Evinrude Pro Jacob Wheeler Gets Mental, Hopes to Repeat as Cup Champion!
Evinrude Pro Jacob Wheeler is the reigning Forrest Wood Cup Cahmpion. That's a title he'd like to wear again next year. If he can win next week on Louisiana's Red River he will become the only angler ever to win the Cup twice. In this video blog (vlog) Wheeler speaks of the importance of the mental game, especially in low-weight tournaments. Confidence, he says is key. And Wheeler has confidence in his abilities and his equipment!
Video Blog - Evinrude Pro Scott Martin Previews Forrest Wood Cup
For those who don't like to read - here's the video version of Vance's latest blog post: 2011 Forrest Wood Cup Champ, Evinrude Pro Scott Martin talks about how he hopes to become the first angler ever to win a 2nd Cup.
Evinrude Pro Scott Martin Eyes Another Forrest Wood Cup Title
What does it take to win the Forrest Wood Cup? I posed that question to the last two men who have done so: 2011 Cup Champion Scott Martin, and reigning Champ Jacob Wheeler. Tomorrow we’ll check in with Wheeler. Today we’ll see what Martin has to say.
Having recorded 6 total tour wins, all with an Evinrude E-TEC behind him as he is quick to point out, Martin is especially qualified not only to speak about what it takes to win the Cup but to win on the FLW Tour in general. “Winning any tournament, whether it’s the Cup or one of the other FLW Tour events is extremely hard to do,” said Martin. “You’ve got to be mentally prepared and mentally strong to perform at that level and to win at that level.
“But the Cup is so much different in this way – the pressure of the money. That’s a life-changing amount of money. I mean, they’re giving away $500,000. That’s a big deal. That’s a lot of pressure. Guys always say ‘oh I don’t think about the money’, well they’re lying to themselves because they do.
“Then on top of that, to win the crown jewel of the sport, that trophy, is awesome.”
Martin adds a bit of extra pressure on his own shoulders, “For me it’s all about trying to get another one and separate myself from the pack. I want to win two (Cups) just because no one’s done it yet.”
The cup is also different from any other tournament in terms of the media coverage it generates. That attention, while nice, can take its toll on an angler.
Martin explains, “All the people calling you when you’re doing well in the tournament, all the interviews you’re going to be doing, all the backstage interviews, all of the coverage on the water – all of that is just so much different than just a regular tournament. That pressure right there is what you have to overcome.
“When I won the Cup I made a point to get out of that coliseum as quick as I could. I ran out the back exit every day when I had weighed my fish-in. Jumped in my truck and turned my phone off.
“I love the media but I tried to avoid it as much as possible just for those reasons – I didn’t want to get sucked into it. I tried to treat it as a regular event in my mind.”
Martin made a scouting trip to the Red River several weeks ago mainly for the purpose of learning to navigate waters he may fish. "There are so many backwater areas there. You’ve got to know your way in and out of these places. I run a Ranger boat with an Evinrude outboard and I have put that thing through the wringer. When I was out there in April for a Bassmaster tournament I jumped so many logs and bounced into so many things with that Evinrude but it held up fine.
"But you still want to be careful. You’ve got to know your ins-and-outs. Going out there and GPS-ing the quick ways in and out of these marshes is good. The more time I can fish and keep my bait in the strike zone, the better my chances are so knowing how to get into these backwaters as quick as I can – knowing the shortcuts through the stumps, etc. - that allows me to get back there first and allows me to have more fishing time if I do that several times throughout the day. Having a boat and an engine that will hold up to the abuse that you’re going to put it through at the Red River, that says something about your equipment. I’m telling you that Ranger was airborne. Those stumps lift you up in the air. The Evinrude was nailing those things left and right and it got me in and out, no problem back in April and I fully expect I’ll have the same results next week.”
With regard to tactics, Martin made some guesses as to how the 2013 Cup will likely be won. He expects conventional tactics to rule, for the most part. “The Red River is the type of fishery where you don’t need to stray too far from the norm in order to do well, but obviously with the crazy Alabama Rig opportunities that float around the country at different times of the year, that’s always an oddball thing that may work. I don’t think anybody’s ever been successful on a muddy, Red River type of river with that rig but it could be a sleeper. Another thing which could be good is maybe some really deep cranking.
“And then the last oddball thing there could be making those really long runs, say, down to Pool 3. Two locks. You’re only going to have maybe two-and-a-half, three hours, maybe four hours at best, fishing time. But if you can find some water down there that doesn’t have any other fishing pressure at all, that could give you an advantage.
“The problem is there are no marinas on the river to get gas so you need to have a motor that’s very fuel efficient.
“With that Evinrude E-TEC, I can run it at a certain RPM and get the best fuel economy that I can get and I think, with my calculations, I think I can run as far as I need to down in Pool 3and still have close to three-and-a-half hours of fishing if I can get through the locks with a decent time, as long as a barge doesn’t mess me up.”
More Outstanding Summer Fishing On Guntersville Expected For Snag Proof Open
Bass fishing in Lake Guntersville has been nothing short of extraordinary this summer and it should be just as fantastic for the Snag Proof Open out of Goose Pond Colony Saturday, said Jamie Shay, owner of the Bait, Tackle and Grill at Goose Pond.
“The fishing this summer has been just outstanding, with bigger fish being weighed in than any summer I have been here,” Shay said. “I can't believe how good the fishing has been from last summer to this summer.”
Shay said he attributes the huge increase in fishing success to lower-than-normal water temperatures.
“The water temperature is around 83 degrees and typically this time of year it's around 90 degrees. We've only had a couple of days of 90-degree weather in July and August combined so far, just one or two days a week. There has been a lot of cloudiness and some days the temperatures have been dropping down into the 60s. Everything combined has been keeping the water temperatures down and it's just been beautiful for the fish.”
So beautiful, he said, that just about any tactic favored by an angler has been successful this summer.
“There are so many guys doing so many different things – and it is all working. Everybody's favorite way to fish is successful.”
Their favorite fishing methods will have to be modified somewhat, however, for the Snag Proof Open Saturday, Shay said.
“It's strictly a frog tournament and they can only fish with Snag Proof Frogs. They can use the frog almost any way, just as long as it's Snag Proof. They can Texas rig it, Carolina rig it, drop-shot it and, of course, use it on topwater,” he said.
“If I were fishing the tournament myself, I'd have some rigged up that would go down under so I could fish some of the deeper grass, as well as having some rigged up for topwater fishing, too.”
Shay said the fish are not in a real summer pattern.
“It tends to get a little tough in the summer. They seem to be roaming the grass lines now. They are still eating shad. It's not quite a summer pattern, but we'll take it.”
He said Saturday's tournament will have a three-fish limit and bass of all three species found in Guntersville – largemouths, smallmouth and spotted bass – all must be at least 15 inches long.
“The entry fee is $180 per boat, one or two anglers, and big fish is included in the entry fee,” he said. “First place will pay $10,000 based on a 150-boat field and the payback will go to 20 percent of the field. The payback for big fish will be 100 percent, paid to multiple species.”
Registration for the tournament will be held 3-6 p.m. Friday at the Bait, Tackle and Grill at Goose Pond, with the meeting from 6 to 7 p.m.
Snag Proof Open
Sat, Aug 10, 2013
Lake Guntersville
Goose Pond Colony
Call Jamie Shay 256-599-0132
Even Bigger Weights Than July Expected For Chattanooga Bass Tournament Saturday
It has been one strange summer for bass fishing in the South – flooded lakes, cooler water temperatures than normal, floating trees and other debris carried by faster currents as lake managers tried to hold water levels at a somewhat safe level by opening the gates on the dams.
And during all that the fishing in most lakes has been just fantastic.
For instance, in July Lakes Chickamauga and Nickajack experienced dangerous flooding, yet the Chattanooga Bass Association’s two tournaments that month recorded exceptional catches.
Josh and Jeff Reed won The Heatherly Brothers Const. Open (night) tournament July 27 with a 5-fish limit that weighed 27.11 pounds – almost a 5 1/2-pound average. Two weeks earlier, on July 13, Rogne and George Brown took first place in the Pepsi Open with five that weighed a whopping 32,56 pounds – a 6 1/2-pound average that included the tournament's overall big fish, a 8.70-pound largemouth.
And, said Chattanooga Bass Association Vice President Allen Lewis, with the lake having settled back down somewhat, the weights in Saturday's could be even more impressive.
“The biggest effect the flooding had in July was in deep water,” Lewis said. “The water levels came up and pushed the fish into the shallow pockets so the shallow water fishing dominated both the day and night tournaments.”
But now the deep water fishing has improved considerably and there is lots of grass just beneath the surface of the water, he noted, and that could have a major impact on fishing success Saturday.
“The deep water fishing will make a much bigger showing and it will take more weight to win Saturday and in the night tournament August 24,” Lewis said. “This is my own opinion, but I'm looking at 30 to 33 pounds for the win in both the day and night tournaments.”
The Brown team's win in July pushed Rogne Brown to second place in the points standings, just 19 points back of Adam Dysart and Jamie Copenhaver. An excellent structure fisherman, he now may well be the odds-on favorite to win another Chattanooga Bass points title, Lewis said. Brown won the points championship in 2008 and 2009 and missed a third title by just one point in 2012.
After Saturday's tournament the remaining schedule includes the last night tournament August 24, with regular tournaments Sept. 14 and Oct. 12 before the Classic Nov. 2-3.
Chattanooga Bass Association
Sat, Aug 10, 2013
Chickamauga Lake
Chester Frost Park
Call Justin Medley 423-667-5054
ICAST 2013: On Deck-VICIOUS Pro Staffer BOYD DUCKETT reviews this amazing LINE!
Bass Master and Elite Series Pro BOYD DUCKETT joins AC Pro Staffer Vance McCullough for a quick preview on why this VICIOUS Fluorocarbon Line is some of the best on the market-period! Click here to watch!
NEW Team Evan Williams to Feature John Crews, Hank Cherry
Evan Williams Bourbon has found a friendly following in the bass fishing community. The second-largest selling Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, nationally as well as globally, is also one of the top non-endemic sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite Series.
The company recently decided to revamp its pro staff. The new Team Evan Williams will consist of Elite Series veteran John Crews and Rookie of the Year front runner Hank Cherry.
Crews, currently ranked among the top 20 anglers in the world, is a seven- time Bassmaster Classic qualifier and has placed 3rd in two Elite Series events so far this year. He has 17 top ten Elite Series finishes over a 13 year Bassmaster career.
Cherry served notice at this year’s Bassmaster Classic that he is a competitor to be reckoned with. Narrowly missing victory at Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees when a big bass pulled free of his jerkbait, Cherry has all but sealed Rookie of the Year in a class that includes standout pro Jason Christie, the odds-on favorite at said Classic on Grand Lake.
The brand will also have a presence at all other events on the Bassmaster Elite Series and at the consumer exposition shows that accompany all of the fishing tournaments, including next year’s Bassmaster Classic in Birmingham, AL in February.
“Evan Williams has for a number of years made a significant investment in Bassmaster,” stated Susan Wahl, Senior Brand Manager at Heaven Hill. “The consumer demographics are very positive towards Bourbon and it engenders real brand loyalty, especially for a non-endemic sponsor such as us. We are pleased to be adding John Crews and Hank Cherry as members of Team Evan Williams and anticipate them appearing often on the weigh-in stage in their Evan Williams logoed uniforms.”
