Camping for three weeks out of the back of his truck while he prefished the Red River paid off for 22-year-old Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, in the BASS Federation Nation Championship presented by Skeeter and Yamaha.

“Bill Golightly (a fellow Western Division competitor) and I came down and prefished together,” said Palaniuk, who won the event with a three-day catch of 14 bass that weighed 29 pounds, 9 ounces.

George Crain of Cropwell, Ala., was second with 24-10, almost 5 pounds behind the winner. Golightly of Preston, Wyo., finished third with 24-9.

Palaniuk found out in practice that the Red River was fishing tough.

“I figured if I could get 10 pounds a day for three days, I would be right there,” he said.  The Panhandle Bass Anglers Club member nearly kept up that pace each day as he cranked a rock jetty with a Lucky Craft Skeet Reese Mini crankbait and flipped the grass in a backwater area with a Texas-rigged Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver.

Palaniuk led on the first day, but slipped to fourth place the second day. But his double-digit weight Friday of 12-0 sent him back up to clinch the championship trophy, a Skeeter-Yamaha boat rig valued at $60,000, an invitation to move up into the Bassmaster Elite Series in 2011 — and what every angler came to the Red River this week to win: a berth in the 2011 Bassmaster Classic.

Palaniuk made two dreams come true by winning the championship and qualifying for the Classic.

“Since the first time I was taken out in a bass boat when I was 8 years old, I have been thinking about making the Classic,” he said. “And since I started fishing the Federation when I was 16, I started dreaming about winning one of these (annual championships).”

The other five Federation Nation Classic qualifiers were Crain in the Southern Division; Dale Hightower of Sand Springs, Okla., in the Central Division; Day 2 leader Brian LaClair of Denton, Del., in the Mid-Atlantic Division; Sean Alvarez of Rutland, Vt., in the Eastern Division; and David Watson of Dugger, Ind., in the Northern Division.

They will compete Feb. 18-20 in a field of 50 on the Louisiana Delta.

“I am speechless. It is absolutely amazing. It is surreal. I am just an average guy and this shows what the Federation Nation can do,” said Vermont’s Alvarez.

The Junior Bassmaster World Championship, also on Friday but on nearby Cross Lake, resulted in two Eastern Division anglers squeaking out titles by mere ounces. Alexander Wetherell of Middletown, Conn., won in the 15-18 age group by 2 ounces with a total of four fish tallying 4-5.

Christopher Catucci of Warwick, R.I., won in the 11-14 age division with two bass weighing 5-12.

Thirty-six teams from 11 universities throughout the state of Texas met at Belton Lake Oct. 23 to compete in the inaugural Texas Collegiate Bass Championship hosted by Texas State University and Sam Houston State University.
 
Tanner Morgan and Stephen Campbell led the effort for Tarleton State University that resulted in the school claiming three of the top 10 spots. Morgan and Campbell concentrated on shallow, wind-blown points in the mid lake area that offered a mix of large rocks and timber. A watermelon/green pumpkin Stanley jig produced three of their four keepers including a 4.97-pounder that was good enough to claim big bass honors. The team’s fourth keeper was fooled with a crankbait. Although they were one bass shy of a limit, Tanner and Stephen claimed the victory by more than a 2-pound margin with 12.75 pounds.

Finishing in second place with a limit of bass tipping the scales at 10.71 pounds was Brian Bauer and Joey Garland of Baylor University. The team caught a nice smallmouth on a deep diving crankbait early followed soon after by a small keeper on a football jig. Both fish were positioned on secondary points that featured nice drop offs. After an extended period of running wind-blown points with topwaters and crankbaits to no avail, Bauer and Garland slowed down and concentrated on isolated laydowns. They finished their limit with one caught on a Zoom Baby Brush Hog and two, including their biggest, on a small square bill crankbait.

Ryan Watkins and Zach Brown of Stephen F. Austin claimed third place with 9.26 pounds by targeting transition banks in the backs of creeks. Both flipped light watermelon/chartreuse jigs rigged with Pro’s Choice E’gr Craws in watermelon seed. Watkins and Brown caught five keepers by targeting laydowns that were positioned at a 45-degree angle to the bank.

Rounding out the top 10 is:

Palaniuk, a 22-year-old Panhandle Bass Anglers member, had to share water on Wednesday but is on just enough of a different pattern that he says he is catching fish behind other anglers. He was able to boat one of only 17 limits scored on the day.  He declined to share specifics of his pattern.

"I'm not catching a whole lot of fish, and I'm sharing an area with a few other guys," he said. "I just put my head and my trolling motor down and covered a lot of water. Today was a good day, but I can't look too far ahead."

Only 10 ounces behind Palaniuk was George Crain of Cropwell, Ala., with 11-7.  Crain also led the Southern Division while Zachary King of Clarksville, Ark., was third in the event – first in the Central Division --  with 11-1. In fourth was Mid-Atlantic Division leader Jeff Stetler of Leesburg, N.J., with 10-5 and in fifth was David Mock of Tallahassee, Fla., with 10-3.  Mock was behind Crain in the Southern Division standings.

The divisional leaders included Palaniuk (Western), Crain (Southern), King (Central), Stetler (Mid-Atlantic), Alessio Telese of Italy (Northern) and George Cooper of Buxton, Me. (Eastern).  The full standings can be found below. 

