Froggin' Guru Bobby Barrack Puts On A Clinic With Snag Proof's Perfect Buzz And Aaron Martens Crashes The Set!
Even of you've never thrown a frog, you'll have all the know-how needed to knock down winning sacks of bass after you see and hear Bobby explain how to fish the Perfect Buzz just as he does across the country on lakes as diverse as Murray and Santee Cooper.
Jb Custom Rods - Piedmont Bass Classics $5,000 Fall Trail Results - Shearon Harris - October 7, 2012
11 teams arrived at the ramp for the 5th qualifier in the 2012 JB Custom Rods~Piedmont Bass Classics $5,000
Fall Team Bass Tournament Trail, knowing that the weather could get bad!
37 keepers were brought to the scales weighing in at a total of 95 pounds! Rick Ohlson & Joey Davis of Garner had 4 bass that weighed 15.70 pounds, winning the 1st place prize of $575, just edging out Jerry Marshburn of Sanford & Allan Parker of Linden, by 4/100's of a pound! Ohlson & Davis won $575 for 1st, $66 for the 2nd place Big Fish and 1st Place TWT worth $245, for a grand total of $886!
The day started with 59 degrees at blastoff, and stayed there until the weighin. The winds were about 5 to 10 that morning, then around 10am we had about a 2 hour thunderstorm and winds gusting to 25. It finally calmed down a little before weighin. The morning bite was hot for top water baits, but when the wind picked up things slowed down. Most fish were caught in 2 to 20 feet of water. Top water worked around grass lines seemed to work best and worm rigs kicked in the other bites. Water temps were around 71 degrees. The Big Fish weighed in at 7.23 pounds!
I want to thank all the anglers that participated and that support this trail.
Our next tournament will be the 2012 JB Custom Rods~Piedmont Bass Classics Fall Team Bass Trail Qualifier #6 at Jordan Lake out of Farrington Point Wildlife Ramp, Sunday, October 14th. This will be our last event at Jordan for 2012. Teams that have 2 qualifiers still have a chance to fish in the Championship if they fish the last 2 events in the Fall Trail as a team. Don't miss out on this great chance to win some nice paybacks!
All the information on our Fall Trail tournaments can be found at: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Rick Ohlson & Joey Davis of Garner...4 bass...15.70 lbs...$575
2nd Place: 
Jerry Marshburn & Allan Parker took 2nd place with 5 bass that weighed 15.66 lbs...$305
1st Place Big Fish..2nd Place Team above...7.23 lbs...$154
2nd Place Big Fish..1st Place Team above...6.11 lbs...$66
1st Place TWT..1st Place Team above: 15.70 lbs...$245
2nd Place TWT..2nd Place Team above: 15.66 lbs...$105
Call me if you have any suggestions or questions. Remember, all of these tournaments
are 'open' events except for the Championships, which you have to qualify for. So even if
you don't want to try for the Championship, you can still fish any of the qualifiers you wish.
Contact Information:
Phil McCarson ... Tournament Director
919-471-1571 or 919-971-5042
email: [email protected]
web: piedmontbassclassics.com
2013 Piedmont Bass Classics Tournament Trail Schedules
http://www.piedmontbassclassics.com/2013schedule.html
Stephen F. Austin Wins Flw College Fishing Southern Conference Championship On Lake Dardanelle
Montgomery Seeks Repeat Win In Bass Southern Open On Lewis Smith Lake
The last time Andy Montgomery fished Lewis Smith Lake in north Alabama two years ago this past May he won the Bassmaster Southern Open there, but the situation is a lot different for the Southern Open that begins Thursday on the lake.
“That was in May and the lake is a lot different now. It is way down, 8 to 10 feet down,” said the Blacksburg, S.C., pro.
And, he noted, with all the rain that drenched anglers during practice the first part of the week, the water may be somewhat different, too.
Smith Lake is normally deep, clear and blue, very similar to a lake in the mountain area of Montgomery's home state. The average depth of the 21,200-acre impoundment on the Black Warrior River is 66 feet, but the sonar can drop to more than 200 feet in some areas.
“It reminds me a lot of Lake Keowee in South Carolina,” Montgomery said.
The change in weather could also cause a change in the fishing, he added. With several days of steady rains, the front that brought the wet weather has cleared out and skies are sunny and bright.
“Fishing in the tournament will probably be a lot different than it was in practice,” Montgomery said.
“The lake has a lot of docks, so there will probably be some fish caught on the docks, but for the most part most of the fish will be related to the baitfish. There has been a lot of schooling and there will be a lot of fish caught deep on a drop shot and stuff like that.”
That is pretty similar to the pattern Montgomery fished in 2010 to win his first Southern Open. In that tournament he used a swimbait, spinnerbait and a swimming jig — each one all white - to take home the top prize of $46,000. For the first two days, Montgomery focused on docks. He caught spotted bass around docks that were in deeper water and largemouth along shallower docks. On the third day the fished changed and he switched to a buzzbait to bring in the winning weight.
In that tournament he moved into the Southern Open points race lead, but that is not an option for the tournament this week. Buried in the points standings, he needs a win to qualify for the 2013 Bassmaster Classic.
“I fished all the Southern Opens and my best finish was 25th on Lake Norman, so I am absolutely looking to win. There is only one place for me – first or bust.”
Bassmaster Southern Open
Oct 4-6, 2012
Lewis Smith Lake
Fishing Tough On Douglas Lake For Final 2012 Tom's Marine Tournament Saturday
David Mullins and Brent Hoskins won the most recent Tom's Marine tournament on Cherokee Sep. 15, 2012.
Fishing for the final regular season tournament in the Tom's Marine Tournament Trail on Douglas Lake Saturday will likely be about as tough as it gets, according to tournament director Richard McMaster.
“In recent tournaments over there the weights are down. The lake is really clear and they have not been moving water like they normally do this time of year, so that is keeping it clear and making it really tough on the fishermen,” McMaster said.
However, that could possibly start to change by Saturday, he noted. A weather front is moving through and that could improve things for the fishermen.
But, if recent tournaments are an indication of what is in store this weekend, look for low weights, he said.
“It only took 6 1/2 pounds to win a tournament on Douglas Sunday. And the week before it only took 13 pounds to win a tournament there. This time of year on Douglas it should be taking anywhere form 17 to 20 pounds to win a tournament.”
Meanwhile, the team of David Mullins and Brent Hoskins have pretty much wrapped up the points race, he noted. The pair won the last Tom's Marine tournament Sept. 15 on Cherokee Lake, extending their lead to 27 points with just the Douglas Lake tournament Saturday left on the schedule.
“Mullins and Hoskins basically just need to catch some fish Saturday to hold on,” McMaster said. “The points championship is theirs to lose, but anything can happen with fishing so tough.”
McMaster said he is looking forward to the Toms Marine Team Trail Classic Oct. 27-28, on Cherokee the first day and Douglas the second day.
“We will have a banquet that Friday night before the Classic and everybody who fished the trail is invited to attend, even if they did not make the Classic,” he said.
McMaster also announced that the Tom's Marine Team Trail website has moved. All of the information on the trail can now be found at: www.tomsmarinetn.com.
The Tom's Marine 2012-13 Winter Trail and 2013 Tom's Marine Team Trail schedules are also posted on the website.
The Winter Trail starts Nov. 10 on Cherokee Lake, followed by Nov. 24, Cherokee; Dec. 8, Douglas; Dec. 22, Cherokee; Dec. 29, Douglas; Jan. 12, Cherokee; and the Championship Jan. 26 on Cherokee.
The 2013 Tom's Marine Team Trail starts March 9 on Cherokee, followed by March 30, Douglas; April 27, Cherokee; May 11, Douglas; June 15, Douglas; Sept. 14, Cherokee; Oct. 5, Douglas; with the Classic Nov. 2 on Cherokee and Nov. 3 on Douglas.
“Other details, such as time and ramps, will be announced later,” McMaster said. “We look forward to seeing all of you in 2013 for another great season. Check back often for more details about the 2013 season.”
Tom's Marine Team Trail
Sat, Oct 6, 2012
Douglas Lake
Shady Grove Access
Richard McMaster 423-748-3240
Price Pondering Deep Or Shallow For Bfl Regional On Lake Seminole
Bo Price of Seneca, SC. Photo courtesy FLW Outdoors.
The last time Bo Price fished Lake Seminole was in the Walmart BFL Regional Championship two years ago, the same regional he will be fishing this week. He placed 17th in that regional, but Lake Seminole looks nothing like the same lake this year.
“The grass is the biggest thing. With the mild winter we had there is grass everywhere, almost solid grass,” said the BFL angler from Seneca, S.C. “It makes it more difficult to pinpoint fish, but once you get them pinpointed it should be pretty good.”
Price noted that Seminole always fishes tough in the fall, but the proliferation of aquatic grass has increased the chances of getting bit by bass.
“It seems like bites are more common this year than in years past,” he said during practice this week. “It's not like you can just go down the bank and catch a limit,. It's a situation of either you got them or you don't got them.”
That was pointed out in a tournametn out of Wingate's Lodge last weekend. It took 27 pounds to win, but second place was only 11 pounds.
“It's pretty much feast or famine. It all boils down to finding the right group of fish,” said Price who finished the regular season of the Savannah river BFL Division as the top money winner with total prize money of $8,817 for the season. He was second in points to Jerry Kotal of Elberton, Ga., by only 11 points.
Price was outstanding in tournaments on his main home area lakes. He finished 12th on Lake Keowee in February, was third on Lake Hartwell, where he lives, in March, and won the tournametn on Lake Russell in April. He added two top 30 finishes on Clarks Hill, 28th in March, and Lake Hartwell, 22nd in September to his record for the year.
One of six BFL Regional championships, the Seminole Regional this week features the top 40 boaters and top 40 co-anglers from the Savannah River, Bama, Choo Choo, and Gator Divisions. All the anglers are competing to finish in the top six who will advance to the Walmart BFL All-American.
A 10-year veteran of the BFL circuit, Price said his strong point is deep water fishing for bass, but because of the grass situation he may have to change his strategy for the Seminole championship.
“I cut my teeth fishing deep water at home,” he said. “My Dad had me out on the lake fishing deep water from the time I was about 5 years old. A lot of times shallow water fishing can be really good or it can be really bad, but the deep water fishermen will almost always come in with a decent limit.”
Because that is his forte, Price said he is checking out the deep water possibilities on Lake Seminole this week.
“I honestly don't know what I will be doing in the tournament,” he said. “When the weather finally stabilize I'll have to make a decision. I've been catching some shallow and some deep.”
Wal-Mart BFL Regional
Bama, Choo Choo, Gator and Savannah River Divisions
Oct 4-6, 2012
Lake Seminole
Bainbridge Boat Basin
Jb Custom Rods - Piedmont Bass Classics $5,000 Fall Trail Results - Falls Lake - September 30, 2012
8 teams arrived at the ramp for the 4th qualifier in the 2012 JB Custom Rods~Piedmont Bass Classics $5,000
Fall Team Bass Tournament Trail, and were greeted with another beautiful Fall morning!
