2011 Bfl Lake Wylie Champion Brian Hoyle Plus A One On One With Frog Tape Pro Brian Travis
Brain Hoyle wins the 2011 BFL on Lake Wylie with 16 Plus and we get some insight from FLW and Frog Tape Pro Brian Travis........
Bassmaster Citrus Slam on the St Johns - Day 3 Weigh In High Lights!
We have insightful interviews and exciting action from the Bassmaster Elite Series Citrus Slam on the St Johns River from Palatka, Florida! Check out all of the BIG bass that came to the scales on day 3!!!
Pete's Perspective - on the Tourney; the River
Peter "T" Thliveros cleared one cut, but he didn't quite make it into the top 12 so he won't fish Sunday. He shares with us his ideas on what he now thinks he should have done - a big lesson for all of us! He also speaks about what makes the St Johns so special.
Bassmaster Elite Series Citrus Slam - on the water with Brandon Palaniuk
Get out on the water with Bri Palaniuk as she cheers on her brother, Brandon. Despite a strong performance, Brandon had issues. He explains on stage at weigh in.
Bassmaster Elite Series Citrus Slam - Day 1 Part 2 - more (Heavy) Weigh In footage from the St Johns River in Palatka, FL!!!
More scale-smashing action from Palatka, Florida!!!
Bassmaster Elite Series Citrus Slam - Day 1 (Heavy) Weigh In footage from the St Johns River in Palatka, FL!!!
Check out the parade of BIG bass fron the St Johns River in Palatka, FL as 99 Elite Series pros battle for $100,000 and the title of Citrus Slam Champion!
TBF of South Carolina Lake Wylie Results - Mar. 12, 2011
Tony Wilcox came in 1st on the Boater side with 12.70 lbs
The Bass Federation of South Carolina completed the second tournament of the 2011 points trail this past Saturday on Lake Wylie. A heavy rain storm and cold front that passed late in the week had more than just a few anglers a bit worried. Especially after seeing the muddy water that greeted them that morning. A week earlier, before the off limits, the water was much clearer and warming.
The bass however were cooperative as almost everyone caught fish. A 14 inch min. size limit was imposed to eliminate the confusion between state laws. 95 keepers were brought to the scales for a total weight of 198.30lbs. All were released alive.
In the boater division coming out on top was Tony Wilcox of Lexington,SC. His 5 bass limit weighed 12.70lbs. Tony reported a crank bait bite was working for him. Second for the boaters was Bill Payne of Swansea with his limit weighing 11.39 lbs. No report from Bill as to how he caught them. Third place and Big Bass honor went to John Sturkie also of Swansea. His 5 largemouth total was 10.36 lbs and big fish 3.88 lbs. Spinnerbaits did the trick for John. Rounding out the top 5 were Robert Rikard and Rich Gerken.
The Co/Anglers also had a good day for the most part. For the second tournament in a row Tommy Lindler of Lexington would take the win with the heaviest sack of the day weighing 13.56 lbs. Second place and Big Bass honor went to Chapin’s Wade Amick . His 4 bass weighed 11.95 lbs. and big bass of 3.59 lbs. Third place taking his first check withh TBF was Nate Nienhius of Lexington. Nate’s limit weighed a total of 10.50 lbs.
There were a total of 16 boats in this event and payout were as follows:
Boater 1st $810 2nd $486 3rd $324 Big Bass $180
Co/angler 1st $ 486 2nd $$292 3rd $195 Big Bass $ 108
The Next tournament on the TBF Trail will be on April 2nd at Santee Cooper.
The TBF is affiliated with FLW Outdoors and offer quality tournaments with good payback and the opportunity to advance to the next level in bass fishing through the divisional tournament and National Championship.
For more information about fishing with TBF go to www.tbfofsc.com.
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This Week's Big Bass on Lake Guntersville...an 11-Pounder!!
Many of those huge, largemouth bass have been taken during the Spring months of March, April and May. Some exceeding that almost, seemingly magical weight of "ten pounds" taken during other seasons as well. But it never seems to amaze me at each and every big bass we successfully fool into biting our fake offerings (we never use live bait), how really hard we must work at it, to be so well rewarded with that bass of a lifetime.
Whether it is a "trophy-sized bass of a lifetime", or several "big bass" taken in a days time, or even a day of catching "just numbers" of smaller bass, nowadays they just don't come easy. Often, we may start our day with high expectations casting hundreds of times, changing lures every few minutes, experimenting with various reels, rods, line sizes and all types of lures and various color schemes (only Picasso would only dream up), with our little fake offerings. Only to be severely disappointed. Then.
Later in the morning we run into that "feeding frenzy," a big school of big bass. Its 4-5 pounders on every cast, then suddenly an 8 pounder or even bigger, a ten pounder, that quickly brightens our day. We take lots of pictures and release all those big, largemouth bass. " To live and fight another day and give glory to another angler," as it battles once again in search of its freedom...given only by you.
As the title of this lake report says, "a half dozen bass all weighing 8 pounds or better up to 11 pounds" in three recent trips to Guntersville Lake.
* EARLIER IN THE YEAR WE HAD A 9 & 10 POUND LARGEMOUTH BASS AND A 7 POUNDER, A 5 POUNDER AND 4 POUNDER. "5 BASS WEIGHING 35 POUNDS"
You may have seen the caption and pictures all over the Internet or read about it in my fishing reports. It was cold, water temps 43 degrees / air temps high 48 degrees, and we were the only anglers catching bass this size. A very good day by any anglers standards fishing jig combos and 10 inch worms along shallow to deep river channel drop-offs.
Then the big bass moved into shallow water for spring spawn.
* FIRST WEEK OF MARCH A TWO-DAY GUIDED TRIP - On one particular guided two-day trip on March 2&3 four corporate anglers from St. Peters Missouri came to Alabama to relax and fish with Reeds Guide Service for two rather cool days. They brought a boat and two were going to fish with me, while the other two anglers followed behind in their boat. But the new boat had a problem, it had no key!
They spent all day looking for someone to make a Triton Boat Key and ended up going to Weiss lake to get one made.
Well, the other two anglers fished with me on Wednesday while all this took place. We had a rather slow, bright, sunny high pressure day, (at least that's what I blamed it on!), but we still managed to fool about a dozen nice bass, including a nice pair of 6 pounders, mostly taken on spinnerbaits, shallow diving crankbaits and lipless lures.
But Thursday the next day, the other two anglers that had missed a day of fishing while looking for a key master, decided to fish with me and they gave the boat (now with a nice shiny new key) to the anglers that had fished with me Wednesday. We were fishing the mid-to-lower lake. But due to a hot tip provided by an angler fishing the recent FLW Outdoors tournament they decided to head far up the lake. Well, they ended up catching zero.
Meanwhile while they were 30 miles up the lake, we were loading the boat! In some places where we had zeroed on the day before! To make up for their lost day of fishing they caught what they came for. A nice pair of 9 pounders! Including several 4-6 pounders, and a 7 pounder. Five bass weighing about 38 pounds...easily. In all, over 60 pounds of bass to show their friends, that later joined us sadly, empty-handed.
We took lots of pictures all now on my website www.fishingalabama.com or posted with this report, if allowed.
You will see 4 very happy guys (one with a bright orange shirt that looks like Jimmy Houston!), holding 8 bass including the two 9 pounders all weighing over 60 pounds. In all, that two day trip yielded over 40 bass!
* SUNDAY - TUESDAY, MARCH 13-15 / THE LAST DAY OF A THREE DAY GUIDED TRIP - Two anglers, a nice couple from Papillion, Nebraska left a snow-blanketed home to come to Alabama for their annual, springtime three day fishing trip. WHAT THEY SAW WHEN THEY ARRIVED DID NOT LOOK ALL THAT GOOD FOR FISHING!
They were scheduled to fish Logan Martin Lake with me. A lake that rose over 6 feet due to recent floods this past week. With the lake suddenly a few feet over full pool, I knew the very spread-out bass, would be difficult to locate. So we fished Lay lake, situated on the now flooded Coosa River System right below Logan Martin lake and we did managed to fool some bass up to 4 pounds, in Lay's then flooded weedy waters.
Mostly caught on Zoom's trick worms, Flukes and spinnerbaits. His name was Reid and her's Carrie.
On the next two days of this three day trip on Monday and Tuesday, we decided to fish Guntersville Lake and Carrie is now very glad that she did...
On Monday as usual, the bass were hitting lipless lures so we stuck with it, hitting several shallow weedy locations in a days time. We were rewarded with some nice 5-6 pounders and about a dozen other good keepers. I had provided the lures and rods but they went tackle shopping on their own that night.
Tuesday, the last day of this three day vacation for a now rather tired and weary couple as they met me the boat dock. Now rigged and ready we once again set out looking for that trophy bass of lifetime. We immediately got into a school of 3-5 pounders and once again the lipless lures came through for that big bass bite. Two nice 4-5 pounders by mid day and then a slow period.
We took a small break snacking and drinking, and still casting our lures. I just watched and waited, hoping the inevitable would occur. With only about two hours to go before quitting time, maybe just one more big bass would complete their trip to Alabama. Including their lipless lures and the box of lures I gave them, they must have tied and re-tied on at least a dozen lipless lure choices.
Until at last, one particular Strike King model lipless lure produced "the bass of lifetime." A lure I had added my special paint job to, adding a red gill plate. It had a gray back, a yellow stripe down its side and a white belly. Carrie fished it on 14 pound test line.
