Leading the industry in packaging innovation, Pure Fishing announces new packaging for selected 2011 products. Replacing the sometimes hard to open clam packs are new “Sustainable Packaging” that promotes easy, safe and attractive packaging. Made by Natralock®, a division of MeadWestvaco Corporation, the Pure Fishing packaging will be available on 35 new Berkley Classic Tools with some products already on store shelves.

“Consumers will see the new packaging in stores during the fall of 2010,” said David Lund, Vice President of Marketing -The Americas. “We’ll have enhanced visibility of the Berkley product with glare-free surfacing and improved graphics. Opening the new packaging requires no special tools, just a pair of scissors that leaves a smooth, safe edge. Gone are the hazards of the ragged edges and the frustrations from opening the clam packs.”

Natralock materials include coated tear-resistant paperboard with a thermoform blister or bubble. The paperboard contains up to 30% recycled fiber and is recyclable.

It is anticipated that the new packaging will result in a 67% reduction in plastic usage compared to the traditional clam packs with an annual reduction in plastics headed to our landfills of 76.6 tons. Even transportation costs for shipping the products will be reduced as package weight is 29% lighter than before. The packaging is also much easier to open than the clam packs, yet retains its tear and pilfer resistance for product integrity.

Berkley continues to promote stewardship of our environment and our fisheries. The company’s commitment to responsible resource management is reflected not only with the new packaging. For years Berkley has actively engaged in recycling of discarded fishing line. Literally millions of miles of monofilament fishing line have been turned into fish habitat for enhanced fishing for all.

To learn more, visit PureFishing.com or Natralock.com.

The Third Annual Berkley Big Bass Challenge on the Delta had a field of nearly 200 anglers and awarded over $40,000 in cash and prizes. The fun and unique hourly big bass format challenges anglers not only on their fishing skills, but also employing strategy on when to weigh in their fish and ONLY Berkley baits can be used.

Fishing appeared to be tough with a cold front, strong winds and rain predicted for the two-day event, which was ran out of Russo's Marina on Bethel Island, Calif. While conditions were less than ideal, it appeared to be no problem for Russ Meyer who weighed in a 13.15-pound Delta hog to easily win the first hour using a Berkley Hollow Belly. The second hour weights dropped dramatically as Zack Thompson used a PowerBait Chigger Craw and won the hour with a 4.90 bass and only six anglers brought a fish to the scales. The weights increased during the 3rd and 4th hours as Lemaj Plaza and Brian Carpenter brought in a 8.57 and 9.47 pound fish to the scales.

While the big fish are always the story, the hourly format that pays seven places every hour awarded anglers with $50 for fish ranging from 4.14 pounds to 2.08 pounds. All eleven hourly angler winners passed the polygraphs as Doug Romano won 2 hours, but the rules state you only can win 1 key. As the "Super 11" anglers lined up for photos and selected an envelope with a key that they hoped would start the truck excitement began to build.

A Junior Division was added this year and 6 youth anglers that paid the $25 entry fee. Each was rewarded with a Shakespeare Catch More Fish combo that retails for $29.99, a hat along with some additional line and bait. All of the money collected was awarded to the 2 anglers that weighed fish. Tal Chamdi won $100 along with a day on the water with Randy Pringle. Hunter Cook was the other angler that cashed in with a $50 check.

The fun filled activities included the Berkley trailer team interacting with the anglers and local guides Randy Pringle and Jeff Huth emceeing the tournament. An early registration raffle had several prizes, but the grand prize of a day on the water with Berkley Pro Skeet Reese, which was won by Gregory Shreeve of Discovery Bay, Calif. The Berkley raffle, where tickets are given for all of the empty bags of Gulp! and PowerBait that are turned in, had prizes from Abu Garcia, Fenwick and Cocoons.

The Berkley Big Fish tournaments are always fun and are looking to expand them beyond California and Texas. The Texas event is set for October 22nd - 23rd on Lake Fork, Texas," said Andrew Marks, Berkley Marketing Director. "The anglers are learning about the full spectrum of Berkley baits in a fun and rewarding way. Many of the fish were caught on our family of PowerBait Chigger Craws and Hollow Belly swim baits, but we had several fish brought in on Hand Poured Finesse Worms, jigs and the new Thump Worm that is just hitting the stores now."

Hour 1 - Russ Meyer - 13.15lbs
Hour 2 - Zach Thompson - 4.90lbs
Hour 3 - Lemaj Plaza - 8.57lbs
Hour 4 - Brian Carpenter - 9.47lbs
Hour 5 - Guyle Sternat - 6.45lbs
Hour 6 - Bobby Dedner - 4.86lbs

Prize Money Each $500

Robert Oleson
Richardson TX

Jim Unger
Maumee, Ohio 

 

Congrats guys, your Spro Little John DD's are on the way!

 

 
Sponsors of the 2010 College Bass Tour include Mercury Marine, Triton Boats, Plano Molding Company, Strike King, Ardent Reels, Carrot Stix, Vicious Fishing, Gemini Sport Marketing and Motorguide.

We've been throwing this bait for a while, but wanted to give you our two cents on another fish catcher that some of you may not be familiar with. Check out our review of the Hag's Tornado today on Next Generation Tackle Box. Click here to read the full review and see the product up close.

Reins and Zappu have trickled a few products from Japan to America. The companies make many top products in Japan and several of their famous products over there are going to be available this month and next month in the US. Matt Paino of Optimum Baits has been instrumental in keeping everyone in the states in the loop on what’s going on with both companies. He sent over some samples for us to review.

We’ll be fishing with the baits real soon, but we wanted to give you a good look at the products first and give you our initial feedback on several of the new products.

Reins

Deka Cross Swamp Worm

Makers of very detailed soft plastics with strong fish scents, Reins introduced us to the Cross Swamp Worm  last year and this year came out with a new size. The unique worm was made to represent two worms threaded on to a wacky jighead, a variation of flick shaking that is very popular in Japan. It has a unique profile and presentation and the cross shape of the worm gives it a lot of action in many directions. New for this year is the 5-inch size. It comes in 12 colors and retails for $6.99 a pack.

Bubbling Shaker

Along those same lines they are introducing three new shapes to the US market. The Bubbling Shaker is detailed drop-shot worm.  The plastic is extremely soft, and the miniature pockets created by the ribbed body actually trap tiny bubbles that shake free with the slightest movement.  The tail has a really good action on a drop shot. It really whips with the slightest shaking. The worms shape is thicker at the head portion and tapers toward the tail giving it a forage profile.

It comes in eight colors and two sizes – 4 and 5-inch models. The worms will sell for $5.49 an 8 pack.

Additional photos:
  

Bubbling Shad

Borrowing some of its design from the Bubbling Shaker, the Bubbling Shad is a finesse swimbait featuring a ringed body section, bulbous head and paddle tail. The unique bait can be fished as swimbait, drop-shot worm or a swimming jig trailer. Featuring soft plastic with a noticeable fish scent and very good action the bubbling shad will work equally well on a jighead, weighted hook or back of a jig. The body has noticeable curves to it that give the bait more freedom to swim on a straight retrieve.

No word yet on available sizes and colors.

Additional Photos:
 

AX Claw

The craw features oversized pinchers with extra weight that gives them a thumping action on the drop. The bait also has four tentacles that vibrate as the bait is twitched or dropped into a piece of cover. The ribbed body gives the Ax Claw a consistent look with the other new offerings from Reins.

The claw comes in eight colors and will retail for $6.99 for a 6-pack.

Additional photos:

 

Zappu

Zappu introduced the Inchi Wacky heads a couple years ago and they were one of the first Flick Shake heads on the market in the U.S.  The unique pivot point of the jig head added a new element to wacky rigging plastics.
Now Zappu has introduced a jig, jighead and whole line of tungsten weight shapes to the US market.

PD Chopper

This new jig features a unique design, shape and application to jig fishing.  First the head has an almost medieval helmet shape. Coupled with the angle of the hook, the head allows the jig to stand up and point the plastic trailer right in the face of an onlooking bass. It employs a wire keeper that holds plastics in place extremely well on the hook shank.  One of the first things anglers will notice is missing is the bristle brush guard. It’s made to be fished with or without the hook exposed. You can simply add a corkscrew spring to the eye of the jig and thread a plastic trailer over the point of the hook. Or you can slide the trailer up the hook shank and swim the jig and fish it without a brush guard.

The unique shape of the head really accentuates the action of trailers like an Optimum Double Diamond. Sometimes the head doesn’t make any difference on how the trailer fishes. Not the case with this head. Good jig anglers know it’s the trailer that you’re fishing. The jig and skirt is just dressing for the trailer and it’s obvious that was a thought with this jig.

The skirt is wire tied and locked to the head. It makes the skirt flow well and it’s extremely well trimmed. This is one jig that I think guys will give a chance for its uniqueness.

 

Additional photos:

 

  

Mustang Head

Basically this is a scaled down version of the PD Chopper jig without a skirt. The light wire jig will work well on shaky heads, small swimbaits and other finesse applications. The wire keeper along the shank really holds plastics in place. A very fine wire protects the hook point from snags. It will require light line applications.  We think on heavy line, the wire guard will fold away easily. But the unique shape of the head, ability to stand light plastics on end and open options with this design make this worth a try.

Additional photos:

 

  

Tungsten Weights

Reins is releasing some tungsten worm weights in various shapes and sizes to accommodate several tastes when it comes to fishing Texas rigs and drop shots. The weights seem accurate; the look of the painted heads (several in matte finish) will be attractive to anglers. The weights have sleeves and fasteners that seem like they will hold up to wear and tear.

