Liberty University Leads Flw College Fishing National Championship On Lake Murray
Luke Clausen Joins 'team Dirty'
Dirty Jigs has announced that FLW Tour pro Luke Clausen has joined “Team Dirty”, the national pro staff for Dirty Jigs Tackle. Luke will work to promote the line of flipping, pitching, football and swim jigs along with new products set to be released in the near future.
Clausen is the only angler in FLW history to win the Forrest Wood Cup his rookie season and he is one of only five anglers to have won both the Forrest Wood Cup and the Bassmaster Classic. Also in 2006, Clausen became the youngest angler to reach the one million dollar career earnings mark.
“Dirty Jigs have been a part of my arsenal since I discovered them several years ago. They are the only jig out there with the attention to detail that I require to fish at the highest level. From the colors offered to the quality of the all of the products, Dirty Jigs are the best on the market,” added Clausen.
“We are excited to have someone join our team with the years of experience and tournament success that Luke has. He is a perfect complement to join fellow FLW Tour pro Scott Canterbury and Matt Allen of Tactical Bassin’. We have multiple "Signature Series” baits in the works for each of them that will expand our offerings and develop new product types that we do not currently offer,” stated Curtis Demerath, owner of Dirty Jigs.
Dirty Jigs Tackle has been in operation for over a decade and is well-known among bass anglers for their swim jigs. They offer a complete line of jigs in sixteen different styles with a combined total of over 130 skirt color options. For more information, visit dirtyjigstackle.com.
Countdown to Blastoff with AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh-Tons of Tournaments this weekend!!
AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh, just back from his 15th place finish at the Rayovac Series on Sam Rayburn, talks tons of tournaments....including what to throw and look for this weekend at the Oakley Big Bass, AC Marine TT on Kerr, and the BASS Southern Open on the Alabama River!!
Brad McLaurin wins the Goodyear Bass Tournament on Kerr with 18.47-Full results and pics here!
The Kerr Lake tournament for the Goodyear Bass Club Trail is in the books. There was some periods of rain, but otherwise the weather was great and the bite was hot.
All 11 teams that showed up had limits of fish! Thanks for your participation, tell a friend, see you all at the next tournament on Jordan Lake, May 12th. We pay out 3 places, but all are listed here, the results are below these pics:
Bill McLaurin is holding up the trophys after the big win!
2nd place team of Bill Pankey and Bill Faircloth
3rd place team of James Clark and David Blanton
1st Place & Big Fish of 4.67lbs
Brad McLaurin
5 Fish
18.47lbs
2nd Place
Billy Pankey & Bill Faircloth
5 Fish
16.05lbs
3rd Place
James Clark & David Blanton
5 Fish
15.83lbs
-
4th Place
Steve Belch & Tim Shabram
5 Fish
14.89lbs
5th Place
Ed Wentland & Josh Whitford
5 Fish
14.39lbs
6th Place
Jody Blue & Adam Jackson
5 Fish
13.79lbs
7th Place
David Sullivan & Gus Rostan
5 Fish
12.14lbs
8th Place
Bill Gainey & Gary Loes
5 Fish
11.54lbs
9th Place
John Heath & B.Lee
5 Fish
11.13lbs
10th Place
Kay Choosakul & Keith Barker
5 Fish
11.12lbs
11th Place
James & Steven Bass
5 Fish
10.99lbs
Gamecock Team Will Be Fishing For All Of South Carolina In College Fishing National Championship On Lake Murray
Patrick Walters and Gettys Brannon will be fishing for the FLW College Fishing National Championship on Lake Murray this weekend. Photo Credit: Leiding Walters
Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, S.C., won the Forrest Wood Cup on South Carolina's Lake Murray last August. Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., won the Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell which lies on the South Carolina-Georgia border in February.
Now Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C. and Gettys Brannon of Columbia, S.C. would love nothing more than to complete the Palmetto State trifecta and win the third bass fishing national title – the FLW College Fishing National Championship – on Lake Murray this week.
As the only collegiate team from South Carolina to qualify for the national championship, Walters and Brannon said they feel like they are not only representing the University of South Carolina where they fish for the Anglers@USC team, they are actually representing the entire state this week.
“This is a big opportunity for us, to represent South Carolina in this championship,” said Brannon. “There were 800 college teams and only 50 made it, 10 from each region.”
Brannon and Walters finished 5th in the FLW college tournament on Lake Guntersville in Alabama last May and then had to finish in the top 10 in the Southeastern Conference Invitational on Tennessee's Lake Chickamauga last October to make it to the championship.
“We finished 9th at Chickamauga and we feel good going into the championship on Lake Murray,” Brannon said.
Both he and Walters say the home lake can be an advantage – or a curse.
“Being the only team from South Carolina, I feel that gives us a small home team advantage,” Walters said, “but the way the fish are biting right now it's anybody's game. This will not be a game for secrets; anybody can get lucky and stumble on them.”
The main reason it can help, Brannon said, is in the two days of practice before the tournament begins Thursday.
“The good thing about having the lake in our backyard is knowing the lake,” Brannon said. “We'll spend the practice days burning a lot of gas and eliminating places we won't fish during the tournament.”
Brannon said the fish are in all three phases right now. Some are pre-spawn, some are spawning and some are already post-spawn. Walters said the fish are biting all the way from the rivers at the upper end of the lake down to the dam at the lower end so it should not be too crowded during the tournament – at least on Thursday and Friday.
“We should have the lake to ourselves Thursday and Friday, but I know of several local tournaments going out of Dreher Island on Saturday, so we will have to deal with that local pressure on the last day,” he said.
Both said consistency will be a major factor for whoever wins.
“There are a bunch of bedding fish right now, so somebody is going to get lucky and stumble on some big bedding fish,” Walters said. “The thing is to do that all three days.”
“Patrick and I are hitting on all cylinders right now,” Brannon said. “We bounce ideas off of each other and we have good chemistry. It will take a lot of teamwork to win this tournament.”
With that confidence and trust in each other, they feel confident heading into the tournament, he said.
“If we get out there, take our time and do what we normally do we should be fine,” said Walters.
And both said there will be a lot of fish caught in the championship, which should make the weigh-ins held in conjunction with the South Carolina-Vanderbilt baseball games exciting. Weigh-in will be held adjacent to Carolina Stadium at Williams and Wheat Streets in Columbia beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday (or immediately following the end of the baseball game).
Brannon and Walters will throw out the first pitch for Thursday's game.
Visit the USC Bass Fishing Team's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/uofscbassfishing and follow them on Twitter https://twitter.com/anglersusc @anglersusc
FLW College Fishing Series National Championship
Apr 16-18, 2015
Lake Murray
SCE&G North Recreation Area at Dreher Shoals
Bass Heading To The Beds Just In Time For Anglers Choice Double-Header On Kerr
Kerr reservoir is primed for some of the best bass fishing of the season just in time for the Angler Choice Invitational Team Trail double-header tournament this weekend, said tournament director Chris Lucas.
“I fished down there last weekend and you could catch fish however you wanted to fish,” Lucas said. “The key was the guys who could find a good kicker to go with their limit.”
Lucas weighed in 29.19 pounds to take 4th place in the Bass Federation National Championship. It took over 30 pounds for both days to win, he said.
“There were 111 boats and the first day they weighed 495 fish, which means every team but two had fish and most those teams had a limit. There were a lot of fish caught and brought to the weigh-in.”
And Lucas, said, if you think that was good it should be even better this weekend for the Anglers Choice double-tournament weekend.
“I think the fish are going on the beds and the sight fishermen will have a ball,” he said. “Some fish were caught on the beds this past weekend, but I don't think the big wave was up yet.”
Lucas said the water is almost out of the bushes, but there is enough water on the bushes that the fish are in 1-foot depths.
“If they are there you can catch them, so there will be plenty of targets to throw at unless they pull water a foot or two by the weekend.”
Topwater will be good, spinnerbaits will be good if the wind is blowing, and flipping will be good, he said, so anglers can fish to their strengths this weekend.
The Kerr weekend will be the midpoint of the of the 2015 season under the new single-division, two classics format.
“When we joined the B.A.S.S. Toyota Team Championship Series we were only recognized as one trail by them,” Lucas explained. “Basically, we had to have one points system, so we don't call it the North Carolina Division and Virginia Division anymore. The guys who fish on Saturday and the guys who fish on Sunday, all the points go to the same standings.”
And this is a critical weekend for the standings, he added.
“Things are heating up for the B.A.S.S. Team Championship race. The points are going to be tight and we have a boatload of people coming to fish.”
Lucas said the schedule is set up so there are two tournaments in Virginia, which are held on Smith Mountain Lake, and two tournaments in the Carolinas where the dealerships are located – in Lexington and Spindale – one on High Rock and one on Lake Hickory.”
The other tournaments are held on the border, with two double-tournament weekends on Kerr Reservoir, he noted.
“An angler can make one trip, fish Saturday and Sunday and get two qualifiers in while saving money. That Kerr tournament weekend will be our biggest draw of the year,” Lucas said. “And if you plan on launching at Occoneechee, come early so we can get the boats out at 7 o'clock.”
The remaining Anglers Choice Tournament schedule includes: April 18 and 19, Kerr Reservoir; May 2, Smith Mountain Lake; May 23, Lake Hickory; June 6 and 7, Kerr Reservoir; with the Ranger Classic Oct. 3-4 on Kerr Lake and the Triton Classic Oct. 17-18 on High Rock Lake.
Anglers Choice Invitational Team Trail
Apr 18 & 19, 2015
Kerr / Buggs Island Lake
Occoneechee State Park Ramp #1
Call Chris Lucas 276-358-0844
Rains Make The Alabama River Muddy For B.a.s.s. Southern Open
B.A.S.S. pro Todd Auten of Lake Wylie, S.C., spent the first half of this week “feeling my way around” the Alabama River out of Cooter's Pond in preparation for the second Bassmaster Southern Open which starts Thursday.
“There are not a whole lot of maps available for this place so I am basically eliminating water and trying to find some areas that I think will hold enough fish to last a couple of days,” Auten said. “You run into the little coves and there are a lot of stumps so I am kind of feeling my way around.”
Auten said the water is a lot dirtier than usual and the river has more color than he has seen there before.
“Some of the backwater is really muddy. I usually like that, but the fish have not been biting real good in it,” he said.
“I think there are some largemouths spawning, but most are post-spawn as far as I can tell. For the spotted bass I don't know yet. You can't see the bottom anywhere, but I do get a lot of short strikes – like maybe the fish is on the bed.”
Auten said crowding can add to the problems during the tournament.
“I don't know how many boats we will have, but it will probably be about 200, and this place gets pretty crowded pretty quick. The bad thing is you can be in an area and it can be the right area, but so many people may have been through there and beat it up ahead of you.”
The main thing will be to keep an open mind and take advantage of opportunities if they appear, he said.
“If you get a couple of bites in an area there probably are a few more fish in there,” he noted. “They've had a lot of rain and the water is muddied up so the fish are not biting real good, but there is a lot of current, though, so they ought to be cranked up somewhere. Maybe I've just been fishing in the wrong place.”
His two previous trips to the Alabama River have been at different times of the year, so those experiences won't provide much help for a post-spawn springtime tournament. He finished 46th in the 2005 Open Championship in early December 2005, but the year before he finished 4th in the Bassmaster Elite 50 on the Alabama River.
Auten placed third in the first Southern Open on Lake Kissimmee in mid-January. If he maintains his ranking through the three-tournament Southern Open season he would qualify to move back up to the B.A.S.S. Elite Series. A win in the Alabama River or in the series final at Lake Seminole in October would earn him a ticket to the 2016 Bassmaster Classic.
Bassmaster Southern Open
Apr 16-18, 2015
Alabama River
Cooters Pond
Torbett And Webb Win The Chattanooga Bass Assoc Tournament On Chickamauga With 29.89 Lbs-Full Results Here!
14 bags over 20 at the most recent CBA Tournament on Lake Chickamauga..................this lake has been and will continue to be our pick for the best lake in the country for producing the most quality bags week in and week out over the last 24 months. It's simply amazing!!
| CHATTANOOGA BASS ASSOCIATION | |||||
| 2015 OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT RESULTS | |||||
| Diesel & Off-Road Technologies April Open | |||||
| April 11, 2015 | |||||
| Denali Rods:Big Fish of theTournament | |||||
| LARGEMOUTH 10.25 | |||||
| Rogne Brown and Cary Dotson | |||||
| 2nd Big Fish 9.23 | |||||
| Oscar Torbett and Jerry Webb | |||||
| Soddy Custom Tackle BIG FISH of the Season Leaders | |||||
| Matt Gowan and Matt Howell 11.53 | |||||
| PLACE | NAME | WEIGHT | POINTS | DIV | |
| 1 | Oscar Torbett | Jerry Webb | 29.89 | 100 | |
| 2 | Damon Taylor | Justin Medley | 29.21 | 99 | |
| 3 | Rogne Brown | Cary Dotson | 28.31 | 98 | |
| 4 | Dillon Falardeau | Patrick Hoskins | 27.53 | 97 | COLLEGE |
| 5 | Jon Mantooth | Matt Jenkins | 25.59 | 96 | |
| 6 | Mike Varner | Mark Heatherly | 25.08 | 95 | |
| 7 | John Powell | Matt Powell | 22.94 | 94 | |
| 8 | Brent Hayes | David Hix | 22.49 | 93 | |
| 9 | Greg McGraw | Heath Dalrymple | 21.74 | 92 | |
| 10 | Chris Peters | Ryan Wilkes | 21.19 | 91 | |
| 11 | Tom Kizzah III | Tom Kizzah Jr | 20.97 | 90 | |
| 12 | Chuck James | Brad James | 20.85 | 89 | |
| 13 | Jayme Copenhaver | Adam Dysart | 20.72 | 88 | |
| 14 | Jim McClanahan | Derek McCulough | 20.18 | 87 | |
| 15 | Robby Crosslin | Greg Worsham | 19.52 | 86 | NEW |
| 16 | Haden Lamb | Trevor Porter | 19.10 | 85 | |
| 17 | Dusty Elrod | Thomas Henshaw | 19.06 | 84 | |
| 18 | Josh Woffard | Bruce Woffard | 18.94 | 83 | |
| 19 | Taylor Massigill | Trent Huie | 18.83 | WC | WHITE |
| 20 | Brian Wilson | Tom Brindle | 18.06 | 82 | |
| 21 | Jared McMillon | JB McMillon | 17.99 | 81 | |
| 22 | Shane Frazier | Dallas George | 17.87 | 80 | |
| 23 | Blake Lee | James Burkhart | 17.19 | 79 | COLLEGE |
| 24 | David Stokes | Tim Johnson | 17.10 | 78 | NEW |
| 25 | Galen James | Tony Townsend | 17.01 | 77 | |
| 26 | Chris Coffey | Nicholas Pratt | 16.96 | 76 | |
| 27 | Tyler Bain | Larry Erwin | 16.28 | 75 | |
| 28 | Gabe Yeargan | Sam Morgan | 16.25 | 74 | NEW |
| 29 | Brad Ferguson | Teddy Owensby | 15.59 | 73 | |
| 30 | Jamie Hatcher | Rick Camp | 15.43 | 72 | |
| 31 | Dennis Steele | Gary Hutton | 15.36 | 71 | |
| 32 | Mark Varady | Mark Keith | 15.12 | 70 | |
| 33 | Derek Hicks | Roger Hicks | 15.06 | 69 | |
| 34 | Ron Willerson | Eric Cabrera | 14.77 | 68 | |
| 35 | Justin Whaley | Kevin Miller | 14.70 | WC | WHITE |
| 36 | Gary Davenport | Harold Coffman | 14.60 | 67 | NEW |
| 37 | Jim Cofer | Matt Wendorf | 14.46 | 66 | |
| 38 | Ted Pullian | Jon Delashmitt | 14.06 | 65 | |
| 39 | Greg Lamb | Buddy Gross | 14.05 | 64 | |
| 40 | Paul Johnson | Robert McDougal | 13.98 | 63 | |
| 41 | Wayne Bice | Garfield Hale | 13.97 | 62 | NEW |
| 42 | Kevin Keith | Eddie Amos | 13.88 | WC | WHITE |
| 43 | Barry Wingo | Jeff Hineman | 13.80 | 61 | |
| 44 | Baron Adams | Trevor Prince | 13.39 | 60 | |
| 45 | Steve Rodgers | Bob Anthony | 12.95 | 59 | |
| 46 | Steve Kite | Daniel Lewis | 12.67 | 58 | |
| 47 | Blake McElhaney | Jimmy Reynolds | 12.53 | 57 | |
| 48 | Brian Spangler | Tracy Penny | 12.43 | 56 | |
| 49 | Gary Hughes | Billy Campbell | 11.98 | 55 | SENIOR |
| 50 | Todd Smith | Tim Smith | 11.19 | 54 | |
| 51 | Alan Hyde | Mike Hyde | 10.15 | 53 | |
| 52 | Mark Riggs | Robert Moore | 9.54 | 52 | |
| 53 | Bobby Ogle | Alan Ogle | 9.36 | 51 | |
| 54 | Tim Traffanstendt | Austin Traffanstendt | 9.35 | 50 | YOUTH |
| 55 | Glenn Civale | 9.15 | 49 | ||
| 56 | Lance Nunley | Thomas Wilson | 8.89 | 48 | |
| 57 | Lee Haas | Harold Beavers | 8.83 | 47 | |
| 58 | John Gudel | John Green | 8.58 | 46 | |
| 59 | Matt Harvey | David Williams | 8.44 | 45 | |
| 60 | Mike Collake | James Collake | 7.94 | 44 | NEW |
| 61 | Dusty Mullins | Corey Johnson | 7.75 | 43 | NEW |
| 62 | Andy Lusk | Shaun Lusk | 7.24 | 42 | |
| 63 | Matt Gowan | Matt Howell | 7.16 | 41 | |
| 64 | Wade Kilgore | Jim Pitts | 7.01 | 40 | |
| 65 | Stan Dickert | Gene Cote | 6.45 | 39 | SENIOR |
| 66 | Nathan Bell | Tom Helton | 6.37 | 38 | YOUTH |
| 67 | Keith Ellis | Roger Kendrick | 6.20 | 37 | |
| 68 | Rocky Sutherland | Harley Sutherland | 5.75 | 36 | YOUTH |
| 69 | Marvin Ervin | William Ervin | 5.69 | WC | WHITE |
| 70 | Jeff Reed | Tim Vandagriff | 5.40 | 35 | |
| 71 | Randy Pippin | Greg Henry | 3.87 | 34 | |
| 72 | Robbie Moore | 3.80 | 33 | COLLEGE | |
| 73 | Victor Rowe | Tim Harrison | 3.66 | 32 | |
| 74 | Mark Hooper | Mike Day | 3.21 | 31 | NEW |
| 75 | Jim Kester | Jim Kester Jr | 2.65 | 30 | |
| 76 | Chris Gilmore | Matt Ritchy | 2.46 | 29 | |
| 77 | David Craft | Stoney Johnson | 2.24 | 28 | NEW |
| 78 | Brian Pierce | Joel Smith | DNW | WC | WHITE |
| 78 | Steven Harrison | Gene Brooks | DNW | WC | WHITE |
| 78 | Anthony Correll | Logan Kokaszka | DNW | 10 | |
| 78 | Billy Joe Wheat | Blake Wheat | DNW | 10 | YOUTH |
| 78 | Brian Hatfield | Cindy Hatfield | DNW | 10 | NEW |
| 78 | Bryan Newberry | Jeff Knight | DNW | 10 | |
| 78 | Carter Day | Scotty Gilley | DNW | 10 | |
| 78 | Chris Talley | Derek Blevins | DNW | 10 | NEW |
| 78 | Clark Akins | Jason Akins | DNW | 10 | |
| 78 | Cory Nichols | John Oxford | DNW | 10 | |
| 78 | Darren Nunley | Hensley Powell | DNW | WC | WHITE |
| 78 | David Crider | Zach Crider | DNW | 10 | |
| 78 | David Jarvis | Brent Jarvis | DNW | 10 | YOUTH |
| 78 | David Olinger | Casey Hitchcock | DNW | WC | WHITE |
| 78 | Don Lamb | Eddie Wilson | DNW | 10 | SENIOR |
| 78 | Heath Morton | Jamie Powell | DNW | 10 | WHITE |
| 78 | Herb Hall | Rober Gibson | DNW | 10 | COLLEGE |
| 78 | Justin Sneed | David Allen | DNW | 10 | |
| 78 | Matt Dixon | Nick Chuba | DNW | 10 | |
| 78 | Michael Hendrick | Tyler Rowland | DNW | WC | WHITE |
| 78 | Mike Looney | Chris Grant | DNW | 10 | |
| 78 | Mike Walker | Alex Walker | DNW | 10 | YOUTH |
| 78 | Mitch Oliver | Andy Parkinson | DNW | 10 | NEW |
| 78 | Robert Simpson | Danny Daniels | DNW | 10 | SENIOR |
| 78 | Shane Carter | Landon Carter | DNW | 10 | YOUTH |
| 78 | Steve Barnes | Spencer Smith | DNW | 10 | |
| 78 | Taylor Sweeten | Tim Belcher | DNW | 10 | NEW |
| 78 | Wyatt Beavers | Hunter Nelson | DNW | 10 | COLLEGE |
Welborn and Sams win the ABT on Lewis Smith with 18.93 Lbs-pics and top 10 here!
