Chris Daves Leads Bassmaster Northern Open On Oneida
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – As the full field bucked big waves on Oneida Lake today, Virginia pro Chris Daves bucked the conventional wisdom that it’s necessary to pursue both largemouth and smallmouth to win here and claimed the first day lead at the second 2013 Northern Open . His limit of five smallmouth weighed 17 pounds, 2 ounces, leaving him 1 ounce ahead of North Carolina pro Tracy Adams.
“I don’t have anything to even catch a largemouth in my boat,” Daves said. “I’m not saying that I’ll win, but you can definitely win with all smallmouth here. I think the largemouth bite will fall off.”
He’s pursuing his quarry in two ways: on isolated grass clumps and when they’re schooling. Because it was so rough today, he couldn’t focus on birds to find schooling bass, but instead used his depthfinder to locate the bait they were pursuing. At the first stop of the day his front graph went out, so he spent the rest of the day moving his console unit back and forth from the bow to the dash.
While the former tour pro has fished around the country in a wide variety of circumstances, he’s known for being a tidal water expert. That may be where he has the most advantage, but “I Love New York” should be somewhere on his jersey. Of the 10 Top 10 finishes he’s logged in 97 career B.A.S.S. events, four have been on waters in or adjoining the Empire State – he placed ninth at Cayuga Lake last year, fourth at Lake Champlain in 2006, third at Oneida Lake in 2005 and 10th on Lake Erie (out of Ohio) in 2006.
Clearly the affinity for smallmouth fishing runs in the family. Daves’ father, Woo, who won the 2000 Classic on the back of Lake Michigan bronzebacks, is currently just 18 ounces back in ninth place with 16-0.
“I clued him in … again,” the leader joked. “We’re doing the same thing.”
This is of course an individual event, but if it were a team tournament, the two members of the Daves family would be 9 ounces behind Adams (2nd, 17-01) and veteran Connecticut pro Terry Baksay (3rd, 16-10), longtime traveling partners and close friends. Like the younger Daves, each of them has qualified for two Bassmaster Classics and would love to close out a win this week to increase that number to three.
Adams was the first angler to weigh in today, and when he held up two largemouth, it seemed he might’ve committed to a shallow grass bite all day. Then he revealed that his other three fish were smallmouth, and that all of them came from the same spot.
“I don’t know why there were a couple of largemouth in there,” he said. He’s fishing approximately 12 feet deep in the middle of a 50-acre grassbed, but the key spot is approximately the size of two bass boats.
“I started on it, and they didn’t bite,” he recalled. “I came back around 8 o’clock, and it was on. I have no idea if it will hold up.”
While Adams reported that other anglers were respectful of his key stretch, he and his close friend Baksay are within sight of one another.
“I can see him, and he can see me,” Baksay said. “We’re about a half mile apart.”
Unlike his roommate, though, the Connecticut angler caught nothing but smallmouth today.
“I’m not going to mess with green fish when I can catch brown ones,” Baksay said. “Are you kidding?” He caught a 3-12 on his last cast of the day to cull up past the six other members of the tournament’s 16-plus pound club. The last member of that group was the elder Daves, who seemed to have a variety of sports other than bass fishing on his mind today. On stage he thanked his local rabbit hunting partners and expressed an interest in going to the races at the dirt track tomorrow night, whether he makes the cut or not. Backstage he credited some of his success to the substantial amount of time he spends flounder fishing.
“When you fish for flounder, you have to stay on the contours,” he said. “Smallmouth are basically breakline fish, so any time you can find something like a little point that just juts out, that’s where you’ll probably catch them.”
While the large field invoked an array of potential problems and excuses before the tournament – including, but not limited to, an algae bloom, heavy crowds, strong winds and muddied areas – when the scales closed, the numbers told a different story. They caught lots of fish, as the pros always do on Oneida. The cutoff for the Top 12 was 15 pounds, 12 ounces. The drop off to 30th place only moves the needle to 14-8. Ten pounds barely even squeaked inside the Top 100. If any angler wants to make a move, he’ll likely have to add a kicker or two to his bag.
Pennsylvania pro Tony Dorman (37th, 14-0) caught the Carhartt Big Bass of the day, a 5-2 largemouth that would have bolstered anyone else’s bag significantly, turning a struggling angler into a contender, or turning a contender into a leader. “First thing this morning I planned on catching a limit of smallmouth,” Dorman said. “I pulled in and caught that big one on a spinnerbait.”
Brian Kelly of New York leads the co-angler field on the strength of a three-fish limit that weighed 10-15. Richard French (42nd, 7-15), also of New York, caught the co-angler Carhartt Big Bass of the day, which weighed 4-6.
Anglers will launch on Friday and Saturday at 5:45 a.m. ET from Oneida Shores Park at 9400 Bartell Road, Brewerton, NY 13029. The Day 2 weigh-ins will be held at the 2 p.m. ET at the same location at Oneida Shores Park. The final day weigh in will be held at 3:15 p.m. ET at Bass Pro Shops, 1579 Clark St. Rd., Auburn NY 13022.
Barr & Walker Of Eastern Washington U. Lead Day 1 Of Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship
For Barr and Walker, however, the day in Georgia might as well have been a day on their home lake, Potholes Reservoir.
“Being from Washington state, Chatuge lays out a lot like my home lake does. It plays a lot to our strengths — finesse fishing,” Barr, a senior, said. “I heard that the lake was clear, but when I looked, I could only see 4 feet deep, and that’s dingy for Washington. We can see 20 feet usually. But still, this is the closest thing you guys have got on the East Coast that’s like home.”
Barr, who has served as a smallmouth guide in Washington for the past three years, said the biggest factor in their success today was patience.
“A lot of guys were fishing too fast. Even though they were throwing a drop shot or something, they’d flip it out, then reel it back up a few seconds later. That’s too fast,” he said. “We caught fish in areas where we shared water with other guys by working super slow.”
“It’s a soft plastic, so the less you move that bait, the more natural it’s going to look,” Walker added.
Though they fished slowly, they hurriedly rotated among several spots they had located in practice.
“We didn’t have time to come down here and plant brushpiles like some guys did or Side Image (study through their electronics) the whole lake, we had to get here and get to it right away, so we got here and got to work, and it’s paying off so far,” Barr said.
Barr and Walker are currently enjoying a 5 pound, 10 ounce lead over the University of Louisiana at Monroe’s Nick LaDart and Brian Eaton, who sit in second with 13-14.
“Me and Nick are in unfamiliar territory,” Eaton said. “This is the first time I’ve ever fished a drop shot rig in my life. It’s the same for him. I’m not used to fishing with 8-pound-test line, so this is way different than Louisiana.
“We spent the whole practice graphing brushpiles and found a bunch we liked and would hit ’em, and if they were there in three or four casts, great. If not, we moved on. I guess since we’ve never fished like this before a little bit of luck helped, too.”
In third are local favorites, Young Harris’ Brad Rutherford and Matthew Peeler. The duo is more familiar with Chatuge than any other team and refuse to let a 6-plus-pound deficit sway their courage.
“It’s not good out there right now by any means, so you’ve got to slow down and stay persistent. The big ones are there, and the ticket to catching them is to stay cool, calm and patient the whole day, and you can slowly upgrade to a good bag,” 22-year-old Peeler said. “We’re not worried at all right now. We’re right where we want to be.
“You absolutely cannot win a tournament on the first day, but you can definitely lose one. Our goal was to go out there and do what we do, and we’re in a good position right now. It was a good feeling to get out there and execute, especially since there’s a big ‘X’ on our back. We’ve just got to keep it up and see what happens.”
Rounding out the Top 5 are, in fourth, Alex Pisarski and Justin Gangel of Cal State Long Beach with 13-6; and in fifth, Jordan Lee and Shane Powell of Auburn University.
Carhartt Big Bass of Day 1 goes to Florida State University’s Cody Spears and Charles Fee, who caught a 5-15.
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.
Once in a While Something Unique Comes Along - Turbo Weedless Spinner!
I found this on the web. This lure is so new that it is not mass-produced yet. Want to be the only angler on the lake with a hot new fishing lure?
The best way to get a look at the Turbo Weedless Spinner is to click the link below which will take you to the video on KickStarter.com. If you've never been to KickStarter, you need to click the link just to see the site. This is pure American capitalism at its best. Viewers decide whether an idea deserves to be further developed and then donate as they feel led to in order to help get the project funded so that an idea can become a tangible product that the viewer would be passionate about using.
And talk about American exceptionalism, the Turbo Weedless Spinner is made in the USA.
It catches multiple species and in the video, narrated by Turbo inventor, Brad Klose, he demonstrates the lure's prowess when he lands a nice bass on his first cast.
It's a fun video that will introduce you to a project worth looking at - the versatile Turbo Weedless Spinner.
click: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kickstarter.com%2Fprojects%2F449388303%2F856622301%3Ftoken%3D15f55f48&h=jAQHoDI9A
Additionally, Brad's wife, Nancy Close, has some great pictures and info about the Turbo Weedless Spinner on her Facebook page.
ICAST 2013: On Deck-DAIWA PRO STAFFER Andy Montgomery Previews the new TATULA!