17 keepers were brought to the scales weighing in at a total of 58 pounds! Chad Craven of Raleigh & Tommy Farley of Colonial Heights, VA are on a hot roll in the Fall Trail! They had 5 bass that weighed 20.52 pounds winning the 1st place prize of $500! They also caught the big fish weighing 6.29 pounds and collected $112 for that, along with winning the TWT worth $175! This is their 3rd first place finish for the Fall...they are hot!
The day started with 60 degrees at blastoff, then slowly got into the upper 70's at weighin. No wind was around in the morning and at the most it got up to 5 mph out of the NE for the day. The morning bite was hot and the lake was slick as glass. Most fish were caught in 2 to 17 feet of water. C-rigs seemed to be the key when worked around channel dropoffs. Water temps were around 73 degrees. I want to thank all the anglers that participated and that support this trail.
Our next tournament will be the 2012 JB Custom Rods~Piedmont Bass Classics Fall Team Bass Trail Qualifier #5 at Shearon Harris out of Holleman's Crossing Wildlife Ramp, Sunday, October 7th. With only 3 qualifiers left, teams with only 1 qualified event, still have a chance to fish in the Championship if they fish the last 3 qualifying events in the Fall Trail as a team. Don't miss out on this great chance to win some nice paybacks!
All the information on our Fall Trail tournaments can be found at: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Chad Craven & Tommy Farley of Raleigh & Colonial Heights, VA...5 bass...20.52 lbs...$500
2nd Place: Tony Woodard & Scott Smith of Four Oaks & Apex...5 bass...15.16 lbs...$140
1st Place Big Fish..1st Place Team above...6.29 lbs...$112
2nd Place Big Fish..Johnny Wood & Charles Hartman of Angier & Willow Springs...3.79 lbs...$48
1st Place TWT..1st Place Team above: 20.52 lbs...$175
2nd Place TWT..2nd Place Team above: 15.16 lbs...$75
Contact Information:
Phil McCarson ... Tournament Director
919-471-1571 or 919-971-5042
email: [email protected]
web: piedmontbassclassics.com
2013 Piedmont Bass Classics Tournament Trail Schedules
http://www.piedmontbassclassics.com/2013schedule.html
Accent Marine Tt Results From Toho
Accent held their final qualifying event September 30, 2012 at Camp Mack. There were same nice stringers weighed in!
Livingston Lures Debuts The Pro Sizzle At Icast 2012!!!
Shane Swenson of Livingston Lures, along with a lovely assistant, shows us what makes the Pro Sizzle such a HOT item! For more, go to LivingstonLures.com.
Three-Way Race For Points Title Highlights Greene Boat & Motor Trail Final Qualifier
Back in June, before the fifth of six qualifying tournaments in the Green Boat & Motor Team Trail, the points race was “tight as a drum,” and after that June 9 tournament it was still just as tight.
Following a three-month lay-off, the Greene Trail swings back into action on Lake Wylie Saturday with that points championship on the line.
“This is the sixth and final qualifying tournament and it is a double-points tournament so that should make it pretty interesting,” said tournament director Jeremy Cabe. “We have three teams that are within 10 points of each other.”
after the June tournament Archie Phillips and Thomas Richmond maintained their lead in the points race with 475 points. Following closely in second place with 471 points are Ron Farrow and Mike Allman, and in third position are Erwin Gaston and Derek Lilly with 464 points.
“With only one qualifier remaining it could still go to any of these teams,” Cabe noted. “They are all good local Lake Wylie anglers, so it should be interesting to see who comes out on top this weekend.”
Cabe said the winner of the points race at the end of the season will receive $1,000 and the second place points team will receive a new Minn Kota trolling motor.
“Beside that, it is an open tournament, so for a $100 entry fee anyone who wants to come and try to win the tournament's $1,000 first prize will be welcome,” he said.
“Fishing has been fairly tough from what I've been told so I expect anyone who has 14 1/2 to 15 pounds will do very well, and that could be the winning weight,” Cabe said. “Although the fishing may be tough, some of the best anglers in North and South Carolina will be out there, so they could easily surprise us.”
The 2012 Greene Boat & Motor Championship will be held Oct 13-14 on Lake Hartwell out of Broyles Landing. The winners will receive a new boat, motor and trailer package.
“For more information about fishing the Greene Boat & Motor tournament trail, please call our office at 828-286-2290,” said Cabe. “We'd love to have you join us.”
Greene Boat and Motor Team Trail
Sat, Sep 29, 2012
Lake Wylie
Buster Boyd Access Area
Call Jeremy Cabe 803-322-1794
Shootouts Expected In Both Divisions Of Bassmaster Weekend Series Virginia Final Qualifier
If anglers carried guns instead of fishing rods, there would be shooting all over the lake when the Bassmaster Weekend Series Virginia Division wraps up its regular season this weekend on Kerr/Buggs Island.
There will probably be shootouts in both the Boater and Co-Angler Divisions for the points championship, said tournament director Gary Conner.
“The anglers this weekend will have two goals,” Conner said. “The first goal is to finish in the top 40 as the top 40 boaters and the top 40 co-anglers will continue on to the no-entry fee regional championship on Smith Mountain Lake Oct. 19-20.
“The second goal for this weekend is to determine the points champions. The points champions will have their entry fees paid for next year and they get a set of Odyssey Batteries valued at $1,000.”
There is a tight race in both divisions, Conner said, and with the finale being a two-day tournament with double points awarded for placement, the top anglers could be involved in a hard scramble to finish on top. In normal season events 250 points are awarded for first place, with a one-point drop for each place down from the top. This tournament is worth 500 points, with a two-point spread, Conner explained.
“There should be a three-way shootout to see who ends up as points champion on the boater side, Conner said. “Joel Eberts and Brad Weese are neck and neck, so there will be a shootout between those two to see who ends up on top. Then there is Ken Staton in third place who also has a chance at it.”
Weese, of Petersburg, W. Va., and Eberts of Powhatan, Va., both have 983 points. Staton, of Appomattox, Va., is 24 points behind.
Neither Weese nor Eberts has won a tournament this year, but they both finished in the top 10 in all four qualifying events so far. Staton has two top 15s and a top 10.
“On the Co-angler side Kevin Hensely has an 8-point lead over Robert Morris, so they could end up in a shootout, too,” Conner said.
In fact, only 17 points separate the top five Co-anglers. Hensley of Clarksville Va., leads with 984 points, trailed by Morris of Roanoke, Va., with 976. But the field tightens up right under Morris. Jerry Tyler of Weldon, N.C., trails Morris by 4 points; Terry Weese of Petersburg, W. Va., is only one point behind Tyler; and David Allen of Locust Grove, Va., is only three points behind Weese.
The top 40 anglers and co-anglers who advance to the regional championship on Smith Mountain Lake will be fishing there to make the top 50 in each division. The top 50 anglers and top 50 co-anglers will earn a berth in the National Championship on Lake Sam Rayburn in Texas in November.
“As far as the lake is concerned for this weekend, Kerr is down to 295 feet and water temperatures are starting to drop. Fishing is starting to pick up. The guys will be concentrating on the schools of shad and fishing around them,” Conner said.
Bassmaster Weekend Series - Virginia Division
Sep 29-30, 2012
Kerr / Buggs Island Lake
North Bend State Park
Call Gary Conner - 256-230-5627
Fishing Expected To Be Good For Accent Marine Final Qualifier On Kissimmee Chain
A month ago Hurricane Isaac was roaring towards Florida, threatening not only the Republican National Convention in Tampa, but also the next to last Accent Marine qualifying tournament on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes.
Isaac gave Florida a little slap before heading inland, causing the GOP to alter its schedule for the week, but it did not slam into the state as feared. The threat of bad weather associated with the storm also kept a lot of anglers home that weekend, so entries were down some from the 70-boat average enjoyed by the Accent Marine Tournament Trail for most of the year.
But the situation is a lot more favorable for fishing this Saturday, the last of the Accent Marine qualifiers for the year, said tournament director Ted Meyer.
“We're supposed to have pretty nice weather this weekend and the fishing is supposed to be good, too. A front came through and the weather should be in the 70s and 80s. Fishing should be either on a worm bite or flipping. Topwater may also still be pretty good.”
With fishing expect to be very good for the final Accent Marine regular season tournament Sunday, Meyer predicted it will take around 30 pounds to win.
“If the water is moving it may take more than that. But we should have a good tournament this weekend.”
Although Isaac was a threat, Meyer said the down economy and rising gasoline prices have hurt the series more than anything this year.
“That is certainly not helping our fishermen, but other than that it has really been going good this year, actually better than I thought it would,” he said, adding, “we'll just have to play it by ear and see what happens next year.”
The Accent Marine Tournament Trail features a 95 percent payback with 75 percent paid back at each tournament and 20 percent held for the Classic. Teams must fish at least seven of the nine regular season tournaments to qualify for the classic.
Entry fee is $65 per boat, which includes Big Bass and the payback at each tournament goes through the top five places. All entries must be received by 5 p.m. the Friday before each tournament. Teams can weigh in six fish at a tournament. After Sunday's tournament the anglers who have fished seven tournaments will fish the Classic October 13-14, also out of Camp Mack.
“The anglers who supported the tournament trail all year long get to fish in the Classic,” Meyer said. “The ones who paid get to play.”
Accent Marine Tournament Trail
Sun, Sep 30, 2012
Kissimmee Chain of Lakes
Camp Mack's River Resort
Call 813-620-1042 or 1309
B.a.s.s. Releases 2013 Opens Schedule
The 2013 Bassmaster Opens Scedule is out. As usual, 3 different divisions will each offer 3 tournaments on diverse water bodies.
Again, the Opens offer a path to the Elite Series, as the top 5 anglers in each division are invited to join the big leagues.
And once again, the Opens offer a shot at the Bassmaster Classic for winning anglers who fish all 3 events in their division.
On days 1 and 2 all anglers will weigh-in at lakeside while nearby Bass Pro Shops retail locations will host the final weigh in. Only the top 12 compete on the final day.
Southern Open #1 - Jan 31-Feb 2 - Lake Toho, Kissimmee, FL
Southern Open #2 - April 4-6 - Douglas Lake, Dandridge, TN
Southern Open #3 - May 16-18 - Lake Logan Martin, Pell City, AL
Northern Open #1 - June 13-15 - James River, Richmond, VA
Northern Open #2 - Aug 1-3 - Oneida Lake, Syracuse, NY
Northern Open #3 - Sept 12-14, Lake Erie, Sandusky, Ohio
Central Open #1 - April 25-27 - Red River, Shreveport, LA
Central Open #2 - Sept 19-21 - Arkansas River, Muskogee, OK
Central Open #3 - Oct 17-19 - Ross Barnett Reservoir, Jackson Miss.
Priority online registration for the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens begins Oct. 16; B.A.S.S. Federation Nation and Lifetime members can register online beginning Oct. 23, and other B.A.S.S. members wishing to fish all three tournaments in a division may register online on Oct. 30. Additional dates have been set for call-in registration and for anglers wishing to fish only one or two events. A complete schedule is available on Bassmaster.com.
