Robert Tindell Leads Everstart On Seminole With 27-02

As with the Bassmaster Open on Douglas Lake, the top 7 pros in the EverStart tourney on Seminole all have 20 pounds or better. And, as with the Open, Everstart anglers faced wet weather and a lake that is behind schedule, in terms of fishing patterns, due a recent cold snap.

One difference between the two tourneys is that Robert Tindell leads on Seminole with 27-2, which is a little more than the 24 and change that's leading on Douglas. Also, while 32 pros failed to catch a keeper on Douglas (nearly 19%), only 7 blanked on Seminole (less than 6%).

A bunch of bass are still bedding on Seminole but conditions today did not favor sight fishing. Still, a few guys likely caught spawning fish. A number of techniques are in play and it will be interesting to see how this event is won under changing conditions over the course of 3 days.

For all of the pro and co-angler standings click here: http://www.flwoutdoors.com/bassfishing/afs/tournament/2013/6960/lake-seminole-professional-results/?dpl=1&all=0&sr=1&rpp=50&&sort=pl

by AnglersChannel

Weather Cold And Rainy, Bite Hot For Lineberger; Few Others At Bassmaster Open On Douglas

Foul weather gear stayed on even as Shane Lineberger weighed his leading catch of 24-6. photo courtesy B.A.S.S./James Overstreet

7 pros busted the 20-pound mark on Douglas Lake today. 32 did not weigh a fish during day 1 of the Bassmaster Southern Open.

The lake has tons of healthy bass in it. THey can be easy to catch at times, according to local sticks. But recent frigid weather kept many from finding a productive pattern during practice. And it showed today.

Shane Lineberger of Lincolnton, NC leads with 24-6.

James Cross of nearby Knoxville proved big bass live in Douglas Lake. His 8-pounder was the lunker of the day.

David Gill leads all co-anglers with 15-11. That's a 3-fish limit in the co-angler division, so Gill found some nice fish, including the back deck big bass of the day at 6 pounds, 15 ounces.

Of 170 contestants, 89 co-anglers weighed a fish.

The beatings will continue tomorrow and, for a fortunate few, conclude on Saturday at the local Bass Pro Shops location.

Here are the standings:

PLACE	NAME	DAY 1		TOTAL FISH	TOTAL WEIGHT
PLACE	NAME	FISH	WEIGHT	TOTAL FISH	TOTAL WEIGHT
1	Shane Lineberger	5	24- 6	5	24- 6
2	Terry Segraves	5	23- 7	5	23- 7
3	Patrick Bone	5	22-13	5	22-13
4	David Kilgore	5	20- 7	5	20- 7
5	David Mullins	5	20- 3	5	20- 3
6	Charles Pippin	5	20- 2	5	20- 2
7	Glenn Browne	5	20- 0	5	20- 0
8	Greg Vinson	4	19-12	4	19-12
9	Christiana Bradley	5	19-11	5	19-11
10	Bobby Ferguson	5	19- 4	5	19- 4
11	Sean Wieda	5	18-13	5	18-13
12	Stephen Longobardi	5	18- 2	5	18- 2
12	Joey Nania	5	18- 2	5	18- 2
14	Christopher Gerrein	5	18- 1	5	18- 1
15	Bradley Roy	5	17-14	5	17-14
16	Tony Chachere	5	17-10	5	17-10
16	Ben Potaracke	5	17-10	5	17-10
18	Jason Patterson	5	17- 0	5	17- 0
19	Brad Knight	5	16-15	5	16-15
20	Chad Morgenthaler	5	16-14	5	16-14
21	Josh Bragg	5	16-13	5	16-13
22	Chris Lane	5	16-10	5	16-10
23	Randy Howell	4	16- 2	4	16- 2
24	Brian Key	5	15-10	5	15-10
25	Casey Scanlon	5	14-14	5	14-14
26	Terry Scroggins	5	14- 6	5	14- 6
27	Brandon Lester	5	14- 4	5	14- 4
28	Don Hogue	3	14- 4	3	14- 4
29	Gary Pilkenton	5	14- 2	5	14- 2
30	Colby Flinn	4	14- 2	4	14- 2
31	Davy Hite	3	13- 4	3	13- 4
32	Mitchell Atkinson	5	13- 2	5	13- 2
33	Frank Ippoliti	5	13- 0	5	13- 0
34	Michael Murphy	4	12-13	4	12-13
35	Brian Elder	4	12- 8	4	12- 8
36	Skylar Hamilton	3	12- 8	3	12- 8
37	Jeff Holland	5	12- 7	5	12- 7
38	Kyle Kempkers	4	11-15	4	11-15
39	Sam George	5	11-14	5	11-14
40	Rick Clunn	5	11-12	5	11-12
41	Kendall Newson	5	11- 9	5	11- 9
42	George Lambeth	5	11- 6	5	11- 6
43	James Cross	3	11- 6	3	11- 6
44	Heath Smith	5	11- 4	5	11- 4
45	Ricky Diamond	3	11- 0	3	11- 0
46	Derek Remitz	5	10-14	5	10-14
47	Patrick Pierce	5	10- 8	5	10- 8
48	Keith Monson	5	10- 6	5	10- 6
49	William Weidler	3	10- 5	3	10- 5
50	Joseph Lee	5	10- 4	5	10- 4
51	Tracy Adams	5	10- 3	5	10- 3
51	Arnie Lane	5	10- 3	5	10- 3
51	David Perdue	5	10- 3	5	10- 3
54	Wayne Murray	2	10- 1	2	10- 1
55	Steve Schoffstall	4	10- 0	4	10- 0
56	Ken Iyobe	3	10- 0	3	10- 0
57	Lowell Thomas Bryant	3	9-12	3	9-12
58	Jordan Card	2	9- 6	2	9- 6
59	Scott McGehee	5	9- 5	5	9- 5
60	Mike Jackson	3	9- 5	3	9- 5
61	Tim Foster	2	9- 4	2	9- 4
62	Gary Isgrigg	3	9- 2	3	9- 2
63	Landon Lomax	5	9- 1	5	9- 1
64	Robert Miley	4	9- 0	4	9- 0
65	James Bailey	4	8-13	4	8-13
65	Marty Robinson	4	8-13	4	8-13
67	Jayme Rampey	5	8-11	5	8-11
68	Kenneth Vicchio	4	8- 9	4	8- 9
69	Sam Mccowan	2	8- 9	2	8- 9
70	David Walker	5	8- 6	5	8- 6
71	Randy Elliott	5	8- 4	5	8- 4
71	Jon Englund	5	8- 4	5	8- 4
73	Jimmy Mason	2	8- 3	2	8- 3
74	Dewayne Wilson	3	8- 2	3	8- 2
75	Ott DeFoe	5	8- 1	5	8- 1
76	Britt Myers	3	7-15	3	7-15
77	Sandy Melvin	4	7-13	4	7-13
78	Daniel Lanier	3	7-12	3	7-12
79	Ron Wolfarth	3	7- 8	3	7- 8
80	Robert Morin	4	7- 6	4	7- 6
81	Jason Williamson	2	7- 5	2	7- 5
82	Stephen Browning	3	7- 2	3	7- 2
82	Troy Lee	3	7- 2	3	7- 2
84	Michael Naron	2	7- 1	2	7- 1
85	Brandon Cobb	2	6-15	2	6-15
86	Raymond Trudeau	5	6-13	5	6-13
87	Josh Herren	3	6-13	3	6-13
88	Jeffrey Purves	3	6-12	3	6-12
89	Brandon Palaniuk	2	6-12	2	6-12
90	Joshua Douglas	1	6-10	1	6-10
91	Charlie Hartley	5	6- 8	5	6- 8
92	Steven Priest	5	6- 7	5	6- 7
93	Jimmy D Kennedy	4	6- 4	4	6- 4
94	Kazuki Kitajima	2	5-15	2	5-15
95	Casey Majni	1	5-15	1	5-15
96	Avery Mccormick	1	5-14	1	5-14
97	Ricky Shepherd	1	5-12	1	5-12
98	Jeff Cloud	2	5- 9	2	5- 9
99	Mike Parrott	4	5- 4	4	5- 4
100	Woo Daves	3	5- 3	3	5- 3
100	James Moreno	3	5- 3	3	5- 3
102	Dow Cox	1	4-15	1	4-15
103	Joaquin Covas	4	4-12	4	4-12
104	Timothy Mcfaul	2	4-11	2	4-11
105	Samuel Fish	1	4-10	1	4-10
105	Steven Wisdom	1	4-10	1	4-10
107	David Hudson	1	4- 6	1	4- 6
108	Christopher Mcreynolds	2	4- 4	2	4- 4
109	Paul Pagnato	1	4- 4	1	4- 4
110	Gerald Swindle	2	4- 0	2	4- 0
111	Jeff Barth	1	3-15	1	3-15
111	Alvin Shaw	1	3-15	1	3-15
113	Brett Mitchell	3	3-14	3	3-14
114	James Robinson	1	3-11	1	3-11
115	Tommy Brown	2	3-10	2	3-10
116	Ryan Davidson	1	3-10	1	3-10
116	Sumiyuki Takano	1	3-10	1	3-10
118	Casey Ashley	2	3- 9	2	3- 9
119	Brent Homan	3	3- 7	3	3- 7
120	Kurt Dove	2	3- 4	2	3- 4
121	Aaron Martens	1	3- 4	1	3- 4
122	Kameron Harbin	1	3- 3	1	3- 3
123	Gary Yamamoto	3	3- 1	3	3- 1
124	Tim Ezell	2	2-14	2	2-14
125	Robert Grosso	1	2-14	1	2-14
125	Stu Martel	1	2-14	1	2-14
125	Garry Rogers	1	2-14	1	2-14
128	Chris Jackson	1	2-13	1	2-13
129	Tim Frederick	1	2-12	1	2-12
129	Brad Maynard	1	2-12	1	2-12
131	Clifton Coffey	2	2-10	2	2-10
132	James Bader	2	2- 8	2	2- 8
133	Truitt Dorsett	1	2- 7	1	2- 7
134	Marcus Parker	1	2- 6	1	2- 6
135	Larry Draughn	2	2- 5	2	2- 5
136	Paul Elias	1	2- 4	1	2- 4
137	Steve Jenkins	1	2- 1	1	2- 1
138	David Sheffield	1	2- 0	1	2- 0
139	Mark Naron	2	1-12	2	1-12
140	Burton Bryan	1	1-12	1	1-12
141	Jason Sturgill	1	1-10	1	1-10
142	Gary Clouse	1	1- 7	1	1- 7
142	Darren Gallaher	1	1- 7	1	1- 7
142	Michael Williamson	1	1- 7	1	1- 7
145	Michael Johnson	1	1- 6	1	1- 6
146	Carroll Blevins	1	1- 5	1	1- 5
147	Brandon Card	1	1- 4	1	1- 4
148	Bradley Jones	1	1- 2	1	1- 2
149	Shannon Abbott				0- 0
149	Sean Alvarez				0- 0
149	Eddie Ball				0- 0
149	Brent Bonadona				0- 0
149	Phillip Brannon				0- 0
149	Ray Brazier				0- 0
149	Dakota Brown				0- 0
149	Marty Brown				0- 0
149	James Butler				0- 0
149	Jamey Caldwell				0- 0
149	Joshua Cook				0- 0
149	George Crain				0- 0
149	Mark Duggar				0- 0
149	Clay Dyer				0- 0
149	Kyle Fox				0- 0
149	Josh Greathouse				0- 0
149	Richard Howes				0- 0
149	Jim Johnson				0- 0
149	Leon Knight				0- 0
149	Russell Ludwig				0- 0
149	Logan Parton				0- 0
149	Rex Pendergrass				0- 0
149	Sam Phillips				0- 0
149	Keith Poche				0- 0
149	Darrell Pons				0- 0
149	Billy Shelton				0- 0
149	Jared Shuler				0- 0
149	Keith Surber				0- 0
149	Jesus Tacoronte				0- 0
149	Allen Tadlock				0- 0
149	Bruce Whitmire				0- 0
149	Levi Wiget				0- 0

by AnglersChannel

Texas Team Trail Partners With Protect The Harvest

PROTECT THE HARVEST JOINS TEXAS TEAM TRAIL PRESENTED BY CABELA’S

NORMAN, Okla. (April 4, 2013) — The Texas Team Trail presented by Cabela’s will partner with Protect the Harvest (protecttheharvest.com) to help reach American farmers, ranchers and outdoorsmen in 2013. Started by Lucas Oil founder Forrest Lucas, Protect the Harvest was organized to bring a collective voice to American farmers who have recently come under fire from radical animal rights organizations trying to interfere with their way of life.

“We feel honored to partner with Protect the Harvest and Forrest Lucas,” said Mike Hastings, tournament director. “We’re proud to help raise awareness of the issues and do what we can to preserve the way of life so many farmers, along with anglers and outdoorsmen, hold dear.”

Lucas, who drove trucks in the Midwest before co-founding Lucas Oil with his wife Charlotte, knows how vital agriculture and ranching are to the American economy. He was called to action when one group in particular, the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) came to Missouri, a state where Lucas raises cattle.

“The HSUS claims they are about animal welfare, but they are not,” Lucas said. “They don’t support animal shelters or any organizations like that. They tried to pass a puppy mill law that was worded so vaguely that these regulations would have effected more than illegal pet breeders, it would have also covered honest, hard-working people raising chickens, cattle and pigs.”

“Our focus is on educating America on what’s really happening out there and I’m happy to say that the word is spreading fast,” Lucas continued. “We will continue to safeguard American agriculture as long as the need is there.”

The Texas Team Trail, designed exclusively for team competition, recently kicked off the 2013 season on Sam Rayburn Lake. The schedule includes four qualifying events, plus a year-end championship, taking place on legendary Falcon Lake, October 12-13. Registration for the upcoming Ray Roberts event is already underway. Anglers can secure an opportunity to win a free Minn Kota Talon shallow water anchor by registering before midnight on Thursday, April 4.

Anglers with questions or anyone interested in more details on the event are encouraged to visit www.texasteamtrail.com or call 210-788-4143.

2013 Scheduled Events

March 2 – Sam Rayburn Lake
April 6 – Ray Roberts Lake
May 4 – Belton Lake
June 1 – Cedar Creek Lake

Championship – October 12-13 – Falcon Lake

by AnglersChannel

Murphy Glad To Be Back Fishing In Southern Open On Douglas Lake

With his recovery from shoulder surgery on track, maybe even a little ahead of schedule, Michael Murphy is glad to be back on the water fishing and he is making the most of it.

Practicing on Douglas Lake for the Bassmaster Southern Open this week, the Lexington, S.C., angler said the fishing is tough but he is excited to be working into a competitive groove after missing so much time following surgery.

“I am getting back on track now. I quit fishing the tour, not out of choice, but of necessity. I had to have shoulder surgery and then I had a boating mishap and hurt my shoulder even more. The doctor said it would take about a year to a year and a half for recovery and it's been about a year now – and it's a lot better.”

While recovering from surgery, Murphy said he is getting back into fishing a lot more than in the past year or two.

“I fished around home last year, local tournaments and the BFLs and make the All-American, so I am looking forward to that. And I am fishing a lot better the healthier I get,” said Murphy, who with his partner, Kevin Sanders, just won the Carolina Anglers Team Challenge on Santee Cooper, weighing in more than 26 pounds and earning a check for $10,000 in a 159-boat field.

His professional life is also in a good groove. Murphy is a sales agent and is on the Pro Team for the Optimum Bait Company. He has a sponsor agreement with Denali Rods and he just signed a sponsor deal with Lew's for Lew's Reels.

Murphy comes to the second Southern Open of the year in 22^nd place in the standings after weighing in 24 ponds, 2 ounces, and winning $3,300 in the first Open two months ago on Florida's Lake Tohopekaliga.

Coming to Douglas Lake is like going from one extreme to the other, however. While Central Florida was basking in an unusually warm winter – though a cold front did move through during the tournament to slow spawning activity – Douglas Lake has been cold, cold, cold for a while now. Anglers in the PAA tournament had snow in their boats one morning last week.

And, while the temperature is beginning to warm up slightly, the lake is rising quickly, which is impacting the normal routine of the fish, Murphy said.

“It's tough fishing The lake is fishing very small and the water is coming up. I was here for pre-practice before the PAA, which I did not fish, and the level has come up seven feet since then. I talked to a couple of guys who said it is rising 8 to 9 inches a day, so it will be up at least another foot by tournament time.”

Murphy said the water temperature is running 52 to 54 degrees and probably will not warm a lot more by Thursday when the tournament launches.

“The lake is getting a lot of fishing pressure with the PAA tournament here last week. They had a lot of bites on the Alabama Rig and I threw it a lot today. I caught a few on it, but it is definitely a grind. I also caught a few cranking”

In practice, Murphy said he will try to figure out where he can get enough bites for a limit, then see if he can find places to catch a bigger fish.

His tournament strategy, he said, will be to cover a lot of water and keep an open mind.

“I think the guy who does that probably will win the tournament. You might have two or three different things you want to throw and two or three difference patterns to run.”

Most of all, he said, he is just glad to be back in the game and fishing.

Bassmaster Southern Open

Apr 4-6, 2013

Douglas Lake

www.bassmaster.com

by AnglersChannel

More Heavy Bags Predicted As Texas Team Trail Moves On To Lake Ray Roberts

The second season of the Texas Team Trail got off to a roaring start March 2 on lake Sam Rayburn with 225 boats entered and the winning team weighing in a limit at a whopping 29.99 pounds.

Grover Mansfield and Brandon Flowers won a Triton XS with a 150 Evinrude, plus $2010 in the Angles Advantage side pot and $1,125 for big bass to take home a total package worth $28,135. The top 14 teams weighed in more than 20 pounds.

“We are really excited,” said Mike Hastings, tournament director, who was preparing for the second event of the season this Saturday on Lake Ray Roberts. “What makes the Texas Team Trail so attractive is the low entry fee of $250 per team and a boat-motor-trailer package that is guaranteed for first place at every every, regardless of the number of entries.”

And there are multiple ways to win more money, Hastings said, including contingency awards for owners of 2009 and newer Ranger, Triton and Stratos boats and Evinrude Motors, plus contingencies from other sources such as the Cabelas Angler Cash Program, Power Pole and Ram Trucks.

“Another unique feature is the Angler Advantage, an optional $100 side pot with a 100 percent payback,” he said.“In addition, every event is nationally televised on NBC Sports and it also runs on various local networks.”

Hastings said the trail consists of four one-day qualifying tournaments and a two-day championship. Teams fish all four qualifiers to make it to the championship. After Sam Rayburn in early March and Ray Roberts this weekend the trail moves on to Belton Lake at Belton, Texas, May 4 and Cedar Creek lake at Log Cabin, Texas, June 1, with the championship scheduled at Falcon Lake Oct. 12-13.

“Two boat-motor-trailer packages a guaranteed for first and second place at the championship,” Hastings said.

Fishing at Lake Ray Roberts Saturday could be just as good as it was on Sam Rayburn, if not even better, Hastings said.

