|
The tumbler has tumbled and the winners are drawn for the Zoom "best of spring" Contest. And the winners are...
1. Brian Mason, Morehead, KY
2. David Van Sant, Monroe, GA
3. Jeff Schwent, St. Charles, MO
4. Mark Massey, Perry, GA
5. Shaun DeShong, Amarillo, TX
Congrats to all...
Your prize packages are on the way. Let us know how they work and stay tuned for more great contests on Monday.
Thanks to Zoom Baits for providing the great plastics!
|
|
The BASS pros are great guys...we know that...the world is finding out about it too. Yesterday the Dallas Morning News with Ray Sasser had a great article on that very subject. To read it click here.
|
|
THE BASS ZONE RADIO SHOW TO FEATURE IKE AND MCCLELLAND
Episode to air March 1 on XM Sports Nation
The BASS ZONE on Sports Nation, satellite radio’s first show devoted entirely to professional bass fishing, features BASS Elite Series anglers Michael Iaconelli and Mike McClelland. The show can be heard on Sports Nation, which include Sirius Channel 122 and XM Channel 143. The show broadcasts Sunday, March 1, at 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. EST.
Iaconelli, Runnemede, N.J., native came just 11ounces short of hoisting Bass fishing’s most prestigious title. Bella Vista, Ark., native McClelland made a push during the final day, but landed in the 4th position. The pair discus their tactics utilized during the Classic and the upcoming 2009 Elite Series schedule. During the Berkley “In the Zone” segment, hosts Gary Giudice and Mark Jeffreys reflect on the exciting 2009 Bassmaster Classic in Shreveport, La.
Listeners can submit weekly questions for guests of THE BASS ZONE on XM through www.basszone.com.
|
|
 Gary Dobyns may look like California’s answer to Paul Bunyan, but under the tough-looking exterior there lives a perfectionist and a master craftsman. He’s the west’s all-time leading money winner on the tournament circuits, and his new rods carry an enthusiast’s stamp. Check them out at your local retailer – over 50 different actions custom-built to Gary’s specifications with all sorts of functional and stylish artistic touches.
By the way, this guy has won 39 boats. We see number 40 just around the corner!
|
|
Huddleston Deluxe, one of the originators of the West Coast swimbait craze, has joined Wired2Fish as a Partner/Advertiser for 2009.
Timing is perfect for this announcment as they just released a new Huddleston Deluxe Weedless 6" Swimbait that should allow swimbait nuts and those that have been itching to try them the same advantage.
The Huddleston Deluxe 6" Weedless Trout has all the action of the original, just in a smaller, weedless package.
Designed by Ken Huddleston, the Huddleston Deluxe Trout 6" is one cool looking bait and is extremely versatile as well. This bait combines lifelike realism and swimming action with the correct movement and wobble even in the thickest cover without getting hung up.
The soft, hollow head that compresses upon the strike to expose a large, heavy-duty jig hook just in front of the bait's dorsal fin. While fishing, the hook sits in a small recess atop the bait. No detail has been overlooked on this bait. Even the line tie on the lure is recessed in the plastic on the nose of the bait to ensure weedlessness.
The Huddleston Deluxe 6" comes in two different rates of fall, 5 and 12. These numbers represent the approximate depth (in feet) the bait will run on a slow, steady retrieve.
"This is our first swimbait that all anglers will want to use. From coast to coast this is the deal. Whether you live in Michigan, New Jersey, Texas or California this bait will be the ticket" said Huddleston. "We are extremely excited about showcasing the craftsmanship and passion behind our brand. Huddleston Deluxe knows the staff at Wired2Fish and know they have the same passion for swimbaiting. We look to spread the word through Wired" said Ken.
"I have known Ken and his products for years and we are honored that he would choose Wired2Fish as an advertising partner. I have seen him turn a block of wood into a work or art that flat catches bass and we are excited that he and his company are joining us" said Terry Brown, President of Wired2Fish.
His new 6" Weedless Swimbait is available at Tackle Warehouse as well and you can purchase them there as well by clicking here.
|
|
We have known for years that a camera in the hands of Gary Dollahon of Dollahon PR can be a scary deal. It was definitely a scary deal for the Quantum pro's fishing the Bassmaster Classic and by all indications most of them will never allow him to take another shot of them again. KVD looks like he was in a 40 mph wind and had just got highlights, Hackney looked like Mr. Tudball from the Carol Burnett Show, Shaw Grigsby looked like President Garfield, and Dean Rojas looked his Bullfrog Sunscreen got put on too high. Randy Howell's hair couldn't be blown around behind a jet engine. We are speechless about Gary Klein and Mike "Spanky" McClelland. Know what we are talking about? Probably not!
Check out the Quantum Pros hair by clicking here. Don't forget to vote for the pro with the "worst hat hair" while you are there.
|
Most tournament anglers have had an occasion or two of distressed bass pulled from deep water dying. The first indication of the distressed condition is when the fish is upside down in the livewell. The next indication is the angler with a distressed look on his/her face as well!
The air bladder of the bass swells when pulled from deep water and will go "belly up". Even if he makes it to the weigh in chances are delayed mortality will be the ultimate verdict for that bass. Signs of distended air bladder or stress induced equillibrium issues not only make the fish feel bad but the angler who just caught them equally ill.
A new company called FlipClips has a remedy to this issue. With a weighted small clip positioned on the fishes bottom fin the fish is uprighted and the gills again function properly increasing the fishes chance for survival.
As you can see above $4.88 could help you put more cash in your wallet at weigh-ins.
|
|
 
BASS, the worldwide authority on bass fishing, and Bass Pro Shops, the #1 Outdoor Retailer in America*, have formed a joint marketing alliance, BASS announced today. The relationship will allow each industry-leading company to integrate both brands across their respective platforms to further reach and educate outdoors enthusiasts on initiatives facing natural resources and to grow participation.
“This is an exciting opportunity for us to partner with the premier bass fishing organization in America and benefit our loyal customers at the same time,” said Stan Lippelman, vice president of marketing, Bass Pro Shops.
The companies will launch a co-branded Bass Pro Shops rewards program in the spring of 2009 that will provide BASS members an opportunity to earn bonus points for purchasing select products associated with the Bassmaster Elite Series throughout the season.
The relationship will kick off on Feb. 27 at the Bass Pro Shops Spring Fishing Classics with The Bassmaster GearUp Giveaway presented by Bass Pro Shops. It is an opportunity that allows fans to win some of the newest 2009 products by registering at www.Bassmaster.com/gearup. The promotion will run through March 16, with the winner being awarded the grand prize of fishing gear and tackle with a retail value of approximately $4,200. For the complete sweepstakes rules and prizes click here.
All Bass Pro Shops Spring Fishing Classic attendees will have an opportunity to get their picture on a souvenir cover of Bassmaster Magazine, held at Bass Pro Shops retail outlets. For the Bass Pro Shops Spring Classic schedule visit www.basspro.com.
The Springfield, Mo.-based company is also the official apparel of the Bassmaster Elite Series Marshal program, and will include a $25 gift card for all participants. The Marshal program provides BASS members the opportunity to ride along with Elite Series pros for a full-day of tournament fishing from the best seat in the house.
“Aligning two industry-leading organizations will only serve to benefit fishing fans and the outdoors industry as a whole,” said Tom Ricks, vice president and general manager, BASS. “We are pleased to offer BASS members bonus reward points and augment the Bass Pro Shops experience for fans. We are excited to work with Bass Pro Shops and will continue to collaborate on innovative programs that provide long-term growth in the industry.”
Additionally, Bass Pro Shops will receive exposure across BASS’ multimedia properties, including The Bassmasters on ESPN2, Bassmaster Magazine and www.Bassmaster.com.
Bass Pro Shops is associated with a number of Bassmaster Elite Series anglers including Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., and Rick Clunn of Ava, Mo., each former winners of both the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year award and the Bassmaster Classic.
For more information on Bass Pro Shops, visit www.basspro.com.
*As named by Sporting Goods Business Magazine
|
 Bryant photo
Elite Series angler Tim Horton talks on Wired Radio with Terry Brown about his reign as PAA president, their new tournament trail and fishing the Bassmaster Classic. To listen click here. |
 Alabama pro Russ Lane has announced that his BassCat/Yamaha rig will fly the colors of Battery Outfitters in 2009. Without good batteries, your outboard won't start and your trolling motor will be dead before the tournament day is over, so Battery Outfitters sells some of the most reliable models out there. In order to save time once he gets off the water, Lane's rig will include maintenance-free AGM batteries for all of his power needs.
|
|
 Wired photo
We will begin our series of Wired TV segments from this years Bassmaster Classic tomorrow am. Tomorrow's guest is legendary angler Denny Brauer. He talks with Terry Brown about the Classic, his health and his long association with Ranger Boats. The first segment will air beginning at 7 am right here on Wired2Fish.com.
|
|
We just met Arkansas's Frank Leone of Get5Bass.com. He was just outside the Jackall booth at the Classic. He just ran a review of the Jackall Squad Minnow 115. He did what his website tells you and he "Got 5". To check it out click here. |
News Release from FLW Outdoors received by Wired2Fish today on College Fishing.
News Release
For additional information, please contact:
Jayme Gordon, communications specialist, 270.493.1111 cell or jgordon@flwoutdoors.com
National Guard COLLEGE FISHING WESTERN division kicks off MARCH 7
Advisory for Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009
WHAT: The first Western Division National Guard FLW College Fishing event. National Guard FLW College Fishing is the country’s largest tournament fishing competition for college bass clubs where college clubs compete for lucrative scholarships and prizes and a chance to compete in the $2.5 million Forrest Wood Cup in 2010.
WHO: See registered teams below and individual team members at collegefishing.com.
WHEN: Saturday, March 7. Takeoff is at 6:30 a.m. Weigh-in is at 2:30 p.m.
WHere: Clear Lake, Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa, Kelseyville, Calif.
NOTES: Teams registered include, Humboldt State University, University of Oregon, University of Nevada-Reno, Chico State, Sonoma State University, UC Davis, Arizona State University, San Jose State University, Sacramento State, Washington State University-Pullman and Boise State University.
|
Bassmaster Classic Sets Records Across Platforms; Draws More than 137,000 Fans to Event
A record number of fans consumed exclusive 2009 Bassmaster Classic content featured across BASS and ESPN’s vast multimedia vehicles. The multimedia blitz was supplemented by a record on-site crowd of 137,700 fans at daily tournament weigh-ins and surrounding festivities, obliterating the previous record set in New Orleans by more than 55,000.
“By all metrics, including the compelling content that was delivered to fans worldwide, the Bassmaster Classic was an absolute success,” said Tom Ricks, vice president and general manager, BASS. “The continued growth of the Classic is a testament to the personalities and story lines associated with our athletes.”
The event, held on the Red River, was won by Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., who collected the $500,000 top prize from the $1.2 million purse. The Classic was hosted by Shreveport-Bossier City. The events’ successes this year included:
- On Bassmaster.com, BASSInsider.com and ESPN.com, fans generated more than 12.3 million page views of bass fishing content between Feb. 18 and Feb. 23 – 64% higher than the same period last year.
- Live, streaming video of the daily Classic weigh-ins were presented on ESPN360.com for the first time, and fishing fans watched more than 1 million minutes of weigh-in coverage during the event. The Classic was one of the most watched sporting events of the month on ESPN360.com.
- The live broadcast from the Red River South Marina was delivered to the show’s 418,000 daily listeners on 220 radio stations nationwide and simulcast on ESPN2 reaching another 232,000 viewers – an increase of 31% vs 2008.
- The 12 hours of ESPN2 coverage included a 3% increase in the Male 18+ demographic (.36 vs .35) and in Male 18+ Impressions (337,309)
- For the first time, a Bassmaster Classic mini-marathon aired on ESPN Classic on Feb. 22. The final hour of the five hours of coverage received the highest ESPN Classic rating of 2009.
- From an international perspective, ESPN International will air the 2009 Classic on the following networks: ESPN Africa (sub-Saharan Africa), ESPN Middle East (ME & North Africa), ESPN Israel, ESPN Pac Rim (Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands), ESPN 2 Caribbean ESPN Dos (Mexico, Central America, Venezuela, Dominican Rep). The Bassmaster Classic will reach 10.1 million household in 106 countries on ESPN networks.
- From a media perspective, a Classic record, since ESPN purchased BASS in 2001, of more than 320 working media members attended the 2009 Bassmaster Classic. On-site media included publications such as The Dallas Morning News, Miami Herald, San Diego Union Tribune, South Florida Sun Sentinel, Arkansas Democrat Gazette and Austin American Statesman.
- From the web Wired2Fish, BassZone, BassFan, the Anglers Channel, Texas Fishing Forum and several other top notch daily web sites also covered the event.
|
|
Doug Cox at Cox Marketing Group dug even deeper with Skeet Reese about his use of a Lucky Craft Redemption Spinnerbait in his win. To read more about it click here. |
 Wired photo
 Champion pros Skeet Reese and Mike McClelland had a spare boat that McClelland's Aunt and Uncle pulled around for them to have in the event they had a breakdown at an event. With the recent economic downturn that was one of the things that Champion had to pull away from. Mike and Skeet had been discussing how that they were going to get it done in 2009. No decision has been made but we have reliable reports that McClelland sent a text message to Skeet that said "Based on your recent windfall it seems only appropriate that YOU pay for the spare boat and expenses in 2009.....Your friend Mike."
Wired2fish is waiting on word back from Skeet!
|
 What do Skeet Reese's first Classic win and Wired2Fish's first birthday have in common? They both occurred on February 22, 2008.
All of us here want to thank our partners/advertisers for believing in our idea and spending money with us, thanks to all of the loyal and dedicated readers who come here many times a day to see what we have to say, and thanks to the leagues, anglers and organizations for allowing us to cover them.
Hopefully, our best work is ahead, the future is bright and we look forward to providing the best in content, personality and contests for another year!!
Thanks again to all.
|
 JBryant photo
2008 BASS AOY Kevin VanDam talks with Wired Radio's Terry Brown about his fishing, his nephew, ice fishing and the Classic. To listen click here.
|
|
Youvella, a Fish Harder Company, introduced new packaging and full line-up of hooks at the Bassmaster Classic this past week. Starting with thin wired offset shank hooks in 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, 4/0 and 5/0 followed by 5/0, 6/0, and 7/0 OWG Super Strong hooks perfect for braid the Youvella line-up is being shipped. Also in the lineup are screw-lock 7/0 and 8/0 Swimbait hooks.
Each set of hooks is pro designed , pro-tested and pro-approved. The Youvella team is some of the hardest hook setters in the business and includes Greg Hackney, Ish Monroe, Mike Iaconelli, and Peter Thliveros.
Look for Youvella at all the big box stores and to learn more click here. |
|
Tavares, Fla., and Harris Chain of Lakes to Host 2009 and 2010 BASS Federation Nation Championships
The City of Tavares, Fla., will be the official host of the next two BASS Federation Nation Championships presented by Yamaha Outboards and Skeeter Boats, the biggest tournaments of the year within the grass roots competition format enjoyed by BASS Federation Nation members.
First up will be the 2009 BASS Federation Nation Championship, set for Oct. 28-30. The outcome of the three-day competition will determine which six amateur anglers will qualify for the 2010 Bassmaster Classic out of Birmingham, Ala.
The agreement signed Thursday by the City of Tavares and BASS will also bring the 2010 BASS Federation Nation Championship to Tavares and the Harris Chain in October. Dates for the 2010 championship will be announced soon.
Competition waters will be the popular Harris Chain of Lakes. The prolific fishery has hosted multiple BASS events through the years, most recently the Jan. 29-31 Bassmaster Southern Open. That event kicked off the 2009 BASS tournament season in style with a winning weight of 68 pounds, 6 ounces. The haul by Florida pro Bryan Hudgins of Orange Park included a Day Two bag that tipped the scales at more than 30 pounds.
To qualify for their annual championship, BASS Federation Nation anglers must work their way up a ladder of local, regional, state and divisional qualifying tournaments. Then, at the BASS Federation Nation Championship, the top finishers within each of six divisions earn a berth in the next Bassmaster Classic.
The six divisional events of 2009 will begin with the March 30-April 3 Southern Divisional.
“We’re extremely pleased that Tavares, our partner in so many other successful BASS tournaments, will host the next two Federation Nation Championships,” said Jamie Wilkinson, senior director of event operations and business development.
The announcement of the agreement between BASS and the City of Tavares was made Thursday at the 39th Bassmaster Classic out of Shreveport-Bossier City, La. The six Federation Nation qualifiers competing in the Feb. 20-22 Classic are: Ken Baumgardner of Monongahela, Pa.; Jay Evans of Corvallis, Mont.; Bryan Schmidt of Olney, Texas; Waine Pittman of Villa Rica, Ga.; Terry Fitzpatrick of Waukon, Iowa; and Scott Parker of Londonderry, N.H.
They’re up against 45 other anglers for the Classic’s first-place prize of $500,000.
BASS Federation Nation presenting sponsors include Yamaha, the official engine; and Skeeter Performance Fishing Boats. Official sponsors include Toyota Trucks, Berkley, Booyah Bait Co., Evan Williams Bourbon, Mercury, Optima Batteries. Supporting sponsors include Triton Boats.
|
Toyota Texas Bass Classic to Feature National Broadcast on CBS Sports
Lake Conroe, Texas – For the third consecutive year, CBS Sports will broadcast a one-hour special reprising the Toyota Texas Bass Classic (TTBC). The broadcast on Saturday, November 21 will be from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. CST (2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EST) and will feature highlights from the three days of competition, with a focus on the crowning of the 2009 Toyota Texas Bass Classic champion.
The TTBC will be held October 16 – 18 on Lake Conroe. For the first year, the TTBC is positioned as the world championship of the PAA Tournament Series and the format will be an individual angling competition, making the event a true world championship. The field will be comprised of 60 anglers, all qualified members of the PAA who earn spots based on PAA Tournament Series finishes or other merits.
“Our primary goal with this tournament is to raise funds and awareness for the Texas Parks &Wildlife Department's educational and conservation activities,” said Dan Friedkin, TTBC co-founder and TPWD commissioner. “We encourage everyone to come out and attend the festivities, which will be highlighted by spectacular country music and the crowning of the Toyota Texas Bass Classic World Champion.”
The TTBC will continue its focus on conservation and adhere to strict slot limits that have earned the event national praise its past two years. Through the TTBC, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) has received $500,000 to benefit their first-class youth fishing and outreach programs. For the third consecutive year, a minimum of $250,000 will be donated to TWPD.
“TPWD’s innovative management and conservation strategies are among the best in the country and we are excited to highlight them at a world-class event like the Toyota Texas Bass Classic,” said Phil Durocher, director of Inland Fisheries for the TPWD.
The Toyota Texas Bass Classic is sanctioned by the Professional Anglers Association with technical assistance and support from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Inland Fisheries Division. Title sponsor for the event is Toyota. The tournament will be held on Buffalo Springs, a planned development in the City of Montgomery. Corporate partnership opportunities are available for 2009. For additional information, visit www.toyotatexasbassclassic.com.
|
 Kelly Jordon/Todd Faircloth at the Texas Oklahoma Shootout(Wired photo)
2008 BASS AOY Runner-up Todd Faircloth talks on Wired Radio with Terry Brown about finishing second last year and his goals for 2009. To listen click here. |
|
Seven Team Skeeter professional anglers fished on the final day of the 2009 Bassmaster Classic on the Red River in Shreveport/Bossier City, Louisiana this past weekend – including two previous Classic Champions, a BASS Federation Nation Champion, and last year’s Advance Auto Parts Bassmaster Rookie of the Year.
