Piedmont Bass Classics Results - Jordan Lake - March 12, 2011
Cold & windy! Air temps ranged from 28 to 63 degrees, water temps averaged 53 and the wind blew steadily 15 to 20 mph all day. For our 2nd open of 2011, we had a 19 boats show up to see what Jordan Lake had to provide. Todd & Jeff Sumner of Southern Pines, took top honors on a tough, windy day. The team brought 5 bass to the scales weighing 28.53 pounds, including their big fish winner that weighed in at 7.29 pounds. Todd, a member of the Skeeter Boats National Demo Team, and his Dad took home $1,231 for their efforts. I want to thank all of our anglers and our sponsors for supporting this trail!
Story of the day: Bass were caught on every kind of lure you can think of, except top water (didn't hear of any). We had 3 bass over 7 lbs. with the biggest being caught on a Lunker Lure jig. Most all fish were caught in 2 to 8 feet of water off main creek points with rock & timber cover. 62 bass were weighed in totalling 205 pounds. All fish were released alive! Needless to say, the spring bite is on at Jordan!
The next tournament will also be at Jordan Lake on March 19th out of Farrington Point Wildlife ramp. This event is the 2nd in a series of 7 qualifying tournaments for the 'Piedmont Bass Classics $5,000 Bass Tournament Trail'. Now here are the March 12th results:
1st Place..Todd & Jeff Sumner of Southern Pines...5 Bass...28.53 lbs...$720
2nd Place..Keith Deal & Ricky Kenworthy of Holly Springs & Selma...5 bass...23.83 lbs...$400
3rd Place..Bobby & David Matthews of Durham...5 bass...20.25 lbs...$270
4th Place..Chad Craven & Josh Quesinberry of Raleigh & Clayton...5 bass...16.06 lbs...$130
1st Place Big Fish..Team #1 above...7.29 lbs...$266
2nd Place Big Fish..Team #2 Above...7.24 lbs...$114
1st Place TWT..Team #1 above...28.53 lbs...$245
2nd Place TWT..Team #4 above...16.06 lbs...$105
Additional Pictures can be uploaded from the website: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
or: for more information call 919-471-1571 or 919-971-5042
Thanks! Phil McCarson~Tournament Director
2011 Bassmaster Elite Series Harris Chain Day 4 - Grigsby Holds Off Hard-Charging Goldbeck!
You're not suposed to win a multi-day event by sightfishing. Especially these days when everyone with a pair of polarized shades can peek beneath the surface and locate bedding bass. There are few secrets and fewer secret spots that an angler can have to himself. And the winter/spring weather is so changeable. I was starting to believe all of that myself. And I believe in magic. The magic of sightfishing. Thank you, Shaw Grigsby, for renewing my faith. How did he do 75 pounds and win by more than 7? He even shared his honey hole with runner-up Grant Goldbeck and day 1 leader, Pat Golden. They picked the right piece of realestate. How strong was the pond where Grigsby and friends stacked up bass like cord wood? Well, nobody lead the tournament who did not fish there. Eagle-eyed Grigsby looks at a fish - then catches it.
Grigsby said he has fished the little pond for years, perhaps decades. At times it produces nothing. At times it is really strong. The key feature is the firm, sandy bottom and adjacent depths that plunge beyond 15 to as much as 20 feet. The biggest bass set up on the edge of the drop. As the days rolled by, more bass rolled up out of the depths each afternoon.
That Goldbeck did not win is somewhat surprising now that we have the benefit of hindsight. He bailed on the pond the first day when clouds and wind prevented sightfishing. He caught one small fish in Lake Harris and opened the tourney in 97th - almost dead last. Grigsby stayed and blind fished the pond for 14-plus pounds.
Another turning point came when Goldbeck had two giants fight for his lure. The rushed in, butted heads and a 7-pounder swam out with the bait. Goldbeck shook it off. He wanted to catch the 13-pounder that was locked on as well. She kept charging the lure, but never bit. He gave her 4 hours to do so. That fish would have made the difference and completely offset and awful day 1.
Did Goldbeck make the right decision in shaking off the 7-pounder? Leave a comment below to weigh-in with your thoughts.
Aside from Grigsby squaring off toe-to-toe against Goldbeck (a former professional boxer) there were 10 other guys fishing the Harris Chain. Stephen Browning placed 3rd. He caught many of his fish within sight of the boat ramp on Lake Dora. As for technique, he pitched a Z-Man Zinker stick worm.
VanDam is so good he took 4th and 5th places. OK, the man in 5th Jonathon VanDam. Everybody say 'hey' to JVD - looks like he's the real deal. Look for him to do well on the St Johns River this upcoming week. He nearly won an Open there a couple of years ago. <
JVD milked a stretch of Kissimmee grass shoreline in Lake Dora for 11 pounds on the final day.
KVD ran around Lake Harris for his fish this week. He often motored to his next spot without stowing the trolling motor and then fished with his lifevest on so he wouldn't have to bother with putting it back on before firing the big motor. Classic KVD run and gun!
How did Pat Golden do after bailing out of the little pond to fish Lake Harris? He fell to 6th, which still ain't half bad.
2011 And 25Th Annual Jim Ledbetter Memorial Champions Mark Brown And Wade Smith!!
2011 and 25th Annual Jim Ledbetter Champions Mark Brown and Wade Smith take some time to talk about their big win as well as the one dominant pattern that helped get them to the winners circle!!
2011 Jim Ledbetter Highlights With Roger Pope And Scott Hamrick
We grab Roger Pope and Scott Hamrick as they come in with a very solid bag of fish to catpture 3rd place in the 25th Annual Jim Ledbetter Memorial Tournament..................
One On One With 2010 Flw Angler Of The Year Bryan Thrift- Part Two
Our conversation with Bryan Thrift continues with some comments on the added attention he has recieved with all the success and how he is handling that moving fwd-Part 2
One on One with 2010 FLW Angler of the Year Bryan Thrift- Part One
One of the hottest anglers in our sport is Shelby, NC native Bryan Thrift and we talk with him at The Great Outdoors in Cherryville this afternoon-Part 1
25Th Annual Jim Ledbetter Tournament Preview From Foothills Marine
We stop by Foothills Marine and talk to Matt Farris about one of the largest charity Tournaments in the country taking place this Sat on Lake Norman.......registration and Blastoff at Queens Landing beginning at 5am this Sat!!
Progressive Wrap Up Show Week 6 Part 2
In Part 2, we look at how the Stratos 2X helped one team DOUBLE THEIR $$ on Lake Wylie at the CATT Tournament this past Sat...........
Progressive Wrap Up Show Week 6 Part 1
We wrap up last weeks crazy action from Sportsman's Warehouse in Columbia, SC with fishing manager Justin Kijak.........some of the weights were CRAZY!! Part 1
My Biggest Bass EVER
Talk about a monster. Thought you guys and gals out there would get a kick out of this one. I caught this giant Largemouth 4 years ago.I was out on the water with a good friend Craig Cook. He took the picture after we laughed till we cried. We estimated this monster to be about 2 inches and weigh atleast a 0.5 oz if that. This monster was actually caught on the Rebel Pop-R that I am holding up in this picture. You should have seen the huge blow up he made, I thought it was a ten pounder. LOL. Na I thought I had hooked a blade of grass. Talk about biting off more than you can chew. I'm not sure what the heck this little guy was going to do with this when he got it in his mouth. All I know is that he was ready to eat. Hope you got a good laugh, I know I did.
Jim Ledbetter Tournament Poised To Pass $750,000 For Cancer Research Saturday
Shane Lineberger (left) and Hank Cherry (center) won the 2010 tournament with 19.12lbs!
The 25th annual Jim Ledbetter Memorial “Casting Out Cancer” Bass Tournament on Lake Norman Saturday will mark well over three quarters of a million dollars raised for cancer research since the tournament first launched.
“Since 1986 the tournament has raised $747,000, at first for the American Cancer Society and for the last three or four years for the V Foundation,” said Matt Farris, owner of Foothills Marine which is in its third year of sponsorship for the benefit tournament. The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State basketball coach and ESPN commentator who died in 1993 of cancer.
The tournament fielded 189 teams in 2010, a downturn due to the bad economy, but still raised $20,000 for the V Foundation. Farris expects well over 200 boats for Saturday's event.
“We usually have over 200 boats with over 400 fishermen in the tournament and we are well ahead of registrations this year so we definitely expect at least 200 boats on Saturday,” he said.
Since Foothills Marine, a Skeeter-Yamaha dealership, took over the tournament three years ago the payback for the top 20 teams has increased significantly, Farris noted. First prize is a 2011 Skeeter ZX 190 Bass Boat with a VZ150 HPDI Yamaha outboard. Second place pays $2,000, third place $1,600 on down to 20th place which pays $200, plus there is a payout for the top three big fish.
“We also have three specialty categories in a tournament within the tournament – the top adult-child team, top senior team and top husband-wife team each pays $500 in addition to whatever they win in the open tournament.”
While the payout to fishermen is more than 100 percent, Farris said, the payout to cancer research was enhanced when Foothills Marine became the primary sponsor because the dealer brought its own benefit tournament to the effort.
