Bassmaster Elite Series Pros To Rumble June 21-24 On The Mississippi River
LA CROSSE, Wis. — Because he grew up on the Arkansas River, pro angler Billy McCaghren is considered one of the Bassmaster Elite Series’ “river rats.” The term doesn’t imply he’s a bad guy, only that he knows and loves to fish rivers.
That goes double for the Mississippi River fishery for the Thursday through Sunday Bassmaster Elite Series competition out of La Crosse’s Veterans Freedom Park, the Mississippi River Rumble.
After all, the Mississippi is the river on which McCaghren came very close to winning an Elite event in his rookie year. He led on the third day, but ended in third place behind winner Kevin Short — another river rat from Arkansas. That was the 2009 Mississippi River Rumble out of Fort Madison, Iowa, the event that helped McCaghren go on to win the Rookie of the Year title.
There’s one more reason McCaghren is raring to rumble again on the Mississippi.
“I’m ready to fish shallow water,” he said. “In the past three Elite tournaments, the fish have been deep. I’ve never competed on this part of the Mississippi, but I feel I understand it much more than I do those deep lakes.”
McCaghren, who still lives just a few minutes from the Arkansas River in Mayflower, Ark., was one of 99 professional anglers who arrived in La Crosse in time for the official Monday through Wednesday practice period. They’ll begin the competition Thursday morning at 6:15 a.m. Takeoff will be out of Veterans Freedom Park in La Crosse. The pros will return to the park each day through Sunday to weigh their catches beginning at 3:15 p.m.
The 2012 Rumble’s first prize is $100,000 and an instant entry in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic. The pros also will be out to earn points, which count toward a postseason entry and qualification for the 2013 Classic.
The pros also will fight for ground in the season-long Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race. Brent Chapman of Lake Quivira, Kan., leads going into the Rumble. But David Walker of Sevierville, Tenn., trails Chapman by just 15 points. Several other red-hot pros aren’t far behind, so the Rumble’s stakes are high.
Water levels on the stretch of the Mississippi within tournament boundaries are expected to dictate the pros’ patterns. But McCaghren already knew that fact before he scouted all three pools — Nos. 7, 8 and 9 — before the official off-limits period began a month ago.
“Regardless of high or low or in between, what you want in a river situation is stable water,” he said. “They can drop it so fast. That’s what happened to me (in the 2009 event) between the third and fourth days. I was fishing extremely shallow water, and my fish moved when the level dropped overnight. The beauty of that for Kevin (Short) was he had a place with deeper water.”
The quality of the Mississippi fishery out of La Crosse is so high that the Elite field should have a wide choice of spots, he said.
“There are a lot of lakes and tons of aquatic vegetation,” he said. “There’s so much backwater, a guy will be able to do anything he wants to if we hit it (the water level) right.”
The tournament waters stretch 66 miles, measured roughly from Dam 6 near Trempealeau, Wis., south to Dam 9 near Lynxville, Wis. The boundaries encompass three pools, 7-9. The takeoff point at La Crosse is within Pool 8.
McCaghren said that because the water levels didn’t appear to be drastically different from pool to pool, locking through should not eat up too much competition time and thus could be a feasible game plan. And the bite in all three pools looked promising when he scouted them, he added.
How many pounds will be needed to make it to the final-day Top 12 and a chance at the Classic berth and $100,000 first prize? He’s heard “dock talk” estimates of 16 to 18 pounds a day.
“It’s usually more than what everyone is saying,” he said. “But from what I’ve seen, the weights will be close, and it will come down to ounces.”
Fans are invited to watch the event at Veterans Freedom Park. Weigh-ins will begin at 3:15 p.m. CT. The no-admission Bassmaster Elite Series Family Festival will be open on Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. A free shuttle service to and from the park will be provided. The stops are identified on a map in the event’s program.
All Bassmaster fan activities are free and open to the public.
Millsaps And Walker Win The Tom's Marine Tt Event On Douglas Lake-Full Results Here!
On June 16th Toms Marine Team Trail held it's 5th tournament of the season and had 104 boats entry the event. Douglas continues to yield huge bags of fish with 2 more 20+ pound sacks being brought to the scales. The biggest of the day belonged to Kelley Millsaps and Keith Walker who brought in 21.33-pound limit. That nice bag of fish earned them the $2500 first prize. A close second was the team of Greg and Casey Woods who earned $1000 for their 20.45-pound limit. Billy Nash and Butch Goddards third place bag of 18.76-pounds included the tournaments lunker largemouth and earned them $1000 as well. Fourth place and $380 went to Tim Smiley and Steve Gibson for their 17.17-pound limit. Rounding out the top 5 and winning $380 was Tony Wilson and Jason Lake with 16.95-pounds. Visit our web site at www.tomsmarinetn.com for more photos and information, and full results are attached here as well:
Tom's Marine TT Champions Kelly Millsaps & Keith Walker: 21.33 Earned the Champs $2500!!
Tom's Marine TT Douglas June 12' 2nd Place Team-Greg and Casey Woods: 20.45 earned Team Woods $1000!
Better Decision Making Boosts Robinson Into Top 10 In Elite Aoy Standings
The group of guys Marty Robinson hung around with in high school was not your typical teenage gang. The only thing they were interested in was catching bass.
“I got into bass fishing probably in the seventh grade. A couple of my buddies from school knew a lot about it because their dads got them into it, so we started hanging out and fishing together,” said the Bassmaster Elite Series Angler from Lyman, S.C.
“I saved up my money and bought an old ski boat with a walk-through windshield. I used an Igloo cooler as a live well and built a deck on the front and bought a trolling motor. My buddies and I would put all the lakes around in a hat and pull one out and that's where we'd go fishing on a Saturday. We'd go and stay on the lake from daylight to dark.”
By the time he was a sophomore or junior in high school Robinson had already tasted tournament fishing and found he really liked the competitive aspect of the sport.
“It lit a fire under my feet,” he said. He joined a local club and began fishing tournaments.
Seven years ago he fished the Bassmaster Southern Opens and did well enough to qualify for the Elite Series and he's fished the Elites for the past six years, finally qualifying this past year for the Bassmaster Classic held Feb. 24-26 on the Red River at Shreveport-Bossier City, La. He finished a respectable 29th in his first BASS championship.
So far the 2012 season is his best ever in Elite Series Competition. He started off by finishing 20th on the St. Johns River in Florida in mid-March, then 34th on Lake Okeechobee in late March. His record dipped to 64th on Bull Shoals Lake in April, but he bounced back with a 14th place finish on Douglas Lake in Tennessee in May. Robinson capped his season so far with a third place finish last week on Toledo Bend, which moved him into 9th place in the Angler of the Year points race. Just 52 points behind AOY leader Brent Chapman.
“I think the reason I am doing so much better this year is that I have built up a lot of confidence year after year. And when your confidence starts to build, you make better decisions on the water. The final result is better finishes all around, so I'd say my success is mainly due to better decision making,” he said.
Although he has never fished the Mississippi River near Lacrosse, Wis., where the Elite Series heads next weekend, Robinson figures he has as good a chance as anybody in the field since no Bassmaster events have been held in the area for years.
“I'm always excited about going to a new place where BASS has not been for a while,” he said. “Nobody has any good contacts built up so it kind of levels the playing field.”
Although the fishery is far north of most traditional BASS tournament sites, Robinson said from what he has been able to learn it is a really good bass fishery.
“The weights are up pretty high in tournaments held in that part of the Mississippi River,” he said. The only fly in the ointment is the recent heavy rains in the area that has brought the river up several feet, but Robinson said by tournament time he thinks the water level will be back down to a good fishable level.
“It's going to be typical river fishing and that plays into my style of fishing,” he said. “That section of the river has a huge amount of backwaters to fish, with a lot of submergent vegetation, a lot of lily pads and a lot of wood, so there is a lot of cover for fish to live in.”
With all that flat water off the main river channel, he said, the anglers can spread out and not have to fish on top of each other.
“I consider myself a shallow water fisherman and a jig is probably my best lure, so I think that technique suits the river,” he said.
Bassmaster Elite Series
Jun 21-24, 2012
Mississippi River near LaCrosse, WI
Copeland Park
Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail Averaging Over 200 Boats Per Tournament
While some tournament trails are struggling in a poor economy and high gasoline prices, the Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail just keeps rocking along with near record entries. The series' top entry in 2011 was 178 boats for a tournament, but this year the trail has topped 200 three times while averaging 205 boats per tournament, with top entries of 223 and 224.
“People are telling me our average entry per tournament makes us about the second biggest trail in the country,” said tournament Director Chris Lucas, “ so we must be doing something right. They keep coming back.”
Lucas already had more than 100 boats entered early this week for Saturday's tournament on Smith Mountain Lake.
“We may be flirting with 200 entries again,” he said. “I don't really know what to expect because a lot of teams have already got their four tournaments in.”
Anglers must fish four of the six tournaments on the schedule to qualify for the Classic Oct. 13-14 on Smith Mountain Lake, Lucas said.
“We were concerned going into the season about the high gas prices, but that did not hurt us,” he said. “Now the gas prices have come down, the weather is not too hot and the fish are biting so I expect we will have another big turnout.”
Among the perks that attract such large entries, he said, are the fact that they feed the fishermen at every tournament, give away “a ton” of door prizes, guarantee a minimum $2,000 for first place in each tournament and have manufacturer's contingency programs.
“The boat we give away at the Classic is not a run-of-the-mill boat either,” he said. “It's a new Ranger Z118 boat with a Mercury Opti Max motor and trailer and Lowrance electronics. We doll that boat up a lot and we have a lot of people wanting to win it.”
And that does not count the contingency money, he noted, with the Ranger Cup, Stratos 2X and Triton Gold programs.
“The first place team in our last tournament won $10,000 in Triton Gold. For a $100 entry fee that is a pretty good deal.”
While the fish are biting, some anglers say fishing is getting tough, Lucas said.
“But, you know, in these big tournaments somebody will figure them out. We are starting early in this tournament, 6 o'clock, to give everybody a shot at the early topwater bite, and we get off the water at 2 o'clock before it gets too hot.”
After the early morning topwater bite, Lucas said fish will probably be caught on drop-shots throughout the day, with some also coming on Carolina rigs and crankbaits.
Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail
Sat, Jun 16, 2012
Smith Mountain Lake
Parkway Marina
Call Chris Lucas 276-358-0844
'long-Lining' Could Rule In Tom's Marine Team Tournament On Douglas Lake Saturday
Tim Smiley and Steve Gibson won the May 19 tournament on Cherokee with 17.43 lbs!
“Long-lining” or “strolling,” a new fishing technique that seems to have displaced the Alabama Rig for controversy, is expected to dominate fishing in the Tom's Marine Team Trail Tournament Saturday after local anglers on Douglas Lake “got schooled” on it by the BASS Elite Series Anglers in the Douglas Lake Challenge last month.
“The Elite Series pros taught a lot of the fishermen on Douglas Lake about long-lining which allows them to work big crankbaits down in 30 to 40 feet of water,” said Tom's Marine Tournament Director Richard McMaster. “A lot of big stringers have been showing up on Douglas Lake since that Elite Series tournament. They are still catching fish on Carolina Rigs, but those pros really showed these local guys a bunch.”
In that Elite Series tournament May 3-6, eventual winner Jeremy Starks of Scott Depot, W.Va., employed the long-lining technique to land a four-day total of 81 pounds, 2 ounces, of bass to win by 2 pounds, 1 ounce over Britt Myers of Lake Wylie, S.C. Myers was also using the long-line technique to catch his bass.
While Starks was targeting schools of bass relating to a deep hump at the end of a long point, Myers was after big, single bass he located on his electronics.
The long-lining technique, which has been compared to trolling, is very simple, McMaster said.
“You can only cast a crankbait so far. You get on one side of a point, cast behind the boat, then free spool the line across the point, using the trolling motor or even the big motor to get it out, until the spool is almost empty. Then, when you reel in 300 yards of line, the crankbait will dig down deep.”
The key is to speed reel, cranking the reel as hard as you can.
“Crankbaits that normally run about 17 feet deep will get down to 35-38 feet deep when you long-line,” McMaster said. “so, instead of making 200 casts a day, you might only make 50 to 80 cast because it takes to long to reel it back in.”
The controversy arises because most tournament rules do not allow lures to be moved by the pull of a boat's motor. But, since there is tension on the line as the boat moves, some anglers believe the lure moves even before the cranking begins.
Among the average fishermen, McMaster said, it is about as controversial as the Alabama Rig. And, he noted, at the halfway point in the season there is not much that can be done about it as far as the rules go.
Whatever technique the anglers use, McMaster said he expects between 100 and 130 boats for Saturday’s tournament and a lot of limits should be weighed in.
“We are hoping the air temperature will stay down a little bit. The humidity has been terrible. They are calling for decent temperatures in the mid-80s, but if the humidity stays up it could be miserable fishing, especially if the sun comes up.”
David Mullins and Brent Hoskins, who won the Tom's Marine Championship in 20122, lead the points going into Saturday’s tournament, more than 8 pounds ahead of the second place team.
“They have been fishing out of the boat they won last year and they just picked up this year where they left off last year,” McMaster said. The winners of the championship this year will take home a new Ranger Z119 bass boat to fish out of next season, he said.
