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Hook and Look TV with Kim and Danny Stricker take a look at a cut away Ranger Boat from below, underwater. This video shows the Ranger Boats quality even with large holes cut out in the boat. Ranger Sales VP Keith Daffron even releases a bass though one of the holes. Check it out at RangerBoats.com. |
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Ride with a Legend
Legend Boats, sponsor of the TTBC, will be offering boat rides starting October 1 and running through the championship finals October 3rd.
The Alpha 211 defines the tournament bass boat, perfect for rough water and with the amenities you choose, and you can get a test drive in one if you are in attendance.
Join the Legend Boats team and take advantage of the opportunity to test drive the 2011 Legend Boats Alpha 211 and receive a free hat (while supplies last). Again, test drives will be daily (Oct. 1 to Oct 3) starting at 8:30 a.m. from Papa’s On the Lake.
Visit ridewithalegend.com for more information.
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W2F eNews9/29/2010 2:07:03 PM
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Your trolling motor is a major investment and is a vital tool for anglers. Making sure it's in tip top shape is important. A good day on the water can be ruined by a trolling motor issue. If you have an unlimited budget you can carry a spare but we believe the best way is to do a little maintanence after each trip that requires little time but can prolong the life of the motor.
The first thing we do is check all of our electrical leads...at the plug, at the batteries and also under the foot pedal. A quick shot of oil to the plug and the battery terminals will keep corrosion down or eliminate it. The connections under the foot pedal can be protected with light grease. Take a Q-Tip and dab each lead. Don't use too much and we recommend a clear grease for this application. The grease also helps give a better connection. Once a year we remove the foot pedal button and lubricate the switch with a commercial switch cleaner. Its good advice to carry a spare switch. They are relatively inexpensive and easy to replace.
Another thing we do is wipe the motor down. This serves two purposes. It eliminates corrosion but also allows the trolling motor to work more effectively. We use a product called Cover-All by Superior Products. We coat the foot, shaft and all visible parts with this protectant. It keeps mud and guck from sticking to the motor and also allows the trolling motor to cut through vegetation more effectively. It also protects it from scratches and keeps those units with transducers built in debris free, allowing the depth finder to work better. Cover-All stays where it is sprayed, protects parts from harmful UV, doesn't drip and makes an old motor look like new as well. We spray the tension spring with it too, cutting down rust or the possibility of it.
Maintaining your equipment is critical and this Wired2Fish Tip will keep you on the water longer and protect your investment.
Editors note: Pat Welch of Mackinaw, Illinois added a great tip via feedback that we overlooked in this article. "Good article about trolling motor care. I feel you left out a important thing to check. The prop for old fishing line. I take a look at prop after everytime out to see if I can see line and pull about once a month just to check, easy to do and could save on some costly repairs to damaged seals or motor unit. Great Job covering everthing to do with Bass Fishing."
We agree with you Pat! Good catch.
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FLW Outdoors has updated their website. As we dig through it, it is much cleaner and we like the layout. Up to date videos, new photos and more stories from the FLW Outdoor Tours. What do you think?
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Gemini Sport Marketing, the image experts, and Wired2Fish want you to look great on the water. Not only will you look great but the performance value of the high quality material will keep you cool on hot days and warm on the cooler ones. Each jersey is customized to the needs of the angler with his sponsors, boat brand or desired company. Your look is indeed YOUR look and you will be proud to wear a jersey designed by you. The above jersey was designed for the "Wizard of Word" Don Barone. You get the picture?
We just completed the "Design Your Own Jersey" contest on Wired2Fish and 5 lucky Wired2Fish readers will get the opportunity to design their own jersey. Below are the winners:
Wes Lewis
Sherrills Ford, NC
Chuck Pigue
Memphis, TN
Jeff Schwent
St. Charles, MO
Chris Meyer
Hendersonville, TN
Jordon Davis
DeKalb Junction, NY
Its time to get your thinking caps on and start the design of your new, one of a kind, tournament jersey made by Gemini Sport Marketing!
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Plano, Illinois based Plano Molding has been designing and building the best in tackle organization boxes for years. The addition of the Fishing Tackle Organization Series drilled it down even further to specific baits. Even Kevin VanDam, reigning BASS Angler of the Year, knows the importance of boat and tackle organization and depends on these systems to win championships. He has for a long time. He cashed a check in 25 of his first 27 BASS events and that success relies heavily on Plano.
Tennessee's Bill Dance has been with Plano forever. He has endorsed and help design some of the best products in the Plano line-up, so you know they have to be good and stand the test of time.
Two savvy anglers knew the answers to our contest and will now be more organized too.
The winners of the Plano Contest are:
1st Place
James Sisco
Winchester, VA
2nd Place
Joshua Pullins
Bonne Terre, MO
Congrats guys and your boxes are on the way!
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The good news for anglers everywhere is that Lew's® is back. Not that the once highly popular fresh and inshore rod and reel brand was ever truly dead, but it certainly had faded from the spotlight in recent years. It's back now though and in a big way, with several new models of baitcast and spinning reels, and a full spectrum of rods.
The rods and reels are totally new designs with the latest in features and materials, keeping with the tradition of innovation and function that the late Lew Childre originally demanded when he launched the Lew's brand a few decades ago.
It was Childre who started the low-profile baitcast reel craze when he introduced the Lew's Speed Serial #2. Lew's Speed Spool started the low-profile baitcast craze in the early 1970s. His tear-drop-shaped BB1 came with innovative features never seen before in a revolving spool reel, including the disengaging levelwind and "palming" side cover.
Childre had a significant role in rod development, too, contributing to Fuji's design of the pistol grip handle and many other introductions, including the use of ceramic inserts on rod guides. His list of "firsts" and other equipment improvements is long and impressive, and he was still actively bringing ideas and designs to the table when he died in a plane crash in 1977. His name and the Lew's brand have lived on ever since. Only in more recent times has Childre been getting credit for his contributions. He was named one of "the 35 most influential people" to the sport of bass fishing in a 2003 Bassmaster article.
 Late last year, fishing industry veteran Lynn Reeves acquired the Lew's name and many affiliated trademarks, including Speed Spool, Speed Spin® and Speed Stick® , from the Lew Childre family. The transaction marked another important milestone in the brand's 60-year history. Reeves is a longtime fan of Lew's products and believes strongly in Childre's original quest for lighter, faster and stronger fishing tackle. His promise from day one of ownership has been to return the brand and product line to a place of prominence in today's fishing equipment lineup.
"Some brands simply epitomize the sport of fishing the way it was meant to be, and Lew's is among the elite few," Reeves said. "I couldn't be any prouder than I am to have this opportunity to put the Lew's product back in anglers' hands."
Today, the Lew's line consists of four series of baitcast reels, two spinning reel series and four series of rods. The reels range in price throughout all series from about $59 to $259. The rods start at around $79 and go to $259 for top-of-the-line models.
All Lew's products will be available soon, with the Tournament Pro®, Tournament Speed Spool and Speed Spool being the first on the market and available now.
For more information on the Lew's brand and products, visit Lews.com.
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Don Barone just penned a gut-wrenching piece with a happy continuation about the likable pro, Terry Baksay and his battle with testicular cancer. Barone, in his unique way, paints a beautiful story about an All-American guy with an All-American family, fighting the fight of his life with a foe that knows no political or geographical boundaries.
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 Benson and Davis
The 2010 Midwest/Central Kentucky Lake Regional Championship came to a close today and we want to congratulate Ryan Benson and Justin Davis, Tennessee West, who claimed their first-ever major tournament victory by adding 15.65 lbs to Day 1’s 17.90. Their 33.55 lbs earned the young men championship plaques, a share of bonus bucks, and a brand new 2011 Triton TR-18, powered by the venerable 150hp Mercury Optimax.
Cousins, Ryan and Justin stated that they worked surface frogs tied to Vicious braid and Strike King swimbaits in the grass-filled shallow flats along the river channel about 30 to 35 miles south of Paris Landing. Ryan wanted to thank their sponsors who helped make this win possible, Vicious Fishing, Falcon Rods, and Elite Fishing.com. Furthermore, Ryan said that the Strike King swimbait greatly contributed to their success.
Indiana North teammates, Terry McWilliams and grandson Brody, hauled in another good limit today, 16.17 lbs, and moved up two slots to finish second overall with 33.24 lbs. Brody and Terry nabbed a 5-pound kicker on Day-1 and a 4.62 today. Terry and Brody pitched Poor Boys green pumpkin/blue flake, Stupid Tube baits on ledges in 4 to 6 feet of water near the mouth of Big Sandy.
Keith Amerson and Bill Terrell netted another 5 fish limit today, weighing 12.04, which earned them a 30.23 lbs third place finish. Keith and Bill covered a lot of water during the practice and competition before concentrating in the White Oak and Big Sandy areas. He and Bill worked secondary ledges along flats that were located away from the main channel and nearer to the shore with ¾ oz. Strike King jigs, tipped with green pumpkin Rage Craws, plum-colored S. K. Thumper worms, and the 6XD Strike King Sexy Shad. Keith thanks Strike King Lure Co for their support.
Justin Onsby and Don Perkins, TN-W, used today’s 17.30 lbs to leap all the way from 14th to 4th, with 29.61 lbs. Don and Justin traveled south to New Johnsonville and cast Buckeye Lures grn/pkn jigs, tipped with grn/pkn Paca Craws and texas-rigged 13-inch worms in order to get a quick limit. They, then, finished the day back up on Big Sandy’s deeper ledges in order hook up with bigger fish.
Alabama Northwest partners, Eric Davis and David Mier’s 14.79 lbs limit gave them a tournament total of 29.33 lbs and fifth place. Eric and David used Pop-R’s and buzzbaits amidst hydrilla in 2 to 3 feet of water, 35 miles south of the ramp and off the main lake channel. Eric stated that a 6 lbs bass tossed his buzzbait at about 3:00 pm today.
Jack Napier, Sr. and Jack Napier, Jr., AL-NW, brought in the largest bag of the event, 20.10 lbs, which included Day-2’s 6.16 lbs, 1st Big Fish. Their bass came out of Big Sandy, along ledges in 10 feet of water, where the two were dragging grn/pkn Strike King jigs with Rage Craws.
The Day 2 Second Big Fish award went to Dewayne Wilson and Tony Spradlin, Tennessee East, for their 6.03 lbs largemouth.
The top ten finishers, along with the highest finishing team from each division, and the top male-female and adult-junior team from each this Fall’s Championship Series events will qualify to fish next April in the FOM Guntersville Lake National Championship. The next stop in the 2010 Championship Series will be the East Regional Championship to be held on the Kanawha River in Charleston, WV, and will get underway Thursday evening, Oct. 14.
We want to thank Gailia Thompson with the Henry County Alliance, FLW Pro Mark Rose, and New Harmony Baptist Church.
We would like to take this opportunity to also thank all the fine companies that make Fishers of Men possible; Primary: Triton Boats, Mercury, Strike King Lure Company, Markel American Insurance, Abu Garcia, Power-Pole, Nester Hosiery. Presenting; Marshall’s Marine of Lake City SC, Keelshield, Solar Bat, Kistler Custom Fishing Rods, Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits, Berkley, Lowrance. Official: Buckeye Lures, Jacobs Glass, Outdoor Specialty Products (Rejuvenate), Dual Pro Chargers, MotorGuide, Full Grace Gospel Church, Mizmo Bait Company, Stanley Jigs, Spike-It, Logan Fire Apparatus, T&H Marine, and Keep Alive Oxygen Infusers.
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The 2010 FLW Series Western Division Angler of the Year race came down to a two-man showdown at the fourth and final tournament of the season on Lake Roosevelt in Payson, Ariz. In the end, red-hot National Guard pro Brent Ehrler nailed a third-place finish at Roosevelt to beat another one of the hottest young FLW pros on tour, Cody Meyer, with 777 points out of a possible 800.
Those points qualified Ehrler for the no-entry-fee 2011 Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Ark. Ehrler started the FLW Series season off with a win on Lake Shasta in January. He then took fourth at Lake Mead in May. His lowest finish of FLW Series competition came at the California Delta in June where he finished 19th. That event was after the Lake Ouachita FLW Tour event, where he claimed his second FLW Tour victory of the season. He wrapped up the Angler of the Year title with a third-place finish at Lake Roosevelt last week, capping one of his most successful seasons as a professional angler.
With the Angler of the Year title weighing heavily on Ehrler’s mind, his third place finish at Roosevelt did not come easily. FLW Series anglers were greeted on day one with monsoon-like rains, however, Ehrler brought a five-bass limit weighing 13-14 to the scales, his heaviest sack of the week. Although Ehrler managed to bring a limit to the scales every day, he had a tough time figuring out a consistent pattern. The rest of his week was spent going back and forth between deep humps and shallow areas that held gravel and heavy brush.
“I really struggled the last two days,” said Ehrler, who hails from Redlands, Calif. “I covered a lot of water and really had to make a lot of adjustments and grind it out. I fished shallow in the morning and deep in the afternoon. I had the most bites (Saturday) than I did all week - I think I had about 30. Before that I was only getting seven or eight bites each day.
“I was using buzzbaits, spinnerbaits and a Phoenix swim jig early and then I would go offshore deep using worms. I did learn that when fronts go through like the one on the first day you really need to fish the banks here. Even though I felt like I struggled at Roosevelt, it was such a fun lake to fish that I really look forward to coming back.”
Rounding out the top 10 anglers who qualified for the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup were:
2nd: Cody Meyer, Grass Valley, Calif., 756 points
3rd: Robert Lee, Angels Camp, Calif., 725 points
4th: Jon Strelic, El Cajon, Calif., 719 points
5th: Jeff Michels, Lakehead, Calif., 704 points
6th: Ronald Hobbs, Jr., Orting, Wash., 704 points
7th: National Guard pro Clifford Pirch, Payson, Ariz., 702 points
8th: Brett Hite, Phoenix, Ariz., 693 points
9th: Bret Gouvea, Redding, Calif., 686 points
10th: Chris Zaldain, San Jose, Calif., 683 points
“This has been a long time coming,” Ehrler added. “I am so happy I finally won the title. Being qualified for the Forrest Wood Cup really takes a lot of pressure off fishing the FLW Tour. I am looking forward to next season. We are going to a lot of really great fisheries that are going to be challenging and fun. I am especially looking forward to being back on Lake Ouachita for the championship. I have some experience there now and my goal is to become the first two-time Forrest Wood Cup Champion.” |
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Do you talk to your baits? Dave Mercer does. Matter of fact, he talks to himself, his baits and everyone that walks by. Facts of Fishing with Dave Mercer combines comedy and fishing in this informative deep crankbaiting segment. Check it out at Facts of Fishing. |
 When the Professional Anglers Association (PAA) comes to Table Rock Lake near Branson, Mo., next month for its tournament, the lake will be better off for it.
Recycled Fish, a non-profit conservation partner of the PAA, is organizing a lake cleanup during the final day of the PAA Bass Pro Shops Tournament Series event scheduled for Oct. 14-16. Local watershed and community groups, local residents and fishing fans will be encouraged to clean up trash around the lake while the anglers fish.
"Fishing is about being more than sportsmen, it's about being stewards," said Teeg Stouffer, Recycled Fish Executive Director. "Large tournaments put a focus on the catching, but any time we take to the water, anglers like to leave it better than we found it. This is a chance to spotlight that ethic."
Like the PAA tournament itself, the lake cleanup has its own excitement and stagecraft. After cleaning up trash from around the lake, volunteers will bring their haul to the weigh-in stage at Branson Landing. Prior to the fish being weighed, the collected trash will be weighed and then "released" into a dumpster provided by Allied Waste Services of the Ozarks.
The most trash by volume, by weight, and most unusual will receive prizes that money can't buy - fishing gear donated by Bass Pro Shops, and autographed by PAA Pro Anglers.
In addition to a chance to walk across the "big stage" and a shot at some unique prizes, volunteers get lunch and special seating for the weigh-in.
The lake cleanup begins after blastoff at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 16, at Table Rock State Park Marina. Volunteers should report to Branson Landing with trash by 2 p.m. and trash weigh-ins take place until 3:30 p.m.
For more information or to volunteer, visit RecycledFish.org or call (402) 873-7255. |
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American Bass Anglers just announced their BASS Weekend Series Schedule for 2011. Looks like another great season ahead for weekend anglers.