“For years we had also done a benefit tournament in the spring on Lake Hickory and we almost competed with the Jim Ledbetter tournament,” Farris said. “Both were charity tournaments with a good cause, so we moved out big tournament, which also draws 200 boats, to Lake Hickory in the fall. We get a lot of guys who had been fishing one or the other who are now fishing both tournaments.”
The move created a situation where there was one tournament raising $20,000 to $30,000 a year to having two tournaments raising a total of $40,000 to $50,000 a year, he noted. The Foothills Marine Angler Benefit Tournament also supports the V Foundation.
As added encouragement, Skeeter provides a special fully-rigged boat to be given away at the draw tournament, but anglers can qualify for the drawing at the Ledbetter tournament. They can qualify again at the fall tournament, he noted, given them two chances at the boat.
“If you fish the Ledbetter tournament you can come on Thursday and Friday and take a demo ride in a Skeeter to get your name entered in the random draw. If you fish the Foothills Tournament you get your name in the hat again, so you can take one demo ride and double your chances for the fully-rigged Skeeter.”
Farris said fishing reports from Lake Norman have been very good recently, despite the lingering cold temperatures.
“I don't know what the water temperature is exactly – the lake varies because of the power plant discharge – but I imagine a lot of the water is still in the 50s,” he said. “But fishing has been pretty strong. In the last couple of weekend tournaments turnouts have been strong and they have weighed in pretty heavy bags. There have been quite a few fish caught the last two or three weeks.”
Jim Ledbetter Memorial Bass Tournament
Sat, Mar. 12, 2011
Lake Norman
Queens Landing
Call 828-439-9022
Fishing Should Be Good For Morristown Marine Tournament On Cherokee Lake Saturday
Charlie Rasch won the 2010 Morristown Marine Classic last November!
The Morristown Marine Skeeter-Yamaha Elite Series Team Trail kicks off Saturday on Cherokee Lake with high expectations for very good fishing, according to tournament director Sam Phillips.
“The fish are biting excellently and we expect it will take 17 to 20 pounds to win,” Phillips said. “The water is warming up and the fish are turning on. We are looking for a good tournament of anglers and a lot of fish to be weighed with a lot of limits brought to the scales.”
Phillips said the fish are in pre-spawn and anglers are catching them on crankbaits, jerkbaits, jigs and grubs.
He said he expects between 125 to 150 boats to enter the tournament, the first of six scheduled tournaments plus a year-end championship to be held on Cherokee and Douglas Lakes this year.
“This is our fourth year and we have grown this series very well,” he said “Skeeter came on board and really helped us.”
Anglers pay a $30 membership fee each to fish the trail and the entry fee for each of the regular season tournaments and the season-end classic is $100, with an optional big fish pot. The big fish pot will be paid back at the ramp, with half going to the top largemouth and half to the top smallmouth weighed in. If no smallmouth is weighed in, two prizes will be awarded to the top two largemouths.
“We are paying $3,000 to win, regardless of the number of boats entered. We also pay back one place for every six boats with a 100 percent cash payout at the ramp,” Phillips said, “plus additional gift certificates and prizes from local sponsors.”
New for this year, he noted, is the addition of Abu Garcia as a big fish sponsor. Abu Garcia will give several rods to the big fish winners at each tournament.
“And, at the Classic in November, we will give a 2011 Skeeter ZX200 with a new 200 Yamaha SHO 4-stroke engine to the winners,” he added.
Manufacturer bonus programs for the trail include Skeeter Real Money, Stratos Double Your Winnings, Triton Gold, Phoenix First Flight Program and the Morristown Marine Boat Bucks plan.
“In the Morristown Marine Boat Bucks program, if your buy a boat or motor here, new or used, any brand, we will pay an additional $500 on top of what you win,” Phillips said.
Entries are accepted at Morristown Marine the week of the tournament and anglers who sign up by 6 p.m. on Friday get two draws for starting position and can keep the one they want. Entries will also be accepted at Hookers & Hunters Bait and Tackle from 1 to 6 p.m. On Fridays prior to the tournament After 6 p.m. teams get only one draw for starting position and entries will be accepted at the ramp the morning of the tournament.
The 2011 schedule includes: March 12, Cherokee Lake, Boat Launch Road; April 2, Cherokee Lake, Boat Launch Road; April 23, Douglas Lake, TVA Dam; May 14, Cherokee Lake, Boat Launch Road; Sept. 24, Douglas Lake, TVA Dam; Oct. 22, Cherokee Lake, Boat Launch Road; and Nov. 12. Morristown Marine Classic, Cherokee Lake, Boat Launch Road.
Morristown Marine Team Trail 2011
Sat, Mar. 12, 2011
Cherokee Lake
Hamblin County Marina-Boat Launch Road
BFL Gator Division - Kissimmee Chain report
I fished Saturday's BFL Gator Division tourney as a co-angler. Got exactly 3 bites. Put 'em all in the boat. They weighed 6 pounds-even. My partner and I weren't on them.
Congrats to Mark Detweiler, proprietor of Big Toho Marina. He was on 'em. 21 pounds, 14 ounces was good enough for the win on the boaters' side of the tourney. Exactly 1 pound back was Charles Bass - apropriately named.
Interestingly, Detweiler's bag was not the biggest of the day. That distinction belongs to Todd Mowery who caught 23 pounds, 7 ounces from the back of the boat! Mowery caught his fish on the Skinny Dipper and some topwater lures. "We locked down south," said Mowery.
From what I gathered, many of the better sacks are coming from Lake Cypress and Lake Hatcineha. Lake Kissimmee has been muddied due to dredging being done in the river above. Strong east winds for a few days in a row had parts of Toho looking dirty. Shad were piled up in the wind-blown areas, though, and bass chased them to the point that they flipped on top of matted bullrush to escape. Of course, as the small, silver and blue fish tried to flop back into the water, birds would descend and dine on the easy pickings.
For fishing among the shad buffet, try a chrome/sexy shad Red Eye Shad in the half-ounce size. I couldn't get the three-quarter-ounce to work. My partner and I quickly caught 5 fish between the two of us on the smaller lures. For better quality in the same area, try a spinnerbait - anything shad-like in appearance, with small silver blades should do the trick.
Griffith and Walker win Cherokee BAIT Tourney
Saturday March 5, 2011 turned out to be a very nice day. Despite the bad weather forecasts 49 boats came out to compete on Cherokee Lake. There was 170 fish caught weighing a total of 448.42 lbs. All fish were released alive! First place honors went to the team of Larry Griffith and Jeffery Walker with a nice limit of smallmouth weighing 20.06 lbs. They took home $990.00 for their efforts. Second place went to Doug and David Winchell with 17.11 lbs. worth $600.00. Third place went to Danny Garber and David Solomon with 16.20 lbs. worth $400.00. Fourth place went to Charlie Rasch and Gary Pilkenton with 15.71 lbs. worth $330.00. Fifth place went to Tim Smiley and Richard Wolfe with 15.21 lbs. worth $280.00. Sixth place went to Ken Vicchio and Brian Vicchio with 15.19 lbs. worth $230.00. Seventh place went to Dustin Buckner and Shane Houck with 14.60 lbs. worth $180.00. Eighth place went to Jason Nichols and Matt Beeler with 14.52 lbs. worth $140.00.
Largemouth lunker went to the team of Doug and David Winchell weighing 4.74 lbs. and was worth $235.00. Smallmouth lunker went to the team of Sonny Lee and Harold Parsons weighing 4.87 lbs. and was worth $235.00.
Congratulations to all and thanks for fishing “America’s Best Team Trail”. 2011 schedules are currently being posted as we receive them. Please check our website www.baitinc.com and watch for new schedules to come. Our next tournament will be April 30, 2011 on Douglas launching from the Dam. Pre-registration will be from 12 – 6 p.m. Friday (04/29/2011) at Bucks n Bass. Also TN-II has their next tournament 3-12-2011 at Ft. Loudoun launching from the Canal. Call Chris Covington for more information (865) 607-0810. TN-III (Nite Trail) flyers will be out soon. Call Bill Giron for more information (865) 406-5110.
Thanks to all of our sponsors and a special thanks to Joe and Missy Lee with Sportsman Ministries for all they do. God Bless and remember to take a kid fishing! For more info call Sunny or Bud DeFOE at: 865-679-2233 (Sunny’s cell) or 865-679-0419 (Bud’s cell).
Great Time On Ray Hubbard.
We should have a great tourney here in April. Im thinking it will take like 23 a day to win.
Fishers of Men NC State Championship Results - Lake Norman - Mar. 5, 2011
On Saturday March 5th 2011,the fifth annual NC Fishers Of Men National Bass Tournament Trail State Championships For NC was held on Lake Norman. Twenty-one Adult teams qualified to fish. Cold, drizzling, rainy weather began the day but warmer weather came in later.
Twenty one teams was able to make the trip to the scales that were located at BASS PROSHOPS in Concord NC. MC and Director Mike Sides and Dave from Bass Pro Shops kept the crowd entertained with their wit and knowledge.