We just had a brief time so far to view the baits and tackle, but we can't wait to get them on the water. They are very detailed and obviously a lot of thought went into the design with finicky, sight oriented fish in mind. The attention to detail deserves an angler's attention and they are definitely worth a look in our opinion.

The best access to information about Reins and Zappu in the US is through Matt Paino at Optimum Baits. Click here for more information.

 
Photo and story courtesy BASS Communications

EVANS, Ga. – The stars were perfectly aligned for Jason Williamson heading into the final day of the Pride of Georgia on Clarks Hill Lake.  His sisters performed the National Anthem prior to the weigh-in and the crowd was filled with family, friends and fishing buddies who he had smoked in years past at local tournaments.  But the Wagener, S.C., rising pro couldn’t get the fish to bite.

Sunday, he made a long trek upriver to a spot that produced for him in the past both monetarily – he has won boats in numerous local tournaments relying on the area – and in piscatorial terms – he dredged up a 7-12 brute Saturday, the biggest bass of the tournament.

But the current wasn’t running on the sprawling reservoir and Williamson couldn’t buy a bite.  Showing a veteran’s poise, Williamson dug deep into his vast local knowledge bank and decided to downsize from the Buckeye mop jig he primarily worked the first three days of competition.  He tied on a shaky head worm and was able to scratch out a quick limit ultimately weighing 7 pounds, 10 ounces, upgrading his total to 53 pounds, 6 ounces.

It was enough, albeit barely, to best Elite rookie Cliff Crochet of Pierre Part, La., by 2 ounces and take home the $100,000 top prize
 
“Words can’t describe how it feels to win in front of these folks,” said Williamson.  “I won a lot of money from that spot but I just couldn’t get anything started today (Sunday).  I wish I hadn’t run up there but I just had to go.  I was regretting it all day.”

Fishing fans can catch all of the on-the-water action from the Pride of Georgia on The Bassmasters, which airs Sunday, June 6, at 10:30 a.m. ET on ESPN2.
 
Although the shaky worm rig carried the day Sunday, the Buckeye mop jig was the key to the victory.  Saturday, Williamson built enough of a cushion – more than 4 pounds – that he was able to withstand a stumble.  His 19 pounds, 2 ounces, Saturday was the biggest limit of the tournament and the 7-12 brute was the biggest bass caught this week.

With skyrocketing temperatures, Williamson knew that the north end of the lake would hold the bigger fish.  He settled on his specific area because it was 5 degrees cooler than the rest of the reservoir.  He was working flat points filled with rock and crawdads.  The bass were still feeding on the tail end of the blueback herring spawn in those areas and were extremely active when current was being pulled.

A relative unknown when he first qualified for the Elite Series, Williamson is proving he is a force to be reckoned with.  The victory is Williamson’s second in Elite competition and he also scored a second-place finish earlier this year on Smith Mountain Lake. 

“When I first qualified, things were really tough,” said Williamson.  “I just didn’t have the experience.  I definitely feel comfortable now.  Experience is the most important thing that you can have out here.  I feel like I can contend in every tournament now and that’s a good feeling.”

Still, it’s been a roller-coaster ride of a season for Williamson as he paired three missed cuts with his two stellar performances.  His lack of consistency hasn’t hampered him too much, however. After this week, he is 24th in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings, and comfortably in position to qualify for the 2011 Bassmaster Classic.

Crochet was absolutely floored.  The Elite rookie got his first taste of contention and he thought he had the victory. The Assumption Parish (La.) sheriff’s deputy worked a Spro bronzeye poppin’ frog in the shallows and exhibited the most consistency in the field over the course of four days.

He toted 11-11 to the scales Sunday and for a moment, it appeared all the hard work he had put in fishing tournaments at the Federation Nation and Bassmaster Open level had paid off.  But ultimately, it wasn’t enough.

“That’s the nature of the beast,” said Crochet, who was still shaking minutes after the result had been decided.  “I’m wrecked right now but if you look at the big picture, I’m fishing against the best in the world and I’m loving it.”

Crochet lost a fish that he estimated to be 2 to 3 pounds that would have put him over the top.  The silver lining for Crochet is that he moved up to 36th in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings.  That puts him on top of the Rookie of the Year standings and in the last qualifying position for the 2011 Classic with two regular-season tournaments remaining.

As the Elite regular-season winds down, Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., still holds a comfortable lead in the AOY standings despite a 58th place stinker this week.  Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., was able to close the gap on Reese a bit but still remains a distant second, more than 175 points off the pace.

Rounding out the top five this week was Terry Scroggins of Palatka, Fla., in third with 48-9.  Matt Reed of Madisonville, Texas, made a big move Sunday, moving up 8 places from 12th to take fourth with 47-13.  Two-time Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Gary Klein of Weatherford, Texas, finished fifth with 43-11.

Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., the other local favorite, finished seventh.

Along with the top prize of $100,000, the Pride of Georgia awarded valuable points in the 2010 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race. The top 12 pros in the AOY standings at the end of the regular season will advance to the 2010 Bassmaster Elite Series postseason, in which the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year will be determined.  The top 36 will qualify for the 2011 Bassmaster Classic.

Up next for Elite pros is the June 9-12 Tennessee Triumph on Kentucky Lake out of Paris, Tenn.

Clarks Hill is a 71,535-acre fishery, an impoundment 39 miles in length located 22 miles north of Augusta. It forms part of the border between Georgia and South Carolina and is renowned for its topwater fishing.

BERKLEY HEAVYWEIGHT OF TOURN
     Jason Williamson         Aiken, SC           19-02        $500.00

An unprecedented closure of Kentucky Lake forced the cancellation of the Women’s Invitational Tournament scheduled for May 6-7th. Although disappointed, it didn’t dampen the spirits of the women who traveled from 17 states. They converged on Moor’s Resort and Marina in Gilbertsville, Kentucky for two reasons. In addition to fishing competitively, they were there to review plans and make recommendations for a new women’s circuit, run by women. They accomplished their goal and set the foundation for the new Lady Bass Anglers Association.

Professional anglers Secret York and Cheryl Bowden organized this momentous event. “We’re impressed with the enthusiasm and willingness of everyone who played a part in the formation of the Lady Bass Anglers Association” said Bowden. “We’re establishing committees for a variety of activities. Even if someone wasn’t at the meeting, he/she can still volunteer to help.” Cheryl also announced the dates for the first Lady Bass Anglers Association event as September 16-18, 2010 which will kick off the 2011 events.

“We’re developing a Website so people can learn about us and stay up to date on our events,” said York. “Look for us at ladybassanglers.com.”

“This was an awesome experience,” said angler Dawn March of Arlington, Texas. “I am honored to be a part of the birth of this new organization. It lets me know that I have a chance to do something I’m really passionate about.”

Sponsors of the Women’s Invitational Tournament also participated in the meeting and provided valuable input. They were just as disappointed in the cancellation of the Women’s Bassmaster Tour earlier this year. CastAway President Gena Young said, “To quote the words of Joel Osteen – ‘A setback is a setup for a comeback.’ The Ladies Bass Angler's Association is making that comeback happen with their time, energy, finances and hard work. Their passion and dedication to the sport is obvious. CastAway is happy to be able to be a part of the future of women's bass fishing.”

“During our meeting on Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard informed us we would not be able to hold our Thursday and Friday Women’s Invitational Event on Kentucky Lake,” said Bowden. “We were forced to cancel the official event.”

Women had arrived several days prior to the meeting to scout out the best places to fish during the scheduled two-day tournament. “Waters had already risen several feet and flooded brush and trees which made the fishing excellent,” said Angie Douthit of Okeechobee, Florida. “I was on good fish and even caught an eight pound largemouth. It would have been a great tournament.”

Bowden said, “Thanks to the assistance of State Representative Rex Smith the women were invited to a private lake so the women, many who had traveled a great distance, could have a friendly competitive day on the water.”

In the pro division for the one day event, Robbie Hartline of Foristell, Missouri, took first place with five fish weighing 13.85 pounds. Second place went to Patti Campbell of Waxahachie, Texas, and third to Secret York of Benton, Kentucky. In the co-anger division, Donna Newberry of Van Buren, Arkansas took first with five fish weighing 12.4 pounds. Second went to Jennifer Helgren of Park City, Illinois, and third went to Leslie Lively of Grapeland, Texas.

“All in all, everything turned out well,” said York. “We want to thank our sponsors who made our event possible: SHE Outdoor Apparel, Moors Resort and Marina, Castaway Graphite Rods, Ray Barga and Associates, Inc., Sportsmen’s Edge Triton Boat dealership, West Kentucky LED, Todali Lures, Necessity Jigs, Nite Owl Media Productions, Triton Boats, Dave Stewart’s Big Bass Guide Service, Sure Life, North Texas Marine Triton dealership, Legend Boats, BassCat Boats , Phoenix Boats, and Skeeter Boats."

The 3rd Annual Berkley Big Bass Challenge on the Delta is set for May 22nd – 23rd. The event will be ran out of Russo’s Marina, which brings more fun and bigger payouts than ever before!

Bass fishing’s version of “Texas Hold Em” matches angling skill with a weigh-in strategy. Each day of competition consists of six one-hour periods, where anglers can weigh-in their single largest fish. Each hour an angler can bring one fish to the scales to try to stay in the running for a chance to receive one of 7 hourly cash awards. Over $40,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded during the two-day event. However, there is one catch to this tournament. Berkley baits are the only baits that will be allowed during the Challenge. Big Bass Winner of each hour will be presented a key that may win a new Toyota Tundra that will be awarded on the final day of competition. 

And that’s not the best part. The new Toyota Tundra, along with the seven per hour/per day checks,   are GUARANTEED to be given away…regardless the size of the field!

