AnglersChannel

Population Decline In Quality Bass Makes Bama Bfl On Lake Eufaula 'anybody's Game'

Ryan Ingram of Phenix City, Ala., has an enviable record in Walmart Bass Fishing League tournaments on Lake Eufaula, but he says the playing field is about as level as it could be for Saturday's Bama Division BFL tournament Saturday.

“Fishing on Lake Eufaula got in such bad shape last year it's anybody's game now,” said Ingram who has 11 top 10 finishes, including three wins, in BFL and EverStart tournaments on Lake Eufaula in the past decade.

The problem is a decline in the population of quality bass, he said, an assertion backed up by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources which has acknowledged a problem with the largemouth bass fishery in the lake.

A report released by the agency cited electro-fishing samples taken in 2011 which indicated a change in the largemouth population. Bass from 13 to 16 inches long were relatively abundant, but larger bass were fewer in number than in recent years.

The report said 461 largemouth bass were weighed and measured during the spring sample. The largest bass was six pounds, and only 38 bass (8%) were over 3 pounds. Most of the bass less than 3 pounds were in relatively plump condition, but the larger fish were mostly skinny.

Fall sampling indicated that bass below 3 pounds were still very abundant along shoreline structure, but bigger bass were still skinny and scarce. The report said much of the change could be attributed to the persistent drought south Alabama experienced in 2011.

Biologists cited several other factors for the decline in larger bass: the dramatic reduction in aquatic plants such as hydrilla which caused the bass to move to deeper structure and shift from foraging on sunfish species such as bluegills to shad, and even the catch and release ethic of tournament anglers which causes overcrowding.

“Like the housing industry bass fishing skyrocketed from 2005 to 2010 and then it crashed,” Ingram said. “It took from an 18-pound average up to a 25-pound average to win a tournament. It went from taking 25 to 27 pounds to win a BFL in July 2010 to January 2011 when it only took 11 pounds to win. I don't really know what happened, but I know something bad happened to the bass.”

As a result, he said, he has not had the kind of success recently that he has enjoyed in previous years.

“I have probably caught 600 to 700 fish since I started back fishing this year. I have not caught a 5-pound fish all year and I generally have a 4.5-pound average. The biggest fish I've caught all year was last weekend and it weighed 4.44 pounds. There are just not very many big ones in there but there are a lot of 2 1/2-pound fish.”

Ingram said the majority of the bass in Eufaula are on the beds right now.

“I am not a big bed fisherman. Usually there are also fish out deep when some fish are bedding. As soon as those fish spawn another wave will come in and the bedding fish will move out and you can catch them deep,” he said.

“But this year it looks like all the fish are on the bank and there is no wave of fish behind them. There was a tournament down there Saturday and the boy who won it had 21 pounds and some change. He caught one fish off the bed that weighed 9 pounds, 2 ounces, and he did not have but 21 pounds total. You take that 9-pounder off and put a regular fish back on his stringer and he would only have 13 to 14 pounds.”

The only way to win now, he said, is to try to catch one, maybe two bedding fish and then get in the grass and throw a swim bait or go upriver and throw a Chatterbait to try to catch a bunch of fish.

“I will probably try to find one bedding fish and then sit out there with a small crankbait and a big spinnerbait fishing 4 to 5 feet deep and try to catch a limit to go with it. You just have to get lucky,” he said.

Walmart BFL - Bama Division

Sat, Mar 17, 2012

Lake Eufaula

Lake Point State Park

www.flwoutdoors.com

by AnglersChannel

Jensen Hoping To Get On Right Fish Early In Saturday's Sc Bfl On Lake Wylie

Jeremiah Jensen of Columbia, S.C., says he almost always has good practices on Lake Wylie, but then something changes on the day of the tournament and he doesn't get it figured out until it's too late. He hopes to change that pattern Saturday.

“Last year they bass were almost all in pre-spawn going into the South Carolina BFL tournament up there. We were having a cold winter, but the day of the tournament it was 80 degrees and super warm,” said Jensen who managed to catch only three keepers for the day and finished well down in the standings.

“But at the end of the day I pulled into a pocket and found fish paired in beds all over that pocket. I only had 20 minutes left to fish, but if I had got in there earlier I could have got a big sack of fish. In this game you live and learn.”

The situation is completely different heading into the tournament this Saturday, Jensen said.

“I have not been up there yet, but I plan on going a couple of days this week. I have been keeping an eye on local tournaments up there, watching fishing reports and so forth and the way it looks this week is that the temperature will be close to 80, if not 80 degrees. If there is not a pretty big wave of fish on the beds, I will be surprised. I think there will be a pretty good mix of pre-spawn and spawn fish this weekend.”