Local favorite Jamie Laiche of Gonzales, La., struggled Wednesday, managing 6-11. Laiche believes the cooler weather today could pick his bite up.

Photo and Story by Alan McGuckin

Always friendly Florida pro Terry “Big Show” Scroggins says there are three lures he won’t leave home without in autumn – all of them crankbaits.

Actually, Scroggins was given the choice to pick any three lures in the world for autumn. Nothing said they had to be crankbaits. Still, based on the famed fall shad migration -- all three of his picks had treble hooks hanging from their bellies.

“As most of us know, shad are pushing toward the back of the creeks this time of year," Scroggins said. "I chose three crankbaits because it’s all about lures that resemble the dominant food source. I chose a lipless Xr50 to fan cast across the flats in the back of the creeks, an XCalibur XCS200 squarebill crankbait ideal for working through wood or around shallow rocks, and lastly, a deeper diving Bomber BD6F.

“That BD6F becomes the emergency back-up so to speak. Because much like the spawn, not all bass behave exactly the same on any given day. In other words, not all the shad and bass migrate to the back of the creek at the same time. If I’m struggling to catch them on top of the shallow flat, or around shallow cover, I’ll back off to the deeper creek channel and hunt ‘em up with the BD6F – it runs about 10 feet deep."

What if they don’t migrate much on your home waters?

“Tidal water, along with a lot of the natural lakes like we have here in Florida don’t have much of a shad migration,” said Scroggins, winner of more than a million bucks as a pro. "But I can still use the Xr50, or the shallow running square bill, to tick the tops of the aquatic vegetation. It doesn’t have to involve the back of a creek.

“Whether you’re following shad to the back of a creek, or fan casting a grass flat this time of year, you gotta look for the pattern within the pattern. Pay attention to the little unique differences like an isolated log, or a ditch that’s 12-inches deeper than the rest of the shallow flat. It doesn’t have to be a profound difference.

“When you can find the shad, and find the unique cover they’re relating to, then you’re gonna catch the bass. It’s all about the food,” said Scroggins. “Take me for example. If all I had to eat was hot dogs, I could survive. But if I heard they were serving a bunch of free lobster across town, that’s where I’d be migrating to.”

While the overall number of Classic spots (36) awarded through the Elite Series will remain unchanged, in 2011 each Bassmaster Elite Series regular-season event winner will receive an automatic berth into the 2012 Classic. The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings will still determine the majority of the Classic qualifiers as the top 28 in those rankings will also advance to the Classic.

Following the Elite format, each of the nine Open event winners will receive automatic spots in the 2012 Classic. With each pro-level event winner receiving a Classic berth, BASS has upped the cache of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens by allocating nine Classic berths, up from six, to the Series. The traditional points system used in the Opens will only determine future Elite Series qualifiers and will have no bearing on Classic berths. Open anglers must fish all qualifying tournaments to be included.

The Classic field will increase to 54 — assuming all competitors are in good standing — clearing the way for a guaranteed entry for the 2011 College Bass champion. The entire qualifying structure, for both the Elites and the Classic, can be found below.

Providing a dedicated avenue for the College Bass Championship, again to be held in Little Rock, Ark., in 2011 and aired on ESPNU, will enhance the profile of college bass fishing and represent an added, youth component to the Classic. There are currently 220 colleges registered to compete to qualify for the 2011 College Championship. The qualification process for college anglers can be found at www.collegebass.com.

The defending Classic champion will automatically qualify as in years past. Additionally, six Bassmaster Federation Nation anglers will continue to qualify as well as the champion of the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series operated by American Bass Anglers. In the case of double-qualifiers, BASS will work down the Elite Series AOY list.

The 2011 Classic and Elite Series qualifying implications will remain as previously released. In 2012, the Elite Series field will encompass 90 competitors. BASS has a renewed emphasis on restricting the Elites to smaller fields, putting more focus on individual anglers and creating increased brand-building opportunities for the best anglers in the world.

As such, the 2011 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings will advance 73 anglers into the 2012 Elite Series. The top five in points standings in each of the three Opens series will also receive 2012 Elite qualifying berths, and, if any of those competitors decline, BASS will work down the Opens standings to fill the five berths. Additionally, the 2012 Bassmaster Classic champion and the 2011 Federation Nation Champion can elect to fish the Elites. All double-qualifiers will work down the Elite Series AOY standings.  As BASS previously laid out, only active Elite anglers have three exemptions — former Bassmaster Classic champions, former Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year winners and anglers with 10 or more Classic experiences — that can be applied if an angler fails to qualify through the outlined avenues.

With the revamp of the qualifying structure, the 2011 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open payout has also been revised. In addition to the Classic qualifying berth, the winner of each event will receive $10,000 and a $45,000 boat package. The total prize package — including the Classic berth — reflects the prestige of scoring an Open victory.

Each event will pay through 40th place with a more even distribution toward the lower rung. Additionally, with the allure of increased Classic berths, the potential of sustained full fields throughout each division increases.

“I’ve always liked Wheeler Lake,” Meninger said. “I’ve only fished it one other time during a Series event, but it’s a Tennessee River fishery. I love to fish rivers like this one.”

Unfortunately his work keeps him busy and on the road a lot, so because of work commitments, he literally got to Wheeler on Friday, the afternoon before the tournament started and only had about 3 hours of practice time to put together something for the two-day event.