2011 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series Division Schedules
AL - Division - 1 Date/Lake/Ramp
Alabama North
03/05/2011GuntersvilleState Park
04/09/2011WheelerIngall's Harbor
05/14/2011Neely HenryCoosa Landing
06/25/2011WeissJR's Marina
9/17-18/2011GuntersvilleState Park
AL - Division - 2 Date/Lake/Ramp
Alabama South
02/05/2011Lake EufaulaLake Point State Park
03/05/2011Lay LakeBeeswax Landing
04/02/2011Alabama RiverCooters Pond
05/14/2011Lake Logan MartinLakeside Park
9/24-25/2011Lake MartinWind Creek State Park
TN - Division - 3
Date/Lake/Ramp
TN Central
03/19/2011Percy PriestFate Sanders Marina
04/16/2011Lake BarkleyLake Barkley State Park Marina
05/21/2011Kentucky LakeBirdsong Resort & Marina
07/23/2011Old HickoryFlipper's Bull Creek
8/20-21/2011Kentucky LakeParis Landing State Park
TN - Division - 4
Date/Lake/Ramp
TN East
02/26/2011GuntersvilleGoose Pond
03/26/2011ChickamaugaChester Frost State Park
06/11/2011Ft. Loudon/TellicoTellico Recreational Ramp
07/16/2011Watts BarTom Fuller Park
9/10-11/2011GuntersvilleGoose Pond
NC - Division - 5
Date/Lake/Ramp
North Carolina
03/26/2011NormanBlythe Landing
04/30/2011High RockTamarac Marina
06/11/2011Kerr LakeSatterwhite Point
07/30/2011Falls LakeLedge Rock
8/27-28/2011High RockTamarac Marina
FL - Division - 6DateLakeRamp
Florida
01/22/2011Kissimmee ChainCamp Mack's
02/26/2011Harris ChainHickory Point Recreational Facility
03/26/2011Kissimmee ChainCamp Mack's
04/16/2011St. John's RiverPalatka City Docks
9/17-18/2011Harris ChainHickory Point Recreational Facility
GA - Division - 8
Date/Lake/Ramp
Georgia
02/12/2011Lake SeminoleBainbridge Boat Basin
03/19/2011Lake SinclairLittle River Park
04/30/2011Lake EufaulaLake Point State Park
06/18/2011Lake LanierLaurel Park
9/10-11/2011Lake OconeeSugar Creek Marina
SC - Division - 9
Date/Lake/Ramp
South Carolina
02/19/2011Lake MurrayDreher Island State Park
03/12/2011Santee CooperJohn C. Land III
04/09/2011Lake WatereeClearwater Cove Marina
05/07/2011Lake HartwellPortman Marina
8/27-28/2011Clarks HillDorn Sport Fishing Facility
TX - Division - 10
Date/Lake/Ramp
SE Texas
03/26/2011Sam RayburnUmphrey Pavilion
05/21/2011Sam RayburnUmphrey Pavilion
06/25/2011Toledo BendFin & Feather Resort
07/23/2011Sam RayburnUmphrey Pavilion
9/24-25/2011Sam RayburnUmphrey Pavilion
TX - Division - 11
Date/Lake/Ramp
East Texas
02/06/2011Lake PalestineVillages Marina
03/12/2011Lake TylerLake Tyler Marina
04/09/2011Richland ChambersOak Cove Marina
06/18/2011Cedar CreekLog Cabin
7/9-10/2011Lake TawakoniHoliday Marina
AR - Division - 12
Date/Lake/Ramp
Arkansas
02/26/2011Lake GreesonSwaha Lodge and Marina
04/02/2011Lake HamiltonFish Hatchery
05/07/2011Greers FerryDevil's Fork Marina
06/04/2011Lake OuachitaMountain Harbor Resort
8/27-28/2011Lake OuachitaMountain Harbor Resort
LA - Division - 13
Date/Lake/Ramp
Louisiana
01/22/2011Atchafalaya BasinDoiron's Landing
02/12/2011Toledo BendCypress Bend
03/19/2011Red RiverGrand Ecore
04/30/2011Bayou BlackBob's Bayou Black Marina
9/10-11/2011Red RiverGrand Ecore
OK - Division - 14
Date/Lake/Ramp
Oklahoma
03/05/2011Broken BowBeavers Bend Marina
04/16/2011Lake TenkillerChicken Creek Landing
05/14/2011Grand LakeMartin's Landing
06/11/2011Ft GibsonTaylors Ferry North
9/17-18/2011Lake EufaulaEufaula Cove
KY - Division - 15
Date/Lake/Ramp
Kentucky
03/12/2011Kentucky LakeKY Dam
05/07/2011Kentucky LakeMoor's Resort & Marina
07/09/2011Kentucky LakeParis Landing State Park
07/30/2011Barkley LakeLake Barkley State Park Marina
8/27-28/2011Kentucky LakeParis Landing State Park
MO - Division - 16
Date/Lake/Ramp
Missouri
04/02/2011Lake of the OzarksPB#2
04/30/2011Table RockPort of Kimberling
06/18/2011StocktonOrleans Trail Marina
08/13/2011TrumanLong Shoal Marina
9/24-25/2011Lake of the OzarksPB#2
VA - Division - 19DateLakeRamp
Virginia
03/19/2011Kerr LakeNorth Bend Park SUA
04/09/2011GastonAmericamps
05/21/2011Smith Mountain LakeParkway Marina
07/16/2011Kerr LakeNorth Bend Park SUA
8/20-21/2011Kerr LakeNorth Bend Park SUA
OH - Division - 20DateLakeRamp
Ohio
04/16/2011Rocky ForkEast Shore Marina
06/04/2011Ohio RiverWhite Oak Creek Marina
07/09/2011Indian LakeMoundwood
08/06/2011Mosquito LakeMosquito Lake State Park
9/10-11/2011Erie, SanduskyShelby Street
MD - Division - 21
Date/Lake/Ramp
Maryland
04/02/2011AnnaSturgeon Creek
05/14/2011Potomac RiverSmallwood State Park
06/25/2011Potomac RiverSmallwood State Park
08/13/2011Potomac RiverSmallwood State Park
9/17-18/2011Potomac RiverSmallwood State Park
NY - Division - 22
Date/Lake/Ramp
New York
06/18/2011Chautauqua lakeLong Point State Park
07/16/2011Oneida LakeOneida Shores Park
08/06/2011Cayuga LakeFrontinac Park
08/20/2011Lake ErieBarcelona Harbor
9/10-11/2011Oneida LakeOneida Shores Park
NY - Division - 23
Date/Lake/Ramp
New York East
06/11/2011Lake ChamplainWilcox Docks
07/09/2011Lake ChamplainFort Ticonderoga
07/30/2011St Lawrence RiverFrench Creek
08/27/2011Sacandaga LakeNorth Hampton
9/17-18/2011Oneida LakeOneida Shores State Park
2011 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series Regional Schedule (each regional location will have an off limits period for 2011)
Tensaw River 10/7-8/2011 (AL South , AL North, FL, GA, SC)
Kentucky Lake 10/14-15/2011 (TNCentral, TNEast, NC, KY, MO)
Red River 10/14-15/2011 (TX Southeast, TXEast, AR, OK, LA)
Lake Erie (Buffalo, NY) 9/30-10/01/2011 (VA, OH, MD, NY West, NY East)
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Pro Chris Gilman of Chicago, City, Minn., caught two walleyes weighing 7 pounds, 15 ounces Saturday to win the 2010 FLW Walleye Tour Championship earning $42,676. Gilman had a four-day catch of 16 walleyes weighing 42-15.
“I really can’t believe it. It has been 20 years,” said Gilman, the 2009 Angler of the Year. “I didn’t think that I had it. My over [26 inches or larger] was not a giant and Terry’s fish was much fatter. Coming in short of the limit usually does not work.”
“I was rigging with redtail chubs, nothing really fancy, basically a 1 ½-ounce sinker a six-foot Sufix leader and a minnow,” said Gilman. “Watching my locator was real important as I did not fish very much unless I saw the right marks. I have a Lowrance HDS and it was real easy to see which points had boulders on them and I fished a lot of those points with boulders. I pretty much knew if I was going to get one or not by looking at my locator.”
“I caught my large fish on a spot that I had never fished before and I just trusted my locator to tell me where to fish was the biggest difference,” continued Gilman. “I went to my number two spot and I caught four fish and I cleaned it. I caught every one that was there, and I went to this new spot and whacked the 27-incher and that was the difference.”
Rounding out the top-10 pros were:
2nd: Terence Filkins, Lake Ciy, Minn., 12 walleyes, 41-14, $5,000
3rd: Pat Byle, Colgate, Wis., 13 walleyes, 40-0, $12,000
4th: Paul Meleen, Isle, Minn., 11 walleyes, 38-15, $8,303
5th: National Guard pro Mark Courts, Harris, Minn., 16 walleyes, 31-15, $5,500
6th: Scott Steil, Richmond, Minn., 16 walleyes, 30-7, $3,750
7th: Dean Arnoldussen, Appleton, Wis., 13 walleyes, 27-1, $3,669
8th: Brian Brosdahl, Max, Minn., 14 walleyes, 25-3, $3,035
9th: Don Loch, Iron Mountain, Mich., 10 walleyes, 20-0, $1,000
10th: Kevin Merrill, Pierre, S.D., seven walleyes, 18-7, $750
A complete list of standings can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Overall there were 13 walleyes weighing 40 pounds, 4 ounces caught by seven boats Saturday. The catch did not include any four-walleye limits.
Matt Hiller of Grand Rapids, Mich., took home the Co-angler title on Friday earning $6,523 and making him the first two-time co-angler champion in FLW Walleye Tour history. Hiller weighed in 14 walleyes weighing 33-11 over the three days of competition. Hiller fished with pros Merrill on day one, Loch on day two and Gilman on day three.
Rounding out the top-10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Darrell Martin, Forest Lake, Minn., 12 walleyes, 31-13, $2,048
3rd: Jason Anderson, West Fargo, N.D., 14 walleyes, 31-11, $2,518
4th: Cal Van Cleve, Wilmot, S.D., 10 walleyes, 28-11, $2,107
5th: Peggy Severson, Fort Pierre, S.D., 13 walleyes, 28-11, $1,300
6th: Todd Dankert, Anoka, Minn., 11 walleyes, 27-1, $650
7th: Ted Kaminski, Saint Anthony, Minn., 11 walleyes, 26-0, $896
8th: Larry Oleson, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., 10 walleyes, 22-6, $685
9th: Kyle Schuchard, Essex, Ont., 12 walleyes, 21-6, $605
10th: Bryan Bayerkohler, Eagan, Minn., nine walleyes, 18-15, $250
The National Guard announced prior to the final weigh-in that they will serve as title sponsor for the Walleye Tour in 2011. The involvement of the National Guard with the Walleye Tour will allow for more appreciation tournaments in conjunction with tour events offering positive opportunities for soldiers, veterans and families. These events present an avenue to display the appreciation everyone should have for those that serve our country.
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Keith Espe of New River, Ariz., caught a five bass limit weighing 11 pounds, 12 ounces Saturday to win $43,371 in the FLW Series National Guard Western Division tournament on Lake Roosevelt with a four-day catch of 20 bass weighing 47-4.
The catch gave him a solid 3-pound, 7-ounce win over Robert Lee of Angels Camp, Calif., who caught a total of 20 bass weighing 43-13 and earned $17,348.
“I have been fired up all day,” said Espe, who was fishing his first FLW Series event. “I wanted to win because of my parents, I lost my mom in February and then my dad in May and this feels pretty special. I fished the same spot all week, one that I found with my dad five years ago. He and I fished that area every year since we found it; it is an incredible area that is always full of fish.
“I was shaking all day; I didn’t have my first fish until 30 minutes into the day and then I shook for 30 minutes after I caught the fish,” Espe went on to say. “All week I have been using a drop-shot with a bamboo stick and purple worm. The bite was great every morning, but then about 9 a.m. it just shut down and I had to work slow and really grind it out. There is nothing better in the world than to fish bass tournaments and do well.”
Espe opened the tournament in 25th place Wednesday with five bass weighing 8-13; on Thursday he added another five bass weighing 13-14, his heaviest sack of the week to jump into fourth place. He then caught five bass weighing 12-13 on Friday to make the crucial top-5 cut in first place. On Saturday he sealed his victory with another five bass limit weighing 11-12.
“This has just been an incredible week for me,” said Lee, who had his truck with much of his fishing equipment on board stolen just prior to the start of this tournament. “To be able to fish the way I fished with what was left of my equipment was just incredible. I have had an amazing week and to finish second, I am thrilled.”
Rounding out the top-5 pros are:
3rd: National Guard pro Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 20 bass, 42, $13,011
4th: Jimmy Savoini, Prescott, Ariz., 20 bass, 39-1, $8,674
5th: National Guard pro Tim Klinger, Boulder City, Nev., 20 bass, 37-10, $7,807
A complete list of results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Fishing remained stingy all week for the pros at Lake Roosevelt. The storm front that moved through on Wednesday and then the heat that moved in for the remainder of the week kept the fish scattered throughout the lake. The top five anglers were fortunate enough to be patient and grind it out each day and come to the scales with five-bass limits every day.
Overall there were 25 bass weighing 50 pounds, 10 ounces caught by five pros Saturday.
National Guard pro Ehrler, won the FLW Series Western Division Angler of the Year title Saturday with a season total of 777 points, narrowly beating Cody Meyer of Grass Valley, Calif. by 21 points. Robert Lee finished third with 725 points.
In FLW Series competition, anglers and co-anglers were vying for valuable points to help them qualify for the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. The Lake Roosevelt event was the final National Guard Western Division tournament that will be held in 2010.The top 10 anglers in the points standings after this event have now qualified for the 2011 championship being held at Lake Ouchita. For a complete list of the top-10 anglers in FLW Series Western Division standings visit FLWOutdoors.com.
Jimmy Zanotelli of Redding, Calif., won the Co-angler Division and a Ranger 177TR with a 90 horsepower Evinrude or Yamaha outboard motor Friday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 29 pounds, 8 ounces. The win also gave Zanotelli the FLW Series Western Angler of the Year honors. Tim Dotson of Loomis, Calif., came in second place with 15 bass weighing 24-11 worth $4,025.
National Guard Pro Ehrler and Zanotelli each won a $1000 gift card as part of the new Cabela’s Angler Cash program. Beginning in 2010, Cabela’s is offering pro and co-anglers the opportunity to register and win a $1000 gift card for being the highest qualified finisher in each division at all FLW Series events, making the stakes even higher in an already rich award package. Anglers can visit FLWOutdoors.com for a complete list of rules and to register.
Coverage of the Lake Roosevelt tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on VERSUS. “FLW Outdoors”, will air Oct. 31 from 12:30 to 1:30 ET. “FLW Outdoors,” hosted by Jason Harper, is broadcast to approximately 500 million households worldwide.
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Seaguar TATSU may be the best fluorocarbon made today. It was first introduced in Japan and is now taking a stronghold in the US market. Its invisible, tough as nails and has that great name of Seaguar backing it, so you know it has to be good. Get a Seaguar TATSU T-Shirt, Hat, and/or Visor promotion with purchase of TATSU line ends September 30. Great chance to own the best and look great in the process. To buy click here.
Check out our Next Generation Tackle Box review of TATSU by clicking here. |
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The top 10 ended like this on Friday in the FLW Series National Guard Western Division event on Roosevelt Lake near Payson, Ariz.:
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1
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NEW RIVER, AZ
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5
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8-13
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5
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13-14
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5
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12-13
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15
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35-08
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|
|
|
|
|
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2
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ANGELS CAMP, CA
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5
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9-12
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5
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11-00
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5
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11-01
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15
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31-13
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|
|
|
|
|
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3
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REDLANDS, CA
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5
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13-14
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5
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9-04
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5
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8-07
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15
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31-09
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|
|
|
|
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4
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PRESCOTT, AZ
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5
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9-11
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5
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10-14
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5
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9-12
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15
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30-05
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|
|
|
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5
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BOULDER CITY, NV
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5
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9-14
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5
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13-11
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5
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6-06
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15
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29-15
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6
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BOISE, ID
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5
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12-00
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5
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10-15
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5
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6-12
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15
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29-11
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|
|
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$7,373
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7
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LAKESIDE, AZ
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5
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9-01
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5
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9-05
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5
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11-00
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15
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29-06
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|
|
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$6,939
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8
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WADDELL, AZ
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5
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9-15
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5
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8-09
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5
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10-00
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15
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28-08
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|
|
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$6,506
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9
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PAYSON, AZ
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5
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9-02
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5
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9-03
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5
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9-15
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15
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28-04
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|
|
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$6,072 + $1,434 *
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10
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EL CAJON, CA
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5
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8-11
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5
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10-10
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5
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8-13
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15
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28-02
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|
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$5,638
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Saturday, is the final round and will decide several more Forrest Wood Cup berths. Local favorites made a run at the top five on Friday. Cliff Pirch finished 9th with 28-04, and Brett Hite made a big comeback today but also fell just a bit short, ending in 11th with 26-12.
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Pro Terrence Filkins of Lake City, Minn., and co-angler Jason Anderson of West Fargo, N.D., caught four walleyes weighing 6 pounds, 13 ounces Friday to put Filkins into the lead after day three of the FLW Walleye Tour Championship on Leech Lake. Filkins has a three-day catch of 11 walleyes weighing 35-5 and a slim 5-ounce lead over second place going into the final day of competition. Anglers from 12 states and Canada are fishing for top awards of up to $40,000 in the Pro Division and up to $12,000 in the Co-angler Division.
“I went to my A-spot and grinded it all day,” said Filkins, who could win the championship in his first year on tour. “The first two days I left the spot to chase unders [14-18 inches] and I told myself I was not going to do that today. I was just going to sit there. I figured today I just needed the one over [26 inches or larger], which is all we were allowed, and I figured I could get it. They are there and the marks are there. The first two days, the overs were a foot to a foot-and-a-half off bottom, but today they were tight to the bottom.”
Filkins said he is planning on the same attack the final day at the same spot rigging the same way. “Nothing will change. After three days and leading, I am going to grind it out there and what happens happens. I am a little nervous but it is pretty exciting to be in the lead with one day left.”