“It looks like we are going to hit it just right. There are a lot of fish shallow in various stages of the spawn, so there should be a really strong shallow bite,” he said. “And, I am sure some of the guys will find productive offshore patterns. The lake has a lot of really good offshore structure spots and it a lot of aquatic vegetation and standing timber.”

Last year the big bass winner at Lake Ray Roberts was well over 11 pounds, said Hastings who added he expects to see some really heavy bags and some really big bass weighed in Saturday.

“I'd be shocked if it does not take 10 pounds or better to win big bass and I also think it will take at least 25 pounds to be in contention for the overall weight,” he said.

Texas Team Trail

Sat, Apr 6, 2013

Lake Ray Roberts

Lake Ray Roberts Marina

Call 210-788-4143

www.texasteamtrail.com

by AnglersChannel

Latimer Will Be Multi-Tasking In The Everstart Southeast Division Tournament On Lake Seminole

Brian Latimer of Belton, SC

Brian Latimer will be practice fishing the first half of this week for the EverStart Southeast Division tournament Thursday-Saturday on Lake Seminole with one had holding a casting rod and the other his cell phone.

The 30-year-old angler has a landscaping business back in Belton, S.C., and this is springtime. Grass is growing, plants need tending, and somebody has to stay on top of it.

“I really need to be home working right now, but I am going to try to make it work this week. I've got my cell phone and my wife is here and she will help me with emails and other things,” he said.

Right now, however, Latimer is concentrating on finding out what the bass in Seminole are up to. In hopes of holding up his 13^th rank in EverStart Southeast Division points and improving overall from last year's 36^th place finish in the standings.

After checking out the lake Sunday, Latimer said he had seen quite a few fish cruising the shallows, “but it seems like they don't want to bite very well. It was really cold here last week and it seems like they just pulled up,” he said.

“There are some reports of fish being on the beds a month ago and even two months ago, but I don't think the big wave has happened yet. I know some have already spawned, but I don't think the bulk of the fish has yet.”

Latimer said he is first going to concentrate on deeper spots out from where the fish have pulled up shallow.

“I am going to keep trying to find some fish on secondary places right outside the spawning areas, out on the ledges,” he said. “Later in the week I will start looking for some spawning fish, but it's to early to worry about that right now.”

The main problem with fish a tournament on Lake Seminole, said Latimer who has fished nearly half a dozen tournaments on the lake, is that the majority of the bass appear to be concentrated in three or four key areas.

“This lake is not a place that is good from one end to the other. It seems like all the fish are grouped on a few areas, like the Spring Creek area, a little bite up the Chattahoochee River and a little bit in the Flint River. It seems like the rest of the lake is just not that productive, and is not just my opinion. If you look at tournament results you will see that the tournaments here are won in basically the same areas every year.”

Latimer said he managed to fish all EverStart Southeast Division schedule tournaments last year and plans to fish the full schedule this year.

“I really wanted to fish the BFL Savannah River Division, but could not quite find the time because of traveling with EverStart, but I will fish the BFL Super Tournament in the Fall. And that's probably it. Four tournaments (with EverStart) does not seem like a full schedule, but running a business is a hand full. Hopefully, I will earn enough money to do it again next year.”

EverStart Southeast Division

Apr 4-6, 2013

Lake Seminole

www.flwoutdoors.com

by AnglersChannel

Kirby And Black Take 1St Place In This Week's Carolina Coach And Marine Monday Nighter On Norman-Full Results Here

Cliff Kirby and Eddie Black take home 1st place from this past Monday Night Tournament on Lake Norman sponsored by Carolina Coach and Marine-here are the full results with a link to some great pictures at the bottom:

PLACE	TEAM #	NAMES	TOTAL WT	POINTS	Winnings
PLACE	TEAM #	NAMES	TOTAL WT	POINTS	Winnings
1st	3	Cliff Kirby & Eddie Black	13.70	100	1st=$ 450
2nd	32	Hank Cherrry & Kyle Whisnant	13.40	97	2nd=$ 250
3rd	18	Scott Hamrick & Chuck Poovey	10.85	94	3rd=$180 Big Fish $210
4th	5	Alfred Kieslign Jr & Roger Griffin	10.85	91
5th	23	Andy Burch & Brent Albright	10.80	88
6th	24	Andrew Shundich & Chris Myatt	9.65	86
7th	12	Charles Hobbs & Mack Lowe	9.50	85
8th	7	Alfred Kiesling Sr & Butch Holder	9.05	84
9th	35	Ben Parker	8.45	83
10th	20	Terry Pittman & Ronnie Pittman	8.30	82
11th	6	Matthew Benge & Tracy Brown	8.30	80
12th	12	Scott Beattie & Dwight Beattie	7.95	79
13th	1	David Snyder & Bobby Derrick	6.80	78
14th	4	Larry Neil & Mark Beaver	6.50	77
15th	21	Brian Morgan & Dale Surrett	6.50	76
16th	31	Brett Kubia & Chris Pease	2.70	75
17th	14	Michael Cloninger & Jerry Scruggs	2.40	74
18th	13	Tim Medlin & Chris Bohner	1.35	73
19th	28	Lewis Thomasson & Shane Hawkins	0.00	68
20th	11	Nick Miller & Brandon Brickweg	0.00	68
21st	33	Larry House	0.00	68
22nd	34	Pete Bejte & Carson Orellana	0.00	68

IMPORTANT RULES CHANGE FOR THE 2013 MONDAY NIGHT SPRING TRAIL

Please be aware that we have updated an item in the Rules for the 2013 Monday Night Spring Trail. You must now fish 16 of the 32 Monday Night events in order to qualify for the Fish Off event. Previously we required teams to fish 26 events. We made this change to allow more teams the opportunity to compete in the final Fish Off Championship event.

http://www.teamprobass.com/2013/04/apr-1-2013-monday-night-results/

by AnglersChannel

Collins Bass For Cash Flight Order For This Sat On Kerr

Collins Bass For Cash Series Event #2 – First Flight Starting Order

The random drawing for the first flight of the 4/6/13 Kerr Lake event has been conducted and the starting positions are listed below. Note that boat numbers 1 through 200 are reserved for Open Division entries, while boat numbers 201 and up are reserved for 115 HP Division entries. This numbering system is needed to keep the scoring separate for each division.

We will continue receiving entries this week leading up to the event and will also accept entries the morning of the event.

On-Site Registration Begins At 5:30 AM.
First Flight Blast Off At Safe Light – Approximately 7:00 AM.
Second Flight Blast Off 15 Minutes Later – Approximately 7:15 AM.
Please be checked in, have your livewells checked, and your boat in the water well in advance of the start of the event.
First Flight Return / Weigh-In – 3:00 PM (Check In With Tournament Official)
Second Flight Return / Weigh-In – 3:15 PM (Check In With Tournament Official)
Food items and door prizes available during afternoon weigh-in, so stick around if you can.

Open Division

1. James Jenkins / David Lanaville

2. James Barnhill Jr.

3. John Guins / Perry Doan

4. Daniel Wood / Josh Smith

5. Andrew Staple / Ralph Ray

6. Brent Boyette / Tim Gardner

7. Foye Best / Glenn Cannon

8. Larry Hipps / Jesse Spell

9. Jeff Staton / David Glenn

10. Brian Fritts / Bo Adams

11. John Yager / Daniel Jackson

12. Joshua Lanaville / Timothy Davis

13. Trey Nanney

14. Tommy Rutledge / Wilburn Rutledge

15. Mike Brinchek / Danny Hayes

16. David Price

17. Al Nelson / Kenneth Rowe

18. Donald Byrd / Ken Bollinger

19. Manley Jones / Rose King

20. Joey Worley / Steve Berryman

21. Ronnie Thompson / Jeff Hall

22. Skeet Bennett / Buster Seabolt

23. Scott Williford / J.R. Bowens

115 HP Division

201. Ryan Hardee / James Gilmore

202. Randy Parker / Carol Parker

by AnglersChannel

Cbc Santee Wrap Up With Director Brett Collins

CBC Tournament director Brett Collins joins us to re-cap a great day and event here on Santee......they had 169 teams turn out to compete for the record prize money that is on the table each and every tournament. Although the winning stringer was 26+ Lbs, Brett thinks the nice weather could have hurt the weights just a bit-Click here for the full re-cap!!

by AnglersChannel

2013 Cbc Santee Champs Michael Murphy And Kevin Sanders

We grab CBC Santee Champs Michael Murphy and Kevin Sanders after their 26+ LB haul and $10,000 first place prize! They talk about the key to their win and fighting thru a big lull in the middle of the day to hang on and beat 169 other great teams that turned out to compete-

by AnglersChannel

2 Teams Win $10,000 To Highlight The Cbc On Santee!! Full Results Here!

Although the weights were strong, they were not crazy like some afternoons we've seen at Santee when you have 169 teams. But one thing was a little crazy--two teams went home with $10,000 each and folks, that just doesn't happen in many team trails around the country today. Michael Murphy and Kevin Sanders won the $10,000 1st place prize with 5 fish for 26.040 while 2nd was just slightly behind with Kenny Brice and Kenny Fenters with 25.68. Brice and Fenters took home $5000 for 2nd, but as the highest finishing Skeeter/Yamaha team they earned an additional $5000 to bring their eye-popping total to $10,000 as well. Great day on Santee with full results and pic's below:

CBC Santee Champs Kevin Sanders and Michael Murphy hold up their $10,000 Stringer!

CBC Santee Champs Kevin Sanders and Michael Murphy hold up their $10,000 Stringer!

CBC 2nd Place Team of Kenny Brice and Kenny Fenters and their $10,000 Stringer!

CBC 2nd Place Team of Kenny Brice and Kenny Fenters and their $10,000 Stringer!

Place	Team Name	Team #	Fish Weighed	Net Weight	Big Fish	Points	Winnings
1	Kevin Sanders – Michael Murphy	9	5	26.040	7.730	310	$10,000
2	Kenny Brice – Kenny Fenters	7	5	25.680	7.810	309	$5,000
3	Tripp Poplin - Kyle Janney	102	5	24.240	0.000	308	$3,500
4	Jay Keith - Johnny Barfield	140	5	22.100	0.000	307	$2,400
5	Jeremiah Jensen - Scott Frye	129	5	20.940	0.000	306	$1,900
6	Patrick Cook - Matt Cook	144	5	20.630	7.250	305	$1,200
7	Thomas King - Clayton King	107	5	20.370	6.370	304	$1,000
8	Jerry Montjoy - Brett Mitchell	98	5	20.350	0.000	303	$900
9	Ron Brown - Bobby Brown	82	5	19.940	0.000	302	$800
10	Brad Schindledecker – Victor Williams	51	5	18.860	0.000	301	$750
11	Freddie Gibbs - Trey Gibbs	91	5	18.670	7.200	300	$625
12	Chris Epting - Johnny Mayer	138	5	18.620	0.000	299	$550
13	Clay Lowder - Clayton Lowder	17	5	18.160	0.000	298	$525
14	Ray Walsh – Marc Deschenes	29	5	18.020	6.180	297	$500
15	Randall Soles - Jason Dew	96	5	17.880	6.960	296	$475
16	Mitch Drew - Kenny Drew	123	5	17.860	0.000	295	$450
17	Jason Barrett – Ryan Bowles	70	5	17.620	0.000	294	$380
18	Chris Hawkins – Craig McFadden	67	5	16.990	0.000	293	$330
19	Bryan Cook - Steve Harmon	86	3	16.910	8.130	292	$320
20	Stan Gunter – Will Smith	41	5	16.670	0.000	291	$300
21	George Murdock – Spencer McNeil	74	5	16.650	0.000	290	$280
22	Thad Driggers - Greg Hendrick	24	5	16.580	5.000	289	$265
23	Bradford Beavers - Dwight Beavers	85	5	16.550	6.740	288	$250
24	Keith Ashley - Kevin Ashley	95	5	16.350	6.250	287	$240
25	Cecil Wolfe – Micah Bennett	64	5	16.080	0.000	286	$230
26	Jimmy Counts - Butch McGary	147	5	16.080	0.000	285	$220
27	Jason Reinke - Allan Williams	92	5	15.900	0.000	284	$210
28	Danny Lowery – Perry Holloway	75	5	15.860	0.000	283	$200
29	Eddie Paul – Ed Paul	73	5	15.750	0.000	282
30	John Proctor - Leo Cannon	163	5	15.720	6.170	281
31	Bernie Dreher - Les Westberry	155	5	15.700	9.100	280
32	Randy Welch – Tommy Floyd	79	4	15.530	8.230	279
33	Henry McFadden - Jeff Cantey	153	5	15.030	0.000	278
34	Jim Smoak – Mike Watson	3	5	14.850	0.000	277
35	Brian Tyler – Mack Altman	54	5	14.850	0.000	276
36	Hunter Spivey - Michael Stribble	103	4	14.560	0.000	275
37	Winkey Watford - Sam Lambert	88	5	14.380	0.000	274
38	Barry Thames – Victor Belegorska	59	5	14.290	8.380	273
39	Michael Stanley - Ray Deloach	101	5	13.980	0.000	272
40	Rodney Jordan - Brent Waynick	135	5	13.930	0.000	271
41	Chris Brunson – Nelson Walker	62	5	13.910	0.000	270
42	Jerry Uhrick - Jason Carleton	97	5	13.870	0.000	269
43	Billy McIntosh – Gene Dubose	10	5	13.840	0.000	268
44	Brian Huskins - Thomas Vickers	121	5	13.830	0.000	267
45	Larry Lehew - Shane Lehew	128	4	13.690	0.000	266
46	Bo Chappell - George Chappell	90	4	13.550	0.000	265
47	Gary Elsey – Mark Hutson	18	5	13.260	0.000	264
48	Wayne Marlow - Randall Miller	89	5	13.250	0.000	263
49	Eric Mora - Donald Miller	143	4	13.120	0.000	262
50	Shane Suddeth - Fred Moore	149	4	13.110	0.000	261
51	David Heatherly	148	3	13.060	0.000	260
52	John Johnston – Steve Lowder	30	3	12.980	7.530	259
53	Dick Lloyd – Sam Hopkins	28	5	12.880	0.000	258
54	Spencer McCrary – Steve Borton	19	5	12.590	0.000	257
55	Rick McLean – Robert Ross	53	3	12.490	0.000	256
56	Bryan Gunter - Josh Anderson	108	3	12.430	6.740	255
57	Kenneth Clark – Mitchell Jackson	40	5	12.120	0.000	254
58	Judie Revels - David Oxendine	106	5	11.920	0.000	253
59	Miles Hair – Cory Hair	5	3	11.450	7.260	252
60	Albert Pieper - Wayne Clifton	83	3	11.420	0.000	251
61	Jimmy McFarland – Calvin Griggs	77	2	11.380	0.000	250
62	Bobby Jackson - John Robert Jackson	109	5	11.250	0.000	249
63	Jody Jones - Andrew Moser	137	4	11.080	0.000	248
64	Johnny Morris – Tory McCallum	48	5	10.890	0.000	247
65	Clay Riddle – Scott Holland	44	4	10.820	0.000	246
66	Calvin Hewitt – John Sturkie	15	5	10.770	0.000	245
67	Patrick Tierney - Maurice Freeze	84	4	10.680	0.000	244
68	Phil Parten – Mike Blalock	61	5	10.460	0.000	243
69	Chris Heath – Steve Debord	65	2	10.270	7.150	242
70	Nathan Burgess – Brent Riley	66	3	10.260	0.000	241
71	Mack Kitchens - Bob Dyer	131	3	10.220	0.000	240
72	Jesse Williams – Richard Smith	71	5	10.140	0.000	239
73	Andy Owens	6	3	10.080	0.000	238
74	Ryan West – Larry Rollings	78	4	9.940	0.000	237
75	Buddy Walden - Jill Shealy	136	3	9.620	0.000	236
76	David Williams - Gerald Williams	100	5	9.260	0.000	235
77	Alan Fletcher – Danny Johnson	4	2	8.650	0.000	234
78	Russ Padgett - Meredith Havird	159	4	8.640	0.000	233
79	Sandy Sanders – Jonathan Patrick	58	4	8.570	0.000	232
80	Jason Morse – Zeke Lynum	39	4	8.490	0.000	231
81	Sandy Oliver - John Crisp	25	2	8.330	0.000	230
82	Todd Walters – Patrick Walters	38	2	8.020	0.000	229
83	Larry McKissick – Jay McKissick	60	3	7.980	0.000	228
84	Ferris Jennings – Robin Rogers	11	3	7.800	0.000	227
85	Todd Gambrell - Chad Cook	162	2	7.570	0.000	226
86	Sean Skey – Lonnie Drusch	43	2	7.220	0.000	225
87	Wesley Cashwell - Shane Doughtie	132	3	7.120	0.000	224
88	Frank Avent - Bobby Wilson	81	1	6.720	6.720	223
89	Chris Bullock – Glenn Altman	12	2	5.240	0.000	222
90	Terry Morris – Michael Morris	32	1	5.140	5.140	221
91	Ronnie Mueller – Wayne Frierson	31	1	4.900	4.900	220
92	David Quandt - Mike Edge	118	1	2.540	2.540	219
93	Deron Donohoo – Johnny Houser	1	0	0.000	0.000	218
94	Josh McGregor – Randall Driggers	2	0	0.000	0.000	217
95	Dennis Reedy – Jeff Thomas	8	0	0.000	0.000	216
96	Joe Avin – Larry Avins	13	0	0.000	0.000	215
97	Mark Abbott – Shane Abbott	14	0	0.000	0.000	214
98	Darryl Watson – Ken McFarland	16	0	0.000	0.000	213
99	Doug Reeves – William Blanton	20	0	0.000	0.000	212
100	Johnny Player – Robert Hall	21	0	0.000	0.000	211
101	Freddie Faulkenberry – Steve Phillips	22	0	0.000	0.000	210
102	Bubba Johnston – Max Terry	23	0	0.000	0.000	209
103	Jimmy Bass – Wayne King	26	0	0.000	0.000	208
104	Jason McCoy – Ronnie McCoy	27	0	0.000	0.000	207
105	Chris Marshall – Ronnie Wilson	33	0	0.000	0.000	206
106	Rick Porter – Joe Hunter	34	0	0.000	0.000	205
107	Rudy Williams – Terry Coleman	35	0	0.000	0.000	204
108	Greg Rikard – Eddie Herlong	36	0	0.000	0.000	203
109	Al Odom – Dane Odom	37	0	0.000	0.000	202
110	Jason Miles – Jerry Freezon	42	0	0.000	0.000	201
111	Conrad Bolt – Gene Parker	45	0	0.000	0.000	200
112	Mathew Goheen – Terry Goheen	46	0	0.000	0.000	199
113	Steve Wicker – Andy Wicker	47	0	0.000	0.000	198
114	Tommy Etters – Todd Frazier	49	0	0.000	0.000	197
115	William Young – Jamie Mizell	50	0	0.000	0.000	196
116	Ronnie Watts – Lyn Langston	52	0	0.000	0.000	195
117	Dennis Smith – Daniel Jordan	55	0	0.000	0.000	194
118	Mike Catt – Travis Parish	56	0	0.000	0.000	193
119	Paul Ham – Steven Long	57	0	0.000	0.000	192
120	Eddie Wortham – Chris Powell	63	0	0.000	0.000	191
121	Johnathan Crossland – Ray Casey	68	0	0.000	0.000	190
122	Robert Holland – Nick Gainey	69	0	0.000	0.000	189
123	Wyatt Gwyn – David Crossland	72	0	0.000	0.000	188
124	Flash Butts – Dan Treadway	76	0	0.000	0.000	187
125	Brent Sitton – Don Garner	80	0	0.000	0.000	186
126	Eric Weir - Sonny Beam	87	0	0.000	0.000	185
127	Brad Petway - Keith Hawley	93	0	0.000	0.000	184
128	Daniel Howell - Sommer Shortridge	94	0	0.000	0.000	183
129	Timmy Squires - Alan Richardson	99	0	0.000	0.000	182
130	Chad Weatherford - Patrick Crawford	104	0	0.000	0.000	181
131	Robbie Amos - Mickey Sauls	105	0	0.000	0.000	180
132	Dan Barnes - Dave Barnes	110	0	0.000	0.000	179
133	Jason Smith - Jimmy Cole	111	0	0.000	0.000	178
134	Brad Fowler - Brock Taylor	112	0	0.000	0.000	177
135	Lorenzo Portee - Carl Smith	113	0	0.000	0.000	176
136	Thomas Richmond - Artie Phillips	114	0	0.000	0.000	175
137	Blake Campbell - Larry Martin	115	0	0.000	0.000	174
138	Beau Dixon - Andy Sease	116	0	0.000	0.000	173
139	Greg Sigmon - Joey Caskey	117	0	0.000	0.000	172
140	Greg Davis - Woody Parks	119	0	0.000	0.000	171
141	Chis Sample - Charlie Wilkie	120	0	0.000	0.000	170
142	Gary Pope - Mark Johnson	122	0	0.000	0.000	169
143	Jackie Reilly - Butch Drew	124	0	0.000	0.000	168
144	Bradley Rhodes - Chris Dorlan	125	0	0.000	0.000	167
145	Darren Birchfield - Chuck Harrison	126	0	0.000	0.000	166
146	Charles Murphy - Jim Sanders	127	0	0.000	0.000	165
147	Thomas Purvis - Bill Payne	130	0	0.000	0.000	164
148	Derek Schoteerback - Steve Kimling	133	0	0.000	0.000	163
149	Michael Richardson - Anthony Chappell	134	0	0.000	0.000	162
150	Scott Peavy - Jeremey Talbert	139	0	0.000	0.000	161
151	Robert Walsler - Mike Miller	141	0	0.000	0.000	160
152	Sean Anderson - George Berry	142	0	0.000	0.000	159
153	Marty Quesada - James Rose	145	0	0.000	0.000	158
154	Craig Chambers - Don Graham	146	0	0.000	0.000	157
155	Ray Dowey - Joey Outlaw	150	0	0.000	0.000	156
156	Josh Rennebaun - Ross Bynes	151	0	0.000	0.000	155
157	Glenn Rogers - Gary Weathersby	152	0	0.000	0.000	154
158	Chris Blanchette - John Katsos	154	0	0.000	0.000	153
159	Mike Ward - Scott Farmer	156	0	0.000	0.000	152
160	Jason Hadden - Norm Attaway	157	0	0.000	0.000	151
161	John Axsom - Tracy Watkins	158	0	0.000	0.000	150
162	David Kneece - Tim Harmon	160	0	0.000	0.000	149
163	Joey Bramlett - Barry Holloman	161	0	0.000	0.000	148
164	Shannon Jordan - Shawn Jordan	164	0	0.000	0.000	147
165	Larry Moss - JB Wicker	165	0	0.000	0.000	146
166	Rodney Cromer	166	0	0.000	0.000	145
167	Bobby Taylor - Scott Mechling	167	0	0.000	0.000	144
168	Billy Morris - Gary Angel	168	0	0.000	0.000	143
169	Troy Buffington - Lonnie McGill	169	0	0.000	0.000	142