Jensen would love to build on the momentum from his fourth place finish in the S.C. BFL at Lake Murray three weeks ago. He weighed in a limit at 22 pounds, 11 ounces and won $1,076. His best finish in the South Carolina Division as a boater was in 2010 when he ranked 12^th with two top 10 finishes – a second place at Lake Murray in February and fifth at Lake Wateree in May. His best finish at Lake Wylie was a fourth place in September 2005.

“Two years ago was a really good year,” said Jensen. “Last year I had some good tournaments, but just not good enough. I even had 20 pounds at Santee Cooper, but it was not enough to get a check.”

Jensen, who has a degree in natural resources management, works with a Columbia landscape service to have the flexibility to take the time needed for tournaments and practicing for tournaments. He noted that his fishing time was limited last year when he and his wife celebrated the arrival of a new baby.

He has had excellent success so far in tournaments this year, including the Lake Murray BFL, but admits it is time to elevate his game in other venues.

“All the tournaments I have fished so far have been on lake Murray. I've had a couple of top fives in Carolina Anglers Team Tournaments and a top five in the BFL, so I have been doing pretty well. But now I have to translate that to other lakes.”

That opportunity comes Saturday on Lake Wylie and he believes he has a very good shot at doing well there.

“Going from pre-spawn to spawn could push things up quite a bit,” he said. “The question will be if the big females are still on the beds. There was a big moon this week so I know plenty of males are on the beds, but some of the females may have already pulled off.”

That means, he noted, that there may also be some post spawn females to target.

“I will be looking for sure. I am a pretty good topwater fisherman and I feel like topwater will come into play this weekend. I think I am pretty good at sight fishing, too, so I hope there will be at least a few females on the beds,” he said.

“You can't plan the whole tournament on that unless it hits the moon just right and I think we are in between right now. With warm, favorable weather all week I look for fishing to be really good, at least numbers-wise.”

Walmart BFL - South Carolina Division

Sat, Mar 17, 2012

Lake Wylie

Buster Boyd Access Area

www.flwoutdoors.com

by AnglersChannel

Lake Hartwell 2012 Event #1

Well, the 2012 FLW Tour Lake Hartwell event is over and Brent Ehler is your champion. Congrats to him and I can't wait to learn the ways he caught them. Here is a little about how the event went for me. The first day of practice may have been the windiest day I've ever fished. Easily 30 mph + with gusts well over that. That day, I tried to fish down the lake in the clearer water but couldn't do it very well, so I ran up to Little Beaverdam Creek and fished in there pretty much all day. I caught one really nice fish on a chatterbait in there, but the water was really muddy. One thing I noticed was that the water in the backs of the creeks was extremely muddy and colder than other parts of the creeks. The water temps in the very back would be 48-50 and mid way back it would be 56-57. That night, I decided to look more at the mid-creek zones to see what I could find. Day 2 of practice was again really windy and I fished up the Seneca river a good bit. I found a lot of fish in pockets, but they were mainly small, up to 2 pounds. There is brush in the back of every pocket and some of them had fish. I used the side imaging to look for brush and to find stuff on points to fish. Both techniques worked well and we caught several fish with jigs (Buckeye Football Mop Jig PB&J) and crankbaits (DD22, Shad). The crankbait fish were 2 pounds and I also caught a 4 pounder on the jig. Day 3 of practice, I fished in 6 & 20 and really liked the way this creek set up. I started fishing deeper, like I figured out on day 2 and started catching fish pretty quick. By the end of the day, I had about 5 spots were we caught good fish in the 25-30 foot range and also a few docks were we got bites on a tube. Again, the jig and the crankbait were working well and would be my plan for the tournament. FLW has an off day on Wednesday and it is a great day to rest up and prepare tackle. This off day saw temps rise to over 70 degrees, I was afraid that some, or all of the fish I found would move shallow for the event...turns out I was right. I had my typical late boat draw for the event #134 and I skipped one spot I had close to the ramp for that reason. I decided to start on the docks were I'd found some fish in practice. I didn't have any bites on the docks, but the fish were schooling in the back of the cove. I tied on a topwater and had 4 bites and missed them all!! That really shook me up and I left out of there with no fish. I drove to one of my deep spots and caught a 2 lber pretty quick, then I proceeded to miss a couple more. The rocks were so rough that my 15lb line would get frayed and then break when I set the hook. I began seeing visions of a disaster and decided to take a short break and collect my thoughts.  I needed to right the ship pretty quickly. After the break, I decided to tie on a 1/2 oz. jig instead of a 3/4 oz. to keep it from getting hung in the rocks so much. The plan worked great and I ended up catching 10-7 lbs and was in 77th place. I was very unhappy with the day 1 finish because I knew that I had missed a chance to have more. You just can't slip in this game. On day 2 of the event, not only did I stick with the 1/2 oz. Buckeye Jig, but I switched to 20 lb. line as well. Missing fish didn't happen and I had about 10 lbs in the livewell by 12:00. Last year, my downfall was day 2 of these events. I would use up all my spots and have a lower weight on day 2 that would sink me in the standings. This time, I saved 3 places up the Seneca. At around 12 or 1 on day two, I ran up to these spots and caught 2 nice fish that helped me cull up to 11-12 lbs. After it was all said and done, I finished 68th and received a small check for my effort.
I guess to sum it all up, I still have a lot to learn to catch up to Mr. Ehler and the likes, but I made changes that helped me a lot since last year and I feel very good about my chances in the upcoming events. I just can't thank all of my sponsors enough, escpecially Sportsman's Warehouse.  Please check them out at Sportsmanswarehouse.com and also check out my other sponsors by linking from my website, dearalrodgers.com. If they are on my web page, they are good folks. Take care and good fishin'!

