Ware Wins Aoy First Year Back In Southeast Division Everstart Series
Kent Ware was Southeast Division EverStart Strike King Angler of the Year. Photo courtesy FLW Outdoors.
After a layoff from fishing major tournament series for a few years Kent Ware was hoping to make a little noise when he returned to the Southeast Division EverStart Series this year. He did that and more, finishing the season as the Southeast Division's EverStart Strike King Angler of the Year.
“I had a good, solid season,” said Ware, whose professional career is in saltwater, rather than freshwater. As manager of the Bears Bluff National Fish Hatchery on Wadlamaw, Island, S.C., Ware works with redfish, sturgeon, cobia, American shad and even oysters. But his passion is bass fishing, especially bass tournament fishing.
“It was nice to be able to fish four weeks this year. I don't get to fish a whole lot, but I was able this year to take leave and be off four or five days and practice – and I had a good season as a result.”
Ware, who will lead Southeast Division anglers in the FLW EverStart Series Championship on the Ouachita River near Monroe, La., next week, earned a check in every tournament in the division this year, finishing the season with $20,878 in win money.
He finished 6th at Lake Okeechobee in the season opener Jan. 19, 19th at Lake Seminole March 22, second at Santee Cooper April 19, and, even though he dropped to 46th at Lake Guntersville in the final event May 3, he tallied enough points to earn the AOY title.
“I've made one short trip over there and spent two days on the water,” said Ware. “I was able to learn a little bit about the fishery, but not a whole lot. It is hard to get around with the low water level and there is the potential for a lot of equipment to get torn up in the tournament because of the stumps.”
Ware said the water is too low and there are too many stumps to access the backwaters off the main river.
“On top of that it looks like we are going to have the first major cold front of the year coming through that area,” he added.
However, although he is primarily a shallow water angler, he said he feels pretty comfortable going into the championship.
“Being a shallow water fisherman, a cold front is not conducive to my kind of fishing, but it looks like it will be a shallow water fishery,” he said. “I found numbers of fish, but did not get on any quality fish so that is my concern. I should be able to fish four days in practice before the tournament so I will cover as much diverse water as I can and try to locate and build on whatever quality fish I can find.”
Ware said he will fish mainly with jigs and soft plastics and use faster moving baits such as spinnerbaits and crankbaits to locate fish.
“I'll start out with the fast-moving baits and if that does not work I will have to slow down. Fall tournaments are notoriously tough, at least the ones I've been involved in,” he said.
Ware's work with saltwater species has been very productive the last few years. Last year the lab spawned sturgeon for only the second time that has ever been done in captivity. The redfish program has gone really well, he said, and the cobia program has reached a milestone.
“We had a good season with cobia. We produced the first fingerling cobia we'd ever done. Now we are starting to focus more on habitat than in the past, both in saltwater and with some native aquatic grass restoration in the Santee Cooper System.”
Ware said he also plans to fish the EverStart Series next year, if he can make his fishing schedule fit into his work schedule.
“I had a great time this year and got to fish more than I have in years. I really enjoyed it. Most of the fisheries were shallow water fisheries. I told myself a long time ago I would focus on what I am good at and stay shallow. That seemed to work out for me this year, but there is no telling about next year,” he said.
FLW EverStart Series Championship
Nov 1-4, 2012
Ouachita River near Monroe, LA
Forsythe Park
Weather Front Expected To Improve Fishing For Xtreme Bass Championship On Lake Guntersville
All Hadley Coan and Donnie McElvoy have to do to get a free ride for all the tournaments on the 2013 schedule of the Xtreme Bass Series Guntersville Division is show up and fish the Division Championship Friday and Saturday on Lake Guntersville.
“They pretty well kept the points lead for most of the year,” said tournament director Jamie Shay. “They won the points; now all they have to do to fish for free next year is fish the championship this week.”
Coan and McElvoy only finished once out of the top five all year long. They started off with a bang by winning the opening tournament of the series Feb. 26. They finished 3rd March 25, 8th April 15, 4th May 20, 3rd June 10, 3rd July 22, 5th August 19, and capped the season with their second win Sept. 2.
Shay said 17 teams have qualified to fish the championship and first place will earn in the neighborhood of $3,500. He anticipates half the field will win either cash, gift certificates or other prizes this weekend.
“We will give away about $7,500 total in the championship,” he said.
Fishing on Lake Guntersville has been tough recently, Shay said, but a cold front moving into the area could put the fish on the move.
“Fishing is better when there are clouds, wind or drizzling rain, anything besides beautiful skies. The forecast is calling for a front to move in Friday, so I anticipate good fishing Friday and Saturday,” he said.
“The change in weather could change everything and that is what we are all waiting on. It should be pretty good. We've got some really good fishermen and if anybody can find them these guys can. I anticipate some good weights in the championship.”
One factor that could come into play with a change in conditions is the Alabama Rig, Shay said.
“Everybody is just waiting on the Alabama Rig to work. If there is no Alabama Rig situation I'd say we will have probably 18 pounds a day, but if the Alabama Rig comes into play it could be 28 to 30 pounds a day. It just changes the game when that happens; It just has not happened yet.”
There will also be another factor at play on Lake Guntersville Friday and Saturday, Shay noted. The Walmart Bass Fishing League is headed to Lake Guntersville those same two days for the Chevy Wild Card event, where boaters and co-anglers will compete for berths in the Walmart BFL All-American.
Up to 200 boats are expected for the Wild Card tournament, which is open to anglers who entered all five tournaments in a BFL division this season, and paid their entry fees but did not qualify for a regional.