Jasper, Ala. – April 11, 2015 – If there is one lake in the State of Alabama that stands alone a different type of fishery, it is Lewis Smith Lake. While the majority of the waterways in Alabama are stained water, power fishing havens, Smith Lake is a finesse angler’s dream. With clear water, plentiful spotted bass and the somewhat recent introduction of blue back herring into the lake, Smith Lake can be a challenge.
To those who know how to contend with its componentry, Smith Lake can be one of the best fisheries for catching numbers of healthy bass. When the Alabama Bass Trail Northern Division made its third stop of the 2015 season, the talk of large numbers of bass being caught was plentiful.
But, finding the kind of fish that could win a tournament on Smith Lake was an entirely different story. While catching two pounders is common; locating the three and a half to four pound fish that typically win this time of the year was key.
The team of John Welborn and Wesley Sams did that just slightly better than the rest. In what turned out to be an extremely close affair, Welborn and Sams came to the stage as one of the last teams to weigh-in, and managed to place five near clone spotted bass on the scales to take the win with 18.93 pounds. The pair reported moving around a lot to fill their bag.
“We covered much of the lake today running a milk run of places that spotted bass will spawn on the lake,†they said. “We targeted spawning areas as deep as 12 feet, and managed to get the kind of bites we needed to win. We knew it was going to be close, but we’re very happy with the results.â€
The winning team said that they caught 50 to 75 fish throughout the day, but at nearly noon, they didn’t have much for weight. “We started getting our better bites later in the day as the sun came up better,†they reported. “We used 1/4-ounce Shaky Heads and six-inch green pumpkin finesse worms to catch them; we just had to get the lure in the right places. Welborn and Sams took home the $10,000 winner’s purse for their efforts.
For the longest time, it looked like the second place team of Brent Crow and James Morgan would be the team holding that check. They weighed their 18.65-pound limit early in the weigh-in, and stood as leaders until they were unseated by Welborn and Sams with less than 10 team left to weigh-in.
They reported fishing the Rock Creek area of the lake, and using the same technique as the winners. “All of our fish were deeper spawning fish,†said Crow and Morgan. “We thought we would catch only spotted bass on the Shaky Head, but we had a couple of good largemouth in there too. We thought we had a good chance to win, but those guys are good, and it just didn’t go our way today; we feel pretty good about second place.†They received $5,000 for their second place finish.
The team of Charlie Cummings and Greg Pugh finished third with 18.29 pounds, and earned $4,000. The team of Sam Moody and Ray Battles finished in 20th place with 15.55 pounds, but their limit included the Mountain Dew Big Bass of the tournament. Their 5.18-pound largemouth earned them an additional $500 bonus.
The top 10 in the standings were as follows below. For complete standings visit the results page at http://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/lsl-results/
The sponsors of the 2015 Alabama Bass Trail include : Bill Penney Toyota, the Alabama Tourism Department, Phoenix Bass Boats, Inc., Garmin, Academy Sports & Outdoors, T-H Marine Supplies, Inc., Alabama Power Company, Buffalo Rock, Inc., Jet-Pep, Inc., Tennessee Valley Authority, and Frogg Toggs, Inc., HydroWaveTM, Alabama Foundation Specialist, Boat U.S., LEER, Vicious Fishing, E3 Sports, Inc., Costa Del Mar, Frogg Toggs, Inc., Power-Pole, Window World and Yeti Coolers. The event was presented locally by Chamber of Commerce of Walker County.
| Place | Name | Fish | Weight | Penalty | Big Fish | points | Winnings | |||||||
| 1 | John Welborn/Wesley Sams | 5/0 | 18.93 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 225 | 10000 | |||||||
| 2 | Brent Crow/James Morgan | 5/0 | 18.65 | 0.00 | 4.61 | 224 | 5000 | |||||||
| 3 | Charlie Cummings/Greg Pugh | 5/0 | 18.29 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 223 | 4000 | |||||||
| 4 | Randall Wear/Ken Crossley | 5/0 | 17.76 | 0.00 | 4.93 | 222 | 3000 | |||||||
| 5 | Jeremy Tomlin/Greg Tomlin | 5/0 | 17.31 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 221 | 2000 | |||||||
| 6 | Brandon Gibson/Andy Chappell | 5/0 | 17.23 | 0.00 | 5.01 | 220 | 1000 | |||||||
| 7 | Benjie Seaborn/Johnathon Seaborn | 5/0 | 17.22 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 219 | 900 | |||||||
| 8 | Jeff Shelton/Tim Arnold | 5/0 | 16.94 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 218 | 800 | |||||||
| 9 | Dale Greer/Barry Johnson | 5/0 | 16.58 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 217 | 700 | |||||||
| 10 | Jonlee Sasser/Bradley Nix | 5/0 | 16.44 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 216 | 600 | |||||||
Tate and McPeters win the B&S Classic on Lake James with 21.85 Lbs-Full results and pics here!
B&S Outdoors Classic Lake James Champs Scott Tate and Graham McPeters
1. Scott Tate & Graham McPeters-5 Fish-21.85lbs - $320
2. John & Dennis Elliot-5 Fish-16.00lbs - $210
3. Brian & Lisa Smith-5 Fish-14.20lbs - $110
4. Dustin McCurry & Rob McCombs-5 Fish-13.90lbs
5. Brian King-5 Fish-13.80lbs
6. Anthony & Scott Killough-5 Fish-13.45lbs
7. Bill & Billy Willoughbly-5 Fish-13.10lbs
8. Donnie Woody-5 Fish-12.70lbs
9. Willie Davis & Billy Wright-5 Fish-11.90lbs
10. Allen Wyatt & David Whitson-5 Fish-9.90lbs
11. Travis Sercy & John Proctor-4 Fish-8.40lbs
12. Brandon Thompson & Chad Stevens-4 Fish-7.50lbs
13. Maurice Parent & Connie Hedrick-5 Fish-7.40lbs
14. Eddie & Cameron Lowdermilk-4 Fish-6.95lbs
15. Jordan Phillips & Eli Lawson-5 Fish-6.30lbs
16. Collene Brittain & Alex Brittain-5 Fish-1.45lbs
17. Mark Potter-0.00lbs-
17. Danny & Dennis Killough-0.00lbs-
17. Paul Huskins & Nathan Davis-0.00-
17. Steve Hice-0.00lbs-
17. Scott Campbell & Adam Michaels-0.00lbs-
17. Roger Huffman-0.00-
17. Marty Newton-0.00lbs-
17. Ken & Jason Stamey-0.00lbs-
17. Brandon Mason & Mike Lawson-0.00lbs-
17. Robbie Stamey & Jake Baker-0.00lbs-
Big Fish Winner=Scott Tate & Graham McPeters (4.95LBS) - $260
Next Tournament Will Be At Lake Rhodhiss at Castle Bridge May 23
Mark Abbott and Jimmy Wilder crush the CBC at Satnee with 28.35 and take home $10,000-Full results and pics here!!
Mark Abbott and Jimmy Wilder topped the 143 boat field with 28.35lbs of bass. Tournament Payout gave them a total PayDay $10,000.
Cole Winn and Scott Martincaught a monster 11.00lb Bass earning them a $1,000 Big Fish bonus
CBC Santee Champs Mark Abbott and Jimmy Wilder
CBC Santee 2nd Place team of Clark and Freddie Gibbs
CBC Santee 3rd Place Team of Greg Rikard and Eddile Herlong
CBC Santee BF Team of Cole Winn and Scott Martin with an 11 LB Monster!!
| Place | Team Name | Team # | Fish Weighed | Net Weight | Big Fish | Points | Winnings |
| 1 | Mark Abbott - Jimmy Wilder | 74 | 5 | 28.350 | 0.000 | 310 | $10,000 |
| 2 | Clark Gibbs - Freddie Gibbs | 80 | 5 | 25.280 | 7.610 | 309 | $4,250 |
| 3 | Greg Rikard - Eddie Herlong | 44 | 5 | 25.030 | 6.980 | 308 | $2,600 |
| 4 | Joey Bramlett - Barry Holloman | 115 | 5 | 24.780 | 5.300 | 307 | $2,000 |
| 5 | John Johnston - Mark Cercopely | 35 | 5 | 24.680 | 6.640 | 306 | $1,250 |
| 6 | Cole Winn - Scott Martin | 105 | 5 | 24.650 | 11.000 | 305 | $2,000* |
| *Includes $1,000 Big Fish Bonus | |||||||
| 7 | Thad Driggers - Lyn Langston | 92 | 5 | 24.640 | 8.080 | 304 | $800 |
| 8 | Thomas King - Clayton King | 19 | 5 | 23.860 | 6.170 | 303 | $3,250* |
| *Includes Top Finishing Skeeter $2500 Bonus | |||||||
| 9 | Ray Winans - Craig Matthews | 7 | 5 | 23.600 | 7.040 | 302 | $700 |
| 10 | Josh McGregor - Randall Driggers | 84 | 5 | 23.300 | 6.910 | 301 | $650 |
| 11 | Wayne King - Bo Chappell | 142 | 5 | 23.190 | 6.660 | 300 | $535 |
| 12 | Will Dickens - Brad Schindledecker | 40 | 5 | 23.070 | 7.310 | 299 | $475 |
| 13 | Johnny Houser - Deron Donohoo | 59 | 5 | 22.680 | 6.770 | 298 | $445 |
| 14 | Alan Richardson - Timmy Squires | 96 | 5 | 22.600 | 7.120 | 297 | $420 |
| 15 | Lonnie Marchant - Jeffrey Hutto | 93 | 5 | 22.570 | 0.000 | 296 | $385 |
| 16 | Chuck Howard - Ken Ellis | 64 | 5 | 22.410 | 6.240 | 295 | $360 |
| 17 | Eric Bozeman - Clint Proudfoot | 62 | 5 | 21.920 | 5.940 | 294 | $330 |
| 18 | Ryan Bowles - Jason Barrett | 32 | 5 | 21.040 | 0.000 | 293 | $315 |
| 19 | Mark Hutson - Gary Elsey | 117 | 5 | 21.020 | 0.000 | 292 | $300 |
| 20 | Nathan Burgess - Brent Riley | 114 | 5 | 20.890 | 7.740 | 291 | $290 |
| 21 | Mack Cook - Patrick Cook | 66 | 5 | 20.470 | 0.000 | 290 | $270 |
| 22 | Jason Quinn - Tony Colacurcio | 126 | 5 | 20.350 | 0.000 | 289 | $250 |
| 23 | Joseph Buddin - Joe Buddin | 86 | 5 | 20.240 | 0.000 | 288 | $225 |
| 24 | Emmett McCauley - Cory Barr | 123 | 5 | 20.220 | 0.000 | 287 | |
| 25 | Rusty Bullard - Eric Martin | 82 | 5 | 19.500 | 0.000 | 286 | $1.500* |
| *Includes Second Finishing Skeeter $1500 Bonus | |||||||
| 26 | Mike Watson - Craig McFadden | 50 | 5 | 19.250 | 0.000 | 285 | $1,000* |
| *Includes Third Finishing Skeeter $1000 Bonus | |||||||
| 27 | Michael Earnhardt - Mike Earnhardt | 16 | 5 | 19.200 | 5.860 | 284 | |
| 28 | John Branstetter - Troy Buffington | 98 | 5 | 18.770 | 0.000 | 283 | |
| 29 | Stan Gunter - Will Smith | 15 | 5 | 18.380 | 6.650 | 282 | |
| 30 | Brett Mitchell - Jerry Montjoy | 77 | 5 | 18.030 | 0.000 | 281 | |
| 31 | Mike Edge - Casey Warren | 71 | 5 | 17.790 | 0.000 | 280 | |
| 32 | Wayne Frierson - Ronnie Mueller | 106 | 5 | 17.520 | 0.000 | 279 | |
| 33 | John Sturkie - Calvin Hewitt | 76 | 5 | 17.380 | 0.000 | 278 | |
| 34 | Justin Purnell - Ricky Lee | 48 | 5 | 17.290 | 6.540 | 277 | |
| 35 | Sean Anderson - George Berry | 101 | 5 | 17.220 | 0.000 | 276 | |
| 36 | Joe Avin - Larry Avins | 89 | 5 | 17.200 | 0.000 | 275 | |
| 37 | Chris McDuffie - Greg Creech | 90 | 5 | 17.110 | 7.240 | 274 | |
| 38 | Mark Gallup - Jonathan Gowdy | 97 | 5 | 16.910 | 7.000 | 273 | |
| 39 | Dave Murdock - Tony Fofi | 57 | 5 | 16.890 | 5.480 | 272 | |
| 40 | Bobby Purvis - Ross Burns | 37 | 5 | 16.860 | 6.150 | 271 | |
| 41 | Reid Mcginn - Andy Wicker | 13 | 5 | 16.830 | 0.000 | 270 | |
| 42 | Steve Harmon - Bryan cook | 137 | 5 | 16.730 | 0.000 | 269 | |
| 43 | Jeff Murray - Derrick Murray | 12 | 5 | 16.460 | 0.000 | 268 | |
| 44 | Robert Wood - John Lundean | 9 | 5 | 16.410 | 0.000 | 267 | |
| 45 | Gary Elenbark - George Elenbark | 130 | 5 | 16.300 | 0.000 | 266 | |
| 46 | Jimmy Bass - Jayson Baird | 70 | 5 | 16.150 | 0.000 | 265 | |
| 47 | Ron Brown - Bobby Brown | 25 | 5 | 16.040 | 4.460 | 264 | |
| 48 | Chris Marshall - Josh Gardner | 111 | 5 | 15.920 | 0.000 | 263 | |
| 49 | Mack Altman - Mike Altman | 39 | 5 | 15.870 | 0.000 | 262 | |
| 50 | Albert Pieper - Wade Grooms | 132 | 5 | 15.810 | 0.000 | 261 | |
| 51 | Daryl Watson - Ken McFarland | 63 | 5 | 15.740 | 0.000 | 260 | |
| 52 | Thomas Bancroft - Clay Kolb | 24 | 5 | 15.420 | 0.000 | 259 | |
| 53 | Robert Guest - David Heatherly | 20 | 4 | 15.310 | 6.370 | 258 | |
| 54 | Bradford Beavers - Dwight Beavers | 61 | 5 | 15.300 | 0.000 | 257 | |
| 55 | Kevin Rake - Terry Morris | 51 | 5 | 15.210 | 5.570 | 256 | |
| 56 | Jamie Thames - Barry Thames | 29 | 5 | 15.190 | 0.000 | 255 | |
| 57 | John Gutierrez - Josh Robbins | 100 | 4 | 15.180 | 0.000 | 254 | |
| 58 | Brent Waynick - Max Terry | 34 | 5 | 15.120 | 0.000 | 253 | |
| 59 | heath moore - Micah Bennett | 128 | 5 | 14.790 | 0.000 | 252 | |
| 60 | Chris Blackmon - David Linville | 73 | 5 | 14.700 | 0.000 | 251 | |
| 61 | Jamie Partee - Ken Keels | 8 | 5 | 14.550 | 5.300 | 250 | |
| 62 | Johnny Player - Robert Hall | 52 | 5 | 14.240 | 0.000 | 249 | |
| 63 | Daniel Howell - Russell Anderson | 94 | 5 | 14.190 | 0.000 | 248 | |
| 64 | Gary Michaud - Doc McDaniel | 49 | 5 | 14.110 | 0.000 | 247 | |
| 65 | Will Duncan - Danny Allen | 47 | 5 | 14.040 | 0.000 | 246 | |
| 66 | dustin henson - John Gibson | 116 | 3 | 13.810 | 6.830 | 245 | |
| 67 | Wayne Marlow - Randall Miller | 21 | 5 | 13.720 | 0.000 | 244 | |
| 68 | Hunter Hicks - Bobby Rice | 41 | 5 | 13.620 | 0.000 | 243 | |
| 69 | Jason Smith - Steve Blankenship | 27 | 5 | 13.530 | 0.000 | 242 | |
| 70 | Kiel Kelly - Chuck Whittaker | 87 | 5 | 13.240 | 0.000 | 241 | |
| 71 | Gene Gibbs - Keith Wilson | 4 | 5 | 13.100 | 0.000 | 240 | |
| 72 | Todd Walters - Patrick Walters | 81 | 3 | 12.920 | 0.000 | 239 | |
| 73 | Ferris Jennings - Andy Rutledge | 22 | 5 | 12.560 | 0.000 | 238 | |
| 74 | Chad Sinclair - Caleb Conner | 85 | 4 | 12.500 | 0.000 | 237 | |
| 75 | Kenneth Clark - David Kelly | 127 | 5 | 11.970 | 0.000 | 236 | |
| 76 | Roger Medlock - Todd Lawrence | 55 | 5 | 11.810 | 6.610 | 235 | |
| 77 | Sandy Oliver - Shannon Bryson | 33 | 5 | 11.250 | 0.000 | 234 | |
| 78 | Roger Farr - David Farr | 118 | 5 | 11.190 | 0.000 | 233 | |
| 79 | Al Odom - Dane Odom | 104 | 5 | 10.880 | 0.000 | 232 | |
| 80 | David Arnold - Billy Collins | 6 | 5 | 10.680 | 0.000 | 231 | |
| 81 | William Thompson | 134 | 3 | 10.660 | 7.350 | 230 | |
| 82 | Wesley Cashwell - Shane Doughtie | 102 | 3 | 10.520 | 0.000 | 229 | |
| 83 | Jimmy McFarland - Calvin Griggs | 79 | 3 | 8.280 | 0.000 | 228 | |
| 84 | Jeff Rikard - Tim Harmon | 1 | 4 | 7.980 | 0.000 | 227 | |
| 85 | Glenn Altman - Larry Parker | 60 | 3 | 7.700 | 0.000 | 226 | |
| 86 | Matt Judy - Gentry Manning | 95 | 4 | 7.550 | 0.000 | 225 | |
| 87 | Audie Brantley - Hunter Ciccio | 5 | 2 | 7.380 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 88 | Mike King - Mike Kirby | 28 | 3 | 7.080 | 0.000 | 223 | |
| 89 | Walter Capps - Jim Stroud | 72 | 3 | 6.630 | 0.000 | 222 | |
| 90 | Daniel Hill - James Bond | 121 | 2 | 6.410 | 0.000 | 221 | |
| 91 | Craig Jurgonski - Rich Moses | 45 | 2 | 5.640 | 0.000 | 220 | |
| 92 | Russ Padgett - Meredith Havird | 56 | 1 | 4.720 | 0.000 | 219 | |
| 93 | Coy Watts - David Hutcherson | 113 | 2 | 4.530 | 0.000 | 218 | |
| 94 | Dale Meder - Wendy Meder | 75 | 1 | 4.490 | 0.000 | 217 | |
| 95 | Tommy Floyd - Randy Welch | 68 | 1 | 1.510 | 0.000 | 216 | |
