Illinois’ Jenkel Wins Costa Flw Series Central Division Finale On Lake Of The Ozarks
OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (Oct. 8, 2016) – Derek Jenkel of Pinckneyville, Illinois, weighed in five bass totaling 18 pounds, 3 ounces, Saturday to win the Costa FLW Series Central Division finale on Lake of the Ozarks presented by Evinrude with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 52 pounds, 5 ounces. For his win, Jenkel took home $35,815.
“I spent the event fishing three areas near Hurricane Deck Bridge,” said Jenkel. “I flipped between six to eight docks at each area, and moved on when I had a limit.”
Jenkel said he used a green-pumpkin and blue-colored Gambler Lures Tube and a Cumberland Craw-colored Lunker Lures Limit Series Jig to catch eight keepers on Day One.
“On Day Two, I worked a Watermelon Candy-colored Zoom Magnum Trick Worm into the mix,” said Jenkel. “The bite was getting tough with my other two baits, so I went with a more finesse-style presentation. I was able to get seven keepers into the boat on Friday.”
On the final day of the event, Jenkel said he focused on one key stretch of docks. He said that particular area produced the majority of the bass he brought to the scale.
“I’m not sure why, but there was a great population of fish in that location,” said Jenkel. “I had three different rods on the deck, and flipped until my arm hurt – and then I flipped some more.”
Jenkel said his decision to switch to the finesse bait was what helped him edge out the rest of the field.
“When I switched to the Zoom Worm, I started getting bites,” said Jenkel. “It was a very crucial part of my tournament. I didn’t get a lot of bites, but when I did, they were nice ones.”
The top 10 pros on Lake of the Ozarks were:
1st: Derek Jenkel, Pinckneyville, Ill., 15 bass, 52-5, $35,815
2nd: Mark Tucker, Kirkwood, Mo., 15 bass, 51-4, $14,078
3rd: Dion Hibdon, Sunrise Beach, Mo., 15 bass, 51-1, $10,745
4th: Dustin Evans, Eads, Tenn., 15 bass, 48-13, $9,054
5th: Marcus Sykora, Osage Beach, Mo., 15 bass, 48-6, $8,058
6th: Brian Maloney, Osage Beach, Mo., 14 bass, 47-2, $7,163
7th: Cory Steckler, Rocky Mount, Mo., 13 bass, 45-1, $6,268
8th: Shawn Kowal, Linn Creek, Mo., 15 bass, 44-9, $5,372
9th: Jim Young, House Springs, Mo., 15 bass, 44-1, $4,729
10th: Dustin Blevins, Harrison, Ark., 14 bass, 42-7, $3,582
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Peter Wenners of Galena, Missouri, caught a bass weighing 6 pounds, 10 ounces Thursday – the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division – that earned him the day’s Big Bass award of $252.
Brad Hostetler Jr., of Franklin, Indiana, won the co-angler division and a Ranger Z175 with a 90-horsepower Evinrude outboard motor. Hostetler earned his win with a three-day total catch of 14 bass weighing 37 pounds, 10 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers on Lake of the Ozarks were:
1st: Brad Hostetler, Franklin, Ind., 14 bass, 37-10, $27,200 + $5,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Scott Parsons, Rogers, Ark., 14 bass, 37-10, $4,500
3rd: John Bach, Salem, Mo., 12 bass, 31-2, $3,600
4th: Arnold Payne Jr., Kokomo, Ind., 12 bass, 29-10, $3,150
5th: Jacques Fleischmann, Lampe, Mo., nine bass, 27-12, $2,784
6th: Michael Carter, Raytown, Mo., 11 bass, 26-8, $2,250
7th: Brian Futch, Vienna, Ill., 12 bass, 25-14, $1,800
8th: Derrick Wright, Carl Junction, Mo., nine bass, 24-14, $1,743
9th: James Ingram, Quitman, Ark., 13 bass, 23-15, $1,450
10th: Chris Dunlap, Foristell, Mo., eight bass, 23-7, $1,125
Gerald Andrews of Benton, Kentucky, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division Thursday, a bass weighing 5 pounds, 8 ounces that earned him a share of the day’s $168 Big Bass award.
The Costa FLW Series consists of five 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 2016 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held Nov. 3-5 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri.
The Costa FLW Series on Lake of the Ozarks presented by Evinrude was the third and final stop of 2016 in the Central Division. The next Costa FLW Series tournament will be the 2016 Costa FLW Series Championship. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.
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.
Strike King Pro Luke Estel Talks About His 6Th Place Finish In The "gator Hole"
BASS Opens Pro Luke Estel.
Last weekend I competed in the second B.A.S.S. Central Open on the Red River. I made the top twelve cut and finished the event in 6th place.
Here is how the event played out.
My best friend and fishing partner, Josh Jackson (Chopper) and I headed down to Texas the Friday before to pick up my new Skeeter from Gerald Brown. We loaded all of my equipment into the boat and headed to the Red early Saturday morning.
The recent floods had much of the back waters silted in and it was hard navigating back in them. We managed to catch a couple of keepers on a Strike King KVD spinnerbait and a 1.5 crankbait. Sunday was about the same and we started putting together a little pattern around the rock Jetties on the main river. I knew I needed more if I was to have a shot. Monday came and we push poled back into a small backwater pond which ended up being too shallow to fish so we abandoned that area. Tuesday we continued to look at Google Earth when we found a small backwater pond right off of the river. We went for it. Once we got back into the area we found that there was seven feet of water in it and the water clarity was the best we had seen. Chopper noticed what he thought was a beaver swimming across the pond. I told him that it was no beaver and that it was a big alligator. Excited because he had never seen one fishing before we trolled near him to take some video and some pictures. Chopper then said to me that this was the winning spot before we ever took a cast. After watching the gator for several minutes we decided to start fishing and immediately Chopper caught a chunky 2 ¾ pound fish on a spinnerbait. He told me to get out of there but I needed more reassurance and that didn’t take long as I caught another nice keeper. We push poled out of there and fished the big slough that adjoined it watching boaters troll into the mouth of the creek, get stuck, and troll out. Based on what we saw I thought I might have a small chance that I would have the area to myself and would be able to pick it apart.
The first day of the tournament rolled around and I was boat 75. I prayed as I boated down the river that no one would be in there. I push poled my way in and I was right. All by myself. My co angler, Bill Bonner and I went straight to the stumps and started casting. I caught one small keeper quick but the bite shut off. Around 10 o’clock I trolled over to the two big lay downs on the other side of the pond. I put on a Strike King Rage Bug and it was first flip. A 3 pounder! I went to the other side of the tree when I got my next vicious strike. A 4 pounder smoked it and I wrestled him through the limbs and boat flipped him. I looked at Bill and told him to flip to the next tree and I put my bait down the side of the tree. Keeper number four came flying in. I spun the boat back around to the first tree and finished my limit out with number 5. I sat down thinking what my next move would be. Bill looked at me and told me that I better get out of there and I couldn’t have agreed more. By the time I push poled out of there it was 11 o’clock. We fished several more areas on the main river before heading to weigh in. I knew I had a decent bag but wasn’t expecting great things until the tournament director, Chris Bowes said, “ new leader” as the five fish limit hit the scales for 11 pounds, 2 ounces! I finished third for the day and was anxious to get back to the “Gator Hole” for one more day.
I was boat 105 and I knew there was no way I would have the pond to myself again, but sure enough I was. BASS photographer Ronnie Moore followed me into the pond and waited patiently for something to happen. As I was trolling over to the lay downs I flipped onto a stump on my right side and immediately was rewarded with my first keeper. The lay downs were dead as I power poled down and fished them methodically. So much for that as I went straight to the stump ridden flat. I pitched the “bug” right beside a small stump and the water exploded as I fought the 4 plus pound bass to the boat. Number 2! By now I was in a groove and feeling it. Five minutes later I caught keeper number three. I just kept telling myself, it’s just fishing. Two more bites and I will make the top twelve. Within a half hour I put a nice 2 pounder in the box. I looked at the time and it was 10:30. I had I had five hours to catch one more bass. At 1:30 I felt what I thought was a bite, set the hook and the four pounder danced on top of the water and fell off. I was mad for about 5 minutes and then I settled down and continued to pitch to the stumps. There was no way I was going to leave without a limit. Around 2:30 I got another soft bite and put number 5 in the box. Finally!!!
At the weigh in my limit weighed 10 pounds, 7 ounces! Good enough to hang on to third place for the final day. I had made it. It took everything I had to grind it out, because I knew there was no guarantee for day three.
That night Chopper took care of everything for me and let me focus on getting re rigged and my boat in order. “Five bites and you are going to the Classic” He said. I knew it to. I had put myself into position to win and that’s all I could ask for.
The final day arrived and I told myself that I wasn’t going to leave the “Gator Hole.” It was do or die and I knew there was big enough fish to win swimming in there. As I trolled to the opening I found it even harder to get in and it took me several more minutes than I expected. Once I was in I settled down and went to work. Within an hour I had two small keepers. Both of them hit the bait like a Bluegill and not like the previous day and a half. Photographer Ronnie more came into the pond around 10 o’clock and just like the day before I put my biggest fish in the boat. Number three! I knew now that I was two bites away from my dream. I buckled down and picked the stump field and the laydowns apart. I crept ever so slowly deploying my Power Poles every ten to fifteen feet and making fifty plus pitches to my surrounding targets. I got only one more bite and put him in the box before it was time to go.
As we sat in the marina parking lot waiting on the BASS officials to check our fish, I smiled. I was happy. I stuck to my game plan and no matter what the outcome would be, I gave it my all.
My wife and her three friends drove all night just to come and watch me weigh in. My phone was blowing up. The hometown support from my family and friends was overwhelming. A tear rolled down my sunburnt face. As Chopper drove my Tundra to the weigh in stage all I could think about was seeing my wife and just having her there meant everything to me.
I finished 6th place as Alton Jones Jr. punched his ticket the Bassmaster Classic. Well done.
I cannot thank all of the people and companies that have stood beside me for so long, enough. First is my wife Heidi and my two beautiful girls. They have always been there for me. My best friend Chopper. I think he should be a Positive Mental Bass Fishing Coach. He is a true friend indeed. Strike King Lure Company. Simply the best bait company in the world. They are like family to me. Vicious Fishing Line. I pitched 20# Vicious Fluorocarbon all week and never broke a fish off. Mustad Hooks. I used a 4/0 Grip Pin hook. I caught every fish on that one hook and never tied another one on. Ardent Rods and Reels. I pitched with an Ardent Denny Brauer Swimbait Rod and an Ardent Apex reel. Natural Gear, their new fishing shirts kept me cool all week long. Power Pole. What else is there to say about them? They were instrumental in my stealth like approach. PLP Battery Supply, Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning, and E & D Concrete.
I was close but now I want it more than ever. Lucky for me I have one more to go. The Atchafalaya Basin in Morgan City, Louisiana. I just might pull it off. Might as well shoot for the stars. I am going to win!!!
Oklahoma’S Fulps Wins Costa Flw Series Southwestern Division Finale On Fort Gibson Lake
WAGONER, Okla. (Oct. 1, 2016) – Derek Fulps of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, weighed in three bass totaling 11 pounds, 12 ounces, Saturday to win the Costa FLW Series Southwestern Division finale on Fort Gibson Lake presented by Lowrance with a three-day total of 13 bass weighing 45 pounds, 5 ounces. For his win, Fulps took home $78,500, including a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
“On Thursday I started in the back of a feeder creek on the upper end of the lake and caught four keepers,” said Fulps, who earned his first career win in FLW competition. “I pitched and flipped a green-pumpkin-candy Gene Larew Hoodaddy to isolated wood and stumps, and casted a Hoodaddy Jr. that was the same color.
“Around 11 a.m., I headed to my sweet spot that I had found in practice,” Fulps continued. “It was a large submerged log that I came across after backing off the bank in the flat side of the river. I used the smaller lure – the Hoodaddy Jr. Downsizing my bait was the most important adjustment of the tournament for me.”
Fulps said he returned to the hole on Day Two and was able to piece together a limit fairly quick with the Hoodaddy Jr.
“I caught seven keepers and then left the area alone,” said Fulps. “Letting the fish replenish was crucial. It helped me get the win.”
On the final day of the event, Fulps said the morning bite was tough at his honey hole, so he returned to the feeder creek from Thursday. After a while he decided to give his sweet spot one more chance.
“I went back to the log and caught one that was nearly 6 pounds on the Hoodaddy Jr.,” said Fulps. “It was the biggest bass I caught all week. Without it, I wouldn’t have won.”
The top 10 pros on Fort Gibson Lake were:
1st: Derek Fulps, Broken Arrow, Okla., 13 bass, 45-5, $78,500
2nd: Kyle Cortiana, Broken Arrow, Okla., 15 bass, 43-4, $13,004
3rd: Brandon Mosley, Choctaw, Okla., 15 bass, 42-1, $9,990
4th: Jim Tutt, Longview, Texas, 15 bass, 41-10, $8,325
5th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 15 bass, 41-3, $7,716
6th: Brett Brumnett, Wagoner, Okla., 13 bass, 40-15, $6,660
7th: Brian Potter, Claremore, Okla., 15 bass, 37-14, $5,827
8th: Keystone Light pro Jeff Sprague, Point, Texas, 12 bass, 34-11, $4,995
9th: Chad Warren, Sand Springs, Okla., 12 bass, 30-9, $4,162
10th: Jeff Dobson, Ponca City, Okla., 11 bass, 30-1, $3,330
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Birge caught a bass weighing 5 pounds, 12 ounces Thursday – the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division – that earned him the day’s Big Bass award of $224.
Tate Brumnett of Wagoner, Oklahoma, won the co-angler division and a Ranger Z175 with a 90-horsepower Mercury or Evinrude outboard motor. Brumnett earned his win with a three-day total catch of 11 bass weighing 38 pounds, 7 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers on Fort Gibson Lake were:
1st: Tate Brumnett, Wagoner, Okla., 11 bass, 38-7, $27,000
2nd: Branson Phillips, Broken Arrow, Okla., 12 bass, 31-13, $4,400
3rd: Lonnie Miller, Broken Arrow, Okla., 10 bass, 25-15, $3,410
4th: Leroy Green, Alvin, Texas, eight bass, 24-10, $2,940
5th: David Underwood , Waco, Texas, eight bass, 22-6, $2,520
6th: Steve Baskins, Owasso, Okla., eight bass, 20-10, $2,100
7th: Todd Brown, Little Rock, Ark., eight bass, 19-5, $1,680
8th: Wade Goins, Salina, Okla., seven bass, 17-14, $1,470
9th: Scott Pickett, Chandler, Texas, eight bass, 17-11, $1,260
10th: Nick Muzljakovich, Wagoner, Okla., five bass, 14-2, $1,199
Scott Stallings of Glencoe, Oklahoma, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division Thursday, a bass weighing 6 pounds, 5 ounces that earned him the day’s Big Bass award of $149.
The Costa FLW Series consists of five 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 2016 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held Nov. 3-5 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri.
The Costa FLW Series on Fort Gibson Lake presented by Lowrance was the third and final stop of 2016 in the Southwestern Division. The next Costa FLW Series tournament will be a Central Division event, held Oct. 6-8, on Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Missouri. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.
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.
Alton Jones Jr. Wins Bass Central Open On The Red River!
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From The Front Deck - Don't Be #3
Sept. 30, 2016
What a rough weekend last weekend was.
They say “bad” things happen in 3’s.
#1, The golfing world lost Arnold Palmer, 87 Years old, a golfing pioneer, a great person and a heck of a golfer.
#2, The baseball world lost 24 year old, Jose Fernandez. a Pitcher for the Miami Marlins in just his third year in the Bigs.
24 freaking years old.
Wasn’t Cancer, wasn’t sickness, wasn’t drugs or anything of that nature. Fernandez died in a boating accident……
By now I am sure you have read about this tragic loss of life. You already know it wasn’t a fresh water boating accident and so most of you immediaitely dismissed it I’m sure.
I did for a second, I admit it. Until I read more about where and when it happened.
In a former life, I sold LED Lighting within the Marine Industry to both Fresh and Salt Water baot manufacturers. I have been on several boats in and out of that same port in Miami where the Fernandez Boat wreck occurred. Done it during the day, done it at night. It’s not a fun place to be when the sun falls into the ocean I assure you. Experienced or not.
So why do I bring up a salt water boating accident in a freshwater bass fishing opinion blog? Because I can and because I am concerned.