B.a.s.s., Sealy Outdoors Partner In Big Bass Splash Events
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Two of the oldest and most prominent bass tournament organizations — B.A.S.S. and Sealy Outdoors — have signed a joint agreement to market and promote the popular Big Bass Splash series of events.
Under the agreement, Sealy’s big-bass tournaments beginning in 2013 will be named the “Big Bass Splash Presented by Sealy Outdoors and B.A.S.S.” In addition, Big Bass Splash weigh-ins will be streamed live on Bassmaster.com, and the events will be covered in B.A.S.S. media.
Founded in 1984 by Texas angler Bob Sealy, the organization conducts five tournaments a year, attracting thousands of participants to weekend contests on some of the country’s best trophy bass lakes. Guides on those lakes and top-level professional anglers are not allowed to compete. Instead, Sealy targets everyday anglers, including children, with his fun and festive tournaments.
Weigh-ins are held hourly, with as many as 12 big bass each hour earning a share of the prize money.
“We are joining forces with B.A.S.S. in order to help bass fishing grow,” said Sealy. “We want to get more people involved in fishing, and so does B.A.S.S. We’re very family-oriented.” To that end, separate prizes are awarded in the “Little Anglers Division.”
Sealy noted that in one event a few years ago, an 11-year-old boy, fishing with his father and grandfather, boated an 11.57-pound bass and won the $100,000 grand prize package, including a bass boat and SUV. “Ever since then, we’ve had more sons and daughters fishing with fathers and mothers at every event,” he said.
Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO, said the partnership will strengthen B.A.S.S.’s already extensive reach into the grass roots of sportfishing, expanding it to wider audiences, especially recreational anglers, youngsters and those new to the sport.
“Through Bassmaster.com and Bassmaster Magazine, we intend to increase awareness of the Big Bass Splash tournaments and grow participation in bass fishing,” Akin said. “At the same time, we expect that our members and online viewers will enjoy our coverage of these fun, exciting, family-friendly fishing events.”
The Big Bass Splash, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2014, is the world’s largest amateur big bass fishing tournament, and it has been featured in a recent National Geographic television special. Proceeds from the events benefit the Ronald McDonald House and select McDonald’s children’s charities. Sealy now has five events in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Tennessee, with plans to reach Arkansas, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina in the next few years.
Jb Custom Rods - Piedmont Bass Classics $5,000 Fall Trail Results - Shearon Harris - September 23, 2012
16 teams arrived at the ramp for the 3rd qualifier in the 2012 JB Custom Rods~Piedmont Bass Classics $5,000 Fall Team Bass Tournament Trail, and were greeted with a beautiful Fall morning!
44 keepers were brought to the scales weighing in at a total of 99 pounds! Todd Sumner of Southern Pines & Richard Greene of Laurinburg had 5 solid bass that weighed 17.80 pounds winning the 1st place prize of $640!
2nd Place went to the team of Scott Mooneyham of Fayetteville & Curtis Bourne of Raleigh. They won $385 for 2nd, $210 for the Big Fish and 1st Place TWT worth $350, for a grand total of $945!
The day started with 63 degrees at blastoff, then slowly got into the upper 70's at weighin. No wind was around in the morning, but about 10am it picked up, blowing 10 to 15 at times. The morning bite was hot for top water baits, but when the wind picked up things slowed down. Most fish were caught in 2 to 12 feet of water. Top water, crankbaits & Rat-L-Traps worked around grass lines seemed to work best and worm rigs kicked in the other bites. Water temps were around 75 degrees. The Big Fish weighed in at 6.35 pounds! I want to thank all the anglers that participated and that support this trail.
Our next tournament will be the 2012 JB Custom Rods~Piedmont Bass Classics Fall Team Bass Trail Qualifier #4 at Falls Lake out of Ledge Rock Wildlife Ramp, Sunday, September 30th. This will be our last event at Falls for 2012. Teams still have a chance to fish in the Championship if they fish the last 4 events in the Fall Trail as a team. Don't miss out on this great chance to win some nice paybacks!
I have waived the deposit fee for the Fall Trail. If you want to enter any or all of these Fall Trail events, please complete an entry blank for each one you want to enter and either give them to me or mail them in. (no phone in entries Please!) This will help you get a good starting position for the tournments you want to fish. These are all 'Open Sunday Tournaments', except for the Championship which you have to qualify for. Please read the rules! All the information can be found on the below web page:
http://www.piedmontbassclassics.com/2012FTMainPage.html
All the information on our Fall Trail tournaments can be found at: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Todd Sumner & Richard Greene of Southern Pines & Laurinburg...5 bass...17.80 lbs...$640
2nd Place: Scott Mooneyham & Curtis Bourne of Fayetteville & Raleigh...3 bass...10.17 lbs...$385
3rd Place: Chad Craven & Tommy Farley of Raleigh & Colonial Heights, VA...5 bass...10.05 lbs...$255
1st Place Big Fish..2nd Place Team above...6.35 lbs...$210
2nd Place Big Fish..Rick Ohlson & Joey Davis of Garner...4.96 lbs...$90
1st Place TWT..2nd Place Team above: 10.17 lbs...$350
2nd Place TWT..3rd Place Team above: 10.05 lbs...$150
Contact Information:
Phil McCarson ... Tournament Director
919-471-1571 or 919-971-5042
email: [email protected]
web: piedmontbassclassics.com
Scott Mooneyham & Curtis Bourne finished 2nd with 10.17 lbs, including a 6.35 lb bass that won Big Fish!
Greg Vinson Shows New Netbait Colors!
Bassmaster Elite Series pro Greg Vinson made a run at the 2012 Bassmaster Classic title with his favorite Netbait lures. Here he shows us the newest color combos from the Alabama-based manufacturer. From ICAST 2012!
Rose Wins In Wire-To-Wire Fashion At Walmart Flw Tour On Wheeler Lake Presented By Ranger Boats
DECATUR, Ala. (Sept. 23, 2012) – National Guard pro Mark Rose again brought the largest stringer to the scales Sunday – for the third time in four days – to win the Walmart FLW Tour Open on Wheeler Lake presented by Ranger Boats. Rose weighed in a five-bass limit worth 16 pounds, 14 ounces to win the $125,000 prize after leading wire-to-wire, besting the bass-fishing pros from all across the United States.
Rose Widens Lead At Walmart Flw Tour On Wheeler Lake Presented By Ranger Boats
14th: Goodwill pro Chad Grigsby, Maple Grove, Minn., 14 bass, 33-15, $6,720
Rose Continues To Lead Walmart Flw Tour On Wheeler Lake Presented By Ranger Boats
16th: Tommy Martin, Hemphill, Texas, 10 bass, 24-13
Check Out The Super Capacitor That Cranks Outboards And Charges Trolling Batteries While You Fish!
David Nelson shows us the REVOLUTIONARY Super Capacitor that cranks your boat and charges trolling motor batteries while you fish! You've got to see this - from ICAST 2012!
Rose Leads Walmart Flw Tour Open On Wheeler Lake Presented By Ranger Boats
Alabama’s Martin Leads Co-Anglers
Walser Looking For Solid Finish In High Rock Tournament On Way To Bfl Hat Trick
Robert Walser of Lexington, NC. Photo courtesy FLW Outdoors.
Robert Walser is trying to complete possibly the first hat trick in Walmart BFL competition by qualifying for regional championships from the North Carolina, South Carolina and Piedmont Divisions in the next couple of weeks.
The Lexington, N.C., angler kicked off his quest for the rare bass fishing trifecta with a 22nd place finish in the Piedmont Division BFL super tournament last weekend on Kerr/Bugs Island. He moves on this weekend to the North Carolina Division BFL super tournament on High Rock Lake, just 20 minutes from his home. And he will wrap up his challenge with the South Carolina BFL super tournament Sept. 29 on Clarks Hill Lake.
If he stays in the top 40 in each division he will move on to the Regional Championships. South Carolina qualifiers go to Kerr Lake Oct. 11-13, North Carolina qualifiers go to Pickwick Lake Oct. 18-20 and Piedmont qualifiers go to Cherokee Lake on Oct. 4-6.
The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
Walser has a stellar career in BFL competition. He was Angler of the Year in the South Carolina Division in 1999 and 2000, and has been in the top 10 in points eight times since 1995. He was Angler of the Year in the Piedmont Division in 2007 and 2011 and has been in the top 10 in five of the 10 years he fished that division And he has been in the top 10 in the North Carolina Division four of the six years he has fished that division.
He is ranked 5th and is the top money winner this year in the North Carolina Division, with $3,505. He is 34th in the Piedmont Division and 26th in the S.C. Division
“I have not been on High Rock at all,” Walser said. “I fished that Piedmont Division BFL at Buggs Island two weeks ago and then I went to Tennessee this past weekend because I'd never been to Lake Cherokee. I am hoping I can get to High Rock and practice Thursday.”
Walser said that although he has not fished High Rock in three weeks, he has heard that the fishing has got tough.
“We've had a lot of rain, so it is probably going to come back up some. I don't know how much it will muddy up, but I am pretty sure it will get muddy,” he said. “I am going to fish shallow regardless, so it is just a matter of finding some fish.”
Walser said his practice strategy will be to look for some shallow fish because the water is coming up. With between 2 and 3 inches of rain since Sunday, he expects the lake to rise 8 to 10 inches by tournament time.
“I will not be shocked if it takes 16 to 18 pounds a day, so it probably will take 35 pounds for the two days. I won't be shocked either if it takes at least 12 pounds just to get a check.”
Although he qualified in the final Piedmont Division tournament on Kerr, Walser uncharacteristically did not earn a check in that tournament. The break-point for earning a check was 10 pounds and he finished with four bass that weighed a total of 6 pounds.
“I had them eat a trailer off a jig. I had fish come two thirds of the way to the boat and come off. I was just losing fish and could not put it together for some reason. Normally I do good at Bugs, but I sure did not that weekend.”
His chances of completing the hat trick, however, are a pretty safe bet. All he has to do at Clarks Hill, for instance, is catch one keeper fish and he will make the regional. And then it will be off to the races in all three divisions
He will head to Clarks Hill next week, then go straight to Cherokee. Then he will come home, “change clothes and go straight to Bugs Island. I think I will get to work three days total in October I've got those three week-long regionals if I make the last one – and I'll be a day late to practice for every one of them,” he said.
“I've got three chances to win a boat, motor and trailer and they take six from each regional to the All American, so I've got 18 chances to make the All American,” he said. “That puts the odds in my favor, but some years it seems like I do everything right and other years I wonder if I can make it to the boat ramp, but one thing is for sure – I can't make it if I stay home.”
Walmart Bass Fishing League (BFL) - North Carolina Division
Sep 22-23, 2012
High Rock Lake
Tamarac Marina
Fishing May Be Challenging For Texas Bass Couples Championship On Lake Bob Sandlin
The 2012 Texas Bass Couples Championship on Lake Bob Sandlin on Big Cypress Creek near Mount Pleasant in Northeast Texas this weekend is expected to be a real challenge for most of the 80 anglers because so few of them have ever fished the lake before.
