Gonzales & Gonzales drop 25.89 on the scales for the Texas Tournament Zone win and 10K
| PL | ANGLER 1 | ANGLER 2 | FISH | BIG BASS | WEIGHT | PRIZE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | COLAN GONZALES | EDDIE GONZALES | 5 | 8.13 | 25.29 | $10,000 + $1,200 BIG BASS + $500 BIOBOR BONUS |
| 2 | RUSSEL CECIL | TODD CASTLEDINE | 5 | 7.62 | 21.83 | $2,500 |
| 3 | JODY HOLUBEK | JASON RIEDEL | 5 | 21.05 | $1,500 | |
| 4 | RYAN DEMPSEY | NEIL DEMPSEY | 5 | 7.70 | 20.73 | $1,250 |
| 5 | JJ KILLOUGH | LJ CASTILLO | 5 | 20.62 | $1,000 | |
| 6 | CHRISTOPHER RYAN | GORDON WELLS | 5 | 20.03 | $800 | |
| 7 | BYRON ALBRECHT | CHARLES REAGAN | 5 | 19.76 | $700 | |
| 8 | JEFF NORRIS | RONNIE NORRIS | 5 | 19.24 | $600 | |
| 9 | KEVIN DRITSCHLER | TYLER DRITSCHLER | 5 | 19.00 | $500 | |
| 10 | JONATHON GREIG | 5 | 18.77 | $400 | ||
| 11 | TOMMY CLIMER | TONY CLIMER | 5 | 18.50 | $350 | |
| 12 | TRACY SANDERS | HUNTER SANDERS(Y) | 5 | 18.31 | $325 | |
| 13 | PAUL VAUGHAN | DAVID CARLOCK | 5 | 7.50 | 18.22 | $300 |
| 14 | LANCE UEBERROTH | JOE PEREZ | 5 | 18.21 | ||
| 15 | LLOYD WALKER | TIM CLINE | 5 | 18.03 | ||
| 16 | CODY QUINN | CHRIS ZACHARY | 5 | 17.92 | ||
| 17 | SHAWN TEMPLE | TRENT MENEES | 5 | 17.91 | ||
| 18 | CHAD MADDUX | JAKE MEEKS | 5 | 17.83 | ||
| 18 | BILL ROBINSON | GARY HARRISON | 5 | 17.83 | ||
| 20 | CODY MORRISON | STEPHEN MORRISON | 5 | 17.81 | ||
| 21 | RYAN MCGRAIL | BRANDON DICKENSON | 5 | 17.65 | ||
| 22 | BRANDON BREWER | ZAC BLUE | 5 | 17.63 | ||
| 23 | TIM P. WILCOXSON | TIM H. WILCOXSON | 5 | 17.46 | ||
| 24 | STEVE FOUSHEE | JASON ADAMS | 5 | 17.37 | ||
| 25 | IVAN SLAYTON | STEPHEN BOWLBY | 5 | 17.29 | ||
| 25 | KEVIN BROWN | BOBBY APPLEGATE | 5 | 17.29 | ||
| 27 | JEFF VAN WHY | CHRIS MCLAIN | 5 | 17.25 | ||
| 28 | JOSEPH WARE | MIKE MCCREE | 5 | 17.16 | ||
| 29 | FLOYD TEAT | RICKEY GILL | 5 | 16.91 | ||
| 30 | JOHNNY MATTHEWS | RONALD SISK | 5 | 16.82 | ||
| 31 | JACOB KINARD | GARY KINARD | 5 | 16.77 | ||
| 32 | HUGH KILMAN | DUSTY ATKINSON | 5 | 16.59 | ||
| 33 | DAVID SAPPINGTON | CLIFTON WATTERS | 5 | 16.49 | ||
| 34 | KEITH TRIMBLE | CYLDE WELKER | 5 | 16.32 | ||
| 34 | JOHN STALEY | JARROD PAR | 5 | 6.60 | 16.32 | |
| 36 | BILLY JOE WILLIAMS | BILLIE HARRIS | 5 | 16.19 | ||
| 37 | WARREN KEPKE | RICH LEWIS | 5 | 16.00 | ||
| 38 | JASON WINDHAM | BRANDON BREEDLOVE | 5 | 15.82 | ||
| 39 | CHARLES BUCK | CHARLES MITCHELL BUCK | 5 | 15.80 | ||
| 40 | MARTI WILLIAMS | DEAN SKINNER | 5 | 7.23 | 15.76 | |
| 41 | TERRY HAWKINS | MICHAEL NANTZ | 5 | 15.70 | ||
| 42 | LIONEL SERNA | JOHN PALOS | 5 | 15.49 | ||
| 43 | ROCKY MARTIN | JAMES RENFRO | 5 | 15.46 | ||
| 44 | KENNETH MOORE | GARRETT THOMAS | 5 | 15.41 | ||
| 45 | STEVE HAUGHT | KEN CARTER | 5 | 15.15 | ||
| 46 | DALE READ | JEFF PITRUCHA | 5 | 14.89 | ||
| 47 | MATT MOORE | KEVIN HATHAWAY | 5 | 14.81 | ||
| 48 | RUSSELL LEE | LANDON WARE | 5 | 14.61 | ||
| 49 | JASON DUNNING | ROBERT STRIPLY | 5 | 14.45 | ||
| 50 | PERRY TAYLOR | THOMAS TAYLOR | 5 | 14.22 | ||
| 51 | JOSH PRIEST | CAPP PEACE | 5 | 14.15 | ||
| 52 | COY GREATHOUSE | KEVIN BRYANT | 5 | 14.14 | ||
| 53 | MIKE FARMER | LEE FARMER | 5 | 14.12 | ||
| 54 | RICK DUSEK | KEVIN DASHAMSE | 5 | 14.03 | ||
| 55 | JASON DUNCAN | TAMMY WHITE | 5 | 13.96 | ||
| 56 | ERIC ELDER | JEREMY MARINELLI | 5 | 13.88 | ||
| 57 | RYAN COHLMEYER | DARREN HEAVNER | 5 | 13.86 | ||
| 58 | CHRIS WRIGHT | REBECCA WRIGHT | 5 | 13.83 | ||
| 59 | JAMES GOODNER | GRANT GOODNER | 5 | 13.81 | ||
| 60 | CHRIS ROBINSON | ROBERT NULL | 5 | 13.77 | ||
| 61 | SCOTT DEAN | BRADY WINANS | 5 | 13.61 | ||
| 62 | LOWELL BENNETT | LANDEN BENNETT(Y) | 5 | 13.58 | ||
| 63 | ROBERT MEGALLON | BOB MEGALLON | 5 | 13.56 | ||
| 64 | MIKE GRANT | JACOB GRANT | 5 | 13.51 | ||
| 65 | THOMAS HOLBROOK | BARRY BORCHERDING | 5 | 13.50 | ||
| 66 | CHRIS BAILEY | CASEY GARCIA | 5 | 13.49 | ||
| 67 | LUCAS BARRIENTES | KYLE STARCK | 5 | 13.31 | ||
| 68 | ALAN SMITH | CANDISE SMITH | 5 | 13.22 | ||
| 69 | RICHARD MEAGER | MIKE ADAMS | 5 | 13.19 | ||
| 70 | E.K. WATTS | KY MARTIN | 5 | 12.88 | ||
| 70 | MICHAEL EDGETT | JASON DELFRAISSE | 5 | 12.88 | ||
| 72 | SEAN TRATTEL | ROGER CAMP | 5 | 12.74 | ||
| 73 | LEE YOWELL | DUSTIN SPURGIN | 4 | 12.72 | ||
| 74 | TULLY JANSZEN | HUNTER JORDAN | 5 | 12.30 | ||
| 75 | JASON TRUITT | JOHNNY RAY | 5 | 11.97 | ||
| 76 | KEITH IVY | TIM KISSOR | 5 | 11.95 | ||
| 77 | RONNIE GRIGGS | RUSSELL MATHIS | 5 | 11.94 | ||
| 78 | AARON DAVIS | MATT SEWELL | 5 | 11.84 | ||
| 79 | JOHN CARTER | JOHN W. CARTER | 5 | 11.76 | ||
| 80 | BLAKE THOMPSON | CORY CAMPBELL | 5 | 11.45 | ||
| 81 | JASON BRUNETT | STEVEN DANIELS | 5 | 11.25 | ||
| 82 | TRAVIS MCCOLLOUGH | BOBBY WILSON | 5 | 11.20 | ||
| 83 | KYLE GOAD | KELLY GOAD | 5 | 11.17 | ||
| 84 | LARRY BENCH | HI HILLBURN | 5 | 11.13 | ||
| 85 | AARON TOWNER | JOE CHANDLER | 3 | 11.03 | ||
| 86 | JAMES MOORE | GROVER CHAMBLISS | 5 | 10.92 | ||
| 87 | STEVE VAN MEETEREN | CINDY VAN MEETEREN | 4 | 10.63 | ||
| 88 | BOBBY FINTA | CHRIS DERRICK | 5 | 10.56 | ||
| 89 | NORM WILSON JR | NORM WILSON SR | 5 | 10.15 | ||
| 90 | PAT GRIMM | JACK MORSE | 4 | 8.91 | ||
| 91 | MIKE ROBERTSON | JASON COOPER | 5 | 8.71 | ||
| 92 | NATHAN WHITE | DARRYL WHITE | 2 | 8.25 | ||
| 93 | WALKER WILSON(Y) | DAVID MULLINS | 4 | 8.23 | ||
| 94 | AUSTIN PURDAM | BRANDON ROCHELL | 3 | 7.84 | ||
| 95 | DON BROWN | GARY MARTIN | 4 | 7.34 | ||
| 96 | CODY COX | ROBERT YOUNG | 4 | 7.21 | ||
| 97 | LUKE ANDERSON | KODY HAVERCAMP | 4 | 7.10 | ||
| 98 | JEFF STEVENS | BRIAN CLARK | 4 | 6.82 | ||
| 99 | NICK WOODWARD | KEVIN GHOLSON | 2 | 6.69 | ||
| 100 | MICHAEL ZITTERICH | RAY PAGE JR. | 2 | 6.33 | ||
| 101 | STEVEN RUTLEDGE | LEVI SMITHERS | 2 | 4.09 | ||
| 102 | KENNETH CECIL | WAYNE KENT | 2 | 3.95 | ||
| 103 | ROB WILSON | ROB MEDDERS | 1 | 1.99 | ||
| 104 | RON SAUCEMAN | JOHNNY UNERFUSSER | 1 | 1.98 | ||
| 105 | JAMES NITSCHKE | JASON BONDS | ||||
| 105 | COOPER BUSCH | JEREMY ZMOLIK | ||||
| 105 | JORDAN GRIMM | JOEY GARLAND | ||||
| 105 | BRAD HARDT | BRANDON GREENBERG | ||||
| 105 | MATT TALLAS | |||||
| 105 | STEVE FARRELL | SHAB SHAW | ||||
| 105 | KEITH WHITE | CHRIS MCCALL | ||||
| 105 | JOHN ROBERTSON | RYAN SCHWARK | ||||
| 105 | JOE SMITH | BRUCE SPRING | ||||
| 105 | JEFF WHITE | RUSSELL CHAMBERS | ||||
| 105 | DENIS SCHMEDTHORST | LANCE ROBELIA | ||||
| 105 | KYLE BRUNK | DEAN ADAMS | ||||
| 105 | JUSTIN GARNETT | JEFF LOONEY | ||||
| 105 | RYAN WARREN | JASON DERRICK | ||||
| 105 | JOEL SMITH | MITCHELL FRIEDMAN | ||||
| 105 | HC GENTLE | DONALD LANE | ||||
| 105 | DAKOTA MCBRIDE | JEFF MCBRIDE | ||||
| 105 | JONAH SEGOUIA | JIM FABBY |
Manning & Ledbetter Top 177 Teams in Arkansas Bass Team Trail event on Dardanelle
1st place,Rusty Manning-Rusty Ledbetter
2nd place,Randall Clark-Ben Burke,,,19.47
3rd place,Marty Scudder-Tim Nesterenko,,,19.02
4th place,Jimmy Mize-Melinda Hays,,,18.35 #s
Gamecocks win Carhartt College Southern event on Winyah Bay
Photo by Ronnie Moore/Bassmaster
March 4, 2017
GEORGETOWN, S.C. — Patrick Walters and Tyler All of the University of South Carolina claimed the title of the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Southern Regional presented by Bass Pro Shops at Winyah Bay with a three-day total of 47 pounds, 14 ounces of bass.
The Summerville, S.C., anglers stayed consistent on Thursday and Friday of this three-day event and saved their explosion for Championship Saturday as they weighed 20 pounds, 11 ounces — the heaviest five-bass limit of the tournament.
Unlike most teams this week, Walters and All targeted an offshore school of bass and capitalized with a solid limit each of the first two days. Most of the bass they weighed in were caught during the first hour of their fishing time. The only thing they were missing each day, was a bigger bass that would provide a comfortable margin over the rest of the field. Today, when it counted most, they checked that accomplishment off the list.
“We targeted bends in the river where the tide and current would concentrate groups of fish,” Walters said. “We focused our efforts on the main river.”
As usual, the pair limited out early and even culled a few times. But the bite stalled after the first hour and half. They changed spots, but Walters felt an overwhelming urge to go back to their bread-and-butter fishing hole that had placed them in the lead.
“We fished a few other areas within this river, and we just didn’t feel comfortable there today,” Walters said. “We went back to our best area and stuck it out. The bigger fish bit for us today.”
The Gamecock teammates utilized both soft and hard jerkbaits to mimic shad and entice bites in a river ditch on the Santee River. They caught most of their bass on soft jerkbaits, but the biggest fish of the day hit a hard jerkbait.
Their 7-pound, 6-ounce largemouth today landed them the Bassmaster Big Bass Award, and they also managed the Nitro Boats Big Bag of the Tournament with the 20-11 stringer. For taking the lead after Day 2, the duo also took the Livingston Lures Day 2 Leader Award worth $500 in merchandise.
Coastal Carolina’s Jonathan Kelley and Max McQuaide stayed in second place after weighing 12-15 on Championship Saturday. They managed 38-14 for the three-day event, but fell to Walters and All by 9 pounds.
Kelley and McQuaide ran their boat more than 70 miles one way to get to an area in the Pee Dee River where they found plenty of bass all day, but no big ones. Their struggles on Thursday with cloudy conditions hurt their week, but they managed to stay consistent and land limits in the 12- to 14-pound range all week.
The duo of Noah Pescitelli and Sean Hall of the Savannah College of Art and Design jumped from sixth into third on the final day, as they brought the second biggest bag of the day to the scales. They stayed consistent the first two rounds, weighing limits in the 10-pound range. Their 13-14 limit today produced a final tally of 35-4.
Collin Smith and Ben Stone of Lander University were fourth with 34-5, and Rick Couch Jr. and John Kaufman of Central Florida finished fifth with 31-7.
The Top 13 teams earned a berth in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship, to be held this summer.
2017 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Title Sponsor: Carhartt
2017 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Presenting Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2017 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2017 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Premier Sponsors: Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Yamaha, Berkley, Power-Pole, Shell Rotella, Triton Boats, Huk, Humminbird, Skeeter Boats
2017 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Supporting Sponsors: Lowrance, Costa, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Shimano, ABU Garcia, St. Croix Rods, Livingston Lures
Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Southern Regional presented by Bass Pro Shops
3/2/2017 - 3/4/2017
Winyah Bay - Carroll Ashmore Campbell Marine Complex - Georgetown, SC
STANDINGS BOATER DAY 3
Name # Fish # Live Lbs - Oz # Fish # Live Lbs - Oz
1 Patrick Walters - Tyler All University of South Carolina 5 5 20-11 15 15 47-14
2 Jonathan Kelley - Max McQuaide Coastal Carolina University 5 5 12-15 15 15 38-14
3 Sean Hall - Noah Pescitelli SCAD 5 5 13-14 15 15 35- 4
4 Collin Smith - Ben Stone Lander University 5 5 13- 0 15 15 34- 5
5 Rick Couch Jr - John Kaufman U. of Central Florida 4 4 10- 5 14 14 31- 7
6 Zachary Ramsey - Joshua Rockefeller Augusta University 3 3 10- 2 13 13 29-11
7 John Duarte - Chesley Alford Coastal Carolina University 2 2 3- 2 12 12 28-14
8 Spencer DeFoor - Brandon Bland U. of South Alabama 5 5 8- 6 15 15 28-14
9 Andrew Warbington - Brant Lewis University of West Alabama 5 5 11- 0 15 15 28- 7
10 Max Gresham - Zack Blake Valdosta State University 5 5 7-11 15 15 27-15
11 Cody Stahl - Daniel Kennedy SCAD 3 3 6- 8 13 13 27-15
12 J T Russell - Chase Grubbs University of Montevallo 5 5 8-14 15 15 27-10
13 Baylor Ronemus - Cole Tinsley Clemson University 5 5 9- 6 13 12 27- 7
14 Wesley Griner - Nathan Ragsdale University of Georgia 5 5 8-13 15 15 26- 4
15 Austin Mize - Ethan Goodwin U. of North Alabama 5 5 6-15 15 15 25- 6
16 Armando Ortiz - Dylan McKee Auburn University 1 1 2- 7 11 11 25- 5
17 Chris Hiott - Kendall Pierce UAB 3 3 3-13 13 13 23- 7
18 Jarrett Brown - Porter James University of Montevallo 3 3 4- 3 13 13 23- 3
19 Caleb Bundy - Alex Moore U. of Central Florida 1 1 2- 6 10 10 20-12
20 Daniel Murkerson - Case Key UAB 1 1 1-11 9 9 19- 2
21 Hunter Franklin - Jesse Morrison U. of South Alabama 10 10 17- 5
22 Brett Blackwood - Justin Grigg Winthrop University 10 10 16-14
23 Chris Carnes - Tyler Lawwill UNC Charlotte 10 10 16-13
24 Hunter McCarty - Sloan Pennington U. of North Alabama 9 9 16-12
25 Austin Handley - Caleb Wozniak Auburn University 8 8 16- 9
26 Joshua Butts - Reid Connor Wallace State Hanceville 10 9 16- 3
27 Zachary Bodford - Hunter Whitman NC State University 10 10 15-14
28 Brady Vernon - John Turner University of Montevallo 10 10 15-10
29 Alec Lower - Ryan Glennon NC State University 10 10 15- 0
30 Justin Barnes - Cole Blackmon Alabama Southern 8 8 14- 7
31 Jordan Heath - Taylor Tew Auburn University 7 7 14- 6
32 Tyler Woolcott - Daytona State College 8 8 14- 6
33 Brian Travers - Hunter Moore Liberty University 10 10 14- 5
34 Nathan Martin - Bridger Thomas U. of North Alabama 7 7 14- 3
35 Austin Stanley - Knox Daniels Georgia College 9 9 13-14
36 Cole Burdeshaw - Cameron Mercer Auburn University 7 7 13-13
37 Daulton Smith - Cody Billings University of Georgia 7 7 13-11
38 Cole Hewett - Jacob Romani U. of Central Florida 9 9 13-11
39 Ryan Kent - Tyler Wilson Georgia Southern University 7 7 13- 5
40 Zac Bennett - Tucker Sweat Georgia College 9 9 12- 9
41 Thomas Oltorik III - John Byrd Stetson University 7 7 12- 4
42 Jake Smith - Larry Partain Wallace State Hanceville 7 7 12- 4
43 Daniel Adrien - Mason Bond Georgia College 7 7 12- 2
44 Tyler Brown - Clemson University 8 8 12- 1
45 Derek Freeman - Robert White Clemson University 8 8 11-10
46 Jared Baker - Darius Williams Georgia Southern University 7 7 11- 8
47 Brodie Cox - Jacob Robbins Clemson University 7 7 11- 7
48 Hunter McKamey - Kyle Oliver U. of Central Florida 5 5 10- 8
49 Matthew Cantrell - Grant Bergeron University of Florida 6 6 10- 7
50 Nick Gresens - Chase Williams Georgia College 8 8 10- 4
51 Caiden Sinclair - Hunter Gibson University of Alabama 7 7 10- 2
52 Cole Nunnery - Jack Stegall Mississippi State 7 7 10- 1
53 Justin Roberts - Alexis Joyce SCAD 4 4 8-14
54 Tyler Smith - Cody Whisenhunt U. of South Alabama 5 5 8-13
55 Laura Ann Foshee - Katie Connolly SCAD 7 7 8-11
56 Justin Jones - Zach Lineberry Troy University 5 5 8- 8
57 Dylan Burton - Andrew Shaddix U. of South Alabama 4 4 8- 6
58 Hunter Bland - Connor Young University of Florida 6 6 7-12
59 Jesse James - AJ Etheredge Troy University 6 6 7- 5
60 Wesley Fox - Nick Schultz UNC Charlotte 4 4 5-13
61 Jake Lee - Jacob Foutz Bryan College 3 3 5-13
62 Hayden Carnell - Joshua McQueen UAB 4 4 5- 3
63 Allan Stack - Ross Dove Clemson University 4 4 4-10
64 Morgan Locke - Florida State University 2 2 4- 6
65 Chase Christie - Brandon Black University of West Georgia 3 3 3-11
66 Dylan Bucci - Collin Reedy University of Florida 2 2 3- 8
67 Tucker Adams - Bryce White Mississippi State 2 2 2-15
68 Nathan Bell - Cole Sands Bryan College 2 2 2-11
69 Andrew Kiser - Dean Legg Clemson University 1 1 2- 3
70 Michael Blake - Jayme Dewberry Auburn University 2 2 1-15
71 John Defore - Colton Granger Troy University 1 1 1-12
72 Zachary Phillips - Noah Coleman Liberty University 1 1 1- 7
73 Jaci Skipper - Ryleigh Tyson SCAD 1 1 1- 1
74 AJ Faught - Austin Scott Wallace State Hanceville 0 0 0- 0
74 Tucker Hill - Austin Birch Georgia Southern University 0 0 0- 0
74 Caleb Roberson - Brinson Laliberte The Citadel 0 0 0- 0
74 Miller Spivey - Logan Ledbetter Wallace State Hanceville 0 0 0- 0
BIG BASS
Day Name City,State Lbs-Oz
1 John Duarte - Chesley Alford Middle River, MD 5-13
2 Zachary Ramsey - Joshua Rockefeller Augusta, GA 5- 8
3 Patrick Walters - Tyler All Summerville, SC 7- 6
McClelland Wins on Table Rock! Again!
|
|
|
Gross wins FLW Costa SE Event on Lake Seminole!
