2012 Snag Proof Open Lake Guntersville Champions
We grab Champion Willie Staten just after he and Gil Summerline take home $9900 on a limit of fish including a whopping 8.94 LB Bigfish!! Willie caught the BF early and with only a 3 fish limit, that was the difference---
2012 Snag Proof Open Lake Guntersville Weigh-In Highlights!
For those who wonder how Lake Guntersville is producing this summer, look no further as the 2012 Snag Proof Open has kicker after kicker weighed in with a 9LB Monster that keys the win and $9900 for Willie Staten and Gil Summerville
Wheeler Takes Cup; Speaks About Game Plan
Jacob Wheeler weighs-in, takes the Forrest Wood Cup title and speaks about the game plan that paid off to the tune of $500,000.
Wheeler Wins 2012 Cup!!!
Jacob Wheeler targeted "anything that would break that current - a stump, a log, a stick - so a fish could sit there and not have to fight the current but could dart out and catch a minnow." In other words, river fishing. "Seventy-five percent of my fish came from Laurel Park north up the Chattahoochee. Wood cover was the key."
His back up plan involved bluegill beds on Lanier's south end. He could call his shot on those fish. That's important because the river fish did not replenish after he caugth one from any given piece of cover. "If I caught a fish off of a stump or a log I never caught another one off of it." But if a bream bed produced once it was likely to do so again.
Wheeler duped topwater fish with a couple of prop baits and noted that he had to switch down to a Rapala model to entice his day 2 weight.
Additionally, he flipped a variety of plastics.
In a tournament where experts expected deep brush piles to pump out a winning string of spotted bass, the key to Wheeler's win was his decision to target largemouth in a stretch of river that did not exceed 10 feet in depth.
Forrest Wood Cup Day 2 Notes - Yelas, Others Cut Into Wheeler's Lead
We began day 2 way up the river with tourney leader Jacob Wheeler. After a slow start Wheeler scrambled together an 11 pound, 12 ounce limit to maintain his lead midway through the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup.
Jay Yelas cut that lead roughly in half with an 18 pound, 4 ounce effort that ran his total to 30-8 and landed him squarely in 2nd place.
After we left Wheeler we pulled up on Scott Martin in the midlake region. He babied a big spotted bass into the boat. We have that footage right now on AnglersChannel.com's video page. It will also air on the Progressive Weekend Bass Wrap Up TV Show at 7:30 one Saturday morning soon.
Martin's big fish pushed him into 3rd with a total of 29-4.
We also watched Scott Canterbury bounce around and toss back small fish. He found one monster spotted bass and filled out his limit by the time he took the stage this evening in the Gwinnett Center Arena.
Canterbury is tied for 3rd with Dion Hibdon. Each anglers has 29 pounds.
Glenn Browne is the last man in the top 20 cut with 20 pounds, 11 ounces which means that Jacob Wheeler could haVe gone golfing today and still have made the cut.
But why would he want to do that?
No surprise, underspun fish head lures (including Buckeye's Suspin Blade) and drop shots are dominating the deep bite. And the deep bite could dominate the leaderboard by this time tomorrow unless the shallow fish prove inexaustible.
Forrest Wood Cup On Water Footage Martin Lands A Big Spot!!!
Check out THIS footage from Day 2 of the 2012 Cup - Scott Martin whacks a big spotted bass. Day 2 weigh in is set to begin here in Georgia and on FLWOutdoors.com!
2012 Forrest Wood Cup Day 1 - Wheeler Whacks 'em!!!
21-year-old Jacob Wheeler blew it wide open at the day 1 weigh in of the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup. 22 pounds may be enough to make the top 20 cut after two days. Wheeler had that weight in one day.
Dean Rojas Offers Tip To Help You Skip-Cast A Frog
From ICAST 2012, frog master Dean Rojas tells how he skips these versatile lures way back into bass-holding cover.
Peter T Offers Drop Shot Help!
Veteran Tour Pro Peter Thliveros offers a super tip to help YOU catch more bass next time you go drop-shoting!
Justin Lucas - Havoc Devil Spear Not Just For Flippin'
FLW National Guard pro Justin Lucas has a great use for Berkley's Havoc Devil Spear. He tells us how to modify the flippin' lure into an awesome Chatterbait trailer from the floor of the 2012 ICAST show.