“I's like to give a special thanks to Tom’s Marine and Ranger Boats,” McMaster said. He also noted that the series has most contingency programs, including Triton Gold, the Ranger Cup and Stratos 2X, plus the Tom's Marine, Watson Marine and Bunch Marine $500 bonus program.
There is also a new incentive this year from Ramey Ford. If you own a 2007 or newer truck that you bought new from Ramey Ford and you win one of the 2012 regular season Tom's Team Trail tournaments you'll receive an additional $500 from Ramey Ford.
The series will take a break for the summer and resume Sept. 15 on Cherokee Lake, with the Classic October 27-28, Day 1 on Cherokee Lake and Day 2 on Douglas Lake. Entry fee is $100 plus a $10 lunker fee for all one-day tournaments.
Tom's Marine Team Trail
Sat, Jun 16, 2012
Douglas Lake
Shady Grove Access
Call Richard McMaster 423-748-3240
Airport Marine June Lay Lake Champions Chris Rutland And Coby Carden Win With 24.41!!
Chris Rutland and Coby Carden win again on the Airport Marine Team Trail with a whopping 24.41 LB's on a hot day in June. We grab them just after weighing-in with AC Pro Staffer Reed Montgomery-
Airport Marine June Lay Lake Weigh-In Highlights Including A 24+ Lb Sack!
There are always some excellent bags at any Airport Marine Tournament, but this 24 Lb'er you'll see here is about as good as it gets anywhere in the country for June..................
Hamrick And Pope Win The Greene Boat And Motor Tt On Wylie By Almost 4 Lbs!!
Big win for Scott Hamrick and Roger Pope as they take the final qualifier event of the season for the Greene Boat and Motor Team Trail with 5 fish for just over 18 Lbs. Here are the full results:
| Greenes Tournament Results June 9 | ||||||
| BIG FISH | # DEAD | TOTAL | ||||
| Boat | Team | # FISH | WEIGHT | FISH | WEIGHT | Points |
| 1 | Scott Hamrick/Roger Pope | 5 | 5.29 | 18.33 | 100 | |
| 2 | Tim Chapman/Mark Leech | 5 | 3.31 | 14.43 | 99 | |
| 3 | Louie Hull/Chuck Montgomery | 5 | 3.77 | 12.65 | 98 | |
| 4 | Thomas Richmond/Artie Phillips | 5 | 4.52 | 12.07 | 97 | |
| 5 | Ken Cross/Eddie Smith | 5 | 3.53 | 11.55 | 96 | |
| 6 | David/Daniel Gunderman | 5 | 3.63 | 11.48 | 95 | |
| 7 | Ron Farrow/Mike Allman | 5 | 2.26 | 11.30 | 94 | |
| 8 | Jay Adams/Jay Adams Jr. | 5 | 2.19 | 11.07 | 93 | |
| 9 | Parks Jones/Daniel Hill | 5 | 2.48 | 10.70 | 92 | |
| 10 | Gene Webster/Peyton Webster | 5 | 2.49 | 10.25 | 91 | |
| 11 | Terry Rosell/Kyle Westerman(Jim Davis) | 5 | 2.73 | 9.86 | 90 | |
| 12 | David Winters/Brian Huskins | 5 | 3.05 | 9.75 | 89 | |
| 13 | Mike Stephens | 5 | 2.59 | 1 | 9.61 | 88 |
| 14 | Erwin Gaston/Derek Lilly | 5 | 2.09 | 9.35 | 87 | |
| 15 | Joe Hansil/Ted Mobley | 5 | 2.03 | 9.20 | 86 | |
| 16 | Travis/Amanda O Quinn | 5 | 2.08 | 9.12 | 85 | |
| 17 | Ryan Shoaf | 5 | 1.75 | 8.25 | 84 | |
| 18 | Jerry Dean/Tony Sanders | 3 | 2.21 | 4.97 | 83 | |
| 19 | Don Poteat | 10 | ||||
| 20 | Keith Hargett/George Hargett | 10 | ||||
| 21 | Allan Rae/Michael Carver | 10 | ||||
| 22 | Doug Dellinger | 10 | ||||
| 23 | Bill Greer | 10 |
Piedmont Bass Classic Spring Trail Qualifier Results - Falls Lake - Jun 9, 2012
Scott Smith & Tony Woodard topped the 54 boat field at Falls in the final qualifying tournament for the spring
trail with 5 fish weighing 24.96 lbs!
The field has now been set for the Boats Unlimited~Piedmont Bass Classics 2012 Spring Bass Tournament Trail Championship at Jordan Lake on June 23rd where some lucky team will win the $10,000 first place prize package!
The weather was the best we've had all spring with light winds & air temps from 59 in the am to 83 in the pm.
Water temps were in the low 80's and the water level was about normal pool. We had a great weighin and I
want to thank everyone that participated! Also, we have the greatest sponsors supporting our trail!
201 fish were weighed in for a nice total weight of 603 pounds and all the bass looked healthy. Most fish were
caught in 1 to 15 feet of water on a variety of baits including spinnerbaits, plastic worms, crankbaits, Pop-R's,
buzzbaits and Rat-L-Traps for the most part. The hot baits for the day reported to be crankbaits! Mike
Stephenson & Chad Jones caught the biggest bass so far this year, 9.68 lbs, and took the lead in the Crown
Honda of Southpoint Big Fish contest. A lot of 6 & 7 pound fish were weighed in. It looks like the summer
pattern is beginning!
Our next 'Boats Unlimited $10,000 Spring Bass Trail' event will be the Championship, Saturday, June 23rd, at
Jordan Lake out of Farrington Point Wildlife Ramp.
Our next & final 'Special Spring Open' Tournament will be the 'Springhill Outfitters of Selma Open' at Jordan
Lake out of Farrington Point Wildlife Ramp, Saturday, June 16th.
All the information on our tournaments can be found at: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Scott Smith & Tony Woodard of Apex & Four Oaks...5 bass...24.96 lbs...$1,075
2nd Place: Mike Stephenson & Chad Jones of Bahama & Durham...5 bass...22.62 lbs...$615
3rd Place: Scott Dunn & Stewart Adams of Four Oaks...5 bass...21.79 lbs...$535
4th Place: Ted Boyette & Steve Woodlief of Kenly & Wake Forest...5 bass...20.13 lbs...$455
5th Place: Russell & Paul Rigsbee of Timberlake...5 bass...19.48 lbs...$375
6th Place: Dan Glosson & Phillip Eakes of Rougemont & Bahama...5 bass...18.73 lbs...$295
7th Place: Todd & Jeff Sumner of Southern Pines...5 bass...17.87 lbs...$255
8th Place: Justis Bobbitt & Bob Williams of Edenton & Rocky Mount...5 bass...17.51 lbs...$215
9th Place: Vinston Nettles & Jimmie Spencer of Pittsboro & Asheboro...5 bass...16.79 lbs...$175
10th Place: David Hall & Dane Sallinger of Raleigh & Wake Forest...5 bass...16.65 lbs...$175
11th Place: Shane Burns & Hunter Campbell of Durham & Henderson...5 bass...16.63...$150
1st Place Big Fish..2nd Place Team above...9.68 lbs...$742
2nd Place Big Fish..3rd Place Team above...8.23 lbs...$318
1st Place TWT..1st Place Team above...24.96 lbs...$665
2nd Place TWT..4th Place Team above...20.13 lbs...$285
All the information on our tournaments can be found at: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
For information on all our events contact:
Phil McCarson~Tournament Director
919-471-1571.......919-971-5042
www.piedmontbassclassics.com or email me at: [email protected]
Thanks for all your help! Phil
2012 Lee King Lake Eufaula Weigh-In Highlights
Some good quality came in quickly at the end of the 12th Annual Lee King Tournament down on Lake Eufaula in AL!!
Lee King Benefit Tournament Results - Lake Eufaula - June 9, 2012
116 teams competed Saturday in the Lee King Benefit Tournament to raise research money for terminal Niemann-Pick disease children. Jeff and Paul Aul won with 5 fish weighing a total of 17.73 lbs!!
A dead fish cost Scott Flournoy and Mark Henley the tournament. Their 5 fish weighed 17.89 lbs, but with the 0.2 lb penalty, that knocked their weight down to 17.69 lbs which was good for 2nd Place.
The 3rd Place team was Clint Meeks and Chad Roberts. Their 5 fish weighed 16.13 lbs, which included the Big Fish of the tournament at 6.92 lbs.
Jack Tibbs and Skip Jackson came in 4th Place with 5 fish that weighed 15.66 lbs, including a 6.36 lb kicker fish.
Charles Ingram and Wayne Morgan rounded out the top 5 teams with 15.29 lbs, good for 5th Place.
Here are the complete results:
| Place | Team | # of Fish | # Alive Fish | Gross Weight | Penalty | Big Fish | Total Weight |
| 1 | Jeff Aul - Paul Aul | 5 | 5 | 17.73 | 17.73 | ||
| 2 | Scott Flournoy - Mark Henley | 5 | 4 | 17.89 | 0.2 | 17.69 | |
| 3 | Clint Meeks - Chad Roberts | 5 | 5 | 16.13 | 6.92 | 16.13 | |
| 4 | Jack Tibbs - Skip Jackson | 5 | 5 | 15.66 | 6.36 | 15.66 | |
| 5 | Charles Ingram - Wayne Morgan | 5 | 5 | 15.29 | 15.29 | ||
| 6 | Jason Ninas - Matt Shoemaker | 5 | 5 | 14.93 | 6.31 | 14.93 | |
| 7 | John Brady - Desmond Brady | 5 | 3 | 15.31 | 0.4 | 2.93 | 14.91 |
| 8 | Bryan Bratcher - Stephen Mccord | 5 | 5 | 14.82 | 5.78 | 14.82 | |
| 9 | Ryan Ingram - Darrell Trawick | 5 | 5 | 14.68 | 14.68 | ||
| 10 | Charles Stevenson - Jim Sharp | 5 | 5 | 14.60 | 14.60 | ||
| 11 | Scott Montgomery - Rich Warren | 5 | 4 | 14.39 | 0.2 | 14.19 | |
| 12 | Steve Graziano - Johnny Sparks | 5 | 5 | 14.09 | 14.09 | ||
| 13 | Larry Bettison - Jeff Miller | 5 | 5 | 14.07 | 14.07 | ||
| 14 | Michael Kierc e - Kierce Mike | 5 | 5 | 13.90 | 13.90 | ||
| 15 | Jay Grogan - William Futch | 5 | 5 | 13.68 | 13.68 | ||
| 16 | Robert Stewart - John Adams | 5 | 5 | 13.56 | 13.56 | ||
| 17 | Derreck Millirons - Ronald Terr | 5 | 5 | 13.31 | 13.31 | ||
| 18 | David Pail - Mike Milson | 5 | 4 | 13.40 | 0.2 | 13.20 | |
| 19 | Jim Brown - Troy Gibson | 5 | 5 | 13.16 | 13.16 | ||
| 20 | Dustin Wood - Danny Jimmerson | 5 | 5 | 13.14 | 13.14 | ||
| 21 | David Clegg - Dave Hall | 3 | 3 | 13.05 | 6.56 | 13.05 | |
| 22 | Chris Lynch - | 5 | 5 | 13.04 | 13.04 | ||
| 23 | Les Bratcher - Stan Simms | 5 | 5 | 13.03 | 13.03 | ||
| 24 | Joe Buchanan - Joseph Buchanan | 5 | 5 | 12.92 | 12.92 | ||
| 25 | Steve Stewart - Hubert Stafford | 5 | 5 | 12.88 | 12.88 | ||
| 26 | Ed Wilkerson - Jason Smith | 5 | 5 | 12.84 | 12.84 | ||
| 27 | Ken Kraft - Sam Kennedy | 5 | 4 | 12.95 | 0.2 | 12.75 | |
| 28 | Ronnie Ray - Alton Stillwell | 5 | 5 | 12.56 | 12.56 | ||
| 29 | Scott Sheffield - David Brown | 5 | 5 | 12.50 | 4.44 | 12.50 | |
| 30 | Rodger Beaver - Nick Beaver | 5 | 5 | 12.29 | 12.29 | ||
| 31 | Mike Brown - Mark Jones | 5 | 5 | 11.88 | 11.88 | ||
| 32 | David Parsons - Shawn Parsons | 5 | 5 | 11.53 | 11.53 | ||
| 33 | Sammy Nolin - La Don Whie | 4 | 3 | 11.51 | 0.2 | 11.31 | |
| 34 | Billy Smith - Benny Smith | 5 | 5 | 11.25 | 3.74 | 11.25 | |
| 35 | Jeff Lee - Dwane Mock | 5 | 5 | 11.18 | 11.18 | ||
| 36 | Chris Jones - J.P. Champion | 5 | 4 | 11.04 | 0.2 | 10.84 | |
| 37 | Dee Paschal - Jeff Hall | 5 | 5 | 10.67 | 10.67 | ||
| 38 | Larry McDonald - Donnie Ammons | 5 | 5 | 10.59 | 10.59 | ||
| 39 | Otho Sanders - Sam Moody | 5 | 5 | 10.45 | 10.45 | ||
| 40 | David Inman - Greg Tucker | 5 | 5 | 10.44 | 10.44 | ||
| 41 | Grant Black - Bret Black | 5 | 5 | 10.38 | 10.38 | ||
| 42 | Kevin Revay - Darrell Ballard | 5 | 5 | 10.31 | 10.31 | ||
| 43 | Bruce Donaldson - Ole Donaldson | 5 | 5 | 10.22 | 10.22 | ||
| 44 | Mike Thigpen - Buck Thigpen | 5 | 5 | 10.20 | 10.20 | ||
| 45 | Shane Paul - Michael Smith | 5 | 5 | 10.13 | 10.13 | ||
| 46 | Kendall Kelley - William Faison | 4 | 4 | 10.08 | 10.08 | ||
| 47 | Greg Suggs - Norman Beach | 4 | 4 | 9.82 | 9.82 | ||
| 48 | David Dansby - Chuck Landrum | 4 | 4 | 9.59 | 9.59 | ||
| 49 | Jimmy Wood - Zach Wood | 5 | 5 | 9.36 | 9.36 | ||
| 50 | Bill Deloney - Michael Weatheri | 5 | 4 | 9.54 | 0.2 | 9.34 | |
| 51 | Scott Oliver - Scotty Sanders | 5 | 5 | 9.05 | 9.05 | ||
| 52 | Chris Herring - Weston Culpeppe | 5 | 4 | 9.02 | 0.2 | 8.82 | |
| 52 | Clay Elliott - Craig Karrah | 4 | 4 | 8.82 | 8.82 | ||
| 54 | Terry Morgan - Wayne Morgan | 5 | 5 | 8.76 | 8.76 | ||
| 55 | Brad Stephens - John Wayne Robi | 5 | 5 | 8.62 | 8.62 | ||
| 56 | Rufus Conine - Brad Kimbrough | 4 | 2 | 8.91 | 0.4 | 8.51 | |
| 57 | Scott Hollinhead - Tim English | 4 | 4 | 8.49 | 8.49 | ||
| 58 | Larry Turney - John Ecclestone | 3 | 3 | 8.34 | 8.34 | ||
| 59 | David Morris - Bill Cobb | 5 | 5 | 8.17 | 8.17 | ||
| 60 | Mark Cameron - Jerry Lee Savage | 5 | 5 | 8.11 | 8.11 | ||
| 61 | Ron Kitkowski - R.J. Kitkowski | 4 | 2 | 8.36 | 0.4 | 7.96 | |
| 62 | Johnny Holloway - J.J. Jones | 4 | 4 | 7.63 | 7.63 | ||
| 63 | Richard Mercer - Bobby English | 4 | 4 | 7.45 | 7.45 | ||
| 64 | Rodney Ross - Douglas Chappel | 4 | 4 | 7.42 | 7.42 | ||
| 65 | Mike Crawford - James Golden | 3 | 3 | 7.23 | 7.23 | ||
| 66 | Jessie Glass - Broughton Jones | 4 | 4 | 6.66 | 6.66 | ||
| 67 | Jamey Hulsey - Melissa Hulsey | 3 | 3 | 6.59 | 6.59 | ||
| 68 | David Thrasher - Dick Evans | 3 | 2 | 6.54 | 0.2 | 6.34 | |
| 69 | Vince Culpepper - Mark Challanc | 3 | 2 | 6.38 | 0.2 | 6.18 | |
| 70 | Eric White - Michael White | 2 | 2 | 5.57 | 5.57 | ||
| 71 | Fred Garnett - Tom Wierzbicke | 2 | 2 | 5.49 | 5.49 | ||
| 72 | Walt Pittman - Cody Rosen | 2 | 2 | 5.25 | 5.25 | ||
| 73 | Jackie Hammond - Roger Kennedy | 3 | 3 | 5.03 | 5.03 | ||
| 74 | Rusty Champion - | 3 | 3 | 4.78 | 4.78 | ||
| 75 | Allan Wells - Ryan Wells | 3 | 2 | 4.59 | 0.2 | 4.39 | |
| 76 | Mark Buice - Robert Thomas | 2 | 2 | 3.62 | 3.62 | ||
| 77 | Ken Stanfield - Leslie Stanfiel | 2 | 2 | 3.10 | 3.10 | ||
| 78 | Harry Ligon - Luke Henson | 2 | 2 | 3.09 | 3.09 | ||
| 79 | Jerry Kennedy - Chad Williams | 1 | 1 | 2.18 | 2.18 | 2.18 | |
| 80 | David Koon - Joe Koon | 1 | 1 | 2.11 | 2.11 | 2.11 | |
| 81 | Jeff Kirby - Danny Milner | 1 | 1 | 1.24 | 1.24 | 1.24 | |