by AnglersChannel

Miracle And Wolfenbarger Hold On To Win Tight Finish At Tom's Marine Tt On Cherokee-Full Results Here!

Miracle and Wolfenbarger Win Shootout!

The second Tomas Marine Team Trail event of 2013 turned into a shootout at the top. While nearly a third of the 121 boat field failed to weigh a single fish the top 21 all had in excess of 16-pounds. The team of Steve Miracle and Mike Wolfenbarger came out on top of the pack with a 5 fish limit weighing in at 19.98-pounds and win the $2,500 first place prize. Second place went to the team of Steve and Benny Neal with another nice limit weighing in at 19.32-pounds. They earned $1,500. Allen Smith and Josh Roark were a very close third with 19.22-pounds winning them $900. Fourth place and $700 went to Steve Givson and Tim Smiley with 18.81-pounds.Rounding out the top 5 was the team of Rick Patterson and Andy Ramsey with an 18.8-pound limit earning them $520.

Tom's Marine TT Cherokee Champs Miracle and Wolfenbarger
Complete results, points and pictures are now posted on the Toms Marine web site at http://www.tomsmarinetn.com . Toms Marine would like to invite everyone out for our next event April 27th on Douglas Lake at the Dandridge public ramp.

by AnglersChannel

Tom's Marine Moves Back To Cherokee Lake To Make Way For Paa On Douglas Lake

Howard Greenlee and James Burchfield won the first Tom's Marine tournament of 2013 with a 20.33-pound limit!

The Tom's Marine Team Trail is holding its second tournament of the year Saturday on Cherokee Lake. This tournament was originally scheduled on Douglas Lake, said tournament director Richard McMaster, but with the PAA holding its first tournament of 2013 on Douglas Thursday-Saturday, the Tom's Marine Trail moved to Cherokee for the tournament.

“The Chamber of Commerce asked us to move,” McMaster said. “We are still in Jefferson County, but this time we are at Cherokee Dam.”

That was probably a wise decision. PAA always attracts a pretty large field and Tom's Marine had 123 boats entered in the first tournament March 9 on Cherokee.

“We had absolutely no drop-off from last year's first tournament,” McMaster said. “It's a good thing to maintain what you were doing the year before – and we had a really good year last year.”

Fishing was good for that tournament on Cherokee, he noted, and should still be good this weekend.

Howard Greenlee and Jim Burchfield weighed in a limit at 20.33 pounds to win the opener. We are looking for about the same results as far as the amount of fish weighed in. Fishing conditions are almost the same as they were then.”

McMaster said the water temperature has remained at about the same level – 48-52 degrees – not enough of a rise to make the fish move shallow.

“I think the majority of the fish will be caught on jerkbaits and Tennessee rigs, and there are sill some deep fish being caught on jigs. A Tennessee rig is like an Alabama Rig, but Tennessee law allows only three hooks. You can have as many baits on the rig as you want, but only three can have hooks,” he said.

“I would also like to remind anglers that you can still make our championship if you fish the last six events. Even if you missed the first tournament you can still make it in with no problem.”

Entry fee for the Tom's Marine tournaments is $100, plus a $10 lunker fee. Payout is at least 90 percent of entry fees, paid one for every six entries at the ramp.

The trail offers most major boat bonus programs, including the Ranger Cup, Triton Gold, Stratos 2X, Skeeter Real Money, Phoenix First Flight, plus other incentives including the Bass Pro Shops Tournament Rewards, Motor Mate and the PAA Pay Day Program.

In addition, anglers who own a 2010 or newer truck bought new from Ramey Ford will get a $500 bonus for winning a regular season tournament.

“We are looking forward to another great season of tournament fishing this year,” he said. We've been doing this for nine years and we are looking forward to our 10^th anniversary next year. I can't say enough about Tom's Marine and Ranger Boats. Without them this trail would not exist. Tom's Marine is a home town dealership that does a lot for the local fishermen.”

McMaster also pointed towards the2014 season when Tom's Marine will launch its new Tom's Marine Elite Series. Anglers will qualify for the Elite Series through points earned in the established Tom's Marine Team Trail.

“Hopefully, the Elite Series will complement the Tom's Marine Team Trail,” McMaster said. “It's still in the process of being worked out, but we will have a maximum field of 50 boats in the Elite Series, based on the top 30 percent in the points for 2013.”

McMaster said the new wrinkle was developed to get more anglers to fish the trail and weigh in their fish. The new series will have fewer places paid back, but the payouts will be larger to reward the anglers who do well, he said.

Tom's Marine Team Trail

Sat, Mar 30, 2013

Cherokee Lake

Dam Access - TVA Cherokee

Call Richard McMaster 423-748-3240

www.tomsmarinetn.com

by AnglersChannel

Rising, Muddy, Cold Water Awaits Anglers In Paa Opener On Douglas Lake

Todd Auten was content to spool new line on about 20 rods and tie on a variety of baits rather than worry about how he was going to fish the Professional Anglers Association's first tournament of 2013 on Douglas Lake this Friday-Saturday.

“I really don't know what to expect. I've heard the lake is muddy, the water is cold and it's coming up – as much as half a foot a day,” Auten said. “I was going to go out there and practice, but if it's going to come up 10 feet before we get there it's no use – unless you could predict where the water is going to be and what kind of stuff it would cover on the bank.”

Auten said rain and snow were predicted for the first part of the week, then a gradual warming trend is expected to follow. But it won't warm quickly enough for him.

“I like for the water to be at least 60 degrees, but I think it will still be in the high 40s to low 50s for the tournament,” said Auten who has fished one other tournament on Douglas Lake, finishing 32^nd in the 2001 Bassmaster Megabucks event there.

Under those conditions, with the muddy water, Auten said he is thinking slow moving baits might be the key for the tournament. Auten said he was hoping the water would clear up enough to provide a good jerkbait bite, but he is not optimistic.

“If it's as muddy as they say it is, there might still be a shallow bite. Being muddy is going to make it harder on the deep bite. If you can find some clear water you can catch some fish deep, but I think they are holding the water so it is backed up and the mud is not pulling through. The only clear water is in the backs of the creeks, but with only three or four big creeks, there will be a boat in each one,” he said

“At this point I don't really have a good strategy. I'm just going to get there, see what the water temperature is, and go from there.”

Besides fishing the PAA schedule, Auten said his plans this year are to fish one B.A.S.S. Open and the FLW Tour.

“Without any more sponsorships, that is about all I could swing,” he said.

After this week's tournament on Douglas Lake, the PAA will move to Ft. Louodon/Tellico Lakes in Tennessee May 20-25 for the second tournament of the year, then to Table Rock Lake in Missouri for the third tournament. A fourth tournament is being planned for November, with details on the location and dates expected to be released soon.

The top 15 in points will be the PAA qualifiers to the prestigious Toyota Texas Bass Classic (TTBC) . The world Championship event pits the top 15 anglers from the Angler of the Year races in the B.A.S.S. Elite Series, FLW Tour and the PAA Tournament Series in head to head competition.

Professional Anglers Association (PAA )

Mar 28-30, 2013

Douglas Lake

The Point Marina

270-527-2030

www.fishpaa.com

by AnglersChannel

Bass Are 'turned On' For Berry's Trail Tournament Saturday On Lake Sinclair

Shane Stokes won Big Fish at 7.80 lbs at the Mar 9 Berry's tournament on Lake Oconee

“The fish have turned on down here,” said Bobby Berry who will bring his popular Berry's Team Tournament Trail to Lake Sinclair Saturday for the fifth tournament of the series. The Berry's Trail holds eight tournaments on Oconee and Sinclair Lakes.

“They have been wearing the fish out on both lakes,” Berry said. “It took over 20 pounds to win the last tournament on Oconee March 9. There was a bass club tournament on Sinclair this past weekend, the Georgia Youth Tournament, and it took over 22 pounds to win it.”

Berry noted that the top three in the March 9 tournament on Oconee weighed in 20.25 pounds, 20.24 pounds and 19.23 pounds respectively.

“They've been catching some good fish, some up to 7 pounds,” said Berry, who added that the Berry's Trail is more popular than ever.

“Things have been going great for us and we seem to be growing good. We had 150 boats at the last tournament and we have been averaging about 138 boats a tournament. We are bigger than last year,” he said.

“Most of the people who fish our tournaments live within driving distance. They don't want to travel any more. They can't afford the gas so they are staying close to home,” he said. “They don't have to pay motel fees to fish with us. They can leave out at 4 o'clock in the morning and just show up.”

Founded in 2003 by Bobby Berry and his two sons, the Berry’s Tournament Trail is unique in that all eight of the tournaments, plus the season-ending classic, are held on Lakes Oconee and Sinclair. Four regular season tournaments are held on Oconee and four are held on Sinclair, with anglers having to fish at least five tournaments to qualify for the classic, which means they have to fish both lakes at least once.

Anglers pay a $160 entry fee per boat with 75 percent paid back in cash the day of the tournament, while 12.5 percent is held for the Angler of the Year team award and the Classic.

The 2013 Classic will b held June 1-2, with the first day of competition held on Oconee out of Sugar Creek and the second day on Sinclair, out of Little River.

Berry's Team Tournament Trail

Sat, Mar 30, 2013

Lake Sinclair

Little River Marina

Call 770-787-6179

www.berrysbass.com

by AnglersChannel

Ehrler Used Down Imaging To Dominate Flw Tour On Smith Lake

Teaser image:

Pre-spawn bass can be a difficult nut to crack. As fish transition from winter locations to spawning habitat, frigid water temps and drastic weather changes can turn finding a bite into a formidable game of chess.

Yet, for anglers like bass pro Brent Ehrler, knowing how to use your electronics can definitely put the odds in your favor—like at the recent Walmart FLW Tour event on Lewis Smith Lake, Alabama, where the Californian took top honors in the form of a $125,000 giant cardboard check.

“I knew the fish were going to be deeper, staging for a move up shallow. And although pre-spawn fish can be difficult, I knew Down Imaging would find them,” says Ehrler.

Indeed, Ehrler found money fish bellied into brush and tickling tree-tops in 15- to 30-feet. He says it was simply a matter of putting in the time to fill his livewell with what he spied on the screens of his three Humminbird 1198s.

“One of the spots I found with Down Imaging was an inside channel swing with three brush piles that I wouldn’t have won the tournament without. Although I never got a bite on it during practice, I saw lots of fish. So I made a waypoint; just looked too good. Then, when the tournament started I drove by around noon, made a U-turn, pulled up, made a couple of casts and watched a couple fish float up off the bottom on my electronics,” says Ehrler.

He says the next five minutes were exactly what you hope for when big money is on the line.

“My first bite was a 4 Â½-pounder. I put that fish in the box, got right back down there and pulled up a 3 Â½-pounder. Then I knew I looking at a whole school of money fish, so I floated off the spot, re-tied, and slid back up nice and slow with the Minn Kota, saw another fish on the graph and pulled a 3-pounder. I then told my co-angler it was time to split, I had to save the spot for later in the week,” says Ehrler.

By the end of the tournament, Ehrler weighed in six fish over 3-pounds off this spot.

“That’s the great thing about Down Imaging. I idle over brush piles and actually pick out the individual fish,” says Ehrler.

Ehrler says there’s a lot more to the game than simply having electronics on your boat. Every angler should spend the time to think about what set-up works best for his/her application and customize the installation to match those needs.

“I run a unique set-up. I have an 1198 on the bow, an 1198 in the console, and an 1198 on the side of the console. I run classic 2-D sonar and mapping on the unit on the bow, 2-D sonar and mapping on the main console, and Down Imaging/Side Imaging on the 1198ci HD SI off the side of the cockpit,” says Ehrler.

“But here’s my secret: I run two transducers for my side unit. While I use the Side Imaging transducer that’s included, I also run an XNR-9-DI-T Down Imaging transducer to get the most detailed picture of what’s straight down. The DI transducer comes with a switch so I simply run that toggle to instantly switch between the best Side- and Down Imaging views possible,” says Ehrler.

Depending on what SI and DI units you use, you can also accomplish the same thing with the Humminbird TS3 transducer switch.

In terms of settings, Ehrler says he doesn’t do anything fancy.

“Other than switching to Advanced Mode to change the readings on the bottom of the screen, like depth, time, speed, etc., I run the settings pretty much as they come out of the box. Although a lot of guys have it in their head that you have to change everything, you really don’t. I run my 2-D in Clear Mode nearly all the time and occasionally adjust sensitivity, but that’s about it. I don’t change anything with Down Imaging, and with Side Imaging I only tweak the view distance. Sometimes it’s as little as 40 feet, sometimes a full 150,” says Ehrler.

Ehrler says his trifecta of Humminbird electronics—especially Down Imaging—is a huge confidence booster. “Lewis Smith is a good example of how electronics help keep me on my A game. I knew there were fish there, I just had to take my time and get ‘em to bite,” says Ehrler.

When everything was said and done, Ehrler weighed an impressive 20 fish for 60-09, finishing nearly 8 pounds over the second-place finisher Jacob Powroznik.

Not only is it another notch in Ehrler’s cane, making it his fourth Walmart FLW Tour win, it’s also a good start in the Angler of the Year race, an honor Ehrler has yet to achieve.

This recent win brings Ehrler’s career winnings close to $2 million.

by AnglersChannel

Surrett And Morgan Win Again On Lake Norman For The Carolina Coach And Marine Event-Full Results Here!

Another good Monday nighter at Lake Norman for Carolina Coach and Marine! Here are your pic's and results:

http://www.teamprobass.com/2013/03/mar-25-2013-monday-night-results/

PLACE	TEAM #	NAMES	TOTAL WT	POINTS	WINNINGS
PLACE	TEAM #	NAMES	TOTAL WT	POINTS	WINNINGS
1st	21	Dale Surrett & Brian Morgan	15.60	100	1st=$ 440 Big Fish=$190
2nd	18	Scott Hamrick & Chuck Poovey	14.80	97	2nd=$ 240
3rd	1	Dave Snyder & Bobby Derrick	13.80	94	3rd=$120
4th	5	Alfred Kieslign Jr & Roger Griffin	13.10	91
5th	20	Ronnie Pittman & Charles Jordan	10.65	88
6th	7	Alfred Kiesling Sr. & Butch Holder	10.25	86
7th	26	Shane Lahew	10.00	85
8th	28	Shane Hawkins & Lewis Thomasson	9.90	84
9th	2	Scott Beattie & Dwight Beattie	9.90	83
10th	3	Cliff Kirby & Eddie Black	9.45	82
11th	30	Kevin Langill	9.25	80
12th	12	Charles Hobbs & Mack Lowe	8.85	79
13th	31	Brett Kubin	5.35	78
14th	6	Matthew Benge & Joshua Benge	4.40	77
15th	11	Nick Miller & Brandon Brickweg	3.50	76
16th	4	Larry Neil & Mark Beaver	3.00	75
17th	14	Michael Cloninger & Jerry Scruggs	2.80	74
18th	29	Seth Brotherton & Oliver Reitzell	0.00	69
19th	19	Darin Bumgarner & K.C. Cornelius	0.00	69
20th	20	Matt McBee	0.00	69

by AnglersChannel

Berry's Tournament Trail Results - Lake Oconee - Mar 9, 2013

Teaser image:

GRANT KELLY AND JARED HENDRIX WON WITH 5 @ 20.25 LBS. PATTERN: FISHING CRANKBAITS

Grant Kelly and Jared Hendrix teamed up to win the Berry's Team Trail tournament Mar 9, 2013 on Lake Oconee. They caught 5 bass weighing 20.25 pounds and took home a total of $4,140! They said they caught their fish using crankbaits.

