Dyer Just Looking For A Limit In North Carolina Bws Tournament On Lake Wylie
Steve Dyer is clinging to a one-point lead in the Bassmaster Weekend Series North Carolina Division points race heading to Lake Wylie July 27 for the fourth tournament in the series, but his primary goal at Wylie will be just to catch a limit of bass.
Dyer, of Mt. Pleasant, N.C., and Mike Miller of Archdale, N.C., are in a neck-and-neck race for the points championship with just Wylie and the two-day divisional championship on High Rock in September left on the schedule. But this is not the first time Dyer has been in this boat.
“I was in the heat of the chase last year. I kind of messed up on Lake Norman, then wrestled my way back and ended up on top of the points, but lost the title in a tiebreaker,” Dyer said.
He might have sewed up the 2013 points title in May on Kerr if not for boat trouble, he said.
“I started the season by winning at High Rock (in April), then we went down to Kerr and I had boat problems. I was on a really good pattern, but I could not get to the fish. I ended up having to fish around some places I could get to and he got ahead of me in points there.”
Dyer finished 8th at Kerr, then rebounded in the third tournament of the season on Lake Norman, finishing 4th.
“The bream bite was on there and I think a lot of the guys did not realize that. The fish were up shallow and I got back in front of him again.”
Miller, who had started the season with a second place at High Rock, finished 3rd at Kerr less than a pound and a half ahead of Dyer, but dropped to 12th at Lake Norman.
“Now we go to Lake Wylie, which is not my favorite place to fish in the summer,” Dyer said. “My goal there is to get a limit in the boat, then try to get some bigger fish, and then get on to that last tournament. I really like High Rock in September.”
Dyer said that with the full moon coming early in the week there is an excellent chance the Wylie tournament will be won on the bream beds, or possibly on a mayfly bite up the rivers.
“There's going to be a pretty good bream bite. A couple of years ago in the B.A.S.S. Super Tournament I got to be in the photo boat for several days and got to see a lot of bream beds. I'm going to be looking real close for them a couple of evenings before the tournament.”
Bassmaster Weekend Series - North Carolina Division
Sat, Jul 27, 2013
Lake Wylie
Ebenezer Access Area
Call Gary Conner 256-230-5627
LIVETARGET Introduces New HFC (Hunt-for-Center) Crawfish Crankbait
(July 23, 2013) - LIVETARGET announces the addition of the new HFC Craw to its already robust lineup of crawfish hardbaits. HFC stands for "hunt for center," which is an engineered feature of this bait series that causes the HFC Craw to not only erratically deviate from a straight line track during retrieve, but to also continuously self-correct itself to get back on "center." The irregular swimming behavior looks very natural and, therefore, is a highly desirable trait for crankbaits.
This crawfish imitator stems from significant R&D, including in-the-field and design contributions from prostaff David Walker and Stephen Browning. With theHFC Craw's aggressive tail-kick and unique hunt-for-center action, look for this bait to be especially effective for working the 7- to 8-feet depths when targeting big pre-spawn bass.
The HFC crankbait; fitted with premium hooks and hardware, weighs approximately 3/8 oz. and measures 2-inches (52mm) in length. The series consists of six LIVETARGET crawfish colors, including patterns specifically created by prostaff members. The colors are Phantom Green, Spring Craw, Root Beer, Chartreuse Root Beer, Copper Root Beer and Red.
According to longtime BASS pro David Walker, the size and colors make the HFC Craw an excellent choice for fishing in cold-water conditions and around rock cover. "This will be my go-to crankbait for cold water, pre-spawn fish, and especially when the water is clear. This lure has all the qualities to make it a spectacular producer," Walker said.
LIVETARGET has been the leader in developing the most life-like crawfish lure imitations ever designed, with anatomical features and color schemes that match natural creations. With the introduction of the HFC Craw, LIVETARGET offers the finest lineup of premier crawfish crankbaits to match up to any water depth, color scheme and action.
The HFC Craw has a MSRP of $14.49 with availability expected in November of this year.
ICAST 2013: On Deck-Strike King Pro Andy Montgomery joins AC Insider Vance McCullough for the Monster SK 10XD Crankbait!
AC Insider Vance McCullough is one on one with SK Pro Andy Montgomery as he previews the 10XD and is able to show you just how BIG this bait is! He also grabs a few other new items he will be throwing in 2014!
ICAST 2013: On Deck-Motor Guide rolls out the new Xi5 Wireless Trolling Motor for 2014!
AC Insider and Pro Staffer Vance McCullough pops in the Motor Guide booth to check out the new Xi5, and wow, this is one heck of a new product...Click here for the full review!!
ICAST 2013: On Deck-Strike King Pro James Niggemeyer joins us to talk about the new KVD 1.5 Crankbait!!
Strike King Pro James Niggemeyer joins us again to talk abotu the new KVD 1.5........this is a super effective crankbait that will be a MUST HAVE in the tackle box for 2014!
Will Bait Ball Be Legal for Elites?
Live Target Bait Ball crankbait
OK, stupid question coming in 3 .... 2 ... 1. Will the new Live Target Bait Ball be legal for use under the Bassmaster Elite Series ban on multi-lure rigs?
Unveiled at ICAST last week, the Bait Ball is a concept that features either a crankbait, jerkbait or topwater plug which contains the image of multiple baitfish.
Sounds legal enough. The B.A.S.S. rule simply holds that multiple lures may not be used.
But consider the new Three-For-All by Mann's bait company, also released at ICAST. It includes one soft plastic swimbait - to be rigged on one hook - to which are connected, via a soft plastic strip, another hookless swimbait on either side. The illusion is that of three baitfish swimming along together.
B.A.S.S. ruled the Three-For-All illegal for Elite Series competition prior to the start of the current season.
The Bait Ball and the Three-For-All operate on the same basic concept but use different designs. In fact, Mann's lure is designed for use with a single hook while the Bait Ball incorporates a pair of trebbles. So, with the advent of Live Target's latest ICAST Best of Show-winning design, have they finally produced an Elite Series-legal bait school-imitating lure?
Kids to Fish in Moore, OK Derby
MOORE, Okla. — Organizers of the Moore Fishing Derby hope to enable children in their community, located on the outskirts of Oklahoma City, to replace nightmares of killer tornadoes with fond memories of fishing.
Parents are invited to bring their children to Buck Thomas Park’s pond on Saturday, July 27, from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. for a morning of fishing. Rods, reels and bait will be provided. The pond is being stocked with fish to ensure youngsters will have good opportunities to catch something.
Residents in the state of Oklahoma have been hard hit by record-setting, weather-related tragedies this year. Just 11 days after the city of Moore was struck by a deadly EF5 tornado, the area of El Reno, also just outside Oklahoma City, was hit with another EF5 storm that set a record width of 2.6 miles. Moore has twice been hit by EF5 tornadoes — most recently in May 2013 and previously in 1999 with a storm that had recording-breaking wind speeds of 302 mph.
The fishing derby has been coordinated by Tackle the Storm Foundation in conjunction with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s Fisheries Division, with the support of volunteers from the Oklahoma B.A.S.S. Nation, the North Oklahoma City Bassmasters, the Sooner Bassmasters and the Oklahoma City Junior Bassmasters clubs. Members from each of these organizations, along with several Bassmaster Elite Series anglers and representatives from the Moore Parks and Recreation Department, will be on hand to give children new fishing poles and help them fish.
The brainchild of Bassmaster.com writer Don Barone, Tackle the Storm Foundation aims to establish a sense of normalcy in a child’s life in the aftermath of a natural disaster, such as the devastating tornado that hit Cullman, Ala., in April 2011. That event, an EF4 storm, was the inspiration for Barone’s initiative.
The inaugural Tackle the Storm benefit took place on July 2, 2011, in Cullman at a small park lake with Bassmaster Elite Series anglers Steve Kennedy, Randy Howell, Matt Herren and Keith Poche helping to distribute rods and taking time to fish with the children.
“If you are a member of a B.A.S.S. club, or for that matter any kind of fishing club, in a small town, and you know kids who won’t be able to get to the city of Moore on July 27 — if you’ll come and tell us how many rods and reels you need, we will give them to you to take back to the children of your community,” Barone said. “We really need to reach as many of the children in the small towns outside of Moore … the small towns that may be overlooked but who need help … if anyone knows of a child in a small town that lost their fishing stuff do to the tornado, please let us know, and I will guarantee that we will get a rod and reel into that child’s hands.”
The goal of the project is straightforward: Get children who love to fish back on the water or teach those who want to learn the basics of fishing. Barone realizes the effort won’t restore everything to the way it was before the storm hit Moore and surrounding areas, but it will be a day for a kid to just be a kid.
“Recently I was asked if I thought that Tackle The Storm Foundation could possibly change a child’s life by giving them a fishing pole,” Barone said. “I understand the skepticism. But I answered the question by saying, ‘I don’t know if it will change their lives, but I can tell you, it will change their day.’”
Buck Thomas Park is located at 1901 NE 12th St., Moore, OK, 73160. More information on the event is available at www.cityofmoore.com/moore-fishing-derby and www.tacklethestormfoundation.org.
ICAST 2013: On Deck-STRIKE KING PRO Mark Menendez talks about the new Strike King Tour Grade RAGE BLADE!
STRIKE KING TOUR PRO Mark Menendez raves about the new Strike King Tour Grade Rage Blade..........check out why this Rage Blade was the talk of the show!!
ICAST 2013: On Deck-Bass Master Champion Chris Lane and the new Power Pole Micro!
AC Pro Staffer and Insider Vance McCullough grabs Bass Master Classic Champion Chris Lane inside the POWER POLE booth and gets an up close look at the new and amazing 7.5 LB Power Pole MICRO!!
ICAST 2013:Jason from Igloo Coolers continues our education on the new Soft Sided cooler!
AC Pro Staffer and Insider Vance McCullough continues our look at the new Igloo Soft Sided Cooler that will hold ice for up to 48 hours!
Jennings Wins BFL on High Rock Lake
SALISBURY, N.C. (July 15, 2013) – Jeff Jennings of Rock Hill, S.C., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 21 pounds, 12 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division event on High Rock Lake. For his victory, Jennings earned $3,545.
“The day started a little hard for me, but I just kept trying. I didn’t have a fish by 10:00,” said Jennings. “Then I went to one place and caught three good fish in an hour. In practice the same thing happened. I’d have a hard morning and then catch good fish in the afternoon.”
Jennings said he pitched a beaver-style bait to docks and wood cover in up to 10 feet of water. “You could go and hit 25 places without a bite and then catch two or three off the same dock or in the same little stretch.”