Now, I don’t know any more details than any of you. I know the wreck happened at night, I know there were NO drugs or alcohol involved in the crash, but I do know there was a high-rate of speed involved in the crash. I also know no-one on board was found wearing a life jacket.
This time of year when the weather and the water starts to cool off, we find ourselves back on the water enjoying that early morning fog and topwater action. As the days start getting shorter, we find ourselves still out there still as the sun starts to goes down.
Sure, there is a lot less boat traffic this time of year as the pleasure boaters and skiers are most likely done for for the season, and that smooth open water allows us to “Trim it up and push our foot to the floor just a little harder than we have been lately…..”
That smooth, open water also allows us to possibly be a little more careless as well, paying more attention to our electronics, birds in the air or making sure we get that selfie with the rooster tail behind us…..
Why am I preaching this morning? Because accidents happen. Bad Accidents.
Now I’m not trying to be your mother, but I have witnessed a ton of boats in the past few weeks getting too close to other boats while running, cutting points too close, too many boaters not wearing their PFD’s and you know the rest, no kill switches.
All across Social Media we see daily, videos of our buddies catching big fish on their GoPro Cameras and then screaming across the lake with their hair on fire and no life jacket. Winter time drawdowns make areas of the lake we are used to running too dangerous to navigate but we don’t care, we do it anyway on a wing a prayer.
Do me a favor. Put the life jacket on, and hook up your kill switch.
Now , none of these things listed above would have saved Jose Fernandez or either of his buddies. They were running at night, at a high rate of speed and my speculation is the driver that night forgot which bouys or marker lights he was looking for and then it was too late. Carelessness and a tragic loss of life.
Do me a bigger favor… Pay attention please, watch where you are going, watch out of other idiots on the water, watch out for those last remaining pleasure boaters and just stay safe.
In other words, Don’t be #3.
Thanks for reading and God Bless, Rest in Peace Jose, you will be missed by many.
CB
Bonadona Leads Day 1 Of The Bass Central Open On A Stingy Red River
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Flw Announces The 2017 College Fishing Schedule, Rules And All Pertinent Info
FLW ANNOUNCES 2017 FLW COLLEGE FISHING SCHEDULE, RULES, ENTRY DATES
MINNEAPOLIS (Sept. 29, 2016) – FLW announced Thursday the schedule, rules and entry dates for the 2017 FLW College Fishing season, highlighted by the 2017 College Fishing National Championship on Wheeler Lake in Rogersville, Alabama and the third annual FLW College Fishing Open on Kentucky Lake.
Among the changes for 2017 is the addition of one extra qualification into the 2018 FLW College Fishing National Championship for every 10 boats competing over 100 boats in regular-season qualifying Events and an extra qualifier for every 10 boats over 200 boats in the FLW College Fishing Open. FLW College Fishing has no limit on the number of teams your club can enter into each tournament and no off-limits period prior to the regular-season qualifiers or the FLW College Fishing Open.
“The growth and success of our college fishing program over the past eight seasons has been tremendous,” said Kevin Hunt, FLW College Fishing tournament director. “Due to the record number of participants that have been competing in our college tournaments we have made the decision to add the additional National Championship qualifiers to tournaments that surpass 100 boats in the regular-season and 200 boats in the College Fishing Open. We are excited for 2017, and I am confident it will be our biggest and best College Fishing season yet.”
2017 FLW College Fishing Schedule:
FLW College Fishing OPEN
April 7-8 Kentucky Lake Gilbertsville, Ky.
Central Conference
April 1 Lake of the Ozarks Osage Beach, Mo.
May 20 Kentucky/Barkley lakes Gilbertsville, Ky.
Oct. 7 Mississippi River Prairie du Chien, Wis.
Northern Conference
April 29 Smith Mountain Lake Huddleston, Va.
July 22 Chautauqua Lake Bemus Point, N.Y.
Sept. 9 Lake Erie Sandusky, Ohio
Southeastern Conference
Jan. 14 Lake Seminole Bainbridge, Ga.
Feb. 25 Lake Guntersville Guntersville, Ala.
March 18 Lake Hartwell Hartwell, Ga.
Southern Conference
Feb. 4 Sam Rayburn Reservoir Zavalla, Texas
May 6 Fort Gibson Lake Wagoner, Okla.
Sept. 23 Red River Bossier City, La.
Western Conference
Feb. 11 Lake Havasu Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
May 13 California Delta Bethel Island, Calif.
Sept. 30 Clear Lake Lakeport, Calif.
FLW College Fishing National Championship
May 31-June 2 Wheeler Lake Rogersville, Ala.
June 3 – FISH-OFF Wilson Lake Florence, Ala.
Complete rules can be found online at FLWFishing.com.
Registration for the 2017 season opens Dec. 12, 2016, for teams from clubs represented in the 2016 FLW College Fishing National Championship. All other teams may register beginning Dec. 13, 2016. You can register at FLWFishing.com or by calling 270.252.1000.
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 CollegeFishing.com to sign up or to start a club at your school.
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 2016 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 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.
Flw Announces 2017 Bass Fishing League Schedule & Rules
MINNEAPOLIS (Sept. 28, 2017) – FLW announced Wednesday the schedule, rules and payouts for the 2017 Bass Fishing League, which includes 128 tournaments in 24 divisions offering nearly $8 million in awards, including as much as $120,000 to the winning boater and $60,000 to the winning co-angler in the nationally-televised BFL All-American, plus advancement to the Forrest Wood Cup for a shot at winning the world championship of bass fishing.
Among the key changes for 2017 is the new “Win and You are In” format that automatically qualifies the winners of each of the 96 one-day qualifying tournaments to one of six no-entry-fee regional championships along with the top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division based on point standings.
“With the new format, you are never out of the running to qualify for a regional championship if you enter all five tournaments in a division,” said Daniel Fennel, director of BFL operations. “The most consistent anglers in each division are still rewarded with advancement based on points, but now you can have a bad tournament or two and still qualify with a late-season win.”
Each regional championship features a guaranteed payout that includes $20,000 and a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower outboard for the winning boater and a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower outboard for the winning co-angler. Regional payouts include $10,000 for second and $5,000 for third on the boater side and $5,000 for second and $2,500 for third on the co-angler side.
"FLW was founded upon providing first-class tournaments for the weekend bass angler," said Kathy Fennel, FLW president of operations. "We have always considered our BFL anglers as being the heart and soul of FLW. We take great pride in continuing to grow the sport of bass fishing by providing these opportunities for weekend anglers as well as a clear pathway for advancement to the sport's highest levels for boaters and co-anglers who qualify for the Costa FLW Series and ultimately the Walmart FLW Tour."
Entry fees will remain the same as 2016 – $230 per qualifier for boaters and $115 per qualifier for co-anglers. Two-day Super Tournament entry fees will also remain the same – $345 for boaters and $175 for co-anglers.
For the complete 2017 BFL schedule, rules and payouts, visit FLWFishing.com.
The BFL is the nation’s largest and most popular weekend bass-fishing circuit. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division and the winners of each qualifying tournament and super tournament receive priority entry into the 2018 Costa FLW Series while All-American champions may advance directly to the Walmart FLW Tour, the world’s top professional bass-fishing circuit.
Anglers can register for the 2017 season at FLWFishing.com or by calling 270.252.1000 on the dates listed below:
- November 14, 2016 – Hoosier, Michigan, Music City and Volunteer
- November 15, 2016 – Bulldog, Cowboy, Great Lakes, Illini and Mississippi
- November 16, 2016 – Bama, Buckeye, Choo Choo, Mountain and Ozark
- November 17, 2016 – Arkie, LBL, North Carolina, Northeast and Okie
- November 18, 2016 – Gator, Piedmont, Savannah River, Shenandoah and South Carolina
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us 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 2016 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 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.
Bass Raises Maximum Rod Length To 10 Feet In 2017
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The 40-year-old rule that has limited Bassmaster tournament competitors to rods that were 8 feet or shorter will be changed for 2017, allowing competitors to use rods as long as 10 feet.
The new rule will apply to all B.A.S.S. trails, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens and all B.A.S.S. Nation and youth events.
“This is something that the anglers wanted,” said B.A.S.S. Tournament Director Trip Weldon. “After discussing it during our annual rules committee meeting, we saw no reason not to expand to 10 feet.”
The rule in question is tournament rule C8, which currently reads in part: “Only one casting, spin casting or spinning rod (8-foot maximum length from butt of handle to rod tip) and reel may be used at any one time.”
Bassmaster Elite Series angler Skeet Reese of California said during the ICAST trade show in Orlando, Fla., in July that he planned to suggest a change to the rule, believing it would help the sport grow. The change was formally proposed and discussed during last month’s Elite Advisory Board meeting in Waldorf, Md.
“You can fish a 16-inch swimbait with a 400-pound-test leader if you wanted,” Reese said. “There are no reel-speed restrictions. Having the length limit makes no sense. It’s antiquated.”
Some rod makers agreed with Reese about the rule change’s impact on the industry.
“St. Croix is excited about the change B.A.S.S. is making to increase rod lengths,” said Jesse Simpkins, marketing director for St. Croix Rod. “It grows the market and broadens product lines. It will be interesting to see what this opportunity does in the hands on the world’s best bass anglers. Ultimately — as it has always been — it will be the anglers who drive the development process.”
Restrictions on rod length began in the West, and they were the catalyst for the development of the popular and effective “flippin’” technique. Dee Thomas of California, the “Father of Flippin’,” began winning tournaments in that state by “dipping” jigs in stands of tules with a 14-foot surf casting rod. When competitors complained, Thomas developed the flipping presentation, which delivered the lures to the same spots with a 7 1/2-foot rod.
The 8-foot maximum was added to B.A.S.S. rules by B.A.S.S. founder Ray Scott and Tournament Director Harold Sharp in 1976. Back then, competitors were paired by random draw and took turns controlling the boat. There were no pro anglers and co-anglers; everyone was fishing for the same prize, two to a boat.
Scott and Sharp believed a rod longer than 8 feet gave the angler operating the boat a distinct advantage over the other.
Today’s Elite Series events pair one angler with a marshal or cameraman who is not fishing. Opens tournaments involve a pro angler or “boater” who is fishing for a larger prize and a co-angler or “non-boater” who is restricted to the back of the boat.
With the format changes, anglers like Reese have long wished for a change to the rule.
“It has bothered me for years,” he said. “I’ve never understood it. I’ve always wanted an 8 1/2-foot spinning rod for fighting smallmouth in open water. With a longer crankbait rod, we could cast a lure longer distances and get the rod down further to help it dive. Think of what you could do with a longer punching rod — that kind of leverage over the fish would be amazing.
“I don’t see any disadvantage, and it would give the industry new products and new techniques.”
An article in the September 2016 B.A.S.S. Times Magazine — written well before the rule change was formally proposed — noted that some tournament circuits in the Western United States began allowing longer rods years ago to accommodate the growing popularity of large, heavy swimbaits. Elite Series anglers also like longer fishing rods for smallmouth bass techniques, including the float-and-fly method, which is impractical with a rod shorter than 9 or 10 feet.
The float-and-fly technique involves using a 1/8- or 1/16-ounce jig suspended 10 or more feet beneath a plastic bobber on line as light as 4-pound test, and it is particularly popular on smallmouth fisheries during the cold winter months. That means it could come into play early, as the Bassmaster Elite Series begins its 2017 regular season on Tennessee’s Cherokee Lake, Feb. 9-12.
Weldon said he is pleased with the rules committee’s decision regarding rod length.
“We always listen when anglers make suggestions or express concerns,” he said. “Obviously, we can’t accommodate all of the requests. But this was one that made sense, and we think it’s a good change.”
Quest Pro Challenge Making Waves In Professional Bass Fishing
The Quest Pro Challenge will be held on Lake Murray, South Carolina, Friday, October 21st and Saturday, October 22nd with twenty-eight invitation only, professional anglers; as well as the top two anglers, from the Quest Qualifier held on Sunday, October 16th, participating.
The Quest is not your typical tournament…… In fact, nothing about The Quest is typical and that why it is becoming the most talked about, new event to come along in many years.
Schedule of events
October 21st & 22nd FORMAT: Single boater, with a marshal using Connect Scale and Fat Sack Outdoors. This will enable for live scoring over several social media platforms, for immediate release.
Day One (October 21st): Thirty anglers compete on a known lake, but, unknown zones.
Day Two (October 22nd): Top ten anglers advance to a new zone; with rotating hole course format, limited electronics, and various strategies required. All weights and awards will be broadcast over social media and recorded for future video release.
October 23rd: (7am-1pm) Big Bass Challenge Pro/Am pairing professional anglers with Local First Responders, benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Anglers and First Responders will weigh big fish in front of festival and concert crowd.
(2pm-4pm) Family Festival at Lexington County Baseball Stadium, the Blowfish Stadium. There will be activities and games for the kids, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources will be on hand with activities, local and national Quest event sponsors will be showing products and goods, and much more.
(4pm-8pm) FREE concert provided by Quest and WCOS!! Come listen to LOCASH, Grainger Smith and Eric Paslay.
HOW CAN A NON-PROFESSIONAL ANGLER GAIN A POSITION IN THE QUEST PRO CHALLENGE?
On Sunday, October 16th, the QUEST SOLO Qualifier will give non-professional anglers the opportunity to qualify for the Quest Pro Challenge on Lake Murray, South Carolina. The top two anglers will secure two places in the Quest Pro Challenge. Register to fish this exciting event, the QUEST SOLO Qualifier, by visiting www.questprochallenge.com.
Big Bass, Live Music, and Giving Back!
Quest is already moving the Professional Bass Fishing world in a whole new direction. The name “Quest” is not only for the angler and their quest towards glory, but is our quest to make Pro Bass Fishing become a true “PRO” event for every angler who fishes in it.
We are incorporating a festival and concert at each Quest Pro Challenge, anglers and sponsors can interact with the public.
The Quest Pro Challenge will also be giving back with activities benefitting Local First Responders and Quest will donate a portion of the proceeds to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Professional Anglers competing: Bryan Thrift, Anthony Gagliardi, Brandon Cobb, Shane Lehew, Brett Preuett, Jayme Rampey, Rick Morris, Shane Lineberger, Ryan Davidson, Marty Robinson and many more.
If you are interested in future QUEST events please contact Tim Harmon 803-735-6558 to be added to the mailing list.
About Quest Pro Challenge
Owned and operated by Tim Harmon and Brad Burdette of Lexington SC.
Tim Harmon: Owner of Treeshaker Tackle- www.treeshakertackle.com
Brad Burdette: Owner of Palm Coast Outdoors, LLC and North American director of Cinnetic Fishing- www.cinnetic-us.com
Visit Quest at www.Questprochallenge.com or email Quest@Questprochallenge.com or Facebook/Instagram @questprochallenge
Flw Drops Invitational Thoughts For 2017 In Lieu Of Additional Tour Event, Releases Rule And Entry Dates For 2017
MINNEAPOLIS (Sept. 26, 2016) – FLW announced Monday its rules and entry dates for the 2017 Walmart FLW Tour. The season will consist of a 160-boat field competing in seven-regular season events and culminating with the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing, to be held on Lake Murray in Columbia, South Carolina.
“We are riding the momentum of a fantastic 2016 FLW Tour season and look forward to carrying that over into 2017,” said Kathy Fennel, FLW President of Operations. “As previously announced, we added another qualifying tournament to the schedule for a total of seven regular-season events plus the Forrest Wood Cup next year. We’ve also made some minor adjustments to the rules and eliminated the Invitationals in favor of the extra regular-season tournament. Our FLW Tour pros are among the best in the world, and we look forward to showcasing them next season on some of the finest fisheries in the United States.”
Pro anglers will compete for up to $125,000 and co-anglers will be vying for up to $25,000 in each tournament including Ranger Cup contingency bonuses. With a full field, the paybacks will be $10,000 through 50th place on the pro side and $1,000 on the co-angler side. Entry fees are unchanged for 2017 at $4,500 per tournament for pros and $800 per tournament for co-anglers. Pros must commit to fishing all seven qualifiers while co-anglers can fish individual tournaments.
