Flw Adds Seventh Tour Event To 2017 Flw Tour Schedule
FLW ADDS SEVENTH TOUR EVENT TO 2017 FLW TOUR SCHEDULE
Lake Guntersville to Host Season Opener, Feb. 2-5
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (Aug. 3, 2016) – Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) announced today the addition of a seventh Walmart FLW Tour event to the 2017 schedule. The 2017 season will now open at Lake Guntersville, Feb. 2-5, in Guntersville, Alabama.
“A seventh FLW Tour event is something that many pros have asked for in recent years,” said Kathy Fennel, FLW President of Operations. “We announced our traditional six Tour events at ICAST last month, but we wanted to surprise the pros with this announcement to kick off the Forrest Wood Cup in Huntsville. On Saturday we will also unveil the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup date and location as part of the week’s festivities.”
The 2017 season will feature seven tournaments, broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network, which will showcase the best bass anglers in the world competing in the most competitive circuit in the sport.
2017 Walmart FLW Tour Regular-Season Schedule:
- February 2-5 Lake Guntersville Guntersville, Ala.
Hosted by the Marshall County Convention and Visitors Bureau
- February 16-19 Lake Travis Jonestown, Texas
Hosted by the City of Jonestown & Austin Sports Commission
- March 9-12 Harris Chain of Lakes Leesburg, Fla.
Hosted by Lake County, Florida
- April 6-9 Lake Cumberland Burnside, Ky.
Hosted by Somerset Tourist and Convention Commission
- April 27-30 Beaver Lake Rogers, Ark.
Hosted by Visit Rogers
- May 18-21 Mississippi River La Crosse, Wis.
Hosted by Explore La Crosse
- June 15-18 Potomac River Marbury, Md.
Hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners
The full schedule and expected patterns/details for each fishery can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The date and location for the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart will be unveiled on-stage at the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup on Saturday at the Propst Arena in Huntsville.
For details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2016 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW" television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat: @FLWFishing.
Sportsman's Warehouse And Buckeye Lures Pro Anthony Gagliardi Previews The One And Only Su-Spin Blade From Buckeye
SW and Buckeye Lures Pro Anthony Gagliardi tells us why the Su-Spin Blade from Buckeye is so powerful when you need it the most----Tournament Day!!
Early August Report From Sportsman's Warehouse And Fishing Manager Craig Baird!
Sportsman's Warehouse fishing manager Craig Baird shares some solid topwater baits for the hottest stretch we've seen anytime in the last few years.........good insight tho and all products always available at Sportsmans Warehouse.com!!
Sportsman's Warehouse And Buckeye Pro Anthony Gagliardi On The J Will Swimbait Head!
SW and Buckeye Lures Pro Anthony Gagliardi previews some great baits from Buckeye that may help him this week at the 2016 FLW CUP!
Ehrentraut Wins On Oneida, Uppstrom Wins Co-Angler Side!
David Ehrentraut of Locke, New York won the American Bass Anglers Ram Truck Open Series NE tournament, held July 30th on Oneida Lake.
Running out of Oneida Shores near Brewerton, New York, David caught five bass weighing 17.37 pounds. He anchored his bag with a 3.97-pound kicker. “I fished outside weed lines in 12 to 15 feet of water. I threw a white swim bait and crank bait all day. I caught all of my fish by 9:30 am. It was real slow after that." Ehrentraut said. For the Boater division victory, Ehrentraut took home a check for $5,000.
In second for the Boaters, Jeffrey Kirkland of Dryden, New York landed a five-bass tournament limit weighing 14.71 pounds with a 3.97-pound kicker. “I threw a stickbait all day. I caught my big bass on my third cast. I used a mega bass and a lucky craft and just kept changing back and forth. About 11:30 am I noticed a fuel leak and that made me come in 3 hours early." Kirkland said. He collected $1,445 for the effort. He also won an Abu Garcia Revo SX reel Valued at $169 for catching the tournament Big Bass on his own Abu Garcia reel.
Mathew Martin of Chittenango, New York took third for the Boaters with five bass weighing 13.79 pounds. "I had 3 places with outside weed lines and caught 3 or 4 fish on each spot. For me it was steady all day. I used a dropshot with a cross tail shad, a Keitech swimbait, and a Zara spook top water," Martin said. He took home $963 for his effort.
Finishing fourth, Adam Janerella of Jersey Shore Pennsylvania landed a five-bass limit weighing 13.55 pounds including a 3.08-pound kicker.
Mike Sullivan of Voorheesville, New York rounded out the top five Boaters with five bass weighing 13.51 pounds.
The biggest bass for the boaters was a tie David Ehrentraut and Jeff Kirkland both caught bass that weighed 3.97 pounds and pocketed $310 each.
In the Co-Angler Division, Steve Uppstrom of Madrid, New York won with three bass weighing 9.88 pounds. He sealed his victory with a 3.95-pound kicker.
“We fished shallow in about 4 foot of water. I used a Yumm warning shot and an itsy bitsy. I only got 3 bite and caught 3 fish.” Uppstrom said. He pocketed a check for $1,600. Steve also caught the Big Bass for the Co-Anglers weighing 3.95 pounds. He took home and additional $210.
Taking second for the Co-Anglers, Brian Grant of Wind Gap Pennsylvania brought in a three-bass division limit weighing 9.71 pounds including a 3.83-pound kicker. "We stayed in 4 to 6 feet of water fishing weed lines and rock. I threw some Missile Baits and a mini ice with a ¼ ounce weight, black and blue with a Netbait craw trailer. We caught most of our fish in the morning and my last one late in the day,” Grant said. He collected $540 for the effort.
Darren Carpenter of Westmoreland, New York placed third among the Co-Anglers with three bass weighing 8.78 pounds. He anchored his catch with a 3.18-pound kicker. “I caught my first fish on my third cast on a white fluke. Later I used a Carolina rig with a ¾ oz. weight and a rage craw. At about 1:30 on my last cast I finally caught my third fish I only had 3 bites all day,” Carpenter said. He earned $360.
In fourth place among the Co-Anglers, Bill Griffett Jr. of Oxford, New Jersey brought in three bass weighing 8.75 pounds.
Roland Beaulieu of Swanton, Vermont finished in fifth place with three bass weighing 8.32 pounds topped by a 3.20-pound kicker.
Slated for August 20th, the next divisional tournament will be held on Sacandaga Lake out of the NY DEC ramp near Broadalbin, New York. At the end of the season, the best anglers from across the nation advance the 2017 Ray Scott Championship, slated for Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville, Tennessee in April of 2017.
For more information on this tournament call Jeff Randall, tournament manager, at (256)777-6152 or ABA at (256)232-0406. On line, see www.ramopenseries.com.
About American Bass Anglers: American Bass Anglers is committed to providing low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers, the Ram Truck Open Series, the American Fishing Tour or the American Couples Series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
Defending Cup Champ Brad Knight Focused On 'task At Hand'
I spoke with defending Forrest Wood Cup Champion Brad Knight about his defense of the title which begins on Thursday as the 2016 Cup kicks off on Wheeler Lake near Huntsville Alabama.
The Champ was rather low key about the past. He is focused on the ‘now’ with the type of work ethic you expect from winners. “It doesn’t really change anything; won’t change the outcome of this tournament. You’ve just got to go to work like it’s another day at the office.”
As far as high expectations and added pressure, Knight says the pressure is always on at such a big tournament. “The Cup is all about winning. There are no points. You don’t have to worry about finishing in the Top 10 or any of that stuff – just trying to win the tournament, and that pressure doesn’t really change.”
Knight and his fellow competitors completed their first practice round on Sunday. He’s not sure what to make of Wheeler just yet. He didn’t scour the Internet for info before heading to the lake either. “I haven’t gotten any reports. I haven’t really talked to anybody or any of that stuff. I really don’t know. I think it will probably be a combination of things, adjustments to the weather and water levels. I guess it could be one of those deals, like a junk-fishing tournament where a guy could catch a couple out deep, a couple shallow each day.”
One thing Knight does believe is that the shallow bite will affect the outcome of the 2016 Cup. “I definitely feel like it’s gonna play, somehow or another. The thing about the offshore fish is, they are out there, but they can be hard to catch in August. The baitfish start suspending some and the fish creep up in the water column so they’re out there but they’re hard to catch because they’re so far up off the bottom. The ones that are up shallow are going to be easier to catch and they’re unpressured and if you get some flow in some of these backwater creeks the oxygen level gets higher in those areas so I think the fish may be a little more active on the banks, although there may not be as many of them, they may be more catchable.
“On the Tennessee River everybody wants to fish the ledges and use their electronics - and that’s a good thing - it’s the way to do well, usually, but, generally, by this time of year that bite starts getting a little weird, hit or miss. And the shallow bite is not great. It’s not like you’re gonna go out and whack ‘em doing anything, but (the shallow bite) can be a little more consistent at times. I definitely feel like this tournament is going to be one of those times when you’ve got to mix it up and do a little of both.”
After today’s practice round Knight is still trying to find the pulse of the Wheeler fishery. “Today was pretty slow. I didn’t find anything special. We’ll just have to try to put the puzzle together and see what happens come Thursday morning. Game day is what counts.”
A big event such as the Cup comes with distractions including dinner parties and appearances. Knight is ready. “I’ve been to a couple of these now and I kind of know what to expect. Our practice schedule pretty much stays the same as for a regular Tour event. We have a dinner to go to. You definitely have a few more obligations and you have to try to keep your mind focused on the task at hand, but it’s not so bad. The major thing is what you’re fishing for. A lot of guys get caught up in the money and the stuff that goes with it. You’ve got to get focused on the task.”
His experience, in general, as well as his success in having won the Cup last year, give Knight a boost of confidence heading into the unpredictable business of bass tournament fishing played at the highest level. “The main thing is, I’ve been at this for several years and nothing much comes as a surprise now, good, bad or otherwise. Just keep your head down and take each day for what it is and be prepared to make some adjustments because things happen pretty fast this time of year. Try to make the best decisions you can and try to put yourself in position to win.”
With 50 pros fishing 40-plus miles of water, Knight believes the guys will spread out fairly wide this week. “There are going to be guys that stay close (to the launch ramp at Ditto Landing). I think it will be spread out pretty good. I don’t anticipate a whole, whole, lot of having to share water but there will be a couple of places that have some fish on them and 2 or 3 guys will have to share.”
Knight estimates it will take 52 pounds to win the 2016 Cup. “Thirteen a day. I don’t think we’re going to see anything too different but Wheeler is kind of a different animal so I may be off with that prediction, but that’s what I say.”
Asked to rate the fishing on Wheeler right now, on a 10-scale Knight said, “I would probably say . . . a ‘4’. It’s not real good. But nowhere is good right now. It’s August. It’s just one of those deals where bites aren’t easy to come by. Big bites can carry you a long way.”
His big bites carried him all the way last year. In a couple of days, we’ll find out if Brad Knight has the bites to repeat as Forrest Wood Cup Champion.
John Simonof Wins Aba American Fishing Tour D42 On The Arkansas River
With a total weight of 14.91 pounds, John Simonof wins the ABA D42 event on the Arkansas River out of the the Maumelle Pool on Satruday. Throwing a 1/2oz homemade Vibrating jig and Strike King 3XD. John also had big fish of the day with a 4.76 pound Big Bass.
2nd place was Doug Thompson with 10.24
3rd place was Arnie Hanson with 8.25
The ABA D42's next event is out of Pine Bluff on August 13th.
For More information call 501.772.4938
Kansas State Wins Carhartt Bassmaster College Nation Championship!
Tyler Wade-McCollum - BASS
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — Kyle Alsop and Taylor Bivins of Kansas State University are the winners of the 2016 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship, thanks to a series of consistent weights. They finished the tournament on Kentucky's Green River Lake with 36 pounds, 4 ounces.
The Kansas State team was the only one in the field of 89 teams to bring in more than 10 pounds every day.
"It was a grind," said Bivins, who just graduated from Kansas State in May with a degree in wildlife and outdoor enterprise management. "We had to fish really slow the whole time."
"Slow is not our preferred way to fish," added Alsop, a senior majoring in engineering. "I hate it. But it was our only way to be consistent."
The two had a plan coming in to the tournament — catch 12 to 13 pounds a day. On Day 1, they had 13 pounds, 15 ounces, including the Carhartt Big Bass of the tournament, a 6-pound, 13-ounce bass. They followed it up on Day 2 with 11-1, including a 5-2 bass. On the final day, Alsop and Bivins weighed in 11 pounds, 4 ounces, including the biggest bass of the day, a 5-9.
"The key was definitely the big bite," Alsop said. "We were blessed to get one big one every day."
The two were not expecting a win. They were hoping to be able to make the Top 4 to qualify for the 2016 Carhartt Bassmaster College Classic Bracket presented by Bass Pro Shops, Aug. 4-6, on Kentucky Lake in Tennessee. The best angler in that head-to-head competition earns a berth in the 2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic.
"It will take a while for this to sink in," Alsop said, looking at his teammate.
"We're just living the moment right now," Bivins added. The two couldn't stop smiling while toting around their championship trophies.
The key area for the winners was a giant main lake point with a flat that had a big ledge on it.
"There were 20 boats on scattered brush out there the first couple of days," Alsop said. "We found a strip off to the side that we had to ourselves."
They fished the ledge right as it dropped from 20 feet deep to 50 feet deep.
Alsop fished a Carolina rigged Zoom Brush Hog with spike tails in chartreuse, while his teammate fished a shaky head setup with a Yamamoto Senko in green pumpkin with black flake or watermelon red flake.
"We knew there were lots of fish on those channel swing points," Alsop said. "We just had to keep our heads down and keep working until we caught them."
For their win, Alsop and Bivins earned a check for their Kansas State team for $2,500 from Carhartt and another check for $2,500 from B.A.S.S. The two were also presented with a Humminbird Helix unit.
"We were due for a win," said Alsop. "We've always finished well in tournaments — no worse than 30th place — but we could never get above fourth place. It's incredible we did it here.
Right behind the Kansas State team was the Bethel University team of Brian Pahl and John Garrett, who finished second with 35 pounds, 7 ounces.
"We fished brushpiles early in the mornings," said Pahl. "Then we went to shallower water. When that didn't work out today, we went to another spot, where we caught five keepers."
Pahl and Garrett had a really big day on Day 1 with 17 pounds, 4 ounces, one of the biggest bags of the tournament. They will join Alsop and Bivins at the College Classic Bracket on Kentucky Lake next week
The Day 1 leaders, Sam Stone and Evan Coleman, will also compete at the Classic Bracket, thanks to their third-place finish. The two anglers came in fishless on the final day of the championship, but their Bass Pro Shops Nitro Big Bag on Day 1 of 20 pounds, 13 ounces, kept them in contention.
The final team to qualify for the Classic Bracket was Austin Handley and Caleb Wozniak of Auburn University. They finished in fourth place with 27 pounds, 5 ounces. The Auburn team flipped upriver the whole tournament, but the fish had moved out of that area on the final day, accounting for only a 2-pound, 9-ounce weight on Saturday.
The college championship brought together the best college anglers in the country, as determined by their performance in any of five regionals or a single Wild Card event. More than 500 teams from 200-plus colleges competed for a chance to qualify for this tournament.
Trevor Lo, the college angler who advanced from the championship last year and ultimately won the College Classic Bracket, was on stage on the Campbellsville University campus for the final day of competition this year.
"It's surreal to be back on this stage," said Lo. "My college win changed my life this year. I can't wait to see who the next college angler fishing the Classic will be."
Watch the College Classic Bracket, Aug. 4-6, to see which of the eight qualifiers will earn a berth in the 2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic.
Texas State On Top At Carhartt Bassmaster College National Championship - Day 2 Starts Today!
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — Sam Stone and Evan Coleman of Texas State University took the Day 1 lead of the 2016 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship with an impressive 20 pounds, 13 ounces, despite the fact they were soaked the whole day.
"Everything was wet," Stone said. "It was just pouring down rain."
But the teammates made their peace with the weather after catching their limit of five bass before 10 a.m. on Thursday on Kentucky's Green River Lake.
"A front rolled in at 9:30," Coleman said. "Plus, we'd had a good morning bite. We felt really confident after that."
Stone and Coleman, who have been practicing on this lake all week, went into Day 1 with a plan but quickly abandoned it when they saw how hard it was raining.
Their newly formed game plan is a secret for now, said the Texas anglers, who are competing for a chance to win the championship trophy for their school. Plus, the best four teams from the championship advance to the 2016 Carhartt Bassmaster College Classic Bracket presented by Bass Pro Shops, Aug. 4-6, on Kentucky Lake in Tennessee. The best angler in that head-to-head competition earns a berth in the 2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic — which is in their home state of Texas.
Stone and Coleman had a great first day of practice, where they were catching quality bass. The following two days were rough; they didn't catch anything at all.
"But then we heard that a three-day tournament was just won here with only three fish for 18 pounds," Stone said. "That sealed it for us. We knew there were big bass here. We just had to go find them."
Stone, who is a senior in engineering at Texas State, said he's not sure if the pair can replicate their Day 1 catch on Friday.
"I have no idea if we can do it again," he said, "but it sure would be amazing."
Coleman is laying the groundwork for a future career in fishing, and winning this championship would be a major stepping stone.
"I plan on becoming a fishing guide after college," Coleman said, "and I'll be fishing the Opens for a chance to qualify for the Bassmaster Elite Series."
The Texas State team is looking forward to Friday, where they're hoping to capitalize on their lead. But right behind them is Hunter Louden of Bethel University, who weighed in 20 pounds, 6 ounces on Day 1.
"I was just blessed today," said Louden. "I wasn't really on anything, but I got the right five bites."
Like the current leaders, Louden experienced a lot of his productive activity around that 9:30 a.m. mark, when the pressure changed with the front.
The rainy, cooler weather proved challenging for much of the field. Of the 89 teams who are competing, 14 of them posted zeroes. And although Texas State and Bethel had weights topping the 20-pound mark, only eight other teams are within striking distance. Every team from 11th place down weighed in less than 10 pounds.
"This lake can change drastically from one day to the next," said Lance Freeman, a Kentucky angler who, along with his Murray State University partner Chandler Christian, is in 45th place after Day 1.
"I've practiced here a lot, and Green River really can be surprising from day to day," he said.
Those words are giving some of the other competitors hope. Many are planning to overhaul their game plan overnight and try something completely new for Day 2. It's critical to right the ship quickly; after the weigh-in on the second day, the 89 teams will be cut to only 12 teams to fish on Saturday, the final day.
"We have the best college anglers in the country here in this championship," said Hank Weldon, manager of the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series. "They've been competing all year, and these are the best of more than 500 teams from 200-plus schools that were trying to get on this stage this week."
Campbellsville University is hosting the tournament on its campus in Campbellsville, Ky.
"This is a great place and a great community," said Weldon. "We couldn't do this without the help of all the volunteers at Campbellsville."
The championship trophy isn't the only prize competitors are vying for. The team that leads at the end of Day 2 will win the Livingston Lures Day 2 Leader Award worth $250. Stone and Coleman of Texas State are currently in the lead for the Bass Pro Shops Nitro Big Bag for $250, which will be awarded to the team that catches the biggest bag of the tournament. The Carhartt Big Bass Award for $500 will also be awarded at the end of the tournament to the team that brings in the largest bass. After Day 1, Kyle Alsop and Taylor Bivins of Kansas State University are in the lead for that prize for the 6-pound, 13-ounce bass they weighed in.
"We hadn't seen a fish of that quality all week," Alsop said, "so that was definitely a surprise."
Bassmaster Classic Bracket - Is This What The Future Of Professional Fishing Looks Like?
As he fished from the front deck of his bass boat, breeze rippling his jersey, Kevin VanDam reflected on a career that has seen all the changes of format that B.A.S.S. has thrown at anglers in the modern era: the MegaBucks hole-style events, the E-50's that morphed into the current Elite Series, and so on. He had high praise for the tournament in which he was competing during the final, championship, round - the Bassmaster Classic Bracket.
Perhaps it's easy to be high on a platform that has just facilitated your 23rd career win, especially when VanDam has a lot of experience with match play, given his involvement with Major League Fishing (the comparisons are inescapable as the Classic Bracket borrowed heavily from the successful, made-for-TV, head-to-head bracketed MLF). But VanDam seemed to sincerely enjoy the pulse-hightening competition, the constant pressure of knowing what the opponent has, every time he catches a fish, and knowing that it's you against him - one of you is going home.