Even though Jennings won by more than 2 pounds, he didn’t think he’d have enough to win. “I had a 14-inch fish in my limit and I thought I had 18 or 19 pounds. I thought that 14-inch fish would cost me the tournament”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Randy Childers, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 19-8, $1,773
3rd: Kevin Chandler, New London, N.C., five bass, 18-8, $1,004
4th: Scott Threadgill, Troy, N.C., five bass, 18-1, $1,004
5th: Jarrett Freeze, Rockwell, S.C., five bass, 17-10, $709
6th: Steve Sink, Winston-Salem, N.C., five bass, 17-6, $650
7th: Scott Guyot, Wagram, N.C., five bass, 17-4, $591
8th: Ray Griffin, Henderson, N.C., five bass, 17-3, $532
9th: Eric Moser, Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 16-9, $473
10th: Jeff Queen, Catawba, N.C., five bass, 16-3, $414
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Marty Daniel of Butler, N.C., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 12 pounds, 15 ounces Saturday to win $1,773 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Greg Deal, China Grove, N.C., five bass, 12-13, $886
3rd: Robert Barrett, Youngsville, N.C., five bass, 11-15, $591
4th: Arthur Ferguson, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 11-14, $414
5th: Wayne Smelser, Rural Retreat, Va., five bass, 11-1, $355
6th: Bradley Chandler, New London, N.C., four bass, 10-10, $325
7th: Anthony Rife, Woodlawn, Va., five bass, 9-10, $295
8th: Chuck Morton, Danville, Va., four bass, 9-6, $266
9th: Wayne Austin, High Point, N.C., three bass, 9-2, $236
10th: Dennis Middleton, Madison Heights, Va., four bass, 8-8, $207
The next BFL Piedmont Division tournament is scheduled for September 28-29 on Lake Gaston in Bracey, Va. After the last divisional tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct.17-19 Regional Championship on Lake Hartwell in Lavonia, Ga. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
Elite Series Pro Greg Vinson Debuts Ear Visors at ICAST!
Bassmaster Elite Series veteran Greg Vinson addresses a problem that all anglers face - sun damage, possibly skin cancer. Ear Visors protect the most vulnerable areas of exposed skin AND they protect your investment in quality eyewear as they will float your glasses should they fall overboard. A must-see for anyone who spends time on the water!
Muddy, High Water Awaits Anglers In Bfl Piedmont Division Tournament At High Rock
High Rock Lake is so high and so muddy the spray coming off a bass boat is orange-colored, said Robert Walser of nearby Lexington, N.C., who is leading the points in the Walmart BFL Piedmont Division going into Saturday's 4th tournament of the year.
“It's amazing what's going on down there,” said Walser. “When I crossed it Tuesday it was within 2/10 of a foot being full in the lake and the river was running three feet above flood stage. There are 23,000 cubic feet per second flowing down and it normally runs about 4,000 cfs.”
Walser said he fished the lake Sunday afternoon and managed only one keeper.
“Fishing is tough and if the water stays really high like it is now, you can’t get under the bridges. That would take the two largest creeks out of the picture Saturday.”
Walser said that while the fish typically stay shallow when the water is high, he “must have flipped a million times Sunday” and only landed that one keeper.
“The water is so high it's hard to flip most of the docks. You can't get your bait under the docks. The water is actually up to the bottom of the piers and when boats come by the water splashes on tops of the piers.”
If the water were to fall just a 8 to 10 inches, he said, it might spur the fish to bite Saturday, but with more rain in the forecast before tournament time that is unlikely.
Walser, who placed 15th at High Rock in march, 16th at Kerr in April and 6th at Badin in June, is 10 points ahead of Mike Miller of Trinity, N.C., on the eve of the High Rock Tournament, and those two are well ahead of the rest of the field in the Piedmont Division standings. Walser won the Piedmont Division points title in 2007 and 2011, and he placed second in 2009 and 3rd in 2000 and 2003.
“All I have to do is catch some at High Rock and then go to Gaston for the last tournament and catch some there,” he said.
“But it's going to be a different tournament at High Rock. Right now I'd be tickled with 10 or 11 pounds and take my chances.”
Walmart BFL - Piedmont Division
Sat, Jul 13, 2013
High Rock Lake
Tamarac Marina
Epic Flooding Disrupts Fishing In Chickamauga For Chattanooga Bass Association Tournament
Chickamauga Lake is so high and so muddy, it's going to be anybody's ballgame in the Chattanooga Bass Association tournament Saturday, said tournament director Justin Medley.
“It's going to be a curve ball for the anglers. Last night at 6 o'clock Chickamauga was as high as it's been in 35 year, maybe as high as it has ever been,” he said Tuesday. “The water is milk chocolate colored and 5 to 6 feet up over the banks.”
Medley said the Tennessee Valley Authority, faced with a record flood, is moving 185,000 cubic feet of water per second – equivalent to 1.9 million gallons of water per second – through the system.
“By tournament time the TVA will have the lake down to normal pool, but the water is full of debris. Yesterday it looked like you could walk up the river on treetops and logs. And I've seen buoys in downtown Chattahoochee in the treetops.”
That could spell disaster for anglers who don't observe extreme caution, he noted.
“There are docks and pieces of docks floating down the river and there is a lot of stuff just under the surface, so it's hazardous. There will be some lower units bashed up if guys are not careful.”
By Saturday medley said TVA should have the water flowing down to about 80,000 to 100,000 cfs, but the flooding is going to have a definite effect on the fishing – and the fishermen.
“It's hard to predict a pattern, but one that will not work will be the deep bite. All the big bags were being caught out of deep water, but fishing the river ledges is out of the question now. So it probably will be a flipping or a grass bite Saturday.”
That being said, however, Medley noted that everybody is going to be in the same bot in Saturday's tournament.
“The guys will show up, trying to get their points and qualify for the classic. It doesn't mater how much these guys have been able to practice. They don't have much of an edge on anybody.”
First place in CBA tournaments pays $2,000. Fishermen must fish seven of the regular season events to qualify for the classic at the end of the year. At the classic first place is guaranteed $10,000 guaranteed by TowBoatUS. Last year more than $60,000 in cash and prizes was awarded at the classic, Medley said.
The tournaments are family-friendly, he noted, with special divisions for adult-youth teams and new teams.
“Both the new and youth teams will compete against other new and youth teams. The youths in youth teams get to fish at half the entry fee and the highest finishing youth team in an event wins free entry into the following tournament The same applies to the new teams. The highest finishing new teams get free entry into the next event.”
The Chattanooga Bass Association requires a one-time $50 process feet for each participant who wants to receive points towards entry into the year-end classic and receive year-end prizes and new team prizes. The entry fee is $120 per boat for each tournament, $60 for a youth division team.
A youth division team must have one participant who is 16 years or younger at the time he purchases his process number. A new team is one that did not compete in more than one CBA open event during the 2012 season.
The Chattanooga Bass Association is a non-profit community service organization founded by community leaders in 1976. It was designed to offer a top quality open fishing circuit to Chattanooga and surrounding areas; while enhancing Chattanooga’s economic growth and recreational potential.
After Saturday's tournament the schedule includes July 27 (night), August 10, August 24 (night), September 14 and October 12, with the Classic Nov. 2- 3.
Chattanooga Bass Association
Sat, Jul 13, 2013
Chickamauga Lake
Chester Frost Park
Call Justin Medley 423-667-5054
Both Shallow And Deep Should Produce In Alabama North Tournament On Weiss Saturday
Although heavy rains have brought the lake level up, fishing should not be affected to much for the Bassmaster Weekend Series Alabama North Division tournament on Lake Weiss Saturday, according to a co-angler who fishes the lake regularly.
“I won't say fishing will be tough, but we have had a lot of rain the past couple of days and the lake is up 6 to 8 inches. There is a lot of water moving through the lake,” said Shane Howington of Hokes Bluff, Ala. “But the last couple of weeks it's been taking 20 pounds to win a tournament on Weiss and I don't see that changing Saturday.”
Howington said fishing both shallow and deep will likely be productive Saturday.
“I think it will be a combination of fishing deep structure, 15 to 18 feet deep, and flipping grass or under boathouses, piers and docks,” said Howington, who just graduated from Mississippi State University where he was a member of the school's collegiate fishing team the past three years.
“I am doing fair this year, not as good as in the past, but that is why it is called fishing,” said the co-angler who is ranked 31st so far this season. Howington said he plans to fish the Weekend Series again, plus the Walmart BFL Series next year.
On the pro side, Damien Willis of Jacksonville, Ala., leads the points, but Chuck Hemm of Huntsville, Ala., and Jason Grape of Attalla, Ala., are right on his heels. Jimmy Mason of Rogersville, Ala., is 10 points back, but Mason, who has a long history of doing well in BWS tournaments, can't be counted out.
“Willis does not have a safe lead,” said tournament manager Kristin Malott. “Any one of those guys could jump in front of him in this tournament.”
Malott said the Alabama North Division has been averaging 115-120 boats and she anticipates about the same entry this weekend.
“I expect the anglers to bring in a lot of good fish,” said Malott who also directs the Tennessee Central, Missouri and Mississippi divisions.
Bassmaster Weekend Series - Alabama North Division
Sat, Jul 13, 2013
Lake Weiss
Little River Marina
Kristin Malott, 256-771-3709
Power-Pole Micro Wins 2013 Overal Best of Show at ICAST
AnglersChannel.com shot some video with former Bassmaster Classic Champ Chris Lane in the Power-Pole booth yesterday. Look for that footage on the web site soon.
In the video, Lane introduces us to the Power-Pole Micro which was just awarded the highest honor possible at the annual ICAST trade show - a global gathering of the fishing industry and its players.
"It weighs only seven-and-a-half pounds; it will anchor 1500 pounds of boat," noted Lane. "And it is super easy to take off and store overnight or just when you make a long run." Lane then demonstrated how easy that is to do.
"Another reason some guys will love the Micro is that, if you want to add one to the nose of your boat to complement the Power-Pole you already have on the rear, you can do so and your boat will not spin when you're fishing."
At a price tag of a few hundred dollars, the Micro is going to be a huge success.
Igloo Appeals to Anglers
So your Triton or Ranger has a built-in cooler. Great. What about when you take the family camping or take your kid hunting? Do any saltwater fishing from a skiff and need a cooler? The folks at Igloo offer the Yukon.
As the staff of AnglersChannel.com canvassed the floor of the 2013 ICAST show today we were impressed with a few products, but none more so than the Yukon.
A square-jawed, broad-shouldered, Rotomolded block, it is bear proof with its lockable lid and stainless hardware. In an upcoming AnglersChannel.com video you can see Vance McCullough dance on top of a Yukon 50. So, beyond being bear proof, it's Vance proof - which any of his fishing partners can tell you is a good thing!
Its handles are molded-in, not added-on, so they will not break.
The Yukon boasts more insulation than competitors' products that have over promissed; under delivered.
It's made in the USA!
And the Yukon's price point is aggressively competitive.
Available in a variety of sizes, there's an Igloo Yukon to fit your needs.