Registration is now open for the top 100 pros and the top 10 co-anglers from the 2016 FLW Tour, the top 10 pros from each division of the 2016 FLW Series, the 2016 TBF National Champion from the boater division and the boater champion from the 2016 BFL All-American. These anglers have until Dec. 5, 2016 to secure their priority entry. Entries from Ranger boat owners and FLW Tour sponsors will be accepted beginning Dec. 6, 2016 followed by TBF members Dec. 7, 2016. All other entries will be accepted beginning Dec. 8, 2016. Qualified anglers can register by calling 270.252.1000 or online at FLWFishing.com.
The top 35 pros from the 2017 FLW Tour will qualify for the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup, which will consist of 53 professional anglers. In addition to the top 35 pros from the Tour, qualifiers will also include the winning pro from each of the two 2016 FLW Tour Invitationals, the highest finishing pro from each of five U.S. divisions and the International division at the 2016 Costa FLW Series Championship plus the top five pros not already selected as the highest finisher in a division at the 2016 FLW Series Championship, the 2017 BFL All-American boater champion, the 2017 TBF boater champion, the 2017 FLW College Fishing champion, the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup champion and the 2016 FLW Tour Angler of the Year.
Complete rules for the 2017 Walmart FLW Tour can be found at FLWFishing.com.
2017 Payouts:
FLW Tour Qualifiers:
Place Pro Ranger Cup Co-angler Ranger Cup
1 $100,000 $25,000 $20,000 $5,000
2 30,000 7,500
3 25,000 5,000
4 20,000 4,000
5 19,000 3,000
6 18,000 2,500
7 17,000 2,000
8 16,000 1,800
9 15,000 1,700
10 14,000 1,600
11-20 12,000 1,500
21-50 10,000 1,000
Big Bass – Day 1 500 250
Big Bass – Day 2 500 250
Angler of the Year:
$100,000 + 2018 Forrest Wood Cup entry
Co-angler of the Year:
Place
1 Ranger Z518C with 200 HP outboard
2 $10,000
3 9,000
4 8,000
5 7,000
6 6,000
7 5,500
8 5,000
9 4,500
10 4,000
Forrest Wood Cup:
Place Pro
1 $300,000 + 2018 Forrest Wood Cup entry
2 60,000
3 50,000
4 37,500
5 30,000
6 24,000
7 23,000
8 22,000
9 21,000
10 20,000
11-20 15,000
21-53 10,000
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Tarasoff Wins Bfl Northeast Division Super Tournament With Two-Day Total Of 44.4 Pounds On 1000 Islands
CLAYTON, N.Y. (Sept. 26, 2016) – Tom Tarasoff of Kingston, Ontario, Canada, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds, 1 ounce, Sunday to win the FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Northeast Division Super Tournament on 1000 Islands, with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 44 pounds, 4 ounces. Tarasoff took home $6,367 for his win.
According to post-tournament reports, Tarasoff targeted humps, flats and drops with tubes fishing near Wolfe Island.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Tom Tarasoff, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, 10 bass, 44-4, $6,367
2nd: Kraig Kettelkamp, Clifton Springs, N.Y., 10 bass, 43-12, $2,816
3rd: Jamie Hartman, Bridgeport, N.Y., 10 bass, 43-9, $2,077
4th: Curtis Richardson, Belleville, Ontario, Canada, 10 bass, 42-0, $1,614
5th: Dane Anderson, Copake, N.Y., 10 bass, 39-12, $1,126
6th: Chris Blanc, Riverside, Conn., 10 bass, 39-5, $1,033
7th: Kyle Metzger, Baldwinsville, N.Y., 10 bass, 39-4, $939
8th: Joseph Fonzi, Gasport, N.Y., 10 bass, 38-13, $845
9th: Scott Dobson, Clarkston, Mich., 10 bass, 35-4, $751
10th: Frank Guarascio, Marcy, N.Y., 10 bass, 33-9, $657
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Tarasoff also caught a bass weighing 6 pounds, 11 ounces – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $735.
Eric Ashley of Little Falls, New York, won the co-angler division and earned $2,816 with a two-day cumulative catch of 10 bass weighing 34 pounds, 15 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Eric Ashley, Little Falls, N.Y., 10 bass, 34-15, $2,816
2nd: Graydon Bonser, Keyser, W. Va., nine bass, 34-14, $1,408
3rd: Henry McKee, Haddon Heights, N.J., 10 bass, 32-11, $941
4th: Chad Dorney, Macungie, Pa., eight bass, 28-14, $657
5th: Brandon Esterly, Forest, Va., 10 bass, 28-13, $1,030
6th: Conner Petropoulos, Portland, Maine, 10 bass, 28-2, $566
7th: Christy Tiano, Hudson, N.Y., eight bass, 26-2, $469
8th: Andrew Bechard, Champlain, N.Y., 10 bass, 25-0, $422
9th: Terry Beck, Lock Haven, Pa., nine bass, 24-15, $375
10th: Bryan Cumbo, West Wyoming, Pa., eight bass, 24-10, $329
Esterly caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 6 pounds, 4 ounces, and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $367.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 6-8 Regional Championship on Kerr Lake in Henderson, North Carolina. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart 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.
Tom Rubbo Catches 24.14 Over Two Days To Win The Bfl Sc Division Super Tourney On Lake Wylie
LAKE WYLIE, S.C. (Sept. 26, 2016) – Tom Rubbo of Lexington, South Carolina, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 13 pounds, 6 ounces, Sunday to win the FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) South Carolina Division Super Tournament on Lake Wylie, with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 24 pounds, 14 ounces. Rubbo pocketed $4,531 for his win.
“The lake was challenging, but I was able to get on a shallow-water pattern,” said Rubbo, who logged his first win in FLW competition. “There was a lot of baitfish in the creeks, so I targeted them.”
Rubbo said he fished the lower end of the lake and rotated between six different creeks.
“I caught one keeper on a small Luck-E-Strike Rick Clunn Crankbait on Day One,” said Rubbo. “I fished toward the backs of the creeks and ended up catching around 10 keepers with a few different lures.
“On Sunday, I rotated between three of the creeks,” Rubbo continued. “I caught a limit and culled three or four bass by 10:30 a.m. After that, I realized the fish in my school were all similar-sized, so I spent the remainder of the day looking for a bigger catch.”
Rubbo said he used the Lucky-E-Strike crankbait the entire day Sunday and was able to put eight keepers in the boat.
“I really fished clean – I only lost one bass all weekend,” said Rubbo. “I was able to keep the trolling motor down and maximize my fishing time.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Tom Rubbo, Lexington, S.C., 10 bass, 24-14, $4,531
2nd: Jason Wilson, Lincolnton, N.C., eight bass, 19-8, $2,4653rd: Bryan New, Belmont, N.C., eight bass, 18-8, $1,611
4th: Willie McMullen, Oxford, Ga., eight bass, 16-8, $1,057
5th: Maurice Freeze, Concord, N.C., seven bass, 15-14, $1,206
6th: Parks Jones Jr., Lake Wylie, S.C., six bass, 13-6, $831
7th: Joey Sabbagha, Prosperity, S.C., five bass, 13-4, $1,272
8th: Ronnie McCoy, Lamar, S.C., seven bass, 12-12, $680
9th: Johnathan Crossland, Chapin, S.C., six bass, 12-10, $604
10th: Winston Husband, Gilbert, S.C., six bass, 11-12, $529
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Sabbagha caught a bass weighing 5 pounds even – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $517.
Calvin Sharp of Round O, South Carolina, won the co-angler division and earned $2,200 with a two-day cumulative catch of six bass weighing 11 pounds, 13 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Calvin Sharp, Round O, S.C., six bass, 11-13, $2,200
2nd: Khris Williams, Mount Holly, N.C., five bass, 9-12, $1,300
3rd: David Hutcherson, Campobello, S.C., four bass, 9-6, $734
4th: Donald Black, Fort Mill, S.C., four bass, 8-4, $513
5th: Lee Inman, Inman, S.C., four bass, 7-13, $490
6th: Rodney Tapp, North Augusta, S.C., three bass, 6-8, $403
7th: Travis Ruff, Connelly Springs, N.C., two bass, 5-7, $618
8th: Adam Fincher, Roebuck, S.C., two bass, 5-7, $330
9th: Randy Brown, Lugoff, S.C., two bass, 4-11, $293
10th: Mark Wingate, Gaston, S.C., three bass, 4-1, $257
Ruff caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 4 pounds, 1 ounce, and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $251.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 13-15 Regional Championship on Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Gerogia. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart 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.
Young Wins Flw Ozark Division Two-Day Bfl Event On Lake Of The Ozarks With 37.13
OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (Sept. 26, 2016) – Ed Young of Harrison, Arkansas, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 20 pounds, 12 ounces, Sunday to win the FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Ozark Division Super Tournament on Lake of the Ozarks presented by Minn Kota, with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 37 pounds, 13 ounces. For his victory, Young earned $6,586.
“On Saturday I started close to the takeoff ramp and was throwing a River2Sea Whopper Plopper,” said Young, who notched his first win in BFL competition. “I hit some main-lake points with black rock and caught some keepers fairly quick. After that, I worked my way up to the 55-mile marker of the lake.”
Young said he spent the majority of the event fishing shallow flats in main-lake pockets.
“There was a perch spawn going on, and I’d catch fish wherever they were present,” said Young. “I was flipping the shallow side of docks using a Red Bug-colored Zoom Magnum Trick Worm and Ribbontail Worm – both rigged on shaky-head jigs.”
Young said all of his bass came from less than 4 feet of water each day, and that a slow and steady presentation was a crucial part of his success.
“I caught around nine keepers on Day One, and another eight on Day Two – all on Lew’s rods and reels,” said Young.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Ed Young, Harrison, Ark., 10 bass, 37-13, $6,586
2nd: Jeffrey Smith, Knob Noster, Mo., 10 bass, 37-5, $3,293
3rd: Charlie Bogard, O’Fallon, Mo., 10 bass, 37-3, $2,195
4th: Andy Newcomb, Camdenton, Mo., 10 bass, 36-5, $1,537
5th: Dion Hibdon, Sunrise Beach, Mo., 10 bass, 34-6, $1,617
6th: Bob Renken, Linn Creek, Mo., 10 bass, 34-1, $1,207
7th: Dennis Berhorst, Holts Summit, Mo., 10 bass, 32-2, $1,098
8th: Roger Cook, Lebanon, Mo., nine bass, 31-12, $988
9th: Jeremy Medina, Camdenton, Mo., 10 bass, 31-4, $878
10th: John Sapper, De Soto, Mo., 10 bass, 31-4, $768
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Craig Berkshire of Rogers, Arkansas, caught a bass weighing 6 pounds even – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $945.
Stephen Delgado of Lees Summit, Missouri, won the co-angler division and earned $3,293 with a two-day cumulative catch of nine bass weighing 25 pounds, 13 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Stephen Delgado, Lees Summit, Mo., nine bass, 25-13, $3,293
2nd: Dennis Spell, Bonne Terre, Mo., 10 bass, 24-12, $1,646
3rd: Ryan Jordan, Lake Ozark, Mo., eight bass, 20-4, $1,098
4th: Jamie Eynard, Holts Summit, Mo., 10 bass, 19-10, $768
5th: Sam Bremmerkamp, Joplin, Mo., seven bass, 19-0, $859
6th: Aaron Strohkirch, Camdenton, Mo., seven bass, 18-13, $604
7th: Brandon Hecker, Camdenton, Mo., six bass, 17-15, $549
8th: Kevin Manion, Park Hills, Mo., five bass, 17-6, $494
9th: John Bell, Lake Saint Louis, Mo., eight bass, 16-6, $439
10th: Rich Purington, Platsmouth, Neb., five bass, 15-13, $906
Purington caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 3 ounces, and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $472.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 27-29 Regional Championship on Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Arkansas. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart 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.
Gil Summerlin Wins Bfl Choo Choo Division Two-Day Derby On Guntersville With Over 38 Pounds
GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (Sept. 26, 2016) – Local angler Gil Summerlin of Guntersville, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 4 ounces, Sunday to win the FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Choo Choo Division Super Tournament on Lake Guntersville, with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 38 pounds, 14 ounces. For his victory, Summerlin earned $8,234.
“I was on the lower end of the lake targeting two different shell beds that had a little depression in them,” said Summerlin, who earned his first win in FLW competition. “The areas were about five miles apart, but identical in terms of structure. The fish were set up on the bottom between 12 to 14 feet down.
“In the morning on Day One I used a Sexy Shad-colored Strike King 6XD crankbait and boated the largest bass of the event before 7 a.m.,” Summerlin continued. “After a while, I switched to a Mean Mouth Football-Head Jig rigged with a green-pumpkin Reaction Innovations soft-plastic. I dragged it slow, and then let it sit a minute. I caught seven keepers by 8 a.m. and was done.”
On Sunday, Summerlin said the lack of wind made for a tougher bite. He said he used the same lures as the day before to cap off the event.
“I rotated between the two beds and had a limit by 10 a.m.,” said Summerlin. “I caught nine keepers, but spent most of the day going for a bigger bite.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Gil Summerlin, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 38-14, $8,234
2nd: Cody Harrison, Florence, Ala., 10 bass, 35-11, $3,375
3rd: Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., 10 bass, 32-2, $2,217
4th: Curtis Merriman, Cullman, Ala., nine bass, 31-13, $1,481
5th: Josh Butler, Hayden, Ala., 10 bass, 31-0, $1,270
6th: Tracy Robinson, Gadsden, Ala., 10 bass, 30-8, $1,164
7th: Matt Lee, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 29-4, $1,058
8th: Casey Martin, New Hope, Ala., 10 bass, 29-4, $1,252
9th: Freddy Palmer, Estill Springs, Tenn., 10 bass, 29-3, $847
10th: Clayton Joyce, Chapel Hill, Tenn., 10 bass, 28-14, $741
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Summerlin’s 6-pound, 10-ounce catch on Saturday earned him the Boater Big Bass award of $885.
Randy Hill of Athens, Alabama, won the co-angler division and earned $3,260 with a two-day cumulative catch of eight bass weighing 23 pounds, 13 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st” Randy Hill, Athens, Ala., eight bass, 23-13, $3,260
2nd: Danny Moss, Glencoe, Ala., nine bass, 22-12, $1,530
3rd: Scott Bussey, Hayden, Ala., seven bass, 21-1, $1,020
4th: Collin Bruce, Florence, Ala., eight bass, 18-2, $764
5th: Josh Perrymon, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 16-6, $612
6th: Derek Holly, Johnson City, Tenn., six bass, 15-7, $561
7th: Brandon Skinner, DeArmanville, Ala., six bass, 15-5, $510
8th: Jody Moore, Hixson, Tenn., five bass, 12-2, $459
9th: Trent Hoover, Huntsville, Ala., three bass, 11-6, $828
10th: Jared Murphree, Athens, Ala., five bass, 11-2, $357
Hoover caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 7 pounds, 1 ounces, and earned the Co-angler Big Bass award of $420.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 13-15 Regional Championship on Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Georgia. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishingand on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Bryan Schmitt Wins Bass Northern Open On Champlain
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From The Front Deck - My Take On Gerald Swindle And His Angler Of The Year Win
2016 BASS Angler of the Year - Gerald Swindle - One of the best in the business.
From the Front Deck - Opinon Blog - Chris Brown
While sitting in my home office last August, A few miles from Lake Guntersville. I received a text from a good friend asking what I was up to.
"Working" I replied back.
The little "bubble thingies" rose on my phone indicating he was responding.
"Let's go Fishing. Meet me at Waterfront at Noon."
In my experience, when an FLW or Elite Series Pro says, "lets go fishing" you take them up on the offer, especially when its Alabama Pro Gerald Swindle.
I have spent alot of time around Gerald, but never on the water. Boat yards, media events, early morning take-offs, and the occasional after tournament dinner and from that I can generally get a feel for how his day is going and if and when its appropriate to ask for an interview or a picture. Most days its cool, some mornings you just leave them all alone and let them go to work. When its a day on the water with them however, you just want to go have a good time.
When I pulled up to the ramp at Waterfront that day there was one trailer in the parking lot, and it was Geralds.
Rumor had it, that day would be the hottest day of the year in Alabama.
It was.
With 100% humidity, temps pushing 110 degrees and little to no wind, Gerald and I set out to try and coax a few ledge fish from the depths of Lake Guntersville. We fished and talked about his career, his future, sponsors, people, other fisherman, you name it, we talked about it. We both took a swim in the river as the wind died and the sun was absolutely brutal.
The silver lining to the heat though..... we caught them. Caught the absolute crap out of them and my sides hurt not from the hooksets, but from laughing so hard all day at Gerald.
