Auten Hopes Neely Henry Is As Hospitable For Paa Tournament As It Has Been In The Past
Todd Auten, the Professional Anglers Association 2011 Angler of the Year, plans to leave for Alabama Sunday to practice for the third PAA tournament of 2012 and he is hoping Lake Neely Henry is as hospitable to him this time as it has been in the past.
“Neely Henry has certainly been good to me,” said Auten who needs a high finish next week to move into contention for another AOY title. He is currently ranked 19th after finishing 18th in the first tournament of the year in January on Lake Toho and 13th in the second tournament in May on Lake Hickory.
In two previous trips to Neely Henry, the pro from Lake Wylie, S.C., won the storm-shortened qualifier in the spring of 2010 and last year in mid-August his 3rd place finish was all he needed to hold on to the points lead and claim the Angler of the Year title.
“Both times the fishing was kind of different,” Auten said. “The first time I fished Neely Henry I caught my fish mostly around the shore grass. The last time I caught some around docks and laydowns, stuff like that.”
But, he added, there is always something a little different every time you return to a lake. His plan is to get away from whatever most of the other anglers are doing and try to find a little niche that can produce a good catch.
“It my be your style of fishing, but you may have to find a little different kind of structure or maybe a different area,” he said. “I will try to get away from the crowd. If a lot of people are fishing close I will go a long way. Sometimes everybody goes a long way to fish and if they do I will try to find something close and a long way off. I will see what everybody else is doing and try to do something different.”
Auten said he hopes to get three full days of practice starting Monday and he plans to try both deep and shallow.
“The last time there was not a real good topwater bite, but this time there may be. So I'll maybe do some of that and also fishing shallow crankbaits and jigs. For the deep bite I'll fish big crankbaits and I guess the Alabama Rig. That might come into play but I have not looked to see if we can use a 5-rig or 3-rig.”
Neely Henry is actually a lake with a lot of options, Auten said.
“You can kind of do your own style of fishing there, which seems to work for me. Whatever I want to do seems to work, whether fishing shallow or fishing deep.”
Since anglers can drop one tournament, a solid finish on Neely Henry would boost his chances of moving towards the points title, Auten said.
“I am hoping the next two I can do real good. If I can get a second or third on Neely Henry and then another one like that on the Arkansas River in September I'll be in the same position I was last year, but everything has to fall into place. I can't have one bad day.”
And Neely Henry must continue to be very hospitable to Auten next week.
Professional Anglers Association (PAA ) Tournament
Jul 23-28, 2012
Neely Henry Lake
Coosa Landing
http://fishpaa.com/2012-neely-henry-lake-tournament-info/
Gainey Enjoying The View While Figuring Out The Smallmouth For Northern Everstart On Champlain
Nick Gainey relaxed on the deck of the bed and breakfast on the shore of New York's Lake Champlain more than a thousand miles from his home in Charleston, S.C., watching the brilliant hues of the sun setting across the lake, and wondered what was going on with the bass the weekend before the FLW EverStart Northern Division's second tournament of the season.
He had come to the lake a week before the tournament to get a jump on some of the other competitors, but the fish had not been following normal patterns.
“I have a little history here. I've usually finished in the money and I've made the top 10, but I have been struggling in practice. I can catch a limit every day, but the numbers are off and the size is off. They are not biting like they are supposed to,” said Gainey who is second in points in the EverStart Northern Division. “I don’t know if the fish are in post spawn or what. They are not grouped up. You catch one here and catch one there. It's been frustrating.”
Gainey finished second in the first Northern Division tournament of the year at Kerr Reservoir in North Carolina last month and he hopes to stay in the top echelon with a strong tournament on Champlain.
“My objective is to make the top 10 and stay up in the points. The next event is at Thousand Islands and the last event is on the Potomac River where I have made two top 10s, so I am excited about the schedule,” he said.
“But, I have got to figure them out here. I have been going out every morning at 6 o'clock and fishing until 5 o'clock every day. I have found two little areas where I caught a 3-pounder and a 4-pounder. Those are the kinds of areas you need in the tournament.”
Gainey noted that the FLW Tour held a tournament on Champlain several weeks ago that was dominated by largemouth bass. He spent one day cruising the banks and fishing for largemouths.
“I caught 20 to 25 largemouths, but no three-pounders. If you go down south the largemouths down there are under grass mats and you can catch them flipping or throwing a frog. But I am not going to run 70-75 miles. If the wind blows you can't get back, so I am going to take my chances on catching these smallies up north.”
Usually, he said, smallmouth fishing on Lake Champlain is a no-brainer.
“It's really Bass Fishing 101. You come up here and throw either a drop-shot or a Carolina rig.
The tournament starts Thursday so Gainey has from now until then to figure out the smallmouth. Meantime, he and his wife are enjoying their surroundings and the nice weather.
“We love it up here. We've been up here at least 8 to 10 times in the last 10 years or so. It's just beautiful country with the Adirondack Mountains and farms everywhere. When you think of New York you automatically think of New York City with its traffic and people, but this is so far out in the country it is almost surreal,” he said.
“I can get out on the lake and see the Adirondacks out in Vermont or look the other way towards New York. It's just beautiful country.”
FLW EverStart Series – Northern Division
Jul 19-21, 2012
Lake Champlain
Dock Street Landing
Reigning Classic Champ Chris Lane With Power-Pole Drift Paddle, Winner Of Icast Best Of Show
Your 2012 Bassmaster Classic Champion Chris Lane shows us another real winner - the Power-Pole Drift Paddle that won 2012 Best New Product of Show in the Boating Accessory category at ICAST.
Brent Ehler In Serious Auto Accident
Just got word that FLW Tour pro Brent Ehler was involved in a serious car crash while towing his rig.
Clara Garmon, 58, did not survive the head-on collision.
No word on Brent's physical condition. Obviously, his spirit could use prayer right now.
Piedmont Bass Classics Summer Trail Results - Jul 14, 2012 - Jordan Lake
29 teams showed up at Jordan Lake for the 2nd qualifying tournament of the 2012 JB Custom Rods~Piedmont
Bass Classics $5,000 Summer Bass Tournament Trail. It turned out to be a pretty nice day! 74 degrees in the
morning with light winds, fog & cloud cover, then close to 90 in the pm with sunshine & light winds.
Chris Wood & Tyler Faggart brought in the winning bag weighing 19.76 lbs. which included the 2nd place big
fish weighing 6.55 lbs. They had a winning a total of $1,008!
82 fish were weighed in for a nice total weight of 251 pounds. Most fish were caught in 6 to 15 feet of water on
plastic worms and crankbaits for the most part. Water temps were around 83 degrees.
I want to thank all the anglers that participated and that support this trail.
Our next Summer Trail tournament will be at Falls Lake out of Ledge Rock Wildlife Ramp,
Saturday, July 21st.
All the information on our summer tournaments can be found at:
http://www.piedmontbassclassics.com/2012STMainPage.html
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Chris Wood & Tyler Faggart of Wake Forest & Julian...5 bass...19.76 lbs...$840
2nd Place: Mike Hodge & Tim Wall of Clayton...5 bass...19.47 lbs...$500
3rd Place: Doug Stallings & T.J. Althaus of Stem & Durham...5 bass...17.81 lbs...$360
4th Place: Jason Suggs & Britt O'Quinn of Fayetteville...5 bass...17.42 lbs...$280
5th Place: Ken Wall & Ben Cannon of Asheboro & Apex...5 bass...16.58 lbs...$220
6th Place: Scott Smith & Tony Woodard of Apex & Four Oaks...5 bass...16.20 lbs...$120
1st Place Big Fish..3rd Place Team above: 6.75 lbs...$392
2nd Place Big Fish..1st Place Team above: 6.55 lbs...$168
1st Place TWT..2nd Place Team above: 19.47 lbs...$350
2nd Place TWT..4th Place Team above: 17.42 lbs...$150
For more tournament information contact:
Phil McCarson~Tournament Director 919-471-1571.......919-971-5042
www.piedmontbassclassics.com or email me at: [email protected]
Doug Stallings & T.J. Althaus caught the Big Fish at 6.75 lbs
Collegiate Champion Casey O'donnell Talks About A-Rig Innovations He's Seen At Icast 2012!
Casey O'Donnell teamed with Miles 'Sonar' Bughoff to bring a Boat U.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing national title to the University of Central Florida last year. In this short clip he speaks about all the new variations in castable umbrella rigs hitting store shelves soon.
Daves Will Be The Tortoise In A Field Of Hares In Northern Open On The Detroit River
At 66 years and counting, half or more spent on the deck of a bass boat competing in bass tournaments, Woo Daves admits that he is slowing down a little.
“Nowadays I have to fish a little slower. I have to do it with my brain, what's left of that,” said the veteran bass pro from Spring Grove, Md., with a laugh. “I have to be the tortoise in the race against the hare, but I still enjoy it. I still like getting out there.”
And he is still good at it, even if the lack of youthful stamina now forces him to fish that much smarter.
Daves is ranked 3rd in Bassmaster Northern Open standings, thanks to a third place finish in the first Bass Pro Shops Northern Open of 2012 on the James River near Richmond last month. Daves weighed in a three-day total of 37.15 pounds, just 1 pound, 5 ounces behind the winner, Josh Wagy, who at 23 is 43 years younger than the veteran pro.
If he can hold in the top five through the rest of the Northern Open schedule – July 19-21 on the Detroit River and Aug. 16-18 on Cayuga Lake at Seneca Falls, N.Y. – he will re-qualify to fish the B.A.S.S. Elite Series. An Open win would propel Daves back to the Bassmaster Classic, the historical championship of bass tournament fishing which he last qualified for 10 years ago.
Daves is one of a small group of Bassmaster Classic Champions and his win in 2000 on Lake Michigan was a classic example of out-thinking the rest of the field. When high winds made traversing the lake impossible most anglers had to abandon the spots they had found during practice and go looking for new fish during the three-day championship.
When they all blasted out of the city marina in Chicago each morning, Daves cranked his big engine just enough to run to the buoy, then dropped his trolling motor and began slowly working the quieter water inside the seawall. He had the entire marina to himself and it paid off big as he weighed in 14 bass at 27 pounds, 13 ounces to win the 30th annual Classic.
In recent years a series of health setbacks have slowed him down and knocked him out of fishing a full schedule, but he is back in the game with renewed enthusiasm for his sunset fishing years.
“About four years ago I had prostate surgery. The year after that I broke my foot and the year after that I broke my shoulder in the fall so I could not fish the Southern Opens. By the time I got healed up it was March so I had to stick with the Northern Opens this year,” Daves said.
But now he is ready to give it one more good shot before calling it a day on the Bassmaster circuit.
“I give myself two more years,” he said. “Next year I’m going to fish both the Northern and Southern Opens.”
He is looking forward to next week's second Northern Open on the Detroit River at Lake St. Clair.
“It is a great fishery They had a lot of 25- to 27-pound stringers caught there in the spring and I think there will be a lot of 20-pound stringers caught in the Open,” Daves said. “That is a place where if you are catching 3-pounders you are wasting your time. It's hard to imagine for somebody who has not fished up there, but if you are catching 3-pounders and everybody else is coming in with 4-pounders you can't win.”
Daves said the best strategy is to try to catch at least three 4-pounders each day and two 3-pounders just to have a chance at finishing in the money. Most of the tournaments recently have been won on drop-shots, he said, and that is how he plans to fish – rigging the drop-shot with a wacky worm and fishing it on very light line, 8-pound-test or even 6-pound-test.
“You are out there in deep water so they won't break you off. You are not going to run into any structure very often and you fish down the edges of the weed beds, not in them.”
The main thing is to just go fishing and have fun, Daves said. You can tell he has mellowed as one of the true old men of the sport of tournament fishing when he talks about fishing Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River.
“It is a fun place to fish. Sometimes you go to a lake and don't catch many fish and as a result you don't do good in the tournament, so you are disappointed. But if you go and catch some good fish, if you catch 3- and 4-pounders, and still don't get a check you are not as disappointed. At least you had the enjoyment of catching the fish and feeling you were that close to doing something good.”
So, don't let Daves' age fool you. He may have slowed down but still has that burning desire and he loves to fish.
There is a great new guard of young anglers competing in Bassmaster tournaments these days, outfitted with the latest in modern technology, but they should pay heed to one of the oldest stories known to mankind. Just remember who won the race in the Aesop's Fable, The Tortoise and The Hare.
Bassmaster Bass Pro Shops Northern Open
July 19-21, 2012
Detroit River
Detroit, MI
Kevin Vandam Talks Crankbait Color Selection From The Strike King Booth At Icast 2012!
KVD shares thoughts on picking lure colors based on water clarity and sky conditions.
King Of The Lake Anglers Get A Taste Of Night Fishing On Lake Wylie Saturday
Bass anglers on Lake Wylie take their night tournaments seriously in the summertime, said Mike Stone, tournament director for the King of the Lake One-Man Trail which has its only night tournament of the series scheduled for Saturday night. The King of the Lake One-Man Trail is sponsored by Lake Wylie Bait & Tackle, located at Buster Boyd Landing.
“After June about all we fish are night tournaments for the summer,” Stone said. “The weather is hot and the boat traffic on weekends is pretty harsh. It gets pretty dangerous trying to fish out there on Saturday afternoons.”
There is another major reason this Saturday's night tournament is on the schedule, Stone said.
“It's a little different fishing so you have to be a complete angler to win this thing.”
In fact, the fishing is not all at night – the tournament starts at 7 p.m., so anglers get a couple of hours of daylight fishing before the sun sets completely. That means working at least two different patterns, one for daytime and one for night fishing.
“Schooling fish play a big part in the tournament because during those last two hours of daylight you can get on the schooling fish. If you can pull up and get 11-12-13 pounds of schooling fish in before dark then you can go after a couple of big fish after dark and that will put you ahead of the ballgame.”
Stone said most anglers will fish the schooling bass with topwater lures, Spooks and Sammies, and some will fish flukes.
“Swim baits have also got really popular the last couple of years for schooling fish,” he added.
Although during the day in summer, most anglers fish the deep holes, at night the fish usually move shallow, he said.
“Mostly during the day it is more of a deep bite, a Carolina rig or a deep-diving crankbait,” Stone said. “At night they move up on points and around brushpiles in the 12- to 15-foot range. A lot of guys catch them shallow at night because the fish will also move up on the rocks after dark.”
Once the sun sets about 70 percent of the anglers will switch to soft plastics, he said.
“A few guys like to throw topwater baits and bang square-billed crankbaits off the rocks, but after dark I put every rod on the boat up except for a worm rod.”
The summer night fishing has been pretty tough so far, until last weekend, said Stone, who also serves as tournament director for the Lake Wylie Bait and Tackle Friday Night Trail.
“Last Friday night we had 16, 15 and 14 pounds caught so hopefully it is getting ready to pick up.”
The King of the Lake Tournament Series has held four tournaments so far and at this point the top five anglers in points are all local fishermen, Stone said. There are two tournaments left before the championship Oct. 20 – the night tournament Saturday and a regular daytime tournament Oct 6.
Stone explained that the six tournaments are held to find the best overall angler, with one for every season – wintertime, pre-spawn, post-spawn, summertime (late May), a night tournament in July and a fall tournament in October.
The top five anglers in points after the six regular tournaments fish in the championship with first place guaranteed $5,000, plus the title of King of the Lake. Anglers may drop one tournament when calculating the points. Entry fee is $150 for each of the regular tournaments, but the five who qualify do not pay to fish the championship.
“If we have 15 boats first place pays $1,000 in the regular tournaments, so if you win one of the regular tournaments you have paid your entry fee for the season,” Stone said. “And then if you are one of the five you fish for $5,000 in the championship.”
King of the Lake One-Man Trail
Sat, Jul 14, 2012 (night)
Lake Wylie
Buster Boyd Access Area
Call Mike Stone at 704-915-0942
www.lakewyliebaitandtackle.com
It's Crunch Time For Top Anglers In Bws Alabama North Tournament On Weiss Lake Saturday
Mark McCaig is only two points behind Bradley Jones so he will be looking ahead in the fourth Alabama North Bassmaster Weekend Series Tournament on Lake Weiss Saturday – but he will also be looking over his shoulder.
“Bradley is a great fisherman, but there are some other guys right behind us who can really catch them,” said McCaig. “Terry Tucker for instance, Weiss is his home lake.”
Tucker, who hails from Gadsden, Ala, is ranked third in points, just five behind McCaig and seven behind Jones.
And, although McCaig lives in Oxford, Ala., less than an hour from Weiss, he does not really consider it his long-time home water.
“Until about two or three years ago I did not fish Weiss a lot. I fished the Coosa River lakes south of there.”
McCaig expects fishing on Weiss to be a little tougher than normal for this time of year in the tournament
“It's an extraordinary lake and people are still catching fish, but I don't think it will take a gigantic bag Saturday. I think 14 to 15 pounds will win it. Somebody may bring in 18 pounds, but I think 15 or 16 pounds will be really good.”
The reason, he said, is it is summertime, it's hot and there has not been a lot of rain.
“There are some deep fish being caught and some shallow fish being caught. You can catch them about any way you want to fish. It's just hard to find a concentration of fish,” he said. “Saturday, if I have a good day, I may catch one 15 feet deep and one a foot deep. It will be what I call junk fishing.”
