Shootouts Expected In Both Divisions Of Bassmaster Weekend Series Virginia Final Qualifier
If anglers carried guns instead of fishing rods, there would be shooting all over the lake when the Bassmaster Weekend Series Virginia Division wraps up its regular season this weekend on Kerr/Buggs Island.
There will probably be shootouts in both the Boater and Co-Angler Divisions for the points championship, said tournament director Gary Conner.
“The anglers this weekend will have two goals,” Conner said. “The first goal is to finish in the top 40 as the top 40 boaters and the top 40 co-anglers will continue on to the no-entry fee regional championship on Smith Mountain Lake Oct. 19-20.
“The second goal for this weekend is to determine the points champions. The points champions will have their entry fees paid for next year and they get a set of Odyssey Batteries valued at $1,000.”
There is a tight race in both divisions, Conner said, and with the finale being a two-day tournament with double points awarded for placement, the top anglers could be involved in a hard scramble to finish on top. In normal season events 250 points are awarded for first place, with a one-point drop for each place down from the top. This tournament is worth 500 points, with a two-point spread, Conner explained.
“There should be a three-way shootout to see who ends up as points champion on the boater side, Conner said. “Joel Eberts and Brad Weese are neck and neck, so there will be a shootout between those two to see who ends up on top. Then there is Ken Staton in third place who also has a chance at it.”
Weese, of Petersburg, W. Va., and Eberts of Powhatan, Va., both have 983 points. Staton, of Appomattox, Va., is 24 points behind.
Neither Weese nor Eberts has won a tournament this year, but they both finished in the top 10 in all four qualifying events so far. Staton has two top 15s and a top 10.
“On the Co-angler side Kevin Hensely has an 8-point lead over Robert Morris, so they could end up in a shootout, too,” Conner said.
In fact, only 17 points separate the top five Co-anglers. Hensley of Clarksville Va., leads with 984 points, trailed by Morris of Roanoke, Va., with 976. But the field tightens up right under Morris. Jerry Tyler of Weldon, N.C., trails Morris by 4 points; Terry Weese of Petersburg, W. Va., is only one point behind Tyler; and David Allen of Locust Grove, Va., is only three points behind Weese.
The top 40 anglers and co-anglers who advance to the regional championship on Smith Mountain Lake will be fishing there to make the top 50 in each division. The top 50 anglers and top 50 co-anglers will earn a berth in the National Championship on Lake Sam Rayburn in Texas in November.
“As far as the lake is concerned for this weekend, Kerr is down to 295 feet and water temperatures are starting to drop. Fishing is starting to pick up. The guys will be concentrating on the schools of shad and fishing around them,” Conner said.
Bassmaster Weekend Series - Virginia Division
Sep 29-30, 2012
Kerr / Buggs Island Lake
North Bend State Park
Call Gary Conner - 256-230-5627
Fishing Expected To Be Good For Accent Marine Final Qualifier On Kissimmee Chain
A month ago Hurricane Isaac was roaring towards Florida, threatening not only the Republican National Convention in Tampa, but also the next to last Accent Marine qualifying tournament on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes.
Isaac gave Florida a little slap before heading inland, causing the GOP to alter its schedule for the week, but it did not slam into the state as feared. The threat of bad weather associated with the storm also kept a lot of anglers home that weekend, so entries were down some from the 70-boat average enjoyed by the Accent Marine Tournament Trail for most of the year.
But the situation is a lot more favorable for fishing this Saturday, the last of the Accent Marine qualifiers for the year, said tournament director Ted Meyer.
“We're supposed to have pretty nice weather this weekend and the fishing is supposed to be good, too. A front came through and the weather should be in the 70s and 80s. Fishing should be either on a worm bite or flipping. Topwater may also still be pretty good.”
With fishing expect to be very good for the final Accent Marine regular season tournament Sunday, Meyer predicted it will take around 30 pounds to win.
“If the water is moving it may take more than that. But we should have a good tournament this weekend.”
Although Isaac was a threat, Meyer said the down economy and rising gasoline prices have hurt the series more than anything this year.
“That is certainly not helping our fishermen, but other than that it has really been going good this year, actually better than I thought it would,” he said, adding, “we'll just have to play it by ear and see what happens next year.”
The Accent Marine Tournament Trail features a 95 percent payback with 75 percent paid back at each tournament and 20 percent held for the Classic. Teams must fish at least seven of the nine regular season tournaments to qualify for the classic.
Entry fee is $65 per boat, which includes Big Bass and the payback at each tournament goes through the top five places. All entries must be received by 5 p.m. the Friday before each tournament. Teams can weigh in six fish at a tournament. After Sunday's tournament the anglers who have fished seven tournaments will fish the Classic October 13-14, also out of Camp Mack.
“The anglers who supported the tournament trail all year long get to fish in the Classic,” Meyer said. “The ones who paid get to play.”
Accent Marine Tournament Trail
Sun, Sep 30, 2012
Kissimmee Chain of Lakes
Camp Mack's River Resort
Call 813-620-1042 or 1309
B.a.s.s. Releases 2013 Opens Schedule
The 2013 Bassmaster Opens Scedule is out. As usual, 3 different divisions will each offer 3 tournaments on diverse water bodies.
Again, the Opens offer a path to the Elite Series, as the top 5 anglers in each division are invited to join the big leagues.
And once again, the Opens offer a shot at the Bassmaster Classic for winning anglers who fish all 3 events in their division.
On days 1 and 2 all anglers will weigh-in at lakeside while nearby Bass Pro Shops retail locations will host the final weigh in. Only the top 12 compete on the final day.
Southern Open #1 - Jan 31-Feb 2 - Lake Toho, Kissimmee, FL
Southern Open #2 - April 4-6 - Douglas Lake, Dandridge, TN
Southern Open #3 - May 16-18 - Lake Logan Martin, Pell City, AL
Northern Open #1 - June 13-15 - James River, Richmond, VA
Northern Open #2 - Aug 1-3 - Oneida Lake, Syracuse, NY
Northern Open #3 - Sept 12-14, Lake Erie, Sandusky, Ohio
Central Open #1 - April 25-27 - Red River, Shreveport, LA
Central Open #2 - Sept 19-21 - Arkansas River, Muskogee, OK
Central Open #3 - Oct 17-19 - Ross Barnett Reservoir, Jackson Miss.
Priority online registration for the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens begins Oct. 16; B.A.S.S. Federation Nation and Lifetime members can register online beginning Oct. 23, and other B.A.S.S. members wishing to fish all three tournaments in a division may register online on Oct. 30. Additional dates have been set for call-in registration and for anglers wishing to fish only one or two events. A complete schedule is available on Bassmaster.com.
B.a.s.s., Sealy Outdoors Partner In Big Bass Splash Events
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Two of the oldest and most prominent bass tournament organizations — B.A.S.S. and Sealy Outdoors — have signed a joint agreement to market and promote the popular Big Bass Splash series of events.
Under the agreement, Sealy’s big-bass tournaments beginning in 2013 will be named the “Big Bass Splash Presented by Sealy Outdoors and B.A.S.S.” In addition, Big Bass Splash weigh-ins will be streamed live on Bassmaster.com, and the events will be covered in B.A.S.S. media.
Founded in 1984 by Texas angler Bob Sealy, the organization conducts five tournaments a year, attracting thousands of participants to weekend contests on some of the country’s best trophy bass lakes. Guides on those lakes and top-level professional anglers are not allowed to compete. Instead, Sealy targets everyday anglers, including children, with his fun and festive tournaments.
Weigh-ins are held hourly, with as many as 12 big bass each hour earning a share of the prize money.
“We are joining forces with B.A.S.S. in order to help bass fishing grow,” said Sealy. “We want to get more people involved in fishing, and so does B.A.S.S. We’re very family-oriented.” To that end, separate prizes are awarded in the “Little Anglers Division.”
Sealy noted that in one event a few years ago, an 11-year-old boy, fishing with his father and grandfather, boated an 11.57-pound bass and won the $100,000 grand prize package, including a bass boat and SUV. “Ever since then, we’ve had more sons and daughters fishing with fathers and mothers at every event,” he said.
Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO, said the partnership will strengthen B.A.S.S.’s already extensive reach into the grass roots of sportfishing, expanding it to wider audiences, especially recreational anglers, youngsters and those new to the sport.
“Through Bassmaster.com and Bassmaster Magazine, we intend to increase awareness of the Big Bass Splash tournaments and grow participation in bass fishing,” Akin said. “At the same time, we expect that our members and online viewers will enjoy our coverage of these fun, exciting, family-friendly fishing events.”
The Big Bass Splash, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2014, is the world’s largest amateur big bass fishing tournament, and it has been featured in a recent National Geographic television special. Proceeds from the events benefit the Ronald McDonald House and select McDonald’s children’s charities. Sealy now has five events in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Tennessee, with plans to reach Arkansas, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina in the next few years.
Jb Custom Rods - Piedmont Bass Classics $5,000 Fall Trail Results - Shearon Harris - September 23, 2012
16 teams arrived at the ramp for the 3rd qualifier in the 2012 JB Custom Rods~Piedmont Bass Classics $5,000 Fall Team Bass Tournament Trail, and were greeted with a beautiful Fall morning!
44 keepers were brought to the scales weighing in at a total of 99 pounds! Todd Sumner of Southern Pines & Richard Greene of Laurinburg had 5 solid bass that weighed 17.80 pounds winning the 1st place prize of $640!
2nd Place went to the team of Scott Mooneyham of Fayetteville & Curtis Bourne of Raleigh. They won $385 for 2nd, $210 for the Big Fish and 1st Place TWT worth $350, for a grand total of $945!
The day started with 63 degrees at blastoff, then slowly got into the upper 70's at weighin. No wind was around in the morning, but about 10am it picked up, blowing 10 to 15 at times. The morning bite was hot for top water baits, but when the wind picked up things slowed down. Most fish were caught in 2 to 12 feet of water. Top water, crankbaits & Rat-L-Traps worked around grass lines seemed to work best and worm rigs kicked in the other bites. Water temps were around 75 degrees. The Big Fish weighed in at 6.35 pounds! I want to thank all the anglers that participated and that support this trail.
Our next tournament will be the 2012 JB Custom Rods~Piedmont Bass Classics Fall Team Bass Trail Qualifier #4 at Falls Lake out of Ledge Rock Wildlife Ramp, Sunday, September 30th. This will be our last event at Falls for 2012. Teams still have a chance to fish in the Championship if they fish the last 4 events in the Fall Trail as a team. Don't miss out on this great chance to win some nice paybacks!
I have waived the deposit fee for the Fall Trail. If you want to enter any or all of these Fall Trail events, please complete an entry blank for each one you want to enter and either give them to me or mail them in. (no phone in entries Please!) This will help you get a good starting position for the tournments you want to fish. These are all 'Open Sunday Tournaments', except for the Championship which you have to qualify for. Please read the rules! All the information can be found on the below web page:
http://www.piedmontbassclassics.com/2012FTMainPage.html
All the information on our Fall Trail tournaments can be found at: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Todd Sumner & Richard Greene of Southern Pines & Laurinburg...5 bass...17.80 lbs...$640
2nd Place: Scott Mooneyham & Curtis Bourne of Fayetteville & Raleigh...3 bass...10.17 lbs...$385
3rd Place: Chad Craven & Tommy Farley of Raleigh & Colonial Heights, VA...5 bass...10.05 lbs...$255
1st Place Big Fish..2nd Place Team above...6.35 lbs...$210
2nd Place Big Fish..Rick Ohlson & Joey Davis of Garner...4.96 lbs...$90
1st Place TWT..2nd Place Team above: 10.17 lbs...$350
2nd Place TWT..3rd Place Team above: 10.05 lbs...$150
Contact Information:
Phil McCarson ... Tournament Director
919-471-1571 or 919-971-5042
email: [email protected]
web: piedmontbassclassics.com
Scott Mooneyham & Curtis Bourne finished 2nd with 10.17 lbs, including a 6.35 lb bass that won Big Fish!
Greg Vinson Shows New Netbait Colors!
Bassmaster Elite Series pro Greg Vinson made a run at the 2012 Bassmaster Classic title with his favorite Netbait lures. Here he shows us the newest color combos from the Alabama-based manufacturer. From ICAST 2012!