| 96 | Bobby Wade - Pete Sherbert | 2 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | danny houck - Eddie Rogers | 3 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Shawn Jordan - Shannon Jordan | 10 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Zeke Lynam - Jason Morse | 11 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Juddie Revels - David Oxendine | 14 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Thomas Hardwick - Tommy Williams | 17 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Todd Olds - Wade Harmon | 18 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Jason Miles - Jerry Freezon | 23 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Carlton Thompkins - Timmy Thompkins | 26 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Jeff cantey - Henry Mcfadden | 30 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Charles Keith - jerome evans | 31 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Larry McKissick - Jay McKissick | 36 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Andrew Boykin - Billy Gainey | 38 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Billy McIntosh - Rick McLean | 42 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Ronnie McCoy - Jason McCoy | 43 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Todd Gambrell - Chad Cook | 46 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Miles Hair - Terry Tolar | 53 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Sam Hopkins - Paul Hopkins | 54 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | michael collins - Allan Collins | 58 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Clint Jackson - Heath Rhinehart | 65 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Jonathan Brindel - David Grooms | 67 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Rodney Jordan - Jason Carlton | 69 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Donnie Levister - Ryan Williams | 78 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Tim Jones - Chris Bennett | 83 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Jimmy Counts - Gary Angel | 88 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Jonathan Sims - Jason Mitchum | 91 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Chad Hamm - David Carver | 99 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Kevin Brock - Bubba Dennis | 103 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Alan Fletcher - Danny Johnson | 107 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | David Teel - Chris Ramsey | 108 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Joel Watts - Rob Kyzer | 109 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Justin Harvey - Steve Gilstrap | 110 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Johnathan Crossland - David Crossland | 112 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | greg butts | 119 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Chris Epting - Johnny Mayer | 120 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Brad Nappier - Nathan Luke | 122 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Jay Keith - Donald Hinson | 124 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Shane Abbott - Brian Jones | 125 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Ray Walsh - Marc Deschenes | 129 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Toby Keisler - TJ Keisler | 131 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Chris Heath - Steve Debord | 133 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Robbie Carroll - Bryan Carroll | 135 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Bunn Tyson - Thomas Hoffmeyer | 136 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Kenny Brice - Chad Crosby | 138 | 0 | 0.000 | 6.240 | 215 | |
| 96 | Marty Quesada - Steven Story | 139 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Bud Moss - David Prince | 140 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | Kyle Janney - Tripp Poplin | 141 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 96 | David Few | 143 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
Ike Holds Lead, Reese Closes Gap At Bassmaster Elite Series Tourney On Guntersville
The New Jersey pro switched to a Carolina rig – a technique he calls his “next-to-least-favorite way” to fish – and managed a five-bass limit that weighed 16 pounds, 7 ounces. It pushed his three-day total to 69-8 and kept him in the lead for the third straight day.
Iaconelli’s margin dwindled, however, dropping from nearly 5 pounds as the day began to just 2-2 as he prepares to enter Sunday’s championship round. Skeet Reese of California caught 25-1 Saturday and jumped into second with 67-6, followed by Tennessean David Walker (67-4) and Oklahoma angler Jason Christie (65-7).
“My least-favorite way to catch fish is with a jiggin’ spoon,” Iaconelli said. “After that, it would be Carolina rigging. But if I had not pulled out that Carolina rig, I probably would have only weighed in about 11 pounds today.”
Iaconelli worked the same area that produced catches of 28-2 and 24-15 the first two days. But the fishing was much tougher due to strong winds that made the lake choppy and eventually caused some areas to become stained with mud.
He said he’ll have to decide before takeoff Sunday whether he’ll stick with the area that’s been so good to him or finally make a move.
“I still believe in my heart that the area I’m fishing is the winning area,” Iaconelli said. “It’s so hard to leave. My mind keeps thinking I just need to stay in there the entire day and commit. I’m going to go home and think about it tonight.”
Iaconelli did leave the area briefly Saturday to check out a spot where he had found several fish on spawning beds during practice. But after inspecting that area, he said he abandoned any thought of sight fishing the rest of the way.
“I took it off the table,” Iaconelli said. “When I ran in there today, there were dudes on the bank everywhere. So I just decided I’m not bed fishing.”
Though it helped him hang onto the lead Saturday, Iaconelli said he believes another 16-pound catch Sunday will sink his chances for a wire-to-wire victory. He thinks it’ll take 20-plus pounds, possibly even mid-20s, to finish the win.
With heavy hitters like Reese and Walker on his heels, he may be right.
Reese, who still maintains he had a dismal practice for the event, turned in his best catch so far with 25-1. Unlike most anglers, who said the wind made their days tougher, he said it actually helped him.
“I really did have a horrible practice here,” Reese said. “But one thing I learned is that what I was doing in practice sucked. So why continue to do that? I just kept adjusting and changing and trying to find something new, and I did.
“The wind blew and really helped the bite today, but it’s supposed to be slick tomorrow. I may have to change up a little bit.”
Walker continued what has been a great bounce-back event for him after finishing 107th last month at the Elite Series opener on the Sabine River. After catching 23-1 and 25-5 the first two days, he added 18-14 Saturday and slipped slightly from second to third with 67-4.
Unlike Friday, when he landed a 5-pounder on his first cast, Walker said Saturday was more of a grind. But once he slowed his approach, he caught a good limit that included a 7-pounder, and he was able to steadily cull his way to a solid catch.
Walker wasn’t nearly as happy about the wind as Reese.
“The wind was not helpful at all,” he said. “It got to a point where you had a very small range to throw in. If you tried to throw too far this way or that way, your line just got out of hand.”
The one positive to the wind, Walker said, was that it made things tough for everyone in the area he was fishing.
“One thing that gave me a huge advantage over some of the other people who were fishing around me was those Power-Poles,” Walker said, referring to his shallow-water anchoring system. “I could put them down and stay there and fish, while a lot of people were spinning around and struggling to stay put.”
Other anglers who made the Top 12 and qualified for Sunday’s championship round were Carl Jocumsen (64-8), Derek Remitz (64-8), Greg Vinson (64-3), Byron Velvick (63-10), Keith Combs (62-15), Dean Rojas (62-10), Chad Morgenthaler (60-15) and Brent Ehrler (60-9).
The pros will launch from Guntersville City Harbor at 6:15 a.m. Sunday with the final weigh-in scheduled for 3 p.m. at the same location. A $100,000 first-place prize will be on the line.
2015 Diet Mtn Dew Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville 4/9-4/12
Lake Guntersville, Guntersville AL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 15 69-08 100 $500.00
Day 1: 5 28-02 Day 2: 5 24-15 Day 3: 5 16-07
2. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 15 67-06 99
Day 1: 5 24-15 Day 2: 5 17-06 Day 3: 5 25-01
3. David Walker Sevierville, TN 15 67-04 98
Day 1: 5 23-01 Day 2: 5 25-05 Day 3: 5 18-14
4. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 15 65-07 97
Day 1: 5 20-07 Day 2: 5 21-06 Day 3: 5 23-10
5. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TX AUSTRALIA 15 64-08 96
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 26-10 Day 3: 5 18-00
6. Derek Remitz Grant, AL 15 64-08 95
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 24-00 Day 3: 5 20-13
7. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 15 64-03 94
Day 1: 5 23-11 Day 2: 5 16-06 Day 3: 5 24-02
8. Byron Velvick Boenre, TX 15 63-10 93
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 26-06 Day 3: 5 18-07
9. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 15 62-15 92
Day 1: 5 23-00 Day 2: 5 20-06 Day 3: 5 19-09
10. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 15 62-10 91
Day 1: 5 22-02 Day 2: 5 20-02 Day 3: 5 20-06
11. Chad Morgenthaler Coulterville, IL 15 60-15 90
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 24-08 Day 3: 5 19-13
12. Brent Ehrler Newport Beach, CA 15 60-09 89
Day 1: 5 23-08 Day 2: 5 20-05 Day 3: 5 16-12
13. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 15 60-04 88 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 26-08 Day 3: 5 16-10
14. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 15 59-15 87 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-05 Day 2: 5 19-07 Day 3: 5 17-03
15. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 15 59-02 86 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 5 21-02 Day 3: 5 22-12
16. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 15 58-11 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 21-07 Day 3: 5 20-00
17. Hank Cherry Jr Maiden, NC 14 58-02 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 19-07 Day 2: 5 17-04 Day 3: 5 21-07
18. Matt Lee Auburn , AL 15 57-15 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-15 Day 2: 5 18-09 Day 3: 5 15-07
19. Jacob Powroznik Port Haywood, VA 15 57-11 82 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-04 Day 2: 5 18-13 Day 3: 5 16-10
20. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 15 57-11 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 5 20-10 Day 3: 5 19-11
21. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 15 57-08 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 18-08 Day 3: 5 20-04
22. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 15 56-13 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 21-04 Day 3: 5 18-05
23. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 15 55-10 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 23-00 Day 3: 5 17-04
24. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 15 55-08 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-03 Day 2: 5 19-12 Day 3: 5 13-09
25. Kelly Jordon Flint, TX 14 55-06 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 26-01 Day 2: 4 15-09 Day 3: 5 13-12
26. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 15 54-14 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-04 Day 2: 5 15-12 Day 3: 5 19-14
27. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 15 54-13 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 5 18-11 Day 3: 5 16-01
28. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 15 54-09 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-07 Day 2: 5 17-10 Day 3: 5 15-08
29. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 15 54-09 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 18-12 Day 3: 5 19-14
30. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 15 53-05 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-06 Day 2: 5 15-06 Day 3: 5 18-09
31. Nate Wellman Newaygo, MI 15 53-03 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-00 Day 2: 5 19-00 Day 3: 5 13-03
32. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 15 53-01 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-08 Day 2: 5 15-01 Day 3: 5 12-08
33. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 15 52-13 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-04 Day 2: 5 20-04 Day 3: 5 11-05
34. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 15 52-08 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-07 Day 2: 5 16-01 Day 3: 5 16-00
35. Kevin Short Mayflower, AR 15 52-07 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 5 16-07 Day 3: 5 15-10
36. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 15 51-10 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-04 Day 2: 5 14-00 Day 3: 5 13-06
37. Josh Bertrand Gilbert, AZ 15 51-05 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 22-01 Day 3: 5 11-15
38. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 15 51-02 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 17-15 Day 3: 5 14-03
39. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 15 50-12 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 23-00 Day 3: 5 14-15
40. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 15 50-01 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 17-03 Day 3: 5 14-02
41. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 15 50-00 60 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-02 Day 2: 5 16-02 Day 3: 5 10-12
42. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 15 49-12 59 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 14-05 Day 3: 5 14-14
43. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 15 49-02 58 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 19-06 Day 3: 5 13-05
44. James Elam Tulsa, OK 15 48-00 57 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 16-00 Day 3: 5 13-00
45. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 15 47-06 56 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 5 17-05 Day 3: 5 12-04
46. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 15 46-07 55 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-04 Day 2: 5 15-09 Day 3: 5 11-10
47. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 15 46-04 54 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 16-15 Day 3: 5 10-15
48. Jordan Lee Vinemont, AL 14 44-12 53 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 18-03 Day 3: 4 08-01
49. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 12 44-00 52 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 25-08 Day 3: 2 06-11
50. Chris Zaldain San Jose, CA 13 44-00 51 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 22-00 Day 3: 3 05-11
51. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 13 41-00 50 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 5 19-07 Day 3: 3 06-00
52. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 12 40-02 49 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-05 Day 2: 5 15-04 Day 3: 2 05-09
53. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 10 35-07 48 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 17-07 Day 3: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 108 558 1930-13
2 108 557 1939-03
3 47 249 820-09
----------------------------------
263 1364 4690-09
Hanselman Wins Second Consecutive Rayovac Flw Series Texas Division Event On Sam Rayburn Reservoir
Hanselman takes lead at Rayovac tourney on Sam Rayburn
It seems poetically fitting that Ray Hanselman will carry a 5-pound, 6-ounce lead into the final day of the Rayovac FLW Series Texas Division event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Considering the lake denied him a trio of 5-pounders this morning, that’s some good old-fashioned redemption.
“Normally, you lose three fish like that and you’re just torn up,†Hanselman says. “But I tried to keep myself calm. Yesterday, before the tournament, I told myself, ‘I know it’s going to happen.’ I power fish a lot, and when you flip that kind of stuff, it’s going to happen. I just tried to keep myself calm and just keep fishing.â€
Hanselman is the only angler to break 20 pounds both days – 23 pounds, 5 ounces today and 20-9 on day one, for a total weight of 43-14. Behind "Hanselmania" is Denny Brauer, also of Del Rio, who is in second place for the second consecutive day. Day-one leader Joe Don Setina weighed in only four keepers for 11 pounds today.
Rayburn remains about 5 feet above normal level, so the flooded brush and shoreline trees remain the main deal. Some anglers are fishing for spawners, while others are targeting postspawn bass exiting the cover.