That said, he plans to concentrate his fishing in shallow areas.
“I do have a few deep places to hit up in the day, but I will catch most of my fish flipping. There is a lot of wood in the lake, up the river, log jams close to deep water, but shallow. That is what I will be concentrating on.”
He will have his work cut out for him, said BWS tournament director Randy Sullivan
“Alabama North has been one of our strongest, most consistent divisions for 2012. We are averaging over 70 boats an event for the first three tournaments. After this event at Weiss we will have our two-day championship event at Guntersville at Val-Monte.”
Sullivan said that after the two-day tournament August 25-26 the points will be tallied up and the top 40 boaters and top 40 co-anglers will be invited to the BWS no-entry-fee Regional Championship in October.
“After each of the four Regionals, the top 50 boaters and top 50 co-anglers from each of the four regionals will qualify for the BWS National Championship on Lake Sam Rayburn in Texas on November 4-10,” he said.
“The Boater winner will receive $100,000 and a spot in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic. The co-angler winner will receive $50,000.”
Bassmaster Weekend Series - Alabama North Division
Sat, Jul 14, 2012
Lake Weiss
Little River Marina
Call Randy Sullivan 256-230-5633
Coolest Thing I've Seen At Icast 2012
For those who thought I was kidding - check out the Stor N Boat.
North Carolina Bass Trail Championship Tournament Results - W Kerr Scott Lake - Jun 30, 2012
North Carolina Bass Trail Championship Tournament was held Saturday June 30th at W Kerr Scott Lake, with temperatures hovering near 100 degrees! Cody Andrews and Brent White won the Championship with 14.5 lbs.
Second place was Mark Weaver and Mike Justice with 10.8 lbs.
Hayden Roten and Dennis Edwards caught the Big Fish of the tournament, weighing 5.1 lbs.
Points Champions for the season were Mark Weaver and Mike Justice. Second place points champions were Darrell Griffin and James Billings.
Thanks to all the family and friends who showed up for the Championship BBQ. Everyone enjoyed the beef brisket and fixin's even though the temperatures were soaring.
The 2013 season will start in January. For membership and sponsorship inquires, contact Mark Weaver, 336-984-8600.
Sponsors this season, Bass Action Lures, Apple Brandy Beef, The Ragg Company, Above and Beyond Liquidators.
-
 Mark Weaver, right, and Mike Justice finished in 2nd Place in the Championship and won the Points Championship for the season! |
 Darrell Griffin, left, and James Billings came in 2nd in the Points for the season |
Carolina Rv And Marine Monday Night Tournament Results - July 2, 2012
Butch Holder and Cliff Kirby brought in 5 fish weighing 13.85 lbs, including a 4.15 lb big fish, to win the July 2nd Carolina RV and Marine Monday Night tournament.
Brandon Abernathy & Bailey Abernathy finished in 2nd Place with 5 fish weighing 10.55 lbs.
Charles Hobbs and Todd Alexander took 3rd Place with 5 fish that weighed 10.35 lbs, including the Big Fish of the tournament at 4.75 lbs.
Scott Hamrick, Chuck Poovey and Jeff Johnson have combined as teamates to lead the points race with 494 points through the July 2nd tournament.
Dave Snyder and Bobby Derrick are in 2nd Place with 476 points. Matthew Benge and Josh Benge are in 3rd Place with 412 points.
CLICK THE LINKS BELOW FOR FULL RESULTS AND POINTS STANDINGS.
Triple-Digit Heat Makes Fishing Tough On Lay Lake For Airport Marine Tournament
A continuation of triple-digit temperatures could slow the fishing even more for the Airport Marine EZ Open Tournament Trail tournament Saturday on Lay Lake, said tournament director Flynn Gerald.
“Fishing has been kind of tough. In the early morning it is okay, but then it gets tough. We've had record heat, 104 degrees here just a couple of days ago, so it is hot and they are predicting triple digits.”
That, said Gerald, means most of the fish weighed in Saturday probably will be caught deep.
“Other than that it is going to be a tough tournament I don't think we will see a huge bag, probably 17 pounds would be a good bag Saturday,” he said. “I am sure there will be some fish caught on a deep diving crankbait and any type of plastic or jigs that you can cast and get out in the deep water.”
Deep on Lay Lake, he noted, is about 12 to 14 feet, not the extreme depths found on some other Southern reservoirs.
“Flipping is usually good on Lay Lake, so I am sure there will be some fish caught flipping, but the tournament won't be dominated by flipping. It could be mixed, with both flipping and deep water producing.”
As tough as the fishing is for the moment, he said, a little change in the weather could create much better fishing.
“We are getting some showers around. They are just sporadic showers, so we will just have to wait and see, but if the weather does change and cool things off it may change the fishing.”
The extreme heat and tough fishing may combine to hold some anglers back who would normally fish Saturday's tournament, Gerald said.
“All you have to do is fish one tournament to qualify for the classic and I would think some of these guys who have already fished a tournament, if they are not competitive for the points, might opt to do something else Saturday as tough as the fishing is.,” he said.
But they might also come and fish just to get in on the superior prize package offered by the Airport Trail, he said.
“We pay back more than we take in. We pay back about 120 percent and nobody else does that. That is one of the things that is appealing for our tournaments. Plus the manufacturers bonuses are really big,” he said.
“If you are fishing out of a Triton and you win one of our tournaments you get a $7,000 bonus in cash and that his huge. And if you are fishing in our Classic in a Triton you will be fishing for $12,000. For a hundred-dollar entry fee nobody does that but Airport Marine.”
And some anglers new to the trail might show up as they only have to fish one tournament to qualify for the classic, he noted.
“The guys who have not fished the trail have two more chances to qualify for the classic, which is going to be a really big deal,” he said. “The Classic will be held Sept. 8 on a lake to be announced. We won’t have a blast-off. Everybody will be pre-paid and will start fishing at a certain time. The fishermen just love that. That is why it is called the EZ Trail. We make it as easy as we can for the fishermen.”
The remaining qualifying tournaments include Saturday and the Aug. 4 on Lay Lake.
Airport Marine Tournament Trail
Sat, Jul 7, 2012
Lay Lake
Paradise Point Marina & RV Resort
Call Flynn Gerald 205-678-9666
Smallmouth Will Be The Target In Speedway Children's Tournament On South Holston Lake
A nice catch from the tournament on Douglas Lake
Some charity tournaments only draw a small field, but Dwayne Linkous, founder of Fishing For Charities, is hoping the Speedway Children's tournament on South Holston Lake Saturday is one of the higher turnout events.
“Bristol Motor Speedway has a charity that helps children in the area surrounding Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia, and we are doing a tournament Saturday to help their children,” said Linkous.
The idea of an umbrella organization is a new step in holding fishing tournaments to support various charities, he said.
“We just turned into a national organization about three months ago and we are basically doing charity tournaments across the country. We are trying to get them under one umbrella so we can hold a national championship. It's going to be awesome at some point – if we get some major backing.”
Linkous said the idea began with a tournament to support his son who has Niemann-Pick Disease, a rare terminal degenerative disease for which there is no cure. Niemann-Pick is a genetic, cholesterol storage disorder that primarily strikes children, with death usually occurring before or during adolescence.
“Then we got into doing charity events. We have several tournaments that we support. Make-A-Wish granted my son a wish so we support that. One of our members had children getting help at the St. Jude Hospital so we put them on the list. Several of our members are veterans so we added the Wounded Warrior Project.”
The organization holds and supports charity tournaments in Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee. Remaining tournaments include the St. Jude Tournament on Claytor Lake Sept. 1; Relay for Life, Boone Lake, Sept. 15; and Victory Junction Camp, Lake Norman, Oct. 6. The Classic will be held Oct. 20-21 on South Holston and Boone Lakes.
The entry fee for the tournament Saturday on South Holston Lake is $70 per person, Linkous said, with payback for one in every seven boats. The fishing should be excellent, he said.
“I would say it is one of the best smallmouth fisheries in the country, so there are going to be a lot of big smallmouth weighed in. I expect it will take 17 to 20 pounds to win Saturday,” said Linkous who has fished the lake before and is fairly familiar with the fishery.
“A lot of times the fish there are caught deep, sometimes 30-feet-plus. They will probably be caught on deep drop-shots, jigs and jigging spoons.”
The first ever Fishing For Charities Classic will be held in October, he said, on two lakes. One day will be on South Holston Lake and the other on Boone. The order of fishing will be determined in a drawing the day before the classic, he said.
“We'll crown a winner after two days of fishing. The winner will get $4,000 cash and a $1,000 shopping spree at Just Fishing in Bristol. The Day One leader will get a $500 shopping spree and the Day One Big Fish will also get a $500 shopping spree. The Day Two Big Fish will get a payout from the entry fees.”
Fishing for Charities Speedway Children’s Tournament
Sat, Jul 7, 2012
South Holston Lake
Observation Knob
Call Dwayne Linkous - (540) 641-3664
July 4Th Sportsman's Warehouse Report With Fishing Mgr Craig Baird!!
Sportsmna's Warehouse Fishing Manager Craig Baird joins us from Columbia, SC to talk hot topwater baits for the HOTTEST time of year--JULY!! Craig has several really good buzzbaits beginning with the double bladed Buzzbait from Buckeye Lures!
Dudley Wins Flw Tour Major On Champlain
David Dudley wrapped up his 3rd FLW angler of the Year title yesterday. Today he won the tournament as well. With a 20-pound limit to close out the 4-day event Dudley totaled 78-8 on lake Champlain.
Jacob Powroznik was 2nd with 76-14 (20-8 today).
Blake Nick moved from 6th to 3rd with 20 pounds today (74-2 total).
Roland Martin jumped from 9th to 4th on the strength of a 21-9 sack in the closing round. The legend ended with a total weight of 73-8.
Andy Morgan dropped back to 5th, just an ounce behind Martin for the week, with 17-8 today.
Dudley Claims Third Angler Of The Year Title At Walmart Flw Tour On Lake Champlain Presented By Chevy
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (June 30, 2012) – Earlier in the season, Castrol pro David Dudley told the crowd attending the Walmart FLW Tour at Beaver Lake to “watch out at Lake Champlain.” Dudley’s prophetic statement seems to have come true as he led a field of the bass pros in the world for the third straight day at the Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Champlain Presented by Chevy.
Dudley also cemented his third Walmart FLW Tour Angler of the Year presented by Kellogg’s title in five years Saturday. With the title, Dudley becomes the first pro to win back-to-back AOY crowns. The title is determined by the most points accumulated over the six Tour Majors over the course of the season. Dudley earned $100,000 plus a berth in the 2013 Forrest Wood Cup in addition to the AOY title.
Dudley, who won previous Angler of the Year titles in 2011 and 2008, started the 2012 FLW Tour Major season with a 24th-place showing at Lake Hartwell. He followed that up 59th at Table Rock Lake. He went on a tear after that and won at Beaver Lake, finished third at the Potomac River and then posted a 14th-place finish at Kentucky Lake.
Dudley has won more than $2.9 million over the course of his FLW career, making him FLW’s leading money winner. He was the youngest angler to the $2 million mark. He has accumulated six FLW wins, 35 top-10 finishes and has qualified for 14 Forrest Wood Cup appearances in his 17 years as a pro. Key wins in his career include the 2003 Forrest Wood Cup on the James River, where he won $500,000, and the 2002 Ranger M1 Millennium that brought a $700,000 payday.
Dudley joins fellow FLW Tour angler Clark Wendlandt of Leander, Texas, as the only Tour angler to win three Angler of the Year titles.
“We have a lot of fishing left to do and I’m looking forward to the Forrest Wood Cup,” Dudley said. “Clark is a great fisherman, and to tie with Clark is a great thing.
“My strength comes through my Lord and savior Jesus Christ,” Dudley added. “In an interview a guy asked me, ‘Do you see any difference in where you were at in 2008?’ I told him the skill level I was at in 2008 when I won Angler of the Year would not even make the (Forrest Wood Cup) in 2012. So you have to constantly be aware of what you’re doing and never be satisfied.”
The Lynchburg, Va., angler advanced to the top 10 as the No. 1 seed with a five-bass limit Saturday of 15-9. With a three-day catch of 15 bass weighing 58 pounds, 8 ounces, he now holds a 2-pound, 2-ounce lead in the tournament going into the final day of competition.
Snapple pro Jacob Powroznik of Prince George, Va., advanced to the final round of 10 pros in the No. 2 spot with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 56-6.
The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition are:
1st: Castrol pro David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 15 bass, 58-8
2nd: Snapple pro Jacob Powroznik, Prince George, Va., 15 bass, 56-6
3rd: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 55-15
4th: Joseph Thompson, Landenburg, Pa., 15 bass, 55-9
5th: EverStart pro Ron Shuffield, Bismarck, Ark., 15 bass, 54-4
6th: Blake Nick, Adger, Ala., 15 bass, 54-2
7th: David Wolak, Wake Forest, N.C., 15 bass, 53-9
8th: Straight Talk pro Scott Canterbury, Springville, Ala., 15 bass, 52-2
9th: Roland Martin, Naples, Fla., 15 bass, 51-15
10th: John Voyles, Petersburg, Ind., 15 bass, 51-11
Finishing in 11th through 20th are:
11th: Rayovac pro Jason Christie, Park Hill, Okla., 15 bass, 51-7, $10,226
12th: Barry Wilson, Birmingham, Ala., 15 bass, 51-3, $10,226
13th: Koby Kreiger, Okeechobee, Fla., 15 bass, 51-2, $10,226
14th: Walmart pro George Cochran, Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 50-12, $10,226
15th: Cody Bird, Granbury, Texas, 15 bass, 50-9, $10,226
16th: Craig Dowling, Nashville, Tenn., 15 bass, 50-9, $9,806
17th: National Guard pro Brett Hite, Phoenix, Ariz., 15 bass, 50-8, $9,806
18th: Christopher Brasher, Spring, Texas, 15 bass, 49-8, $9,806
19th: Scotch Tape pro Ray Scheide, Dover, Ark., 15 bass, 44-2, $9,806
20th: Spencer Shuffield, Bismarck, Ark., 10 bass, 36-13, $9,806
Final results for the remaining field can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Overall there were 95 bass weighing 307 pounds, 1 ounce caught by pros Saturday. The catch included 19 five-bass limits.
Pros are competing for a top award of up to $125,000 this week plus valuable points in the hope of qualifying for the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart, the world championship of bass fishing. The top 35 anglers in the point standings from the six Walmart FLW Tour Major tournaments will qualify.
Clent Davis of Montevallo, Ala., was awarded the 2012 FLW Tour Rookie of the Year award Saturday, which is awarded to the rookie pro angler who finishes the season with the highest point total.
Chris Hall of Clarks Summit, Penn., won the co-angler division and $25,000 Saturday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 46 pounds even followed by Nick Hensley of Cumming, Ga., in second place with 14 bass weighing 44-4 worth $6,244.
“I didn’t think I was going to have it,” said Hall, who finished second at the 2011 FLW Tour event at Lake Champlain. “The first day I lost a couple of smallmouth that I that thought were going to come back to haunt me. But it worked out alright.”
Hall credited his day three pro angler (Nick) with helping him achieve victory. He said he used a variety of baits to catch his fish, including a jig and a Jackall IOBee frog.
The final top 10 co-anglers are:
1st: Chris Hall, Clarks Summit, Pa., 15 bass, 46-0, $25,000
2nd: Nick Hensley, Cumming, Ga., 14 bass, 44-4, $6,244
3rd: Doug Caldwell, Kane, Pa., 15 bass, 43-7, $4,144
4th: Marc Marsh, Prosperity, S.C., 15 bass, 43-5, $3,304
5th: Glenn Babineau, Mechanicville, N.Y., 15 bass, 42-15, $2,464
6th: Frank Divis Sr., Fayetteville, Ark, 14 bass, 39-14, $2,044
7th: Richard Peek, Centre, Ala., 12 bass, 39-6, $1,624
8th: James Schneider, Watervliet, N.Y., 15 bass, 38-9, $1,456
9th: Patrick Bone, Cleveland, Ga., 15 bass, 38-2, $1,372
10th: Jason Johnson, Gainesville, Ga., 15 bass, 37-14, $1,288
Final results for the remaining field can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Overall there were 80 bass weighing 193 pounds, 4 ounces caught by co-anglers Saturday. The catch included 13 five-bass limits.
Mackey Wins Lucas Oil Summer Classic Pro/am
The 2nd Annual Lucas Oil Summer Classic Pro/Am paid $40,000 to winner, John Mackey for amassing 42.30 pounds of Lake Mead bass over three days of competition in the desert.
Aaron Leon won a boat plus $6,000 as the co-angler champ. Leon had a total weight of 41.42 pounds.
Up and down the leaderboard, pro and co-angler weights were similar.
Mackey and Leon put in solid performances on a lake known for tough summer time fishing.