Rounding out the top-10 pros are:
2nd: Chris Gilman, Chisago City, Minn., 14 walleyes, 35-0
3rd: Paul Meleen, Isle, Minn., 10 walleyes, 31-6
4th: Pat Byle, Colgate, Wis., 10 walleyes, 30-9
5th: National Guard pro Mark Courts, Harris, Minn., 14 walleyes, 29-11
6th: Dean Arnoldussen, Appleton, Wis., 13 walleyes, 27-1
7th: Scott Steil, Richmond, Minn., 14 walleyes, 26-13
8th: Brian Brosdahl, Max, Minn., 12 walleyes, 22-5
9th: Don Loch, Iron Mountain, Mich., 10 walleyes, 20-0
10th: Kevin Merrill, Pierre, S.D., seven walleyes, 18-7
A complete list of standings can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Matt Hiller of Grand Rapids, Mich., took home the Co-angler title earning $6,523 and making him the first two-time co-angler champion in FLW Walleye Tour history. Hiller weighed in 14 walleyes weighing 33-11 over the three days of competition. Hiller fished with pros Merrill on day one, Loch on day two and Gilman on day three.
“Two-time champion feels pretty good. I can win championships, but I can’t win anything else,” said Hiller. “Being eight pounds out of it this morning, I did not expect, knowing that Chris [Gilman] is a great angler, eight pounds is just a lot to overcome; especially only being able to weigh four fish today.”
Rounding out the top-10 co-anglers are:
2nd: Darrell Martin, Forest Lake, Minn., 12 walleyes, 31-13, $2,048
3rd: Jason Anderson, West Fargo, N.D., 14 walleyes, 31-11, $2,518
4th: Cal Van Cleve, Wilmot, S.D., 10 walleyes, 28-11, $2,107
5th: Peggy Severson, Fort Pierre, S.D., 13 walleyes, 28-11, $1,300
6th: Todd Dankert, Anoka, Minn., 11 walleyes, 27-1, $650
7th: Ted Kaminski, Saint Anthony, Minn., 11 walleyes, 26-0, $896
8th: Larry Oleson, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., 10 walleyes, 22-6, $685
9th: Kyle Schuchard, Essex, Ont., 12 walleyes, 21-6, $605
10th: Bryan Bayerkohler, Eagan, Minn., nine walleyes, 18-15, $250
Overall there were 26 walleyes weighing 49 pounds, 12 ounces caught by eight boats Friday. The catch included four four-walleye limits.
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Bill Siemantel has been working with Lamiglas on a new swimbait rod that doubles as a great frog rod. Its a 7-foot, 3-inch model that is perfect for throwing the Spro BBZ1 6-inch bait. "While this rod is the perfect fit, it will handle all 6-inch swimbaits and is versatile enough to work your frogs and even flip" said Siemantel.
Lamiglas is building affordable rods without scrimping. To learn more go to Lamiglas.com. |
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The North Texas Big Bass Classic registration is today at Bass Pro Shops in Grapevine Texas from 11am-8pm CST. Oakley's Rolling O-Lab and Toyota Fishing assets will be onsite. This is a great chance to win a new Nitro Boat and have some fun looking for a 'bigun". For more information visit OakleyBigBass.com.
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It was just about de rigeur for all of the old school pros, looking to stay sharp and make ends meet between tournaments. “It,” of course, is guiding, and with the advent of made-for-TV pros like KVD and Ike it has become less of a stepping stone to the pro ranks in recent years.
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Photo by Brett Carlson / FLWOutdoors.com
Pro Pat Byle of Colgate, Wis., and co-angler Peggy Severson of Fort Pierre, S.D., caught five walleyes weighing 16 pounds, 11 ounces Thursday to vault Byle into the lead after day two of the FLW Walleye Tour Championship on Leech Lake. Byle now has a two-day catch of 10 walleyes weighing 30-9 and a 2-pound, 1-ounce lead over second place going into the third day of competition. Anglers from 12 states and Canada are fishing for top awards of up to $40,000 in the Pro Division and up to $12,000 in the Co-angler Division.
 “There are a couple days left but I am absolutely thrilled to be able to make the cut and be able to go fishing for a couple of more days,” said Byle, who was runner-up in 2009 for the Angler of the Year title. “This is a great place to be. To jump into the lead, I guess I am a little surprised by that.”
“I am having a real tough time getting slot fish,” continued Byle. “I may have to spend some extra time on my big fish tomorrow and hopefully I can fish it.”
Byle said his big fish spot is not any larger than the average living room and that his electronics were a key to his success. “They are humps on a flat. They are surrounded by a flat area, but they are the two highest points and the big fish are just moving in there. The [Lowrance] HDS has gotten me in first here. I can tell 15-inch fish from 18-inch fish from 30-inch fish in 60-plus feet of water. So it makes a huge difference on whether or not I should even stop.”
Rounding out the top-10 pros are:
2nd: Terrence Filkins, Lake City,Minn., seven walleyes, 28-8
3rd: Chris Gilman, Chisago City, Minn., 10 walleyes, 25-12
4th: National Guard pro Mark Courts, Harris, Minn., 10 walleyes, 23-10
5th: Dean Arnoldussen, Appleton, Wis., 10 walleyes, 21-13
6th: Paul Meleen, Isle, Minn., seven walleyes, 20-13
7th: Brian Brosdahl, Max, Minn., 10 walleyes, 19-15
8th: Scott Steil, Richmond, Minn., 10 walleyes, 19-14
9th: Kevin Merrill, Pierre, S.D., seven walleyes, 18-7
10th: Don Loch, Iron Mountain, Mich., eight walleyes, 17-8
Cal Van Cleve of Wilmot, S.D., leads the Co-angler Division with 10 walleyes weighing 28-11 followed by Jason Anderson of West Fargo, N.D., in second place with 10 walleyes weighing 24-14.
“The weather is not quite what I hoped it would be, but we have done it so far,” said Van Cleve, who won the co-angler title on the Mississippi River in Red Wing, Minn., earlier this year. “The good thing is when you are leading you get to fish with the hot number as they team you up with the top pro, so tomorrow should be fun.”
Rounding out the top-10 co-anglers are:
3rd: Matt Hiller, Grand Rapids, Mich., 10 walleyes, 24-7
4th: Peggy Severson, Fort Pierre, S.D., nine walleyes, 22-10
5th: Todd Dankert, Anoka, Minn., eight walleyes, 21-13
6th: Darrell Martin, Forest Lake, Minn., nine walleyes, 21-4
7th: Larry Oleson, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., eight walleyes, 20-0
8th: Ted Kaminski, Saint Anthony, Minn., seven walleyes, 19-1
9th: Bryan Bayerkohler, Eagan, Minn., nine walleyes, 18-15
10th: Kyle Schuchard, Essex, Ont., 10 walleyes, 18-14
Overall there were 151 walleyes weighing 285 pounds, 11 ounces caught by 40 boats Friday. The catch included 22 five-walleye limits.
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Photo by Gary Mortenson / FLWOutdoors.com
 National Guard pro Tim Klinger of Boulder City, Nev., caught a five-bass limit weighing 13 pounds, 11 ounces Thursday to capture the lead in the FLW Series National Guard Western Division tournament on Lake Roosevelt with a two-day catch of 10 bass weighing 23-9.
“The fishing is tough, this is the first time I have been here in about 12 years and the lake was only at about seven percent capacity back then, nothing like it is today,” said Klinger, who is looking for some revenge after a fifth place finish earlier this year at Lake Mead, his home water. “I have two prime areas that seem to be full of fish and I was extremely disappointed because I lost a big one that I think would have weighed in the double digits.
“I am mostly flipping Yamamoto grubs around trees; some of the fish are suspended at the tops and some are at the bottom,” added Klinger. “After yesterday’s rain it seems like the fish are seeking cover and love the trees. I am in about 6 to 15 feet of water.”
“So far this has been a really fun lake to fish; I would love to come back when the fish are really biting. From what I have heard the lake is really off right now and I know this lake is full of fish, I’ve seen them.
“Tomorrow I might start off with a spinnerbait to see what happens and then go to flipping. I may have to change my presentation a little bit, but I am excited to get back out there and fish some more.”
Klinger now holds a slim seven-ounce lead over second place National Guard pro Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., who managed to haul in a total of 10 bass weighing 23-2 during the first two days of competition.
Maintaining his position in second place Ehrler is extremely worried about what tomorrow will bring. Today’s weight dropped from 13-14 to 9-4 for him and he is still all over the map not really figuring anything out but feeling fortunate to have brought in five fish each day.
“I have a couple of areas I haven’t fished yet and hopefully they will pan out,” said Ehrler, who is looking for his second win in Western Division competition this season. “They weren’t good in practice but I am hoping the fish might have moved in, it’s just going to be a grind tomorrow.”
Rounding out the top-10 pros at Lake Roosevelt are:
3rd: Russ Barger, Boise, Idaho, 10 bass, 22-15
4th: Keith Espe, New River, Ariz., 10 bass, 22-11
5th: Robert Lee, Angels Camp, Calif., 10 bass, 20-12
6th: Jimmy Savoini, Prescott, Ariz., 10 bass, 20-9
7th: Jeff Michels, Lakehead, Calif., nine bass, 19-15
8th: Zack Thompson, Orinda, Calif., 10 bass, 19-12
9th: Jon Strelic, El Cajon, Calif., 10 bass, 19-5
10th: Clayton Meyer, Henderson, Nev., 10 bass, 18-11
The bright bluebird skies did not help conditions on the lake; day two brought less fish across the stage and fewer limits were caught. Anglers are still shaking their heads wondering how to figure these Lake Roosevelt fish out. Hideki Maeda caught the big bass today with a 5 pound 5 ounce largemouth that he caught with a buzzing frog; he will receive $1,000 for his catch.
Overall there were 319 bass weighing 526 pounds, 2 ounces caught by 89 pros Thursday. The catch included 40 five-bass limits.
In FLW Series competition, pros are competing for a top award of up to $50,000 plus valuable points in the hope of qualifying for a shot at the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. After the Lake Roosevelt event, the final event in the FLW Series Western Division, the top 10 pros in the points standings will advance to the 2011 championship and Western Division Angler of the Year will be announced.
Jimmy Zanotelli of Redding, Calif., leads the Co-angler Division with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 21-9 followed by William “Billy” Byrd of Moab, Utah, in second place with 10 bass weighing 16-13.
“I was using a drop-shot with Mother’s Finest Margarita Mutilators in 20 to 30 feet of water around trees and ledges,” said Zanatelli, who is fighting to hold on to his first place position for Western Division Angler of the Year. “I was fishing with Jeff Allen who is known for bringing in big sacks and he really helped me today.”
Zanatelli caught five bass weighing 7-10 while fishing with pro Rick Mason of Glendale, Ariz., Wednesday and five bass weighing 13-15 while fishing with pro Jeff Allen of Flagstaff, Ariz., Thursday.
Rounding out the top-10 co-anglers are:
3rd: Tim Dotson, Loomis, Calif., 10 bass, 16-4
4th: Mason Hite, Phoenix, Ariz., seven bass, 16-2
5th: Gary Pinholster, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 10 bass, 14-7
6th: Devin McDonald, Las Vegas, Nev., nine bass, 14-7
7th: Mike Iloski, Escondido, Calif., 10 bass, 14-7
8th: Jeff Grant, La Mirada, Calif., eight bass, 14-3
9th: Michael Caruso, Glendale, Ariz., 10 bass, 13-14
10th: Fred Szatkowski, Maricopa, Calif., six bass, 13-8
Zanotelli’s 13 pound 15 ounce sack was the heaviest brought to the scales for either the pros or the cos in the first two days of competition.
Overall there were 215 bass weighing 336 pounds, 10 ounces caught by 81 co-anglers Thursday. The catch included 17 five-bass limits.
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BASS ann  ounced Thursday that Mercury will extend its sponsorship of BASS as an official engine sponsor of the organization in 2011. As part of the agreement, Mercury will be an official sponsor of the Bassmaster Classic, Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens and the BASS Federation Nation. "The collaboration between Mercury and BASS has been wonderfully and mutually productive," said Mark Schwabero, president of Mercury. "BASS is the world leader in competitive bass fishing, and Mercury has long been recognized the leading builder of engines for bass anglers. We're happy to continue to have this opportunity to join forces with BASS to provide fans of competitive bass fishing an exciting, quality schedule of tournaments and competition."
Mercury, a BASS sponsor since 1998, had a strong on-the-water showing in BASS events in 2010. Of the 10 BASS Elite-level events, Mercury Pro XS-powered anglers scored nine victories. Kevin VanDam, who has won the last three Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year awards and the most recent Bassmaster Classic, features a Mercury Pro XS.
"Our long-standing relationship with Mercury continues to flourish," said Tom Ricks, vice president and general manager, BASS. "Mercury's success on the water at BASS events correlates with the true quality of its products."
For more information about Mercury, visit mercurymarine.com.
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By Terry Brown
On the cusp of the Toyota Texas Bass Classic event at Lake Conroe where three leagues -- the PAA, the FLW Tour and the Bassmaster Elites -- converge in one of the strongest fields ever assembled, the discussions on what is the best tour to fish in 2011 is amplified. The "silly season" will be in high gear real soon, and hopefully, it will be a fun ride.
Today's announcement of David Walker further shows that the pros are making business decisions based on what best suits them. Walker's choice was the BASS Elite Series. FLW stalwart Chip Harrison, another pro on the bubble, is walking the fence to see how it all shakes out and what works best for him and his sponsors.
There is a lot of change in the wind. Jerry McKinnis, Don Logan and Jim Copeland are in the final stages of buying BASS. What will that mean? We spoke to Jerry yesterday, and he wanted it to be clear that the field size will not be reduced in 2011 for the Elites. He also added that more and not less events are in the plans. We have a good vibe about this new ownership and the ideas that they will bring to the table.
FLW made two very large and positive announcements at this year's Forrest Wood Cup. Walmart has re-entered fishing and T.Boone Pickens is now an equity partner. More money from Walmart does mean that many of the Walmart vendors can now be supporting teams and the payouts should improve. T. Boone Pickens brings a wealth of networking and contacts to our sport as well. There may not be sweeping changes in those payouts in the short term, but it could mean that they again will get back to where they were two years ago. Thats good news for those that fish that trail.
Here at Wired2Fish, we are clearly optimistic. The aforementioned news combined with a dose of hope, could make 2011 and 2012 the best years fishing has seen. There are indeed challenges, but if you believe as I do, it's time to support our sport. I might add it means more than just the pro game. It means protecting our waters too. There are several initiatives to take fishing away from us, whether an ocean or a freshwater impoundment, really doesn't matter, but if we don't get involved and do it soon, it may be too late.
The pros are indeed looking at their choices, but it is up to each of us to make them as well. Sitting aside, right now, is a death knoll. Get involved with your favorite league or your favorite pro. Help clean up a lake or write one of your elected officials. We all have choices to make and the time is now.
What is your take? We want to know. What do you think about the news that is impacting our sport today. Do you have any hot buttons? Talk with us on Facebook or through Feedback. We will continue to deliver on our promise. Help us out!
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Veteran professional angler David Walker has announced that he will return to the BASS Elite Tour in 2011. It may seem like a quick decision to some but Walker and his family have been aiming at it for a while now. Wired2Fish spoke to David about the change to BASS. Here is what he had to say.
Why Move?
"When I chose to make my move to FLW it was based on my sponsors," Walker said. "One was the Ranger Trail and the other was the Skeeter/Triton Trail. Evinrude was also aligned with FLW.
"A couple of other things entered in to my move back as well. I really like that their are no co-anglers in the Elites. I have never understood the concept of a non-boater sponsored by a boat company. To me, many of these guys are really good. They need to get out and fish on the pro side. They need to take the plunge and do it! You can't always wait for someone to pay your way to take the leap."
Missed BASS
"I really feel as I have missed BASS," Walker said. "The biggest names in fishing and the biggest event is the Bassmaster Classic. I really want to get back and fish that Classic (Walker fished in six Classics and back to back third places). My finishes have always been higher in BASS. I can't explain it, but maybe it was the types of lakes. I am a power guy, and even though I tried to fish more finesse, I never got very good at it. I have to fish my strengths, and I think the BASS trail affords me that chance. For example, I have had better finishes in places like Guntersville."
The Future
"I am always working overtime," Walker said while laughing. "If I don't fish, I don't get a check. Fishing tournaments is how I get paid. I look for as many tournaments as I can find. I am not mad at FLW in any way and will be fishing some of their events. I have to fish events and this move allows me to do that. I am a competitor, and it's important for me to keep my eye on the ball. I have never expected anyone to pay my way, I have to earn it, and it sometimes means sticking your neck out. The new reality is you have to fish more for less, and that is ok with me because I want to fish for a living.
"Being a BASS guy allows me to promote my name better. I don't know exactly why, but because I am a self promoter, it fits me better."
Walker is sponsored by Evinrude, G Loomis, Power Pole, Sunline, Live Target, X-Point Hooks and Ranger Boats. You can learn more about him at DavidWalkerFishing.info.
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Pro Jeff Michels of Lakehead, Calif., landed five bass weighing 13 pounds, 15 oucnces Wednesday to lead day one of the FLW Series National Guard Western Division tournament on Lake Roosevelt. He holds a mere one ounce lead in the tournament featuring 97 pros and 97 co-anglers representing 12 states and Japan.