Each team was pulled through the weigh in in the their boat and tranferred to the stage during the Bass Proshops Spring Fishing Classic. Thanks go out to John Snincak, Regional Director, of Fishers Of Men.
Rocky Socks Presented the first place award money of $1100.00 to Allen Snyder and Robbie Hunter of Concord NC with a winning weight of #14.96 They caught Their fish on Jerk bits and Crankbsits nar I-40. They also received $150 donated by Bass Proshops for the biggest fish of #4.94.
Second Place went to Kenneth Shumate and William Embry of Mount Airy who won $410 and Third Place went to Drew and Amy Montgomery who won $300. Fourth Place went to Malcom and Andrew Dillion . Steve Singleton and A.L. Needham won Fifth Place and $150 The top Director/Sponsor championship went to John Snincak and Richard Jordan.
The crowd was awarded for showing up with tons of door prizes thrown out by the Anglers. We would like to thank all the people who volunteered to help especially Jon Morgan who basically directed the event allowing The Directors to fish. Hope to see you at next years event.
Piedmont Bass Classics Results - Shearon Harris - Mar. 5th
A record was set today! The team turnout was a record 82 boats! This is the largest turnout of teams in the history of the Piedmont Bass Classics! 216 bass were weighed for a whopping total of 541 pounds. All fish were released alive! Water temps averaged 55 to 58 and air temps ranged from 44 to 65 with winds ranging from light to 20 mph gusts midday.
Big fish for the day was 10.23 pounds and many bass in the 7 to over 8 pound range were also weighed. Just about any lure would work this day, but the Senko baits seemed to tempt the larger bass which were mostly caught in the 10 to 15 water depth. The smaller bass were caught mostly in the shallower water.
Once again, I want to thank our sponsors. Without their support we could not be offering the $5,000 Trail.
The next PBC tournament will be at Jordan Lake on March 12th. This event will be an 'Open Fun' tournament and will be a good practice run for the next 'Piedmont Bass Classics $5,000 Bass Tournament Trail' qualifier #2 at Jordan, March 19th. I hope to see all of you at Jordan on the 12th!
Now here are the Mar. 5th results:
1st Place..Dan Glosson & Phillip Eakes of Rougemont & Bahama..5 bass..28.45 lbs...$1,375
2nd Place..Donald Williams & Rick Ohlson of Garner..5 bass..26.93 lbs...$850
3rd Place..Todd Gibson & Mark Bayse of Archdale & Thomasville..5 bass..22.53 lbs...$655
4th Place..Randy Fisher & Donnie Lowe of Hillsborough & Mebane..5 bass..22.37 lbs...$590
5th Place..Mike Eggers & Randy Carr of Garner & Raleigh..5 bass..17.26 lbs...$520
6th Place..Richard Linton & Marc Peck of Pikeville..5 bass..16.90 lbs...$455
7th Place..Richard Cooper & Mike Vaughan of Clayton & Raleigh..5 bass..16.77 lbs...$390
8th Place..Jule Cameron & William Small of Wendell & Creedmoor..5 bass..15.23 lbs...$325
9th Place..Ken Wall & Ben Cannon of Asheboro & Apex..5 bass..15.14 lbs...$260
10th Place..Steve Woodlief & John Strother of Wake Forest..5 bass..14.32 lbs...$260
11th Place..Phil Hankins & Patrick Rose of Raleigh & Wake Forest..5 bass..13.96 lbs...$195
12th Place..Jason Dew & Randall Soles of Whiteville..5 bass..13.50 lbs...$195
13th Place..Ronnie Williams & Jason Butler of Clayton..5 bass..13.41 lbs...$131
14th Place..Thomas Sheffer & Ken McNeill of Cary & Raleigh..5 bass..13.15 lbs...$131 (tie)
14th Place..William Burns Jr. & Jerry Marshburn of Sanford..4 bass..13.15 lbs...$131 (tie)
16th Place..Jesse Soles & Ron White of Aberdeen..5 bass..13.03 lbs...$100
1st Place Big Fish..Team #4 above.....10.23 lbs...$1,106
2nd Place Big Fish..Team #15 above.....8.72 lbs...$474
1st Place TWT..Team #1 above.....28.45 lbs...$1,050
2nd Place TWT..Team #2 above.....26.93 lbs...$450
For More Information: Call 919-471-1571 or 919-971-5042 or visit: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Thank you! Phil McCarson......Tournament Director
Winners Dan Glosson & Phillip Eakes!
Greene Boat & Motor Tournament Trail & CATT Lake Wylie March 5 - Top 6
Jody Wright and James Dyer took home 1st Place Saturday at Lake Wylie fishing the 3rd 2011 Qualifier of the Greene Boat & Motor Trail with 47 teams entering. The pair brought in a total weight of 16.76 lbs. Add in the Stratos 2x Bonus money and they took home a grand total of $3,414.00.
Tim Chapman and Marc Leech finished up in 2nd with 5 bass weighing 16.32 lbs and they recieved $925.00.
Cliff Kirby and Butch Holder took 3rd with a total weight of 15 .94 lbs and they took home $575.00.
Ryan Hinkle and Dan Mullane brought in the 4th place sack of bass weighing 15.91 lbs and they collected $375.00.
David Redman and Clay Williams finished in 5th place with a total weight of 15.71 lbs and recieved $250.00.
6th place went to David and Gerald Williams with 5 bass weighing 15.62 and they also took home the 1st place Big Fish place with a fat 7.24 lb bass. All total they collected $833.00.
Next Greene Boat and Motor trail Qualifier will be at Pinncale Access on Lake Norman April 23. The Lake Norman CATT Trail will be holding a qualifier also and you can fish both if you wish. If you do enter the CATT Qualifier on Lake Norman you will be eligible to enter the 2011 CATT Classic May 14-15 on Lake Wylie. 1st Place at the CATT Classic will be between $7,000 and $10,000 depending on the number of teams entering.
Brett Collins
CATT LLC
Jody Wright and James Dyer won with 16.76 lbs!
David and Gerald Williams won Big Fish with this 7.24 lb bass!
2011 Anglers Choice Marine Tt Smith Mtn Lake Champions
2011 Anglers Choice Marine Smith Mtn Lake Champions Tim Thurman and Ken Lackey join us after bringing in 5 fish for 18.48 and $3000 at the 1st Anglers Choice Tournament of this 2011 Season!!
Elite Series Tournament talk with Mark Menendez
Skeeter Pro Mark Menendez is looking forward to the first B.A.S.S. Elites Series Event on the Harris Chain of Lakes. Mark has experienced some success over the years in Florida but would like to start off the season with a win. " I am going to be doing a lot of looking around during the practice period mainly to try and locate one good area I can concentrate on." Mark explains. The bass should be in all three stages of the spawn and Mark will be using a variety of lures to try and catch them. His top three bait choices will be a Strike King Rage Craw, the new Strike King Finesse worm, and a Red Eye Shad. Right now the water is a little low and Mark predicts the winning pattern to be won either in the canals or in the Kissimmee grass. " Unlike most of the Florida lakes, the Harris Chain does have a structure element to it. If you find one of those key areas, you are likely to win it. It could definatly be a sleeper spot that most anglers could overlook." Mark says. However it plays out Mark will be giving it is all to try and make it to the winner's circle.
Record Entries Checking In For Anglers Choice On Smith Mountain Lake
The price of gasoline may be skyrocketing, but after a long, very cold winter, some fishermen are just anxious to get back on the water.
“It does not look like the rising gas prices are affecting us,” said Chris Lucas, tournament director for the Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail which opens its 2011 season Saturday on Smith Mountain Lake. “I talked to a a guy on the lake today and he said there was a fisherman around every corner on the lake getting ready for the tournament.”
In fact the fishermen are so eager to get going that entries are running far ahead of previous tournaments.
“The previous record for pre-registrations for a tournament was 80,” said Lucas Thursday morning. “We are at 115 this morning and expecting five or six more today. That means we are already over 120 pre-registered and that is not counting the guys who wait until the last minute to be in a late flight so they can get the afternoon bite.”
Lucas said on the tournament website that he will start registration the morning of the tournament at 5 a.m. And continue until 6:45 a.m. when he will get the tournament started.
“If you are not registered by then I will blast the late arrivals off after everybody else, so come on time,” he said.
The entry fee per tournament is $100, with an optional $20 Big Fish pot. Payback will be to one in every five boats registered, with $2,000 guaranteed for first place with at least 70 boats entered.
Anglers must fish four of the six scheduled tournametns to qualify for the championship. First place in the classic will win a new Ranger Z118 bass boat with a Mercury Opti Max motor and trailer.
Always a very popular tournament, this year Lucas said more new sponsors have come on board and there is plenty of bonus money to be paid out. The series is Triton Gold registered which means this year that a winner in the right Triton package can take home an extra $7,000. Anglers can also win with the Ranger Cup program and the Stratos 2X program.
And, while the bass in some lakes across the South are still languishing in a winter pattern following the long, cold winter, the bass in Smith Mountain Lake are biting, Lucas said.