"This is unreal, I don't know what I'm going to do," the firefighter said. "To win without catching a single limit is pretty wild."

Pharr relied on a slew of baits to catch all nine of the bass he weighed in. With fishing ultra-tough on Texoma, Pharr made his bites count.  An Omega football jig, Omega Revelation swimming jig, a Tru-Trac spinnerbait and what he called an LSU crankbait (it's purple and chartreuse) ultimately snagged the right fish and earned Pharr $42,171.

"I call that crankbait the Les Miles (LSU's head football coach) crankbait, because it can pull a win out of nowhere," Pharr said.

Pharr has been borrowing boats from friends recently to fish tournaments because his has a blown engine, so he will look to invest in some hefty repairs with his winnings.

Former Elite Series pro Brian Clark of Haltom City, Texas made a big run at the lead the final day. Clark registered the heaviest single-day of the tournament, a 13-11 limit (one of five today) that bumped him up to a 26-10 total, which was within 1 pound but ultimately wasn’t enough. In third was Keith Combs of Del Rio, Texas, who totaled 26 pounds, 0 ounces.

With the strong performance at Texoma, Combs ended up winning the Central Open points standings.  That distinction earned him a coveted 2011 Classic berth.  He was second in the standings heading into the tournament and though he faced an uphill battle for the lead, Craig Schuff of Watauga, Texas, faltered at Texoma, opening the door. 

And with Schuff posting a disappointing 48^th here, Clark Reehm of Lufkin, Texas, took advantage, snaring the second Classic berth via the Opens.  With 24 pounds, 11 ounces, the Elite pro scored a fifth place here and edged out Schuff by a mere three points.  The full standings of both the Texoma event and the Central Open points can be found at Bassmaster.com.

On the co-angler side, Matt Crawford of Little Elm, Texas, earned a brand-new Skeeter FX190 with a 150-horsepower Yamaha motor for a three-day catch that weighed 13-7.

"You have no idea how great this is," he said. "I didn't think I had enough to win, but then I caught my (only fish of the day) with an hour left. This is great."

In second was JC Thompson of Calera, Okla., with 12-4 while Bo Rhodes of Carrollton, Texas, was third with 11-12.

With the completion of the Central Opens circuit, Combs and Reehm are Classic-bound and five other pros are invited to fish the 2011 Elite Series. They are: Craig Schuff of Watauga, Texas; Lee Sisson of Winter Haven, Fla.; Dean Alexander of Florence, Texas; Aaron Johnson of Bossier City, La., and James Stricklin of Jasper, Texas.

Keith Combs talked to Wired2Fish via telephone while he was driving out to start practicing at Texoma last week. He told Jason that he intends to fish the Elite Series next year if he locks up an invite and he's also eyeing one of the two Classic berths available through the Central Opens.

"Texoma is probably my favorite tournament lake," Combs said. "Most people think I'm crazy because I fish Falcon and Amistad. But I just always seem to do well at Texoma. I feel real comfortable whenever I'm fishing that lake."

"I've loved fishing FLW Outdoors events, but I think at my age, if the opportunity comes to fish the Elite Series, I've got to go try it and see how that is as well. And the Classic is something we all dream of fishing since we were kids."

Combs, who already has won a PAA event this year and introduced the fishing public to the Lateral Perch, has had a consistent year on the FLW Tour, the PAA and also the Central Bassmaster Opens.

Combs consistency carried him to the top of the leaderboard on the second day of the final on Lake Texoma. Combs of Del Rio, Texas, registered one of only five limits Friday- up from three on Thursday – which weighed 11 pounds, 10 ounces, upgrading his two-day total of 20-6.

"Today was a good day," he said. "I went out to get five bites doing the same thing I did yesterday, and it just worked better."

Combs was tossing a crankbait and a worm, though he declined to reveal specifics on either. Combs said his spot surprised him by producing as many fish as it did, so he stuck with it. If he's consistent for one more day, he may be cashing the top check of around $40,000.

In addition to the tournament prize, Combs is one of a host of anglers chasing two Classic berths via the Central Opens.  Combs headed into this week in second in the points standings and is looking to lock up a berth with his banner performance on Texoma thus far.  If he is able to hold serve, Combs will be a lock for one of the two berths.

Craig Schuff of Watauga, Texas, was first in the standings heading into this week and was able to salvage a 48th-place finish at Texoma.  But Clark Reehm of Russellville, Ark., has put the heat on and is ninth at Texoma.  He could challenge Schuff for a Classic berth depending on how Saturday plays out.

Behind Combs in the event was Jeff Reynolds of Idabel, Okla., who weighed in 12-7, building his total to 19-4. Reynolds says that the gusty Friday wind aided his bite a bit.

"I wasn't sure if the wind was going to help or not, but I managed to get a few bites from one hole," he said. "I'll go try it again tomorrow morning and see what shakes out."

In third place was Jay Fuller of Newcastle, Okla., with 19-3. Dropping to fourth was Thursday leader Lee Sisson of Winter Haven, Fla., who fell off the pace a bit with just 8-3 on Day 2, good enough for 18-13. Rounding out the top five was Ray Brazier of Lawrenceburg, Tenn., who almost doubled his Thursday weight with 12-7, bringing him up to 18-12.