“The way I understand it from talking to some of the locals, is that fishing is tough,” said Tommy Busbee, who, with his wife, Pam, founded the Texas Bass Couples Tournament Trail. “A lot of small fish are being caught. Two or three of the locals claim 10 to 15 pounds a day will get a check in the tuornament.”
The lake is about three feet low, Busbee said, adding: “But that is a good condition compared to other lakes in the Central Texas area. Most all of them are down. I live on Lake Brownwood, which is about 15 feet low, and Lake Ivie is probably 40 feet low.”
Busbee said the 40 teams in the championship qualified through seven regional trails with six tournaments each.
“If they fished four they qualified or they could qualify with 250 points. First place in each tournament is 100 points, 99 for second and on down, plus they get 25 points just for showing up at a tournament.”
Busbee said the championship weekend will kick off Friday with a banquet where the Teams of the Year and Big Bass of the Year in all seven regions will be honored.
“We are a young and growing little tournament trail with fellowship as our number one goal,” he said.
Busbee also announced that he and his wife, Pam, are relinquishing the directorship of the West Region so they can visit and fish in all the other regions next year.
“We want to travel around the state to the other regions, meet more people, get more involved with them and with the local sponsors,” he said.
Taking over the West Region as directors will be Dalton and Carrie Cooley of Early, Texas, he said.
“They have been fishing in the couples trails I have been putting on for 20 years. They love getting together with the other anglers and enjoying the fellowship,” said Busbee.
He also announced the Texas Bass Couples Trail will hold an early bird tournament out of Oakridge Marina on Lake Fork Oct. 14. The event will be a “Two Team” draw tournament. Boat numbers will be drawn to match up teams. Team weights will be added together and winners will claim the pot.
Couples do not have to be members of the Texas Bass Couples Trail to enter. They can fish the tournament just to check out the trail, Busbee said. If a team then joins the Texas Bass Couples for the 2013 season they will get 25 points towards qualifying for the 2013 championship.
Entry fee for the Early Bird is $60 per team and $5 of that will go to the Big Bass payout. There will also be a Ladies Big Bass prize and a Smallest Bass Award.
2012 Texas Bass Couples Championship
Sep 21-23, 2012
Lake Bob Sandlin
Call 325-647-4116
West Virginia's Robby Fleshman Grabs The Lead With Eye-Popping Sack On Upper Chesapeake!
The size of his stringer caught the crowd by surprise. At first there was a stunned silence, then cheers and clapping. His five-fish limit tipped the scales at 21 pounds, 5 ounces. That put him 5 pounds, 7 ounces out in front.
“I fished weeds and wood,” said the Mountain State angler immediately after carrying his fish to the release boat. “I was shallow — in the 4 to 5 foot range — and moved around a lot with a moving bait. I don’t want to say any more than that right now. I’ll tell you more on Friday afternoon.”
Asked if he had enough fish left for tomorrow and Friday, Fleshman replied that he was confident his fish would hold up as far as numbers are concerned but he didn’t know about the weather affecting his bite. He was clearly worried that warming temperatures and clearing skies would not be kind to him.
Fleshman also claimed the day’s Cabela’s Big Bass honors with a 5-pound, 12-ounce hawg.
In the state team competition, Delaware is in first place with 40 fish totaling 93 pounds, 7 ounces. That’s 5 pounds, 5 ounces in front of second place Zimbabwe. Members of the African team managed 34 keepers on waters many miles from their home. Holding onto the third slot is Virginia, with Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and West Virginia rounding out the first day standings, respectively.
The leader for each state team advances to next month’s 2012 Cabela’s Bassmaster Federation Nation Championship on Alabama’s Wheeler Lake, Oct. 25-27. Fleshman leads for West Virginia, and other leaders after today are Waterman, Maryland; Donald Lauer, Delaware; Craig Townsend, New Jersey; Darin Doll, Pennsylvania; Bryant Copley, Virginia; and Glen Fowler, Zimbabwe.
A total of 203 fish were brought to the scales. They weighed 511 pounds, 15 ounces for an average weight of about 2 1/2 pounds. Mid-Atlantic anglers caught 18 limits.
Most of the anglers reported tough fishing conditions, which they attributed to yesterday’s storms, especially the high winds. For the most part, the fish were scattered with an intermittent bite. A few anglers did report, however, a traditional Upper Chesapeake Bay early morning feast along with an afternoon famine.
No matter the tough conditions, it was hard to find an angler who wasn’t looking forward to tomorrow morning’s launch.
Tune in to Bassmaster.com for photos, stories and live streaming of tomorrow’s weigh-in. Competitors launch tomorrow at 6:30 a.m. ET, and the weigh-in is at 2:30 p.m. Both are located at Anchor Marina in Northeast, Md.
B.a.s.s. Allstars
Here are just a few thoughts on the BASS Allstars coming to my home state of Illinois. I like the fact that they get to come to a lake that none of them have ever been to . I also like the fact that the fans will get to see the greatest anglers in the world compete. An I think it will help our economy a little which is always a good thing. As far as Lake Shelbyville goes, it does have some fish in it and in the spring and summer a few big bags can be caught. But for the most part fishing on that lake is tough. There are plenty of good looking spots, nice ledges, laydowns, and rip rap to fish but getting a bite can be difficult. This will be a junk fish tournament unless a guy pulls up on the right ledge and catches a few. That's right, I said few. I don't know much about Decatur Lake but I assume it to be about the same. It saddens me that the lakes in Illinois do not compare to the rest of the country. When I fish tournaments at home if you get five keeper bites, you did great. I do hope the fans show up for this event and everyone has a good time. I also hope I am wrong and these guys catch them. We will see.
Bernie Schultz Shows The New Double Deep Spinnerbait
From ICAST 2012, Bassmaster Elite Series veteran Bernie Schultz introduces us to a lure that plays very well this time of year - when deep bass have seen all of your worms, jigs and crankbaits - the Double Deep Spinnerbait will trigger big bites on deep structure!
Toyota All-Star Week And Flw Tour Open Set To Kick Off Thursday
(cue the Hank Williams Jr. music) Are you ready for some bass fishing?!?!?!
Bass tournament fans will have plenty of action to follow starting Thursday and running through the weekend.
The Bassmaster Elite Series Toyota All-Star Week Semi-Final round is about to begin Thursday morning on Lake Shelbyville near Decatur, IL.
After two days on the mysterious fishery that has never hosted a major tournament only four pros will survive the cut and fish Saturday on nearby Lake Decatur in a match-fishing style that pits the #1 seed against #4 and #2 against #3.
The two remaining anglers fish head-to-head at Decatur for all the marbles on Sunday.
Word is Shelbyville offers wood, both, deep and shallow and that jigs are the way to go, both, deep and shallow. If a little current runs the lake then anglers can expect solid action on the Original Chatterbait or Strike King Squarebill cranks and similar shad-imitating lures.
Meanwhile the FLW Tour Open pairs pros and co-anglers for a tough test on Wheeler Lake in North Alabama.
Why so tough? Well, September is seldom kind to Southern anglers in the first place. Also, Wheeler offers practically no grass. The bass are scattered in 2-to-22 feet of water. Recent rainy conditions, expected to continue for a couple more days, could generate current through the lake. That could set up a much improved bite, especially for the Alabama Rig crowd.
Otherwise, look for low weights as anglers junk fish in areas that feature an abundance of shad.
B.a.s.s. Opens Registration For Unique Bassmaster Marshal Program
B.A.S.S. members will have an exclusive opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the world’s best bass anglers as registration for the Bassmaster Elite Series Marshal program opens this month for the 2013 Bassmaster Elite Series season (see schedule below). The program gives members a unique glimpse into the world of the pros as they spend tournament days on the water, observing as the fishermen employ strategies and special tactics to bring in the biggest catches during the eight-tournament Bassmaster Elite Series season.
“The Bassmaster marshal program’s popularity has grown immensely since its inception,” said Trip Weldon, B.A.S.S. tournament director. “Imagine getting eight hours of one-on-one, on-the-water classroom instruction from the best bass anglers in the world. Bassmaster Elite Series pros have embraced the program, and they are willing to share a wealth of information that is sure to help their marshals become better anglers once they return home.”
Marshal registration for B.A.S.S Federation Nation and Life members opens Sept. 25 at 9 a.m. CST for online applications and Sept. 27 at 9 a.m. CST for phone applications. All B.A.S.S. members can register online Oct. 2 beginning at 9 a.m. CST and by phone Oct. 4 at 9 a.m. CST.
According to Weldon, scoring a marshal slot can be a challenge as B.A.S.S. members play a beat-the-clock game to submit their entries to serve as marshals for their favorite tournament locations.
“We have many serious and dedicated fans, and some tournaments have all marshal spots filled within 15 minutes of registration opening,” Weldon said.
Before each event, participating marshals attend a registration and briefing by B.A.S.S. officials, who provide them with copies of Bassmaster tournament rules. The marshals’ familiarity with the rules helps ensure the integrity of the highest level of professional fishing. Marshals, who must be at least 16 years old to participate, are randomly paired with Elite Series pros.
Marshals will also have the opportunity while on the water to operate BASSTrakk, a cell-phone-based scoring technology, which broadcasts data to the Bassmaster.com website, allowing fans to follow up-to-the-minute tournament action as Elite anglers battle it out for the top prize of $100,000.
All Elite Series marshals participate on the first two days of Elite Series competition, and some are selected to observe the pros on Day 3 or Day 4.
B.A.S.S. members who are interested in becoming marshals can register at www.Bassmaster.com/marshal or by calling 877-BASSUSA. The enrollment fee is $125, which includes an exclusive Bassmaster marshal shirt and hat.
| Date | Event Name | Destination | Fishery |
| March 14-17 | Sabine River Challenge | Orange, Texas | Sabine River System |
| March 21-24 | Falcon Slam | Zapata, Texas | Falcon Lake |
| April 18-21 | Bulls Shoals Quest | Bull Shoals, Ark. | Bull Shoals Lake |
| May 2-5 | West Point Battle | LaGrange, Ga. | West Point Lake |
| May 9-12 | Alabama River Charge | Montgomery, Ala. | Alabama River |
| June 20-23 | Mississippi River Rumble | La Crosse, Wis. | Mississippi River |
| Aug. 8-11 | St. Lawrence River Showdown | Waddington, N.Y. | St. Lawrence River |
| Aug. 22-25 | Lake St. Clair Championship | Detroit, Mich. | Lake St. Clair/ Detroit River |
Clouse Wins Paa Angler Of The Year
Gary Clouse, founder of Phoenix Boats, likes to mix a little tournament fishing into his schedule. He topped a number of pros from the FLW Tour, Bassmaster Elite Series and Opens as the season-long points leader and winner of the 2012 Angler of the Year on the Professional Anglers Association tourney series.
Clouse heads the list of competitors headed to the Toyota Texas Bass Classic.
Jb Custom Rods - Piedmont Bass Classics $5,000 Fall Trail Results - Falls Lake - September 16, 2012
10 teams arrived at the ramp for the 2nd qualifier in the 2012 JB Custom Rods~Piedmont Bass Classics $5,000 Fall Team Bass Tournament Trail, and the bite was a little better than Jordan Lake this time!