David and Hilbert Lowery came in a VERY CLOSE 2nd Place with 5 bass weighing 20.24 lbs, just 0.01 lbs behind the winners! They won $2,070 and said they were using crankbaits and jigs.

Rounding out the Top 5 were Kim Carver fishing alone in 3rd Place with 5 weighing 19.23 - good for $1,300. He was fishing crankbaits. Jerry Burford and Frank Masiello came in 4th Place with 18.70 lbs - they won $1,050. And in 5th Place, Brian and Bob Jamison weighed in at 18.02 lbs, good for $910.

Big Bass of the day was caught by Shane Stokes - the weight was 7.80 lbs and he said he was using a jig on a point. He took home $1,500!

Shane Stokes with the Big Bass of the day - 7.80 lbs!In all, 150 teams weighed in 399 fisn at 1,043.54 lbs. 45 teams weighed in 5 fish limits. We had $2,250.00 Classic Contribution and $750 Angler Contribution.

Here are the complete results:

PLACE	TEAMS	WEIGHT	WINNING	BIG BASS
1	GRANT KELLY - JARED HENDRIX	20.25	$4,140.00
2	DAVID LOWERY - HILBERT LOWERY	20.24	$2,070.00
3	KIM CARVER	19.23	$1,300.00
4	JERRY BURFORD - FRANK MASIELLO	18.70	$1,050.00
5	BRIAN JAMISON - BOB JAMISON	18.02	$910.00
6	JIM WINDHAM - GREG BARWICK	17.89	$750.00
7	VAN DILLARD - JASON JENKINS	17.70	$650.00
8	RANDY WOODHAM - MARTIN RUTLEDGE	16.99	$580.00
9	JAY WALL - RUSTY HACK	16.60	$490.00
10	TONY GREEN - DAVEY MONTFORD	15.97	$430.00
11	SAM MIMES - MIKE DIXON	15.50	$390.00
12	ERNEST MILLER - KEVIN THORNTON	15.49	$360.00
13	MIKE REID - GREGORY PAYNE	15.09	$320.00
14	DAVID FOSTER - ALAN CHAFFIN	14.29	$310.00
15	JASON DICKSON - MATT YOUNG	14.28	$300.00
16	DAN CROWE - LEE CROWE	14.22	$290.00
17	CARL HAYES III - DYLAN WYLIE	14.19	$280.00
18	STEVEN CLANTON - WAYNE HOLLAND	14.06	$270.00
19	ANDY NORMAN - FRANK KITCHENS	13.77	$260.00
20	JAE EVANS - JACOB THOMPSON	13.72	$250.00
21	WILLIE WHITE - DEVEREAUX ADAMS	13.66	$240.00
22	FRED HOOD - DWAYNE MURPHY	13.41	$230.00
23	JASON CARDEN - COULBY LEWIS	13.26	$220.00
24	KELLY THOMPSON - GREG WILKERSON	13.19	$210.00
25	RICHARD PARSON - BARRY FORREST	12.74	$200.00
26	DANIEL DURHAM - JACK BARBER	12.57
27	VINCE FARROW - RANDY KIMBRELL	12.57
28	TYLER RHOADES - SCOTTY RHOADES	12.41
29	MARK HOLLOWAY - PAT FISHER	12.26
30	DWANE BAUCOM - JUSTIN STILL	12.04
31	ANDY CANNON - BOBBY HILL	11.87
32	JIMMY GOLDEN - COLE McWILLIAMS	11.85
33	TERRY FRAZIER - BUCK EUBANKS	11.36
34	SCOTT McDANIEL - LAITH REAGIN	11.36
35	TRIPP GLAWSON - MATT GILLIAM	11.23
36	RANDY HEATH - DAMIAN HALL	11.20
37	DEAN EDWARDS	11.18
38	RON SMITH - NICK HART	11.13
39	TODD LOWE - SCOTT BASSETT	11.10
40	SEAN SULLIVAN - MIKE BUTLER	10.86
41	KEITH BASSETT - MARC IRVIN	10.85
42	KEN MYERS - DEWAYNE WHITTEMORE	10.73
43	LANE WRIGHT	10.45
44	NATHAN FULLER - MARTY FULLER	10.44
45	WILLIE McMULLEN - CHAD STAHL	10.44
46	STACEY EATON - RONNIE STEGALL	10.27
47	CHARLIE BALDWIN - VONYA BALDWIN	10.19
48	MARK ERWIN - ROBERT GAUSE	10.10
49	RICHARD BELL - SHANE STOKES	10.03		$1,500.00
50	ADAM WICKS - STEVIE JACKSON	9.87
51	WILL SIZER - BEN REESE	9.72
52	DAVID ELLISON - BOBBY JONES	9.67
53	STEPHEN JONES - GIRARD JAMES	9.66
54	LANCE COLLINS - BARRY COLLINS	9.63
55	MIKE CLEVELAND - BOBBY WOOD	9.59
56	BARRY HOOPER - PHIL OZBURN	9.55
57	DAVID USELTON - MARK KERSEY	9.51
58	CLAY NIX - CALEB NIX	9.42
59	WAYNE GARNER - BRIAN GARNER	9.32
60	RICKY GRAY	8.73
61	GRAHAM ECHOLS - JUSTIN GUIN	8.68
62	TYREE RAPTIS - CLAUDE RAPTIS	8.63
63	AARON BATSON - MICHAEL MINCEY	8.54
64	LAMAR MOODY - VERLAND BEST	8.45
65	DUSTIN KLIMEK - EDDIE SIMPSON	8.43
66	GREG RICKETSON - DARREN TAYLOR	8.37
67	ANDY TIPPENS - RUSTY WILLIAMS	8.35
68	BRAD STALNAKER - CHRIS LUMPKIN	8.35
69	BARRY STOKES - RUSSELL HALL	8.34
70	STEVE DONALDSON - BRAD DAVIS	8.11
71	LARRY CASON - BUDDY McCOWAN	8.11
72	MATT SELLARS - BEN BRAND	7.95
73	KEN COTHRAN - JASON SMITH	7.93
74	DEREK SNIDER - TRAVIS SNIDER	7.92
75	DAVID MILLSAPS - JIMMY MILLSAPS	7.81
76	CHAD BARKER - KEVIN JOOST	7.69
77	MIKE CHESTER - MARK BISHOP	7.55
78	MIKE YORK - MIKE RILEY	7.54
79	SCOTT CHATHAM - ROBERT SMITH	7.52
80	DON RANDALL - RICKY RANDALL	7.42
81	MATT EDWARDS - SCOTT CHANDLER	7.05
82	MICHAEL BROCK - BRIAN COX	6.66
83	DANNY WHITE - MIKE BLACKSHEAR	6.47
84	RICHARD HOLDEN - JEFF FERRELL	6.36
85	BILLY HENSLEY - CHUCK KIBLINGER	5.87
86	JOHN DUVALL - JACK MORRIS	5.81
87	JACK BROWN - RAY COLLINS	5.72
88	JIM JORDAN - BUBBA JORDAN	5.71
89	DALE WHITE	5.67
90	CHRIS JONES - RAYMON COX	5.61
91	JASON SMITH - DINK WILLIAMS	5.28
92	BILL BLOUNT - WAYNE FAUSCETT	5.25
93	ROGER WHITE - ADAM CLAY	5.05
94	TIM WILDER - BRUCE TOWNSEND	4.58
95	JASON SAYERS - JOHNNY DEATON	4.47
96	KEVIN SANDERS - KONNER SANDERS	4.43
97	MORRIS SMITH - JOHNNY LINDSAY	4.04
98	MICHAEL McCLENDON - JUSTIN PAIR	3.97
99	KIP CARTER - JOE ELLINGTON	3.72
100	MICKEY McHENRY - DOUG BLOUNT	3.37
101	JEFF PARKER - TODD PETERSON	3.32
102	JUSTIN BUCKLES - CHADD JONES	3.22
103	RONNIE McMULLEN - TONY CURTIS	2.34
104	JEFF NORRIS - MIKE KEEBLE	2.26
105	DAVID BRANTLEY - CLAYTON WILLIAMS	0.00
105	WHITMAN GASAWAY - CLAYTON GASAWAY	0.00
105	BRAD GANDEE - CHRIS SAUNDERS	0.00
105	BEN WOODCOCK	0.00
105	TERRY DIETSCH - JON DIETSCH	0.00
105	KEITH SCARBROUGH - STANLEY DUNN	0.00
105	HOWARD DAVIS - ASHLEY NEWELL	0.00
105	RAY KESSLER	0.00
105	EDDIE ROBERTS - ED ROBERTS	0.00
105	STEVE VOWELL - JIMMY HODGES	0.00
105	RICKY CLEGHORN - DUSTY FRANK	0.00
105	JOSH KELLY - TRAVIS CLAY	0.00
105	JASON GUNN - JAMES GUNN	0.00
105	ESTON SLACKS - GEORGE JOHNSON	0.00
105	JEFF OWENBY - SCOTT KUHN	0.00
105	DANNY WILLIAMS - EVAN WILLIAMS	0.00
105	STEVEN RUTHERFORD - DEAN RUTHERFORD	0.00
105	JAKE MITCHELL - LARRY POOLE	0.00
105	DAVIS DRAKE - BRANDON LANDRY	0.00
105	BUSTER HELTON - MIKE HARRINGTON	0.00
105	MIKE STALNAKER - HUNTER STALNAKER	0.00
105	CARLTON PONDER - BYRON CARTER	0.00
105	MARTY GEORGE - CHRISTOPHER MARTIN	0.00
105	MARTIE MURPHY - COLE MURPHY	0.00
105	LEON BLOW - MARK HANNAH	0.00
105	ADAM WALL - TODD DOW	0.00
105	ROBERT ANDERSON - CASON ANDERSON	0.00
105	CHAD WILSON - ALAN ROBERTS	0.00
105	DANNY WHIDBY - MARK WHIDBY	0.00
105	JUSTIN KIMMEL - STEPHEN MAY	0.00
105	RAY SWORDS - SLADE JOHNSON	0.00
105	STEVE TAYLOR - JARED STRICKLAND	0.00
105	SHANE TYSON - GREG PUTNAL	0.00
105	JUSTIN LANIER - RUSTY COHEN	0.00
105	LANCE TEMPLETON - MIKE OXFORD	0.00
105	ROGER STUBBS - JEFF CARREKER	0.00
105	JIMMY LITTLE - BILLY DUVALL	0.00
105	KELLEY CLARK - FRANK BURRIS	0.00
105	MIKE COURSEY - SHAWN MALCOM	0.00
105	JARED KUTIL - JOSH FUTCH	0.00
105	JOE PENNONE - CHAD CLEGHORN	0.00
105	BARRY HARDIN	0.00
105	JEREMY YORK - BRIAN BELL	0.00
105	DAVIS SANSBURY - VALERIE SANSBURY	0.00
105	SCOTT LOCKLEAR - BRYANT ROLAND	0.00
105	TIM SPIVEY	0.00

by AnglersChannel

Boats Unlimited Nc Team Trail Results - Jordan - Mar 23, 2013

1st Place: Ean Davis & Matt Czerepak of Southern Pines...5 bass...20.66 lbs

57 teams showed up for the 3rd qualifying tournament of the 2013 Boats Unlimited NC Team Tournament Bass Trail. We had a right decent day even though we did have a small period of sleet in the am. 39 degrees in the morning and about 45 for the rest of the day with no wind in the am and light in the pm.

Ean Davis & Matt Czerepak of Southern Pines captured 1st place honors with 5 bass weighing 20.66 lbs. They

won the 1st place money and the BOATS UNLIMITED NC 1st place $1,000 bonus for a grand total of $2,140.

Scott Smith & Tony Woodard won 2nd place (18.38lbs.) plus 1st place TWT and took home $1,548.

99 fish were weighed in for a total weight of 340 pounds. At least 4 weighed over 7lbs! Most fish were caught

from 2 to 8 feet of water on a variety of baits including crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jigs and plastics for the most

part. Water temps were around 50 degrees. The fish really looked healthy and several were loaded with roe.

I want to thank all the anglers that participated and the sponsors that support this trail.

We will take a break for the Easter Observance and our next tournament will be the BOATS UNLIMITED

NC Qualifier #4, April 6th at Falls Lake out of Ledge Rock Wildlife Ramp.

All the information on our tournaments can be found at: www.piedmontbassclassics.com

Now here are the full results:

1st Place: Ean Davis & Matt Czerepak of Southern Pines...5 bass...20.66 lbs...$1,140

2nd Place: Scott Smith & Tony Woodard of Apex & Four Oakes...5 bass...18.38 lbs...$638

3rd Place: Bobby Matthews & David Overcash of Durham...4 bass...14.67 lbs...$547

4th Place: Randy Fisher & Donnie Lowe of Hillsborough & Mebane...3 bass...14.08 lbs...$501

5th Place: Geno McCree & Phillip Johnson of Durham...4 bass...14.01 lbs...$412

6th Place: William Small & Lee Williams of Wake Forest & Durham...5 bass...13.73 lbs...$319

7th Place: Mike Stephenson & Chad Jones of Bahama & Durham...4 bass...13.64 lbs...$274

8th Place: Erik Ross & Les Walters of Fayetteville...4 bass...13.63 lbs...$228

9th Place: James Williams & Bud Fowler of Raeford & Aberdeen...4 bass...13.11 lbs....$182

10th Place: Wayne Shaw & Raeford Soles of Cameron & Aberdeen...3 bass...12.74 lbs...$182

11th Place: Arthur Pugh & Don Bovin of Spring Lake & Fayetteville...5 bass...12.03 lbs...$137

1st Place Big Fish..Mike Hodge & Tim Wall of Clayton...7.77 lbs1st Place Big Fish..Mike Hodge & Tim Wall of Clayton...7.77 lbs...$770

2nd Place Big Fish..7th Place Team above...7.76 lbs...$330

1st Place TWT..2nd Place Team above...18.38 lbs...$910

2nd Place TWT..5th Place Team above: 14.01 lbs...$390

For all of our tournament information:

Phil McCarson ... Tournament Director

919-471-1571 or 919-971-5042

email: philsflags@msn.com

web: www.piedmontbassclassics.com

by AnglersChannel

Combs Captures Elite Series Falcon Slam Title With 111 Pounds, 5 Ounces!

Keith Combs wins Falcon Slam. photo James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.

Complete standings: http://www.bassmaster.com/tournaments/2013-elite-series-falcon-slam/leaderboard

Keith Combs is something of a ‘local’ on Falcon Lake. He guides there and has intimate knowledge of the lake, its bass and their habits. This week he used every bit of that local knowledge to win the Bassmaster Elite Series Falcon Slam.

“It is a big deal,” said Combs of his experience on Falcon Lake. “My practice meant nothing. I’ve been fishing on memories. It’s guesswork. You just never really know how it’s going to go.”

What he did know was the deep bite would be the key.

While others struggled to get the pulse of the lake during an unproductive practice period, Combs combined past experience with a Strike King 6XD which he said is “the only bait you need” on Falcon to amass 111 pounds, 5 ounces over 4 competition days.

What makes the 6XD so valuable? “It goes down fast,” notes Combs. “A lot of these fish are on those little ledges that drop 2 or 3 feet – vertical. They’ll sit right on that ledge and a 6XD will hug the drop. That’s what I like about it.”

The rumors Falcon Lake’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. Combs admits that the past couple of months have been disappointing but also pointed out that last year was “a banner year” for the big lake. With low water levels, authorities don’t pull water as often and that affects the bite.

“Falcon is still full of big ones but in the past 6 months they haven’t been pulling water and fish are not positioning in the way that an angler wants them to. That’s the big deal.”

Rick Clunn found out that Falcon is still full of giant bass. He joined the Century Club en route to his runner-up finish. Of all the accolades Clunn had received, he had never put 100 pounds on the scale in a single tournament. This week he weighed 105 pounds, 6 ounces, much of it from a single area near the launch ramp.

Clunn found his fish at about 2 o’clock the first day of competition. He caught 3 that weighed a little over 12 pounds and left him in 79^th place.

That’s where Combs’s local knowledge gave him the advantage. He got out of the gates with 34-13 and never lost the lead. Clunn had to feel around until he caught a 7-pounder and a pair of 3’s that put him on the right pattern and the right place.

Despite his excellent find Clunn noted “You never should leave 2 fish in the lake.” Indeed, the lack of a limit followed the legendary angler and, in the end, cost him.

Clunn caught his fish on a Luck “E” Strike Freak (square-lipped deep diving crankbait) from “a little point outside the wood.”

The next day Clunn hit the ground running and sacked 32 pounds. “They were right where I expected them to be and I got them pretty good.” From then on, it was “lights out.”

Clunn said of day 3, “At 9:30 I had 35 pounds and put the squarebill down.” He spent the rest of the day using a jig mostly to locate bass and shake them off without hooking them.

Day 4’s postponement gave fish an extra 24 hours to regroup. Combs took his 1 pound lead and caught 28 pounds, 2 ounces. Clunn caught 23-3.

John Crews also busted the century mark with 103-13, anchored by the final round’s heaviest haul at 29-7. The Missile Baits Company founder placed 3^rd.

by AnglersChannel

Jason Thomas And Chris Brown Lap The Field At The Cbc On Jordan-Take Home $9000-Full Results Here!

120 teams showed up for the 2nd NC CBC Div event on Jordan Lake.............as you will see, Jason Thomas and Chris Brown had one heck of a day. When you win by 9 plus Lbs, that is something to talk about!

Place	Team Name	Team #	Fish Weighed	Net Weight	Big Fish	Points	Winnings
1	Jason Thomas - Chris Brown	66	5	27.810	7.250	310	$9,000
2	Chad Poteat - Mike Miler	114	4	18.610	0.000	309	$4,000
3	Mark Beck - Bill Goodrich	12	5	16.810	4.180	308	$2,350
4	George Lambeths - Ron Wolfarth	29	4	15.950	5.640	307	$1,550
5	Andy Nix - Justin Goodyear	105	5	14.540	0.000	306	$1,050
6	Cliff Kirby - Rick Dunstan	10	3	14.050	6.630	305	$825
7	Casey Johnson - Cody Shuffler	90	2	13.730	7.090	304	$600
8	Don Sprinkle - Wayne Skipworth	14	3	13.240	4.990	303	$550
9	Scott Threadgill - Dwayne Saunders	48	4	12.940	0.000	302	$500
10	David Williams - Gerald Williams	77	5	12.650	0.000	301	$460
11	Ryan Rigsbee - Jack Voyce	57	3	12.160	7.170	300	$430
12	Nathan Webber - Paul Rigsbee	8	3	11.820	0.000	299	$400
13	Bryan Welch - Kenneth Sheppard	47	3	10.910	6.410	298	$370
14	Eric Moser - Tracy Smith	3	3	10.720	0.000	297	$340
15	William White - Matt Deese	55	3	10.430	0.000	296	$325
16	Billy Zumwalt - William Blanton	2	5	10.360	0.000	295	$300
17	Billy West - Tracy Sykes	104	3	10.140	0.000	294	$275
18	Michael Riggs - Doug Stallings	38	3	9.840	4.330	293	$250
19	Steve Dyer - Darren Gay	102	3	9.720	0.000	292	$225

by AnglersChannel

Falcon Slam Final Round Postponed

Elite Series Pros "in action" today. photo by Steve Bowman

High winds have forced postponement of the final round of the Bassmaster Elite Series Falcon Slam. The event will conclude on Monday.