Following are the results:
Pro Division:
1 John Mackey 15 42.30 $40,000
2 Klayton Belden 15 37.31 $10,000
3 Tim Klinger 15 37.11 $9,500
4 Justin Kerr 15 36.98 $7,000
5 Wade Strelic 15 35.95 $6,000
6 Joe Uribe Jr. 15 34.89 $5,500
7 Johnny Johnson 15 34.07 $5,000
8 Derek Yamamoto 15 33.48 $4,500
9 Gary Dobyns 15 32.70 $5,000
10 Matt Shura 15 32.56 $3,500
11 Todd Herman 15 32.11 $3,000
12 Tommy Jonovich 15 32.04 $3,000
13 Kyle Grover 15 31.99
14 Joey Caporuscio 14 31.80
15 Don Iglinski 15 31.67
16 Kurt Walters 15 30.53
17 David Valdivia 15 30.47
18 Kevin Johnson 15 30.12
19 Sean Stafford 15 29.88
20 Roy Hawk 13 29.69
21 Ed Rodriguez 14 29.62
22 Mike Brillhart 15 29.57
23 Clayton Meyer 15 29.08
24 Paul Hodges 15 28.78
25 Ray Arbesu 15 28.70
26 Steve Pike 15 28.52
27 Steve Molinari 15 28.24
28 Billy Skinner 15 28.02
29 Jay Wright 15 27.82
30 Jesse Marquez 15 27.71
31 Brent James 15 27.32
32 Bill O’Shinn 15 27.01
33 Bob Simmons 15 26.99
34 David Kemper 15 26.59
35 Tony Lain 15 26.33
36 Victor Cole 15 26.28
37 John Morrow 15 25.79
38 Duane Dunstone 14 25.58
39 Troy Lindner 15 25.51
39 Chris Franks 15 25.51
41 Kevin Luby 12 25.45
42 Travis Richards 15 25.17
43 John Weissfuss 14 25.13
44 David Hilton lll 15 24.79
45 Billy McDonald 15 24.43
46 Mike Caruso 15 24.24
47 Jim Savoini 12 24.23
48 Joseph Raftery 14 23.81
49 John Perkins 12 23.41
50 David Peltier 14 23.03
51 Michael McFarland 15 22.55
52 Oscar Delgadillo 14 21.93 $1,000
53 Ron Hammett 12 21.65
54 Clay Lippincott 13 21.37
55 Paul Cormany 14 20.66
56 Vincent Gennaro Sr. 13 20.17
57 Josh Bertrand 15 19.48
58 Cory Dispensiero 11 19.30
59 James Fenney Jr. 11 18.98
60 Gary Pinholster 10 18.32
61 Jason Burchfield 10 16.29
62 Greg Cyphers 10 14.03
63 Steve Gibson 6 10.34
Co-Angler Division:
1 Aaron Leon 15 41.42 $6,000 + BOAT
2 Nic McMurry 15 37.03 $3,000
3 Stanley Beebee 15 36.55 $2,000
4 Ellison Hubbard 15 35.49 $1,750
5 Rick Crazy Melead 15 34.20 $1,250
6 Mona Dunlap 15 32.46 $1,000
7 Bonny Cormany 15 31.72 $950
8 Mike Sisco 15 31.53 $900
9 Szu Nien Yeh 15 31.36 $850
10 Mark Rauenzahn 14 31.16 $800
11 Chet Ayers 15 31.10 $700
12 Mark White 15 30.94 $700
13 Vincent Alcantara 15 30.54
14 Mike Rennie 15 30.18
15 Jim Kirkwood 15 30.14
16 Chad May 15 30.03
17 Bryan Floyd 15 29.74
18 Mark Somyak 15 29.23
19 Andrew Marquez 15 29.22
20 Bill Brown 15 29.14
21 Simon Apodaca 15 29.00
21 Duke Gross 15 29.00
23 Robert McAden 15 28.92
24 Brad Szarkowski 15 28.73
25 Jonathan Demonet 15 28.64
26 Sonny Gibson 15 28.41
27 Sunny Hawk 15 28.26
28 Doug Glasgow 14 28.11 $1,000
29 Gunnar Stanton 15 27.79
30 Andrew Moreau 15 27.71
31 David Shearrer 15 27.38
32 Derrek Stewart 15 27.22
33 Gary Robbins 14 27.19
34 Dale Howard 15 26.70
35 Mario Caporuscio Sr. 15 26.66
36 Tyler Vanderhorst 15 26.65
37 Eric Hammer 14 25.87
38 Logan Branscum 14 25.83
39 Chris Irigoyen 12 25.65
40 Gabriel Jones 15 25.44
41 John Helm 14 25.32
42 Devin McDonald 13 25.01
43 Mario Caporuscio Jr 15 24.92
44 Liz Jones 14 23.98
45 Tracy Smart 14 23.69
46 Dan Zehring 15 23.62
47 Bill Plains Jr. 13 23.12
48 Tim DeHart 11 22.82
49 Ed Shaver 12 22.35
50 Vinnie Macchirella 15 21.47
51 Todd Dunlap 14 21.38
52 Michael Byrum 11 21.35
53 Nikko Weisfuss 12 21.13
54 Harry Baker 13 21.10
54 Brant List 15 21.10
56 Damon Gomez 13 20.92
57 Vance Johnston 11 19.75
58 Lenny Scinto 8 19.41
59 Blaine Christiansen 10 18.74
60 Wendell Tharpe 12 18.51
61 Steve Zuloaga 12 18.12
62 Brent Becker 10 18.07
63 Matt Lisiliwski 10 15.82
July 4Th And Hot Weather Tips From Ac Insider Robby Byrum!
AC Insider Robby Byrum shares some great insight on what to do during this massive heat wave and how you can still go out and have some success!!
Arkansas Tech Is Top Collegiate Bass Club
San Antonio, Texas (June 28, 2012) - The Arkansas Tech University (ATU) Fishing Team holds the distinction of being the nation's first collegiate bass fishing School of the Year after amassing 896 points in the new points system designed and maintained by the Association of Collegiate Anglers.
The point system awards one point for every team overtaken during competition in 22 sanctioned events. Bonus points were available for hosting events and participating in the Berkley Conservation Institute program. ATU capitalized on every opportunity presented to earn this prestigious honor.
Their fishing team knocked off 846 different competitors over the course of the season between the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Series, Bassmaster College Series, and FLW College Fishing events, as well as a handful of student-run events. Some competition highlights include wins in the Cabela's Collegiate Big Bass Bash, Arkansas Collegiate Fishing Trail Championship and ULM Invitational, an 8th place finish in the Bassmaster College National Championship, 3rd and 4th place finishes in their ATU Invitational, 2nd and 6th place finishes in the Bassmaster Central Super Regional, and other respectable finishes spread across the year throughout the country.
"Tech has one of the most active programs in the country," said ACA Program Director Danny Blandford. "If there is a collegiate competition taking place, there is a good chance you'll find someone there representing ATU. They competed in 10 of the 22 sanctioned events, and those they missed were a long way from Russellville, or Tech simply wasn't eligible based on the tournament criteria. This team is full of fishing fanatics. I think they'd take on just about anyone anywhere and hold their own quite well on the water."
Beyond competition points, ATU also earned 50 bonus points for their efforts off the water. They hosted the 6th Annual Arkansas Tech Invitational and submitted two different projects to the Berkley Conservation Institute, one of which was runner-up in the collegiate portion of the program. Their community outreach and conservation projects included trash weigh-ins, ramp clean-ups, and educational programs for elementary school children and developmentally challenged adults.
Christy Austin, the ATU Fishing Team creator and co-advisor, is excited about this recognition.
"I am very proud of the ATU Fishing Team," Austin said. "These anglers have stepped up in many different areas within our club. They have donated many hours of community service for the Russellville area, used their knowledge of fishing, boating safety and habitat management to teach elementary and middle school students, and even taken time to help individuals with special needs participate in fishing through our annual fishing derby."
Austin went on to add, "We have coined a new motto for our team: 'We're more than fishing', because of our emphasis on the importance of giving back to our community and mentoring younger generations. The team has many supporters and volunteers that help our annual ATU Invitational, and we couldn't have come this far and grown this much without each and every one of these people. We are honored to receive this award."
The ATU team's team co-advisor, Dr. Cathi McMahan, echoed Austin's excitement.
"We were ecstatic when we heard the news and very much consider this an honor for Arkansas Tech University to be recognized as ACA School of the Year!" McMahan said. "I would like to thank not only the dedicated members of the ATU Fishing Team, but also Christy for her vision and persistence to make the club one of the best in the nation. I would be remiss if I didn't also thank Arkansas Tech University and the Russellville community for the support and dedication they have shown the ATU Fishing Team since its inception in 2006. This level of recognition is much appreciated and cherished!"
Everyone involved in the Arkansas Tech University Fishing Team certainly has something to be proud of. They have developed a program that epitomizes what it means to be a team, on and off the water. As true champions do, they are already looking ahead to the next program year and a summer of fishing. Their 7th Annual ATU Invitational is scheduled for July 13-14, 2012 and registration runs through July 2nd. Those interested in learning more or registering for the event can do so here.
Top teams honored
Although Tech has taken top honors, many other teams deserve recognition for their accomplishments as well. The runner-up position was contested right down to the last event, the Collegiate Bass Fishing Open, presented by Pepsi. In the end, the University of Louisiana-Monroe (ULM) was able to overtake the University of Arkansas team by a mere 51 points. Like Tech, ULM did all they could to take the top honors, including hosting their own event, as well as submitting multiple Berkley Conservation Institute projects.
The University of Arkansas, the eventual third place finishers, did all their work on the water, actively competing in as many events as possible. Ironically, their accomplishments included a victory at the ATU Invitational, as well as strong finishes with the Bassmaster College Series, the Cabela's Big Bass Bash, and the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship.
As winners of the 2012 ACA School of the Year program, Arkansas Tech will receive a sponsor prize pack valued at more than $7,000, including 50 ATU-colored CastAway rods for the teammates and a club fundraiser. An episode of Americana Outdoors, as well as features within the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Series, will also be devoted to the 2012 program, the race to the top, and the ultimate winners. Louisiana-Monroe will receive $3,000 in merchandise courtesy of the Association of Collegiate Anglers' sponsors for second place, along with recognition within the programming, and the University of Arkansas team will receive a third place package valued at $1,500 in merchandise, as well as recognition.
For a complete look at the most comprehensive collegiate ranking produced to date, please visit: CollegiateBassChampionship.com
Elite Anglers And B.a.s.s. Upset With Wisconsin Dnr Over Severe Fishing Restriction On Lake Michigan
The fifth Bassmaster Elites Series tournament of 2012 begins Thursday morning at Green Bay, Wis., on probably the sourest note in the legendary history of the oldest matournament trail in the country.
“It's not good,” said veteran pro Davy Hite of Ninety Six, S.C. His take on the situation was echoed by fellow South Carolina pro Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, S.C. “Not good. This is a tough week,” said Montgomery.
They were talking about developments that have cast a pall over the first B.A.S.S. “mystery lake” tournament since the tournament series held its first few championships on lakes that were announced to the Bassmaster Classic contenders once they were on an airplane heading to the lake for the annual title tournament.
Lake Michigan has been known for several weeks now as the destination for the 2012 “mystery lake.”
But the problem is the anglers won't be fishing Lake Michigan. They will be fishing a tiny little corner of the Great Lake, thanks to a ruling by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources that restricts them to a small area in Green Bay off the main lake.
“We can't get to any good fishing,” said Montgomery. “They have us all piling into a place the size of Crowder's Creek (an arm of Montgomery's home water, Lake Wylie, a relatively small hydro-nuclear power reservoir along the South Carolina-North Carolina border).”
“Lake Michigan is a tremendous fishery, but 90 percent of the good fishing is north of the border the DNR established,” said Hite. “It's not a state line or anything like that. It's just a line DNR came up with that they don't want us to go past.”
Being crammed into that tiny little section of lower Green Bay is going to make the tournament fish “very small,” both anglers agreed. And probably not produce very well either, they said.
“All those boats beating that area in the three days of practice and then in the tournament is going to make fishing very tough,” Hite said. “It's probably going to be one of the worst tournaments in the history of BASS,” said Montgomery.
The two South Carolina pros were typical of the feelings of most of the field, apparently. Four-time Bassmaster Classic Champion Kevin VanDam, who hails from the neighboring state of Michigan, blasted the Wisconsin DNR for its restrictions on the anglers in a posting on Bassmaster.com.
VanDam said the biologists were concerned about anglers transporting the smallmouth bass from other parts of the lake down to the weigh-in site, saying they did not want the fish moved around and that the anglers would kill fish carrying them a long distance in their live wells.
Saying it is common knowledge that smallmouth bass are “notorious for traveling long distances,” VanDam said that argument was a non-issue. As for killing the fish, he charged the biologist with not having done their homework.
“...or they'd realize that B.A.S.S. has the lowest mortality record of any other tournament organization and that our guys’ boats are equipped with the best livewell systems to take care of the fish,” he wrote.”
Even BASS co-owner Jerry McKinnis did not hold back. Writing on Bassmaster.com, McKinnis said the anglers were “crammed in a box at Green Bay.”
“All the......professional anglers, weekend anglers, conservation folks, and the B.A.S.S organization plus the tourism people in the state of Wisconsin, have been totally insulted by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources,” McKinnis wrote in a column on Bassmaster.com.
“On the day that the Green Bay mayor announced the location, the DNR hit B.A.S.S. with boundary lines for how far we can go from Green Bay that were absolutely silly.”
McKinnis added: “We have been told that transporting bass over 25 miles in a boat livewell will kill fish. Well, we have to be dealing with people who have not paid attention to the bass fishing world. The modern day boat livewell is unbelievable when it comes to fish care, and the anglers themselves, well, there is no one on earth who takes better care of fish than an Elite angler.”
After praising LaCrosse, Wis., site of last week's Elite event, McKinnis noted that Green Bay has access to possibly the best smallmouth bass fishing in the world.
“But we are not allowed to fish all of it. We’ve been excluded from maybe the best parts, which will stop us from really showcasing what Green Bay has to offer to bass fishing.”
And he did not hold back at the pre-tournament meeting Wednesday afternoon, either.
“The area we are going to have to fish has been beat to death and it's going to get worse,” said Montgomery. “It's all because some DNR guy wanted to flex his muscles. Jerry McKinnis just ripped the DNR good at our meeting – and the DNR guy was standing there.”
Bassmaster Elite Series Green Bay Challenge
Jun 28-Jul 1, 2012
Lake Michigan - Green Bay, WI
http://www.bassmaster.com/tournaments/2012-elite-series-mystery-lake
Bound Finding Success In Bama Bfls Now That He Has Time To Fish And Study The Sport
Jeremy Bound had wondered for years what it would be like if he just had the time to fish.
He last had a taste of tournament fishing in the Walmart Bass Fishing League's Bama Division in 2004, but then life got in the way: school, children, career.
He got his college degree at Athens State, then pursued a career with Amazon.com. His wife finished school and they had two children.
“I had never really taken fishing seriously. I was going to school and then working and I never had time to practice a lot,” said the Decatur, Ala., angler who is leading the points in the Bama Division after three tournaments this year. He is 13 points ahead of Terry Stevens of Marianna, Fla., heading into the fourth tournament of the season on Neely Henry Lake Saturday.
But there are half a dozen or more anglers well within striking distance with just two tournaments left on the 2012 schedule. The series final will be held on Pickwick Lake Sept. 8.
So far this year Bound has earned $1,282 in prize money, including $763 for 6th place on Lake Guntersville Feb. 18, his best finish, and $519 for finishing 7th on Lake Martin April 14. He did not get a check for his 34th place on Lake Eufaula March 17.
When he decided to move back to Alabama one of the stipulations he established with his wife was that he would get back into fishing. His career change led him to the Walmart Distribution Center in Cullman, Ala., where he works a Saturday-Sunday-Monday weekend.
While that would normally not be conducive to fishing weekend tournaments, Bound has made it work for him.
“I save my vacation time so if I can work it where I don't take too much time off when it really don't need to it works out,” he said. “Then I have time during the week to go practice and hone my fishing skills. I spend a lot of time on the water during the week.”
That schedule, along with his new commitment to fishing, has paid off, he noted.
“I have fished all my life, but I never took tournament fishing too seriously, although I do like to compete. When I got serious about it I started doing pretty good. Just being able to spend time on the water, researching the fish and pretty much learning how to fish. The main thing is to finally have time to do that and stay on top of my game.”
Bound said he believes there will be a pretty decent early morning shallow bite in the grass Saturday before the sun gets up.
“Then I'll have to get out on the river ledges with a Carolina rig and throw a finesse jig. I also caught a pretty big spot on a crankbait when I was practicing there a couple of weeks ago. So that will be my game plan – fish shallow in the morning, then move out on the river ledges and slow down with the Carolina rig and finesse jig.”
Bound said he has given himself a few years to pursue his fishing dream and see where it takes him.
“I like fishing and I hope this competitive fishing works out for me. I want to continue to pursue it and see where it goes. I'll give it a shot and see how I do. Maybe I'll be able to pursue bigger and better things in the future.”
Walmart Bass Fishing League - Bama Division
Sat, Jun 30, 2012
Neely Henry Lake
Coosa Landing
Palm Bay Bassmasters Fish Okeechobee; 15-Yr-Old Christian Gibbs Lands Big Bass!
