass, 97-7, $100,000
2nd: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 20 bass, 93-6, $30,000
3rd: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 20 bass, 92-11, $25,000
4th: Troy Morrow, Eastanollee, Ga., 20 bass, 86-5, $20,000
5th: Robbie Dodson, Harrison, Ark., 20 bass, 85-15, $19,000
6th: Spencer Shuffield, Bismarck, Ark., 20 bass, 81-3, $18,000
7th: Michael Wooley, Collierville, Tenn., 20 bass, 80-11, $17,000
8th: Jason Lambert, Pickwick Dam, Tenn., 20 bass, 80-1, $16,000
9th: Shad Schenck, Waynetown, Ind., 20 bass, 76-7, $15,000
10th: Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C, 20 bass, 72-4, $14,000
Final results for the remaining field can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Overall there were 50 bass weighing 207 pounds, 14 ounces caught by pros Sunday. Each of the final 10 pros brought a five-bass limit to the scale.
Rodney Bell and Tommy Jones win the CBC on Falls with a Whopping 28.20 Lbs-Take home $8000
Another blockbuster June tournament on Falls-this time, the CBC came to town and had 12 bags over 20, including the winning sack at 28.20 Lbs. Staggering for most lakes this time of year, but not Falls. Over the years, there isnt a better lake in the country in June than Falls. Here is a pic of the winners as well as the full results:
CBC Falls Lake Champs and their $8000 winning stringer!
| Place | Team Name | Team # | Fish Weighed | Net Weight | Big Fish | Points | Winnings |
| 1 | Rodney Bell - Tommy Jones | 61 | 5 | 28.200 | 6.850 | 310 | $8,000 |
| 2 | Phillip Eakes - Dan Glosson | 54 | 5 | 27.480 | 7.250 | 309 | $2,500 |
| 3 | Paul Owens - Tyler Faggart | 93 | 5 | 24.990 | 0.000 | 308 | $1,800 |
| 4 | Ben Cannon | 20 | 5 | 24.520 | 0.000 | 307 | $1,500 |
| 5 | Steve Sink - Tony Foster | 66 | 5 | 24.380 | 6.850 | 306 | $1,000 |
| 6 | Chris Huffine - David Huffine | 57 | 5 | 23.690 | 7.300 | 305 | $700 |
| 7 | Parks Jones - Daniel Hill | 37 | 5 | 23.310 | 0.000 | 304 | $600 |
| 8 | Mark Beck - Todd Durham | 73 | 5 | 23.180 | 0.000 | 303 | $500 |
| 9 | Scott Faulkner - Tony Brewer | 13 | 5 | 21.660 | 0.000 | 302 | $400 |
| 10 | Jay Garrard - Mark Herndon | 59 | 5 | 21.510 | 0.000 | 301 | $350 |
| 11 | Mark Swink - Chuck Camp | 56 | 5 | 20.980 | 6.690 | 300 | $300 |
| 12 | Jaime Fajardo - Josh Hooks | 39 | 5 | 20.090 | 0.000 | 299 | $275 |
| 13 | David Bullock - Jimmy Henderson | 15 | 5 | 19.770 | 0.000 | 298 | $250 |
| 14 | James Wall - Jimmy Wall | 67 | 5 | 19.350 | 0.000 | 297 | $225 |
| 15 | Justin Bohannon - Howard Bohannon | 74 | 5 | 19.220 | 0.000 | 296 | $200 |
| 16 | Steve Singleton - Dave Farrington | 5 | 5 | 18.990 | 7.210 | 295 | |
| 17 | Jason Threadgill - Scott Threadgill | 29 | 5 | 18.880 | 6.320 | 294 | |
| 18 | Jeff Hodges - Steve Upchurch | 23 | 5 | 18.710 | 0.000 | 293 | |
| 19 | David Shields - Chip Crews | 63 | 5 | 18.640 | 7.290 | 292 | |
| 20 | Bob Furstenberg - Chadd Eriksen | 77 | 5 | 18.590 | 6.990 | 291 | |
| 21 | John McBride - Shaun Hall | 44 | 5 | 18.330 | 0.000 | 290 | |
| 22 | Mike Salguero - Dale Delaney | 70 | 5 | 18.220 | 0.000 | 289 | |
| 23 | Mark Inman - Billy Shelton | 11 | 5 | 18.170 | 6.360 | 288 | |