“It was tough out there,” said Michels, who is currently 10th in the Western Division Angler of the Year race. “I fished clean today and luckily didn’t make any mistakes. I only had 10 bites, but four of those were quality (3 ½ -to 4 pounders). I am on some pretty decent fish.
“The fish are in an area related to bait fish,” Michels said. "I think it’s Red Fin. I am fishing fairly deep, about 30 feet, and I am using a drop-shot with Mother’s Finest 6-inch worms. I am planning to run the same stuff tomorrow; I have about 10 spots, four of which are good. Unless the bait fish pull out I am feeling pretty good about the rest of the week.”
Many of the local anglers had a pretty disappointing day stating that the lake “didn’t show well”. The early morning monsoon-like rain was a mixed blessing for the angler’s. One angler commented that it was the most annoying rain he has ever fished in and others, who had a tough pre-fish, indicated it didn’t make any difference one way or the other, it was just wet.
National Guard pro Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., holds the No. 2 spot with five bass weighing 13-14 going into tomorrow’s competition.
“I’m a little worried about tomorrow,” Ehrler said. “Fishing was really tough and I had one of those days where everything went right for me and the thing that concerns me is that I won’t be able to duplicate it tomorrow. I fished deep, I fished shallow; I fished slow, I fished fast; I caught fish early, I caught fish late; I was just all over the map but it seemed like everything I did was working. I am just going to have to go out there tomorrow and let the day dictate how I fish.”
Ehrler is currently in first place for the Western Division Angler of the Year title, an honor he has yet to accomplish.
Rounding out the remainder of the top-10 pros after day one at the California Delta are:
3rd: Bobby Barrack, Oakley, Calif., five bass, 13-12
4th: Gerald Loughran, Glendale, Ariz., five bass, 13-4
5th: Russ Barger, Boise, Idaho, five bass, 12
6th: Zack Thompson, Orinda, Calif. five bass, 11-7
7th: Kazuki Kodama, Torrance, Calif., five bass, 11-1
8th: Leon Knight, Discovery Bay, Calif., five bass, 10-4
9th: Andy Scholz, Reno, Nev., five bass, 10-2
10th: Bret Gouvea, Redding Calif., five bass, 9-15
10th: Steve Molinari, Waddell, Ariz., five bass, 9-15
Overall there were 351 bass weighing 603 pounds, 1 ounce caught by 94 pros Wednesday. The catch included 48 five-bass limits.
In FLW Series competition, pros are competing for a top award of up to $50,000 plus valuable points in the hope of qualifying for a shot at the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. After the Lake Roosevelt event, the final event in the FLW Series Western Division, the top 10 pros in the points standings will advance to the 2011 championship.
William “Billy” Byrd of Moab, Utah, holds the lead in the Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 10-6 followed by Mike Hawkins of Logandale, Nev., in second place with five bass weighing 9-10.
“My pro (Jason Milligan) was on some good fish” said Byrd, who is fishing his rookie season with FLW Outdoors. “I was dragging a nail weighted senko with a Wacky rig behind the boat and was able to land two of my big ones. We were fishing deep, about 20 feet, around rocks and trees.
“There were a lot of suspended fish. I caught two smaller fish that were suspended with a jerkbait.”
Byrd caught his bass while fishing with pro Jason Milligan of Shasta Lake, Calif. who is currently in 36th place.
The remainder of the top-10 co-anglers are:
3rd: Billy Dehart, Burlingame, Calif., five bass, 9-8
4th: Steven Cook, Phoenix, Ariz., five bass, 9-3
5th: Tai Au, Phoenix, Ariz., five bass, 9
6th: Christopher Ricci, Bend, Ore., five bass, 8-14
7th: Shawn Carnahan, Chandler, Ariz., five bass, 8-4
8th: Tommie Goldston, Gardnerville, Nev., five bass, 7-15
9th: Tracy Cardwell, Eugene, Ore., five bass, 7-13
10th: Jimmy Zanotelli, Redding, Calif., five bass, 7-10
Overall there were 226 bass weighing 358 pounds, 1 ounce caught by 86 co-anglers Wednesday. The catch included only 16 five-bass limits.
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Pro Kevin Merrill of Pierre, S.D., and co-angler Matt Hiller of Grand Rapids, Mich., brought in five walleyes weighing 16 pounds, 5 ounces Wednesday to lead day one of the FLW Walleye Tour Championship on Leech Lake. The pair now holds a 2-pound, 4-ounce lead over their closest rivals in the championship featuring 40 pros and 40 co-anglers representing 12 states and Canada fishing for top awards of up to $40,000 in the Pro Division and $12,000 in the Co-angler Division.
“What a day,” said Merrill, who said he had a steady bite all morning until around noon. “I really struggled in practice and hit a spot yesterday morning and picked up some bites where they chewed up the bait pretty good and that is where I went this morning and it worked out pretty good. I probably only caught 10 fish during practice and no over’s [26 inches or larger].”
Merrill was one of only a handful of anglers to bring in any over’s and he had two. “We caught our fish today near the launch, so hopefully if the weather is bad that will be a good thing and we won’t have to make a long run tomorrow,” continued Merrill. “The weather could play a large factor tomorrow. I will try and catch my five tomorrow, but I may not get my over’s, but I think there are enough under’s [14-18 inches] that we can get our limit.”
Rounding out the remainder of the top-10 pros and co-anglers after day one are:
2nd: Brian Brosdahl, Max, Minn., and Tim Depooter, Rock Island, Ill., five walleyes, 14-1
2nd: Terrence Filkins, Lake City, Minn., and Darrell Martin, Forest Lake, Minn., four walleyes, 14-1
4th: Pat Byle, Colgate, Wis., and Bryan Bayerkohler, Eagan, Minn., five walleyes, 13-14
5th: Scott Steil, Richmond, Minn., and Jason Anderson, West Fargo, N.D., five walleyes, 13-6
6th: Dean Arnoldussen, Appleton, Wis., and Cal Van Cleve, Wilmot, S.D., five walleyes, 13-3
7th: Bill Shimota, Lonsdale, Minn., and John Spiegel, Appleton, Wis., five walleyes, 10-13
8th: Nick Fautsch, Maddock, N.D., and Tim McClaran, Mansfield, Ohio, five walleyes, 10-9
9th: Chris Gilman, Chisago City, Minn., and Kyle Schuchard, Essex, Ont., five walleyes, 10-4
10th: Don Loch, Iron Mountain, Mich., and Jerry Chwierut, Lake Villa, Ill., three walleyes, 9-6
Overall there were 140 fish weighing 260 pounds, 1 ounce caught by 38 boats Wednesday. The catch included 17 five-fish limits.
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Skeet Reese has been competitively fishing for over 25 years and knows what works. He balances family, fishing and fun and had a stellar 2010 year on the BASS Elite Series. Today on Weighing In with Terry Brown he talks about being a soccer dad, working with his sponsors and the fire he has burning for 2011. To listen click here. |
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Its another crazy Facts of Fishing FYI with Dave Mercer. Check it out.
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FLW Outdoors announced the 2011 FLW Walleye Tour schedule Tuesday. The 2011 season will return to one division with four internationally televised tournaments and a no-entry-fee, internationally televised championship event.
“We are excited about the 2011 Walleye Tour and what it will offer our anglers and we think our excitement has been displayed with the increase in the purse for the 2010 championship,” said Kathy Fennel, President of FLW Outdoors Operations Division. “The four events will lead to a stronger and more competitive season culminating with the championship. We are also confident anglers will be excited with the announcements regarding the tour that we will release in the near future.”
The 2011 FLW Walleye Tour will span the upper Midwest starting the season on legendary Lake Erie in Port Clinton, Ohio, which holds the cumulative four-day weight record and heaviest one-day catch record. The second stop will be in Walker, Minn., returning to Leech Lake followed by a visit to Green Bay in Oconto, Wis. The final qualifying event will be held in Pierre, S.D., on Lake Oahe. The tour championship will be held on the Missouri River in Bismarck, N.D., for the third time in the last four years.
The 2011 FLW Walleye Tour schedule is listed below and can be viewed at FLWOutdoors.com.
2011 FLW Walleye Tour Schedule
Date Fishery Location
May 5-7 Lake Erie Port Clinton, Ohio
June 9-11 Leech Lake Walker, Minn.
July 21-23 Green Bay Oconto, Wis.
Aug. 25-27 Lake Oahe Pierre, S.D.
FLW Walleye Tour Championship
Sept. 22-25 Missouri River Bismarck, N.D.
The Walleye Tour qualifiers will be three-day, cumulative weight events that will begin on Thursday and conclude on Saturday. Weigh-ins for the first two days will be held lakeside and the top 10 pros and co-anglers will weigh-in on Saturday. The championship will be a four-day, cumulative weight event. Pros and co-anglers will be randomly paired each day and fish for a combined boat weight.
Further details for the FLW Walleye Tour regarding paybacks, entry fees, rules, registrations and more will be announced in the near future. |
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Today on Weighing In with Terry Brown, Elite Series pro Fred Roumbanis talks about his fishing, his workout regime, and the importance of his family support in his fishing. To listen to his interview click here. |
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Photo and story by Alan McGuckin
He’s qualified for 29 Bassmaster Classics. He’s won two Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles. He’s also watched a lot of amateur spinning reel users come unspooled. “People fail to pay attention at the end of the cast,” says legendary angler Gary Klein. For him, avoiding dreaded spinning reel tangles is a matter of habit -- the habit of manually flipping the bail closed.
Klein is adamant about the importance of making sure you manually flip the bail closed on any spinning reel at the end of the cast – every single time -- before – he repeats – “before!” -- your lure touches the water at the end of the cast.
“At that split second before the lure touches the water, there is still tension on the spool," Klein said. "The line is tightly packed. When you wait until the lure settles into the water you’ve also inadvertently waited for slack line to form on the spool. Slack line forms loops. That’s where spinning reel nightmares start.”
Quantum Product Manager and avid angler Chris Strickland said, “I completely agree with Gary. I always flip the bail manually to help prevent line twist. Quality reels like our Tour Edition® and Energy® series have a bearing in the line roller to help eliminate line twists and wind knots, but the best assurance for using spinning reels without frustration is to manually flip the bail at the end of every single cast.”
Klein warns that anglers who fail to flip the bail will experience nightmarish line issues even more frequently with braid than monofilament. “Mono has some memory, which allows it to repeatedly pack itself on the spool a hair better, but braid has very little memory, so every cast with braid is like starting from scratch.”
Also, pay attention to how the line is stacking on the spool when you’re putting new line on your reel.
“If your line is stacking unevenly on the spool, you are just asking for trouble. You can add adjustment washers to eliminate the issue. Simply remove the spool, add the necessary adjustment washers to the main shaft, re-attach the spool and fill it full of line,” Strickland said.
And above all, manually flip the bail closed. Every time. Just before your bait hits the water.
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Buckeye Lures has introduced a new skirted Pulse Jig that should be perfect for fall fishing. It has a specially designed skirt that was built not to hang up on the plastic vein. A small straight trailer like the Zoom Spinnerbait trailer is recommended for this bait. We have been testing it and will have more on it in the future. But for now, we wanted you all to be informed about the new bait in time for fall fishing. You can learn more about this bait and other great baits by going to the Buckeye Lures Website.
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We are very fortunate in fishing today that we have the best equipment. We have the best electronics, the best rods and reels, and the best in baits. We also have the best in line and no question Sunline has elevated their position in line over the last couple of years with their Shooter and FC Sniper Fluorocarbon entries. Sunline is a Japanese company that hit the US market several years ago and the following across the country continues to strengthen. Mike McClelland, Dave Wolak, Tommy Biffle and recently Dean Rojas has joined the fold at Sunline. Their living is made with a rod and reel and their line has to hold up.
When we test line we put it through the test. We have several tests including knot strength, ease of spooling, and castability that we test in the office but the real test of any great line is on the water. Sometimes we go fishing with the sole purpose of testing a product and other times we run the product through the ultimate test....tournament competition. It can be a bit scary using an unfamiliar line for the first time in competition but at the end of the day that may be the best way to test it.
We tested Sunline FC Sniper in tournament competition this year and our results were off the charts. Initially spooling 14 pound Sniper in July, we were a bit leary. Deep water, rough bottom applications had called for 16 to 17 pound test before but because we had heard that Sunline FC Sniper was super strong we wanted to see for ourselves. Two things happened. We got more bites and didn't have any break offs.
Even though the line tested was provided by Sunline for the test we are very cost conscious. We don't ever want to recommend a line that doesn't meet on the water testing but also we want the average angler to be able to afford it. At $32.99 for 200 yards it is at the upper levels of affordability but because of its softness and abrasion resistance we feel it is a great investment. We are still spooled up with the original 14 pound line still today and this past weekend fished docks with metal posts, cables and bolts and it held up admirably. Staying power dampens the initial cost concerns. You can use it longer than other fluoro's with confidence and that actually makes the pricepoint attractive.
We put Sunline FC Sniper in the premier category and recommend it for anglers who want toughness yet want the properties of invisibility and fishability. It is very soft and has low spool memory. That is a true testament to a premier fishing line.
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Angling Technologies announced today that it recently signed Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie of the Year Bradley Roy of Lancaster, KY to an endorsement contract to promote its interactive web-based mapping service as a destination for anglers seeking more information about the lakes they fish.
“Since I started using the site last year Angling Technologies has proven extremely helpful. I use it as a starting point for researching new lakes and then dive deeper into the application to learn as much as I can,” said Bradley Roy. “It’s very unique and I hope users will continue adding information to the site to make it educational for everyone. It is exciting to think about how we can use this technology to enhance our own fishing experiences and perhaps excite and attract new anglers to our sport.”
Visitors to the Angling Technologies site have access to a wide variety of features and a continuously growing library of mapping content for lakes, rivers, ponds, and coastal waters across the United States. Registered users of the site have the ability to contribute to the map or personalize it. By sponsoring Bradley, Angling Technologies now offers anglers the ability to review content Bradley has added to the map including his top 10 fishing sites with notes of their significance in his career. Examples include the locations of Bradley’s first Elite Series bass, his junior world championship spots and favorite fun-fishing holes on his local lakes. Content from Bradley will be added frequently.
“The internet is only going to scale in terms of its accessibility, speed, and capability across a wide variety of devices. As it does, we believe anglers will benefit from having access to a dynamic, interactive, and user driven mapping service offering a richer set of location-based content,” said Brian Welde, President of Angling Technologies. “Our site consolidates fishing related map information from across the web while also allowing anglers to share location based details about their time on the water. We then offer a wide range of tools so that anglers can take advantage of this information to map out strategies, plan trips, or learn from their experiences. As a young, up and coming, and tech savvy angler, Bradley made a lot of sense to us and we’re thrilled to support him.”
Based in Kansas City, Missouri, Angling Technologies is leveraging the web to open up ways in which anglers can use and share map-based content. Their interactive mapping service is designed to integrate with other solutions or allow fishing websites to freely acquire and add interactive mapping content to their own sites. Visitors can find the site by going directly to www.findyourwater.com or navigating from Lake Maps under the Tips and Tools section on the front page of www.bassmaster.com. Angling Technologies has just included depth contour data for TVA Lakes and has more data and new features planned for release throughout 2010.
At 19, Bradley Roy is the youngest ever to compete on the Bassmaster Elite Series and was recently crowned the 2010 Elite Series Rookie of the Year. Fans of Bradley can follow him off the water through the video series “Bradley Roy’s Reel Life” which airs regularly on Bassmaster.com. A written blog and more information about Bradley are available at www.BradleyRoy.com.
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| Photo by Rob Newell |
The 2010 Angler of the Year title on the FLW Series Eastern Division came down to a three-man race at the fourth and final tournament of the season on Lake Chickamauga in Chattanooga, Tenn. In the end, FLW Series rookie John Cox edged out veteran pros J.T. Kenney and Damiki pro Bryan Thrift with 755 points out of a possible 800.
Those points qualified Cox for the no-entry-fee 2011 Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Ark. Cox started the FLW Series season off with a second-place finish on Lake Okeechobee in January. He then took seventh at Lake Eufaula in March, 22nd at Lake Champlain in August and 18th at Chickamauga last week.
He dug himself a major hole on day one of the Chickamauga event – catching only one keeper that weighed 4 pounds, 1 ounce. Starting the second day in 83rd place, Cox rallied to 26th with a stout 16-pound, 5-ounce stringer – the heaviest of the day. He then caught a limit worth 12 pounds, 10 ounces to finish the tournament in 18th place.
“I was so disappointed after that first day,” said Cox, the Debary, Fla., native. “But I knew the fish were there. And when I saw the forecast for day two calling for clouds and rain, I knew a spinnerbait would work. I ran all the same stuff and they just ate it up.
“On day three I had a small limit early. But time was running out and I was starting to get worried because I knew the guys chasing me were going to catch them. With 10 minutes left in the day, I went back to the area I started on and caught two 3-pounders on back-to-back casts. When it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.”