View the Take-On Yukon Challenge at: http://takeonyukon.com/#sthash.7ThvMPiW.dpbs
Live Target Reveal Kicks Off Icast 2013!
The folks at Koppers said they had a revolutionary idea to unveil at ICAST. They weren't kidding.
In a room full of veteran bass fishing media types who have seen it all and heard it all, the word 'revolutionary' actually rang true. The Bait Ball is more than just a new lure. "What we've really got to get our minds around here is that this is a concept," said Grant Koppers, developer of the Bait Ball. He explained that having "internal fish" is what sets the Bait Ball apart.
"The Bait Ball is unlike any lure out there," noted Elite Series pro David Walker. "We didn't just paint it to look like a fish."
With individual schooling minnows, shad, etc. inside the lure, whether it be the crankbaits, poppers or jerkbaits, the Bait Ball gives the look of a small break away school - a known trigger in provoking strikes from bass in a feeding mode as well as those that are in a neutral mode. Suspended bass often respond to nothing else but a small school of bait swimming overhead.
This concept and line of lures will almost certainly win Best of Show in the hardbait category and possibly Best of Show, period.
After Disastrous First Half Of Flw Majors Season, Auten Rebounds With 10Th Place Finish At Chickamauga
Todd Auten finished in 10th place this past weekend on Chickamauga. Photo courtesy FLW Outdoors.
Todd Auten knew the first half of the 2013 tour schedule was going to be tough. He just didn't think it would be as tough as it was.
He figured he would do much better in the last half of the season, and he did, fishing a long way up out of the basement and climbed up the standings – just not far enough to qualify for the FLW Championship on the Red River at Shreveport, La., next month.
“Going into the season I knew Lewis Smith Lake and Beaver Lake are always tough for me, but I thought I would do better at Okeechobee in the season opener,” Auten said. “When it's warmer I can do good on Smith Lake, but when it's cold I am in trouble.”
Auten had one of the worst stretches in his pro career spanning those first three tournaments. He finished 152nd at Okeechobee in early February, 148th at Lewis Smith a month later, and 128th at Beaver Lake the second week of April.
“Okeechobee was all about catching one big fish, getting one big bite, and I never got it,” Auten said. “At Smith Lake my practice did not go too bad. I caught quite a few fish on a little crankbait, but come tournament time I could not catch keepers. The first day I caught one fish. It seemed like nothing would fall into place. The second day I fished totally different and caught a few fish, but I was so far down I could not get back.”
At Beaver Lake, Auten said he had “a halfway okay practice,” but never found anything solid to fish for the tournament.
“It seemed like it was tougher for me and easier for everybody else. Everybody was throwing the Alabama Rig, but I could not catch them on it. I tried to go back on some old history and fished stuff I'd done in the past, but nothing seemed to work.”
Auten said he knew going into the season that the second and third tournaments would definitely be tough, but he figured the next three would be more suitable to his style of fishing.
“I knew the weather would be warmer, there would be a little stained water, and I'd have a chance to fish shallow,” he said.
He started to come back at Lake Eufaula in mid-May, finishing 30th and earning his first check of the season on the FLW Majors Tour. He was much better at Grand Lake in early June, finishing 12th and cashing a second check for the year.
His best finish was last weekend at Lake Chickamauga, where he finished 10th and earned another good check. He planned to fish shallow, but searched in practice for a go-to deep spot as a back-up.
“I finally found one place where my practice partner and I got a couple of good bites. I checked it the last day of practice and caught a couple more.”
The first day of the tournament he fished shallow, catching three bass on a buzzbait, several more on a Zoom Horney Toad and one or two on a Chatterbait, weighing in a limit at 17 pounds, 9 ounces.
The second day the tournament was delayed an hour and a half by a heavy fog bank. By the time he got to his shallow spot the bite was over, so he moved to the deep back-up hole. Throwing a one-ounce Yank'em rubber football jig brown with a green pumpkin Zoom Super Speed Craw, he caught his heaviest limit of the tournament at 18 pounds, 2 ounces.
“Jim Moynagh had seen me on this place and he asked if I planned to fish there. He said he had been saving the spot to fish if he made the cut. I told him I was going to fish there and I went straight to it instead of fishing shallow early. By 9:30 I had caught all my weight for the day.”
He moved shallow and culled a couple of fish on a Zoom Honey Toad , fishing over shallow grass. That third day Auten weighed in 17 pounds, 8 ounces.
By the morning of the fourth day the water had begun to rise and the fish had moved off the deep spot. Auten spent a couple of hours there and caught one spotted bass about 13 inches long.
“I knew that place was petty much done until possibly later in the day, so I moved shallow and caught three fish pretty quick on the frog. It took a while after that to get to five fish and then I could not get another bite.”
He headed back to the deep spot to give it one more shot, but Moynagh was fishing it so he went back and fished the shallow grass, but never got anything going again there. His five fish were the lowest weight he had for the tournament at 12 pounds, 12 ounces.
Auten finished the FLW season ranked 82nd, out of qualifying for his fifth Forrest Wood Cup in 10 years, but he is not done for the year.
“I've got two more PAA's, Table Rock and Grand Lake. I have an uphill battle in the Professional Anglers Association, but I could still qualify for the Texas Toyota Bass Classic if I do good in those two tournaments,” he said.
Heading to the third tournament of the season at Table Rock in Missouri Sept. 5-7, Auten is 29th in the PAA standings. To reach the TTBC this fall, he has to move up to the top 15.
“If it happens, it happens,” he said.
Fishing Improving Just In Time For Virginia Division Bws On Kerr/buggs Island
If recent tournaments are any indication fishing in the Bassmaster Weekend Series Virginia Division tournament on Kerr Reservoir Saturday should be outstanding.
Rob Digh of Denver, N.C., won the May 25 BWS tournament on Kerr with five bass that weighed 14.18 pounds and the fishing has just kept getting better and better ever since. Digh caught most of his fish on a Chatterbait, a jig and a topwater bait fished in about three to five feet of water around points.
Here's how the fishing has gone in just over a month since Digh weighed a limit at almost 3 pounds a fish:
- On June 22, Chris Baldwin of Lexington, N.C. Weighed a five-bass limit at 16 pounds, 3 ounces, to win the North Carolina Division BFL on Kerr.
- On June 29, Richard Chattin and Mike Pendleton weighed in a 5-fish limit at 19.28 pounds, including the tournament big fish at 5.71 pounds, to win the Anglers Choice Virginia Division tournament on Kerr. Ten bass over 4 1/2 pounds were brought to the scales in that tournament.
- On June 30, Mike Luckadoo and Ralph Hollifield weighed in a five-fish limit at 17.74 pounds, including a kicker bass at 4.4 pounds, to win the Anglers choice North Carolina Division tournament on Kerr. Big fish of the tournament was 4.96 and five bass over 4 1/2 pounds were weighed in.
Saturday's tournament will decide the points title for the year. Three anglers are within three points of each other at the top of the points rankings, but at least half a dozen more are well within striking distance if the top three stumble.
Brandon Gray of Bullock, N.C., leads the points race, but Chad Hicks of Rockville, Va, is just two points back and John “Ricky” Bomar trails Hicks by a single point.
Gray, who has won multiple tournaments on Kerr, has been consistent in the three tournaments so far, finishing 8th at Lake Gaston March 9, 8th at lake Anna May 11, and 7th on the James River June 11. Hicks has finished higher in two tournaments, 2nd at lake Anna and 3rd on the James River, but he started in the hole with a 20th place on lake Gaston in March. Bomar was 14th at Gaston and 10th on Lake Anna, but he rebounded strong on the James with a 2nd place finish.
The two-day divisional championship will be held Aug. 17-18on the Potomac River out of Smallwood State Park in Marbury, Md. At the end of the season, one BWS angler will win the opportunity to compete in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic.
Bassmaster Weekend Series - Virginia Division
Sat, Jul 6, 2013
Kerr / Buggs Island Lake
North Bend State Park
Fishing Could Be Tough For Waccamaw River Catt Tournament Saturday
Carlton & Sherri Thompkins won the Jun 15 CATT Waccamaw tournament with a limit weighing 10.50
The Waccamaw River is a very tough bass fishing venue and it could be even tougher than usual for the third Waccamaw River CATT tournament of the Summer Trail, said tournament director Brett Collins.
Collins said the band of storms that have rolled up the coast from down in the Caribbean over the last week or so have swelled the river and that is affecting the fishing.
“We've had rain day after day and the rising water should make the fish spread out and be tougher to catch. The water level will still be on the rise this weekend, no doubt.”
Saturday falls on the July 4 weekend and that could create more problems, he said.
“We will see a lot more boat traffic this Saturday and that may affect fishing, too,” said Collins.
“The Waccamaw river is a very competitive river. It usually takes 9 1/2 to 11 pounds to win and a 13- to 14-pound bag is huge down there. In the first Summer CATT (May 18) it took 9 1/2 pounds and in the second (June 15) it took a little over 11 pounds. The Big Fish can be anywhere from 3 to 5 pounds.”
Collins said the teams to watch include Timmy Thompkins and his son, Jordan, who are leading the points, and Chris Jones and Ed Owens who are traditionally hard to beat this time of year.
The Thompkins team finished a consistent third in the two previous tournaments They are followed, just two points behind, by Brian Howard and Bill Lawske, who finished 2nd May 18 and 6th June 15.
After two tournaments Jones and Owens are a little further back, having finished 11th May 18 and 7th June 15. However, they are known for finishing strong in hot weather. In 2012, they sandwiched a 6th place finish on July 7 between two first places on June 2 and July 21. The finished the year with 8th place Aug. 4 in the last summer qualifier and 7th in the Final Aug. 18.
After Saturday there will be two more tournaments on the Summer Trail on the Waccamaw – the last qualifier July 27 and the Final Aug. 10.
“Participation so far has been very good on the Waccamaw River Trail,” Collins said. “The mild weather so far this summer has been a big help and we have been averaging close to 30 teams a tournament.”
Carolina Anglers Team Trail
Sat, Jul 6, 2013
Waccamaw River
Bucksport Marina
Call Brett Collins 803-413-7521
Raw, Bass-Catching Tournament Action from Bienville Big Bass Blast!
Get in the boat with StarBrite Pro Patrick Pierce and AnglersChannel.com's Vance McCullough as they catch a few big Bienville bass - up to 7 pounds - en route to their 3rd place showing at the inaugural Bienville Plantation Big Bass Blast! Want to join the action? There will be a Big Bass Blast on the last Saturday of every month for the next 5 months and a year-end classic. Email [email protected] or call 386-397-1989.
Casey Martin Wins In A Big Way At Flw Tour Finale On Chickamauga
The final regular season event of the 2013 FLW Tour was a big one. Tour rookie Casey Martin not only recorded his first win, but he did so with the 2nd-heaviest 4-day total in FLW history and the 2nd-largest margin of victory ever.