Rose Wins In Wire-To-Wire Fashion At Walmart Flw Tour On Wheeler Lake Presented By Ranger Boats
DECATUR, Ala. (Sept. 23, 2012) – National Guard pro Mark Rose again brought the largest stringer to the scales Sunday – for the third time in four days – to win the Walmart FLW Tour Open on Wheeler Lake presented by Ranger Boats. Rose weighed in a five-bass limit worth 16 pounds, 14 ounces to win the $125,000 prize after leading wire-to-wire, besting the bass-fishing pros from all across the United States.
Rose Widens Lead At Walmart Flw Tour On Wheeler Lake Presented By Ranger Boats
14th: Goodwill pro Chad Grigsby, Maple Grove, Minn., 14 bass, 33-15, $6,720
Rose Continues To Lead Walmart Flw Tour On Wheeler Lake Presented By Ranger Boats
16th: Tommy Martin, Hemphill, Texas, 10 bass, 24-13
Check Out The Super Capacitor That Cranks Outboards And Charges Trolling Batteries While You Fish!
David Nelson shows us the REVOLUTIONARY Super Capacitor that cranks your boat and charges trolling motor batteries while you fish! You've got to see this - from ICAST 2012!
Rose Leads Walmart Flw Tour Open On Wheeler Lake Presented By Ranger Boats
Alabama’s Martin Leads Co-Anglers
Walser Looking For Solid Finish In High Rock Tournament On Way To Bfl Hat Trick
Robert Walser of Lexington, NC. Photo courtesy FLW Outdoors.
Robert Walser is trying to complete possibly the first hat trick in Walmart BFL competition by qualifying for regional championships from the North Carolina, South Carolina and Piedmont Divisions in the next couple of weeks.
The Lexington, N.C., angler kicked off his quest for the rare bass fishing trifecta with a 22nd place finish in the Piedmont Division BFL super tournament last weekend on Kerr/Bugs Island. He moves on this weekend to the North Carolina Division BFL super tournament on High Rock Lake, just 20 minutes from his home. And he will wrap up his challenge with the South Carolina BFL super tournament Sept. 29 on Clarks Hill Lake.
If he stays in the top 40 in each division he will move on to the Regional Championships. South Carolina qualifiers go to Kerr Lake Oct. 11-13, North Carolina qualifiers go to Pickwick Lake Oct. 18-20 and Piedmont qualifiers go to Cherokee Lake on Oct. 4-6.
The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
Walser has a stellar career in BFL competition. He was Angler of the Year in the South Carolina Division in 1999 and 2000, and has been in the top 10 in points eight times since 1995. He was Angler of the Year in the Piedmont Division in 2007 and 2011 and has been in the top 10 in five of the 10 years he fished that division And he has been in the top 10 in the North Carolina Division four of the six years he has fished that division.
He is ranked 5th and is the top money winner this year in the North Carolina Division, with $3,505. He is 34th in the Piedmont Division and 26th in the S.C. Division
“I have not been on High Rock at all,” Walser said. “I fished that Piedmont Division BFL at Buggs Island two weeks ago and then I went to Tennessee this past weekend because I'd never been to Lake Cherokee. I am hoping I can get to High Rock and practice Thursday.”
Walser said that although he has not fished High Rock in three weeks, he has heard that the fishing has got tough.
“We've had a lot of rain, so it is probably going to come back up some. I don't know how much it will muddy up, but I am pretty sure it will get muddy,” he said. “I am going to fish shallow regardless, so it is just a matter of finding some fish.”
Walser said his practice strategy will be to look for some shallow fish because the water is coming up. With between 2 and 3 inches of rain since Sunday, he expects the lake to rise 8 to 10 inches by tournament time.
“I will not be shocked if it takes 16 to 18 pounds a day, so it probably will take 35 pounds for the two days. I won't be shocked either if it takes at least 12 pounds just to get a check.”
Although he qualified in the final Piedmont Division tournament on Kerr, Walser uncharacteristically did not earn a check in that tournament. The break-point for earning a check was 10 pounds and he finished with four bass that weighed a total of 6 pounds.
“I had them eat a trailer off a jig. I had fish come two thirds of the way to the boat and come off. I was just losing fish and could not put it together for some reason. Normally I do good at Bugs, but I sure did not that weekend.”
His chances of completing the hat trick, however, are a pretty safe bet. All he has to do at Clarks Hill, for instance, is catch one keeper fish and he will make the regional. And then it will be off to the races in all three divisions
He will head to Clarks Hill next week, then go straight to Cherokee. Then he will come home, “change clothes and go straight to Bugs Island. I think I will get to work three days total in October I've got those three week-long regionals if I make the last one – and I'll be a day late to practice for every one of them,” he said.
“I've got three chances to win a boat, motor and trailer and they take six from each regional to the All American, so I've got 18 chances to make the All American,” he said. “That puts the odds in my favor, but some years it seems like I do everything right and other years I wonder if I can make it to the boat ramp, but one thing is for sure – I can't make it if I stay home.”
Walmart Bass Fishing League (BFL) - North Carolina Division
Sep 22-23, 2012
High Rock Lake
Tamarac Marina
Fishing May Be Challenging For Texas Bass Couples Championship On Lake Bob Sandlin
The 2012 Texas Bass Couples Championship on Lake Bob Sandlin on Big Cypress Creek near Mount Pleasant in Northeast Texas this weekend is expected to be a real challenge for most of the 80 anglers because so few of them have ever fished the lake before.
“The way I understand it from talking to some of the locals, is that fishing is tough,” said Tommy Busbee, who, with his wife, Pam, founded the Texas Bass Couples Tournament Trail. “A lot of small fish are being caught. Two or three of the locals claim 10 to 15 pounds a day will get a check in the tuornament.”
The lake is about three feet low, Busbee said, adding: “But that is a good condition compared to other lakes in the Central Texas area. Most all of them are down. I live on Lake Brownwood, which is about 15 feet low, and Lake Ivie is probably 40 feet low.”
Busbee said the 40 teams in the championship qualified through seven regional trails with six tournaments each.
“If they fished four they qualified or they could qualify with 250 points. First place in each tournament is 100 points, 99 for second and on down, plus they get 25 points just for showing up at a tournament.”
Busbee said the championship weekend will kick off Friday with a banquet where the Teams of the Year and Big Bass of the Year in all seven regions will be honored.
“We are a young and growing little tournament trail with fellowship as our number one goal,” he said.
Busbee also announced that he and his wife, Pam, are relinquishing the directorship of the West Region so they can visit and fish in all the other regions next year.
“We want to travel around the state to the other regions, meet more people, get more involved with them and with the local sponsors,” he said.
Taking over the West Region as directors will be Dalton and Carrie Cooley of Early, Texas, he said.
“They have been fishing in the couples trails I have been putting on for 20 years. They love getting together with the other anglers and enjoying the fellowship,” said Busbee.
He also announced the Texas Bass Couples Trail will hold an early bird tournament out of Oakridge Marina on Lake Fork Oct. 14. The event will be a “Two Team” draw tournament. Boat numbers will be drawn to match up teams. Team weights will be added together and winners will claim the pot.
Couples do not have to be members of the Texas Bass Couples Trail to enter. They can fish the tournament just to check out the trail, Busbee said. If a team then joins the Texas Bass Couples for the 2013 season they will get 25 points towards qualifying for the 2013 championship.
Entry fee for the Early Bird is $60 per team and $5 of that will go to the Big Bass payout. There will also be a Ladies Big Bass prize and a Smallest Bass Award.
2012 Texas Bass Couples Championship
Sep 21-23, 2012
Lake Bob Sandlin
Call 325-647-4116
West Virginia's Robby Fleshman Grabs The Lead With Eye-Popping Sack On Upper Chesapeake!
The size of his stringer caught the crowd by surprise. At first there was a stunned silence, then cheers and clapping. His five-fish limit tipped the scales at 21 pounds, 5 ounces. That put him 5 pounds, 7 ounces out in front.
“I fished weeds and wood,” said the Mountain State angler immediately after carrying his fish to the release boat. “I was shallow — in the 4 to 5 foot range — and moved around a lot with a moving bait. I don’t want to say any more than that right now. I’ll tell you more on Friday afternoon.”
Asked if he had enough fish left for tomorrow and Friday, Fleshman replied that he was confident his fish would hold up as far as numbers are concerned but he didn’t know about the weather affecting his bite. He was clearly worried that warming temperatures and clearing skies would not be kind to him.
Fleshman also claimed the day’s Cabela’s Big Bass honors with a 5-pound, 12-ounce hawg.
In the state team competition, Delaware is in first place with 40 fish totaling 93 pounds, 7 ounces. That’s 5 pounds, 5 ounces in front of second place Zimbabwe. Members of the African team managed 34 keepers on waters many miles from their home. Holding onto the third slot is Virginia, with Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and West Virginia rounding out the first day standings, respectively.
The leader for each state team advances to next month’s 2012 Cabela’s Bassmaster Federation Nation Championship on Alabama’s Wheeler Lake, Oct. 25-27. Fleshman leads for West Virginia, and other leaders after today are Waterman, Maryland; Donald Lauer, Delaware; Craig Townsend, New Jersey; Darin Doll, Pennsylvania; Bryant Copley, Virginia; and Glen Fowler, Zimbabwe.
A total of 203 fish were brought to the scales. They weighed 511 pounds, 15 ounces for an average weight of about 2 1/2 pounds. Mid-Atlantic anglers caught 18 limits.
Most of the anglers reported tough fishing conditions, which they attributed to yesterday’s storms, especially the high winds. For the most part, the fish were scattered with an intermittent bite. A few anglers did report, however, a traditional Upper Chesapeake Bay early morning feast along with an afternoon famine.
No matter the tough conditions, it was hard to find an angler who wasn’t looking forward to tomorrow morning’s launch.
Tune in to Bassmaster.com for photos, stories and live streaming of tomorrow’s weigh-in. Competitors launch tomorrow at 6:30 a.m. ET, and the weigh-in is at 2:30 p.m. Both are located at Anchor Marina in Northeast, Md.
B.a.s.s. Allstars
Here are just a few thoughts on the BASS Allstars coming to my home state of Illinois. I like the fact that they get to come to a lake that none of them have ever been to . I also like the fact that the fans will get to see the greatest anglers in the world compete. An I think it will help our economy a little which is always a good thing. As far as Lake Shelbyville goes, it does have some fish in it and in the spring and summer a few big bags can be caught. But for the most part fishing on that lake is tough. There are plenty of good looking spots, nice ledges, laydowns, and rip rap to fish but getting a bite can be difficult. This will be a junk fish tournament unless a guy pulls up on the right ledge and catches a few. That's right, I said few. I don't know much about Decatur Lake but I assume it to be about the same. It saddens me that the lakes in Illinois do not compare to the rest of the country. When I fish tournaments at home if you get five keeper bites, you did great. I do hope the fans show up for this event and everyone has a good time. I also hope I am wrong and these guys catch them. We will see.
Bernie Schultz Shows The New Double Deep Spinnerbait
From ICAST 2012, Bassmaster Elite Series veteran Bernie Schultz introduces us to a lure that plays very well this time of year - when deep bass have seen all of your worms, jigs and crankbaits - the Double Deep Spinnerbait will trigger big bites on deep structure!
Toyota All-Star Week And Flw Tour Open Set To Kick Off Thursday
(cue the Hank Williams Jr. music) Are you ready for some bass fishing?!?!?!
Bass tournament fans will have plenty of action to follow starting Thursday and running through the weekend.
The Bassmaster Elite Series Toyota All-Star Week Semi-Final round is about to begin Thursday morning on Lake Shelbyville near Decatur, IL.
After two days on the mysterious fishery that has never hosted a major tournament only four pros will survive the cut and fish Saturday on nearby Lake Decatur in a match-fishing style that pits the #1 seed against #4 and #2 against #3.
The two remaining anglers fish head-to-head at Decatur for all the marbles on Sunday.
Word is Shelbyville offers wood, both, deep and shallow and that jigs are the way to go, both, deep and shallow. If a little current runs the lake then anglers can expect solid action on the Original Chatterbait or Strike King Squarebill cranks and similar shad-imitating lures.
Meanwhile the FLW Tour Open pairs pros and co-anglers for a tough test on Wheeler Lake in North Alabama.
Why so tough? Well, September is seldom kind to Southern anglers in the first place. Also, Wheeler offers practically no grass. The bass are scattered in 2-to-22 feet of water. Recent rainy conditions, expected to continue for a couple more days, could generate current through the lake. That could set up a much improved bite, especially for the Alabama Rig crowd.
Otherwise, look for low weights as anglers junk fish in areas that feature an abundance of shad.