| 82 | Bo Talley - Terry Rae | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Rufus Jordan - Rosevelt Jackson | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Billy Houchens - Donnie Ezell | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Jim Allen - Mike Bradshaw | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Santy Solis - Phil King | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Sammy Salter - Eddie Parker | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Lance Tew - Brandon Tew | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Jack Adkins - Troy Moore | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Calvin Greene - Rusty Taylor | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Jason Taylor - William Patterso | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Jason Byrd - Jonathan Halbert | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Alan Spurlock - Tom Newberrw | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Dale Mask - Rick Carlton | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Quintin Brown - Jesse Kenan | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Clay Davis - Spencer Davis | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Dudley Carson - Rosevelt Jackso | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Gary Everett - Jason Brown | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Bill Murdock - Chandler Ray | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Tim Williams - Wesley Williams | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Jonothan Sikes - Jeff Water | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Michael Hall - Erik Stanfiels | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Ken Blalock - Danny Black | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Bill Stowe - Danny Ward | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Landon Jackson - Thomas Espy | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Oscar Graf - Heidi Graf | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Trevor Elliott - | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Russ Brown Bobby - Desmond Brad | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Austin Lang - Cam Colpack | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Chris Foster - Tony Bartkwoski | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Joel Hughes - Ken Jones | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Glenn Crosby - James Long | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | John Bishop - Tyler Bishop | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Gerry Klein - Jeff Gentry | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Steven Brady - Ronald Williams | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 82 | Balke Fincher - Taylor Terry | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Chapman Maintains Lead; Horton Makes Huge Move As Elite Series Anglers Head Into Final Day On Toledo Bend!
On Saturday, Brent Chapman returned to the school of bass that produced 25 1/2 pounds for him Friday. He milked it again for 16 pounds, 5 ounces and captured the lead for another day in the Bassmaster Elite Series Toledo Bend Battle.
He’s hungry to nail down his first Elite Series win. But his 59-pound, 14-ounce total over three days left him anything but certain it would come Sunday. Even if Marty Robinson was not just 1-5 behind him in second place with 58-9, and even if he had a bigger cushion than the 10 pounds he does have on the angler sitting in 12th place, Chapman was not feeling easy. He knew what Tim Horton’s 27-9 sack of Saturday meant.
“This tournament is going to come down to the guy who catches a big bag of fish tomorrow, and I just hope that’s me,” said the pro from Lake Quivira, Kan. “Anybody in the Top 10, maybe the Top 12, is going to have a shot at winning this thing.”
Horton was third with 58-1; Day 1 leader Cliff Pace was fourth with 57-12; and Matt Herren was fifth with 56-11. The field was cut to the Top 12 for Sunday’s competition. The prize is $100,000 and a Bassmaster Classic entry in 2013.
Chapman had hoped for another 25-plus pounds like he had on Friday, but conditions changed. He wasn’t sure exactly why more of the big bass in the deep school he’s been working didn’t bite Saturday.
“My theory is that maybe they’re generating electricity on a weekday, and that allows those fish to bite a little better, and on a weekend it doesn’t,” Chapman said.
“I don’t know what to expect for tomorrow. I am going to stay there until about 8:30, then I’m going to make a move. I’m not going to sit there and hope. This is too good of a lake, and there’s no reason not to go to another spot where they’ll bite later in the day.”
He said he may have stayed on his spot too long Saturday — he left about 11 a.m. — because he got no additional bites after the first-light flurry. He had his 16 pounds in his livewell by about 8 a.m.
He said he has four other places to go to if his sweet school shuts down. He caught a few good-size fish on them in practice and thinks they have potential.
“As much as I’m hearing that these fish are moving around for everybody, there’s nothing to say I couldn’t pull up on one of those and find a giant school of big ones there,” he said. “I’ve got an opportunity here to win.”
Second-place holder Robinson sacked 21-5 Saturday. That pulled him up from sixth. Like Chapman, he’s got a shot at his first Elite win.
Robinson of Lyman, S.C., has about six spots he’s been working all week. One, which yielded a 5-pounder, he swore off Friday as depleted. But Saturday morning, when the wind shifted to come from out the south, he decided his 5-pound spot might be worth one more stop. He was right.
“I don’t know for sure if that’s what triggered them today, but the big ones were biting there. I caught a 4 and two 5 1/2’s,” he said. “Obviously there’s some good ones there, but they’re picky.”
Robinson said the key for him Sunday will be making the right decisions: “When to leave, where to go, how long to stay — those are the three biggest.”
From Muscle Shoals, Ala., Horton rocketed into third place from 21st with his 27-9 sack. It included an 8-15, but that wasn’t the Carhartt Big Bass of the day. That honor went to Florida’s Terry Scroggins for a 9-3.
Horton said the genesis of Saturday’s big catch actually happened late Friday afternoon. He had only about 10 pounds with an hour to go. He checked a place he’d fished at last year’s Elite event on Toledo Bend. What he saw was a nice surprise.
“The bass were stacked on it,” he said. “I only had 15 minutes to fish it. I couldn’t wait to get there this morning. It was a bass on every cast for an hour.”
When the bite stopped, he had about 22 pounds. Then he made a 40-mile run to a spot he’d been on earlier in the competition. That’s where he caught his 8-15. He said it was a single fish holding on a rough, gravely spot on the bottom. It bit a 10-inch Carolina rigged Yum worm.
“Maybe that magic spot will put something special out again tomorrow,” said Horton, the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year in 2000 — his rookie year. His Bassmaster record includes an Elite title taken on Lake Champlain in 2007.
Besides the Toledo Bend title, Elite pros are competing for Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year points. Those count toward postseason and Bassmaster Classic qualifications, as well as the AOY title.
Randy Howell of Springville, Ala., lost his lead in the points race this week when he missed the Top 50 cut on Friday. That opened the door for Chapman to regain the points lead he had lost to Howell after the Douglas Lake event in May. An event’s points aren’t awarded until the tournament is over, so interim results aren’t official, but after three days Chapman is in the lead, followed most closely by David Walker, Herren and Ott DeFoe.
2012 Toledo Bend Battle 6/7-6/10
Toledo Bend Reservoir, Many LA.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 15 59-14 99
Day 1: 5 18-01 Day 2: 5 25-08 Day 3: 5 16-05
2. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 15 58-09 98
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 21-12 Day 3: 5 21-05
3. Timmy Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 15 58-01 97
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 14-01 Day 3: 5 27-09
4. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 15 57-12 96
Day 1: 5 23-02 Day 2: 5 16-10 Day 3: 5 18-00
5. Matt Herren Trussville, AL 15 56-11 95
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 22-00 Day 3: 5 14-11
6. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 15 55-03 94
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 17-02 Day 3: 5 20-09
7. Casey D Ashley Donalds, SC 15 54-14 93
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 18-06 Day 3: 5 15-11
8. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 13 52-12 92
Day 1: 3 09-15 Day 2: 5 23-10 Day 3: 5 19-03
9. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 14 52-01 91
Day 1: 5 19-12 Day 2: 4 13-12 Day 3: 5 18-09
10. Chris Zaldain San Jose, CA 15 51-03 90
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 19-10 Day 3: 5 15-08
11. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 15 50-09 89
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 13-13 Day 3: 5 18-09
12. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 15 49-15 88
Day 1: 5 20-03 Day 2: 5 15-10 Day 3: 5 14-02
13. Scott Ashmore Broken Arrow, OK 15 46-13 87 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 14-09 Day 3: 5 19-11
14. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 14 45-12 86 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 5 20-09 Day 3: 4 07-10
15. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 15 45-06 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-14 Day 2: 5 14-03 Day 3: 5 13-05
16. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 13 45-02 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 3 04-08 Day 2: 5 18-06 Day 3: 5 22-04
17. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 14 44-05 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-03 Day 2: 4 09-07 Day 3: 5 17-11
18. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 15 43-09 82 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 25-00 Day 3: 5 08-10
19. Denny Brauer Camdenton, MO 15 43-02 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-08 Day 2: 5 11-08 Day 3: 5 09-02
20. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 15 43-02 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 11-08 Day 3: 5 18-09
21. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 15 43-01 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 5 13-10 Day 3: 5 10-12
22. Terry Butcher Talala, OK 15 43-00 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 14-08 Day 3: 5 12-07
23. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 15 42-11 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 13-11 Day 3: 5 16-11
24. Kevin Ledoux Choctaw, OK 14 42-11 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-12 Day 2: 5 23-03 Day 3: 4 10-12
25. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 15 42-04 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 17-13 Day 3: 5 09-05
26. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 15 41-15 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 17-04 Day 3: 5 12-14
27. John Murray Phoenix, AZ 15 41-06 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 10-13 Day 3: 5 17-11
28. Shaw E Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 15 41-04 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 11-11 Day 3: 5 15-09
29. Jami Fralick Martin, SD 15 41-01 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 14-09 Day 3: 5 16-10
30. David Walker Sevierville, TN 15 40-10 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 5 14-07 Day 3: 5 16-03
31. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 15 40-10 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 15-00 Day 3: 5 09-10
32. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 15 40-02 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 13-03 Day 3: 5 15-01
33. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 13 38-11 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 3 11-06 Day 3: 5 14-14
34. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 15 38-10 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 08-14 Day 3: 5 08-10
35. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 15 38-07 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 5 12-03 Day 3: 5 08-02
36. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 15 38-07 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 09-04 Day 3: 5 15-02
37. Brandon Card Caryville, TN 15 38-05 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 11-02 Day 3: 5 10-06
38. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 15 37-02 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 15-02 Day 3: 5 08-15
39. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 15 37-01 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 14-05 Day 3: 5 12-10
40. Alton Jones Woodway, TX 15 37-01 60 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 11-14 Day 3: 5 11-05
41. Nate Wellman Newaygo, MI 15 37-00 59 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 5 14-13 Day 3: 5 12-02
42. Michael Iaconelli Pittsgrove, NJ 15 36-13 58 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 14-00 Day 3: 5 09-04
43. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 15 36-10 57 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 5 13-04 Day 3: 5 12-12
44. John Crews Salem, VA 15 34-09 56 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 12-12 Day 3: 5 11-05
45. Pete Ponds Madison, MS 12 34-09 55 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 12-13 Day 3: 2 06-13
46. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 15 34-05 54 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 5 12-04 Day 3: 5 11-07
47. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 15 32-00 53 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 10-15 Day 3: 5 08-04
48. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 10 31-11 52 $10,000.00
Day 1: 2 03-10 Day 2: 5 21-14 Day 3: 3 06-03
49. Fletcher Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 8 26-03 51 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 3 10-04 Day 3: 0 00-00
50. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 10 22-09 50 $5,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 10-03 Day 3: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 76 438 1143-00
2 67 417 1117-07
3 44 233 668-10
----------------------------------
187 1088 2929-01
Long Looking For Hungry Fish On Ledges In Flw Tour Major On Kentucky Lake
Although it may seem like it at times, fish don't stop eating when they move out into deeper water for the summer. It just gets harder to find the fish that want to eat when it counts – like during tournament hours.
