Vicious Fans Can Now 'Drive' Their Favorite Brand
Today we learned of the new license agreement between Vicous and Hatchie Bottom Outdoor Products whereby fans will be able to get Vicious-branded floor mats, steering wheel covers and more. These products also will be on display in Las Vegas as AnglersChannel.com brings you the latest and greatest from ICAST 2013! Following is the official press release from Vicious Fishing:
PELL CITY, AL – Vicious Fishing has announced that Hatchie Bottom Outdoor Products, of Huntingdon, TN, has joined the list of licensees marketing products under its brand name. The company currently markets licensed auto, ATV and UTV products for popular outdoor brands such as Mossy Oak® and Realtree®.
Under the multi-year agreement, Hatchie Bottom will produce a full line of Vicious branded accessories including seat covers, floor mats, steering wheel covers, visor organizers, windshield sun shades and hitch covers. The full line of products will be on display in the Vicious Booth at ICAST in Las Vegas.
“When it comes to automobiles, people like to showcase the brands they love through their accessories. Vicious is one of those brands. The Vicious fan is a fanatic for anything Vicious and we look forward to filling this void for these avid consumers,” stated Chris Pickens, Hatchie Bottom National Sales Manager.
“With the long standing quality and overall national distribution that Hatchie Bottom brings to this relationship, we know that Vicious fans everywhere are going to get great products that further their ability to engage with our brand. We look forward to growing this line of products and the added exposure it will bring to Vicious” added Glen Cunningham, Vicious Sales & Licensing Director.
About Vicious Fishing
By offering premium fishing line, apparel and other angling products at an exceptional value,
Vicious Fishing was inspired by the everyday angler. Today's angler deserves quality, durability
and reliability in their gear and Vicious delivers all of that with attitude. Vicious Fishing headquarters are located in Pell City, AL. For more information regarding Vicious Fishing and its family of products, visit Vicious-Fishing.com or call 866-645-0024.
About Hatchie Bottom Outdoor Products
Hatchie Bottom Outdoor Products has been producing automotive accessories for over 15 years in Huntingdon, TN. They are a domestic manufacturer with the owners and the employees pledging to work together to provide top-quality products and service to its customers nationwide. The common thread that embodies their manufacturing philosophy has been and continues to be that they will only produce the highest quality products and always provide the best value, never just the best price. For more information on Hatchie Bottom Outdoor Products or how you can become a Vicious Auto Accessory dealer, visit HatchieBottom.com or call 800-335-6878.
Vicious to Unveil New Line at ICAST
Vicious Fishing is excited to announce the launch of two new Vicious Fishing line products, Vicious Fishing Mono Leader and Vicious Fishing X-A.C.T. Copolymer at the upcoming ICAST show in Las Vegas.
Vicious Fishing X-A.C.T. is the latest addition to the Vicious Fishing premium line-up and was developed with the hardcore weekend angler in mind. Representing the next generation of Vicious Advanced Copolymer Technology, X-A.C.T. is made in the U.S.A. and pro-engineered to meet the needs of today’s tournament angler. Maintaining the high tensile strength and superior castability our copolymer is known for, this line also features a double coating to ensure abrasion resistance and delivers one of the lowest stretches on the market, making it the “X-ACT” combination of strength, sensitivity and handling needed by the serious angler. The line will be available in 10-50lb test, clear only, and is sold in 100 yard, 330 yard, 1/4lb, 1lb and 2lb spools. The product MSRP is $4.99 and up.
The new Vicious Salt Mono Leader will be manufactured from 15lb test up to 400lb test and in clear only. The new line utilizes the Vicious Advanced Copolymer Technology (A.C.T.) which increases abrasion resistance and overall knot strength. Having such a large range in test options allows the product to be used both in-shore and off-shore. The product is currently being sold in 50 yard spools and retails for $2.99 and up.
“Our pro staff and tournament team guys have been asking us to come out with a premium copolymer for several years,” stated Jeff Martin, Vicious Fishing President. “So, we are excited to be delivering another tournament-grade product to our line offering and feel like the weekend anglers are going to love what they feel.”
Look for coverage of these NEW Vicious lines and many other products on AnglersChannel.com as we explore ICAST 2013 from Las Vegas, NV in a couple of weeks!
Biffle Bests Elite Series Field For 7Th B.a.s.s. Victory, Joins Two-Million Dollar Club!
Tommy Biffle endured a slow start as he attempted to build on his 47 pound, 5 ounce total weight this morning. In fact, he admitted to “fishing for 2nd place” most of the afternoon. Then, with less than an hour left to fish he got on a roll with his namesake Biffle Bug and Hard Head combo. When he hit the stage before a big crowd in Lacrosse, WI Biffle weighed 16-13 to take the lead with one angler left to weigh-in.
Needing 16-7 for the win, Aaron Martens put 13-15 on the scale. He landed in 2nd place for the 2nd year in a row at the Bassmaster Elite Series Mississippi River Rumble.
“I don’t usually say anything, but I felt confident,” said Biffle of his fishing day. And regarding his late day decision, “I made a move, pulled up on a place and it was every throw.”
His magic spot was at the end of an island where current had carved a shallow channel through an even shallower point. The ditch, which bottomed out at a maximum of 4 feet, held fish that watched for food rolling in over the 2-foot-deep ledge. And it held lots of fish - smallmouth bass, to be precise.
Biffle pitched his bug upstream and let the fish “come get it”.
How did he find the winning location? “I fished for largemouth that first day of practice. It was a pretty sorry day. I went to flip some willows but they were too shallow so I just floated off, flipped the bug out on the point and caught a smallmouth and a little light bulb went off.” He knew then that he had found has pattern for the week. “I really would’ve thought I’d have caught largemouth but all I found was smallmouth.”
He felt all along that the ditch was loaded with fish but he managed them carefully anyway, pulling 2 or 3 kickers from it each day to boost his weight. Then today he hammered it. But, as noted above, timing was critical.
With the win Biffle has passed the $2,000,000 mark in terms of career tournament winnings. “I just wish I had it,” chuckled Biffle in regards to the money. He has 7 career B.A.S.S. wins now and has no intentions to retire any time soon.
photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
| PLACE | NAME | DAY 1 | DAY 2 | DAY 3 | DAY 4 | TOTAL FISH | TOTAL WEIGHT | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FISH | WEIGHT | FISH | WEIGHT | FISH | WEIGHT | FISH | WEIGHT | ||||
| 1 | Tommy Biffle | 5 | 14- 0 | 5 | 16- 0 | 5 | 17- 5 | 5 | 16-13 | 20 | 64- 2 |
| 2 | Aaron Martens | 5 | 14- 4 | 5 | 17- 3 | 5 | 16- 5 | 5 | 13-15 | 20 | 61-11 |
| 3 | John Crews | 5 | 15- 7 | 5 | 13- 1 | 5 | 14- 6 | 5 | 16- 6 | 20 | 59- 4 |
| 4 | Fred Roumbanis | 5 | 14- 4 | 5 | 13- 6 | 5 | 13-15 | 5 | 14-15 | 20 | 56- 8 |
| 5 | Brandon Card | 5 | 14- 9 | 5 | 13- 9 | 5 | 14- 6 | 5 | 13-10 | 20 | 56- 2 |
| 6 | Todd Faircloth | 5 | 14- 5 | 5 | 13-15 | 5 | 12-14 | 5 | 14-13 | 20 | 55-15 |
| 7 | Bobby Lane | 5 | 14- 5 | 5 | 11- 9 | 5 | 15- 4 | 5 | 14-11 | 20 | 55-13 |
| 8 | Cliff Pirch | 5 | 14-11 | 5 | 11-12 | 5 | 14-11 | 5 | 14- 9 | 20 | 55-11 |
| 9 | Takahiro Omori | 5 | 14- 3 | 5 | 12- 9 | 5 | 14-12 | 5 | 13-15 | 20 | 55- 7 |
| 10 | Randy Howell | 5 | 13-14 | 5 | 13- 8 | 5 | 13- 8 | 5 | 12- 7 | 20 | 53- 5 |
| 11 | Edwin Evers | 5 | 13- 5 | 5 | 12- 6 | 5 | 15- 3 | 5 | 10-10 | 20 | 51- 8 |
| 12 | Cliff Crochet | 5 | 13-12 | 5 | 13- 0 | 5 | 14- 2 | 5 | 10- 6 | 20 | 51- 4 |
Schmitt Wins Everstart Series Northern Division On Potomac River
Martens Leads Elite Series Mississippi River Rumble, Biffle Poses Threat
The Bassmaster Elite Series Mississippi River Rumble resumed for the 3rd of 4 competition days and it did so without the man who led the tournament when the scales had closed on Day 2.
A protest was filed late Friday that said, while competing on Day 2, Brandon Palaniuk inadvertently culled a fish in Minnesota waters where culling is not allowed by state law. His 2nd round weight was disqualified and he failed to make the 50 cut, failed to cut a paycheck and now needs to regain his head of steam and win one of the remaining Elite Series events if he is to fish his 4th consecutive Bassmaster Classic.
Tommy Biffle (47-5 total weight) took a temporary lead early in the weigh in show. The he really served notice of his intent, and perhaps ability, to win. “I’ve got a spot I’ve been saving. I’ll just go there and catch one or two each day. I think it’s absolutely loaded.”
Biffle threatens Martens' lead. Photo credit B.A.S.S./Seigo Saito
If it is ‘absolutely loaded’ and Biffle pounds on the spot tomorrow maybe he can retake that short-lived lead from Aaron Martens who weighed more than 16 pounds today to claim the top spot with a total of 47-12 before weigh in concluded.
Martens finished 2nd in Lacrosse, WI last year. “Can’t happen two years in a row, can it?” asked A-Mart.
Maybe not. Martens certainly has some momentum going. He not only wrestled the outright lead from Biffle (who sacked 20 pounds today) but also took big bass honors from Biffle (who had a 4-4) with a 4 pound, 15 ounce fish.
John Crews is 3rd and he lags Biffle by nearly 4-and-a-half pounds so this is shaping up to be a two-man race in a fishery where a guy can get 100 bites a day but maybe none will top the 5-pound mark.
The Top 12 looks like this:
1 Aaron Martens 5 14- 4 5 17- 3 5 16- 5 15 47-12
2 Tommy Biffle 5 14- 0 5 16- 0 5 17- 5 15 47- 5
3 John Crews 5 15- 7 5 13- 1 5 14- 6 15 42-14
4 Brandon Card 5 14- 9 5 13- 9 5 14- 6 15 42- 8
5 Fred Roumbanis 5 14- 4 5 13- 6 5 13-15 15 41- 9
6 Takahiro Omori 5 14- 3 5 12- 9 5 14-12 15 41- 8
7 Bobby Lane 5 14- 5 5 11- 9 5 15- 4 15 41- 2
8 Cliff Pirch 5 14-11 5 11-12 5 14-11 15 41- 2
9 Todd Faircloth 5 14- 5 5 13-15 5 12-14 15 41- 2
10 Edwin Evers 5 13- 5 5 12- 6 5 15- 3 15 40-14
11 Cliff Crochet 5 13-12 5 13- 0 5 14- 2 15 40-14
12 Randy Howell 5 13-14 5 13- 8 5 13- 8 15 40-14
Greg Vinson continues to have a solid season. He nearly made the 12 cut but ended up being the first man out with a total weight of 40-12.
A majority of the bass are being caught on frogs and swimjigs in shallow water on the bank side of grass beds that are clearing sediment from otherwise muddy waters. Bass are holed up in small stretches and many pros camped in a favorite area for nearly all of their weight over three days.
Shippensburg University Wins Flw College Fishing Northern Conference Event On Potomac River
Leader Palaniuk DQ'd form Elite Series River Rumble
Brandon Palaniuk had amassed a big lead in the Mississippi River Rumble. The someone filed a written protest stating that Palaniuk had culled while in Minnesota waters. His Day 2 weight was disqualified, he fell out of the top 50, will not collect a paycheck this week and his chances for qualifying to fish the Classic just got real slim.
A B.A.S.S. press release states:
“We discussed the protest with Brandon Palaniuk, and we determined that he did in fact cull from a five-fish limit while he was in Minnesota,” said Chris Bowes, B.A.S.S. senior tournament manager. “We recognize that he did not realize he was in Minnesota waters, and his error was completely inadvertent. In dealing with a river system like the Mississippi and its numerous channels, it’s easy to become confused about the state lines on the water.”
Palaniuk gave this statement: “I had no idea today that I ever broke a rule. I signed off on the rule sheet. One hundred percent in my mind, I believed that south of the I-90 bridge, the main river channel was the state boundary between Minnesota and Wisconsin, until we went south of the takeoff and went into the West Channel. I knew one of my areas was in Minnesota and I could not go back to that when I caught five.
“I made one cull today — just one — in Minnesota, in an area that I believed was in Wisconsin. It was only in Minnesota waters by less than 100 yards. I had 18 1/2 pounds before I made that one cull that just cost me, possibly, $100 grand and a Classic berth,” Palaniuk said.
Palaniuk Leads as Elite Series River Rumble Heads Into the Weekend
battles bass and weather. photo by James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.
Brandon Palaniuk is a homerun hitter. Like most power hitters, he either gets ‘all of the ball’ or strikes out. He came to the Bassmaster Elite Series Mississippi River Rumble needing, desperately, to hit a homerun if he hoped to fish his 4th consecutive Bassmaster Classic.
At the midway point in the event Palaniuk leads with a two-day total weight of 37 pounds, 7 ounces. In typical fashion, Palaniuk has not only claimed a lead, but has opened a wide gap (6 full pounds) between himself and his nearest competition, Aaron Martens. Much of that gap came in the form of today’s largest lunker which weighed 5 pounds, 9 ounces.
When he is on, Palaniuk is on.
And this week the 25-year-old is catching smallmouth, a species he is used to seeing in his native Idaho. Brownies didn’t figure into successful game plans when the Elites visited La Crosse, WI last summer but this year the water is clear and cool and the grass is sparse compared to the mats that provided a froggin’/flippin’ festival last year.