B.a.s.s. Opens Registration For Unique Bassmaster Marshal Program
B.A.S.S. members will have an exclusive opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the world’s best bass anglers as registration for the Bassmaster Elite Series Marshal program opens this month for the 2013 Bassmaster Elite Series season (see schedule below). The program gives members a unique glimpse into the world of the pros as they spend tournament days on the water, observing as the fishermen employ strategies and special tactics to bring in the biggest catches during the eight-tournament Bassmaster Elite Series season.
“The Bassmaster marshal program’s popularity has grown immensely since its inception,” said Trip Weldon, B.A.S.S. tournament director. “Imagine getting eight hours of one-on-one, on-the-water classroom instruction from the best bass anglers in the world. Bassmaster Elite Series pros have embraced the program, and they are willing to share a wealth of information that is sure to help their marshals become better anglers once they return home.”
Marshal registration for B.A.S.S Federation Nation and Life members opens Sept. 25 at 9 a.m. CST for online applications and Sept. 27 at 9 a.m. CST for phone applications. All B.A.S.S. members can register online Oct. 2 beginning at 9 a.m. CST and by phone Oct. 4 at 9 a.m. CST.
According to Weldon, scoring a marshal slot can be a challenge as B.A.S.S. members play a beat-the-clock game to submit their entries to serve as marshals for their favorite tournament locations.
“We have many serious and dedicated fans, and some tournaments have all marshal spots filled within 15 minutes of registration opening,” Weldon said.
Before each event, participating marshals attend a registration and briefing by B.A.S.S. officials, who provide them with copies of Bassmaster tournament rules. The marshals’ familiarity with the rules helps ensure the integrity of the highest level of professional fishing. Marshals, who must be at least 16 years old to participate, are randomly paired with Elite Series pros.
Marshals will also have the opportunity while on the water to operate BASSTrakk, a cell-phone-based scoring technology, which broadcasts data to the Bassmaster.com website, allowing fans to follow up-to-the-minute tournament action as Elite anglers battle it out for the top prize of $100,000.
All Elite Series marshals participate on the first two days of Elite Series competition, and some are selected to observe the pros on Day 3 or Day 4.
B.A.S.S. members who are interested in becoming marshals can register at www.Bassmaster.com/marshal or by calling 877-BASSUSA. The enrollment fee is $125, which includes an exclusive Bassmaster marshal shirt and hat.
| Date | Event Name | Destination | Fishery |
| March 14-17 | Sabine River Challenge | Orange, Texas | Sabine River System |
| March 21-24 | Falcon Slam | Zapata, Texas | Falcon Lake |
| April 18-21 | Bulls Shoals Quest | Bull Shoals, Ark. | Bull Shoals Lake |
| May 2-5 | West Point Battle | LaGrange, Ga. | West Point Lake |
| May 9-12 | Alabama River Charge | Montgomery, Ala. | Alabama River |
| June 20-23 | Mississippi River Rumble | La Crosse, Wis. | Mississippi River |
| Aug. 8-11 | St. Lawrence River Showdown | Waddington, N.Y. | St. Lawrence River |
| Aug. 22-25 | Lake St. Clair Championship | Detroit, Mich. | Lake St. Clair/ Detroit River |
Clouse Wins Paa Angler Of The Year
Gary Clouse, founder of Phoenix Boats, likes to mix a little tournament fishing into his schedule. He topped a number of pros from the FLW Tour, Bassmaster Elite Series and Opens as the season-long points leader and winner of the 2012 Angler of the Year on the Professional Anglers Association tourney series.
Clouse heads the list of competitors headed to the Toyota Texas Bass Classic.
Jb Custom Rods - Piedmont Bass Classics $5,000 Fall Trail Results - Falls Lake - September 16, 2012
10 teams arrived at the ramp for the 2nd qualifier in the 2012 JB Custom Rods~Piedmont Bass Classics $5,000 Fall Team Bass Tournament Trail, and the bite was a little better than Jordan Lake this time!
25 keepers were brought to the scales weighing in at a total of 70 pounds! Chad Craven of Raleigh and Tommy Farley of Colonial Heights, VA had 5 that weighed 18.36 pounds winning 1st place for the second time in the Fall Trail! They took 1st place, 2nd big fish and 1st TWT! All total, they won $720!
The day started with 63 degrees in the morning with rain starting at blastoff, then stayed in the 60's all day with rain heavy at times. Winds were light. Most fish were caught in 1 to 10 feet of water. Plastic worms and jigs, fished tight to laydowns and stumps in the river & main lake, seemed to be the preferred baits. Water temps were around 78 degrees. The Big Fish weighed in at 6.34 pounds!
I want to thank all the anglers that participated and that support this trail.
Our next tournament will be the 2012 JB Custom Rods~Piedmont Bass Classics Fall Team Bass Trail Qualifier #3 at Shearon Harris out of Holleman's Crossing Wildlife Ramp, Sunday, September 23rd. THIS SHOULD BE A GOOD ONE!
The Fall Trail lakes will include Shearon Harris, Falls & Jordan with the Championship at Harris.
All the information on our tournaments can be found at: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
http://www.piedmontbassclassics.com/2012FTMainPage.html
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Chad Craven & Tommy Farley of Raleigh & Colonial Heights, VA...5 bass...18.36 lbs...$520
2nd Place: Jeremy Martin & Charley Vaughn of Rougemont...5 bass...16.76 lbs...$280
1st Place Big Fish..2nd Place Team above...6.34 lbs...$140
2nd Place Big Fish..1st Place Team above...5.78 lbs...$60
1st Place TWT..1st Place Team above: 18.36 lbs...$140
2nd Place TWT..Ricky Petty & John Marlow of Gibsonville & Burlington: 12.10 lbs...$60
Contact Information:
Phil McCarson ... Tournament Director
919-471-1571 or 919-971-5042
email: [email protected]
web: piedmontbassclassics.com
2nd Place Team Jeremy Martin & Charley Vaughn
Patrick Pierce And Rich Bellanger Of St Croix Show The Legend Extreme!
Bassmaster Open and PAA Tournament Series pro Patrick Pierce stops by the St Croix booth at ICAST 2012 to talk with Rich Bellanger about the Legend Extreme rods.
Brandon Gray Takes Home Over $40,000 In Cash/triton Boat Pkg At Ac Marine Lunker Challenge On Kerr-Full Results Here!
Brandon Gray beats out 175 other Anglers on Kerr Lake this weekend during this 2 day event to win a $27,000 Triton Boat/Trailer Pkg with his 6.22 LB Weekend Lunker.................he also won cash in the hourly weigh-in format to take home over $40,000 in Cash and Prizes. Full results are attached here.............congrats to Brandon!!
College Bass Series To Visit America’s Best Bass Lakes, Including Santee Cooper, Harris Chain, And Pickwick!
When college football winds down at year’s end, a different sort of competition — one played far from the gridiron — will begin. Teams representing colleges and universities from throughout the country will battle it out on some of the best bass fishing waters in the nation as the 2013 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series gets underway in January.
New this year is a conference format, challenging students to battle rival colleges for the biggest tournament bags and bragging rights in five regional tournaments, as well as a shot at entry in the season-ending Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Championship next summer.
College Series tournament manager Hank Weldon says the new format is a testament to the boom in popularity of college bass fishing.
“During the past few years we’ve seen the season evolve from one tournament annually to seven tournaments this year,” Weldon said.
“We’re really proud of the fact that College Series tournaments are being held on some of the hottest bass lakes in America,” he added. Five of the six qualifying tournaments will be held on lakes ranked on Bassmaster Magazine’s 100 Best Bass Lakes list, and four are in the Top 25.
The season kicks off Jan. 4-5 on the Harris Chain of Lakes out of Tavares, Fla., for Southern B.A.S.S. Conference anglers. The Central B.A.S.S. Conference regional tournament will be March 8-9 on Amistad Reservoir at Del Rio, Texas. Colleges farther west will fish Clear Lake in California, site of the Western B.A.S.S. Conference qualifier April 6-7 in Clear Lake, Calif. The Eastern B.A.S.S. Conference Regional will be held April 12-13 on the Santee Cooper lakes at Manning, S.C. And teams in the Midwestern B.A.S.S. Conference will compete May 29-30 on the Mississippi River at Fort Madison, Iowa.
College anglers from anywhere in the United States can participate in the new College Series Wildcard tournament June 14-15 on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Ala.
“The addition of the wildcard is something we’re excited about,” Weldon said. “In the regular season, colleges can only fish within their respective conferences. This tournament, which will take place at prime time for one of the best lakes in the nation, gives the fishing teams one last chance to make it to the championship.”
The College Series Championship, at a site to be announced, is a hotly contested fishing tournament in which schools compete for bragging rights and prizes as well as for a chance to fish a postseason qualifier for the Bassmaster Classic.
The Oklahoma State University team of Zack Birge and Blake Flurry won the Carhartt College Championship title in July 2012, while Matt Lee of Auburn University outlasted the top individual fishermen — including his own brother — to earn a coveted berth in the 2013 Classic on Grand Lake, Okla., Feb. 22-24. Lee will compete against the world’s best bass anglers for fishing fame and the $500,000 first prize.
College anglers interested in participating in the 2013 Carhartt College Series can get more information at Bassmaster.com or by contacting Weldon at 205-313-0957.
Anglers Will Be Fishing For That One Big Fish In Anglers Choice Marine Lunker Challenge
One big fish. That's what everybody will be fishing for on Kerr/Buggs Island this weekend in the Anglers Choice Marine Lunker Challenge sponsored by Triton Boats.
“It's definitely going to be interesting,” said Chris Lucas, tournament director for the Anglers Choice Marine Tournament Trail hosted by the Bass Boat Superstore located in Martinsville, Va. “Each guy will weigh in just one fish each day and the one who weighs in the biggest fish each day will get a big check.”
In fact, the daily purse is $10,000, paid to seven places based on a minimum of 150 anglers. The biggest bass each day will be worth $4,000 to the angler who catches it. Second biggest will be worth $2,500, third biggest $1,250, fourth biggest $1,000, fifth and sixth biggest $500 each and seventh biggest $250.
And, he added, it gets even better for the angler who has two fish that combine for the top total weight for the weekend – a new Triton Boat, motor and trailer.
“This is the first time we have done this and we are doing it for the Triton side of our tournament trail,” Lucas said. “Triton is providing the bass boat for the angler with the top total weight for two days.”
Entry fee for the Lunker Challenge is $150 per angler and anglers may fish alone or with another angler. Early registration will run through 12 noon Thursday by calling Tonya Holt at Anglers Choice, 276-632-5600 or 800-632-4665.
“We will also be taking registration at the ramp Saturday morning, starting about 5 o'clock,” Lucas said. However, starting positions will be determined by the order of registration, so the earlier an angler registers the earlier his boat can move out.
Lucas said almost 100 anglers had already registered by Tuesday afternoon, so he feels the tournament will reach the minimum 150 anglers by launch time Saturday.
“We usually pick up 40 to 50 guys the morning of the tournament, guys who just register at the ramp, and we are getting some calls from guys who plan to do that,” Lucas said. “I talked to one angler from Wilmington,N.C., and he said there were eight from there coming up to fish the tournament, so it looks like we are going to have a pretty good spread out field.”
He said the routine will be similar to that at a regular Anglers Choice tournament.
“We are going to have a steak biscuit from Hardee's, granola bar and drink for everyone Saturday morning and then Sunday afternoon when we finish the weigh-in we will have dinner for them. We are going to have door prizes donated by Triton, just like at one of our regular tournaments.”
As for the fishing, he said he has not received any recent reports on how fish are being caught at Kerr, but he expects everyone will be throwing big baits in hopes of catching a really big bass.
Lucas noted that the regular season for the Anglers Choice Marine Tournament Trail has ended and the field is now set for the two-day Classic Oct. 13-14 on Smith Mountain Lake with some 170 teams qualified. Teams had to fish a minimum of four tournaments to qualify for the Classic where the winners will take home a new Ranger Z118 boat with a Mercury Opti Max motor and trailer and Lowrance electronics.
“We have a tie again for the Jiffy Automotive Points Championship,” he said, “so we will have a fish-off at the Classic The team between the two tied for first place that finishes with the highest weight at the Classic will be declared points champions for the 2012 season.”
Tied for first place for the second year in a row are Kenny and Brandon Reynolds and Mike Altizer and Mike Pendleton. Kenny and Brandon Reynolds also won the Jiffy Automotive Big Bag of the Year award, a five-fish limit caught in the first tournament of the year at Smith Mountain Lake that weighed 23.31 pounds.
