CBC Lake Norman Results-Hank Cherry and Shane Lineberger win $12,550!!
Congrats to Hank and Shane-they made an extra $3000 on BF and Skeeter REAL MONEY as well!
Below are the Final Results from the Carolinas Bass Challenge - NC Division Tournamnet #3 - Lake Norman - April 21st, 2012
| Place | Team Name | Team # | Fish Weighed | Net Weight | Big Fish | Points | Winnings |
| 1 | Shane Lineberger - Hank Cherry | 127 | 5 | 18.350 | 7.390 | 110 | $9,550 |
| 2 | Eric Jeter - Darren Jeter | 126 | 5 | 15.290 | 5.090 | 109 | $4,000 |
| 3 | Bucky Helms - Jason Wilson | 65 | 5 | 14.300 | 4.840 | 108 | $2,500 |
| 4 | Pat Tierney - Maurice Freeze | 88 | 5 | 13.990 | 4.710 | 107 | $1,800 |
| 5 | Randy Childers - Scott Sellars | 84 | 5 | 13.010 | 0.000 | 106 | $1,200 |
| 6 | Rodney Sorrell - Gary Wade | 32 | 5 | 12.380 | 4.900 | 105 | $875 |
| 7 | Larry Yancey - Milton Yancey | 9 | 5 | 12.300 | 3.780 | 104 | $650 |
| 8 | Don Poteat - John Allen | 1 | 5 | 11.910 | 0.000 | 103 | $600 |
| 9 | Stacey Richards - Brian Triplett | 3 | 5 | 11.790 | 0.000 | 102 | $550 |
| 10 | Roger Hoover - Scott Hamrick | 116 | 5 | 11.730 | 0.000 | 101 | $500 |
| 11 | Jesse Towry - Sam Gladden | 107 | 5 | 11.620 | 0.000 | 100 | $475 |
| 12 | Todd Harris - Orlando Giles | 54 | 5 | 11.580 | 0.000 | 99 | $440 |
| 13 | Steve Addington - Matt Stout | 66 | 5 | 11.560 | 0.000 | 98 | $400 |
| 14 | Parks Jones - Daniel Hill | 67 | 5 | 11.300 | 0.000 | 97 | $370 |
| 15 | Robert Adams - Marvin Godard | 105 | 5 | 11.150 | 0.000 | 96 | $340 |
| 16 | Bill Grier - Robbie Byrum | 69 | 5 | 10.910 | 0.000 | 95 | $320 |
| 17 | Roger Pope - Michael Smith | 49 | 5 | 10.880 | 0.000 | 94 | $300 |
| 18 | Tony Lambert - Michael Kinard | 28 | 5 | 10.860 | 3.130 | 93 | $270 |
| 19 | Tom McCombs - Stephon Creason | 19 | 5 | 10.570 | 0.000 | 92 | $240 |
| 20 | Wade Smith - Mark Brown | 87 | 5 | 10.490 | 0.000 | 91 | $220 |
| 21 | Allen Snyder - Darren Gay | 115 | 4 | 10.200 | 5.630 | 90 | $200 |
Accent Marine Team Trail Results - Apr. 22, 2012 - Kissimmee Chain
Accent Marine held their fourth tournament of the season on April 22, 2012 out of Camp Mack. I think the weather scare some of the fisherman. There were still some nice stringers brought in. There were 94 fish weighed in. The total weight was 312.22 lbs. Sixty teams fished with 16 teams weighing in. Fourteen teams had a limit.
TOP 5 TEAMS:
Accent Marine Tournament Results
April 22, 2012
1st Place Allen Prince & Jay Morgan 29.08 lbs $714.00
2nd Place Scott Perry & Richard Anthony 27.13 lbs $ 594.00
3rd Place Bryan Mason & Bob Stringer 25.14 lbs $476.00
4th Place James Watkins & Wayne Yohn 23.38 lbs $356.00
5th Place Brian Wical & Matt Hinman 23.02 lbs $238.00
Big Bass Bryan Mason & Bob Stringer 7.97 lbs $600.00
April 28th and April 29th will be our Accent Marine/Camp Mack tournament. This tournament is opened to all boat brands with a minimum of 70 hp. You can sign up at the ramp for the tournament. It will be cash only at ramp.
 Bryan Mason with big bass 7.97 lbs |
 Scott Perry with part of their 2nd Place bag |
One On One With The Everstart Santee Cooper Champions!
Everstart Santee Champions Cal Clark and Ken Ellis talk about their big wins and their MONEY bait that helped them cash in on the Championship!
Everstart Santee Champion Ken Ellis On Stage For The Win!
Everstart Santee Champion Ken Ellis watches the last angler weigh-in and come up a little short as he wins for the 3rd time in the Everstart Series and takes home a boat/cash prize pkg of over $70,000!!
Tournaments Galore this weekend-and AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh joins us to discuss!
AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh talks about how this weeks rain throughout the region could play a vital role in finding some very good quality this weekend at some of the biggest tournaments in the region!
2012 Aiport Marine Tt Weigh-In Highlights And Champions From Lay Lake!!
Now this is a MUST SEE highlight reel--Congrats to Russ Lane and Chris Rutland on their big win and $5000 first place check on Lay Lake last weekend.........they beat out 85 other teams on one of if not the largest team trail in Alabama!
Very Good Fishing Forecast For Carolinas Bass Challenge On Lake Norman Saturday
Shane Lehew and Larry Lahew won the 1st Carolinas Bass Challenge NC Div tournament on Norman
The Carolinas Bass Challenge continues to roll in both North and South Carolina with between 140 and 150 boats expected for the North Carolina Division tournament Saturday on Lake Norman.
“The support for the trail in it's first year has been great,” said tournament director Brett Collins who noted that 190 teams have joined the North Carolina Division so far.
And for good reason. The paybacks have been very strong.
“The past three qualifiers – Lake Murray, Lake Wylie and Lake Norman – have paid first place at least $10,000,” Collins said.
Collins reported that David Williams and Gerald Williams lead the North Carolina Division points standings with Shane Lehew and Larry Lehew in second place.
“Matt Hawood and Ken Fenders are in third place and all three of these teams do well on Lake Norman,” he said. Points winners earn $1,000 for the year.
The field should find fishing very good this weekend, said Collins who noted that while the water level was low for the last CBC tournament in February it looks to be about normal now.
“Fishing has been good so far and the topwater bite should be a big factor this weekend. The shallow bite usually pays off this time of year at Lake Norman,” he noted. “The spawn is about done so most of the fish should be aggressive. The team that can catch a largemouth will probably end up on top.”
Collins asked that the teams fishing the tournament arrive at Pinnacle Landing as early as possible Saturday to facilitate the start of the tournament.
“As usual, we will have food and drinks waiting on the guys when they get back off the lake,” he added.
The Carolinas Bass Challenge is a two-division series promoted by Skeeter Boat dealers Marshall's Marine in Lake City, S.C., Foothills Marine in Morganton, N.C., and Palmetto Marine in Greenville, S.C. The sponsoring boat dealers provide free food for the anglers at the weigh-ins.
The remaining schedules for the two divisions include :
North Carolina Division – April 21, Lake Norman, Pinnacle Landing; May 19, Lake Hickory, Whittenburg; June 2, N.C. Divisional Final, High Rock, Tamarac Marina.
South Carolina Division – April 28, Santee Cooper, John C. Land; May 12, Lake Wateree, Clearwater Cove; June 23, S.C. Divisional Final, Lake Wateree, Clearwater Cove.
The Carolinas Bass Challenge Championship will be held on Kerr Lake October 27, 2012.
The entry fee per tournament is $200 per team and each team member must pay a $35 membership fee. First place in each qualifying tournament is guaranteed $5,000, with $1,000 for big fish. Teams may fish three of four qualifiers in a state division to make the Divisional Final and Championship or they may fish a combination of three qualifiers across divisions and make the Division Final and Championship. The team that wins the points in each state division will win $1,000.
The winning team at both the South Carolina Division Final and the North Carolina Division Final will win a Skeeter TZX190/150 with a Yamaha 150HPDI. The winning team in the Championship on Kerr Lake in October will win a Skeeter ZX200/200 Yamaha SHO.
Carolinas Bass Challenge - North Carolina Division
Sat, Apr 21, 2012
Lake Norman
Pinnacle Access
Call Brett Collins 803-413-7521
www.carolinasbasschallenge.com
Entries Up Dramatically For Second Year Of Oakley Big Bass Classic On Smith Mountain Lake
Early entries are up dramatically for the second annual Oakley Blue Ridge Big Bass Classic on Smith Mountain Lake this weekend and Mark Jones with the Oakley Big Bass Tour said he expects the final entry to be upwards of 400 anglers.
“There is a chance of rain on Sunday, but it is looking like we may get lucky and have pretty decent weather for the tournament this weekend with just a little bit of rain Sunday,” Jones said.
“This is year two for the Smith Mountain tournament and all the reports I have been getting indicate the fishing is going pretty good right now. I'd say we will get a 5-, 6-, 7- or possibly an 8-pound fish as the overall winner.”
JD Perdue won the 2011 Smith Mountain tournament with a 5.54-pound bass but that tournament was held in May, a month later than this year's event.
Jones described the Oakley-sponsored tournaments as a “big bass format, with seven hourly weigh-ins on Saturday and seven hourly weigh-ions on Sunday.”
Hourly weigh ins will be held daily: 8-9 a.m., 9-10 a.m., 10-11a.m., 11a.m.-12 p.m., 12-1 p.m., 1-2 p.m. and 2-3 p.m.. Anglers must be declared before the end of the respective hour or their weight will count for the next hour.
The Oakley Big Bass Tour is the nation’s premier open big bass tournament series designed exclusively for amateur anglers, providing anglers of all skill levels an exciting tournament format and event experience on some of the nation’s best bass fisheries. Established in 2007, the tour is focused on the promotion of bass fishing and bass conservation at the amateur level.
Anglers not eligible to fish the Oakley Big Bass events include those who have guided professionally on the host lake during the 12 months before the tournament, those who have competed professionally in three or more tournaments with an entry fee of $1,000 or more in the preceding 12 months, and those who have career fishing tournament earnings of $250,000 or more.
Entry fees for the Oakley Big Bass Tour are $100 for one day or $150 for two days. Registration will be held at Bushwater Plaza Marina all day on Friday, Jones said, adding that anglers are also able to register online for all Oakley Big Bass events right up to the Friday before the tournament.
Remaining stops on the 2012 Oakley Big Bass Tour include : May 19-20, Kevin VanDam Big Bass Classic, Table Rock Lake, Missouri; June 2-3, Quantum Big Bass Classic, Ft Gibson Lake, Oklahoma;
September 15-16, Kelly Jordon Big Bass Classic, Lake Sam Rayburn, Texas; September 29-30, Jason Williamson Big Bass Classic, Lake Murray, South Carolina; October 13-14, Gerald Swindle Big Bass Classic, Lake Guntersville, Alabama; October 20-21, Rusty Wallace Big Bass Classic, Douglas Lake, Tennessee; and October 27-28, Georgia Big Bass Classic, Clarks Hill Lake, Georgia.
Oakley Blue Ridge Big Bass Classic
Apr 21-22, 2012
Smith Mountain Lake
Bridgewater Marina
Call Mark Jones 214-605-4600
Gainey Hoping To Lose 'confusion' By Time Everstart Tournament Starts On Santee Cooper
Nick Gainey of Charleston, SC. Photo courtesy FLW Outdoors.