Martin, along with others, had expressed concerns about whether the fish would hold up. They needn’t have worried. Weights were impressive again today. In fact, Martin weighed the tournament’s biggest bag of the week today at 30 pounds and an ounce. His total weight was 103 pounds, 3 ounces.
Martin also sacked the 2nd biggest stringer all week when, on Day 2, he brought more than 27 pounds to the scale. The 2 big daily weights contributed to his margin of more than 22 pounds.
Martin used a Picasso Bait Ball Extreme umbrella rig. He had to work hard sometimes to get the bass to fire off, but once he got them going it paid off handsomely. He began the morning of the final round with a double catch – a pair of 5-pounders – on one cast.
The umbrella rig played a big role this week. It was also the weapon of choice for most anglers who caught news-making limits of bass that weighed over 40 pounds this spring. But many FLW Tour pros finished high in the standings by dragging a Zoom Ole Monster worm around the ledges.
Wesley Strader used the big Zoom worm on some spots way up the river that he has spent 20 years learning to fish. He said they weren’t the types of places a guy would pull up to and just start catching ‘em. And once he found the right casting angle, it was critical to stay on it. The biggest reason Strader ran north was because most of the field went downlake.
Dan Morehead had similar thoughts about fishing in a crowd. His solution? He went shallow. He said the ledge fish all seemed to be on the obvious topographical features, so in order to fish something less obvious, that still held quality fish, he went to the bank. Now he can go to the bank and cash his 4th place check.
Morehead got the day started right when he caught a 9-pounder early this morning on a Zoom Magnum Trick worm with a tungsten weight on fluorocarbon line.
Andy Morgan sewed up his first FLW Tour Angler of the Year title this week. He also made the cut and spent a little time in the hot seat before his friend and fellow former AOY winner Morehead knocked him off. Morgan finished 5th.
He used the Zoom Ole Monster to catch “95%” of his fish. He did some “basic ledge fishing, off the beaten path” as the community holes were pretty well worn out. He made 50-to60 stops each day. That sounds like a hectic pace but as for his fishing, “I’ve learned over the years that slow and steady wins the race.”
And it wins AOY trophies as well. “You can’t win Angler of the Year if you’re not at the weigh in,” said Morgan in praise of his reliable Evinrude E-tec outboard.
For the official leaderboard, click here: http://www.flwoutdoors.com/bassfishing/flw/tournament/2013/6948/lake-chickamauga-professional-results/
StarBrite Pro Patrick Pierce Boats an 8 Pound Bass!
While practicing for the Bienville Big Bass Blast, Bassmaster Open and PAA Tournament pro Patrick Pierce cranked up an 8 pound bass at world famous Bienville Plantation. He shares a couple of tips to help you do the same!
Angler's Choice Virginia Division Results - Kerr Lake - Jun 29, 2013
Richard Chattin and Mike Pendleton took First Place in the Angler's Choice Marine Virginia Division on Kerr Saturday with 19.28 lbs, which included the Big Fish winner as well at 5.71 lbs. A total of 140 teams fished.
Kevin and Bradley Chandler came in Second Place with 16.75 lbs. John Crews and Shannon Wheeler took Third Place at 15.05 lbs and Russell and Mark Saunders were right behind them in Fourth Place with 14.88 lbs. Rounding out the top 5 was the team of Chris Bullock and Robert Perkins with 14.18 lbs.
In the Year to Date Points race for the Virginia Division after this tournament, Russell and Mark Saunders lead with 1688.00 points. Kenny and Brandon Reynolds sit in Second Place with 1661.00 points and Brandon Calloway and Gary Dickerson are in Third with 1607.00 points.
Click below for the full results and points through the June 29, 2013 tournament.
Had a Blast at Bienville Plantation Big Bass Blast!
I fished today with StarBrite Pro Patrick Pierce who competes in Bassmaster Opens and PAA tournaments. There was a chunk of change on the line today too as we fished the first-ever Bienville Plantation Big Bass Blast near White Springs, Fla.
Pat put on a clinic. He quickly cranked up a pair of bass that weighed 6 and 7 pounds. I contributed a 4-pounder to the livewell but she only stayed long enough to have a cup of coffey before Pat culled her out with a slightly larger fish. In all, we caught at least 4 fish that weighed better than 4 pounds, along with Pat's pair of monsters. Of course, there were plenty of 'fun size' fish in the 2-to-3-pound range to keep us busy as well.
It was another great day of bass fishing at a very special place.
We also got to prefish on Friday so we got a bonus day that included dozens of strong fighting fish which we caught on three different techniques.
Our point-cranking game plan yielded a 3-fish limit that weighed 17.7 pounds - good for 3rd place. Had we been able to keep our biggest 5 we would have had a weight over 26 pounds.
Keith Chapman and Don Bunting won the tournament with 3 bass that totaled 21-plus pounds. That's an average weight of more than 7 pounds per fish!
The winners caught their fish from flooded bushes. Lake Bienville is a structure lake - and there were some big bass caught from the bars and humps - but 19 inches of recent rain pushed the water, and some whopper bass, into the jungle-esque shoreline cover.
What a fun way to catch big bass!
Join us next month! The folks at Bienville Plantation will host one of these events on the last saturday of each month and it all leads up to the Bienville Classic. For details email [email protected] or call 386-397-1989.
Meanwhile, be sure to check out video on AnglersChannel.com from today's tourney and keep an eye out for action-packed video of Pat catching a giant - coming soon.
Patrick Pierce with a big one.
Chapman, Bunting Win Inaugural Bienville Plantation Big Bass Blast with 7-pound Average!
Keith Chapman and Don Bunting caught bunches of bass today but their biggest three weighed over 21 pounds - good enough to win the first-ever Bienville Plantation Big Bass Blast! Want to catch big fish at world famous Bienville Plantation AND win a chunk of money? Check the AnglersChannel.com Tournament listings for more info!!!
Coby Carden and Chris Rutland win the Airport Marine TT Event on the AL River with 19+ Lbs!!
Congrats to Coby Carden and Chris Rutland on their big win on the AL River.......AC Pro staffer Reid Montgomery grabs them just off the scales to talk about their big day. Next Up-Lay Lake on July 27th---can you say HOT!!
Haynes Leads Flw Tour At 'chick' With 23-And-Half Pounds!
Ledge fishing, as predicted, was the deal today, Day 1 at the FLW Tour stop on Chickamauga Lake. Randy Haynes of Counce, TN exploited the pattern best and took a lead of only 1 ounce over Dan Morehead of Paducha, KY.
Rotating through some 20 different spots, Haynes caught about a dozen keepers. He had 3 over five pounds but was stuck with a 3-pounder he just couldn't cull.
Haynes has already won an FLW event this season - the Tour event at Lake Eufaula.
Without getting into specifics Haynes said he's just doing what he normally does and that it's quite crowded where he's fishing. He thinks this will be a relatively tough tournament considering the quality of bass that swim in Chickamauga these days.
Behind Morehead, Casey Martin has 22-15, good for 3rd place.
Mark Rose is 4th with 22-12.
Bill Day is 5th in a tight field with 22-11. Day caught the day's biggest bass at 8 pounds, 13 ounces.
The top 10 pros all had over 20 pounds today.
Jason Johnson of Gainesville, GA leads all co-anglers with 19-08.
To see the complete leaderboard, click here: http://www.flwoutdoors.com/bassfishing/flw/tournament/2013/6948/lake-chickamauga-professional-results/
Thrift Checking All Options For Flw Tour On Lake Chickamauga
Bryan Thrift has had 3 top 10 finishes so far this year
Some anglers consider themselves shallow-water fishermen, some prefer deep water fishing. Some like to flip, others like to throw crankbaits and some like the explosion made by a bass slamming a topwater plug.
FLW Tour Pro Bryan Thrift is all of these – and then some.
Going into the 6th FLW Tour Major tournament of the year Saturday on Chickamauga Lake, the Shelby, N.C., angler is spending his practice time this week with 25 rods on the deck.
“I like to keep my options open so I am going to do everything,” he said. “I've got 25 different baits tied on and I am going to throw every single one of them. I don't care how I catch them as long as I catch them.”
The key to his success, Thrift said, is getting on the water and putting a lot of time in figuring the fish out.
“I'll fish 15 hours a day, sample a little bit of everything and go with what works the best,” he said.
“I don't think it's a matter of finding what they want to bite. It's a matter of finding where they are. It's kind of hard to find them right now on Chickamauga, but when you do I think they will take about anything you throw at them.”
That strategy has worked really well for Thrift in his seven years as an FLW pro angler. He has won five major tournaments, qualified for the Forrest Wood Cup six times with four top 10 finishes including a 3rd last august on Lake Lanier, been ranked in the top 10 in points the last six years and was the FLW Tour Angler of the Year in 2010.
In the five tournaments so far this year he has finished 2nd twice and 7th once, and is sitting in 2nd place in the points race heading into the Chickamauga tournament this week.
“Everything is going really good this year,” he said. “Another AOY title would be great, but I am not thinking about that. I am trying to keep focused on catching fish at Chickamauga.”
The fun thing about tournament fishing, he said, is that anybody can win any tournament any day.
“You just have to make the right cast and that makes it so exciting for me. I get on the water, have a good time and fish hard. I try my best.”
Walmart FLW Tour Major
Jun 27-30, 2013
Chickamauga Lake
Dayton Boat Dock
Opportunity Exists For A Monster Bass In Bienville Big Bass Tournament
There are some BIG bass at Bienville Plantation!
Tim Rode figures it will take 18 pounds to win the first Bienville Plantation Big Bass Tournament this Saturday – for a three-fish limit!
“We are hoping someone will catch a real trophy bass. It all depends on the angler,” said Rode, a manager at the up-scale hunting and fishing plantation near White Springs in north central Florida.
Actually a monster largemouth bass is a real possibility any time at Bienville. The plantation record is 15 3/4 pounds – and that fish was caught from the bank on a 1/4-ounce Roadrunner.
“The lakes on Bienville are pits left from phosphate mining and they are very nutrient-filled,” Rode said. “We get much larger fish than you can catch in public lakes just because there are so many nutrients in the water.”
Rode said most of the fish caught in Saturday's opener probably will come from deep water.
“The water temperature is warming quick and everybody is fishing deep humps and points,” he said.
This is the first year for the Bienville Big Bass Series, Rode said, adding that the tournaments will not only give the plantation more exposure, but it will open up opportunities for other people to fish the plantation's renowned lakes.
“We are open to the public, but not to a wide range of the public simply because we are a high-end plantation,” he said.
Entry fee is $450 per team. Late arrivals can pay at the Main Lodge the morning of a tournament with cash or credit card. There will be six regular tournaments in the series, with a Wild Card Shootout, culminating with the first Bienville Classic which has a $25,000 purse guaranteed. There will also be a $2,500 prize for the overall big bass caught in any of the first six tournaments.