“While Skeeter didn’t bring home the Classic championship this year, our anglers fished well, showcasing their talents on the water, and also took the time to meet, greet and thank their fans while off the water,” says Jeff Stone, Senior Vice President/General Manager of Skeeter Products, Inc.
The 2009 Bassmaster Classic shattered attendance records set in 2003 in New Orleans, with tens of thousands of fishing fans visiting the Bassmaster Classic Outdoor Expo, and fans filling the CenturyTel Center to capacity during daily weigh-ins.
Stone noted that Skeeter has benefited from the company’s role as the Official Boat Sponsor of BASS, and with Skeeter’s Reeves Marine located in Bossier City, the company capitalized on the excitement of the Classic. “There’ll be many more Skeeter owners in the area during the next few weeks,” says Stone.
Federation Nation Represents – BASS Federation Nation Champion Bryan Schmidt of Olney, Texas, finished the Classic in 6th place. Schmidt fished conservative on days one and two of the Classic, using the warmer weather on the final day to get the big bite he was looking for. “When I noticed that the water temperature was rising, I began flipping a Reaction Innovation Sweet Beaver lure at some hyacinth patches, and immediately caught four keepers,” says Schmidt.
Former Champions Still Humbled by Classic – Former Classic Champions Mark Davis (1995) and Alton Jones (2008) are still humbled by the Classic. “There are not many names on the championship trophy, and Skeet Reese is about to have the ride of his life,” says Jones. “I’m excited about the 2009 Elite Series, and hope to carry my top 15 finish into our next Elite Series event on Lake Amistad in a few weeks,” he added. According to Davis, “you do what you think will work, and I took some risks today that didn’t pay off, but look forward to competing against this group throughout 2009.”
A Learning Experience – Bobby Lane, who finished in 16th place, will use his second Classic as another learning experience to better his competitive skills in the future. “The warmer weather suited my style, and I was thinking this would be my day. I lost two good fish today, yet even if I had caught those, I still would not have won the event. I feel like I’m learning much more about my strengths and weaknesses, and this will be beneficial for future success,” says Lane.
Faircloth Achieves Milestone – While not making the final day of the Classic, Skeeter’s Todd Faircloth earned $10,000 this weekend, surpassing the $1 million mark in career earnings. “It’s bittersweet, as I would have liked to have fished better in the Classic. This milestone is important as it validates my consistency as a professional angler year after year,” says Faircloth.
Also fishing on the final day of the Classic were Skeeter’s Kellly Jordon (10th), Dean Rojas (18th) and Bill Lowen (23rd).
|
|
Damiki Lures has joined Wired2Fish as a partner advertiser for 2009. The Korean based lure company makes the Damiki Angel Rods, DC 100 and 200 Cranks, the Damiki Super Size Wacky Worm, MTS Spinnerbaits,MTB Buzzbaits, the Mamba Jig, the Damiki PAC Finesse Miki, the Spoon Tail Miki and numerous other premier quality baits.
|
|
Macon, Missouri's Ardent Outdoors has joined Wired2Fish as an advertiser partner for 2009. Ardent manufactures premier reels, culling systems, oil and tools for fishing right here in the good old USA. American made with American parts by American Craftspeople!!
"We are thrilled to be again working with Ardent. They not only build a premier line-up of products but are also concerned about American workers and business. Their pro-staff with Alton Jones, Denny Brauer, Pete Ponds, and Jeff Coble, to name a few, know how to catch fish and promote products and we are excited about bringing that expertise with Ardent to Wired2Fish" said Wired2Fish President Terry Brown.
"At the end of the day it truly is about building the best products and partnering with the best as well. We do that with our pro staff, our Ardent products and now with Wired2Fish to make sure anglers know everything they can about our products and what makes them the best in the industry" said Michael Brooks, President Ardent Outdoors.
Welcome aboard Ardent!!
|
|
The Berkley Crazy Legs Chigger Craw flipped and pitched in pad stems and wood was one of the winning baits employed by
Skeet Reese to win the 2009 Bassmaster Classic. Color Choice was black/blue.(shown)
You can learn more about this and other Classic Berkley baits by clicking here. |
|
 While dad was in the rare position of signing autographs instead of fishing on the third day of the Classic, KVD’s kids, Jackson and Nicholas, found a way to “fish” a little at the Expo.
|
|
Jeff Kriet recently told us that pros with big heads – like Mark Davis and Denny Brauer – tend to be good fishermen. But what about baits with big heads? Check out this Baby Line Thru (BLT) swimbait from Optimum Baits.
 
|
|
When you win five straight JD Power awards it’s safe to say that you’re a stickler for quality – check out Bass Cat founder Ron Pierce shopping for tackle before the Classic Expo officially opened.
|
|
Kelly Jones of Kicker Fish Bait Co. isn’t the type of guy to get carried away with things, but if he isn’t firmly rooted on the ground these new 7-inch Holeshot worms are going to take him airborne. The holes in the worm’s tail section make it extremely buoyant. You can’t get sink the tail no matter how hard you try – Kelly’s biggest problem in Shreveport was keeping them in stock.
|
California’s Skeet Reese Edges New Jersey’s Mike Iaconelli by 11 Ounces to Win 2009 Bassmaster Classic SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER CITY, La. – After Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., realized his first career goal in 2007 of winning the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year award in the Bassmaster Elite Series, he set his sights on winning bass fishing’s ultimate event.
Just 1 ½ years later, Reese fulfilled the dream, winning the 2009 Bassmaster Classic Sunday on the Red River with 54 pounds, 13 ounces, barely beating 2003 Bassmaster Classic winner Mike Iaconelli of Runnemede, N.J., who had 54 pounds, 2 ounces after a Day Three haul of 20 pounds, 3 ounces.
So what goal will the 39-year-old Reese set for himself next?
“Repeat, repeat, repeat,” Reese said.
“Winning Angler of the Year – at the time – was the biggest achievement of my career, that was my lifelong dream. Since I won that title in 2007, I’ve had a new focus and a new dream, and this is it. You don’t know when it’s going to be your time. To win a one-derby event like this – our Super Bowl, with everything on the line, it is tough to do.
“Now I’m going back to working on another Angler of the Year.”
Alton Jones of Waco, Texas, the 2008 Bassmaster Classic champion, awarded an emotional and excitable Reese the 2009 trophy on stage at the CenturyTel Center in front of a capacity crowd. Jones finished 14th with 46-11.
Just behind Reese and Iaconelli, Brian Snowden of Reeds Spring, Mo., was third with 52-14; Mike McClelland of Bella Vista, Ark., was fourth with 52-1; and Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., rounded out the top five with his 51-5.
Jami Fralick of Martin, S.D., who was second after Day One and lead the Classic after Day Two, fell to eighth with a final weight of 49-2.
Changing weather conditions forced the 25 competitors to change their plans Sunday as water temperature dropped overnight.
Reese, whose Sunday total was 16 pounds, 12 ounces, concentrated on a few areas just outside Caspiana Lake to find groups of fish. He said the water cooled by four or five degrees and he couldn’t catch fish Sunday on the spawning areas he worked Friday and Saturday.
“My bigger fish came out of the muddy water,” Reese said. “Anytime we fish high-pressure, post-front conditions, clear-water fish are the hardest to catch. They’re moving up there to spawn, but when it gets cold like that, they pull back out and into ditches. If you have fish in dirty water, those fish are going to be easier to catch. The fish felt more comfortable staying shallow where the water temperature stayed warmer.”
Reese fished most of the tournament at the neck of Caspiana Lake. He caught his first three fish Sunday on a 3/8-ounce white Redemption spinnerbait with a nickel blade, and the others came while he was flipping a black and blue Berkley Crazy Leg Chigger Craw.
“I made a conscious decision to stay in Pool 5 and put myself in the area that had the highest possible potential for me winning the tournament,” Reese said. “That lake back there, every local knows about it. I read a little about it online, something about Caspiana Lake, and you look on a map and it’s one of the best looking lakes in Pool 5.”
Iaconelli, who worked the edge of a slope in a cove, was grateful Sunday for what he called a magic day, bringing to the boat every fish that bit, unlike his first two days when he lost a few lunkers.
“I had a two-pronged approach out here,” Iaconelli said of his three days on the Red. He used reaction baits to cover water, and then a LaserLure crankbait in a custom black and blue; he also fished an Ike’s Revenge, a Chatterbait style lure by Longshank, in black and blue; a black and blue Ike’s Finesse Jig by Berkley; and finally a Tru-Tungsten black and red metalflake tube.
“All week I used all four of those baits interchangeably,” he said. “When I got in there today the water was 50 degrees. It was 10 degrees colder than at the start of the tournament. So I threw that reaction stuff for 10, 20 minutes and nothing. I realized I had to slow down, so I fished a 4 ½-inch tube all day. I caught all my stuff today on that tube.”
Louisiana’s own Greg Hackney, of Gonzales, had the big bass of the day, a 7 pound, 1 ounce lunker. Kenyon Hill of Norman, Okla., had the big bag of the tournament with his Sunday haul of 24 pounds, 2 ounces.
The 2008 Toyota Tundra Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year Kim Bain-Moore of Alabaster, Ala., who made history Friday in becoming the first woman to fish the Bassmaster Classic, missed the cut Saturday, finishing the tournament in 47th place with a two-day total of 12 pounds, 2 ounces.
Two-time Classic champion Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., the 2008 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year, finished 30th with 23-11.
|
Arkansas pro Clark Reehm is known as perhaps the most loquacious individual among the hundred-plus anglers in the Elite Series field. But after three days of working the Classic Expo for his sponsors, talking to hundreds if not thousands of fishing fans, even Reehm was toungue-tied.
|
|
Skeet Reese today won the Bassmaster Classic on the Red River and Redemption had something to do with it. "Redemption" is a new spinnerbait addition to the Lucky Craft family of products just introduced at ICAST and delivered to stores only recently. Designed by Reese this bait has internal rattles and a artsy head design.
More to come on specific colors.
|
 FLW photo
Gary Dobyns announced today that Lake Fork, Texas angler and owner of Lake Fork Tackle Mark Pack has joined Dobyns Rods on their pro staff. "I am very excited to have the opportunity fish with the highest quality rods in the country. Gary has a variety of different models, more than most other brands, and the quality is unmatched. If I have a specific application like filipping or spinnerbaiting Dobyns has the perfect rod for it" said Pack.
"I have watched Mark for years and not only is he a great angler but a great promoter as well. We are thrilled to have him on our staff" said Gary Dobyns.
|
|
The 2009 Classic Expo has been a smashing success according to attendance figures released today. The Shreveport Convention Center hosted 60,123 patrons on Saturday besting the 2003 New Orleans record of 19,151. Not only was this the largest amount of traffic at an Outdoor Expo but it was also the largest total ever at the Convention Center.
Opening day totals also surpassed previous Classic opening days as well. 2009 opening day total was 16,233 also bettering the 2003 New Orleans event of 12,056.
Way to go Shreveport and thanks to all the fans who have attended!
|
Ty One On2/22/2009 8:59:16 AM
Jackall’s Seiji Kato has become almost a household name among in-the-know tackle addicts or tournament devotees. Likewise, Classic Qualifier Kota Kiriyama waves the Jackall flag high above him – he used the company’s lures to achieve a top twelve at Amistad and a dramatic victory at Erie.
|
|
 Homer Humphreys is the happiest unhappy man in Shreveport this week.
He’s a legend of the sport and a Red River institution, and he finished 4th in the Central Open standings in 2008. That’s good, but not good enough to make the Classic. One spot out of the cut might as well have been a hundred, for all he was concerned. He had a good season, but the brass ring remained just out of reach.
Still, he’s proud of the show his home town is putting on this week. “We already broke the record for (Friday) attendance,” he said. “And I’m still hoping they’re going to beat Luke Clausen’s three-day weight mark.”
But whether they sack records or dinks, he thinks he could outfish the field and he can’t quite shake the feeling completely.
Is the 51-angler field missing anything?
“They’re missing a good bite,” he said. He claimed he could go behind just about any competitor in the Classic and catch fish they had missed. “They’re jigging and hopping the lure and the key is to keep it right there in place,” he added.
|
|
Ronnie Parker, CEO of Lake Fork Trophy Lures, is understandably excited about his company’s full line of Hyper Worms and Hyper Freaks, the latter of which enabled company front man Mark Pack to win six figures in a single FLW Tour event last year. We here at Wired2Fish are just as psyched to see what those baits can do, but we may be even more jacked up about LFTL’s Para Helium fluorocarbon hybrid line. We watched Parker put it through its paces in their booth today and the stuff is impressive. Minimal memory, thin diameter and brute strength. Word is that several competitors in the Classic are using it this week, but we can’t disclose who yet. 
|
|
South Dakota's Jami Fralick is leading the Bassmaster Classic after Day two with 38-9. Skeet Reese is in second place with 38-1 followed by Edwin Evers with 36-3, Kelly Jordon with 35-15 and Aaron Martens with 35-10.
Realistically, any angler in the top 18 still has a shot weight wise to win this Classic!! Here is the top group of anglers with a shot at winning.
|
Lucky Craft hits the spotlight
One of our favorite sites is the Lucky Craft blog called "The Daily Crank" and they're at the Classic this week featuring the LC pros on the water and at the outdoors show.
The Crank has been updated with some images from the Classic launch Friday morning on the Red River, along with a new video from Rick Clunn. In it, the four-time Classic champion discusses some of the new colors he designed with the help of his son, River.
Check it out at www.thedailycrank.com
In other Lucky Craft news.....Skeet Reese found fishing to his liking today and brought in 20 lbs plus (22-9) to position himself in the top 5 heading into the final day tomorrow. Team Lucky Craft's Kelly Jordon also had a big day with 20-5 and now sits in 4th.
|
|
BASS founder Ray Scott never is at a loss for marketing savvy, which has helped propel BASS, bass fishing and his own line of products into the public conscience for 40 years.
Saturday at the jam-packed Classic outdoors show, Scott was signing autographs about as fast as possible on everything from caps and books to a kid's forehead. No joke. We watched him do it!
Behind Scott in his booth were two coolers full of warm, tinfoil-wrapped tamales in corn husks. They were delicious and Scott was trying to barter them to the public.
"Buy one of my books or hats and I'll give you lunch!" he said. "You can't beat that!"
The tamales came from a place in Zwole, La., where he visited years ago and fell in love with them. Scott ordered some for the show.
|
|
Lowrance will incorporate its side-viewing technology in its HDS series of electronics units this year, with refinements in the quality of images viewed by anglers.
Doug O'Hara of Lowrance said side-viewing will be possible with the HDS Broadband lineup that provides high definition images of bottom topography and structure. Underwater islands, humps, dropoffs, depressions and ledges will be more clearly visible. Side-viewing also will provide that snapshot image of the cover and structure to either side of the boat.
"With the side-viewing feature one of the biggest challenges is getting where a person can understand what he's looking at and for it to make sense," O'Hara said. "There's always a challenge with technology and improvements, and this is no different."
Lowrance pro Tommy Biffle of Oklahoma said the new technology is pretty sharp.
"It's like looking at a picture," he said. "It's just well-defined and you're able to see what's down there. I want to be able to position the transducer on my trolling motor so whichever way I'm going, I can look at the screen and know if there's a log pointed a particular way then I know where it is."
Lowrance said the side-imaging feature will be available "at a later date" this year.
|
|
Demopolis Alabama pro Boyd Duckett has taken the day one lead of the Bassmaster Classic in Shreveport. He had 5 bass weighing 20 lbs 3 ounces. Right behind him are South Dakota's Jami Fralick with 5 weighing 19-03, Fred Roumbanis with 18-04, Aaron Martens with 18-01 and Federation Nation Angler Terry Fitzpatrick with 18-00.
Day two is underway with overcast skies and cooler temps predicted. The weatherman is saying we have a good chance of rain (60%) with temps only reaching the mid 50's.
There were 39 limits, 223 fish and 584 lbs of bass weighed in on Day 1.
Todays weigh in will begin at 3:00 pm.
The Bassmaster Outdoor Expo will run today from 10 am until 7 pm.
|
|
Sophomore North Carolina pro Pat Golden will fly the colors of Dave's Tournament Tackle this year. The company is known regionally for their fine jigs, plastics and especially spinnerbaits and Golden has used them for years. Now his task is to expand the company's national footprint. We'd say this good looking wrap is a great start.
|
When Power Poles started showing up on bass boats a handful of years ago, they were typically viewed as an oddity or a specialty items. Those days are over. Florida boys like Chris Lane and Terry Segraves (pictured), along with Chris's brother Bobby and Shaw Grigsby led the way but now over 60 percent of the Elite Series field runs 'em. In fact, 5 competitors at this week's Classic are running two, and the company says that the number of pros in the 2009 Elite Series field who will be double-poling it promises to be in double digits. |
 For some reason, no one lines up for our autographs when we sack just four pounds in a local tournament, but the Bassmaster Classic is no little tournament and KVD is no regular angler. Despite a tough day on the river, KVD graciously made his way over to the Classic Expo to represent his sponsors after the weigh-in -- and his fans don't seem to care whether he catches 4 pounds or 40. They'll line up around the block for an autograph, a picture or just a moment of his time.
|
 
Lake Fork guide, touring pro and Toyota Texas Bass Classic champ Lance Vick is happy to be working the Classic Expo for his sponsors, but don't blame him if he occasionally gets a far-off look in his eyes. He and his clients have been whacking big bass shallow on Fork in recent days -- 30 to 50 of 'em to be precise, and one day their best five tallied somewhere in the 50 pound range.
The best bait? The new GrandeBass Rattlesnake.
|
Mercury goes retro
Two cool things that caught our eye in the Mercury exhibit were old school logos instead of the newer styles.
One is a green-white cap with a cool winged shield, red "K" and the Kiekhaefer Mercury Outboard Motors logo used years ago. Another was a brown-and-gray hoodie sweatshirt with a very simple Kiekhaefer logo.
The exhibit included outboard motors that spanned the company's near 70th anniversary. One was from 1957, a MercElectric Mark 75 that was the first production outboard to exceed 100 mph. It had a 6-cylinder 2-stroke engine. Another was from 1966, a Merc 1000SS that included the first hydraulic trim. |
Quinn re-signs with CDM, Evan Williams
Jason Quinn has re-signed sponsorship deals with Evan Williams Bourbon through 2012 and with Costa Del Mar sunglasses for two more years.
"I'm really happy to be associated with these two companies and we just got things done not too long ago," Quinn said while signing autographs during the Classic outdoors show.
Both companies also are sponsor partners with B.A.S.S. Quinn's association with Evan Williams Bourbon began in 2004 just prior to the Classic on Lake Wylie when the company contacted him about wearing one of its logoed caps that week. That began an association that has lasted longer than many non-endemic sponsorships and looks to be going strong into the future.
With Costa del Mar, Quinn helped the company with its "Bass Life" video show on Channel C. It can be found on the Costa del Mar site along with other cool fishing videos.
"We're still working on it and getting details worked out for Season 2," Quinn said. |
Short bites from the stage
A few quick shots from the Classic weigh-in stage on Friday:
-- Todd Faircloth of Texas will join the BASS Million Dollar Club this weekend with the guaranteed $10,000 paycheck. "You need to ask Angie where all that money is," he said.
-- Rick Clunn of Missouri put his aluminum boat to use Friday to maneuver around shallow backwaters, which he said is easier to do in an 18-20 foot boat instead of a fiberglass rig. Clunn said he's not getting hung up as much and fished from an aluminum boat when he was much younger. "I enjoy fishing from an aluminum boat and had a good time."
-- The news media typically is the one to goof up on a name, but Kenyon Hill of Oklahoma did it all by himself. In the process of preparing for the Classic, he left out a letter in his name on his boat rap to become "Keyon." Everyone knows him, though!