That is the problem FLW pro Brent Long of Cornelius, N.C., found this week on Kentucky Lake while practicing for the FLW Tour Major this Thursday through Saturday.
“The fish out on the ledges seem to be biting later in the day for me. When I am catching them is after tournament hours so the ones I've found so far won't do me any good,” he said. “So, I am mixing it up, fishing some shallow and some out deep and hoping for the best.”
Long said he had heard some guys have found concentrations of bass out deep and be believes the tournament will be won out on the ledges.
“There are schools of fish out there – I just have not found them yet,” said Long who is a strong shallow water power fishing angler. “I like fishing shallow dirty water, flipping and pitching jigs, but so far I am catching a few shallow and a few out deep on the ledges.”
Long said the lake is about a foot lower than normal summer pool, but it has come up a little as a result of recent rains, but that does not seem to have had much effect on the fish.
“I've always done good on Kentucky Lake and it is one of my favorite lakes to fish,” he said. “I just don't feel as comfortable after two days of practice as I normally am here.”
He has fished several major tournaments on the lake in the past and done well. In his first FLW major on Kentucky Lake last June he finished 31st and took home a check for $9,930.
This is his fifth year fishing the FLW Majors and he has two tournament wins with total FLW earnings of $365,251. His wins came in June 2010 on Lake Guntersville and this past April on Table Rock in Missouri.
He has 11 top 10 places in FLW competitions and he earned a check in one other FLW Major this year, finishing in 50th place on the Potomac River a month ago. So far, he has pocketed $134,810 in 2012.
His career really took off in 2010 when he qualified for his second Bassmaster Classic through the Bassmaster Federation, made the BFL All American – and won that first FLW Tour event on Lake Guntersville.
Now Long pretty much confines his tournament fishing to the FLW Majors.
“I have twin stepdaughters who will be 14 years old in about two weeks and they play a lot of sports, so I spend a lot of time with them when I am home,” said Long who is a general contractor.
Although the remodeling side of his business is doing well, Long is not building many houses in this down economy, so he'd love to earn a good check on Kentucky Lake this week – if he can just find a way to get those fish on the deep ledges to bite at the right time.
FLW Tour Major
Jun 7-10, 2012
Kentucky-Barkley Lakes
Kentucky Dam Marina
June 2 Lake Wateree Bfl
Seventy-one anglers fished the June 2 FLW BFL at Lake Wateree, and local boy Steve Phillips came out on top of them all. The Lugoff native brought a 5-fish limit to the scales that weighed 17-01, easily giving him the win. Phillips won over $3000 for his efforts. Phillips, who is known on Lake Wateree as a big fan of Rapala's DD-22, used that very lure to win the tournament.
Scott Peavy, also of Lugoff, finished a distant 2nd place, weighing in 13-13 and taking home over $1500. Peavy squeaked by Greensboro, NC angler Mark Inman, who brought 13-07 pounds of fish to the weigh-in.
Rick McLean of Dalzell finished in 4th place with a limit that weighed 12-14 and earned him $707. Sumter angler Roby Kelley caught 12-08, taking 5th place and winning $606.
Two anglers, Derrick Compton of Columbus, NC and Carl Smith of Lugoff, finished in the money with only 3 fish. Compton's trio weighed 11-08 and put him in 7th place. Smith's 3 chunks weighed 9-15, good for 13th place.
While Phillips won the angler division in dominating fashion, DJ McEachern dominated the co-angler division, winning by almost 4 full pounds and earning over $1500. McEachern, who fished the Carolina Angler's Team Trail event on Lake Wateree the previous week, said he spent most of that day pitching docks but failing to get anything going until he abandoned that strategey for throwing a shaky-head rig. The change helped him and his teammate to a top 20 finish in the CATT event, and McEachern came to this tournament ready to throw shaky-heads all day. "I wouldn't have won today if I had not fished the CATT tournament last week," McEachern said.
McEachern shows off his winning stringer
Vernie Haltiwanger of Lexington took 2nd place with 9-05, winning $757. He was followed by Jerry Lineberger of Lincolnton, NC who bagged 4 fish weighing 8-14.
The tournament's biggest fish came from co-angler Bobby Littlejohn of Spartanburg. Littlejohn caught the fish in weeds on a 12-inch plastic worm and finished in 2nd place with only 2 fish, the anchor being a 6-02.
Littlejohn with the big bass of the day.
The SC Division of the BFL will make its next stop at Clarks Hill in the fall.
Georgia Southern Anglers Round Out Field For Team-Of-Year Finals Through Ranger Cup University Program
Hewlett and Hill will face off against Carson Rejzer and Wyatt Blevins, collegiate anglers from Virginia Tech University to determine the Ranger Cup University Team of the Year. Rejzer and Blevins qualified with their fifth-place finish in the FLW College Fishing National Championship on South Carolina’s Lake Murray earlier this spring.
“I think it’s great what Ranger is doing. College fishing is a growing sport and this program is available to all of the anglers, whether they own a Ranger or not. Plus, it teaches us college guys that we need to stay on top of the little things – there were 14 teams ahead of us that probably wish they would’ve done it,” said Hill, a mechanical engineering major heading into his junior year at Georgia Southern. “Justin and I are blessed to benefit from the Ranger Cup University program. We didn’t have the big bites we needed to win the (Pickwick) tournament, but we won a $500 cash prize and get to fish Choke Canyon.”
Both teams will receive an expense-paid, grand-prize package, which includes travel, lodging and meals, as well as the opportunity to compete from fully rigged Ranger boats. The made-for-TV fishing event will be televised nationally on NBC Sports network’s Americana Outdoors, representing a unique opportunity for the collegiate anglers – complete with over $2,000 in cash and prizes awarded to the winner.
Modeled after the most lucrative contingency rewards in the industry, Ranger Cup, Ranger Cup University is the first program of its kind exclusively for collegiate anglers and is open to those fishing in either FLW- or BoatUS-affiliated competitions. Signup is free, regardless of which brand of boat they own. To remain qualified in the program, anglers need only adhere to clothing and logo requirements. And as part of the Ranger Cup University program, participants will be able to receive specially discounted tournament gear through Angler Skins and Gemini Custom Apparel, with no artwork or set-up fees. Through these vendors, Ranger Cup University anglers can purchase fully customized tournament jerseys for as low as $48.
For more information on Ranger Cup University, to register and read all about the program guidelines, go online to RangerBoats.com.
About Ranger Boats
Headquartered in Flippin, Ark., Ranger Boats is the nation’s largest manufacturer of premium fiberglass fishing boats, which include series of bass, multi-species, fish 'n play and saltwater boats. Founded in 1968 by Forrest L. Wood, Ranger Boats continues its commitment to building the highest-quality, strongest-performing boats on the water. For more information, go to RangerBoats.com.
Overtons Of Raleigh Piedmont Bass Classic Results - Shearon Harris Lake - June 2, 2012
17 teams showed up for the 6th in a series of Spring Open Tournaments. The weather was great! 59
degrees in the am and 78 or so at weighin with 15mph winds & sunny conditions.
38 fish were weighed in for a good total weight of 148 pounds. The bass were caught at just about every
place you think one would be! Many fish caught were in the slot and had to be returned to the lake. All of
your most favorite lures were used but the better fish were caught on 10" Deep Creek Lures plastic
worms. Water temps were around the 80 degree area. The bass are showing signs of going to the
pre-summer patterns and were caught in 1 to 20 feet of water. All in all, the bite was real good and the
bass looked very healthy! There are some great HAWGS at Harris!
Jaime Fajardo & Scott Woodson of Fuquay-Varina, won the event and collected $680 for 1st, $280 for 1st
place TWT, $224 for the 1st place Big Fish Award & 2 G-Loomis rods, compliments of Overton's in
Raleigh, worth $650 at retail, for a total of $1,834 in cash and prizes! Additionally, Fajardo was fishing in a
Stratos bass boat and is qualified to double the teams winnings since they are part of the Stratos 2X
program!
I really want to thank Kevin Paramore and the crew at OVERTON'S in Raleigh for sponsoring 3 of the
Spring Open tournaments. Overton's made a lot of our participants very happy in winning! Please visit
their store located off the I-440 Beltline at Exit 10 in Raleigh inside the Holly Park Shopping Center.
That's 3062 Wake Forest Road! Overton's carries so much I can't even begin to tell you what they stock!
Everything from Tackle to Wake Boards!
Our next 'Spring Open' will be at Jordan Lake, Saturday June 16th, and will be sponsored by
SPRINGHILL OUTFITTERS in Selma!
Our next and final, 'Boats Unlimited $10,000 Spring Bass Trail' qualifying event will be
Saturday, June 9th, at Falls Lake!
All the information on our tournaments can be found at: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Now here are the full 'OVERTON'S of RALEIGH OPEN' results:
1st Place: Jaime Fajardo & Scott Woodson of Fuquay-Varina...5 bass...31.68 lbs...$1,834
2nd Place: Hal Abshire & Ethan Cox of Cameron & West End...5 bass...25.81 lbs...$408
3rd Place: Russell Harrelson & Michael Staszewski of Fuquay-Varina...5 bass...16.71 lbs...$272
1st Place Big Fish..1st Place Team above...8.82 lbs...$224
2nd Place Big Fish..2nd Place Team above: 7.90 lbs...$96
1st Place TWT..1st Place Team above: 31.68 lbs...$280
2nd Place TWT..3rd Place Team above: 16.71 lbs...$120
I want to thank OVERTON'S and all of you that support our tournaments! If you would like to be a sponsor, we would love to help grow your business! Sponsorship doesn't cost much, so give me a call if you are interested.
The weather looks great for Saturday. See ya'll then !! Later...................
Phil McCarson~Tournament Director 919-471-1571.......919-971-5042
www.piedmontbassclassics.com or email me at: [email protected]
Hal Abshire & Ethan Cox finished in 2nd Place with 5 bass that weighed 25.81 lbs
Carolina's Bass Challenge Nc Div Champion James Blankenship And His $30,000 Win!!
Some good quality fish on display Sat afternoon at High Rock, with the winning angler taking home a $30,000 Boat/Trailer Pkg, and a wrap up with Matt Farris from Foothills Marine!
Carolina's Bass Challenge Nc Div Championship Highlights And Wrap Up From High Rock!
Some good quality fish on display Sat afternoon at High Rock, with the winning angler taking home a $30,000 Boat/Trailer Pkg, and a wrap up with Matt Farris from Foothills Marine!
Montgomery Hoping To Stay In Classic Competition With Good Finish In Elite Series On Toledo Bend
Toledo Bend Reservoir has been good to Andy Montgomery in the two previous major tournaments he has fished there and he is hoping the pattern holds true for the fifth Bassmaster Elite Series tournament of the year next week.
A lot is at stake, more than just making a check in the 2012 Elite Series Toledo Bend Battle, the Blacksburg, S.C., angler said. He has a second straight Bassmaster Classic invite in sight and a good finish at Toledo Bend would go a long way to securing that spot in the BASS Championship.