Great athletes - great performers of all stripes - don't just perform well under pressure, they seem to crave it. Whether it's a musician facing an expectant crowd of thousands, a QB behind on the scoreboard and facing 4th-and-goal as the clock winds down, or a lone angler grinding on a stingy river as the most dominant tournament pro of all time has just put another bass on the board, pressure will reveal character, spine and competitive drive.
Or at least, it should. Which brings about the subject of the 'lay up' as Mark Zona called it on Day 2 of the Classic Bracket. I'd call it the 'lay down' as that's what Jacob Powroznik did. Surely he performed the act with kindness in his heart. He was helping his friend Koby Kreiger who needs the exposure and who was a sentimental favorite darkhorse in the Classic Bracket because of his 72nd position in the Elite Series points race - way out of the cut to make the 2017 Classic. Powroznik could not have anticipated the firestorm of controversy he would stir up by helping his buddy.
Anglers help each other all the time, but there are reasons why they are not allowed to literally put fish in another guy's livewell (remember the stink over the accusation that Nate Wellman had offered to buy a partner's fish). To be clear, Powroznik did not do anything so unscrupulous. In fact, he did not do anything in violation of any tournament rules. Again, his intentions were pure, commendable even.
But we all tuned in to Bassmaster Live (and on Watch ESPN on the day the lay down happened) to see a competition. Anglers have an obligation to put on their best performance, especially when 'outsiders' (non-anglers watching by the multiple thousands on Watch ESPN) are watching. We owe it to our sport to put our best foot forward and keep it pressed on the gas pedal. When Powroznik decided to not fish on Day 2 and give Kreiger a clear path to the semifinal round, it made the sport look less legitimate.
Enough about that learning experience - basically the only negative point of the event, in my opinion. And even that turn of events held massive entertainment value.
To his credit, Kreiger did take the ball and run with it on Day 3 as he tied eventual champion VanDam and was only eliminated via the tie-breaker rules.
"I almost blew it today," admited VanDam who said he was trying to save his best fishing spots for the final round. But there was a virtual scoreboard in the Classic Bracket and when VanDam learned that Kreiger had passed him on it, VanDam went to his best spot and caught a 1-pound, 15-ounce bass when he needed a 1-pound, 15-ounce bass to tie Kreiger.
The most exciting act belonged to Dean Rojas when he trailed Jordan Lee by a few pounds. The clock said that Lee was 15 minutes from advancing to the semifinal round. Rojas made a liar of that clock.
When he caught a smallmouth from behind a stand alone piling, Rojas made things interesting. Minutes later he amazed live on-lookers, glued to their computer screens and phones as he boated a similarly chunky brown bass. Rojas bounced on his boat deck as the time ticked down and he was pronounced the winner.
Rojas gushed his approval of the bracket-style tournament format. And we were all thrilled to get to see it live, to be in the boat with him as it happened.
I have covered tournaments as a marshal and it's exciting to be in the boat but without a live leaderbaord I never really knew what I had just seen, from a competition standpoint.
For that reason this Classic Bracket absolutely rocked!
Few would dispute the quality, the entertainment value that B.A.S.S. brought us this past week. If you missed it, man, you missed IT.
The commentators scared me a little when they kept lobying for B.A.S.S. to move all of its tournaments to this new format. There should definitely be more of these events, but they should be supplemental to the Elite Series, not a substitute for the crowd-gathering, hand-shaking, autograph-signing, travelling Bassmaster circus.
As far as tweaking the details, the final day featured a 'weigh 'em all' approach to scoring. At first blush I thought 'this penalizes big fish experts. With a 5-fish limit, each big bass really pushes an anglers weight, but if a guy can whack a stack of 1-pounders and beat the guy who has the guts to go after the type of fish we all want to see, this cheapens the sport!'
After thinking on it a while though, I believe B.A.S.S. got it right because during the first 3 rounds, only an angler's best 5 fish counted. This not only encourages the guys to chase big fish, it actually encourages them to target big bass, specifically, during early rounds (when they count more) while attempting to not catch those smaller fish because they will be needed during the 'burn what you got left' final round. That adds a ton of strategic thinking to our sport.
If we're ever going to garner a general TV audience that includes pure spectators as well as participants, the Bassmaster Classic Bracket just showed us how to do it. Yes, MLF led the way, but when that style is combined with the reach of ESPN, as done by B.A.S.S. this time around, there is a synergy that can (hate to repeat a worn-out phrase but . . . ) elevate our sport. This is the wave of the future for top level professional fishing. There are enough competitors to make it interesting, and FEW enough competitors that we can actually follow the story lines.
And story lines are important. No matter why you think you watch sports, you are actually watching characters in a story. Conflict is the essence of literature. No where is there more pure conflict than in sports. Lines are clearly drawn; contestants identified; results recorded. When we can tune in to a story and root for, root against, or just relate to a character, then there is value in that story and there will be an audience for it.
Forrest Wood Cup Kicks Off Next Week In Huntsville, Al On Lake Wheeler!!!
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Spell & Eaddy Weigh 5 For 23.56 To Win Cashion Rods Bass Trail Qualifier #2 On Jordan Lake!
Woo Lordy it was hot but we still had a good crowd of 44 teams fishing!! The winds were light & variable, the air
temps ranged from 74 to 96 with a heat index of 106 and the water level was right at normal pool. Surface water
temps averaged 85 warm degrees! The teams did a great job of keeping their fish healthy and we only lost a few.Jesse Spell and Wade Eaddy landed 5 bass weighing 23.56 lbs to take 1st Place and 2nd Place Big Fish
(7.01 lbs.) for a total of $1,278!
1st Place Team...Spell on left....Eaddy on right.2nd Place team was Josh Whitford and Donovan Welch with 5 bass weighing 22.93 lbs. They also won 1st Place
TWT to take home a total of $1,335. The 3rd Place Team of Jaime Fajardo and Josh Hooks netted 5 bass
weighing 19.85 and also won 2nd Place TWT for a total of $787. 1st Place Big Fish (7.08 lbs.) was caught by the
9th Place team of William Small & Lee Williams worth $602 giving the a total winnings of $707. The prize
money got spread around pretty good making a lot of teams happy!!!110 bass were brought to the scales for a total of 356 pounds averaging 3.24 lbs. each. Most were caught on
Carolina worm rigs, spinnerbaits, crankbait & jig combos in mostly water up to 9 foot deep around submerged
structure.
I want to thank Cashion Fishing Rods and all the anglers that participated. Our next tournament will be the
2016 Cashion Fishing Rods 'End of Year' Team Tournament Bass Fishing Trail Qualifier #3 , Saturday August
6th at Falls Lake out of Ledge Rock Wildlife Ramp. All the information on our tournaments can be found
http://piedmontbassclassics.com/Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Jesse Spell & Wade Eaddy of Cary & Sanford...5 bass...23.56 lbs...$1,020
2nd Place: Josh Whitfield & Donavan Welch of Linden & Lillington...5 bass...22.93 lbs...$565
3rd Place: Jaime Fajardo & Josh Hooks of Fuquay Varina & Apex...5 bass...19.85 lbs...$457
4th Place: Jeremy Martin & Charly Vaughn of Rougemont...5 bass...18.66 lbs...$352
5th Place: Terry & Hunter Collins of Sanford...5 bass...18.49 lbs...$317
6th Place: Todd Massey & Tim Parker of Chapel Hill & New Hill...5 bass...17.68 lbs...$282
7th Place: Tim Emory & Dean Livingston of Durham & Hurdle Mills...4 bass...16.58 lbs...$246
8th Place: Todd Sumner & Mike Dinterman of Southern Pines & Oxford...5 bass...16.25 lbs...$176
9th Place: William Small & Lee Williams of Wake Forest & Durham...5 bass...15.69 lbs...$1051st Place Big Fish: 9th Place Team above...7.08 lbs...$602
2nd Place Big Fish: 1st Place Team...7.01 lbs...$2581st Place TWT: 2nd Place Team above: 22.93 lbs...$770
2nd Place TWT: 3rd Place Team above: 19.85 lbs...$330
Next Tournament For 2016 ~ August 6th
PBC Cashion Fishing Rods 'End of Year'
Team Tournament Bass Trail ~ Q#3
FALLS LAKE~LEDGE ROCK WILDLIFE RAMP
Blast Off Approx. 6:15am...1st Flight Weighin 2:15pm
Arrive early and launch Boat 1st...Then Check In.
Entry Starts at 5:00am...Cash Only At The Ramp.
Click Here For All The Information On This Trail.
This is also an 'Open Event'.
Trapper Tackle Scores Huge Upset With Icast Best In Show
Trapper Tackle Scores Huge Upset with ICAST Best in Show
Palm Beach Gardens, FL (July 26, 2016) - Every summer, fishing industry insiders gather at ICAST, an international trade show and exposition that showcases thousands of fishing products. Manufacturers invest significant time and money to position themselves to win the coveted “Best in Show” award in the ICAST New Product Showcase, where products in 24 different categories vie for attention from fishing industry influencers, including outdoor media and buyers. The buzz about Trapper Tackle’s revolutionary hook design could be heard across the show floor and earned the attention and votes needed to upset industry giants in the New Product Showcase.
“Years of research, design, engineering and extensive field testing have resulted in today’s Trapper Hook,” said Larry Davidson, founder of Trapper Tackle, a Landum Outdoors brand. “This has truly been a group effort fueled by the blood, sweat and tears of a core team.”
Trapper Tackle’s family of Trapper hooks include a range of general purpose and technique-specific hooks that address two of the oldest problems in angling: fish don't stay pinned, and baits don’t stay rigged on conventional J-hooks correctly as presentations are cast and fished through cover. The patented Trapper Box, with its two right angles at the base of the hook shank, locks baits and hooked fish in place so anglers can make more casts and better presentations, so they can land more fish and make the most out of their limited fishing time.
Trapper Tackle’s Brand and Product Development Director, Keith Alan said, “I can’t recall a brand or product launch that has generated this much interest and excitement at ICAST. Both media and buyers were genuinely intrigued by the simplicity and functionality of Trapper’s revolutionary hook designs and they validated the innovation with their votes. Winning Best in Show has undoubtedly helped spark interest from buyers and distributors around the world. That’s an amazing jump start for a new brand.”
At ICAST 2016, Trapper Tackle introduced five different hook families that feature the patented Trapper Box design: an ultra-versatile “Best in Show” dropshot/live bait/finesse hook, standard and heavy gauge wide gap hooks for soft plastics, a xxx-heavy super wide gap hook for extreme cover situations, and a 30-degree jig hook designed for jigs and OEM applications. Anglers can expect to find 19 different sizes and styles of Trapper Hooks at their favorite retailer and online at TrapperTackle.com in December 2016.
Former Bassmaster Elite Series Pro Vince Hurtado has been intimately involved in the development and field testing of Trapper Hooks, and offered that, “these hooks will raise every angler’s game. Baits stay rigged better, and fish stay hooked better, so I make more casts and land a much higher percentage of the fish I hook. I’ve never used another hook that performs like a Trapper, and I’m proud to be part of the team.”
Join us as we ride the wave of hook innovation with Trapper Hooks. Visit http://TrapperTackle.com today to sign up for free samples and to learn more about game-changing Trapper Hooks from Trapper Tackle.
Penn State University Wins Flw College Fishing Northern Conference Event
PENN STATE UNIVERSITY WINS FLW COLLEGE FISHING NORTHERN CONFERENCE EVENT ON CHAUTAUQUA LAKE
Photo of winning team Penn State University
CHAUTAUQUA, N.Y. (July 23, 2016) – The Penn State University duo of Clayton Frey of York, Pennsylvania, and Derek Horner, of State College, Pennsylvania, won the FLW College Fishing Northern Conference event at Chautauqua Lake Saturday with five bass weighing 13 pounds, 3 ounces. The victory earned the club $2,000 and qualified the team for the 2017 FLW College Fishing National Championship.
“We expected to do well here, but we didn’t really expect to win,†said Horner, a junior majoring in Rehabilitation and Human Services. “Clayton and I had great teamwork today. The morning was very tough, but we stayed confident and we had good execution.â€
“This is my third event fishing with Derek and I think that he and I work very well together,†said Frey, a junior majoring in Wildlife and Fisheries Science. “It took us all day to grind it out, but it feels pretty good to qualify for the National Championship.â€
The duo said that they caught their winning limit targeting the plentiful docks around Lake Chautauqua. They estimated that they fished 100 to 150 docks throughout the day, throwing a wacky-rigged Cinnamon Brown-colored Yamamoto Senko and a green-pumpkin Jakked Baits football-head jig with a Strike King Rage Craw, also in green-pumpkin.
‘We caught around 15 keepers and stayed in Bemus Bay for the entire day,†Horner said. “The fish were sitting 6 to 7 feet deep.â€
“We caught our last keeper about 10 minutes before we had to check in and I knew that it was going to be close,†Frey said. “I’m happy we’re going home with the win.â€
The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2017 College Fishing National Championship are:
1st: Pennsylvania State University – Derek Horner, State College, Pa., and Clayton Frey, York, Pa., five bass, 13-3, $2,000
2nd: Schoolcraft Community College – Anthony Gilmore, Livonia, Mich., and Clayton Hatton, South Lyon, Mich., five bass, 13-3, $1,000
3rd: Lake Superior State University – Jake Dorony, South Lyon, Mich., and Hunter Scharphorn, Grand Haven, Mich., five bass, 12-11, $500
4th: Adrian College – Jack Hippe III, Davison, Mich., and Brandon Herzberg, Clarklake, Mich., five bass, 11-9, $500
5th: University of Akron – Anthony Villalba, Silver Lake, Ohio, and Robert Webber, Elyria, Ohio, five bass, 11-8, $500
6th: Adrian College – Dalton Breckel, Brooklyn, Mich., and Ryan Sharnas, Davison, Mich., five bass, 11-5
7th: Ohio State University – Michael Whitacre, Hudson, Ohio, and John Belluardo, Peninsula, Ohio, five bass, 11-2
8th: Lake Superior State University – Keegan Russell, Gladwin, Mich., and Nic Rand, Kalamazoo, Mich., five bass, 10-12
9th: Virginia Tech University – Milton Sheesley, Amissville, Va., and Ian Hardesty, Round Hill, Va., five bass, 10-8
10th: Kent State University – Logan Willoughby, New Philadelphia, Ohio, and Trevor Gillett, Kent, Ohio, five bass, 10-5
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Penn State won the event via tiebreaker over second place, Schoolcraft Community College. FLW College Fishing Rule No. 17 states: Total number of fish for the tournament will break ties. If a tie remains, it will be broken first by total number of live fish for the tournament, then the earliest entry for the tournament and then by lottery. Since both teams weighed in five fish, all alive, the earliest entry was the deciding factor. Penn State registered for the event first, earning them the tiebreaker decision.
This FLW College Fishing Western Conference event was hosted by the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau and was the third and final regular-season qualifying tournament in the Northern conference. The next event for Northern Conference anglers will be the FLW College Fishing National Championship, held early next spring on a lake yet to be announced.
FLW College Fishing teams compete in regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 15 teams from the annual FLW College Fishing Open will advance to the 2017 FLW College Fishing National Championship.
College Fishing is free to enter. All participants must be registered, full-time students at a college, university or community college and members of a college fishing club.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow College Fishing on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing. Visit CollegeFishing.com to sign up or to start a club at your school.
Michigans Dobson Leads Wire-To-Wire, Wins Costa Flw Series Event At 1000 Islands
MICHIGAN’S DOBSON LEADS WIRE-TO-WIRE, WINS COSTA FLW SERIES EVENT AT 1000 ISLANDS PRESENTED BY MERCURY
Link to photo of winner Scott Dobson
CLAYTON, N.Y. (July 23, 2016) – Scott Dobson of Clarkston, Michigan, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 21 pounds, 12 ounces Saturday to win the Costa FLW Series Northern Division event at 1000 Islands presented by Mercury with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 68 pounds, 8 ounces. For his win, Dobson earned $82,669, including a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
“What a week this has been,” said Dobson, who earned his first career FLW Series victory. “I’ve been so close to winning in the past, and I knew that this tournament was mine to lose today. It was very tough today and my composure was really tested at some points, but it all worked out in the end and I am extremely happy right now.”
Dobson said that the majority of his fish came by rotating through three areas, keying in on spots that he said were, “snot free.”
“If you got any of that slimy grass on your lures, it was over and the fish weren’t going to bite,” Dobson said. “We started to call it ‘snot’ because when that happens your bait is not getting bit. So I keyed in on a couple of isolated areas that were clean and ‘snot’ free.”
It worked for Dobson as he weighed a limit of smallmouth bass each day on a variety of baits, including a Ned rig, which he dubbed “Mr. Flanders”, a drop-shot rig, a jerkbait, a spinbait and a tube. He said that he averaged 9 to 10 fish each day, but only caught 7 keepers Saturday.
“The drop-shot rig caught the most and biggest fish, but the Ned rig and the Duo Realis Spinbait 90 caught some important fish for me today.
“I think the biggest key to my win were my eyes,’ Dobson continued. “I saw every fish that I caught, and my experience fishing shallow back home on Lake St. Clair taught me that bait presentation is everything. If you cast too close, you’ll spook them. If you cast too far away, they can’t see it. It had to be very precise to get them to bite.”
The top 10 pros at 1000 Islands were:
1st: Scott Dobson, Clarkston, Mich., 15 bass, 68-8, $82,669
2nd: Chris Johnston, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, 15 bass, 61-4, $14,609
3rd: Cal Climpson, Sharon, Ontario, Canada, 15 bass, 58-8, $11,584
4th: Cory Johnston, Cavan, Ontario, Canada, 15 bass, 58-6, $9,425
5th: Bob Izumi, Milton, Ontario, Canada, 15 bass, 54-11, $8,482
6th: Dennis Carnahan, Cazenovia, N.Y., 15 bass, 53-3, $7,540
7th: Andrew Slegona, Walker Valley, N.Y., 15 bass, 48-12, $6,597
8th: John Vanore, Mullica Hill, N.J., 15 bass, 45-6, $5,655
9th: Joel Richardson, Kernersville, N.C., 13 bass, 42-4, $4,712
10th: Neil Farlow, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, 14 bass, 39-9, $3,770
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Climpson caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division Thursday – a bass weighing 6 pounds, 4 ounces to earn him the day’s Big Bass award of $274.
Joe Thompson of Clayton, Georgia, won the co-angler division and a Ranger Z117 with a 90-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard motor, with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 43 pounds, 7 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers at 1000 Islands were:
1st: Joe Thompson, Clayton, Ga., 15 bass, 43-7, Ranger Z117 w/90-horsepower outboard
2nd: Tom Streek, Belleville, Ontario, Canada, 15 bass, 41-13, $4,724
3rd: James Schneider, Rexford, N.Y., 15 bass, 40-8, $3,779
4th: Casey Casamento, Morrisonville, N.Y., 15 bass, 39-3, $3,307
5th: Heath Toler, Walnut Cove, N.C., 13 bass, 37-5, $2,834
6th: Rob Johnson, Schuylkill Haven, Pa., 15 bass, 36-1, $2,362
7th: Brian Kich, Berea, Ohio, 14 bass, 32-1, $1,890
8th: John Wilson, Six Mile, S.C., 14 bass, 31-3, $1,653
9th: William Clute, Hogansburg, N.Y., 11 bass, 29-6, $1,417
10th: Eric Correll, Birdsboro, Pa., 10 bass, 24-12, $1,181
Gary McClain of Chesapeake, Virginia, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division Friday weighing 5 pounds, 10 ounces to earn him the day’s Big Bass award of $145.
The Costa FLW Series consists of five divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western. Each division consists of three tournaments with competitors vying for valuable points that could earn them the opportunity to fish in the Costa FLW Series Championship. The 2016 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held Nov. 3-5 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri.
The Costa FLW Series at 1000 Islands was hosted by the Clayton Chamber of Commerce. It was the second Northern Division tournament of 2016.