| 24 | Keith Patterson - Mink Cook | 82 | 5 | 18.060 | 0.000 | 287 | |
| 25 | Scott Sellers - Randy Childers | 21 | 5 | 17.970 | 6.910 | 286 | |
| 26 | Greg Creech - Chris McDuffie | 19 | 5 | 17.710 | 6.240 | 285 | |
| 27 | Brian Daniel - Rick Gillespie | 91 | 5 | 17.520 | 0.000 | 284 | |
| 28 | Robert Perkins - Chris Bullock | 18 | 5 | 17.340 | 6.180 | 283 | |
| 29 | Jerry Dean - Robert Dean | 90 | 5 | 17.330 | 0.000 | 282 | |
| 30 | Eric Jeter - Darren Jeter | 14 | 5 | 17.080 | 0.000 | 281 | |
| 31 | Chad Poteat - Shaun Hunter | 88 | 5 | 16.670 | 0.000 | 280 | |
| 32 | Dennis Allen - Travis Allen | 53 | 5 | 16.650 | 0.000 | 279 | |
| 33 | Jason Suggs - Calton Hall | 58 | 5 | 16.340 | 0.000 | 278 | |
| 34 | Robert Walser - Mack Lowe | 31 | 5 | 16.230 | 0.000 | 277 | |
| 35 | Jason Wilson - Kelly Logan | 75 | 5 | 16.190 | 0.000 | 276 | |
| 36 | Brian Travis - Ashley Brotherton | 9 | 5 | 15.960 | 0.000 | 275 | |
| 37 | Brian Triplett - Stacey Richards | 6 | 5 | 15.950 | 0.000 | 274 | |
| 38 | CJ Johnston - Matt Stanley | 69 | 5 | 15.880 | 0.000 | 273 | |
| 39 | Zak Davenport - Ben Whittington | 83 | 5 | 15.820 | 0.000 | 272 | |
| 40 | Jimmy Cummings - Jesse Smith | 55 | 5 | 15.370 | 0.000 | 271 | |
| 41 | Chuck Morton - Lonnie Fox | 50 | 5 | 15.290 | 0.000 | 270 | |
| 42 | Brandon Sykes - Jack Boyce | 51 | 5 | 15.130 | 0.000 | 269 | |
| 43 | Rusty White - Rusty White III | 36 | 5 | 15.060 | 0.000 | 268 | |
| 44 | Dennis Reedy - Jeffrey Thomas | 43 | 5 | 14.500 | 0.000 | 267 | |
| 45 | Tony Woodard - Scott Smith | 28 | 5 | 14.420 | 0.000 | 266 | |
| 46 | Gary Love - Ricky Todd | 79 | 5 | 14.340 | 0.000 | 265 | |
| 47 | David Williams - Gerald Williams | 71 | 5 | 14.300 | 0.000 | 264 | |
| 48 | eWesley Cashwell - Shane Doughtie | 68 | 5 | 14.110 | 0.000 | 263 | |
| 49 | Todd Sumner - Robert Parrish | 8 | 5 | 14.060 | 0.000 | 262 | |
| 50 | Will Petty - Barry Bost | 32 | 5 | 13.940 | 0.000 | 261 | |
| 51 | Robin Collins - Ronnie White | 72 | 5 | 13.760 | 0.000 | 260 | |
| 52 | Samuel Thomas - Rick Bradford | 45 | 5 | 13.680 | 0.000 | 259 | |
| 53 | Scott Henley - Dean Minor | 4 | 5 | 13.640 | 0.000 | 258 | |
| 54 | Larry Hipps - Jesse Spell | 85 | 5 | 13.390 | 0.000 | 257 | |
| 55 | Joseph Adams - Scott Dunn | 1 | 5 | 13.030 | 0.000 | 256 | |
| 56 | Steve Woodlief - Ted Boyette | 38 | 5 | 12.800 | 0.000 | 255 | |
| 57 | Jimmy Jones - Tim Robinson | 47 | 4 | 12.430 | 0.000 | 254 | |
| 58 | Lee Williams - Bryan Perry | 40 | 5 | 12.380 | 0.000 | 253 | |
| 59 | Scott Gatton - Steve Seagle | 81 | 4 | 12.280 | 0.000 | 252 | |
| 60 | Glenn Long - Vernon Fleming | 33 | 5 | 12.190 | 0.000 | 251 | |
| 61 | Stump Bledsoe - Glenn Elliott | 52 | 3 | 11.920 | 7.710 | 250 | |
| 62 | Jeff Tant - Doug Parrish | 60 | 5 | 11.670 | 0.000 | 249 | |
| 63 | Duke Denison - Jamie Denison | 3 | 5 | 11.650 | 0.000 | 248 | |
| 64 | Windy Ammons - Buster Seabolt | 64 | 5 | 11.440 | 0.000 | 247 | |
| 65 | Jerry Lineberger - Shane Lineberger | 24 | 5 | 11.130 | 0.000 | 246 | |
| 66 | James Blankenship - Chris Baldwin | 16 | 5 | 11.060 | 0.000 | 245 | |
| 67 | Marty Stone - Lance Isenhour | 84 | 5 | 10.910 | 0.000 | 244 | |