“Geoff Hill and Chris Vaught won the Jiffy Automotive Big Fish of the Year award with an impressive largemouth caught at Smith Mountain Lake on June 16 that weighed 7.10 pounds,” Lucas said.
ANGLER'S CHOICE MARINE LUNKER CHALLENGE TOURNAMENT
Sep. 15-16, 2012
Kerr / Buggs Island Lake
Occoneechee State Park Ramp #1
Pre-Register with Tonya Holt at Angler's Choice - 276-632-5600
www.anglerschoicemarine.com/home/38-tournaments/111-lunker-challenge-2012.html
Thrift Hoping To Hold High Ranking In 3Rd Flw Tour Open On Wheeler Lake
FLW Tour Pro Bryan Thrift
Bryan Thrift has one job – bass fishing – and he has been at the top of the game for most of the six years he has been at it.
The Shelby, N.C., angler has won over $1 million in his short career, with 28 top 10 finishes in tournaments, including five wins. In his six years on the FLW Tour he has made the Forrest Wood Cup six times, finishing in the top 10 four times, including 5th in 2007, his rookie year, and 3rd this August on Georgia's Lake Lanier. He has been ranked in the top 10 five of the past six years in the points standings and was the FLW Tour Angler of the Year in 2010.
Throughout it all, Thrift has relied on an innate ability to locate and catch quality fish most of the time, a talent he says comes simply from “fishing hard.”
“That's the only thing I know. I kind of catch them on whatever and wherever,” he said in unpretentious understatement. “I used to just throw a jig everywhere, but it seems like once I quit doing that and started throwing a little bit of everything I started doing better.”
Thrift said that will be the basis of his strategy when practice starts Sunday for the third FLW Tour Open tournament of the year on Alabama's Wheeler Lake. The tournament will run Sept. 20-23.
“I'll probably run all over the lake and try to fish a little bit of everything,” said Thrift who has fished Wheeler twice before, placing around 23rd once and “not good at all” the other time.
He plans to refine his strategy in practice, he said.
“I'll probably start out shallow. It is a Tennessee River lake and you can always catch fish shallow on the Tennessee River. I'll also have to spend some time out on the ledges, particularly if they pull some current.”
Thrift, who is currently ranked 4th in the FLW Tour Opens Division, said diversity is the key to his fishing success. He finished 6th in the first Open of the year on Lake Okeechobee in February and 33rd in the second Open tournament on the Detroit River in August.
“If you fish somewhere all the time and fish the same places there you never really learn anything new. You just have to keep trying different stuff, learn something new.”
Although his Dad introduced him to fishing, taking him to ponds and down to the river when he was growing up, he said Louie Hull, who makes the popular Shooter Lures, was the person who guided him into bass tournament fishing.
“Before I had my first boat he got me started fishing lakes and fishing for bass. Once I picked up bass fishing, Louie took me under his wing and showed me the ropes,” he said. “I always liked fishing. It seemed liked it came naturally to me. And then Louie and I fished tournaments together for a long time.”
Thrift said his goal is to stay in the top 30 in points and qualify for his seventh Forrest Wood Cup in 2013. The 2013 Forrest Wood Cup will be in Shreveport, La., Aug. 15-18 on the Red River.
FLW Tour Open
Sep 20-23, 2012
Wheeler Lake
Ingalls Harbour
Elite Series Pro Jason Williamson Talks Duckett Fishing Rods At Icast 2012!
'J-Will' tells us what makes Duckett Fishing's White Ice Pro Series so special. Big Rods. Micro Magic guides.
Lake Wylie To Host National Guard Flw College Fishing Southeastern Conference
Carolina Coach And Marine Monday Night Tournament Results
A couple of familiar names remain at the top of the Points lead after the most recent tournament Monday night. Scott Hamrick and Chuck Poovey (and Jeff Johnson as alternate) came up with 13 points Monday to bring their total to 752 and keep their lead over Dave Snyder and Bobby Derrick, who now have 692 points.
Here are the complete results for the Monday Night tournament:
| Team Number | Name | LAST WEEK | Big Fish | Total Weight | Points | TOTAL |
| 5 | Scott Hamrick & Chuck Poovey & Jeff Johnson | 739.00 | 2.35 | 4.90 | 13.00 | 752.00 |
| 2 | Dave Snyder & Bobby Derrick | 677.00 | 1.85 | 6.35 | 15.00 | 692.00 |
| 4 | Chad/Austin Schroeder & Todd Evans | 562.00 | 1.95 | 7.70 | 22.00 | 584.00 |
| 6 | Nick Miller & Brandon Brickweg | 552.00 | 552.00 | |||
| 18 | Larry Neil & Mark Beaver | 483.00 | 1.90 | 1.90 | 10.00 | 493.00 |
| 8 | David Wheeler & Joseph Wheeler | 477.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.00 | 485.00 |
| 22 | Steven Hobbs & Ryan Hardwick | 449.00 | 2.30 | 6.60 | 16.00 | 465.00 |
| 1 | Matthew Benge & Josh Benge | 455.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.00 | 463.00 |
| 7 | Chris Myatt & Andrew Shundich | 401.00 | 401.00 | |||
| 9 | Mike Cloninger & Shane Hawkins | 347.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.00 | 355.00 |
| 28 | Charles Hobbs & Chris Barnes | 321.00 | 4.10 | 13.75 | 29.00 | 350.00 |
| 34 | Steve Addington & Matt Stout | 286.00 | 2.80 | 9.75 | 28.00 | 314.00 |
| 13 | Hank Cherry & Reed McGinnis | 263.00 | 2.05 | 9.15 | 27.00 | 290.00 |
| 3 | Kyle Whisnant & Mac Lowe | 285.00 | 285.00 | |||
| 31 | David Clubb & Jack Caldwell | 258.00 | 2.05 | 3.90 | 12.00 | 270.00 |
| 25 | Shane Lawrence & Matt Mumme | 249.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.00 | 257.00 |
| 14 | Chuck Knight & Mike Hill | 223.00 | 2.05 | 7.20 | 20.00 | 243.00 |
| 16 | Andy Burch & Duane Rinkey | 223.00 | 2.05 | 5.50 | 14.00 | 237.00 |
| 17 | Dale Surrett & Kevin Thomas | 196.00 | 2.05 | 8.60 | 26.00 | 222.00 |
| 26 | Roger Wood & Steve Austin | 180.00 | 2.10 | 7.05 | 19.00 | 199.00 |
| 32 | John Holly & Joe Dimillo | 197.00 | 197.00 | |||
| 33 | Joe Dimillo Sr & Steven Wizorek | 172.00 | 1.80 | 1.80 | 9.00 | 181.00 |
| 44 | Eddie Black & Cliff Kirby | 164.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.00 | 172.00 |
| 30 | Brett Kubin & Chris Pease | 160.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.00 | 168.00 |
| 23 | Pete Betje & Charlie Brock | 160.00 | 160.00 | |||
| 11 | Aaron Miles & Buck Morgan | 158.00 | 158.00 | |||
| 51 | Craig Chambers & Jami Fralick | 127.00 | 2.40 | 8.25 | 23.00 | 150.00 |
| 35 | Shane Lehew & Adam Waters | 120.00 | 2.20 | 8.55 | 25.00 | 145.00 |
| 55 | Scott & Dwight Beattie | 120.00 | 1.80 | 6.35 | 15.00 | 135.00 |
| 53 | Butch Holder | 113.00 | 3.25 | 7.30 | 21.00 | 134.00 |
| 47 | Dave Munari & Jamie Munari | 112.00 | 2.65 | 6.65 | 17.00 | 129.00 |
| 38 | Bob Furstenburg & Rob Digh | 111.00 | 1.25 | 2.90 | 11.00 | 122.00 |
| 39 | Britt Brookshire & Clint Conner | 122.00 | 122.00 | |||
| 36 | Cole Blythe & Nick McCold | 119.00 | 119.00 | |||
| 19 | Mike Clark & Mike Ray | 112.00 | 112.00 | |||
| 45 | Jonathan Foster & Jason Dehart | 91.00 | 2.30 | 6.85 | 18.00 | 109.00 |
| 10 | Roger Hoover & John Yarber | 106.00 | 106.00 | |||
| 41 | Bucky Helms | 102.00 | 102.00 | |||
| 50 | Jerry Lineberger & Ken Stamey | 97.00 | 97.00 | |||
| 46 | Matt McBee | 81.00 | 81.00 | |||
| 29 | Derek Stallings & Alton Rockett | 73.00 | 73.00 | |||
| 24 | Brandon Abernathy & Bailey Abernathy | 71.00 | 71.00 | |||
| 27 | Charles Copeland & Christian Wurtz | 54.00 | 54.00 | |||
| 15 | Larry Houser | 42.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.00 | 50.00 |
| 42 | Rob & Aaron Digh | 49.00 | 49.00 | |||
| 49 | Drew Montgomery | 47.00 | 47.00 | |||
| 60 | Jonathon James | 21.00 | 3.15 | 8.55 | 25.00 | 46.00 |
| 58 | James Roaten & Jonathan Blankenship | 44.00 | 44.00 | |||
| 59 | Jeff Queen & Micheal Smith | 18.00 | 2.10 | 8.40 | 24.00 | 42.00 |
| 21 | Dale Sanford & Jeff Johnson | 41.00 | 41.00 | |||
| 56 | Jason May & Arnold Humphries | 39.00 | 39.00 | |||
| 57 | Ronnie & Terry Pittman | 36.00 | 36.00 | |||
| 66 | Roger Gaffin & Alfie Jr. | 0 | 3.35 | 14.15 | 30.00 | 30.00 |
| 62 | Timothy Scronce | 30.00 | 30.00 | |||
| 65 | Shane Moran & Anthony William | 21.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.00 | 29.00 |
| 48 | Jeff Lewis & Brian Lefever | 27.00 | 27.00 | |||
| 54 | Chris O'Neal & Randy O'Neal | 26.00 | 26.00 | |||
| 63 | Mike Moose & JR Rivis | 25.00 | 25.00 | |||
| 12 | Brian Morgan & Jose | 20.00 | 20.00 | |||
| 20 | Bob Bauer | 19.00 | 19.00 | |||
| 43 | Chris & Jamie Barnes | 18.00 | 18.00 | |||
| 40 | Bill Griffin & Matthew Griffin | 17.00 | 17.00 | |||
| 52 | Cole Blythe & Zach McCord | 17.00 | 17.00 | |||
| 37 | Patrick King & Albert March | 17.00 | 17.00 | |||
| 61 | Brian Walker | 11.00 | 11.00 | |||
| 64 | Rick Self & Larry Si Hoyle | 8.00 | 8.00 |
High School Anglers To Get Schooled By Bassmaster Elite Series Pros!
DECATUR, Ill. — Scores of high school students will have a chance to rub shoulders with and learn fishing techniques from some of the world’s best professional anglers in the Bassmaster High School Elite Experience, to be held Saturday, Sept. 22.
The event is free to students in grades nine through 12. It is part of the Bassmaster Toyota Trucks All-Star Week, Sept. 20-23, in Decatur, Ill., and it’s intended to instill in youngsters a passion for fishing.
“The Elite Experience in Decatur will give these students a chance to see many aspects of bass tournament fishing as B.A.S.S. makes its first-ever visit to the Decatur area,” said Jerry McKinnis, co-owner of B.A.S.S. and a popular television fishing show host and producer. “Along with the four-day All-Star competition, there will be plenty of activities for the kids, including special seminars on fishing crankbaits, soft plastics, finesse tactics and more — all presented by Bassmaster Elite pros and geared toward high school anglers. Meeting the pros and learning from them will be a truly memorable experience.”
The All-Star competition itself will be exciting for the youngsters and their families, as well as other fishing fans. It features 12 of the top bass anglers in the world competing for a $100,000 prize purse. The field includes the Top 8 competitors in the season-long Bassmaster Elite Series, along with four “fan favorites” selected through online voting at Bassmaster.com. Related activities include a special Hope For The Warriors fishing tournament for wounded veterans, a college bass fishing tournament, concerts and more.