Ironically, he finished 36th in the 2011 Bassmaster Classic on the Louisiana Delta this past February and he is ranked 36th in the Angler of the Year points at this stage of the season, having collected a check in all but one of the Elite tournaments so far.
“I am on the bubble right now since they probably will take 36, so I have to at least maintain at Toledo Bend,” he said. “I need a pretty good finish.”
So far he's had two better than “pretty good” finishes on the giant reservoir on the Sabine River between Texas and Louisiana. With 185,000 acres, Toledo Bend is the largest man-made body of water in or partially in Texas, the largest in the South, and the fifth largest in surface acreage in the United States.
“There are so many things you can do on that lake, so many different ways you can catch them, and it is so big is kind of spreads the field out a little bit. You can flip grass shallow, you can fish the deep grass, and you can fish the deep ledges. There are all kinds of things you can do,” Montgomery said. “It's a good place to hold a tournament, but the only downfall is that it can get really rough. There is a lot of standing timber and that can be aggravating to be around if the wind gets up.”
In two previous trips to the lake, Montgomery finished second in a Professional Anglers Association tournament about three years ago and he notched a sixth place finish in the 2011 Elite Series Trokar Battle on the Bayou there in April 2011.
“Both times I could catch fish shallow and I guess that was the reason I did pretty well in those tournaments,” said Montgomery who leaves Saturday to practice on the lake before the tournament begins. “But, I don't know about this time with us going in June. I expect it is going to be more of a deep water tournament.”
That said, Montgomery said there will still be some fish shallow and he hopes to capitalize on those fish before looking for more bass out deep.
“When I get there I'll probably start out fishing shallow and hopefully put something together shallow so I will know I can catch some fish doing that. Then I will try to find some fish out deep, try to find a big school of fish where you can catch a lot in one place.”
Bassmaster Elite Series
Jun 7-10, 2012
Toledo Bend Reservoir
Cypress Bend Park
Skeeter/yamaha Package On Line For Nc Carolina Bass Challenge Final On High Rock
Todd Walters and Jason Threadgill won 1st Place on Lake Hickory with 27.50 lbs.
The Carolinas Bass Challenge launched in February like a rocket going to the moon and has picked up steam every tournament held since, with the two-state championship on Kerr Lake in October expected to be one of the richest and most competitive tournaments in the history of bass fishing in the Carolinas.
It has already paid huge dividends for anglers who have scored along the way, said tournament director Brett Collins just before the North Carolina Division Final this Saturday on High Rock Lake.
“Over four North Carolina qualifiers so far we have averaged paying back $10,250 to first place and the total payback after High Rock will be over $130,000 – just on the North Carolina side.”
The Carolinas Bass Challenge is a two-division series promoted by Skeeter Boat dealers Marshall's Marine in Lake City, S.C., Foothills Marine in Morganton, N.C., and Palmetto Marine in Greenville, S.C. The South Carolina Divisional Final will be held June 23 on Lake Wateree out of Clearwater Cove.
Teams had to fish three of four four qualifiers in a state division or a combination of three qualifiers across divisions to make the Divisional Final and Championship. Each team member paid a $35 membership fee and the team entry fee per tournament is $200. While first place was guaranteed at $5,000 for each event, that was surpassed and often doubled or more at each tournament.
The winning team at both the South Carolina Division Final and the North Carolina Division Final will win a Skeeter TZX190/150 with a Yamaha 150HPDI. The winning team in the Championship on Kerr Lake in October will win a Skeeter ZX200/200 Yamaha SHO.
“We will start taking entries to the Kerr Championship Monday June 25th after the South Carolina Wateree Final,” Collins said. “The 2012 Kerr Championship meeting will be held Friday, October 26. At least one team member must be present.”
He also announced that Cashion Rods has been added as a 2012 sponsor. The 2012 CBC Championship winning team and the North Carolina and South Carolina Final winning teams will receive two Cashion rods valued at $200 each.
“More than 125 teams have qualified to enter the North Carolina final at High Rock,” said Collins.
Steve Sink and Robert Mixon won $1,000 for the North Carolina Division points title. Sink fished with Tony Foster to place fourth in the Lake Hickory qualifier May 19 to cinch the points championship. Maurice Freeze and Pat Tierny won $500 for second in the points and Ken Fender and Matt Haywood collected $250 for third place in the points.
Fishing has been tough on High Rock, Collins said, but reports are it has been improving slightly recently.
“I heard the fishing was better this past weekend. But the lake is muddy and after all the rain the region received it probably will be muddy Saturday,” Collins said.
Fishing probably will be most productive, he said, fishing docks and offshore, which is the norm this time of year on High Rock.
And, Collins added, you usually have to have a pretty good kicker in the bag.
“Whoever has that will win,” he said.
Carolinas Bass Challenge - North Carolina Division Final
Sat, Jun 2, 2012
High Rock Lake
Tamarac Marina
Call Brett Collins 803-413-7521
www.carolinasbasschallenge.com
Herlong Would Love To See The Sun Shine Bright For Saturday's Sc Bfl On Lake Wateree
While forecasters are predicting a long, hot summer, it would suit Eddie Herlong if it gets started this Saturday.
A good, sunny and hot day would be the ticket for the way Herlong wants to fish in the Walmart Bass Fishing League South Carolina Division tournament on Lake Wateree Saturday.
“Typically, after the spawn, the hotter the weather the better the fish bite. A good, hot, sunny – or even partly cloudy – day they will try to get in the shade somewhere, under docks or whatever. That just makes it easier to find the fish for someone who likes to fish shallow,” said Herlong.
“Sunshine puts them in the shade and when they find shade I can find shade,” said the Prosperity, S.C., angler who is a co-leader in the S.C. Division points race with Hank Cherry of Maiden, N.C. “It puts them in the brush, under docks, and that that makes it easier to pinpoint them. When it is a cloudy day they sort of roam around, they don't get under the docks or relate to structure as well.”
That wisdom holds true for the shallow fish, said Herlong who has been a force in local South Carolina tournaments for decades.
“It may not affect the deep fish as bad, but I normally don't fish deep,” he said.
Cherry and Herlong are ranked 1 and 2, in a tie for the points lead in the South Carolina Division with 572 points each. Cherry has won $3,723 this year so far to Herlong's $1,653.
They have similar records in the three tournaments held to date. Cherry finished second in the Lake Murray tournament Feb. 25 while Herlong, who lives near the lake, finished 18th. On March 17 Cherry finished 6th and Herlong 7th on Lake Wylie. Then at Santee Cooper April 14 Herlong was 6th while Cherry finished 23rd.
Herlong has practiced on Lake Wateree several times over the last week or two with mixed success. His best day came last week when he boated a 5-pounder, two 4-pounders and a 3-pounder.
“I am going Friday to see what is happening. It is supposed to be cloudy and that is a minus for me, but I hope the clouds are gone and the sun is shining on Saturday,” said Herlong who predicted it will take about 18 pounds to win Saturday's BFL on Wateree.
“If somebody gets on some good deep fish it might take more than that,” he added.
As for the weather, he has plenty of experience over the years dealing with whatever Mother Nature throws at him in a tournament, so he is prepared to adjust.
“You can't control the weather. It's going to do what it wants so you just have to try to fish around it,” he said.
Walmart Bass Fishing League (BFL) - South Carolina Division
Sat, Jun 2, 2012
Lake Wateree
Clearwater Cove Marina
Carolina Anglers Team Trail Results - Kerr Lake - May 26, 2012
Johnny Wilder and Mike Harris took home $3.117.00 by bringing in 5 Kerr Lake bass weighing up at 15.19 lbs which secured them a 1st Place finish at the Final… and they also weighed in a 4.67 lb bass which was the 2nd Place BF. They also received a “Winners Bucket” from Deep Creek Lures and Captain Garys Boat Products, www.captiangarysproducts.com. They also received $50 gift certificates provided by Outhouse Tackle, www.outhousetackle.com.
Jeremy Sabo and Dale Campo took 2nd Place with 14.09 lbs and they weighed in a 5.27 lb bass which was the BF of the tournament. All total they collected $1,773.00.
Merle Knott and Roger Clary earned $1,490.00 for their 3rd Place finish with 14.02 lbs. They also collected the 1st Place BONUS $.
Brad McLaurin and Mike Marchant took 4th and the 2nd Place BONUS $ with 5 bass weighing 12.71 lbs. All total they received $710.00.
Calton Hall and Jason Suggs claimed $250.00 and 5th Place with 5 bass weighing 12.46.bs.
Billy Bledsoe and James Baxley weighed in 12.45 lbs and took home $200.00 for their 6th Place finish.
7th Place went to Tim Askew and Tracy King with a limit weighing 12.19 lbs and they earned $155.00.
Brett Collins
CATT LLC
Dziwulski, Cox Win Boat Us National Title For Nc State!!!
Florence, Alabama - May 25, 2012 - Ben Dziwulski and Ethan Cox are the 2012 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Champions. Over the course of two days they managed to haul 45.60 pounds of bass, both largemouth and smallmouth from Lake Pickwick. For the first time in its seven year history, the traveling trophy is making a repeat visit, heading back to Raleigh, North Carolina and the campus of North Carolina State.
Ethan and Ben were the last NC State team from the Basspack to be confirmed from the waiting list. Despite having a great network of contacts in the area, their late confirmation prevented them from doing anything but online research prior to making the trip to Florence, but fortunately for the duo, they got off to a great start on the first practice day, plying one particular deep spot on Lake Pickwick with Strike King 5 and 6 XD crankbaits.
According to Ben, "We found an amazingly good deep spot early on Monday, which allowed us to get dialed in pretty quickly and make the most of our time during the official practice period. We made a few casts and had two four pounders and we knew we were set."
Regarding competition days, Ethan added, "We had our limit within the first hour on Thursday and we knew they were the right fish to win, so once we were comfortable with our first day weight, we backed off and just watched our spot for several hours. I'm glad we finally got to unload on them on Friday."
The pair was ecstatic and thanked their parents for their continued support, including making the trip to Florence as part of the "support crew", they also thanked NC State for the continued support of the Basspack.
As Ethan put it, "We have an amazing bass fishing program at school and actually bass fishing is the reason I picked a four year school and NC State in particular."
Their magic spot was good enough for the tournament's largest bag of fish, 25.67 pounds, and the day's largest bass at 6.56 pounds. Their haul netted them a $5,000 first place prize, $1,000 ACA contingency bonus, a $1,000 BoatUS Weigh to Win bonus, the Daily Berkley Big Bass Award, as well as the Cabela's Angler Cash bonus.
The spot was so good in fact; they plan to stick around an extra day or two and fish it again, just to see what else swims there.
The Top 5 included:
Tennessee Tech University
Joe Slagle & Matt Clay - 41.00 lbs.
Auburn University - Montgomery
Jacob Nummy & Corey Pierce - 36.91 lbs.
University of Tennessee - Chattanooga
Parker Bacon & Taylor Bolton - 36.59 lbs.
Northwest Shoals Community College
David Allen and Micha Crunk - 35.66 lbs.
More coverage can be found atCollegiateBassChampionship.com
Couch Hoping Fish Turn On In Time For Berry's Team Tournament Trail Classic
When the Berry's Team Tournament Trail Classic gets underway on Georgia's Lakes Sinclair and Oconee the first weekend in June, Tony Couch will be looking at one undisclosed area on one of the lakes to produce a winning bag of bass.
The problem is, he said, although he caught several nice bags of fish in tournaments off the area last year it has not produced all year long this tournament season.
“It's been like a dead sea so far this year,” said the Buckhead, Ga., angler, who has been a force in local tournaments for decades.
“Last week they started biting there a little bit,” said Couch. “This morning I got just one bite in one narrow little strip there, but they are still dead in the best stretch.”
Couch said he plans to keep checking the area until the tournament.
“I know the fish are going to be there and they have to start biting sometime. They can't be dead forever,” he said. “I know it is going to get better. I just hope it gets better by next week.”
He said it will probably take 31 to 33 pounds to win the championship which will start Saturday, June 2, on Lake Oconee and finish Sunday, June 3, on Lake Sinclair.
“My opinion right now is that the biggest sack of fish will come from Oconee and the smaller sack will come from Sinclair,” he said. “Somebody who does pretty good on both lakes will probably win it.”
Couch said he believes most of the fish will be caught shallow, although there are some fish being caught deep on both lakes.
“I think the ones who do best will catch a few fish on topwater early and the spend the rest of the day flipping docks or dragging points with a Carolina rig.”
Couch teamed with George Goodman of Monticello, Ga., to win the Berry's Team Trail points championship in 2011. They were leading the 2012 points going into the final tournament last weekend on Lake Oconee, but slipped to second place when they weighed in 14 pounds and Matt Henry and Justin Kimmel weighed in a 20-plus pound limit to fish to claim the championship.
He fished a number of FLW Outdoors tournaments, winning more than $441,000, from the mid-90s until a few years ago when he went back to fishing local tournaments only.
“Sponsorship money ran slim when times got hard in this economy and I could not afford to fish without it,” he said.
The Berry’s Tournament Trail is somewhat unique in that all eight of the tournaments, plus the season-ending classic, are held on Oconee and Sinclair. Four regular season tournaments are held on Oconee and four are held on Sinclair, with anglers having to fish at least five tournaments to qualify for the classic, which means they have to fish both lakes at least once.