“The tournament is a fun format to expose anglers to the full spectrum of Berkley baits”, stated Andrew Marks, Marketing Director for Berkley. “It is challenging to not only adjust to some of the new baits that are being used, but also the added strategy of when to weigh in your fish that lends a unique twist”.

Anglers that arrive Friday, May 21st, the day before the event at Russo’s Marina, will have the opportunity to attend seminars hosted by Berkley pro-staff. The Berkley Experience trailer, a 60 foot -event center, will be on site from Friday until the final weigh-in and awards on Sunday. The trailer features interactive presentation screens, educational seminars on line selection, reel maintenance, rod selection and selecting the right bait, a knot tying station and competition, bait demonstration tanks and many other fun elements designed to help the angers Catch More Fish. Hook, Line & Sinker will have a large selection of Berkley baits to finalize your tackle selections. Save your empty Berkley GULP! and PowerBait bags for the big raffle on Sunday afternoon, where you can win prizes from Berkley, Abu Garcia, Fenwick and other great companies.

The first 150 anglers that register will have an opportunity to win a day on the water with the hottest BASS angler and California’s own – Skeet Reese. This special drawing will be held after the final hourly weigh-in on Sunday, May 23rd.

A new Junior Division has been added to encourage younger anglers to come out and experience the fun.  The first 25 kids that sign up get a free Shakespeare combo worth $29.99!

For more information please visit www.anglerspress.net, or you can email Vince Harris at anglerpress@hotmail.com or call 916-768-0938.

 
Few Bassmaster Elite Series anglers have a bigger appetite than Terry “Big Show” Scroggins. His grill skills are large, and so are his Carolina-rigged weights.  

In 2008, at Falcon Lake, Texas, the Toyota pro drug up the second largest five-fish limit in B.A.S.S. history with a Carolina rig – five monsters totaling 44 pounds, 4 ounces. Right now, as bass all over America are in some phase of the spawn, few presentations work better than the ‘ball and chain.’

There’s nothing fancy or secretive about Scroggins successful approach to Carolina rigging – just go big!  “I don’t mess around with 1/2-ounce or 3/4-ounce weights unless I’m in really thick vegetation.  If I can get away with it, in rocks, shell beds, pea gravel or clay, I’m going to use a full 1-ounce lead egg sinker every time,” said Scroggins, who has won more than a million dollars faster than most in professional fishing.

“There’s two reasons I use a big 1-ounce lead egg sinker on my Carolina Rigs," Scroggins said. "First, with any water current at all, that egg shaped weight will roll across the bottom, so you don’t have to impart a ton of unnatural action. You can sort of just hold your rod still and let the big heavy egg impart all the subtle action by rolling around.  Second, when you do move it, that big 1-ounce weight creates a bigger disturbance. But I think the rolling action has as much to do with the success of it as the heaviness does.”

Scroggins uses a 4’ long, 15-pound test monofilament leader, and 20-pound test mono for his main line. “You can buy a 1-ounce lead egg sinker at just about any tackle department in America.  It’s what I grew-up fishing with as a teenager in the St. Johns River 25 years ago,” said the always easy-going Scroggins.  

And still today, at age 41, big lead eggs are working just fine for “Big Show” on bass fishing’s biggest stage.

Photo by Larry Towell / B.A.S.S.

Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, S.C., claimed his first BASS victory after Gerald Swindle stumbled on the final day of the second 2010 Bassmaster Southern Open presented by Bass Pro Shops. Montgomery credits the win to his near-flawless execution.

"I've come in second more times than I can count, so this is awesome," he said. "I was as dialed in as I've ever been in my life. It was amazing. I think I've finally learned how to win."

Montgomery used a swimbait, spinnerbait and a swimming jig -- each one all white - to take home the top prize of $46,000 and change. For the first two days, Montgomery focused on docks. He caught spotted bass around docks that were in deeper water and largemouth along shallower docks. The final day threw him a curve  in more ways than one -- but he managed to adjust and bring 11-4 to the scales on Day 3 for a total of 34-9.

"I found a buzzbait was the key today," he said. "I had all sorts of problems, though. As soon as I figured the pattern out, and I knew what to look for, my trolling motor quit. On top of that, Todd Auten was fishing my areas, so I thought I was in real trouble. Turned out that my wires were cross-wired, so I fixed 'em and was calling my shots for the last hour."

Days 1 and 2 leader Gerald Swindle suffered from less-than-stellar execution.

"I haven't had a day like today in my whole career," he said. "I lost about 15 keepers and should've had at least that in weight. I lost it after that. The thing about fishing at this level is that when things like that happen, you can actually have a meltdown. When you've put this much time, effort, and hard work into something then it just falls apart on the last day, you can come undone. I hadn't lost a fish this entire tournament until today."

Swindle weighed in 7-14 on Day 3, leaving him with 33-0, 1 pound and 9 ounces short. Brian Morris of Cullman, Ala., also missed his shot at a victory by only bringing in three fish that weighed 7-5 to the scales. He finished with 31-11. In fourth is Todd Auten of Lake Wylie, S.C., with 30-3, and in fifth is Jonathon VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., who wound up with 29-6.

Co-angler Robert "JR" Dice of Perry, Fla., took home a brand new Triton/Mercury rig for his three-day total of 12-15.

"To finally win is unreal. I've fished a few BASS tournaments, and every tournament you go to you get let down a little bit then picked back up for the next one, then you get let down a little again," he said. "I'm tickled to death to get this win. I can't wait to get back home to Florida."

Dice found a Boogerman buzzbait with a Reaction Innovations Skinny Dipper as a trailer was the ticket to his winning sack. Dice's pro was also using a buzzbait, albeit unsuccessfully. Dice says he got bit because his Skinny Dipper was dipped in J.J.'s Magic Dippin' Dye. He was able to edge out Don Lewis, of Jacksonville, Fla., whose three-day total was 11-11. In third is Ben Humphries of Jasper, Ala., with 10-12, in fourth is Steven Roosen of Ft. Mill, S.C., with 9-11 and in fifth is Rex Harris of Bargersville, Ind., with 9-9.

In the points race, Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla., will take the lead as his brother, Chris, stumbled at Smith Lake. Lane also sacked the heaviest bass of the day, a 4-11 largemouth. Randall Tharp of Gardendale, Ala., will move into second.

The next stop of the 2010 Bassmaster Southern Opens presented by Bass Pro Shops is Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Ga., October 7-9, 2010.

Doug Osmera and Pat Hayes of Omaha, Neb. caught 29.13 pounds of bass for two days to win the a new Bass Cat Pantera II with a Mercury Optimax 200 at the Bass Cat Owners Invitational on Norfork Lake. The team sought out the dirtiest muddiest water it could find and flipped jigs to win.

This was their third trip to Norfork and it was definitely a charm. The also won the big bass prize for a 5.7 pound bass they caught on a jig.

Dan Brown and Phillip McFarland of Mountain Home, Ark. finished second with 27.37 pounds of bass. Following them in third place was the team of Troy Lackey and Larry Graddy of Yellville, Ark with a two-day total of 27.02 pounds.

As a side “fun” pot, the largest striper weighed in at 22.22 pounds by Sam and Fred Gicinto of Camdenton, Mo. Big Walleye for the tournament was a 5.27-pounder by James Southard, and Lewis Moody of Jordan, Ark.

To see the full results, click here.

For a complete in depth story please see the Sports Section of the Mountain Home Baxter
Bulletin or click here.

Photographer Chris Brown also offers a great selection of photos here.
 

The Purdue University team of Charles Spicer of Arcola, Ind., and Chris Kaiser of Carmel, Ind., won the National Guard FLW College Fishing Central Division event on Kentucky-Barkley lakes Saturday with six bass weighing 24 pounds, 3 ounces. The victory earned the team $10,000 to be split evenly between the university and the university’s bass-fishing club. This marks the third win for a Purdue University team in four Central Division events this season. Needless to say, Purdue will be well represented at the regional.

At the Central Division Regional Championship, they could ultimately win a Ranger 177TR with a 90-horsepower engine wrapped in school colors for their school’s bass club and $25,000 for the school they represent.

“This is pretty awesome,” said Kaiser. “We’re both freshmen and this is our first FLW (event), so we’re pretty pumped.

“We’ve done a lot of research and a lot of work, and it just all came together,” Kaiser added.

Kaiser said the pair caught their fish deep cranking chartreuse and blue crankbaits on pea gravel points.

“We don’t really do that much in Indiana,” Kaiser said. “I had one tied on in the morning and he didn’t, and I caught a 4-pound smallie in the first five minutes, so he put on a deep crank, we put the trolling motor on high and we covered water, and it worked out.”

The next National Guard FLW College Central Division tournament is the Central Regional Championship scheduled for Nov. 4 at Lake Monroe. The top five teams in each qualifying event advance to one of five televised three-day National Guard FLW College Fishing Regional Championships. College Fishing is free to enter, boats and drivers are provided by FLW Outdoors and all collegiate teams receive a travel allowance.

After three fish were in the weigh-in tank, McGuire already had enough weight to win his first FLW American Fishing Series title on Kentucky Lake. But he went ahead and threw two more 5-pounders in there for good measure. With a three-day total of 70 pounds, 8 ounces, McGuire beat Randy Haynes of Counce, Tenn., his closest competitor all week, by more than 10 pounds.

McGuire’s catch and the catch of all the guys in the top 10 was amazing considering the crazy water levels that have inundated everything on the Tennessee River. The lake came up to near record levels putting tens of thousands of acres of bushes and trees ordinarily dry this time of year under water. That gave guys a lot of cover to flip, and the crowd got to see countless bass weighing more than 5 pounds this week.

