Usc Team Hoping For 100 Boats In Second Anglers @ Usc Bass Open On Lake Wylie
Last year the first Anglers @ USC Bass Open on Lake Wylie drew more than 80 boats and the collegiates are hoping their second Bass Open Saturday will bring more than 100 teams to the SC-NC border lake.
“Last year we had a boat come all the way from New Jersey to fish the tournament,” said Gettys Brannon, tournament director for the University of South Carolina Fishing Team. That young angler and his teammate have announced plans to come back for this year's tournament, Brannon said.
“We're bringing the new Skeeter this year and I'm sure Liam West and I will have a better showing come tourney day,” tweeted Trevor Topken of New Jersey recently.
Entry fee for the tournament is $120 per boat, with an optional $20 for big fish. There will be a 90 percent payback to the anglers, with 10 percent going to fund activities of the fishing club.
“The money we make is how we go fishing,” Brannon said. “This year we've already gone to a tournament at Lake Okeechobee and one at Clarks Hill. Then we have one coming up at Guntersville and another at Pickwick Lake in Alabama.”
Registration will be held at Hunt, Fish, Paddle (www.huntfishpaddle.com), starting at 5 p.m. Friday, and continue before the tournament, beginning at 5 a.m. Saturday, said Adam Filmore, owner of the
specialty fishing, bow hunting and paddlesports outdoor adventure retailer at Lake Wylie.
“We'll have coffee and donuts for the anglers starting at 5 o'clock that morning,” Filmore said.
Anglers should find fishing very good for the tournament, he added.
“The fish are starting to move up and some have already moved up. They are catching fish in the spawning pockets and some off the main lake drops now,” Filmore said.
2nd Annual Anglers @ USC Bass Open
Sat, Apr 26, 2014
Lake Wylie
Buster Boyd Access Area
Call Gettys Brannon at 864-490-7864
www.facebook.com/fishing.southcarolina
Kyle Page Tournament Moves To Saturday In Hopes Of Increasing Entry And Money For Families In Need
Although bad weather forced the annual MSKP Kyle Page tournament to move from its scheduled April date to June 2 last year, 180 teams of anglers showed up to fish and support the charitable goals of the tournament.This year the tournament will be held on May 3, moving from Sunday to Saturday for the first time in the 17-year history of the tournament.
“We are hoping to get at least the same number of boats this year and hopefully, by moving it to a Saturday, we will have more participation in boats and in the crowd at the weigh-in,” said Shelly Page, mother of Kyle Page, the now-17-year-old for whom the tournament is named.
The first “Kyle Page Open Team Bass Tournament” was held in 1997 to benefit the Page family, which faced mounting medical bills after Kyle was born with spina bifida, a birth defect of the spine. The tournament was a huge success raising over $10,000 for Kyle's family.
After seeing the success of the tournament and the outpouring of the community, Kyle's dad, the late Joel Page, a local bass tournament fisherman, asked to continue the tournament to raise money for other families in need of assistance to care for children with special medical needs. For nearly two decades the tournament has been a staple of the springtime tournament scene at Lake Murray.
“Over the years we have given away about $500,000 to close to 80 families,” Shelly Page said.
During good economic times the tournament assisted three or more families every year, but it lost some major sponsors during the economic downturn in recent years and for now will support two families, she said.
Teams pay a $150 entry fee, which includes two big fish and first place is guaranteed $5,000. While the anglers are the primary source of money for the Kyle Page Foundation, other supporters, fishing fans and participants are also needed, and Shelly Page said there will be a lot going on for the entire family. “We are going to have a Bouncy House for the kids and the same two bands we had last year will be performing, The Part Timers and Dixieland Crossroads. The Mid-Carolina Branch of the Quality Deer Management Association, which has been great to us, donated some money to the effort and they will be cooking hamburgers.”
Meanwhile, Shelly Page said she hoped her son, Kyle, who has served as the inspiration for the charitable effort, will be healthy enough to attend the weigh-in.
“We held the first tournament when he was three months old and he turned 17 last month, but he is in a hospital bed right now. He's had five surgeries, including major back surgery, since the tournament last year. Hopefully, by the day of the tournament he will be good enough to go.”
Tournament registration forms for the 18th Annual MSKP Kyle Page Tournament are now available at Boland's True Value in Chapin and Wilson's II in Little Mountain.
MSKP Kyle Page Foundation Bass Tournament
Sat, May 3, 2014
Lake Murray
Dreher Island State Park
Call 803-917-9318
www.facebook.com/MSKPFoundation
Mark Wallace and Aaron Smith haul in 18.66 Lbs and win the Alabama Bass Trail on Lake Jordan
Wallace and Smith won the Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series South Division tournament on Lake Jordan Saturday, April 19 with a five-bass limit that weighed 18.66 pounds.
Shaye Baker and Ben Weldon were close behind in second place with 18.43 pounds. They also had big fish for the tournament, a 6.12 pounds largemouth.
Nick Hill and Jeremy Headley finished third with 17.60 pounds.
Randy Gardner and Tray Gillespie, with 17.54 pounds, and Andy Markos and Chris Markos with 17.48 pounds rounded out the top 5.
Wallace and Smith used jigs worked around grass to catch their fish.
“I got on a pattern early in the week that I thought would work good in the tournament and it did,” said Wallace, who lives on Lake Jordan in Titus. “It started out real good, then we went for about three hours and didn’t catch anything. We just stuck with our pattern and the fish eventually turned back on and we started catching them again.’
Smith said the $10,000, he and Wallace split for winning the tournament, is the most either has ever earned in a bass tournament. Smith said this is the first year he and Wallace have fished as a team.
Baker and Weldon won $5,000 for second place and $500 for big fish.
Baker said they used jigs and spinnerbaits to catch their fish.
Weldon caught the big fish. “I haven’t caught a big fish on a spinnerbait here in probably 3 years. I decided to try one today, just to see what I could catch, and caught a 6-pounder.”
Baker said the changing light and weather conditions throughout the day made it difficult to catch fish at times, but he and Weldon were able to adapt to the changes.
“We got lucky and happened to pull up on the right spots at the right time,” Baker said.
Headley said while he and Hill were able to get some big bites, those bites were few and far between. “It was really slow.”
Rounding out the top 10 were, Billy Pairux and Todd Sharpe, 16.82 pounds; Ricky Knight and Randall Carter, 16.81 pounds; Rex Chambers and Brent Crow, 16.45 pounds; Buck McDonald and Thad Crowley, 16.35 pounds; Andy Leslie and Grant Bennett, 16.26 pounds.
The next tournament for the South Division is May 10 on the Alabama River at Roland Cooper State Park in Camden.
The next tournament for the North Division is May 31 on Wheeler Lake out of Ingall’s Harbor in Decatur.
|
L
|
TEAM
|
FISH
|
WT
|
PEN
|
B/F
|
TOTAL
|
PTS
|
WINNINGS
|
|---|
| 1 | MARK WALLACE-AARON SMITH | 5/5 | 18.66 | 5.39 | 18.66 | 200 | $10,000 | |
| 2 | SHAYE BAKER-BEN WELDON | 5/5 | 18.43 | 6.12 | 18.43 | 199 | $5,000 | |
| 3 | NICK HILL-JEREMY HEADLEY | 5/5 | 17.6 | 5.82 | 17.6 | 198 | $4,000 | |
| 4 | RANDY GARDNER-TRAY GILLESPIE | 5/5 | 17.54 | 17.54 | 197 | $3,000 | ||
| 5 | ANDY MARKOS-CHRIS MARKOS | 5/5 | 17.48 | 4.33 | 17.48 | 196 | $2,000 | |
| 6 | BILLY POIROUX-TODD SHARPE | 5/5 | 16.82 | 4.16 | 16.82 | 195 | $1,000 | |
| 7 | RICKIE KNIGHT-RANDALL CARTER | 5/5 | 16.81 | 4.86 | 16.81 | 194 | $900 | |
| 8 | REX CHAMBERS-BRENT CROW | 5/5 | 16.45 | 16.45 | 193 | $800 | ||
| 9 | BUCK MCDONALD-THAD CROWLEY | 5/5 | 16.35 | 16.35 | 192 | $700 | ||
| 10 | ANDY LESLIE-GRANT BENNETT | 5/5 | 16.26 | 4.97 | 16.26 | 191 | $600 | |
| 11 | LEE GRANDQUEST-TIM GILCHRIST | 5/5 | 16.11 | 4.98 | 16.11 | 190 | $500 | |
| 12 | RJ THOMPSON-RYAN KELLEY | 5/5 | 16.04 | 16.04 | 189 | $500 | ||
| 13 | JAMES HALL-KENNETH ROBINSON | 5/5 | 15.96 | 4.43 | 15.96 | 188 | $500 | |
| 14 | LOWELL EVERETT-LAWRENCE CURD | 5/5 | 15.95 | 15.95 | 187 | $500 | ||
| 15 | JESTON ANDERSON-ROBBIE ROBINSON | 5/5 | 15.8 | 15.8 | 186 | $500 | ||
| 16 | SAMBO FISH-SAM FISH | 5/5 | 15.67 | 4.48 | 15.67 | 185 | $500 | |
| 17 | HEATH HOWELL-TIM LAWRENCE | 5/5 | 15.58 | 15.58 | 184 | $500 | ||
| 18 | TRAVIS NORTHEY-MIKE MCDANIEL | 5/5 | 15.48 | 15.48 | 183 | $500 | ||
| 19 | BRYON MONTALBANO-ANDY VAUGN | 5/5 | 15.41 | 15.41 | 182 | $500 | ||
| 20 | CHRIS RUTLAND-COBY CARDEN | 5/5 | 15.37 | 15.37 | 181 | $500 | ||
| 21 | KEITH DEES-TOMMY WALLEY | 5/5 | 15.18 | 15.18 | 180 | |||
| 22 | TOMMY PEGUESE-TYLER STROCK | 5/5 | 15.12 | 15.12 | 179 | |||
| 23 | CLEMM PARKER-DONALD PARKER | 5/5 | 14.99 | 3.65 | 14.99 | 178 | ||
| 24 | RONNIE MASK-JIMMY HARRISON | 5/5 | 14.91 | 14.91 | 177 | |||
| 25 | KYLE WELCHER-JUSTIN ARWOOD | 5/5 | 14.9 | 14.9 | 176 | |||
| 26 | MICHAEL BASS-JEREMY BASS | 5/5 | 14.86 | 14.86 | 175 | |||
| 26 | DEREK PEARSON-STEVE THRASH | 5/5 | 14.86 | 14.86 | 175 | |||
| 28 | RICHARD HUFF-TOMMY HUFF | 5/5 | 14.8 | 14.8 | 173 | |||
| 29 | ROGER CALDWELL-MICHAEL CALDWELL | 5/5 | 14.73 | 14.73 | 172 | |||
| 30 | PAM MARTIN-WELLS-STEVEN WELLS | 5/5 | 14.63 | 14.63 | 171 | |||
| 31 | BEN EHTEREDGE-PATRICK CURRIE | 5/5 | 14.56 | 14.56 | 170 | |||
| 32 | JOHN POLLARD-DALLAS WELDON | 5/5 | 14.39 | 14.39 | 169 | |||
| 33 | MICHAEL EUBANKS-TYLER PITTS | 5/5 | 14.38 | 14.38 | 168 | |||
| 34 | KENNETH CRUMPLER-RANDOL STONE | 5/5 | 14.32 | 14.32 | 167 | |||
| 35 | WAYNE MILLER-RICK HAYNIE | 5/5 | 14.27 | 14.27 | 166 | |||
| 36 | DAVID CAYLOR-ALLEN HAYES | 5/5 | 14.26 | 14.26 | 165 | |||
| 37 | MICHAEL HAND-MATTHEW HAND | 5/5 | 14.17 | 14.17 | 164 | |||
| 38 | KEVIN DEES-JIM SMITH | 5/5 | 14.14 | 14.14 | 163 | |||
| 39 | JEREMY FERGUSON-JIM FRANKS | 5/5 | 14.06 | 14.06 | 162 | |||
| 40 | MIKE CHAVERS-JOSH CHAVERS | 5/5 | 14.05 | 14.05 | 161 | |||
| 41 | DUSTIN KING-BILL SPICER | 5/5 | 14.03 | 14.03 | 160 | |||
| 42 | JOHNATHAN STUCKEY-DOYLE TAUNTON | 5/5 | 14.02 | 14.02 | 159 | |||
| 43 | ROBBIE PELT-JAY MERIDETH | 5/5 | 13.97 | 13.97 | 158 | |||
| 44 | JOHN WIGGINS-BARRY MCLAIN | 5/5 | 13.9 | 13.9 | 157 | |||
| 45 | RALPH MOSELEY-TERRY STEVENS | 5/5 | 13.89 | 13.89 | 156 | |||
| 46 | JOEY MCCALL-MIKE MCCALL | 5/5 | 13.84 | 13.84 | 155 | |||
| 47 | ROB LEE-JOHNNY PAYTON | 5/5 | 13.79 | 13.79 | 154 | |||
| 48 | NICHOLAS TURNER-JOE LAY | 5/5 | 13.76 | 13.76 | 153 | |||
| 49 | DOUG GOODALL-BILL NEWSOME | 5/5 | 13.75 | 13.75 | 152 | |||
| 50 | DALE WESTMORELAND-LANCE YOUNGBLOOD | 5/5 | 13.73 | 13.73 | 151 |
A special invite to fish tournaments in a special place
For about what it would cost to fish the famed lakes for fun, you can do so with a shot at taking home a big fat paycheck.
And as 1,100-acre Lake Bienville (a.ka. Lake 14) is posted 'idle speed only' you won't burn tanks full of gas as you do on boundless public waters. That means your money goes to fund the prize structure, NOT the wallets of Mid-Eastern oil barons who hate America.
It's a rare and wonderful opprtunity.
Josie Gaskins of Bienville Plantation shares this invite:
Cashwell and Doughtie take home $14,200 at Santee after winning the CBC-Full Results here!