And here’s a cool road trip idea for you this autumn:
To further the brand’s consumer awareness and take advantage of the huge increase in Bourbon tourism and interest in the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, Heaven Hill is opening the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience this fall. Featuring an immersive visitor experience that takes guests back to Evan Williams’ distillery on the banks of the Ohio, which was established over 200 years ago just across Louisville’s Main Street from where the facility will be located, the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience will include an artisanal distillery and guided tours and tastings.
John Crews joins Team Evan Williams.
Valdez and Hitchcock win the Snag Proof Open on the California Delta with 16.55 and win $7100!!
Pro division champions Valdez and Hitchcock win BIG taking home $7,000 dollars Young Gun Alex Sanchez with a big Frog fish
Am division winners bring in bigger weight than Pro division!
BETHEL ISLAND Ca. - To be sure, the 2013 Snag Proof Open - presented by Gone Fishin Marine of Dixon Ca, was one of the most exciting of the twelve annual events that have been held on the California delta.
Two hundred and seven teams – or if you prefer, four hundred and fourteen anglers, converged on Russo’s Marina at Bethel Island to participate in what has become the iconic summertime event for the west’s legion of competitive anglers, all of who were eagerly waiting – with Snag Proof top water frogs in hand, to make a run at this year’s title and a lucrative cash purse that turned out to yield over $7,000 for the winners.
Perennial favorites Sean and Brian Stafford jumped out to what seemed to be an insurmountable lead on day one, bringing in a three fish limit that topped the scales right at 16 pounds. But on day two, the weather changed, bringing with it a prevailing wind that not only cooled down the temperatures, but the bite as well, making it difficult for some teams to adjust.
The most common and constant comment from anglers regarding the bite was that the “strike-to-catch” ratio was beyond ridiculous.
“We had a 100 yard bank that we simply could not leave because we were getting so many good blow ups”, stated Navionics/Humminbird pro-staffer Travis Huckaby, who saw his first day weight of over 9 pounds become of no consequence, as on the second day of competition those same repeated “blow ups” produced nothing more than mangled frogs that would “slingshot” back to his boat as soon as a big bass spit it out.
“We died a thousand deaths out there today, watching big fish roll over our frogs without getting ONE good hook in them” Travis added, clearly frustrated with the day.
But the team of Valdez and Hitchcock, had no such problems with “hook ups” as this PRO division team on the strength of the Bobby’s perfect Buzz Frog, brought a day 2 limit to the scales weighing 16.55 pounds, to take over the lead - and the win in this 12th annual event.
For their efforts they received $7,100 dollars and two beautiful custom designed trophies that will surely give them a ton of “braggin rights” for years to come.
In the AM division the team of Kreighbauer and Chapman took top honors, and for the first time in the history of the event, the AM division brought in a bigger weight than the PRO division team!
Ish’s Phat Frogs coupled with Bobby’s Perfect Frogs were the key to success for this team, as their 26.58 pound 6-fish limit earned them a check for just shy of $3,000 and a ton of respect from their competition for such a commanding performance.
But even more was at stake in this weekend’s event besides the Snag Proof Open title, as the top 25 from the PRO division, and the top 15 from the AM division will automatically qualify for the first-ever Coors Light Delta Open Teams Series Championship – to be held on the California Delta in late June of 2014!
In this invitational tournament, only 100 qualifying teams will compete for the inaugural Coors Light Open Teams Series Championship trophy, and get this….the keys to a new Jeep Patriot, plus cash and prizes!
On behalf of Snag Proof Lures, Anglers Press, presenting sponsor Gone Fishin Marine of Dixon Ca, and the entire Snag Pro pro-staff – a sincere THANK YOU to all of you that supported and participated in this great event which contributed to making it a HUGE success.
We look forward to hosting it again for western anglers and hope to see you all next summer for another fun-filled top water frog event!
Ribbit…Ribbit…
Anglers Press
www.anglerspress.com
Nummy, Frink Of Aum Win 2013 Bassmaster Carhartt College National Championship
YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. — Winning the title in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship on Georgia’s Lake Chatuge, Auburn University at Montgomery’s Tom Frink gets to go out on top, and Jacob Nummy gets to see his creation rise to the highest possible high. AUM tallied a three-day total of 43-3, winning by 6-11.
Four years ago, Nummy started the AUM Anglers club with the hopes of one day bringing recognition to the school’s fishing team, and today AUM is king of the college heap.
If the pair hadn’t won, this would have been Frink’s final tournament as a collegiate angler, but now AUM has earned an invitation to the Carhartt Bassmaster College Bracket Championship set to be held this September. One angler from the Top 4 teams in that tournament will earn a berth in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic.
“I don’t really have words for how this feels right now. There are a lot of good fishermen here, and I feel for them because I know how it feels to lose,” Nummy said. “We had some key bites and things go right that second day, but none of this would have been possible without the good Lord. This is going to do wonders for our program and recruiting.”
“The immense highs and lows are what make this sport what it is: amazing,” Frink said. “I feel speechless as to how to describe the feeling, but I don’t think it’s sunk in yet, either. We’ve been so close in so many tournaments, but to finally pull it off and win is amazing.”
Frink said a rough first day set them on the right course.
“That first day is what saved us,” he explained. “Things didn’t go how we thought they would, and we learned that we had to hunker down and throw the rat. I have to give Jacob a lot of credit, too, for having the discipline not to get up front and have us be shoulder to shoulder because those fish are so spooky. To have two guys up there would have scared off more fish. You also need a lot of room to sling it.”
Both Nummy and Frink admitted that today presented them with the toughest fishing conditions they’d seen yet. Their El Raton rat wakebait produced a single fish, but it was a 5-6, the biggest bass of the day.
“The rat produced one today, and it was our biggest, and I felt like that one would give us the win or put us close,” Nummy said. “Big fish are so rare and so special.”
“I went home to California before this tournament and found a couple baits that I wanted to throw, and that was one of them,” Frink said. “I didn’t throw it much in practice because I didn’t want the fish to see it too much or for it to get damaged.”
Frink used the El Raton mostly on main-lake laydowns and shallow clay or rock banks where largemouth were loitering. Four hours into the day, the duo had just one fish in the livewell, so they began to scramble in order to eke out a limit, which proved necessary for their win. They hit docks and marinas with drop shot rigs to add four more fish to their livewell.
Local favorites Matthew Peeler and Brad Rutherford of Young Harris College took the runner-up spot and will also compete in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Bracket Championship later this year. They had 36-8 over three days.
In third place is the team of Jordan Lee and Shane Powell of Auburn University, who wound up with 35-15. The final team to earn a berth in the Bracket Championship is that of Nick Barr and Jarred Walker of Eastern Washington University with 34-8. Auburn’s Matt Lee and Chris Seals were the team that finished fifth today with 32-7 and did not qualify for the Classic bracket event.
Winners of the $500 Carhartt Big Bass are Florida State’s Charles Fee and Cody Spears for the 5-15, weighed in on Day 1. The $250 Bass Pro Shops/Nitro Boats Big Bag goes to Tom Frink and Jacob Nummy for their 20-15 sack, weighed in on Day 2. The Yamaha Hat Bonus goes to Frink and Nummy, as well, for wearing a Yamaha hat across the stage on Day 3. The highest-finishing team each day earned $500 daily, hence AUM’s $1,000 prize. Young Harris’ Peeler and Rutherford won $500 on Day 1.
Winning the tournament’s Livingston Lures Leader award of $500 in Livingston Lures products for being in the lead on Day 2 were the AUM champs, Frink and Nummy.
TV coverage of the Championship will air in August on ESPNU in two parts. The first will be Sunday, Aug. 11, noon to 1 p.m. ET. The second part will air Sunday, Aug. 18 in the same time slot. They will be preceded by an Aug. 4 show from noon to 1 p.m. ET that recaps how the anglers qualified for the Championship through the five Regional Conference events.
Bianchi Takes Bassmaster Open Title On Oneida Lake
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — On Day 2 of the Bass Pros Shops Bassmaster Northern Open on Oneida Lake, New York pro Jim Bianchi landed the largest limit of the tournament, 19 pounds 4 ounces, to build a lead of more than 2 pounds over his closest competitor. Today he added 17-7 to his total, once again the largest single catch of the day, and extended his lead over a hard-charging Tracy Adams by a pound to earn the victory in only his second Open entry. For the victory, Bianchi won a prize package that included cash and a Skeeter ZX200 powered by a Yamaha VF200LA outboard, packaged with a dual-axle trailer, a Minn Kota trolling motor and Humminbird electronics. He did not fish the first Northern Open of the year at Virginia’s James River, so his victory this week will not earn him a spot in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic. While he will not compete in the Classic next February, Bianchi nevertheless called this the biggest win of his fishing career, nothing that, “This never gets old.”
Despite his extensive experience on Oneida, he said that the lake fished quite differently than normal, with neither of his typical largemouth or smallmouth patterns working out in practice. Fortunately, his backup plan worked even better.
“After practice, I knew I had the potential to do it,” he said. “I felt good about what I had found.”
What he had found was a group of relatively shallow spots in the grass that held heavy concentrations of largemouth. While he weighed in a few smallmouth, he said that approximately 90 percent of the resident bass were largemouth, and it was the green fish that led him to victory. The spot where he caught most of his Day 2 weight clued him in to what the fish were feeding on.
“I found something pretty cool,” he said. “I knew that area had some big fish, but it wasn’t until I caught a few that I figured out why. I brought up some fish that had weeds with them, and in the weeds there were hundreds of microscopic crawfish. Either the bass there were eating their parents, or else the baitfish were there eating them.”
Regardless of what drew the bass to the diminutive prey, Bianchi relied on a one-two punch of presentations to keep them active — a traditional flipping jig and a finesse plastic on a drop shot rig.
“They would bite in spurts,” he said. “For a while they’d eat a jig, and then they wouldn’t eat it right. They’d just mouth it. Usually that meant you had to finesse them. Other times you could snap it and get them to react.”
He didn’t need all of his 17-7 final weight to outlast Adams, but from the water Bianchi, didn’t know that. Late in the day he made a strategic adjustment he’d been planning on all week.
“There was one area that I’d saved all (through the) tournament,” he explained. “I knew that around 12 or 1 o’clock, the smallmouth usually get going, so I went over there around 12:30.”
In short order, he culled three of the fish in his livewell with a 4-pound smallmouth, a 4 1/2-pound largemouth and a 3-pound smallmouth.
“Without those three, I knew I wouldn’t have a shot,” he said. “With those three, I had it nailed.”
Adams, a former Bassmaster Open winner and two-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier, relied on one 50 foot by 50 foot spot in a large grassbed to reel in three consecutive limits that totaled 49-4. Even though it was an area where he expected to catch mostly smallmouth, like Bianchi, most of the fish he weighed in at this event were largemouth.
“I had what I had in 45 minutes today,” he said. “It was all in one little, little area. If I got outside of it, I didn’t get a bite. All of the grass around it looked exactly the same, so I still don’t know why they were there.”
Adams said he was fortunate to catch his fish early, because “once the wind started blowing, it laid the grass down, and you couldn’t buy a bite.” Most of his fish were caught flipping a Zoom Speed Craw.