On the co-angler side, Matt Crawford of Little Elm, Texas, stunned the crowd with a three-fish limit that weighed 10-3, bringing his total to 12-0. Patti Campbell of Waxahachie, Texas, also significantly added to her total with 9-9.  She ended up at 10-14.  Thursday leader Travis Gray of Princeton, La., fell to third with 10-3. Co-anglers are competing for a fully rigged Skeeter ZX190 boat with a 150-horsepower Yamaha motor.

The field was cut to the top 30 today, with the 31st- through 50th-place anglers receiving checks.  The tournament will wrap up Saturday.

Daily results and photo galleries will be available at Bassmaster.com. The Classic and Elite invitations will be awarded Saturday, Oct. 23, after the final weigh-in. That also will mark the end of the entire 2010 Open season.

As the Nov. 7 end to Daylight Savings Time draws near, the fall bass bite is just beginning to shift into high gear across the south. From now into the early months of winter is a special time for anglers, when the baitfish are shallow and the bass are too.
 
BASS Elite Series pro Kevin Short takes full advantage of the after-tournament season to "just go fishing," making the most of the opportunities to play with new baits and learn more about the species that he pursues February through October as his job. It also doesn't hurt to have his own test facility in his backyard; he lives on Arkansas' Lake Conway, a good bass fishery with a variety of cover that replicates what can be found on many different lakes across the country.

In fact, when we caught up with him by phone to ask him for some seasonal fishing tips, he was as excited with anticipation as a kid on Christmas Eve because he was hooking up to his Bass Cat to spend the rest of the day on his home lake.

"The lily pads here are starting to die back now, and the decaying pads draw in shad like a magnet, as they are feeding on the plankton around the pads and stems," Short said. "The bass are right behind them and it's a fun time to catch numbers and some good fish too. This Swim It is a blast to fish around the stems because it's shallow water and you get to see the strike. Even as long as I've been at this game, it still takes discipline to wait to 'feel' the strike instead of reacting to the sight of the fish hitting your bait. It is so cool!"

Short went on to say that the Swim It is a new swim jig made by one of his sponsors, Jewel Bait Company. He has a personal fondness for the bait because he was instrumental in its design.

"Swimming a jig is one of my strengths, so I'm really particular about what this type of bait looks like and how it performs. Those who know me best know I speak my mind when it comes to baits. We didn't just take a jig and call it a swim jig; we designed this one specifically for the purpose."

Short says that when shad and sunfish come to the shallows this time of year, the bass come right along with them. That's why "burning" a spinnerbait and tossing shallow-running crankbaits can be so effective. But the Arkansas pro explains the Swim It offers greater versatility and is a more efficient fish catcher than both of these choices.

"For starters, the Swim It is made for fishing around cover without hanging up. I don't have to tell you how much of a pain it can be to fish spinnerbaits and crankbaits around grass, especially dead grass in the fall."

"The head of this jig is also unique, with a shape not unlike a boat hull to give it lift and keep it on an even keel during whatever retrieve speed," Short explained. "The skirt is made specifically for swimming, meaning it is thinned but still ample for the lifelike 'breathing effect.' And I was insistent that the skirt colors be consistent with those mimicking sunfish and shad coloration."

Although the Swim It comes in 1/4- and 3/8-ounce sizes, Short has a personal preference for the heavier size because of his fishing style. Up to 75 percent of the time, he's fishing it around vegetation or docks, and therefore on braid. The jig's heavy-wire Mustad hook makes braid a good choice.
 
This swim jig's versatility, according to Short, comes from its proprietary J Lock bait holder. "The J Lock feature penetrates through any soft plastic and then locks on to the hook's shank to hold the trailer securely in place. That means you can even use a hollow-bodied soft plastic with the Swim It, which allows use with several of the hollow-bodied swimbaits on the market."

 

Short considers three trailer types when looking at his options: Zoom's Fat Albert single-tail grub, a Zoom Speed Craw, and some kind of swimbait trailer, like Zoom's Swimming Super Fluke. Each provides a totally different action, varying from horizontal motions to vertical to erratic.

"The trailer is what changes the jig's action, but it's up to the angler to recognize and take advantage of the differences. One thing I always do is trim the skirt length according to the type of trailer I'm fishing. If the trailer is long and straight, I leave the skirt longer. If it's short and stubbier like the grub, I'll trim it shorter, perhaps 1/4-inch past the bend of the hook. The idea is to get the most water on the trailer that you can so the trailer can do what it's supposed to do."

How long will the swim jig bite last into winter? We asked Short that exact question.

"I'll fish it as long as I'm seeing any type of bait action, whether it be shad popping on top or shad or minnows in the shallows," he answered. "If you're looking for water temperature as a guide, I'd say up until the surface temps drop below 50 degrees. I'll have it back on going into spring just as soon as those water temps start hitting the 50-degree mark again. So, I actually have one tied on more often than not. But don't just take my word on the Swim It, you gotta try it yourself."

The Swim It, both in 1/4 and 3/8-ounce, comes in five skirt colors: Black/Blue Flash, Jewel Shad, Gizzard Shad, Missouri Craw and Okeechobee Blue. Head construction is Jewel's environmentally-friendly Metallulite, a specialized material that provides the bigger bait profile, but without the added weight relative to its size - meaning it's more inclined to swim than sink like a rock (or lead). Special paint and unique scale patterns add to the lure's baitfish illusion. The line tie is vertical instead of horizontal, another unique attribute for enhanced performance.