Rounding out the top 10 anglers who qualified for the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup were:
2nd: J.T. Kenney, Palm Bay, Fla., 752 points
3rd: Damiki pro Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 749 points
4th: Koby Kreiger, Okeechobee, Fla., 730 points
5th: Scott Canterbury, Springville, Ala., 730 points
6th: Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 721 points
7th: Randall Tharp, Gardendale, Ala., 696 points
8th: National Guard pro Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 693 points
9th: Mark Rose, Marion, Ark., 692 points
10th: Darrin Schwenkbeck, Varysburg, N.Y., 688 points
“At first, all I could think about was winning AOY; it’s the biggest accomplishment of my career,” Cox added. “But next August I’m going to be fishing for a half million dollars against only 58 guys. I get chills just thinking about it.”
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Fall is a great time to fish topwaters. Frog style baits like the Zoom Horny Toad not only mimic frogs skimming across the water but also can give the appearance of shad as well. In a local tournament this past weekend, a high pressure system had set in and the bite was tough. Fish that had been chasing moving baits like shallow running crankbaits and spinnerbaits turned neutral, and a more subtle presentation was needed. We immediately went to the Zoom Horny Toad.
The Horny Toad has a very low profile leg kick action, and with the proper hook, it can be thrown just about anywhere. The weight of the bait allows it to be thrown long distances. The bait pictured above is a green pumpkin pearl and we like to tip the very ends of the legs with chartruese dye. The white belly of this toad provides flash and mimics both frogs and shad on the surface.
The beauty of the presentation with the Horny Toad is it can be fished on top, buzzed, or just under the surface. A go-to technique is to buzz it over grass or near blowdowns and kill it in grass openings and holes. We really like to fish this bait around floating docks and pilings too. Braided line is critical, and we have used the Zoom Frog Hook, the Gamakatsu 5/0 offset worm hook, Mr. Blitz Peli-Lock 1/8 ounce weighted 5/0 hook and the new Lazer TroKar Swimbait hooks for this application. We recommend a fairly stiff 7 to 7 1/2-foot rod, and it's critical that the hook is centered in the bait to allow it to run true both on top and under the surface. It is imperative that the frog be skin hooked through the body down the spine of the toad for truer hook sets. Let the Ultra-Vibe legs do the work and hold on.
Give the fish time to suck the bait in before reacting to the bite and your hook up percentages will be better. This is a visual presentation.
You can learn more about the Horny Toad and its available colors by going to the Zoom website, or to buy, you can click here.
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Photo Courtesy of BASS Communications
I  n an already outstanding tournament, Nate Wellman of Newaygo, Mich., put an exclamation mark on one of the most impressive performances of the 2010 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Opens season by landing a 22-15 limit on Saturday, the heaviest limit of the event. The next closest competitor, Kyle Walling of Fisherville, Ky., finished in second by more than 15 pounds. Wellman had most of his limit by 9:00 this morning and spent the rest of the day helping his co-angler catch fish. For his win, Wellman takes home $27,000. “I knew that if I could catch 10 pounds I’d be doing pretty well, and if I caught 12 pounds I’d have it sealed,” he said. “But today was just unbelievable. My goal going into this season was to make the Elite Series, and I have that wrapped up.”
Wellman, who finished third and locked up an Elite Series berth, stuck to his deeper water bite Saturday and with the tide being extra-low, it was better than any of the previous days.
“I knew that if I was going to win this thing, it would be from that one spot,” Wellman said referring to a sunken log surrounded by chunky gravel and rocks. “The tide was so low today that it sucked all the fish from the surrounding flats into it and I hammered them.”
His go to bait was a Texas-rigged Zoom Baby Brush Hawg in black and blue, but he also lobbed a Bama Bug-color Zoom Trick Worm as he tried to upgrade his catch. The key for him was to work the baits extremely slowly, sometimes moving it only three or four inches at a time.
“The bites were really subtle and they almost felt like bluegill tapping it,” said Wellman. “Sometimes I had to let them take it and eat it for 10 seconds before I’d hammer them.”
Walling made a hard charge to the top on Day 3, toting 15-3 to the scales for a total of 37-14. In third was Elite Series pro Pat Golden of High Point, N.C., with a three-day total of 34-12. In fourth was Darin Doll of York, Pa., with 34-4 and in fifth was Donald Haskins of Rosedale, Md., with 32-12.
On the co-angler side, Moo Bae of West Friendship, Md., will add another boat to his garage. For his win, he will take home a Triton 18XS with a 150-horsepower Mercury outboard. Bae won the 2009 Bassmaster Northern Open on Chesapeake Bay and took home a boat for that win as well.
“I just wanted a chance to be competitive here, and to win a second time is great, I’m speechless,” Bae said as he was awarded his trophy.
Bae, who had a three-day total of 17-8, relied on a 4-inch Roboworm on a drop shot rig that he tossed adjacent to grassbeds along the shore. Behind Bae was Mike McDonald of Randleman, N.C., who managed to retain the second place position despite not catching any fish today. His total was 15-2. In third was Jess Salmon of Milford, N.J., with 15-5.
In the race for Bassmaster Classic berths, Ryan Said of Michigan took the Bassmaster Northern Open points championship and was awarded his first Classic berth. Additionally, Tracy Adams of Wilkesboro, N.C., finished second and took a Classic berth. The first seven competitors in the points standings earned Elite Series berths.
Other Opens Classic competitors and Elite Series potentials will be named after the final stops of the Central and Southern divisions, both of which wrap up in October.
Daily results and photo galleries are available at Bassmaster.com. Full standings can be found on Bassmaster.com.
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Mark Rose of Marion, Ark., caught a five-bass limit weighing 11 pounds, 8 ounces Saturday to win $44,778 in the season-ending FLW Series Eastern Division tournament on Lake Chickamauga with a four-day catch of 20 bass weighing 56-15. Rose also received $6,000 for being the Ranger Cup program winner.
The catch gave him the win by a 2-pound, 9-ounce margin over Goodwill pro Wesley Strader of Spring City, Tenn., who caught a total of 20 bass weighing 54-6 and earned $17,911.
“I’m no ledge legend by any stretch of the imagination,” said Rose, who picked up his third career FLW Outdoors win. “I’m just an old river rat who grew up on the delta of the banks of the Mississippi River.
“This will be my 11th full-time year and I got my brains beat out for the first four or five years out there on the ledges,” Rose said. “I just fished shallow. I just started learning and reading, and I’ve got great friends that are ledge fishermen and I’ve got a great relationship with Lowrance. They make the best units in the world.”
Rose said he split the screens on his electronics to show map, sonar, down imaging and side imaging to target fish.
“Now I’m seeing all my fish,” Rose said. “Even a lot of them when I’m catching them. When I’m reeling my crankbait in I can see my crankbait underneath me because (the electronics) have such a wide scan.
“A couple of weeks ago at Champlain I saw my bait and I watched the fish come up and eat it,” Rose added.
Rose credited the Strike King Sexy Spoon, 20-pound-test Seaguar fluorocarbon line and a custom Kistler spoon-fishing rod for his success on Lake Chickamauga. Rose said he caught 14 of his 20 weigh fish on the spoon during the tournament. However, on the final day of competition Rose had to rely on a crankbait for his fish.
Earlier in the tournament Rose said his primary area was a “square hump” with a corner that featured stumps, a side composed of a shell bed and a “gut”. Rose said normally he likes to get fish “fired up” with a spoon or crankbait to trigger the bite, but he had to throw a ¾-ounce green pumpkin Strike King football-head jig with a Strike King Rage Craw trailer to get the fish to bite and get them excited. He then targeted the fish with a rootbeer-colored Strike King 6 XD crankbait or the spoon.
Rose opened the tournament in second place Wednesday with five bass weighing 16-7. On Thursday he added another five bass weighing 16-1 to capture the lead. He then caught five bass weighing 12-15 Friday to make the crucial top-5 cut in first place.
Rounding out the top 5 pros are:
3rd: Tom Mann Jr., Buford, Ga., 20 bass, 54-4, $13,433
4th: Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 20 bass, 52-9, $8,956
5th: Pete Thliveros, Saint Augustine, Fla., 20 bass, 51-1, $8,060
A complete list of results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Overall there were 25 bass weighing 60 pounds, 5 ounces caught by five pros Saturday. The catch included five five-bass limits.
John Cox of Debary, Fla., won the FLW Series Eastern Division Angler of the Year title Saturday with a season total of 755 points, a mere three points over J.T. Kenney of Palm Bay, Fla. FLW Tour Angler of the Year and Damiki pro Bryan Thrift of Shelby, N.C. finished third with 749 points.
Patrick Roy of Syracuse, N.Y., won the Co-angler Division and a Ranger 177TR with a 90 horsepower Evinrude outboard motor Friday with a three-day total of 14 bass weighing 29 pounds, 3 ounces followed by Aaron Combs of Jackson, Ky., in second place with 10 bass weighing 25-13 worth $4,215. Roy also received $1,500 for being the Ranger Cup program winner.
Randall Tharp of Gardendale, Ala., and Roy also won a $1,000 gift card as part of the Cabela’s Angler Cash program. Cabela’s offers pro and co-anglers the opportunity to register and win a $1000 gift card for being the highest qualified finisher in each division at all FLW Series events, making the stakes even higher in an already rich award package. Anglers can visit FLWOutdoors.com for a complete list of rules and to register. |
Mark Rose of Marion, Ark., caught a five-bass limit weighing 12 pounds, 15 ounces Friday to take the lead in the FLW Series Eastern Division tournament on Lake Chickamauga. With a three-day catch of 15 bass weighing 45-7, he holds a 2-pound, 15-ounce lead over his closest competitor, Tom Mann Jr. of Buford, Ga., heading into the final day of competition.
“Things went just like I wanted them to this morning as far as the fish biting,” said Rose. “It went a little better, actually, because when I saw there was no current this morning, man, I was worried about even getting a bite. I thought I was going to have to get a spinning rod out early this morning.
“I got this one little school fired up,” Rose added. “I don’t know how I got this school triggered, but I did, and boy, it was on there for a few minutes.”
Rose said he caught 13 or 14 keepers in a row after he got the school excited. He said his primary area is a “square hump” with a corner that features stumps, a side composed of a shell bed and a “gut”.
“So there’s really three locations … those locations are a couple of hundred yards apart,” Rose said. “If they’re not on one, they’re on the other.”
Rose said he normally likes to get fish “fired up” with a spoon or crankbait to trigger the bite, but he has had to throw a ¾-ounce green pumpkin Strike King football-head jig with a Strike King Rage Craw trailer to get the fish to bite and get them excited. He then targets the fish with a rootbeer-colored Strike King 6 XD crankbait or a Strike King Sexy Spoon.
Rose said he has an alternate area where he finished the third day of competition. In the final 10 minutes, Rose said his co-angler missed two bass and caught one and Rose lost what he thought was a decent fish.
“I wish I had been there a little earlier, but I stayed mainly in one spot all day today,” Rose said. “I may move around a little more later (the final day) because my first spot’s really not all that good late.”
Mann caught a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 42-8 to advance to the final round as the No. 2 seed.
“Today I caught them all out of grass, but I’m fishing grass a lot different than most of these guys are,” Mann said. “I’m fishing real outside deep scattered grass. Some of the grass is anywhere from 10 to 14 feet.”
Mann said Friday he fished a Texas-rigged 6-inch green pumpkin Yamamoto Kut Tail Worm on 12-pound Sufix fluorocarbon line with a 3/16-ounce tungsten weight.
“About every grass bed you stop at has got fish in it, but I think guys are fishing through it too fast and maybe fishing the thicker grass,” Mann said. “I keyed in early on those bigger fish being just off of that grass in that deeper water. The water temperature is still hot, so they’re down there just a bit cooler, and I think that’s really been the key for me.”
The remaining top 5 pros who will fish the final day at Lake Chickamauga are:
3rd: Goodwill pro Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 15 bass, 41-3
4th: Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 15 bass, 40-15
5th: Pete Thliveros, Saint Augustine, Fla., 15 bass, 38-13
The remaining pro anglers in top-10 are:
6th: Folgers pro Scott Suggs, Bryant, Ark., 15 bass, 38-2, $7,612
7th: Rogne Brown, Hixson, Tenn., 15 bass, 37-0, $7,165
8th: Derek Remitz, Grant, Ala., 14 bass, 36-15, $6,717
9th: Randall Tharp, Gardendale, Ala., 15 bass, 36-7, $6,269
10th: Damiki pro Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 36-5, $5,821
Overall there were 333 bass weighing 779 pounds, 13 ounces caught by 89 pros Friday. The catch included 41 five-bass limits.
In FLW Series competition, pros are competing for a potential top award of $50,000 plus valuable points in the hope of qualifying for a shot at the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing.
Patrick Roy of Syracuse, N.Y., won the Co-angler Division and a Ranger 177TR with a 90 horsepower Evinrude outboard motor Friday with a three-day total of 14 bass weighing 29 pounds, 3 ounces followed by Aaron Combs of Jackson, Ky., in second place with 10 bass weighing 25-13 worth $4,215. Roy also received $1,500 for being the Ranger Cup program winner.
Roy also won a $1,000 gift card as part of the new Cabela’s Angler Cash program. Beginning in 2010, Cabela’s is offering pro and co-anglers the opportunity to register and win a $1000 gift card for being the highest qualified finisher in each division at all FLW Series events, making the stakes even higher in an already rich award package. Anglers can visit FLWOutdoors.com for a complete list of rules and to register.
Rounding out the top-10 co-anglers are:
3rd: Jerry Hayden, Charlotte, N.C., 10 bass, 23-1, $3,162
4th: Lonnie Tidwell, Harriman, Tenn., 10 bass, 20-4, $3,221
5th: Jeff Gengler, Tulsa, Okla., eight bass, 20-4, $1,686
6th: Kevin Thomas, Miramar, Fla., nine bass, 20-4, $1,265
7th: Roger Wideman, McCormick, S.C., eight bass, 19-6, $1,054
8th: George Kapiton, Inverness, Fla., 11 bass, 19-1, $843
9th: Anthony Hunt, Tamarac, Fla., seven bass, 18-10, $738
10th: Miller Castle, Abingdon, Va., eight bass, 18-3, $632
Co-anglers are also competing for valuable points that could help them qualify for the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup.
Overall there were 181 bass weighing 382 pounds, 9 ounces caught by 75 co-anglers Friday. The catch included four five-bass limits.
Kapiton clinched the Co-Angler of the Year title Friday with a total of 778 points. Kapiton won the title by 54 points over Hunt. Kurtis Michaux of Clermont, Fla., placed third with 718 points.
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Tommy Biffle is known for flipping and ptiching but recently has added "bottom buggin" to his arsenal as well with the new Gene Larew Biffle Bug and Hard Head weighted hook. We ran a "Hard Head" contest on them recently and folks are telling us they too have been catching fall bass on them. They are now generally available and a full family of the Hard Heads as well as Sooner Run, the color Tommy made famous, at Tackle Warehouse. To buy the Hard Head click here.
To see a full assortment of Biffle Bugs, including Sooner Run, click here.
To see more of the great Gene Larew plastic products and watch the "Bottom Buggin" video go to the Gene Larew Lures website |
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Pro Mark Rose of Marion, Ark., caught a five-bass limit weighing 16 pounds, 1 ounce Thursday to capture the lead in the FLW Series Eastern Division event at Lake Chickamauga with a two-day catch of 10 bass weighing 32-8.
“I’ve got a lot of things going in this one little area,” Rose said. “Actually two areas, because I caught some key fish late in the day today that confirmed my other fish that I really haven’t been beating up are still there. It’s not near as good, but I think I can catch a keeper or two off of it.”
Rose said his primary area is a “square hump” with a corner that features stumps, a side composed of a shell bed and a “gut”.
“So there’s really three locations … those locations are a couple of hundred yards apart,” Rose said. “If they’re not on one, they’re on the other.
“Now today in the gut where they were, the gut goes a long way, and they were a long way from where they were yesterday,” Rose added. “I’m just having to fish hard. It seems like it’s opposite from normal ledge fishing, and that’s why you can’t ever go into something with a preconceived notion.”
Rose said he normally likes to get fish “fired up” with a spoon or crankbait to trigger the bite, but he had to throw a ¾-ounce green pumpkin Strike King football-head jig with a Strike King Rage Craw trailer to get the fish to bite and get them excited. He then targeted the fish with a rootbeer colored Strike King 6 XD crankbait or a Strike King Sexy Spoon.
“Always keep an open mind on the Tennessee River,” Rose said.
Rose now holds a substantial 3-pound, 9-ounce lead over second place pro and day one leader Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, S.C., who managed to haul in a total of 10 bass weighing 28-15 during the first two days of competition.
Rounding out the top-10 pros at Lake Chickamauga are:
3rd: Derek Remitz, Grant, Ala., 10 bass, 27-13
4th: Folgers pro Scott Suggs, Bryant, Ark., 10 bass, 26-1
5th: Goodwill pro Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 10 bass, 25-10
6th: Pete Thliveros, Saint Augustine, Fla., 10 bass, 25-7
7th: Tom Mann Jr., Buford, Ga., 10 bass, 25-2
8th: Patrick Baynes, Chatsworth, Ga., 10 bass, 25-2
9th: Terry Bolton, Jonesboro, Ark., 10 bass, 25-0
10th: Jeff Knight, Cleveland, Tenn., 10 bass, 24-3
Overall there were 366 bass weighing 835 pounds, 6 ounces caught by 102 pros Thursday. The catch included 45 five-bass limits.