Rick Clunn, who nearly never agrees with cancelling a fishing day due to a forecast, agreed that this decision by B.A.S.S. officials was the right call. A dust storm was upon them and 10-foot waves with a short period between them had piled up at the dam where, not only the pros, but spectators and media would have tried to go.

Clunn is fishing protected water near the launch site and would have likely won the tournament had it been finished today. He gives himself a 50/50 chance of winning tomorrow.

To read the entire story from Bassmaster.com, click below:

http://www.bassmaster.com/news/bass-postpones-final-day-event-windy-falcon-lake

by AnglersChannel

Chris Bell And Nick Leggett Pull In 18.52 And $1815 For Their Win At The Fom On West Point

Great effort put in by Chris Bell and Nick Leggett as they beat the field of 40 other teams by almost 3 Lbs on their way to a big early win for them on the FOM GA South Div in this 2013 season. Pic's and results are below:

Chris Bell and Nick Leggett hold up their impressive winning stringer at West Point!

Clayton Shoupe and Lucas Trotter with their 2nd place Haul

Place	Team	# Fish	Big Fish	Weight	Winnings
1	Chris Bell – Mableton, GA Nick Leggett – Marietta, GA	5	5.46	18.52	$1,815.00 (1540 – 1^st 275 – 1^st Bonus Bucks)
2	Clayton Shoupe – Newton, AL Lucas Trotter – Dothan, AL	5	5.58	15.71	$654.00
3	Larry Shoupe – Newton, AL Adam Kennedy – Dothan, AL	5	4.62	15.18	$443.00
4	Buddy Whitley – LaGrange, GA Greg Noles – LaGrange, GA	5	4.31	14.16	$524.00 (359 – 4^th 165 – 2^nd Bonus Bucks )
5	Steve Stewart – Donalsonville, GA	5	5.18	13.15	$363.00 (253 5^th 110 3^rd Bonus Bucks)
6	Chad Wise – Dothan, AL Jeremy Stevens – Taylor, AL	5	4.45	12.46	$211.00
7	Jim Buntin – Columbus, GA Jim Pass – Columbus, GA	5	0.00	11.88	$190.00
8	Harold Branham Betty Branham – Chipley, FL	5	4.15	11.70	$150.00
9	Jimmy Wood - Phenix City, AL Ken Jones – Smiths, AL	5	6.16	11.00	$200.00 (200 - Big Fish)
9	Johnathan Sullivan – Newton, AL Lynn Shoupe – Newton, AL	5	5.15	11.00	$0.00

West Point Lake at Highland Marina

March 23, 2013

40 Teams

by AnglersChannel

Combs Clings To Lead As Clunn Closes In

Combs bounces on into the boat. photo courtesy B.A.S.S./Daren Jacobson

standings: http://www.bassmaster.com/tournaments/2013-elite-series-falcon-slam/leaderboard

Keith Combs brought in another 20-plus pounds today. And he maintained his lead for the 3^rd straight day on Falcon Lake. But Rick Clunn showed the young guys how it’s done as he sacked the heaviest limit of the tournament so far and cut over 6 pounds off Combs’s lead.

Clunn’s 36 pounds, 14 ounces put him exactly a pound behind Combs with one day left to fish in the Bassmaster Elite Series Falcon Slam.

Combs has 83-3. Clunn has 82-3. Each of them could pass the century mark tomorrow. Then again, all of the top 7 guys are on pace to join the Century Club.

Falcon is spitting out some giant bass this week. Billy McCaghren caught the biggest one today at 9 pounds, 9 ounces. Yesterday two over 10 hit the scale.

Edwin Evers is in 3^rd with 78-15. Gary Klein is 2 ounces behind.

Jason Williamson is 5^th with 76-12 but he is trailed closely by Cliff Prince who has spent the week near the top and is currently 6^th with 76-11.

Combs has guided on Falcon for several years. He will be tough to beat. But his weight has fallen off every day from a tourney-opening 34-13, to 20-5 today.

Clunn has had an amazing climb. He started with 12-12 on day 1 and was near the back of the 100-man field. Yesterday he made some noise with 32-9. That was great, but several pros had 30 pounds on day 2. Today Clunn made a statement when he followed-up with the tournament’s biggest bag.

Combs told AnglersChannel.com on Thursday that he only had confidence in a couple of deep spots and that his shallow stuff was only good for 9 or 10 pounds. He said he would likely live or die with his deep water pattern. As noted above, his weights have dwindled. Sounds odd to say that about a guy who weighed 20 pounds today, but this is Falcon Lake.

Will Combs get his first Elite Series win? Will Clunn win his 18^th career tournament? Will Evers and company pass them both? Anything could happen on this big bass factory tomorrow.

by AnglersChannel

Combs Widens Lead At Falcon Lake

Kota Kiriyama goes to grab a big bass. photo courtesy James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.

http://www.bassmaster.com/tournaments/2013-elite-series-falcon-slam/leaderboard

Keith Combs not only continues to lead the Bassmaster Elite Series Falcon Slam, he widened his lead today with a 28 pound, 1 ounce limit that gives him a 2-day total of 62-14.

Edwin Evers brought 28-15 today to run his aggregate to 55-7, good enough to make him Combs’s closest pursuer, 7 pounds, 7 ounces back of the leader.

Jason Christie (25-1 today) climbed a little and settled into the 3^rd position with 54 pounds total.

Cliff Crochet made a giant leap forward with the tournament’s biggest bag yet - a 35 pound, 3 ounce effort. He is one skinny ounce behind Christie. With 18-12 on Day 1 Crochet was not even on pace to cut a check at Falcon Lake. Given the size of bass that swim the Mexico/US border lake, things can change in a hurry.

Crochet’s biggest fish weighed 10 pounds and an ounce. It was not the big bass of the day. That honor goes to Matt Greenblatt with his 10-13.

Cliff Prince and Josh Bertrand each weighed more than 30 pounds yesterday and were 2^nd and 3^rd, respectively, on Day 1. They fell to 5^th and 6^th, respectively, on Day 2. Prince has 53-9 (22-12 today), Bertrand 53-5 (23-0).

There was major movement up and down the leaderboard. Several pros who started with 20-plus pounds the first day failed to make the top 50 cut today and will not fish tomorrow; will not get paid this week.

Then there are guys like Crochet, Cliff Pirch (31-12 today) Kota Kiriyama (32-7) Rick Clunn (32-9) Clark Reehm (30-12) and Skeet Reese (32-4) who rocketed from way back in the pack to make the cut today.

Combs is camping on some prime real estate but he’s not alone. Jonathon VanDam and Fletcher Shryock are right on one of his best spots with him, often casting side by side with the leader. Rumors of turf wars have leaked but it seems the guys are getting along for the most part. Falcon bass, stacked on small spots as they can often be, have caused tempers to flare in the past. Even once-good friends are bitter about it to this day in some cases. Gamesmanship and intimidation may be part of the plan this week. When a very specific cast is called for, the guy who bows out of prime position may go fishless. Of course, there is an unwritten rule of tournament angling that says one should bow to the leader. The younger guys don’t hold to that rule as often as their tournament elders do. It will be interesting to see how they all work it out this week.

by AnglersChannel

Combs Leads Elites On Day 1 At Falcon

They caught 'em on Falcon today. Jeremy Starks courtesy of B.A.S.S./James Overstreet

AnglersChannel.com caught up with your leader, Keith Combs and Cliff Prince who sits in 2nd after today's weigh in. The two pros pretty much give us the flavor of what's happening on Falcon right now:

Keith Combs leads the Bassmaster Elite Series Falcon Slam with 34 pounds, 13 ounces. So he’s stroking tons of big bass, right? Not exactly.

“I’ll take it,” said Combs of his day 1 success. I didn’t that coming. Practice was brutal. Today I just went out and fished like I normally fish here.”

How combs ‘normally fishes Falcon is to spend plenty of time over deep water. And he does normally fish Falcon. Combs has guided on the border-straddling bass factory for several years. Such experience could inspire confidence. Not in Combs’s case.

“It can all come at one time, once they decide to bite. It makes me nervous in a tournament knowing I might only get five opportunities, and I might not catch them. Timing is very important.”

He got 8 opportunities today. Five came on one spot where he caught only 1 fish on multiple visits during practice. He said he wasn’t holding back during practice either. He was trying to catch a few.

Another spot produced no action at all in practice but gave him 3 fish today. They weighed 7 pounds apiece.

Combs expressed concern that his deep stuff may not produce tomorrow. Plan B, shallow water, is only good for 9 or 10 pounds. He knows the deep pattern gives him his best chance to win.

“Even if I don’t have anything at 2 o’clock tomorrow I think I’m going to stay out there and hope they bite.”

Combs holds an even 4-pound advantage over Cliff Prince of Palatka, Fla. Like Combs, Prince is pleased with his 30-13 opening round. “It’s a great start, but it’s a long way to the end, that’s for sure.

“I caught 2 out deep; one a rig, one on a jig. Then I went shallow and caught 3 flipping.”

One of Prince’s deep fish weighed 6 pounds. The other weighed 7. He actually caught more than 3 fish on his flippin’ pattern. He pulled two 7-pounders, a 5, a 4, and two 3’s from the cover in about three feet of water.

About his shallow bite Prince said, “I don’t know if these fish will hold up. It seems like everybody’s there doing it,” said Prince before clarifying, “It’s probably 60/40 really,” – his estimate as to the number of guys who are fishing shallow versus fishing deep.

Prince feels that fishing pressure will play a bigger role in the outcome of this tournament than will weather. “I haven’t even looked at what the weather is supposed to do over the next couple of days. The (full) moon coming up should help the shallow bite. The water temp was 68 this morning and it got up to 72 this afternoon. Most of these fish are done spawning, but not all of them. You know how it is back home (on the St Johns River) they don’t all go at once.”

Rick Morris caught the big bass of the day at 9 pounds, 11 ounces.

Combs expects some bold moves up the leaderboard tomorrow as more anglers figure the timing of the bite in their areas. “It will take 40 pounds to cut a check.” Let’s hope he’s right as we keep an eye on the Bassmaster Falcon Slam this week!

Check out the official leaderboard right here:

http://www.bassmaster.com/tournaments/2013-elite-series-falcon-slam/leaderboard

by AnglersChannel

Montgomery Just Glad To Be Back Fishing A 'lake' For The Elite Series Falcon Lake Slam

Bass pro Andy Montgomery has never fished a tournament on Falcon Lake in Texas, but after having a “horrible tournament” on the Sabine River last weekend, he is just glad to be back fishing in a lake.

“This is not exactly like a lake back home, but it's still a lake and a lot easier for me to read than fishing the Sabine River last week with all the swamps and channels,” Montgomery said Wednesday after the final practice for the opening round of the Bassmaster Elite Series Falcon Slam tournament which starts Thursday.

“Last week there was so much water it was hard to figure out,” said the Blacksburg, S.C., pro. “I did catch a lot of fish, I just did not catch any keepers. I had 40 fish the first day and 20 or so the second day.”

Montgomery weighed in only two fish at 3 pounds, 9 ounces, and finished 87^th on the Sabine which flows between Texas and Louisiana.

“Things have got to pick up, that's for sure,” he said with determination.

Although this is his first trip to Falcon Lake, the Bassmasters have been here before and fishing was very good the last time.

Falcon’s record for a single largemouth catch on a rod and reel is 15.63 pounds and 28 inches in length, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. In 2008, the last time the Elite Series stopped at Falcon, a 13-pound, 2-ounce largemouth was brought to the scales. That 13-2 still stands as the largest bass in the eight years of Elite Series history.

Paul Elias won the 2008 Elite Series event with a four-day weight of 132 pounds, 8 ounces, which still stands as a five-fish, four-day Bassmaster record. In the same event, 11 other anglers topped the 100-pound mark.

“It may not be as good as the last time B.A.S.S. was here, but there are going to be a lot of big fish caught this week,” Montgomery said. “The fish here are real skinny. The weights may be down a little bit but lengthwise the fish are huge.”

Montgomery said his practice this week has been a mixed bag.

“I had one really good day and two bad days. Today was pretty tough, but I think I can catch some fish here. You just have to catch a 7- or 8-pounder every day, at least one, and there is a little work involved in getting that big bite. I had some big ones on in practice that I did not get into the boat.”

Montgomery said the lake is extremely low, 35 to 40 feet low, so it is going to fish very small during the tournament.

“We are not going to burn gas like we did last week. The longest run for anybody probably will be about 15 minutes,” he said.

“I think there will be some fish caught deep and some shallow, but the tournament probably will be won deep, offshore,” he said. “Most of the bigger fish will be caught on crankbaits and big worms on the rockpiles off the long points. But there are also some fish still spawning around the shallow bushes and some will catch those fish, too.”

Montgomery said he plans to fish both shallow and deep in hopes of finding that big 7- or 8-pounder each day.

Bassmaster Elite Series Falcon Slam

Mar 21-24, 2013

Falcon Lake

Zapata County Public Boat Ramp

www.bassmaster.com

by AnglersChannel

Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail Holds Double-Qualifier Weekend On Lake Gaston

Chris Lucas was “tickled to death” with the start of the 2013 Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail under a new two-division format for Virginia and North Carolina anglers last month on Smith Mountain and High Rock Lakes.

“We had over 200 entries at Smith Mountain and we started out with 43 on the Carolina side down at High Rock,” said Lucas, tournament director for the Anglers Choice tournament trails. “We are just starting to build the Carolina Division and we were pleased with the participation.”

While the opening dates for the two divisions were on separate weekends and different lakes, the next tournaments in the two series will be on the same weekend, both on Lake Gaston, with the Virginia Division fishing out of Americamp on Saturday and the North Carolina Division fishing out of Americamp on Sunday.

“This way the guys can get two qualifiers in one trip on the same weekend,” Lucas said. “We are getting a lot of positive feedback on that with gas prices the way they are. Getting two out of the way in one weekend is a big advantage to the fishermen.”

Lucas said the numbers look pretty good for participation this weekend, with around 100 entries expected on the Virginia side and 45-50 on the Carolina side.

“As for the weather, the forecast calls for highs in the 50s, sunny on Saturday and cloudy on Sunday. Somebody said they are now calling for a little rain on Sunday,” Lucas said.

“They held a State Mr. Bass Tournament on Gaston and I heard they caught fish on Shakey Heads, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. It probably will be one of those early springtime tournaments this weekend where you can probably catch fish on whatever you want to. You just have to be in the right place when they move up to feed,” he said.

“I think we will have some pretty good bags brought to the weigh-ins.”

Lucas said the new schedule features a five-qualifier format to make the classic. Anglers can do this by fishing five tournaments in either division. Also new for 2013 is that the top 5 teams in the points race for both divisions will receive a free entry to the Classic.

The Virginia Division, which will hold the second tournament of the season Saturday on Lake Gaston, includes: April 6, Smith Mountain Lake, Parkway Marina; April 27 Kerr Lake, Occoneechee State Park; May 25, Smith Mountain Lake, Parkway Marina; and June 29, Kerr Lake, Occoneechee State Park.

The North Carolina Division, which kicks off Sunday on Lake Gaston, includes: April 7, Smith Mountain Lake, Parkway Marina; April 28 Kerr Lake, Occoneechee State Park; June 22, High Rock Lake, Tamarac Marina; June 30, Kerr Lake, Occoneechee State Park.

The two-day Classic for both divisions will be held Oct. 12-13 on Kerr Lake out of Occoneechee State Park.

“We are rolling now,” Lucas said. “We've got another double-tournament weekend April 6-7. The season is really going by quickly.”

Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail

Mar 23-24, 2013

Lake Gaston

Call Chris Lucas 276-358-0844

www.anglerschoicemarine.com

by AnglersChannel

Fishing Tough, But Big Bass Expected For Cbc North Carolina Division On Lake Jordan

Bass fishing on North Carolina's Lake Jordan has been tough recently and it's expected to be just as tough for the second stop on the Carolina Bass Challenge North Carolina Division this Saturday, said tournament director/owner Brett Collins.

“Lately, there have been several tournaments on Jordan and a limit has been like gold. Cooler temperatures are moving in for the weekend, so we expect some more tough conditions.” But, he added, “that always plays into someone's hands.”

The opportunity is there to land some big bass, Collins said.

“The bites the guys are getting are good ones. Several bass over 5 pounds are showing up in the shallows, full of eggs, so I look for some huge bass to be brought in.”

The water temperature has been as high as 53 degrees recently, he said, and spinnerbaits have been the ticket, along with shallow crankbaits.

“We expect well over 125 teams to fish Saturday, even with the very tough fishing conditions on Lake Jordan,” said Collins. “We started out with 186 teams at Lake Norman Feb. 16, That first NC division tournament saw the winners take home $15,000.”

Collins said that so far this year the winners in the Carolina Bass Challenge tournaments have taken home an average of $12,500.

“Finish in the top 10 in any CBC event and you will take home a load of cash,” he said. “The Skeeter/Yamaha BONUS of $3,000 will be awarded to the highest placing Skeeter/Yamaha owner at Lake Jordan. “

Collins said teams can come to the ramp for the launch from any other ramp on Lake Jordan.

“If you do put in at another location you must weigh your first first before returning to the ramp you used. Also, there will be food and drinks waiting when you come off the water,” said Collins.

With both a South Carolina and North Carolina Division underway in the two states, Collins said two Skeeter TZX190/150 Yamaha HPDI boat rigs will be awarded, with one going to the winning team at the South Carolina Championship at Lake Hartwell in September and another will be awarded at the September North Carolina Championship on Lake Wylie.

“The winners of the Oct 26-27 Lake Murray CBC Classic will take home a ZX200/200Yamaha SHO rig worth $48,000,” he said.

Carolinas Bass Challenge - North Carolina Division

Sat, Mar 23, 2013

Jordan Lake

Call Brett Collins 803-413-7521

www.carolinasbasschallenge.com

by AnglersChannel

Mid March Tournament Preview With Ac Pro Staffer Rob Digh!

AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh breaks down the Anglers Choice Marine TT on Gaston, The Bassmaster Elite Series on Falcon Lake, Oconee Marine TT on Oconee Lake, and finally, the CBC TT which blasts off on Jordan Lake this Sat-plus updates on the new BOAT SEARCH feature activated this week only on Anglerschannel.com!

by AnglersChannel

Falcon Tough; 'chick' Sizzling

Coleman with 13.9-pounder from Chickamauga. Photo from WRCB TV website, channel3outdoors.com.