Tackle Notes
Jig Gear
3/4 & 1/2 oz. Buckeye Football Mop Jig (PB&J)
Zoom Twin Tail Fat Albert (green pumpkin)
Revo STX Baitcaster Reel
RPM Custom 7'6" Flippin'/Pitchin' Special (use code DRSC for a 30% discount at rpmcustomrods.com)
15-20lb P-Line Flourocarbon

Crankbait Gear
Norman DD22 (Shad)
Revo Winch Baitcaster
RPM Custom 7'11" Crankin' Rod (Medium action)
12lb P-line Flourocarbon

Dearal Rodgers
http://www.dearalrodgers.com

by AnglersChannel

Morehead Maintains Lead; Auten, Stone, Gagliardi Make Big Moves at FLW Major on Hartwell!

Micah Frazier also stayed up in the standings with a total of 36-05 which put him in 3rd place jsut an ounce behind Ehrler.

Marty Stone was the big mover today. In his second tournament since un-retiring Stone rocketed from back in the pack to the top 5 with the day's lone 20-plus sack - on the pro side. Co-angler David Lauer roped 20 pounds-even from the back deck to take the co-angler lead.

Stone is currently 5th, a pound and 6 ounces behind Todd Auten who made a move of his own from 14th into 4th. Auten followed his day 1 weight of 17-04 with 18-01 for a 35-05 two-day total.

Local pro Anthony Gagliardi bashed a good bag and jumped into the cut. He's around quality fish that have been biting early for him. He's hoping that holds up tomorrow. If so, he may improve on his 6th place standing.

Morehead noted that he only got 9 bites today, far fewer than on Thursday. A late addition to his livewell allowed him to cull a small fish and bring 16-01 to retake his lead halfway through the weigh in.

Former FLW Co-Angler of the Year and Forrest Wood Cup Co-Angler Champion Dearal Rodgers of Camden, SC moved to the front of the boat last year. On Hartwell this week Rodgers was the picture of consistency. He just needed a bigger per-fish average. He had over 10 pounds on day 1 and better than 11 pounds on day 2. With a total of 22-03 Rodgers cashed a check. Look for him at the Outdoors Expo in Greenville tomorrow!

Rodgers reminds us that Sportsman's Warehouse has helped make his fishing dreams come true. "Y'all go buy some guns and gear from them," he encouraged.

THe 2011 FLW Hartwell champion, Jason Christie caught the big bass of the day on the pro side. The 7-pounder ran his weight to 16-01. Along with 12-14 from day1 his total stood at 28-15 - good enough to put him on the bubble in 20th with only a handful of competitors left to weigh. His total did not hold up against the competition. He will cash a check and join fishing fans at the big Outdoors Expo in Greenville on Saturday.

The water is down 5 or 6 feet from where it was when Christie won last year.

by AnglersChannel

Sportsman's Warehouse Boat Wrap

This is Dearal Rogers new Sportsman's Warehouse Ranger Z520 with an E-TEC 250....one heck of a good looking Rig thats in action this week at the FLW Tour at Lake Hartwell.

2012 Sportsman's Warehouse Ranger Boat Wrap: Pro Staffer Dearal Rogers will look good in this!

by AnglersChannel

Sportsman's Warehouse Pro Dearal Rodgers Says Lake Hartwell Bass Fishing Wide Open For Flw Tour Tournament

Last year when Dearal Rodgers was planning strategy for fishing the FLW Tour tournament on Lake Hartwell he made a key error in judgment – something he is determined not to repeat next weekend when the Tour returns to Lake Hartwell for the first major of the 2012 season.