Nick Gainey spent the first half of this week trying to make sense out of the confusion over the bass in the Santee Cooper Lakes as he prepared for the FLW EverStart Series Southeast Division tournament this coming weekend.
After practicing on his home waters Friday and Saturday, the Charleston, S.C., angler admitted the bass had him more than a little befuddled.
“I fished on some key trees that I normally catch fish on and I had five bites for the two days,” Gainey said. “And then Saturday they had a BFL tournament out of John C. Land Landing and the boy who won it caught 27 pounds and he was fishing trees like I had been for two days.”
Chuck Howard of Elloree weighed in five bass at 27 pounds, 14 ounces, Saturday to win the BFL South Carolina Division tournament on the Santee Cooper Lakes, earning $3,466 for first place, plus a $2,000 Ranger Cup bonus.
This time of year, Gainey said, the bass are mostly in post-spawn and typically the first place they go after spawning it to the standing trees in the lakes.
“A lot of times they will be on an isolated tree, or a tree on an isolated point or island. That is the best spot. Sometimes a little group of trees around an island will do well, too.”
The problem is finding the key trees, he said.
“They are not on every tree at Santee. You can catch 25 pounds on some trees and then you can fish 500 other trees and not catch a fish.”
So, his game plan this week was to concentrate on an area where he believed a group of fish would be instead of running all over the lake.
“Just pick a quadrant and spend three days trying to fish it down,” he said.
A lot is at stake for Gainey, who is currently ranked 68th in the EverStart Southeast Division, in this EverStart tournament on his local waters. He had mixed success in Florida and Georgia earlier this year, finishing 112th on Lake Okeechobee in the EverStart in January, but rallying to a 43rd place finish on Lake Seminole a month ago.
Ironically, he suffered one of his worst tournaments in the Okeechobee EverStart but had one of his best outings on the same lake three weeks later, finishing 10th in the Walmart FLW Series Open tournament there February 9.
“I did very well in the EverStart on Lake Seminole, which gave me two good tournaments in a row after I finished 10th in the Open on Lake Okeechobee,” he said. “At least I am on a little roll now.”
That, and the fact that he is noted for following poor practices with good tournaments, could bode well for Gainey in the Santee Cooper EverStart this week.
“I'm pretty confident because I have this pattern going in tournaments,” he said. “I have some friends from Georgia and West Virginia that I travel with to tournaments and they accuse me of lying because if I have a bad practice I am liable to whack them in the tournament. I've done that a half a dozen times.”
He recounted a tournament on the Potomac River a few years ago when he struggled mightily in practice – and then finished fourth in the tournament.
“When a tournament starts,” he said, “you just put your head down, don't run everywhere, and you just fish. Fish where you got some good bites. I have that rep going, so I feel good about the tournament.”
FLW EverStart Series – Southeast Division
Apr 19-21, 2012
Santee Cooper Lakes
John C. Land III Landing
http://www.flwoutdoors.com/bassfishing/afs/tournament/2012/6763/santee-cooper-details/
Collegiate Anglers Already Eyeing Pickwick
When Association of Collegiate Anglers (ACA) teams from all over the nation descend on Pickwick Lake in late May for the 2012 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship, grinding out a limit shouldn't be a problem. The issue will be who can catch a kicker each day - or possibly a limit of kicker-caliber fish - to claim the title.
TVA neighbors like Guntersville and Kentucky Lake have claimed the headlines for many years, but Pickwick is a lake that seems to be peaking right now.
"It used to be a lake that people would dread going there," said two-tour pro Ish Monroe. "Now it's no problem to catch 30 or more fish a day if you get on the right shell bed and the current is flowing. It's a combination of the grass and the lack of pressure on the lake."
The average size of the fish has increased along with their numbers. "It's pretty amazing," said Cabela's pro Clark Wendlandt. "A few years ago there were tons of two-pounders. Now there are tons of three- to five-pound bass and some bigger ones, too." The lake produced multiple double-digit bass this spring, including one that unofficially weighed in at about 15 pounds.
Both pros agree that the key bite will likely be offshore, on the Tennessee River ledges that are the summertime bread and butter for regional anglers. "Once you get on a good ledge, it's just a waiting game as to when they're going to bite," Monroe said.
So what makes a key spot on a ledge?
"You're looking for mussels, gravel, maybe a little bit of rock at the end of a drop-off," Wendlandt said.
For collegiate anglers who must split their time between the water and the classroom, that makes practice a comparatively easy affair. Monroe said that with his Navionics chip and high-tech electronics, any angler could pick out key areas to try long before he hit the water. "With the online application, you can do all of your practicing at home, looking for channel swings and key depths," he explained. "Then you can load all of your waypoints onto a blank card and go right to them when you get there." Key lures for ledge fishing include deep-diving crankbaits, football head jigs, Carolina Rigs, flutter spoons and castable umbrella rigs.
Both Monroe and Wendlandt believe that it'll take 15 pounds a day to be in contention, but that it could easily take 20 or more to claim the victory if conditions set up right.
"There are going to be a whole lot of fish caught," Wendlandt said. "There's no reason to hold back."
While the ledges will dominate, some anglers might be able to find a decent bite in the limited backwaters if the water levels are up. If they're high enough, Monroe said he might spend some time in those areas chunking his signature frog. It's a fallback pattern to be sure, more likely to produce a wad of two-pounders than the threes and fours it'll probably take to win, but he also believes it provides the best chance of catching a seven-plus-pound mule, so it might be worth the gamble.
Wendlandt said he wished that the ACA had been around when he was in school. "It's an awesome way to get a good degree but also learn about the outdoors," he said. "Maybe some of these students will become professional anglers, but others may learn that there are other ways to become involved in the industry."
He's also proud that his title sponsor, Cabela's, is the also a stalwart supporter of this effort.
"I think it's awesome that Cabela's is supporting these college kids," he stated. "It's the future of our sport and a great testament to their commitment to the outdoors."
After three days of practice, May 21-23, 2012, the competitors in the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship will launch on competition days May 24 and 25, 2012, from McFarland Park in Florence, Alabama. The tournament will subsequently be televised on NBC Sports Outdoors.
For more information on these events, including Angler Packets and Official Rules, please visit:
www.collegiatebasschampionship.com/tournament-schedule.html
For more about Lake Pickwick and Florence, Alabama, please visit: www.VisitFlorenceAl.com.
Piedmont Bass Classics Results - Kerr/Buggs Island Lake - April 14, 2012
2012 Spring Bass Tournament Trail. The weather was just beautiful! 49 degrees in the morning with 3 mile an
hour winds, then close to 75 in the pm with lights winds and the water level was just about back to normal. This
was our best turnout of the year and I want to thank everyone that participated!
281 fish were weighed in for a big total weight of 625 pounds and all the bass looked very healthy. Most fish
were caught in 1 to 3 feet of water on a variety of baits including jerk baits,spinnerbaits, plastic worms,
crankbaits, buzzbaits and Rat-L-Traps for the most part. The hot baits for the day reported to be plastics!
Water temps were around 63 degrees. I want to thank all the anglers that participated and that support this
trail.
Our next 'Boats Unlimited $10,000 Spring Bass Trail' event will be Saturday, April 28th, at Falls Lake.
Our next 'Special Open' Tournament will be the 'Overton's of Raleigh Open' at Falls Lake Saturday, May 5th.
All the information on our tournaments can be found at: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Troy Searcy & Bryon Welch of Pleasant Garden & Greensboro...5 bass...16.55 lbs...$1,329
2nd Place: John Herndon of Oxford...5 bass...13.87 lbs...$819
3rd Place: Scott Dunn & Stewart Adams of Four Oaks...5 bass...13.85 lbs...$604
4th Place: Tony Fofi & Dave Murdock of Fayetteville...5 bass...13.08 lbs...$551
5th Place: Adam Spell & Kenny Spell of Sanford...5 bass...12.83 lbs...$490
6th Place: Adam Haithcock & Wayne Spell of Creedmoor & Townsville...5 bass...12.74 lbs...$429
7th Place: Tim Allred & Wayne Walker of Clover, VA & Rougemont...5 bass...12.67 lbs...$369
8th Place: Russell Rigsbee & Paul Rigsbee of Timberlake...5 bass...12.57 lbs...$308
9th Place: Thomas Clifton & Jeff Clifton of Rolesville...5 bass...12.08 lbs...$247
10th Place: Geno McCree & Phillip Johnson of Durham...5 bass...12.02 lbs...$247
11th Place: Michael Hatley & Steve Hatley of Chapel Hill...5 bass...12.01 lbs...$186
12th Place: Mike Eggers & Mark Willis of Garner...5 bass...11.71 lbs...$186
13th Place: Richard Cooper & Drew Johnson of Clayton...5 bass...11.68 lbs...$125
14th Place: Mark Herndon & Jay Garrard of Bahama & Durham...5 bass...11.62 lbs...$125
15th Place: Dale Bolick & Billy West of Wendell & Raleigh...5 bass...11.53 lbs...$125
16th Place: Arthur Pugh & Donald Bovins of Spring Lake & Fayetteville...5 bass...11.51 lbs...$100
1st Place Big Fish..1st Place Team above: 4.33 lbs...$1,036
2nd Place Big Fish..Neil Roberson & Rodney Stevens of Rocky Mount & Garner 4.31 lbs...$444
1st Place TWT..1st Place Team above: 16.55 lbs...$1,015
2nd Place TWT..4th Place Team above: 13.08 lbs...$435
attached picture of 1st place team: Welch on left & Searcy on right.
For information on all our events contact:
Phil McCarson~Tournament Director
919-471-1571.......919-971-5042
or email me at: [email protected]
Thank you for all your support.
2012 Oakley Big Bass Champion Chad Schroeder On Stage!
Here is your 2012 Oakley Big Bass Lake Norman Champion Chad Schroeder on Stage after winning his $30,000 boat/trailer pkg on his one 5.47 Lb Kicker he caught Sat!!
2012 Kyle Page MSKP Foundation Lake Murray Results
2012 - 16th Annual MSKP Open Team Bass Tournament Winners/79 Boats
Place/Teams No.# Fish Weight Winnings
1st – Neal Bickley & Michael Lindler 4 20.25 $5000.00
2nd – David Settle & Travis Parrish 5 18.89 $2000.00
3rd – Kevin Fulmer & Al Fortner 5 18.22 $1000.00
4th – Kyle Cannon & Will Anderson 5 17.94 $900.00
5th – Tony Postell & Sammy Landrum 5 17.65 $800.00
6th – Danny Rogers & Ricky Key 5 17.61 $700.00
7th – Matt Bickley & Delain Woodward 5 17.15 $600.00
8th – Casey Hendrix & Shannon Jordan 5 16.88 $500.00
9th – Brad Thompson & Michael Shealy 5 16.57 $400.00
10th – Keith Hutto & Stewart Gambrell 5 16.24 $300.00
11th – Wayne & Brian Nappier 5 16.15 $200.00
12th – Mike Riddle & Jeffrey Pugh 5 15.94 $200.00
1st Big fish – Danny Rogers & Ricky Key 6.48 $400.00
2nd Big Fish – Clay & Blake Riddle 5.67 $250.00
Kansas State University Wins FLW College Fishing National Championship on Lake Murray
The National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship on Lake Murray is a team event. Twenty-five teams from across the country competed in 20 qualifying events and five conference championship tournaments, and the top five teams from each conference competed for the title of national champion in this prestigious three-day nationally televised event. Teams go through the grueling season in the hopes of sharing the spotlight and title of national champion with their teammate.