25 keepers were brought to the scales weighing in at a total of 70 pounds! Chad Craven of Raleigh and Tommy Farley of Colonial Heights, VA had 5 that weighed 18.36 pounds winning 1st place for the second time in the Fall Trail! They took 1st place, 2nd big fish and 1st TWT! All total, they won $720!
The day started with 63 degrees in the morning with rain starting at blastoff, then stayed in the 60's all day with rain heavy at times. Winds were light. Most fish were caught in 1 to 10 feet of water. Plastic worms and jigs, fished tight to laydowns and stumps in the river & main lake, seemed to be the preferred baits. Water temps were around 78 degrees. The Big Fish weighed in at 6.34 pounds!
I want to thank all the anglers that participated and that support this trail.
Our next tournament will be the 2012 JB Custom Rods~Piedmont Bass Classics Fall Team Bass Trail Qualifier #3 at Shearon Harris out of Holleman's Crossing Wildlife Ramp, Sunday, September 23rd. THIS SHOULD BE A GOOD ONE!
The Fall Trail lakes will include Shearon Harris, Falls & Jordan with the Championship at Harris.
All the information on our tournaments can be found at: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
http://www.piedmontbassclassics.com/2012FTMainPage.html
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Chad Craven & Tommy Farley of Raleigh & Colonial Heights, VA...5 bass...18.36 lbs...$520
2nd Place: Jeremy Martin & Charley Vaughn of Rougemont...5 bass...16.76 lbs...$280
1st Place Big Fish..2nd Place Team above...6.34 lbs...$140
2nd Place Big Fish..1st Place Team above...5.78 lbs...$60
1st Place TWT..1st Place Team above: 18.36 lbs...$140
2nd Place TWT..Ricky Petty & John Marlow of Gibsonville & Burlington: 12.10 lbs...$60
Contact Information:
Phil McCarson ... Tournament Director
919-471-1571 or 919-971-5042
email: [email protected]
web: piedmontbassclassics.com
2nd Place Team Jeremy Martin & Charley Vaughn
Patrick Pierce And Rich Bellanger Of St Croix Show The Legend Extreme!
Bassmaster Open and PAA Tournament Series pro Patrick Pierce stops by the St Croix booth at ICAST 2012 to talk with Rich Bellanger about the Legend Extreme rods.
Brandon Gray Takes Home Over $40,000 In Cash/triton Boat Pkg At Ac Marine Lunker Challenge On Kerr-Full Results Here!
Brandon Gray beats out 175 other Anglers on Kerr Lake this weekend during this 2 day event to win a $27,000 Triton Boat/Trailer Pkg with his 6.22 LB Weekend Lunker.................he also won cash in the hourly weigh-in format to take home over $40,000 in Cash and Prizes. Full results are attached here.............congrats to Brandon!!
College Bass Series To Visit America’s Best Bass Lakes, Including Santee Cooper, Harris Chain, And Pickwick!
When college football winds down at year’s end, a different sort of competition — one played far from the gridiron — will begin. Teams representing colleges and universities from throughout the country will battle it out on some of the best bass fishing waters in the nation as the 2013 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series gets underway in January.
New this year is a conference format, challenging students to battle rival colleges for the biggest tournament bags and bragging rights in five regional tournaments, as well as a shot at entry in the season-ending Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Championship next summer.
College Series tournament manager Hank Weldon says the new format is a testament to the boom in popularity of college bass fishing.
“During the past few years we’ve seen the season evolve from one tournament annually to seven tournaments this year,” Weldon said.
“We’re really proud of the fact that College Series tournaments are being held on some of the hottest bass lakes in America,” he added. Five of the six qualifying tournaments will be held on lakes ranked on Bassmaster Magazine’s 100 Best Bass Lakes list, and four are in the Top 25.
The season kicks off Jan. 4-5 on the Harris Chain of Lakes out of Tavares, Fla., for Southern B.A.S.S. Conference anglers. The Central B.A.S.S. Conference regional tournament will be March 8-9 on Amistad Reservoir at Del Rio, Texas. Colleges farther west will fish Clear Lake in California, site of the Western B.A.S.S. Conference qualifier April 6-7 in Clear Lake, Calif. The Eastern B.A.S.S. Conference Regional will be held April 12-13 on the Santee Cooper lakes at Manning, S.C. And teams in the Midwestern B.A.S.S. Conference will compete May 29-30 on the Mississippi River at Fort Madison, Iowa.
College anglers from anywhere in the United States can participate in the new College Series Wildcard tournament June 14-15 on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Ala.
“The addition of the wildcard is something we’re excited about,” Weldon said. “In the regular season, colleges can only fish within their respective conferences. This tournament, which will take place at prime time for one of the best lakes in the nation, gives the fishing teams one last chance to make it to the championship.”
The College Series Championship, at a site to be announced, is a hotly contested fishing tournament in which schools compete for bragging rights and prizes as well as for a chance to fish a postseason qualifier for the Bassmaster Classic.
The Oklahoma State University team of Zack Birge and Blake Flurry won the Carhartt College Championship title in July 2012, while Matt Lee of Auburn University outlasted the top individual fishermen — including his own brother — to earn a coveted berth in the 2013 Classic on Grand Lake, Okla., Feb. 22-24. Lee will compete against the world’s best bass anglers for fishing fame and the $500,000 first prize.
College anglers interested in participating in the 2013 Carhartt College Series can get more information at Bassmaster.com or by contacting Weldon at 205-313-0957.
Anglers Will Be Fishing For That One Big Fish In Anglers Choice Marine Lunker Challenge
One big fish. That's what everybody will be fishing for on Kerr/Buggs Island this weekend in the Anglers Choice Marine Lunker Challenge sponsored by Triton Boats.
“It's definitely going to be interesting,” said Chris Lucas, tournament director for the Anglers Choice Marine Tournament Trail hosted by the Bass Boat Superstore located in Martinsville, Va. “Each guy will weigh in just one fish each day and the one who weighs in the biggest fish each day will get a big check.”
In fact, the daily purse is $10,000, paid to seven places based on a minimum of 150 anglers. The biggest bass each day will be worth $4,000 to the angler who catches it. Second biggest will be worth $2,500, third biggest $1,250, fourth biggest $1,000, fifth and sixth biggest $500 each and seventh biggest $250.
And, he added, it gets even better for the angler who has two fish that combine for the top total weight for the weekend – a new Triton Boat, motor and trailer.
“This is the first time we have done this and we are doing it for the Triton side of our tournament trail,” Lucas said. “Triton is providing the bass boat for the angler with the top total weight for two days.”
Entry fee for the Lunker Challenge is $150 per angler and anglers may fish alone or with another angler. Early registration will run through 12 noon Thursday by calling Tonya Holt at Anglers Choice, 276-632-5600 or 800-632-4665.
“We will also be taking registration at the ramp Saturday morning, starting about 5 o'clock,” Lucas said. However, starting positions will be determined by the order of registration, so the earlier an angler registers the earlier his boat can move out.
Lucas said almost 100 anglers had already registered by Tuesday afternoon, so he feels the tournament will reach the minimum 150 anglers by launch time Saturday.
“We usually pick up 40 to 50 guys the morning of the tournament, guys who just register at the ramp, and we are getting some calls from guys who plan to do that,” Lucas said. “I talked to one angler from Wilmington,N.C., and he said there were eight from there coming up to fish the tournament, so it looks like we are going to have a pretty good spread out field.”
He said the routine will be similar to that at a regular Anglers Choice tournament.
“We are going to have a steak biscuit from Hardee's, granola bar and drink for everyone Saturday morning and then Sunday afternoon when we finish the weigh-in we will have dinner for them. We are going to have door prizes donated by Triton, just like at one of our regular tournaments.”
As for the fishing, he said he has not received any recent reports on how fish are being caught at Kerr, but he expects everyone will be throwing big baits in hopes of catching a really big bass.
Lucas noted that the regular season for the Anglers Choice Marine Tournament Trail has ended and the field is now set for the two-day Classic Oct. 13-14 on Smith Mountain Lake with some 170 teams qualified. Teams had to fish a minimum of four tournaments to qualify for the Classic where the winners will take home a new Ranger Z118 boat with a Mercury Opti Max motor and trailer and Lowrance electronics.
“We have a tie again for the Jiffy Automotive Points Championship,” he said, “so we will have a fish-off at the Classic The team between the two tied for first place that finishes with the highest weight at the Classic will be declared points champions for the 2012 season.”
Tied for first place for the second year in a row are Kenny and Brandon Reynolds and Mike Altizer and Mike Pendleton. Kenny and Brandon Reynolds also won the Jiffy Automotive Big Bag of the Year award, a five-fish limit caught in the first tournament of the year at Smith Mountain Lake that weighed 23.31 pounds.
“Geoff Hill and Chris Vaught won the Jiffy Automotive Big Fish of the Year award with an impressive largemouth caught at Smith Mountain Lake on June 16 that weighed 7.10 pounds,” Lucas said.
ANGLER'S CHOICE MARINE LUNKER CHALLENGE TOURNAMENT
Sep. 15-16, 2012
Kerr / Buggs Island Lake
Occoneechee State Park Ramp #1
Pre-Register with Tonya Holt at Angler's Choice - 276-632-5600
www.anglerschoicemarine.com/home/38-tournaments/111-lunker-challenge-2012.html
Thrift Hoping To Hold High Ranking In 3Rd Flw Tour Open On Wheeler Lake
FLW Tour Pro Bryan Thrift
Bryan Thrift has one job – bass fishing – and he has been at the top of the game for most of the six years he has been at it.
The Shelby, N.C., angler has won over $1 million in his short career, with 28 top 10 finishes in tournaments, including five wins. In his six years on the FLW Tour he has made the Forrest Wood Cup six times, finishing in the top 10 four times, including 5th in 2007, his rookie year, and 3rd this August on Georgia's Lake Lanier. He has been ranked in the top 10 five of the past six years in the points standings and was the FLW Tour Angler of the Year in 2010.
Throughout it all, Thrift has relied on an innate ability to locate and catch quality fish most of the time, a talent he says comes simply from “fishing hard.”
“That's the only thing I know. I kind of catch them on whatever and wherever,” he said in unpretentious understatement. “I used to just throw a jig everywhere, but it seems like once I quit doing that and started throwing a little bit of everything I started doing better.”
Thrift said that will be the basis of his strategy when practice starts Sunday for the third FLW Tour Open tournament of the year on Alabama's Wheeler Lake. The tournament will run Sept. 20-23.
“I'll probably run all over the lake and try to fish a little bit of everything,” said Thrift who has fished Wheeler twice before, placing around 23rd once and “not good at all” the other time.
He plans to refine his strategy in practice, he said.
“I'll probably start out shallow. It is a Tennessee River lake and you can always catch fish shallow on the Tennessee River. I'll also have to spend some time out on the ledges, particularly if they pull some current.”
Thrift, who is currently ranked 4th in the FLW Tour Opens Division, said diversity is the key to his fishing success. He finished 6th in the first Open of the year on Lake Okeechobee in February and 33rd in the second Open tournament on the Detroit River in August.