Chickamauga Pro Tops 215-boat Field, Wins $52,200
BAINBRIDGE, Ga. (March 4, 2017) – FLW Tour pro Buddy Gross of Chickamauga, Georgia, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 23 pounds, 7 ounces, Saturday to claim top honors at the Costa FLW Series Southeastern Division tournament on Lake Seminole presented by Mud Hole Custom Tackle. Gross’ three-day total of 15 bass weighing 64 pounds, 11 ounces, was enough to earn him $52,200.
“I’m feeling really great right now,” said Gross, who also logged a top-10 finish at the Series Southeastern Division opener on Lake Okeechobee in January. “This is an awesome lake and I’ve had a great time on it this week. The Lord has really blessed me.”
Gross said he caught the majority of his bass in Spring Creek. He said his area revolved around a unique turn in the creek channel that acted as a highway for bass to travel to shallow spawning flats.
“Every fish I weighed in came off that 100-yard stretch,” said Gross. “It was like a pocket in the deep grass line that led straight to the spawning flats and there was timber in the middle of it. The grass down the sides was about 14- or 15-feet tall and it was green and healthy.”
Gross said he used two baits to catch his fish – a Tennessee Shad-colored Zoom Swimmer Paddle Tail Swimbait, and a white Zoom Magnum Super Fluke with a Tennessee River Tremor Head. He said he each lure was equally productive in catching a total of 17 keepers throughout the event.
“I’d throw the Swimmer up over the grass early on in the day, and then I’d take the fluke and slow roll it through the timber to catch suspended fish in the afternoon,” said Gross.
Though his bass made subtle moves throughout the week, Gross was still able to put together the weight he needed to win.
“On Thursday they were wadded up tight, and yesterday they were scattered,” said Gross. “They were in two different spots today, but close together. It was just one of those textbook kinds of areas that you dream about.”
The top 10 pros on Lake Seminole were:
1st: Buddy Gross, Chickamauga, Ga., 15 bass, 64-11, $52,200
2nd: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 58-9, $21,600
3rd: Clint Brown, Bainbridge, Ga., 15 bass, 56-5, $15,000
4th: Rodger Beaver, Dawson, Ga., 15 bass, 48-13, $13,000
5th: Matt Baty, Bainbridge, Ga., 14 bass, 47-1, $12,000
6th: Chad Prough, Chipley, Fla., 14 bass, 43-11, $9,500
7th: Bradford Beavers, Ridgeville, S.C., 15 bass, 42-14, $8,200
8th: Barry Wilson, Birmingham, Ala., 13 bass, 39-13, $7,200
9th: Randy Haynes, Counce, Tenn., 11 bass, 39-5, $6,200
10th: Nic Jeter, Bainbridge, Ga., 12 bass, 37-12, $4,600
A complete list of results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Jeff Fitts of Keystone Heights, Florida, caught an 8-pound, 1-ounce bass Thursday – the biggest of the tournament in the Pro Division. For his catch, Fitts earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $300.
Dwayne Fricks of Starr, South Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $28,600, including a Ranger Z175 with a 90-horsepower Evinrude outboard motor. Fricks earned his win with a three-day total catch of 14 bass weighing 33 pounds, 3 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers on Lake Seminole were:
1st: Dwayne Fricks, Starr, S.C., 14 bass, 33-3, $28,600
2nd: Craig Rozema, Simpsonville, S.C., 11 bass, 31-0, $6,550
3rd: Todd Beaver, Richland, Ga., 11 bass, 26-1, $5,400
4th: Mitch Hayes, Chipley, Fla., nine bass, 24-1, $4,100
5th: Kyle Stafford, Lakeland, Fla., 11 bass, 24-0, $3,600
6th: Darren Jeter, Marshall, N.C., 10 bass, 23-14, $3,100
7th: Scap Cicero, Wetumpka, Ala., nine bass, 23-11, $2,600
8th: Danny Weldon, Baldwin, Fla., 11 bass, 23-0, $2,050
9th: Heath Gilmore, Meridian, Miss., nine bass, 21-14, $1,620
10th: George Davis, Moore Haven, Fla., 10 bass, 20-12, $1,370
Beaver caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Friday, a fish weighing 7 pounds, 6 ounces that earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $200.
The Costa FLW Series on Lake Seminole was hosted by the Bainbridge Convention & Visitors Bureau. It was the second Southeastern Division tournament of 2017. The next Costa FLW Series tournament will be the Central Division opener, held March 30 to April 1, on Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Arkansas. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.
The Costa FLW Series consists of five U.S. divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western. Each division consists of three tournaments with competitors vying for valuable points that could earn them the opportunity to fish in the Costa FLW Series Championship. The 2017 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held Nov. 2-4 on Kentucky Lake in Paris, Tennessee.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Costa FLW Series on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
University Of South Carolina Team Moves To The Top At Bassmaster College Southern Regional
|
|
|
Sullivan Steps Into The Lead At Central Open On Table Rock
|
|
|
Coastal Carolina University Take Early Lead In Bassmaster College Series Regional on Winyah Bay
|
|
|
25 Pounds puts Duvall in the drivers seat in Seminole Costa event
March 2, 2017 by Rob Newell
“Wiped out.”
That was the popular phrase of day one at the Costa FLW Series Southeastern event on Lake Seminole presented by Mud Hole Custom Tackle and hosted by the Bainbridge Convention & Visitors Bureau.
After pros grew used to warming temperatures, southerly winds, shorts and flip flops during the practice period, Mother Nature pulled the 180 on them on the first day of the tournament blasting them with blustery cool north winds, which in turn “wiped out” many of Seminole’s best shallow bedding flats.
Many pros lamented losing their best areas to “two-foot rollers” which trashed their productive spots.
John Duvall of Madison, Ga., however, had no productive spots to lose, and that might help explain why he is now leading the Costa Series event with a five-bass limit weighing 25 pounds, even.
In fact, Duvall had such a terrible practice, he just went practicing again today and stumbled upon a mother lode of Lake Seminole bass.
“I only had two little old bites in practice, that was it,” Duvall says. “So I didn’t need to go check any of my good spots to see how bad the wind trashed them because I never had any good spots. I just went fishing on some places I’ve caught them on in the past here and got really blessed. When I caught my first keeper I was like a kid in a candy store – I knew I was at least going to be able to weigh something in.”
As his day unfolded, Duvall certainly had something to weigh in and that something is 25 pounds on top of the leaderboard.
Duvall has history on Seminole, adding that he fishes on the South Georgia impoundment 8 to 10 times a year.
“I went to a place I caught them pretty good several years ago, put the trolling motor down and started fishing reaction baits,” he says. “With each fish, I was in disbelief. In all of practice I didn’t have anything close to that.”
Duvall says he basically has two spots that are very similar in nature – funnel spots where bass are trafficking through en route to spawn. During the day he bounced back and forth between the two spots, catching about 15 keepers total.
“These spots are between their staging areas and their spawning areas,” Duvall explains. “I can see where they are coming from and where they want to go – I’m fishing right dead between the two. Some of it is sand and some of it is clay with some pads and grass mixed in.
“I have no idea what’s going to happen tomorrow, but I’m feeling a whole lot better now than I was in practice. I just need them to keep funneling through there for two more days.”
Top 10 pros:
1. John Duvall – Madison, Ga. – 25-0 (5)
2. Buddy Gross – Chickamauga, Ga. – 24-3 (5)
3. Rodger Beaver – Dawson, Ga. – 21-11 (5)
4. Bradford Beavers – Ridgeville, S.C. – 20-5 (5)
5. Randy Haynes – Counce, Tenn. – 20-3 (5)
6. Derek Yasinski – Senoia, Ga. – 20-1 (5)
7. Clint Brown – Bainbridge, Ga. – 19-11 (5)
7. Nic Jeter – Bainbridge, Ga. – 19-11 (5)
9. Chad Prough – Chipley, Fla. – 19-6 (5)
10. Jeff Fitts – Keystone Heights, Fla. – 19-5 (5)
Cannon claims co-angler lead
Seth Cannon of Brooklet, Ga., leads the Co-angler Division with 15 pounds, 4 ounces. Cannon fished with pro Trent Hill who led him to his leading catch. Cannon’s big bass was a 5-pound, 13-ounce lunker that fell for a lipless crankbait.
“I just got fortunate and drew a great pro who was on fish and had me around them all day,” Cannon says. “Trent fishes out here a lot and knows what’s going on. When you draw a guy like it in these tournaments, it a huge help.”
Top 10 co-anglers:
1. Seth Cannon – Brooklet, Ga. – 15-4 (5)
2. Mitch Hayes – Chipley, Fla. – 14-8 (5)
3. Zac Smith – Cleveland, Ala. – 13-15 (5)
4. Carl Smith – Lugoff, S.C. – 13-13 (5)
5. Bobby Wilson – Albany, Ga. – 13-9 (5)
6. Craig Rozema – Simpsonville, S.C. – 13-3 (5)
7. Justin Merritt – Panama City Beach, Fla. – 12-13 (5)
8. Ty Solis – Albany, Ga. – 12-11 (5)
9. Todd Beaver – Richland, Ga. – 12-9 (5)
10. Chuck Laslie – Quincy, Fla. – 12-5 (5)
Stumpf leads Day 1 of the BASS Central Open on Table Rock
|
|
|
Greg Hackney talks about his pattern to his 5th place finish in the Okeechobee Elite last week
Greg Hackney is known for flipping and pitching and targeting the nastiest, gnarliest cover on the water. Today he talks about fishing the way he likes to fish. Check it out!
Prince Still Hauling Home Cash from Okeechobee
Florida pro Cliff Prince had a great tournament at Lake Okeechobee. He finished 3rd and won $20,000 from B.A.S.S., but his 28-year allegiance to Toyota has lead to even more cash dividends.
As a result of being the highest finishing registered participant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks Program, Prince got paid $3,000 from Toyota
“I’ve had Toyota Trucks since 1989 for hunting, fishing and work,” says Prince.
“There’s no doubt when I heard about the Bonus Bucks program, back when I was fishing as a co-angler in the Elites, I knew I’d buy a new model Tundra, I already loved Toyota, and Bonus Bucks is a really cool program for tournament fishermen,” says Prince.
Prince’s loyalty to Toyota doesn’t stop in freshwater. “I also love my Tundra because I can pull my 30-foot Contender saltwater boat with it, without having to buy a big diesel.”
“I think you could make the world turn on its axis if you had a rope, a post, and a gopher hole, to pull the globe around in circles with a Toyota Tundra,” grinned the Palatka, Florida pro, whose primary sponsor is tractor sales and service dealer called Futch’s Depot.
“We’re just a Toyota family,” says Prince. “My daughter is about to start driving, and we’ve already got a Camry to use as her first car.”
Like Cliff, you don’t have to win a tournament to win the “Bonus Bucks” – you just have to be a registered participant in any of the dozens of tournaments sanctioned by Bonus Bucks, and be the highest-placing participant. To learn more and get signed-up, please visit http://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/ or phone (918) 742-6424, and ask for Jessica or Kendell and they can also help you get signed-up.
Osceola High School wins TBF High School Florida State Championship on the St. Johns!
PALATKA, Fla. (Feb. 28, 2017) – The Osceola High School duo of Bailey Chisholm and Cole DePuy, both of St. Cloud, Florida, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Sunday weighing 17 pounds, 5 ounces, to win the 2017 TBF High School Fishing Florida State Championship tournament on the St. Johns River in Putnam County, Florida. The win advanced the team to the 2017 High School Fishing National championship, held June 27-July 1 at Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama.
A field of 57 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which launched from the City Dock Launch Ramp in Palatka. In FLW/TBF High School Fishing competition, the top 10-percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.
The top five teams on the St. Johns River that advanced to the 2017 High School Fishing National Championship were:
1st: Osceola High School – Bailey Chisholm and Cole DePuy, both of St. Cloud, Fla., (five bass, 17-5)
2nd: Okeechobee High School – Kaitlyn Williams and David Daniel, both of Okeechobee, Fla., (five bass, 15-13)
3rd: Fort Meade High School– Tyler Bazemore, Mulberry, Fla., and Shane Schmucker, Lakeland, Fla., (five bass, 15-9)
4th: First Coast High School – James Brooks, Inverness, Fla., and Matthew Sorrells, Middleburg, Fla., (five bass, 15-3)
5th: Seminole County Junior Anglers – Fisher Omans and Steven Steinard, both of Oviedo, Fla., (five bass, 14-15)
Rounding out the top 10 teams were:
6th: Bartow High School – Jeremy Morgan and Joshua Johnson, both of Bartow, Fla., (five bass, 14-4)
7th: Keystone Heights High School – Coy Givens and Madison Givens, both of Keystone Heights, Fla., (four bass, 13-10)
8th: Seminole County Junior Anglers – Joey Bloom, Winter Springs, Fla., and Dylan Westhelle, Sanford, Fla., (five bass, 13-4)
9th: Seminole County Junior Anglers – Logan Wright, Oviedo, Fla., and Colin Blanton, Winter Springs, Fla., (five bass, 12-15)
10th: Seminole County Junior Anglers – Noah Napolitano and A.J. Alameda, both of Longwood, Fla., (five bass, 12-8)
Complete results and photos from the event can be found at HighSchoolFishing.org.
The 2017 TBF High School Fishing Florida State Championship was a two-person (team) event for students in grades 7-12, open to any Student Angler Federation (SAF) affiliated high school club in the state of Florida. The top 10 percent of each Challenge, Open, and state championship field will advance to the High School Fishing National Championship. The High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.
In addition to the High School Fishing National Championship, all High School Fishing anglers nationwide automatically qualify for the world’s largest high school bass tournament, the 2017 High School Fishing World Finals, held in conjunction with the National Championship. At the 2016 World Finals more than $60,000 in scholarships and prizes were awarded.
Full schedules and the latest announcements are available at HighSchoolFishing.org and FLWFishing.com.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2017 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 274 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW" television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
About The Bass Federation
The Bass Federation Inc., (TBF) is a member of the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. TBF is owned by those we serve and dedicated to the sport of fishing. The Federation is the largest and oldest, organized grassroots fishing, youth and conservation organization there is. TBF, our affiliated state federations and their member clubs conduct more than 20,000 events each year and have provided a foundation for the entire bass fishing industry for more than 45 years. TBF founded the Student Angler Federation and the National High School Fishing program in 2008 to promote clean family fun and education through fishing. Visit bassfederation.com or highschoolfishing.org and “LIKE US” on Facebook.
FLW Shatters record for largest YETI College Fishing Event - takes 22-13 to take home the win!
GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (Feb. 27, 2017) – The Tusculum College duo of Nick Hatfield of Jonesborough, Tennessee, and Corey Neece of Bristol, Tennessee, won the YETI FLW College Fishing Southeastern Conference event on Lake Guntersville Saturday with a five-bass limit weighing 22 pounds, 13 ounces, topping the largest field ever assembled for a collegiate bass fishing tournament – 248 teams. The victory earned the Tusculum College bass club a $2,000 club scholarship and the team will now advance to compete at the 2018 FLW College Fishing National Championship.
The new participation record eclipses the previous all-time mark of 214 teams set last season at the Bassmaster College Series Southern Regional at Lake Martin. The previous FLW record of 203 teams was set and later matched in 2016 at the FLW College Fishing Open on Kentucky Lake in April and the Southeastern Conference qualifier at Lake Chickamauga in September.
“We’ve fished several events together, but this is our first win as a team and for our club,” said Hatfield, a senior majoring in business administration. “We’ve been working really hard and it is so awesome to see our hard work pay off.”
“We went down to Guntersville to practice a couple of weekends before the tournament, and a few days before this event,” said Neece, a junior majoring in environmental science. “We found some areas that were holding fish a few weeks ago, and were hoping that they would stay put.
“The day of the tournament the wind was blowing really badly and it washed out a lot of the areas that we knew the fish were in,” Neece continued. “We couldn’t even fish in some of the pockets – the eel grass was blown in and completely covering the pockets and the water was very muddy. We had a few pockets that were protected from the wind so that’s where we decided to focus our time.”
The duo said that they stayed in just two pockets, side-by-side in the mid-lake area. They estimated that they caught 20 to 30 keepers on two baits – a Sexy Shad-colored Strike King Red Eye Shad and a Royalty-colored Booyah One Knocker.
“We were sitting in 2 feet of water and fishing really, really shallow,” Hatfield said. “Our trolling motor kept hitting the bottom and kicking up mud and we had to raise it up.”
“The key was definitely how shallow we were fishing,” Neece said. “The fish were in the very backs of the pockets getting ready to spawn. If you weren’t fishing shallow enough, you weren’t going to get a bite.”
“We are absolutely stoked to qualify for the National Championship,” Hatfield went on to say. “We’ve been fishing together and trying to qualify for a couple of years now, so to finally get in my senior year is really special. Hopefully it opens up a few more opportunities for our club and hopefully we can make something out of that tournament.”