The Swim It comes one per package and retails for around $4.99 each.

For more information on the Swim It, visit JewelBait.com. For more information on Kevin Short, visit KFShort.com.

"It really pays to have a lot of friends," the Winter Haven, Fla., pro said. "I was out there not doing well (in practice), and a buddy of mine said 'have you tried one of these?' I said I hadn't and that I didn't have any and he threw me one and I started catching them."

Sisson declined to reveal what his pal tossed him, but it helped him catch 10 pounds, 10 ounces, enough for a slight advantage at the Central Open finale.  Sisson's five-fish limit was one of only three registered on Thursday. He has his sights set on qualifying for the 2011 Elite Series, which kicks off in his home state.  For that, he would have to move into the top seven in the Open points standings.  He entered the tournament in eighth. 

"Next year would be the year for me to get into it," he said. "This one is for the old guys!"

Sisson - and the other 163 pros - are vying for the top prize of around $40,000.

Behind Sisson was Mike Pharr of Shreveport, La. The fireman and part-time bass pro managed to land three fish that weighed 9-13. The three fish were a disappointment -- he was catching more fish in practice and Pharr was looking at nearly 15 pounds a day during practice.

Pharr caught his fish using an Omega football jig and a Tru-Trac spinnerbait. He's looking forward to the stormy weather that's forecasted to roll in on Friday.

"Maybe [the weather] can make it better," he said. "My fish are all in 5 to 6 feet of water, and I think that would push them shallower."

In third was former Elite Series pro Jay Fuller of Newcastle, Okla., with 9-12 while Aaron Johnson of Bossier City, La., was fourth with 9-4. In fifth was Dean Alexander of Florence, Texas, with 8-14. 

While a victory in the tournament is at stake, many anglers are most interested in obtaining one of two Classic berths up for grabs here.  Craig Schuff of Watauga, Texas, lessened his substantial lead by only registering 2-11 Thursday, putting him in 85th place at the tournament.  That leaves the door open for a host of anglers including Keith Combs, who was sixth after 8-12 on Thursday.

In the co-angler division, Travis Gray of Princeton, La., took the lead with a three-fish limit that weighed 8-5. Gray, who owns a 20-foot Skeeter, is competing for a top prize of a fully rigged ZX 190 Skeeter with a 150-horsepower Yamaha outboard.

"I made three lucky casts and got three fish," he said. "It wasn't anything special."

                                           Central                                                                                                                   Northern

Date                             Fishery                              Location                              Date                             Fishery                                Location

March 10-12              Lake of the Ozarks          Osage Beach, Mo.             June 23-25                 Lake Champlain                Plattsburgh, N.Y.

March 31 – April 2    Kentucky Lake                  Gilbertsville, Ky.                  July 28-30                   1000 Islands                       Clayton, N.Y.

July 14-16                   Detroit River                      Trenton, Mich.                    Aug. 18-20                  Lake Erie                             Buffalo, N.Y.

Oct. 6-8                        Table Rock Lake             Kimberling City, Mo.          Sept. 29 – Oct. 1        Potomac River                    Marbury, Md.

                                        Southeast                                                                                                                  Texas

Date                             Fishery                              Location                              Date                             Fishery                                Location

Jan. 6-8                       Lake Okeechobee          Okeechobee, Fla.              Jan. 20-22                  Choke Canyon                   Calliham, Texas

Feb. 24-26                  Lake Guntersville            Guntersville, Ala.                Feb. 10-12                  Sam Rayburn Reservoir  Jasper, Texas

April 28-30                  Lake Eufaula                    Eufaula, Ala.                        March 17-19              Toledo Bend                       Hemphill, Texas

June 9-11                   Pickwick Lake                   Florence, Ala.                     May 12-14                  Lake Texoma                     Pottsboro, Texas

                                         Western                                                                                                            Championship

Date                             Fishery                              Location                              Date                             Fishery                                Location

Jan. 13-15                  Lake Shasta                      Redding, Calif.                   Oct. 27-30                   Kentucky Lake                    Buchanan, Tenn.

Feb. 17-19                  Lake Roosevelt                Payson, Ariz.

May 5-7                       California Delta                Stockton, Calif.

Sept. 22-24                 Clear Lake                        Clearlake, Calif.

“There's nothing like it when you are catching big fish in a tournament,” Strub said. “It's just the greatest high you can get.”

There is an acute obsession exemplified by Canadian anglers about their tackle that borders on insanity. Anglers are fanatical about gaining an edge which gave birth to a niche tackle market for bass anglers in Canada. Custom poured baits by Bass Magnet Lures, Strike Zone, Lunkerhunt and Set the Hook have enjoyed much success as well as the cult like status of Punisher Flipping Jigs.

American National pro Shane Long of Missouri leaped into the lead with 16.78 pounds Friday for a two-day total of 29.28 going into the final day on Table Rock in the PAA Bass Pro Shops Tournament Series presented by Carrot Stix.

Long had a big bass of 4.60 pounds in his limit and leads by a little more than two pounds over fellow Mizzou angler Kelly Power, who had 26.75 including a 5.12-kicker.

"I got lucky, got quality bites and put them in the boat," Long said. "I lost a big one Thursday and I think that may come back to haunt me."