Patrick Pierce Talks St. Croix Mojo At Icast 2012. Why S-Glass?
Bassmaster Open and PAA pro Patrick Pierce takes us into the St Croix booth to ask Rich Bellanger about the decision to use S-glass instead of E-glass in the Mojo cranking rods.
Three-Fish Limit Set For Snag Proof Open On Guntersville
Frog bite is beginning to turn on just in time for the Snag Proof Open on Guntersville!!
The 8th annual Snag Proof Open on Lake Guntersville Aug. 11 will feature a three-bass limit because of the 100-degree heat that has prevailed across the country this summer.
“We are going to a three-fish limit this year,” said Jamie Shay, tournament director. “Since we are having the tournament in August we are going to look out for the fish.”
That is quite a contrast to the much cooler weather anglers experienced in the 2011 Snag Proof Open on Guntersville which was held on Oct. 1. Even with the extreme heat, however, Shay said fishing should be much better than it has been by the day of the tournament.
“The frog bite is beginning to turn on and it's producing as much as anything else right now. The grass is starting to come out and by the tournament it should be a lot better. I think two weeks of sunshine will be great for the grass.”
The soft plastic frog is an essential part of an angler’s arsenal when it comes to bass and grass – and Lake Guntersville is famous for its grass. Real frogs live in watery stands of aquatic grass and bass consider them a delicacy.
Tournament rules allow anglers to modify a Snag Proof Frog, but the essential part of their lure has to be an original Snag Proof Frog. Modifications allowed include using weights for techniques such as Texas and Carolina rigs and drop shots. Anglers may also paint or stain the frogs and they can change the hooks and add trailer hooks without using leaders. Frogs can't be used as a trailer on a jig, spinnerbait or buzzbait if those lures have a hook of their own. They also can't be used in umbrella rigs or other multiple-lure rigs.
With a three-fish limit, Shay said it probably will take 15 to 18 pounds to win the tournament.
“Three 5-pounders or maybe somebody with a 7-pounder, a 5-pounder and a 3-pounder will win it – but that's just a guess.”
Participation in the October tournament last year was down, Shay said, because of 30 mph winds and 55-degree temperatures.
“But we still had 130 boats last October and this year we are back in August, so I anticipate between 150 and 250 boats. The guys are calling in left and right. They all want to be in. There's a good buzz going on around the tournament,” he said.
Anglers may register for the tournament online at www.snagproof.com, with on-site registration Aug. 10 starting at 3 p.m. at The Bait Tackle and Grill at Goose Pond. A mandatory meeting will be held at the grill at 7 p.m.
Shay and his wife, Michelle, who moved to Lake Guntersville four years ago from Florida, now own The Bait Tackle and Grill at Goose Pond.
“We took over Feb. 1 and it has been a fun, exciting and crazy ride for sure,” he said. “Business was extremely good during the spring and then it slowed a little in this 100-degree heat this summer but it has been exciting. We've heard a lot of good fish stories.”
The Snag Proof Open at Guntersville is sanctioned by BoatUS and the Anglers Weigh-to-win Program, a cash contingency program for BoatUS Angler members.
The Guntersville Open will be the third and final Snag Proof tournament of the year. The first, the 3rd Annual Potomac River Open, was held Sunday, July 29. The second, the 11th annual California Open, was scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 4 and 5, on the California Delta.
Snag Proof Open
Sat, Aug 11, 2012
Lake Guntersville
Goose Pond Colony
Call Jamie Shay 256-599-0132
Arey Hoping To Add Pro Title To His Co-Angler Championship In Forrest Wood Cup
Matt Arey won the Forrest Wood cup once as a Co-Angler – now he'd love to win it on the pro side next week on Georgia's Lake Lanier.
“The lake went off limits at midnight last Sunday and I have been fine tuning my pre-practice plans, deciding the way I want to practice when we go back down there,” said Arey, who qualified for the Forrest Wood cup three times as a co-angler, finishing in the top 10 all three times – 10th in 2005, 1st in 2006 and 8th in 2007.