DAIWA Pro Staffer Andy Montgomery and AC Insider Vance McCullough go over the TATULA and point out why this is such a superb new baitcaster for 2014!
ICAST 2013: On Deck-DAIWA PRO STAFFER Randy Howell Previews the new TATULA!
Daiwa Pro Staffer Randy Howell spends some with AC Insider Vance McCullough on the hottest new baitcaster for 2014........the TATULA!!
A System for Flippin' Up BIG Hot Weather Bass
It's hot. Bass are deep. Some are actually in deep water. Others are just burried deep beneath heavy cover. And because submerged grass has reached its peak growth in many places, the fish have plenty to hide in. These are the 'deep' bass we're going to deal with in this post.
It's helpful to note that schools of big fish will likely gravitate to the outside edges of such vegetation. Where dense mats form, look for bass under the deepest canopies.
Multiple options abound for mat-punchers. A simple craw lure, such as a cricket, behind a heavy weight is often all you need in order to get bit. And don't be surprised when a big girl eats that tiny offering - after all, elephants dop eat peanuts.
Big often times bigger is better when it comes to lure selection for trophy bass. During summer months these fish are eating. Their metabolism is high. Truth be told, they're not as picky about size or color as they may be at other times. Still, the guys who are busting big sacks in tournaments down here in Florida right now are doing so with skirted soft plastics.
Many of these mats are so thick that a jig is not an option. But a skirted flipping weight, such as the Strike King Slither Rig will give that bulk, action and slower fall rate of a jig. Another excellent option is the Honey Badger Punch Skirt from Eco Pro Tungsten. The Honey Badger can be used between any hook and any weight in your tackle box. Built on an Xmetal bead, the Honey Badger also adds sound to your presentation.
One trick to successful punching involves the use of a snell knot to kick the hook out and around the oversized sinkers used in the technique. That's why Elite Series Pro Ish Monroe designed the New Jack Flippin' Hook for River2Sea.
“Most people don’t know how to properly snell a hook,” said Monroe, handing me a pack of New Jack hooks, “so I designed these. Just bring the line through the main hook eye and then tie it to the second eye which is also the bait keeper. Now anybody can get that hook to kick out the way it is supposed to.”
And what to put on the business end of your rig? That's where you become a kid in a candy store. Strike King offers some great options from their Rodent to the Denny Brauer Flippin' Tubes but I really like the Rage Menace. The diameter of the Menace pairs beautifully with a flippin' weight and the flapping tail can be left alone for a solid thumping action or separated into two flappers that kick at a higher frequency.
Gambler Lures have been used to win tour events whenever the flippin bite is on, most notably Chris Lane's Bassmaster Classic on the Red River. From the Ugly Otter that Lane used to the audacious Mega Daddy with its huge flapping claws and the ultra subtle BB Cricket, Gambler Lures - made in Florida - are made to take on the slop.
Culprit, another Florida-based company has hit a homerun with the Incredicraw which features curly appendages that can be removed so the bait will punch cleanly through cover. In sparse cover the appendages add enticing action.
Of course, it's important to peg the weight so it pulls the lure down through the canopy with it, but if pegged too tightly the weight won't slide down and kick the hook out even if you snell the hook correctly. For this reason you will see mat-punchers use bobber stops to peg their sinker and they will leave a small gap between the stopper and the weight to facilitate the kick out action of the hook. If pegging with a rubber nail (T Stop) or even a toothpick - you old school flipper, you - be sure that the sinker can slide a little when tugged on, again to enable the hook to kick out (just can't over-emphasize how important that is when using big weights!).
Good luck with the mat-busting! Use a big, skirted bait and catch a big bass!
Ehrler, Swindle and Palaniuk Set to Use New GoPro Technology
GoPro professional anglers Brent Ehrler, Gerald Swindle and Brandon Palaniuk just updated their GoPro cameras and smart phone apps with the latest GoPro technology. The new app and matching firmware for the GoPro camera's will allow the anglers to instantly shoot a photo or video and upload through a number of channels including social media, email and messaging.
GoPro released the new software to the public earlier this week. The pros are all in agreement that the new update will allow them quicker access to their fans, family and friends. Palaniuk is especially excited about the ease of its use, "This will eliminate steps between the time I take the photo or video, and the time I get it to everyone. Before, I had to use a laptop to download the photo and video and then find a WiFi hotspot and upload it to the internet. With this I can shoot a cool photo and upload it immediately to my Facebook, Twitter or Instagram accounts for everyone to see."
Swindle believes it will allow his followers closer access to him. "Used correctly with social media this can actually become a new aged type of reality show. My fans can follow me almost to the minute and see what I am up to. This is really what bass fishing has needed. We'll be able to give fans a behind the scenes look at life as a professional angler."
Ehrler agrees with Palaniuk and Swindle that it will help him reach his fans, family and friends quicker and easier. Ehrler added it'll also be great way for him to keep up with his two year old son while he's on the road. "Kelley (Ehrler's wife) can take one of my cameras along and when something fun or new happens with Ollie she can send it to me right away. Except during tournament hours, I could be fishing on the Red River in Louisiana and be able to keep up with anything I might miss. It's not as good as being there, but it's better than seeing it tomorrow or next week. "
The new GoPro technology isn't just for the professional angler. Anyone with a GoPro and a smart phone can take advantage of this new technological advance by GoPro. Ehrler suggests, "Any angler wanting to share their experiences on and off the water with others can use this new update. GoPro's have always provided high quality footage and now with the ability to share it immediately it opens up a whole new level of sharing experiences; such as the fight of a huge bass or the first steps or words of a child. GoPro set the standard in action video and now they are setting the standard in near realtime access to high quality video."
While the technology is new, most GoPro cameras can be updated to handle it very easily. Visit GoPro.com for more information. To see what the new technology is all about check out this video of the GoPro Control, View Share app http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVf6LRFI740&sns=em.
Be sure to follow Brent Ehrler, Gerald Swindle and Brandon Palaniuk on their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts as they bring you near realtime imagery from the road, water and their homes.
ANGLERS CHOICE MARINE NAMED NUMBER ONE DEALER IN THE NATION FOR SINGLE-MARKET BY RANGER BOATS
MARTINSVILLE, VA (July 30, 2013) – Angler’s Choice Marine in Martinsville, Virginia, along with owners Sandi and Nick Loganadan were honored during the recent Ranger Boats National Dealer Conference in Flippin, Arkansas receiving the award for Top Volume Single-Market Ranger Dealer.
Anglers Choice Marine Winning Team
Announced by Ranger Boats founder Forrest L. Wood, Ranger President Randy Hopper and Ranger Vice President Keith Daffron during the annual dealer conference’s awards dinner, the award for the top single-market dealer goes to the dealership with the highest number of wholesale purchases in a single market.
Nick and Sandi with Ranger Rep Ron Enslen
“We’re blessed to have such professional and hard-working dealers like Angler’s Choice in the Ranger Family,” Daffron said. “They take care of their customers by knowing what they need and keeping it in stock and providing outstanding service to their customers after the sale. Angler’s Choice Marine’s approach to sales and service helps the region's residents make the most of their fishing and boating opportunities.”
Family owned and operated, Angler’s Choice Marine features a full line of Ranger boats and is celebrating 20 years of serving fishing and boating enthusiasts throughout the nation. This is the second time they have been named number one dealer in the nation for Ranger Boats, receiving the same honor in 2009. They have dealerships located in Martinsville, VA; Lexington, NC and Moneta, VA. For more information, visit them on the web at www.anglerschoicemarine.com or call 276-632-5600.
Late July Sportsman's Warehouse Report from the Columbia, SC Store!
Sportsman's Warehouse fishing manager Craig Baird joins us for a late summer product report for many of the area lakes..........3 solid baits Craig says are really working right now all over the region are showcased right here!!
Grant and Simpson Take Top Spot in July Edition of Bienville Big Bass Blast
The 2nd Big Bass Blast at Bienville Plantation concluded with a fish fry that made everybody a winner, but on the water Wally Grant and Gary Simpson, of Gainesville, FL took top honors with a 3-fish limit that weighed 15.56 pounds and included the day’s big bass at 6.48.
“It went really well,” said Josie Gaskins who runs the office and has generally assumed the role of First Lady at Bienville. “We had a total of 26 boats. It was a HOT one, but still had some nice fish weighed in.”
Here’s your Top 5:
1st Place - Wally Grant & Gary Simpson Total Weight 15.56lbs Big Fish Winner 6.48lbs
2nd Place - Trevor Corbitt & Jimmy Johnson Total Weight 14.28lbs 2nd Big Fish Winner 6.30lbs
3rd Place - Caleb Johns & Lil Bob McMillan Total Weight 14.26
4th Place - Bob Tarlton & Buddy Witt Total Weight 14.12lbs
5th Place - Stephen Gray & Ronnie Crown Total Weight 12.90lbs
It’s hard to beat the pay scale in the Big Bass Blast events, which take place the last Saturday of every month. When a 26-boat tournament pays $2585.70 to the winners and $702 for big bass, there’s some money to be won.
Heck, even the 2nd big bass paid $468 and the top 5 teams cut checks.
And it all leads up to the Bienville Classic with a guaranteed minimum purse of $25,000 in December.