However, the Kansas State University team of Ryan Patterson of Goddard, Kan., wasn't much of a team. Patterson's teammate and brother transferred from Kansas State, so Patterson fished the championship event alone. And he didn't even weigh a five-bass limit of fish every day. And he did the unthinkable by claiming the title of national champion.
On Sunday Patterson weighed five bass for 18 pounds, 1 ounce for a three-day total of 14 bass weighing 46-15 to claim the national championship title. Patterson took the title by 2 pounds, 4 ounces. For his efforts, Patterson received $50,000 cash, a Ranger 177TR with a 90-horsepower engine for his school's bass club and $25,000 for Kansas State University.
Link to video of winning moment
"I don't even know what to say," said Patterson, a junior advertising major. "The whole time I was pretty nervous. When I got up here I knew it was going to be close.
"I'll be real honest with you," Patterson added. "I'm a very confident fisherman. I'm very confident in my abilities. I didn't expect to catch 20 pounds every day, but I knew I was going to catch my five, and if I got some breaks here and there I was going to do well."
Patterson said his equipment was "crucial" to his victory. He used G Loomis swimbait rods in a 7-foot, 1-inch version and a 7-foot, 3-inch version, Shimano Chronarch reels, 14-pound-test Sunline Fluorocarbon, YUM Money Minnows with a Lazer Trokar hook and Zoom Flukes with a Lazer Trokar hook.
"With three minutes to go I broke off a 5-pounder," said an emotional Patterson. "My rod snapped when I set the hook. I sat there and said, 'Well my rod just snapped and I just lost $100,000.'"
Now Patterson gets to go up against the best professional anglers on the planet in the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart. The Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing,will be held Aug. 9-12 on Lake Lanier in Duluth, Ga., and will offer anglers the opportunity to compete for a top award of $500,000.
"I told everyone when I came here that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Patterson said. "And the guys that do this for a living … you don't realize how good those guys are and how hard it is to make it where they're at. And for me to have an opportunity like this … it's an amazing experience. I'm definitely excited. I'll take the Cinderella ride all the way to the Forrest Wood Cup. Anything can happen."
Rounding out the top five teams are:
2nd: Clemson University – Andy Wicker, Pomaria, S.C., and Harold Turner, Sumter, S.C. (15 bass, 44-11, $10,000) 3rd: Kennesaw State University – Thomas Frink, Woodstock, Ga., and Justin Marlow, Kennesaw, Ga. (14 bass, 43-7, $5,000) 4th: Auburn University – Jordan Lee, Vinemont, Ala., and Matt Lee, Auburn, Ala. (15 bass, 43-3, $5,000) 5th: Virginia Tech – Wyatt Blevins, Pulaski, Va., and Carson Rejzer, Hampton, Va. (15 bass, 39-9, $5,000).
Complete results can be found at CollegeFishing.com.
FLW has awarded more than $3 million in prizes to more than 125 colleges and universities. College Fishing events are free to enter, boats and drivers are provided by FLW and all collegiate teams receive a travel allowance.
Four regular-season events were held in each conference – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Texas and Western. The top five teams in each qualifying event advanced to one of five televised three-day National Guard FLW College Fishing Conference Championships. The top five teams from each conference championship advanced to the national championship, and the winner of the national championship will qualify for the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart. The Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing, will be held Aug. 9-12 on Lake Lanier in Duluth, Ga., and will offer the collegiate anglers the opportunity to compete for a top award of $500,000. The national champions also will receive use of a wrapped boat and Chevy truck for Forrest Wood Cup competition.
Coverage of the National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship, hosted by the Capital City/Lake Murray Country RTB, will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network. "FLW" will air May 27 from 1 to 2 p.m. ET. "FLW," hosted by Jason Harper, is broadcast to more than 500 million households worldwide.
For more information about the National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship, visit CollegeFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow College Fishing on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
ABOUT FLW FLW is the industry's premier tournament-fishing organization, providing unparalleled fishing resources and entertainment to our sponsors, fans and host communities. FLW is offering anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize moneynationwide in 2012 over the course of 191 tournaments across five tournament circuits, each providing an avenue to the sport's richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the "Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water," through a variety of platforms including tournaments, outdoor expos and the world's richest fantasy sports game – FLW Fantasy Fishing. For more information about FLW and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.
Chad Schroeder Wins The 2012 Oakley Big Bass Tournament On Lake Norman With A 5.47 Lb Kicker!
2012 Champion Chad Schroeder talks about his big catch on Saturday that enabled him and son Austin to hold on against 405 other Boaters and win $30,000 Boat Trailer Pkg at the 3rd Annual Oakley Big Bass Event held on Lake Norman this Weekend-
Howard Wins Santee Cooper Bfl
Second place finisher Lex Costas was on Howard’s heels, bringing 5 fish to the scale that weighed 27-06. Unexpectedly, these torp two anglers were the only ones to catch more than 25 lbs on the lake that has given up numerous 30 lb bags this spring. In a testament to how tough the fishing was, 3 anglers finished in the top 10 without catching a limit of fish—and one of them only had 3 fish.
In third place, Jayme Rampey’s limit pushed the scales to 22-14.
Dearal Rodgers pulled off an impressive feat, taking 4th place with one fish less than the limit. The weight of his 4 bass was aided by two brutes that weighed over 7 lbs apiece. “I caught the biggest one on a buzzbait early near some grass. All my other fish came on Texas-rigged plastic worms,†said the Camden native, whose bag weighed 21-13.
5th place saw Chad Cook just 3 ounces back of Rodgers. Cook weighed in 21-10, which included the tournament’s big fish, an 8-01 that added $435 to Cook’s pocket. “I caught that fish on a jig, and I missed another one early this morning that was about as big,†Cook said, stressing the fine line that separates a top five finish from a win. No stranger to big fish honors, Cook earned the same award last month at the Bassmaster Weekend Series event at this same landing.
In 6th place was Eddie Herlong Sr, who was bested by Cook by a mere ounce. Jay Keith was right behind Herlong with 21-08, followed by Lyn Langston, whose 4 fish weighed 19-11. Dennis Reedy took 9th place with just 3 fish that tipped the scales at 18-13. Ron Brown finished off the top 10 with 5 fish that weighed 18-12.
The top 17 anglers earned checks on the day, and 68 of the 87 anglers weighed fish.
In the co-anglers division, Scott Frye entered the tournament atop the overall standings in the SC non-boater division, and did his part to keep things that way. Frye boated 5 fish that weighed 15-02, topping the second place finisher of Kenneth Morrison by 4 lbs. Frye ended the day with a check for over $1700.â€I used Texas-rigged Zoom trick worms all day,†said the Sumter angler.
Frye and Morrison were the only 2 co-anglers to bring 5 fish to the weigh-in platform. Todd Gambrell took 3rd with 4 fish that weighed 8-03. Michael Smith and Bart Jacobus rounded out the top 5 with 3 fish apiece. Smith’s bag weighed in at 7-15, with Jacobus weighing in 7-10.
One co-angler, 18-yr old DJ McEachern, knew the day was going to be tough after prefishing Friday. “I only got a handful of bites yesterday, so I expected it to be a tough day,†said the Columbia native. “Then, someone stole my boater’s keys, so we couldn’t use the outboard. We just fished close by with the trolling motor all day.†McEachern, who plans to fish on USC’s fishing team starting this fall, made the best of things, catching one keeper that weighed 3-08 and landed him in 26th place.
87 co-anglers fished, with 45 weighing in at least one fish.
The next stop for the BFL’s South Carolina division will be June 2 at Lake Wateree out of Clearwater Cove Marina.
Attention Collegiate Anglers: Boat US National Championship Registration Closes Soon!
San Antonio, Texas (April 13, 2012) - Registration for the 2012 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship is set to close on Monday, April 30 at 5 pm CST. Students interested in competing need to have their teams submitted online no later than this deadline. The field for this event is 200 two-angler teams, with a maximum of 400 participants. Registration remains open at:
"After a long and very successful run the past six years at Lake Lewisville, we're excited to take the 2012 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship to Lake Pickwick for the next two years so that we'll have more room to grow this event, both now and in the future. At this year's event we look to not only continue our record-setting trends for participation, but now also challenge the existing weight records for the event, as Lake Pickwick in May should offer plenty of opportunities for the students to catch a lot of quality bass, both largemouth and smallmouth," said Wade Middleton, Tournament Director.
Collegiate anglers will launch daily at McFarland Park on the shores of Lake Pickwick, with weigh-ins to start daily at 2:30 pm. The collegiate team with the heaviest weight over the course of two competition days will be crowned National Champions at an awards ceremony immediately following the weigh-in on Friday. In addition to prizes, students are also competing for points in the coveted ACA School of the Year race, which is the first college rankings program to recognize the top collegiate fishing teams in the country, taking into account their participation across all leagues.
The BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship is the marquee event of three nationally televised tournaments hosted as part of the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Series. These no entry fee events are open to all full-time students of university-recognized fishing programs. Competitions are broadcast as part of the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Television Series, seen on NBC Sports Outdoors and available to over 76 million homes.
For more information on these events, including Angler Packets and Official Rules, please visit:
www.collegiatebasschampionship.com/tournament-schedule.html
For more about Lake Pickwick and Florence, Alabama, please visit: www.VisitFlorenceAl.com.
Montgomery Heading To Elite Series Tournament On Bull Shoals With Open Mind
Andy Montgomery has never fished Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas before, so when practice starts Monday for the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament next week, he will be in full learning mode.
“I' don't know much about the place and really have not done much research, but I have fished Table Rock and Beaver Lake several times and they are on the same chain, so I figure the fishing will be pretty similar,” Montgomery said.
“When practice starts Monday I'll be riding around to see what the place looks like and go from there. I'll just keep moving and covering water,” he said.
“I do know there is a lot of clear water in the lake, extremely clear, so there will probably be a lot of sight fishing. I kind of expect sight fishing to be the dominant pattern. Other than that, if we get a rain and get any color in the backs of the creeks you can probably catch them flipping around the bushes. The Ozark lakes fluctuate a lot, so if we get a rainfall and the water comes up in the bushes we will try to catch them flipping.”
Another tactic he will probably consider, he said, is throwing a Wiggle Wart.
“The Wiggle Wart is always a staple in the Ozark Lakes,” he noted.
Montgomery said he has a pretty tough hill to climb to get back into the top echelon in the points standings after a rough tournament on Florida's Lake Okeechobee last month. After a 40th place finish and earning a check on the St. John's River, Montgomery finished 83rd a week later on the Big O and left with no money. As a result, he heads to Bull Shoals in 66th place in the standings.
“I have done well on Okeechobee in the past and am pretty comfortable fishing down there. I had an extremely good practice there, but for whatever reason they did not bite the first day of the tournament and I did not go back to my spot the second day. I should have because I knew the fish were there,” he said.
“I caught them good the second day. I just did not catch an size. They are all little fish. I did lose one big one the second day flipping it into the boat that would have got me up there in the standings.”
While Montgomery isn't satisfied with his place in the standings, he is not overly concerned.
“It's way too early in the season. We've only fished two tournaments. I don't like being down there, but I have been down there before and was able to fight my way back.”