Focusing on that inner habitat, Hanselman began day two on the mid-lake spot he fished yesterday and bagged a 14-pound limit there by 11 a.m. He moved to another area and culled up with a 4-pounder. The leader says he planned to ease off with hopes of saving some fish for the final round, but then opportunity knocked.
“I was running back, and I saw a spot that looked just like the spot I had been fishing, but I couldn’t fish there in practice because the wind had been beating on it,†Hanselman says. “Today, the wind was opposite, so I went in there and culled three more.
“In practice, the wind was out of the south at 15 to 20 mph, and today it was out of the north. So a lot of those banks that were beaten up in practice are protected now.â€
Both days, Hanselman has fished spawning coves with a mix of heavy, newly flooded cover and isolated brush. Flipping and pitching Strike King plastics, he’s intentionally avoiding the brush and trees with thick vines and grass mats that a lot of other anglers have reportedly been targeting.
These gnarly conglomerations of entangled cover seem to offer attractive habitat, but what fosters the fish’s sense of security will often break the angler’s heart. For Hanselman, avoiding the vines has allowed him to make clean presentations.
“When you’re flipping that cover, you have to maximize your flips,†Hanselman says. “You have to make sure you’re not pitching over a limb, and you try to make the cleanest pitch you can possibly make.â€
Hanselman says he further refined his program by picking out particular trees.
“I’m catching more fish around the trees without the leaves because I think the sunlight can get to them,†he explains. “Some of them [the bass] I think are actually spawning.â€
In addition to sizing up a promising tree, Hanselman is also considering his exit strategy.
“I make the flip I can, but I’m conscious of where my line falls in there,†he says. “I always ask myself if I can pull a fish out of there. And if I can’t I’ll reel it up and flip again.â€
Top 10 Pros
1: Ray Hanselman – Del Rio, Texas – 43-14 (10)
2: Denny Brauer – Del Rio, Texas – 38-08 (10)
3: Tj Goodwyn – Center, Texas – 37-00 (10)
4: Ricky Guy – Humble, Texas – 36-11 (10)
5: Kris Wilson – Montgomery, Texas – 36-10 (10)
6: Jim Tutt – Longview, Texas – 35-00 (10)
7: Joe Don Setina – Pittsburg, Texas – 34-06 (9)
8: James Stricklin Jr. – Hot Springs, Ark. – 32-06 (10)
9: Tommy Dickerson – Orange, Texas – 31-03 (10)
10: Randy Sitz – Prosper, Texas – 30-11 (10)
Bryan New, of Belmont, N.C., moved up two spots to lead the co-angler division with 25 pounds, 8 ounces. Adding 13-5 to the 12-3 he weighed on day one, New took the co-angler lead by 11 ounces. Although big bites have eluded him, he’s happy to have kept the rods bent.
“I’m just catching a lot of fish, period,†he says. “Even if there’s not a lot of big fish, that gives you confidence to fish as hard as you can because your next decision is going to be the right one.â€
Yesterday, New only had seven or eight bites, but today he had 25 or 30.
“Yesterday, we fished a lot tighter to the flooded cover, and I wasn’t able to hit new water,†New explains. “Today, the area was more open, and my pro just couldn’t hit everything.â€
New says that the Charlie’s Worms creature bait he was flipping made a big difference in his success. He opted not to share the specific bait, but says it differs subtly from another common bait style that many others are fishing. A slightly different body design, a softer body and intense scent additives are the key details. The bait produced bites in depths of 1 to 9 feet.
Ike Still Leads Bassmaster Elite Series Event On Guntersville
GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. – After rocketing into the lead with 28 pounds, 2 ounces on the first day of the Diet Mtn Dew Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville, Michael Iaconelli went back out during Friday’s second round with intentions of fishing the same way.
But after a while, things just didn’t feel right. So he followed his instincts, made a quick adjustment and put together another fantastic catch, a five-bass limit weighing 24-15, to widen his lead in the event with a two-day mark of 53-1.
The remainder of the 5 saw some drastic changes on a day that was delayed one hour by thunderstorms with David Walker (48-6) moving into second, and Carl Jocumsen (46- 8), a rookie from Australia, holding down third. Byron Velvick (45-3) and Brent Ehrler (43-13) are fourth and fifth. With the lake itself undergoing changes, even more shifting could happen atop the leaderboard Saturday.
“On Thursday, I thought I knew exactly what was happening,” Iaconelli said. “After today, I believe there’s a lot more fish moving up to spawn than I thought and a lot more fish coming out for the postspawn than I thought. There are a lot of fish on the move.”
Iaconelli, who never said which lures he was using Thursday, said he switched to a crankbait when things got slow Friday. That’s when he caught two of his largest fish of the day.
“The first cast on a crankbait, I caught one that weighed almost 8 pounds,” Iaconelli said. “The next one on a crankbait was a 6-pounder. That was a key decision, because without those two fish, I probably would have only weighed in about 16 or 17 pounds.”
Several of Iaconelli’s fish had what he called “big quarter sores” on their gill plates. He believed those were identifying marks for bass that have entered the postspawn phase.
Because Guntersville has such an immense bass population, Iaconelli believes the bass don’t stay on bed as long as they do in other venues. With so many fish in transition, he said things were tough Friday – and could get tougher.
“It looked a lot better for me today than it really was,” Iaconelli said. “Yesterday, it was happening. I’d pull up to spot and just know I was going to catch them. I caught over 30 keeper bass. Today, I caught maybe nine keepers.
“I feel like I’m in the winning area, but it’s going to be really important to keep moving with the fish.”
Iaconelli also earned the Livingston Lures Leader award of $500 for being the second-day leader.
Walker, who suffered through a dismal 107th-place finish in the Elite Series event last month on the Sabine River, came to Guntersville worried that another bad finish might jeopardize his chances of qualifying for the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic. But after landing 23-1 Friday and 25-5 Saturday, he easily made Saturday’s Top 53 cut and put himself within striking distance of his second Elite Series win.
“I started off with a 5-pounder on my first cast, and that’s the way to start the day,” Walker said. “After a while, I had that one good fish and just four others that would measure. But as the day went on, I’d catch another fish that was a big one and then another. My culls were going up really fast, because I started with such small ones.”
Walker, who revealed little about the technique he was using, said confidence played a major role in his Friday success.
“It was one of those days when I had the one thing you always want as a fisherman,” Walker said. “It’s not a secret spot or a secret lure. It was confidence in my choices. Almost every time I thought I needed to try something it would work. And if it didn’t work, I knew that it didn’t because when I got there it just didn’t feel right.”
The biggest catch of the day belonged to Jocumsen, who brought in 26-10 to vault himself into third with 46-8. The popular Australian pro, who is fishing only his second event as an Elite Series rookie, had 21 pounds around noon and actually upgraded his catch while scouting for Saturday.
Jocumsen said the weigh-in took place around 6 a.m. in Australia, and more than 20,000 people in his native country were likely watching live on Bassmaster.com. He said many had also been up most of the night following his progress on the web site through BASSTrakk.
“Because of BASSTrakk, they say no one’s sleeping because they’re refreshing it all through the middle of the night,” Jocumsen said, laughing. “My sponsors and my friends say they haven’t slept the last two nights.
“Everyone in Australia is so excited. It’s going to bring awareness to the sport and put bass fishing on the map a little bit in another country.”
The 53 pros surviving the cut will launch from Guntersville City Harbor at 6:15 a.m. Saturday with the weigh-in scheduled back at the park at 3 p.m. Only the Top 12 anglers after Saturday’s weigh-in will move on to Sunday’s championship round.
2015 Diet Mtn Dew Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville 4/9-4/12
Lake Guntersville, Guntersville AL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 10 53-01 100 $500.00
Day 1: 5 28-02 Day 2: 5 24-15
2. David Walker Sevierville, TN 10 48-06 99
Day 1: 5 23-01 Day 2: 5 25-05
3. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TX AUSTRALIA 10 46-08 98
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 26-10
4. Byron Velvick Boenre, TX 10 45-03 97
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 26-06
5. Brent Ehrler Newport Beach, CA 10 43-13 96
Day 1: 5 23-08 Day 2: 5 20-05
6. Derek Remitz Grant, AL 10 43-11 95
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 24-00
7. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 10 43-10 94
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 26-08
8. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 10 43-06 93
Day 1: 5 23-00 Day 2: 5 20-06
9. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 10 42-12 92
Day 1: 5 23-05 Day 2: 5 19-07
10. Matt Lee Auburn , AL 10 42-08 91
Day 1: 5 23-15 Day 2: 5 18-09
11. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 10 42-05 90
Day 1: 5 24-15 Day 2: 5 17-06
12. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 10 42-04 89
Day 1: 5 22-02 Day 2: 5 20-02
13. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 10 41-15 88
Day 1: 5 22-03 Day 2: 5 19-12
14. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 10 41-13 87
Day 1: 5 20-07 Day 2: 5 21-06
15. Kelly Jordon Flint, TX 9 41-10 86
Day 1: 5 26-01 Day 2: 4 15-09
16. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 10 41-08 85
Day 1: 5 21-04 Day 2: 5 20-04
17. Chad Morgenthaler Coulterville, IL 10 41-02 84
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 24-08
18. Jacob Powroznik Port Haywood, VA 10 41-01 83
Day 1: 5 22-04 Day 2: 5 18-13
19. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 10 40-09 82
Day 1: 5 25-08 Day 2: 5 15-01
20. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 10 40-01 81
Day 1: 5 23-11 Day 2: 5 16-06
21. Nate Wellman Newaygo, MI 10 40-00 80
Day 1: 5 21-00 Day 2: 5 19-00
22. Josh Bertrand Gilbert, AZ 10 39-06 79
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 22-01
23. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 10 39-04 78
Day 1: 5 23-02 Day 2: 5 16-02
24. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 10 39-01 77
Day 1: 5 21-07 Day 2: 5 17-10
25. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 38-12 76
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 5 18-11
26. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 10 38-11 75
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 21-07
27. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 10 38-08 74
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 21-04
28. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 10 38-06 73
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 23-00
29. Chris Zaldain San Jose, CA 10 38-05 72
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 22-00
30. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 10 38-04 71
Day 1: 5 24-04 Day 2: 5 14-00
31. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 10 38-00 70
Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 5 20-10
32. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 10 37-05 69
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 25-08
33. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 37-04 68
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 18-08
34. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 10 36-15 67
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 17-15
35. Kevin Short Mayflower, AR 10 36-13 66
Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 5 16-07
36. Hank Cherry Jr Maiden, NC 9 36-11 65
Day 1: 4 19-07 Day 2: 5 17-04
37. Jordan Lee Vinemont, AL 10 36-11 64
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 18-03
38. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 10 36-08 63
Day 1: 5 20-07 Day 2: 5 16-01
39. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 10 36-06 62
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 5 21-02
40. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 10 35-15 61
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 17-03
41. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 10 35-13 60
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 23-00
42. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 10 35-13 59
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 19-06
43. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 10 35-07 58
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 17-07
44. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 10 35-05 57
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 16-15
45. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 10 35-02 56
Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 5 17-05
46. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 10 35-00 55
Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 5 19-07
47. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 10 35-00 54
Day 1: 5 19-04 Day 2: 5 15-12
48. James Elam Tulsa, OK 10 35-00 53
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 16-00
49. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 10 34-14 52
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 14-05
50. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 10 34-13 51
Day 1: 5 19-04 Day 2: 5 15-09
51. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 10 34-12 50
Day 1: 5 19-06 Day 2: 5 15-06
52. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 10 34-11 49
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 18-12
53. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 34-09 48
Day 1: 5 19-05 Day 2: 5 15-04
54. Dennis Tietje Roanoke, LA 10 34-07 47
Day 1: 5 19-09 Day 2: 5 14-14
55. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 10 34-05 46
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 15-13
56. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 10 34-04 45
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 15-13
57. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 10 34-01 44
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 18-09
58. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 10 33-15 43
Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 5 14-13
59. Chad Pipkens Holt, MI 10 33-14 42
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 19-04
60. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 10 33-13 41
Day 1: 5 22-04 Day 2: 5 11-09
61. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 10 33-06 40
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 13-11
62. Zell Rowland Montgomery, TX 10 33-06 39
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 19-01
63. Randy Howell Springville, AL 10 33-00 38
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 19-00
64. Boyd Duckett Guntersville, AL 10 33-00 37
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 18-06
65. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 10 33-00 36
Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 5 17-07
66. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 10 32-14 35
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 19-14
67. Kurt Dove Del Rio, TX 10 32-13 34
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 5 17-15
68. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 10 32-12 33
Day 1: 5 16-11 Day 2: 5 16-01
69. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 10 32-09 32
Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 5 13-14
70. Billy McCaghren Mayflower, AR 10 32-07 31
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 20-07
71. Randy Allen Shreveport, LA 10 32-04 30
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 16-12
72. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 10 32-03 29
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 16-06
73. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 10 32-02 28
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 15-09
74. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 10 31-12 27
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 17-03
75. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 10 31-09 26
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 13-15
76. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 10 31-06 25
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 18-01
77. Koby Kreiger Bokeelia, FL 10 30-15 24
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 17-06
78. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 10 30-15 23
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 16-11
79. Scott Ashmore Broken Arrow, OK 10 30-10 22
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 15-09
80. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 10 30-08 21
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 5 15-04
81. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 10 30-07 20
Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 5 13-06
82. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 10 30-05 19
Day 1: 5 15-03 Day 2: 5 15-02
83. Morizo Shimizu Suita, Osaka JAPAN 10 30-04 18
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 16-11
84. Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 10 30-01 17
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 19-00
85. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 10 30-01 16
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 14-12
86. Ken Iyobe Tokoname Aichi JAPAN 10 30-00 15
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 16-04
87. Kevin Ledoux Choctaw, OK 6 29-15 14
Day 1: 5 24-03 Day 2: 1 05-12
88. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 9 29-11 13
Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 4 09-05
89. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 10 29-11 12
Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 5 13-15
90. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 10 29-10 11
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 13-09
91. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 10 29-10 10
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 15-08
91. David Williams Maiden, NC 10 29-10 10
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 14-02
93. Kevin Hawk Guntersville, AL 10 29-09 8
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 18-09
94. Seth Feider Bloomington, MN 10 29-07 7
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 14-12
95. Mike Kernan Wylie, TX 10 29-03 6
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 15-05
96. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 10 28-15 5
Day 1: 5 15-03 Day 2: 5 13-12
97. Casey Scanlon Lanexa, KS 10 28-14 4
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 15-03
98. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 10 28-10 3
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 15-00
99. Stephen Longobardi Northford, CT 10 28-04 2
Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 5 15-09
100. Kenyon Hill Norman, OK 10 27-10 1
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 14-13
101. John Murray Phoenix, AZ 10 26-09 0
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 15-12
102. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 9 26-01 0
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 4 10-02
103. Brandon Card Caryville, TN 9 25-15 0
Day 1: 4 09-14 Day 2: 5 16-01
104. Fletcher Shryock New Philadelphia, OH 10 25-11 0
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 11-13
105. Joseph Sancho New Windsor, NY 10 25-11 0
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 12-01
106. Jared Miller Norman, OK 9 25-02 0
Day 1: 4 11-00 Day 2: 5 14-02
107. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 10 24-13 0
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 13-07
108. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 10 24-12 0
Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 5 13-04
109. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 10 23-10 0
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 12-01
110. David Smith Del City, OK 10 23-06 0
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 12-08
111. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 9 23-01 0
Day 1: 4 09-14 Day 2: 5 13-03
112. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 9 22-03 0
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 4 10-01
113. Boo Woods Oneida, KY 7 20-13 0
Day 1: 2 05-11 Day 2: 5 15-02
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 108 558 1930-13
2 108 557 1939-03
----------------------------------
216 1115 3870-00
Setina leads Brauer by ounces at Rayovac on Rayburn
Lake Sam Rayburn is higher than it has been in 15 years. A number of patterns are in play. Nearly all revolve around the flooded trees.
Spawning bass are tough to reach, but some are targeting them behind the shallow brush line. Others are fishing the deeper outside edge of the trees.
Joe Don Setina of Pittsburg, Texas didn’t catch a keeper until 11:00 this morning. After that he pieced-together a limit that weighed 23-06 to take an 8 ounce lead over Denny Brauer.
Brauer flipped today. Not news. He tore something in his shoulder. Bad news. He’ll have an MRI on Monday but for now he must fish mostly one-handed and employ an awkward sweep style hook set.
Ricky Guy holds down 3rd with 22-13.
Jeff Cade is 4th with 22-10.
Jim Tutt rounds out the Top 5 with 21-13.
Ike Leads Day 1 Of Bassmaster Elite Series Event On Guntersville
GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. – Michael Iaconelli arrived in Alabama Sunday limping on a swollen right ankle, and he went to bed Wednesday night worried the fish he had found in practice would disappear due to rapidly rising water temperatures.
But neither issue was a problem once he hit the water Thursday morning.
Iaconelli had what he called a “magical day” in the Diet Mtn Dew Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville, taking the opening-round lead with five bass that weighed 28 pounds, 2 ounces. The New Jersey pro’s best single-day catch in recent memory was one of many head-turners on a day when it took 21-0 to crack the Top 20.
Kelly Jordon (26-1), Bernie Schultz (25- 8), Skeet Reese (24-15) and Kelley Jaye (24- 4) rounded out the Top 5 with eye-popping catches of their own.
“The water temperature in practice on Monday was 60 degrees,” said Iaconelli, who injured his ankle during last month’s Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River presented by STARK Cultural Venues in Texas. “By Wednesday, it was 65 to 67 degrees. That’s a huge difference, and I kind of knew those fish I found in practice were going to go away.”