The line screamed, the rod was bowed over, and the big bass was going crazy, all taking place in water of about two feet deep. But the huge bass wore down fast and as it came along side the boat I knew it was bigger than anything we have seen all year. "Easily over 10 pounds", I thought. It was! An 11 pounder and Carrie took pictures of it, I took pictures of it and then we let it go along with several other bass...to live, lay their eggs, and fight another day, giving another angler a thrill of a lifetime!
So it was added to some of this year's big bass list. Dozens of 4-6 pounders, a few 7 pounders, an 8 pounder, three 9 pounders, a ten pounder and now, an 11 pounder! What holds next? With Guntersville Lake...you never know!
* ALWAYS CALL ON REEDS GUIDE SERVICE ...FIRST! WHY? FOR BIG BASS, THAT'S WHY! MAYBE YOURS WILL BE NEXT! Book your trip now to Alabama's "big bass factory" Guntersville Lake. In April, May and even June it only gets better! Call (205) 663-1504 or e-mail me at; [email protected] for more info and rates.
* BIG BASS PICTURES ON FOX 6 TELEVISION - Not all websites this recieve this lake report posts my pictures. But they can be seen on my website at www.fishingalabama.com or on TV in Birmingham and throughout all of Alabama!
Also, you can see these pictures and other Big Bass pictures from recent guided trips in my next appearance on WBRC's Fox 6 morning show, " Good Day Alabama ." My next appearance is on Tuesday, March 29 (I'm on every last Tuesday of the month for over 6 years) on at 8 a.m. or just a few minutes after.
Call in with your fishing questions on my, "Ask the Angler" question and answer segment on Fox 6!
That's all for now, until next time...Good Fishin'!
Thanks, Reed
Reed Montgomery / Outdoor Writer
Owner / Reeds Guide Service
Alabaster, Alabama (205) 663-1504
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.fishingalabama.com
" Over 40 Years Guiding, Fishing and Exploring Every Lake in Alabama For Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass and Striped Bass "
Always Call on Reeds Guide Service...first!
Alabama's Oldest Professional, Freshwater Fishing Guide Service!
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Typical Kerr Bass Fishing Predicted For Virginia Bassmaster Weekend Series Tournament Saturday
Brandon Gray won the Bassmaster Weekend Series Regional tournament on Kerr in Oct 2010
Chris Bullock, 2010 Angler of the Year for the Virginia Division of the Bassmaster Weekend Series, has been crappie fishing instead of practicing for the first BWS tournament of the year on Kerr Reservoir, but the fish he caught over the weekend has him excited about his prospects Saturday.
“I have not been bass fishing. I've been crappie fishing and I finished second in a crappie tournament Saturday. But something happened during that tournament that is kind of special to me,” Bullock said.
“I've been fishing the lake for the past 28 years or so and in that time I've only caught maybe a dozen smallmouth, most of them up the river. I was tight-lining for crappie Saturday and I caught a smallmouth that weighed between 3 and 4 pounds.”
The Fountain, N.C., angler said the fish hit about 5 feet deep in 10 feet of water off a little secondary point. Dealing with some health issues, he will only get in one practice day this week – on Friday, he said.
“The water has really risen in the past week. I've not checked it the past couple of nights, but I think it will be close to 305 feet by the time we get there and the fishing will be the usual Kerr Lake patterns, I'm afraid – spinnerbaits, jigs and plastics in the bushes. There are a lot of bushes and trees in the water now.”
Bullock said the main lake from Grassy Creek up the river towards Clarksville is muddy.
“The main channel is muddy and there is a lot of trash and debris out in the main river, but the creeks have started clearing up.
And, while he is looking forward to the first BWS tournament Saturday, Bullock said he will not be able to defend his 2010 title.
“I've committed to fish another trail with my dad this year and one of those tournaments interferes with one of the weekend tournaments. I won't be points champion this year, but that time with my dad is more important.”
Bullock has also launched a guide service for catfish and crappie on Kerr and several years ago he organized a winter catfish tournament that has grown to 58 boats this year.
“It's held the last Saturday in January when everybody has cabin fever, so we call it the Ice Bowl,” he said. “We compete between North Carolina and Virginia teams and we welcome fishermen from all over. Just pick a side you want to fish for. We are in it for the fun of it.”
BWS Tournament Manager Gary Conner said that, based on previous years and the input so far with anglers, he expects around 65 boats for Saturday's BWS tournament.
“Our numbers seem to grow slowly each year and that has been the case this season across the country,” Conner said. “Right now, with $4 a gallon gas I am anticipating our numbers will be up. If it stays this way much longer, however, I anticipate as we caw a couple of years back when gas prices went up the numbers will drop.
The Virginia Division BWS schedule includes: March 19, Kerr Lake, North Bend Park Special Use Area; April 9, Gaston, Americamps; May 21, Smith Mountain Lake, Parkway Marina; July 16, Kerr Lake, North Bend Park SUA; Aug. 20-21, Kerr Lake, North Bend Park SUA.
Bassmaster Weekend Series Virginia Division
Sat, Mar. 19, 2011
Kerr / Buggs Island Lake
North Bend State Park
Warming Weather Should Boost Weights For Tommy Shaw Memorial On Clarks Hill
With temperatures predicted in the 80s for the end of this week the scales should be singing at weigh-in for the fourth annual Tommy Shaw Memorial Bass Tournament Saturday on Clarks Hill Lake.
Local anglers expect weights to be up considerably over the winning weights in the Savannah River BFL Tournament last Saturday when Tim Jones of North Augusta, S.C., won the Boater Division and $7,089 with a limit that weighed 18 pounds, 5 ounces, and Jeff Rikard of Leesville, S.C., caught a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 1 ounce to win $2,545 in the Co-angler Division.
“The fish were up shallow and then that little cold snap the past couple of weeks pulled them off,” said Billy Black with the Tommy Shaw tournament.
Noting that, “We were expecting 25 pounds to pull it out,” last weekend, Black said fishing should be much better this week.
“These warm nights will make the fish move up, so we are expecting some really good weights this weekend.”
Black said the tournament which benefits several local charities, has a guaranteed first place award of $5,000. He said he is expecting 125 to 130 boats for the tournament which is the first leg in the Clark Hill Committee's series of tournaments towards the angler of the year title for the lake.
The Clark Hill Committee is a nonprofit organization consisting of 22 bass clubs and 286 members who strive for good bass fishing competition, but also relaxation and fun through good sportsmanship and good fellowship.
The angler of the year, chosen after competition in the Tommy Shaw Memorial (March 19), the local Top 6 Tournament for members only (April 8-9), the Clark Hill Memorial Open Team Tournament (May 14) and the Mr. Clark Hill Tournament (Oct. 7-8), will earn a guaranteed $1,500. First-place payout in each of those tournaments is a guaranteed $5,000.
New clubs and members are being sought. Anyone interested can contact Ray Diamond at (706) 533-1948.
Entry fee for the Tommy Shaw Tournament is $100 plus $10 for Big Fish. There will be an additional charge of $50 if neither team member is a member of The Clark Hill Committee. Pre-registration will b held 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Academy Sports and Outdoors, 4210 Washington Road, in Evans, Ga. Drawing for boat positions will start at 7. Late registration will be held tournament day at the ramp starting at 5 a.m. Entrants must be checked in by 6 a.m. tournament day.
For more information, call Larry Gilpin at (706) 738-7663 or Barry Frazier at (706) 829-3850.
The late Tommy Shaw was perhaps the most beloved figure in the fishing community around Clarks Hill Lake.
Shaw, who ran Little River Marina for more than two decades, died Sept. 22, 2007, at the age of 84.
“He had the first marina on the lake and he loved to fish. There were not many people that he didn’t like,” said Gilpin, president of the Clark Hill Committee, who was a close friend and frequent fishing companion of Shaw.
Tommy Shaw Memorial Bass Tournament
Sat, Mar. 19, 2011
Clarks Hill Lake
Wildwood Park
CATT Top 5 Mar 12 Wateree
47 Teams entered the 3rd CATT 2011 Spring Wateree Qualifier with heavy fog wating at the ramp. Blast off was delayed until 8:30 cutting into the guys fishing time but Scott Floyd and Bob Weaver didn't need a full 8 hours to take home $1,949.00 and 1st Place. They weighed in 19 lbs 4 ozs and also weighed in the Big Fish of the day at 7 lbs 1 oz.
2nd - Randall Bock - Josh McCaskill 17.01 $500.00
3rd - Alan Fletcher - Danny Johnson 16.04 $350.00
4th - Steve Borton - Brian Bultman 14.09 $260.00
5th - Jeff Reynolds 14.08 $165.00
Next Lake Wateree CATT is Saturday March 19 at Clearwater Cove Marina. We're on track to payback over $30,000.00 this Spring at Wateree. Also CATT qualifiers on Murray and Santee Cooper this Saturday.
Airport Marine Team Trail Results - Lake Guntersville - Mar. 12, 2011
The Team of Marty and Kim Giddens won the Lake Guntersville tournament with 28.32bs. Their first place prize was $2,000! They also had the big fish of the tournament, weighing 8.93lbs, and they took home the Couples bonus...both of these adding to their payout!
