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A lot of anglers shy away from fluorocarbon line for spinnerbaits because it doesn't stretch and they believe you miss too many fish. We believe it's actually better for a number of reasons. One reason is abrasion resistance and toughness, but another is feel. You can feel and fight fish better with fluorocarbon. Ultimately the best reason we have found to use Seaguar InvizX is the way it handles. We use 12-pound test for most spinnerbait applications and have found it to be both soft and tough and the castability is through the roof. The small diameter of .011 inch (.285 mm) combined with Seaguar's premier resins make the line virtually invisible to the fish. The knot strength is superior, we tie a San Diego Knot, and the abrasion resistance is superb. InvizX is also UV resistant, chemical resistant, non-absorbent, high-density and impervious to cold conditions. We like it spring, summer, fall and winter.
This month's Seaguar Tip: The key to using Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon for spinnerbaits is the right rod and reel. We use a medium to medium heavy rod and a medium speed reel, 6.4:1 gear ratio seems to be best. The softer tip allows the bass to absorb the bait and the slower reel keeps you from pulling the bait away from the fish. We like a the 7-foot St. Croix Legend Extreme rod and have had great success with the Abu Garcia Revo line up of reels, including the SX and the Premier. We have also used the Orra on occasion with similar results. Combining the right rod and reel with the castability and durability of Seaguar InvizX will make fishing spinnerbaits on fluorocarbon a lot more manageable and enjoyable.
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Jewel Bait Company announces the signing of Bassmaster Elite Series angler Casey Ashley to its pro staff.
 Ashley enters 2011 as his sixth season of fishing the BASS tournament trail. Over the course of the 54 events he's fished to date, the Donalds, S.C. angler has had nine Top 10 finishes, including a win on Virginia's Smith Mountain Lake. The earnings during his young professional bass fishing career have already neared the half million dollars mark.
"We've had a lot of anglers singing the praises of Jewel baits over our 20-plus years in this business, but Casey brings that meaning to a whole new level," said Jewel president Gayle Julian, having fun with the fact that Ashley is also pursuing a country music career. "He's an excellent angler who is really good with a jig rod in his hands and that makes him a perfect fit for our interests. We're pleased to welcome him to the team."
Ashley does indeed have a history with Jewel, having used the company's 7/16-ounce Eakins Jig to record his Smith Mountain Lake victory in 2007.
"The Eakins Jig in Peanut Butter and Jelly color is my go-to bait, my money lure," Ashley explained. "I didn't want to use a drop-shot or any of the other deep water techniques on Smith like the other guys were doing, so I just picked up my favorite jig and went fishing. It worked out well for me in Virginia, and has in many other places across the country, too. I hate to lay down my jig rod."
Although Ashley is not fishing in next month's Bassmaster Classic being held on the Louisiana Delta, Feb. 18 - 20, he does have a prominent role in the event. He has agreed to sing on the Classic stage in the New Orleans Arena before the weigh-in begins on the tournament's first day, Friday, Feb. 18.
Likely to be among his selections is "I am a Fisherman," a song he recorded in 2008. Ashley says he looks forward to visiting with fishing and music fans alike while he spends time in and around the Jewel booth during the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo. The expo is held at the Ernest Morial Convention Center in conjunction with the 2011 Classic.
Ashley joins a Jewel pro staff that includes several of fishing's top names, including Mike McClelland, Jeff Kriet, Jim Eakins, Troy Eakins, Larry Nixon, Kevin Short and Scott Rook. McClelland, Kriet and Rook are among a total of 50 anglers who have qualified to compete in this year's Classic.
For more information about Jewel Bait and its entire pro staff, visit JewelBait.com.
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Building upon an already solid team, ATTRAXX added seven more top bass pros to its 2011 team. Ramie Colson, Brandon Coulter, Steve Daniel, Keith Monson, Jason Ober, Jacob Powroznik and Nicolas Supik will join Craig Powers, Greg Pugh and 2011 Bassmaster Classic qualifier Randall Tharp on the ATTRAXX pro staff.
“We’re very fortunate to put together such a great team of anglers at the top of their game,” said Howard Hammonds, president of Mystic Tackleworks, parent company of the ATTRAXX soft baits and CP Series crankbait brands. “Each of these experienced anglers will design the kind of baits they want to use – the kind that really catch fish.”
From Cadiz, Ky., Ramie Colson won nearly half a million dollars as a professional fisherman since 1995. He won three major tournaments including a 2008 FLW Series event on Wheeler Lake, Ala. He also won two Bass Fishing League events.
“I’m very happy to be a part of this,” Colson said. “I like to fish deep-water ledges with big jigs and worms. For fishing a ledge, the 10-inch ATTRAXX Ribbontail Worm in green pumpkin candy is my first choice. The action of the Ribbontail is unmatched by any other worm. I also love to flip shallow cover so I know I’ll catch a lot of fish with the Mystic Bug.”
Brandon Coulter of Knoxville, Tenn., made four top 10 FLW finishes since 2002 to win more than $149,000. In 2010, he ranked 21st in the FLW Tour Majors circuit.
“I’m fired up about being part of the team,” Coulter said. “I’m really excited for the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of something. I love the fact that we’ll get to design baits. I have some ideas about baits I’d like to design.”
Calling Clewiston, Fla., home Steve Daniel won three FLW Tour Majors events. Since 1995, he earned more than $281,000 on the tournament trail.
“I’m really happy to be aboard,” Daniel said. “I really like the fact that each bait has the SCI-X feeding stimulant impregnated into it so it’s not messy. The Mystic Frog is the best frog that I’ve ever thrown. The legs are a little longer than other frogs and kick up the water, making a unique sound. That sound makes it such a great lure. I also really like the Shadlyn. It comes across the water like a spook with really good side-to-side action.”
Keith Monson of Burkin, Ky., won nearly $500,000 in bass tournaments since 1995. He qualified five times for the All-American and twice for the FLW championship. He also took the BFL Mountain Division points leadership three times.
“I’ve never been a part of anything like this where we get to have input on what’s going on,” Monson said. “My two favorite ATTRAXX baits are the Mystic Bug and the MYZ-Stick. I use those baits for flipping in shallow water around beds. The Mystic Finesse Worm also has a lot of potential. I use it on a shaky head for fishing shallow water around beds.”
Jason Ober of Johnstown, Pa., won more than $200,000 in fishing tournaments. Noted for his drop shot, topwater, flipping and shallow cranking skills, he won two EverStart Series events in 2008 and an FLW Tour Majors tournament in 2009. He designed the Oberdad.
“The ATTRAXX product line and the concept behind it is something that this sport has lacked,” Ober said. “Having the SCI-X feeding stimulants built into the bait is going to enhance it. The Oberdad was originally designed for power drop shotting. It has great tail action and displaces a lot of water as it falls. This bait will also work very well as a jig trailer, for punching through thick vegetation or with a Carolina rig.”
Jacob Powroznik of Prince George, Va., pocketed more than $600,000 in tournaments since 1998. Among his accomplishments, he won an EverStart event in 2003 and a BFL event in 2006.
“It’s great to be part of the ATTRAXX team,” Powroznik said. “The best part of it is that ATTRAXX has allowed some anglers to create their own baits. I designed a flipping bait called the Jacobug. It’s a small profile bait that’s going to be awesome. Instead of veering off to the left or right like many flipping baits, this bait has two arms that makes the bait fall vertically so it stays in the strike zone.”