“It should not be too bad as they are going out of the state park 30 miles south of here, but there will be a lot of boats on the water those two days for sure,” he said.
Shay said the championship will cap a very good season for the Xtreme Bass Series on Lake Guntersville.
“In the spring we averaged 30 boats and in the summer we averaged 20 to 25 boats per tournament. We had good participation and everyone loved our format,” he said.
Xtreme Bass Series - Guntersville Division Championship
Oct 26-27, 2012
Lake Guntersville
Goose Pond Colony
Call Jamie Shay at 256-599-0132
Priority Entry Now Open For 2013 Everstart Series
WHAT: FLW has announced priority entry for the 2013 EverStart Series season is now open.
DETAILS: The top 40 pros and co-anglers from each division of the 2012 EverStart Series and the top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division of the 2012 BFL must pay their deposits for all four tournaments in a division by December 3 in order to secure their priority entry position. For Ranger boat owners (Ranger owners with current registrations who will use their Ranger boat in EverStart Series competition) and sponsor entries (FLW may reserve sponsor spots in each qualifying tournament), deposits will be accepted beginning at 8 a.m. Central time, December 4. For TBF members, deposits will be accepted beginning at 8 a.m. Central time, December 5. For other entries, deposits will be accepted beginning at 8 a.m. Central time, December 6. Top entry priority goes to pros and co-anglers who enter all four EverStart Series tournaments in a division by December 19 for the Central, Southeast, Texas and Western divisions and February 6, 2013, for the Northern Division. All other entry priority will be assigned by the date and time of entry.
NOTES: Entries may be made either by mail at 30 Gamble Lane, Benton, KY 42025, phone at (270) 252-1000 or on the Internet at FLWOutdoors.com.
ABOUT FLW
FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing unparalleled fishing resources and entertainment to our sponsors, fans and host communities. FLW is offering anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2013 over the course of 231 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water,” through a variety of platforms including tournaments, outdoor expos and FLW Fantasy Fishing. For more information about FLW and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.
Murdock and Fofi win the Powers Swain TT Event on Jordan-Full Results here
Dropshoting with JVD!
Bassmaster Elite Series Green Bay Challenge Champion Jonathan VanDam shows us his tourney-winning dropshot system. From transducer angle, to line/leader material, to how much (or how little) action he imparts to his lure, JVD will have you dropshoting like a pro in no time!
Mark Rose Talks Ledge Lures, Including Strike King's NEW 10 XD!
FLW Tour powerhouse Mark Rose shares the tactics and lures he used to win the recent FLW Tour Open on Wheeler Lake. Rose took the lead on Day 1 and never looked back. As dominant as he was at Wheeler, there's a lure Rose wishes he'd had sonner - the Strike King 10 XD - it's a CHUNK of a crankbait!
Carolinas Bass Challenge Championship could be financial bonanza for anglers
Paybacks in the inaugural year of the Carolinas Bass Challenge have been outstanding and the total cash prize awarded in the CBC Championship on Kerr Reservoir on Oct. 27 could well exceed $80,000, according to tournament director Brett Collins.
“First place at the championship will take home a new ZX200 Skeeter/Yamaha SHO valued at $44,000 and more than 100 percent of the entry fees for the championship will be paid back to the rest of the field,” he said. The winning team will also receive two Cashion Rods valued at $200 each.
“This was a very good first year for the CBC,” Collins said. “At the conclusion of the Kerr championship we will ave paid back more than $400,000 in cash and awarded three brand new Skeeter/Yamaha boat packages.”
Collins said the series that pits top anglers from South Carolina against those from North Carolina in a showdown at the end of the season has average more than 130 teams at each tournament and paid back more than 100 percent of entry fees.
“We also fed the anglers at each event,” he added.
At the championship big fish winners will take home $1,000 in cash and another $1,000 will go to the lucky angler who participates in the Skeeter demo rides at Nutbush Ramp Thursday through Saturday and has his name drawn.
“At the championship and at all of the CBC events of the entire 2013 season we will award $5,000 to the highest placing Skeeter/Yamaha owner which means someone could finish 10th and still take home a big chunk of cash,” Collins said.
He said former B.A.S.S. pro and television fishing personality Fish Fishburne will be a special guest at the championship weigh-in Saturday, Oct. 27.
“I think it will take anywhere form 14 to 17 pounds to win the championship,” Collins said. The water level is down 5 to 6 feet. I think it will be won with a crankbait, probably a square-billed crankbait.”
Collins said 192 teams have qualified for the championship. A list of eligible team is posted at www.carolinacatt.com.
Entry fee for the championship is $200, but teams cannot pay entry fees online for the championship, he said. Teams can pay at the ramp the day of the event or at the meeting the night before. Monday, Oct. 22, is the deadline for mail in entries. For details, check the Carolinas Bass Challenge website: www.carolinasbasschallenge.com
The 2013 CBC schedule is posted on the website and Collins said he will start taking payments for next year's tournaments soon. The 2013 championship will be held on South Carolina’s Lake Murray Oct. 25-26 of next year.
“From the feedback we've got, it looks like we will have a much larger crowd next year,” he said.
Carolinas Bass Challenge Championship
North Carolina & South Carolina Divisions
Sat, Oct 27, 2012
Kerr / Buggs Island Lake
Satterwhite Point Public Access
Call Brett Collins 803-413-7521
www.carolinasbasschallenge.com
Fishing Is Therapy For Division Leader In Bfl Regional On Pickwick Lake
Tim Hicks, left, of Kingsport, TN. Photo courtesy FLW Outdoors.
Ten years ago Tim Hicks was practically living on the street. “I had lost everything,” he said.