Call 386-397-1989 or email [email protected] for details or to take part next month.
By the way, if you're in the Gainesville area, be sure to stop by and visit Gary Simpson at his store, Gary's Tackle Box. He's not just a good angler, he knows how to take of anglers with his selection of lures, gear, etc.
It's Frogs Only On The Menu For California Delta Snag Proof Open
Ish's Phat Frog!
It's blistering hot on the California Delta, but the largemouth bass lie in relatively cool water beneath a summer scum, just waiting on a delicious meal to be served on the surface. A fat frog will do just fine for the main course.
That's what anglers are banking on in the 12th Annual Snag Proof Open on the Delta. It's a frog-only tournament.
“They can only use Snag Proof brand topwater frogs and they have to be used on top,” said tournament director Vince Harris. “You can't put a bullet weight on them, for instance.”
Harris explained the dynamics of frog fishing on the Delta in August.
“We've been having very hot weather, with temperatures in the high 90s to low 100s. That will make the fishing come alive,” he said. “The hot weather creates a scum on top of the water, a big chunk of nasty looking moss, but underneath that the water temperature will be in the 60s while the surface might be 82 degrees.
The tides will also be important, he said.
“The unique thing is that they will fish two different tides, the first day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m,. and the second day from 6 a.m. to 12 noon. That gives everybody a chance.”
The California Delta Snag Proof Open is the oldest and largest of the Snag Proof tournaments held around the country, said Harris, who is the tournament director for Anglers Press, a promotions and marketing company which hosts large-scale outdoor-related specialty events in the area.
The team format tournament features a professional division with an entry fee of $200 and an amateur division with an entry fee of $100. July 31 is the deadline for early bird entries and those who meet the deadline will get a goody pack that includes Gamakatsu hooks and other tackle.
Sponsored by Gone Fishin' Marine in Dixon, Calif, the tournament features an 80 percent payback with five places paid for big fish.
“The top 25 pro teams and the top 15 amateur teams will qualify for the Coors Light Delta Championship,” Harris said. “That championship features a new Jeep Patriot for the winners, courtesy of the Elk Grove Tam Dealership in Elk Grove, Calif.”
Harris said the California Delta Snag Proof Open has never had less than 175 teams entered.
“We are expecting over 200 this year,” he said.
California's 12th Annual Snag Proof Open
Aug 3-4, 2013
California Delta
Russo's Marina
Call 1-800-762-4773
JW and another new Tackle Box from Plano
Bass Master Elite Series Pro Jason Williamson checks out the new Plano Liquid Bait Locker..........this is more than impressive!
2013 Mountain Music Kids Tournament Douglas Lake Wrap Up With Richard Mcmaster From Tom's Marine Tt
Tom's Marine TT Director and Angler Richard McMaster joins us to share what this Tournament really means to all the kids, and just how impactful it really is. When you have weigh-in crowds that exceed a Bass Master Elite Series Event, something pretty big is going on....Click here to watch!
2013 Mountain Music Kids Tournament Douglas Weigh-In Action
Some of the best weigh-in footage you will see...............kids on top of the world showcasing their big day on DOUGLAS LAKE!
2013 Mountain Music Kids Tournament Douglas Lake Action
On the water at Douglas Lake for the 2013 Mountain Music Kids Tournament..........what a tremendous Tournament and the best way every year to get our kids on the Water!
Sitko Wins Detroit River Everstart
Long Shot Luger Makes Huge Comeback To Win B.a.s.s. Nation Mid-Atlantic Divisional On Lake Erie
Jeff Luger of Virginia weighed-in 19 pounds, 13 ounces of Lake Erie smallmouth today to charge from 21st place to the winner’s circle on the final day of the B.A.S.S. Nation Mid-Atlantic Divisional tournament.
And because of the 4-fish limit in Pennsylvania Luger’s average weight per fish was nearly 5 pounds apiece. His sack included a 5-10 smallie that won Carhartt Big Bass honors for the tournament. Likewise, his bag of bass today was also the heaviest of the 3-day event.
“I never thought I would have a chance at winning this,” said Lugar, 42, a production manager for M&H Plastics. “I caught 4-12 the first day, and then I had 14-11 yesterday, and I told my partner today, I needed a big bag just to try and make it from the (state) team. At 1 o’clock today, he told me I had won the whole thing. I said there was no way since I had caught 4 pounds the first day, and you can’t win a tournament with this many good fishermen and not have a limit every day. So I don’t know what to say. I am in shock right now.”
Lugar caught all of his fish the final day on a Jackall Lures Crosstail Shad and Strike King 4-inch finesse worm on a drop shot rig with 3/8- and 1/2-ounce weights.
“We went east about 10 miles and started there,” said Lugar. “I caught three fish, and the second one was a 5-pounder. We got to the next spot, and it was lights out for three or four hours. I was catching 3 1/2- and 4-pound fish. It was just one of those days. We caught walleye, drum, yellow perch, rock bass and, of course, some big smallmouth.”
Delaware won the team championship with 387 pounds, 1 ounce, while the New Jersey squad finished second with 364-8.
The Top 10 looks like this:
1. Jeff Lugar Mcgaheysville, VA (VA) 10 39-04 0
2. Jason Vaughn Bridgeville, DE (DE) 12 39-02 0
3. Mike Moran Ruffsdale, PA (PA) 12 38-13 0
4. Jim Groome Pittsgrove, NJ (NJ) 12 36-08 0
5. John Carpenter Marmona, NJ (NJ) 12 36-06 0
6. Jim Short Ocean Pines, MD (DE) 12 36-03 0
7. Matt Becker Finleyville, PA (PA) 12 35-03 0
8. Chris Price Church Hill, MD (DE) 12 34-14 0
9. William Pioch Beckley, WV (WV) 12 34-11 0
10. Michael Sentore Gloucester City, NJ (NJ 12 34-11 0
11. Fabian Rodriguez Ocean City, DE (DE) 12 34-00 0
Pioch Takes Over on Erie
Bill Pioch took the lead in the B.A.S.S. Nation Mid-Atlantic Divisional today with a Pennsylvania 4-fish limit weighing 15-05.
High winds on Day 1 pinned anglers down to the bay, where Pioch caught 9-08. Today he took advantage of the freedom to roam and ran his total weight to 24-13.
Today he switched game plans, from fishing for largemouth in Presque Isle Bay to targeting smallmouth out on the main body of Lake Erie.
The retired West Virginia State Trooper relied on his electronics to locate schools of fish. “Basically I drove around until I found the schools of fish, and then we would start fishing,” said Pioch. “It was just like playing video games.”
Pioch found fish in 20-to-25 feet of water early in the day; 30-to-35 feet later. He estimates that he caught 20 bass. “For the suspended fish, we had to drop our lures right on their heads to get them to bite. Once we caught one or two good fish off the school, the fish would spook and move off. So we had to keep hunting.”
Pioch owns a 10 ounce lead over Jim Groome who has 24-03. Mike Moran is 3rd with 24-01. Next on the jam-packed leaderboard is Jason Vaughn with 24-even.
Day 1 leader Chris Price dropped to 5th with a total weight of 23-10.
Price Leads Mid-Atlantic Divisional on Erie
Chris Price, a roofing contractor and two-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier from Church Hill, MD took the lead today in the B.A.S.S. Nation Mid-Atlantic Divisional on Lake Erie.
With a Pennsylvania limit of 4 fish that weighed 10-12, Price assumed a lead of 5 ounces over Matt Becker of Finleyville, PA.
Michael Sentor of New Jersey is 3rd with 10-06. Also from the Garden State, Jim Groome is 4th with 10-01. Brian La Claire of Maryland is 5th with 9-14.
Gusty winds prompted tournament officials to restrict eligible waters to those contained within Presque Isle Bay. On a hunch that such would happen, Price spent half of a practice in the bay.
“I got real lucky in practice and pulled into a spot, and the first few cast I made I put together a pattern,” said Price.
Price used a 7-inch worm to pull 18 bass from a grass edge in several feet of water. “I just happened to come across a couple of good spots real quick right out in the middle of the bay.”
The good news for Price, and many other competitors, is that his main lake stuff did not get fished today. Those spots will be fresh, provided winds lay enough for the tournament field to venture forth from the bay tomorrow, which is expected to happen.
Winning Airport Marine Tournament On Lay Lake Depends On Successful Hunting
Bob Blackerby and Michael Brasher won the Apr 20 tournament on Logan Martin with 18.28 lbs!
The Airport Marine tournament on Lay Lake July 27 is going to be a hunt and seek exercise. Whoever finds the fish likely will weigh in a solid sack of bass, but those who hunt unsuccessfully might come in with empty live wells.
“We had our Solo tournament down there July 17 and it took 18 1/2 pounds to win, while it took 16 pounds just to get a check,” said tournament director Flynn Gerald. “But of all the boats in that field only about 10 weighed in. The weather is hot and the fish are not where everybody thought they would be.”
Gerald said the winning weight was caught shallow, but the fish brought to the scales were caught both shallow and deep. The problem was finding the fish.
“The winning stringer came out of the grass and an 18-pound stringer came off the deep ledges You just had to zero in on where the fish were.”