Below are the Complete Results from the CBC SC Division Qualifier #4 on Santee Cooper:
| Place | Team Name | Team # | Fish Weighed | Net Weight | Big Fish | Points | Winnings | |
| 1 | Wesley Cashwell - Shane Doughtie | 72 | 5 | 25.770 | 8.520 | 310 | $14,200** | |
| **Includes $5,000 Skeeter Bonus Money | ||||||||
| 2 | Brent Waynick - Rodney Jordan | 49 | 5 | 25.670 | 8.440 | 309 | $4,000 | |
| 3 | Jeff cantey - Henry Mcfadden | 93 | 5 | 25.140 | 0.000 | 308 | $2,500 | |
| 4 | Coy Watts - David Hutcherson | 105 | 5 | 25.030 | 6.270 | 307 | $1,600 | |
| 5 | Daniel Jordan - Lyn Langston | 3 | 5 | 24.860 | 9.560 | 306 | $2,050** | |
| **Includes $1,000 Big Fish Bonus Money | ||||||||
| 6 | Bradford Beavers - Dwight Beavers | 12 | 5 | 24.520 | 0.000 | 305 | $825 | |
| 7 | Ronnie Watts - Kevin Pridgen | 56 | 5 | 23.600 | 9.170 | 304 | $600 | |
| 8 | Mark Hutson - Gary Elsey | 65 | 5 | 23.580 | 8.970 | 303 | $550 | |
| 9 | Clint Jackson - Tony Jackson | 79 | 4 | 23.510 | 0.000 | 302 | $500 | |
| 10 | Dane Odom - Ross Burns | 58 | 5 | 23.410 | 0.000 | 301 | $460 | |
| 11 | Mike Watson - Jim Smoak | 91 | 5 | 21.450 | 8.770 | 300 | $430 | |
| 12 | Johnny Morris - Tory McCallum | 5 | 5 | 20.760 | 0.000 | 299 | $400 | |
| 13 | Ronnie McCoy - Jason McCoy | 41 | 5 | 20.610 | 8.290 | 298 | $355 | |
| 13 | Tracy Hewitt - Pete Brantley | 84 | 5 | 20.610 | 0.000 | 298 | $355 | |
| 15 | Chuck Howard - Ken Ellis | 13 | 5 | 20.390 | 0.000 | 296 | $325 | |
| 16 | Hunter Hicks - Mike Stephens | 34 | 5 | 20.290 | 0.000 | 295 | $300 | |
| 17 | Travis Parrish - Sean Hall | 1 | 5 | 20.100 | 0.000 | 294 | $275 | |
| 18 | Patrick Tierney - Todd Auten | 10 | 5 | 19.610 | 0.000 | 293 | $250 | |
| 19 | Neil Huffstetler - Ben Lee | 2 | 5 | 19.590 | 0.000 | 292 | $225 | |
| 20 | Donald Janney - Jason Morse | 121 | 5 | 19.570 | 8.720 | 291 | $200 | |
| 21 | Bunn Tyson - Thomas Hoffmeyer | 28 | 5 | 19.400 | 0.000 | 290 | ||
| 22 | John Johnston - Steve Lowder | 117 | 5 | 18.790 | 0.000 | 289 | ||
| 23 | Ken McFarland - Darryl Watson | 51 | 5 | 18.700 | 0.000 | 288 | ||
| 24 | Mack Cook - Patrick Cook | 14 | 5 | 18.670 | 0.000 | 287 | ||
| 25 | Daniel Howell - Russell Anderson | 99 | 5 | 18.570 | 0.000 | 286 | ||
| 26 | Bryan cook - Steve Harmon | 55 | 5 | 18.490 | 0.000 | 285 | ||
| 27 | Ron Brown - Bobby Brown | 22 | 5 | 17.470 | 0.000 | 284 | ||
| 28 | Casey Warren - Kenneth Williams | 42 | 3 | 17.230 | 0.000 | 283 | ||
| 29 | Sean Anderson - George Berry | 89 | 5 | 17.130 | 0.000 | 282 | ||
| 30 | Joseph Toth - Daniel Grassi | 98 | 5 | 16.750 | 0.000 | 281 | ||
| 31 | Wayne Fountain - Ken Lawhon | 71 | 5 | 16.150 | 0.000 | 280 | ||
| 32 | Jay Keith - Donald Hinson | 106 | 5 | 15.820 | 0.000 | 279 | ||
| 33 | Clint Proudfoot - Eric Bozeman | 81 | 5 | 15.710 | 0.000 | 278 | ||
| 34 | Larry Avins - Joe Avin | 48 | 5 | 15.640 | 0.000 | 277 | ||
| 35 | Cory Barr - Emmett McCauley | 50 | 5 | 15.490 | 0.000 | 276 | ||
| 35 | Johnny Player - Robert Hall | 57 | 5 | 15.490 | 0.000 | 276 | ||
| 37 | Nathan Burgess - Brent Riley | 94 | 5 | 15.370 | 0.000 | 274 | ||
| 38 | Rick McLean - Robert Ross | 8 | 5 | 15.240 | 0.000 | 273 | ||
| 39 | William Blanton - David Blanton | 39 | 5 | 15.160 | 0.000 | 272 | ||
| 40 | Michael Murphy - Kevin Sanders | 70 | 5 | 15.150 | 0.000 | 271 | ||
| 41 | Chad Sinclair - Caleb Conner | 116 | 4 | 14.960 | 0.000 | 270 | ||
| 42 | Wayne Frierson - Ronnie Mueller | 43 | 5 | 14.910 | 0.000 | 269 | ||
| 43 | Jason Carleton - Jerry Uhrich | 66 | 5 | 14.900 | 0.000 | 268 | ||
| 44 | Eric Grigg - Marc Grigg | 40 | 5 | 14.770 | 0.000 | 267 | ||
| 45 | Deron Donohoo - Johnny Houser | 33 | 4 | 14.450 | 0.000 | 266 | ||
| 46 | Russ Padgett - Meredith Havird | 86 | 4 | 14.260 | 0.000 | 265 | ||
| 47 | Jason Turner - Rick Carson | 23 | 5 | 14.220 | 0.000 | 264 | ||
| 48 | Glenn Altman - Larry Parker | 95 | 5 | 14.100 | 0.000 | 263 | ||
| 49 | Robert Carter - Thad Driggers | 68 | 5 | 14.020 | 0.000 | 262 | ||
| 50 | Jason Hadden - Norm Attaway | 85 | 5 | 13.870 | 0.000 | 261 | ||
| 51 | Greg Rikard - Eddie Herlong | 88 | 5 | 13.660 | 0.000 | 260 | ||
| 52 | Toby Keisler - Joel Watts | 21 | 5 | 13.550 | 0.000 | 259 | ||
| 53 | Kevin Fulmer - Mark Richardson | 47 | 5 | 13.300 | 0.000 | 258 | ||
| 54 | Charlie Sansbury - Kevin Banks | 83 | 4 | 13.190 | 0.000 | 257 | ||
| 55 | Kevin Ashley - Keith Ashley | 76 | 3 | 12.610 | 0.000 | 256 | ||
| 56 | Marty Quesada - James Rose | 90 | 4 | 12.500 | 0.000 | 255 | ||
| 57 | Jerry Montjoy - Robert Deloach | 87 | 3 | 12.330 | 0.000 | 254 | ||
| 58 | Tommy Williams - Thomas Hardwick | 74 | 5 | 12.090 | 0.000 | 253 | ||
| 59 | William Young, Jr. - James Mizell | 54 | 4 | 11.640 | 0.000 | 252 | ||
| 60 | Roger Medlock - Todd Lawrence | 25 | 5 | 11.380 | 0.000 | 251 | ||
| 61 | Todd Smith - Deron Heimerdinger | 96 | 4 | 11.130 | 0.000 | 250 | ||
| 62 | John Willocks - David Murdaugh | 110 | 3 | 10.860 | 0.000 | 249 | ||
| 63 | David Kneece - Terry Thomas | 62 | 2 | 10.770 | 0.000 | 248 | ||
| 64 | Johnny Johnson - Ron Carson | 100 | 3 | 10.710 | 0.000 | 247 | ||
| 65 | Jonathan Sims - Kreig Griffin | 31 | 2 | 9.940 | 0.000 | 246 | ||
| 66 | Stan Gunter - Will Smith | 114 | 3 | 8.830 | 0.000 | 245 | ||
| 67 | Lee Sawyer - Cole Winn | 115 | 3 | 8.370 | 0.000 | 244 | ||
| 68 | Clay Lowder - Clayton Lowder | 18 | 1 | 8.150 | 0.000 | 243 | ||
| 69 | Derek Schlotterback - Grayson Mathis | 112 | 3 | 8.020 | 0.000 | 242 | ||
| 70 | Juddie Revels - David Oxendine | 44 | 2 | 7.740 | 0.000 | 241 | ||
| 71 | Daniel Hill - James Bond | 60 | 3 | 7.550 | 0.000 | 240 | ||
| 72 | Wayne King - Max Terry | 32 | 3 | 7.420 | 0.000 | 239 | ||
| 73 | Jim Sims - Casey Logan | 29 | 4 | 6.980 | 0.000 | 238 | ||
| 74 | Todd Walters - Patrick Walters | 75 | 2 | 6.920 | 0.000 | 237 | ||
| 75 | Jimmy Stroud - Kirk Crump | 11 | 2 | 6.490 | 4.910 | 236 | ||
| 76 | Rob Thames - Daniel O'Brien | 20 | 3 | 6.460 | 0.000 | 235 | ||
| 77 | Ferris Jennings - Larry Michalec | 16 | 2 | 6.010 | 0.000 | 234 | ||
| 78 | Ryan Sprayberry - David Sprayberry | 26 | 2 | 5.550 | 0.000 | 233 | ||
| 79 | Todd Gambrell - Eddy Morgan | 6 | 2 | 5.440 | 0.000 | 232 | ||
| 80 | Jess Williams - Richard Smith | 73 | 3 | 4.960 | 0.000 | 231 | ||
| 81 | Andy Rutledge - Keith Britt | 82 | 2 | 4.680 | 0.000 | 230 | ||
| 82 | Tripp Poplin - Kyle Janney | 97 | 2 | 4.570 | 0.000 | 229 | ||
| 83 | Jamie Pierce - Andrew Young | 7 | 1 | 4.020 | 0.000 | 228 | ||
| 84 | Roger Pope - Michael Smith | 38 | 1 | 3.400 | 0.000 | 227 | ||
| 85 | Miles Hair - Terry Tolar | 4 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Brad Nappier - Nathan Luke | 9 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | David Teel - Chris Ramsey | 15 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | William Frazer - Bryan Frazer | 17 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Tim Jones - Chris Bennett | 19 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Larry Moss - JB Wicker | 24 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Lonnie Marchant - Jeffrey Hutto | 27 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Ray Walsh - Marc Deschenes | 30 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Chris Epting - Johnny Mayer | 35 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Kenny Brice - Horace Morris | 36 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | John Sturkie - Calvin Hewitt | 37 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Brandon Temples - Paul Gettys | 45 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Thomas King - Clayton King | 46 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Dustin Compton - Derrick Compton | 52 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Clark Gibbs - Freddie Gibbs | 53 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Chris McDuffie - Frankie Gilbert | 59 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Ryan Bowles - Jason Barrett | 61 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Robby Hipps - Rodney Chastain | 63 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Jerry Freezon - Jason Miles | 64 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Carl Williams - Eddie Williams | 67 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Tommy Floyd - Randy Welch | 69 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Bo Chappell | 77 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | John Branstetter - Troy Buffington | 78 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Adam Williamson - Joe Braxton | 80 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Clay Riddle - Eddie Bundrick | 92 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | David Wiggins - Alex Zipperian | 101 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Andy Wicker - Steve Wicker | 102 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Timmy Thompkins - Carlton Thompkins | 103 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Phil Morris - Don Kneece | 104 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Steve Borton - Spencer McCrary | 107 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Bernie Dreher - Les Westbury | 108 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Kenny Drew - Robert. ( Mitch) Drew | 109 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Billy Morris - Gary Angel | 111 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Robert Guest - David Heatherly | 113 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Frederick Clements - Dusty Rhoad | 118 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Ray Dowey - Joey Outlaw | 119 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Wyatt Gwyn - Ryan Bear | 120 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
| 85 | Josh McGregor - Randall Driggers | 122 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 226 | ||
Chambers and McClain win Tom's Marine Team Trail Championship on Cherokee
We invite everyone to come out and join us for our next event on May 24 on Cherokee Lake at the 25E Bridge.
Digh Gets It Done At B.a.s.s. Divisional On Eufaula
It was do or die and Rob Digh did it. (Three times fast – anyone?)
The North Carolina standout entered the last day of the B.A.S.S. Nation Southern Divisional atop the field on Lake Eufaula. Trailing in second, Florida stick Chad Prough caught his biggest bag of the event – a 20-pound, 2-ounce limit – and put some serious heat on the winner.
However, buoyed by his Day 2 weight of 22-13 – the tournament’s largest sack – Digh added 16-14 in the final round and surged across the finish line with a three-day total of 54-15 and a 2-pound, 1-ounce winning margin.
Fishing grass in about 6 inches to 3 feet of water, Digh was mostly targeting bed fish. He wasn’t sight fishing; rather, he was working areas where he knew Eufaula’s remaining spawners would position.
Digh fished a ChatterBait with a Zoom Speed Craw trailer and he also pitched a 1/2-ounce Outlaw jig with a Zoom Big Salty Chunk trailer. Compared to his huge second-round sack, his Day 3 productivity dropped off a good bit. Digh, however, said he was happy with his catch.
“Anytime you catch 16 pounds, it’s a good day on the water,” Digh said. “I struggled a little bit with my bigger fish today, and I lost several nice fish. I had trouble getting them out of the grass. They’d come up and swipe at the bait and they’d (sometimes) miss it. We were around them; I just didn’t get all mine in the boat.”
Overall, the Day 3 weights were considerably better than the previous two days. The final day yielded five bags larger than 20 pounds, including a 21-pound, 4-ounce limit from the top high school team, Alabama’s Zeke Gossett and Hayden Bartee. Their catch was the tournament’s third largest.
The average fish was a little less than 3 pounds. The Top 10 had 44 pounds, 9 ounces or more, but the vast majority of competitors brought in 25 to 34 pounds for their total weight. Day 3 saw 55 anglers catch limits.
The week’s weather was quite the see-saw, as an approaching cold front brought chilly rain the day before the tournament and then followed with high pressure and bright skies on Day 1. Air and water temperatures warmed on Day 2, while cloudy skies provided a welcome break from the previous day’s bluebird conditions.
Rain returned for Day 3, as a downpour met anglers at the morning launch and stayed with them through the final weigh-ins. Digh said his fishing results offered a predictable reflection of these conditions.
“The cold weather hindered me the first day, and then the warming trend the second day really helped my fishing,” Digh said. “Today was very tough. It was a good thing for fishing, but mentally, it worked on you.”
In addition to winning the event, Digh was also the top angler for his team. The North Carolina B.A.S.S. Nation state team had three anglers in the Top 12 and placed second in the state competition with 465 pounds, 10 ounces. Alabama, the host state, won the state competition with 485-6, and Georgia placed third with 456-2.
With his Southern Divisional win, Digh earned an invitation to the 2014 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, Nov. 6-8 on Louisiana’s Ouachita River. Other state winners, who also qualified for the Nation Championship with Digh, are Coby Carden, Alabama; Chad Prough, Florida; Waine Pittman, Georgia; Michael Boggs, Kentucky; Will Duncan, South Carolina; and Raleigh Todd, Tennessee. Carden competed in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic in Birmingham, Ala., via the Nation and is looking to go back in 2015.
Digh won $250 Thursday from Livingston Lures for being the Day 2 leader. Jack Smith, of Cadiz, Tenn., won the Carhartt Big Bass honors, a $500 prize awarded to the angler who caught the biggest bass of the tournament.
2014 BASS Nation Southern Divisional 4/16-4/18
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Rob Digh Leads B.a.s.s. Nation Southern Divisional, Lift Nc State Team
He may not have realized it, but Rob Digh, of Denver, N.C., was partly responsible for a spike in the decibel level at the Day 2 weigh-ins for the B.A.S.S. Nation Southern Divisional on Lake Eufaula.
The noise fluctuation came with the announcement that North Carolina had moved atop the team competition, thanks largely to Digh moving atop the overall tournament standings with a two-day weight of 38 pounds, 1 ounce.
The North Carolina fans erupted with joy when the final tallies showed their team’s two-day total weight at 310 pounds, 10 ounces. Digh contributed a large chunk of that weight with his second-round limit that weighed 22-13, the event’s heaviest bag.
Essential to his success, Digh noted, was a longer period of activity.
“The fish started biting better early today because the weather was much warmer,” Digh said. “Yesterday, the fish didn’t start biting until lunchtime, and we’re coming in at 2 o’clock, so we just ran out of time.
“I was doing the same thing I did yesterday; the fish just bit better today. The clouds helped some, but the main thing was the warmth.”
Digh was understandably guarded with his details, but he did say he caught all of his fish on moving baits. Fishing 40 miles from the takeoff site at Lakepoint Marina, he targeted wood and grass.
“I changed colors some, but I was using one particular bait,” Digh said. “I changed colors based on water clarity because the water is starting to clear up.”
Noting that he caught fish all day, Digh said he boated 30 bass.
“I said yesterday that there are some 25- to 30-pound sacks out there,” he said. “This is not 25, but it’s close. I caught a lot of fish today. I don’t know if I can duplicate that tomorrow, but I think I can get close.”
Overall, the Day 2 weights were slightly better than those of Day 1. Notably, the only other bag heavier than 20 pounds belonged to Alabama High School anglers Zeke Gossett and Hayden Bartee, who caught a limit that weighed 20-6. Their bag included a chunky largemouth that went 5-8.
The average fish was a little more than 2 1/2 pounds. The Top 10 had 28 pounds or more, but the vast majority of competitors brought in 14 to 24 pounds for their total weight. Only 46 anglers boasted limits.
The cloudy skies and warming weather of Day 2 were welcome changes from the bluebird postfrontal conditions that plagued Day 1. The afternoon saw partly sunny skies, and anglers reported water temperatures rising into the mid-60s. The weather forecast for Day 3 calls for rain throughout most of the fishing hours.
Eddie Plemons, Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation president, said that could be just the thing to trigger a big day of productivity.
“The rain is bad for the fans, but it’s good for the fishermen,” Plemons said.
Digh not only leads the overall tournament; he also is tops on the North Carolina B.A.S.S. Nation state team, which has three anglers in the Top 10 and a 1-pound, 8-ounce lead for the state competition. North Carolina has 310 pounds, 10 ounces, followed by Georgia with 309-2, and South Carolina with 284.
If Digh maintains his lead for North Carolina, he’ll be invited to the 2014 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, Nov. 6-8 on Louisiana’s Ouachita River. Other state leaders as of Day 2 are Coby Carden, Alabama; Chad Prough, Florida; Joe Eubanks, Georgia; Michael Boggs, Kentucky; Danny Allen, South Carolina; and Raleigh Todd, Tennessee.
Digh won $250 Thursday from Livingston Lures, which awarded that amount daily for the biggest bag weighed in on Day 2.
Jack Smith’s 7-pound bass from Day 1 is currently in the lead for Carhartt Big Bass honors, a $500 prize awarded to the biggest bass of the tournament. Today’s biggest bass, a 6-13 caught by Michael Boggs of Kentucky, didn’t top it.
Competition resumes Friday at 6 a.m. CT for the launch at Lakepoint Marina. The weigh-in will be broadcast live at 2 p.m. CT on Bassmaster.com.
2014 BASS Nation Southern Divisional 4/16-4/18
Lake Eufaula, Lake Eufaula AL.