But the top three finishers all caught their fish cranking deep diving crankbaits on river ledges and creek flats. McGuire employed several crankbaits this week, but his staple bait was a Bomber Fat Free Shad with chartreuse sides and a greenish-blue back. 

“I didn’t want another one of those second place trophies,” Mcguire said as Ron Lappin handed him his first champion’s trophy on the FLW AFS circuit. “I was glad to win, and it’s just been an awesome week. You know my co-angler is the fourth co-angler in a row that has won this event on this lake fishing with me the last day. After I caught my fish, I backed my co-angler in there and let him cast a while. After he caught his big fish, we ran back up to Moors and got a slice of pizza and just hung out till it was time to go.”

McGuire credited his win to just sticking with what he likes to do – “fishing out” as he calls it. He knew there would be a great flipping bite, and while he loves to flip when it’s right, he knew to win he’d have to fish to his strengths, which are finding fish offshore on river and creek ledges.

“I actually found my best spot with about 30-minutes left on the first day. I just caught two 3-pounders there, so it didn’t really show me what was there yet. But I’ve been so close and just missed finding the school to win in these events. That one spot is where I did most of my damage because it was loaded. I actually got a little freaked out this morning. A big fish hit, and I turned to my partner when it loaded up and said it was an absolute giant fish. Then my line just went limp. It broke me off. Then it jumped. Then it jumped again. Then it jumped another time. It was an 8-pounder, and when it jumped and took off, it took the entire school with it. I never got another bite.”

McGuire left the area and went on to fill out his limit and cement his win. He won $25,000 for a fun week of cranking up big fish.

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Gerald Swindle maintains his lead at the Bassmaster Open on Lewis Smith Lake. Swindle grew up fishing the lake with his father and said he fished a lot of areas that they fished when he was a kid. Swindle is junk fishing and has put together two days of bass that weighed 25-2. He leads by 12 ounces right now going into the final day.

Brian Morris is second with 24-6, followed closely by FLW Tour young gun Andy Montgomery with 23-5 and perennial powerhouse David Walker with 22-1. Todd Auten rounds out the top five with 21-13.

It's still anyone's ballgame tomorrow. Look for a complete story tomorrow afternoon.

Photo by Will Brantley / Flwoutdoors.com

Curt McGuire of Lawrenceberg, Tenn., finds himself in a familiar position tonight, leading the FLW American Fishing Series event on Kentucky Lake going into the final round. In 2005, McGuire lead on day three heading into the final day. He managed 14 pounds on the final day but Terry Bolton bested him with a 22-pound limit that included an 8-pound kicker. 

That finish was McGuire's best finish at the time in FLW Outdoors Competition. Since then he's had another second place finish, also on Kentucky Lake.

But tomorrow he looks to change all that. He started early in this event, and he has no plans to let off the gas tomorrow. The first day he was done fishing at 11:45 a.m. and brought five bass weighing 24-11 to scale. On day two he was done fishing his primary areas at 9:30 a.m. and brought another 22-9 to wow the crowd. His 47-4 leads by nearly 7 pounds.

McGuire spent most of Friday looking for similar areas that matched what his primary areas had to offer. He's not finding big numbers of fish in his areas, but he's finding the right ones.

"My hands hurt so bad from these fish, but I love it," McGuire said. "I'm catching them out (offshore). Theres not a lot of fish out there yet and they are having a hard time seeing the baits. Several have been missing the bait or barely getting hooked."

"Today on my last cast on my primary area, I caught a 5 pounder on one hook and a 14-incher on the other hook. You know you're doing something right when that happens. So I sure can't complain."

McGuire is about as personable as they come, but he had a hard time shaking hands today with his bruised, cut and bleeding palms and thumbs, compliments of some very mean and large Kentucky Lake bass.

McGuire has been throwing a variety of baits to finish out his limits. More details on that coming tomorrow.

Randy Haynes of Counce, Tenn., a well-known stick on Pickwick Lake, held down the second-place spot with a two-day total of 40-10.  Shawn Murphy of Nicholasville, Ky. was third with 36-3, Mike Terry of Troy, Tenn. was fourth with 35-11 and National Guard pro Ramie Colson was fifth with 35-2.

Fishing fans can enter to win a free OPTIMA battery, register to win an all-expenses-paid fishing trip with pro Edwin Evers, and learn more about Optima Batteries from the nine-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier this Saturday, May 15th from 1-4 p.m. at the Atlanta Bass Pro Shops store.

The first 25 customers to visit with Edwin will receive a free hat from OPTIMA Batteries. All fans will hear Edwin provide insight on the best approaches to post-spawn structure fishing and more about the importance of using quality marine batteries during his seminar at the store. Also while at the Atlanta Bass Pro Shops store, located at 5900 Sugarloaf Parkway in Lawrenceville, fans can snap a photo in front of the Toyota Tundra and Nitro Z-9 that Edwin uses on tour.

Our first season of mini-shows has concluded, but if you missed any of the shows, we’ve gone back and highlighted them here as well provided you detailed information on the products and technologies used in each of the shows.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the first season of shows and what topics you’d like to see discussed in the future.

Episode 1 – Finesse Fishing
Episode 2 – Carolina and Live-bait Rigging
Episode 3 – Fish Handling
Episode 4 – Spinnerbaits and Spinners
Episode 5 – Outboards
Episode 6 – Casting and Trolling Crankbaits
Episode 7 – Mapping with Sonar and GPS
Episode 8 – Prop Choices
Episode 9 – Electronic Advances in Fishing
Episode 10 – Flipping and Pitching
Episode 11 – Deep Water Jigs
Episode 12 – Spoons for All Species

Charlie Moore discusses spoons for walleyes. He gets into the details of location and presentation to catch midseason walleyes on spoons.

Product used in Episode 12:

Terry Brown

Nitro Boats will have a presence at Bassmaster Elite Series and Opens events in addition to exposure across BASS' multimedia platforms. Nitro is the subsidiary boat brand to Bass Pro Shops, which BASS announced today as the title sponsor of the Opens series and a supporting sponsor of the Elite Series.

"We look forward to continuing our relationship with the premier bass fishing organization in America and the benefits it brings to our loyal customers," said Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops/Nitro Boats founder.

Nitro Boats is associated with a number of Bassmaster Elite Series anglers including Kevin VanDam, five-time Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year, Rick Clunn of Ava, Mo., four-time Bassmaster Classic winner and Bassmaster Elite Series champions Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., and Tim Horton of Muscle Shoals, Ala.

"Nitro has an outstanding reputation in the outdoors industry and we are proud to align ourselves with such a respected brand," said Tom Ricks, vice president and general manager, BASS.

BASS today announced that Bass Pro Shops will build on the marketing alliance formed last year by assuming title sponsorship of the Bassmaster Opens in 2010-2011. With the agreement, final-day weigh-ins of select Bassmaster Open events will be held at Bass Pro Shops stores.

As part of the multiple-year collaboration, Bass Pro Shops will also have a presence at the 2011 Bassmaster Classic and all 2010-2011 Bassmaster Opens and Bassmaster Elite Series events. The relationship will allow each industry-leading company to integrate both brands across their respective platforms.

"We look forward to continuing our relationship with the premier bass fishing organization in America and the benefits it brings to our loyal customers," said Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops founder.

The agreement also calls for joint marketing programs, including the continued opportunity for BASS members to earn Bass Pro rewards points. Additionally, Bass Pro Shops will serve as the official apparel provider of the Bassmaster Elite Series marshal program and conduct Bassmaster University seminars at Bass Pro Shops' various retail events.

As the official apparel provider, Bass Pro will provide Marshals with apparel and 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.

"We recognize and appreciate the significant brand power that Bass Pro Shops has in the industry," said Tom Ricks, vice president and general manager, BASS. "Fishing fans will continue to benefit from this growing relationship."

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.

No matter what the postmark, the message will land where the message will land.

That seems to be the lesson being learned as more than 10,000 officials, workers, and volunteers stand poised to help limit the environmental damage from a crude oil leak growing at 210,000 gallons per day. More than four million gallons of oil has escaped, and despite the fact a calamity seems imminent, the nerves of workers, officials and idled fishermen seem to be the only casualties to this point.

Wildlife experts are standing by at labs across the Gulf; so far only a handful of birds have been evacuated for treatment. Likewise, officials continue to scour estuaries and open waters looking for a myriad of saltwater creatures almost certain at some point to be immersed in oil.

Yesterday in Louisiana, Governor Bobby Jindal said there was "bad news for Louisiana" as the winds shifted. That shift meant oil that had been headed east of the Mississippi River was actually reversing course to the western side, potentially pushing oil into the environmentally sensitive- and critical - Mississippi Delta that serves as home and flyover resting grounds for migratory birds.

"Oil coming west of the Mississippi," Jindal said, "would pose a whole new set of challenges." Shallower waters oil the oil is now approaching is far more susceptible to wind than the deeper water further offshore. There, booms are subject to being topped by windblown water. Still, booms and restraining systems are being placed into four passes near Grand Isle in efforts to prevent the oil from reaching those fragile wetlands.

As the growing oil patch has meandered on winds and currents, there has actually been little impact on wildlife.

But the shallower waters oil is now entering is far more susceptible to wind than the deeper water further offshore.

Deputy director for the southeast division of the U.S. Fish and WIldlife Service Mark Musaus says only a "few birds" have been taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center established at Fort Jackson, Lousiana. Two have already been released; two others remain.

In the meantime, a critical, yet small, percentage of the Gulf of Mexico remains closed to fishing, idling many of the captains, crews, processing houses and wholesalers who depend on the Gulf's bountiful fisheries for their livelihoods.