“The guys I've been talking with who are catching fish say it's taking 20 to 25 pounds for five fish to win. A lot of people are saying it will take 20 pounds for five fish to get a check, so I think you are going to see a couple of big bags weighed in this week.”
While water temperatures are still in the 40s, a warm rain earlier this week has moved things along, Lucas said.
“There are some fish being taken in 2 to 3 feet of water on a crankbait. There are jerkbait fish in 10 to 12 feet of water and guys are still spooning heavy bags in 25 to 30 feet of water off the ends of points. I've even heard of a spinnerbait bite on some wind-blown points, too.,” Lucas said.
“With that many boats and that many teams, there will be some who will catch fish on a jig or a Shakey Head, but I think the tournament will be won on a jerkbait and a spoon.”
The main thing, he said, is that anglers will probably be able to catch fish just about however they want to fish.
Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail
Lake: Smith Mountain Lake
Landing: Parkway Marina
Date: Sat, Mar. 5, 2011
Call Chris Lucas 276-358-0844
www.anglerschoicemarine.com/TournamentTrail
Shallow Bite The Key For Berry's Team Trail Tournament On Lake Oconee
Brad Sears would love to be fishing the Berry's Team Tournament on Lake Oconee Saturday, but a father sometimes just has to give up some of the things he likes to do when his children are growing up and getting involved in sports and other activities.
“I'm fishing the (B.A.S.S. Southern) Opens this year and I'm gone so much for that,” said Sears who fishes Oconee a lot and is a Berry's Trail veteran. “My son is having a track meet Saturday so that is where I will be instead.”
But, if he could make the tournament, he knows just how he would fish it.
“The water is warming up. It's come up 10 to 15 degrees depending on where you are on the lake. It's gone from the low 40s to the mid 50s and in some areas probably up in the 60-degree range. The most stable water in the lake is probably in the area from Sugar Creek down to Lick Creek.”
That should have the fish in pre-spawn, he said, with another wave getting ready to go into pre-spawn and some behind them that are still out deeper and lethargic.
“Oconee is a shallow bite lake year round. The winning sack is probably going to come from flipping docks, throwing shallow-running crankbaits and shallow-running spinnerbaits.,” he said.
“For the pre-spawn fish I'd be fishing the back of Sugar Creek or Lick Creek,” Sears said. “Those fish stay shallow back there all year. In Sugar Creek I'd start out in the morning throwing a shallow-running crankbait or spinnerbait over some sandy bottoms. If I moved down to Lick Creek to rocks and wood, such as blowdowns.”
Since Oconee is noted as a “muddy water” lake, color is very important in lure selection, he said.
“I'd either throw a white and chartreuse or a blue shimmer shad spinnerbait. My spinnerbait choice would be a 3/8-ounce Buzzerbait with a Colorado/willow leaf combo or a double willow leaf combo,” he said. “If I was throwing a crankbait, I'd throw a SPRO Little John in black and chartreuse.”
If the sun comes out with bluebird skies, he said, he would be skipping under the docks with either a jig or a watermelon red fluke rigged weightless.
“The jig would be black and blue with a green pumpkin Zoom Speed Craw dipped in JJ's Magic chartreuse on the claws. That's the best kept secret in bass fishing.”
Or he'd bang a crankbait off the dock posts, he said.
“The key to fishing the docks is to find which post they are holding on, those closer in or the ones out towards deeper water,” he said.
Sears said the fish still out in the deeper water can be caught too.
“Don't be afraid to pull out and fish the ledges with a Carolina rig.”
Family comes first, but Sears admittedly would really love to fish the Berry's Trail this year if he could.
“It's a well run tournament. They are real sticklers on rules and safety and they keep everyone true and it shows because of the number of fishermen it draws. It attracts so many because of the paybacks, one in every six. I fished a tournament at Sinclair and finished 16th – and got a check.”
Because of the payback and the way the tournaments are run the family run trail is probably the biggest trail in the state of Georgia, Sears said.
“I fished the trail last year and in one tournament we had 155 boats,” he noted.
The current schedule began in December, with tournaments in January and February and five more counting this Saturday before the two-day Classic on the two lakes June 4-5. The first two events drew 119 and 124 boats and there were 84 in the February tournament.
“They average 85 to 130 boats a tournament and it should really pick up now that hunting season is over,” Sears said.
Teams have to fish five of the eight tournaments on the schedule to qualify for the classic in June.
Sears predicted it will take at least 17 to 18 pounds to win Saturday's tournament – and even that may not be enough.
“There are a couple of people who have fished that lake for years who may come in with a 20-pound-plus sack,” he said.
Berry's Team Tournament Trail
Lake: Lake Oconee
Landing: Sugar Creek Marina
Date: Sat, Mar. 5, 2011
Countdown to Blastoff 2011 Week 7
AC Insider Robby Byrum gets into some good detail as to what to expect this weekend with Tournaments all over the South!!
Yes, They're Bedding On Lake Guntersville!
This time last year air temps were in the teens and water temperatures were in the low-40's in late February on Guntersville Lake. Yes, its March the first. But its been many years since we have seen extreme warming conditions like we have recently experienced during this early spring season. Eighty degrees in late February is just unheard of, even in Alabama!
So how has this sudden warming trend affected both the smaller sized male bass and the larger-sized female largemouth bass on Guntersville lake? Alabama's largest man made reservoir has suddenly undergone some very quick changes...like you would not believe, that is unless you saw it. This week, I did.
Bass cruising in pairs and beds already showing in the shallows means there will definitely be an early spawn. Some of the bigger bass may have already spawned when the last full moon took place. A new wave of both males and females is now moving into the shallows. Officially March 20 is the beginning of spring. But with continuing weather like we are having, to me, spring is already here.
Monday we may have caught have 25 - 30 bass (who's counting?), mostly fishing very shallow with crankbaits, rattletraps, spinnerbaits, jig combos and topwaters like zara spooks and buzz baits. Other lures too!
Over half of those bass were smaller males weighing from 1-2 pounds each. But we did have several nice 3-4 pounders, a 5 pounder, one that looked to weigh from 7-8 pounds, one that pulled off a back hook on a crankbait and kept on going, and one that looked to be about 6 pounds, (we got a good look at it!) before it leaped two feet high and threw a crankbait! Yes, what a day!
No rain all morning Monday, but 25 m.p.h. winds made for a tough day and several back-lashed reels. We left at about 1 p.m. due to dark, threatening skies and rain coming in hard.
Such is Guntersville Lake in the spring...
GUNTERSVILLE LAKE
Impounded 1939
Date fished: Monday, February 28
Lake Level: Down 1.50 feet
Air Temperature: Low 70 degrees High 80
Cloudy, rainy conditions
Water Temperature 66-70 degrees
Water Clarity Clear - Main lake / Some mid-to-lower lake creeks have a slight stain from recent rains
Water Generation All Day
GUIDE SERVICE
* Always call on Reeds Guide Service...first! (205) 663-1504 " Guntersville Lake's (and all of Alabama's) oldest, professional "bass fishing only" guide service for over 40 years" Website www.fishingalabama.com Newly updated for spring!
* NOW BOOKING GUIDED TRIPS FOR SPRING FOR THE NOVICE ANGLER, TOURNAMENT ANGLER, TROPHY BASS ANGLER, PARENT AND CHILD FISHING TEAMS, CORPORATE GUIDED TRIPS AND FAMILY OUTINGS WITH SEVERAL BOATS AND PROFESSIONAL GUIDES AVAILABLE YEAR ROUND FOR ANY ALABAMA LAKE. DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE!
* HUNTING AND FISHING
* Hunting and fishing items and a new store! Go by Marks Outdoors Sports in Vestavia (near Birmingham), or see them online at www.marksoutdoors.com for all your fishing and hunting needs! Look me up at Marks Outdoors I'll be there on "Turkey Day" March 10!
* NEW AND USED BOATS
See www.airportmarine.com for new boats, used boats, close-out boat sales, parts and expert mechanic work...Alabama's best!
* TOURNAMENTS
See www.,airportmarinetrails.com for tournament updates on their first tournament of the year, Solo Trails and Annual Events. Alabama's most popular and best paying bass tournaments!
* WORLD'S BEST BASS BOATS
* NEED NEW BOAT BATTERIES?
Check out Exide's Trolling and Cranking Batteries now on sale at www.airportmarine.com
Thanks and Good Fishin'
Reed Montgomery / Outdoor Writer
Owner / Reeds Guide Service
Alabaster, Alabama (205) 663-1504
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.fishingalabama.com
" Over 40 Years Guiding, Fishing and Exploring Every Lake in Alabama For Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass and Striped Bass "
Always Call on Reeds Guide Service...first!
Alabama's Oldest Professional, Freshwater Fishing Guide Service!
Cold Front Chills Bass In Beaver Lake Before Flw Tour's First Major
FrogTape Pro Brian Travis is fishing the first FLW Major of the year this week
Most anglers have a love-hate relationship with Beaver Lake in Arkansas. Some love it; a lot hate it.