(ANGLER) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Rob Digh Denver, NC (NC) 10 38-01 0
2. Chad Prough Bonifay, FL (FL) 10 32-12 0
3. Randy Groves Creedmore, NC (NC) 10 31-02 0
4. Joe Eubanks Marietta, GA (GA) 10 30-02 0
5. Danny Allen Loris, SC (SC) 10 30-00 0
6. Will Duncan Conway, SC (SC) 10 29-13 0
7. Coby Carden Shelby, AL (AL) 10 29-04 0
8. Michael Boggs Portsmouth, OH (KY) 9 28-15 0
9. Brent Long Iron Station, NC (SC) 10 28-11 0
10. Travis Mcdermott Kennesaw, GA (GA) 10 28-06 0
11. Raleigh Todd Lexington, TN (TN) 10 28-00 0
12. Jody Wright Ellenboro, NC (NC) 10 27-12 0
13. Ray Covington Chatom, AL (AL) 10 27-12 0
14. Waine Pittman Villa Rica, GA (GA) 10 27-10 0
15. Michael Carson Gastonia, NC (SC) 10 27-04 0
16. William Wood W Palm Beach, FL (FL) 10 27-03 0
17. Jeffrey Allison Jr. Gaffney, SC (SC) 9 26-06 0
18. John Roth Lawrenceburg, IN (KY) 10 26-05 0
19. Jack Tibbs Eufaula, AL (AL) 10 26-04 0
20. Wes Logan Springville, AL (AL) 9 26-00 0
21. Dave Turner Crystal River, FL (FL) 10 25-04 0
22. David Presley Kingston , TN (TN) 10 25-04 0
23. Kyle Christopher Irvine, KY (KY) 9 25-02 0
24. James Clements Charlotte, NC (SC) 7 25-02 0
25. Brendan Smith Roswell, GA (GA) 10 24-15 0
26. Jeff Hager Alexis, NC (NC) 9 24-14 0
27. Tim Hennemann Florence, KY (KY) 10 24-14 0
28. Danny Murphy Granite Falls, (NC) 7 24-09 0
29. Brent Tullis Acworth, GA (GA) 9 23-14 0
30. Brian Fritts Raleigh, NC (NC) 8 23-12 0
31. Marvin Cross Eastover, SC (SC) 9 22-09 0
32. Chris Moody Fayetteville, GA (GA) 9 22-08 0
33. Bowman Gray Winterville, NC (NC) 8 22-00 0
34. Darryl Halbert Enoree, SC (SC) 8 21-14 0
35. Richard Cobb Richmond, KY (KY) 8 21-13 0
36. Andrew Presley Harriman, TN (TN) 9 21-11 0
37. Tony Beck Social Circle, GA (GA) 10 21-11 0
38. Mark Pierce Radcliff, KY (TN) 7 21-07 0
39. George Crain Cropwell, AL (AL) 10 21-03 0
40. Brian Hickey Cadiz, KY (KY) 8 21-02 0
41. David Morton Suwanee, GA (GA) 8 21-02 0
42. Chad Mcmurrian Perry, GA (GA) 8 20-15 0
43. Carson Orellana Mooresville, NC (NC) 7 20-14 0
44. Zeke Gossett Cropwell, AL (AL) 5 20-06 0
45. Shawn Perrigo Rienz, MS (AL) 7 20-06 0
46. Dean Harcourt Sebastain, FL (FL) 10 20-05 0
47. Chase Hancock Douglasville, GA (GA) 6 20-03 0
48. Chris Blair Newnan, GA (GA) 8 20-01 0
49. James Hardy Jacksonville, AL (AL) 6 19-08 0
50. Jack Smith Cadiz, TN (TN) 7 19-03 0
51. Joshua Norris Spring City, TN (TN) 9 18-12 0
52. Sam Sanders Oviedo, FL (FL) 9 18-05 0
53. Dakota Shaw Randleman, NC (NC) 5 17-13 0
54. Capt. Jim Keith Newberry, FL (FL) 8 17-13 0
55. Bradley Durden Chamblee, GA (GA) 6 17-10 0
56. Gregory Weber Louisville, KY (KY) 8 17-08 0
57. Brian Nash Jacksonville, FL (SC) 8 17-05 0
58. Elliot Reedy Piedmont, AL (AL) 7 17-02 0
59. David Pair Abbeville, AL (AL) 8 17-02 0
60. Omar De Jesus Ashland, TN (TN) 7 17-01 0
61. Jerry Craig Hiddenite, NC (NC) 6 16-14 0
62. Eric Blankendaal Madison, TN (TN) 7 16-08 0
63. Willie Manning West Palm Beach, FL (FL 6 16-05 0
64. Todd Daniel Valdosta, GA (FL) 5 16-00 0
65. Todd Mallicoat Tazewell, TN (TN) 7 16-00 0
66. Patrick Currie Millry , AL (AL) 7 15-08 0
67. Mark Robertson Henderson, NC (NC) 6 15-04 0
68. Randall Christopher Irvine, KY (KY) 5 14-14 0
69. John McDonald Thomasville, NC (NC) 7 14-08 0
70. Brian Prowant Moore Haven, FL (FL) 6 14-05 0
71. Mike Mayes Frankfort, KY (KY) 5 14-04 0
72. Eric Holder Canton, GA (GA) 5 14-03 0
73. Chris Jones Conway, SC (SC) 5 14-03 0
74. Benny Beckham Newberry, FL (FL) 5 13-13 0
75. Don Errthum Clarksville, TN (TN) 5 13-12 0
76. Stewart Weber Louisville, KY (KY) 5 13-02 0
77. Rickey Dunn Tuscaloosa, AL (AL) 4 12-10 0
78. Trenton Penuel Ocala, FL (FL) 5 12-07 0
79. Chris Blanchette Irmo, SC (SC) 6 12-07 0
80. Paul Burchfield Suwanee, GA (GA) 7 12-06 0
81. Patrick King Lincolnton, NC (NC) 5 12-03 0
82. Joey Von Hoene Erlanger, KY (KY) 7 11-12 0
83. Matt Brown Corbin, KY (KY) 5 11-06 0
84. Steve Vann Goldsboro, NC (NC) 6 11-04 0
85. Jeff Narron Sims, NC (NC) 5 09-12 0
86. Eric Silverstrim Indian Mound, TN (TN) 4 09-12 0
87. Raymond Trudeau Saint Cloud, FL (FL) 5 09-09 0
88. Corey Lewis Liberty, SC (SC) 5 09-05 0
89. Larry Franks Wilsonville, AL (AL) 4 08-05 0
90. Shawn Lehr Clarksville, TN (TN) 5 07-11 0
91. James Willis Jr Fountain Inn, SC (SC) 4 07-08 0
92. Rickie Harp Cottondale, AL (AL) 4 07-05 0
93. John Crisp Mount Washington, KY (K 3 07-03 0
94. Lee Byrd Birmingham, AL (AL) 4 07-00 0
95. Rashad Goodson Florence, SC (SC) 4 06-03 0
96. Brian Hatfield Spring City, TN (TN) 3 06-03 0
97. Robert Dennie Shelbyville, KY (KY) 4 06-02 0
98. James Lanier Branford, FL (FL) 3 06-02 0
99. Scott Wise Clermont, FL (FL) 2 06-00 0
100. William Jackson Aurora, IN (KY) 3 05-08 0
101. Mike Gerald Conway, SC (SC) 4 05-06 0
102. KJ Jordan Panama City, FL (FL) 2 03-10 0
103. Aaron Fox Harrogate, TN (TN) 2 03-10 0
104. Blake Hunter Winston, GA (GA) 1 03-08 0
105. Cole Sands Calhoun , TN (TN) 1 01-14 0
106. Hayden Bartee Pell City, AL (AL) 0 00-00 0
106. Chris Carnes York, SC (NC) 0 00-00 0
106. Jeremy Elliott Corbin, KY (KY) 0 00-00 0
106. Trevor Mobley Douglasville, GA (GA) 0 00-00 0
106. Shawn Odor Laurel Hill, FL (FL) 0 00-00 0
106. Brett Swafford Cleveland, TN (TN) 0 00-00 0
106. Steven Younginer Florence, SC (SC) 0 00-00 0
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 47 355 928-00
2 46 373 967-14
----------------------------------
93 728 1895-14
TEAM STANDINGS Day 2
----------------------------------
State Lbs-Oz
1 NORTH CAROLINA 310-10
2 GEORGIA 309-02
3 SOUTH CAROLINA 284-00
4 ALABAMA 275-11
5 KENTUCKY 249-14
6 FLORIDA 239-13
7 TENNESSEE 226-12
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Day 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
GEORGIA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Joe Eubanks Marietta, GA 10 30-02 0
2 Travis Mcdermott Kennesaw, GA 10 28-06 0
3 Waine Pittman Villa Rica, GA 10 27-10 0
4 Brendan Smith Roswell, GA 10 24-15 0
5 Brent Tullis Acworth, GA 9 23-14 0
6 Chris Moody Fayetteville, GA 9 22-08 0
7 Tony Beck Social Circle, GA 10 21-11 0
8 David Morton Suwanee, GA 8 21-02 0
9 Chad Mcmurrian Perry, GA 8 20-15 0
10 Chase Hancock Douglasville, GA 6 20-03 0
11 Chris Blair Newnan, GA 8 20-01 0
12 Bradley Durden Chamblee, GA 6 17-10 0
13 Eric Holder Canton, GA 5 14-03 0
14 Paul Burchfield Suwanee, GA 7 12-06 0
15 Blake Hunter Winston, GA 1 03-08 0
16 Trevor Mobley Douglasville, GA 0 00-00 0
SOUTH CAROLINA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Danny Allen Loris, SC 10 30-00 0
2 Will Duncan Conway, SC 10 29-13 0
3 Brent Long Iron Station, NC 10 28-11 0
4 Michael Carson Gastonia, NC 10 27-04 0
5 Jeffrey Allison Jr. Gaffney, SC 9 26-06 0
6 James Clements Charlotte, NC 7 25-02 0
7 Marvin Cross Eastover, SC 9 22-09 0
8 Darryl Halbert Enoree, SC 8 21-14 0
9 Brian Nash Jacksonville, FL 8 17-05 0
10 Chris Jones Conway, SC 5 14-03 0
11 Chris Blanchette Irmo, SC 6 12-07 0
12 Corey Lewis Liberty, SC 5 09-05 0
13 James Willis Jr Fountain Inn, SC 4 07-08 0
14 Rashad Goodson Florence, SC 4 06-03 0
15 Mike Gerald Conway, SC 4 05-06 0
16 Steven Younginer Florence, SC 0 00-00 0
FLORIDA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Chad Prough Bonifay, FL 10 32-12 0
2 William Wood W Palm Beach, FL 10 27-03 0
3 Dave Turner Crystal River, FL 10 25-04 0
4 Dean Harcourt Sebastain, FL 10 20-05 0
5 Sam Sanders Oviedo, FL 9 18-05 0
6 Capt. Jim Keith Newberry, FL 8 17-13 0
7 Willie Manning West Palm Beach, FL 6 16-05 0
8 Todd Daniel Valdosta, GA 5 16-00 0
9 Brian Prowant Moore Haven, FL 6 14-05 0
10 Benny Beckham Newberry, FL 5 13-13 0
11 Trenton Penuel Ocala, FL 5 12-07 0
12 Raymond Trudeau Saint Cloud, FL 5 09-09 0
13 James Lanier Branford, FL 3 06-02 0
14 Scott Wise Clermont, FL 2 06-00 0
15 KJ Jordan Panama City, FL 2 03-10 0
16 Shawn Odor Laurel Hill, FL 0 00-00 0
ALABAMA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Coby Carden Shelby, AL 10 29-04 0
2 Ray Covington Chatom, AL 10 27-12 0
3 Jack Tibbs Eufaula, AL 10 26-04 0
4 Wes Logan Springville, AL 9 26-00 0
5 George Crain Cropwell, AL 10 21-03 0
6 Zeke Gossett Cropwell, AL 5 20-06 0
7 Shawn Perrigo Rienz, MS 7 20-06 0
8 James Hardy Jacksonville, AL 6 19-08 0
9 Elliot Reedy Piedmont, AL 7 17-02 0
10 David Pair Abbeville, AL 8 17-02 0
11 Patrick Currie Millry , AL 7 15-08 0
12 Rickey Dunn Tuscaloosa, AL 4 12-10 0
13 Larry Franks Wilsonville, AL 4 08-05 0
14 Rickie Harp Cottondale, AL 4 07-05 0
15 Lee Byrd Birmingham, AL 4 07-00 0
16 Hayden Bartee Pell City, AL 0 00-00 0
NORTH CAROLINA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Rob Digh Denver, NC 10 38-01 0
2 Randy Groves Creedmore, NC 10 31-02 0
3 Jody Wright Ellenboro, NC 10 27-12 0
4 Jeff Hager Alexis, NC 9 24-14 0
5 Danny Murphy Granite Falls, 7 24-09 0
6 Brian Fritts Raleigh, NC 8 23-12 0
7 Bowman Gray Winterville, NC 8 22-00 0
8 Carson Orellana Mooresville, NC 7 20-14 0
9 Dakota Shaw Randleman, NC 5 17-13 0
10 Jerry Craig Hiddenite, NC 6 16-14 0
11 Mark Robertson Henderson, NC 6 15-04 0
12 John McDonald Thomasville, NC 7 14-08 0
13 Patrick King Lincolnton, NC 5 12-03 0
14 Steve Vann Goldsboro, NC 6 11-04 0
15 Jeff Narron Sims, NC 5 09-12 0
16 Chris Carnes York, SC 0 00-00 0
KENTUCKY
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Michael Boggs Portsmouth, OH 9 28-15 0
2 John Roth Lawrenceburg, IN 10 26-05 0
3 Kyle Christopher Irvine, KY 9 25-02 0
4 Tim Hennemann Florence, KY 10 24-14 0
5 Richard Cobb Richmond, KY 8 21-13 0
6 Brian Hickey Cadiz, KY 8 21-02 0
7 Gregory Weber Louisville, KY 8 17-08 0
8 Randall Christopher Irvine, KY 5 14-14 0
9 Mike Mayes Frankfort, KY 5 14-04 0
10 Stewart Weber Louisville, KY 5 13-02 0
11 Joey Von Hoene Erlanger, KY 7 11-12 0
12 Matt Brown Corbin, KY 5 11-06 0
13 John Crisp Mount Washington, KY 3 07-03 0
14 Robert Dennie Shelbyville, KY 4 06-02 0
15 William Jackson Aurora, IN 3 05-08 0
16 Jeremy Elliott Corbin, KY 0 00-00 0
TENNESSEE
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Raleigh Todd Lexington, TN 10 28-00 0
2 David Presley Kingston , TN 10 25-04 0
3 Andrew Presley Harriman, TN 9 21-11 0
4 Mark Pierce Radcliff, KY 7 21-07 0
5 Jack Smith Cadiz, TN 7 19-03 0
6 Joshua Norris Spring City, TN 9 18-12 0
7 Omar De Jesus Ashland, TN 7 17-01 0
8 Eric Blankendaal Madison, TN 7 16-08 0
9 Todd Mallicoat Tazewell, TN 7 16-00 0
10 Don Errthum Clarksville, TN 5 13-12 0
11 Eric Silverstrim Indian Mound, TN 4 09-12 0
12 Shawn Lehr Clarksville, TN 5 07-11 0
13 Brian Hatfield Spring City, TN 3 06-03 0
14 Aaron Fox Harrogate, TN 2 03-10 0
15 Cole Sands Calhoun , TN 1 01-14 0
16 Brett Swafford Cleveland, TN 0 00-00 0
Fishing Very Good For Toho Marine Elite One Man Trail Tournament On Kissimmee
Anglers in the Toho Marine Elite One Man Trail tournament on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes Saturday should be able to pick their favorite lure or technique and pretty much be assured of success, according to tournament director Bob McDaniel.
“Fishing has been very good down there, with big weights coming in,” McDaniel said. “There was an Xtreme Bass tournament last Sunday and the fellows who won it were fishing Kissimmee. They weighed in 28 pounds and thee were three fish over 9 pounds weighed in.”
The fish are in transition, McDaniel said, with some still spawning but most in the post-spawn phase.
“There are some fish still shallow and some moving out to the deeper holes for the summer. That's probably why everybody is doing pretty good. You can catch them on just about anything.”
McDaniel said the Toho Marine elite One Man Trail is doing very well this year, averaging 30 to 40 boats a tournament.
“Because we fish different locations, we tend to lose a few, but pick up some locals who like to fish their local waters. Then there are some guys who fish all the tournaments and they are our core of anglers.”
The entry fee for the tournaments is $100, with a 100 percent payback based on the number of entries, plus two big fish spots, McDaniel said. The points champion will win free entries to the monthly tournaments for the following year. Each angler also pays a one-time $25 membership fee.
“Anglers can sign up by mail to Toho Marine, if it gets in on time, or they can pay cash at the ramp. It's too late to mail an entry in for this tournament Saturday, so anyone who has not sent an entry in yet will have to pay at the ramp.”
McDaniel said the entry fee for the two-day Classic at the end of the season is $200, with a 100 percent payback based on the number of entries.
“There will also be a lot of bonus prizes and giveaways provided by the sponsors, rods and reels, that sort of thing,” he added.
On the tournament website McDaniel and co-director Jimmy Murphy listed the following four reasons for anglers to fish the Toho Marine Elite One Man Tour:
1. You need to land your own fish since you won’t have a partner to net it for you.
2. You make all the decisions on what spots to fish, how long to fish that spot and when it is time to move on to a new spot.
3. You can’t blame your partner if your day doesn’t turn out as planned.
4. You get to keep all the prize money.
The series schedule for the rest of the season includes: April 19, Lake Kissimmee/Camp Mack; May 24, Lake Istokpoga/Hwy 98 Ramp; June 21, Lake Harris/Buzzard Beach; July 19, Lake Kissimmee/Camp Mack; and Aug. 23, Lake Okeechobee/Scott Driver; with the Classic, Nov. 7-8, Lake Toho/Red’s Fish Camp.
Toho Marine Elite One Man Trail
Sat, Apr 19, 2014
Kissimmee Chain of Lakes
Camp Mack's River Resort
Call Jimmie Murphy at 352-789-5351
or Bob McDaniel at 407-557-0048
One on One with FLW TOUR Beaver Lake Champion Matt Arey!
Matt Arey joins us for an exclusive ONE ON ONE after his HUGE FLW TOUR WIN on Beaver Lake..........7 years of hard work paid off Sunday afternoon-click here for the full re-cap!
NFL Veteran Sensabaugh signs with Powell Rods
Powell Rods, founded in 1910, has built a reputation as a producer of high quality fishing rods. The company has also built a reputation for attracting World Class talent to represent the company.
Gerald Sensabaugh, a 30-year-old aspiring professional angler from Gray, Tenn. has joined the Powell Rods pro staff. While Sensabaugh may be fairly new to the world of professional bass fishing, he is not a newcomer to professional sports. From 2005 to 2012, Sensabaugh played defensive back for the Jackson ville Jaguars and the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League.
It was a love of fishing and competition that drew him to bass fishing. "I've always loved to fish and tournament fishing has given me a place to combine my love of fishing and my competitive side," he said. "I got talked into fishing my first tournament at a BFL at Sam Rayburn a few years ago, and finished 19th; I've been hooked ever since."
Sensabaugh said that he likes knowing he has great equipment to fish with, but also the people of Powell. "Powell makes one of the best rods I've ever fished with," he said. "But even more than that is that Keith (Bryan, the president of Powell Rods) has stood behind me and my fishing. I love the products and the people, they've stood behind me, and I look forward to growing with them as I try to become a tour level angler in the future."
Bryan, a competitive angler and collegiate football player relates to his new team member. "Gerald is a great guy, he is well spoken and is driven to become a great angler; and he's shown flashes of it already," said Bryan. "I love that someone who has experienced the highest level of traditional athletics has decided to make fishing a part of his future, and I'm happy to be working with him as he proceeds along his path to achieving his goals in the business."
Watch for Sensabaugh as he competes in the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern and Northern Opens in 2014 as he works towards securing a spot in the Bassmaster Elite Series.
Danny Murphy Takes The Early Lead In B.a.s.s. Nation Southern Divisional On Lake Eufaula
He may have saved the best for last in terms of weigh-in order, but Danny Murphy, of Granite Falls, N.C., actually got his work done early, en route to topping the Day 1 leaderboard at the B.A.S.S. Nation Southern Divisional on Lake Eufaula.
With Georgia’s Chase Hancock holding the top spot with 18 pounds, 14 ounces since the beginning of the weigh-in, Murphy brought up the day’s final bag and dropped 19-12 on the scales to secure the lead. Murphy said he believes a rise in lake level stimulated an early bite that allowed him to lock up the lead by late morning.
“The water had been low, but it came up overnight so we got on a deeper bank today,” he said. “The fish were moving in from the main lake to the back of the pockets.
“My boat partner and I caught our limit by 11, and we started looking around for more areas after that,” continued Murphy. “We didn’t pound it really hard.”
Murphy, a member of the Riverview Bass Anglers club, said he targeted prespawn staging positions with a Hawg Caller spinnerbait and a brown Shooter jig with a Zoom Super Chunk Jr. Murphy dipped the tips in chartreuse dye for additional visual appeal.
“The bigger ones were shallow, like in 2 feet of water,” he said. “I caught one of them under a dock, one of them under a tree, just here and there.”
Overall, the Day 1 weights were much lower than expected, and the 20-pound bags that many predicted never materialized. More than half the field fell short of the five-fish daily limit. The average fish was a little more than 2 1/2 pounds. The Top 10 had 16 pounds, 10 ounces or more, but the vast majority of competitors brought in 4 to 13 pounds for their total weight.
A cold front blew through Eufaula with the usual chilly rain a day before the tournament. True to form, the weather cleared in time for a brilliant sunrise, followed by the dreaded bluebird skies. This high pressure and bright sunlight probably tempered what should be a strong spring bite. Fortunately for competitors, the day brought steady increases in air and water temperatures, promising cues for a more active second day.
Eufaula mayor and Alabama team member Jack Tibbs jokingly lamented his team’s slow start, which is currently in sixth place.
“We wanted to be good hosts to everyone, but that’s just for today!” said Tibbs. “That front that came through really messed the fish up. But the fishing has been on fire and it should get better the next two days.”
Murphy agreed. He and second-place Hancock both noted observing shad spawn aggregations, which never go unnoticed by opportunistic bass. Warming weather plus abundant baitfish should have the fish ready to go on Day 2.
“We started seeing some shad activity later in the day, so I think tomorrow the bite should be good by early morning,” Murphy said.
Murphy’s North Carolina team placed third today with 145-7 in total weight, behind first-place Georgia (163-4) and second-place South Carolina (156-13). The Georgia B.A.S.S. Nation state team has two anglers in the Top 5, as well as a 6-pound, 7-ounce lead for the state competition.
Other state leaders at the end of Day 1 are Coby Carden, Alabama; Chad Prough, Florida; Chase Hancock, Georgia; Michael Boggs, Kentucky; Danny Allen, South Carolina; and Raleigh Todd, Tennessee.
The winner of each state will advance to the 2014 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship.
Jack Smith, of Cadiz, Tenn., is in the lead for the Carhartt Big Bass honors with his 7-pounder.
Competition resumes Thursday at 6 a.m. CT for the launch at Lakepoint State Park Marina. The weigh-in will be broadcast live at 2 p.m. CT on Bassmaster.com.
2014 BASS Nation Southern Divisional 4/16-4/18
Lake Eufaula, Lake Eufaula AL.