“If you fish somewhere all the time and fish the same places there you never really learn anything new. You just have to keep trying different stuff, learn something new.”
Although his Dad introduced him to fishing, taking him to ponds and down to the river when he was growing up, he said Louie Hull, who makes the popular Shooter Lures, was the person who guided him into bass tournament fishing.
“Before I had my first boat he got me started fishing lakes and fishing for bass. Once I picked up bass fishing, Louie took me under his wing and showed me the ropes,” he said. “I always liked fishing. It seemed liked it came naturally to me. And then Louie and I fished tournaments together for a long time.”
Thrift said his goal is to stay in the top 30 in points and qualify for his seventh Forrest Wood Cup in 2013. The 2013 Forrest Wood Cup will be in Shreveport, La., Aug. 15-18 on the Red River.
FLW Tour Open
Sep 20-23, 2012
Wheeler Lake
Ingalls Harbour
Elite Series Pro Jason Williamson Talks Duckett Fishing Rods At Icast 2012!
'J-Will' tells us what makes Duckett Fishing's White Ice Pro Series so special. Big Rods. Micro Magic guides.
Lake Wylie To Host National Guard Flw College Fishing Southeastern Conference
Carolina Coach And Marine Monday Night Tournament Results
A couple of familiar names remain at the top of the Points lead after the most recent tournament Monday night. Scott Hamrick and Chuck Poovey (and Jeff Johnson as alternate) came up with 13 points Monday to bring their total to 752 and keep their lead over Dave Snyder and Bobby Derrick, who now have 692 points.
Here are the complete results for the Monday Night tournament:
| Team Number | Name | LAST WEEK | Big Fish | Total Weight | Points | TOTAL |
| 5 | Scott Hamrick & Chuck Poovey & Jeff Johnson | 739.00 | 2.35 | 4.90 | 13.00 | 752.00 |
| 2 | Dave Snyder & Bobby Derrick | 677.00 | 1.85 | 6.35 | 15.00 | 692.00 |
| 4 | Chad/Austin Schroeder & Todd Evans | 562.00 | 1.95 | 7.70 | 22.00 | 584.00 |
| 6 | Nick Miller & Brandon Brickweg | 552.00 | 552.00 | |||
| 18 | Larry Neil & Mark Beaver | 483.00 | 1.90 | 1.90 | 10.00 | 493.00 |
| 8 | David Wheeler & Joseph Wheeler | 477.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.00 | 485.00 |
| 22 | Steven Hobbs & Ryan Hardwick | 449.00 | 2.30 | 6.60 | 16.00 | 465.00 |
| 1 | Matthew Benge & Josh Benge | 455.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.00 | 463.00 |
| 7 | Chris Myatt & Andrew Shundich | 401.00 | 401.00 | |||
| 9 | Mike Cloninger & Shane Hawkins | 347.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.00 | 355.00 |
| 28 | Charles Hobbs & Chris Barnes | 321.00 | 4.10 | 13.75 | 29.00 | 350.00 |
| 34 | Steve Addington & Matt Stout | 286.00 | 2.80 | 9.75 | 28.00 | 314.00 |
| 13 | Hank Cherry & Reed McGinnis | 263.00 | 2.05 | 9.15 | 27.00 | 290.00 |
| 3 | Kyle Whisnant & Mac Lowe | 285.00 | 285.00 | |||
| 31 | David Clubb & Jack Caldwell | 258.00 | 2.05 | 3.90 | 12.00 | 270.00 |
| 25 | Shane Lawrence & Matt Mumme | 249.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.00 | 257.00 |
| 14 | Chuck Knight & Mike Hill | 223.00 | 2.05 | 7.20 | 20.00 | 243.00 |
| 16 | Andy Burch & Duane Rinkey | 223.00 | 2.05 | 5.50 | 14.00 | 237.00 |
| 17 | Dale Surrett & Kevin Thomas | 196.00 | 2.05 | 8.60 | 26.00 | 222.00 |
| 26 | Roger Wood & Steve Austin | 180.00 | 2.10 | 7.05 | 19.00 | 199.00 |
| 32 | John Holly & Joe Dimillo | 197.00 | 197.00 | |||
| 33 | Joe Dimillo Sr & Steven Wizorek | 172.00 | 1.80 | 1.80 | 9.00 | 181.00 |
| 44 | Eddie Black & Cliff Kirby | 164.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.00 | 172.00 |
| 30 | Brett Kubin & Chris Pease | 160.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.00 | 168.00 |
| 23 | Pete Betje & Charlie Brock | 160.00 | 160.00 | |||
| 11 | Aaron Miles & Buck Morgan | 158.00 | 158.00 | |||
| 51 | Craig Chambers & Jami Fralick | 127.00 | 2.40 | 8.25 | 23.00 | 150.00 |
| 35 | Shane Lehew & Adam Waters | 120.00 | 2.20 | 8.55 | 25.00 | 145.00 |
| 55 | Scott & Dwight Beattie | 120.00 | 1.80 | 6.35 | 15.00 | 135.00 |
| 53 | Butch Holder | 113.00 | 3.25 | 7.30 | 21.00 | 134.00 |
| 47 | Dave Munari & Jamie Munari | 112.00 | 2.65 | 6.65 | 17.00 | 129.00 |
| 38 | Bob Furstenburg & Rob Digh | 111.00 | 1.25 | 2.90 | 11.00 | 122.00 |
| 39 | Britt Brookshire & Clint Conner | 122.00 | 122.00 | |||
| 36 | Cole Blythe & Nick McCold | 119.00 | 119.00 | |||
| 19 | Mike Clark & Mike Ray | 112.00 | 112.00 | |||
| 45 | Jonathan Foster & Jason Dehart | 91.00 | 2.30 | 6.85 | 18.00 | 109.00 |
| 10 | Roger Hoover & John Yarber | 106.00 | 106.00 | |||
| 41 | Bucky Helms | 102.00 | 102.00 | |||
| 50 | Jerry Lineberger & Ken Stamey | 97.00 | 97.00 | |||
| 46 | Matt McBee | 81.00 | 81.00 | |||
| 29 | Derek Stallings & Alton Rockett | 73.00 | 73.00 | |||
| 24 | Brandon Abernathy & Bailey Abernathy | 71.00 | 71.00 | |||
| 27 | Charles Copeland & Christian Wurtz | 54.00 | 54.00 | |||
| 15 | Larry Houser | 42.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.00 | 50.00 |
| 42 | Rob & Aaron Digh | 49.00 | 49.00 | |||
| 49 | Drew Montgomery | 47.00 | 47.00 | |||
| 60 | Jonathon James | 21.00 | 3.15 | 8.55 | 25.00 | 46.00 |
| 58 | James Roaten & Jonathan Blankenship | 44.00 | 44.00 | |||
| 59 | Jeff Queen & Micheal Smith | 18.00 | 2.10 | 8.40 | 24.00 | 42.00 |
| 21 | Dale Sanford & Jeff Johnson | 41.00 | 41.00 | |||
| 56 | Jason May & Arnold Humphries | 39.00 | 39.00 | |||
| 57 | Ronnie & Terry Pittman | 36.00 | 36.00 | |||
| 66 | Roger Gaffin & Alfie Jr. | 0 | 3.35 | 14.15 | 30.00 | 30.00 |
| 62 | Timothy Scronce | 30.00 | 30.00 | |||
| 65 | Shane Moran & Anthony William | 21.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.00 | 29.00 |
| 48 | Jeff Lewis & Brian Lefever | 27.00 | 27.00 | |||
| 54 | Chris O'Neal & Randy O'Neal | 26.00 | 26.00 | |||
| 63 | Mike Moose & JR Rivis | 25.00 | 25.00 | |||
| 12 | Brian Morgan & Jose | 20.00 | 20.00 | |||
| 20 | Bob Bauer | 19.00 | 19.00 | |||
| 43 | Chris & Jamie Barnes | 18.00 | 18.00 | |||
| 40 | Bill Griffin & Matthew Griffin | 17.00 | 17.00 | |||
| 52 | Cole Blythe & Zach McCord | 17.00 | 17.00 | |||
| 37 | Patrick King & Albert March | 17.00 | 17.00 | |||
| 61 | Brian Walker | 11.00 | 11.00 | |||
| 64 | Rick Self & Larry Si Hoyle | 8.00 | 8.00 |
High School Anglers To Get Schooled By Bassmaster Elite Series Pros!
DECATUR, Ill. — Scores of high school students will have a chance to rub shoulders with and learn fishing techniques from some of the world’s best professional anglers in the Bassmaster High School Elite Experience, to be held Saturday, Sept. 22.
The event is free to students in grades nine through 12. It is part of the Bassmaster Toyota Trucks All-Star Week, Sept. 20-23, in Decatur, Ill., and it’s intended to instill in youngsters a passion for fishing.
“The Elite Experience in Decatur will give these students a chance to see many aspects of bass tournament fishing as B.A.S.S. makes its first-ever visit to the Decatur area,” said Jerry McKinnis, co-owner of B.A.S.S. and a popular television fishing show host and producer. “Along with the four-day All-Star competition, there will be plenty of activities for the kids, including special seminars on fishing crankbaits, soft plastics, finesse tactics and more — all presented by Bassmaster Elite pros and geared toward high school anglers. Meeting the pros and learning from them will be a truly memorable experience.”
The All-Star competition itself will be exciting for the youngsters and their families, as well as other fishing fans. It features 12 of the top bass anglers in the world competing for a $100,000 prize purse. The field includes the Top 8 competitors in the season-long Bassmaster Elite Series, along with four “fan favorites” selected through online voting at Bassmaster.com. Related activities include a special Hope For The Warriors fishing tournament for wounded veterans, a college bass fishing tournament, concerts and more.
Introduced during the 2012 Bassmaster Elite Series tournament trail, the Bassmaster High School Elite Experience will be a regular feature of Elite events in 2013. According to Jon Stewart, senior manager of B.A.S.S. Federation Nation and head of the high school program, “These kids will have a chance to talk to the top pros, ask questions, and see B.A.S.S. tournament operations behind the scenes. That’s a real thrill for them, and the anglers like to encourage them to keep fishing for the love of the sport. We have fans that stand in long lines just to get autographs from these expert bass fishermen. The high school students will have the opportunity to actually learn from the sport’s ‘greats.’”
“This High School Elite Experience has had a very positive impact when we have held it in the past,” McKinnis said. “We’re expecting record attendance from Illinois students at our postseason tournament, and we look forward to expanding the program to include more young people in 2013.”
The High School Elite Experience will begin at 9 a.m. and will continue through weigh-in at Nelson Park in Decatur, Ill. For information or to register, contact Jon Stewart at [email protected]or call 205-313-0900.
Eaker Returning To Site Of His 'retirement' To Fish Paa Tournament On The Arkansas River
Legendary boat manufacturer and fishing icon Earl Bentz once asked prominent bass pro Guy Eaker when he was going to retire.
“Retire and do what, fish?” retorted the veteran tournament angler from Cherryville, N.C. “That’s what I do.”