| 68 | Thomas Gavin | 22 | 5 | 10.800 | 0.000 | 243 | |
| 69 | Ronnie Britt - Jim Britt | 12 | 4 | 10.750 | 0.000 | 242 | |
| 70 | Roy Barrow - Jerry Bullaboy | 34 | 5 | 10.490 | 0.000 | 241 | |
| 71 | Charlie Hanshaw - Jeffrey Hanshaw | 62 | 5 | 10.350 | 0.000 | 240 | |
| 72 | Keith Speece - Wendell Ireland | 30 | 4 | 10.030 | 0.000 | 239 | |
| 73 | Greg Riggs - George Pearce | 42 | 3 | 9.740 | 0.000 | 238 | |
| 74 | Bryce Owen - Jonathan Phillips | 27 | 5 | 9.560 | 0.000 | 237 | |
| 75 | Brent Berry - Lee Hoilman | 17 | 5 | 8.750 | 0.000 | 236 | |
| 76 | Jason Eaker - Allen Eaker | 87 | 3 | 8.520 | 0.000 | 235 | |
| 77 | George Lambeth - Ron Wolfarth | 26 | 4 | 7.910 | 0.000 | 234 | |
| 78 | Scottie Smith - Christopher Allard | 49 | 2 | 4.410 | 0.000 | 233 | |
| 79 | Michael Hofmann - Patrick McGir | 2 | 3 | 4.370 | 0.000 | 232 | |
| 80 | Steven Helms - Dean Blankinship | 10 | 2 | 4.190 | 0.000 | 231 | |
| 81 | Jackie Reilly - Harold Drew | 7 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 230 | |
| 82 | Joe Edwards - Johnny Ellis | 25 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 229 | |
| 83 | Richard Greene - Ernest Stephens | 35 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 228 | |
| 84 | Tyler Hoopaugh - Chris Hoopaugh | 41 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 227 | |
| 85 | Everette Rigsbee - Kirt Leonard | 46 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | |
| 86 | Mike Scott - Chris Johnson | 48 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 225 | |
| 87 | Juddie Revels - David Oxendine | 65 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 88 | Randall Soles - Jason Dew | 76 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 223 | |
| 89 | David Matthews - Mike Hudgins | 78 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 222 | |
| 90 | Larry Kirk - Reginald Pickett | 80 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 221 | |
| 91 | Brian McDonald - Billy Bledsoe | 86 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 220 | |
| 92 | Kevin Sheppard - Jerry Sheppard | 89 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 219 | |
| 93 | Randy Gray - Dave Whitehead | 92 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 218 |
Chris Rutland And Coby Carden Win The Abt On Lay Lake With 20.60 Lbs-Take Home $10,000
COLUMBIANA — When Coby Carden and Chris Rutland’s fishing plans turned to lemons Saturday, June 7, they made lemonade as they won the Alabama Bass Trail South Division Tournament on Lay Lake.
Carden of Shelby and Rutland of Wetumpka had planned to fish river ledges, but could never find they bite they were looking for in the deep water. On a whim, they decided to try fishing shallow Saturday morning and wound up spending the entire day near the shore en route to winning the $10,000 first prize with a five-fish limit that weighed 20.60 pounds. Their catch was anchored by a 5.20-pounds largemouth.
Nick Harris and Walker Kent finished in second place with 19.03 pounds. They won $5,000. Taylor Watkins and Ronald Tidwell won $4,000 for finishing third with 17.04 pounds.