The Top 10:

1. Shane Long, Missouri - 29.28
2. Kelly Power, Missouri - 26.75
3. Brian Snowden, Missouri - 26.49
4. Gary Klein, Texas - 24.80
5. Dave Lefebre, Pennsylvania - 24.73
6. Terry Butcher, Oklahoma - 24.32
7. Rick Clunn, Missouri - 24.21
8. Stacey King, Missouri - 23.70
9. Matt Reed, Texas - 23.56
10. Ronnie Wagner, Texas - 22.63

The field was cut to 24 following Friday's competition. Those pros will fish Saturday on Table Rock for $194,000 including a new Nitro Z-8 rigged with a Mercury 225 and T-H Marine Atlas Jackplate. Saturday's launch will be at Table Rock State Park Marina, with the 4:30 p.m. weigh-in to be held at The Fountain at Branson Landing.

Lucky Craft pro Takahiro Omori of Texas, Megabass pro Aaron Martens of Alabama, Gene Larew pro Tommy Biffle of Oklahoma and Nitro pro Edwin Evers of Oklahoma all made the cut. Evers led the group going into the tournament with Biffle trailing by just a hair, followed by Omori in fourth and Martens in fifth.

Evers and Biffle bombed on the first day here but rebounded Friday, with Biffle moving from 40th to 17th (19.82 pounds, total) and Evers advancing 12 positions to make the cut in the final spot by a few hundredths of an ounce. Evers has 16.88 pounds.

Omori stayed steady and is again in 11th place with 22.43 pounds, while Martens is right behind him with 22.20 pounds.

Kicker Fish pro Chris Brasher of Texas caught a five-bass limit weighing 19.27 pounds Thursday, including the day’s big bass of 7.11 pounds, to grab the lead on Table Rock Lake in the PAA Bass Pro Shops Tournament Series presented by Carrot Stix.

Brasher has a lead of more than five pounds over Bass Pro Shops pro Stacey King of Missouri, who had 14.71 pounds. King led a powerful list leaders recognized among the “who’s who” in professional bass fishing in the top 10 of the final event of the PAA Tournament Series season.

Following King are Skeeter pro Harold Allen of Texas (14.60 pounds), Nitro pro Jami Fralick of South Dakota (14.24), Nitro pro Brian Snowden of Missouri (14.12), Bass Pro Shops pro Rick Clunn of Missouri (14.10), Yum pro Matt Reed of Texas (13.53), Triton pro Gary Klein of Texas (13.24), American National pro Shane Long of Missouri (12.50) and Randy Haynes of Tennessee (12.48)

The tournament continues Friday, with the 7 a.m. launch and 3 p.m. weigh-in at Table Rock State Park Marina. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be at The Fountain at Branson Landing starting at 4:30 p.m.

Brasher said his limit came by 10:30 a.m. Thursday in flurries, with two fish early, then two right after he’d decided to leave. A little after 10 a.m. he landed the 7.11-pounder, and then played defense the rest of the day. He checked in an hour early to prevent fish care penalties; Brasher was docked a quarter-pound for one expired bass.

“I can’t complain a bit,” he said. “After getting my limit, I just backed off and protected the area, and threw a spinnerbait to see if I could get another big one.
“I had a pretty bad practice with a ton of fish but no size to them., and I found a little deal about noon on the final day of practice. I caught four in five casts and really didn’t know how good it would be. But I think the big ones are there and hopefully there are plenty of them.”

Brasher said he’ll start there Friday and go until about mid-day, then shift gears to other similar areas if he needs to do so.

King leads locals

A band of Mizzou anglers are perched among the leaders and a few more lurk outside the top 10, which could make Friday interesting after everyone dissects and adjusts from what they learned.

King is a veteran who lives in nearby Reeds’ Spring, as does Snowden, and Clunn lives in Ava about an hour northeast of Branson while Long lives in Sarcoxie. All are within a couple of pounds of each other and, if Brasher’s big fish don’t hold up, the leaders could shuffle.

“This lake has so many fish and I have jillions of places to fish,” King said. “I had eight keepers and I think I can be consistent. I don’t know if I can catch 19 pounds, but I’m going to try.”

King’s sticking with what works right now on Table Rock, which is shallow shade early and then deeper areas after the sun gets up. Parts of the lake are in transition with a thermocline turnover and bass are making moves following shad, so there’s a mixture of things.

“I caught them everywhere from 60 feet to 3 feet,” Snowden said. “It’s fishing tough … I had more rods out (on the deck) than I like to have.”

The tournament launches at Table Rock State Park. Launches will begin at 7 a.m. and weigh-ins the first two days will be 3 p.m. The field will be cut to the top 30 pros who will fish the final day, with the weigh-in at Bass Pro Shops at Branson Landing starting at 4:30 p.m.

Rain may not be conducive to fans watching the weigh-in, but legendary pro Guido Hibdon of Missouri said it could be a plus for the fishing on Table Rock.

“You can only play for rain,” said Hibdon, who has fished Table Rock and Lake of the Ozarks for decades. “In autumn on the Ozark Mountain lakes, if you can get some rain the bass will come out of the woodwork and spinnerbait fishermen will catch them.”

Shad and bass – largemouth and spots – are moving into the back of creeks feeding the scenic lake that has more than 750 miles of shoreline. Water levels can fluctuate between 43,000 and 52,300 acres, and recent reports have Table Rock at a healthy level.