The Palm Bay Bassmasters hit Big Lake Okeechobee for the June tournament. We had fourteen boaters with nine non-boaters, four of our non-boaters were fishing as guests, we had high winds but we had a good water level hovering right around twelve feet. The fishing was tough, not a lot of big bass caught but a few hawgs were brought to the scale for weigh-in. The two day total was One hundred-sixty bass with eight limits caught. This was our first really hot, summer like tournament and we did really well keeping our favorite beast alive.
Klinger Leads Lucas Oil Summer Classic On Lake Mead With 15.28 Pounds
The 2012 Lucas Oil Sumer Classic Pro/Am is underway.
The longstanding U.S. Open tournament will be held in September this year so the Lucas is perhaps the premier summer time event on Lake Mead this year.
The weights are impressive for Mead, rumored to have improved as a fishery over the past two years.
The Open has always been as much an endurance race as a bass tournament. Anglers are allowed to jump in the water to prevent heat stroke. Surely those same rules apply to the Lucas Oil tourney.
Temps are cool by Lake Mead standards - highs around 104. South winds at 15 should allow anglers to run all over the huge lake with little trouble. The good conditions have yielded good fishing.
The Lucas is a 3-day event that will conclude on Wednesday.
Following are the top 20 pros and co-anglers after day1 -
Pro Standings Day 1:
Place Team Fish Weight
1 Tim Klinger 5 15.28
2 Klayton Belden 5 14.05
3 Johnny Johnson 5 13.44
4 John Mackey 5 13.10
5 Mike Brillhart 5 12.92
6 Joey Caporuscio 5 12.45
7 Justin Kerr 5 12.37
8 Kyle Grover 5 12.29
9 Roy Hawk 5 12.10
10 Steve Pike 5 12.03
11 Paul Hodges 5 11.95
12 Wade Strelic 5 11.47
13 Don Iglinski 5 11.24
14 Duane Dunstone 5 11.13
15 Kevin Johnson 5 11.06
16 Matt Shura 5 10.97
17 Gary Dobyns 5 10.88
18 Billy Skinner 5 10.79
19 Clayton Meyer 5 10.45
20 Kurt Walters 5 10.18
Co-Angler Standings Day 1:
Place Team Fish Weight
1 Mike Sisco 5 15.28
2 Mona Dunlap 5 13.44
3 Rick Crazy Melead 5 13.10
4 Stanley Beebee 5 12.92
5 Bill Brown 5 12.45
6 Bonny Cormany 5 12.37
7 Chet Ayers 5 12.29
8 Eric Hammer 5 12.10
9 Ellison Hubbard 5 12.03
10 Mark Somyak 5 11.95
11 Doug Glasgow 5 11.47
12 Andrew Moreau 5 11.24
13 Szu Nien Yeh 5 11.13
14 Jim Kirkwood 5 11.06
15 Logan Branscum 5 10.97
16 Aaron Leon 5 10.88
17 Tim DeHart 5 10.79
18 Tracy Smart 5 10.45
19 Andrew Marquez 5 10.18
20 Harry Baker 5 10.10
University Of North Carolina Charlotte Pepsi Open Champs!
Paris, Tennessee -June 25, 2012 - The University of North Carolina Charlotte "Bass Rats" are the champions of the 2012 Collegiate Bass Fishing Open, presented by Pepsi. The four angler team of Eric Self, Tyler Beam, Shane Lehew, and Adam Waters amassed a two day total of 41.07 lbs. They started Day Two in third place, less than three pounds behind the first day leaders, North Carolina State. In the end, the Bass Rats brought the largest six fish limit of Day 2 to the scales, at 21.41 lbs. Their haul was more than enough to take home the title, edging out NC State by nearly one pound.
In the true spirit of the Collegiate Bass Fishing Open, they claimed the victory through teamwork, sharing the best elements of each other's patterns. One boat did their work to the south in the grass, while the other worked deeper ledges to the north. They each shared a secondary pattern discovered during practice, which included focusing on marinas when their bites slowed down in their primary areas.
According to Shane, "Adam and I started out Saturday in the grass down south, and when that slowed down we went into marinas and focused on docks and barges. We ended up flipping up some good fish on jigs, which allowed us to cull some of our smaller fish from earlier in the day."
Their partnered team, Eric and Tyler, tried to join them in the grass on the first morning of competition but it just wasn't happening for them, so they went back up the lake to ledges they had discovered in previous events and started to catch some fish. According to Eric, "Last night we decided to stay to the north where we could catch a few, and then head to some of the marinas in our area using their (Adam and Shane) pattern, which was producing. Sharing the ideas in different areas really paid off for our team."
Shane went on to add, "We had a memorable trip. We had one barge that was so loaded with fish that while I was down in the boat culling, Adam boat flipped two fish into the floor while I was down there. When I got back up and made my next cast, I got a five pounder, so it was pretty amazing."
That magic barge and teamwork certainly paid off for the team. Their victory netted them $2,000 in cash and prizes from the event purse. In addition, they picked up several contingency prizes courtesy of the ACA sponsors, including a $250 BoatUS Angler Weigh to Win bonus, a $1,000 Yamaha bonus, $250 in Cabela's Angler Cash, a $500 Berkley tackle bonus, as well as $500 ACAbonus. Collectively they made a haul, both in terms of bass and in terms of cash and prizes, which ended up totaling $4,500.
Day One leaders, the NC State BassPack, slipped to second place with a total of 40.18 lbs. As runner up, the BassPack took home $1,200 in cash and prizes, as well as the Lazer Trokar bonus of $500 in product.
Third place went to the Bethel University team of Cody Ross, Dewey Swims, Dillon McGee, and Tanner Ellis, with a two day total of 36.61 lbs. Their catch netted the team $800 in cash and prizes.
The highest finishing two angler team, occupying fourth place, went to the Kennesaw State team of Gregory Childers and Chris Ellis who weighed 12 bass totaling 36.45 lbs., which was good for $800 in cash and prizes plus an additional $200 Yamaha bonus.
Rounding out the top five was the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, represented by Taylor Bolton, Parker Bacon, Trent Huie, and Ryan Houston. Each of their boats brought in three fish limits daily, totaling 34.57 lbs. Their fifth place finish earned $600 in cash and prizes.
Big Bass honors for the event went to the Dallas Baptist University team of Trey Bledsoe and Trent Newman, with a 6.77 lbs. lunker, which was caught by Trent on Day Two. That one bite was worth the Berkley Big Bass Award, which includes two new Revo reels and V series rods, as well as the Costa Big Bass Bonus of $1,000.
Full results and additional details can be found at:
Piedmont Bass Classics Spring Championship Results - Jun 23 - Jordan Lake
Thomas Sheffer & Ken McNeill, after numerous years of honing their skills as bass anglers, finally got it right and won the largest payout ever in the 28 year history of the Piedmont Bass Classics Tournament Trails!
Mark Herndon & Jay Garrard won the 2012 Spring Trail Points Championship and a $1,000 prize package. Also over $2,700 in door prizes were given away compliments of our great sponsors! Counting all paybacks & door prizes, there was over $20,000 in cash and prizes awarded for the day!
The bite was tough at Jordan but the winning team worked their magic with Carolina Worm Rigs & Jigs to produce a bag of 5 bass weighing in at 21.45 pounds and took home $11,701 in cash and prizes! Air temps for the day ranged from 71 in the morning to a sultry 95 degrees at weighin. The winds were light and
the water temps averaged 82 degrees. 192 bass were weighed in for a total weight of 532 pounds. Most fish were caught in 6 to 20 feet of water and C-Rigs, Jig Combos and Crankbaits seemed to produce the better fish.
Mike Stephenson & Chad Jones of Bahama & Durham won over $500 in cash & prizes for the biggest bass caught during the Spring Trail, 9.68 lbs. It came out of Falls Lake.
Robert Williams Jr. & Justis Bobbit of Rocky Mount & Edenton also won over $500 in cash & prizes for the
heaviest bag of fish caught during the Spring Trail, 33.34 lbs. It came out of Shearon Harris.
It was a great day at Jordan and I want to really thank all the crew from Ridgecrest Baptist Church, Milton Rd. in
Durham, for putting on a great show and feeding the crowd with the best hot dogs, hamburgers, baked beans,
chips and drinks in the world! We had a lot of our great sponsors on hand and we greatly appreciate their support!
I want to thank all the great anglers that participated and that support this trail. Also, we have the greatest sponsors supporting our trail! We are now looking forward to the Summer & Fall trails and with the anglers support we will try and continue to be the best trail in the area.
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...21.45 lbs...$10,000 prize package
2nd Place Tie: Jason Suggs & Britten O'Quinn of Fayetteville & Linden...5 bass...20.60 lbs...$872.50
2nd Place Tie: Robert Williams Jr. & Justis Bobbitt of Rocky Mount & Edenton...5 bass...20.60 lbs...$872.50
4th Place: Mark Herndon & Jay Garrard of Bahama & Durham...5 bass...19.19 lbs...$520
5th Place: Scott Dunn & Stewart Adams of Four Oaks...5 bass...18.20 lbs...$472
6th Place: Todd & Jeff Sumner of Southern Pines...5 bass...17.94 lbs...$377
7th Place: Bryce McClenney & Michael Christie of Raleigh & Fuquay Varina...5 bass...17.85 lbs...$330
8th Place: Vinston Nettles & Jimmie Spencer of Pittsboro & Asheboro...5 bass...17.68 lbs...$283
9th Place: Ken Wall & Ben Cannon of Asheboro & Apex...5 bass...17.39 lbs...$236
10th Place: Roy Blackwood & Butch Williams of Pittsboro...5 bass...17.37 lbs...$236
11th Place: Johnny Wilder & Mike Harris...5 bass...17.19 lbs...$188
12th Place: Doug Stallings & Mike Riggs of Stem & Timberlake...5 bass...17.17 lbs...$188
13th Place: Dan Glosson & Phillip Eakes of Rougemont & Bahama...5 bass...16.26 lbs...$145
1st Place Big Fish..First Place Team above: 7.58 lbs...$826
2nd Place Big Fish..Robert Williams Jr. & Justis Bobbitt of Rocky Mount & Edenton...7.11 lbs...$354
1st Place TWT..1st Place Team above...21.45 lbs...$875
2nd Place TWT..2nd Place Tied Teams above...20.60 lbs & $187.50 each
Our next Tournament will be the 'JB Custom Rods~Piedmont Bass Classics $5,000 Summer Trail Qualifier #1'
at Falls Lake out of Ledge Rock Wildlife Ramp, Saturday, June 30th.
For more information contact:
Phil McCarson~Tournament Director
919-471-1571.......919-971-5042
[email protected]
www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Thanks to all of our media folks for your great support & publishing of our events! Phil
Mark Herndon & Jay Garrard won the 2012 Spring Trail Points Championship!
2012 Shelby Farms Bass Classic Results - Pickwick Lake
The team of Browning and Haynes was the only team to catch over 20 lbs each day and that proved to be the winning difference. They caught 22.74 lbs on Day 1 and 20.54 lbs on Day 2 for a total of 43.28 lbs for the weekend. That won them $10,000 for 1st Place!
Hardin and Simmons came on strong on Day 2 with 22.72 lbs, including the Big Fish of the tournament at 6.61 lbs! Crabb and Benson caught the Big Fish of Day 1 at 5.76 lbs.
Here are the full results:
| Place | Team | Day1 Lbs. | Day1 Big Fish | Day2 Lbs. | Day2 Big Fish | Total Weight |
| 1 | Browning/Haynes | 22.74 | 20.54 | 43.28 | ||
| 2 | Frazier/Pickett | 19.29 | 19.46 | 38.75 | ||
| 3 | Morgan/Wright | 20.72 | 16.99 | 37.71 | ||
| 4 | Davis/Cummins | 17.04 | 20.3 | 37.34 | ||
| 5 | Hardin/Simmons | 13.7 | 22.72 | 6.61 | 36.42 | |
| 6 | Crabb/Benson | 18.74 | 5.76 | 17.29 | 36.03 | |
| 7 | Hopper/Horton | 18.71 | 16.5 | 35.21 | ||
| 8 | Carroll/Haupt | 17.53 | 17.46 | 34.99 | ||
| 9 | Ashmore/Bouds | 19.07 | 15.78 | 34.85 | ||
| 10 | Walters/Brewer | 19.04 | 5.74 | 15.13 | 34.17 | |
| 11 | Walker/Wileman | 18.86 | 5.6 | 14.48 | 33.34 | |
| 12 | Stevens/Cook | 13.98 | 19.68 | 33.66 | ||
| 13 | Looney/Wright | 16.44 | 16.61 | 33.05 | ||
| 14 | Canty/Perrigo | 14.76 | 17.1 | 31.86 | ||
| 15 | Hamilton/Feltman | 14.25 | 17.83 | 32.08 | ||
| 16 | Watts/Moon | 15.35 | 15.23 | 30.58 | ||
| 17 | Harrelson/Cox | 17.14 | 13.86 | 31.00 | ||
| 18 | Utley/? | 16.34 | 14.59 | 30.93 | ||
| 19 | Wooley/Lewellen | 15.67 | 14.83 | 30.50 | ||
| 20 | J. Lambert/McGee | 14.66 | 14.91 | 29.57 | ||
| 21 | Reynolds/Harris | 15.2 | 14.49 | 29.69 | ||
| 22 | Tidwell/Tidwell | 16.5 | 12.15 | 28.65 | ||
| 23 | Butler/Butler | 17.03 | 12.59 | 29.62 | ||
| 24 | Tubbs/Clement | 16.37 | 13.14 | 29.51 | ||
| 25 | Webster/? | 15.74 | 13.75 | 29.49 | ||
| 26 | Parker/Parker | 14.21 | 15.03 | 29.24 | ||
| 27 | Grubbs/? | 13.95 | 15.18 | 29.13 | ||
| 28 | Ruble/Crouch | 17.53 | 11.53 | 29.06 | ||
| 29 | Simmons/Jewell | 13.31 | 15.51 | 28.82 | ||
| 30 | Young/Stevens | 13.61 | 14.98 | 28.59 | ||
| 31 | Payne/Walker | 13.02 | 14.48 | 27.50 | ||
| 32 | Lindow/Lindow | 15.81 | 11.61 | 27.42 | ||
| 33 | McCrary/McClain | 13.27 | 13.75 | 27.02 | ||
| 34 | Harrison/Harrison | 14.13 | 12.87 | 27.00 | ||
| 35 | McCoy/Burcham | 13.74 | 12.96 | 26.70 | ||
| 36 | Carroll/Box | 12.68 | 13.28 | 25.96 | ||
| 37 | Thornton | 11.25 | 13.2 | 24.45 | ||
| 38 | Bond/Buller | 18.64 | 5.76 | 24.40 | ||
| 39 | Stanley/Brooks | 12.64 | 9.04 | 21.68 | ||
| 40 | Reece/Crook | 9.77 | 11.02 | 20.79 | ||
| 41 | McCain/Clark | 11.25 | 9.06 | 20.31 | ||
| 42 | Steele/King | 6.81 | 13.45 | 20.26 | ||
| 43 | Lewis/Lewis | 6.87 | 12.25 | 19.12 | ||
| 44 | Foster/Cohea | 15.09 | 2.36 | 17.45 | ||
| 45 | Gowrylok/Barringer | 9.79 | 8.17 | 17.96 | ||
| 46 | Moskovitz/W. Lambert | 12.88 | 4.83 | 17.71 | ||
| 47 | Scott/Thomas | 11.1 | 5.37 | 16.47 | ||
| 48 | Tipler/Tigner | 11.01 | 5.75 | 16.76 | ||
| 49 | Stegall/Rasberry | 15.6 | 0 | 15.60 | ||
| 50 | Garrison/Trimble | 15.44 | 0 | 15.44 | ||
| 51 | Manahan/Gault | 14.55 | 10.82 | 25.37 | ||
| 52 | Webb/Williams | 14.21 | 0 | 14.21 | ||
| 53 | Cox/Cox | 12.89 | 0 | 12.89 | ||
| 54 | Harville/Caldwell | 7.03 | 6.09 | 13.12 | ||
| 55 | Evans/Jenkins | 11.83 | 0 | 11.83 | ||
| 56 | Etheridge/Augustine | 3.87 | 8.74 | 12.61 | ||
| 57 | Clark/Porain | 12.49 | 0 | 12.49 | ||
| 58 | Bishop/Bishop | 10.71 | 0 | 10.71 | ||
| 59 | Hill/Morrell | 10.08 | 0 | 10.08 | ||
| 60 | De Los Santos/Jennings | 9.86 | 0 | 9.86 | ||
| 61 | Spain/Skelton | 7.66 | 0 | 7.66 | ||
| 62 | Berry/? | 8.11 | 0 | 8.11 | ||
| 63 | Martin/Garrison | 6.86 | 0 | 6.86 | ||
| 64 | Hoselton/White | 7.24 | 0 | 7.24 | ||
| 65 | Brown/Lyons | 6.57 | 0 | 6.57 | ||
| 66 | Swords/Swords | 5.43 | 0 | 5.43 | ||
| 67 | Abdon/Abdon | 4.37 | 0 | 4.37 | ||
| 68 | Doan/Doan | 2.76 | 0 | 2.76 | ||
| 69 | Sanders/Shockley | 1.86 | 0 | 1.86 | ||
| 70 | Kellogg/McCreight | 1.54 | 0 | 1.54 | ||
| Pugit/Northan | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | |||
| Henderson/Jones | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | |||
| Riley/Tutor | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | |||
| Wilson/Wilson | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | |||
| Hylander/Hylander | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | |||
| Schroerder/Taylor Crowe | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | |||
| Bizzell Jr./ Williams | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | |||
| Bramlett/Moffill | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Faircloth Fends Off All Challengers; Wins Elite Series Event On Mississippi River!