The next Costa FLW Series tournament will be the third and final regular-season event in the Northern Division, held August 18-20, on Oneida Lake in Brewerton, New York. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Costa FLW Series on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Kevin Vandam Wins Bassmaster Classic Bracket, Pending Protest By Brett Hite
After 4 days, 8 anglers have gone head-to-head in bracket style competition at the Bassmaster Classic Bracket. Finally, we have a winner.
Maybe.
When the seconds had ticked off the clock in today's championship round, Kevin VanDam had 20 pounds, 3 ounces on the scoreboard. Brett Hite had 13-9.
But VanDam caught a fish weighing better than 2 pounds just beyond the boundary of this week's playing field.
Tournament Rule C1 covers this situation and it states that an angler may forfeit the lone fish that is in question of violation and that the angler's entire catch is not in jeopardy.
Hite, however, compares VanDam's blunder with that made by Greg Hackney at a recent Elite Series tournament - a mistake that disqualified Hackney's entire day's catch and basically knocked him out of the Angler of the Year race which he had led coming into that tournament day.
"Kevin is a friend of mine, but if a rule is broken, a rule is broken," concluded Hite.
A review of the rules would indicate that VanDam's win will be upheld. Formalities aside, here's how the action unfolded.
Smallmouth specialists know these fish like bright skies and calm conditions that play to their strengths as sight feeders. Mother Nature tested the top two anglers today. Gone was the sunshine that lit up VanDam's weed-lined flat so he could see to target his fish. The same sun had helped position Hite's fish beneath the I-190 Bridge all week. Today's weather was cloudy and breezy, a major reason for the slow start by both pros.
In the first 15 minutes VanDam cycled through at least 3 different techniques and had one missed strike to show for it.
He rolled up over the flat as if to do a post-mortem exam. "They are not positioned up here like I thought they would be," declared VanDam, "not the big ones. Maybe they come in the afternoon."
At 10:15 Hite struck first. "It's like wrestling a tiger in 3 mile an hour current and wind," said Hite as he spent a couple of minutes easing the fish ever closer until he could grasp the mellowed-out smallmouth. It weighed 1 pound, 15 ounces - a key number during VanDam's win yesterday.
Eight minutes later VanDam answered. He had abandoned the flat that produced just enough for him yesterday and returned to his Day 1 hot spot at Strawberry Island. The fish weighed little more than a pound, but it brought with it the hope that the sleepy Niagra River fishery had woken up.
When VanDam landed a 2-pound, 4-ounce largemouth minutes later, it confirmed that the bass were awake and eating. A hook mark on the fish's lip convinced VanDam that this was the same largemouth he caught, weighed and released on Tuesday in the same spot and on the same tube lure. The recycled fish gave him the lead.
As VanDam unhooked a 2-11 smallmouth 15 minutes later, he noted that color made a big difference and that he was alternating between KVD Magic and Edge, the color he used to catch this, his biggest bass.
Five minutes later Hite hooked up again, took a couple of minutes to play a fish and it, again, weighed 1-15.
VanDam answered with the jerkbait, and a 15-ouncer.
Just after 11AM Hite put a 1-11 in the boat.
VanDam immediately hit back with a 2-6 smallmouth.
Then, like a summer rain storm, as quickly as it had started the slugfest ground to a halt. The action assumed the pace that prompts commentators to pronounce random facts about the host location and to make predictions about the day's weights.
By noon the bass were back at it. VanDam built a sizeable lead, in part by finding a bridge of his own. The railroad bridge featured fast current close to the shore. There VanDam ran his weight to 13-10. Hite trailed with 5-9.
Around noon, an hour after his last catch, Hite caught 2-1 smallmouth and threw out a quote from Adam Sandler's Happy Gilmore movie: "Uh oh, Happy learned how to put!"
If Hite was putting, KVD was crushing it off the tee. He had 16 pounds by 12:30.
Unlike previous rounds this week, today was a "Weigh 'Em All" format wherein there was no 5-fish limit. Every legal bass counted toward each angler's total.
Through his involvement with Major League Fishing, VanDam has a lot of experience with match play, including the "Weigh 'Em All" format.
On a final day when there's no need to save fish, it makes sense to turn the boys loose and see who can wring the water out for all it's worth.
With 4 minutes, 34 seconds left to fish, Hite lifted a 3 pound, 3 ounce smallmouth over the gunnel. It was a valiant last effort but it left him lagging far behind with 13 pounds, 9 ounces to VanDam's 20-3.
It was a fascinating week of firsts but one thing not new to the sport was Kevin VanDam taking a title. This was his 23rd career Bassmaster victory, his 3rd this year alone - pending Hite's protest.
AnglersChannel.com will let you know when we learn more.
Hite Cruises, Vandam Squeaks Into Finals At Bassmaster Classic Bracket
It was hard to watch Koby Kreiger around midday during today's semifinal round of the Bassmaster Classic Bracket.
He trailed Kevin VanDam by about 6 pounds. Then he lost 2 fish in short order. Each looked as though it might weigh about 3 pounds. Their weight, along with the 2-plus pounds he'd caught earlier, would have put him right there with VanDam.
Crushed as he was by the turn of events, Kreiger should have taken it as a sign of great things to come. The fish kept biting. He started putting them in the boat, and on the scoreboard, and eventually built a small lead over the most dominant angler in bass tournament history.
Each man now having a limit - Kreiger's weighed 9-13 while VanDam's weighed 9-9 - they needed big bass in order to gain ground.
While most locals took their lunch break, some at the Anchor Bar & Grill where Buffalo wings were made famous, Kreiger and VanDam tried to make 3-pound smallmouth eat.
Shortly after 1 PM Kreiger set the hook and exclaimed "big one". After a tense battle he boated the bass, which weighed 2 pounds, 6 ounces, ran his total weight to 11 pounds and gave him nearly a pound and a half lead on VanDam. It also, perhaps, gave him some temporary relief from the agony of losing the pair of big ones this morning.
The split screen broadcast on Bassmaster.com showed VanDam continuing to fish in silence. He had caught a bunch on the new Strike King Half Shell dropshot bait that we got a look at during last week's ICAST show in Orlando.
With a half hour left to go, the Half Shell produced another fish for VanDam. This one was big enough to narrow the gap between himself and Kreiger to 4 ounces.
The smallest bass on VanDam's ledger weighed 1-11 so he needed a 1-15 to tie, a solid 2-pounder to take the lead.
He switched to a jerkbait and hooked a small fish right off. Very soon thereafter, a quality fish bent VanDam's rod deeply and fought until it jumped off near the trolling motor. It was now VanDam who had let the winning fish get away.
Then, just as quickly as the lost fish had become a sore memory, another bass loaded VanDam's rod. VanDam boated this one. It weighed exactly 1-15, forcing a tie between the two anglers at 11 pounds apiece.
A review of the tie-breaker rules revealed that VanDam would be awarded the win unless Kreiger could cull up once more in the remaining minutes of play.
Because his smallest limit fish weighed 1-14, it was Kreiger who now needed, ironically, a bass that weighed 1 pound, 15 ounces.
With roughly 9 minutes left to go Kreiger hooked a big smallmouth. "Be two pounds and an ounce! Be two pounds and an ounce!," Kreiger repeated at the fish. But then the fish was gone.
As the marshall counted down the final seconds it was again hard to watch a dejected Koby Kreiger, silhouetted against a huge concrete piling, rod in hand, hoping against hope for one more last chance. He had missed 3 such chances, any of which would have made him a giant-killer and moved him one step closer to a berth in the 2017 Bassmaster Classic. Burried in 72nd place on the Elite Series, he'll likely watch that Classic from the sidelines with the rest of us now.
Denny Brauer once told me that it's not the big bass you catch that you will remember the most. It's the big ones that got away that will never let go of you.
Right now I imagine Koby Kreiger understands that sentiment better than any man on Earth.
On the other hand, we got to witness vintage VanDam live as it unfolded. And he had to pull this one out of a magician's hat.
"I almost blew it today because I was trying to save this area," noted VanDam. It was the area he found while practicing late yesterday due to his big lead. He thought he had a comfortable lead today until Kreiger converted enough strikes into catches and then VanDam had to wring the pair of winning fish from his shallow grass bed.
He says the area is full of big fish and he expects them to feed heavily tomorrow morning when he plans on meeting them there. He will hold nothing back during Friday's final round.
"It's going to be a shootout tomorrow," said VanDam.
In the finale VanDam takes on Brett Hite who coasted to a win over Dean Rojas.
Hite was able to box what he needed and then rest his stretch of the big bridge that has produced all of his weight this week. He shared the bridge today with Kreiger who agreed to stay off of Hite's best pilings. As a result, Hite now knows there are smallmouth all over that bridge, should he need to expand his waters.
Early on it looked like Hite might be in trouble. Rojas kept pace for the first couple of hours. Then Hite caught the kind of bass that make a difference. The difference was 5 pounds 11 ounces as Hite won with a weight of 13-9 to Rojas' 7-14.
Just as one bridge has produced all of Hite's weight this week (the heaviest total of all competitors at 35-7) so too has a single lure, the Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm. It's a soft plastic lure designed for dropshoting. Apparently, it was designed well.
A very interesting format has led to a very interesting week, which has led up to what will certainly be a hot finish as Kevin VanDam and his grass bass square off against Brett Hite and his bridge fish.
Catch it all live on Bassmaster.com!
Wacky, Wonderful Day 2 At Bassmaster Classic Bracket As 4 Pros Advance
Jacob Powroznik cheers-on Koby Kreiger, the guy he's supposed to be fishing against. photo courtesy B.A.S.S.
As a fan of professional bass fishing, confrontational drama on the water has never bothered me. Some say that it 'gives the sport a black eye' or whatever. I say that's true - only if you're trying to reinvent golf. Wake me up when you're done with that. I'll be over here watching Happy Gilmore. "Gee, I hope none of those players have a fight right here in front of us," said no hockey fan ever.
And fans do watch NASCAR for the crashes. At least a crash occurs because somebody is trying too hard to win.
Today we witnessed the complete opposite of that.
Jacob Powroznik held a one-pound lead over Koby Kreiger, his close friend, travelling mate and the guy he was paired-up to compete against during the first rounds of the Bassmaster Classic Bracket. Powroznik is a lock to make the 2017 Bassmaster Classic. The big prize this week is a berth into said Classic. A $10,000 paycheck is the only other carrot dangling before the horses in this derby. All 8 of them win a $5,000 check just for showing up.
The extra 5-grand and a useless 2nd ticket to the big dance was not enough motivation for Powroznik to keep his foot on the gas when his buddy, Kreiger sits in 72nd place on the Elite Series - way out of the Classic cut with few tournaments left to make up ground.
So Powroznik bowed-out of today's competition. He cheered-on his friend and actually hoped he would catch 1 pound, 1 ounce in total weight and survive to fish tomorrow's semifinal round, one step closer to qualifying for the 2017 Classic.
From a business standpoint, it was classy move to help a friend gain all the exposure afforded to anglers as they participate in the week-long pageantry and exposure associated with the Classic. From a friendship standpoint, it was a solid decision that we can all appreciate on some level.
I respect Jacob Powroznik and the decision he made. That's the reasonable adult in me.
But as a fan of the sport, there is a part of me that has a problem with a competitor laying down his rods for any reason when it's game time.
We tuned-in to see a competition. I want to see blood, sweat and tears. What bothered me most is not simply the fact that it happened, anglers help each and make deals to share info or even fishing locations all the time. But then it's game on. Powroznik basically quit. He wasn't helping a buddy make the cut so they could both fish the next round. He was eliminating himself.
It was a selfless act and, again, on one hand I appreciate seeing that type of gesture. But on the other hand, the non-fishing world was watching today as the event was broadcast on WatchESPN alongside Major League Baseball, soccer and the Youth Robotics World Championship (not making that up) and I'm not sure I like what they may think of our sport if they saw a competitor quit. Especially if they don't understand the reasons behind it. It felt a little bit like some family business was aired in front of strangers.
Perhaps if there was more on the line, a bigger prize purse or a spot in the Classic before most of the field has already qualified for it, maybe then the competition would be more intense for all anglers involved.
That said, it was an INCREDIBLE day of action - and inaction - all very well documented by the outstanding coverage we have come to expect from B.A.S.S.
And to tell the truth, it was kind of fun to watch Kreiger fish against . . . well, his contest was with the clock, not with Powroznik. It was a lot like watching the cops pursue OJ Simpson in the white Bronco - one party was trying to catch the other but neither was going anywhere real fast.
Kreiger was grateful for the chance given to him by Powroznik. It took nearly the whole 3-hour period for the veteran smallmouth angler to land a 1-pound, 7-ounce fish and progress to the next round.
Kreiger also said that Powroznik had some issues back home that needed tending-to and stated, "There's a lot going on here that people don't know about."
Tomorrow Kreiger won't get a break. He squares off against Kevin VanDam who defeated Drew Benton by a score of 20 pounds, 8 ounces to 5-10.
There was no let up today for KVD as he precisely matched his numbers from yesterday by putting another 10-4 on the scoreboard.
Then he went looking.
VanDam took full advantage of his huge lead by scouting around to find new areas to fish tomorrow as well as eliminating dead water. "I was able to use this round today to practice and I'm feeling good about it. Like, real good," said VanDam as he scanned the shallows and saw bunches of bass. "I have got 'em," he said, "I have got them!"
By 'them' KVD probably means, both, the fish and the other competitors.
It's fortunate for VanDam that he found fresh water to pound tomorrow because the place where he did most of his VanDamage has been hammered by half the field.
Kreiger spent an hour there today and never caught one. Keith Combs camped on the spot first thing this morning in a losing effort. Jordan Lee quickly abandoned it this morning after he couldn't make it work for him.
Brett Hite has found a reliable structure in a bridge that has produced all of his fish - a tournament best 21 pounds, 14 ounces. He has tread lightly upon it, believiing it will hold up for the duration of the event.
Tomorrow Hite takes on Dean Rojas who posted a pulse-pumping come-from-behind win over Lee in the closing minutes of his morning on the river. We saw it all live and in color, counting down the minutes with Rojas, cheering when he set the hook, landed the fish and heard, as we did, Tournament Director Trip Weldon's announcement that it was big enough to put him over the top.
So the Final Four looks like this: VanDam vs Kreiger and Hite vs Rojas. You can see it all on Bassmaster.com where I'm pretty sure there will be no coverage of competitive Youth Robotics.
Day 2 Midday Update From Bassmaster Classic Bracket On Niagra River - Excitement Abounds!
Ten minutes left to go in this morning's action. Dean Rojas was 5 pounds behind Jordan Lee; 5 pounds out of tomorrow's semifinal round. He connected with 3 pound, 3 ounce smallmouth. On the next cast his rod bent, he set the hook and nursed another into the boat. Tripp Weldon said the fish needed to weigh at a pound, 13 ounces then read the in-boat digital scale and declared that it weighed 2 pounds, 13 ounces.
And those tuned-in to WatchESPN saw it all happen. Live.
"This format's the best," said Rojas. "There's nothing like it!"
Rojas jumped up and down on the deck of his boat as Weldon counted down the seconds and made the official announcement, "Tomorrow we have a West Coast shootout - you versus Brett Hite."
Hite bested Keith Combs
So my prediction, made yesterday, that Kevin VanDam could lay off of his best stuff due to his lead over Drew Benton seems less plausible now because VanDam's best stuff may be the best stuff on the river - a single seawall that forms a current break around Strawberry Island. So good is the spot that Koby Kreiger caught a pair of fish off of it on Tuesday, Combs caught nearly 8 pounds from it and when Combs returned to start today's round of fishing he found Lee perched on it also.
"We'll work it out," grimaced Combs, who said he had found the spot in practice and hooked 2 fish on his first 2 casts there. He said Lee did not fish there the first day so Combs was disappointed to see him. Furthermore, judging from the photo gallery - which the pros are allowed to look at - Combs could see that his best spot (which turned to be VanDam's and Kreiger's best spot) had been beaten hard during the morning round while Combs was on the sideline waiting to fish the afternoon round.
That's when VanDam was working the spot over.
Can VanDam make the area pay off again today? Will he give it a rest? Niagra River bass will replenish on a good spot so if KVD doesn't need that area today it could come into play tomorrow, especially with Lee and Combs out of the race now.
That brings up the subject of Hite who caught all of his fish from a single bridge and who appears to have that area to himself. Can he outlast the guys who are splitting up the Strawberry Island pie?
Seeing the way he whacked them again this morning, Hite is a threat this week. He laid off his best spot after catching a quality limit. "I never hit one piling more than once."
Final scores so far: Hite beat Combs 21-14 to 14-11 while Rojas came from behind to top Lee by exactly a pound 13-9 to 12-9.
Let's see what the guys can do this afternoon.
The video coverage of the Classic Bracket is outstanding. It was fun to watch Dean Rojas pitch a lure to visible cruising smallmouth in a clear water creek; disheartening to see them reject his offerings. We were right there in the boat with him!
Combine that excitement with the aerial views, maps and expert commentary by Sanders and Zona - great job B.A.S.S.!
Morning Bite Stronger On Day1 Of Bassmaster Classic Bracket On Niagra River
Judging from the weight totals, it seems like the early bite was stronger than the afternoon bite.
Three of the four pros who fished this morning caught limits of bass. Only one of four competitors did so this afternoon.
Tomorrow they flip-flop which means Kevin VanDam will defend the tournament's biggest Day 1 lead atop what should be an even more difficult hill for Elite Series rookie Drew Benton to climb. Benton caught one bass this morning while KVD led all anglers with 10 pounds, 4 ounces, though he's only competing against Benton today and tomorrow.
Brett Hite, the lone limit-getter of the afternoon, nearly equalled VanDam's exploits with 10-2 as he leads Keith Combs who caught 3 fish for a total 7-15.
Combs shared with me at the recent ICAST show that he grew up catching a few smallmouth in Texas, but that - as he points out in this EXCELLENT blog post on Bassmaster.com http://www.bassmaster.com/keith-combs/bass-not-bass - they are not very similar to the critters he's chasing this week.
Jordan Lee also had 7-15 (on 4 fish) but it was enough to give him a lead in this head-to-head style tournament where he was paired against Dean Rojas. Rojas had 3 fish that weighed 3-11.
The same anglers are matched against the same opponents for Wednesday's action, though Combs and Hite will enjoy the morning bite alongside Lee and Rojas and VanDam vs Benton will resume, as will Jacob Powroznik (9-14) vs Koby Kreiger (8-14) in the afternoon.
You can catch tomorrow's LIVE broadcast on WatchESPN or the ESPN app along with millions of sports fans who are not normally exposed to competitive bass fishing. Bassmaster.com will continue to stream it live on Thursday and during Friday's championship round.
Bassmaster Classic Bracket Off To Interesting Start!
This would be 'half time' for our Classic Bracket anglers in matches #1 and #2. They will pick up the rods again tomorrow against the same opponents and carry today's weight toward their 2-day total to determine who moves on to Thursday's semifinal rounds.
Kevin VanDam trots to the locker room with a hefty lead over Elite Series rookie Drew Benton. KVD may not have a ton of experience on the Niagara River but he understands smallmouth - and bass, in general - better than most folks. He leads Benton by a weight of 10 pounds, 4 ounces (5 fish) to Benton's single bass that weighed 1 pound, 6 ounces.
Under this unique format VanDam's lead provides extra advantages. Unlike other Elite Series events, the Classic Bracket allows anglers to know what kind of weight their competitor - the only guy they need to beat during that round - has on the scoreboard.
This means that VanDam can watch how Benton does tomorrow and, unless the rookie who grew up fishing in the Florida Panhandle - hundreds of miles from the nearest smallmouth - can mount a charge, VanDam can lay off his best stuff and save it for Thursday.
That could make things really tough for Koby Kreiger or Jacob Powroznik. The two anglers had a combined total weight of 18 pounds, 12 ounces for each guy's best 5 fish. They may have burned more fish culling up to that weight.
According to Steve Bowman of B.A.S.S., Powroznik had 45 seconds left on the clock when he swung a 2-pound, 3-ounce smallmouth aboard. That fish ran his weight to 9-14 and gave him a 1-pound advantage over Kreiger that he will carry into Wednesday's competition.