The Shelby, N.C., angler weighed in five bass at 11 pounds, 15 ounces, on Alabama's Lake Logan Martin in August 2006 for the Co-angler title and a check for $25,000. He finished 42nd last year in his only previous appearance in the pro division at the FLW Championship on Arkansas' Lake Ouachita.
Arey practiced on Lake Lanier for five days in late July before the cut-off.
“I started with a half-day that Monday and fished all the way through Friday and then left,” he said. “That lake is one of a kind on weekends, probably the roughest place I've ever been to because of boat traffic.”
His only other experience on Lake Lanier was as a co-angler in an FLW Series tournament in March 2006 when he caught one fish and finished far down in the pack.
“That was a pre-spawn deal and the fishing then was not conducive at all to what is going on now,” he said.
“I think it is going to be similar to the Forrest Wood Cup on Lanier in 2010, with spotted bass the dominant catch. Largemouth bass will be a wild card. I just don't think you can catch the largemouths you need to win four days in a row.”
Arey said he believes consistently weighing in 13 to 13 1/2 pounds a day will provide an angler a good shot at winning the Cup.
“It's a blueback herring lake with a lot of timber in it. Right now a lot of the fish are out in the 50- to 80-foot range, suspended in the trees. They are roaming with the bluebacks and small threadfins. When you find a school you bust them up, but if you leave and come back later you might get a bite.”
One big difference from 2010, he noted, is that the lake is down 7 1/2 feet from the level then.
“There are more brushpiles in that lake than you can imagine, but those brushpiles are normally 15 to 25 feet deep and now they are a lot shallower, so there is not the much stuff out there in 30 feet of water where the fish are,” he said.
“I think you are going to need a lot of places and you'll probably need to hit 25 or 30 places a day to get five decent bites. But it's going to make it hard to find enough places to build a milk run for the tournament.”
The angler who knows how to catch suspended fish will be the top man in the tournament, Arey said, with the drop shot, jig and other suspended fish baits key.
“The other wild card is the sporadic schooling activity. Last week in practice a school of 3- to 5-pound spots would come up. If you can catch one you are doing good and if you get lucky and have that happen two or three times a day and then you can fill out your limit doing other stuff you will be doing really well.”
Arey is hoping to cap off what he considers his best year on the FLW Majors Tour, although he admits it has also been one of the most frustrating.
While he qualified for the Forrest Wood Cup, he did not make a top 10 all year long.
“I missed making the top 20 several times by anywhere from 4 ounces to 12 ounces, but I’m really happy with my year overall. I've been pretty consistent all year.”
2012 Forrest Wood Cup
Aug. 9-12, 2012
Lake Lanier
Laurel Park
'last Chance' For Airport Marine Ez Open Trail Classic Set For Lay Lake Aug. 4
Airport Marine Tournament Trail Director Flynn Gerald said, only half-jokingly, that he was thinking about printing up fliers about the series final qualifying tournament on Lay Lake, Saturday, Aug. 4, that proclaim it as the “Last Chance” for area fishermen.
“It will be the last chance to qualify for the Airport Marine Classic,” Gerald said. “If they fish this tournament they are qualified for the Classic.”
The Lay Lake tournament is the seventh in the Airport Marine EZ Open Trail series that began back in February on Lake Jordan, with tournaments held on Lakes Mitchell, Logan Martin and Lay Lake. Anglers only have to fish one of the tournaments to qualify for the Classic which will be held Sept. 8 on a lake to be announced.
“Lay Lake is kind of tough right now. It's hot as usual, but there will be fish caught. The quality of fishermen we have it will take 18 to 19 pounds to win next Saturday. It always does,” Gerald said. “At our last tournament (July 7, also on Lay Lake) it took almost 20 pounds to win and it took 17 pounds just to get a check.”
And, he added, it was hot weather then, too.
“Airport Marine has by far the best fishermen in this area and that is just a fact,” said Gerald. “There is always a bunch of fishermen who are going to catch fish, regardless of the situation.”
Gerald said most of the winning fish in the July tournament were caught shallow.
“But I think it will be a combination this time. Somebody will have one or two deep fish and two or three they caught shallow early.”
Besides guaranteeing $2,000 for first place with at least a 60-boat field, the Airport Marine Trail also has manufacturers' bonuses for Triton, Ranger and Stratos, Gerald noted.