Eaker actually “retired” two years ago, dropping off the Bassmaster Elite Series to spend more time at home and care for his wife who suffers from fibromyalgia. But, with his 73rd birthday coming up in November he is still pursuing bass and entering big-time tournaments, just not as much as he did in the 35 years he was a regular on the B.A.S.S. Trail.
During that span he fished 286 B.A.S.S. events and qualified for 10 Bassmaster Classics. This year he is fishing the 2012 Bass Pro Shops PAA Tournament Series and the final PAA tournament of the year next week will bring him full circle back to his final B.A.S.S. Elite Series event on the Arkansas River in 2010.
“I fished the Arkansas River for three days in practice then and was catching a lot of 3- to 5-pound fish. But we had 5 inches of rain that last day of practice,” Eaker recalled. “Then I got a text message on my cell phone. It said, 'Get off the river. There's a wall of water coming.' Before I got back to the landing I hit a log. They were floating everywhere.”
The river had become extremely dangerous to boaters. The next day as Eaker was crossing the bridge he looked down and saw the river was up out of the banks. B.A.S.S. moved the tournament to Fort Gibson Lake and all the work he had put in finding quality fish went down the river with the flood.
“I thought I was on enough fish to really do good on the Arkansas River,” Eaker said. “I was trying to help Paul Elias because he was on the verge of making the Bassmaster Classic. We do a lot of trading, so I told him something I was doing,”
Eaker explained that Elias fished deep while he prefers to fish shallow.
“I told him to fish the rocky points. I was catching fish on crankbaits and a Shakey Head. He went out and caught 15 pounds a day and I caught 13 pounds a day. He was the last man to make the Classic.”
So, Eaker will return to the Arkansas River and once again the weather is expected to play a major role. Hurricane Isaac drenched the region in the past week and places that were bone dry from a pervasive drought are now under water.
“It is all according to how much water is running in the river. You can catch fish off the wing dams in the river, but that storm put a lot of water in the river, so until we get there I won't know how that river is running.”
Eaker and his traveling buddy, fellow PAA competitor David Hendrix who co-owns The Great Outdoors in Cherryville, will leave early Saturday morning and drive straight through to Three Forks Harbor Marina in Muskogee, Okla.
“We'll get on the water Monday morning and practice three days before the tournament,” Eaker said. We might have to fish the bayous, little creeks and sloughs, places you could not get into when the water was say down.”
The high water will change everything, Eaker said, but he feels with three solid days of practice he will be able to find some good fish and get on a solid pattern.
“If I get on a good pattern I will just stay with it,” he said. “Sometimes you can take a spinnerbait, a crankbait and a buzzbait and cover a lot of water – and maybe catch bigger fish, too.”
Eaker enters the tournament ranked 18th in points and needs to have a good tournament so he can move up into the top 15 in the rankings. The top 15 from the 2012 Bass Pro Shops PAA Tournament Series Angler of the Year standings qualify for the Toyota Texas Bass Classic on Lake Conroe, which has long been considered a world championship of bass fishing. Besides the top 15 from the PAA Series, the TTBC will also feature the top 15 from the 2012 Walmart FLW Tour Angler of the Year list, the top 15 from the 2012 Bassmaster Elite Series Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year standings, four tournament sponsor exemptions and 2011 Champion Keith Combs.
The 2012 Toyota Texas Bass Classic will be held September 28-30 at Conroe, Texas.
“I've got a little work to do next week to make the Classic,” Eaker said. “As for retirement, I am not going to sit in my chair and die. I plan to stay active. My health is pretty good and I feel I can still compete. I don't mind fishing a week at a time. The only thing I hate is the long drive. It's a thousand miles to this tournament.”
Bass Pro Shops PAA Arkansas River Tournament
Sep 10-15, 2012
Arkansas River
Three Forks Harbor
www.fishpaa.com/2012-arkansas-river-tournament-info
Byrum's General Store Clearance This Week With Final Day This Sat!!
Byrums General Store owner Robby Byrum takes us through some of his remaining inventory as his store is closing down after 122 years! This really is a special place and if you haven't ever had the chance to swing by, this is your last chance as Sat is the final Day! Everything in the store is 50% off, so come and get it!!
Hot Points Race Title On The Line This Weekend In Piedmont Bfl On Kerr/buggs Island
Jeff Salmon of Chester, VA. Photo courtesy FLW Outdoors.
A dozen years ago Jeff Salmon was getting his feet wet in the Walmart BFL Piedmont Division, and learning about tournament fishing.
But life happens. He and his wife welcomed several children into the world and tournament fishing was relegated to the back burner. He competed sporadically for the next decade or so.
This year he was able to return to tournaments full time and he made that return a successful one. The Chester, Va., angler is leading the Piedmont Division points race by 24 points going into the final two-day divisional tournament this weekend on Kerr/Buggs Island. But he knows the points title is not a done deal at this point.
“The guys behind me are no slouches, that's for sure. I have to do pretty well this weekend to hold on.”
Nipping at Salmon's heels are Chris Baldwin of Lexington, N.C., and Jeff Gore of Lynchburg, Va., both tied with 732 points, 24 behind Salmon.
“I have not been down there since this spring,” Salmon said. “I plan to get down there sometime Thursday and kick around the lake a little bit just to see what's happening with the fish. The weather patterns are changing, with some rain and storms coming, so there is no telling what the fish will be doing in the tournament.”
Salmon said Buggs Island, which is about an hour and a half away from his home, is his favorite lake because of its size.
“You can get away from the crowd on that lake. You can go down and fish all day and not see another boat – and that's why I love it. I live on the tidal James River so I love the opportunity to catch fish anyway you want. It gives you a chance to fish your strengths and figure out a way to make them bite.”
Salmon said he is used to fishing muddy, moving water on the tidal James River.
“It doesn't matter if you are fishing six inches deep or six feet. And that is a great thing about Buggs Island. You can catch them in six inches of water every day of the year. That’s what makes that place so wonderful.”
A shallow water angler, Salmon said the lake is about 4 feet below normal pool this time of year, which tends to group up the fish, but it also changes the way the lake fishes.
“I am hoping the rain pushes some new water in. I want to find the new, moving water, and I hope to find some dirtier water, get in some new flooded stuff and work the banks to find out what they are doing. That kind of lake you can catch fish shallow all year long, even in the clearer water.”
But, if the fish are not shallow Salmon plans to cover his bases.
“I'll start there and then work my way out and figure out what areas they are holding in. Then I'll make some adjustments. If they are in 6 to 7 feet of water then that is what will happen.”
Salmon returned full time to tournament fishing this year with a foot in both major organization's schedules. He is not only fishing the FLW's Piedmont BFL circuit, he also competed on the Bassmaster Northern Open trail.
“I did okay, but I could have done a lot better,” said Salmon who finished 58th in Northern Open points. He earned a check in the Northern Open tournament on the James River, but finished far down in the pack in the two Opens on northern waters, including Cayuga lake in New York and the Detroit River in Michigan. He said, however, those experiences will help him in his tournament fishing, even in Southern waters.
“I got into more finesse fishing and with drop shot fishing in the Northern Opens and I got a little better with those techniques. That might be something I could employ if the bite gets real tough.”
Salmon said he plans to expand his tournament experiences by fishing the Southern Opens also next year, along with the FLW's EverStart Series.
The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each BFL division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
Walmart Bass Fishing League - Piedmont Division
Sep 8-9, 2012
Kerr / Buggs Island Lake
Nutbush Access - Kerr Lake State Recreation
Hope Floats At Oklahoma’s Fort Gibson Lake In Season Finale Of Bassmaster Central Open
Mike McClelland has been praying for fellow Bassmaster Elite Series pro Brent Chapman.
It’s not that pros aren’t always watching out for each other, but McClelland’s prayers are shaped by something less spiritual: a Bassmaster Classic qualification.
McClelland says he prayed for Chapman’s safe arrival in Wagoner, Okla., to compete in this week’s Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Central Open on Fort Gibson Lake.
Prayer answered.
“I heard he’s there already,” the angler from Bella Vista, Ark., said on Aug. 31 as he was traveling to the same destination.
Now, McClelland is praying that Chapman remains healthy and able to participate in the Sept 6-8 Open. All registered anglers compete Thursday and Friday. Only the Top 12 will move on to Saturday’s finale to vie for $50,000 in prizes and a ticket to the 2013 Bassmaster Classic.
If Chapman fishes on all days he’s eligible, then he can claim the Classic seat that came with his Open win back in February in the first Central Open of 2012. But he doesn’t need it, so he’ll pass it on to the next angler on the Elite points list, who happens to be McClelland.
Chapman would become a rare Classic triple-qualifier. One qualification was via an Elite win, another through the Elite points system, and third would be the berth gained on the Open trail.
“I’ve been on pins and needles,” McClelland said. “I never count my chickens before the eggs are hatched.”
Technically, McClelland doesn’t have to compete in the Open to get a Classic seat via Chapman, but the Arkansas angler is motivated to be there anyway.
“As long as Chapman is fishing, I’ll work hard to help Jeff Kriet through the course of week,” said McClelland.
McClelland would have to be in the Fort Gibson event to help Kriet because a competitor can receive assistance only from another competitor. This Open is important to Kriet: It’s the only door to Classic 2013 left for him, and McClelland is determined to help him open it.
Other Elite pros have a shot at Classic 2013 through the Open. Jared Lintner, one place below McClelland, could get in if the winner of the Open has already qualified for the Classic (and if the Chapman-McClelland scenario plays out).
Scott Rook, next after Lintner on the Elite points list, would then become the beneficiary of what is very likely to be a triple qualification by Chris Lane. Lane has one seat as defending Classic champ, and he has another via the Elite points system. Like Chapman, Lane would be a triple qualifier if he finishes out his Open division. For Lane, that’s the Central Open, which will wrap up in October.
McClelland — who last competed on Fort Gibson Lake in the 2010 Elite event, in which he finished ninth — said the lake has always favored a shallow-water fisherman. The bass are usually inshore, perhaps because the shad seem to hang in the shallows, he said.
“The lake is full of baitfish, which makes it a very fertile fishery. It has a good population of bass. But one thing we’re up against is the full moon phase, when fish feed at night, so conditions aren’t super-favorable.”
The Fort Gibson Open may not be won in a traditional shallow-pattern fashion, he speculated.
“This may be one of those events someone will win by finding something unique,” McClelland said.
That someone could well be Elite pro Tommy Biffle of Wagoner. Fort Gibson is his home lake, and he’s won there so many times, he’s lost count: “a bunch of times,” he said. One was the 2010 Elite event; his four-day weight was 73 pounds and 11 ounces.
Biffle doesn’t need the win to make the Classic. He accomplished that Aug. 26 at the Elite season finale, pulling himself up from 38th in the standings to finish at 27th place, inside the Top 28 cutline.
But before he secured his seat, he implemented Plan B. He spent weeks on Fort Gibson, fine-tuning a strategy that would net him a win if all else failed. He was doing everything in his power to ensure he would not sit out a Classic on Grand Lake, just upriver from Fort Gibson Lake.
“If something happened at Oneida, then I’d have to win the Open. I was covering my bases,” Biffle said.