That all happened this morning. This afternoon we are watching, via Bassmaster LIVE, Brett Hite vs Keith Combs and Jordan Lee vs Dean Rojas.
An hour into it Jordan Lee is the only angler to score so far. He has a 2-pound, 6-ounce fish to his credit.
The Niagra River is fishing a little slower than expected but it is sure to give off some fireworks this week. You can watch it all at Bassmaster.com and on Wednesday the entire sporting world can see our favorite game on WatchESPN and the ESPN app. - great exposure for our sport as we 'test the waters' with this new format.
Lew's Mach II Delivers Stylish Performance At A Budget-Friendly Price
Its often said that luck is the intersection of opportunity and preparation. Similarly, “value†occurs when price and quality intersect. Lucky for anglers, Lew’s has packed a lot of quality into it’s new Mach II baitcast combo, released last week at ICAST.
“This is not a cheap, low-end combo; this is a super-good quality combo,†said FLW Tour Pro and Lew’s pro-staffer Glenn Browne. “It has a 7-foot IM8 graphite rod that comes in a couple of different actions and it has the new WINN Grips, which have become hugely popular in the last couple of years.
“I use the WINN Grips on all of my rods and the neat thing about them is that if it’s rainy, or if it’s humid and your hands get sweaty, that grip really stays in your hand.â€
Indeed, the 7-foot, one-piece Mach II rod features Nano Technology, Lew’s Soft Touch graphite skeletal reel seats and stainless steel frames with aluminum oxide inserts. Completing the combo is Lew’s all-new Mach II Speed Spool® SLP (Super Low Profile design), a reel that boasts a 10-bearing system with double-shielded stainless steel bearings and a Zero Reverse anti-reverse clutch bearing, all packed into a strong, lightweight graphite frame and side plates.
“This reel comes in a 7.5:1 gear ratio and it’s typical Lew’s — super far casting,†Browne said. “Lew’s has kind of grown its reputation on building reels that really cast far and you can dial this in with the internal centrifugal brakes that are adjustable right on the outside of the reel.â€
The Mach II owes its smooth castability to its machined and anodized 32mm aluminum U-shape spool, which starts and accelerates quickly, so it handles even light lures and lines with ease. The spool also contributes to the reel’s overall compact size, balance and palming comfort.
All this for $179.99.
“This offers what anglers are looking for in a reasonably-priced, high-quality combo,†Browne said. “I tell a lot of people that a 7-foot rod is a good place to start because you can do so much with a 7-foot rod. You can worm fish with it, you can pitch around some docks, you can cast a jig, you can throw spinnerbaits and chatterbaits.
“A 7-foot medium-heavy rod will do a lot of different things. You don’t have to have 22 specific actions to do a lot. So, if you’re working within a (moderate) budget, you can get four or five different combos and fill your needs, instead of having a whole rod box full of models.â€
Even before you pick up a Lew’s Mach II combo, the first thing you’ll notice are the vivid lime green accents on the custom designed WINN Dri-Tec Split Grips, the 95mm power handle with custom WINN/Lew’s Dri-Tec reel handle grips and, reel controls and rod wraps. As Lew’s rod designer Bob Brown points out, the visuals and the price point create a dual attraction for the “next generation†of tournament anglers.
“We’ve found that the younger anglers, the high school and college tournament competitors like the bold colors,†Brown said. “Also, when they can buy a high-quality combo for under $200, this will enable them to fish with reliable equipment on a small budget.â€
Complementing the baitcasting outfits, Lew’s has also assembled a well-balanced, tournament-ready spinning combo built on an all-purpose 6-foot, 9-inch medium-fast action IM8 one-piece graphite blank. A high-speed 6.2:1 reel features a 10-bearing system with Zero-Reverse one-way clutch bearing, high strength C40 carbon skeletal speed rotor with stainless bail wire and S-curve oscillation system. With a braid-ready spool and die-cast aluminum handle fitted with a Lew’s SoftTouch knob this comfortable and functional outfit retails at $139.99.
For more information about the Mach II baitcasting and spinning combos, visit www.Lews.com.
Garmin® Introduces Quickdraw Community
Garmin® introduces Quickdraw Community,
an online community of free user-generated map data
OLATHE, Kan./July 12, 2016/Business Wire – Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ:GRMN), today announced Quickdraw Community, a free online user-generated platform where users can share and browse HD mapping content, and download the data free of charge to enhance and supplement existing Garmin mapping options. The Quickdraw Community builds on the success of the company’s Quickdraw Contours software feature – a free, easy-to- use tool that lets mariners instantly create personalized HD maps with 1-foot contours on any body of water – allowing users to easily and quickly share and upload the best data available.
“Garmin customers have been collecting Quickdraw Contours mapping and depth data on their devices since the free software feature became available earlier this year, and now they have a way to easily share that data with others,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of worldwide sales. “Not only is Quickdraw (Contours and Community) free and easy to use, but thanks to Garmin PanoptixTM all-seeing sonar technology, it’s the only map sharing platform to use multi- beam sonar recordings for high quality, accurate and complete HD contours.”
Creating Quickdraw Contours data is powerfully simple. Once it’s turned on, users will instantly see contours with labels generated right on the screen as the boat moves – unlike competitor products, there’s no waiting around or sending the files in for remote processing, nor is there a fee to keep the data private or to share it with others. The results are instant and accurate, and can be viewed in real-time, or created in the background for use at a later time. For the most comprehensive coverage, Quickdraw Contours clearly shows where usable depth information has been collected and where gaps exist, so users can easily see what still needs to be collected.
The collected data can be stored on any off-the-shelf SD or microSDTM card, as well as existing Garmin BlueChart® g2, BlueChart g2 Vision® and LakeVü HD Ultra cards. To upload, download or browse collected Quickdraw Contours data, users will need to create an account through Garmin Connect, a free online community already utilized by millions of Garmin customers who use the platform to share, track, and analyze data from other Garmin devices.
Data can be uploaded through a “Marine Profile” in Garmin Connect, and once uploaded, will typically be available on the web for download within 24 hours. With the intuitive map interface, users can easily locate and see the data shared by other users within the community overlaid on the applicable body of water. Available user-generated data can be easily downloaded from Garmin Connect to a microSD/SD card for use with a compatible Garmin chartplotter, and can be viewed simultaneously with a user’s personal Quickdraw Contour data on a chartplotter.
The Garmin Quickdraw Community on Garmin Connect is available now at garminconnect.com/quickdraw. Quickdraw Contours comes standard on all echoMAP® CHIRP products, and is available as a free software update for all other echoMAP and many GPSMAP® series products. It can be used with any depth transducer, including Garmin Panoptix, HD-IDTM, DownVü, and NMEA 2000 transducers. To learn more, visit garmin.com/marine2016.
Sisk Wins Flw Bass Fishing League Illini Division Event On Ohio River
INDIANA™S SISK WINS FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE ILLINI DIVISION EVENT ON OHIO RIVER
Lee wins co-angler title
GOLCONDA, Ill. (July 18, 2016) – Marty Sisk of Evansville, Indiana, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 13 ounces, Saturday to win the third FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Illini Division tournament of 2016 on the Ohio River. For his victory, Sisk took home $7,456.
“I worked my way up the Cumberland River hitting offshore bars and small ledges,” said Sisk, who earned his third win in FLW competition. “I focused on chunk rock and pea gravel in 10 to 15 feet of water.
“I caught the biggest bass of the tournament around 10:30 a.m. on a 1-ounce Blue Glimmer-colored Accent spinnerbait,” said Sisk. “Throughout the day I rotated in a ¾-ounce green-pumpkin Hawgback Lures football-head jig with a green-pumpkin craw trailer, and a Carolina-rigged green-pumpkin Zoom Brush Hog. My goal was to keep the fish going. I didn’t want them to look at the same bait for a long period of time.”
Sisk said that he split his day between five different areas and caught nearly 50 fish.
“I hit a flurry between 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. which really helped me,” said Sisk. “Also, the Strike Force scent on my jig was a huge factor out there. It may have won the tournament for me.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Marty Sisk, Evansville, Ind., five bass, 17-13, $5,456 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Ray Cortivo, Troy, Ill., five bass, 17-7, $1,963
3rd: Chad Hess, Scheller, Ill., five bass, 16-11, $1,309
4th: Jerry Walker, Zeigler, Ill., five bass, 16-4, $1,216
5th: Dan Shoraga, West Frankfort, Ill., five bass, 16-2, $785
6th: Hilton Jones, Westfield, Ill., five bass, 15-10, $720
7th: Jake Hurst, New Athens, Ill., five bass, 15-3, $654
8th: Joey Morris, Galatia, Ill., five bass, 14-9, $589
9th: Michael McAtee, Waverly, Ky., five bass, 13-8, $523
10th: Melvin Jeffords, Grantsburg, Ill., five bass, 13-3, $458
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Sisk’s biggest bass, which weighed 5 pounds, 4 ounces, earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $530.
Jeffrey Lee of Olney, Illinois, weighed in five bass totaling 12 pounds, 14 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $1,958.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Jeffrey Lee, Olney, Ill., five bass, 12-14, $1,958
2nd: Joey Jeffery, Ledbetter, Ky., five bass, 12-4, $979
3rd: Mike Youngblood, St. Louis, Mo., five bass, 11-12, $653
4th: Chris Gable, Eddyville, Ky., five bass, 11-9, $457
5th: Cole Hansens, Dongola, Ill., five bass, 10-11, $392
6th: Eugene Kim, Lindenhurst, Ill., four bass, 10-9, $619
7th: Charles Dammerman, Owaneco, Ill., five bass, 10-7, $326
8th: Steve Bowcock, Lawrenceville, Ill., five bass, 10-5, $294
9th: Yong Yeun, Elgin, Ill., five bass, 9-7, $261
10th: David Hutson, Palmersville, Tenn., five bass, 9-2, $228
Kim caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 4 pounds, 13 ounces, and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $260.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 13-15 Regional Championship on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Poffenberger Wins Flw Bass Fishing League Buckeye Division Event On Ohio River
OHIO’S POFFENBERGER WINS FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE BUCKEYE DIVISION EVENT ON OHIO RIVER
Redwine wins co-angler title
MAYSVILLE, Ky. (July 18, 2016) – Jake Poffenberger of Brookville, Ohio, weighed four bass totaling 9 pounds, 7 ounces, Saturday to win the fourth FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Buckeye Division tournament of 2016 on the Ohio River. For his victory, Poffenberger earned $4,684.
“I spent my day fishing four different creek mouths between the lock and Maysville,” said Poffenberger, who earned his first win in FLW competition. “I picked apart 100-yard stretches along flats and hit all kinds of wood. I think the river was fluctuating a lot, so that’s why bass were close to the creek mouths and not in the backwaters.
“The flats I sat on were about 2 feet down, but there was deeper water nearby,” Poffenberger continued. “When the sun came out I had better bites because the bass were pushed closer to the wood.”
Poffenberger said he rotated between a 1/8-ounce chartreuse-colored Hawk Spinnerbait and a Watermelon Red Magic-colored Yamamoto Senko to catch his four keepers.
“I used the Hawk until the wind stopped blowing, then I picked up the Senko,” said Poffenberger. “I didn’t catch many fish, but they were the right size.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Jake Poffenberger, Brookville, Ohio, four bass, 9-7, $4,684
2nd: Kyle Weisenburger, Ottawa, Ohio, five bass, 9-0, $2,059
3rd: Chris Combess, Cleves, Ohio, four bass, 8-7, $1,374
4th: Keith Wheelock, Springboro, Ohio, five bass, 7-14, $961
5th: Dick Shaffer, Rockford, Ohio, five bass, 6-15, $824
6th: Bret Languell, Indianapolis, Ind., five bass, 6-11, $755
7th: David Dudley, Dublin, Ohio, three bass, 6-9, $686
8th: Sean Wieda, Florence, Ky., five bass, 6-7, $618
9th: Trevor Windgassen, Alexandria, Ky., five bass, 6-3, $549
10th: James Fulton, Ray, Ohio, five bass, 6-1, $480
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Poffenberger also caught a bass weighing 4 pounds, 5 ounces – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $565.
Alex Redwine of Cincinnati, Ohio, weighed in four bass totaling 5 pounds, 14 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,059.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Alex Redwine, Cincinnati, Ohio, four bass, 5-14, $2,059
2nd: Douglas Shope, Troy, Ohio, three bass, 5-8, $1,030
3rd: Herbert Jones, Cincinnati, Ohio, five bass, 4-9, $687
4th: Butch Dobransky, Canton, Ohio, three bass, 4-7, $480
5th: Aaron Kuhlmann, Hamilton, Ohio, one bass, 4-3, $694
6th: Derek Buchanan, Madison, Ind., three bass, 4-1, $378
7th: Bill Lowther, Brandenburg, Ky., four bass, 3-15, $343
8th: Billy Senters, New Richmond, Ohio, three bass, 3-14, $309
9th: Bradley Fulton, Ray, Ohio, three bass, 3-13, $275
10th: Dennis Robinson, Oxford, Ohio, three bass, 3-11, $228
10th: Justin Busby, Lancaster, Ohio, one bass, 3-11, $228
Kuhlmann brought a 4-pound, 3-ounce bass to the scale, which was the biggest of the tournament in the co-angler division and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $282.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 13-15 Regional Championship on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Boggs Wins Flw Bass Fishing League Music City Division Event On Old Hickory Lake
LEBANON’S BOGGS WINS FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE MUSIC CITY DIVISION EVENT ON OLD HICKORY LAKE
Humphrey wins co-angler title
GALLATIN, Tenn. (July 18, 2016) – Drew Boggs of Lebanon, Tennessee, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 13 pounds, 10 ounces, Saturday to win the fourth FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Music City Division tournament of 2016 on Old Hickory Lake. Boggs took home $3,028 for his victory.
“I went out there and did what I’m most confident in, and that’s pitching and flipping shallow cover,” said Boggs, who logged his second win of 2016 in BFL competition. “I hit four creeks with shallow wood near the banks. All of my areas were mid-lake to 15 miles north.”
Boggs said he used both a green pumpkin-colored and a tilapia-colored Texas-rigged Big Bite Baits Craw Tube to catch his fish. He said one was rigged with a skirted Jiggy Weight and the other was attached to a regular Jiggy Weight.
“The Craw Tube with the skirted weight caught my biggest fish,” said Boggs. “Jiggy Weights make the bait slide and glide through cover better. It’s more flat, so when you pop the bait and kill it, it glides better than a regular jig."
Boggs said he ended up catching 13 keepers throughout the event.
“All of my fish came in less than 2 feet of water,” said Boggs. “In the middle of the summer when things get hot, they get up shallow on this lake. It’s unusual but that’s where they were.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Drew Boggs, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 13-10, $3,028
2nd: Ty Garrett, Pulaski, Tenn., five bass, 12-11, $1,514
3rd: Tim Staley, Dowelltown, Tenn., five bass, 12-5, $1,008
4th: Jeremy Nash, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 12-1, $707
5th: Michael Wooten, Goodlettsville, Tenn., five bass, 11-13, $606
6th: Danny Heicher, Murfreesboro, Tenn., four bass, 11-10, $555
7th: Scott Lefevers, Hermitage, Tenn., four bass, 11-5, $805
8th: Jayson Johnson, Smithville, Tenn., five bass, 11-4, $454
9th: Danny Boggs, Fayetteville, Tenn., five bass, 11-1, $404
10th: Daniel Johnson, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 10-14, $353
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Mickey Beck of Lebanon, Tennessee, caught a bass weighing 5 pounds, 6 ounces – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $355.
Darryl Humphrey of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, weighed in five bass totaling 11 pounds, 1 ounce, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $1,445.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Darryl Humphrey, Murfreesboro, Tenn., five bass, 11-1, $1,445
2nd: Ricky England, Sparta, Tenn., four bass, 9-9, $722
3rd: Gregory Goodwin, Louisville, Ky., four bass, 9-4, $480
4th: Phil Williams Jr., Jamestown, Ky., five bass, 9-0, $337
5th: Richard Walker, Franklin, Tenn., three bass, 8-13, $289
6th: Chris Tarpley, Murfreesboro, Tenn., three bass, 8-1, $430
7th: Jeremy Richardson, Hendersonville, Tenn., four bass, 7-5, $241
8th: Jason McCanless, Lebanon, Tenn., three bass, 6-9, $217
9th: Jacob Foutz, Charleston, Tenn., two bass, 6-1, $193
10th: Kevin Lamb, Gallatin, Tenn., three bass, 6-0, $169
Tarpley caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 4 pounds, 15 ounces, and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $165.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 27-29 Regional Championship on Lake Hartwell in Seneca, South Carolina. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Ortonville’s Greene Wins Flw Bass Fishing League Michigan Division Event On Lake St. Clair
ORTONVILLE’S GREENE WINS FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE MICHIGAN DIVISION EVENT ON LAKE ST. CLAIR
Hayward wins co-angler title
HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (July 18, 2016) – Kyle Greene of Ortonville, Michigan, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 23 pounds even Saturday to win the second FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Michigan Division tournament of 2016 on Lake St. Clair. For his victory, Greene took home $6,155.
Greene said he spent his day on the Canadian side of Lake St. Clair, targeting scattered weeds. He said he moved along a 300-yard stretch and fished in 6 to 10 feet of water.
“I used two baits – a Fiesta Melon-colored PROvider Performance Series Tube and a natural-colored swimbait,” said Greene, who earned the first win of his FLW career. “The weed patches had holes in the middle of them. I casted the swimbait up into the weeds and reeled it in slow, or let the tube lay on the bottom.
“I caught a 5-pounder on the swimbait to start things out, but the tube did the rest of the damage,” Greene continued. “I ended up catching nearly 40 keepers throughout the event.”
Green said he had most of his winning weight by 9:30 a.m.
“Over the past few years I’ve had strong finishes at BFL events, but have never won,” said Greene, who started fishing BFL events in 1995. “This feels pretty good. I guess it was my time.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Kyle Greene, Ortonville, Mich., five bass, 23-0, $4,155 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Tim Rachoy, Crown Point, Ind., five bass, 21-15, $2,078
3rd: Dan Mason, Pain Court, Ontario, Canada, five bass, 21-1, $1,953
4th: Tony Hansen, Vermontville, Mich., five bass, 20-0, $970
5th: Frank Novock, Rockwood, Mich., five bass, 19-14, $831
6th: Heath Wagner, Angola, Ind., five bass, 19-4, $762
7th: Steve Clapper, Lima, Ohio, five bass, 19-1, $693
8th: Scott Dobson, Clarkston, Mich., five bass, 19-0, $888
8th: Chris King, South Amherst, Ohio, five bass, 19-0, $588
10th: Angel Rosario, Kalamazoo, Mich., five bass, 18-13, $485
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Mason caught a bass weighing 6 pounds, 2 ounces – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $570.
Jason Hayward of Plainwell, Michigan, weighed in five bass totaling 23 pounds, 4 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,363.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Jason Hayward, Plainwell, Mich., five bass, 23-4, $2,363
2nd: Mike Raber, Wolcottville, Ind., five bass, 19-10, $1,039
3rd: Brian Ruetz, Toledo, Ohio, five bass, 19-3, $691
4th: Paul Porento, Highland, Ind., five bass, 18-8, $450
4th: Aaron Stahley, Batavia, Ohio, five bass, 18-8, $450
6th: Mark Lyons, Marion, Ind., five bass, 17-13, $381
7th: Mark Saunders, Medina, Ohio, five bass, 17-8, $346
8th: Jeff Napier, Martinsville, Ind., five bass, 17-7, $312
9th: Garry Lloyd, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., five bass, 17-4, $277
10th: Bill Dodge, Laingsburg, Mich., four bass, 17-2, $242
Hayward also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 11 ounces, and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $285.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 13-15 Regional Championship on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Ortonville’s Greene Wins Flw Bass Fishing League Michigan Division Event On Lake St. Clair
ORTONVILLE’S GREENE WINS FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE MICHIGAN DIVISION EVENT ON LAKE ST. CLAIR
Hayward wins co-angler title
HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (July 18, 2016) – Kyle Greene of Ortonville, Michigan, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 23 pounds even Saturday to win the second FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Michigan Division tournament of 2016 on Lake St. Clair. For his victory, Greene took home $6,155.
