Shane Lehew doesn’t have a shot at the Denver Marine Monster Bass Invitational Winter Trail points title anymore – he’s been too busy preparing for the FLW Tour which cranks up on Okeechobee in two weeks – but he probably will have a hand in whoever does win it.

“I missed the last two tournaments. I was in Florida practicing and I will be fishing the FLW Tour tournament the same time as the Denver Marine Championship,” said Lehew who was in contntion for the points title until he took time off to go to Okeechobee to check on the fishing there.

“My dad and my grandfather are leading the points and they caught all their fish all year long on the Blades of Glory. They have not been throwing anything but the Blades of Glory.”

The Blades of Glory is Lehew’s version of the Alabama Rig, which he and his dad are marketing through their company, Shane’s Baits (www.shanesbaits.com). The Blades of Glory is a 9-arm rig, which us usually rigged with 3-inch swimbaits, Lehew said. A smaller version, the Min-Blades of Glory is a five-arm rig.

“As far as I am concerned it is the best lure you can use to catch suspended fish – and with it being so cold they are going to be suspended in Lake Norman this weekend,” Lehew said. “You just cast it out and count it down to where you think the fish are and then slow roll it back to the boat really, really slow.”

Lehew, who has fished 56 FLW Outdoors events since 2006, has 16 top 10 finishes, including four tournament wins. He also placed second in the 2013 College Fishing National Championship last April, and then, with teammate Eric Self of Lawn dale, N.C., won the FLW College Fishing Southeastern Conference Invitational on Wheeler Lake last May. That qualified him for the FLW College Fishing National Championship on South Carolina’s Lake Keowee in March.

Lehew, a senior at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, majoring in criminal justice, took this semester off to fish the FLW Tour, but plans to finish his degree this fall.

“Then I am going to try to be a fisherman,” he said. “I’d much rather do that.”

Even with such a busy schedule, Lehew plans to fish the final Denver Marine qualifying tournament Saturday.

“I may get to practice Friday,” he said. “I won’t fish that much in practice, just graph a lot and try to find as many baitballs as I can. The fish will be deep and suspended around the bait.”

The Monster Bass program includes the Silver membership for $50, with more incentives offered for the Gold Monster Bass at $150 and Platinum Monster Bass at $200. Besides discounts and priority for service, the program also pays cash rewards for members who place in the Denver Marine Monster Bass tournaments. The Championship will be held Feb. 1 on Lake Norman.

 

Denver Marine Monster Bass Invitational Winter Trail

Sat, Jan 25, 2014

Lake Norman

Midway Marina

Call Anthony or Thad at 704-483-2628

www.denverrecreationalmarine.com