Major League Fishing Announces 2021 Bass Pro Tour Schedule
TULSA, Okla. (Oct. 22, 2020) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the 2021 MLF Bass Pro Tour schedule, which will showcase the best bass anglers in the world competing on many of the top fisheries in the United States. The 2021 Bass Pro Tour season will run from March to September and feature seven regular-season tournaments. MLF will also host four MLF Cups, REDCREST and the MLF General Tire Heavy Hitters – an all-star event that highlights the 40 anglers from the Bass Pro Tour with the highest cumulative weight from their single largest bass in each of the five regular-season events held in 2020.
“We are hitting these lakes and rivers at the right time for incredible competition. I’m expecting the Bass Pro Tour anglers to keep SCORETRACKER busy all year long,” said Michael Mulone, Senior Director of Events & Partnerships for MLF. “Our host cities understand the power of our brand and are primed and ready to welcome our anglers, staff, sponsors and fans. We are so grateful for their continued partnerships and are looking forward to bringing fast-paced, fan-friendly competition to their communities and to our fans worldwide.”
Each stage of the Bass Pro Tour includes six days of competition using the catch, weigh, immediate-release format, broadcast live on the Major League Fishing app, MyOutdoorTV (MOTV), and MajorLeagueFishing.com, totaling more than 450 hours of original programming. Fans can also follow the on-the-water action as it unfolds on the live SCORETRACKER® leaderboard.
The 2021 MLF Bass Pro Tour will air on Discovery Channel beginning in July 2021 and Sportsman Channel in early 2022.
In MLF Bass Pro Tour competition, anglers are vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for REDCREST, the world championship of professional bass fishing. REDCREST 2021 will feature the REDCREST Expo, February 26-28, at Expo Square in Tulsa, Oklahoma – a free, family-friendly event featuring all the new products and gear in the fishing, boating and outdoor industry.
2021 MLF Bass Pro Tour Schedule
- Feb. 23-27
REDCREST at Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees Tulsa, Okla.
Hosted by Visit Tulsa
- March 21-26
Bass Pro Tour Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir Jasper, Texas
Hosted by Jasper County Development District &
Jasper-Lake Sam Rayburn Area Chamber of Commerce - April 9-14
General Tire HEAVY HITTERS
at Falls Lake, Jordan Lake & Shearon Harris Reservoir Raleigh, N.C.
Hosted by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance - April 30-May 5
Bass Pro Tour Stage Two at Lake Travis Austin, Texas
Hosted by the Austin Sports Commission - May 21-26
Bass Pro Tour Stage Three at Harris Chain of Lakes Leesburg, Fla.
Hosted by Lake County, FL & City of Leesburg - June 4-9
Bass Pro Tour Stage Four at Lake Chickamauga Dayton, Tenn.
Hosted by Fish Dayton - June 25-30
Bass Pro Tour Stage Five at St. Lawrence River Massena, N.Y.
Hosted by the Town of Massena
- Aug. 5-10
Bass Pro Tour Stage Six at Lake Champlain Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Hosted by the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau and the City of Plattsburgh - Sept. 10-15
Bass Pro Tour Stage Seven at Lake St. Clair St. Clair Shores, Mich.
Hosted by Macomb County, St. Clair Shores and the Detroit Sports Commission
The full schedule, along with details for each event, can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
MLF Announces 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Schedule, Entry Dates and Advancement Opportunities
Qualification Opportunity for the Toyota Series Championship and Potential to Win $235,000, Including a $35,000 Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus
BENTON, Ky. (Oct. 21, 2020) – Major League Fishing announced today the schedule, rules, payouts and entry dates for the 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine, offering weekend anglers the best payouts and advancement opportunities for the lowest entry fees available.
The Bass Fishing League is the only circuit where anglers can fish close to home, with opportunities to advance to nine no-entry-fee championships – including the All-American and Toyota Series Championship – for a shot at winning top boater awards of $120,000 and $235,000, respectively.
Each qualifying tournament offers a top boater award of $13,000, including the Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus, and a top co-angler award of $3,000. Top awards jump to $16,000 for boaters, including the Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus, and $4,500 for co-anglers in super tournaments. Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonuses enhance payouts $500 to $7,000 for Phoenix boat owners in every qualifier, super tournament and regional championship, an additional $20,000 in the All-American, and $35,000 in the Toyota Series Championship.
- The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners in each division advance to Regional Championships.
- Enter all five events in a division, fish at least two and automatically advance to the Wild Card Regional if you don’t qualify for a Regional Championship.
- The top six boaters and co-anglers from each Regional Championship and the Wild Card Regional advance to the All-American.
- The highest-finishing boater and co-angler from each Regional Championship and the Wild Card Regional at the All-American advance to the Toyota Series Championship – you only have to beat five anglers to advance.
The Bass Fishing League gives weekend anglers a clear path to the Toyota Series, Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the Bass Pro Tour, placing anglers in front of the sport’s largest fan base with coverage on majorleaguefishing.com, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Every tournament features live weigh-in coverage and outreach to local media. Original programming of the 2021All-American and 2021 Toyota Series Championship will be televised nationally on Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel and World Fishing Network, showcasing Bass Fishing League anglers and their sponsors to MLF’s worldwide audience.
“We pride ourselves on providing the absolute best tournaments for the lowest cost of participation available anywhere,” said MLF BIG5 Senior Director of Tournament Operations Daniel Fennel. “The Bass Fishing League has a rich history of providing a competitive outlet for weekend bass anglers and launching professional careers. That tradition is stronger than ever as we enter the 2021 season with more than $8.3 million in awards on the line for Bass Fishing League anglers.”
The complete 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League schedule, rules and payouts can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Anglers can register for the 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League season at FLWFishing.com or by calling 270.252.1000, beginning at 8 a.m. CDT on the dates listed below:
December 7, 2020 – Cowboy, Gator, Hoosier and Music City.
December 8, 2020 – Bulldog, Bama, Illini, Mississippi and Volunteer.
December 9, 2020 – Buckeye, Choo Choo, Great Lakes, Mountain and Ozark.
December 10, 2020 – Arkie, LBL, North Carolina, Northeast and Okie.
December 11, 2020 – Michigan, Piedmont, Savannah River, Shenandoah and South Carolina.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Bass Fishing League and Toyota Series on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Schedule:
Arkie Division
Feb 13 Ouachita: Mountain Harbor Marina
Mar 6 Hamilton: Hulsey Hatchery Access
Apr 24 Greers Ferry: Devil's Fork
May 16* Dardanelle: Lake Dardanelle State Park
Sep 18-19 Hamilton: Hulsey Hatchery Access
Bama Division
Jan 30 Eufaula: Lakepoint Resort State Park
Mar 6 Mitchell: Higgins Ferry Park
May 1 Lewis Smith: Smith Lake Dam Access
Jun 26 Neely Henry: Coosa Landing
Sep 11-12 Lay: Beeswax Landing
Buckeye Division
May 15 Ohio River-Tanners Creek: Lawrenceburg Ramp
Jun 26 Grand Lake-St. Marys: West Bank Ramp
Jul 24 Mosquito: Mosquito Lake State Park
Aug 14 Ohio River-Tanners Creek: Lawrenceburg Ramp
Sep 11-12 Erie: Shelby Street Boat Launch
Bulldog Division
Feb 13 Lanier: Laurel Park
Mar 13 Oconee: Sugar Creek Marina
Apr 10 Sinclair: Dennis Station Access
May 22 Eufaula: Lakepoint Resort State Park
Sep 25-26 Lanier: Laurel Park
Choo Choo Division
Feb 13 Guntersville: The Bait, Tackle & Grill at Goose Pond
Mar 27 Pickwick: McFarland Park
Apr 24 Wheeler: Joe Wheeler State Park
May 8 Chickamauga: Dayton Boat Dock
Oct 2-3 Guntersville: The Bait, Tackle & Grill at Goose Pond
Cowboy Division
Jan 2 Sam Rayburn: Umphrey Family Pavilion
Feb 13 Toledo Bend: San Miguel Park
Mar 6 Sam Rayburn: Umphrey Family Pavilion
Apr 10 Lake of the Pines: Lakeside Park
Sep 18-19 Sam Rayburn: Umphrey Family Pavilion
Gator Division
Jan 9 Harris Chain: Venetian Gardens - Ski Beach
Feb 20 Harris Chain: Venetian Gardens - Ski Beach
Mar 13 Toho: Big Toho Marina
Apr 10 Okeechobee: Roland & Mary Ann Martin's Marina
Sep 18-19 Okeechobee: C. Scott Driver Park
Great Lakes Division
Apr 17 MS River-La Crosse: W. Copeland & Clinton
Jun 12 Wolf River Chain: Winneconne Waterfront Park
Jul 17 MS River-La Crosse: W. Copeland & Clinton
Aug 7 MS River-Prairie du Chein: Washington Street Ramp
Oct 2-3 MS River-La Crosse: W. Copeland & Clinton
Hoosier Division
Apr 17 Monroe: Cutright Ramp
May 8 Patoka: Newton Stewart South Ramp
Jul 10 Monroe: Cutright Ramp
Aug 7 Ohio River-Rocky Point: Rocky Point Marina
Aug 28-29 Ohio River-Tanners Creek: Lawrenceburg Ramp
Illini Division
May 22 Rend: Wayne Fitzgerrell Sailboat Landing
Jun 19 Shelbyville: 9th Street Ramp
Jul 17 Rend: Wayne Fitzgerrell Sailboat Landing
Aug 14 Ohio River-Golconda: Golconda Marina
Sep 11-12 Shelbyville: 9th Street Ramp
LBL Division
Mar 6 Kentucky-Barkley: Kentucky Dam Marina
Mar 27 Kentucky-Barkley: Moors Resort & Marina
May 1 Kentucky-Barkley: Kentucky Dam Marina
Jun 12 Kentucky-Barkley: Moors Resort & Marina
Sep 11-12 Kentucky-Barkley: Paris Landing State Park
Michigan Division
Jun 26 St. Clair: Harley Ensign Boat Launch
Jul 10 St. Clair: Harley Ensign Boat Launch
Jul 31 Detroit River: Elizabeth Park Marina
Aug 28 Detroit River: Elizabeth Park Marina
Sep 18-19 Detroit River: Elizabeth Park Marina
Mississippi Division
Feb 20 Ross Barnett: Tommy's Trading Post
Mar 27 Columbus Pool: Columbus Marina
Apr 17 Grenada: Grenada Landing
May 15 Ferguson: Greenville Waterfront Park
Oct 2-3 Pickwick: JP Coleman State Park
Mountain Division
Mar 6 Dale Hollow: Star Point Marina
Apr 10 Dale Hollow: Star Point Marina
May 8 Cumberland: Conley Bottom Resort
Jun 12 Cherokee: TVA Dam Boat Launch
Sep 25-26 Cumberland: Conley Bottom Resort
Music City Division
Mar 20 Dale Hollow: Star Point Marina
Apr 3 Percy Priest: Fate Sanders Marina
May 15 Center Hill: Ragland Bottom Recreation Area
Jun 19 Old Hickory: Bulls Creek Access (Flippers)
Sep 18-19 Old Hickory: Bulls Creek Access (Flippers)
North Carolina Division
Feb 21* Norman: Pinnacle Access Area
Mar 13 Kerr: Nutbush North
May 9* Kerr: Nutbush North
Jun 19 High Rock: Tamarac Marina & Campground
Sep 25-26 Wylie: Buster Boyd's Landing
Northeast Division
Apr 17 Chesapeake Bay: Anchor Marina
May 22 Chesapeake Bay: Anchor Marina
Jul 10 Champlain: Plattsburgh City Marina
Aug 7 Cayuga: Frontenac Park
Sep 11-12 St. Lawrence River: Massena Intake Launch
Okie Division
Mar 20 Grand: Wolf Creek Park
Apr 24 Arkansas River: Three Forks Harbor
May 15 Eufaula: Eufaula Cove (North Point)
Jun 19 Arkansas River: Three Forks Harbor
Sep 18-19 Grand: Wolf Creek Park
Ozark Division
Feb 20 Table Rock: Port of Kimberling Marina & Resort
Mar 13 Lake of the Ozarks: Public Beach #2
Apr 17 Table Rock: Port of Kimberling Marina & Resort
Jun 12 Truman: Long Shoal Marina
Sep 25-26 Lake of the Ozarks: Public Beach #2
Piedmont Division
Apr 10 Smith Mountain: Parkway Marina
May 2* Kerr: Nutbush North
Jun 26 High Rock: Tamarac Marina & Campground
Jul 31 James River: Osborne Landing
Oct 2-3 Kerr: Nutbush North
Savannah River Division
Feb 6 Keowee: South Cove County Park
Apr 17 Clarks Hill: Wildwood Park
May 8 Hartwell: Green Pond Landing
Jun 12 Clarks Hill: Wildwood Park
Sep 11-12 Hartwell: Tugaloo State Park
Shenandoah Division
Mar 27 Kerr: Nutbush North
Apr 24 Smith Mountain: Parkway Marina
May 15 Potomac River: Smallwood State Park
Jul 24 James River: Osborne Landing
Sep 25-26 Potomac River: Smallwood State Park
South Carolina Division
Feb 13 Murray: Dreher Island State Park
Mar 27 Santee Cooper: John C. Land III Landing
May 1 Hartwell: Tugaloo State Park
Jun 19 Clarks Hill: Dorn Fishing Facility
Sep 25-26 Murray: Dreher Island State Park
Volunteer Division
Jan 30 Chickamauga: Dayton Boat Dock
Mar 13 Cherokee: TVA Dam Boat Launch
May 1 Douglas: Dandridge Ramp
May 22 South Holston: Observation Knob Park
Oct 2-3 Watts Bar: Tom Fuller Park
* Sunday
2021 Regional Championships:
Oct 7-9 Norfork: Buzzard Roost Marina, Mountain Home, AR
Divisions: Arkie, Illini, LBL and Ozark
Oct 7-9 Wheeler: Ingalls Harbor Pavilion, Decatur, AL
Divisions: Bama, Hoosier, Mountain and Music City
Oct 14-16 Murray: Dreher Island State Park, Columbia, SC
Divisions: North Carolina, Savannah River, Shenandoah and Volunteer
Oct 14-16 Potomac: Smallwood State Park, Marbury, MD
Divisions: Buckeye, Michigan, Northeast and Piedmont
Oct 21-23 St. Johns: Palatka Riverfront Park, Palatka, FL
Divisions: Bulldog, Choo Choo, Gator and South Carolina
Oct 21-23 Ouachita: Mountain Harbor Marina, Mt. Ida, AR
Divisions: Cowboy, Great Lakes, Mississippi and Okie
Nov 5-6 Wild Card: TBA
2021 All-American:
Jun 3-5 Douglas: Dandridge Boat Dock, Dandridge, TN
AC INSIDER - Doomsday Podcast with David Mullins
This week Chris is back and he and the boys open the show with current BASS AOY Leader David Mullins to talk about his resurgence this year on the Elite Trail. KG Digs into his beginning in the sport and DX asks the tough questions.... Y'all check it out!
Tharpe And James Use Late Flurry To Win Bassmaster Junior National Championship
Turner Tharpe and Blake James of Rhea County, Tenn., have won the 2020 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster Junior National Championship with a two-day total of 13 pounds, 15 ounces.
Photo by Emily Hand/B.A.S.S.
October 20, 2020
HUNTINGDON, Tenn. — Thanks in part to an afternoon flurry, Rhea County (Tenn.) seventh graders Turner Tharpe and Blake James caught 8 pounds, 2 ounces on Championship Tuesday to claim the Mossy Oak Fishing Junior Bassmaster National Championship on the Carroll County 1000 Acre Recreational Lake with a two-day total of 13-15.
They earned a $2,500 scholarship.
“It feels amazing,” Turner said. “I’m not sure if we will be able to do this ever again, but I hope we will.”
Turner and James threw a wacky rig around shallow, offshore brush in a pocket most of Day 1, boat captain Brent Tharpe said. On Day 2, Turner and James started on the same structure but bright skies and calm conditions slowed the bite.
“I just told them to keep their head in the game and don’t get distracted and worry about other boats,” Brent Tharpe said.
James and Turner had just one fish by midday, but conditions started to change as wind and some clouds entered the area.
“The sun went behind the clouds and it started to get a little windy,” James said. “Yesterday, that seemed to be when we caught them, because it was cloudy, so that helped after lunch.”
Along with the weather change, Turner and James moved away from their shallow cover to a ditch in the middle of the pocket that had trees stacked in it. They filled their limit there with a drop shot.
“We figured out that they weren’t up shallow, so we moved out and started catching some fish,” Turner said.
Logan Lopossa and Koby Sollars from the Southside Anglers in Indiana finished second with a two-day total of 12-8 after catching four fish for 4-13 on Day 2. They earned a $1,000 scholarship.
Sollars said he and Lopossa caught all of their fish in the morning and, while they had bites during the afternoon, they couldn’t find another keeper.
The duo landed one fish in the afternoon that fell just shy of the 12-inch size limit. Lopossa and Sollars previously qualified for the 2019 National Championship, and they used their experience from that tournament to help them during this event.
“We were catching them on a shaky head and a paddletail worm,” Lopossa said. “We were here last year and we caught them on that (plum) color. So, we threw it on a shaky head and they just kept destroying it.”
Lopossa and Sollars moved back and forth from deep to shallow, but one particular dropoff with stumps and gravel produced all their bites on Day 2.
Kasen Pemberton and Hunter Prough from the Chipley High fishing team finished third with 12-3 and won an $800 scholarship, while Kyle and Nicholas Herrman from the Topeka Jr. Hawgs program held onto the Big Bass award with a 5-4 largemouth they caught on Day 1, earning them a $200 scholarship.
With the Junior Championship complete, the focus shifts to the Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School National Championship at Kentucky Lake presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors Oct. 22-24. Action begins Thursday at 7 a.m. CT from Paris Landing State Park with weigh-in starting at 3 p.m.
2020 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster Junior National Championship 10/19-10/20
Carroll County 1000 Acre Recreational Lake, Huntingdon TN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Club/School Pts
1. Turner Tharpe - Blake James Rhea County 0
Day 1: 5 05-13 Day 2: 5 08-02 Total: 10 13-15
2. Logan Lopossa - Koby Sollars Southside Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 07-11 Day 2: 4 04-13 Total: 9 12-08
3. Kasen Pemberton - Hunter Prough Chipley High 0
Day 1: 5 05-12 Day 2: 5 06-07 Total: 10 12-03
4. Jaylin White - Colden Baker Lugoff-Elgin Middle 0
Day 1: 5 04-08 Day 2: 5 07-04 Total: 10 11-12
5. Jack Myers - Lucas Gerlach Denver Jr. Bassmaster 0
Day 1: 4 09-01 Day 2: 2 02-01 Total: 6 11-02
6. Pate Anderson - Bobby Miller Susquehanna Valley Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 4 04-07 Day 2: 5 06-04 Total: 9 10-11
7. Dakota Carter - Preston Keller OKC Junior Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 4 03-12 Day 2: 4 06-11 Total: 8 10-07
8. Zane Parker - Garrett Wilson 0
Day 1: 5 04-09 Day 2: 5 05-11 Total: 10 10-04
9. Langston Martin - Coleman Mezick Lee County Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 05-13 Day 2: 4 04-06 Total: 9 10-03
10. Carson Harrell - Colton Harrell chapman panthers 0
Day 1: 3 04-07 Day 2: 5 05-03 Total: 8 09-10
11. Trent Volz - Carson Volz Indian Creek 0
Day 1: 4 04-06 Day 2: 3 04-08 Total: 7 08-14
12. Charles Klug - PJ Jacobs Junior High 0
Day 1: 5 04-12 Day 2: 4 03-15 Total: 9 08-11
13. Holten Phillips - Griffin Ralph Lakeside 0
Day 1: 5 05-03 Day 2: 3 02-13 Total: 8 08-00
14. Kyle Herrman - Nicholas Herrman Topeka Jr Hawgs 0
Day 1: 4 07-15 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 4 07-15
15. Annabel Hellum - Ben Lewis Phoenix Junior Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 4 04-03 Day 2: 3 03-12 Total: 7 07-15
16. Landon Pierce - Korbin Neat Casey County 0
Day 1: 3 03-12 Day 2: 5 04-00 Total: 8 07-12
17. Peter Duffy - Bryce Formsma GR Bass boys Northview 0
Day 1: 5 05-00 Day 2: 3 02-10 Total: 8 07-10
18. Mason Dople - Gabryel St John Jellico Middle 0
Day 1: 1 03-07 Day 2: 4 03-14 Total: 5 07-05
19. Bo Hollen - Ari Clark Mon Valley Bassmaster's 0
Day 1: 4 03-08 Day 2: 4 03-10 Total: 8 07-02
20. Colt Sitton - Ryan Grace North OKC Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 2 02-01 Day 2: 3 05-00 Total: 5 07-01
21. Sawyer Knickerbocker - Gage Dowers SWLA Jr Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 05-08 Day 2: 2 01-02 Total: 7 06-10
22. Gavin White - Brandon Smith LA Junior Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 4 04-15 Day 2: 1 01-06 Total: 5 06-05
23. Jack Meiser - Blake Meiser Eureka 0
Day 1: 4 04-14 Day 2: 1 01-05 Total: 5 06-03
24. Brody Kellum - Carson Thompson Franklin County Middle School 0
Day 1: 5 05-01 Day 2: 1 01-00 Total: 6 06-01
25. Garret Crow - Brayzon Riddle Lone Star Jr Bassmaster 0
Day 1: 2 03-08 Day 2: 2 02-06 Total: 4 05-14
26. Jace Buxton - Ethan Graham Jackson County 0
Day 1: 2 01-15 Day 2: 3 03-10 Total: 5 05-09
27. Caleb Roblin - Jackson Landry Jr Southwest Bassmasters- LA 0
Day 1: 2 02-01 Day 2: 4 03-08 Total: 6 05-09
28. William Griswold - Seth Schnoebelen Center Point 0
Day 1: 2 01-15 Day 2: 2 03-08 Total: 4 05-07
29. Kyle Johnson - Jared Johnson Black Swamp Youth Bass Club 0
Day 1: 2 02-04 Day 2: 3 03-03 Total: 5 05-07
30. Lucas Sheafer - Steele Smith Louisburg middle school 0
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 4 03-10 Total: 5 05-05
31. Beau McQuade - Curtis Russler Jr. Potomac River Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 2 02-07 Day 2: 2 02-09 Total: 4 05-00
32. Mason Carden - Dawson Bryant Columbiana Middle School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 04-15 Total: 5 04-15
33. Alex Meland - Carter Michalek Eastern Iowa Jr Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 04-14 Total: 5 04-14
34. Judd Byrd - Samuel Nicholas Oak Grove 0
Day 1: 2 02-09 Day 2: 2 02-05 Total: 4 04-14
35. Joey Elliott - Aiden Pihaylic Anchor Bay 0
Day 1: 4 04-12 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 4 04-12
36. Ian Reed - Mason Everts Hartleys Hawgs 0
Day 1: 2 02-05 Day 2: 2 02-01 Total: 4 04-06
37. Bryce Cast - Ayden Cast St. Louis Area Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 2 02-12 Day 2: 1 01-09 Total: 3 04-05
38. Ridge Faircloth - Jake Burns Liberty County High School 0
Day 1: 2 02-10 Day 2: 1 01-06 Total: 3 04-00
39. Chan Cawthon - Troy Harper Indian Creek 0
Day 1: 1 01-00 Day 2: 3 02-12 Total: 4 03-12
40. Luke Ankrom - Williamstown 0
Day 1: 1 01-08 Day 2: 2 02-01 Total: 3 03-09
41. Connor Young - Brent Christopher Boyle County Rebels 0
Day 1: 1 03-04 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 03-04
42. Jarren Crowder - Elijah Ambrose Jr. Potomac River Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 2 02-02 Day 2: 1 00-15 Total: 3 03-01
43. Ryder Milam - Colton Milam Mecklenburg County 0
Day 1: 1 01-01 Day 2: 2 01-14 Total: 3 02-15
44. Jack Varnado - Hunter Robertson Jr. Southwest Bassmasters of Den 0
Day 1: 3 02-13 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 02-13
45. Landon Gabby - Easton Hillard Southern Illinois Future Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 01-02 Day 2: 1 01-11 Total: 2 02-13
46. Andrew Terry - Greer Gammon Dickson County High School 0
Day 1: 2 02-11 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 02-11
47. Eli Walker - Gage Jones Bluestone Middle School 0
Day 1: 2 02-04 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 02-04
48. Carter Pjesky - Hayden Host Off the Hook Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 4 03-06 Day 2: 0 -02-00 Total: 4 01-06
49. Elijah Bryant - Blake Conrad East Jessamine Middle School 0
Day 1: 1 01-06 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 01-06
50. Nicholas Gatchis Conca - Hudson Subach Jr. Denver Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-03 Total: 1 01-03
51. Harrison Betker - Ryder Rousseau Osseo 0
Day 1: 3 01-01 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 01-01
52. Kade Sturgill - Wyatt Trexler Rowan County Youth Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 01-00 Day 2: 1 00-00 Total: 2 01-00
53. Zack Brose - Noah Goedjen Heritage Christian Academy 0
Day 1: 1 01-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 01-00
53. Joseph Horne - Jacob Butcher Arkansas Youth Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 01-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 01-00
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Laufenberg Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Mississippi River
Co-angler Victory Goes to Illinois’ Marginean
LA CROSSE, Wis. (Oct. 19, 2020) Boater Cade Laufenberg of Onalaska, Wisconsin, brought a three-day total of 15 bass to the scale weighing 50 pounds, 1 ounce to win the no-entry fee Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Regional Championship at the Mississippi River. For his victory, Laufenberg earned $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and automatic entry into the 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Championship, June 3-5, at Douglas Lake in Dandridge, Tennessee.
“I spent the entire tournament locking to Pools Seven, Eight and Nine, all of which were equally important,” said Laufenberg, a former College Fishing standout that has seven career wins in FLW competition. “That’s how I like to fish multi-day tournaments here and knew that’s what it would take to win.”
Laufenberg racked up more than 15 pounds per day consecutively, pulling in 18 pounds, 8 ounces on the final day to finish out his victory run.
“I had a terrible practice on Pool Seven, but I knew it had less pressure by the final day and I needed to make an adjustment if I was going to win,” continued Laufenberg. “I locked up to Pool Seven and caught my limit with a combination of smallmouth and largemouth.”
At that point, with a 14-pound-limit, he said he felt he could settle down and fish more strategically.
“I finished out the final day on Pool Eight, throwing a jerkbait on a Spro McStick and caught over 10 pounds within the last 45 minutes of the tournament.
“You have to weigh brown and green and roll with the changes,” continued Laufenberg. “The wind this week was terrible, which changed what the smallmouth were doing every day. But, those bonus largemouth were more consistent and definitely carried me to victory.”
Laufenberg said the win felt absolutely amazing.
“I’ve strived my entire life for this since I was 12 years old,” said Laufenberg. “ It’s amazing to win a boat that has a warranty on it and I’m looking forward to more big things in 2021.”
The top six boaters that qualified for 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American were:
1st: Cade Laufenberg of Onalaska, Wis., 15 bass, 50-1, $60,000
2nd: Wilson Burton of Findlay, Ohio., 15 bass, 49-4, $10,500
3rd: Leslie Brandenbug of Springfield, Mo., 15 bass, 45-12, $5,000
4th: Mike Mertens of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, 15 bass, 45-0, $3,200
5th: Randy Ramsey, Jr., of Chicago, Ill., 15 bass, 45-0, $2,000
6th: Kevin Ruh of Onalaska, Wis., 15 bass, 44-15, $1,800
Rounding out the top 12 boaters were:
7th: Kerry Frey of Middlebury, Ind., 15 bass, 44-13, $1,600
8th: Mike Brueggen of La Crosse, Wis., 15 bass, 44-12, $1,400
9th: Jeremy Mull of Pawnee, Ill., 15 bass, 44-3, $1,200
10th: Dick Shaffer of Rockford, Ohio, 15 bass, 43-0, $1,000
11th: Bob Drake of Noblesville, Ind., 14 bass, 42-8, $1,000
12th: Keith Nemcek of St. Charles, Ill., 15 bass, 41-12, $1,000
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Burton took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Stefan Marginean of Glenview, Illinois, weighed in 14 bass over three days totaling 40 pounds, 6 ounces to win the top co-angler prize package of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The top six co-anglers that qualified for the 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American were:
1st: Stefan Marginean of Glenview, Ill., 14 bass, 40-6, $50,000
2nd: Lenny Bays of Dayton, Ky., 15 bass, 39-7, $5,000
3rd: Jon Cordray of House Springs, Mo., 15 bass, 38-9, $2,500
4th: James Jarvis of West Frankfort, Ill., 15 bass, 36-11, $1,500
5th: Andrew Messina of Valley Park, Mo., 14 bass, 36-10, $1,000
6th: Chuck Davis of Farmington, Ill., 15 bass, 36-2, $900
Rounding out the top 12 co-anglers were:
7th: Ryan Stagner of Robertsville, Mo., 12 bass, 32-7, $800
8th: David Workman of Harrisburg, Ill., 13 bass, 32-4, $700
9th: Linn Oelker of Floyds Knobs, Ind., 12 bass, 29-14, $850
10th: Jarad Hinson of Cuba, Mo., 10 bass, 23-14, $500
11th: Brian Brecka of Alma, Wis., 11 bass, 23-10, $500
12th: Joseph Sittler of Fort Wayne, Ind., 10 bass, 23-5, $500
The Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Regional Championship on the Mississippi River was hosted by Explore La Crosse. It featured the top pros and co-anglers from the Illini (Illinois), Hoosier (Indiana/Kentucky), Ozark (Missouri) and Michigan divisions.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they 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 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held June 3-5 at Douglas Lake in Dandridge, Tennessee, and is hosted by the Jefferson County Department of Tourism. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour.