Bassmaster Elite Series Bull Shoals Quest
Apr 19-22, 2012
Bull Shoals Lake
Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock
Savannah Take A Soldier Fishing Tournament Honors Wounded Warriors
Catching bass will be the challenge, but the wounded warriors fishing for them will be the main attraction at the second annual Take A Soldier Fishing tournament on Savannah's Lake Mayer Saturday.
“We are looking forward to a fantastic champions' night Thursday evening at Lake Mayer and then having a tremendous day of fishing on Saturday between all branches of the military,” said tournament organizer Byron (Bubba) Stephens of Bass Anglers Plus, Inc. Active duty, National Guard, and Reservists will be honored along with special honors for Vietnam veterans.
Stephens said the tournament will feature two boats with Army personnel, two with Navy men, two with Air Force anglers, two with Marines and two with Coast Guardsmen. The military anglers will be paired with 10 anglers from local fishing clubs. Two other boats will have teams composed of a safety officer and a military representative and a public relations representative and a military person.
Trophies for first and second place will be awarded to the top local anglers along with a big fish trophy. All military anglers will receive a trophy.
“We also have a celebrity angler here for the tournament,” Stephens said. “Mike DelVisco, a pro angler sponsored by Texas Roadhouse, participated last year and wanted to come back for this year's tournament.”
Because of the unusually warm spring, Stephens said fishing may be a little tougher this year than it was last year when it took 15 ½ pounds for first place and the big fish weighed 5 ½ pounds.
“Last year during practice we were releasing bass from 7 to 10 pounds, but this year with the very warm winter the fish have already spawned so fishing may be a little harder. Some of the anglers have struggled to catch some decent fish, but we know they are there.”
The public is invited to observe and participate without cost, Stephens said. The lake has a two-mile-long walkway around it so people can observe the fishing and there are many recreational amenities for families, including children.
The awards ceremony will be held at 1:30 Saturday. Donations may be made to Bass Anglers Plus, Inc., PO Box 163, Guyton, GA 31312. The tournament is sponsored by Bass Anglers Plus, Inc., and Chatham county Park Services.
The Wounded Warrior tournament is the first of two major events held by Bass Anglers Plus, Inc., for the military each year. The 3rd Annual Take A Soldier Fishing Bass Brawl, will be held on the Savannah River out of Hardeeville, S.C., this summer.
“We will have 30 to 40 boats for that event, with great anglers and military personnel participating. FLW comes in to support it and they bring their big weigh-in trailer and run the tournament professionally,” Stephens said.
Take a Soldier Fishing 2nd Annual Wounded Warrior Event
Lake Mayer, Savannah, GA
Saturday, April 14
www.takeasoldierfishing-ga.org
Maj. Byron A. Stephens US Army Ret., 912-224-3230
Byron (Bubba) Stephens Jr., 912-667-4842
Sportsman's Warehouse Report Week 4 with Barry Sowers!
Our online Product Spotlight Series from Sportsman's Warehouse continues with Barry Sowers as we move into some shallow water baits that will probably have a big impact on your tournament results-
Thomas Richmond and Artie Phillips win the Greene Boat and Motor Tournament on Lake Hickory-Full Results Here!
Here are the full results from the Sat Lake Hickroy Event:
| Greenes Tournament April 7th | ||||||
| BIG FISH | # DEAD | TOTAL | ||||
| Place | Boat # | Team | WEIGHT | FISH | WEIGHT | POINTS |
| 1 | 5 | Thomas Richmond/Artie Phillips | 5.84 | 19.65 | 100 | |
| 2 | 4 | Jody Wright/ James Dyer | 5.16 | 17.23 | 99 | |
| 3 | 9 | Allen Travis/Hunter Harwell | 3.96 | 12.83 | 98 | |
| 4 | 24 | Robert Bauguess/Jack Eller | 3.71 | 12.49 | 97 | |
| 5 | 19 | Louie Hull/Chuck Montgomery | 2.92 | 12.46 | 96 | |
| 6 | 22 | Shane Hartman/Todd Garner | 3.36 | 12.03 | 95 | |
| 7 | 8 | Dwight Dellinger/ Doug Dellinger | 3.15 | 11.02 | 94 | |
| 8 | 7 | Clyde Whitesides/ Clint Whitesides | 5.09 | 10.24 | 93 | |
| 9 | 18 | Marty Newton | 3.69 | 10.09 | 92 | |
| 10 | 11 | Leo Watson/Travis Watson | 4.44 | 8.59 | 91 | |
| 11 | 13 | Erwin Gaston/Derek Lilly | 2.32 | 7.79 | 90 | |
| 12 | 15 | Chris and Tyler Hoopaugh | 4.58 | 7.28 | 89 | |
| 13 | 6 | Darin Bumgarner/ Jeremy Hollifield | 4.05 | 1 | 6.58 | 88 |
| 14 | 3 | Ron Farrow/ Mike Alman | 2.74 | 6.39 | 87 | |
| 15 | 1 | Tommy Sanders/Jerry Dean | 2.48 | 4.80 | 86 | |
| 16 | 2 | Don Poteat/ | 85 | |||
| 17 | 10 | Robert Price | 84 | |||
| 18 | 12 | Aric Dwyer/Robby Anderson | 83 | |||
| 19 | 14 | Larry Scmidt/Bob Groom | 82 | |||
| 20 | 16 | Rodney Sisk/Clay Sisk | 81 | |||
| 21 | 17 | Rick Mckenzie/Van Sexton | 80 | |||
| 22 | 20 | Josh Gardner/Travis England | 79 | |||
| 23 | 21 | John Allan | 78 | |||
| 24 | 23 | Kevin Toler/Alan Whitaker | 77 | |||
| 25 | 25 | 76 | ||||
| 26 | 26 | 75 | ||||
| 27 | 27 | 74 | ||||
| 28 | 28 | 73 | ||||
| 29 | 29 | 72 | ||||
| 30 | 30 | 71 | ||||
| 31 | 31 | 70 | ||||
| 32 | 32 | 69 | ||||
| 33 | 33 | 68 | ||||
| 34 | 34 | 67 | ||||
| 35 | 35 | 66 | ||||
| 36 | 36 | 65 | ||||
| 37 | 37 | 64 | ||||
| 38 | 38 | 63 | ||||
| 39 | 39 | 62 | ||||
| 40 | 40 | 61 | ||||
| 41 | 41 | 60 | ||||
| 42 | 42 | 59 | ||||
| 43 | 43 | 58 | ||||
| 44 | 44 | 57 | ||||
| 45 | 45 | 56 | ||||
| 46 | 46 | 55 | ||||
| 47 | 47 | 54 | ||||
| 48 | 48 | 53 | ||||
| 49 | 49 | 52 | ||||
| 50 | 50 | 51 | ||||
| 51 | 51 | 50 | ||||
| 52 | 52 | 49 | ||||
| 53 | 53 | 48 | ||||
| 54 | 54 | 47 | ||||
| 55 | 55 | 46 | ||||
| 56 | 56 | 45 | ||||
| 57 | 57 | 44 | ||||
| 58 | 58 | 43 | ||||
| 59 | 59 | 42 | ||||
| 60 | 60 | 41 | ||||
| 61 | 61 | 40 | ||||
| 62 | 62 | 39 | ||||
| 63 | 63 | 38 | ||||
| 64 | 64 | 37 | ||||
| 65 | 65 | 36 | ||||
| 66 | 66 | 35 | ||||
| 67 | 67 | 34 | ||||
| 68 | 68 | 33 | ||||
| 69 | 69 | 32 | ||||
| 70 | 70 | 31 | ||||
| 71 | 71 | 30 | ||||
| 72 | 72 | 29 | ||||
| 73 | 73 | 28 | ||||
| 74 | 74 | 27 | ||||
| 75 | 75 | 26 | ||||
| 76 | 76 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 25 | ||
| 77 | 77 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 24 | |
| 78 | 78 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 23 | |
| 79 | 79 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 22 | |
| 80 | 80 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 21 | |
| 81 | 81 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 20 | |
| 82 | 82 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 19 | |
| 83 | 83 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 18 | |
| 84 | 84 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 17 | |
| 85 | 85 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 16 | |
| 86 | 86 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 15 | |
| 87 | 87 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 14 | |
| 88 | 88 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 13 | |
| 89 | 89 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 12 | |
| 90 | 90 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 11 | |
| 91 | 91 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 10 | |
| 92 | 92 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 9 | |
| 93 | 93 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 8 | |
| 94 | 94 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 7 | |
| 95 | 95 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 6 | |
| 96 | 96 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 5 | |
| 97 | 97 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 4 | |
| 98 | 98 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 3 | |
| 99 | 99 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 2 | |
| 100 | 100 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 |
Happy Easter Tracy Adams: Your 2012 Bassmaster Southern Open Champion One On One Right Here!
We grab Tracy Adams just off stage as he captures the 2012 Bassmaster Southern Open and listen as he explains how things simply just fell into place for him on all 3 days at this years Open. Not much better way to celebrate Easter than with a punched ticket to the 2013 Bassmaster Classic and have your family watching the win unfold!
2012 Bassmaster Southern Open Lake Norman Final Day Weigh-In Highlights!
The final day of the 2012 Bassmaster Southern Open on Lake Norman didn't really have any big surprises, as Tracy Adams bags 10+ Lbs on Sat to win his 1st Open and Qualify for the 2013 Bassmaster Classic in Tulsa, OK!!
Pete Ponds Talks Ardent Edge
Bassmaster Elite Series veteran Pete Ponds tells us what makes the NEW Ardent Edge baitcaster so special. And he does so from the Ardent booth at the 2012 Bassmaster Classic Expo!
Ac Exclusive:one On One With Flw Tour And Table Rock Champion Brent Long!
FLW Tour Pro Brent Long takes a minute to chat about his 2nd FLW Tour win in 3 years worth another $125,000!! Table Rock Lake presented some challenges to all the anglers, but set up the perfect conditions for Brent to go in and land almost 19.5 Lbs per day!!
Sportsman's Warehouse Report Week 3 with Barry Sowers and more Topwater previews!
We continue our Spring preview with Barry Sowers from Sportsman's Warehouse in Columbia, SC and showcase the Strike King Spittin King for some serious Topwater action!
Springhill Outfitters ~ Piedmont Bass Classic Results - Falls Lake - March 31, 2012
around noon and turned out to be pretty weather. 81 fish were weighed in for a total weight of 260 pounds.
Most fish were caught in 1 to 4 feet of water on a variety of baits including jerk baits, plastic worms, jig
combos, spinnerbaits & top water for the most part. Water temps were around the 73 degree area. Air
temps 57 to 77. Not a bad day as far as the fishing goes showing that Falls Lake is productive at this time.
I really want to thank Brandon, Lee and the crew at SPRINGHILL OUTFITTERS in Selma for
sponsoring this tournament and the $250 in Gift Certificates as a bonus to the 1st Place Team. Please visit
their store located off I-95 at exit 101 in Selma. Brandon and his crew have opened a new location that
reminds me of another business on Hwy. 70 heading to the beach. It's incredible! They carry a great line
of clothing, guns, fishing tackle, archery and so much more!
At this time Springhill Outfitters is offering rebates on Abu Garcia Revo reels and discounts on Shimano
rods. They also have a crappie & shad fishing contest going on. Visit their website:
www.springhilloutfitters.com for all the info.