-- Dustin Wilks of North Carolina ran out of gas on the way back from his Friday location, which he said didn't happen during practice.
-- Ish Monroe of California put the hammer down on his Yamaha-Ranger rig and locked through to Pool 3 on Friday, which didn't pay off as he was trying to get away from other anglers. "I ran 52 gallons and 140 miles looking for big bites and it just didn't happen," he said.
|
|
Phoenix Boats today introduced their new 719 Pro XP bass boat and a passenger side console that is removeable for their flagship 721Pro XP. The removeable console takes a single console version and makes it a dual one with a modular console that easily snaps into place. Cool stuff.
|
Olympic gold medalist Brendan Hansen is expected to be at the Classic this week with friends to whet his appetite for bass fishing.
Hansen was part of the winning 4x100 medley relay team with Aaron Peirsal, Michael Phelps and Jason Lezak at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Their time of 3:29:34 was a world record and nipped the Australians by six-tenths of a second. Hansen swims for the University of Texas, where he has set many NCAA records, and won numerous times on the international level. At the Olympics last summer he also was second in the 100m breaststroke and third in the 200m breaststroke.
Hansen lists wakeboarding, hunting and fishing as his hobbies on his Web site. He has a black Lab named Jack and a pound pup named Henry.
|
2007 Bassmaster Classic champ Boyd Duckett gets up early in the morning only because he has to, and not because he enjoys it.
"I'm not a morning person at all," he said. "I hate getting up early. Some of these guys, bam! They're up at 4 a.m. or whatever every morning and I'm just not like that."
Of course, Duckett does get up to put his e21 Carrot Stix boat in the lake almost every morning. That's his job and you can't be a pro angler sleeping in until 8 or 9 a.m.
Duckett also is sporting a new set of Nike shoes this week with his familar red trim, but he's added some nifty designs and yellow laces. Maybe those give him a jolt in the boat when he looks down at his sonar unit. |
|
Can we have a pulse check on aisle three?
Georgia’s Waine Pittman, one of five Federation Nation anglers who qualified to fish some big derby that’s going on this week in Shreveport, Louisiana, isn’t comatose or shell-shocked. He’s apparently just unflappable.
|
|
There is one thing for sure about the early predictions for the 2009 Classic and that is the early prognosticators are all over the board as we get closer to tomorrows start. Weather changes could be the culprit.
Weather patterns will change everyday of this event beginning in the am tomorrow(Friday) with temps nearing 35 degrees at take-off and only warming to the mid 50s by afternoon. Its a guessing game and all of the anglers we spoke to today are confident but not as confident as record predictions earlier would have indicated. Saturday light rain is expected and Sunday's final day calls for clearing and high skies.
After a general survey today most participants guessed it would take between 48 and 52 pounds to win with a majority saying they felt good bags would be seen on Friday or even maybe Saturday but the angler that wins will be away from the crowds and have 3 solid days of fish located in a small area.
Kevin VanDam said today he felt like this was one of the toughest fields he can remember for this type of fishery. "The anglers in the group here can catch them. This is a very tough group on river systems and looking at it on paper one that any of them could win."
By all accounts, this is shaping up to being one of the most even Classics on record with no outright heavy favorite.
|
|
The Shreveport Convention Center is sold out for the Bassmaster Outdoor Show which begins at 12:00 pm tomorrow. All of the booths for the show are filled with tackle, boats, motors, and outdoors related products. We will be covering as much as possible from the floor and if you have any questions or products you would like for us to track down feel free to email us at feedback@wired2fish.com.
|
 BASS photo
Shaw Grigsby, Tommy Biffle and Chris Lane are all sporting new facial hair for the 2009 Elite Series campaign. Biffle and Grigsby have full beards and Lane a mustache and goatee. Wonder how long they will keep them?
Polly Grigsby, Shaws wife, told us "He caught a 13 plus pounder at the PAA event with the beard so decided to keep it for a while".
|
Classic brings good news for Shreveport/Bossier City and surrounding area
The Classic champion will earn $500,000 this weekend along with sponsor endorsement benefits and future opportunities that could fatten a bank account.
But the Shreveport-Bossier City area is expecting a big dividend as well. A revitalized downtown area and "boardwalk" along the Red River that includes a Bass Pro Shops store is energized about this weekend's influx of visitors and media attention.
The local newspaper, "The Times," in a front-page story Wednesday said economic impact may be a conservative $24 million to the area. It quoted a Pittsburgh official, Craig Davis of the VisitPittsburgh tourism agency, as saying that number could be low. Davis said Pittsburgh had a $30 million hit to its economy from the 2005 Classic.
"It was a very big deal for Pittsburgh," said Davis, the vice president of sales and marketing for VisitPittsburgh. "People who haven't been to Pittsburgh have this perception that we are a steel city, although that hasn't been the case for almost 30 years. We jumped at the chance to change perceptions because we wanted people to know that they can catch bass in our rivers that are right out in front of our buildings. The city was in the backdrop."
The story said "at least" 5,000 rooms are expected to be used by Classic visitors this week, but did not quantify if that was 5,000 separate rooms or 5,000 "room nights" as some tourism officials cite for extended stays during events. In either case, the city is abuzz with signs on streets and in businesses promoting the Classic.
|
This year's Classic field includes five former champions and nine Angler of the Year winners.
The Classic champs are Alton Jones of Texas, Kevin Van Dam of Michigan, Mike Iaconelli of New Jersey, Mark Davis of Arkansas, Davy Hite of South Carolina, Boyd Duckett of Alabama and Rick Clunn of Missouri.
Angler of the Year competitors include Van Dam, Clunn, Iaconelli, Hite, Davis, Skeet Reese of California, Aaron Martens and Timmy Horton of Alabama and Gary Klein of Texas.
|
BASS founder Ray Scott will make the first ceremonial cast Friday morning from the boat of Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year Kevin Van Dam to open the Classic.
Here's hoping Scott takes his own rod and reel to cast with. It wouldn't be good to fire off a shot with Van Dam's rig and have a backlash!
Launches each morning of the tournament are set for 7:15 CT from the Red River South Marina.
|
Anglers expected the Red River to fish small and yield five or six top "winnable" locations this weekend, so it wasn't a surprise in Wednesday's lone practice day this week that some of them were fishing in the same areas.
Bobby Lane of Florida said patience will be a key during slow idling times to get into some of the key backwater ponds where noise from boats and spectators could change things. A cold front moving into the area also may change strategies this weekend.
While Lane said the Red is capable of a winning weight of 50-60 pounds, a more conservative outlook could be 45-50 pounds if things go well.
"The average fish right now is about 3 to 3.5 pounds," he said. "I'd say 13 to 15 a day, definitely, just to make the Top 25. If you catch fifive, I think they're going to weigh at least 12 to 14 pounds."
Lane is no stranger to a jig and flipping stick, so he expects to have one in his hand along with most of the 51-angler field.
"Absolutely," he said, "and I love it. "I'm going to be about 85 percent flipping and the rest, probably spinnerbait. I've had bites every day, some real nice, quality fish in the 4- to 5-pound range. But how many other people have found those same groups of fish is what we're going to have to find out Friday."
|
Ten years? Time does fly by quickly
It's been 10 years since BASS staged the Bassmaster Classic in Louisiana, holding its first championship in the Pelican State down in New Orleans on the Mississippi River Delta in the first of three tournaments on that vast expanse of freshwater marsh.
Davy Hite claimed that title with 55 pounds 10 ounces, with Denny Brauer second with about 45 pounds. That came just a year after Brauer's Classic win on High Rock Lake in North Carolina.
"It has gone by fast," Brauer said. "Very fast. It doesn't seem that long ago."
The rest of the top five in that shootout included Larry Nixon, Gary Klein and Ron Shuffield. Nixon and Shuffield are now fishing on the FLW Tour and Klein is back in this year's Classic on the Red River. The '99 Classic must have been a good learning experience for the sixth-place angler - a young gun named Mike Iaconelli - because he won the title in 2003 on the Delta in the last championship held there.
Classic anglers had their "Elite Night" banquet Wednesday evening and everyone was dressed to the nines in ties and jackets, looking spiffy with their spouses and girlfriends all decked out in their finest. It will be back into fishing apparel today for media day, the final big event before Friday morning's launch.
"I'm ready," Brauer said, smiling confidently.
|
|
Spro Corporation will be launching a new website with information about their baits and pro's from the 2009 BASS Elite Series. It could launch as early as tomorrow (Friday). It will called "Spro on Tour" and each Elite Series Tournament the top two finishing Spro pro's will be giving a summary of their week and tournament performance. This site will include video commentary, tips and photo's from the water. Spro Pro's are Dean Rojas, John Crews, Gary Klein and Mike McClelland. It will run in conjuction with Spro's website www.spro.com.
|
 Jeffreys photo
Elite Series and Skeeter Pro Brian Clark of Haltham City Texas has signed a new agreement with Del Rio Texas based Power Tackle. He joins fellow Elite Series pro Mark Menendez on their staff. "Their rods are full of innovation, I really like the composite crankbait rod. They are the lightest composite I have ever used. Tim Reneau and Chris James know rods and they know how to build them right. You can be assured when you buy one of their rods you are getting quality. We have a small pro staff, and I like that, and I am looking forward to growing with Power Tackle" said Clark.
Besides Power Tackle Clark is sponsored by Strike King, Yamaha, Skeeter, Optima Batteries, Power Pole, Moritz Chevrolet, Fun and Sun Sports Centers and Texas Fishing Forum.
|
|
In our neverending quest to provide you with the best coverage of the Classic we thought we would do a little homework for those of you that will be attending this years prestigious event and are new to the Shreveport/Bossier City area. We all have to eat right? With the help of our local food connoisseur Mr. Kent Walker, we've put together a local restaurant guide that is sure to offer you a "taste" of Shreveport.
BBQ
-The Hickory Stick
4448 Youree Drive
318.861.7527
Downhome southern BBQ at it's finest! This is the place for great pulled pork sandwiches! We recommend you also try the ribs!
SANDWICHES
-Herby K's
1833 Pierre Ave
318.424.2724
This is the home of the Famous Shrimp Buster! If you're in Shreveport, you've got to have of of these! This is a Po'Boy with 4 butterflied shrimp pounded flat then fried to a golden brown. Served on french bread with a spicy red sauce.
Heads Up: Closed on Sundays
CAJUN
-Shane's Acadiana Crawfish
5914 Youree Drive
318.865.6088
Folks come here for the family atmosphere and the great people! One of the most popular items on the menu (besides mudbugs) is the catfish but don't forget about the ribs or the crabcakes! Yum!
STEAK AND SEAFOOD
-Ralph and Kacoo's
1700 Old Minden Road
318.747.6660
This place has been voted "The Best Cajun Seafood in Louisiana". Gator Bites, Crawfish Bisque, Avocado and Crab Salad, Shrimp St. Charles, need I say more.
FINE DINING
-Ernest Orleans Restaurant
1601 Spring Street
318.226.1325
This is a MUST on our list! Great ambience and everything you are looking for in a dining experience! How does this sound? Start off with Ernest's famous marinated Crab Claws with the adult beverage of your choice followed up with Snapper Ernest - a filet of red snapper broiled with lump crab meat served with lemon butter and white wine. After a long day walking the Classic show floor this sounds like the perfect ending!
Heads Up: Reservations Strongly Suggested
Mention the Bassmasters Classic and Wired2Fish and they will do their best to accommodate you.
A GREAT PLACE TO GRAB A BEER
-Noble Savage Tavern
417 Texas Street
318.221.1781
Restaurant and music venue. Features wild game, fresh seafood, pizza and sandwiches.
-The Cub
3002 Girard Street
318.868.9686
The Cub can be consistently relied on for the best steaks in town.
-Superior Grill
6123 Line Avenue
318.869.3243
Awesome margaritas and fajitas!
|
|
The upcoming Bassmaster Classic is the official kick-off to the tournament season to many fan's and anglers. Part of that kick-off is making sure your boat is ready to go for the long season ahead.
Used by professional Elite Series Angler Mike McClelland, Nauticare Boat Care products is the perfect group of products to get you going and keep your boat looking showroom new even through the harshest of conditions. "I like Nauticare because its easy to apply and remove, works great with the wraps we use today and comes in a simple bucket where I can take it with me on the road" said McClelland. "Logging thousands of miles on all types of roads can be hard on my boat. I depend on Nauticare to protect it" added McClelland.
|
|
 Berkley Renews Association With BASS as Official Sponsor
Berkley, America’s leading fishing tackle brand, and BASS, the worldwide authority on bass fishing, announced today that the Columbia, S.C.-based tackle company has renewed its long standing association as an official sponsor and supporter of BASS. Berkley will continue as the official fishing line and soft plastic baits of BASS and its prestigious tournament trails and events.
Berkley, a subsidiary of Pure Fishing, has developed an award-winning product lineup, including Trilene, Fireline, Vanish, PowerBait, Gulp! and numerous other innovations that help anglers catch more fish.
The agreement includes sponsorship of the Bassmaster Classic, Bassmaster Elite Series, the BASS Federation Nation presented by Yamaha Outboards and Skeeter Boats, the Bassmaster Opens and the Academy Sports + Outdoors Women’s Bassmaster Tour.
“BASS and Berkley have for decades been leaders in promoting bass fishing and conservation,” said John Bartow, senior marketing director for Pure Fishing. “Our baits and line have played major roles in the evolution of bass fishing. Our Classic champions, winners of Angler of the Year awards, tournament victors and dominant team performances have all contributed to the growth of the sport and we are excited to continue our sponsorship in the BASS programs.”
Additionally, Berkley will receive significant exposure across BASS’ multimedia properties, including The Bassmasters on ESPN2, Bassmaster Magazine and www.Bassmaster.com. Berkley will also receive on-site exhibit space at all BASS events to display its product lines.
The Berkley pro staff includes Mike Iaconelli of Runnemede, N.J., and Davy Hite of Ninety Six, S.C., each a former winner of the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year award and the Bassmaster Classic. The Berkley team also includes past Classic champions Boyd Duckett of Demopolis, Ala., and Ken Cook of Meers, Okla.; and AOY winners Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., and Gary Klein of Weatherford, Texas.
“Berkley continues to be a brand that exemplifies sound leadership and loyalty,” said Tom Ricks, vice president and general manager, BASS and ESPN Outdoors. “Their dedication to the industry and growing the sport of bass fishing is true and their continued support of anglers at all levels is impressive.”
|
|
We hinted about it last week but today Strike King let the cat out of the bag with their new Sexy Swimmer. Just in time for the Bassmaster Classic the Sexy Swimmer is a three segment narrow bodied bait perfect for all kinds of fisheries and species. Chris Brown, Head of Marketing for Strike King, tells us "the Sexy Swimmer is a double jointed hard plastic swimbait that is 5 inches in length and weighs 5/8 ounce. It doesn't have a diving lip but instead sinks slowly and is designed to be fished a various speeds and depths with unbelievable action. It is available in 6 colors including Sexy Shad and Chartruese Sexy Shad."
They will be showcasing them at the Bassmaster Classic Outdoor Show later this week.
|
|
Thanks again to all that participated in yesterdays special 1 Day only contest! The 3 lucky winners of the Jackall Swimming Ninjas are:
Alec Cochran of Round Rock, TX
Bryan Estes of Tremont, IL
Steve Davenport of Salina, KS
The correct answers of the contest were:
1. How many colors are available? Name them.
5 Colors - Sexy Shad, Hitch, Tennesse Shad, Chartreuse Shad, and California Trout
2. What is the length of the bait? 6"
3. How many treble hooks are on the bait? 2 Trebles
Congratulations Alec, Bryan and Steve!
|
|
Biosonix has been around for several years and has been proven successful by some of the worlds greatest anglers including Aaron Martens, Mike Iaconelli, Skeet Reese, Paul Elias and Kevin VanDam. The proven technoilogy just got better and easier to use with the new dash mount RF300. Better sounds means more fish in the right situations. Look for signature sounds from the pro's on this unit as well. Check out more at www.biosonix.com. |
Phoenix Boats to introduce new 719 Pro XP at the Bassmaster Classic
Gary Clouse, President of Phoenix Boats, announced today that they will introduce the second model in the Phoenix lineup at the Bassmaster Classic on February 20th. “We know there are many people across the country who want to see our boats,” says Clouse. “And the Classic is the perfect place to do that.”
The 719 Pro XP is 19’8” in length, with a wide 96” beam. “Its design is the same as its larger brother, the 721 Pro XP which was introduced in early January, “ add Clouse. “ The 719 ProXP has a 225 HP rating and touts the same running surface as the 721 Pro XP, which has been the most talked about boat in the January boat shows. “These boats are re-defining design, performance, and fishability,” says Clouse, “and the Diamond Vee hull design insures a superb on-plane time, superior turning capabilities and excellent top-end speed.”
“The 719 Pro XP is another in the lineup for the serious bass angler,” says Hank Baker, VP of Sales. “I would challenge anyone who is interested in a new bass boat this year to take a test drive in a Phoenix. We are confident you will love the performance!”
It has all of the same standard features as the 721 Pro XP, including the under seat net storage, rotating tackle system and completely enclosed console. And, as all Phoenix Boats, the all-composite construction includes AME 500 resins and superior knit type fiberglass cloth.
Phoenix Boats is a Tennessee corporation headquartered in Tullahoma, Tn. in a modern 50,000 square foot facility located on 10 acres. For more information contact Phoenix Boats, 210 Industrial Blvd. Tullahoma, Tn. 37388 Web address phoenixbassboats.com, Phone 931-455-2014 Fax 931-455 2086 E mail gclouse@phoenixbassboats.com, tjohnson@phoenixbassboats.com or hbaker@phoenixbassboats.com.
|
|
Reeves Marine hosting anglers with Fan Fest contests, events
Reeves Marine Center in Shreveport will be buzzing like a hornet's nest hit with a 1-ounce jig this week during the Bassmaster Classic festivities with its own "Fan Fest" activities.
The Skeeter dealership has been prepping for the Classic for more than a year and is set to welcome all the anglers and fishing fans. Reeves Marine Center is located next door to the CenturyTel center where the Classic weigh-ins will be held Thursday through Sunday.
Reeves Marine is holding a cool contest, too. Just go by and guess the combined weight of 10 bass in the tank at the dealership and fill out a registration form. The contest ends at noon this Saturday, Feb. 21, and the two contestants with the closest guesses will be contacted to return to Reeves Marine that evening.
Then, the two will have a chance at winning a Skeeter I-Class boat, Yamaha Rhino, $2,500 or a $500 apparel package. What a sweet deal! There also will be a drawing that night for a Yamaha Scooter valued at approximately $2,500.
That's some kind of contest right there! How good are your guessing abilities? Will a 2-pounder look like a 3-pounder? What if there's a giant bass in there? Can you get close to the total weight?
Friday's "Game Show" contest
That's not all, either, because Friday night at Reeves Marine they will be holding a drawing for two people who will participate in a mock game show called "Are You Smarter Than a 2009 Bassmaster Classic Contender?"
The topics will pertain to Classics, general fishing and tournament history. The winner will receive $1,000 from Skeeter Boats!
Laserlure will also be on hand showcasing their new baits at Reeves in their casting tank as well. Check them at at the night festivities.
For information on the contests and other events at Reeves Marine Center in Shreveport, visit www.reevesmarine.com and then click on Fan Fest.
|
|
Public to benefit from Classic gathering of Zebco Pros
For anyone interested in bass fishing, this week's Bassmaster Classic in Shreveport, La., Feb. 20 - 22, is the place to be. While 51 anglers compete for the championship title, dozens of other top pros will be appearing at the Classic Outdoors Expo at the Shreveport Convention Center as part of the tournament activities.