BP, owner of the gushing well, and responsible party for damages, continues to experiment with solutions to stopping the 5,000 barrel-per-day leak.

The latest proposed solutions include a scaled-down version of the mammoth capping device that was clogged with methane crystals as it was being lowered over the largest of three leaks over the weekend, to a much-discussed "junk-shot" the high-pressure injection of an amalgam of shredded tires, golf balls and such into the blowout preventer sitting atop the well.

That preventer, however, seems to be doing more than was originally thought. If it were not at least partially closed, officials say, as many as 40,000 to 60,000 barrels of crude oil might be gushing up the broken pipe.

Elastec/American Marine Inc. inspect a fire boom containing collected oil prior to conducting a controlled burn. Burns are being coordinated by the Coast Guard, BP and other federal agencies. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Justin E. Stumberg.
And the parallel well being drilled continues to be on-or slightly ahead of - pace to provide relief. But officials say it may still take three months to reach the target area as the rock gets progressively harder as the drilling continues.

If there is any bright spot in the uncertainty, it's the ability to plan more thoroughly than ever possible in critical situations.

Nicholls State in Thibodaux, Louisiana, has notified the Louisiana DFW that space for a temporary animal rehabilitation facility exists on their University Farm.

Nicholls has 3,000 mangrove plants in its Louisiana Native Plant Initiative area on that Farm, and is sending biology faculty and students to the coast to retrieve plants to begin preparations for reparations of native plant life - should it prove necessary.

Additionally, Nicholls has provided much-needed linguistic assistance in the form of senior multinational business major Linh Nguyen.

Nguyen, described as a "very strong student with high academic standards" who also happens to be also fluent in both Vietnamese and English, has been hired to help communicate with the Vietnamese population on the coast.

Yesterday, aircraft were spraying dispersants on the oil slick while controlled burns were underway. As the waiting continues, no option is being dismissed. As one official said, "we're trying to compress years of research into days."

Meanwhile, the leak continues and the oil cloud grows.

--Jim Shepherd

COUNTRY Financial is hitting the road with two of the biggest recording artists touring this year and offering a memorable experience for fans, regardless if they’re able to go to a concert. Road Trips and Guitar Picks, presented by COUNTRY Financial, will launch in March and offer enhanced live concert experiences, unique online offerings and huge prizes.

The Road Trips and Guitar Picks series will present 30 concerts by hot music stars Jason Aldean and Jewel. Each artist will perform separate concerts, but the Road Trips and Guitar Picks website, www.tripsandpicks.com,  will be a one-stop place for both, giving Aldean and Jewel fans access to features they can’t get anywhere else:

• Chances to win one of several all-expense paid flyaways to see Jewel or Aldean
• MP3s
• Trivia quiz and games
• Fan discussion and interaction
• Roadie passes
• Photos and videos from the road
• Behind-the-scenes news
• Wallpaper and avatar downloads
• Road Trips and Guitar Picks newsletter

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with these two amazing artists. What’s more, they’re a great fit with our company,” says Doyle Williams, chief marketing officer at COUNTRY. “Jason and Jewel share our down-to-earth personality, and like COUNTRY, they’re involved in their communities. Plus, given their life on the road, they understand the importance of a good map to get where they’re going. COUNTRY works every day to help people plan a route to reach their financial destination.”

Aldean’s first COUNTRY Financial concert was March 10 in Ames, Iowa. Jewel will kick off her performances in June. As part of Road Trips and Guitar Picks, concert-goers become more than spectators. They will be able to text for seat upgrades, enter mobile sweepstakes and win VIP backstage opportunities.

“I’m stoked to partner with COUNTRY,” says Aldean. “Their customers and my fan base are very similar, so it’s awesome that we can get together and offer all of these cool extras that my fans can't get anywhere else.”

Two-Time Walleye Champion Scott Glorvigen discusses the same topic but puts the multi-species angle on it, be it walleye fishing or panfishing. Lighter equipment and a more finesse approach can produce some exciting results on the deep edges.

Products used in Episode 11:

Photo by Seigo Saito / B.A.S.S. Communications 

Davy Hite knows what it’s like to be in the zone.  There was a time when Hite, a two-time Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year, was rewriting the BASS record books and consistently contending at tournaments.  But the Prosperity, S.C., veteran has had a tough go of it the past year, failing to notch a top-10 finish.

Conversely, Skeet Reese, dripping with mojo, has entered new territory, seeking his fifth consecutive top-five finish in Elite competition.  And Reese was all set to take his second Elite victory in 2010 as he maintained a lead through the first two days on Lake Guntersville.  Until Hite, who toted 28 pounds, 6 ounces, to the scales Saturday, threw a kink in Reese’s plans.  Hite, the 1999 Bassmaster Classic champion, built his three-day total to 79 pounds, 10 ounces, good enough to take over the top position from the red-hot Reese at the Synergy Southern Challenge.

Buoyed by a 7-14 brute, Hite was able to register his second consecutive day of more than 27 pounds.  With changing conditions on Guntersville – Saturday brought wind with no current – Hite has been able to keep pace by finding success with multiple patterns. 

“This sport is just like any other sport,” said Hite, 44.  “You get on a roll and you can’t explain it but you know when it’s happening.  Everything gets easier.  About six or seven years ago, I was able to string together wins consistently and for some reason, it stopped happening.  It’s been a bit of a dry spell recently.  So, it just feels great to be back in contention.”

Fishing fans can catch all of the on-the-water action from the Southern Challenge on The Bassmasters, which airs Sunday, May 16, at 10:30 a.m. ET on ESPN2 (re-airs Sunday, May 30, 11 a.m. ET). The daily weigh-ins for all regular-season Elite events and the two postseason events will air live on ESPN3.com.  Bassmaster.com will follow the Charge each day with BASSCast, BASSCam and real-time leaderboards during weigh-ins.

Hite’s versatility included a finesse pattern mixed in with a crankbait, an obvious choice on Guntersville.  He was less forthcoming with his other lure choices but said that he feels confident whatever the conditions present Sunday.

The windy conditions Saturday caused Hite to eliminate the finesse pattern from his arsenal and look to his other options.  The crankbait proved key for the seven-time Bassmaster winner as it landed the 7-14.   

While Hite lauded modern-day electronics, in the same breath, he said has been able to locate road beds using his own instincts.  Some of these areas, Hite said, have made the difference and allowed him to pinpoint where the schooling bass are located.

“I’m just happy to be able to have a shot at winning one of these,” said Hite.  “I’m not going to take it for granted this time.  I’m going to enjoy every last second.”

While the windy conditions and lack of current didn’t affect Hite in the least, Reese of Auburn, Calif., was left scrambling and settled for 21-10.  Still, if not for a lost bass early in his day – one that he estimated would have upped his total to 25 pounds – Reese would be connected with Hite.  As is, he sits at 74-14 and has a near 5-pound margin to make up to score his sixth Bassmaster victory.

But with Hite taking off, Reese is seemingly just hoping to hang on as most of his areas that were so productive for the first two days have been rendered ineffective due to the conditions.  Thusly, he said he would “punt” Sunday and put together a different plan at launch. 

“The fish just aren’t positioning like they were and it’s really affecting me,” said Reese, the 2007 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year.  “That big one cost me right off the get go.  Clearly, there is something that is working out there.  I just haven’t figured it out yet but I know a 30-pound bag is out there.”

Regardless of finish Sunday, Reese can take solace in the fact that he will have a tremendous lead in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings.  His closest competitors struggled this week and Reese is looking to make the Bassmaster Elite Series Postseason – where he relinquished his lead to Kevin VanDam on the final day last year – irrelevant.  The success is bittersweet, though, for Reese as he narrowly missed out on victory at Clear Lake in March and could be set for similar disappointment here.

John Crews of Salem, Va., who edged Reese by an ounce on Clear, moved up 17 places to third with 71-3.  In fourth, nearly 13 pound behind Hite, was Mark Davis of Mt. Ida, Ark., with 66-15.

Moving up to fifth and in position to notch his best finish of 2010 was 2009 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Kevin VanDam with 66-2.  VanDam was in a relative funk thus far in 2010 but is capable of making a run and qualifying for the Postseason – only the top 12 from the regular season AOY standings move on.

Photo by Seigo Saito / Bass Communications - Bassmaster.com

Just about the time when Skeet Reese was sharpening his skills on California fisheries as a youngster, the Talking Heads penned the memorable phrase, “same as it ever was.”  The iconic band’s lyric has become the theme song for Reese’s 2010 Bassmaster Elite Series season.  As he has essentially all year, Reese was looking down at the rest of the competition Friday after extending his lead at the Synergy Southern Challenge.  The five-time BASS winner is threatening to score his fifth consecutive top-5 finish -- unprecedented territory -- and second Elite win of the season through five events.

In building his lead – his 53 pounds, 4 ounces, was enough for a 1-plus pound advantage over Davy Hite of Ninety Six, S.C. – the 2007 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year has been working exceedingly hard this week.  In fact, Reese said that Thursday was the most taxing day on the water he has ever had in his professional career.

Reese is rotating between multiple schools of bass – most of which he located in practice -- and has back-up areas in case those dwindle.  The only hiccup Friday was later in the day when the wind picked up and his bite died.

“Once you trigger that first fish in these schools, things turn on real quickly,” said Reese, who fished his first BASS event in 1997.  “And you can catch them pretty much every cast.  But when those schools turn off, you can’t buy a bite.”

Fishing fans can catch all of the on-the-water action from the Southern Challenge on The Bassmasters, which airs Sunday, May 16, at 10:30 a.m. ET on ESPN2 (re-airs Sunday, May 30, 11 a.m. ET). The daily weigh-ins for all regular-season Elite events and the two postseason events will air live on ESPN3.com.  Bassmaster.com will follow the Charge each day with BASSCast, BASSCam and real-time leaderboards during weigh-ins.