(ANGLER) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts
1. Danny Murphy Granite Falls, (NC) 5 19-12 0
2. Chase Hancock Douglasville, GA (GA) 5 18-14 0
3. Danny Allen Loris, SC (SC) 5 18-01 0
4. Joe Eubanks Marietta, GA (GA) 5 17-10 0
5. Raleigh Todd Lexington, TN (TN) 5 17-07 0
6. Randy Groves Creedmore, NC (NC) 5 17-05 0
7. Jody Wright Ellenboro, NC (NC) 5 17-04 0
8. Michael Boggs Portsmouth, OH (KY) 5 16-12 0
8. Will Duncan Conway, SC (SC) 5 16-12 0
10. James Clements Charlotte, NC (SC) 5 16-10 0
11. Chad Prough Bonifay, FL (FL) 5 16-09 0
12. Brian Fritts Raleigh, NC (NC) 5 15-14 0
13. Jeff Hager Alexis, NC (NC) 5 15-10 0
14. Brent Long Iron Station, NC (SC) 5 15-07 0
15. Rob Digh Denver, NC (NC) 5 15-04 0
15. Brendan Smith Roswell, GA (GA) 5 15-04 0
17. Travis Mcdermott Kennesaw, GA (GA) 5 15-02 0
18. Jack Smith Cadiz, TN (TN) 5 14-11 0
18. William Wood W Palm Beach, FL (FL) 5 14-11 0
20. Willie Manning West Palm Beach, FL (FL 5 14-07 0
21. Brent Tullis Acworth, GA (GA) 4 14-06 0
22. Coby Carden Shelby, AL (AL) 5 14-05 0
22. Brian Hickey Cadiz, KY (KY) 5 14-05 0
24. Chris Moody Fayetteville, GA (GA) 5 13-14 0
25. Marvin Cross Eastover, SC (SC) 5 13-13 0
26. Tim Hennemann Florence, KY (KY) 5 13-11 0
26. Shawn Perrigo Rienz, MS (AL) 5 13-11 0
28. Elliot Reedy Piedmont, AL (AL) 5 13-09 0
29. Waine Pittman Villa Rica, GA (GA) 5 13-06 0
30. Darryl Halbert Enoree, SC (SC) 5 13-05 0
31. David Presley Kingston , TN (TN) 5 13-04 0
31. John Roth Lawrenceburg, IN (KY) 5 13-04 0
33. Andrew Presley Harriman, TN (TN) 5 13-03 0
34. Ray Covington Chatom, AL (AL) 5 13-02 0
35. Jeffrey Allison Jr. Gaffney, SC (SC) 5 13-00 0
36. Capt. Jim Keith Newberry, FL (FL) 5 12-12 0
37. Wes Logan Springville, AL (AL) 4 12-05 0
38. David Morton Suwanee, GA (GA) 5 11-15 0
39. Michael Carson Gastonia, NC (SC) 5 11-13 0
40. Todd Mallicoat Tazewell, TN (TN) 5 11-10 0
41. Mike Mayes Frankfort, KY (KY) 4 11-03 0
42. Jack Tibbs Eufaula, AL (AL) 5 11-01 0
43. Benny Beckham Newberry, FL (FL) 3 10-12 0
44. George Crain Cropwell, AL (AL) 5 10-11 0
44. Omar De Jesus Ashland, TN (TN) 5 10-11 0
46. Dean Harcourt Sebastain, FL (FL) 5 10-09 0
47. Tony Beck Social Circle, GA (GA) 5 10-03 0
48. Dave Turner Crystal River, FL (FL) 5 10-00 0
48. Gregory Weber Louisville, KY (KY) 5 10-00 0
50. Raymond Trudeau Saint Cloud, FL (FL) 5 09-09 0
51. Bradley Durden Chamblee, GA (GA) 3 09-04 0
52. Chris Jones Conway, SC (SC) 3 08-14 0
53. Chad Mcmurrian Perry, GA (GA) 3 08-13 0
54. Brian Nash Jacksonville, FL (SC) 4 08-12 0
55. James Hardy Jacksonville, AL (AL) 2 08-05 0
56. Patrick Currie Millry , AL (AL) 4 07-15 0
57. Mark Robertson Henderson, NC (NC) 3 07-15 0
58. Paul Burchfield Suwanee, GA (GA) 5 07-14 0
59. Kyle Christopher Irvine, KY (KY) 4 07-14 0
60. Joshua Norris Spring City, TN (TN) 4 07-10 0
61. James Willis Jr Fountain Inn, SC (SC) 4 07-08 0
62. Sam Sanders Oviedo, FL (FL) 4 07-06 0
63. Bowman Gray Winterville, NC (NC) 3 07-06 0
64. Jeff Narron Sims, NC (NC) 4 06-14 0
65. Chris Blair Newnan, GA (GA) 3 06-11 0
66. Patrick King Lincolnton, NC (NC) 3 06-09 0
67. Brian Prowant Moore Haven, FL (FL) 2 06-04 0
68. Eric Silverstrim Indian Mound, TN (TN) 3 05-12 0
69. Carson Orellana Mooresville, NC (NC) 2 05-07 0
70. Mike Gerald Conway, SC (SC) 4 05-06 0
71. David Pair Abbeville, AL (AL) 3 05-01 0
72. John Crisp Mount Washington, KY (K 2 05-00 0
73. Robert Dennie Shelbyville, KY (KY) 3 04-15 0
74. Shawn Lehr Clarksville, TN (TN) 3 04-14 0
75. Richard Cobb Richmond, KY (KY) 3 04-11 0
76. Brian Hatfield Spring City, TN (TN) 2 04-10 0
77. Eric Blankendaal Madison, TN (TN) 2 04-08 0
78. Chris Blanchette Irmo, SC (SC) 2 04-06 0
79. John McDonald Thomasville, NC (NC) 2 04-04 0
80. Don Errthum Clarksville, TN (TN) 2 04-00 0
81. Steve Vann Goldsboro, NC (NC) 2 03-15 0
82. Mark Pierce Radcliff, KY (TN) 2 03-08 0
83. Randall Christopher Irvine, KY (KY) 2 03-07 0
84. Joey Von Hoene Erlanger, KY (KY) 2 03-03 0
85. Corey Lewis Liberty, SC (SC) 2 03-02 0
86. James Lanier Branford, FL (FL) 1 02-15 0
87. Rickey Dunn Tuscaloosa, AL (AL) 1 02-14 0
88. KJ Jordan Panama City, FL (FL) 1 02-02 0
89. Jerry Craig Hiddenite, NC (NC) 1 02-00 0
90. Aaron Fox Harrogate, TN (TN) 1 01-15 0
91. Stewart Weber Louisville, KY (KY) 1 01-08 0
92. Lee Byrd Birmingham, AL (AL) 1 01-07 0
92. Larry Franks Wilsonville, AL (AL) 1 01-07 0
94. Rickie Harp Cottondale, AL (AL) 1 01-03 0
95. Todd Daniel Valdosta, GA (FL) 0 00-00 0
95. Eric Holder Canton, GA (GA) 0 00-00 0
95. William Jackson Aurora, IN (KY) 0 00-00 0
95. Scott Wise Clermont, FL (FL) 0 00-00 0
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 47 355 928-00
----------------------------------
47 355 928-00
TEAM STANDINGS Day 1
----------------------------------
State Lbs-Oz
1 GEORGIA 163-04
2 SOUTH CAROLINA 156-13
3 NORTH CAROLINA 145-07
4 FLORIDA 118-00
5 TENNESSEE 117-11
6 ALABAMA 117-00
7 KENTUCKY 109-13
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Day 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
GEORGIA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Chase Hancock Douglasville, GA 5 18-14 0
2 Joe Eubanks Marietta, GA 5 17-10 0
3 Brendan Smith Roswell, GA 5 15-04 0
4 Travis Mcdermott Kennesaw, GA 5 15-02 0
5 Brent Tullis Acworth, GA 4 14-06 0
6 Chris Moody Fayetteville, GA 5 13-14 0
7 Waine Pittman Villa Rica, GA 5 13-06 0
8 David Morton Suwanee, GA 5 11-15 0
9 Tony Beck Social Circle, GA 5 10-03 0
10 Bradley Durden Chamblee, GA 3 09-04 0
11 Chad Mcmurrian Perry, GA 3 08-13 0
12 Paul Burchfield Suwanee, GA 5 07-14 0
13 Chris Blair Newnan, GA 3 06-11 0
14 Eric Holder Canton, GA 0 00-00 0
SOUTH CAROLINA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Danny Allen Loris, SC 5 18-01 0
2 Will Duncan Conway, SC 5 16-12 0
3 James Clements Charlotte, NC 5 16-10 0
4 Brent Long Iron Station, NC 5 15-07 0
5 Marvin Cross Eastover, SC 5 13-13 0
6 Darryl Halbert Enoree, SC 5 13-05 0
7 Jeffrey Allison Jr. Gaffney, SC 5 13-00 0
8 Michael Carson Gastonia, NC 5 11-13 0
9 Chris Jones Conway, SC 3 08-14 0
10 Brian Nash Jacksonville, FL 4 08-12 0
11 James Willis Jr Fountain Inn, SC 4 07-08 0
12 Mike Gerald Conway, SC 4 05-06 0
13 Chris Blanchette Irmo, SC 2 04-06 0
14 Corey Lewis Liberty, SC 2 03-02 0
FLORIDA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Chad Prough Bonifay, FL 5 16-09 0
2 William Wood W Palm Beach, FL 5 14-11 0
3 Willie Manning West Palm Beach, FL 5 14-07 0
4 Capt. Jim Keith Newberry, FL 5 12-12 0
5 Benny Beckham Newberry, FL 3 10-12 0
6 Dean Harcourt Sebastain, FL 5 10-09 0
7 Dave Turner Crystal River, FL 5 10-00 0
8 Raymond Trudeau Saint Cloud, FL 5 09-09 0
9 Sam Sanders Oviedo, FL 4 07-06 0
10 Brian Prowant Moore Haven, FL 2 06-04 0
11 James Lanier Branford, FL 1 02-15 0
12 KJ Jordan Panama City, FL 1 02-02 0
13 Todd Daniel Valdosta, GA 0 00-00 0
13 Scott Wise Clermont, FL 0 00-00 0
ALABAMA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Coby Carden Shelby, AL 5 14-05 0
2 Shawn Perrigo Rienz, MS 5 13-11 0
3 Elliot Reedy Piedmont, AL 5 13-09 0
4 Ray Covington Chatom, AL 5 13-02 0
5 Wes Logan Springville, AL 4 12-05 0
6 Jack Tibbs Eufaula, AL 5 11-01 0
7 George Crain Cropwell, AL 5 10-11 0
8 James Hardy Jacksonville, AL 2 08-05 0
9 Patrick Currie Millry , AL 4 07-15 0
10 David Pair Abbeville, AL 3 05-01 0
11 Rickey Dunn Tuscaloosa, AL 1 02-14 0
12 Lee Byrd Birmingham, AL 1 01-07 0
12 Larry Franks Wilsonville, AL 1 01-07 0
14 Rickie Harp Cottondale, AL 1 01-03 0
NORTH CAROLINA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Danny Murphy Granite Falls, 5 19-12 0
2 Randy Groves Creedmore, NC 5 17-05 0
3 Jody Wright Ellenboro, NC 5 17-04 0
4 Brian Fritts Raleigh, NC 5 15-14 0
5 Jeff Hager Alexis, NC 5 15-10 0
6 Rob Digh Denver, NC 5 15-04 0
7 Mark Robertson Henderson, NC 3 07-15 0
8 Bowman Gray Winterville, NC 3 07-06 0
9 Jeff Narron Sims, NC 4 06-14 0
10 Patrick King Lincolnton, NC 3 06-09 0
11 Carson Orellana Mooresville, NC 2 05-07 0
12 John McDonald Thomasville, NC 2 04-04 0
13 Steve Vann Goldsboro, NC 2 03-15 0
14 Jerry Craig Hiddenite, NC 1 02-00 0
KENTUCKY
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Michael Boggs Portsmouth, OH 5 16-12 0
2 Brian Hickey Cadiz, KY 5 14-05 0
3 Tim Hennemann Florence, KY 5 13-11 0
4 John Roth Lawrenceburg, IN 5 13-04 0
5 Mike Mayes Frankfort, KY 4 11-03 0
6 Gregory Weber Louisville, KY 5 10-00 0
7 Kyle Christopher Irvine, KY 4 07-14 0
8 John Crisp Mount Washington, KY 2 05-00 0
9 Robert Dennie Shelbyville, KY 3 04-15 0
10 Richard Cobb Richmond, KY 3 04-11 0
11 Randall Christopher Irvine, KY 2 03-07 0
12 Joey Von Hoene Erlanger, KY 2 03-03 0
13 Stewart Weber Louisville, KY 1 01-08 0
14 William Jackson Aurora, IN 0 00-00 0
TENNESSEE
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Raleigh Todd Lexington, TN 5 17-07 0
2 Jack Smith Cadiz, TN 5 14-11 0
3 David Presley Kingston , TN 5 13-04 0
4 Andrew Presley Harriman, TN 5 13-03 0
5 Todd Mallicoat Tazewell, TN 5 11-10 0
6 Omar De Jesus Ashland, TN 5 10-11 0
7 Joshua Norris Spring City, TN 4 07-10 0
8 Eric Silverstrim Indian Mound, TN 3 05-12 0
9 Shawn Lehr Clarksville, TN 3 04-14 0
10 Brian Hatfield Spring City, TN 2 04-10 0
11 Eric Blankendaal Madison, TN 2 04-08 0
12 Don Errthum Clarksville, TN 2 04-00 0
13 Mark Pierce Radcliff, KY 2 03-08 0
14 Aaron Fox Harrogate, TN 1 01-15 0
High, Muddy Water Will Make Fishing Tough In Alabama Bass Tournament On Jordan Lake
The winner of the Alabama Bass Trail South Division tournament on Jordan Lake Saturday probably will be the angler who finds some obscure thing that nobody else is looking for, according to a veteran Jordan Lake angler.
“Fishing on the lake is like nothing I've seen in 20 years,” said Scott Luster who lives near the lake and fishes both the South and North Divisions of the new Alabama Bass Trail.
“Fishing is going to be tough,” Luster predicted. “We just had another inch of rain, the water is up and muddy – and it is rolling. The 30-degree temperature we had last night is going to make it tough, too.”
Adding to the problem is the fact that the lake is running about three weeks behind a normal spring schedule so the shad spawn which is usually prevalent this time of year has not even begun yet, he said. All of that means whoever makes the right adjustment likely will be the eventual winner Saturday, he said.
“The winning bag probably will be a mixed bag of largemouths and spotted bass. Two largemouths and three spots will probably win it,” he said.
Sight fishing is out because the water is so muddy, he said.
“You won't be able to see any beds, so it probably will be won flipping by the person who hits the right grass bed at the right time, when the fish are feeding. Or, it could be somebody who goes upriver and finds a rockpile where the fish are schooled up and hiding behind it.”
Because the lake is in such a flux, Luster said he is not even going to pre-fish until Friday – and he may spend most of his time crappie fishing then and check out the bass in the process.
“I've got over 100 brushpiles in the lake, so I am going to go fish my brushpiles,” he said.
Kay Donaldson tournament director for the Alabama Bass Trail, said the series has been “wildly successful” at the halfway point of its inaugural season, with the North Division running a full field of 200 boats at each tournament and the South Division averaging 160 boats. The North Division has already fished three of the five qualifying tournaments and Saturday's tournament on Jordan Lake will be the third of the series for the South Division.
The Top 50 teams in the points in each division (North and South) qualify automatically for the 2014 ABT Team Championship Oct. 10-11 on Lewis Smith Lake. The top 25 student boats overall will also be in the final event. To be eligible for the championship, teams must enter all five qualifying events in their respective division.
“We are going to release our 2015 schedule the first week of May, with open registration in August,” Donaldson said. “Right now we are averaging a $350,000 to $400,000 economic impact in the communities where our tournaments are held and it will be even more next year with an expanded field in the South Division.”
Donaldson said the 2015 enrollment is being publicized on the Alabama Bass Trail website and on Facebook.com.
Registration for the Alabama Bass Trail is available online at www.alabamabasstrail.org up to the Wednesday preceding each tournament. The entry fee per tournament is $250 per team.
The schedule includes: North Division – Feb. 1, Lake Guntersville; March 22, Pickwick Lake; April 5, Neely Henry Lake; May 31, Wheeler Lake; June 21, Logan Martin Lake. South Division – March 1, Mobile-Tensaw River Delta; March 15, Lake Eufaula; April 19, Lake Jordan; May 10, Alabama River (Millers Ferry); June 7, Lay Lake.
Each tournament has a guaranteed first prize of $10,000, plus $23,000 to the top 20 places and $500 to big fish. There are also numerous bonus packages available to winning and placing anglers.
The grand prize for the no-entry fee championship is a fully-rigged Phoenix 619 Pro Bass Boat with a 150-horsepower Mercury Outboard, valued at $40,000. Adding to that excitement level is an opportunity to advance to the Bassmasters Team Championship and possibly earn a berth in the Bassmaster Classic.
“We are looking at an estimated $420,000 total in prizes for the series,” Program Director Kay Donaldson said. “We think the anglers are going to really enjoy it because they will have the opportunity to advance to our championship and from there the opportunity to go to the BASS Team Championship.”
Alabama Bass Trail - South Division
Sat, Apr 19, 2014
Jordan Lake - AL
Bonner's Landing
Call Kay Donaldson 855-934-7425
Bass Moving Up, 'doing Their Thing' Just In Time For Tom's Marine Tournament On Cherokee Lake
Lowell Caudill and Teddy Lloyd won the most recent tournament on Douglas with a 23.6-pound limit!
The April 5 Tom's Marine Team Trail Tournament on Douglas Lake had an outstanding outcome with the winning team weighing in a whopping limit at 23.6 pounds, and tournament director Richard McMaster is expecting another impressive weigh-in Saturday in the third tournament of the season on Cherokee Lake.
“Congratulations to Lowell Caudill and Teddy Lloyd for that big bag on Douglas. We are going back to Cherokee and we are not expecting a big bag like that, but we are expecting some big catches of smallmouth. The fish are moving up and spawning. The largemouths are doing their thing,too, on Cherokee,” McMaster said.
“They are catching them on main channel points and there could be some sight fishing, too. We are looking probably for action on a Rat-L-Trap, a swim bait and the Alabama Rig. Some fish have already spawned, so some are starting to be caught on topwater also.”
Although a cold front moving through was expected to drop temperatures into the 20s Wednesday night, McMaster said conditions should rebound by Saturday.
“It looks like it will be warm, about 72 degrees, with a slight chance of rain. Some showers would actually make the smallmouth fishing good. The nastier the better for them.”
McMaster also reminded all anglers that the tournament Saturday will be held out of the ramp at Cherokee Dam, not the 23 Bridge ramp.
After the first two tournaments Ron Hyatt and Johnny Parks have moved into the lead in the points standings. Hyatt and Parks finished 7th March 15 in the first tournament of the year on Cherokee Lake and they were 6th April 5 on Douglas Lake.
McMaster said anglers fishing the Tom's Marine Team Trail this year will have a chance to qualify for the 2015 Bassmaster Classic. Teams can qualify for a chance to fish for the Classic by paying a $10 per angler membership fee. Up to three teams, based on points, could qualify to fish the Bass Team Classic Championship, where the top three teams will break up into individual boats to fish for a berth in the Bassmaster Classic.
McMaster also announced that Tom's Marine is bringing back a summer nighttime tournament this year after a three-year absence. The night tournament will be held July 12 on Cherokee Lake with a three-fish limit.
The rest of the 2014 schedule includes: April 19, Cherokee Lake, the Dam; May 24, Cherokee Lake, 25E Bridge; June 7, Douglas Lake, Shady Grove; July 12, Cherokee Lake, 25E Bridge; Sept. 13, Douglas Lake, Shady Grove; and Oct. 25-25, Douglas Lake, Shady Grove and Cherokee Lake, 25E Bridge.
The entry fee per tournament is $100, plus a $10 lunker fee.
New incentives for the Tom's Marine Team Trail in 2014 include :
– Toms Marine will pay $250 to anyone who wins out a boat purchased new from Toms Marine since 20110.
– Glow Max will pay the winner of the night tournament $250 in cash and $250 merchandise if they use Glow Max black lights in their boat. In addition, Toms Marine will pay the winner an additional $100 if the Glow Max black lights were purchased from and installed by Toms Marine.
– Linex has teamed up with Toms Marine Team Trail to sponsor a drawing for a new spray-in Linex bed liner this season. Anyone making a purchase from Linex and letting them know you are a member of Toms Marine Team Trail will be entered into this drawing to be held at the end of the 2014 regular season.
Tom's Marine Team Trail
Sat, Apr 19, 2014
Cherokee Lake
Dam Access - TVA Cherokee
Call Richard McMaster 423-748-3240
Boats Unlimited Nc Team Tournament Bass Trail Qualifier #4 Results - Apr 12, 2014 - Falls Lake
Finally got a beautiful Saturday for the Boats Unlimited NC Team Tournament Bass Trail qualifier #4 at
Falls Lake. 89 teams enjoyed the beautiful weather, a fair day of catching bass and the best BBQ meal ever,
compliments of Andy Barnhart, owner of The Prop Doc in Zebulon!