Most everybody that weighed in caught their fish in the first 4 hrs, with the fish turning off after that. The lures of choice were crankbaits, jigs and spinnerbaits. The wind was up on Saturday at 20+ mph and the lake was extremely muddy. According to Tournament Director Flynn Gerald, the Airport Marine Team Trail payouts end up giving back 100% plus with some of the incentives they have!
Top 10 as follows:
1 Marty Giddens-Kim Giddens 28.32
2 Tim Hurst-Mark McCaig 27.47
3 David Kilgore-Mike Spears 25.38
4 Hadley Coan-Donny Mcelvoy 23.46
5 Clark Smith-Blake Stewart 22.98
6 Flynn Gerald-Kyle Mabrey 22.95
7 Johnny Patterson-Bryam Douglas 22.67
8 Bob Blackerby-Drew Cox 22.08
9 Todd Watts-Craig Watts 21.23
10 Kevin Lee-Shane Varnadoe 21.20
Xtreme Bass Series Results - Lake Guntersville - Mar. 13, 2011
Our Xtreme Bass Team Series, (Lake Guntersville division), had it's second event of the season and had a great turnout. 37 teams came to compete once again out of the beautiful Val Monte Resort. The lake had just been in a slight flood condition as we had many inches of rain throughout the week, which left the water very muddy. The day itself was as nice as it could be with temps reaching 70 and winds only 5-10 mph. The turnout shows, guys still expect these Guntersville fish to cooperate. Some of them proved it to be true, although the overall take was that the weights were off for here, especially in March. Most feel we are a month behind due to the weather and can't wait till next month. Our water temps were only around 55 degrees and the forecast for next week has our air temps near 80.
This event was a little different for us as we teamed up with Derek Chambers for a GREAT cause. You see Derek started "From Rifles To Rods and Reels", where he brings a veteran to fish with him. They get to compete against all of us and the veteran gets to keep various gifts from sponsors such as rods and reels and rain gear from Frogg Toggs as well as product from Lunkersauce, among other things. We will be doing this for the remainder of the year. Derek says you can check it out on Facebook if you want to follow them or want more info. The veteran that Derek brought to this event was Nathan Owen and he is scheduled to return to action in the fall. May God be with you Nathan and our Extreme GRATITUDE for what you do. You know with all that is going on in the world, you really get a new perspective on life and how good most of us have it because of Nathan and all our veterans.
Here are some of the results: O.B Wilborn and Brian Haynes came in first place with a total of 25.52 lbs earning a whopping $1470. They also had the big fish of 7.16 lbs for which they got an additional $360. 2nd place and $730 went to Byron Franklin and Britt Perry with 22.44 lbs anchored by a nice 6.16 lber. 3rd pl was Scott Keeling and Frelon Moore with 21.84 lbs. They had a 6.90 lber to help them and earned $330. 4th place and $200 went to Darryl Gentry and Robert Hargiss with 21.72 lbs and 5th place for $150 went to Hadley Coan and Donnie Mcelvoy with 19.98 lbs. All results can be found on www.xbseries.com ... By the way, Derek and Nathan finished respectfully in 19th place with 14.34 lbs and had a great time telling me all about it.
As usual, I'd like to thank God for it all, and also my wife Michelle for helping with weigh in and keeping my kids under control through it all. Also, thank you to all the anglers that competed, as they make it very enjoyable. Our next event is April 3rd out of Val Monte and I very much look forward to seeing everyone there.
Jamie Shay
Xtreme Bass
256-599-0132
www.jamieshayfishing.com
Byron Franklin and Britt Perry finished 2nd with 22.44 lbs
Derrick and Nathan won the Lunker Sauce giveaway!
Heartland Anglers Division 8 Tourney - Finding Clean Water Was Key For Win After Recent Heavy Rain
The Heartland Anglers Division 8 on Watts Bar Lake out of Tom Fuller Park had their first tournament. 21 boats showed up for a warm day of fishing. Stan Bishop & John Wade got the win with 20.10 on Jerkbaits. They had a mixed bag of small mouth and big spotted bass!
Piedmont Bass Classics Results - Jordan Lake - March 12, 2011
Cold & windy! Air temps ranged from 28 to 63 degrees, water temps averaged 53 and the wind blew steadily 15 to 20 mph all day. For our 2nd open of 2011, we had a 19 boats show up to see what Jordan Lake had to provide. Todd & Jeff Sumner of Southern Pines, took top honors on a tough, windy day. The team brought 5 bass to the scales weighing 28.53 pounds, including their big fish winner that weighed in at 7.29 pounds. Todd, a member of the Skeeter Boats National Demo Team, and his Dad took home $1,231 for their efforts. I want to thank all of our anglers and our sponsors for supporting this trail!
Story of the day: Bass were caught on every kind of lure you can think of, except top water (didn't hear of any). We had 3 bass over 7 lbs. with the biggest being caught on a Lunker Lure jig. Most all fish were caught in 2 to 8 feet of water off main creek points with rock & timber cover. 62 bass were weighed in totalling 205 pounds. All fish were released alive! Needless to say, the spring bite is on at Jordan!
The next tournament will also be at Jordan Lake on March 19th out of Farrington Point Wildlife ramp. This event is the 2nd in a series of 7 qualifying tournaments for the 'Piedmont Bass Classics $5,000 Bass Tournament Trail'. Now here are the March 12th results:
1st Place..Todd & Jeff Sumner of Southern Pines...5 Bass...28.53 lbs...$720
2nd Place..Keith Deal & Ricky Kenworthy of Holly Springs & Selma...5 bass...23.83 lbs...$400
3rd Place..Bobby & David Matthews of Durham...5 bass...20.25 lbs...$270
4th Place..Chad Craven & Josh Quesinberry of Raleigh & Clayton...5 bass...16.06 lbs...$130
1st Place Big Fish..Team #1 above...7.29 lbs...$266
2nd Place Big Fish..Team #2 Above...7.24 lbs...$114
1st Place TWT..Team #1 above...28.53 lbs...$245
2nd Place TWT..Team #4 above...16.06 lbs...$105
Additional Pictures can be uploaded from the website: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
or: for more information call 919-471-1571 or 919-971-5042
Thanks! Phil McCarson~Tournament Director
2011 Bassmaster Elite Series Harris Chain Day 4 - Grigsby Holds Off Hard-Charging Goldbeck!
You're not suposed to win a multi-day event by sightfishing. Especially these days when everyone with a pair of polarized shades can peek beneath the surface and locate bedding bass. There are few secrets and fewer secret spots that an angler can have to himself. And the winter/spring weather is so changeable. I was starting to believe all of that myself. And I believe in magic. The magic of sightfishing. Thank you, Shaw Grigsby, for renewing my faith. How did he do 75 pounds and win by more than 7? He even shared his honey hole with runner-up Grant Goldbeck and day 1 leader, Pat Golden. They picked the right piece of realestate. How strong was the pond where Grigsby and friends stacked up bass like cord wood? Well, nobody lead the tournament who did not fish there. Eagle-eyed Grigsby looks at a fish - then catches it.
Grigsby said he has fished the little pond for years, perhaps decades. At times it produces nothing. At times it is really strong. The key feature is the firm, sandy bottom and adjacent depths that plunge beyond 15 to as much as 20 feet. The biggest bass set up on the edge of the drop. As the days rolled by, more bass rolled up out of the depths each afternoon.
That Goldbeck did not win is somewhat surprising now that we have the benefit of hindsight. He bailed on the pond the first day when clouds and wind prevented sightfishing. He caught one small fish in Lake Harris and opened the tourney in 97th - almost dead last. Grigsby stayed and blind fished the pond for 14-plus pounds.
Another turning point came when Goldbeck had two giants fight for his lure. The rushed in, butted heads and a 7-pounder swam out with the bait. Goldbeck shook it off. He wanted to catch the 13-pounder that was locked on as well. She kept charging the lure, but never bit. He gave her 4 hours to do so. That fish would have made the difference and completely offset and awful day 1.
Did Goldbeck make the right decision in shaking off the 7-pounder? Leave a comment below to weigh-in with your thoughts.
Aside from Grigsby squaring off toe-to-toe against Goldbeck (a former professional boxer) there were 10 other guys fishing the Harris Chain. Stephen Browning placed 3rd. He caught many of his fish within sight of the boat ramp on Lake Dora. As for technique, he pitched a Z-Man Zinker stick worm.
VanDam is so good he took 4th and 5th places. OK, the man in 5th Jonathon VanDam. Everybody say 'hey' to JVD - looks like he's the real deal. Look for him to do well on the St Johns River this upcoming week. He nearly won an Open there a couple of years ago. <
JVD milked a stretch of Kissimmee grass shoreline in Lake Dora for 11 pounds on the final day.
KVD ran around Lake Harris for his fish this week. He often motored to his next spot without stowing the trolling motor and then fished with his lifevest on so he wouldn't have to bother with putting it back on before firing the big motor. Classic KVD run and gun!
How did Pat Golden do after bailing out of the little pond to fish Lake Harris? He fell to 6th, which still ain't half bad.
2011 And 25Th Annual Jim Ledbetter Memorial Champions Mark Brown And Wade Smith!!
2011 and 25th Annual Jim Ledbetter Champions Mark Brown and Wade Smith take some time to talk about their big win as well as the one dominant pattern that helped get them to the winners circle!!