"Attending the Classic weigh-ins is great fun, but there's a lot more going on than just what's happening on the water," said John Kushnerick, marketing services director for Quantum. "We have seven pros competing in the Classic, but we also have 10 other angling all-stars who will be in our booth and readily accessible to talk fishing, take photos and sign autographs. I suggest that families attend both the expo and the weigh-ins to get the most from a Classic experience."
Representing Quantum in the quest for the 2009 Classic title are Kevin VanDam, Randy Howell, Greg Hackney, Shaw Grigsby, Gary Klein, Mike McClelland and Dean Rojas.
Among celebrity anglers to be in the Quantum booth are Bill Dance, Tommy Biffle, Paul Elias, Gerald Swindle, Mike Wurm, Jonathon VanDam, Anthony Randazzo, Billy Wallbaum, Judy Wong and Sheri Glasgow. A schedule showing the days and times for their appearances is posted at www.quantumfishing.com. Photos of fans and pros taken in the booth by Quantum personnel will also be made available for free download at the same web site.
Making their debut in the Quantum booth will be the brand new Tour Elite Signature Series of rods custom designed by top pros like VanDam, Hackney, Biffle and others. It will also be the first chance for many consumers to see and feel the newly redesigned Quantum PT baitcast and spinning reels.
Quantum pro Mike Wurm in particular is excited to show visitors the magic when Quantum rods, reels and Cajun Fluorocarbon are matched together. "We're talking state-of-the-art technology all the way around with this lineup," he said. "I can personally show and tell of my experiences with each."
As part of a Quantum exclusive for the Classic, those who buy any Quantum rod or reel at the expo will receive a free spool of Cajun Fluorocarbon at the Quantum booth with proof of purchase, along with a special Quantum hat designed for the Classic ... approximately a $40 value.
"I'll even show you the right way to spool your reel if you'd like, and we can have some other fun too," added Wurm. "In fact, do me a favor and please ask Biffle why he's not fishing the Classic this year. While we'd all rather be fishing this event, we do find it an entertaining alternative to watch Tommy turn red at the question."
The expo is free and open to the public. Expo hours are Friday, noon-9 p.m. CT; Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. CT; and Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. CT. All Quantum booth activities, including daily updates from the pros fishing the Classic, can be found at www.quantumfishing.com.
The Classic daily weigh-ins will be at the CenturyTel Center in Bossier City. CenturyTel's doors will open at 3:30 p.m. CT, except on Saturday, Feb. 21, when a free concert by Zac Brown Band will begin at 3 p.m. CT.
|
|
The Berkley Tank and the Berkley Experience Trailer are heading to the Bassmaster Classic. They will be in Shreveport for the Classic Outdoor Show that begins on Friday at the Shreveport Conventiion Center beginning at 12 pm. The show will run until 9 pm on Friday. Saturday hours are 10 am to 7 pm and Sunday is 10 am to 4 pm. Seminars, product demos and professional anglers as well as Pure Fishing personnel will be on hand.
For more specific information go the Bassmaster site "attend an event" by clicking here. |
|
If a fish will bite a crankbait rest assured David Fritts will be a threat. This past week David found what others didn't and won the FLW Chevy Open at Lake Guntersville. Instead of fishing shallow grass with a Clackin Rap or other fast movers he chose to fish a bait he designed for Rapala that dove to 10 feet and just ticked the structure.
All week long lipless rattling baits were the norm and several giant bags were caught on them. Finding some deeper fish Fritts chose a Fritts designed Rapala DT10 in two colors to win. He used a chartruese brown pattern in the early hours and plain shad in the pm when the sun got up. He also felt the Sure Set hooks, he designed as well, we the difference between landing the bass and losing them.
The DT-10 is available at Tackle Warehouse and you can buy them by clicking here. |
|
California's Matt Newman has joined Laserlure for 2009. He joins Boyd Duckett and Mike Iaconelli on their pro-staff. This technology savvy company has hit the ground running both from a bait and prostaff perspective and will have a large footprint on both the FLW and BASS Tournament Trails with these three anglers.
“The laser is why I signed with LaserLure. On top of having one of the most premium baits they also enhance them with the laser beam which will give me the upper hand during every tournament. I am very excited to be a part of such a great company,and can’t wait until my next victory on a LaserLure.” said Matt Newman.
“We are very happy to have Matt Newman on our team. We are excited to have a pro of his caliber and we know he will be a great asset to LaserLure. We look forward to his great success with us. He has a strong passion for our lures and we know he is the right angler to add to our growing prostaff.” Said Mike Lopez, LaserLure’s National Sales Manager.
To read the press release announcement click here.
|
|
Lexington, North Carolina's David Fritts won the Chevy Open on the FLW Tour at Lake Guntersville today with 38-01 lbs. He wins $200,000 for the victory.
 FLW photo
In second place was Sam Newby with 37-00 and third was David Dudley with 34-11. Kentucky's Ramie Colson was fourth with 34.03.
Fritts surpassed the 2 million dollar mark with the win.
Fritts was fishing the Rapala DT-10 the last day and a Fat Ratz Football Head Jig and Zoom Speed Craw trailer earlier in the week. Others in the top 10 were Tom Mann Jr., David Walker, John Tanner, Mike Surman, Sam Newby, Craig Dowling and Scott Canterbury.
To get the final standings and story go to www.flwoutdoors.com. You can also check Media Releases here for more info as well. |
ISRAEL, ONLY WOMAN TO WIN FLW TOUR EVENT, WINS TITLE AT CHEVY OPEN
Canterbury leads pros at Walmart FLW Tour event on Lake Guntersville
Team BP co-angler Judy Israel of Wimauma, Fla., the only woman to ever win a Tour-level event, notched her second co-angler title Saturday in the $1.1 million Walmart FLW Tour Chevy Open on Lake Guntersville. Israel won the Co-angler Division and $40,000 with a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 11 ounces followed by Team National Guard co-angler Justin Lucas of Folsom, Calif., in second place with five bass weighing 16-4 worth $15,000.
“Three out of my four practice days I didn’t catch a fish,” Israel said. “I caught a total of three fish. I went into this tournament not knowing what I was going to do.”
Israel, 63, said she relied on two baits, a square-bill crankbait and a Berkley Frenzy Rattl’r during the tournament. Israel got a confidence boost from the baits Friday after a slow start.
“On Friday, at about 1 p.m. I had four fish,” said Israel, who became the first woman to win a Tour event at the 2004 Atchafalaya event. “I caught my big one on a lipless crankbait. When I caught it, I told Carl (Svebek) ‘It’s got to be eight pounds. It’s so big. It’s so big.’
“Afterward, I started thinking it was smaller than that,” Israel continued. “I thought it was only a 7-pounder. And then I put my fish on the scales and was shocked to know that I had over 26 pounds and the big one was over nine pounds. That turns out to be my largest sack and my largest fish I’ve ever weighed in an event. I’m ecstatic.”
Israel said Saturday she missed her first fish of the day, caught two fish and then didn’t get another bite for a “long time.”
“Then my pro (Tom Mann Jr.) went shallower and there was no grass there,” Israel said. “I kept feeling little tree stumps or something there. I caught three fish in six casts on a red lipless crankbait.”
Israel said her first victory on the FLW Tour was sweet, but Saturday’s win was more special.
“I have such a passion for this sport,” said Israel, who taught school in the Bronx in New York City before she retired. “I love it. My love for the sport goes back to my father who took me flounder fishing in Long Island Sound when I was 2 years old.”
Pro Scott Canterbury of Springville, Ala., caught a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 11 ounces Saturday to capture the lead in a top-10 field that includes some of the greatest pro anglers in the world. Canterbury now holds a 2-pound, 10-ounce edge over his closest competitor, Sam Newby of Pocola, Okla., heading into the final day of competition in the Chevy Open. If he holds on for the win, Canterbury will pocket $200,000.
“Today was a really tough day,” said Canterbury, who is fishing in his second season on the FLW Tour. “I had to work extra hard to catch what I caught. I hope I’ve left a lot for tomorrow. It’s been a great week so far; maybe they’ll reload tonight.”
Canterbury said he has been using three different lipless crankbaits to target grass in varied depths in the north Sauty area.
“I’ve got a couple of other areas down a bit further down the lake that I’ve been catching them, so I feel good about getting a limit,” Canterbury said. “I feel good about it.”
Newby caught four fish weighing 18 pounds, 1 ounce to advance to the final day of competition as the No. 2 seed.
“I lost a pretty good one in the first 10 or 15 minutes,” said Newby, who has won more than $668,000 in FLW Outdoors events. “Then it got pretty slow. It was pretty tedious today. We didn’t get a lot of bites, but when you did get a bite, it was a good one.
“I lost one today that was huge, but that happens when you’re fishing with a lipless crankbait,” said Newby, who caught three of his fish on a lipless crankbait and one on a jig. “I’m going to go back to my area and spend as much time there as my gut tells me. If they’ll bite at that spot, I’ll win this thing easily.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros are Team National Guard pro Ramie Colson Jr. of Cadiz, Ky. (five bass, 15-2); John Tanner of Quitman, Texas (five bass, 15-0); Team BP pro David Walker of Sevierville, Tenn. (five bass, 14-13); David Fritts of Lexington, N.C. (three bass, 14-4); Tom Mann Jr. of Buford, Ga. (four bass, 9-15); Team Castrol pro Mike Surman of Boca Raton, Fla. (four bass, 8-15); Team Castrol High Mileage pro David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va. (two bass, 7-15) and Craig Dowling of Grant, Ala. (three bass, 7-15).
Overall there were 40 bass weighing 132 pounds, 11 ounces caught in the Pro Division Saturday. The catch included four five-bass limits.
Pros are competing for a top award of $200,000 this week plus valuable points in the hope of qualifying for $2 million Forrest Wood Cup presented by Castrol and BP, which will be held July 30-Aug. 2 on the Three Rivers in Pittsburgh, Pa., where they could win as much as $1 million – the sport’s biggest award.
Israel opened the tournament in 30th place Thursday with four bass weighing 11-1 while fishing with Bryan Thrift of Shelby, N.C. On Friday she jumped into first place on the strength of a five-bass catch weighing 26-8 while fishing with Team Castrol pro Carl Svebek of Siloam Springs, Ark. She wrapped up her win while fishing with Mann.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers are Bill Bade of Omaha, Neb. (three bass, 9-4, $7,500); Kevin Koone of Greenbrier, Ark. (two bass, 8-3, $5,000); Thomas Helton of Charleston, Tenn. (three bass, 7-9, $4,000); Greg Schultz of Wayzata, Minn. (two bass, 6-12, $3,500); Terry Chapman of Stanley, N.C. (two bass, 6-3, $3,000); Fred Martin of North Little Rock, Ark. (two bass, 5-12, $2,500); Scott Gibson of Wiggins, Miss. (one bass, 5-9, $2,000) and Sam Mitchiner of Garner, N.C. (one bass, 2-2, $1,750).
Overall there were 26 bass weighing 5 pounds, 5 ounces caught in the Co-angler Division Saturday. The catch included two five-bass limits.
Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. Sunday from Lake Guntersville Resort State Park Resort in Guntersville, Ala., located at 1155 Lodge Drive in Guntersville. Sunday’s weigh-in will be held at the Von Braun Center located at700 Monroe St. in Huntsville, Ala., beginning at 4 p.m.
In conjunction with the weigh-in Sunday, FLW Outdoors will host a free Family Fun Zone and outdoor show at the Von Braun Center beginning at noon. The Family Fun Zone offers fans a chance to meet their Fantasy Fishing team anglers face-to-face and review the latest products from Berkley, Lowrance, Ranger, Evinrude, Yamaha and other sponsors while children are treated to giveaways, fishing themed games and rides like the Ranger Boat simulator. Children 14 and under visiting the Family Fun Zone on Sunday will receive a free rod and reel combo while supplies last. One lucky member of the audience will even win a new Ranger boat during the final 4 p.m. weigh-in Sunday. Admission is free, and you must be present to win.
In FLW Tour competition, pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The full field competes in the two-day opening round for one of 10 slots in Saturday’s competition based on their two-day accumulated weight. Weights are cleared for day three, and co-angler competition concludes following Saturday’s weigh-in. The top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.
The total purse for the Chevy Open event at Lake Guntersville is more than $1.1 million, including $10,000 through 50th place in the Pro Division. |
|
MANN JR. LEADS WALMART FLW TOUR CHEVY OPEN ON LAKE GUNTERSVILLE
Pro Tom Mann Jr. of Buford, Ga., caught a five-bass limit weighing 21 pounds, 7 ounces Friday to capture the lead in the Walmart FLW Tour’s $1.1 million Chevy Open on Lake Guntersville with a two-day catch of 10 bass weighing 46-12. He now holds a slim 4-ounce lead in the tournament featuring 150 pros and 150 co-anglers from across the United States, Mexico, Canada and Japan.
“Yesterday by 10 a.m. my co-angler and I had more than 20 pounds,” said Mann, who has won more than a half million dollars in FLW Outdoors events. “We were culling 3-pounders and laughing it up and having a big time. But that didn’t happen today. I told him today ‘They’re going to bite, but we’ve got to let the water warm up and the traffic die down.’ And we fished like we wanted to and the bigger ones bit this afternoon.”
Mann said fishing was slower on the second day of competition until the water warmed to about 50 degrees in the afternoon. Many anglers had commented on water temperatures rising to around 53 or 54 degrees during the first day of competition and said the warming trend was key to their bites.
“These fish are prespawn and full of eggs and are at least three or four weeks away from spawning,” said Mann, who said most of his fish came on a Rattlin’ Rapala, while a few came on a Senko worked slowly. “Along with the water temperatures, the key is finding just the right area. I’ve got about a 200-yard stretch that has greener hydrilla and milfoil mixed. 200 yards down the bank it’s brown and dead and 200 yards upshore it’s the same way. If you do catch a bass in those areas, it’s a 2-pounder.
“My main concern tomorrow will be the local traffic,” Mann continued. “There are a lot of tournaments going out tomorrow, and even though I’m way up the river, I know there will be a lot of guys in there.”
Scott Canterbury of Springville, Ala., advanced to the final round of 10 pros in the No. 2 spot with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 46-8.
“Today was amazing,” said Canterbury, who has 15 top-10 finishes in FLW Outdoors events. “It was just like yesterday. I started on a little place that I didn’t really know was as good as it is.”
Canterbury’s first day of competition resulted in a strong showing, so he returned to the spot to start the second day in hopes of continuing his streak of heavy keepers.
“I caught a 7-pounder and my co-angler caught a 6 ½-pounder, and I had 22 pounds there again today,” Canterbury said. “I stopped at a secondary place on the way back and culled a fish with a 5-pounder and ended up with 24 pounds. It’s been the most amazing week so far that I could imagine.”
Canterbury said he has used three different types of lipless crankbaits to cover a variety of depths and to fit specific fishing situations.
“I’ve got an area with scattered grass all around,” Canterbury said. “As I started fishing it during the tournament, I’ve gotten hung on stumps in it. I think that’s the biggest key.”
Rounding out the top five pros who will continue competition Saturday and Sunday are David Fritts of Lexington, N.C. (10 bass, 45-2); Sam Newby of Pocola, Okla. (10 bass, 44-11); and Team BP pro David Walker of Sevierville, Tenn. (10 bass, 41-14).
Also clearing the top-10 cut weight of 40 pounds, 12 ounces and adding to this already power-packed top-10 field are Team National Guard pro Ramie Colson of Cadiz, Ky.; Team Castrol High Mileage pro David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va.; Craig Dowling of Grant, Ala.; Team Castrol pro Mike Surman of Boca Raton, Fla.; and John Tanner of Quitman, Texas.
Art Ferguson of St. Clair Shores, Mich., earned the day’s $1,000 Folgers Big Bass award in the Pro Division thanks to a 7-pound, 15-ounce bass.
Pros are competing for a top award of $200,000 this week plus valuable points in the hope of qualifying for $2 million Forrest Wood Cup presented by Castrol and BP, which will be held July 30-Aug. 2 on the Three Rivers in Pittsburgh, Pa., where they could win as much as $1 million – the sport’s biggest award.
Team BP co-angler Judy Israel of Wimauma, Fla., leads the Co-angler Division with an opening-round total of nine bass weighing 37 pounds, 9 ounces, followed by Greg Schultz of Wayzata, Minn., in second place with nine bass weighing 36-12.
“At about 1 p.m. I had four fish,” said Israel, who became the first woman to win a Tour event at the 2004 Atchafalaya event. “I caught my big one on a lipless crankbait. When I caught it, I told Carl (Svebek) ‘It’s got to be eight pounds. It’s so big. It’s so big.’
“Afterward, I started thinking it was smaller than that,” Israel continued. “I thought it was only a 7-pounder. And then I put my fish on the scales and was shocked to know that I had over 26 pounds and the big one was over nine pounds. That turns out to be my largest sack and my largest fish I’ve ever weighed in an event. I’m ecstatic.”
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Terry Chapman of Stanley, N.C. (nine bass, 36-6); Fred Martin of North Little Rock, Ark. (seven bass, 34-13) and Team National Guard co-angler Justin Lucas of Folsom, Calif. (10 bass, 34-3).
Also clearing the top-10 cut weight of 29 pounds, 4 ounces in the Co-angler Division are Team BP co-angler Kevin Koone of Greenbrier, Ark.; Bill Bade of Omaha, Neb.; Thomas Helton of Charleston, Tenn.; Sam Mitchiner of Garner, N.C.; and Scott Gibson of Wiggins, Miss.
Israel earned $500 for the day’s Folgers Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division thanks to a 9-pound, 6-ounce bass she caught while fishing with Team Castrol pro Carl Svebek of Siloam Springs, Ark.
Co-anglers are fishing for a top award of $40,000 this week.
Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. Saturday and Sunday from Lake Guntersville Resort State Park Resort in Guntersville, Ala., located at 1155 Lodge Drive in Guntersville. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins will be held at the Von Braun Center located at700 Monroe St. in Huntsville, Ala., beginning at 4 p.m.
In conjunction with the weigh-ins Saturday and Sunday, FLW Outdoors will host a free Family Fun Zone and outdoor show at the Von Braun Center begining at noon each day. The Family Fun Zone offers fans a chance to meet their Fantasy Fishing team anglers face-to-face and review the latest products from Berkley, Lowrance, Ranger, Evinrude, Yamaha and other sponsors while children are treated to giveaways, fishing themed games and rides like the Ranger Boat simulator. Children 14 and under visiting the Family Fun Zone on Sunday will receive a free rod and reel combo while supplies last. One lucky member of the audience will even win a new Ranger boat during the final 4 p.m. weigh-in Sunday, Feb. 15. Admission is free, and you must be present to win.
In FLW Tour competition, pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The full field competes in the two-day opening round for one of 10 slots in Saturday’s competition based on their two-day accumulated weight. Weights are cleared for day three, and co-angler competition concludes following Saturday’s weigh-in. The top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.
The total purse for the Chevy Open event at Lake Guntersville is more than $1.1 million, including $10,000 through 50th place in the Pro Division.
|
|
Thanks to all who participated in the Jackall, KickerFish and Tru-Tungsten Contests.
An important note or two:
We will be having a special one day contest on Monday that you will want to be involved in! This is definitely a get one before you can buy it contest.
We will be taking a short break from contests after Monday and while at the Classic......although..... you may want to stay tuned as we may slip one in unannounced!! You never know what the "contest gurus" may be thinking up. Wired2Fish is your information and contest headquarters!
Below are the winners of each contest by company.
