Blankenship Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League North Carolina Division On High Rock Lake
Piedmont Bass Classics 'End of Year' Bass Trail Qualifier Results - Sep 7, 2013 - Jordan
Jay Garrard & Mark Herndon of Durham & Bahama...5 bass...18.65 lbs
24 teams showed up for the 5th qualifying tournament of the 2013 Piedmont Bass Classics 'End of Year' Team Tournament Bass Fishing Trail. The weather was great! 61 degrees in the morning with no winds and getting up to about 81 in the pm with light winds.
Jay Garrard and Mark Herndon took 1st place honors with 5 bass weighing 18.65 lbs.along with winning the TWT and took home $1,160. Ted Boyette & John Parrish won 2nd place (18.23 lbs.), 2nd place TWT and 1st Place Big Fish (6.54 lbs.) and took home $926!!
69 fish were weighed in for a total weight of 192 pounds. Big fish for the day was 6.54 lbs. with a 6.27 close behind. The quality fish were caught from 6 to 20 feet of water on a variety of baits including crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jigs and c-rigs for the most part. Water temps were around 82 degrees. I want to thank all the anglers that participated and that support this trail.
Our next tournament will be the 2013 Piedmont Bass Classics 'End of Year' Team Tournament Bass Fishing Trail
Qualifier #6, September 21st at Mayo Reservoir out of Triple Springs Wildlife Ramp.
All the information on our tournaments can be found at: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Now here are the full results:
2nd Place: Ted Boyette & John Parrish of Kenly...5 bass...18.23 lbs1st Place: Jay Garrard & Mark Herndon of Durham & Bahama...5 bass...18.65 lbs...$810
2nd Place: Ted Boyette & John Parrish of Kenly...5 bass...18.23 lbs...$440
3rd Place: Tony Woodard & Scott Smith of Four Oaks & Apex...5 bass...17.80 lbs...$300
4th Place: Tony Fofi & Dave Murdock of Spring Lake & Sanford...5 bass...14.70 lbs...$220
5th Place: Tommy Marrow & Dennis Reedy of Oxford & Siler City...5 bass...14.67 lbs...$150
1st Place Big Fish..2nd Place Team above...6.54 lbs...$336
2nd Place Big Fish..3rd Place Team above...6.27 lbs...$144
1st Place TWT..1st Place Team above...18.65 lbs...$350
2nd Place TWT..2nd Place Team above: 18.23 lbs...$150
Contact Information:
Phil McCarson...Tournament Director
922 Valetta Rd.
Durham, NC 27712
Home: 919-471-1571 Cell: 919-971-5042
email: [email protected]
website: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
More On Carruth, George And Their $5,000 Pay Day At Toyota Bonus Bucks Tourney!
DECATUR, Ala. — It was a twist of fate that brought the winning team of the Toyota Bonus Bucks Owners Tournament to the stage at Alabama’s Wheeler Lake on Sunday. Jimmy Carruth of Athens, Ala., was supposed to compete in the event with his friend and fishing partner, Greg Buie.
But due to a twisted back, Buie gave his spot on Carruth’s boat to one of his friends, Sam George, and Carruth and George — strangers until a week ago — were the anglers holding a $5,000 winning check on the Bassmaster stage.
“I hope his back stays messed up,” said Carruth in jest, “because he’s never fishing with Sam again.”
George got the credit for all 18 pounds, 10 ounces weighed in Sunday.
“The first place we went, I caught a small fish on a worm,” said Carruth of a 1 1/2-pounder he boated early this morning. “But for the rest of the day, I basically played net man. And I was very proud to hold the net.”
The pair hit several spots, all of them downriver on ledges. They found success when they were fishing deep, down to 35 feet.
“Finding fish that were active and feeding on big balls of bait was key,” said George, 18, a student at Calhoun Community College. “We saw other anglers fishing deep, but we were fishing deeper.”
The balls of baitfish were a blob the size of the screen on their Lowrance unit, explained Carruth, a senior instructor at the local nuclear plant. “And you could just see the bass streaking through the balls.”
The fish most of the competitors brought in were no match for the 3- and 4-pounders Carruth and George caught. The average bass that came across the stage was 1 3/4 pounds. And one of them may have even set a record for the smallest weight ever recorded on the Bassmaster stage — a 7-ouncer caught by Troy Mims of Georgia.
More than one-third of the field caught limits, so catching wasn’t really the problem. “We caught a bunch of fish,” said Shane Jewell of Tennessee. “It was just hard to get any big ones.” Jewell’s sentiments were echoed at the dock and across the stage by multiple competitors.
George and Carruth, on the other hand, only got seven bites. “The fishing was so tough, we could only fish reaction baits,” said George, who relied on a Strike King 10XD crankbait and a large swimbait.
“I used a really quick stop-start retrieve,” said George. “My arms hurt. I feel like I threw 300 pitches today.” George launched his baits 60 to 70 yards on each cast. Both he and Carruth used 7 1/2- to 8-foot rods to get the distance and 8-pound-test fluorocarbon to help get the lure deeper.
George fished an iRod Fred’s Crank Launcher rod with an Abu Garcia Revo Wrench reel. His teammate used a Dobyns Champions rod with a Shimano Core reel.
Other competitors had success with jigs, shaky heads and frogs.
Behind George and Carruth was the father-son team of Brian and Roger Parker of Mississippi. They rotated four times to six spots to catch 17-15 and take second place.
The Bass Pro Shops Big Bass prize of $1,000 went to Paul Ham and Sean Alvarez of South Carolina. The pair brought in a 5-pound, 1-ounce beauty that fell to a shaky head.
Several Bassmaster Elite Series pros were on hand to meet with the competitors in the Toyota Bonus Bucks Owners Tournament.
“This is the coolest thing ever,” said Terry Scroggins, a veteran on tour. “I wish I could have done this before I turned pro.”
“I’ve been fishing tournaments since I was 14,” said four-time Bassmaster Classic champ Kevin VanDam, “and I’ve never been asked to compete in a tournament without having to pay an entry fee and then had the red carpet rolled out for me. This is a great event, and Toyota is a great product. It’s awesome to get to be here and watch these guys go across this stage.”
This tournament is the second annual event of its kind, and several of the competitors fished last year. Even more said they’d be back next year. The no-entry-fee tournament was open to all anglers who are members of the Toyota Bonus Bucks program and who own or lease a 2009 or newer Toyota Tundra, Tacoma, Sequoia, 4Runner or FJ Cruiser.
Winners Jimmy Carruth and Sam George took home a check for $5,000, and the payout went down to 30th place. Carruth said he’s on his eighth Toyota. “It’s a great vehicle, and I’ve got all the confidence in the world in it.”
See more coverage of the event here. Learn more about the Toyota Bonus Bucks program here.
Top Flw Pro Hoping Foray Into B.a.s.s. Northern Opens Results In Classic Berth
Dave Lefebre has had an outstanding career in FLW Outdoors competition over the past 11 years – 46 top 10s, including five wins, and earning just shy of $1.6 million – but when he saw B.A.S.S. was going to finish the 2013 Northern Open schedule on Lake Erie, he had to cast a line in Bassmaster waters, too.
“You have to fish all three tournaments,” he said, “but if you win the Sandusky tournament you make the Bassmaster Classic.”
Lake Erie is Lefebre's favorite fishing water and since the Great Lake is in his backyard at Erie, Pa., the Bassmaster Northern Open Series was “just something I could not pass up.”
Anglers can qualify for the Bassmaster Classic out of the Open Tournament series by winning one of the three tournaments in each division, but they have to fish all three. So far this year he has finished 29th on Oneida lake and 70th on the James River for 26th place in the standings.
“I am incredibly happy with FLW and I have no plans to leave,” Lefebre said. “I will retire from FLW someday, hopefully. But we don't get many tournaments this close to home for me.”
Having qualified for the Forrest Wood Cup all 11 years of his FLW career, the longest streak on the FLW Tour, Lefebre would love nothing better than to add a Bassmaster Classic to his resume. He has three top 10s in the Forrest Wood Cup including a second place finish in 2008.
Lefebre is eager to fish the Northern Open on Lake Erie even though the tournament is being held out of Sandusky, Ohio, more than 160 miles southwest of his home in Erie, Pa., because he has a very good tournament record on the lake.
Al;though he finished 23rd in the Bassmaster Northern Open on the lake in 2011, he notched a 4th place in the EverStart Series tournament there in 2006, the year he was the Northern EverStart points champion, and he finished 5th on the lake in the 2005 Northern EverStart tournament.
Experience on the lake will play a major role, he believes, because the weather can mess up a fishing strategy very easily.
“The biggest concern this time of year is the weather Right now it looks good for the tournament,” he said. “But it takes a different animal to be comfortable out there. I don't see it being calm this time of year.”
On a normal day the waves may kick up 3 or 4 feet, he noted, but on a windy day they could be 8 or 9 feet.
“You can always run somewhere else if the wind kicks up when you are fishing on a river, but on Lake Erie if you make a bad call you might not be able to navigate. It might take you hours to get somewhere, so you’ve got to prepare yourself for that and don't take anything for granted.”
The mental part of it is a major factor in fishing the wide open waters, he said.
“We've had some time off since the Forrest Wood Cup (last month on the Red River at Shreveport, La.) so I've been trying to get into that mode. Lake Erie is a completely different style of fishing.”
And he has also spent that time preparing his equipment.
“I've been getting my electronics tuned in and getting all the nuts and bolts tightened down because of the beating you take out there.”
If everything goes to plan, he said, the fishing should be good. The tournament will probably be won in deep water, 20 feet deep and deeper, with drop-shots and other deep baits over humps, rockpiles, shipwrecks and other structure.
But in the end it will likely be familiarity, experience and mental and physical toughness that decide a winner.
Bassmaster Northern Open
Sep 12-14, 2013
Lake Erie
Gainey Gearing Up For Northern Everstart And For Next Year On The Flw Tour
Nick Gainey has not been fishing since the middle of July in the Northern EverStart tournament on Lake Champlain. But that's all right.
He admittedly has not had a good year – only one check in seven tournaments on the Southeastern and Northern EverStart series. But that's all right, too.
Gainey said he has been busy the last year or two concentrating on his investor business. But now he is ready to go fishing – now and next year, too.
First up: the Northern EverStart tournament on the Upper Chesapeake Bay next week.
“I've never been there,” he said. “I had to look on MapQuest to see how to get there.”
But he is excited about fishing an area that is totally new to him.
“I have a little insight from a friend on the Eastern Shore of Maryland who is going to fish the tournament as a co-angler. He tells me it fishes a lot like the Potomac River, with lots of grass and flats. He says the tournament will be won on the flats with a topwater bite, maybe a frog, and even a flipping bite in the grass if the weather cools down a little bit.”
Gainey's friend also told him he will be shocked at the weights, predicting a 20-pound-per-day average to win it.
“He said there are a lot of 3- and 4-pound fish in there. I did not expect that.”
After a pretty good year in 2012 – he made two top 10s and came within 6 ounces of winning the Kerr tournament – the Charleston, S.C., angler has not fared well in 2013. He is anxious to do well on the Chesapeake Bay and then gear up for 2014.
“I'm sweeping it all under the rug,” he said. “The 2014 FLW Tour schedule and EverStart schedules have come out and I plan to fish the Tour and the EverStarts. I've been on every lake on the 2014 FLW Tour at least once.”
Gainey said when he told his wife he planned to spend their grandchildren's inheritance fishing next year, she told him to go for it. “You aren't getting any younger,” she said.
“I know the day will come when I won't physically be able to do this,” Gainey said, “but I am getting back into it hot and heavy next year. If I can get a check or two in the first three (of the FLW Tour) I will fish the next three.
“And, if I get enough points I can be on Lake Murray in August again. I fished the Forrest Wood Cup on Murray in 2008, so having the Cup come back is an added benefit. I'm going to give my best shot to try to make it on the FLW Tour.”
FLW EverStart Series
Sep 12-14, 2013
Upper Chesapeake Bay
Anchor Marina
Long on Top at Table Rock PAA Event
The third stop of the 2013 Bass Pro Shops PAA Tournament Series got underway on beautiful, balmy Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri today. The field of 65 pros and their co-anglers had mixed results with 34 out of 65 pros bringing 5-fish limits to the scales today. Overall, fish were scattered with some fish shallow on the banks, some deep, some schooling on the surface at times, while many others were bunched up and suspended from 10 to 20+ feet down in the water column near docks, brushpiles or other underwater structure.
For many anglers, plenty of fish were showing up on their advanced electronics although coaxing them to bite proved challenging. Quite a few fell short of Table Rock’s 15” keeper limit for black, brown and spotted bass, and immediately released.
Shane Long
A feared local angler hero took his place atop the leaderboard. Thirty-eight year old Shane Long of Willard, Missouri leads Day 1 with a 17.53 pound five bass limit anchored by a 6.20 hog. Long won the Bass Prop Shops PAA Series event on Table Rock Lake in October 2010. So he’s in a familiar place here – first place.
“It was a good day,” said a satisfied Long. “I got lucky and had a six-pounder bite. The others were just nice quality keepers; all good 16- to 17-inch fish, and then I had one big’un which made the difference.”
Long said he’s just hunting and pecking away at them. “I’ve got a lot of brushpiles and I catch a good quality bite out of one every once in a while. I’m just making the rounds and cycling through them all. I’m going to do the same thing tomorrow. I think I’ve got what I’m doing pegged down, but the king-maker is that one big bite that’s just so elusive. Hopefully I’ll get lucky and maybe I’ll get that big bite again tomorrow. We’ll see what happens,” said Shane Long.
James Watson
In second with 15.98 pounds, James Watson from Waynesville, Missouri had a great day today. Watson credited his success to having good batteries because he put his trolling motor on nearly full blast to run as much water as possible, running and gunning all day.
Watson felt good to have gotten a big bag under his belt today. He hopes tomorrow he can catch at least 11 or 12 pounds and stay in the hunt.
“I’m going to run all new water tomorrow. My fish are few and far between. What I’m doing requires that I’ve got to run vast amounts of new water every day,” said Watson.
Fred Roumbanis
In third place with 14.55 pounds, Fred Roumbanis of Bixby Oklahoma said, “I got lucky and hit a school of smallmouth this morning that I was able to limit out on. After that, I was able to relax and slow down. I just kept running around and caught fish here and there for the duration. It was the best day I have ever had on Table Rock.”