There must be at least a few flippin’ fish around though, as Tommy Biffle is 3rd with 30 pounds - just 7 ounces behind Martens.
John Crews is 4th with 28-8 and Todd Faircloth 5th with 28-4.
Most pros saw their weights dip a little today. It took 23-5 to make the top 50 and collect a $10,000. Bill Lowen had 23-5 but was the first man out of the cut due to tiebreaker rules. Stephen Browning has the honors of launching tomorrow in the 50th spot.
Weather played a role this morning. Winds of up to 40 mph and sideways rain delayed the launch until about 8 A.M. Conditions improved a couple of hours later but contestants still got wet, And boat rides were ‘sporty’ according to the pros.
Dean Rojas rides the waves. Photo by Darren Jacobson/B.A.S.S.
Sportsman's Warehouse Late June report plus SNAG PROOF OPEN Preview on Cherokee Lake
Carolina's Bass Challenge Director Brett Collins joins us to talk about the tremendous year they have had at CBC, plus a preveiew of the 1st Snag Proof Open of the year coming up in 9 days on Cherokee Lake in TN!!
Everything Snag Proof Will Be Allowed In 1St Annual Tennessee Snag Proof Open On Cherokee Lake
Snag Proof Pro Karl Kalonka
Snag Proof is no longer just a plastic frog lure maker. The company's product line now includes about two dozen kinds of weedless lures, ranging from soft plastics to hard baits, and anglers will be able to fish with the complete product line in the first annual Tennessee Snag Proof Open the last weekend in June on Cherokee lake.
“They can use Snag Proof jigs, swimbaits, crankbaits, worms, frogs, the whole deal,” said tournament director Sam Phillips. The Snag Proof line runs from critter baits such as frogs, mice, leeches, lizards, worms and craws to crankbaits, buzzbaits, and poppers.
“The primary bait has to be a Snag Proof bait,” Phillips said. “They can use any trailers on the jig and we will allow the Tennessee Rig. You can modify the baits, trim, dye, whatever, as long as the primary bait is a Snag Proof product.”
(A Tennessee Rig is the same as an Alabama Rig, but only three trailers are allowed instead of five.)
“It's going to be a two-day event, June 29-30 and it will pay $10,000 to win, guaranteed, regardless of the number of boats entered,” Phillips said. “There is a three-fish limit per day, so we are looking for a real shootout – six fish for two days for $10,000.”
Entry fee is $150 per team, which can be a two-angler team, or just one. There will also be an optional big fish pot.
Phillips said 80 percent of the purse will be paid back at the ramp starting with second place and paid one place for every five boats. There will also be a big largemouth and big smallmouth prize, with the weights carrying over from Day 1 to Day 2.
“The tournament is sponsored by Skeeter, Yamaha and the Morristown Chamber of commerce, along with Morristown Marine. Skeeter and Yamaha will also be furnishing food for the event,” Phillips said.“We've had inquiries from Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee, so we are expecting a good turnout. We are taking sign-ups at Morristown Marine or you can do it by phone or print off the form and FAX of mail it in. We will go over things with the anglers before blasting off at 6 a.m. next Saturday morning.”
Phillips said Cherokee Lake is at full pool and the fishing is expected to be really good for the tournament.
“The jig and swimbaits have been the top sellers leading up to the tournament, so it looks like a jig and swimbait bite, along with some topwater. We've had reports they are also hitting the frog,” he said.
Crankbaits are also expected to be a factor in the tournament, he said.
“Snag Proof is re-introducing their crankbaits for this event and Morristown Marine will have the crankbaits. We are getting them shipped in this week,” Phillips said.
Tennessee's First Annual Snag Proof Open
Jun 29-30, 2013
Cherokee Lake
25 E Bridge Access
Call Sam Phillips 423-677-3004 or 423-587-5555
Anglers Choice Nc Division Heads To High Rock With Points Race Still Undecided
As the North Carolina Division of the Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail nears the end of its first season, tournament director Chris Lucas said the inaugural season has been a great success and bigger and better things are on the horizon for next year.
“Next year we hope to expand the North Carolina Division and get more North Carolina lakes on the schedule,” Lucas said.
Prior the the 2013 season, the Anglers Choice Trail had only one division which drew heavily from both Virginia and North Carolina. Lucas decided to split the series into two divisions this year to try to relieve some of the pressure on the Virginia Division and perhaps spread out the competition a little.
However the Virginia Division remained as strong as ever so all the split did was make one strong trail with major entries into two strong trails with major entries.
“The North Carolina Division has come along a lot better than what was expected,” Lucas said. “We started off with about 50 boats in the first tournament and in a couple of tournaments we had 100 boats.”
Lucas said he anticipates the numbers will be down a little this Saturday when the North Carolina Division visits High Rock Lake because it is not being held in conjunction with a Virginia Division tournament.
“Our per-registration numbers are lower, but that is to be expected. We are expecting 40 to 50 boats this weekend on High Rock. This time of year during the daytime with all the recreational boats on the lake the guys don't come out as much,” he said.
“A lot of them are already qualified. We usually drop down a little towards the ends of the season except for the guys still in the points race. They always come to battle it out,” Lucas added.
“But we expect the numbers will be up the following weekend because that will be a dual-tournament weekend on Kerr. We are pushing 80 entries already on the Virginia side and 50 to 60 on the North Carolina side. I guess going to Buggs island in the summertime doesn't bother those guys too much.”
Lucas said that while there are some teams bunched up near the top, the North Carolina Division points race is still up for grabs and it probably will not be decided Saturday on High Rock.
“It's going to come down to the next weekend when we will crown the North Carolina and Virginia points champions at Buggs Island. “It's still anybody's game and we find that a lot. When you have six regular season tournaments and give 300 points for each tournament it provides wiggle room where you can have a couple of bad tournaments.”
In fact, only 15 points separates the top four teams in the North Carolina Division with two tournaments to go – and only one of those teams has not had a zero finish in at least one tournament. William Kemp IV and Scott Griffin lead the points standings thanks to a 7th place finish in the March 10 tournament on High Rock, 16th place March 24 on Lake Gaston, 63rd place April 7 on Smith Mountain Lake and 17th April 28 on Kerr.
However, Phillip Vanderveer and Damien McMahon trail by only four points and they zeroed in the first and second tournaments, finished 33rd in the third and rebounded with a 7th place finish in the fourth tournament on Kerr.
Mark Cox and Brian Stacy are 9 points back, having zeroed in the first tournament, finished 6th in the second, 30th in the third and 46th in the last tournament. Ralph Hollifield and Mike Luckado are just 15 points behind the leaders, with a 9th place finish in the first tournament, a zero in the second, 49th in the third and 23rd in the last tournament.
“You can come to all six tournaments and catch one or two in each tournament and that will get up in the middle of the pack or upwards in the points, even in the top 10,” Lucas said. “It will come down to the last one and those top guys are all pretty close.”
Lucas said he wanted to remind anglers that on these final two weekends the tournaments will start earlier – 6 a.m. instead of the normal 7 a.m. in the earlier tournaments.
“Because of the warmer temperatures we want to start early and get off the lake early. That includes this weekend and also both days the next weekend on Buggs Island.”
Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail - NC Division
Sat, Jun 22, 2013
High Rock Lake
Tamarac Marina
Call Chris Lucas 276-358-0844
Hite Hopes His Luck On Northern Waters Holds For Elite Series On Mississippi River
Davy Hite is looking for a good finish on the Mississippi River this weekend. Photo by Seigo Saito
It's been a busy June for B.A.S.S. pro Davy Hite and he'd love nothing more than to cap the month off with a high finish in the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament this weekend on the Mississippi River near LaCrosse, Wis.
“I'm a long, long way from home and on a real northern trip,” Hite said with a chuckle following the final half-day of practice Wednesday afternoon.
His northern swing began right after he and fellow former Bassmaster Classic Champion Hank Parker participated in a Pure Fishing sponsored Take A Kid Fishing Day at Fort Jackson, near Columbia, S.C., not far from Hite's home in Ninety Six, S.C.
“It was a lot of fun. There were about 400 people there and I got to meet a lot of young fishermen – and some older ones, too. They served us some really good barbecue, too.”
But that was the last of the Southern cuisine he enjoyed for a while as he, wife Natalie and younger son Peyton, left the next day for Detroit, Mich., pulling his bass boat.
“Kevin VanDam had asked me to participate in an annual Detroit Lions charity fishing event. So I took some of the guests out and met some of the ball players for a couple of days. Then I left there and drove over the Lake St. Clair in Michigan. The last time I was there I was fortunate to win the Elite Tournament on St. Clair.”
From there, he went on to VanDam's home for a day, then headed for LaCrosse, Wis., to practice for the Elite Tournament this weekend.
“I worked at Gander Mountain for some of my sponsors on Saturday, then spent Sunday getting my tackle together and started practice on Monday. So, it's been a really busy week and a half.”
And, he noted, his northern swing won't be over when the tournament ends. Next week he and the other pros head to Lake Mille Lacs, Minnesota's second largest lake, up near the border with Canada, for a writer's conference.
But, first there is the sixth of nine 2013 Elite Series tournaments, the Mississippi River Rumble. Hite finished 24th in the Rumble on the Mississippi at LaCrosse just exactly a year ago this week and he hopes to do a lot better this time around.
The odds may be on his side, because a lot of his top 20 finishes have come on rivers and he has done well on the northern reaches of the Mighty Mississippi. In 2005 he recorded a second place finish on Lake Wissola near Chippewa Falls, Wis., less than 100 miles north of LaCrosse on the Chippewa River, a tributary of the Mississippi.
And in September 1998 he made bass fishing history, winning what at that time was the largest cash prize ever in a bass tournament – $250,000 – in the Walmart FLW Tour Championship on the Mississippi River.
“We are fishing Pools 7, 8 and 9 in this tournament and when I won the FLW Championship I was fishing Pool 11, which is downstream just a few pools. I have some really fond memories of fishing this stretch of the Mississippi,” Hite said.
“The fishing is a little tougher than it was this time last year,” Hite said. “There are still lots of fish, but just like last year, it's going to be important to catch 3- and 4-pound fish. There are a lot of 2-pound fish here.”
Hite goes into the tournament this week, ranked 46th in the Angler of the Year standings and he needs a strong finish in the remaining three tournaments to qualify for his 15th Bassmaster Classic.
“They will take 38, 39 or 40 from the Elite field, depending on crossovers to the Open Series, so I am right at the bubble,” he said. “A win here would be nice – that's what I am shooting for.”
Bassmaster Elite Series – Mississippi River Rumble
Jun 20-23, 2013
Mississippi River near LaCrosse, WI
Copeland Park
Bledsoe & McDonald Take Home $7,105.00 CATT Old North Final Jordan Lake
We wrapped up the 2013 Old North Trail on Lake Jordan with 31 teams entering the Old North Spring Final. The fishing at Jordan had been off this Spring but Saturday the bass decided to turn on and several teams had a good day of fishing.
This was our 3rd season of the Old North Trail and each year the payback has increased…several of the teams expressed an interest in increasing the entry fee and adding more $$ to the purse. I’ll look at doing that over the summer and will send out emails of an example of what we’re looking at doing. I’m not 100% sure this will happen but would like to hear from you guys so shoot me an email with your thoughts. Looking at $120 for Qualifiers and $150 for the Final...BONUS $40. This will increase the purse substantially since CATT is 100% payback on your entry fees.
Also if I can work it out we will try and hold 2 CATT Classic …1 in SC and 1 in NC…the 2013 CATT Classic at Kerr Lake was a huge success with 1st Place taking home over $13,000.00. We’ll see what unfolds over the Summer and lets all hope this can happen.
Billy Bledsoe and Brian McDonald weighed in a 5 bass limit at 24.09 lbs taking 1st Place at Lake Jordan Saturday. They also weighed in the 2nd BF at 6.22. Add in the 1st BONUS $ and they collected $4,105.00. Billy and Brian were fishing in a 2013 FX 21 SKEETER/Yamah250SHO and will take home another $3,000.00 through the SKEETER REAL MONEY Program. Their total take home pay adds up to $7,105.00!
2nd went to Scott Smith and Tony Woodard with 5 bass weighing 22.33 lbs. They weighed in a 6.66 lb bass which was the 1st BF and they took the 2nd BONUS $. All total they collected $1,930.00.
James Pourrier and Rich Szscerbala finished in 3rd with 5 bass weighing 20.67 lbs and they collected $1,000.00.
Jaime Fajardo and Josh Hooks claimed 4th with another limit weighing 20.28 lbs. They received $700.00
5th went to Thomas Sheffler and David Walton with a limit weighing 20.05 lbs. They earned $350.00.
6th and $205.00 went to Merle Knott and Roger Clary with 5 bass weighing 18.60 lbs.
The 2013 CATT Old North Trail paid back $36,706.00!
Thanks for fishing!
Brett Collins
Carolina Anglers Team Trail LLC
Gary Pilkenton and Denny Turner haul in a Monster 24.16 LB Sack to win Tom's Marine TT on Douglas-Full Results Here!
Pilkenton and Turner Continue Douglas Hot Streak
Douglas Lake was the site of the fifth Toms Marine Team Trail event of 2013 and 99 teams showed up to enjoy the fantastic fishing underway on Douglas right now. There were several huge bags of fish but none bigger than the 24.16-pound limit weighed in by Gary Pilkenton and Denny Turner. This team has been hot on Douglas for the past several weeks and todays performance earned them $2500 for first place, $250 from the Toms Marine/Ranger Cup bonus program and $100 from Motor Mate. Second place went to Gary and Cory Ownby with 23.48-pounds and they won $1150. Mark Mauldin and Lee Monday caught a nice bag of fish weighing 21.87-pounds and had a little luck winning the $300 draw prize to give them a total winnings of $1150 for the day. In fourth was Tom Cole and Homer Ryans with 21.79-pounds which paid $540. Rounding out the top five and winning $400 was the team of Bobby Ferguson and Charles McConnell.
Tom's Marine TT Douglas Champs Gary Pilkenton and Denny Turner
Complete results and points are now posted on Toms Marine Web site at http://www.tomsmarinetn.com . Toms Marine would like to invite everyone out for our next event September 14 on Cherokee Lake at the bridge.