CHOKE CANYON SET TO HOST TXTT CHAMPIONSHIP
TXTT Championship Choke Canyon Tournament Details
Friday, October 23:
NO ONSITE REGISTRATION. A check in link will be emailed to all registered teams on Wed, Oct 21. Please text or call Amanda at 210-697-8081 with any questions.
Saturday, October 24 & Sunday, October 25:
Take-off & Weigh-in starts at 3pm on both tournament days.
Calliham Park
700 TX-72
Three Rivers, TX 78071
By David A. Brown
What do you get when the home team isn’t exactly from the home state? Well, in the case of Choke Canyon Reservoir, you get a tremendous fishery that’s ready to offer a bountiful playing field for the Texas Team Trail Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s, October 24-25.
With the Choke Canyon Dam impounding the Frio River just ahead of its confluence with the Nueces River, this South Texas reservoir has been stocked with Florida-strain largemouth since 1981. Today, local guide and TXTT competitor Mike Bates said the state’s stocking program plus Choke’s remote location have created a giant-factory that offers a tremendous theater for a championship event.
“For pure numbers, it’s better than I’ve ever seen it,” Bates said. “Guide trips have produced 75-100 fish days. And I’m not talking about a bunch of little fish; we’ve had a lot of 4- to 6-pounders. In 30 years of fishing this lake, I’ve never seen the numbers we have now.
“People who’ve never been down here are going to be surprised. Choke Canyon is away from everybody — the nearest metropolitan town is San Antonio, which is about two hours away. She doesn’t get a lot of fishing pressure.”
As of Oct. 13, Choke’s water level stood at 199.42, which is about 21 feet below full pool. As Bates explained, this area of the state doesn’t get the dependable rains of north and east Texas. Nevertheless, a major habitat feature keeps what remains in prime productivity mode.
“Back in 2018 we got a lot of rain in two stages and that got the lake up to 13 feet (below full pool), but now it’s back to 21,” Bates said. “We’re used to fluctuations, but what’s making the lake great is the amount of hydrilla. The lake probably has 13,500 surface acres (currently), but there’s probably 9,000 acres of grass.
“There are plenty of places to fish; there’s hydrilla everywhere. There are still some fish offshore, because we’re still in summer patterns, but there is still plenty of grass for everyone to fish.”
Hot Year Remaining Hot
While the fireworks potential definitely exists, Bates said that given the lingering heat, anglers will definitely have their work cut out for them. Having fished the lake for over 30 years, he’s expecting to find the fish in a transitional phase where they have not yet fully committed to fall patterns.
“Recent daytime temperatures have been as high as 104 and the water temperature is 81-82, so it’s still pretty warm,” Bates said. “We will have had a couple of cold fronts by tournament weekend, so it could easily change into the fall pattern in a week.
“The fish want to go into that fall stuff, but every day has been at least in the mid-90s, so they’re not there yet. If a cold front comes in and pushes that water temperature down, that will help because those Florida bass like water temperatures of 65-75. That’s when they really get going."
Unless and until that change happens, the Championship anglers will have to reach deep into their wells of knowledge in order to match wits with Choke’s moody bass. Considerably more weather sensitive than their northern strain cousins, “Floridas,” as they’re colloquially known, often display incredible aggression during brief feeding windows, but then slip into lethargy.
“The guys that do really well are going to have to continually adapt,” Bates said. “For me every day is a brand new day.”
Likely Patterns
According to Bates, Championship competitors can expect all of Choke’s waters to be in play. Equally broad is the array of potentially productive baits.
“There hasn’t been a bad spot on the lake that I’ve looked at,” Bates said. “You can catch fish everywhere and there’s not a certain technique. In the springtime, I have about three rods on the deck, but right now, I have 15-20 rods and every one of them’s catching fish.
“There’s not a particular thing that’s going to be better. A guy just needs to cover water, pick something he’s strong in and stick with that. There’s offshore fish, there’s grass fish; there’s fish that will bite moving baits and fish that will bite slow, bottom baits.”
Dialing it it a little, Bates said Championship anglers will throw a lot of Texas-rigged plastics — flipping and punching presentations — swimbaits, spinnerbaits, topwaters and crankbaits. Finesse baits, such a dropshots and Ned rigs will produce, but anglers will have to weed through a bunch of small fish to maybe luck into a big bite.
Bates said the biggest bass one of his clients has caught this year — a 10.60 — was about two pounds off the lake’s largest of 2020. He said he would not be surprised to see the Championship produce a double digit fish.
“Everybody’s going to catch fish, but the guys that do well are going to be the guys that find the bigger fish,” Bates said. “It’s going to take mid- to low-20s both days to win it. If someone finds two giants a day, it might take more. A local tournament in September took 25 to win and Big Bass was 8 pounds.
“The key is getting away from the 2- and 3-pounders. You can get in a little stretch where you catch numbers of those fish. It’s fun fishing, but it won’t be fun for the tournament.”
The good thing about Choke’s double blessing of quality and quantity is that it’s less likely anyone will run away with the event. In fact, Bates said he expects a tight leaderboard with ounces separating those at the top.
“I think this is going to be a nail biter,” he said. “It’s going to be a smorgasbord, but some days they’ll eat a bait and the next day they won’t touch it. You have pure Florida’s in this lake and when there’re eating, it’s great. When they’re not, it’s tough.”
Aaron Anderson Tops over 1100 anglers at 15th Annual Berkley Big Bass on Fork
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RONNY MAYNARD AND ERIC CRUMLEY WEIGH IN 15.40LBS TOPPING 126 TTZ TEAMS ON BUCHANAN
PL ANGLER 1 ANGLER 2 FISH BIG BASS WEIGHT PRIZE
1 ERIC CRUMLEY RONNY MAYNARD 5 15.40 $10,000
2 TERRY ADAIR 4 14.95 $3,000
3 JACKY ROBERTS EDDIE PELFREY 5 14.93 $1,500
4 RICK HAMILTON TONY MALDONADO 5 14.91 $1,250
5 TRAVIS COCKERHAM LOGAN CLARK 5 14.42 $1,000
6 BRIAN HUGHES SPENCER SCHNEIDER 5 14.21 $800
7 LEE BEUERSHAUSEN RANDY GROUNDS 5 13.94 $700
8 LANCE DILLARD BLAKE DILLARD 5 13.78 $600
9 JEFF ANDERSON FRANK WIGET 5 4.05 13.75 $500
10 TERRY WILLIAMS JR BILLY WALDSCHMIDT 5 3.97 13.71 $450
11 JARROD SANDERS MICHAEL WALDROP 5 3.90 13.66 $400
12 MARK RIBERA RICK RIBERA 4 7.47 13.65 $350
13 BARRY MOTT MATT HILL 5 4.98 13.64 $300
14 JASON BUCHANAN TERRY KIRCUS 5 13.50
15 CHARLES WHITED BRENDAN KENNELL 5 13.32
16 STEVE MAGNELIA CLINT ROBERTSON 5 13.18
17 TRAVIS PROFFITT STEPHEN MALINA 5 12.40
18 JOHN MILLS DAVID ACHILLES 5 12.28
19 DANIEL ABERNATHY DAVID LINDLEY 5 12.15
20 JASON STAFFORD DOYLE WALKER 5 4.32 12.06
21 DAMON ROSS DONNIE ROSS 4 12.01
22 JOHNNIE BARNES RYAN KESSLER 5 11.77
23 PHILLIP DOUBEK ANDREW SWEET 5 11.69
24 TODD IVINS SCOTT SMITH 5 11.51
24 JOEY WILBURN JORDAN FISHER 5 11.51
26 PHIL WARREN BRIAN MATER 5 11.38
27 BRANDON BRAY JOE BRAY 5 11.20
28 CHRIS BAKER TRISTAN SEARS 5 11.04
29 EDWIN MARTINEZ MICHAEL REEVE 5 3.49 11.01
30 LEE BENTON CODY SMITH 5 10.87
31 GARY FRIEDEL JACOB FROESE 5 10.77
32 DAVE MANGELSDORF MATTHEW WHITTINGTON 5 10.75
32 DEAN ALEXANDER ADRIAN SANCHEZ 5 10.75
34 TERRY HALL LYNN PIERCE 5 10.45
35 LARRY SMITH KEN EVERETT 5 10.43
36 DENNIS WHITED MAX KIPP 5 10.36
37 JUSTIN KETCHUM SEAN CLAMPITT 2 7.49 10.31 $1,260 BIG BASS + $100 BASS ASSETS PRODUCT CERTIFICATE
38 TREY GROCE JOE BILL HALE 5 10.30
39 MICHAEL GALE KELLEY MAULDIN 5 10.29
40 TONY FERDINANDO SHANE LOGAN 4 3.46 10.28
41 ALLEN GASS JOHN RATLIFF 5 10.20
42 RANDALL ESCHBERGER LANCE ESCHBERGER 4 10.04
43 BRYAN RICHARDS MAT KEVIL 3 10.01
44 TOM GUIDRY DUSTIN ISBELL 5 10.00
45 JAMIE SLAYDEN BRANDON HOUSTON 5 9.92
46 BILLY MCCRARY II TRENT ERXLEBEN 4 9.76
47 MIKE PICKWELL CHRIS RAY 5 9.73
48 TRENT BLAKE SHAWN MARKGRAFF 4 9.17
49 MATT CANNON JARED SIEGELER 4 9.05
49 WESLEY MCCLAIN MIKE HARMAN 4 9.05
51 BRYAN SCOTT TYLER TORWICK 5 8.71
52 DUSTIN SMITH JARED SMITH 5 8.68
52 ROGER CYR TRAVIS DAUGHERTY 5 8.68
54 LORNE DORNAK JOE DUCK 5 8.55
55 MIKE MCEACHEM JOSEPH KENNEDY 3 5.41 8.53
56 JOHN WARDEN CHARLES DORTCH 3 8.21
57 JUSTIN MAY KEVIN THRESS 4 8.02
58 DONNIE WEBER JOHN KAPALDO 4 7.68
59 JOSH LASSETER ROBERT MILLER 4 7.39
60 RICK LOWE BRONWYN LOWE 4 6.96
61 JAMES GOODNER GRANT GOODNER 4 6.80
62 JUSTIN MADDING STERLING MARTIN 3 6.79
63 MARC SHERRON MIKE WOOD 4 6.53
64 BRAD DENTON TOM GRIDLEY 4 6.52
65 JAMES JONES SOREN HANSEN 3 6.05
66 HAL GATEWOOD RYAN KACZMAREK 2 5.97
67 JAMES ROLLINS GRANT GALE(Y) 3 5.07
68 QUINN VANCE CHRIS BERTELSON 3 4.41
69 MICKEY SANDERS ROGER MEEK 1 3.79
70 MIKE JOHNSON BYRON ALBRECHT 2 3.33
71 DAVID PEMBERTON JEFF HAGER 2 3.19
72 DANNY HARRELL MICHAEL NOBLE 2 2.60
73 CHRIS WILKINSON MASON WILKINSON(Y) 1 1.43
74 DENA VINES GRACE LATOUR
74 TREY EPICH BRANDON DICKENSON
74 PATRICK STARNES THOMAS HARALSON
74 RICK SCHEEN AUSTIN QUIET
74 SETH KELM MIKE BATES
74 DON GORDON JAMES ROBERTS
74 JASON OLIVO BOBBY ACOSTA
74 RUSSELL KESSLER ROBERT KESSLER
74 TIM RENEAU JUDY RENEAU
74 ZACH CERA DALTON ROWLAND
74 GARY JOHNSON MIKE SODEN
74 WILL BERNHARD DARYL PRICE
74 HUNTER PRICE WYATT RAE
74 ANDY ARMENDARIZ SR
74 JAYSON KISSELBURG DEAN GOLMON
74 RANDALL BEAUCHAMP REGINA BEAUCHAMP
74 PHILIP HENDERSON JEFF ACHILLES
74 JONATHAN WATSON JOHN WATSON
74 ROBBY PAYNE
74 KENNY VALCHAR JAMES VALCHAR
74 MICHAEL ZIBERT KIMBERLY ZIBERT
74 SAM MORROW COLT DIETZ
74 GARY FERGUSON BRETT ORLICH
74 JASON WILLIAMS JEREMY WRIGHT
74 SCOTT EDMONDS
74 CRAIG CORDOVA SHAWN TAMEZ
74 BUBBA WAMPLER HANK FRY
74 JAMES CANTWELL DONNA CANTWELL
74 RUSTY REEDY AYDEN REEDY(Y)
74 RYAN BODE AARON KISSEL
74 DANIEL BARNES ADRIAN BARNES
74 JIMMY CHAPMAN KENNETH CUMMINS
74 CHRISTOPHER WASHINGTON JARRID HOHENSEE
74 MICHAEL MASTERS ROBERT MASTERS
74 BLAKE ARAPIS GLENN WILSON
74 DAVID REID ROBBIE THORSTEINSON
74 NATHEN LABAY BRANDON BUSSELL
74 WARREN KEPKE BUSTER JOHNSON
74 KEN WILKINS KEITH HEINRICH
74 KEN PARKER BLAKE ENBERG
74 DAVID STEPHENS BILL KIMBERLY
74 CHUCK WARE CODY FRAISER
74 RANDY HIBLER RANDALL CHRISTIAN
74 LANDRE WILSON JIM WILSON
74 DEE WILLS KAYLA MARTINEZ
74 DARRELL WUENSCHE
74 DENNIS BECK MICHAEL BECK
74 DARREL ROUTON JACK CULBREATH
74 GLENN RUCKEL SCOTT ROSS
74 CRAIG BULLOCK DAVID BARATZ
74 ANDY TOLLEY TYLER TOLLEY
74 MICHAEL ATKINS JAMES HENRY Pre-Registration Giveaway Winners! Shimano Clarus Rods
74 WADE MEHAFFEY WESTIN MEHAFFEY(Y) Shoreline $250 Fuel Card Decal Winner
Colorado’s Myers, Gerlach Secure Day 1 Lead At Bassmaster Junior Championship
Colorado's Jack Myers and Lucas Gerlach are leading after Day 1 of the Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster Junior National Championship with 9 pounds, 1 ounce.
Photo by Brenden Kanies/B.A.S.S.
October 19, 2020
HUNTINGTON, Tenn. — Despite losing an hour of fishing with boat problems early in the day, the team of Jack Myers and Lucas Gerlach from Colorado secured four fish for 9 pounds, 1 ounce to take the Day 1 lead at the 2020 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster Junior National Championship on the Carroll County 1,000 Acre Recreational Lake.
Myers and Gerlach hold a 1-2 lead over Kyle Herrman and Nicholas Herrman of the Topeka Jr. Hawgs heading into Championship Tuesday.
“It feels really good. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time,” Gerlach said.
Fishing stained water for largemouth bass is something new for Gerlach and Myers, who are used to fishing the deep, clear waters of Colorado for smallmouth bass.
“It’s a lot different. (In Colorado) it’s lighter line,” Gerlach said. “The baits are different. Everything is different out here.”
Myers said it took him and Gerlach a little while to figure out how to fish the stained waters of the Carroll County Lake and learn how the largemouth set up. The duo is focusing on the middle of the depth range on the lake this week.
After the hydraulic steering on their boat broke, Gerlach and Myers started fishing an hour later than the rest of the field but recovered nicely with the help of a 4-4 largemouth Myers landed midday.
Gerlach said he is feeling confident heading into the final day but added that he doesn’t know how the pressure from other anglers will affect their bite in the afternoon.
Kyle and Nicholas, who have made three championship appearances in the last four years, also fell one fish shy of a limit but landed a 5-4 largemouth that lifted them to second place and has them atop the Big Bass standings.
“We caught a 7-pounder pre-fishing and we wanted to get on that spot,” Nicholas said. “(Kyle) caught one on his second cast.”
After landing that fish, Kyle said they moved down a little further to a piece of brush on the bank which produced their big fish of the day. The Kansas duo caught five fish total and caught all four of their keepers in the morning hours.
The Southside Anglers team of Logan Lopossa and Koby Sollars are in third place after catching a limit that weighed 7-11, including a 3-0 largemouth. After a quick start to the day, Lopossa and Sollars struggled during the midday before Sollars landed several fish just before check-in.
The full field will compete again Tuesday, with weigh-in scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CT in downtown Huntington. The weigh-in will be streamed live on Bassmaster.com.
Livesay Wins First Bassmaster Elite Series Title On Chickamauga Lake
Lee Livesay, of Longview, Texas, has won the 2020 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Chickamauga Lake with a four-day total of 58 pounds, 2 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
October 19, 2020
DAYTON, Tenn. — Lee Livesay had options, but he committed to a singular game plan based on patience and execution to win the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Chickamauga Lake with a four-day total of 58 pounds, 2 ounces.
Livesay of Longview, Texas, turned in daily limits of 13-0, 13-3, 16-13 and 15-2. Notching his first career victory, the second-year Elite Series pro won the top prize of $100,000.
On Day 1, three of the fish that made up his 10th-place sack ate a football-head jig — one on a Hiwassee River bluff and two by the Highway 60 Bridge. He caught the other two by fishing a Scum Frog Launch Frog over main-lake grass mats, a technique that accounted for each of his bass the final three days.
“I stayed in between the Dayton Boat Dock and the Highway 60 Bridge the whole time (Days 2-4),” Livesay said. “It was so tough, you had to keep your bait in the water the whole time. That area is where I had the most bites.
“The farther south you went, the more fishing pressure you got; the farther upriver, the more pressure you got. I had a little zone where I was comfortable. Right where that river comes into the lake, that’s where you have the most nutrients, the most fish and you have current flow. That’s where I decided to set up.”
Livesay was particular about the types of mats he fished, with seclusion and current flow topping his criteria. Also, venturing far into the mats’ shallowest reaches allowed him to target bass that see little to no fishing pressure.
“Quiet was the deal for me, so I was push-poling into the area with no trolling motor noise,” he said. “Also, there’s a lot of tiny shad around the outer edges of the mats, but the shallower you got, the fewer shad you’d have. They were eating bream about the size of my frog.”
Alternating between black, white and yellow frogs, Livesay added tungsten weights to the baits to improve casting distance and create attention-getting noise. Most importantly, the additional weight created a deeper impression in the mats and made the frogs easier for fish to track.
“I was making long casts and working my bait fast,” he said. “I’d let it sit for (a few seconds) to let the fish get comfortable, but then I’d start working it fast again. When I’d move it again, I’d want them to be looking for it. It’s all reaction.”
On Championship Monday, Livesay said he knew the afternoon bite would offer his best opportunities, as increasing sunlight predictably positions fish under mats. After catching his first keeper around 9:50 a.m., he steadily compiled a solid limit of 2- to 2 3/4-pounders (estimated weights) before finding one that went about 4 pounds at 1:36. A late-day cull secured his winning weight.
He also kept a swimbait on his deck for fish that he saw busting shad on the edges of mats but ended up catching all of his fish on the frog.
Visibly overcome with emotion as B.A.S.S. emcee Dave Mercer announced his victory, Livesay summarized his tears: “I’ve been wanting this my whole life. That’s 35 years of dreaming and a lot of hard work.”
Mike Huff of Corbin, Ky., finished second with 56-6. Mounting an impressive comeback effort, Huff placed 50th on Day 1 after finding only three keepers for 6-12. Catching a Day 2 limit of 12-3 moved him into 33rd and adding the event’s second-heaviest bag — 19-1 — on Day 3 pushed him up to third. His Championship Monday limit weighed 18-6.
Huff caught his fish on bluffs with a 3/8-ounce Cumberland Pro Casting Jig with a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Creature Hawg trailer. He turned in the event’s most exciting performance Monday thanks to a 7-13 largemouth that dramatically changed his outcome.
“I was targeting bluffs with laydowns and current breaks,” Huff said. “That was key; they were sitting right behind those laydowns.”
Jake Whitaker of Fairview, N.C., stuck with his comfort zone, fished a unique pattern and finished third with 49-0. Committing to a marina, he dialed in a few particular boat slips that held a lot of bait and a dependable supply of bass.
Making long skips into the slips with a 2.8-inch Keitech swimbait on a 1/8-ounce swimbait head, Whitaker turned in daily limits of 11-2, 14-3, 11-14 and 11-13.
“After the second day of practice, I hadn’t caught anything, and I said, ‘I gotta do something that I know how to do just to catch a few fish,’” he said. “The second day of practice, I went in that marina and they started schooling.
“I pulled out a fluke, caught two keepers and I said, ‘Okay, there are some keepers in here. But for that place to last for four days, that’s just the good Lord blessing me.’”
Huff's 7-13 secured Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors.
Todd Auten of Lake Wylie, S.C., took home $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and Chad Pipkens of DeWitt, Mich., earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
David Mullins of Mt. Carmel, Tenn., remains in the lead for the Bassmaster Angler of the Year with 623 points, while Austin Felix of Eden Prairie, Minn., follows in second with 618. Clark Wendlandt of Leander, Texas, is third with 607, followed by Whitaker with 594 and Kyle Welcher of Opelika, Ala., with 592.
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 20 58-02 100 $100,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 13-03 Day 3: 5 16-13 Day 4: 5 15-02
2. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 18 56-06 99 $27,000.00
Day 1: 3 06-12 Day 2: 5 12-03 Day 3: 5 19-01 Day 4: 5 18-06
3. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 20 49-00 98 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 14-03 Day 3: 5 11-14 Day 4: 5 11-13
4. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 18 45-02 97 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 12-09 Day 3: 3 08-11 Day 4: 5 12-14
5. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 17 44-09 96 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-07 Day 2: 5 14-01 Day 3: 2 05-14 Day 4: 5 15-03
6. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 16 43-04 95 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 12-00 Day 3: 5 13-00 Day 4: 1 02-03
7. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 13 39-02 94 $16,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 2 09-09 Day 3: 5 11-14 Day 4: 1 04-08
8. John Cox Debary, FL 12 35-01 93 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 4 12-05 Day 3: 2 04-11 Day 4: 1 03-03
9. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 12 34-06 92 $16,000.00
Day 1: 2 08-10 Day 2: 5 12-06 Day 3: 3 09-13 Day 4: 2 03-09
10. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 13 31-04 91 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 14-09 Day 3: 2 04-06 Day 4: 1 01-14
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PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 06-09 $1,000.00
2 Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 07-11 $1,000.00
3 Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 05-14 $1,000.00
4 Mike Huff Corbin, KY 07-13 $1,000.00
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PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Mike Huff Corbin, KY 07-13 $1,000.00
Butler Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Cherokee
Co-angler Victory Goes to Tennessee’s Bible
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. (Oct. 19, 2020) Boater Josh Butler of Hayden, Alabama, brought a three-day total of 12 bass to the scale weighing 29 pounds, 3 ounces to win the no-entry fee Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Regional Championship at Lake Cherokee. For his victory, Butler earned $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and automatic entry into the 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Championship, June 3-5, at Douglas Lake in Dandridge, Tennessee.
“I feel very blessed this week,” said Butler. “I stumbled out of the gate on day one with only two fish weighing five pounds, but I rebounded the second day with 13 pounds and finished out strong on the final day to bring home the win with a decent limit of 10-7.”
Butler said his key to victory was the amount of time he spent graphing and marking brush piles on Lake Cherokee.
“I found 35 to 40 good brush piles, varied from 12 to 35 feet, but caught the majority 25 to 28 feet,” continued Butler. “I fished from the 25E bridge to the dam and caught most of my key fish throwing a morning-dawn-colored 6-inch Roboworm on a drop-shot rig.
“This is my first regional win and my first trip to the All-American and it means the world to me,” said Butler “This is one of the toughest tournaments to qualify for and I feel blessed. I’m excited and ready to get after it.”
The top six boaters that qualified for 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American were:
1st: Josh Butler of Hayden, Ala., 12 bass, 29-3, $68,000
2nd: Timmy Thompkins of Myrtle Beach, S.C., 11 bass, 28-7, $10,000
3rd: John Duvall of Madison, Ga., 12 bass, 27-7, $5,000
4th: Dale Pelfrey of Rockwood, Tenn., 11 bass, 26-11, $3,000
5th: Chris Martinkovic of Hamilton, Ohio., 14 bass, 26-6, $2,700
6th: Brant Grimm of Church Hill, Tenn., 11 bass, 26-1, $1,800
Rounding out the top 12 boaters were:
7th: Josh Smith of Hamilton, Ohio., 11 bass, 22-2, $1,600
8th: Derek Miller of Grant, Ala., eight bass, 21-15, $1,400
9th: Charles Willis of Dayton, Ohio, eight bass, 20-12, $1,200
10th: Bill Dunn of Maynardville, Tenn., nine bass, 20-4, $1,000
11th: Clabion Johns of Social Circle, Ga., nine bass, 17-3, $1,000
12th: Nick Gant of Myrtle Beach, S.C., six bass, 15-0, $1,000
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Butler also took home an extra $7,000 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Don Bible of Knoxville, Tennessee, weighed in nine bass over three days totaling 20 pounds, 2 ounces to win the top co-angler prize package of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The top six co-anglers that qualified for the 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American were:
1st: Don Bible of Knoxville, Tenn., nine bass, 20-2, $50,000
2nd: Rex Henry of Hixson, Tenn., seven bass, 15-6, $5,000
3rd: Jeff Rikard of Leesville, S.C., seven bass, 15-0, $3,000
4th: Andrew Starnes of Chapin, S.C., six bass, 13-5, $1,500
5th: Dax Liner of Mineral Bluff, Ga., eight bass, 13-4, $1,000
6th: Daniel Buswell, Jr. of Fayetteville, Ga., five bass, 11-14, $900
Rounding out the top 12 co-anglers were:
7th: James Ross of Akron, Ohio, four bass, 11-1, $800
8th: Steve Sorrell of Beaver Creek, Ohio, five bass, 11-0, $700
9th: Matt Brown of Harriman, Tenn., five bass, 10-10, $600
10th: Jordon Smith of Middletown, Ohio, five bass, 9-14, $500
11th: Scott Sayasing of Grantville, Ga., four bass, 8-7, $500
12th: Nicholas Ray of Milledgeville, Ga., four bass, 8-1, $500
The Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Regional Championship on Lake Cherokee was hosted by the Jefferson County Department of Tourism. It featured the top pros and co-anglers from the Buckeye (Ohio), Bulldog (Georgia), Choo Choo (Alabama/Tennessee) and South Carolina divisions.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they 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 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held June 3-5 at Douglas Lake in Dandridge, Tennessee, and is hosted by the Jefferson County Department of Tourism. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour.
Santee Cooper Breakdown: How Minn Kota® and Humminbird® Pros Dominated This Bassmaster Elite Series Event
Daunting. Intimidating. Downright scary.
Those were some of the words the Bassmaster Elite Series anglers were muttering as they headed into stop number seven of the 2020 campaign at Santee Cooper. Many of the competing anglers had little experience on the two lakes (Marion and Moultrie) and the practice they did have was early in the year with little knowledge gained other than a healthy respect for the boating hazards created by vast stump fields and other navigational challenges. Add in a fall transition that can be difficult to adapt to in a short practice period and the chips were stacked in favor of the bass.
From day number one to when the dust settled on Championship Sunday, two of members of the Humminbird® and Minn Kota® pro team duked it out for a 1st and 2nd place finish, combining the technology of the One-Boat Network™ and with some gritty, clutch performances and solid decision-making.