“Last year the tournament was in mid-March and I felt like bed fishing would not be something I could do to win the tournament. Well, it did not win the tournament but bed fishing did give some guys a head start. I won't let that happen again. If the bass are on the bed, I am going to be fishing for them on the bed,” said the second-year pro from Camden, S.C.

In fact, even though the tournament is almost two weeks earlier this year, there very likely will be some fish on the beds. It has been a mild winter and a lot of fish are already moving into position to spawn.

“The tournament starts on the day of the full moon, so that is definitely something to consider,” Rodgers said. “There very possibly could be fish on the bed and I feel there probably will be.”

Rodgers visited Lake Hartwell twice before the cutoff to check out the lake and the fishing and found the water level about 8 feet low – 5 feet lower than when the FLW Tour was there last March.

“I was there right before the cutoff a couple of weeks ago and the water was pretty warm for this time of year, like everywhere in the state. I saw temperatures as high as 57 degrees,” he said. “I also saw a lot of local anglers were fishing the stained water up in the creeks so there are definitely some fish that have moved back already.”

All the factors are coming together to create a situation where anglers will have a lot of choices, said Rodgers who was the FLW Co-Angler of the Year in 2009 and won the Forrest Wood Cup as a Co-Angler on Georgia's Lake Lanier in 2010.

“You can almost look for what you want. If you like fishing dirty water you can do that. If you like fishing clear water you can do that. If you like fishing bedding fish you can do that,” he said, adding that he has not decided on a strategy yet.

“I've not really decided what I want to do. I would like to go against the grain, but sometimes that can equal disaster, especially if the fish are biting, which they should be.”

And there are other factors that lake conditions to consider, he noted.

“The wild card is that Alabama Rig. Nobody knows how effective that thing is gong to be yet. I am going to throw it. I threw it some when I was there and got some bites on it. I think it will be a factor for sure, it is just so realistic in the water.”

Rodgers finished 59^th in the points last year, but figures he had a pretty good start for a rookie.

“Obviously, I had a lot to learn, but I've had to learn my whole career and I just tried to get better each year.”

Two major changes in his life make him think he will be prepared to improve tremendously this year – a change in jobs and a major new sponsor.

“Last year I felt like I ran out of steam toward the end of the year. I had some summertime tournaments where I could have benefited from pre-practice, in the last three tournaments, but I could not do that because I had run out of vacation time at my job,” he said. So, he left that job and started his own company with his wife.

“I am in the same business, the environmental drilling business, but I am more in control of my schedule since I own the company. Hopefully, that will make a difference. Already I can feel some of the pressure is off because if I need to take a couple of hours off for something fishing related I can and that makes a big difference.”

And now Sportsman's Warehouse is on board as his major sponsor.

“I have been a customer since they opened in Columbia, S.C., and that is a great store. They have fishing tackle that you can't find anywhere else and their camping and hunting equipment is amazing.”

Rodgers said that in addition to carrying the Sportsman's Warehouse sponsorship into competition in the FLW tournaments, he will be working with the company of what products to add for local sportsmen.

“My goal is to help people catch more fish. As a kid that is what got me into fishing – somebody took me fishing. Sportsman's Warehouse has the same goal. They want people to enjoy the outdoors and to provide them with the products that will help them do that,” he said.

“Having Sportsman's Warehouse as a sponsor takes some of the financial pressure off me and my family. It allows me not to be so concerned about my financial situation while I am fishing and that will help a lot.”

FLW Tour Major #1

Mar 8-11, 2012

Lake Hartwell

Portman Shoals Marina

www.flwoutdoors.com

by AnglersChannel

Shallow or deep - take your pick – in North Carolina BFL on Lake Norman Saturday

“We're supposed to have a little foul weather on Monday and that will make things better for both the shallow water guys and the guys fishing for suspended fish,” said Maurice Freeze of Concord, N.C., who finished second in the points standings in the North Carolina BFL series in 2011.

In fact, although the temperature will range from the high 60s to the mid-70s over the next few days, a front is moving through the area with showers expected Wednesday, isolated thunderstorms Thursday, thundershowers on Friday and scattered thunderstorms on Saturday, the day of the tournament.

“With a chance of thunderstorms, I would associate that with being a stormy day with the wind blowing,” said Freeze. I am always hoping for the wind to be blowing some. That just helps the shallow water fishing, especially in a clear lake like Norman is – and especially right now because it is really, really clear.”

With the warm temperatures this week, Freeze said he thinks a lot of fish will be moving up on the banks.

“I’ve not looked to see what moon we are on, but there should be some fish bedding down in Ramsey Creek. I doubt if they will be anywhere else, but there are going to be fish looking in that direction and those pre-spawn fish will be feeding up and getting fat.”

Freeze, who placed 19^th in the South Carolina Division BFL on Lake Murray last weekend, said anglers will catch fish in several different ways Saturday.