This event will be televised on THE PROGRESSIVE BASS WRAP UP SHOW later this year. Check your local listings for show times.
James Buchanan wins the SC BFL on Lake Wylie Sat afternoon with 16-8-Top 18 Results here!
Congrats to James Buchanan for winning the BFL on Lake Wylie this Sat afternoon...his 16-8 was more than enough to secure his big win. Here are the top 18 (what a list!) on the boaters side:
| Pl. | First Name | Last Name | City / State | Day 1 WT (Fish) |
Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JAMES BUCHANAN | MONROE, NC | 16-15 (5) | $3,671 |
| 2 | NORM ATTAWAY | CLEARWATER, SC | 15-10 (5) | $1,835 |
| 3 | KEN ELLIS | BOWMAN, SC | 15-02 (5) | $1,224 |
| 4 | ROSS BURNS | COLUMBIA, SC | 15-01 (5) | $856 |
| 5 | RODNEY CHASTAIN | FOUNTAIN INN, SC | 14-15 (5) | $734 |
| 6 | CHUCK HOWARD | ELLOREE, SC | 14-10 (5) | $673 |
| 7 | REID MCGINN | FORT MILL, SC | 14-06 (5) | $612 |
| 8 | ROBBY HIPPS | SIMPSONVILLE, SC | 14-03 (5) | $551 |
| 9 | SHANE LEHEW | CHARLOTTE, NC | 13-05 (5) | Evinrude Bonus: $300 + $489 |
| 10 | BRADLEY GUNTER | GREENWOOD, SC | 13-03 (5) | $406 |
| 10 | STEVE SHAW | DALLAS, NC | 13-03 (5) | $406 |
| 12 | ROBERT FOWLER | GAFFNEY, SC | 12-07 (5) | $355 |
| 13 | BILLY ROCHESTER | SPARTANBURG, SC | 12-06 (5) | $343 |
| 14 | CHRISTIAN SHODA | FORT MILL, SC | 12-03 (5) | $324 |
| 15 | JIMMY DRUMM | MT HOLLY, NC | 12-00 (5) | $300 |
| 15 | GREG RIKARD | LEESVILLE, SC | 12-00 (5) | $300 |
| 17 | LARRY LEHEW | CHARLOTTE, NC | 11-13 (5) | $281 |
| 18 | SCOTT HAMRICK | DENVER, NC | 11-12 (5) | $269 |
| 19 |
James Buchanan wins the SC BFL on Lake Wylie Sat afternoon with 16-8, and here is how he did it!
BFL SC Lake Wylie Champion James Buchanan joins us one on one just afer winning a biggie down on Lake Wylie.........James talks about the conditions, patterns, and the most important thing that did not happen to him on the Lake today-Click here for his full review!
South Carolina BFL Lake Wylie Weigh-in Highlights with Rob Digh and Michael Murphy
AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh as well as FLW Tour Pro Michael Murphy drop by after weighing in 11 Lbs each at Saturdays BFL on Lake Wylie. As you will hear each angler say, catching fish is not the problem on Wylie at all, just getting that quality bite to get over the top is the key!
Howell Hangs On to Win Open on James River
Along the way, he did his best to keep the local economy rolling. The nearby gas stations were certainly happy, as he drove his boat 40-plus miles to the top of the distant Chickahominy River tributary each day, as did many others. Once there, he caught 80 percent of his bass on a wacky rigged Yamamoto Senko soft stickworm. Unfortunately, he ran out of the lures mid-event and had to spend $100 at a local tackle store to restock.
Ultimately, though, it paid off when he weighed in three consecutive limits of more than 15 pounds, totaling 47-11 and beating runner-up Mike Hicks by 6 pounds, 1 ounce. Most significantly, as long as Howell fishes the remaining two Northern Opens scheduled for this year, he will have clinched a spot in next February’s Bassmaster Classic at Lake Guntersville, in his adopted home state of Alabama.
Howell also won a prize package that included cash and a Nitro Z9 powered by a Mercury 225 Pro XS outboard, packaged with a tandem axle trailer, Minn Kota Maxxum 80 trolling motor and Lowrance HDS-7 electronics.
While Howell receives his mail in Alabama, this week he proved that you can go home again. He won within approximately a hundred miles of where he grew up, fishing familiar waters, in front of many members of his family. Indeed, even though the crowd for the final weigh-in at the Ashland, Va., Bass Pro Shops was large, it seemed that just about every other one of them was somehow related to the champ.
He caught most of his bass close to the Walker Dam, separating the upper end of the Chickahominy River from Chickahominy Lake.
“That first day, my partner was throwing a Senko wacky style and I was throwing one on a drop shot,” Howell said. “When he caught a nice one behind me, I changed to a wacky rig, and that’s when I started catching better fish. Over the next couple of days, I fine-tuned my presentation, cut my weight down, and when I caught two 5-pounders back to back, I figured out the spot had the potential to win the tournament.”
This marks Howell’s first Bassmaster victory since April 2004, when he won a reduced-field Elite 50 tournament on Lake Dardanelle in Arkansas. Since then, there have been several times that he’s led after a day or two of competition, but he’s never been able to close the deal. Last year, he led an Elite Series tournament at New York’s Oneida Lake after two days, but only weighed in four fish the last day and fell to Boyd Duckett by 6 ounces. Today, he had two fish over 4 pounds early in the morning, but when the bite slowed, he trusted his instincts in a way he had not at Oneida and it paid off.
“At Oneida I had a gut feeling at 12 o’clock and I talked myself out of it,” he said. “I finally went there with 45 minutes left to go and caught some fish, but it was too late. I feel like if I had gone there when I first thought about it, I’d have won. Today I felt like I had to run back to a spot within a mile or two of the ramp, so I did it, and I culled two times. In the end, I didn’t need it, but I feel good about it and hope that momentum will stay with me the rest of the year.”
After Thursday’s storms and Friday’s windy conditions, today there were bluebird skies and barely a lick of wind. That shut down the fishing for many of the remaining anglers. After multiple 16-pound bags were weighed in on Friday, no one other than Howell had more than 12-9 today.
Former tour-level pro Mike Hicks started the day in second place and held that position at the end of the day, although Howell’s big catch widened their gap. He weighed in three limits of Chickahominy River bass that totaled 41-10 to start off the Northern Opens in grand style.
He fished several creeks in the middle section of the Chickahominy, primarily with a black-and-blue Lil’ Hustler Swim Jig and a black Lobina Lures Rico. The key was his local understanding of the tides.
“This is my old stomping grounds, and I know that the low tide concentrates the fish,” he said. “When the tide would get low, I’d fish up around channel swings up against the bank. The bigger fish were up against wood.”
He certainly wanted to qualify for the Classic, as his father did years ago, but claimed he was satisfied with his result.
“To get beat by Randy Howell, the most professional pro on the Elite Series circuit, it’s hard to have bad sentiment about that,” he stated.
Mike Iaconelli, who finished in the Top 12 here in 2011, once again demonstrated his exceptional understanding of tidal water, finishing third with 41-4. He claimed that he lost one or two fish each day that would have made a difference.
“I fished at 90 percent each day,” he said. “At this level, you can’t do that. That’s the game.”
Local Kelly Pratt, who won here in 2011 and finished fourth last year, once again finished fourth. The biggest final day move came from New Jersey’s Pete Gluszek, who jumped from 12th to 6th on the strength of his 12-9 limit.
Nick Leonard of Cincinnati, Ohio, brought in a three-bass limit that weighed 5-13 to climb from second into first in the co-angler division. He credited pro partners Gluszek, Fletcher Shryock and Brandon Palaniuk, as well as an ability to adapt to the conditions, for his victory.
“I just tried to stay consistent,” he said. “I didn’t miss any fish all week, and I used different baits each day. I caught them on a topwater the first day, flipping the second day, and today I just went junk fishing. I caught most of them today on a Senko.”
Leonard will take home a Triton 17 Pro, powered by a Yamaha F115LA and equipped with a single axle trailer, MotorGuide trolling motor, Lowrance HDS-5 Gen 2 electronics and a Tempest propeller.
The Carhartt Big Bass award of $500 for the largest single bass caught at the tournament was awarded to Tracy Adams of North Carolina on the pro side for the 6-13 largemouth he caught on Day 2. Phillip Adams of Virginia won the award on the co-angler side with a 6-1 bass, also caught on Day 2.
The Luck-E-Strike Heavyweight Award on the pro side, consisting of a $250 Bass Pro Shops gift card, will be split among Howell, Hicks and Greg Cooper, each of whom caught a limit that weighed 16-12 on Day 2. On the co-angler side, Kelly Robinette will have the gift card all to himself. He caught three fish that weighed 10-3 on the first day of competition, and that held up as the biggest co-angler bag over the next two days.
The Livingston Lures Leader award of $250 was presented to Randy Howell for leading the pro side after Day 2 of competition. Cody Andrews of North Carolina won the corresponding honor on the co-angler side and received a Livingston Lures gift pack valued at $250.
Standings:
1. Randy Howell Springville, AL 15 47-11 170 $47,586.00
Day 1: 5 15-11 Day 2: 5 16-12 Day 3: 5 15-04
2. Mike Hicks Goochland, VA 15 41-10 169 $17,310.00
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 16-12 Day 3: 5 10-07
3. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 15 41-04 168 $12,920.00
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 14-10 Day 3: 5 12-03
4. Kelly Pratt Williamsburg, VA 15 40-04 167 $11,560.00
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 13-01 Day 3: 5 11-12
5. Wayne Vaughan Chester, VA 15 39-01 166 $10,087.00
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 13-11 Day 3: 5 09-05
6. Pete Gluszek Mount Laurel, NJ 15 38-12 165 $8,613.00
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 15-03 Day 3: 5 12-09
7. Jim Dillard West Monroe, LA 15 38-00 164 $7,253.00
Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 15-07 Day 3: 5 09-10
8. Tracy Adams Wilkesboro, NC 15 36-15 163 $6,280.00
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 5 15-13 Day 3: 5 08-14
9. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 15 36-04 162 $4,307.00
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 15-13 Day 3: 5 08-14
10. Steven Colgin Lanexa, VA 15 35-13 161 $3,967.00
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 15-00 Day 3: 5 08-04
11. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 15 35-09 160 $3,627.00
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 13-08 Day 3: 5 08-14
12. Greg Cooper Yorktown, VA 13 31-04 159 $3,483.00
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 5 16-12 Day 3: 3 03-14
CARHARTT BIG BASS
Tracy Adams Wilkesboro, NC 06-13 $500.00
HEAVYWEIGHT OF TOURN
Mike Hicks Goochland, VA 16-12 $83.33
Randy Howell Springville, AL 16-12 $83.33
Greg Cooper Yorktown, VA 16-12 $83.33
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Nick Leonard Cincinnati, OH 9 22-12 170 $25,000.00
Day 1: 3 09-00 Day 2: 3 07-15 Day 3: 3 05-13
2. Cody Andrews Elkin, NC 9 21-10 169 $5,553.00
Day 1: 3 09-01 Day 2: 3 09-02 Day 3: 3 03-07
3. Kelly Robinette South Chesterfield, VA 9 20-13 168 $4,443.00
Day 1: 3 10-03 Day 2: 3 06-01 Day 3: 3 04-09
4. Clay Lewis Sandston, VA 9 20-04 167 $2,833.00
Day 1: 3 08-04 Day 2: 3 07-00 Day 3: 3 05-00
5. Jason Skipworth Rising Sun, IN 8 19-06 166 $2,607.00
Day 1: 3 07-07 Day 2: 3 09-05 Day 3: 2 02-10
6. Billy Dehart Burlingame, CA 9 19-02 165 $2,493.00
Day 1: 3 05-13 Day 2: 3 07-14 Day 3: 3 05-07
7. Dave Davenport Milford, OH 9 18-09 164 $2,380.00
Day 1: 3 07-10 Day 2: 3 05-07 Day 3: 3 05-08
8. Donnie Bowman Quinton, VA 9 18-05 163 $2,267.00
Day 1: 3 04-00 Day 2: 3 09-08 Day 3: 3 04-13
9. David Chamberlain Trenton, NJ 7 16-05 162 $2,153.00
Day 1: 3 06-15 Day 2: 3 07-12 Day 3: 1 01-10
10. Christopher Cline Stafford, VA 7 15-15 161 $1,927.00
Day 1: 3 04-13 Day 2: 3 10-01 Day 3: 1 01-01
11. Brandon Hill Mechanicsville, VA 8 15-13 160 $1,700.00
Day 1: 3 06-10 Day 2: 3 06-07 Day 3: 2 02-12
12. Mark Brannock Chester, VA 7 15-01 159 $1,587.00
Day 1: 3 06-09 Day 2: 3 06-08 Day 3: 1 02-00
CARHARTT BIG BASS
Phillip Adams Chesterfield, VA 06-01 $500.00
HEAVYWEIGHT OF TOURN
Kelly Robinette South Chesterfield, VA10-03 $250.00
Leading Points, Clemson Student Seeks Win In Sc Bfl On Lake Wylie
Derrick Compton of Columbus, N.C., won the May 11 South Carolina Division event on Clarks Hill Lake with 17 pounds, 12 ounces
Ross Burns would love to be helping his teammates on the Clemson University Fishing Team win some tournaments, but he just doesn't have the time because he is tearing up some other tournament trails on his own.
The mechanical engineering major is leading the points in the Walmart BFL South Carolina Division heading into the fourth tournament of the series Saturday on Lake Wylie, ahead of veterans Greg Rikard of Leesville by 16 points and 2011 points champion Eddie Herlong of Prosperity by 27 points.
He sits atop the standings thanks to three top 10 finishes – 2nd at lake Murray March 2, 9th at Santee Cooper April 13 and 3rd at Clarks Hill May 11.
“At Lake Murray, I lived on the lake my entire life, so my local knowledge helped me. I had caught fish on the same points for five weeks straight in multiple tournaments. They just kept replenishing,” he said.
“At Santee I could not blast off with the field because I had to wait on my co-angler. I had found fish in the lower lake on Thursday and when I went back on Friday there were guys in several jonboats were catching fish there and putting them in their coolers. I went back on Saturday anyway and some new fish had moved up.”