“Can I go back out tomorrow and back it up? I’m not sure,” admitted Fred. “I’m reading a certain style of bank and I’m just running around looking for more of that same thing. I feel good about it, but then again, I could only catch 10 pounds tomorrow.”
Stacey King
Stacey King of Reed Springs, Missouri is in fourth place. His 14.53 pound limit included a 5.30 beauty.
“Fishing was pretty hard actually, and I really wouldn’t have had such a good stringer if I hadn’t caught that one big one, but that’s the way it works out. I got lucky and got him,” said a thankful King.
“I’m fishing fairly close (to the launch site) and I’m fishing deep structure primarily. I’m trying to catch shallow fish early in the morning, and then I’m fishing deep structure the rest of the day. I caught six keepers today, and I think I can get some bites tomorrow. We’ll just have to go out and see what happens. I’m going to change a few areas. I’ve got a lot more places I’m going to fish. I’ve fished here all my life, so I know the lake very well and I’m going to change up on some areas but other than that I’ll fish the same way as today. The lures and technique will be the same,” explained King.
Jeff Hager
In fifth with 13.64 on Day 1, Jeff Hager of Alexis, NC said, “I got a lot of bites today, probably about 8-9 keeper bites (and I also missed 4-5 keepers) plus I probably caught 15 to 18 short fish. I caught a lot of fish today and had a lot of fun. I was pretty much flipping and swimming a jig all day.”
The full field fishes Days 1 & 2 while just the top 15 fish the final Day 3. The top 15 in the PAA Tournament Series Angler of Year standings at end of this event qualify for the 2013 Toyota Texas Bass Classic world championship on Lake Conroe in Conroe, TX in October 2013.
The top 15 at the end of Day 1 are:
| First Name |
Last Name |
Hometown |
State |
Big Bass | Day 1 Total Weight |
Deficit |
|
| 1 | Shane | Long | Willard | MO | 6.20 | 17.53 | |
| 2 | James | Watson | Waynesville | MO | 15.98 | -1.55 | |
| 3 | Fred | Roumbanis | Bixby | OK | 14.55 | -2.98 | |
| 4 | Stacey | King | Reeds Spring | MO | 5.30 | 14.53 | -3.00 |
| 5 | Jeff | Hager | Alexis | NC | 13.64 | -3.89 | |
| 6 | Jim | Dillard | Houston | AR | 13.56 | -3.97 | |
| 7 | Kevin | Jackson | Monett | MO | 13.30 | -4.23 | |
| 8 | Whitney | Stephens | Waverly | OH | 5.62 | 13.29 | -4.24 |
| 9 | Brian | Snowden | Reeds Spring | MO | 13.18 | -4.35 | |
| 10 | Shinichi | Fukae | Palestine | TX | 12.81 | -4.72 | |
| 11 | Doc | Seger | Kimberling City | MO | 6.71 | 12.77 | -4.76 |
| 12 | Casey | Scanlon | Lenexa | KS | 12.68 | -4.85 | |
| 13 | Russ | Lane | Prattville | AL | 12.60 | -4.93 | |
| 14 | Mike | Williamson | Fort Smith | AR | 12.53 | -5.00 | |
| 15 | Greg | Ryan | Nixa | MO | 12.42 | -5.11 |
In 11th, pro Doc Seger of Kimberling City, MO had the biggest bass of Day 1, weighing 6.71 lbs. He’s in the running to win a Humminbird 898 c SI unit (valued at $1,500) which will be awarded to the pro who weighs the overall biggest bass of the event.
For a full list of pro results visit www.FishPAA.com
Co-Angler Results
Wataru Iwahori of Palestine, TX leads the co-angler competition with 3 fish weighing 8.36 lbs. Iwahori credited Game & Fish/Sportsman Magazine pro Tim Carini with putting the pair on good fish all day. Iwahori said he used a relatively new 6-3/4” Gary Yamamoto Pro Senko on a shakey jig to coax tight-lipped suspended bass into the boat. He’s followed by Brandon Durr of Republic, MO in second place with 2 fish weighing 6.74 lbs.
Durr also earned the Daily Big Bass award of $250 for weighing the biggest bass (4.72 lbs) on the co-angler side.
For a full list of co-angler results visit www.FishPAA.com
Day 2 & Final Day 3 Activities
Come see the pros and co-anglers take off Friday and Saturday mornings at 6:30 am at the State Park Marina, 380 State Park Drive, Branson (near the dam).
Stop by to watch the pros weigh-in at the State Park Marina on Friday at 3:00 pm.
Co-angler competition concludes and co-angler awards will be bestowed at the State Park Marina after the Day 2 weigh-in.
Just the top 15 pros fish on Saturday and the final weigh-in and awards will be at the Bass Pro Shops at Branson Landing by the fountain on Saturday at 4:30 pm.
Also on Saturday from 12:30-3:30 pm, stop by to meet and greet the pros prior to final weigh-in at Bass Pro Shops at Branson Landing.
Some More Good Intel On Chesapeake From A Semi-Local Guide!
Shortly after I posted the FLW press release on the College Fishing event set to take place on Chesapeake Bay, I got this bit of info from Michael Hall who will fish the EverStart tourney on the same water next week. Michael was my pro partner at a Bassmaster Open on Toho a couple of years ago. We had a great day and caught some nice fish.
I won a chunk of change in that tourney and I owe Mr. Hall credit for an assist in that endevour.
By the way. if you need a fishing guide in the Potomac River/Lake Anna region of Virginia, Michael Hall is your man. Find him on Facebook
He had this to say about the Chesapeake:
Vance I hope you and the family are doing well. Going up to Northeast MD. To fish Chesapeake Everstart 12-14 September. Interesting place never seen such a variety of habitat. Keep writing those great articles and catching those big bass. Joshua 1:9
Thanks Michael - and good luck!
FLW College Fishing Action on Chesapeake Should Produce Solid Weights
Arey Expects Paa Qualifier On Table Rock Lake To Be A 'grind' Tournament
The PAA tournament on Missouri's Table Rock Lake Labor Day week is going to be a “grind,” according to pro angler Matt Arey of Shelby, N.C.
“I am sure it's going to be a tough one. The water has been up, but I just checked and for the past couple of days it has been falling. I was kind of hoping for high water so there would be a bush bite. That's how guys caught them in the PAA on Table Rock a few years ago.”
He expects there will be a shallow-water bite for largemouths next week and a deep-water bite for spotted bass and smallmouth, although the smallmouth probably will not be much of a factor.
“You might catch one accidentally, but they are not something to target because they move so much. They are here one day and gone the next,” he said.
Arey also predicted it will not be a heavy-weigh tournament.
“I think if you can catch 10 to 15 pounds a day it will be a big factor. It's a phenomenal fishing lake and they weigh in 20-pound bags out there, but it's fishing a lot tougher right now. We'll be there for the worst week of the year, but that's typical for Labor Day about anywhere you go in the country.
“And it's the same for everybody. That's what I love about competitive fishing – figuring them out.”
Arey is coming off a good, if not spectacular year on the FLW Tour – finishing 22nd in the points standings and 18th in the Forrest Wood cup on Louisiana's Red River two weeks ago – is hoping to hold his own in the PAA standings at Table Rock. He is ranked No. 5 going into the Table Rock tournament after finishing 9th in the PAA Series tournament on Douglas Lake in March and 12th in the PAA tournament on Fort Loudon-Tellico in May.
“My goal is to stay in the top five in the points so I don't have to worry about going to Grand Lake,” he said.
Since anglers are allowed to drop their lowest placing tournament, Arey is already qualified for the Toyota Texas Bass Classic (TTBC) to be held October 4-6, 2013 at Lake Conroe in Conroe, Texas, but this is a split year on the PAA circuit with double-qualifying set up for anglers to fish the 2014 TTBS next May at Lake Fork in Alba, Texas.
If he manages to stay in the top 5 in points through the Table Rock tournament he will also qualify for the 2014 TTBA. However, if he slips, he would have to travel to Grand Lake at Grove, Okla., Nov. 8-10, to fish the final qualifier for 2014.
The TTBC takes the top 15 anglers from PAA, B.A.S.S. and FLW for a shootout of the best of the best each year.
Arey said he is already feeling some excitement for another major championship – the 2014 Forrest Wood Cup, which will be held on Lake Murray near Columbia, S.C., next Aug. 14-17 – because it will be just a short two-hour drive from his home in Shelby.
But he is not allowing that excitement to get him too worked up at this point, he said.
“I've never fished Lake Murray past April before, just pre-spawn and spawn, so I've never been down on the lake in the summertime. The last time the Forrest Wood cup was held on Lake Murray was in 2008 and I only fished half the FLW season that year so I did not have an opportunity to fish it,” Arey said.
“I'm extremely excited, but I told my wife when we left Louisiana (after the Forrest Wood Cup on the Red River) that I don't even want to talk about it until after June next year. The last Tour event next year is the last week of June so I will basically have a whole month to fish Lake Murray.”
Professional Anglers Association (PAA )
Sept 5-7, 2013
Table Rock Lake
Call 270-527-2030
Anglers Signing Up For Toyota No Entry Fee Bonus Bucks Team Tournament On Wheeler Lake
The first Toyota No Entry Fee Bonus Bucks Team Tournament last year on North Carolina's Lake Norman was such a tremendous success and a big hit with the fishermen that Toyota is doing it again this year, this time on Wheeler Lake in Alabama Sept. 8.
The fishermen love it because Toyota treats them royally, the top 30 teams are guaranteed a paycheck and the winner takes home $5,000 in cash. They also like the opportunity to fish some of the finest bass lakes in the country.
“Things are shaping up very well for the tournament,” said Alan McGuckin of Dynamic Sponsorships in Tulsa, Okla., which manages promotional events for Toyota. “We've got a lot of anglers already registered and with Wheeler being in the Geo-center of all things bass fishing we will continue to get registrations right up to the cut-off.”
McGuckin said pre-registration will end Sept. 2, Labor Day, so organizers will know how many angling teams to prepare for and how much food to order.
“A big part of this event is the fellowship and a big part of fellowship is food,” he said. “We will feed all the participants on Saturday night before the tournament with a sit-down dinner at Ingall's Pavilion and then we'll feed them a big barbecue lunch on Sunday, too.”
The tournament will be held out of Ingalls Harbor at Decatur, Ala.
McGuckin said that Toyota, which became a major player in the professional bass fishing field in 2006, recognizes that bass fishermen are a key part of their target audience because they tow boats “and it takes a full-sized truck to tow a bass boat.”
“Bass fishermen have responded with great allegiance and loyalty,” McGuckin said. “ They have purchased a lot of Toyota Trucks, especially the Tundra, and this is a way to say 'thanks' and provide a little fellowship among all those guys who have been so loyal.”
McGuckin explained that at least one member of a two-man team must be registered in the Toyota Bonus Bucks Program. To join Toyota Bonus Bucks, an angler must own or lease a 2009 or newer Toyota Tundra, Sequoia, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser or Tacoma, then register online at www.ToyotaFishing.com, or call Kendell at 918-742-6424. A registered angler who is the highest finishing eligible participant in a FLW or B.A.S.S. affiliated tournament wins the Bonus Bucks. Toyota launched the Bonus Bucks Program in 2008.
However, full-time professional anglers are not eligible to fish the No Entry Fee Bonus Bucks Team Tournament, McGuckin said. Other currently registered Bonus Bucks participants are eligible for the tournament.
Another bonus of the now annual tournament for Bonus Bucks anglers is the opportunity to meet and talk with some of the top professional anglers who drive Toyota Trucks. Expected at the Saturday registration and dinner are Kevin VanDam, Terry Scroggins, Gerald Swindle, David Walker and Randy Howell.
McGuckin said Wheeler was chosen this year because Toyota wants to take the tournament to as many different geographic areas as possible to give more angles an opportunity to fish in it.
“We realize the guys fishing with us are working men who don't have a lot of free time. So we plan to take the tournament to different parts of the country to give more anglers the chance to sample it.”
Fishing is expected to be good on Wheeler for the tournament, he added.
“I can't say right now how fishing is on Wheeler or what it will be like for the tournament, but it is on the Tennessee River which has a legendary reputation in bass fishing circles,” McGuckin said. “Wheeler has a lot of fish. It's not a heavyweight lake, but there should be a lot of bass caught.”
He noted that VanDam believes a lipless crankbait will play a major role.
Second Annual Toyota No Entry Fee Bonus Bucks Team Tournament
Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013
Lake Wheeler
Decatur, Ala.
Details: Kendell, 918-742-6424
More on Elite Series Rookie of the Year Hank Cherry
Hank Cherry of Maiden, N.C., took home the Bassmaster Rookie of the Year title at the final regular seasonBassmaster Elite Series tournament of the year, the Plano Championship Chase. Photo by Seigo Saito/Bassmaster
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Nobody touches Hank Cherry’s favorite hat. It’s old and ragged — frayed and fragrant with odors of fish, dog slobber and sweat — but it’s always, always in the North Carolina pro’s blue and black Livingston Lures-wrapped Skeeter.
That good luck touchstone seems to be working for Cherry, who wrapped up his first Bassmaster Elite Series season with the 2013 Rookie of the Year award. Accumulating 507 points for the season put Cherry in 14th place in the Toyota Angler of the Year race. He secured a berth in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic and finished 40 points ahead of his closest rookie competitor, Clifford Pirch of Payson, Ariz., who finished 30th in AOY points.
“We both had really good years,” Cherry said. “If it had been the other way around, I would have been happy for him.”
Despite the well wishes he has for Pirch, Cherry has had his eye on the ROY trophy, and more, for some time.
“My goal at the beginning of the year was to win Rookie of the Year,” Cherry said. “All of those guys in the rookie class are big names, and I felt like I needed to win to help boost my resume.”
That resume drew the attention of at least one new major sponsor, Evan Williams Bourbon, which was attracted to him after his impressive third place in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic, followed by fourth in the Bassmaster Elite Series West Point Lake Battle. Overall during his Rookie year, Cherry placed in the money in six of the eight events on the Elite Series tour for 2013, a noteworthy feat even for a seasoned Elite pro.
“Rubbing elbows with the talented pros fishing the Elite Series has been surreal in many ways,” Cherry said. He’s been grateful for time spent with fellow Elite pros and friends like Gerald Swindle, Terry Scroggins and Britt Myers.