Our next tournament, the 'Boats Unlimited $10,000 Spring Bass Trail' Qualifier #4 event will be
Saturday, April 14th, at Kerr Lake out of Flemingtown Ramp. Turnout should be great!
Our next 'Spring Open' will be at Falls Lake, May 5th, and will be sponsored by
OVERTON'S in Raleigh.
All the information on our tournaments can be found at: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Now here are the full 'SPRINGHILL OUTFITTERS OPEN' results:
1st Place: Adam Haithcock & David Ford of Creedmoor...5 bass...21.87 lbs...$840 & $250 Bonus
2nd Place: Jay Garrard & Mark Herndon of Durham & Bahama...5 bass...21.48 lbs...$500
3rd Place: Tony Fofi & Dave Murdock of Fayetteville...5 bass...20.31 lbs...$360
4th Place: Wayne Shaw & Reaford Soles of Cameron & Aberdeen...5 bass...18.88 lbs...$280
5th Place: Randy Fisher & Donnie Lowe of Hillsborough & Mebane...5 bass...17.79 lbs...$220
6th Place: Barry Kleinfelter & Bryce McClenney of Stem & Raleigh...5 bass...16.42 lbs...$120
1st Place Big Fish..2nd Place Team above...7.98 lbs...$392
2nd Place Big Fish..1st Place Team above: 7.48 lbs...$168
1st Place TWT..2nd Place Team above: 21.48 lbs...$350
2nd Place TWT..3rd Place Team above: 20.31 lbs...$150
Attached Picture: Ford On Left & Haithcock On Right...1st Place Team
I want to thank all of you that support & report our tournaments!
Have a nice Easter Holiday with family & friends and remember the reason for Easter!
Phil McCarson~Tournament Director
919-471-1571.......919-971-5042
or email me at:
[email protected]
Another Record Entry Expected For Anglers Choice Tournament On Kerr/buggs Island
Despite high gasoline prices and a struggling economy the Anglers Choice Marine Tournament Trail is drawing record entries for its tournament series this year.
“Our record for a tournament was 197 entries and we hit 223 boats in our first tournament at Smith Mountain Lake,” said Chris Lucas, Anglers Choice Marine Tournament Trail Tournament Director. “That was a great turnout and I think we have another big turnout coming on Buggs Island April 7.”
Lucas said he was “a little nervous” because of the rising gas prices and the fact that the Carolinas Bass Challenge Trail opened up in nearby North and South Carolina with good sponsorship.
“But we have a great group of core fishermen here in Virginia and our tournaments are always fun for the fishermen and the fish are usually cooperating, too.”
Lucas listed the reasons he thinks the Anglers Choice turnouts are always good and are increasing this year.
“We work hard to make the tournaments as angler-friendly as possible. We have a low entry fee which enables guys to come fish with us. We feed everybody when the tournament is over.”
And the prize money is very good, too, he added.
“I got a little better sponsorship deals lined up this year and we were able to up our payback. In the first tournament five teams won more than $1,000 and we paid 44 places.”
In the Smith Mountain tournament Kenny and Brandon Reynolds finished in first place with 23.31 pounds and took home a check for $3,000. Wayne Burchett and Don Dalton finished second with 20.81 pounds and had the 4.11-pound lunker smallmouth of the day. They took home a total of $4,230.
Lucas said he expects fishing to be good at Kerr this week.
“I saw in one lake report that the water temperature was running 68 to 73 degrees so I am sure there will be some spawning fish, and there will also be some pre-spawn fish so guys will be able to catch them on whatever they want to catch them with. The lake level was at 306 feet, but I expect they will pull water so by the tournament it could be down to 304-305, which means there will be plenty of bushes in the water to fish.”
Because of the anticipated large entry he urged anglers to pre-register for the tournament to help organizers plan for the food and to reduce waiting time the morning of the tournament.
“Pre-registration for the April 7 tournament at Kerr will end on Thursday April 5, at 12 noon. The Best Western will be the host motel in Clarksville. Be sure you tell them that you are fishing the Angler's Choice Trail to receive a special rate. The Lake Motel will do the same,” he said.
He also asked anglers to help make the launch run smoother with the high volume of boats.
“If you are a high number to launch please don’t come to the launch area until an announcement is made at the beginning of each flight. This way you will know what is going on as the tournament begins.”
The Anglers Choice Trail includes a six-qualifier series, capped by a two-day Classic in the fall. Tournaments remaining include : April 7 on Kerr Lake, April 28 on Kerr, May 19 on Smith Mountain, June 16 on Smith Mountain, and July 28 on Kerr Lake. All tournaments will run 7 a.m. to 3 p.m, except the July tournament which will run 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Classic will be held Oct. 13-14 on Smith Mountain Lake.
The entry fee is $100 per tournament per team, plus $20 for the Big Fish Pot per day. The Classic will pay a Lunker Pot for both days, requiring an additional $20 for the Lunker Pot in the championship. The winning team in the Classic will take home a new Ranger Z118 boat, Mercury Opti Max motor and trailer package.
The series is loaded with incentives, Lucas said. The tournaments are Stratos 2X registered (double your money), Ranger Cup registered ($500 Range Cup bonus for first place, doubled to $1,000 if boat purchased at Anglers Choice in Martinsville, Va.), and Triton Gold registered (win an extra $7,000 if qualified).
First place is guaranteed $2,000 if there is a 70-boat field. The Jiffy Automotive Big Fish of the Year Award is $500 and the Jiffy Automotive Points Champions will win $1,250. Also, under the Jiffy Automotive Big Bucks Program, Anglers Choice will hold two random drawings at each tournament for $100 for those who did not place in the money in the tournament, is present for the drawing, and has an Anglers Choice Team Tournament Trail decal displayed on the boat. The award will be doubled for winners fishing out of a boat purchased from Anglers Choice.
In addition, the Sea Tow Bonus $250 Award will be made to any annual active member of Sea Tow who catches the Big Fish at all Smith Mountain and Kerr Lake tournaments. Free Seacare members and complimentary memberships are excluded from the bonus.
Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail
Sat Apr 7, 2012
Kerr / Buggs Island Lake
Occoneechee State Park Ramp #1
Call Chris Lucas 276-358-0844
Cherry Hopes To Parlay Tournament Success Into Elite Invitation In Southern Opens
Hank Cherry, center, has won a lot of tournaments on Norman!
Hank Cherry of Maiden, N.C., hopes to extend his recent tournament success in the Bassmaster Bass Pro Shops Southern Open tournament on Lake Norman next weekend, with the goal of earning a slot in the BASS Elite Series next year.
Cherry finished a respectable 17th in the first Southern Open of the year Jan. 19-21on the Harris Chain of Lakes in Florida and he hopes to improve that position on his home lake in the second Open of the year April 5-7.
Fishing should be very good and he likes his chances, he said.
“Right now about half the bass have spawned and about half are waiting on the next full moon to come up. I think fish will be caught from the bank out to 20 feet deep in the Open, and I think you will be able to catch them just about any way you want to fish,” he said.
“We had such a warm winter the lake never got cold so I really can't tell if one end of the lake will have better fishing than the other. The water temperature is all about 68-69 degrees over the whole lake.”
Cherry said he believes it will take a combination of spotted bass and largemouth bass to win the tournament.
“I would expect to see some big bags come off the beds the first day of the tournament and then I imagine that will all be done,” he said.
Cherry, who had to back off from a heavy tournament schedule because of the bad economy and the arrival of a baby, is forging his way back onto the tournament scene.
“I could not round up enough money to go out and fish on my own and then my wife and I had a baby, but he is bigger now and things are getting more stable so I am trying to get back to where I want to be,” said Cherry who has won more than $134,000 in FLW Outdoors tournaments, including wins in four Walmart BFL events from 2006 through 2009.
Cherry is sponsored by Cashion Rods in Pittsboro, N.C., a company that takes a scientific approach to designing fishing rods, using cutting edge procedures and high performance materials that are typically used in the production of race cars. All Cashion Bass Fishing Rods are designed using Fuji Microguide technology, which increase the physical performance and sensitivity.
Cherry has started strong in local BFL competitions, currently leading the BFL South Carolina Division in points and is fifth in the North Carolina Division standings.
He finished second in the S.C. Division tournament on Lake Murray Feb. 25, with his largest one-day catch in FLW Outdoors competition at 22 pounds, 13 ounces. His limit included his biggest fish in FLW Outdoors competition, a 7-pound, 6-ounce Lake Murray largemouth.
That finish, combined with a sixth place at Lake Wylie March 17 has him in first place in the points for South Carolina and he is not far behind in the North Carolina Division. Cherry finished fifth in the only N.C. Division tournament of the year so far March 3 on Lake Norman and holds down the fifth spot in division standings.
However, Cherry will not be able to defend his spot atop the standings in the South Carolina Division because the next tournament at Santee Cooper conflicts with his plans to fish with his dad in the Oakley Big Bass Challenge on Lake Norman the weekend of April 14.
“My father has a bad back and does not get to fish very much. I am going to fish the Big Bass Challenge with my dad the day of the Santee BFL tournament He wants to go so I am going to take him instead of going to Santee,” said Cherry. “I only have one dad and there are plenty of bass tournaments.”
Although his primary goal is to secure that Elite Series invite, Cherry admits there is another possibility that he also has his eye on at Lake Norman.
“The winner gets an automatic invite to the Bassmaster Classic. Only one person can win and on Lake Norman I think I have as good a shot as anybody this time of year,” he said.
Bassmaster Bass Pro Shops Southern Open #2
Apr 5-7, 2012
Lake Norman
Blythe Landing
It Probably Won't Take A Lunker To Win Grand Prize In Oakley Big Bass Tour On Lake Norman
The Oakley Big Bass Tour is on the fast track for the next couple of weeks, with tournaments at North Carolina's Lake Norman April 14-15 and at Virginia's Smith Mountain Lake April 21-22.
“This is the third year for the Jamie McMurray big Bass Classic on Lake Norman and it will be year two for the Blue Ridge Bass Classic at Smith Mountain Lake, and we have had outstanding registrations so far for both events,” said Mark Jones with the Oakley Big Bass Tour.
And, Jones added, reports he has been getting from both lakes indicate anglers will find good fishing both weekends.
The Oakley Big Bass Tour is the nation’s premier open big bass tournament series designed exclusively for amateur anglers, providing anglers of all skill levels an exciting tournament format and event experience on some of the nation’s best bass fisheries. Established in 2007, the tour is focused on the promotion of bass fishing and bass conservation at the amateur level.
Anglers not eligible to fish the Oakley Big Bass events include those who have guided professionally on the host lake during the 12 months before the tournament, those who have competed professionally in three or more tournaments with an entry fee of $1,000 or more in the preceding 12 months, and those who have career fishing tournament earnings of $250,000 or more.
The 2012 Tour features stops in Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia
“The tournaments are a big bass format,” Jones said, “with seven hourly weigh-ins on Saturday and seven hourly weigh-ions on Sunday.”
On a lake like Lake Norman, Jones noted, it is not always an overly large bass that wins, just the largest every hour, with the overall largest bass of the weekend taking the grand prize, a Nitro Z7 Bass Boat package valued at $28,500. Hourly payouts include : 1st Place, $500; 2nd Place, $400; 3rd Place, $300; 4th Place, $200; and 5th Place, $100.
“Last year at Lake Norman just under a 5-pound fish won the grand prize, so it's anybody's game. It's a pretty cool deal when a 4- to 5-pound fish can win you a boat,” said Jones.