2011 Jim Ledbetter Highlights With Roger Pope And Scott Hamrick
We grab Roger Pope and Scott Hamrick as they come in with a very solid bag of fish to catpture 3rd place in the 25th Annual Jim Ledbetter Memorial Tournament..................
One On One With 2010 Flw Angler Of The Year Bryan Thrift- Part Two
Our conversation with Bryan Thrift continues with some comments on the added attention he has recieved with all the success and how he is handling that moving fwd-Part 2
One on One with 2010 FLW Angler of the Year Bryan Thrift- Part One
One of the hottest anglers in our sport is Shelby, NC native Bryan Thrift and we talk with him at The Great Outdoors in Cherryville this afternoon-Part 1
25Th Annual Jim Ledbetter Tournament Preview From Foothills Marine
We stop by Foothills Marine and talk to Matt Farris about one of the largest charity Tournaments in the country taking place this Sat on Lake Norman.......registration and Blastoff at Queens Landing beginning at 5am this Sat!!
Progressive Wrap Up Show Week 6 Part 2
In Part 2, we look at how the Stratos 2X helped one team DOUBLE THEIR $$ on Lake Wylie at the CATT Tournament this past Sat...........
Progressive Wrap Up Show Week 6 Part 1
We wrap up last weeks crazy action from Sportsman's Warehouse in Columbia, SC with fishing manager Justin Kijak.........some of the weights were CRAZY!! Part 1
My Biggest Bass EVER
Talk about a monster. Thought you guys and gals out there would get a kick out of this one. I caught this giant Largemouth 4 years ago.I was out on the water with a good friend Craig Cook. He took the picture after we laughed till we cried. We estimated this monster to be about 2 inches and weigh atleast a 0.5 oz if that. This monster was actually caught on the Rebel Pop-R that I am holding up in this picture. You should have seen the huge blow up he made, I thought it was a ten pounder. LOL. Na I thought I had hooked a blade of grass. Talk about biting off more than you can chew. I'm not sure what the heck this little guy was going to do with this when he got it in his mouth. All I know is that he was ready to eat. Hope you got a good laugh, I know I did.
Jim Ledbetter Tournament Poised To Pass $750,000 For Cancer Research Saturday
Shane Lineberger (left) and Hank Cherry (center) won the 2010 tournament with 19.12lbs!
The 25th annual Jim Ledbetter Memorial “Casting Out Cancer” Bass Tournament on Lake Norman Saturday will mark well over three quarters of a million dollars raised for cancer research since the tournament first launched.
“Since 1986 the tournament has raised $747,000, at first for the American Cancer Society and for the last three or four years for the V Foundation,” said Matt Farris, owner of Foothills Marine which is in its third year of sponsorship for the benefit tournament. The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State basketball coach and ESPN commentator who died in 1993 of cancer.
The tournament fielded 189 teams in 2010, a downturn due to the bad economy, but still raised $20,000 for the V Foundation. Farris expects well over 200 boats for Saturday's event.
“We usually have over 200 boats with over 400 fishermen in the tournament and we are well ahead of registrations this year so we definitely expect at least 200 boats on Saturday,” he said.
Since Foothills Marine, a Skeeter-Yamaha dealership, took over the tournament three years ago the payback for the top 20 teams has increased significantly, Farris noted. First prize is a 2011 Skeeter ZX 190 Bass Boat with a VZ150 HPDI Yamaha outboard. Second place pays $2,000, third place $1,600 on down to 20th place which pays $200, plus there is a payout for the top three big fish.
“We also have three specialty categories in a tournament within the tournament – the top adult-child team, top senior team and top husband-wife team each pays $500 in addition to whatever they win in the open tournament.”
While the payout to fishermen is more than 100 percent, Farris said, the payout to cancer research was enhanced when Foothills Marine became the primary sponsor because the dealer brought its own benefit tournament to the effort.
“For years we had also done a benefit tournament in the spring on Lake Hickory and we almost competed with the Jim Ledbetter tournament,” Farris said. “Both were charity tournaments with a good cause, so we moved out big tournament, which also draws 200 boats, to Lake Hickory in the fall. We get a lot of guys who had been fishing one or the other who are now fishing both tournaments.”
The move created a situation where there was one tournament raising $20,000 to $30,000 a year to having two tournaments raising a total of $40,000 to $50,000 a year, he noted. The Foothills Marine Angler Benefit Tournament also supports the V Foundation.
As added encouragement, Skeeter provides a special fully-rigged boat to be given away at the draw tournament, but anglers can qualify for the drawing at the Ledbetter tournament. They can qualify again at the fall tournament, he noted, given them two chances at the boat.
“If you fish the Ledbetter tournament you can come on Thursday and Friday and take a demo ride in a Skeeter to get your name entered in the random draw. If you fish the Foothills Tournament you get your name in the hat again, so you can take one demo ride and double your chances for the fully-rigged Skeeter.”
Farris said fishing reports from Lake Norman have been very good recently, despite the lingering cold temperatures.
“I don't know what the water temperature is exactly – the lake varies because of the power plant discharge – but I imagine a lot of the water is still in the 50s,” he said. “But fishing has been pretty strong. In the last couple of weekend tournaments turnouts have been strong and they have weighed in pretty heavy bags. There have been quite a few fish caught the last two or three weeks.”
Jim Ledbetter Memorial Bass Tournament
Sat, Mar. 12, 2011
Lake Norman
Queens Landing
Call 828-439-9022
Fishing Should Be Good For Morristown Marine Tournament On Cherokee Lake Saturday
Charlie Rasch won the 2010 Morristown Marine Classic last November!
The Morristown Marine Skeeter-Yamaha Elite Series Team Trail kicks off Saturday on Cherokee Lake with high expectations for very good fishing, according to tournament director Sam Phillips.
“The fish are biting excellently and we expect it will take 17 to 20 pounds to win,” Phillips said. “The water is warming up and the fish are turning on. We are looking for a good tournament of anglers and a lot of fish to be weighed with a lot of limits brought to the scales.”
Phillips said the fish are in pre-spawn and anglers are catching them on crankbaits, jerkbaits, jigs and grubs.
He said he expects between 125 to 150 boats to enter the tournament, the first of six scheduled tournaments plus a year-end championship to be held on Cherokee and Douglas Lakes this year.
“This is our fourth year and we have grown this series very well,” he said “Skeeter came on board and really helped us.”
Anglers pay a $30 membership fee each to fish the trail and the entry fee for each of the regular season tournaments and the season-end classic is $100, with an optional big fish pot. The big fish pot will be paid back at the ramp, with half going to the top largemouth and half to the top smallmouth weighed in. If no smallmouth is weighed in, two prizes will be awarded to the top two largemouths.
“We are paying $3,000 to win, regardless of the number of boats entered. We also pay back one place for every six boats with a 100 percent cash payout at the ramp,” Phillips said, “plus additional gift certificates and prizes from local sponsors.”
New for this year, he noted, is the addition of Abu Garcia as a big fish sponsor. Abu Garcia will give several rods to the big fish winners at each tournament.
“And, at the Classic in November, we will give a 2011 Skeeter ZX200 with a new 200 Yamaha SHO 4-stroke engine to the winners,” he added.
Manufacturer bonus programs for the trail include Skeeter Real Money, Stratos Double Your Winnings, Triton Gold, Phoenix First Flight Program and the Morristown Marine Boat Bucks plan.
“In the Morristown Marine Boat Bucks program, if your buy a boat or motor here, new or used, any brand, we will pay an additional $500 on top of what you win,” Phillips said.
Entries are accepted at Morristown Marine the week of the tournament and anglers who sign up by 6 p.m. on Friday get two draws for starting position and can keep the one they want. Entries will also be accepted at Hookers & Hunters Bait and Tackle from 1 to 6 p.m. On Fridays prior to the tournament After 6 p.m. teams get only one draw for starting position and entries will be accepted at the ramp the morning of the tournament.
The 2011 schedule includes: March 12, Cherokee Lake, Boat Launch Road; April 2, Cherokee Lake, Boat Launch Road; April 23, Douglas Lake, TVA Dam; May 14, Cherokee Lake, Boat Launch Road; Sept. 24, Douglas Lake, TVA Dam; Oct. 22, Cherokee Lake, Boat Launch Road; and Nov. 12. Morristown Marine Classic, Cherokee Lake, Boat Launch Road.
Morristown Marine Team Trail 2011
Sat, Mar. 12, 2011
Cherokee Lake
Hamblin County Marina-Boat Launch Road
BFL Gator Division - Kissimmee Chain report
I fished Saturday's BFL Gator Division tourney as a co-angler. Got exactly 3 bites. Put 'em all in the boat. They weighed 6 pounds-even. My partner and I weren't on them.
Congrats to Mark Detweiler, proprietor of Big Toho Marina. He was on 'em. 21 pounds, 14 ounces was good enough for the win on the boaters' side of the tourney. Exactly 1 pound back was Charles Bass - apropriately named.
Interestingly, Detweiler's bag was not the biggest of the day. That distinction belongs to Todd Mowery who caught 23 pounds, 7 ounces from the back of the boat! Mowery caught his fish on the Skinny Dipper and some topwater lures. "We locked down south," said Mowery.
From what I gathered, many of the better sacks are coming from Lake Cypress and Lake Hatcineha. Lake Kissimmee has been muddied due to dredging being done in the river above. Strong east winds for a few days in a row had parts of Toho looking dirty. Shad were piled up in the wind-blown areas, though, and bass chased them to the point that they flipped on top of matted bullrush to escape. Of course, as the small, silver and blue fish tried to flop back into the water, birds would descend and dine on the easy pickings.