Berry's Team Tournament Trail Classic
Jun 2-3, 2012
Lake Oconee (Sugar Creek Marina)
Lake Sinclair (Little River Park)
Phone: 770-787-6179
Memorial Day Weekend Update From Ac Pro Staffer Rob Digh
AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh says there are a few area lakes that are very HOT right now and this will be a good weekend to just go out and have some fun..........If you see a VET this weekend, be sure to say "Thanks", as without them, we wouldn't have Memorial Day or the Freedom we so much enjoy!
St. Jude Bass Classic Poised To Break Single-Year Fund-Raising Total For Hospital
Fishermen are turning out in droves for the St. Jude Bass Classic on Mississippi's Sardis Lake Sunday. The tournament is set to raise the most money it ever has in its 40-year history. The prize package for the winners is outstanding. And the weather for Sunday is going to be beautiful, with clear skies and temperatures in the low 90s.
The only fly in the ointment, said tournament director Rick Lesley, is low water levels in the 98,000-acre Corps of Engineers reservoir an hour south of Memphis, Tenn.
“That's got everybody wondering where they are going to fish. But there have been some small tournaments down there in the last few weeks where some 6- and 7-pound fish were caught, so the fish are still there. The low water just makes it a little tougher on everybody.”
For that reason, Lesley said, the tournament probably will be won fishing deep.
“I imagine a lot of people will be fishing points and ledges. It's a flood control reservoir and when they flooded it they blew up some old silos so there will be some deep water structure fishing going on.”
And, while that may limit some fishermen it is not a game-breaker, Lesley said.
“We had the same situation a couple of years ago and the winning team still caught over 25 pounds with a five-fish limit. Their fish came off a deep water island.”
Although Lesley has been involved with the St. Jude Bass Classic for about 20 years, this is his first time as tournament director.
“It is quite an honor,” he said. “You are raising money for the children of St. Jude's. This is probably the longest-running charity tournament there is and over the past 40 years we have raised more than $2 and a half million.”
The best year of the tournament it brought in $135,000 for the children's hospital, but Lesley said this year will exceed that.
“With a field of 250-plus we are hoping to top $150.000 this year. We are trying to expand the tournament to get more people involved. We want to include the whole family, not just Dad out there fishing,” he said.
With that goal in mind, tournament organizers have brought in some heavy hitters. Bass tournament legend and television show host Bill Dance will be a special guest at the awards ceremony. Bass pro Mark Rose, who has won more than $1.5 million in Bassmaster and FLW events, will emcee the weigh-in and awards. And Troy Landry, who appears on the History Channel's “Swamp People” show, will participate in the pre-tournament registration event on Saturday.
But the fishermen are the stars of the tournament, with teams coming from more than half a dozen states, including Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky and Missouri.
“We have probably 30 guys who travel up here from Louisiana every year. They come up and spend the whole week and fish the tournament. They have been doing that for probably the last 15 years,” Lesley said.
The St. Jude Bass Classic, which was started in 1971 by a group of volunteers from the Memphis Bass Club, is held each Memorial Day weekend to raise funds for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which this year is celebrating 50 years of finding cures and saving children.
First place in the tournament takes a hefty prize home: $1,500 Cash and two War Eagle boats, two outboard motors and two trailers. There will also be a drawing from the entered anglers and the winner will take home a new Nissan Frontier pickup truck and a War Eagle boat, Lesley said.
“There is still time to register,” he said. “Call me or go to the website and register. We will also have on-site registration the morning of the tournament.”
40th Annual St. Jude Bass Classic
Sun, May 27, 2012
Sardis Lake
Engineer Point Public Use Area
Call Rick Lesley at (901) 412-7683
2012 Wolfson Children's Hospital Tournament Champions Sam Grant And Zach Crabtree Take Home $10,000!!
AC Pro Staffer Vance McCullough grabs the 2012 Wolfson Children's Hospital Champions Sam Grant and Zach Crabtree after their 23.97 LB haul on the St. Johns River.....they beat our 462 other boaters to take home the Guaranteed 1st Place prize of $10,000, and the Strike King Spinnerbait that keyed their win!
2012 Wolfson Children's Hospital Amazing Weigh-In Highlights!!
This is what happens when you have 450+ boats show up for a bass tournament...........lots and lots of BIG FISH! AC Pro Staffer and Insider Vance McCullough showcases some of this years best bags!
2012 Wolfson Children's Hospital Tournament Morning Blastoff
AC Pro Staffer and Insider Vance McCullough on the dock with 450+ boats behind him at Blastoff for the 2012 Wolfson Children's Hospital Bass Tournament!
Collegiate Anglers Enjoy Big Week At Nationals On Pickwick!
However, this isn't just a tournament - it's an event to be reckoned with.
These students will be treated like kings - and queens, since there are more than a few female competitors - from the time they arrive in Florence, Alabama for the festivities. In fact, the largesse will begin before they even leave campus. It's a no-entry fee event, with lots of sponsor goodies, and even a hundred dollar travel stipend. On top of that, there's over $120,000 in combined prizes available in the form of cash, services and merchandise.
The actual competition days won't begin until Thursday May 24th, but once these young men and women arrive they'll be treated as if they'd qualified for any other prestigious fishing championship. Tuesday the 22nd will be Yamaha Angler Appreciation Night at McFarland Park. Students will be treated to dinner, mingle with pros including Ish Monroe and Takahiro Omori, and have time to take Ranger/Yamaha demo rides and get help from the respective service crews.
On Wednesday, registration will begin with a sponsor reception hosted by 20 very involved corporate entities. Dinner will be provided by NBC Sports Outdoors, the ACA television partner, and will feature a keynote address by reigning Forrest Wood Cup champion Scott Martin.
On the two competition days, the anglers will be provided with breakfast and lunch, courtesy of the ACA. At the end of the day on Thursday there will be a cookout donated by Costa Del Mar, as well as a guest appearance by Costa Pro, Casey Ashley. Friday's dinner will come from the ACA. If anyone goes hungry next week, they have no excuse.
In addition to the pros listed above, many other national touring pros will be on hand to offer advice and encouragement, including Jeff Kriet, Mike McClelland, Brandon Card, Clark Wendlandt and Jeff Reynolds.
2012 Sportsman's Warehouse June Product Showcase With Barry Sowers!
THe back-stretch of big team trails and charity tournaments is on us now, as well as big time NIGHT TOURNAMENTS! Sportsman's Warehouse Tournament Angler Barry Sowers takes us through some big-time key baits he says are a must for this time of the year!
2012 Sportsman's Warehouse Post Memorial Day Product Showcase With Barry Sowers!
Now that Memorial Day Weekend is past, the back stretch of Tournament Bass season is underway and that means warmer water temps and a much deeper bite. Sportsman's Warehouse Angler Barry Sowers breaks down a few key deeper water baits that you will need to have ready at blastoff!
2012 Sportsman's Warehouse Pre Memorial Day Product Showcase With Barry Sowers!
With Memorial Day Weekend just days away, we thought grabbing Barry Sowers from Sportsmans Warehouse in Columbia, SC to talk about maybe the last weekend of this spring to find a shallow bite and what he would recommend you have on the boat!
Steven Porter Wins The Kevin Van Dam Big Bass Classic On Table Rock
Results: Kevin VanDam Big Bass Classic
Overall
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steven Porter | 6.60 |
| 2 | Jason Baxter | 6.42 |
| 3 | Daniel Potter | 6.00 |
| 4 | Aaron Hodge | 5.78 |
| 5 | Lewis Ray | 5.42 |
| 6 | Jeff Hunt | 5.34 |
| 7 | Kelly Jones | 5.26 |
| 8 | Tom Statler | 5.18 |
| 9 | Randolph Lyman | 5.17 |
| 10 | Kelly Greer | 5.16 |
| 11 | Les Brandenburg | 5.10 |
| 12 | Thomas Heischmidt | 5.06 |
| 13 | Gary Groeteke | 4.95 |
| 14 | Gary Groete | 4.94 |
| 15 | Chris Taul | 4.93 |
| 15 | Ron Hedgpeth | 4.93 |
| 16 | Gary Copeland | 4.92 |
| 17 | Roger Hackman | 4.79 |
| 18 | Tate Womack | 4.75 |
| 19 | Greg Declue | 4.72 |
| 20 | Scott Ford | 4.70 |
| 21 | Adam Nacke | 4.69 |
| 22 | Bob Lowell | 4.65 |
| 23 | Wayne Youngblood | 4.61 |
| 23 | James Roberts | 4.61 |
| 24 | Justin Nave | 4.59 |
| 25 | Dale Reed | 4.54 |
| 26 | Doug Fulkerson | 4.52 |
| 27 | Bobby Albert | 4.50 |
| 28 | Bruce Parsons | 4.48 |
| 29 | Michael Qualls | 4.45 |
| 30 | Brian Blakey | 4.42 |
| 31 | Scott Bailey | 4.32 |
| 32 | Brady Meredith | 4.31 |
| 33 | Jeffrey Compton | 4.27 |
| 34 | James Barnett | 4.23 |
| 35 | Gary Johnson | 4.22 |
| 35 | Ryan Butler | 4.22 |
| 36 | Mikel Wheeler | 4.21 |
| 37 | Randy Baker | 4.20 |
| 38 | Nathan Aukamp | 4.19 |
| 38 | Scott Kepko | 4.19 |
| 39 | Danny Loveland | 4.18 |
| 40 | Johnny Ash | 4.17 |
| 41 | Donnie Case | 4.11 |
| 42 | Gordon Luechtefeld | 4.03 |
| 43 | Timmy Peaka | 4.00 |
| 43 | Jared Gobel | 4.00 |
| 44 | Daniel Cornelison | 3.99 |
| 45 | Eric Snow | 3.97 |
| 46 | Robert Swearngin | 3.89 |
| 47 | Bryan Eiland | 3.80 |
| 48 | Darryl White | 3.78 |
| 49 | Mark Irwin | 3.72 |
| 50 | Tyler Zimmerman | 3.68 |
| 51 | Benjamin Woodruff | 3.66 |
| 52 | Kirk Sims | 3.62 |
| 53 | Lance Fausett |
Accent Marine Team Trail Results - May 20, 2012 - Kissimmee Chain
Accent Marine held their 5th tournament of 2012 on the Kissimmee Chain May 20, 2012. James Pearson and Jeff Crandon took home the 1st Place Prize of $590.00 after catching 28.20 lbs!
The 2nd Place team was James Watkins and Wayne Yohn. They caught 24.99 lbs and won $492.00. 3rd Place was won by Jeremy Cannon and Brett Cannon with 23.30 lbs, good for $393.00.
Chuck Pons and Casey Gonzalez took 4th Place with 22.70 lbs and $294.00. 5th Place was won by Derick Maschmeier and Michael Thacker. They caught 22.35lbs, good for $196.00.
The Big Bass of the day was caught by the team of Jeremy Cannon and Brett Cannon, a nice 10.29 lb bass that won them $500.00!
Jeremy Cannon with the Big Fish of the tournament
Piedmont Bass Classics Results - Jordan Lake - May 19, 2012
Jerry Marshburn & William Burns finally got a 1st place finish after numerous 2nd & 3rd place endings! 46
teams showed up at Jordan for the 6th qualifying tournament of the Boats Unlimited~Piedmont Bass Classics
2012 Spring Bass Tournament Trail.
The weather was nice with 57 degrees in the morning with 3 mile an hour winds and 79 degrees in the pm with 10 to 15 mph winds gusting to 20 and the water level was about a 6 inches above normal. We had a great weighin and I want to thank everyone that participated!
181 fish were weighed in for a nice total weight of 462 pounds and all the bass looked fairly healthy. Most fish
were caught early morning in 1 to 2 feet of water on a variety of baits including spinnerbaits, plastic worms,
crankbaits, buzzbaits and Rat-L-Traps for the most part. The hot baits for the day reported to be plastics and
topwater! Some bass were reported caught in 17 feet of water on Rat-L-Traps Water temps were around 75
degrees. I want to thank all the anglers that participated and that support this trail. Also, we have the greatest
sponsors supporting our trail!
Our next and final qualifying 'Boats Unlimited $10,000 Spring Bass Trail' event will be Saturday, June 9th, at
Falls Lake. the Championship is scheduled at Jordan Lake on Saturday June 23rd.
Our next 'Special Open' Tournament will be the 'Overton's of Raleigh Open' at Shearon Harris Lake Saturday,
June 2nd.
All the information on our tournaments can be found at: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Williams Burns & Jerry Marshburn of Sanford...5 bass...21.44 lbs...$1,000
2nd Place: Hal Abshire & Ethan Cox of Cameron & West End...5 bass...21.21 lbs...$590
3rd Place: Ken Wall & Ben Cannon of Asheboro & Apex...5 bass...20.49 lbs...$515
4th Place: Bubba Haywood & Steve Goodwin of Roxboro & Durham...5 bass...19.97 lbs...$405
5th Place: Steve & Horton Upchurch of Raleigh & Pittsboro...5 bass...18.47 lbs...$335
6th Place: Randy Fisher & Donnie Lowe of Hillsborough & Mebane...5 bass...18.16 lbs...$260
7th Place: Jay Garrard & Mark Herndon of Durham & Bahama...5 bass...17.81 lbs...$225
8th Place: Scott Gatton & Chad Miller of Cary...5 bass...16.67 lbs...$195
9th Place: Drew Smith & Lee Williams of Durham...5 bass...16.56 lbs...$155
1st Place Big Fish..3rd Place Team above...7.92 lbs...$630
2nd Place Big Fish..Adam & Kenneth Spell of Sanford...7.81 lbs...$270
1st Place TWT..1st Place Team above...21.44 lbs...$525
2nd Place TWT..3rd Place Team above...20.49 lbs...$225
Phil McCarson~Tournament Director 919-471-1571.......919-971-5042
www.piedmontbassclassics.com or email me at: [email protected]
Thanks for all your help....Phil
Hal Abshire & Ethan Cox finished in 2nd Place with 21.21 lbs
Gaston And Lilly Take The Greene Boat And Motor Tt On Hickory Sat With 18.48!