Introduced during the 2012 Bassmaster Elite Series tournament trail, the Bassmaster High School Elite Experience will be a regular feature of Elite events in 2013. According to Jon Stewart, senior manager of B.A.S.S. Federation Nation and head of the high school program, “These kids will have a chance to talk to the top pros, ask questions, and see B.A.S.S. tournament operations behind the scenes. That’s a real thrill for them, and the anglers like to encourage them to keep fishing for the love of the sport. We have fans that stand in long lines just to get autographs from these expert bass fishermen. The high school students will have the opportunity to actually learn from the sport’s ‘greats.’”
“This High School Elite Experience has had a very positive impact when we have held it in the past,” McKinnis said. “We’re expecting record attendance from Illinois students at our postseason tournament, and we look forward to expanding the program to include more young people in 2013.”
The High School Elite Experience will begin at 9 a.m. and will continue through weigh-in at Nelson Park in Decatur, Ill. For information or to register, contact Jon Stewart at [email protected]or call 205-313-0900.
Eaker Returning To Site Of His 'retirement' To Fish Paa Tournament On The Arkansas River
Legendary boat manufacturer and fishing icon Earl Bentz once asked prominent bass pro Guy Eaker when he was going to retire.
“Retire and do what, fish?” retorted the veteran tournament angler from Cherryville, N.C. “That’s what I do.”
Eaker actually “retired” two years ago, dropping off the Bassmaster Elite Series to spend more time at home and care for his wife who suffers from fibromyalgia. But, with his 73rd birthday coming up in November he is still pursuing bass and entering big-time tournaments, just not as much as he did in the 35 years he was a regular on the B.A.S.S. Trail.
During that span he fished 286 B.A.S.S. events and qualified for 10 Bassmaster Classics. This year he is fishing the 2012 Bass Pro Shops PAA Tournament Series and the final PAA tournament of the year next week will bring him full circle back to his final B.A.S.S. Elite Series event on the Arkansas River in 2010.
“I fished the Arkansas River for three days in practice then and was catching a lot of 3- to 5-pound fish. But we had 5 inches of rain that last day of practice,” Eaker recalled. “Then I got a text message on my cell phone. It said, 'Get off the river. There's a wall of water coming.' Before I got back to the landing I hit a log. They were floating everywhere.”
The river had become extremely dangerous to boaters. The next day as Eaker was crossing the bridge he looked down and saw the river was up out of the banks. B.A.S.S. moved the tournament to Fort Gibson Lake and all the work he had put in finding quality fish went down the river with the flood.
“I thought I was on enough fish to really do good on the Arkansas River,” Eaker said. “I was trying to help Paul Elias because he was on the verge of making the Bassmaster Classic. We do a lot of trading, so I told him something I was doing,”
Eaker explained that Elias fished deep while he prefers to fish shallow.
“I told him to fish the rocky points. I was catching fish on crankbaits and a Shakey Head. He went out and caught 15 pounds a day and I caught 13 pounds a day. He was the last man to make the Classic.”
So, Eaker will return to the Arkansas River and once again the weather is expected to play a major role. Hurricane Isaac drenched the region in the past week and places that were bone dry from a pervasive drought are now under water.
“It is all according to how much water is running in the river. You can catch fish off the wing dams in the river, but that storm put a lot of water in the river, so until we get there I won't know how that river is running.”
Eaker and his traveling buddy, fellow PAA competitor David Hendrix who co-owns The Great Outdoors in Cherryville, will leave early Saturday morning and drive straight through to Three Forks Harbor Marina in Muskogee, Okla.
“We'll get on the water Monday morning and practice three days before the tournament,” Eaker said. We might have to fish the bayous, little creeks and sloughs, places you could not get into when the water was say down.”
The high water will change everything, Eaker said, but he feels with three solid days of practice he will be able to find some good fish and get on a solid pattern.
“If I get on a good pattern I will just stay with it,” he said. “Sometimes you can take a spinnerbait, a crankbait and a buzzbait and cover a lot of water – and maybe catch bigger fish, too.”
Eaker enters the tournament ranked 18th in points and needs to have a good tournament so he can move up into the top 15 in the rankings. The top 15 from the 2012 Bass Pro Shops PAA Tournament Series Angler of the Year standings qualify for the Toyota Texas Bass Classic on Lake Conroe, which has long been considered a world championship of bass fishing. Besides the top 15 from the PAA Series, the TTBC will also feature the top 15 from the 2012 Walmart FLW Tour Angler of the Year list, the top 15 from the 2012 Bassmaster Elite Series Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year standings, four tournament sponsor exemptions and 2011 Champion Keith Combs.
The 2012 Toyota Texas Bass Classic will be held September 28-30 at Conroe, Texas.
“I've got a little work to do next week to make the Classic,” Eaker said. “As for retirement, I am not going to sit in my chair and die. I plan to stay active. My health is pretty good and I feel I can still compete. I don't mind fishing a week at a time. The only thing I hate is the long drive. It's a thousand miles to this tournament.”
Bass Pro Shops PAA Arkansas River Tournament
Sep 10-15, 2012
Arkansas River
Three Forks Harbor
www.fishpaa.com/2012-arkansas-river-tournament-info
Byrum's General Store Clearance This Week With Final Day This Sat!!
Byrums General Store owner Robby Byrum takes us through some of his remaining inventory as his store is closing down after 122 years! This really is a special place and if you haven't ever had the chance to swing by, this is your last chance as Sat is the final Day! Everything in the store is 50% off, so come and get it!!
Hot Points Race Title On The Line This Weekend In Piedmont Bfl On Kerr/buggs Island
Jeff Salmon of Chester, VA. Photo courtesy FLW Outdoors.
A dozen years ago Jeff Salmon was getting his feet wet in the Walmart BFL Piedmont Division, and learning about tournament fishing.
But life happens. He and his wife welcomed several children into the world and tournament fishing was relegated to the back burner. He competed sporadically for the next decade or so.
This year he was able to return to tournaments full time and he made that return a successful one. The Chester, Va., angler is leading the Piedmont Division points race by 24 points going into the final two-day divisional tournament this weekend on Kerr/Buggs Island. But he knows the points title is not a done deal at this point.
“The guys behind me are no slouches, that's for sure. I have to do pretty well this weekend to hold on.”
Nipping at Salmon's heels are Chris Baldwin of Lexington, N.C., and Jeff Gore of Lynchburg, Va., both tied with 732 points, 24 behind Salmon.
“I have not been down there since this spring,” Salmon said. “I plan to get down there sometime Thursday and kick around the lake a little bit just to see what's happening with the fish. The weather patterns are changing, with some rain and storms coming, so there is no telling what the fish will be doing in the tournament.”
Salmon said Buggs Island, which is about an hour and a half away from his home, is his favorite lake because of its size.
“You can get away from the crowd on that lake. You can go down and fish all day and not see another boat – and that's why I love it. I live on the tidal James River so I love the opportunity to catch fish anyway you want. It gives you a chance to fish your strengths and figure out a way to make them bite.”
Salmon said he is used to fishing muddy, moving water on the tidal James River.
“It doesn't matter if you are fishing six inches deep or six feet. And that is a great thing about Buggs Island. You can catch them in six inches of water every day of the year. That’s what makes that place so wonderful.”
A shallow water angler, Salmon said the lake is about 4 feet below normal pool this time of year, which tends to group up the fish, but it also changes the way the lake fishes.
“I am hoping the rain pushes some new water in. I want to find the new, moving water, and I hope to find some dirtier water, get in some new flooded stuff and work the banks to find out what they are doing. That kind of lake you can catch fish shallow all year long, even in the clearer water.”
But, if the fish are not shallow Salmon plans to cover his bases.
“I'll start there and then work my way out and figure out what areas they are holding in. Then I'll make some adjustments. If they are in 6 to 7 feet of water then that is what will happen.”
Salmon returned full time to tournament fishing this year with a foot in both major organization's schedules. He is not only fishing the FLW's Piedmont BFL circuit, he also competed on the Bassmaster Northern Open trail.
“I did okay, but I could have done a lot better,” said Salmon who finished 58th in Northern Open points. He earned a check in the Northern Open tournament on the James River, but finished far down in the pack in the two Opens on northern waters, including Cayuga lake in New York and the Detroit River in Michigan. He said, however, those experiences will help him in his tournament fishing, even in Southern waters.
“I got into more finesse fishing and with drop shot fishing in the Northern Opens and I got a little better with those techniques. That might be something I could employ if the bite gets real tough.”
Salmon said he plans to expand his tournament experiences by fishing the Southern Opens also next year, along with the FLW's EverStart Series.
The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each BFL division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
Walmart Bass Fishing League - Piedmont Division
Sep 8-9, 2012
Kerr / Buggs Island Lake
Nutbush Access - Kerr Lake State Recreation
Hope Floats At Oklahoma’s Fort Gibson Lake In Season Finale Of Bassmaster Central Open
Mike McClelland has been praying for fellow Bassmaster Elite Series pro Brent Chapman.
It’s not that pros aren’t always watching out for each other, but McClelland’s prayers are shaped by something less spiritual: a Bassmaster Classic qualification.
McClelland says he prayed for Chapman’s safe arrival in Wagoner, Okla., to compete in this week’s Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Central Open on Fort Gibson Lake.
Prayer answered.
“I heard he’s there already,” the angler from Bella Vista, Ark., said on Aug. 31 as he was traveling to the same destination.
Now, McClelland is praying that Chapman remains healthy and able to participate in the Sept 6-8 Open. All registered anglers compete Thursday and Friday. Only the Top 12 will move on to Saturday’s finale to vie for $50,000 in prizes and a ticket to the 2013 Bassmaster Classic.
If Chapman fishes on all days he’s eligible, then he can claim the Classic seat that came with his Open win back in February in the first Central Open of 2012. But he doesn’t need it, so he’ll pass it on to the next angler on the Elite points list, who happens to be McClelland.
Chapman would become a rare Classic triple-qualifier. One qualification was via an Elite win, another through the Elite points system, and third would be the berth gained on the Open trail.
“I’ve been on pins and needles,” McClelland said. “I never count my chickens before the eggs are hatched.”
Technically, McClelland doesn’t have to compete in the Open to get a Classic seat via Chapman, but the Arkansas angler is motivated to be there anyway.
“As long as Chapman is fishing, I’ll work hard to help Jeff Kriet through the course of week,” said McClelland.
McClelland would have to be in the Fort Gibson event to help Kriet because a competitor can receive assistance only from another competitor. This Open is important to Kriet: It’s the only door to Classic 2013 left for him, and McClelland is determined to help him open it.
Other Elite pros have a shot at Classic 2013 through the Open. Jared Lintner, one place below McClelland, could get in if the winner of the Open has already qualified for the Classic (and if the Chapman-McClelland scenario plays out).
Scott Rook, next after Lintner on the Elite points list, would then become the beneficiary of what is very likely to be a triple qualification by Chris Lane. Lane has one seat as defending Classic champ, and he has another via the Elite points system. Like Chapman, Lane would be a triple qualifier if he finishes out his Open division. For Lane, that’s the Central Open, which will wrap up in October.
McClelland — who last competed on Fort Gibson Lake in the 2010 Elite event, in which he finished ninth — said the lake has always favored a shallow-water fisherman. The bass are usually inshore, perhaps because the shad seem to hang in the shallows, he said.
“The lake is full of baitfish, which makes it a very fertile fishery. It has a good population of bass. But one thing we’re up against is the full moon phase, when fish feed at night, so conditions aren’t super-favorable.”
The Fort Gibson Open may not be won in a traditional shallow-pattern fashion, he speculated.
“This may be one of those events someone will win by finding something unique,” McClelland said.
That someone could well be Elite pro Tommy Biffle of Wagoner. Fort Gibson is his home lake, and he’s won there so many times, he’s lost count: “a bunch of times,” he said. One was the 2010 Elite event; his four-day weight was 73 pounds and 11 ounces.
Biffle doesn’t need the win to make the Classic. He accomplished that Aug. 26 at the Elite season finale, pulling himself up from 38th in the standings to finish at 27th place, inside the Top 28 cutline.
But before he secured his seat, he implemented Plan B. He spent weeks on Fort Gibson, fine-tuning a strategy that would net him a win if all else failed. He was doing everything in his power to ensure he would not sit out a Classic on Grand Lake, just upriver from Fort Gibson Lake.
“If something happened at Oneida, then I’d have to win the Open. I was covering my bases,” Biffle said.
The water is low, Biffle said. The level on Aug. 31, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers website, was 552.15 feet, almost 2 feet below the normal conservation pool level of 554 feet. At 552.15, the lake size comes in at 331,200 surface acres.