Jackall:
Chase Myers - Bloomington, IL
Joe Tefft - South Glens Falls, NY
Josh Mohr - South Whitley, IN
Keith Silvia - San Diego, CA
Scott Sammons - Pataskala, OH
KickerFish:
James Ramsey - Birmingham, AL
Jarred Seasor - Catlettsburg, KY
Jeffrey Mitchell - Seymour, IN
Matt Spruill - Elizabeth City, NC
Wade Hobaugh - Gillispie, IL
Ken Cook Jersey:
Tommy Mendoza - Lake Charles, LA
Congrats to all.
|
|
Bass pundits and those that might have the inside track, fans, anglers and media, feel that Greg Hackney is a sure pick to win this years Classic. These prognosticators have good reason. Hackney is a river rat, knows the Red River and early spring fishing supports his methodical approach. Several others that will finish high are Kevin VanDam, Scott Rook, Davy Hite, Mike Iaconelli and Mark Davis. We, here at Wired2Fish, have a gut feeling this one could be just right for Kelly Jordon, Gary Klein, Bill Lowen or Matt Herren. Another guy that is hot right now is Shaw Grigsby.
|
|
The BassZone today launched a new BassZone "live" Webcast and their first guess was Alan Clemons of the Huntsville Times. Monday at 10 am they will air their second broadcast with Dean Rojas about his practice. They will also have KVD, Kevin VanDam, on at 2:00 pm talking about his practice as well.
As Mark Jeffreys would say "Stay Tuned".
|
|
BASS Elite Pro Jeff Connella signs with HI-SEAS. He is joining last years runner up in the Classic, Cliff Pace as well as Kim Bain, the first lady competitor in Classic history! To read the full story click here.
|
2009 BASS ELITE SERIES MARKS “FAREWELL TOUR” FOR KEN COOK
An open letter from Ken Cook
Former Bassmaster Classic Champion to Transition Away from Competitive Fishing
MEERS, Okla. (February 13, 2009) – Following a long, difficult decision process and aided by the support of my wife, Tammy, and the rest of my family, today I announce that the 2009 BASS Elite Series Tour will mark my final season of full-time competitive fishing.
I refuse to use the term “retired” since it simply does not fit my situation. I will still continue to be a part of the outdoors and the fishing industry, continuing to lend my support to my sponsors whenever I can. I most definitely will continue to fish – maybe in the occasional tournament – but not at the highest levels on a full-time basis. I still love to fish and do so as often as I can. However, with age and other factors, my body simply will not allow me to compete at the level at which I think I should. Standing on the front deck of a bass boat for weeks at a time and taking long, bone-jarring boat rides simply does not agree with my 62-year-old body anymore.
While it would be easier to simply walk away from my professional angling career in light of my aches and pains and the financial commitment that it takes to compete on a national bass fishing tour, my final season will be devoted to enjoying the sport of fishing; relishing the fellowship, competition and camaraderie of the fellow anglers and the support of my fans. That’s why I’m calling this my “Farewell Tour.”
My love for the outdoors is unending: from my original career as a fisheries biologist, I made my first major occupational transition in 1983 when I became a full-time tournament angler. Through hard work, support of family, friends, fans and sponsors, the first tour stop at Lake Amistad will mark my 27th season as a professional angler. The end of the season will find me making my transition into a third profession, one that will allow me to maintain a connection with the outdoors.
For years, my family and I have made our life on a beautiful piece of land in southwestern Oklahoma near the Wichita Mountains. Tarbone Ranch has been a place of solitude and refuge in an otherwise fast-paced and often frantic life as a professional angler. In recent years, I have devoted my knowledge and expertise in the wildlife biology into improving the overall health and genetics of the animals that share the ranch with us. Once my professional angling career is over, my focus will become the ranch and providing outdoor opportunities for sportsmen and women. As a professional angler who has always taken pride in the ability to teach people to be more successful on the water, the transition to teaching people to appreciate and how to be more successful in other outdoor pursuits is an easy one – one that I cherish.
Over the course of my final BASS Elite Series season, I will be blogging about my experiences and reflecting on the things I’ve learned on my website, KenCookOutdoors.com. There you can read about Tarbone Ranch, see some of the animals that live there and get a feel for what I will be doing with my time once the season is over.
This announcement would be incomplete if I failed to recognize the companies that have been so instrumental in my long career as a professional angler. I have enjoyed a long relationship with many of them and have partnered with others more recently, but I value each of the relationships I have with these fine sponsors and look forward to continuing my efforts with them in my post-tournament life. My sincere thanks go to Fish Harder Companies – Tru Tungsten and Picasso Outdoors, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Triton, Mercury, Motor Guide, Storm, Rapala, Lowrance, Costa del Mar, Navionics, Re-Action System and the other organizations that have helped to make my dream of professional angling a success. In the next week, I will be at the Outdoor Expo that runs in conjunction with the Bassmaster Classic in Shreveport, La., appearing in the booths of my sponsors. I look forward to seeing many of you there.
For more information about Ken Cook’s career and a look at Tarbone Ranch, online go to KenCookOutdoors.com.
|
|
The Bassmaster Classic official practice began this am and conditions are setting up for this to be a record breaker. Clean water, temps hovering in the mid 50 and warming and fish staging for the spawn are all ingredients for this to be a good one.
Listen to Gary Klein, Mike Iaconelli, Matt Herren and Boyd Duckett as they talk about their plans for practice and next weeks Classic on Wired Radio with Terry Brown. To listen click here. |
|
Strike King Lures has one of the best pro staff teams in the country. They have again lined up some fish catching, river rat hammers at the Bassmaster Classic. At the Red River will be Shaw Grigsby, Greg Hackney, Mark Davis and Kevin VanDam. Look for all of them to be in contention. If they bite on a spinnerbait, Strike King has it covered, if they bite a jig, Strike King has it covered, if they bite plastic, Strike King has it covered.....and they may even have a few new products just for the Classic. Stay tuned to Wired2Fish for more from Strike King at the Classic.
|
WALKER LEADS $1.1 MILLION CHEVY OPEN ON LAKE GUNTERSVILLE
Team BP pro David Walker of Sevierville, Tenn., crossed the stage Thursday with the largest opening-day weight in FLW Tour history, a five-bass limit weighing 29 pounds, 3 ounces to lead day one of the Walmart FLW Tour’s Chevy Open on Lake Guntersville. Walker now holds a 3-pound, 8-ounce lead in the $1.1 million tournament featuring anglers from all across the United States, Mexico, Canada and Japan.
“There’s no way those two (big) fish that I weighed were 8-pounders,” said Walker, who has won more than $636,000 in FLW Outdoors competition. “They were 6-pounders. I’m floored with that weight.
“I thought I had a legitimate shot at 20 pounds,” Walker said. “The big ones are bad about getting in that grass and coming off. The smaller ones want to come up and try to jump, but the big ones like to bury up and tear loose. I’m just floored at that weight.”
Walker estimated he caught 10 to 15 fish in a number of areas Thursday. He said most of his fish came on a lipless crankbait, although he did throw a jig a few times.
“I have a lot of places I want to fish,” Walker said. “It’s not like there’s just a few good spots on this lake. There’s a lot of good territory here that has what you’re looking for — that green grass around points where the bass are spawning. And there’s literally miles of that here.”
Walker said he hopes to boat 20 pounds Friday and then spend the rest of his time looking for fish to help him during the final two days of competition.
“Today I just got in a groove,” Walker said. “I felt like I was throwing it in the right spot and the bait was feeling good. And when that happens, you’re going to get bites. And it just started to click for me after about 10 a.m. I just felt like I knew where I could catch them.”
Rounding out the top five places are Team Tums pro David Fritts of Lexington, N.C. (five bass, 25-11); Tom Mann Jr. of Buford, Ga. (five bass, 25-5); Team National Guard pro Brent Erhler of Redlands, Calif. (five bass, 24-9); and Mike Surman of Boca Raton, Fla. (five bass, 24-9).
Mann Jr., earned the day’s $1,000 Folgers Big Bass award in the Pro Division thanks to a 9-pound, 3-ounce bass.
Overall there were 558 bass weighing 1,976 pounds, 13 ounces caught by 149 pros Thursday. The catch included 72 five-bass limits. |
|
The Strike King KVD Autographed Sexy Shad Crankbait winners are all from north of the Mason-Dixon. They are Don Payjack of Canada, Will Christie of Michigan and Andrew Zaker of Illinois.
The correct answers were 1992, 1996, 1999, and 2008 for AOY, his first tournament win was 1991 at Lake Lanier, and a Series 5 will dive from 10-13 feet.
Don't forget these very same crankbaits will be on sale at the Bassmaster Classic at the Strike King booth. There a limited supply and they will be a collectors item.
Congrats to all.
|
|
St.Louis Elite Series angler Mark Tucker has a new wrap for his 2009 Bass Cat Puma and it looks sweet. Fish Harder Company's Tru-Tungsten will be the wrap sponsor for Mark in 2009. Take a look!
|
|
Zoom Bait Company announced today the addition of a new color, Green Weenie, to their already extensive arsenal of colors. The original color comes from an old, hand-poured West Coast worm, and with Zoom’s ability to create realistic color combinations, pro staff member Gerald Swindle believes the new addition will stand out among the competition.
Green Weenie has a unique color combination with watermelon on top and a translucent bottom that reflects a purple sheen depending on the way the light hits it. Swindle believes the color resembles a shad perfectly.
"Any kind of gray or purple sheen looks like the shad’s back," Swindle explained. "It’s a good clear water bait when finesse fishing, but it will also be great in light stained water."
In the past, Green Weenie was traditionally only a worm color, but Zoom will add the new color to some of their most productive baits. Zoom’s Green Weenie will be available in the following plastics: U-Tale, Lizard, Finesse, Trick Worm, Swamp Crawler, Baby Brush Hog, Shakey Head Worm, Magnum Shakey Head and the 4-inch Meathead.
|
 BASS photo
Mike Iaconelli is a passionate guy. He gives his heart and soul to kids and fishing. We had a chance to discuss Anglers Against Autism, his Laserlure advantages and past and upcoming Bassmaster Classics on Wired Radio with Terry Brown. To listen click here. |
E21 Sports and Fish Stalker Lures have joined the growing list of PAA Affinity Partners. Other current discount programs have been updated for the 2009 season as well, adding more value to PAA membership.
Quantum has continued deep discounts for Tour level members in 2009 and has also extended the offer to Advantage level members.
There are numerous discounts from your favorite companies available exclusively to all PAA members.
Visit www.fishpaa.com for full details on all member benefits.
If you are not currently a PAA member and would like to start enjoying the benefits of the AFFINITY
PARTNER PROGRAM, contact the PAA office at 270.527.2030 or visit www.fishPAA.com to join today!
The following are current PAA Affinity Partners:
E21 SPORTS / CARROT STIX
RODS ** TH MARINE ** FISH STALKER LURES ** QUANTUM ** ABU GARCIA ** SPIDER
WIRE ** STREN ** FENWICK ** BERKLEY ** STRIKE KING ** JASPER ENGINE AND
TRANSMISSIONS ** LUNKER LURE ** HAWG CALLER ** EXTREME LUBRICANTS ** WYNDHAM
HOTELS AND RESORTS ** DAYS INN ** RAMADA WORLD WIDE ** SUPER 8 ** WINGATE BY
WYNDHAM ** BAYMONT INN AND SUITES ** HOWARD JOHNSON ** TRAVEL LODGE **
KNIGHTS INN ** AMERI HOST INN ** ANIMAL PAINTBALL ** BLACK DOG BAIT COMPANY
** POWELL RODS ** BASSAHOLICS CLOTHING COMPANY ** OMEGA CUSTOM TACKLE **
COLONIAL INSURANCE
|
Gemini Sport Marketing, the leader in tournament apparel, is stepping up to help the College fishing programs. To read the Press Release click here. |
Elite Series angler Matt Herren has been to championships before. He has never been to the Bassmaster Classic before......until now. Listen to Wired Radio and here how he feels about his chances. Click here to listen. |
|
Bass Cat Boats received their 5th consecutive J.D. Power Award for Customer Satisfaction today. To read more about it click here.
|
|
Gambler Lures will continue its tournaments in 2009. To see the upcoming schedule click here.
|
Elite Series angler Jason Quinn knows jigs and he knows how to build the best ones. Weights, head shapes, and layered shirts in concert make the best jigs. Gambler Baits Val Osinski and Quinn are in the process of building "Quinn's Jig Shop" where you will be able to get all the components to make the perfect jig for your favorite lake. They will help you through the process and you won't have to break the bank to have customized and very unique products. It is still in development but you can check it out by clicking here.
|
|
Multiple Media Platforms will Bring Action of Bassmaster Classic to Fans Worldwide
Any way they want it, that’s the way they’ll get it: Fans will be able to fully experience the biggest tournament in professional bass fishing, the Feb. 20-22 Bassmaster Classic on the Red River, whether they click in, tune in or attend the event in Shreveport-Bossier City, La.
Three days of ESPN and BASS coverage will originate from land and water, beginning daily before dawn and extending well into the evening. Hour by hour, fans will be able to track the 51 Classic competitors as they go for a piece of the $1.2 million payout, including the $500,000 first-place prize and coveted Classic trophy.
All the Classic news and views will be online 24/7 at Bassmaster.com and BASSInsider.com. Besides blogs, standings, stories, analysis and photo galleries — all frequently updated— Bassmaster.com will host a slate of video content, including the EXPO Cam that will highlight interviews, product reviews and competition updates; the River Cam, with a locked shot on current weather conditions and activity on the river near the launch area; and a live Behind-the-Scenes Cam, where ESPN hosts will interview the anglers as they queue up for the weigh-in.
Other highlights on Bassmaster.com include live digital audio of the weigh-in show along with a real-time leaderboard. Fans can also download on-demand the Bassmaster Tournament podcast, which will highlight all the news and action from the tournament. Fantasy games will include a Fantasy Fishing Challenge on Bassmaster.com, with daily picks available during the tournament. BASSCast technology, which allows viewers to see first-hand what happens on the water during a tournament -- conditions, location, casting technique, reaction, equipment and more -- will be made available along with BASSTrakk, an unofficial leaderboard for real-time action and unofficial results. Other features include daily Bassmaster text alerts during the tournament, exclusive fan favorite photo galleries and an ESPN Outdoors fan profile group.
Members of BASS Insider receive exclusive live coverage of daily press conferences and access to the archived footage of the weigh- ins 48 hours after the completion of each competition day.
With a wealth of unique video content on Bassmaster.com, the live, daily weigh-ins will be housed on ESPN360.com. The Classic will make its debut on ESPN360.com, ESPN’s 24/7 broadband sports network for live streaming sports events, with live coverage of the weigh-ins from the CenturyTel Center available exclusively each night from 5-7 p.m. ET.
And, as it has for previous Classic competitions, ESPN2 will be pulling out all the stops for the 39th Classic. ESPN2 programming begins Saturday, Feb. 21, from 8-11 a.m. ET, with coverage of Day One’s competition. Then, a full two hours of Day Two action will be aired Saturday beginning at 10 p.m.
On Sunday, Feb. 22 at 6 a.m. ET — just about when the Classic competitors will be heading to the Red River for the final day of competition — fans can tune in to ESPN2 and stay there until noon for all the Classic news. Sunday at 10 p.m., a two-hour show will feature the final weigh-in extravaganza and reveal the new Classic champ to the world. The full television schedule for ESPN2 and ESPN Classic can be found below.
ESPN Classic jumps into the mix this year with a block of programming Sunday, Feb. 22, starting at 1 p.m. ET. ESPN Classic will present five shows, each with highlights from a previous Bassmaster Classic.
ESPN’s Mike Golic and Erik Kuselias will help kick off the Classic with a live broadcast of ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike in the Morning from Red River South Marina on Friday, Feb. 20, 6-10 a.m. ET. The two popular hosts first brought the event to listeners in 2008, when the Classic was held at South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell.
ESPN viewers outside the United States can catch the Classic. The international airings via ESPN Pac Rim will be of particular interest to those who are closely tracking the progress of Australian native and pro angler Kim Bain-Moore, the first woman to compete in the Bassmaster Classic in its 38-year history. ESPN Pac Rim is in 2.3 million households in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific islands.
ESPN International will also air the event on ESPN Africa, ESPN Middle East, ESPN Israel, ESPN Pac Rim, ESPN 2 Caribbean and ESPN Dos. The coverage will account for 106 countries and more than 10 million International viewers on ESPN Networks.
Full TV and online schedules will be posted at Bassmaster.com.
Fans who attend the 39th Classic are invited to daily launches presented by the Red River Waterway Commission at 7:15 a.m. CT, Feb. 20-22, at the Red River South Marina, Highway 71 South in Bossier City. The daily weigh-ins will be at the CenturyTel Center, 2000 CenturyTel Center Drive, Bossier City. CenturyTel’s doors will open at 3:30 p.m. CT, except on Saturday, Feb. 21, when a free concert by Zac Brown Band will begin at 3 p.m. CT.
The 2009 Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods will be at the Shreveport Convention Center, 400 Caddo St. Hours will be Friday, noon-9 p.m. CT; Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. CT; and Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. CT.
All events are free and open to the public.
Bassmaster Classic on ESPN2
Bassmaster Classic Day One
Saturday, 2/21/09, 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m., ESPN2
9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., ESPN2
Bassmaster Classic Day Two
Saturday, 2/21/09, 10:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m., ESPN2
Sunday, 2/22/09, 6:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m., ESPN2
Sunday, 2/22/09. 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m., ESPN2
Bassmaster Classic Day Three
Sunday, 2/22/2009 10 p.m. – 12:00 a.m., ESPN2
Feb. 22 Bassmaster Classic Mini-Marathon on ESPN Classic (All Times ET)
1 pm 2008 Bassmaster Classic Highlight Show
2 pm 2005 Bassmaster Classic Highlight Show
3 pm 2004 Bassmaster Classic Highlight Show
4 pm 2003 Bassmaster Classic Highlight Show
5 pm 2007 Bassmaster Classic Highlight Show
|
|
Berkley is one of the smartest and most science oriented companies in fishing and their products show it. Research, innovation and biological sciences play a key role in development of new products everyday at Berkley. One such product introduced a year or so ago is Gulp Alive. Gulp Alive is a unique formuation that only the mad scientists at Pure Fishing know about but rest assured savvy bass anglers and saltwater anglers alike know about as intimately as well.
Smallmouth love this stuff and largies have an affinity with it as well. The problem in the past with presentation to largemouths versus smallies was the shape of the bait. Berkley built numerous shapes that smallmouth loved and only a few that his big brother drooled over. That is until now.
Berkley has a new elongated container that allows larger baits like worms, lizards, and creature baits alike not to lose their shape and be re-charged just like other Gulp Alive products. This past fall we were intoduced to the 5" Crazy Legs Jerk Shad and most recently the Super Worm was introduced.
We grabbed the new Classic 7 inch Super Worm and instantly knew it was a keeper. The great Berkley 7 inch worm shape and action we have used for years in Power Baits is now available in Gulp Alive.
To learn more about Gulp Alive or the Berkley Classic Bait line-up drop by the Berkley sponsor area at the Bassmaster Classic or click here.
|
|
Phoenix Bass Boats has joined Wired2Fish as a partner/advertiser for 2009. Their new 721 Pro XP has been getting rave reviews across the country for features and workmanship.
Phoenix President Gary Clouse says "We are proud of our boats and have listened to anglers with the features and layout. Its important to meet the desires from a layout, features and price point for the consumer. We feel we have done that with the Phoenix 721 Pro XP".
"We are excited to have Phoenix join us at Wired2Fish. They have a quality product and are quality people and we are excited what the future holds for them in the boating buisness" said Terry Brown, President Wired2Fish.