Gerald and his wife Leanne, often referred to as "Lulu," are some of the best people in this industry. Sure, Gerald is one of the funniest guys on tour and one you cannot wait to cross the weigh-in stage because of his comedic interviews with emcee Dave Mercer, but there is a serious side to Gerald as well and it centers around his family and friends.
That "give you the shirt off his back" mentality is not just a persona, its a reality. Both Gerald and Lulu care not only for each other, other anglers and thier families, but also the industry as well.
On our little fishing trip that day we talked about a number of things and the health of the Bass Fishing Industry was one of them. If you dont think a guy like Gerald keeps his finger on the pulse of that stuff, you are mistaken. He's a saavy dude both on and off the water.
So whats my take on our newly crowned BASS Angler of the Year?
I could'nt be more excited!
Not only because Gerlad is a friend, but because I know he will represent the BASS, the industry and his peers well over the next year.
When he won Sunday night, my wife and I both were trying to figure out how to get a ticket to next years Classic Banquet just so we could hear Gerald's speech, simply because we know it will be epic.
Congratulations G, from myself, my family and from all of us at AnglersChannel.com, Congrats.
We are Proud of you for perservering and never giving up throughout the year and for bringing that trophy home!
Lets go fishing! but on a cooler day next time........
Thanks and God Bless,
CB
Bryan Schmitt Takes A 7 Ounce Lead Into The Final Day Of The Bass Northern Open On Lake Champlain
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The Classic Bass Fishing Hook Redefined Thanks To Trapper Tackle
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Tidewater Bassin' - To Run The Tides, Or To Camp?
For instance, when the water rises many, though not all, fish go with it to take advantage of fresh feeding opportunities. Likewise, as the tide goes out and the water falls, fish concentrate along the deepest edges of whatever cover they are using, whether that is a laydown log, a big grass bed or one of those hundred-yard-long docks we find on the shallower banks of the St Johns.
Hank Parker figured it out decades ago and that simple understanding of how fish move during tidal fluctuations allowed him to follow them with a spinnerbait and win a big Bassmaster tourney on the big river.
Some guys consult tide charts and run miles to get on an area during a particular stage. Generally, the last 2 hours of outgoing through the first hour of incoming is considered best because bait and bass are concentrated in the last available deep water, thus creating a fairly predictable scenario.
As the Bassmaster tournament trails visit various tidewater fisheries this summer, an age-old question comes to mind: “Do I have to run miles of river and keep pace with a particular tide stage, or can I win by camping in an area, maybe on one great spot, and riding out the tidal fluctuations?”.
At the Bassmaster Open on the James River last week most successful anglers followed the low end of the tide as they cast to any hard cover that might break the current, which needed to be moving in order to produce bites.
The main constant for winner, Charley Hartley was a lure, not a location. Hartley used a ribbon-tailed worm on a 3/16 oz. sinker and hit as many as 500 pilings, logs, barges, etc. each day.
Runner-up Cody Pike relied on a single deep spot (“deep” meaning 5-to-10 feet) to catch his limit before looking for difference-making kicker fish, but even in the honey hole tide stage was a factor. It had to be low and moving.
David Dudley placed 3rd by “tidal junk fishing” – running the low end of the tide phase and fishing any available hard cover.
Jason Christie rode up shallow and back out as tides moved across the grass flat where he caught his fish on the Potomac. photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
But when the Elite Series fished the Potomac recently, the top finishers, including winner, Justin Lucas, all camped. Lucas stayed on the same area for 4 days and used different tactics to keep with the changing tides.
Jason Christie stayed with a big grass bed. He rode the water up as it rose into the shallows. He had better action when it dropped and he focused his efforts on the outside edges where the bass congregated at low tide.
Brent Ehrler fished a big ditch that ran through a big flat. He rotated through three different lures to get the job done.
So there are 2 approaches to tidewater success. Which camp are you in – the camping camp, or the tide-running camp?
Brent Erhler scored well on the Potomac by cycling through a variety of lures rather than trying to keep pace with the tides by running to numerous spots. photo by Garrick Dixon/B.A.S.S.
Elite Series Pro Randall Tharp Talks Zoom Z-Craw And Z-Craw Jr
Elite Series Pro Randall Tharp spent s few minutes with us this spring talking about the Zoom Z-Craw which he uses in a number of different ways as well as he introduces us to the Zoom Z-Craw Junior for finesse or low profile situations. Check them both out here at Sportsmans Warehouse!
Andy Lake Wins The Aba Aft Div. 96 Event On Lake Greenwood
Andy Lake of Batesburg, South Carolina won the AFT South Carolina D96 1-day qualifier event for the 2017 season held August 21, 2016 on Lake Greenwood running out of Greenwood State Park near Ninety Six, South Carolina. Andy caught four fish weighing 7.90 pounds. He fished the upper part of the lake and caught his fish on soft plastic worms by flipping docks in 3 to 5 feet of water. Andy took home $825 for first place and first place option.
Gene Parker of Asheville, North Carolina was second with four fish weighing 6.14 pounds. fishing the upper part. Gene was fishing his Gene Parker Spinnerbait on laydowns in shallow water. For second place and second place option Gene won $424.
Third place was Ben Little of Laurens, South Carolina with two fish weighing 4.79 pounds. Ben took home $157.
Big Fish was caught by Don Kneece of Saluda, South Carolina. His 3.46-pound largemouth was caught on a Texas Rigged worm on the upper part of the lake.
We all had heard how tough Lake Greenwood was this week. A lot of small fish were caught but the 14 inch minimum length fish were at a premium. Twelve anglers caught and weighed in 24 fish.
Our day started out cloudy and 79 degrees. There was a 10 to 20 mph wind all day with partly cloudy skies after 10 am and 90 degrees at the 3 pm weigh-in. Water temps were in the high 80’s. The lake was clear but stained in the creeks and up the rivers and about a half foot from full pool.
Top Five Finishers:
1. Andy Lake 7.90 lbs
2. Gene Parker 6.14 lbs
3. Ben Little 4.79 lbs
4. Darrell Shull 4.72 lbs
5. Richard Presnell 4.09 lbs
These anglers are qualifying to compete in the 2017 Ram AFT National Championship on a lake to be announced in October 2017.
The next Division 96 tournament qualifier for the 2017 season for D96 will be held September 18, 2016 on Lake Murray out of the Dreher Island State Park near Prosperity, South Carolina.
For more information, contact D-96 Director Phil Morris at (864)993-0346; email plmorris109@embarqmail.com, or call ABA at (256) 232-0406. On-line, see www.americanbassanglers.com or www.aba-sc.com for complete results. Also check out our facebook page at D-96 American Fishing Tour.
These anglers are earning valuable points toward the divisional angler of the year title. The points champion from each division will compete in the annual Ram American Bass Anglers AFT Angler of the Year Final Round at the Ram American Fishing Tour National Championship.
The Ram American Fishing Tour offers low cost, close to home bass tournaments that are designed for the weekend angler. All ABA anglers fish for money and points. The points advance the angler to their divisional championship and the top 500 anglers in the US are invited to the Ram American Fishing Tour National Championship. For more information on American Bass Anglers please visit www.americanbassanglers.com or call (256)232-0406.
Scott James Wins Aba Aft Div. 39 Divisional Championship On Mississippi River Pool 13
Scott James of Wilmington, Illinois won the AFT D39 two day Divisional Championship held on Mississippi Pool 13 on August 20th and 21st. High water, fast current, and muddy water slowed a normally great bass catching river, but the conditions didn't slow Scott who caught three fish each day with a total weight of 13.25 pounds.
Eric Heck of Joliet, Illinois also bagged a total of six fish for a second place finish and a weight of 12.14 pounds.
Dave Schultz of Wilmington IL, had big bass for the two day event weighing 3.26 pounds.
Top Five Finishers:
1. Scott James 13.25 lbs
2. Eric Heck 12.14 lbs
3. Matt Marques 10.66 lbs
4. Mike Koenig 10.15 lbs
5. Rich Buss 7.48 lbs
Local Sponsor BIG R contributed a $25 gift card for the Big Bass and a bucket o' bait valued at over $200 for 1st place!
Thank you for the great participation this year and I look forward to seeing you all next year! For more information on this event or any future events please contact local director, Mike Koenig, at (708)514-7258 or visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
These anglers are earning valuable points toward the divisional angler of the year title. The points champion from each division will compete in the annual Ram American Bass Anglers AFT Angler of the Year Final Round at the Ram American Fishing Tour National Championship.
The Ram American Fishing Tour offers low cost, close to home bass tournaments that are designed for the weekend angler. All ABA anglers fish for money and points. The points advance the angler to their divisional championship and the top 500 anglers in the US are invited to the Ram American Fishing Tour National Championship. For more information on American Bass Anglers please visit www.americanbassanglers.com or call (256)232-0406.
Dale Palfrey Wins The Aba Ram Truck Open Event On Chickamauga With A 21.63-Pound Limit
Dale Pelfrey of Rockwood, Tennessee won the American Bass Anglers Ram Truck Open Series TN East tournament, held August 20, 2016 on Chickamauga. Running out of Dayton Boat Dock in Dayton, Tennessee, Pelfrey caught five bass weighing 21.63 pounds. He anchored his bag with a 5.73-pound kicker. He took home $5,000 for his victory, $500 from Mercury contingency, $500 from Triton Gold, and a new Simms Challenger rain suit valued at $400.
“I caught a few fish today deep on a worm. I was able to catch a 4-pound with about 19 minutes punching grass which helped get me to my winning weight,” stated Pelfrey.
In second for the Boaters, Jeff Knight of Cleveland, Tennessee landed a five-bass tournament limit weighing 19.61 pounds with an 8.50-pound kicker. He collected $1,377 for his effort as well as $380 for the Big Fish of the event and a new Abu Garcia Revo.
“I used green pumpkin jigs and shackyheads all day to catch my fish. It was a good day, I caught fish all day long. I caught my big fish early today using an Abu Garcia reel."
Jason Yelverton of Rogersville, Alabama took third for the Boaters with five bass weighing 17.73 pounds earning $620. “I was fishing crash in 8-10 feet of water. I caught some using topwater and some using a jig. I caught most of my fish this morning, they were scattered out,” said Yelverton.
Finishing fourth, Steve Barnes of Harrison, Tennessee landed a five-bass limit weighing 17.38 pounds.
Thomas Helton rounded out the top five Boaters with five bass weighing 15.16 pounds, topped by a 4.02-pound kicker.
In the Co-Angler Division, David Perron of Dayton, Tennessee won with three bass weighing 13.85 pounds. He sealed his victory with a 7.25-pound kicker to pocket a check for $1,350 as well as $185 and is also taking home a Simms Challenger rainsuit.
“I probably caught ten keepers all day. I threw a little bit of everything from a chatterbait to a swimbait. I caught the big fish today on a 1.5 squarebill right at the boat,” said Perron.
Taking second for the Co-Anglers, Triston Crowder of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee brought in a three-bass limit weighing 8.54 pounds topped off by a 3.36-pound kicker collecting $465 for the effort. “I caught my fish today using a 3/8 flipping jig targeting wood. It was a grind, I caught a one fish here and one fish there to get my limit,” stated Crowder.
Daniel Crockett placed third among the Co-Anglers with three bass weighing 6.95 pounds to earn $310. “It was a tough day, I didn’t have a keeper in the boat until 2 o’clock. I started flipping an Okeechobee Crawl color beaver into the grass and was able to catch my three keepers,” Crockett said.
In fourth place among the Co-Anglers, Roy Yother of Red Bank, Tennessee brought in three bass weighing 6.47 pounds.
Jared Sullivan of Hixson, Tennessee finished in fifth place with two bass weighing 6.43 pounds.
Slated for October 1-2, the next divisional tournament will be held on Lake Guntersville out of Guntersville State Park in Guntersville, Alabama. At the end of the season, the best anglers from across the nation advance the 2017 Ray Scott Championship, slated for Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville, TN in April of 2017.
For more information on this tournament, call Kristin Malott, tournament manager, at (256)771-3709 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.
Ohio's Elkins Wins Flw Bass Fishing League Michigan Division Event
TRENTON, Mich. (Aug. 22, 2016) – Matt Elkins of Spencerville, Ohio, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 22 pounds, 11 ounces, Saturday to win the fourth FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Michigan Division tournament of 2016 on the Detroit River. Elkins took home $5,632 for his win.
“I caught my fish out of one area on Lake Erie and had a limit by 8:30 a.m.,” said Elkins, who earned his second BFL career win on the Detroit River. “I was way offshore, probably 30 miles, and fishing deep. My catches came from more than 30 feet down.”
Elkins said he rotated between two baits on a drop-shot rig – a purple-passion-colored LBA Baits Ding Ding and a smoke-purple Jackall Crosstail Shad.
“I fished very specific, isolated spots,” said Elkins. “I stood on the trolling motor and casted 30 feet forward and dragged it slow over rocks piles or a ridge.”
Elkins said a crucial part to his success was letting his fish replenish.
“In these spots, you’ll catch them fairly quick and then the bite dies off,” said Elkins. “I had to move around and let them reset. After catching my limit, I returned around 12:30 p.m. and boated two more. Those were the only fish I caught all day.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Matt Elkins, Spencerville, Ohio, five bass, 22-11, $3,632 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Seth Borton, Adrian, Mich., five bass, 22-0, $2,016
3rd: Todd Schmitz, Goshen, Ind., five bass, 21-14, $1,210
4th: Michael Sitko, Pinckney, Mich., five bass, 21-7, $1,147
5th: Zach Maisch, Lima, Ohio, five bass, 21-2, $826
6th: Steve Clapper, Lima, Ohio, five bass, 20-10, $666
7th: Jared Rhode, Port Clinton, Ohio, five bass, 20-9, $605
8th: Randy Ramsey, Ceresco, Mich., five bass, 20-8, $545
9th: Joshua Barr, Columbus, Ohio, five bass, 20-4, $484
10th: Jamie Jacobus, Johnstown, Ohio, five bass, 19-11, $424
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Brett Haake of Shorewood, Illinois, caught a bass weighing 6 pounds even – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $465.
Brian Ruetz of Toledo, Ohio, weighed in five bass totaling 18 pounds, 5 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $1,916.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Brian Ruetz, Toledo, Ohio, five bass, 18-5, $1,916
2nd: Rick McClintock, Interlochen, Mich., five bass, 17-8, $908
3rd: Daniel Holland, Beverly Hills, Mich., five bass, 17-2, $515
3rd: Mark Lyons, Marion, Ind., five bass, 17-2, $515
5th: Leo Reiter, Greenup, Ill., five bass, 16-14, $363
6th: Gary Polenz, Milan, Mich., four bass, 15-8, $318
6th: Kevin Fetzer, Wateford, Mich., five bass, 15-8, $368
8th: Jeffrey Thomson, Birmingham, Mich., five bass, 15-3, $272
9th: Bret Holling, Lansing, Mich., five bass, 14-10, $242
10th: Jorji Itoh, Beverly Hills, Mich., four bass, 14-5, $444
Itoh caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 6 ounces, and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $232.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 13-15 Regional Championship on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart 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.
Brueggen Wins Flw Bass Fishing League Great Lakes Division Event On Mississippi River
PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, Wis. (Aug. 22, 2016) – Mike Brueggen of La Crosse, Wisconsin, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 15 pounds, 11 ounces, Saturday to win the fourth FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Great Lakes Division tournament of 2016 on the Mississippi River. For his efforts, Brueggen took home $5,963.
“I started off the day in the middle of Pool No. 9 targeting largemouth in weeds,” said Brueggen, who earned his third win in BFL competition. “I was in the backwaters and the water was running high.”
Brueggen said he used a black and purple-colored Kureiji swimjig to catch four keepers.
“As the day progressed, I switched patterns to target smallmouth,” said Brueggen. “I ran to a shell bed and used a green-pumpkin-orange Kureiji football-head jig and a Carolina-rigged Zoom Lizard. I dragged them until a fish came up to the surface for a minnow, and then I threw a Heddon Zara Spook to it.”