Nicolas Supik of Butler, Pa., began his professional fishing career in 2005. In his first 23 events, he made two Top 10 finishes, one in an EverStart Series and one in a 2010 FLW Eastern Division tournament. In 2009, he ranked 19th in the EverStart Series Northern Division.
“It’s fabulous to be part of such a team,” Supik said. “I like fishing drop shots. That ATTRAXX Dropshot Shad is awesome. When I drop shot on a fish I saw on the depth finder, I might have a 50 percent chance of getting it. With the ATTRAXX Dropshot Shad with SCI-X, that chance goes to about 80 percent.”
Developed after years of research into what makes fish bite, each ATTRAXX soft bait contains SCI-X, the most advanced feeding stimulant ever placed into a fishing lure. When a fish bites an ATTRAXX bait, the biodegradable SCI-X natural chemical compound activates nerve centers in the fish’s brain telling it to eat.
For more information on ATTRAXX baits, see attraxxbaits.com.
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Power Fishing means power tools and punching heavy grass takes the right rod and reel, the right line, the right weights and the right hooks. Seaguar, Mustad and Eco Pro Tungsten takes care of the line, hooks and weights.
Until this year, Chad and Denny Brauer bought all of their Seaguar line. "We wanted and the best and even though we weren't sponsored by them we wanted Seaguar. It is without a doubt the best line I have used" said Denny. "The TATSU Fluorocarbon is by far the best fluorocarbon I have ever tied on.
Mustad recently introduced the new Grip Pin punching hook and hook up ratios increased. Mustad has been building great hooks for years but the new KVD Elite Treble combined with the Strike King Redeye Shad won another Bassmaster Classic last year and it looks like the new Grip Pin has a chance to pay big dividends this year at the Louisiana Delta.
Eco Pro has hit the market strong with the new "green" line up of great looking tungsten products like the new "Monster" punch weight. Great colors, environmentally friendly and because of its denseness it is much smaller than lead. Look for Eco Pro to also have a major impact at this years Classic.
We recently ran a Ultimate Punch Contest on Wired2Fish. Thanks to all of the savvy Wired2Fish readers who entered. The winners were chosen and they are:
Brody Sanders
Gadsden, AL
Matt Bradley
Ashland, VA
Derek Kelley
Park City, KS
The spool of Seaguar TATSU, Eco Pro Tungsten Weights and Mustad Grip Pin Hooks are on the way.
Also, check out the new Vicious Fishing Contest running on Wired2Fish now. We are giving away some of the new Vicious Pro Elite Fluorocarbon in this one. That is the same line that Gerald Swindle used to win his first B.A.S.S event on Lake Toho this past weekend.
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Eco Pro Tungsten announces the addition of Georgia’s JTodd Tucker to it’s Pro Staff
JTodd Tucker, Georgia Elite pro, has joined Eco Pro Tungsten and will be uitilizing their tungsten weights in 2011.
“We are excited to bring JTodd to the team. He is a rising star on the Elite Series and a true ambassador for the sport of bass fishing. We believe he will be a great addition to our growing team of Elite Series anglers.” Tyler Brinks, Eco Pro Tungsten Pro Staff Manager
"From the smallest of weights to the biggest, tungsten is the way to go. Eco Pro makes their weights with other things in mind such as zero line fray, and without plastic inserts. This weight also helps with better hook sets. When a fish clamps down hard above your weight, the small profile will penetrate through their jaws to give you a better hook up. By using Eco Pro it enables me to fish heavier cover without hang ups. Everything about this product fits my style of fishing. I am proud to be a part of Eco Pro Tungsten and a part of the fine pro staff they have put together. JTodd Tucker
To learn more about Eco Pro Tungsten go to http://www.ecoprotungsten.com
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Once Gerald Swindle figured out the bass wanted an achingly slow presentation with his lipless crankbait, it was a matter of staying focused and grinding out his first Bassmaster tournament win.
More than 80 pounds in three days might not be considered "grinding" to some anglers. But for the G-Man, who rarely operates in slow motion, his Bassmaster Southern Open victory on Lake Toho was a course in patience and tackle refinement.
The veteran Alabama pro and Vicious Elite Team member used 12- and 14-pound Vicious Pro Elite Fluorocarbon with his lipless crankbait and Carolina-rigged Zoom trick worm to notch his win. Conditions were tough. Toho’s pre-spawn largemouths were lethargic due to cold air and water temperatures, which made it tougher to initially crack the code.
"You can get into that fun zone on the bank because it’s warming up a little and they’re biting a fluke or topwater toad," Swindle said. "Coming from cold weather up north where it’s miserable, catching fish like that is fun. But it wasn’t going to win.
"I made up my mind to stay offshore and grind it out. In practice I caught a 3- and 4-pounder on consecutive casts on a little shell bed in some grass. You don’t fish miles and miles of grass, get two bites in one little hard spot and not have more of them around there ready to move in."
Vicious Pro Elite Fluorocarbon is new in the Vicious lineup and is made for the serious angler. It was in the testing stages in 2010 when Vicious prostaffer John Crews won the Bassmaster Elite Series opener on the California Delta. The technology in Pro Elite incorporates top-of-the-line resins with modern spooling techniques that make it subtle and silky smooth, but with an affordable starting price of $14.99.
"I've worked with Gerald for more than 16 years and the Vicious family is proud of him for his first Bassmaster win," said Chris Dutton, Vicious pro staff and marketing manager. "Gerald has worked so hard and has been so committed to the sport of bass fishing for many years. He deserves this victory and we’re very proud that Vicious Pro Elite Fluorocarbon is his line of choice."
Swindle’s first clue to the puzzle came after locating the small, hard-bottom shell bed. The lipless crankbait didn’t work so he began dragging the Carolina-rig. Two bites, two quality fish and that put his mind in overdrive to put his practice keys into place in the tournament.
"I think the whole key that first tournament day was the speed, no doubt," he said. "They wanted it so slow and I could do so much better if I made a long cast, worked the lipless bait through the grass and then let it fall to the bottom. I was just dragging it, barely getting it off the bottom enough to make a little flutter and sometimes they hit it so hard they would be hooked under the mouth. The first one I caught was cold and I knew they weren’t in the mood to chase anything."
Swindle threw the lipless bait on the 12-pound Pro Elite Fluorocarbon, and used 14-pound test on his main line and leader with the Carolina-rigged trick worm. He used a 3/4-ounce Eagle Claw tungsten weight and 3/0 Lazer TroKar hook on the junebug worm.
"The key was staying tuned in and staying on the bottom without getting too fast," he said. "I never had a problem with my line, not once, during practice or the tournament. Almost 81 pounds of bass and no breakoffs … that’s pretty good in my book."
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Kevin Oldham is a bass fisherman. Kevin Oldham is a Waukegan, Ill. fireman. Kevin Oldham is a husband and a father. Kevin Oldham has pancreatic cancer. He is the epitome of what the term "selflessness" means. He is truly "selfless" and is diligently working to tell the story of the importance of respirators, proper clothing and safety gear to firemen across the country for Code 3 for a Cure.
The 33-year-old father of two is an inspiration for anyone who believes you can't. He'll turn it around so they say you can.
This interview will touch your heart and give an example of one man who is facing the gravest of odds and still giving back.
For the record Kevin, you are a hero and thanks for all you do. See you at the Classic K.O.!