It’s been well covered that Kevin VanDam (19th here) dominates Tennessee River impoundments but Reese’s TVA affinity has been less publicized.  Case in point: Reese scored a second on Guntersville last year, followed by a fourth on Kentucky Lake.  Last week on Pickwick, Reese held the lead heading into the final day, eventually settling for fifth.  With a top finish here and Kentucky Lake looming large on the Elite schedule in June, Reese is looking primed to take his second AOY trophy.

And while the excitement of last year’s AOY race was great for the fans – VanDam surged ahead of Reese on the final day of the Bassmaster Elite Series Postseason – Reese is doing his best to make the Postseason irrelevant.    

Heading into this week, the 2009 Bassmaster Classic champion had a sizable lead in the AOY standings and with most of his closest competition struggling, Reese is looking to leave nothing to chance this year.  Saturday, Reese said he will make the decision of which school to start on right before launch.  As a result of the lead and first boat position, he will have his pick of the litter.

“Even if things get tough, I believe I have figured out to make them bite and turn those schools on,” said Reese, 40.

Hite moved into second on account of the second-best limit of the day, a 27-pound total. The two-time Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year said he is moving with the fish and has several baits that he is confident can entice the right-sized bass.

One spot in particular yielded the majority of Hite’s weight.  He caught 60 fish off the area tricking a bass on every cast.  While the wind hurt Reese, it was blowing directly into Hite’s honey hole, which resulted in a magical late run.

“It’s great to be in contention again,” said Hite, who has had a disappointing 2010 Elite Series campaign thus far.  “I left my fish biting and that is really tough to do, but I figured I might be begging for 4-pounders over the weekend.”

Just 1 ounce behind Hite was three-time AOY Mark Davis of Mt. Ida, Ark., with 51-6.  Davis, a post-spawn specialist, is eyeing his first Elite Series victory.

In fourth was 2009 Rookie of the Year Billy McCaghren of Mayflower, Ark., with 49-13.  McCaghren shot up 27 places with his 28-1 Friday, the biggest limit of the day.  Rounding out the top five was Russ Lane of Prattville, Ala., with 47-10.

While weights were down from Thursday, Guntersville didn’t disappoint.  It churned out 88 limits and 29 20-plus pound performances on Friday.

Only the top 47 anglers qualified for Saturday.  Chris Lane, who recently relocated to Guntersville, squeaked into 47th with 23 pounds, 4 ounces, Friday.  Other notables in the cutline were Gerald Swindle of Warrior, Ala. (16th), 2007 Bassmaster Classic champion Boyd Duckett (23rd) and Timmy Horton of Muscle Shoals, Ala. (27th).
 
Defending champion Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala., limped in below the cutline in 57th.  Guntersville has been the site of 20 top-level BASS events, including the 1976 Bassmaster Classic, won by Elite Series pro Rick Clunn of Ava, Mo. Clunn finished 67th this week.

In 2009, the top four overall weights for the four-day tournament crashed the scales at more than 100 pounds. Reese, Hite and Davis are all on track to join the century club this week.

Along with the top prize of $100,000, the Southern Challenge awards valuable points in the 2010 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title race.

Photo courtesy of Bassmaster.com / Bass Communications 

Pro angler Kevin Short has 100,000 more reasons in proof of why anglers need to understand how bass react in spring to fluctuating water levels. The knowledge resulted in his $100,000 payday at the recent BASS Elite Series tournament held on the famed Lake Pickwick that crosses boundaries in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee.

On the first practice day of the tournament week, the water level was about one foot above normal and expanded into more cypress trees than usual. Short fished to his strength, using a jig, to probe the flooded timber in search of the kind of quality bass needed to score a major tournament win. The personable angler from Arkansas seems always willing to share what he knows with others interested in learning.

"It's always difficult this time of year, when a bass' metabolism is high and the fishing good, to find and really key in on areas that are holding and producing big bass," Short said. "I mean, you're often faced with leaving quantity of bites to look for quality. But that's what I was doing with a Jewel 5/8-ounce J Lock Flip'N Jig, plus a new prototype swim jig from the company. These two baits proved to be the ticket for discovering an area holding exactly the kind of fish I wanted to find, 4- and 5-pounders."

He had two color combinations working well. One was a Black/Blue Flash skirt because he liked the dark color for the bulky Flip'N Jig in the stained water. The other was an Orange Craw skirt because it had a "bluegill" look to it, and he said he was seeing lots of fry around the stumps. That often attracts the panfish to feed on them, which in turn are prime prey for bass. He flipped, pitched and swam the jigs in and around the cover.

For the three practice days, the water stayed up higher than normal, but Short became concerned by signs it was beginning to recede as practice came to a close. On the tournament's first day, it didn't take long for him to realize things had changed.

"I ran to my area first thing and fished a quarter-mile stretch with only one bite and lost that fish," he said. "I could tell the water was down and things had changed. But since I knew there were a lot of quality fish in the area, I just had to figure out where they went. The most obvious place was a small area in the middle of the creek with a few cypress trees. It turned out to be the right call."

Short probed the area with his Jewel jigs first, and watched other jig anglers fish through, but he found the only way he could really get the bass to consistently bite was by banging a crankbait off the stumps.

"These trees were in up to 4 feet of water, but the fish weren't really relating to the bottom around them," Short said. "What I discovered is that they would react to a WEC E1 crankbait, but only when I banged it into the cypress trunks. Fortunately, they were the same good quality fish I had located with a jig during practice."

Short said the fish preferred the Chartreuse Classic color of his crankbait on the first two tournament days when it was sunny, but when the weather conditions changed over the last two days, the chartreuse version with a black back worked better. 

He said his finding the quality fish during practice with his Jewel jigs was the key to his focusing on the area he ultimately stayed in for the win. "While I heard other anglers talking about catching 40-50 bass per day, I was catching around 10-15 keepers, but they were good ones."

When it was all said and done, Short came out on top of the 93-angler field, having a five-fish limit on each of the four days for a total of 75 pounds, 1 ounce. His last day catch of five fish weighing 23 pounds, 5 ounces was the heaviest bag of the tournament and provided nearly a five-pound advantage over second place finisher, Cliff Pace.

"Fishing conditions in spring can change on a day-to-day basis," Short said. "Making a few adjustments can be a big difference between a good day and a great day, especially when water levels fluctuate. As a general rule in spring, bass follow the direction of the water level."

As for the prototype swim jig that Short referenced he was using with success during practice, Jewel Bait Co. president Gayle Julian says it's still too early for a sneak peek.

"We do have a new jig product we're working on that we have Kevin, Mike McClelland, Jeff Kriet, Larry Nixon and a few others experimenting with, but we're still providing some tweaks before unveling it to the public," Julian said. "We are excited about it being a part of our 2011 new products though."

For more information about the Flip'N Jig and other products found in Julian's company, visit JewelBait.com.

Professional bass fisherman and fishing guide Kurt Dove has joined the El Grande Lures pro-staff to assist with promotion and lure development.

Dove, of Del Rio, Texas., is a full-time bass guide on Amistad, Choke Canyon and Falcon lakes in southwest Texas and a tournament angler. He competed three seasons on the Bassmaster Elite Series and currently competes on the PAA Bass Pro Shops Tournament Series presented by Carrot Stix. Dove is a former resident of Virginia.

"I have had my eye on Kurt for several months," said Jay Schurz, president of El Grande Lures. "He has built a stellar career around his abilities as a professional bass fisherman and full-time guide. I look forward to personally working with Kurt in the design of our plastics."

Dove has used the El Grande Lures Gila Monster, Tube, Hatch-Match Stick and Sapo topwater bait in a variety of techniques with great success. Lure colors are designed to work on virtually any lake in the country for largemouth, spotted and smallmouth bass.

"I am thrilled to get the opportunity to promote and extend the awareness of the El Grande Lures brand," Dove said. "I know the baits work very well here in south Texas and I look forward to using them with my guide clients as well as on the tournament trails.

"The unique triple laminate color patterns are on the leading edge in the soft plastics industry and gives any fisherman an extra edge over the
competition and the fish," he added. "I look forward to the opportunities of adding my ideas into the design of new El Grande products as the company continues to grow."

Photo by Seigo Saito / Check out Bassmaster.com for more photos and updates

Working through more than 200 bass and burning nearly 10,000 calories, Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., was looking for a frosty beverage and some empty calories to rejuvenate the senses after a scorching Thursday on Alabama’s Lake Guntersville.  And the 2007 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year certainly deserves a mild celebration after toting 29 pounds, 3 ounces, to the scales, at the Synergy Southern Challenge, which put him in the familiar position at the top of the leaderboard.

This week, Reese is bidding for his fifth consecutive top 5 finish in Elite competition, which is unprecedented territory.  But he will have to hold off two decorated veterans and fellow AOY winners Gary Klein (second) and Mark Davis (third) to accomplish that feat.

Perhaps the only thing that can steal the headlines from Reese is fish-factory Lake Guntersville.  Guntersville is turning on at the opportune time, cranking out 40 limits that weighed more than 20 pounds.  And if anyone knows how to take advantage of a primed Guntersville, it’s Reese, who scored a second-place finish here in 2009.  

“I’m dog-tired right now,” said Reese, a five-time Bassmaster winner.  “It’s an absolute grind.  My hands are so shredded right now from catching fish, it’s crazy.  It’s almost every cast.  My first cast, literally, I caught a five-plus off the bat.”