That's the opinion of Brian Travis, pro angler from Conover, N.C., who has been practicing on Beaver this week for the FLW Tour's first Major of the year.
On Sunday, the first day of practice Travis was loving it.
“It was about 68-69 degrees Sunday and I think the fish bit better for everybody. I had seven keepers that day and a lot of people I know caught some big fish on Sunday.”
But the euphoria was short-lived. Things changed quickly Sunday night when a cold front blew a line of storms across the region, dropping temperatures 20 degrees by Monday – and giving the bass a severe case of lockjaw.
That's when Travis began hating Beaver Lake.
“Fishing has been terrible,” Travis said. “I've caught four fish the last two days and no keepers. I've also talked to 10 or 15 other guys and nobody I've talked to is catching fish.”
The first couple of days after the storm, he said, it was hard to find water above the mid-50-degree range. On Tuesday, he noticed it beginning to creep up and found some areas with 48-49 degree water.
“The fish are in pre-spawn and they should be moving up. They had a really cold winter up here, though. Just four weeks ago they had 20 inches of snow, but then it turned off pretty warm.”
And, although the water has warmed slightly, he said, the fish have not moved out of the deeper areas yet.
“I”m sure some have started to move up,” Travis said, hopefully.
Before the storm Sunday night most anglers were catching fish on jerkbaits and crankbaits, he said, with a few coming on Shakey Heads.
The spot he caught those seven good fish on Sunday is along a little bank he discovered in a previous tournament on Beaver Lake.
“I caught a few there and then they fell out in that tournament. But they were there the other day. It is setting up like it could be a good staging place,” he said.
“If it warms up like it is supposed to – it's supposed to be 70 degrees Thursday, the first day of the tournament – I plan to fish that stretch of bank with a jerkbait. If that doesn't pan out I am probably going to run the river where the water is dirty and throw a Wiggle Wart and a jig along the little bluff banks.”
When the tournament is over Travis, who already has a top 20 finish this year, placing 14th in the FLW Tour Open on Lake Okeechobee a month ago, will head to Dallas, Texas, to represent his main sponsor, Frog Tape, at the Great big Texas Home Show at Cowboy Stadium. Frog Tape is a painter's tape treated with Paint Block to keep paint out and lines sharp when painting along edges,
“Things are going really good with Frog Tape and they are happy,” he said of the sponsorship. But, he added, he has some real sponsor competition this year on the FLW Tour.
“3-M came on board with FLW so I've got my hands full. I've got to beat the 3-M boat.” Travis said pro angler Ray Scheide of Dover, Ark., is sponsored this year by 3-M.
But, everybody appears to be in pretty much the same boat when it comes to catching fish in the first FLW Tour Major of the year.
“Everybody is kind of depressed right now, but we will see how this one turns out,” Travis said. “A lot of guys are wondering how it will turn out. Some are thinking 5 pounds a day will make a check.”
Things could change quickly if the weather warms like it is supposed to, he noted.
“They had a winter trail tournament here a week ago and it took over 23 pounds to win it. There are some big ones here. It's just a matter of finding them and getting them to bite.”
FLW Tour Major #1
Lake: Beaver Lake
Landing: Prairie Creek Park
Date: March 3-6, 2011
2011 Progressive Weekend Wrap Up Show Part Two
AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh continues our look back at this past weekend-with a focus on the 2 primary baits that caught most of the fish on Norman-Part Two
2011 Progressive Weekend Wrap Up Show Part One
AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh helps us look back at one great weekend of Tournaments across the region, highlighed by a 30+ LB bag on Chickmauga! Part One
Glasgow Brings In A Sack At The Bassmaster Weekend Series On Guntersville
Glasgow makes big score at Guntersville
ATHENS, Ala. – Allan Glasgow went home $5,000 richer after winning the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series, operated by American Bass Anglers, Alabama North Division 1 tournament, held Feb. 26, 2011, on Lake Guntersville.
The Ashville, Ala., angler landed five bass weighing 27.94 pounds for a 5.58-pound average. He helped his average with a 6.84-pound bucketmouth. Launching at Val-Monte Lakeside Resort, the anglers spread out through the 69,100-acre Tennessee River impoundment.
“I had a terrible practice, but was able to figure out something late,” Glasgow said. “The fish were super shallow. I flipped a black and blue jig with a watermelon red beaver in blow-downs, hitting the ends of the trees in about two feet of water. I had seven bites and they were all big.”
In second for the 108-boat event, Michael Bradford of Scottsboro, Ala., landed a five-bass tournament limit weighing 20.94 pounds. He took home $1,935.
“I mainly threw rattling baits in a shallow creek channel bend with stumps on it,” Bradford explained. “There was about a foot difference in depth and the fish were staying in the three-foot zone. I fished the front of the creeks because the fish were migrating into the creeks. The fish wanted red early in the morning, but after about 9 a.m., they wanted white.”
Casey Whitehead of Robbinsville, N.C., also topped the 20-pound mark with five bass going 20.08 pounds. He earned $1,290 for third place.
“I found some fish a couple weeks ago, but they swam up the channel about half a mile,” Whitehead said. “I caught them on shad pattern spinnerbaits in about four feet of water around isolated grass.”
In fourth, Alex Davis of the hosting town of Guntersville, Ala., caught five bass at 19.85 pounds. Gil Summerlin, also a Guntersville angler, landed three bass for 19.48 pounds, but anchored his bag with a 9.28-pound bruiser to take tournament big bass honors.
“I caught the big one in about eight feet of water along a grass line while throwing a jig,” Summerlin said. “I lost another good one just after that. That fish hit at about noon.”
In the Co-Angler Division, three anglers exceeded 13 pounds with Randy Snyder of Corryton, Tenn., coming out on top with three bass weighing 13.34 pounds, a 4.44-pound average. With more than 100 boats participating, Snyder won a guaranteed $2,500.
“I was throwing a 1/2-ounce Redeye Shad in white, red and gold and slowing it down,” Snyder explained. “In practice about a week ago, I noticed they were hitting that color really well.”
Jon Burt of Fort Payne, Ala., landed in second with a three-bass division limit weighing 13.10 pounds. He anchored his bag with a 6.46-pounder to win $960.
“I caught my fish on a shallow-running square-billed crankbait,” Burt said. “I was targeting grass growing in the shallows. I culled twice.”
In third among the co-anglers, Brian Helderman of Fyfe, Ala., caught three keepers going 13.02 pounds to earn $645. Curtis Norton of Decatur, Ala., took fourth with three bass at 11.94 pounds, followed by Benjamin Curry of Hayden, Ala., with three bass weighing 11.65 pounds.
“We threw blue Rat-L-Traps all day,” Helderman said. “Most of our bites came after about 10 a.m. I caught about two limits.”
Brandon Taylor of Scottsville, Ky., finished in eighth place among the co-anglers with two bass weighing 10.46 pounds. However, one of them tipped the scales at 7.99-pounds, the division lunker.
“I started with five Rat-L-Traps tied on, but found out that we were going to fish deep,” Taylor said. “I scrambled to find some plastics. I caught the big one on a beaver in about 12 feet of water at 11 a.m.”
For more information, call ABA at (888) 203-6222. On line, see www.americanbassanglers.com.
About American Bass Anglers: The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series provides weekend anglers a professionally operated competitive tour with a path the world championship of bass fishing the Bassmaster Classic. American Bass Anglers commitment is to provide low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers and the American Fishing Tour, The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series or the American Couples Series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
Chattanooga Bass Assoc Chickamauga Results
Truck n Trailers, Chattanooga's premier source for trailer repair and truck accessories was proud to host the first CBA event of 2011. Man was it a shoot out! Ole Lady Chick flexed her muscle for this one and put out a ton of big healthy fish. I would like to commend all of the anglers and the guys helping to release the fish, as there were no dead fish penalties and all fish swam away! I want to personally thank everyone who showed up for this historic event. We had a field of 96 boats show up, which is easily a CBA attendence record for Feb. Also, i want to thank all of the other officers and their partners who helped me get through probably the most stressful month of my life! We paid out cash and prizes through 80 places. here is a list of our top finishers:
1. Brandon Roop/ Brent Tharpe 30.26# + 9.43BF=$2000+$480
2. Brian Gladson/ Jim Kimsey 24.50# $950
3. Steve Kite/ Daniel Lewis 23.45# $800+ $100 for being highest finishing Towboat US member!
4. Greg Lamb/ Mark Heatherly 21.91# $750
5. Mark Varaday/ Mark Keith 21.22# $650
6. Richard Graham/ Jerry Webb 20.55# $550
7. Shawn Lusk/ Andy Lusk 20.38# $450
8. Rogne Brown/ Alan Brown 20.21# $400
9. Haden Lamb/ Jeff Richmond Jr. $350
10. Matt Jenkins/ John Mantooth $350 + free entry to March event for highest "New Team"
11. Buddy Gross/ James Milling $300
12. Bob Anthony/ Tony Gilliam $250
13. Galen James/ Tony Townsend $250
14. Mark Morgan/ Vick Welch $200
15. Wes Hardin/ Ron Willerson $200
16. Nick Pratt/ Chris Coffey $150
17. Carter Day/ Eric Caberra $150
Big Fish was 9.43lm caught by Roop/ Tharpe
Big Smallie was 5.07# caught by Steve Barnes and Spencer Smith
Big Spot was caught by Barry Wingo and Kurt Grammar at 3.85#
Again, sorry I didn't have the weights for 10-17th place in front of me. I appreciate everyone who came. I look forward to doing this again in 2 weeks! I would urge all of you to take advantage of the Towboat US incentives being offered by Capt. Shane O'Neal! We will Host the "Signs March Open" on Saturday March 12th. Hope to see you there!