Gerald explained that the water has warmed up considerably and a lot of fish have moved out to the deep ledges, but all the rain has created a lot of current in the lake which has positioned the fish in fewer places.
“Most of the places where they had been catching fish off the ledges are not doing nay good because the water is moving so hard, but if you can find out where they are stacked up you can do pretty good.”
On the other hand, the largemouth bass that have stayed shallow have moved just inside the pockets, right out of the current, he said, and have been hard to pinpoint.
“There were about four or five super shallow water fishermen who did not even weigh in. But the ones who found the fish did good.”
Gerald said he is looking for a very good entry next Saturday, in the neighborhood of 70 to 80 boats. And most of those will be top caliber anglers, he added.
“If you do well in one of our tournaments you have really done something,” he said. First place in the July 27 tournament will pay $3,000, which is guaranteed. And, if someone is fishing in a boat from Airport Marine and meets other bonus program requirements, the least they could win would be more than $13,000.
“If you are fishing out of a boat bought from Airport Marine we will double that $3,000 to $6,000. If you are in a Triton from Airport they will give you an additional $7,000. Then if you have an Evinrude they will add $5,000, which brings it to $18,000. If the winner is an adult-child or couples team, they get another $1,000. And if you are pulling your boat with a truck from Gilmore Ford they will give you another $5,000.”
Airport Marine Tournament Trail
Sat, Jul 27, 2013
Lay Lake
Paradise Point Marina & RV Resort
Call Flynn Gerald 205-678-9666
Dyer Just Looking For A Limit In North Carolina Bws Tournament On Lake Wylie
Steve Dyer is clinging to a one-point lead in the Bassmaster Weekend Series North Carolina Division points race heading to Lake Wylie July 27 for the fourth tournament in the series, but his primary goal at Wylie will be just to catch a limit of bass.
Dyer, of Mt. Pleasant, N.C., and Mike Miller of Archdale, N.C., are in a neck-and-neck race for the points championship with just Wylie and the two-day divisional championship on High Rock in September left on the schedule. But this is not the first time Dyer has been in this boat.
“I was in the heat of the chase last year. I kind of messed up on Lake Norman, then wrestled my way back and ended up on top of the points, but lost the title in a tiebreaker,” Dyer said.
He might have sewed up the 2013 points title in May on Kerr if not for boat trouble, he said.
“I started the season by winning at High Rock (in April), then we went down to Kerr and I had boat problems. I was on a really good pattern, but I could not get to the fish. I ended up having to fish around some places I could get to and he got ahead of me in points there.”
Dyer finished 8th at Kerr, then rebounded in the third tournament of the season on Lake Norman, finishing 4th.
“The bream bite was on there and I think a lot of the guys did not realize that. The fish were up shallow and I got back in front of him again.”
Miller, who had started the season with a second place at High Rock, finished 3rd at Kerr less than a pound and a half ahead of Dyer, but dropped to 12th at Lake Norman.
“Now we go to Lake Wylie, which is not my favorite place to fish in the summer,” Dyer said. “My goal there is to get a limit in the boat, then try to get some bigger fish, and then get on to that last tournament. I really like High Rock in September.”
Dyer said that with the full moon coming early in the week there is an excellent chance the Wylie tournament will be won on the bream beds, or possibly on a mayfly bite up the rivers.
“There's going to be a pretty good bream bite. A couple of years ago in the B.A.S.S. Super Tournament I got to be in the photo boat for several days and got to see a lot of bream beds. I'm going to be looking real close for them a couple of evenings before the tournament.”
Bassmaster Weekend Series - North Carolina Division
Sat, Jul 27, 2013
Lake Wylie
Ebenezer Access Area
Call Gary Conner 256-230-5627
LIVETARGET Introduces New HFC (Hunt-for-Center) Crawfish Crankbait
(July 23, 2013) - LIVETARGET announces the addition of the new HFC Craw to its already robust lineup of crawfish hardbaits. HFC stands for "hunt for center," which is an engineered feature of this bait series that causes the HFC Craw to not only erratically deviate from a straight line track during retrieve, but to also continuously self-correct itself to get back on "center." The irregular swimming behavior looks very natural and, therefore, is a highly desirable trait for crankbaits.
This crawfish imitator stems from significant R&D, including in-the-field and design contributions from prostaff David Walker and Stephen Browning. With theHFC Craw's aggressive tail-kick and unique hunt-for-center action, look for this bait to be especially effective for working the 7- to 8-feet depths when targeting big pre-spawn bass.
The HFC crankbait; fitted with premium hooks and hardware, weighs approximately 3/8 oz. and measures 2-inches (52mm) in length. The series consists of six LIVETARGET crawfish colors, including patterns specifically created by prostaff members. The colors are Phantom Green, Spring Craw, Root Beer, Chartreuse Root Beer, Copper Root Beer and Red.
According to longtime BASS pro David Walker, the size and colors make the HFC Craw an excellent choice for fishing in cold-water conditions and around rock cover. "This will be my go-to crankbait for cold water, pre-spawn fish, and especially when the water is clear. This lure has all the qualities to make it a spectacular producer," Walker said.
LIVETARGET has been the leader in developing the most life-like crawfish lure imitations ever designed, with anatomical features and color schemes that match natural creations. With the introduction of the HFC Craw, LIVETARGET offers the finest lineup of premier crawfish crankbaits to match up to any water depth, color scheme and action.
The HFC Craw has a MSRP of $14.49 with availability expected in November of this year.
ICAST 2013: On Deck-Strike King Pro Andy Montgomery joins AC Insider Vance McCullough for the Monster SK 10XD Crankbait!
AC Insider Vance McCullough is one on one with SK Pro Andy Montgomery as he previews the 10XD and is able to show you just how BIG this bait is! He also grabs a few other new items he will be throwing in 2014!
ICAST 2013: On Deck-Motor Guide rolls out the new Xi5 Wireless Trolling Motor for 2014!
AC Insider and Pro Staffer Vance McCullough pops in the Motor Guide booth to check out the new Xi5, and wow, this is one heck of a new product...Click here for the full review!!
ICAST 2013: On Deck-Strike King Pro James Niggemeyer joins us to talk about the new KVD 1.5 Crankbait!!
Strike King Pro James Niggemeyer joins us again to talk abotu the new KVD 1.5........this is a super effective crankbait that will be a MUST HAVE in the tackle box for 2014!
Will Bait Ball Be Legal for Elites?
Live Target Bait Ball crankbait
OK, stupid question coming in 3 .... 2 ... 1. Will the new Live Target Bait Ball be legal for use under the Bassmaster Elite Series ban on multi-lure rigs?
Unveiled at ICAST last week, the Bait Ball is a concept that features either a crankbait, jerkbait or topwater plug which contains the image of multiple baitfish.
Sounds legal enough. The B.A.S.S. rule simply holds that multiple lures may not be used.
But consider the new Three-For-All by Mann's bait company, also released at ICAST. It includes one soft plastic swimbait - to be rigged on one hook - to which are connected, via a soft plastic strip, another hookless swimbait on either side. The illusion is that of three baitfish swimming along together.
B.A.S.S. ruled the Three-For-All illegal for Elite Series competition prior to the start of the current season.
The Bait Ball and the Three-For-All operate on the same basic concept but use different designs. In fact, Mann's lure is designed for use with a single hook while the Bait Ball incorporates a pair of trebbles. So, with the advent of Live Target's latest ICAST Best of Show-winning design, have they finally produced an Elite Series-legal bait school-imitating lure?
Kids to Fish in Moore, OK Derby
MOORE, Okla. — Organizers of the Moore Fishing Derby hope to enable children in their community, located on the outskirts of Oklahoma City, to replace nightmares of killer tornadoes with fond memories of fishing.
Parents are invited to bring their children to Buck Thomas Park’s pond on Saturday, July 27, from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. for a morning of fishing. Rods, reels and bait will be provided. The pond is being stocked with fish to ensure youngsters will have good opportunities to catch something.
Residents in the state of Oklahoma have been hard hit by record-setting, weather-related tragedies this year. Just 11 days after the city of Moore was struck by a deadly EF5 tornado, the area of El Reno, also just outside Oklahoma City, was hit with another EF5 storm that set a record width of 2.6 miles. Moore has twice been hit by EF5 tornadoes — most recently in May 2013 and previously in 1999 with a storm that had recording-breaking wind speeds of 302 mph.
The fishing derby has been coordinated by Tackle the Storm Foundation in conjunction with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s Fisheries Division, with the support of volunteers from the Oklahoma B.A.S.S. Nation, the North Oklahoma City Bassmasters, the Sooner Bassmasters and the Oklahoma City Junior Bassmasters clubs. Members from each of these organizations, along with several Bassmaster Elite Series anglers and representatives from the Moore Parks and Recreation Department, will be on hand to give children new fishing poles and help them fish.
The brainchild of Bassmaster.com writer Don Barone, Tackle the Storm Foundation aims to establish a sense of normalcy in a child’s life in the aftermath of a natural disaster, such as the devastating tornado that hit Cullman, Ala., in April 2011. That event, an EF4 storm, was the inspiration for Barone’s initiative.