After the dink fest on the Sabine River, Elite Series pros were eager to get over to Falcon Lake for a true Texas-sized bass tournament complete with all the big fish a guy can whack on.

That’s not what they’re finding in practice. When the Elite Series visited in ’08, Peter “T” Thliveros said, “Well, I guess we killed another (lake).” He meant that news of Falcon’s phenomenal fishing was sure to draw too many visitors for the lake to handle.

It appears he may have been partly correct. Along with the influx of anglers, many of whom have laid the filet knife to tons of big Falcon Lake specimens, the lake has experienced a lack of rehydration. Water levels are way down and prime spawning habitat is said to be high and dry.

The combination – overharvest of the biggest bass and lack of successful reproduction for a few years – has rendered Falcon a shell of the fishery it once was.

There are still some good fish in the lake. And some of the 100 Elite Series pros will put together some solid stringers. But don’t expect to see the record-smashing performances of a few years ago.

One lake that is exceeding all reasonable expectations right now is Tennessee’s Lake Chickamauga. The ‘Chick’ has turned out some 40-pound-plus limits this winter and just this week Chris Coleman of Chattanooga caught a 13.90-pounder that nearly threatened the state record. As far as anyone can tell, Coleman’s catch is the largest to ever come out of Chickamauga. Last month Coleman caught an 11.4 out of Chick.

Most of that action is coming on umbrella rigs. Keep an eye on the lake as the weather warms. Umbrella rigs are most effective when cold weather pushes shad into balls. But the action may continue throughout the summer. If so, the FLW Tour event on Lake Chick in late June could be the heavyweight slugfest that Elite Series pros thought they were in for at Falcon.

by AnglersChannel

Anglers @ Usc Bass Open--Lake Wylie

Over 80 boats showed up to fish the First Annual Anglers @ USC Bass Open on Lake Wylie March 16, and the teams were met by brutal winds that blew all day. Mike Stephens and Brian New of the Lake Wylie area took first place, bringing a 5-fish limit to the weigh-in that tipped the scales at 18.25 lbs. the two won $2025. Stephens said the fishing was brutal, but that they toughed it out, catching most of their fish in shallow water while throwing everything from crankbaits to spinnerbaits.

Grady Oliver and Mike Jennings finished in 2nd place and took home $1012 with 5 fish weighing 18.22 lbs, Larry Lehew and Trey Lehew teamed up for 3rd place, bagging a limit that weighed 17.5 lbs and netting $675.

Zack Davis and Hampton Anderson won Big Fish honors with a 6.92-pounder winning $876 and beating out Alan James and Robert Fowler's 2nd place Big Fish of 5.17 lbs worth $584.

by AnglersChannel

Is Bass Fishing A Sport? If So, Gear-Up Accordingly With Swiftwick!

It was a cold Classic that called for performance clothing.

"As a solider's feet go, so go the soldier," a wise man once told me. I have never forgotten the point of his lesson - keep those feet dry, warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

The Bassmaster Classic offers one of the greatest testing grounds for any type of outdoor gear that can be used by bass fishermen, as well anybody who spends time on the water in unpredictable, often harsh conditions.

The 2013 instalment of bass fishing's world championship was an exceptionally cold event. The first trick to keeping feet warm is to keep them dry. When we bundle beneath multiple layers, it's easy to begin sweating, especially in insulated boots and the like. And what's the purpose of perspiration? To cool the skin. Not what you want when the air temperature is in the 20's and you're about to ride in an open boat at better than 70 mph.

Perhaps no group is more environmentmally active than bass anglers. Whether enhancing habitat, cleaning up a stretch of shoreline or simply practicing catch-and-release, anglers are stewards.

The people at Swiftwick share our love of a healthy environment. In fact, their Sustain line of socks is made entirely from recycled nylon. Any one who has recycled old monfilament fishing line can relate to that!

The environment I loved most during the recent frigid Classic was the environment these socks provided my feet.

And I love that all Swiftwick socks are made in the USA.

In a week that featured snow, high winds and freezing rain, Swiftwick socks kept my feet dry and warm as I rode across Grand Lake O' the Cherokees to film the action for the Progressive Weekend Bass Wrap Up TV Show and for AnglersChannel.com.

Without a doubt these socks wicked moisture away during one of the coldest weeks of my life, but let's think about the other end of the spectrum. Summer heat.

You know it's coming. Sure the birds are chirping, the dogwoods are blooming and the bass are biting right now. Life is good. If Swiftwick socks are comfortable now, just wait and see how their moisture-wicking compression technology earns its keep when temperatures begin to boil in a couple of months. Talk about keeping your feet dry - we all know how important that is when the mercury climbs into the 90's. That happens for 5 solid months of the year along the Florida/Georgia border where I live. With Swiftwick socks keeping my feet dry and comfortable I will feel more lively as I battle the stifling humidity of Florida's interior regions in search of big bass. Bring on the summer! I'll put on my Swiftwicks and see y'all on the water.

by AnglersChannel

Millsaps And Shipe Take Morristown Marine Tt On Cherokee Worth $10,000! Full Resutls Here-

FINISHING POSITION	POS SAT	POS SUN	SKEETER BOAT	BOATER	PARTNER	BIG L/MOUTH	BIG S/MOUTH	WEIGHT SAT	WEIGHT SUN	TOTAL WEIGHT	WINNINGS
1	87	164		KELLEY MILLSAPS	MARK SHIPE			20.07	19.14	39.21	$ 10,000.00
2	36	215		STEVE MIRACLE	MIKE WOLFENBARGER			18.28	16.35	34.63	$ 2,500.00
3	190	61		DAVID MULLINS	BRENT HOSKINS			12.91	19.13	32.04	$ 1,500.00
4	10	241		CRAIG DAVIS	WAYNE DAVIS			10.96	19.69	30.65	$ 800.00
5	2	249	X	BENNY ROBERTS	TODD NIDEFFER			16.18	14.01	30.19	$ 3,700.00
6	27	224	X	BILL BURNS	RICK DIAMOND			13.32	16.5	29.82	$ 650.00
7	66	185		MIKE HOBBY	RANDY CARROLL			14.81	14.34	29.15	$ 600.00
8	233	18	X	BOBBY CHAMBERS	JUSTIN MCCLAIN			15.82	13.29	29.11	$ 500.00
9	196	55		RODNEY RAY	ADRIAN RASNAKE			12.02	16.76	28.78	$ 475.00
10	51	200		ALLEN SMITH	JOSH ROARK			17.15	11.58	28.73	$ 450.00
11	44	207		CLINT DYER	RANDY OLIVER			16.17	12.29	28.46	$ 400.00
12	205	46		DERRICK SNAVELY	JORDAN CARD			14.57	13.46	28.03	$ 375.00
13	197	54		MARK MELLONS	MARK MELLONS JR			16.43	11.54	27.97	$ 350.00
14	7	244		GUY SAMS	LARRY NEAL			12.8	15.04	27.84	$ 325.00
15	151	100		SHANNONN O'QUINN	TRAVIS O'QUINN			15.03	12.71	27.74	$ 300.00
16	40	211		GREG JOHNSON	DEWAYNE FAUST			14.39	12.56	26.95	$ 275.00
17	170	81		RON HYATT	DUSTIN HYATT			14.44	12.3	26.74	$ 250.00
18	159	92		CHRIS PHILLIPS	STANLEY DUTY JR			11.62	14.33	25.95	$ 225.00
19	145	106		ARCHIE WILSON	KEVIN EDWARDS			11.5	14.13	25.63	$ 200.00
20	121	130		TEDDY WILLETT	MATT WILLETT			16.92	8.64	25.56	$ 175.00
21	236	15		RICHARD CROWDER	BRANDON HARTGROVE			15.31	10.18	25.49	$ 175.00
22	164	87		GARY PILKERTON	DENNY TURNER			11.92	13.31	25.23	$ 150.00
23	65	186		KENNY LARUE	GORDON MONROE			11.51	12.78	24.29	$ 150.00
24	238	13		DANIEL ALDRIDGE	JIMMY CLARK			15.68	8.32	24.00	$ 150.00
25	26	225		CHAD WADDELL	RODNEY CRADDOCK			8.4	15.49	23.89	$ 125.00
26	123	128		ANDY FRANCIS	ZACHARY FRANCIS			11.63	12.17	23.80	$ 125.00
27	217	34		LUKE BOLES	CHARLIE CAMPBELL			14.04	9.56	23.60	$ 125.00
28	160	91		JAKE HUX	JAMIE CUTSHALL			10.25	13.13	23.38
29	249	2		BILL HUMBARD	FISH FISHBURN			8.96	14.4	23.36
30	69	182	X	JEREMY SWANSON	JON LAWSON			15.27	7.92	23.19
31	60	191		TRACY CARTER	MIKE SMITH			8.78	14.25	23.03
32	110	141		BRYAN LEONARD	DARRIN FOSTER			17.1	5.92	23.02
33	114	137		BRIAN BEELER	JIMMY BLAIR			6.06	16.8	22.86
34	29	222	X	TONY DRINNON	JAY GRAHAM			15.03	7.63	22.66
35	113	138		SPENCER BROWN	CALEB EAKENS			9.17	13.25	22.42
36	64	187		SAM MEADE	DAVE LONG			13.16	8.99	22.15
37	199	52		BRIAN BOLLING	STEVEN MORELOCK			13.41	8.63	22.04
38	248	3		EDDIE MULLINS				13.53	7.6	21.13
39	219	32		JAMES TIPTON	LANCE GRIGSBY			9.98	10.93	20.91
40	208	43		DANNY BUSH	RYAN BUSH			8.47	12.38	20.85
41	83	168		ROBERT ALLEN	JASON ELLIOTT			11.24	9.09	20.33
42	58	193	X	RICKY SHEPHERD	MARK TRENT			7.22	13.06	20.28
43	67	184		KEITH MCDEERMAN	VON DILBECK			5.08	15.05	20.13
44	92	159		JACK FAULKNER	DEXTER GOINS			7.66	12.27	19.93
45	28	223		CHARLES MITCHELL	BRANDON HARRIS			8.31	11.58	19.89
46	104	147		CALE LAWSON	PATRICK FAUST		5.18	9.92	9.95	19.87	$ 810.00
47	108	143		TRINITY CAWOOD	KEVIN WEST			9.33	10.45	19.78
48	74	177		JAMIE GOODIN	SCOTT HUDDLESTON			8.15	11.54	19.69
49	223	28		BRIAN KING	DOUG YOUNCE			7.85	11.77	19.62
50	209	42		STEVE MCKINNEY	CLAUDE SHELTON			6.81	12.19	19.00
51	188	63		WAYNE MOYHER	BRAD SNAPP			4.54	14.41	18.95
52	187	64		JEREMY GORDON	PHILIP GORDON			11.05	7.7	18.75
53	216	35	X	BILLY DUNN	WAYNE STEINER			6.67	11.67	18.34
54	39	212		MICHAEL MELLONS				9.47	8.78	18.25
55	101	150		CARL PRATER	CHAD HATFIELD			11.79	6.35	18.14
56	192	59	X	BURTON BRYAN	JEFF RUSSELL			8.13	9.92	18.05
57	226	25		WAYNE COPPAGE	DARBY DYE			18.05	0	18.05
58	127	124	X	DAVID MORGAN	A J FROST			12.93	5.05	17.98
59	229	22	X	TOMMY BROWN	GARY JONES			11.58	6.24	17.82
60	89	162		BRIAN HARVEY	LEE VARNER			7.42	10.11	17.53
61	168	83		BRIAN DORTCH	BRAD WARFIELD			2.09	15.41	17.50
62	237	14		LARRY ELSWICK	J D LARGE			4.04	13.08	17.12
63	105	146	X	WES CROWE	MARK SURGENOR			9.82	6.44	16.26
64	228	23	X	TEDDY LLOYD	LOWELL CAUDILL			11.78	4.43	16.21
65	140	111		KEVIN POWERS	ANDY BURNETT			6.76	8.95	15.71
66	203	48	X	GREGORY SCOTT	MICHAEL MARION			10.3	5.34	15.64
67	12	239		LYNN GREEN	JOHN WILLIAMS			6.41	9.21	15.62
68	202	49	X	JOEL WHEELON	DON MCCURDY			3.12	12.18	15.30
69	9	242	X	RANDY RIGG	ROD COLYER			15.21	0	15.21
70	245	6		NATHANIEL VAUGHN	JUSTIN VAUGHN			9.17	5.96	15.13
71	112	139		JIMMY WRIGHT	TRACY PARKER			11.66	3.23	14.89
72	128	123		TIM SAYLOR	VINCE BOTTS	5.99		0	14.75	14.75	$ 810.00
73	21	230		JIMMY TAYLOR	DONNIE BITTLE			13.99	0	13.99
74	141	110		CRUZ COPE	ORVILLE COPE			5.27	7.83	13.10
75	25	226		TONY MESSER	STEVE ROBINSON			12.73	0	12.73
76	63	188		MICKEY ISON	MIKE COOK			2.5	9.77	12.27
77	207	44		DARRYL OLIVER	RODNEY OLIVER			2.95	9.03	11.98
78	136	115		STEVE GIBSON	TIM SMILEY			10.06	0	10.06
79	143	108		BRAD LOGGANS	RYAN KNIGHT			9.55	0	9.55
80	102	149	X	JIM THOMPSON	STEVE CABLE			9.44	0	9.44
81	120	131		BRANDON BROCK				2.22	7.16	9.38
82	17	234		BARRY HARRINGTON	WILLIE BROWNING			9.07	0	9.07
83	185	66		CLIFFORD BUNCH	PAUL NAPIER			9.04	0	9.04
84	56	195	X	GARY HATFIELD	JAMIE HATFIELD			1.87	6.91	8.78
85	225	26	X	ROBERT JONES	MICHAEL LIVESAY			0	8.72	8.72
86	98	153		EDDIE BAKER	CASEY BAKER			8.69	0	8.69
87	222	29		GUY SILER				8.68	0	8.68
88	3	248		JIM MANESS	BOBBY HICKS			8.4	0	8.40
89	53	198		STEVE BEAN	ELVIN HELTON			7.88	0	7.88
90	227	24		CHANCEY HATFIELD	CHRIS STUMP			7.74	0	7.74
91	243	8		DERRICK BLAKE				7.57	0	7.57
92	124	127	X	RAY LANE	RON BAILEY			7.02	0	7.02
93	90	161		JASON RILEY	JONAS RILEY			1.96	5.05	7.01
94	37	214		RICK WEBSTER	SCOTT SEXTON			6.53	0	6.53
95	79	172		ULYESS CHAPMAN	RUSTY CHAPMAN			6.51	0	6.51
96	70	181		JEFF HOWARD	PETE KING			6.33	0	6.33
97	150	101		DANNY WHALEY	WAYNE HAPPNEY			6.27	0	6.27
98	138	113	X	TROY OSBORNE	BRAD FORSEE			6.27	0	6.27
99	204	47		JIM EDMONDS	GREG VINSANT			6.18	0	6.18
100	11	240		MARK SHAFFER	MARTY STEWART			6.18	0	6.18
101	24	227		LARRY GRIFFITH	JEFF WALKER			6.17	0	6.17
102	55	196		JEREMY OSBORNE	JASON OSBORNE			6.13	0	6.13
103	50	201		DAVID FIELDS	BRAD VINEYARD			5.9	0	5.90
104	88	163	X	RICK DICKERSON	MICHAEL CANTRELL			5.73	0	5.73
105	31	220	X	JAMES GOBLE	DALTON GOBLE			5.47	0	5.47
106	46	205		ROBBY ISAACS	TANDA ISAACS			5.45	0	5.45
107	1	250		RALPH CHESTNUT JR	JOSH DYKES			2.1	3.3	5.40
108	246	5		BRIAN STACY	RONALD STACY			5.19	0	5.19
109	171	80		CHARLIE RATLIFF	PATRICK TRUJILLO			5.1	0	5.10
110	198	53	X	WILLIE COLLINS				4.42	0	4.42
111	200	51		JASON STURGILL	JESSEE ROBERTS			0	4.38	4.38
112	178	73		SHAWN BISHOP	TODD PIPPIN			4.3	0	4.30
113	30	221		STEPHEN WRIGHT	STEPHEN FOSTER			4.28	0	4.28
114	215	36		WAYNE ROACH	SCOTTY ROACH			4.23	0	4.23
115	135	116	X	MARTELL BIBLE	MATTHEW BIBLE			4.21	0	4.21
116	103	148		CHRIS SEXTON	STEVEN SEXTON			4.18	0	4.18
117	49	202		SCOTT WINCHESTER	MIKE CLINE			4.15	0	4.15
118	173	78		TIM DAVIS	FRANK DAVIS			4.01	0	4.01
119	15	236		RANDY WATTS	KEVIN HARRIS			3.97	0	3.97
120	250	1	X	RONNIE CAREY	JASON CAREY			3.77	0	3.77
121	130	121		BOBBY FERGUSON	CHARLIE MCCONNELL			3.76	0	3.76
122	72	179	X	GARY WARD	JIM HAGY			3.64	0	3.64
123	80	171		DAVID SMITH	H L PARTIN			3.48	0	3.48
124	61	190		DIRK DANIEL	JOHNNY BROWN JR			3.3	0	3.30
125	242	9		JEFF LAW	RALPH TILLER			3.17	0	3.17
126	247	4	X	JASON PHILLIPS	RUSTY DAVIDSON			3.09	0	3.09
127	59	192		DUSTIN ELDRIDGE	JONATHAN MIRACLE			3.07	0	3.07
128	32	219		TOD COX	JEFF POWELL			3.04	0	3.04
129	163	88		GEORGE LAKINS	ROGER TRENT			2.89	0	2.89
130	48	203		JOHN GILLEY	JOHN SANCHEZ			2.84	0	2.84
131	41	210		RICK HOLMES	BUFORD FRAZIER			2.73	0	2.73
132	68	183		EDDIE MICKEY	CHRIS GULLEY			2.57	0	2.57
133	235	16	X	JIM BYINGTON	ALLEN WHITE			2.54	0	2.54
134	115	136		DEAN ILES	BOBBY CARDWELL			2.23	0	2.23
135	239	12		JIM MIRACLE	IKE RHODES			0	0	0.00
136	234	17		TIM MIDDLETON	TIM MIDDLETON JR			0	0	0.00
137	221	30		ALLEN ERWIN	DARRYL ELLIOTT			0	0	0.00
138	218	33		JUSTIN MAYES	FREDDIE MAYES			0	0	0.00
139	211	40		SUNNY DEFOE				0	0	0.00
140	210	41		RON COX	SHEA COX			0	0	0.00
141	201	50		BOB GAMBLE				0	0	0.00
142	194	57		EDWARD GETTY	JEFF JOHNSON			0	0	0.00
143	184	67		MARK MAULDIN	LEE MONDAY			0	0	0.00
144	182	69		JEREMY JONES	ALLEN JONES			0	0	0.00
145	181	70		LARRY DARDEN				0	0	0.00
146	180	71		JEFFERY MELTON	DOYLE BIBBINS			0	0	0.00
147	177	74		BRANDON STANLEY	BRIAN PIERCE			0	0	0.00
148	174	77		WALTER SORIANO	ROGER PHILLLIPS			0	0	0.00
149	172	79		RICK HOWINGTON				0	0	0.00
150	154	97		WAYNE CUPP	KEITH HARMON			0	0	0.00
151	152	99		KEN VICCHIO	GREG MCDAVID			0	0	0.00
152	76	175	X	BILL JENKINS	JAMES ARNETTE			0	0	0.00
153	43	208		JERRY ARNWINE	MIKE PETTY			0	0	0.00
154	42	209		HERMILO SALGADO	JOSE SALGADO			0	0	0.00
155	35	216		DANNY GARBER	DAVID SOLOMON			0	0	0.00
156	34	217		SAM COMBS	TAYLER DAVIS			0	0	0.00
157	19	232		DUSTIN BUCKNER	JAY FAULKNER			0	0	0.00
158	18	233	X	TODD DUFF	JOE DUFF			0	0	0.00
159	16	235	X	EDDIE BARNES	MARK COLLINS			0	0	0.00
160	13	238		MIKE BOGGS	JAMES BOGGS			0	0	0.00
161	8	243	X	GARY MATHES	BRUCE CLEVENGER			0	0	0.00
162	6	245		MIKE TAYLOR	MLLEY TAYLOR			0	0	0.00

by AnglersChannel

Rojas Retakes Lead As Elite Anglers Head Into Final Day On Sabine River!