Brueggen said he ended up weighing a mixed limit of bass - three smallmouth and two largemouth.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Mike Brueggen, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 15-11, $3,963 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Travis Brueggen, Cashton, Wis., five bass, 15-9, $1,981
3rd: Curtis Samo, Rochelle, Ill., five bass, 14-14, $1,322
4th: Chris Aswegan, Tiffin, Iowa, five bass, 14-12, $925
5th: Kyle Schauf, Onalaska, Wis., five bass, 14-11, $793
6th: Jeff Ritter, Prairie du Chien, Wis., five bass, 13-5, $893
6th: Kevin Wolfram, Wheaton, Ill., five bass, 13-5, $893
8th: Jimmy Johnson, Holmen, Wis., five bass, 13-2, $594
9th: Jim Caulum, Rockland, Wis., five bass, 13-0, $528
10th: Kevin Ruh, Onalaska, Wis., five bass, 12-12, $562
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Don Gerz of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, caught a bass weighing 5 pounds, 9 ounces – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $535.
Bradley Juen of La Crosse, Wisconsin, weighed in five bass totaling 12 pounds, 4 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $1,981.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Bradley Juen, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 12-4, $1,981
2nd: Ben Fisher, Waterloo, Iowa, five bass, 11-9, $991
3rd: Michael Taylor, Tipton, Iowa, five bass, 11-0, $662
4th: Matt Knox, Metamora, Ill., five bass, 10-12, $462
5th: David Boelkins, Waukesha, Wis., five bass, 10-5, $396
6th: Jeffrey Phillip, Montfort, Wis., five bass, 10-4, $363
7th: Cody Hackett, Stoddard, Wis., five bass, 10-3, $266
7th: Bryan Bye, Beloit, Wis., four bass, 10-3, $266
7th: Craig Fanning, Elwood, Ill., five bass, 10-3, $266
7th: Art Sukowatey, Greendale, Wis., five bass, 10-3, $266
7th: Ovidiu Marginean, Des Plaines, Ill., five bass, 10-3, $266
Donald Roscovius of Tomah, Wisconsin, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 3 pounds, 13 ounces, and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $267.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 13-15 Regional Championship on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart 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.
Steve Poland Wins Aba Ram Truck Open South Tournament On Okeechobee, Jeffrey Herndon Wins Co-Angler Side
Steve Poland of Port St. Lucie, Florida won the American Bass Anglers Ram Truck Open Series Florida South tournament, held August 20th on the Lake Okeechobee.
Running out of Scott Driver Park in Okeechobee, Florida, Steve caught five bass weighing 29.68 pounds. For the Boater division victory, Poland took home a check for $5,000 and will be receiving a new SIMMS Challenger rainsuit from SIMMS for his win. “I was fishing around Harney Pond area and I was throwing swim jigs around hydrilla.” Poland said.
In second for the Boaters, Norris Newhouse of Okeechobee, Florida landed a five-bass tournament limit weighing 25.68 pounds. He collected $1,329 for the effort. “I lost two fish today, one about 6 pounds. I should have had about 30 pounds but that’s just the way it goes. I was flipping the east side of the lake early.” Newhouse said.
Ron Yentz of Fort Lauderdale, Florida took third for the Boaters with five bass weighing 20.71 pounds. He earned $886. “I was fishing the south end of the lake flipping hyacinth mats. I caught about a dozen 4-pounders. I worked hard at it but just couldn’t get that big bite.” Yentz said.
Finishing fourth, John Conner of Okeechobee, Florida landed a five-bass limit weighing 20.38 pounds including a 6.68-pound kicker.
Justin Morgan of Okeechobee, Florida rounded out the top five Boaters with five bass weighing 20.02 pounds topped by a 7.08-pound kicker.
The biggest bass for the boaters was caught by Doug Green of Sarasota, Florida that weighed 8.38 pounds and pocketed $600
“I caught that fish flipping about 2:30pm this afternoon. I didn’t pre-fish for this event and haven’t been on the lake in 4 months. I just showed up and went fishing” Green said.
In the Co-Angler division, Jeffrey Herndon of Plant City, Florida won with three bass weighing 11.63 pounds. He sealed his victory with a 4.45-pound kicker to pocket a check for $1,600 and will also be receiving a new SIMMS Challenger rainsuit from SIMMS for his win.
“I was fishing the east side of the lake and I caught my fish flipping buggy whips. I lost one good fish today and the bite was sporadic.” Herndon said.
Taking second for the Co-Anglers, Rollin Willmon of Cape Coral, Florida brought in a three-bass division limit weighing 10.52 pounds with a 5.66-pound kicker. He collected $540 for the effort. “I only had one fish in the livewell until about 2:00 p.m. and when some schooling fish came up and we started catching them every cast for about an hour. I threw a spinnerbait in the school and caught my 5.66 pound fish and then caught about 60 three pound fish. My arm was tired after that.” Willmon said.
Giovanni Pena of Davenport, Florida placed third among the Co-Anglers with three bass weighing 9.28 pounds including a 3.88-pound kicker. Pena earned $360 and was the Best Western Travel Card drawing winner for staying at the Best Western this weekend. “This was the second time I’ve been on Lake Okeechobee and I have no idea of where I was at.” Pena said.
In fourth place among the Co-Anglers, Jeff Peterson of Lake Worth, Florida brought in three bass weighing 9.28 pounds. Peterson finished fourth because of the tie-breaker guidelines.
Coleman Roberts of Ft Myers, Florida finished in fifth place with three bass weighing 9.05 pounds.
The biggest bass for the Co-Anglers was caught by Jeff Peterson of Lake Worth, Florida that weighed 6.91 pounds which earned him $215.
Slated for September 24th & 25th, the next tournament will be the two-day Area Championship held on Lake Toho out of Lakefront Park near Kissimmee, FL. At the end of the season, the best anglers from across the nation advance the 2017 Ray Scott Championship, slated for Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville, TN in April of 2017.
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 .
Robert Scott Wins Aba Ram Truck Open Series Ne Event On Sacandaga, Jonathon Wentworth Wins Co-Angler Side
Robert D. Scott of Rutland, Vermont won the American Bass Anglers Ram Truck Open Series NE tournament, held August 20th on Sacandaga Lake.
Running out of the Dec ramp, Robert caught five bass weighing 13.71 pounds. He anchored his bag with a 5.32-pound kicker. For the Boater division victory, Scott took home a check for $5,000 and $340 for the Kicker as Big Bass for the anglers. It was also the big bass for the tournament and was caught on an Abu Garcia Revo reel.
“We fished two main areas all day,” Scott said. “We ran to the north end of the lake to the Sacandaga River. I threw a top water called a whopper flopper in 3 to 5 feet of water. It was clear and yellow color. Then it got rough so I switched to a Booya buzzbait. Then we ran to the south end of the lake for a kicker large mouth and I GOT ONE! A five pounder! We ran back and forth several times to build our limits.”
In second for the Boaters, William M. Barrett of Bridgewater, Massachusetts landed a five-bass tournament limit weighing 13.27 pounds with a 3.90-pound kicker. He collected $1,078 for the effort.
Barrett said, “I used a megabass pop R in yellow and clear in the early morning and the I went to a Daddy Mac lures viper series 5” swim bait, that’s what I caught my two nice smallies on.”
Brian Squires of Schenectady, New York took third for the Boaters with five bass weighing 10.52 pounds. He anchored his catch with a 2.14-pound kicker to earn $719.
Squires said, “It was tough out there, but with my own brand of jigs, money maker jigs in green pumpkin, I fished rock sholes in 3 to 5 feet of water. I had other anglers all around me.”
Finishing fourth, Robert LaMoy of Chazy, New York landed a five-bass limit for 10.03 pounds.
Robert Bez of Amsterdam, New York rounded out the top five Boaters with five bass weighing 10.02 pounds.
In the Co-Angler division, Johnathan Wentworth of Clifton Park, New York won with three bass weighing 7.06 pounds. He sealed his victory with a 3.16-pound kicker to pocket a check for $1,110. He also received $125 for his kicker as it was the Big Bass for the Co-Anglers.
Wentworth said, “I fish with Robert Scott. We found the green fish schooling, I caught my 3-pounder on a brown and black jig. We stayed in 6 to 7 feet of water.”
Taking second for the Co-Anglers, Nathan R. Christian of Moriah, New York brought in a three-bass limit weighing 6.50 pounds including a 2.70-pound kicker. He collected $398.50 for the effort.
Christian said, “we fished the mouth of Hans creek in 5 to 10 feet of water. We dropshot all day with a KVD dream shot peach color and a cross tailed shad in green pumpkin color. I got my largemouth on a Missel Bait, D bomb in the grass.”
Ray Conley of Albany, New York placed third among the Co-Anglers with three bass weighing 6.07 pounds.to earn $265.50.
Conley said, “we were fishing the main lake, in 20 to 30 feet. We targeted schooling bass when we saw them. I dropshot with a ½ oz weight all day with a peach colored shad shaped worm.”
In fourth place among the Co-Anglers, Danny Bush of Peekskill, New York brought in three bass weighing 6.05 pounds including a 3.08-pound kicker.
David E Blankenship of Plattsburgh, New York finished in fifth place with three bass weighing 5.81 pounds topped by a 2.04-pound kicker.
Slated for September 10th and 11th the next divisional tournament will be held on Raystown Lake out of Seven Points marina near Huntingdon, Pennsylvannia. This will be the two day Area Championship where the top 20 Boaters and Co-Anglers, by place of finish, will advance to the 2017 Ray Scott Championship, slated for Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville, TN in April of 2017.
For more information on this tournament, go online to www.ramopenseries.com call ABA at (256)232-0406, or call Jeff Randall, tournament manager, at (256)777-6152
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.
Pro Chris Huselton Wins Mr. Bass Of Arkansas Tournament #6 At Lake Ouachita!
Pro Money Winners:
1st – Chris Huselton – 9 – 16.45 lbs
2nd – Brent Toon – 6 – 16.06 lbs
3rd – Jason Lieblong – 5 – 15.87 lbs
1st place Big Bass, Day 1 = Jason Lieblong 3.93 lbs
1st place Big Bass, Day 2 = Brent Toon 4.84 lbs
For complete Pro results, click here.
Ontario's Johnston Wins Costa Flw Series Northern Division Finale
ONTARIO’S JOHNSTON WINS COSTA FLW SERIES NORTHERN DIVISION FINALE ON ONEIDA LAKE PRESENTED BY RANGER BOATS
Link to photo of winner Cory Johnston
BREWERTON, N.Y. (Aug. 20, 2016) – Cory Johnston of Cavan, Ontario, Canada, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 14 pounds, 1 ounce, Saturday to win the Costa FLW Series Northern Division finale on Oneida Lake presented by Ranger Boats with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 50 pounds, 4 ounces. For his win, Johnston took home $77,778, including a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
“I spent the first two days of the tournament running shallow rock piles,†said Johnston, who was also crowned the 2016 Strike King Angler of the Year in the Costa FLW Series Northern Division. “I started on the east end of the lake and worked my way west, hitting about 20 isolated piles along the way.â€
Johnston said he used a bluegill-colored Jackall topwater bait to dissect his piles, but fan-casted a green-pumpkin Strike King Coffee Tube and a 4-inch green-pumpkin Yamamoto Baits Senko when the fish were spooked.
“My day started off kind of slow on Thursday,†said Johnston. “I caught a 3-pounder right off the bat, but had to run around to catch more. Before long, I caught a 4-pound largemouth and then filled out the rest of my limit with some good-sized smallmouth.
“I didn’t have a good fish in the boat until 8 a.m. on Day Two,†continued Johnston. “I caught a key largemouth off of a dock on a Punisher Lures jig, which really helped, and I ended up weighing four smallmouth alongside it.â€
On Day Three, Johnston said he switched tactics, opting to fish deeper using an umbrella rig with Electric Shad-colored Keitech Swimbaits.
“The wind picked up and the water was stained so I couldn’t see the rock piles,†said Johnston. “I concentrated on a weed flat, but returned to some piles when I went shallow. I probably hit 15 to 20 different areas throughout the day.â€
The Ontario pro went on to say that it was his largemouth catches that were crucial to his success.
“You don’t get a ton of largemouth here on Oneida, but when you do, they’re big ones,†said Johnston.
The top 10 pros on Oneida Lake were:
1st: Cory Johnston, Cavan, Ontario, Canada, 15 bass, 50-4, $77,778
2nd: Casey Smith, Macedon, N.Y., 15 bass, 46-1, $12,724
3rd: Ian Renfrew, Phoenix, N.Y., 14 bass, 44-14, $9,774
4th: Chris Johnston, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, 15 bass, 44-12, $8,145
5th: Lawrence Mazur, East Aurora, N.Y., 14 bass, 44-3, $7,330
6th: Kyle Weisenburger, Ottawa, Ohio, 13 bass, 41-7, $6,516
7th: Ed Casey, Whiteford, Md., 13 bass, 41-5, $5,701
8th: Jim Vitaro, Wooster, Ohio, 13 bass, 38-13, $4,887
9th: Jason Shipton, Muncy, Pa., 11 bass, 35-12, $4,288
10th: Lucas McDaniel, Fishers, Ind., 11 bass, 34-3, $3,258
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Shipton caught a bass weighing 5 pounds even Thursday – the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division – that earned him the day’s Big Bass award of $216.
Christopher Hall of South Abington Township, Pennsylvania, won the co-angler division and a Ranger Z117 with a 90-horsepower Mercury or Evinrude outboard motor. Hall earned his win with a three-day total catch of 15 bass weighing 46 pounds even.
The top 10 co-anglers on Oneida Lake were:
1st: Christopher Hall, South Abington Township, Pa., 15 bass, 46-0, $27,000
2nd: Tyler Sheppard, Hermitage, Pa., 14 bass, 45-7, $4,212
3rd: Paul Kimball Jr., Philadelphia, Pa., 13 bass, 36-5, $3,289
4th: Tom Stark, Angola, Ind., 13 bass, 31-14, $2,878
5th: Christy Tiano, Hudson, N.Y., 11 bass, 29-1, $2,517
6th: Michael Bahnweg, Union Dale, Pa., nine bass, 28-10, $2,200
7th: Frank Miller, Berwick, Pa., nine bass, 26-13, $1,789
8th: Somang Kim, Lansdale, Pa., eight bass, 24-9, $1,439
9th: Alex Antipenko, Brooklyn, N.Y., eight bass, 21-15, $1,234
10th: Bill Valberg, London, Ontario, Canada, seven bass, 21-13, $1,028
Miller caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division Friday, a bass weighing 4 pounds, 2 ounces that earned him the day’s Big Bass award of $144.
The Costa FLW Series consists of five 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 2016 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held Nov. 3-5 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri.
The Costa FLW Series on Oneida Lake presented by Ranger Boats was the third and final stop of 2016 in the Northern Division. The next Costa FLW Series tournament will be a Southwestern Division event, held Sept. 29 - Oct. 1, on Fort Gibson Lake in Wagoner, Oklahoma. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.
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.
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 2016 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico 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.
Hartley Wins First Bass Victory Of His Career In The Northern Open On The James River!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 20, 2016
Hartley Hoists The Northern Open Trophy At James River
RICHMOND, Va. — Charlie Hartley, a former competitor on the Bassmaster Elite Series, earned his first B.A.S.S. victory by enduring hot weather all week in the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open at the James River.
The Grove, City, Ohio, angler clinched the pro division title by catching a 13-pound, 11-ounce limit during Saturday’s final round to finish with a three-day total of 41-13. Hartley received the top prize of a $45,000 Skeeter ZX200/Yamaha VF200LA rig and $6,699 in cash and qualified for the 2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro contingent upon him fishing the Northern Open finale at Lake Champlain in September.
Hartley said his final day went “very slow and tedious.” He recalled going an hour and a half without caching a fish, and his first keeper was only about 12 1/8 inches. The day got better — slowly. “There never was a flurry, or I was never thinking the day was going good,” he said. “I was actually frustrated.” With upgrades throughout the day, he eventually looked in his livewell and realized he had a good bag for as slow as the fishing had been.
His key lure for the week was a 7-inch ribbontail worm in a June bug color that he Texas-rigged with a 3/16-ounce weight pegged to a 4/0 Owner hook. Hartley targeted pilings, barges, concrete cover and cypress trees. “I fished 100 percent hard cover the whole tournament,” he said. Hartley caught all of his fish from 1 to 5 feet deep despite fishing in 90-degree weather every day.
Lure presentation was also crucial in the current. Hartley would pitch his worm behind the cover and let the current drift the worm back toward the front of the cover. Strikes would usually occur as the worm drifted to the front of his target. “It was really important to have that light weight so that the bait came by the fish the way they are used to seeing it flowing in the current,” he said.