Hibdon said even without precipitation, the PAA Tournament Series field should have enough options for everyone to spread out and do something they like.

“You can catch them a lot of different things this time of year, and if the weather gets bad you definitely can,” he said. “You’ll have guys fishing shallow and others looking for the deep bite. Docks, obviously, will be checked out pretty hard. A big, deep-diving crankbait and even swimbaits may be good, too. And they always bite a jig.”

Angler registration will be Wednesday, Oct. 13, at Bass Pro Shops in Springfield starting at 3:30 p.m. Fans are encouraged to attend to meet the pros for autographs and photos, and then stay for free seminars. More free seminars will be held at Bass Pro Shops at Branson Landing beginning at noon on Saturday, Oct. 16, prior to the final weigh-in.

PAA pro Kelly Powers of Missouri lives has fished Table Rock for years and said the field could find unexpected changes next week.

“I’ve gone into a lot of tournaments in October thinking something would be the deal, and it’s been totally different,” Powers said. “Things can turn around in a short amount of time but we’ll have a good tournament.

“There probably will be a strong drop shot bite along with a spinnerbait bite in clear or dirty water. I don’t know of any lake in the country with such a good spinnerbait bite. With the lake being clear and deep, with no wind and calm conditions that could be big.”

Powers said if conditions “are right” then it could take 17-20 pounds a day to win. But if Table Rock is being stingy, then 13-15 pounds could be a good catch.

The PAA and Recycled Fish will host a lake cleanup on Oct. 16 starting after the pros launch from Table Rock State Park marina. Volunteers interested in helping collect trash from around the lake can get more information by visiting RecycledFish.org.

After six full seasons fishing FLW tournaments, a Forrest Wood Cup Championship and more than $1.6 million in career earnings, Ranger and Wired2Fish Pro Brent Ehrler continues to raise the bar for the meteoric rise of his still young career. On September 26, Ehrler added another achievement to his steadily growing resume, winning the 2010 FLW Series Western Division Angler of the Year with his third-place finish at Lake Roosevelt.
 
Ehrler captured the series crown on the strength of three, Top-4 finishes in the four-tournament series schedule, including a win in the series’ first event of 2010 on Lake Shasta. The FLW Series Western Division crown caps one of the most successful years in the career of the 33-year-old Redlands, Calif., native, coming on the heels of a fifth-place finish in the FLW Tour Angler of the Year standings with a pair of regular-season tournament wins and a fourth-place finish at the 2010 Forrest Wood Cup.
 
In addition to his success on Tour, Ehrler has capitalized on loads of Ranger bonus money.  The Ranger Cup program – designed to reward Ranger owners in tournaments of all levels – has awarded over 14 million to Ranger anglers across the country.  For Ehrler’s part, he’s raked in nearly $200,000 over the course of the last four seasons, including an incredible $56,000 in 2010 alone.

Ehrler is now automatically qualified for the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup, scheduled for next summer on Arkansas’ Lake Ouachita. In 2006, Ehrler won the $500,000 Forrest Wood Cup on Logan Martin Lake.   
 
“This has been a long time coming,” said Ehrler. “Winning this title and already being qualified for the Forrest Wood Cup really takes some pressure off fishing the FLW Tour. In terms of confidence, this season has just been incredible. I can’t wait to visit Ouachita for the championship.  The competition is always tough but I’ve got some experience there and will do everything I can to become the first two-time Forrest Wood Cup Champion.”

Given what happened this past Friday on Barkley Lake during the FLW Outdoors BFL Regional, we want to remind everyone who owns a boat to go back and brush up on safe operating. With more boats on the water every year, caution and understanding is more important than ever.

We knew about the accident shortly after 7 a.m. Friday morning, but out of respect for the victim's family, opted not to run anything because we wanted to be completely sure his entire family was notified first before reading it on some website. Our hearts have been heavy this weekend for the loss of a fishing brother. Our prayers and thoughts remain with the families of all involved and those who witnessed the accident.

But what's important is that we as an angling fraternity take this tragic loss and use it to educate and remind us how to avoid these situations.

Elite Series Pro J Todd Tucker and Big Green Egg have teamed together and created a pink jersey he has been wearing in competition and at events during the month of October in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month. They will be auctioning this tournament jersey at the Annual Big Green Egg Eggtoberfest at the Atlanta Motor Speedway October 15-16. It will feature all sponsor logos just as they appear on his regular jersey. Additionally we will be selling my tournament jersey to the public without sponsor logos, other than Big Green Egg, Bass 2.0 and J Todd on it. They will also be accepting individual donations. All money raised will be donated to the Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation to support research and aid families affected by this dreaded disease.

 

When bass bury themselves under thick mats of vegetation or tightly woven pads and won’t respond to a frog bait dragged across the top, “Punching” is the only way to get them out. PowerTeam’s Bully Grass Devil was specifically designed for this type of fishing. Its slender “v” grooved body and tight action allows the Bully Grass Devil to slide through the thickest cover with ease. Its important to skin hook the bait.(shown above) Once it gets through, the 4 1/2” streamline profile and elongated appendages of the Bully Grass Devil is hard for bass to resist. It looks like a crawfish buffet in Lousiana.