Greene said he spent his day on the Canadian side of Lake St. Clair, targeting scattered weeds. He said he moved along a 300-yard stretch and fished in 6 to 10 feet of water.
“I used two baits – a Fiesta Melon-colored PROvider Performance Series Tube and a natural-colored swimbait,” said Greene, who earned the first win of his FLW career. “The weed patches had holes in the middle of them. I casted the swimbait up into the weeds and reeled it in slow, or let the tube lay on the bottom.
“I caught a 5-pounder on the swimbait to start things out, but the tube did the rest of the damage,” Greene continued. “I ended up catching nearly 40 keepers throughout the event.”
Green said he had most of his winning weight by 9:30 a.m.
“Over the past few years I’ve had strong finishes at BFL events, but have never won,” said Greene, who started fishing BFL events in 1995. “This feels pretty good. I guess it was my time.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Kyle Greene, Ortonville, Mich., five bass, 23-0, $4,155 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Tim Rachoy, Crown Point, Ind., five bass, 21-15, $2,078
3rd: Dan Mason, Pain Court, Ontario, Canada, five bass, 21-1, $1,953
4th: Tony Hansen, Vermontville, Mich., five bass, 20-0, $970
5th: Frank Novock, Rockwood, Mich., five bass, 19-14, $831
6th: Heath Wagner, Angola, Ind., five bass, 19-4, $762
7th: Steve Clapper, Lima, Ohio, five bass, 19-1, $693
8th: Scott Dobson, Clarkston, Mich., five bass, 19-0, $888
8th: Chris King, South Amherst, Ohio, five bass, 19-0, $588
10th: Angel Rosario, Kalamazoo, Mich., five bass, 18-13, $485
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Mason caught a bass weighing 6 pounds, 2 ounces – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $570.
Jason Hayward of Plainwell, Michigan, weighed in five bass totaling 23 pounds, 4 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,363.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Jason Hayward, Plainwell, Mich., five bass, 23-4, $2,363
2nd: Mike Raber, Wolcottville, Ind., five bass, 19-10, $1,039
3rd: Brian Ruetz, Toledo, Ohio, five bass, 19-3, $691
4th: Paul Porento, Highland, Ind., five bass, 18-8, $450
4th: Aaron Stahley, Batavia, Ohio, five bass, 18-8, $450
6th: Mark Lyons, Marion, Ind., five bass, 17-13, $381
7th: Mark Saunders, Medina, Ohio, five bass, 17-8, $346
8th: Jeff Napier, Martinsville, Ind., five bass, 17-7, $312
9th: Garry Lloyd, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., five bass, 17-4, $277
10th: Bill Dodge, Laingsburg, Mich., four bass, 17-2, $242
Hayward also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 11 ounces, and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $285.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 13-15 Regional Championship on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Wheatland’s Gunter Wins Flw Bass Fishing League Ozark Division Event On Lake Truman Presented By Power-Pole
WHEATLAND’S GUNTER WINS FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE OZARK DIVISION EVENT ON LAKE TRUMAN PRESENTED BY POWER-POLE
Tyree wins co-angler title
WARSAW, Mo. (July 18, 2016) – Matt Gunter of Wheatland Missouri, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 15 pounds, 3 ounces, Saturday to win the fourth FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Ozark Division tournament of 2016 on Lake Truman presented by Power-Pole. Gunter took home $4,804 for his victory.
“I split my day between the lower Osage and Pomme de Terre arms,” said Gunter, who earned his first win in BFL competition. “I burned an entire tank of gas getting to my areas, but it paid off.”
Gunter said he flipped cedar trees and other types of wood using a Texas-rigged 10½-inch Zoom Ol’ Monster Worm. He said he used two colors – plum and green-pumpkin – to catch his limit.
“I flipped the Ol’ Monster all day,” said Gunter. “I caught fish in water that was 2- to 20-feet deep. If I was in 2 feet of water, the fish were on the bottom. In 20 feet, they were suspended.”
Gunter said he used a slow retrieve and lighter ¼- and 1/8-ounce weights on his lure.
“I had four limit-fish within the first two hours on the water,” said Gunter. “Around 12:30 p.m. I caught two more keepers, culled once and then brought in what I had.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Matt Gunter, Wheatland, Mo., five bass, 15-3, $4,804
2nd: Marcus Sykora, Osage Beach, Mo., five bass, 13-14, $1,902
3rd: Wes Endicott, Joplin, Mo., five bass, 13-13, $1,267
4th: Lance Williams, Billings, Mo., five bass, 12-8, $888
5th: Jeffrey Smith, Knob Noster, Mo., five bass, 12-3, $761
6th: Ted Collins, Gainesville, Mo., five bass, 11-3, $997
7th: Dennis Berhorst, Holts Summit, Mo., five bass, 9-15, $634
8th: Lawson Hibdon, Versailles, Mo., four bass, 9-8, $571
9th: Tyler Matlock, Omaha, Ark., two bass, 9-1, $1,012
10th: Ben Verhoef, Osage Beach, Mo., three bass, 8-12, $444
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Matlock caught a bass weighing 6 pounds, 11 ounces – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $505.
Derrick Tyree of Owensville, Missouri, weighed in four bass totaling 10 pounds, 5 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $1,897.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Derrick Tyree, Owensville, Mo., four bass, 10-5, $1,897
2nd: Vincent Jones, Robertsville, Mo., four bass, 9-2, $949
3rd: Ronald Smith Jr., Kansas City, Kan., three bass, 8-11, $633
4th: Cory Schuh, Hillsboro, Mo., two bass, 7-6, $690
5th: Jeremy Guzman, Lees Summit, Mo., three bass, 6-7, $379
6th: Zach Bechtel, Cuba, Mo., two bass, 6-0, $348
7th: Joshua Dyrland, Imperial, Mo., two bass, 5-9, $316
8th: Johnnie Cook, Houston Lake, Mo., two bass, 5-5, $285
9th: James Hosford, Jefferson City, Mo., two bass, 5-0, $253
10th: Joseph Dorcy, Smithville, Mo., two bass, 4-14, $221
Schuh caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 4 pounds, 12 ounces, and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $247.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 27-29 Regional Championship on Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Arkansas. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Wheatland’s Gunter Wins Flw Bass Fishing League Ozark Division Event On Lake Truman Presented By Power-Pole
WHEATLAND’S GUNTER WINS FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE OZARK DIVISION EVENT ON LAKE TRUMAN PRESENTED BY POWER-POLE
Tyree wins co-angler title
WARSAW, Mo. (July 18, 2016) – Matt Gunter of Wheatland Missouri, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 15 pounds, 3 ounces, Saturday to win the fourth FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Ozark Division tournament of 2016 on Lake Truman presented by Power-Pole. Gunter took home $4,804 for his victory.
“I split my day between the lower Osage and Pomme de Terre arms,” said Gunter, who earned his first win in BFL competition. “I burned an entire tank of gas getting to my areas, but it paid off.”
Gunter said he flipped cedar trees and other types of wood using a Texas-rigged 10½-inch Zoom Ol’ Monster Worm. He said he used two colors – plum and green-pumpkin – to catch his limit.
“I flipped the Ol’ Monster all day,” said Gunter. “I caught fish in water that was 2- to 20-feet deep. If I was in 2 feet of water, the fish were on the bottom. In 20 feet, they were suspended.”
Gunter said he used a slow retrieve and lighter ¼- and 1/8-ounce weights on his lure.
“I had four limit-fish within the first two hours on the water,” said Gunter. “Around 12:30 p.m. I caught two more keepers, culled once and then brought in what I had.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Matt Gunter, Wheatland, Mo., five bass, 15-3, $4,804
2nd: Marcus Sykora, Osage Beach, Mo., five bass, 13-14, $1,902
3rd: Wes Endicott, Joplin, Mo., five bass, 13-13, $1,267
4th: Lance Williams, Billings, Mo., five bass, 12-8, $888
5th: Jeffrey Smith, Knob Noster, Mo., five bass, 12-3, $761
6th: Ted Collins, Gainesville, Mo., five bass, 11-3, $997
7th: Dennis Berhorst, Holts Summit, Mo., five bass, 9-15, $634
8th: Lawson Hibdon, Versailles, Mo., four bass, 9-8, $571
9th: Tyler Matlock, Omaha, Ark., two bass, 9-1, $1,012
10th: Ben Verhoef, Osage Beach, Mo., three bass, 8-12, $444
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Matlock caught a bass weighing 6 pounds, 11 ounces – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $505.
Derrick Tyree of Owensville, Missouri, weighed in four bass totaling 10 pounds, 5 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $1,897.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Derrick Tyree, Owensville, Mo., four bass, 10-5, $1,897
2nd: Vincent Jones, Robertsville, Mo., four bass, 9-2, $949
3rd: Ronald Smith Jr., Kansas City, Kan., three bass, 8-11, $633
4th: Cory Schuh, Hillsboro, Mo., two bass, 7-6, $690
5th: Jeremy Guzman, Lees Summit, Mo., three bass, 6-7, $379
6th: Zach Bechtel, Cuba, Mo., two bass, 6-0, $348
7th: Joshua Dyrland, Imperial, Mo., two bass, 5-9, $316
8th: Johnnie Cook, Houston Lake, Mo., two bass, 5-5, $285
9th: James Hosford, Jefferson City, Mo., two bass, 5-0, $253
10th: Joseph Dorcy, Smithville, Mo., two bass, 4-14, $221
Schuh caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 4 pounds, 12 ounces, and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $247.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 27-29 Regional Championship on Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Arkansas. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Did I Stutter?
Bill Lewis Debuts Unique Topwater Bait with Multiple Fish-Tempting Actions
If persistence is the cornerstone of performance, then Bill Lewis Outdoors has laid the foundation for amazing angling achievement with the new StutterStep. Introduced at ICAST, this ample-body topwater with a saddleback profile and a keeled belly, features a unique paddle tail that adds drag, as well as action.
All this combines for a big, bold presence and a killer namesake action that gives fish plenty of reason to bring the crazy. With slight rod twitches, the StutterStep sashays back and forth without making any forward progress.
How many times have we had a fish run out from cover, follow a bait down a grass line, or simply rise from a bed to boil with no committed strike? Now, anglers have a way to keep a topwater bait in one spot, while continuing the side-to-side saunter that simulates wounded or distracted prey and draws those sledge hammer strikes.
ll use the StutterStep action for bedding bass or fishing around docks, laydowns and structure like that,” said Bill Lewis pro-staffer Brian Latimer. “I can really aggravate a bass on a bed; and if I really feel like there’s a fish on a piece of structure, I can let that bait soak, agitate the fish and trick him into biting.”
When you want to cover water, the StutterStep offers two more distinct looks:
Wag-the-Tail: Something akin to the traditional topwater walk-the-dog action, this presentation makes good use of that prominent tail, which kicks back and forth as you impart those steady, short twitches.
“With just subtle bumps of the rod tip, you can really make that bait thrash,” Latimer said. “This is a good on blueback herring lakes, when you want to work topwater baits really fast over offshore structure.”
Wobble-Wake: Take your basic chuck-and-wind routine, dress it up with enticing body rolls, add a healthy dose of water-pushing and you have have the Wobble Wake. Ideal for slick conditions, this action is achieved with no rod movement, just steady reeling.
“This is a good retrieve to use when the fish are lethargic, like when it’s cold,” Latimer said. “If you see one following the bait, just slowly retrieve it and use the subtle little S wave type action to trick them into biting.”
One of the StutterStep’s coolest actions is the Turnaround-Twitch — a deal-closer you can add to the end of any other retrieve. Just stop the bait, give it hard twitch followed by a little slack and the bait turns 180 degrees.
Let’s set the scene here: You’re Wobble-Waking the Bill Lewis StutterStep over a shallow rock reef when a big brownie starts trailing the bait. You stop, snap the line and the bait spins around to look Mr. Smallmouth right in his glaring red eye.
Paint chipping time!
This 5-inch, 1-ounce bait casts well and allows you to make long presentations when the fish aren’t cool with company.
“This is a really versatile bait and it’s a profile the fish haven’t seen,” Latimer said. “It’s a wake bait, it’s a walking bait and it’s also sort of like a topwater swimbait. It has action on a straight retrieve, which is really unique for a topwater bait.”
The StutterStep retails at $13.99.
Flw Announces 2017 Tour Schedule
FLW ANNOUNCES 2017 WALMART FLW TOUR SCHEDULE
Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) announced the 2017 Walmart FLW Tour regular-season schedule Thursday in a live press event held at the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST). The 2017 season will feature six tournaments, broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network, which will showcase the best bass anglers in the world competing in the most competitive circuit in the sport.
2017 Walmart FLW Tour Regular-Season Schedule:
- February 16-19 Lake Travis Jonestown, Texas
Hosted by the City of Jonestown & Austin Sports Commission
- March 9-12 Harris Chain of Lakes Leesburg, Fla.
Hosted by Lake County, Florida
- April 6-9 Lake Cumberland Burnside, Ky.
Hosted by Somerset Tourist and Convention Commission
- April 27-30 Beaver Lake Rogers, Ark.
Hosted by Visit Rogers
- May 18-21 Mississippi River La Crosse, Wis.
Hosted by Explore La Crosse
- June 15-18 Potomac River Marbury, Md.
Hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners
The full schedule and expected patterns/details for each fishery can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The date and location for the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart will be unveiled on-stage at the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup on Wheeler Lake in Huntsville, Alabama.
For details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Cuda Rolls Out Complete New Line-Up Of Freshwater Fishing Tools!
Cuda is excited to introduce a new line of freshwater fishing tools uniquely designed to meet the demands of freshwater anglers.
The line, which includes seven different tools, is manufactured from titanium-bonded stainless steel, which offers increased corrosion and adhesion resistance while holding a stronger, sharper edge. The line also features longer nose and handle lengths for deep hook removals.
“To get the most of out of your fishing tools, it’s important to make sure they are uniquely suited for the task at hand,” said said Capt. Rick Constantine, vice president of marketing and general manager for Acme United Corporation. “We designed the line with our freshwater Pro Staff and the result is a powerful line, built solely with freshwater anglers in mind. There’s a tool for every task and each one is designed to make life easier and more productive on the water.”
Designed with Cuda’s signature non-slip scale pattern grips and visible full-tang carbon steel construction, the freshwater line includes:
· 8” Cuda Needle Nose / Split Ring Pliers (#18112, MSRP: $22.99) – Features a long nose for removing hooks, ring splitter, integrated crimper and titanium bonded wire, fluorocarbon and mono cutter.
· 9” Cuda Pistol Grip Needle Pliers (#18096, MSRP: $28.99) – Designed with pistol grip handles and long nose for removing hooks, along with integrated crimpers and titanium bonded wire, fluorocarbon and mono cutter.
· 10.25” Cuda Needle Nose Pliers (#18113, MSRP: $27.99) – Designed with a long nose for deep hook removal, also includes integrated crimper, as well as titanium bonded wire, fluorocarbon and mono cutter.
· Cuda Clipper (#18116, MSRP: $14.99) – Ideal for clipping mono & fluorocarbon line, features integrated hook detangler, eye opener, wire wrapper and diamond grit hook sharpener.
· Cuda Forceps (#18114, MSRP: $26.99) – Featuring serrated jaws for cutting mono and fluorocarbon, non-slip, full-tang oversized thumb bows and an integrated hook sharpener. The high leverage, spring action forceps is perfect for easy hook removal and debarbing hooks.
· Cuda Jaw Spreader (#18117, MSRP: $19.99) – Includes a built-in auto-lock for safety and storage, the innovative spatula-tip design pries and opens jaws easily, while also holding the jaw open for hook extraction.
· Cuda 2 Piece Set (#18124, MSRP: $23.99) – Set includes a 7” flex fillet knife, along with an ultra-light fisherman’s sheath with reversible belt loop and water drain system.
The Jaw Spreader (#18117) and 2 Piece Set (#18124) are currently in stock, with the full line available in fall 2016. For more information visit www.cudabrand.com.
Strike King Introduces The New Tour Grade Skipping Jig!
New Tour Grade Skipping Jig (3/8oz Shown)
Not all jigs are created equal. Some are better suited for specific applications, such as swimming, or flipping, or dragging. It’s much the same reason that you own more than one screwdriver. When Strike King set out to design and produce the ultimate skipping jig, we knew we needed to enlist the help of a master tradesman. We got one of the best jig-skippers on earth, Andy Montgomery, to start from scratch and the end result was the all-new Tour Grade Skipping Jig from Strike King!
The perfect skipping jig must have a few qualities not found in other jigs,” says Bassmaster Elite Series Pro. “You can do a lot of things with a skipping jig, but you can’t use a lot of jigs for skipping”. We addressed each of those specific attributes in the design process and they are built into this jig. The Tour Grade Skipping jig will elevate your ability and potential when skipping,” adds Montgomery.
The Tour Grade Skipping Jig is available in both 3/8 and ½ ounce sizes and comes in 6 of our most popular colors. Look for the new Tour Grade Skipping Jig at better fishing tackle retailers everywhere.
Nichols Wins Cashion Fishing Rods End Of Year Tournament On Falls Lake With Over 13 Pounds!
CASHION FISHING RODS 'END OF YEAR' TEAM BASS FISHING TRAIL QUALIFIER #1
Saturday July 9th, 2016 ~ Falls Lake ~ Ledge Rock Wildlife RampThe Cashion Fishing Rods 'End of Year' Team Tournament Bass Fishing Trail Qualifier #1 at Falls Lake got off
to a good start with 22 teams showing up at the ramp. The weather for summer fishing was great. The winds
were light & variable, the air temps ranged from 74 to 89 and the water level was above normal pool at 302.6'.
Surface water temps averaged 85 warm degrees! A very bad storm hit the lake Friday night and the bite that
had been good all week just stopped. The topwater bite was on for about an hour early on and then the bass
backed off a little deeper.Mike Nichols did manage to catch 5 weighing 13.37 lbs to take 1st Place and 1st Place TWT for a total of
$1,395!
2nd Place team was Reginald Pickett & Larry Kirk with 5 bass weighing 11.88 lbs. They also won 2nd place
TWT to take home a total of $715. The 3rd Place Team of Allen White & Michael Vaughan netted 5 bass
weighing 11.72 and also had the big fish for the day (4.81 lbs.) and won a total of $608. 2nd Place Big Fish (4.78
lbs.) was caught by the team of Butch Trimmer & Don Boivin worth $132.Only 57 bass were brought to the scales for a total of 120 pounds averaging 2.09 lbs. each. Most were caught on
Carolina worm rigs, spinnerbaits, crankbait & jig combos in mostly shallow water. Rising water and a solid day
of high pressure might have had something to do with the fish not biting.I want to thank Cashion Fishing Rods and all the anglers that participated. Our next tournament will be the
2016 Cashion Fishing Rods 'End of Year' Team Tournament Bass Fishing Trail Qualifier #2 , Saturday July
23rd at Jordan Lake out of Farrington Point Wildlife Ramp. All the information on our tournaments can be
found http://piedmontbassclassics.com/Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Mike Nichols of Bassett, VA...5 bass...13.37 lbs...$800
2nd Place: Reginald Pickett & Larry Kirk of Greensboro & Climax...5 bass...11.88 lbs...$460
3rd Place: Allen White & Michael Vaughan of Clayton & Raleigh...5 bass...11.72 lbs...$300
4th Place: Tony & Chase Stanley of Four Oaks...5 bass...9.38 lbs...$2001st Place Big Fish: 3rd Place Team above...4.81 lbs...$308
2nd Place Big Fish: Butch Trimmer & Don Boivin of Fayetteville...4.78 lbs...$1321st Place TWT: 1st Place Team above: 13.37 lbs...$595
2nd Place TWT: 2nd Place Team above: 11.88 lbs...$255
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/
Salzman Wins Flw Bass Fishing League Choo Choo Division Event On Lake Guntersville
HUNTSVILLE’S SALZMAN WINS FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE CHOO CHOO DIVISION EVENT ON LAKE GUNTERSVILLE
Spires wins co-angler title
GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (July 11, 2016) – Ryan Salzman of Huntsville, Alabama, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 24 pounds, 5 ounces, Saturday to win the fourth FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Choo Choo Division tournament of 2016 on Lake Guntersville. For his victory, Salzman took home $5,244.