The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2018 College Fishing National Championship are:
1st: Tusculum College – Nick Hatfield, Jonesborough, Tennessee, and Corey Neece, Bristol, Tennessee, five bass, 22-13, $2,400 Club Scholarship
2nd: University of Georgia – Wesley Griner, Leesburg, Ga., and Nathan Ragsdale, Fayetteville, Ga., five bass, 22-10, $1,200 Club Scholarship
3rd: Bethel University – Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, and Carter McNeil, Abbeville, S.C., five bass, 19-12, $500 Club Scholarship
4th: Bethel University – Garrett Enders, Mifflinburg, Pa., and Cody Huff, Ava, Mo., five bass, 18-14, $500 Club Scholarship
5th: Snead State Community College – Brandon Matthews, Gadsden, Ala., and Nathan Doss, Cullman, Ala., four bass, 18-8, $500 Club Scholarship
6th: Lander University – Ben Stone, Donalds, S.C., and Collin Smith, Honea Path, S.C., five bass, 17-12
7th: Florida Gulf Coast – Beau Clymer and Hunter Bozeman, both of Ocala, Fla., five bass, 17-4
8th: Bryan College – Nathan Bell, Riceville, Tenn., and Cole Sands, Calhoun, Tenn., five bass, 17-4
9th: Bethel University – Brian Pahl, Wildwood, Mo., and John Coble Garrett, Union City, Tenn., five bass, 16-13
10th: University of North Alabama – Triston Crowder, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., and Lake Blasingame, Florence, Ala., five bass, 16-8
FLW also advances one additional team to the National Championship for every 10 teams over 100 that compete. A total of 248 teams participated in this event, so also advancing to the 2018 College Fishing National Championship are:
11th: University of North Alabama – Evan Bernas, El Paso, Texas, and Matthew Uptain, Harvest, Ala., five bass, 15-12
12th: Clemson University – Robert White, Greenville, S.C., and Derek Freeman, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 15-6
13th: Kennesaw State University – Logan Smith, Ball Ground, Ga., and Payton Morgan, Woodstock, Ga., four bass, 14-3
14th: Mississippi State University – Grant Hyche, Sterrett, Ala., and Hunter Hatcher, Starkville, Miss., five bass, 14-0
15th: University of Alabama – John Bryant, Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Ethan Flack, Cullman, Ala., five bass, 14-0
16th: Savannah College of Art and Design – Noah Pescitelli, Buford, Ga., and Sean Hall, North Augusta, Ga., five bass, 13-9
17th: University of Mississippi – Andrew Hulbert, Ridgeland, Miss., and Chandler South, Mantachie, Miss., five bass, 13-6
18th: Calhoun Community College – Dakota Guzman, Moulton, Ala., and Charles Rieser, Huntsville, Ala., five bass, 13-0
19th: Bryan College – Chandler Fogg and Conner Fogg, both of Kelso, Tenn., five bass, 12-14
20th: University of South Carolina – Tyler Smith, Dorchester, S.C., and Shawn Callahan, Cincinnati, Ohio, four bass, 12-8
21st: Faulkner University – Tyler Pennington, Chicota, Ala., and Brady Bowden, Hope Hull, Ala., five bass, 12-3
22nd: University of Tennessee – Logan Brewster, Maryville, Tenn., and Clay Walters, Charleston, Tenn., four bass, 12-0
23rd: Bethel University – Evan Owrey, Jackson, Tenn., and Kristopher Queen, Catawba, N.C., five bass, 11-10
24th: University of North Alabama – Nathan Martin, Tuscumbia, Ala., and Davis Whitten, Muscle Shoals, Ala., four bass, 11-5
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
This YETI FLW College Fishing Southeastern Conference tournament at Lake Guntersville was the second regular-season qualifying tournament of 2017 in the Southeastern Conference. The next event for Southeastern Conference anglers is a tournament scheduled for March 18 on Lake Hartwell in Hartwell, Georgia.
YETI FLW College Fishing teams compete in three regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments, along with an additional qualifier for every 10 teams over 100 that compete, along with the top 20 teams from the annual YETI FLW College Fishing Open will advance to the 2018 FLW College Fishing National Championship.
College Fishing is free to enter. All participants must be registered, full-time students at a college, university or community college and members of a college fishing club that is recognized by their school.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow College Fishing on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing. Visit FLWFishing.com to sign up or to start a club at your school.
Queen wins T-H Marine BFL on Lake Norman with 16.9 pounds
China Grove’s Wike claims Co-angler title
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 27, 2017) – Jeff Queen of Catawba, North Carolina, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 9 ounces, Saturday to claim top honors at the first T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) North Carolina Division tournament of 2017 on Lake Norman, presented by Navionics. For his efforts, Queen took home $4,279.
“The weather Saturday morning was cloudy and breezy, which told me the jig bite would be strong,” said Queen, who earned his second career win in BFL competition. “We’d had seven warm days in a row, so both largemouth and spotted bass were up shallow. I knew I’d be cruising the bank to catch them.”
Queen said his strategy was to cover as much water as he could. He said he used one lure to catch his limit – a 3/8-ounce Queen Tackle tungsten jig with a blue Zoom Super Chunk trailer.
“I fished mid-lake and hit anything that had wind blowing into it,” said Queen. “I caught one of my best bass on my third cast, and put one quality fish in the boat every hour from then on. I caught a lot of fish, but it took a while to boat the 3-pounders.”
Queen said the majority of his bass came from open stretches of bank in 3 to 8 feet of water, and one that he weighed in came from a dock.
“I made long casts – probably 35 to 40 yards,” said Queen. “The key was that I would take the jig and swim it fast. With its small head, trimmed skirt and large hook, I could really load it up and set it hard. I didn’t lose a single fish all day.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Jeff Queen, Catawba, N.C., five bass, 16-9, $4,279
2nd: Wes Lewis, Sherrills Ford, N.C., five bass, 15-4, $2,140
3rd: Stephen Cannon, Wilkesboro, N.C., five bass, 15-0, $2,031
4th: Carson Orellana, Mooresville, N.C., five bass, 14-15, $998
5th: Craig Chambers, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 14-13, $856
6th: Jason Wilson, Lincolnton, N.C., five bass, 14-10, $949
6th: Drew Montgomery, Maiden, N.C., five bass, 14-10, $1,249
8th: David Cooke, Mooresville, N.C., five bass, 14-2, $642
9th: Jacob Moore, Stanley, N.C., five bass, 13-12, $671
10th: Chris Baumgardner, Gastonia, N.C., five bass, 13-9, $499
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Cannon caught a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass – the largest of the event – which earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $605.
Austin Wike of China Grove, North Carolina, weighed in five bass totaling 11 pounds, 5 ounces Saturday to win the Co-angler Division and $2,140.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Austin Wike, China Grove, N.C., five bass, 11-5, $2,140
2nd: Tristen Trull, Mount Holly, N.C., five bass, 10-11, $1,070
3rd: Hunter Harwell, Hickory, N.C., five bass, 10-9, $712
4th: Dominick LeSerra, West Jefferson, N.C., five bass, 10-7, $439
4th: James Webb, Mooresville, N.C., five bass, 10-7, $439
4th: Steve Reynolds, Concord, N.C., five bass, 10-7, $439
7th: Adam Lockler, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 10-6, $357
8th: Charles Wood, Thomasville, N.C., five bass, 10-2, $321
9th: Tyrell Collins, Galax, Va., five bass, 9-12, $285
10th: Ryan Sommerville, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 9-9, $250
Kyle Richardt of Raleigh, North Carolina, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing 3 pounds, 15 ounces, and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $302.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 12-14 BFL Regional Championship on the James River in Williamsburg, Virginia. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL 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 BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Hammond drops 17.6 pounds on the scales to win TH Marine BFL on Table Rock
Cuba’s Fey tops Co-angler field
BRANSON, Mo. (Feb. 27, 2017) – Eric Hammond of Rogersville, Missouri, weighed a 17-pound, 6-ounce-limit of bass Saturday to win the first T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Ozark Division tournament of 2017 on Table Rock Lake. For his victory, Hammond took home $5,457.
Hammond said he began his day on the White River near Baxter. He said he targeted 45-degree rock banks that transitioned into gravel as they descended into the water.
“I used a Phantom Green-colored Storm Wiggle Wart,” said Hammond, who earned his first win in BFL competition. “I made long casts, got it down there and let it do its thing.”
Hammond said the cool water temperatures had the bass feeling sluggish, which influenced his strategy.
“I reeled the Wiggle Wart in slowly and steadily,” said Hammond. “The water temperature were still in the high 40s. I think they were still asleep – it was hard to feel them bite. I think they eventually ate the bait because they were tired of looking at it.”
Toward the afternoon, Hammond said he decided to move out deep to focus on submerged trees.
“I threw an umbrella rig and got a couple key fish to round out the limit,” said Hammond. “The trees were about 45-feet-down, near points and other spots where bass were moving up. It was a grind to catch all six keepers, but it only took a couple of them to make it a great day.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Eric Hammond, Rogersville, Mo., five bass, 17-6, $5,457
2nd: Mike Brueggen, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 17-0, $2,728
3rd: Roy Hawk, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., five bass, 16-14, $2,319
4th: Lance Williams, Billings, Mo., five bass, 16-13, $1,373
5th: Brian Thompson, Springfield, Mo., five bass, 16-11, $1,091
6th: Ronnie Dobbs, Shell Knob, Mo., five bass, 16-8, $1,000
7th: Jason Newberry, Nixa, Mo., five bass, 15-11, $909
8th: John Hewkin, Sullivan, Mo., five bass, 15-2, $819
9th: Chad Allison, Carl Junction, Mo., five bass, 14-12, $728
10th: Todd Knaack, Lawson, Mo., five bass, 14-11, $637
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Roger Morris of Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Chuck Baggett of Union, Missouri, each caught a 5-pound, 7-ounce bass to tie for the day’s Boater Big Bass award and each won $437.
Michael Fey Sr., of Cuba, Missouri, weighed in five bass totaling 12 pounds, 7 ounces Saturday to win the Co-angler Division and earn $2,728.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Michael Fey Sr., Cuba, Mo., five bass, 12-7, $2,728
2nd: Landon Rogers, Battlefield, Mo., five bass, 11-12, $1,364
3rd: Derrick Wright, Carl Junction, Mo., four bass, 11-1, $911
4th: Michael Bray, Union, Mo., four bass, 10-13, $637
5th: Jerry Riddle, Summit, Miss., five bass, 10-11, $546
6th: Trey Schroeder, Crestwood, Mo., five bass, 10-4, $700
7th: Lance Maldonado, Chapman, Kan., four bass, 9-3, $455
8th: Don Heiser, Kearney, Mo., four bass, 9-0, $409
9th: Joshua Brassard, Nixa, Mo., four bass, 8-8, $364
10th: Spencer Clark, Maryland Heights, Mo., four bass, 7-14, $318
Ernie Wooten of New London, Missouri, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 5 ounces, and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $437.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 5-7 BFL Regional Championship on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL 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 BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Leonard & Bronder take the win at Bass Champs on Amistad and leads the AOY race
|
Lodging recommendations for Bass Champs events.
| Place | Boat | Angler 1 | Angler 2 | Fish | Big Bass | Wt. | Prize Amt. | |
| 1 | LEE LEONARD MARTINDALE , TX |
SCOTT BRONDER FALLS CITY , TX |
5 | 0 | 25.49 |
|
||
| 2 | MIKE FLEMING NEW BRAUNFELS , TX |
BRIAN FLEMING JR SAN ANTONIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 23.48 |
|
||
| 3 |  |
ERNESTINO PRUNEDA DEL RIO , TX |
CODY WHITE DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 23.03 |
|
|
| 4 | JIMMY STEED LAREDO , TX |
CHARLIE HARALSON DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 22.54 |
|
||
| 5 | |
BUBBA HARALSON DEL RIO , TX |
TRENT HUCKABY FORT STOCKTON , TX |
5 | 8.88 | 20.80 |
|
|
| 6 |  |
DERICK KUYRKENDALL BERGHEIM , TX |
FORREST WILSON BULVERDE , TX |
5 | 0 | 20.50 |
|
|
| 7 | JASON FITZGERALD MIDLAND , TX |
GARY JORDAN ANDREWS , TX |
5 | 0 | 20.27 |
|
||
| 8 | CARSON GRIZZARD MIDLAND , TX |
RANDALL EDWARDS MIDLAND , TX |
5 | 8.77 | 20.18 |
|
||
| 9 | |
ROBERT LOPEZ DEL RIO , TX |
JOHN SONTAG DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 19.93 |
|
|
| 10 | |
RANDY DIXON BORGER , TX |
STEPHEN WINTER MIDLAND , TX |
5 | 9.66 | 19.91 |
|
|
| 11 | MIKE BATES CANYON LAKE , TX |
TYE HEINEMAN WIMBERLEY , TX |
5 | 0 | 19.77 |
|
||
| 12 | |
GRAN SHANDLEY LEAKEY , TX |
JOSH SHANDLEY LEAKEY , TX |
5 | 0 | 19.16 |
|
|
| 13 | RICHARD BACON BASILE , LA |
BILLY WILLHITE JONESBORO , LA |
5 | 0 | 18.87 |
|
||
| 14 | BRAD NICHOLS NEW BRAUNFELS , TX |
CRAIG CORDOVA AUSTIN , TX |
5 | 0 | 18.72 |
|
||
| 15 | DANNY PUENTE DEL RIO , TX |
HECTOR RUBIO DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 18.47 |
|
||
| 16 | JAMES KISER MONTGOMERY , TX |
CHUCK NAOMI ELMENDORF , TX |
5 | 0 | 18.46 |
|
||
| 17 | |
BRYAN ESTES AUSTIN , TX |
MARK HANCOCK SAN ANTONIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 18.29 |
|
|
| 18 | TIM THORTON DEL RIO , TX |
ROBERT SCOT ODESSA , TX |
5 | 0 | 18.01 |
|
||
| 19 | |
BRADLEY JAMESON LOVINGTON , NM |
TODD TOWN AMARILLO , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.71 |
|
|
| 20 | SPIKE STOKER STEPHENVILLE , TX |
STUART JEFFREY ANSON , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.61 |
|
||
| 21 | |
MIKAEL PAPPIYJOHN BIG SPRING , TX |
JONATHAN PEARSON BIG SPRING , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.57 |
|
|
| 22 | JEFFREY PIEL CANYON LAKE , TX |
DUSTIN DAY PORTLAND , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.49 |
|
||
| 23 | |
PHILIP FABIANO LUBBOCK , TX |
STACY MILLER LUBBOCK , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.32 |
|
9.79 Anchors 28 pound bag for ABA RAM Trucks Open win on Toledo Bend!
Alan Fitts of Hemphill, Texas won the American Bass Anglers Ram Truck Open Series Louisiana tournament, held February 25th on Toledo Bend Reservoir.
Running out of Cypress Bend Park near Many, Louisiana, Alan caught an astonishing five fish limit weighing 28.88 pounds anchored by a beautiful 9.79 pound bass. For the Boater division victory, Fitts took home a check for $5000.
“It was an interesting day,” Fitts said. “I was on a good bite up North and had some fish located, but I came across the lake this morning before we launched and I knew it was going to be a rough ride. When we took off and headed North we made it a couple miles until we cleared the Island and I changed my mind. It was rough up there. I went with a gut instinct, turned around, and went to a couple spots that I had not been to in over a year. It turns out there was a whole lot of luck because that’s where I caught both of my big fish. I caught my fish on a Talon football jig, but I can’t tell you the color because it doesn’t have a name yet? It’s something we threw together and it turned out to be a good combination. The bite was tougher than it had been due to the cold front last night and the wind, but the big girls are ready to be caught.” Fitts said.
In second for the Boaters, Jarrett Latta of Cedar Park, Texas landed a five-bass limit going 23.02 pounds. His bag was anchored by a 7.36 kicker. He collected $800 for the effort. “I sight fished all day today. I should have prepared for this a little better. I had some pinpointed on beds but all of them were exposed to the wind. It messed things up a bit and I had to go searching for some that were a little more protected and we lucked out. I have another tournament I am entering tomorrow so maybe I can go out again and be able to get the rest of them.” Jarrett said.
Nick LeBrun of Bossier City, Louisiana took third for the Boaters with five bass going 20.01 pounds to earn $600. “We just went fishing.” Said Nick. “I went to an area of the lake I knew that fish were there and flipped some hay grass. We caught some chunkin and winding too I wish there was about 2-3 more feet of water because the ones we caught had just enough depth to keep their backs wet. We caught a lot of fish but had to go through them to get the quality keepers.” said LeBrun.
In fourth, Derrick Mong of Many, Louisiana came in with 19.67 pounds.
Finishing fifth place was Billy Cline of Grapevine, Texas with 19.62 pounds.
The biggest bass for the Boaters was caught by Allen Fitts of Hemphill, Texas that weighed 9.79 and Allen pocketed $500.
In the Co-Angler division, John Barrera of Milam, Texas won with three bass going 12.72 pounds. He sealed his victory with a 6.10-pound kicker to pocket a check for $1200.
“Well it started out a little different. My boater told me he had some fish up North so when you called our boat number this morning that’s where we headed and I was ready. I had found some fish earlier in the week on the South end of the lake. Once we got around the island and saw how rough it was we shut down and he asked me if I think we could get bit where my fish were, so off we went. We both caught fish, I was just able to get the right bites. I had between 12-15 fish and culled up to what I brought in. Anytime you come out with a win is a great day,” Barrera said.
Taking second for the Co-Anglers, Justin Bailey of Farmerville, Louisiana brought in a three-bass division limit weighing 8.52 pounds. He collected $275 for the effort. “I caught all my fish on a drop shot and a Carolina rig in 7-10 feet of water. We targeted that depth mainly all in some stumps. We caught fish pretty much everywhere we went. I caught about 6 fish, my boater had about a dozen. It was a good day and I had a lot of fun.” Bailey said.
Jeffrey Grubbs Sr. of Goodrich, Texas placed third among the Co-Anglers with three bass going 8.27 pounds to earn $225. “I can’t say too much because I was with Alan Fitts today and you already know most of what we did. We were shallow. Oh yeah, did I mention we were shallow? LOL. We went up North at first, turned around and came back south, and you know the rest of the story. I was able to catch a few in between netting his fish. I’m just playing, we had a great day. I was able to cull 3 times, Alan is a super guy and knows this lake very well. I was very fortunate to be witness to it all.” Grubbs said.
In fourth place among the Co-Anglers, Doron Pardo, the furthest traveled angler from Phoenix, Arizona brought in three bass weighing 8.23 pounds.
Chris Pearson of Marthaville, Louisiana finished in fifth place with three bass at 8.22 pounds.
The biggest bass for the Co-Anglers was caught by John Barrera at 6.10 pounds, John took another check for $180 for his fish.
Slated for March 11th, the next divisional tournament will be held on Bayou Black, at Bob’s bayou Black near Gibson, LA. At the end of the season, the best anglers from across the nation advance to the 2018 Ray Scott Championship, slated for an undetermined location.
For more information on this tournament, call Chris Wayand, tournament manager, at (256)230-5627 or ABA at (256)232-0406. On line, see www.ramopenseries.com .
American Bass Anglers is committed to providing low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers, the Ram Truck Open Series, the American Fishing Tour or the American Couples Series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
27.24 Limit earn Olivier his Second ABA RAM Trucks Open on Toho
Troy Olivier of Lakeland, Florida won his second American Bass Anglers Ram Truck Open Series Florida Central Division tournament, held February 25th on Lake Toho.
Running out of Lakefront Park in Kissimmee, Florida, Troy caught five bass weighing 27.24 pounds. For the Boater division victory, took home another check for $5,000 for his win.
“I ran down to lake Kissimmee and kind of bounced around and got lucky and found some fish in an area I fished for twenty minutes last week. I caught my fish on a 10” junebug Gambler worm.” Olivier said.
In second for the Boaters, Yogi “Kenneth” Norris of Orlando, Florida landed a five-bass tournament limit weighing 26.03 pounds anchored by a 10.31-pound kicker. He collected $1,760 for his catch and $910 for the big bass.
“I stayed in the middle of Lake Toho most of the day. I did run down to Cypress but I came back to Toho. I was throwing a Texas-rig worm and a Carolina-rig worm for a little while. I caught that big bass around 11am this morning on a big worm.” Norris said.
David Lepsic of Haines City, Florida landed five bass going 23.89 pounds. He collected $1,170 for his catch. “I was fishing open water hydrilla with soft plastic worms.” Lepsic said.
In fourth place among the Boaters, Leonard Jones of Geneva, Florida brought in five bass weighing 20.57 pounds.
Chad Schroeder of Zephyrhills, Florida finished in fifth place with five bass at 20.31 pounds.
In the Co-Angler division, Giovanni Pena of Davenport, Florida won with three bass going 16.24 pounds with a 7.11-pound kicker. He pocketed a check for $2,500 for his win.
“I stayed on Toho all day and caught my biggest one flipping and the rest on a worm.” Pena said.
Taking second for the Co-Anglers, Andrew Cason of Kissimmee, Florida brought in a three-bass division limit weighing 14.03 pounds anchored by a 9.22-pound kicker for big bass. He collected $850 for his catch and $435 for the big bass.