To listen to his interview on Weighing In with Terry Brown click here. |
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FLW pro and Wired2Fish angler Brent Ehrler has joined Mercury Outboards for 2011.
"The very first outboard I ran was a Mercury" said Ehrler. "I ran one for the first 9 years of my career. I like everything about it. This new motor is very responsive and very fast. It is also very fuel efficient and reliable. It sounds great too. In all the years I ran one I never had a breakdown. That is critical to me"
Ehrler is fishing FLW Tour and the FLW Opens plus the the Forrest Wood Cup.
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Hookerz Tackle just announced the signing of B.A.S.S Heavyweight Record Holder Preston Clark. Clark will be using Hookerz hooks and shakey heads for the 2011 season. "They offer a quality hook that comes in unique half sizes and I really like the 7.5 flipping hook" said Clark. The 3X Flipping Hooks have been tested by Clark this past year and has been very impressed.
"When Preston is impressed we know we have hit a home run" said John Terry, co-owner of Hookerz. "His hookset will rip a fish's jaw off"
Hookerz offers hooks for every application and also has premium tungsten and drop shot weights as well as several different plastic baits all at affordable prices.
They also offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee and their pricing allows anglers to get 10 hooks for the price others might charge for 5.
To learn more go to the Hookerz website.
Hookerz offers a $5.00 flat rate shipping on all orders and orders over $50.00 are shipped free. They also are offering a 10% discount for entering "Preston" in the promo code block at check out.
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B.A.S.S. Communications
In 2007, Alabama angler Boyd Duckett busted the myth that a Bassmaster Classic can’t be won at home. So, thanks to Duckett, no one can hang that old “home-state curse” on 2011 Classic qualifier Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La.
Hackney will be the sole representative of his state when he competes in the Feb. 18-20 Classic on the Louisiana Delta out of New Orleans.
Well-known nationally as well as at home, Hackney, 37, has racked up more than $1.2 million in B.A.S.S. earnings, won three Bassmaster pro events, and earned the trophy in a big-money FLW championship in 2009. But the closest he’s come to a Classic win in his eight tries was a fifth-place finish in 2008 on Lake Hartwell in South Carolina.
In the four previous Classic competitions in Louisiana — 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2009 — an out-of-state pro took the crown.
For all those reasons and more, Louisiana is looking to Hackney to bring it home in 2011.
For the record, he is not a native son, but an adopted one. He was born in Star City, Ark., and cut his fishing teeth on the Arkansas River. He wasn’t lured to Louisiana by the good fishing (although the prospect of living in “Sportsman’s Paradise” had to be enticing), he moved for the love of a good woman.
“My wife is from New Orleans; she’s my connection to this part of the world,” Hackney said. “I’ve been coming here since 1997, and have lived in Gonzales for the past eight years. I feel like I’m a native of this area. Everyone treats me like I’ve been here my whole life.”
His home is just minutes from the delta fishery. He worked that advantage by practicing more for this Classic than for any of the other eight he’s been in.
“I came from Birmingham in February last year (from the 2010 Classic), stayed at home one day, then was on the water practicing for this year’s Bassmaster Classic, just in case I qualified,” he said.
He qualified, no sweat, in June for his ninth consecutive Classic through the 2010 Bassmaster Elite Series. He kept at the delta bass until close to Thanksgiving. That’s when other Classic qualifiers began to show up. Hackney decided to go deer hunting and relax.
On Dec. 13, the off-limits period began, so Hackney hasn’t been on the delta since. Yet not much could have changed, he said. Barring a big storm, a Mississippi River flood or a stunning cold snap, he expects a good bite.
“The bass are in really good shape now, probably the best shape they’ve been in since 1998’s severe drought,” he said. “That really hurt the fishing; it had been incredible earlier in the ’90s. It’s actually working back to that quality now. And Katrina was in ’05, so that’s five years of growing time.
“Storm or drought — one’s as bad as the other here. With both you get saltwater intrusion, and that’s what kills the fish. So now we’re on the upswing and fishing’s good. I expect that, if the weather’s decent, it’s going to be a fun Classic with a lot of fish caught.”
He is quick to say that his considerable scouting time is not a guaranteed advantage. He contends that the official practice days of Feb. 11-13 and Feb. 16 are enough to serve any of his fellow Bassmaster Elite Series pros.
“They are that good. One thing I will have over a bunch of them is I can fish my areas and never look at a GPS because I know my way around so well. I also know how to do things a little differently. But it goes back to the fact that all these guys are so stinkin’ good. Any one of them could do it — but of course I pick me to win.”
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 The Bass Federation’s (TBF) Student Angler Federation (SAF) and FLW Outdoors announced today the formation of the largest student angler program in history.
Decades of youth program leadership by TBF and affiliated state federations, and FLW Outdoors’ position as the largest promoter of tournaments in the world have spawned the largest youth fishing initiative in sports history. The new national High School Fishing program follows highly successful TBF and FLW Outdoors programs including National Guard FLW College Fishing, the SAF High School Fishing World Finals and the TBF Junior World Championship. Over 23,000 high schools across the nation and Canada are invited to compete giving high school anglers opportunities to fish, make friends, advance to championship events and earn scholarships to benefit their education and their lives.
“The Federation was founded on three core principles – youth, conservation and fishing,” TBF President, Robert Cartlidge, said. “For more than four decades we’ve been the leader in youth fishing programs. This is the next step for us and for our great partnership with FLW Outdoors.
"Through our Student Angler Federation we’ll provide every high school club and angler who enters a High School Fishing State Championship with full TBF and FLW Outdoors member benefits, including the all-new FLW Outdoors Magazine e-Edition, TBF insurance coverage while competing and educational material on math, science and language arts and why they’re important to fishing and life. We will also provide advancement to the nation’s premier fishing events. So, it’s not simply about another fishing tournament. It’s about fishing, education and family fun. Prizes will consist of trophies, sponsor products and significant scholarships, which can help these young anglers prosper.”
The High School Fishing program will start out with a High School Fishing State Championship for every state in the continental United States and the province of Ontario, Canada. The events will be a two-person team format of high school students grades 9-12, paired with a “coach” of their choice who will provide the boat they compete from. All state championships are only $25 per person. Current TBF SAF high school club members fish for free. All competitors receive full SAF member benefits, including TBF and FLW Outdoors membership with their $25 entry fee so it’s a win-win for everyone.
The winning team from each state championship advances to a High School Fishing Regional Championship held on a college campus in conjunction with a National Guard FLW College Fishing Regional Championship, where boats and a travel allowance are provided. The winning team from each regional championship advances to the High School Fishing National Championship held on a college campus in conjunction with the National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship, again where boats and a travel allowance are provided.
The High School Fishing National Champions each receive a $5,000 scholarship to use at the university of their choice. All SAF members and High School Fishing State Championship contestants automatically qualify for High School Fishing’s single largest event, the 2011 SAF High School Fishing World Finals July 20-23 in Russellville, Ark.
“High School Fishing is the natural progression of our successful National Guard FLW College Fishing program,” said Kathy Fennel, FLW Outdoors President, Operations Division. “With TBF heading up the state championships and FLW Outdoors leading the way at regional championships and the national championship, we are able to provide a comprehensive program that will help connect students to our nation’s natural resources while also providing a new sport for young men and women alike that will give students an even stronger connection to their schools.”
To register for your High School Fishing State Championship and information on how to start an SAF High School Fishing club, visit Highschoolfishing.org.