Salzman said he concentrated on ledges between Seibold Creek and the Highway 431 Bridge.
“My areas had a lot of baitfish,†said Salzman, who earned his second career win in FLW competition. “Earlier this week, I noticed that skipjack were coming up and feeding on the shad, so I threw a swimbait and caught some sizeable fish. I decided to follow a similar pattern for this event.â€
Salzman said he caught the majority of his fish on a True Bass True Blue-colored Little Head 4.5 Swimbait.
“I was sitting in 30 feet of water and throwing up to 12 feet,†said Salzman. “I started out strong with 17 or 18 pounds and just worked through them the rest of the day. With the help of my Lowrance electronics, I ended up catching nearly 60 keepers.â€
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., five bass, 24-5, $5,244
2nd: Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., five bass, 23-12, $2,122
3rd: Matt Bradley, Bessemer, Ala., five bass, 23-2, $1,413
4th: Cody Harrison, Florence, Ala., five bass, 21-5, $990
5th: Clayton Joyce, Chapel Hill, Tenn., five bass, 21-3, $849
6th: Casey Martin, New Hope, Ala., five bass, 20-2, $1,078
7th: Douglas Webster, Pinson, Ala., five bass, 20-0, $707
8th: Curtis Merriman, Cullman, Ala., five bass, 19-12, $1,237
9th: Scott Towry, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., five bass, 19-3, $566
10th: Jonathan Henry, Grant, Ala., five bass, 18-12, $495
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Merriman caught a bass weighing 7 pounds, 9 ounces – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $600.
Alex Spires of Chickamauga, Georgia, weighed in five bass totaling 22 pounds even Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,122.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Alex Spires, Chickamauga, Ga., five bass, 22-0, $2,122
2nd: Roland Wade, Rocky Face, Ga., five bass, 21-14, $1,361
3rd: Chase Dorsett, Odenville, Ala., five bass, 19-8, $707
4th: Randall Wiggins, Birmingham, Ala., five bass, 17-0, $495
5th: Wayne Garner, Sherwood, Tenn., five bass, 16-13, $424
6th: Derek Holly, Johnson City, Tenn., five bass, 14-12, $389
7th: Daniel Davis, Albertville, Ala., four bass, 14-10, $354
8th: Jason Mullinax, White, Ga., five bass, 14-2, $300
8th: Scott Miller, Burlington, Wis., five bass, 14-2, $300
10th: Robert Barnett, Flintstone, Ga., five bass, 14-1, $248
Wade caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 7 pounds, 5 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $300.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 13-15 Regional Championship on Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Georgia. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
About FLW
Locke Ehrentraut Wins Flw Bass Fishing League Northeast Division
LOCKE’S EHRENTRAUT WINS FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE NORTHEAST DIVISION EVENT ON ONEIDA LAKE PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS
Cumbo wins co-angler title
BREWERTON, N.Y. (July 11, 2016) – David Ehrentraut of Locke, New York, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 9 ounces, Saturday to win the third FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Northeast Division tournament on Oneida Lake presented by Navionics. For his victory, Ehrentraut received $4,463.
Ehrentraut said he spent the tournament combing through grass edges scattered around the lake. He said he preferred a specific type of cover and allotted 40 minutes for each area.
“I was looking for grass edges that had a little bit of a drop-off,” said Ehrentraut, who earned his first win in BFL competition. “In some areas the drop was 2 feet, in others it was less. Basically, I was looking for a hard bottom.
“On my first mid-lake stretch, I caught two keepers right away,” Ehrentraut continued. “I headed back toward the takeoff ramp and caught another before running near Lakeport to catch one more. After that I fished a couple of humps and ran the bank.”
Ehrentraut said he threw two baits during the event – a Gold Flash Minnow-colored Keitech Swing Impact Swimbait and a drop-shot rig with a Strike King KVD Dream Shot.
“The Dream Shot caught more fish, but the Keitech brought in the heaviest ones,” said Ehrentraut. “I caught about 16 fish throughout the day. I put the right things together out there and it worked for me.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: David Ehrentraut Locke, N.Y., five bass, 18-9, $4,463
2nd: Randy Caruso, Liberty, N.Y., five bass, 17-12, $2,872
3rd: Ken Golub, Pittsford, N.Y., five bass, 17-1, $1,489
4th: Craig Nelson, Mather, Pa., five bass, 17-0, $1,041
5th: Grae Buck, Harleysville, Pa., five bass, 16-12, $893
6th: Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa., five bass, 16-11, $818
7th: Robert Parmer, Linden, Pa., five bass, 16-5, $744
8th: Ian Renfrew, Phoenix, N.Y., five bass, 16-4, $669
9th: Ed Casey, Whiteford, Md., five bass, 16-1, $595
10th: Matt Stasiak, Pittsburgh, Pa., five bass, 15-15, $521
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Caruso caught a bass weighing 4 pounds, 7 ounces – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $640.
Bryan Cumbo of West Wyoming, Pennsylvania, weighed in five bass totaling 16 pounds, 13 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,232.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Bryan Cumbo, West Wyoming, Pa., five bass, 16-13, $2,232
2nd: Michael Barton, Endicott, N.Y., five bass, 16-10, $1,116
3rd: Joseph Wood, Westport, Mass., five bass, 15-6, $743
4th: Daniel Hann, Williamson, N.Y., five bass, 15-5, $521
5th: Bill Klaips, Shavertown, Pa., five bass, 15-4, $446
6th: Drew Tiano, Hudson, N.Y., five bass, 14-5, $409
7th: Brian Setlock, Lancaster, Pa., five bass, 14-4, $372
8th: Andrew Benbenek, Cicero, N.Y., five bass, 13-10, $335
9th: Ken Maurer, Herndon, Pa., five bass, 13-7, $298
10th: Michael Bahnweg, Union Dale, Pa., five bass, 13-6, $260
Daryl Christadore of Hampton, Connecticut, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 4 pounds, 8 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $320.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 6-8 Regional Championship on Kerr Lake in Henderson, North Carolina. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
Freeman Wins Flw Bass Fishing League Arkie Division Event On Lake Dardanelle
FREEMAN WINS FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE ARKIE DIVISION EVENT ON LAKE DARDANELLE
Cole wins co-angler title
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (July 11, 2016) – Local angler Zack Freeman of Russellville, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 12 ounces, Saturday to win the fourth FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Arkie Division tournament of 2016 on Lake Dardanelle. For his victory, Freeman earned $3,718.
“I spent the day picking apart a main-lake ledge," said Freeman, who earned his first win in FLW competition. “I targeted bass in a school that I had located the week before, but in sunny weather. On Friday evening some storms moved through, so I didn’t know if they’d still be there. Thankfully, after a little time, I had them figured out again.”
Freeman said the bass were suspended in 6 to 8 feet of water, not on top of the brush piles like he had originally planned.
“I had to swim a jig over the top of them,” said Freeman. “I used a custom green-pumpkin and purple-colored football-head jig and ran along a 50-yard stretch. I fished the area until noon and then hit a couple of other spots.”
Freeman said he switched to a Carolina-rigged, green-pumpkin-colored Zoom Mag 2 Worm toward the end of his day.
“Of the 11 keepers I caught during the event, I ended up weighing two from the Mag 2,” said Freeman. “I had a great day out there.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Zack Freeman, Russellville, Ark., five bass, 18-12, $3,718
2nd: Brandon Lee, Ratcliff, Ark., five bass, 18-3, $1,859
3rd: Shawn Gordon, Russellville, Ark., five bass, 18-2, $1,538
4th: Spencer Grace, Dardanelle, Ark., five bass, 17-12, $867
5th: Joey Cifuentes, Clinton, Ark., five bass, 17-10, $744
6th: Cody Burke, Bryant, Ark., five bass, 17-0, $682
7th: Zach King, Clarksville, Ark., five bass, 16-3, $620
8th: Robert Stevens, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 15-10, $558
9th: Josh Hilton, Clarksville, Ark., five bass, 15-6, $496
10th: Mike Webster, Atkins, Ark., five bass, 15-3, $412
10th: Chris Morgan, Mineral Springs, Ark., five bass, 15-3, $412
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Lance Pyle of Sherwood, Arkansas, caught a bass weighing 6 pounds, 15 ounces – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $485.
Rick Cole of Hot Springs, Arkansas, weighed in five bass totaling 16 pounds, 14 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $1,859.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Rick Cole, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 16-14, $1,859
2nd: Ron Knight, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 13-7, $929
3rd: Jason Broomfield, Waldron, Ark., five bass, 13-5, $861
4th: A.J. Mays, Cabot, Ark., five bass, 13-0, $434
5th: Branko Todorovic, Hot Springs, Ark., four bass, 12-1, $372
6th: Jason Scoggins, Benton, Ark., five bass, 10-10, $341
7th: Ed Howerton, Rogers, Ark., four bass, 10-5, $310
8th: Colton Garrett, Jonesboro, Ark., four bass, 9-14, $279
9th: Jon Paulovich, Benton, Ark., five bass, 9-9, $248
10th: Joe Grafeman, Lake Ozark, Mo., five bass, 9-7, $217
Broomfield caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 13 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $242.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 6-8 Regional Championship on Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Minn Kotaâ® Unveils Reinvented Spot-Lock
Minn Kota® Unveils Reinvented Spot-Lock
Racine, WI (July 11, 2016): Minn Kota® is excited to unveil significant enhancements to the ground-breaking Spot-Lock electronic anchor, a key feature of the new i-Pilot®, and i-Pilot® Link™ systems. Advancements in hardware, software, and communications allow anglers to remain actively locked onto their spot with the push of a button, bringing unrivaled precision to 21st-century boat control.
“Minn Kota has consistently maintained a culture of innovation and continuous improvements to our products with the angler always in mind. After the launch of i-Pilot, which brought the revolutionary benefits of Spot-Lock to anglers, we did not stop,” said Brad Henry, Minn Kota Brand Manager. “Through this commitment, we’ve reinvented Spot-Lock to make it the most accurate electronic GPS anchor ever.”
Anglers will immediately notice that the reinvented Spot-Lock electronic GPS anchor holds the boat in position with unmatched precision and consistency.
“One of my favorite features of both the i-Pilot and i-Pilot Link systems is the Spot-Lock feature, being able to use the trolling motor as an electric anchor,” said Jeremy Smith of Lindner’s Angling Edge TV and Lindner Media Productions. “When bass fishing, even in a stout wind, it’s easy just to Spot-Lock to land fish, change baits, or even take a photo or two. The updated Spot-Lock feature will make boat positioning easier and more precise than ever.”
The enhanced Minn Kota Spot-Lock feature comes standard in both i-Pilot and i-Pilot Link systems, factory-installed on a wide variety of new Bluetooth-enabled bow-mount trolling motors including Ultrex, Ulterra, Terrova and PowerDrive, as well as Riptide Ulterra, Riptide Terrova and Riptide PowerDrive. Products available to ship in late fall, 2016.
Keisler Catches 16 Pound Limit To Win Aft D-96 On Lake Murray!
AFT D-96 Tournament Results
Lake Murray – July 10, 2016
Division 96 2017 Season 1-Day Qualifier
First place, Toby Keisler of Lexington, SC caught a 5 fish limit weighing 16.04 pounds. He fished the lower part of the lake and caught his fish on topwater baits. Toby took home $750 for first place and first place option.
Darrell Shull of West Columbia, SC was second with 5 fish weighing 14.08 pounds fishing the upper part of the lake flipping in shallow water. Darrell had a 6.21 pound kicker fish in the mix. For second place and second place option Darrell won $465.
Clay Riddle of Chapin, SC finished in third place with 5 fish weighing 13.01 pounds. Clay fished the lower part of the lake and caught his fish on topwater baits and a Carolina Rig. Clay took home $130 for third place.
In fourth place was Joey Sabbagha with 5 fish weighing 12.71 pounds anchored with 4.44 pound kicker fish. Joey caught his fish flipping and on topwater baits on the upper part of the lake. Joey took home $101 for fourth place.
Big Fish was caught by Evan Weaver of Lexington, SC. His 6.43 pound largemouth was caught on a drop shot rig on the middle part of the lake. Evan won $130 for Big Fish.
Our day started out clear and 79 degrees. There was a light wind all day with partly cloudy skies and 97 degrees at the 3 pm weigh-in. Water temps were in the high 80’s. The lake was clear but stained in the creeks and up the rivers and about three and half feet from full pool.
Here’s how we finished:
Angler # Fish Big Bass Penalty Total Wt. Points Payout 1 Toby Keisler 5 16.04 200 $750 2 Darrell Shull 5 6.21 14.08 199 $465 3 Clay Riddle 5 4.17 1 13.01 198 $130 4 Joey Sabbagha 5 4.44 12.71 197 $101 5 Phillip Anderson 5 11.91 196 6 Evan Weaver 4 6.43 11.79 195 $130 7 Don Kneece 5 11.23 194 8 Tony Jackson 4 1 10.41 193 9 Andy Lake 5 10.01 192 10 Phil Morris 4 4.31 9.7 191 11 Roger Farr 3 7.08 190 12 Kenny Brugger 3 6.08 189 13 Richard Kay 3 1 5.16 188 14 Richard Presnell 3 4.67 187 15 Jay Treon 2 3.97 186 16 Josh Peake 1 2.3 185 17 Eddie Temples 1 1.47 184 18 Steve Christie 1 1.45 183 19 Mike Dimatteo 0 0 50 19 Steve Wicker 0 0 50 19 George Berry 0 0 50 19 Stanley Harkins 0 0 50 19 Gene Parker 0 0 50 19 Matt Mollohan 0 0 50 19 Wesley Bray 0 0 50
Money
Toby Keisler – 1st place plaque $1620 / 1st place option $130 Total - $750
Darrell Shull – 2nd place plaque $375 / 2nd place option $90 Total - $465
Clay Riddle – 3rd place plaque $130
Joey Sabbagha – 4th place – $101
Phillip Anderson – 5th place – Parker Spinnerbait
Evan Weaver – 5th place – ALX Hat & Rod Discount Card / Big Fish plaque $130
ALX Rod Big Fish Winner for 2017
Evan Weaver – 6.43 lbs. Lake Murray, July 10, 2016
ALX Rods Big Fish Award for the 2017 Season (New ALX IKOS Series Rod for Season Big Fish Winner www.alxrods.com )
Local Sponsors:
Our local sponsors will be providing products or money for products for the anglers fishing Division 96 tournaments. Please give them your support by looking to them first when considering your purchases. They are supporting you!
Palmetto Electrical Systems serving Greenwood, SC. Residential & Commercial Services – 30 years experience – Quality Service – Reasonable Prices – Free Estimates – Locally owned and operated by Mark T. Abbott – 8117 Highway 246 S, Ninety Six, SC - 864-227-8500
Kneece Investigations, LLC Saluda, SC www.kneeceinvestigations.com (864-445-3713) (one stop for both your Investigative and Surveillance Equipment needs)
ALX Rods Aiken, SC www.alxrods.com (803-645-5392) Email: [email protected] (ALX Rods are available locally at The Tackle Shop (Martinez, GA), Palmetto State Armory (Fernandina Road in Columbia, SC & also store in Mt. Pleasant, SC), Wacky Riggers (Salisbury, NC), Calyx Outdoors (Piedmont, SC) Grady’s Great Outdoors (Anderson, SC), Lake Hartwell Outdoor Center (Anderson, SC) and direct at www.alxrods.com )
Gene Parker’s Spinnerbaits Asheville, NC - the baits that Gene Parker used to win the 2011 ABA National Championship on Lake Murray, SC www.parkerbaittechnology.com (828-691-2277)
Results and news on www.aba-sc.com and see your photos on ‘facebook’ at D-96 American Fishing Tour
Upcoming ABA Tournaments:
D-26 Aug. 14, 2016 Clarks Hill Wildwood Park
D-96 Aug. 21, 2016 Greenwood Greenwood State Park (2017)
D-26 Sept. 10-11, 2016 Clarks Hill Wildwood State Park (Div. 2-Day)
D-96 Sept. 18, 2016 Murray Dreher Island State Park (2017)
D-96 Oct. 2, 2016 Clarks Hill Dorn Facility (2017)
D-96 Nov. 6, 2016 Greenwood Greenwood State Park (2017)
D-96 Dec. 4, 2016 Russell Hwy 72 Ramp (2017)
AFT 2016 National Championship October 16-21, 2016 Lake Eufaula out of Lake Point Resort State Park, Eufaula, Al
AFT 2017 National Championship site and date will be announced on October 21, 2016
Minn Kota Introduces New Ultrex Trolling Motor
Minn Kota® Unveils “No Compromise” Ultrex™ Trolling Motor
Racine, WI (July 8, 2016): Minn Kota® introduces the trolling motor anglers have only dreamed of - a hybrid that merges the body of a Fortrex® with the brains of i-Pilot®, complete with Spot-Lock electronic GPS anchoring and more.
New for 2017, Minn Kota’s Ultrex™ gives anglers the control and responsiveness of a Fortrex, plus effortless Power Steering and i-Pilot® features, like Spot-Lock. Paired with Steering Lock, which allows you to take your foot off the pedal without losing motor heading, Ultrex will change the way you fish.
“We continue to set the bar high for break-through innovations to help anglers catch fish. Ultrex is no exception,” says Brad Henry, Minn Kota Brand Manager. “We’ve combined the reliability and responsive ‘wired-to-the-water’ feel of our tournament-proven Fortrex with the GPS technologies of i-Pilot, i-Pilot Link, and Spot-Lock electronic anchoring. It’s the best of both worlds.”
Ultrex Features:
- Power Steering: Ultra-responsive control and reduces steering effort and foot fatigue
- Steering Lock: Take your foot off the pedal and keep your motor heading
- Ultrex Foot Pedal: Power steering with Spot-Lock and AutoPilot Buttons
- Lift-Assist
- Fortrex Mono Arm bracket
- Coated stainless steel stow/deploy adjustable cable
- Bluetooth-enabled i-Pilot or i-Pilot Link
- Digital Maximizer
- Universal Sonar 2
- Composite Shaft
- Weedless Wedge 2 Prop
The Minn Kota Ultrex product line-up will consist of numerous i-Pilot- or i-Pilot Link- and US2-enabled combos, including 24-volt 80 lbs. thrust and 36-volt 112 lbs. thrust versions in 45”, 52” and 60” shaft lengths. Product available in late fall, 2016.
Ultrex MSRP: $2199.99-$2799.99.
Sebile Brings Back The Magic Swimmer At Icast 2016
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Sebile Bringing Back The Renowned
Magic Swimmer
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Sebile Magic Swimmer Continues Versatility Dominance
COLUMBIA, S.C. (July 6, 2016) - The Sebile® Magic Swimmer™ and Magic Swimmer™ Soft are two of Sebile's most renowned lures. The second generation Magic Swimmer reflects his vision of a lure that undulates its jointed body and presents a very natural swimming action that attracts saltwater species such as Striped bass, California yellowtail off the islands of southern California as well as tarpon and redfish along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
With enhanced features like refined colors, added body detailing and reinforced mesh body, the Magic Swimmer is better than ever. Sebile also improved materials to battle the saltwater conditions by giving anglers stronger hooks and split rings.
Its natural swimming action is just too much for sloppy or aggressive gamefish to resist. Available in hard and soft versions, the Magic Swimmer is all about the tapered nose and humpbacked head, which slices through the water to perfectly mimic swimming baitfishes.
The hard version of the Magic Swimmer is available in floating, slow-sinking and fast sinking models. It is equipped with a removable tail double hook plus a finesse worm screw and a treble hook on the belly. The body has been reinforced compared to the original version. Sebile recommends removing the tail double hook when targeting large and powerful fish, as one belly treble hook is enough to hook, fight and land a strong opponent, without the risk of a tail hook damaging the eyes or head of it during the fight.
The Magic Swimmer Soft is as versatile a crankbait as they come. It has a recessed groove in the top of the lure's back that conceals the hook's point. Strategically placed holes in the nose and throat, and slots on the belly and back allow the Magic Swimmer Soft to slide on the leader when the fish is hooked, making it a more durable bait. The 2nd generation Magic Swimmer Soft is now mesh-reinforced, which increases strength and longevity of each bait. Each is sold with the newer 15 degree open wide gap weighted hook, incuding one pre-rigged weedless bait.