Rather than going completely back to the drawing board, Iaconelli just moved with the fish.
“Today, I tried to visualize where they went,” he said. “Knowing the water went up six or seven degrees, I knew they didn’t go deeper. Everything wants to spawn right now, and I tried to visualize the route they would take.”
Iaconelli, who is often much more open with details of how he’s catching fish during tournaments than other anglers, wouldn’t say much about his techniques Thursday. He said he wasn’t sight fishing for bedding fish like many of the other top anglers, and he said he was fishing “all new water” with a “new bait.”
“I marked about 30 fish on beds during practice, and I’m not saying I won’t have to do that eventually,” said Iaconelli, who won an Elite Series event on Guntersville in 2006. “But that’s not my strength. That would be like telling Kevin VanDam (a noted power fisherman) to go out finesse fishing.”
The fact that Iaconelli is not sight fishing for spawning bass might play to his advantage if thunderstorms and heavy rains move into the region Thursday night and Friday morning as predicted. That nasty weather could cause headaches for anglers like Jordon and Schultz, who relied heavily on spawning fish during the opening round.
Jordon struggled early with a sight fishing game plan Thursday, only to see it come together rapidly after 10:30 a.m. as he culled his way up to 26-1. But he’s worried about what a nasty bout of thunderstorms could do to the fish he’s depending on.
“The thunderstorms will run the fish off the beds,” said Jordon, who finished first in a Bassmaster Tour event on Guntersville in 2006. “I mean it is what it is. But man, it sure would be more fun if they’d just hold off a little while.”
Schultz also targeted shallow spawners for a catch of 25-8 that included two bass over 6 pounds. The second 6-pounder almost didn’t make it in his boat after wrapping around his trolling motor shaft and forcing him to pull the line in by hand.
He said stormy weather could take the all-important “sight” element out of his sight fishing.
“It’s not going to help, because you won’t be able to see the fish,” Schultz said. “With the bigger fish, you’ve got to look at them and really work them. They’re not easy. They’re just not aggressive at all.”
No one was more surprised to see Reese find his way into the Top 5 than Reese himself.
After a particularly tough practice, the popular California pro decided to do something “completely different” Thursday. It resulted in a catch of 24-15 that he said could have been even better.
“I lost two big ones today that would have been nice to have,” said Reese, winner of the 2010 Elite Series Southern Challenge on Guntersville. “But to catch almost 25 pounds after the practice I had, I’m tickled to death. I’ll go out tomorrow, put the raingear on and see what happens.”
The 113-angler field will be trimmed to the Top 53 after Friday’s round. Take-off is scheduled for 6:15 a.m. from Guntersville City Harbor, with the weigh-in scheduled back at the launch site at 3 p.m.
2015 Diet Mtn Dew Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville 4/9-4/12
Lake Guntersville, Guntersville AL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 5 28-02 100
Day 1: 5 28-02
2. Kelly Jordon Flint, TX 5 26-01 99
Day 1: 5 26-01
3. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 25-08 98
Day 1: 5 25-08
4. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 5 24-15 97
Day 1: 5 24-15
5. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 5 24-04 96
Day 1: 5 24-04
6. Kevin Ledoux Choctaw, OK 5 24-03 95
Day 1: 5 24-03
7. Matt Lee Auburn , AL 5 23-15 94
Day 1: 5 23-15
8. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 5 23-11 93
Day 1: 5 23-11
9. Brent Ehrler Newport Beach, CA 5 23-08 92
Day 1: 5 23-08
10. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 23-05 91
Day 1: 5 23-05
11. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 5 23-02 90
Day 1: 5 23-02
12. David Walker Sevierville, TN 5 23-01 89
Day 1: 5 23-01
13. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 23-00 88
Day 1: 5 23-00
14. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 22-04 87
Day 1: 5 22-04
14. Jacob Powroznik Port Haywood, VA 5 22-04 87
Day 1: 5 22-04
16. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 5 22-03 85
Day 1: 5 22-03
17. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 5 22-02 84
Day 1: 5 22-02
18. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 5 21-07 83
Day 1: 5 21-07
19. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 5 21-04 82
Day 1: 5 21-04
20. Nate Wellman Newaygo, MI 5 21-00 81
Day 1: 5 21-00
21. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 5 20-09 80
Day 1: 5 20-09
22. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 5 20-07 79
Day 1: 5 20-07
22. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 5 20-07 79
Day 1: 5 20-07
24. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 20-06 77
Day 1: 5 20-06
24. Kevin Short Mayflower, AR 5 20-06 77
Day 1: 5 20-06
26. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 20-01 75
Day 1: 5 20-01
27. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TX AUSTRALIA 5 19-14 74
Day 1: 5 19-14
28. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 5 19-11 73
Day 1: 5 19-11
28. Derek Remitz Grant, AL 5 19-11 73
Day 1: 5 19-11
30. Dennis Tietje Roanoke, LA 5 19-09 71
Day 1: 5 19-09
31. Hank Cherry Jr Maiden, NC 4 19-07 70
Day 1: 4 19-07
32. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 5 19-06 69
Day 1: 5 19-06
33. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 19-05 68
Day 1: 5 19-05
34. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 5 19-04 67
Day 1: 5 19-04
34. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 5 19-04 67
Day 1: 5 19-04
36. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 5 19-02 65
Day 1: 5 19-02
37. James Elam Tulsa, OK 5 19-00 64
Day 1: 5 19-00
37. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 5 19-00 64
Day 1: 5 19-00
39. Byron Velvick Boenre, TX 5 18-13 62
Day 1: 5 18-13
40. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 18-12 61
Day 1: 5 18-12
40. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 18-12 61
Day 1: 5 18-12
42. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 5 18-11 59
Day 1: 5 18-11
43. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 5 18-08 58
Day 1: 5 18-08
43. Jordan Lee Vinemont, AL 5 18-08 58
Day 1: 5 18-08
45. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 18-07 56
Day 1: 5 18-07
46. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 18-06 55
Day 1: 5 18-06
47. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 5 18-00 54
Day 1: 5 18-00
48. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 17-13 53
Day 1: 5 17-13
49. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 5 17-10 52
Day 1: 5 17-10
50. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 5 17-06 51
Day 1: 5 17-06
51. Josh Bertrand Gilbert, AZ 5 17-05 50
Day 1: 5 17-05
52. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 5 17-04 49
Day 1: 5 17-04
52. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 5 17-04 49
Day 1: 5 17-04
54. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 5 17-02 47
Day 1: 5 17-02
55. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 5 17-01 46
Day 1: 5 17-01
56. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 5 16-11 45
Day 1: 5 16-11
57. Chad Morgenthaler Coulterville, IL 5 16-10 44
Day 1: 5 16-10
58. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 5 16-09 43
Day 1: 5 16-09
59. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 5 16-07 42
Day 1: 5 16-07
60. Chris Zaldain San Jose, CA 5 16-05 41
Day 1: 5 16-05
61. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 5 16-01 40
Day 1: 5 16-01
62. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 15-15 39
Day 1: 5 15-15
62. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 5 15-15 39
Day 1: 5 15-15
64. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 5 15-13 37
Day 1: 5 15-13
65. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 5 15-12 36
Day 1: 5 15-12
66. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 5 15-09 35
Day 1: 5 15-09
66. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 15-09 35
Day 1: 5 15-09
68. Randy Allen Shreveport, LA 5 15-08 33
Day 1: 5 15-08
68. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 5 15-08 33
Day 1: 5 15-08
68. David Williams Maiden, NC 5 15-08 33
Day 1: 5 15-08
71. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 5 15-06 30
Day 1: 5 15-06
72. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 5 15-05 29
Day 1: 5 15-05
73. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 5 15-04 28
Day 1: 5 15-04
73. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 5 15-04 28
Day 1: 5 15-04
75. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 15-03 26
Day 1: 5 15-03
75. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 5 15-03 26
Day 1: 5 15-03
77. Scott Ashmore Broken Arrow, OK 5 15-01 24
Day 1: 5 15-01
78. Kurt Dove Del Rio, TX 5 14-14 23
Day 1: 5 14-14
79. Seth Feider Bloomington, MN 5 14-11 22
Day 1: 5 14-11
80. Boyd Duckett Guntersville, AL 5 14-10 21
Day 1: 5 14-10
80. Chad Pipkens Holt, MI 5 14-10 21
Day 1: 5 14-10
82. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 5 14-09 19
Day 1: 5 14-09
83. Zell Rowland Montgomery, TX 5 14-05 18
Day 1: 5 14-05
84. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 5 14-04 17
Day 1: 5 14-04
85. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 5 14-02 16
Day 1: 5 14-02
86. Randy Howell Springville, AL 5 14-00 15
Day 1: 5 14-00
87. Mike Kernan Wylie, TX 5 13-14 14
Day 1: 5 13-14
87. Fletcher Shryock New Philadelphia, OH 5 13-14 14
Day 1: 5 13-14
89. Ken Iyobe Tokoname Aichi JAPAN 5 13-12 12
Day 1: 5 13-12
90. Casey Scanlon Lanexa, KS 5 13-11 11
Day 1: 5 13-11
91. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 5 13-10 10
Day 1: 5 13-10
91. Joseph Sancho New Windsor, NY 5 13-10 10
Day 1: 5 13-10
93. Koby Kreiger Bokeelia, FL 5 13-09 8
Day 1: 5 13-09
93. Morizo Shimizu Suita, Osaka JAPAN 5 13-09 8
Day 1: 5 13-09
95. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 5 13-05 6
Day 1: 5 13-05
96. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 5 13-00 5
Day 1: 5 13-00
97. Kenyon Hill Norman, OK 5 12-13 4
Day 1: 5 12-13
97. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 5 12-13 4
Day 1: 5 12-13
99. Stephen Longobardi Northford, CT 5 12-11 2
Day 1: 5 12-11
100. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 5 12-02 1
Day 1: 5 12-02
101. Billy McCaghren Mayflower, AR 5 12-00 0
Day 1: 5 12-00
102. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 5 11-13 0
Day 1: 5 11-13
103. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 5 11-09 0
Day 1: 5 11-09
104. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 5 11-08 0
Day 1: 5 11-08
105. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 5 11-06 0
Day 1: 5 11-06
106. Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 5 11-01 0
Day 1: 5 11-01
107. Kevin Hawk Guntersville, AL 5 11-00 0
Day 1: 5 11-00
108. Jared Miller Norman, OK 4 11-00 0
Day 1: 4 11-00
109. David Smith Del City, OK 5 10-14 0
Day 1: 5 10-14
110. John Murray Phoenix, AZ 5 10-13 0
Day 1: 5 10-13
111. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 4 09-14 0
Day 1: 4 09-14
111. Brandon Card Caryville, TN 4 09-14 0
Day 1: 4 09-14
113. Boo Woods Oneida, KY 2 05-11 0
Day 1: 2 05-11
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 108 558 1930-13
----------------------------------
108 558 1930-13
Fun Fishing with Patrick Pierce at Bienville's hottest new lake.
As we head into a busy weekend of tournament action, here's a little fun fishing for you. StarBrite Pro Patrick Pierce took young angler, Courtney McCullough, fishing at Bienville Plantation's Thomas Lake. Patrick, Courtney, and her dad, Vance had a blast on a rainy day catching lots of bass up to 7 pounds!
Sportsman's Warehouse HUGE Tournament Preview for this upcoming weekend!
Sportsman's Warehouse fishing Mgr Craig Baird helps us weed thru the HUGE number of Tournaments coming up this weekend-BASS on Gunerterville, ABA on Lewis Smith, and the CBC on Santee to name a few......HOLD ON!!
Digh steps out of comfort zone in the Southeast to fish Rayovac Texas Division on Sam Rayburn
AnglersChannel.com Insider Rob Digh of Denver, NC
If a bass fisherman died and went to heaven, Sam Rayburn Lake in Texas is what heaven would look like, said Rob Digh, veteran tournament angler from Denver, N.C.
“This is the most beautiful lake you have ever seen,” he said while practicing for the FLW Rayovac Series Texas Division tournament on the lake this weekend. “But the fishing.....,” his voice trailed off.
Well, the fishing is kind of off the normal springtime pattern because Rayburn is uncharacteristically high right now, Digh said.
“The lake is five feet higher than normal and they are moving a lot of water through the lake,” he said. “Most of the fish have spawned out and they are really scattered because the water is so high.”
While Rayburn is a big structure lake, Digh said, most of the normal offshore structure is 7 to 8 feet deeper than normal for this time of year.
“Mainly, we are just flipping bushes, willows, pines –and yesterday we fished a deer stand in the water,” he said.
“There is also a lot of hay grass. The lake has not been this high in the past seven years so the banks have really grown up. It seems like there are some fish in that grass, but there are miles and miles of it,” Digh said. “You will flip a half a mile and not get anything, then you will flip and catch one. It's just hard t find a concentration of fish.”
The water temperature had been in the 70s, but is down to about 65 degrees right now, Digh said, due to a couple of cold fronts that moved across the area.
“We hope the water temperature will warm up and the fish will bite a little better for us,” he said.
“I don't know if the tournament can be won away from the banks or up on the banks. This is the first time I have been here. But in a BassCat tournament last week it took 32 pounds to win for two days, so I think 15 pounds a day will be good.”
Digh is out of his normal fishing element – he is ranked 11th in the Rayovac FLW Series, Southeast Division after placing 55th at Lake Okeechobee in January, but charging back up to 7th place in the Lake Guntersville tournament last month.
“I am fishing the Texas Rayovac tournament because I have a sponsor, Just Brakes, which is headquartered in Dallas,” Digh said.
Just Brakes is an auto repair business specializing in automobile brake repairs, with 160 locations in eight states. While their specialty is brakes, ASE-certified technicians also perform routine maintenance and repairs such as oil changes, factory maintenance services, batteries, belt replacement, and fluid services.
The Sam Rayburn tournament is Digh's first venture into the Texas Rayovac Series – he did not fish the season opener on Lake Amistad in February – and he is not sure if he will fish the Texas final on Lake Texoma April 30. A lot will depend on how he fares this week on Sam Rayburn.
“I have not decided on the Texas Rayovac schedule yet,” said Digh, who also fishes the North Carolina BFLs and will fish the Anglers Choice tournament trail double-header on Kerr Reservoir next weekend, “but I will definitely fish the Southeastern Rayovac tournament on Lake Seminole next month.”
FLW Rayovac Series
Apr 9-11, 2015
Sam Rayburn Reservoir
Umphrey Family Pavilion
Veteran Santee Cooper Angler Predicts Outstanding Weights For Cbc South Carolina Tournament
You can expect to see some hefty bags brought to the weigh-in of the Carolinas Bass Challenge – S.C. Division – tournament on the Santee Cooper Lakes Saturday, said an angler who is known for bringing hefty bags to weigh-ins on the lakes.
“I have not fished the lakes. We were fishing Lake Murray last weekend and Santee Cooper is off-limits this week before the tournament,” said veteran tournament angler Ken Ellis of Bowman.
“But, they are really catching them. It's been taking 30 pounds in tournaments all spring and I expect it to be the same Saturday.”
In fact, Ellis who teams with Chuck Howard of Elloree, predicted it will take 30 to 35 pounds to win the CBC Saturday – and probably 24-25 pounds just to get a check.
“Most of the tournaments seem to be won in the upper lake rather than the lower lake this year for some reason,” Ellis said.
“There was a big wave spawning last week so there are a lot of fish up shallow,” he said. “It will be mostly bedding fish so spawning baits like plastics will be good. A swim jig and a Senko have been doing really good and I expect a post spawn bite too. Buzzbaits and frogs should start getting good this week.”
A lot will depends on the wind, Ellis said.
“It looks like it will be cloudy and rainy so the sight fishing will be a little tough. We will probably fish trees, just pick a place based on the wind and weather.”
Although Ellis and Howard have not had a high finish in the first two tournaments – on Lake Murray in February and Lake Wateree last month – they have made a good showing in the points. But, Ellis said, they will not be in contention for the points this spring.
“We will miss a tournament because we will be fishing the CATT Championship here on Santee,” he said.
While they might not challenge for the points, don't count this duo out on Santee Cooper where they always present a formidable challenge to the rest of the field.
Carolinas Bass Challenge - SC Division
Sat, Apr 11, 2015
Santee Cooper Lakes
John C. Land III Landing
Call Brett Collins 803-413-7521
www.carolinasbasschallenge.com
Wiggins Team Seeking Redemption In Alabama Bass Trail Tournament On Lewis Smith
Jesse and Jordan Wiggins live in Cullman, Ala., just 10 minutes from Lewis Smith Lake, and they are considered a team to beat in the Alabama Bass Trail North Division tournament Saturday on the lake.
“We've been fishing the lake for 20 years, ever since we were born,” said Jesse Wiggins.
The Wiggins brothers won the Smith Lake Park Bass Fest on the lake last October 4 with a limit that weighed 18.19 pounds. A week later they finished 3rd in the 2014 ABT Championship on the lake.
And that third place has stuck in their craw ever since because they had a chance to win, and missed it.
“I want some redemption after that third place,” Jesse said. “We had the opportunity to put that thing away – and we did not.”
Wiggins said the bass will be in two stages for Saturday's tournament. Largemouths will be mostly post-spawn, he said, while spotted bass will be about half and half spawn and post-spawn.
“The largemouths will be in the backs of pockets in brush, on shallower docks and on flooded laydowns,” he said. “The spots will be on the bluff banks and the harder clay, sand-rock points.”
Wiggins said he will probably go with a jig, spinnerbait and crankbait for the largemouths.
“If you can find them they will be in post-spawn, so they will be feeding and you can catch them on about anything. In the FLW tournament they were catching them on a buzzbait and I am sure they were hitting a swim jig, too.
The key to the largemouths, he said, is finding the really big fish.