Virginia pro Jacob Powroznik, who was tied with Adams in third place entering the final day of competition, held onto that spot today on the strength of his second consecutive 15-15 limit. He primarily targeted schooling smallmouth and reported catching nearly 60 of them today. He said that the key to catching the bigger ones was to let his umbrella rig ride lower in the water column.
“When they’re busting the surface, they’re harder to catch,” he said. “If you fish it up near the top, you might catch some that are 2 or 2 ½ pounds, but if you let it go to the bottom before you start reeling, you can catch 3-pounders.”
Jamey Caldwell of North Carolina caught 15-12 to move up a spot into fourth place. Mike Morrin of New York, who entered the day in second place, dropped three places to round out the Top 5.
Co-angler Tom Hill of Kentucky, fishing behind Powroznik today, jumped from third place to first to claim the co-angler crown. His three, three-fish limits totaled 27-12 and enabled him to outlast second-place co-angler Chris Hall by 8 ounces in a tightly-packed amateur field. In addition to fishing with Powroznik, he fished with winner Jim Bianchi on Day 1 and with Kenny Garippa of Pennsylvania on Day 2, which was when Garippa weighed in 19-3.
Hill will take home a Nitro Z-7, powered by a Mercury 150 HP Optimax outboard, and equipped with a single-axle trailer, Minn Kota trolling motor and Lowrance electronics.
The Carhartt Big Bass award of $500 for the largest single bass caught at the tournament was awarded to Kenny Garippa on the pro side for the 5-6 largemouth he caught on Day 2. Hill won the award on the co-angler side with a 4-11 largemouth, also caught on Day 2 from the back of Garippa’s boat.
The Luck-E-Strike Heavyweight Award on the pro side, consisting of a $250 Bass Pro Shops gift card, went to Bianchi for the 19-4 limit he weighed in on Friday. On the co-angler side, former Open winner Brian Kelly earned the same amount for his three-fish 10-15 Day 1 limit, caught while fishing with New York pro Noah Raymond.
The Livingston Lures Leader award of $250 was presented to Bianchi for leading the pro side after Day 2 of competition. Ken Woods of Kentucky won the corresponding honor on the co-angler side and received a Livingston Lures gift pack valued at $250.
Auburn U At Montgomery's Nummy And Frink Take Charge With Huge Sack At Carhartt Bassmaster College National Championship!
YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. — Tom Frink has got a secret, and he unleashed it on the field at the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship today en route to amassing an eye-popping 20-pound, 15-ounce five-fish limit with partner Jacob Nummy. His secret is in the form of the bait, and he might be the only angler in north Georgia who has one.
Frink kept his secret lure close to his vest, but will reveal it after the conclusion of the event tomorrow, after the Top 5 teams have weighed in. Frink and Nummy, both seniors at Auburn University at Montgomery, currently are enjoying a 3-pound, 2-ounce lead with a two-day total of 31-3.
The pair started with an early flurry of spotted bass caught on drop shot rigs, but each fish they put in the well was a candidate for culling, as Frink and Nummy saw it. They hadn’t let their secret bait out yet.
“It was nice having some OK spots first thing, but they weren’t anything that would help us get into the Top 5,” Frink said. “It helped us to get comfortable, but then we went fishing for largemouth, and it became a bit of a grind in the afternoon.”
Frink’s bait was so much the key to their day that Nummy flipped to downed trees from the back of the boat as the pair passed them, allowing Frink room to sling his bait.
“It was mainly me getting out of his way so he could put that bait in the right spot,” Nummy said. “I think me just hanging back and letting him do his thing with that bait is what helped us a lot.”
With conditions changing as fast as they did today, the duo feels like they may have to learn Chatuge all over again tomorrow. Seldom have the days been the same on Chatuge since they began practice seven days ago.
“I’d like to say tomorrow that we can do it again, but on this lake there really aren’t any givens. You’ve got to go out there and start casting to get a feel for what’s going on,” Frink said. “It could be big largemouth again, or it could be spots.”
“We’ve got a bunch of holes to hit, but if the heads (big largemouth) aren’t there, that might be a problem. To win it, we’re gonna need heads,” Nummy said.
Surging into second place after Day 2 is the Auburn team of Jordan Lee and Shane Powell. They sacked 14-12 today for a total of 28-1.
“We struggled early on in the day, but the afternoon bite turned on for us,” Lee said.
Powell said that timing was key for them.
“We went back to two or three of our best spots and started catching them,” Powell said. “We had hit them two or three times earlier in the day, and they weren’t there, but at the end of the day they started biting for whatever reason. Then, at our very last stop, they started schooling right at the boat, and we caught two more doing that. That last hour the whole lake turned on, and we culled three or four of our fish.
“It’d be awesome to make it to that bracket (to determine which collegiate angler will fish in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic) because I’m with (2013 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series champion) Matt (Lee) a lot, and I’ve seen what it’s done for him and his family. We’re pretty excited to have this chance.”
In third place are Day 1 leaders Nick Barr and Jarred Walker of Eastern Washington University, who only managed 6-0 today, but had staying power thanks to the strength of their Day 1 bag of 19-4. The pair had to contend with increased boat traffic due to their success. Plenty of anglers saw where Barr and Walker were fishing and used the same spots today.
“We went to hit our first spot, and there was a boat on it. There were boats on our five best spots today when we got there,” Barr said. “These fish are smart. If you’re not the first boat there to drop on ’em, you won’t get bit. We watched big fish all day just sit there and ignore our bait.”
In fourth place are the local favorites of Brad Peeler and Matthew Rutherford of Young Harris College with 23-15, and in fifth place is the other Auburn University team, made up of Matt Lee and Chris Seals with 22-14.
Only these Top 5 teams will compete tomorrow to determine which Top 4 teams will go on to the Carhartt Bassmaster College Bracket Championship, where the winner will earn a berth in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic set to be held next February on Alabama’s Lake Guntersville.
The Carhartt Big Bass honors still lie with Florida State University’s Cody Spears and Charles Fee for their 5-13 caught yesterday.
Winning the tournament’s Livingston Lures Leader award of $500 in Livingston Lures products for being in the lead on Day 2 are Frink and Nummy of AUM.
Anglers will launch Saturday at 6:30 a.m. ET at The Ridges Marina, 3499 U.S. Hwy 76, Hiawassee, Ga. The weigh-in for the final day of competition will be held at 3 p.m. at Young Harris College, 1 College St., Young Harris, Ga.
TV coverage of the Championship will air in August on ESPNU in two parts. The first will be Sunday, Aug. 11, noon to 1 p.m. ET. The second part will air Sunday, Aug. 18 in the same time slot. They will be preceded by an Aug. 4 show from noon to 1 p.m. ET that recaps how the anglers qualified for the Championship through the five Regional Conference events.
Follow the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/CollegeBass and on Twitter using hashtag #collegebass. Follow the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bass and on Twitter using hashtag #collegebass.
Bianchi Takes Lead St Bassmaster Open On Oneida
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – At the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open, New York pro Jim Bianchi hit his largemouth bass spots hard on Day 1 to amass a catch of 15 pounds, 12 ounces. He thought he may have burned them up, but on Day 2, he had more than 19 pounds of Oneida Lake green fish in the livewell by 9:30 a.m. and was able to relax the rest of the day.
On the strength of his big limit, Bianchi vaulted into the lead, slightly more than 2 pounds ahead of second-place angler Mike Morrin, also from New York. Moving down one spot was North Carolina pro Tracy Adams, who is tied with Virginian Jacob Powroznik for third at 32-07, just a half pound behind Morin. The first day leader Chris Daves fell to sixth place.
The rest of the Top 12 group is tightly packed, with 12th place angler James Niggemeyer less than 5 pounds out of the lead, and less than 3 pounds out of second. Any of them could make a move on the victory tomorrow, but on a close scoreboard, Bianchi’s lead looks huge.
“I laid off them big time today,” Bianchi said. “I let them rest a lot. For 65 percent of the day, I sat and ate sandwiches.” One was egg salad, one was chicken salad, but by his own description both were “gas station specials.” Tomorrow he likely won’t have the luxury of stopping to eat as he looks to fend off the other 11 members of a strong Top 12.
Bianchi started with a limit of smallmouth this morning, quickly culled all of them with largemouth, and then sat near his best spot the rest of the day to ensure that no other competitor stumbled onto it. He said that he has saved several areas, but the one he has relied upon so far clearly has the best quality.
“I should have the area alone tomorrow,” Bianchi said.
Morrin caught a mix of smallmouth and largemouth, the five best of which weighed 16-08, just an ounce better than his first day catch. He said that his “brown fish kind of fizzled out a bit after three hours,” so he turned to the largemouth bite. Two members of his five-fish limit were largemouth. This is the first Bassmaster Opens that he’s fished, but he’s certainly not an Oneida rookie. He’s notched numerous Top 10 spots here on other circuits, and in 2008, he spent “every weekend here from June through October.”
Like Bianchi, Adams weighed in five largemouth today, but he wasn’t necessarily happy about it. Yesterday his key area produced a mix of both species, and he believes that the resident smallmouths were just a little bit fatter, “4 or 5 ounces more on average,” he said. He’s not sure what he’ll do tomorrow to generate the type of bag he’ll need to make a run at the victory. “I just haven’t had any real big bites — nothing over about 4 pounds — and I’m only getting one of those each day.”
Adams professed to be astounded by the 19-04 that Bianchi weighed in: “I didn’t know there were five that big in here that if you put them all together they’d weigh 19 pounds,” he said. In order to add a second Bassmaster Opens trophy to his mantle, he said he’ll have to get lucky and the two pros ahead of him will have to stumble.
Powroznik was the only member of the Top 4 who didn’t bring a largemouth to the weigh-in. He’s primarily chasing schooling smallmouth, and said that the decision to look for brown over green seemed elementary.
“I’ve researched the last couple of big tournaments up here, and it seems that smallmouths are the dominant fish most of the time,” he said. “I also thought that they’d be more consistent.” Powroznik is rotating among six schools of bronzebacks that he pinned down by careful idling and use of his electronics, and he said that once he gets them fired up, the fishing is relatively easy.
“This morning I had 14 or 15 pounds in about 10 minutes,” he recalled. “It was fast and furious. I’m catching them on a dropshot, a tube and a swimbait, but the truth is that if you get it in front of them, they’re going to bite.
For leading the field after the second day of competition, Bianchi received the $250 Livingston Lures Leader Award.
Kenny Woods of Oneida, Ky., leads the co-angler side of the tournament with two three-bass limits that totaled 19-07 and received a Livingston Lures gift pack valued at $250 for being in first place after Day 2. He fished with veteran pro Gary Yamamoto yesterday and Elite Series rookie Chip Porche today. Brian Kelly, who won a Southern Open on Lake Toho six months ago, trails Woods by a mere 2 ounces.
Pennsylvania pro Kenny Garippa weighed in a 5 pound, 6 ounce largemouth today, the Carhartt Big Bass on the pro side of the tournament so far. After struggling with Oneida’s smallmouth over the last month, including yesterday when he weighed in only two for 4-1, Garippa turned his attention to largemouth today and caught a 19-03 limit on a Texas rigged Senko
If Garippa’s big largemouth holds up as the Carhartt Big Bass of the tournament after tomorrow’s weigh-in, he will receive an additional $500. If the 4-11 bass weighed in by co-angler Tom Hill of Lexington, Ky., withstands the attempts of tomorrow’s Top 12 co-anglers to topple it, he too will bank $500 for the Carhartt Big Bass award.