Fishing fans can catch all of the on-the-water action from the Southern Challenge on The Bassmasters, which airs Sunday, May 16, at 10:30 a.m. ET on ESPN2 (re-airs Sunday, May 30, 11 a.m. ET). The daily weigh-ins for all regular-season Elite events and the two postseason events will air live on ESPN3.com.  Bassmaster.com will follow the Charge each day with BASSCast, BASSCam and real-time leaderboards during weigh-ins.

If not for two lost brutes, Reese said his limit would have weighed more than 30 pounds, but all in all, he was pleased with his execution.  He was keying in on schools of bass that he located in practice and was milking them until he felt it became counter-productive.

After practice, Reese – similar to many others in the field – felt that weights would be significantly down from last year’s slugfest on Guntersville.  The 40-year-old was finding schools in practice but wasn’t exploiting the areas, instead saving them for competition.  Initially, he thought 18 pounds a day would get an angler into the top-47 cut, but after his first cast, he knew he needed to change his mindset.

Amazingly, Reese is fishing all different areas than the ones he used to post the second-place last year.  He still has some back-up water that he hasn’t visited but felt that his schools would regenerate and would concentrate on those areas first-thing Friday.

“I’ve saved some schools but that doesn’t mean that I will need them,” said Reese, who declined to reveal specifics of his pattern.  “It was a fun day but I’m going to need to keep it up to have a shot.”

Klein, the 1989 AOY, registered 28 pounds, 4 ounces, and is less than 1 pound behind Reese, a gap that means little on Guntersville.  With a late launch position, Klein, who located a number of productive areas in practice, knew he had to nail his decision and pick the right one or risk having to scramble.  He picked correctly, finding himself alone and caught his entire total by Noon.  He spent the rest of the day defending his spot and didn’t see another boat come into the area.

He is fishing a transition area that sets up so the fish come directly to him.  He knew he could have totally milked the area and perhaps built a bigger total, but the 52-year-old decided to save the area in hopes of it remaining productive throughout the four-day event.

The Weatherford, Texas, pro is having a stellar season, heading into Guntersville in 16th in the AOY standings, and in good position to qualify for the Bassmaster Elite Series Postseason.

“You can pretty much catch them anyway you want to,” said Klein, 52.  “I’ve got a little deal that’s working and I just hope it holds up Friday.

Davis, the 1995 AOY, was the first angler to weigh in, coming back to the check-in point 1 hour early.  The Mt. Ida, Ark., pro quit fishing at 10 a.m. and essentially practiced the remainder of the day.

“I had the best practice I’ve ever had in 28 years of tournament fishing,” said Davis, who amassed 27 pounds, 12 ounces.  “The sheer numbers of fish are so astounding.  It’s going to be a four-day horserace and it should be exciting.”

Behind Davis in fourth was Fred Roumbanis of Bixby, Okla., with 27-11.  Rounding out the top five was 1982 Bassmaster Classic champion Paul Elias of Laurel, Miss., with 26-12.

After Friday, only the top 47 anglers will qualify for Saturday.  And of those, only the top 12 will move on to Sunday.

Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala., took home the $100,000 first-place prize and the Southern Challenge trophy last year for his fifth career BASS victory. Martens struggled Thursday, posting a 43rd-place finish.

Guntersville has been the site of 20 top-level BASS events, including the 1976 Bassmaster Classic, won by Elite Series pro Rick Clunn of Ava, Mo. The Elites competed at the fishery in 2009, when the top four overall weights for the four-day tournament crashed the scales at more than 100 pounds. Elite anglers caught nearly 1,300 fish and more than 5,300 pounds over the course of four days.

Yamaha Marine Group announced today Ben Speciale has assumed the role of President of Yamaha Marine Group, a division of Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. Previously, Speciale held the role of Vice President, Operations and Planning.

As President, Speciale will direct the Marine Group, including all U.S.-based marine activities and subsidiaries. He will oversee Yamaha’s boat companies and subsidiaries, including Skeeter® Products, maker of bass boats, G3®, Boats, maker of aluminum fishing boats and Precision Propeller Industries, Inc. Yamaha has approximately 2,000 marine dealers and is an OEM engine supplier to 120 independent boat brands in the U.S.

Speciale joined Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. in 1987 with Yamaha Marine Parts and Accessories. Over the years at Yamaha Marine Group, Speciale held positions in marketing, promotions and strategic planning. He was promoted to Vice President, Operations and Planning at Yamaha Marine Group in 2005.
During Speciale’s tenure as Vice President of Yamaha Marine Group, the outboards received a number of design and innovation awards from the marine industry and national media. Speciale was also instrumental in redesigning the company’s supply chain and growing business with independent boat builders.

The PAA is offering two Carrot Stix casting rods during a special promotion for anyone who joins or renews their membership during the month of May. A drawing of new members and renewals will be done June 1 from qualified entries. Two winners will be drawn and notified via email on June 1.

General, Advantage and Tour membership levels are available. Another bonus is the ability to join for up to three years, and becoming a member never has been easier with the availability of PayPal on the membership link.  Carrot Stix is the presenting sponsor of the 2010 PAA Bass Pro Shops Tournament Series and a valued partner of the PAA. 

To renew a membership or for more information, contact Lisa Bell at lisa@fishpaa.com.

Thank you to all who entered the Ranger Boats contest.

Congrats to these lucky winners. Your visors are on the way.

Scott Dooley
Columbia, Mo.
 
Mike Entile
Aurora, Ill.
 
Bryan Hayes
Olathe, Kan.
 
Jeff Harris
Grand Blanc, Mich.

Want to learn how to run that cutting edge Lowrance HDS unit to it's full ability? Well anglers near Dundee, MI will get a chance in a few weeks at the Lowrance HDS Fishing School hosted at Cabela's in Dundee. Well-known technology guru and walleye tournament angler Doc Samson and Big Water Walleye Guide Capt. Ross Robertson will be on hand to share their own on-the-water experiences and give you detailed information on how to fine tune your units and understand exactly what it's showing you.

The comprehensive training in basic and advanced techniques will cover the following topics:

- Lowrance HDS Sonar, GPS and Mapping
- Detailed  "understanding sonar" session using underwater video
- On the water boat control session
- Boat rigging demonstration of electronics and boat accessories
- Waypoint management   

The details for registering and attending are as follows:

Time:              10:30 AM-5 PM Sunday May 23, 2010
Registration:   $70 Please pre-register. Full refund for cancellations 
Phone:            Doc Samson at 952-240-9298, Ross Robertson at 419-283-7069
E-mail:             doc@doctorsonar.com or hogwalleye@yahoo.com (Ross).

Note: Please contact Ross for information from May 15-22, Doc will be at a tournament.

Send registration and check to:
High Tech Fishing LLC
40 County Road 20
Minnetrista, MN  55359 

You can also pay on line by clicking here.

Episode 10 gets back into technique driven topics. Elite Series Pro Denny Brauer walks into his comfort zone discussing flippin' and pitchin'. He gets into the details of equipment and what tackle he flips at certain times of the year and why.

Charlie Moore takes the flippin” approach with walleyes. This is a technique is greatly overlooked by most walleye anglers and Charlie hits the main details of the presentation, locations, and tackle.

Reel: Ardent F-700 Denny Brauer Flipping Reel.

Line: Flourocarbon 25 lb pound and 65 pound Braid

Tackle: Strike King Denny Brauer Premier Pro Jig

             Strike King Rage Tail Chunk

The Professional Anglers Association has launched a redesigned website – fishpaa.com – that is easier to navigate, has a Member’s Only area and offers a storefront with apparel and DVDs.
 
The site has been in the design phase for months with PAA staff, anglers on the Board of Directors and The Cox Group of Charlotte working together to create it. Doug Cox of The Cox Group spearheaded the redesign with his team to fashion a clean, efficient and modern site that will benefit PAA members and visitors.
 
"After many months of planning and work, we're thrilled to unveil the new site,” said Danny Blandford, PAA Program Director. "The team at the Cox Group did a fantastic job of suggesting creative ways to build the new site and incorporated our suggestions as well.
 
“Doing something like this is not an easy or overnight task,” Blandford added. “It took numerous hours, many meetings and hundreds of emails to get things finalized. The PAA's staff and Board of Directors, and the membership, appreciates the hard work the Cox Group did on this job."
 
FishPAA.com features a rotating carousel of news, features, sponsor and industry news, tournament reports and other items. Visitors will easily find ways to learn about the PAA’s tournaments and Affinity Program, join the organization and access sites for PAA sponsor partners.
 
Tournament pages exist for each event on the 2010 PAA Bass Pro Shops Tournament Series presented by Carrot Stix. The pages include information about rules and entry, and links for the host cities, ramp, lake, lodging, amenities, weather and more. Also included are pages for the PAA Corporate Cup and Jamboree, and the Toyota Texas Bass Classic scheduled in October.
 
Industry News features feeds from other sites with stories and news for one-stop information on the industry. PAA members may access the Affinity section in the Member’s Only pages to learn about discounts on tackle and equipment from our PAA partners.
 
In the Store, visitors will find PAA-branded items that can be easily purchased. Membership in the PAA also may be easily purchased with a few clicks in the new shopping area.
 
“We have more than 20 PAA-branded items including caps and tee-shirts, DVDs of our FishPAA television show and highlights from the 2009 tournament series,” Blandford said. “We look forward to continuing to offer items for PAA members and fishing fans. The DVDs are a great value with instructional tips from some of the best professional anglers in the world."

"The PAA Affinity Program  provides the chance for companies to put their products in front of PAA members, many with great discounts on pricing. The PAA staff continues to seek partnerships with companies interested in getting their products in front of knowledgeable anglers and fishing fans who will use and enjoy them on the water. Our new site allows us to really showcase a company and their products within their own dedicated space; I look for this to program to really grow with these enhancements."
 