"Looking for 13-6," boomed Dave Mercer as Todd Faircloth watched the scale. Cliff Pace looked on as well, clinging to his lead. "14-9!" Faircloth needed a moment to compose himself before addressing a huge crowd.
Faircloth tallied a 4-day total weight of 62 pounds, 4 ounces to win his 3rd career Bassmaster Elite Series tournament.
"I knew it was going to be real close," said Faircloth. "As the day went on it got really tough." He moved to other areas and after an hour-and-a-half with out a bite he told himself, "Get back over there where you have some confidence and try to catch a big fish before weigh in. I did that with 30 minutes to go. and I caught a three-and-a-half-pounder with 15 left to go."
That last fish culled him to his winning weight.
Faircloth had a couple of reliable spots but the better one featured a hard-bottomed hole in shallow grass. "The key was current flowinf through there," noted the champ. Also important was that he worked slowly and picked it apart.
He would start the day with a white frog and said that bass would compete to get it. That lasted for an hour, maybe two each morning. Then it was all about punching the grass with the same rig he used to secure victory late in the final round.
His flippin' set up included a one-and-a-quarter-ounce tungsten weight and 4/0 straight shank hook on 50-lb Spiderwire braid. Faircloth flipped a modified Yamamoto Creature - he removed the front legs so it would slip through the matted grass better. Balck with blue tail was the winning color.
Aaron Martens out pressure on Faircloth for two days, steadily inching closer to the lead. With 10-13 today Martens fell to 5th. More on that in a moment.
Cliff Pace came close to winning his first Bassmaster Elite Series event. "I've caught so many fish this week it's kind of been ridiculous," noted Pace. He had aimed to rope 5 three-pounders daily. He only failed to do so once. It cost him. he finished with 61 pounds, including today's biggest bag at 16-1.
Terry Butcher quietly landed in 3rd wiih a total of 60-11. "It's been an awesome week," he said. "I've caught a ton of fish." he admited to missing a few big fish on day 1 and syas that hurt his chances to win. Butcher mixed in a spinnerbait along the edge of vegetation, but caught most of his bass on the new Booyah Pad Crasher frog.
Booyah had 3 pros (25% of the field) fishing today so their new Pad Crasher frog was the most-thrown lure in the final round of the River Rumble. Cliff Prince used it exclusively to place 9th with 55 pounds. Terry Scroggins threw two different green-colored models of the new lure and said they both worked well. Scroggins placed 6th with 57-11.
Federation Nation representative, Jamie Horton placed 4th on the strength of the mayfly hatch which he noticed on Friday. Horton had 59-11. He focussed much of his effort around rip rap.
mayflies were the bane of Aaron Martens. He had been catching fish in 10-to-18 feet of water. When the mayflies covered the rocks last night the bass suspended and spent the final day chasing them.
Martens watched multiple 2-pounders slurp flies at boatside. He adjusted by throwing a wacky rig. He also caugth a couple on 5-inch swimbaits. But his bread and butter all week had been a drop shot with a long leader on 8 lb line with a Roboworm.
Martens said 30 or 40 guys motored right over the magic spot in practice. He knew he was on something when his consecutive drops never reached bottom before bass hauled off with his worm. He caught 13 or 14 pounds in the first hour each day.
Dean Rojas was a crowd favorite in LaCrosse. He took the stage to raucus aplause. An audible gasp arose when the frog man failed to take over the lead. He finished 8th with 57-7.
Rick Clunn also received enormous aplause from one of the biggest Elite Series crowds all year. They chuckled when he admited, "I've been doing this since 1974. When I started I was arogant enough to think 'I'm gonna figure this out'. I don't have a clue what happened today." Clunn brought 2 fish for 4 pounds and finished 12th with 48-5.
Potomac River Flw Tour
The Potomac River FLW Tour event was an eventful one to say the least. This place is full of fish and we got a lot of bites in practice. The only problem was, we didn't get too many big bites, just nice 2 to 3 pounders. Also, when I was here several years ago, there was grass everywhere. This year, there is good grass in certain areas, but not as much as I expected. For the event, my plan was to run about 15 miles to Mattawomen Creek and start on a couple of pockets I found there, then head further down to fish some main lake stuff I found. Before the start of the event on day #1, I was asked to lead the field in prayer. That is always a huge honor. I blasted off in the first flight and headed to my starting spot. The tide was dead high, which made it tough from the start. I fished 2 pockets in Mattawomen without any keeper bites. The wind was severe and heading out of the creek, I hit a huge wave. Somehow that wave wiped out all of my electronics. I had no graph, no livewell, no bilge pump, no power poles....a total blackout. Luckily, my E-Tec and my trolling motor was working so I decided to head back up near the landing to salvage the day. I caught 5 fish on isolated cover on flats and they weight around 11 pounds. Unfortunately, I was about 3 pounds off of the top 50 cut and would need a big day on day 2 to catch up. I was excited about day 2 because I drew Brian New, a good friend as my co-angler. At our first spot, we each caught some nice and wound up having a really fun day. We caught fish all day long and I ended up with 5 that weighed over 13 pounds. Much better, but not enough to move me up. 2012 FLW events have been a challenge so far for me. You need 2 strong days to make a check and I haven't been able to do that very often. Luckily, I've had tremedous support from the folks at Sportsman's Warehouse and a good season on the BFL trail. We'll move on to the next one and see what happens. Take care, Dearal
www.dearalrodgers.com
120 Teams Eligible For Carolinas Bass Challenge S.c. Division Final Saturday On Lake Wateree
There is no question that the Carolinas Bass Challenge has been a resounding success in its first year, specially for the anglers. In the South Carolina Division alone a total of 213 teams entered at least one of the qualifying tournaments and 120 of those teams are eligible for the S.C. Final Saturday on Lake Wateree.
“We averaged 120 teams at the qualifiers and first place at the qualifiers averaged close to $10,000,” said tournament director Brett Collins. “After four South Carolina qualifiers we have paid back more than $100,000 to the South Carolina guys alone.”
Chris Brunson and Nelson Walker finished 14th in the fourth S.C. Division qualifier May 12 on Lake Wateree to sew up the points title and win $1,000. Jason Barrett and Ken Ellis finished 17th to claim second in the points and win $500. Don and Danna Poteat were third in points and won $250 after finishing 4th at Wateree.
“Water temperatures are in the low 80s at Wateree and a lot of fish are still shallow in the grass and around the docks,” said Collins. “Some good fish are being caught in the 10- to 12-foot range on Carolina rigs and deep crankbaits. The Sweet Beaver and a jig are producing in the grass.”
Collins said the water level has stayed up and is not stained at all until up the lake past Wateree Creek.
“The key for the offshore bite will be if Duke Power moves some water during the day. If not it will be tough and spotty fishing,” Collins said.
“First place at the Divisional Final will take home a Skeeter TX190 equipped with a 150 Yamaha HPDI,” he said.
Collins said all the teams from the SC Divisional and all the teams who enter the NC Divisional Final will be eligible to enter the Carolina Bass Challenge Championship on Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) October 27. The first place team at the championship will receive a Skeeter ZX200 equipped with a 200 Yamaha SHO.
The Carolinas Bass Challenge is a two-division series promoted by Skeeter Boat dealers Marshall's Marine in Lake City, S.C., Foothills Marine in Morganton, N.C., and Palmetto Marine in Greenville, S.C.
Carolinas Bass Challenge - South Carolina Division
Sat, Jun 23, 2012
Lake Wateree
Clearwater Cove Marina
Call Brett Collins 803-413-7521
www.carolinasbasschallenge.com
Gagliardi Hoping To Move Up On Lake Champlain In Final Regular Season Flw Tournament
After finishing second in his last two tournaments on Lake Champlain, Anthony Gagliardi is hoping the third time's the charm in the FLW Tour Major event on the lake next week.
Gagliardi finished second in the 2009 FLW Tour Major on the large natural, freshwater lake bordered by New York, Vermont and the Canadian Province of Quebec, and was second again in the FLW Series Eastern Division tournament in 2010.
The 2009 Tour event was held in early July and the 2010 Series event was held in late August, but Gagliardi anticipates the fish will be a little further along in their normal seasonal patterns this year because of the mild weather in that region in winter and spring.
“The fish started spawning a little bit sooner so there might not be that many fish left on the beds. But, I am sure there will still be some spawners,” said the Prosperity, S.C., pro who was the FLW Tour's Angler of the Year in 2006. “When we were there in July before I caught a few on the beds and also up shallow fishing a jerkbait. I also caught some on a swim bait and topwater.”
While he will rely on what has produced for him in the past, he said he will check out some other tactics.
“I may throw a drop shot a little bit, drag a Carolina rig some and a football jig – whatever seems to be working shallow.”
Gagliardi said he will start out practice next week concentrating on smallmouth bass and will check out his confidence areas where he has caught fish before.
“I'll probably practice in that area the first day and then depending on how that goes I may actually spend a day or so fishing for largemouth bass which I don't usually do on Lake Champlain.”
However, he noted that it seems like he spends a lot of time doing different things, but usually ends up fishing the same places that have produced for him before.
“I will fish some areas I have not fished before and if I don't find anything I'll fall back on those areas where I fished in the past and did pretty well. It's a pretty consistent lake. They use the same places on the lake and you can fish the same pattern the next year. It's more predictable than most places we go to.”
Gagliardi is coming off his worst season in more than 10 years, having finished 88th in the points in 2011. But so far this season he is back in a familiar groove among the leaders on the Tour, currently ranked 12th in the AOY standings heading into the final tournament of the year on Lake Champlain, thanks to two top 10 finishes – 5th at Lake Hartwell March 8 and 6th at Table Rock March 29.
“This season is going pretty good considering last year which was not up to my standards,” Gagliardi said, adding that he is looking forward to competing again this year on Georgia's Lake Lanier in the Forrest Wood Cup in hopes of ridding himself of the bad taste left from finishing far down in the pack in last year's championship on the same lake.
“I had a really good pre-practice there last year. It was not great, but I was catching fish and then in the tournament I was not getting bites,” he said. “I like fishing that time of year (early August) on lakes like that so I am looking forward to going back.”
“Last year it was just one of those tournaments where I happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and did not get the bites I needed.”
FLW Tour Major
Jun 28 – Jul 1, 2012
Lake Champlain
Dock Street Landing
Digh Hoping Bream Bed Bite Pays Off Saturday In N.c. Bfl On High Rock Lake
Fishing is good on High Rock Lake during the week when water is pulled through the dam for power generation, but it's a completely different ballgame on Saturdays, said Rob Digh of Denver, N.C., who is ranked third in points in the North Carolina BFL Division.
For that reason, plus the cost of gas which becomes a factor, Digh has not pre-practiced on the lake for the North Carolina BFL tournament on the lake this Saturday.
“I'll go Friday and practice and try to put something together and then just go fishing on Saturday,” said Digh who trails Matt Lowe by three points and leader David Pless by 11 points with only Saturday's tournament left before the two-day super tournament on High Rock in September.
“It's almost 100 miles up there and back from my home, and with gas prices as high as they are it is almost not affordable to go back and forth. If you don't win you don't make a whole lot,” he said.
As for the points race, Digh admits he is somewhat between a rock and a hard place, with the two anglers ahead of him pretty hard to beat and some strong anglers right behind him. But he has had a solid year so far, finishing 13th on Lake Norman March 3, then 24th at Kerr Lake March 31 before rebounding with a 3rd place finish on Lake Wylie May 5.
“It's going to be a struggle,” he said. “It's going to take a big bag of fish. It's been taking big bags over there all summer, even in the early spring. It's been taking 19-20 pounds in tournaments.”
And, he noted, High Rock is kind of unusual this year.
“They had a fish kill over there last year. It seemed to hurt the fishing some for the quantity of fish, but not the quality. There are some really good quality fish coming out of that lake.”
Although the weather has begun to heat up, Digh said he believes Saturday's tournament will be won shallow.
“It's about time for them to get offshore, and that could happen this weekend, but the deep fishing is usually better after the Fourth of July. We've just had a couple of hot days, but it's been a really cool spring so I don't look for them to be out there yet.”
Digh said he believes the best bet will be to fish shallow with bream beds playing a major factor.
“I think it will be won flipping something small like a Beaver Bait or a Brush Hog, possibly a jig. You can do really well there this time of year swimming a jig. There are a lot of mayflies hatching out and the bream will be up on the banks, so I think there will be a topwater and a jig bite fishing around the bream beds. That is what I am hoping for.”
Walmart Bass Fishing League - North Carolina Division
Sat, Jun 23, 2012
High Rock Lake
Tamarac Marina
Springhill Outfitters Piedmont Bass Classic Results - Jordan Lake - Jun 16, 2012
Only 14 teams showed up for the 7th, and final, in a series of Spring Open Tournaments. The 1st Place
team of Ken McNeill & Thomas Sheffer didn't mind the turnout at all, being they took home a total of
$1,020!!
The weather was absolutely beautiful. 46 fish were weighed in for a total weight of 115 pounds.
Most fish were caught in 1 to 20 feet of water on a variety of baits including jerk baits, plastic worms, jig
combos, spinnerbaits & top water for the most part. Water temps were around the 78 degree area. Air
temps 54 to 80. Not a bad day as far as the fishing goes at Jordan but the bite was really tough for some
reason...
I really want to thank Brandon, Lee and the crew at SPRINGHILL OUTFITTERS in Selma for
sponsoring this tournament and the $250 in Gift Certificates as a bonus to the 1st Place Team. Please visit
their store located off I-95 at exit 101 in Selma. Brandon and his crew have opened a new location that
reminds me of another business on Hwy. 70 heading to the beach. It's incredible! They carry a great line
of clothing, guns, fishing tackle, archery and so much more!
Visit their website: www.springhilloutfitters.com for all the info.
Our next tournament, the 'Boats Unlimited $10,000 Spring Bass Trail Championship' event will be
Saturday, June 23rd, at Jordan Lake out of Farrington Ramp for qualified teams only. 65 teams are
qualified for the Championship!
Our $5,000 JB Custom Rods~Piedmont Bass Classics 2012 Summer Trail will begin June 30th at Falls
Lake. All the info on our tournaments can be found at: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Now here are the full 'SPRINGHILL OUTFITTERS OPEN' results:
1st Place: Thomas Sheffer & Ken McNeill of Cary & Raleigh...5 bass...18.80 lbs...$560 & $250 Bonus
2nd Place: Tony Fofi & Dave Murdock of Fayetteville...5 bass...14.76 lbs...$390
3rd Place: Mark Herndon & Jay Garrard of Bahama & Durham...5 bass...13.36 lbs...$170
1st Place Big Fish..Steve Bulluck & Brad Ellinger of Mebane & Elon...4.56 lbs...$196
2nd Place Big Fish..2nd Place Team above: 4.40 lbs...$84
1st Place TWT..1st Place Team above...18.80 lbs...$210
2nd Place TWT..2nd Place Team above...14.76 lbs...$90
I want to thank all of you that support our tournaments!
Call me if you have any suggestions or questions.
Phil McCarson~Tournament Director
919-471-1571.......919-971-5042
www.piedmontbassclassics.com or email me at: [email protected]
Steve Bulluck & Brad Ellinger caught the Big Fish at 4.56 lbs
Major Sponsorship In Peril, Due To "micromanaging" Politicians, According To Flw Open Letter
Financially speaking, things are tough all over. I went to town the other day and saw a street gang, due to the high price of gasoline, perform a walk-by shooting on a rival gang.
Not sure how funding will affect the gangs’ recruiting efforts, but the United States has built the greatest military in the history of the world – completely staffed by volunteers. Recruiting plays a huge role in maintaining that influx of volunteers.
If some politicians have their way, the National Guard will no longer focus its recruiting dollars on a handful of professional sports, including bass fishing. Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., and Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn. have attached an amendment stating so to the 2013 Defense Appropriations Bill, which has already passed the House and is now headed to the Senate.
This has the FLW organization caught up in a cross fire of sorts. They have leveraged a huge amount of support from the National Guard to fund teams and tournament trails for years.
FLW noted in an open letter, “sports sponsorships have long been part of the marketing mix that allows recruiters from every branch to consistently hit the enlistment numbers needed . . . Despite this fact, Kingston and McCollum feel compelled to micromanage how the Pentagon spends its recruiting dollars, randomly pulling sports sponsorship from the mix.”
As for numbers to back up claims, FLW states, “The National Guard generated 26,342 leads through its FLW sponsorship in 2009, 22,709 in 2010 and 28,673 in 2011.”
The FLW letter also quotes retired Army National Guard Director, Lt. Gen. Clyde A. Vaughn as saying that 2006 (the first year of the FLW/National Guard partnership) was a “watershed year” for revitalizing the ARNG. Vaughn went on to point out that, “the ARNG now has the most experienced leadership and its youngest soldiers in its 370 year history.”
Love of fishing, NASCAR or mixed martial arts aside, should Congress be allowed to micromanage the recruiting efforts of the world’s greatest military?