It was about 60 degrees that morning with
very little wind and around 79 that afternoon with 10 mph winds. Water temps ranged from 61 to 64 depending
on the area fished. Actually a great day for fishing but maybe bass bedding & the weak cold front coming thru
put a halt to a good bite!
The Father/Son duo of Tim & Chad Emory, flipped their way to the winners circle catching 5 bass weighing
26.83 lbs. The Emory team won $1,470 for 1st, TWT 1st place of $1,400 and the Boats Unlimited NC 1st Place
Bonus of $750 for a grand total of $3,620.
Another Father/Son team of Randy & Josh Brown took 2nd with 5 bass weighing 22.90 lbs winning $860. Big
fish for the day was a nice 9.30 pounder caught by the 5th place team of Bobby & David Matthews worth
$1,232 bringing their total winnings to $1,752.
Only 161 fish were weighed in for a total of 527 pounds for an average of a little over 3 lbs. each. We had
numerous fish over 5 lbs. and all the fish looked very healthy. Hot baits for the day were flipping jigs, c-rigs,
shakey heads, spinnerbaits and jerk baits.
I want to thank all the anglers that participated and all our sponsors that support this trail. The next Boats Unlimited NC Team Tournament Bass Trail tournament will be at Kerr Lake on April 26th,
out of Flemingtown Landing Wildlife Ramp.
All the information on our tournaments can be found at http://piedmontbassclassics.com/2014BUMainPage.html
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Tim & Chad Emory of Creedmoor & Durham...5 bass...26.83 lbs...$1,470
2nd Place: Randy & Josh Brown of Seven Springs & LaGrange...5 bass...22.90 lbs...$860
3rd Place: Jim Nichols & Jeremy Martin of Chapel Hill & Rougemont...5 bass...21.26 lbs...$680
4th Place: Jay Garrard & Mark Herndon of Durham & Bahama...5 bass...21.19 lbs...$600
5th Place: Bobby & David Matthews of Durham...5 bass...20.22 lbs...$520
6th Place: Kevin Woodall & William Tobias of Angier...5 bass...17.27 lbs...$465
7th Place: Roger Clary & Justin Rhew of Butner & Durham...5 bass...17.22 lbs...$395
8th Place: Jared Thaxton of Creedmoor...5 bass...16.73 lbs...$320
9th Place: Tim Goad & Mark Williams of Pittsboro & Wilmington...5 bass...15.68 lbs...$285
10th Place: Chris & H.T. Eakins of Selma & Angier...4 bass...15.01 lbs...$250
11th Place: Hooks & Fajardo of Apex & Fuquay Varina...5 bass...13.81 lbs...$215
12th Place: Lonnie Renfro & Luke Smith of Franklinton...4 bass...13.65 lbs...$215
13th Place: Alan Parker & Brandon McLeod of Linden & Spring Lake...4 bass...12.06 lbs...$215
14th Place: Tie: Michael & Steve Hatley of Pittsboro & Chapel Hill...5 bass...11.55 lbs...$140
14th Place: Tie: Bud Whitt & Spencer Moody of Staley & Siler City...4 bass...11.55 lbs...$140
16th Place: Howard & Justin Bohannon of Durham...3 bass...11.11 lbs...$140
17th Place: Bill Recher & Roger McLamb of Henderson & Stem...4 bass...10.97 lbs...$110
18th Place: James Williams & Jerek Fowler of Raeford & Aberdeen...5 bass...10.85 lbs...$100
1st Place Big Fish..5th Place Team above...9.30 lbs...$1,232
2nd Place Big Fish..Johnny Wilder & Mike Harris of Butner & Oxford...7.74 lbs...$528
1st Place TWT..1st Place Team above...26.83 lbs...$1,400
2nd Place TWT..4th Place Team above: 21.19 lbs...$600
1st Place Big Fish..Bobby & David Matthews...9.30 lbsBoats Unlimited Skeeter Boat Owner Bonus: Phillip Johnson of Durham...$250
Tow Boats US Award: Jay Garrard of Durham: $50
Boats Unlimited 1st Place Bonus: 1st Place Team Above...$750
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
Sportsmans Warehouse Report with AC Pro Staffer Dearal Rodgers!
AC Pro Staffer Dearal Rodgers missed a good bit of action in 2013, but now is back up and running on the FLW TOUR and gives us a great update after fishing Beaver Lake--also gives us his take on what to throw and do this coming weekend at SANTEE!
WRIGHT, SIMS WIN TEXAS TEAM TRAIL EVENT AT LAKE TEXOMA
Eric Wright of Balch Springs, Texas, and Jeremy Sims of Sulphur Springs, Texas, brought 27.96 pounds of bass to the scales to win the 2014 Texas Team Trail presented by Cabela’s (TXTT) event at Lake Texoma on April 12. With their victory, the winners took home a new, fully rigged Ranger Z119 powered by a 150-horsepower Evinrude valued at $40,000.
With warm, windy weather in the area, Wright and Sims targeted the Alberta Creek area where the pair spent their day sight fishing, landing an impressive 9.17-pound kicker fish, which won the pair an additional $970 Big Bass prize.
“We didn’t have to run too far, just from Granpappy (Point Marina) across to Alberta Creek,” said Wright. “The conditions were good for what we planned to do. We found fish and worked them with crawfish-shaped soft plastics.”
Second-place finishers Spike Stoker, of Stephenville, Texas, and Randy Sullivan, of Breckenridge, Texas, weighed a five-fish limit of 23.25 pounds, which brought them $7,050 in second-place earnings and contingency bonuses.
Stoker and Sullivan also used the warming temperatures to their advantage, targeting bass as they moved shallow around docks as the day progressed.
“The wind and the heat really played into our plans,” Stoker said. “In some places, we found them on beds and caught them on soft craws and jigs. We also caught them around docks on umbrella rigs.”
Jason Bonds, of Lufkin, Texas, and Travis Moore, of Cleveland, Texas, took home a combined $4,340 in third-place and contingency prize money, the result of sight fishing with plastic worms near boathouses.
The next stop for the Texas Team Trail is Lake Livingston on May 3. Competitors who register for the Lake Livingston event by midnight of Thursday, May 1, will be allowed to pre-fish on Friday, May 2 and will be entered into a drawing for a free Minn Kota Talon shallow water anchor. All participants who register online will also be entered into a drawing for a Cabela’s $100 gift card.
For additional information, anglers are encouraged to call 210-788-4143 or check out the TXTT website at www.texasteamtrail.com. Site visitors can register for events, review the television schedule, get official Texas Team Trail gear, view results and learn more about what’s in store for 2014.
Along with title-sponsor Cabela’s, Texas Team Trail has also welcomed Lucas Oil®, Ranger Boats, Stratos Boats, Triton Boats, Evinrude®, Minn Kota®, Talon, RAM Trucks, Lowrance, Power-Pole, Amphibia, iON, Garmin, General Tire, SuperClean, Valley Fashion, Mustang Survival, Artic Ice and Protect the Harvest as official partners.
For full results, please go to www.texasteamtrail.com/tournaments/events-results.
Tourney riases funds so qualifier, Van Soles, can take kids to 2015 Classic
One of the more interesting tournaments this past weekend was the ‘Kids to the Classic’ tourney on Kissimmee Chain of Lakes out of beautiful Camp Mack.
It wasn’t the picturesque setting, legendary waters or stringers of big bass that made this tourney special. Rather, it was the cause.
Van Soles qualified for the 2015 Bassmaster Classic via his win at the Bassmaster Southern Open on the aforementioned Kissimmee Chain in January of this year.
When he takes the stage in Greenville, SC, Soles will be greeted loudly. He’s taking a cheering section with him. Soles will take the top 10 finishers from the Lakeland Junior Bassmasters to the Bassmaster Classic.
Of course, such an ambitious undertaking requires some funding, hence, the ‘Kids to the Classic’ tourney in which Soles lent not only his name, but his talents, fishing with Bryce Goff who helped him pile up 20.60 pounds of bass and a 3rd place finish.
Doc Swango and Kevin Kopple won the tourney with 25.10 pounds.
Richie Upchurch placed 2nd with 20.95 pounds.
If you want to help the kids get to the Classic, call John and Wendy Taylor at 727-789-0525 or visit the Tampa Pro Bass web site at: http://home.roadrunner.com/~tampapro/
Dillow Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League Shenandoah Division Event On Smith Mountain Lake
Chris Dillow Waynesboro, Va., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 5 ounces Saturday to win the first Walmart Bass Fishing League Shenandoah Division tournament of 2014 on Smith Mountain Lake. For his victory, Dillow earned $6,796.
Knight Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League Volunteer Division Event On Douglas Lake
Jeff Knight of Cleveland, Tenn., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 14 ounces Saturday to win the second Walmart Bass Fishing League Volunteer Division tournament of 2014 on Douglas Lake. For his victory, Knight earned $3,592.
Jones Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League Lbl Division Event On Kentucky/Barkley Lakes
Mcmahan Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League Choo Choo Division Event On Lake Guntersville
Kevin McMahan of Huntsville, Ala., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 28 pounds, 11 ounces Saturday to win the third Walmart Bass Fishing League Choo Choo Division tournament of 2014 on Lake Guntersville. For his victory, McMahan earned $3,641.
Fisher Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division Event On Lake Lanier
Pat Fisher of Colbert, Ga., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 24 pounds, 15 ounces Saturday to win the second Walmart Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division tournament of 2014 on Lake Lanier. For his victory, Fisher earned $4,729.
CBC High Rock Champs Steve Sink and Tony Foster talk about their 23.81 Lb Sack and $17,500 Pay Day!
With 200 Boats being ready to go at Blastoff, very few would have predicted such great bags at the Rock Sat afternoon-but thats exactly what happened. Steve Sink and Tony Foster won with 23.81 and just beat out 2nd place at 23.76, so 5/100 was all it tool to bring home the record payday..............
Steve Sink and Tony Foster win the CBC on High Rock-take home $17,000
200 Boats turned out for the 2nd NC Div event of the year and the Tourament did not disappoint. Despite high water levels and very dingy water, the weights were outstanding accross the board with multipe sacks over 20 lbs and the winning bag being 23.81 Lbs! Sink and Foster not only won the $12,000 1st place prize but also won the Skeeter Bonus $$ of $5000 for their whopping $17,000 total. Here are some pictures and the top ten:
Michael Kinard and Tony Lambert with their 2nd place Haul
Here is the Top 10:
1. Steve Sink and Tony Foster 23.81 $17,000
2. Michael Kinard and Tony Lambert 23.76
3. Wayne Ingram and Bobby Gill 22.99
4. David Wright and Jeff Coble 22.90
5. Patrick Tierney and Todd Auten 21.54
6. Robin Collins and Ronnie WHite 20.19
7. David Shields and Chip Crews 19.49
8. Todd Waters and Jason Threadgill 19.31
9. Jason Wilson and Kelly Logan 19.16
10. Craig Chambers and Keith Ogden 18.98
Matt Arey Leads As Flw Tour On Beaver Lake Heads Into Final Round
FLW Tour pro Matt Arey of Shelby, N.C., brought the largest five-bass limit of the entire tournament to the scale Saturday weighing 16 pounds, 4 ounces to grab the lead after day three of the Walmart FLW Tour at Beaver Lake presented by Rayovac. Arey’s three-day total of 15 bass for 43 pounds, 10 ounces gives him a 2 pound, 8 ounce lead over second-place angler Livingston Lures pro Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tenn., who has a three-day weight of 15 bass worth 41-2 as the tournament heads into the final day. Only the top 10 pros will advance to the final day of competition in the four-day event, hosted by Visit Rogers, that features 173 of the world’s best bass-fishing anglers competing for a top cash award of up to $125,000.
Tournament update from AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh!
AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh comments on the amazing weights coming in around the region as well as a full preivew of the upcoming CBC on High Rock plus the 12 Man Federation event going on next week at historic Lake Eufaula!
Robby Byrum joins us to talk Wateree "The best its EVER BEEN!!"
Former AC Pro Staffer Robby Byrum chimes in after a big hiatus to talk about the incredible fishing going on at Lake Wateree right now............he also previews the upcoming CBC on High Rock, plus much, much more! Click here to watch!
Rodgers Hoping To Solve Beaver Lake's Clear Water Mystery In Flw Tournament
Dearal Rodgers will be fishing as a co-angler in the Walmart FLW Tour Major this week on Beaver Lake
When you are fishing from the back of the boat it helps to draw a pro angler who is on fish. So far this FLW Tour season, the highest finishing pro Dearal Rodgers has drawn finished 58th.
“Hopefully, whoever I fish with will be on them,” said Rodgers of the Walmart FLW Tour Major this week on Beaver Lake.
“It is not my favorite lake, but over the years I have learned some things to try there,” said Rodgers who highest finish on Beaver Lake in six tournaments was 21st in May 2009 as a co-angler.
Besides hopping he draws a pro who has a shot at winning the tournament, Rodgers is also hoping the fish are finally out of their winter doldrums and ready to eat.
“From what I have heard they have had a real cold winter there like we have had,” said Rodgers, who hails from Camden, S.C. “A couple of weeks ago I heard the water temperature was in the 40s, but they have had some warmer days like we have had, so the bite should be getting better. I'm hoping we will be looking at some pre-spawn fish.”
Beaver Lake has both largemouth bass and spotted bass, Rodgers noted. Figuring whoever he draws as a pro partner will be targeting the largemouths, which are bigger, he plans to concentrate on the spotted bass which may be easier to catch.
“We can weigh in 12-inch spots, but the largemouths have to be 14 or 15 inches. While the pro is fishing for largemouths, I could target the spots and get a limit that way,” he said.
“I will be using light line, either 6-pound-test or 8-pound-test. Those clear water lakes have always been tough for me, but over the years I've learned to lighten my line up. On Lake Wateree we catch fish on the bottom, but there in that clear water you have to make the fish come up to the bait,” he said.
Rodgers said he probably will fish a little 4-inch worm on a Shakey head and a drop-shot for the spotted bass.
“I could also see the Bombers, like the Long-A, coming into play. A weight bait is real good on the pre-spawn spots, along with a jerkbait. In those Ozark Mountain lakes they really like a jerkbait.”
Following a work-place accident, Rodgers had intended to spend this year recovering fully from his injuries, but when the 2014 season was announced, he felt he had to get back in the game this year with one goal in mind – to qualify for the Forrest Wood Cup which will be held on Lake Murray less than an hour from his home.
After a disastrous start in the first tournament of the season when he finished 120th on Lake Okeechobee in February, Rodgers has begun to work his way back up the standings with a 15th place finish on Lake Hartwell in early March and a 58th place on Sam Rayburn Reservoir in late March.
“I was in the money, but I would have liked to have finished higher. I'm 48th in points so I need to be in the top 35 in the last three tournaments,” he said. “But, I feel good about it – if I can just get past Beaver Lake.”
Walmart FLW Tour Major
Apr 10-13, 2014
Beaver Lake
Prairie Creek Park
Weather Pretty And Fish Biting Just In Time For Claire Whaley Foundation Tournament On Lake Russell
It takes dedication and a lot of effort to keep a small charitable foundation going, but all Trad Whaley has to do is look at the list of families the Claire Whaley Foundation has helped and he knows he has to keep going with the effort named for his daughter.
The 6th annual Claire Whaley Foundation Bass Tournament will be held Saturday on Lake Russell with a $200 entry fee, plus an optional $10 for Big Fish, and a guaranteed first place prize of $5,000. Most of the money raised by the tournament comes through donations, said Whaley, a tournament angler himself, as 85 percent of the entry fees is paid back to the fishermen.
The theme of the tournament is: “Helping families with special needs children one cast at a time.”
Whaley's daughter, Claire, was diagnosed with Ischemic Hypoxic Encephalopathy which means that parts of her brain were deprived of oxygen when she stopped breathing right after birth. She has not been able to develop normally, has the most trouble with her vision, and also demonstrates characteristics of cerebral palsy.
Whaley and his wife Angie created the Claire Whaley Foundation when they were denied participation in some state and federal programs because their family income exceeded eligible limits. The foundation exists to provide support for middle class working families who have children with special needs.
“We've been doing it for six years and in that time we have raised right at $30,000 and every cent of that except for our costs went to the families. We try to help at last three or four families each year as much as we can. We've been lucky the last few years – we've been able to buy medical equipment for some of the kids and sometimes we just donate cash for the families to use as they need.”
Whaley pointed out that the foundation is a 501c charity.
“It was hard getting the paperwork done at first, but it was worth it,” he said. “We are doing everything the right way. We are 100 percent for the families.”
And, he added, the tournament is lucky this year, falling right on the spawn for the bass in Lake Russell.
“I think the fish will be coming to the bank and they are finally biting good. Hopefully, everyone will know that and come out and fish with us Saturday,” he said. “It's been taking 15 to 16 pounds down there in weekend tournaments. It's looking to be a pretty day weather-wise, so it should be a really enjoyable tournament.”
Claire Whaley Foundation Bass Tournament
Sat, Apr 12, 2014
Lake Russell
72 Ramp
Call Trad Whaley at 864-378-0952
Another Field Of More Than 200 Teams Expected For Texas Team Trail Tournament On Lake Texoma
Parker Smelley and Branden Hollingshead won the most recent Texas Team Trail tournament on Ray Roberts with 28.06 lbs
In the two tournaments held so far in 2014, the Texas Team Trail has averaged 234 boats – 251 teams at Sam Rayburn Reservoir Feb. 15 and 217 at Lake Ray Roberts March 15 – and more than 200 teams are expected for the third tournament of the season Saturday at Lake Texoma.
And, said tournament director Mike Hastings, the fishing should be “really good” for both largemouth and smallmouth bass.
“With the largemouth there will definitely be some bass on the bed spawning. In fact, the largemouths will be in all phases of the spawn. Guys will be catching them pre-spawn, post-spawn and sight fishing for spawning fish on the beds,” he said.
As for the smallmouth, Hastings said the Alabama Rig will play a major role.
“The smallmouth bite is expected to be really good, too. We don't have any restrictions on the Alabama Rig, so this is one of those deals where you had better be throwing it,” he said.
While the fishing is expected to be very good, Hastings said anglers on Texoma sometimes have a hard time getting to their fish.
“The wild card on Lake Texoma is the wind. That lake can get so rough that the wind conditions can dictate what areas of the lake are accessible for some of the guys and also how they fish. But if we have halfway decent conditions I expect a really good catch Saturday.”
The Texas Team Trail draws a big entry, in part because all the tournaments are nationally televised, with the programs also airing on a lot of local networks, so there is a tremendous amount of exposure.
“It's all made possible by the sponsors and you can go to the website to see the complete list,” he said. “They are all important to us. Cabelas is our title sponsor and we also have tremendous support from Ranger, Triton and Stratos. Evinrude is also a major sponsor.”
To fish the series each angler must pay a $30 membership fee, then each team pays a $250 entry fee to fish each tournament. The Texas Team Trail Anglers Advantage Program also allows each team, for an additional $100 entry, to compete in an additional payout bracket, with a $100 percent payback.
“A fully-rigged boat is guaranteed for first place at every tournament,” Hastings said. “That is a boat, motor, trailer and electronics, ready to fish. At the championship, two fully-rigged boats are guaranteed, one for first place and one for second place.”
The winning anglers at Lake Texoma will walk away with a brand-new Triton 18XS powered by an Evinrude 150 HO, valued at $27,500.
Anglers who pre-register online get an additional bonus – practice time. If they are registered online before midnight Thursday they are allowed to pre-fish on Friday. Anglers who register online or via phone prior to midnight Thursday will also be entered into a drawing for a Power Pole Shallow Water Anchor. In addition, anglers that opt to register online at www.texasteamtrail.com will be entered into a drawing for a Mustang Survival inflatable PFD.