Anglers will launch on Saturday at 5:45 a.m. ET from Oneida Shores Park at 9400 Bartell Road, Brewerton, NY 13029. The final day weigh-in will be held at 3:15 p.m. ET at Bass Pro Shops, 1579 Clark St. Rd., Auburn, NY 13022.
Chris Daves Leads Bassmaster Northern Open On Oneida
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – As the full field bucked big waves on Oneida Lake today, Virginia pro Chris Daves bucked the conventional wisdom that it’s necessary to pursue both largemouth and smallmouth to win here and claimed the first day lead at the second 2013 Northern Open . His limit of five smallmouth weighed 17 pounds, 2 ounces, leaving him 1 ounce ahead of North Carolina pro Tracy Adams.
“I don’t have anything to even catch a largemouth in my boat,” Daves said. “I’m not saying that I’ll win, but you can definitely win with all smallmouth here. I think the largemouth bite will fall off.”
He’s pursuing his quarry in two ways: on isolated grass clumps and when they’re schooling. Because it was so rough today, he couldn’t focus on birds to find schooling bass, but instead used his depthfinder to locate the bait they were pursuing. At the first stop of the day his front graph went out, so he spent the rest of the day moving his console unit back and forth from the bow to the dash.
While the former tour pro has fished around the country in a wide variety of circumstances, he’s known for being a tidal water expert. That may be where he has the most advantage, but “I Love New York” should be somewhere on his jersey. Of the 10 Top 10 finishes he’s logged in 97 career B.A.S.S. events, four have been on waters in or adjoining the Empire State – he placed ninth at Cayuga Lake last year, fourth at Lake Champlain in 2006, third at Oneida Lake in 2005 and 10th on Lake Erie (out of Ohio) in 2006.
Clearly the affinity for smallmouth fishing runs in the family. Daves’ father, Woo, who won the 2000 Classic on the back of Lake Michigan bronzebacks, is currently just 18 ounces back in ninth place with 16-0.
“I clued him in … again,” the leader joked. “We’re doing the same thing.”
This is of course an individual event, but if it were a team tournament, the two members of the Daves family would be 9 ounces behind Adams (2nd, 17-01) and veteran Connecticut pro Terry Baksay (3rd, 16-10), longtime traveling partners and close friends. Like the younger Daves, each of them has qualified for two Bassmaster Classics and would love to close out a win this week to increase that number to three.
Adams was the first angler to weigh in today, and when he held up two largemouth, it seemed he might’ve committed to a shallow grass bite all day. Then he revealed that his other three fish were smallmouth, and that all of them came from the same spot.
“I don’t know why there were a couple of largemouth in there,” he said. He’s fishing approximately 12 feet deep in the middle of a 50-acre grassbed, but the key spot is approximately the size of two bass boats.
“I started on it, and they didn’t bite,” he recalled. “I came back around 8 o’clock, and it was on. I have no idea if it will hold up.”
While Adams reported that other anglers were respectful of his key stretch, he and his close friend Baksay are within sight of one another.
“I can see him, and he can see me,” Baksay said. “We’re about a half mile apart.”
Unlike his roommate, though, the Connecticut angler caught nothing but smallmouth today.
“I’m not going to mess with green fish when I can catch brown ones,” Baksay said. “Are you kidding?” He caught a 3-12 on his last cast of the day to cull up past the six other members of the tournament’s 16-plus pound club. The last member of that group was the elder Daves, who seemed to have a variety of sports other than bass fishing on his mind today. On stage he thanked his local rabbit hunting partners and expressed an interest in going to the races at the dirt track tomorrow night, whether he makes the cut or not. Backstage he credited some of his success to the substantial amount of time he spends flounder fishing.
“When you fish for flounder, you have to stay on the contours,” he said. “Smallmouth are basically breakline fish, so any time you can find something like a little point that just juts out, that’s where you’ll probably catch them.”
While the large field invoked an array of potential problems and excuses before the tournament – including, but not limited to, an algae bloom, heavy crowds, strong winds and muddied areas – when the scales closed, the numbers told a different story. They caught lots of fish, as the pros always do on Oneida. The cutoff for the Top 12 was 15 pounds, 12 ounces. The drop off to 30th place only moves the needle to 14-8. Ten pounds barely even squeaked inside the Top 100. If any angler wants to make a move, he’ll likely have to add a kicker or two to his bag.
Pennsylvania pro Tony Dorman (37th, 14-0) caught the Carhartt Big Bass of the day, a 5-2 largemouth that would have bolstered anyone else’s bag significantly, turning a struggling angler into a contender, or turning a contender into a leader. “First thing this morning I planned on catching a limit of smallmouth,” Dorman said. “I pulled in and caught that big one on a spinnerbait.”
Brian Kelly of New York leads the co-angler field on the strength of a three-fish limit that weighed 10-15. Richard French (42nd, 7-15), also of New York, caught the co-angler Carhartt Big Bass of the day, which weighed 4-6.
Anglers will launch on Friday and Saturday at 5:45 a.m. ET from Oneida Shores Park at 9400 Bartell Road, Brewerton, NY 13029. The Day 2 weigh-ins will be held at the 2 p.m. ET at the same location at Oneida Shores Park. The final day weigh in will be held at 3:15 p.m. ET at Bass Pro Shops, 1579 Clark St. Rd., Auburn NY 13022.
Barr & Walker Of Eastern Washington U. Lead Day 1 Of Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship
For Barr and Walker, however, the day in Georgia might as well have been a day on their home lake, Potholes Reservoir.
“Being from Washington state, Chatuge lays out a lot like my home lake does. It plays a lot to our strengths — finesse fishing,” Barr, a senior, said. “I heard that the lake was clear, but when I looked, I could only see 4 feet deep, and that’s dingy for Washington. We can see 20 feet usually. But still, this is the closest thing you guys have got on the East Coast that’s like home.”
Barr, who has served as a smallmouth guide in Washington for the past three years, said the biggest factor in their success today was patience.
“A lot of guys were fishing too fast. Even though they were throwing a drop shot or something, they’d flip it out, then reel it back up a few seconds later. That’s too fast,” he said. “We caught fish in areas where we shared water with other guys by working super slow.”
“It’s a soft plastic, so the less you move that bait, the more natural it’s going to look,” Walker added.
Though they fished slowly, they hurriedly rotated among several spots they had located in practice.
“We didn’t have time to come down here and plant brushpiles like some guys did or Side Image (study through their electronics) the whole lake, we had to get here and get to it right away, so we got here and got to work, and it’s paying off so far,” Barr said.
Barr and Walker are currently enjoying a 5 pound, 10 ounce lead over the University of Louisiana at Monroe’s Nick LaDart and Brian Eaton, who sit in second with 13-14.
“Me and Nick are in unfamiliar territory,” Eaton said. “This is the first time I’ve ever fished a drop shot rig in my life. It’s the same for him. I’m not used to fishing with 8-pound-test line, so this is way different than Louisiana.
“We spent the whole practice graphing brushpiles and found a bunch we liked and would hit ’em, and if they were there in three or four casts, great. If not, we moved on. I guess since we’ve never fished like this before a little bit of luck helped, too.”
In third are local favorites, Young Harris’ Brad Rutherford and Matthew Peeler. The duo is more familiar with Chatuge than any other team and refuse to let a 6-plus-pound deficit sway their courage.
“It’s not good out there right now by any means, so you’ve got to slow down and stay persistent. The big ones are there, and the ticket to catching them is to stay cool, calm and patient the whole day, and you can slowly upgrade to a good bag,” 22-year-old Peeler said. “We’re not worried at all right now. We’re right where we want to be.
“You absolutely cannot win a tournament on the first day, but you can definitely lose one. Our goal was to go out there and do what we do, and we’re in a good position right now. It was a good feeling to get out there and execute, especially since there’s a big ‘X’ on our back. We’ve just got to keep it up and see what happens.”
Rounding out the Top 5 are, in fourth, Alex Pisarski and Justin Gangel of Cal State Long Beach with 13-6; and in fifth, Jordan Lee and Shane Powell of Auburn University.
Carhartt Big Bass of Day 1 goes to Florida State University’s Cody Spears and Charles Fee, who caught a 5-15.
TV coverage of the Championship will air in August on ESPNU in two parts. The first will be Sunday, Aug. 11, noon to 1 p.m. ET. The second part will air Sunday, Aug. 18 in the same time slot. They will be preceded by an Aug. 4 show from noon to 1 p.m. ET that recaps how the anglers qualified for the Championship through the five Regional Conference events.
Follow the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/CollegeBass and on Twitter using hashtag #collegebass. Follow the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bass and on Twitter using hashtag #collegebass.
Once in a While Something Unique Comes Along - Turbo Weedless Spinner!
I found this on the web. This lure is so new that it is not mass-produced yet. Want to be the only angler on the lake with a hot new fishing lure?
The best way to get a look at the Turbo Weedless Spinner is to click the link below which will take you to the video on KickStarter.com. If you've never been to KickStarter, you need to click the link just to see the site. This is pure American capitalism at its best. Viewers decide whether an idea deserves to be further developed and then donate as they feel led to in order to help get the project funded so that an idea can become a tangible product that the viewer would be passionate about using.
And talk about American exceptionalism, the Turbo Weedless Spinner is made in the USA.
It catches multiple species and in the video, narrated by Turbo inventor, Brad Klose, he demonstrates the lure's prowess when he lands a nice bass on his first cast.
It's a fun video that will introduce you to a project worth looking at - the versatile Turbo Weedless Spinner.
click: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kickstarter.com%2Fprojects%2F449388303%2F856622301%3Ftoken%3D15f55f48&h=jAQHoDI9A
Additionally, Brad's wife, Nancy Close, has some great pictures and info about the Turbo Weedless Spinner on her Facebook page.
ICAST 2013: On Deck-DAIWA PRO STAFFER Andy Montgomery Previews the new TATULA!
DAIWA Pro Staffer Andy Montgomery and AC Insider Vance McCullough go over the TATULA and point out why this is such a superb new baitcaster for 2014!
ICAST 2013: On Deck-DAIWA PRO STAFFER Randy Howell Previews the new TATULA!
Daiwa Pro Staffer Randy Howell spends some with AC Insider Vance McCullough on the hottest new baitcaster for 2014........the TATULA!!
A System for Flippin' Up BIG Hot Weather Bass
It's hot. Bass are deep. Some are actually in deep water. Others are just burried deep beneath heavy cover. And because submerged grass has reached its peak growth in many places, the fish have plenty to hide in. These are the 'deep' bass we're going to deal with in this post.
It's helpful to note that schools of big fish will likely gravitate to the outside edges of such vegetation. Where dense mats form, look for bass under the deepest canopies.
Multiple options abound for mat-punchers. A simple craw lure, such as a cricket, behind a heavy weight is often all you need in order to get bit. And don't be surprised when a big girl eats that tiny offering - after all, elephants dop eat peanuts.
Big often times bigger is better when it comes to lure selection for trophy bass. During summer months these fish are eating. Their metabolism is high. Truth be told, they're not as picky about size or color as they may be at other times. Still, the guys who are busting big sacks in tournaments down here in Florida right now are doing so with skirted soft plastics.