“There are lots of places we go where I have zero experience, so I’m lucky I can talk fishing with them,” Cherry said. “Being part of the Elite Series is real humbling. Special is a lackluster word. It’s been everything I imagined. I’ve watched most of these guys on TV, and I’m going to dinner with them and talking fishing with them — it’s pretty unreal.”
According to Cherry, this has been his “road to redemption” year. A third place at the Classic was not his objective. In addition to the Rookie of the Year title, he planned to win Angler of the Year and the Bassmaster Classic in 2013.
“I feel like I let myself and a lot of people down when I didn’t win the Classic,” Cherry said. “This year, it’s a different lake, but it’s still a three-day tournament, cold water, clear water and there may be a jerkbait bite going on. If all those come together in a perfect storm, I’m going to be tough to beat, I’m just excited to get back.”
While weather factors and the bass bite can’t be predicted, one thing is certain. Cherry will have the lucky hat with him on Lake Guntersville because, “It never leaves the boat.”
When he’s home, Cherry enjoys taking his 3 1/2-year-old son, Christian, fishing, a sport he learned from his great grandmother and his father.
“When I got old enough to cast, I took a lot of trips to Lake Wiley,” Cherry said. “One day, I caught two 7-pounders on back-to-back casts, and I was hooked after that.”
That early start led to tournament fishing , in which he excelled.
“One day, I sat down with my wife to talk about fishing (Bassmaster) Opens,” said Cherry, who was working as a liquor brand manager for a distributing company. “We looked at the schedules, and they were decent and not too expensive. I said, ‘Let’s give it a couple of years and see what happens.’”
After two years of fishing the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Opens Series, Cherry prepared for the October 2012 Smith Lake Opens tournament, the third and final event of his second season.
“When I left for Smith Lake, I said, ‘If I qualify, this is it. If not, I come home.’ Then I won by 1 ounce,” Cherry said.
Not only did he earn enough points to qualify for the Elite Series, but the win also ensured a berth in the Classic.
He’s open about his faith, which tells him he’s chosen the right path, not only for himself but for his wife, Jaclyn, his baby daughter, Bella Grace, and his son.
“It wasn’t too long ago that I was baptized,” Cherry said. “It put me at peace. I’ve learned there’s a time and place for everything, and everything is possible in God’s time. I’m true to my family and true to my faith. You choose your own path. God gives us all the groundwork. It’s up to us to make sure we walk the right path and choose the right direction.”
With his designation as ROY, Cherry earned an instant-in for Toyota All-Star Week and Evan Williams Bourbon Championship. The competition, which will showcase the talents of 14 Elite anglers, will take place Sept. 27-29 on Michigan’s Muskegon Lake.
The postseason is one last Bassmaster tournament for the year, but for Cherry, his leap of faith in becoming a bass fishing pro is always on his mind.
“Every day, I wake and tell myself, it’s happening,” Cherry said. “I’m doing it.”
Sportsman's Warehouse Labor Day Weekend Report and Preview!
With Labor Day weekend coming up this weekend, we take a look at some hot baits to throw RIGHT NOW with SW Fishing Manager Craig Baird. Open all day this Monday as well as online 24/7 at Sportsman's Warehouse.com!
Rat-L-Trap Shootout Set for October 5th on Lake Fork
Rat-L-Trap, the world’s best-known Lip-Less crank-bait, is holding their 1st Lake Fork “Rat-L-Trap Shootout Tournament” on Saturday, October 5, 2013. Lake Fork has the reputation of being the “Fishing Capital of Texas” and currently holds the state record largemouth at 18 lbs., 3.5ozs. Lake Fork is definitely one of the premier bass lakes not only in Texas but also in the entire United States.
This inaugural event is expecting a huge turnout, and we are looking for a little help in getting the word out this year. We hope to see you there and hope you relay this email to as many anglers as possible.
What makes this tournament even more exciting is the fact that anglers can only use Bill Lewis “Rat-L-Traps” which helps level the playing field for everyone. You can download your entry form and rules at www.rat-l-trap.com (see links below). If you have any questions, please call 1-800-633-4861.
“Fisherman’s Inn”, located at 2933 Texas 154 Quitman, TX 75783 (903) 878-2137 will be the tournament headquarters and giving all participants a “Fisherman’s Discount”. So make sure to ask for your discount when making your reservations.
Tournament will be held at “Minnow Bucket Marina” 3035 Texas 154 Quitman, TX 75783, (903) 878-2500.
Come compete against some of the best anglers on Lake Fork.
For details:
Rat-L-Trap Shootout Event brochure: http://goo.gl/yzFZgs
Rat-L-TrapShootoutRegistration:http://www.rat-l-trap.com/siteuploads/editorimg/file/Entry_LakeFork.pdf
Rat-L-Trap Shootout Rules: http://goo.gl/1TdU05
Check out Rat-L-Trap on Facebook at this link: http://goo.gl/8rmHSb
FLW Bans THE RIG for 2014 Tour Level Events
FLW has announced a new rule for the 2014 Tour season. The organization made an amendment to Rule 12, Permitted Fishing Methods, whcih now states: "Albama Rigs and similar umbrella-type rigs are not permitted".
The umbrella rig ban only applies to the FLW Tour. Alabam Rigs are still in play for EverStarts and BFL's.
Newly-crowned Forrest Wood Cup Champ Randall Tharp agrees with the decision. "It's definitely a step in the right direction. From the very first tournament of the year I saw where this was heading. The biggest reason I didn't like it was that it made a whole lot of other technologies obsolete and that's not good for the sport. The question for me was: Where do you draw the line? At Beaver Lake some people were throwing 20 baits on one rig. So where does it end? I realize that new technology has always been part of the sport, but I think in this case, FLW did a good job drawing a line where they did."
Bienville Plantation Offers Big Bass Blast and Little Fish Tournament - Something for Everyone!
The 3rd Bienville Big Bass Blast produced another round of solid 3-fish limits. Ray Hill and Ron Ryals won this edition with 15.54 pounds. They won $2,696.40.
Jimmy Johnson (no, not the race car driver) and Trevor Corbitt lead the series in overall points after 3 events.
Entry fee for the Big Bass Blast is $450 per team and includes a day of practice. So 2 anglers can enjoy famed Bienville Plantation for two days at a discounted rate and possibky score some big cash while doing so.
For just $150 per team you can spend 2 days competing in Bienville Plantation's Little Fish Tournament. Same lakes, same fun, just throw back the big bass (after taking a picture with them of course) and weigh-in anything between 10-and-17 inches. These crumbsnatchers will be relocated to nearby lakes in order to continue to improve the average size of fish in Bienville's Lake 14.
Competition dates, times: September 7th from 1:00 PM until 8:30 PM, and September 8th from safelight until 3:00 PM.
Bring cash to the ramp at Lake 14 on September 7th, but call now to reserve your spot as space is limited! Call 386-397-1989 or 386-365-0295. You can also email [email protected].
Everybody within striking distance of North Florida/South Georgia needs to experience the fishing at Bienville Plantation. Bring some big crankbaits, topwater plugs, structure jigs & football jigs, and your favorite flipping lures.
High water has put multiple patterns in play. Some big bass have been pulled from heavy shoreline cover including vines where squirels usually live and some thick hydrilla and hyacinth mats in parts of the lake.
Then again, there are always schools of big bass on the numerous points, bars and drops throughout Lake 14.
Good luck!
Big bass eat big bait at Bienville Plantation.
VICIOUS VISION SIGNS CREWS
Forsyth, MO – Vicious Vision Premium Polarized Eyewear has added another powerful angler to its team with the addition of B.A.S.S. Pro Angler, John Crews. Crews finished the 2013 season ranked seventh in the Angler of the Year race and is set to fish his first Toyota All-Star Event in late September before going on to compete in his eighth Bassmaster Classic on Guntersville in February of 2014.
John has been on the B.A.S.S. Pro Tour since 2000. During that time he has 17 Top Ten finishes and one B.A.S.S. Elite Series win. Outside of fishing on the professional tour, Crews is also the owner of Missile Baits, a Tackle the Storm Foundation board member and a Professional Anglers Association (PAA) board member.
Crews, commenting on the product, said "I have used a number of different sunglasses, including all the most popular brands. Once I was able to wear the Vicious Pro Series with Xperio UVTM lenses, I could see a big difference. They were crystal clear and glare was drastically reduced. It seems like I can also see so much more underwater with them. These glasses are the optical advantage I have been looking for."
Dr. Doug Jordan, owner, added, “John is an accomplished and respected tour angler, which we love, but he also comes to us with a strong background of moving this industry forward through his work with the PAA and Tackle the Storm. Guys like him will be great brand and product ambassadors for years to come.”
About Vicious Vision
Offering a full line of performance eyewear under the trademark of Vicious Vision, the company is owned and operated by Dr. Doug Jordan. Jordan is a 20+ year veteran of the eyecare and optical field. He co-owns a large optometric practice with multiple locations in the southwest Missouri area. Doug and his team are dedicated to delivering the highest quality optics and eye protection at the best price. For more information regarding Vicious Vision, its family of products or where to purchase, visit Vicious-Vision.com.
Follow-up: ABA Renames Tournament Series to the Weekend Bass Tour
Athens, Ala. – American Bass Anglers announces the renaming of its Weekend Series to the Weekend Bass Tour. The Weekend Bass Tour consist of 20 divisions with 5 divisional events each with a Boater/Co-Angler format. Professional crews will continue to operate these divisions for the weekend bass angler as it has done for years.
Each of the divisions will host 4 one-day divisional events and 1 two-day divisional championship. Divisional one-day events have an entry fee of $200 for boaters and $100 for co-anglers. First place can earn as much as $13,000 from winnings and sponsor bonuses. Two-day divisional championship entry fees are $300 for the boaters and $150 for the co-anglers. First place at a two-day divisional championship could earn as much as $16,000 from winnings and sponsor bonuses.
From Divisional Championships, anglers advance to Regional Championships with a 100 percent payout. Top boaters from each Regional Championship qualify for the $100,000 first place and top co-anglers will qualify for the $50,000 first place at the 2014 National Championship.
ABA will provide several enhancements for the 2014 season such as;
• Increased payouts
• No online entry handling fees
• Only an ABA membership required with new benefits
• New Division(s)
• Very special news coming soon on the 2014 Championship
The Weekend Bass Tour 2014 schedule will be announced in early October and registration will begin October 21, 2013.
About American Bass Anglers
ABA was formed in 1974 as the Military Bass Anglers Association and continues its pledge to offer low-cost, close-to-home tournaments to all weekend anglers nationwide. In addition to the newly named Weekend Bass Tour, ABA offers the American Fishing Tour, the American Couples Series and Military Team Bass Tournaments. For information about ABA, contact Morris Sheehan, president, [email protected], (256) 232-0406
B.a.s.s., Aba End Licensing Agreement For Weekend Series
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A licensing agreement that grants American Bass Anglers Inc. (ABA) the use of B.A.S.S. marks with respect to the Weekend Series will not be renewed after 2013, ABA and B.A.S.S. LLC announced in a joint statement today.
“The agreement, which began in 2007, will end Dec. 31. ABA, based in Athens, Ala., will continue to conduct a series of one- and two-day professional bass fishing tournaments named the Weekend Bass Tour, or WBT,” said Morris Sheehan, president of ABA. “ABA will continue to offer well-run weekend tournaments for its members and other anglers throughout the country. The newly named tour will not be associated with B.A.S.S. or its brands.”
“The Bassmaster Weekend Series has enabled B.A.S.S. members to compete on fisheries in their local regions, and we are grateful to ABA for providing those opportunities,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “The time has come to consider other grass-roots formats, including some that will enhance the B.A.S.S. Nation network of competitive events. We wish ABA success in its endeavors.”
“We are proud of our association with B.A.S.S. and the Bassmaster brand over the past seven years,” Sheehan said. “American Bass Anglers, our staff and our tournament directors throughout the country have always been dedicated to serving weekend fishermen, and we will continue that tradition in the years to come.”
Roumbanis Gets Good News As Classic Field Begins To Take Shape
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — With the conclusion of the 2013 Bassmaster Elite Series, the majority of the 2014 Bassmaster Classic field is now set. Forty-four of the 56 eventual competitors in the “Super Bowl” of bass fishing have been identified.
The remainder of the field will be determined via three remaining Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens, the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Bassmaster Classic Bracket, the Toyota Bassmaster Weekend Series operated by American Bass Anglers and the Bassmaster Wild Card tournament.
The Wild Card — a new event in the Bassmaster lineup — will be held Dec. 7 at Lake Okeechobee, Fla. It is open to Elite Series anglers and pros who fished three or more Bassmaster Opens this year but failed to qualify through those circuits.
The 56 qualifiers will vie for first-place prize money of $500,000 at the 44th Bassmaster Classic on Alabama’s Lake Guntersville, Feb. 21-23, 2014. Birmingham, which is headquarters for B.A.S.S., will be the host city.
Though the field of competitors is not complete, it is already star-studded and rich in history. It boasts seven former Classic champions (including reigning champ Cliff Pace and four-time winner Kevin VanDam) and seven reigning and former Toyota Bassmaster Anglers of the Year (including newly crowned AOY Aaron Martens).
Texas pro Gary Klein will be fishing his 30th Classic (only the legendary Rick Clunn has qualified for more with 32), and Arkansas will be represented once again — as it has been in every previous championship — with at least one competitor. Stephen Browning and Mark Davis (winner of the 1995 Classic) both reside in the Natural State. And for the first time, three anglers born in Japan will be competing, including 2004 champion Takahiro Omori.
Six of the qualifiers will be making their Classic debuts (Josh Bertrand, Patrick Bone, Rich Howes, David Kilgore, Clifford Pirch and Chris Zaldain). More Classic rookies will certainly come from the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, the Weekend Series and the College Series Classic Bracket.
Fred Roumbanis of Bixby, Okla., is breathing a sigh of relief. He’s the last of the Elite Anglers to make the cut at this point. One or more of the next three pros in the points ranking could gain entry, depending upon who wins the three remaining Opens. According to B.A.S.S. rules, an angler who wins an Open and fishes all three Opens in a division gains a berth. If he or she does not fish the entire division, or if the winner is an Elite Series angler who is already qualified, the invitation goes to the next Elite pro on the list.
On the watch list are, in order, Jason Williamson of Aiken, S.C.; Boyd Duckett of Demopolis, Ala.; and Brandon Card of Caryville, Tenn.