“If the wind blows good there will be some caught on a spinnerbait. The jerkbait will be good and the small crankbait will be good, something that runs 10 feet deep or less. And then you will have The Alabama Rig® guys out there catching them suspended,” he said.

“We might get our butts beat by the Alabama Riggers,” said Freeze who is a shallow-water angler.

“I feel like this tournament can be won either way, fairly deep or shallow. It will be just how the day goes, but there should be some good weights. I look for it to take anywhere form 16 to 18 pounds to win it.”

Freeze has finished in the top five six of the seven years he has fished the North Carolina BFL Division, with two first places, two seconds and one fifth place. He has also finished in the top 10 seven times in the South Carolina BFL Division, with three firsts, two fourths, a fifth place and a 10th place.

Contending for the points title is simply a matter of trying to catch a decent limit, he said.

“I just go to fish and catch limits. Usually the limits will keep you right up in the points. If you catch the limit in every tournament you will be in the top 10 in points,” he said. “I just go and try to put five fish in the live well in a tournament and it seems to work pretty well for me.”

Walmart BFL - North Carolina Division

Sat, Mar 3, 2012

Lake Norman

Midway Marina

www.flwoutdoors.com

by AnglersChannel

For Hite, Other Pros, Bassmaster Classic Is 'all Or Nothing' Kind Of Tournament

Pro angler Davy Hite will spend his four-day practice period starting on Friday, deciding how he will fish the Red River in the 2012 Bassmaster Classic next Friday-Sunday.

“The big thing here on the Red River is that you have a lot of river you can fish. You can commit to lock or not lock or even to lock twice, but then you are basically committed. That's just the nature of the beast for the type of place we are going to be fishing.,” said Hite who won the 1999 Bassmaster Classic on the Louisiana Delta.

“You just have to make that choice. If you don't lock through you have a lot more fishing time, but you are limited to an area you can fish. If you lock through twice, however, you have a lot less fishing pressure, but a lot less fishing time.”

Add the effect of weather to equation and you have a situation where the wrong guess can either make you a champion or leave you at the bottom of the pack.

For most anglers the ideal conditions would be a continuation of the recent weather patterns and river conditions – moderate air and water temperatures and steady water levels with a moderate flow.

But the Red River comes by its name naturally. It can turn wild and run red with mud on a whim of weather. A hard rain can muddy the river channel in the wink of an eye and flooding from upriver storms can push that stained water into the normally clear and productive backwaters. If that happens, the fishable areas shrink considerably.

“You have to pack for spring, summer and winter because you never know what the weather will be. It could be 20 degrees like it was a couple of years ago or it could be 80 degrees,” said Hite who has won eight Bassmaster tournaments and qualified for 13 Bassmaster Classics in less than 20 years on the circuit. His tournament winnings just on the Bassmaster circuits total almost $1.74 million.

“I came out here and pre-fished in mid-December before the off-limits started and the water was low then, but they have had some rain since then and the river is up some, which should be really good for fishing,” the Ninety Six, S.C., pro said. “I think it will be a pre-spawn/spawn type of tournament because their winter has been really mild, just like ours.”

The Classic will be held out of Red River South Marina & Resort near Bossier City, La., an area Hite is familiar with thanks to several previous Bassmaster tournaments on the river, including one of his eight BASS wins in November 2001.

“But this is a spring tournament and when I won was in the fall,” Hite said. However, he added, the river really fishes to his strength which is power fishing.

“I think power fishing is the way to win – crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jigs, flipping lizards and worms, that sort of thing,” he said, “and that is the way I have won most of my money as a pro.”

The Classic has added significance, he said, because it is not only a chance for sponsors to showcase the pros on their teams and advertise their products, ultimately it is all about winning first place.

“If there was ever a tournament where it is all or nothing, it is the Bassmaster Classic. Not many remember all the times I did not win a Classic, but a lot remember the time I did win it,” he said. “Plus, first place pays $500,000 and second is about $45,000. That makes you make it an all or nothing kind of tournament.”

2012 Bassmaster Classic

Feb. 24-26, 2012

Red River, Louisiana

Red River South Marina & Resort

www.bassmaster.com

by AnglersChannel

Angler Carries Passion For Fishing Into Nc Division Carolina's Bass Challenge Tournament On Lake Norman

“I have fished all my life and I think all fishermen who really love fishing know – you may not be able to put into words – but they have a passion,” said the China Grove, NC, angler who plans to fish the BASS Southern Opens, some of the FLW EverStart schedule, some WalMart BFL tournaments and the new Carolinas Bass Challenge series this year, along with some other local tournaments. “When you go fishing you find something in a day, even if you don't catch a fish, that makes it worth the effort to get out there.”