The schedule includes June 29 (3-bass tournament), July 27 (3-bass tournament0, Aug. 24 (3-bass tournament), Sept. 28 (3-bass tournament), Oct. 20 (5-bass tournament), and Nov. 23 (5-bass tournament). The Wild Card Shootout, a 5-bass tournament, will be held Dec. 7. The Bienville Classic, a 5-bass per day tournament, will be held Jan. 11 and 12, 2014.
Rode said the tournaments are set up for 120 boats, but he anticipates about 50 boats will participate in the opening tournament Saturday.
“This is all new this year and we basically did all this in the last 30 days,” he said. “We know we are going to have a fairly slow start this year, but we think that once people understand what we are trying to do here there will be a lot more involvement.”
That, and once the word gets out, the real opportunity to catch one of those monster bass.
Bienville Big Bass Tournament Series
Sat, Jun 29, 2013
Bienville Plantation Lakes
Bienville Plantation
Call 386-397-1989
Miller Fishing Against His Strength In Bws North Carolina Division Tournament On Lake Norman
Fishing a tournament series across different bodies of water, an angler has to be pretty versatile to maintain a high level of competitive consistency.
Some tournaments are won shallow, some deep, some in-between. Winning anglers have the capacity to catch fish in all conditions.
As one of only two anglers on the boater side in the North Carolina Division Bassmaster Weekend Series to catch a limit in both tournaments, points leader Mike Miller considers shallow-water fishing his forte.
“I've had a good year in the weekends series and I am second in points in the Piedmont BFL, plus I've done well on the CATT Trail,” said the Archdale, N.C., angler. “The water has been up all year so that has helped me a lot for the way I fish.”
But on Lake Norman Saturday, conventional wisdom says the fish will be caught off points and humps in deep water.
“I think the majority of the fish will be in the 8- to 20-foot range. Norman is known for fish to be schooled up offshore this time of year and I think that will be the way to win the tournament,” he said.
“I plan on practicing Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday – three days – because there will be a little change in strategy for the deep water fish. That's why I need three days of practice on Norman. I don't think you can win on the bank at Norman right now.”
Miller said there should be a very early topwater bite, but then it will be down to Carolina rigs, crankbaits and jigs to capitalize.
“There are brushpiles on Norman and if you can find the brushpiles on the drops that is where the fish will be.”
Miller leads Robert “Stump” Morrison Jr. of Winston-Salem by two points and Stephen “Steve” Dyer of Mt. Pleasant, N.C., by four points going into the Lake Norman tournament. If he can hold on for a good finish at Lake Norman Saturday, Miller believes he will have an easier time for the rest of the series – June 27 at Lake Wylie and Sept. 14-15 at High Rock.
“High Rock is my home lake and I fish Lake Wylie quite a bit. It has a lot of piers and that plays more into my style of fishing than Norman does,” Miller said.
Bassmaster Weekend Series - North Carolina Division
Sat, Jun 29, 2013
Lake Norman
Midway Marina
Call Gary Conner 256-230-5627
VICIOUS FISHING GOES FISHING WITH NEW BAITS
As noted this week on AnglersChannel.com, Vicious Fishing is expanding it's line up of fishing lines as well as its officially licensed offerings. Today we report that Vicious adds Trophy Technologies to its growing list of licensees.
PELL CITY, AL – Vicious Fishing announced today the addition of Trophy Technologies, LLC of McCordsville, IN as the official Vicious licensee for hard baits, various musky baits, numerous walleye baits and a selection of salt water soft plastics. The new Vicious Fishing and Vicious Salt baits will join an already impressive list of brands including Musky Armor, Reaction Strike, and Castaic.
With a projected launch of over 100 SKUs that cover bass, walleye, musky and several saltwater species, the Vicious lineup will include industry staples such as crankbaits, jerkbaits, and frogs in several sizes and a range of color options. As with all Vicious products, the goal is to deliver solid quality without busting the average angler’s bank account. The baits were introduced at the 2013 EFFTEX show in Vienna and were well received by retailers worldwide. They will be available to purchase at the 2013 ICAST show in Las Vegas as well.
“We have been watching Vicious Fishing for some time. They have done a great job in developing a strong brand that consumers are very passionate about. We felt the time was right to bring some quality baits to the market under their name and couldn’t be happier to have joined their growing line of branded products,” stated Kris Reibel.
“The addition of baits to our family of products is a natural move for Vicious. So, when we sat down with Kris to review his business plan and proposed selection of baits we knew he was going to be a perfect fit for Vicious. His company believes in delivering quality and a good price and so do we,” added Vicious President, Jeff Martin.
CastAway's Cutting Edge 'Invicta' Series Rods to Debut at ICAST
Fishing innovator CastAway Graphite Rods will unveil its new-for-2014 Invicta™ Series rods at the 2013 ICAST Show in Las Vegas - bringing fresh and saltwater anglers across the country state-of-the-art, technique specific rods built on the lightest, strongest blanks
ever produced.
CastAway manufactures its Invicta Series blanks on new, proprietary mandrels with true 40-ton, 12-Toe carbon fibers and new carbon intruded resins that greatly increase strength and power while reducing overall weight. "From the first moment an angler picks up a new Invicta Series rod, he'll know it's like no other rod on the market," said CastAway Director of Operations Brett Crawford. "These advanced blanks offer a combination of lightness, precise action and strength that's never been attainable with traditional rod-building techniques and materials," added Crawford.
CastAway will offer new Invicta Series models in a wide range of spinning and baitcasting models, with actions fine-tuned for specific fresh and saltwater fishing techniques and angling situations. Each Invicta Series carbon fiber blank is finished with advanced components specially selected for their strength and lightweight performance. For example, Invicta Series rods feature ALPS Bronze SS316 Stainless/Bronze guides with Zirconium rings and CastAway's exclusive Static Zoned Guide Spacing for superior casting, line control and fish- fighting performance.
The handles of Invicta Series rods are equally innovative, featuring custom Tour Star/Winn non-slip split grips and new CastAway/ALPS double-finger, blank-exposed reel seats with double locking hoods. This unique handle design provides anglers with a comfortable, secure grip - even with wet hands - along with the sensitivity to feel what's going on with their baits at all times. "We've put a lot of engineering thought into this critical juncture that connects angler, rod and fish," said Crawford. "This pairing of advanced blank technology and handle design provides fishermen with superior sensitivity for every style of fishing, whether they're finessing a worm, working a topwater or jigging vertically over structure," added Crawford. This unique handle design also provides floatation for the rod if dropped overboard - an important added benefit for a rod of this quality and value.
New Invicta Series rods are constructed with the same attention to detail and custom-quality touches that separate CastAway from traditional "factory" rods. Great care is taken to build every CastAway rod on the spine of the blank, reducing torque whether casting or fighting a big fish under heavy load. Guide wraps feature the Forhan Locking Wrap, ensuring that guides stay in place over many years of hard use. Every handle and reel seat is custom fit to the blank, reducing weight and increasing sensitivity. This allows for a perfect fit without the need for tape, arbors or excessive glue. Finally, all guides and labels are double-coated with UV-resistant, waterproof epoxy that ensures good looks and durable performance, season after season. This handcrafted construction and quality control are why CastAway backs all of its rods with a 5-Year Limited Replacement Warranty.
To learn more about the new Invicta Series rods for 2014 - or the entire CastAway line of premium quality graphite rods for fresh and saltwater fishing - contact Castaway Graphite Rods, 118 Cape Conroe Drive, Montgomery, TX 77356. Telephone: (926) 582-1677 · Or visitwww.CastAwayRods.com.
Boats Unlimited Nc Team Trail Championship Results - Falls Lake - Jun 22, 2013
The BOATS UNLIMITED NC TEAM TOURNAMENT BASS TRAIL came to an end today with 63 qualified teams competing for the top prize of $10,000 and the title of 'Champions'!After the dust had settled Todd Massey & Brandon Gray, of Chapel Hill & Bullock, walked to their truck with 1st place(28.75 lbs), 1st place Big Fish (7.27 lbs.) & 1st place TWT for a total of $12,198 ~ two 1st Place plaques and smiles on their faces! Also, being signed up with Triton Boats Gold program, Massey should be getting a check from Triton Boats for $7,000 bringing their total winning to over $19,000 !!
2nd Place went to the team of Dan Glosson & Phillip Eakes of Rougemont & Bahama with 24.66 pounds. they also won 2nd place TWT and took home a total of $1,760.
The 2013 Points Champions were Scott Smith & Tony Woodard of Apex & Four Oaks. They received 2 plaques, 2 JB Custom Rods ($400) and $700 in sponsor money for their efforts and support of the trail.
221 bass were weighed in for a total of 641 pounds. All the fish looked healthy and most all were released alive. Fish are now in their summer pattern for the most part and were caught in 8 to 17' of water off points and creek channel sides. Most were caught with c-rigs, flutter jigs and crankbaits.
Water temps were in the 80's and we had light winds, mostly cloudy skies and air temps from high 60's to low 80's for the day.
Following the weighin, Ridgecrest Baptist Church Outdoor Ministries treated all the anglers with hamburgers, hotdogs, chips and drinks and Marc Francis delivered a short message from God to our anglers and spectators. Then awards were given out. Counting the sponsored $10,000 for 1st place, the total sponsored door prizes and gifts given amounted to over $20,740!!! That's why Piedmont Bass Classics is the hottest bass fishing trail in the Triangle of North Carolina!
A super big thanks goes out to ALL OUR SPONSORS and especially BOATS UNLIMITED NC, SKEETER BOATS, RIDGECREST BAPTIST CHURCH OUTDOOR MINISTRIES (Rod King & Crew) and DLS WATER WRAPS for making this such and good and respected bass fishing trail. We could not do it without your help. Please support all our great sponsors!
The 2013 Points Champions were Scott Smith & Tony WoodardI also want to thank all the anglers that participated and that support this trail. You have made Piedmont Bass Classics what it is and you should all be proud! Thank you so much and hope to see all of ya'll real soon!
Our next tournament will be the PIEDMONT BASS CLASSICS 'END OF YEAR' TRAIL, July 6th at Falls Lake out of Ledge Rock Wildlife Ramp.