The inaugural Tackle the Storm benefit took place on July 2, 2011, in Cullman at a small park lake with Bassmaster Elite Series anglers Steve Kennedy, Randy Howell, Matt Herren and Keith Poche helping to distribute rods and taking time to fish with the children.
“If you are a member of a B.A.S.S. club, or for that matter any kind of fishing club, in a small town, and you know kids who won’t be able to get to the city of Moore on July 27 — if you’ll come and tell us how many rods and reels you need, we will give them to you to take back to the children of your community,” Barone said. “We really need to reach as many of the children in the small towns outside of Moore … the small towns that may be overlooked but who need help … if anyone knows of a child in a small town that lost their fishing stuff do to the tornado, please let us know, and I will guarantee that we will get a rod and reel into that child’s hands.”
The goal of the project is straightforward: Get children who love to fish back on the water or teach those who want to learn the basics of fishing. Barone realizes the effort won’t restore everything to the way it was before the storm hit Moore and surrounding areas, but it will be a day for a kid to just be a kid.
“Recently I was asked if I thought that Tackle The Storm Foundation could possibly change a child’s life by giving them a fishing pole,” Barone said. “I understand the skepticism. But I answered the question by saying, ‘I don’t know if it will change their lives, but I can tell you, it will change their day.’”
Buck Thomas Park is located at 1901 NE 12th St., Moore, OK, 73160. More information on the event is available at www.cityofmoore.com/moore-fishing-derby and www.tacklethestormfoundation.org.
ICAST 2013: On Deck-STRIKE KING PRO Mark Menendez talks about the new Strike King Tour Grade RAGE BLADE!
STRIKE KING TOUR PRO Mark Menendez raves about the new Strike King Tour Grade Rage Blade..........check out why this Rage Blade was the talk of the show!!
ICAST 2013: On Deck-Bass Master Champion Chris Lane and the new Power Pole Micro!
AC Pro Staffer and Insider Vance McCullough grabs Bass Master Classic Champion Chris Lane inside the POWER POLE booth and gets an up close look at the new and amazing 7.5 LB Power Pole MICRO!!
ICAST 2013:Jason from Igloo Coolers continues our education on the new Soft Sided cooler!
AC Pro Staffer and Insider Vance McCullough continues our look at the new Igloo Soft Sided Cooler that will hold ice for up to 48 hours!
Jennings Wins BFL on High Rock Lake
SALISBURY, N.C. (July 15, 2013) – Jeff Jennings of Rock Hill, S.C., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 21 pounds, 12 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division event on High Rock Lake. For his victory, Jennings earned $3,545.
“The day started a little hard for me, but I just kept trying. I didn’t have a fish by 10:00,” said Jennings. “Then I went to one place and caught three good fish in an hour. In practice the same thing happened. I’d have a hard morning and then catch good fish in the afternoon.”
Jennings said he pitched a beaver-style bait to docks and wood cover in up to 10 feet of water. “You could go and hit 25 places without a bite and then catch two or three off the same dock or in the same little stretch.”
Even though Jennings won by more than 2 pounds, he didn’t think he’d have enough to win. “I had a 14-inch fish in my limit and I thought I had 18 or 19 pounds. I thought that 14-inch fish would cost me the tournament”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Randy Childers, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 19-8, $1,773
3rd: Kevin Chandler, New London, N.C., five bass, 18-8, $1,004
4th: Scott Threadgill, Troy, N.C., five bass, 18-1, $1,004
5th: Jarrett Freeze, Rockwell, S.C., five bass, 17-10, $709
6th: Steve Sink, Winston-Salem, N.C., five bass, 17-6, $650
7th: Scott Guyot, Wagram, N.C., five bass, 17-4, $591
8th: Ray Griffin, Henderson, N.C., five bass, 17-3, $532
9th: Eric Moser, Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 16-9, $473
10th: Jeff Queen, Catawba, N.C., five bass, 16-3, $414
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Marty Daniel of Butler, N.C., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 12 pounds, 15 ounces Saturday to win $1,773 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Greg Deal, China Grove, N.C., five bass, 12-13, $886
3rd: Robert Barrett, Youngsville, N.C., five bass, 11-15, $591
4th: Arthur Ferguson, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 11-14, $414
5th: Wayne Smelser, Rural Retreat, Va., five bass, 11-1, $355
6th: Bradley Chandler, New London, N.C., four bass, 10-10, $325
7th: Anthony Rife, Woodlawn, Va., five bass, 9-10, $295
8th: Chuck Morton, Danville, Va., four bass, 9-6, $266
9th: Wayne Austin, High Point, N.C., three bass, 9-2, $236
10th: Dennis Middleton, Madison Heights, Va., four bass, 8-8, $207
The next BFL Piedmont Division tournament is scheduled for September 28-29 on Lake Gaston in Bracey, Va. After the last divisional tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct.17-19 Regional Championship on Lake Hartwell in Lavonia, Ga. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
Elite Series Pro Greg Vinson Debuts Ear Visors at ICAST!
Bassmaster Elite Series veteran Greg Vinson addresses a problem that all anglers face - sun damage, possibly skin cancer. Ear Visors protect the most vulnerable areas of exposed skin AND they protect your investment in quality eyewear as they will float your glasses should they fall overboard. A must-see for anyone who spends time on the water!
Muddy, High Water Awaits Anglers In Bfl Piedmont Division Tournament At High Rock
High Rock Lake is so high and so muddy the spray coming off a bass boat is orange-colored, said Robert Walser of nearby Lexington, N.C., who is leading the points in the Walmart BFL Piedmont Division going into Saturday's 4th tournament of the year.
“It's amazing what's going on down there,” said Walser. “When I crossed it Tuesday it was within 2/10 of a foot being full in the lake and the river was running three feet above flood stage. There are 23,000 cubic feet per second flowing down and it normally runs about 4,000 cfs.”
Walser said he fished the lake Sunday afternoon and managed only one keeper.
“Fishing is tough and if the water stays really high like it is now, you can’t get under the bridges. That would take the two largest creeks out of the picture Saturday.”
Walser said that while the fish typically stay shallow when the water is high, he “must have flipped a million times Sunday” and only landed that one keeper.
“The water is so high it's hard to flip most of the docks. You can't get your bait under the docks. The water is actually up to the bottom of the piers and when boats come by the water splashes on tops of the piers.”
If the water were to fall just a 8 to 10 inches, he said, it might spur the fish to bite Saturday, but with more rain in the forecast before tournament time that is unlikely.
Walser, who placed 15th at High Rock in march, 16th at Kerr in April and 6th at Badin in June, is 10 points ahead of Mike Miller of Trinity, N.C., on the eve of the High Rock Tournament, and those two are well ahead of the rest of the field in the Piedmont Division standings. Walser won the Piedmont Division points title in 2007 and 2011, and he placed second in 2009 and 3rd in 2000 and 2003.
“All I have to do is catch some at High Rock and then go to Gaston for the last tournament and catch some there,” he said.
“But it's going to be a different tournament at High Rock. Right now I'd be tickled with 10 or 11 pounds and take my chances.”
Walmart BFL - Piedmont Division
Sat, Jul 13, 2013
High Rock Lake
Tamarac Marina
Epic Flooding Disrupts Fishing In Chickamauga For Chattanooga Bass Association Tournament
Chickamauga Lake is so high and so muddy, it's going to be anybody's ballgame in the Chattanooga Bass Association tournament Saturday, said tournament director Justin Medley.
“It's going to be a curve ball for the anglers. Last night at 6 o'clock Chickamauga was as high as it's been in 35 year, maybe as high as it has ever been,” he said Tuesday. “The water is milk chocolate colored and 5 to 6 feet up over the banks.”
Medley said the Tennessee Valley Authority, faced with a record flood, is moving 185,000 cubic feet of water per second – equivalent to 1.9 million gallons of water per second – through the system.
“By tournament time the TVA will have the lake down to normal pool, but the water is full of debris. Yesterday it looked like you could walk up the river on treetops and logs. And I've seen buoys in downtown Chattahoochee in the treetops.”
That could spell disaster for anglers who don't observe extreme caution, he noted.
“There are docks and pieces of docks floating down the river and there is a lot of stuff just under the surface, so it's hazardous. There will be some lower units bashed up if guys are not careful.”
By Saturday medley said TVA should have the water flowing down to about 80,000 to 100,000 cfs, but the flooding is going to have a definite effect on the fishing – and the fishermen.
“It's hard to predict a pattern, but one that will not work will be the deep bite. All the big bags were being caught out of deep water, but fishing the river ledges is out of the question now. So it probably will be a flipping or a grass bite Saturday.”
That being said, however, Medley noted that everybody is going to be in the same bot in Saturday's tournament.
“The guys will show up, trying to get their points and qualify for the classic. It doesn't mater how much these guys have been able to practice. They don't have much of an edge on anybody.”
First place in CBA tournaments pays $2,000. Fishermen must fish seven of the regular season events to qualify for the classic at the end of the year. At the classic first place is guaranteed $10,000 guaranteed by TowBoatUS. Last year more than $60,000 in cash and prizes was awarded at the classic, Medley said.
The tournaments are family-friendly, he noted, with special divisions for adult-youth teams and new teams.