And Sims knows that perhaps a lot better than most.

Diagnosed with rectal cancer in 2007, he has undergone successful treatment and has been cancer free for 4 ½ years.

“I've had my demons since then,” he confessed, “but I will reach the five-year mark this June 19 – and when you go cancer free for five years you are considered cured.”

Although he still suffers from side effects of the treatment, Sims said he has never been without the support of his family or lost his passion for fishing.

“Sometimes you need just that little extra something that pushes you and sometimes when I need a push that passion pushes me,” he said.

At the beginning of the year Sims made a wish list of the tournaments he really wants to fish. He started out with the BASS Southern Open on Florida's Harris Chain of Lakes last month but the No. 1 wish on his list is to fish the FLW EverStart tournament on Lake Guntersville the first week in May.

“I'll be fishing what I can afford to do, so we will see how it goes,” Sims said. “But starting this weekend, I will be fishing almost every weekend this year. When they call Boat. No. 17 Saturday morning my season will be underway.”

On Saturday the first tournament in the North Carolina Division of the new Carolina's Bass Challenge series will be held on Lake Norman and the opener could prove to be an exciting one, according to tournament director Brett Collins.

“Fishing has been excellent the past few weeks and word is the state record spot, almost 7 pounds, was caught this past week,” Collins said. The spotted bass, which weighed 6.97 pounds, was caught Sunday and weighed on state certified scales at The General Store of Denver. The fish fell for a mustard-colored Rapala DT6 crankbait fished over a boat ramp.

North Carolina fish biologists plan to take DNA samples to determine if the fish is a true spotted bass or a hybrid. If it is a hybrid it would not qualify for inclusion in the state record listings. But, if it is a true spotted bass, it would eclipse the record of 6 pounds, 5 ounces, set by guide and tournament angler Eric Weir of Belmont, N.C., the day after Christmas in 2003. Weir caught his record spotted bass on a Zoom Finesse Worm.

After an unseasonably warm winter, a recent cold snap has Lake Norman almost back to normal for this time of year, Sims said.

“Before this latest cold snap I had not seen the water temperature down in the 40s yet. In the afternoons you could find 55-degree water and before the cutoff last week I saw bass up trying to make beds. But now the lake is about where it should be.”

The problem facing anglers, Sims said, is that the bass are relating to shad almost totally, which can be a boon if you happen to get on the fish because they will be concentrated.

“But, you can go one day and catch 16 pounds, then go back the next day and not see a fish because the bait has moved. I think whoever finds the bait has a real chance of knocking a good sack of fish,” he said.

“I'd almost guarantee a 15- to 20-pound sack for first place and it could be even better than that, even with the weather change. The weights have been up in recent tournaments, from what I have heard. I heard there was a 20-pound sack brought in that was caught on a jerkbait, but the next week the weight was down to 13 or 14 pounds.”

Although The Alabama Rig® has caught fire on Lake Norman and surrounding waters, Dims said he believes the winning weight Saturday will come on a jerkbait.

“Jerkbaits seem to be the predominant producer for the better fish and they always have been this time of year for me,” he said.

Sims will be fishing to win Saturday, but if he does not bring in the heaviest sack of fish, he will consider the day a tremendous success, just like he did when he finished well down in the standing in the Southern Open on the Harris Chain.

“When you are as passionate about fishing as I am and you are standing there the first day of the Southern Open, your hat over your heart listening to the National Anthem, and Roland Martin is standing directly across from you in his boat – not a lot of people can say they have experienced that in their lifetime. So, I am ready to go fishing.”

The Carolinas Bass Challenge is a two-division series promoted by Skeeter Boat dealers Marshall's Marine in Lake City, S.C., Foothills Marine in Morganton, N.C., and Palmetto Marine in Greenville, S.C.

The schedules for the two divisions include :

North Carolina Division – Feb. 18, Lake Norman, Pinnacle Landing; March 24, Lake Wylie, Ebenezer Park; April 21, Lake Norman, Pinnacle Landing; May 19, Lake Hickory, Whittenburg; June 2, N.C. Divisional Final, High Rock, Tamarac Marina.

South Carolina Division – February 11, Cooper River, Cypress Gardens; Mar 31, Lake Murray, Dreher Island State Park; April 28, Santee Cooper, John C. Land; May 12, Lake Wateree, Clearwater Cove; June 23, S.C. Divisional Final, Lake Wateree, Clearwater Cove.

The Carolinas Bass Challenge Championship will be held on Kerr Lake October 27, 2012.

The entry fee is $200 per team and each team member must pay a $35 membership fee. First place in each qualifying tournament is $5,000, with $1,000 for big fish. Teams may fish three of four qualifiers in a state division to make the Divisional Final and Championship or they may fish a combination of three qualifiers across divisions and make the Division Final and Championship. The team that wins the points in each state division will win $1,000.