Lost everything. To drugs and alcohol.
Somewhere along the way in the last few years he found himself and began climbing back out of the deep hole of drug and alcohol addiction. He was aided by rekindling a passion he had lost two decades ago when he descended into the hellish life of an addict – a passion for fishing..
“I used to fish 20 years ago,” the Kingsport, Tenn., bass angler said, “but I quit fishing for quite a few years. I got back into fishing about four years ago and it has been my little thing to replace that (addiction).”
Some of his friends helped him find the joy in fishing again, he said, and he started back floating rivers and fishing.
“Once I went fishing one time it was on,” he said. “Then I got a jet boat and the next thing I know I had a Ranger bass boat. I started out fishing small tournaments.”
He fished the Lone Wolf Trail, a local solo tournament series back home, for a couple of years and decided to take the step up to the Walmart Bass Fishing League's Volunteer Division. Hicks capped his first year in BFL competition by winning the points title in the Volunteer Division.
He finished a consistent year on the circuit with $2,822 in prize money, finishing 8th in the first tournament on Watts Bar in March, 5th on South Holston Lake in April, 19th on Douglas Lake in May, 22nd on Lake Cherokee in June and 3rd on Watts Bar last month in the two-day division final.
“I had a blessed season, but I worked really hard at it. I enjoyed it and it was a lot of fun,” he said.
Hicks has been fishing Alabama's famed Pickwick Lake daily since he came to the lake for the fist time this past Saturday, practicing for the Walmart BFL Regional Tournament featuring anglers from the Bulldog, LBL and North Carolina Divisions, as well as his Volunteer Division.
“I like the lake, but the water is a lot clearer than I expected and I have never fished current that runs this hard,” said Hicks who normally fishes Cherokee, Douglas and Holston Lakes back home in Tennessee.
Another thing he said he never faces back in Tennessee is the constantly changing weather in Alabama right now.
“It can change in 30 minutes. The wind will blow out of the northwest for a while and then all of a sudden it will change and blow out of the south. I'm not used to fishing in a place where the weather changes so drastically.”
And, he noted, an even more drastic change in the weather is on the way.
“Rain is moving in with a front this evening and that could really cool things down for tomorrow, so that will probably change the fishing even more.”
Hicks said the bite is already slow, so it may take two or three patterns to put together a successful day on the water this weekend.
“Pickwick is noted for ledge fishing and I love fishing deep, so I came down here with the full intention of fishing deep. I've found a few deep fish, so I plan to stick with it. I'm catching a few good fish on swim baits and an Alabama Rig, but no great numbers. But you can go up in the grass and catch numbers of fish on a frog of flipping, although most of them are smaller fish.”
If he does well on Pickwick this weekend, Hicks would love to move on up to higher level tournaments. He's already demonstrated the resolve it takes to be a winner by his recovery from addiction and he's shown he can fish head to head with the best in the Volunteer Division, so don't be surprised if his name starts showing up soon among top anglers in big time tournaments.
“You never know where you will end up. I am just going with the flow,” he said.
Walmart BFL Regional Tournament
Bulldog, Volunteer, LBL and North Carolina Divisions
Oct 18-20, 2012
Pickwick Lake
McFarland Park
Kings Home And Randy Howell Update
CHELSEA, AL-- King's Home and the family of Professional Angler Randy Howell are holding a 2nd annual giveaway for Howell's 2012 Bassmaster Elite season boat. The Triton 21HP powered by a Mercury 250 Pro XS, the same boat Howell used in his 2012 season, will be awarded to one lucky person at Kampfire for The King. Kampfire for the King is a special King's Home event in Chelsea, Ala. near Birmingham on November 18th, 2012.
For over 30 years, King's Home has helped children and families at risk from all over the United States. Formerly known as the The King's Ranch and Hannah Homes, King's Home provides hope and loving homes for hundreds of abused, neglected, abandoned and homeless children and teens. With four campuses in Alabama, King's Home also offers refuge and healing for women, moms and children escaping domestic violence.
"There are no limits to the amount a person can donate, but we only want people to donate what they can afford. For every tax-deductible $100 of donations made to King's Home the donator will receive an entry into the boat drawing. Donate $1000 and we'll give you ten entries into the boat drawing." explained Howell. "It will be great for someone to win my boat, which is valued at over $70,000. This Triton Boat powered by the best motor in the business a Mercury 250 Pro XS will run for decades for the lucky donator. That's a great prize, but the greatest part of this fundraiser is what that $100 donation will do for women, children and mothers in dire need." Howell continued, "Last year we raised over $52,000 for King's Home and this year we hope to beat that, but we need your help. We want the people to see the good things the King's Home does with their donations so we prepared a video that will share a few of the great things King's Home does for people in need." Visit RandyHowell.com or KingsHome.com to see a video describing what King's Home does and how your donations can help. CLICK TO SEE VIDEO
Howell and King's Home will give away the Triton/Mercury boat package at the Kampfire for The King, a special Christmas celebration and fundraising event set for Sunday, November 18, 2012 at the King's Home main campus in Chelsea, Ala. While the donor who wins the boat does not need to be on site to win, Howell and King's Home encourage entrants to attend Kampfire for The King to show their support for the youth, women, moms and children being helped by their donations.
To donate to King's Home and receive an entry into the boat sweepstakes visit KingsHome.com. There you can also learn more about King's Home's faith-based mission to provide spiritual development while helping youth, women and moms with children heal from their devastating pasts, break the cycle of abuse, build healthy relationships and become independent, productive members of society. November 16th is the last day donations will count toward the drawing.