“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.”
The top prize in the Classic Sept. 8 is $5,000, plus at the Classic meeting there will be four ticket draws for $500 each among the entered fishermen who get one ticket for every tournament they fish.
“We are just paying back to the fishermen,” Gerald said.
The Classic meeting will be held Monday, Sept. 3, at Airport Marine in Alabaster, Ala., with food and drink served.
At the Classic itself, he noted, 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.”
Airport Marine Tournament Trail
Sat, Aug 4, 2012
Lay Lake
Paradise Point Marina & RV Resort
Call Flynn Gerald 205-678-9666
2012 Bassmaster Elite Series Recap – Bull Shoals Lake
I finished 18th with 45 lbs. 6 oz. and was pleased with my finish as I increased in weight every day.
Practice
Before practice ever started, I thought this event would be a clear water sight fishing and finesse bite. Boy was I wrong! The water had an algae bloom and was dingy, and most of the fish were either pre-spawn or post spawn. I found some clear water and looked for spawners for a long time and never found any, so I focused my efforts on post spawners. I covered as much water as possible and shallow cranked the majority of practice. I caught around 12 or 13lbs a day in practice.
Competition
Day 1: I found some good fish in the back of a large creek in the middle of the lake, and opted to start the day there. I targeted bluffs, points, and laydowns with square billed crankbaits and creature baits. I caught a quick limit and was culling by 8:30. I kept culling for hours and all the fish seemed to be the same size. At noon, I made a decision that hurt me greatly. I left fish to find fish, and it did not pay off! I left the mid lake area at noon and ran 30 miles up river to fish a couple of creeks that I had been thinking about all day. I went all the way up there and it just wasn’t happening. I never upgrading again. I finished the day with 12lbs 15 oz and in 54th.
Day 2: I learned from my mistake on day 1, and I told myself that I would not leave the area that was so good to me the first part of the first day. I caught fish all day long on the shallow crank, and culled up eary so often. I had around 13 lbs with 1 hour left, and I knew I needed to upgrade a few more times to make the top 50 cut. I pulled up to one bank and culled 2 or 3 times with minutes left and that is what I need to advance. I weighed in 14lbs 13 oz and moved up to 41st.
Day 3: After gaining confidence in my creek, I knew that my areas were holding good quality bass. I once again chose to grind it out with a square bill crankbait. I fished as may points and bluffs as I could, and I got three over 4lbs in the boat. Two of which came in the last hour of the day! I was actually heading out of my creek, and had a gut feeling to turn around. I turned around and ran back to a bank that I hadn’t fished yet. I caught two 4lbers back to back! I weighed in my biggest bag of the week, 17lbs 10 oz., and missed the top 12 cut by a little over a pound. I finished in 18th.
Key Tackle: 15 lb Berkley Trilene 100% fluorocarbon was crucial all week. I was burning square bills down rocky banks, and never broke a fish off all week. Berkley 100% fluoro is the way to go. It is easy to cast and super strong!
Key Equipment: I have never fished as fast as I did in this tournament. My average speed on the trolling motor was 60. Optima batteries and 101 Minn Kota allowed me to keep the trolling motor on high all day without slowing down. I had use a Pinnacle Optimus XT 7.3:1 high speed reel to keep up with the speed of my trolling motor. It is one of the smoothest high speed reels I have used.
Stay Positive and Don't Get Stubborn.
God Bless,
Brandon Card
Jb Custom Rods - Piedmont Bass Classics Summer Trail Results - Jordan Lake - July 28Th, 2012
16 teams showed up at Jordan Lake for the 4th qualifying tournament of the 2012 JB Custom Rods~Piedmont Bass Classics $5,000 Summer Bass Tournament Trail. It turned out to be a good day! 74 degrees in the morning with light winds & cloud cover, then close to 90 in the pm with sunshine & light winds.
Scott Gatton, fishing without his partner today, brought in the winning bag weighing 19.69 lbs. for a winning a total of $640! Big fish for the day weighed in at 6.82 lbs. The bite was pretty tough at Jordan. 53 fish were weighed in for a total weight of 155 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 89 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, August 4th.