For fishing among the shad buffet, try a chrome/sexy shad Red Eye Shad in the half-ounce size. I couldn't get the three-quarter-ounce to work. My partner and I quickly caught 5 fish between the two of us on the smaller lures. For better quality in the same area, try a spinnerbait - anything shad-like in appearance, with small silver blades should do the trick.
Griffith and Walker win Cherokee BAIT Tourney
Saturday March 5, 2011 turned out to be a very nice day. Despite the bad weather forecasts 49 boats came out to compete on Cherokee Lake. There was 170 fish caught weighing a total of 448.42 lbs. All fish were released alive! First place honors went to the team of Larry Griffith and Jeffery Walker with a nice limit of smallmouth weighing 20.06 lbs. They took home $990.00 for their efforts. Second place went to Doug and David Winchell with 17.11 lbs. worth $600.00. Third place went to Danny Garber and David Solomon with 16.20 lbs. worth $400.00. Fourth place went to Charlie Rasch and Gary Pilkenton with 15.71 lbs. worth $330.00. Fifth place went to Tim Smiley and Richard Wolfe with 15.21 lbs. worth $280.00. Sixth place went to Ken Vicchio and Brian Vicchio with 15.19 lbs. worth $230.00. Seventh place went to Dustin Buckner and Shane Houck with 14.60 lbs. worth $180.00. Eighth place went to Jason Nichols and Matt Beeler with 14.52 lbs. worth $140.00.
Largemouth lunker went to the team of Doug and David Winchell weighing 4.74 lbs. and was worth $235.00. Smallmouth lunker went to the team of Sonny Lee and Harold Parsons weighing 4.87 lbs. and was worth $235.00.
Congratulations to all and thanks for fishing “America’s Best Team Trail”. 2011 schedules are currently being posted as we receive them. Please check our website www.baitinc.com and watch for new schedules to come. Our next tournament will be April 30, 2011 on Douglas launching from the Dam. Pre-registration will be from 12 – 6 p.m. Friday (04/29/2011) at Bucks n Bass. Also TN-II has their next tournament 3-12-2011 at Ft. Loudoun launching from the Canal. Call Chris Covington for more information (865) 607-0810. TN-III (Nite Trail) flyers will be out soon. Call Bill Giron for more information (865) 406-5110.
Thanks to all of our sponsors and a special thanks to Joe and Missy Lee with Sportsman Ministries for all they do. God Bless and remember to take a kid fishing! For more info call Sunny or Bud DeFOE at: 865-679-2233 (Sunny’s cell) or 865-679-0419 (Bud’s cell).
Great Time On Ray Hubbard.
We should have a great tourney here in April. Im thinking it will take like 23 a day to win.
Fishers of Men NC State Championship Results - Lake Norman - Mar. 5, 2011
On Saturday March 5th 2011,the fifth annual NC Fishers Of Men National Bass Tournament Trail State Championships For NC was held on Lake Norman. Twenty-one Adult teams qualified to fish. Cold, drizzling, rainy weather began the day but warmer weather came in later.
Twenty one teams was able to make the trip to the scales that were located at BASS PROSHOPS in Concord NC. MC and Director Mike Sides and Dave from Bass Pro Shops kept the crowd entertained with their wit and knowledge.
Each team was pulled through the weigh in in the their boat and tranferred to the stage during the Bass Proshops Spring Fishing Classic. Thanks go out to John Snincak, Regional Director, of Fishers Of Men.
Rocky Socks Presented the first place award money of $1100.00 to Allen Snyder and Robbie Hunter of Concord NC with a winning weight of #14.96 They caught Their fish on Jerk bits and Crankbsits nar I-40. They also received $150 donated by Bass Proshops for the biggest fish of #4.94.
Second Place went to Kenneth Shumate and William Embry of Mount Airy who won $410 and Third Place went to Drew and Amy Montgomery who won $300. Fourth Place went to Malcom and Andrew Dillion . Steve Singleton and A.L. Needham won Fifth Place and $150 The top Director/Sponsor championship went to John Snincak and Richard Jordan.
The crowd was awarded for showing up with tons of door prizes thrown out by the Anglers. We would like to thank all the people who volunteered to help especially Jon Morgan who basically directed the event allowing The Directors to fish. Hope to see you at next years event.
Piedmont Bass Classics Results - Shearon Harris - Mar. 5th
A record was set today! The team turnout was a record 82 boats! This is the largest turnout of teams in the history of the Piedmont Bass Classics! 216 bass were weighed for a whopping total of 541 pounds. All fish were released alive! Water temps averaged 55 to 58 and air temps ranged from 44 to 65 with winds ranging from light to 20 mph gusts midday.
Big fish for the day was 10.23 pounds and many bass in the 7 to over 8 pound range were also weighed. Just about any lure would work this day, but the Senko baits seemed to tempt the larger bass which were mostly caught in the 10 to 15 water depth. The smaller bass were caught mostly in the shallower water.
Once again, I want to thank our sponsors. Without their support we could not be offering the $5,000 Trail.
The next PBC tournament will be at Jordan Lake on March 12th. This event will be an 'Open Fun' tournament and will be a good practice run for the next 'Piedmont Bass Classics $5,000 Bass Tournament Trail' qualifier #2 at Jordan, March 19th. I hope to see all of you at Jordan on the 12th!
Now here are the Mar. 5th results:
1st Place..Dan Glosson & Phillip Eakes of Rougemont & Bahama..5 bass..28.45 lbs...$1,375
2nd Place..Donald Williams & Rick Ohlson of Garner..5 bass..26.93 lbs...$850
3rd Place..Todd Gibson & Mark Bayse of Archdale & Thomasville..5 bass..22.53 lbs...$655
4th Place..Randy Fisher & Donnie Lowe of Hillsborough & Mebane..5 bass..22.37 lbs...$590
5th Place..Mike Eggers & Randy Carr of Garner & Raleigh..5 bass..17.26 lbs...$520
6th Place..Richard Linton & Marc Peck of Pikeville..5 bass..16.90 lbs...$455
7th Place..Richard Cooper & Mike Vaughan of Clayton & Raleigh..5 bass..16.77 lbs...$390
8th Place..Jule Cameron & William Small of Wendell & Creedmoor..5 bass..15.23 lbs...$325
9th Place..Ken Wall & Ben Cannon of Asheboro & Apex..5 bass..15.14 lbs...$260
10th Place..Steve Woodlief & John Strother of Wake Forest..5 bass..14.32 lbs...$260
11th Place..Phil Hankins & Patrick Rose of Raleigh & Wake Forest..5 bass..13.96 lbs...$195
12th Place..Jason Dew & Randall Soles of Whiteville..5 bass..13.50 lbs...$195
13th Place..Ronnie Williams & Jason Butler of Clayton..5 bass..13.41 lbs...$131
14th Place..Thomas Sheffer & Ken McNeill of Cary & Raleigh..5 bass..13.15 lbs...$131 (tie)
14th Place..William Burns Jr. & Jerry Marshburn of Sanford..4 bass..13.15 lbs...$131 (tie)
16th Place..Jesse Soles & Ron White of Aberdeen..5 bass..13.03 lbs...$100
1st Place Big Fish..Team #4 above.....10.23 lbs...$1,106
2nd Place Big Fish..Team #15 above.....8.72 lbs...$474
1st Place TWT..Team #1 above.....28.45 lbs...$1,050
2nd Place TWT..Team #2 above.....26.93 lbs...$450
For More Information: Call 919-471-1571 or 919-971-5042 or visit: www.piedmontbassclassics.com
Thank you! Phil McCarson......Tournament Director
Winners Dan Glosson & Phillip Eakes!
Greene Boat & Motor Tournament Trail & CATT Lake Wylie March 5 - Top 6
Jody Wright and James Dyer took home 1st Place Saturday at Lake Wylie fishing the 3rd 2011 Qualifier of the Greene Boat & Motor Trail with 47 teams entering. The pair brought in a total weight of 16.76 lbs. Add in the Stratos 2x Bonus money and they took home a grand total of $3,414.00.
Tim Chapman and Marc Leech finished up in 2nd with 5 bass weighing 16.32 lbs and they recieved $925.00.
Cliff Kirby and Butch Holder took 3rd with a total weight of 15 .94 lbs and they took home $575.00.
Ryan Hinkle and Dan Mullane brought in the 4th place sack of bass weighing 15.91 lbs and they collected $375.00.
David Redman and Clay Williams finished in 5th place with a total weight of 15.71 lbs and recieved $250.00.
6th place went to David and Gerald Williams with 5 bass weighing 15.62 and they also took home the 1st place Big Fish place with a fat 7.24 lb bass. All total they collected $833.00.
Next Greene Boat and Motor trail Qualifier will be at Pinncale Access on Lake Norman April 23. The Lake Norman CATT Trail will be holding a qualifier also and you can fish both if you wish. If you do enter the CATT Qualifier on Lake Norman you will be eligible to enter the 2011 CATT Classic May 14-15 on Lake Wylie. 1st Place at the CATT Classic will be between $7,000 and $10,000 depending on the number of teams entering.
Brett Collins
CATT LLC
Jody Wright and James Dyer won with 16.76 lbs!