Following the Lake Texoma tournament, the anglers will move on to Lake Livingston May 3 for the final qualifier of the years before the Championship June 7-8 on Toledo Bend Lake.
Texas Team Trail
Sat, Apr 12, 2014
Lake Texoma
Call Mike Hastings (Tournament Director) - 512-773-7401
Eddie and Maggie McKinnis 17+ takes the win for the Texas Bass Couples on Lake Dunlap
First I would like to welcome Paul and Denise Krause to the Texas Bass Couples. The weather was beautiful for our day of fishing. We had 9 teams and Eddie and Maggie came in with a 5 fish limit of 17.01 lbs. plus big bass of 5.07 lbs. This is how it turned out for the rest of us.
1. Eddie/Maggie 17.01 lbs. BB 5.07 lbs 100 pts.
2. Mike/Noel Buck 16.12 lbs 99 pts.
3. David Jara/Amy Krause 14.08 lbs 98 pts.
4. Leonard/Jan Phillipp 13.14 lbs. 97 pts.
5. John/Ginger Wells 9.13 lbs 96 pts.
6. Brett Smith/Sarah Barry 9.12 lbs 95 pts.
Chris Scott, Kenneth Staats, Paul Krause tied for 7th place none of them weighed in any fish but they all get 25 points.
The standings after 3 tournaments are as follows:
1. David Jara/Amy Krause 296 pts.
2. (Tie) Leonard/Jan Phillipp, Eddie/Maggie McKinnis 293 pts.
3. Mike/Noel Buck 292 pts.
4. Brett Smith/Sarah Barry 290 pts.
5. Steve/Joann Lopez 194 pts.
6. John/Ginger Wells 190 pts.
7. Kenneth Staats/ Dawn Frederiksen 119 pts.
8. Chris/Sallie Scott 50 pts.
9. Paul/Denise Krause 25 pts.
Lineberger threw buzzbait, crankbait super shallow to win BFL on Wylie
Shane Lineberger of Lincolnton, N.C., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 11 ounces Saturday to win the second Walmart Bass Fishing League North Carolina Division tournament of 2014 on Lake Wylie. For his victory, Lineberger earned $4,235.
Pitts plumbs 16-foot depths to win BFL on Russell
Butch Pitts of Watkinsville, Ga., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 1 ounce Saturday to win the third Walmart Bass Fishing League Savannah River Division tournament of 2014 on Lake Russell. For his victory, Pitts earned $4,082.
CATT Lake Wateree Still Putting Out Big Bags!
Remember the days when 20 lbs would get you some big money on Lake Wateree? Well those days for now are long gone as a 20 lb bag won’t even get a sniff when it comes to a paycheck these days on Lake Wateree. I always ask the guys on the dock how did they do…a lot said they struggled and they still weigh in 18 to 19 lbs…I sure would like to “struggle”!
Wateree has really set the bar high the past 2 years….this year the average winning weight for the CATT Spring trail with the 1 CBC Qualifier included was over 26 lbs!
The only struggle David F. Canupp & David L. Canupp encountered Saturday, was toting their fat bag of HAWGS to the weigh in trough! The father & son team weighed in 5 fat and sassy Lake Wateree largemouth at 29.41 lbs taking 1st place and the BONUS $. All total they collected $3,680.00!
If you think 29 lbs blew everybody else out of the water you would be incorrect! Barry Holloman & Joey Bramlett laid the smack down on 5 bass that tipped the scales at 27.03 lbs! They also weighed in a 7.72 lb bass good enough for the LEW’S BIG BASS of the tournament. Joey was the lucky angler and took home a brand spanking new LEW”S Baitcast reel on top the BF cash. All total Barry & Joey received $1,915.00
Shawn Knight & Dustin Horne claimed 3rd with another big bass of bass weighing 25.95 lbs. They took home $1,000.00.
4th went to Wayne King & Jay Keith with 5 bass weighing 24.09 lbs and they took home $565.00.
Danny Johnson & Alan Fletcher took 5th with a limit weighing 23.17 lbs and collected $400.00.
Donald Hinson & Jeff Hatfield brought in another sack at 23.02 lbs and received $300.00 for their 6th place finish.
7th place went to Kyle McElveen and Cleve Yarborough with 5 weighing 22.42 lbs and they earned $250.00.
Donald & Paul Wells took 8th with 5 bass weighing 21.46 lbs and collected $200.00.
9ht Place went to Tracy Pope & Greg Sigmon with 5 bass weighing 21.17 lbs and they took home $200.00.
The last money place went to Bryan Holmes and Mike Ware with 5 bass weighing 21.07 lbs and they earned $150.00.
This has been a great Spring and more is on the way! Check out the remaining TOM CATT schedule on the CATT site plus the Catawba Clash is April 26 at Clearwater Cove Marina. May 31st is the CATT SC Championship also at Clearwater Cove Marina and if you entered 1 CATT Qualifying this past Spring or the Fall of 2013 your team is eligible to enter. The qualifying lakes are also listed on the CATT site.
Brett Collins
Carolina Anglers Team Trail LLC
Jay Emert of UT-Knoxville wins Cabella's Collegiate Big Bass Bash with an 8.85-pounder!
Day 2 of the Cabela's Collegiate Big Bass Bash at Kentucky Lake, Paris, TN, started off cool with clear, bluebird skies as 189 collegiate anglers went through take-off, all excited to bring in the biggest bass they could catch for a chance to win tons of prizes. Early reports were given that the fish were biting extremely well from most accounts. Though as the day went on, they had to do some adjusting from their morning strategy as the weather turned cloudy and bass were moving up shallow in the afternoon.
Anglers reported a lot of morning catches using the A-rig and later afternoon bites tended to be either a jerk bait or square bill crank bait, and then the occasional favorite black and blue jig. They seemed to be catching them better on day 2 and this may have been contributed to the front moving in.
Midway into Session 1, Jay Emmert from University of Tennessee-Knoxville came to the scales and weighed in an 8.85 pound bass that he caught on an A-rig and became that session's leader, as well as overall tournament leader. And that 8.85 pounds held all day with the next closest bass on day 2 being a 6.72 pound bass brought in by Austin Keeton from Calhoun Community College.
The Top 5 of the event were:
1st - Jay Emmert, University of Tennessee-Knoxville - 8.85 pounds
2nd - Ty Dyer, Bethel University - 7.42 pounds
3rd - Cody Santel, Murray State - 6.84 pounds
4th - Austin Keeton, Calhoun Community College - 6.72 pounds
5th - Zach Parker, Bethel University - 6.62 pounds
For full results from each session, please click here.
Throughout day 2, anglers brought 126 big bass to the scales; and at the end of the day nearly 80 prizes were awarded, totally $20,000. Many thanks to all our sponsors who support these collegiate anglers -- Cabela's, Ranger Boats, Yamaha, Garmin, Abu Garcia, Costa, BoatUS, BoatUS ANGLER, Lazer TroKar, HydroWave, Big Bite Baits, Sunline, Spro, frogg toggs, Sebile, Temple Fork, Berkley, Sebile, Power Pole, Gemini, Valley Fashions, RAM, Arctic Ice, Mustang, Henry County-Paris, TN, Fish Dayton, and Florence, AL Tourism.
CollegiateBassChampionship.com
Mcclelland Hangs On To Win Bassmaster Elite Series Tournament On Table Rock
They call him “McStick.” As of Sunday, they can call him “McRock” too.
Mike McClelland of Bella Vista, Ark., added a seventh Bassmaster title by a nail-biting 13 ounces over Mark Davis in Sunday’s final round of the A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Table Rock Lake.
“This is where I cut my teeth fishing,” said McClelland, now with four victories in his Bassmaster Elite Series career. “I’ve never had the opportunity to win a big one here before.”
To do it, McClelland sacked 61 pounds, 15 ounces of bass. His prize was $100,000 and an instant-in for the 2015 Bassmaster Classic, his 10th qualification for the world championship.
McClelland broke a six-year winner’s drought. His most recent victory before Sunday was in March 2008 on Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes, when he added a sixth Bassmaster event title to his record. That was the end of a streak he had going from 2005 to 2008, with a win in each of those seasons.
“I seem to go in these spurts where I win a few, then I go years without winning one, and it really can get under your skin,” he said. “To win at Table Rock in front of all my friends and family and people who have supported me through the years is a phenomenal feeling.”
“And I just realized I’ve got a berth for the Bassmaster Classic. That’s an awesome feeling,” said McClelland, who missed out on the 2014 event last February.
McClelland said that “fishing by the seat of my pants” was one key to winning.
“I didn’t try to slow down and finesse fish into biting. I chased the wind,” he said. “On this clear lake, you always have to look for at least a little ripple.”
McClelland said he’s been fishing Table Rock since he was 8 years old. What he learned over the years helped him considerably in the Elite event. He knows the lake so well, he was able run his primary pattern through areas he had not tried out during the three-day practice.
And that pattern was fishing windy, rocky banks close to channel swings in creeks or main-lake pockets.
“This time of year, these fish want to be on the biggest, gnarliest rocks,” he said. “Some people get frustrated trying to fish that stuff, but it was key for me.”
He used his HeHsignature series stickbaits made by Spro, a McStick 110, mostly in a natural herring color, and a McStick 115 in clear chartreuse for shallower presentations.
When the water surface became slick because the wind died, he turned to a 4-inch paddletail swimbait near docks or over brush.
And the original Storm Wiggle Wart, which he’s had in his tackle war chest for years, played a role, too. The wide-wobbling crankbait clued him into one significant move he made on the second day. After the Wart was getting bites in shallower water, McClelland decided to run to a brushpile he knew of and use the McStick 115. The result was a 3 1/2-pound bass.
“You look at little keys like that over the course of the week, and they add up,” McClelland said.
Davis, whose four-day total was 61-2 for second place, made a heroic effort to make up the 4-6 McClelland had on him. Starting the final day in fourth place, Davis not only had to try to overtake McClelland, but also Aaron Martens and Kevin VanDam. While Davis’ 15-11 weight on Sunday was close to being enough, it couldn’t make up for Saturday’s stumble, when he weighed 11-12.
“I knew I blew it yesterday,” said Davis, who had led the 108-man field on Friday. “Did I do anything wrong? No. I caught lots of fish; I stayed on fish all four days. When it comes down to less than a pound like that, it just wasn’t meant to be.”
Davis spoke longingly of a few good-sized bass he hooked on a crankbait Sunday, but they threw it.
His consolation prize for a loss by 13 ounces was retaining the early lead in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year race. After Table Rock, Davis had 35 AOY points on Jared Lintner of Arroyo Grande, Calif.
An early lead is nice, he said but no guarantee.
“I know how AOY goes. You can have one bad day, one bad event. It’s not three strikes you’re out; it’s one strike you’re out,” Davis said. “Happy to lead? Yes. But I know what can happen.”
The AOY title in 2014 would be Davis’ fourth. His first was in 1995, the same year he took his sole Bassmaster Classic win. He followed with AOY crowns in 1998 and 2001.
Finishing in third place with a 60-15 total — just 1 pound behind McClelland — was Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La. Fourth place was claimed by first-day leader and the reigning AOY, Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala., who tallied 60-1. Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., finished fifth at 59-15.
The Rookie of the Year Award leader after Table Rock, the third of eight regular-season events, was Jacob Powroznik of Port Haywood, Va. He has 227 points over the 222 earned by Chad Morgenthaler of Coulterville, Ill.
Bonuses that Elite pros earned at the Table Rock event were:
* Toyota Bonus Bucks award of $3,000 to the highest eligible finisher: Mike McClelland
* Toyota Bonus Bucks award of $2,000 to the second-highest eligible finisher: Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., who finished at Table Rock in sixth place.
* Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Bonus of $1,000 to the leader in the Elite Series points race: Mark Davis.
* A.R.E. Truck Caps Top Angler Award of $2,500 to the highest eligible finisher: McClelland
* Berkley Heavyweight Award of $500 for the best five-fish limit: Cliff Prince of Palatka, Fla., for his 19-10 of Day 2.
* Carhartt Big Bass of the tournament worth $1,000 plus another $500 for wearing Carhartt apparel: Aaron Martens for his 8-0 of Day 1.
* Power-Pole Captain’s Cash award of $1,000 to the highest finisher equipped with a Power-Pole anchoring system : Greg Hackney.
* Livingston Lures Leader Award of $500 for heading up the leaderboard on the second day: Davis.
* The Rigid Industries Jackpot was not claimed at the Table Rock event. A daily prize of $250 is offered for a 25-pound or heavier bag. The accumulated jackpot is now $1,500; that amount rolls over into the next tournament day of the Elite Series.
ESPN2 will air coverage of the Table Rock event on The Bassmasters TV show Sunday, April 20 at 8 a.m. ET.
The next stop for the Bassmaster Elite Series is the May 1-4 Evan Williams Bourbon Bassmaster Elite on Toledo Bend Reservoir out of Many, La., the fourth of eight regular-season events.
2014 A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Table Rock Lake 4/3-4/6
Table Rock Lake, Branson MO.
Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 20 61-15 100 $102,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 16-14 Day 3: 5 17-09 Day 4: 5 12-02
2. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 20 61-02 99 $26,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 15-03 Day 3: 5 11-12 Day 4: 5 15-11
3. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 20 60-15 98 $21,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 14-10 Day 3: 5 13-14 Day 4: 5 16-07
4. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 20 60-01 97 $16,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 5 14-05 Day 3: 5 12-14 Day 4: 5 14-03
5. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 20 59-15 96 $14,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 12-00 Day 3: 5 19-07 Day 4: 5 14-08
6. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 20 59-11 95 $13,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 13-09 Day 3: 5 13-01 Day 4: 5 15-13
7. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 20 59-05 94 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 14-04 Day 3: 5 15-13 Day 4: 5 14-10
8. Brandon Palaniuk Hayden, ID 20 59-01 93 $12,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 13-10 Day 3: 5 12-10 Day 4: 5 16-00
9. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 20 57-15 92 $12,500.00
Day 1: 5 09-06 Day 2: 5 19-10 Day 3: 5 12-15 Day 4: 5 16-00
10. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 20 55-13 91 $11,500.00
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 14-02 Day 3: 5 18-13 Day 4: 5 11-08
11. Kevin Hawk Guntersville, AL 20 54-11 90 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 16-03 Day 3: 5 15-11 Day 4: 5 12-07
12. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 20 54-02 89 $10,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 17-15 Day 3: 5 11-02 Day 4: 5 12-11
CARHARTT BIG BASS
Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 08-00 $1,000.00
BERKLEY HEAVYWEIGHT
Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 19-10 $500.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 96 521 1285-14
2 98 521 1330-14
3 38 227 556-00
4 12 60 172-00
----------------------------------
244 1329 3344-12
Caudill and Loyd win the Tom's Marine TT on Douglas with 23.60 Lbs-full results and pic here!
Big Day on Douglas for Caudill and Lloyd
Douglas Lake was host to the second Toms Marine Team Trail event of 2014 on April 5th and the fish were on! There were four bags of 20 pounds+ led by the team of Lowell Caudill and Teddy Lloyd with a whopping 23.6-pound limit.
This catch earned them $2,500 plus another $100 from MoterMate. Second place was 20.98-pounds belonging to Sam MCowan and Josh Richardson earning the a nice $1500 payday. Jimmy Taylor and Donnie Bittle finished a close third with 20.52-pounds and won $900. Another nice bag of 20-pounds even was brought in by Mark and Tony Ownby to claim the $650 fourth place prize. Rounding out the top 5 and winning $550 was the team of Cruz Cope and Mike Jessee with 19.92-pounds.
Complete results, standings and photos are now posted. We invite everyone to come out and join us for our next event on April 19 at Chereokee Dam. Click the attachment for full results!
McClelland Grabs lead in Elite Series tourney; Davis stregthens grip on AOY race at Table Rock
If fishing fans at the Bassmaster Elite Series weigh in show had dollars for everytime an angler said the words "Wiggle Wart", they would cash-in almost as well as the 50 pros who made it to Day 3 and cut a $10,000 check.
Of course, 12 of them will fish tomorrow for the big check. And a few of them are throwing something other than the out-of-production Storm Wiggle Wart that still fools Table Rock bass by the boatload.
Mike McClelland holds nearly a 4-pound lead over Aaron Martens (49-13 to 45-14). Mclelland is throwing his namesake McStick jerkbait.
No matter the lure choice, 10-lb. fuorocarbon line seems to be a huge key. In fact, along with 'Wiggle Wart' and 'jerkbait', '10-lb. fluoro' was heard repeatedly, again and again, over and over from the 50 pros who fished today.
Who can argue with success? Most anglers reported catches of 50-to-60 bass today. Many of those came before a bright sun rose over a mirror-smooth lake. After that, things slowed a bit.
"My marshal said 'that's number 50 right there' and that was at 9:30 A.M.," said Jacob Powroznik.
Of course, tournament fishing comes down to the big bite and Kevin VanDam had it. His 7-8 was the big fish of the day and she pushed his weight to 19-7. With a 3-day total of 45-7, KVD is currently in 3rd place.
Red hot Strike King pro Mark Davis continues to fish well. He is in 4th and has strengthened his grip on the Angler of the Year race. Davis has caught 45-7 which ties him for 3rd with VanDam, but KVD comes out ahead due to tie-breaker rules.
Jeff Kriet rounds out the Top 5. 'The Squirrel' has quietly found enough acorns to pile-up a total weight of 44-11.
Jared Lintner is last into the cut with 41-7, good for 12th place.
As for the jerkbait bite - Rick Clunn said he caught biggest few fish this week on his signature series Lucky Strike RC STX model. Gerald Swindle wasn't so fortunate, "I left $3,000 worth of Special 10 jerkbaits in the (submerged) trees in long Creek and when the water goes down y'all can go find them and have some fun with them."
All kidding aside, the jerkbait seems to be the ticket for quality fish this week. As does 10-lb. fluorocarbon line.
Here's your top 12 who will fish tomorrow:
| 1 | Mike McClelland | 5 | 15- 6 | 5 | 16-14 | 5 | 17- 9 | 15 | 49-13 |
| 2 | Aaron Martens | 5 | 18-11 | 5 | 14- 5 | 5 | 12-14 | 15 | 45-14 |
| 3 | Kevin VanDam | 5 | 14- 0 | 5 | 12- 0 | 5 | 19- 7 | 15 | 45- 7 |
| 4 | Mark Davis | 5 | 18- 8 | 5 | 15- 3 | 5 | 11-12 | 15 | 45- 7 |
| 5 | Jeff Kriet | 5 | 14-10 | 5 | 14- 4 | 5 | 15-13 | 15 | 44-11 |
| 6 | Greg Hackney | 5 | 16- 0 | 5 | 14-10 | 5 | 13-14 | 15 | 44- 8 |
| 7 | Bill Lowen | 5 | 11- 6 | 5 | 14- 2 | 5 | 18-13 | 15 | 44- 5 |
| 8 | Edwin Evers | 5 | 17- 4 | 5 | 13- 9 | 5 | 13- 1 | 15 | 43-14 |
| 9 | Brandon Palaniuk | 5 | 16-13 | 5 | 13-10 | 5 | 12-10 | 15 | 43- 1 |
| 10 | Kevin Hawk | 5 | 10- 6 | 5 | 16- 3 | 5 | 15-11 | 15 | 42- 4 |
| 11 | Cliff Prince | 5 | 9- 6 | 5 | 19-10 | 5 | 12-15 | 15 | 41-15 |
| 12 | Jared Lintner | 5 | 12- 6 | 5 | 17-15 | 5 | 11- 2 | 15 | 41- 7 |
Mark Davis Grabs the Lead on Table Rock
Everyone’s saying Mark Davis is on fire.