With a wide variety of proven colors and sizes to match baitfish, the Magic Swimmer has an MSRP of $12.99 - $19.99 while the Magic Swimmer Soft has an MSRP of $9.99.
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University Of Alabama Bass Team Wins 2016 School Of The Year Title! Rtr!
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The University of Alabama has won the 2016 Cabela’s School of the Year title! Widely regarded as the hardest and most sought after college fishing title in the nation, this is the first time that the University of Alabama has earned this prestigious award.
The Cabela’s School of the Year program offers college anglers the chance to compete at the highest level in numerous collegiate fishing events held all over the nation. The Association of Collegiate Anglers created this program with Cabela’s to both rank and reward collegiate fishing teams based on their performance in the Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, Carhartt College B.A.S.S. Series, and FLW College Series, as well as select school-hosted and operated events.
"This year the Alabama Bass Team really set our goal to win Cabela's School of the Year. We set our entire college fishing schedule to be able to compete in a variety of events so we could earn points toward this title. Fortunately, we got the job done catching fish this year at events all over the nation," stated John Davis, President of University of Alabama Bass Club.
When asked just how prestigious this title is, the Director of College Operations for the Association of Collegiate Anglers, Wade Middleton, said that “This is the ultimate trophy in college fishing because it’s earned on the water over a full year of fishing. It’s not voted on, it’s not a title bestowed on you by votes or because of finishing on top at one event or anything of that nature. This title is earned by all the members of the school team and how they jointly fished as a school at events all year long.”
Coming in second place is two-time Cabela’s School of the Year Winners, University of North Alabama, perennial powerhouse Murray State University in third,followed by Mississippi State in fourth, and McKendree University in fifth. A full list of the teams finishing in the top 20 can be found below and for a full breakdown of all the teams in the nationwide rankings click here.
The Top Twenty Schools for 2016:
About the ACA
The Association of Collegiate Anglers, a division of Careco TV, is a sanctioning body developed to facilitate growth, development, and structure within competitive collegiate bass fishing. The ACA provides support to dozens of school operated regional events nationwide and owns the Cabela's Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, the largest participatory collegiate tournament circuit in the country. With dedicated collegiate fishing programming on several television networks, four nationally televised collegiate bass fishing events, and thousands of members, the ACA is the leader in competitive collegiate bass fishing. For more information on the ACA, or the Cabela's Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, visit www.CollegiateBassChampionship.com. For more information on Cabela's visit Cabelas.com, for more information on CarecoTV, visit www.carecotv.com
Nc Angler, Angela Mayo Wins Lbaa Pro Event On Caddo Lake!
NC Angler Wins Lady Bass Anglers Association Pro Event on Caddo Lake
Oil City, LA—Angela Mayo, (Maiden, NC), in only the second event of her rookie pro season, edged out seasoned pro Pam Martin-Wells for the win at Caddo Lake near Shreveport-Bossier, Louisiana. As is typical when the LBAA heads to Caddo Lake, Mother Nature played havoc with the weather. The event, originally scheduled for March, was rescheduled to late May due to flood conditions. When the ladies arrived for practice, they were once again greeted by high, muddy water. Although the water level dropped about six inches per day making it difficult to put together a strong pattern, several anglers were able to come up with good limits.
After day one, Pam Martin-Wells, from Bainbridge, GA, was in the lead, followed closely by Mayo. “After such a disappointing performance at Lake Hartwell in South Carolina, I was extremely pleased to be within striking distance. I knew I would have to have a limit on day two to have a shot, but at least I wasn’t out of it” Mayo said.
Day two brought sunny skies and higher temperatures. Because the lake is so shallow, slight changes in weather have a dramatic effect on the water temperatures and on the fish. Mayo was able to follow the fish and bring a limit to the scales again on day two. “At 2:30pm, I only had three in the live-well. I made a run back toward the ramp and hit a point that I found a concentration of fish on in practice. I put my last two in the live-well with ten minutes to go. As it turns out, I needed every ounce I had in my bag. After talking with Pam, I knew it was going to be close but to end up just .22 lbs ahead – unbelievable!”
Last year, in the Co-Angler division, Mayo won the coveted Triple Crown by winning a regular season event (Mayo won three of the five regular season events), Angler of the Year in the co-angler division, and the Ladies Classic on Pickwick. Part of the prize package for the Co-Angler of the Year is to have half of the entry fees paid the following year in the pro division. “After the amazing year I had last year, and with half the entry fees paid, I figured it was time to move up to the pro division. I was a little concerned about that decision after the tournament at Lake Hartwell, but this win gives me a lot of confidence going in to the tournament on Kentucky Lake this month.” “I’d like to thank my sponsors, FishStyx Custom Rods, UPS of Hickory, Adventive Graphics, Davis Brothers Automotive of Lincolnton and Reel It In Baits for helping make this all possible.”
About Lady Bass Anglers Association (LBAA)
The Lady Bass Anglers Association was formed by professional bass anglers Cheryl Bowden and Secret York. In four short seasons, the LBAA has developed a popular series of women’s professional bass fishing tournaments and gained fans across the country. Current LBAA sponsors include Rayjus, Hi-Tec Outdoors, Serna’s Salsa, Kick’n Bass, Rod Armorz, Blue Fin Eyewear, Women Fish Too, Stoney Ridge Custom Rods, Excite Baits and Yo-Zuri Lures. The LBAA offers valuable sponsorship opportunities for corporate sponsors and marketing partners. For more information about the LBAA, contact LBAA Headquarters at (214) 738-7518 or visit www.ladybassanglers.com. You are also invited to follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LadyBassAnglers.
New Frabill Weigh-Bag System To Debut At Icast
Fishing Accessory - NEW Frabill Weigh Bag System
The typical fishing tournament is anything but a relaxing day on the lake. Anglers race against the clock to catch the heaviest bag of fish possible – often under the worst possible weather conditions. And catching them is only part of the challenge; fish must be brought to weigh-in alive and healthy to avoid penalties. Throughout the day, competitors pamper their fish in high-tech livewells treated with expensive fish-care chemicals and devices that inject oxygen into the water at a molecular level – luxury health spas for fish, really – to ensure they remain in strong condition. Strangely, those fish are removed from their high-rent accommodations on the boat, and placed in what amount to oversized, leaky plastic freezer bags, constantly threatening to burst at the seams, for the final leg of their journey to the weigh-in.
That’s just not right.
Seizing the opportunity to seize the bass in a better and safer way, Frabill, manufacturers of trusted gear since 1938, has announced the all-new, breakthrough Frabill Weigh Bag System for 2017. It’s a clever, common-sense marriage of three components that combine to produce the finest live fish tote ever conceived – for tournament anglers or anyone else who needs a portable livewell.
Frabill’s three-part Weigh Bag System consists of a soft, reinforced Weigh Bag, a removable inner Mesh Bag, and a compact portable aerator. Components will be available separately, or as an assembled system.
The exterior shell of the soft Weigh Bag is constructed of reinforced PVC tarpaulin. The flat bottom duffel-bag-design with internal reinforcing stands upright on it’s own. Oversized, padded handles wrap around the bag to fully support its contents, even when filled with up to 11.25 gallons of water and fish. An internal zippered pocket inside the lid holds G-Juice or other weigh-in supplies. The top of the Weigh Bag closes securely with an oversized zipper.
It’s been scientifically proven that extended periods in oxygen-poor weigh-in bags is the leading cause of tournament fish mortality. Frabill’s dedication to the cause continues with a small-yet-mighty portable aerator that tucks smartly into the Weigh Bag’s side pocket.
The lightweight and durable Frabill Mesh Bag fits neatly inside the Weigh Bag, and features a slick raindrop shape, ergonomic carry handles and a top Velcro closure. The Mesh Bag can be easily transferred from the Weigh Bag to the staging tub when the angler arrives at the weigh-in. Additionally, the versatile Frabill Mesh Bag is an economical and practical stuff-bag for raingear, fishing reels, sonar head units, planer boards and all manner of other bulky tackle items.
Weigh-ins can be stressful places for both fish and anglers. Release your white-knuckle grip on the junky plastic sack, and up your tournament game with a new Frabill Weigh Bag System. The new, complete Frabill Weigh Bag System will be available later this year at an expected MSRP of $79.99.
Wil Hardy Ii Wins The Bass Northern Open On Lake Oneida!!
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Milking one spot for three straight days made a winner of Wil Hardy II at the Bass Pro Shops Northern Open #1 on Oneida Lake.
The Harlem, Ga., angler caught his second consecutive 18-pound limit (18 pounds, 4 ounces) of smallmouth bass to win the pro division and the grand prize of a $45,000 Nitro Z20/Mercury 225 Pro XS rig and $8,491 in cash. The 26-year-old Hardy finished with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 53-13 to win his first B.A.S.S. tournament and claim a 2017 Bassmaster Classic berth if he fishes the remaining two Northern Opens.
Each day Hardy caught his limit early while Carolina rigging a green pumpkin Zoom Speed Craw and dragging a 3/4-ounce Green Fish Tackle Creeper jig tipped with a green pumpkin Zoom Speed Craw along the bottom. “I had a limit pretty early again (about 7:30 a.m.) today but it was a whole lot slower than it has been,” he said. “We didn’t catch many small ones. It seems like most of the ones we caught were pretty decent. Then we culled up three or four times after that.”
Hardy said the area he fished had a “whole lot of everything” including scattered gravel, zebra mussels and cuts of grass. “I found that spot last year (in the Open) but I never really caught them that good there,” said Hardy, who caught a quick limit there the first day. Most of the fish he caught were about 11 to 13 feet deep.
Indianapolis, Ind., pro Jacob Wheeler chased after smallmouth again and caught a limit weighing 16-6 to take second place with 50-9. “Today was a lot of fun,” Wheeler said. “I went out there and caught a lot of fish. That is the cool thing about Oneida Lake. It is getting better and better every single time we come here.”
Wheeler found smallmouth roaming in the holes of grass and along breaklines where the fish were 10 to 13 feet deep. His main tactics for catching brown bass were drop-shotting with a green pumpkin finesse worm to catch a limit and switching to a Carolina-rigged Larew Punch Out craw or Larew Biffle Bug Junior for kicker fish.
The rest of the top five in the pro division included Jamie Hartman, Newport, N.Y., third place, 50-6; Kurt Dove, Del Rio, Texas, fourth, 50-4; and Larry Mazur, East Aurora, N.Y., 48-11.
The co-angler top prize of a $30,000 Triton 179 TRX/Mercury 115ELPT Four Stroke package went to Joel Willert who finished in first with 29-9. The 32-year-old Burnsville, Minn., angler caught all of his fish throughout the tournament on a Ned Rig and drop-shotting a soft plastic goby bait.
The Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award of $750 on the pro side went to Mike Shumanis, Bethlehem, Pa., with a 5-4 largemouth. Jeremy Jones, Big Rapids, Mich., weighed in a 5-pound bass to earn the $250 Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award on the co-angler side.
Hardy also received the Livingston Lures Leader Award of $250 for finishing as the top pro on Day 2. Darryl Halbert, Enoree, S.C., won the Livingston Lures gift pack worth $250 for finishing as the top co-angler on Day 2.
Randy Elliot Leads Bass Northern Open With Over 19 Pounds On Day 1
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Checking social media reports helped Randy Elliott develop the game plan that has him leading the pro division of the Bass Pro Shops Northern Open #1 at Oneida Lake.
"I didn't see anybody posting anything for the last week on big largemouth so I decided to stay with all smallmouth," said Elliott, a veteran of Bassmaster Northern and Southern Opens.
The Bowie, Md., angler caught a five-fish limit of smallmouth bass weighing 19 pounds, 3 ounces to take the early lead in the pro division.
The smallmouth bite was early and often for most of the top contenders including Elliott, who had his limit by about 8 o'clock. However, while other anglers struggled to catch fish later in the day, Elliott kept catching them.
"The fish are post-spawn," he said. "They are hungry and feeding up. There are lots of baitfish around. Every time I caught a fish it was coughing (baitfish) up."
The weather was sunny with a light north wind today but the forecast calls for clouds and rainstorms throughout Friday. Elliott doesn't expect the weather to change his pattern any.
Bird watching is usually a good way to find schooling smallmouth on Oneida as the diving seagulls indicate baitfish and bass activity on the surface, but neither Elliott nor Day 1 runner-up Derek Yasinski relied on the birds to find their fish.
"I found five or six places this week (in practice) that I knew fish were there," said Elliott. The government contractor decided to key on those spots rather than run around looking for bird activity.
"We saw some birds later this afternoon and pulled up on them and caught a few little fish, but I am not fishing the birds," Yasinski said.
Yasinski caught his limit in about his first 30 minutes of fishing and finished the day with 18-9. "Then we jumped around and caught one or two here or there," said the 29-year-old machinist from Senoia, Ga.
"I tried to catch a bigger fish (after catching his limit) but I mostly went prefishing so I could hopefully catch a decent limit tomorrow."
Other pro division anglers in the top 5 include Jesse Tacoronte, Orlando, Fla., third place, 18-0; Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., fourth, 17-7; and Mike Shumanis, Bethlehem, Pa., fifth, 17-6.
Local angler Andrew Hammond took advantage of a one-hour spurt in the middle of the day to catch a three-fish limit weighing 11-3 to move into first place in the co-angler division. The 38-year-old sales rep for a paint coating company lamented losing a fish that would have padded his lead.
"I dropped about a 4 1/2-pounder on my second cast or I would have had about 13 pounds today," said the Fulton, N.Y., angler.
Hosting this tournament is Visit Syracuse (www.visitsyracuse.com). The competitors will take off the next two days at 5:30 a.m. ET at Oneida Shores Park. Friday's weigh-in will be held at 2 p.m. at Oneida Shores Park, with the final weigh-in on Saturday being held at 3 p.m. at the Bass Pro Shops in Utica, N.Y.
TOURNAMENT STANDINGS
| Place | Name | Day 1 Fish / Weight |
Total Fish / Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Randy Elliott | 5 / 19- 3 | 5 / 19- 3 |
| 2 | Derek Yasinski | 5 / 18- 9 | 5 / 18- 9 |
| 3 | Jesse Tacoronte | 5 / 18- 0 | 5 / 18- 0 |
| 4 | Wesley Strader | 5 / 17- 7 | 5 / 17- 7 |
| 5 | Mike Shumanis | 5 / 17- 6 | 5 / 17- 6 |
| 6 | Wil Hardy II | 5 / 17- 4 | 5 / 17- 4 |
| 7 | Ed Loughran III | 5 / 17- 2 | 5 / 17- 2 |
| 8 | Ian Renfrew | 5 / 17- 1 | 5 / 17- 1 |
| 9 | Larry Mazur | 5 / 16-15 | 5 / 16-15 |
| 10 | Tyler Berger | 5 / 16-14 | 5 / 16-14 |
| 11 | Buddy Cipoletti | 5 / 16-11 | 5 / 16-11 |
| 12 | Jacob Wheeler | 5 / 16-10 | 5 / 16-10 |
| 13 | Kurt Dove | 5 / 16- 7 | 5 / 16- 7 |
| 13 | Tom Graziano | 5 / 16- 7 | 5 / 16- 7 |
| 15 | Adrian Avena | 5 / 16- 6 | 5 / 16- 6 |
| 15 | Tim Grein | 5 / 16- 6 | 5 / 16- 6 |
| 15 | Alton Jones Jr. | 5 / 16- 6 | 5 / 16- 6 |
| 15 | Tyler Morgan | 5 / 16- 6 | 5 / 16- 6 |
| 19 | Chad Pipkens | 5 / 16- 4 | 5 / 16- 4 |
| 20 | Michael Cooper | 5 / 16- 3 | 5 / 16- 3 |
| 21 | Chris Noffsinger | 5 / 16- 3 | 5 / 16- 3 |
| 22 | Jason Dudek | 5 / 16- 2 | 5 / 16- 2 |
| 22 | Mike McClelland | 5 / 16- 2 | 5 / 16- 2 |
| 22 | Brandon Palaniuk | 5 / 16- 2 | 5 / 16- 2 |
| 25 | Josh Douglas | 5 / 16- 1 | 5 / 16- 1 |
| 25 | Alvin Shaw | 5 / 16- 1 | 5 / 16- 1 |
| 27 | Hunter Shryock | 5 / 16- 0 | 5 / 16- 0 |
| 28 | Jonathan Carter | 5 / 15-15 | 5 / 15-15 |
| 28 | Garrett Paquette | 5 / 15-15 | 5 / 15-15 |
| 30 | David Dudley | 5 / 15-12 | 5 / 15-12 |
| 30 | Stanley Sypeck | 5 / 15-12 | 5 / 15-12 |
| 32 | Derek Cummings | 5 / 15-11 | 5 / 15-11 |
| 32 | Ish Monroe | 5 / 15-11 | 5 / 15-11 |
| 34 | Jon Englund | 5 / 15-10 | 5 / 15-10 |
| 35 | Aaron Busch | 5 / 15- 8 | 5 / 15- 8 |
| 35 | Jason Chier | 5 / 15- 8 | 5 / 15- 8 |
| 37 | Eddie Levin | 5 / 15- 8 | 5 / 15- 8 |
| 38 | Jamie Hartman | 5 / 15- 6 | 5 / 15- 6 |
| 39 | Michael Iaconelli | 5 / 15- 6 | 5 / 15- 6 |
| 40 | Matthew Sphar | 5 / 15- 5 | 5 / 15- 5 |