Teaser image:

1	Dean Rojas	5	15-10	5	10-14	5	11-14	15	38- 6
2	Todd Faircloth	5	10- 7	5	16- 8	4	7-14	14	34-13
3	Ishama Monroe	5	11- 3	5	10- 9	5	9-15	15	31-11
4	Terry Scroggins	3	9-11	5	14-10	3	7- 1	11	31- 6
5	Jeff Kriet	5	10-13	5	10- 9	5	9- 0	15	30- 6

Rojas retakes lead on the Sabine. photo courtesy B.A.S.S.

Dean Rojas retook the lead in the Bassmaster Elite Series Sabine River Challenge from Todd Faircloth who had assumed control yesterday. Faircloth has a 3-day total weight of 34 pounds, 13 ounces and for the first time this week came in a fish short of a limit. Rojas (38-6 total) is one of only 6 anglers to catch a limit each of the three tournament days.

Ish Monroe is throwing big baits and still, half of his fish are shorts. 30-to-35 bites per day yield about 15 keepers per day. As mpreviously mentioned, 94 of 100 pros have not caught 15 keepers this week.

Ish’s list of lures includes the Missile Baits D Bomb, an upgrade from the Missile Craw he was using earlier this week. He said the D Bomb produces bigger fish. Apparently it has. Ish’s penchant for catching bigger bass has put him in 3^rd place heading into the final round of competition with a total weight of 31-11.

‘Big Show’ Terry Scroggins has taken a different path to the top. While the rest of the top several contestants have pretty much brought limits each day, Big Show has brought bigger fish, even though he has left 4 swimming over the course of the tournament. His 11 bass weigh 31-6, nearly a 3-pound average. Had he caught 5 each day he would be leading this thing by a bunch.

Small limits are worth big bucks this week.

Jeff Kriet has quietly brought his 5 fish each day. His total weight of 30-6 puts him in 5^th.

That’s the pretty picture. For the rest of the field, how tough has it been?

Rick Morris caught a 5-fish limit. It took him 3 days to do it. He weighed only 3 fish the first two days and made the 50 cut.

That has to be a record.

Today he added 2 more to give him a grand total of 5 keepers on three days. As is Scroggins, Morris was on the right size fish, better than a 3-pound average. His 17-7 aggregate was good for 31^st place and $10,000.

Billy McCaghren made the 50 cut with a two-day total weight of only 10 pounds. That is an official Bassmaster Elite Series record for lowest weight ever to cut a paycheck. He caught 5 total keepers the first two days. He matched that with a limit today. That jumped him up 25 spots in the standings.

Takahiro Omori made the top 20 with a zero on his scorecard (from day 1).

Dennis Tietje actually made the 12 cut with a 1-fish showing on the first day.

Small bass aren’t the only ineligible fish eating the pros lures this week. Saltwater species abound. “I caught fish that I don’t even know what they were,” said Elite Series rookie James Elam.

Fish, gators, and snakes aren’t the only wildlife encountered by the pros.

On day 2 Brandon Card compared his 20-acre backwater to the movie ‘Deliverance’. Said he’s passing a bunch of weird houses with weird people walking around. Dave Mercer teased on stage yesterday, “If you start hearing banjos, get out of there!” Today Card an update, “You know that spot I was talking about? I kid you not, banjos were playing this morning. If I’m lying I’m dying.”

Card is running 73 miles one way to his deserted fishing hole. By comparison to many pros this week, he’s fishing close.

Mike McClelland said that if he makes the cut and fishes tomorrow he will have logged over 1,000 miles in his boat this week. He made the cut.

by AnglersChannel

Patrick Pierce Shows The G Force Trolling Motor Cable!

Star Tron Pro Patrick Pierce shows us the NEW G Force trolling motor cable from T&H Marine. There's a good reason you're starting to see this on all of the pros' rigs. Pat explains.

by AnglersChannel

Sabine River Challenge Continues To Challenge Elite Anglers

Teaser image:

PLACE	NAME	DAY 1		DAY 2		TOTAL FISH	TOTAL WEIGHT
PLACE	NAME	FISH	WEIGHT	FISH	WEIGHT	TOTAL FISH	TOTAL WEIGHT
1	Todd Faircloth	5	10- 7	5	16- 8	10	26-15
2	Dean Rojas	5	15-10	5	10-14	10	26- 8
3	Cliff Crochet	5	13- 0	5	12- 0	10	25- 0
4	Terry Scroggins	3	9-11	5	14-10	8	24- 5
5	Mark Davis	5	13-13	4	8- 6	9	22- 3

Ike ended up high and dry. photo by B.A.S.S.

Todd Faircloth took the lead at the Bassmaster Elite Series event on the Sabine River which straddles the Texas/Louisiana border. He brought 16-8, the day’s biggest bag, and ran his total to 26-15.

Day 1 leader, Dean Rojas is less than a half-pound behind with 26-8.

Cliff Crochet, Terry Scroggins and Mark Davis are 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th.

Alton Jones is catching bass. He’s even catching keepers. He’s solved two pieces of the puzzle but he’s still dealing with one problem that concerned most anglers – crowding. “There have been 6 limits out of that spot,” said Jones of prime area.

The Sabine River was stingy again but a win is a win and the winner will still make $100,000 and gain a lead in the angler of the Year Race.

Half the field will, at least, take home ten-grand. “When you catch one that’s a pound and 10 ounces and you know it’s a $10,000 fish, you get pretty jacked,” said Garry Klein.

Klein missed the cut but Kelly Jordon bounded into the cut with a 13-15 limit that made up for a 3-pound day 1. “It’s all about decisions, where you go, being in the right place at the right time. I got fortunate,” concluded Jordon.

Talk about being in the right place at the right time (and knowing it). Chris Lane called his shot. “I told the camera boat ‘y’all are gonna leave and I’m gonna catch a 2-pounder out of that mat and y’all are going to miss it’.” The camera crew stayed to watch Lane make one more flip. He caught a 2-pounder. On cue. Some guys couldn’t catch a 2-pounder all week.

Long runs are part of the story this week. “I’m averaging 1 fish for every 41 gallons of gas,” quipped Gerald Swindle.

Jeremy Starks – “I ran 175 miles one-way to Morgan City, Louisiana to catch one fish that weighs 1 pound, 1 ounce.”

Considering that Starks blanked yesterday, that one fish was worth valuable points. Without it he would have gone the way of Jami Fralick, Matt Greenblatt and Kelley Jaye, who all leave Orange TX with no points as they did not weigh a single keeper.

Brandon Card said of his 73 mile run – “It’s like Deliverance. I’m Passing all these weird houses; weird people walking around.” Apparently he passed the right houses. Card is squarely inside the cut at 13^th.

Mike Iaconelli wishes he had passed more weird houses. Instead, he lost control of his boat and parked it high and dry on a thicket of shoreline trees. No one was hurt in the accident.

by AnglersChannel

Brian Morgan And Dale Surrett Bag Almost 16 Lbs In The Carolina Coach And Marine Monday Nighter-Full Results And Points Here!

Teaser image:

Here are your updated points and results from this past Monday Night Carolina Coach and Marine Tournament out at Lake Norman.

Brian Morgan and Dale Surrett hold up their winning Stringer Mon Night

by AnglersChannel

Long Runs, Little Fish And Dean Rojas Dominate Day 1 Of Elite Series Tourney On Sabine River

Teaser image:

Your Top 5:

1 Dean Rojas 15-10

2 Mark Davis 13-13

3 Cliff Crochet 3- 0

4 Hank Cherry 12-11

5 Greg Hackney 11-13

Rojas leads - photo courtesy B.A.S.S./Seigo Saito

“I’ve fished a lot of tough places in my day,” said Mike Iaconelli. “This one takes the cake.”

On the other hand, James Niggemeyer had fish jumping into his boat. Literally. He thinks it had something to do with the Strike King Sexy Shad wrap on his boat. The fish was only 10 inches long, but under B.A.S.S. rules Niggemeyer would have to throw the fish back even if it had been a keeper.

Anglers expected the Sabine River would be tough on them from a fishing standpoint, but the long runs required to find quality fish took heavy tolls on outboard motors as well.

Local favorite Dennis Tietje had problems 20 miles from the takeoff point. The service crew got him back on track. But he lost more than 3 hours of precious fishing time. He had one fish that weighed 2 pounds, 14 ounces.

Chad Pipkens “got to go swimming today” when he had mechanical issues.

John Murray lost his lower unit . . . 100 miles away.

Hank Cherry continues to ride the momentum that pushed him to a high finish at the recent Classic. “I’m picking up a big jig and throwing it at everything I can throw it at. No rhyme or reason, sometimes you set the hook and the fish goes flying over the boat. Sometimes it’s a good fish.”

Kenyon Hill only caught 1 keeper but it was the right one – 4 pounds, 1 ounce. He actually caught more fish today than he has in practice, but only the biggest one would measure.

One lonely keeper is a very valuable commodity this week. “If these guys don’t weigh a fish, they don’t get any points at all,” noted tournament director Tripp Weldon. “We’ll have some guys come in with no fish and they’ll be in a deep hole when it comes to qualifying for the Classic.”

A bunch of guys simply accumulated valuable points today. Thirteen did not. That’s 13% of the most competitive anglers in the world that failed to catch a 14-inch bass today on the Sabine River.

“I’ve about lost my voice from screaming after I caught my first 14-incher today,” said Jason Williamson.

“When that 5^th one came over and into the boat I never made another cast,” said Alton Jones. “I didn’t know if I had enough gas to get back.” Like most of the field, Jones is making a long run and catching a lot of “weekers”- “that means in another week they would be keepers,” explained Jones.

Dean Rojas was all smiles – “What a feeling. I really didn’t think I was going to catch them that well. I just went running 75 miles down the Intracoastal, burning some gas, catching some bass.”

Rojas caught enough of the right bass to take the lead with 15-10, including the big bass on the day, a 5pound, 15 ounce specimen that qualifies as an absolute monster on the Sabine.

Keith Combs made an 83 mile run to fish for an hour without catching anything; he caught all of his fish (3 that weighed 6-15) 10 miles away on the return trip.

Paul Elias did the math and figured that his single 3 pound, 11 ounce fish cost him “50-miles-to-the-pound.”

Brandon Palaniuk (3-1 today) also did some division. “I think that is the most expensive 2 bass I have ever caught in my life. I spent $150 in gas to catch those two fish. Tomorrow I may drop the trolling motor and stay close and see what happens.”

Fish management is critical – Brandon Card caught 6 and left his spot – “I think 5 fish a day will go a long way here this week.”

Then again, saving fish may not help as much as it otherwise would in this here-today-gone-tomorrow fishery. “It’s a day-to-day deal here,” said Greg Hackney. He had an 11-13 limit. “I’m really proud to have that today.”

Some guys, for instance, Kelly Jordon made a long run to find their water “blown out” by wind which can stir shallow, muck-bottomed bayous.

Kevin VanDam and Terry Scroggins both mentioned muddy water due to recent south winds and tidal influx. Scroggins had a slightly better time in the muddy water, 3 fish for 9-11 vs. VanDam’s 3 for 8-2.

Even without 5-fish limits, Scroggins is 12^th, VanDam 19^th. Additionally, Fred Roumbanis is 14^th without a limit (3 fish, 9-5) and Bernie Schultz is 20^th with 4 bass that weigh 8-1. Otherwise, a small limit was golden today as everyone who caught 5 fish (16 anglers) is in the top 20.

Cliff Crochet (currently 3^rd) excited the locals when he put 13 pounds on the scale. Heck, Crochet was just happy to speak in front of a crowd that could understand his Cajun accent.

by AnglersChannel

More Great Boat-Rigging Tips From Star Tron Pro Pat Pierce!

In this, Part 2, of our look at a tournament-ready rig Patrick Pierce show us around the battery compartment of the Star Tron Triton. You will be surprised at the technology that powers his rig!

by AnglersChannel

Challenge, Commit, Survive All Key Words For Elite Series Pros At Sabine River This Week

Stop #2 of the 2013 Bassmaster Elite Series will be an absolute big bass slug fest on Falcon Lake.

But that will have to wait another week. Right now the Elite Series pros have resigned themselves to the grind that will greet them as the 2013 season gets underway on the Sabine River which straddles the Texas/Louisiana border below Toledo Bend Lake.

How tough is it? “Abnormally tough,” said James Niggemeyer. “I’m going into my 7^th year of doing this and this week has been the toughest practice I’ve ever had.

“You can catch quite a few but catching 14-inchers (the minimum length limit this week) is a challenge. That’s the best word I can use to sum it up – ‘challenge’. Practice was challenging. I looked at a lot of different water and it looked the same everywhere I went.”

In addition to ‘challenge’ a key word this week will be ‘commitment’. Given the spread out nature of the waterway, anglers will not have time to change locations frequently. As is usually the case on delta fisheries, pre-tournament decisions will play a huge roll.

“I’m making a decent run, putting my head down and putting all my eggs in one basket,” affirmed Niggemeyer.

As for lure selection, it is simple this week. Pitching plastics and slinging a spinnerbait are the best tactics on this tidewater playing field. Niggemeyer will flip a Strike King Rodent and toss a Â¼-oz. Strike King spinnerbait.

After the practice rounds Greg Vinson is “Certainly not comfortable. It’s tough to get a keeper. I talked to a lot of guys and if most of them are being honest 1-to-3 per day is all they’re catching. There are a lot of 12-inch fish.”

In faraway places most anglers hang their proverbial hats on something that reminds them of home. Vinson has found that, but it’s little consolation. “This place is a lot like the Mobile/Tensaw Delta. It’s similar in size and fishes similarly, but down there in Mobile we can keep 12-inch fish in a tournament.”

Vinson will make a big decision in the morning. “I’m split between 2 areas; still not sure where to go. It’s hard to put a lot of stock in either one.” One area offers quality but it would be hard to scratch out a limit. The other offers a solid chance to catch a small limit but nothing more. Vinson realistically hopes to get 3 or 4 bites per day. He adds another key word to our lexicon this week: ‘survive’. “I’m really trying to - what’s the word - survive this one. It would be very easy to zero 2 days in a row here. You don’t want to mess around and put yourself out of contention for the Classic.”

Saltwater intrusion from hurricanes killed many of the Sabine’s bass and those fish grow slowly as it is so recovery slow in coming. “You can see the results of the state’s stocking efforts but we need a couple more years. Those fish are all 12-inches or less,” noted Vinson. “The winner is going to have a little area that has a few quality fish. And right now, to me, a quality fish is anything over 2 pounds.”

by AnglersChannel

Catt Old North Results & Catt Classic Kerr Info

2013 CATT Classic is on Kerr Lake May 18-19. To be eligible to enter the CATT Classic you and your partner ONLY have to enter 1 CATT even which includes teams from 2012 and 2013. A team can still qualify by fishing 1 of the Spring CATT events before May 18. The complete list of eligible teams is on the home page of the CATT site. 1^st Place at the Classic will be $10,000 to $12,000.

Jeremy Sabo and Dale Campo took 1^st Place Saturday at Shearon Harris with 5 bass weighing up at 25.14 lbs. They also took home the 1st Place BONUS $. All total they collected $1,265.00!

Billy West and Tracy Sykes claimed 2^nd Place with another limit weighing 22.78 lbs and they took the 2^nd Place BONUS $. They took home $640.00.

3^rd went to Jamie Fajardo and Josh Hooks with 5 bass weighing 21 lbs even. They weighed in a 9 pounder which took 2^nd BF. They earned a total of $402.00.

Chad Craven and Ben Cannon weighed in 19.69 lbs and took 4^th Place. They claimed $175.00.

Dennis Reedy and Jeffery Thomas brought in a limit weighing 17.39 lbs and they collected $120.00.

Steve Bishop and Robin Bowen took the last money spot with 5 bass weighing 15.25 lbs. They received $100.00.

Tony Woodard and Scott Smith brought in a 9.04 lb bass and took home $238.00 for 1^st BF.

Next Old North Qualifier is this Sunday March 17^th at Shearon Harris.

Brett Collins

Carolina Anglers Team Trail LLC

by AnglersChannel

Swindle Speaks About Using Non-Sponsor Products

You knew they did it. And you were right! Pros sometimes use products made by companies that don't sponsor them. Sometimes they even use lures manufactured by a direct competitor. Gerald Swindle explains:

by AnglersChannel

Hite Hoping His 'delta Magic' Continues In Elite Series Opener On Sabine River

On the first day of the 1999 Bassmaster Classic on the Louisiana Delta, Davy Hite discovered the fish had changed in the spot he had located during practice, but he did not panic.

“I had to figure those fish out and it all worked out,” said Hite who won that Classic, weighing in a total of more than 55 pounds of bass, just a fraction of an ounce under 10 pounds ahead of his nearest competitor.

The long-time pro from Ninety Six, S.C., is hoping that experience will serve him well in the Bassmaster Elite Series season opener, the Sabine River Challenge, along the Texas-Louisiana border this week.

“We've never been here. I don't know of any of the Elite anglers who ever fished a tournament here, so we don't know what to expect,” he said. “But I like my chances on a delta like this because I have had some success on bodies of water like this.”

The water around Orange, Texas, he noted, is a delta, with a lot of shallow water, cuts, rivers and canals running through it.

“I've been successful in canals and shallow water, flipping and cranking, so this area kind of plays to my strengths. I am excited about getting the new year started on a new place and excited about going to try to pattern these fish,” he said.