“Both the new and youth teams will compete against other new and youth teams. The youths in youth teams get to fish at half the entry fee and the highest finishing youth team in an event wins free entry into the following tournament The same applies to the new teams. The highest finishing new teams get free entry into the next event.”
The Chattanooga Bass Association requires a one-time $50 process feet for each participant who wants to receive points towards entry into the year-end classic and receive year-end prizes and new team prizes. The entry fee is $120 per boat for each tournament, $60 for a youth division team.
A youth division team must have one participant who is 16 years or younger at the time he purchases his process number. A new team is one that did not compete in more than one CBA open event during the 2012 season.
The Chattanooga Bass Association is a non-profit community service organization founded by community leaders in 1976. It was designed to offer a top quality open fishing circuit to Chattanooga and surrounding areas; while enhancing Chattanooga’s economic growth and recreational potential.
After Saturday's tournament the schedule includes July 27 (night), August 10, August 24 (night), September 14 and October 12, with the Classic Nov. 2- 3.
Chattanooga Bass Association
Sat, Jul 13, 2013
Chickamauga Lake
Chester Frost Park
Call Justin Medley 423-667-5054
Both Shallow And Deep Should Produce In Alabama North Tournament On Weiss Saturday
Although heavy rains have brought the lake level up, fishing should not be affected to much for the Bassmaster Weekend Series Alabama North Division tournament on Lake Weiss Saturday, according to a co-angler who fishes the lake regularly.
“I won't say fishing will be tough, but we have had a lot of rain the past couple of days and the lake is up 6 to 8 inches. There is a lot of water moving through the lake,” said Shane Howington of Hokes Bluff, Ala. “But the last couple of weeks it's been taking 20 pounds to win a tournament on Weiss and I don't see that changing Saturday.”
Howington said fishing both shallow and deep will likely be productive Saturday.
“I think it will be a combination of fishing deep structure, 15 to 18 feet deep, and flipping grass or under boathouses, piers and docks,” said Howington, who just graduated from Mississippi State University where he was a member of the school's collegiate fishing team the past three years.
“I am doing fair this year, not as good as in the past, but that is why it is called fishing,” said the co-angler who is ranked 31st so far this season. Howington said he plans to fish the Weekend Series again, plus the Walmart BFL Series next year.
On the pro side, Damien Willis of Jacksonville, Ala., leads the points, but Chuck Hemm of Huntsville, Ala., and Jason Grape of Attalla, Ala., are right on his heels. Jimmy Mason of Rogersville, Ala., is 10 points back, but Mason, who has a long history of doing well in BWS tournaments, can't be counted out.
“Willis does not have a safe lead,” said tournament manager Kristin Malott. “Any one of those guys could jump in front of him in this tournament.”
Malott said the Alabama North Division has been averaging 115-120 boats and she anticipates about the same entry this weekend.
“I expect the anglers to bring in a lot of good fish,” said Malott who also directs the Tennessee Central, Missouri and Mississippi divisions.
Bassmaster Weekend Series - Alabama North Division
Sat, Jul 13, 2013
Lake Weiss
Little River Marina
Kristin Malott, 256-771-3709
Power-Pole Micro Wins 2013 Overal Best of Show at ICAST
AnglersChannel.com shot some video with former Bassmaster Classic Champ Chris Lane in the Power-Pole booth yesterday. Look for that footage on the web site soon.
In the video, Lane introduces us to the Power-Pole Micro which was just awarded the highest honor possible at the annual ICAST trade show - a global gathering of the fishing industry and its players.
"It weighs only seven-and-a-half pounds; it will anchor 1500 pounds of boat," noted Lane. "And it is super easy to take off and store overnight or just when you make a long run." Lane then demonstrated how easy that is to do.
"Another reason some guys will love the Micro is that, if you want to add one to the nose of your boat to complement the Power-Pole you already have on the rear, you can do so and your boat will not spin when you're fishing."
At a price tag of a few hundred dollars, the Micro is going to be a huge success.
Igloo Appeals to Anglers
So your Triton or Ranger has a built-in cooler. Great. What about when you take the family camping or take your kid hunting? Do any saltwater fishing from a skiff and need a cooler? The folks at Igloo offer the Yukon.
As the staff of AnglersChannel.com canvassed the floor of the 2013 ICAST show today we were impressed with a few products, but none more so than the Yukon.
A square-jawed, broad-shouldered, Rotomolded block, it is bear proof with its lockable lid and stainless hardware. In an upcoming AnglersChannel.com video you can see Vance McCullough dance on top of a Yukon 50. So, beyond being bear proof, it's Vance proof - which any of his fishing partners can tell you is a good thing!
Its handles are molded-in, not added-on, so they will not break.
The Yukon boasts more insulation than competitors' products that have over promissed; under delivered.
It's made in the USA!
And the Yukon's price point is aggressively competitive.
Available in a variety of sizes, there's an Igloo Yukon to fit your needs.
View the Take-On Yukon Challenge at: http://takeonyukon.com/#sthash.7ThvMPiW.dpbs
Live Target Reveal Kicks Off Icast 2013!
The folks at Koppers said they had a revolutionary idea to unveil at ICAST. They weren't kidding.
In a room full of veteran bass fishing media types who have seen it all and heard it all, the word 'revolutionary' actually rang true. The Bait Ball is more than just a new lure. "What we've really got to get our minds around here is that this is a concept," said Grant Koppers, developer of the Bait Ball. He explained that having "internal fish" is what sets the Bait Ball apart.
"The Bait Ball is unlike any lure out there," noted Elite Series pro David Walker. "We didn't just paint it to look like a fish."
With individual schooling minnows, shad, etc. inside the lure, whether it be the crankbaits, poppers or jerkbaits, the Bait Ball gives the look of a small break away school - a known trigger in provoking strikes from bass in a feeding mode as well as those that are in a neutral mode. Suspended bass often respond to nothing else but a small school of bait swimming overhead.
This concept and line of lures will almost certainly win Best of Show in the hardbait category and possibly Best of Show, period.
After Disastrous First Half Of Flw Majors Season, Auten Rebounds With 10Th Place Finish At Chickamauga
Todd Auten finished in 10th place this past weekend on Chickamauga. Photo courtesy FLW Outdoors.
Todd Auten knew the first half of the 2013 tour schedule was going to be tough. He just didn't think it would be as tough as it was.
He figured he would do much better in the last half of the season, and he did, fishing a long way up out of the basement and climbed up the standings – just not far enough to qualify for the FLW Championship on the Red River at Shreveport, La., next month.
“Going into the season I knew Lewis Smith Lake and Beaver Lake are always tough for me, but I thought I would do better at Okeechobee in the season opener,” Auten said. “When it's warmer I can do good on Smith Lake, but when it's cold I am in trouble.”
Auten had one of the worst stretches in his pro career spanning those first three tournaments. He finished 152nd at Okeechobee in early February, 148th at Lewis Smith a month later, and 128th at Beaver Lake the second week of April.
“Okeechobee was all about catching one big fish, getting one big bite, and I never got it,” Auten said. “At Smith Lake my practice did not go too bad. I caught quite a few fish on a little crankbait, but come tournament time I could not catch keepers. The first day I caught one fish. It seemed like nothing would fall into place. The second day I fished totally different and caught a few fish, but I was so far down I could not get back.”
At Beaver Lake, Auten said he had “a halfway okay practice,” but never found anything solid to fish for the tournament.
“It seemed like it was tougher for me and easier for everybody else. Everybody was throwing the Alabama Rig, but I could not catch them on it. I tried to go back on some old history and fished stuff I'd done in the past, but nothing seemed to work.”
Auten said he knew going into the season that the second and third tournaments would definitely be tough, but he figured the next three would be more suitable to his style of fishing.
“I knew the weather would be warmer, there would be a little stained water, and I'd have a chance to fish shallow,” he said.
He started to come back at Lake Eufaula in mid-May, finishing 30th and earning his first check of the season on the FLW Majors Tour. He was much better at Grand Lake in early June, finishing 12th and cashing a second check for the year.
His best finish was last weekend at Lake Chickamauga, where he finished 10th and earned another good check. He planned to fish shallow, but searched in practice for a go-to deep spot as a back-up.
“I finally found one place where my practice partner and I got a couple of good bites. I checked it the last day of practice and caught a couple more.”
The first day of the tournament he fished shallow, catching three bass on a buzzbait, several more on a Zoom Horney Toad and one or two on a Chatterbait, weighing in a limit at 17 pounds, 9 ounces.
The second day the tournament was delayed an hour and a half by a heavy fog bank. By the time he got to his shallow spot the bite was over, so he moved to the deep back-up hole. Throwing a one-ounce Yank'em rubber football jig brown with a green pumpkin Zoom Super Speed Craw, he caught his heaviest limit of the tournament at 18 pounds, 2 ounces.
“Jim Moynagh had seen me on this place and he asked if I planned to fish there. He said he had been saving the spot to fish if he made the cut. I told him I was going to fish there and I went straight to it instead of fishing shallow early. By 9:30 I had caught all my weight for the day.”
He moved shallow and culled a couple of fish on a Zoom Honey Toad , fishing over shallow grass. That third day Auten weighed in 17 pounds, 8 ounces.