Bassmaster Elite Series Pros To Rumble June 21-24 On The Mississippi River
LA CROSSE, Wis. — Because he grew up on the Arkansas River, pro angler Billy McCaghren is considered one of the Bassmaster Elite Series’ “river rats.” The term doesn’t imply he’s a bad guy, only that he knows and loves to fish rivers.
That goes double for the Mississippi River fishery for the Thursday through Sunday Bassmaster Elite Series competition out of La Crosse’s Veterans Freedom Park, the Mississippi River Rumble.
After all, the Mississippi is the river on which McCaghren came very close to winning an Elite event in his rookie year. He led on the third day, but ended in third place behind winner Kevin Short — another river rat from Arkansas. That was the 2009 Mississippi River Rumble out of Fort Madison, Iowa, the event that helped McCaghren go on to win the Rookie of the Year title.
There’s one more reason McCaghren is raring to rumble again on the Mississippi.
“I’m ready to fish shallow water,” he said. “In the past three Elite tournaments, the fish have been deep. I’ve never competed on this part of the Mississippi, but I feel I understand it much more than I do those deep lakes.”
McCaghren, who still lives just a few minutes from the Arkansas River in Mayflower, Ark., was one of 99 professional anglers who arrived in La Crosse in time for the official Monday through Wednesday practice period. They’ll begin the competition Thursday morning at 6:15 a.m. Takeoff will be out of Veterans Freedom Park in La Crosse. The pros will return to the park each day through Sunday to weigh their catches beginning at 3:15 p.m.
The 2012 Rumble’s first prize is $100,000 and an instant entry in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic. The pros also will be out to earn points, which count toward a postseason entry and qualification for the 2013 Classic.
The pros also will fight for ground in the season-long Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race. Brent Chapman of Lake Quivira, Kan., leads going into the Rumble. But David Walker of Sevierville, Tenn., trails Chapman by just 15 points. Several other red-hot pros aren’t far behind, so the Rumble’s stakes are high.
Water levels on the stretch of the Mississippi within tournament boundaries are expected to dictate the pros’ patterns. But McCaghren already knew that fact before he scouted all three pools — Nos. 7, 8 and 9 — before the official off-limits period began a month ago.
“Regardless of high or low or in between, what you want in a river situation is stable water,” he said. “They can drop it so fast. That’s what happened to me (in the 2009 event) between the third and fourth days. I was fishing extremely shallow water, and my fish moved when the level dropped overnight. The beauty of that for Kevin (Short) was he had a place with deeper water.”
The quality of the Mississippi fishery out of La Crosse is so high that the Elite field should have a wide choice of spots, he said.
“There are a lot of lakes and tons of aquatic vegetation,” he said. “There’s so much backwater, a guy will be able to do anything he wants to if we hit it (the water level) right.”
The tournament waters stretch 66 miles, measured roughly from Dam 6 near Trempealeau, Wis., south to Dam 9 near Lynxville, Wis. The boundaries encompass three pools, 7-9. The takeoff point at La Crosse is within Pool 8.
McCaghren said that because the water levels didn’t appear to be drastically different from pool to pool, locking through should not eat up too much competition time and thus could be a feasible game plan. And the bite in all three pools looked promising when he scouted them, he added.
How many pounds will be needed to make it to the final-day Top 12 and a chance at the Classic berth and $100,000 first prize? He’s heard “dock talk” estimates of 16 to 18 pounds a day.
“It’s usually more than what everyone is saying,” he said. “But from what I’ve seen, the weights will be close, and it will come down to ounces.”
Fans are invited to watch the event at Veterans Freedom Park. Weigh-ins will begin at 3:15 p.m. CT. The no-admission Bassmaster Elite Series Family Festival will be open on Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. A free shuttle service to and from the park will be provided. The stops are identified on a map in the event’s program.
All Bassmaster fan activities are free and open to the public.
Millsaps And Walker Win The Tom's Marine Tt Event On Douglas Lake-Full Results Here!
On June 16th Toms Marine Team Trail held it's 5th tournament of the season and had 104 boats entry the event. Douglas continues to yield huge bags of fish with 2 more 20+ pound sacks being brought to the scales. The biggest of the day belonged to Kelley Millsaps and Keith Walker who brought in 21.33-pound limit. That nice bag of fish earned them the $2500 first prize. A close second was the team of Greg and Casey Woods who earned $1000 for their 20.45-pound limit. Billy Nash and Butch Goddards third place bag of 18.76-pounds included the tournaments lunker largemouth and earned them $1000 as well. Fourth place and $380 went to Tim Smiley and Steve Gibson for their 17.17-pound limit. Rounding out the top 5 and winning $380 was Tony Wilson and Jason Lake with 16.95-pounds. Visit our web site at www.tomsmarinetn.com for more photos and information, and full results are attached here as well:
Tom's Marine TT Champions Kelly Millsaps & Keith Walker: 21.33 Earned the Champs $2500!!
Tom's Marine TT Douglas June 12' 2nd Place Team-Greg and Casey Woods: 20.45 earned Team Woods $1000!
Better Decision Making Boosts Robinson Into Top 10 In Elite Aoy Standings
The group of guys Marty Robinson hung around with in high school was not your typical teenage gang. The only thing they were interested in was catching bass.
“I got into bass fishing probably in the seventh grade. A couple of my buddies from school knew a lot about it because their dads got them into it, so we started hanging out and fishing together,” said the Bassmaster Elite Series Angler from Lyman, S.C.
“I saved up my money and bought an old ski boat with a walk-through windshield. I used an Igloo cooler as a live well and built a deck on the front and bought a trolling motor. My buddies and I would put all the lakes around in a hat and pull one out and that's where we'd go fishing on a Saturday. We'd go and stay on the lake from daylight to dark.”
By the time he was a sophomore or junior in high school Robinson had already tasted tournament fishing and found he really liked the competitive aspect of the sport.
“It lit a fire under my feet,” he said. He joined a local club and began fishing tournaments.
Seven years ago he fished the Bassmaster Southern Opens and did well enough to qualify for the Elite Series and he's fished the Elites for the past six years, finally qualifying this past year for the Bassmaster Classic held Feb. 24-26 on the Red River at Shreveport-Bossier City, La. He finished a respectable 29th in his first BASS championship.
So far the 2012 season is his best ever in Elite Series Competition. He started off by finishing 20th on the St. Johns River in Florida in mid-March, then 34th on Lake Okeechobee in late March. His record dipped to 64th on Bull Shoals Lake in April, but he bounced back with a 14th place finish on Douglas Lake in Tennessee in May. Robinson capped his season so far with a third place finish last week on Toledo Bend, which moved him into 9th place in the Angler of the Year points race. Just 52 points behind AOY leader Brent Chapman.
“I think the reason I am doing so much better this year is that I have built up a lot of confidence year after year. And when your confidence starts to build, you make better decisions on the water. The final result is better finishes all around, so I'd say my success is mainly due to better decision making,” he said.
Although he has never fished the Mississippi River near Lacrosse, Wis., where the Elite Series heads next weekend, Robinson figures he has as good a chance as anybody in the field since no Bassmaster events have been held in the area for years.
“I'm always excited about going to a new place where BASS has not been for a while,” he said. “Nobody has any good contacts built up so it kind of levels the playing field.”
Although the fishery is far north of most traditional BASS tournament sites, Robinson said from what he has been able to learn it is a really good bass fishery.
“The weights are up pretty high in tournaments held in that part of the Mississippi River,” he said. The only fly in the ointment is the recent heavy rains in the area that has brought the river up several feet, but Robinson said by tournament time he thinks the water level will be back down to a good fishable level.
“It's going to be typical river fishing and that plays into my style of fishing,” he said. “That section of the river has a huge amount of backwaters to fish, with a lot of submergent vegetation, a lot of lily pads and a lot of wood, so there is a lot of cover for fish to live in.”
With all that flat water off the main river channel, he said, the anglers can spread out and not have to fish on top of each other.
“I consider myself a shallow water fisherman and a jig is probably my best lure, so I think that technique suits the river,” he said.
Bassmaster Elite Series
Jun 21-24, 2012
Mississippi River near LaCrosse, WI
Copeland Park
Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail Averaging Over 200 Boats Per Tournament
While some tournament trails are struggling in a poor economy and high gasoline prices, the Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail just keeps rocking along with near record entries. The series' top entry in 2011 was 178 boats for a tournament, but this year the trail has topped 200 three times while averaging 205 boats per tournament, with top entries of 223 and 224.
“People are telling me our average entry per tournament makes us about the second biggest trail in the country,” said tournament Director Chris Lucas, “ so we must be doing something right. They keep coming back.”
Lucas already had more than 100 boats entered early this week for Saturday's tournament on Smith Mountain Lake.
“We may be flirting with 200 entries again,” he said. “I don't really know what to expect because a lot of teams have already got their four tournaments in.”
Anglers must fish four of the six tournaments on the schedule to qualify for the Classic Oct. 13-14 on Smith Mountain Lake, Lucas said.
“We were concerned going into the season about the high gas prices, but that did not hurt us,” he said. “Now the gas prices have come down, the weather is not too hot and the fish are biting so I expect we will have another big turnout.”
Among the perks that attract such large entries, he said, are the fact that they feed the fishermen at every tournament, give away “a ton” of door prizes, guarantee a minimum $2,000 for first place in each tournament and have manufacturer's contingency programs.
“The boat we give away at the Classic is not a run-of-the-mill boat either,” he said. “It's a new Ranger Z118 boat with a Mercury Opti Max motor and trailer and Lowrance electronics. We doll that boat up a lot and we have a lot of people wanting to win it.”
And that does not count the contingency money, he noted, with the Ranger Cup, Stratos 2X and Triton Gold programs.
“The first place team in our last tournament won $10,000 in Triton Gold. For a $100 entry fee that is a pretty good deal.”
While the fish are biting, some anglers say fishing is getting tough, Lucas said.
“But, you know, in these big tournaments somebody will figure them out. We are starting early in this tournament, 6 o'clock, to give everybody a shot at the early topwater bite, and we get off the water at 2 o'clock before it gets too hot.”
After the early morning topwater bite, Lucas said fish will probably be caught on drop-shots throughout the day, with some also coming on Carolina rigs and crankbaits.
Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail
Sat, Jun 16, 2012
Smith Mountain Lake
Parkway Marina
Call Chris Lucas 276-358-0844
'long-Lining' Could Rule In Tom's Marine Team Tournament On Douglas Lake Saturday
Tim Smiley and Steve Gibson won the May 19 tournament on Cherokee with 17.43 lbs!
“Long-lining” or “strolling,” a new fishing technique that seems to have displaced the Alabama Rig for controversy, is expected to dominate fishing in the Tom's Marine Team Trail Tournament Saturday after local anglers on Douglas Lake “got schooled” on it by the BASS Elite Series Anglers in the Douglas Lake Challenge last month.
“The Elite Series pros taught a lot of the fishermen on Douglas Lake about long-lining which allows them to work big crankbaits down in 30 to 40 feet of water,” said Tom's Marine Tournament Director Richard McMaster. “A lot of big stringers have been showing up on Douglas Lake since that Elite Series tournament. They are still catching fish on Carolina Rigs, but those pros really showed these local guys a bunch.”
In that Elite Series tournament May 3-6, eventual winner Jeremy Starks of Scott Depot, W.Va., employed the long-lining technique to land a four-day total of 81 pounds, 2 ounces, of bass to win by 2 pounds, 1 ounce over Britt Myers of Lake Wylie, S.C. Myers was also using the long-line technique to catch his bass.
While Starks was targeting schools of bass relating to a deep hump at the end of a long point, Myers was after big, single bass he located on his electronics.
The long-lining technique, which has been compared to trolling, is very simple, McMaster said.
“You can only cast a crankbait so far. You get on one side of a point, cast behind the boat, then free spool the line across the point, using the trolling motor or even the big motor to get it out, until the spool is almost empty. Then, when you reel in 300 yards of line, the crankbait will dig down deep.”
The key is to speed reel, cranking the reel as hard as you can.
“Crankbaits that normally run about 17 feet deep will get down to 35-38 feet deep when you long-line,” McMaster said. “so, instead of making 200 casts a day, you might only make 50 to 80 cast because it takes to long to reel it back in.”
The controversy arises because most tournament rules do not allow lures to be moved by the pull of a boat's motor. But, since there is tension on the line as the boat moves, some anglers believe the lure moves even before the cranking begins.
Among the average fishermen, McMaster said, it is about as controversial as the Alabama Rig. And, he noted, at the halfway point in the season there is not much that can be done about it as far as the rules go.
Whatever technique the anglers use, McMaster said he expects between 100 and 130 boats for Saturday’s tournament and a lot of limits should be weighed in.
“We are hoping the air temperature will stay down a little bit. The humidity has been terrible. They are calling for decent temperatures in the mid-80s, but if the humidity stays up it could be miserable fishing, especially if the sun comes up.”
David Mullins and Brent Hoskins, who won the Tom's Marine Championship in 20122, lead the points going into Saturday’s tournament, more than 8 pounds ahead of the second place team.
“They have been fishing out of the boat they won last year and they just picked up this year where they left off last year,” McMaster said. The winners of the championship this year will take home a new Ranger Z119 bass boat to fish out of next season, he said.
“I's like to give a special thanks to Tom’s Marine and Ranger Boats,” McMaster said. He also noted that the series has most contingency programs, including Triton Gold, the Ranger Cup and Stratos 2X, plus the Tom's Marine, Watson Marine and Bunch Marine $500 bonus program.
There is also a new incentive this year from Ramey Ford. If you own a 2007 or newer truck that you bought new from Ramey Ford and you win one of the 2012 regular season Tom's Team Trail tournaments you'll receive an additional $500 from Ramey Ford.
The series will take a break for the summer and resume Sept. 15 on Cherokee Lake, with the Classic October 27-28, Day 1 on Cherokee Lake and Day 2 on Douglas Lake. Entry fee is $100 plus a $10 lunker fee for all one-day tournaments.
Tom's Marine Team Trail
Sat, Jun 16, 2012
Douglas Lake
Shady Grove Access
Call Richard McMaster 423-748-3240
Airport Marine June Lay Lake Champions Chris Rutland And Coby Carden Win With 24.41!!
Chris Rutland and Coby Carden win again on the Airport Marine Team Trail with a whopping 24.41 LB's on a hot day in June. We grab them just after weighing-in with AC Pro Staffer Reed Montgomery-
Airport Marine June Lay Lake Weigh-In Highlights Including A 24+ Lb Sack!
There are always some excellent bags at any Airport Marine Tournament, but this 24 Lb'er you'll see here is about as good as it gets anywhere in the country for June..................
Hamrick And Pope Win The Greene Boat And Motor Tt On Wylie By Almost 4 Lbs!!
Big win for Scott Hamrick and Roger Pope as they take the final qualifier event of the season for the Greene Boat and Motor Team Trail with 5 fish for just over 18 Lbs. Here are the full results:
| Greenes Tournament Results June 9 | ||||||
| BIG FISH | # DEAD | TOTAL | ||||
| Boat | Team | # FISH | WEIGHT | FISH | WEIGHT | Points |
| 1 | Scott Hamrick/Roger Pope | 5 | 5.29 | 18.33 | 100 | |
| 2 | Tim Chapman/Mark Leech | 5 | 3.31 | 14.43 | 99 | |
| 3 | Louie Hull/Chuck Montgomery | 5 | 3.77 | 12.65 | 98 | |
| 4 | Thomas Richmond/Artie Phillips | 5 | 4.52 | 12.07 | 97 | |
| 5 | Ken Cross/Eddie Smith | 5 | 3.53 | 11.55 | 96 | |
| 6 | David/Daniel Gunderman | 5 | 3.63 | 11.48 | 95 | |
| 7 | Ron Farrow/Mike Allman | 5 | 2.26 | 11.30 | 94 | |
| 8 | Jay Adams/Jay Adams Jr. | 5 | 2.19 | 11.07 | 93 | |
| 9 | Parks Jones/Daniel Hill | 5 | 2.48 | 10.70 | 92 | |
| 10 | Gene Webster/Peyton Webster | 5 | 2.49 | 10.25 | 91 | |
| 11 | Terry Rosell/Kyle Westerman(Jim Davis) | 5 | 2.73 | 9.86 | 90 | |
| 12 | David Winters/Brian Huskins | 5 | 3.05 | 9.75 | 89 | |
| 13 | Mike Stephens | 5 | 2.59 | 1 | 9.61 | 88 |
| 14 | Erwin Gaston/Derek Lilly | 5 | 2.09 | 9.35 | 87 | |
| 15 | Joe Hansil/Ted Mobley | 5 | 2.03 | 9.20 | 86 | |
| 16 | Travis/Amanda O Quinn | 5 | 2.08 | 9.12 | 85 | |
| 17 | Ryan Shoaf | 5 | 1.75 | 8.25 | 84 | |
| 18 | Jerry Dean/Tony Sanders | 3 | 2.21 | 4.97 | 83 | |
| 19 | Don Poteat | 10 | ||||
| 20 | Keith Hargett/George Hargett | 10 | ||||
| 21 | Allan Rae/Michael Carver | 10 | ||||
| 22 | Doug Dellinger | 10 | ||||
| 23 | Bill Greer | 10 |
Piedmont Bass Classic Spring Trail Qualifier Results - Falls Lake - Jun 9, 2012
Scott Smith & Tony Woodard topped the 54 boat field at Falls in the final qualifying tournament for the spring
trail with 5 fish weighing 24.96 lbs!