“I was fishing on Hatchineha and I was flipping a Senko in some reeds. I caught that big bass around 12:15pm on that Senko.” Cason said.
Ricardo Armenta of Davenport, Florida placed third among the Co-Anglers with three bass going 12.93 pounds. He earned $550 for his catch. “I went to Cypress fishing open water throwing over hydrilla with a Texas-rig trick worm.” Armenta said.
In fourth place among the Co-Anglers, David Simpson Jr. of Gotha, Florida brought in three bass for 12.78 pounds.
Charles Tucker of Eustis, Florida finished in fifth place with three bass at 12.49 pounds.
Slated for March 25th, the next tournament will be held on Harris Chain out of Hickory Point Recreation Facility in Tavares, FL. At the end of the season, the best anglers from across the nation advance the 2018 Ray Scott Championship, Location to be announced.
For more information on this tournament, call Billy Benedetti, tournament manager, at (256)230-5632 or ABA at (256)232-0406. On line, see www.ramopenseries.com .
American Bass Anglers is committed to providing low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers, the Ram Truck Open Series, the American Fishing Tour or the American Couples Series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
Taylor weighs 22-10 to win TH Marine BFL Savannah River event on Clarks Hill
Grovetown’s Deufel claims Co-angler title
APPLING, Ga. (Feb. 27, 2017) – Brock Taylor of Pendleton, South Carolina, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 22 pounds, 10 ounces, Saturday to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Savannah River Division event on Clarks Hill Lake. Taylor pocketed $5,565 for his win.
“I started out fishing a brush pile in about 20 feet of water,” said Taylor, who notched his third career-win in FLW competition. “The area was within three miles of the takeoff ramp and near the dam. After about 30 minutes, I caught my biggest bass on a green-pumpkin-colored Zoom Trick Worm, rigged on a shaky-head.”
Taylor said his other productive stop was a nearby creek channel swing that was covered with chunk rock. There he opted for an Alabama Craw-colored jig.
“The fish didn’t hit the jig until it was about 20-feet-down,” said Taylor. “Every time the jig would get caught up in the slime when I was reeling in, I’d give it a jerk and that’s when they would bite. I ended up catching two that I weighed in on that channel swing.”
Taylor said he was able to put eight keepers in the boat throughout the tournament.
“After a couple hours, the wind picked up so I ran along any bank that had a mud line,” said Taylor. “I used a white spinnerbait, and caught my last keeper fairly close to the takeoff ramp at 3:15 p.m. I guess it was my time to do well.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Brock Taylor, Pendleton, S.C., five bass, 22-10, $5,565
2nd: Chris Rodwell, Evans, Ga., five bass, 21-14, $2,783
3rd: Charles Doyle, Augusta, Ga., five bass, 20-8, $1,853
4th: Marcus Church, Seneca, S.C., five bass, 19-13, $2,199
5th: Franklin Ramey, Abbeville, S.C., five bass, 19-6, $1,113
6th: Jimmy Gooch, Jefferson, Ga., five bass, 19-0, $1,020
7th: Daniel Atkins, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 18-6, $1,428
8th: Hunter Eubanks, Inman, S.C., five bass, 18-3, $835
9th: Kevin Dearth, Cumming, Ga., five bass, 17-7, $742
10th: James Redd, Lincolnton, Ga., five bass, 17-3, $616
10th: Michael Chandler, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 17-3, $616
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Church caught a bass weighing 8 pounds even – the largest of the event – which earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $900.
Matt Deufel of Grovetown, Georgia, weighed in five bass totaling 17 pounds, 10 ounces Saturday to win the Co-angler division and the top prize of $2,737.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Matt Deufel, Grovetown, Ga., five bass, 17-10, $2,737
2nd: Jimmi Leuthner, Tamassee, S.C., five bass, 15-2, $1,369
3rd: Chad Hamm, Aiken, S.C., five bass, 14-10, $913
4th: Justin Kimmel, Athens, Ga., five bass, 14-7, $593
4th: Stephen Reasoner, Harlem, Ga., four bass, 14-7, $593
6th: Robert Gambrell, Clermont, Ga., five bass, 13-14, $502
7th: Eric Cerny, Alpharetta, Ga., five bass, 13-9, $456
8th: Stephen Burress, Mills River, N.C., five bass, 13-1, $611
9th: Brian Nappier, Huntersville, N.C., five bass, 12-9, $392
9th: Brody Manley, Pickens, S.C., five bass, 12-9, $342
Renee Price of Westminster, South Carolina, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 6 pounds, 15 ounces, and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $435.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 19-21 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL 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 BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2017 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 274 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW" television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
30.75 pounds wins TN Team Trail on Chickamauga, 11.03 takes Big Fish
Congratulations to Tommy and Spencer Brown. Our season opener was a complete and total success and we want to thank everyone for coming out today. 472 Fish weighing in at 1419.61 lbs were caught today. We paid 90 places with an extra $2400 being split evenly to the top 25. If you placed 26-90, your checks will automatically roll over to Norris.
Kenny Needham and Rob Noyes took home big fish check today with a massive 11.03 largemouth today.
2/25/2017 Chickamauga
| Place | Team | Fish | Wgt | Pen | Bonus | B/F | TotWgt | Pts |
| 1 | TOMMY BROWN-SPENCER BROWN | 5/5 | 30.75 | 9.30 | 30.75 | 200.00 | ||
| 2 | *BRAD FULLINGTON->SHANE FRAZIER | 5/5 | 26.17 | 9.81 | 26.17 | 199.00 | ||
| 3 | BENNY ROBERTS-BILLY WHEAT | 5/5 | 25.01 | *10.16 | 25.01 | 198.00 | ||
| 4 | KENDAL BEATY-MARION TIPTON | 5/5 | 24.39 | 24.39 | 197.00 | |||
| 5 | ANDREW BRACKETT-RYAN HARPER | 5/5 | 23.47 | 23.47 | 196.00 | |||
| 5 | LEE LANDS- | 5/5 | 23.47 | 23.47 | 196.00 | |||
| 7 | RICK ETHERTON-FREDDIE WALKER | 5/5 | 23.13 | 23.13 | 194.00 | |||
| 8 | LARRY ROLEN-DONNIE STAMEY | 5/5 | 22.98 | 7.12 | 22.98 | 193.00 | ||
| 9 | ANTHONY REVIS-JAMES BURCHARD | 5/5 | 21.89 | 7.14 | 21.89 | 192.00 | ||
| 10 | KENNY NEEDHAM-ROB NOYES | 5/5 | 19.19 | 11.03 | 19.19 | 191.00 | ||
| 11 | TIM SAYLOR-CRAIG LIVESAY | 5/5 | 18.00 | 18.00 | 190.00 | |||
| 12 | TIM SMILEY-BOBBY CHAMBERS | 5/5 | 16.93 | 16.93 | 189.00 | |||
| 13 | DWAYNE HAGLER-DENNIS POLAND | 5/5 | 16.86 | 16.86 | 188.00 | |||
| 14 | MIKE JEFFRIES-ERIC FARMER | 5/5 | 16.82 | 16.82 | 187.00 | |||
| 15 | WILBUR CURTIS-BRYANT AILOR | 5/5 | 16.58 | 16.58 | 186.00 | |||
| 16 | J.P. BIONDO-MIKE MARTIN | 5/5 | 16.54 | 16.54 | 185.00 | |||
| 17 | CODY GREEN-TIM MALONE | 5/5 | 16.46 | 16.46 | 184.00 | |||
| 18 | GALEN JAMES-TONY TOWNSEND | 5/5 | 15.98 | 15.98 | 183.00 | |||
| 19 | BILLY NORRIS-JOSH NORRIS | 5/5 | 15.75 | 15.75 | 182.00 | |||
| 20 | RONALD WHITTED-FELIX FUGATE | 5/5 | 15.71 | 15.71 | 181.00 | |||
| 21 | RICK WALKER-WENDELL COOPER | 5/5 | 15.68 | 15.68 | 180.00 | |||
| 22 | BRIAN HARVEY-MARK MAULDIN | 4/4 | 15.64 | 15.64 | 179.00 | |||
| 23 | BRENT BUTLER-SETH DAVIS | 5/5 | 15.40 | 15.40 | 178.00 | |||
| 24 | CHUCK JAMES-BRAD JAMES | 5/5 | 15.29 | 15.29 | 177.00 | |||
| 25 | ROGNE BROWN-ELIJAH CARTWRIGHT | 5/5 | 15.27 | 15.27 | 176.00 | |||
| 26 | TONY MORTON-JOSH CUPP | 5/5 | 15.22 | 15.22 | 175.00 | |||
| 27 | ROBERT ROCHE-MIKE MILES | 5/5 | 15.14 | 15.14 | 174.00 | |||
| 28 | *LUKAS PHILLIPS->DALTON GENTRY | 5/5 | 14.97 | 14.97 | 173.00 | |||
| 29 | TIMOTHY STRADER-JAMES HUTCHESON | 5/5 | 14.75 | 14.75 | 172.00 | |||
| 30 | JESSE GARREN-DANIEL HOLT | 5/5 | 14.48 | 14.48 | 171.00 | |||
| 31 | JEREMY LAWSON-JERRY LAWSON | 5/5 | 14.35 | 14.35 | 170.00 | |||
| 32 | RODNEY BEELER-MATTHEW BEELER | 5/5 | 14.29 | 14.29 | 169.00 | |||
| 32 | DEWAYNE FOUST-JONATHAN PHILLIPS | 5/5 | 14.29 | 14.29 | 169.00 | |||
| 34 | DON MCCURDY-NANCY MCCURDY | 5/5 | 14.11 | 14.11 | 167.00 | |||
| 35 | TROY JONES-BRIAN BEELER | 5/5 | 14.09 | 14.09 | 166.00 | |||
| 36 | BILLY BOYD-FOY ELKINS | 2/2 | 14.07 | 9.32 | 14.07 | 165.00 | ||
| 37 | JAMES HEADRICK-BRADLEY HEADRICK | 5/5 | 14.01 | 14.01 | 164.00 | |||
| 38 | JOHN GILLEY-J.T. GILLEY | 5/5 | 13.97 | 13.97 | 163.00 | |||
| 39 | RONALD ELLIS-JOSEPH ELLIS | 5/5 | 13.94 | 13.94 | 162.00 | |||
| 40 | PAUL SWEET-RUSS POPE | 5/5 | 13.68 | 13.68 | 161.00 | |||
| 41 | *MIKE WOLFENBARGER->RICK MAYBERRY | 5/5 | 13.67 | 13.67 | 160.00 | |||
| 42 | GEORGE CARROLL JR-GEORGE CARROLL SR | 5/5 | 13.55 | 13.55 | 159.00 | |||
| 43 | DOUG PLEMONS-JAMES NUCKOLS | 5/5 | 13.46 | 13.46 | 158.00 | |||
| 44 | *JEFFREY RUSSELL->JONATHAN RUSSELL | 5/5 | 13.40 | 13.40 | 157.00 | |||
| 45 | DUSTIN FRANKLIN-ROB BOWERS | 4/4 | 13.39 | 13.39 | 156.00 | |||
| 46 | RICHARD MOORE-ANDY SMITH | 5/5 | 12.99 | 4.17 | 12.99 | 155.00 | ||
| 47 | TOMMY LEDFORD-JOSH HOFFORD | 5/5 | 12.85 | 12.85 | 154.00 | |||
| 48 | BRAD PADGETT-DANIEL PADGETT | 5/5 | 12.82 | 12.82 | 153.00 | |||
| 49 | KEVIN TODD-MIKE LYKE | 5/5 | 12.46 | 12.46 | 152.00 | |||
| 50 | KEVIN EDWARDS-JIMMY MANIS | 4/4 | 12.21 | 12.21 | 151.00 | |||
| 51 | DEREK TURNER-MICHAEL HEMBREE | 4/4 | 12.08 | 12.08 | 150.00 | |||
| 52 | CADE STALLINGS-JACOB VELBA | 5/5 | 12.03 | 12.03 | 149.00 | |||
| 53 | ANDREW PRESLEY-DALE PRESLEY | 5/5 | 11.95 | 11.95 | 148.00 | |||
| 54 | TED RIDLEY-HAROLD PARSONS | 5/5 | 11.91 | 11.91 | 147.00 | |||
| 55 | LUKE TAYLOR-KEVIN TAYLOR | 5/5 | 11.87 | 11.87 | 146.00 | |||
| 56 | TONY WILSON-KENT SMITH | 3/3 | 11.63 | 11.63 | 145.00 | |||
| 57 | JOE LEE-JIMBO HARRIS | 5/5 | 11.60 | 11.60 | 144.00 | |||
| 58 | JOSEPH GOINS-WES CRAGER | 4/4 | 11.43 | 11.43 | 143.00 | |||
| 59 | WAYNE MOYHER-BRAD SNAPP | 4/4 | 10.62 | 10.62 | 142.00 | |||
| 60 | BRIAN HOLCOMB-JESSIE HALL | 4/4 | 10.46 | 10.46 | 141.00 | |||
| 61 | TRAVIS ANDERSON-LEE MONDAY | 4/4 | 10.35 | 10.35 | 140.00 | |||
| 62 | TODD NIDIFER-CURTIS HOSKINS | 5/5 | 10.20 | 10.20 | 139.00 | |||
| 62 | DEWAYNE WILSON-TIM THOMAS | 3/3 | 10.20 | 10.20 | 139.00 | |||
| 64 | JAMES HURST-CHRIS COLLINS | 3/3 | 10.04 | 10.04 | 137.00 | |||
| 65 | ROGER ODELL-HUGH ODELL | 4/4 | 9.87 | 9.87 | 136.00 | |||
| 66 | BRIAN KING-DOUG YOUNCE | 3/3 | 9.85 | 9.85 | 135.00 | |||
| 67 | JASON YATES- | 4/4 | 9.81 | 9.81 | 134.00 | |||
| 68 | MICHAEL MCGEE-TODD MALLICOAT | 4/4 | 9.80 | 9.80 | 133.00 | |||
| 69 | JAMES TIPTON-LANCE GRIGSBY | 2/2 | 9.78 | 9.78 | 132.00 | |||
| 70 | GREG MOORE-CHRIS BULLOCK | 4/4 | 9.50 | 9.50 | 131.00 | |||
| 71 | EDDIE BAKER-CRAIG POWERS | 4/4 | 9.10 | 9.10 | 130.00 | |||
| 72 | BRAD MUSGRAVE-TIM MCNEAL | 4/4 | 9.05 | 9.05 | 129.00 | |||
| 73 | ANDY LUSK-SHAWN LUSK | 4/4 | 9.00 | 9.00 | 128.00 | |||
| 74 | RICK WHITSON-GENE JOHNSON | 4/4 | 8.93 | 8.93 | 127.00 | |||
| 75 | BRAD STAPLETON-KENNETH STAPLETON | 2/2 | 8.70 | 8.70 | 126.00 | |||
| 76 | TIM HOSKINS- | 4/4 | 8.66 | 8.66 | 125.00 | |||
| 77 | CASEY MAJNI-TAYLOR WATKINS | 4/4 | 8.52 | 8.52 | 124.00 | |||
| 78 | RICK SMITH-MIKE OGLESBY | 3/3 | 8.43 | 8.43 | 123.00 | |||
| 79 | NEAL TOWNSEND-MIKE WALL | 3/3 | 8.40 | 8.40 | 122.00 | |||
| 80 | MATT BURGESS-LARRY KELLEY | 3/3 | 8.32 | 8.32 | 121.00 | |||
| 81 | RUSSELL MURPHY-DOUG COUCH | 1/1 | 8.20 | 8.20 | 8.20 | 120.00 | ||
| 82 | RANDY MCKEE-JASON POTTER | 3/3 | 7.94 | 7.94 | 119.00 | |||
| 83 | JOHN FRENCH-STACEY NEWBERRY | 3/3 | 7.88 | 7.88 | 118.00 | |||
| 84 | TROY REDWINE-KOLBY REDWINE | 3/3 | 7.68 | 7.68 | 117.00 | |||
| 84 | JAKE SWIDAN-DAMIAN WINSOR | 3/3 | 7.68 | 7.68 | 117.00 | |||
| 86 | LYNN GREEN-SHANE ROLLER | 2/2 | 7.63 | 7.63 | 115.00 | |||
| 87 | TEDDY WILLETT-ANDREW EVANS | 2/2 | 7.56 | 4.56 | 7.56 | 114.00 | ||
| 88 | MIKE NAPIER-TAVIN NAPIER | 4/4 | 7.49 | 7.49 | 113.00 | |||
| 88 | BRIAN YARBROUGH-HUNTER YARBROUGH | 3/3 | 7.49 | 7.49 | 113.00 | |||
| 90 | GEORGE WELLS-BRUCE CLEVENGER | 3/3 | 7.48 | 7.48 | 111.00 | |||
| 91 | VICTOR ROWE-TIM HARISON | 3/3 | 7.26 | 7.26 | 110.00 | |||
| 92 | TIM WYATT-DELMAR WYATT | 3/3 | 7.09 | 7.09 | 109.00 | |||
| 93 | RANDY OLIVER-CLINT DYER | 3/3 | 6.94 | 6.94 | 108.00 | |||
| 94 | ERIC MOORE-DAVID MOSES | 2/2 | 6.79 | 6.79 | 107.00 | |||
| 95 | MIKE KINSER-RYAN KINSER | 3/3 | 6.76 | 6.76 | 106.00 | |||
| 96 | ANDY HOOD-KEVIN HOOD | 2/2 | 6.53 | 6.53 | 105.00 | |||
| 97 | GARY SMITH-WAYNE COOPER | 2/2 | 6.13 | 6.13 | 104.00 | |||
| 97 | ROBBIE SNOW-CLIFF ROWLAND | 2/2 | 6.13 | 6.13 | 104.00 | |||
| 99 | NICK WELCH-VIC WELCH | 3/3 | 5.81 | 5.81 | 102.00 | |||
| 100 | JERRY PARTIN-JACOB MASHBURN | 2/2 | 5.68 | 5.68 | 101.00 | |||
| 101 | CHRIS BUSWELL-JASON MARTIN | 2/2 | 5.63 | 5.63 | 100.00 | |||
| 101 | JEFFREY MOORE-JERRY HAMBY | 1/1 | 5.63 | 5.63 | 5.63 | 100.00 | ||
| 103 | RYAN ROGERS-BILL GARNER | 2/2 | 5.39 | 5.39 | 98.00 | |||
| 104 | *CALEB EAKENS->MATT KAGLET | 2/2 | 5.34 | 5.34 | 97.00 | |||
| 105 | DALE PELFREY-JONATHAN BOWLING | 2/2 | 5.25 | 5.25 | 96.00 | |||
| 106 | DANIEL LEE-BILL LEE | 2/2 | 5.19 | 5.19 | 95.00 | |||
| 107 | LUKE CHEVERTON-NICK BLEVINS | 2/2 | 5.12 | 5.12 | 94.00 | |||
| 108 | JAMES HOLSENBACK-DOUGLAS CARPENTER | 2/2 | 5.07 | 5.07 | 93.00 | |||
| 109 | WYATT WILSON-CHAD PAYNE | 2/2 | 5.03 | 5.03 | 92.00 | |||
| 110 | KENT LODARI-TROY BIGELOW | 2/2 | 5.01 | 5.01 | 91.00 | |||
| 111 | *PETE BALISHIN->STEVEN PETZ | 2/2 | 4.89 | 4.89 | 90.00 | |||
| 111 | JACOB GANN-CHRIS MCCARTER | 2/2 | 4.89 | 4.89 | 90.00 | |||
| 113 | TIMOTHY LEE-JEFF RUSSELL | 2/2 | 4.88 | 4.88 | 88.00 | |||
| 114 | DENNIS MCCORMICK-JASON MCCORMICK | 2/2 | 4.84 | 4.84 | 87.00 | |||
| 115 | CHRIS TAYLOR-MIKE TAYLOR | 2/2 | 4.78 | 4.78 | 86.00 | |||
| 116 | JACK DUNAWAY-RANDY HARRIS | 3/3 | 4.72 | 4.72 | 85.00 | |||
| 117 | TOM SPANGLER-KIBBEE MCCOY | 2/2 | 4.64 | 4.64 | 84.00 | |||
| 118 | WAYNE NORMAN-TIM PETREY | 2/2 | 4.56 | 4.56 | 83.00 | |||
| 119 | CHAD HICKS-ROGER KING | 2/2 | 4.55 | 4.55 | 82.00 | |||
| 120 | JEFF WALKER-LARRY GRIFFITH | 2/2 | 4.49 | 4.49 | 81.00 | |||
| 121 | DOUGLAS BUTZINE-JOSHUA TRENT | 2/2 | 4.43 | 4.43 | 80.00 | |||
| 122 | RICK EVANS-LYNN HARGIS | 2/2 | 4.36 | 4.36 | 79.00 | |||
| 123 | TRAVIS LAWSON-WOLFGANG ROBERSON | 2/2 | 4.13 | 4.13 | 78.00 | |||
| 124 | GARY ERVIN-MARVIN ERVIN | 1/1 | 3.81 | 3.81 | 3.81 | 77.00 | ||
| 125 | TIMOTHY TIPTON-RALPH THOMAS | 2/2 | 3.71 | 3.71 | 76.00 | |||
| 126 | WILL VANETTEN-CHRIS SHOUSE | 2/2 | 3.46 | 3.46 | 75.00 | |||
| 127 | DAVID STILLS-RANDY OSBORNE | 1/1 | 3.43 | 3.43 | 3.43 | 74.00 | ||
| 128 | ALLEN TADLOCK-BILL BOLLINGER | 2/2 | 3.17 | 3.17 | 73.00 | |||
| 129 | JAMES BULLARD-JONATHAN BULLARD | 1/1 | 2.68 | 2.68 | 2.68 | 72.00 | ||
| 130 | DAVID ABBOTT-MICHAEL ADAMS | 1/1 | 2.28 | 2.28 | 2.28 | 71.00 | ||
| 131 | DOUG DYE-BRENTON HAMILTON | 1/1 | 2.17 | 2.17 | 2.17 | 70.00 | ||
| 132 | DAVID ALBRIGHT-TANNER HERNDON | 1/1 | 2.13 | 2.13 | 2.13 | 69.00 | ||
| 133 | STEVE BARBEE-JOSH LEE | 1/1 | 2.12 | 2.12 | 2.12 | 68.00 | ||
| 134 | DALE HELTON-BRENNEN COMER | 1/1 | 2.06 | 2.06 | 2.06 | 67.00 | ||
| 135 | DEREK-KY TURNER-JOHN BURCHETTE | 1/1 | 2.01 | 2.01 | 2.01 | 66.00 | ||
| 136 | JEREMIAH ALLEN-KYLE LEISEWSKI | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | TODD BAYLESS-JOHN NAPIER | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | JEFF BEAN-ERIC BEAN | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | KYLE BLAIR-DANNY STALLINGS | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | MICHAEL BLEDSOE-TIMOTHY BLEDSOE JR | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | BRAD BROWN-TIM HALL | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | GEORGE BULL-JACOB BULL | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | KEVIN BURNS-LOUIS BURNETTE | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | JIM CAMPBELL-RODNEY LOVIN | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | CHRIS CARDEN-JAMES MANLEY | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | BOBBY CARDWELL-RYAN CARDWELL | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | MICHAEL COLE- | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | BRIAN COOPER-JOSEPH BRAKEBILL | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | STEVEN DINKLER-RICK BROWN | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | SHANE ENIX-STEPHEN YEARY | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | MICHAEL FITZGERALD-JAMIE JANOW | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | JOSHUA GOINS-JEREMY YODICE | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | OLIVER GOODEN-KEN GOODEN | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | CHARLES GOODIN-BILL DUNN | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | JEFF GRAVES-TYLER GRAVES | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | TOM GROSS-ERNIE BLACK | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | CARL GUFFEY-MICHAEL PATTERSON | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | STAN HACKWORTH-JEFF DANIEL | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | ROBERT HELTON-DAVID HELTON | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | HUNTER HUMPHREYS-BRETT KING | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | RYAN INKELBARGER-DUSTIN LANE | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | RUFUS JOHNSON IV-CRAIG BREWER | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | CHRIS LANE-RANDY CABLE | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | *ROBBIE LOYD->JEFF LOYD | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | CODEA MCCATHRAN-CODY GRAY | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | KEN MEYERS-BRETT RODEFER | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | PAUL NAPIER-CLIFFORD BUNCH | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | BRAD NAPIER-DENNIS NAPIER | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | NATHAN PARKER-AARON PARKER | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | ROBERT PETREY-STEVE IVEY | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | TIMMY PHILLIPS-ZACH DAKE | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | DON RALEY-TIM CORUM | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | EUGENE RANDOLPH-CLIFF PUSH | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | MICHAEL ROBERTS-GREGORY JOHNSON | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | HERMILO SALGADO-JOSE SALGADO | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | JOE SCEALF-NATE MARTIN | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | JOSH SINGLETON-TONY SMITH | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | DJ SLIGER-DANNY CRASS | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | SHANE SLOAN-LEN SLOAN | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | JUSTIN STINNETT-MITCHELL MOORE | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | JOE TALLENT-MATTHEW CLAY | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | KEN THOMPSON-DENNY COLE | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | MIKE THOMPSON-KIRK MILES | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | TRAVIS TURNER- | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | KEN VICCHIO-BRIAN VICCHIO | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | JACK WADE-ANDY VENABLE | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | PAUL WILLIAMSON-BOYD BRUMFIELD | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | SCOTT WINCHESTER-KURT HOPE | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | JON WRIGHT-BEN PARKER | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 136 | TAYLOR YATES-BRYAN YATES | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Laythe Moore and his brother Brandon Smith earn the pro and co-angler trophies for the WWBT at Lake Mohave