Here is an alphabetical list of competitors and their hometowns:
Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C.
Josh Bertrand, Gilbert, Ariz.
Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla.
Patrick Bone, Cleveland, Ga.
Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark. (contingent on his competing in two remaining Central Opens)
Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan.
Hank Cherry, Maiden, N.C.
Jason Christie, Park Hill, Okla.
Keith Combs, Huntington, Texas
John Crews, Salem, Va.
Cliff Crochet, Pierre Part, La.
Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark.
Ott DeFoe, Knoxville, Tenn.
Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla.
Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas
Randy Howell, Springville, Ala.
Richard Howes, Oviedo, Fla.
Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas
Steve Kennedy, Auburn, Ala.
David Kilgore, Jasper, Ala.
Gary Klein, Weatherford, Texas
Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla.
Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala.
Bill Lowen, Brookville, Ind.
Aaron Martens, Leeds, Ala.
Yusuke Miyazaki, Forney, Texas
Ish Monroe, Hughson, Calif.
Rick Morris, Virginia Beach, Va.
John Murray, Phoenix, Ariz.
Takahiro Omori, Emory, Texas
Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss.
Brandon Palaniuk, Rathdrum, Idaho
Clifford Pirch, Payson, Ariz.
Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif.
Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
Fred Roumbanis, Bixby, Okla.
Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla.
Morizo Shimizu, Osaka, Japan
Gerald Swindle, Warrior, Ala.
Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala.
David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn.
Chris Zaldain, San Jose, Calif.
Elite Series Finale Settled a Lot of Questions
Chris Lane won the Bassmaster Elite Series Plano Championship Chase Sunday with a 4-day total weight of 82 pounds 4 ounces. The former Floridian, current Alabamian sacked 4 consecutive limits of smallmouth bass. His margin of victory was 5-7 over Mark Davis of Mount Ida, Ark.
Through the win, Lane, the 2012 Bassmaster Classic champ, got his 2014 Bassmaster Classic ticket punched — what he came into the Chase to achieve. From Guntersville, Ala., he was set on qualifying for the 2014 world championship on his home water of Lake Guntersville.
The win was also his first in the Bassmaster Elite Series and a $100,000 payday. Lane got the ball rolling around midday.
“I got that killer instinct,” he said. “I got focused in. I said, ‘I need to catch some big ones, I need to catch a good one.’ And that’s when I caught my biggest fish of the day.”
It weighed about 4 1/2 pounds, he estimated. With 17 to 18 pounds already in the livewell, he was on his way to building his day’s total to 19-11.
“Mark’s been catching 20-plus pounds a day, and I was a pound behind,” Lane said. “I figured he was going to come in with another 20, and I would need more. I knew I had to gear up and not be content.”
Lane’s winning pattern was drifting a drop shot rig with a 1/4-ounce weight in current at the Lake Huron mouth of the St. Clair River. The current held baitfish, and smallmouth bass were feeding on them.
Davis, the 1995 Classic winner who also owns three Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year trophies, led on Days 2 and 3. On Day 4, one bass shy of a five-fish limit, Davis’ weight was 13-3. He finished at 76-13 in the runner-up spot.
Davis made the dicey run to Lake Erie each day. He headed to one area that held big smallmouth bass, but not many of them. To catch them, he drop shotted a Strike King Dream Shot or a 6-inch Roboworm.
Sunday, unlike the other three days, he could not boat a fifth keeper.
“That fifth fish got off twice today,” Davis said. “I about cried. A 4 1/2 was right at the boat; I fought it forever. The other one was a 3 1/2-pounder. Those two fish would have won for me.”
But Davis pinned his failure to take the trophy on four other lost smallmouth bass. They came unbuttoned on the first day, when Lane led the full field of 99 pros. Davis said they were two 4-pounders, a 5 and one more than 6.
“You just cannot do that and win an event like this,” he said.
It wasn’t for lack of trying that Davis did not win. He made a brave run daily to his fish – a move that surprised many, as it was uncharacteristic for him.
The trip to Erie entails leaving from Harrison Township, covering much of Lake St. Clair, navigating the Detroit River, where big yachts and even bigger commercial ships produce wakes that can easily swamp a low-profile bass boat. If the wind kicks up, the waves of Erie make for a ‘sporty’ ride. The run can jar the bones, and eat away precious fishing time.
In fact, Davis said, the highlight of his second day was his safe return to the check-in point on Lake St. Clair.
Saturday’s run was again hard, but not because of high winds on Erie.
“The trip back was fine until you got to the river (Detroit River),” he said. “That river was horrendous. It was so bad, I stopped three times just to take a break and keep water on my fish. The water (in the livewell) bounces around so much, it runs out the overflow.”
Particularly hard was the stretch on the river with concrete walls that ricochet huge wakes produced by big boats. It’s called the Miracle Mile.
“I think it ought to be called the Miracle 20 Miles.” he said. “For 20 miles, it was as bad a water as you can imagine.”
The 2008 Classic champ Alton Jones of Lorena, Texas, jumped from 12th place to take third with 76-6. Jones weighed the day’s largest bag of 22-3.
2004 Classic winner, Takahiro Omori of Emory, Texas landed in 4th place with 76-0, including the day’s biggest bass at 5-11. Michigan native Nate Wellman of Newaygo rounded out the Top 5 at 75-11.
photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala. was awarded the 2013 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year trophy after the Day 3 weigh in.
“This is one of the best days of my entire career,” Martens said as he accepted the huge piece of hardware. Then, as Martens started to say he regretted that his family wasn’t with him to share in his victory, his wife and children appeared on stage.
“It just got better,” Martens grinned.
Martens began the Chase 30 ticks behind points leader Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla. Evers, who led the AOY race after five consecutive events, fell out of the Chase Friday by missing the Top 50 cut. In 54th place, unable to earn more points, Evers left the door open for Martens.
“It is what it is,” Evers said on Friday. “I’ve had a great year, something to be proud of.”
Martens, who has been through several near misses in attempts to add a twin to his first AOY trophy in 2005, was thinking about Evers.
“I feel for Edwin,” the Alabama pro said. “I have a lot of respect for him. He’s a great angler.”
Fortunately, Martens won the AOY on Saturday because, while he qualified to fish in Sunday’s final round, he didn’t weigh in. Reportedly, a broken jackplate bolt left him unable to travel back to the check-in point.
He told tournament officials that he released the five fish in his livewell, which weighed about 20 pounds.
With the regular Elite Series season coming to a close, 38 Bassmaster Classic qualifiers were set in stone.
The first cut was at place No. 29 on the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points standings.
Double-qualifiers through wins in previous events or unclaimed Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens qualifications extended the cut to 38 which means Davis, now 32nd in AOY points, qualified to fish the Classic via his improved standing in the points race. Davis entered the Chase 47th in points.
Elite pros earned other awards at the Showdown:
* 2013 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year, $100,000: Martens for amassing the highest number of points over the eight events of the regular Elite season.
*2013 Bassmaster Rookie of the Year: Hank Cherry of Maiden, N.C.
* Carhartt Big Bass of the 2013 season, $2,000 and a Carhartt Green Jacket: Matt Greenblatt of Port St. Lucie, Fla., for his 10-13 on March 22, the second day of the Rigid Industries Falcon Slam on Falcon Lake out of Zapata, Texas.
* Second-place Carhartt Big Bass of the season, $1,250: Tommy Biffle of Wagoner, Okla., for his 6-12 on Day 1 of the West Point, Ga., event.
* Third-place Carhartt Big Bass of the season, $1,000: Kelly Jordon of Palestine, Texas, for his 6-4 on Day 1 of the Montgomery, Ala., event.
* Fourth-place Carhartt Big Bass of the season, $750: Terry Scroggins of San Mateo, Fla., for his 6-1 on Day 2 of the Orange, Texas event.
* Fifth-place Carhartt Big Bass of the season: A tie at 5-13 between Steve Kennedy of Auburn Ala., Day 3 of the Waddington, N.Y. event, and Alton Jones of Lorena, Texas, Day 3 in this week’s Detroit event; $250 each.
* Carhartt Big Bass of the Plano Championship Chase, worth $1,000 plus another $500 for wearing Carhartt apparel: Jones for his 5-13 on Day 3.
* Berkley Heavyweight Award of $500 for the best five-fish limit: Lane for his 22-15 bag of Day 3.
* Luck-E-Strike Comeback Award of $500: Lane, who moved up 19 places in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points standings, from 53rd place into 34th place.
* Power-Pole Captain’s Cash award of $1,000 to the highest finisher equipped with Power-Poles: Lane
* Livingston Lures Leader Award of $500 for heading up the leaderboard on the second day: Davis
About his Bassmaster Rookie of the Year title, Cherry said:
“I’m proud of it. I worked hard for it.” He won by 40 points over Cliff Pirch of Payson, Ariz.
Cherry’s solid Chase finish in 30th place helped him pass Pirch.
“I take my hat off to him; he’s a great fisherman,” said Cherry.
Cherry’s ROY award comes with an entry in the Sept. 27-29 postseason, the Toyota All-Star Week and Evan Williams Bourbon Championship on Muskegon Lake out of Muskegon, Mich.
Cherry will be up against 13 other Elite pros vying for a piece of $100,000. The postseason winner will take $50,000 of the purse.
Hank Cherry is the 2013 Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie of the Year
Lay Lake Bass Fishing On Fire For Airport Marine Classic This Saturday
The selection of Lay Lake for the Airport Marine Tournament Trail Classic this Saturday was a result of pure luck, but tournament director Flynn Gerald could not be happier.
“We drew from the six different lakes we held the series on this year – Jordan Lake, Lake Mitchell, Lake Logan-Martin, the Alabama River, Cooter's Pond (Alabama River) and Lay Lake – and Lay Lake was the last one we drew out,” Gerald said.
The reason he couldn't be happier is that Lay Lake has been on fire.
“The lake has been giving up some big bags recently. In our last tournament down there (July 27) we had six bags over 20 pounds. I think the Classic will be a shootout.”
Not only are lots of quality fish being caught, he noted, some of them are just outstanding.
“We held the Airport Marine Midweek EZ Solo Trail Classic on Lay Lake two weeks ago and Terry Jinks won it with 20 pounds, 2 ounces. Plus, he had the biggest fish ever recorded for Lay Lake at 11.46 pounds. He caught that fish at 5:30 a.m. on a buzzbait.”
Jink's lake record bass is also the largest bass ever caught during a tournament in the State of Alabama.
“I think the fish will be caught both shallow and deep in the classic,” Gerald said. “ If the weather heats up a little bit and the sun comes out, it might make the big fish bite a little better. Lately, the water temperature has got down to about 80 degrees.”
Gerald said anglers in the Classic can launch anywhere on the lake, but they have to make their first cast at 6 o'clock. They have to be at Beeswax Landing for the weigh-in by 3 p.m.
“We had a really good turnout for the meeting and with 70-something boats we expect to have a good tournament Saturday,” he said. Everybody will get qualified for the manufacturer's bonuses – Triton, Ranger and Stratos – so if you win you will be shooting for some big bucks. We are guaranteeing $8,000 for first place and with the bonuses the winner could take home between $15,000 and $18,000.”
He added that plans are in the works to make the bonus money more accessible to more anglers next year, but details have not been worked out yet.
Gerald congratulated Bob Blackerby and Michael Brasher for winning the points championship this year. They get $1,000 in store credits and will have their entry fees paid for 2014, which amounts to $1,500 to $2,000, he said.
As soon as the Classic is over, he noted, he will launch his annual Fall Trail.
“I should have the schedule out by next Saturday and we'll kick the Fall Trail off in September,” Gerald said.
Airport Marine Tournament Trail Classic
Sat, Aug 24, 2013
Lay Lake
Launch anywhere on lake
Weigh-in at Beeswax Landing
Call Flynn Gerald 205-678-9666
Fishing Down Slightly, But Still Very Good For Bws Tennessee East Championship On Chickamauga
Chickamauga Lake may be ranked the 6th best bass lake in the nation this year, according to Bassmaster Magazine, but a veteran angler says it may not fish quite that good for the Bassmaster Weekend Series Tennessee East Division championship this weekend.
“Chickamauga has got to be the hottest lake in the country, close to it if not the top lake,” said Dale Pelfrey of Rockwood, Tenn., who will be competing in the Tennessee East Division title tournament this weekend.
“But, I don't think the tournament will be the slugfest Chickamauga usually produces,” Pelfrey added. “The fish are changing right now, so it would surprise me if somebody goes out and catches 60 pounds for the two days.”
Pelfrey said he looks for a two-day total of 40 pounds to win the championship, possibly even less.
“The weights have been down for the last couple of weeks and the fish are starting to scatter out. The grass is behind its normal schedule so the frog bite is not near what it usually is this time of year,” he said.
Adding to the problem is the release of water from Douglas Lake and other reservoirs up the Tennessee River that are going through drawdowns, Pelfrey said.
“The water in those lakes tends to get a lot colder so when it gets down to Chickamauga it cools the water down which makes the fish want to suspend and scatter out. That makes fishing a lot tougher than it was just a month ago.”
Pelfrey said anglers will probably catch fish both shallow and deep in the championship this weekend and the tournament could be won both ways.
“You can catch them on the banks pretty good, but the bigger fish are hard to come by on the banks. There are still fish deep, just not as many as there were – and they are hard to find,” he said. “However, I think whoever finds the sweet spot deep will win it. There are some giants still out deep. I love to flip the banks, but if you can find a school of fish deep I prefer to do that. There is a lot less running to do and when they are bunched up like that it's hard to beat.”
Since Pelfrey was unable to fish the Tennessee East Division tournament in April on Watts Bar where he lives he is not in contention for the division points title this year. He had two top five finishes in the three tournaments he fished – 5th at Lake Guntersville in March and 2nd at Loudon/Telling in June. His worst outing was 11th on Chickamauga in May, but he has done well on the Chick in the past. He posted two 2nd place finishes on the lake in 2012.
The top anglers from the Tennessee East Division after the championship this weekend, plus those from the South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama South and Florida divisions, will advance to the two-day regional tournament Oct. 4-5, 2013, on Lake Hartwell out of Gum Branch near Hartwell, Ga.
After the four regional tournaments, the top anglers from those events will compete in the BWS National Championship tournament Nov. 6-9 on Old Hickory Lake near Hendersonville, Tenn. The Boater Division champion will compete in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic Feb. 21-23 on Lake Guntersville in Alabama.