About Randy Howell: Randy, his wife Robin and two sons (Oakley and Laker) live in Springville, Ala. Randy finished the 2012 Bassmaster Elite Series in 5th place and has qualified for 11 Bassmaster Classics including the 2013 Bassmaster Classic to be held in February in Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees in Tulsa, Okl. Randy's sponsors include King's Home, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Daiwa, Yamamoto Baits, Lunker Lure, Do It Molds, Molix, Bluewater L.E.D., Lowrance, Odyssey, Daiichi Hooks, Power Pole, Save Phace, Costa, Zeko, Frogg toggs, ATX, Gamma, Bass King and Valley Fashions, LTD.
2012 Fall Fishing Trends with AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh
AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh joins us on the water at Lake Norman for a true FALL FISHING UPDATE. The bags are better, quality is picking up, and Rob says now is the time to get back out on the water and catch some quailty fish!! His lures of choice are detailed right here-
2012 Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail Classic Champs Robert Hoyt And Craig Blankenship
Robert Hoyt and Craig Blankenship win the 2012 Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail Championship on Smith Mtn Lake beating out 170 other teams to take home a brand new fully rigged Ranger Z118!! These anglers had a 2 day total of 29.75 and talk about their approach to winning such a big tournament.....................
It takes almost 60 Lbs to win the Accent Marine TT Classic-Full results here!
What a great Classic for all the anglers that came out to fish this final Accent Marine event of 2012..........if anyone knows of a lake anywhere (outside of Sam Rayburn!) that had these types of weights in October for 2 days, please let us know! Congrats to Wayne and James on one heck of a weekend!
Accent Marine Classic Results
October 13 –14, 2012
1st Place Wayne Yohn & James Watkins 57.94 lbs $1250.00
2nd Place Scott Perry & Rich Anthony 51.32 lbs $1050.00
3rd Place Dustin Bozeman & Chris Maxwell 45.71 lbs $ 838.00
4th Place Tim (Doc) Swango & Brian Malys 40.97 lbs $ 625.00
5th Place Roger Brown & Levi Brown 40.60 lbs $ 418.00
6th Place Larry West & Kenny Trimble 39.20 lbs $ 360.00
7th Place Gary Niemi & Jame Dyer 37.14 lbs $ 300.00
8th Place Chuck Pons & Casey Gonzalez 34.51 lbs $ 240.00
9th Place William Farmer & William Wiel 33.40 lbs $ 180.00
10th Place Anthony Montoto & Charlie Wynperle 32.86 lbs $ 120.00
Big Bass
Day 1 Dustin Bozeman & Chris Maxwell 9.34 lbs $ 660.00
Big Bass
Day 2 Wayne Yohn & James Watkins 9.61 lbs $ 660.00
Strike King Pro Phil Marks wins final Tour Event on Rayburn with Monster Sack!
LUFKIN, Texas – Phil Marks of Dallas, Texas, marked his spot in the FLW record books by catching a 32-pound, 12-ounce sack on the final day of competition at the Walmart FLW Tour on Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Mercury giving him a 16-pound, 5-ounce margin of victory, the third largest in FLW Tour Open history. EverStart pro Randall Tharp of Gardendale, Ala., holds the current record for largest margin of victory, 23-9, which he set at the 2012 season opener on Lake Okeechobee.
Marks’ five-bass limit Sunday gave him a total weight of 82 pounds to win the tournament and $125,000. The catch gave him the win in impressive fashion over Keith Combs of Huntington, Texas, who caught a total of 20 bass weighing 65-11 and earned him $25,710.
Marks started the day with a mere 14-ounce lead over Combs, and he knew he needed a monster bag to claim victory. He believed the tournament would be won offshore and knew the early-morning bite was his most prolific all week, so he was confident all he needed was some wind and rain to turn on his fish, and Mother Nature obliged.
“The old man had a couple of tricks left,” said Marks. “I knew the wind and rain would fire up my bite, and it did. I had four or five spots in a one-mile circle, and that’s where all my fish came from today. I could see all the activity on my Lowrance unit, and this morning it was on fire.
“I was fishing a pattern all week,” Marks went on to say. “I was targeting ditches with main-lake flats, looking for subtle changes within the flats. During practice I discovered a high spot in the middle of the drain, and yesterday I caught a 5- and 7-pounder in back-to-back casts. This morning I caught four bass in 20 minutes in that same area.
“I have had a couple of dream days like this in the past, but none of this magnitude. After I caught my third fish I knew I had about 20 pounds and thought I probably had a good chance of winning and could relax a little. But then I started to think about it and realized that days like this just don’t come very often, so I kept fishing. I had what I weighed today by about 10 or 10:30 a.m.
“My key baits this week have been the Strike King 6XD and a prototype Strike King 10XD. The 10XD has the frame design of the 5XD and is designed to give off a lot of rattle and displace a lot of water. It’s a big bait designed to catch big bass. Four of my 20 bass were caught with the 10XD. Today I caught three bass on the Strike King crankbaits and two on the Strike King 1-ounce football (head) jig. My 8-pounder came on the 10XD.”
Marks referred to Sam Rayburn as a gem and said he has been fishing the lake for more than 20 years. Despite the high pressure the lake gets year after year, he said that his sack today was more typical of what Rayburn is capable of giving up on a regular basis. He also added that the 10XD is scheduled to be out in stores, including Walmart, in February.