Erwin Gaston and Derek Lilly win the Greene Boat and Motor TT Event on Hickory with 5 fish for 18.48.........full results are below and Season to date Pts totals are attached:
| Greenes Tournament Results May 19th | ||||||
| BIG FISH | # DEAD | TOTAL | ||||
| Place | Team | # FISH | WEIGHT | FISH | WEIGHT | |
| 1 | Erwin Gaston/Derek Lilly | 5 | 5.22 | 18.48 | 100 | |
| 2 | Matt Queen/Brian Holmes | 5 | 3.32 | 14.44 | 99 | |
| 3 | Keith Hargett/George Hargett | 5 | 4.49 | 2 | 14.31 | 98 |
| 4 | John Allan/Andrew Young | 5 | 4.64 | 1 | 13.62 | 97 |
| 5 | Jim Davis/Terry Rosell | 5 | 4.10 | 13.47 | 96 | |
| 6 | Ron Farrow/Mike Allman | 5 | 2.78 | 11.41 | 95 | |
| 7 | Thomas Richmond/Artie Phillips | 5 | 2.74 | 11.09 | 94 | |
| 8 | Jody Wright/James Dyer | 5 | 3.25 | 9.92 | 93 | |
| 9 | Mike Stone/Roger Farrow | 3 | 3.61 | 9.00 | 92 | |
| 10 | Mike Brehm/Tracy Shift | 2 | 4.69 | 7.27 | 91 | |
| 11 | Robert Price/Earl Duckett | 2 | 4.66 | 6.47 | 90 | |
| 12 | Jerry Dean/Tony Sanders | 2 | 1.91 | 3.34 | 89 | |
| 13 | Clyde Whiteside/Clint Whiteside | 10 | ||||
| 14 | Brian Huskins/David Winters | 10 | ||||
| 15 | Glen Sparrow/Steven Sparrow | 10 | ||||
| 16 | Todd Garner/Shane Hartman | 10 | ||||
| 17 | David Gunderman/Daniel Gunderman | 10 | ||||
| 18 | Greg Sigmon | 10 |
Smiley And Gibson Take Tom's Marine Tourney On Cherokee With 17.43-Full Results Here!
Tim Smiley and Steve Gibson : All smiles after their big win on Cherokee!
Thanks to all those that came out and fished with us and we invite everyone to join us for our next event which will be held on June 16th on Douglas Lake.
Scott Martin Tops Otherwise Packed Leader Board At Flw Tour On Potomac River
With grass more scarce than normal and the Potomac fishing small, they said anglers would share turf on the water and on the leader board. They were right. There are numerous ties in the standings at the season's 4th FLW Tour Major. How about a 7-way tie for 65th place. A couple of 5-way ties, for 51st and 60th.
Scott Martin stands apart. With 22 pounds, 10 ounces today he enjoys a lead of 4 pounds, 6 ounces over Chris Baumgardner of Gastonia, NC and Strike King pro Mark Rose of West Memphis, AR who are - you guessed it - tied with 18-04 apiece.
The rest of the 145 boat field is separated by mere ounces. And, as mentioned, many aren't separated at all, but lumped in with others who share the same weight total.
Martin created a gap in the standings by boating 3 fish that weighed better than 5 pounds. Sounds like he is running the tides. He caught the big girls in 3 different areas.
Most of the top anglers today also had company on the water, though not too much. Crowding will be a factor this week. If a guy can make it through tomorrow he'll have more room once cuts are made.
It's still anybody's game at this point. Less than 3 pounds separate 2nd place from 32nd. And 3-pounders are prevalent on the Potomac.
More Reason Than Bass For Volunteers Behind Wolfson Children’s Hospital Tournament
Preston and Katrina Clark won the 2011 tournament
Although he holds the record for the second biggest bass ever caught in the history of the Wolfson Children’s Hospital Benefit Bass Tournament, Brian Seay admittedly is not much of a bass fisherman. He has a more personal reason for serving as tournament director for the 23rd annual tournament Saturday on the St. John's River.
“My son was in that hospital and he passed away after a couple of years, so I have my own attachment. We spent a lot of time in that hospital in his short life and the care we received was astronomical,” said Seay.
Seay said a strange turn of events highlighted by that big bass led him to become involved as a volunteer with the tournament.
“I am no bass fishing expert, but I went out with a guy who was pretty good and we were fishing in Rodman. He said drop your line there and I did. That fish weighed 11-pounds-plus,” he recalled, adding that it also caused him to catch some grief from his co-workers.
“All of the guys at work live and breathe this stuff and when I told them about it, they said, 'You went out there and did what?' I got a little plaque and I put it in my office. Sometimes I will take it out and show it to those guys,” he said with a chuckle.
“But my drive and my motivation for this tournament is not so much for the bass fishing as it is raising money for those kids,” Seay said. “I consider it a big honor to be involved.”
The tournament began more than two decades ago when the director of the Plant Facilities Department of Baptist Medical Center Downtown in Jacksonville, along with several outside contractors, wanted to play a major role in funding capital improvements and technological advancements for the Children's Hospital. They created the tournament with the goal of making it the largest in the state raising money for kids.
In 2010 the tournament drew 422 boats and last year the count was over 460 boats. Bob McNally, outdoors writer for The Florida Times Union in Jacksonville, calls it the largest single-day bass tournament in Florida.
“Actually,” said Seay, “we don't know of a bigger tournament in the Southeast.”
The tournament is actually three events over three days, starting with 14th annual the Lads and Lassies Tournament Thursday. Entry fee for Thursday competition is $70 a boat with an optional $10 entry for the Big Bass Pot.
Prizes for Lads and Lassies range from $1,000 for first place down to $100 for 10th place, with first Big Bass earning $1,000 and second Big Bass worth $500.
The VIP Tournament on Friday is strictly for show to allow sponsors and other dignitaries a chance to get on the water and go fishing.
Entry fee for the 23nd annual Wolfson Children's Hospital Benefit Bass Tournament Saturday is $90 per boat with an additional $10 per boat for the big bass competition. The tournament has a guaranteed purse of $37,000 in cash and prizes, including $10,000 for first place, $4,000 for second and $3,000 for third, on down to $100 for anglers who finish 51st-55th..
There is also a $5,000 prize for the largest bass weighed in and $1,000 each for second and third big bass of the tournament. Bringing in the exact weight listed in a sealed envelope will earn a huge bonus.
The tournament buys an insurance policy and places a pre-determined weight in the envelope. If an angler weighs in the big bass at the exact weight in the envelope he receives an additional $15,000. If the second big bass matches the weight in another envelop that angler gets $10,000.
In addition to all the potential prize money, somebody will go home with a brand new bass boat. Tickets are being sold for a drawing following Saturday's weigh-in for a new fully rigged 2012 Bullet 21XD Bass Boat with a Mercury 225 Pro XS OptiMax Motor, courtesy of Bullet boats and Mercury Marine.
“We raised right at $150,000 last year,” said Seay. “After the tournament we hold a big dinner in Jacksonville for the hospital and present them with the money.”
The volunteers who put on the tournament all have full-time jobs, Seay noted, but they all feel it is worth it just to help the children in the hospital.
“It has been very rewarding to me,” he said. “It's just a huge way to give something back to the hospital.”
Wolfson Children’s Hospital Benefit Bass Tournament
Sat, May 19, 2011
St. Johns River
Palatka City Docks
www.wolfsonchildrens.org/ways-to-give/bass/Pages/tourney.aspx
Gagliardi Settling On Strategy For Flw Tour Major On Potomac River
With practice over, Anthony Gagliardi was waiting to learn his flight number before determining a set strategy for the first day of fishing Thursday on the Potomac River in the fourth FLW Tour Major of the year.
“I have probably three or four primary ares that I know hold fish. I may decide to fish one for an entire day or I may run up the river and fish back down with the tide,” said the 10-year FLW pro from Prosperity, S.C. “I know there are four possible places I will be fishing in the tournament – I just have to determine which order I will go to them in.”
Gagliardi, the 2006 FLW Tour Angler of the Year, is currently ranked 11th and on track to qualify for the Forrest Wood Cup to be held Aug. 9-12 on Georgia's Lake Lanier. He has made the world championship of bass fishing all 10 years of his career, scoring four top 10 finishes: 3rd in 2004, 5th in 2005, 10th in 2006 and 9th in 2007.
In regular tournaments he has 17 top 10 finishes, including four first places and his career prize winnings top $1.2 million.
Although he did not have a good practice earlier this week, Gagliardi said he has some confidence fishing the Potomac where he has placed in the money in two out of the three tournaments he has fished there. Other than one tournament on the James River some years ago, those three tournaments are his only experience fishing tidal waters for bass.
“I have a little bit of confidence fishing here and I like fishing here,” he said. “It's a great fishery and I usually get a ton of bites when I fish here, but I did not get as many in practice as I normally would.”
Gagliardi said the fish apparently are in several different stages, with some still spawning, some that have spawned and moved out and some that are still on the way up shallow.
“Where I am fishing the water is not clear enough to fish for spawning fish,” he said. “I will fish four different things, but mainly I will be fishing soft plastic. I've had a couple of frog bites to I'll probably fish a frog and I'll go back and forth between those two. I may also throw a swim bait and a Chatterbait.
“If I had to pin it down to just one technique I'd spend most of my time flipping. After that I'd throw the Chatterbait, then the frog and then the swim bait.”
FLW Tour Major
May 17-20, 2012
Potomac River
National Harbor Marina
Big Boost In Entries Expected For Angler's Choice Team Trail Tournament At Smith Mountain
Chris Lucas, tournament director for the Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail, is looking for 200 or more boats for Saturday's tournament on Smith Mountain Lake!!
“We had 223 boats in the first tournament (on Smith Mountain), 224 in the second tournament (on Kerr Reservoir) and it dropped to to 167 in the third tournament (also on Kerr), which is typical because we split the state in half. We go to one half three times in the East and stay in the western part three times during the season,” Lucas said.
In order for anglers to get in the four required tournaments, he explained, they go to the first one in the West and the first one in the East and then pick their other three tournaments on waters closest to them.
“Early indications for this tournament look like we are going back to 200 boats again. We had 130 boats pre-registered as of Tuesday morning, so this should be another big tournament. I don't know but some people say we are the second largest amateur trail in the country on average.”
Lucas said there is still plenty of time to register for the tournament. Anglers can register at Anglers Choice in Martinsville, Va., until 12 noon Friday and Lucas will have open registration at the dock from 5 a.m. to about 6:45 a.m. on Saturday.
With half the tournaments already fished, there is a group of teams sitting atop the points standings, but Lucas warned that with three tournaments left the points championship is still anybody's game
“We award 300 points per tournament, so the top guys don't have anything concrete with three tournaments to go. Those guys who are middle ways back could easily have a good day and the top guys could have a bad tournament and then it doesn’t take long to catch up in the points.”
At the midpoint of the season, Travis and Daniel Towe are atop the points standings, but four other teams are close behind. Randy Redden and Gary Payne are second, Ryan and Wayne Mace are third and two teams are tied for fourth: Mark Cooper and Steve Roberts and Tyler and Zach Meadows, both only 42 points behind the leaders.
Lucas said anglers should have no trouble catching fish Saturday about any way they want to fish.
“A lot of the fish have gone to biting at night, but there are still a lot of fish being caught during the day, too. There are reports of some fish still spawning, so there are fish up shallow and some out deeper,” he said.
“There should be a topwater bite early and then anglers can get out and fish the docks and off the points. Some fish will move back on the deep brushpiles, so there will be a variety of ways to catch fish.”
The weather likely will also play a major role, he added. Saturday is supposed to be sunny with temperatures running 79 to 80 degrees.
“But we got hammered Monday night and the night before with rain so the lake will be up and there is a lot of flooding on Smith Mountain Lake right now. There will be colored water in the creeks and tributaries and clear water down the lake, so there will be every possible gamut you will want to fish. It should be a good tournament,” said Lucas who predicted it will take a five-fish limit at 18 to 20 pounds to win Saturday.
An added wrinkle to the tournament Saturday, he added, is the appearance of NAPA Auto Parts. The company will have a big display tent and give away product.
Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail
Sat, May 19, 2012
Smith Mountain Lake
Parkway Marina
Call Chris Lucas 276-358-0844
Airport Marine Tt Logan Martin Lake Champions John And Johnathon Hodges Win With 16.81!!
John and Johnathon Hodges beat out 60 other teams on Logan Martin last weekend and take home $2000 on what turned out to be a very challenging day on Logan Martin!