“You can catch smaller largemouths, but find them over 3 pounds is the hard part.”
As for spotted bass, Wiggins said a Shakey Head worm, plus jerkbaits and swimbaits will produce.
“You can't go wrong with a Shakey Head on that lake,” he noted.
The brothers' strategy in practice, he said, will be to try to find the biggest spotted bass on the beds and then try to find bigger largemouths in the backs of pockets.
“The spots on the beds are deep so you really can't see them so we will try to locate some of them,” he said. “That strategy may change when we get on the lake, but I am thinking that is our main thing for this tournament.”
While a strong showing could boost the duo higher in the points standings, Wiggins said that is not an issue for the tournament on Lewis Smith Lake.
“We are going to be fishing to win, not to make points. We know this is our best chance to win one,” he said, adding, “I know we can catch them.”
Alabama Bass Trail - North Division
Sat, Apr 11, 2015
Lewis Smith Lake
Lewis Smith Dam
Call Kay Donaldson 855-934-7425
15-yr-old angler lands 7-lb bass on 4-lb line!
Courtney McCullough had a career day fishing with StarBrite Pro Patrick Pierce at Bienville Plantation's newest hot spot, Thomas Lake. The 15-year-old tossed pink trick worms on 4-lb fluorocarbon line and hauled-in dozens of bass, including the biggest of the day at 7.1 pounds and another that weighed 5.75. Her biggest 5 would have easily weighed over 20.
David Blanton and James Clark win the Goodyear Bass Club Shearon Harris Event
This was a snow makeup day for the first tournament that was scheduled on 2/26/2015.
We had a good turnout with 16 boats. The bite was on, and there were 16 fish that were over 20 inches weighed in!!!
Our next tournament is at Kerr Lake, on April 14th, at Hibernia Landing from Safe Light - 3pm.
Come out and join us, and tell a friend!
1st place team of David Blanton and James Clark
2nd Place Team of Kent Brewer and Jason Dew
3rd Place team of Jason Bullard and Michael Lewis
7.82 Lb BF caught by Bill Faircloth and Billy Pankey
The Results are as follows:
1st Place
David Blanton & James Clark
4 Fish
20.94lbs
2nd Place
Kent Brewer & Jason Dew
3 Fish
17.66lbs
3rd Place
Jason Bullard & Michael Lewis
3 Fish
13.79lbs
Big Fish
Bill Faircloth & Billy Pankey
7.82lbs
CBC Jordan Lake Wrap Up with Tournament Director Brett Collins
CBC Toournament Director Brett Collins joins us after another great day for the CBC and the 103 that showed up to fish for the $8000 first place prize. 11 bags over 20 Lbs was more than impressive-up next week, SANTEE!!
CBC Jordan Lake Champs David Wright and Jeff Coble join us after their $8000 day!!
Any time David Wright and Jeff Coble fish a tournament, there's a pretty good chance they are going to make some noise. Sat on Jordan was one of those days, as they hauled in 23.52 Lbs and took home yet another big win...here is what they had to say post weigh-in.
Great Easter Weekend for David Wright and Jeff Coble as they win the CBC on Jordan
103 Teams showed up this Easter weekend for the CBC Tournament on Jordan Lake. As usual, there were some great limits brought in and a whopping 9 LB BF!! Jeff Coble and David Wright had 5 fish that weighed 23.52 Lbs and took home $8000. We are now at the mid-point of the season with Santee coming up next Sat. Congtrats to all the anglers who came out and Happy Easter Weekend to all. Full results are below the pictures:
CBC Jordan Champ David Wright holds up some of his teams 23.52 Lb Sack!
3rd Place Angler Steve Gardner holds up some of their prize catches Sat!
Team Blanton raises their near 20 Lb Stringer
CBC Jordan BF Didn't dissapoint-9.20 LBS!
Another Look at this Jordan BF Beast...
| Place | Team Name | Team # | Fish Weighed | Net Weight | Big Fish | Points | Winnings |
| 1 | Jeff Coble - David Wright | 88 | 5 | 23.520 | 8.390 | 310 | $8,000 |
| 2 | Robert Osborne - Bobby Osborne | 74 | 5 | 22.680 | 0.000 | 309 | $3,200 |
| 3 | Chuck Bolton - Steve Gardner | 51 | 5 | 22.170 | 0.000 | 308 | $2,000 |
| 4 | brian morgan - anthony Lutz | 20 | 5 | 22.090 | 0.000 | 307 | $1,500 |
| 5 | Don Sprinkle - Wayne Skipworth | 46 | 5 | 22.050 | 0.000 | 306 | $1,000 |
| 6 | Derick Livingston - Jonathan Spivey | 89 | 5 | 21.750 | 6.780 | 305 | $800 |
| 7 | Dave Murdock - Tony Fofi | 32 | 5 | 21.290 | 0.000 | 304 | $600 |
| 8 | Todd Walters - Jason Threadgill | 77 | 5 | 21.090 | 0.000 | 303 | $550 |
| 9 | Tommy Williams - Thomas Hardwick | 4 | 5 | 20.790 | 0.000 | 302 | $500 |
| 10 | Steve Sink - Tony Foster | 64 | 5 | 20.420 | 0.000 | 301 | $450 |
| 11 | john drew - mitch drew | 83 | 5 | 20.110 | 0.000 | 300 | $375 |
| 12 | David Blanton - William Blanton | 81 | 5 | 19.850 | 6.530 | 299 | $350 |
| 13 | Dennis Reedy - Jeffrey Thomas | 75 | 5 | 19.670 | 6.960 | 298 | $325 |
| 14 | Brian McDonald - billy bledsoe | 91 | 5 | 18.940 | 0.000 | 297 | $275 |
| 15 | Danny Nifong - Matthew Nifong | 3 | 5 | 18.050 | 0.000 | 296 | $250 |
| 16 | Jeremi Beatty - Clint Benbow | 43 | 5 | 17.760 | 0.000 | 295 | $225 |
| 17 | Roger Hoover - Scott Hamrick | 8 | 5 | 16.910 | 0.000 | 294 | $200 |
| 18 | Stump Bledsoe - Glenn Elliott | 26 | 5 | 15.650 | 4.650 | 293 | |
| 19 | Robert Mixon - Robert Lambert | 31 | 4 | 15.190 | 7.330 | 292 | |
| 20 | Stephen Griggs - Rodney Sorrell | 49 | 5 | 14.680 | 0.000 | 291 | |
| 21 | Jesse Wise - Jonathan Phillips | 37 | 4 | 14.230 | 0.000 | 290 | |
| 22 | Brian Hall - Doug Stallings | 6 | 3 | 13.990 | 7.270 | 289 | |
| 23 | Vinston Nettles - Ramon Stockham | 80 | 5 | 13.110 | 0.000 | 288 | |
| 24 | Brandon McLeod - Allen Parker | 100 | 5 | 12.800 | 0.000 | 287 | |
| 25 | Wayne Hauser - Anthony Rife | 58 | 4 | 12.710 | 0.000 | 286 | |
| 26 | Dale Surrett - Lee Endicott | 10 | 2 | 12.480 | 7.870 | 285 | |
| 27 | Chris McDuffie - Greg Creech | 62 | 4 | 12.470 | 0.000 | 284 | |
| 28 | Jason Quinn - Tony Colacurcio | 11 | 3 | 12.300 | 0.000 | 283 | |
| 29 | Michael Kinard - Tony Lambert | 24 | 3 | 12.300 | 0.000 | 282 | |
| 30 | Troy Searcy - Lynn Fox | 102 | 3 | 12.080 | 0.000 | 281 | |
| 31 | James Wall - Jimmy Wall | 61 | 5 | 12.030 | 0.000 | 280 | |
| 32 | Gary Love - Ricky Todd | 69 | 5 | 11.720 | 0.000 | 279 | |
| 33 | Scott Threadgill - Dwayne Saunders | 67 | 5 | 11.670 | 0.000 | 278 | |
| 34 | Lee Williams - Andrew Smith | 23 | 3 | 11.440 | 0.000 | 277 | |
| 35 | Kevin Beverley - Tyler Faggart | 18 | 2 | 11.430 | 7.230 | 276 | |
| 36 | Denny Parunak - Tony Blevins | 21 | 3 | 11.410 | 0.000 | 275 | |
| 37 | Steven Austin - Roger Wood | 95 | 4 | 11.310 | 0.000 | 274 | |
| 38 | Dan Funderburk - Rod Cozart | 68 | 3 | 11.260 | 0.000 | 273 | |
| 39 | Gordon Smith - Lawrence Schuster | 98 | 3 | 11.230 | 0.000 | 272 | |
| 40 | Charlie Hanshaw - Jeffrey Hanshaw | 7 | 4 | 11.000 | 0.000 | 271 | |
| 41 | Jackie Reilly - Butch Drew | 57 | 4 | 10.780 | 0.000 | 270 | |
| 42 | Todd Sumner - Robert Parrish | 54 | 4 | 10.710 | 0.000 | 269 | |
| 43 | George Lambeth - Ron Wolfarth | 94 | 4 | 10.420 | 0.000 | 268 | |
| 44 | Wayne Ingram - Chris Brown | 27 | 4 | 10.320 | 0.000 | 267 | |
| 45 | Chris Clark - Matthew Burrill | 96 | 2 | 9.660 | 0.000 | 266 | |
| 46 | Cory Leonard - Paul Rigsbee | 29 | 2 | 9.570 | 0.000 | 265 | |
| 47 | Jeremy Sabo - dale campo | 16 | 3 | 9.550 | 0.000 | 264 | |
| 48 | Bryan Welch - Mark Inman | 30 | 3 | 9.360 | 6.080 | 263 | |
| 49 | Eric Moser - Mark Beck | 50 | 2 | 9.040 | 0.000 | 262 | |
| 50 | Thomas Gavin - Bobby Winn | 15 | 2 | 9.020 | 9.020 | 261 | |
| 51 | Jerry Lineberger - Shane Lineberger | 60 | 4 | 9.000 | 0.000 | 260 | |
| 52 | Graham Rushing - Artie Phillips | 25 | 3 | 8.850 | 4.680 | 259 | |
| 53 | Brad Staley - David Farrington | 47 | 3 | 8.670 | 0.000 | 258 | |
| 54 | Scott Henley - Dean Minor | 5 | 1 | 8.390 | 0.000 | 257 | |
| 55 | Parks Jones - Daniel Hill | 63 | 3 | 8.060 | 0.000 | 256 | |
| 56 | Rick Davis | 9 | 2 | 7.870 | 6.330 | 255 | |
| 57 | Jason Wilson - Kelly Logan | 35 | 2 | 7.790 | 0.000 | 254 | |
| 58 | John Gutierrez - Larry Mckissick | 87 | 3 | 7.650 | 0.000 | 253 | |
| 59 | Rick Dunstan - Rich Szczerbala | 103 | 3 | 7.380 | 0.000 | 252 | |
| 60 | Michael Webster - Guy Eaker | 55 | 2 | 5.920 | 0.000 | 251 | |
| 61 | Jerry Cross - Bryce Owen | 78 | 3 | 5.870 | 0.000 | 250 | |
| 62 | Brent Berry - Steve Shaw | 82 | 2 | 5.420 | 3.840 | 249 | |
| 63 | Greg Osborne - Wyatt Blevins | 86 | 2 | 5.260 | 0.000 | 248 | |
| 64 | Chuck Morton - Kevin Sheppard | 39 | 2 | 5.230 | 0.000 | 247 | |
| 65 | John McClelland - Eric Schell | 40 | 2 | 5.090 | 0.000 | 246 | |
| 66 | Tony Davis - Heath Pait | 28 | 2 | 5.080 | 0.000 | 245 | |
| 67 | Brendon Schneider - Kyle James | 41 | 2 | 3.990 | 0.000 | 244 | |
| 68 | Stacey Richards - Brian Triplett | 99 | 2 | 3.940 | 0.000 | 243 | |
| 69 | Tyler Hoopaugh - Chris Hoopaugh | 34 | 1 | 3.830 | 0.000 | 242 | |
| 70 | Robin Parker - Frank Letto | 97 | 1 | 3.460 | 0.000 | 241 | |
| 71 | Michael Cribb - Roger Cribb | 17 | 2 | 3.170 | 0.000 | 240 | |
| 72 | Mac McLean - Brett McLean | 56 | 1 | 2.040 | 0.000 | 239 | |
| 73 | Keith Speece - Wendell Ireland | 19 | 1 | 1.640 | 0.000 | 238 | |
| 74 | Adam Waters - Dylan Fulk | 101 | 1 | 1.460 | 0.000 | 237 | |
| 75 | Mike Scott - Tommy Thompson | 1 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 236 | |
| 76 | Scott Faulkner - TONY BREWER | 2 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 235 | |
| 77 | Richard Greene - Kent Brewer's | 12 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 234 | |
| 78 | Randy Carr - Joey Davis | 13 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 233 | |
| 79 | Bill Grier - Robby Byrum | 14 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 232 | |
| 80 | STEVE UPCHURCH - Jeff Hodges | 22 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 231 | |
| 81 | John Martin - Christopher Allard | 33 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 230 | |
| 82 | Barry Bost - Scottie Smith | 36 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 229 | |
| 83 | Rich Trick - Matthew Cashion | 38 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 228 | |
| 84 | Jim Britt - Ronnie Britt | 42 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 227 | |
| 85 | Dwayne Hughes - Micheal Gibson | 44 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | |
| 86 | Wesley Cashwell - Shane Doughtie | 45 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 225 | |
| 87 | Duke Denison - Jamie Denison | 48 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 88 | Jimmy Cummings - Dean Collins | 52 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 223 | |
| 89 | Randy Weddington - Ronnie Smith | 53 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 222 | |
| 90 | Mike Branch - Brian Branch | 59 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 221 | |
| 91 | Mike Davis - Gerald Ritchie | 65 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 220 | |
| 92 | Robin Collins - Ronnie White | 66 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 219 | |
| 93 | Calton Hall - Jason Suggs | 70 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 218 | |
| 94 | Mark Lamb - Robert Griswold | 71 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 217 | |
| 95 | Eric Self - Tyler Beam | 72 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 216 | |
| 96 | Brandon Sykes | 73 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 97 | Reginald Pickett - Larry Kirk | 76 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 214 | |
| 98 | Chris Albright - Wiley Jr Nifong | 79 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 213 | |
| 99 | Marvin Godard - Trevor Holman | 84 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 212 | |
| 100 | David Winters - Russell Winters | 85 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 211 | |
| 101 | Stacy Metz - Douglas McLean | 90 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 210 | |
| 102 | Dale Duncan - Donnie Woody | 92 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 209 | |
| 103 | Tim Emory - Tim Parker | 93 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 208 |
Piedmont Bass Classics $10,000 Spring Trail Qualifier #3 Results - Shearon Harris
Well, things are starting to get back to normal weatherwise bringing a large crowd to fish the PBC Qualifer #3 at
Shearon Harris. We did get a break in the weather today, but it was still cold in the morning at 35 degrees but
pretty nice towards days end with about 55. Wind, however, was the factor today with 5 to 15 mph then some gusts
up to about 20. Water temps ranged from 55 to 59 depending on the area fished. Most of the 65 teams said the
bite was pretty shallow and many of the bass were seen in 1 to 2 foot of water in the shade of the grass beds which
means the spawn is coming soon!
Kevin Beverly & Tyler Faggart took their first win this year with 5 bass weighing a total of 27.46 lbs. along with
1st place TWT for a total of $2,333 in winnings. Greyson Barefoot & Aaron Johnson took 2nd place with 4 fish
weighing 22.07 lbs. They also won the Big Fish Award (7.98 lbs.) and 2nd Place TWT for a grand total of $2,141.
2nd Place Big Fish (7.98 lbs.) was caught by the team of Jerry Marshburn & Chuck Byrd (7.93 lbs.) netting them
$384 in cash.
100 fish were weighed in for a total of 355 pounds for an average of 3.56 lbs. each. There were a lot more bass
caught that could not be weighed in because of the slot limit rule on Harris. Most of the fish were caught on
plastics and jerk baits with a few on topwater.
I want to thank all the anglers that participated and all our sponsors that support this trail.
Coming up April 4th will be the Cashion Fishing Rods Spring Team Bass Mini Trail Q#3 at Shearon Harris. On
the following weekend we have a double header, the Piedmont Bass Classics $10,000 Spring Team Bass Trail
Qualifier #4 on April 11th At Falls Lake and the Qualifier #2 on April 12th at Jordan Lake which is the makeup
date for the that event that was supposed to be held on March 14th.
All the information on our tournaments can be found http://piedmontbassclassics.com/
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Kevin Beverly & Tyler Faggart of Raleigh...5 bass...27.46 lbs...$1,248
2nd Place: Greyson Barefoot & Aaron Johnson of Dunn...4 bass...22.07 lbs...$780
3rd Place: Ricky Petty & Billy Cobb of Gibsonville & Brown Summit...5 bass...19.56 lbs...$520
4th Place: Jaime Fajardo & Josh Hooks of Fuquay Varina & Apex...5 bass...18.79 lbs...$468
5th Place: Josh High & Thomas Elliott of Wilmington & Lake Waccamaw...4 bass...15.14 lbs...$416
6th Place: Glen Stephenson of Raleigh...3 bass...13.77 lbs...$364
7th Place: Jerry Marshburn & Chuck Byrd of Sanford...2 bass...13.58 lbs...$312
8th Place: Brad Crabtree & Jared Thaxton of Winston Salem & Creedmoor...3 bass...13.34 lbs...$260
9th Place: Vinston Nettles & Jasper of Pittsboro...3 bass...12.45 lbs...$216
10th Place: Chris & H.T. Eakins of Selma & Angier...4 bass...12.43 lbs...$200
11th Place: Bobby & David Matthews of Durham...4 bass...12.01 lbs...$162
12th Place: Justin McBrayer & Shawn Collins of Carthage...3 bass...11.43 lbs...$150
13th Place: Tony Woodard & Scott Smith of Four Oaks & Apex...2 bass...11.02 lbs...$104
1st Place Big Fish..2nd Place Team above...7.98 lbs...$$896
2nd Place Big Fish..7th Place Team above...7.93 lbs...$384
1st Place TWT..1st Place Team above...27.46 lbs...$1,085
2nd Place TWT..2nd Place Team above: 22.07 lbs...$465
Tow Boats US Award: Kevin Beverly of Raleigh : $50
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/
Heavyweight Weigh-In Predicted For Carolinas Bass Challenge On Jordan Lake Saturday
Look for some heavy bags to be weighed in the Carolinas Bass Challenge North Carolina Division tournament on Jordan Lake Saturday, according to an angler who knows the lake well.