After battling his good friend Carl Jocumsen and navigating a tough bite, Brandon Palaniuk took home his second blue trophy of the 2020 season and fifth of his career, a win that even he wouldn’t have predicted after his practice.
“I had come to Santee Cooper after the Classic and poked around a little bit. But the mapping I had wasn’t really detailed so I spent most of my time just trying to figure out how to navigate safely,” explained the Rathdum, Idaho-based pro. “But I was fortunate enough to get the new Lakemaster® map of the fishery just before our official practice period, so I came into it with a whole new level of confidence.”
Photo courtesy: Bassmaster / Steve Bowman
Many of the pros fishing the event pointed out the challenges of getting around on Santee Cooper. Luckily for team Humminbird, the LakeMaster survey crews had been on the Santee Cooper lakes recently, creating the most detailed chart available of the two lakes. With the newly-released Lakemaster maps for Santee Cooper in their Humminbird units, Palaniuk and the rest of the pro team had a serious leg up on the competition.
Anglers across the country can now find the newly mapped Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie on the Humminbird FishSmart™ app through ChartSelect.
“Armed with the new map, not only was I able to be much more productive in my practice time, it actually helped me identify key contour points that I believed would hold bigger fish,” shared Palaniuk. “During practice, I would hit spots that had the right contours. If the right matted grass was set up on it, it had a tendency to be a big fish spot. Other anglers didn’t have that information so they were hitting lots of mats without knowing what lay underneath and they were just less productive.”
Following a relatively tough practice period, Palaniuk focused not on one particular pattern but on fishing what was in front of him and using the knowledge gained each day to try to keep himself in the hunt. After a fun back-and-forth battle with his good friend Jocumsen for three days, Palaniuk’s defining moment happened on, when else but Championship Sunday.
“I was fishing an area with really short submerged grass and I could use MEGA 360 Imaging™ to pick apart the area. There were also active fish in there each morning and I saw a big one rise on some shad about fifty yards away. So I pinned my Minn Kota Ultrex™ and headed towards the fish. On the way, I looked down at my Humminbird MEGA 360 and saw a brush pile with two fish on it. So, I swung around and rigged up a dropshot,” said Brandon.
“My first cast was just to the left and I didn’t get bit. The next one I fired to the right and as soon as the bait hit bottom, it started moving with a fish. I didn’t think it was a bass at first, but then I saw her.”
The 7-pound, 12-ounce largemouth anchored Palaniuk’s final day bag and put him solidly atop the podium. Watch the moment unfold here – LIVE: Brandon Palaniuk’s 7 Pounder
“There’s no way I catch that fish without MEGA 360. I wasn’t heading towards it. I didn’t know that brushpile was there. And I doubt many people do. But with these Humminbird electronics, fish just can’t hide.”
Brandon was also quick to credit his Minn Kota Talons™ Shallow Water Anchors for helping him with a stealthy approach to flipping the matted grass where he did a good part of his damage throughout the week.
Photo courtesy: Bassmaster / Dalton Tumblin
“These fish were super skittish so being stealthy was key. Thankfully my Minn Kota Ultrex is super quiet but a lot of times I would just drift along with the wind and quickly stop myself by dropping my Talons and quietly pick an area apart. There’s no doubt I connected on more fish because of that approach.”
Palaniuk’s good friend and cousin-in-law Carl Jocumsen gave him a run for his money all week, which made for a fun week for both anglers and their families and friends.
“I would love to have won it,” said the Australian-born angler. “But it’s great to see a teammate win and I have no doubt that he benefited from the same Humminbird and Minn Kota technologies I did.”
Photo courtesy: Bassmaster
Jocumsen also called Santee Cooper one of the most challenging lakes he’s been on in terms of navigation and breaking it down.
“I had so much confidence going into our practice period, knowing that I had the best mapping available thanks to Lakemaster,” he explained. “So I spent less time worrying about where I could get up on pad or run and more time using my electronics to find an area where I could catch big ones.”
Jocumsen found what he believes is a spot that most locals may not even know about and it was all thanks to his Humminbird MEGA 360.
Photo courtesy: Bassmaster / Steve Bowman
“I know that 90% of the fish I’ve weighed this year have been thanks to this technology,” he added. “At Santee Cooper, I found this area the size of a football field where I had a number of big bites in practice. I decided to really learn it on day one of the tournament and after spending a few hours there, running MEGA 360, I could have drawn you a map of every detail of this football field-sized area.”
Jocumsen leaned on this area and a few areas of grass mats to put together enough weight to finish second to his good friend and get himself further up the AOY rankings in an effort to make yet another Bassmaster Classic.
“I’m so amazed at the technology available to us today as professional anglers. More than anything, it honestly makes fishing tournaments more fun. A deeper understanding of what you’re fishing helps me learn so much more. And things like Spot-Lock™ on my Ultrex allow me to focus on fishing, rigging, culling and all the other parts of tournament fishing other than boat control. My Ultrex pretty much takes care of that for me.” added Carl.
Also competing on Championship Sunday and notching solid finishes were fellow Humminbird and Minn Kota teammates, Bill Lowen (6th) and Jeff Gustafson (9th).
With a first and second place finish under their belts, the Humminbird and Minn Kota One-Boat Network on their side and two more tournaments on the Bassmaster Elite Series schedule in front of them, the good money is on these anglers to continue to be a threat to win. Seems like the fun has just begun.
The Palaniuk family celebrating Brandon's second win of 2020 and fifth of his career
Photo courtesy: Bassmaster / Seigo Saito
Tim Klinger Wins 2020 WON Bass U.S. Open
Las Vegas, Nev. – October 14, 2020 – When the smoke had cleared on one of the toughest U.S. Open Championships to date, one man stood free of the flames; that man was Tim Klinger of Boulder City, Nev., a local pro and former FLW Tour Champion who has faced fires of his own in the fickle sport that is professional bass fishing.
Klinger started the final day of the 2020 Bass Cat Boats / Mercury Marine WON Bass U.S. Open with 21.15 pounds; less than a pound off the pace set by Las Vegas’ Cody Steckel who showed consistency over the first two days, posting a total of 22.03 pounds.
Klinger started the tournament with a 7.66-pound limit on day one that found him in 42nd place for the day. However, he brought the heaviest five fish limit of the tournament to the scales on day two; a 13.49-pound effort that included a five-pounder, to move to second place. On the final day, when it counted the most, he posted the only double-digit limit of the day, a 10.92-pound bag, bringing his three-day total to 32.07 pounds, claiming his first U.S. Open Championship.
With that victory, he earned the $100,000 cash prize and the keys to a 2021 Bass Cat Puma FTB, powered by a 250 horsepower Mercury ProXS outboard valued at $64,000 presented to him by Rick Pierce, president of Bass Cat Boats.
Klinger was visibly moved as he was named the champion. “I’ve wanted to win this tournament for a lot of years, and I’ve been close before, but this is especially sweet,” he said. “To be able to win this while my Dad is still with us means the world to me; I could never win another tournament again and be happy that he got to see it.”
Klinger said that his winning combination was an 8.5-inch Berkley PowerBait curlytail worm on 5/16 to 1/2-ounce tungsten weights and a 4/0 Hayabusa worm HD Worm Hook in two colors, motor oil and green pumpkin. He also mixed in a PowerBait Chigger Craw to add a few fish.
He spent half of the first day in the Vegas Wash area but ran to a backup area in the Overton arm. “I found a spot that had some deep trees on it many years ago when the lake was low, and I visited it several times, they finally showed up on it late yesterday,” he said. “I was fishing in 18 feet of water, and had it all to myself, there wasn’t a boat within a half mile of me; I still can’t believe this is real.”
Former U.S. Open Roy Hawk, from Lake Havasu City, Ariz., posted a 9.60-pound limit on day three to leap to spots to finish second for the event with 29.01 pounds, and claim $22,000 in cash. He said he fished the Vegas Wash, targeting schooling fish early, then turned to jigs, worms and dropshot rigs to fill his limits each day. “I used an Evergreen Showerblows and a Duo Realis Pencil 110 – both in shad patterns,” he said. “I really wanted to win, but I am absolutely pleased to finish second to Timmy; he really deserves it, and I’m really happy for him.”
Steckel stumbled for the first time this week, posting 6.32 pounds to bring his total to 28.35 pounds, finishing in third place. Fourth place went to Whittier, Calif. pro Scott Helleson with 25.06 pounds, and Dennis Kolender, of Santee, Calif. finished fifth with 24.30 pounds.
The AAA division winner was Hector Gracia from Poway, Calif. He posted a three-day total of 24.09 pounds to earn the title of WON Bass U.S. Open Champion and $10,600 in cash and prizes valued at more than $5,000. “This is amazing to win because the U.S. Open is such a grind,” he said. “I want to thank my boaters for a great week, I lost my dad recently, this is for him.”
Second place in the AAA Division ended in a tie, Folsom, Calif. angler Westly Gritts and Kevin Burgess of Kingman, Ariz. with 23.76 pounds each. Fourth place went to day one leader Luke Spreitzer of Phoenix, Ariz. with 23.51 pounds, and rounding out the top five was Clearlake, Calif. angler Dylan Watson with 23.32 pounds.
| Place | Name | Hometown | Weight | Penalty | Big Fish | Total |
| 1 | Tim Klinger | Boulder City NV | 32.07 | 5.06 | 32.07 | |
| 2 | Roy Hawk | Lake Havasu City AZ | 29.01 | 3.73 | 29.01 | |
| 3 | Cody Steckel | Las Vegas NV | 28.35 | 3.93 | 28.35 | |
| 4 | Scott Hellesen | Whittier CA | 25.06 | 2.63 | 25.06 | |
| 5 | Dennis Kolender | Santee CA | 24.30 | 3.24 | 24.30 | |
| 6 | John Morrow | Kingman | 23.93 | 2.13 | 23.93 | |
| 7 | Carl Limbrick, Jr. | Bonita CA | 23.57 | 3.22 | 23.57 | |
| 8 | Ray Arbesu | Henderson NV | 23.36 | 2.12 | 23.36 | |
| 8 | Tom Leedom | Escondido CA | 23.36 | 2.83 | 23.36 | |
| 10 | Jared Lintner | Arroyo Grande CA | 23.20 | 2.50 | 23.20 | |
| 11 | Kyle Grover | RCHO STA MARG CA | 22.81 | 22.81 | ||
| 12 | Brett Hite | Phoenix AZ | 22.71 | 3.09 | 22.71 | |
| 13 | Garrett Howard | Riverside CA | 22.60 | 3.53 | 22.60 | |
| 14 | Jay Guterding | Redding CA | 22.15 | 4.17 | 22.15 | |
| 15 | Mark Dotterer | Phoenix AZ | 21.97 | 21.97 | ||
| 16 | Tai Au | Glendale AZ | 21.78 | 21.78 | ||
| 17 | Josh Bertrand | San Tan Valley AZ | 21.76 | 21.76 | ||
| 18 | Kevin Caruso | Glendale AZ | 21.30 | 0.20 | 21.10 | |
| 19 | Mike Williams | Lake Havasu City AZ | 20.69 | 20.69 | ||
| 20 | Paul Hodges | Glendale AZ | 20.42 | 20.42 | ||
| 21 | Kevin Hugo | Canyon Lake CA | 20.29 | 20.29 | ||
| 22 | Patrick Touey | Nipomo CA | 20.16 | 2.57 | 20.16 | |
| 23 | Levi Samz | Green River WY | 20.13 | 2.72 | 20.13 | |
| 24 | Jeff Martineau | Phoenix AZ | 20.08 | 2.64 | 20.08 | |
| 25 | Greg Miser | Spring Valley CA | 20.21 | 0.20 | 20.01 | |
| 26 | Bryan Grier | Hollister CA | 19.89 | 3.38 | 19.89 | |
| 27 | Moses Mokuahi | West Richland WA | 19.77 | 2.75 | 19.77 | |
| 28 | Aaron Martens | Leeds AL | 19.71 | 2.94 | 19.71 | |
| 29 | Micah Jones | Kingman AZ | 19.61 | 2.79 | 19.61 | |
| 30 | Jacob Lute | Yuma AZ | 19.41 | 2.69 | 19.41 | |
| 31 | DeeJay Evans | Las Vegas NV | 19.28 | 19.28 | ||
| 32 | John Stewart | Peoria AZ | 19.13 | 2.54 | 19.13 | |
| 33 | Marco Fenelli | San Diego CA | 19.07 | 2.50 | 19.07 | |
| 34 | David Baca | Prescott Valley AZ | 19.01 | 2.47 | 19.01 | |
| 35 | Guy Savidan | NORCO CA | 18.93 | 2.87 | 18.93 | |
| 36 | Cliff King | Ione CA | 18.91 | 4.18 | 18.91 | |
| 36 | Sean Torgrude | Henderson NV | 19.11 | 0.20 | 18.91 | |
| 38 | Matthew Adamson | Farmington NM | 19.10 | 0.20 | 2.29 | 18.90 |
| 38 | Austin Bonjour | Atascadero CA | 19.10 | 0.20 | 2.35 | 18.90 |
| 40 | Jeff Michels | Lakehead CA | 18.86 | 18.86 | ||
| 41 | Cody Spetz | Menifee CA | 18.80 | 2.31 | 18.80 | |
| 42 | Ken Whalen | Lompoc CA | 18.74 | 2.76 | 18.74 | |
| 43 | Robert Maddox | Henderson NV | 18.70 | 0.20 | 3.29 | 18.50 |
| 44 | Billy Hines | Vacaville CA | 18.43 | 18.43 | ||
| 45 | Clayton Meyer | Henderson NV | 18.41 | 2.95 | 18.41 | |
| 46 | Kyle Georgi | Descanso CA | 18.17 | 2.34 | 18.17 | |
| 46 | Kevin Wiggins | Las Vegas NV | 18.57 | 0.40 | 18.17 | |
| 48 | Andrew Napoleon | Mesa AZ | 18.13 | 2.67 | 18.13 | |
| 49 | John Fuqua | Payson AZ | 18.05 | 2.61 | 18.05 | |
| 50 | Kona Borja | Las Vegas NV | 18.04 | 1.83 | 18.04 | |
| 51 | Gunnar Stanton | Boulder City NV | 17.97 | 17.97 | ||
| 52 | Danny Clark | San Tan Valley AZ | 17.85 | 17.85 | ||
| 52 | John Murray | Spring City TN | 17.85 | 2.61 | 17.85 | |
| 54 | Nick Young | Nyssa OR | 17.71 | 17.71 | ||
| 55 | Tom Nokes | Riverton UT | 17.68 | 2.98 | 17.68 | |
| 56 | Jim Wells | New Plymouth ID | 17.86 | 0.20 | 17.66 | |
| 57 | Robert Ostercamp | Chandler AZ | 17.99 | 0.40 | 17.59 | |
| 58 | Julius Mazy | Phoenix AZ | 17.57 | 17.57 | ||
| 58 | Andrew Upshaw | Tulsa OK | 17.57 | 3.15 | 17.57 | |
| 60 | Byron Velvick | San Antonio TX | 17.41 | 17.41 | ||
| 61 | Jay Cranney | Sandy UT | 17.36 | 2.15 | 17.36 | |
| 62 | Brent Becker | Boulder City NV | 17.23 | 2.99 | 17.23 | |
| 63 | Douglas Jones | North Las vegas NV | 17.16 | 3.20 | 17.16 | |
| 64 | Gabe Thomas | Tuscon AZ | 17.11 | 3.46 | 17.11 | |
| 65 | Tommy Jonovich | Phoenix AZ | 17.05 | 17.05 | ||
| 66 | James Fenney Jr | Murrieta CA | 16.82 | 3.95 | 16.82 | |
| 67 | Pete Marino | Moreno Valley CA | 16.77 | 2.16 | 16.77 | |
| 68 | Justin Kerr | Simi Valley CA | 16.54 | 16.54 | ||
| 69 | Vincent Melkus | Billings MT | 16.43 | 2.48 | 16.43 | |
| 70 | Zack Holwerda | Maricopa AZ | 16.40 | 0.20 | 2.62 | 16.20 |
| 71 | Travis Jewell | Sandy UT | 16.30 | 0.20 | 16.10 | |
| 72 | Ryan Yamagata | Las Vegas NV | 16.28 | 0.20 | 16.08 | |
| 73 | Miles Howe | San Juan Capistrano CA | 15.97 | 4.19 | 15.97 | |
| 74 | Gary Martlage | Pheonix AZ | 15.73 | 2.05 | 15.73 | |
| 75 | Doug Gaskill | Las Vegas NV | 16.27 | 0.60 | 2.81 | 15.67 |
| 75 | Spencer Lazara | Las Vegas NV | 15.67 | 15.67 | ||
| 77 | Tom White Jr. | Costa Mesa CA | 15.66 | 15.66 | ||
| 78 | Eric Schook | Scottsdale AZ | 15.56 | 4.22 | 15.56 | |
| 79 | Scott Frazier | San Diego CA | 15.55 | 3.16 | 15.55 | |
| 80 | Shane Spinning | Canyon Lake CA | 15.63 | 0.20 | 5.48 | 15.43 |
| 81 | Brent Shores | Boise ID | 15.31 | 15.31 | ||
| 82 | John Basmadjian | Fullerton CA | 15.27 | 15.27 | ||
| 83 | Andy Manahl | Mesa AZ | 15.23 | 15.23 | ||
| 83 | Devin McDonald | Rio Ranch NM | 15.23 | 2.34 | 15.23 | |
| 85 | Jiggs Benn | Myrtle Creek OR | 15.21 | 15.21 | ||
| 86 | Rick Jarakian | St George UT | 14.97 | 14.97 | ||
| 87 | Johnny Johnson | Lakeside AZ | 14.96 | 14.96 | ||
| 87 | Patrick Whitaker | Gilbert AZ | 14.96 | 4.06 | 14.96 | |
| 89 | Frankie Mueller | Kingman AZ | 14.93 | 2.62 | 14.93 | |
| 89 | Ron Raynor | Henderson NV | 14.93 | 2.34 | 14.93 | |
| 91 | Dean Kreuzer | Mesa AZ | 14.91 | 2.90 | 14.91 | |
| 92 | Phil Dutra | Antioch CA | 14.82 | 14.82 | ||
| 93 | Keegan Graves | Meridian ID | 14.73 | 2.65 | 14.73 | |
| 94 | Brian Nunn | Bakersfield CA | 14.90 | 0.20 | 14.70 | |
| 95 | Christian Ostrander | Turlock CA | 14.61 | 14.61 | ||
| 96 | Joe Uribe, Jr. | Surprise AZ | 14.39 | 2.15 | 14.39 | |
| 97 | Bryant Smith | Roseville CA | 14.48 | 0.20 | 14.28 | |
| 98 | Gary Wasson | Visalia CA | 14.23 | 3.24 | 14.23 | |
| 99 | Lane Olson | Sherwood OR | 14.20 | 14.20 | ||
| 100 | Steve Molinari | Waddell AZ | 13.95 | 13.95 | ||
| 101 | Kurt Dove | Del Rio TX | 13.91 | 4.67 | 13.91 | |
| 102 | Matt Shura | Gilbert AZ | 13.87 | 13.87 | ||
| 103 | Scooter Griffith | Mesa AZ | 13.82 | 3.29 | 13.82 | |
| 104 | Travis Pitt | Henderson NV | 13.78 | 2.84 | 13.78 | |
| 105 | Bobby Lanham | Cave Creek AZ | 13.66 | 2.10 | 13.66 | |
| 106 | Raymond Archer | Greeley CO | 13.40 | 13.40 | ||
| 107 | Ben Byrd | Moab UT | 13.37 | 13.37 | ||
| 108 | Shannon Abbott | Oceanside CA | 13.26 | 13.26 | ||
| 109 | Todd Woods | Los Angeles CA | 13.16 | 13.16 | ||
| 110 | Matthew Williams | Lake Havasu City AZ | 13.12 | 3.36 | 13.12 | |
| 111 | Jordan Collom | Temecula CA | 13.07 | 3.08 | 13.07 | |
| 112 | Kyle Richins | Washington UT | 12.99 | 12.99 | ||
| 113 | Chip Gilbert | San Marcos CA | 12.95 | 0.20 | 2.34 | 12.75 |
| 114 | Rick Cedano | Pomona CA | 12.72 | 2.23 | 12.72 | |
| 115 | Louis Fernandes | Santa Maria CA | 12.71 | 12.71 | ||
| 116 | Scott Davis | Preston ID | 12.70 | 3.96 | 12.70 | |
| 117 | Lester Hawkins | Pagosa Springs CO | 12.66 | 12.66 | ||
| 117 | Terrence Rath | Lake Havasu City AZ | 12.66 | 12.66 | ||
| 119 | Sean Coffey | Mesa AZ | 12.50 | 2.59 | 12.50 | |
| 120 | Jimmy Savoini | Prescott AZ | 12.31 | 12.31 | ||
| 121 | Kevin Finley | Phoenix AZ | 12.23 | 12.23 | ||
| 122 | Jerren Slaton | Afton TX | 12.41 | 0.20 | 12.21 | |
| 123 | Zach Richard | Suisun CA | 12.16 | 12.16 | ||
| 124 | Trevor Reis | Alpine CA | 12.15 | 2.75 | 12.15 | |
| 124 | Eddie Rodriguez | Wheat Ridge CO | 12.15 | 1.52 | 12.15 | |
| 126 | Tyler Brinks | Spokane WA | 12.08 | 2.11 | 12.08 | |
| 127 | James Ramer | Santee CA | 12.03 | 12.03 | ||
| 128 | Gary Moore | Hemet CA | 11.85 | 2.24 | 11.85 | |
| 129 | Max Hernandez | Queen Creek AZ | 11.79 | 0.20 | 11.59 | |
| 130 | Shaun Bailey | Lake Havasu City AZ | 11.54 | 11.54 | ||
| 131 | Jamie Shaw | Coolidge AZ | 11.46 | 11.46 | ||
| 132 | Bill Brown | Grand Junction CO | 11.40 | 11.40 | ||
| 133 | Kent Stoker | Boulder City NV | 11.39 | 11.39 | ||
| 134 | Kyle Greenlaw | Morro Bay CA | 11.31 | 2.45 | 11.31 | |
| 135 | Mark Williams | Lake Havasu City AZ | 11.26 | 11.26 | ||
| 136 | David Raynor | Henderson NV | 11.25 | 2.87 | 11.25 | |
| 137 | Bub Tosh | Modesto CA | 11.07 | 11.07 | ||
| 138 | Vince Borges | Salida CA | 11.06 | 3.90 | 11.06 | |
| 139 | Kevin Short | Mayflower AR | 11.02 | 11.02 | ||
| 140 | Darius Arberry | Las Vegas NV | 10.89 | 10.89 | ||
| 140 | Ryan Scott | El Dorado Hills CA | 10.89 | 2.43 | 10.89 | |
| 142 | Tony Lain | Lake Havasu City AZ | 10.79 | 10.79 | ||
| 143 | Chris Kinley | Lake Havasu City AZ | 10.75 | 10.75 | ||
| 143 | Justin Patti | Peoria AZ | 10.75 | 10.75 | ||
| 145 | Brent James | St George UT | 10.68 | 10.68 | ||
| 146 | Rich Vincent | Wildomar CA | 10.65 | 2.15 | 10.65 | |
| 147 | Gary Freeman | Las Vegas NV | 10.57 | 2.19 | 10.57 | |
| 148 | Carlos Garcia | Murrieta CA | 10.53 | 10.53 | ||
| 149 | Stephen Tauriello | Las Vegas CA | 10.65 | 0.20 | 2.14 | 10.45 |
| 150 | Chris Nickerson | Hemet CA | 10.33 | 2.19 | 10.33 | |
| 151 | Steve Lee | Burbank WA | 10.27 | 10.27 | ||
| 152 | Rob Sanford | San Diego CA | 10.43 | 0.20 | 2.84 | 10.23 |
| 153 | Jason Bradshaw | Sacramento CA | 10.03 | 10.03 | ||
| 154 | Adam Brister | Green River WY | 9.98 | 2.98 | 9.98 | |
| 155 | Jonathan Wdowiak | Winchester CA | 9.97 | 9.97 | ||
| 156 | Randall Bruce | Las Vegas NV | 9.89 | 9.89 | ||
| 157 | Ron Ratlief | Lake Havasu City AZ | 9.85 | 0.20 | 9.65 | |
| 158 | Trace Myers | Santaquin UT | 9.62 | 9.62 | ||
| 159 | Jesse A. Marquez | Brea CA | 9.57 | 9.57 | ||
| 160 | Aaron Hill | Santa Clarita CA | 9.23 | 9.23 | ||
| 161 | Russ Barger | Boise ID | 9.18 | 2.38 | 9.18 | |
| 162 | Brett Leber | Dixon CA | 9.09 | 9.09 | ||
| 162 | Kirk McKinney | Phoenix AZ | 9.09 | 9.09 | ||
| 164 | Wade Strelic | El Cajon CA | 9.06 | 9.06 | ||
| 165 | Keith Bridges | Mission Viejo CA | 9.01 | 2.19 | 9.01 | |
| 166 | Steve F. Garcia | Anaheim CA | 9.07 | 0.20 | 8.87 | |
| 167 | Matt Frazier | Denair CA | 8.81 | 8.81 | ||
| 167 | Marty Lawrence | Mesa AZ | 8.81 | 8.81 | ||
| 169 | Jeff Bias | Las Vegas NV | 8.80 | 8.80 | ||
| 170 | Shawn Cooley | Qual Valley CA | 8.96 | 0.20 | 2.49 | 8.76 |
| 171 | David Naugle | Las Vegas NV | 8.71 | 8.71 | ||
| 172 | Victor Azevedo | Filer ID | 8.68 | 2.80 | 8.68 | |
| 173 | Mag Gimbel | Las Vegas NV | 8.81 | 0.20 | 1.91 | 8.61 |
| 174 | Todd Kline | San Clemente CA | 8.59 | 2.56 | 8.59 | |
| 175 | Joe Cole | Coalville UT | 8.56 | 2.19 | 8.56 | |
| 176 | Ed Webb | Stanwood WA | 8.41 | 8.41 | ||
| 177 | Sonny Gibson | Las Vegas NV | 8.35 | 2.51 | 8.35 | |
| 178 | Roy J. Jones | Henderson NV | 8.34 | 1.98 | 8.34 | |
| 179 | Laythe Moore | Banning CA | 8.22 | 8.22 | ||
| 180 | Hobby Nelson | Peoria AZ | 8.07 | 8.07 | ||
| 181 | Dan Frazier | Arroyo Grande CA | 8.06 | 8.06 | ||
| 182 | Rick Melead | Yorba Linda CA | 7.98 | 7.98 | ||
| 183 | Anthony Salazar | Henderson NV | 7.90 | 7.90 | ||
| 184 | Daniel Elias | Phoenix AZ | 7.86 | 7.86 | ||
| 185 | Todd Holverson | San Diego CA | 7.76 | 7.76 | ||
| 186 | Ricky Shabazz | La Mesa CA | 7.84 | 0.20 | 7.64 | |
| 187 | Cameron Rodriguez | San Diego CA | 7.56 | 1.98 | 7.56 | |
| 188 | James Scott | Lancaster CA | 7.35 | 7.35 | ||
| 189 | Allen Clark | Florence AZ | 7.19 | 7.19 | ||
| 190 | Ken Mah | Elk Grove CA | 7.10 | 7.10 | ||
| 191 | Benjamin Green | Pasadena CA | 6.99 | 6.99 | ||
| 192 | Bobby Sandberg | Henderson NV | 6.96 | 6.96 | ||
| 193 | Jason Hickey | Weiser ID | 6.93 | 6.93 | ||
| 194 | Jeff Hudson | Las Vegas NV | 6.77 | 2.39 | 6.77 | |
| 195 | Derek Spetz | Menifee CA | 6.74 | 6.74 | ||
| 196 | Christopher Marso | Oceanside CA | 6.69 | 6.69 | ||
| 197 | Angelo Aliotti | Aguanga CA | 6.53 | 6.53 | ||
| 198 | Chase Colby | St. George UT | 6.48 | 6.48 | ||
| 199 | Bill O'Shinn | Auburn CA | 6.39 | 6.39 | ||
| 200 | Randy Estrada, M.D. | Corona CA | 6.38 | 0.20 | 6.18 | |
| 201 | David Kemper | Tempe AZ | 6.13 | 2.22 | 6.13 | |
| 202 | Larry Warren | La Verkin UT | 6.12 | 6.12 | ||
| 203 | David Gliebe | Manteca CA | 6.11 | 6.11 | ||
| 204 | Dylan Denny | Prescott Valley AZ | 6.05 | 1.76 | 6.05 | |
| 205 | Mike Menne | Cottonwood CA | 5.89 | 5.89 | ||
| 206 | Dane Lawrence | Tillamook OR | 5.85 | 3.32 | 5.85 | |
| 207 | Mike Walsh | El Cajon CA | 5.80 | 5.80 | ||
| 208 | Jonathan Schuyler | Henderson NV | 5.73 | 5.73 | ||
| 209 | Melvin Williams | Chula Vista CA | 5.62 | 5.62 | ||
| 210 | Randy Austin | Cedar City UT | 5.56 | 5.56 | ||
| 211 | Oscar Lopez | Santa Paula CA | 5.55 | 5.55 | ||
| 212 | Cory Hoopes | Malad ID | 5.50 | 5.50 | ||
| 212 | Shawn Lee | Arroyo Grande CA | 5.50 | 5.50 | ||
| 214 | Jay Wright | Seal Beach CA | 5.42 | 5.42 | ||
| 215 | Mike Wood | Bayfield CO | 5.35 | 5.35 | ||
| 216 | Dan Merchant | Canyon Lake CA | 5.27 | 5.27 | ||
| 217 | Greg Halliman | Littlerock CA | 5.43 | 0.20 | 2.47 | 5.23 |
| 218 | Stephen Pike | Las Vegas NV | 5.08 | 5.08 | ||
| 219 | Junior Mora | Fresno CA | 4.90 | 4.90 | ||
| 220 | Rusty Salewske | Alpine CA | 4.89 | 4.89 | ||
| 221 | Mike Rennie | Pioche NV | 4.87 | 4.87 | ||
| 222 | Mark Mitchell | Mesquite TX | 4.86 | 4.86 | ||
| 223 | Greg Garcia | LA CA | 5.22 | 0.40 | 4.82 | |
| 224 | Gil Valdez | Fullerton CA | 4.56 | 4.56 | ||
| 225 | Brandon Morton | San Tan Valley AZ | 4.42 | 4.42 | ||
| 226 | Nick Salvucci | Paso Robles CA | 4.35 | 4.35 | ||
| 227 | George Fedor | Yucaipa CA | 4.28 | 4.28 | ||
| 228 | Danny Ruettiger | Henderson NV | 4.11 | 4.11 | ||
| 229 | Marvin Finley | Peoria AZ | 3.83 | 3.83 | ||
| 230 | Daniel Devries | Page AZ | 3.67 | 3.67 | ||
| 230 | Lowell Mickelson | Anahiem CA | 3.67 | 3.67 | ||
| 232 | Dick Watson | Alta Loma CA | 3.65 | 3.65 | ||
| 233 | Shawn Carnahan | Gilbert AZ | 3.45 | 3.45 | ||
| 234 | Joe Ahrens | San Diego CA | 2.59 | 2.59 | ||
| 235 | Steven Bowlin | Coolidge AZ | 2.57 | 2.57 | ||
| 236 | Mike Tafoya | La Plata NM | 2.29 | 2.29 | ||
| 237 | Kyle Coppinger | Pheonix AZ | 2.18 | 2.18 | ||
| 237 | Ron Hammett | La Mesa CA | 2.18 | 2.18 | ||
| 239 | Dylan Maxon | Phoenix AZ | 1.96 | 1.96 | ||
| 240 | Aaron Scott | Vacaville CA | 1.68 | 1.68 | ||
| 241 | Joshua Glenn | Ridgecrest CA | 1.66 | 1.66 | 1.66 | |
| 242 | George Kramer | Lake Elsinore CA | 1.48 | 1.48 | 1.48 | |
| 243 | Delaney Dwyer | Scottsdale AZ | 1.13 | 1.13 |
Johnson Wins Toyota Series Event on Sam Rayburn
BROOKELAND, Texas (Oct. 19, 2020) – Aaron Johnson of Shreveport, Louisiana, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 18 pounds, 14 ounces to win the three-day Toyota Series at the Sam Rayburn Reservoir tournament in Brookeland, Texas. Johnson’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 54-14 earned him the win by an 11-ounce margin over second-place angler Blake Schroeder of Whitehouse, Texas, and earned Johnson the top payout of $31,751 in the third and final tournament of the 2020 Toyota Series Southwestern Division.