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 FLW Outdoors announced Thursday that Strike King Lure Company has joined forces the tournament-fishing organization. Strike King has been equipping fishermen for over 40 years with a wide selection of tackle. Through the new agreement, Strike King will market its industry-leading and well respected products to a loyal segment of tournament fishermen.
Strike King will also serve as title sponsor of the Angler of the Year Award in the EverStart Series. The Strike King Angler of the Year from each of the five divisions – Central, Northern, Southeast, Texas and Western – will receive $5,000. In addition, the Strike King Co-angler of the Year from each division will receive $2,000.
“We truly value our endemic sponsors; they’re essential to the lifeblood of the sport,” said Trisha Blake, president of the FLW Outdoors Marketing Division. “We’re particularly proud to be associated with a premier company like Strike King. This new agreement will bring them added exposure and give EverStart anglers an additional incentive.”
 As part of the sponsorship, Strike King will be promoted across all platforms of FLW Outdoors, including its tournaments, multiple websites, magazines, and various FLW Outdoors events. Strike King’s Pro Team includes Forrest Wood Cup and two-time Bassmaster Classic champion George Cochran as well as ledge expert Mark Rose and Ozark specialist Chad Brauer.
"Strike King Lure Company is excited and proud to be the newest sponsor of FLW Outdoors," said Chris Brown, Strike King's Marketing Manager. "Our association with FLW Outdoors will compliment Strike King's well known and trusted brand, as well as generate significant exposure for our extensive product line to all levels of tournament anglers."
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Jackall Lures, a leading innovator of high performance fishing tackle, announced today that they have signed Bassmaster Elite Series pro Dave Wolak to represent the company and work on product development.
Next month Wolak will compete in his fifth Bassmaster Classic. Over the course of his relatively young professional career, he has amassed nearly $900,000 in BASS winnings. His career with BASS has been highlighted by two victories, one at the all-star 2006 Bassmaster American on Lake Wylie and more recently at the 2010 Bassmaster Northern Open on Lake Champlain. He is widely regarded as one of the most versatile young anglers on tour.
“I’m excited to work with Jackall going forward,” Wolak said. “They are incredibly innovative. Not only do they use cutting edge technology, but they are also renowned for developing entirely new techniques.”
Curt Arakawa, who runs the United States operations for Jackall, was thrilled to announce that Wolak had joined his team. “Dave is extremely well-rounded,” he said. “He’s an accomplished fisherman and is very knowledgeable about the industry. We look forward to getting him involved in testing new products for the US market. In fact, I have already devised some projects that are right up his alley. His participation will bring immediate credibility to those new lures.”
Wolak, a noted tackle tinkerer, is pleased that he’ll have a chance to contribute to Jackall’s US product lineup. “Conceptualizing new products and helping to improve existing products is the most sought after opportunity for any professional angler who is passionate about the tackle he or she uses,” he stated.
Jackall was founded by legendary Japanese designer Seiji Kato, who over the course of nearly three decades in the business has created many top-selling and top-producing lures. He partnered with top tournament angler Toshiro “Ty” Ono to form the company. As noted above, they subsequently enlisted
Arakawa to run US marketing and distribution. In addition to Wolak, the Jackall Bassmaster Elite Series team consists of Kota Kiriyama, Cliff Pace and Jared Lintner. Cody Meyer and Scott Canterbury are the two Jackall anglers fishing the FLW Tour.
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Yamaha Marine Group today announced the 2011 schedule for the Discover VMAX SHO® Demo tour, a national program consisting of high-performance demo rides in 15 markets designed to show the benefits of Yamaha’s VMAX SHO®, an outboard motor that is becoming known as the most capable in the realm of bass fishing.
“The VMAX SHO® Demo Tour allows consumers to see and feel just how game changing these outboards really are,” said Dale Barnes, Yamaha Marine Group Division Manager, Marketing. “The holeshot and midrange punch are unequalled. We can say that, you’ve heard it, but it needs to be experienced, and that’s what this tour is all about.”
The 2011 Discover VMAX SHO® Demo tour debuts Friday, February 18, during the Bassmaster® Classic in New Orleans. The activity will take place at the Bayou Segnette State Park Boat Ramp in Westwego, La. All bass fishing fans in the area are invited to attend for a first-come, first-served opportunity to ride in Skeeter® bass boats equipped with Yamaha VF250LA VMAX SHO® outboards.
In conjunction with The Discover VMAX SHO® Demo tour, for a limited time, Yamaha is offering a special promotion. The first 100 participants each day to take advantage of the demo ride will receive a voucher good for a one-year Yamaha Extended Service contract (Y.E.S.) (choice offered in Florida is a 12-month limited warranty) with an MSRP value of up to $1,500.00. The voucher can be redeemed only after the customer has purchased a new VMAX SHO®. Some restrictions apply. Additional terms and conditions apply. See discovervmaxsho.com for complete details.
At the heart of the VMAX SHO® is an all-new four-stroke 4.2-liter V6 powerhead that provides the best power-to-weight ratio in its class. With considerably more displacement than its competitors, the 4.2-liter outboard employs new materials and processes that help make it lighter, more efficient and powerful.
The VMAX SHO® is 34 pounds lighter than its two-stoke predecessor, the VMAX Series 2, and burns less fuel, about 12 percent less on average. That makes longer runs possible between fill ups, and that could mean the difference between getting to the fish or not. Overall, fuel efficiency is best in class.
The new outboards not only offer better performance, they deliver that performance with the same clean, quiet smooth demeanor four-strokes are famous for. Whether at idle, part or wide open throttle, the VMAX SHO® is smoother and quieter than the VMAX Series 2.
The current schedule for the 2011 Yamaha VMAX SHO® Demo Tour is as follows:
Feb. 18-20 Bassmaster Classic® Championship
March 10-13 Bassmaster® Elite Series - Sunshine Showdown
March 16-19 Texas Oilman’s, BASS® Invitational
March 17-20 Bassmaster® Elite Series - Citrus Slam
April 6 - 9 Bassmaster® Elite Series - Alabama Charge
April 14 - 17 Bassmaster® Elite Series - Battle on the Bayou
April 26 - 29 Mark's Outdoors Tournament - Lay Lake Open
May 5 - 8 Bassmaster® Elite Series - Pride of Georgia
May 12 - 15 Bassmaster® Elite Series - Carolina Clash
May 27-28 Boat U.S.® Collegiate Bass Championship
May 28 Fun n Sun Tournament
June 2-3 Skeeter® Owners’ Tourney
June 9 - 12 Bassmaster® Elite Series - Diamond Drive
June 16 - 19 Bassmaster® Elite Series - Dixie Duel
August 5-6 Buick LaCrosse® Ride and Drive - MSBC Bass Tournament
Please go to DiscoverVMAXSHO.com for more information about the Discover VMAX SHO® Demo tour, and to see schedule updates as they become available. Tour dates are subject to change.
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Wright & McGill Co. of Denver, Co announces a new partnership with Rick Clunn professional bass angler from Ava, Missouri. Rick has been fishing professionally for 37 years and was voted ESPN All-Time Greatest Bass Angler in 2004. With his expertise, he’s the right match for Wright & McGill when it comes to selecting and designing bass rods to meet the competitive angler’s demands.
Rick will be fishing with Wright & McGill Signature S-Curve and S-Glass bass rods and Victory reels. He currently has 4 Bassmaster Classic wins and 14 B.A.S.S. National Championship wins making him one of the highest money winners on the tournament trail.