Many of these mats are so thick that a jig is not an option. But a skirted flipping weight, such as the Strike King Slither Rig will give that bulk, action and slower fall rate of a jig. Another excellent option is the Honey Badger Punch Skirt from Eco Pro Tungsten. The Honey Badger can be used between any hook and any weight in your tackle box. Built on an Xmetal bead, the Honey Badger also adds sound to your presentation.
One trick to successful punching involves the use of a snell knot to kick the hook out and around the oversized sinkers used in the technique. That's why Elite Series Pro Ish Monroe designed the New Jack Flippin' Hook for River2Sea.
“Most people don’t know how to properly snell a hook,” said Monroe, handing me a pack of New Jack hooks, “so I designed these. Just bring the line through the main hook eye and then tie it to the second eye which is also the bait keeper. Now anybody can get that hook to kick out the way it is supposed to.”
And what to put on the business end of your rig? That's where you become a kid in a candy store. Strike King offers some great options from their Rodent to the Denny Brauer Flippin' Tubes but I really like the Rage Menace. The diameter of the Menace pairs beautifully with a flippin' weight and the flapping tail can be left alone for a solid thumping action or separated into two flappers that kick at a higher frequency.
Gambler Lures have been used to win tour events whenever the flippin bite is on, most notably Chris Lane's Bassmaster Classic on the Red River. From the Ugly Otter that Lane used to the audacious Mega Daddy with its huge flapping claws and the ultra subtle BB Cricket, Gambler Lures - made in Florida - are made to take on the slop.
Culprit, another Florida-based company has hit a homerun with the Incredicraw which features curly appendages that can be removed so the bait will punch cleanly through cover. In sparse cover the appendages add enticing action.
Of course, it's important to peg the weight so it pulls the lure down through the canopy with it, but if pegged too tightly the weight won't slide down and kick the hook out even if you snell the hook correctly. For this reason you will see mat-punchers use bobber stops to peg their sinker and they will leave a small gap between the stopper and the weight to facilitate the kick out action of the hook. If pegging with a rubber nail (T Stop) or even a toothpick - you old school flipper, you - be sure that the sinker can slide a little when tugged on, again to enable the hook to kick out (just can't over-emphasize how important that is when using big weights!).
Good luck with the mat-busting! Use a big, skirted bait and catch a big bass!
Ehrler, Swindle and Palaniuk Set to Use New GoPro Technology
GoPro professional anglers Brent Ehrler, Gerald Swindle and Brandon Palaniuk just updated their GoPro cameras and smart phone apps with the latest GoPro technology. The new app and matching firmware for the GoPro camera's will allow the anglers to instantly shoot a photo or video and upload through a number of channels including social media, email and messaging.
GoPro released the new software to the public earlier this week. The pros are all in agreement that the new update will allow them quicker access to their fans, family and friends. Palaniuk is especially excited about the ease of its use, "This will eliminate steps between the time I take the photo or video, and the time I get it to everyone. Before, I had to use a laptop to download the photo and video and then find a WiFi hotspot and upload it to the internet. With this I can shoot a cool photo and upload it immediately to my Facebook, Twitter or Instagram accounts for everyone to see."
Swindle believes it will allow his followers closer access to him. "Used correctly with social media this can actually become a new aged type of reality show. My fans can follow me almost to the minute and see what I am up to. This is really what bass fishing has needed. We'll be able to give fans a behind the scenes look at life as a professional angler."
Ehrler agrees with Palaniuk and Swindle that it will help him reach his fans, family and friends quicker and easier. Ehrler added it'll also be great way for him to keep up with his two year old son while he's on the road. "Kelley (Ehrler's wife) can take one of my cameras along and when something fun or new happens with Ollie she can send it to me right away. Except during tournament hours, I could be fishing on the Red River in Louisiana and be able to keep up with anything I might miss. It's not as good as being there, but it's better than seeing it tomorrow or next week. "
The new GoPro technology isn't just for the professional angler. Anyone with a GoPro and a smart phone can take advantage of this new technological advance by GoPro. Ehrler suggests, "Any angler wanting to share their experiences on and off the water with others can use this new update. GoPro's have always provided high quality footage and now with the ability to share it immediately it opens up a whole new level of sharing experiences; such as the fight of a huge bass or the first steps or words of a child. GoPro set the standard in action video and now they are setting the standard in near realtime access to high quality video."
While the technology is new, most GoPro cameras can be updated to handle it very easily. Visit GoPro.com for more information. To see what the new technology is all about check out this video of the GoPro Control, View Share app http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVf6LRFI740&sns=em.
Be sure to follow Brent Ehrler, Gerald Swindle and Brandon Palaniuk on their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts as they bring you near realtime imagery from the road, water and their homes.
ANGLERS CHOICE MARINE NAMED NUMBER ONE DEALER IN THE NATION FOR SINGLE-MARKET BY RANGER BOATS
MARTINSVILLE, VA (July 30, 2013) – Angler’s Choice Marine in Martinsville, Virginia, along with owners Sandi and Nick Loganadan were honored during the recent Ranger Boats National Dealer Conference in Flippin, Arkansas receiving the award for Top Volume Single-Market Ranger Dealer.
Anglers Choice Marine Winning Team
Announced by Ranger Boats founder Forrest L. Wood, Ranger President Randy Hopper and Ranger Vice President Keith Daffron during the annual dealer conference’s awards dinner, the award for the top single-market dealer goes to the dealership with the highest number of wholesale purchases in a single market.
Nick and Sandi with Ranger Rep Ron Enslen
“We’re blessed to have such professional and hard-working dealers like Angler’s Choice in the Ranger Family,” Daffron said. “They take care of their customers by knowing what they need and keeping it in stock and providing outstanding service to their customers after the sale. Angler’s Choice Marine’s approach to sales and service helps the region's residents make the most of their fishing and boating opportunities.”
Family owned and operated, Angler’s Choice Marine features a full line of Ranger boats and is celebrating 20 years of serving fishing and boating enthusiasts throughout the nation. This is the second time they have been named number one dealer in the nation for Ranger Boats, receiving the same honor in 2009. They have dealerships located in Martinsville, VA; Lexington, NC and Moneta, VA. For more information, visit them on the web at www.anglerschoicemarine.com or call 276-632-5600.
Late July Sportsman's Warehouse Report from the Columbia, SC Store!
Sportsman's Warehouse fishing manager Craig Baird joins us for a late summer product report for many of the area lakes..........3 solid baits Craig says are really working right now all over the region are showcased right here!!
Grant and Simpson Take Top Spot in July Edition of Bienville Big Bass Blast
The 2nd Big Bass Blast at Bienville Plantation concluded with a fish fry that made everybody a winner, but on the water Wally Grant and Gary Simpson, of Gainesville, FL took top honors with a 3-fish limit that weighed 15.56 pounds and included the day’s big bass at 6.48.
“It went really well,” said Josie Gaskins who runs the office and has generally assumed the role of First Lady at Bienville. “We had a total of 26 boats. It was a HOT one, but still had some nice fish weighed in.”
Here’s your Top 5:
1st Place - Wally Grant & Gary Simpson Total Weight 15.56lbs Big Fish Winner 6.48lbs
2nd Place - Trevor Corbitt & Jimmy Johnson Total Weight 14.28lbs 2nd Big Fish Winner 6.30lbs
3rd Place - Caleb Johns & Lil Bob McMillan Total Weight 14.26
4th Place - Bob Tarlton & Buddy Witt Total Weight 14.12lbs
5th Place - Stephen Gray & Ronnie Crown Total Weight 12.90lbs
It’s hard to beat the pay scale in the Big Bass Blast events, which take place the last Saturday of every month. When a 26-boat tournament pays $2585.70 to the winners and $702 for big bass, there’s some money to be won.
Heck, even the 2nd big bass paid $468 and the top 5 teams cut checks.
And it all leads up to the Bienville Classic with a guaranteed minimum purse of $25,000 in December.
Call 386-397-1989 or email Bienville2@aol.com for details or to take part next month.
By the way, if you're in the Gainesville area, be sure to stop by and visit Gary Simpson at his store, Gary's Tackle Box. He's not just a good angler, he knows how to take of anglers with his selection of lures, gear, etc.
It's Frogs Only On The Menu For California Delta Snag Proof Open
Ish's Phat Frog!
It's blistering hot on the California Delta, but the largemouth bass lie in relatively cool water beneath a summer scum, just waiting on a delicious meal to be served on the surface. A fat frog will do just fine for the main course.
That's what anglers are banking on in the 12th Annual Snag Proof Open on the Delta. It's a frog-only tournament.
“They can only use Snag Proof brand topwater frogs and they have to be used on top,” said tournament director Vince Harris. “You can't put a bullet weight on them, for instance.”
Harris explained the dynamics of frog fishing on the Delta in August.
“We've been having very hot weather, with temperatures in the high 90s to low 100s. That will make the fishing come alive,” he said. “The hot weather creates a scum on top of the water, a big chunk of nasty looking moss, but underneath that the water temperature will be in the 60s while the surface might be 82 degrees.
The tides will also be important, he said.
“The unique thing is that they will fish two different tides, the first day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m,. and the second day from 6 a.m. to 12 noon. That gives everybody a chance.”
The California Delta Snag Proof Open is the oldest and largest of the Snag Proof tournaments held around the country, said Harris, who is the tournament director for Anglers Press, a promotions and marketing company which hosts large-scale outdoor-related specialty events in the area.
The team format tournament features a professional division with an entry fee of $200 and an amateur division with an entry fee of $100. July 31 is the deadline for early bird entries and those who meet the deadline will get a goody pack that includes Gamakatsu hooks and other tackle.
Sponsored by Gone Fishin' Marine in Dixon, Calif, the tournament features an 80 percent payback with five places paid for big fish.
“The top 25 pro teams and the top 15 amateur teams will qualify for the Coors Light Delta Championship,” Harris said. “That championship features a new Jeep Patriot for the winners, courtesy of the Elk Grove Tam Dealership in Elk Grove, Calif.”
Harris said the California Delta Snag Proof Open has never had less than 175 teams entered.
“We are expecting over 200 this year,” he said.
California's 12th Annual Snag Proof Open
Aug 3-4, 2013
California Delta
Russo's Marina
Call 1-800-762-4773
JW and another new Tackle Box from Plano
Bass Master Elite Series Pro Jason Williamson checks out the new Plano Liquid Bait Locker..........this is more than impressive!
2013 Mountain Music Kids Tournament Douglas Lake Wrap Up With Richard Mcmaster From Tom's Marine Tt
Tom's Marine TT Director and Angler Richard McMaster joins us to share what this Tournament really means to all the kids, and just how impactful it really is. When you have weigh-in crowds that exceed a Bass Master Elite Series Event, something pretty big is going on....Click here to watch!
2013 Mountain Music Kids Tournament Douglas Weigh-In Action
Some of the best weigh-in footage you will see...............kids on top of the world showcasing their big day on DOUGLAS LAKE!
2013 Mountain Music Kids Tournament Douglas Lake Action
On the water at Douglas Lake for the 2013 Mountain Music Kids Tournament..........what a tremendous Tournament and the best way every year to get our kids on the Water!
Sitko Wins Detroit River Everstart
Long Shot Luger Makes Huge Comeback To Win B.a.s.s. Nation Mid-Atlantic Divisional On Lake Erie
Jeff Luger of Virginia weighed-in 19 pounds, 13 ounces of Lake Erie smallmouth today to charge from 21st place to the winner’s circle on the final day of the B.A.S.S. Nation Mid-Atlantic Divisional tournament.