The field has now been set for the Boats Unlimited~Piedmont Bass Classics 2012 Spring Bass Tournament Trail Championship at Jordan Lake on June 23rd where some lucky team will win the $10,000 first place prize package!
The weather was the best we've had all spring with light winds & air temps from 59 in the am to 83 in the pm.
Water temps were in the low 80's and the water level was about normal pool. We had a great weighin and I
want to thank everyone that participated! Also, we have the greatest sponsors supporting our trail!
201 fish were weighed in for a nice total weight of 603 pounds and all the bass looked healthy. Most fish were
caught in 1 to 15 feet of water on a variety of baits including spinnerbaits, plastic worms, crankbaits, Pop-R's,
buzzbaits and Rat-L-Traps for the most part. The hot baits for the day reported to be crankbaits! Mike
Stephenson & Chad Jones caught the biggest bass so far this year, 9.68 lbs, and took the lead in the Crown
Honda of Southpoint Big Fish contest. A lot of 6 & 7 pound fish were weighed in. It looks like the summer
pattern is beginning!
Our next 'Boats Unlimited $10,000 Spring Bass Trail' event will be the Championship, Saturday, June 23rd, at
Jordan Lake out of Farrington Point Wildlife Ramp.
Our next & final 'Special Spring Open' Tournament will be the 'Springhill Outfitters of Selma Open' at Jordan
Lake out of Farrington Point Wildlife Ramp, Saturday, June 16th.
All the information on our tournaments can be found at: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Scott Smith & Tony Woodard of Apex & Four Oaks...5 bass...24.96 lbs...$1,075
2nd Place: Mike Stephenson & Chad Jones of Bahama & Durham...5 bass...22.62 lbs...$615
3rd Place: Scott Dunn & Stewart Adams of Four Oaks...5 bass...21.79 lbs...$535
4th Place: Ted Boyette & Steve Woodlief of Kenly & Wake Forest...5 bass...20.13 lbs...$455
5th Place: Russell & Paul Rigsbee of Timberlake...5 bass...19.48 lbs...$375
6th Place: Dan Glosson & Phillip Eakes of Rougemont & Bahama...5 bass...18.73 lbs...$295
7th Place: Todd & Jeff Sumner of Southern Pines...5 bass...17.87 lbs...$255
8th Place: Justis Bobbitt & Bob Williams of Edenton & Rocky Mount...5 bass...17.51 lbs...$215
9th Place: Vinston Nettles & Jimmie Spencer of Pittsboro & Asheboro...5 bass...16.79 lbs...$175
10th Place: David Hall & Dane Sallinger of Raleigh & Wake Forest...5 bass...16.65 lbs...$175
11th Place: Shane Burns & Hunter Campbell of Durham & Henderson...5 bass...16.63...$150
1st Place Big Fish..2nd Place Team above...9.68 lbs...$742
2nd Place Big Fish..3rd Place Team above...8.23 lbs...$318
1st Place TWT..1st Place Team above...24.96 lbs...$665
2nd Place TWT..4th Place Team above...20.13 lbs...$285
All the information on our tournaments can be found at: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
For information on all our events contact:
Phil McCarson~Tournament Director
919-471-1571.......919-971-5042
www.piedmontbassclassics.com or email me at: [email protected]
Thanks for all your help! Phil
2012 Lee King Lake Eufaula Weigh-In Highlights
Some good quality came in quickly at the end of the 12th Annual Lee King Tournament down on Lake Eufaula in AL!!
Lee King Benefit Tournament Results - Lake Eufaula - June 9, 2012
116 teams competed Saturday in the Lee King Benefit Tournament to raise research money for terminal Niemann-Pick disease children. Jeff and Paul Aul won with 5 fish weighing a total of 17.73 lbs!!
A dead fish cost Scott Flournoy and Mark Henley the tournament. Their 5 fish weighed 17.89 lbs, but with the 0.2 lb penalty, that knocked their weight down to 17.69 lbs which was good for 2nd Place.
The 3rd Place team was Clint Meeks and Chad Roberts. Their 5 fish weighed 16.13 lbs, which included the Big Fish of the tournament at 6.92 lbs.
Jack Tibbs and Skip Jackson came in 4th Place with 5 fish that weighed 15.66 lbs, including a 6.36 lb kicker fish.
Charles Ingram and Wayne Morgan rounded out the top 5 teams with 15.29 lbs, good for 5th Place.
Here are the complete results:
| Place | Team | # of Fish | # Alive Fish | Gross Weight | Penalty | Big Fish | Total Weight |
| 1 | Jeff Aul - Paul Aul | 5 | 5 | 17.73 | 17.73 | ||
| 2 | Scott Flournoy - Mark Henley | 5 | 4 | 17.89 | 0.2 | 17.69 | |
| 3 | Clint Meeks - Chad Roberts | 5 | 5 | 16.13 | 6.92 | 16.13 | |
| 4 | Jack Tibbs - Skip Jackson | 5 | 5 | 15.66 | 6.36 | 15.66 | |
| 5 | Charles Ingram - Wayne Morgan | 5 | 5 | 15.29 | 15.29 | ||
| 6 | Jason Ninas - Matt Shoemaker | 5 | 5 | 14.93 | 6.31 | 14.93 | |
| 7 | John Brady - Desmond Brady | 5 | 3 | 15.31 | 0.4 | 2.93 | 14.91 |
| 8 | Bryan Bratcher - Stephen Mccord | 5 | 5 | 14.82 | 5.78 | 14.82 | |
| 9 | Ryan Ingram - Darrell Trawick | 5 | 5 | 14.68 | 14.68 | ||
| 10 | Charles Stevenson - Jim Sharp | 5 | 5 | 14.60 | 14.60 | ||
| 11 | Scott Montgomery - Rich Warren | 5 | 4 | 14.39 | 0.2 | 14.19 | |
| 12 | Steve Graziano - Johnny Sparks | 5 | 5 | 14.09 | 14.09 | ||
| 13 | Larry Bettison - Jeff Miller | 5 | 5 | 14.07 | 14.07 | ||
| 14 | Michael Kierc e - Kierce Mike | 5 | 5 | 13.90 | 13.90 | ||
| 15 | Jay Grogan - William Futch | 5 | 5 | 13.68 | 13.68 | ||
| 16 | Robert Stewart - John Adams | 5 | 5 | 13.56 | 13.56 | ||
| 17 | Derreck Millirons - Ronald Terr | 5 | 5 | 13.31 | 13.31 | ||
| 18 | David Pail - Mike Milson | 5 | 4 | 13.40 | 0.2 | 13.20 | |
| 19 | Jim Brown - Troy Gibson | 5 | 5 | 13.16 | 13.16 | ||
| 20 | Dustin Wood - Danny Jimmerson | 5 | 5 | 13.14 | 13.14 | ||
| 21 | David Clegg - Dave Hall | 3 | 3 | 13.05 | 6.56 | 13.05 | |
| 22 | Chris Lynch - | 5 | 5 | 13.04 | 13.04 | ||
| 23 | Les Bratcher - Stan Simms | 5 | 5 | 13.03 | 13.03 | ||
| 24 | Joe Buchanan - Joseph Buchanan | 5 | 5 | 12.92 | 12.92 | ||
| 25 | Steve Stewart - Hubert Stafford | 5 | 5 | 12.88 | 12.88 | ||
| 26 | Ed Wilkerson - Jason Smith | 5 | 5 | 12.84 | 12.84 | ||
| 27 | Ken Kraft - Sam Kennedy | 5 | 4 | 12.95 | 0.2 | 12.75 | |
| 28 | Ronnie Ray - Alton Stillwell | 5 | 5 | 12.56 | 12.56 | ||
| 29 | Scott Sheffield - David Brown | 5 | 5 | 12.50 | 4.44 | 12.50 | |
| 30 | Rodger Beaver - Nick Beaver | 5 | 5 | 12.29 | 12.29 | ||
| 31 | Mike Brown - Mark Jones | 5 | 5 | 11.88 | 11.88 | ||
| 32 | David Parsons - Shawn Parsons | 5 | 5 | 11.53 | 11.53 | ||
| 33 | Sammy Nolin - La Don Whie | 4 | 3 | 11.51 | 0.2 | 11.31 | |
| 34 | Billy Smith - Benny Smith | 5 | 5 | 11.25 | 3.74 | 11.25 | |
| 35 | Jeff Lee - Dwane Mock | 5 | 5 | 11.18 | 11.18 | ||
| 36 | Chris Jones - J.P. Champion | 5 | 4 | 11.04 | 0.2 | 10.84 | |
| 37 | Dee Paschal - Jeff Hall | 5 | 5 | 10.67 | 10.67 | ||
| 38 | Larry McDonald - Donnie Ammons | 5 | 5 | 10.59 | 10.59 | ||
| 39 | Otho Sanders - Sam Moody | 5 | 5 | 10.45 | 10.45 | ||
| 40 | David Inman - Greg Tucker | 5 | 5 | 10.44 | 10.44 | ||
| 41 | Grant Black - Bret Black | 5 | 5 | 10.38 | 10.38 | ||
| 42 | Kevin Revay - Darrell Ballard | 5 | 5 | 10.31 | 10.31 | ||
| 43 | Bruce Donaldson - Ole Donaldson | 5 | 5 | 10.22 | 10.22 | ||
| 44 | Mike Thigpen - Buck Thigpen | 5 | 5 | 10.20 | 10.20 | ||
| 45 | Shane Paul - Michael Smith | 5 | 5 | 10.13 | 10.13 | ||
| 46 | Kendall Kelley - William Faison | 4 | 4 | 10.08 | 10.08 | ||
| 47 | Greg Suggs - Norman Beach | 4 | 4 | 9.82 | 9.82 | ||
| 48 | David Dansby - Chuck Landrum | 4 | 4 | 9.59 | 9.59 | ||
| 49 | Jimmy Wood - Zach Wood | 5 | 5 | 9.36 | 9.36 | ||
| 50 | Bill Deloney - Michael Weatheri | 5 | 4 | 9.54 | 0.2 | 9.34 | |
| 51 | Scott Oliver - Scotty Sanders | 5 | 5 | 9.05 | 9.05 | ||
| 52 | Chris Herring - Weston Culpeppe | 5 | 4 | 9.02 | 0.2 | 8.82 | |
| 52 | Clay Elliott - Craig Karrah | 4 | 4 | 8.82 | 8.82 | ||
| 54 | Terry Morgan - Wayne Morgan | 5 | 5 | 8.76 | 8.76 | ||
| 55 | Brad Stephens - John Wayne Robi | 5 | 5 | 8.62 | 8.62 | ||
| 56 | Rufus Conine - Brad Kimbrough | 4 | 2 | 8.91 | 0.4 | 8.51 | |
| 57 | Scott Hollinhead - Tim English | 4 | 4 | 8.49 | 8.49 | ||
| 58 | Larry Turney - John Ecclestone | 3 | 3 | 8.34 | 8.34 | ||
| 59 | David Morris - Bill Cobb | 5 | 5 | 8.17 | 8.17 | ||
| 60 | Mark Cameron - Jerry Lee Savage | 5 | 5 | 8.11 | 8.11 | ||
| 61 | Ron Kitkowski - R.J. Kitkowski | 4 | 2 | 8.36 | 0.4 | 7.96 | |
| 62 | Johnny Holloway - J.J. Jones | 4 | 4 | 7.63 | 7.63 | ||
| 63 | Richard Mercer - Bobby English | 4 | 4 | 7.45 | 7.45 | ||
| 64 | Rodney Ross - Douglas Chappel | 4 | 4 | 7.42 | 7.42 | ||
| 65 | Mike Crawford - James Golden | 3 | 3 | 7.23 | 7.23 | ||
| 66 | Jessie Glass - Broughton Jones | 4 | 4 | 6.66 | 6.66 | ||
| 67 | Jamey Hulsey - Melissa Hulsey | 3 | 3 | 6.59 | 6.59 | ||
| 68 | David Thrasher - Dick Evans | 3 | 2 | 6.54 | 0.2 | 6.34 | |
| 69 | Vince Culpepper - Mark Challanc | 3 | 2 | 6.38 | 0.2 | 6.18 | |
| 70 | Eric White - Michael White | 2 | 2 | 5.57 | 5.57 | ||
| 71 | Fred Garnett - Tom Wierzbicke | 2 | 2 | 5.49 | 5.49 | ||
| 72 | Walt Pittman - Cody Rosen | 2 | 2 | 5.25 | 5.25 | ||
| 73 | Jackie Hammond - Roger Kennedy | 3 | 3 | 5.03 | 5.03 | ||
| 74 | Rusty Champion - | 3 | 3 | 4.78 | 4.78 | ||
| 75 | Allan Wells - Ryan Wells | 3 | 2 | 4.59 | 0.2 | 4.39 | |
| 76 | Mark Buice - Robert Thomas | 2 | 2 | 3.62 | 3.62 | ||
| 77 | Ken Stanfield - Leslie Stanfiel | 2 | 2 | 3.10 | 3.10 | ||
| 78 | Harry Ligon - Luke Henson | 2 | 2 | 3.09 | 3.09 | ||
| 79 | Jerry Kennedy - Chad Williams | 1 | 1 | 2.18 | 2.18 | 2.18 | |
| 80 | David Koon - Joe Koon | 1 | 1 | 2.11 | 2.11 | 2.11 | |
| 81 | Jeff Kirby - Danny Milner | 1 | 1 | 1.24 | 1.24 | 1.24 | |
| 82 | Bo Talley - Terry Rae | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Rufus Jordan - Rosevelt Jackson | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Billy Houchens - Donnie Ezell | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Jim Allen - Mike Bradshaw | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Santy Solis - Phil King | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Sammy Salter - Eddie Parker | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Lance Tew - Brandon Tew | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Jack Adkins - Troy Moore | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Calvin Greene - Rusty Taylor | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Jason Taylor - William Patterso | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Jason Byrd - Jonathan Halbert | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Alan Spurlock - Tom Newberrw | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Dale Mask - Rick Carlton | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Quintin Brown - Jesse Kenan | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Clay Davis - Spencer Davis | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Dudley Carson - Rosevelt Jackso | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Gary Everett - Jason Brown | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Bill Murdock - Chandler Ray | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Tim Williams - Wesley Williams | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Jonothan Sikes - Jeff Water | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Michael Hall - Erik Stanfiels | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Ken Blalock - Danny Black | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Bill Stowe - Danny Ward | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Landon Jackson - Thomas Espy | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Oscar Graf - Heidi Graf | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Trevor Elliott - | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Russ Brown Bobby - Desmond Brad | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Austin Lang - Cam Colpack | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Chris Foster - Tony Bartkwoski | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Joel Hughes - Ken Jones | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Glenn Crosby - James Long | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | John Bishop - Tyler Bishop | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Gerry Klein - Jeff Gentry | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Steven Brady - Ronald Williams | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Balke Fincher - Taylor Terry | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Chapman Maintains Lead; Horton Makes Huge Move As Elite Series Anglers Head Into Final Day On Toledo Bend!
On Saturday, Brent Chapman returned to the school of bass that produced 25 1/2 pounds for him Friday. He milked it again for 16 pounds, 5 ounces and captured the lead for another day in the Bassmaster Elite Series Toledo Bend Battle.
He’s hungry to nail down his first Elite Series win. But his 59-pound, 14-ounce total over three days left him anything but certain it would come Sunday. Even if Marty Robinson was not just 1-5 behind him in second place with 58-9, and even if he had a bigger cushion than the 10 pounds he does have on the angler sitting in 12th place, Chapman was not feeling easy. He knew what Tim Horton’s 27-9 sack of Saturday meant.
“This tournament is going to come down to the guy who catches a big bag of fish tomorrow, and I just hope that’s me,” said the pro from Lake Quivira, Kan. “Anybody in the Top 10, maybe the Top 12, is going to have a shot at winning this thing.”
Horton was third with 58-1; Day 1 leader Cliff Pace was fourth with 57-12; and Matt Herren was fifth with 56-11. The field was cut to the Top 12 for Sunday’s competition. The prize is $100,000 and a Bassmaster Classic entry in 2013.
Chapman had hoped for another 25-plus pounds like he had on Friday, but conditions changed. He wasn’t sure exactly why more of the big bass in the deep school he’s been working didn’t bite Saturday.
“My theory is that maybe they’re generating electricity on a weekday, and that allows those fish to bite a little better, and on a weekend it doesn’t,” Chapman said.
“I don’t know what to expect for tomorrow. I am going to stay there until about 8:30, then I’m going to make a move. I’m not going to sit there and hope. This is too good of a lake, and there’s no reason not to go to another spot where they’ll bite later in the day.”
He said he may have stayed on his spot too long Saturday — he left about 11 a.m. — because he got no additional bites after the first-light flurry. He had his 16 pounds in his livewell by about 8 a.m.
He said he has four other places to go to if his sweet school shuts down. He caught a few good-size fish on them in practice and thinks they have potential.