“We didn’t get any rain from the storm (Hurricane Isaac),” he said. “So those who have been practicing there for weeks might have some advantage. They started coming even before I left for Oneida (in mid-August).
Biffle is one of the Elite pros who could help another pro into the Classic.
“I know there’s one or two wanting me to win,” he said. “There’s a real, real good chance I can.”
Fans can watch the outcome in person or online at Bassmaster.com, where free-access coverage will be available all three days.
The Thursday and Friday weigh-ins will begin at 2:45 p.m. CT at Taylor Ferry North, east on Hwy. 51 out of Wagoner. On Saturday, the Top 12 from the first two days will weigh their catches at 3:45 p.m. at the Bass Pro Shops in Broken Arrow, Okla., 101 Bass Pro Drive.
Everstart Series Central Division Headed To Lake Of The Ozarks
OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (Sept. 5, 2012) – The EverStart Series is headed to Lake of the Ozarks Sept. 13-15 when as many as 300 pros and co-anglers take to the water for the fourth and final stop in the Central Division for 2012.
Lee Sisson On How New Bagley's Is Old Again!
Lee Sisson desgned the crankbaits that made Bill Dance and Roland Martin famous. Now the legendary lure designer and former Bassmaster Elite Series Pro talks about how his career has come full circle with the new ownership at Bagley's and their commitment to bring us the old actions and materials that made these lures popular in the first place.
Bertrand Looking To Move Up After Central Open Tournament On Fort Gibson Lake
Josh Bertrand of Gilbert, Arizona, traveled east three times in 2010 to fish the Bassmaster Central Open tournaments in Texas and Louisiana. It was his first venture into Bassmaster competition and his debut season was inauspicious as he finished out of the money in all three tournaments.
The 23-year-old did not fish B.A.S.S. in 2011, staying home to launch a full-time guide service. He kept his hand in tournament fishing, however, competing in local tournaments and fishing one FLW Western Division EverStart tournament on nearby Lake Roosevelt, finishing 11th and earning a check for $1881.
With his guide business firmly established, he returned to the Bassmaster Central Open Division this year, planning to do the best he could and gain plenty of experience, with the goal of eventually qualifying for the Bassmaster Elite Series.
After two tournaments he has gained a lot more than that. Bertrand is tied with wily veteran Brent Chapman of Kansas for the points lead in the Central Open Division. Chapman, who has fished B.A.S.S. for almost two decades, has notched four first place finishes, 11 Bassmaster Classic appearances, and has won just under $1.5 million.
Bertrand missed out on qualifying for the 2013 Bassmaster Classic in the first Central Open tournament of the year on Lewisville Lake in Texas when he tied for first place with Chapman in regulation, then dropped to a second-place finish in a fish-off with the veteran. Bassmaster Open tournament winners get an automatic qualification for the Bassmaster Classic.
He moved into a tie with Chapman for the points lead with a 19th place finish on Table Rock Lake in April and so far he has earned $19,782 in prize money in the Opens.
But Bertrand is very close to attaining his goal of moving up to the Elite Series sooner than expected. The top five in points in each Open Division qualify to move to the Elite Series and only a disastrous finish at the final 2010 Central Open tournament on Fort Gibson Lake in Oklahoma next week would knock him from first in the points below the the top five cut-off.
At this point, he said, “My hopes have definitely changed.”
Bertrand has been practicing on Fort Gibson Lake this week, looking for ways to focus in on the bass before the tournament begins next Thursday.
“We are catching some fish, but definitely not near what I would like as far as having a comfort level,” he said after his second day on the lake. “But the lake does feel very fishy and it is amazing how many fish are in the lake. I think I have caught six different species of fish each day of practice. There are a lot of smaller fish, but there are also plenty of keepers to be caught. You just have to get through a lot of stuff to get to them.”
One of the problems he faces, he said, is dealing with a lake so shallow compared to most of the deep-water lakes he fishes in the West.
“We've got shallow water fishing back home, but this lake has a completely different feel to it. A lot of the techniques you use are different, too.”
Bertrand described Fort Gibson as “a fairly flat lake that fishes fairly small.” He said it is filled with rocks and a lot of man-made structures that get a lot of fishing pressure – docks, old foundations and brushpiles.
“If you get up toward the north end of the lake or go back in the creeks, there is a lot of wood and stuff like that if you like to flip or fish shallow,” he said.
He is putting a solid 12 hours a day on the lake in practice, trying to get a feel for the fishery and develop several different patterns.
“I would like to have a variety of stuff to pick from if the lake fishes as small as I think. It's hard enough to find one good pattern. If I am lucky enough to find a couple I think it will take that to separate from the rest of the field.”
The problem is finding a few patterns to hone in on, he said.
“So far I'll catch a keeper on this, one on that. Several different baits are successful each day so it's hard to focus on one. And they come off different types of spots, so I don't have a pattern set yet.”
Fishing the Central Opens has been very satisfying this time around, he said, because of the friendships he has cultivated among the anglers.
“Everyone has been really helpful and it's just been awesome to be around them.”
For information on Bertrand and his guide service, visit www.thearizonafishingguides.com
Bassmaster Central Open
Sept 6-8, 2012
Fort Gibson Lake
Sportsman's Warehouse Labor Day Weekend Report With Fishing Mgr Craig Baird
Sportsman's Warehouse Fishing Manager Craig Baird gives us some good on the water advice for this big Labor Day Weekend.......the pattern is still deep, but not as deep as we have seen just a few weeks back. Click on this video for the full story!
Chico State University Takes Lead At National Guard Flw Western Conference Championship
Dayton and Carrico of Chico State
Florence, Alabama To Be The Home Of The Boatus Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship
FLORENCE, Alabama (August 30, 2012) - Florence, Alabama and the Association of Collegiate Anglers have entered into a long-term partnership, making Florence and Lake Pickwick the "home" of the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship through 2017.
According to Danny Blandford, Program Director for the ACA, "We're ecstatic to secure such a great host as Florence for many years to come. Traditionally this type of long-term partnership is unheard of in the fishing world, but in this particular case, it was an easy decision for both sides and we are all very excited."
Debbie Wilson, Executive Director of Florence/Lauderdale Tourism, echoed Blandford's sentiments, "College anglers are the future of bass fishing and Florence/Lauderdale Tourism is excited to be part of this growing sport. We are honored to have the opportunity to host the BoatUS Collegiate Championship on Pickwick Lake for the next five years. This event has a tremendous economic impact for the City of Florence and we would like to extend a warm welcome and our Southern Hospitality to all the participating students as well as their friends and family."
Blandford went on to add, "The 2012 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship was so well received by both the community and the anglers, that when the opportunity presented itself to make Florence the home of this event for many years to come, both sides jumped at the chance. We love the facilities at McFarland Park, the fishery is phenomenal, and the Florence/Lauderdale Tourism team is a pleasure to work with, so it was easy for the ACA to make the commitment."
Suzie Shoemaker, Sports Marketing Director of Florence/Lauderdale Tourism, shared the same feelings. "I am extremely excited that we are partnering with the ACA to bring the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship to Florence through 2017. The quality and organization of the tournament is exceptional, and the young men and women this tournament brings to town are outstanding!"
Wade Middleton, co-founder of the ACA and President of Careco TV added, "To see the ACA and the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship grow from a "little" college event we put together in Texas in 2006, into the nation's most prestigious college fishing event is truly a moving experience for me personally. I knew when we started working with the concept that we had great idea; now this commitment from Florence, as well as our other sponsors, shows that we were in fact correct. We have something special here, both in terms of an event and an organization."
Thanks to this renewed partnership, collegiate anglers everywhere should plan to be on Lake Pickwick in Florence, Alabama each May for many years to come. The 2013 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship is slated for May 22-25, with the full itinerary and details forthcoming.
Those interested in learning more about the Association of Collegiate Anglers and the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship should visit CollegiateBassChampionship.com.
Rick Clunn With His Deep-Diving Square Bill Cranks At Icast 2012!
Master cranker Rick Clunn shows us his dream come true, the NEW Luck "E" Strike deep diving square bill crankbaits - unique and effective - and tells us why they were designed in the first place and what they can do for YOUR fishing. From ICAST 2012!
Martin-Wells Says Isaac Could Be Factor In Lady Bass Anglers Tournament On Neely Henry
Pam Martin-Wells. Photo credit Larry Morris/LBAA
Although Hurricane Isaac made landfall in southern Louisiana it produced heavy rains stretching into Alabama, and the resulting rainfall could have a lasting effect on the Lady Bass Anglers tournament on Lake Neely Henry next weekend, according to top lady pro Pam Martin-Wells of Brainbridge, Ga.
“We went up there about a month ago with some friends, but it's Coosa River fishing in Neely Henry and you can't do a whole lot beforehand. Now, with this storm and with the rain headed that way a lot could change,” Martin-Wells said.
She plans to drive to Neely Henry on Friday and be ready when practice opens on Saturday.
“I'll spend some time up river and some time down in the lake, dissecting things and seeing which patterns are working best. Sometimes the river can be on and sometimes the lake can be on, so we will have some time to figure something out before the tournament begins.”
Martin-Wells, who is second in points in the Angler of the Year race, said she has no pre-conceived notions about how to fish the tournament although she has done well on Neely Henry in the past.
“I try to go into every practice with an open mind,” she said. “I finished second there a number of times and I won the last two events there, but it was a different time of year. But the entire Coosa River Chain has been good to me. It's a fun place to fish.”
Martin-Wells won the Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Academy Sports & Outdoors tournament in late May 2008 and less than a year later she won the Academy Sports + Outdoors Women’s Bassmaster Tour season opener on Neely Henry Lake in late March 2009.
She was the Lady Bass Anglers 2011 Angler of the Year and she is right back in the race this year, trailing another top lady angler, Kim Bain Moore, by only 15 points going into the final qualifying tournament of 2012.
Martin-Wells has been fishing professionally on several ladies circuits for two decades and has stood her ground against top male pros in traditional tournament fishing. She was the first woman angler to make the cut in a Bassmaster Classic, finishing 22nd in the 2010 Classic on Alabama's Lay Lake. The all-time leading money winner in womens' professional fishing, she has made 56 top 5 finishes in competition, won 14 national titles and was Women's Professional Fishing Angler of the Year for 1994, 1995, 2005 and 2009.
She won the 2005 Women's Bassmaster Tour Preview Event and the 2006 Women's Bassmaster Championship. She also has been inducted into the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame.
When not fishing a tournament or practicing for a tournament, she and her husband, Steven Wells operate the Lake Seminole Guide Service and they have just begun producing a local outdoors show, Outdoors 4 Reel which can be viewed on YouTube or at www.outdoors4reel.com.
“It's a break from fishing and we are having a lot of fun doing it,” she said.
Lady Bass Anglers Association
Sept 6-8, 2012
Neely Henry Lake
Gadsden City Launch
Call Larry Morris at 540-239-7902 or Secret York at 270-748-9041
Fishing For Charities Growing Into National Organization For Charity Tournaments
The Fishing for Charities bass tournament trail, which raises money for various charities in Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee, is evolving into a national organization with 52 charity fishing tournaments in 17 states signing up in the last four months.
“We are moving in a new direction,” said Dwayne Linkous, president and founder of the Fishing for Charities Tournament Trail. “We started out as a tournament trail, which was somewhat successful, but it is slowly turning into Fishing for Charities USA, a national organization. Tournaments across the country are signing up to be a part of what we are doing.”
Linkous explained that Fishing for Charities USA networks fishing events across the country together.
“You can find a charity event on our website (www.fishingforcharities.com) by state, date or lake, so whatever area you are in, if you are looking for a charity event you can find it.”
Linkous said the new national organization will also serve as a foundation for charity events.
“If we become successful to the point where we can get members and so forth, we could become a place for charity events to put in an application for equipment Charity organizations now have to dip into their own funds to pay expenses, so we are hoping to be able to provide that kind of support for them. We also do free consultation to people who want to start charity events. We've had three new tournaments since we started Fishing for Charity USA.”
Eventually, he said, the goal is to establish a national championship for the charity tournaments involved in Fishing for Charity USA.
“We want to do a national championship in the next year or two. All the charity events would become qualifiers where if if you win or finish in the top 10 percent you would qualify. We have not set the details yet, but we feel this can be a big operation the way it is headed, especially since so many charity events have signed up in such a short period of time.”