“It will definitely take 25 pounds-plus to win it,” said Dave Murdock, who lives in Sanford, N.C., just 15 minutes from the lake. “Jordan has got some whopper fish in it and there are always some 30-pound sacks weighed in the spring.”
What is phenomenal, Murdock said, is that kind of big bass bonanza carries right on into the summer.
“You can catch them in Jordan. There are 25-pound stringers weighed in the summer.”
Although Murdock and teammate Tony Fofi normally fish the CBC South Carolina Division tournaments, they plan to fish Lake Jordan Saturday because it is so close to where they live.
“I used to live in Sumter (S.C.) and have fished those South Carolina lakes for years,” Murdock said. “We decided to fish the Jordan Lake tournament because we usually do fairly well on the lake.”
Murdock obviously knows South Carolina's Lake Wateree pretty well, too. He and Fofi weighed in a five-bass limit at 25 pounds even to win the March 7 CBC-SC on Wateree, earning a $12,500 payday – $10,000 for first place plus $2,500 for the Highest Finishing Skeeter Bonus.
Although he did not get a chance to pre-practice on Jordan Lake and it is off limits the week before the tournament, Murdock said the bass are probably the same as everywhere else at this point – up shallow, either spawning or looking to spawn.
“We typically fish the backs of main lake pockets,” he said, “because we feel we have a better opportunity to catch the spawning and pre-spawn fish there.”
Murdock said he and Fofi will target sunken timber in those pockets.
“The water in Jordan raises and lowers anywhere from 3 to 20 feet in a matter of a couple of days, so there are a lot of floating logs and a lot of times they settle in the backs of the pockets and some of them end up sunken there,” he said.
“We usually give the fish a one-two punch. We both don't fish the same lure unless it is just absolutely the same thing that is catching fish,” Murdock said. “We throw different things to give them a different look, mainly plastics and jigs, with probably some spinnerbaits and a little topwater early in the morning.”
Saturday's weigh-in should be exciting with a lot of 5-pound, maybe even 6-pound, averages for a five-fish limit.
Carolinas Bass Challenge - North Carolina Division
Sat, Apr 4, 2015
Jordan Lake - NC
Farrington Access
Call Brett Collins 803-413-7521
www.carolinasbasschallenge.com
Sergeant Major Jamey Caldwell Signs With Strike King Pro Staff; Embarks On 2Nd Career
Strike King Lure Company announces the addition Jamey Caldwell of Carthage, NC to the national Strike King Pro staff. Allan Ranson Chief Operating Officer says, “I have known Jamey for 5 years and it is rare to find someone who puts as much energy and effort into whatever he is doing to be the best that he can be. He is an expert on technology used for fishing and all the equipment and has lots experience with product development. He is an accomplished angler, is great at giving seminars and is active on all forms of social media.”
Becoming a bass pro is a second career and a dream for Jamey. In December 2014 he retired from a 21-year career in the U. S. Army. Most of his first 7 years were in the 75th Ranger Regiment and then he spent 14 years in an Elite Special Operations unit at Ft. Bragg, NC. The majority of his career was spent fighting the War on Terror. He was too humble to share but from his official military records it shows that during this time he was deployed 14 times to various theaters for combat operations. He received 8 Bronze Stars (2 with Valor), 3 Defense Meritorious Service Medals, 1 Meritorious Service Medal, 2 Army Commendation Medals (1 with valor), 16 other medals and 11 other awards as well as a long list of training courses and expertise in many areas. After being a Tier One Operator for so long he is now ready to pick up a fishing rod full time!
“The characteristics of the men that achieve this highest level of military training and achievement uniquely position them for success at whatever they choose to do. They have the drive, smarts and energy to win,” says Ranson. “I have seen Jamey take these traits into his fishing, even win a tournament right after a deployment on which he did his pre-fish planning while in Iraq! He has infectious energy and is fun to be around. We want to help him fulfill his dream and know that he will be a tough competitor on the water and a great ambassador for our Company. This year he will be fishing the Southern and Northern B.A.S.S. Opens with the hopes of qualifying for the ELITES. “Elite” is a good word to describe Jamey so I expect it to happen!”
Says Jamey, “While serving in a Special Operations unit I was provided with the best tools available to do my job. Now Strike King is arming me with the best lures on the market to fish at the Elite level. It is a great privilege to be part of such an amazing company and I am honored to represent them. The road to the Elite series is not going to be an easy one but nothing I have chosen to do in life has been easy.”
More information on the Strike King product line, please visit www.strikeking.com , or your preferred retailer of fishing products.
Toyota Texas Bass Classic Field Set
The 2015 final field is made up of the top 15 anglers in 2014 Angler of the Year points from both the FLW and Bass Elite Series. Other notable anglers include 2014 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year, Greg Hackney, 2013 recipient and 2014 runner-up Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Aaron Martens, and Andy Morgan, 2014 and 2013 FLW Tour Angler of the Year.
“This is one of the strongest and most talented fields we’ve ever had,” said Lenny Francoeur, Tournament Director. “We shattered records during last years’ event and with yet another star studded field; we could be looking at rewriting those records this Memorial Day on Lake Fork.”
The field boasts a combined 190 wins, 19 Angler of the Year Awards, 19 Majors and over $56 million in career earnings. In addition to 30 professional anglers there are 4 sponsor exemptions which include Mike Iaconelli, Kelly Jordon, Terry Scroggins and Kevin VanDam and defending champion, Keith Combs.
“The TTBC is the tournament I look forward to above all others each year,” said Keith Combs “As a native Texan, it was a dream come true to win my third TTBC title last year and I cannot wait to return to the incredible Lake Fork, with the best anglers in the world, to defend my title in May.”
Along with the coveted title of TTBC Champion, the anglers will be battling it out for two additional awards: the Toyota Tundra Big Bass Award and the LEER Heavy Weight Award. The Toyota Tundra Big Bass Award is new to the 2015 event. The angler who catches the single heaviest fish from any of the three days of the competition will win a 2015 Toyota Tundra. The LEER Heavy Weight Award is awarded to the angler with the heaviest total weight of fish from any of the three days of the tournament will win a LEER truck cap.
2015 Toyota Texas Bass Classic final field:
Matt Arey Shelby, North Carolina
Casey Ashley Donalds, South Carolina
Jason Christie Park Hill, Oklahoma
Keith Combs Huntington, Texas
John Crews Salem, Virginia
Mark Davis Mount Ida, Arkansas
Brent Ehrler Redlands, California
Todd Faircloth Jasper, Texas
Shinichi Fukae Palestine, Texas
Greg Hackney Gonzales, Louisiana
Matthew Herren Trussville, Alabama
Brett Hite Phoenix, Arizona
Mike Iaconelli Runnemede, New Jersey
Kelly Jordon Mineola, Texas
Chris Lane Guntersville, Alabama
Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, California
Justin Lucas Guntersville, Alabama
Aaron Martens Leeds, Alabama
Scott Martin Clewiston, Florida
Cody Meyer Auburn, California
Andy Morgan Dayton, Tennessee
Chad Morgenthaler Coulterville, Illinois
Michael Neal Dayton, Tennessee
Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, Idaho
Jacob Powroznik Port Haywood, Virginia
Dean Rojas Lake Havasu, Arizona
Mark Rose West Memphis, Arkansas
Shad Scheneck Waynetown, Indiana
Terry Scroggins Palatka, Florida
Wesley Strader Spring City, Tennessee
Gerald Swindle Warrior, Alabama
Randall Tharp Port Saint Joe, Florida
Bryan Thrift Shelby, North Carolina
Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, Michigan
Jacob Wheeler Indianapolis, Indiana
About the Tournament: The Toyota Texas Bass Classic is a world-class bass fishing tournament, featuring the top 35 bass anglers in the world, and a festival that includes exceptional entertainment and a variety of family and industry activities. This three-day event will take place Memorial Day Weekend, May 23-25, 2015 on Lake Fork in Quitman, Texas.
Events / Entertainment: Extraordinary live music and events that will appeal to the whole family. This will include a variety of games and activities at the Brookshire’s Outdoor Adventures Area, incredible food and a fishing industry expo, featuring seminars and the latest in fishing equipment, gear and accessories.
Charity: Proceeds benefit the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. For more information click here to visit the Texas Parks & Wildlife page. www.tpwd.state.tx.us
Current sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Nitro Boats, Wood County Industrial Commission, Anheuser-Busch, LEER Truck Caps, The Coca-Cola Company, Tellespen, GoPro, HOLT CAT, JBL, GEICO, Brookshire’s Grocery Company, Kim’s Convenience Store, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Allied Waste Systems, Peoples Telephone Cooperative, TLC Media, Tyler Morning Telegraph, 105.7 KYKX, The Ranch KKUS 104.1, KMOO 99.9 & Sabine River Authority.
For additional information, visit ToyotaTexasBassClassic.com or call 1-866-907-0143.
For volunteer application, visit http://www.toyotatexasbassclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/2015-Volunteer-Application.pdf
Make sure to “Like” us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for tournament news, updates, contests and more!
RESOURCES:
Facebook.com/ToyotaTexasBassClassic
Twitter @TxBassClassic
Timing Of Elite Tournament Could Change Robinson's Luck On Lake Guntersville
Marty Robinson has had a lot of experience fishing Lake Guntersville – not much of it good. But he is hoping the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament on the Alabama Lake April 9-12 will be a major turning point in that history of mostly bad tournaments.
“Guntersville seems to be one of my toughest lakes to figure out in the past,” said the elite Series pro from Lyman, S.C. “I am hoping all that will change one of these days – hopefully next week.”
And, he said, timing of the tournament could play a major role in a reversal of his fortunes on the lake.
“The last two times we were there it has been more like post-spawn and the fish had pretty much got off the banks and grouped up good. There were a handful of guys who found that one spot loaded with a school of 3- and 4-pound fish.”
This time it should be different, he said. The fish should be more in a spawning mode and still on the banks.
“I think it's probably prime time spawning going on down there right now. I don't feel like a lot of them will have come off the beds and got grouped up on those post-spawn places like before, so I think the guys depending on that will struggle a little to find places holding groups of big fish.”
Robinson said he will leave for Guntersville Sunday after church.
“I will take my boys to church for Easter Sunday and then they will be out for spring break next week so my wife and kids are going down there with me. That will be good.”
One he gets into practice the first of the week, Robinson said he will tie on some moving baits – spinnerbaits and swimbaits – so he can cover a lot of water and try to find a little stretch or two where some fish are spawning.
“I think most of the fish will be on the bank, either trying to spawn or cruising and looking for a places to spawn, so I will go from there and target those places where fish are trying to spawn.” he said.
Diet Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite Series
Apr 9-12, 2015
LAKE: Lake Guntersville
Guntersville City Harbor
Shriners Hold Dogwood Bass Tournament On Lake Norman To Help Kids In Hospital
The Lake Norman Shrine Club is a small organization – about 40 members – and they don't even have a permanent meeting place, but over the past 35 years they have raised nearly half a million dollars for the Shriners Hospital for Children in Greenville, S.C.
They have raised that money by holding a bass tournament on Lake Norman a little bit at a time, some years $7,000 or $8,000, some other years up to $12,000 to $15,000. Not bad for a group of hard working Shriners who are not actually bass fishermen themselves.
And they do it on a shoestring, depending on local businesses and individuals to donate $100 to $250 each to support the effort for the children. With no major sponsors and no boat to give to the winners, it's hard to compete with the myriad of other tournaments held on Lake Norman, said Shrine Club tournament organizer Bill Cork of Denver, N.C.
The Lake Norman Shrine Club will hold the 36th annual Dogwood Bass Tournament on Lake Norman out of Midway Marina Saturday. It is the longest-running charity tournament held on the lake.
Entry fee is $100 per team with and additional optional big fish pot. The total guaranteed purse is $5,500, Cork said, with $2,500 for first place down to $100 for 10th place. The last two years the tournament has drawn 72 boats, he said.
So far, Cork said, the club is running about $800 short on sponsor donations, so there is plenty of opportunity for local businesses to promote their company while helping the children in need with a small donation.
“In the last few years if we are close to an even figure our club just sticks in the rest of the money,” Cork said. “The Shriners Hospital is currently helping over 280 children from the Catawba and surrounding areas.”
Cork also noted that all proceeds above the payout for the tournament goes to the hospital because Shriners can't put a price on what they do for kids, so they do it for free.
LAKE NORMAN SHRINE CLUB DOGWOOD BASS TOURNAMENT
Apr 3-4, 2015
Lake Norman
Midway Marina
Call William Cork at (704) 516-0506
AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh places 3rd at BFL on Wylie-Full results here!
Solid turnout this past Sat for the BFL on Lake Wylie...........AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh placed 3rd and took home$1450 after placing 7th at the Rayovac on Guntersville the week before. Congrats to Todd Walters on his big win. Notice that we had 4 anglers weigh-in the exact same amount at 16 Lbs..thats pretty unusual!
| PLACE | Angler | Day 1 WT (Fish) |
WINNINGS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TODD WALTERS | 17 - 2 (5) | $4,350 |
| 2 | JOHN MCDONALD | 16 - 12 (5) | $2,175 |
| 3 | ROB DIGH | 16 - 8 (5) | $1,451 |
| 4 | JAY KEITH | 16 - 3 (5) | $942 |
| 4 | BRIAN TRAVIS | 16 - 3 (5) | $942 |
| 6 | JAMES BUCHANAN | 16 - 2 (5) | $761 |
| 6 | ERIC MOSER | 16 - 2 (5) | $761 + Big Bass: $615 |
| 8 | JD BARBER | 16 - 0 (5) | $549 |
| 8 | CHRISTOPHER BROWN | 16 - 0 (5) | $549 |
| 8 | KLAUS HADSCHIN | 16 - 0 (5) | $549 |
| 8 | DAVID WILLIAMS | 16 - 0 (5) | $549 |
| 12 | RUSSELL WINTERS | 15 - 14 (5) | $420 |
| 13 | JEFFREY QUEEN | 15 - 7 (5) | $406 |
| 14 | TODD SOSEBEE | 15 - 4 (5) | $384 |
| 15 | FABIUS MITCHELL | 15 - 2 (5) | $362 |
| 16 | DUSTIN CLONTZ | 14 - 15 (5) | $348 |
| 17 | SCOTT HAMRICK | 14 - 14 (5) | $333 |
| 18 | BRIAN HOLDER | 14 - 13 (5) | $319 |
| 19 | DONALD HINSON | 14 - 12 (5) | $297 |
| 19 | ZACH VINSON | 14 - 12 (5) | $297 |
| 21 | KENNETH HUNTLEY | 14 - 8 (5) | $279 |
| 21 | CHRIS MYATT | 14 - 8 (5) | $279 |
| 23 | WAYNE KING | 14 - 4 (5) | $264 |
| 23 | TRENT PARDUE | 14 - 4 (5) | $264 |
Les Wesberry wins the Oakley Big Bass Tournament on Clarks Hill-full results and pic here!
Great turnout for the Oakly Big Bass Event on Clarks Hill this past weekend as 502 anglers showed up for this big event! Less Wesberry hauled in an 8.10 LB big bass that netted him a $30,000 boat-motor-trailer pkg. Congrats to Wes and all the other participating anglers who also brought in some impressive fish. Looks like the Hill is back!
Les Wesberry weighing in his 30k Bass on Clarks Hill!
Leaders
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LESS WESBERRY | 8.10 |
| 2 | JIMMY FARRER | 8.07 |
| 3 | GERALD MOSS | 7.79 |
| 4 | TOMMY STEPHENSON | 7.41 |
| 5 | JOHN LUNDEEN | 7.23 |
| 6 | JOSH HOLLEY | 7.07 |
| 7 | CHARLES PHILLIPS | 7.05 |
| 8 | BOB BURNETT | 7.00 |
| 9 | AL SMITH | 6.97 |
| 9 | DANNY MINNICH | 6.97 |
Rodney and Clay Sisk win the Long View Lions Club Tournament on Hickory with 25.05
Today the Long View Lions Club held our 6th annual team bass tournament. Early morning daybreak temperatures dipping below freezing and a stiff NW breeze faced 34 angling teams for today's event with high temperatures reaching high 40's at weigh-in time.
Anglers produces many impressive bags of 5 five limits, here are the results as follows. Top Adult Child Team Chad McKinney and Colby Edwards with 5.39 pound catch earning the pair $150.00. Top Senior Citizen Team Tim Hollar and Bob Killian with 4.27 earning the pair $150.00. Top Man and Woman team Lori and Dalton Edwards 6.82 earning them $150.00. Top teams for the day Rick Hedrick and Bob Bolick weighed in 5 bass with a total weight of 19.32 earning them $150.00. Tony and Alex Sanders weighed in a five bass limit weighing in at 19.32 earning them $300.00, Second place went to Vince and Mark Parker brought a five bass limit to the scales weighing 19.50 earning them $500.00. Fist place Rodney and Clay Sisk brought 5 bass to the scales weighing 25.05 as well as big bass of the day 6.86 earning the big fish pot of $500.00 and $1000.00. The Long View Lions club would like to thank all the angling teams that came out today and supported Lions club. With a big special thank you to all of our sponsors Rotary Drill Service, Steve White Motors, Cargo Transporters, Paramount Kia, Randy Marion Sav-A-Lot, Carolina Windshield, Landis Insurance Group and Mt View Home and Garden.