Wes King and Gage King tied with Ralph Mosley and Terry Stevens for fourth place with 17 pounds to round out the top five.
“We didn’t have a good practice and really didn’t have anything going when we started fishing. So we went shallow and started getting bites,” Carden said. “We kept getting good bites shallow, so we stayed shallow.”
Carden said they used a variety of baits to catch their fish.”We were throwing a frog, swimming a jig, doing a little bit of everything.”
Nick Harris said he and Kent caught their fish flipping soft plastics.
Watkins and Tidwell used also flipped for much of the day.
“We were junk fishing,” Watkins said. “We played around all day and flipped a lot of different baits.”
Also in the top 10 were Foster Bradley and Jeremy Christian, Rex Chambers and Brent Crow, Robert Davis and Billy Reynolds, Matthew McSweeney and Rod McSweeney, Brian Graham and Johney Weaver.
Angel Garcia and Michael Hatton had lunker, a 6.13 pounds largemouth.Garcia caught the bass using a June bug colored Gambler BB Cricket.
“We hadn’t done much all day until right at the end when we pulled up in a grass mat and started flipping,” Garcia said. “I flipped that BB Cricket into the back of the grass. The fish tugged, then I tugged and the war was on. We caught a couple of more good fish in the same grass mat.”
The tournament concluded the regular season for the South Division anglers.
The final tournament for the North Division is June 21 on Logan Martin Lake in Pell City.
The top 50 teams from each division will advance to the Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series Championship Oct. 10-11 on Smith Lake in Jasper.
The top six teams from the South Division and top eight from the North Division advance to the B.A.S.S. Team Championship Dec. 9-13 on DeGray Lake in Bismark, Ark
| 1 | CHRIS RUTLAND-COBY CARDEN | 5/5 | 20.60 | 5.2 | 20.60 | 200 | $10,000 | ||
| 2 | NICK HARRIS-WALKER KENT | 5/5 | 19.03 | 5.67 | 19.03 | 199 | $5,000 | ||
| 3 | TAYLOR WATKINS-RONALD TIDWELL | 5/5 | 17.04 | 4.95 | 17.04 | 198 | $4,000 | ||
| 4 | WES KING-GAGE KING | 5/5 | 17.00 | 17.00 | 197 | $3,000 | |||
| 4 | RALPH MOSELEY-TERRY STEVENS | 5/5 | 17.00 | 4.21 | 17.00 | 197 | $2,000 | ||
| 6 | FOSTER BRADLEY-JEREMY CHRISTIAN | 5/5 | 16.84 | 5.89 | 16.84 | 195 | $1,000 | ||
| 7 | REX CHAMBERS-BRENT CROW | 5/5 | 16.44 | 16.44 | 194 | $900 | |||
| 7 | ROBERT DAVIS-BILLY REYNOLDS | 5/5 | 16.44 | 16.44 | 194 | $800 | |||
| 9 | MATTHEW MCSWEENEY-ROD MCSWEENEY | 5/5 | 16.40 | 16.40 | 192 | $700 | |||
| 10 | BRIAN GRAHAM-JOHNEY WEAVER | 5/5 | 15.76 | 15.76 | 191 | $600 | |||
| 11 | BEN ETHEREDGE-PATRICK CURRIE | 5/5 | 15.73 | 15.73 | 190 | $500 | |||
| 12 | MORGAN BROWN-MICHEAL ROUSH | 5/5 | 15.72 | 15.72 | 189 | $500 | |||