Burns said he had fished the Carolina Bass Challenge tournament on Clarks Hill the week before the BFL with a friend who showed him some points holding quality fish.
“I caught all my fish on the third point I stopped on, almost on back-to-back casts,” he said.
Burns said he had not had time to pre-fish Lake Wylie but he anticipates the bass will be on bream beds.
“It will be a classic shallow vs. deep bite on Lake Wylie,” he said. “The bream will be spawning and the bass will be chasing bream on the beds. If the fish are not there I will pull out on the ledges and catch them on deep diving crankbaits and spoons.”
Burns is optimistic about his chances, even though he has not finished well on Lake Wylie in BFL tournaments in the past.
“Two years ago my co-angler knocked two 4-pounders off with the net. I'd like to win one. I've been a bridesmaid a few times.”
Walmart BFL - South Carolina Division
Sat, Jun 15, 2013
Lake Wylie
Buster Boyd Access Area
Registration Underway For Bienville Plantation's Big Bass Blast!!!
America’s #1 private largemouth bass fishing resort, Bienville Plantation, is proud to announce its inaugural Big Bass Blast team tournament series.
With a total payout of $235,000* this points-based series will feature 6 separate tournaments, with payouts up to $24,000* apiece, and culminate with the Bienville Classic that boasts a total payout up to $63,000* with a guaranteed minimum of $25,000.00.
At conclusion of the regular season, the top 20 teams qualify for the Bienville Classic. Up to 10 wild card teams will also fish the Classic – 5 teams via the Wildcard Fish Off and 5 more via the loyalty incentive drawing.
We’ve expanded Lake Bienville to include 3 more of our premier lakes for a total of over 1,000 acres and more than 1,100 miles of fishable shoreline! We want you to get to know this dynamic new fishery so we have included, for the first time ever, one pre-fish day per tournament free with your entry fee. That’s an extra day of fishing in a very special place, free of charge.
The entry fee, $450 per team, per tournament, includes Big Fish and 2nd Big Fish side pots, as well as all resident and out of state fishing licenses.
Tournament registration begins on June 6, 2013. Teams that pre-pay for all 6 tournaments in advance will receive a 10% ($270) savings. Boat numbers will be assigned based on order of registration.
After the 6th tournament, teams ranked 21st through 50th will be invited to fish the Wildcard Fish Off. The top 5 finishers will earn a berth into the Classic.
AND . . . any teams that enter all 6 tournaments will be entered into the loyalty incentive drawing, whereby 5 teams will be invited to fish the Bienville Classic!
Want the ultimate bass fishing experience? Ask about Tournament Package deals which include lodging, boat storage and all meals plus exclusive access to pre-fish Lake Bienville on Friday prior to the tournament. Availability is limited to 25 teams so call now to take advantage of Tournament Package deals.
Tournaments will be held the final Saturday of each month, so the first event is on Saturday June 29th.
email Bienville2@aol.com or call 386-397-1989
*based on full fields of 120 boats
Funeral Details For Aaron Hall
AnglersChannel.com reported yesterday about the passing of FLW's Aaron Hall. Following are the funeral arrangements:
Visitation for Aaron Hall will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 14 at the Kirby & Family Funeral Home Chapel in Bull Shoals, AR. Funeral services will be held Saturday, June 15 at 11 a.m. at the Bull Shoals-White River State Park Lake Pavilion in Lakeview, AR. Burial will be at the Fairview Cemetery in Fairview, AR.
Aaron passed away June 11 in Gassville, AR at the age of 66. He is survived by his two sons, Kenneth Hall and Aaron Hall; fiancée, Kathy Holland; brother, Ron Hall; and three grandchildren, Shelton Rosner, Owen Hall and Eli Hall.
Memorials in Aaron’s honor may be made to the American Cancer Society.
An obituary and guestbook will be posted at www.kirbyandfamily.com.
Thank you for keeping Aaron’s family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
Sincerely,
Kathy Fennel
President, Operations
Trish Blake
President, Marketing
'old Warhorse' Will Take On A Muddy James River In Bassmaster Northern Open
Former Bassmaster Classic Champion Woo Daves
Woo Daves of Spring Grove, Va., has achieved true “old warhorse” status in the annals of competitive bass fishing. A “warhorse,” by definition is “a veteran, as a soldier or politician, of many struggles and conflicts.”
And Daves has been there from the earliest days of professional bass fishing to the present. His entry in the Bassmaster Northern Open this week on the James River, just a few miles from his home, marks the 40th year Daves has been a regular in B.A.S.S. tournaments.
It was exactly four decades ago that he fished his first major Bassmaster event, the 1973 B.A.S.S. Chapter Championship on Pickwick Lake, June 13-14-15, the same dates as the 2013 Bassmaster Northern Open this week. He finished 13th with 15.9 pounds in the 1973 championship.
Daves is one of the few anglers from the early days of B.A.S.S. still fishing Bassmaster events. His career includes 34 top 10 finishes, with five major wins, 17 Bassmaster Classic appearances, and the Classic Championship on Lake Michigan in 2002.
He owns an outstanding record on the James, just in B.A.S.S. events – top 5s in five major Bassmaster tournaments. His record includes: 1983 Virginia Invitational, 5th place; 1988 Bassmaster Classic, 2nd; 1989 Bassmaster Classic, 5th; 1990 Bassmaster Classic, 4th; and he finished 3rd in the Bass Pro Shops Northern Open on the James in June of last year.
Daves said he was looking forward to a return to his home water where he has an outstanding tournament record, but the rains spawned by Tropical Storm Andrea that blew up the East Coast earlier this week has flooded the James River and its tributaries.
“There has been a lot of flooding, so I don't know what to expect,” he said. “Every place I fished last year is really muddy and I don't have the experience on the river that I had 15-20 years ago when I fished it a lot.”
“When you fish bass tournaments a lot, you don't ever get to fish at home, and I do a lot of saltwater fishing and a lot of rabbit hunting when I am here,” he said.
The muddy water is unfortunate, because the river had the potential to produce record weights for the tournament, Daves said.
“The river has made a great comeback, but with this weather I don't think it's going to show itself like it could. The tournament weights this year have been better than they have ever been since I've been here. A lot of 7-pound and 8-pound bass have been weighed in and that's almost unheard of. In the past you might bring in one 7-pounder in a tournament, but they have been bringing in four and five 7-pounders in a tournament. So the fish are out there.”
Daves said in the last five or six tournaments it took an average of 25 pounds or more for a five-fish limit to win.
“I know of two tournaments that had four over 7 pounds weighed in. So there are a lot of quality fish out there and I was really looking forward to fishing it,” he said.
While Daves believes the catch will be less than hoped for because of the flooding and muddy water, he also expects some of the anglers to find quality bass.
“Whoever finds a little clear water will do good,” he said. “Somebody will catch fish.”
In 2002 high winds on Lake Michigan kept most of the anglers in the Bassmaster Classic away from their prime fishing locations, so they either battled winds and waves to try to fish spots in Lake Michigan where they had located fish, or retreated to the calmer backwaters where industrial pollution had heavily impacted the bass populations.
But Daves did neither. He merely idled his bass boat out to the seawall that protected the marina near downtown Chicago and caught the fish he needed to win without ever putting his boat on plane.
When you are an “old warhorse” experience counts. And Daves has the experience to find fish in all conditions.
Bassmaster Northern Open
Jun 13-15, 2013
James River
Clough, Corkran Retire, Stewart To Lead B.a.s.s. Nation
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Two leaders of B.A.S.S.’s grass-roots membership and conservation programs today announced plans to retire from their positions.
Noreen Clough of Clermont, Fla., a former Southeast regional director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, will retire from her position as B.A.S.S. national conservation director on Aug. 9. She has held the post for seven years.
Don Corkran, a 20-year employee of B.A.S.S. who served most of that time as national director of the B.A.S.S. Nation, will retire July 8.
Corkran will be replaced by Jon Stewart, currently senior manager of the B.A.S.S. Nation. Stewart, who oversees tournament operations for the B.A.S.S. Nation team, is a past president of the Kansas B.A.S.S. Nation. A search is under way for Clough’s successor.
Clough has spent more than 36 years in natural resource conservation, including chief of natural resources for the National Wildlife Refuge System and deputy assistant director for fisheries in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as well as that agency’s southeast regional director.
“My best years have been those at B.A.S.S. as conservation director,” she said in a statement. “It’s been rewarding to see the B.A.S.S. Nation Conservation program grow and deliver amazing on-the-ground conservation and angler benefits.” In addition to coordinating the efforts of B.A.S.S. Nation conservation volunteers in 47 states, Clough has served on numerous national boards involved in fisheries conservation. She will remain a board member of Friends of Fisheries, a volunteer organization supporting the USFWS Fisheries and Aquatic Conservation program.
Corkran, a Vietnam War veteran with 22 years of service as a Command Sergeant Major in the U.S. Army, joined the B.A.S.S. tournament staff shortly after retiring from active duty. He served more than 17 years as B.A.S.S. Nation director. During that time, he led the grass-roots organization in its largest growth cycle, when it nearly doubled in size. He has also been involved in the expansion of competitive fishing programs for high school students and other youngsters as well as the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series.
“I’m proud to have served as director during these efforts,” Corkran said, “and I’m confident that the B.A.S.S. Nation — although not as large as it was a decade ago — is stronger now than at any time in its history.”
“Our organization and the sport of bass fishing will miss the leadership of Noreen and Don,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “We are grateful not only for their innumerable accomplishments on behalf of bass fishing, but also for their service to our nation during their previous careers. We wish them well in their retirement.”
Abernethy; Nc Federation Team Runners-Up At Southern Divisional
The North Carolina Team turned in a strong performance at the recent Southern Division TBF event on Kentucky/Barkley Lakes, eventually finishing 2nd to the state team from Alabama after leading Day 1 of the 2-day tourney.
A big AnglersChannel thanks to Gary Abernethy for his report following the tournament. Gary caught his fish flippin’ in the Tennessee portion of Lake Barkley. He made long runs and fished for big bass – that’s two gutsy decisions that made the difference and got Gary qualified as a boater to the TBF Nationals (site & date TBD).
“I lead the event on Day 1 and Day 2, and I had big bag and big fish on Day 1 with 15.0 on Day 1 and 15.5 on Day 2. I caught a limit on day 3 for 10.7, but ended up coming in second by about 12 oz.,” said Gary.
He continued, “I never got anything going in practice cranking. In the event, I caught every single fish on one bait, a 1/2 oz. jig that I fished in and around flooded bushes. I was catching 20-35 fish a day, but getting the 15" minimum size was difficult for most anglers. I got fortunate a caught a 4. 13 oz. fish each of the first two tournament days which obviously helped a lot.”
About his long boat ride, “I was going about 110 miles round trip on the boat each day to the fishing spots, so that part was pretty bad. Check out the engine cowl after 300+ miles of bugs!”
The gamble and the burnt gas paid off for Gary as he nearly led the NC team to a title. Good job guys!
Justin Wood And Danny Jimmerson Win The Lee King Memorial On Eufaula-Full Results Here!