2011 Airport Marine Tt Lake Martin Highlights And Champions
AC Pro Staffer Reed Montgomery gets some great Weigh-in highlights at the Airport Marine Lake Martin Tournament, including a one on one with the Champs-Andy Chapel and Jamie Butler...Congrats guys!!
Crank It Up With Strike King
2011 Buckeye Lures Preview
We visit headquarters at Buckeye Lures outside of Augusta, GA and get an update on some of the new and exciting products that are making their way into a retailer near you-
Catt Lake Wateree Feb 26 Results! Holy Cow!!!
CATT kicked off the 2011 CATT Wateree Trail this past Saturday with 43 teams geared up for some heavy duty bass fishing launching out of Clearwater Cove Marina.The CATT Wateree Trail pays out over $50,000.00 annually!If you want to add more cash to that total check out the new programs added to the 2011 CATT sponsorship team that can put more jingle in your pocket. Basscat Quest, Phoenix first Flight, Legend Advantage and Lock-n-Haul Bonus Award Programs have been added joining Startos 2x and Triton Gold. CATT has paid back over 1 Million in cash to South & North Carolina Anglers!
Robert Ross and Rick McLean: 25 Lbs=Wateree Champions!!
The conditons were right for someone to fill up their livewell with some sows at Wateree Saturday. You could find any water color you liked, spinnerbaits, Rattle Traps, crankbaits and jigs could do the trick plus the water temp was right. 35 of the 43 teams weighed in over 450 lbs of bass. If you didn't weigh in over 17 lbs you missed out on the money. There were easily 40 bass over 4 lbs weighed in. Mark & William Richardson had two bass of their limit weighing exactly 5.95 lbs each! The only thing missing were those 7 pounders that usually make an appearance this time of year but it's a safe bet we'll start seeing some of those larger bass in the coming weeks. Most of the teams said the morning bite was awesome! I would have to say fishing is only going to get better in the next few weeks if the weather is stable and we can get some more dirty water flowing throught the Catawba River.
Robert Ross of Sumter and Rick McLean of Dalzell knew the weather conditons were right for a big bag and they evidently knew where they were living. They brought in a limit of bass weighing a whopping 25.01 lbs taking 1st place. They also weighed in a 6.82 bass to take 1st place Big Fish. Making a very good day even better they also collected the BONUS $. All total they received $1,746.00 pushing thier career CATT winnings over $8,000.00!
Next Wateree CATT is this Saturday March 12th at Clearwater Cove. We have plenty of room for you!
Also we kick off the Lake Norman CATT March 5th at Midway Marine. April 16th is the 1st CATT on Lake Jordan. More info at www.catttrail.com
Brett Collins
2011 Bfl Lake Norman Boater Co-Champion David Williams
BFL Lake Norman Boater Co-Champion David Williams talks about his day as well fellow Co-Boater Champion Keith Kirby's 7+ LB BF which is one heck of a catch here at Lake Norman!!
FOM Eufaula Results
Ronald and Taylor Terry, a father and son team, captured 1st place with a 15.65 pound limit and a 4.67 kicker. Ronald Terry stated “They caught 30 fish on a chrome and blue Rat-L-Trap!” They were fishing points up river from Lakepoint and said they were pretty confident that the bass were staging for the pre-spawn.
Ronald and Taylor Terry: 1st Place Team
Taking the 2nd spot was father and daughter team, Derrick and Kallie Millirons. The Millirons picked up where they left off in the 2010 Legacy Season. Derrick and Kallie weighed in a five fish limit of 12.12 pounds with a big fish weighing 4.87 pounds. Derrick said “We caught our fish with a crank bait around rocks.” Kallie’s not sure exactly how her dad caught the big one, but did demonstrate his ‘cheer’ after getting it in the livewell.
Derrick and Kallie Millirons: 2nd Place Team
Capturing the 3rd spot was Adam Linkenhoker and Cody Byron, one fish shy of a limit. Adam and Cody weighed in 9.29 pounds with a kicker weighing in at 4.07 pounds. They caught their fish throwing Chatterbaits, Spinnerbaits, and Speed Worms.
Special thanks to Sam and Polly Williams and Calvary Baptist Church, our Friday night banquet host.
Place # Fish Biggest Total Total $ $ Breakdown Anglers
1st 5 4.67 15.65 $ 499 Place $340
Big Fish $34
Bonus Bucks $125 Ronald Terry - Taylor Terry
Seale, AL
2nd 5 4.87 12.12 $ 321 Place $195
Big Fish $51
Bonus Bucks $75 Derrick Millirons - Kallie Millirons
Seale, AL
3rd 4 4.07 9.29 $ 186 Place $136
Big Fish $0
Bonus Bucks $50 Adam Linkenhoker - Cody Byron
Columbus, GA
4th 5 9.17 $ 102 Place $102 Clayton Shoupe - Christian Cook
Newton, AL – Dothan, AL
5th 5 2.9 8.95 $ 77 Place $77 Randy Johnson - Logan Johnson
Hogansville, GA
6th 4 7.93 Robbie Sowash - Colton Sowash
Flowery, Branch, GA
7th 2 5.14 Richard Wilson - Stanley Lowe
Forsyth, GA
8th 2 3.38 4.85 Robert Stewart - Charles Weir
Panama City, FL
9th 1 3.21 3.21 Pate Flournoy - Blake Fincher
Birmingham, AL – Phenix City, AL
10th 2 2.87 Michael Gifford - Cassandra Gifford
Eufaula, AL
Fish the Fall Top 5 from Hartwell
1. Lanny Phillips and Jeff Glover 10 fish 37.20 $3000
2. Barton Aiken and Jeff Rohaley 10 fish 35.55 $1000
3. Mike Tidwell and Brock Taylor 10 fish 33.98 $900
4. Cole Hyder and Zach Hyder 10 fish 32.94 $600
5. James Edwards and Larry Williams 10 fish 32.31 $400
Big Fish on Friday Kevin Dye and Brad Perkins 7.37 $350
Big Fish on Sat Cole and Zach Hyder 7.40 $350
Tournament director Dennis Landrum says that these bags were some of the healthiest bass he'd seen come out of Harwell in a long, long time. Most fish were caught on shallow crankbait in 2-6 feet of water. Water was clear main lake, but pockets and creeks very colored. Water temp was 51-55 degree's and secondary pattern would be jerkbaits in 5-10 feet of water. Most anglers went up the river out of Portman fishing the stained water.
Team Palaniuk meets Team Topwater at 2011 Bassmaster Classic
Watching coverage of 2011 Bassmaster Classic on ESPN2 this weekend? You'll notice that rookie Brandon Palaniuk gave the big guns a run for their money. Miles 'Sonar' Burghoff caught up with Brandon's little sister, Bri, to find out what the mood is like in the Palaniuk family.
Vicious Pro Patrick Pierce shows us a perfect knot to use with Fluorocarbon line!
From the floor of the Bassmaster Classic Expo, Patrick Pierce demonstrates a knot that will allow fluorocarbon line to retain its strength without cutting into itself. This is good news for those who try NEW Vicious Pro Elite.
Denny Brauer shows AnglersChannel.com the Strike King Tungsten Weights He Designed!
As you watch Bassmaster Classic footage on ESPN2 this weekend, check out AnglersChannel.com for a couple more clips from the Classic Expo in New Orleans. For example, in this video Denny Brauer speaks with AnglersChannel.com about the Strike King Tungsten Weights that Denny designed. No insert, superior paint job - first class alll the way!
Countdown to Blastoff 2011 Week 6 Part 2
AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh and Shooter Jigs Founder Louie Hull continue our preveiw of the BFL on Lake Norman as well as some baits that Rob and Louie both agree could be a factor this sat-and its not a JIG!!
Countdown to Blastoff 2011 Week 6 Part 1
AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh and Shooter Jigs Founder Louie Hull join us at Lake Norman to discuss the upcoming BFL on Norman this Sat as well as some other BIG tournaments coming to our region this weekend-Part 1
Check Out Rico's High End Hard Baits!!!
Take a look inside the Rico Lures booth at the 2011 Bassmaster Classic as we celebrate 20 years of expensive-but-worth-every-penny success! The Rico Suave is a top seller and the whole series gets a facelift - actually a new color pattern.
Airport Marine Team Trail Results - Lake Martin - February 19, 2011
There were 72 boats that contained teams consisting of 144 of Alabama's best bass anglers, most of which just came out of late winter's state of hibernation looking for a cure for their bad case of cabin fever...and most of these anglers found it real fast on Alabama's Lake Martin this past Saturday, February 19. Over 50 of those teams weighed in bass on this partly cloudy day, following a week-long warming trend, with air temps in the upper-60's to low-70's including slowly, rising water temperatures in the 50's.