Bassmaster Weekend Series - Tennessee East Division
Aug 24-25, 2013
Chickamauga Lake
Dayton Boat Dock
Billy Bennedetti, 256-230-5632
Rigid Signs Multi-Year Deal With B.a.s.s., Will Act As Supporting Sponsor
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Fishing fans and anglers following the 2013 Bassmaster Elite Series could not have helped but notice the colorful Rigid Industries’ LED Lighting products on several pros’ bass boats, trailers and tow vehicles, or the glow of Rigid’s display truck and boat.
They’ll be seeing even more of those can’t-miss, marine-grade-tough LED lights. B.A.S.S. and Rigid Industries have signed a multiyear agreement for Rigid to be an Official Supporting Sponsor of multiple Bassmaster circuits.
The sponsorship includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series, Bassmaster Wild Card and the grass-roots B.A.S.S. Nation regional tournaments.
“Rigid Industries LED Lighting marine products are designed for the bass angler and help with safety on the water, while other Rigid light applications are ideal for the trailer and trucks,” said Dave Davis, director of sales for Rigid Industries. “We are ecstatic to align with B.A.S.S. as a Supporting Sponsor. We’re excited about the activation of our Skeeter-Yamaha rig stocked with more than 20 lights, and the new Rigid-stocked Toyota Tundra, which can be seen at all the upcoming Bassmaster Elite Series tournaments along with a few select other events.”
“We welcomed Rigid early this season as an Elite Series event title sponsor, so we already feel like Rigid is one of our old partners,” said Bruce Akin, CEO of B.A.S.S. “Rigid, a leader in many other industries, recognized the value of being involved with the sport and industry of bass fishing. We’re pleased Rigid chose a Bassmaster Supporting Sponsorship as its next step.”
Rigid is introducing a new contingency program for Bassmaster pros. Starting with the 2014 Bassmaster Elite Series, the Rigid Industries Big Fish Lights Jackpot program will award $250 to the pro who has the heaviest five-fish limit weighing more than 25 pounds at an event. If no pro exceeds the 25-pound, five-fish limit in an event, the $250 will carry over to the next tournament day until the 25-pound mark is broken. Anglers must have Rigid Industries LED lights on both their tow vehicle and boat to qualify for the award.
"The Rigid Industries Big Fish Lights Jackpot is a great way for an angler to win some extra cash. Who knows how big the jackpot will grow before its broken,” said Chris Brown, marine manager for Rigid Industries.
The sponsorship agreement’s term is 2014-2015. Meanwhile, Rigid will be displaying its LED-lighted Skeeter-Yamaha rig and Toyota Tundra at the regular-season Elite Series finale — the Aug. 22-25 Plano Championship Chase out of Detroit, Mich. — plus at several other Bassmaster events remaining in the 2013 season.
Rigid also will be reaching consumers through the B.A.S.S.-owned print properties, Bassmaster Magazine and B.A.S.S. Times, as well as through the TV show, The Bassmasters.
Rigid was the title sponsor of the second event of the 2013 Bassmaster Elite Series season. The Rigid Industries Falcon Slam on Falcon Lake out of Zapata, Texas, was Rigid’s debut in bass tournament activation.
Prior to that, Rigid had recently signed Elite pro Brandon Palaniuk. The young pro from Idaho went on to win the Aug. 8-11 Evan Williams Bourbon Showdown at St. Lawrence River out of Waddington, N.Y. Palaniuk runs a rig and tow vehicle equipped with Rigid lights; his truck alone has 50 of them. Rigid now sponsors several other Elite pros, including the Elite rookie from Arizona, Josh Bertrand, who finished in eighth place at the Showdown.
A new lineup of Rigid marine products for the bass industry includes the Wake Flame SL Underwater LED Lights series. The lights illuminate the water surrounding a boat with red, white, blue and green LED options. Another product line is Back Up Light Kits in the SR-M and SR-M Flush Mount, and SR-Q and SR-Q Flush Mount models. Replacing factory reverse lights, the kits increase the amount of usable light. They mount with a single-bolt system or a flush mount version to maintain that factory installed look.
Gililand Named To Head B.a.s.s. Conservation Program
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Gene Gilliland, a widely respected bass biologist and conservation advocate from Oklahoma, has been named B.A.S.S. National Conservation Director. Gilliland replaces Noreen Clough, the longtime conservation director who retired earlier this month.
“In addition to his extensive experience in fisheries management, Gene has been a leader in the B.A.S.S. Nation, an outdoor journalist, an avid tournament angler and a tireless proponent of youth fishing,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “He is a charter member of B.A.S.S., and he has been involved in the B.A.S.S. Nation Conservation program for two decades.
“America’s bass fishermen are fortunate that Gene has accepted our invitation to fill this vital role.”
Gilliland is currently assistant chief of the Fisheries Division of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. He will retire from the department on Dec. 31, 2013, and join B.A.S.S. immediately afterward. Gilliland began work with ODWC in 1982 as a fishery biologist, later rising to regional supervisor and then assistant chief of fisheries in 2010.
Gilliland said he relishes the opportunity to have a positive influence on bass fishing and on its resources.
“Everyone, from the novice angler to the dedicated B.A.S.S. member to the professional at the Bassmaster Elite Series level, has a stake — an obligation — to protect our aquatic resources,” Gilliland said. “Our challenge is to educate them, then motivate them to take action that will make a difference.”
As national conservation director, Gilliland will represent America’s bass anglers on national boards and councils involved in resource conservation. In addition, he will oversee the efforts of the 47 B.A.S.S. Nation conservation directors and work to make conservation principles relevant to every B.A.S.S. member. He will also be responsible for maintaining and improving fish care practices on each of the Bassmaster tournament circuits. Gilliland has assisted in fish care at the Bassmaster Classic each year since 1994, including the 2013 Classic in Tulsa, Okla., when 100 percent of the bass weighed in were released alive in Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees.
Gilliland credits Clough as a valuable mentor. “She worked with the B.A.S.S. Nation conservation directors and developed a vision for the conservation program’s future. Personally, she helped me better understand how to navigate government bureaucracy and get things done to improve fishing,” he said. “B.A.S.S. Conservation works with partners on so many levels — local, state, regional and national — to address the threats that our freshwater resources face. One of our biggest challenges will be helping the general public understand that what is good for the fish is good for them, too.”
Gilliland has a B.S. degree in Wildlife and Fisheries from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree in Fisheries Biology from Oklahoma State University. He is a coauthor, along with Hal Schramm, of “Keeping Bass Alive, a Guidebook for Tournament Anglers and Organizers.” He is a regular contributor to the “Bass Biology” column inB.A.S.S. Times magazine and has been published in numerous other outdoor publications.
An avid tournament angler since high school, he joined the North Oklahoma City Bassmasters in 1993 and served as the club’s president from 1999 until 2010. He was Oklahoma B.A.S.S. Nation conservation director from 2005 to 2010 and was named Conservation Director of the Year in 2009. He helped incorporate the CastingKids program into boat and tackle show programs in Oklahoma, he helped organize the Oklahoma City Junior Bassmasters club in 2005 and served as the state’s B.A.S.S. Nation youth director in 2007 and 2008.
Gilliland joined B.A.S.S. in 1969 because of its focus on friendly competition, youth fishing and protecting the resource.
“I want to continue the conservation legacy that Ray Scott and the B.A.S.S. conservation directors before me have established,” he said. “B.A.S.S. Conservation has always been a voice for anglers, fighting to preserve and enhance aquatic resources for the future of fishing. I want to make sure that our voice is still heard loud and clear.”
Piedmont Bass Classics 'End Of Year' Bass Trail Results - Kerr - Aug 10, 2013
37 teams showed up for the 3rd qualifying tournament of the 2013 Piedmont Bass Classics 'End of Year' Team
Tournament Bass Fishing Trail. The weather was great! 74 degrees in the morning with South winds at 5 mph
and getting up to about 88 degrees in the pm.
The team of Vernon Fleming & Glenn Long took 1st place honors with 5 bass weighing 17.45 lbs. and took
home $1,006. Chris Bullock & Robert Perkins won 2nd place (17.01 lbs.) plus 1st place TWT taking home
$1,227!! 3rd place team (15.60 lbs.) of Dennis Reedy & Tommy Marrow also won 2nd place TWT & 1st place
Big Fish and took home $1,191, so the money was really spread out on this event!
92 fish were weighed in for a total weight of 235 pounds. Big fish for the day was 5.05 lbs. with a close 2nd
place fish of 5.04! The quality fish were caught in 2 to 8 feet of water on a variety of baits including crankbaits,
spinnerbaits, jigs and c-rigs for the most part. Water temps were around 85 degrees.
Kerr Lake is getting back to its old self with some quality fish weighed in and Kerr's future looks good. I want
to thank all the anglers that participated and that support this trail.
5th Place team Mike Stephenson & Chad Jones had 5 bass that weighed 14.87 lbsOur next tournament will be the 2013 Piedmont Bass Classics 'End of Year' Team Tournament Bass Fishing Trail
Qualifier #4, August 24th 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: Vernon Fleming & Glenn Long of Raleigh & Henderson...5 bass...17.45 lbs...$1,006
2nd Place: Chris Bullock & Robert Perkins of Fountain & Rougemont...5 bass...17.01 lbs...$562
3rd Place: Howard & Justin Bohannon of Durham...5 bass...15.60 lbs...$444
4th Place: Dennis Reedy & Tommy Marrow of Siler City & Oxford...5 bass...15.36 lbs...$325
5th Place: Mike Stephenson & Chad Jones of Bahama & Durham...5 bass...14.87 lbs...$236
6th Place: Tony Woodard & Brandon Gray of Four Oaks & Bullock...5 bass...14.75 lbs...$207
7th Place: Mark & Larry Inman of Greensboro...5 bass...13.63 lbs...$180
1st Place Big Fish..4th Place Team above...5.05 lbs...$462
2nd Place Big Fish..Hal & John Caldwell of Wilson & Raleigh...5.04 lbs...$198
1st Place TWT..2nd Place Team above...17.01 lbs...$665
2nd Place TWT..4th Place Team above: 15.36 lbs...$285
For all of our tournament information
Contact:
Phil McCarson...Tournament Director
922 Valetta Rd.
Durham, NC 27712
Home: 919-471-1571 Cell: 919-971-5042
email: [email protected]
website: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Tim Jones Wins Division 9 Championship On Clarks Hill
Tim Jones of North Augusta did not catch a 2-day limit at the Clarks Hill two day American Bass Anglers Bassmaster Weekend Series Division 9 divisional championship tournament this past weekend, but it didn't stop him from winning the event by more than two pounds. Jones' 22.11 total weight was aided by a 7.10 lb lunker on day two that he said was nothing more than a lucky catch. "My partner threw a frog out there and the fish blew up on the frog and he snatched the frog from here and I threw the Super Fluke in there and caught her," said Jones, who pocketed over $2700.
Jones spent both tournament days fishing shakey-heads, Zoom Ol' Monster worms, and flukes like the one he said helped him get lucky. Jones wasn't about to complain about getting lucky though. After struggling on his home lake through day one, bringing only 4 fish to the weigh-in and starting day two in sixth place, Jones was happy to get a little luck.
Leesville's Sean Anderson finished second, and had the opposite kind of luck as Jones. Leading at the end of day one by over a pound, Anderson caught only two fish on Sunday, but still beat out four anglers with two-day limits (10 fish) for second place and $1362. Anderson had 16.62 lbs on day one, and finished with 19.71. He also took home $160 for Big Fish, an 8.38-pounder he caught on day one.
Brian Gunn of Savannah took third place with 19.34 with his 10 fish limit, winning $907. Andy Wicker of Pomaria finished fourth with 17.81 lbs. He won $650 and finished as the overall points leader for Division 9. Most anglers in this tournament did considerably better on one day or the other, which most attributed to the drastic change in weather--constantly raining on day one, then a mix of sun and clouds, and no rain on day two--but Wicker seemed unaffected by the change and was without a doubt the most consistent angler over the two-day period. Wicker caught 5 fish weighing 8.65 lbs on day one, followed by 9.18 on day two. Ron Brown of Charleston took fifth place with 16.31 lbs for his 10 fish and won $440.
In the co-angler division, Buddy Walden of Leesville won with 13.19 lbs for his six-fish limit and won $1276. Sammy Freeman of Irmo finished second and was the only angler in the top 5 with only 4 fish. Freeman pocketed $639 in winnings, but said finishing ahead of his son, fellow co-angler Samuel "CJ" Freeman, who finished 18th, was his biggest victory of the weekend.
Travis Malphrus of Ridgeland took third with 6 fish weighing 9.85, followed by Michael Norris of Myrtle Beach, whose two-day limit totaled 9.08 lbs. Cleveland Georgia's Robert Gambrell rounded out the top 5 with five fish weighing 8.67 lbs, winning $460. Wicker's brother Dan McGlohorn of Pomaria took sixth place, and was the only angler with three fish to finish in the money. McGlohorn's trio weighed 6.84 and put over $200 in his hand.
The Big Fish award on the co-angler side went to Eddy Morgan for his 5.29-pounder, which was Morgan's lone keeper of the weekend, earning him $75.
2013 Forrest Wood Cup Champion, Evinrude Pro Randall Tharp Reveals Primary Lure
Randall Tharp relied heavily on a swim jig and he used a Strike King Rage Craw for a trailer to catch bass where most folks would throw a frog.
Evinrude Pro Jacob Wheeler Continues to Improve as Field Slips Heading Into Final Day of 2013 Cup
Could we be getting ready to crown our first-ever repeat champion at the Forrest Wood Cup?
At first blush the Red River doesn’t look like the type of fishery that would turn out enough weight for an angler to make a four-and-a-half-pound comeback on the final day. Also, as the fish have been buzzed, frogged, flipped and shakeyed into a tizzy, weights should continue to fall. And they have.
For everybody except defending Cup champion Evinrude Pro Jacob Wheeler.
Wheeler’s weights have increased every day to a high of 14-4 (today’s heaviest sack). Across the board weights have come down even for the three pros who, tonight, stand between Wheeler and a piece of hardware that will carry a piece of fishing immortality if he becomes the first to ever hoist it twice - back-to-back years - by the age of 22.