2013 Lee King Champs Dustin Wood and Danny Jimmerson hold up their 21.43 Lb Winning Stringer
| Place | Team | Boat# | #Fish | #Alive | Gross Wgt. | Penalty | Big Fish | Total Wgt. |
| 1 | Dustin Wood - Danny Jimmerson | 92 | 5 | 5 | 21.43 | 4.96 | 21.43 | |
| 2 | Scott Montgomery - Billy Darby | 61 | 5 | 5 | 19.93 | 19.93 | ||
| 3 | Paul Aul - Jeff Aul | 93 | 5 | 5 | 19.42 | 19.42 | ||
| 4 | Jason Smith - Rodger Beaver | 134 | 5 | 5 | 19.23 | 5.32 | 19.23 | |
| 5 | Randy Snipes - Pam Snipes | 97 | 5 | 5 | 18.75 | 5.12 | 18.75 | |
| 6 | Ronnie Ray - Alton Stillwell | 67 | 5 | 5 | 18.39 | 4.55 | 18.39 | |
| 7 | David Buchanan - Joseph Buchanan | 129 | 5 | 4 | 18.38 | 0.2 | 6.73 | 18.18 |
| 8 | Floyd Mitchell - Buster Slocumb | 104 | 5 | 5 | 18.05 | 18.05 | ||
| 9 | John Lee - Mark Stillwell | 116 | 5 | 5 | 18.01 | 18.01 | ||
| 10 | Tom Pierce - Mike Pierce | 89 | 5 | 5 | 17.38 | 17.38 | ||
| 11 | Steve Graziano - Rich Warren | 102 | 5 | 5 | 16.98 | 16.98 | ||
| 12 | Mike Cavendar - Jeff Cook | 107 | 5 | 5 | 16.16 | 4.9 | 16.16 | |
| 13 | Jeff Lee - Duane Mock | 91 | 5 | 5 | 16.16 | 16.16 | ||
| 14 | Michael Kierce - Mike Kierce | 105 | 5 | 4 | 15.95 | 0.2 | 15.75 | |
| 15 | Gary Everett - Jason Beasley | 37 | 5 | 5 | 15.38 | 15.38 | ||
| 16 | David Thrasher - Tanner Little | 8 | 5 | 5 | 15.30 | 5.69 | 15.30 | |
| 17 | Ken Blalock - Grant Black | 106 | 5 | 5 | 14.38 | 14.38 | ||
| 18 | Robert Stewart - John Adams | 125 | 5 | 5 | 14.26 | 14.26 | ||
| 19 | Charlie Stevenson - Phil King | 58 | 5 | 5 | 13.96 | 13.96 | ||
| 20 | Ed Wilkerson - Charles Hollister | 31 | 5 | 5 | 13.79 | 13.79 | ||
| 21 | Bryan Brown - Ken Bush | 38 | 5 | 5 | 13.65 | 13.65 | ||
| 22 | Tim Williams - Wes Williams | 95 | 5 | 5 | 12.53 | 12.53 | ||
| 23 | Jay Grogan - William Futch | 126 | 5 | 5 | 12.30 | 12.30 | ||
| 24 | Vince Culpepper - | 3 | 5 | 5 | 12.27 | 12.27 | ||
| 25 | Jimmy Wood - Ken Jones | 43 | 4 | 4 | 12.11 | 12.11 | ||
| 26 | Russ Hazelton - | 94 | 5 | 5 | 11.99 | 11.99 | ||
| 27 | Adam Byrd - Tyler Morgan | 136 | 5 | 5 | 11.75 | 11.75 | ||
| 28 | John Wayne Robinson - | 29 | 5 | 4 | 11.81 | 0.2 | 11.61 | |
| 29 | Jeff Morgan - Bill Cook | 137 | 5 | 5 | 11.19 | 11.19 | ||
| 30 | Bo Talley - Wade Siek | 7 | 5 | 5 | 10.93 | 10.93 | ||
| 31 | Jason Jones - Slade Jones | 108 | 4 | 4 | 10.80 | 10.80 | ||
| 32 | Russ Mott - David Vowell | 52 | 5 | 1 | 11.57 | 0.8 | 10.77 | |
| 33 | Scott Oliver - Scotty Sanders | 113 | 5 | 5 | 10.72 | 10.72 | ||
| 34 | Mike Brown - Mark Jones | 47 | 5 | 4 | 10.90 | 0.2 | 10.70 | |
| 35 | Michael McDowell - Gene McDowell | 100 | 3 | 2 | 10.68 | 0.2 | 10.48 | |
| 36 | Rob Haynie - Tom Wierzbicki | 127 | 5 | 5 | 10.24 | 10.24 | ||
| 37 | Kevin Revay - Darrell Ballard | 70 | 3 | 3 | 10.12 | 5.95 | 10.12 | |
| 38 | Dale Mask - Rick Carlton | 57 | 5 | 5 | 9.78 | 9.78 | ||
| 39 | Larry McDonald - Donnie Ammons | 26 | 4 | 4 | 9.72 | 9.72 | ||
| 40 | Les Bratcher - Stan Simms | 32 | 4 | 4 | 9.28 | 9.28 | ||
| 41 | Pate Flournoy - Cody Flournoy | 109 | 4 | 4 | 9.18 | 9.18 | ||
| 42 | Raymond George - Tarry Knowles | 55 | 4 | 4 | 8.80 | 8.80 | ||
| 43 | Heath Greene - Ethan Greene | 111 | 3 | 1 | 9.16 | 0.4 | 8.76 | |
| 44 | Steven Pry - Danny Pry | 28 | 3 | 2 | 8.94 | 0.2 | 8.74 | |
| 45 | Ken Greene - | 12 | 4 | 4 | 8.61 | 8.61 | ||
| 46 | Jason Waddell - Stephen McCord | 139 | 5 | 5 | 8.59 | 8.59 | ||
| 47 | Jeremy Davis - Brooks Davis | 75 | 3 | 3 | 8.47 | 8.47 | ||
| 48 | Todd Culpepper - | 4 | 5 | 5 | 8.40 | 8.40 | ||
| 48 | Jeremy Hall - J.C. Hall | 51 | 4 | 3 | 8.60 | 0.2 | 8.40 | |
| 50 | Johnny Holloway - Rodney Hollow | 19 | 2 | 2 | 8.22 | 5.85 | 8.22 | |
| 51 | Shane Durrance - Phillip Durran | 124 | 5 | 4 | 8.33 | 0.2 | 8.13 | |
| 52 | Mike Crawford - Ryan Crawford | 23 | 3 | 3 | 8.00 | 8.00 | ||
| 53 | Travis Pugh - Dylan Pugh | 78 | 4 | 4 | 7.75 | 7.75 | ||
| 54 | Scott Boutwell - Ronnie Boutwel | 90 | 3 | 3 | 7.74 | 7.74 | ||
| 55 | Dick Evans - | 9 | 3 | 3 | 7.73 | 7.73 | ||
| 56 | Sean Holland - Ethan Holland | 65 | 4 | 4 | 7.30 | 7.30 | ||
| 57 | Ken Stanfield - Leslie Stanfiel | 40 | 3 | 3 | 7.28 | 4.27 | 7.28 | |
| 58 | Dan Christ - | 110 | 3 | 3 | 7.09 | 7.09 | ||
| 59 | Joey Richardson - Brian Criswel | 101 | 4 | 3 | 7.10 | 0.2 | 6.90 | |
| 60 | Austin Lang - Bobby Lang | 44 | 2 | 2 | 6.23 | 6.23 | ||
| 61 | Gerry Klein - George Johnson | 121 | 2 | 2 | 6.13 | 6.13 | ||
| 62 | Ed Bulala - Armando Ortiz | 74 | 4 | 4 | 6.10 | 6.10 | ||
| 63 | Rufus Jordan - Steve Webb | 16 | 4 | 4 | 5.57 | 5.57 | ||
| 64 | Weston Culpepper - Chris Herrin | 72 | 2 | 2 | 5.44 | 5.44 | ||
| 65 | Rusty Champion - Darden Kirby | 22 | 3 | 3 | 5.27 | 5.27 | ||
| 66 | Mike Thigpen - Buck Thigpen | 36 | 4 | 4 | 5.16 | 5.16 | ||
| 67 | Harry Ligon - Luke Henson | 30 | 3 | 3 | 4.76 | 4.76 | ||
| 68 | Jim Brown - Kelly Brown | 128 | 4 | 4 | 3.57 | 3.57 | ||
| 69 | Clay Williams - Tray Mullis | 112 | 2 | 2 | 3.08 | 3.08 | ||
| 70 | Allan Wells - Ryan Wells | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Jack Tibbs - Skip Jackson | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | David Inman - Greg Tucker | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Rodney Ross - Douglas Chappel | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Greg Suggs - Norman Beach | 69 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Calvin Greene - Rusty Taylor | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Rufus Conine - Brad Kimbrough | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Mark Cameron - Jerry Lee Savage | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | David Morris - Bill Cobb | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Oscar Graf - Heidi Graf | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Jason Ninas - Matt Shoemaker | 48 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Larry Turney - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Jonathan Halbert - Jason Byrd | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | James Jones - | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Tom Newberry - Alan Spurlock | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Justin Marsh - Jeremy Hagler | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Bobby Patterson - Jason Taylor | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Durwood Henderson - Breny Jorda | 45 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Landon Jackson - Logan Hagler | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Sherman Gilmore - David Grant | 53 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Michael White - Eric White | 56 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Doyle Campbell - Justin Campbel | 59 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Darrell Kennington - Richard Ke | 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Bruce Donaldson - John Mc Crumm | 62 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Brandon Melton - Jeremy Johnson | 63 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Eddie Torres - David Herd | 64 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Steve Polk - Josh Walker | 66 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Steve Lipham - Milner Mitch | 68 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Jackie Hammond - Jim Heathcock | 71 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Marty Everson - Jeff Morey | 73 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Alton Shiver - Gary Niles | 76 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Scott Hollinhead - Tim English | 77 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Bill Vance - Jamie Fincher | 79 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Brian Provence - Bill Smith | 80 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Larry Blankenship - Taylor Blan | 81 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Eric Nichel - Joshua Cormier | 83 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Sam Kennedy - Ken Kraft | 84 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Joel Hughes - Dean Robertson | 85 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Don Reeves - Wayne Griffin | 86 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Chad Roberts - Jimmy Allred | 87 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Carlton Freeman - Caleb Freeman | 96 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Eric Bryan - Jimmy Nichols | 82 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Ryan Kizziah - Anthony Green | 88 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Broughton Jones - Jeremiah Fort | 98 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Frank Daniel - Robert Miggins | 99 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Don Thomas - Todd Sims | 103 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Dave Hall - Jason Sanders | 114 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Whit McCurly - Chris Wiley | 115 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Chris Jones - J.P. Champion | 117 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Brad Shiver - Richard Hurias | 118 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | David Parsons - Brian Woodham | 119 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Larry Bettison - Kszyminski Han | 120 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Steven Stewart - Johnny Creel | 122 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Terrell Kelley - Willaim Faison | 123 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Scott Flournoy - Gene Flournoy | 130 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Allen Lindsey - Robert Edmonson | 131 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | John Clegs - Greg Day | 132 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Shane Thrash - Taylor Terry | 133 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Lane Wright - Chris Clark | 135 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | Jeff Hale - Lance Kirkland | 138 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Mcintosh & Mclean Win Wateree Catt With 25.54 Lbs!
Lake Wateree continues to churn out winning sacks at 25 lbs or better. This is the 10th tournament this year I think? In the past Wateree has been known to produce high double digit winning bags all year long and this year is shaping up to be one of those years.
Billy McIntosh and Rick McLean brought in 5 bass weighing 25.54 lbs and took place along with the BONUS $ at Wateree Saturday. They took home $950.00!
Chad Rabon and Walt Almond claimed 2nd place with another limit weighing 22.90 lbs. They received $350.00.
Steve and Cody Phillips finished 3rd with 5 bass weighing 22.23 lbs and had the 2nd BF at 6.59 lbs. They took home $306.00.
Donald Hinson and Peanut Hinson claimed 4th with another limit weighing 17.33 lbs. They collected $125.00.
Last money place of $100.00 went to Jimmy McFarland and Calvin Griggs with 5 bass weighing 16.12 lbs.
1st BF went to Bradford Beavers with a 6.61 lb bass good enough for $189.00.
Next Wateree CATT is June 22nd at Clearwater Cove Marina.
Brett Collins
Carolina Anglers Team Trail LLC
Christie Still In Control At Flw Tour On Grand Lake
photo courtesy Gary Mortenson/FLWOutdoors.com
As tournaments wear on, successful anglers refine their patterns and narrow the selection of rods on their boat deck. Yesterday Jason Christie said he had 3 productive patterns going. This evening he revealed that he is pretty much just going flipping up the lake tomorrow, as that has been the money deal anyway this week.
The Rayovac team pro from Park Hill, OK has now led all 3 days of the FLW Tour stop #5 on his home water, Grand Lake. With 17 pounds, 10 ounces today his sack was, once again, lighter than the previous day’s haul but enough to, yet again, widen his lead. With a 3-day total weight of 58-04 Christie now holds a three-and-a-half-pound lead over Barry Wilson of Birmingham, Ala.
Christie said he ran down lake and threw a crankbait today simply to get it out of his system so that he can concentrate solely on flipping bushes during Sunday’s final round.
Andy Morgan jumped into 3rd place. The likeable legend, Jimmy Houston climbed a notch into 4th. And Robbie Dodson is 5th.
Bryan Thrift, Jay Yelas, Zell Rowland, Stetson Blaylock and JT Kenney will start tomorrow in 6th-through-10th. 137 other pros have been eliminated.
All of the co-anglers are done. Keith Honeycutt of Temple, Texas took top honors with a total weight of 45-13.
Christie Continues To Lead Flw Tour On Grand Lake
photo by Gary Mortenson, courtesy of FLWOutdoors.com
Well after prompting the usual pre-tournament sandbagging from pros and possibly some actual placement of sandbags around the property of homeowners along the shores of Grand Lake, the waters have stabilized and begun to fall slightly. Some portions of the lake are very clear now. This calls for adaptability on the part of contestants in the FLW Tour tourney on the big Oklahoma impoundment this week.
Rayovac Pro Jason Christie is adaptable. He has ridden 3 entirely different patterns in 3 entirely different sections of the lake to build a lead on Day 1 and then expand that lead to nearly 3 pounds today midway through the 4-day event.
Christie has a total weight of 40 pounds, 10 ounces and said that he is mostly flipping but also throwing a spinnerbait. Also of note is the fact that he has strong spot off the bank where he is catching some key fish. As waters continue to recede that could be important this weekend.
His nearest competitor is Robbie Dodson of Arkansas who has a total weight of 37-14. Dodson is fishing shallow because his practice rounds turned up nothing special out deep. He’s burning a lot of gas and said that his bite count diminished from about 30 on Day 1 to 6 today.
Angling legend Zell Roland jumped from 9th to 3rd today. The Texan has a total weight of 36-6.
Carolina pro Todd Auten slipped a notch to 4th today but he’s happy with the way this event is unfolding. Auten is flipping at times and then mixing in a variety of moving lures to show the bass something different each time he passes a key stretch of water.
And talk about legends of the sport, Chevy Pro Jimmy Houston hung in the Top 5 with a 15-14 effort today. Coupled with his 20-pound sack on Day 1, Houston’s total now stands at 36-10.
While he’s throwing the usual Jimmy Houston lure lineup – spinnerbaits, jigs, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, and spinnerbaits, Houston noted that he caught a remarkable 7 keepers from one small bush today.
He caught many more, but none that approached that 5-pound mark anglers need in order to separate themselves at Grand this week.
Darrell Davis of Dover, Fla. found such a fish. His lunker weighed 6-3 and took big fish honors today.
Keith Honeycutt of Temple, Texas holds the co-angler lead with 30 pounds, 8 ounces heading into what will be the final day for those fishing from the back deck.
Great Video Of Bobbie Barrick And The Snag Proof Ish's Poppin Phattie!
Snag Proof has long been the leader in topwater Frog action, and this video does nothing to dispel that notion............Check it out and see WHY Snag Proof has been the leader for 50+ years!! Click the link below to see all the action!
After Saturday Lee King Tournament Will Become The Alabama Children's Classic Bass Tournament
2012 Lee King Benefit Buddy Tournament Champions - Jeff and Paul Aul
After a highly-successful 13-year run as the Lee King Benefit Tournament, which raised thousands of dollars to help fund research on Niemann-Pick disease, the popular tournament on Lake Eufaula has a new goal and will undergo a name change after Saturday's tournament.
After fighting an heroic battle with Niemann-Pick disease, a rare terminal degenerative disease for which there is no cure, Lee King, the young man who lent his name to the Lee King Buddy Benefit Tournament on Lake Eufaula, died in 2011 at the age of 20. Niemann-Pick is a genetic, cholesterol storage disorder that primarily strikes children, with death usually occurring before or during adolescence.