Twenty-three-year-old Cody Pike of Powhatan, Va., finished as the pro division runner-up with 39-6. “I just started out running the low water, and I had one deep hole in a creek that had a bunch of wood, and the fish would just go to the shade there,” he said. He caught his limit each day in the hole using aringworm and a medium-depth diving crankbait.
The other Top 5 finishers in the pro division were David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va., with 39-5, Matthew Sphar of North Java, N.Y with 39-4 and Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho in fifth with 39-1.
High school senior Cody Bertrand of Dyer, Ind., and Francis Martin of North Chesterfield, Va., both finished with 24-8 in the co-angler division, but Bertrand won the division on a tie-breaker by having the heaviest single-day limit of 10-10. He earned the grand prize of a $30,000 Triton 179TrX/Mercury 115ELPT rig.
The Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award of $750 on the pro side went to Schoolcraft, Mich., angler Kendall Ulsh, who weighed in a 9-12 largemouth the first day. Earning the $250 Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award on the co-angler side was Bertrand with a 7-15 largemouth.
George Yund of Glenmont, N.Y., received the Livingston Lures Leader Award of $250 for finishing as the top pro on Day 2. Francis Martin of North Chesterfield, Va., won the Livingston Lures gift pack worth $250 for finishing as the top co-angler on Day 2.
2016 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2016 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2016 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Premier Sponsors: Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha, Berkley, GoPro, Huk, Humminbird
2016 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Supporting Sponsors: Power-Pole, Rapala, Shell Rotella, Shimano, A.R.E. Truck Caps, Carhartt, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Livingston Lures, Lowrance
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, B.A.S.S. Nation, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.
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Media Contact: Helen White, 205-313-0944, hwhite@bassmaster.com or Dave Precht, 205-313-0931, dprecht@bassmaster.com.
Johnston Takes The Lead In Flw Costa Series Event
August 19, 2016 by Jody White
The second day of competition in the Costa FLW Series presented by Ranger Boats on Oneida Lake was a statement day from Cory Johnston. Johnston, looking to wrap up the Northern Division Angler of the Year title and a win, smashed 18-13 and moved from an ounce behind the leader to a full 2 pounds, 8 ounces ahead of the field.
“It started off slow, I never got a good fish until probably 8 o’clock,” says the Peterborough, Ontario, pro. “They weren’t biting well today, I need the sun and the calm. Most people want the wind to blow so they turn on out here, but I want it to be really tough on everybody because I think I figured out a method to catch them when it's really slick.”
Johnston says that he’s hitting upwards of 40 different spots per day, and isn’t afraid to stop on new water that looks good to test it out.
“I’m just running a bunch of isolated spots where there’s one or two fish,” says Johnston. “I’m fishing regular rock/weed transition stuff, anywhere from 12-feet deep right up to about a foot of water.”
Johnston and his brother Chris both made the top 10 to continue their recent streak of success, and even though they’ve never been on Oneida before things seem to be working out well.
“I’ve never been here before, but it sets up good for us. It fishes similar to a lot of stuff back home.”
Top 10 pros
1. Cory Johnston – Cavan, Ontario – 36-3 (10)
2. Kyle Weisenburger – Ottawa, Ohio – 33-11 (10)
3. Ian Renfrew – Phoenix, N.Y. – 33-10 (10)
4. Lawrence Mazur – East Aurora, N.Y. – 33-8 (10)
5. Jason Shipton – Muncy, Pa. – 33-3 (10)
6. Casey Smith – Macedon, N.Y. – 32-9 (10)
7. Lucas McDaniel – Fishers, Ind. – 32-5 (10)
8. Chris Johnston – Peterborough, Ontario – 31-7 (10)
9. Jim Vitaro – Wooster, Ohio – 31-5 (10)
10. Ed Casey – Whiteford, Md. – 30-11 (10)
Sheppard retains co-angler lead
After nearly lapping the field on day one, Tyler Sheppard had a tougher time on day two, but still managed to hold the lead despite weighing only four bass for 12-5 to bring his two-day total to 30-10.
“It was tough, I only had six or seven bites all day and I didn’t have a fish until about 11 o’clock,” says Shepard, who fishes at Slippery Rock University. “I think I established yesterday how to get some bigger bites, and I just ground it out. I’m not gonna change much tomorrow, it’s what I have confidence in at this point.”
Top 10 co-anglers
1. Tyler Sheppard – Hermitage, Pa. – 30-10 (9)
2. Christopher Hall – South Abington Township, Pa. – 29-15 (10)
3. Frank Miller – Berwick, Pa. – 26-13 (9)
4. Paul Kimball Jr. – Philadelphia, Pa. – 26-9 (10)
5. Somang Kim – Lansdale, Pa. – 24-9 (8)
6. Christy Tiano – Hudson, N.Y. – 24-7 (9)
7. Michael Bahnweg – Union Dale, Pa. – 22-5 (7)
8. Tom Stark – Angola, Ind. – 20-9 (8)
9. Alex Antipenko – Brooklyn, N.Y. – 19-9 (7)
10. Bill Valberg – London, Ont. – 19-8 (10)
Tournament Details
Format: All 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: 6:30 a.m. ET
Takeoff Location: Oneida Shores County Park, 9400 Bartell Road, Brewerton, N.Y. 13029
Weigh-In Time: 2:30 p.m. ET days one and two, 3:30 p.m. ET on day three
Weigh-In Location: Oneida Shores County Park on days one and two, day three at Walmart, 3018 East Ave, Central Square, N.Y. 13036
New Yorker Yund Takes Over Lead At Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open On James River
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Truckvault Adds Collegiate Angler Noah Pescitelli To It's Pro Staff
Follow TruckVault on social media, including Facebook at www.facebook.com/truckvault, Instagram at @truckvault_usa, Twitter at @TruckVault, and YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/TruckVault.
Michael Hall Of Virginia Leads The Costa Flw Series Northern - 17.7 Pounds On Oneida
August 18, 2016 by Jody White
Day one of the Costa FLW Series presented by Ranger Boats showed off Oneida in every way possible. From perfect upstate New York weather to an abundance of feisty smallmouths, nearly everything came up roses. Early in weigh-in, Michael Hall of Annandale, Va., dropped 17 pounds, 7 ounces on the scale and he rode it all the way to the day one lead despite numerous challengers that fell just slightly short.
“I believe I’ve got a unique spot.”
Amid the dozen of shallow reefs and bars scattered over Oneida, veteran tournament angler and Potomac River guide Michael Hall says he’s got something special found.
On day one, Hall struck early in the day, and milked his area for a solid limit of smallmouths and one big largemouth for the lead.
“Before Monday (in practice), I was really struggling, and to be honest with you, I thought this was one of the toughest lakes I’ve ever fished,” says Hall. “But on Monday, I found something that was unique. It’s something I do on the Potomac River a lot, and I’m able to capitalize on it and it’s something a lot of people don’t do.”
Though Hall is understandably tight-lipped about his tactics, he’s focused on one primary spot or area, and says that keying in on subtle drops and variations is key.
Top 10 pros
1. Michael Hall – Annandale, Va. – 17-7 (5)
2. Zachary Cappon – Williamson, N.Y. – 17-6 (5)
2. Cory Johnston – Cavan, Ont. – 17-6 (5)
4. Kyle Weisenburger – Ottawa, Ohio – 17-5 (5)
5. Jeff Coble – Manson, N.C. – 17-2 (5)
6. Jason Shipton – Muncy – Pa. – 17-1 (5)
7. Jim Tutt – Longview, Texas – 16-15 (5)
8. Ed Casey – Whiteford, Md. – 16-13 (5)
8. Robert Grabow – Morgantown, W. Va. – 16-13 (5)
10. Bradley Staley – Pleasant Garden, N.C. – 16-12 (5)
Sheppard smashes 18-5 for co-angler lead
Tyler Sheppard of Hermitage, Pa., would be leading on the pro side if he was allowed to weigh there. After dropping 18 pounds, 5 ounces worth of smallmouths on the scale, Sheppard, who fished for Slippery Rock University in college, has a gigantic 2-pound lead over second place.
“We got a couple bites in the morning and then it kind of shut off for a bit,” says Sheppard, who fished behind Casey Smith. “It was kind of a grind for a while, but I caught them on pretty much everything from a drop-shot to a jig or a swimbait. I was just fortunate to be around some good fish.
“I live about an hour from Lake Erie, so smallmouth I’m used to, but I haven’t been here in a few years. Getting a bite early really helped out, so I was sure I was doing the right thing.”
Top 10 co-anglers
1. Tyler Sheppard – Hermitage, Pa. – 18-5 (5)
2. Michael Bahnweg – Union Dale, Pa. – 16-5 (5)
3. Christopher Hall – South Abington Township, Pa. – 15-12 (5)
4. Ryan Bowman – Seneca, S.C. – 15-11 (5)
5. Frank Miller – Berwick, Pa. – 15-6 (5)
6. Somang Kim – Lansdale, Pa. – 14-11 (5)
7. Christy Tiano – Hudson, N.Y. – 14-9 (5)
8. Bill Langille – Kent, Ohio – 14-5 (5)
9. Dean Meckes – Clayton, N.Y. – 13-10 (5)
10. Tom Stark – Angola, Ind. 13-8 (5)
Tournament Details
Format: All 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: 6:30 a.m. ET
Takeoff Location: Oneida Shores County Park, 9400 Bartell Road, Brewerton, N.Y. 13029
Weigh-In Time: 2:30 p.m. ET days one and two, 3:30 p.m. ET on day three
Weigh-In Location: Oneida Shores County Park on days one and two, day three at Walmart, 3018 East Ave, Central Square, N.Y. 13036
Chris Dillow Leads The Field After Day 1 Of The Bass Northern Open On The James River
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Mark Menendez Talks Lews Magnesium Pro Speed Spool
This week Elite Series Pro Mark Menendez talks about how the new Lews Magnesium Speed Spool Pro Reels and Speed Stick Rods have helped keep him in the game. Check these rods and reels out at your local Sportsmans Warehouse or here at SportsmansWarehouse.com
Hartley Wins Aba Ram Open Event On Neely Henry
Joe Hartley of Alexandria, Alabama won the American Bass Anglers Ram Truck Open Series AL North tournament, held August 13, 2016 on Neely Henry. Running out of Coosa Landing in Gadsden, Hartley caught five bass weighing 16.01 pounds. He anchored his bag with a 4.26-pound kicker. “I caught all of my fish today flipping a ½ ounce black and blue jig around docks. I was able to cull a little today but had all of my weight caught by 11 o’clock,” stated Hartley. He took home $5,000 for his victory, $1,000 from Mercury contingency, and a new Simms Challenger rain suit values at $400.
In second for the Boaters, Tim Hurst of Oxford, Alabama landed a five-bass tournament limit weighing 14.73 pounds with a 4.12-pound kicker. “I ran all over the river today. I started out shallow in the grass this morning and ended up in deeper water throwing a crankbait by the end of the day. It was a grind all day, I was able to cull a few times,” Hurst said. He collected $1,377 for the effort.
Adam Bain Pell City, Alabama took third for the Boaters with five bass weighing 13.75 pounds earning $918. “I just fished around shallow all day kind of junk fishing. I was lost a few fish that might have gave me the edge. I was at least able to cull a few times to get to my final weight,” stated Bain.
Finishing fourth, Cliff Williams of Jacksonville, Alabama landed a five-bass limit weighing 12.31 pounds including a 3.28-pound kicker.
Josh Bragg of Jacksonville, Alabama rounded out the top five Boaters with five bass weighing 12.16 pounds topped by a 3.77-pound kicker.
Big bass for the Boaters was caught by Tracy Robinson of Gadsden, Alabama that weighed 4.60 pounds.
He pocketed $620 for his efforts as well as a new Abu Garcia Revo XS for catching the biggest bass of the event on an Abu Garcia reel.
In the Co-Angler Division, Derek Lester of Hiram, Georgia won with three bass weighing 8.10 pounds. He sealed his victory with a 3-pound kicker to pocket a check for $1,730 and is also taking home a Simms Challenger rainsuit.
“I caught all of my fish early in the day using a black and blue jig. I was only able to cull twice throughout the day after that I only caught small fish,” Lester stated.
Taking second for the Co-Anglers, Randy Hobbs of Dawson, Alabama brought in a three-bass limit weighing 8.04 pounds collecting $575 for the effort. “I used a green pumpkin shaky head to catch my fish today. I was able to catch fish all day long and even got to cull a few times,” stated Hobbs.
Mike Bowers of Harriman, Tennessee placed third among the Co-Anglers with three bass weighing 6.89 pounds anchoring his catch with a 2.52-pound kicker to earn $383. “I caught all of my fish on a black and blue jig in about 3-4 feet of water. I had a rough day. I only had five bites all day and was not able to cull up,” said Bowers.
In fourth place among the Co-Anglers, Wayne Kilgore of Attalla, Alabama brought in three bass for 6.57 pounds.
Danny Moss of Glencoe, Alabama finished in fifth place with three bass at 6.47 pounds topped by a 3.59-pound kicker.
The biggest bass for the Co-Anglers was caught by Vernon Miller of Manchester, Georgia that weighed 3.92 pounds and pocketed $240.
Slated for October 1st and 2nd, the next divisional tournament will be held on Lake Guntersville out of Guntersville State Park in Guntersville, Alabama. At the end of the season, the best anglers from across the nation advance the 2017 Ray Scott Championship, slated for Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville, TN in April of 2017.
For more information on this tournament, call Kristin Malott, tournament manager, at (256)771-3709 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.
Berkley Launches Team Red Program For High School And College Anglers
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Berkley® Launches Team Red Program |
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High School and College Anglers Encouraged to Sign Up
COLUMBIA, S.C. (August 17, 2016) - Recent years have seen high school and collegiate anglers boost their activity in tournament bass angling. To provide another opportunity for anglers at both levels to engage and win prizes, Berkley is launching Team Red. For more information anglers can visit www.teamred.berkley-fishing.com.
The program is open to high school and collegiate anglers to participate and win prizes as individuals and as a team.
 Student anglers are encouraged to join Berkley Team Red in order to earn prizes that further their fishing exploits. Coaches can participate as well, signing up their team to compete and participate in challenges will gain points for their team. It doesn't matter how anglers are affiliated with fishing. Whether a member on a team at school or part of a junior fishing league there's a place on Berkley Team Red foryou.
As a grand prize, fishing teams can win $4000 in fishing product from Berkley and/or Abu Garcia. All it takes is participating in challenges at www.teamred.berkley-fishing.com.
Individuals can also compete and earn points for themselves. Berkley has made it easy for teams and individuals alike to compete in a fun atmosphere.
Anglers simply sign up and start competing to beginning earning points and winning prizes. Challenges may be as easy as watching a video or answering a few basic questions. Anglers are able to upload their daily catch and connect with anglers across the country, making it a completely interactive program.
"This program worked so well in the High School ranks we've opened it up to the collegiate anglers," said Sarah Dawkins, Marketing Manager: Digital, Berkley Fishing. "It is a great opportunity for young anglers to engage in a community of like-minded folks while having a great time. They have a chance to win big for their school and program by capturing the top prize."
Enjoy fishing and improve angling skills by signing on with the brand that Catches More Fish - Berkley. Register today at www.teamred.berkley-fishing.com. |
About Pure Fishing, Inc.
Pure Fishing, Inc. is a leading global provider of fishing tackle, lures, rods and reels with a portfolio of brands that includes Abu Garcia®, All Star®, Berkley®, Chub™, Fenwick®, Gulp!®, Hardy & Greys™, Hodgman®, Johnson™, Mitchell®, PENN®, Pflueger®, Sébile®, Shakespeare®, SpiderWire®, Stren®, Trilene® and Ugly Stik®. Pure Fishing, Inc. operates in 22 countries with a dedicated workforce conversant in 28 languages. Pure Fishing, Inc., a part of Newell Brands' strong portfolio of well-known brands, is a leader in developing outdoor and active lifestyle products. Additional information can be found atwww.purefishing.com.
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South Africa Becomes Latest Country To Sanction Flw Tournaments
SOUTH AFRICA BECOMES LATEST COUNTRY TO SANCTION FLW TOURNAMENTS
WJ LINDEQUE CC SIGNS EXCLUSIVE LICENSING AGREEMENT TO RUN FLW BASS-FISHING TOURNAMENTS IN SOUTH AFRICA
MINNEAPOLIS (Aug. 17, 2016) – Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced an exclusive licensing agreement with WJ Lindeque CC, of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa, to begin sanctioning FLW bass-fishing tournaments in South Africa. The agreement was signed by FLW President of Operations Kathy Fennel and Hannes Lindeque, a managing member of WJ Lindeque CC.