All the information on our tournaments can be found at: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Scott Gatton & Darien Crumbley of Cary & High Point...5 bass...19.69 lbs...$640
2nd Place: Robert Williams Jr. & Mike Dinterman of Rocky Mount & Charlestown, West Virginia
...5 bass...18.50 lbs...$385
3rd Place: Mike Hodge & Tim Wall of Clayton...5 bass...15.35 lbs...$255
1st Place Big Fish..2nd Place Team above: 6.82 lbs...$210
2nd Place Big Fish..3rd Place Team above: 6.26 lbs...$90
1st Place TWT..2nd Place Team above: 18.50 lbs...$210
2nd Place TWT..3rd Place Team above: 15.35 lbs...$90
For More Information Contact:
Phil McCarson~Tournament Director 919-471-1571.......919-971-5042
www.piedmontbassclassics.com or email me at: [email protected]
Mike Dinterman (left) & Robert Williams, Jr finished in 2nd Place with 18.50 lbs!
Rick Clunn Talks Squarebill Cranks At Icast 2012
Legend of the sport, Rick Clunn, discusses shallow cranbaits and talks about how his Luck E Strike models compare to his favorite wooden plugs.
Bullock And Perkins Take The Final Anglers Choice Marine Qualifier On Kerr
The final qualifier for the 2012 Angler's Choice Marine Team Trail concluded this past Sat with Chris Bullock and Robert Perkins taking home the Guaranteed $3000 1st place prize. For the 2nd year in a row, there is a tie for the Points Champions, so that will be decided at the Championship this fall. Here are the full results from Kerr as well as the points standings to date:
Lee Vs. Lee: Matt Lee Tops Brother For Bassmaster Classic Berth
CONWAY, Ark. — Emotions were running as high as the central Arkansas thermometers when brothers Matt and Jordan Lee of Auburn University stepped to the weigh-in stage for the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series final Sunday morning.
“This is painful,” said Leigh Lee, mother of Matt and Jordan. “When you see your children get so close to their dreams, and it slips from one of their hands, it’s painful as a parent.”
Indeed the mood was more like a funeral than a coronation when Matt earned the Bassmaster Classic berth by beating his brother Sunday. Matt had two bass that weighed 5 pounds, 6 ounces. Jordan finished with two bass weighing 2-4 after another tough 4 1/2 hours of fishing on Beaverfork Lake.
“If we fished 20 times, he’d win 18,” Matt said. “I hate it for him, but I’m happy for me.
“I know right now he’s hurting, and I’m hurting for him.”
In a flashback from last year, Jordan had the winning fish on in the final minutes Sunday. He cast a 3/8-ounce Buckeye Mini-Mop jig with a NetBait Paca Craw trailer near a boat dock in one of the back pockets of the 960-acre lake. He saw a 5-pound bass suck the bait in, and he set the hook only to see the fish break his line.
“That was a game-changer,” Jordan said.
Two years ago, Jordan was teamed with Shane Powell of Auburn when they lost a 4-pounder in the final minutes that would have given them the B.A.S.S. College National Championship. Instead, they had to settle for 2nd place to Stephen F. Austin.
Again this year, Jordan was part of the Auburn team, with his brother, Matt, that finished second to Oklahoma State in the team championship that was decided Friday.
After 10 straight days of fishing, including practice and competition, under an unrelenting sun that swelled temperatures into triple digits every day — Jordan had to settle for two second-place finishes. Anyone could understand why the 21-year-old Auburn student was emotionally spent Sunday morning. And his 23-year-old brother wasn’t in much better shape.
“I just know my brother wanted this more than anything,” Matt said. “He was reading Bassmaster magazine when he was in middle school.”
Then Matt, for the second time on stage, gave way to tears and had to walk away from the microphone.
Their father, Bruce, tried to put the best spin on the situation, saying, “It’s the best of all dilemmas you could have. You don’t want either one to lose, but you’re glad that they’ve both got a chance to pursue their dreams.”
Ultimately, Matt Lee deserved the title, not only for outfishing his brother on Sunday, but also for catching the biggest bass in both the morning and afternoon sessions Saturday at Beaverfork, when the field was whittled from eight, to four, to two.