Johnson said he won the tournament fishing entirely around shallow hydrilla with a modified square-bill crankbait. Hanging in the mid-lake for the most part, in 3 to 6 feet, he targeted clumpier sections of the grass.
“Typically, I would run it over the top or over the side,” said Johnson of his presentation. “The bait comes through pretty good, so I’ll run it over the top and to the side, pop it, stop it, twitch it, just the normal erratic stuff to try to get a reaction. There were times when I would twitch it over a clump, and then reel it fast when I got it over the other side of the clump. Every day I had probably 10 that would try to get it and just wouldn’t get it, but that’s just part of it.”
Fishing a discontinued bait that he modified with a custom color scheme, a red treble hook on the front and a filed-down bill, Johnson knew he had a good thing going.
“I have a lot of confidence in that bait,” said Johnson. “I won a two-day tournament a few years ago here with it and I know what it will do if you stay with it, so I never put it down. I threw a ChatterBait maybe 10 times and then I cut it off and put on a crankbait. I just had to stick with it.”
Johnson said he started mid-lake on days one and two, then ran more isolated places that brought him all the way north of the TX-147 bridge. He said the presence or lack of wind was key for him every day.
“Today it blew so hard, and they were biting really good in one of my main places, so I never left,” said Johnson. “Every other day, I would run and hit a couple of small patches here and there, and yesterday I did that and caught my biggest fish out of a little clump. Today, I never left, and at 2:10 I culled a 2-pounder with a 3½-pounder, and that’s what won the event.”
Johnson won a Bassmaster Open on Kentucky Lake in 2008, but this is his biggest win with FLW by far. Oddly enough, it comes after he literally zeroed in the recent Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Super Tournament on Rayburn.
“I found these fish for the BFL, and I caught none of them,” said Johnson. “However, God has a plan, and this tournament worked out. It feels great – it’s been a little while since I’ve been in the winner’s seat – so it’s good to be back. I’m very fortunate and very grateful – these are hard to win.”
The top 10 pros on the Sam Rayburn Reservoir finished:
1st: Aaron Johnson of Shreveport, La., 15 bass, 54-14, $31,751
2nd: Blake Schroeder of Whitehouse, Texas, 15 bass, 54-3, $12,303
3rd: Nick LeBrun of Bossier City, La., 15 bass, 45-15, $9,525
4th: Chris McCall of Palmer, Texas, 15 bass, 44-13, $7,938
5th: Stephen Johnston of Hemphill, Texas, 15 bass, 42-1, $7,144
6th: Tim Reneau of Richland Springs, Texas, 15 bass, 41-15, $6,350
7th: Kenneth Cates of Zavalla, Texas, 15 bass, 41-12, $5,556
8th: Todd Castledine of Nacogdoches, Texas, 15 bass, 41-4, $4,763
9th: Cole Moore of Anacoco, La., 14 bass, 40-4, $4,969
10th: Justin O’Brian Cooper of Zwolle, La., 15 bass, 39-4, $3,175
A complete list of results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Moore took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Anthony Templeton of Beckville, Texas won the Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 12 bass weighing 28 pounds, 3 ounces. Templeton took home the top prize package of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor.
The top 10 co-anglers on the Sam Rayburn Reservoir finished:
1st: Anthony Templeton of Beckville, Texas, 12 bass, 28-3, Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat w/115-hp
outboard
2nd: Micheal Sharp of Argyle, Texas, 10 bass, 24-14, $4,057
3rd: Todd Childs of Waxahachie, Texas, seven bass, 23-2, $3,314
4th: Grayson Honeycutt of Temple, Texas, 12 bass, 21-5, $2,840
5th: Kayden Tanner of Millsap, Texas, 10 bass, 20-15, $2,434
6th: David Keith of Haughton, La., 10 bass, 20-13, $2,029
7th: Donny Davis of Livingston, La., 10 bass, 20-12, $1,623
8th: Timothy Cooper of Pelican, La., 10 bass, 19-15, $1,420
9th: Aaron Freeman of Montgomery, Texas, 10 bass, 18-2, $1,217
10th: Randy Pewthers of Pearland, Texas, seven bass, 16-6, $1,014
The Toyota Series at the Sam Rayburn Reservoir was hosted by the Jasper-Lake Sam Rayburn Area Chamber of Commerce. It was the third of three regular-season tournaments in 2020 for Southwestern Division anglers. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will take place on Oct. 29-31 with the Toyota Series at Dale Hollow Lake in Monroe, Tennessee. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.
The 2020 Toyota Series consists of eight divisions – Central, Eastern, Northern, Plains, Southeastern, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 FLW PHOENIX Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The 2020 Toyota Series Championship will be held Dec. 3-5 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky, and is hosted by the Somerset Tourist & Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission.
Livesay Takes Lead On Fog-Shortened Day At Bassmaster Elite On Chickamauga
Lee Livesay, of Longview, Texas, is leading after Day 3 of the 2020 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Chickamauga Lake with a three-day total of 43 pounds, 0 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
October 18, 2020
DAYTON, Tenn. — The tournament’s shortest fishing day yielded Lee Livesay’s biggest bag, which allowed the angler from Longview, Texas, to take the Day 3 lead of the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Chickamauga Lake with a three-day total of 43 pounds.
After a 2 1/2-hour fog delay, Livesay backed up his first two weights of 13-0 and 13-3 with a Day 3 limit of 16-13 and overtook Day 2 leader Stetson Blaylock by a margin of 1-15.
He did so by fishing a frog around matted vegetation — and was very specific in the type of vegetation he sought.
“I’m doing what I like to do. I like to pick up a big rod and a frog and hunt them,” Livesay said. “I’m not just fishing, I’m hunting individual fish. I know which mats they’re under; it’s just whether they eat it or not.”
Livesay said he’s targeting mats in two main scenarios. The first are located off small main-river bars. The key is what he calls supershallow water.
“Everybody’s fishing the deep mats, but you can’t catch them there,” Livesay said. “You might get a hit every now and then, but it’s random. I fish around the shallowest mats with a little rock under them and two of them have current under them.”
Livesay’s other mat scenario is on the back side of an island bar with a small depression in a flat. The area has scattered rock and tiny cheese mats (topped-out grass coated with a bubbly yellowish algae) within a larger mat.
“It’s 100 percent confidence, knowing where the fish are and not leaving,” he said. “Also, I’m being quiet; I’m push poling into some areas, keeping my trolling motor up and sitting there for (long periods).
“I’m casting as long as I can throw it. I caught a couple close today, but my best bites are coming way, way out there. Also, I’m trying to throw upriver and bring it down on my current-related spots.”
Livesay caught all of his fish on a Scum Frog Launch Frog. He alternated between black and white baits and made key modifications to each.
“I’m adding two 1/8-ounce tungsten weights and trimming the legs down really short; I don’t want them to have anything to miss,” Livesay said. “If you put this frog in the water, it sinks like a rock, but it makes a trail in that mat.”
Livesay’s starting spot was close to takeoff, so he was fishing while many of his competitors were still running. His first fish was a 4-pounder, followed by solid keepers that went 2-12, 2-5, 2-4 and 2-0.
He has great confidence going into Championship Monday.
“This is the first time I’ve felt it,” he said. “I’ve been third, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, but this is the first time I’ve felt like I had a shot. I’ve never had the right fish left and the confidence level.
“The good thing is I only had to hit my main spot one time. I missed one other big one in there and never went back.”
Livesay said he’ll follow the same general game plan, but he’ll have a Zara Spook on his deck in case he sees schooling bass like the ones that surprised him Sunday.
“On my first spot where I caught that 4 (pounder), some big ones came up schooling out in the open behind me,” he said. “Tomorrow, I’m going to have that frog on my left side and I’m going to have that spook on my right side.
“I may also have a 3/8-ounce football jig with a NetBait Paca Craw for the bluffs, in case I’m not feeling the frog bite.”
Blaylock added a 13-pound limit to his previous weights of 16-1 and 12-0 for a total of 41-1. Starting on the same offshore points with hard patches in 15 feet of water that he fished Saturday, he caught three keepers on a crankbait.
Transitioning to grass mats, he added his fourth keeper on a Booyah Pad Crasher frog and finished his limit with a bass that ate a 1/4-ounce Scrounger with a YUM Pulse swimbait. He caught the last one in a small pocket where he’s found bass schooling on baitfish both days.
“This pocket is the only place that I’ve found where you have a creek that gets 3 to 4 feet deep and it’s not choked out with grass,” Blaylock said. “There are fish schooling in the grass, but in the particular spot I fished, the shad are staying out in the open, so all those fish have them corralled up there.
“It’s just a matter of being there when they’re ready to bite. If your timing is right when you get there, if there’s one up there ready to bite, it’s going to happen.”
Mike Huff of Corbin, Ky., is third with 38-0. After a tough Day 1 yielded only three fish for 6-12, Huff added 12-3 on Day 2 and rose to 33rd. Today, he caught the event’s second-heaviest bag — 19-1.
He started his day with a frog and caught a 5-pounder and then moved to a steep bluff with laydowns where he filled his limit with a 3/8-ounce Cumberland Pro jig and a Berkley Creature Hawg.
“The key to that presentation was cutting down that Creature Hawg for a smaller profile,” Huff said.
Chad Pipkens of DeWitt, Mich., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with a 7-11.
David Mullins of Mt. Carmel, Tenn., remains in the lead for Bassmaster Angler of the Year with 623 points, while Austin Felix of Eden Prairie, Minn., follows in second with 613. Clark Wendlandt of Leander, Texas, is in third with 607.
The Top 10 remaining anglers will take off at 7:30 a.m. ET on Championship Monday from the Dayton Boat Dock. The weigh-in will be held at Point Park at 3:30 p.m., with $100,000 going to the winning pro.
Live coverage of the event will be available starting at 8:30 a.m. on Bassmaster LIVE at Bassmaster.com and ESPN3.
2020 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Chickamauga Lake 10/16-10/19
Chickamauga Lake, Dayton TN.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 15 43-00 100
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 13-03 Day 3: 5 16-13
2. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 15 41-01 99
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 12-00 Day 3: 5 13-00
3. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 13 38-00 98
Day 1: 3 06-12 Day 2: 5 12-03 Day 3: 5 19-01
4. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 15 37-03 97
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 14-03 Day 3: 5 11-14
5. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 12 34-10 96 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 2 09-09 Day 3: 5 11-14
6. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 13 32-04 95
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 12-09 Day 3: 3 08-11
7. John Cox Debary, FL 11 31-14 94
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 4 12-05 Day 3: 2 04-11
8. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 10 30-13 93 $1,000.00
Day 1: 2 08-10 Day 2: 5 12-06 Day 3: 3 09-13
9. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 12 29-06 92
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 14-09 Day 3: 2 04-06
10. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 12 29-06 91
Day 1: 5 09-07 Day 2: 5 14-01 Day 3: 2 05-14
11. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 14 29-06 90 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 10-05 Day 3: 4 08-10
12. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 13 29-05 89 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-12 Day 2: 5 09-15 Day 3: 3 09-10
13. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 12 28-05 88 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 3 06-15 Day 3: 4 07-10
14. Wes Logan Springville, AL 10 28-05 87 $12,000.00
Day 1: 3 09-12 Day 2: 5 11-09 Day 3: 2 07-00
15. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 27-08 86 $12,000.00
Day 1: 2 04-07 Day 2: 5 17-13 Day 3: 3 05-04
16. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 10 27-06 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 4 10-11 Day 3: 1 02-10
17. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 10 27-01 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 11-00 Day 2: 4 12-00 Day 3: 2 04-01
18. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 13 27-00 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 5 11-12 Day 3: 3 05-12
19. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 9 26-14 82 $10,000.00
Day 1: 2 08-14 Day 2: 5 13-04 Day 3: 2 04-12
20. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 10 26-13 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 4 08-01 Day 3: 1 03-00
21. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 11 26-09 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 09-06 Day 2: 4 09-15 Day 3: 3 07-04
22. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 11 26-07 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 11-05 Day 3: 1 03-00
23. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 12 25-14 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 4 08-03 Day 3: 3 07-01
24. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 11 25-04 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 4 10-07 Day 3: 2 05-02
25. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 11 25-00 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 10-08 Day 3: 1 01-10
26. Frank Talley Temple, TX 12 24-09 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 4 07-04 Day 3: 3 06-13
27. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 10 24-05 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 2 03-10 Day 2: 5 13-13 Day 3: 3 06-14
28. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 9 24-04 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 12-09 Day 2: 4 08-11 Day 3: 1 03-00
29. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 8 24-02 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 2 06-13 Day 2: 4 12-06 Day 3: 2 04-15
30. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 9 24-00 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 3 09-00 Day 2: 4 10-06 Day 3: 2 04-10
31. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 7 23-02 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-06 Day 2: 2 03-12 Day 3: 0 00-00
32. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 10 22-12 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 2 04-02 Day 3: 3 05-07
33. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 8 22-12 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 3 09-09 Day 2: 4 09-14 Day 3: 1 03-05
34. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 10 22-06 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 2 06-10 Day 2: 5 10-06 Day 3: 3 05-06
35. Bob Downey Hudson, WI 8 22-03 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 2 06-12 Day 3: 1 02-01
36. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 9 21-12 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 09-06 Day 2: 4 10-04 Day 3: 1 02-02
37. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 7 21-11 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 2 03-10 Day 2: 5 18-01 Day 3: 0 00-00
38. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 9 21-01 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 08-09 Day 2: 3 08-05 Day 3: 2 04-03
39. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 9 20-15 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 3 06-11 Day 3: 1 01-14
40. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 9 18-11 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 3 06-01 Day 3: 1 01-04
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 06-09 $1,000.00
2 Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 07-11 $1,000.00
3 Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 05-14 $1,000.00
Blaylock Takes Lead On Day 2 Of Bassmaster Elite Event On Chickamauga
Stetson Blaylock, of Benton, Ark., is leading after Day 2 of the 2020 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Chickamauga Lake with a two-day total of 28 pounds, 1 ounce.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
October 17, 2020
DAYTON, Tenn. — Replacing one element of his plan with an unexpected discovery allowed Stetson Blaylock of Benton, Ark., to take the Day 2 lead of the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Chickamauga Lake with a two-day total of 28 pounds, 1 ounce.
Blaylock bolstered his Day 1 second-place weight of 16-1 with 12-0 Saturday. He enters Sunday’s semi-final round with a 14-ounce lead over Florida pro and noted Chickamauga hammer John Cox.
Repeating his Day 1 plan, Blaylock started on a set of offshore points with hard patches in 15 feet of water. Throwing a shad colored reaction bait proved most productive.
“Those deep fish are key; I had two of my better ones out there this morning,” he said. “It’s getting slower. There are a lot of locals fishing these places. I graphed it before I left and there were 25 of them sitting there like it was June — schooled up, ready to go offshore.
“I spun around and could not get one to bite. I don’t know if it’s because they’re getting fished so hard. But whatever triggers those fish to bite, if it would happen while you’re there, you could catch 15 to 18 pounds.”
After his morning bite ended, Blaylock tried the grassbeds that produced a couple of his Day 1 keepers but couldn’t find any takers. From there, he transitioned to a small creek where voluminous bait schools had attracted a large number of bass.
Bassmaster LIVE captured some of the schooling action, as aggressive feeding created whitewater flurries that sent bait showering across the surface. The only problem was that the fish were so fixated on the small threadfin shad that they mostly ignored the array of baits Blaylock threw.
A smaller version of the bait he used offshore earned three keepers.
“It’s a pretty neat little spot that has a lot of fish if I can just figure out how to get those fish to bite,” Blaylock said. “I saw a lot of 4-pounders in there and lots of 3-pounders. It’s just hard to get the better-quality ones to bite.
“I spent about two hours in one little creek and, I’m telling you, there’s enough fish in there to win the tournament. I’m going to rig up a bunch of stuff tonight to try and trigger those bites, but it’s just a struggle to get bit in there.”
Blaylock said he’ll follow a similar game plan on Day 3. He’s confident that his areas hold plenty of potential, but he believes a loosely scripted day may be his best strategy.
“It gives me hope that there are still enough fish around that you can make it up as you go and still catch a good limit,” Blaylock said. “I still have to have those good ones early to do what I need to do.
“I’m going to have to have another solid couple of days to have a chance to win this thing. I really think if I can manage that 12- to 15-pound total for two more days, I’ll have a chance to win.”
After placing fourth on Day 1 with 14-14, Cox missed his limit by one fish Saturday, but found enough to tally 12-5 and move from fourth place into second.
Cox said he wanted to start with a topwater presentation but decided to slow down and get a couple of early bites. Flipping a green pumpkin/watermelon Berkley MaxScent Creature Hog earned two solid keepers. When the bite died, he transitioned to frogging mats and boated two more keepers.
“I caught one flipping, then I caught another and I thought, ‘Oh man, I think I figured something out,’” he said. “But then, I went a really, really long, long time with no more bites. I only had four bites all day, it was tough.”
Lee Livesay of Longview, Texas, is in third place with 26-3. Turning in one of the most consistent performances, Livesay added 13-3 to Friday’s weight of 13-0 and gained seven spots from 10th.
Livesay devoted his day to fishing a Scum Frog Launch Frog over grass mats. Alternating between black and white baits, he found that focusing on shallower mats was more productive.
“There are a lot of mats out there in 5 to 8 feet, but if you get bit, it’s random,” Livesay said. “My fish are in a foot of superclear water eating bream instead of shad.
“There are fish everywhere — shallow, middle, deep. They’re just a lot easier to catch on a frog when they’re in a foot of water, compared to 8 feet of water."
Chad Pipkens of DeWitt, Mich., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with a 7-11.
David Mullins of Mt. Carmel, Tenn., took over the lead in the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 621 points, while Austin Felix of Eden Prairie, Minn., follows in second with 614. Clark Wendlandt of Leander, Texas, who has led the race for several weeks, is now in third with 607.
Sunday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. CT at the Dayton Boat Dock. The weigh-in will be held at Point Park at 3:30 p.m. After Sunday’s weigh-in, only the Top 10 anglers will advance to Championship Monday with a chance to win the $100,000 first-place prize.
Live coverage of the event will be available starting at 8:30 a.m. on Bassmaster LIVE at Bassmaster.com and ESPN3. Semifinal Sunday will feature additional live coverage on ESPN2. Check local listings for details.
2020 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Chickamauga Lake 10/16-10/19
Chickamauga Lake, Dayton TN.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 10 28-01 100
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 12-00
2. John Cox Debary, FL 9 27-03 99
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 4 12-05
3. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 10 26-03 98
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 13-03
4. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 10 25-05 97
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 14-03
5. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 10 25-00 96
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 14-09
6. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 9 24-12 95
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 4 10-11
7. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 9 23-13 94
Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 4 08-01
8. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 10 23-09 93
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 12-09
9. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 10 23-08 92
Day 1: 5 09-07 Day 2: 5 14-01
10. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 10 23-07 91
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 11-05
11. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 10 23-06 90
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 10-08
12. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 7 23-02 89
Day 1: 5 19-06 Day 2: 2 03-12
13. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 8 23-00 88
Day 1: 4 11-00 Day 2: 4 12-00
14. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 7 22-12 87 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 2 09-09
15. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 7 22-04 86
Day 1: 2 04-07 Day 2: 5 17-13
16. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 7 22-02 85
Day 1: 2 08-14 Day 2: 5 13-04
17. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 7 21-11 84
Day 1: 2 03-10 Day 2: 5 18-01
18. Wes Logan Springville, AL 8 21-05 83
Day 1: 3 09-12 Day 2: 5 11-09
19. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 8 21-04 82
Day 1: 4 12-09 Day 2: 4 08-11
20. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 21-04 81
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 5 11-12
21. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 7 21-00 80 $1,000.00
Day 1: 2 08-10 Day 2: 5 12-06
22. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 20-12 79
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 10-05
23. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 8 20-11 78
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 3 06-15
24. Bob Downey Hudson, WI 7 20-02 77
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 2 06-12
25. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 9 20-02 76
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 4 10-07
26. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 10 19-11 75
Day 1: 5 09-12 Day 2: 5 09-15
27. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 8 19-10 74
Day 1: 4 09-06 Day 2: 4 10-04
28. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 7 19-07 73
Day 1: 3 09-09 Day 2: 4 09-14
29. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 7 19-06 72
Day 1: 3 09-00 Day 2: 4 10-06
30. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 8 19-05 71
Day 1: 4 09-06 Day 2: 4 09-15
31. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 6 19-03 70
Day 1: 2 06-13 Day 2: 4 12-06
32. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 8 19-01 69
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 3 06-11
33. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 8 18-15 68
Day 1: 3 06-12 Day 2: 5 12-03
34. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 9 18-13 67
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 4 08-03
35. Frank Talley Temple, TX 9 17-12 66
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 4 07-04
36. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 7 17-07 65
Day 1: 2 03-10 Day 2: 5 13-13
37. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 8 17-07 64
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 3 06-01
38. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 7 17-05 63
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 2 04-02
39. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 7 17-00 62
Day 1: 2 06-10 Day 2: 5 10-06
40. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 7 16-14 61
Day 1: 4 08-09 Day 2: 3 08-05
41. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 8 16-06 60 $7,500.00
Day 1: 5 09-00 Day 2: 3 07-06
42. Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 7 16-04 59 $7,500.00
Day 1: 4 06-13 Day 2: 3 09-07
43. Cody Hollen Beaverton, OR 7 16-00 58 $7,500.00
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 2 04-10
44. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 7 15-13 57 $7,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 2 03-12
45. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 6 15-09 56 $7,500.00
Day 1: 3 08-09 Day 2: 3 07-00
46. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 6 15-08 55 $5,000.00
Day 1: 3 06-00 Day 2: 3 09-08
47. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 7 15-08 54 $5,000.00
Day 1: 4 08-00 Day 2: 3 07-08
48. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 8 15-00 53 $5,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-05 Day 2: 3 04-11
49. Rob Digh Denver, NC 6 14-09 52 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 1 02-03
50. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 6 13-08 51 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 06-15 Day 2: 3 06-09
51. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 13-04 50 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 06-03 Day 2: 2 07-01
52. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 13-03 49 $2,500.00
Day 1: 4 10-12 Day 2: 1 02-07
53. Greg DiPalma Millville, NJ 7 13-03 48 $2,500.00
Day 1: 2 03-00 Day 2: 5 10-03
54. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 5 12-12 47 $2,500.00
Day 1: 1 03-13 Day 2: 4 08-15
55. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 4 11-12 46 $2,500.00
Day 1: 2 03-10 Day 2: 2 08-02
56. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 6 11-10 45 $2,500.00
Day 1: 4 06-15 Day 2: 2 04-11
57. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 5 11-10 44 $2,500.00
Day 1: 2 05-10 Day 2: 3 06-00
58. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 4 11-06 43 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 08-01 Day 2: 1 03-05
59. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 5 11-00 42 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 07-08 Day 2: 2 03-08
60. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 5 10-14 41 $2,500.00
Day 1: 2 05-07 Day 2: 3 05-07
61. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 5 10-11 40 $2,500.00
Day 1: 2 05-03 Day 2: 3 05-08
62. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 5 10-05 39 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 06-03 Day 2: 2 04-02
63. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 3 10-04 38 $2,500.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 10-04
64. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 5 09-06 37 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 05-08 Day 2: 2 03-14
65. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 08-14 36 $2,500.00
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 4 07-01
66. David Fritts Lexington, NC 4 08-13 35 $2,500.00
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 3 06-14
67. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 4 08-13 34 $2,500.00
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 3 06-09
68. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 4 08-08 33 $2,500.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 4 08-08
69. Jesse Tacoronte Kissimmee, FL 4 08-08 32 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 05-14 Day 2: 1 02-10
70. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 4 07-13 31 $2,500.00
Day 1: 2 04-07 Day 2: 2 03-06
71. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 3 07-12 30 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 07-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
72. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 3 07-05 29 $2,500.00
Day 1: 2 03-15 Day 2: 1 03-06
73. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 4 07-03 28 $2,500.00
Day 1: 2 03-06 Day 2: 2 03-13
74. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 3 06-07 27 $2,500.00
Day 1: 1 02-03 Day 2: 2 04-04
75. Seth Feider New Market, MN 3 06-01 26 $2,500.00
Day 1: 2 03-03 Day 2: 1 02-14
76. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 2 05-14 25 $2,500.00
Day 1: 1 01-06 Day 2: 1 04-08
77. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 3 05-02 24 $2,500.00
Day 1: 2 03-11 Day 2: 1 01-07
78. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 2 04-10 23 $2,500.00
Day 1: 1 02-11 Day 2: 1 01-15
79. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 2 04-08 22 $2,500.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-08
80. Tyler Carriere Youngsville, LA 2 03-15 21 $2,500.00
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 1 02-05
81. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 1 03-14 20 $2,500.00
Day 1: 1 03-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
82. Destin DeMarion Grove City, PA 2 03-11 19 $2,500.00
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 1 01-13
83. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 1 02-01 18 $2,500.00
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
84. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 1 01-15 17 $2,500.00
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
85. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 1 01-11 16 $2,500.00
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 06-09 $1,000.00
2 Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 07-11 $1,000.00
Arey’s Keeping it Random
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Team Toyota pro Matt Arey weighed in a strong 14-lb. 1-ounce limit on day one of the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite on Lake Chickamauga. His efforts had him sitting in 5th place after the first day of competition left a lot of anglers scratching their heads, Arey included.