 

Having a solid hook set and the proper gear for Punchin’ is an absolute must to be successful with this technique. The Power Team Lures Bully Grass Devil rigged on a 5/0 superline hook like a Reaction Innovations BMF, a Mustad Grip Pin or a Lazer Trokar flipping hook topped with a pegged ¾ to 2oz tungsten weight will get the bass on the end of your line. A 7 ½ to 8 ft. heavy action flippin’ rod and a powerful casting reel spooled with 50-65lb braid (with the drag cranked all the way down) will get them out. Braid also helps detect the lightest of bites.

BASS photo
 

Fitzgerald relied on a black-and-blue Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver pegged to a 1-ounce tungsten weight. He flipped the rig into matted hydrilla. For his win, he took home more than $35,000 and moved into 8th place in the Southern Opens points standings, which puts him right outside the 2011 Bassmaster Elite Series cut. However, if one angler doesn’t accept the Elite invitation, Fitzgerald will have the opportunity – if he wants it. 

"My wife and I have a few things to take care of before I can consider getting into that," he said. "But, to finally win something like this is huge. I've won some other tournaments, but nothing like this. This is by far the biggest win I've got."

Behind him in second was Day 2 leader Derek Allen of Ponchatoula, La. Allen said he let the tournament slip through his fingers as a "three- or four-pounder" fell off of the hook of his Spro Bronzeye frog.

"You live by the frog, and you die by the frog," he said about the bait with which he caught most of his fish. "I made mental errors today and I lost it."

Allen weighed in 13-8 the final day for a total of 42-13. Behind him was Clint Brown of Bainbridge, Ga., who tallied 42-0 over three days.  Brown’s 23-pound, 7-ounce limit on Saturday was by far the biggest of the day and tournament.  In fourth was Cliff Prince of Palatka, Fla., who managed 37-14 and fifth was Randall Tharp of Gardendale, Ala., with 37-4.

On the co-angler side, Fred Hood of Monroe, Ga., took the top prize of a fully rigged Skeeter/Yamaha boat and motor package. Hood had a three-day total of 20-11, which put him more than 3 pounds in front of runner-up Steven Wells of Bainbridge, Ga., who had 17-3. The full standings of both divisions can be found below.

With the conclusion of the 2010 Bassmaster Southern Opens, two Classic berths were awarded in addition to seven Elite Series invitations. With his fifth-place finish in the last Southern Opens stop, Tharp won the points race and will participate in his first Bassmaster Classic in 2011. Tharp has had much success on the Open level but still had fallen short of qualifying for the Classic until now.

"For anybody who knows anything about tournament bass fishing, going to the Classic is almost unreal," he said. "I've fished most every championship there is, but never the Classic. This is what I've wanted to do for quite some time."

Thanks in part to his win at the second stop in the Bassmaster Southern Open on Alabama’s Smith Lake, Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, S.C., took the second berth via the Opens.

"I can't wait to get there," he said. "I'm only 28, so to do it so early is great.".

With the Southern Opens in the books, the Opens will finish up Oct. 21-23 with the Bass Pro Shops Central Open on Lake Texoma.  There, two Classic berths will be determined along with seven Elite invitations.

2010 Forrest Wood Cup from FLW Outdoors on Vimeo.

 

Terry Scroggins – “Never had one of these before. We don’t have a Starbucks in Palatka. I picked this up at McDonalds here in Conroe this morning. It’s called a caramel frappe, it’s good, but I’m hoping it doesn’t hurt me. There’s a lot of homes around this lake, and I’d hate for anybody to see my shiny hiney.”

For a complete schedule of the fan-friendly Toyota Texas Bass Classic weigh-ins and associated country music concerts taking place in Conroe, Texas this weekend, click on ToyotaTexasBassClassic.com.

By Alan McGuckin

Gary Klein – “I lived on this lake for three years back in the early 1990’s. It’s a completely different lake now. It was full of aquatic vegetation then. That was good for all aquatic life – and certainly the bass. Now there’s no weeds, and just man made brush piles. There’s a still a lot of fish here, and there are some giant bass here, but it’s just much, much tougher to catch them now compared to 20 years ago.”

Shaw Grigsby – “I love my Florida Gators, but Alabama is a legitimate No. 1 team. My Gators could be hurtin’ in this one. It’d be awesome if Florida won, but honestly, I’m doubtful we will.”

 

Mike McClelland – “It seems like there’s more bait in Conroe this year. I’ve seen big Gizzard Shad being chased, and when you see that, you know there are big bass in the area. It’s a tough bite, and anybody that’s fortunate enough to catch one or two big bass over three days will go a long way in the final standings.”

Shin Fukae – “I’m looking for bass on docks, I know they live there, but they are hard to make bite right now. So I’m using spinning tackle to finesse them, and I’m worried about them braking my light line around the piers.”

Kevin VanDam -- spotted carrying a box of wet baby towelettes was asked if he’d had a rough dinner last night. “Nope, just Mexican dinner.”

 
Gerald Swindle – “On the way to launch in my Tundra this morning, I listened to Brantley Gilbert’s song ‘Kick it in the Sticks’ -- it’s got the words of a redneck, a Motley Crue beat and a Kid Rock attitude.”

David Perciful (avid bass angler that lives on Lake Conroe) – “My partner and I fish all the Lake Conroe April Plaza Thursday Night Tournaments from April to September. We did the math, and figured out the average weight of each individual bass we weighed-in over the entire season was 4.14 pounds.”