South Africa will run a series of FLW tournaments that advance anglers, who are citizens of the host country, to the International Division at the Costa FLW Series Championship beginning in 2017. Two anglers will compete as pros, with FLW providing Ranger boats, and two will compete as co-anglers.
“I’m very excited to be part of such an internationally-focused tournament organization,†said Lindeque, who has competed in FLW tournaments in the United States. “I know that South Africa has some of the world’s best anglers and it is a dream come true to give them an opportunity to compete at a high level. I look forward to seeing how they fare at the Costa FLW Series Championship in 2017.â€
The top pro award at the Costa FLW Series Championship is $95,000, including a Ranger Z518C boat if the pro is Ranger Cup qualified, and the top co-angler award is a Ranger Z117 boat. The highest finishing pro from the International Division at the Costa FLW Series Championship will advance to the following year’s Forrest Wood Cup for the chance to compete on the sport’s biggest stage. FLW will also provide a Ranger boat for use in the Forrest Wood Cup.
South Africa is the fifth country to sign on for the international sanctioning program, joining Canada, South Korea, China, and Mexico.
"We are thrilled to add South Africa to our growing list of countries offering FLW events," said Kathy Fennel, FLW president of operations. "The global bass fishing community has embraced FLW as a unifying force as we strive to provide unsurpassed opportunities for anglers, fans and sponsors worldwide. South Africa has incredibly dedicated anglers that we are pleased to welcome into the FLW family."
Additional FLW qualifying tournaments in other countries are forthcoming. Watch FLWFishing.com for details.
Named after the founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW introduced its Fishing League Worldwide tagline in 2014 to better reflect its status as the world’s largest tournament fishing organization. In early 2015, FLW expanded its presence on the world stage with the introduction of a sanctioning program allowing international partners to license the iconic brand and run FLW tournaments abroad.
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 2016 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico 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.
Casey Wins Flw Bass Fishing League Northeast Division Event On Oneida Lake
MARYLAND’S CASEY WINS FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE NORTHEAST DIVISION EVENT ON ONEIDA LAKE PRESENTED BY POWER-POLE
Hann wins co-angler title
BREWERTON, N.Y. (Aug. 15, 2016) – Ed Casey of Whiteford, Maryland, weighed a five bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 4 ounces, Saturday to win the fourth FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Northeast Division tournament of 2016 on Oneida Lake presented by Power-Pole. For his efforts, Casey took home $6,009.
Casey said he spent his day fishing mid-lake shoals that had a lot of mussels and scattered grass on them.
“The shoals were good in practice so I went back there figuring they’d still be holding fish,†said Casey, who earned his second win in BFL competition. “I threw a drop-shot rig with a Baby Bass-colored Jackall Crosstail Shad and Dark Melon Goby-colored Strike King Coffee Tubes, and had a limit in the boat by 9 a.m.â€
Casey said that using baits with purple-fleck coloring was a crucial part of his success.
“I stayed out deep in 7 to 8 of water and worked my way toward shallow-water markers I call ‘cans’,†said Casey. “There was a lot of goby activity. If they were eating, I knew there were a lot of smallmouth bass in the area. I actually ended up weighing in four smallmouth.â€
With 25 minutes left to fish, Casey said he caught a 4-pound largemouth bass to seal the deal.
“I threw a swimjig to a grass bed and within two casts I had a 4-pounder,†said Casey. “I was fortunate to catch some nice fish.â€
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Ed Casey, Whiteford, Md., five bass, 18-4, $4,009 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Grae Buck, Harleysville, Pa., five bass, 17-13, $2,205
3rd: Kraig Kettelkamp, Clifton Springs, N.Y., five bass, 17-11, $1,336
4th: Robert Parmer, Linden, Pa., five bass, 17-1, $935
5th: Jamie Hartman, Bridgeport, N.Y., five bass, 17-0, $868
5th: George Hutchinson, Mullica Hill, N.J., five bass, 17-0, $768
7th: Ian Renfrew, Phoenix, N.Y., five bass, 16-7, $668
8th: Mark Schafer, Williamstown, N.J., five bass, 16-4, $601
9th: Joseph Amberg Jr., Hawley, Pa., five bass, 16-0, $535
10th: Roy Goodwin, Macedon, N.Y., five bass, 15-10, $468
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
John Lorenzo of Kane, Pennsylvania, caught a bass weighing 4 pounds, 12 ounces – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $550.
Daniel Hann of Williamson, New York, weighed in five bass totaling 16 pounds, 11 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,005.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Daniel Hann, Williamson, N.Y., five bass, 16-11, $2,005
2nd: John Henning, Lansdale, Pa., five bass, 14-0, $1,002
3rd: Steve Cram, Williamstown, N.J., five bass, 13-6, $668
4th: Griffen Hurt, Bound Brook, N.J., five bass, 13-5, $468
5th: Joshua Hertzog, Lititz, Pa., five bass, 12-12, $401
6th: Bill Klaips, Shavertown, Pa., five bass, 12-10, $368
7th: Robert Hockley, Annville, Pa., four bass, 12-0, $317
7th: Travis Craig, Fairview, Pa., five bass, 12-0, $317
9th: Dylan Hartman, Lebanon, N.J., five bass, 11-12, $267
10th: Rebecca Diluzio, North East, Pa., four bass, 11-4, $234
Taurean Relyea of Fairport, New York, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 4 pounds, 3 ounces, and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $275.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 6-8 Regional Championship on Kerr Lake in Henderson, North Carolina. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart 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.
Mccord Wins Flw Bass Fishing League Illini Division Event On Rend Lake
KENTUCKY’S MCCORD WINS FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE ILLINI DIVISION EVENT ON REND LAKE PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS
Hill wins co-angler title
WHITTINGTON, Ill. (Aug. 15, 2016) – Neil McCord of West Frankfort, Kentucky, brought a five bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 10 ounces, to the scale Saturday to win the fourth FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Illini Division tournament of 2016 on Rend Lake presented by Navionics. McCord earned $5,917 for his win.
“I caught my fish on the upper end of the lake using a chartreuse-colored Lucky Craft BDS Crankbait,†said McCord, who earned his first win in FLW competition. “I probably hit three or four areas, and just kept going through them until I caught fish.â€
McCord said he primarily focused on rocks and ridges, but also targeted laydowns.
“It was slow in the morning, I didn’t catch my first keeper until noon,†said McCord. “I made multiple casts to the same areas and ended up with seven keepers by the end of the day.â€
McCord said his two heaviest fish came late in the day, just in time for weigh-in.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Neil McCord, West Frankfort, Ill., five bass, 17-10, $3,917 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Matt Jackson, Moweaqua, Ill., five bass, 15-8, $2,158
3rd: Larry Sisk, Evansville, Ind., five bass, 14-7, $1,307
4th: Brad Porter, Bluford, Ill., five bass, 14-1, $914
5th: Jeremy Mull, Chatham, Ill., five bass, 13-10, $883
6th: Larry Page, Mount Vernon, Ill., four bass, 13-1, $718
7th: Brian Gass, O’ Fallon, Ill., five bass, 12-6, $620
7th: Dan Morehead, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 12-6, $920
9th: Dan Shoraga, West Frankfort, Ill., five bass, 12-2, $522
10th: Jerry Walker, Zeigler, Ill., five bass, 11-4, $457
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Patrick Odell of Windsor, Illinois, caught a bass weighing 5 pounds, 7 ounces – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $520.
Chad Hill of Marion, Illinois, weighed in four bass totaling 10 pounds, 3 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $1,921.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Chad Hill, Marion, Ill., four bass, 10-3, $1,921
2nd: Anthony Macon, Greenville, Ill., three bass, 6-7, $960
3rd: Kirk Jansen, Teutopolis, Ill., three bass, 6-5, $641
4th: Brian Lingle, Anna, Ill., three bass, 5-15, $448
5th: Tim Renth, Hoyleton, Ill., two bass, 5-8, $384
6th: Jordan Borgmann, Ashley, Ill., two bass, 5-5, $352
7th: Eugene Kim, Lindenhurst, Ill., three bass, 5-3, $520
8th: Aaron Arning, Walnut Hill, Ill., two bass, 5-2, $288
9th: Jim Budde, Waterloo, Ill., three bass, 5-1, $306
10th: Kenny Hemmen, St. Louis, Mo., one bass, 4-7, $479
Hemmen caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 4 pounds, 7 ounces, and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $255.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 13-15 Regional Championship on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart 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.
Ranger Introduces New 1880Ms For Serious Anglers And Family Outings!
New for 2017: Ranger 1880MS Angler
Ranger Boats continues its rich tradition of innovative design and function with the introduction of the new 1880MS Angler. The unique versatility gives anglers a platform for hardcore fishing along with a wide-open layout for family outings.
Measuring 18 feet, 8 inches, with a 100-inch beam, the 1880MS is rated for 200 horsepower and available with a wide range of precision-matched, factory-rigged outboards. Designed for a variety of applications, the 1880MS is home to both southern bass fisheries and the big waters of the Great Lakes and upper Midwest.
“We have taken the proven 1880LS platform and improved it to give anglers a boat that continues to shine as a serious fishing rig, but includes more family friendly features for greater flexibility,” said Ranger Boats Director of Engineering Gary Howard. “The updated interior and addition of the rear jump seats in particular help this boat appeal to an even broader group of people.”
The new 1880MS includes many key features of Ranger’s popular Fisherman Series, renowned for big water capability and tournament inspired design. Features like a huge center rod locker, enormous front casting deck and an oversized, recirculating livewell. In addition, the bow of the boat features a new panel with tool holders, chrome cup holder and space to flush mount electronics up to 12 inches. A Minn Kota 70 Power Drive trolling motor also comes standard.
Storage is impressive throughout the boat, with areas tooled into the gunnels for even more room, plus a tackle storage system beneath the passenger's console. A gel-coat lined, insulated cooler has also been added to the front deck.
The custom driver’s console comes with a Lowrance Hook 5 CHIRP and features a full compliment of gauges and switches. Two foldable, rear jump seats provide additional seating with storage beneath. A full rear casting deck is created with the jump seats in the stowed position. The rear deck also offers additional storage complete with built-in rod holders located at the stern for hands-off fishing.
The new 1880MS also features Ranger’s exclusive Rite-Track KeelÃ’ for easier trolling and tracking. Anglers and families alike will appreciate the stainless steel boarding ladder and premium all-weather upholstery for comfort in a variety of conditions. The upholstery is further complemented by color-matched side panels flanking each side of the wide open cockpit, which also includes a removable snap-in carpet option for easy clean up and more versatility.
The new 1880MS is factory equipped with a custom Ranger Trial® trailer designed and built specifically to fit the boat’s hull for solid and easy towing. The Road Armor Equipped trailer offers LED lights, aluminum wheels, COOL Hub® lubrication system, torsion axle suspension and a locking, swing-away tongue with matching fiberglass fenders and a full-size spare. The durable Road Armor finish, designed to shield against rock chips, road debris and other hazards, helps retain higher resale value and peace of mind.
2017 RANGER 1880MS
Overall Hull Length: 18 feet, 8 inches
Beam: 100 inches
Maximum HP: 200
Inside Depth: 25 inches
Fuel Capacity: 34 gallons
Total Persons/Motor/Gear: 1,700 lbs.
Approx. Boat Weight: 1,960 lbs.
Trailer GVWR: CF4500
About Ranger Boats
Headquartered in Flippin, Ark., Ranger Boats is the nation's premier manufacturer of legendary fiberglass and aluminum fishing boats, which include series of bass, multi-species, fish 'n play, waterfowl utility and saltwater boats. Founded in 1968 by Forrest L. Wood, Ranger Boats continues its commitment to building the highest-quality, strongest-performing boats on the water. For more information, go to RangerBoats.com.
Choosakul & Penhollow Win Cashion Rods Tournament On Falls Lake!
The Cashion Fishing Rods 'End of Year' Team Tournament Bass Fishing Trail Qualifier #3 at Falls Lake produced another good crowd with 37 teams showing up at the ramp. The weather for summer fishing was great.
The winds were light & variable, the air temps ranged from 74 to 89 and the water level was about normal pool
at 251.5'. Surface water temps averaged 85 warm degrees! Looks like the Summer fishing has set in for good
and the fishing has gotten a little tough! We did manage a few good bags in the heat, however!!
KC Choosakul & Tim Penhollow managed to catch 5 bass weighing 21.67 lbs to take 1st Place, 1st Place TWT
and 2nd Place Big Fish (5.81 lbs.) for a total of $1,817 in prize money!
Choosakul on left, Penhollow on right.
Coming in very close to 1st Place was the 2nd Place team of Robyn Cook and Owen Penhollow with 5 bass
weighing 21.33 lbs. They also won 2nd place TWT and 1st Place Big Fish (6.23 lbs.) to take home a total of
$1,321. The 3rd Place Team of Terry & Hunter Collins landed 5 bass weighing 18.93 lbs. and and won a total of
$444.
Kevin Farley & John Darr weighed in the smallest weight with 1 fish weighing 1.76 lbs. and won $100 in cash
compliments of Minn Kota sales & repair specialist Mark Nelson with
Triangle Trolling Motor in Raleigh.
Only 71 bass were brought to the scales for a total of 201 pounds averaging 2.3 lbs. each. Most were caught on
Carolina worm rigs, slow rolling spinnerbaits, crankbaits & jig combos in 9 to 20 feet of water.
I want to thank Cashion Fishing Rods and all the anglers that participated. Our next tournament will be the
2016 Cashion Fishing Rods 'End of Year' Team Tournament Bass Fishing Trail Qualifier #4 , Saturday August
20th at Kerr Lake out of Flemingtown Landing Wildlife Ramp. All the information on our tournaments can be
found http://piedmontbassclassics.com/
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: KC Choosakul & Tim Penhollow of Sanford & Mebane...5 bass...21.67 lbs...$1,006
2nd Place: Robyn Cook & Owen Penhollow of Raleigh & Durham...5 bass...21.33 lbs...$562
3rd Place: Terry & Hunter Collins of Sanford...5 bass...18.93 lbs...$444
4th Place: Tim Emory & Clay Livingston of Durham & Hurdle Mills...5 bass...14.46 lbs...$325
5th Place: Corey Linton & Marc Peck of Goldsboro...5 bass...13.87 lbs...$236
6th Place: Jeremy Martin & Charly Vaughn of Rougemont...5 bass...11.87 lbs...$207
7th Place: Allen White & Michael Vaughan of Clayton & Raleigh...2 bass...9.63 lbs...$180
1st Place Big Fish: 2nd Place Team above...6.23 lbs...$504
2nd Place Big Fish: 1st Place Team above...4.78 lbs...$216
1st Place TWT: 1st Place Team above: 21.67 lbs...$595
2nd Place TWT: 2nd Place Team above: 21.33 lbs...$255
Lucas Goes Wire-To-Wire For Potomac River Win!!!!
Lucas Beats The Heat For Wire-To-Wire Bassmaster Victory On The Potomac River
CHARLES COUNTY, Md. — If professional bass fishing fans didn’t know it before, they know it now.
Justin Lucas is a force to be reckoned with — and it doesn’t matter which coast he’s fishing on.
The California native, who now lives in Alabama, caught five bass Sunday that weighed 19-13 to win the Bassmaster Elite at Potomac River presented by Econo Lodge. His four-day total of 72-14 was more than 4 pounds better than second-place angler Jason Christie (68-7), who finished strong himself with 23-1 Sunday.
It was Lucas’s second career victory on the Bassmaster Elite Series and the first away from his native West Coast waters. The 30-year-old pro picked up his first win last season on the Sacramento River.
“I think I proved to other people — and to myself — what I can do outside my home state,” Lucas said. “I’ve never won out of state before. That makes this one different for me, and it means a lot.”
Lucas won the event by finding and exploiting the kind of spot all tournament anglers dream of.
It was a long parking dock adjacent to a water treatment plant on the upper end of the river. The water was 5 to 8 feet deep, and the dock had aquatic grass growing all around its edges.
Instead of flipping a jig or skipping a soft-plastic bait under the dock like many anglers would in that situation, Lucas went with a drop shot rig — and he said that made all the difference.