Perfect conditions for catching a bunch of pre-spawn bass!
There were buddy teams (that paid 12 places - 1st place paid $2000), parent and child teams (paying 3 places - 1st place paid $500), and male and female teams (paying 3 places - 1st place paid $500), all that were paid a nice first place pay day in each class.
* First Place Buddy Team - Andy Chappell & Jamie Butler - 5 bass weighing 18.66 pounds.
* Second Place Buddy Team - Chris Dill & Vern Moody - 5 bass weighing 15.48 pounds - (including the biggest largemouth bass - weighing 7.30 pounds)
* Second Place Buddy Team - Marty Giddens & Kim Giddens - 15.16 pounds
* It took 11.69 pounds (for 12th place) to get in the money on the buddy team pay out.
* Although most anglers caught some bass, there were some anglers that did not. There were 17 boats that turned in a zero weight for the day.
* See www.airportmarinetrails.com for the entire Lake Martin Tournament results, pay outs, pictures and the entire 2011 tournament schedule for all of Airport Marine's Buddy Trails, Annual Events and Solo Trail Tournament Trails.
OUR DAY
So how did our day go?
I fished this tournament with Terry Davidson. In all, we had about 25 bass that day. We made about 2000 long casts each that day and utilized a slow, stop and go presentation. I think most bites we had were instinct / reaction strikes from smaller male bass that had just moved shallow this past week. All but one of those 25 bass (that one I caught on a jig and craw combo) came on shallow to mid-diving crankbaits. Almost every bass we caught that day was near the bank in 1-3 feet of water.
Our day started off with a nice 5 bass limit in the boat by 7 a.m. One of our 3 best bass that day was caught by Terry on his very first cast of the day, fooled on a shallow diving crankbait. Another nice bass I caught at mid morning came on a jig & craw combo fishing brush in 10 feet of water. Up in the day Terry had another good bass caught in 3 feet of water on a mid-diving crankbait. Also, there was one key bass Terry lost...the only bass either of us lost all day, one that probably kept us just out of the money.
We placed 13th with 11.69 pounds. Just one spot out of the money. Our day came to a rather reluctant end when Terry hooked a very strong fish at 2 p.m. It was laying in 2 feet of water, right next to a Christmas tree brush pile. It looked to weigh about 8 pounds and it was caught on a shallow diving crankbait. But in this BASS tournament you cannot weigh in a cat fish...so he threw it back. Had that cat fish been a bass it would have moved us into second place for the day with over 15 pounds. But, it wasn't.
LAKE MARTIN CONDITIONS
In the past few weeks Alabama anglers have seen 2-3 inches of snow that quickly melted in a couple of days. Lake Martin water temperatures then were in the low 40's and the lake down 8 feet in early February. Two weeks ago a warming trend of 60-70 degrees began. Saturday, Feb. 19 the morning water temperature was 51 degrees at blast off in Airport Marine's Tournament. Some anglers reported seeing water temps close to 60 degrees by 2 p.m. that day.
With no rain in weeks the mid-to-upper lake is rather clear. Normally, in late February it is cold in the mid 40's and heavily stained. With heavy rain and thundershowers predicted for tonight and Friday all this could change by this weekend. Also the lake is slowly rising now at 7 feet below normal full pool lake levels.
So what can anglers expect that are planning on fishing Saturday's March 5 FLW Outdoors Bass Fishing League Tournament? Lots of bass weighed in that's what! Although most major bass tournaments held on Lake Martin during the early spring period are won with an average weight of 15 -16 pounds there is always a pair of anglers that may find bigger bass.
Water temperatures on Lake Martin should exceed 60 degrees by this Saturday, March 5 with mid-60's air temps predicted for Lake Martin. Coupled with rising waters and Martin's bass will be moving shallow to prepare for their annual rituals of bedding and making beds.
Wood cover and rock cover will hold bass in the shallows. It may take multiple casts with a variety of lures featuring several different presentations, to even get these now highly pressured bass to bite. Or it could mean fishing slow. Or it could call for covering water and fishing fast hitting as many key spots as you possibly can in one days time. We will just have to wait and see!
FISHING NEWS AND WEBSITES
* GUIDED TRIPS TO ANY ALABAMA LAKE
Stumped? Tired of trying to figure out these early spring season bass with little or no help? Always call on Reeds Guide Service...first! (205) 663-1504 or E-mail [email protected] Website www.fishingalabama.com Not only for fishing Lake Martin but for targeting bass on any lake in Alabama. "Alabama's oldest, professional "bass fishing only" freshwater guide service, for over 40 years guiding on all of Alabama's lakes for largemouth bass, spotted bass, smallmouth bass, and huge, striped bass"
Call me or e-mail me today to book / reserve your fishing trip date. Booking fast for spring and summer on all Alabama lakes! Corporate guided trips, family outings with several professional guides and boats, tournament anglers welcome, parent and child learning trips, discounts on two day or more guided trips, year round on all Alabama lakes! See the Guide Service link on my website www.fishingalabama.com for more info.
* CHECK OUT MY NEW WEBSITE! WWW.FISHINGALABAMA.COM SAME NAME - ALL NEW LOOK, NEW CONTENTS, FISHING REPORTS, FISHING TIPS, OLD AND NEW PICTURES, NEW FISHING LINKS, FISHING ARTICLES, ETC. FOR FISHING ALL OF ALABAMA'S LAKES YEAR ROUND IN ALL SEASONS!
* HUNTING AND FISHING ITEMS, NEW STORE and NEW LOOK! Check out www.marksoutdoors.com for all your outdoor needs! Coming to Marks Thursday, March 10 "Turkey Day Outdoor Cookout" with free food and hundreds of fishing and hunting bargains! All at Marks Outdoors Sports in Vestavia, Alabama! See you there!
* LOOKING FOR A NEW OR USED BOAT? Go to Airport Marine in Clanton, Alabama. or check out their website www.airportmarine.com for new and used boats, parts, expert mechanic work and a great sales staff. Also see their tournaments at www.airportmarinetrails.com Next tournament is on Guntersville Lake Saturday, March 12 out of Goosepond boat launch! Get there early to sign up, should be a huge crowd! See you there!
* WORLDS BEST BASS BOAT? See www.rangerboats.com newly designed website!
* NEW WEBSITES IN ALABAMA See www.bassnboat.com and www.bamabass.com and my new website www.fishingalabama.com !
* NEED NEW BOAT TROLLING OR CRANKING BATTERIES? Check out Exide Batteries! You can see a link to their website EXIDE BATTERIES on the home page of my website www.fishingalabama.com I have been using these 3 excellent batteries furnished by Airport Marine for my Ranger Bass Boat since the Fall of 2010. They hold a great charge all day, I have never ran down the trolling motor battery's and the 1000 amp cranking battery will last all day and keep a full charge. Even when not running the boat and running the live wells all day it never fails to crank that big outboard motor!
* WBRC FOX 6'S GOOD DAY ALABAMA MORNING SHOW - See Reed Montgomery Owner of Reeds Guide Service make his next appearance Tuesday, March 29 at 8 a.m. on Fox 6's Good Day Alabama morning show. Reed is on this very popular show seen state wide every, "Last Tuesday of each month" on Fox 6 Television now for over 6 years, answering all your fishing questions with his "Ask the Angler" Question and Answer session each month!
Thanks and Good Fishin' !
Reed Montgomery / Outdoor Writer
Owner / Reeds Guide Service
Alabaster, Alabama (205) 663-1504
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.fishingalabama.com
" Over 40 Years Guiding, Fishing and Exploring Every Lake in Alabama For Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass and Striped Bass "
Always Call on Reeds Guide Service...first!
Alabama's Oldest Professional, Freshwater Fishing Guide Service!
Fishers of Men NC Piedmont Division Results - Belews Lake - Feb 19, 2011
The Fishers of Men National Team Trail, NC Piedmont Division kicked off the 2011 season on the steam plant waters of Belews Lake outside of Winston-Salem, NC on Feb 19th.
The evening before the tournament had the teams meeting at Edgewood Baptist Church on Reidsville Road and all of the anglers had a great night of fellowship, food and fun. Division director Mike Sides challenged the anglers to avoid being lukewarm…like the trout…comfortable with the surroundings. He suggested Christians be like the bass…knowing what it wants, being particular about its surroundings. Six anglers rededicated their lives at the meeting…what a great start!
The morning of the 19th brought breezy conditions and clear skies for the 37 teams testing the waters of Belews. When all was done, a number of bass were weighed in, and everyone had a good time.
Finishing in first place was the team of Stephen Singleton and Bradley Singleton with a 5 bass limit of 11.85 pounds and taking home $1066.00. Second place was taken by the team of Bill Kohls and Joe Nieser bringing 10.82 pounds to the scales and earning $600 for their efforts.