The PAA will continue to build on the site with new content and listen to members with suggestions on changes.
 
“We always are looking for ways to improve the PAA and its benefits to members, and the new site will help us do that,” Blandford said.

Like all things in life, there’s a fishing corollary to that concept: “You can share your tackle and you can catch a lunker. But can’t share a Texas Share Lunker.”

Or something like that.

Texan Lloyd Walker, owner of XCite Baits, may have paid attention a little too well in kindergarten. He’s got this “play well with others” concept down pat. Fishing on his birthday at Lake OH Ivie with pro-staffer Wes Pullig, Walker offered Pullig a chance to try out his new rod and reel. At the end of his line was a football jig with a prototype craw affixed to the hook.

Our friend and popular guide on Lake Erie out of Ohio, Ross Robertson has been on somewhat of a terror when it comes to landing big fish from the big waters. Appropriately named, his Big Water Guide Service has been guiding and scouting the last week for upcoming trips. On two such trips in the last 8 days, Robertson has hit paydirt.

First he was casting crankbaits to rockpiles in fairly shallow water for smallmouths. Something he stumbled onto a few years back while guiding for walleyes. This time out he hit the smallmouth of dreams. His catch was an 8-pound smallmouth. The beast of a fish measured 22.5 inches and had a girth of 19.5 inches. The fish fell for a Reef Runner Ripshad 400.

Most folks will fish their whole life and never catch a smallmouth weighing more than 7 pounds. Robertson has done it several times now besting that mark with this 8-pounder. The state record smallmouth for Ohio was 9.5 pounds.

The bass spooked off as the boat glided over the contrasting spot on the bottom. “That’s a pretty good one,” said Dean Rojas, a name synonymous with sight fishing after setting the one day B.A.S.S. weight record sight fishing for bass on Lake Toho. “We’ll see if she’s catchable.”

He spun the boat around and sat way off the bed and waited. The bass made a big wide circle around the bedding area but never came close to the bed. Rojas shot his bait up past the bed and waited for her to make her turn. As she eased closer to the bed she changed her track and moved in closer making a much tighter circle to the bed.

Photo by Seigo Saito / Bassmaster.com


Saving his best for last, Kevin Short of Mayflower, Ark., registered the biggest limit of the tournament Sunday – a 23-pound, 5-ounce, haul despite a reduced competition day – and trounced the rest of the field on way to his second Bassmaster Elite Series victory at the Alabama Charge on Pickwick Lake.  Cliff Pace of Petal, Miss., finished a distant second, more than 4 pounds behind.    

With nasty weather looming, BASS officials shortened the competition day to five hours in order to escape the brunt of the inclement weather.  While some competitors who were making longer runs were adversely affected, Short, who totaled 75 pounds, 1 ounce over four days of competition, adapted to the parameters and boated the vast majority of his weight less than two hours into the day, effectively ending the tournament.

A frustrating start to the season – mainly due to the style of fishing that the venues have called for – is now in Short’s rearview mirror.  Short cut his teeth on the Arkansas River and this week, used much of his experiences there to feel his way out on Pickwick.  The back-to-basics approach paid off to the tune of $100,000.

“I kept telling myself throughout the week just to think of Pickwick like a river,” said Short, who took his first Elite victory on the Mississippi River.  “I was discouraged after Saturday because I just couldn’t figure out how to get them to bite.  But I landed my biggest fish early today (Sunday) and I knew it would be my day then.”

Fishing fans can catch all the on-the-water action from the four-day event on The Bassmasters, which airs Sunday, May 9, at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN2 (re-airs Sunday, May 23, at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN2).

Short caught all of his fish on a Pepper’s Baits WEC crankbait, switching the colors from chartreuse classic when it was sunny to chartreuse black when it was cloudy.  The balsa-based square-billed crank is in the same family of lures as the bait Short rode to victory on the Mississippi.  The one-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier found the area which produced the majority of his winning catch on the first day of competition.

The 48-year-old found a creek, which produced all of his winning catch, on Thursday morning and preceded to catching cruising male bass.  With a flurry of activity, he knew that the larger females had to be close behind.  As he expanded on his area, he moved to the back of the creek and found a bevy of cover – including clumps of cypress tress mixed in with singular cypress trees.

On Sunday, Short’s early bass – a 6-12 brute – came off a singular tree, which prompted Short to strictly key on that cover the rest of the day. 

“You couldn’t ask for a better area, it had everything,” said Short.  “Trees, habitat, you name it. I knew the fish to win were in there, it was just a matter of me remaining patient and finding a way to catch them.”

The icing on the cake for the victory was Short’s uptick in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings.  Short was in a disappointing 74^th place heading into the tournament, but moved to 35^th with his banner performance, which puts him safely in the 2011 Bassmaster Classic qualification cut. 

Sticking to second place, as he has all week, was Pace.  Pace worked a community hole, saturated with many of the other competitors who advanced to Sunday.  The 29-year-old was able to milk it for all it was worth – including an 18-3 limit on Sunday -- but in the end, it couldn’t produce like Short’s spot. 

Plying through a ton of bites, Pace threw a jig to tight, small areas that were home to roaming smallmouth.  As the day progressed, he was moving towards the outer edges and finding quality large and smallmouth.

“I thought I gave myself a great chance with the day I had today,” said Pace, who qualified for the Bassmaster Elite Series Postseason last season.  “But it just wasn’t my time to win.  Still, I have no regrets and it was a great week.”

Saturday leader Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., slipped to fifth.  He was the only one in the Sunday field who was locking through to Lake Wilson, which took a sizable chunk of his fishing day.  As such, he took one on the chin Sunday with the truncated day and his 12-11 limit was indicative of the risky approach.  Still, Reese came in with zero expectations for Pickwick as this week marked his first time on the Tennessee River impoundment.

Couple that with his fourth consecutive top-five finish in Elite competition and Reese should find the silver lining in his performance.  The top-five streak, which is quite rare, puts him more than 150 points in the lead in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. 

Behind Pace in third this week was Steve Kennedy of Auburn, Ala., with 67-9.  Moving up to fourth and scoring his best Elite finish of the season was Rick Morris of Virginia Beach, Va., with 65-2.  Reese rounded out the top five with 64-14. 

Reese’s closest competitor in the AOY standings is Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La.  Close behind Hackney is Edwin Evers (third) of Talala, Okla., and Dean Rojas (fourth) of Lake Havasu City, Ariz.  The full AOY standings can be found below.

For more photos and coverage you should visit Bassmaster.com. The work they do covering tournaments is second to none.

Photo by Seigo Saito / Bassmaster.com

While Reese took the lead, it’s not much of one.  He holds a scant 2-ounce margin over Cliff Pace of Petal, Miss.  But Reese has been dominating all season, notching finishes of second, fifth and first thus far in Elite competition. 

Looking for redemption after narrowly missing out on the Angler of the Year title last year, Reese circled Pickwick Lake at the start of the season as a fishery that could cause him problems.  After all, this would be his first ever visit to Pickwick.  Add in the changing conditions – which include fluctuating water levels and nasty weather – and it spelled possible disaster for Reese’s bid at the coveted AOY trophy.

“I’m actually very surprised I’m in this position,” said Reese, the 2007 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year.  “I was thinking that a top-20 would be good heading into this event so this is icing on the cake.  I’m just going to have to punt and grind it out on Sunday.”

Fishing fans can catch all the on-the-water action from the four-day event on The Bassmasters, which airs Saturday, May 9, at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN2 (re-airs Sunday, May 23, at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN2). The daily weigh-ins for all regular-season Elite events and the two postseason events will air live on ESPN3.com, ESPN’s broadband sports network.  Bassmaster.com will follow the Charge each day with BASSCast, BASSCam, real-time leaderboards during weigh-ins, photo galleries, daily results, and Hooked Up with ESPN Outdoors personalities Mark Zona and Tommy Sanders.

While most anglers have camped out on Pickwick, Reese is locking through and making his run to Wilson Lake.  The decision paid off on Thursday as Reese started in third place.  But Reese slipped Friday and fell to 13^th.

With a tight leaderboard and little separation between the top contingent, Reese was able to take advantage and grab first place, albeit by a slight margin.  Saturday, Reese was buoyed by cloudy conditions and landed his big bass – two that weighed more than 5 pounds – on an area he identified in practice.

The five-time Bassmaster winner played it close to the vest on specifics of his pattern but did say he is focusing on areas that hold quality bass, but not large quantities.

Repeating his Friday pattern – working shallow smallmouths in the morning and then moving with the fish to offshore areas – Pace posted a 16-8 limit, enough for 52-1.  While Reese could be essentially by himself in Pickwick on Sunday, Pace must contend with a number of other contenders, and locals, in his community hole.

The area is so saturated with traffic, it has tested Pace’s patience all week. The area is holding post-spawn fish and Pace, 28^th in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings heading into this event, has been largely capitalizing on the offshore areas as the fish move deeper.

Just five ounce behind Pace in third was Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala, with 51-12.  Matching Martens was Kevin Short, who led the first two days.  Short of Mayflower, Ark., said the clouds and rain killed his bite Saturday and he would have to go back to the drawing board for the final day of competition.

Martens is a Tennessee River impoundment guru, having won an Elite event on Guntersville last year.  In fifth was Mike Iaconelli of Pittsgrove, N.J., with 51-9.  Iaconelli was the last of five anglers within 1 pound of the lead.

Just outside that contingent was Steve Kennedy of Auburn, Ala., with 50-14.  Also qualifying for the final-day was Dean Rojas, who started the event in 83^rd after the first day, and Rick Morris of Lake Gaston, Va., in 11^th.