David and Gerald Williams won Big Fish with this 7.24 lb bass!
2011 Anglers Choice Marine Tt Smith Mtn Lake Champions
2011 Anglers Choice Marine Smith Mtn Lake Champions Tim Thurman and Ken Lackey join us after bringing in 5 fish for 18.48 and $3000 at the 1st Anglers Choice Tournament of this 2011 Season!!
Elite Series Tournament talk with Mark Menendez
Skeeter Pro Mark Menendez is looking forward to the first B.A.S.S. Elites Series Event on the Harris Chain of Lakes. Mark has experienced some success over the years in Florida but would like to start off the season with a win. " I am going to be doing a lot of looking around during the practice period mainly to try and locate one good area I can concentrate on." Mark explains. The bass should be in all three stages of the spawn and Mark will be using a variety of lures to try and catch them. His top three bait choices will be a Strike King Rage Craw, the new Strike King Finesse worm, and a Red Eye Shad. Right now the water is a little low and Mark predicts the winning pattern to be won either in the canals or in the Kissimmee grass. " Unlike most of the Florida lakes, the Harris Chain does have a structure element to it. If you find one of those key areas, you are likely to win it. It could definatly be a sleeper spot that most anglers could overlook." Mark says. However it plays out Mark will be giving it is all to try and make it to the winner's circle.
Record Entries Checking In For Anglers Choice On Smith Mountain Lake
The price of gasoline may be skyrocketing, but after a long, very cold winter, some fishermen are just anxious to get back on the water.
“It does not look like the rising gas prices are affecting us,” said Chris Lucas, tournament director for the Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail which opens its 2011 season Saturday on Smith Mountain Lake. “I talked to a a guy on the lake today and he said there was a fisherman around every corner on the lake getting ready for the tournament.”
In fact the fishermen are so eager to get going that entries are running far ahead of previous tournaments.
“The previous record for pre-registrations for a tournament was 80,” said Lucas Thursday morning. “We are at 115 this morning and expecting five or six more today. That means we are already over 120 pre-registered and that is not counting the guys who wait until the last minute to be in a late flight so they can get the afternoon bite.”
Lucas said on the tournament website that he will start registration the morning of the tournament at 5 a.m. And continue until 6:45 a.m. when he will get the tournament started.
“If you are not registered by then I will blast the late arrivals off after everybody else, so come on time,” he said.
The entry fee per tournament is $100, with an optional $20 Big Fish pot. Payback will be to one in every five boats registered, with $2,000 guaranteed for first place with at least 70 boats entered.
Anglers must fish four of the six scheduled tournametns to qualify for the championship. First place in the classic will win a new Ranger Z118 bass boat with a Mercury Opti Max motor and trailer.
Always a very popular tournament, this year Lucas said more new sponsors have come on board and there is plenty of bonus money to be paid out. The series is Triton Gold registered which means this year that a winner in the right Triton package can take home an extra $7,000. Anglers can also win with the Ranger Cup program and the Stratos 2X program.
And, while the bass in some lakes across the South are still languishing in a winter pattern following the long, cold winter, the bass in Smith Mountain Lake are biting, Lucas said.
“The guys I've been talking with who are catching fish say it's taking 20 to 25 pounds for five fish to win. A lot of people are saying it will take 20 pounds for five fish to get a check, so I think you are going to see a couple of big bags weighed in this week.”
While water temperatures are still in the 40s, a warm rain earlier this week has moved things along, Lucas said.
“There are some fish being taken in 2 to 3 feet of water on a crankbait. There are jerkbait fish in 10 to 12 feet of water and guys are still spooning heavy bags in 25 to 30 feet of water off the ends of points. I've even heard of a spinnerbait bite on some wind-blown points, too.,” Lucas said.
“With that many boats and that many teams, there will be some who will catch fish on a jig or a Shakey Head, but I think the tournament will be won on a jerkbait and a spoon.”
The main thing, he said, is that anglers will probably be able to catch fish just about however they want to fish.
Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail
Lake: Smith Mountain Lake
Landing: Parkway Marina
Date: Sat, Mar. 5, 2011
Call Chris Lucas 276-358-0844
www.anglerschoicemarine.com/TournamentTrail
Shallow Bite The Key For Berry's Team Trail Tournament On Lake Oconee
Brad Sears would love to be fishing the Berry's Team Tournament on Lake Oconee Saturday, but a father sometimes just has to give up some of the things he likes to do when his children are growing up and getting involved in sports and other activities.
“I'm fishing the (B.A.S.S. Southern) Opens this year and I'm gone so much for that,” said Sears who fishes Oconee a lot and is a Berry's Trail veteran. “My son is having a track meet Saturday so that is where I will be instead.”
But, if he could make the tournament, he knows just how he would fish it.
“The water is warming up. It's come up 10 to 15 degrees depending on where you are on the lake. It's gone from the low 40s to the mid 50s and in some areas probably up in the 60-degree range. The most stable water in the lake is probably in the area from Sugar Creek down to Lick Creek.”
That should have the fish in pre-spawn, he said, with another wave getting ready to go into pre-spawn and some behind them that are still out deeper and lethargic.
“Oconee is a shallow bite lake year round. The winning sack is probably going to come from flipping docks, throwing shallow-running crankbaits and shallow-running spinnerbaits.,” he said.
“For the pre-spawn fish I'd be fishing the back of Sugar Creek or Lick Creek,” Sears said. “Those fish stay shallow back there all year. In Sugar Creek I'd start out in the morning throwing a shallow-running crankbait or spinnerbait over some sandy bottoms. If I moved down to Lick Creek to rocks and wood, such as blowdowns.”
Since Oconee is noted as a “muddy water” lake, color is very important in lure selection, he said.
“I'd either throw a white and chartreuse or a blue shimmer shad spinnerbait. My spinnerbait choice would be a 3/8-ounce Buzzerbait with a Colorado/willow leaf combo or a double willow leaf combo,” he said. “If I was throwing a crankbait, I'd throw a SPRO Little John in black and chartreuse.”
If the sun comes out with bluebird skies, he said, he would be skipping under the docks with either a jig or a watermelon red fluke rigged weightless.
“The jig would be black and blue with a green pumpkin Zoom Speed Craw dipped in JJ's Magic chartreuse on the claws. That's the best kept secret in bass fishing.”
Or he'd bang a crankbait off the dock posts, he said.
“The key to fishing the docks is to find which post they are holding on, those closer in or the ones out towards deeper water,” he said.
Sears said the fish still out in the deeper water can be caught too.
“Don't be afraid to pull out and fish the ledges with a Carolina rig.”
Family comes first, but Sears admittedly would really love to fish the Berry's Trail this year if he could.
“It's a well run tournament. They are real sticklers on rules and safety and they keep everyone true and it shows because of the number of fishermen it draws. It attracts so many because of the paybacks, one in every six. I fished a tournament at Sinclair and finished 16th – and got a check.”
Because of the payback and the way the tournaments are run the family run trail is probably the biggest trail in the state of Georgia, Sears said.
“I fished the trail last year and in one tournament we had 155 boats,” he noted.
The current schedule began in December, with tournaments in January and February and five more counting this Saturday before the two-day Classic on the two lakes June 4-5. The first two events drew 119 and 124 boats and there were 84 in the February tournament.
“They average 85 to 130 boats a tournament and it should really pick up now that hunting season is over,” Sears said.
Teams have to fish five of the eight tournaments on the schedule to qualify for the classic in June.
Sears predicted it will take at least 17 to 18 pounds to win Saturday's tournament – and even that may not be enough.
“There are a couple of people who have fished that lake for years who may come in with a 20-pound-plus sack,” he said.
Berry's Team Tournament Trail
Lake: Lake Oconee
Landing: Sugar Creek Marina
Date: Sat, Mar. 5, 2011
Countdown to Blastoff 2011 Week 7
AC Insider Robby Byrum gets into some good detail as to what to expect this weekend with Tournaments all over the South!!
Yes, They're Bedding On Lake Guntersville!
This time last year air temps were in the teens and water temperatures were in the low-40's in late February on Guntersville Lake. Yes, its March the first. But its been many years since we have seen extreme warming conditions like we have recently experienced during this early spring season. Eighty degrees in late February is just unheard of, even in Alabama!
So how has this sudden warming trend affected both the smaller sized male bass and the larger-sized female largemouth bass on Guntersville lake? Alabama's largest man made reservoir has suddenly undergone some very quick changes...like you would not believe, that is unless you saw it. This week, I did.
Bass cruising in pairs and beds already showing in the shallows means there will definitely be an early spawn. Some of the bigger bass may have already spawned when the last full moon took place. A new wave of both males and females is now moving into the shallows. Officially March 20 is the beginning of spring. But with continuing weather like we are having, to me, spring is already here.
Monday we may have caught have 25 - 30 bass (who's counting?), mostly fishing very shallow with crankbaits, rattletraps, spinnerbaits, jig combos and topwaters like zara spooks and buzz baits. Other lures too!
Over half of those bass were smaller males weighing from 1-2 pounds each. But we did have several nice 3-4 pounders, a 5 pounder, one that looked to weigh from 7-8 pounds, one that pulled off a back hook on a crankbait and kept on going, and one that looked to be about 6 pounds, (we got a good look at it!) before it leaped two feet high and threw a crankbait! Yes, what a day!