The winning team at both the South Carolina Division Final and the North Carolina Division Final will win a Skeeter TZX190/150 with a Yamaha 150HPDI. The winning team in the Championship on Kerr Lake in October will win a Skeeter ZX200/200 Yamaha SHO.

Carolina's Bass Challenge - North Carolina Division

Sat, Feb 18, 2012

Lake Norman

Pinnacle Access

Brett Collins 803-413-7521

www.carolinasbasschallenge.com

by AnglersChannel

Quality Field Will Make Gator Division Tournament On Okeechobee Tough To Win

A major reason is the competition. The field for the Gator Division tournament on Okeechobee Saturday is full and loaded with top anglers. For instance both Brandon McMillan of Clewiston and Brandon Medlock of Lake Placid are entered in the tournament – and both have a strong fishing history on the lake.

McMillan won the FLW Tour on Okeechobee in February of last year and he just placed fifth in the 2012 FLW Tour Open last weekend. Medlock was 15^th in the Tour Open last weekend, following up his win in the Southeaster Division EverStart tournament on Okeechobee Jan. 19.

His record on the Big O so far this year has been hit or miss, however, as he was only able to weigh one fish at 5 pounds, 3 ounces, in the Gator Division tournament just five days before his EverStart win.

“It's a tough tournament to win,” said Lundgren. There are a lot of really good guys who fish it.”

Some of them are exceptionally well known, too. Charlie Evans of Gilbertsville, Ky., retired president and CEO of FLW Outdoors, finished 20^th in the February Gator Division BFL on Okeechobee in 2011 and he notched a 9^th place finish in the January tournament with five bass that weighed 21 pounds 7 ounces.

Another big reason Lundgren feels a repeat will be tough is that he is having a really up and down year on the lake.

“I had a 5-pound bag of fish in the last BFL on the lake in January and the week after that I had a20-pound bag in a Christian Team Trail tournament on the lake.”

There is a major difference between the way he caught his winning bag of fish last February and what he will have to do this weekend, he said, and it all has to do with the weather.

“Last year I was throwing a Riptail Minnow, but the last few tournaments this year have been won punching grass mats and flipping. Last year there were a lot more fish on the beds,” he said.

But the cold snap that hit Florida over the weekend has dropped the water temperature and Florida bass are extremely sensitive to sudden changes in temperature.

“We went from 75 to 80 degrees to a low of about 60 and Sunday night it dropped into the 30s. The water temperature dropped from 70 degrees down to 57 degrees. That is one of the reasons that punching the grass mats will come into play,” Lundgren said. “These fish don't like cold and when a cold from comes through they get up on the mats.”

Lundgren said he planned to continue practicing this week to see if the fish are buried up under the thicker vegetation or if some of them are more out in open water where they can be caught on a moving bait.

Walmart Bass Fishing League (BFL) Gator Division

Sat, Feb 18, 2012

Lake Okeechobee

Scott Driver Recreation Area

www.flwoutdoors.com

by AnglersChannel

Anglers Can Fish Their Strength In Bfl Savannah River Division Tournament On Lake Keowee

Longtime fishing buddies Bo Price and Glenn Kimbrell did not really take things too seriously in the BFL Savannah River Division tournament on Lake Keowee last February.

“We said we would meet up at 12 o’clock and have a bacon sandwich. When we got together, he said, what have you got? I said 10 or 11 pounds and he said he had 10 or 11 pounds,” Price recalled.

Later at the weigh-in Price was leading the tournament with 11 pounds, 13 ounces. Nobody could knock him off the top spot until the very last angler weighed in – and that happened to be his buddy, Kimbrell who brought 13 pounds 6 ounces to the scales.

“I was in the lead all the way to the end and he comes walking up and knocked me out, but I would not have it any other way,” said Price. “He is a great guy and we have a very healthy respect for each other.”

And, Price added, that is what this sport is about.

“It's about coming out here and getting away from the stress of life and enjoying yourself. If you get away from that you are in the wrong business.”

Price will be fishing the BFL on Keowee Saturday, but he won't have to worry about his buddy, Kimbrell, knocking him out this time. Kimbrell's wife had surgery earlier in the week and he will be home taking care of her.

“Keowee is a great lake to be on this time of year,” Price said. “There is a little bit of something for everybody up here, depending on where you want to fish and what your style of fishing is. It's pretty much just come on and fish your strength.”

Price explained that the power plant at mid-lake keeps the water in that area warm, probably about 10 degrees warmer than anywhere in the state right now. But a lot of fish stay deep in the winter and in the summer, also.