“From now on the tournament will be known as the Alabama Children's Classic Bass Tournament,” said Sam Williams, a local fishing guide who founded the Lee King Tournament. “The King Family wanted me to stop the tournament last year, but I told them the fishermen wanted to make it a memorial tournament.”
Williams said the King Family wanted Lee's name taken off the tournament while they were grieving. He asked them to give him a year to make the change.
“We researched many options and prayed a lot,” he said. “We have finalized a partnership with Children's of Alabama Hospital, which is the only free standing hospital in Alabama dedicated solely to caring for children.”
Children's of Alabama Hospital, located in Birmingham, treats all children, regardless of their family's ability to pay. In 2012, the hospital received more than 650,000 patient visits at its clinics and admitted nearly 14,000 for treatment.
To jump start the change to Children's of Alabama, Williams, who operates a tax-exempt organization to accept donations, is holding a raffle for a bull red inshore fishing trip in Destin, Fla., for three people. The winner of the drawing, plus two guests, will receive an expense-paid bay fishing trip with Capt. Daniel Pike, a television fishing show personality who operates the Inshore Angler® Fishing Guide Service in Destin. The trip includes a free two-night stay at Pelican Beach Resorts in Destin.
With the final Lee King tournament coming up Saturday, Williams said he has over 100 boats registered by mid-week, but a lot of local fishermen usually hold off until the last minute to enter.
“We know we will be over the 140-150 mark, but we are hoping to get 200 boats,” he said, adding that competitors should catch a lot of fish Saturday.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if it did not take between 18 and 24 pounds to win Saturday,” he said. “We had a benefit tournament for high school kids last weekend. It took 13 pounds to win and the fish were way off.”
The bite has been back and forth, he said, because the weather keeps changing and the water temperature is fluctuating
“We got out there one morning and the water temperature was 72-73 degrees. We got back to those same places in the afternoon and it was 82 to 84 degrees,” he said.
“The topwater bite is good early in the morning The guys who are working deep water will be catching them on heavy spinnerbaits, Ledgebusters, deep running crankbaits and Carolina rigs. Jig fishing is on fire right now. The crawfish are in the red stage and guys are finding them in their live wells and weigh-in sacks,” he said. “And the guys who know where the trash piles are will bring in some decent fish, too.”
Lee King Benefit Tournament
Sat, Jun 8, 2013
Lake Eufaula
Lakepoint Resort State Park
CALL POLLY WILLIAMS 334-687-6266
5-Pound-Plus Average May Be Needed To Win Chattanooga Bass Tournament Saturday
Bass fishing is so good on Chickamauga Lake right now that Justin Medley, tournament director for the Chattanooga Bass Association, said it will take 25 pounds, possibly more, to win the fifth CBA tournament of the year Saturday.
“It could take 30 pounds. We've seen several of those this year,” Medley said.
Although there is a topwater bite early in the morning, most of the recent tournaments have been won deep, he said.
“Most guys wait on the generators to get going and then fish deep in the afternoon,” Medley said.
“I expect Chris Coffey and Nick Pratt to have a good showing, but with that deep bite it could be anybody's game.”
Coffey and Pratt won the last CBA tournament and just won another tournament on the lake this past weekend, so they are on a roll right now, he noted.
“It's too early to pick out anybody as favorites in the points race, but Alan Dysart and Jamie Copenhaver have been fishing really consistent this spring,” Medley said. “If they can maintain the top five finishes they have been getting they will have a good shot at the title. They are really good fishermen – but so are a lot of other guys in this field.”
After four tournaments, Dysart and Copenhaver lead the second place team of Greg Lamb and Mark Heatherly by 35 points. Rick Camp and Jamie Hatcher are tied with Rogne Brown for third, just two points behind Lamb and Heatherly.
Things could change soon in the lake, which would give some of the other teams a summertime edge, he noted.
“The grass has just started growing and if it comes along like it should some of the grass fishing guys could move up and shake up the points race.”
First place in the CBA tournaments pays $2,000. Fishermen must fish seven of the regular season events to qualify for the classic at the end of the year. At the classic first place is guaranteed $10,000 guaranteed by TowBoatUS. Last year more than $60,000 in cash and prizes was awarded at the classic, Medley said.
The tournaments are family-friendly, he noted, with special divisions for adult-youth teams and new teams.
“Both the new and youth teams will compete against other new and youth teams. The youths in youth teams get to fish at half the entry fee and the highest finishing youth team in an event wins free entry into the following tournament The same applies to the new teams. The highest finishing new teams get free entry into the next event.”
The Chattanooga Bass Association requires a one-time $50 process feet for each participant who wants to receive points towards entry into the year-end classic and receive year-end prizes and new team prizes. The entry fee is $120 per boat for each tournament, $60 for a youth division team.
A youth division team must have one participant who is 16 years or younger at the time he purchases his process number. A new team is one that did not compete in more than one CBA open event during the 2012 season.
The Chattanooga Bass Association is a non-profit community service organization founded by community leaders in 1976. It was designed to offer a top quality open fishing circuit to Chattanooga and surrounding areas; while enhancing Chattanooga’s economic growth and recreational potential.
After Saturday's tournament the schedule includes June 22 (night), July 13, July 27 (night), August 10, August 24 (night), September 14 and October 12, with the Classic Nov. 2- 3.
Chattanooga Bass Association
Sat, Jun 8, 2013
Chickamauga Lake
Chester Frost Park
Call Justin Medley 423-667-5054
Floods Cause Cancellation Of Oakley Big Bass Quantum Big Bass Classic On Fort Gibson Lake
Heavy flooding has caused the cancellation of the Oakley Big Bass Quantum Big Bass Classic on Oklahoma's Fort Gibson Lake this weekend.
“The lake is 14 to 15 feet high and there are no ramps available at that water level,” said Mark Jones, who coordinates the Oakley Big Bass tournaments across the country. Jones said the flooding, caused by the recent severe weather across the Midwest, had caused Fort Gibson Lake to swell from it's normal 19,900 acres to 51,000 acres.
“All the parks and the boat ramps around the lake are underwater. We could not get on the lake if we wanted to,” he said.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which built the dam and controls the lake, reported the pool elevation at 569.70 feet and still rising on Wednesday. The Corps estimates the lake will rise to at least 571-572 feet by the weekend.
“We've already got a new date for the tournament and rescheduled it for Oct 26-27,” Jones said. “We've moved all the entrants forward and already notified everybody of the change in schedule.”
On the Oakley Big Bass website, Jones asked that anglers email and not call so a response can be made in writing.
“For those of you who qualified to received a free rod (anyone who registered on or before May 5th) you may still come to Bass Pro Shops Friday in Broken Arrow and pick up your rod.” the notice said. “We will be at the store from 12 to 7 p.m. If you can’t make it to the store you can pick up your rod prior to the event in October.
The new dates for Fort Gibson Lake will fall one month after the next tournament on the Oakley Big Bass schedule for this year, the Jason Williamson Big Bass Classic on South Carolina's Lake Murray Sept. 28-29.
OAKLEY BIG BASS TOUR - QUANTUM BIG BASS CLASSIC
Jun 8-9, 2013
Fort Gibson Lake
Call Mark Jones 214-605-4600
Christie Has A Lot Of Success On Grand Lake, Site Of Flw Tour Major
Jason Christie holds up a 6-pound, 8-ounce Beaver Lake largemouth. Photo by Brett Carlson / FLW Outdoors
Pro angler Jason Christie lives about 45 minutes from Grand Lake in Oklahoma, site of the FLW Tour Major June 6-9. and he has had excellent success on the lake in the past. Most recently Christie finished 7th in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic Feb. 22-24, weighing in 43.4 pounds to win $21,500.
But his history on the lake goes back a long way.
“I've spent a lot of time on the lake,” he said, “although I've not spent a lot of time recently on the lake other than the Classic earlier this year, and that was the last time I was on Grand Lake.”
That, he said, was the most time he had spent on Grand Lake in the last four or five years due to the constraints on his time, fishing both the FLW Tour Majors and the Bassmaster Elite Series. Over the years, however, he has fished a lot of tournaments on the lake.
“Back when I was fishing team tournaments Grand Lake had the most money to offer, so the was where I spent most of my time fishing.”
And, when he began fishing nationally organized tournament series, he forged a solid reputation on the lake, capturing 14 top 10s in BFL competition, including five first place finishes between 1999 and 2010.
In six years of fishing B.A.S.S. tournaments Christie has one win in Elite Series competition and two B.A.S.S. Open wins. In six years of fishing FLW competition, he has 10 top 10s in FLW Tour Majors, including two first place finishes, and one win in the Central EverStart Division.
“The only thing I have never done on Grand Lake this time of year, however, is fish a multi-day event. I've fished a lot of one-day events and done good, but never fished a 4-day event where you have to manage fish,” he said.
The FLW Tour Major next week should be a lot of fun to fish, he said, because the fish are in various stages.
“It sounds crazy, but there are some fish spawning. There will still be some fish out deep and there are going to be a lot of fish up shallow, so that's going to open it up to where you can do whatever you want to do.”
Christie said he will use his three practice days next week basically fine-tuning his shallow water strategy and then looking for some deep fish.
“I'll probably spend the first three-four or five hours each day trying to figure out how to catch them shallow and then later in the day try to find some places where the fish might be out deep,” he said. “I'm primarily a shallow-water fisherman, flipping and stuff like that, but I feel I am also pretty versatile. I've won tournaments the last three or four years doing just about everything,” he said.
“The lake is full of fish, one of the best in the country so it will be fun. Even though it is a big lake, it's a deep lake so it's going to fish small. You will see a lot of people fishing, but the good thing about it is there will still be a lot of fish.”
FLW Tour Major
Jun 6-9, 2013
Grand Lake
Wolf Creek Park
Boats Unlimited Nc Team Tournament Bass Trail Results - June 1, 2013 - Falls Lake
1st Place: Thomas Sheffer & Ken McNeill of Cary & Raleigh...5 bass...27.52 lbs
67 teams showed up for the 7th & final qualifying tournament of the 2013 Boats Unlimited NC Team Tournament Bass Trail. What a beautiful day we had and the the bite was on fire again at Falls! 67 degrees in the morning and about 87 in the afternoon with SSE 5-10 mph winds for most of the day.
Ken McNeill & Thomas Sheffer had the best of the eleven 20+ lb. bags taking 1st place honors with 5 bass weighing 27.52 lbs. They won the 1st place money and the BOATS UNLIMITED NC 1st place $1,000 bonus along with 2nd place Big Fish for a grand total of $2,681.
Scott Dunn & Stewart Adams won 2nd place (25.98 lbs.) pocketing $804. The team of David Hall & Dane Sallinger racked up some good pocket change with 4th place money of $482, 1st Place Big Fish & 1st Place TWT for a grand total of $2,491.
268 fish were weighed in for a whopping total weight of 875 pounds. At least 4 weighed over 7 lbs! Numerous bass weighing 5 to 6 lbs. were also weighed in and the fish were healthy! Most fish were caught from 2 to 20 feet of water on a variety of baits including crankbaits, top water, vertical jigs and plastics for the most part. Water temps averaged 84 degrees.
I want to thank all the anglers that participated and that support this trail.
Our next tournament will be the 2013 CBS QUALITY CARS TEAM BASS MINI TRAIL CHAMPIONSHIP,
June 8th at Shearon Harris out of Holleman's Crossing Wildlife Ramp.
All the information on our tournaments can be found at: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Thomas Sheffer & Ken McNeill of Cary & Raleigh...5 bass...27.52 lbs...$2,285
2nd Place: Scott Dunn & Stewart Adams of Four Oaks...5 bass...25.98 lbs...$804
3rd Place: Williams Small & Lee Williams of Wake Forest & Durham...5 bass...24.98 lbs...$536
4th Place: David Hall & Dane Sallinger of Raleigh & Wake Forest...5 bass...24.80 lbs...$482
5th Place: Jaime Fajardo & Josh Hooks of Fuquay Varina & Apex...5 bass...24.73 lbs...$429
6th Place: Hal Abshire & Ethan Cox of Cameron & West End...5 bass...24.46 lbs...$375
7th Place: Mike Hodge & Tim Wall of Clayton...5 bass...21.89 lbs...$322
8th Place: Barry Spell & Bob Rogers of Durham...5 bass...21.36 lbs...$268
9th Place: Keith & Alden Patterson of Mebane...5 bass...20.73 lbs...$215
10th Place: Chuck Bolton & Steve Gardner of Seven Lakes & West End...5 bass...20.40 lbs...$215
11th Place: Dan Glosson & Phillips Eakes of Rougemont & Bahama...5 bass...20.13 lbs...$161
12 Place: Chase & Gary Johnson of Four Oakes...5 bass...19.38 lbs...$161
13th Place: Greg Riggs & George Pearce of Durham...5 bass...19.22 lbs...$107
2nd Place: Scott Dunn & Stewart Adams of Four Oaks...5 bass...25.98 lbs1st Place Big Fish..4th Place Team above...7.96 lbs...$924
2nd Place Big Fish..1st Place Team above...7.57 lbs...$396
1st Place TWT..4th Place Team above...24.80 lbs...$1,085
2nd Place TWT..5th Place Team above: 24.73 lbs...$465
For all our tournament information:
Phil McCarson ... Tournament Director
919-471-1571 or 919-971-5042
email: philsflags@msn.com
web: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Sportsman's Warehouse June Report From Columbia, Sc!
Sportsman's Warehouse fishing manager CRAIG BAIRD joins us to talk TOPWATER ACTION, and lots of it around the region as lakes are as full or more full than ever! Click here to see all the top topwater baits that are flying off the shelf............
Sallee Combed Ledges With Strike King Crank Baits To Win Bfl On Kentucky/barkley Lakes
Spencer Wins Walmart Bfl Mountain Division On Barren River, May Wins Co-Angler Title
Jackie Reilly And Butch Drew Win The Ccb On High Rock With 18.3 Lbs And Take Home $10,000
Huge win for Jackie Reilly and Butch Drew Sat afternoon on the Rock.........they beat out 173 other teams for the hottly contested $10,000. THis ciircuit is simply on fire..........winners picture below and full results are attached
Tom Hebb And Ron Butler Win The Ac Marine Tt On Smith Mtn-Full Results Here!