“I had no idea I’d be holding down a spot in the top 5 based on my brutal practice,” Arey explained. “This lake has so many big, healthy bass in it. I still can’t believe it’s fishing as tough as it is.”
The fall transitional funk coupled with an incredible amount of fishing pressure this week has caused the giant bass Chickamauga is famous for to be extra finicky for Elite Series competitors. The top 40 cut line was set at 8-lbs. 9-ounces after day one. The Chick routinely pumps out individual Florida strain largemouth that eclipse the cut weight throughout the spring and late winter.
That caliber of fish hasn’t shown up to the Bassmaster party yet, but anglers know that could change on any given cast in this legendary Tennessee River fishery. Two phrases often repeated this week have been, “My timing has to be right” and “Just gotta keep my head down and grind”. Arey is adding a third, “Embrace the random.”
“I caught the biggest fish in my limit on a stretch of bank I have never fished in my life,” Arey said. “And on a bait I didn’t have a single keeper bite on in practice. I’m not going to lie it is pretty random out there for me. But I’ll keep my head down and see if I can’t find a few more random rewards today.”
Random isn’t usually something Bassmaster pros want to base their tournament day on, but when bites have been so hard to come by Arey believes embracing the randomness of it all is actually a positive.
“These events will wear on your mentally if you let it,” Arey offered. “Sometimes in the fall there isn’t really a true rhyme or reason to those big bites. Sometimes it’s best to not overthink it.”
The North Carolina native said the thermometer in his Tundra read 37 degrees this morning before take-off, adding a serious cold-front to the list of reasons why the bass are playing hard to get this week. Arey wasn’t sure how the weather would affect the fishing today, but he took it in stride and remained optimistic.
“I’ve got my daughter Reese’s lucky hat from last week with me and I’m feeling good,” Arey said. “I can’t imagine this cold-front will help the bite, but it can’t hurt it too much either. We’ll see what happens!”
Beffa Comes From Behind To Win B.A.S.S. Nation Regional On Toledo Bend
Missouri team angler Jay Beffa, of Festus, Mo., has won the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional at Toledo Bend with a three-day total of 35 pounds, 12 ounces.
Photo by Brenden Kanies/B.A.S.S.
October 16, 2020
MANY, La. — It took three full days, but Jay Beffa finally found the big bass Toledo Bend Reservoir is famous for, and the discovery propelled him to victory on the final day of the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional.
Beffa, a resident of Festus, Mo., caught a five-bass limit that weighed 19 pounds, 4 ounces Friday, which was the heaviest bag of the day by almost 7 pounds and more than 5 pounds heavier than any other caught in the tournament.
That gave him a 35-12 total over three days, which was plenty to clinch the title on this sprawling 181,000-acre reservoir straddling the northern part of the Louisiana/Texas border.
Albert Collins of Nacogdoches, Texas, led the first two days, but slipped to second with 32-8. Blake Sylvester of Plaquemine, La., finished third with 32-1.
A total of 160 anglers from eight states started the event — 80 in both the boater and nonboater divisions. Each field was cut to the Top 22 anglers for Friday’s competition, and Beffa was in 16th place among boaters. He began Friday trailing Collins by more than 6 pounds.
But Beffa’s Friday was magical, despite the fact his outboard motor quit working on the way back to Cypress Bend Park for the weigh-in. He was able to catch a ride with another angler and had time to spare before weighing the winning bag.
“This is an incredible feeling,” he said after collecting the winner’s trophy and the $5,000 check that went to the top angler in the boater division. “We’ve got our state tournament next week, so I’m anxious to get back at it.”
Beffa also can look forward to competing in the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship on Alabama’s Pickwick Lake on Nov. 11-13. It’ll be his first trip to the Championship, and he is well aware that three spots in the 2021 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic will be up for grabs at Pickwick.
“I’m on a roll,” he said. “I can’t wait.”
Beffa primarily flipped docks on the Texas side of Toledo Bend during the first two days, using a custom black/blue jig with a Hawg’s custom blue trailer. On Friday, when a brisk north wind kept some anglers from running to the far northern stretches of the reservoir, Beffa sought familiar terrain near Cypress Bend.
That can be a tough prospect for a central Missouri angler fishing in Louisiana, but he knew exactly what he wanted.
“I looked for Missouri rock and a topwater bite,” he said. “I found some in practice right around the corner (from the launch site) and hit it every day a little bit. I went back today and caught a pair of 5-pounders with a custom-painted Whopper Plopper.”
Happy with his start but certainly not satisfied, Beffa decided to chance a run up Toledo Bend to the Huxley area where he had fished earlier in the week. He caught a 4-pounder on one of his first casts there Friday and finished with two more solid keepers to hammer down his 19-4 limit.
“I didn’t expect this today,” he said. “I was really frustrated with myself. I only caught three fish on Thursday and lost a 5-pounder and a 3 1/2-pounder. Being in 16th place but coming back to win it, that was huge.”
Connor Rushing came from behind to win the nonboater division but didn’t have to make nearly as big a leap in the standings. The 18-year-old from Pride, La., caught a limit of three bass Friday that weighed 7-12 to give him a 21-pound total for the tournament. That was enough to overtake teammate Trace Day of Denham Springs, who finished second with 19-15.
Rushing, who won $2,500, trailed Day by 2 ounces heading into Friday’s action, when he fished with Oklahoma’s Jared Miller. He said it was a challenge fishing with different boaters each day.
“I caught them all the first day in 15 minutes on a gooseberry (Zoom) trick worm,” he said. “Yesterday, we pulled up on a dock first and I caught back-to-back 3-pounders…using a Shongaloo 10-inch worm (junebug red).
“Today, I was just flipping a (Missile Baits) D Bomb when I caught my two big ones. I picked up a black and blue ChatterBait and got my limit with that.”
Rushing said qualifying for the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship had him “super-pumped.”
“Ever since I caught that first big fish today, I knew it would be a good day,” he said. “I’m really glad it worked out.”
Day finished second in the nonboater division with 19-15, while Kyle Klein of Kansas placed third with 16-13.
The leading boater and nonboater from each of the eight states competing earned berths in the championship tournament at Pickwick next month.
Arkansas won the team championship portion of the tournament, which was decided Thursday. Louisiana was second and Missouri third. Other states competing at Toledo Bend included Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, New Mexico and Colorado.
The total purse for the regional was $24,000. The event was hosted by the Louisiana Office of Tourism, Toledo Bend Lake Country, the Sabine River Authority, DeSoto Parish Tourist Commission and the Vernon Parish Tourism Commission.
Cobb Leads Day 1 Of Tough Bassmaster Elite Series Event On Chickamauga
Brandon Cobb, of Greenwood, S.C., is leading after Day 1 of the 2020 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Chickamauga Lake with 19 pounds, 6 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
October 16, 2020
DAYTON, Tenn. — A big start, a big finish and solid productivity in between gave Brandon Cobb of Greenwood, S.C., the Day 1 lead of the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Chickamauga Lake with a five-bass limit of 19 pounds, 6 ounces.
A passing cold front created challenging conditions in which bites were few and reports of noncommittal fish were many. With a pair of bookend kickers, Cobb touted execution with two different reaction baits as the key to his success.
“It was not an easy day; I caught six and two of them just happened to be 6-pounders, so that always helps,” he said. “You can’t miss any. You have to boat every fish and just stick to it.
“It’s so tough, it’s hard to know if you’re doing the right thing. But I stuck with one thing all day, got six bites and turned in 19 pounds.”
Spending his day upriver, Cobb targeted shallow grass and got most of his bites in about 3 feet of water. After his opening spot produced the first of his 6-pounders around 8 a.m., he gave the area a little more time but soon realized he needed to secure a limit.
“I covered an area of 20 miles; I ran a lot throughout the lake,” Cobb said. “Even though I had some bites in practice, I never really figured anything out; but I could get bites by just covering water.
“I did that a while today and that’s how I scratched out my limit — just hitting a lot of places. But then I knew I needed another big one, so I returned to my primary area.”
Doing so in the last hour of fishing, Cobb found two more big bites — a 3-pounder and his other 6-pounder. In all of his areas, Cobb said he was highly selective with the grass he chose to fish.
“Depth or location wasn’t that specific, it was more that I liked the way it looked,” he said. “The color is one thing, but I’m trying to look for active grass with bream and little shad. I wanted grass with something for them to eat.”
Cobb said the presence of natural forage was a double-edged sword.
“It was frustrating because when they’re eating the shad, they are so hard to catch,” he said. “I think you just keep yourself in position where they’re feeding and one out of 1,000 will bite. I think it’s just random.
“There are so many bluegill and so many shad up in the grass that they can eat whenever they want. You just have to line up one that hasn’t eaten a shad or bluegill in the last 15 minutes. It’s just keeping yourself around fish and hoping you can trick one.”
Cobb said he’s considering a similar strategy for Day 2. However, he said he may expand his area a little.
“It’s the first day of the tournament; I practiced literally the whole lake and I really don’t know what I found,” Cobb said. “I had a bite here and a bite there, but you don’t want to overlook a place that could be the best place on the lake where you had one or two bites.”
Stetson Blaylock of Benton, Ark., is in second place with 16-1. Starting deep on offshore ledge points in about 15 feet, Blaylock caught four fish early, including a pair of what he called “good ones” on a reaction bait.
Moving shallow around 11, he caught three more quality fish on a topwater bait and culled up to his day’s weight. With 10 years of Chickamauga experience, Blaylock said he left fish biting in an effort to manage his opportunities for the next few days.
“It’s really tough to get bit, and when you get into an area where they’re biting and you have a solid bag, you really don’t want to sit in there and catch them,” he said. “I’m looking forward to getting out there and seeing if I can maintain that.
“I know it’s going to be a little tougher tomorrow just because I did catch some fish out of those areas. But there are more to be caught, for sure.”
Brad Whatley of Bivins, Texas, is in third place with 15-12. Noting that he caught his fish on a single reaction bait, Whatley said the key to his success was a particular shallow-water structure feature.
“I found it in the last hour and a half of practice,” Whatley said. “I found it so late in practice that I didn’t have time to expand. I was just fishing new water all day.
“I just ran a little pattern, but I can’t say it worked all day. It probably died after 10:30 or 11 o’clock.”
Ed Loughran III of Richmond, Va., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 6-9 largemouth.
Clark Wendlandt of Leander, Texas, maintained his lead in the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 625 points, while David Mullins of Mt. Carmel, Tenn., follows in second with 609. Austin Felix of Eden Prairie, Minn., is in third with 590, and reigning AOY Scott Canterbury of Odenville, Ala., is fourth with 588.
Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. CT from Dayton Boat Dock. The weigh-in will be held at Point Park at 3:30 p.m. After Saturday’s weigh-in, only the Top 40 anglers will advance to Sunday’s semifinal round.
Live coverage of the event will be available starting at 8:30 a.m. on Bassmaster LIVE at Bassmaster.com and ESPN3.
2020 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Chickamauga Lake 10/16-10/19
Chickamauga Lake, Dayton TN.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 5 19-06 100
Day 1: 5 19-06
2. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 5 16-01 99
Day 1: 5 16-01
3. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 5 15-12 98
Day 1: 5 15-12
4. John Cox Debary, FL 5 14-14 97
Day 1: 5 14-14
5. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 5 14-01 96
Day 1: 5 14-01
6. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 5 13-12 95
Day 1: 5 13-12
7. Bob Downey Hudson, WI 5 13-06 94
Day 1: 5 13-06
8. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 5 13-03 93
Day 1: 5 13-03
8. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 5 13-03 93
Day 1: 5 13-03
10. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 5 13-00 91
Day 1: 5 13-00
11. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 5 12-14 90
Day 1: 5 12-14
12. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 4 12-09 89
Day 1: 4 12-09
13. Rob Digh Denver, NC 5 12-06 88
Day 1: 5 12-06
13. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 5 12-06 88
Day 1: 5 12-06
15. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 5 12-02 86
Day 1: 5 12-02
16. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 12-01 85
Day 1: 5 12-01
17. Cody Hollen Beaverton, OR 5 11-06 84
Day 1: 5 11-06
17. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 5 11-06 84
Day 1: 5 11-06
19. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 5 11-02 82
Day 1: 5 11-02
20. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 5 11-00 81
Day 1: 5 11-00
21. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 4 11-00 80
Day 1: 4 11-00
22. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 4 10-12 79
Day 1: 4 10-12
23. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 5 10-10 78
Day 1: 5 10-10
24. Frank Talley Temple, TX 5 10-08 77
Day 1: 5 10-08
25. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 10-07 76
Day 1: 5 10-07
25. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 5 10-07 76
Day 1: 5 10-07
27. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 10-05 74
Day 1: 5 10-05
28. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 5 09-12 73
Day 1: 5 09-12
29. Wes Logan Springville, AL 3 09-12 72
Day 1: 3 09-12
30. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 5 09-11 71
Day 1: 5 09-11
31. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 3 09-09 70
Day 1: 3 09-09
32. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 09-08 69
Day 1: 5 09-08
33. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 5 09-07 68
Day 1: 5 09-07
34. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 4 09-06 67
Day 1: 4 09-06
34. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 4 09-06 67
Day 1: 4 09-06
36. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 5 09-00 65
Day 1: 5 09-00
37. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 3 09-00 64
Day 1: 3 09-00
38. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 2 08-14 63
Day 1: 2 08-14
39. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 2 08-10 62 $1,000.00
Day 1: 2 08-10
40. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 4 08-09 61
Day 1: 4 08-09
41. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 3 08-09 60
Day 1: 3 08-09
42. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 3 08-01 59
Day 1: 3 08-01
43. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 4 08-00 58
Day 1: 4 08-00
44. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 3 07-12 57
Day 1: 3 07-12
45. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 3 07-08 56
Day 1: 3 07-08
46. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 4 06-15 55
Day 1: 4 06-15
47. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 3 06-15 54
Day 1: 3 06-15
48. Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 4 06-13 53
Day 1: 4 06-13
49. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 2 06-13 52
Day 1: 2 06-13
50. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 3 06-12 51
Day 1: 3 06-12
51. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 2 06-10 50
Day 1: 2 06-10
52. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 3 06-03 49
Day 1: 3 06-03
52. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 3 06-03 49
Day 1: 3 06-03
54. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 3 06-00 47
Day 1: 3 06-00
55. Jesse Tacoronte Kissimmee, FL 3 05-14 46
Day 1: 3 05-14
56. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 2 05-10 45
Day 1: 2 05-10
57. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 3 05-08 44
Day 1: 3 05-08
58. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 2 05-07 43
Day 1: 2 05-07
59. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 2 05-03 42
Day 1: 2 05-03
60. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 2 04-07 41
Day 1: 2 04-07
60. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 2 04-07 41
Day 1: 2 04-07
62. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 2 03-15 39
Day 1: 2 03-15
63. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 1 03-14 38
Day 1: 1 03-14
64. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 1 03-13 37
Day 1: 1 03-13
65. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 2 03-11 36
Day 1: 2 03-11
66. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 2 03-10 35
Day 1: 2 03-10
66. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 2 03-10 35
Day 1: 2 03-10
66. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 2 03-10 35
Day 1: 2 03-10
69. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 2 03-06 32
Day 1: 2 03-06
70. Seth Feider New Market, MN 2 03-03 31
Day 1: 2 03-03
71. Greg DiPalma Millville, NJ 2 03-00 30
Day 1: 2 03-00
72. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 1 02-11 29
Day 1: 1 02-11
73. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 1 02-04 28
Day 1: 1 02-04
74. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 1 02-03 27
Day 1: 1 02-03
75. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 1 02-01 26
Day 1: 1 02-01
76. David Fritts Lexington, NC 1 01-15 25
Day 1: 1 01-15
76. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 1 01-15 25
Day 1: 1 01-15
78. Destin DeMarion Grove City, PA 1 01-14 23
Day 1: 1 01-14
79. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 1 01-13 22
Day 1: 1 01-13
80. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 1 01-11 21
Day 1: 1 01-11
81. Tyler Carriere Youngsville, LA 1 01-10 20
Day 1: 1 01-10
82. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 1 01-06 19
Day 1: 1 01-06
83. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
83. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
83. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 06-09 $1,000.00
Swindles’ Thinking About Classic Cut & Whitetail Deer
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Gerald Swindle had plenty on his mind last night as he made a few final tweaks to his tackle in anticipation for the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite on Lake Chickamauga to begin.
The Team Toyota fan favorite finds himself a few AOY points outside of the Bassmaster Classic cutline with only eight competition days left in the 2020 season. While Swindle desperately wants to qualify for his 19th appearance in the Super Bowl of bass fishing, he felt a sense of peace leading into Chickamauga.
“I think I’ve thought my stress bone dry,” Swindle joked. “It’s hard to feel super stressed about the Classic when it’s been so tough to get a bite. We hit the fall transitional funk just right with these last three events, and man, they start to wear on you.”
Swindle and the rest of the Elite field gave reports of an extremely fickle Lake Chickamauga throughout practice, which came as a bit of a surprise. This legendary Tennessee River fishery is undoubtedly full of big bass, but for whatever reason they don’t seem to be biting right now.
“I don’t mind grinding, I really don’t, but I like to catch fish too,” Swindle offered. “There hasn’t been a whole lot of fish catchin’ for me this week. But I’m keeping my PMA (positive mental attitude) because tough tournaments are the easiest ones to win.”
This time of year Swindle usually spends his time 20-feet off the ground chasing whitetails, but this October finds him covering miles in his Tundra and Phoenix Boat trying to claw his way into the Classic cut.
While Gerald hasn’t had much time for his mind to wander during the back-to-back-to-back events, his faithful wife LeAnn (LuLu) isn’t afraid to admit she’s had bow hunting on the brain. In fact, LuLu packed her bow, arrows, and a foam target with her for this Chickamauga event.
“Alabama’s archery opener was yesterday and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t ready for our yearly escape to the whitetail woods,” LuLu said with a smile.
You see, on top of being his loyal wife and biggest supporter, LuLu takes care of Gerald when he’s competing in tournaments. She brews Black Rifle Coffee and backs him down the ramp in the morning. She handles any sponsor relations during the day, picks him up at sunset, and ensures G’s got a warm meal when he gets off the water.
While Gerald might be the one of the stage, they are a team.
The Alabama lovebirds handle hunting season as a two-person team the same way they approach fishing, except both of them get to participate in the woods. It’s something they look forward to all year long.
“Bow hunting is when I pay back all my ‘work debt’,” Swindle laughed. “I’ll hang her tree stands, wake up first and make her coffee, take care of some of the things she’s usually covering for me. Lord knows she’s earned it.”
The Swindles’ would love to be deer hunting this weekend, but don’t let that fool you to believing they aren’t thinking of the task at hand. They are laser focused on fishing, using archery season as a payoff once they get through the final push of tournament season.
“At the end of the day we’re grateful to be fishing and making up our entire schedule of events,” both Swindles said in unison.
“The B.A.S.S. Tournament Staff did a heck of a job to ensure we got our full season in,” Gerald said. “So for now we’re happy to not be hunting… but after Toyota Texas Fest on Lake Fork those deer are in trouble!”
Collins Sticks To Plan, Maintains Lead At B.A.S.S. Nation Regional On Toledo Bend
Texas team angler Albert Collins, of Nacogdoches, Texas, is leading after Day 2 of the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional at Toledo Bend with a two-day total of 22 pounds, 11 ounces.
Photo by Brenden Kanies/B.A.S.S.
October 15, 2020
MANY, La. — Albert Collins “didn’t change a thing” on Thursday after staking himself to the Day 1 lead in the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional at Toledo Bend Reservoir.
The repeat performance paid dividends.
Collins caught a five-bass limit Thursday that weighed 9 pounds, 9 ounces, following the 13-2 limit he caught a day earlier. The 55-year old Nacogdoches, Texas, angler remained atop the boater division with a 22-11 total and finds himself one solid bag away from a tournament title on this 181,000-acre reservoir straddling the Louisiana/Texas border.
The only difference between Day 1 and Day 2 was that Collins lacked the 5-pound largemouth that anchored his bag Wednesday.
“I ran the same spots I did yesterday,” Collins said after Thursday’s weigh-in at Cypress Bend Park. “I caught seven keepers yesterday, and I caught six today. It’s been a grind, but I’ve been able to find the fish I need.”
A cold front is expected to move across Toledo Bend late Thursday evening, dropping temperatures from the low 80s to the mid-50s by the 7 a.m. takeoff on Friday. Rain is forecast overnight as well, and a stiff north wind could make it prohibitive for Collins to motor to the northern edge of Toledo Bend where he’s built his lead this week.
“I’ll still go north, I just won’t go as far north, I think,” Collins said.
A total of 160 anglers from eight states started this three-day event — 80 in both the boater and nonboater divisions. Both fields were cut to the Top 22 anglers after Thursday’s weigh-in, including the Top 16 overall, as well as any others who aren’t in that number but are first or second on their state team.
Jared Miller of Norman, Okla., is in second place among boaters with a two-day total of 21-1, and Blake Sylvester of Plaquemine, La., is third with 20-4. Josh Ray of Alexander, Ark., is fourth with 20-1, while Missouri teammates Rick Carroll and Adam Johnson both have 19-8 heading into Friday’s finale.
Miller caught five bass for 12-13 on Thursday, which was the third-heaviest sack of the day. Like Collins, he’s making a long run north on Toledo Bend and said wind could reduce the time he can fish on Friday.
Miller said he’s working in an area thick with cypress knees, and it is taking him as long as 90 minutes to idle into the spot, then another 90 to idle out. That follows a 30-plus mile run north and another back to Cypress Bend.
“I don’t have an alternate plan,” Miller said. “I found the spot in practice. It’s where I’m going. The spot is huge, with thousands of trees. I just wish I had more time.”
Sylvester also is fishing the northern part of the reservoir in “shallow, dirty water like we fish back home on the Atchafalaya Basin,” he said.
“I may have to scrap everything and just go fishing tomorrow,” he said. “But if (the wind) doesn’t blow hard, I’m going all the way again.”
Trace Day of Denham Springs, La., leads the nonboater field after catching three-bass limits each day for a total of 13-6 overall. Connor Rushing of Pride, La., is second in the division with 13-4 and Phil Clopton of Macks Creek, Mo., is third with 13-2.
Clopton boated the biggest bass of the tournament to date (6-13) while fishing with Sylvester on Thursday. The hefty largemouth was the only bass he caught on Day 2, but he leads for the $250 cash prize that will go to the nonboater with the heaviest bass of the tournament.
Jason Carpenter of Greeley, Colo., maintains his Day 1 lead for heaviest bass in the boater division (6-11). Big bass in that field comes with a $500 cash prize.
Arkansas won the team championship portion, which was decided Thursday. The 20-person squad from the Natural State weighed 93 bass over two days for a total of 200-8 and collected a $5,000 cash prize. Louisiana placed second with 88 bass for 187-5 and won $3,000. Missouri won $2,000 for finishing third (81 bass, 163-14).
This tournament is the final B.A.S.S. Nation Regional before the season championship is held Nov. 11-13 on Alabama’s Pickwick Lake.
The top boater of the tournament will win $5,000 Friday afternoon, and the winning nonboater will win $2,500.
The total purse in this week’s regional is $24,000.
Day 3 begins at 7 a.m. CT Friday from Cypress Bend Park, and weigh-in will be held back at the park at 3 p.m.
Collins Takes Lead At B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional On Toledo Bend Reservoir
Texas team angler Albert Collins, of Nacogdoches, Texas, is leading after Day 1 of the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional at Toledo Bend with 13 pounds, 2 ounces.
Photo by Brenden Kanies/B.A.S.S.
October 14, 2020
MANY, La. — Albert Collins thought an average weight of 12 or 13 pounds per day could put him in contention at the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional at Toledo Bend Reservoir.
After Day 1, he’s right on target.
Collins, who lives in Nacogdoches, Texas, about an hour’s drive from the event’s takeoff site at Cypress Bend Park, caught five bass on Wednesday that weighed 13 pounds, 2 ounces. That total met his expectations — and it was enough to give him the lead on this mammoth 181,000-acre reservoir on the Louisiana/Texas border.
Collins has a slim 8-ounce lead in the boater division, which features 80 anglers from eight states. An additional 80 nonboaters are competing in the three-day event, which is the final B.A.S.S. Nation Regional before the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, which is scheduled for Nov. 11-13 on Alabama’s Pickwick Lake.
Collins said he only fishes Toledo Bend about twice a year. But knowing he was competing in this regional, he’s made note of the winning totals from recent tournaments on the famed fishery.
“Louisiana B.A.S.S. Nation had their tournament here two weeks ago, and it took 24 pounds over two days to win that one,” Collins said. “There was a team tournament here last weekend, and it took 25 pounds to win that one. So I knew it was going to be pretty tough.”
Collins, who will turn 56 on Halloween, said he only caught seven keepers Wednesday. He believes Hurricane Delta, which came ashore in southwest Louisiana last week, may have hindered the Day 1 haul on Toledo Bend.
Of the 160 competing anglers, only nine caught double-digit totals, which is noteworthy for a place that produces lunker bass with relative frequency. Oklahoma’s Austin Cranford, who weighed four bass for 12-9, is in second place, while Arkansas’ Jim Martin (four bass, 12-4) and his Natural State teammate Don Douglas IV (five bass, 12-2) hold down third and fourth place, respectively.
Collins said he’s been forced to adjust on the fly.
“I was on a little better bite in practice, but the hurricane has the water up,” he said. “I’m fishing offshore, but kind of at mid-depth, and it changed some things. I caught three fish early, and the last of them I had to grind pretty hard to catch.”
Collins said he favored plum colored lures on Day 1, including a 6th Sense C10 crankbait (chartreuse/black), a 6th Sense Ridge worm and a Mister Twister Hang 10! worm.
Danny Fourr of Waterflow, N.M., caught three bass that weighed 9-2 and leads the nonboater field.
Fourr qualified for the 2016 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship on Lake Conroe in Texas, but he got sick during the tournament and didn’t perform well. Nevertheless, he said having that experience made him a better angler and he wants to prove it on Toledo Bend — and hopefully Pickwick.
“I’m here this week to get back (to the championship),” Fourr said. “I’m ready to go again.”
Jason Carpenter of Greeley, Colo., had a 6-11 largemouth that ranked as the heaviest bass in either division. That was the only fish he caught, but he’s still in 27th place. There is a $500 cash prize for the boater with the heaviest bass of the tournament and a $250 prize for the biggest bass in the nonboater division.
Team Arkansas led Wednesday’s action with its 20 anglers combining to catch 53 bass for a total weight of 115-5. Team Louisiana is in second place (40 bass, 90-8) and Missouri is third (38 bass, 75-13.)
The entire field will compete again Thursday, and both divisions will be cut to their Top 16 anglers for Friday’s final day of competition. Any competitors in first or second place for their state, but not in the Top 16 in their division, will make the cut as well.
The top boater will win $5,000 and the top nonboater will earn $2,500. The state with the heaviest total after Thursday’s weigh-in will win $5,000.
The total purse for this week’s regional is $24,000.
Day 2 of the B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional will begin at Cypress Bend Park at 7 a.m. CT Thursday. Weigh-in is scheduled for 3 p.m.
Lester: Eliminating Water is Important
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Practice has begun for Bassmaster Elite Series pros on Lake Chickamauga for what will be their third straight week of tournament fishing. The fall transition has lakes across the country fishing tough right now and early reports sound as though it’ll be another grinder of a derby on The Chick.