First Place team of Rodney and Clay Sisk
2nd place team of Vance and Mark Parker
3rd place team-Tie
BF of the day came in at 6.86 Lbs!
Fishing for a Cure Champions Ray and Stephen Barge-talk about their 24+ Lb winning Sack!
Tournament Champions Stephen and Ray Barge talk abotut their dominant pattern and how surprised they were at the number of 20+ Lb bags on a cold-blue bird sky day............
Fishing for a Cure MC Mark Menendez spends some time with us prior to the weigh-in on Kentucky Lake!
Bassmaster Elite Series Pro Mark Menendez joins us prior to what turns out to be a fantastic weigh-in at the 1st ever Fishing for a Cure Tournament on Kentucky Lake. We have to give Mark credit-he predicted they would slay them-and they did!!
Father-son Barga team win the Fish for a Cure Tournament on Kentucky Lake-Pics and Full results here!
Fantastic first time Tournament on Kentucky Lake raising money for cancer and all those effected across our great nation. 50 Terams turned out in frigid temps to launch in mid 20's temps to go and fish on what turned out to be a blue bird sky day. Now normally, blue bird sky's sometimes mean not many great sacks.............until this past Sat. The winning team of Ray and Stephen Barge hauled in 24+, which was just enough to win the $3500 first place prize. Bassmaster Elite Series Pro Mark Menendez MC'd the weigh-in and did a tremendosu job. This lake is full of giant Smallmouth and Largemouth-really amazing. Here are some pic's from the weigh-in with full results attached. Great job by all involved and so glad we were able to see what Kentucky Lake is all about!
Fishing for a Cure Kentucky Lake Champs Stephen and Ray Barge
How about these Largmouth on Ky Lake Sat??
2nd Place Team of Logan and Jeffrey Thomas with 23.60 Lbs!
Smallmouth Rule at the 1st Annual Fishing for a Cure Tourament on Ky Lake!
Johnston and Newberry win the TTT on Lake Ray Roberts with 25+-full results here!
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Lefbre Wins FLW Tourney on Lewis Smith Lake
Western Carolina University Wins College Series Eastern Regional
“All of our areas setup up for all three patterns,” Neary said. “It would be like a windy marina, so we could drop shot and jerkbait and then catch spawners off bed.”
As practice for the Eastern Regional came to a close, fish flooded the banks in an attempt to find a mate and make a bed to spawn. The first day of competition on Thursday saw partly cloudy skies and warm temperatures and the spawn and dock bite were on. The second day, Friday, brought a nasty cold front to the area and the jerkbait bite picked up with a few spawners still being picked off. Then on the final day Saturday the temperatures dropped to the 30s, and it took all three patterns for Western Carolina to pull off the win.
After B.A.S.S. College Tournament Manager Hank Weldon noted the excitement that Neary exhibited when coming to the stage and mentioned Frazier must be the calmer of the two, Frazier stated, “I could probably run through a brick wall right now.”
The excitement was evident from both Neary and Frazier as the two took the Eastern Regional in Frazier’s first at bat and what would have been Neary’s final college event had they not qualified for the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship with their win.
“Financially, I had already decided I wouldn’t be able to make it to the Wild Card, so this was it for me,” Neary said of the June event that will qualify more college teams for the National Championship.
Bother and sister Chelsey and Kristopher Queen of Bethel University finished second in the event, bringing in 40 pounds, 11 ounces over the course of three days.
“I’m excited we’re going to the National Championship,” Chelsey said. “I hate we lost out to these guys, but I want to congratulate them. But I guarantee you nobody had more fun than we did out on the water”
The Queens are the first brother-sister team to ever qualify for the National Championship.
Finishing third and also qualifying for the National Championship were Day 2 leaders from Appalachian State University, Kelly Johnson and Jeremy Gilley, who brought in 39-14 for three days.
The remainder of the Top 17 teams from the Eastern Regional will also move on to the National Championship to be held later this summer on a body of water to be announced within the next few weeks.
The Livingston Lures Leader award at the Eastern Regional went to Appalachian State University’s Johnson and Gilley for leading on Day 2.
Cole Blythe’s 6-pound, 10-ounce big bass from Day 1 earning University of North Carolina-Charlotte the Carhartt Big Bass honors for the event.
UNCC’s Blythe and John Auten also won the Bass Pro Nitro Big Bag award for the event with their Day 1 single-day weight of 16 pounds, 12 ounces.
For a complete list of National Championship qualifiers, or for more pictures, stories and video from the Eastern Regional, please visit Bassmaster.com.
Flw Announces International Sanctioning
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| Walmart FLW Tour pro Jeff Gustafson of Keewatin, Ontario, will now be able to fish FLW sanctioned-tournaments on his home waters in Canada. (Garrick Dixon/FLW) |
Cashion Fishing Rods Spring Team Bass Mini Trail Results - Shearon Harris
The 2015 Cashion Fishing Rods Spring Team Bass Mini Trail's February 21st Qualifier #1 was rescheduled
because of the snow & ice storm to this day, Sunday, March 22nd at Shearon Harris. The weather was right
nice today with about 45 in the am and right at 63 degrees at 3pm. The winds were not too bad making it a fairly
comfortable overcast day. Water temps averaged 59. We had a huge turnout for the Mini Trail with 41 boats!!
Veteran Harris anglers Jaime Fajardo & Josh Hooks weighed in 5 beautiful bass weighing 27.73 lbs. taking
1st Place and 1st Place TWT to take home a nice $1,770 in prize money! 2nd Place team was John
Michenfelder & Charles Stewart with 5 bass weighing 20.38 lbs. They also won 2nd TWT bringing their total
winnings to $905 !!Big fish for the day worth $574 was caught by the team of Dave Walton & Thomas Sheffer
(8.39 lbs.) 64 bass were weighed in for a total of 251 pounds.
I want to thank Cashion Fishing Rods and all the anglers that participated. Our next tournament will be the
2015 Piedmont Bass Classics $10,000 Spring Team Bass Trail Qualifier #3, Sunday, Mar. 28th at Shearon
Harris out of Cross Point Landing.
All the information on our tournaments can be found http://piedmontbassclassics.com/
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Jaime Fajardo & Josh Hooks of Fuquay Varina & Apex...5 bass...27.73 lbs...$1,000
2nd Place: John Michenfelder & Charles Stewart of Durham...5 bass...20.38 lbs...$575
3rd Place: Jerry Marshburn & Chuck Byrd of Sanford...4 bass...19.99 lbs...$460
4th Place: John Snead & Brandon Lassitter of Coats & Linden...3 bass...14.78 lbs...$360
5th Place: Glenn Stephenson of Raleigh...4 bass...11.93 lbs...$295
6th Place: Brian Fisher & Jake Harvey of Sanford...4 bass...11.53 lbs...$230
7th Place: Tony Woodard & Scott Smith of Four Oaks & Apex...3 bass...11.24 lbs...$195
8th Place: Dave Walton & Thomas Sheffer of Raleigh & Cary...2 bass...9.85 lbs...$165
1st Place Big Fish: 8th Place Team above...8.39 lbs...$574
2nd Place Big Fish: 3rd Place Team above...8.16 lbs...$246
1st Place TWT: 1st Place Team above: 27.73 lbs...$777
2nd Place TWT: 2nd Place Team above: 20.38 lbs...$330
Tow Boats US Award: Jaime Fajardo of Fuquay Varina: $50
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/
Piedmont Bass Classics Hyco Lake Open Results - Mar 21, 2015
26 teams competed in the 3rd annual Piedmont Bass Classics Hyco Lake Open. We had pretty good weather
conditions with about 42 degrees in the morning and about 63 at weighin with winds 5 to 10 mph. Water temps
ranged from 50 to 60 depending on the areas fished and most of the water was really stained from previous
rains during the week.
James Noteboom & Zackry Wood or Selma & Clayton, took 1st place honors with 5 bass weighing 14.48 lbs.
They won the 1st place money of $832. Lee Day & Ben Horiston weighing in 4 totaling 13.00 lbs., won 2nd
place and 1st Place Big Fish Award (8.19 lbs.) for a grand total of $738.
81 fish were weighed in for a total weight of 174 pounds. Most fish were caught from 1 to 12 feet of water on
a variety of baits including jerk baits, c-rigs, jigs, spinnerbaits & crankbaits for the most part, and the fish
looked very healthy. The hot baits for the day reported to be jerk baits and spinnerbaits! I want to thank all the
anglers that participated and that supported this tournament.
All the information on our tournaments can be found at: http://piedmontbassclassics.com/
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: James Noteboom & Zackry Wood of Selma & Clayton...5 bass...14.38 lbs...$832
2nd Place: Lee Daye & Ben Horiston of Danville, VA...4 Bass...13.00 lbs...$478
3rd Place: Bryan Perry & Don Rousseau of Roxboro & Raleigh...5 bass...12.96 lbs...$333
4th Place: Cameron & Carlton Newhouse of Manson & Henderson...5 bass...12.21 lbs...$250
5th Place: Kenneth Dixon & Mike Thompkins of Leasburg...5 bass...10.91 lbs...$187
Winner Big Fish..2nd Place Team above: 8.19 lbs...$260
1st Place TWT..3rd Place Team above: 12.96 lbs...$189
2nd Place TWT..Lonnie Whitfield & Craig Hall of Burlington & Mebane: 10.73 lbs...$81
Gopro Best Catch Contest Powered By Bassmaster Worth Over $50,000!
GoPro, Inc. (NASDAQ:GPRO), enabler of some of today's most engaging content, announced the launch of the GoPro Best Catch Contest: Powered by Bassmaster campaign, offering anglers around the U.S. the opportunity to win a loaded Nitro Z21 boat, motor and trailer package powered by a Mercury 250HP ProXS motor and top-notch electronics. Contestants can submit their best raw GoPro clips of a bass catch for a chance to win monthly prizes and become eligible to win this grand prize worth over $50,000. The contest kicked off on Sunday, March 15, 2015 and ends on Friday, July 31, 2015.
“Every fisherman has their epic catches - the stuff of legends and stories retold to fishing buddies year after year,” said Paul Crandell, Senior Vice President of Marketing at GoPro. “We want to motivate and inspire bass anglers to capture and share those moments in the way that only a GoPro camera can and are excited to partner with Bassmaster for the best catch contest.”
GoPro will be rewarding five monthly prizes from March to July, 2015 and one grand prize winner will be chosen as the Best Catch of 2015.
How to Enter:
During the Contest Period, anglers nationwide are encouraged to visit www.bassmaster.com/gopro and upload an original video filmed with a GoPro camera of an angler catching a bass. Videos must not exceed 5 minutes in length or 300MB in file size. Judges will review submissions based on cinematography and composition, perspective and degree of shooting difficulty, character and catch and overall beauty and lighting.
Contest Details:
There will be two phases of each monthly judging period. In Phase One, all eligible entries received during each monthly entry period will be judged by a panel of GoPro employees to determine 25 finalists. In Phase Two, each of the 25 finalist entries will be judged by a panel of Bassmaster media and video experts to determine one monthly winner. The monthly prize package includes over $2,400 worth of gear from GoPro including a new HERO4 Silver camera and various mounts and accessories.
On or about September 7, 2015, the five monthly prize winning entries will be re-judged by a panel of Bassmaster and GoPro media and video experts. The entrant that receives the highest total score based on the Grand Prize judging criteria will be deemed the Grand Prize Winner.
The Grand Prize:
The Grand Prize is a 2015 Nitro Z21 boat, motor and trailer package, including a Mercury 250HP Pro XS motor, two Hummingbird 1199 electronics, one Minn Kota Fortrex trolling motor and two 12’ Talon Shallow Water Anchors.
“Our bass fishing fans have quickly embraced the new GoPro video systems, and they’re just beginning to tap their potential for fun, informative and high-quality cinematography,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “This contest and its great prizes will be an inspiration for them to push the envelope even further and faster.”
To submit a video, for more information on the promotion or to view the official rules, consumers can visit www.bassmaster.com/gopro.
Nominations Sought For High School All-American Fishing Team
Now there’s a program that offers national recognition for outstanding young anglers, just as there is in each of the “stick-and-ball†sports.
B.A.S.S. — the world’s largest fishing organization — today announced creation of the Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team, which honors the most successful competitive bass anglers in the country.
“Our goal is to provide skilled young anglers with the rewards and recognition they deserve,†said Hank Weldon, manager of B.A.S.S.’s high school and college fishing programs. “In addition, we are offering them an opportunity to demonstrate their fishing abilities on a national stage.â€
To be considered for inclusion on the Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team, a student must be nominated by a parent, coach, teacher or other school official. Students currently enrolled in grades 10-12 with a current-year grade point average of 2.5 or higher are eligible. Judges will select up to two student anglers in each state. These All-State Fishing Team members become semifinalists in the selection of the 12-member All-American Team. Criteria include success in high school fishing tournaments and involvement in conservation efforts and other community service activities.
The 12 All-Americans will compete in a one-day Bassmaster All-American High School Tournament to be held in conjunction with the 2015 BASSfest event — one of nine Bassmaster Elite Series bass tournaments being held this year. Elite Series anglers will serve as “coaches†for the student anglers in the one-day tournament on Lake Barkley, Tennessee, June 6, 2015. The high school standouts will be honored before the weigh-in crowd at BASSfest, and each will be profiled in Bassmaster Magazine, read monthly by 3.2 million people.
“By focusing a national spotlight on high school students who excel at bass fishing, it’s our hope that more boys and girls will be attracted to the sport of fishing and introduced to a love of the outdoors,†said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “In attending some of our own Costa Bassmaster High School tournaments, I’ve been amazed at the enthusiasm, fishing ability and character our young anglers have displayed. There’s no doubt some will go on to become Bassmaster Elite Series champions.â€
Akin noted that all students who compete in high school fishing events are eligible, regardless of whether they are affiliated with B.A.S.S. or another fishing organization.
Notices have been sent to youth fishing directors of the B.A.S.S. Nation and other organizations, as well as leaders of state high school fishing programs. Adults can nominate students by filling out an online form at http://www.bassmaster.com/blogs/high-school-blog/all-american. Nominations must be submitted before midnight April 15.
A panel of judges will review the applications and select the High School All-American Fishing Team.
Drew Benton leads FLW Tourney on Lewis Smith LAKE PRESENTED BY EVINRUDE
AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh on his top 10 finish at the Rayovac Series on Guntersville!
AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh talks about his 3 day 64 LB Haul on Guntersville this past week as well as what's happening at Wylie before this weekends BFL as well as the OBB down on Clarks Hill!!
Cbc Lake Wylie Champs Guy Eaker And Gene Webster Talk About Their 23.06 Lb Winning Sack!
Big time win for Guy Eaker and Gene Webster as they beat out 199 other teams on Lake Wylie Sat afternoon to take home $10,000!! We grab the champs for their thoughts on a great victory at Wylie-
Cold front could change bedding fish strategy for ABT North tournament on Neely Henry
The biggest question facing anglers in the Alabama Bass Trail North Division tournament on Lake Neely Henry this weekend is: what is the cold front going to do to the fishing?
“The high has been in the 70s all week, but we've got a little rain coming Thursday and Friday the high will be in the high 50s and down to 32-33 degrees at night,” said Josh Bragg who, with his teammate Joe Hartley, leads the North Division points standings after one tournament.
Bragg and Hartley weighed in a five-fish limit at 28.94 pounds, including the big fish of the tournament at 8.05 pounds, to win the first North Division tournament of the year Feb. 28 on Lake Guntersville.
The cold front moving in “could push the fish back off that moved up during the warm weather we have had this week,” Bragg said. That could present a problem for anglers who have their mind set on fish for bass on the beds, he said, but those fish are still catchable.
“A lot of big largemouths are trying to move up, getting ready to spawn,” Bragg said. “I still believe the tournament will be won shallow. It could be just a little bit tougher bite with that cold front.”
Bragg said the bass “are so full of eggs they are about to pop. They are in transition up to the bank. A lot will be caught in the dead grass and on shallow wood. ”
The front should give anglers a good reason to look for something a little different in practice.
“You are going to have to practice for the cold front, maybe try to find some fish that have staged and are ready to move shallow, not put all your bets on the fish that have already moved in shallow.”
Even with the cold front, the tournament Saturday 'is shaping up to be another heavy weight tournament like it was last year,” he said,
“I fished Logan Martin Lake, which is right below Neely Henry, Saturday and had 17 pounds and it took 23 pounds to win. A lot of the fish I caught down there were ready to pop. I think it would be busting wide open this weekend if not for that cold front.”
Bragg said he plans to practice Wednesday and Thursday and will try to develop a one-two punch for the tournament.
“I'll be looking for fish up on the banks and some right off the banks, staging and getting ready to go up,” he said.
Bragg concentrated on spotted bass in the ABT North Division tournament on Neely Henry last year and was on some really good spotted bass during practice, but only managed 12 1/2 to 13 pounds in the tournament, while the anglers who fished for largemouths “really smashed them.”
“That did not work out for me, so this year I have got a little different game plan,” he said.
Alabama Bass Trail - North Division
Sat, Mar 28, 2015
Neely Henry Lake
Coosa Landing
Call Kay Donaldson 855-934-7425