Final top-10 pros standings:
1st: Phil Marks, Dallas, Texas, 20 bass, 82-0, $125,000
2nd: Keith Combs, Huntington, Texas, 20 bass, 65-11, $25,210
3rd: Fatheadz pro Jacob Wheeler, Indianapolis, Ind., 20 bass, 53-13, $21,543
4th: Landan Ware, Jewett, Texas, 20 bass, 52-14, $17,877
5th: Goodwill pro Chad Grigsby, Maple Grove, Minn., 20 bass, 52-8, $14,210
6th: Matt Herren, Trussville, Ala., 19 bass, 50-9, $12,010
7th: Jason Wells, Center, Texas, 19 bass, 48-4, $11,277
8th: EverStart pro Randall Tharp, Gardendale, Ala., 20 bass, 47-9, $10,543
9th: Darrell Davis, Dover, Fla., 19 bass, 46-15, $9,810
10th: Ray Hanselman, Del Rio, Texas, 20 bass, 46-5, $9,077
Overall there were 49 bass weighing 138 pounds, 15 ounces caught by 10 pros Sunday. The catch included nine five-bass limits.
Clint Farris of Joshua, Texas, won the co-angler division and $25,000 Saturday with a three-day total of 13 bass weighing 33 pounds, 15 ounces followed by Jeff Gengler of Fort Collins, Colo., in second place with 13 bass weighing 33-14 worth $5,657.
The Tour stop on Sam Rayburn presented by Mercury was hosted by Lufkin Convention and Visitors Bureau, and was the final FLW Tour tournament of the 2012 season.
In FLW Tour Open tournaments, pros and co-anglers were competing for valuable points that ultimately helped them qualify for the 2013 Forrest Wood Cup which is being held at the Red River in Shreveport, La., Aug. 15-18. The top five pro and co-anglers in the 2012 point standings from the four FLW Tour Open tournaments that qualified for the 2013 championship event are:
Pros:
1st: Chevy pro Larry Nixon, Bee Branch, Ark.
2nd: John Cox, Debary, Fla.
3rd: Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes pro Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa. Keith Honeycutt, Temple, Texas
4th: Bill McDonald, Greenwood, Ind.
5th: Chevy pro Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C.
Co-anglers:
1st: Mark Horton, Nicholasville, Ky.
2nd: Theo Corcoran, Kansas City, Mo.
3rd: Keith Honeycutt, Temple, Texas
4th: Ben Todd, Pierson, Fla.
5th; Dave Shively, Butler, Pa.
Coverage of the Sam Rayburn Reservoir tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network when “FLW” airs Nov. 18 from 1 to 2 p.m. ET. "FLW" is hosted by Jason Harper and is broadcast to more than 559 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWOutdoors.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Peter T Talks About Lew's Reels
FLW Tour and Bassmaster Elite Series veteran pro Peter 'T' Thliveros talks about the quality reels Lew's offers at super affordable prices. From ICAST 2012!
Combs Takes Lead At Walmart Flw Tour On Sam Rayburn Reservoir
Huge Entry Expected For Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail On Smith Mountain Lake
In a time of high gasoline prices and a down economy – two major cripplers of bass tournament participation – the Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail just keep growing and rolling along. There are already 130 teams pre-registered for the Anglers Choice Championship on Smith Mountain Lake this weekend, said Chris Lucas, tournament director.
“We've got about 175 teams qualified and we usually sign up 45 to 50 teams the morning of the tournament, so we are on pace to get about all of them for the championship.”
But, that is how it has been all season. While most tournament series saw entries drop this year with rising gas prices, Anglers Choice just kept drawing entries – 170 boats at Buggs Island once and more than 200 in two tournaments on Smith Mountain Lake.”
In fact, the series has got so big that it has become cumbersome to accommodate all those anglers, so Lucas has decided to split the series into two divisions for 2013 – a Virginia Division and a North Carolina Division, each featuring six tournaments with the annual lunker challenge in September on Smith Mountain Lake and the two-day classic for both divisions in October on Kerr Reservoir. A tentative schedule is already posted on the Anglers Choice Marine website.
Meantime, Lucas said fishing is expected to be good “in spots” for the 2012 Classic on Smith Mountain Lake this weekend.
“Some guys are finding schooling fish and catching some pretty good ones. The ones not finding the schools are catching 2-pounders,” he said. “This is the time of year when, if you pull up on the right place and have a school of fish come up you can load your boat.”
The cold front that moved through the first part of the week has moved on out, he said, and sunny skies are expected for the rest of the week, but low water may present a problem, he said.
“It looks like the weather will cooperate, but I say that cautiously. Around here it can change in a day. However, I think today was the last cold day of the front, so hopefully everything will be stable and the fish will be cooperating this weekend,” he said.
“The water is down a lot and that may mess with the fish a little bit as far as where they are going to be. That said, I think the fishing will be pretty good this weekend. I don't think the guys will have any trouble catching fish.”
The low water will create an inconvenience in launching, he noted, with only one boat ramp open at Parkway Marina.
“If water conditions stay the same all anglers who plan to launch there should plan to come early to get their boats in the water. We will only be able to launch one boat at a time which will cause delays each morning. I will launch at the regularly scheduled time unless the conditions are deemed to be unsafe for boat operation.”
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,” Lucas 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.
Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail Championship
Oct 13-14, 2012
Smith Mountain Lake
Parkway Marina
Call Chris Lucas 276-358-0844
Fishing May Be Tough On Lake Hartwell This Weekend For Greene Boat And Motor Championship
Hank Cherry and Craig Chambers took 1st Place and Big Fish prizes in the 2011 Championship on Norman
Bass fishing reportedly is “pretty tough” on Lake Hartwell, but somebody always figures them out enough to win. The question is, who will it be in the Greene Boat and Motor Team Trail Championship this weekend on the upstate South Carolina lake?
Will it be the hottest team on the trail – Artie Phillips and Thomas Richmond who just wrapped up the points title with another win on Lake Wylie two weeks ago?