All the information on our tournaments can be found at: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Todd Massey & Brandon Gray of Chapel Hill & Bullock...5 bass...28.75 lbs...$10,000
2nd Place: Dan Glosson & Phillip Eakes of Rougemont & Bahama...5 bass...24.66 lbs...$1,190
3rd Place: Mike Stephenson & Chad Jones of Bahama & Durham...5 bass...18.92 lbs...$645
4th Place: Ben Cannon & Ken Wall of Apex & Asheboro...5 bass...18.72 lbs...$545
5th Place: Kenneth & James Phillips of Clayton...5 bass...18.30 lbs...$496
6th Place: James Williams & Bud Fowler of Raeford & Aberdeen...5 bass...17.40 lbs...$397
7th Place: Ted Boyette & John Parrish of Kenly...5 bass...16.98 lbs...$347
8th Place: Jim Nichols & Jeremy Martin of Chapel Hill...5 bass...16.66 lbs...$298
9th Place: Corey Linton & Mark Peck of Pikeville...5 bass...16.57 lbs...$248
10th Place: Stump Bledsoe & Glen Elliott of Hope Mills & Fayetteville...5 bass...16.49 lbs...$248
11th Place: Mike Hodge & Tim Wall of Clayton...5 bass...16.22 lbs...$198
12th Place: Thomas Sheffer & Ken McNeill of Cary & Raleigh...5 bass...16.15 lbs...$198
13th Place: Hal Abshire & Ethan Cox of Cameron & West End...5 bass...16.07...$150
14th Place: Scott Smith & Tony Woodard of Apex & Four Oaks...5 bass 15.86...$40 (tie)
Chase & Gary Johnson of Four Oaks...5 bass...15.86...$40 (tie)
1st Place Big Fish..1st Place Team above...7.27 lbs...$868
2nd Place Big Fish..11th Place Team above...7.07 lbs...$372
1st Place TWT..1st Place Team above...28.75 lbs...$1,330
2nd Place TWT..2nd Place Team above...24.66 lbs...$570
For all of our tournamnet information:
Phil McCarson ... Tournament Director
919-471-1571 or 919-971-5042
email: [email protected]
web: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Vicious Fans Can Now 'Drive' Their Favorite Brand
Today we learned of the new license agreement between Vicous and Hatchie Bottom Outdoor Products whereby fans will be able to get Vicious-branded floor mats, steering wheel covers and more. These products also will be on display in Las Vegas as AnglersChannel.com brings you the latest and greatest from ICAST 2013! Following is the official press release from Vicious Fishing:
PELL CITY, AL – Vicious Fishing has announced that Hatchie Bottom Outdoor Products, of Huntingdon, TN, has joined the list of licensees marketing products under its brand name. The company currently markets licensed auto, ATV and UTV products for popular outdoor brands such as Mossy Oak® and Realtree®.
Under the multi-year agreement, Hatchie Bottom will produce a full line of Vicious branded accessories including seat covers, floor mats, steering wheel covers, visor organizers, windshield sun shades and hitch covers. The full line of products will be on display in the Vicious Booth at ICAST in Las Vegas.
“When it comes to automobiles, people like to showcase the brands they love through their accessories. Vicious is one of those brands. The Vicious fan is a fanatic for anything Vicious and we look forward to filling this void for these avid consumers,” stated Chris Pickens, Hatchie Bottom National Sales Manager.
“With the long standing quality and overall national distribution that Hatchie Bottom brings to this relationship, we know that Vicious fans everywhere are going to get great products that further their ability to engage with our brand. We look forward to growing this line of products and the added exposure it will bring to Vicious” added Glen Cunningham, Vicious Sales & Licensing Director.
About Vicious Fishing
By offering premium fishing line, apparel and other angling products at an exceptional value,
Vicious Fishing was inspired by the everyday angler. Today's angler deserves quality, durability
and reliability in their gear and Vicious delivers all of that with attitude. Vicious Fishing headquarters are located in Pell City, AL. For more information regarding Vicious Fishing and its family of products, visit Vicious-Fishing.com or call 866-645-0024.
About Hatchie Bottom Outdoor Products
Hatchie Bottom Outdoor Products has been producing automotive accessories for over 15 years in Huntingdon, TN. They are a domestic manufacturer with the owners and the employees pledging to work together to provide top-quality products and service to its customers nationwide. The common thread that embodies their manufacturing philosophy has been and continues to be that they will only produce the highest quality products and always provide the best value, never just the best price. For more information on Hatchie Bottom Outdoor Products or how you can become a Vicious Auto Accessory dealer, visit HatchieBottom.com or call 800-335-6878.
Vicious to Unveil New Line at ICAST
Vicious Fishing is excited to announce the launch of two new Vicious Fishing line products, Vicious Fishing Mono Leader and Vicious Fishing X-A.C.T. Copolymer at the upcoming ICAST show in Las Vegas.
Vicious Fishing X-A.C.T. is the latest addition to the Vicious Fishing premium line-up and was developed with the hardcore weekend angler in mind. Representing the next generation of Vicious Advanced Copolymer Technology, X-A.C.T. is made in the U.S.A. and pro-engineered to meet the needs of today’s tournament angler. Maintaining the high tensile strength and superior castability our copolymer is known for, this line also features a double coating to ensure abrasion resistance and delivers one of the lowest stretches on the market, making it the “X-ACT” combination of strength, sensitivity and handling needed by the serious angler. The line will be available in 10-50lb test, clear only, and is sold in 100 yard, 330 yard, 1/4lb, 1lb and 2lb spools. The product MSRP is $4.99 and up.
The new Vicious Salt Mono Leader will be manufactured from 15lb test up to 400lb test and in clear only. The new line utilizes the Vicious Advanced Copolymer Technology (A.C.T.) which increases abrasion resistance and overall knot strength. Having such a large range in test options allows the product to be used both in-shore and off-shore. The product is currently being sold in 50 yard spools and retails for $2.99 and up.
“Our pro staff and tournament team guys have been asking us to come out with a premium copolymer for several years,” stated Jeff Martin, Vicious Fishing President. “So, we are excited to be delivering another tournament-grade product to our line offering and feel like the weekend anglers are going to love what they feel.”
Look for coverage of these NEW Vicious lines and many other products on AnglersChannel.com as we explore ICAST 2013 from Las Vegas, NV in a couple of weeks!
Biffle Bests Elite Series Field For 7Th B.a.s.s. Victory, Joins Two-Million Dollar Club!
Tommy Biffle endured a slow start as he attempted to build on his 47 pound, 5 ounce total weight this morning. In fact, he admitted to “fishing for 2nd place” most of the afternoon. Then, with less than an hour left to fish he got on a roll with his namesake Biffle Bug and Hard Head combo. When he hit the stage before a big crowd in Lacrosse, WI Biffle weighed 16-13 to take the lead with one angler left to weigh-in.
Needing 16-7 for the win, Aaron Martens put 13-15 on the scale. He landed in 2nd place for the 2nd year in a row at the Bassmaster Elite Series Mississippi River Rumble.
“I don’t usually say anything, but I felt confident,” said Biffle of his fishing day. And regarding his late day decision, “I made a move, pulled up on a place and it was every throw.”
His magic spot was at the end of an island where current had carved a shallow channel through an even shallower point. The ditch, which bottomed out at a maximum of 4 feet, held fish that watched for food rolling in over the 2-foot-deep ledge. And it held lots of fish - smallmouth bass, to be precise.
Biffle pitched his bug upstream and let the fish “come get it”.
How did he find the winning location? “I fished for largemouth that first day of practice. It was a pretty sorry day. I went to flip some willows but they were too shallow so I just floated off, flipped the bug out on the point and caught a smallmouth and a little light bulb went off.” He knew then that he had found has pattern for the week. “I really would’ve thought I’d have caught largemouth but all I found was smallmouth.”
He felt all along that the ditch was loaded with fish but he managed them carefully anyway, pulling 2 or 3 kickers from it each day to boost his weight. Then today he hammered it. But, as noted above, timing was critical.
With the win Biffle has passed the $2,000,000 mark in terms of career tournament winnings. “I just wish I had it,” chuckled Biffle in regards to the money. He has 7 career B.A.S.S. wins now and has no intentions to retire any time soon.
photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
| PLACE | NAME | DAY 1 | DAY 2 | DAY 3 | DAY 4 | TOTAL FISH | TOTAL WEIGHT | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FISH | WEIGHT | FISH | WEIGHT | FISH | WEIGHT | FISH | WEIGHT | ||||
| 1 | Tommy Biffle | 5 | 14- 0 | 5 | 16- 0 | 5 | 17- 5 | 5 | 16-13 | 20 | 64- 2 |
| 2 | Aaron Martens | 5 | 14- 4 | 5 | 17- 3 | 5 | 16- 5 | 5 | 13-15 | 20 | 61-11 |
| 3 | John Crews | 5 | 15- 7 | 5 | 13- 1 | 5 | 14- 6 | 5 | 16- 6 | 20 | 59- 4 |
| 4 | Fred Roumbanis | 5 | 14- 4 | 5 | 13- 6 | 5 | 13-15 | 5 | 14-15 | 20 | 56- 8 |
| 5 | Brandon Card | 5 | 14- 9 | 5 | 13- 9 | 5 | 14- 6 | 5 | 13-10 | 20 | 56- 2 |
| 6 | Todd Faircloth | 5 | 14- 5 | 5 | 13-15 | 5 | 12-14 | 5 | 14-13 | 20 | 55-15 |
| 7 | Bobby Lane | 5 | 14- 5 | 5 | 11- 9 | 5 | 15- 4 | 5 | 14-11 | 20 | 55-13 |
| 8 | Cliff Pirch | 5 | 14-11 | 5 | 11-12 | 5 | 14-11 | 5 | 14- 9 | 20 | 55-11 |
| 9 | Takahiro Omori | 5 | 14- 3 | 5 | 12- 9 | 5 | 14-12 | 5 | 13-15 | 20 | 55- 7 |
| 10 | Randy Howell | 5 | 13-14 | 5 | 13- 8 | 5 | 13- 8 | 5 | 12- 7 | 20 | 53- 5 |
| 11 | Edwin Evers | 5 | 13- 5 | 5 | 12- 6 | 5 | 15- 3 | 5 | 10-10 | 20 | 51- 8 |
| 12 | Cliff Crochet | 5 | 13-12 | 5 | 13- 0 | 5 | 14- 2 | 5 | 10- 6 | 20 | 51- 4 |
Schmitt Wins Everstart Series Northern Division On Potomac River
Martens Leads Elite Series Mississippi River Rumble, Biffle Poses Threat
The Bassmaster Elite Series Mississippi River Rumble resumed for the 3rd of 4 competition days and it did so without the man who led the tournament when the scales had closed on Day 2.
A protest was filed late Friday that said, while competing on Day 2, Brandon Palaniuk inadvertently culled a fish in Minnesota waters where culling is not allowed by state law. His 2nd round weight was disqualified and he failed to make the 50 cut, failed to cut a paycheck and now needs to regain his head of steam and win one of the remaining Elite Series events if he is to fish his 4th consecutive Bassmaster Classic.
Tommy Biffle (47-5 total weight) took a temporary lead early in the weigh in show. The he really served notice of his intent, and perhaps ability, to win. “I’ve got a spot I’ve been saving. I’ll just go there and catch one or two each day. I think it’s absolutely loaded.”