From Westernbass.com
SEARCHLIGHT, Nev. – Capturing the lead with the big stringer of the event for Saturday’s five-fish total weighing 19.37, Laythe Moore of Banning, Calif. found himself going into the Wild West Bass Trail’s (WWBT) Championship Sunday on Lake Mohave with a lead of just over four-pounds for a two-day total of 37.18.
Today, Moore added another full limit to his tournament total for a three-day weight of 50.84, earning the title of champion and claiming an $11,000 payday. His payback included Ranger Cup, Lowrance and Yamamoto contingency dollars.
“I caught every one of my fish on a Fat Ika,” he revealed. “It was watermelon with red flake and I had it rigged weightless.”
Moore credited his friends for showing him how to throw the crawdad imitator made by Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits.
He reported fishing the Ika in the first two basins just north of the launch ramp, concentrating on main lake and secondary points. “I mostly caught them in 2- to 10-feet,” he added.
Moore noted that he pre fished with his brother – Brandon Smith. Smith finished the event as the co-angler champion.
“When does that happen,” laughed Moore.
Justin Kerr of Simi Valley, Calif. weighed the biggest limit for Championship Sunday with five that went 18.98. Kerr’s final tally of 49.54 trailed Moore by just over one-pound, earning the runner-up position.
“Being perfect, to me, is the number one thing, and I wasn’t perfect and, you won’t win tournaments unless you’re perfect – usually,” said Kerr.
He claimed $6,250 for 2nd place, which included Ranger Cup cash.
The 2016 WWBT Arizona Angler of the Year (AOY) Troy Lindner of Los Angeles, Calif. added 16.27 to his total today. The five-fish limit included a 5.44 largemouth and brought Lindner’s tournament total to 49.41. Lindner banked $4,450 for the placement, including Ranger Cup cash.
Pro angler Dale Roesener racked up $650 for the biggest bass of the event. Roesener landed the 5.57 largemouth on Friday, the first day of competition.
The WWBT paid out $63,200 to the pro anglers.
WWBT Pro Top-10 at Lake Mohave:
- 50.84 Laythe Moore $11,000
- 49.54 Justin Kerr $6,250
- 49.41 Troy Lindner $4,450
- 47.02 Mitch Southern $4,050
- 45.41 Tai Au $9,450
- 43.58 Randy Pierson $3,250
- 41.80 Bryant Smith $2,900
- 39.62 Jesse Milicevic $2,500
- 36.04 Kevin Wiggins $1,800
- 27.19 Kenny Webb $1,700
Complete WWBT Mohave pro results and payout here
Moore’s brother, Brandon Smith of Indio, Calif. fished his way to the co-angler victory with 26.86. Smith’s Day Two bag of 14.37 accounted for nearly half his weight and was the biggest brought in by a co at the Mohave event. Smith sacked up $3,250, including Yamamoto contingency dollars for his time on the water.
WWBT Co-Angler Top-10 at Lake Mohave:
- 26.86 Brandon Smith $3,250
- 25.84 Gunnar Stanton $2,250
- 24.18 Jesse Parks $1,500
- 22.59 Cody Murray $1,200
- 21.92 Robert Zumwalt $1,250
- 20.63 Dante Ray $800
- 19.60 Robert Nicholson $800
- 17.64 Dustin Robinson $700
- 16.25 Jim Sullivan $925
- 15.05 Lon Armel
The WWBT paid out $13,775 to the Mohave co-anglers.
Complete WWBT Mohave co-angler results and payout here
New for 2017, the WWBT offers an innovative format for pros as well as co-anglers. Their three-day Pro/Am event allows two days of fishing for the full field and a third and final day on the water only available for the top-10 pros and cos.
A third day of fishing in the WWBT, moves the co-anglers to the front of a boat to make their own decisions, control their own destiny and get the first (and only) shot at the best cast.
The daily weights for all three competition days are combined for each angler’s tournament total to determine both a WWBT pro and co-angler champion. Weights are compared against their respective sides – pros against pros and cos against cos.
A special thanks to all of the 2017 WWBT sponsors – A & M Graphics, Costa, Dobyns Rods, Evinrude, E3 Spark Plugs, Gator Guards, Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits, General Tire, Hydro Force, Lowrance Electronics, Lucas Oil, P-Line, Power-Pole, Protect the Harvest, Ranger Boats and Super Clean.
###
Offering professional-level competition throughout the west, the Wild West Bass Trail provides its anglers the opportunity to further develop and advance their fishing careers. Additionally, the WWBT offers its corporate partners the opportunity to expand sales through comprehensive national and regional television coverage, exclusive on-the-water demonstrations and various tournament incentive programs.
For 2017, the WWBT will conduct 16 events that include one Pro/Am circuit and two Teams circuits – one based in California and the other in Arizona. The Pro/Am circuit consists of five tournaments throughout California and Arizona and a year-end, qualifying championship event. Each Teams circuit includes four tournaments and a year-end, qualifying championship. For more information visit WildWestBassTrail.com and follow WWBT at Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram.
30.59 sack drops the hammer on the Alabama Bass Trail North opener on Wheeler!
February 25, 2017 – Decatur, Ala – As the 2017 Alabama Bass Trail Northern Division season opener was approaching, the entire State of Alabama had been treated to warmer and milder conditions than the norm. As Friday’s practice day wound down, and the registration meeting commenced, it became clear that those conditions were set to make an about face.
Friday’s high temperature of nearly 80 degrees gave way to overnight thunderstorms and a post front high of 52 degrees with heavy winds and high skies. A nearly 30 degree temperature change and strong post-front conditions mean rough seas and bad fishing.
None of that mattered to Mitch Mitchell and Candler McCollum.
The pair made a long, backbreaking ride to the Guntersville Dam and battled the conditions in the tailrace for three hours, then navigated the treacherous conditions headed back downstream to bring their 30.59-pound limit to the scales to blow away a big field and take home the $10,000 first prize for winning an ABT event.
Their limit was a true spectacle, consisting of three smallmouth, one weighing 6.99 pounds, a solid four-pound spotted bass, and a 9.47-pound largemouth that took home the $5,000 big bass bonus. The team’s total prize including ABT payout and Phoenix First Flight bonus prize totals $17,500 for a one day tournament.
The pair had to wait a long time to receive their credit and take home the money. “We had our limit by 10:30, and left upriver at around 11:30 to try and take our time getting back because we knew we had a special bag,” they said. “We pulled into Ingalls Harbor around 12:30 to 12:45 and waited until ABT staff got here so we could check-in; it’s still pretty amazing to think that this is how our day went.”
The anglers from Muscle Shoals, Ala. and Little Rock, Ark. reported catching a 15-pound limit early, then spending the next two hours culling all but one of their original limit. “We caught 12 or 13 fish all day, and we caught all of them by making the same two casts,” they said. “It was an underwater point upriver, and the smallmouth were out off the end of the point, and the spotted bass and the largemouth came off the backside of it; we caught them all on swimbaits.”
They reported throwing 5.5 to 7.5-inch Basstrix Paddletail and Strike King Shadalicious swimbaits on 3/4-ounce jigheads to get the job done. They said they caught their early limit on shad colored versions, but turned to a chartreuse and blue model as the day wore on. “We didn’t expect the day to go like this when the weather turned,” they reported. “We expected it to be tough, but we walk out of here with a personal best smallmouth and largemouth, our biggest win and our biggest payday too – this is truly unbelievable, and we are so happy to be standing here.”
While finishing more than 10 pounds behind the winners, Lanny Guthrie and Bobby Brown produced an impressive 20.11-pound limit to finish the day in second place and earn the $5,000 runners up prize. The pair attempted to run the crankbait pattern that they had found in practice early, but had to adjust. “Things just didn’t happen like we had planned early,” they said. “But, we made the adjustment to go throw spinnerbaits on bluff walls and it really started to happen.”
They said they selected a 3/8-ounce double willowleaf War Eagle chartreuse spinnerbait with painted blades and drifted with the wind, slow rolling the spinnerbait. “Lanny is the one that figured it out,” said Brown. “Once he did, we both got on the front deck and made the most of it we could; we are really pleased with the way everything turned out.”
Third place finishers Jason Smith and Chaz McMahan weighed-in their 20.09-pound limit within the first 10 minutes of the afternoon, then got to watch the whole field weigh, but their limit was good enough to hang onto the $4,000 third place prize. Rounding out the top five were David Kyle and Scott Callahan, who earned $3,000 with their 19.96-pound limit, followed in fifth by James Harrison and Larry Hill who earned $2,000 for their 19.51-pound performance, as well as the Wedowee Marine $1,000 bonus for being the highest finishing anglers who purchased their Phoenix Boat from sponsor Wedowee Marin.
The top 10 standings are below, for complete standings go to http://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/wl-results/
| Place | ANGLERS | Weight | BIG FISH | WINNINGS |
| 1 | Mitch Mitchell and Candler McCollum | 30.59 | 9.47 | $10,000 (plus $7,000 Phoenix First Flight bonus) |
| 2 | Lanny Guthrie and Bobby Brown | 20.11 | $5,000 | |
| 3 | Jason Smith and Chaz McMahan | 20.09 | 5.37 | $4,000 |
| 4 | David Kyle and Scott Callahan | 19.96 | $3,000 | |
| 5 | James Harrison and Larry Hill | 19.51 | $2,000 (plus $1,000 Wedowee Marine Bonus) | |
| 6 | Ryan Salzman and Jon Canada | 18.06 | 5.33 | $1,500 |
| 7 | Gary Thacker and Winston Jackson | 17.58 | $1,100 | |
| 8 | Josh Benford and Jerry McCaferty | 16.67 | $1,100 | |
| 8 | Mark McCaig and Tim Hurst | 16.67 | $1,100 | |
| 10 | Bobby Simmons and Austin Simmons | 16.45 | $1,100 |
The sponsors of the 2017 Alabama Bass Trail include; Bill Penney Toyota, Phoenix Bass Boats, GP8 Oxygen Water, Garmin, Academy Sports & Outdoors, Wind Creek Hospitality – Wetumpka, Wind Creek Hospitality – Montgomery, Alabama Tourism Department, SCA Performance, T-H Marine Supplies, Wedowee Marine, AFTCO, Fish Neely Henry Lake.com, Lew’s Fishing, Crossed Industries, YETI, E3 Apparel, TVA and Alabama Power.
For information about Alabama Bass Trail and for complete tournament standings visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.
Horton Tops Best Of The Best At Bassmaster Elite On Lake Okeechobee
|
|
|
Castledine wins the FLW Costa Series event on Rayburn
Texas Angler Bests 207-boat Field to Earn Fifth Career Victory, $50,500
JASPER, Texas (Feb. 25, 2017) – Texas pro Todd Castledine of Nacogdoches, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 27 pounds even Saturday to vault to the top of the leaderboard after starting the day in ninth place and claim top honors at the Costa FLW Series Southwestern Division opener on Sam Rayburn presented by YETI. Castledine’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 66 pounds, 11 ounces, was enough to earn him the win by a 3-pound, 11-ounce margin and a check for $50,500.
“I spent the first two days of the event sight fishing, and all of the fish that I weighed, I was looking at,” said Castledine, who pushed his career earnings to more than $230,000 in FLW competition. “Today, I was out of sight fish and just went fishing. I had a good day and had 16 or 17 pounds early, and I caught around 11 keepers.
“I was running all over the lake, and I stopped on this deep spot with 20 minutes to go in the day and made one cast,” Castledine continued. “It didn’t feel good, so I reeled up and told my co-angler that we were moving. I decided to graph the area before I left, and it looked like there was a big fish down there. I left anyways, and after running a bit down the lake, an intuition told me to turn around and go back. So, I made a U-turn and went back to that spot – it was mid-lake, about 18 feet and around stumps. On my first cast there I hooked into a 9-pounder.”
Castledine said that he caught the big 9-pounder on a 10-inch Strike King Rage Tail Anaconda.
“Twelve of the fish that I weighed in, including another 9-pounder that won me the Big Bass Award on Day Two came sight fishing with a Strike King Rage Bug,” Castledine said. “I also was catching fish on a swimjig and a Strike King 2.5 Squarebill, but the big one today came on the Anaconda.
“In these big multi-day events, you can’t win in one day – you have to survive,” Castledine went on to say. “I was hanging around – tenth place after Day One, and ninth place after Day Two – and just trying to keep myself in position to possibly win. I believe the intuition to turn around today was from the Good Lord above. I’m so happy that I listened to Him.”
The top 10 pros on Sam Rayburn Reservoir were:
1st: Todd Castledine, Nacogdoches, Texas, 15 bass, 66-11, $50,500
2nd: Jason Bonds, Lufkin, Texas, 15 bass, 63-0, $20,900
3rd: Ray Hanselman, Del Rio, Texas, 15 bass, 60-10, $14,500
4th: Casey Sobczak, Willis, Texas, 15 bass, 58-15, $12,500
5th: Kris Wilson, Montgomery, Texas, 15 bass, 56-13, $11,500
6th: Ken Smith, Dallas, Texas, 15 bass, 56-1, $9,250
7th: Jeff Reynolds, Calera, Okla., 15 bass, 52-12, $8,000
8th: Andrew Upshaw, Tulsa, Okla., 15 bass, 52-3, $7,000
9th: Billy Billeaud, Lafayette, La., 15 bass, 51-12, $6,000
10th: Tommy Martin, Hemphill, Texas, 14 bass, 50-15, $4,500
A complete list of results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Jason Bonds of Lufkin, Texas, caught a big largemouth weighing 10-pounds even Thursday – the biggest bass of the tournament in the Pro Division. For his catch, Bonds earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $300.
Mat Downey of Kountze, Texas, won the Co-angler Division and $28,350, including a Ranger Z175 with a 90-horsepower Evinrude outboard motor. Downey earned his win with a three-day total catch of 15 bass weighing 55 pounds, 4 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers on Sam Rayburn Reservoir were:
1st: Mat Downey, Kountze, Texas, 15 bass, 55-4, $28,350
2nd: David Kayda, Huffman, Texas, 15 bass, 51-10, $6,300
3rd: Bud Pruitt, Houston, Texas, 15 bass, 50-12, $5,000
4th: Antwon Harris, DeRidder, La., 14 bass, 47-3, $4,000
5th: Andrew Brandstrom, White Bear Lake, Minn., 14 bass, 46-13, $3,500
6th: Craig Strickland, Lumberton, Texas, 14 bass, 43-9, $3,000
7th: Michael Greer Jr., DeRidder, La., 15 bass, 42-0, $2,500
8th: Michael Allbright, Athens, Texas, 14 bass, 38-10, $2,000
9th: Jeff Cade, Richardson, Texas, 11 bass, 37-1, $1,800
10th: Jim Zaleski, Parsons, Kan., 12 bass, 36-0, $1,350
Cade caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Friday, a largemouth weighing 8 pounds even that earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $200.