The water is low, Biffle said. The level on Aug. 31, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers website, was 552.15 feet, almost 2 feet below the normal conservation pool level of 554 feet. At 552.15, the lake size comes in at 331,200 surface acres.
“We didn’t get any rain from the storm (Hurricane Isaac),” he said. “So those who have been practicing there for weeks might have some advantage. They started coming even before I left for Oneida (in mid-August).
Biffle is one of the Elite pros who could help another pro into the Classic.
“I know there’s one or two wanting me to win,” he said. “There’s a real, real good chance I can.”
Fans can watch the outcome in person or online at Bassmaster.com, where free-access coverage will be available all three days.
The Thursday and Friday weigh-ins will begin at 2:45 p.m. CT at Taylor Ferry North, east on Hwy. 51 out of Wagoner. On Saturday, the Top 12 from the first two days will weigh their catches at 3:45 p.m. at the Bass Pro Shops in Broken Arrow, Okla., 101 Bass Pro Drive.
Everstart Series Central Division Headed To Lake Of The Ozarks
OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (Sept. 5, 2012) – The EverStart Series is headed to Lake of the Ozarks Sept. 13-15 when as many as 300 pros and co-anglers take to the water for the fourth and final stop in the Central Division for 2012.
Lee Sisson On How New Bagley's Is Old Again!
Lee Sisson desgned the crankbaits that made Bill Dance and Roland Martin famous. Now the legendary lure designer and former Bassmaster Elite Series Pro talks about how his career has come full circle with the new ownership at Bagley's and their commitment to bring us the old actions and materials that made these lures popular in the first place.
Bertrand Looking To Move Up After Central Open Tournament On Fort Gibson Lake
Josh Bertrand of Gilbert, Arizona, traveled east three times in 2010 to fish the Bassmaster Central Open tournaments in Texas and Louisiana. It was his first venture into Bassmaster competition and his debut season was inauspicious as he finished out of the money in all three tournaments.
The 23-year-old did not fish B.A.S.S. in 2011, staying home to launch a full-time guide service. He kept his hand in tournament fishing, however, competing in local tournaments and fishing one FLW Western Division EverStart tournament on nearby Lake Roosevelt, finishing 11th and earning a check for $1881.
With his guide business firmly established, he returned to the Bassmaster Central Open Division this year, planning to do the best he could and gain plenty of experience, with the goal of eventually qualifying for the Bassmaster Elite Series.
After two tournaments he has gained a lot more than that. Bertrand is tied with wily veteran Brent Chapman of Kansas for the points lead in the Central Open Division. Chapman, who has fished B.A.S.S. for almost two decades, has notched four first place finishes, 11 Bassmaster Classic appearances, and has won just under $1.5 million.
Bertrand missed out on qualifying for the 2013 Bassmaster Classic in the first Central Open tournament of the year on Lewisville Lake in Texas when he tied for first place with Chapman in regulation, then dropped to a second-place finish in a fish-off with the veteran. Bassmaster Open tournament winners get an automatic qualification for the Bassmaster Classic.
He moved into a tie with Chapman for the points lead with a 19th place finish on Table Rock Lake in April and so far he has earned $19,782 in prize money in the Opens.
But Bertrand is very close to attaining his goal of moving up to the Elite Series sooner than expected. The top five in points in each Open Division qualify to move to the Elite Series and only a disastrous finish at the final 2010 Central Open tournament on Fort Gibson Lake in Oklahoma next week would knock him from first in the points below the the top five cut-off.
At this point, he said, “My hopes have definitely changed.”
Bertrand has been practicing on Fort Gibson Lake this week, looking for ways to focus in on the bass before the tournament begins next Thursday.
“We are catching some fish, but definitely not near what I would like as far as having a comfort level,” he said after his second day on the lake. “But the lake does feel very fishy and it is amazing how many fish are in the lake. I think I have caught six different species of fish each day of practice. There are a lot of smaller fish, but there are also plenty of keepers to be caught. You just have to get through a lot of stuff to get to them.”
One of the problems he faces, he said, is dealing with a lake so shallow compared to most of the deep-water lakes he fishes in the West.
“We've got shallow water fishing back home, but this lake has a completely different feel to it. A lot of the techniques you use are different, too.”
Bertrand described Fort Gibson as “a fairly flat lake that fishes fairly small.” He said it is filled with rocks and a lot of man-made structures that get a lot of fishing pressure – docks, old foundations and brushpiles.
“If you get up toward the north end of the lake or go back in the creeks, there is a lot of wood and stuff like that if you like to flip or fish shallow,” he said.
He is putting a solid 12 hours a day on the lake in practice, trying to get a feel for the fishery and develop several different patterns.
“I would like to have a variety of stuff to pick from if the lake fishes as small as I think. It's hard enough to find one good pattern. If I am lucky enough to find a couple I think it will take that to separate from the rest of the field.”
The problem is finding a few patterns to hone in on, he said.
“So far I'll catch a keeper on this, one on that. Several different baits are successful each day so it's hard to focus on one. And they come off different types of spots, so I don't have a pattern set yet.”
Fishing the Central Opens has been very satisfying this time around, he said, because of the friendships he has cultivated among the anglers.
“Everyone has been really helpful and it's just been awesome to be around them.”
For information on Bertrand and his guide service, visit www.thearizonafishingguides.com
Bassmaster Central Open
Sept 6-8, 2012
Fort Gibson Lake
Sportsman's Warehouse Labor Day Weekend Report With Fishing Mgr Craig Baird
Sportsman's Warehouse Fishing Manager Craig Baird gives us some good on the water advice for this big Labor Day Weekend.......the pattern is still deep, but not as deep as we have seen just a few weeks back. Click on this video for the full story!
Chico State University Takes Lead At National Guard Flw Western Conference Championship
Dayton and Carrico of Chico State
Florence, Alabama To Be The Home Of The Boatus Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship
FLORENCE, Alabama (August 30, 2012) - Florence, Alabama and the Association of Collegiate Anglers have entered into a long-term partnership, making Florence and Lake Pickwick the "home" of the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship through 2017.
According to Danny Blandford, Program Director for the ACA, "We're ecstatic to secure such a great host as Florence for many years to come. Traditionally this type of long-term partnership is unheard of in the fishing world, but in this particular case, it was an easy decision for both sides and we are all very excited."
Debbie Wilson, Executive Director of Florence/Lauderdale Tourism, echoed Blandford's sentiments, "College anglers are the future of bass fishing and Florence/Lauderdale Tourism is excited to be part of this growing sport. We are honored to have the opportunity to host the BoatUS Collegiate Championship on Pickwick Lake for the next five years. This event has a tremendous economic impact for the City of Florence and we would like to extend a warm welcome and our Southern Hospitality to all the participating students as well as their friends and family."
Blandford went on to add, "The 2012 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship was so well received by both the community and the anglers, that when the opportunity presented itself to make Florence the home of this event for many years to come, both sides jumped at the chance. We love the facilities at McFarland Park, the fishery is phenomenal, and the Florence/Lauderdale Tourism team is a pleasure to work with, so it was easy for the ACA to make the commitment."
Suzie Shoemaker, Sports Marketing Director of Florence/Lauderdale Tourism, shared the same feelings. "I am extremely excited that we are partnering with the ACA to bring the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship to Florence through 2017. The quality and organization of the tournament is exceptional, and the young men and women this tournament brings to town are outstanding!"
Wade Middleton, co-founder of the ACA and President of Careco TV added, "To see the ACA and the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship grow from a "little" college event we put together in Texas in 2006, into the nation's most prestigious college fishing event is truly a moving experience for me personally. I knew when we started working with the concept that we had great idea; now this commitment from Florence, as well as our other sponsors, shows that we were in fact correct. We have something special here, both in terms of an event and an organization."
Thanks to this renewed partnership, collegiate anglers everywhere should plan to be on Lake Pickwick in Florence, Alabama each May for many years to come. The 2013 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship is slated for May 22-25, with the full itinerary and details forthcoming.
Those interested in learning more about the Association of Collegiate Anglers and the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship should visit CollegiateBassChampionship.com.
Rick Clunn With His Deep-Diving Square Bill Cranks At Icast 2012!
Master cranker Rick Clunn shows us his dream come true, the NEW Luck "E" Strike deep diving square bill crankbaits - unique and effective - and tells us why they were designed in the first place and what they can do for YOUR fishing. From ICAST 2012!
Martin-Wells Says Isaac Could Be Factor In Lady Bass Anglers Tournament On Neely Henry
Pam Martin-Wells. Photo credit Larry Morris/LBAA
Although Hurricane Isaac made landfall in southern Louisiana it produced heavy rains stretching into Alabama, and the resulting rainfall could have a lasting effect on the Lady Bass Anglers tournament on Lake Neely Henry next weekend, according to top lady pro Pam Martin-Wells of Brainbridge, Ga.
“We went up there about a month ago with some friends, but it's Coosa River fishing in Neely Henry and you can't do a whole lot beforehand. Now, with this storm and with the rain headed that way a lot could change,” Martin-Wells said.
She plans to drive to Neely Henry on Friday and be ready when practice opens on Saturday.
“I'll spend some time up river and some time down in the lake, dissecting things and seeing which patterns are working best. Sometimes the river can be on and sometimes the lake can be on, so we will have some time to figure something out before the tournament begins.”
Martin-Wells, who is second in points in the Angler of the Year race, said she has no pre-conceived notions about how to fish the tournament although she has done well on Neely Henry in the past.
“I try to go into every practice with an open mind,” she said. “I finished second there a number of times and I won the last two events there, but it was a different time of year. But the entire Coosa River Chain has been good to me. It's a fun place to fish.”
Martin-Wells won the Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Academy Sports & Outdoors tournament in late May 2008 and less than a year later she won the Academy Sports + Outdoors Women’s Bassmaster Tour season opener on Neely Henry Lake in late March 2009.
She was the Lady Bass Anglers 2011 Angler of the Year and she is right back in the race this year, trailing another top lady angler, Kim Bain Moore, by only 15 points going into the final qualifying tournament of 2012.
Martin-Wells has been fishing professionally on several ladies circuits for two decades and has stood her ground against top male pros in traditional tournament fishing. She was the first woman angler to make the cut in a Bassmaster Classic, finishing 22nd in the 2010 Classic on Alabama's Lay Lake. The all-time leading money winner in womens' professional fishing, she has made 56 top 5 finishes in competition, won 14 national titles and was Women's Professional Fishing Angler of the Year for 1994, 1995, 2005 and 2009.
She won the 2005 Women's Bassmaster Tour Preview Event and the 2006 Women's Bassmaster Championship. She also has been inducted into the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame.
When not fishing a tournament or practicing for a tournament, she and her husband, Steven Wells operate the Lake Seminole Guide Service and they have just begun producing a local outdoors show, Outdoors 4 Reel which can be viewed on YouTube or at www.outdoors4reel.com.
“It's a break from fishing and we are having a lot of fun doing it,” she said.
Lady Bass Anglers Association
Sept 6-8, 2012
Neely Henry Lake
Gadsden City Launch
Call Larry Morris at 540-239-7902 or Secret York at 270-748-9041