Or, will it be an angler who just notched a major tournament win on Lake Hartwell three weeks ago – Don Poteat, who won the Walmart Bass Fishing League Savannah Division Super Tournament, who will be joined by teammate John Allen for the Greene Championship?
Or, will it be one of the teams that challenged Phillips and Richmond for the points lead all season long?
Here's how it all lays out:
Phillips and Richmond, who finished the regular season with five top 10 finishes, including two first places, won the points title in the final qualifier Sept. 29 in a super-tight three-way race for the top spot. They started slow in the first tournament on Feb. 25, but roared back for 6th place March 10, a win April 7, 7th place May 19, 4th June 9, and won the final Sept. 29. They will split the $1,000 prize for the points championship.
Ron Farrow and Mike Allman, who trailed Phillips and Richmond by just four points going into the Sept. 29 tournament, finished second in the points race and will receive a Minn Kota Trolling Motor. Those two teams, along with the teams pushing them in the points race, could be considered strong contenders for the championship this weekend.
However, said tournament director Jeremy Cabe, “If I had to pick a pre-tournament favorite it would be Don Poteat who just won the BFL Super Tournament on Lake Hartwell.”
Poteat of Morganton, N.C., had a two-day total of 10 bass that weighed 28 pounds, 13 ounces, to win the Walmart BFL Savannah Division Super Tournament on Lake Hartwell Sept. 23, earning $5,690 plus a $1,000 Evinrude bonus.
Not having fished a tournament with FLW since 2006, Poteat’s wife bought his entry fee as a birthday present and what a present it turned out to be!
“I fished the same 200-yard stretch in Gumlog Creek for two days straight,” said Poteat. “All the fish I weighed were caught with a Zoom Old Monster on 20-pound-test line with a 1/8-ounce sinker, Texas rigged. This is the kind of fishing that I like to do.”
“We have 16 teams qualified for the championship,” said Cabe. “They will be fishing for a fully-rigged Tracker Pro 165 boat with a Mercury outboard, valued at around $11,000. Second place will be paid in cash from entry fees.”
Greene Boat and Motor Team Trail Championship
Oct 13-14, 2012
Lake Hartwell
Broyles Landing
Call Jeremy Cabe 803-322-1794
Weather Shaping Up For Accent Marine Team Trail Classic On Kissimmee
A lot of factors affect fishing – the weather, water levels, even the price of gasoline.
A sudden change in weather patterns may change the way fish are feeding; a really hard change, such as a cold front with freezing temperatures, may give them lockjaw.
Fluctuating water levels can hurt, or even help, fishing. A sudden drop in the lake level can pull fish off their normal habitats and make them suspend, thus harder to find and catch. Conversely, a rise in water levels can open new feeding territory for fish and make them easier to catch sometimes.
The price of gas can also have an adverse effect, often determining how much an angler will run in a day of fishing to reach a prime fishing spot, or even if he goes fishing at all.
This time of year another factor enters the picture. It's deer season across most of the South and a lot of guys who normally would be casting from the deck of their bass boat on Saturdays find themselves sitting in a tree stand waiting on a big buck to walk within range.
All of that figures into the Accent Marine Tournament Trail Classic this weekend on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, said tournament director Ted Meyer.
However, one of the problems foreseen by Meyer apparently is not longer a threat to fishing this weekend. Meyer thought the cold front that blanketed the Carolinas earlier this week was on the way to Florida, but it apparently has fizzled out and dissipated.
“This will be the first major weather change we are supposed to have. It's the one coming down from the North and it might change things a little bit if it gets cold here,” he said Tuesday.
However, the Weather Channel now shows temperatures ranging from 85 to 87 degrees on through the weekend, with nighttime temperatures almost as steady, 65 degrees tonight, up to 71 degrees by Saturday.
The water level problem, however, could have an effect on the outcome of the tournament.
“We've been having rain something fierce,” Meyer said, “4-5 inches at a time, like in the summertime. So far the rain has not bothered them too much. The water is way up. They have been letting it out during the week, then close it down on the weekend, which changes the whole attitude of the fish. When the water is running they get active and when it stops they don't know which way to go.”
Fishing has been good, with most anglers finding success by flipping the outside edge of the grass lines and casting into the hydrilla, he noted
Meyer said that although the series has been very successful this year, the down economy and the rising cost of gasoline has hurt the series more than anything else.
Teams had to fish at least seven of the nine regular season tournaments to make the Classic and 38 teams have qualified, Meyer said.
“Of that 38 maybe 35 will show up this weekend. Some will probably go hunting,” he said.
Those that do come will need to bring their A-Game. Although there are factors at play that could affect fishing, Meyer predicted it will take around 55 pounds for the two days to win the Classic.
“A couple of weeks ago it took almost 29 pounds, to win our last tournament,” he noted.
Accent Marine Tournament Trail Classic
Oct 13-14, 2012
Kissimmee Chain of Lakes
Camp Mack's River Resort
Call 813-620-1042 or 1309
Kenney Leads Walmart FLW Tour Open on Sam Rayburn
Sportsman's Warehouse hosts the 2012 Berkley Big Bass on Lake Murray this Sat!
We join fishing manager Craig Baird from Sportsman's Warhouse in Columbia, SC to discuss the upcoming Berkley Big Bass Tournament this coming Sat on Lake Murray where they are guaranteeing $18,000 in cash and prizes for one day on the Lake!!
Montgomery Speaks About Need to Find a Family of Fishing Gear - and Stick With It.