No rain all morning Monday, but 25 m.p.h. winds made for a tough day and several back-lashed reels. We left at about 1 p.m. due to dark, threatening skies and rain coming in hard.
Such is Guntersville Lake in the spring...
GUNTERSVILLE LAKE
Impounded 1939
Date fished: Monday, February 28
Lake Level: Down 1.50 feet
Air Temperature: Low 70 degrees High 80
Cloudy, rainy conditions
Water Temperature 66-70 degrees
Water Clarity Clear - Main lake / Some mid-to-lower lake creeks have a slight stain from recent rains
Water Generation All Day
GUIDE SERVICE
* Always call on Reeds Guide Service...first! (205) 663-1504 " Guntersville Lake's (and all of Alabama's) oldest, professional "bass fishing only" guide service for over 40 years" Website www.fishingalabama.com Newly updated for spring!
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* HUNTING AND FISHING
* Hunting and fishing items and a new store! Go by Marks Outdoors Sports in Vestavia (near Birmingham), or see them online at www.marksoutdoors.com for all your fishing and hunting needs! Look me up at Marks Outdoors I'll be there on "Turkey Day" March 10!
* NEW AND USED BOATS
See www.airportmarine.com for new boats, used boats, close-out boat sales, parts and expert mechanic work...Alabama's best!
* TOURNAMENTS
See www.,airportmarinetrails.com for tournament updates on their first tournament of the year, Solo Trails and Annual Events. Alabama's most popular and best paying bass tournaments!
* WORLD'S BEST BASS BOATS
* NEED NEW BOAT BATTERIES?
Check out Exide's Trolling and Cranking Batteries now on sale at www.airportmarine.com
Thanks and Good Fishin'
Reed Montgomery / Outdoor Writer
Owner / Reeds Guide Service
Alabaster, Alabama (205) 663-1504
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.fishingalabama.com
" Over 40 Years Guiding, Fishing and Exploring Every Lake in Alabama For Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass and Striped Bass "
Always Call on Reeds Guide Service...first!
Alabama's Oldest Professional, Freshwater Fishing Guide Service!
Cold Front Chills Bass In Beaver Lake Before Flw Tour's First Major
FrogTape Pro Brian Travis is fishing the first FLW Major of the year this week
Most anglers have a love-hate relationship with Beaver Lake in Arkansas. Some love it; a lot hate it.
That's the opinion of Brian Travis, pro angler from Conover, N.C., who has been practicing on Beaver this week for the FLW Tour's first Major of the year.
On Sunday, the first day of practice Travis was loving it.
“It was about 68-69 degrees Sunday and I think the fish bit better for everybody. I had seven keepers that day and a lot of people I know caught some big fish on Sunday.”
But the euphoria was short-lived. Things changed quickly Sunday night when a cold front blew a line of storms across the region, dropping temperatures 20 degrees by Monday – and giving the bass a severe case of lockjaw.
That's when Travis began hating Beaver Lake.
“Fishing has been terrible,” Travis said. “I've caught four fish the last two days and no keepers. I've also talked to 10 or 15 other guys and nobody I've talked to is catching fish.”
The first couple of days after the storm, he said, it was hard to find water above the mid-50-degree range. On Tuesday, he noticed it beginning to creep up and found some areas with 48-49 degree water.
“The fish are in pre-spawn and they should be moving up. They had a really cold winter up here, though. Just four weeks ago they had 20 inches of snow, but then it turned off pretty warm.”
And, although the water has warmed slightly, he said, the fish have not moved out of the deeper areas yet.
“I”m sure some have started to move up,” Travis said, hopefully.
Before the storm Sunday night most anglers were catching fish on jerkbaits and crankbaits, he said, with a few coming on Shakey Heads.
The spot he caught those seven good fish on Sunday is along a little bank he discovered in a previous tournament on Beaver Lake.
“I caught a few there and then they fell out in that tournament. But they were there the other day. It is setting up like it could be a good staging place,” he said.
“If it warms up like it is supposed to – it's supposed to be 70 degrees Thursday, the first day of the tournament – I plan to fish that stretch of bank with a jerkbait. If that doesn't pan out I am probably going to run the river where the water is dirty and throw a Wiggle Wart and a jig along the little bluff banks.”
When the tournament is over Travis, who already has a top 20 finish this year, placing 14th in the FLW Tour Open on Lake Okeechobee a month ago, will head to Dallas, Texas, to represent his main sponsor, Frog Tape, at the Great big Texas Home Show at Cowboy Stadium. Frog Tape is a painter's tape treated with Paint Block to keep paint out and lines sharp when painting along edges,
“Things are going really good with Frog Tape and they are happy,” he said of the sponsorship. But, he added, he has some real sponsor competition this year on the FLW Tour.
“3-M came on board with FLW so I've got my hands full. I've got to beat the 3-M boat.” Travis said pro angler Ray Scheide of Dover, Ark., is sponsored this year by 3-M.
But, everybody appears to be in pretty much the same boat when it comes to catching fish in the first FLW Tour Major of the year.
“Everybody is kind of depressed right now, but we will see how this one turns out,” Travis said. “A lot of guys are wondering how it will turn out. Some are thinking 5 pounds a day will make a check.”
Things could change quickly if the weather warms like it is supposed to, he noted.
“They had a winter trail tournament here a week ago and it took over 23 pounds to win it. There are some big ones here. It's just a matter of finding them and getting them to bite.”
FLW Tour Major #1
Lake: Beaver Lake
Landing: Prairie Creek Park
Date: March 3-6, 2011
2011 Progressive Weekend Wrap Up Show Part Two
AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh continues our look back at this past weekend-with a focus on the 2 primary baits that caught most of the fish on Norman-Part Two
2011 Progressive Weekend Wrap Up Show Part One
AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh helps us look back at one great weekend of Tournaments across the region, highlighed by a 30+ LB bag on Chickmauga! Part One
Glasgow Brings In A Sack At The Bassmaster Weekend Series On Guntersville
Glasgow makes big score at Guntersville
ATHENS, Ala. – Allan Glasgow went home $5,000 richer after winning the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series, operated by American Bass Anglers, Alabama North Division 1 tournament, held Feb. 26, 2011, on Lake Guntersville.
The Ashville, Ala., angler landed five bass weighing 27.94 pounds for a 5.58-pound average. He helped his average with a 6.84-pound bucketmouth. Launching at Val-Monte Lakeside Resort, the anglers spread out through the 69,100-acre Tennessee River impoundment.
“I had a terrible practice, but was able to figure out something late,” Glasgow said. “The fish were super shallow. I flipped a black and blue jig with a watermelon red beaver in blow-downs, hitting the ends of the trees in about two feet of water. I had seven bites and they were all big.”
In second for the 108-boat event, Michael Bradford of Scottsboro, Ala., landed a five-bass tournament limit weighing 20.94 pounds. He took home $1,935.
“I mainly threw rattling baits in a shallow creek channel bend with stumps on it,” Bradford explained. “There was about a foot difference in depth and the fish were staying in the three-foot zone. I fished the front of the creeks because the fish were migrating into the creeks. The fish wanted red early in the morning, but after about 9 a.m., they wanted white.”
Casey Whitehead of Robbinsville, N.C., also topped the 20-pound mark with five bass going 20.08 pounds. He earned $1,290 for third place.
“I found some fish a couple weeks ago, but they swam up the channel about half a mile,” Whitehead said. “I caught them on shad pattern spinnerbaits in about four feet of water around isolated grass.”
In fourth, Alex Davis of the hosting town of Guntersville, Ala., caught five bass at 19.85 pounds. Gil Summerlin, also a Guntersville angler, landed three bass for 19.48 pounds, but anchored his bag with a 9.28-pound bruiser to take tournament big bass honors.
“I caught the big one in about eight feet of water along a grass line while throwing a jig,” Summerlin said. “I lost another good one just after that. That fish hit at about noon.”
In the Co-Angler Division, three anglers exceeded 13 pounds with Randy Snyder of Corryton, Tenn., coming out on top with three bass weighing 13.34 pounds, a 4.44-pound average. With more than 100 boats participating, Snyder won a guaranteed $2,500.
“I was throwing a 1/2-ounce Redeye Shad in white, red and gold and slowing it down,” Snyder explained. “In practice about a week ago, I noticed they were hitting that color really well.”
Jon Burt of Fort Payne, Ala., landed in second with a three-bass division limit weighing 13.10 pounds. He anchored his bag with a 6.46-pounder to win $960.
“I caught my fish on a shallow-running square-billed crankbait,” Burt said. “I was targeting grass growing in the shallows. I culled twice.”
In third among the co-anglers, Brian Helderman of Fyfe, Ala., caught three keepers going 13.02 pounds to earn $645. Curtis Norton of Decatur, Ala., took fourth with three bass at 11.94 pounds, followed by Benjamin Curry of Hayden, Ala., with three bass weighing 11.65 pounds.
“We threw blue Rat-L-Traps all day,” Helderman said. “Most of our bites came after about 10 a.m. I caught about two limits.”
Brandon Taylor of Scottsville, Ky., finished in eighth place among the co-anglers with two bass weighing 10.46 pounds. However, one of them tipped the scales at 7.99-pounds, the division lunker.
“I started with five Rat-L-Traps tied on, but found out that we were going to fish deep,” Taylor said. “I scrambled to find some plastics. I caught the big one on a beaver in about 12 feet of water at 11 a.m.”