Welcome aboard Phoenix!
|
|
Below are pictures of Ohio's Bill Lowen's new boat and truck wraps. We think they look awesome! He will be able to hide now. This is one sweet wrap!!
 PFM photo
 PFM photo |
 Mark Jeffreys photo
Gary Klein has laced them up 27 times in the quest to be a Bassmaster Classic Champion. As he puts it "You have to be in the dance for a chance". He has come very close on several occasions. The Red River sets up well for him this year because of the time of year, water temp, his approach in tough events and the drive he has to win one of these deals. We sat down with him on Wired Radio with Terry Brown and picked his brain about this event. To listen click here.
|
|
Florida's Don Demott had a day last weekend we all dream about of as anglers. He was fishing the Kissimmee River in a FLW BFL event and loaded the boat with over 31 lbs of pre-spawn bass.
He caught all his fish flipping junk mats in 4 foot of water. These junk mats were composed of chopped up hydrilla and Kissimmee grass. All of the fish were pre spawn and they were moving in off the main lake heading shallow to spawn. Water temps began the day at 52 degrees and rose to 56 during the day. A severe cold front preceded the tournament.
Two years ago Demott won another BFL with over 19 pounds at the same event on the Kissimmee River.
Congrats Don on figuring them out again.
The equipment:
§ Suffix 65 lb test braid
§ GAMBLER BB cricket with an 1 3/8 penetrator weight and Crawdaddy with a 1 oz screw in weitght in River Bug color
§ 6/0 Gamakatsu super line flippin hook
§ All Star 7.5 Big Boy Flippin rod, Fenwick Elite 7.5 Flippin rod, Shimano Curado reel
§ Minn Kota Fortrex 101 trolling motor, Optima group 31 batteries
§ STRATOS 200 XL powered by YAMAHA 225 and a Bob’s Machine Shop jackplate
|
|
This week's FLW Tour Chevy Open on Lake Guntersville and next week's Bassmaster Classic on the Red River put the tour season in high gear.
Economic times can shed a negative light and there is no question that many company budgets are tight. But let's look at it from a different perspective.
BASS will be paying out more than $1.2 million at the Classic. The first tour stop for FLW will pay $150,000 (and possibly $50,000 more in contingencies) for first place, and almost $800,000 total. That is a bunch of dough, and here at Wired2Fish we are thankful both organizations are bellying up to the bar to keep the sport going. Instead of punching holes in the payouts, rules or how they run their businesses let's be thankful that all of us who love this sport have them to follow.
Let's start the season with a positive note! Wired2Fish is looking forward to covering both leagues and their respective anglers for you again in 2009.
Have fun ... it's fishing and its supposed to be!
|
|
Just in time for his second Bassmaster Classic competition, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Bill Lowen of North Bend, Ohio, has lined up two more primary sponsors, Buck Knives and Feather ’Flage.
Both sponsors are prominently featured on Lowen’s new boat and truck wraps, and his new jersey.
Feather ’Flage makes a camouflage pattern named Ducks in a Row. The company is based in Lafayette, La., downstate from Shreveport-Bossier City, La., the site of the Feb. 20-22 Classic.
With Buck Knives as a sponsor, Lowen has more than 100 years of success behind him. The Post Falls, Idaho, company produced its first product in 1902. Today the company offers many types of knives, including hunting, tactical and outdoor models, as well as sharpeners and sheaths.
As announced earlier on Wired2Fish Lowen also recently signed a multiyear deal with The Rod Guard, a .32-ounce foam device that fits tightly to a fishing rod. In addition to being insurance against losing a rod that falls overboard, the foam helps protect an angler’s body from bruising during a powerful hook set.
|
|
How do the country's top bass pros headed for the Classic get ready for the big show? What does each do to get tackle ready? What are they thinking about? Find out these answers and more by following daily updates of seven anglers going to the 2009 Bassmaster Classic in Shreveport, La.
Representing Quantum in the quest for the 2009 title are two-time Classic champion Kevin VanDam, Randy Howell, Greg Hackney, Shaw Grigsby, Gary Klein, Mike McClelland and Dean Rojas. These Classic contenders will share their daily thoughts and activities leading up to the main event in Quantum's "Classic Diaries."
"These pros may not give away their secret fishing spots to the world, but they're very candid about how they've been preparing, what they're thinking and how they're feeling leading up to the big event," said John Kushnerick, Zebco Brands director of marketing services. "This will be the third consecutive year that we've provided this insider's view, and it has become a big hit with fishing fans."
One difference with this year's Classic Diaries is the "Ask a Pro" feature, which gives Quantum web site visitors the opportunity to submit their own questions to the pros: Do these guys believe in Friday the 13th superstitions? What kind of knot does Kevin VanDam use to tie on his lures? Does Greg Hackney feel like he has an advantage since the Classic is in his home state? What does Randy Howell consider a "breakfast of champions?" Almost any question is fair game, and the pros will answer many of the questions within their daily updates.
Find the Classic Diaries, updated daily beginning on Feb. 13, at www.quantumfishing.com, and visit today to submit your own questions to the seven Quantum pros competing next week
|
|
BASSMASTER CLASSIC CAST FOR CASH
Berkley Offers Chance at $100,000
Berkley, America’s leading fishing tackle brand, will give one lucky participant at the Bassmaster Classic in Shreveport, La., the chance to win $100,000 by simply casting into a target. During the final weigh-in on February 22, one individual in the arena will be randomly drawn from the crowd and allowed to cast to a target on the arena floor.
“This is a great opportunity for anyone who is drawn to cash an easy check,” said John Bartow, Berkley Senior Director, Marketing. “Everyone at the final weigh in has an equal chance to “Cast for Cash” and hopefully walk out of the arena $100,000 richer. Berkley is proud to give this opportunity to the Bassmaster Classic weigh in audience.”
The participant will be given his/her choice of a Berkley/Abu Garcia Spincast, Spinning or Baitcast rod/reel combination spooled with Berkley Trilene fishing line. The individual will be allowed a 15-minute practice session to become better acquainted with the tackle. A Berkley Pro Team member will be on hand to provide one-on-one assistance and casting tips, ensuring they have the best chance to win the $100,000 prize.
Berkley is an official sponsor of the Bassmaster Classic and will have a large booth with interactive demonstrations, bass tank with pro angler seminars and sales promotions.
|
|
Zoom Bait Company has 6 anglers at the Bassmaster Classic and all of them will be threats to win. River rats Brent Chapman, Mike McClelland, and recently signed Scott Rook are being named by the media pundits and you can always count on Brian Snowden, Peter Thliveros and Kenyon Hill to be high on the leader board as well. Armed with some of the best plastics in fishing look for these pro's to show well at the 2009 Bassmaster Classic on the Red River.
Some of the "Zoom Choices" for the Red River are Baby Brush Hogs, Super Speed Craws, Big Critter Craws and Ultra Vibe Speed Craws.
 Zoom Brush Hog(Cox photo) |
|
Check out Mike McClellands new truck and boat wrap. It has all the ingredients...a dose of Champion Boats, a pinch of Falcon Rods, a smiggen of Mustang Survival, some Transport Graphics and a tad bit of Mercury. One fine looking rig in our book!!
|
 Mark Jeffreys photo
Britt Myers inked two new deals recently. One with endemic Tru-Tungsten, a Fish Harder Company, and the other with non-endemic Kicker Audio. Known for helping most of the Elite Series put bling into their boats and tow vehicles Myers will be jamming himself to an even greater extent in 2009.
Information about CS Motorsports, owner Britt Myers, and many Elite Series pros’ tow vehicles, go to www.csmotorsportsnc.com.
|
|
BOOYAH Bait Company Starts New Association With BASS as Official Sponsor
BASS, the worldwide leader in bass fishing, announced today that BOOYAH Bait Company has become an official sponsor. BOOYAH Bait Company, a longtime advertiser in BASS publications, will make their BOOYAH brand the official wire bait of BASS and its prestigious tournament structures and events.
The agreement includes sponsorship of the Bassmaster Classic, Bassmaster Elite Series, the BASS Federation Nation presented by Yamaha Outboards and Skeeter Boats, the Bassmaster Opens and the Academy Sports + Outdoors Women’s Bassmaster Tour.
“BOOYAH Bait Company has long been a supporter of BASS and we are proud to become the official wire bait of BASS,” said Andy Carroll, BOOYAH Sales and Marketing Manager. “With 2008 Bassmaster Classic Champion Alton Jones winning the most prestigious tournament in the world by fishing BOOYAH jigs last year, it’s a natural step for us.”
As part of the agreement, BOOYAH will receive significant exposure across all of BASS’ multimedia properties including Bassmaster magazine and Bassmaster.com. Additionally, BOOYAH will receive on-site exhibit space at all BASS events to display their product lines.
BOOYAH’s pro staff includes a number of noteworthy Bassmaster Elite Series anglers including Jones of Waco, Texas; Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla.; Terry Scroggins of San Mateo, Fla.; Zell Rowland of Montgomery, Texas; Matt Reed of Madisonville, Texas; Terry Butcher of Talala, Okla.; and Timmy Horton of Muscle Shoals, Ala.
“We look to develop our relationship with BOOYAH and to build their brand recognition across our multimedia platforms,” said Tom Ricks, vice president and general manager of BASS and ESPN Outdoors. “We applaud BOOYAH for their longtime support of our anglers and devotion to the sport.”
For more information on BOOYAH Bait Company, visit www.lurenet.com.
For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit www.Bassmaster.com.
About PRADCO
BOOYAH Bait Company burst on the bass fishing scene with a Bassmaster Classic win in its first 4 years of existence when Alton Jones won the 2008 Classic with what were then two prototype lures, which went on to become the A-Jig and the Pigskin Jig.
BOOYAH Bait Company product line includes a huge variety of high quality spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, jigs, jig heads and bladed jigs in unique and bass-catching styles and color patterns. With Bassmaster Elite Series pro Zell Rowland providing input on buzzbaits and other top professional anglers weighing in on jigs and spinnerbaits, BOOYAH Bait Company stays on the front line of fishing technology.
BOOYAH Bait Company products can be found at leading mass merchants, department stores, catalog houses and neighborhood tackle and hunting stores. To meet the needs of anglers in other parts of the world, BOOYAH baits are sold by both export agents and direct distributors in more than fifty countries.
|
|
BERKLEY EXPERIENCE TRAILER COMING TO FT. WORTH, TX.
The Berkley Experience Trailer is headed to the Cabela’s in Ft. Worth, Texas. The trailer will roll in February 13-15 and will offer demonstrations and interactive games for kids and adults.
The Berkley Experience Trailer gives the everyday angler the opportunity to view baits in the Berkley line and chances to see the baits in action. Kids and adults alike will enjoy fishing games and competing in knot tying contests.
“We want everyone young and old alike to enjoy the Berkley experience,” said Andrew Marks, Berkley Marketing Manager “In addition to our bait and line interactive displays we will have Abu Garcia reel demonstrations, interactive touch screens to Learn How to Catch More Fish and a showcase for our latest and most innovative fishing products.”
Special sales and promotions will be offered wherever the Berkley trailer stops. If you are unable to make it by the trailer and test the interactive components in Ft. Worth, Texas, look at the upcoming events.
February 13-15
Cabela’s – Ft. Worth, Texas
12901 Cabela Drive
Ft. Worth, TX 76177
Phone: 817-337-2400
Upcoming Events
February 19 – 22 – Bassmaster Classic, Bossier City, La.
February 27 – March 1 – Bass Pro Spring Classic Bolingbrook, Ill.
March 6 – 8 – Bass Pro Spring Classic, Rossford, Oh.
March 13 – 15 – Bass Pro Spring Classic, Cincinnati, Oh.
March 20 – 22 – Gander Mountain, Washington, Pa.
|
|
Elite Series pro Fred Roumbanis has joined Black Angel Jigs pro staff and will be working with them on both promotion and design for products.
Gabe Spencer, owner of Black Angel told Wired2Fish today " We are thrilled to have Fred join us and are excited, not only because of his abilities with the rod and reel, but also because he is a great guy and knows our type of products inside and out. He will be integral in upcoming designs. Black Angel is growing at a rapid rate and we are truly blessed with that. We have a whole list of new products on the horizon and can't wait to get them to the marketplace."
 Wired photo |
You can sign up now for BASS Fantasy fishing. Click here to get a chance at some great prizes from BASS. |
|
There probably aren’t too many places on earth more dissimilar than Petal, Mississippi and Japan. Mars and Venus, water and oil, all the typical analogies would seem to apply. But differences between east and west notwithstanding, the twain meet more often than you’d expect, and in the case of Elite Series pro Cliff Pace, it’s a spinning rod that has bridged the gap.
|
|
Check out this video with Lake Fork Tackle angler Justin Rackley and a 10 pounder on the Lake Fork Hyper Worm . To watch click here. |
|
Congratulations to the winners of the Fish Stalker Bungi Head Contest!
The winners are:
Brandon Blake from Roseville, MN
Noel Spann from La Grange, TX
Nickles Mirmow from Lexington, SC
Your prizes are on the way! Thanks to all that entered! Don't forget all the remaining contests end this week so get your entries in!
|
|
Numerous Berkley Fishing Pros will be on hand to provide fishing tips and techniques that can be applied to catch more fish. The Pros will be at Waterfront Grocery & Tackle in Scottsboro, Ala., Saturday 7, 2009. The seminar will take place from 6 pm till 8 pm.
“This is a great opportunity for the public to get great advice from the best pros,” said Tammy Cox, Berkley Marketing Manager. “Visitors can stop by and enjoy speaking with our pros or they can stop in to se what is new.”
Visitors will have the opportunity to rub elbows and share tactics with today’s leading anglers. Angling pros will share their thoughts about new products to the Berkley product line.
BERKLEY PROS
Jim Dillard
Tim Johnson
Ott Defoe
Greg Bohannan
Stetson Blayloch
Justin Lucas
Jonathan Newton
Dave Lefebre
Scott Canterbury
Jay Yelas
EVENT – February 7, 2009
Waterfront Grocery & Tackle
6955 Scottsboro HWY
Scottsboro, AL 35769
|
|
 Daubert photo
We get to see the best frogs in the business with Spro and Snag Proof but we also ran across some "unbelieveable custom" frogs from Capt. Ken Daubert of Ocala, Florida. He has been working on them for over 30 years. " I am in love with these frogs and have been since day one" said Daubert. "I started this as a flyrod deal and caught a 7 and 1/2 pounder on the first trip. That was real cool. I hope to be able to sell these frogs at the retail level soon(clones) but we have originals for sale on the website" said Daubert.
"Frog anglers are a different breed and are frog fishing fanatics" he said. We know Rojas and Roumbanis wouldn't argue!
|
Click here to read more on the new trails added to the PAA's Payday program. |
Take a look at this video of professional angler Lance Vick on the New Grande Bass Diamondback. Look for a Wired2Fish Contest on this great new Grande Bass creation very soon. To watch the video click here.
To learn more about the Diamondback or other great Grande products click here. |
 Fagerstrom photo/Gloomis
When you think of big bass in Mexico or peacock bass in South America one name that always comes up as an early adopter is Billy Chapman Jr. He was just added to the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in the Special Recognition Category and legendary writer/angler Stan Fagerstrom writes an excellent piece on him that is currently on the GLoomis website. To read it click here. |
|
If you could take the best skills of the best anglers and put them all together into one angler would you have the "perfect angler"? The debate is a good one. There is a great article on FLW Outdoors website that asked that exact question of the best of the best and the results are interesting. What do you think? Who would the perfect angler be in your eyes? Give us your opinion!
|
BASS recently announced that they will be offering live, streaming video of the Bassmaster Tournament Trail on ESPN360.com, ESPN's online destination for live sports events and home to over 3,000 live, global events annually. The debut of BASS coverage marks ESPN360.com's first foray into outdoors content and will put BASS events on the same vehicle as other top-tier sporting events. Great news!
|
|
Fish Harder Companies announced today that Missouri Mark Tucker will be running a Tru-Tungsten wrapped boat and Oklahoma's Kenyon Hill a Picasso wrap, respectively, on the BASS Elite Series in 2009.
|
|
Just in time for the Bassmaster Classic, Berkley has introduced 3 new Powerbait kits. They include the 6" Power Lizard Kit, the 5" Wacky Crawler Kit and the 4"Power Worm Kit. The Lizard Kit (25 pieces) includes hooks, beads and sinkers, the Wacky Crawler Kit ( 39 pieces) includes hooks, lead head and sinker and the Worm Kit (39 pieces) includes hooks, lead head and sinker. Each of the kits has the most popular Powerbait colors by type of product that includes redbug, junebug, green pumpkin, motoroil fleck and watermelon.
To learn more or to buy the new "Berkley Classic Baits" kits click here. |
Tabu Tackle’s Hand Poured Whip Tail Drop Shot Worm is now available and it looks awesome! 10 hot colors designed by Tabu's Top Tour pros. $3.99 per pack. Click here to take a look at this new drop shotter and purchase. |
|
DECATUR, Ala. -- The success of the Heroes Weekend bass tournament on Wheeler Lake last November had roots with a fishing guide’s sponsorship with a Marine bitten by the bass fishing bug harder than a smallmouth slamming a spinnerbait.
|
Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame
Hayward, Wisconsin
2009 Enshrinees and Inductees are Announced
On August, 18th and 19th, 2008 our Awards Committee met in Hayward,
Wisconsin.
They consist of a very talented and devoted cross section of our fresh
water sportfishing leaders. They are: Bill Gautsche (Wisconsin); Larry
Colombo (Alabama); Clem Dippel (Wisconsin); Mike Dombeck (Wisconsin);
Elmer Guerri (Indiana); Tim Lesmeister (Minnesota); Gil Radonski (North
Carolina); Vin Sparano (New Jersey); Burt Steinberg (Missouri); Wendy
Williamson (Wisconsin); Forrest Wood (Arkansas); Bruce Holt (Washington)
and Gregg Wollner (Minnesota).
Many candidates were considered, but only a few were selected for this
prestigious honor. The results are as follows:
Elected for 2009 Enshrinement
Considered are persons who have made a lasting National or World impact
to the benefit of fresh water sportfishing.
Lennart Borgstrom – Sweden
Len has for many years been a driving force in the sportfishing industry
and, of course, at ABU Garcia. Mr. Borgstrom was instrumental in
bringing the ABU line to the United States at a price most Americans
could afford. He was instrumental in forging the relationship between
ABU and Zebco.
Len was, at one time, both the president of ABU and Garcia. He even
wrote and published a waltz, aptly titled, “The ABU Waltz.”
Phil Jensen – Oregon
Phil Jensen is president and now sole-owner of the family owned
business, Luhr Jensen. Phil is the third son of the founder, Luhr
Jensen, Sr.
Phil has taken an active role in industry matters and has served on the
board of the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), as well as being
past chairman of the Environmental Quality Committee and the
Governmental Affairs Committee of that organization. Phil is a founding
member and has served on the board of the Oregon Wildlife Heritage
Foundation, a member of Trout Unlimited, the Izaak Walton League, the
Northwest Association of Steelheaders, the Pacific Rivers Council and
the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association.
Forrest & Nina Wood - Arkansas
Forrest Lee Wood is known worldwide for his success in the sport fishing
industry. In, 1968, he founded Ranger Boats, now the largest
manufacturer of bass boats in the nation. Wood has thus become known as
an “outdoor legend and the father of the modern bass boat.”
In 1968, he began building lake boats, setting up shop in the back of a
filling station. He made six boats that year and Forrest’s Ranger boats,
named after the Army Rangers and the Texas Rangers, began to attract
attention. On January 1, 1969, Wood and his employees moved into an old
nightclub and made 600 boats. By 1970, sales had topped 1200.