Tom Hebb and Ron Butler hold on in a very tight tournament and pull out the win with just over 15 Lbs on Smith Mtn. THis is the time of year Smith Mtn has heavy weekend boat traffic as well as a deeper bite which brings the weights down somewhat. CLick on the attachment for full results and congrats to the champs!
Fishing Good On Eufaula Right Now Heading Into Lee King
Water Level 188.90 msl
Water Clarity Clear
Water Temperature 78early to 84 degrees afternoon
Bass Early top water bite is exciting, frog's and spinner baits are working. The shallow cover is producing fish at sunrise, better if shad are working. The pressure from the tournaments over the past month make working different baits and colors a must. Deep fish are being caught in 18 feet or less. Any type of cover or trash pile are holding a few fish per location. The fish are still scattered in this transition period. As the day's heat up, they will stack up more. Cranks, Jig and Ledgebuster spinner baits are the trick. Carolina Rigs do not need to be overlooked.
Bream are eating crickets and worms around the banks, near shore cover. May fly's are beginning to show up, this will start a feeding frenzy near the limbs hanging over the water where the may fly's are. The bream feeding on the fly's will attract the bass, making a hot spot for bream and bass fishermen.
Crappie are still biting minnows, more on the drops on creek and river ledges now. Some night fishermen are still catching fish around the bridge pilings and causeway.
Catfish are very active. Jug fishing had gotten very good. Cut bait is the deal. It is especially fun if you want to keep youngsters active on the water. Rig a hook on a bream buster, flatten the barb and lift the jugs with the pole. It is like fighting the fish on a regular pole and you will not lose as many as you do when hand lining.
The days get hat really quick on the water. Be sure and keep plenty of water and sun screen with you. Re apply the sun screen as you sweat during the day. Enjoy the time on the water, it is especially good for building family memories.
We are one week away from the Lee King Benefit Tournament. Visit www.leekingbenefit.org for details. Please join us for the fun, it's all for a good cause. You can also find out about our newest promotion, a six hour Bull Red fishing trip in Destin, Fla for three people plus a two night stay at Pelican Beach Resort in September. Almost $1200.00 value for a $5.00 chance.
God Bless & Good Fishn'
Capt. Sam
Capt. Sam Williams
www.hawksfishingguideservice.com
skype # sam.williams184
Hawkadvocare.com
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Milwaukee School Of Engineering Team Wins Carhartt Bassmaster College Tournament In Iowa
FORT MADISON, Iowa — Marshall Sandretto and Eric Logisz of the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) climbed from fourth place to claim the top prize in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Midwestern Regional Championship Thursday on Iowa’s Lake Sugema.
The teammates won on the strength of consistent daily limits weighing 8 pounds, 3 ounces on Wednesday and 9 pounds, 8 ounces Thursday for a two-day total of 17-11.
The Midwestern Regional was plagued by rough weather from the beginning, and the final weigh-in was delayed because of inclement weather. Changes began on the eve of the final practice day when, in the interest of angler safety, B.A.S.S. officials elected to move the event from the flooded Mississippi River to nearby Lake Sugema.
Another challenge to the collegiate anglers was a slot limit on the lake’s bass that prevents keeping fish between 12 and 18 inches. The young fishermen caught plenty of tiny, 10- to 12-inch bass, which they could weigh in, and lots of 12- to 18-inchers, which they could not. The rare 18-plus-inch fish, which they called “overs,” were game changers.
“We had two ‘overs’ each day,” said Logisz. “But those ‘unders’ put us up about a pound and a half or so.”
Anglers fought this slot all week, with many teams catching a limit of “slot fish” that would have added 10 to 12 pounds to their scores, but instead were able only to weigh in limits of five fish for 2 or 3 pounds. Some anglers tried to target only overs, but never reached a limit. Others tried to catch anything they could but fell short of qualifying without a quality bite.
It was MSOE’s Sandretto and Logisz who figured out the right combination of quantity and quality. Without their overs or unders they would have been unable to win the regional.
“Yesterday, we started off doing a bunch of stuff,” said Logisz. “We flipped and pitched a little bit, threw a spinnerbait and tried to get some reaction bites, but we couldn’t get anything going.”
The pair finally found cooperative fish when they began flipping green pumpkin beaver creature baits around real shallow trees on windy banks.
Day 2 was more of the same for the team from Milwaukee, with one exception. After only getting a few bites early, they decided the increased cloud cover called for a change in bait color.
“Marshall switched to a black-and-blue Texas rigged beaver, and that’s what we caught our big fish on,” said Logisz.
Catching numbers of fish wasn’t a problem for most anglers on Sugema this week, and it was no different for MSOE.
“We just went through a lot of fish,” said Sandretto. “We would catch shorts, then we’d catch fish in the slot, and then we would eventually catch a bigger one. It was just kind of random where the large ones were.”
MSOE sampled a few other baits and techniques but relied heavily on the flipping game with one common theme throughout their pattern: wind. With winds out of the south, the MSOE team members focused their efforts on the north shore of the lake, where they caught all of their fish this week.
In addition to their win, Sandretto and Logisz qualified for the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship, which will be held on Lake Chatuge, Aug. 1-3. They will be joined by second-place finishers, Jackson Grabeel and Joseph Reilly of Western Illinois University, along with the remainder of the Top 10 finishers from Lake Sugema.
Nick Carter and Leo Dedering of the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, brought in the Carhartt Big Bass Friday. It weighed 6-7 and earned the team a $500 Carhartt gift card.
Winning the tournament’s Livingston Lures Leader award of $500 in product for being in the lead on Day 2 were Marshall Sandretto and Eric Logisz of the Milwaukee School of Engineering
For a complete list of the final results, please click here.
Post Memorial Weekend Tournament Preview With Ac Pro Staffer Rob Digh
AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh breaks down the long line of BIG TOURNAMENTS coming your way in the next 2 to 3 weekends.........Payouts and weights will be BIG-as are Rob's insights as to what you should be looking for-Click here to watch!
K State Takes Lead In Bassmaster College Tourney
The size restriction, imposed to prevent overharvest of medium-size bass, confounded the anglers. Many reported catching plenty of bass within the slot, and it pained them to have to let the fish go. Most had to settle for small, 10- to 12-inch “keeper” bass, and the ones who boated more “overs,” or bass larger than 18 inches, dominated the top of the leader board.
On a day when one fish of that size outweighed a typical five-fish limit of “unders,” Ben Zuk and Ethan Dhuyvetter of Kansas State University brought in three “overs” and two smaller bass for an total of 11 pounds, 15 ounces and claimed the Day 1 lead. The Kansas State duo also weighed one of the larger fish of the day. Unfortunately, their excitement over the catch of a 5-pounder caused them to violate tournament rules prohibiting more than five bass in the boat at one time.
With five bass already in the live well, “We threw that big one in there, made a few casts — and then realized what we’d done,” Zuk said.
He and his partner called Bassmaster College Series Tournament Manager Hank Weldon to report the error. In accordance with the rules, Weldon docked the team 2 pounds and allowed them to release the smallest bass in the livewell. Their pre-penalty weight of the day would have been 13-15 — about 3 pounds more than the second-place team of Travis Wilson and Brian Lafferty of Western Illinois University, who had 10-12.
The story of the day, however, was the slot. Every team crossing the weigh-in stage mentioned catching numerous bass between 12 and 18 inches. Those unable to boat a fish longer than 18 inches had to settle for five-bass limits weighing between 2 and 3 pounds.
Even the leaders joined the chorus.
“We had two 17 3/4-inch bass that were pretty chunky,” Zuk said. “They would have looked good in the livewell.”
The team caught a total of 20 fish Wednesday, including seven in the 10- to 12-inch range. Two of those smaller bass filled their limit. A good day on Day 1 is no guarantee of what will happen Thursday.
“We could catch 20 pounds tomorrow, or we could blank,” said Zuk.
Another cumulative half inch today and Kansas State could have had 20 pounds. But three fewer casts and they would have had one of the five-fish limits for 2-8 that many other teams brought to the scales. The Kansas State anglers aren’t ready to disclose all of their secrets, but hard work was the key.
“We weren’t having much luck this morning,” said Dhuyvetter. “We found an area that looked good, got a few 18-inch bites, and that’s where we’re at.”
“We just put our heads down and went fishing,” said Zuk.
The top team members admitted to having figured out something that helped them get a few quality bites. Without disclosing details, they said their fishing method was more important than the lures they used.
The second-place finishers Wednesday were Western Illinois University team members Wilson and Lafferty, who hope for an even stronger Day 2.
“We probably caught 30 fish today with two over 18,” said Lafferty.
The two anglers caught numerous fish just on the bubble, though only two fell to the right side of the 18-inch mark.
“We were on better fish, catching 16- to 17-inch fish all day long,” said Lafferty.
The weather seemed to help WIU, and that’s something the team hopes doesn’t change with an approaching weather front.
“I prefer for the sun to be out because it puts the fish right in the cover, and that helps us,” said Lafferty.
Only a few of the anglers this week have any experience on Sugema. Lafferty and Wilson are among those, albeit in an unconventional manner.
“My partner, Travis, and I have been fishing together forever,” said Lafferty. “We fished this lake one time when we were 12 and 13 years old [with Travis’s uncle]. We haven’t been back since then, but we had a blast then. I’m 20, and he’s 21, so it’s been a while.”
Levi Warner and Konner Kearney of the University of Wisconsin brought in the day’s Carhartt Big Bass, which weighed 5-14. They clenched the third-place spot with a limit weighing 8-5 going into Thursday's final round.
For live coverage of all the action on the water, fans can follow the live blog on Bassmaster.com, which also features on-the-water photo galleries, BassCam video reports and the live weigh-in at 3:45 p.m. CT.
Plano To Sponsor Elite Series Finale
Tackle storage giant Plano Molding Co. has obtained the title sponsorship to the final event of the 2013 Bassmaster Elite Series season.
The Plano Championship Chase on Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River will take place Aug. 22-25 out of Detroit, Mich.
“We are proud that Plano decided to play a central role in our Elite Series season finale,” said Bruce Akin, CEO of B.A.S.S., which owns and produces the Elite Series. “The B.A.S.S.-Plano relationship goes back many years. This, our newest endeavor together, enriches that valued partnership.”
Plano, based in Plano, Ill., wanted to partner with B.A.S.S. to be the title sponsor for several very good reasons, said Jesse Simpkins, senior vice president, Sales & Marketing for Plano. One reason: The Plano Championship Chase will feature the crowning of the 2013 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year.
“Top pros, including our own Kevin VanDam, will be driving toward the goal of being the Angler of the Year, a title that rivals the Bassmaster Classic as the most coveted title in all of bass fishing,” Simpkins said.
VanDam, the famed seven-time Angler of the Year and a member of Plano’s pro team, is in contention for an eighth title this year. After five of eight Elite events, VanDam is in third place. Ahead of him in the race are two more of the sport’s greats, Edwin Evers and Skeet Reese, a setup that strongly hints at a fierce fight for the title at the Plano Championship Chase.
Another reason Plano chose to sponsor the finale: Lake St. Clair — and the Detroit River, which connects St. Clair to Lake Erie — are great fisheries.
“Lake St. Clair is No. 1 on Bassmaster Magazine’s ‘100 Best Bass Lakes’ list for good reason. There are hordes of hungry smallmouth and pockets full of hefty largemouth,” Simpkins said.
Not to mention that Bassmaster Elite Series events are proven fan favorites. For the Elite Series, Lake St. Clair will be a new stop, and first-time Elite venues draw fans.
“B.A.S.S. has demonstrated its ability to pull the crowds in, then give those fans an unbelievable tournament experience,” Simpkins said.
As title sponsor, Plano will have top billing in The Bassmasters TV show that features the Plano Championship Chase. On ESPN2, the show will air Saturday, Aug. 31, from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. ET, and again on Saturday, Sept. 14, from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. ET.
Fans also can catch the Plano Championship Chase show on ESPN Classic on Saturday, Aug. 31, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET, and on Sunday, Sept. 15, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. ET.
Almost every angler knows the Plano brand. Owning a Plano tacklebox has become a tradition that has endured for more than half a century. In 1952, Plano introduced the first molded plastic tacklebox, and since has found its way into the hearts and hands of four generations. Today, there’s a four-in-five chance that if you own a tacklebox, it was made by Plano.
Fans can check out Plano’s extensive line of tackle storage solutions at the Bassmaster Elite Series Expo held concurrently with the Chase. Among the 61-year-old company’s many popular items are the Elite Tackle Systems, Guide Series Tackle Systems and the new Flex ’N Go Satchels. For a full review of the hundreds of Plano items, go to www.PlanoMolding.com.
During the Plano Championship Chase, fans can follow the action live on Bassmaster.com, which includes extensive coverage of the event.
Zack Parker And Matthew Roberts Of Bethel University Take 2013 Boatus Collegiate Bass Fishing Title
The team rallied from sixth place to overtake fellow Bethel University teammates Cody Ross and Dewey Swims, who began day two as the leaders. Parker and Roberts did it with the heaviest catch of the event, 25.88 pounds. Their two day total was 46.76 pounds, a new BoatUS Collegiate Bass Championship record.
The duo did it by plying deep shell beds of Lake Pickwick with Strike King swimbaits. According to Zack, the key to success was their research with electronics. "We spent nearly all of our practice idling and scanning structure. When we did find a school, we'd just make enough casts and catches to figure out the size of fish that were holding there." Apparently the strategy was very successful. Partner Matthew Roberts added, "We ended up with about four or five different schools and we just kept rotating through them. We felt like they were always biting somewhere, so we'd hit a spot for 15 or 20 minutes. If they weren't firing at that time, we'd move on to the next one until we hit on the right fish at the right time."
Their timing and persistence was good enough for the tournament's largest bag of fish and the day's largest bass at 7.87 pounds, both of which were also ACA records. Their haul netted them a $5,000 first place prize, a new Hydrowave, the Daily Berkley/Abu Garcia Big Bass Award, as well as the Costa Overall Big Bass Award.