“At Smith Mountain last year just under a 6-pound fish won and we were there in May. Being the third weekend in April for this year's tournament, fishing should probably be a little better, so we expect it to take a little bigger fish.”
Entry fees for the Oakley Big Bass Tour are $100 for one day or $150 for two days. Registration will be held at the Bass Pro Shops at Concord, N.C., from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 12, for the Jamie McMurray event and again at Queen's Landing on Lake Norman from 12 noon to 8 p.m.. Friday, April 13.
“For Smith Mountain we will have a one-day registration on Friday, April 20, from 12 noon to 8 p.m., but anglers are also able to register online for all our events right up to Friday before the tournament,” said Jones.
“And we have a special event lined up for the Jamie McMurray tournament. That Saturday night there will be a free concert at Queens Landing by a country-western group out of South Carolina called The Piedmont Boys. It's free to the public, so anybody who wants to come and enjoy the music is welcome.”
The Lake Norman tournament is named for NASCAR driver Jamie McMurray, whose wins include the 2010 Daytona 500 and 2010 Brickyard 400. McMurray lives near Lake Norman in Mooresville, N.C., and enjoys fishing when he is away from the track.
Oakley Big Bass Tour - Jamie McMurray Big Bass Classic
April 14-15, 2012
Lake Norman
Queen's Landing
Call Mark Jones 214-605-4600
Table Rock FLW Tour Major Day #2
Day 2 on Table Rock was a lot more fun for me. Although I had found some nice fish in clear water, and tried to catch them on Day 1, I decided to stick with the dirty water for the second day. I began by flipping a big Strike King Rage Craw to shallow brush and started catching fish right off the bat. I stuck with that for pretty much the whole day and ended up catching about 10 keepers. The sides of the pockets and the very backs were the best and I also switched to the small Rage Craw once the sun got up. What a difference a day makes as I weighed in over 14 lbs and had one that weighed 6-13. Although I finished way down the list, I do feel like I learned a lot that I'll be able to apply in the future. I'm also really happy for Brent Long to win the tournament. He deserves it, good job Brent!!
Bass Spawning On Lake Murray For Carolinas Bass Challenge Sc Division Tournament
Some fish are spawning on Lake Murray, some are still moving up and some have spawned and are moving out, said Howard Stephens of Columbia who will be fishing the Carolinas Bass Challenge South Carolina Division tournament Saturday.
“We've got them coming and going so it is kind of a potpourri of fishing right now,” said Stephens wo won a fishing forum tournament with his partner, Mark McCormick, last Saturday with 17 pounds, 1 ounce.
“”We caught some off the beds and we were able to catch some shallow on some historical spots. Shallow fishing was pretty sparse, but we were able to catch three nice once, including a couple that were pushing 5 pounds.”
Stephens said the bass have been spawning on Lake Murray for the past 2-2 ½ weeks, a little earlier than normal because of the warmer weather.
Stephens was the all-time leading money winner as a co-angler in Bassmaster competition with $143,128.92 in career winnings until BASS eliminated the co-angler concept in its Elite Series in 2008.
“I did that for about 10 years, traveling with Davy Hite and Kevin VanDam, practicing and rooming with them. It was a great deal, but when they eliminated co-anglers in 2008 I decided to return to my roots and fish locally, mostly here on Lake Murray,” he said.
The South Carolina Division of the Carolinas Bass Challenge is growing quickly like the North Carolina Division, said Brett Collins, tournament director.
“We are already close to 100 teams pre-paid for the Lake Murray tournament and we will reach that number by Saturday. We had 79 at the first South Carolina Division event on the Cooper River,” he said. “I really look for at least 130 teams, but we could hit 150.”
Collins said that if his previous experience on Lake Murray this month is any indication fishing will be excellent Saturday.
“In the two Carolina Anglers Team Trail tournaments we held on Lake Murray in March it took over 29 pounds to win,” he noted.
The Carolinas Bass Challenge is a two-division series promoted by Skeeter Boat dealers Marshall's Marine in Lake City, S.C., Foothills Marine in Morganton, N.C., and Palmetto Marine in Greenville, S.C. The sponsoring boat dealers provide free food for the anglers at the weigh-ins.
The remaining schedules for the two divisions include :
South Carolina Division – March 31, Lake Murray, Dreher Island State Park; April 28, Santee Cooper, John C. Land; May 12, Lake Wateree, Clearwater Cove; June 23, S.C. Divisional Final, Lake Wateree, Clearwater Cove.
North Carolina Division – April 21, Lake Norman, Pinnacle Landing; May 19, Lake Hickory, Whittenburg; June 2, N.C. Divisional Final, High Rock, Tamarac Marina.
The Carolinas Bass Challenge Championship will be held on Kerr Lake October 27, 2012.
The entry fee per tournament is $200 per team and each team member must pay a $35 membership fee. First place in each qualifying tournament is guaranteed $5,000, with $1,000 for big fish. Teams may fish three of four qualifiers in a state division to make the Divisional Final and Championship or they may fish a combination of three qualifiers across divisions and make the Division Final and Championship. The team that wins the points in each state division will win $1,000.
The winning team at both the South Carolina Division Final and the North Carolina Division Final will win a Skeeter TZX190/150 with a Yamaha 150HPDI. The winning team in the Championship on Kerr Lake in October will win a Skeeter ZX200/200 Yamaha SHO.
Carolinas Bass Challenge - South Carolina Division
Sat Mar 31, 2012
Lake Murray
Dreher Island State Park
Call Brett Collins 803-413-7521
www.carolinasbasschallenge.com
Long Holds On to Win FLW Tour Major on Table Rock!
Brent Long of Cornelius, NC won a close one today. It wasn't Table Rock ace Stacey King who put the pressure on Long and his 3-pound lead. It was 2nd-generation tournament pro Spencer Shuffield with a bulging bag of bass that weighed 22 pounds, 13 ounces.
Long brought nearly 20 pounds (19-14) for a 4-day total weight of 78-13 and a 7-ounce margin of victory.
Troy Morrow of Georgia had a great day with 21-13 to tally 70-13 on the week.
Another Georgian, Clint Brownlee, placed 4th with 67-06 after bringing in 18-and-a-half pounds today.
King did not quite fill out a limit today. His 4 fish weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces and he finished the tournament in 5th place.
Table Rock set up in earily similar fashion to last month's major on Lake Hartwell. A wave of spawners had sight fishermen dreaming big. And the Alabama Rig was expected to be a huge factor. The rig, or a version of it, did play a significant role for some, most notably Shuffield, but bedding fish were largely a non-factor for most of the top finishers.
As on Hartwell, per-tournament rain storms brought stained water and shallow-to-mid-depth cranking and flipping opportunities that formed the backbone of most successful game plans.
Long stuck to the dirtiest stretch of water he could find. He got off to a good start, catching a 6-pounder on his 3rd flip of the morning. He noted that, due to droping, clearing water, if the tourney had ended a day later he would be out of luck. But his dirty water flipping pattern held against Shuffield's onslaught.
Shuffield added some bedding bass today but he did much of his damage this week with his Swimming Frenzy - an umbrella rig that he and a friend build in their hometown of Bismarck, Ark.
CBC Lake Murray 2012 RE-CAP with Director Brett Collins
CBC South Carolina Div Director Brett Collins talks about the amazing turnout for his team trail on Lake Murray plus what he thinks many of the anglers did to bring in a whopping 505 fish weighing over 1300 LBS!! The quality was as good as we've seen in years on this lake Sat-
Carolina's Bass Challenge Lake Murray Champions Chris Epting And Johnny Mayer Win $11,000!!
Chris Epting and Johnny Mayer bring in 5 fish weighing 22.78 plus a BF of 8.70 to win the 2nd Qualifying event for the SC Division of the Carolina's Bass Challenge...........they beat out 146 other teams to win on a spectacular day of fishing here on Lake Murray-
Collegiate Champs, Burghoff, O'Donnell Chase the Dream at TBF National Championship
By virtue of being members of The Bass Federation (TBF), the two students qualified for the upcoming TBF Federation National Championship on Bull Shoals Reservoir when they won the Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship on Lake Lewisville in Texas last May. The TBF championship is a no entry fee tournament, presented by the National Guard, with a payout of nearly a quarter of a million dollars in cash and prizes. The Association of Collegiate Anglers (ACA) and TBF have been partners since the formation of the ACA and this opportunity provides one more "carrot" for young anglers looking to make a name for themselves in the sport.
Burghoff and O'Donnell were both TBF members, fishing in local clubs, but their participation in the collegiate ranks gave them a second bite at the apple, so to speak. In fact, Burghoff had planned to try to qualify for the TBF Championship through his bass club, but didn't need to fish the qualifier once he'd made it at Lewisville. Both intend to make a run at fishing professionally after graduation and both say that fishing at the college level helped them in ways that no other circuit could.
"It strengthened my confidence," Burghoff said. "It's a great stepping stone, a very inexpensive way to gain experience. It takes financial risk out of the equation."
"The way I look at it is that it's a tryout for the pros," O'Donnell said. "If you can dominate at this level then you may have what it takes."
The pair spent eight days over the recent spring break not on the Florida beaches or at some Caribbean resort, but rather in northern Arkansas pre-practicing for the tournament. They both declared themselves satisfied with the results and confident in their chances, even though they will likely be competing against anglers many years their senior, and perhaps with decades more experience.
Burghoff, who will fish the tournament as a boater, is keen to win the Living the Dream prize package - a fully-rigged Ranger Boat, Chevrolet truck, and paid entry fees and travel stipends for one year on the FLW Tour. The winner of the event on both the boater and non-boater sides of the equation will also earn an automatic berth into the Forrest Wood Cup, another no entry fee event with a total payout of over two million dollars. There are also slots in the BFL All American tournament at stake, so a strong performance could more than jumpstart a young angler's career.
During practice, O'Donnell, who will fish on the non-boater side of the event, tried to develop techniques that he felt would work for someone in the back of the boat. He encouraged Burghoff to fish aggressively so he "could really judge what (he) would be catching" behind a talented angler. While neither student would disclose how he intends to fish, both stated that they feel comfortable on Bull Shoals. "It's very similar topographically to lakes I fished at home in California like Oroville and Shasta," Burghoff said. "It's a very healthy lake, with a ton of 2- to 3-pound fish."
While the Central Florida anglers will be the first to make it to the TBF Championship this way, ideally they won't be the last. If the winning team of the 2012 BoatU.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing
Championship has both members registered as current TBF members, that team will once again move on to the TBF Federation National Championship as a boater and a non-boater. This year's championship will take place on Lake Pickwick near Florence, Alabama from May 23 through 25.
According to ACA Program Director Danny Blandford, "I think this is one of the most lucrative programs out there for collegiate anglers, and I want to encourage our participants to take the time to understand it and participate. An angler can fish our BoatU.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship for no charge, pick up a $35TBF membership which includes an FLW membership, and become eligible for a life-changing opportunity. Given, the fish have to cooperate, and the anglers have to catch them, but that $35 can be parlayed into chances to compete for over 3.25 million dollars in cash and prizes, national exposure, and a chance to compete as a professional bass fisherman as part of the Living the Dream Package on the FLW Tour. It would be a shame to crown the 2012 BoatU.S. National Champions and have their journey end there on the stage because they didn't take the time join the TBF prior to the event. Although it is a great honor to win our event, and it has launched careers, the more opportunities these students have to compete in these high-caliber events, the more they can get from the overall experience of college bass fishing. With the help of The Bass Federation, we are building a path for young anglers that leads them from high school to the big leagues, and the ACA is proud to be a part of this progression."