The Costa FLW Series on Sam Rayburn Reservoir was hosted by the Jasper-Lake Sam Rayburn Area Chamber of Commerce and the Jasper County Development District. It was the first Southwestern Division tournament of 2017. The next Costa FLW Series tournament will be a Southeastern Division event, held March 2-4, on Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Georgia. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.
The Costa FLW Series consists of five U.S. divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western. Each division consists of three tournaments with competitors vying for valuable points that could earn them the opportunity to fish in the Costa FLW Series Championship. The 2017 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held Nov. 2-4 on Kentucky Lake in Paris, Tennessee.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Costa FLW Series on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Horton Maintains Lead Heading Into Final Day At Bassmaster Elite On Lake Okeechobee
|
|
|
Lee not hunkerin down at Okeechobee
Jordan Lee might have been resting on his haunches while tying on baits prior to Day 3 of the Bassmaster Elite on Lake Okeechobee. But that’s where the hunkerin down stops for the young Alabama pro that has remained in the Top 20 of the standings each day.
“That’s what everybody says when you come to Florida – that you gotta hunker down in one small area where you know there’s fish, and just be patient. But that’s not what I’m doing,” says the former Carhartt College Bassmaster champion.
“I had 11 Smoke HDs, and one Smoke spinning reel on this deck by the end of yesterday, and I’ve already got 10 out here to start today – so you can pretty much see I’m just scramblin’,” grinned the Lake Guntersville resident.
Lee says he’s well aware of the opportunity to catch giants from spawning beds here, but he’s never judged that pattern to be sustainable for three or four days in a row, so in turn he’s mixing-up his offerings in a big way.
“I’ve punched with a heavy Texas rig, I’ve fished in a crowd, caught one of my keepers from a spawning bed, thrown a topwater, and fished eel grass out in the middle of the lake. Daddy’s done it all,” grinned Lee in comical reference to himself.
“I don’t know if you’d call that ‘junk fishin’ or ‘scramblin’ - but I sure won’t be hunkerin down in one spot. Not this guy,” concluded Lee with his signature happy-go-lucky mile wide grin.
Bonds grabs the lead on moving day in the FLW Costa Series SW event on Sam Rayburn
February 24, 2017 by David A. Brown
Not even a dampening tumble could prevent Jason Bonds from taking over the lead on day two of the Costa FLW Series Southwestern Division opener presented by YETI on Sam Rayburn Reservoir. The pro from Lufkin, Texas, went for an unexpected swim, but still managed to catch a key fish that contributed to a limit catch of 18 pounds, 8 ounces and a two-day total of 45-0.
“I had been sitting on a 4-pound (bed fish) for about 20 minutes but I could never get her to commit to doing anything,” Bonds recalls. “I went to stand on my trolling motor and I lost my footing and went in over my head — my co-angler couldn’t see anything but the rod tip!”
Such an intrusion would surely send a bed fish running, right? Wrong.
“I climbed back into the boat and within two minutes, I caught her.”
That 4-pounder was one of Bonds’ largest fish, all of which he caught off beds. Notably, Bonds entered day two intending to sight fish, but this game was slow to start.
“This morning, I want to a 5- to 6-pounder that I saw yesterday, but she never got right,” Bonds says. “She wasn’t there today, so I went to some prespawn stuff and caught a couple of small keepers.
“After that I went sight-fishing and by noon I was starting to spin out because I didn’t have much. But I caught a 3 1/2-pounder, went 150 yards and caught a 4-pounder, went another 25 yards and caught another 4-pounder, then caught another 4-pounder.”
Moving up from second place on day one, Bonds caught all of his fish on a Strike King Structure Bug rigged on a 5/0 hook with a 1/4-ounce weight. He caught his fish in a mix of grass and brush.
“There are certain areas that are better; it’s just whatever area that a group of fish decide push up into during a couple of days,” Bonds continues. “You just have to run into them.
“It’s still kind of early for the spawn on Rayburn. In a few weeks, you’ll have that big wave push up.”
Bonds found new fish today and saved them for day three, but his optimism is tempered by the approaching cold front that’s supposed to drop daytime temperatures into the low 60’s – a stark contrast compared to the low 80’s of today. Big winds were ripping across Rayburn by sunset and that could muddy up some of the sight-fishing areas.
“I have a lot of areas that I’ve been holding for the third day and hopefully I can get some of those fish to bite,” Bonds says.
Top 10 pros:
1. Jason Bonds – Lufkin, Texas – 45-0 (10)
2. Andrew Upshaw – Tulsa, Okla. – 42-8 (10)
3. Casey Sobczak – Willis, Texas – 42-3 (10)
4. Jeff Reynolds – Calera, Okla. – 41-13 (10)
5. Tommy Martin – Hemphill, Texas – 41-2 (10)
6. Ken Smith – Dallas, Texas – 40-15 (10)
7. Kris Wilson – Montgomery, Texas – 40-12 (10)
8. Ray Hanselman – Del Rio, Texas – 40-8 (10)
9. Todd Castledine – Nacogdoches, Texas – 39-11 (10)
10. Billy Billeaud – Lafayette, La. – 38-13 (10)
Downey grinds the grass for co-angler lead
Improving from eighth place on day one, Mat Downey of Kountze, Texas, sacked up 19-15 today and took over the co-angler lead with a two-day total of 36-7. For him, the formula was simple – stay in the grass.
“Shallow hydrilla in 3 to 8 feet was the key,” Downey explains. “Usually, this time of year, I like catching them in the hay grass, but I couldn’t catch them there. I think the hydrilla is coming back and that’s why the fish weren’t in the hay grass.”
Downey caught his fish on reaction baits. He noted that his bite was slow to begin and 11 a.m. found him without his first keeper.
“I think that water warmed up and it was just a late day bite,” Downey says. “Thank God for a five o’clock weigh-in. Once they started, it was pretty sporadic; they were everywhere.”
Top 10 co-anglers:
1. Mat Downey – Kountze, Texas – 36-7 (10)
2. Andrew Brandstrom – White Bear Lake, Minn. – 35-15 (10)
3. Bud Pruitt – Houston, Texas – 35-8 (10)
4. David Kayda – Huffman, Texas – 35-1 (10)
5. Craig Strickland – Lumberton, Texas – 33-12 (10)
6. Antwon Harris – Deridder, La. – 33-7 (10)
7. Jeff Cade – Richardson, Texas – 31-8 (10)
8. Michael D. Greer, Jr. – Deridder, La. – 30-0 (10)
9. Jim Zaleski – Parsons, Ks. – 29-7 (10)
10. Michael Allbright – Athens, Texas – 29-6 (10)
Tournament Details
Format: All 206 boaters and co-anglers will compete for two days. The top 10 boaters and co-anglers based on cumulative weight after two days of competition will advance to the third and final round, with the winner determined by the heaviest cumulative three-day weight.
Takeoff Time: 7:30 a.m.
Takeoff Location: Umphrey Family Pavilion, 5438 RR 255, Brookeland TX 75931
Weigh-In Time: Days 1, 2 and 3 at 3 p.m.
Weigh-In Location: Umphrey Family Pavilion
Horton In Control After Two Days At Bassmaster Elite On Lake Okeechobee
|
|
|
Zack Birge talks about his day 2 strategy on Sam Rayburn in the FLW Costa Series
After Day 1 of the FLW Costa Series SW Event on Sam Rayburn Tour Pro Zack Birge Sits in 9th place heading into todays second day and Cut Day. Listen as Zack talks about his day 2 strategy to improve on his 20 pound first day.
Adjusting and Expansion with Ike - Day 2 on lake Okeechobee
Alan McGuckin with Dynamic Sponsorships talks to Toyota Team Pro Mike Iaconelli on his plans for day 2 of the BASS Elite Series event on Lake Okeechobee
Andrew Upshaw cracks 27 pounds and change for the day 1 lead in the Sam Rayburn Costa Series event
February 23, 2017 by David A. Brown
Everyone knew that Sam Rayburn could churn out 20- to 30-pound bags this week at the Costa FLW Series Southwestern Division event presented by YETI, and Oklahoma pro Andrew Upshaw set his “sights” on the upper end of that scale en route to topping the field on day one. Upshaw jumped in front with a limit that weighed 27 pounds, 1 ounce.
He came into the event planning to sight-fish, and that plan held up today. Upshaw, who had his final weight by about noon, took an ambitious approach to sizing up his opportunities.
“I didn’t stop if a fish was under 4 pounds. I just kept going,” he says. “I knew if I found them I could catch them.”
Upshaw caught all of his fish on a Texas-rigged Gene Larew Biffle Bug with a 5/16-ounce weight. He says the bait presents maximum agitation in the nest.
“That Biffle Bug is the best sight-fishing bait out there,” Upshaw says. “When you’re shaking it on the bottom, the legs are constantly kicking upward. Also, it has a tube-style body, so it floats. Unlike other creature-style baits, the Biffle Bug actually stands up off the bottom, instead of lying on the bottom. That gives the fish something to grab when they’re down there.”
Also important to his success was polarized eyewear. His choice: the new Costa Sunrise with silver mirror lenses.
“That’s really a big deal, especially when you’re sight-fishing early in the morning,” Upshaw says. “Those lenses allow you to sight-fish throughout the whole day and not just certain times.”
Although he focused on main creeks, Upshaw’s success hinged more on mobility. He covered a lot of water with the trolling motor on high and only stopped when he found a fish of the right quality. His first big bite came in the first 30 minutes, and from there, Upshaw says he caught fish throughout the rest of the day.
This style of fishing yielded only six keepers, but Upshaw believes the quality he found reflects a healthy lake that’s living up to its reputation.
“The lake is fishing probably five times better than I’ve seen it fish in the last 10 years. There’s a ton of grass, a lot of fat fish. You can pretty much do whatever you want to do to catch fish.”
To that point, Upshaw says he’s optimistic about day two.
“I had some really good prespawn stuff left that I didn’t have to touch today,” he says. “I’m really excited because I didn’t have to burn any of those fish.”
Top 10 Pros
1. Andrew Upshaw – Tulsa, Okla. – 27-1 (5)
2. Jason Bonds – Lufkin, Texas – 26-8 (5)
3. Charley Slaton – Valliant, Okla. – 25-3 (5)
4. Billy Billeaud – Lafayette, La. – 23-15 (5)
5. Kris Wilson – Montgomery, Texas – 23-0 (5)
6. Russell Cecil – Willis, Texas – 21-10 (5)
7. Trevor Stevenson – Fridley, Minn. – 21-5 (5)
8. Jeff Reynolds – Calera, Okla. – 21-4 (5)
9. Zack Birge – Blanchard, Okla. – 20-15 (5)
10. Todd Castledine – Nacogdoches, Texas – 20-3 (5)
Root takes co-angler lead
Marching to the beat of a different drum proved to be a wise strategy for hometown co-angler Jacob Root, who took the early lead with a four-fish bag that weighed 20 pounds.
“I only caught four keepers. It was a long day, but they were the right keepers,” he says. “I fished for big bites and got four of them.”
Root caught his fish on a mix of topwaters and jigs. He chose his baits to vary his presentations from whatever his pro partner, Billy Cline, was doing.
Targeting prespawners, Root fished in a range of depths from 2 to 8 feet. He got the ball rolling fairly quickly and then knocked off the rest of his catch throughout the day.
“I caught my biggest fish [a 7-pounder] at 8:30. I caught a 5 at 9 and a 5 1/2 at 11,” he says. “I was happy at 11. The key was just fishing slowly.”
Top 10 co-anglers
1. Jacob Root – Brookeland, Texas – 20-0 (4)
2. David Kayda – Huffman, Texas – 18-14 (5)
3. Andrew Brandstrom – White Bear Lake, Minn. – 18-4 (5)
4. Johnny Babb – Holdenville, Okla. – 18-2 (5)
5. Colby Miller – Elmer, La. – 17-9 (5)
6. Chad McClendon – Grapevine, Texas – 17-7 (5)
7. Michael D. Greer Jr. – Deridder, La. – 17-0 (5)
8. Mat Downey – Kountze, Texas – 16-8 (5)
9. Craig Strickland – Lumberton, Texas – 16-7 (5)
10. Daren Scott – Aledo, Texas – 16-3 (5)
Shaw Grigsby talks about sight fishing and hooking a "Big Ole Girl" outside of the mouth.
Elite Series Pro talks about the challenge when sight fishing and you hook a bedding fish on the outside of the mouth. Here was his dilemma today, Day 1 of the Lake Okeechobee Elite Series event.
Defoe drops 31 pounds on the scale to lead day 1 of Okeechobee Elite!
Photo by Seigo Saito/Bassmaster
Feb. 23, 2017
OKEECHOBEE, Fla. — Florida’s famous big-bass factory showed off during the first day of the A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee, as Tennessee native Ott DeFoe caught a huge five-bass limit that weighed 31 pounds, 3 ounces.
DeFoe’s impressive catch put him more than 4 pounds ahead of Stephen Browning of Hot Springs, Ark., who is currently in second place after weighing 26-13.
Anchoring his limit with two giant bass that weighed 8-6 each, the 31-year-old DeFoe knew he had located quality fish during practice on the lake, but he didn’t realize just how good they were.
“I had a lot of bites during practice, but I wasn’t catching very many fish over 2 1/2 to 3 pounds,” DeFoe said. “But, a few of those fish were in one area that seemed to have all the right ingredients to justify a return trip once the tournament began.”
DeFoe caught one of his big bass at his first stop early in the day, but decided to move after only having a few other bites.
“I stayed on that spot until after 9 a.m., and it was after 10 when I caught my next one,” said DeFoe, a six-time qualifier for the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods. “At that point, the rest of my limit was small, but I was happy to have them because I had the one big fish.”
He managed to upgrade into the early afternoon on one spot that was also consistent for him during practice. DeFoe also said his pattern developed as the day went on, and he’s confident Friday will produce similar results.
“Today was a special day,” he said. “But it’s Okeechobee, 30-pound-plus limits can happen every day on this lake, and if I play my cards right tomorrow I believe I can hang onto the lead.”
While on stage with emcee Dave Mercer, DeFoe compared his twin 8-pound, 6-ounce bass to his twin children.
“When my twins were born, they both weighed several pounds less than those two big bass today,” he said with a laugh.
Weighing five-bass limits that exceed the 25 or 30 pounds is a rarity in this sport, and Browning agrees with DeFoe that today was indeed special.
“I don’t know if the quality of fish I caught today will still be available tomorrow, but it was sure a lot of fun,” Browning said. “I didn’t have a very good practice, so today I just went fishing and learned a lot. I really want to believe that I can catch another 25 pounds of fish tomorrow, but I won’t know if the pattern will hold until things get started in the morning.”
Many anglers commented on how water temperatures had dropped several degrees in recent days, and while cold fronts typically cause Florida-strain largemouth bass to become sluggish, the cold front that brought significant rain Wednesday afternoon seemed to have invigorated Okeechobee’s bass population.
“I’m going to hunker down and give it my best shot tomorrow — that’s all you can do when you’re learning as you go,” Browning said. “I’m sharing water with several other boats, and the improving weather should improve the bite. I’m doing something a little bit different, and I bet the pattern holds for another couple of days.”
Confidence is a key component to successful tournament angling, and like Browning, Tim Horton of Muscle Shoals, Ala., who weighed 25-15 for third, was surprised by his Day 1 weight.
“At this point, I just can’t be sure tomorrow will be as productive as today,” Horton said. “I got off to a great start, but the fishing was pretty slow as the day went on. I got the right bites, but not that many of them. To have a shot in a tournament on a lake like Okeechobee, you’ve got to have at least one day in the 25-pound range.”
Like DeFoe and Browning, Horton knows what Lake Okeechobee is capable of. Horton has an impressive history on Okeechobee, including a couple of Top 10s and a win.
“If I’m not going to be catching a lot of fish and hope to have a shot at the title, it’s critical that I’m effective and execute on each opportunity,” he said.
Rounding out the Top 10 were Brett Hite (23-3), Bobby Lane (21-15), Cliff Prince (21-11), Paul Mueller (21-9), Andy Montgomery (20-13), Skylar Hamilton (20-3) and Greg Hackney (20-2).
The frontrunner for the Phoenix Boats Big Bass award is Tyler Carriere of Youngsville, La., with a 9-pound, 5-ounce largemouth.
Competition will resume Friday with takeoff at 6:45 a.m. at C. Scott Driver Park, and weigh-in will begin at 3:15 p.m. in the same location.
The event is hosted by the Okeechobee County Tourism.