“With the unseasonably warm weather we have had the fish are not in their traditional spots for this time of year,” he said. “I'd say they are about two weeks in advance as far as their annual migration. The lake is fishing a lot like March right now and a lot of fish are being caught both shallow and deep.”

Although a lot of fish are shallow and some are already bedding, a rarity for a clear, deep lake like Keowee, Price said he plans to fish his strength which is deep water.

“I'll find where the bait is in the creek channels and fish a drop shot or a jigging spoon and a quarter-ounce jighead with a worm. If you fish real slow and methodical you will pick up one here and one there and pretty soon you have a decent bag of fish.”

Price said he expects a lot of limits to be weighed in but not many really heavy bags of fish.

“There will be a lot of limits, but getting that 3-pound-plus bite that will put you over the edge will be difficult. I think it will take 14 pounds to win, give or take a pound, and 9 to10 pounds will probably get you a check,” he said.

The Savannah River BFL series includes tournaments on Clarks Hill out of Wildwood Park March 3, on Lake Hartwell out of Tugaloo State Park March 31, on Lake Russell out of Richard B. Russell State Park April 14, with the two-day final on Lake Hartwell out of Tugaloo State park Sept. 22-23.

Walmart Bass Fishing League (BFL) - Savannah River Division

Sat Feb 11, 2012

Lake Keowee

South Cove County Park

www.flwoutdoors.com

by AnglersChannel

Gagliardi Hoping To Improve Next Week On 15Th Place Finish In Flw Tour Open On Big O Last Year

But, with the first FLW Tour Open starting on Lake Okeechobee next Thursday, Gagliardi has been getting his equipment – and himself – prepared for the 10-tournament FLW season that is just about to get underway.

”I am standing in my boat, cleaning things up and organizing things,” he said. “After an off-season of neglect, it takes a couple of days to get things back in working order.”

He is leaving Friday for Okeechobee and, while he was reluctant to leave his family, that is the nature of the beast for a professional fisherman – and he was anxious to get back on the water and get the season underway.

“I finished 15^th at Okeechobee last year and that was a good tournament to start the year off,” said Gagliardi who was the FLW Tour Angler of the Year in 2006. He finished 15^th in the points last year, earning $35,788 in prize winnings.

“I will fish the 10 FLW events this year and that is a pretty good plate full. It pretty much takes all my time. During the off-season I've been able to spend all day with my family. Once the season starts it will be hard to leave for a week or 10 days at a time, but that is something I have to do to pursue this profession,” he said.

Fishing for a living, he said, has been a little tougher with the down economy, with both the fishing business and fishermen hit pretty hard in the last year or two.

“I've been pretty fortunate to be able to stay in the game. I'm fairly satisfied with where I am going into the new year sponsor-wise. I've got a new rod sponsor, Cashion Fishing Rods, and I am excited about that, so I feel really good going into the new year.”

In the February tournament on Okeechobee last year Gagliardi caught most of his fish sight fishing and he expects that will be a major factor again this year. Local anglers say the fishing has remained phenomenal ever since the FLW Open on Okeechobee last year – and those fish are grown even bigger. Water temperatures have remained consistent, with no cold fronts to slow the spring migration to shallow water so most anticipate the bass spawn to be cranking into high gear by next week.

“Fishing should be wide open with a lot of different patterns working,” Gagliardi said. “I've heard there has been a strong flipping bite for quite a while and there should be a shallow water swim bait bite like always this time of year.”

With the lake, up, he added, anglers should be able to spread out more and not have to share areas with competing anglers as much.

“I will most likely focus on sight fishing next week,” he said, “but if I hear there is a pretty strong bite doing something else I will spend some time with that, too.”

The main thing with sight fishing is not to focus on identifying individual fish during practice, he said, but to locate areas where fish are concentrated.

“The majority of the fish I catch in tournaments are fish I find on tournament day. First and foremost, you have to be in the right area,” he said.

During practice Gagliardi said he will divide the lake into thirds, then fish the south end one day and the middle part the second day.

“After the second day I may spend the last day on the north end, or if I feel really good about one of those areas the first two days I might spend the third day there,” he said. “Then if it is not all I think it needs to be I will spend one day in each area, then go back during the tournament. Ideally you would like to pull into a place where they are and spend three days fine-tuning your strategy, but most of the time the fine tuning comes during the tournament.”

Gagliardi said most of the fish will probably be caught flipping, on a swim bait or sight fishing.

“There might be some open water fish caught next week, but with the water up like it is there is an awful lot of grass to fish. Those fish like to get up in that clear water up in the grass and they will be moving in to spawn.”

FLW Tour 2012

Feb 9-12, 2012

Lake Okeechobee

Roland Martin Marina & Resort

www.flwoutdoors.com

by AnglersChannel