2012 Sportsman's Warehouse Report Week 2
Another great product update from Sportsman's Warehouse and Barry Sowers as we hunker down for what's looking like a fantastic Spring season across the region for all bass anglers!!
2012 Cbc Lake Wylie Champions David And Gerald Williams Take Home $10,000!!
When anyone wins $10,000 at a regional Bass Tournament its big news, and the father-son team of Gerald and David Williams did just that with 5 fish for 16.58! The payouts so far in 2012 for the CBC Series have simply been off the charts!
Card Living Proof That Collegiate Bass Fishing Is New Pipeline To Professional Fishing
Elite Series Pro Brandon Card. Photo credit bassmaster.com.
Add professional bass fishing to the education you can get in college these days. Just ask Brandon Card, a rookie in the Elite Series this year who is the first collegiate angler to make it to the top Bassmaster circuit.
“Probably the biggest factor for me as far as learning the tournament fishing scene was college fishing,” said Card, who fished on the University of Kentucky college team during the four years he studied for a degree in landscape architecture. “Fishing for the Kentucky college team was the biggest learning experience for me. I got to travel all over the country and learn new fisheries.”
“Being the first collegiate angler to make it to the Elite Series is kind of neat because college fishing is getting so big,” said Card as he prepared to fish the Elite Series tournament on Lake Okeechobee this week. “There are a lot of good college fishermen out there and in the near future we will see a lot of those college anglers stepping into the pro ranks for sure.”
Card got his love of fishing from his dad who was not a tournament fisherman.
“He just likes to fish for whatever is biting, a recreational angler. But my brother, who is two years older than me, and I both started watching Bassmasters on television at an early age and we got hooked. Every since then I have been trying to get into tournaments,” said the 25-year-old rookie who fished in his first tournament at the age of 14.
Card said he is able to fish the pro circuit because he started a landscaping business in 2009 after graduating from college.
“I've been doing that the last couple of years. It is really the only I can afford to do what I am doing right now, on the money I have made the last couple of years.”
He just left the Elite Series Johns River Showdown where he finished 14th, weighing in three limits for a total of 38 pounds, 6 ounces, and winning $10,000. He has notched five top 10 finishes in B.A.S.S. Tournaments, winning $37,945 along the way. His top 10s include : 2011 Bass Pro Shops Southern Open No. 1 on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, 9th; 2011 Bass Pro Shops Southern Open No. 2 on Lake Norman, 4th; Bassmaster Series, St. Lawrence River, April 2005, 7th; and Bassmaster Series on Cherokee Lake, September 2005, 7th. He finished second in the Angler of the Year standings and received an invitation to compete in the 2012 Bassmaster Elites Series
He also has a record of top 10 finishes in Walmart BFL tournaments in Kentucky and Tennessee: 4th, 2009 BFL Volunteer 5 on Lake Cherokee at Morristown, Tenn.; 5th, 2009 BFL Mountain 4 on Lake Cherokee at Morristown, Tenn.; 9th, 2009 BFL Mountain 9, Lake Cumberland at Monticello, Ky.; and 2nd, 2010 BFL Mountain 2 on Laurel Lake at London, Ky.
In June 2007, Card won the Ultimate Match Fishing College Edition tournament on Oneida Lake, NY. Through that championship win, Brandon gained national exposure as he was featured in five episodes that aired on the Outdoor Channel. That win also gave him the confidence to pursue bass fishing as a career.
Shortly following graduation, he qualified and competed in the 2009 BASS Federation Nation Championship. The very next season, he won the 2010 BASS Federation Southern Divisional which re-qualified him to fish the BASS Federation Nation Championship for the second consecutive season.
As for the Okeechobee tournament, Card said he expects most of the success will come in punching the mats and flipping and on topwater.
“I've fished Okeechobee before but I've never been down there this time of year. I was mostly sight fishing on the St. John's River, but I don't think sight fishing will play a role on Okeechobee. The bass there start spawning in November and December. There was hardly any spawning even in the FLW Tour tournament there a month ago,” he said.
“There should be a pretty strong topwater bite, whether on a Buzz Toad, a Speed Worm or a Devil's Horse. My sponsor is Jethro Baits, so I will probably be using the Willie Frog.”
As vast as Okeechobee is, Card believes it will fish small.
“I think there are going to be a lot of people crowded into a few small areas, which will be interesting. As big as that lake is, it just fishes awfully small. But, if somebody can find something off the wall, some area nobody knows about, that is probably who will win the tournament.
Whatever he fishes with and whether he finds that secret honey hole, you can bet Card is enjoying himself this week.
“I'm enjoying my first year on the Elite Series. It's going pretty good so far and I am fishing my dream.”
Bassmaster Elite Series
Mar 22-25, 2012
Lake Okeechobee
Scott Driver Recreation Area
Ware Specializes In Salt Water, But Don't Count Him Out When It Comes To Largemouth Bass
Kent Ware of Wadmalaw Island, SC. Photo courtesy FLW Outdoors.
Kent Ware's professional expertise is in saltwater game fish, but his passion is in freshwater – as in tournament bass fishing.
He has taken time off from his day job this week to fish the FLW EverStart Series Southeast Division tournament on Lake Seminole, returning to the EverStart Series after a layoff of a couple of years. Upon his return to EverStart in January, Ware finished sixth in the tournament at Lake Okeechobee to open the season.
Ware, of Wadmalaw island, S.C., began practicing in Seminole over the weekend, a little while after arriving Saturday and a good bit on Sunday.
“It's going to be an interesting tournament,” he said. “The fish have been bedding for about six weeks and the ones left up are pretty ragged out. They've already expended a lot of energy laying eggs and the water is pretty warm, so a lot of fish are moving back to the river channel.”
And, he said, they have been hammered, too.
“There have been a lot of tournaments here on Seminole lately and a lot of the shallow fish have been beat up pretty bad,” he said.
“I've caught a few fish each day, but nothing big. I have not seen any big fish at all. Most are 2 to 3 pounds, nice tournament fish. I would be more comfortable if I could find some post spawn fish. Most of the fish I am seeing up on the beds are males,” he said. “But, we've got a new moon coming so that may change things.”
Ware last fished the EverStart Series in 2009, taking time off from the travel to work at his job with the U.S. Fish Hatchery at Bears Bluff, S.C, and concentrate on fishing the Fishers of Men tournament series with his wife and daughter.
“I have a real job so I had to back off the BFLs. My wife and I are pretty active in the Fishers of Men trail and I fish some tournaments with my daughter,” Ware said. “My wife and I fished the Fishers of Men nationals at Guntersville last year and did pretty well and my daughter Emily and I fished the Fishers of Men Santee Legacy tournament last weekend and came in second.” Ware and his wife Shannon finished second in that FOM National Championship at Guntersville.
Ware works with redfish, sturgeon, cobia and American shad at the hatchery at Bears Bluff.
“We've been raising redfish and stocking them around Wadmalaw Island, a half a million a year out of the hatchery, in partnership with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. They provide the brood stock,” he said. “We keep a real close eye on genetics so we make sure we are putting fish back that are comparable with the wild fish. Then we go back a year later and do sampling to determine what kind of contribution we are making.”
While he has had to draw back from major tournament fishing during the downturn in the economy, Ware has kept his bass fishing instincts honed in Fishers of Men and other local and regional tournaments and his showing in January on Okeechobee is proof he could make some noise on the EverStart circuit this year.
FLW EverStart Series – Southeast Division
Mar 22-24, 2012
Lake Seminole
Bainbridge Boat Basin
On-water Footage from Bassmaster Elite Series Tourney on St Johns River!
Sights, sounds, and scenery from the St Johns River! Plus, catch a couple of tips on sight fishing by watching J Todd Tucker work.
Final Day Weigh In Footage from Elite Series Event on St Johns River!
Alton Jones wins his first Elite Series tournament! Todd Faircloth and Keith Combs bring big sacks. Greg Hackney tells how he fished the river and Combs talks about his long trip to Jurasic Park!
Elite Series Rookie Card Makes Debut Tomorrow with Pinnacle Reels!
From the 2012 Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo Brandon Card tells about his favorite Pinnacle spinning reels. They'll be on his boat as he blasts off for the first time in Elite Series competition on the St Johns River!
Population Decline In Quality Bass Makes Bama Bfl On Lake Eufaula 'anybody's Game'
Ryan Ingram of Phenix City, Ala. Photo courtesy FLW Outdoors.
Ryan Ingram of Phenix City, Ala., has an enviable record in Walmart Bass Fishing League tournaments on Lake Eufaula, but he says the playing field is about as level as it could be for Saturday's Bama Division BFL tournament Saturday.
“Fishing on Lake Eufaula got in such bad shape last year it's anybody's game now,” said Ingram who has 11 top 10 finishes, including three wins, in BFL and EverStart tournaments on Lake Eufaula in the past decade.
The problem is a decline in the population of quality bass, he said, an assertion backed up by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources which has acknowledged a problem with the largemouth bass fishery in the lake.
A report released by the agency cited electro-fishing samples taken in 2011 which indicated a change in the largemouth population. Bass from 13 to 16 inches long were relatively abundant, but larger bass were fewer in number than in recent years.
The report said 461 largemouth bass were weighed and measured during the spring sample. The largest bass was six pounds, and only 38 bass (8%) were over 3 pounds. Most of the bass less than 3 pounds were in relatively plump condition, but the larger fish were mostly skinny.
Fall sampling indicated that bass below 3 pounds were still very abundant along shoreline structure, but bigger bass were still skinny and scarce. The report said much of the change could be attributed to the persistent drought south Alabama experienced in 2011.
Biologists cited several other factors for the decline in larger bass: the dramatic reduction in aquatic plants such as hydrilla which caused the bass to move to deeper structure and shift from foraging on sunfish species such as bluegills to shad, and even the catch and release ethic of tournament anglers which causes overcrowding.
“Like the housing industry bass fishing skyrocketed from 2005 to 2010 and then it crashed,” Ingram said. “It took from an 18-pound average up to a 25-pound average to win a tournament. It went from taking 25 to 27 pounds to win a BFL in July 2010 to January 2011 when it only took 11 pounds to win. I don't really know what happened, but I know something bad happened to the bass.”
As a result, he said, he has not had the kind of success recently that he has enjoyed in previous years.
“I have probably caught 600 to 700 fish since I started back fishing this year. I have not caught a 5-pound fish all year and I generally have a 4.5-pound average. The biggest fish I've caught all year was last weekend and it weighed 4.44 pounds. There are just not very many big ones in there but there are a lot of 2 1/2-pound fish.”
Ingram said the majority of the bass in Eufaula are on the beds right now.
“I am not a big bed fisherman. Usually there are also fish out deep when some fish are bedding. As soon as those fish spawn another wave will come in and the bedding fish will move out and you can catch them deep,” he said.
“But this year it looks like all the fish are on the bank and there is no wave of fish behind them. There was a tournament down there Saturday and the boy who won it had 21 pounds and some change. He caught one fish off the bed that weighed 9 pounds, 2 ounces, and he did not have but 21 pounds total. You take that 9-pounder off and put a regular fish back on his stringer and he would only have 13 to 14 pounds.”