Indeed he is. Friday he fanned that flame by taking the lead on the second day of the April 3-6 A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite on Table Rock Lake.
Inferno, anyone?
Davis moved up from second place by adding another 15 pounds, 3 ounces to his first-day weight of 18-8. The Mount Ida, Ark., pro’s two-day tally was 33 pounds, 11 ounces.
If Davis, who already owns three Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles, goes on to win Sunday, he would cement his early lead in the race for the 2014 AOY title. He earned the AOY lead by finishing in third place in each of the first two Elite events of the season.
“It’s been really, really hard to keep it going, but so far, so good,” said Davis, who also owns a Bassmaster Classic title from 1995.
Several pros in the Bassmaster Elite Series field still have a lot of say about Davis taking the title at “The Rock.” Chris Lane is one. Winner of the St. Johns River Bassmaster Elite tournament two weeks ago, Lane moved from third place into second with 33-1, just 10 ounces behind Davis.
Aaron Martens, 2013 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year, is another. The first-day leader, Martens ended the second round in third place at 33-0, just 11 ounces in back of Davis.
The list of immediate threats to Davis is longer. Trailing Davis by 1-7 was an old hand on Table Rock, Mike McClelland of Bella Vista, Ark. McClelland moved up from 12th place into fourth with 32-4. Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., who was tied for fourth place after Day 1, slipped into fifth place on the second day with 30-13.
But Evers is only 2-14 behind first place. And only 9-0 separates Davis from the last man into Friday’s 50-cut, Yusuke Miyazaki at 24-11.
The Top 50 move into Saturday’s third round. Sunday, only the Top 12 will compete for the first prize of $100,000 and a win-you’re-in entry in the 2015 Bassmaster Classic.
Davis said the key to his success over the past two days has been a technique and the lure he’s using to execute that technique.
He’s also playing a numbers game. He said he’s increasing his odds of catching larger bass simply by catching a lot of fish.
“I’m getting 60, 70, 80 bites a day. The law of averages will carry you — even though you can start to doubt yourself on that at times. You get enough bites on a lake like this, you’ll come up with a little better grade of fish,” he said.
His five-bass limit of 15-3 contained four largemouth bass, including a 4-pounder, and one spotted bass. But Davis was hooking into smallmouth too.
“With the technique I’m using, you’ll catch a smallmouth one cast, a spot the next, and a largemouth on the next,” he said.
Lane took second place by producing a limit Friday of one spotted bass, three largemouth and one smallmouth. They weighed 14-12.
“I’m not going through the numbers like other people are,” said Lane, who is working banks, “just fishing.”
Lane said he is targeting larger bass by using a red colored crankbait. He boated just eight or nine keepers Friday, he said.
“I caught two bigger ones early, but it was a grind after that,” he said. “The cold didn’t seem to bother them.”
Martens said that unlike Thursday, he did not go after largemouth Friday. In his bag of 14-5 were two smallmouth and three spotted bass.
He also went to different water Friday. But an 8-pounder did not appear for him as one did on Thursday, which had helped him to the lead.
A rainy cold front Thursday evening followed Friday by lower temperatures, wind and near-bluebird skies didn’t affect the bite of the prespawn bass on Table Rock, said McClelland, who weighed five largemouth that went 16-14.
“The water warmed up so much earlier this week, it would have to get cold and stay cold for three or four days to slow these fish down again. Once these fish decide to go to the bank, it won’t get cold enough to send them back,” he said.
The largest bass of the day was 6-10 caught by Cliff Pirch of Payson, Ariz. But Martens’ 8-0 of Thursday held on as the top candidate for the Carhartt Big Bass award of up to $1,500.
Cliff Prince of Palatka, Fla., produced the largest sack of the day, a 19-10. He became the front-runner for the event’s Berkley Heavyweight Award of $500.
The 50 Elite pros who made the cut will return Saturday to Table Rock Lake for the third round. The takeoff will be at 6:30 a.m. at State Park Marina (300 State Park Marina Drive, Branson, MO 65616).
Saturday and Sunday the weigh-ins will be at the Bass Pro Shops location at Branson Landing in Branson. Weigh-ins are scheduled to begin at 3:15 p.m. CT. At the same location, the Bassmaster Elite Series Expo will open at noon. Among the activities are free demo rides in Nitro, Triton and Skeeter boats powered by Yamaha and Mercury engines.
There’s no admission charge for any Bassmaster event.
ESPN2 will air coverage of the Table Rock event on The Bassmasters TV show Sunday, April 20 at 8 a.m. ET.
2014 A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Table Rock Lake 4/3-4/6
Table Rock Lake, Branson MO.
Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 10 33-11 100 $500.00
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 15-03
2. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 10 33-01 99
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 14-12
3. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 10 33-00 98
Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 5 14-05
4. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 10 32-04 97
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 16-14
5. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 10 30-13 96
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 13-09
6. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 10 30-10 95
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 14-10
7. Brandon Palaniuk Hayden, ID 10 30-07 94
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 13-10
8. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 10 30-05 93
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 17-15
9. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 10 29-13 92
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 18-06
10. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 10 29-08 91
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 14-06
11. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 10 29-07 90
Day 1: 5 14-08 Day 2: 5 14-15
12. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 10 29-00 89
Day 1: 5 09-06 Day 2: 5 19-10
13. Morizo Shimizu Osaka JAPAN 10 28-15 88
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 16-06
14. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 10 28-14 87
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 12-14
15. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 10 28-14 86
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 14-04
16. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 10 28-10 85
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 15-08
17. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 10 28-02 84
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 17-02
18. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 10 27-14 83
Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 5 12-05
19. Fletcher Shryock New Philadelphia, OH 10 27-13 82
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 11-05
20. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 27-13 81
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 14-13
21. Bobby Lane Lakeland, FL 10 27-10 80
Day 1: 5 14-08 Day 2: 5 13-02
22. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 10 27-08 79
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 15-03
23. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 10 27-04 78
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 13-02
24. Billy McCaghren Mayflower, AR 10 27-02 77
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 12-07
25. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 10 26-13 76
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 5 15-01
26. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 10 26-12 75
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 5 14-08
27. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 10 26-10 74
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 14-09
28. Kurt Dove Del Rio, TX 10 26-10 73
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 12-12
29. Kevin Hawk Guntersville, AL 10 26-09 72
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 16-03
29. Chad Morgenthaler Coulterville, IL 10 26-09 72
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 16-03
31. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 10 26-08 70
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 14-03
32. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 10 26-06 69
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 15-03
33. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 10 26-03 68
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 15-02
34. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 10 26-03 67
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 11-09
35. Jacob Powroznik Port Haywood, VA 10 26-02 66
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 14-02
36. Casey Scanlon Lanexa, KS 10 26-01 65
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 12-03
37. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 10 26-00 64
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 12-00
38. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 10 26-00 63
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 13-10
39. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 10 25-15 62
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 11-12
40. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 9 25-09 61
Day 1: 4 10-13 Day 2: 5 14-12
41. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 25-08 60
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 14-02
42. Kelly Jordon Palestine, TX 10 25-03 59
Day 1: 5 10-05 Day 2: 5 14-14
43. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 25-02 58
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 5 14-07
44. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 10 25-02 57
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 11-06
45. Randy Howell Springville, AL 10 25-02 56
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 12-12
46. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 10 24-15 55
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 13-04
47. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 10 24-14 54
Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 12-15
48. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 10 24-13 53
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 11-09
49. Chad Pipkens Holt, MI 10 24-12 52
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 13-11
50. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 9 24-11 51
Day 1: 4 13-01 Day 2: 5 11-10
51. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 10 24-10 50
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 11-08
52. Glenn Browne Ocala, FL 10 24-09 49
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 5 12-13
53. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 10 24-09 48
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 12-07
54. Derek Remitz Grant, AL 10 24-08 47
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 11-01
55. Jared Miller Norman, OK 9 24-06 46
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 4 08-06
56. Matt Herren Trussville, AL 10 24-06 45
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 13-03
57. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 10 24-06 44
Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 11-07
58. Randall Tharp Port Saint Joe, FL 10 24-04 43
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 10-11
59. James Elam Tulsa, OK 10 24-01 42
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 11-10
60. Hank Cherry Jr Maiden, NC 10 24-00 41
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 11-14
61. Jeremy Starks Scott Depot, WV 10 23-15 40
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 14-00
62. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 10 23-12 39
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 12-15
63. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 10 23-11 38
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 13-13
64. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 10 23-05 37
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 11-00
65. Kevin Short Mayflower, AR 10 23-03 36
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 10-12
66. Boo Woods Oneida, KY 10 23-01 35
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 11-03
67. David Walker Sevierville, TN 10 23-01 34
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 5 11-13
68. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 10 22-14 33
Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 09-15
69. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 8 22-13 32
Day 1: 3 05-14 Day 2: 5 16-15
70. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 10 22-12 31
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 5 12-02
71. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 10 22-12 30
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 10-14
72. Jamie Horton Centerville, AL 8 22-11 29
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 3 05-07
73. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 10 22-09 28
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 09-06
74. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 10 22-09 27
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 12-07
75. Brandon Card Caryville, TN 10 22-08 26
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 11-11
76. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 9 22-07 25
Day 1: 4 08-09 Day 2: 5 13-14
77. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 10 22-06 24
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 11-01
78. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 9 22-00 23
Day 1: 4 09-10 Day 2: 5 12-06
79. BJ Haseotes Centerville, MA 10 21-14 22
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 5 12-06
80. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 10 21-14 21
Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 5 10-06
81. Dennis Tietje Roanoke, LA 10 21-13 20
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 11-06
82. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 10 21-11 19
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 10-11
83. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 10 21-10 18
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 11-03
84. Tracy Adams Wilkesboro, NC 10 21-10 17
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 10-09
85. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 9 21-09 16
Day 1: 4 08-00 Day 2: 5 13-09
86. John Murray Phoenix, AZ 10 21-09 15
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 5 10-14
87. Scott Ashmore Broken Arrow, OK 10 21-05 14
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 09-12
88. Kenyon Hill Norman, OK 10 21-05 13
Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 5 10-06
89. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 21-05 12
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 10-13
90. Zell Rowland Montgomery, TX 10 21-03 11
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 10-05
91. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 10 20-15 10
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 09-15
92. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 10 20-14 9
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 10-08
93. Joel Baker Talala, OK 9 20-10 8
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 4 10-15
94. Chris Zaldain San Jose, CA 10 20-10 7
Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 5 10-09
95. Joseph Sancho New Windsor, NY 10 20-01 6
Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 5 09-02
96. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 10 20-01 5
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 09-08
97. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 10 19-12 4
Day 1: 5 09-01 Day 2: 5 10-11
98. Boyd Duckett Guntersville, AL 10 19-08 3
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 09-02
99. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 9 18-15 2
Day 1: 4 07-14 Day 2: 5 11-01
100. Pete Ponds Madison, MS 7 17-02 1
Day 1: 4 07-13 Day 2: 3 09-05
101. Mike Kernan Wylie, TX 9 16-13 0
Day 1: 5 09-00 Day 2: 4 07-13
102. Michael Simonton Fremont, OH 7 16-02 0
Day 1: 2 03-13 Day 2: 5 12-05
103. Trevor Romans Plano, TX 8 16-00 0
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 3 05-06
104. Josh Bertrand Gilbert, AZ 6 15-14 0
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 1 02-07
105. David Smith Del City, OK 8 15-09 0
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 3 05-11
106. Nate Wellman Newaygo, MI 6 14-12 0
Day 1: 3 05-12 Day 2: 3 09-00
107. Grant Goldbeck Boerne, TX 6 14-10 0
Day 1: 3 06-14 Day 2: 3 07-12
108. Byron Velvick Boenre, TX 7 14-06 0
Day 1: 2 04-08 Day 2: 5 09-14
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 96 521 1285-14
2 98 521 1330-14
----------------------------------
194 1042 2616-12
Aaron Martens Grabs Early Lead in Elite Series Event on Table Rock
Aaron Martens called it a “picture-perfect day.” Mark Davis said he was “singing hymns all day.” Chris Lane landed inside his “comfort zone.”
And that’s how it was for three of the hottest pros in bass fishing on Thursday, the first day of the April 3-6 A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite on Table Rock Lake.
Martens, the 2013 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year, took the Day 1 lead at Table Rock with 18 pounds, 11 ounces of largemouth bass. Davis, currently in the lead for the 2014 AOY prize, was second with 18 pounds, 8 ounces. Right behind them with 18-5 was Lane, who won the most recent Elite Series event less than two weeks ago.
The three leaders have lots of company. Weighing 17-4 to tie at fourth place were Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., and Jamie Horton of Centreville, Ala. They were 1 pound, 7 ounces, behind Martens.
Even the pro in 12th place trailed Martens by 3-5. That mark was set at 15-6 by Mike McClelland of Bella Vista, Ark.
Martens, a California native who relocated to Leeds, Ala., several years ago, anchored his 18-11 with an 8-0.
“I had a picture-perfect day,” Martens said. “I caught almost everything that bit, and I didn’t lose very many. I pulled that 8-pounder from between three or four trees on non-heavy line.”
Martens, who has fished Table Rock Lake many times, tried to find new areas during the three-day practice. In the end, he returned to spots on which he had success in the past — “fishing old stuff,” he called it.
A solid pattern helped, he said, but the only two lures he used Thursday were key.
“One bait I’m using is pretty phenomenal, but I bet half the guys are using it too,” he said, declining to name the lures.
Even if the weights were not tight, Martens expects Day 2 of the tournament to see changes in the leaderboard.
“This lake is notorious for having a leader one day, and then that guy blanks,” Martens said.
Davis, who is from Mount Ida, Ark., won a Bassmaster Tour on Table Rock in 2004. His history helped him get to work Thursday. And that work involved a lot of “hunting and pecking,” he said.
“That’s how you have to fish this lake,” he said.
Davis came into the Table Rock event leading the points race after finishing third in both of the first two tournaments of the season.
Lane, a Florida transplant to Guntersville, Ala., skipped over Table Rock’s clear, clear water. Instead, he went back to a favorite comfort zone of his: casting in shallow, stained water up into the backs of creeks.
He targeted big bass, selecting three baits to go after the larger bass. The strategy worked. One of his five largemouth bass was a 5-9 and another weighed 5-4.
Lane was trading size for numbers; he caught just seven fish all day.
That, on a day when many of the pros weeded through scores of bass less than 15 inches — the legal keeper size — to put together a five-bass limit in any combination of largemouth, spotted bass and smallmouth.
The event’s first prize is $100,000 and an instant qualification for the 2015 Bassmaster Classic. The Elite pros also are out to earn points that count toward a Classic qualification and the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year title.
Martens’ 8-0 was the largest bass of the day. He became the front-runner for the event’s Carhartt Big Bass award of up to $1,500.
The full field of 108 Elite pros will return to the Table Rock at 6:30 a.m. Friday at State Park Marina (300 State Park Marina Drive, Branson, MO 65616).
Friday’s weigh-in will be at State Park Marina. On Saturday and Sunday, the weigh-ins will move to the Bass Pro Shops location at Branson Landing. All weigh-ins are scheduled to begin at 3:15 p.m. CT.
There’s no admission charge for any Bassmaster event.
College Anglers Competing For Biggest Fish In Cabela's Collegiate Big Bass Bash
In most collegiate bass fishing tournaments, college teams compete against other college teams, but in the Cabela's Collegiate Big Bass Bash this weekend on Kentucky Lake team members actually will be competing against each other.
It's kind of a unique format,” said Tournament Director Wade Middleton. “You'll see kids from different schools fishing together in the same boat, sometimes as many as three in a boat. The idea is to increase participation.”
Middleton explained that the anglers will fish eight hours Saturday and eight hours Sunday, with weigh-ins scheduled every two hours.
“You will see 2 pounds win prizes and sometimes 10 pounds will win. That means there is some strategy involved. These kids will sit out there and figure what it takes to get paid,” he said.
Prizes will be awarded for the five heaviest bass weighed during each session, plus a prize will be awarded for the overall heaviest bass weighed each tournament day and a grand prize will be awarded for the overall heaviest bass of the tournament.
“There is more than $20,000 in prizes, ranging from $1,000 Cabela's gift cards to Garmin Fish Finders, all the way down to rain gear from Frogg Toggs.”
Middleton said 180 college anglers have signed up for the tournament, representing more than 60 schools across the nation.
Collegiate fishing fans, family members, and friends of competitors can follow the action by visiting CollegiateBassChampionship.com and Facebook.com/CollegiateBassChampionship. Televised coverage will be seen on NBC Sports Outdoors and the Pursuit Channel and other networks during the year.
“The biggest event of the year in all of college fishing – the Boat-US Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship – will be held at the end of May on Pickwick Lake,” Middleton said.
Cabela’s Collegiate Big Bass Bash
Apr 4-6, 2014
Kentucky Lake
Paris Landing
www.collegiatebasschampionship.com
Bass Ready To Move Up In Time For Tom's Marine Tournament On Douglas Lake
Luke Boles and Donnie Absher won the first tournament of 2014 with 21.18 lbs on Cherokee
When Mother Nature calls, the bass have to get a move on, no matter what, said Richard McMaster, tournament director for the Tom's Marine Teal Trail which will hold its second tournament of the 2014 season Saturday on Douglas Lake.
“It's time for them to start moving up. They know it's late, but they know it's time,” McMaster said.
And that bodes well for the anglers in Saturday's tournament, he added.
“The water temperatures are starting to get up into the mid to upper 50s now. The bass are done hibernating. They are ready to eat and do their thing,” McMaster said.
The fishermen are apparently in the same frame of mind. At the first Tom's Marine tournament March 15, 137 boats showed up and Cherokee Lake was on fire. Seventy-seven boats weigh in double figures and it took a whopping 21.8 pounds to win. Luke Boles and Donnie Absher earned a check for $2,500 for those five fish. The top five teams all weighed in more than 19 pounds of fish.
“We are looking forward to having the same number of boats this weekend on Douglas Lake, maybe even better with the warm temperatures we're getting,” McMaster said. “Some guys who didn't make the first tournament can still fish the last six tournaments and make the Classic, so we are hoping for a good turnout.”
McMaster said the local forecast is calling for storms to move in Thursday night and Friday, with an 80 percent chance of ran on Friday, then clear skies and 68 to 70 degrees on Saturday for the tournament.
With the bass anxious to feed up and get on the beds, McMaster said the Alabama Rig could dominate Saturday.
“Last year about this time the PAA and Southern Open tournaments were held on Douglas and it was the Alabama Rig then, so I am expecting more of the same. I do expect a lot of fish will be caught on Rat-L-Traps, jerkbaits and small crankbaits, but the bigger fish will come on the Alabama Rig, just as they did on Cherokee in the last tournament.”
McMaster said anglers fishing the Tom's Marine Team Trail this year will have a chance to qualify for the 2015 Bassmaster Classic. Teams can qualify for a chance to fish for the Classic by paying a $10 per angler membership fee. Up to three teams, based on points, could qualify to fish the Bass Team Classic Championship, where the top three teams will break up into individual boats to fish for a berth in the Bassmaster Classic.
McMaster also announced that Tom's Marine is bringing back a summer nighttime tournament this year after a three-year absence. The night tournament will be held July 12 on Cherokee Lake with a three-fish limit.
The rest of the 2014 schedule includes: March 15, Cherokee Lake, 25E Bridge; April 5, Douglas Lake, Shady Grove; April 19, Cherokee Lake, the Dam; May 24, Cherokee Lake, 25E Bridge; June 7, Douglas Lake, Shady Grove; July 12, Cherokee Lake, 25E Bridge; Sept. 13, Douglas Lake, Shady Grove; and Oct. 25-25, Douglas Lake, Shady Grove and Cherokee Lake, 25E Bridge.