And because of the 4-fish limit in Pennsylvania Luger’s average weight per fish was nearly 5 pounds apiece. His sack included a 5-10 smallie that won Carhartt Big Bass honors for the tournament. Likewise, his bag of bass today was also the heaviest of the 3-day event.
“I never thought I would have a chance at winning this,” said Lugar, 42, a production manager for M&H Plastics. “I caught 4-12 the first day, and then I had 14-11 yesterday, and I told my partner today, I needed a big bag just to try and make it from the (state) team. At 1 o’clock today, he told me I had won the whole thing. I said there was no way since I had caught 4 pounds the first day, and you can’t win a tournament with this many good fishermen and not have a limit every day. So I don’t know what to say. I am in shock right now.”
Lugar caught all of his fish the final day on a Jackall Lures Crosstail Shad and Strike King 4-inch finesse worm on a drop shot rig with 3/8- and 1/2-ounce weights.
“We went east about 10 miles and started there,” said Lugar. “I caught three fish, and the second one was a 5-pounder. We got to the next spot, and it was lights out for three or four hours. I was catching 3 1/2- and 4-pound fish. It was just one of those days. We caught walleye, drum, yellow perch, rock bass and, of course, some big smallmouth.”
Delaware won the team championship with 387 pounds, 1 ounce, while the New Jersey squad finished second with 364-8.
The Top 10 looks like this:
1. Jeff Lugar Mcgaheysville, VA (VA) 10 39-04 0
2. Jason Vaughn Bridgeville, DE (DE) 12 39-02 0
3. Mike Moran Ruffsdale, PA (PA) 12 38-13 0
4. Jim Groome Pittsgrove, NJ (NJ) 12 36-08 0
5. John Carpenter Marmona, NJ (NJ) 12 36-06 0
6. Jim Short Ocean Pines, MD (DE) 12 36-03 0
7. Matt Becker Finleyville, PA (PA) 12 35-03 0
8. Chris Price Church Hill, MD (DE) 12 34-14 0
9. William Pioch Beckley, WV (WV) 12 34-11 0
10. Michael Sentore Gloucester City, NJ (NJ 12 34-11 0
11. Fabian Rodriguez Ocean City, DE (DE) 12 34-00 0
Pioch Takes Over on Erie
Bill Pioch took the lead in the B.A.S.S. Nation Mid-Atlantic Divisional today with a Pennsylvania 4-fish limit weighing 15-05.
High winds on Day 1 pinned anglers down to the bay, where Pioch caught 9-08. Today he took advantage of the freedom to roam and ran his total weight to 24-13.
Today he switched game plans, from fishing for largemouth in Presque Isle Bay to targeting smallmouth out on the main body of Lake Erie.
The retired West Virginia State Trooper relied on his electronics to locate schools of fish. “Basically I drove around until I found the schools of fish, and then we would start fishing,” said Pioch. “It was just like playing video games.”
Pioch found fish in 20-to-25 feet of water early in the day; 30-to-35 feet later. He estimates that he caught 20 bass. “For the suspended fish, we had to drop our lures right on their heads to get them to bite. Once we caught one or two good fish off the school, the fish would spook and move off. So we had to keep hunting.”
Pioch owns a 10 ounce lead over Jim Groome who has 24-03. Mike Moran is 3rd with 24-01. Next on the jam-packed leaderboard is Jason Vaughn with 24-even.
Day 1 leader Chris Price dropped to 5th with a total weight of 23-10.
Price Leads Mid-Atlantic Divisional on Erie
Chris Price, a roofing contractor and two-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier from Church Hill, MD took the lead today in the B.A.S.S. Nation Mid-Atlantic Divisional on Lake Erie.
With a Pennsylvania limit of 4 fish that weighed 10-12, Price assumed a lead of 5 ounces over Matt Becker of Finleyville, PA.
Michael Sentor of New Jersey is 3rd with 10-06. Also from the Garden State, Jim Groome is 4th with 10-01. Brian La Claire of Maryland is 5th with 9-14.
Gusty winds prompted tournament officials to restrict eligible waters to those contained within Presque Isle Bay. On a hunch that such would happen, Price spent half of a practice in the bay.
“I got real lucky in practice and pulled into a spot, and the first few cast I made I put together a pattern,” said Price.
Price used a 7-inch worm to pull 18 bass from a grass edge in several feet of water. “I just happened to come across a couple of good spots real quick right out in the middle of the bay.”
The good news for Price, and many other competitors, is that his main lake stuff did not get fished today. Those spots will be fresh, provided winds lay enough for the tournament field to venture forth from the bay tomorrow, which is expected to happen.
Winning Airport Marine Tournament On Lay Lake Depends On Successful Hunting
Bob Blackerby and Michael Brasher won the Apr 20 tournament on Logan Martin with 18.28 lbs!
The Airport Marine tournament on Lay Lake July 27 is going to be a hunt and seek exercise. Whoever finds the fish likely will weigh in a solid sack of bass, but those who hunt unsuccessfully might come in with empty live wells.
“We had our Solo tournament down there July 17 and it took 18 1/2 pounds to win, while it took 16 pounds just to get a check,” said tournament director Flynn Gerald. “But of all the boats in that field only about 10 weighed in. The weather is hot and the fish are not where everybody thought they would be.”
Gerald said the winning weight was caught shallow, but the fish brought to the scales were caught both shallow and deep. The problem was finding the fish.
“The winning stringer came out of the grass and an 18-pound stringer came off the deep ledges You just had to zero in on where the fish were.”
Gerald explained that the water has warmed up considerably and a lot of fish have moved out to the deep ledges, but all the rain has created a lot of current in the lake which has positioned the fish in fewer places.
“Most of the places where they had been catching fish off the ledges are not doing nay good because the water is moving so hard, but if you can find out where they are stacked up you can do pretty good.”
On the other hand, the largemouth bass that have stayed shallow have moved just inside the pockets, right out of the current, he said, and have been hard to pinpoint.
“There were about four or five super shallow water fishermen who did not even weigh in. But the ones who found the fish did good.”
Gerald said he is looking for a very good entry next Saturday, in the neighborhood of 70 to 80 boats. And most of those will be top caliber anglers, he added.
“If you do well in one of our tournaments you have really done something,” he said. First place in the July 27 tournament will pay $3,000, which is guaranteed. And, if someone is fishing in a boat from Airport Marine and meets other bonus program requirements, the least they could win would be more than $13,000.
“If you are fishing out of a boat bought from Airport Marine we will double that $3,000 to $6,000. If you are in a Triton from Airport they will give you an additional $7,000. Then if you have an Evinrude they will add $5,000, which brings it to $18,000. If the winner is an adult-child or couples team, they get another $1,000. And if you are pulling your boat with a truck from Gilmore Ford they will give you another $5,000.”
Airport Marine Tournament Trail
Sat, Jul 27, 2013
Lay Lake
Paradise Point Marina & RV Resort
Call Flynn Gerald 205-678-9666
Dyer Just Looking For A Limit In North Carolina Bws Tournament On Lake Wylie
Steve Dyer is clinging to a one-point lead in the Bassmaster Weekend Series North Carolina Division points race heading to Lake Wylie July 27 for the fourth tournament in the series, but his primary goal at Wylie will be just to catch a limit of bass.
Dyer, of Mt. Pleasant, N.C., and Mike Miller of Archdale, N.C., are in a neck-and-neck race for the points championship with just Wylie and the two-day divisional championship on High Rock in September left on the schedule. But this is not the first time Dyer has been in this boat.
“I was in the heat of the chase last year. I kind of messed up on Lake Norman, then wrestled my way back and ended up on top of the points, but lost the title in a tiebreaker,” Dyer said.
He might have sewed up the 2013 points title in May on Kerr if not for boat trouble, he said.
“I started the season by winning at High Rock (in April), then we went down to Kerr and I had boat problems. I was on a really good pattern, but I could not get to the fish. I ended up having to fish around some places I could get to and he got ahead of me in points there.”
Dyer finished 8th at Kerr, then rebounded in the third tournament of the season on Lake Norman, finishing 4th.
“The bream bite was on there and I think a lot of the guys did not realize that. The fish were up shallow and I got back in front of him again.”
Miller, who had started the season with a second place at High Rock, finished 3rd at Kerr less than a pound and a half ahead of Dyer, but dropped to 12th at Lake Norman.
“Now we go to Lake Wylie, which is not my favorite place to fish in the summer,” Dyer said. “My goal there is to get a limit in the boat, then try to get some bigger fish, and then get on to that last tournament. I really like High Rock in September.”
Dyer said that with the full moon coming early in the week there is an excellent chance the Wylie tournament will be won on the bream beds, or possibly on a mayfly bite up the rivers.
“There's going to be a pretty good bream bite. A couple of years ago in the B.A.S.S. Super Tournament I got to be in the photo boat for several days and got to see a lot of bream beds. I'm going to be looking real close for them a couple of evenings before the tournament.”
Bassmaster Weekend Series - North Carolina Division
Sat, Jul 27, 2013
Lake Wylie
Ebenezer Access Area
Call Gary Conner 256-230-5627
LIVETARGET Introduces New HFC (Hunt-for-Center) Crawfish Crankbait
(July 23, 2013) - LIVETARGET announces the addition of the new HFC Craw to its already robust lineup of crawfish hardbaits. HFC stands for "hunt for center," which is an engineered feature of this bait series that causes the HFC Craw to not only erratically deviate from a straight line track during retrieve, but to also continuously self-correct itself to get back on "center." The irregular swimming behavior looks very natural and, therefore, is a highly desirable trait for crankbaits.
This crawfish imitator stems from significant R&D, including in-the-field and design contributions from prostaff David Walker and Stephen Browning. With theHFC Craw's aggressive tail-kick and unique hunt-for-center action, look for this bait to be especially effective for working the 7- to 8-feet depths when targeting big pre-spawn bass.
The HFC crankbait; fitted with premium hooks and hardware, weighs approximately 3/8 oz. and measures 2-inches (52mm) in length. The series consists of six LIVETARGET crawfish colors, including patterns specifically created by prostaff members. The colors are Phantom Green, Spring Craw, Root Beer, Chartreuse Root Beer, Copper Root Beer and Red.
According to longtime BASS pro David Walker, the size and colors make the HFC Craw an excellent choice for fishing in cold-water conditions and around rock cover. "This will be my go-to crankbait for cold water, pre-spawn fish, and especially when the water is clear. This lure has all the qualities to make it a spectacular producer," Walker said.
LIVETARGET has been the leader in developing the most life-like crawfish lure imitations ever designed, with anatomical features and color schemes that match natural creations. With the introduction of the HFC Craw, LIVETARGET offers the finest lineup of premier crawfish crankbaits to match up to any water depth, color scheme and action.
The HFC Craw has a MSRP of $14.49 with availability expected in November of this year.
ICAST 2013: On Deck-Strike King Pro Andy Montgomery joins AC Insider Vance McCullough for the Monster SK 10XD Crankbait!
AC Insider Vance McCullough is one on one with SK Pro Andy Montgomery as he previews the 10XD and is able to show you just how BIG this bait is! He also grabs a few other new items he will be throwing in 2014!
ICAST 2013: On Deck-Motor Guide rolls out the new Xi5 Wireless Trolling Motor for 2014!