In FLW Series competition, pros are competing for a potential top award of $50,000 plus valuable points in the hope of qualifying for a shot at the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing.
Aaron Combs of Jackson, Ky., leads the Co-angler Division with a two-day total of nine bass weighing 24-4 followed by Patrick Roy of Syracuse, N.Y., in second place with nine bass weighing 20-1.
Rounding out the top-10 co-anglers are:
3rd: Ralph Mulleins, Cumberland, Va., nine bass, 17-3
4th: Jeff Gengler, Tulsa, Okla., seven bass, 16-0
5th: Jerry Hayden, Charlotte, N.C., six bass, 14-10
6th: Lonnie Tidwell, Harriman, Tenn., six bass, 14-4
7th: Roger Wideman, McCormick, S.C., six bass, 13-14
8th: Miller Castle, Abingdon, Va., six bass, 13-4
9th: Ray Pettit, Pacolet, S.C., five bass, 12-11
10th: James Sharp, Leesburg, Ga., five bass, 12-3
Overall there were 164 bass weighing 366 pounds, 13 ounces caught by 77 co-anglers Thursday. The catch included four five-bass limits.
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The folks at Gemini Custom Apparel decided our good buddy Don Barone, ESPN Columnist, needed a little touch of fishing in his arsenal. They designed a one of a kind Barone Hula Shirt perfect for the wizard of the word. It looks great Don and we hope to see you in it very soon!
Editors note: Don wanted us to mention "you forgot to mention though...that through a patented secret process the shirt is completely impermeable to donut stains"
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Getting as many bites as possible is the goal of every fisherman every time they hit the water. When fishing for enjoyment, getting more bites equals having more fun, and at fishing tournaments, more bites equals more dollars. One way I believe you can maximize the number of bites you get each day is to appeal to all five senses of the bass with your baits. This requires some understanding of how each sense works and how bass use them.
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Strike King Baby Burner has arrived...
Has the spinnerbait fallen off the map? Has it been replaced with swimbaits, creature baits and cranks? If you read tournament results like we do it seems that the "tried and true" spinnerbait has left the building. What was once the staple to catching big limits of bass has been put on the back burner...sorry for the pun!
Just when you thought a spinnerbait was just a spinnerbait, Strike King, the leading provider of spinnerbaits, develops a new genre of blade that catches them when it gets super tough. Its the Strike King 1/4 ounce Baby Burner and its one sweet "match the hatch" bait. The downsized frame, Razr Blade high rpm blades, and a uniquely shaped, well balanced head makes this little gem a bait that can be run in super shallow water with less drag but plenty of flash. The smaller blades allows the bait to ride in the strike zone longer and keeps it from riding up near the surface. It runs true right out of the package and since it is teamed with a Gamakatsu super sharp hook, if a bass sniffs on it he gets a free boat ride. It is designed to be run super fast and works great around grass and through wood. The larger head design deflects well and it doesn't roll over.
We like a shorter rod (6') for this bait and use 17 pound Berkley Professional Grade Fluorocarbon most of the time. We like to roll cast it to targets and blow down trees in the fall. The size of the bait makes it a perfect match for shad size this time of year. Note: Although this is a quarter of an ounce spinnerbait it casts effectively due to its compact nature.
The Perfect Skirt matches well on this bait and gives the bait a baitfish profile that is unmatched compared to a lot of its larger cousins.
We like this bait for shallow water and also like it for the river.
The Strike King Baby Burner is new for 2010/2011 and you can find out more about it by going to the Strike King Website. It can be seen in the 2011 Strike King Catalog as well.
It will be available soon at Tackle Warehouse and other great Strike King Spinnerbaits can be found by clicking here. |
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Power Team Lures continues to come out with innovative shapes that catch fish. Everyone we use we are even more impressed.
We have been practicing for an upcoming fall classic and normally we wouldn't mention the bait that we have been catching them on. Since this bait is so new and our competition can't get their hands on them before the weekend we thought we would let the cat out of the bag early. We have been fishing the Power Team Lures Diesel Craw! We have a single bag of these craws and they are like gold going into the weekend.
The new Power Team Diesel Craw teamed with a Strike King "old school" flippin jig, fished in brush piles has been the ticket. The jig has a pointed head and matches well with the Diesel Craw for swimming over and through the brush. The tentacles on the craw makes the skirt flare out and because of the body of the craw is beefy it has a large profile that bass seem to love. The arms of the Diesel float and wave in the water and most of the hits come while swimming. Once hopped throught the brush the jig sets on the bottom and the Diesel craw looks like a crawfish in defense mode. We have caught several good fish in practice dead sticking the combo as well. We have been fishing it with a Falcon Cara Micro Rod and an Ardent XS1000 bait casting reel on Seaguar Tatsu 15 pound fluorocarbon line.
We have been using a black jig with a green pumpkin Diesel Craw for this technique.
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Pro Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, S.C., landed five bass weighing 16 pounds, 11 ounces Wednesday to lead day one of the FLW Series Eastern Division tournament on Lake Chickamauga. He holds a slim 4-ounce lead in the tournament.
“It started off real slow, but later on in the day, I was able to get things going,” Montgomery said. “I hit a couple of places that had a lot of fish on them. Basically I’m just fishing shallow.”
Montgomery said he caught 25 or 30 fish during the course of the day including 10 or 12 keepers. Montgomery said he was moving around quite a bit on the lake but preferred to keep his fishing locations a secret on the first day of competition.
“I had a lot of places by myself,” Montgomery said. “I feel pretty good about it. If I can just get one big one a day like the 4 ½-pounder today. If I don’t catch a big one, I think I’ll catch 11 or 12 pounds.
“The one I worry about is Mark Rose,” Montgomery added. “He’s hard to beat on the Tennessee River. He’s got the Tennessee River really figured out. He’ll be tough. I’m sure he’s catching them out on the ledges. He’s probably one of the best ledge fishermen in the world.”
Mark Rose of Marion, Ark., trails Montgomery in the No. 2 spot with five bass weighing 16-7.
Rounding out the remainder of the top-10 pros after day one at Lake Chickamauga are:
3rd: Chris Baumgardner, Gastonia, N.C., five bass, 15-11
4th: Damiki pro Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., five bass, 15-4
5th: National Guard pro Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., five bass, 15-1
6th: Derek Remitz, Grant, Ala., five bass, 15-0
7th: Tom Mann Jr., Buford, Ga., five bass, 14-7
8th: Scott Canterbury, Springville, Ala., four bass, 12-15
9th: Darrin Schwenkbeck, Varysburg, N.Y., five bass, 12-10
10th: Folgers pro Scott Suggs, Bryant, Ark., five bass, 12-2
Overall there were 343 bass weighing 775 pounds, 2 ounces caught by 102 pros Wednesday. The catch included 35 five-bass limits.
In FLW Series competition, pros are competing for a potential top award of $50,000 plus valuable points in the hope of qualifying for a shot at the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing.
Aaron Combs of Jackson, Ky., leads the Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 16-4 followed by Patrick Roy of Syracuse, N.Y., in second place with five bass weighing 12-2.
The remainder of the top-10 co-anglers are:
3rd: Gerrit Goins, Cleveland, Tenn., five bass, 11-6
4th: Roger Wideman, McCormick, S.C., four bass, 9-15
5th: Ralph Mulleins, Cumberland, Va., five bass, 9-9
6th: Pat Lay, Cleveland, Tenn., five bass, 8-5
7th: James Sharp, Leesburg, Ga., three bass, 8-1
8th: Anthony Hunt, Tamarac, Fla., four bass, 7-15
9th: Jason Law, Waycross, Ga., two bass, 7-12
10th: D.L. Tanner, Hixson, Tenn., three bass, 7-3
Overall there were 181 bass weighing 366 pounds, 6 ounces caught by 86 co-anglers Wednesday. The catch included six five-bass limits.
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Wade Bourne, producer/host of Wired2Hunt Radio, announces that Little Sure Shot Gun Rests™ has signed on as a sponsor of Wired2Hunt Radio from Nov. 1, 2010-Jan. 31, 2011. As a sponsor, the Little Sure Shot Gun Rests™ spots will be heard every other day on more than 300 radio stations that carry Wired2Hunt shows.
“I’m extremely pleased to welcome The Little Sure Shot Gun Rests™ aboard,” Bourne says. “I love their product line. I’m a hard-core hunter, and I firmly believe in using a gun rest when shooting at deer, elk, turkeys, varmints and other game where precise shots are required. The Little Sure Shot gun rest is the most innovative, convenient gun rest I’ve ever used. And the price is unbelievable! At less than $20, it’s one of the best values I’ve ever seen in the hunting industry.”
The Little Sure Shot Gun Rests™ international popularity is attributed to the product’s compact size, versatility and proven effectiveness in improving accuracy. This international attention has helped the products earn the title as “The world’s smallest, most versatile gun rests.”
Hunters can stay on target longer, and they’re more confident and able to concentrate better when using a Little Sure Shot gun rest. They are more relaxed and comfortable waiting for just the right shot. At 6 ¼ inches long and just four ounces, hunters can keep a Little Sure Shot gun rest in a shirt pocket until needed. Then it will attach with a simple twist of the knob and adjust to any height in seconds.
The “Original” closed-loop model was designed specifically for individuals who carry walking sticks. The “Original” model features an eyebolt connection that slips over the end of a stick to make a monopod. This model is particularly popular internationally in countries where sportsmen frequently carry walking sticks.
The newer “Big Mouth” model earned its name because of the open hook-like device that is big enough to hook around virtually any items ranging from 3/8-1 3/8 inch in diameter. The “Big Mouth” will easily slip around fence posts, trees, branches or even ATV uprights when the hunter is preparing to fire.
“It is flattering to read the emails or hear from callers,” says Curt Lackey, president of Thunderbolt Customs, makers of the Little Sure Shot Gun Rests™. “We get calls from lifelong hunters, first-timers, youth and senior hunters from small U.S. towns like Ankey, IA, Winnemucca, NV and Stuart Draft, VA and from international centers like Johannesburg, South Africa, Helsinki, Finland, and Kyoto, Japan. The callers tell us how Little Sure Shot Gun Rests™ quiet their nerves and increase relaxation especially through the shoulder, upper arm and wrist areas,” he added.
Both models are made in the USA. They are available at many sporting goods retailers and online at www.LittleSureShotGunRests.com. Again, the MSRP is under $20.
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The Toyota Texas Bass Classic is set to kick off on Lake Conroe Oct 1-3. The three day event will feature the best pros from FLW Outdoors, B.A.S.S. and the PAA. This year's field promises to be one for the ages. VanDam, Ehrler, Dudley, Biffle, Iaconelli, Thrift and reigning champion Dave Lefebre, highlight the all-star field.
The tournament will be three days and will decide who the champion of this hybrid field will be.
There is also an awesome line-up of country concerts during the event with Tracy Lawrence, Blake Shelton, Jeff Alan and more.
Here is the Top 50 field for the event:
Todd Auten
Chris Baumgardner
Tommy Biffle
Terry Butcher
Luke Clausen
Keith Combs
John Crews
Mark Davis
David Dudley
Brent Ehrler
Edwin Evers
Todd Faircloth
Shinichi Fukae
Anthony Gagliardi
Shaw Grigsby
Greg Hackney
Bradley Hallman
Sean Hoernke
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Michael Iaconelli
Kelly Jordon
Steve Kennedy
JT Kenney
Gary Klein
Russ Lane
Bobby Lane
Dave Lefebre
Aaron Martens
Mike McClelland
Mark Menendez
Ishama Monroe
Andy Montgomery
Andy Morgan
Jonathan Newton
Takahiro Omori
Cliff Pace
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Jason Quinn
Derek Remitz
Mark Rose
Rusty Salewkse
Terry Scroggins
Ron Shuffield
Brian Snowden
Scott Suggs
Gerald Swindle
Randall Tharp
Bryan Thrift
Kevin VanDam
Vic Vatalaro
David Walker
Clark Wendlandt |
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For a limited time, when you purchase Seaguar Tatsu high-end fluorocarbon from an online retailer like TackleWarehouse.com, you can mail in a certificate and receive a free hat, visor or t-shirt, all of which we find very slick looking.
The promotion runs Sep. 15-30, 2010. To collect on the great offer, just go to one of the online approved retailers listed on the Seaguar Promo Page. We recommend Tacklewarehouse.com. Then download the certificate for the retailer you chose on the Seaguar Promo Page, fill it out and mail it in to get your free apparel.
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 Jay Kumar and Mark ZonaZona photo
Jay Kumar – founder of BassFan.com and other properties now owned by Intermedia Outdoors, as well as a former co-host of ESPN's underground hit show "Loudmouth Bass" – is back in bass fishing with new site BassParade.com. What exactly is a "bass parade?"
"The best way to put it is that you're either in the parade or watching it, and either way you're a part of it," Kumar said. "We chose the blog format for BassParade for that reason – because it encourages fishermen to be part of what we're doing. They can participate by leaving feedback, sending in pics and videos for us to post, posting our posts to Facebook, that kind of thing.
"BassParade is also a constant stream, or parade, of all things fishing. It's not the news model pioneered by BassFan. It's not the free-for-all you find in forums. It's more like the Gawker of fishing – short-form, fun, commentary-like content. We cover anything about fishing we think is good, bad, funny or otherwise entertaining."
"We" means him, well-known bass and inshore writer Jason Bryant, and an Alabamian with no shortage of opinions, Bo Crawford.
Bryant said: "The fun thing about BassParade is that it's essentially a stream-of-consciousness blog about all things fishing. We don't sterilize content through a chain of command or a panel of editors. We write it, post it and people read it."
Crawford said: "I hope fishermen find our edgy, out-of-the-box style refreshing." He added: "I'm really excited about delivering a mobile device-friendly site to all the anglers out there. I believe that's a first in bass fishing."
Kumar is known as an entrepreneur with no shortage of solid ideas, so what else is he up to? "In hunting, check out SeriousBirdHunting.com," he said. "In fishing, all I can say right now is wait and see!"
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Check out this cool new video from Kota Kiriyama and his American Dream Tournament. Click here to view. |
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The Snag Proof OpenTournament will be on the Potomac River this Saturday, Sept. 18th. They will be paying 20 places and winners will receive a Bass Cat boat with Mercury Outboard. Entries are still being taken and entries can be found at the Snag Proof website or by calling Randy McBride at 334-799-0007. |
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Turnover….and we don’t mean apple.
Fall is usually one of the best times to catch fish. Water temps are cooling, shad and/or baitfish are bunched up and bass begin to look for an easy snack to satisfy hunger during the long winter ahead. Water color is usually clear to a bit stained and many of the lakes are drawn down to winter pool in anticipation for spring rains. All of the aforementioned variables mean the bass have the feedbags on…..right? Not necessarily if turnover comes sooner than expected.
Turnover is a layman’s term for the switch of cold and warm water in the water column. Warmer subsurface water is replaced with cooler surface water as night time temps drop into the low fifties. In recent days the water temps have dropped to 71 or 72 on the surface and only a week or so ago they were in the high eighties on our local lake. A tell-tale sign of this turnover is dingy water color, clumps of vegetation once firmly attached to the bottom surface seen floating and the shad are moving up shallow, many times running the bank on points and shorelines.
Fishing the turnover can mean tough conditions, and a general rule we follow is moving shallow. Oxygen levels are better shallow, the water cleans up quicker and the bass that are on the feed are usually pushing them into pockets and creeks. A good starting point to look for transition fish is the mouths of larger bays and secondary points. As bass come up from their summer-time haunts they transition to the first available cover where food is plentiful. Large “wolfpacks” of bass will push shad and baitfish against these banks, and it can be fast and furious when they are found.
Some of the baits we recommend are Zoom Flukes, Buckeye Pulse Jigs, Strike King Pro Model buzzbaits, Redeye Shad, Rat-L-Trap lipless rattling baits, Spro Little John crankbaits and of course Strike King spinnerbaits around shallow cover. We like 1/2-ounce spinnerbaits and usually will go with tandem willow blades this time of year. Colors are area dependent, but we like shad imitators and lures with a lot of flash so chrome combinations are good.
Stumps are a big factor this time of year as they warm the water faster than the surrounding area and bass will congregate in and around them. A 3/8-ounce jig and chunk is a good bet for them. Anglers should pick the cover apart this time of year. Starting on the outside and moving into the heaviest and thickest part of each object.
Rip rap is also another great area to target with jigs and plastic products. Paralleling the rock with small crankbaits, chatterbaits and spinnerbaits can also be effective.
It’s also a great time to fish topwaters like the Lucky Craft Sammy, a Heddon Zara Spook, Storm Rattlin' Chug Bugs and poppers.
Turnover can slow the action down for a few days, but it won’t be long before the action heats up. Timing is critical this time of year. Returning to good areas more than once a day is the rule versus the exception, and when the fish move up, it's “Katie Bar the Door” time.
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David Cioppa’s name was randomly selected from over 218,000 entries for the grand prize in the highly popular “VanDam Your Boat” promotion sponsored by Humminbird®. As a result, the Hopkinton, Mass. resident received the very same Humminbird electronics that Kevin VanDam used to win his third straight BASS Angler of the Year title.
Cioppa can now “VanDam” his boat by rigging it with Humminbird’s 1197c SI Combo and 958c Combo fishfinders. He can share information between the two units by networking them together with the Humminbird InterLink™ accessory that was included as part of the grand prize.