Biffle threatens Martens' lead. Photo credit B.A.S.S./Seigo Saito
If it is ‘absolutely loaded’ and Biffle pounds on the spot tomorrow maybe he can retake that short-lived lead from Aaron Martens who weighed more than 16 pounds today to claim the top spot with a total of 47-12 before weigh in concluded.
Martens finished 2nd in Lacrosse, WI last year. “Can’t happen two years in a row, can it?” asked A-Mart.
Maybe not. Martens certainly has some momentum going. He not only wrestled the outright lead from Biffle (who sacked 20 pounds today) but also took big bass honors from Biffle (who had a 4-4) with a 4 pound, 15 ounce fish.
John Crews is 3rd and he lags Biffle by nearly 4-and-a-half pounds so this is shaping up to be a two-man race in a fishery where a guy can get 100 bites a day but maybe none will top the 5-pound mark.
The Top 12 looks like this:
1 Aaron Martens 5 14- 4 5 17- 3 5 16- 5 15 47-12
2 Tommy Biffle 5 14- 0 5 16- 0 5 17- 5 15 47- 5
3 John Crews 5 15- 7 5 13- 1 5 14- 6 15 42-14
4 Brandon Card 5 14- 9 5 13- 9 5 14- 6 15 42- 8
5 Fred Roumbanis 5 14- 4 5 13- 6 5 13-15 15 41- 9
6 Takahiro Omori 5 14- 3 5 12- 9 5 14-12 15 41- 8
7 Bobby Lane 5 14- 5 5 11- 9 5 15- 4 15 41- 2
8 Cliff Pirch 5 14-11 5 11-12 5 14-11 15 41- 2
9 Todd Faircloth 5 14- 5 5 13-15 5 12-14 15 41- 2
10 Edwin Evers 5 13- 5 5 12- 6 5 15- 3 15 40-14
11 Cliff Crochet 5 13-12 5 13- 0 5 14- 2 15 40-14
12 Randy Howell 5 13-14 5 13- 8 5 13- 8 15 40-14
Greg Vinson continues to have a solid season. He nearly made the 12 cut but ended up being the first man out with a total weight of 40-12.
A majority of the bass are being caught on frogs and swimjigs in shallow water on the bank side of grass beds that are clearing sediment from otherwise muddy waters. Bass are holed up in small stretches and many pros camped in a favorite area for nearly all of their weight over three days.
Shippensburg University Wins Flw College Fishing Northern Conference Event On Potomac River
Leader Palaniuk DQ'd form Elite Series River Rumble
Brandon Palaniuk had amassed a big lead in the Mississippi River Rumble. The someone filed a written protest stating that Palaniuk had culled while in Minnesota waters. His Day 2 weight was disqualified, he fell out of the top 50, will not collect a paycheck this week and his chances for qualifying to fish the Classic just got real slim.
A B.A.S.S. press release states:
“We discussed the protest with Brandon Palaniuk, and we determined that he did in fact cull from a five-fish limit while he was in Minnesota,” said Chris Bowes, B.A.S.S. senior tournament manager. “We recognize that he did not realize he was in Minnesota waters, and his error was completely inadvertent. In dealing with a river system like the Mississippi and its numerous channels, it’s easy to become confused about the state lines on the water.”
Palaniuk gave this statement: “I had no idea today that I ever broke a rule. I signed off on the rule sheet. One hundred percent in my mind, I believed that south of the I-90 bridge, the main river channel was the state boundary between Minnesota and Wisconsin, until we went south of the takeoff and went into the West Channel. I knew one of my areas was in Minnesota and I could not go back to that when I caught five.
“I made one cull today — just one — in Minnesota, in an area that I believed was in Wisconsin. It was only in Minnesota waters by less than 100 yards. I had 18 1/2 pounds before I made that one cull that just cost me, possibly, $100 grand and a Classic berth,” Palaniuk said.
Palaniuk Leads as Elite Series River Rumble Heads Into the Weekend
battles bass and weather. photo by James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.
Brandon Palaniuk is a homerun hitter. Like most power hitters, he either gets ‘all of the ball’ or strikes out. He came to the Bassmaster Elite Series Mississippi River Rumble needing, desperately, to hit a homerun if he hoped to fish his 4th consecutive Bassmaster Classic.
At the midway point in the event Palaniuk leads with a two-day total weight of 37 pounds, 7 ounces. In typical fashion, Palaniuk has not only claimed a lead, but has opened a wide gap (6 full pounds) between himself and his nearest competition, Aaron Martens. Much of that gap came in the form of today’s largest lunker which weighed 5 pounds, 9 ounces.
When he is on, Palaniuk is on.
And this week the 25-year-old is catching smallmouth, a species he is used to seeing in his native Idaho. Brownies didn’t figure into successful game plans when the Elites visited La Crosse, WI last summer but this year the water is clear and cool and the grass is sparse compared to the mats that provided a froggin’/flippin’ festival last year.
There must be at least a few flippin’ fish around though, as Tommy Biffle is 3rd with 30 pounds - just 7 ounces behind Martens.
John Crews is 4th with 28-8 and Todd Faircloth 5th with 28-4.
Most pros saw their weights dip a little today. It took 23-5 to make the top 50 and collect a $10,000. Bill Lowen had 23-5 but was the first man out of the cut due to tiebreaker rules. Stephen Browning has the honors of launching tomorrow in the 50th spot.
Weather played a role this morning. Winds of up to 40 mph and sideways rain delayed the launch until about 8 A.M. Conditions improved a couple of hours later but contestants still got wet, And boat rides were ‘sporty’ according to the pros.
Dean Rojas rides the waves. Photo by Darren Jacobson/B.A.S.S.
Sportsman's Warehouse Late June report plus SNAG PROOF OPEN Preview on Cherokee Lake
Carolina's Bass Challenge Director Brett Collins joins us to talk about the tremendous year they have had at CBC, plus a preveiew of the 1st Snag Proof Open of the year coming up in 9 days on Cherokee Lake in TN!!
Everything Snag Proof Will Be Allowed In 1St Annual Tennessee Snag Proof Open On Cherokee Lake
Snag Proof Pro Karl Kalonka
Snag Proof is no longer just a plastic frog lure maker. The company's product line now includes about two dozen kinds of weedless lures, ranging from soft plastics to hard baits, and anglers will be able to fish with the complete product line in the first annual Tennessee Snag Proof Open the last weekend in June on Cherokee lake.
“They can use Snag Proof jigs, swimbaits, crankbaits, worms, frogs, the whole deal,” said tournament director Sam Phillips. The Snag Proof line runs from critter baits such as frogs, mice, leeches, lizards, worms and craws to crankbaits, buzzbaits, and poppers.
“The primary bait has to be a Snag Proof bait,” Phillips said. “They can use any trailers on the jig and we will allow the Tennessee Rig. You can modify the baits, trim, dye, whatever, as long as the primary bait is a Snag Proof product.”
(A Tennessee Rig is the same as an Alabama Rig, but only three trailers are allowed instead of five.)
“It's going to be a two-day event, June 29-30 and it will pay $10,000 to win, guaranteed, regardless of the number of boats entered,” Phillips said. “There is a three-fish limit per day, so we are looking for a real shootout – six fish for two days for $10,000.”
Entry fee is $150 per team, which can be a two-angler team, or just one. There will also be an optional big fish pot.
Phillips said 80 percent of the purse will be paid back at the ramp starting with second place and paid one place for every five boats. There will also be a big largemouth and big smallmouth prize, with the weights carrying over from Day 1 to Day 2.
“The tournament is sponsored by Skeeter, Yamaha and the Morristown Chamber of commerce, along with Morristown Marine. Skeeter and Yamaha will also be furnishing food for the event,” Phillips said.“We've had inquiries from Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee, so we are expecting a good turnout. We are taking sign-ups at Morristown Marine or you can do it by phone or print off the form and FAX of mail it in. We will go over things with the anglers before blasting off at 6 a.m. next Saturday morning.”
Phillips said Cherokee Lake is at full pool and the fishing is expected to be really good for the tournament.
“The jig and swimbaits have been the top sellers leading up to the tournament, so it looks like a jig and swimbait bite, along with some topwater. We've had reports they are also hitting the frog,” he said.
Crankbaits are also expected to be a factor in the tournament, he said.
“Snag Proof is re-introducing their crankbaits for this event and Morristown Marine will have the crankbaits. We are getting them shipped in this week,” Phillips said.
Tennessee's First Annual Snag Proof Open
Jun 29-30, 2013
Cherokee Lake
25 E Bridge Access
Call Sam Phillips 423-677-3004 or 423-587-5555
Anglers Choice Nc Division Heads To High Rock With Points Race Still Undecided
As the North Carolina Division of the Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail nears the end of its first season, tournament director Chris Lucas said the inaugural season has been a great success and bigger and better things are on the horizon for next year.
“Next year we hope to expand the North Carolina Division and get more North Carolina lakes on the schedule,” Lucas said.
Prior the the 2013 season, the Anglers Choice Trail had only one division which drew heavily from both Virginia and North Carolina. Lucas decided to split the series into two divisions this year to try to relieve some of the pressure on the Virginia Division and perhaps spread out the competition a little.
However the Virginia Division remained as strong as ever so all the split did was make one strong trail with major entries into two strong trails with major entries.
“The North Carolina Division has come along a lot better than what was expected,” Lucas said. “We started off with about 50 boats in the first tournament and in a couple of tournaments we had 100 boats.”
Lucas said he anticipates the numbers will be down a little this Saturday when the North Carolina Division visits High Rock Lake because it is not being held in conjunction with a Virginia Division tournament.
“Our per-registration numbers are lower, but that is to be expected. We are expecting 40 to 50 boats this weekend on High Rock. This time of year during the daytime with all the recreational boats on the lake the guys don't come out as much,” he said.
“A lot of them are already qualified. We usually drop down a little towards the ends of the season except for the guys still in the points race. They always come to battle it out,” Lucas added.
“But we expect the numbers will be up the following weekend because that will be a dual-tournament weekend on Kerr. We are pushing 80 entries already on the Virginia side and 50 to 60 on the North Carolina side. I guess going to Buggs island in the summertime doesn't bother those guys too much.”
Lucas said that while there are some teams bunched up near the top, the North Carolina Division points race is still up for grabs and it probably will not be decided Saturday on High Rock.
“It's going to come down to the next weekend when we will crown the North Carolina and Virginia points champions at Buggs Island. “It's still anybody's game and we find that a lot. When you have six regular season tournaments and give 300 points for each tournament it provides wiggle room where you can have a couple of bad tournaments.”
In fact, only 15 points separates the top four teams in the North Carolina Division with two tournaments to go – and only one of those teams has not had a zero finish in at least one tournament. William Kemp IV and Scott Griffin lead the points standings thanks to a 7th place finish in the March 10 tournament on High Rock, 16th place March 24 on Lake Gaston, 63rd place April 7 on Smith Mountain Lake and 17th April 28 on Kerr.