"I am very excited to be part of the W&M team and look forward to fishing the very best rods on the market during 2011 and beyond,” stated Rick.
Chris Russell, Marketing Director for Wright & McGill said, “Rick is the ultimate addition to the W&M team. With his years of experience and unmatched knowledge Rick is the perfect pro to fish W&M rods and reels. He demands the very best in his fishing equipment and will not settle for products that do not live up to his requirements. Rick is also very in tune with what anglers and fans are looking for to help them be more successful out on the water. We are excited to have Rick fishing our S-Curve and S-Glass rods and performance reels and are looking forward to incorporating his knowledge into new items in the future.”
For more information on Wright & McGill products visit wright-mcgill.com and you can follow Wright & McGill on Facebook.
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If you liked our mini-tip shows on ESPN2 last year, you'll be happy to learn that we're back for more this year on Versus. Our shows will air during other full-length fishing shows twice a week. There just quick hard hitting tips from top anglers in bass, walleye and multispecies. Anglers like Denny Brauer, Gary Klein, Shaw Grigsby, Mike McClelland, Terry Brown and Scott and Marty Glorvigen with the walleye and multispecies tips.
"We cover a broad spectrum of fishing and fishing techniques," said Scott Glorvigen, CEO of Wired2Fish. "From weather to walleyes, these are hard-hitting tips that have a greater impact for the anglers viewing because they are short and to the point. While being educational they are also very entertaining."
Offering the tips on TV is not only great because of the visual appeal but we'll be able to take the topics back to the web and go more in depth with the anglers, using your feedback to find out what else you want to know on a topic through our facebook and other social networking outlets. The idea being that we want you to be connected to the tips, the fishing and the anglers.
Please share this promo video with your friends. They will air starting Monday Jan. 31 during 12:30 programming on Versus Television. We'll be releasing the full schedule soon.
For now let us know what you think of the promo and definitely what you think of the short tips as they begin airing. We'll be reposting them on the web also for our fans that want to see them but may not have access to Versus.
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For as little as $38 you get a BoatU.S. ANGLER membership, Unlimited on-the-road towing assistance and peace of mind every time you hook-up to your bass boat – plus you become eligible to collect Weigh-to-Win cash bonuses when you post the highest placing finish in qualifying tournaments.
Here is all you have to do to sign up and start cashing in.
Registration is a two-part process:
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Sign up for a BoatU.S. ANGLER Membership & purchase one or both of the following towing services - Unlimited On-The-Road Towing (Trailer Assist™), Unlimited On-The-Water Towing.After you have received your BoatU.S. ANGLER Membership number, you can then proceed to the Weigh-To-Win Registration Form. Complete the official registration form and return via email, fax or mail. Registration must be received and confirmed prior to fishing in your first contingency paying event.
Participate in any Weigh-to-Win sanctioned event, and then post the highest placing finish of those who have registered for the program. Highest finishers must fall within the top 50% of the field, with a minimum field size of no less than 30 boats. A list of sanctioned events and payouts are posted on this website.
Submit the Official Weigh-to-Win Award Form within 30-days of your finish. Upon verification and approval, your contingency payment will be sent via U.S. mail. Winners should allow at least 8 weeks for approval, processing and distribution.
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CarecoTV announced today that Lazer TroKar is returning as a sponsor of the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Series. After joining the series as a sponsor in 2010 and introducing the sharpest fishhook ever known to collegiate anglers, TroKar returns in 2011 with an even broader line of wicked hooks to aid collegiate anglers in their championship pursuit.
"The BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Series presents a wonderful opportunity to get in touch with these up and coming collegiate anglers," said Matt Gray, product manager for Lazer TroKar. "They are the future of our sport and our industry and TroKar is proud to be a consistent part of their journeys and endeavors."
Four new styles of Lazer TroKar are being introduced for 2011 giving collegiate anglers the upper edge when fishing a tournament that could make or break their season. These new additions to the Lazer TroKar lineup are unerringly made in the United States to exude sheer aggression and lip-piercing fury. Like all Lazer TroKar hooks, they are designed to be the wickedest piece of metal that a bass will ever encounter.
Skeet Reese recently said, "I Iove to catch fish and win! That's why I use the world's sharpest hooks, TroKar". Skeet is joined by TroKar pros, Shaw Grigsby, Brent Chapman, Gerald Swindle, Scott Martin and Jason Williamson. TroKar - for those who believe first place is just a pit stop on the way to legendary.
As new collegiate fishing clubs form, Lazer TroKar is supporting them with a "welcome package" that includes product samples, catalogs, hats, decals and a Lazer TroKar banner.
For more information about Lazer TroKar, please visit www.lazertrokar.com .
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Three classic and effective bass lures that were discontinued years ago have risen from the ashes and are available again only through lurenet.com. Lurenet.com is the homepage for all of PRADCO's fishing brands including Booyah, YUM, Rebel, Cotton Cordell, XCalibur, Bomber and more. The three “New” baits also are made totally in the USA!
The three lures are the Cotton Cordell 1-ounce Super Spot, the original single-rattle lure, the Bomber 9A, the deepest-running of the A Series of crankbaits, and the Rebel Pop-R P70, the largest-size Pop-R.
 The Cordell 1-ounce Super Spot is a big, floating lipless crankbait that dives to 5 feet or so when retrieved, making it perfect for running over emerging vegetation or fishing shallow water anytime. Because it’s a floater, anglers get incredible versatility with this lure and can guide it over shallow cover or even twitch it on top as a unique topwater. As the original One Knocker – the first single-rattle lipless crank to ever hit the market – it provides a sound unlike other similar lures. Modern manufacturing allowed Cordell to improve the lure’s durability and good looks through a special topcoat that provides a thick, tough coating. Four effective color patterns are available.
 The Bomber 9A is the biggest and deepest-running of the A Series of crankbaits, quickly diving to 17- to 18-feet and even deeper when trolled. Classic color patterns Fire Tiger and Oxbow are joined by two of the hottest modern color patterns, Foxy Shad and Emerald Sparkle, all treated with our special topcoat that provides even more durability to this renowned lure. Great for bass, walleye, striped bass and other gamefish.
 The Rebel Pop-R P70 is the largest of the Pop-R line, measuring 3.25 inches in length, and provides a big target for waiting bass. The Pop-R is one of the most-copied lures in history. Professional fisherman Zell Rowland is credited for the revival of the entire Pop-R line in 80s and 90s through his major tournament wins on the bait, and he found that the Pop-R works like two different baits. By holding the rod tip high he could get the lure to skitter on top like a fleeing baitfish, and by holding the rod down the lure produces the loud, classic chug. Craig Powers is probably more recently noted for the demand for the old P70 Pop-R with several tournament wins and high finishes fishing it around shallow cover. Four color patterns covered in special topcoat are available now.
Go to lurenet.com to order these "Under the Radar" baits that are only being offered online.
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 The Oakley Big Bass Tour presents the 2nd Annual Kevin VanDam Big Bass Classic, March 26th and 27th, 2011 at Big Cedar Lodge and Bent Hook Marina on Table Rock Lake. This open big bass tournament will offer amateur anglers the chance to compete for over $75,000 in cash and prizes during the 2-day event. The angler with the largest overall big bass of the tournament will take home a 2011 Nitro Z9 powered by a Mercury 250 horsepower motor and equipped with a Power Pole -- a high-performance bass chasing package valued at $45,000.