Team Toyota’s Brandon Lester said his first day of practice didn’t give him much to smile about in terms of fish catching, but the even-keeled Tennessee native wasn’t shaken. He knows it’s all part of the process.
As backward as it may sound, Lester believes a slow day of practice could be the key to a successful tournament. For every potential area he eliminates from his game plan gets him one step closer to dialing in for day one of competition.
“Eliminating water is always an important part of practice but even more on a lake like Chickamauga,” Lester explained. “There are tons of quality fish in here, but there is just so much dead water this time of year. Learning where not to spend your time is just as important as getting bites.”
Of the areas Lester visited during his first day of practice, he suspects 70% of it can be removed from his tournament plan completely, with 30% of what he saw having potential when it comes time for game day.
Sections of the lake aren’t the only thing Lester looks to eliminate, he’s also trying to hone in on what lures and techniques he needs to spend the lion share of his time throwing. Ruling out certain presentations is an important part of that equation.
“Every rod I can take off the front deck and put back in the rod locker makes me smile,” Lester joked. “I had over 15 rods out all day, hopefully I can narrow that down a bit tomorrow.”
Elite Series pros have two more full days of practice until competition begins Friday morning for the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite on Lake Chickamauga. Lester intends to spend that time covering as much water as possible; looking for bass-shaped needles in the proverbial haystack this fishery makes up.
“From my house here to Dayton is a ~150 mile drive my Tundra,” Lester said. “I promise you I’ll cover more miles in my Phoenix throughout practice. I don’t want to spread myself too thin, but the winning fish could come from anywhere this week, and I’d love to find them.”
Former Carhartt College Champ Previews Chick
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Jacob Foutz is one of few 22-year olds on the planet who can say they’ve competed in the Bassmaster Classic. The 2017 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Champion represented college anglers on bass fishing’s biggest stage just a few short years ago and now serves as a fishing guide on Lake Chickamauga, the site for this week’s Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite.
In mid September Foutz won a two-day BFL Super Tournament that went out of this week’s venue and he attended college right here in Dayton, Tennessee at Bryan College.
Furthermore, he recently left a workingman’s job at Coca-Cola Consolidated due to his guide business on Chickamauga being busy enough to merit him going full-time with it. Plainly stated, Foutz has spent a ton of time on this fishery in recent years.
Dave Mercer nicknamed Foutz “The Paper Boy” back in 2018, so we asked the former college fishing standout to deliver the news on what Elite Series pros might face this week on “The Chick”.
Q: Will Lake Chickamauga’s famous Tennessee River Ledges be dominant in a four-day tournament this time of year?
Foutz: “I wouldn’t completely write them off, but in my experience the offshore bite struggles when they start dropping the water level during the fall drawdown. They’ve already began that process but we aren’t all the way to winter pool just yet.”
Q: What are three lures anglers at the top of the leaderboard will be throwing this week?
Foutz: “I would personally say a frog but lets broaden that to some kind of topwater, as schooling fish could be a factor. Second would be a punching or big weight setup, and lastly I’d think a bladed jig.”
Q: Based on those lures, do you think Chickamauga’s grass will be a focal point for Elite Series pros this week?
Foutz: “There will definitely be a lot of anglers fishing in and around grass, but this lake offers all kinds of cover guys could catch bass out of. Docks, brush piles, shallow wood, current and rocks all might be in play when the lake is fishing as tough as it is right now.”
Q: What region of the lake do you think the tournament will be won in?
Foutz: “The majority of multi-day tournaments on this lake are won on the lower end, but due to the fickle nature of fall fishing I genuinely believe this event could be won anywhere. There are quality fish swimming everywhere in here; I’m talking dam to dam. But getting five of those fish in the boat everyday will be a chore.”
In summary, Foutz is calling this tournament “wide open”. Recent local tournament weights aren’t indicative of just how many giant bass live in this lake and someone in the Elite Series field is sure to crack the code.
If you are interested in booking a guided trip with Jacob Foutz on this legendary fishery or several others in the area follow this link and set something up! https://www.jacobfoutzfishing.com/
AC Insider Podcast - "Freestyle Buf-fet" with Frank "The Tank" Talley!
This week in a pre-recorded show, Chris and the boys welcome in Strike King/Lews Pro Frank "The Tank" Talley to talk about his first win on the Bassmaster Elite Series on Lake Guntersville! This is a fun interview that you wont want to miss!!
Bernie Schultz Banks Toyota Bonus Bucks
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Bassmaster tournament veteran Bernie Schultz methodically picked bass off of Santee Cooper’s famous cypress trees en route to his 5th place finish at the Bassmaster Elite on Santee Cooper Lakes presented by the United States Marine Core.
His efforts hauled in the $3,000 Toyota Bonus Bucks payout and further cemented his claim to the best-looking visor on the Elite Series. The Gainesville, Florida pro has long been considered one of the good guys of the sport and it’s great to see him near the top of the leaderboard.
Schultz primarily relied on a weightless 5-inch watermelon / green pumpkin laminate Yamamoto Senko he wacky-rigged to catch fickle bass smack dab in the middle of their fall transition. He used a VMC Ike Approved Weedless Neko Hook for the business end of his setup and fished extremely slow to get more bites than his competitors.
After towing with a suburban for most of his early career, Schultz made the switch to a Toyota Tundra several years ago and hasn’t looked back. Saying the towing power and dependability of a Tundra have won him over.
“I’ve never owned a more reliable tow vehicle,” Schultz said about his 2018 Tundra. “I’ve owned two Tundras now and all I’ve ever had to do is buy gas and windshield wipers. That’s it. The truck is truly a workhorse and tows exceptionally well.”
Bernie explained the Schultz family actually has three Toyota vehicles to their name and they are all pleased with their choices. His wife drives a 4Runner, his son sports a Highlander, and he drives a Tundra.
“My 2018 has around 40,000 miles on it, which isn’t a lot for a Toyota, but I’m already looking forward to buying a 2022 in a year or so,” Schultz concluded.
Fortunately for you, it doesn’t take a top finish against some of the best bass anglers in the world to reap the rewards of Toyota Bonus Bucks. The popular contingency program supports hundreds of bass and walleye tournaments of all levels, including team tournaments and college series events.
As long as you own a Toyota tow vehicle that is five years old or newer (2016 or newer) and you are the highest placing registered participant in a Bonus Bucks supported event you are eligible for payouts. For a full list of events, program rules, or to get registered head to https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/.
For any questions or comments reach out to Chip or Kendell at [email protected] and they’ll help you out.
Morrow Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League event on Lake Hartwell
Co-angler Victory Goes to Hiawassee’s McClure
ANDERSON, S.C. (Oct. 13, 2020) Boater Troy Morrow of Eastanollee, Georgia, brought a two-day total of 10 bass to the scale weighing 32 pounds even, to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Savannah River Division Super-Tournament at Lake Hartwell presented by Fish-Intel. For his victory, Morrow earned $6,415.
I didn’t start catching fish until after 9 a.m, but I had found a spot in practice with some big ones on a timber line,” said Morrow. “I broke a big one off yesterday that would have really helped but I went back today and they were schooling so I caught them all on top.”
Morrow comes from a recent Toyota Series win on Lake Norman, only a few short weeks ago.
“On Hartwell, it all depends on what bait the fish are currently eating,” Morrow continued. “These were eating small fish so I threw small topwater baits. Normally if you can find them eating on the bluebacks, you go with pencil poppers, big sammies and your bigger walking baits.”
Morrow said if he had to name his key bait it would be the Zoom Shakey Head Worm in green-pumpkin color.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:
1st: Troy Morrow of Eastonellee, Ga.,10 bass, 32-0, $6,415
2nd: Derek Lehtonen of Woodruff, S.C., 10 bass, 28-4, $3,708
3rd: Chris Nelson of Social Circle, Ga., 10 bass, 27-4, $2,141
4th: Jayme Rampey of Liberty, S.C., 10 bass, 26-11, $1,497
5th: Tony Holliday of Piedmont, S.C., 10 bass, 25-5, $1,283
6th: Justin Singleton of Myrtle Beach, S.C., 10 bass, 24-12, $1,376
7th: Lane Wright of Cumming, Ga., 10 bass, 24-6, $1,069
8th: Bo Price of Seneca, S.C., 10 bass, 23-12, $962
9th: Trent Palmer of Cumming, Ga., 10 bass, 23-1, $855
10th: Collin Smith of Honea Path, S.C., 10 bass, 21-11, $748
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Jeremy Strong of Elberton, Georgia earned the day’s $907 Boater Big Bass award with a 5-pound, 5-ounce bass.
Lehtonen took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Nathan McClure of Hiawassee, Georgia earned the win in the Co-angler Division Sunday after catching a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 19 pounds, 6 ounces. McClure earned $3,181 for his victory.
The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:
1st: Nathan McClure of Hiawassee, Ga., 10 bass, 19-6, $3,181
2nd: Adam Tanner of Cleveland, Ga., 10 bass, 18-10, $1,591
3rd: Wendell Grantham of Athens, Ga., 10 bass, 17-13, $1,061
4th: Christopher Chavis of Guyton, Ga., nine bass, 17-5, $742
5th: Blake Wilson of Benton, Ark., 10 bass, 17-3, $636
6th: Wayne Hancock of Cumming, Ga., 10 bass, 16-15, $583
7th: Cody Coker of Comer, Ga., eight bass, 15-13, $530
8th: Brian Anthony of Pickens, S.C., 10 bass, 15-9, $677
9th: Gary Haraguchi of Phoenix, Ariz., nine bass, 15-7, $424
10th: Kevin Henderson of Honea Path, S.C., seven bass, 15-3, $371
Collin Cribb of Sumter, South Carolina, earned the event’s Co-angler Big Bass Award of $450 with a fish weighing in at 3 pounds, 7 ounces
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Hartwell was hosted by the Anderson Convention and Visitors Bureau and was the fifth and final qualifying event in the 2020 Savannah River Division.
Now the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Savannah River Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to the Oct. 22-24 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia, hosted by Gainesville Convention and Visitors Bureau. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they 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 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held Nov. 11-13 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.
Tom Nokes Takes Day One Lead of the 2020 WON Bass U.S. Open
Cody Steckel in second at 38th Event from Lake Mead
by Dan O'Sullivan
Las Vegas, Nev. – October 12, 2020 – Any time the anglers converge on Callville Bay marina and the waters of Lake Mead for the WON Bass U.S. Open, anything can happen. It is not unusual to find extreme weather conditions and tough fishing as the norm for the event. In the case of the 2020 Bass Cat Boats / Mercury WON Bass U.S. Open, the event was welcomed with Chamber of Commerce weather and the usual tough bite.
While most anglers want wind and waves to trigger the bass bite, high skies and slick conditions were the canvas for the field to begin applying the strokes that would become the portrait that is each WON Bass U.S. Open.
When conditions slick off, anglers can try to force the bite they found in practice or fall back to something that requires a little more deftness. That is precisely that day one leader Tom Nokes and AAA his partner Luke Spreitzer chose to do. The pair produced a stellar 12.69-pound limit to take the day one lead of the 2020 Bass Cat Boats / Mercury WON Bass U.S. Open
The pair reported trying to run aggressive patterns fist thing this morning, but when the fish didn’t respond, they hunkered down. “We went to our water and the fish weren’t responding to our presentations early, so we turned to dropshotting, and they bit,” said Nokes. “We were able to cull a couple of fish later in the day and expand on my area, so I feel like I have something to go on going forward.”
Not to be outdone, pro Cody Steckel and his AAA partner Clara Ricabal put 11.44 pounds on the scales at Callville Bay to finish the day in second place. Steckel said that it could have been better. “I kind of expected to have a decent day with the practice I had and saw some fish that would have made today very interesting,” he said. “I caught everything fairly close to takeoff, and on plastics, so I think I’ll be able to continue event in the conditions.
Robert Maddox and his AAA Partner Christopher Dix brought 11.18 pounds to the scales to finish the day in third place, they were followed in fourth place by Carl Limerick and Len Scinto with 10.82 pounds, and rounding out the top five was the team of John Stewart and Kyle Charles with 10.63 pounds.
Jocumsen Earns $1,000 Yamaha Power Pay Bonus
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
KENNESAW, Ga. – Oct. 12, 2020 – Carl Jocumsen, the only Australian to win a
Bassmaster ® event, narrowly missed claiming another trophy when he finished
second to good friend Brandon Palaniuk in the Bassmaster ® Elite on Santee
Cooper Lakes presented by the United States Marine Corps ® .
Jocumsen’s story is an inspiring one and he added another exciting chapter last
weekend on Santee Cooper. Speaking of excited, Jocumsen and his wife Kayla
were thrilled to learn they earned another $1,000 Power Pay bonus thanks to the
Yamaha V MAX SHO ® outboard on the back of his Bass Cat ® Boat.
This marks the second time Jocumsen’s has pocketed the Yamaha Power Pay
money this year; a grand reminder that his decision to run a Yamaha outboard
motor in 2020 has been fruitful in a myriad of ways.
His primary pattern was based around using a 1.25-ounce WOO Tungsten ®
weight to punch a Molix ® SV Craw into matted vegetation in the back of Jack’s
Creek on the massive South Carolina fishery.
Keeper bites were few and far between, but committing to punching heavy
vegetation and having extreme confidence in his equipment allowed him to milk
his main area for all it was worth.
“Had I not been running a Yamaha day three could have been a disaster,”
Jocumsen said. “With only three keepers in my livewell I was running out of time
and I still had a long run through rough water. Having the utmost trust in my
equipment allowed me to push it until the last minute, catch my fourth keeper,
and make it back to weigh-in with little time to spare.”
You don’t have to win a tournament or be a professional fisherman to reap the
benefits of Yamaha’s reliability or the popular Power Pay contingency program.
Power Pay supports hundreds of bass, saltwater, walleye, and high school or
college level tournaments and is awarded to the highest finishing registered
participant in these events.
Don’t leave money on the table and visit yamahapowerpay.com for further
information, complete terms and conditions or to register for Yamaha Power Pay.
Or feel free to email Chip with questions or comments at
[email protected]
Yamaha Marine products are marketed throughout the United States and around
the world. Yamaha Marine Engine Systems, based in Kennesaw, Ga., supports
its 2,000 U.S. dealers and boat builders with marketing, training and parts for
Yamaha’s full line of products and strives to be the industry leader in reliability,
technology and customer service. Yamaha Marine is the only outboard brand to
have earned NMMA®’s C.S.I. Customer Satisfaction Index award every year
since its inception. Visit www.yamahaoutboards.com.
This document contains many of Yamaha’s valuable trademarks. It may also
contain trademarks belonging to other companies. Any references to other
companies or their products are for identification purposes only, and are not
intended to be an endorsement.
REMEMBER to always observe all applicable boating laws. Never drink and
drive. Dress properly with a USCG-approved personal floatation device and
protective gear.
Costa Sunglasses Supports Veterans Through New Freedom Series
Daytona Beach, Fla. – October 8, 2020 – Long known for high-quality, on-water eyewear, Costa® Sunglasses is proud to announce its latest special line of frames, the Freedom Series, highlighting the brand’s partnership with Freedom Fighter Outdoors (FFO).
The new Freedom Series sunglasses feature many of the most popular Costa frame styles in patriotic-inspired colorways, while supporting Freedom Fighters Outdoors’ initiative to help get veterans out on the water and participating in recreational outdoor activities.
Including 16 frame styles across the brand’s core performance and beach lifestyle categories, the Freedom Series is inspired by the most patriotic themes—featuring unique frame colors like: Matte Freedom Fade, Matte USA Red, Shiny American Sky, and Matte Blue Firework. Additionally, small flag-inspired accents, including logo decals and temple designs are embedded into frames within the lineup.
“As advocates for our watery world, we are thrilled to join forces with the like-minded team at Freedom Fighter Outdoors,” said T.J. McMeniman, vice president of marketing at Costa. “As a veteran, I understand how impactful programs like this can be for our injured service members. Providing support to give veterans a once in a lifetime experience on the water is extremely important to us. We’re proud to play a small role in honoring and empowering our nation’s heroes.’”
"FFO is very fortunate to be a part of this collaboration with Costa,” said Vincent LaSorsa, founder/president of Freedom Fighter Outdoors. “The brand’s support and generosity to our organization and our nations veterans is the highest honor. We are so thankful that Costa is seeing the good side of our mission to honor our nations veterans.”
The Freedom Series is now available in a variety of Costa frame styles with Costa 580® lens technology in both Lightwave® glass and impact-resistant polycarbonate, which provides 100 percent UV protection and polarization. The line will range in price from $179 to $279, depending on frame and lens combination. For more information on the new frames and the full line of Costa sunglasses, visit https://www.costadelmar.com/en-us/collections/freedom-series.
Daves Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on James River
Co-angler Victory Goes to Maryland’s Bae
HENRICO, Va. (Oct. 12, 2020) Pro Chris Daves of Spring Grove, Virginia, brought a three-day total of 15 bass to the scale weighing 50 pounds, 1 ounces to win the no-entry fee Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Regional Championship on the James River. For his victory, Daves earned $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and automatic entry into the 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Championship, June 3-5, at Douglas Lake in Dandridge, Tennessee.
“We had extremely low tides the past few days, which put the fish off the bank and right where I like to fish,” said Daves, regarding the key to his victory.
“I fished drops on the lower end of James in the mouth of the Chickahominy River, at a depth of 4 to 5 feet, with a chartreuse-colored square-bill crankbait,” continued Daves. “I also caught several key fish on a ribbontail worm.”
Daves said he grew up fishing this river and Wards Creek.
“Fishing on your home lake, you normally get the local jinx, but this time it worked out for me, so it feels good,” said Daves.
The top six boaters that qualified for 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American were:
1st: Chris Daves of Spring Grove, Va., 15 bass, 50-1, $60,000
2nd: Jason Burger of Bridgeton, N.J., 15 bass, 45-11, $10,000
3rd: Chris Baldwin of Lexington, N.C., 15 bass, 44-6, $5,200
4th: Keith Estes of Spring Grove, Va., 15 bass, 44-4, $3,000
5th: Jason Thomas of Lexington, N.C., 15 bass, 43-10, $2,500
6th: Chad Poteat of Mount Airy, N.C., 15 bass, 43-9, $1,800
Rounding out the top 10 boaters were:
7th: Chris Dover of Blacksburg, S.C., 15 bass, 41-11, $1,600
8th: Jason Barnes of Concord, N.C., 15 bass, 41-9, $1,400
9th: Cole Huskins of Gastonia, N.C., 15 bass, 40-9, $1,200
10th: Steve Colgin of Lanexa, Va., 15 bass, 40-1, $1,000
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Thomas took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Moo Bae of West Friendship, Maryland, weighed in 15 bass over three days totaling 35 pounds, 5 ounces to win the top co-angler prize package of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The top six co-anglers that qualified for the 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American were:
1st: Moo Bae of West Friendship, Md., 15 bass, 35-5, $50,000, including Phoenix 819 Pro boat w/200-hp outboard
2nd: David Mills of Wirtz, Va., 15 bass, 33-11, $5,000
3rd: Rod Mackinnon of Middletown, N.Y., 14 bass, 30-3, $2,500
4th: Travis Garrett of Charlottesville, Va., 13 bass, 30-3, $1,500
5th: Terri Davis of Chilhowie, Va., 15 bass, 27-15, $1,000
6th: Robert Wedding of Welcome, Md., 11 bass, 25-12, $1,150
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
7th: Cody Lewis of Ooltewah, Tenn., nine bass, 22-2, $800
8th: Nick Coker of Knoxville, Tenn., 13 bass, 21-12, $700
9th: Bradley Smith of Cherryville, N.C. 14 bass, 21-3, $600
10th: Gregory Chuhta of Germantown, Md., 12 bass, 20-11, $500
The Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Regional Championship on the James River was hosted by Richmond Region Tourism. It featured the top pros and co-anglers from the North Carolina, Northeast, Shenandoah and Volunteer divisions.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they 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 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
Boggs Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Chickamauga
Co-angler Victory Goes to Vonore’s Lemons
DAYTON, Tenn. (Oct. 12, 2020) Boater Drew Boggs of Lebanon, Tennessee, brought a three-day total of 15 bass to the scale weighing 40 pounds, 11 ounces to win the no-entry fee Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Regional Championship at Lake Chickamauga. For his victory, Boggs earned $61,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and automatic entry into the 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Championship, June 3-5, at Douglas Lake in Dandridge, Tennessee.
“This is my first time in a long time to come out on top, and I’ve been trying hard,” said Boggs. “It’s been a grind with the drop in water levels, so I’m super excited with what I weighed in today.”
Boggs said he found his winning fish in the middle part of the lake, fishing shallow, throwing a swimbait, buzzbait and a squarebill crankbait.
“I was fishing water that hadn’t been fished and getting to places other people hadn’t been to – I think that made the biggest difference,” continued Boggs. “I’m so excited – this will be my third All-American tournament to compete in and I can’t wait,” said Boggs.
The top six boaters that qualified for 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American were:
1st: Drew Boggs of Lebanon, Tenn., 15 bass, 40-11, $61,000
2nd: Blake Tomlin of Greenville, Ga., 13 bass, 37-9, $10,000
3rd: Jason Nixon of Wetumpka, Ala., 13 bass, 37-2, $5,000
4th: Brent Butler of Vonore, Tenn., 14 bass, 35-12, $3,000
5th: Lloyd Pickett, Jr., of Bartlett, Tenn., 14 bass, 35-0, $2,000
6th: Christopher Thomas of Birmingham, Ala., 14 bass, 34-7, $1,800
Rounding out the top 10 boaters were:
7th: Jeff Cannon of Douglasville, Ga., 14 bass, 33-15, $1,600
8th: Mike Quinlin of Mooresville, Ind., 14 bass, 33-2, $1,900
9th: Vernon Lowe of Oneida, Tenn., 14 bass, 32-11, $1,200
10th: David Wootton of Collierville, Tenn., 10 bass, 30-10, $1,000
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Quinlin took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Samuel Lemons of Vonore, Tennessee, weighed in 10 bass over three days totaling 32 pounds, 5 ounces to win the top co-angler prize package of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The top six co-anglers that qualified for the 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American were:
1st: Samuel Lemons of Vonore, Tenn., 32-5, 10 bass, $50,000
2nd: Brent Clark of Bowling Green, Ky., 11 bass, 21-4, $5,000
3rd: Curtis Cline of Lafayette, Tenn., 10 bass, 19-1, $2,500
4th: Keith Whipple of Iuka, Miss., eight bass, 18-8, $1,500
5th: Allen Neal of Whitley City, Ky., seven bass, 17-13, $1,000
6th: Michael Petras of Biloxi, Miss., seven bass, 17-11, $900
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
7th: Dennis Taylor of Murray, Ky., eight bass, 15-10, $800
8th: Nathan Martin of Golden, Miss., five bass, 15-0, $700
9th: Jojo Walsh of Lyles, Tenn., four bass, 13-13, $600
10th: Josh Allen of Salem, Ala., six bass, 13-6, $500
The Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Regional Championship on Lake Chickamauga was hosted by the Rhea Economic and Tourism Council. It featured the top pros and co-anglers from the Bama (Alabama), LBL (Kentucky), Mississippi, and Mountain (Kentucky-Tennessee) divisions.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they 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 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held June 3-5 at Douglas Lake in Dandridge, Tennessee, and is hosted by the Jefferson County Department of Tourism. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour.
Big Final Day Lifts Palaniuk To Win In Bassmaster Elite At Santee Cooper
Brandon Palaniuk, of Rathdrum, Idaho, has won the 2020 Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes brought to you by the United States Marine Corps with a four-day total of 72 pounds, 2 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
October 11, 2020
Big Final Day Lifts Palaniuk To Win In Bassmaster Elite At Santee Cooper
CLARENDON COUNTY, S.C. — Championships come down to decisions and execution — two things that Brandon Palaniuk mastered en route to amassing a four-day total of 72 pounds, 2 ounces for a dominant win at the Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes brought to you by the United States Marine Corps.
Notching his fifth Elite victory — his second in 2020 (the first at Lake Champlain) — Palaniuk earned a top prize of $100,000.
After leading Day 2, Palaniuk entered Championship Sunday in third place, just 1-3 behind Carl Jocumsen. On Sunday, the pro from Rathdrum, Idaho, added a limit of 22-11 to his previous weights of 21-1, 18-13 and 9-9 to edge Jocumsen.
“This one is so unexpected,” Palaniuk said. “Every single one I won before, I had a good practice and I knew that I would have a shot at the Top 10 and a shot at the win. This one came out of nowhere.”
Spending his tournament in Lake Marion, Palaniuk attributed his final-round success to a prelaunch decision to start in the mouth of the Potato Creek area. Having started there on Day 1, he had a feeling the area was ready to reward him again.
“I was sitting at the dock this morning and something told me to go try it,” Palaniuk said. “With the (warm) weather, the humidity, I felt like I could catch them on topwater, but when I got there, the water was dirty.
“I couldn’t get them to eat it, so I just picked up a 1/2-ounce bladed jig with a 4-inch white X-Zone Swammer. I had not caught a fish on this all week and I caught a 4-pounder and a 3 1/4-pounder.”
Palaniuk caught a lucky break that he exploited when he saw a big fish blow up just out of casting range. Idling toward the commotion, he spotted a brushpile he had not found earlier in the week.
“I tied up a drop shot and caught a giant (7-12) on 10-pound test,” Palaniuk said. “I caught my other limit fish on the drop shot, but I ended up culling them out later.”
Palaniuk’s drop-shot rig comprised a green pumpkin blue flake X-Zone Deception Worm rigged on a No. 1 VMC Finesse Neko Hook with a 1/4-ounce VMC teardrop weight.
Later in the day, Palaniuk returned to the Jack’s Creek area, which produced several of his fish this week. There, he caught two of his keepers by punching a black/blue laminate X-Zone Muscle Back Finesse Craw on a 3/0 VMC Heavy Duty Flippin’ Hook with a 1 1/4-ounce tungsten weight.
“I think it came down to versatility; that’s why I was able to have the kind of day I had,” Palaniuk said. “Without that big one on the drop shot, without those two I caught this morning, I wouldn’t have been able to win.”
Palaniuk overcame a Day 1 penalty of 2 pounds, 4 ounces for inadvertently making a cast with six fish — one more than his legal limit — in his livewell. Palaniuk self-reported the infraction.
“It went through my head about 47 times in the last hour (before weigh-ins),” Palaniuk said. “I kept thinking, ‘If somebody beats me, let it be (more than the penalty weight).’
“One of the things I say a lot is, ‘Control the controllables.’ When I do something like that, it bothers me because it’s something I can control and I knew this event was going to be so tough that 2 pounds is not something you want to be giving up.”
Hailing from Queensland, Australia, Jocumsen took the Day 1 lead by catching the event’s heaviest sack — 25-8. He slipped to second on Day 2 after adding 12-7 and regained the top spot on Saturday with a 4-fish bag that weighed 12-11. On Sunday, Jocumsen missed his limit again and weighed four bass for 13-8 and tallied 64-2.
Each day, Jocumsen started by fishing a grassy depression midlake with a white Z-Man JackHammer ChatterBait with a white Yamamoto Zako trailer. He then moved to grass mats where he punched with a black and blue Molix SV Craw rigged on a 4/0 Owner Jungle hook and a 1 1/4-ounce Woo! Tungsten weight.
“The early spot kicked off like I had hoped it would today,” Jocumsen said. “It was cloudy and dark this morning and they were feeding and I got two good ones.
“After that, I went punching. The sun came out, there was a little bit of wind, everything was right. I had a few opportunities, I had the bites, I just didn’t put them in the boat.”
Cory Johnston of Cavan, Canada, finished third with 61-9. Spending all week in Jack’s Creek, Johnston turned in a consistent performance with daily weights of 17-7, 14-6, 15-3 and 14-9.
“I found the most fish there in practice, so I thought my best bet was to figure out what was going on in that creek day-to-day,” Johnston said. “I caught them flipping a black creature bait, a 3/8-ounce swim jig with a Strike King Rage Craw trailer and a black Spro Bronzeye Poppin’ Frog.”
Palaniuk’s win moved him into 15th place in the Bassmaster Elite Series Angler of the Year standings with 493 points. Clark Wendlandt of Leander, Texas, holds the lead with 587, Johnston follows in second with 550 and David Mullins of Mt. Carmel, Tenn., is in third with 540.
Jeff Gustafson of Keewatin, Canada, won Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 9-7.