About tomorrow Wheeler said “I’m ready to go! Ready to get my tackle prepared, get my mind into it. I made good decisions today. I feel like I understand what the weather is doing, what the fish are doing and how to catch them.”
He’ll fly on his gut “You’ve got to fish by the seat of your pants here. Things change so much. You have to change with them.”
Chevy Pro Bryan Thrift rides a 4 ounce lead over Randall Tharp. All of Thrift’s fish that weighed over 4 pounds have come from one point in Pool 5. He plans to stop there in the morning. He also plans to spend some time in Pool 4. “I fished there for 25 minutes today, caught a two-pounder and came back,” said Thrift.
Thrift said two-pounders are the reason he will invest the time it takes to lock into Pool 4. Then he hopes his big fish point is good for another kicker.
Thrift has caught all of his big bass, including the 7-9 whopper, on a Damiki finesse worm and 1/8 oz. shakey head on 10-pound fluorocarbon.
EverStart Pro Randall Tharp has been catching a small limit each day before heading back to a spot near the take-off point in Port Lake to upgrade with a frog. Today, instead of a pair of 4-pounders his big fish area kicked out 2-pounders. It’s not the type of place that’s likely to reload with fish as it is simply a pad-choked drain in the back of the lake which harbors mostly resident fish. Can Tharp find some fresh fishing holes tomorrow?
Chevy Pro Larry Nixon has occupied 3rd place since the tournament began. He is 3-08 off the lead with 35-14 after bringing 8-5 to the scale today.
Walmart Pro Mark Rose, in 5th, has also seen his weight slip slightly each day. He is exactly 5 pounds behind Thrift with 34-6.
Photo Blog from the Water - Day 3 at 2013 Forrest Wood Cup!
Internet is giving me fits. I had lots of great video for y'all but it won't upload right now so . . . let's have fun with a photo blog from my time on the water this morning. I followed Mark Rose for a while. Action was slow for him first thing this morning. Then we found Randall Tharp. He put on a clinic. Caught a small limit in a waterfront neighborhood near Shreveport, then went to his pad field and started seriously upgrading by throwing a frog.
All photos by Vance McCullough
Mark Rose cranks the main river.
Randall 'rassles' one near a dock cable.
Tharp skips a jig beneath a dock.
Compare this fishing hole . . .
with this one.
When I left the water at mid-day this is what Tharp was doing in his big fish area.
J.T. Kenney Fishes on Instinct
J.T. Kenney didn't prefish the Cup. In fact, he has taken a very simplistic approach to the tournament which awards $500,000 to a single winner. And he's doing fine. Here him tell it in his own words.
On-Water Footage from Day 2 of the 2013 Forrest Wood Cup!
In this segment we follow Adrian Avena as he catches multiple bass to fill his livewell with a small limit in the first hour of the second day of the 2013 Forrest Wood Cup. A few other pros idle by and speak to Adrian as well - Ray Scheide, currently 7th at the Cup and Drew Benton, 2013 FLW Tour Rookie of the Year.
Forrest Wood Cup Day 1 - Tharp Leads, Thrift Trails By An Ounce
Chevy Pro Bryan Thrift rocked the scale with a sack that weighed 18 pounds, 7 ounces. Randall Tharp followed that with 18-8 to take the slightest of leads in an event where ounces will be worth thousands of dollars - five-hundred thousand, to be exact.
Tharp is doing something he suspects nobody else in the field is. and tomorrow he plans to run in the opposite direction when he launches his boat. "I found a little something here in the spring and I think I'm going to that tomorrow."
The Red River has been stingy with her big fish as summer swelter baked the field during practice rounds. Today's cooler temperatures brought welcome relief for the anglers, but some pros, including defending Cup champion, Evinrude Pro Jacob Wheeler, noticed the water temps in backwater areas dipped by as much as 10 degrees. Wheeler says that didn't help him. "I was catching them on topwaters (in practice) and today with the cooler water and no current, nothing was moving. The and wasn't moving. I couldn't get those fish to come up so I broke out the flipping rod."
Wheeler weighed 7-4, a pedestrian limit, but one that keeps him in the game as there is a log jam of weights in the 7-to-10-pound range and one big bite will go a long way toward turning things around.
Larry Nixon is in the game. The General opened the tournament with 5 fish that weighed 13-4, good for 3rd place right now.
Young pro Adrian Avena is also in the game. He sorted through an estimated 50 fish to end up with a weight of 13-2. The New Jersey angler said he has 4 similar spots in Pool 5 but the one he camped on today is far and away his best. He never made a cast on it in practice. But today he caught fish from it on 9 different rods, though most of his weight came on one deal - a crankbait.
Avena noted that a couple other high-placing contestants fished in the same general area, though it sounds like Avena is fishing closer to the main river. He said fish are coming and going so he expects the spot to replenish. Even if the spot reloads with numbers of fish, size remains a huge question mark. However, given the good start, Avena can hang near the top of the leaderboard with a couple more solid, if unremarkable, limits.
Whether Avena's spot will hold up remains to be seen but he will have it to himself again tomorrow. "I was boat 46 today (last boat out) so I will be boat number 1 tomorrow. I should beat everybody to my spot."
As did Tharp and Thrift, Avena credited his fast start to a couple of bigger than average bass which surprised him.
Those big bites will make all the difference this week.
Red River to Provide Tough Test of the Best for Forrest Wood Cup Competitors
I'm settled in here in Shreveport, LA, ready to bring y'all the inside info as this week's Forrest Wood Cup unfolds.
So far, the anglers are telling us that the weather is hot, the water is hot and big fish are hard to find.
After talking with 4 Evinrude pros set to compete here, the consensus is that a mix of main river and backwater fishing will likely be needed in order to catch 12 pounds per day which most pros agreed would make an angler the next world champion.
Main river fish are fairly abundant but mostly small. Conversely, an angler could spend a lot time poking around the wrong backwaters in search of the kicker bites that will turn a pedestrian limit into a stellar sack of Red River bass.
As noted by 2013 FLW Tour Angler of the Year Andy Morgan, "The difference between 9 pounds and 12 pounds is going to be huge. If I feel like I can run all the way down to the bottom of Pool 3, and get another 3 pounds, I have no problem firing up my (Evinrude) E-TEC and doing it. You've got to be confident enough to make those moves because an extra 3 pounds here is going to be a big deal."
2012 Cup Champion, Evinrude Pro Scott Martin also hinted that he may run down into Pool 3 to access less-pressured waters.
Pool 3 is the southernmost of three pools that make up this week's playing field. Anglers will launch from Red River South Marina, located on Pool 5 which runs right through the heart of Shreveport. From there they can lock down to Pool 4, and even the afforementioned Pool 3. In addition to long running times due to sheer distance, anglers face another time-zapper in the locking process. And if they get stuck waiting to lock through behind a barge . . .
John Cox has won an FLW tournament on this river system. And word is he brought his aluminum boat. But the culvert pushed through so famously before is, reportedly, no longe there. But resourcefulness and plain old fishing ability makes Cox one to watch this week.
All indications are that typical tactics for this fishery will prevail: squarebill crankbaits, spinnerbaits, various topwaters including frogs, and a flippin' stick for finding those big bites.
We're about to find out, so stay connected to AnglersChannel.com!
Oakley Big Bass Partners with Livingston Lures
The Woodlands, Texas – Oakley Fishing is proud to announce its new partnership with Livingston Lures. Livingston will be a part of the Oakley Big Bass Tour, the Oakley Red Fish Tour and the Oakley Fishing Television show.
Oakley Sports Marketing’s Louis Welen stated, "Livingston Lures’ technology and innovation is something that we know our angler base will want to learn about and use the products during tournaments. Both, weekend anglers and aspiring pros are looking for an advantage against the fish and the other competitors, the Livingston Lures technology provides them with that. It won’t be surprising if many of our Big Bass and Red Fish Tour events are won using Livingston Lures and its’ technology.”
"When I learned about the quality of personnel, organization, circuits and properties Oakley had to offer it’s Anglers, we just had to join the team,” said Basil Battah, Livingston Lures Chief Operating Officer. Battah continued, "We look forward to showcasing our line of products to anglers who are looking to catch their limit with bigger fish with our state of the art technology fishing lures."
Livingston Lures will have a presence on-site at all Oakley Big Bass Tours and Oakley Redfish Tours for the remainder of the 2013 season and all events in 2014. Anglers will have an opportunity to learn more about the Livingston Lures Electronic Baitfish Sound (EBS) technology and get a firsthand look at the innovative products Livingston Lures have to offer.
About the Oakley Fishing:
Oakley Fishing manages and operates the Oakley Big Bass Tour and Oakley Redfish Tour along with related media properties. Established in 2007, our events are focused on the promotion of sport fishing and conservation in both freshwater and saltwater markets. We operate over 20 events a year and produce two television series that air nationally on FOX, WFN and Sportsman Channel. www.oakleyfishing.com
About Livingston Lures:
Livingston Lures has built a reputation among top freshwater and saltwater anglers for premium quality baits that flatÂout catch fish. These hard plastic lures are designed to call the fish and meet the highest standards for swimming action with quality construction. Every Livingston Lures’ bait features Electronic Bait Sound and Vibration Technology (EBS). Livingston Lures prides itself in providing the highest technologically advanced products to the angler at an affordable price. www.LivingstonLures.com
Evinrude Pro Justin Lucas Looks for His Big Break at Forrest Wood Cup
In this, the 4th of 4 video blogs with Team Evinrude prior to the Forrest Wood Cup, we check in with Justin Lucas. We spoke with the last two guys to hoist the trophy - Scott Martin and Jacob Wheeler - and we heard from 2013 FLW Tour Angler of the Year Andy Morgan. Justin hopes to add an impressive title to his resume this week at the Red River. He likes what he saw during a pre-practice scouting trip.
Thrift Ready To Do What It Takes To Win The Forrest Wood Cup On The Red River
About the only thing Bryan Thrift has not won in his seven years as a pro angler on the FLW Tour is the Forrest Wood Cup – and he's come pretty darned close in that with four top 10 finishes in the six championships he has fished.
He has won five tournaments with 31 top 10 finishes in just 97 tournaments, was the 2010 FLW Tour Angler of the year, and he has picked up more than $1.1 million in prize money in his seven years on the FLW Tour.
He was 3rd – his highest finish in the Cup – last year on Georgia's Lake Lanier and he has his sights set on moving to the top next week on Louisiana's Red River out of Bossier City.
The only problem is the 2013 Forrest Wood Cup is on a body of water where Thrift suffered one of his worst tournaments. He finished 79th in a regular season tournament there in May 2011, the only time he has ever fished the Red River.
But that was then and the Forrest Wood Cup is now – that 2011 tournament can only be considered a learning experience.
When practice starts Sunday he will have one goal in mind – finding at least one good spot that holds a good bunch of fish.
“It's summertime and this time of year the bite is so much different than any other time of year because the fish can be doing something that you are the least expecting them to do,” the Shelby, N.C., pro said. “It's not like you can pinpoint anything. They could be 25 feet deep up to 2 feet deep.”
Thrift said he feels the best way to succeed in a summertime tournament is to locate that concentration of fish as a go-to spot during the tournament.
“I don't feel you can win it all on one place, but I feel like if you can find a spot where you can catch about 9 to 11 pounds, you can then go try to catch two big ones. I think it will take that to win it.”
The Red River, he said, is like a lot of river systems, with the main river channel flanked by little ponds or oxbows, some from a mile long to four or five miles long.
“When we were here that May the main river was really muddy and had a lot of current, so it was hard to get bit. I was fishing the ponds then. I don't know if they have had a lot of rain there, but I think the river might be clearer now and more of a factor in this tournament.”
He also made a tactical error that May, which served as the learning experience he will draw on in this one.
Two years ago he was making long runs, about 85 miles one way. Even though that left him a short period of time to fish, he weighed in a good limit the first day and was in the top 20. But the following day he made that long run and got discouraged when he caught shorter fish, only two of them keepers.
“So, I locked back up and tried to scratch out the rest of my limit,” he later told BassFan in an interview. “I should've stayed down there and beaten it out. I'd already committed myself by going down there, but in the end I didn't really commit to it.”
He isn't likely to make that mistake this time, although he could run just as long and as hard next week in the Forrest Wood Cup, he said.
“If I feel like I need to I will make long runs. Wherever I think I will do best is where I will go. If I figure I can win the tournament by fishing just an hour a day, that is what I am going to do.”
2013 Forrest Wood Cup
Aug 15-18, 2013
Red River-LA
Red River South Marina & Resort
Angler of the Year, Evinrude Pro Andy Morgan Looks Forward to Cup
Reigning FLW Tour Angler of the Year, Evinrude Pro Andy Morgan reflects on his accomplishments so far this sason, then talks about the Forrest Wood Cup, what a win on the Red River would mean to him, and how he hopes to get it done.
ICAST 2013: On Deck-Star Brite Product overview with Pro Patrick Pierce in Las Vegas!
Star Brite Pro Staffer Patrick Pierce takes us through some of the OUTSTANDING NEW product coming to mkt from Star Brite in 2014..........they are not just a polish and wax product anymore! Check em out now....
2013 Snag Proof Open Lake Weigh-In Highlights
Most of us hope to see or be a part of a weigh-in like this once every few years...........well, all you have to do is fish the SNAG PROOF OPEN on Lake Guntersville and you won't miss it! This video is what we call QUALITY--hope you all enjoy!
2013 Snag Proof Open Lake Gunterville Champion Mike Carter Takes Home $11,500!!
Mike Carter of Flat Rock, AL wins the 2013 Snag Proof Open on Guntersville with a whopping 3 fish limit of 18.36 Lbs, as well as a BF of 8.40 Lbs to take home $11,500 CASH as he beat out 169 other anglers all throwing SNAG PROOF FROGS! Click here to watch how he had such a fantastic day on the the BIG G!!
Evinrude Pro Jacob Wheeler Gets Mental, Hopes to Repeat as Cup Champion!
Evinrude Pro Jacob Wheeler is the reigning Forrest Wood Cup Cahmpion. That's a title he'd like to wear again next year. If he can win next week on Louisiana's Red River he will become the only angler ever to win the Cup twice. In this video blog (vlog) Wheeler speaks of the importance of the mental game, especially in low-weight tournaments. Confidence, he says is key. And Wheeler has confidence in his abilities and his equipment!