The only way to win now, he said, is to try to catch one, maybe two bedding fish and then get in the grass and throw a swim bait or go upriver and throw a Chatterbait to try to catch a bunch of fish.
“I will probably try to find one bedding fish and then sit out there with a small crankbait and a big spinnerbait fishing 4 to 5 feet deep and try to catch a limit to go with it. You just have to get lucky,” he said.
Walmart BFL - Bama Division
Sat, Mar 17, 2012
Lake Eufaula
Lake Point State Park
Jensen Hoping To Get On Right Fish Early In Saturday's Sc Bfl On Lake Wylie
Jeremiah Jensen of Columbia, S.C. Photo courtesy FLW Outdoors.
Jeremiah Jensen of Columbia, S.C., says he almost always has good practices on Lake Wylie, but then something changes on the day of the tournament and he doesn't get it figured out until it's too late. He hopes to change that pattern Saturday.
“Last year they bass were almost all in pre-spawn going into the South Carolina BFL tournament up there. We were having a cold winter, but the day of the tournament it was 80 degrees and super warm,” said Jensen who managed to catch only three keepers for the day and finished well down in the standings.
“But at the end of the day I pulled into a pocket and found fish paired in beds all over that pocket. I only had 20 minutes left to fish, but if I had got in there earlier I could have got a big sack of fish. In this game you live and learn.”
The situation is completely different heading into the tournament this Saturday, Jensen said.
“I have not been up there yet, but I plan on going a couple of days this week. I have been keeping an eye on local tournaments up there, watching fishing reports and so forth and the way it looks this week is that the temperature will be close to 80, if not 80 degrees. If there is not a pretty big wave of fish on the beds, I will be surprised. I think there will be a pretty good mix of pre-spawn and spawn fish this weekend.”
Jensen would love to build on the momentum from his fourth place finish in the S.C. BFL at Lake Murray three weeks ago. He weighed in a limit at 22 pounds, 11 ounces and won $1,076. His best finish in the South Carolina Division as a boater was in 2010 when he ranked 12th with two top 10 finishes – a second place at Lake Murray in February and fifth at Lake Wateree in May. His best finish at Lake Wylie was a fourth place in September 2005.
“Two years ago was a really good year,” said Jensen. “Last year I had some good tournaments, but just not good enough. I even had 20 pounds at Santee Cooper, but it was not enough to get a check.”
Jensen, who has a degree in natural resources management, works with a Columbia landscape service to have the flexibility to take the time needed for tournaments and practicing for tournaments. He noted that his fishing time was limited last year when he and his wife celebrated the arrival of a new baby.
He has had excellent success so far in tournaments this year, including the Lake Murray BFL, but admits it is time to elevate his game in other venues.
“All the tournaments I have fished so far have been on lake Murray. I've had a couple of top fives in Carolina Anglers Team Tournaments and a top five in the BFL, so I have been doing pretty well. But now I have to translate that to other lakes.”
That opportunity comes Saturday on Lake Wylie and he believes he has a very good shot at doing well there.
“Going from pre-spawn to spawn could push things up quite a bit,” he said. “The question will be if the big females are still on the beds. There was a big moon this week so I know plenty of males are on the beds, but some of the females may have already pulled off.”
That means, he noted, that there may also be some post spawn females to target.
“I will be looking for sure. I am a pretty good topwater fisherman and I feel like topwater will come into play this weekend. I think I am pretty good at sight fishing, too, so I hope there will be at least a few females on the beds,” he said.
“You can't plan the whole tournament on that unless it hits the moon just right and I think we are in between right now. With warm, favorable weather all week I look for fishing to be really good, at least numbers-wise.”
Walmart BFL - South Carolina Division
Sat, Mar 17, 2012
Lake Wylie
Buster Boyd Access Area
Hengst on Strike King Game Hawg from 2012 Bassmaster Classic!
Strike King pro-staffer Debra Hengst endured the glacial pace of action in the Bassmaster Central Open on Lake Lewisville in Texas. From the floor of the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo in Shreveport, LA she shares how she used a Strike King Game Hawg to put the hurt on a few bass, and a lot of other anglers, as she cashed-in under ultra-tough conditions.
2012 Sportsman's Warehouse Report Week 1
We kick off what promises to be a fantastic 2012 fishing season from SPORTSMAN'S WAREHOUSE in Columbia, SC with Barry Sowers-we look at what will obviously be a very early spawn and some of the key baits you must have ready to land that KICKER! You can shop 24/7 at www.sportsmanswarehouse.com !
Lake Hartwell 2012 Event #1
Well, the 2012 FLW Tour Lake Hartwell event is over and Brent Ehler is your champion. Congrats to him and I can't wait to learn the ways he caught them. Here is a little about how the event went for me. The first day of practice may have been the windiest day I've ever fished. Easily 30 mph + with gusts well over that. That day, I tried to fish down the lake in the clearer water but couldn't do it very well, so I ran up to Little Beaverdam Creek and fished in there pretty much all day. I caught one really nice fish on a chatterbait in there, but the water was really muddy. One thing I noticed was that the water in the backs of the creeks was extremely muddy and colder than other parts of the creeks. The water temps in the very back would be 48-50 and mid way back it would be 56-57. That night, I decided to look more at the mid-creek zones to see what I could find. Day 2 of practice was again really windy and I fished up the Seneca river a good bit. I found a lot of fish in pockets, but they were mainly small, up to 2 pounds. There is brush in the back of every pocket and some of them had fish. I used the side imaging to look for brush and to find stuff on points to fish. Both techniques worked well and we caught several fish with jigs (Buckeye Football Mop Jig PB&J) and crankbaits (DD22, Shad). The crankbait fish were 2 pounds and I also caught a 4 pounder on the jig. Day 3 of practice, I fished in 6 & 20 and really liked the way this creek set up. I started fishing deeper, like I figured out on day 2 and started catching fish pretty quick. By the end of the day, I had about 5 spots were we caught good fish in the 25-30 foot range and also a few docks were we got bites on a tube. Again, the jig and the crankbait were working well and would be my plan for the tournament. FLW has an off day on Wednesday and it is a great day to rest up and prepare tackle. This off day saw temps rise to over 70 degrees, I was afraid that some, or all of the fish I found would move shallow for the event...turns out I was right. I had my typical late boat draw for the event #134 and I skipped one spot I had close to the ramp for that reason. I decided to start on the docks were I'd found some fish in practice. I didn't have any bites on the docks, but the fish were schooling in the back of the cove. I tied on a topwater and had 4 bites and missed them all!! That really shook me up and I left out of there with no fish. I drove to one of my deep spots and caught a 2 lber pretty quick, then I proceeded to miss a couple more. The rocks were so rough that my 15lb line would get frayed and then break when I set the hook. I began seeing visions of a disaster and decided to take a short break and collect my thoughts. I needed to right the ship pretty quickly. After the break, I decided to tie on a 1/2 oz. jig instead of a 3/4 oz. to keep it from getting hung in the rocks so much. The plan worked great and I ended up catching 10-7 lbs and was in 77th place. I was very unhappy with the day 1 finish because I knew that I had missed a chance to have more. You just can't slip in this game. On day 2 of the event, not only did I stick with the 1/2 oz. Buckeye Jig, but I switched to 20 lb. line as well. Missing fish didn't happen and I had about 10 lbs in the livewell by 12:00. Last year, my downfall was day 2 of these events. I would use up all my spots and have a lower weight on day 2 that would sink me in the standings. This time, I saved 3 places up the Seneca. At around 12 or 1 on day two, I ran up to these spots and caught 2 nice fish that helped me cull up to 11-12 lbs. After it was all said and done, I finished 68th and received a small check for my effort.
I guess to sum it all up, I still have a lot to learn to catch up to Mr. Ehler and the likes, but I made changes that helped me a lot since last year and I feel very good about my chances in the upcoming events. I just can't thank all of my sponsors enough, escpecially Sportsman's Warehouse. Please check them out at Sportsmanswarehouse.com and also check out my other sponsors by linking from my website, dearalrodgers.com. If they are on my web page, they are good folks. Take care and good fishin'!
Tackle Notes
Jig Gear
3/4 & 1/2 oz. Buckeye Football Mop Jig (PB&J)
Zoom Twin Tail Fat Albert (green pumpkin)
Revo STX Baitcaster Reel
RPM Custom 7'6" Flippin'/Pitchin' Special (use code DRSC for a 30% discount at rpmcustomrods.com)
15-20lb P-Line Flourocarbon
Crankbait Gear
Norman DD22 (Shad)
Revo Winch Baitcaster
RPM Custom 7'11" Crankin' Rod (Medium action)
12lb P-line Flourocarbon
Dearal Rodgers
http://www.dearalrodgers.com
Flw And Sportsman's Warehouse Tour Pro Dearal Rodgers Re-Cap Of Lake Hartwell!
We grab FLW and Sportsman's Warehouse Tour Pro Dearal Rodgers after his 1st Tour event of the year at Hartwell and although he didn't come away with a Top 5 finish, he'll take the check and move on to Table Rock in 2 weeks!
Gerry Benedicto and JP Talk Seaguar at Classic Expo 2012!
Gerry Benedicto and JP Prouty talk about the advantages of Seaguar Senshi mono and Kanzen braid, along with the outstanding performance of their fluorocarbon lines, including Tatsu (but you already knew about those, right?). From the floor of the big 2012 Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo!
Morehead Maintains Lead; Auten, Stone, Gagliardi Make Big Moves at FLW Major on Hartwell!
Micah Frazier also stayed up in the standings with a total of 36-05 which put him in 3rd place jsut an ounce behind Ehrler.
Marty Stone was the big mover today. In his second tournament since un-retiring Stone rocketed from back in the pack to the top 5 with the day's lone 20-plus sack - on the pro side. Co-angler David Lauer roped 20 pounds-even from the back deck to take the co-angler lead.
Stone is currently 5th, a pound and 6 ounces behind Todd Auten who made a move of his own from 14th into 4th. Auten followed his day 1 weight of 17-04 with 18-01 for a 35-05 two-day total.
Local pro Anthony Gagliardi bashed a good bag and jumped into the cut. He's around quality fish that have been biting early for him. He's hoping that holds up tomorrow. If so, he may improve on his 6th place standing.
Morehead noted that he only got 9 bites today, far fewer than on Thursday. A late addition to his livewell allowed him to cull a small fish and bring 16-01 to retake his lead halfway through the weigh in.
Former FLW Co-Angler of the Year and Forrest Wood Cup Co-Angler Champion Dearal Rodgers of Camden, SC moved to the front of the boat last year. On Hartwell this week Rodgers was the picture of consistency. He just needed a bigger per-fish average. He had over 10 pounds on day 1 and better than 11 pounds on day 2. With a total of 22-03 Rodgers cashed a check. Look for him at the Outdoors Expo in Greenville tomorrow!
Rodgers reminds us that Sportsman's Warehouse has helped make his fishing dreams come true. "Y'all go buy some guns and gear from them," he encouraged.
THe 2011 FLW Hartwell champion, Jason Christie caught the big bass of the day on the pro side. The 7-pounder ran his weight to 16-01. Along with 12-14 from day1 his total stood at 28-15 - good enough to put him on the bubble in 20th with only a handful of competitors left to weigh. His total did not hold up against the competition. He will cash a check and join fishing fans at the big Outdoors Expo in Greenville on Saturday.
The water is down 5 or 6 feet from where it was when Christie won last year.