Meanwhile, he noted, the Fishing for Charities Tournament Trail is in full swing with the next event this Saturday on Claytor Lake, an impoundment on the New River in Virginia. The Claytor Lake Tournament will benefit St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
“I was on the lake Monday and caught a few big fish and a lot of small fish,” Linkous said. “They were really shallow. I caught most of my fish on a drop shot, but it can be a good swimbait lake, too. I also caught a few fish off docks and some off some rocky points.”
Linkous said Claytor Lake is a good bass lake, with a good smallmouth bite and a good largemouth bite.
“You can throw a drop shot on the docks and a swim bait on some of the points or a drop shot there, too. If it is a cloudy day you might even have a good topwater bite. The water temperature is hitting 75 degrees so the topwater bite is coming back a little bit, and the spinnerbait bite as well.”
Entry fee for the Claytor Lake tournament is $70, which includes a $10 entry in the Lunker Pot. The 60 percent payback will go to one in every 7 boats. Anglers can pre-register through Friday at Just Fish'N in Bristol, Va. Registration the morning of the tournament will begin at 5:30 a.m. at Claytor Lake State Park and the tournament will launch at 7 a.m.
There are two more regular season tournaments on the Fishing for Charities schedule: Relay For Life on Boone Lake Sept. 15 and Victory Junction Camp on Lake Norman Oct. 6. The Fishing for Charities Classic will be held on Tennessee's Boone and South Holston Lakes Oct. 20-21.
Anglers must pay a $15 membership fee. Entry fee for the Classic is $120 and anglers can qualify one of three ways: Finish in the top five in one of the Fishing for Charities tournaments, win big fish in one of the tournaments, or fish in two of the tournaments.
“We are founded out of our love of fishing and our dedication to help charitable organizations that have personally touched lives,” Linkous said.
Fishing for Charities Tournament Trail – St. Jude Children’s Hospital
Sat, Sept 1, 2012
Claytor Lake
Claytor Lake State Park
Call Dwayne Linkous - (540) 641-3664
Flw Pro Cary Bever Show Us The Pointer 115 At Icast 2012
See the new Lucky Craft Pointer in the 115 size with 3 hooks. FLW veteran pro Cary Bever tells us what makes this jerkbait special.
Nixon Opens Up About Flw Tour Open Win, How He Did It; What It Means
“I was about to think I didn’t have another one left in me. These kids are so tough nowadays." - Larry Nixon
Larry Nixon claims 18th Tour-level victory at FLW Tour Open on Detroit River - photo courtesy FLW Outdoors
On April 29, 2007 Larry Nixon won his 17th tour-level bass tournament – the FLW Tour Major on Lake Norman. He had fished nearly 5 years, 4 months without winning another. Sunday afternoon, a week before his 62nd birthday, the legendary Team Evinrude Pro won the FLW Tour Open on the Detroit River by a smashing margin of over 6 pounds.
Of the win Nixon and his competition said “I was about to think I didn’t have another one left in me. These kids are so tough nowadays.
“I really never had any idea I had enough of the right type of fish found to win that event but that’s the way tournament fishing is, sometimes you just find the right school of fish and you fish good and it happens.”
Nixon fished familiar water. “Every time I’ve ever been there when I made this certain drift I’ve caught a fish or two on a jerkbait. But I never have found a school of fish like that there.”
He caught a 5-pounder while checking a spot and noticed a 4-pounder following the hooked fish. His practice partner also caught a good fish on the spot and Nixon marked the location on his GPS.
“I didn’t realize there were two more guys going to find that little old place.”
His stretch of St Claire was loaded with enough smallmouth to support, not only Nixon, but runner-up Bill McDonald and Shinichi Fukae (5th place) as well.
“We were pretty much fishing one big old school of fish that was scattered around a quarter-acre sand flat. There were so many fish that each of my co-anglers caught 20 pounds.
“I did have one other little sweet area that gave me two great big ones that made a big difference in my total weight. One of them was almost a 6-pounder and the other one weighed right at 5-and-a-quarter.”
He located schools of roaming smallmouth with a swimbait. Once he found fish he worked the school over with a drop shot. One of his better baits was the Gulp! Alive! Jerk Minnow. “It’s a lot more buoyant than a lot of other twitch baits and it stands out straighter on the hook. That was a big key. If it laid down you didn’t get bit so it took that type of a bait to get a strike.”
He said the St Claire smallmouth behaved in typical fashion, “Those fish group up in a big area and if you catch one you’ve got to hang around because somewhere there’s a big school. Sometimes you miss them. Sometimes you get on them.”
Nixon got on them to the tune of 84 pounds, 11 ounces over 4 days – a feat that has him in contention to qualify, by way of the FLW Tour Opens, for the 2013 Forrest Wood Cup to be held in Shreveport, LA.
“That would be really sweet after I had such a bum season this year on the Tour. That like to have broke my heart when I missed the Forrest Wood Cup at Lake Lanier. I was down on the old confidence after that. This (win) was a big boost for my personal feelings and confidence.”
He’s focused on nailing it down, “I’ve got two more to go on these Opens. If I can finish well in both of them that should qualify me for next year’s Cup.
“That would be just super. I think Shreveport would be right down my ally. I know that Red River pretty good.”
Fittingly, the FLW Chevy Team pro has won twice in Detroit, his other victory coming on St Claire in 2001. “That lake has been good to me.”
Stable weather worked to his advantage. Winds got a bit scary on day 4, though. This actually worked in Nixon’s favor too. It eliminated any threat from pros who fished wind-whipped Erie where anglers could not keep a dropshot in front of fish long enough to get bit consistently.
Even on St Claire big waves made navigation difficult. “Let’s see . . . $140 worth of gas each day. A lot of that was contributed to the weather being rough, having to go slow and ride big rolling waves, plus the distance we were running. I was fishing about 60 miles away from take off. And it performed flawlessly - my Evinrude and my Stratos.
“My camera man said ‘I’ve been in these boats for many years. Either you’re the best boat driver I’ve ever had, or this darned Stratos really rides nice!’ I said ‘I think it’s the boat driver’,” laughed Nixon.
On that note, the affable Arkansas angler has a rough water boat handling tip. “I always turn that nose into those waves. I don’t take anything catty-cornered ‘cause that’s when you hurt your back.”
Also, for those who spend a lot of time on really big water Nixon recommends a 4-blade outboard propeller for added bite in big waves. But he is fearless with a hydraulic jack plate and 3-blade prop on his e-tec.
“A big long run doesn’t scare me a bit. I’ve been running those Evinrudes so long, long distances don’t bother me. I never have a problem. It’s rare, rare, rare that I ever have to go to the service truck. And usually if I do it’s because I hit something somewhere.”
Jb Custom Rods Piedmont Bass Classics Summer Trail Championship Results - Falls Lake - Aug 25, 2012
18 teams that qualified for the Championship at Falls Lake in the 2012 JB Custom Rods~Piedmont Bass Classics $5,000 Summer Bass Tournament Trail came ready to try and win the big money!
Only one team could win and it was the team of Ken Wall of Asheboro & Ben Cannon of Apex! They fished the area between Hwy. 50 bridge and Cheek Road bridge and came in with only 4 bass, but they weighed 18.08 pounds, enough to take home the cash! They won the 1st place money along with 1st place Big Fish, 1st place TWT & also collected the 2 JB Custom Rods Points Champions Award, worth $250 each. All total, they won
$4,512 in cash and prizes!
The rain quit before blastoff with 64 degrees in the morning with light winds & clouds, then close to 68 in the pm with scattered clouds & 10-15 mph winds. The bite was a little better than last Saturday with 42 fish weighed in for a total weight of 114 pounds. Most fish were caught in the river channel from Hwy. 50 to the Redmill Road ramp on the Eno. Plastic worms, jigs and crankbaits seemed to be the preferred baits. Water temps were around 80 degrees. The Big Fish weighed in at 7.40 pounds! I want to thank all the anglers that participated and that support this trail.
Our next tournament will be the 2012 JB Custom Rods~Piedmont Bass Classics Fall Team Bass Trail Qualifier #1 at Jordan Lake out of Farrington Point Wildlife Ramp, Sunday, September 9th. The Fall Trail lakes will include Shearon Harris, Falls & Jordan with the Championship at Harris.
All the information on our tournaments can be found at: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Ken Wall & Ben Cannon of Asheboro & Apex...4 bass...18.08 lbs...$3,340
2nd Place: Joe Langley & Brian Fritts of Benson & Raleigh...5 bass...14.21 lbs...$700
3rd Place: Jeff Vincent & Tim Goss of Durham & Creedmoor...5 bass...13.35 lbs...$390
4th Place: Barry Kleinfelter & Bryce McClenney of Stem & Raleigh...5 bass...12.03 lbs...$250
5th Place: Jason Suggs & Calton Hall of Fayetteville & Stedman...3 bass...11.42 lbs...$100
1st Place Big Fish..1st Place Team above...7.40 lbs...$252
2nd Place Big Fish..5th Place Team above: 5.35 lbs...$108
1st Place TWT..1st Place Team above: 18.08 lbs...$420
2nd Place TWT..3rd Place Team above: 13.35 lbs...$180
Contact Information:
919-471-1571.......919-971-5042
www.piedmontbassclassics.com
or email me at: [email protected]
Jeff Vincent & Tim Goss finished in 3rd Place with 13.35 lbs!
Waccamaw River Catt Summer Final Winners
We wrapped up the 2012 CATT Waccamaw Summer Trail with Joel and Timmy Barfield taking home 1st with 5 bass weighing 10.25 lbs. They took home a total of $1,750.00
2nd Place went to Mark and Kyle Johnson with a limit weighing 9.60. They also weighed in the 2nd BF at 3.70 lbs and add in the BONUS $ they took home a total of $1,090.00.
Seth Rabon and Cal Cox took 3rd with 8.70 lbs and received $500.00.
Carlton and Timmy Thompkins finished up in 3rd with 7.85 lbs and earned $250.00.
Andy and Wesley Howell had the 1st BF at 3.80 lbs and they collected $130.00.
Next Waccamaw River CATT event is September 1st at Buck Sort which will be the start of the Fall Trail.
Thanks for fishing!
Brett Collins
CATT LLC
Hurricane Isaac Could Have Gop Convention And Accent Marine Tournament In Its Sights
Anglers in the Accent Marine Tournament Trail tournament on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes Sunday will be fishing with one eye over their shoulder to see if Hurricane Isaac is going to send them some bad weather.
“All I can tell you is that there is some bad weather coming this weekend,” said Ted Meyer, tournament director. “That could put a hamper on the fishing, but we will just have to play that by ear.”
In fact, Hurricane Isaac, a tropical storm brewing southeast of Puerto Rico, is on track to possibly cause more problems for the Republican National Convention in Tampa next week than it is anglers on the Kissimmee Chain this weekend.
Isaac is predicted to hit Florida Monday, the same day that Mitt Romney and 50,000 Republican delegates, journalists, protestors and guests arrive in Tampa for the Republican National Convention.
While it is too early to accurately predict the storm's path, meteorologists believe the hurricane will hit southern Florida. They won't know until later this weekend whether it will rake the east coast near Miami or crash head-on into Tampa.
Anglers are hopeful it will hold off until after the tournament since the Kissimmee Chain would be affected by either route as it is located just east of Tampa and not that far from the Florida East Coast.
“Other than the prospect of bad weather, I would say the weights will be pretty close to last month,” Meyer said. “They have been tearing it up pretty good. It took 25 pounds to win a tournament last weekend, so I believe it will take at least 25 to 30 pounds to win the tournament this weekend.”
In the July 29 Accent Marine tournament, it took more than 28 pounds just to earn a check. James Pearson and Jeff Crandon captured first place with 32.08 pounds. They anchored their 5-fish limit with the big fish of the tournament at 10.11 pounds. Dustin Bozeman and Chris Maxwell finished second with 30.46 pounds. Bobby Wooten and Chad Stewart were third with 28.93 pounds, Wesley Wise and Derek Moore were 4th with 28.66 pounds, and Scott Perry and Richard Anthony were 5th with 28.26 pounds.
The Accent Marine Tournament Trail features a 95 percent payback with 75 percent paid back at each tournament and 20 percent held for the Classic. Teams must fish at least seven tournaments to qualify for the classic.
Entry fee is $65 per boat, which includes Big Bass and the payback at each tournament goes through the top five places. All entries must be received by 5 p.m. the Friday before each tournament. Teams can weigh in six fish at a tournament. After Saturday's tournament there is one regular season tournament remaining, September 30, with the Classic October 13-14.