“As much as I’m hearing that these fish are moving around for everybody, there’s nothing to say I couldn’t pull up on one of those and find a giant school of big ones there,” he said. “I’ve got an opportunity here to win.”
Second-place holder Robinson sacked 21-5 Saturday. That pulled him up from sixth. Like Chapman, he’s got a shot at his first Elite win.
Robinson of Lyman, S.C., has about six spots he’s been working all week. One, which yielded a 5-pounder, he swore off Friday as depleted. But Saturday morning, when the wind shifted to come from out the south, he decided his 5-pound spot might be worth one more stop. He was right.
“I don’t know for sure if that’s what triggered them today, but the big ones were biting there. I caught a 4 and two 5 1/2’s,” he said. “Obviously there’s some good ones there, but they’re picky.”
Robinson said the key for him Sunday will be making the right decisions: “When to leave, where to go, how long to stay — those are the three biggest.”
From Muscle Shoals, Ala., Horton rocketed into third place from 21st with his 27-9 sack. It included an 8-15, but that wasn’t the Carhartt Big Bass of the day. That honor went to Florida’s Terry Scroggins for a 9-3.
Horton said the genesis of Saturday’s big catch actually happened late Friday afternoon. He had only about 10 pounds with an hour to go. He checked a place he’d fished at last year’s Elite event on Toledo Bend. What he saw was a nice surprise.
“The bass were stacked on it,” he said. “I only had 15 minutes to fish it. I couldn’t wait to get there this morning. It was a bass on every cast for an hour.”
When the bite stopped, he had about 22 pounds. Then he made a 40-mile run to a spot he’d been on earlier in the competition. That’s where he caught his 8-15. He said it was a single fish holding on a rough, gravely spot on the bottom. It bit a 10-inch Carolina rigged Yum worm.
“Maybe that magic spot will put something special out again tomorrow,” said Horton, the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year in 2000 — his rookie year. His Bassmaster record includes an Elite title taken on Lake Champlain in 2007.
Besides the Toledo Bend title, Elite pros are competing for Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year points. Those count toward postseason and Bassmaster Classic qualifications, as well as the AOY title.
Randy Howell of Springville, Ala., lost his lead in the points race this week when he missed the Top 50 cut on Friday. That opened the door for Chapman to regain the points lead he had lost to Howell after the Douglas Lake event in May. An event’s points aren’t awarded until the tournament is over, so interim results aren’t official, but after three days Chapman is in the lead, followed most closely by David Walker, Herren and Ott DeFoe.
2012 Toledo Bend Battle 6/7-6/10
Toledo Bend Reservoir, Many LA.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 15 59-14 99
Day 1: 5 18-01 Day 2: 5 25-08 Day 3: 5 16-05
2. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 15 58-09 98
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 21-12 Day 3: 5 21-05
3. Timmy Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 15 58-01 97
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 14-01 Day 3: 5 27-09
4. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 15 57-12 96
Day 1: 5 23-02 Day 2: 5 16-10 Day 3: 5 18-00
5. Matt Herren Trussville, AL 15 56-11 95
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 22-00 Day 3: 5 14-11
6. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 15 55-03 94
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 17-02 Day 3: 5 20-09
7. Casey D Ashley Donalds, SC 15 54-14 93
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 18-06 Day 3: 5 15-11
8. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 13 52-12 92
Day 1: 3 09-15 Day 2: 5 23-10 Day 3: 5 19-03
9. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 14 52-01 91
Day 1: 5 19-12 Day 2: 4 13-12 Day 3: 5 18-09
10. Chris Zaldain San Jose, CA 15 51-03 90
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 19-10 Day 3: 5 15-08
11. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 15 50-09 89
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 13-13 Day 3: 5 18-09
12. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 15 49-15 88
Day 1: 5 20-03 Day 2: 5 15-10 Day 3: 5 14-02
13. Scott Ashmore Broken Arrow, OK 15 46-13 87 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 14-09 Day 3: 5 19-11
14. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 14 45-12 86 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 5 20-09 Day 3: 4 07-10
15. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 15 45-06 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-14 Day 2: 5 14-03 Day 3: 5 13-05
16. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 13 45-02 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 3 04-08 Day 2: 5 18-06 Day 3: 5 22-04
17. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 14 44-05 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-03 Day 2: 4 09-07 Day 3: 5 17-11
18. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 15 43-09 82 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 25-00 Day 3: 5 08-10
19. Denny Brauer Camdenton, MO 15 43-02 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-08 Day 2: 5 11-08 Day 3: 5 09-02
20. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 15 43-02 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 11-08 Day 3: 5 18-09
21. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 15 43-01 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 5 13-10 Day 3: 5 10-12
22. Terry Butcher Talala, OK 15 43-00 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 14-08 Day 3: 5 12-07
23. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 15 42-11 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 13-11 Day 3: 5 16-11
24. Kevin Ledoux Choctaw, OK 14 42-11 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-12 Day 2: 5 23-03 Day 3: 4 10-12
25. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 15 42-04 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 17-13 Day 3: 5 09-05
26. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 15 41-15 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 17-04 Day 3: 5 12-14
27. John Murray Phoenix, AZ 15 41-06 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 10-13 Day 3: 5 17-11
28. Shaw E Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 15 41-04 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 11-11 Day 3: 5 15-09
29. Jami Fralick Martin, SD 15 41-01 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 14-09 Day 3: 5 16-10
30. David Walker Sevierville, TN 15 40-10 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 5 14-07 Day 3: 5 16-03
31. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 15 40-10 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 15-00 Day 3: 5 09-10
32. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 15 40-02 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 13-03 Day 3: 5 15-01
33. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 13 38-11 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 3 11-06 Day 3: 5 14-14
34. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 15 38-10 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 08-14 Day 3: 5 08-10
35. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 15 38-07 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 5 12-03 Day 3: 5 08-02
36. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 15 38-07 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 09-04 Day 3: 5 15-02
37. Brandon Card Caryville, TN 15 38-05 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 11-02 Day 3: 5 10-06
38. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 15 37-02 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 15-02 Day 3: 5 08-15
39. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 15 37-01 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 14-05 Day 3: 5 12-10
40. Alton Jones Woodway, TX 15 37-01 60 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 11-14 Day 3: 5 11-05
41. Nate Wellman Newaygo, MI 15 37-00 59 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 5 14-13 Day 3: 5 12-02
42. Michael Iaconelli Pittsgrove, NJ 15 36-13 58 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 14-00 Day 3: 5 09-04
43. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 15 36-10 57 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 5 13-04 Day 3: 5 12-12
44. John Crews Salem, VA 15 34-09 56 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 12-12 Day 3: 5 11-05
45. Pete Ponds Madison, MS 12 34-09 55 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 12-13 Day 3: 2 06-13
46. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 15 34-05 54 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 5 12-04 Day 3: 5 11-07
47. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 15 32-00 53 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 10-15 Day 3: 5 08-04
48. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 10 31-11 52 $10,000.00
Day 1: 2 03-10 Day 2: 5 21-14 Day 3: 3 06-03
49. Fletcher Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 8 26-03 51 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 3 10-04 Day 3: 0 00-00
50. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 10 22-09 50 $5,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 10-03 Day 3: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 76 438 1143-00
2 67 417 1117-07
3 44 233 668-10
----------------------------------
187 1088 2929-01
Long Looking For Hungry Fish On Ledges In Flw Tour Major On Kentucky Lake
Although it may seem like it at times, fish don't stop eating when they move out into deeper water for the summer. It just gets harder to find the fish that want to eat when it counts – like during tournament hours.
That is the problem FLW pro Brent Long of Cornelius, N.C., found this week on Kentucky Lake while practicing for the FLW Tour Major this Thursday through Saturday.
“The fish out on the ledges seem to be biting later in the day for me. When I am catching them is after tournament hours so the ones I've found so far won't do me any good,” he said. “So, I am mixing it up, fishing some shallow and some out deep and hoping for the best.”
Long said he had heard some guys have found concentrations of bass out deep and be believes the tournament will be won out on the ledges.
“There are schools of fish out there – I just have not found them yet,” said Long who is a strong shallow water power fishing angler. “I like fishing shallow dirty water, flipping and pitching jigs, but so far I am catching a few shallow and a few out deep on the ledges.”
Long said the lake is about a foot lower than normal summer pool, but it has come up a little as a result of recent rains, but that does not seem to have had much effect on the fish.
“I've always done good on Kentucky Lake and it is one of my favorite lakes to fish,” he said. “I just don't feel as comfortable after two days of practice as I normally am here.”
He has fished several major tournaments on the lake in the past and done well. In his first FLW major on Kentucky Lake last June he finished 31st and took home a check for $9,930.
This is his fifth year fishing the FLW Majors and he has two tournament wins with total FLW earnings of $365,251. His wins came in June 2010 on Lake Guntersville and this past April on Table Rock in Missouri.
He has 11 top 10 places in FLW competitions and he earned a check in one other FLW Major this year, finishing in 50th place on the Potomac River a month ago. So far, he has pocketed $134,810 in 2012.
His career really took off in 2010 when he qualified for his second Bassmaster Classic through the Bassmaster Federation, made the BFL All American – and won that first FLW Tour event on Lake Guntersville.
Now Long pretty much confines his tournament fishing to the FLW Majors.
“I have twin stepdaughters who will be 14 years old in about two weeks and they play a lot of sports, so I spend a lot of time with them when I am home,” said Long who is a general contractor.
Although the remodeling side of his business is doing well, Long is not building many houses in this down economy, so he'd love to earn a good check on Kentucky Lake this week – if he can just find a way to get those fish on the deep ledges to bite at the right time.
FLW Tour Major
Jun 7-10, 2012
Kentucky-Barkley Lakes
Kentucky Dam Marina
June 2 Lake Wateree Bfl
Seventy-one anglers fished the June 2 FLW BFL at Lake Wateree, and local boy Steve Phillips came out on top of them all. The Lugoff native brought a 5-fish limit to the scales that weighed 17-01, easily giving him the win. Phillips won over $3000 for his efforts. Phillips, who is known on Lake Wateree as a big fan of Rapala's DD-22, used that very lure to win the tournament.
Scott Peavy, also of Lugoff, finished a distant 2nd place, weighing in 13-13 and taking home over $1500. Peavy squeaked by Greensboro, NC angler Mark Inman, who brought 13-07 pounds of fish to the weigh-in.
Rick McLean of Dalzell finished in 4th place with a limit that weighed 12-14 and earned him $707. Sumter angler Roby Kelley caught 12-08, taking 5th place and winning $606.
Two anglers, Derrick Compton of Columbus, NC and Carl Smith of Lugoff, finished in the money with only 3 fish. Compton's trio weighed 11-08 and put him in 7th place. Smith's 3 chunks weighed 9-15, good for 13th place.
While Phillips won the angler division in dominating fashion, DJ McEachern dominated the co-angler division, winning by almost 4 full pounds and earning over $1500. McEachern, who fished the Carolina Angler's Team Trail event on Lake Wateree the previous week, said he spent most of that day pitching docks but failing to get anything going until he abandoned that strategey for throwing a shaky-head rig. The change helped him and his teammate to a top 20 finish in the CATT event, and McEachern came to this tournament ready to throw shaky-heads all day. "I wouldn't have won today if I had not fished the CATT tournament last week," McEachern said.
McEachern shows off his winning stringer
Vernie Haltiwanger of Lexington took 2nd place with 9-05, winning $757. He was followed by Jerry Lineberger of Lincolnton, NC who bagged 4 fish weighing 8-14.
The tournament's biggest fish came from co-angler Bobby Littlejohn of Spartanburg. Littlejohn caught the fish in weeds on a 12-inch plastic worm and finished in 2nd place with only 2 fish, the anchor being a 6-02.
Littlejohn with the big bass of the day.
The SC Division of the BFL will make its next stop at Clarks Hill in the fall.
Georgia Southern Anglers Round Out Field For Team-Of-Year Finals Through Ranger Cup University Program
Hewlett and Hill will face off against Carson Rejzer and Wyatt Blevins, collegiate anglers from Virginia Tech University to determine the Ranger Cup University Team of the Year. Rejzer and Blevins qualified with their fifth-place finish in the FLW College Fishing National Championship on South Carolina’s Lake Murray earlier this spring.
“I think it’s great what Ranger is doing. College fishing is a growing sport and this program is available to all of the anglers, whether they own a Ranger or not. Plus, it teaches us college guys that we need to stay on top of the little things – there were 14 teams ahead of us that probably wish they would’ve done it,” said Hill, a mechanical engineering major heading into his junior year at Georgia Southern. “Justin and I are blessed to benefit from the Ranger Cup University program. We didn’t have the big bites we needed to win the (Pickwick) tournament, but we won a $500 cash prize and get to fish Choke Canyon.”
Both teams will receive an expense-paid, grand-prize package, which includes travel, lodging and meals, as well as the opportunity to compete from fully rigged Ranger boats. The made-for-TV fishing event will be televised nationally on NBC Sports network’s Americana Outdoors, representing a unique opportunity for the collegiate anglers – complete with over $2,000 in cash and prizes awarded to the winner.
Modeled after the most lucrative contingency rewards in the industry, Ranger Cup, Ranger Cup University is the first program of its kind exclusively for collegiate anglers and is open to those fishing in either FLW- or BoatUS-affiliated competitions. Signup is free, regardless of which brand of boat they own. To remain qualified in the program, anglers need only adhere to clothing and logo requirements. And as part of the Ranger Cup University program, participants will be able to receive specially discounted tournament gear through Angler Skins and Gemini Custom Apparel, with no artwork or set-up fees. Through these vendors, Ranger Cup University anglers can purchase fully customized tournament jerseys for as low as $48.
For more information on Ranger Cup University, to register and read all about the program guidelines, go online to RangerBoats.com.
About Ranger Boats
Headquartered in Flippin, Ark., Ranger Boats is the nation’s largest manufacturer of premium fiberglass fishing boats, which include series of bass, multi-species, fish 'n play and saltwater boats. Founded in 1968 by Forrest L. Wood, Ranger Boats continues its commitment to building the highest-quality, strongest-performing boats on the water. For more information, go to RangerBoats.com.
Overtons Of Raleigh Piedmont Bass Classic Results - Shearon Harris Lake - June 2, 2012
17 teams showed up for the 6th in a series of Spring Open Tournaments. The weather was great! 59
degrees in the am and 78 or so at weighin with 15mph winds & sunny conditions.
38 fish were weighed in for a good total weight of 148 pounds. The bass were caught at just about every
place you think one would be! Many fish caught were in the slot and had to be returned to the lake. All of
your most favorite lures were used but the better fish were caught on 10" Deep Creek Lures plastic
worms. Water temps were around the 80 degree area. The bass are showing signs of going to the
pre-summer patterns and were caught in 1 to 20 feet of water. All in all, the bite was real good and the
bass looked very healthy! There are some great HAWGS at Harris!
Jaime Fajardo & Scott Woodson of Fuquay-Varina, won the event and collected $680 for 1st, $280 for 1st
place TWT, $224 for the 1st place Big Fish Award & 2 G-Loomis rods, compliments of Overton's in
Raleigh, worth $650 at retail, for a total of $1,834 in cash and prizes! Additionally, Fajardo was fishing in a
Stratos bass boat and is qualified to double the teams winnings since they are part of the Stratos 2X
program!
I really want to thank Kevin Paramore and the crew at OVERTON'S in Raleigh for sponsoring 3 of the
Spring Open tournaments. Overton's made a lot of our participants very happy in winning! Please visit
their store located off the I-440 Beltline at Exit 10 in Raleigh inside the Holly Park Shopping Center.
That's 3062 Wake Forest Road! Overton's carries so much I can't even begin to tell you what they stock!
Everything from Tackle to Wake Boards!
Our next 'Spring Open' will be at Jordan Lake, Saturday June 16th, and will be sponsored by
SPRINGHILL OUTFITTERS in Selma!
Our next and final, 'Boats Unlimited $10,000 Spring Bass Trail' qualifying event will be
Saturday, June 9th, at Falls Lake!
All the information on our tournaments can be found at: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Now here are the full 'OVERTON'S of RALEIGH OPEN' results:
1st Place: Jaime Fajardo & Scott Woodson of Fuquay-Varina...5 bass...31.68 lbs...$1,834
2nd Place: Hal Abshire & Ethan Cox of Cameron & West End...5 bass...25.81 lbs...$408
3rd Place: Russell Harrelson & Michael Staszewski of Fuquay-Varina...5 bass...16.71 lbs...$272
1st Place Big Fish..1st Place Team above...8.82 lbs...$224
2nd Place Big Fish..2nd Place Team above: 7.90 lbs...$96
1st Place TWT..1st Place Team above: 31.68 lbs...$280
2nd Place TWT..3rd Place Team above: 16.71 lbs...$120
I want to thank OVERTON'S and all of you that support our tournaments! If you would like to be a sponsor, we would love to help grow your business! Sponsorship doesn't cost much, so give me a call if you are interested.
The weather looks great for Saturday. See ya'll then !! Later...................
Phil McCarson~Tournament Director 919-471-1571.......919-971-5042
www.piedmontbassclassics.com or email me at: [email protected]
Hal Abshire & Ethan Cox finished in 2nd Place with 5 bass that weighed 25.81 lbs