2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Power-Pole, Yamaha, Berkley, Huk, Shell Rotella, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota
2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Carhartt, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Livingston Lures, T-H Marine, Lowrance, Phoenix Boats, Shimano, Academy Sports + Outdoors
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation presented by Magellan, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
-30-
Media Contact: JamieDay Matthews, 205-313-0945, jmatthews@bassmaster.com or Dave Precht, 205-313-0931, dprecht@bassmaster.com
2017 A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee 2/23-2/26
Lake Okeechobee, Okeechobee, FL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 5 31-03 110
Day 1: 5 31-03
2. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 5 26-13 109
Day 1: 5 26-13
3. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 5 25-15 108
Day 1: 5 25-15
4. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 5 23-03 107
Day 1: 5 23-03
5. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 5 21-15 106
Day 1: 5 21-15
6. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 5 21-11 105
Day 1: 5 21-11
7. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 21-09 104
Day 1: 5 21-09
8. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 5 20-13 103
Day 1: 5 20-13
9. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 5 20-03 102
Day 1: 5 20-03
10. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 20-02 101
Day 1: 5 20-02
11. Brandon Card Knoxville, TN 5 19-10 100
Day 1: 5 19-10
12. Brent Ehrler Newport Beach, CA 5 19-09 99
Day 1: 5 19-09
12. Chad Pipkens Lansing, MI 5 19-09 99
Day 1: 5 19-09
14. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 5 19-08 97
Day 1: 5 19-08
15. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 5 19-00 96
Day 1: 5 19-00
16. Dustin Connell Clanton, AL 5 18-08 95
Day 1: 5 18-08
17. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 18-07 94
Day 1: 5 18-07
18. Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 5 18-03 93
Day 1: 5 18-03
19. Randy Howell Guntersville, AL 5 17-15 92
Day 1: 5 17-15
19. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 17-15 92
Day 1: 5 17-15
21. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 5 17-13 90
Day 1: 5 17-13
22. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 17-11 89
Day 1: 5 17-11
23. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 5 17-09 88
Day 1: 5 17-09
24. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 5 17-03 87
Day 1: 5 17-03
24. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 5 17-03 87
Day 1: 5 17-03
26. Jordan Lee Grant, AL 5 17-02 85
Day 1: 5 17-02
26. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 5 17-02 85
Day 1: 5 17-02
28. Fletcher Shryock New Philadelphia, OH 5 17-00 83
Day 1: 5 17-00
29. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 5 16-14 82
Day 1: 5 16-14
29. Matt Lee Guntersville, AL 5 16-14 82
Day 1: 5 16-14
31. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 5 16-11 80
Day 1: 5 16-11
32. Josh Bertrand Gilbert, AZ 5 16-10 79
Day 1: 5 16-10
33. David Fritts Lexington, NC 5 16-06 78
Day 1: 5 16-06
34. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 5 16-04 77
Day 1: 5 16-04
35. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 5 16-03 76
Day 1: 5 16-03
36. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 5 16-00 75
Day 1: 5 16-00
37. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 15-15 74
Day 1: 5 15-15
38. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 5 15-12 73
Day 1: 5 15-12
39. Mark Daniels Jr. Tuskegee, AL 5 15-11 72
Day 1: 5 15-11
40. James Elam Tulsa, OK 5 15-10 71
Day 1: 5 15-10
41. Tyler Carriere Youngsville, LA 5 15-03 70
Day 1: 5 15-03
42. Adrian Avena Vineland, NJ 5 15-02 69
Day 1: 5 15-02
43. David Walker Sevierville, TN 5 14-15 68
Day 1: 5 14-15
44. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 14-11 67
Day 1: 5 14-11
45. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 5 14-08 66
Day 1: 5 14-08
46. John Murray Spring City, TN 5 14-07 65
Day 1: 5 14-07
47. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 14-04 64
Day 1: 5 14-04
47. Gerald Spohrer Gonzales, LA 5 14-04 64
Day 1: 5 14-04
49. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 5 13-13 62
Day 1: 5 13-13
50. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 5 13-10 61
Day 1: 5 13-10
50. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 13-10 61
Day 1: 5 13-10
52. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 5 13-08 59
Day 1: 5 13-08
52. Koby Kreiger Bokeelia, FL 5 13-08 59
Day 1: 5 13-08
54. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 5 13-04 57
Day 1: 5 13-04
55. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 12-15 56
Day 1: 5 12-15
56. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 5 12-13 55
Day 1: 5 12-13
56. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 12-13 55
Day 1: 5 12-13
58. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 5 12-10 53
Day 1: 5 12-10
59. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 5 12-07 52
Day 1: 5 12-07
60. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 5 12-06 51
Day 1: 5 12-06
61. David Williams Newton, NC 5 12-03 50
Day 1: 5 12-03
62. Alton Jones Jr. Lorena, TX 5 12-01 49
Day 1: 5 12-01
63. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 5 11-13 48
Day 1: 5 11-13
64. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 5 11-12 47
Day 1: 5 11-12
64. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 5 11-12 47
Day 1: 5 11-12
66. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 5 11-10 45
Day 1: 5 11-10
66. Jesse Wiggins Cullman, AL 5 11-10 45
Day 1: 5 11-10
68. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 11-07 43
Day 1: 5 11-07
69. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 5 11-04 42
Day 1: 5 11-04
70. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 5 11-03 41
Day 1: 5 11-03
71. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 5 11-02 40
Day 1: 5 11-02
72. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 5 11-00 39
Day 1: 5 11-00
73. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 5 10-15 38
Day 1: 5 10-15
73. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 10-15 38
Day 1: 5 10-15
75. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 5 10-14 36
Day 1: 5 10-14
75. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 5 10-14 36
Day 1: 5 10-14
77. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 5 10-13 34
Day 1: 5 10-13
78. Jesse Tacoronte Orlando, FL 5 10-12 33
Day 1: 5 10-12
79. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 5 10-11 32
Day 1: 5 10-11
80. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 5 10-10 31
Day 1: 5 10-10
81. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 5 10-05 30
Day 1: 5 10-05
81. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 10-05 30
Day 1: 5 10-05
83. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 5 10-03 28
Day 1: 5 10-03
83. Chris Zaldain Laughlin, NV 5 10-03 28
Day 1: 5 10-03
85. Kelly Jordon Flint, TX 5 09-11 26
Day 1: 5 09-11
86. Fred Roumbanis London, AR 5 09-10 25
Day 1: 5 09-10
87. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 5 09-09 24
Day 1: 5 09-09
87. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 5 09-09 24
Day 1: 5 09-09
89. Luke Clausen Otis Orchards, WA 5 09-08 22
Day 1: 5 09-08
90. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 5 09-05 21
Day 1: 5 09-05
90. Morizo Shimizu Suita, Osaka JAPAN 5 09-05 21
Day 1: 5 09-05
92. Jacob Powroznik Port Haywood, VA 5 09-02 19
Day 1: 5 09-02
92. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 5 09-02 19
Day 1: 5 09-02
94. Boyd Duckett Guntersville, AL 5 08-12 17
Day 1: 5 08-12
95. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 5 08-10 16
Day 1: 5 08-10
96. Brandon Palaniuk Hayden, ID 5 08-04 15
Day 1: 5 08-04
97. Seth Feider Bloomington, MN 5 07-15 14
Day 1: 5 07-15
98. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 5 07-14 13
Day 1: 5 07-14
98. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 5 07-14 13
Day 1: 5 07-14
100. Dave Lefebre Erie, PA 5 07-07 11
Day 1: 5 07-07
101. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 5 07-02 10
Day 1: 5 07-02
102. Jacob Wheeler Indianapolis, IN 5 07-00 9
Day 1: 5 07-00
103. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 5 06-05 8
Day 1: 5 06-05
104. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 3 06-05 7
Day 1: 3 06-05
105. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 3 05-12 6
Day 1: 3 05-12
106. John Hunter Jr Shelbyville, KY 3 05-07 5
Day 1: 3 05-07
107. Darrell Ocamica New Plymouth, ID 3 05-02 4
Day 1: 3 05-02
108. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 3 04-06 3
Day 1: 3 04-06
109. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 2 03-14 2
Day 1: 2 03-14
110. Jay Brainard Enid, OK 2 02-15 1
Day 1: 2 02-15
FLW & Columbia Sportswear launch extensive partnership
FLW AND COLUMBIA SPORTSWEAR LAUNCH EXTENSIVE PARTNERSHIP
MINNEAPOLIS (Feb. 22, 2017) – The world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), announced today a groundbreaking partnership with Columbia Sportswear, a brand known for their innovative apparel, footwear, accessories and equipment for anglers and outdoor enthusiasts. Columbia is now the official apparel outfitter of FLW, and anglers will have full access to Columbia’s technical line of Performance Fishing Gear (PFG), including the collection of award-winning OutDry™ Extreme Rainwear.
“FLW is excited to partner with an industry leader like Columbia Sportswear and showcase their PFG apparel to our fans and anglers, who share the same passion and enthusiasm that is synonymous with their brand,” said FLW President of Marketing Trish Blake. “We’ve always considered our core FLW audience to be among the most loyal and passionate consumers in the country, and we are proud to partner with Columbia to help advance the sport of bass fishing.”
As an FLW sponsor, Columbia Sportswear will be featured in a variety of media formats, including the “FLW” television program on NBC Sports Network, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network, as well as internationally to more than 564 million households worldwide. Columbia will also appear in prominent advertisements in FLW Bass Fishing Magazine and on FLWFishing.com.
“Columbia’s products are rooted in technology and innovation,” said Joe Boyle, Senior VP of Merchandising and Design at Columbia. “As the original performance fishing apparel brand, we are thrilled about the partnership with the FLW and the opportunity it provides tournament anglers to compete in the best gear for all weather conditions.”
Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Columbia Sportswear has been making technical outdoor gear to help anglers enjoy the outdoors for more than 75 years. The company has grown into a global sportswear brand that is today – still based in Portland and still making no-nonsense apparel and footwear that keeps anglers WARM, DRY, COOL and PROTECTED, no matter what the elements.
For more information about FLW, their tournaments and sponsors, visit FLWFishing.com. To learn more about the Columbia Sportswear company visit Columbia.com.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2017 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 274 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW" television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat: @FLWFishing.
About Columbia
Columbia, the flagship brand of Portland, Oregon-based Columbia Sportswear Company, has been creating innovative apparel, footwear, accessories and equipment for outdoor enthusiasts since 1938. Columbia has become a leading global brand by channeling the company's passion for the outdoors into technologies and performance products that keep people warm, dry, cool and protected year-round. To learn more, please visit the company's website at www.columbia.com.
New Eyeglasses from Costa, Now you can REALLY see what's out there!
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 23, 2017) – Since 1983, Costa has built the best performing polarized sunglasses for anglers who demand the best tools available for a great day on the water. Now anglers can have the eyewear brand they trust on the water for their indoor and evening pursuits.
The inaugural collection available through Costa’s authorized optical dealers, features the brand’s signature performance attributes including high quality construction and durable materials along with stylish designs at a variety of price points to meet every patients’ needs. Featuring exquisite detail and craftsmanship, the collection is available in lightweight titanium, Bio-Resin nylon with tri-fused colors and handcrafted acetate. Hydrolite™ technology on the nose and temple pads not only help keep the frames in place, but also feature a 3D topographic pattern that speaks to the brand’s love of the ocean. Meticulously refined hypoallergenic surface materials provide carefree comfort and reduce wearer fatigue. The wire core temples allow adjustability for a perfect fit, and the custom-engineered hinges provide a relaxed and comfortable fit.
The initial collection of Costa Optical will feature 36 SKU’s, in five distinct collections, built for everyday activities and adventures. The collections were named for renowned underwater, oceanic formations in keeping with Costa’s water heritage:
Bimini Road includes classic sporty styles featuring full rim and semi-rimless titanium with nickel-free integrated spring hinges. These durable, lightweight titanium frames are hypoallergenic, corrosion-resistant and are a reliable choice for the consumer who lives for adventure.
Also in titanium, the Seamount collection is comprised of minimalistic rimless styles, as well as a full rim option. These styles feature a sleek, sport fit with spring hinges and non-slip Hydrolite™ rubber temple sleeves.
The Ocean Ridge collection features Costa’s proven tri-fusion frame technology and has colorful, lightweight and great-fitting sport nylon frames. These styles feature a nearly indestructible bio-based resin nylon material, which ensures the frames hold their shape even in extreme hot and cold weather.
Pacific Rise offers classic designs combining lightweight titanium and Costa’s proprietary bio-based nylon resin fused with Hydrolite rubber on the temples to provide an incredibly comfortable wear.
The Mariana Trench offers a variety of colors and on-trend styles in lightweight, handcrafted acetate. These frames include a wire core to easily adjust the temples and mechanical pin hinge construction to provide Costa’s signature carefree fit to the most discerning patients.“People who love adventure and live for life outdoors in their Costa sunglasses will be thrilled to know they can now sport the brand both indoors and outdoors,” says Holly Rush, CEO of Costa. “Our new optical collection is a natural extension of our very successful premium sunglass range and marks a significant commitment to our dedicated angling community and their optical needs throughout each day.”
Styles in Costa’s new optical collection offer a two-year manufacturer’s warranty against defects and retail prices range from $150 to $260.
About Costa™
As the leading manufacturer of the world’s clearest polarized performance sunglasses, Costa offers superior sunglass lens technology and unparalleled fit and durability. Still handcrafted today in Florida, Costa has created the highest quality, best performing sunglasses and prescription sunglasses (Rx) for outdoor enthusiasts since 1983.
Born on the water, Costa works hard to protect the ocean it calls home. Through programs like its Kick Plastic campaign, where the brand seeks to raise awareness about the growing plastic pollution problem threatening oceans worldwide, to serving as a long-term partner to shark research organizations like OCEARCH, Costa encourages people to help protect the Earth’s aquatic resources in any way they can.
For more information, contact 1-800-447-3700 or visit the company’s website. Join the conversation on Facebook, on Instagram, or on Twitter.
Countdown to Blastoff Day 1 at Okeechobee with Matt Lee - Avoiding the Crowds
Elite Angler Matt Lee talks with Alan McGuckin about his day 1 strategy as the second event of the year kicks off on Lake Okeechobee
Lews Introduces Mark Rose series of Ledge Rods
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - While Lew's has been busy getting production started on the new Mark Rose "Ledge" rods after months of developing the unique series, Rose has been feverishly putting a stamp of approval on his signature models with back-to-back wins along the FLW Tour.
Rose kicked off February and his 2017 tournament season with a $125,000 first place check for his prowess at fishing shallow grass lines and wood and rock relevant to pre-spawn staging areas on Alabama's Lake Guntersville.
He followed that victory with another February big payday by relying on his well-known offshore structure fishing skills to catch bass as deep as 50 feet for the win on Lake Travis in Texas.
The contrasting winning styles showcase Rose's versatility and validate the logic behind his Ledge series that became possible when his relationship with Lew's was expanded a few months back to include rods as well as reels.
The Rose selection features six casting models and one spinning, with his namesake Ledge lineup becoming part of Lew's top-of-the-line Team Lew's Custom Pro rod series.
"I've relied on Lew's reels for years, but I can assure you there's been nothing on the market like these rods until now," said Rose, who has long been recognized as one of the best open-water anglers in the country.
"Targeting ledges and other offshore structure require different rod blank and tip actions for certain baits ... it's all about lure control and the feel of what's happening down there.
"Lew's allowed me the opportunity to get these rods exactly the way I wanted for these types of applications. The resulting seven models represent my countless hours spent fine-tuning blank diameters, lengths, actions and number of guides to get everything about each rod just right."
Rose's casting rods range in length from 7 feet, 2 inches, to 9 feet, with actions varying from medium to heavy. Each model is named according to its intended purpose: Jig & Worm, Swimbait, Small Crankbaits, Big Crankbaits, Magnum Crankbaits and Long-Range Crankbaits.
The 9-footer is designed for long distance casting with big baits, and is collapsible for storage convenience.
The Rose series spinning option is a 6 feet, 10 inch all-purpose ledge rod.
"For examples of lure sizes in mind for the small, medium and magnum crankbait rod actions, think Strike King's 1.5, 6XD and 10XD. And the spinning action is ideal for bigger shaky head offerings, Ned Rig-type baits and such," added Rose.
Like all Team Lew's Custom Pro rods, Rose's models are manufactured using Lew's exclusive Nano technology. The process features an internal multi-layering of resins and graphite to deliver a lightweight blank with superior strength and maximum sensitivity, made possible by an outer core of 85-modulus graphite.
The new Rose casting rods are easily distinguishable from other Team Lew's series by having full-grip handles instead of split grips.
All grips are constructed from A-Grade cork with EVA and Duracork inlays. Rod guides are Tangle Free stainless frames with zirconium inserts to afford smooth line flow for long-distance casting. Reel seats are Lew's exclusive SoftTouch graphite skeletal seats.
"I've been involved in the design of thousands of rods throughout my career and I agree with Mark that these are unique models for their intended applications," said Bob Brown, Lew's rod development specialist.
"His actions were developed especially with fishing the ledges of the Tennessee River system in mind, but we knew even before his Lake Travis win that they had much broader application. Mark's models were rigorously tested on a number of well-known open-water bass fishing venues, including Rayburn, Toledo Bend, Falcon, Table Rock, Bull Shoals, Grand, Okeechobee and Lake of the Ozarks. Their performance is unsurpassed."
Rose's 20-year professional fishing career includes participation in FLW, B.A.S.S. and Major League Fishing events. His recent FLW win was his eighth, and the first time that any angler has recorded back-to-back FLW major tournament wins. Rose now has 47 Top 10 finishes and more than $2 million in winnings to his credit.
The Lew's Mark Rose Ledge rods will be sold through a variety of fishing tackle retail outlets, with MSRPs ranging from $209 - $249, depending on model. The anticipated availability for retail purchase is early May.
For more information on Team Lew's Custom Pro Rods and all Lew's products, visit
www.lews.com.
Swindle and Ike Talk Okeechobee Elite
Two of pro bass fishing’s biggest names say dirty water at Okeechobee will make things tougher, but you’d better catch big limits if you want to make the Top 12 cut.
What’s the biggest bass you’ve had your hands on in practice?
Swindle: I’ll say it might have weighed just short of 4-pounds.
Iaconelli: A 10-pounder.
Percentage of fish that anglers will catch from spawning beds?
Swindle: That they can actually see on a bed? – I’ll say 4%.
Iaconelli: They may not be able to see them on a bed, but 60% of the fish weighed in this week will be around a bed when they’re caught.
Biggest surprise after three days of practice?
Swindle: It’s fishin real small. This is the only freshwater lake in America that’s so big you can see it from the moon, yet everybody wants to crowd into the same 200 acres of water.
Iaconelli: The biggest surprise is how off-colored or dirty the water is.
Name 4 lures we’ll see used the most this week:
Swindle: Swim jig, Texas rigged flippin craw, ChatterBait, Skinny Dipper
Iaconelli: A 1-ounce punch bait, Texas rigged worm, Swim jig, Topwater Prop Bait.
Amount of weight you’ll need to average the first three days to make the Top 12 cut.
Swindle: 19 pounds a day
Iaconelli: 18 pounds a day
Father & Son take the win at Bass Champs on Cedar Creek with over 23 pounds!
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Four Lures Scroggins Says Every Florida Bass Angler Should Have
Terry “Big Show” Scroggins won his first bass tournament in Florida at the age of 12. And he’s since won $2 Million dollars as one of the most decorated anglers in the history of the largemouth-rich Sunshine State.
Amazingly, he doesn’t have a lure sponsor. So Scroggins’ willingness to choose four lures that no bass angler should be without in Florida, comes with a measure of credibility as heavy as the limits of bass that fill his livewells.
Big Jig – All things pertaining to bass fishing in Florida are a little bigger, and jigs are no exception. Scroggins reaches for either a ¾ or 1-ounce flippin style jig when dissecting reeds, cattails, and lily pads. For Florida’s abundant thick vegetation, he’s always sure to use a jig built with a double weedguard, like the one that Joe Medlock invented, and still builds today.
No surprise his two favorite colors are green pumpkin or black/blue, and he uses a Zoom Big Salty Chunk for a trailer.
You can’t tow a 21’ Triton with a Volkswagen Bug, and likewise a man-sized jig requires stout fishing line. “Big Show” likes 65-pound Hi-Seas braid.
ChatterBait – “This is my search bait,” says Scroggins. “It’s hard to beat a ChatterBait when you’re trying to cover lots of water.”
The Palatka area pro loves a ½ ounce ChatterBait for making long casts over expansive fields of submerged hydrilla at places like Toho, Rodman, and Okeechobee, but says a ChatterBait is also a great tool for “hopping” and swimming along river bottom shell beds in 4 to 8 feet of water on his home waters of the St. Johns River.
He trims the Chatterbait with a Zoom Super Fluke Jr. as a trailer, and casts it on 15-pound fluorocarbon.
Smithwick Devil’s Horse (a.k.a. “The Donkey”) – This wooden topwater lure has gained a legendary reputation among Southern bass anglers, and there are few places where it shines brighter than Florida. Propellers at each end create plenty of fish-attracting commotion; while at the same time restrict the lure from moving too far forward too fast. Which in turn allows it to stay in one spot, and tease big bass to bite it.
“That lure has been around longer than me, and it’s still catching ‘em. We call it “The Donkey” because it works slow and steady,” says Scroggins, age 48. “A lot of times, you’ll see big bass swirl right under it for a second or two before they decide to smash it – which makes it one of the most exciting lures you’ll ever tie on.”
Like a lot of topwater lures, it draws most strikes during low light conditions, but there are times when they’ll eat it all day. Scroggins’ favorite Devil’s Horse is the 3/8 ounce size and features chrome sides, a black back, and orange belly. He emphasizes using 15-pound monofilament, not braid.
Senko – Gary Yamamoto invented it, and in Terry Scroggins’ opinion, the 5” version of this revolutionary soft plastic bait is still the best one to buy.
“There’s probably not a soft plastic lure in the world that will get you a few critical bites when you need ‘em most than a 5” Senko,” says Scroggins. “Just make sure you give the fish a couple good seconds to eat it before you set the hook, or you’ll miss a lot of bites.”
It’s also a versatile lure. Some choose to Texas rig it with light 1/16 to 5/16 ounce weights77777857856478885]. Others rig it ‘wacky’ style with no weight at all, while some choose to insert a nail weight into the least pointy end of the ballpoint pen-shaped lure.
Scroggins throws his Senkos on 12-pound Hi-Seas fluorocarbon, and says you can’t go wrong with various shades of green pumpkin in clear to slightly stained water, but opts for junebug or black-blue if the water is off-colored.
20 pound limit wins Mike Jones the ABA RAM Trucks Florida Open on Okeechobee
Mike Jones of Canal Point, Florida won his second American Bass Anglers Ram Truck Open Series Florida South tournament, held February 18th on Lake Okeechobee.
Running out of Scott Driver Park in Okeechobee, Florida, Mike caught five bass weighing 20.80 pounds. For the Boater division victory, Jones took home a check for $6,000 for his win.
“I’ve been fishing tournaments for 25 years and this is the first time I have won two tournaments back to back. I did the same thing I did last month. I threw a white & gold Zipper Dipper from Charlies, it’s a swimbait, and I threw a SPRO popping frog. I have never fished a tournament trail where I’ve won $6000 at one event. I can’t wait until next month!” Jones said.
In second for the Boaters, Brianne McMillan of Belle Glade, Florida landed a five-bass tournament limit weighing 20.67 pounds. She collected $1,800 for the effort. “I caught my fish on a swim-jig with a Bass Addiction trailer. I missed a couple that I could’ve culled up from. I was fishing the south end of the lake and on my fifth cast I caught my second good one but it took me until 2:00 pm to scrape up a limit.” McMillan said.