| 41 | Cody Pike | 5 / 15- 4 | 5 / 15- 4 |
| 41 | Brent Shores | 5 / 15- 4 | 5 / 15- 4 |
| 43 | Tyler Carriere | 5 / 15- 2 | 5 / 15- 2 |
| 43 | Rick Morris | 5 / 15- 2 | 5 / 15- 2 |
| 43 | Paul Pagnato Jr | 5 / 15- 2 | 5 / 15- 2 |
| 46 | Tim Gillies | 5 / 15- 2 | 5 / 15- 2 |
| 47 | Ron Johnson | 5 / 15- 1 | 5 / 15- 1 |
| 47 | Randy Lamanche | 5 / 15- 1 | 5 / 15- 1 |
| 49 | Trait Crist | 5 / 15- 0 | 5 / 15- 0 |
| 49 | Dave Davenport | 5 / 15- 0 | 5 / 15- 0 |
| 49 | Sam George | 5 / 15- 0 | 5 / 15- 0 |
| 49 | Kraig Kettelkamp | 5 / 15- 0 | 5 / 15- 0 |
| 49 | Michael Simonton | 5 / 15- 0 | 5 / 15- 0 |
| 49 | Carl Svebek III | 5 / 15- 0 | 5 / 15- 0 |
| 49 | Joseph Zombek II | 5 / 15- 0 | 5 / 15- 0 |
| 56 | Chris Daves | 5 / 14-14 | 5 / 14-14 |
| 57 | Jeff Lugar | 5 / 14-12 | 5 / 14-12 |
| 58 | Jess Salmon | 5 / 14-12 | 5 / 14-12 |
| 59 | Mike Morrin | 5 / 14-11 | 5 / 14-11 |
| 60 | Travis Manson | 5 / 14- 9 | 5 / 14- 9 |
| 61 | Shin Fukae | 5 / 14- 9 | 5 / 14- 9 |
| 62 | Cameron Smith | 5 / 14- 8 | 5 / 14- 8 |
| 63 | Tony Dorman | 5 / 14- 7 | 5 / 14- 7 |
| 63 | Mike Lavallee | 5 / 14- 7 | 5 / 14- 7 |
| 65 | Jeff Barth | 5 / 14- 6 | 5 / 14- 6 |
| 65 | Glenn Browne | 5 / 14- 6 | 5 / 14- 6 |
| 65 | Seiji Kato | 5 / 14- 6 | 5 / 14- 6 |
| 68 | Austin Felix | 5 / 14- 5 | 5 / 14- 5 |
| 68 | Brian Kelly | 5 / 14- 5 | 5 / 14- 5 |
| 68 | Trevor Lo | 5 / 14- 5 | 5 / 14- 5 |
| 68 | Jonathon VanDam | 5 / 14- 5 | 5 / 14- 5 |
| 72 | Charlie Hartley | 5 / 14- 4 | 5 / 14- 4 |
| 73 | Michael Neal | 5 / 14- 3 | 5 / 14- 3 |
| 73 | David Smith | 5 / 14- 3 | 5 / 14- 3 |
| 75 | Ross Rhodes | 5 / 14- 2 | 5 / 14- 2 |
| 75 | Whitney Stephens | 5 / 14- 2 | 5 / 14- 2 |
| 77 | Bret Loomis | 5 / 14- 1 | 5 / 14- 1 |
| 77 | Edward Naydihor Jr | 5 / 14- 1 | 5 / 14- 1 |
| 79 | Destin DeMarion | 5 / 14- 0 | 5 / 14- 0 |
| 80 | Joe Hamilton | 5 / 14- 0 | 5 / 14- 0 |
| 81 | Jim Bianchi | 5 / 13-15 | 5 / 13-15 |
| 82 | Shayne Berlo | 5 / 13-14 | 5 / 13-14 |
| 82 | Gary Clouse | 5 / 13-14 | 5 / 13-14 |
| 84 | Grae Buck | 5 / 13-14 | 5 / 13-14 |
| 85 | Jake Whitaker | 5 / 13-13 | 5 / 13-13 |
| 86 | Gaspare Costabile | 5 / 13-13 | 5 / 13-13 |
| 87 | Pete Garnier | 5 / 13-12 | 5 / 13-12 |
| 87 | Sean Wieda | 5 / 13-12 | 5 / 13-12 |
| 89 | Frank Miller | 5 / 13-11 | 5 / 13-11 |
| 90 | Lee Rogers | 5 / 13-10 | 5 / 13-10 |
| 91 | Paco Giner | 5 / 13-10 | 5 / 13-10 |
| 92 | Gerald Sensabaugh | 5 / 13- 9 | 5 / 13- 9 |
| 93 | Luke Shrader | 5 / 13- 9 | 5 / 13- 9 |
| 94 | Timothy Reams | 5 / 13- 9 | 5 / 13- 9 |
| 95 | Gregg Johnson | 5 / 13- 8 | 5 / 13- 8 |
| 96 | Randy Howell | 5 / 13- 7 | 5 / 13- 7 |
| 96 | Carmen Peluso | 5 / 13- 7 | 5 / 13- 7 |
| 96 | Jason Root | 5 / 13- 7 | 5 / 13- 7 |
| 99 | Jason Burger | 5 / 13- 6 | 5 / 13- 6 |
| 99 | Wayne Vaughan Jr | 5 / 13- 6 | 5 / 13- 6 |
| 101 | Dylan Fulk | 5 / 13- 6 | 5 / 13- 6 |
| 102 | Greg Dipalma | 5 / 13- 5 | 5 / 13- 5 |
| 102 | John Lorenzo | 5 / 13- 5 | 5 / 13- 5 |
| 102 | Alex Wetherell | 5 / 13- 5 | 5 / 13- 5 |
| 105 | Rick Hawkins | 5 / 13- 5 | 5 / 13- 5 |
| 105 | Mark Hicks | 5 / 13- 5 | 5 / 13- 5 |
| 105 | Todd Sterner | 5 / 13- 5 | 5 / 13- 5 |
| 108 | Pete Gluszek | 5 / 13- 4 | 5 / 13- 4 |
| 109 | Robert Pepe | 5 / 13- 3 | 5 / 13- 3 |
| 109 | Douglas Reed | 5 / 13- 3 | 5 / 13- 3 |
| 109 | Mark Rose | 5 / 13- 3 | 5 / 13- 3 |
| 112 | Anthony Gagliardi | 5 / 13- 2 | 5 / 13- 2 |
| 112 | Robert Kerber | 5 / 13- 2 | 5 / 13- 2 |
| 114 | Drew Benton | 5 / 13- 0 | 5 / 13- 0 |
| 114 | Matthew Martin | 5 / 13- 0 | 5 / 13- 0 |
| 114 | John Murray | 5 / 13- 0 | 5 / 13- 0 |
| 117 | Chad Van Slyke | 5 / 12-15 | 5 / 12-15 |
| 118 | Kyle Kempkers | 5 / 12-14 | 5 / 12-14 |
| 119 | Stephen Mui | 5 / 12-13 | 5 / 12-13 |
| 120 | James Plessinger | 5 / 12-12 | 5 / 12-12 |
| 121 | Christopher Liobis | 5 / 12-10 | 5 / 12-10 |
| 122 | Nick Ray | 4 / 12- 9 | 4 / 12- 9 |
| 123 | Al Farace Jr | 5 / 12- 3 | 5 / 12- 3 |
| 124 | Jim Dillard | 5 / 12- 3 | 5 / 12- 3 |
| 125 | Howard Brown Jr | 5 / 12- 2 | 5 / 12- 2 |
| 126 | Kendall Ulsh | 5 / 12- 1 | 5 / 12- 1 |
| 127 | Carl Jocumsen | 5 / 12- 0 | 5 / 12- 0 |
| 128 | Lancen Halbert | 5 / 11-12 | 5 / 11-12 |
| 128 | Shawn Richard | 5 / 11-12 | 5 / 11-12 |
| 128 | Tommy Stalb | 5 / 11-12 | 5 / 11-12 |
| 131 | Tyler Ashby | 4 / 11-11 | 4 / 11-11 |
| 132 | Timothy Macknair | 4 / 11-10 | 4 / 11-10 |
| 133 | Donald Holt Jr | 5 / 11- 9 | 5 / 11- 9 |
| 133 | Justin McClelland | 5 / 11- 9 | 5 / 11- 9 |
| 135 | Denis Kreze | 5 / 11- 6 | 5 / 11- 6 |
| 136 | William Horton | 5 / 11- 5 | 5 / 11- 5 |
| 137 | Steve York | 5 / 11- 4 | 5 / 11- 4 |
| 138 | Jeff Antenucci | 4 / 11- 1 | 4 / 11- 1 |
| 139 | Buck Mallory | 5 / 10-12 | 5 / 10-12 |
| 140 | Frankie Appaluccio | 5 / 10- 9 | 5 / 10- 9 |
| 141 | Brad Olson | 4 / 10- 9 | 4 / 10- 9 |
| 142 | Bridget Allen | 4 / 10- 7 | 4 / 10- 7 |
| 143 | Rob Jordan | 4 / 10- 6 | 4 / 10- 6 |
| 144 | David Gaston | 4 / 10- 3 | 4 / 10- 3 |
| 145 | Kyle Albers | 4 / 10- 2 | 4 / 10- 2 |
| 146 | Scott Siller | 3 / 9-13 | 3 / 9-13 |
| 147 | Daniel Goykhman | 4 / 9-12 | 4 / 9-12 |
| 148 | Tommy Little | 4 / 9-11 | 4 / 9-11 |
| 149 | Ben Nielsen | 4 / 9- 6 | 4 / 9- 6 |
| 150 | Nicky Diamandas | 5 / 8-15 | 5 / 8-15 |
| 151 | Aaron Limber | 3 / 8-14 | 3 / 8-14 |
| 152 | Rick Nitkiewicz | 4 / 8-12 | 4 / 8-12 |
| 153 | Jason Young | 5 / 8-11 | 5 / 8-11 |
| 154 | William Shipes | 3 / 8-11 | 3 / 8-11 |
| 155 | Terry Baksay | 3 / 8- 9 | 3 / 8- 9 |
| 156 | JT Kenney | 3 / 8- 5 | 3 / 8- 5 |
| 157 | Kenny Garippa | 3 / 8- 4 | 3 / 8- 4 |
| 158 | Tom Huynh | 4 / 8- 3 | 4 / 8- 3 |
| 159 | Jeremiah Johnson | 3 / 8- 3 | 3 / 8- 3 |
| 160 | Craig Nelson | 3 / 8- 1 | 3 / 8- 1 |
| 161 | Charlie Machek | 4 / 8- 0 | 4 / 8- 0 |
| 162 | Craig Workman | 4 / 7-14 | 4 / 7-14 |
| 163 | Shane Rees | 3 / 7- 6 | 3 / 7- 6 |
| 164 | Jared Lintner | 3 / 7- 4 | 3 / 7- 4 |
| 165 | Fletcher Shryock | 3 / 7- 3 | 3 / 7- 3 |
| 166 | Scott Ashmore | 3 / 7- 2 | 3 / 7- 2 |
| 167 | Gary Isgrigg | 4 / 7- 0 | 4 / 7- 0 |
| 168 | Vince Troiano | 3 / 6-12 | 3 / 6-12 |
| 169 | Joseph Vacanti | 2 / 6- 6 | 2 / 6- 6 |
| 170 | John Malzahn | 2 / 6- 3 | 2 / 6- 3 |
| 171 | Tyler Ferris | 2 / 6- 2 | 2 / 6- 2 |
| 172 | Scott Johnson | 3 / 5-13 | 3 / 5-13 |
| 173 | Joseph Sancho | 2 / 5-13 | 2 / 5-13 |
| 174 | Mike Elsea | 2 / 5-12 | 2 / 5-12 |
| 175 | Brian Wilhoit | 2 / 5- 8 | 2 / 5- 8 |
| 176 | George Yund | 2 / 4-15 | 2 / 4-15 |
| 177 | Kevin Brockner | 2 / 4-14 | 2 / 4-14 |
| 178 | Arnie Duck Jr | 3 / 4-13 | 3 / 4-13 |
| 179 | Scott Shafer | 2 / 4-10 | 2 / 4-10 |
| 180 | Robert Whitehurst | 2 / 4- 9 | 2 / 4- 9 |
| 181 | Scott Pellegrin | 2 / 4- 8 | 2 / 4- 8 |
| 182 | Randy Caruso | 2 / 4- 4 | 2 / 4- 4 |
| 182 | Allen Crutchley Jr | 2 / 4- 4 | 2 / 4- 4 |
| 184 | Jonathan Evans | 2 / 4- 3 | 2 / 4- 3 |
| 185 | Tom Balachvili | 2 / 3- 3 | 2 / 3- 3 |
| 186 | Randy Morrison | 1 / 2-15 | 1 / 2-15 |
| 187 | Jeff Hippert | 1 / 2-11 | 1 / 2-11 |
| 188 | Lucas Bogosian | 1 / 2- 7 | 1 / 2- 7 |
| 189 | Thomas Waltz | 1 / 2- 6 | 1 / 2- 6 |
| 190 | Keith Evans | 1 / 2- 5 | 1 / 2- 5 |
| 190 | Greg Mansfield | 1 / 2- 5 | 1 / 2- 5 |
| 192 | Bill Gallagher III | 1 / 2- 3 | 1 / 2- 3 |
| 193 | Chris Dillow | 1 / 1-14 | 1 / 1-14 |
| 194 | Frank Ramsey | 1 / 1- 9 | 1 / 1- 9 |
Spider Wire Introduces New Stealth Smooth Braid At Icast
COLUMBIA, S.C. (June 30, 2016) - Anglers trust SpiderWire® Stealth® for its smoothness and strength. A smoother braid whisks through the guides with ease and provides a quiet, effortless cast, a quick vertical descent and more efficiency on the water. To meet this need, Spiderwire introduces Stealth Smooth™. The new line is being introduced at the 2016 ICAST in July as part of the New Product Showcase.
SpiderWire Stealth Smooth is an eight-carrier braid. The consistent, tight weave of SpiderWire Stealth Smooth is due to its high, tight-weave pick count. Eight carriers and high pick count gives the line a smoothness needed to whip through guides and make longer, more controlled casts.
After being woven, SpiderWire Stealth Smooth is coated with a thin layer of a highly durable microcrystalline polymer for a colorfast and thin diameter line that is easy to tie, and cinches down on most knots effortlessly. Offered in a wide size range of 6- to 80-pound test, SpiderWire Stealth Smooth is capable of handling any species.
Available in 125-, 200-, 300-, 500-, 1500- and 3000-yard spools, SpiderWire Stealth Smooth is offered in moss green and will be available early 2017. MSRP for SpiderWire Stealth Smooth starts at $13.99.
Costa Adds Eight New Pro's To Its Already Stout Pro Line-Up!!
Costa Adds Eight Bassmaster Elite Series Anglers to Pro Team
Daytona Beach, Fla. – June 30, 2016 – Costa recently added eight Bassmaster Elite Series anglers to its pro team. The new additions include : Clent Davis; Brett Hite; Davy Hite; Chris Lane; Shane Linenberger; Justin Lucas; Jacob Powroznik and Terry Scroggins. The new team members join 39 existing Bassmaster Elite Series pros already partnered with Costa.
“Our pro team includes not just the best anglers in the sport, but some of the best people in the industry,” said Melinda Hays, bass fishing community leader for Costa. “Not only are we proud for them to represent Costa while they’re on and off the water, but we’re proud to call them partners and friends, as well.”
Costa also recently announced a partnership with Bassmaster Elite Series tournament emcee and television host Dave Mercer. The Bassmaster Elite Series tournament trail pits the top 110 anglers across 11 competitions for a chance to qualify for the Super Bowl of bass fishing, the 2017 Bassmaster Classic, to be held in Houston, Mar. 24 - 26.
About Costa™
As the leading manufacturer of the world’s clearest polarized performance sunglasses, Costa offers superior lens technology and unparalleled fit and durability. Still handcrafted today in Florida, Costa has created the highest quality, best performing sunglasses and prescription sunglasses (Rx) for outdoor enthusiasts since 1983.
For Costa, conservation is all about sustainable fishing. Many fisheries that should be vibrant and healthy are all but devoid of native fish because they have fallen victim to poor fishing practices, unregulated development, lack of watershed protection or all of the above. Costa works with partners around the world to help increase awareness and influence policy so that both the fish and fishermen of tomorrow will have healthy waters to enjoy. Costa encourages others to help in any way they can.
For more information, contact 1-800-447-3700 or visit the company’s web site at www.costadelmar.com. Join the conversation on Facebook at www.facebook.com/costasunglasses, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/costasunglasses, or on Twitter @CostaSunglasses.
Garmin Pro's Dominate Flw Tour 2016 Season With Aoy And Roy Winners And Others.
Garmin® pros dominate 2016 Walmart FLW Tour season standings
Team Garmin anglers take home Angler and Rookie of the Year titles
OLATHE, Kan./June 29, 2016 – Garmin International is proud to announce that five of its professional marine anglers – Andy Morgan, Chris Johnston, Stetson Blaylock, Scott Martin and Mark Rose – finished in the top ten in the 2016 Walmart FLW Tour Angler of the Year (AOY) standings after the Tour finale on Lake Champlain last weekend. Garmin anglers impressively represented the top-three spots, with Andy Morgan leading the way as the 2016 AOY. This is the third AOY title for Morgan, who is the first in FLW Tour history to win the honor three times in four years. Chris Johnston, who finished second in standings, also came out on top as the 2016 Rookie of the Year (ROY). Adding to the list of Team Garmin FLW Tour accolades, Scott Martin, 2015 AOY, finished first at the Lake Champlain event, and Jason Lambert took home the top spot at Kentucky Lake earlier this month.
Garmin pros fished this year’s FLW tournament trail with LakeVü HD Ultra mapping, the most detailed lake maps available on the market today, along with a full suite of Garmin electronics, including PanoptixTM all-seeing sonar, a revolutionary technology that provides a real-time video- like view of what’s in front of the boat in real time, even while stationary.
“Electronics play a huge role in my success as an angler,” Morgan said. “I’m not a techy guy, so for me it’s all about simplicity and reliability – both of which Garmin sets the benchmark for. When you’re trying to make a living in the outdoor world, dependability and reputation is key, and that’s why I switched to Garmin.”
“Garmin Panoptix played a key role in my success this year, and I believe you’re a step behind if you’re not using it,” Johnston said. “Coupled with the 1-foot contour detail on Garmin’s HD mapping that shows me things that other anglers don’t even have on their maps – I’ve never used anything that good and it’s been invaluable to me this season.”
In addition to being equipped with best-in-class sonar technology, Garmin pros also compete with the help of some of the industry’s most sophisticated chartplotters and multifunction displays. They fish with the popular Garmin echoMAPTM and GPSMAP® chartplotter/combo devices, available with display sizes ranging from four- to 16-inches, that feature built-in Garmin CHIRP DownVüTM and SideVüTM scanning sonar as well as traditional sonar.
For the highest level of detail on the water, Garmin anglers rely on preloaded LakeVü HD maps, which include more than 17,000 total lakes across the U.S. – more than double the number of preloaded lakes of any competitor. Of the preloaded lakes, more than 13,000 HD lakes feature 1-foot contours shoreline to shoreline – again, two times more than the competition.
Anglers and spectators will now set their sights to the 2016 FLW Forrest Wood Cup Championship in Huntsville, Ala. on Wheeler Lake, Aug. 4-7. Based on the FLW points standings, Garmin anglers made up nearly a third of the automatic qualifiers for this year’s Championship.
Recently, Garmin was named Manufacturer of the Year and received the honor of being the most recognized company in the marine electronics field by the National Marine Electronics Association
(NMEA). Garmin’s portfolio includes some of the industry’s most sophisticated chartplotters and touchscreen multifunction displays, sonar technology, high-definition radar, autopilots, high- resolution mapping, sailing instrumentation and other products and services that are known for innovation, reliability, and ease-of-use.
Canadien Angler Chris Johnson Earns Flw Rookie Of The Year Title.
JOHNSTON EARNS FLW TOUR ROOKIE OF THE YEAR TITLE
Pro Angler Becomes First Canadian Angler to Claim Title
MINNEAPOLIS (June 28, 2016) – Canadian pro angler Chris Johnston of Peterborough, Ontario, capped off the 2016 Walmart FLW Tour in 2nd place overall with 1060 points, earning him the coveted FLW Tour Rookie of the Year title.
The Rookie of the Year title annually goes to the FLW Tour rookie who has the highest year-end point total in the standings at the conclusion of the regular season. Johnston secured the crown on the final event of the season at Lake Champlain last week, finishing the tournament in 5th place and qualifying for his first Forrest Wood Cup championship appearance.
“I’d looked at it (fishing the Tour) for the past couple years and have been fishing the Costa FLW Series,” Johnston said. “I didn’t want to make the jump to the Tour until I was financially ready. I’ve got my career set up with my job at home where I can do this now. I didn’t want to be living in my truck and going paycheck to paycheck. I wanted to be able to fish to win.”
Johnston debuted as a professional with a third-place finish on Lake Okeechobee in Clewiston, Florida, and never looked back. He followed up Okeechobee with 12th- and 25th-place finishes in the following two tournaments on Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina, and Beaver Lake in Rogers, Arkansas, respectively.
“A lot of the lakes fit right into my wheelhouse,” said Johnston. “I love bed-fishing, and Hartwell and Beaver set up perfect for me.”
The Tour then headed to the Tennessee River for events on Pickwick and Kentucky lakes. Johnston’s pace slowed a bit with 61st- and 40th-place finishes, but he still rolled into Plattsburgh for the finale with a commanding 102-point lead. He wrapped up the season with the 5th place finish and won the title by nearly 200 points.
A unique advantage that Johnston had throughout the rookie season is his brother and fellow Tour rookie Cory Johnston, of Cavan, Ontario, who finished second in the ROY standings. The brothers team up during practice periods.
“We work together and try to break down a lake quicker,” Chris explained. “We try to split up the water so we aren’t fishing each other’s fish, and it helps big time if he’s on one end of the lake and has a pattern going. If he’s catching them on a jerkbait off deep points, we’ll share that stuff.”
The top five rookies on the 2016 Walmart FLW Tour were:
1st: Chris Johnston, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, 1060 points
2nd: Cory Johnston, Cavan, Ontario, Canada, 884 points
3rd: Jay Kendrick, Grant, Ala., 861 points
3rd: Brian Latimer, Belton, S.C., 808 points
5th: Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn., 805 points
The Walmart FLW Tour Rookie of the Year title is determined by the total accumulated points from six regular-season events. Two hundred points are awarded for a win, 199 for second, 198 for third, and so on.
The next tournament for Johnston will be the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup Championship presented by Walmart held on Wheeler Lake, August 4-7 in Huntsville, Alabama.
Coverage of Johnston’s Rookie of the Year win on Lake Champlain will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) Oct. 12 from 1 p.m.-2 p.m. EDT. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
For a full schedule of events, complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