The Kevin VanDam Big Bass Classic will be open to amateur anglers only. There will be seven hourly weigh-ins each day with thousands in hourly cash payouts and the overall largest fish of the event will earn the winner a fully rigged 2011 Nitro Z9 powered by Mercury guaranteed. The first 100 two-day entrants to register online will receive a custom Oakley rod from Quantum.
Anglers may pre-register for this event online at oakleybigbass.com. Anglers may also register by phone, fax or mail. Additionally, on-site registration will be held at Bass Pro Shops in Springfield on Friday, March 25th from 12:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m. Anglers may pick up registration forms at Big Cedar Lodge, Bass Pro Shops and Tracker Marine locations. Anglers must check in Friday at Bass Pro Shops in Springfield to pick up tournament registration and information.
Kevin Van Dam’s appearance times and locations will be posted at Bass Pro Shops prior to the event. Oakley's Rolling O Lab will be onsite at Bass Pro Shops for registration. There will be complimentary food and drink on Friday along with prize raffles and contests for those anglers touring the Rolling O Lab. Saturday and Sunday's weigh-ins will take place at the Toyota Main Stage at Bent Hook Marina on Table Rock Lake. The public is welcome at the live weigh-ins from 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. After the weigh-ins there will be angler and attendee hospitality activities from 3:00 p.m. -5:00 p.m. each day.
For more information on Table Rock Lake visit visittablerocklake.org.
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 Fifty top professional bass fishermen will attack Lake Ray Hubbard in April in the inaugural Bass Pro Shops PAA All Star Series tournament.
The no-entry fee tournament will be April 21-23 and based at Bass Pro Shops in Garland, Texas, right off of I-30 at the lake. Free daily launches from the store’s docks and weigh-ins each afternoon will provide fans with great access to the star-studded field.
Invited anglers include the top 44 pros from the 2010 PAA Tournament Series point standings, PAA Angler of the Year Tommy Biffle of Oklahoma and PAA Legends qualifier Harold Allen of Texas. Also invited will be Kevin Van Dam of Michigan, the 2010 Bassmaster Classic champion and Bassmaster Elite Series Angler of the Year, along with 2010 Forrest Wood Cup champion Kevin Hawk of Alabama and 2010 FLW Tour Angler of the Year Bryan Thrift of North Carolina.
Garland served as the host for the 2010 PAA Tournament Series event on Lake Tawakoni. Fans of all ages packed the final day weigh-in at Bass Pro Shops to witness the record-setting winning performance by Keith Combs of Texas.
“We’re thrilled to host the inaugural Bass Pro Shops PAA All Star Series tournament for the 2011 season featuring some of fishing’s top pros,” said Lucia Arrant, director of the Garland Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. “Last year’s PAA tournament at Garland’s Bass Pro Shops had a great turnout. We look forward to hosting more tournaments in the future and continuing our strong partnership with Bass Pro Shops and the PAA.”
Interest already is building for the event and the official PAA Member Observer positions are filling quickly. Observers do not fish, but will be able to learn first-hand from the pros as they dissect Lake Ray Hubbard and strategize during each tournament day.
The full field will compete the first two days and then be cut to the Top 12 for the final day. Fans will be able to meet the pros during official registration on Wednesday, April 20, and on Saturday, April 23, and attend free seminars both days at Bass Pro Shops featuring some of the top pros.
For more information about the Bass Pro Shops PAA All Star Series event, Lake Ray Hubbard and Garland, visit fishpaa.com.
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A fundraising drive began on Sunday, January 23 to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Named “Jerseys for St. Jude”, the effort includes a series of tournament jersey auctions in addition to a drawing for free fishing gear and memorabilia.
Autographed jerseys of many touring pros, including Kevin Van Dam, Mike Iaconelli, Clark Wendlandt, Dave Lefebre, Byron Velvick, Kim Bain-Moore and others, will be auctioned on EBay. A gift certificate for a free Gemini tournament jersey is also among one of the listings. Four to six jerseys will be auctioned each week through mid-February. Prospective bidders should search key words “Jerseys for St. Jude” and/or the name of the angler they are interested in bidding on to locate the appropriate auction.
 For those anglers wishing to contribute to St. Jude outside of the EBay auctions, donations will be accepted through: mystjudeevent.org/jersy4jude. For every $25 donated, one entry will be placed under the donor’s name for a drawing featuring several prizes:
1- Dobyns Savvy Series Rod.
1- American Rodsmiths Rod (donated by Legend Boats).
3- All-Terrain Tackle packs.
Several autographed photos / trading card sets of various anglers.
Discount coupons for Dobyns Rods.
Several other prizes will be added in the upcoming weeks. The actual date of the drawing will be announced in mid-February.
For auction and donation information in addition to photos of donated prizes and jerseys, visit the Jerseys for St. Jude blog: jerseysforstjude.blogspot.com.
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Whether you dream of becoming a full-time professional tournament angler, or just want to put more bass into your livewell on weekends, Bassmaster Classic and AOY winner Michael Iaconelli and Bass Fishing Hall of Fame writer Steve Price tell you how in Finesse Fishing with Mike Iaconelli. Under their guidance, you’ll learn all the secrets of using lighter rods, reels, lines, and lures to increase your catch, techniques that have taken Mike Iaconelli to the very top of the bass fishing world in both B.A.S.S. and FLW competition.
Included in the book are detailed descriptions of the actual finesse lures, rigging methods, and presentations Ike has used throughout his professional career on lakes and rivers throughout the United States, along with personal examples of his tournament experiences. You’ll learn about wacky rigs, drop shots, shaky heads, grubs, tubes, and much more. Now you’ll also be able to use the very same techniques the pros use to find bass so quickly on large reservoirs, as well as learn the tricks of how to make inactive bass bite your lures. From shallow water to deep, clear water to dingy, these two anglers cover the subject of finesse fishing like never before!
Michael Iaconelli has been ranked among America’s best bass fishermen for more than a decade, with not only a world championship Bassmaster Classic on his resume, but also a B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year title, six other national tournament victories, and more than 45 top-10 finishes. Mike is also the host of City Limits Fishing on the Versus Network. Steve Price has been covering professional bass fishing as a writer/photographer for more than 35 years; this is his sixth book about the sport.
Publication Date: February 15, 2011 Price: $19.99, plus shipping. Special Pre-Publication Offer: Order before Feb. 15 for the discounted price of $14.99 plus shipping!
Pre-Publication and Autographed Copies available at: www.mikeiaconelli.com.
Order now!
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B.A.S.S. Communications
The very interesting rookie year of Ott DeFoe: “First” things you may not know about Bassmaster Elite Series rookie Ott DeFoe: He fished his first tournament at the age of 9; now age 25, he entered his first FLW event at 16; he aspired to the Elite Series and made it on his first try; his first name is Arthur (but don’t call him that).
Another first: He and his wife are expecting twins in June. Multiple births don’t run in either of their families, so the news of twins was a surprise. But, as DeFoe explains it, he would have expected twins if only he had listened to his 3 1/2-year-old.
“Our daughter had been telling us for about a year that she was going to have a brother and a sister,” DeFoe related. “We always said, ‘Maybe one day you’ll have one or the other.’ She said, ‘Nope, a brother and a sister.’”