Tony Bennett of Fort Lauderdale, Florida took third for the Boaters with five bass weighing 19.55 pounds including the Boater Big Bass at 8.81 pounds. He earned $1,200 for his catch and $1,020 for the Big Bass.
“I ran to the shoal and then ran south and caught three fish early and then went to the west wall and scraped up a limit. Around 2:00 pm, I fired a chatter-bait in a little pocket and that was when I caught that big bass.” Bennett said.
Finishing fourth, John Ochs of Inglewood, Florida landed a five-bass limit weighing 19.45 pounds.
Nathan Thomas of Weirsdale, Florida rounded out the top five Boaters with five bass at 19.30 pounds.
In the Co-Angler division, Jim Finley of Coconut Creek, Florida won with three bass going 13.48 pounds. He pocketed a check for $2,000 for his win.
“I drew Norris Newhouse as my Boater today. Usually I fish as a boater but I am in-between boats right now, should be here next week. We had a fantastic day out there. I had no confidence in a chatter-bait, but I tied on a chatter-bait with a Gambler EZ Swimmer, and a burner worm. We caught fish all day but the better fish came later in the day. I’m just thrilled to be out fishing, it’s been a long year.” Finley said.
Taking second for the Co-Anglers, David Bozeman of Ocala, Florida brought in a three-bass division limit weighing 13.06 pounds with a 6.83-pound kicker. He collected $700 for the effort and $345 for the Big Bass.
“I was throwing top-water today. I threw a frog, a speed worm, and a spook. I only caught four fish all day. I caught that big bass in the last 10 minutes of the day.” Bozeman said.
Loren Johnson of Dothan, Alabama placed third among the Co-Anglers with three bass going 11.93 pounds. He earned $425 for his catch. “First of all my Boater, Maurice Cobb, was amazing. He had us around fish all day. I kept it real simple today with a swim-jig and swimbaits. I’m a big believer of swimbaits since we use them a lot in Alabama. I was swimming them through the grass today.” Johnson said.
In fourth place among the Co-Anglers, Daniel Torres of Davenport, Florida brought in three bass weighing 10.25 pounds.
Christopher Kelley of Port St. Lucie, Florida finished in fifth place with three bass weighing 9.80 pounds.
Slated for March 18th, the next tournament will be held on Lake Okeechobee out of Scott Driver Park in Okeechobee, Florida. At the end of the season, the best anglers from across the nation advance the 2018 Ray Scott Championship, Location to be announced.
For more information on this tournament, call Billy Benedetti, tournament manager, at (256)230-5632 or ABA at (256)232-0406. On line, see www.ramopenseries.com.
About American Bass Anglers: American Bass Anglers is committed to providing low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers, the Ram Truck Open Series, the American Fishing Tour or the American Couples Series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
Plano Tackle - Organization Yields Confidence and Efficiency - KVD's Secret to Success.
|
Plano Tackle Press Release Plano, IL (February 20, 2017) – “I changed every single treble hook on every single bait.” Kevin VanDam was focused. I could hear it in his voice. “I’ve never been more organized. I know everything that’s in my boat.” While he rebounded well last season, hammering out multiple wins in classic KVD fashion and placing high in the 2016 Angler of the Year points race, one could sense a lingering sting in the angler’s voice. Long heralded as the greatest competitive fisherman of all time, VanDam stumbled a bit during the 2015 Bassmaster Elite Series season, missing the year-end championship. It seemed clear that was still trying to put it all behind him, and his champion’s work ethic would be the key. Kevin VanDam’s attention to tackle detail and organization translates to positive time management on the water, and is critical to his success. Within many circles, VanDam is regarded as a bass fishing phenom, operating at a level beyond other anglers – including the world’s best. His all-time record for national tournament wins is proof positive of an ability never before seen in the competitive bass realm. VanDam’s long-time secret is his capacity to quickly master nearly any technique to catch bass. He’s never been a specialist when it comes to fishing methods; in contrast, VanDam’s strength lies in his versatility. Given massive advancements in modern bass fishing, it’s necessary for the versatile VanDam to own and utilize tremendous amounts of tackle, whether on the road or at home in his Michigan test facility. Cataloging his significant gear and keeping it organized is one way VanDam focuses on the job at hand, and he never tires of the process. VanDam’s attention to tackle detail and organization translates to positive time management on the water, and is critical to his success. Confidence in his ability to operate at maximum efficiency means never having to second-guessing his decisions. VanDam’s aforementioned obsession with treble hooks is a case in point. “My truck is an extension of my boat, and my garage is an extension of my truck,” says VanDam, who catalogs and stows organized tackle for each Bassmaster Elite Series event inside sturdy Plano Marine Trunks (Large, Medium and Small). After changing 1,500 or more hooks in his shop, VanDam neatly organized each newly adorned lure into Plano waterproof Stowaways, certain they would protect his investment. “I spent that much time changing all those hooks,” VanDam mentioned, “so I made sure they got placed into a box that never pops open, never lets in water and can handle rough boat rides.” The meticulous system lends confidence to the angler’s efficiency, which seems to ease his mind. Soft plastic baits are a source of tackle confusion within the boats of many bass fishermen. VanDam ensures he’s not overwhelmed: “I carry plastics by category in Plano Speedbags,” he said, explaining that flipping baits are separated from those used for Carolina rigging or dropshotting. “I only carry a few colors of each, and enough to last one day on the water.” From there, VanDam simply restocks each evening from the mobile system aboard his Toyota tow vehicle. During the off-season, VanDam tests and masters techniques that need sharpening. “This year, it was nail-weight rigs,” he explained. VanDam meticulously reviews all aspects of such a system including hooks, lines, weights and lures, and then tests fall rates and actions of each combination in a swimming pool at home. From there, he moves to a custom-built pond on his property - complete with various forms of structure and cover – as well as bass – and reviews real-world results. VanDam relies on Plano Waterproof StowAway boxes to keep organized lures protected and dry. Throughout his detailed testing procedures, VanDam constantly refines his lure selection for each body of water he will encounter on the Bassmaster Elite Series over the coming year. Part of his planning and mental focus involves packing a series of tackle boxes for each fishery. From there, VanDam’s gear is cataloged and stowed inside his vehicle in Plano Marine Trunks, allowing him to stack gear and maximize cargo space while remaining incredibly organized. As the year progresses, he simply adds or removes trunks based on the fisheries he will be visiting. Like everything VanDam, it’s a sequence of constant change, refinement and motion. Test. Refine. Tinker. Repeat. Lures at VanDam’s home shop are kept on hanging pegboards, much like a retail store for maximum visibility and ease of inventory. Large tubs and boxes are kept on Plano shelving units. “My truck is an extension of my boat, and my garage is an extension of my truck,” VanDam summarized. Kevin VanDam’s life is a search for perfection in every detail of bass fishing’s overwhelming methodology. Like a chemist with a laboratory full of potions, the sheer number of choices at VanDam’s fingertips staggers the ordinary angler’s imagination. To succeed at this level, he must remain confident, which requires fastidious organization. It was this confidence that I could hear in VanDam’s voice. As the 2017 Bassmaster Elite Series kicks off this month, his competitors will be hearing it too. The volume of tackle at VanDam’s fingertips staggers the ordinary angler’s imagination. To succeed at the highest level, he must remain confident, which requires fastidious organization. SEE COMPLETE LINE OF KVD SERIES SOFT BAGS #PlanoFishing |
Indiana native Tim Wilson wins the TH Marine BFL Choo Choo division opener on Guntersville
Virginia’s Bryant tops co-angler field
SCOTTSBORO, Ala. (Feb. 20, 2017) – Tim Wilson of Gas City, Indiana, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 23 pounds, 10 ounces, Saturday to win the first T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Choo Choo Division tournament of 2017 on Lake Guntersville. For his win, Wilson took home $5,133.
“Although I live in Indiana, I also own a small house in Scottsboro just minutes from the ramp,” said Wilson, who earned his second career win in BFL competition – both on Lake Guntersville. “Most of the time I rent it out to other fisherman, but every now and then I get to sneak down and fish on Guntersville. I hadn’t been on the lake since my last win in 2015. I fish the Costa FLW Series, and I was on my way down for the Seminole event, so I figured I’d stop in and check on the house and fish the BFL event.
“I’m an off-the-wall guy,” Wilson continued. “I like to fish where other people aren’t fishing. So, I ended up fishing a mile-and-a-half stretch of bluff down the lake, towards Guntersville. I was sitting in 40 feet of water and throwing up to 12.”
Wilson said that he only had two rods on the deck of his boat the entire day, and both were rigged with downsized umbrella rigs.
“I figured that I would have to catch 13 to 14 pounds to get a check,” Wilson said. “On my first pass down the bluff, I had 12 pounds of Kentucky bass. I ended up catching a nice 7-pound kicker largemouth and weighed in three largemouth and two Kentucky bass.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Tim WIlson, Gas City, Ind., five bass, 23-10, $5,133
2nd: Nathan Hand, Madison, Ala., five bass, 21-7, $2,766
3rd: Jerry Perkins, Cullman, Ala.., five bass, 19-11, $1,710
4th: Chris Webb, Decatur, Ala.., five bass, 18-14, $1,198
5th: Daniel Whitaker, Phil Campbell, Ala., five bass, 17-11, $1,027
6th: Freddy Palmer, Estill Springs, Tenn., five bass, 17-9, $941
7th: Zach Lemmond, Hillsboro, Ala., five bass, 17-1, $855
8th: Jacob Gibbs, Baileyton, Ala., five bass, 16-9, $770
9th: Bryan Gregory, Fort Payne, Ala., five bass, 16-8, $684
10th: J.K. Guin, Carbon Hill, Ala., five bass, 16-7, $599
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Currey Holley of Pulaski, Tennessee, caught an 8-pound, 5-ounce bass – the largest of the event – which earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $800.
David Bryant of Covington, Virginia, weighed in three bass totaling 17 pounds, 1 ounce Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,566.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: David Bryant, Covington, Va., three bass, 17-1, $2,566
2nd: Zach Britton, Hazel Green, Ala., five bass, 15-14, $1,383
3rd: John Cook, Scottsboro, Ala., five bass, 14-9, $855
4th: Dan Basham, Taylorsville, Ky., four bass, 14-1, $606
4th: Heath Frizzell, Dunlap, Tenn., four bass, 14-1, $556
6th: Frelon Moore, Albertville, Ala., four bass, 14-0, $471
7th: Alex Spires, Chickamauga, Ga., three bass, 12-10, $428
8th: Matthew Blackwood, New Hope, Ala., five bass, 12-3, $385
9th: Jerry Armstrong, Shelbyville, Tenn., five bass, 11-15, $342
10th: Donald Groves, Rocky Face, Ga., five bass, 11-0, $299
Jacob Coil of Huntsville, Alabama caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 8 pounds, 5 ounces, and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $400.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 12-14 BFL Regional Championship on Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Alabama. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL 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 BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Morgan wins TH Marine BFL Bulldog opener on Lanier with almost 17 pounds!
Gainesville’s Grizzle tops co-angler field
GAINESVILLE, Ga. (Feb. 20, 2017) – Tyler Morgan of Columbus, Georgia, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds,15 ounces, Saturday to win the first T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Bulldog Division tournament of 2017 on Lake Lanier. For his win, Morgan took home $5,214.
“I’m not extremely familiar with Lanier, but I was fishing up the river,” said Morgan, who earned his first career victory as a boater after three prior wins as a co-angler in BFL competition. “Most of the other anglers were fishing the main-lake and they would fish around the points, but they weren’t fishing in the pockets. I was going to the very back of pockets and catching fish extremely shallow.”
Morgan said that he caught 16 or 17 keepers throughout the day throwing a Special Red Craw-colored Berkley Pit Bull crankbait and a black and blue-colored Z-Man ChatterBait with a black Keitech FAT Swing Impact 4.3 swimbait.
“I was cranking bluff walls up the river and put together a quick 9-pound limit of spotted bass by 9 a.m.,” Morgan said. “Then I went running the back of pockets looking to upgrade with largemouth. I was upgrading by ounces all day long, and ended up weighing in one spot and four largemouth.
“Coming back to the weigh-in I thought that I had a shot to finish in the top-10, but I never expected to win. It was a pleasant surprise.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Tyler Morgan, Columbus, Ga., five bass, 16-15, $5,214
2nd: Johnathan Akins, Lula, Ga., five bass, 16-12, $2,507
3rd: Rob Jordan, Flowery Branch, Ga., five bass, 16-9, $1,420
3rd: Steve Foster, Jasper, Ga., five bass, 16-9, $1,420
5th: Chris Baxter, Winder, Ga., five bass, 16-8, $1,403
6th: Brock Turner, Jasper, Ga., five bass, 16-6, $919
7th: Tristan Thomas, Lula, Ga., five bass, 16-0, $836
8th: Mike Shepard, Dawsonville, Ga., five bass, 15-11, $752
9th: Kip Carter, Social Circle, Ga., five bass, 15-3, $668
10th: Jason Densmore, Dawsonville, Ga., five bass, 15-1, $555
10th: Doug Workman, Cleveland, Ga., five bass, 15-1, $555
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Willie McMullen of Oxford, Georgia, caught a 6-pound, 12-ounce bass – the largest of the event – which earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $765.
Harold Grizzle of Gainesville, Georgia, weighed in five bass totaling 16 pounds, 3 ounces Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,707.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Harold Grizzle, Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 16-3, $2,707
2nd: Chris Davies, Griffin, Ga., five bass, 14-15, $1,635
3rd: Stanley Smith, Greensboro, Ga., five bass, 14-6, $837
4th: Brent Thomas, Cleveland, Ga., five bass, 13-8, $585
5th: Ronald Harris, Jefferson, Ga., five bass, 13-5, $501
6th: Chance Hebert, Norcross, Ga., five bass, 12-11, $460
7th: Adam Thomas, Cleveland, Ga., five bass, 12-2, $468
8th: Matthew O’Connell, Brooks, Ga., four bass, 12-1, $376
9th: Brian Benedit, Canton, Ga., five bass, 11-11, $334
10th: Robert Barker, Monticello, Ga., five bass, 11-10, $292
Davies caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 6 pounds, 1 ounce, and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $382.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 12-14 BFL Regional Championship on Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Alabama. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The T-H Marine BFL event at Lake Lanier was hosted by the Gainesville Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The 2017 BFL 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 BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Woods wins TH Marine BFL Arkie opener on Dardanelle
Fulton’s Crider tops co-angler field
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (Feb. 20, 2017) – Matt Wood of Jessieville, Arkansas, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 21 pounds, 2 ounces, Saturday to win the first T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Arkie Division tournament of 2017 on Lake Dardanelle. For his win, Wood took home $4,046.
“I was entered in this event as a co-angler, and I decided to switch over and compete as a boater on Friday morning, the day before the event,” said Wood, who had previously fished one season as a co-angler in BFL competition. “I knew that there were more co-anglers on the waiting list, and I had a pretty good practice so I figured I’d take a shot. I still can’t believe I won.”
Wood said that he fished the entire day at just one spot – a dock which had some brush and cover nearby.
“The bass were after baitfish, and the wind was blowing perfectly to pin the bait against the dock and brush,” Wood said. “There were a ton of bass – I must have caught around 20 to 25 keepers.”
Wood said he caught his fish on just two baits – a Strike King Red Eye Shad crankbait and a white Strike King Pure Poison swimjig with a white Yum Swim’n Dinger.
“The Red Eye Shad was what I caught my bigger fish on,” Wood went on to say. “The key was fishing it super-fast and triggering a reaction bite.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Matt Wood, Jessieville, Ark., five bass, 21-2, $4,046
2nd: Cody Burke, Bryant, Ark., five bass, 20-4, $2,023
3rd: Zach King, Clarksville, Ark., five bass, 18-15, $1,348
4th: Steve Howard, Conway, Ark., five bass, 18-4, $944
5th: Zack Freeman, Russellville, Ark., five bass, 17-7, $1,009
6th: Rick Ellis, Cabot, Ark., five bass, 16-1, $842
7th: Jeremiah Jordan, Dover, Ark., five bass, 15-14, $674
8th: Israel Mills, Donaldson, Ark., five bass, 15-9, $607
9th: Jonathan Dotson, Dover, Ark., four bass, 14-12, $539
10th: Daniel Standridge, Sheridan, Ark., five bass, 14-4, $472
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Randall Clark of Little Rock, Arkansas, caught a 7-pound, 1-ounce bass – the largest of the event – which earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $555.
Johnny Crider of Fulton, Arkansas, weighed in four bass totaling 16 pounds, 10 ounces Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,300.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Johnny Crider, Fulton, Ark., four bass, 16-10, $2,300
2nd: Jason Wedel, Lowell, Ark., five bass, 11-9, $1,011
3rd: Brian Choat, Conway, Ark., five bass, 11-0, $874
4th: Kevin Clark, Malvern, Ark., five bass, 10-9, $488
4th: Jim Cummings, Murfreesboro, Ark., three bass, 10-9, $438
6th: Herbert Kimbrough, North Little Rock, Ark., four bass, 10-5, $371
7th: Steve Standridge, Conway, Ark., three bass, 10-4, $337
8th: Michael Lucas, Forrest City, Ark., four bass, 9-8, $303
9th: Buddy Rudolph, Hot Springs, Ark., four bass, 8-9, $253
9th: Bryan Branson, Hensley, Ark., three bass, 8-9, $253
Crider also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 6 pounds, 11 ounces, and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $277.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 19-21 BFL Regional Championship on the Red River in Bossier City, Louisiana. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The T-H Marine BFL event at Lake Dardanelle presented by Geared was hosted by Russellville Advertising & Promotions.
The 2017 BFL 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 BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
11.55 Big Fish anchors 39 pound bag to win Chattanooga Bass Association derby on Chickamauga!
CHATTANOOGA (WRCB) - The team of Haden Lamb and Trevor Porter caught a 5 bass limit weighing a record breaking weight of 39.63 pounds crushing the field of 184 anglers to win first place and $2,000.00 in the D.J Electronics February C.B.A. Bass Tournament. This tournament was held Saturday, February 18th out of Chester Frost Boat Ramp.
Haden said “We caught them in about a 20 min. time span and that was wild and crazy, we actually lost 2 more super giant fish in that area and continued looking for fish the rest of the day but it was over at 10:30 a.m. This is our third C.B.A. win and it will make some special memories forever”. Lamb said "He caught his fish on rattle baits, but he also talked a lot about the new Strike king Mega square bill and it ability to catch big fish." The mega bait is available at Soddy Custom Tackle in Soddy TN.
Haden Lamb and Trevor Porter had big bass of this event weighing 11.55 pounds.
Ron Willerson and Eric Cabrera had 2nd big bass weighing in at 11.03 pounds.
Shane Frazier said “Special thanks D.J Electronics to for their sponsorship of this event”.
All fish caught in this event were released back into Lake Chickamauga.
The top 8 money winners are as follows:
- Haden Lamb and Trevor Porter, 39.63 lbs., $2000.00
- Tony Townsend and Galen James , 24.67 lbs., $950.00
- Kevin Drake and Cory Vetten, 22.84lbs., $800.00
- Phillip Morgan and Danny Baker, 22.17 lbs., $750.00
- Josh Wofford and Bruce Wofford 19.98 lbs., $650.00
- Chuck James and Brad James, 18.62 lbs., $550.00
- Zach Crider and Nick Cripps, 18.56 lbs., $450.00
- Benny Roberts and Billy Joe Wheat, 18.23 lbs., $400
SKL Countdown to Blast Off - Guck and the Big Show - Elites on the Big O!
Good friend Alan McGuckin of Dynamic Sponsorships and Florida Pro Terry "BIG Show" Scroggins talk about Florida fishing and what its going to take to get the big check this weekend during the BASS Elite Series event on Okeechobee.
Progressive Bass Wrap Up Video - Alabama Bass Trail - Southern Opener - Lake Jordan
ABT Program Director Kay Donaldson and emcee Robbie Floyd speak to the winners and wrap-up the 2017 South Opener on Lake Jordan.