However, Phillip Vanderveer and Damien McMahon trail by only four points and they zeroed in the first and second tournaments, finished 33rd in the third and rebounded with a 7th place finish in the fourth tournament on Kerr.
Mark Cox and Brian Stacy are 9 points back, having zeroed in the first tournament, finished 6th in the second, 30th in the third and 46th in the last tournament. Ralph Hollifield and Mike Luckado are just 15 points behind the leaders, with a 9th place finish in the first tournament, a zero in the second, 49th in the third and 23rd in the last tournament.
“You can come to all six tournaments and catch one or two in each tournament and that will get up in the middle of the pack or upwards in the points, even in the top 10,” Lucas said. “It will come down to the last one and those top guys are all pretty close.”
Lucas said he wanted to remind anglers that on these final two weekends the tournaments will start earlier – 6 a.m. instead of the normal 7 a.m. in the earlier tournaments.
“Because of the warmer temperatures we want to start early and get off the lake early. That includes this weekend and also both days the next weekend on Buggs Island.”
Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail - NC Division
Sat, Jun 22, 2013
High Rock Lake
Tamarac Marina
Call Chris Lucas 276-358-0844
Hite Hopes His Luck On Northern Waters Holds For Elite Series On Mississippi River
Davy Hite is looking for a good finish on the Mississippi River this weekend. Photo by Seigo Saito
It's been a busy June for B.A.S.S. pro Davy Hite and he'd love nothing more than to cap the month off with a high finish in the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament this weekend on the Mississippi River near LaCrosse, Wis.
“I'm a long, long way from home and on a real northern trip,” Hite said with a chuckle following the final half-day of practice Wednesday afternoon.
His northern swing began right after he and fellow former Bassmaster Classic Champion Hank Parker participated in a Pure Fishing sponsored Take A Kid Fishing Day at Fort Jackson, near Columbia, S.C., not far from Hite's home in Ninety Six, S.C.
“It was a lot of fun. There were about 400 people there and I got to meet a lot of young fishermen – and some older ones, too. They served us some really good barbecue, too.”
But that was the last of the Southern cuisine he enjoyed for a while as he, wife Natalie and younger son Peyton, left the next day for Detroit, Mich., pulling his bass boat.
“Kevin VanDam had asked me to participate in an annual Detroit Lions charity fishing event. So I took some of the guests out and met some of the ball players for a couple of days. Then I left there and drove over the Lake St. Clair in Michigan. The last time I was there I was fortunate to win the Elite Tournament on St. Clair.”
From there, he went on to VanDam's home for a day, then headed for LaCrosse, Wis., to practice for the Elite Tournament this weekend.
“I worked at Gander Mountain for some of my sponsors on Saturday, then spent Sunday getting my tackle together and started practice on Monday. So, it's been a really busy week and a half.”
And, he noted, his northern swing won't be over when the tournament ends. Next week he and the other pros head to Lake Mille Lacs, Minnesota's second largest lake, up near the border with Canada, for a writer's conference.
But, first there is the sixth of nine 2013 Elite Series tournaments, the Mississippi River Rumble. Hite finished 24th in the Rumble on the Mississippi at LaCrosse just exactly a year ago this week and he hopes to do a lot better this time around.
The odds may be on his side, because a lot of his top 20 finishes have come on rivers and he has done well on the northern reaches of the Mighty Mississippi. In 2005 he recorded a second place finish on Lake Wissola near Chippewa Falls, Wis., less than 100 miles north of LaCrosse on the Chippewa River, a tributary of the Mississippi.
And in September 1998 he made bass fishing history, winning what at that time was the largest cash prize ever in a bass tournament – $250,000 – in the Walmart FLW Tour Championship on the Mississippi River.
“We are fishing Pools 7, 8 and 9 in this tournament and when I won the FLW Championship I was fishing Pool 11, which is downstream just a few pools. I have some really fond memories of fishing this stretch of the Mississippi,” Hite said.
“The fishing is a little tougher than it was this time last year,” Hite said. “There are still lots of fish, but just like last year, it's going to be important to catch 3- and 4-pound fish. There are a lot of 2-pound fish here.”
Hite goes into the tournament this week, ranked 46th in the Angler of the Year standings and he needs a strong finish in the remaining three tournaments to qualify for his 15th Bassmaster Classic.
“They will take 38, 39 or 40 from the Elite field, depending on crossovers to the Open Series, so I am right at the bubble,” he said. “A win here would be nice – that's what I am shooting for.”
Bassmaster Elite Series – Mississippi River Rumble
Jun 20-23, 2013
Mississippi River near LaCrosse, WI
Copeland Park
Bledsoe & McDonald Take Home $7,105.00 CATT Old North Final Jordan Lake
We wrapped up the 2013 Old North Trail on Lake Jordan with 31 teams entering the Old North Spring Final. The fishing at Jordan had been off this Spring but Saturday the bass decided to turn on and several teams had a good day of fishing.
This was our 3rd season of the Old North Trail and each year the payback has increased…several of the teams expressed an interest in increasing the entry fee and adding more $$ to the purse. I’ll look at doing that over the summer and will send out emails of an example of what we’re looking at doing. I’m not 100% sure this will happen but would like to hear from you guys so shoot me an email with your thoughts. Looking at $120 for Qualifiers and $150 for the Final...BONUS $40. This will increase the purse substantially since CATT is 100% payback on your entry fees.
Also if I can work it out we will try and hold 2 CATT Classic …1 in SC and 1 in NC…the 2013 CATT Classic at Kerr Lake was a huge success with 1st Place taking home over $13,000.00. We’ll see what unfolds over the Summer and lets all hope this can happen.
Billy Bledsoe and Brian McDonald weighed in a 5 bass limit at 24.09 lbs taking 1st Place at Lake Jordan Saturday. They also weighed in the 2nd BF at 6.22. Add in the 1st BONUS $ and they collected $4,105.00. Billy and Brian were fishing in a 2013 FX 21 SKEETER/Yamah250SHO and will take home another $3,000.00 through the SKEETER REAL MONEY Program. Their total take home pay adds up to $7,105.00!
2nd went to Scott Smith and Tony Woodard with 5 bass weighing 22.33 lbs. They weighed in a 6.66 lb bass which was the 1st BF and they took the 2nd BONUS $. All total they collected $1,930.00.
James Pourrier and Rich Szscerbala finished in 3rd with 5 bass weighing 20.67 lbs and they collected $1,000.00.
Jaime Fajardo and Josh Hooks claimed 4th with another limit weighing 20.28 lbs. They received $700.00
5th went to Thomas Sheffler and David Walton with a limit weighing 20.05 lbs. They earned $350.00.
6th and $205.00 went to Merle Knott and Roger Clary with 5 bass weighing 18.60 lbs.
The 2013 CATT Old North Trail paid back $36,706.00!
Thanks for fishing!
Brett Collins
Carolina Anglers Team Trail LLC
Gary Pilkenton and Denny Turner haul in a Monster 24.16 LB Sack to win Tom's Marine TT on Douglas-Full Results Here!
Pilkenton and Turner Continue Douglas Hot Streak
Douglas Lake was the site of the fifth Toms Marine Team Trail event of 2013 and 99 teams showed up to enjoy the fantastic fishing underway on Douglas right now. There were several huge bags of fish but none bigger than the 24.16-pound limit weighed in by Gary Pilkenton and Denny Turner. This team has been hot on Douglas for the past several weeks and todays performance earned them $2500 for first place, $250 from the Toms Marine/Ranger Cup bonus program and $100 from Motor Mate. Second place went to Gary and Cory Ownby with 23.48-pounds and they won $1150. Mark Mauldin and Lee Monday caught a nice bag of fish weighing 21.87-pounds and had a little luck winning the $300 draw prize to give them a total winnings of $1150 for the day. In fourth was Tom Cole and Homer Ryans with 21.79-pounds which paid $540. Rounding out the top five and winning $400 was the team of Bobby Ferguson and Charles McConnell.
Tom's Marine TT Douglas Champs Gary Pilkenton and Denny Turner
Complete results and points are now posted on Toms Marine Web site at http://www.tomsmarinetn.com . Toms Marine would like to invite everyone out for our next event September 14 on Cherokee Lake at the bridge.
This event will be televised on THE PROGRESSIVE BASS WRAP UP SHOW later this year. Check your local listings for show times.
James Buchanan wins the SC BFL on Lake Wylie Sat afternoon with 16-8-Top 18 Results here!
Congrats to James Buchanan for winning the BFL on Lake Wylie this Sat afternoon...his 16-8 was more than enough to secure his big win. Here are the top 18 (what a list!) on the boaters side:
| Pl. | First Name | Last Name | City / State | Day 1 WT (Fish) |
Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JAMES BUCHANAN | MONROE, NC | 16-15 (5) | $3,671 |
| 2 | NORM ATTAWAY | CLEARWATER, SC | 15-10 (5) | $1,835 |
| 3 | KEN ELLIS | BOWMAN, SC | 15-02 (5) | $1,224 |
| 4 | ROSS BURNS | COLUMBIA, SC | 15-01 (5) | $856 |
| 5 | RODNEY CHASTAIN | FOUNTAIN INN, SC | 14-15 (5) | $734 |
| 6 | CHUCK HOWARD | ELLOREE, SC | 14-10 (5) | $673 |
| 7 | REID MCGINN | FORT MILL, SC | 14-06 (5) | $612 |
| 8 | ROBBY HIPPS | SIMPSONVILLE, SC | 14-03 (5) | $551 |
| 9 | SHANE LEHEW | CHARLOTTE, NC | 13-05 (5) | Evinrude Bonus: $300 + $489 |
| 10 | BRADLEY GUNTER | GREENWOOD, SC | 13-03 (5) | $406 |
| 10 | STEVE SHAW | DALLAS, NC | 13-03 (5) | $406 |
| 12 | ROBERT FOWLER | GAFFNEY, SC | 12-07 (5) | $355 |
| 13 | BILLY ROCHESTER | SPARTANBURG, SC | 12-06 (5) | $343 |
| 14 | CHRISTIAN SHODA | FORT MILL, SC | 12-03 (5) | $324 |
| 15 | JIMMY DRUMM | MT HOLLY, NC | 12-00 (5) | $300 |
| 15 | GREG RIKARD | LEESVILLE, SC | 12-00 (5) | $300 |
| 17 | LARRY LEHEW | CHARLOTTE, NC | 11-13 (5) | $281 |
| 18 | SCOTT HAMRICK | DENVER, NC | 11-12 (5) | $269 |
| 19 |
James Buchanan wins the SC BFL on Lake Wylie Sat afternoon with 16-8, and here is how he did it!
BFL SC Lake Wylie Champion James Buchanan joins us one on one just afer winning a biggie down on Lake Wylie.........James talks about the conditions, patterns, and the most important thing that did not happen to him on the Lake today-Click here for his full review!