Bernie Schultz of Gainesville, Fla., took home $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and Brandon Lester of Fayetteville, Tenn., earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
2020 Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lake brought to you by
the United States Marine Corps 10/8-10/11
Santee Cooper Lakes, Clarendon County, S.C.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 20 72-02 100 $102,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 5 18-13 Day 3: 5 09-09 Day 4: 5 22-11
2. Carl Jocumsen Queensland AUSTRALIA 18 64-02 99 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-08 Day 2: 5 12-07 Day 3: 4 12-11 Day 4: 4 13-08
3. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 20 61-09 98 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-07 Day 2: 5 14-06 Day 3: 5 15-03 Day 4: 5 14-09
4. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 20 60-14 97 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 12-02 Day 3: 5 17-02 Day 4: 5 11-01
5. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 20 60-05 96 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 17-10 Day 3: 5 17-13 Day 4: 5 12-06
6. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 20 58-07 95 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 14-03 Day 3: 5 13-10 Day 4: 5 15-10
7. Destin DeMarion Grove City, PA 19 57-06 94 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 15-15 Day 3: 5 17-15 Day 4: 4 11-08
8. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 20 56-01 93 $16,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 11-09 Day 3: 5 16-13 Day 4: 5 09-05
9. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 16 53-12 92 $17,000.00
Day 1: 4 12-15 Day 2: 5 22-07 Day 3: 3 09-14 Day 4: 4 08-08
10. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 15 50-06 91 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-11 Day 2: 5 19-15 Day 3: 2 09-03 Day 4: 3 05-09
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 07-09 $1,000.00
2 Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA09-07 $1,000.00
3 David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 07-07 $1,000.00
4 Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 07-12 $1,000.00
FLW Announces Lake of the Ozarks as Venue for 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Wild Card Tournament
TULSA, Okla. (Oct. 11, 2020) – FLW announced Sunday that the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Wild Card tournament will take place on Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Missouri, Nov. 20-21. The two-day event, hosted by Fish-Intel, will launch from Public Beach No. 2 in Osage Beach.
In order to be eligible to fish the no-entry-fee Wild Card, anglers must have entered all five events within a Bass Fishing League division during the 2020 season and fished at least two of them. In addition, anglers who fish in a regular BFL regional tournament are ineligible.
Anglers will take off from Public Beach No. 2, located at 711 Public Beach Road in Osage Beach at 7 a.m. CDT each day of competition. The weigh-ins will be held each day at the launch location beginning at 3 p.m. Due to COVID-19 protocols, attendance is limited to competing anglers and essential staff only. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the “FLW Live” weigh-in broadcasts and coverage at FLWFishing.com.
“Fish-Intel is proud to be the host of the upcoming 2020 Wild Card event,” said Bob Bueltman, founder of Fish-Intel, LLC and Bassing Bob, LLC. “Lake of the Ozarks is an ideal location due to its central U.S. location and is a great community with plenty of restaurants and lodging. Fish-Intel and BassingBob.com are looking forward to welcoming all the anglers, their families and the FLW staff next month.”
During the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Wild Card, the full field competes both days, with winners determined by the heaviest two-day catch. The top six boaters and top six co-anglers will advance to the 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine All-American, held on Lake Douglas in Dandridge, Tennessee, June 3-5, hosted by Jefferson County Department of Tourism.
An optional pot is available to anglers who elect to participate at the Wild Card tournament. Entry fees for the optional pot is $300 for boaters and $150 for co-anglers, with the top 20 percent of anglers who elect to participate in the optional pot receiving checks. There will be no official practice period or off-limits period prior to the pretournament meeting for the Wild Card. No contestant may be on tournament waters for the purpose of locating bass or potential fishing waters after the start of the pretournament meeting except during tournament hours.
Entry for the Bass Fishing League Wild Card is now open and runs through Thursday, November 19, 2020, at 5 p.m. CDT. Anglers can enter by phone at 270.252.1000.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they 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 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
Cook Wins Toyota Series Event on Lake of the Ozarks
Lebanon Pro Wins by 2-pound, 14-ounce margin, Earns $33,619
OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (Oct. 11, 2020) – Toyota Series angler Corey Cook of Lebanon, Missouri, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 11 pounds even to win the three-day Toyota Series at Lake of the Ozarks tournament in Osage Beach, Missouri. Cook’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 49-13 earned him the win by a 2-pound, 14 ounce margin over second-place pro Jeremy Lawyer of Sarcoxie, Missouri, and earned Cook the top payout of $33,619 in the second tournament of the 2020 Toyota Series Plains Division.
“This is crazy,” said Cook, who earned his first career FLW victory. “Last year we won that boat, and that was the biggest thing. And I’ll never forget that, because it was with my dad. It’s super special. But to get this, man, this is super awesome. It’s what I always dreamed of.”
However, Cook said that dream was nearly a nightmare to start the day.
The moment they announced his name at takeoff, Cook’s motor stopped working as he went to pull away from the dock. Fortunately, he was able to swap into another boat, but his luck really never turned around much, from only catching three keepers by midday, to a lost big fish, to even making a few-mile run to hit one dock, only to have two guys stomp across it while he was fishing it.
Basically, Cook said, if it could go wrong for him, it did. Fortunately, he had a goal and stuck to it.
“There was definitely a moment or two this morning where I thought, ‘man, it’s just not my day,’” said Cook. “But I tried to keep my mind positive. I knew I just needed five good keeper bites because it’s usually tougher on Saturday.”
Cook ended the day catching seven and landed six keepers, which was more than enough.
Cook said he spent most of the year sinking brush piles around docks for this event in the Grand Glaize area and marking them, though only by memory. Some spots were in out-of-the-way places, according to Cook, but only one in five was any good, with less than 20 producing fish for him this event. Cook also said he only used two rods with a small tackle box full of homemade green pumpkin football jigs with matching Zoom Super Speed Craw trailers.
“That’s just what we do,” said Cook, who counted on his memory and simple tackle options when he quickly switched boats Saturday morning. “It keeps it simple. You’re not switching back and forth between a hundred things throughout the day. We have two colors: green and brown, but brown wasn’t as good this week; however, if you put it in front of the right fish, he’s going to bite it.”
Cook said he found just enough “right ones” today to hold on to his first big tournament victory and to seal the win.
“Words can’t describe how this feels,” said Cook.
The top 10 pros on the Lake of the Ozarks finished:
1st: Corey Cook of Lebanon, Mo., 15 bass, 49-13, $33,619
2nd: Jeremy Lawyer of Sarcoxie, Mo., 15 bass, 46-15, $13,028
3rd: Shane Long of Willard, Mo., 15 bass, 45-12, $10,086
4th: Andy Newcomb of Camdenton, Mo., 15 bass, 44-13, $9,405
5th: Roger Fitzpatrick of Eldon, Mo., 15 bass, 44-10, $7,621
6th: Lawson Hibdon of Versailles, Mo., 15 bass, 40-11, $6,724
7th: Brent Chapman of Lenexa, Kan., 15 bass, 39-10, $5,883
8th: Brian Wilson of Somerset, Ky., 11 bass, 29-10, $5,043
9th: Joe Wieberg of Freeburg, Mo., 11 bass, 28-13, $4,202
10th: Takayuki Koike of Ohtsu, Japan, 10 bass, 26-12, $3,362
A complete list of results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Newcomb took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Matt Krekovich of Granite City, Illinois won the Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 12 bass weighing 27 pounds, 12 ounces. Krekovich took home the top prize package of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor.
The top 10 co-anglers on the Lake of the Ozarks finished:
1st: Matt Krekovich of Granite City, Ill., 12 bass, 27-12, Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp outboard
2nd: Adam Caldwell of Springfield, Mo., 10 bass, 24-9, $4,278
3rd: Mike Youngblood of St. Louis, Mo., nine bass, 20-10, $3,422
4th: Shannon McClelland of Springdale, Ark., 10 bass, 18-4, $2,995
5th: Tyrone Phillips of Little Rock, Ark., 10 bass, 18-4, $2,767
6th: Robert Shockley of Springfield, Mo., seven bass, 17-0, $2,139
7th: Robert Bogard, Jr. of Conway, Ark., seven bass, 16-12, $1,711
8th: Mark Shelton of Fayetteville, Ark., seven bass, 15-5, $1,997
9th: Matthew Cesar of Crane, Mo., seven bass, 15-4, $1,283
10th: Jeff Moss of Oronogo, Mo., eight bass, 15-4, $1,069
The Toyota Series at the Lake of the Ozarks was hosted by the Tri-County Lodging Association. It was the second of three regular-season tournaments in 2020 for Plains Division anglers. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will take place on Oct. 15-17 – the Toyota Series at Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Brookeland, Texas. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.
The 2020 Toyota Series consists of eight divisions – Central, Eastern, Northern, Plains, Southeastern, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 FLW PHOENIX Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The 2020 Toyota Series Championship will be held Dec. 3-5 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky, and is hosted by the Somerset Tourist & Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission.
Late Catch Pushes Jocumsen Into Lead At Bassmaster Elite On Santee Cooper
Queensland, Australia native Carl Jocumsen is leading after Day 3 of the 2020 Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes brought to you by the United States Marine Corps with a three-day total of 50 pounds, 10 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
October 10, 2020
CLARENDON COUNTY, S.C. — Carl Jocumsen’s never-give-up attitude served the Queensland, Australia, angler well, as a last-second catch propelled him to the Day 3 lead of the Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes brought to you by the United States Marine Corps with a three-day total of 50 pounds, 10 ounces.
After taking the Day 1 lead with the event’s biggest bag — a limit of 25-8 — Jocumsen added a 12-7 limit on Friday. On Saturday, he caught four keepers for 12-11, but the day nearly ended with a greater deficit.
“Today, I had three fish at the end of the day and I should’ve been running back; E.K. (cameraman Eric Kaffka) was saying, ‘Are you gonna run back?’ And I said, ‘No, I need one more,’” Jocumsen said. “I literally flipped a 3 1/2-pounder, put it in the boat, we got on pad and ran back and I made it in at 3:20. I literally made it in with 15 seconds left to go.”
Jocumsen caught all of his fish punching weed mats in a creek at the upper end of Lake Marion. Each of his fish bit a black and blue Molix SV Craw rigged on a 4/0 Owner Jungle hook and a 1 1/4-ounce Woo! Tungsten weight.
“I found that a green pumpkin weight gives the bait a smaller profile,” Jocumsen said. “If you go with a black weight with the black and blue weight, it looks huge.”
After a sunny Day 1, followed by a mix of sun and clouds on Friday, Jocumsen said today’s dim skies probably limited his punch bite.
“With the storm front coming in and it getting cool, it could push more fish up there,” Jocumsen said. “But the clouds are making it harder. The fish are just swimming around; they’re not getting set up.
“If the sun came out, it would position them and I’d be able to catch them a lot easier.”
Jocumsen, who won his first Elite title last year on Oklahoma’s Lake Tenkiller, said the afternoon’s windy conditions and his bumpy ride to the check-in amplified today’s drama.
“This is a dream come true for a kid from Australia to lead this event,” he said. “It’s unbelievable and I look forward to getting out there tomorrow.”
Jocumsen is hoping that the grassy depression that he found during practice ignites on Championship Sunday. Each day, he has started on this midlake spot and thrown a white ChatterBait with a white Yamamoto Zako trailer.
“Day 1, I caught three there, including a 6-pounder. Day 2, I caught one there. Today, I caught none,” Jocumsen said. “They’re still in there and if that fires for me, that’s my chance at winning. I have an ace up my sleeve.
“With the conditions changing and the storm coming in, I have to go there. If I can just catch one or two there, I’m going to get three to five big opportunities (punching) up the river.”
Given Friday’s missed opportunities and Saturday’s short bag, Jocumsen said execution will be Sunday’s priority.
“Yesterday, I lost some good fish. Today, I got four bites and put four in the boat,” he said. “Tomorrow, it’s going to be about putting every single bite in the boat and that (grass) spot firing and we’re in with a shot.”
Austin Felix of Eden Prairie, Minn., is in second with 49-13. After placing third on Day 1 with 20-9, Felix added 12-2 on Friday and slipped to sixth. On Saturday, he improved his position with a limit of 17-2.
Spending his day in Lake Marion, Felix did all of his damage on a main-channel point with sharp, rocky breaks, stumps and a shellbar. He caught an early-morning schooling fish on a swimbait and the rest on a shaky head with a Roboworm in the margarita mutilator color.
“Depending on the wind, I had to move around and fish it at different angles,” Felix said. “They’re just sitting in the same sort of way you’d expect a ledge tournament to be — on the upcurrent side of the point.”
Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, is in third with 49-7. Placing second on Day 1 with 21-1, he added 18-13 and took the Day 2 lead. A leaner Day 3 yielded a limit of 9-9.
Fishing the upper end of Lake Marion, Palaniuk targeted a 4- to 6-foot stretch of shell bottom with stumps and caught most of his fish on a 5-inch X-Zone Swammer rigged on a 1/2-ounce VMC swimbait head. He added one keeper that ate an X-Zone Muscle Back Finesse Craw on a 3/0 VMC Heavy Duty Flippin’ Hook with a 1 1/4-ounce weight.
“The fish pull up and down out of that hole and they set up to feed,” Palaniuk said. “I was catching them every cast this morning and then it just shut off.”
Jeff Gustafson of Keewatin, Canada, is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 9-7.
The Top 10 remaining anglers will take off from John C. Land III Sport Fishing Facility on Sunday. The weigh-in will be held back at the facility at 3:20 p.m. with the winning angler receiving $100,000.
Live coverage of the event will be available starting at 7:30 a.m. on Bassmaster LIVE at Bassmaster.com and ESPN3.
2020 Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lake brought to you by
the United States Marine Corps 10/8-10/11
Santee Cooper Lakes, Clarendon County, S.C.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 14 50-10 100
Day 1: 5 25-08 Day 2: 5 12-07 Day 3: 4 12-11
2. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 15 49-13 99
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 12-02 Day 3: 5 17-02
3. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 15 49-07 98 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 5 18-13 Day 3: 5 09-09
4. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 15 47-15 97
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 17-10 Day 3: 5 17-13
5. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 15 47-00 96
Day 1: 5 17-07 Day 2: 5 14-06 Day 3: 5 15-03
6. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 15 46-12 95 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 11-09 Day 3: 5 16-13
7. Destin DeMarion Grove City, PA 15 45-14 94
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 15-15 Day 3: 5 17-15
8. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 12 45-04 93 $1,000.00
Day 1: 4 12-15 Day 2: 5 22-07 Day 3: 3 09-14
9. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 12 44-13 92
Day 1: 5 15-11 Day 2: 5 19-15 Day 3: 2 09-03
10. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 15 42-13 91
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 14-03 Day 3: 5 13-10
11. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 15 42-13 90 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 14-02 Day 3: 5 14-09
12. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 15 42-08 89 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 14-01 Day 3: 5 17-02
13. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 13 42-03 88 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-01 Day 2: 5 16-04 Day 3: 3 07-14
14. Frank Talley Temple, TX 15 42-02 87 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-08 Day 2: 5 12-08 Day 3: 5 10-02
15. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 15 41-15 86 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 5 16-08 Day 3: 5 14-03
16. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 15 41-15 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 14-11 Day 3: 5 13-03
17. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 14 41-10 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 18-08 Day 3: 4 09-10
18. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 14 41-08 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 18-11 Day 3: 4 08-14
19. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 15 41-08 82 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 09-10 Day 3: 5 14-04
20. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 15 41-07 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 11-13 Day 3: 5 15-15
21. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 15 41-00 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 14-14 Day 3: 5 15-09
22. John Cox Debary, FL 15 40-00 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-09 Day 2: 5 18-00 Day 3: 5 12-07
23. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 15 38-09 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 5 17-08 Day 3: 5 10-06
24. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 15 38-07 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 12-03 Day 3: 5 10-13
25. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 15 38-04 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-03 Day 2: 5 11-10 Day 3: 5 11-07
26. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 13 37-04 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 07-13 Day 2: 4 16-08 Day 3: 5 12-15
27. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 15 37-04 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 5 13-04 Day 3: 5 11-05
28. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 15 36-10 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 11-11 Day 3: 5 10-08
29. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 13 36-05 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-03 Day 2: 5 15-01 Day 3: 3 04-01
30. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 13 35-10 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 16-11 Day 3: 3 05-04
31. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 15 35-05 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 12-02 Day 3: 5 10-09
32. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 13 34-14 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 14-12 Day 3: 3 06-07
33. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 13 34-06 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 5 16-01 Day 3: 3 08-05
34. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 15 33-11 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 11-02 Day 3: 5 09-07
35. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 10 33-03 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 3 14-07 Day 2: 5 14-08 Day 3: 2 04-04
36. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 12 32-08 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 16-02 Day 2: 5 09-13 Day 3: 3 06-09
37. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 11 31-15 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 4 10-09 Day 3: 2 04-10
38. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 10 30-11 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 3 12-10 Day 2: 4 11-08 Day 3: 3 06-09
39. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 12 29-12 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 12-14 Day 3: 2 04-13
40. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 10 28-01 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 4 15-00 Day 3: 1 02-11
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 07-09 $1,000.00
2 Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA09-07 $1,000.00
3 David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 07-07 $1,000.00
Palaniuk Takes Lead At Bassmaster Elite Event On Santee Cooper
Brandon Palaniuk, of Rathdrum, Idaho, is leading after Day 2 of the 2020 Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes brought to you by the United States Marine Corps with a two-day total of 39 pounds, 14 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
October 9, 2020
CLARENDON COUNTY, S.C. — Locating big-fish areas and remaining mobile enabled Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, to take the Day 2 lead of the Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes brought to you by the United States Marine Corps with 39 pounds, 14 ounces.
After placing second on Day 1 with 21-1, Palaniuk added 18-13 Friday.
Palaniuk, who claimed his fourth Elite Series win on Lake Champlain earlier this season, caught two of his keepers on a jerkbait, one on a 5-inch X-Zone Swammer rigged on a 1/2-ounce VMC swimbait head and two on a punch rig comprising an X-Zone Muscle Back Finesse Craw on a 3/0 VMC Heavy Duty Flippin’ Hook with a 1 1/4-ounce weight.
Rotating through 10 to 12 spots within a 2-mile area on the upper end of Lake Marion, Palaniuk anchored today’s limit with a 6-6 that he caught while punching shortly before 2 o’clock. Proximity, he said, confirmed he was in the right area.
“I caught the 7-9 I had yesterday maybe 5 feet from where I had a 4-pounder in practice, and then today, I caught a 6-5 maybe 30 feet from where I caught that big fish yesterday,” Palaniuk said. “It’s definitely an area that’s holding the right size fish; I just need to catch five of them.”
Palaniuk said the challenging conditions of the fall transition have required significant consideration, as the fish are in a completely different seasonal mode than they would have been during the event’s originally scheduled dates of April 16-19. When the pandemic required rescheduling, Palaniuk went to work studying for an autumn tournament.
“I came here and pre-practiced in January, which has nothing to do with now,” he said. “I was practicing for an April event, so where I’m actually catching them, I never looked at in pre-practice.
“Coming into this event, I knew I had to put myself around fish, so I researched every article I could find online and I came up with about five or six areas that were frequently mentioned, and that’s where I spent my time in practice. I’ve just continued to narrow it down every day.”
Continuously rotating through his spots gave Palaniuk the best chances of getting his timing right.
“It was literally just showing up at the right place when those fish are ready to feed and then executing when you get that opportunity,” he said. “I haven’t been able to get it dialed in to say, ‘I need to go do this at this time of day’ — I literally have to fish what’s in front of me.”
That game plan mostly worked well, but despite a morning disappointment, Palaniuk kept himself mentally relaxed.
“I didn’t execute as well as I did yesterday — I caught two fish on a jerkbait yesterday,” Palaniuk said. “Today, I lost a big one but I felt like, mentally, I was fishing better. I was way calmer, I was not rushing anything. I was just settling in and taking my time.
“It was actually very similar to how I felt the last day at Champlain. If I can just keep doing that, I feel like I will at least have a chance and then the fish just have to do their part.”
Day 1 leader Carl Jocumsen is in second place with 37-15. After sacking up the event’s biggest bag — 25-8 — on Thursday, the pro from Queensland, Australia, added 12-7 Friday.
“That’s the difference between fishing clean and missing some bites,” Jocumsen said. “I really feel like I’m in the right area and I just didn’t capitalize on those opportunities. I definitely got the bites to have another really good day.”
“I had my head down, grinding with five minutes to go before I had to run back and I cracked a 2 1/2- to 3-pounder and saved the day. There’s two more days to fish, this place has them, I’m around them and I’m going to do everything I can to put them in the boat tomorrow.”
Jocumsen lost a big fish on the white ChatterBait he used on Day 1 and ended up catching all of his weight on a black and blue Molix SV craw rigged on a 4/0 hook.
Derek Hudnall of Baton Rouge, La., is in third with 35-10. After weighing 15-11 on Day 1, he added 19-5. Essential to his success was a 7-12 that bit on the same tree from which he lost a 5-pounder on his previous flip.
“The bites are few and far between, I’m fishing for big fish,” Hudnall said. “I’m around a lot of big ones. More than that is possible where I’m at if I can just make the right casts.”
Targeting cypress trees on the upper end of Lake Marion, Hudnall said the key to his area’s productivity is a set of drains that keep the water moving. He’s catching his fish on a wacky-rigged Missile Baits 48.
Jeff Gustafson of Keewatin, Canada, is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 9-7.
The Top 40 anglers advanced to Saturday’s semi-final round. The remaining Top 10 will go on to fish Championship Sunday.
Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7:05 a.m. ET at John C. Land III Sport Fishing Facility. The weigh-in will be held back at the facility at 3.20 p.m.
Live coverage of the event will be available starting at 7:30 a.m. on Bassmaster LIVE at Bassmaster.com and ESPN3.
2020 Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lake 10/8-10/11
Santee Cooper Lakes, Clarendon County, S.C.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 10 39-14 100 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 5 18-13
2. Carl Jocumsen Queensland AUSTRALIA 10 37-15 99
Day 1: 5 25-08 Day 2: 5 12-07
3. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 10 35-10 98
Day 1: 5 15-11 Day 2: 5 19-15
4. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 9 35-06 97 $1,000.00
Day 1: 4 12-15 Day 2: 5 22-07
5. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 34-05 96
Day 1: 5 18-01 Day 2: 5 16-04
6. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 10 32-11 95
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 12-02
7. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 10 32-10 94
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 18-11
8. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 10 32-04 93
Day 1: 5 17-03 Day 2: 5 15-01
9. Frank Talley Temple, TX 10 32-00 92
Day 1: 5 19-08 Day 2: 5 12-08
10. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 10 32-00 91
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 18-08
11. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 10 31-13 90
Day 1: 5 17-07 Day 2: 5 14-06
12. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 10 30-06 89
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 16-11
13. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 10 30-02 88
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 17-10
14. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 29-15 87
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 11-09
15. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 29-03 86
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 14-03
16. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 8 28-15 85
Day 1: 3 14-07 Day 2: 5 14-08
17. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 10 28-12 84
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 14-11
18. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 10 28-07 83
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 14-12
19. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 10 28-04 82
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 14-02
20. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 10 28-03 81
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 5 17-08
21. Destin DeMarion Grove City, PA 10 27-15 80
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 15-15
22. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 10 27-12 79
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 5 16-08
23. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 10 27-10 78
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 12-03
24. John Cox Debary, FL 10 27-09 77
Day 1: 5 09-09 Day 2: 5 18-00
25. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 9 27-05 76
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 4 10-09
26. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 10 27-04 75
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 09-10
27. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 10 26-13 74
Day 1: 5 15-03 Day 2: 5 11-10
28. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 10 26-02 73
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 11-11
29. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 10 26-01 72
Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 5 16-01
30. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 9 25-15 71
Day 1: 4 16-02 Day 2: 5 09-13
31. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 10 25-15 70
Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 5 13-04
32. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 10 25-08 69
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 11-13
33. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 25-07 68
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 14-14
34. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 9 25-06 67
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 4 15-00
35. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 10 25-06 66
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 14-01
36. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 10 24-15 65
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 12-14
37. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 10 24-12 64
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 12-02
38. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 8 24-05 63
Day 1: 4 07-13 Day 2: 4 16-08
39. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 10 24-04 62
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 11-02
40. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 7 24-02 61
Day 1: 3 12-10 Day 2: 4 11-08
41. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 10 23-12 60 $7,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 11-07
42. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 10 22-15 59 $7,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 10-00
43. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 10 22-12 58 $7,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 10-02
44. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 9 22-11 57 $7,500.00
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 4 11-02
45. Seth Feider New Market, MN 8 22-10 56 $7,500.00
Day 1: 3 06-05 Day 2: 5 16-05
46. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 9 22-07 55 $5,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 4 10-07
47. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 10 22-04 54 $5,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 11-06
48. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 9 21-13 53 $5,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-08 Day 2: 4 07-05
49. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 10 21-05 52 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 09-15
50. Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 8 21-02 51 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 08-05 Day 2: 5 12-13
51. Bob Downey Hudson, WI 10 21-00 50 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 5 09-06
52. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 10 20-09 49 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 09-05 Day 2: 5 11-04
53. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 7 20-07 48 $2,500.00
Day 1: 2 05-08 Day 2: 5 14-15
54. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 10 20-07 47 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 09-07 Day 2: 5 11-00
55. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 6 19-15 46 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 1 04-03
56. Rob Digh Denver, NC 5 19-10 45 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 13-07 Day 2: 2 06-03
57. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 8 19-07 44 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 04-02 Day 2: 5 15-05
58. Jesse Tacoronte Kissimmee, FL 8 18-09 43 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 3 05-06
59. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 8 18-05 42 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 3 05-11
60. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 18-02 41 $2,500.00
Day 1: 2 06-03 Day 2: 3 11-15
61. Tyler Carriere Youngsville, LA 7 17-14 40 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 2 04-03
62. Greg DiPalma Millville, NJ 7 17-08 39 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 2 06-07
63. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 7 17-04 38 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 2 04-07
64. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 6 17-03 37 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 1 01-10
65. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 7 17-03 36 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 2 05-02
66. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 6 16-11 35 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 1 02-01
67. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 7 15-10 34 $2,500.00
Day 1: 2 03-06 Day 2: 5 12-04
68. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 7 15-09 33 $2,500.00
Day 1: 4 10-00 Day 2: 3 05-09
69. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 6 14-06 32 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 1 02-10
70. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 8 14-04 31 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 3 04-12
71. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 7 14-00 30 $2,500.00
Day 1: 2 03-07 Day 2: 5 10-09
72. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 5 13-14 29 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 09-15 Day 2: 2 03-15
73. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 6 12-01 28 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 1 02-06
74. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 5 11-05 27 $2,500.00
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 4 09-11
75. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 6 11-01 26 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 06-01 Day 2: 3 05-00
76. Cody Hollen Beaverton, OR 5 11-00 25 $2,500.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 11-00
77. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 6 10-15 24 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 09-01 Day 2: 1 01-14
78. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 6 10-11 23 $2,500.00
Day 1: 2 02-12 Day 2: 4 07-15
79. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 5 09-08 22 $2,500.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 09-08
80. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 5 08-12 21 $2,500.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 08-12
81. Wes Logan Springville, AL 5 08-06 20 $2,500.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 08-06
82. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 4 07-06 19 $2,500.00
Day 1: 2 03-00 Day 2: 2 04-06
83. David Fritts Lexington, NC 3 05-06 18 $2,500.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 05-06
84. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 2 03-07 17 $2,500.00
Day 1: 1 01-09 Day 2: 1 01-14
85. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 1 03-06 16 $2,500.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 03-06
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 07-09 $1,000.00
2 Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA09-07 $1,000.00
ABA Introduces the Top 150 Solo Series
Athens, AL, October 8, 2020 – American Bass Anglers announced today the formation of the new Top 150 Solo. The new Tour will launch in February of 2021 and will offer two divisions, each holding three tournaments, one division in the Southeast and one in the Southwest.
Each qualifying tournament will have two days (Friday & Saturday) of competition and have a limited field of 150 anglers. Each tournament will offer a $20,000 award to first place based on a full field and payback will be to the top 20 percent of the field.
“We have been asked for years to have a solo tournament trail with an affordable entry fee and a good payback, well this is the trail. “These tournaments have been scheduled on great lakes and at the prime time for big stringers.", said Morris Sheehan, American Bass Anglers President and Owner.
This series is designed for those angers who want a mid-level entry fee tournament trail with a substantial payback. Entry fee will be $600.00 per event with a payout to the top 20 percent of the field including big fish. Registration will begin October 26th at 8:00AM central time, anglers will be able to pay a deposit to secure their position or pay the full amount, a waiting list will be available for full field events.