| 13 | WARREN WYMAN-DANIELLE ORRILL | 5/5 | 15.50 | 15.50 | 188 | $500 | |||
| 14 | PAM MARTIN-WELLS-STEVEN WELLS | 5/4 | 16.36 | 1 | 15.36 | 187 | $500 | ||
| 15 | NICHOLAS TURNER-JOE LAY | 5/5 | 14.98 | 5.26 | 14.98 | 186 | $500 | ||
| 16 | KEITH DEES-TOMMY WALLEY | 5/5 | 14.89 | 14.89 | 185 | $500 | |||
| 17 | JESTON ANDERSON-ROBBIE ROBINSON | 5/5 | 14.86 | 14.86 | 184 | $500 | |||
| 18 | MICHAEL HATTEN-ANGEL GARCIA | 5/5 | 14.81 | * 6.13 | 14.81 | 183 | $500 | ||
| 19 | RICKIE KNIGHT-RANDALL CARTER | 5/5 | 14.76 | 14.76 | 182 | $500 | |||
| 20 | JONATHAN PERRITT-JASON KRASNOSKY | 5/5 | 14.61 | 14.61 | 181 | $500 | |||
| 21 | LARRY BULLOCK-JEREMY LOWERY | 5/5 | 14.58 | 14.58 | 180 | ||||
| 22 | CLAY MADISON-KYLE PATTERSON | 5/5 | 14.56 | 14.56 | 179 | ||||
| 22 | MIKE MCCULLARS-STEVE WINSLETT | 4/3 | 15.56 | 1 | 14.56 | 179 | |||
| 24 | JAMES OSWALT-LINDA OSWALT | 5/5 | 14.15 | 14.15 | 177 | ||||
| 25 | MIKE CHAVERS-JOSH CHAVERS | 5/5 | 14.06 | 14.06 | 176 | ||||
| 26 | KENNETH CHAMBERS-ELI CHAMBERS | 5/5 | 14.04 | 14.04 | 175 | ||||
| 27 | BRYTON NIXON-ADAM BAIN | 5/5 | 13.83 | 13.83 | 174 | ||||
| 28 | KARL YOUNGBLOOD-JAMES MCMON | 5/5 | 13.80 | 13.80 | 173 | ||||
| 29 | JERRY CASEY-RANDY CASEY | 5/5 | 13.78 | 4.08 | 13.78 | 172 | |||
| 30 | CHASE BENSON-CHRIS MINOR | 5/5 | 13.66 | 13.66 | 171 | ||||
| 31 | MICHAEL PRESLEY-LAMAR INGRAM | 5/5 | 13.56 | 5.05 | 13.56 | 170 | |||
| 32 | SHAYE BAKER-BEN WELDON | 5/5 | 13.32 | 13.32 | 169 | ||||
| 33 | BRIAN STIFFLER-CHRIS MASON | 5/5 | 13.19 | 13.19 | 168 | ||||
| 34 | JAMES RICHERSON-CRAIG HAMILTON | 5/5 | 13.13 | 13.13 | 167 | ||||
| 35 | MICHAEL HARDIN-MIKE HARDIN | 5/5 | 13.11 | 13.11 | 166 | ||||
| 36 | ERNIE FAULKNER-KEN WALTERS | 5/5 | 12.96 | 12.96 | 165 | ||||
| 37 | MATT VANZANT-JOEY VANZANT | 5/5 | 12.55 | 12.55 | 164 | ||||
| 38 | JOHN POLLARD-DALLAS WELDON | 5/5 | 12.49 | 4.08 | 12.49 | 163 | |||
| 39 | RICKY SMITH-RICKY SMITH | 4/4 | 12.47 | 12.47 | 162 | ||||
| 40 | ALLEN YARBOROUGH-SHANE UNDERWOOD | 5/4 | 13.44 | 1 | 12.44 | 161 | |||
| 41 | FLYNN GERALD-SAM ROY | 5/5 | 12.40 | 12.40 | 160 | ||||
| 42 | SCOTT LUSTER-BRANNON JONES | 5/5 | 12.24 | 12.24 | 159 | ||||
| 43 | TOMMY PEGUES-TYLER STROCK | 5/5 | 12.06 | 12.06 | 158 | ||||
| 44 | DAVID CAYLOR-ALLEN HAYES | 5/5 | 11.82 | 11.82 | 157 | ||||
| 45 | NICHOLAS HILL-JEREMY HEADLEY | 5/5 | 11.74 | 4.86 | 11.74 | 156 | |||
| 46 | SAMBO FISH-SAM FISH | 5/5 | 11.70 | 11.70 | 155 | ||||
| 47 | DALE WESTMORELAND-LANCE YOUNGBLOOD | 5/5 | 11.63 | 11.63 | 154 | ||||
| 48 | DANNY GRISSETT-TONY WILSON | 5/5 | 11.61 | 11.61 | 153 | ||||
| 49 | KYLE TINDOL-RICKY BAKER | 5/5 | 11.29 | 11.29 | 152 | ||||
| 50 | KENNY SMITH-JAMES PURVIS | 5/5 | 11.25 | 11.25 | 151 |