Video Blog - Evinrude Pro Scott Martin Previews Forrest Wood Cup
For those who don't like to read - here's the video version of Vance's latest blog post: 2011 Forrest Wood Cup Champ, Evinrude Pro Scott Martin talks about how he hopes to become the first angler ever to win a 2nd Cup.
Evinrude Pro Scott Martin Eyes Another Forrest Wood Cup Title
What does it take to win the Forrest Wood Cup? I posed that question to the last two men who have done so: 2011 Cup Champion Scott Martin, and reigning Champ Jacob Wheeler. Tomorrow we’ll check in with Wheeler. Today we’ll see what Martin has to say.
Having recorded 6 total tour wins, all with an Evinrude E-TEC behind him as he is quick to point out, Martin is especially qualified not only to speak about what it takes to win the Cup but to win on the FLW Tour in general. “Winning any tournament, whether it’s the Cup or one of the other FLW Tour events is extremely hard to do,” said Martin. “You’ve got to be mentally prepared and mentally strong to perform at that level and to win at that level.
“But the Cup is so much different in this way – the pressure of the money. That’s a life-changing amount of money. I mean, they’re giving away $500,000. That’s a big deal. That’s a lot of pressure. Guys always say ‘oh I don’t think about the money’, well they’re lying to themselves because they do.
“Then on top of that, to win the crown jewel of the sport, that trophy, is awesome.”
Martin adds a bit of extra pressure on his own shoulders, “For me it’s all about trying to get another one and separate myself from the pack. I want to win two (Cups) just because no one’s done it yet.”
The cup is also different from any other tournament in terms of the media coverage it generates. That attention, while nice, can take its toll on an angler.
Martin explains, “All the people calling you when you’re doing well in the tournament, all the interviews you’re going to be doing, all the backstage interviews, all of the coverage on the water – all of that is just so much different than just a regular tournament. That pressure right there is what you have to overcome.
“When I won the Cup I made a point to get out of that coliseum as quick as I could. I ran out the back exit every day when I had weighed my fish-in. Jumped in my truck and turned my phone off.
“I love the media but I tried to avoid it as much as possible just for those reasons – I didn’t want to get sucked into it. I tried to treat it as a regular event in my mind.”
Martin made a scouting trip to the Red River several weeks ago mainly for the purpose of learning to navigate waters he may fish. "There are so many backwater areas there. You’ve got to know your way in and out of these places. I run a Ranger boat with an Evinrude outboard and I have put that thing through the wringer. When I was out there in April for a Bassmaster tournament I jumped so many logs and bounced into so many things with that Evinrude but it held up fine.
"But you still want to be careful. You’ve got to know your ins-and-outs. Going out there and GPS-ing the quick ways in and out of these marshes is good. The more time I can fish and keep my bait in the strike zone, the better my chances are so knowing how to get into these backwaters as quick as I can – knowing the shortcuts through the stumps, etc. - that allows me to get back there first and allows me to have more fishing time if I do that several times throughout the day. Having a boat and an engine that will hold up to the abuse that you’re going to put it through at the Red River, that says something about your equipment. I’m telling you that Ranger was airborne. Those stumps lift you up in the air. The Evinrude was nailing those things left and right and it got me in and out, no problem back in April and I fully expect I’ll have the same results next week.”
With regard to tactics, Martin made some guesses as to how the 2013 Cup will likely be won. He expects conventional tactics to rule, for the most part. “The Red River is the type of fishery where you don’t need to stray too far from the norm in order to do well, but obviously with the crazy Alabama Rig opportunities that float around the country at different times of the year, that’s always an oddball thing that may work. I don’t think anybody’s ever been successful on a muddy, Red River type of river with that rig but it could be a sleeper. Another thing which could be good is maybe some really deep cranking.
“And then the last oddball thing there could be making those really long runs, say, down to Pool 3. Two locks. You’re only going to have maybe two-and-a-half, three hours, maybe four hours at best, fishing time. But if you can find some water down there that doesn’t have any other fishing pressure at all, that could give you an advantage.
“The problem is there are no marinas on the river to get gas so you need to have a motor that’s very fuel efficient.
“With that Evinrude E-TEC, I can run it at a certain RPM and get the best fuel economy that I can get and I think, with my calculations, I think I can run as far as I need to down in Pool 3and still have close to three-and-a-half hours of fishing if I can get through the locks with a decent time, as long as a barge doesn’t mess me up.”
More Outstanding Summer Fishing On Guntersville Expected For Snag Proof Open
Bass fishing in Lake Guntersville has been nothing short of extraordinary this summer and it should be just as fantastic for the Snag Proof Open out of Goose Pond Colony Saturday, said Jamie Shay, owner of the Bait, Tackle and Grill at Goose Pond.
“The fishing this summer has been just outstanding, with bigger fish being weighed in than any summer I have been here,” Shay said. “I can't believe how good the fishing has been from last summer to this summer.”
Shay said he attributes the huge increase in fishing success to lower-than-normal water temperatures.
“The water temperature is around 83 degrees and typically this time of year it's around 90 degrees. We've only had a couple of days of 90-degree weather in July and August combined so far, just one or two days a week. There has been a lot of cloudiness and some days the temperatures have been dropping down into the 60s. Everything combined has been keeping the water temperatures down and it's just been beautiful for the fish.”
So beautiful, he said, that just about any tactic favored by an angler has been successful this summer.
“There are so many guys doing so many different things – and it is all working. Everybody's favorite way to fish is successful.”
Their favorite fishing methods will have to be modified somewhat, however, for the Snag Proof Open Saturday, Shay said.
“It's strictly a frog tournament and they can only fish with Snag Proof Frogs. They can use the frog almost any way, just as long as it's Snag Proof. They can Texas rig it, Carolina rig it, drop-shot it and, of course, use it on topwater,” he said.
“If I were fishing the tournament myself, I'd have some rigged up that would go down under so I could fish some of the deeper grass, as well as having some rigged up for topwater fishing, too.”
Shay said the fish are not in a real summer pattern.
“It tends to get a little tough in the summer. They seem to be roaming the grass lines now. They are still eating shad. It's not quite a summer pattern, but we'll take it.”
He said Saturday's tournament will have a three-fish limit and bass of all three species found in Guntersville – largemouths, smallmouth and spotted bass – all must be at least 15 inches long.
“The entry fee is $180 per boat, one or two anglers, and big fish is included in the entry fee,” he said. “First place will pay $10,000 based on a 150-boat field and the payback will go to 20 percent of the field. The payback for big fish will be 100 percent, paid to multiple species.”
Registration for the tournament will be held 3-6 p.m. Friday at the Bait, Tackle and Grill at Goose Pond, with the meeting from 6 to 7 p.m.
Snag Proof Open
Sat, Aug 10, 2013
Lake Guntersville
Goose Pond Colony
Call Jamie Shay 256-599-0132
Even Bigger Weights Than July Expected For Chattanooga Bass Tournament Saturday
It has been one strange summer for bass fishing in the South – flooded lakes, cooler water temperatures than normal, floating trees and other debris carried by faster currents as lake managers tried to hold water levels at a somewhat safe level by opening the gates on the dams.
And during all that the fishing in most lakes has been just fantastic.
For instance, in July Lakes Chickamauga and Nickajack experienced dangerous flooding, yet the Chattanooga Bass Association’s two tournaments that month recorded exceptional catches.
Josh and Jeff Reed won The Heatherly Brothers Const. Open (night) tournament July 27 with a 5-fish limit that weighed 27.11 pounds – almost a 5 1/2-pound average. Two weeks earlier, on July 13, Rogne and George Brown took first place in the Pepsi Open with five that weighed a whopping 32,56 pounds – a 6 1/2-pound average that included the tournament's overall big fish, a 8.70-pound largemouth.
And, said Chattanooga Bass Association Vice President Allen Lewis, with the lake having settled back down somewhat, the weights in Saturday's could be even more impressive.
“The biggest effect the flooding had in July was in deep water,” Lewis said. “The water levels came up and pushed the fish into the shallow pockets so the shallow water fishing dominated both the day and night tournaments.”
But now the deep water fishing has improved considerably and there is lots of grass just beneath the surface of the water, he noted, and that could have a major impact on fishing success Saturday.
“The deep water fishing will make a much bigger showing and it will take more weight to win Saturday and in the night tournament August 24,” Lewis said. “This is my own opinion, but I'm looking at 30 to 33 pounds for the win in both the day and night tournaments.”
The Brown team's win in July pushed Rogne Brown to second place in the points standings, just 19 points back of Adam Dysart and Jamie Copenhaver. An excellent structure fisherman, he now may well be the odds-on favorite to win another Chattanooga Bass points title, Lewis said. Brown won the points championship in 2008 and 2009 and missed a third title by just one point in 2012.
After Saturday's tournament the remaining schedule includes the last night tournament August 24, with regular tournaments Sept. 14 and Oct. 12 before the Classic Nov. 2-3.
Chattanooga Bass Association
Sat, Aug 10, 2013
Chickamauga Lake
Chester Frost Park
Call Justin Medley 423-667-5054
ICAST 2013: On Deck-VICIOUS Pro Staffer BOYD DUCKETT reviews this amazing LINE!
Bass Master and Elite Series Pro BOYD DUCKETT joins AC Pro Staffer Vance McCullough for a quick preview on why this VICIOUS Fluorocarbon Line is some of the best on the market-period! Click here to watch!
NEW Team Evan Williams to Feature John Crews, Hank Cherry
Evan Williams Bourbon has found a friendly following in the bass fishing community. The second-largest selling Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, nationally as well as globally, is also one of the top non-endemic sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite Series.
The company recently decided to revamp its pro staff. The new Team Evan Williams will consist of Elite Series veteran John Crews and Rookie of the Year front runner Hank Cherry.
Crews, currently ranked among the top 20 anglers in the world, is a seven- time Bassmaster Classic qualifier and has placed 3rd in two Elite Series events so far this year. He has 17 top ten Elite Series finishes over a 13 year Bassmaster career.
Cherry served notice at this year’s Bassmaster Classic that he is a competitor to be reckoned with. Narrowly missing victory at Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees when a big bass pulled free of his jerkbait, Cherry has all but sealed Rookie of the Year in a class that includes standout pro Jason Christie, the odds-on favorite at said Classic on Grand Lake.
The brand will also have a presence at all other events on the Bassmaster Elite Series and at the consumer exposition shows that accompany all of the fishing tournaments, including next year’s Bassmaster Classic in Birmingham, AL in February.
“Evan Williams has for a number of years made a significant investment in Bassmaster,” stated Susan Wahl, Senior Brand Manager at Heaven Hill. “The consumer demographics are very positive towards Bourbon and it engenders real brand loyalty, especially for a non-endemic sponsor such as us. We are pleased to be adding John Crews and Hank Cherry as members of Team Evan Williams and anticipate them appearing often on the weigh-in stage in their Evan Williams logoed uniforms.”
And here’s a cool road trip idea for you this autumn:
To further the brand’s consumer awareness and take advantage of the huge increase in Bourbon tourism and interest in the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, Heaven Hill is opening the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience this fall. Featuring an immersive visitor experience that takes guests back to Evan Williams’ distillery on the banks of the Ohio, which was established over 200 years ago just across Louisville’s Main Street from where the facility will be located, the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience will include an artisanal distillery and guided tours and tastings.
John Crews joins Team Evan Williams.
Valdez and Hitchcock win the Snag Proof Open on the California Delta with 16.55 and win $7100!!
Pro division champions Valdez and Hitchcock win BIG taking home $7,000 dollars Young Gun Alex Sanchez with a big Frog fish
Am division winners bring in bigger weight than Pro division!
BETHEL ISLAND Ca. - To be sure, the 2013 Snag Proof Open - presented by Gone Fishin Marine of Dixon Ca, was one of the most exciting of the twelve annual events that have been held on the California delta.
Two hundred and seven teams – or if you prefer, four hundred and fourteen anglers, converged on Russo’s Marina at Bethel Island to participate in what has become the iconic summertime event for the west’s legion of competitive anglers, all of who were eagerly waiting – with Snag Proof top water frogs in hand, to make a run at this year’s title and a lucrative cash purse that turned out to yield over $7,000 for the winners.
Perennial favorites Sean and Brian Stafford jumped out to what seemed to be an insurmountable lead on day one, bringing in a three fish limit that topped the scales right at 16 pounds. But on day two, the weather changed, bringing with it a prevailing wind that not only cooled down the temperatures, but the bite as well, making it difficult for some teams to adjust.
The most common and constant comment from anglers regarding the bite was that the “strike-to-catch” ratio was beyond ridiculous.
“We had a 100 yard bank that we simply could not leave because we were getting so many good blow ups”, stated Navionics/Humminbird pro-staffer Travis Huckaby, who saw his first day weight of over 9 pounds become of no consequence, as on the second day of competition those same repeated “blow ups” produced nothing more than mangled frogs that would “slingshot” back to his boat as soon as a big bass spit it out.
“We died a thousand deaths out there today, watching big fish roll over our frogs without getting ONE good hook in them” Travis added, clearly frustrated with the day.
But the team of Valdez and Hitchcock, had no such problems with “hook ups” as this PRO division team on the strength of the Bobby’s perfect Buzz Frog, brought a day 2 limit to the scales weighing 16.55 pounds, to take over the lead - and the win in this 12th annual event.
For their efforts they received $7,100 dollars and two beautiful custom designed trophies that will surely give them a ton of “braggin rights” for years to come.
In the AM division the team of Kreighbauer and Chapman took top honors, and for the first time in the history of the event, the AM division brought in a bigger weight than the PRO division team!
Ish’s Phat Frogs coupled with Bobby’s Perfect Frogs were the key to success for this team, as their 26.58 pound 6-fish limit earned them a check for just shy of $3,000 and a ton of respect from their competition for such a commanding performance.
But even more was at stake in this weekend’s event besides the Snag Proof Open title, as the top 25 from the PRO division, and the top 15 from the AM division will automatically qualify for the first-ever Coors Light Delta Open Teams Series Championship – to be held on the California Delta in late June of 2014!
In this invitational tournament, only 100 qualifying teams will compete for the inaugural Coors Light Open Teams Series Championship trophy, and get this….the keys to a new Jeep Patriot, plus cash and prizes!
On behalf of Snag Proof Lures, Anglers Press, presenting sponsor Gone Fishin Marine of Dixon Ca, and the entire Snag Pro pro-staff – a sincere THANK YOU to all of you that supported and participated in this great event which contributed to making it a HUGE success.