“I don’t think the fish under that dock had ever seen a drop shot before,” Lucas said. “They’re used to seeing a bait hit the water and then fall all the way to the bottom. But that drop shot stays right in their face, and it worked all week.”
Lucas spent a little time fishing a stickbait and a swim jig. But his main technique was the drop shot rig with a 6-inch hand-poured worm in a purple and brown combo.
He fished the rig on a 7-foot-6 medium-heavy Veracity Abu Garcia spinning rod and an Abu Garcia Revo MGX size 30 reel. There were times when he also used the Revo Premiere size 30 reel.
His line choice was particularly important.
“I used 10-pound braid with a 10-pound Berkley Trilene leader,” Lucas said. “I wanted to use the largest line I could get away with on a spinning reel.”
He said the water was too deep under the dock for a standard baitcaster.
“You would have spent too much time pulling line out with a baitcaster just trying to get the rig to the bottom,” Lucas said. “It was so much easier to pitch in there with a spinning reel.”
Lucas insisted he found the spot by accident on the first day of competition after failing to get a bite there during practice.
He knew there was a discharge at the water treatment plant, and he was hoping it would produce a few fish early. After catching a couple of smaller fish from that area, he decided to pitch the drop shot under the dock.
“I caught two 3-pounders, and that told me the fish were there,” Lucas said. “So many things worked in my favor.”
Lucas said he was amazed the dock never received any pressure from anyone else, and he thanked the anglers from Maryland and Virginia for giving him plenty of space.
“This is not like a secret spot,” he said. “It’s the community hole of all community holes. So it still just amazes me that no one else fished it.
“The people here are awesome.”
The biggest key to his week, Lucas said, might have been that he had nowhere else to go.
“I didn’t have a plan B,” he said. “If I had been forced to go to plan B, I would have been running all over the place.”
The dock produced 20-4 on Day 1, 19-14 on Day 2, 12-15 on Day 3 and 19-13 on Day 4.
“I went there originally looking for two or three keeper bites,” Lucas said. “But it ended up being the best spot I’ve ever found in my tournament career.”
Brent Ehrler (62-12), Bill Lowen (61-0) and Andy Montgomery (59-12) rounded out the Top 5. Alabama pro Gerald Swindle (53-6) finished 10th and maintained a 37-point lead over Keith Combs in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year race.
Swindle was awarded $1,000 for leading the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race at the end of the event.
Lowen earned the Power-Pole Captain’s Cash award of $1,000 for being the highest-placing angler who is registered and eligible and uses a client-approved product on his boat.
Lucas earned the Livingston Lures Leader Award of $500 for leading on the second day.
Lucas also won the Toyota Bonus Bucks Award of $3,000 for being the highest-placing eligible entrant in the program. The second-highest-placing eligible entrant, Jason Christie, received $2,000.
The Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award of $1,500 was presented to Cliff Pirch for weighing in the overall biggest bass of the event — a 6-11 bass caught on Saturday.
Lucas earned the A.R.E. Top Angler Award of $1,000 for being the highest placing angler using A.R.E. products.
Dick Cepek Rolling Forward Award of $1,000 will be presented to the angler who makes the largest gain in Toyota Angler of the Year points from tournament to tournament.
Lucas Maintains Lead Heading Into Championship Sunday
CHARLES COUNTY, Md. — The heat is rising and his magical dock seems to be cooling off a little.
But despite catching only 12 pounds, 15 ounces during Saturday’s semifinal round, Alabama pro Justin Lucas is in position for a wire-to-wire win at the Bassmaster Elite at Potomac River presented by Econo Lodge.
Lucas’ Saturday catch — easily his smallest of the week — pushed his three-day total to 53-1. He will enter Championship Sunday with a lead of almost 6 pounds over Indiana pro Bill Lowen (47-3).
Both anglers were covered with sweat backstage after Saturday’s weigh-in, with the heat index rising above 112 degrees.
“I had 10 pounds for a long time today,” Lucas said. “I don’t know why things slowed down the way they did. But I’m very fortunate to be where I am with this kind of lead.
“This all started from Day 1 of the tournament. I had no idea what lived under that dock — never even had a bite there in practice.”
A California native, Lucas has been using the kind of finesse tactics that West Coast anglers are known for. He’s caught a couple of fish on a stickbait and a couple on a swim jig, but the majority have been caught on spinning tackle with a drop shot rig.
He’s fishing one back-channel dock on the upper end of the river. He said it’s 5 to 8 feet deep on the end, and aquatic grass grows right up to the edge of the dock. But because the dock is so low to the water, it creates enough shade to keep grass from growing under the dock.
“There’s a grassline right against the dock,” Lucas said. “There are old pilings all around there. Then there’s shade and current.”
The idea of pulling big bass from under docks on light spinning tackle would make some anglers nervous. But Lucas said he’s really only had one tense moment all week.
“The first morning, the second one I hooked was a 3 1/2-pounder, and I had it wrapped around one of the pilings for five minutes,” Lucas said. “I could still feel it pulling, and it finally just wedged its way out.”
Then Lucas learned the key to landing fish around the dock.
“Once I could see that there were these crossbars under the water, I never had another problem,” he said. “That second fish, I didn’t even know what I was throwing to. I was just throwing under the dock, and I just happened to throw over one of the crossbars.”
The dock surrendered 20-4 on Thursday and 19-14 on Friday. Despite the drop-off to 12-15 on today, Lucas said he still considers the spot the best he’s ever found during a tournament.
“It’s really the only time in my life that I’ve ever stumbled onto a hole like this where there were so many fish in one stretch — and I’ve had it to myself,” Lucas said. “These are the best locals I’ve ever seen. They’re keeping their distance — just really, really good guys.”
With nearly a 6-pound lead over Lowen, Lucas believes he needs to catch at least 12 pounds Sunday to secure the win.
Despite fishing what he described as the “hottest conditions he’s ever fished,” Lowen brought 16-0 to the scales Saturday to push his three-day total to 47-3. As usual, he’s fishing super shallow in a small canal that he said is “narrow enough to flip both sides.”
“It’s fun — I mean it is, but isn’t,” Lowen said of the heat. “I’m in a little tiny creek. I had about five bites in there in practice, and that was the best spot I had.
“I don’t know how many fish are left in there. I really don’t understand how there have been this many in there all week.”
The other anglers who qualified for Sunday’s Top 12 include : Brent Ehrler (45-9), Jason Christie (45-6), Keith Combs (45-1), Clifford Pirch (44-10), Andy Montgomery (44-7), Gerald Swindle (42-6), Brett Hite (41-13), Jordan Lee (41-11), Fred Roumbanis (41-8) and Randall Tharp (41-6).
Pirch took over the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass with a largemouth that weighed 6-11. Swindle maintained a comfortable lead in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings.
Sunday’s take-off will be at 6:15 a.m. ET from Smallwood State Park, and weigh-in will be at 3 p.m. at Indian Head Pavilion on the Village Green.
Lucas Maintains Lead After Day 2 On The Potomac
CHARLES COUNTY, Md. — Throughout his young professional fishing career, Alabama angler Justin Lucas says he’s never found a spot quite like the one he’s fished the first two days of the Bassmaster Elite at Potomac River presented by Econo Lodge.
The stats back up his claims.
Lucas caught the biggest limit of the tournament for the second day in a row Friday, landing five bass that weighed 19 pounds, 14 ounces. That catch pushed his two-day mark to 40-2 and gave him a comfortable lead of nearly 6 pounds over second-place angler Brent Ehrler (34-4) as the event heads into the semifinal round Saturday.
“I’ve fished tournaments for seven years, and I’ve never had a spot like this — especially to myself,” Lucas said. “The crazy thing is that I just stumbled into it. Yesterday morning, I had no clue. Then I got a couple of 3-pound bites early that clued me in on what was happening.”
Lucas estimates the stretch is no bigger than 300 to 400 yards long. But once he hits it just right, the bites come quickly.
“I didn’t get a bite on the first half of the pass I made on it today,” he said. “So I went around and went shallower for a little bit while the tide was pushed in. The wind had the tide pushed up.
“I wasted 45 minutes doing that. But then I went back to the sweet stretch — and within an hour, it seemed like I had 15 or 16 pounds.”
As he did on Thursday when the magic spot produced 20-4, Lucas spent more time guarding the area Friday than he did fishing it. But traffic hasn’t been much of an issue.
“One other competitor came to fish something just on the other end of where I was fishing,” Lucas said. “But there were no problems at all.”
Lucas said he only spent about three hours fishing because he wanted to save some of the 3-pounders that seem to be so numerous there.
With no pressure from other boats, he believes he should easily be able to land 15 or 16 pounds from the spot the next two days.
“I hope the local guys will be respectful, but obviously they can fish where they want,” Lucas said. “I think what I’m doing is different enough and off the beaten path enough that I should be OK.”
Lucas’ limit was anchored by a 5-8 largemouth Friday. It’s an ounce shy of the tournament big-bass mark of 5-9, set on Thursday, when Lucas and Luke Clausen each weighed in bass of that size. If no one catches a bigger bass by the end of the tournament, they will share in the $1,500 Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award.
Lucas’s closest competitor is Ehrler, a fellow California native who grew up fishing tidal waters just like Lucas. Ehrler caught 17-13 on Day 1 and added 16-7 Friday to push his two-day total to 34-4.
Ehrler came into this week’s event with loads of experience on the Potomac River from his time on the FLW Tour.
“It helps having the experience here,” Ehrler said. “I’ve fished this place about as many times as I have the California Delta at home.”
Like many anglers in the field, Ehrler is targeting the Potomac’s massive grassbeds.
“I’m fishing grass for the most part — some wood, but mostly grass,” he said. “That’s what everyone’s doing here. I’m throwing moving baits in some spots and flipping in some spots.”
Instead of looking for a certain tide, Ehrler is making his decisions based on what looks right at the time.
“In certain areas, even if it’s a certain tide, it’ll be a moving bait,” Ehrler said. “In other areas, on the same tide, I’ll be flipping. I’m just changing it up a little bit.
“I really have to base it on what I see in a particular spot.”
Behind Lucas and Ehrler are Jacob Powroznik (32-12), Jason Christie (31-7), Bill Lowen (31-3) and Gerald Swindle (30-5). Swindle maintained his spot in the Top 6 with today’s catch of 14-0 and kept a comfortable lead in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings.
The tournament will resume Saturday with only the Top 50 remaining anglers taking part in the semifinal round. The take-off will be at 6:15 a.m. ET from Smallwood State Park. But unlike the past two days when the weigh-in was also held back at the park, Saturday’s weigh-in will be at 3 p.m. at Indian Head Pavilion on the Village Green.
Vandam Zero's, Lucas Takes The Early Lead In Potomac River Elite Event
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John Cox Winning Interview From The 2016 FLW Cup
John Cox of Florida is your 2016 FLW Forrest Wood Cup Winner. Vance McCullough talks to John after his win about his shallow water strategy and how he pulled off the win!
And Bass For All!
John Cox has made a successful professional fishing career out of a simple concept: lighten-up and go where others can’t so you can find cooperative, and often bigger, fish.
His choice is an aluminum boat made by Crestliner. At 20 feet in length the craft provides ample storage along with the length to span rough waves. It fishes a lot like a huge fiberglass boat only . . . different.
While Cox was winning the recent Forrest Wood Cup miles up a creek off the main body of Wheeler Lake, he crossed paths with a kayak angler. There was a big ‘yak tourney that reportedly offered a top prize of $4,000. Not the same as winning the Cup and the $300,000 paycheck that comes with it, but considering the lack of gas money burned, it’s not too shabby.
Cox has shown us that a guy can compete on tournament fishing’s grandest stage without all of the high dollar bells and whistles. To take the concept a step further, he’d need to convert from metal to plastic – the material from which most kayaks are constructed.
Kayak tournaments are on the rise. Money, real money, is up for grabs. Cottage industries are springing up around the ever-growing plastic navy. It looks a lot like the Bassmaster trail when Ray Scott first got it rolling back in the 60’s.
How many of you reading this are thinking about fishing some tourneys out of your paddlecraft? How many already have?
One great aspect of paddle tourneys is that the tourneys, and by extension, the participants, are not limited to a species. “The kayak that I use to fish a bass tournament in Texas is the same one I ferry to the Bahamas and fish offshore tournaments in,” says Christina Weber, noted kayak angler and Hobie team pro. “I love it!”
Modern kayas are stable enough to stand on, as we do in bass boats. photo by Christina Weber
On the floor of ICAST in Orlando, Weber showed some features available on modern fishing kayaks. All the electronics you’ve grown used to on big boats – graphs, GPS displays and trolling motors – are being mounted on ‘yaks. You can even mount a small Power-Pole on one.
Or you can keep things as simple, and affordable, as you wish. Any number of items can be used as a shallow water anchor and push pole.
If you want to fish hands-free all the time, Hobie offers a system to allow you to pedal your craft. And new for this year, you can even pedal it in reverse. It's called the Mirage Drive 180 and the removable unit is just another example of the type of innovation being integrated into modern kayaks.
Just as Cox and his Crestliner can hang in deep water or press the advantage beyond the shallow bushes, so much more so can anglers in kayaks or paddle boards access unbothered, uneducated, uncaught fish.
And to scratch the competitive itch there are plenty of tournaments – take a look at KayakBassFishing.com, FishKBS.com (home of the Kayak Bass Series), or just search the subject on the ‘Net.
Go paddle some fish!
Trapper Tackles New Dropshot Hook - New Product 2016
A Very Versatile Hook
Avant-garde hook designer – Trapper Tackle – lets loose the Dropshot Hook
Fresh off a whirlwind introduction at ICAST 2016, including a Best-in-Show performance in the New Product Showcase, Trapper Tackle reveals details about its ultra-versatile Dropshot/Live Bait/Finesse Trapper Hook. With applications that are as broad and far-reaching as the sport of fishing itself, this is truly a game changing tool that belongs in every angler’s tacklebox.
Trapper Hooks are uniquely designed to address two persistent problems anglers face when using antiquated J-shaped hooks: First and foremost, J-hooks rock and rotate in a fish’s mouth as the fish fights for freedom. The thrashing expands the initial point of entry and creates a path to escape. Second, the round bend of J-hooks allows soft plastics and live baits to slide freely along the hook shank as the bait is cast and retrieved, or fished through cover. That unwanted mobility leads to frequent adjustments between casts, consuming valuable time on the water. The patent-protected design of the Trapper Hook addresses both of these problems with two right-angle bends at the base of the hook shank, creating the Trapper Box, which locks fish – and baits – in place.
With Trapper Hooks, anglers spend less time re-rigging, while landing more striking fish. This is truly the ultimate “win-win” proposition for anglers, originating from a seemingly simple, “why didn't I think of that” change in hook geometry.
The Dropshot/Live Bait/Finesse hook from Trapper Tackle is poised to take the bass fishing scene by storm. Vince Hurtado, former B.A.S.S. Elite Series angler and Trapper Tackle pro, relies on Trapper Hooks for all of his finesse and dropshot presentations. “I fish with total confidence when I tie on a Trapper. The Trapper Box at the bottom of the hook keeps my baits rigged perfectly and keeps fish pinned so I know they are coming to the boat.,” says Hurtato, who has logged thousands of hours and hundreds of California Delta bass testing Trapper Hooks over the past several seasons.
Far from a bass-only proposition, the Trapper Drophshot/Live Bait/Finesse hook also excels at securing and presenting a wide variety of live and natural offerings. Walleye anglers rejoice at how well Trapper dropshot hooks hold jumbo leeches, crawlers and live minnows, delectables that frequently tempt trophy whitetips from the depths. Carp and catfish chasers will find that corn and dough balls are accommodated equally well in the Trapper Box. Likewise, wader-clad anglers in pursuit of migratory trout and salmon will quickly learn that the Trapper dropshot hook excels when dressed with spawn bags and single egg presentations.
The award winning ultra-versatile Dropshot/Live Bait/Finesse hook from Trapper Tackle can truly find a home in any angler’s tacklebox.
Anglers will find the Trapper dropshot/live bait/finesse hook in five sizes, ranging from #4 to 2/0, in packs of 6 (MSRP $3.79) or 25 (MSRP $14.99), with retail and on-line availability in December 2016. Until then, visit us at http://TrapperTackle.com to sign up for free samples and to learn more about the game-changing family of Trapper Hooks from Trapper Tackle.