Airport Marine Tt Logan Martin Lake Highlights
AC Pro Staffer Reed Montgomery shoots some good weigh-in footage from the Airport Marine TT Tournament on Logan Martin the 1st Sat in May...............
Shootout Anticipated On Wateree In Final Sc Division Carolina Bass Challenge Qualifier
Saturday's final Carolina Bass Challenge South Carolina Division qualifier of 2012 on Lake Wateree is shaping up to be a shootout for the points title which carries a $1,000 cash prize, said CBC director Brett Collins.
“Jason Barrett and Ken Ellis lead Nelson Walker and Chris Brunson by 1 point and Brent Riley and Nathan Burgess are 15 points behind in third, but Saturday is a double points tournament so it's going to be close.”
Barret and Ellis won the opening tournament Feb. 11 on the Cooper River, weighing in a limit at 20.39 pounds, including the Big Fish at 8.63 pounds to win a total of $7,575. They fell to 44th at Lake Murray March 31, finishing out of the money with five fish that weighed 13.54 pounds, but rebounded to ninth at Santee Cooper April 28 when Ellis partnered with Chuck Howard to catch five bass that weighed 21.41 pounds and win $500.
Walker and Brunson have not been spectacular in any of the three qualifiers, but they have been consistent, finishing 18th on the Cooper River, 19th at Lake Murray and 18th at Santee Cooper.
Meanwhile. Burgess and Riley dug a deep hole to start out, finishing 57th on the Cooper River, but have climbed back out with a 10th place finish at Lake Murray and then finishing second at Santee Cooper where they weighed in five fish at 26.71 pounds and took home $4,000.
“The pre-paid list is close to 100,” Collins said at mid-week, “so it looks like we are going to have at least 125 teams for the tournament Saturday at Lake Wateree.”
Fishing at Wateree has been tough recently, Collins said, but the mid-week rains could change that quickly.
“Last week it took only 15 pounds to win a tournament on Lake Wateree, but we expect more weight this week,” he said. “The shad should be spawning in the grass and that will make the topwater bite turn on. With the mild winter and early spring we've had some fish are already out deep and docks always come into play at Lake Wateree.”
Collins said the South Carolina Division is up to 190 teams and he anticipates the number of teams that join up will expand to more than 200 after the tournament Saturday on Lake Wateree.
“It looks like the number of teams that will qualify for the South Carolina Divisional Final on Lake Wateree June 23 will be between 125 and 150,” he said. “First place at the Divisional Final will take home a Skeeter TX190 equipped with a 150 Yamaha HPDI. The point winning teams of each division will receive $1,000.”
Collins said all the teams from the SC Divisional and all the teams who enter the NC Divisional Final will be eligible to enter the Carolina Bass Challenge Championship on Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) October 27. The first place team at the championship will receive a Skeeter ZX200 equipped with a 200 Yamaha SHO.
The Carolinas Bass Challenge is a two-division series promoted by Skeeter Boat dealers Marshall's Marine in Lake City, S.C., Foothills Marine in Morganton, N.C., and Palmetto Marine in Greenville, S.C.
Carolinas Bass Challenge - South Carolina Division
Sat, May 12, 2012
Lake Wateree
Clearwater Cove Marina
Call Brett Collins 803-413-7521
www.carolinasbasschallenge.com
Sportsman's Warehouse Report Week 6 With Barry Sowers From Columbia, Sc!
Coming to you from Sportsman's Warehosue in Columbia, SC, we grab Barry Sowers in the fishing dept to take a look at some deep cranking patterns that you will need to use as we move into Memorial Day and beyond-
Sportsman's Warehouse Report Week 5 With Barry Sowers From Columbia, Sc!
We team up with Barry Sowers from Sportsman's Warehouse once again to take an up close look at these razor sharp Trokar Hooks and why so many anglers are gravitating to them!
Riley And Burgess Take The 2 Day Catt Cashion Rod Classic Tournament On Santee With 57.64 And Take Home $12,155!!
The 2012 Cashion Rod CATT Classic is a wrap and what a good time we had this past weekend! We kicked off the weekend Friday afternoon with plenty of catfish stew provided by the good folks at Marshalls Marine in Lake City, SC. The pre tournament meeting was held at John C. Land and what a great venue! Many thanks go out to Cashion Rods for being the title sponsor! If you’re looking for a great rod made in the Carolinas then look no longer. Use the rod FLW Pro Anthony Gagliardi puts his trust in…CASHION! A BIG thank you also goes out the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce for helping CATT bring the 2012 CATT Classic to the Santee Cooper Lakes. At the conclusion of the Classic we just shy of $24,000.00 in total payback cash and prizes!
A total of 84 teams entered the 2-day event and most were keeping quiet with this much money on the line but some let their fishing do the talking. Brent Riley of Ridgeville, SC and Nathan Burgess of Summervile, SC brought in a 2 day catch weighing up at 57.64 lbs and ran away with the win. They came close to weighing the identical weight each day with their 1st day weight at 28.97 lbs and their 2nd day weight of 28.67 lbs. They brought in a BF weighing 8.03 lbs the 1st day and a 7.14 lb BF the 2nd day. Along with $11,225.00 in cash which included the 1st Place BONUS $ they also received 2 Cashion Rods and 2 pair of Oakley Sunglasses plus 2
River Valley Crankbaits! All total in cash and prizes Brent and Nathan took home $12,155.00 in cash and prizes!
2nd went to Wade Grooms of Bonneau, SC and Wayne Clifton of Monks Corner, SC took the lead the 1st day with 5 bass weighing 32.77 lb and followed it up with a limit weighing 9.88 lb. Wade and Wayne had boat trouble minutes after blast off and no doubt affected their 2nd day strategy. Their 2 day total weight added up to 42.65 lbs and they also took home the 1st Day BF award of $500.00 with an 8.53 lb bass. Wade and Wayne also collected the 2nd Place BONUS $ pushing their total winnings up to $4,025.00!
Danny Lowery of Gable, SC and Perry Holloway of Sumter, SC took 3rd with another solid 2 day weight of 39.92 lbs. They received $2,000.00.
Henry McFadden of Georgetown, SC and Jeff Cantey of Greeleyville, SC finished up in 4th with a 2 day total of 36.26 lbs and they claimed $1,235.00.
Ken Ellis of Bowman, SC and Chuck Howard of Elloree, SC earned $700.00 with their 5th Place finish with a 2-Day total of 36.10 lbs.
6th Randall Driggers – Josh McGregor 34.02 lbs $500.00
7th Darryl Watson – Ken McFarland 33.68 lbs $475.00
8th Nelson Walker - Chris Brunson 32.70 lbs $450.00
9th Cecil Wolfe – David Malin 2nd Day BF- 8.13 31.51 lbs $900.00
10th Wayne King – Jimmy Bass 29.52 lbs $375.00
11th Mickey Barnes – Hal Cercopely 28.69 lbs $350.00
12th Chris Jones – Ed Owens 28.05 lbs $325.00
13th Billy McIntosh – Gene Dubose 27.71 lbs $300.00
14th Ronnie McCoy – Lin Langston 27.33 lbs $275.00
15th William Davis – Robert Ross 26.90 lbs $250.00
16th Tracy Raines – Elvis Peegler 25.64 lbs $225.00
Thanks to everyone who participated and next year we will head somewhere in North Carolina and hold the 2013 Cashion CATT Classic.
Brett Collins
CATT LLC
Brent Riley and Nathan Burgess with their HAUL!: 57.64 over 2 Days at SANTEE!
Wade Grooms and Wayne Clifton: Holding up $4000 plus worth of BASS!
Tough Fishing Means Time To Bear Down For Aoy Auten In Paa Tournament On Old Hickory
Finding fish has been tough in practice on Old Hickory Lake for PAA Angler of the Year Todd Auten, but that might not necessarily be a bad thing.
Auten, who won the third ever PAA AOY title last August on Alabama's Neely Henry Lake, is noted for poor practices followed by good tournaments, as evidenced by his 16th place finish in the FLW Tour Open tournament on Lake Okeechobee in February.
“I had a tough practice, so I had to change up and then I caught some good fish that helped me through the tournament,” he said following practice for the first regular PAA tournament of the year this week on Old Hickory Lake near Nashville, Tenn. After Old Hickory the PAA will move on to Neely Henry Lake in Gadsden, Ala., July 23-28, and will wrap up Sept. 13-15 on the Arkansas River in Muskogee, Okla.
“I'm hoping that is going to happen here because Old Hickory has been fishing pretty tough this week,” said the Lake Wylie, S.C., pro angler. “Sometimes when you start bearing down on the fish during the tournament the outcome will surprise you.”
That said, he admitted that finding quality fish during practice this week has not been easy.
“They were biting a little bit, but now everything is getting kind of beat up before the tournament. You can catch fish about anyway you want to fish, but it is just hard getting keepers,” Auten said. “I've caught two quality fish since I've been practicing and they were doing two totally different things.”
Auten said he has located some schools of fish, but they were all small fish.
“I think the fish are mostly still in transition. It's like you can catch fish shallow here and there, but it is spotty. And it is the same for the deep fish,” he said. “There are some deep fish out there, but it is real hard to find a school of them,. You might pull up on a place and catch one but it is hard to find schools with quality fish.”
Auten said the Angler of the Year title has not translated into a sponsorship boon for him.
“Right now sponsors are hard to come by in this economy. You think the economy might be picking up a little bit but a lot of people are still not spending money. It seems like now that you have to look outside the fishing industry for a good sponsorship and if you do that you just about have to know somebody to have a way in with them.”
Auten and his close friend Marcos Malucelli of Fort Mill, S.C., finished 18th in the PAA Tour Team Challenge Jan. 23-28 on Florida's Lake Toho. He is currently ranked 35th in Angler of the Year points.
In FLW competition he is ranked 16th in the FLW Tour Open Division and 40th in the FLW Tour Majors.
“I had a couple of pretty good tournaments and then the last one at Beaver Lake I finished 92nd, my worst finish in a long time. I need to get that turned around and start making some cuts,” he said.
It's time to bear down and fish hard at Old Hickory.
Bass Pro Shops PAA Tournament Series
May 7-12, 2012
Old Hickory Lake
Sanders Ferry Park
http://fishpaa.com/2012-old-hickory-lake-tournament-info
Baldwin Will Leave Turkey Hunting Long Enough To Fish Bfl On High Rock Lake
This is the time of year Chris Baldwin is torn between two loves – bass fishing and turkey hunting.
“I go turkey hunting in the morning and then practice for a tournament in the afternoon,” said the Lexington, N.C., angler who is currently ranked 3rd in the standings for the WalMart BFL's Piedmont Division. “Then I don't find enough fish and run out before the tournament is over,” he added with a laugh.
Not always.
He bagged a nice bird on a combo turkey hunting-practice day before the Lake Gaston tournament in April and then weighed in five bass at 16 pounds, 9 ounces to finish 6th in the tournament.
He spent Wednesday morning in the turkey woods, but did not get a shot.
“We had one out in the field and he was hung up on us. I think a hen got to him, but he should have been a dead bird. We just knew we had him, but then he faded away.,” Baldwin said. “But I can't complain. I've had a pretty good turkey season which was surprising as quick as it warmed up this spring.”
That early spring also affected the fish, he noted.
“Fishing started kind of slow this year. I usually don't start catching them good until they get on the beds and then when they pull off the beds, but March was brutal on me this year.”
Baldwin said there will be a lot of different scenarios for the anglers in the BFL on High Rock this Saturday.
“It has warmed up so quick a lot of the fish have already spawned. Normally, the shallow bite goes to the second week of June on High Rock, but the lake is down by three free. There is usually a good brush bite going on this time of year, but with the water down that brush bite likely is gone.”
There could be a good shad bite, he noted.
“I am sure the shad are spawning after the full moon and it has been real warm the last couple of weeks,” he said. “It's a little early for a crankbait, so a small Carolina rig might be good, along with a jig on the points. I still don't think there will be a 15-foot bite going on. I think it will be from 10 feet up to the bank.”
Baldwin missed practice Wednesday after turkey hunting because of heavy rains, but he will hit the lake Thursday and Friday and try to nail down some areas to fish.
“I'll fish from the bank out, just stand on the trolling motor and see what happens. It won't take very long to figure out if they are on the banks or out deep, but I think they are gong to be everywhere – scattered.”
Then, that just plays into his style of fishing.
“I love junk fishing with at least 12 rods on the deck. I am not a pattern fisherman. Other guys will have two rods on the deck with the same thing on both in case they break one off,” he said. “But I will have everything tied on, from a floating bait to a DD22.”
Walmart Bass Fishing League (BFL) - Piedmont Division
Sat, May 12, 2012
High Rock Lake
Tamarac Marina
North Carolina Bass Trail Results - May 5 - Tillery
The North Carolina Bass Trail held its fourth tournament of the year on Lake Tillery May 5. The team of Will Blanton and Billy Zumwalt took 1st Place with 16.25 lbs!
Mike Justice and Mark Weaver finished in 2nd Place with 12.15 lbs.
The final tournament will be at High Rock Lake on May 26th. This will be an open tournament. We will be blasting off from Tamarac Wildlife at safe light and weigh in will be at 3:00pm. If you would like to fish or need more information, call Mark Weaver at 336-984-8600.