Winners of each event will qualify for the Ray Scott Championship providing they have fished all their divisional events. The Angler of the Year (top points holder) of each Division, will also qualify for the Ray Scott Championship
2021 Schedules - Registration Opens October 26, 2020 8AM - 2021 Rules
| Southeast | Southwest | |||
| Date | Lake | Date | Lake | |
| 02/26-27 | Eufaula | 02/05-06 | Toledo Bend | |
| 04/30-05/01 | Guntersville | 03/26-27 | Sam Rayburn | |
| 06/25-26 | Chickamauga | 04/30-05/01 | Eufaula OK | |
Sumrall: 22 Rods for 13+ Pounds
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
After a grinder of a practice period, Caleb Sumrall came into the Bassmaster Elite Series at Santee Cooper Lakes hoping to catch enough to earn himself a $10,000 check and some valuable Angler of the Year points. At the conclusion of today’s weigh-in, Sumrall sits tied for 25th place with 13-pound 11-ounces. He’s halfway to achieving his goal, but it’s been anything but easy.
The Carhartt pro had 22 rods laid out on the front and back decks of his Yamaha powered Xpress bass boat when he idled into the John C. Landing III boat dock today. That’s typically not a great sign at an Elite Series tournament, but Sumrall explained more rods than usual is indicative of fall fishing.
“Fall has always been a junk fishing deal for me,” Sumrall said. “I may only make one or two casts with some of these rods throughout a 9-hour day on the water. But showing them something different and having the kitchen sink ready to throw at the fish might give me that one key bite.”
One key bite is crucial no matter the time of year, but especially this week on Santee Cooper when keeper bites have been hard to come by. Sumrall uses different lures, colors, or line sizes depending on each specific spot he fishes and the type of structure it offers.
“Bass are super scattered during the beginning of the fall transition,” Sumrall explained. “That’s why you see so many anglers with a huge pile of rods and lures out. You really have to keep an open mind this time of year.”
Of the five keeper bass he weighed in, Sumrall used three different baits, and he caught keeper fish on at least six different baits throughout day one.
Tough fishing and 90-degree “fall” heat can make for a long day on the water, but the Louisiana native had more on his mind than just catching bass today. Yet another hurricane is barreling down on his home state and is expected to make landfall tomorrow.
“The last model I looked at showed it heading right for the area I live,” Sumrall said with somber realization. “I’ll be praying for Louisiana tonight while I work on tackle. Praying for all the people down there and hoping my house is still standing when I get home. Man, it’s been a crazy year.”
Jocumsen Grabs Lead With Big Limit At Bassmaster Elite Event On Santee Cooper
Santee Cooper Day 1 Leader - Carl Jocumsen.jpg
Queensland, Australia native Carl Jocumsen weighed in 25 pounds, 8 ounces to take the Day 1 lead in the 2020 Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes brought to you by the United States Marine Corps.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
October 8, 2020
CLARENDON COUNTY, S.C. — Carl Jocumsen is known for his aggressive fishing style, but it was actually a healthy dose of caution that led him to three of the five fish he needed to take the Day 1 lead of the Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes brought to you by the United States Marine Corps with 25 pounds, 8 ounces.
The veteran pro from Queensland, Australia, who captured his first Elite Series win last year on Oklahoma’s Lake Tenkiller, said he started his practice with a well-founded respect for Santee Cooper’s minefield of submerged stumps. Doing so compelled him to spend more time idling.
“When you roll up to a place like this, it is scary,” Jocumsen said. “When I first launched at the ramp (in practice), I didn’t even know if you could get up on pad going out of the ramp. To go from that to a bag like this is just a magical day.
“It actually helped me not knowing this place because I got to idle some areas, not knowing how to get back in. That’s how I found a couple of little magical spots.”
With a limit that included a 6-15 and a 6-3, Jocumsen started in the midsection of Lake Marion, which along with Lake Moultrie to the south, comprises the Santee Cooper Lakes (linked by a diversion canal). His main area was a grass-lined depression that dropped from 2 feet to 4 1/2.
“If you ran the area, you would never see it, but I idled it because I was worried about getting into the back,” Jocumsen said. “I saw the grass on my Humminbird, and I think that’s what’s holding them.”
In practice, this spot hosted intense afternoon schooling action and produced several big bites. Today, Jocumsen saw minimal surface activity but caught one of his bigger fish from the schoolers.
“I got enough bites there in practice to think, ‘This is the perfect plan: early-morning schooling fish, and then go fish cover.’ It wasn’t as good as I thought it would be, but I caught a 5-, a 4- and a (3-pounder) by 10 o’clock.
“It wasn’t fast and furious, they only schooled once. The rest, I just caught flipping that area. I had it all to myself.”
After determining that his starting spot had cooled, Jocumsen ran to Marion’s north end where he flipped cypress trees. On his third flip, he caught a 6 1/2 and then filled his limit with a 2 1/2.
“Once I relaxed, I slowed down and just started fishing new areas,” Jocumsen said. “I caught another 6-plus around 12:30 and I was done.”
Jocumsen used a white Z-Man JackHammer ChatterBait with a white Yamamoto Zako trailer for the schooling fish. He caught his flipping fish on a black and blue Molix SV craw rigged on a 4/0 hook.
“It’s really how I’m working the bait; I figured out how they want it when I’m flipping the cover,” Jocumsen said. “A lot of guys do it a certain way, and I figured out what they wanted. Every single bass has bit the exact same way.”
Carrying a lead of 4-7 into Friday’s second round, Jocumsen said his productivity afforded him time to test a few areas far upriver. These distant spots did not produce, but eliminating the options allowed him to narrow his Day 2 plan.
Jocumsen is not predicting another 20-pound bag, but with Santee Cooper holding a strong population of stocked Florida-strain largemouth, he’s certainly not ruling it out.
“In practice, I fought a legitimate 9- to 10-pounder doing the same thing, so I know any single cast has the potential for a double-digit fish,” Jocumsen said. “My (main) area could get even better tomorrow, or it might not produce a fish.
“For me to catch another bag like that, I kinda need to have five in the well, because I have to slow down. Today, I eliminated a lot of areas and I gained two new areas, so I feel good for tomorrow.”
Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, is in second place with 21-1. Anchoring his bag with a 7-9 that bit around 10 a.m., Palaniuk said he caught most of his weight between 10 and noon.
“I think I just happened to roll up at the right places at the right time today,” he said. “I was trying to cover water. I started all the way down by the (Santee Dam) and went all the way up above the Interstate-95 Bridge this afternoon.
“I’m keying in on certain places, but I’m not married to one area. There’s not one specific thing I’m looking for. I’m not dialed in; I just happened to get the right bites today.”
Palaniuk said he caught his fish on three different baits today, with flipping presentations producing most of his weight.
Austin Felix of Eden Prairie, Minn., is in third place with 20-9. Spending most of his day on a 3-mile-long stretch, Felix caught his bass off cypress trees, docks and shellbars — all in about 4 feet of water. He also caught a couple of his keepers in deep holes of about 10 feet.
“It was pretty consistent all day; I had 14 pounds by 9 o’clock and then slowly culled my way up,” Felix said. “I caught a 6-pounder at noon and just started looking for new stuff.”
Felix said he caught his fish on a Texas-rigged worm. A slow dragging presentation worked best.
“I think a lot of people are fishing over these fish,” Felix said.
Palaniuk is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the week honors with his 7-9.
Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7:05 a.m. ET from John C. Land III Sport Fishing Facility. The weigh-in will be held back at the facility at 3:20 p.m. After Friday’s weigh-in, only the Top 40 remaining anglers will advance to Saturday’s semifinal round.
Live coverage of the event will be available starting at 7 a.m. on Bassmaster LIVE at Bassmaster.com and ESPN3.
The tournament is being hosted by the Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce.
2020 Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lake 10/8-10/11
Santee Cooper Lakes, Clarendon County, S.C.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Carl Jocumsen Queensland AUSTRALIA 5 25-08 100
Day 1: 5 25-08
2. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 21-01 99 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-01
3. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 5 20-09 98
Day 1: 5 20-09
4. Frank Talley Temple, TX 5 19-08 97
Day 1: 5 19-08
5. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 18-06 96
Day 1: 5 18-06
6. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 18-01 95
Day 1: 5 18-01
7. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 5 17-10 94
Day 1: 5 17-10
8. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 5 17-07 93
Day 1: 5 17-07
9. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 5 17-03 92
Day 1: 5 17-03
10. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 5 16-12 91
Day 1: 5 16-12
11. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 4 16-02 90
Day 1: 4 16-02
12. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 5 15-12 89
Day 1: 5 15-12
13. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 5 15-11 88
Day 1: 5 15-11
14. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 5 15-09 87
Day 1: 5 15-09
15. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 5 15-07 86
Day 1: 5 15-07
16. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 5 15-03 85
Day 1: 5 15-03
17. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 15-00 84
Day 1: 5 15-00
18. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 5 14-10 83
Day 1: 5 14-10
19. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 5 14-08 82
Day 1: 5 14-08
20. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 5 14-07 81
Day 1: 5 14-07
21. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 3 14-07 80
Day 1: 3 14-07
22. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 5 14-02 79
Day 1: 5 14-02
23. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 5 14-01 78
Day 1: 5 14-01
24. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 13-15 77
Day 1: 5 13-15
25. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 5 13-11 76
Day 1: 5 13-11
25. Tyler Carriere Youngsville, LA 5 13-11 76
Day 1: 5 13-11
25. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 5 13-11 76
Day 1: 5 13-11
28. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 5 13-11 73
Day 1: 5 13-11
29. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 5 13-08 72
Day 1: 5 13-08
30. Rob Digh Denver, NC 3 13-07 71
Day 1: 3 13-07
31. Jesse Tacoronte Kissimmee, FL 5 13-03 70
Day 1: 5 13-03
32. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 5 13-02 69
Day 1: 5 13-02
33. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 5 12-15 68
Day 1: 5 12-15
34. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 4 12-15 67
Day 1: 4 12-15
35. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 5 12-13 66
Day 1: 5 12-13
36. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 5 12-11 65
Day 1: 5 12-11
37. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 5 12-10 64
Day 1: 5 12-10
37. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 5 12-10 64
Day 1: 5 12-10
37. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 12-10 64
Day 1: 5 12-10
40. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 3 12-10 61
Day 1: 3 12-10
41. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 12-08 60
Day 1: 5 12-08
42. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 5 12-05 59
Day 1: 5 12-05
43. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 5 12-01 58
Day 1: 5 12-01
43. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 5 12-01 58
Day 1: 5 12-01
45. Destin DeMarion Grove City, PA 5 12-00 56
Day 1: 5 12-00
45. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 5 12-00 56
Day 1: 5 12-00
47. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 5 11-12 54
Day 1: 5 11-12
48. Bob Downey Hudson, WI 5 11-10 53
Day 1: 5 11-10
49. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 11-09 52
Day 1: 5 11-09
50. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 5 11-06 51
Day 1: 5 11-06
51. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 5 11-05 50
Day 1: 5 11-05
52. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 5 11-04 49
Day 1: 5 11-04
53. Greg DiPalma Millville, NJ 5 11-01 48
Day 1: 5 11-01
54. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 5 10-14 47
Day 1: 5 10-14
55. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 5 10-11 46
Day 1: 5 10-11
56. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 10-09 45
Day 1: 5 10-09
57. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 10-06 44
Day 1: 5 10-06
58. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 10-00 43
Day 1: 5 10-00
59. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 4 10-00 42
Day 1: 4 10-00
60. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 3 09-15 41
Day 1: 3 09-15
61. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 5 09-11 40
Day 1: 5 09-11
62. John Cox Debary, FL 5 09-09 39
Day 1: 5 09-09
63. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 5 09-08 38
Day 1: 5 09-08
64. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 5 09-07 37
Day 1: 5 09-07
65. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 5 09-05 36
Day 1: 5 09-05
66. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 5 09-01 35
Day 1: 5 09-01
67. Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 3 08-05 34
Day 1: 3 08-05
68. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 4 07-13 33
Day 1: 4 07-13
69. Seth Feider New Market, MN 3 06-05 32
Day 1: 3 06-05
70. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 2 06-03 31
Day 1: 2 06-03
71. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 3 06-01 30
Day 1: 3 06-01
72. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 2 05-08 29
Day 1: 2 05-08
73. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 3 04-02 28
Day 1: 3 04-02
74. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 2 03-07 27
Day 1: 2 03-07
75. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 2 03-06 26
Day 1: 2 03-06
76. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 2 03-00 25
Day 1: 2 03-00
77. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 2 02-12 24
Day 1: 2 02-12
78. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 1 01-10 23
Day 1: 1 01-10
79. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 1 01-09 22
Day 1: 1 01-09
80. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
80. David Fritts Lexington, NC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
80. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
80. Cody Hollen Beaverton, OR 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
80. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
80. Wes Logan Springville, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 07-09 $1,000.00
Week 2 of there TH Marine 45th Anniversary Sale!!
For the next week TH Marine is offering 20% off on outboard gear, from the Atlas down to Chilltrax, Check it out Here!!!
3, 2, 1 with Walters on Santee Cooper
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
The 2020 Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes is a tournament Patrick Walters has had circled on his schedule since it was announced in 2019. The South Carolina native grew up in Summerville but he spent as much time as possible at his family’s lake house on the shores of Lake Marion during his formative years.
Marion is the larger of the two lakes within the massive Santee Cooper lake system that make up the playing field for this week’s competition. Walters has spent hundreds of hours learning the nuances of Santee Cooper largemouth and how they use the maze of cypress trees, grass lines, and shallow docks this fishery offers.
He is considered one of the favorites for this tournament amongst pundits and Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing participants alike, but a four-day event in the fall poises a pile of new challenges or unknowns for Walters and all the Elite Series competitors.
The Yamaha sponsored pro comes into this event riding the momentum of a Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open victory on Lake Hartwell just a few weeks ago. With the biggest win of his blossoming professional career still fresh in his mind, we caught up with Walters to pick his brain on this derby being held in his own backyard.
3… Patterns to watch for?
Walters listed a trio of patterns or techniques that should be in every angler’s toolbox for fall fishing no matter where you are fishing.
“Three themes you could see from guys near the top of the leaderboard are flippin trees, slinging a spinnerbait, and a buzzbait or some kind of topwater bite,” Walters proposed. “The Cypress trees here always hold fish and a lot of guys will be targeting them. Anglers will also be taking advantage of an early morning topwater bite and you just can’t overlook a spinnerbait around cover in the fall.”
2… Major differences between holding the event now versus when it was originally scheduled (April 16-19)?
“First I would say simplicity has gone out the window, and second our four-day cumulative weight total will be much lower now versus April,” Walters said.
Walters has absolutely no doubt it would have taken over 100-lbs for four days to win on Santee Cooper during the originally scheduled April dates. He suspects that this week’s tournament could be won by an angler averaging around 17-lbs per day (~68-lb for four days) due to the scattered nature of the fish this time of year.
Still, he is extremely happy the event was rescheduled as opposed to cancelled altogether thanks to the hard work and diligence of the Bassmaster Tournament Staff.
“In April you would have seen a lot of anglers with two or three rods on their front deck – now it’ll be more like 20 or 30,” Walters joked. “You’ve gotta throw the kitchen sink at them in the fall, and this tournament could be won anywhere on this fishery this time of year. It is wide open.”
1… more reason to run a Yamaha Outboard:
“The Yamaha Power Pay program,” Walters emphasized. “Power Pay puts money back in your pocket for running what is already the best outboard available!”
Walters is quick to rattle off a long list of reasons why you’d be wise to trust a Yamaha Outboard on the back of your boat, and Yamaha Power Pay is one to not overlook.
You don’t have to be an Elite Series pro like Walters to reap the benefits of Power Pay either, you just have to own (original owner) a 115–425 HP Yamaha Outboard, sign up for the free program, and be the highest finishing participant in a Power Pay supported tournament.
For more information or a full list of supported events, follow this link: https://yamahapowerpay.com/overview, or email Chip with questions at [email protected] .
Lew’s and Strike King Pro Frank Talley Wins Lake Guntersville Bassmaster Elite
Three Reasons to Make Saturday’s Cut
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Team Toyota’s Matt Arey was one of the last people to pull out of the boat ramp parking lot Tuesday night after concluding his second day of practice on Santee Cooper Lakes. The massive, predominately shallow fishery provides the playing field for the 7th stop of the 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Season here in Clarendon County, South Carolina.
Arey was doing a bit of head scratching as he re-tied and put away equipment in preparation for his final half day of practice. While he may live just over three hours from Santee Cooper, Arey was quick to admit he’s only fished these waters three times in his life, and they were all in April.
“The good news is, this is Santee Cooper, and some giant bass will be brought to the scales this week,” Arey offered. “The bad news is the big bites have been few and far between for me. But admittedly I’m usually in a deer stand this time of year, not hunting for big Santee bass. Maybe I am missing something.”
Santee Cooper may not have a special place in his heart just yet, but Arey does have three ladies in his life providing some extra incentive to make Saturday’s top 40 cut here in South Carolina.
“His girls”; a.k.a. wife Emily, and daughters Reese (8 years old) and Wren (3 years old). Their Shelby, North Carolina home is a reasonable drive away and they plan on making the trip south if he qualifies for the weekend cut.
Reese, Wren, and Emily made the drawing you see hanging in the center storage compartment of his Ranger Boat in the photo above. They draw one for him every year and while he takes the picture with him everyday on the water; there is nothing like having his family in town for a tournament.
“Those girls are my whole world,” Arey beamed. “I want to perform well here for all the obvious reasons like money and getting closer to the Classic, but a visit from my girls means every bit as much.”
Arey currently sits in 11th place of the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings, in great position to qualify for his second Bassmaster Classic in as many years, which was his number one goal starting the 2020 season.
But for now that long-term goal is being replaced with a short-term goal, so he can see his girls this weekend and keep a promise made to his 8-year old.
“My daughter Reese has been on me about wanting to autograph something,” Arey said with a laugh. “So I did what any Dad would do and asked her to sign my favorite hat (pictured above). She obliged and I promised her I’d wear it if I made the top 40 cut. I guess I have a lot of reasons to keep fishing through Saturday this week.”
Hopefully Arey catches enough weight throughout the first two days of competition it merits his girls piling into their Toyota Sequoia and heading south. Who knows, maybe Reese can even help her dad sign a few more autographs at the John C. Land III Sport Fishing Facility this weekend… her patented tiny heart included.
Arey: Keep toads and frogs on a tight leash
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Toads have warts and are more land oriented than frogs, which tend to have smooth skin and hang out in water. Whichever you choose to sling across beds of shallow water vegetation on your favorite bass fishery – just be sure to take a tip from Team Toyota’s Matt Arey – keep your favorite amphibian on a tight line.
“The biggest fishing lesson I can share with you from the Bassmaster Elite on Lake Guntersville is keep the slack out of your line when you’re working your frog across the surface, and you’ll lose a lot fewer fish!” exclaims Arey in a moment of self-evaluation.
Yes, the great ones like Arey, who has won $1 Million as pro, are always looking to improve their game, and on Guntersville he admitted he let a couple get away because there was too much slack in his line.
“It’s easy to get mesmerized watching your frog work across the surface, but in addition to watching your frog, you better be watching your line to make sure the wind or a long cast didn’t put too much slack in your line at any given moment,” warns the classy family man from Shelby, NC.
Arey will also tell you he’s not the world’s greatest frog fishermen, but when a dude who’s won a million bucks catching bass starts talking, it pays to listen. In addition to not letting slack get between you and your frog, he says to make sure you’re throwing a frog with a soft, easily collapsible body, that’s anchored by long stout hooks.
“When it comes to colors, let’s be honest, the only thing that really matters is the color of the belly. I tend to throw dark-bellied frogs on cloudy days and white-bellied frogs on sunny days,” says Arey, a North Carolina State grad.
As far as his favorite froggin’ equipment goes, Arey spools 50-pound P-Line TCB braid on a speedy 8.1:1 Lew’s reel.
“As critical as it is to not have slack in your line, so is making sure you’re using a fast retrieve reel to get their butts to the boat as fast as possible. Don’t give up nuthin’ once they bite! The longer you take to reel them in – the greater your chances of losing them,” he emphasizes.
“The bottom line is, when you’re frog fishing you better have a tight connection to your lure and any fish that bites at all times. Slack line, and time wasted reeling them in, is when bad things happen,” concludes Arey.
AC Insider Podcast Featuring BFL Winner Shane Powell
This Chris and the boys welcome in the Eufaula Hammer, BFL Bulldog Winner Shane Powell to talk about his win on the famed fishery as well as looking ahead to the ABT Championship coming up in a couple of weeks. Chris reads some listener comments and tries to work on his "less bitching, more fishing" mantra.
T-H MARINE INVITES BOATERS TO JOIN IN 45TH ANNIVERSARY FUN
Huntsville, AL – October 2, 2020 – T-H Marine Supplies, Inc, of Huntsville, Alabama, is making the most of its 45th year serving the marine industry as a family business, despite the impact of COVID and having to shift anniversary plans to the fall. At the heart of it all, T-H Marine is giving thanks to those who have been part of the journey, especially the remarkable boatbuilders, distributors, dealers, tackle shops, customers, and pro staff who have helped T-H Marine to prosper since its humble start.
“I was just a kid at the time, but I vividly remember how T-H Marine began in 1975,” said T-H Marine CEO, Jeff Huntley. “It was my dad, two of his buddies, and a vision for an innovative new product that would change the industry forever. Since I was about seven years old, I had already helped put together fishing lures for my dad and his company, Bumble Bee Baits. Now, I got to help out with boat parts as that business got started and grew. You could say I was part of the business operations from the beginning.”
Jeff Huntley’s dad, Bill Huntley, may have worked a day job at the local hospital diagnostics lab, but he could be seen fishing Pickwick Lake several nights a week and he even started a bait company eight years prior to founding T-H Marine. It was second-nature for him to involve his friends and family as he developed gear for the sport he loved.
“He wanted to improve the boating and fishing experience,” Jeff Huntley added. “At first, it was through custom fishing baits, followed by an idea about how to enhance the throttle control with a built-in trim handle. The T and the H in ‘trim handle’ inspired the company name as well as an ever-growing catalog of innovative products. My dad started with just some ideas to make his experiences better when he was boating and we have continued to try to have that same focus as a company — to make excellent products that allow everyone to better enjoy their passion on the water.”
Just as Bill fished with his father, he shared the tradition in a way that continues through the family to this day. This is true with both recreational and business pursuits, as Jeff Huntley serves as CEO and Jeffery Huntley, Jr. serves as VP of Operations.
“It’s hard to keep us off the water,” Jeff Huntley said. “Our whole family loves boating and fishing. We love it on a pontoon boat on the lake, on a bass boat racing down the river to our favorite fishing holes, or on a center console fishing in the ocean. I’m very thankful that I was able to learn the love of being on the water from my dad and then to share that legacy in so many ways with my kids and my grandkids, just like my dad did — and he still does. Even though Dad has retired from the business, he still fishes almost every week!”
As for the legacy of the business, many boat owners might not even know their boat is built with T-H Marine components, but brand awareness is on the rise. T-H Marine gives credit to industry partners for helping with that along the way and T-H Marine is determined to keep it going with modern techniques, like making their customer-oriented social media and website a top priority.
Those facets are an important part of the 45th Anniversary celebration, too, as boating and fishing enthusiasts are invited to take advantage of the following sales and giveaways:
$100 gift card giveaways throughout the month of October
G-FORCE® Customer Appreciation Sale: 10/1/2020 through 10/7/2020
ATLAS® Outboard Performance Boost: 10/8/2020 through 10/14/2020
HYDROWAVE® Feeding Frenzy: 10/15/2020 through 10/21/2020
BLUE WATER® LED Fall Install Special: 10/22/2020 through 10/28/2020
For a complete list of 45th Anniversary events, updates, and details, be sure to visit thmarine.com and follow T-H Marine Supplies (@thmarineteam) on social media.
Wes Logan Knows it Pays to Run a Yamaha Outboard
KENNESAW, Ga. – Oct. 6, 2020 - Few anglers show more promise of a long and prosperous career than 26-year-old Wes Logan of Alabama. His wherewithal to buy a Yamaha V MAX SHO® outboard and sign up for the Power Pay contingency program was a strategically mature choice that has already produced returns.
Logan pitched and punched a Zoom® Z Craw Jr and a Missile Baits® D Bomb® on a 1.5-ounce Texas punch rig to finish fourth at the NOCO Bassmaster® Elite on Lake Guntersville and took home a $1,000 Power Pay bonus from Yamaha.
“I pushed running back to weigh-in to literally the last second. You can do that when you’re running a Yamaha. This outboard offers me reliability, hole shot and the opportunity to earn Power Pay bonuses. It wouldn’t make sense to buy anything else,” said Logan.
The great thing about the Yamaha Power Pay program is anglers don’t have to win tournaments to take home Power Pay cash. Anglers simply have to be the highest finishing registered participant in a Power Pay supported tournament. Power Pay is not just for bass anglers, it also includes saltwater, walleye, high school and college anglers through hundreds of events.
For more information, complete terms and conditions or to register for Yamaha Power Pay, visit yamahapowerpay.com or email Chip with questions at [email protected].
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REMEMBER to always observe all applicable boating laws. Never drink and drive. Dress properly with a USCG-approved personal floatation device and protective gear.
Pilcher Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League event on Grand Lake
Co-angler Victory Goes to Miami’s Yang
GROVE, Okla. (Oct. 5, 2020) Boater John Pilcher of Kansas, Oklahoma, brought a two-day total of 10 bass to the scale weighing 32 pounds, 1 ounce to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Okie Division Super-Tournament at Grand Lake. For his victory, Pilcher earned $7,922.
This was the fifth and final qualifying event in the 2020 Okie Division and was hosted by the City of Grove.
“The main thing was just sticking with it,” said Pilcher. “We didn’t catch much until about noon on Sunday, when the sun came out. It was pretty slow starting, so we ran 40 to 50 different spots and I lost a couple fish at the end, but we finished well.”
Pilcher said he mainly fished off-shore brush flats and ledges to secure his first Phoenix Bass Fishing League win.
“I fished from mid-lake down to the dam, in about 12- to 20-feet-deep,” Pilcher continued. “I caught most of my fish on a ¾-ounce Bass X Jig, a River2Sea Whopper Plopper and a buzzbait.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:
1st: John Pilcher of Kansas, Okla., 10 bass, 32-1, $7,922
2nd: Ed Barton of Vian, Okla., 10 bass, 31-15, $3,461
3rd: Crawford Brantley of Grove, Okla., 10 bass, 31-14, $3,826
4th: Toby Hartsell of Afton, Okla., 10 bass, 30-1, $1,615
5th: Brian Dossey of Okmulgee, Okla., 10 bass, 29-11, $1,384
6th: Lance Williams of Billings, Mo., 10 bass, 27-3, $1,269
7th: Andy Newcomb of Camdenton, Mo., 10 bass, 26-14, $1,154
8th: Chris Torkleson of Sand Springs, Okla., 10 bass, 26-10, $1,038
9th: Shawn Kowal of Linn Creek, Mo., 10 bass, 26-1, $923
10th: Christopher Johnson of Farmington, Ark., 10 bass, 26-0, $808
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Brantley earned the day’s $1,020 Boater Big Bass award with a 5-pound, 8-ounce bass and an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Lang Yang of Miami, Oklahoma, earned the win in the Co-angler Division Sunday after catching a two-day total of nine bass weighing 25 pounds, 11 ounces. Yang earned $3,461 for his victory.
The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:
1st: Lang Yang of Miami, Okla., nine bass, 25-11, $3,461
2nd: Matthew Cesar of Crane, Mo., eight bass, 19-6, $1,730
3rd: Darin Comstock of Denison, Texas, eight bass, 18-7, $1,154
4th: Sam Bremmerkamp of Joplin, Mo., eight bass, 17-8, $808
5th: Harold Frazier of Okmulgee, Okla., eight bass, 16-15, $692
6th: Chad Schmidt of Clearwater, Kan., seven bass, 16-6, $635
7th: James Boston of Cabot, Ark., eight bass, 15-12, $577
8th: Cord Colwell of Pryor, Okla., nine bass, 15-12, $519
9th: Damon Duncan of Kansas, Okla., seven bass, 15-7, $461
10th: Chris Bouchikas of Oktaha, Okla., eight bass, 15-0, $404
Steven McEver of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, earned the event’s Co-angler Big Bass Award of $510 with a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 4 ounces.
Now the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Okie Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to the Oct. 22-24 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, hosted by ExploreBranson.com. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they 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 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held Nov. 11-13 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.