The entry fee per tournament is $100, plus a $10 lunker fee.
New incentives for the Tom's Marine Team Trail in 2014 include :
– Toms Marine will pay $250 to anyone who wins out a boat purchased new from Toms Marine since 20110.
– Glow Max will pay the winner of the night tournament $250 in cash and $250 merchandise if they use Glow Max black lights in their boat. In addition, Toms Marine will pay the winner an additional $100 if the Glow Max black lights were purchased from and installed by Toms Marine.
– Linex has teamed up with Toms Marine Team Trail to sponsor a drawing for a new spray-in Linex bed liner this season. Anyone making a purchase from Linex and letting them know you are a member of Toms Marine Team Trail will be entered into this drawing to be held at the end of the 2014 regular season.
Tom's Marine Team Trail
Sat, Apr 5, 2014
Douglas Lake
Shady Grove Access
Call Richard McMaster 423-748-3240
Low Water Could Force Anglers Upriver For Alabama Bass Trail Tournament On Neely Henry
The low water level could play a major role in the outcome of the third Alabama Bass Trail North Division tournament Saturday on Neely Henry Lake.
“The water is down about a foot and a half, nearly two feet,” said Kris Colley, winner of the second North Division tournament two weeks ago on Pickwick Lake. “I've got a feeling that if the water stays down fishing is going to be a lot tougher Saturday than what people expect.”
Colley, who hails from Ashville, Ala., just five minutes from the Neely Henry shore, said the problem with the low water is that most of the grass in Neely Henry is high and dry.
“Neely Henry is known for its grass this time of year,” Crolley said. “A lot of the grass is not even in the water.”
Unless the thundershowers predicted for late Thursday night and early Friday morning dump enough rain on the system to bring the water level up, the grass fishing will be very limited which means a lot of anglers will have to move up into the river area at the head of the lake, Crolley said.
“I think you will see more fishing upriver than downriver Saturday,” he said. “If the water level was normal, about three-fourths of the field would be fishing downriver, but with the level down it's going to take away a lot of fishing on the bottom end of the lake.”
If the level does come up the fish will move up with the water, he said, which will open up fishing with spinnerbaits, Rat-L-Traps and square-billed crankbaits. But, if anglers have to move upriver they will be fishing trees and rock. There is no grass upriver, he said.
“Fishing upriver it will be mostly flipping a jig, throwing a spinnerbait and maybe a crankbait here and there.”
Crolley, who normally teams with Adam Bain, had to fish solo with a non-fishing observer on Pickwick because Bain had a previously-scheduled engagement. He weighed in a limit at 25.11 pounds, anchored by a 6.59-pound largemouth, that he caught by flipping a green-pumpkin LC's Jig around wood structure on mud banks within sight of the launch ramp at McFarland Park.
Crolley, who won $10,000 which he will split with Bain, praised the Alabama Bass Trail which is in its inaugural season.
“For the first year they are doing a great job. They have got everything going in the right direction and I don't think they will have any problem filling up the Northern Division again next year,” he said.
Registration for the Alabama Bass Trail is available online at www.alabamabasstrail.org up to the Wednesday preceding each tournament. The entry fee per tournament is $250 per team.
The schedule includes: North Division – Feb. 1, Lake Guntersville; March 22, Pickwick Lake; April 5, Neely Henry Lake; May 31, Wheeler Lake; June 21, Logan Martin Lake. South Division – March 1, Mobile-Tensaw River Delta; March 15, Lake Eufaula; April 19, Lake Jordan; May 10, Alabama River (Millers Ferry); June 7, Lay Lake.
Each tournament has a guaranteed first prize of $10,000, plus $23,000 to the top 20 places and $500 to big fish. There are also numerous bonus packages available to winning and placing anglers.
The Top 50 teams for both the Northern and Southern Divisions will advance to the 2014 ABT Team Championship Oct. 10-11 at Smith Lake in Jasper. Plus, the top 25 student boats overall will be in the final event. To be eligible for the championship, teams must enter all five qualifying events in their respective division.
The grand prize for the no-entry fee championship is a fully-rigged Phoenix 619 Pro Bass Boat with a 150-horsepower Mercury Outboard, valued at $40,000. Adding to that excitement level is an opportunity to advance to the Bassmasters Team Championship and possibly earn a berth in the Bassmaster Classic.
“We are looking at an estimated $420,000 total in prizes for the series,” Program Director Kay Donaldson said. “We think the anglers are going to really enjoy it because they will have the opportunity to advance to our championship and from there the opportunity to go to the BASS Team Championship.”
Alabama Bass Trail - North Division
Sat, Apr 5, 2014
Neely Henry Lake
Coosa Landing
Call Kay Donaldson 855-934-7425
Cabela's Big Bass Bash Heads to Kentucky Lake and Paris, Tennessee
Kentucky Lake is rich in fishing and tournament history, and this weekend it'll serve as a crucial battleground for the Cabela's School of the Year race as several teams' duel for the most prestigious title in college bass fishing. With points on the line, anything can change the game as they hit the water in the second stop of the Association of Collegiate Anglers series.
The ACA Cabela's Big Bass Bash runs from April 4th to 6th and it's sure to have a big impact on the final standings of the rankings. Nine of the top ten schools in the country are represented in the field and it's expected that this event will be key in who will be in top position as the season heads into its final stops in May and June.
With fishing expected to be on fire this weekend at Kentucky Lake, for the college anglers fishing in this one of a kind event, it's anybody's guess as to what it will take to place in the top positions in this Big Bass event. An event that will feature over 180 of the top college bass anglers in the nation not only vying for points, but also for over $20,000.00 in prizes.
Competition takes place April 5th and 6th, with the onsite registration, dinner, and activities to be held Friday, April 4th, 2014. Daily weigh-ins will be held at Paris Landing at 9:00AM, 11:00AM, 1:00PM, and 3:00PM.
Event Schedule:
Friday, April 4th
Final Practice day Safe Light - 3 pm
*Must be off the water by 3pm*
~Registration Paris Landing State Park
16055 Hwy 79 N
Buchanan, Tennessee 38222
~Angler Registration & Dinner 5 - 7 pm
~Welcome from Sponsors 7-7:15pm ~Pre-tournament Meeting 7:15 pm
Saturday, April 5th
Day 1: Safe Light to 3:00 pm
3:00 PM Weigh-In Begins for final session of Day 1
Sunday, April 6th
Day 2: Safe Light to 3:00 pm
3:00PM Weigh-In Begins for final session of
Day 2
Awards Presentation Immediately Following Weigh-In
Collegiate fishing fans, family members, and friends of competitors can follow the action by visiting CollegiateBassChampionship.com and Facebook.com/CollegiateBassChampionship. Televised coverage will be seen on NBC Sports Outdoors and the Pursuit Channel and other networks during the year.
Collins Bass for Cash heads to Albemarle Sound for Event #2
Tournament event #2 for the Collins Inc. – Bass For Cash Series will take place this Saturday, April 5th, on the Albemarle Sound out of Pembroke Creek at Bayside Marina. You can visit the “Schedule” tab at our site for a map to the ramp location.
§ Morning registration is planned to begin on-site at 4:30 AM. Cash or check is the only form of payment accepted.
§ Every team must check in at our Yamaha registration tent the morning of each event. Even if you have pre-registered, we need to know that you are in attendance and provide you with important information.
§ A livewell check will be conducted as you are launching your boats near the ramp.
§ Blast Off Will Begin At Safe Light – Approximately 6:45 AM.
§ Please be checked in, have your livewells checked, and your boat in the water well in advance of the start of the event.
§ Return / Weigh-In – 3:00 PM (Be Sure To Check In With A Tournament Official). Depending on the number of total entries, we may create additional flights and return times. This information will be announced prior to blast off.
§ Five (5) fish limit per boat. Minimum size for this event will be 14” in length. Reminder, no courtesy measurements allowed.
§ Complimentary food items and door prizes will be available during afternoon weigh-in, so stick around if you can.
§ Bayside Marina will have their restaurant open for breakfast beginning at 4:30 AM.
§ There is a $5 per boat ramp fee that will be collected by the tournament staff as you check in at the registration tent.
We would like to remind everyone of the off-limits period as specified within the tournament rules. If you feel that you have violated this rule in any way, please contact us so that we may make arrangements to have your entry fee moved over to a future event.
Please take time to read over the complete 2014 BFCS rules as tournament rules may vary from tournament trail to tournament trail. We do not want to see anyone caught off guard.
Click on this link for 2014 BFCS rules: http://anglersites.com/collins/files/2014/01/Collins-Tournament-Trail-2014-Rules.pdf
Texas Team Trail heads to Texoma
NORMAN, Okla. (April 1, 2014) – The Texas Team Trail presented by Cabela’s will host its third event of the 2014 tournament season on Saturday, April 12, at Lake Texoma. This marks the first visit to Lake Texoma for the Texas Team Trail.
Registration for the event is already underway – anglers can secure an opportunity to pre-fish Friday, April 11, by completing their registration online or via phone prior to midnight on Thursday, April 10. All anglers that pre-register will also be entered into a drawing for a Power Pole Shallow Water Anchor. In addition, anglers that opt to register online at www.texasteamtrail.com will be entered into a drawing for a Mustang Survival inflatable PFD.
The Texoma event is the third of four 2014 qualifying events that guarantee a fully rigged, 18-foot boat, motor, trailer package as first-place prize. The winning anglers at Lake Texoma will walk away with a brand-new Triton 18XS powered by an Evinrude 150 HO, valued at $27,500.
In addition to the payout, the event offers anglers an unprecedented opportunity in terms of sponsor bonuses and television coverage. The budget-friendly $250 entry fee, plus multiple contingency programs and a guaranteed, over-100% payback at every event provides tremendous value to the weekend angler.
On-site registration is set for Friday, April 11, from 4-7 p.m. at Highport Marina (120 Texoma Harbor Dr., Pottsboro, TX 75076). At least one team member must attend, as boat numbers will be assigned during this time. The tournament will launch Saturday, April 12, at safe light from Highport Marina and the weigh-in will begin at the same location at 3 p.m. Only anglers that launch their boat at Highport Marina will be allowed to load their boats on trailers prior to weighing fish. A full map of the tournament’s off-limits areas, which includes the entire Highport Marina cove, can be found online at www.texasteamtrail.com/tournaments.
Anglers with questions or anyone interested in more details on the event are encouraged to visit www.texasteamtrail.com or call 210-281-1752 or 210-788-4143.
Along with title-sponsor Cabela’s, Texas Team Trail has also welcomed Lucas Oil®, Ranger Boats, Stratos Boats, Triton Boats, Evinrude®, Minn Kota®, Talon, RAM Trucks, Lowrance, Power-Pole, Amphibia, iON, Garmin, General Tire, SuperClean, Valley Fashion, Mustang Survival, Artic Ice and Protect the Harvest as official partners.
2014 TXTT scheduled events:
April 12 – Lake Texoma
May 3 – Lake Livingston
Championship – June 7-8 – Toledo Bend Lake
Boats Unlimited Nc Team Tournament Trail Qualifier #3 Results - Shearon Harris - Mar 29, 2014
Even with a forecast of rough weather coming in, the Boats Unlimited NC Team Tournament Bass Trail
qualifier #3 at Shearon Harris went off without a hitch with 69 teams competing!It was about 54 degrees that morning and around 68 that afternoon with very light winds. Water temps ranged from 50 to 55 depending on the area fished. We did have rain off an on but never a big downpour. The winds gusted a few times but were light for most of the day. In other words, we got lucky even with a little fog trying to hold things up! Actually a great day for fishing but evidently the front coming thru put a halt to a good bite!
Mark & Michael Cummings, of Pembroke, figured out enough strategy to catch 5 bass weighing 22.08 lbs.
The Cummings team won $1,280 for 1st, TWT 1st place of $1,155 and the Boats Unlimited NC 1st Place Bonus
of $750 for a grand total of $3,185.
The team of Chris & H.T. Eakins took 2nd with 5 bass weighing 20.59 lbs winning $775. Big fish for the day
was a huge 10.66 pounder caught by the team of Drew Johnson & Gill Young worth $966 and 2nd place big fish weighing 8.85 lbs. went to the team of Jesse & Josh Wise winning them $414.
110 fish were weighed in for a total of 352 pounds. Again the slot limit on bass at Harris took it's toll on guys that caught many fish but were not able to weigh them in. This slot limit is not fair to anglers that practice and spend time and money to fish and get better. People that control the rules should at least give waivers to
tournament trails that have a good 'Catch and Release' program. That's just my 2 cents. We had numerous fish over 7 lbs. and all the fish looked healthy. Hot baits for the day were shakey heads, crankbaits and jerk baits.
Big Fish Winners Drew Johnson & Gill Young - 10.66 lbs!I want to thank all the anglers that participated and all our sponsors that support this trail. The next Boats
Unlimited NC Team Tournament Bass Trail tournament will be at Falls Lake on April 12th, out of Ledge Rock
Wildlife Ramp. A Pig-Pickin' for all participating anglers is planned for this event sponsored by 'The Prop Doc' www.propdocnc.com in Zebulon (919-632-9928) one of our newest sponsors!
All the information on our tournaments can be found at www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Mark & Micheal Cummings of Pembroke...5 bass...22.08 lbs...$1,280
2nd Place: Chris & H.T. Eakins of Selma & Angier...5 bass...20.59 lbs...$775
3rd Place: Mike Dinterman & Timothy Snead of Oxford & Creedmoor...4 bass...18.77 lbs...$555
4th Place: Mike Stephenson & Chad Jones of Bahama & Durham...3 bass...13.80 lbs...$500
5th Place: Kevin Woodall & William Tobias of Angier...4 bass...12.63 lbs...$440
6th Place: Corey Linton & Mark Peck of Pikeville...3 bass...12.37 lbs...$388
7th Place: Michael & Chris Hinson of Creswell & Chadburn...5 bass...11.96 lbs...$331
8th Place: Jesse & Josh Wise of Erwin & Raleigh...2 bass...11.08 lbs...$270
9th Place: Drew Johnson & Gill Young of Clayton & Wendell...1 bass...10.66 lbs...$220
10th Place: Tony Fofi & Dave Murdock of Spring Lake & Sanford...3 bass...10.58 lbs...$220
11th Place: Alan Parker & Brandon McLeod of Linden & Spring Lake...3 bass...10.31 lbs...$163
12th Place: Chase & Gary Johnson of Four Oaks...2 bass...10.19 lbs...$163
12th Place: Dennis Reedy & Jeffrey Thomas of Siler City & Broadway...5 bass...10.16 lbs...$115
14th Place: Bryce McClenney & Michael Christie of Cary & Fuquay Varina...5 bass...10.01 lbs...$100
1st Place Big Fish..9th Place Team above...10.66 lbs...$966
2nd Place Big Fish..8th Place Team above...8.85 lbs...$414
1st Place TWT..1st Place Team above...22.08 lbs...$1,155
2nd Place TWT..3rd Place Team above: 18.77 lbs...$495
Boats Unlimited Skeeter Boat Owner Bonus: Dennis Reedy of Siler City...$250
Tow Boats US Award: Mike Stephenson of Bahama: $50
Boats Unlimited 1st Place Bonus: 1st Place Team Above...$750
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
Kevin Ashley wins the Oakley Big Bass on Clarks Hill Lake-Top 10 results here!
Kevin Ashley won the Oakley Big Bass this past weekend on Clarks Hill Lake with a solid 8.99 Lb keeper that held on to help him wiin the $35,000 Boat/Motor/Trailer pkg from Oakly. These weights indicate one thing: Clarks Hill is BACK! After several off years, this lake is back up not only lake level wise but also quality wise. There is some grass here now-and these weights prove it!
Overall Leaders
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | KEVIN ASHLEY | 8.99 |
| 2 | CHRIS RODWELL | 8.82 |
| 3 | WAYNE CULBRETH | 8.72 |
| 4 | COREY BROCK | 8.71 |
| 5 | DANNY COLLIER | 8.30 |
| 6 | CHRIS RODWELL | 8.29 |
| 7 | DANIEL MOORE | 8.14 |
| 8 | DAVID CARVER | 8.05 |
| 9 | CARLTON FULCHER | 7.98 |
| 10 | JASON SMITH | 7.97 |
Palmore & Crisman Take 1st CATT Gaston Mar 29
We’re off and running with the 2014 CATT Gaston/Kerr Trail with 36 teams entering Saturday blasting off out of Eaton Ferry/Morning Star. All the Gaston/Kerr Qualifiers tournaments fall under the CATT GOLD format and as you can see the payback is awesome! We split up the BONUS $ and spread it around so make plans and come on out to see us. CATT pays back 100% of your entry with a portion deducted from each Qualifier going into the Final Fund. You can see all the money totals at the bottom of the results. As you can see 1st place took home almost $2,000.00 with the BONUS $ added in with 36 teams. If we have 60 teams 1st with the BONUS $ would be in the $3,000.00.
Also CATT offers these contingency programs….Skeeter Real Money, Triton Gold, Stratos 2x, Phoenix First Flight, Bass Cat Quest and Legend Advantage Awards.
The next Gaston/Kerr is April 26 on Gaston with the 3rd Qualifier the next day. Both require an entry fee as they are separate events. Both will launch out of Eaton Ferry. Make plans and come on out!
If you would like to view more pictures from this and other CATT Trails around the Carolinas visit our Facebook page. C.A.T.T.
Remember guys you have to enter 2 Gaston/Kerr Qualifiers as a team (both partners) to be eligible to enter the Gaston/Kerr 2-day Final May 24th at Lake Gaston with a 1st Place GUARANTEE of $3,500.00 …and by only entering 1 2014 NC CATT event you will be eligible to enter the 2014 CATT NC Championship on Kerr June 21. Last year we had 115 teams enter the Kerr event so make plans to come out. 1st Place last year at Kerr took home over $13,500.00!
JT Palmore & Bobby Crimson are the big winners this past Saturday at Lake Gaston! They weighed in a limit of bass weighing 19.90 lbs taking 1st Place & 1st Place BONUS $. They also weighed a 6.08 lb largemouth good enough to take 2nd BF. All total they took home $1,955.00!
Keith Joyce & Mark Robertson finished in 2nd with another solid limit at 19.81 lbs. They also claimed the 2nd BONUS $ pushing their total winnings up to $910.00.
3rdPlace and 3rd Place BONUS $ went to Ryan Harrell and Marty Bunch with 5 bass weighing 18.91 lbs. They collected a total of $530.00.
Out Gaston Point Winners from this past year, Chuck Murray and Randy Groves finished 4th with 5 bass weighing 18.72 lbs and also claimed a share of 4th Place BONUS $. They received $300.00.
Billy Bledsoe & Brian McDonald also weighed 18.72 lbs and finished 4th plus they weighed the BF of the day at 6.69 lbs. They took home a total of $545.00.
Reggie Norfleet and Scott Dupree earned $155.00 for their 6th Place finish with 18.59 lbs.
Last money paying place worth $125.00 went to Tim Wiltfong and Phil Bain with 16.77 lbs.
8th Place team with 15.67 lbs was Ray Cooke and Gene Woodard and they received 2 - $20 Gift Cards from Drugco.
Next up on the Gaston/Kerr schedule is April 26th on Lake Gaston launching out of Eaton Ferry
Brett Collins
Carolina Anglers Team Trail LLC
Cannon works main lake cuts to win BFL on Martin
Logan wins co-angler title
Jeff Cannon of Douglasville, Ga., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds, 1 ounce on Saturday to win the second Walmart Bass Fishing League Bama Division tournament of 2014 on Lake Martin. For his victory, Cannon earned $3,718.