By the morning of the fourth day the water had begun to rise and the fish had moved off the deep spot. Auten spent a couple of hours there and caught one spotted bass about 13 inches long.
“I knew that place was petty much done until possibly later in the day, so I moved shallow and caught three fish pretty quick on the frog. It took a while after that to get to five fish and then I could not get another bite.”
He headed back to the deep spot to give it one more shot, but Moynagh was fishing it so he went back and fished the shallow grass, but never got anything going again there. His five fish were the lowest weight he had for the tournament at 12 pounds, 12 ounces.
Auten finished the FLW season ranked 82nd, out of qualifying for his fifth Forrest Wood Cup in 10 years, but he is not done for the year.
“I've got two more PAA's, Table Rock and Grand Lake. I have an uphill battle in the Professional Anglers Association, but I could still qualify for the Texas Toyota Bass Classic if I do good in those two tournaments,” he said.
Heading to the third tournament of the season at Table Rock in Missouri Sept. 5-7, Auten is 29th in the PAA standings. To reach the TTBC this fall, he has to move up to the top 15.
“If it happens, it happens,” he said.
Fishing Improving Just In Time For Virginia Division Bws On Kerr/buggs Island
If recent tournaments are any indication fishing in the Bassmaster Weekend Series Virginia Division tournament on Kerr Reservoir Saturday should be outstanding.
Rob Digh of Denver, N.C., won the May 25 BWS tournament on Kerr with five bass that weighed 14.18 pounds and the fishing has just kept getting better and better ever since. Digh caught most of his fish on a Chatterbait, a jig and a topwater bait fished in about three to five feet of water around points.
Here's how the fishing has gone in just over a month since Digh weighed a limit at almost 3 pounds a fish:
- On June 22, Chris Baldwin of Lexington, N.C. Weighed a five-bass limit at 16 pounds, 3 ounces, to win the North Carolina Division BFL on Kerr.
- On June 29, Richard Chattin and Mike Pendleton weighed in a 5-fish limit at 19.28 pounds, including the tournament big fish at 5.71 pounds, to win the Anglers Choice Virginia Division tournament on Kerr. Ten bass over 4 1/2 pounds were brought to the scales in that tournament.
- On June 30, Mike Luckadoo and Ralph Hollifield weighed in a five-fish limit at 17.74 pounds, including a kicker bass at 4.4 pounds, to win the Anglers choice North Carolina Division tournament on Kerr. Big fish of the tournament was 4.96 and five bass over 4 1/2 pounds were weighed in.
Saturday's tournament will decide the points title for the year. Three anglers are within three points of each other at the top of the points rankings, but at least half a dozen more are well within striking distance if the top three stumble.
Brandon Gray of Bullock, N.C., leads the points race, but Chad Hicks of Rockville, Va, is just two points back and John “Ricky” Bomar trails Hicks by a single point.
Gray, who has won multiple tournaments on Kerr, has been consistent in the three tournaments so far, finishing 8th at Lake Gaston March 9, 8th at lake Anna May 11, and 7th on the James River June 11. Hicks has finished higher in two tournaments, 2nd at lake Anna and 3rd on the James River, but he started in the hole with a 20th place on lake Gaston in March. Bomar was 14th at Gaston and 10th on Lake Anna, but he rebounded strong on the James with a 2nd place finish.
The two-day divisional championship will be held Aug. 17-18on the Potomac River out of Smallwood State Park in Marbury, Md. At the end of the season, one BWS angler will win the opportunity to compete in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic.
Bassmaster Weekend Series - Virginia Division
Sat, Jul 6, 2013
Kerr / Buggs Island Lake
North Bend State Park
Fishing Could Be Tough For Waccamaw River Catt Tournament Saturday
Carlton & Sherri Thompkins won the Jun 15 CATT Waccamaw tournament with a limit weighing 10.50
The Waccamaw River is a very tough bass fishing venue and it could be even tougher than usual for the third Waccamaw River CATT tournament of the Summer Trail, said tournament director Brett Collins.
Collins said the band of storms that have rolled up the coast from down in the Caribbean over the last week or so have swelled the river and that is affecting the fishing.
“We've had rain day after day and the rising water should make the fish spread out and be tougher to catch. The water level will still be on the rise this weekend, no doubt.”
Saturday falls on the July 4 weekend and that could create more problems, he said.
“We will see a lot more boat traffic this Saturday and that may affect fishing, too,” said Collins.
“The Waccamaw river is a very competitive river. It usually takes 9 1/2 to 11 pounds to win and a 13- to 14-pound bag is huge down there. In the first Summer CATT (May 18) it took 9 1/2 pounds and in the second (June 15) it took a little over 11 pounds. The Big Fish can be anywhere from 3 to 5 pounds.”
Collins said the teams to watch include Timmy Thompkins and his son, Jordan, who are leading the points, and Chris Jones and Ed Owens who are traditionally hard to beat this time of year.
The Thompkins team finished a consistent third in the two previous tournaments They are followed, just two points behind, by Brian Howard and Bill Lawske, who finished 2nd May 18 and 6th June 15.
After two tournaments Jones and Owens are a little further back, having finished 11th May 18 and 7th June 15. However, they are known for finishing strong in hot weather. In 2012, they sandwiched a 6th place finish on July 7 between two first places on June 2 and July 21. The finished the year with 8th place Aug. 4 in the last summer qualifier and 7th in the Final Aug. 18.
After Saturday there will be two more tournaments on the Summer Trail on the Waccamaw – the last qualifier July 27 and the Final Aug. 10.
“Participation so far has been very good on the Waccamaw River Trail,” Collins said. “The mild weather so far this summer has been a big help and we have been averaging close to 30 teams a tournament.”
Carolina Anglers Team Trail
Sat, Jul 6, 2013
Waccamaw River
Bucksport Marina
Call Brett Collins 803-413-7521
Raw, Bass-Catching Tournament Action from Bienville Big Bass Blast!
Get in the boat with StarBrite Pro Patrick Pierce and AnglersChannel.com's Vance McCullough as they catch a few big Bienville bass - up to 7 pounds - en route to their 3rd place showing at the inaugural Bienville Plantation Big Bass Blast! Want to join the action? There will be a Big Bass Blast on the last Saturday of every month for the next 5 months and a year-end classic. Email [email protected] or call 386-397-1989.
Casey Martin Wins In A Big Way At Flw Tour Finale On Chickamauga
The final regular season event of the 2013 FLW Tour was a big one. Tour rookie Casey Martin not only recorded his first win, but he did so with the 2nd-heaviest 4-day total in FLW history and the 2nd-largest margin of victory ever.
Martin, along with others, had expressed concerns about whether the fish would hold up. They needn’t have worried. Weights were impressive again today. In fact, Martin weighed the tournament’s biggest bag of the week today at 30 pounds and an ounce. His total weight was 103 pounds, 3 ounces.
Martin also sacked the 2nd biggest stringer all week when, on Day 2, he brought more than 27 pounds to the scale. The 2 big daily weights contributed to his margin of more than 22 pounds.
Martin used a Picasso Bait Ball Extreme umbrella rig. He had to work hard sometimes to get the bass to fire off, but once he got them going it paid off handsomely. He began the morning of the final round with a double catch – a pair of 5-pounders – on one cast.
The umbrella rig played a big role this week. It was also the weapon of choice for most anglers who caught news-making limits of bass that weighed over 40 pounds this spring. But many FLW Tour pros finished high in the standings by dragging a Zoom Ole Monster worm around the ledges.
Wesley Strader used the big Zoom worm on some spots way up the river that he has spent 20 years learning to fish. He said they weren’t the types of places a guy would pull up to and just start catching ‘em. And once he found the right casting angle, it was critical to stay on it. The biggest reason Strader ran north was because most of the field went downlake.
Dan Morehead had similar thoughts about fishing in a crowd. His solution? He went shallow. He said the ledge fish all seemed to be on the obvious topographical features, so in order to fish something less obvious, that still held quality fish, he went to the bank. Now he can go to the bank and cash his 4th place check.
Morehead got the day started right when he caught a 9-pounder early this morning on a Zoom Magnum Trick worm with a tungsten weight on fluorocarbon line.
Andy Morgan sewed up his first FLW Tour Angler of the Year title this week. He also made the cut and spent a little time in the hot seat before his friend and fellow former AOY winner Morehead knocked him off. Morgan finished 5th.
He used the Zoom Ole Monster to catch “95%” of his fish. He did some “basic ledge fishing, off the beaten path” as the community holes were pretty well worn out. He made 50-to60 stops each day. That sounds like a hectic pace but as for his fishing, “I’ve learned over the years that slow and steady wins the race.”
And it wins AOY trophies as well. “You can’t win Angler of the Year if you’re not at the weigh in,” said Morgan in praise of his reliable Evinrude E-tec outboard.
For the official leaderboard, click here: http://www.flwoutdoors.com/bassfishing/flw/tournament/2013/6948/lake-chickamauga-professional-results/
StarBrite Pro Patrick Pierce Boats an 8 Pound Bass!
While practicing for the Bienville Big Bass Blast, Bassmaster Open and PAA Tournament pro Patrick Pierce cranked up an 8 pound bass at world famous Bienville Plantation. He shares a couple of tips to help you do the same!