For more information, call ABA at (888) 203-6222. On line, see www.americanbassanglers.com.
About American Bass Anglers: The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series provides weekend anglers a professionally operated competitive tour with a path the world championship of bass fishing the Bassmaster Classic. American Bass Anglers commitment is to provide low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers and the American Fishing Tour, The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series or the American Couples Series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
Chattanooga Bass Assoc Chickamauga Results
Truck n Trailers, Chattanooga's premier source for trailer repair and truck accessories was proud to host the first CBA event of 2011. Man was it a shoot out! Ole Lady Chick flexed her muscle for this one and put out a ton of big healthy fish. I would like to commend all of the anglers and the guys helping to release the fish, as there were no dead fish penalties and all fish swam away! I want to personally thank everyone who showed up for this historic event. We had a field of 96 boats show up, which is easily a CBA attendence record for Feb. Also, i want to thank all of the other officers and their partners who helped me get through probably the most stressful month of my life! We paid out cash and prizes through 80 places. here is a list of our top finishers:
1. Brandon Roop/ Brent Tharpe 30.26# + 9.43BF=$2000+$480
2. Brian Gladson/ Jim Kimsey 24.50# $950
3. Steve Kite/ Daniel Lewis 23.45# $800+ $100 for being highest finishing Towboat US member!
4. Greg Lamb/ Mark Heatherly 21.91# $750
5. Mark Varaday/ Mark Keith 21.22# $650
6. Richard Graham/ Jerry Webb 20.55# $550
7. Shawn Lusk/ Andy Lusk 20.38# $450
8. Rogne Brown/ Alan Brown 20.21# $400
9. Haden Lamb/ Jeff Richmond Jr. $350
10. Matt Jenkins/ John Mantooth $350 + free entry to March event for highest "New Team"
11. Buddy Gross/ James Milling $300
12. Bob Anthony/ Tony Gilliam $250
13. Galen James/ Tony Townsend $250
14. Mark Morgan/ Vick Welch $200
15. Wes Hardin/ Ron Willerson $200
16. Nick Pratt/ Chris Coffey $150
17. Carter Day/ Eric Caberra $150
Big Fish was 9.43lm caught by Roop/ Tharpe
Big Smallie was 5.07# caught by Steve Barnes and Spencer Smith
Big Spot was caught by Barry Wingo and Kurt Grammar at 3.85#
Again, sorry I didn't have the weights for 10-17th place in front of me. I appreciate everyone who came. I look forward to doing this again in 2 weeks! I would urge all of you to take advantage of the Towboat US incentives being offered by Capt. Shane O'Neal! We will Host the "Signs March Open" on Saturday March 12th. Hope to see you there!
2011 Airport Marine Tt Lake Martin Highlights And Champions
AC Pro Staffer Reed Montgomery gets some great Weigh-in highlights at the Airport Marine Lake Martin Tournament, including a one on one with the Champs-Andy Chapel and Jamie Butler...Congrats guys!!
Crank It Up With Strike King
2011 Buckeye Lures Preview
We visit headquarters at Buckeye Lures outside of Augusta, GA and get an update on some of the new and exciting products that are making their way into a retailer near you-
Catt Lake Wateree Feb 26 Results! Holy Cow!!!
CATT kicked off the 2011 CATT Wateree Trail this past Saturday with 43 teams geared up for some heavy duty bass fishing launching out of Clearwater Cove Marina.The CATT Wateree Trail pays out over $50,000.00 annually!If you want to add more cash to that total check out the new programs added to the 2011 CATT sponsorship team that can put more jingle in your pocket. Basscat Quest, Phoenix first Flight, Legend Advantage and Lock-n-Haul Bonus Award Programs have been added joining Startos 2x and Triton Gold. CATT has paid back over 1 Million in cash to South & North Carolina Anglers!
Robert Ross and Rick McLean: 25 Lbs=Wateree Champions!!
The conditons were right for someone to fill up their livewell with some sows at Wateree Saturday. You could find any water color you liked, spinnerbaits, Rattle Traps, crankbaits and jigs could do the trick plus the water temp was right. 35 of the 43 teams weighed in over 450 lbs of bass. If you didn't weigh in over 17 lbs you missed out on the money. There were easily 40 bass over 4 lbs weighed in. Mark & William Richardson had two bass of their limit weighing exactly 5.95 lbs each! The only thing missing were those 7 pounders that usually make an appearance this time of year but it's a safe bet we'll start seeing some of those larger bass in the coming weeks. Most of the teams said the morning bite was awesome! I would have to say fishing is only going to get better in the next few weeks if the weather is stable and we can get some more dirty water flowing throught the Catawba River.
Robert Ross of Sumter and Rick McLean of Dalzell knew the weather conditons were right for a big bag and they evidently knew where they were living. They brought in a limit of bass weighing a whopping 25.01 lbs taking 1st place. They also weighed in a 6.82 bass to take 1st place Big Fish. Making a very good day even better they also collected the BONUS $. All total they received $1,746.00 pushing thier career CATT winnings over $8,000.00!
Next Wateree CATT is this Saturday March 12th at Clearwater Cove. We have plenty of room for you!
Also we kick off the Lake Norman CATT March 5th at Midway Marine. April 16th is the 1st CATT on Lake Jordan. More info at www.catttrail.com
Brett Collins
2011 Bfl Lake Norman Boater Co-Champion David Williams
BFL Lake Norman Boater Co-Champion David Williams talks about his day as well fellow Co-Boater Champion Keith Kirby's 7+ LB BF which is one heck of a catch here at Lake Norman!!
FOM Eufaula Results
Ronald and Taylor Terry, a father and son team, captured 1st place with a 15.65 pound limit and a 4.67 kicker. Ronald Terry stated “They caught 30 fish on a chrome and blue Rat-L-Trap!” They were fishing points up river from Lakepoint and said they were pretty confident that the bass were staging for the pre-spawn.
Ronald and Taylor Terry: 1st Place Team
Taking the 2nd spot was father and daughter team, Derrick and Kallie Millirons. The Millirons picked up where they left off in the 2010 Legacy Season. Derrick and Kallie weighed in a five fish limit of 12.12 pounds with a big fish weighing 4.87 pounds. Derrick said “We caught our fish with a crank bait around rocks.” Kallie’s not sure exactly how her dad caught the big one, but did demonstrate his ‘cheer’ after getting it in the livewell.
Derrick and Kallie Millirons: 2nd Place Team
Capturing the 3rd spot was Adam Linkenhoker and Cody Byron, one fish shy of a limit. Adam and Cody weighed in 9.29 pounds with a kicker weighing in at 4.07 pounds. They caught their fish throwing Chatterbaits, Spinnerbaits, and Speed Worms.
Special thanks to Sam and Polly Williams and Calvary Baptist Church, our Friday night banquet host.
Place # Fish Biggest Total Total $ $ Breakdown Anglers
1st 5 4.67 15.65 $ 499 Place $340
Big Fish $34
Bonus Bucks $125 Ronald Terry - Taylor Terry
Seale, AL
2nd 5 4.87 12.12 $ 321 Place $195
Big Fish $51
Bonus Bucks $75 Derrick Millirons - Kallie Millirons
Seale, AL
3rd 4 4.07 9.29 $ 186 Place $136
Big Fish $0
Bonus Bucks $50 Adam Linkenhoker - Cody Byron
Columbus, GA
4th 5 9.17 $ 102 Place $102 Clayton Shoupe - Christian Cook
Newton, AL – Dothan, AL
5th 5 2.9 8.95 $ 77 Place $77 Randy Johnson - Logan Johnson
Hogansville, GA
6th 4 7.93 Robbie Sowash - Colton Sowash
Flowery, Branch, GA
7th 2 5.14 Richard Wilson - Stanley Lowe
Forsyth, GA
8th 2 3.38 4.85 Robert Stewart - Charles Weir
Panama City, FL
9th 1 3.21 3.21 Pate Flournoy - Blake Fincher
Birmingham, AL – Phenix City, AL
10th 2 2.87 Michael Gifford - Cassandra Gifford
Eufaula, AL
Fish the Fall Top 5 from Hartwell
1. Lanny Phillips and Jeff Glover 10 fish 37.20 $3000
2. Barton Aiken and Jeff Rohaley 10 fish 35.55 $1000
3. Mike Tidwell and Brock Taylor 10 fish 33.98 $900
4. Cole Hyder and Zach Hyder 10 fish 32.94 $600
5. James Edwards and Larry Williams 10 fish 32.31 $400
Big Fish on Friday Kevin Dye and Brad Perkins 7.37 $350
Big Fish on Sat Cole and Zach Hyder 7.40 $350
Tournament director Dennis Landrum says that these bags were some of the healthiest bass he'd seen come out of Harwell in a long, long time. Most fish were caught on shallow crankbait in 2-6 feet of water. Water was clear main lake, but pockets and creeks very colored. Water temp was 51-55 degree's and secondary pattern would be jerkbaits in 5-10 feet of water. Most anglers went up the river out of Portman fishing the stained water.
Team Palaniuk meets Team Topwater at 2011 Bassmaster Classic
Watching coverage of 2011 Bassmaster Classic on ESPN2 this weekend? You'll notice that rookie Brandon Palaniuk gave the big guns a run for their money. Miles 'Sonar' Burghoff caught up with Brandon's little sister, Bri, to find out what the mood is like in the Palaniuk family.