He found a hump in the lake that had several small brushpiles on it. On three sides of the hump, the water dropped off to a depth of 15 feet. He concentrated on the other side, where the depth plunged to 22 feet and had a big tree was resting on the bottom.
Using a 5-inch Strike King Sexy Shad spoon, Matt caught a 4-pound, 14-ounce bass, which was the biggest of the four quarterfinal matches Saturday morning. Employing the same lure, he landed a 5-pound, 7-ounce largemouth Saturday afternoon, which keyed his advance to the final against his brother.
Matt stayed on that hump Sunday. He caught his two bass in the first 30 minutes on a Jewel 1/2-ounce jig with a NetBait Paca Craw trailer.
Saturday’s 5-7 took Carhartt Big Bass honors for the two-day individual tournament at Beaverfork Lake. Lee was also presented with a $5,000 check from Carhartt Sunday to further his efforts in preparing for the 2013 Bassmaster Classic, which will be held next February.
Matt and Jordan are Bruce’s and Leigh’s only children. It’s a long drive from central Arkansas back to their Cullman, Ala., home. Undoubtedly there will be many more moments of mixed emotions for every member of the Lee family on the way home.
But the over-riding emotion is joy: Matt has earned a spot in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic.
“College fishing has blown up with the help of B.A.S.S.,” Matt said. “It has really come on the scene. It’s a great opportunity, and everybody knows that now.”
Thanks to his victory, Matt will compete against America’s top bass pros in the Classic, Feb. 22-24, on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees — an experience akin to going straight from Division 1 football to the Super Bowl. One way or another, the Lee family will go through a whole new range of emotions.
The Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Championship and Classic bracket initially will air on ESPNU on Sunday, Aug. 12, from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. EST and Sunday, Aug. 19, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. EST.
Other upcoming airings include : Carhartt Bassmaster College Series South, East and Central Regionals on Sunday, July 29, from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. EST; Sunday, Aug. 5, from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST; Saturday, Aug. 11, from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. EST; and Sunday, Aug. 12, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST.
The Midwest Regional will air Sunday, Aug. 5, from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. EST; Saturday, Aug. 11, from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. EST; Sunday, Aug. 12, from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST; and Sunday, Aug. 19, from noon to 1 p.m. EST.
Late Summer Tips From Sportsman's Warehouse Fishing Manager Craig Baird--
Sportsman's Warehouse Fishing Manager Craig Baird continues his overview of some excellent baits/patterns to make sure you have handy during one of the hottest HOT streaks in recent memory, especially for many of us here in the South.......
Greg Vinson Unveils Netbait's New 3-Color Soft Plastics
From the big ICAST show in Orlando Bassmaster Elite Series pro Greg Vinson shows us NetBait's new 3 color process that yields the brilliant contrast previously available only in hand poured worms.
'old Pro' Atop Everstart Central Division Aoy Race Going Into Mississippi River Tournament
Ray Meredith relishes the role of “lone wolf” when it comes to tournament fishing.
“I just do my thing and try to catch a limit of fish,” said the Brownsville, Ky., angler who is tied at the top of the FLW EverStart Series Central Division points race with Zach King of Clarksville, Ark., and is just two points ahead of fellow Kentuckian Lance Rickets of Central City. The Central Division's third tournament of 2012 kicks off Thursday on the Mississippi River near LaCrosse, Wisc.
“I really don't want to talk to anybody else before or during a tournament. I think that is counterproductive when you really have to go find them yourself, so I try to stay away from the advice of others.”
Meredith was finishing up four days of practice Thursday and, true to his convictions, he has spent the week fishing in an area where there were no other boats.
“It's pretty lonesome where I am,” he said.
He has found “a bunch of fish” and where he is fishing, he said, when he gets around a fish it attacks.
“I've got a couple of grass patterns – one with a frog and one flipping that is paying off. Yesterday I had over 20 pounds, but everything fell into place. If that happens in the tournament I will be very blessed,” he said.
But he admits he does not know what it will take to win the tournament because he's never fished here before.
“I've not talked to anybody else, so I will find out tomorrow at the weigh-in if what I am doing is right.”
The only problem he has run into this week, he said, is that the fish are not locked onto any one location.