We look forward to hosting it again for western anglers and hope to see you all next summer for another fun-filled top water frog event!
Ribbit…Ribbit…
Anglers Press
www.anglerspress.com
Nummy, Frink Of Aum Win 2013 Bassmaster Carhartt College National Championship
YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. — Winning the title in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship on Georgia’s Lake Chatuge, Auburn University at Montgomery’s Tom Frink gets to go out on top, and Jacob Nummy gets to see his creation rise to the highest possible high. AUM tallied a three-day total of 43-3, winning by 6-11.
Four years ago, Nummy started the AUM Anglers club with the hopes of one day bringing recognition to the school’s fishing team, and today AUM is king of the college heap.
If the pair hadn’t won, this would have been Frink’s final tournament as a collegiate angler, but now AUM has earned an invitation to the Carhartt Bassmaster College Bracket Championship set to be held this September. One angler from the Top 4 teams in that tournament will earn a berth in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic.
“I don’t really have words for how this feels right now. There are a lot of good fishermen here, and I feel for them because I know how it feels to lose,” Nummy said. “We had some key bites and things go right that second day, but none of this would have been possible without the good Lord. This is going to do wonders for our program and recruiting.”
“The immense highs and lows are what make this sport what it is: amazing,” Frink said. “I feel speechless as to how to describe the feeling, but I don’t think it’s sunk in yet, either. We’ve been so close in so many tournaments, but to finally pull it off and win is amazing.”
Frink said a rough first day set them on the right course.
“That first day is what saved us,” he explained. “Things didn’t go how we thought they would, and we learned that we had to hunker down and throw the rat. I have to give Jacob a lot of credit, too, for having the discipline not to get up front and have us be shoulder to shoulder because those fish are so spooky. To have two guys up there would have scared off more fish. You also need a lot of room to sling it.”
Both Nummy and Frink admitted that today presented them with the toughest fishing conditions they’d seen yet. Their El Raton rat wakebait produced a single fish, but it was a 5-6, the biggest bass of the day.
“The rat produced one today, and it was our biggest, and I felt like that one would give us the win or put us close,” Nummy said. “Big fish are so rare and so special.”
“I went home to California before this tournament and found a couple baits that I wanted to throw, and that was one of them,” Frink said. “I didn’t throw it much in practice because I didn’t want the fish to see it too much or for it to get damaged.”
Frink used the El Raton mostly on main-lake laydowns and shallow clay or rock banks where largemouth were loitering. Four hours into the day, the duo had just one fish in the livewell, so they began to scramble in order to eke out a limit, which proved necessary for their win. They hit docks and marinas with drop shot rigs to add four more fish to their livewell.
Local favorites Matthew Peeler and Brad Rutherford of Young Harris College took the runner-up spot and will also compete in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Bracket Championship later this year. They had 36-8 over three days.
In third place is the team of Jordan Lee and Shane Powell of Auburn University, who wound up with 35-15. The final team to earn a berth in the Bracket Championship is that of Nick Barr and Jarred Walker of Eastern Washington University with 34-8. Auburn’s Matt Lee and Chris Seals were the team that finished fifth today with 32-7 and did not qualify for the Classic bracket event.
Winners of the $500 Carhartt Big Bass are Florida State’s Charles Fee and Cody Spears for the 5-15, weighed in on Day 1. The $250 Bass Pro Shops/Nitro Boats Big Bag goes to Tom Frink and Jacob Nummy for their 20-15 sack, weighed in on Day 2. The Yamaha Hat Bonus goes to Frink and Nummy, as well, for wearing a Yamaha hat across the stage on Day 3. The highest-finishing team each day earned $500 daily, hence AUM’s $1,000 prize. Young Harris’ Peeler and Rutherford won $500 on Day 1.
Winning the tournament’s Livingston Lures Leader award of $500 in Livingston Lures products for being in the lead on Day 2 were the AUM champs, Frink and Nummy.
TV coverage of the Championship will air in August on ESPNU in two parts. The first will be Sunday, Aug. 11, noon to 1 p.m. ET. The second part will air Sunday, Aug. 18 in the same time slot. They will be preceded by an Aug. 4 show from noon to 1 p.m. ET that recaps how the anglers qualified for the Championship through the five Regional Conference events.
Bianchi Takes Bassmaster Open Title On Oneida Lake
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — On Day 2 of the Bass Pros Shops Bassmaster Northern Open on Oneida Lake, New York pro Jim Bianchi landed the largest limit of the tournament, 19 pounds 4 ounces, to build a lead of more than 2 pounds over his closest competitor. Today he added 17-7 to his total, once again the largest single catch of the day, and extended his lead over a hard-charging Tracy Adams by a pound to earn the victory in only his second Open entry. For the victory, Bianchi won a prize package that included cash and a Skeeter ZX200 powered by a Yamaha VF200LA outboard, packaged with a dual-axle trailer, a Minn Kota trolling motor and Humminbird electronics. He did not fish the first Northern Open of the year at Virginia’s James River, so his victory this week will not earn him a spot in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic. While he will not compete in the Classic next February, Bianchi nevertheless called this the biggest win of his fishing career, nothing that, “This never gets old.”
Despite his extensive experience on Oneida, he said that the lake fished quite differently than normal, with neither of his typical largemouth or smallmouth patterns working out in practice. Fortunately, his backup plan worked even better.
“After practice, I knew I had the potential to do it,” he said. “I felt good about what I had found.”
What he had found was a group of relatively shallow spots in the grass that held heavy concentrations of largemouth. While he weighed in a few smallmouth, he said that approximately 90 percent of the resident bass were largemouth, and it was the green fish that led him to victory. The spot where he caught most of his Day 2 weight clued him in to what the fish were feeding on.
“I found something pretty cool,” he said. “I knew that area had some big fish, but it wasn’t until I caught a few that I figured out why. I brought up some fish that had weeds with them, and in the weeds there were hundreds of microscopic crawfish. Either the bass there were eating their parents, or else the baitfish were there eating them.”
Regardless of what drew the bass to the diminutive prey, Bianchi relied on a one-two punch of presentations to keep them active — a traditional flipping jig and a finesse plastic on a drop shot rig.
“They would bite in spurts,” he said. “For a while they’d eat a jig, and then they wouldn’t eat it right. They’d just mouth it. Usually that meant you had to finesse them. Other times you could snap it and get them to react.”
He didn’t need all of his 17-7 final weight to outlast Adams, but from the water Bianchi, didn’t know that. Late in the day he made a strategic adjustment he’d been planning on all week.
“There was one area that I’d saved all (through the) tournament,” he explained. “I knew that around 12 or 1 o’clock, the smallmouth usually get going, so I went over there around 12:30.”
In short order, he culled three of the fish in his livewell with a 4-pound smallmouth, a 4 1/2-pound largemouth and a 3-pound smallmouth.
“Without those three, I knew I wouldn’t have a shot,” he said. “With those three, I had it nailed.”
Adams, a former Bassmaster Open winner and two-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier, relied on one 50 foot by 50 foot spot in a large grassbed to reel in three consecutive limits that totaled 49-4. Even though it was an area where he expected to catch mostly smallmouth, like Bianchi, most of the fish he weighed in at this event were largemouth.
“I had what I had in 45 minutes today,” he said. “It was all in one little, little area. If I got outside of it, I didn’t get a bite. All of the grass around it looked exactly the same, so I still don’t know why they were there.”
Adams said he was fortunate to catch his fish early, because “once the wind started blowing, it laid the grass down, and you couldn’t buy a bite.” Most of his fish were caught flipping a Zoom Speed Craw.
Virginia pro Jacob Powroznik, who was tied with Adams in third place entering the final day of competition, held onto that spot today on the strength of his second consecutive 15-15 limit. He primarily targeted schooling smallmouth and reported catching nearly 60 of them today. He said that the key to catching the bigger ones was to let his umbrella rig ride lower in the water column.
“When they’re busting the surface, they’re harder to catch,” he said. “If you fish it up near the top, you might catch some that are 2 or 2 ½ pounds, but if you let it go to the bottom before you start reeling, you can catch 3-pounders.”
Jamey Caldwell of North Carolina caught 15-12 to move up a spot into fourth place. Mike Morrin of New York, who entered the day in second place, dropped three places to round out the Top 5.
Co-angler Tom Hill of Kentucky, fishing behind Powroznik today, jumped from third place to first to claim the co-angler crown. His three, three-fish limits totaled 27-12 and enabled him to outlast second-place co-angler Chris Hall by 8 ounces in a tightly-packed amateur field. In addition to fishing with Powroznik, he fished with winner Jim Bianchi on Day 1 and with Kenny Garippa of Pennsylvania on Day 2, which was when Garippa weighed in 19-3.
Hill will take home a Nitro Z-7, powered by a Mercury 150 HP Optimax outboard, and equipped with a single-axle trailer, Minn Kota trolling motor and Lowrance electronics.
The Carhartt Big Bass award of $500 for the largest single bass caught at the tournament was awarded to Kenny Garippa on the pro side for the 5-6 largemouth he caught on Day 2. Hill won the award on the co-angler side with a 4-11 largemouth, also caught on Day 2 from the back of Garippa’s boat.
The Luck-E-Strike Heavyweight Award on the pro side, consisting of a $250 Bass Pro Shops gift card, went to Bianchi for the 19-4 limit he weighed in on Friday. On the co-angler side, former Open winner Brian Kelly earned the same amount for his three-fish 10-15 Day 1 limit, caught while fishing with New York pro Noah Raymond.
The Livingston Lures Leader award of $250 was presented to Bianchi for leading the pro side after Day 2 of competition. Ken Woods of Kentucky won the corresponding honor on the co-angler side and received a Livingston Lures gift pack valued at $250.
Auburn U At Montgomery's Nummy And Frink Take Charge With Huge Sack At Carhartt Bassmaster College National Championship!
YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. — Tom Frink has got a secret, and he unleashed it on the field at the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship today en route to amassing an eye-popping 20-pound, 15-ounce five-fish limit with partner Jacob Nummy. His secret is in the form of the bait, and he might be the only angler in north Georgia who has one.
Frink kept his secret lure close to his vest, but will reveal it after the conclusion of the event tomorrow, after the Top 5 teams have weighed in. Frink and Nummy, both seniors at Auburn University at Montgomery, currently are enjoying a 3-pound, 2-ounce lead with a two-day total of 31-3.
The pair started with an early flurry of spotted bass caught on drop shot rigs, but each fish they put in the well was a candidate for culling, as Frink and Nummy saw it. They hadn’t let their secret bait out yet.
“It was nice having some OK spots first thing, but they weren’t anything that would help us get into the Top 5,” Frink said. “It helped us to get comfortable, but then we went fishing for largemouth, and it became a bit of a grind in the afternoon.”
Frink’s bait was so much the key to their day that Nummy flipped to downed trees from the back of the boat as the pair passed them, allowing Frink room to sling his bait.
“It was mainly me getting out of his way so he could put that bait in the right spot,” Nummy said. “I think me just hanging back and letting him do his thing with that bait is what helped us a lot.”
With conditions changing as fast as they did today, the duo feels like they may have to learn Chatuge all over again tomorrow. Seldom have the days been the same on Chatuge since they began practice seven days ago.
“I’d like to say tomorrow that we can do it again, but on this lake there really aren’t any givens. You’ve got to go out there and start casting to get a feel for what’s going on,” Frink said. “It could be big largemouth again, or it could be spots.”
“We’ve got a bunch of holes to hit, but if the heads (big largemouth) aren’t there, that might be a problem. To win it, we’re gonna need heads,” Nummy said.
Surging into second place after Day 2 is the Auburn team of Jordan Lee and Shane Powell. They sacked 14-12 today for a total of 28-1.
“We struggled early on in the day, but the afternoon bite turned on for us,” Lee said.
Powell said that timing was key for them.
“We went back to two or three of our best spots and started catching them,” Powell said. “We had hit them two or three times earlier in the day, and they weren’t there, but at the end of the day they started biting for whatever reason. Then, at our very last stop, they started schooling right at the boat, and we caught two more doing that. That last hour the whole lake turned on, and we culled three or four of our fish.
“It’d be awesome to make it to that bracket (to determine which collegiate angler will fish in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic) because I’m with (2013 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series champion) Matt (Lee) a lot, and I’ve seen what it’s done for him and his family. We’re pretty excited to have this chance.”
In third place are Day 1 leaders Nick Barr and Jarred Walker of Eastern Washington University, who only managed 6-0 today, but had staying power thanks to the strength of their Day 1 bag of 19-4. The pair had to contend with increased boat traffic due to their success. Plenty of anglers saw where Barr and Walker were fishing and used the same spots today.
“We went to hit our first spot, and there was a boat on it. There were boats on our five best spots today when we got there,” Barr said. “These fish are smart. If you’re not the first boat there to drop on ’em, you won’t get bit. We watched big fish all day just sit there and ignore our bait.”
In fourth place are the local favorites of Brad Peeler and Matthew Rutherford of Young Harris College with 23-15, and in fifth place is the other Auburn University team, made up of Matt Lee and Chris Seals with 22-14.
Only these Top 5 teams will compete tomorrow to determine which Top 4 teams will go on to the Carhartt Bassmaster College Bracket Championship, where the winner will earn a berth in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic set to be held next February on Alabama’s Lake Guntersville.
The Carhartt Big Bass honors still lie with Florida State University’s Cody Spears and Charles Fee for their 5-13 caught yesterday.
Winning the tournament’s Livingston Lures Leader award of $500 in Livingston Lures products for being in the lead on Day 2 are Frink and Nummy of AUM.
Anglers will launch Saturday at 6:30 a.m. ET at The Ridges Marina, 3499 U.S. Hwy 76, Hiawassee, Ga. The weigh-in for the final day of competition will be held at 3 p.m. at Young Harris College, 1 College St., Young Harris, Ga.
TV coverage of the Championship will air in August on ESPNU in two parts. The first will be Sunday, Aug. 11, noon to 1 p.m. ET. The second part will air Sunday, Aug. 18 in the same time slot. They will be preceded by an Aug. 4 show from noon to 1 p.m. ET that recaps how the anglers qualified for the Championship through the five Regional Conference events.
Follow the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/CollegeBass and on Twitter using hashtag #collegebass. Follow the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bass and on Twitter using hashtag #collegebass.