For now, the twins’ gender is unconfirmed. The June arrival date, though, is a fact that promises to add drama to DeFoe’s rookie Elite Series season. June was already the busiest time on his 2011 tournament calendar: back-to-back Elite events in Arkansas and Alabama, plus the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open season finale in Tennessee.
DeFoe declared that just before the Open, which is slated for a lake close to home, is when the big event will happen.
That’s pure optimism at this stage of the game. But who could doubt that all will work out for DeFoe? He’s been successful since age 16 in various FLW circuits. He went out for the Elite Series through the 2010 Southern Open trail and made it, first try. This season, he’s already on a roll with a fourth-place finish at last week’s Southern Open, a $12,000 check and a personal-best bass of 10 pounds, 9 ounces.
“I’ve never caught anything even close to (being) that big — and I caught it on the last cast,” DeFoe said on stage on Day 2 as the bass was weighed.
Helping DeFoe launch his first Elite year is an impressive list of sponsors. His Nitro boat is wrapped by Bass Pro Shops, and the retail giant’s name is prominent on his tournament jersey. Other sponsors include Berkley PowerBait, Berkley Trilene, Abu Garcia Revo reels, Tabu Tackle, Reins Tungsten and Citrus Sticks.
On Monday, already back home in Knoxville, Tenn., DeFoe took time to explain that the name Ott is a family nickname — origin unknown —bestowed on him at an early age by an aunt and uncle. Mainly, though, he talked about his goals as an Elite rookie. The top target is a Bassmaster Classic qualification. It’s a dream that took hold when his father first took him and his brother to see a Classic in 1996, just before his 11th birthday.
They took the trip every year as their summer vacation through the 2004 Classic. Then the pulls of adult life kept him away.
“I’ve always told myself that the next time I got to a Classic, I’d be on the other side of the stage,” he said.
Elite Series pros scout first fisheries: In Florida this month for other events, several Bassmaster Elite Series pros have been checking out the first two stops on this year’s schedule.
The Elite Series season will kick off with back-to-back events: the March 10-13 Sunshine Showdown on the Harris Chain out of Tavares, Fla., and the March 17-20 Citrus Slam on the St. Johns River out of Palatka, Fla.
One scout was Charlie Hartley of Grove City, Ohio. On the St. Johns on Monday morning, he planned to also hit the Harris Chain.
A veteran of competitions on both fisheries, Hartley was looking for one thing: change.
“Florida lakes change quicker than any other lake because of the grass that grows in them, so I use these trips to scout, to learn the waterway again. It’s too far ahead of time to actually learn what the fish will be doing,” Hartley said.
Elite Series rookie Ott DeFoe of Knoxville, Tenn., took a look because the St. Johns and Harris Chain will be new competition water for him.
“I knew they were both big bodies of water, very spread out, and that you could spend a lot of time running them — in the wrong direction,” said DeFoe, who scouted the Elite Series fisheries before the Southern Open. “The fishing itself will be entirely different by the time I come back.”
 Big bass stories — Charlie Hartley’s 10-10: Charlie Hartley began with a laugh and a teaser: “I can’t do anything the easy way.”
Then he told the story of how he boated a 10-pound, 10-ounce lunker on Jan. 21 during the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open on Florida’s Lake Tohopekaliga. His personal best in a tournament, the catch was also the largest bass of Day 2.
The action began in a small bunch of lily pads, Hartley said. Water depth was about 18 inches, and he was targeting spawners. He tossed a topwater. A small bass jumped and flipped over the bait.
“A lot of times that’s how bed fish will act,” Hartley said. “So I reeled in the topwater and threw a Venom Salty Slingipede in there. All the lily pads suddenly came together in a big wad and they shook and they shook. And then I thought my line broke.”
But it was the snap of a lily pad stem he felt, a fact he confirmed as his line disappeared under his boat and into hydrilla.
“I was just praying the line didn’t break,” he continued. “I brought her out from under the boat, and my co-angler netted it and lifted it up. When we saw its size, we both screamed.”
His co-angler was Kathy Freehling of Interlachen, Fla., who scooped the behemoth into the mesh without a hitch, Hartley said.
That line that did not, after all, break? It was 15-pound Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon. The Venom lure was a 6-inch soft stickbait with centipede legs, watermelon with red flake. It was Texas rigged on a 5/0 hook with a 1/64-ounce weight.
Crochet adds sponsors: Second-year Bassmaster Elite Series pro Cliff Crochet of Pierre Part, La., has three more sponsors behind him: Rat-L-Trap (Bill Lewis Lures); Falcon Rods; and Reins Tungsten, a Japanese company that recently brought its lures and weights to U.S. markets.
The new sponsors are in addition to those from his rookie year, which include Skeeter, Synergy Technologies, Humdinger Spinnerbaits and Onyx Outdoor.
Trevor’s triplets: “That’s actually the third 9-pounder I’ve caught this week.” — Pro Trevor Fitzgerald after weighing a 9-5 on Jan. 22, Day 3 of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open on Florida’s Lake Tohopekaliga
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Legendary angler Al Lindner weighs in on Weighing In Radio with Terry Brown today talking about his start, his feelings on the state of fishing and how optimistic he is about what lies ahead. To listen to Al click here |
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Zebco,
a name synonymous with fishing, recently announced it has landed a
partnership with the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization,
FLW Outdoors, as a sponsor for the 2011 season.
“The name Zebco invokes images of fishing, as everyone remembers
their first time fishing, and the chances are they made their first
cast with a Zebco,” said Trisha Blake, president, FLW Outdoors Marketing
Division. “We are excited to have them as a partner and look forward to
building a relationship that will be beneficial to both parties.”
A highlight of the sponsorship will be the Zebco Trout Pond,
serving as a vital component of retailtainment in Walmart parking lots
throughout the country and as a major attraction at the traveling FLW
Outdoors Expo as well as numerous tournaments and related events. The
Zebco Trout Pond will offer America’s youth the opportunity to catch
their first fish using products from one of the most famous names in
fishing.
Along with the fan-favorite trout pond, Zebco products will be
distributed as giveaway items surrounding select events on the Walmart
FLW Tour. Zebco will also have space at the Expo to showcase its product
lines to the tens of thousands of fishing fans that visit FLW Outdoors
events.
 "Whether it's being part of a child's first catch at the Zebco
Trout Pond this spring, or the chance to visit face-to-face with an
angler who caught their first fish with a Zebco reel as a kid in the
1950s, our partnership and presence at the FLW Outdoors events creates a
special opportunity for interaction with valued consumers," said Jeff
Pontius, President of ZEBCO brands.
Zebco, “America’s Favorite Fishing Reels,” will be featured in a
variety of media formats through FLW Outdoors and will also support FLW Fantasy Fishing,
a popular and pioneering addition to the world of fantasy sports. Zebco
will also have the opportunity to set up displays promoting its goods
while providing promotional products and offers to fans at the FLW
Outdoors Expo, surrounding the FLW Tour and championship events, and the
College Fishing Festivals, held in conjunction with National Guard FLW
College Fishing.
Tulsa, Okla.-based Zebco features a full lineup of freshwater
and saltwater spinning, spincasting and baitcasting reels as well as a
complete selection of rods, that are available in retailers across the
country under the brands Zebco, Quantum, Fin Nor, Van Staal, Martin and
Rhino."
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Goodwill Industries® International announced it will continue to build upon its successful partnership with FLW Outdoors by collecting donations at each Walmart FLW Tour event in 2011. Sales in those local Goodwill stores will help fund job training programs, employment placement services and other community-based programs for people who need them most.