“Just because you find them one day does not mean they will be there the next day. They seem to be following the bait and the current is dictating that. It keeps the bait moving.”
But, he added, that means he will just have to have patience and fish harder.
“As they say back in Kentucky, you have to keep your minnow wet,” he said.
Meredith finished third in the first Central Division EverStart tournament April 4 on Bull Shoals Lake, weighing in 10 fish at 28.06 pounds to win $6,293. He followed that with an 11th place finish on Kentucky Lake May 10, weighing 10 fish at 31.12 pounds and winning $2,000.
“I like to fish shallow and both of those tournaments played to my strength,” Meredith said.
King and Ricketts logged similar results. King finished 2nd at Bull Shoals and 12th at Kentucky Lake and Rickets was 12th at Bull shoals and 4th at Kentucky Lake.
The Strike King Angler of the Year title carries a $5,000 prize. The fourth and final stop of the EverStart Series Central Division will be on Lake of the Ozarks at Osage Beach, Mo., Sept. 13-15.
The top 40 pros and co-anglers in each of the five EverStart Divisions will qualify for the EverStart Series Championship on the Ouachita River in Monroe, La., Nov. 1-4.
The EverStart Series is Meredith's first serious return to tournament fishing for several decades. He enjoyed early success, qualifying for the 1981 Bassmaster Classic and fishing several Red Man All Americans before going into the marine industry and having to give up competitive fishing because of time constraints.
“I'd be in a tournament and have as many as 70 phone calls in a day,” he said. “I'm giving this thing a shot this year. If I do good, I will go forward. If not, I'll quit.”
So far in the EverStart Central Division, it does not look like he will be quitting again anytime soon.
FLW EverStart Series – Central Division
Jul 26-28, 2012
Mississippi River near LaCrosse, WI
Clinton Street Landing West
Despite High Gas Prices, Entries Remained High All Year For Anglers Choice Marine Tournament Trail
Although the Anglers Choice Marine Trail has been rolling like a train on a downhill run all season long, tournament director Chris Lucas expects entries will probably be off a little in the final qualifying tournament Saturday on Kerr Reservoir.
“We've had good participation and high entries this year,” said Lucas. “We had 170 entries at Buggs Island once this year but we drew more than 200 in the last two tournaments on Smith Mountain Lake.”
Lucas said he does not expect 200 boats at Kerr this weekend because most teams have already qualified for the championship. Anglers must fish four of the six tournaments on the schedule to qualify for the Classic Oct. 13-14 on Smith Mountain Lake,
“Anybody who has only fished three tournaments needs to fish this one,” he noted. “Hopefully, we will get between 125 and 150 teams Saturday.”
Entries have remained high all season long, despite high gas prices that have adversely affected many other tournament trails, Lucas said, because 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 which include the Ranger Cup, Stratos 2X and Triton Gold programs.
“Our entry fee is $100 with $2000 guaranteed for first place with a 70-boat field – and we pay 45 places,” Lucas said. “The boat we give away at the Classic is 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 he is expecting a big turnout for the Classic, he said.
“After our fourth tournament we had 150 teams qualified, so the Classic could be really big.”
Lucas said a number of teams could still win the $1,250 prize for the points championship, depending on the finish in Saturday's tournament.
“It's pretty close up on top. We give 300 points for first place per tournament, so it is still wide open. I think anybody in the top 25 could probably win the points title. Realistically, the 25th place team would have to have some things happen,” he said. “If the 25th place team won they could pass a lot of people with those 300 points. It just depends on how everybody above them finishes.”
Going into Saturday's tournament the team of Kenny Reynolds and Brandon Reynolds is sitting on top of the standings, just 19 points ahead of Mike Altizer and Mike Pendleton.
The Reynolds team started the season on top, finishing first in the season opener on Smith Mountain Lake with their best catch of the year – a five-fish limit that weighed 23.31 pounds. They followed that with their worst tournament, weighing in five at 9.47 pounds to finish 89th on Kerr Reservoir April 7.
But their next three tournaments were extremely consistent – a limit April 28 on Kerr that weighed 13.07 pounds for 8th place, a limit May 19 on Smith Mountain that weighed 12.59 pounds to finish 23rd, and another limit June 16 on Smith Mountain that weighed 12.45 pounds for 20th place.