Accent Marine Tournament Trail
Sun, Aug 26, 2012
Kissimmee Chain of Lakes
Camp Mack's River Resort
Call 813-620-1042 or 1309
Extremely Tight Points Race Highlights Bws Alabama North Final On Lake Guntersville
There is a red hot points race on the line heading into the two day final of the Alabama North Division of the Bassmaster Weekend Series on Lake Guntersville this Saturday and Sunday.
“The top three are separated by just 10 points and all three of these guys have a really good chance of being the Angler of the Year,” said BWS Ornamental Director Randy Sullivan. “They are all right there together, so it's a anybody’s ballgame.”
The Alabama North is one of the larger BWS divisions with an average of 70 or so boaters per tournament which makes for some close points points production among the anglers, Sullivan said.
“That is what is really neat about these larger divisions. In the smaller divisions you might have to fish one, two or three tournaments to slide into the top 40, but if you are fishing one of the bigger divisions like the Alabama North you have got to be pretty good just to make it to the top 40.”
If a division averages 80 boats that means there are 80 fishermen in each event which increases the possibility of accumulating points if an angler does pretty well in several tournaments, Sullivan said.
“Some of the smaller division average 30 or 40 boats so you pretty much have to catch fish in just one tournament to make the regional. In the bigger ones you have to fish all the events and catch more fish just to qualify at the end of the season.”
Bradley Jones of Aragon, Ga., leads the standings with 974 points heading into the two-day final which awards double points. Terry Tucker of Gadsden, Ala., is second with 965 points, and Mark McCaig of Oxford, Ala, is third, just one point behind Tucker.
Jones started out of the gate slow, finishing 21st in the first tournament of the year in February on Lake Guntersville, but he recovered nicely with a 3rd place finish in April on Weiss Lake. In May he was 5th on Lake Neely Henry, but he moved to the top of the standings with a first place finish on Weiss Lake in July.
“I am not really sure what this cooler weather is going to do to the fish,” said Jones. “They were bunched up, but I am scared the fish might scatter out a little bit now. I'm going to go fish the next few days and hope I can find something before the tournament starts.”
Jones is an admitted shallow water angler and he said he believes the fish will be caught shallow.
“I love to flip and throw topwater and I really think that is how the tournament will be won unless they move some current and then the deep fishermen will probably catch them pretty good because it is the Tennessee River. It's going to be a matter of finding the right group of fish and staying on them,” he said.
“The ideal situation for me would be for the sun to shine all day long and start off by getting a couple of good fish on top and then go flip where I caught those fish for the rest of the day.”
The top 40 boaters and top 40 co-anglers in this weekend's tournament will be invited to fish the Southeast Regional Championship at Clarks Hill Lake near Augusta, Ga., Oct. 5-6. The regional will feature teams from the Alabama North, Alabama South, Tennessee East, South Carolina and Florida Divisions.
From the regional championship, the top 50 boaters and top 50 co-anglers will qualify for the Bassmaster Weekend Series Championship Nov. 4-10 on Lake Sam Rayburn in Texas.
Bassmaster Weekend Series - Alabama North Division
Aug 25-26, 2012
Lake Guntersville
Val-Monte Resort / Bucky Howe
Call Randy Sullivan 256-230-5633
Fish In Transition Could Make Fishing Tough For Bws Tennessee East Final On Watts Bar
Fishing in the Bassmaster Weekend Series Tennessee East Division two-day final on Watts Bar Lake this weekend is probably going to be pretty tough, said points leader Dale Pelfrey of Rockwood, Tenn., who has been monitoring the fishing steadily for about two weeks.
“The weights are going to be down in this one,” Pelfrey predicted. “The fish are in transition, moving from deep water back up – and they are scattered and suspending a lot. That is gong to make it tough fishing for a lot of people.”
Pelfrey, who lives right next to the boat ramp, has practiced just about every day this week. He said he believes he can hold onto the points title by fishing deep.
“There are still enough fish out deep that will bite; they are just scattered,” he said. I'll be deep cranking, jigging and working a big worm.”
Pelfrey holds a considerable lead going into the two-day final, some 27 points ahead of Perry “BJ” Dawson of Spring City, Tenn., with the rest of the field trailing 17 and more points behind Dawson.
Pelfrey had a fairly slow start to the season, finishing 13th in the first tournament in March on Lake Guntersville, but since then he has been a model of consistency. He finished second in both tournaments on Chickamauga Lake in April and May and then won the tournament on Ft. Loudon Lake in June.
“I feel like I have a good shot at winning this Angler of the Year race,” he said. “I know everything could change. I could have a bad day, but right now I think I am on enough fish to make a good run of it.”
Since the final is a double-points tournament, with a two-point gap in points awarded (i.e., 500 for first, 498 for second and on down) a good day would stretch Pelfrey's lead, but if he stumbles somebody in the top echelon could have a good day and make up a lot of ground with double points.
The top 40 boaters and top 40 co-anglers in this weekend's tournament will be invited to fish the Southeast Regional Championship at Clarks Hill Lake near Augusta, Ga., Oct. 5-6. The regional will feature teams from the Alabama North, Alabama South, Tennessee East, South Carolina and Florida Divisions.
From the regional championship, the top 50 boaters and top 50 co-anglers will qualify for the Bassmaster Weekend Series Championship Nov. 4-10 on Lake Sam Rayburn in Texas.
Bassmaster Weekend Series - Tennessee East Division
Aug 25-26, 2012
Watts Bar Lake
Tom Fuller Park
Call Billy Benedetti 256-230-5632
Association Of Collegiate Anglers Teams Up With Big Ten Classic
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (August 22, 2012)- The Association of Collegiate Anglers (ACA) has partnered with the University of Wisconsin Fishing Team to help facilitate The Big Ten Classic, one of the nation's longest running collegiate bass fishing competitions.
"We're excited to support such a long-standing event again this fall. Our online registration and promotional tools help these students with both participation and organization, both of which are important in producing a quality event such as this. To lend today's resources to an event with so much history is our pleasure," said ACA Program Director Danny Blandford. "Our online registration process and planning assistance should help the students have a smooth event, with their focus more on fishing and less on tournament operations."
The online registration process is available now through September 29, 2012; the first day anglers can wet a line on the Madison Chain O' Lakes, located in Dane County, WI. Registration and more information are available at: www.collegiatebasschampionship.com/tournament-registrations.html.
Kevin Yeska, President of the Wisconsin Fishing Team, stated, "We're excited to bring this event back to Madison. Fishing should be great on the lakes in late September and I think all the teams that make the trip will enjoy it. In addition to great fishing, we've planned a buffet banquet and raffle for Saturday at the Bishop O'Connor Center, so we'll be making sure to take good care of everyone while in town."
The Wisconsin Fishing Team is seeking support from the local community in the form of volunteer boat drivers. Kevin went on to add, "A lot of teams have their own boats, but we'd like to have as many volunteer boaters on our list as possible to ensure everyone that wants to fish has the opportunity to do so. Levi Warner with our club is heading up that effort and anyone interested in volunteering for Saturday's practice and/or Sunday's competition may do so by contacting Levi." Levi can be reached at[email protected] or 920-740-9085.
For additional questions regarding participation and the schedule of events, please contact Kevin Yeska at [email protected], or by phone at 608-609-6794
2013 Bassmaster Elite Series Schedule Announced!
The 2013 Bassmaster Elite Series offers something for everyone: rivers and lakes; largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass; opportunities for record catches; and plenty of challenges for the world’s greatest bass anglers. Eight events in seven different states promise to create a true test of the best and one of the most exciting Elite seasons ever.
The coming year marks the eighth anniversary of the Elite Series and the 46th of the Bassmaster Tournament Trail. The organization will be commemorating the milestones with a new Bassmaster Classic venue, some water the Bassmaster circuit has never visited and a few historic fisheries on which anglers will pit their skills against the fish and one another.
It all begins with the 43rd Bassmaster Classic — “the Super Bowl of bass fishing” — on Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees out of Tulsa, Okla. (Feb. 22-24). It will be the first time for Tulsa and Grand Lake to host a Classic — and the farthest west the championship has been held since 1979.
The 2013 Classic will feature some three dozen Elite pros, including winners from each of the 2012 Elite tournaments. Other qualifiers include champions from the 2012 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens, six talented amateurs from the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation, the Weekend Series champion and the Carhartt College Series qualifier, Matt Lee of Auburn University.
After the Classic, the Elites head south to Orange, Texas, and the Sabine River system for the Sabine River Challenge (March 14-17). It’ll be the first time B.A.S.S. has ever held a professional level event on the river, which flows out of the historic waters of Toledo Bend Reservoir. In early spring, bass on the river should be fat and plentiful.
From the Sabine River, the Elite anglers will drive southwest to Zapata, Texas, for the Falcon Slam (March 21-24) and a much-anticipated return to Falcon Lake. When they were last here in 2008, it was nothing short of historic. Paul Elias won the tournament with a record catch weighing 132 pounds, 8 ounces. The event also produced the biggest bass in Elite history (13-2), the second heaviest five bass limit in B.A.S.S. history (44-4) and 12 catches weighing better than 108 pounds. Not surprisingly, Falcon was selected as No. 1 on Bassmaster Magazine’s 100 Best Bass Lakes for 2012. The pros and fishing fans everywhere have been waiting for this one!
With another round of record-breaking catches expected to come from Falcon, the Elites will have — and probably need — a short break before the third event, the Bull Shoals Quest on Bull Shoals Lake (April 18-21). This will be B.A.S.S.’s eighth visit to the historic impoundment where flippin’ first came to national prominence in 1975. In April, Elite pro Brandon Palaniuk needed more than 78 pounds of bass over four days to win here. And while largemouth bass will likely dominate catches in the tournament, Bull Shoals has produced smallmouth and spotted bass weighing better than 7 pounds.
In May, the Elite trail heads east to LaGrange, Ga., for the West Point Lake Battle (May 2-5). It will be the seventh trip for B.A.S.S. to West Point and the first since the Elites were there in 2011. That’s when Steve Kennedy pulled out a win with nearly 65 pounds of bass over four days.
At the conclusion of the West Point event, anglers will drive 95 miles west to Montgomery, Ala., to begin practicing for the Alabama River Charge on the Alabama River (May9-12). The tournament marks a return to the birthplace of B.A.S.S. and the site of two Bassmaster Classics (1981 and 1982). Its waters, part of the popular Alabama Bass Trail, are well known to those anglers who qualified for the postseason events of 2009 and 2010 or Toyota Tundra All-Star Week in 2011, but they’ll be unfamiliar to much of the field. All three of those events were held in late summer. Fishing is traditionally much better in late spring — plus, anglers will be permitted to go through Robert F. Henry Lock and Dam to fish the Alabama River downstream.
Wisconsin was the site of two successful stops in the 2012 season, so it should come as no surprise that the Elites will be back next year. The Mississippi River Rumble out of La Crosse (June 20-23) will be the fourth time B.A.S.S. has visited this stretch of the Big Muddy. Todd Faircloth will look to repeat his success on the popular fishery that always seems to offer exciting topwater action and outstanding visuals on The Bassmasters.
The St. Lawrence River Showdown out of Ogdensburg, N.Y. (Aug. 8-11), marks the return to one of the Bassmaster trail’s favorite fisheries. Though the last professional event here came in 2002, this will be the 14th trip to the river, making it one of the most-visited destinations in B.A.S.S. history. It was also the site of the 1980 Bassmaster Classic and of Kevin VanDam’s professional debut in 1987. KVD was just 19 years old when he fished that New York Invitational, and he finished 110th out of 311 anglers. He still thinks of the St. Lawrence fondly, though. Two of his 20 career wins have come from here.
The 2013 Elite season wraps up in Detroit with the Lake St. Clair Championship (Aug. 22-25). Though the Elite Series has not been to the Motor City before, this will be the fourth B.A.S.S. event to launch from the lake since 1994. Northern Opens were held on the adjacent Detroit River in 2010 and 2012. The lake and rivers are strong summertime fisheries — St. Clair ranks 13th on the Best 100 Bass Lakes list — and promise to provide a great season finale in which so much is at stake. The 2013 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year will be crowned here, and as many as 36 Elite anglers will earn berths in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic.
Whether you like your bass green, bronze or spotted; whether you prefer rivers or reservoirs; whether you want to see bass caught shallow or deep, the 2013 Bassmaster Elite Series lineup has something for you. What’s more, it’s guaranteed to offer the greatest challenge in professional fishing to the best anglers in the world. You can bet they’ll be ready.