Taking third place was the team of Robert Mixon and Steve Sink with 10.76 pounds and wining $578.50. The team of Joseph Ratcliff and Josh Akers took fourth with 10.50 pounds, including the big fish tipping the scales at 3.86 pounds and earning $622. Fifth place was won by James Allred and Clarence Brickey with 10.22 pounds giving them a check for $401.50.
Sixth place went to Dean Collins and Ray Furr with 10.20 pounds putting $266 in their pockets. The final paying spot of $200 went to the seventh place team of Joel Richardson and Neal Stockton with 9.66 pounds.
23 of the 37 teams weighed in 5 fish limits and all but two of the teams brought fish to the scales. What a great tournament! The next stop on the trail will be at Lake Norman on March 19th.
The Lake Norman Tournament will be held at McCrary Creek Ramp on Hwy 150 aproximately 10 miles out of Mooresville at the hwy 150 bridge. The Friday night meeting will be held at Peninsula Baptist Church. Registration begins at 5:30 pm. Directions to the church are as follows: traveling West from I-77 on hwy 150 just as you begin to get out of the business district, turn left on Williamson Dr. (turn right coming from the lake) go approximately 2 miles and turn right on Brawley School Rd. The church will be about one half mile on your left.
We cannot do this without the help of our sponsors…
Our Divisional sponsors are: Nester Hoisery, Snyders Packaging, Tamarac Marina, Ben Franklin; Atty at Law, Cagles General Store and Flow Motors.
Our tournament sponsors are: Sports Fisherman’s Center, Bass Pro Shops,Anglers Choice Marine, The Trophy House, Asheboro Alarm and Electric Co.,.Cashion Custom Rods,Pine Ridge Store Bens Salvage, Lead Chunkers and Carolina Marina.
Sponsoring our Adult/Jr. teams is Lyerly Dental and the door prize sponsors are: Advance Auto, Hwy 49 Sporting Goods, Fishing Fever, Get The Net Bait Co., Flemming Candy Co., Happy Farms, Tournament Lure Concepts. Fisherman's Friend , Capt Garys Instant Shine, Ron Moore Landscaping, Rudys Tackle, S&C Garage, Country Christian Book Store and Deep Creek Lures. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the fine companies that make Fishers of Men possible: Skeeter Boats, Yamaha,, Strike King Lure Company, Markel Marine Insurance, Abu Garcia, Power-Pole, Nester Hosiery, Marshall’s Marine Lake City SC, Keelshield, Solar Bat, Kistler,,Berkley, Spot Remover, Stanley Jigs,Gary 'Yamamoto, Jacobs Glass,and Dual Pro Charger.
For information on fishing our trail, contact Mike Sides at [email protected]!
Effects Of Winter Storm Make Fishing Tough For Bass Central Open On Lake Lewisville
Although temperatures have been warming, the residual effects of the winter blizzard that blanketed the Dallas area the week of the Super Bowl are still being felt in Lake Lewisville as anglers prepare for the opening tournament of the year on the Bassmaster Central Opens schedule.
“I was fortunate to get a few bites Monday, but today they have been hard to come by,” said David Mansue, a retired New Jersey law enforcement officer who now calls Hemphill, Texas, home. “I am hoping the water will warm up and some of the fish will move to the bank and be easier to get to.”
Two weeks ago Dallas was covered with a record snowfall of 12.5 inches, followed by an ice storm that sent water temperatures plummeting in area lakes. Lake Lewisville is a half hour's drive north of Dallas, so it has felt the brunt of the unusual winter weather.
Mansue, who practiced on Lake Lewisville last week, said the water temperature then was 41 degrees.
“We had a rather warm week in Dallas this week and the temperatures came up considerably. The high was in the low 50s, but then a cold front came in and chilled things down about 6 or 7 degrees.”
Although 2011 Bassmaster Classic Champion Kevin VanDam weighed in 58 pounds, 12 ounces, including a 12-pounder, in the June 2005 Elite Series event on Lake Lewisville, no one expects that kind of outcome in the three-day Open which begins Thursday.
Because it is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lake, there are very few docks and boathouses, and, Mansue said, there is no grass, so anglers will have to target rock and wood structure.
He said anglers likely will have to stay on the move to catch the winning weight because the bait and fish are moving a lot.
“A small crankbait around that wood and rock and maybe a spinnerbait will be the way to go,” he said. “Try to burn it down the bank. It's quite possible that could win the thing for somebody.”
While he considers the jig to be his forte, Mansue said he's not sure this tournament is one to rely on the jig – “but I sure will have one out on the deck.”
Mansue competed in the BASS Top 150 and the BASS Tour before it became the Elite Series while he was still working as second in command of a 55-man police department in New Jersey.
“I've been on the road now for 10 or 11 years and this is something I can concentrate on now that I am retired,” he said. Mansue, who won the 2009 Northern Open Tournament on the Chesapeake Bay, is fishing the Central Opens, Southern Opens and the PAA Tour events this year.
A full field will compete Thursday and Friday, with the top 12 anglers and top 12 co-anglers advancing to the final round on Saturday.
Many of the anglers, including Mansue, have already signed up to host wounded soldiers in a special tournament Saturday on Lake Grapevine, just to the west of Lake Lewisville, if they do not qualify for the championship round.
About 15 three-angler teams will participate in the no entry fee Wounded Warrior Benefit Tournament.. One of the team members will be a pro who provides the boat, and the other two team members will be soldiers. Each boat can bring in one five-fish limit.
“All of us who participate on the pro side hope we will be fishing Saturday, but if not we still win,” Mansue said. “We get the opportunity to take some real American heroes on the water and enjoy a day of fishing with them – and hopefully, catch some fish. It will be a great experience for them and for us as well to honor those men and women who have made such a sacrifice for our country.”
Bassmaster Opens Central Division
Feb. 24-26, 2011
Lake Lewisville
Lewisville Lake Park
2011 Feb Sportsmans Warehouse Report with AC and FLW Pro Dearal Rodgers
Anglerschannel.com Pro Staffer Dearal Rodgers joins us at Sportsmans Warehouse in Columbia, SC for a great preview of some BIG TOURNAMENTS coming to the region this weekend, including some outstanding tips for several of these monster fisheries!!
2011 State Of The Union With Randy Hopper Part 1
2011 State Of The Union With Randy Hopper Part 2
Georgia Lakes - Tournament Results - February 2011
American Bass Angler's Results for Lake Oconee 1/29/2011
1. Randall Woodham - 15.22 lbs.
2. Mike York - 10.75 lbs.
3. Albert Mcnair - 7.17 lbs.
4. Gerald Powe - 6.73 lbs.
5. David Fox - 5.86 lbs.
Oconee Marine Results for Lake Sinclair 1/30/2011
1. T. Adams/J. Whaley - 15.60 lbs.
2. A. Batson/M. Mincey - 15.34 lbs.
3. W. Sizer/T. Waters - 14.98 lbs.
Fishermen of Men Tournament Results for Lake Seminole 2/12/2011
1. Kyle Henderson/Matt Baty - 31.74 lbs
2. Randy Duncan/Adam Linkenhoker - 31.07 lbs.
3. Hubert Stafford/Steve Holt - 23.00 lbs.
4. Paul Tyre/Chris Bell - 21.10 lbs.
5. Steve Strickland/Stephen McCord - 20.62 lbs.
C & R Outdoors Tournament Results for Lake Seminole 2/13/2011
1. Steve Bushore/Jeff Wenhold - 21.20 lbs.
2. Ryan Weathersby/Brent East - 9.80 lbs.
3. Stanley Chandler/Kyle Brooks - 6.10 lbs.
Big Bass - Steve Bushmore/Jeff Wenhold - 5.60 lbs.
Fishermen Of Men Tournament Results for Lake Oconee 2/19/2011
1. Jack Morris/John Duvall - 15.62 lbs
2. Kevin Stowers/Rick Steckelberg - 14.31 lbs.
3. Alan Hampton/Steve Perdue - 12.47 lbs.
4. Eric White - 11.92 lbs.
5. Ty King/R L Wingo - 11.46 lbs.
R & R Outdoor Promotions Tournament Results for Lake Seminole 2/20/2011
1. Tommy King/Flint King - 28.20 lbs.
2. Robert Tindell/Rick Tendell - 25.14 lbs.
3. Darrel Jordan/Bradley Effinger - 24.91 lbs.
4. Terry Stevens/Clint Brown - 24.07 lbs.
5. Hubert Stafford/Steve Holt - 23.40 lbs.
**Look for March Tournament Results and Lake Reports Coming Soon!
"IF YOU BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, YOUR DREAMS WILL COME TRUE"
Until Next Time,
Brad Sears
NEW 2011 Evinrude E-TEC 250 HO from the Inside Out!
BRP/Evinrude tech, Pat shows us what makes the NEW E-TEC run like never before! Get an inside view of this beautiful machine!
The 2011 Lake Fork Trophy Lures Hyper Stick
Army Bass Anglers and Lake Fork Pro Staffer Chad Nelson goes over the new colors for the 2011 Hyper Stick and why this bait is going to win lots of anglers around our region some serious $$!!