AC Insider and Pro Staffer Vance McCullough pops in the Motor Guide booth to check out the new Xi5, and wow, this is one heck of a new product...Click here for the full review!!
ICAST 2013: On Deck-Strike King Pro James Niggemeyer joins us to talk about the new KVD 1.5 Crankbait!!
Strike King Pro James Niggemeyer joins us again to talk abotu the new KVD 1.5........this is a super effective crankbait that will be a MUST HAVE in the tackle box for 2014!
Will Bait Ball Be Legal for Elites?
Live Target Bait Ball crankbait
OK, stupid question coming in 3 .... 2 ... 1. Will the new Live Target Bait Ball be legal for use under the Bassmaster Elite Series ban on multi-lure rigs?
Unveiled at ICAST last week, the Bait Ball is a concept that features either a crankbait, jerkbait or topwater plug which contains the image of multiple baitfish.
Sounds legal enough. The B.A.S.S. rule simply holds that multiple lures may not be used.
But consider the new Three-For-All by Mann's bait company, also released at ICAST. It includes one soft plastic swimbait - to be rigged on one hook - to which are connected, via a soft plastic strip, another hookless swimbait on either side. The illusion is that of three baitfish swimming along together.
B.A.S.S. ruled the Three-For-All illegal for Elite Series competition prior to the start of the current season.
The Bait Ball and the Three-For-All operate on the same basic concept but use different designs. In fact, Mann's lure is designed for use with a single hook while the Bait Ball incorporates a pair of trebbles. So, with the advent of Live Target's latest ICAST Best of Show-winning design, have they finally produced an Elite Series-legal bait school-imitating lure?
Kids to Fish in Moore, OK Derby
MOORE, Okla. — Organizers of the Moore Fishing Derby hope to enable children in their community, located on the outskirts of Oklahoma City, to replace nightmares of killer tornadoes with fond memories of fishing.
Parents are invited to bring their children to Buck Thomas Park’s pond on Saturday, July 27, from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. for a morning of fishing. Rods, reels and bait will be provided. The pond is being stocked with fish to ensure youngsters will have good opportunities to catch something.
Residents in the state of Oklahoma have been hard hit by record-setting, weather-related tragedies this year. Just 11 days after the city of Moore was struck by a deadly EF5 tornado, the area of El Reno, also just outside Oklahoma City, was hit with another EF5 storm that set a record width of 2.6 miles. Moore has twice been hit by EF5 tornadoes — most recently in May 2013 and previously in 1999 with a storm that had recording-breaking wind speeds of 302 mph.
The fishing derby has been coordinated by Tackle the Storm Foundation in conjunction with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s Fisheries Division, with the support of volunteers from the Oklahoma B.A.S.S. Nation, the North Oklahoma City Bassmasters, the Sooner Bassmasters and the Oklahoma City Junior Bassmasters clubs. Members from each of these organizations, along with several Bassmaster Elite Series anglers and representatives from the Moore Parks and Recreation Department, will be on hand to give children new fishing poles and help them fish.
The brainchild of Bassmaster.com writer Don Barone, Tackle the Storm Foundation aims to establish a sense of normalcy in a child’s life in the aftermath of a natural disaster, such as the devastating tornado that hit Cullman, Ala., in April 2011. That event, an EF4 storm, was the inspiration for Barone’s initiative.
The inaugural Tackle the Storm benefit took place on July 2, 2011, in Cullman at a small park lake with Bassmaster Elite Series anglers Steve Kennedy, Randy Howell, Matt Herren and Keith Poche helping to distribute rods and taking time to fish with the children.
“If you are a member of a B.A.S.S. club, or for that matter any kind of fishing club, in a small town, and you know kids who won’t be able to get to the city of Moore on July 27 — if you’ll come and tell us how many rods and reels you need, we will give them to you to take back to the children of your community,” Barone said. “We really need to reach as many of the children in the small towns outside of Moore … the small towns that may be overlooked but who need help … if anyone knows of a child in a small town that lost their fishing stuff do to the tornado, please let us know, and I will guarantee that we will get a rod and reel into that child’s hands.”
The goal of the project is straightforward: Get children who love to fish back on the water or teach those who want to learn the basics of fishing. Barone realizes the effort won’t restore everything to the way it was before the storm hit Moore and surrounding areas, but it will be a day for a kid to just be a kid.
“Recently I was asked if I thought that Tackle The Storm Foundation could possibly change a child’s life by giving them a fishing pole,” Barone said. “I understand the skepticism. But I answered the question by saying, ‘I don’t know if it will change their lives, but I can tell you, it will change their day.’”
Buck Thomas Park is located at 1901 NE 12th St., Moore, OK, 73160. More information on the event is available at www.cityofmoore.com/moore-fishing-derby and www.tacklethestormfoundation.org.
ICAST 2013: On Deck-STRIKE KING PRO Mark Menendez talks about the new Strike King Tour Grade RAGE BLADE!
STRIKE KING TOUR PRO Mark Menendez raves about the new Strike King Tour Grade Rage Blade..........check out why this Rage Blade was the talk of the show!!
ICAST 2013: On Deck-Bass Master Champion Chris Lane and the new Power Pole Micro!
AC Pro Staffer and Insider Vance McCullough grabs Bass Master Classic Champion Chris Lane inside the POWER POLE booth and gets an up close look at the new and amazing 7.5 LB Power Pole MICRO!!
ICAST 2013:Jason from Igloo Coolers continues our education on the new Soft Sided cooler!
AC Pro Staffer and Insider Vance McCullough continues our look at the new Igloo Soft Sided Cooler that will hold ice for up to 48 hours!
Jennings Wins BFL on High Rock Lake
SALISBURY, N.C. (July 15, 2013) – Jeff Jennings of Rock Hill, S.C., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 21 pounds, 12 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division event on High Rock Lake. For his victory, Jennings earned $3,545.
“The day started a little hard for me, but I just kept trying. I didn’t have a fish by 10:00,” said Jennings. “Then I went to one place and caught three good fish in an hour. In practice the same thing happened. I’d have a hard morning and then catch good fish in the afternoon.”
Jennings said he pitched a beaver-style bait to docks and wood cover in up to 10 feet of water. “You could go and hit 25 places without a bite and then catch two or three off the same dock or in the same little stretch.”
Even though Jennings won by more than 2 pounds, he didn’t think he’d have enough to win. “I had a 14-inch fish in my limit and I thought I had 18 or 19 pounds. I thought that 14-inch fish would cost me the tournament”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Randy Childers, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 19-8, $1,773
3rd: Kevin Chandler, New London, N.C., five bass, 18-8, $1,004
4th: Scott Threadgill, Troy, N.C., five bass, 18-1, $1,004
5th: Jarrett Freeze, Rockwell, S.C., five bass, 17-10, $709
6th: Steve Sink, Winston-Salem, N.C., five bass, 17-6, $650
7th: Scott Guyot, Wagram, N.C., five bass, 17-4, $591
8th: Ray Griffin, Henderson, N.C., five bass, 17-3, $532
9th: Eric Moser, Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 16-9, $473
10th: Jeff Queen, Catawba, N.C., five bass, 16-3, $414
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Marty Daniel of Butler, N.C., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 12 pounds, 15 ounces Saturday to win $1,773 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Greg Deal, China Grove, N.C., five bass, 12-13, $886
3rd: Robert Barrett, Youngsville, N.C., five bass, 11-15, $591
4th: Arthur Ferguson, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 11-14, $414
5th: Wayne Smelser, Rural Retreat, Va., five bass, 11-1, $355
6th: Bradley Chandler, New London, N.C., four bass, 10-10, $325
7th: Anthony Rife, Woodlawn, Va., five bass, 9-10, $295
8th: Chuck Morton, Danville, Va., four bass, 9-6, $266
9th: Wayne Austin, High Point, N.C., three bass, 9-2, $236
10th: Dennis Middleton, Madison Heights, Va., four bass, 8-8, $207
The next BFL Piedmont Division tournament is scheduled for September 28-29 on Lake Gaston in Bracey, Va. After the last divisional tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct.17-19 Regional Championship on Lake Hartwell in Lavonia, Ga. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
Elite Series Pro Greg Vinson Debuts Ear Visors at ICAST!
Bassmaster Elite Series veteran Greg Vinson addresses a problem that all anglers face - sun damage, possibly skin cancer. Ear Visors protect the most vulnerable areas of exposed skin AND they protect your investment in quality eyewear as they will float your glasses should they fall overboard. A must-see for anyone who spends time on the water!
Muddy, High Water Awaits Anglers In Bfl Piedmont Division Tournament At High Rock
High Rock Lake is so high and so muddy the spray coming off a bass boat is orange-colored, said Robert Walser of nearby Lexington, N.C., who is leading the points in the Walmart BFL Piedmont Division going into Saturday's 4th tournament of the year.
“It's amazing what's going on down there,” said Walser. “When I crossed it Tuesday it was within 2/10 of a foot being full in the lake and the river was running three feet above flood stage. There are 23,000 cubic feet per second flowing down and it normally runs about 4,000 cfs.”
Walser said he fished the lake Sunday afternoon and managed only one keeper.
“Fishing is tough and if the water stays really high like it is now, you can’t get under the bridges. That would take the two largest creeks out of the picture Saturday.”
Walser said that while the fish typically stay shallow when the water is high, he “must have flipped a million times Sunday” and only landed that one keeper.
“The water is so high it's hard to flip most of the docks. You can't get your bait under the docks. The water is actually up to the bottom of the piers and when boats come by the water splashes on tops of the piers.”
If the water were to fall just a 8 to 10 inches, he said, it might spur the fish to bite Saturday, but with more rain in the forecast before tournament time that is unlikely.
Walser, who placed 15th at High Rock in march, 16th at Kerr in April and 6th at Badin in June, is 10 points ahead of Mike Miller of Trinity, N.C., on the eve of the High Rock Tournament, and those two are well ahead of the rest of the field in the Piedmont Division standings. Walser won the Piedmont Division points title in 2007 and 2011, and he placed second in 2009 and 3rd in 2000 and 2003.
“All I have to do is catch some at High Rock and then go to Gaston for the last tournament and catch some there,” he said.
“But it's going to be a different tournament at High Rock. Right now I'd be tickled with 10 or 11 pounds and take my chances.”
Walmart BFL - Piedmont Division
Sat, Jul 13, 2013
High Rock Lake
Tamarac Marina
Epic Flooding Disrupts Fishing In Chickamauga For Chattanooga Bass Association Tournament
Chickamauga Lake is so high and so muddy, it's going to be anybody's ballgame in the Chattanooga Bass Association tournament Saturday, said tournament director Justin Medley.
“It's going to be a curve ball for the anglers. Last night at 6 o'clock Chickamauga was as high as it's been in 35 year, maybe as high as it has ever been,” he said Tuesday. “The water is milk chocolate colored and 5 to 6 feet up over the banks.”
Medley said the Tennessee Valley Authority, faced with a record flood, is moving 185,000 cubic feet of water per second – equivalent to 1.9 million gallons of water per second – through the system.
“By tournament time the TVA will have the lake down to normal pool, but the water is full of debris. Yesterday it looked like you could walk up the river on treetops and logs. And I've seen buoys in downtown Chattahoochee in the treetops.”
That could spell disaster for anglers who don't observe extreme caution, he noted.