On May 4, 1971, the boat factory was destroyed by fire, though Wood
managed to salvage sixty boat orders from his desk in the burning
building. Remarkably, Ranger Boats was back in business within forty
days. That year, Wood qualified for the first Bassmaster Classic, and
the following year, Ranger was named, “the Official Bassmaster Classic
boat.” It remained so through 2000.
Even after selling Ranger Boats in 1987, Wood remained a legend in the
sport fishing industry. In 1996, Operation Bass, a tournament
organization, was renamed using Forrest’s initials, FLW. The FLW
tournament circuits have been a major factor in boosting the popularity
of sport fishing. They have been broadcast in some twenty-five countries
around the world, appearing on ESPN, Fox Sports Network, Matchroom Sport
and the Armed Forces Network.
In 1998, Governor Mike Huckabee appointed Wood to the Arkansas Game and
Commission (AGFC), where he served a seven-year term, the last year as
chairman. The AGFC, in 2005, named its new nature center in Jonesboro
(Craighead County) the Forrest L. Wood Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center.
Since 1951 Forrest and his wife Nina have rarely been separated. Forrest
has always credited Nina as being his driving force and reason for their
success. It is for this reason that Forrest and Nina are being enshrined
together.
Elected for 2009 Legendary Angler
Considered are persons who have had at least regional lasting impact
benefiting fresh water sportfishing.
Bob Mehsikomer - Minnesota
Bob began fishing as a youngster and developed his fishing methods to
make him a successful angler. Wishing to share his knowledge with
others, he began to conduct seminars and speaking engagements. He then
initiated a TV show “Thunder on the Water,” an instructional, ground
breaking and entertaining fishing show. Bob further promoted, “Please
Practice C.P.R. – “catch, photo and release, the future depends upon
it.” Since 1990 his show has been known as “Simply Fishing.” Bob is a
holder of several world record catches. He has produced at least 24
fishing instructional videos.
Bill Siemantel - California
As a youngster growing up in southern California, Bill couldn’t travel
to the storied haunts of such legendary writers as Zane Grey or Ernest
Hemingway to reach hallowed ground, but he could dream. He could dream
of catching the biggest fish that swim wherever they called home.
His dedication to big baits, specifically tubes and swim baits, has
reordered how fishermen think. In southern California, tournament
anglers quite literally had to battle Siemantel’s big bass theories on a
weekly basis. For the most part, they lost. But, in a broader sense,
they won something more valuable. They eventually realized that the next
seminal moment in bass fishing had arrived. The era of big bass fishing,
of actually being able to target bigger fish, on demand, was at hand.
To this day, Bill’s incredible productivity continues unabated. While
some struggle to find new ideas, Siemantel never seems to be lacking for
inspiration. Instead of simply looking for the next big thing, he looks
for solutions. When he finds them, he refines them and only then does he
start the process of bringing a lure to the public. By the time an
average fisherman gets a hold of a Bill Siemantel lure, it is a proven
commodity.
Stu Tinney – Tennessee
Stu Tinney is named one of the 100 Living Legends of American Sport
Fishing and is regarded as one of the nation’s top authorities on fresh
water striped bass. A professional fishing guide, tackle designer, and
lecturer, he has been featured in national outdoor magazines such as
Field and Stream and Outdoor Life, as well as in newspapers
coast-to-coast, television and radio shows and numerous outdoor films.
He was the founder, editor and publisher of Striper Magazine and was the
chief sponsor and organizer of fishing tournaments that not only raised
money for charities, but also provided scientific data used today by all
fisheries managers.
Stu Tinney is a pioneer in the field of striped bass fishing. He is a
promoter and educator of striped bass angling and is an inspiration;
tackle designer, writer, publisher, professional angler and fishing
educator. As a fishing guide on J. Percy Priest Reservoir in Nashville,
Tennessee, Stu recognized an opportunity further promoting the
tremendous potential of the striped bass as an economically valuable and
dynamic game fish to the sport fishery for the benefit of anglers and
state fishery programs nationwide.
Stu’s efforts have benefited many state fisheries agencies allowing them
to utilize information provided through his “Striper” organization. The
result of this is better fisheries management programs affecting many
different species of fish. Stu Tinney continues to design specialty
tackle and devise angling methods specially suited for catching striped
bass to the benefit of anglers of all ages.
Elected for 2009 Legendary Guide
Considered are persons who have gained by their expertise and
professionalism, a status of credibility and immortality judged so by
their customers, the region and/or their peers.
Tony Allbright – Missouri
Tony Allbright was born in St. Louis and started fishing as a youngster
with his parents and grandparents, plying the Meramec, Big and Bourbeuse
Rivers as well as many small lakes and ponds near St. Louis.
By 1961, at age 20, he “discovered” Bull Shoals Lake on the
Missouri-Arkansas border. He fished it as often as possible, studying
both the lake and the guides who led anglers on it—especially the late
Bill Rose, truly a master guide. He experimented and learned the nuances
of the big water and its various species of fish—everything from black
bass to crappie to catfish to even gar when it got too hot to catch most
anything else.
Tony shares his expertise and his “celebrity” often. He has been the
honorary chairman of the annual International Union of Operating
Engineers Charity Bass Tournament on Truman Lake, traveling to that
sprawling impoundment at his own expense to help draw anglers. The
tournament benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Tony Allbright truly is a legendary guide in Missouri, Arkansas,
Illinois and the surrounding states. Tony has done much to promote
sportfishing and good sportsmanship.
Tom Neustrom – Minnesota
Tom grew up in Chicago, close to the Lake Michigan waterfront, but that
really wasn’t where this passion for fishing began. The Northern
Illinois Chain of Lakes, located near the town of Antioch was kind of a
breeding ground for Tom. As a very young boy, Tom and his family would
drive nearly every weekend to Channel Lake and fish from dawn until
dark. His Dad was instrumental in Tom’s fishing development and its
continued growth.
during the summer, the entire family would drive 450 miles to Northern
Wisconsin for fishing adventures that truly paved the groundwork for
Tom’s future. The family would head north to Wisconsin every year to the
Eau Claire Chain of Lakes, north of Hayward. At 12, he was on the water
every day and was a student of fishing and as Tom put it “school was in
everyday.” He learned how to jig fish early on and is still considered
one of the best in the country by his peers. Tom is considered the
ultimate educator by his peers and his clients.
Elected for 2009 Legendary Communicator
Considered are persons who have developed a unique communication means
or avenue, which was instrumental in introducing fishing to the public
or in maintaining public interest or awareness.
Don Wallace - Oklahoma
All totaled, Don has had a 40 year career in broadcasting, both in radio
and Television. Radio first, then he started the “Wallace Wildlife Show”
in 1965 on WKY-TV in Oklahoma City, while he was still working full time
on radio station WKY. After six years of doing both radio and TV (15
minute weekend show), plus promotional assignments from both entities,
he began full-time on the Wallace Wildlife Show as a weekly 30 minutes
prime-time or prime-time access show on Channel 4 in Oklahoma City. The
show lasted another 17 years until his retirement in 1989. His show ran
for a total of 23 years and was syndicated in parts of five states.
Don wore many hats; he would film, edit, produce, sell, host and
syndicate for the show. He produced 40 new shows a year for a total of
929 shows and shot 800,000 feet of film in 23 years, having started out
with an old (heavily used) Bell and Howell wind-up 16MM camera with one
lens. His first camera cost him $25.00. In retrospect, Don says “It was
the hardest job I ever loved.”
Don won several writing awards from the OWAA in the “Television
Communications” category. They were:
*1974 – Deep Woods Award, 2nd place
*1976 – Deep Woods Award, 1st place
*1977 – Deep Woods Award, 1st place
In addition, Don won a 1st place award from the Sooner Outdoor Writers
Association in 1974 for Outdoor Broadcasting.
In 1980 Don received the “Governor’s Cup” award from the Oklahoma
Broadcasters Association for his efforts in promoting Tourism in Oklahoma.
Elected for 2009 Legendary Artist
Considered are persons who’s creations introduce, encourage or inspire
the enjoyment of fresh water fishing on a local, regional or national level.
Eldridge Hardie - Texas
Texas born Eldridge Hardie is well known to collectors of fine sporting
art. His paintings and drawings enhance numerous books about shot
gunning and angling. The have appeared in Sports Afield, Field and
Stream, National Wildlife, Gray’s Sporting Journal, Sporting Classics,
Double Gun Journal, Shooting Sportsman, Fly Fishing in Saltwaters, as
well as other sporting magazines. His designs were chosen for two Texas
Quail Stamps and a Texas Turkey Stamp. He was the inaugural Trout
Unlimited Artist of the Year and an Atlantic Salmon Federation Artist of
the Year.
The paintings of Eldridge Hardie—Art of a Life in Sport, a book spanning
four decades of the artist’s career was published in 2002.
Hardie was honored with the first ever one-man retrospective exhibit at
The National Bird Dog Museum. He has exhibited at Artists of America,
Great American Artists, the National Museum of Wildlife Art, the
Gilcrease Museum, The C.M. Russell Museum and the American Museum of
Flyfishing. He sums up his long career by saying, “I was born to hunt,
fish and make art about these passions.”
Mark Hopkins - Colorado
Mark Hopkins is considered one of the premier sculptors in the United
States today. From tabletop sculpture to monuments, his work is
displayed in homes, offices, and public settings around the world.
Mark Hopkin’s work is in everyway, a reflection of its creator. It
reveals Mark’s total fascination with nearly every conceivable aspect of
life: from history, children, sports, music and religion to wildlife of
the land, sea and air. With a style so flowing and alive it has been
called “bronze in motion,” the work is as passionate and expressive as
the artist himself.
In addition to his skill as an artist, Mark made himself a technical
expert in the art of bronze casting. At his sculpture foundry, Mark
monitors the casting process, insuring that the integrity of his work is
maintained throughout its creation in bronze. With the help of many
talented craftsmen, Mark endeavors to establish an enduring legacy of
high-quality bronze sculpture.
Mark Hopkins constantly challenges himself to translate the richness of
life and nobility of the human soul into enduring sculptural form. In
his words, “I strive to express beyond the image, to catch spirit, to
reveal deeper, emotions, and to share joy.” As he continues to rise to
that challenge, his work is attaining an honored place in the history of
art.
Mark Hopkin’s sculptures are known the world over for their beautifully
natural and flowing motion. While his work portrays a spontaneous moment
in the life of its subject, it also portrays a spontaneous moment in the
life of its subject, it also portrays the deep inner “spirit” of the
human or animal being portrayed.
Ogden Pleissner – New York
Ogden Pleissner is best known for his paintings of the outdoors and
gentlemen sports.
Pleissner began studying at Manhattan’s Art Students League, under Frank
DuMond and Frederick J. Boston. In 1932 the Metropolitan Museum of Art
purchased an oil painting done by Pleissner, making him the youngest
artist in the museum at the age of 27.
After returning from World War II, Pleissner specialized in sport art.
He had a gift for capturing the excitement of sport, whether it was
hunting for grouse or fishing for salmon.
Throughout his career, Pleissner believed “A fine painting is not just
the subject. It is the feeling conveyed of form, bulk, space, dimension,
and sensitivity. The mood of the picture is most important.” Pleissner
demonstrates his belief through his obsession with exact composition and
realistic depictions of human activity and anatomy.
Chet Reneson - Connecticut
Chet Reneson, watercolor artist for over 30 years, features hunting and
fishing scenes in all seasons of the year. Those enjoying these
activities are included in almost all his watercolors.
Following art school, Reneson worked commercially for a number of years
before selling his first painting in 1966. Among his heroes are Homer,
Cezanne, Wyeth, Hopper and Van Gogh.
Chet has the rare distinction of being named Artist of the Year by Duck
Unlimited, Trout Unlimited and the Atlantic Salmon Federation.
When pursuing atlantic salmon Chet says, “I like those rough Canadian
rivers, like the George and the Whale. The fish are rough, tough and
ready, and when I paint the rivers I make ‘em just as powerful and
rugged, and mean and nasty as I can.”
His watercolors of wildfowl hunting and salmon angling are so deft and
dramatic he sells them as fast as he paints them. They show brooding
skies, perky retrievers, raised shotguns, curling back casts, white
explosions of water; the blazing foliage and dank marshes of autumn and
winds and snow squalls you can almost feel hitting your cheeks.
Brett James Smith - Louisiana
If ever there was ever an artist who has captured today’s sporting
experience with yesterday’s sense of adventure, it is Brett Smith. Born
in New Orleans, Louisiana, Brett is now considered to be among the best
in his field.
In his early years, Brett was introduced to the sporting life by his
grandfather who exposed him to the gentlemen’s sport of quail hunting in
the longleaf pine country of east Texas.
His early introduction to sporting art came from his father who worked
professionally as an illustrator and moonlighting as a fine artist
contributing paintings for covers of the early outdoor and western
magazines. In college as a fine art major, he realized that the
contemporary art curriculum would not equip him with the background
needed to pursue the area that interested him most-commercial illustration.
It was at that time that he enrolled in the Famous Artist School that
stressed painting and drawing of the human figure and designing pictures
that tell stories.
Brett’s preferred medium is transparent watercolor or oil pants. The
subject usually dictates the medium used. He uses oils for large complex
scenes. Watercolors are used when more spontaneous results are desired.
Brett’s paintings hang in some of the most prestigious collections
throughout the country. His work has been featured in such publication’s
as Gray’s Sporting Journal, Ducks Unlimited magazine, Sporting Classics,
Shooting Sportsman, and Double Gun Journal.
Bob White - Minnesota
Bob White is an artist whose work is an expression of a misspent youth.
He paints in the classic style of those who illustrated the sporting
books and magazines he was reading when he should have been doing his
homework. A professional guide and artist for two decades, he has spent
countless hours researching sportsmen and women in action; from the
wilderness of Alaska and his rural Minnesota home to the wide-reaching
expanses of Argentina.
Bob has been influenced by such masters as Homer, Sargent and Fournier,
and by more recent artist such as Pleissner, Jacques and Sloane. He
works watercolors, oils, pencil and ink, grasping the essence of a scene
in a brief sketch. His ability to capture a fleeting moment through the
eyes of the sportsman has won him worldwide acclaim. His work hangs in
the private and corporate collections of sportsmen on six continents.
Bob was awarded Guide of the Year in 1988 by Fly Rod & Reel Magazine. As
the 1994 Artist of the Year for the Alaska State Parks Foundation, Bob
produced and donated the artwork for the first Alaska State Parks
Foundation print. His work has been presented twice in Fly Rod & Reel
Magazine’s Gallery. Bob has been featured as a guide and artist on
ESPN’s “Fly Fishing the World” and “Fly Fishing America,” as well as on
Ron Schara’s “Minnesota Bound.”
2009 Organizational/Governmental Award
Considered are organizations or governmental entities, which have
demonstrated and/or performed a valuable service or act to benefit fresh
water sportfishing within its jurisdiction or the boundaries of its
organization whether local, regional or national.
Ohio Division of Wildlife – Fish Ohio Program
The Ohio Division of Wildlife created the “Fish Ohio Program” in 1980.
They have awarded thousands of Fish Ohio pins each year for outstanding
catches. This program has promoted a great deal of interest and
participation in fishing in the state of Ohio. This program has probably
become the best means for promoting the sport of fishing in Ohio.
2009 Special Recognition Award
Recognizes individuals, groups or organizations for their programs
benefiting fresh water angling which clearly are not covered by other
recognition categories.
Irwin Jacobs – Minnesota
Mr. Jacobs is Chairman of Genmar Holdings, Inc. Today, with 14 premier
boat brands, approximately 4,500 employees and 8 manufacturing centers
in the United States and Canada, Genmar is one of the world’s largest
builders of recreational boats and the industry’s technological leader.
Among his personal accomplishments, Mr. Jacobs underwrote and served as
Chairman of the 1991 International Summer Special Olympic Games, which
were held in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Jacobs has personally funded the
buildings, furnishings and overall operations of Dells Place, a group
home for developmentally challenged individuals. He is a major supporter
of the Pacer Center, a local non-profit organization dedicated to the
rehabilitation and training of developmentally challenged individuals;
Functional Industries, an occupational workshop for physical and
mentally disable individuals and The Art Center of Minnesota.
Billy Chapman, Jr. – Texas
Few men have had a greater impact on the world of bass fishing than
Billy Chapman, Jr.
Today thousands of bass fishermen have had the good fortune to sample
the tremendous bass fishing now available in Mexico. Most know that
Chapman is the owner/operator of Anglers Inn Lodges on Lake El Salto and
Lake Mateos.
What many fail to realize is that Chapman is also the man who led the
way in providing the wondrous bass fishing now available in these and
other Mexican lakes.
It was Billy’s father—Billy Chapman, Sr.—who first introduced Florida
strain largemouth bass to Mexican waters. Once he was reunited with his
dad it wasn’t long before Chapman started working as a guide. That was
his first step. The second was to begin work as a booking agent. This
energetic young man did his guiding in the wintertime and his booking
for the following season in the warm months of the summer.
Mexican bass fishing is just one of the doors Chapman has opened for the
world’s anglers. He was still in his 20’s when he expanded his bookings
to include fishing for the fantastic peacock bass and other fresh water
species of the Amazon River and its tributaries in Venezuela. Within his
first five years in the jungle he supervised the construction of the
first two bass lodges in that area of the Amazon.
Capt. Sam Romano – Illinois
Sam was a pioneer in the success story of salmon fishing in the Great
Lakes, particularly Lake Michigan. His interest and energy were the
catalyst in forming the first charter fishing organization in Illinois.
He was co-founder of the Chicago Sport fishing Association. Initially he
served as secretary, then vice president from 1978-84 and then as
president from 1984 until 1994. In addition he was the co-founder of the
National Association of Charter Boat Operators and served as a director
from 1993 until 1996. Captain Romano also served as the Illinois
director to the Great Lakes Sport fishing Council a basin wide
organization to promote the health and welfare of the Great Lakes.
In Sam’s 30 years as a charter captain he introduced thousands to sport
fishing. Not only was his interest in Lake Michigan, but he had a real
passion for getting youth involved in the outdoors, especially in the
world of fishing. To this extent, he prevailed on the Chicago Park
District to hold an annual youth fishing derby, which ran the entire
summer. He involved tackle manufacturers, so the kids would have tackle
available for them to use. This fishing derby continues to this day and
is one of the most successful programs in the park district.
He has also played the role of educator, conducting many seminars around
the city of Chicago the adjoining suburbs.
Sadly, Sam suffered a fatal heart attack after rescuing his wife and son
from a house fire in the year 2000.
Edward (Ed) Makauskas - Illinois
In the mid-1970’s Ed served a 2-year term as President of Salmon
Unlimited, a Lake Michigan sport fishing/conservation organization of
over 2,000 members. During this time the recently created Salmonid
fishery was blossoming and there were many hurdles to clear to properly
manage this resource. Ed’s leadership and council helped the government
agencies responsible for devoloping this fishery, clear many of those
hurdles.
Following his term as Salmon Unlimited President, Ed served as the
club’s representative on the Illinois Conservation Congress, attending
numerous meetings and helping to find solutions to problems vexing the
Illinois and Michigan fishery.
Ed also served on the Illinois Hatchery Advisory Commission. This
commission’s efforts eventually led to the building of the Jake Wolf
Fish Hatchery, which produces all the salmon and trout annually stocked
in Illinois waters, as well as many cool and warm water species.