Bassmaster Elite Series Pro Andy Montgomery speaks to us from the Daiwa booth at ICAST 2012 and shares his thoughts on sticking with a family of fishing gear in order to learn the 'feel' of rods, reels, etc.
Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series 2013 Season Details
ATHENS, Ala. – American Bass Anglers announced today the new and exciting season details for the 2013 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series. The series will feature 20 divisions with each division offering 4 one-day Saturday tournaments and a two-day Divisional Championship. Anglers will advance from their Divisional Championship to one of 4 Regional Championship offering a total payout of over $150,000 in cash and prizes plus the top anglers will advance to the National Championship where the winner will earn a berth in the world series of bass fishing the “Bassmaster Classic®”.
The series is designed for the weekend bass angler, with over 100 qualifying events annually for both boaters and co-anglers which allow anglers with different levels of experience a way to grow their bass fishing skills. Fishing with different anglers dramatically increases the learning opportunities and improve personal skills while at the same time cash in on what they learn.
Each division offers 4 one-day qualifying events with the winning Boater receiving $6,000 cash based on a full field plus, could qualify for another $7,000 in Triton Gold bonus money totaling a whopping $13,000 for one day’s fishing! The winning Co-Angler can win up to $3,000 with a full field. 20% of the field earns a check plus there are awards for big bass winners and awards for sponsor supported programs. The event has a total purse of up to $52,000 cash plus bonuses. Entry fees are $200 for Boaters and $100 for Co-anglers.
At the end of each division’s season a two-day Divisional Championship will be held for anglers who have fished multiple events within the division. There is both cash and pride on the line as each Division will crown an “Angler of the Year”. This event has a total purse of up to $74,500, and the winning boater can take home as much as $16,000 in winnings and a Triton Gold Bonus. Each Angler of the Year along with the top 40 by points will automatically advance to the Regional Championship. Entry fees are $300 for Boaters and $150 for Co-anglers.
At the Regional Championships, the top 40, boaters and co-anglers from 5 different divisions will complete for over $150,000 in cash and prizes. These Championships will payback 100% of entry fees and more than 170% per event overall, based on a full field. First place for the boaters will be $14,000 in cash, a new Triton/Mercury boat package with Carlisle Tires and Wheels and ODYSSEY Batteries, plus qualify for a $7,000 Triton Gold bonus making first place valued at $57,000 in total. First place for the co-anglers will be $7,000 in cash, a new Triton boat with Carlisle Tires and Wheels and ODYSSEY Battery. Entry fees are $300 for Boaters and $150 for Co-anglers. The top 20% of the field will receive a check from the 100 plus % payout and advance to the National Championship.
Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series National Championship is where all the hard work is on the line. The first place boater of the National Championship wins $100,000 and up to $105,000 in bonuses and a berth into the Bassmaster Classic®. No other organization offers this to the weekend angler from this type of format. The co-angler Champion wins $50,000 and up to $52,250 in bonuses. The National Championship has no entry fee and will be held on Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville, TN November 6 - 09, 2013.
Divisional Anglers of the Year (AOY) each receive a special sponsor package. Divisional AOYs also automatically advance to the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series Championship regardless of their Regional Championship finish.
Anglers can also enjoy having their divisional entry fees paid for under the Triton and Mercury sponsored ABA Alliance Program. This program pays up to $1,100 in entry fees plus membership to any ABA tour for new Triton/Mercury owners. To learn more about the program visitwww.tritonboats.com.
Registration for the 2013 season begins Monday Oct. 22, 2012, at 8 a.m. CST. For more information, visit www.weekendseries.com or call (256) 232-0406. ABA Lifetime members, Triton Boat Owners, Federation Nation members and B.A.S.S. life members receive priority registration into the Toyota
Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series.
The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series is sponsored by: Toyota, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Busch Beer, Royal Purple, ODYSSEY Batteries, Early Times Whisky, Carlisle Tire and Wheel, U.S. Reels, Simms Fishing Products, Probass Networks, and Rejuvenade.
About American Bass Anglers
American Bass Anglers is the largest tournament organization for the weekend angler. American Bass Anglers operates the American Fishing Tour, The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series and the American Couples Series. Each tour is designed specifically for the weekend angler, offering low-cost and close-to-home events where anglers can qualify for a larger championship. For more information on American Bass Anglers, visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
2013 Season Schedules - Also available online at www.weekendseries.com
Alabama North - Division - 1
03/09 Guntersville
04/13 Wheeler
05/11 Neely Henry
07/13 Weiss
09/14-15 Guntersville
South Alabama - Division - 2
02/02 Lake Martin
03/23 Lay Lake
04/27 Lake Jordan
06/29 Logan Martin
09/07-08 Eufaula
Arkansas - Division - 12
02/09 DeGray Lake
04/27 Lake Ouachita
05/25 Greers Ferry
06/22 Lake Dardenelle
09/21-22 Lake Ouachita
Florida - Division - 6
01/26 Lake Toho
02/23 Kissimmee Chain
04/06 Lake Toho
05/18 Okeechobee
09/14-15 Kissimmee Chain
Georgia - Division - 8
02/09 Lake Sinclair
03/02 Lake Seminole
04/20 Lake Oconee
06/22 Lake Eufaula
09/21-22 Lake Lanier