For the second year in a row, Joe Slagle of Tennessee Tech University was the second place boater. This year he did it with a new partner, Cliff Dye. The two were able to top last year's performance by over three pounds, weighing in a total of 44.27 pounds. When asked about finishing as the runner-up two consecutive years, Joe said, "It stings a bit, but I'm pumped. We locked up to Wilson and fished the Wheeler tailraces again and had a great event. Really everything worked out perfect. We executed well and didn't lose anything that would have made a difference, so I'm satisfied. We just needed one more big bite and it just didn't come for us." Cliff echoed Joe's sentiment, "We really wanted to win, especially for Joe after he was so close last year. In the end we made the right decisions and fished really well together, it just didn't work out quite right."
Despite finishing second, the teammates netted more than first place money. Thanks to the ACA and their sponsors, Slagle and Dye loaded up on contingency prizes and bonuses. They took home $2,500 in second place prize money, a $500 ACA contingency bonus, a $1,000 BoatUS Weigh to Win bonus, a $1,000 Cabela's Angler Cash gift card bonus, a $1,000 Yamaha bonus, a $1,000 Ranger Cup University bonus, a $250 Berkley bonus, as well as a new Hydrowave. Collectively their catch was worth over $7,500 in cash and prizes.
The rest of the Top 5 included:
3rd Place: Bethel University - Cody Ross and Dewey Swims - 43.85 lbs.
4th Place: Tennessee Chattanooga - Trent Huie and Cody Frazier - 42.90 lbs.
5th Place: North Carolina State - Paul Owens and Tyler Faggart - 41.19 lbs
Evinrude Pro Helped Certifiy Handicapped Rail System For Bass Boats-Video Is Amazing!
At the 2013 Bassmaster Classic, Evinrude and Ranger Boats teamed up with the Wounded Warrior Project to help get disabled veterans on the water for a few hours to fish with the pros. Wounded Warrior Jeff Thompson not only participated in running the event, but he also helped design the first and only certified handicapped rail system on fishing boats. In the video, Thompson discusses how this new design helps him remain stable while moving around the boat and also gives hope to other veterans who want to get back on the water for the upcoming fishing season. This is a fantastic video and is a great weekend to check it out-happy Memorial Day weekend everyone
Memorial Day To Bring Topwater Excitement!
AnglersChannel Insider Vance McCullough shares a one-two punch that will keep you on top of the topwater action all Memorial Day Weekend no matter how crowded it gets on the water!
Good Finish In Paa On Ft. Loudon/tellico Would Help Double Arey's Chance Of Return To Ttbc
Matt Arey enjoyed the experience so much at the Texas Toyota Bass Classic on Lake Conroe last October that he has doubled his chances of qualifying again this year.
“The whole reason I fished the PAA series this year was because of the TTBC,” said the Shelby, N.C., pro angler. “I got the opportunity to fish the Classic last year and it was the most exciting, well run event I ever fished. Those people down in Texas live and breathe hunting and fishing and they treat the anglers likes kings.”
Arey qualified for the TTBC by being one of the top 15 anglers in the FLW Tour Majors last year, finishing 9th in the points. Only 45 pros are invited to the TTBC – the top15 from the FLW Tour, the top15 from the Bassmaster Elite Series and the top 15 from the Professional Anglers Association (PAA) Tour.
“Toyota sponsored the event and they dropped some big bucks on it. There was a concert every night, they take you to a big prime rib dinner. It is just an unbelievable experience so I would love to get back to it,” said Arey who is fishing both the FLW Tour and the PAA this year.
“That gives me a double chance to qualify,” he said.
He took a giant step towards another trip to Texas with a 9th place finish in the first PAA event of 2013 at Douglas Lake at the end of March, giving him a top 10 stake in the points with two tournaments to go – for the 2013 TTBC.
Because of a change in scheduling he could also qualify this year for the 2014 TTBC which is moving to an annual spring-time event next May. The top 15 anglers after the regularly scheduled three tournaments this year – Douglas Lake in March, Ft. Loudon/Tellico in May and Table Rock Lake in September – will go to the 2013 TTBC Oct. 4-6 on Lake Conroe.
However, those same three tournaments, plus a late add-on tournament – Grand Lake in Grove, Okla., Nov. 4-6, after the 2013 TTBC – will be used to qualify for the 2014 TTBC. Anglers can use points from all four tournaments to qualify for the 2014 TTBC, with the ability to drop their lowest finish of the four.
Adding the fourth tournament has caused some grumbling among the anglers, Arey said.
“A lot of the guys are upset. My problem with it is that when you start a season and it's already underway, you can't change or add tournaments, but that is what they have done.”
Meantime, Arey and the other anglers are hoping the tournament this week on Ft. Loudon/Tellico will cement their place in the standings for the 2013 TTBC.
“I am getting plenty of bites,” said Arey who is pretty confident of holding his own this week. “I am staying with Brandon Coulter, who does really well on this lake, and he has clued me in on a little deal. I'm getting plenty of good bites and one or two big bites each day, so if I can capitalize on those big bites I Should do well.”
Anglers have a number of fishing strategy options, Arey said, because the fish are in transition, with most in post-spawn. But there are still fish in pre-spawn and some still on the beds.
“There are also some fish on the shad spawn, but the problem is the shad are all over the lake, so it's kind of a crap shoot, but when you do find the fish on the shad you can get well in a hurry.”
A wild card is the deep bite, he said.
“It's hit or miss. The fish are really hard to find. There are no big schools ganged up out deep yet, but some guys have found deep fish and those are the guy you will have to look out for, especially with any kind of warm weather,” he said.
“Another wild card is the smallmouth population. They have to be at least 18 inches. There are a lot of 4- and 5-pound smallmouths in this lake, but after they spawn they become ghosts. But somebody will catch some of them and those fish will really push their bags.”
Arey said he plans to fish shallow on three different patterns – spawning fish, fry-guarders and bream fish. There are also some bass left over from the early morning shad spawn that are feeding on bream and crawfish,” he said.
“The majority of the fish I am catching are the bream eaters and the ones guarding their fry,” said Arey.
PAA Fort Loudon/Tellico Tournament
May 23-25, 2013
Fort Loudon/Tellico Lakes
Late Spring May Help Fishing In Anglers Choice Tournament On Smith Mountain Lake
The late spring could provide several benefits to the anglers fishing the Anglers Choice Virginia Division tournament on Smith Mountain Lake this Saturday, according to tournament director Chris Lucas.
“The weather up here has been all over the place and the water has not heated up like it normally has by this time of year, so I would not be surprised if there is not a fish or two still on the bed,” Lucas said.
Added to that, the weather has been unsettled with sporadic rains all week, but it is supposed to be sunny by tournament time and that should help fishing, too, he said.
“It's Memorial Day Weekend, so we probably should not have scheduled a tournament for this Saturday, but the water is still so cold there might not be as much boat traffic as usual for this weekend, so I don't think it will be that bad,” he added.
Lucas noted that Russell and Mark Saunders are leading the Virginia Division points standings after four tournaments, but Kenny and Brandon Reynolds are hot on their heels. The Saunders team finished 4th in the first Smith Mountain tournament March 2, but dropped to 33rd in the second Smith Mountain tournament April 6.
The Reynolds team was third in the first Smith Mountain tournament and 12th in the second tournament at Smith Mountain. They entered the 2012 championship at Smith Mountain Lake last October tied for first place in the points for the second year in a row and finished 12th in the championship. They also won the 2012 Jiffy Automotive Big Bag of the Year award for a five-fish limit caught in the first tournament of the year at Smith Mountain Lake that weighed 23.31 pounds.
“The Saunders guys are good fishermen so it's going to come down to the wire,” Lucas said. “I am sure they will do well at Smith Mountain this weekend.”
Lucas said the season has progressed very well this year, even better than anticipated after the trail was split into divisions – Virginia and North Carolina.
“We are really pleased with the Carolina side. We set it up in hopes it would take some of the pressure off the Virginia side, but the Virginia numbers have been as good as always,” he said.
He noted that after the Smith Mountain Lake the Virginia Division will have only one more regular season tournament – at Kerr Reservoir June 29. The North Carolina Division has two more tournaments – at High Rock Lake June 22 and at Kerr June 30. The two-day Classic for both divisions will be held
Oct. 12-13 at Kerr Lake.
“We've been very pleased with the numbers of entries this year. It's been like business as usual as far as that goes. However, we expect the numbers will go down a little bit toward the end of the year as everybody gets qualified for the championship,” Lucas said.
Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail
Sat, May 25, 2013
Smith Mountain Lake
Parkway Marina
Call Chris Lucas 276-358-0844
Dyer Aiming For Another Title As Nc Bassmaster Weekend Series Goes To Kerr
Stephen Dyer of Mt. Pleasant, N.C., should be brimming with confidence heading into the second tournament of the Bassmaster Weekend Series North Carolina Division this Saturday on Kerr Reservoir.
Dyer is coming off a solid win in the first tournament of the North Carolina Division on High Rock Lake and he has done extremely well on Kerr in the past.
Dyer won the High Rock tournament April 6 with a limit of five bass that weighed 19.57 pounds, including the fourth biggest bass of the tournament at 6.14 pounds, giving him a solid start towards a second straight division points title. The division points champion receives an automatic slot in the Championship, regardless of his finish in the regional qualifier, is invited to a special awards dinner at the 2013 Championship and will receive a special ODYSSEY Battery award.
Dyer ended the 2012 NC Division BWS with all top 15 finishes, including two second places – one on High Rock and the other on Kerr. His second place finish at High Rock last August boosted him into a tie for the 2012 N.C. Division points championship.
And he'd love noting more than to better that 2012 second place on Kerr with a win Saturday like he did at High Rock in April. He came close last June 2, weighing in a limit at 12.19 pounds, just .40 behind the winner, Joshua R. Sanders of Morganton, N.C.
That tournament was just two weeks later than the 2013 tournament, but it has been a late spring so the fish could in about the same phase. However, recent heavy rains across the East Coast have water levels relatively high at 305 feet, but the Corps of Engineers is expected to be pulling water to bring the lake level back down some. Floating debris is a concern for the anglers this weekend, with muddy water rolling down the rivers. The Nutbush arm is somewhat clearer, according to reports.
The high water, however, can be a boon to anglers, flooding a lot of bushes and timber to create good fishing locations. Online reports indicate there has been a good bite recently on plastics in the flooded bushes.
After Saturday the North Carolina Division will have two regular season tournaments remaining – out of Midway Marina on Lake Norman June 29 and out of Ebenezer Park on Lake Wylie July 27. The division championship will be held out of Tamarac Marina on High Rock Lake Sept. 14-15.
“Anglers are competing for a spot in the Northeast Regional at the James/Chickahominy Rivers in October and then a chance to compete in the National Championship at Tennessee’s Lake Hickory in November,” said Gary Conner, East Coast Tournament Manager for The Bassmaster Weekend Series.
Bassmaster Weekend Series - North Carolina Division
Sat, May 25, 2013
Kerr / Buggs Island Lake
Nutbush Access - Kerr Lake State Recreation
Call Gary Conner 256-230-5627
Cbs Quality Cars Team Bass Results - Shearon Harris - May 18, 2013
28 teams showed up for the 5th and final qualifying tournament of the 2013 CBS Quality Cars NC Triangle Area Team Bass Spring Mini Trail. The weather was absolutely beautiful with temps 60 in the am and around 80 in the afternoon with light winds.
Jaime Fajardo & Scott Woodson won 1st place honors with 5 bass weighing 20.18 lbs. They won 1st place money of $756 and $332.50 for 1st place TWT for a grand total of $1,088.50 and upon verification, they will also receive a Stratos 2X bonus. Tim Goad & Butch Williams (15.58 lbs.) won 2nd place, 2nd place TWT & 1st place big fish for a total of $800.50. Their big fish weighed in at 7.12 lbs. and the team of Jerry Woodard and Tommy Dailey took 2nd place big fish with a nice 6.97 lb. hawg.
Only 60 fish were weighed in (because of the slot limit) for a total weight of 147 pounds. Most fish were caught any where from 1 to 15 feet of water. Fish were caught on Spro Frogs & other top water baits, plastic worms, crankbaits and jerk baits just to name a few. Some bass are still on the beds and others are looking a meal! Water temps ranged from 77 to 80 degrees. The bass that were weighed in looked healthy! I want to thank all the anglers that participated and that support this trail.
Our next trail tournament will be the Boats Unlimited NC Team Tournament Bass Trail Final Qualifier #7 at Falls Lake, Saturday June 1st, out of Ledge Rock Wildlife Ramp. This is also an Open tournament for those that just want to fish. This will be the final Boats Unlimited NC qualifier, so teams that have fished only 3 qualifiers as a team, need to fish this last one to be eligible to fish the Championship at Falls Lake, June 22nd. See the rules on the website.
Tim Goad & Butch Williams took 2nd Place with 3 bass that weighed 15.58 lbsAll the information on our tournaments can be found at: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Jaime Fajardo & Scott Woodson of Fuquay Varina...5 bass...20.18 lbs...$756
2nd Place: Tim Goad & Butch Williams of Pittsboro...3 bass...15.58 lbs...$462
3rd Place: Bryce McClenney & Michael Christie of Raleigh & Fuquay Varina...5 bass...12.55 lbs...$336
4th Place: Mike Eggers & Mark Willis of Garner...5 bass...11.99 lbs...$252
5th Place: Hal Abshire & Ethan Cox of Cameron & West End...4 bass...11.65 lbs...$189
6th Place: Calvin McCaskill & Aharon Faircloth of Thomasville...5 bass...11.21 lbs...$105
1st Place Big Fish..1st Place Team above: 7.12 lbs...$196
2nd Place Big Fish..Jerry Woodard & Tommy Dailey of Pikeville & Seven Springs...6.97 lbs...$84
1st Place TWT..1st Place Team above: 20.18 lbs...$332.50
2nd Place TWT..2nd Place Team above: 15.58 lbs...$142.50
For all our tournaments information:
Phil McCarson ... Tournament Director
919-471-1571 or 919-971-5042
email: philsflags@msn.com
web: www.piedmontbassclassics.com