Kevin VanDam is a member of the Humminbird pro staff and is a three-time Bassmaster Classic winner.
“Given Kevin’s great popularity, we knew having him associated with this promotion would make it highly successful,” Humminbird Senior Business Director Jeff Davison said. “The large number of entrants also demonstrates how popular Humminbird products and Side Imaging® technology have become with anglers.”
In addition to the Grand Prize, a Humminbird 798c SI Combo was awarded to a randomly selected entrant following each of the ten BASS Elite Series events. Entries were received from all 48 continental United States.
For more information visit humminbird.com, contact Humminbird, 678 Humminbird Lane, Eufaula, AL 36027, or call 800-633-1468.
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Photo by Chris Dutton / PAA Communications
Power Tackle pro Keith Combs of Del Rio, Texas, capped a record-setting week on Lake Tawakoni for his first major win with 60.48 pounds in the PAA Bass Pro Shops Tournament Series presented by Carrot Six.
His total weight is the most in a PAA Tournament Series event, eclipsing the 52.44 pounds caught by Brian Snowden of Missouri in 2009 on Lake Toho. Combs kicked off his win on Thursday with a 9.23-pound largemouth, which was the biggest to come from Tawakoni this week.
Combs sandwiched a meager 13-pound catch on Friday with limits weighing more than 24 and 22 pounds on the first and third days to clinch the win. Ranger pro Todd Auten of South Carolina was second with 46.25 pounds and Yamaha pro Randall Tharp of Alabama was third with 43.88 pounds. Yamaha pro Takahiro Omori of Texas (43.42) and Optima Batteries pro Edwin Evers of Oklahoma (40.63) rounded out the top five.
“I didn’t think I would win going into this thing,” Combs said. “I didn’t really have a good practice and was catching a few 3-pounders, so I was thinking about maybe 15 pounds a day would be good. If you had told me I’d have this, I’d have been ecstatic.”
Combs threw two primary baits all week around docks with water from dirt to three feet and any isolated cover. His main bait was an 3/8-ounce Oldham Jig in black/blue with a Zoom Chunk and rattles to mimic small bluegills. He used 25-pound test Seaguar fluorocarbon.
The backup was a prototype Power Tackle Lateral Perch, which is about 3 inches long with a pyramid-shaped lead head and soft molded swimbait body with the hook coming out of the side of the body. The Lateral Perch resembles a small bluegill and glides on the fall. He worked the jig thoroughly and then would pitch the Lateral Perch under or around docks.
Saturday, Combs stuck with the jig after his first keeper “hit the bait so hard it knocked slack in the line.”
“I caught everything on the jig because if they were hitting it that hard, I was going to stick with it,” he said. “I got seven bites all day and swung on seven. That first one hit, and then I got the second one about 9:30 off the same dock the 9-pounder was on Thursday. Then, after about an hour, I caught my third keeper, two more after that and by 12 o’clock it was over. I was ready to weigh in right then.”
Photo by Chris Dutton / PAA Communications
Auten couldn’t overcome
Combs had a four-pound lead going into the final day over Auten, acknowledged by many as a shallow-water master. He targeted a series of docks with a 1/2-ounce Santone Trembler blade-jig in chartreuse-white with a white Zoom Speed Craw trailer on 20-pound test Bass Pro Shops Excel line. He thinned the bait’s skirt to help it move a little better and present a slimmer profile.
“I caught every one of them on it, and if I wasn’t stirring up mud, I wasn’t catching them,” Auten said.
Tharp’s on fire
Tharp surged eight positions with his catch of 18.97 pounds, which came flipping with a Big Bite Baits worm and Yomama pitch bait. He rigged both with a 5/16-ounce sinker and straight-shank worm hook to pitch around docks and vegetation.
“I had an awesome day,” he said. “On my fifth pitch, I caught a 5-pounder, and the next fish was a 4-pounder. This is the day you want to have on the final day. Last year I had a couple of chances to win and blew it on the last day, so this is really good. I just wasn’t high enough in the standings to win.”
Hours after his final bag hit the scale, Combs still was still on Cloud 9 after his first major tour win.
“I knew what I was getting into after seeing some of the guys who fish the PAA series,” he said. “There are top guys from the other tours here and they’re all sticks, and just about every hammer in north Texas was here. This really means a lot.”
The final PAA Tournament Series event will be Oct. 14-16 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Mo.
For more photos and coverage from the tournament, visit fishpaa.com.
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Power Tackle pro Keith Combs of Texas has a two-day
total of 38.04 pounds and maintained his lead Friday in the the PAA Bass Pro
Shops Tournament Series presented by Carrot Stix on Lake Tawakoni.
Combs is working shoreline cover with jigs and a new prototype bait from
Power Tackle called the Lateral Shad. It's a hybrid combination of a lead
head with a soft body and flat shape, which causes it to glide. He caught
13.64 pounds Friday and will lead the Top 30 anglers out for Saturday's
final day.
"I think 12 pounds could do it (win), but someone else could come in with 18
pounds," Combs said. "There's not that many boats but this is the strongest
field of anglers around. I just want to go fish for five good bites and get
them in the boat."
Ranger pro Todd Auten of South Carolina is second with 33.98 pounds and
Yamaha pro Takahiro Omori of Texas climbed five positions to third with
30.17.
The top 30 anglers will fish Saturday on Lake Tawakoni, launching from West
Tawakoni City Park at 7 a.m. They will weigh-in at 4:30 p.m. at Bass Pro
Shops in Garland. The winner will earn a package worth more than $45,000
including cash and a new Phoenix 719 Pro boat outfitted with a Mercury
Optimax 225 and T-H Marine Atlas Jackplate. Free seminars at Bass Pro Shops
begin at 12:30 p.m. and will be presented by Kevin Early, Brian Clark, Jami
Fralick, Harold Allen, Dave Mansue, Matt Reed, Justin Rackley and Brian
Snowden.
Among those in the Top 30 are this season's PAA Tournament Series champions
- Nitro Boats pro Edwin Evers and Gene Larew Baits pro Tommy Biffle, both of
Oklahoma. Joining them in the strong finals are current FLW Tour points
champion and Damiki pro Bryan Thrift of North Carolina and 2009 Toyota Texas
Bass Classic champion Dave Lefebre of Pennsylvania.
Shakeups in the standings ruled after persistent southwest winds wreaked
havoc on some of the areas along with pounding from the anglers. The most
significant moves were BassCat pro John Crews of Virginia (54 positions to
eighth place) and Anglers Inn pro Bradley Hallman of Oklahoma (35 positions
to seventh place). Among the Day 1 leaders, Omori moved five positions while
Business Unlimited pro Lance Vick of Texas fell 10 spots and Bass Pro Shops
pro Ott Defoe fell 32.
"I'm just grinding 'em out on the same deal," said Auten, who won a 2009 PAA
Tournament Series event. "I found one other key area with some fish in it
and I think the wind is helping the bite a little bit."
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When attending the Forrest Wood Cup the audience sees the finished product. However, in the background there is an army of professionals seeing to the details. Here is a glimpse of the backroom from this years Forrest Wood Cup.
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Kota Kiriyama's American Dream is coming stateside this year and the upcoming event should be a good one. The tournament is scheduled for 10/23 and 10/24 at Lake Wheeler in Alabama and the winner of the event gets a trip to Japan to fish Lake Biwa, home of the world record bass. They just announced the payout schedule for the event. Sounds like a great time on a great fishery!
Below is that schedule.
Guaranteed First Place prize will be a "Free" trip with Kota Kiriyama to fish the World Record Bass Lake ‘Lake Biwa’ in Japan. Also on the itinerary will be visits of cultural and historical nature to Japanese towns!! The trip will be mutually planned for about a week in late spring to summer of 2011, and schedule will be determined between the winning team and Kota Kiriyama. (The Trip Award is not transferable or exchangeable for cash)
Additional Tournament Payout Schedule
20% field pay back at the minimum entry of 150 boat teams
(May vary with the actual number of tournament entries received)
2nd Place $1000.00
3rd Place $600.00
4th Place $500.00
5th Place $400.00
6th Place $300.00
7th Place $300.00
8th Place $300.00
9th Place $300.00
10th Place $300.00
11th-15th Places $200.00
16th-30th Places $150.00
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So far we have had two segments of our three-part feature with Aaron Martens talking about the advantages of the new class of electronics and the value they provide to the angler today.
Starting in the early days with flashers, going to paper graphs and now today with the latest electronics that include side imaging, we have seen a major revolution in fish finding, and the new electronics have taken a foothold with both weekend and professional anglers alike.
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Photo Courtesy of PAA
Keith Combs watched another angler fishing in front of him down the same bank of Lake Tawakoni, both of them working the same shoreline in a rotation found in several places on the lake Thursday afternoon.
The first angler departed and Combs continued fishing toward a spot he said “ ... was just obvious; it just looked like it would have a bass on it.” It did, and when Combs got it to the boat the largemouth weighed 9.23 pounds, a monster that propelled him to the lead after the first day of the PAA Bass Pro Shops Tournament Series presented by Carrot Stix.
“I already had another good one in the livewell and was thinking about flipping it into the boat,” said the Power Tackle pro from Texas. “Then I saw it, got the net under it and just dropped it into the livewell because another boat was in the area. I didn’t really look at it until later and it surprised me. I thought it might be a good 7- or 8-pounder.”
Combs claimed big bass honors and a lead of more than six pounds going into the second day of the three-day event. Business Unlimited pro Lance Vick of Texas is second with 18.04 pounds, followed by Bass Pro Shops pro Edwin Evers of Oklahoma (17.91), Phoenix Boats pro Gary Clouse of Tennessee (17.09) and Ranger Boats pro Todd Auten of South Carolina (16.21).
The full field will compete Friday on Lake Tawakoni before being cut to the Top 30, which will return there for the final day. Friday’s weigh-in will be at 3 p.m. at West Tawakoni City Park. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be at Bass Pro Shops in Garland at 4:30 p.m., with anglers at the store prior to the weigh-in to meet fans and conduct free seminars beginning at noon.
The winner will receive a prize package worth more than $45,000 including cash and a new Phoenix Boats 719 Pro outfitted with a Mercury Optimax 225 and T-H Marine Atlas Jackplate. Points standings after this event also will determine the final 15 berths in the Toyota Texas Bass Classic on Lake Conroe in October.
Combs day was ‘perfect’
Combs guides on Lake Amistad in Del Rio, about eight hours from Lake Tawakoni, and had fished the 36,000-acre Sabine River impoundment about five or six years ago during spring.
So when he arrived here this week, he was “starting from scratch … I didn’t know much of anything about it, really.” But with shad and bass pounding the shoreline and some fresh water coming into the lake from Wednesday’s severe weather here, Combs figured he had as much of a shot as everyone else.
Turns out, Combs bagged the biggest bass of the PAA Tournament Series season as well as the biggest one-day catch of the series’ short two-year history.
“It was a perfect day,” he said. “It got a little stressful for a while with other people in the rotation, but that’s the way this lake sets up right now. We were all rotating (in key areas) and my timing was just good.”
Pros reported catching numerous fish during the day, but finding keepers or quality bites was the key. Yamaha pro Todd Faircloth of Texas said he probably caught 30, but had just three keepers. Ranger pro Todd Auten of South Carolina had about half that number, and others reported consistent action.
“My thumbs are just chewed up,” said Sandi Karnes of Livingston. “I had good fish on and lost a couple, and caught them pretty well during the day. I just decided to camp out in an area where I felt confident there were fish moving in and out.”
Combs said he flipped a “conventional bait” and added a prototype Power Tackle “Lateral Perch” lure due out soon. He said it has a lead head, soft tail and a hook that comes out the side of the bait’s flat body, which helps with skipping.
“It’s a little bit of confidence knowing you have something the other guys don’t have yet,” he said. “I caught them deep on it at Guntersville and now I know it works in shallow water, too. But Friday’s a different day. I could fall flat on my face, although I’m just going to go out looking for five good bites.”
Mixed tales
Clouse, the owner and founder of Phoenix Boats, had a limit by midday and then went hunting.
“I started catching them when I got there and didn’t quit until about 11:30 or 12,” he said. “I left to go look for some other stuff for Friday, but I probably should have stayed put. I thought I could get rid of one smaller fish doing some other stuff and that didn’t work out too well.”
Auten, however, had blanked by midmorning and then went on a tear in the final half of the day. He’s gunning for a Top 10 finish to try to move up in the points standings and earn a Toyota Texas Bass Classic berth.
“At 11 o’clock I didn’t have a keeper,” he said. “Everyone’s hitting a lot of the same stuff. The fish are moving around, in and out, and there’s a lot of bait everywhere. But there’s a lot of 10-inch fish … it seems like you’re catching those and then you get one big one.”
For more coverage, photos, full standings, visit fishpaa.com.
Top 30 Standings on Day One:
1. Keith Combs, Texas, 5, 24.40 pounds
2. Lance Vick, Texas, 5, 18.04
3. Edwin Evers, Oklahoma, 5, 17.91
4. Gary Clouse, Tennessee, 5, 17.09
5. Todd Auten, South Carolina, 5, 16.21
6. Ott Defoe, Tennessee, 5, 16.21
7. Bryan Thrift, North Carolina, 5, 15.40
8. Takahiro Omori, Texas, 4, 14.86
9. Aaron Martens, Alabama, 5, 14.62
10.Duke Jenkel, Illinois, 5, 14.43
11.Gary Klein, Texas, 5, 14.27
12.Brian Clark, Texas, 5, 13.92
13.David Hendrick, North Carolina, 5, 13.25
14.Bobby Lane, Florida, 4, 13.18
15.Stephen Johnson, Texas, 5, 13.13
16.Mark Menendez, Kentucky, 13.07
17.Sean Hoernke, Texas, 5, 12.99
18.Craig Dowling, Alabama, 5, 12.91
19.Jami Fralick, South Dakota, 5, 12.54
20.Chris Daves, Virginia, 5, 12.49
21.Randall Tharp, Alabama, 5, 12,29
22.Charlie Hartley, Ohio, 3, 11.50
23.Russell Cecil, Texas, 5, 11.34
24.Jeremy Grandstaff, Texas, 5, 11.32
25.Chris Brasher, Texas, 5, 10.97
26.Joe Gerard, Kansas, 5, 10.93
27.Tommy Biffle, Oklahoma, 5, 10.86
28.Patrick Pierce, Florida, 5, 10.78
29.Matt Herren, Alabama, 4, 10.54
30.Rick Clunn, Missouri, 4, 10.40
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Boaters and anglers in the north will soon be putting away their boats for the season. But before they do, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has some tips learned from fuel industry insiders on how to store a boat with E-10 gasoline (containing 10% ethanol) over the winter.
The Octane issue:
Over long winter storage periods, E-10 gasoline loses octane at about the same rate as non-ethanol gasoline. So leaving the gas tank mostly empty - and then refilling in the spring in the hopes of "refreshing" the fuel to regain any octane loss - is not necessary. However, a nearly empty gas tank introduces another problem: the strong possibility of phase separation.
Ethanol (an alcohol) attracts water. It also absorbs water - about 10 times more than regular gasoline. When ethanol can no longer absorb the water, it will "phase separate" from the gasoline. Should phase separation occur, the (water soaked) ethanol will settle to the bottom of the tank, which is where the engine's fuel system pick-up is located.
The problem with leaving a tank mostly empty is that it increases the tank's "lung capacity" to breath in moist air (water) through the vent. If the tank is mostly empty over the winter, there will also be less E-10 gas in the tank to absorb the moisture. This combination of more water and less absorption greatly increases the chances of phase separation. Adding fresh gasoline in the spring would not remedy the problem - the phase-separated ethanol would remain separated at the bottom of the tank.
The Water Separator issue:
Any moisture in a tank will be readily absorbed by the ethanol. E-10 can hold up to 1/2 percent of water by volume and up to that concentration the water molecules will dissolve in the gasoline forming a soluble mixture that will pass through a water separator and burn harmlessly in your engine.
The only time water will collect in a tank and not be absorbed is if phase separation has occurred, and by then it will be too late. A water separator is not a solution to the phase separation problem.
The Fuel Additive issue:
Fuel additives are good for many reasons and should be used when laying up a boat for winter, but no additive will stand up to a good-sized slug of water. And once too much water has entered the tank and the gas has begun to phase separate, no additive will return the fuel to its original state. The only solution to phase-separated gas is to have a professional drain the tank and start anew.
The best advice for storing E-10 in your boat's gas tank over winter:
Keep the tank nearly full. This greatly reduces the volume of moist air that can enter the tank via the fuel tank vent when temperatures fluctuate in the fall and spring. With any fuel, an antioxidant will help keep it fresh during lay-up. Finally, never plug up a fuel tank vent - it creates pressure that could cause dangerous leaks in the fuel system.
For more information including free downloadable winterizing checklists, go to BoatUS.com/winter. To watch a short video on ethanol and winterization, go to: youtube.com/user/BoatUSvideos/. |
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BASS announced Wednesday that Yamaha will continue to support BASS for multiple years as an official engine sponsor of the organization. As part of the long-term agreement, Yamaha will serve as an official sponsor of the Bassmaster Classic, Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens and BASS’ Federation Nation presented by Yamaha and Skeeter Boats.