“There are docks and pieces of docks floating down the river and there is a lot of stuff just under the surface, so it's hazardous. There will be some lower units bashed up if guys are not careful.”
By Saturday medley said TVA should have the water flowing down to about 80,000 to 100,000 cfs, but the flooding is going to have a definite effect on the fishing – and the fishermen.
“It's hard to predict a pattern, but one that will not work will be the deep bite. All the big bags were being caught out of deep water, but fishing the river ledges is out of the question now. So it probably will be a flipping or a grass bite Saturday.”
That being said, however, Medley noted that everybody is going to be in the same bot in Saturday's tournament.
“The guys will show up, trying to get their points and qualify for the classic. It doesn't mater how much these guys have been able to practice. They don't have much of an edge on anybody.”
First place in CBA tournaments pays $2,000. Fishermen must fish seven of the regular season events to qualify for the classic at the end of the year. At the classic first place is guaranteed $10,000 guaranteed by TowBoatUS. Last year more than $60,000 in cash and prizes was awarded at the classic, Medley said.
The tournaments are family-friendly, he noted, with special divisions for adult-youth teams and new teams.
“Both the new and youth teams will compete against other new and youth teams. The youths in youth teams get to fish at half the entry fee and the highest finishing youth team in an event wins free entry into the following tournament The same applies to the new teams. The highest finishing new teams get free entry into the next event.”
The Chattanooga Bass Association requires a one-time $50 process feet for each participant who wants to receive points towards entry into the year-end classic and receive year-end prizes and new team prizes. The entry fee is $120 per boat for each tournament, $60 for a youth division team.
A youth division team must have one participant who is 16 years or younger at the time he purchases his process number. A new team is one that did not compete in more than one CBA open event during the 2012 season.
The Chattanooga Bass Association is a non-profit community service organization founded by community leaders in 1976. It was designed to offer a top quality open fishing circuit to Chattanooga and surrounding areas; while enhancing Chattanooga’s economic growth and recreational potential.
After Saturday's tournament the schedule includes July 27 (night), August 10, August 24 (night), September 14 and October 12, with the Classic Nov. 2- 3.
Chattanooga Bass Association
Sat, Jul 13, 2013
Chickamauga Lake
Chester Frost Park
Call Justin Medley 423-667-5054
Both Shallow And Deep Should Produce In Alabama North Tournament On Weiss Saturday
Although heavy rains have brought the lake level up, fishing should not be affected to much for the Bassmaster Weekend Series Alabama North Division tournament on Lake Weiss Saturday, according to a co-angler who fishes the lake regularly.
“I won't say fishing will be tough, but we have had a lot of rain the past couple of days and the lake is up 6 to 8 inches. There is a lot of water moving through the lake,” said Shane Howington of Hokes Bluff, Ala. “But the last couple of weeks it's been taking 20 pounds to win a tournament on Weiss and I don't see that changing Saturday.”
Howington said fishing both shallow and deep will likely be productive Saturday.
“I think it will be a combination of fishing deep structure, 15 to 18 feet deep, and flipping grass or under boathouses, piers and docks,” said Howington, who just graduated from Mississippi State University where he was a member of the school's collegiate fishing team the past three years.
“I am doing fair this year, not as good as in the past, but that is why it is called fishing,” said the co-angler who is ranked 31st so far this season. Howington said he plans to fish the Weekend Series again, plus the Walmart BFL Series next year.
On the pro side, Damien Willis of Jacksonville, Ala., leads the points, but Chuck Hemm of Huntsville, Ala., and Jason Grape of Attalla, Ala., are right on his heels. Jimmy Mason of Rogersville, Ala., is 10 points back, but Mason, who has a long history of doing well in BWS tournaments, can't be counted out.
“Willis does not have a safe lead,” said tournament manager Kristin Malott. “Any one of those guys could jump in front of him in this tournament.”
Malott said the Alabama North Division has been averaging 115-120 boats and she anticipates about the same entry this weekend.
“I expect the anglers to bring in a lot of good fish,” said Malott who also directs the Tennessee Central, Missouri and Mississippi divisions.
Bassmaster Weekend Series - Alabama North Division
Sat, Jul 13, 2013
Lake Weiss
Little River Marina
Kristin Malott, 256-771-3709
Power-Pole Micro Wins 2013 Overal Best of Show at ICAST
AnglersChannel.com shot some video with former Bassmaster Classic Champ Chris Lane in the Power-Pole booth yesterday. Look for that footage on the web site soon.
In the video, Lane introduces us to the Power-Pole Micro which was just awarded the highest honor possible at the annual ICAST trade show - a global gathering of the fishing industry and its players.
"It weighs only seven-and-a-half pounds; it will anchor 1500 pounds of boat," noted Lane. "And it is super easy to take off and store overnight or just when you make a long run." Lane then demonstrated how easy that is to do.
"Another reason some guys will love the Micro is that, if you want to add one to the nose of your boat to complement the Power-Pole you already have on the rear, you can do so and your boat will not spin when you're fishing."
At a price tag of a few hundred dollars, the Micro is going to be a huge success.
Igloo Appeals to Anglers
So your Triton or Ranger has a built-in cooler. Great. What about when you take the family camping or take your kid hunting? Do any saltwater fishing from a skiff and need a cooler? The folks at Igloo offer the Yukon.
As the staff of AnglersChannel.com canvassed the floor of the 2013 ICAST show today we were impressed with a few products, but none more so than the Yukon.
A square-jawed, broad-shouldered, Rotomolded block, it is bear proof with its lockable lid and stainless hardware. In an upcoming AnglersChannel.com video you can see Vance McCullough dance on top of a Yukon 50. So, beyond being bear proof, it's Vance proof - which any of his fishing partners can tell you is a good thing!
Its handles are molded-in, not added-on, so they will not break.
The Yukon boasts more insulation than competitors' products that have over promissed; under delivered.
It's made in the USA!
And the Yukon's price point is aggressively competitive.
Available in a variety of sizes, there's an Igloo Yukon to fit your needs.
View the Take-On Yukon Challenge at: http://takeonyukon.com/#sthash.7ThvMPiW.dpbs
Live Target Reveal Kicks Off Icast 2013!
The folks at Koppers said they had a revolutionary idea to unveil at ICAST. They weren't kidding.
In a room full of veteran bass fishing media types who have seen it all and heard it all, the word 'revolutionary' actually rang true. The Bait Ball is more than just a new lure. "What we've really got to get our minds around here is that this is a concept," said Grant Koppers, developer of the Bait Ball. He explained that having "internal fish" is what sets the Bait Ball apart.
"The Bait Ball is unlike any lure out there," noted Elite Series pro David Walker. "We didn't just paint it to look like a fish."
With individual schooling minnows, shad, etc. inside the lure, whether it be the crankbaits, poppers or jerkbaits, the Bait Ball gives the look of a small break away school - a known trigger in provoking strikes from bass in a feeding mode as well as those that are in a neutral mode. Suspended bass often respond to nothing else but a small school of bait swimming overhead.
This concept and line of lures will almost certainly win Best of Show in the hardbait category and possibly Best of Show, period.
After Disastrous First Half Of Flw Majors Season, Auten Rebounds With 10Th Place Finish At Chickamauga
Todd Auten finished in 10th place this past weekend on Chickamauga. Photo courtesy FLW Outdoors.
Todd Auten knew the first half of the 2013 tour schedule was going to be tough. He just didn't think it would be as tough as it was.
He figured he would do much better in the last half of the season, and he did, fishing a long way up out of the basement and climbed up the standings – just not far enough to qualify for the FLW Championship on the Red River at Shreveport, La., next month.
“Going into the season I knew Lewis Smith Lake and Beaver Lake are always tough for me, but I thought I would do better at Okeechobee in the season opener,” Auten said. “When it's warmer I can do good on Smith Lake, but when it's cold I am in trouble.”
Auten had one of the worst stretches in his pro career spanning those first three tournaments. He finished 152nd at Okeechobee in early February, 148th at Lewis Smith a month later, and 128th at Beaver Lake the second week of April.
“Okeechobee was all about catching one big fish, getting one big bite, and I never got it,” Auten said. “At Smith Lake my practice did not go too bad. I caught quite a few fish on a little crankbait, but come tournament time I could not catch keepers. The first day I caught one fish. It seemed like nothing would fall into place. The second day I fished totally different and caught a few fish, but I was so far down I could not get back.”
At Beaver Lake, Auten said he had “a halfway okay practice,” but never found anything solid to fish for the tournament.
“It seemed like it was tougher for me and easier for everybody else. Everybody was throwing the Alabama Rig, but I could not catch them on it. I tried to go back on some old history and fished stuff I'd done in the past, but nothing seemed to work.”
Auten said he knew going into the season that the second and third tournaments would definitely be tough, but he figured the next three would be more suitable to his style of fishing.
“I knew the weather would be warmer, there would be a little stained water, and I'd have a chance to fish shallow,” he said.
He started to come back at Lake Eufaula in mid-May, finishing 30th and earning his first check of the season on the FLW Majors Tour. He was much better at Grand Lake in early June, finishing 12th and cashing a second check for the year.
His best finish was last weekend at Lake Chickamauga, where he finished 10th and earned another good check. He planned to fish shallow, but searched in practice for a go-to deep spot as a back-up.
“I finally found one place where my practice partner and I got a couple of good bites. I checked it the last day of practice and caught a couple more.”
The first day of the tournament he fished shallow, catching three bass on a buzzbait, several more on a Zoom Horney Toad and one or two on a Chatterbait, weighing in a limit at 17 pounds, 9 ounces.
The second day the tournament was delayed an hour and a half by a heavy fog bank. By the time he got to his shallow spot the bite was over, so he moved to the deep back-up hole. Throwing a one-ounce Yank'em rubber football jig brown with a green pumpkin Zoom Super Speed Craw, he caught his heaviest limit of the tournament at 18 pounds, 2 ounces.
“Jim Moynagh had seen me on this place and he asked if I planned to fish there. He said he had been saving the spot to fish if he made the cut. I told him I was going to fish there and I went straight to it instead of fishing shallow early. By 9:30 I had caught all my weight for the day.”
He moved shallow and culled a couple of fish on a Zoom Honey Toad , fishing over shallow grass. That third day Auten weighed in 17 pounds, 8 ounces.
By the morning of the fourth day the water had begun to rise and the fish had moved off the deep spot. Auten spent a couple of hours there and caught one spotted bass about 13 inches long.
“I knew that place was petty much done until possibly later in the day, so I moved shallow and caught three fish pretty quick on the frog. It took a while after that to get to five fish and then I could not get another bite.”
He headed back to the deep spot to give it one more shot, but Moynagh was fishing it so he went back and fished the shallow grass, but never got anything going again there. His five fish were the lowest weight he had for the tournament at 12 pounds, 12 ounces.
Auten finished the FLW season ranked 82nd, out of qualifying for his fifth Forrest Wood Cup in 10 years, but he is not done for the year.
“I've got two more PAA's, Table Rock and Grand Lake. I have an uphill battle in the Professional Anglers Association, but I could still qualify for the Texas Toyota Bass Classic if I do good in those two tournaments,” he said.
Heading to the third tournament of the season at Table Rock in Missouri Sept. 5-7, Auten is 29th in the PAA standings. To reach the TTBC this fall, he has to move up to the top 15.
“If it happens, it happens,” he said.