He's also excited about a new lure that he plans to use extensively this week, the Rapala Scatter Rap,which features a balsa body with a curved or 'Scatter Lip' that, according to Rapala, “creates the most evasive, erratic, aggressive sweeping action ever seen.”

“It's got a different action than any other crankbait I've ever seen,” Hite said. “Instead of coming straight back to you on a retrieve, it darts to the left and right like a baitfish being chased. I think it is going to change shallow water cranking.”

Several factors could weigh heavily in the tournament this week, Elite anglers say. Most expect the spawn to be on, so a lot of fish could be caught. But the size limit is 14 inches minimum,, so that could make it tough to get a quality limit.

“From the research I've done it doesn't appear that a lot of big largemouths are caught here, so I don't think the weights will be very high,” Hite said.

Whatever the outcome, however, Hite said he had already enjoyed being down on the delta this week.

“We've met some very hospitable people here who have been very good to us,” he said. “A couple of guys went and caught some redfish and flounder and Kevin VanDam is filleting them, and we are boiling up some crawfish so we are going to have a good time.”

Bassmaster Elite Series Sabine River Challenge

Mar 14-17, 2013

Sabine River - near Orange, TX

City of Orange Boat Ramp

www.bassmaster.com

by AnglersChannel

Carver Hoping For A Bass Fishing Feast In Bulldog Bfl On Seminole Saturday

Kim Carver of Milledgeville, GA. Photo courtesy FLW Outdoors

For veteran bass angler Kim Carver of Milledgeville, Ga., fishing on Lake Seminole is either feast or famine.

“There is not an in between for me on Lake Seminole,” he said. “It's either good or bad.”

His history on the lake bears him out. He has finished as high as 2nd in the 2010 BFL Regional and 7th in the 2005 Bassmaster Series on the lake – and he has finished well out of the money on many other occasions.

Carver is hoping Saturday will be one of the good ones for him on Lake Seminole in the Walmart Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division's second tournament of the season. He finished 5^th in the season opener on Lake Lanier last month, winning $996 plus a $300 Evinrude bonus with a five-fish limit that weighed 15 pounds, 6 ounces.

“We will be on a new moon this weekend, so I think there will be a lot of spawning fish. The advantage for me will be that the lake is muddy and nobody can see them.”

Carver said recent heavy rains have muddied the lake, but the bass will still move up on the sandbars in the mouths of major creeks like Spring Creek to begin spawning.

“You should be able to catch a lot of fish on spinnerbaits,” he said. “Two years ago they were blind fishing in the Bassmaster Classic on the Louisiana Delta. When one would hit it they would have to make multiple casts before he would hit it again. That is probably what will be going on this week on Seminole.”

Carver said he did not practice on Seminole over the weekend because the weather is changing and the fish will change with the weather.

“When the water warms the fish can change drastically. I felt like going down there over the weekend would have been a waste of time because the fish are going to be moving so much with this warm weather.”

Carver, who has been fishing tournaments on a regular basis for more than three decades, predicted it will probably take over 25 pounds to win the BFL on Lake Seminole Saturday.

“It will probably take 15 pounds just to make a check. Fishing is going to be that good.”

Carver burst onto the B.A.S.S. scene with top 10 finishes on Lake Okeechobee and Lake Eufaula in 1980 and 1982, won the 1984 St. John's Invitational on the St. John's River and qualified for the 1985 Bassmaster Classic on the Arkansas River where he earned a very respectable 11^th place finish for a Classic rookie.

Since then he has fished B.A.S.S. and FLW tournaments and spent a lot of time locally in BFL tournaments.

“I got to where I had to go to work for a living,” said Carver who owns multiple businesses.”When you get children you kind of change your attitude about what you can go. I've taken the money I won over the years and invested it, trying to make something for my children.

He claims a granddaughter and nephew as his own and said his own two sons will be with him at Lake Seminole this weekend, one fishing as a boater and one as a no-boater.

“Fishing kept me out of trouble growing up , so I had to keep them out of trouble too,” he said with a chuckle. “My daddy always kept us in the woods no matter what. If we were not running dogs we were at the lake fishing.”

Walmart Bass Fishing League - Bulldog Division

Sat, Mar 16, 2013

Lake Seminole

Bainbridge Boat Basin

www.flwoutdoors.com

by AnglersChannel

Denver Marine Cancels Spring Trail, Promotes Monster Bass Thursday Night Trail

The Denver Marine Monster Bass Invitational Spring Trail was canceled as of Tuesday morning when the tournament director left to pursue other interests.

“It's just one of those things,” said Danny McCall at Denver Marine. “We don't have time to get a new director for the spring trail. I hate it – I had a lot of time and money tied up in it, but I have to do what I have to do at this point.”

The spring trail cancellation will also cause a change in the prize package for Denver Marine's 2013 Monster Bass Thursday Night Trail on Lake Norman, McCall said, because both trails were going to fish for a new Ranger Boat.

“Now it's just cash prizes. Most guys would rather have the money than fish for a boat, anyway,” he said.

“We will continue the Lake Norman Thursday Night Trail with the second tournament this Thursday, March 14. We hold these tournaments the first three Thursday's of each month and we are off the last Thursday of the month. Then we have double points for the first Thursday tournament each month.”

The Thursday night tournaments will be held out of Midway Marine from 6:30 to 11 p.m. from March through September. The two lowest scores during the season will be dropped. The championship will be held Oct. 12-13.

For questions about the Thursday night trail, call Harley at 704-483-2628.

Denver Marine Monster Bass Thursday Night Trail

Thurs., Mar 14, 2013

Lake Norman

Midway Marina

www.denverrecreationalmarine.com

Call 704-483-2628 for more information

by AnglersChannel

New Bassmaster Elite Series Season Begins This Week In Orange, Texas

Photo courtesy BASS Communications

When asked if he had ever competed on the Sabine River, site of the March 14-17 Bassmaster Elite Series season opener, Elite Series pro Dennis Tietje chuckled.

“Only for about 30 years,” he replied.

He’s in the minority because the Elite Series has never had an event on the Sabine. Most of the 100 competitors don’t know what to expect in this week’s Sabine River Challenge presented by STARK Cultural Venues out of Orange, Texas.

That means Tietje has been getting a lot of phone calls from his fellow Elite Series pros angling for his secrets.

“Sure, they call — but I don’t tell them anything,” he said, the smile still in his voice.

Tietje would be wise not to surrender any advantage. An Elite Series first prize is $100,000, an instant qualification for the 2014 Bassmaster Classic and the early lead in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year season-long points race.

Tietje already seems to have Lady Luck working for him. He just returned to the Elite Series after a medical leave in 2012 for spinal surgery, and where is the first event of the season? Where he cut his competitive teeth.

“I was totally shocked when I first heard the Elite Series was coming here. I never dreamed I would compete at the Elite level where I learned to fish,” Tietje said.

He lives in Roanoke, La., about 60 miles east of Orange. That’s given him many opportunities over the years to enter a number of small, local tournaments on the Sabine, which forms the southeasterly Texas-Louisiana border. No big tournaments, he’s quick to point out. To his knowledge, the Elite event is the largest organized tournament to come to Orange.

That fact has a lot to do with why Todd Faircloth has never competed on the Sabine River, even though he lives just 90 miles away in Jasper, Texas. He’s usually at work on the water far from home.

Ditto for Alabama’s Keith Poche, although some might assume he knows the Sabine because he is a native of central Louisiana. Growing up, he spent a lot of time on small waters near where he lived in Natchitoches, but he never fished the Sabine, he said.

To help close up the holes in their knowledge of the Sabine, Faircloth and Poche scouted the river system before the Feb. 11, 2013, cutoff. (After that date, all Elite competitors were barred from tournament waters until the official March 11-13 practice period.)

On his scouting trip, Poche said he was reminded of Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin fishery.

“It’s a lot like Atchafalaya, but I think it’s going to fish differently,” said Poche, who now lives in Alabama. “The largemouth size limit for the Sabine event is 14 inches, and that’s going to make it tough on a lot of guys to get a limit. And I don’t think we’re going to be catching a lot of 4s and 5s.”

He, Faircloth and Tietje described an area south of Orange, off the main Sabine River, where huge spreads of backwaters, bayous and feeder rivers and creeks in both Texas and Louisiana hold black bass. The Neches, Calcasieu and other rivers are fertile fishing grounds. The Intracoastal Waterway connects some of the waters. North of Orange, anglers will find more of a traditional river, but some of the same types of backwaters.

The size of the tournament waters means an angler’s morning choice about where to find fish will likely be the only choice of the day.

“In the backwaters, it’s like a maze, so many canals and cuts. You really have to pick an area and go with it,” Poche said. “There’s so much water, you can’t run from area to area.”

Especially in the river system’s lower reaches, the tides will play a big role, Poche said.

“You have to catch that water moving,” he said. “The tides will position those fish. It’ll be all timing — and getting the right bites [by larger bass] because there are a lot of smaller fish there.”

Faircloth made time to scout the Sabine River, even though he was prepping for the Feb. 22-24 Bassmaster Classic on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake, where he finished ninth, a heroic recovery from Day 2 in 21st place and a jumpstart mentally for his Elite season.

“I’ve been there for trout and redfish, but I’ve never bass fished down there, so I spent four or five days there just riding around,” he said of the Sabine fishery. “There’s so much water that’s accessible, so much to look at, I wanted to get at least a feel for it.”

He predicts that the majority of the tournament’s catches will come from the backwaters, and the spawn will play somewhat of a role.

“I think there definitely will be fish in all stages of the spawn. I don’t think they’ll be too far from where they live in summertime — around moving water. But moving water won’t play as big a role as it would in summertime,” Faircloth said.

Tietje also scouted the river before cutoff, just to brush up. His main challenge is to fight off “fishing the past,” a syndrome that can trip up any local favorite who can’t resist returning to once-lucrative spots, even though conditions are nagging at the angler to try something else.

Predicting a winning Elite Series weight is difficult, Tietje said.

“There’s not as many big fish as there was before the hurricanes, but we’re going to catch fish,” Tietje said. “Mother Nature has a way of bringing a fishery back real fast, and with the restocking programs, there’s a lot of fish, and anglers are going to catch a lot of fish.”

That said, the Elite field needs to get used to seeing the number 13 on measuring sticks.

“There are tons of bass, but many haven’t made it to 14 inches yet,” Tietje said. “You might have an angler catch 50 or 60 fish — and one keeper. But if the weather’s right, we’ll have a lot of limits. That’s the main thing: Mother Nature will dictate the tournament’s outcome, depending on rainfall, wind and temperatures the week of the tournament. None of us will know until the tournament starts.”

Because one of his sponsors, Gopher Industrial, is located in Orange, Tietje has driven through the town often lately.

“It’s unbelievable what the community is doing to make sure this tournament is memorable for anglers, their families and fans. They really want people to know what Orange is about. They even had boats out picking up trash on the river and people cleaning up along the shorelines. That was neat for me to see that. The whole community is excited about the Elite event coming to Orange.”

Bassmaster.com will provide extensive coverage of the tournament each day. On site, fans are invited to watch the Thursday-Sunday 7 a.m. launches and 3:15 p.m. weigh-ins at the City of Orange Boat Ramp, 1000 Simmons Drive and Harry Reed Road, Orange, TX 77630. A full schedule is posted on Bassmaster.com.

There’s no admission charge for any Bassmaster event, and access to Bassmaster.com is free.

The event’s title sponsor is STARK Cultural Venues, www.starkculutralvenues.org. Other local sponsors include Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce, www.orangetexaschamber.org; and the City of Orange, www.orangetexas.net.

2013 Bassmaster Elite Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha

2013 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Carhartt, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Luck “E” Strike, Power-Pole, Ramada, Shimano

2013 Bassmaster Elite Series Proud Partner: Mustang Survival

About B.A.S.S.

For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and an expansive tournament structure while connecting directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.

The Bassmaster brand and its multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications — Bassmaster Magazine and B.A.S.S. Times — comprehensive website Bassmaster.com and ESPN2 and Outdoor Channel television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series, B.A.S.S. Nation events and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.

B.A.S.S. offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members and remains focused on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala.

by AnglersChannel

Cbs Quality Cars Hyco Lake Open Tournament Results - Mar 9, 2013

Tony Fox and Wayne Sheppard hauled in 5 bass weighing 21.03 to win!

What a great day for the inaugural CBS Quality Cars Hyco Lake Open! It was a little chilly in the morning but as the day went on the wind died down and it got up to about 60 degrees and was nice and sunny!

We had 42 teams fishing in the tournament. The winning team of Tony Fox and Wayne Sheppard had 5 bass that weighed 21.03 lbs. That was worth $1,000. Then they had the big bass of the tournament which weighed 6.64 lbs., worth $294. They also won the Tournament Within a Tournament worth $473. Then they collected the $1,000 1st place bonus provided by Steve Smith, owner of CBS Quality Cars. All in all, they took home $2,767 !!!

All the participants were treated to hot dogs, chips and drinks, along with many gifts from CBS Quality Cars. Below are the list of the top winners:

1st: Tony Fox & Wayne Sheppard of Timberlake & Prospect Hill...5 bass...21.03 lbs...$1,000

2nd: Jimmy & James Wall of Greensboro...5 bass...19.59 lbs...$550

3rd: Alan Haigh & Doug Washburn of Prospect Hill & Chapel Hill...4 bass...16.56 lbs...$440

4th: Dale Martin & Brian Owens of Stokesdale...5 bass...10.91 lbs...$347

5th: Nathan Talley & Brent Davis of Prospect Hill & Burlington...4 bass...10.39 lbs...$283

6th: George Crabtree & Thomas Glosson of Bahama & Rougemont...5 bass...10.28 lbs...$220

7th: David Gentry & Clint Dixon of Timberlake...4 bass...9.92 lbs...$190

8th: Doug Johnson & Tim Hubler of Raleigh...4 bass...9.58 lbs...$160

1st Big Fish: 1st Place Team above: 6.64 lbs...$294

2nd Big Fish: Tommy Bugg & Ahargh Faircloth of Trinity & Thomasville: 5.76 lbs...$126

1st TWT: 1st Place Team above: 21.03 lbs...$473

2nd TWT: 2nd Place Team above: 19.59 lbs...$203

Our next Piedmont Bass Classics event is the CBS Quality Cars Mini Trail Qualifier #2 at Jordan Lake, this coming Saturday, March 16th.

http://www.piedmontbassclassics.com/2013CBSMiniTrailMainPage.html

All the information on this and all of our great tournaments can be found at: www.piedmontbassclassics.com

Phil McCarson ... Tournament Director 919-471-1571 or 919-971-5042 email: philsflags@msn.com web: www.piedmontbassclassics.com

by AnglersChannel

What Does A Tournament-Ready Rig Look Like These Days?

So you think YOUR rig is tourney ready? Patrick Pierce shows us what makes his Star Tron Triton capable of handling the rigors of Bassmaster Opens competition and PAA Tour tourneys across the country. And this is just Part 1- the battery compartment required an entire video segment of its own, coming soon!

by AnglersChannel

Good Start On The Bassmaster Weekend Series

The First stop for my 2013 season was on my home waters of Lake Murray. Living on the lake has allowed me to put in a good amount of time pre-fishing. I spent many weeks out deep fishing a drop shot and a jerkbait, typical winter patterns, with absolutely nothing to show for. Once again, a herring lake throws me another curve ball that doesn’t make sense. Some of the guys at work were telling me that they were catching good quality fish shallow off of floating docks using small crank baits.

I finally made the move to the bank and started fishing the coves with floating docks. It didn’t take long for the bites to start coming once I figured out the right coves to target. So much in fact that I could start calling my shots. That’s when fishing can be really fun. I was consistently catching between 16-18lbs every time out.

To start things out I was the last boat out on Saturday. So I took my time getting the boat in the water because of the drizzling cold conditions. I didn’t start backing the boat down the ramp until boat one was called for launch.

With the rain starting to come down, my co-angler and I both prayed for the rain to hold off for the remainder of day because we were both unprepared wearing tennis shoes instead of boots.

My weapons of choice were a Berkley Flicker Shad and a Rapala Shad Rap. I was throwing both crankbaits on spinning gear with Berkley Vanish 8 lb fluorocarbon. I was targeting southern facing pockets with floating docks. The southern facing pockets protect the water from the brutally coldnorthern winds and the black floats on the docks radiate heat from the sun. During practice, I was having to make super tight casts to those floating docks in order to get a bite.

My partner was throwing a Berkley Schooling rig. He had won the BFL the year before on Murray as a co-angler throwing shad raps behind his partner who was throwing an A-rig. So my partner felt completely comfortable fishing behind me throwing a schooling rig.

With the rain and overcast conditions, the fish didn’t have a reason to relate to the black dock floats. We caught most of our fish in between the docks. I caught a few off the dock floats but they were small. My two biggest fish came in less then three feet of water off the Flicker Shad.
My co-angler on the other hand only had two bites but they were the right ones. His first fish came off a dock in the back of a cove and it crushed his schooling rig. The other came out of the same pocket in between the docks. It hit the rig the so hard it about ripped the rod out of his hands. That one weighed in right at 7 lbs even.

So with his two fish he ended up weighing just under 12 lbs and winning the event as well as taking big fish. I was pretty excited for him even though I ended up with just over 12 lbs and missing a check.

With Julianne and I living together now, it was pretty awesome having her come to weigh in and just be a part of the whole afternoon. Even though I was pretty disappointed with my finish it was really great having her there to root me on.

My next event is going to be my first BFL fishing as a boater. I am excited because the BFLs are a little more competitive then the Bassmaster Weekend Series. It too will be on Lake Murray. So hopefully I can get some better weather conditions and bring in a big sack.

You can also see my blog on my website, www.kgfishing.com.

Until next time, never stop chasing your dreams!

by AnglersChannel

Walser Whacks 'em At Santee

Robert Walser of Lexington, NC walloped the bass, as well as his competitors at the March 9th Bassmaster ABA tournament on Santee Cooper. Fishing out of John C. Land III landing, Walser said he expected it would take 30 pounds to win the tournament. With only 5 anglers bringing a 5-bass limit to the scale, Walser was wrong on that count, but he was right about everything else on the day. Throwing a Weapon jig and a Chatterbait around the base of cypress trees on the upper lake, Walser culled his share of fish and brought 5 fish weighing 25.28 to the weigh-in. 37 anglers joined 37 co-anglers to fish the tournament

Brad Fowler caught the big fish of the day, an 8.77 pounder that helped him to a top-ten finish despite only catching 4 keepers on the day.

Top Ten

1. Robert Walser 5-fish 25.28 lbs

2. Ronnie McCoy 5 fish 20.83

3. Tim Jones 4 fish 20.63

4. Sean Anderson 5 fish 18.99

5. Andy Wicker 4 fish 18.08

6. Brad Fowler 4 fish 16.41 (Big Fish-8.77)

7. Nelson Walker 5 fish 12.71

8. Ron Brown 5 fish 11.29

9. Alexander James 3 fish 9.94

10. Randall Langston 2 fish 8.86

by AnglersChannel

AnglersChannel

Collins Bass For Cash Series Event #2 – First Flight Starting Order

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