With the collaboration, Yamaha will receive varied opportunities for exposure at BASS’ prestigious structure of tournaments. Additionally, Yamaha will populate BASS’ multi-media platforms, which include three industry-leading magazines and the heavily-trafficked Bassmaster.com. Yamaha will also continue to reap the benefits of BASS’ ESPN2 exposure.
“BASS events are an integral part of our marketing program because they provide customers an opportunity to see our outboards perform and endure in competitive conditions,” said Dale Barnes, Yamaha Marine group division manager marketing. “They also create opportunities for direct customer interaction with team Yamaha professional anglers. We are happy to have signed with BASS once again. The new four stroke VMAX SHO® is a great product that has been received very well by anglers, in part because of exposure through tournaments sanctioned by BASS.”
Kennesaw, Ga.-based company Yamaha, which has a long history with BASS, most recently signed on as an official sponsor in 2008 and extended their agreement to stretch over multiple years as a result of the significant exposure it received and successful on-site opportunities cultivated at BASS events.
“Yamaha is a great partner with its innovative activation schedule at BASS events,” said Tom Ricks, vice president and general manager, BASS. “Yamaha’s reputation in the industry is stellar and this agreement between two industry leaders makes sense.”
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Takahiro Omori loves bass fishing. He lives it! Its a 24 X 7 lifestyle for him.
The amicable Texas pro is a student of bass fishing and wants to know every detail of what makes the bass tick. If a bait produces more than another he wants to know why.
Tak never leaves anything to chance. Check out this interview about building a pool just to test his baits.
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Clean shaven and in prime form Dave Mercer and the Facts of Fishing FYI.....this week.
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Rob Newell photo
FLW Outdoors and Ocala, Fla. angler Glenn Browne has signed a new rod deal with E21 Carrot Stix.
"I am very excited about this opportunity," Browne said. "I have been using the Carrot Stix for a couple of months now, and I cannot believe how light and sensitive they are. I really like the new microguide rods too. Its ridiculous how far you can cast a bait with the microguides."
Browne is a die hard flipper and pitcher and has been using the Carrot Stix Double Extra Heavy, and he feels they will be perfect for that technique as well.
"I caught a 7- and a 9-pounder with this rod, and they are meat sticks," he said.
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Skeeter Products, Inc., manufacturer of Skeeter brand high performance boats, and BASS, announced Tuesday that Skeeter will continue its sponsorship of the organization for multiple years.
As part of the long-term agreement, Skeeter will serve as an official boat sponsor of BASS’ prestigious tournament structure including the Bassmaster Classic, Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens and BASS Federation Nation presented by Yamaha and Skeeter Boats.
Skeeter will receive opportunities for exposure across BASS’ multi-media platforms, which include three industry-leading magazines and the heavily-trafficked Bassmaster.com, and at BASS events. Skeeter will also reap the benefits of BASS’ ESPN2 coverage.
“There is no better way for Skeeter to reach anglers than through BASS competition,” said Jeff Stone, senior vice president and general manager of Skeeter Products. “The success of our new FX series bass boats is a testament to the power of reaching the right audience. BASS gives us a way to demonstrate the performance and value of our products to the professional anglers, their fans and the dedicated groups of amateurs who are the life blood of bass fishing. We look forward and are very committed to building on our already great relationship with the BASS community.”
The Kilgore, Texas-based company signed on as an official sponsor in 2008 and extended their initial agreement for multiple years based on the success of the collaboration.
“Skeeter continues to showcase quality products and exhibits a commitment to anglers, both professional and amateur,” said Tom Ricks, vice president and general manager, BASS. “We are pleased to continue our relationship with Skeeter.”
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With autumn approaching, it is a good time to prepare for subsequent bass migrations. Cooling water temperatures tell the bass it is time to feed before winter. The key to fall migration is baitfish. If you are around baitfish in the fall, you are also around the bass. Bass will also be scattered out during the fall, some may remain deep while others can be super shallow. It is a key time for anglers who are versatile.
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With the assistance of FLW Outdoors, the National Guard Outdoors Program has developed a way to give back to National Guard soldiers and their families through a unique series of competitive angling opportunities known as National Guard Soldier Appreciation Tournaments.
During select National Guard/FLW Outdoors-sponsored bass and walleye fishing events, the National Guard Outdoors Program and local/state National Guard soldiers team up to coordinate special fishing events for National Guard soldiers and their families. The program allows soldiers and families to spend a morning on the lake fishing with FLW professional anglers.
FLW professional anglers, including members of the National Guard pro team, pair up with a team of two soldiers or family members. The pro anglers provide the boat, rods, reels, bait and other fishing gear. Throughout the event, the team of two gets to enjoy a day on the water as well as learn special fishing tips and techniques from the pro anglers in the process.
Some states put together a special weigh-in for the soldiers, where they can weigh their fish onstage in front of their family and friends. At the recent Soldier Appreciation Tournament held during the Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Lanier in Atlanta, Ga., teams got to weigh in the fish on a stage provided by FLW Outdoors and The Bass Federation. Each team attempted to catch a limit of five fish in an effort to achieve the highest combined weight possible in order to make a run at the title. The local Georgia National Guard also provided trophies to the winning teams.
National Guard team member and FLW Tour pro Jonathan Newton said he was honored to be a part of the recent Soldier Appreciation Tournament held during the Forrest Wood Cup. He stressed that giving back to soldiers and their families was an experience that he will always cherish.
“Soldiers can fish sometimes almost as well as we professionals can. They just don’t have the opportunity to fish as much as we do. So I really appreciate them getting to go out (on the water),” said Newton. “It really puts life into perspective. Living in this country means something, and it really costs something to live here.”
“They really pay the price,” he added.
For more information on National Guard Soldier Appreciation Tournaments, click here.
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 Long-time pro Mike Gofron of Antioch, Ill., won the AIM Pro Walleye Series International Championship on Lake Winnibigoshish in the Chippewa National Forest in Northern Minnesota. He beat 49 of the circuit's top pros to win a new Lund 2075 boat powered by a 300 HP Mercury Verado, a package valued at $65,000. Gofron's total inches for the event were 288.5, estimated to weigh 53.95 pounds.
Gofron bested the field by a sizable margin with his winning program on an event that was shortened by one day due to hazardous conditions. Gofron had a huge limit of 7 walleyes that weighed 36.09 pounds the first day but struggled on day two a little with a smaller limit of 7 walleyes weighing 17.86 pounds. At the start of day three the winds were blowing 25-35 with gusts over 40 mph. The AIM advisory council called the event on account of dangerous water conditions. That gave Gofron the victory.
"Actually I had all my gear in the boat, I had four shirts on, two sweatshirts, two pairs of rain pants so the water wouldn't bleed through, and I was a minute from getting into my boat when I heard it was called," Gofron said. "I was ready to go, but it was definitely the right call."
Gofron pulled spinners with No. 2 blades armed with crawlers and leeches, but used No. 5 Rapala Jointed Shad Raps over the tops of weeds to locate the fish. He also had some fish suspended outside the weeds 6 feet deep over 20 feet of water. He would locate the fish with the Shad Raps then go back over the small areas with spinners because it was easier to turn over the fish with crawler harnesses.
"Basically I found an area in the weeds, and I called it Dave Anderson's spot," Gofron said. Anderson passed away last year but Gofron and Anderson worked together in their fishing. "Last year Dave found some fish in this area. All week when talking with my parents, Mark Brumbaugh and Scott Duncan, I would say I was over in Dave's spot or Dave's weeds. I told Mark it would be cool to win this tournament in his area to honor him. And that's what happened, so that's really cool!"
Robert Blosser of Poynette, Wis. took second place with a total weight of 46.77 pounds and that gave him the Angler of the Year title for 2010.
"I'm stoked," said Blosser. "I'm excited! They give five wins away each year but only one Angler of the Year, and that means everything to me. To be able to accomplish two of my goals in one season, winning my first major and winning angler of the year, is an incredible feeling."
Blosser never finished outside the top 10 this year. He notched an 8th-, 5th-, 2nd-, a win and a 2nd-place finish at the championship this season.
After spending six days prefishing using a trolling presentation, it was a live bait rig along steep breaklines in 14 to 35 feet of water that would prove most successful. Chubs were the ticket on day one but he switched to crawlers on day two. He won $10,000 for angler of the year and $6,500 for second place at the championship. For more details, coverage, photos and complete standings, visit aimfishing.com.
Top 10 from the Aim Fishing Championship:
1 Mike Gofron 288.5 inches, 53.95 pounds
2 Robert Blosser 281 inches, 46.78 pounds
3 Joe Okada, 268 inches, 43.53 pounds
4 Brett King, 273.5 inches, 42.82 pounds
5 Bruce Samson, 267.75 inches, 42.41 pounds
6 Nick Shertz, 268.25 inches, 41.06 pounds
7 Tommy Skarlis, 267.25 inches, 39.7 pounds
8 Kevin Audrain, 218 inches, 38.59 pounds
9 Chris Kindraka, 261.25 inches, 36.63 pounds
10 Scott Glorvigen, 257.25 inches, 34.37 pounds
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For those of you that have been following Wired2Fish since the beginning, we met a soldier while he was stationed in Afghanistan by the name of Jason Redding. He is a die-hard angler. He affectionately became "Ole Sarge" to all of us here. This past weekend, we got to spend some quality time with Jason and his wife Raeni at Kentucky Lake at the Ronnie Brinegar Charity Tournament.
Great folks and great friends. By the way, they drove 10 hours from Louisiana to attend. Jason caught his first smallmouth at that event.
Thanks for supporting us, all we stand for and for all you do Sarge!
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Sean Hoernke fishing on Lake Norman during a recent PAA event - Photo by Alan Clemons
Four top professional anglers are offering the chance for multiple days of one-on-one instruction on the water in October on Grand Lake in Oklahoma.
PAA pros Terry Butcher, Jason Christie, Sean Hoernke and Matt Reed have teamed up for a special instructional course on the lake. All compete on the PAA Tournament Series, Bassmaster Elite Series and FLW Tour, with years of experience to bank on.
“It’s basically a one-on-one coaching week with four touring professionals,” Hoernke said. “I have been doing this by myself for a while and it has been very rewarding to watch your clients make their first check or win their first event. Most of the time we are always so involved in making ourselves better and it’s really fun to take the experience we have and give it to others in the sport.”
The dates are Oct. 5-8 and the event will be to the first four individuals or two-person groups that register. The anglers will rotate each day with the four pros and spend the day fishing on Grand Lake. Only you or your group will be in the boat with the pro for the day.
The course is designed for all levels of anglers and tournament anglers looking for one-on-one instruction to help make them better and more successful anglers. From beginners to advanced tournament fishermen, each day the anglers will learn how to locate and catch fish on a large body of water along with different techniques and tricks used on the professional tours.
Students seeking improvement or knowledge on specific techniques also can work to develop those, as well. The course is centered around utilizing years of tournament fishing knowledge and delivering it to the student to make them better anglers.
For more information or to register, visit mattreedbasspro.com
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Our buddy Russ Lane of Alabama had a great season on the Bassmaster Elite Series trail this year and his fishing paid off in the form of a new partnership with Boomerang Tool Company. The California-based tool manufacturer makes high-end fishing pliers that won't rust and feature a cord that keeps them handy no matter where you land your fish.
Lane used the pliers this year on the professional tour and raved about their properties. He uses the BTC 201A while fishing and talked about what he liked in those pliers.
“Boomerang Tool has created a line of tools every serious angler will want to have,” Lane said. “The pliers made of aircraft grade aluminum reduce weight and won’t rust, but there’s no compromise on strength. One great thing is the retractable cord, which means you eliminate the chance of dropping your pliers overboard into the lake. Just like a boomerang, they'll always come back to you!
“When you go to unhook a fish, you don’t want to be searching for pliers that could be hidden behind a bag, under a seat or somewhere else,” Lane said. “Anglers who fish tournaments want to manage their time to be efficient, and recreational anglers want to get back to fishing just as much as tournament anglers. So, you don’t want to be fumbling around for pliers.
“The retractable cord and sheath are super because you can put them somewhere and know specifically where it is. When you’re dealing with treble hooks, especially, time and safety are critical elements. If you have a fish in hand and need your pliers, they’re right there for you.”
The use of aircraft grade aluminum means the rust is held at bay while maintaining strength and durability. Boomerang Tool also manufactures needlenose pliers, line snips, lineman’s pliers, utility knives, and golf and photo accessories.
“All the pliers I’ve used before have gotten wet, rusted and eventually had to be replaced,” Lane said. “The BTC series won’t, so I know they’ll be ready to use every time I need them.”
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Legend Boats has signed into a multi-year agreement with the Toyota Texas Bass Classic to become the Official Boat of the Toyota Texas Bass Classic
"We're thrilled to be working with the guys at the TTBC and look forward to a long relationship," said Dean Smith, CEO of Legend Boats. "The event they put on in Texas is absolutely incredible and we're happy to join alongside." "The Toyota Texas Bass Classic will be bigger and better than ever at the Lone Star Convention and Expo Center in Conroe, TX October 1-3, 2010. 3000 square feet of Legend Boats will be on display at the event and an Evinrude-powered Alpha 211 will be a part of the winner's purse. Legend Boat demo rides will of course be available at the event as well.
Visit ridewithalegend.com for more information.
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Pro Chad Morgenthaler of Illinois held his fifth annual Chad Morgenthaler bass tournament this past weekend on Rend Lake. The tournament is put on each year to benefit the Special Olympics of Illinois. This year he also partnered with the Law Enforcement Torch Run and the event had a record turnout.
Ninety-one teams competed in the bass fishing tournament and the weights were pretty good. Bryan and Tony Mitchell won the event with five bass weighing 18.32 pounds, including the tournament's big bass of 5.27 pounds.
The teams had the option to compete in a Beat the Pro contest against Morgenthaler and Guido Hibdon. The tournament raised more than $32,000 for the Special Olympics Illinois, bringing their five-year total to $133,000.
The rest of the top 10 money winners in this year's event as well as the full standings and more about the event can be found at the Special Olympics Illinois website.
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Taking a good bait and putting a customized paint job on them turns them into masterpieces. They become a work of art. Dwain Batey, owner of Baitwerks, has an eye for the details that make every one of his creations special. Today on Weighing In with Terry Brown Dwain talks about his passion and how being a fisherman helps with his creations. Check it out! |
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PAA Bass Pro Shops Tournament Series...
Shallow tactics have proven to be critical during the first two stops of the PAA Bass Pro Shops Tournament Series presented by Carrot Stix, so why should the third event of the season on Lake Tawakoni be any different?
Some of the nation’s top bass pros will compete Sept. 9-11, based at West Tawakoni City Park, for more than $250,000 and a first place prize package worth $45,000. Daily launches and the first two days’ weigh-ins will be at the park at 3 p.m. The final weigh-in will be at Bass Pro Shops in Garland at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
Among the pros scheduled to compete are Zell Rowland, Harold Allen, Justin Rackley and Kelly Jordon of Texas, Edwin Evers and Bradley Hallman of Oklahoma, Pete Ponds and Paul Elias of Mississippi, John Crews and JT Palmore of Virginia, Jason Quinn of South Carolina and many more.
Located northeast of Dallas, the sprawling 37,900-acre Sabine River impoundment may be more well-known for its superb catfishing. But bass fishermen find enough action with largemouth to stay busy. The lake record is 13.33 pounds, and earlier this year a 10.22-pounder was caught during a spring tournament.
“For bass, it’s a shallow-style lake and I think we’re going to see a lot of guys fishing docks, stumps, laydowns, riprap and cover anywhere along the bank,” said Texas A&M pro Justin Rackley, who guides on Lake Fork east of Tawakoni.
“Because of that, it could fish small with everyone looking at a lot of the same things,” he said. “There’s some stain to it, too, which I like. We’ll see a lot of jigs, big worms, crankbaits and spinnerbaits … good power-fishing techniques, and I like that better than anything.”
Numerous coves dotted with docks, shallow backwaters with woody cover and several creeks will provide the PAA Tournament Series field with ample targets. Offshore opportunities will be available, too, although the majority of bass anglers will stay relatively shallow.
“It’s going to be a good tournament and will fish shallow,” said Yamaha pro Zell Rowland of Austin. “It has deeper water, but is mainly a shallow fishery. There are some quality bass in it, a lot of timber and maybe a little vegetation. I haven’t been there in a few years but I really believe we’ll see some good bags.”
Rackley agreed, noting the population of striped bass and catfish offshore that seem to keep largemouth in the shallow areas of the lake.
“It has some depth in the middle, but with all the stripers out there … when the bass spawn they don’t have a lot of cover out there so they stay closer to the bank,” he said. “I believe we’ll see a lot of guys fishing from 1-5 feet.”
Rowland added that getting upriver could be a key if an angler wanted to try that challenge.
“One of the big secrets there is to get upriver, but I don’t know how many or if any of these guys will bring a jet boat,” he said. “I don’t have one, so it won’t be me.”
The tournament also will determine the final 15 berths in the Toyota Texas Bass Classic, set for Oct. 1-3 on Lake Conroe north of Houston. The top 15 in the PAA Tournament Series, Bassmaster Elite Series and FLW Tour points standings will qualify, along with four exempt selections and defending champion Dave Lefebre of Pennsylvania.
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