As for the fishing on Kerr for Saturday, Lucas said he has no idea what the fish are doing right now.
“I heard one guy has been winning a bunch of tournaments deep cranking. I'd like to think a man can Carolina rig and fish deep with a jig this time of year,” he said.
“The one thing I will stress hard is to tell the guys to keep their live wells running. The water will be warm and we want them to keep the live wells running continuously to make sure the fish stay in good water. We don't want to stress the fish or lose any.”
Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail
Sat, Jul 28, 2012
Kerr / Buggs Island Lake
Occoneechee State Park Ramp #1
Call Chris Lucas 276-358-0844
Cliff Crochet At Icast 2012
The Bassmaster Elite Series pro from Piere Part, LA tells us how he uses Biobor EB to cure the ills of ethanol. It can save your outboard's life!
Mid Summer Tips From Ac Pro Staffer Rob Digh
AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh showcases a very cool and effective summertime deep pattern for many of us out there, as well some insight on several other baits he thinks you will have to have to catch any type if decent quality!
Jb Custom Rods - Piedmont Bass Classics $5,000 Summer Trail Results - Falls Lake - July 21, 2012
27 teams showed up at Falls Lake for the 3rd 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! 71 degrees in the
morning with light winds & cloud cover, then close to 90 in the pm with sunshine & light winds.
Ken Wall & Ben Cannon brought in 5 solid bass for a winning bag weighing 19.60 lbs. Along with winning the
TWT they won a total of $1,285!
89 fish were weighed in for a nice total weight of 246 pounds. Most fish were caught in 8 to 15 feet of water on
plastic worms and crankbaits for the most part. Water temps were around 87 degrees. The top 2 Big Fish
weighed a little over 7 lbs. each! I want to thank all the anglers that participated and that support this trail.
Our next Summer Trail tournament will be at Jordan Lake out of Farrington Point Wildlife Ramp,
Saturday, July 28th.
All the information on our summer tournaments can be found at:
http://www.piedmontbassclassics.com/2012STMainPage.html
Information on all of our tournaments can be found at: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Ken Wall & Ben Cannon of Asheboro & Apex...5 bass...19.60 lbs...$865
2nd Place: Greg Riggs & George Pearce of Durham...5 bass...18.45 lbs...$497
3rd Place: Mark Herndon & Jay Garrard of Bahama & Durham...5 bass...16.88 lbs...$345
4th Place: Todd & Chris Massey of Chapel Hill...5 bass...15.95 lbs...$259
5th Place: Johnny Wilder & Mike Harris of Butner & Oxford...5 bass...14.74 lbs...$194
1st Place Big Fish..Joe Langley & Brian Fritts of Benson & Raleigh: 7.10 lbs...$364
2nd Place Big Fish..3rd Place Team above: 7.04 lbs...$156
1st Place TWT..1st Place Team above: 19.60 lbs...$420
2nd Place TWT..3rd Place Team above: 16.88 lbs...$180
For more tournament information contact:
Phil McCarson~Tournament Director 919-471-1571.......919-971-5042
www.piedmontbassclassics.com or email me at: [email protected]
Thanks! Phil
Joe Langley & Brian Fritts had the Big Fish at 7.10 lbs
Check Out The New J-Will Swimbait Heads From Buckeye Lures!
I caught up with Amanda and Lauren at the Calcuta booth and they wanted to welcome all of our AnglersChannel.com viewers to the 2012 ICAST show where Bassmaster Elite Series pro Jason Williamson shows us his new swimbait heads. Lest you think they're just models, Lauren fishes for the Georgetown College (Kentucky) Bass Club.
Bernie Schultz Shows The New Vmc Flippin' Hooks At Icast 2012
Bassamster Elite Series pro Bernie Schultz shows us the new VMC Flippin' hooks with welded eye and strong bait keepers - perfect for punching those thick summertime mats for BIG bass!
Bernie Schultz Tells How To Beef Up Your Dropshot Rig With New Vmc Spin Shot!
Last year they won Best of Show at ICAST with the Spin Shot. Now VMC has added a bigger, weedless worm to the line up. Perfect for probing the depths in southern lakes this summer!
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