Angler's Choice Virginia Division Results - Kerr Lake - Jun 29, 2013
Richard Chattin and Mike Pendleton took First Place in the Angler's Choice Marine Virginia Division on Kerr Saturday with 19.28 lbs, which included the Big Fish winner as well at 5.71 lbs. A total of 140 teams fished.
Kevin and Bradley Chandler came in Second Place with 16.75 lbs. John Crews and Shannon Wheeler took Third Place at 15.05 lbs and Russell and Mark Saunders were right behind them in Fourth Place with 14.88 lbs. Rounding out the top 5 was the team of Chris Bullock and Robert Perkins with 14.18 lbs.
In the Year to Date Points race for the Virginia Division after this tournament, Russell and Mark Saunders lead with 1688.00 points. Kenny and Brandon Reynolds sit in Second Place with 1661.00 points and Brandon Calloway and Gary Dickerson are in Third with 1607.00 points.
Click below for the full results and points through the June 29, 2013 tournament.
Had a Blast at Bienville Plantation Big Bass Blast!
I fished today with StarBrite Pro Patrick Pierce who competes in Bassmaster Opens and PAA tournaments. There was a chunk of change on the line today too as we fished the first-ever Bienville Plantation Big Bass Blast near White Springs, Fla.
Pat put on a clinic. He quickly cranked up a pair of bass that weighed 6 and 7 pounds. I contributed a 4-pounder to the livewell but she only stayed long enough to have a cup of coffey before Pat culled her out with a slightly larger fish. In all, we caught at least 4 fish that weighed better than 4 pounds, along with Pat's pair of monsters. Of course, there were plenty of 'fun size' fish in the 2-to-3-pound range to keep us busy as well.
It was another great day of bass fishing at a very special place.
We also got to prefish on Friday so we got a bonus day that included dozens of strong fighting fish which we caught on three different techniques.
Our point-cranking game plan yielded a 3-fish limit that weighed 17.7 pounds - good for 3rd place. Had we been able to keep our biggest 5 we would have had a weight over 26 pounds.
Keith Chapman and Don Bunting won the tournament with 3 bass that totaled 21-plus pounds. That's an average weight of more than 7 pounds per fish!
The winners caught their fish from flooded bushes. Lake Bienville is a structure lake - and there were some big bass caught from the bars and humps - but 19 inches of recent rain pushed the water, and some whopper bass, into the jungle-esque shoreline cover.
What a fun way to catch big bass!
Join us next month! The folks at Bienville Plantation will host one of these events on the last saturday of each month and it all leads up to the Bienville Classic. For details email [email protected] or call 386-397-1989.
Meanwhile, be sure to check out video on AnglersChannel.com from today's tourney and keep an eye out for action-packed video of Pat catching a giant - coming soon.
Patrick Pierce with a big one.
Chapman, Bunting Win Inaugural Bienville Plantation Big Bass Blast with 7-pound Average!
Keith Chapman and Don Bunting caught bunches of bass today but their biggest three weighed over 21 pounds - good enough to win the first-ever Bienville Plantation Big Bass Blast! Want to catch big fish at world famous Bienville Plantation AND win a chunk of money? Check the AnglersChannel.com Tournament listings for more info!!!
Coby Carden and Chris Rutland win the Airport Marine TT Event on the AL River with 19+ Lbs!!
Congrats to Coby Carden and Chris Rutland on their big win on the AL River.......AC Pro staffer Reid Montgomery grabs them just off the scales to talk about their big day. Next Up-Lay Lake on July 27th---can you say HOT!!
Haynes Leads Flw Tour At 'chick' With 23-And-Half Pounds!
Ledge fishing, as predicted, was the deal today, Day 1 at the FLW Tour stop on Chickamauga Lake. Randy Haynes of Counce, TN exploited the pattern best and took a lead of only 1 ounce over Dan Morehead of Paducha, KY.
Rotating through some 20 different spots, Haynes caught about a dozen keepers. He had 3 over five pounds but was stuck with a 3-pounder he just couldn't cull.
Haynes has already won an FLW event this season - the Tour event at Lake Eufaula.
Without getting into specifics Haynes said he's just doing what he normally does and that it's quite crowded where he's fishing. He thinks this will be a relatively tough tournament considering the quality of bass that swim in Chickamauga these days.
Behind Morehead, Casey Martin has 22-15, good for 3rd place.
Mark Rose is 4th with 22-12.
Bill Day is 5th in a tight field with 22-11. Day caught the day's biggest bass at 8 pounds, 13 ounces.
The top 10 pros all had over 20 pounds today.
Jason Johnson of Gainesville, GA leads all co-anglers with 19-08.
To see the complete leaderboard, click here: http://www.flwoutdoors.com/bassfishing/flw/tournament/2013/6948/lake-chickamauga-professional-results/
Thrift Checking All Options For Flw Tour On Lake Chickamauga
Bryan Thrift has had 3 top 10 finishes so far this year
Some anglers consider themselves shallow-water fishermen, some prefer deep water fishing. Some like to flip, others like to throw crankbaits and some like the explosion made by a bass slamming a topwater plug.
FLW Tour Pro Bryan Thrift is all of these – and then some.
Going into the 6th FLW Tour Major tournament of the year Saturday on Chickamauga Lake, the Shelby, N.C., angler is spending his practice time this week with 25 rods on the deck.
“I like to keep my options open so I am going to do everything,” he said. “I've got 25 different baits tied on and I am going to throw every single one of them. I don't care how I catch them as long as I catch them.”
The key to his success, Thrift said, is getting on the water and putting a lot of time in figuring the fish out.
“I'll fish 15 hours a day, sample a little bit of everything and go with what works the best,” he said.
“I don't think it's a matter of finding what they want to bite. It's a matter of finding where they are. It's kind of hard to find them right now on Chickamauga, but when you do I think they will take about anything you throw at them.”
That strategy has worked really well for Thrift in his seven years as an FLW pro angler. He has won five major tournaments, qualified for the Forrest Wood Cup six times with four top 10 finishes including a 3rd last august on Lake Lanier, been ranked in the top 10 in points the last six years and was the FLW Tour Angler of the Year in 2010.
In the five tournaments so far this year he has finished 2nd twice and 7th once, and is sitting in 2nd place in the points race heading into the Chickamauga tournament this week.
“Everything is going really good this year,” he said. “Another AOY title would be great, but I am not thinking about that. I am trying to keep focused on catching fish at Chickamauga.”
The fun thing about tournament fishing, he said, is that anybody can win any tournament any day.
“You just have to make the right cast and that makes it so exciting for me. I get on the water, have a good time and fish hard. I try my best.”
Walmart FLW Tour Major
Jun 27-30, 2013
Chickamauga Lake
Dayton Boat Dock
Opportunity Exists For A Monster Bass In Bienville Big Bass Tournament
There are some BIG bass at Bienville Plantation!
Tim Rode figures it will take 18 pounds to win the first Bienville Plantation Big Bass Tournament this Saturday – for a three-fish limit!
“We are hoping someone will catch a real trophy bass. It all depends on the angler,” said Rode, a manager at the up-scale hunting and fishing plantation near White Springs in north central Florida.
Actually a monster largemouth bass is a real possibility any time at Bienville. The plantation record is 15 3/4 pounds – and that fish was caught from the bank on a 1/4-ounce Roadrunner.
“The lakes on Bienville are pits left from phosphate mining and they are very nutrient-filled,” Rode said. “We get much larger fish than you can catch in public lakes just because there are so many nutrients in the water.”
Rode said most of the fish caught in Saturday's opener probably will come from deep water.
“The water temperature is warming quick and everybody is fishing deep humps and points,” he said.
This is the first year for the Bienville Big Bass Series, Rode said, adding that the tournaments will not only give the plantation more exposure, but it will open up opportunities for other people to fish the plantation's renowned lakes.
“We are open to the public, but not to a wide range of the public simply because we are a high-end plantation,” he said.
Entry fee is $450 per team. Late arrivals can pay at the Main Lodge the morning of a tournament with cash or credit card. There will be six regular tournaments in the series, with a Wild Card Shootout, culminating with the first Bienville Classic which has a $25,000 purse guaranteed. There will also be a $2,500 prize for the overall big bass caught in any of the first six tournaments.
The schedule includes June 29 (3-bass tournament), July 27 (3-bass tournament0, Aug. 24 (3-bass tournament), Sept. 28 (3-bass tournament), Oct. 20 (5-bass tournament), and Nov. 23 (5-bass tournament). The Wild Card Shootout, a 5-bass tournament, will be held Dec. 7. The Bienville Classic, a 5-bass per day tournament, will be held Jan. 11 and 12, 2014.
Rode said the tournaments are set up for 120 boats, but he anticipates about 50 boats will participate in the opening tournament Saturday.
“This is all new this year and we basically did all this in the last 30 days,” he said. “We know we are going to have a fairly slow start this year, but we think that once people understand what we are trying to do here there will be a lot more involvement.”
That, and once the word gets out, the real opportunity to catch one of those monster bass.
Bienville Big Bass Tournament Series
Sat, Jun 29, 2013
Bienville Plantation Lakes
Bienville Plantation
Call 386-397-1989