Kentucky - Division - 15
03/16 KY Lake
05/04 KY Lake
06/22 KY Lake
08/17 KY Lake
09/07-08 KY Lake
Louisiana - Division - 13
02/02 Bayou Black
03/02 Red River
05/04 Atchafalaya Basin
06/01 Louisiana Delta
09/14-15 Atchafalaya Basin
Maryland - Division - 21
03/23 Potomac River
04/27 Potomac River
06/22 Potomac River
08/10 Potomac River
09/07-08 Potomac River
Mississippi - Division - 7 (NEW DIVISION)
03/02 Pickwick
04/20 Pickwick
06/29 Ferguson
08/10 Ross Barnett
09/21-22 Pickwick
Missouri - Division - 16
05/18 Lake of Ozarks
06/08 Truman
07/20 Truman
08/03 Truman
09/28-29 Lake of Ozarks
New York - 23
06/15 Champlain
06/29 Ontario
07/20 Oneida
08/17 Sacandaga
09/21-22 Oneida
North Carolina - Division - 5
04/06 High Rock
05/25 Kerr
06/29 Norman
07/27 Wylie
09/14-15 High Rock
Oklahoma - Division - 14
03/23 Lake Tenkiller
04/20 Grand Lake
06/15 Lake Eufaula
07/13 Ft. Gibson
09/28-29 Grand Lake
Ohio - Division - 20
04/13 Rocky Fork
05/04 Alum Creek
06/08 Indian
07/20 Mosquito
08/24-25 Erie
SC - Division - 9
02/16 Lake Murray
03/09 Santee Cooper
05/11 Lake Wylie
06/15 Lake Wateree
08/17-18 Clarks Hill
Tennessee Central - Division - 3
03/23 Percy Priest
04/27 KY Lake - Paris
06/15 Old Hickory
07/27 Old Hickory
08/24-25 KY Lake - Birdsong
Tennessee East - Division - 4
03/16 Guntersville
04/13 Watts Bar
05/04 Chickamauga
06/08 Loudon/Tellico
08/24-25 Chickamauga
Texas Southeast - Division - 10
03/09 Sam Rayburn
04/06 Toledo Bend
05/11 Sam Rayburn
06/08 Sam Rayburn
09/07-08 Sam Rayburn
Texas East - Division - 11
02/16 Lake Palestine
03/16 Lake Tyler
04/13 Richland Chambers
05/18 Cedar Creek
07/20-21 Lake of the Pines
Virginia - Division - 19
03/09 Gaston
05/11 Anna
06/01 James River
07/06 Kerr
08/17-18 Potomac
Regional Qualifiers
• 10/4-5 Lake Hartwell
Divisions attending: Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama South, Florida, East Tennessee
• 10/4-5 Neely Henry
Divisions attending: North Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Louisiana, Central TN
• 10/4-5 Ft. Gibson Lake
Divisions attending: Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas East, and Texas Southeast
• 10/11-12 James River
Divisions attending: Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia
Series Championship
• 11/06-09 Old Hickory Lake, Hendersonville, TN
Flw Announces Everstart Series Strike King Anglers Of The Year
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (Oct. 9, 2012) – FLW, the world’s premier tournament fishing organization, has announced the winners of the EverStart Series 2012 Strike King Angler and Co-angler of the Year award from each of the five divisions – Central, Northern, Southeast, Texas and Western. Each division consisted of four tournaments and anglers competed for valuable points that would earn them the Strike King Angler of the Year title along with $5,000 for the pro and $2,000 for the co-angler.
B.a.s.s. Offers Wild Card Tourney Next Year To Qualify For 2014 Classic
Many pros already feel that the Bassmaster Classic is a tough nut for Elite Series anglers to crack. Then there are the extra entries awarded to those who face neither the expense nor the intensity of Elite Series competition. This causes mixed feelings. Still, as Elite Series pros will be first in line at the newly introduced Wild Card tourney (to be fished a year from this December) they should be happiest about the extra opportunity to join in the 2014 Classic.
B.A.S.S. officials have said that major changes are coming to professional angling by 2014. This appears to be their first major announcement in that regard.
The press release from B.A.S.S. follows:
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Top anglers who fail to qualify for the 2014 Bassmaster Classic had better save the dates Dec. 5-7, 2013. These three days represent their final shot at making the 2014 championship.
The Bassmaster Classic Wild Card event will host 175 anglers looking for redemption and a spot in the 2014 Classic, and will be held on a premier fishery to be announced at a later date.
B.A.S.S. Senior Tournament Director Trip Weldon is looking forward to the shootout, which he anticipates being a heavyweight slugfest.
“I will say this: The Wild Card will be held on a phenomenal fishery. It’s going to be entirely possible to make up a lot of ground and come back from a long way down the standings,” he said. “Since there are no points involved and there’s a lot at stake, this event is kind of like the Classic itself — you let it all hang out and go for the glory.”
Priority entry for the Bassmaster Classic Wild Card lies first with the Bassmaster Elite Series pros who didn’t make the Classic cut via Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings or an Elite event win. Additional slots will be filled by Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens pros who entered and paid for all three events in the respective circuits, until the 175-angler roster is full.
The tournament format will be much like that of the Bassmaster Opens. The full field will fish the first two days, then will be cut to the Top 12 anglers for the final day of competition. The angler who climbs to the top will get a ticket to the 2014 Classic. The rest of the Top 30 anglers will receive cash prizes, with the 30th-place finisher receiving $2,000. The entry fee is $2,000, and total payout is $80,000, in addition to the Classic berth and a chance to win $500,000 in the world championship.
“The Bassmaster Classic is the Super Bowl of bass fishing, and many anglers work for years to qualify for it. This last-chance Wild Card is another opportunity for someone to make his dream come true,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “No qualification route to the Classic is easy, and the Wild Card will be no exception. But, whoever comes out on top will definitely have earned the privilege that comes with being a contender.”
More details on the Bassmaster Classic Wild Card are to come.
One extra angler will get the chance to do this at the 2014 Classic.
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.