As notable as all these important accomplishments have been, perhaps
Ed’s most important work came after he was appointed, in 1980, by the
Governor of Illinois to the Federal Great Lakes Fishery Commission,
(G.L.F.C.), where he continues to serve as a sport fishing advisor to
the Commissioner.
|
|
Wow, what a response to the 1 Day only Spro BBZ1 contest! We have set a new record and it's all thanks to all of you Wired2Fish Readers! We thought we would try something new and it appears that you liked it! What do you say? Do we do a few more of these?
We're sure you don't want to hear us blabber on about how great we think you all are do ya? No, you want to know what the answer was and who the winner is! So let's get to it!
We consulted with the designer of the bait himself, Mr. Bill Siemantel, to find out the sink rank of the fast sink bait because we received a few different answers. Bill told us that the bait was designed to have a sink rate of..........1 foot per second!
The winner of the Spro 1 Day Contest is .................... Kyle Crager from Lexington, KY!
Congratulations Kyle! Your Spro BBZ 1 Swimbaits are on the way!
Stay tuned for more contests and we will have Pre-Classic coverage starting in a couple days.
|
|
The new season of City Limits Fishing with Mike Iaconelli will start airing this Friday on Versus at 9 PM eastern and re-air at 12:00 AM.
Here is a link to the Versus site to learn more:
http://www.versuscountry.com/showpage.aspx?sid=45
Also, Ike tells us that USA Today is running a big piece about urban fishing this Thursday or Friday. Stay tuned!
|
Zag Enterprises, Inc., inventors of The Rod Guard™ have signed a multi-year endorsement agreement with two-time Bassmaster Classic contender Bill Lowen of North Bend, OH.
“I met Bill at a charity event in 2007 and was immediately impressed with how easily he interacted with people and honestly tried to help them catch more fish. We developed and patented The Rod Guard™ over a two year period with Bill’s input taking it to the next level. He expanded its effectiveness and practicality to make it work for all rods and all fishermen,” Steve Hall, founder of Zag Industries. “The simple, yet patented technology of The Rod Guard™ is a must-have for anglers of all levels and we are excited to be working with one of the best in Bill Lowen”.
The Rod Guard™ will adorn all of Bill Lowen’s rods during the 2009 Bassmaster Classic and Elite Series. “The Rod Guard™ is a solution to several issues fishermen face, the most obvious being the safeguarding of expensive rods and reels. With rod and reel combinations costing up to $700 it hurts to lose a pole over the side of the boat. Not only is that money down the drain but it also means presenting a lure without the ideal tool until the rod is replaced. I also love how The Rod Guard™ protects my side during hard hook sets. About two weeks into each season I had a deep bruise in my abdomen from hook sets. The Rod Guard™ eliminates that problem. Another benefit is peace of mind when taking kids fishing. With The Rod Guard™ in place I can focus on creating a positive experience for a beginner.”
The Rod Guard™ is a .32 ounce patented foam accessory that fits tightly to a fishing rod to create a buoyancy factor capable of floating a rod and reel. The Rod Guard™ retails for $8.99 for a package of two.
For information about The Rod Guard™ contact Steve Hall at (800) 203-4385, purchase online at www.therodguard.com, or at the 2009 Bassmaster Classic Expo in Shreveport, LA.
|
|
Irony is running very deep today at Wired2Fish. We are running our first one day contest for a Spro BBZ 1 and we just got word that the guy responsible for its design has been given one of fishing's highest awards. Bill Siemantel has been chosen as a Legendary Angler and will be inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. There are only 118 members of this prestigious group. The Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame began the Legendary Angler in 1982. Congrats Bill on this award!!!
|
|
The groundhog was dead wrong. We are all ready for spring, and its just around the corner. Picture this....the bass move shallow, tournaments are in high gear and limits of big bass become the norm. Well, maybe we are a bit optimistic and may be jumping the gun a bit for a majority of the country but fishing has already kicked off in the warm climes and it won't be long and the rest of the country will be following suit. Wired2Fish Staffers are fired up and are ready to go!!
Getting the boat ready, making sure the tackle is prepared and all the hooks are sharpened are important but should be done by now. Gear , should be ready, batteries charged and everything stored in its proper location in the boat. Rainsuits and face shields, good gloves, socks and the proper headgear are essential. Spare props, tools, and lifejackets are ready. Ready to go........maybe......maybe not
One thing that anglers may have missed in the preparation is getting the proper culling system and that includes a precision balance beam.
Gator Grip has a excellent one. It it machined to spec and is built with the best materials. The best part is its only $17. Click here to go to Gator Grip.
|
|
WBT Angler Heather Broom today has signed an agreement with Alabama based Vicious Fishing for the 2009 Women's Bassmaster Tour. She will be fishing Vicious lines exclusively. She joins Jeff Reynolds, Gerald Swindle, Marty Stone, Kevin Short and Pete Ponds on the Vicious Elite Bass Fishing Team. "I feel extremely fortunate and proud to have the opportunity to be affiliated with the Vicious Elite Team. I’ve been involved with Vicious and utilized their products for over a year. They make a product that has instilled the self-confidence I need to put fish in the boat" said Broom
Broom was especially excited about the variety of lines Vicious offers. "Vicious has developed a copolymer and fluorocarbon line that is undoubtedly in a class of its own, and with the addition of Vicious Braid and All Purpose line there shouldn’t be an angler out there who can’t be "TOTALLY VICIOUS" on the water."
Broom also see's more in the relationship with Vicious that just line. "Vicious is a company that stands behind its anglers and has proven hard work pays off. They’re a family oriented company where everyone knows everyone on a first name basis" noted Heather.
For more information on Vicious Fishing products, please visit your local retailer or visit www.vicious-fishing.com
|
|
BASS and Evan Williams Bourbon, the country’s second-leading selling Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey, announced today that Evan Williams has increased its investment with BASS as an official sponsor of the organization and its prestigious tournament structures. The company first joined BASS as a sponsor in 2003.
The multi-year agreement includes sponsorship of the Bassmaster Classic, Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens and BASS Federation Nation. Evan Williams will be title sponsor of two Elite Series’ events in 2009, including the Evan Williams Dixie Duel in Decatur, Ala., set for April 2-5.
“Evan Williams Bourbon is excited about extending our involvement with BASS through the official sponsorship,” said Susan Wahl, brand manager for Evan Williams at Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc., the producer of the brand. “We have continuously upped our stake in professional bass fishing, through our sponsorship of both BASS and Team Evan Williams angler Jason Quinn, since we first became involved six years ago. We feel we are supporting an important and growing sport and that we are reaching many of our customers and prospects in a relevant way.”
Evan Williams will continue its long-time support of the BASS Federation Nation through the BASS Federation Nation Championship and Divisionals both presented by Yamaha Outboards and Skeeter Boats.
Additionally, the bourbon producer, located in Bardstown, Ky., will receive significant exposure across all of ESPN Outdoors’ multimedia assets including The Bassmasters on ESPN2, Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Bassmaster.com. The multi-year agreement also provides Evan Williams with onsite exposure opportunities.
Evan Williams has strong roots in the bass fishing industry and will continue to be the primary sponsor of Bassmaster Elite Series pro Jason Quinn of York, S.C., whose boat and tow vehicle prominently displays the brand. Quinn, a four-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier, will be featured in the Evan Williams bass fishing mini-show on ESPN2 in the fall of 2009.
“We are pleased with Evan Williams’ multi-year commitment to BASS and we will provide increased exposure opportunities across our event platforms,” said Tom Ricks, vice president and general manager, BASS and ESPN Outdoors. “It takes companies like Evan Williams who are committed to BASS and the outdoors to grow the sport.”
|
|
The Stre
The Stren Series and National Guard FLW College Fishing events scheduled for Jan. 22-24 and Jan. 24 respectively at Lake Oroville have been rescheduled for May 14-16 and May 16 because of delays in ramp construction at the Bidwell Canyon Marina in Oroville, Calif. According to officials, ramp construction is now slated for completion around the end of February.
|
 Wired photo
Berkley has a longstanding program of designing baits and colors for specific bodies of water. They have also designed baits for their pro's that were specifically for the Bassmaster Classic. In 2007 the Berkley Chigger Craw was a very large part of Boyd Duckett's win. That bait ultimately became the rage and still is a leading seller as a standalone bait or a jig trailer.
This year, Berkley has racheted it up another notch and designed the 4" Crazy Legs Chigger Craw that has oversized enhanced antenna that kick like crazy in the water. We call them "antenna on steroids". We believe the Berkley pro's are well armed again for stained or muddy water with this bait.
The body of the bait is squarish with 4 segments and a head and the body is lined with 3 sets of smallish legs in segment 2, 3 and 4 respectively and is matched with serrated oversized pinchers attached at the head. This is a Power Bait so it attracts bass and the color selection looks great for the Red River. Watermelon, Green Pumpkin Party, Black and Blue and Green Pumpkin Blue are our favorites.
We will continue to highlight new Berkley Classic Baits as we get closer to the event.
|
|
The Corp of Engineers is again accepting tournament permits for Georgia's Lake Lanier and that is welcome news for both business and anglers in that area. You might remember that a severe drop had taken the lake to all-time lows and no permits were issued last year. Numerous fishing related business's felt the hardship and many tackle shops closed as a result.
Lake Lanier has risen 5 feet in recent weeks allowing 13 boat ramps to now become available. Some will be for tournaments and others for the general publics use.
There is a great article in the Gainesville Georgia Times today announcing the move. To read it click here.
The 2010 FLW Championship is scheduled to be held at Lanier.
|
|
Wired reader Chuck Daymude of Mooresville, NC caught this 3 lb crappie while fishing in a bass tournament over the weekend while using a Blue Bandit colored Spro McStick. The McStick is 4" in length to give you an idea of the size of that fish! Fish was photographed and released! Well done Chuck!
|
Skeet Reese and Lucky Craft will be launching 3 new custom colors at the Bassmasters Classic in Shreveport in a couple weeks....Here's one: 
|
 TFW photo
Ricky Bearden caught the new Lake Conroe largemouth bass record January 30. The fish weighed 15.93 pounds. The Texas Fish and Wildlife has a great story to tell with its Share-a-lunker program growing behemoths like this one. Congrats Ricky........
Don't forget it won't be long until the PAA hits Conroe for the TTBC!
|
|
Greg Hackney has had a busy late summer, fall and winter and if the spring is as good get ready for another great year from the "Hack Attack". He picked up Fish Harder Youvella Hooks at launch, had a great late fall streak on the tournament trail and qualified for both the Bassmaster Classic and the FLW Championship. He just picked up a new sponsor today with Cajun Line from Zebco Brands and will be running a new Youvella wrap on the Elite Series this year. Not a bad start to 2009!!
 FLW photo
Hack is a pundits pick for the Classic as well......WHEW!
|
|
We just got this in from CS&E's Angie Thompson......sounds like a good one.
Tonight at 10 pm EASTERN, the National Geographic Channel will air "Hooked on Bass," which takes a look at bass and the sport of bass fishing from the perspectives of three groups.
The largemouth bass is more than just Americas most sought after freshwater fish. It fuels an entire culture of followers that pursue the bass at all levels for different reasons: weekend hobbyists, professional tournament anglers, and obsessed record hunters. Some fish to spend time with family and for relaxation, some for the challenge and the connection with nature, and others for the money and obsession. The pursuit of the bass has a $60 billion dollar effect on our economy by the 30 million bass anglers, a sport which has become the most popular outdoor activity in America. Three stories typify the culture of bassfishing, and happen on three different lakes across the country. In Texas, on Lake Sam Rayburn, weekend angler Rusty Clark fishes in one of the worlds largest amateur bassfishing tournaments. In New York, on Lake Oneida, Kevin Van Dam tries to secure his year-long quest to be the top professional in the sport. And in California, on Dixon Lake, three world record hunters obsessively hunt one fish that they believe to be the biggest bass of all time.
The film is narrated by Tommy Sanders and was produced and directed by CS&E (JM Associates).
It includes a number of underwater scenes bass anglers are sure to love. I also think it is an interesting take on the culture of the bass fishing world. For you hardcore fishing guys, the footage from the world record chasers in California is worth the price of admission all on it’s own!
If you miss it tonight, the show will be re-aired February 28 at 8 pm eastern.
|
|
NORMAN, Okla. – For fans of professional bass fishing looking to relieve some cabin fever, the BASS ZONE will debut its newest addition to the show beginning February 4, 2009 at 1:00 CST. The new feature allows fans the ability to take a live look into the hottest fishing show on the airways.
Each Sunday morning hosts Mark Jeffreys and Gary Giudice cover the only nation wide satellite radio show on SIRIUS channel 122 and XM channel 143, focusing exclusively on professional bass fishing. The hour-long program features interviews and insight from the biggest names in the sport.
“The show primarily consists of Gary Giudice, who has been in the bass fishing business for over 30 years, and myself talking about the world of professional bass fishing,” explains Jeffreys. “We really have opposite personalities but when we get on the radio together, we really gel. I’m more ‘new school’ and Gary is ‘old school’ so it gives a unique perspective to the listener.”
With the addition of what is being dubbed “instant feedback”, listeners will be able to log on and take part in a live blog moderated by The BASS ZONE staff. Through this live blog, listeners can submit questions for Giudice and Jeffreys to ask their guests.
In addition to the live blog, fans will also have access to a live web cam, which will show Giudice and Jeffreys taping the program in real time. Listeners and viewers will also have the opportunity to win products from different sponsors of The BASS ZONE on SIRIUS/XM Sports Nation by sending in questions and comments through the “instant feedback” feature.
Each listener who has a question selected and featured during the taping will score a prize pack from BASS ZONE sponsors valued at $50. Live tapings are scheduled for each Wednesday at 1:00 CST and prize packs will be given away during each taping. The first show features Ish Monroe and Skeet Reese as guests.
|
Zebco Brands announces that veteran bass anglers Greg Hackney and Mike Wurm have been signed as new pro staff members for the company's Cajun Line brand. The two tournament pros will be fishing Cajun's red monofilament lines and braid, and the recently introduced clear fluorocarbon.
"Getting Greg and Mike onboard to promote Cajun Line is big news and symbolizes the emphasis we're putting behind this brand and the fishing line category," said James Therrell, Cajun Line product manager. "These anglers represent the same kind of integrity and get-it-done fortitude by which the Cajun brand was originally founded, and most importantly, they believe in the quality of these products as strongly as we do."
"I actually tested the fluorocarbon line on redfish because they're stronger and harder on line than bass," Hackney said. "I fished all day, caught 12 redfish ranging from 5-20 pounds and never had to re-tie and never broke the line. I have a lot of confidence knowing that my Quantum reels will be spooled with Cajun for the Bassmaster Classic."
Hackney hails from Gonzales, La., and has surpassed the million-dollar mark in bass tournament earnings. Wurm is from Hot Springs, Ark., and, like Hackney, fishes the BASS Elite Series. He has nearly three-quarter million dollars in career earnings to date.
Thousands of anglers are loyal to Cajun's red fishing lines, a color chosen as a result of testing under actual fishing conditions and supported by science. Red is the first color in the color spectrum to be absorbed as it penetrates into water's depths, making it the least visible of all.
Cajun Fluorocarbon is clear because fluorocarbon, by its own properties, is already practically "invisible" in water. A 100-percent fluorocarbon, Cajun's new line incorporates the latest in technology to make it the first in which small diameters, flexibility and low stretch have come together in perfect harmony.
"I did some thorough testing of the new fluorocarbon line at the recent PAA tournament on Lake Toho, and I was very impressed," said Wurm. "It casts extremely well, and after three days of testing, I saw no evidence of wear and never had to re-spool. I'm confident Cajun will make many bass anglers better fishermen."
For more information about all Cajun fishing line products, visit www.cajunline.com.
|
|
Academy Sports + Outdoors Moves up to Title Sponsor of the Women’s Bassmaster Tour
BASS announced today that Academy Sports + Outdoors increased its involvement with the Women’s Bassmaster Tour, becoming the title sponsor of the circuit in a multiple-year agreement. Academy enhanced its level of association with BASS after serving as the presenting sponsor of the WBT since 2007.
In its fourth year of existence, the WBT has made great strides, most notably since Academy joined as a presenting sponsor. In October 2007, BASS announced that the Toyota Tundra Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year would receive a qualifying berth in the Bassmaster Classic. Later this month, Kim Bain-Moore will make history as the first woman qualifier in the Classic, set for Feb. 20-22 on the Red River out of Shreveport-Bossier City, La.
“Academy Sports and Outdoors is actively involved in communities and events promoting healthy sports and outdoors lifestyles for every member of the family. We are pleased to sponsor the Women’s Bassmaster Tour because it reflects our own philosophy that team sports and outdoors recreation should be accessible and affordable for everyone,” said Jerry deBin, Academy’s director of outdoor marketing. “Each tournament week kicks off at the Academy Sports and Outdoor store with ‘meet the pros’ Wednesday night, daily weigh-ins Thursday and Friday, and the final weigh-in Saturday that includes a host of free games and festivities for the whole family.”
The 2009 Academy Sports + Outdoors Women’s Bassmaster Tour schedule will kick off in less than two months with a season-opening event on Alabama’s Neely Henry Lake, set for March 26-28 out of Gadsden, Ala. The rest of the schedule can be found below.
The 2009 Academy Sports + Outdoors WBT Championship has yet to be announced. That event will feature a limited field and will be billed as a championship, stand-alone event. A decreased field – only the top 20 pros and co-anglers in the AOY standings will qualify – will battle for the Toyota WBT Angler of the Year and a coveted Bassmaster Classic qualifying berth.
“We are excited to enhance our fantastic relationship with Academy Sports + Outdoors,” said Tom Ricks, BASS vice president and general manager. “Companies like Academy understand the importance of growing the participation in our sport.”
Schedule: 2009 Academy Sports + Outdoors Women’s Bassmaster Tour
|
Date
|
Fishery
|
Host City
|
Local Sponsor
|
|
March 26-28
|
Neely Henry Lake
|
Gadsden, Ala.
|
City of Gadsden
|
|
April 23-25
|
Ouachita River
|
West Monroe, La.
|
Monroe-West Monroe Convention & Visitor’s Bureau
|
|
June 4-6
|
Arkansas River
|
Little Rock, Ark.
|
Little Rock Convention & Visitor’s Bureau
|
|
Sept. 10-12
|
Old Hickory Lake
|
Hendersonville, Tenn.
|
Sumner County Convention & Visitor’s Bureau
|
|
The Berkley Experience Trailer is headed to the Gander Mountain in Lake Mary, Fla. The trailer will roll in February 8-10 and will offer demonstrations and interactive games for kids and adults.
The Berkley Experience Trailer gives the everyday angler the opportunity to view baits in the Berkley line and chances to see the baits in action. Kids and adults alike will enjoy fishing games and competing in knot tying contests.
“We want everyone young and old alike to enjoy the Berkley experience,” said Andrew Marks, Berkley Marketing Manager “In addition to our bait and line interactive displays we will have Abu Garcia reel demonstrations, interactive touch screens to Learn How to Catch More Fish and a showcase for our latest and most innovative fishing products.”
Special sales and promotions will be offered wherever the Berkley trailer stops. If you are unable to make it by the trailer and test the interactive components in Lake Mary, Fla., look at the upcoming events.
February 8-10
Gander Mountain – Lake Mary
3750 Flagg Lane
Lake Mary, FL 32746
Phone: 407-804--514
Upcoming Events
February 13 – 15 – Cabela’s Fort Worth, TX
February 19 – 22 – Bassmaster Classic Bossier City, LA
February 27 – March 1 – Bass Pro Spring Classic Bolingbrook, IL
March 6 – 8 – Bass Pro Spring Classic, Rossford, OH
March 13 – 15 – Bass Pro Spring Classic Cincinnati, OH
|
|
|