“The relationship formed between FLW Outdoors and Goodwill has demonstrated how a unique partnership can benefit both organizations and our communities,” said Trisha Blake, president of FLW Outdoors Marketing Division. “Goodwill provides skills training and support services to hundreds of people every day through its multiple programs, and we are honored to be a part of that.”
Goodwill, which has more than 2,300 retail stores throughout the United States and Canada, will have the opportunity to use the resources of FLW Outdoors to drive traffic and awareness to its locations.
“The partnership between Goodwill and FLW Outdoors will increase awareness of Goodwill’s job training and career advancement programs,” said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. “Thanks to the generosity and cooperative spirit of FLW Outdoors, Goodwill has the opportunity to reach future donors and shoppers. As a result, we will be able to serve more people in communities across the country.”
Professional angler Chad Grigsby of Maple Grove, Minn., will continue to represent Goodwill on the FLW Tour. Grigsby has participated on the FLW Tour for nine years with career earnings nearing $500,000 and nine top-10 finishes, including a second-place finish on Fort Loudoun-Tellico Lakes in 2010 on the FLW Tour.
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Denali Rods has added another quality angler to its prostaff, professional fisherman Pete Gluszek, co-founder of The Bass University and 10-year professional angler. Gluszek will join Terry Bolton, Ray Scheide, Michael Murphy, Preston Clark, and Mark Tyler on the Denali Rods Pro Staff.
"Performance and durability, these are the features I always focus on when selecting my tournament equipment," Gluszek said. "The Denali rod line has an abundance of both. A great selection of rod actions to meet each fishing situation and components that are second to none.”
“Pete is a great advocate for the sport of fishing.” said Denali owner Scott Estes. “He is extremely active in the sport and very popular amongst fishermen, and I think he is a perfect fit for Denali Rods.”
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FLW pro Michael Murphy has joined Faculty of Fishing. Educated at Purdue University Murphy has a strong fisheries background and loves to talk fishing. This is a natural for him.
A little history on the Faculty of Fishing:
Faculty of Fishing (www.facultyoffishing.com), was founded by full time captain for a major airline, fishing enthusiast and tournament angler Terry McClymont. It branched from an idea originally developed for a program he and his partners, along with a team of programmers, designed to better train pilots through a fully animated and narrated online learning system (Faculty of Flight- www.facultyofflight.com). This method of learning allows pilots to easily and effectively retain valuable information, and it instantly became successful. “I have always had a passion for fishing and thought something like this would be a great concept to help anglers,” said McClymont. Faculty of Fishing uses top anglers around North America and experts like meteorologists and biologists to aid in the development of its comprehensive and credible fishing resources.
Faculty of Fishing is very excited to team up with Michael Murphy. “I first heard about Michael as he started to make his mark working in the fishing industry and as an up and comer tournament angler. I later saw a video on ‘youtube’ of a time when he was filming and was hooked in the face by another angler. I was impressed on how calm he remained, how he kept fishing and then turned the whole event into an educational video. Matched with his tournament experience, college fishing past and his fisheries biology background, I knew this type of person would be natural fit to work with us at Faculty of Fishing. Michael will be representing Faculty of Fishing and will be developing Species Specific courses for us,” said Terry McClymont.
“I am proud to be a part of Faculty of Fishing and working with Terry. What he and his team have done with Faculty of Fishing is incredible. The Faculty of Fishing programs have made learning things about fishing, that has taken me years to learn, fast and effective. Each lesson lasts between 15-30 minutes and provides detailed, instructional and animated content; best of all it is extremely easy to use and follow. I am honored to be involved with a very accomplished team and I look forward to using my knowledge and research to help Faculty of Fishing,” said Michael Murphy.
Increase your angling knowledge by checking out Faculty of Fishing at www.facultyoffishing.com. Create your account, enter promotional code Murphy2011, and you can watch four free mini lessons, can select a free lesson from five choices to try out, and for a limited time, receive 50% off the electronics course. You will also have the ability to tap into many other great resources like downloadable and printable fishing content (knot guides, species guides, fishing checklists, etc).
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When you look at a company that is less than a year old, started last spring, and just recently attended their first ICAST in July you wouldn't necessarily feel the ground swell that has acoompanied their shapes. However, PowerTeam Lures has taken a big swath and anglers across the country have fallen in love with their products. The ground swell has begun.
PowerTeam now has a Elite Series pro Travis Manson on road fishing the B.A.S.S. Tour and a lot of his livlihood depends on their baits.
We recently ran a PowerTeam Contest on Wired2Fish and thanks to everyone who participated. We have 4 winners and one of them is getting a PowerTeam Hoodie. The other three will be getting a bottle of Hog Tonic and some Diesel Craws. They are on the way!
The winners are:
Sweatshirt Winner!
Paul Hujar
Carol Stream, IL
Bait and Hog Tonic Winners!
G. Wayne Byrd
Peyton, CO
Brian Kiger
Waynesburg, PA
Bridget Gowen
St. Louis, MO
Congrats to all
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Tim Makos, Design Engineer for Frabill, was out panfishing through the ice this weekend on a lake near West Bend, Wis. He got a tug on a his Frabill Bro Quick Tip rod and the fight was on. Knowing it was a big fish he played the fish down and the battle took right at 15 minutes until an enormous mouth filled the 8-inch hole. It turns out it wasn't a pike or even a musky but instead a big hungry bass. Makos is an avid bass angler in the warmer months, and fishes many tournaments, yet said this was his largest Wisconsin bass ever.
Unfortunately he doesn't bring a scale or tape measure when he's out fishing for panfish, so he didn't have official measurements. But the pictures say it all. The bass was caught on 2-pound Sufix Ice Magic line.
Now that's Wired2Fish! Way to go Tim!
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ECO Pro continues to add anglers and has just announced an agreement with Elite Series Angler Chad Griffin, winner of the 2009 Elite Series event on Oneida Lake.
“With an eye to the future, we are continuing to add Elite Series anglers that we feel are the future of the sport," said Tyler Brinks prostaff manger. "Chad Griffin has already proven he can win at the Elite level and we are confident the partnership will be a good one. His style of fishing is a perfect match with our tungsten products."
“I am very proud to be involved with a company of this stature and really look forward to using these premier products," Griffin said. "I think these products will put more fish in the boat, and that’s the name of the game in our business. I hope to be involved with this company for a long time and be there with them as they continue to grow.”
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 Lew's announces that
seasoned outdoor industry executive Gary Remensnyder has joined the
company and will assume the role of president, effective immediately.
Remensnyder brings to
Lew's more than 16 years of related industry experience, 13 of which
were spent helping to build the Shakespeare, Ugly Stik and Pflueger
brands, among others.
In making the
announcement, Lew's CEO Lynn Reeves said, "I've worked with Gary for
over 10 years in building businesses and brands together in the fishing
industry. His leadership style is a perfect fit for the culture we are
developing for the new Lew's."
Reeves further explained
that Remensynder will concentrate on driving the sales, marketing and
the financial planning efforts of the company during the next few
months, allowing him to continue to focus on developing the all-new
generation of Lew's products and to oversee the day-to-day operations of
their Springfield facilities. "Our respective strengths make us a great
team to lead this company to new heights to the benefit of anglers and
the fishing tackle trade," Reeves added.
"Lynn has a great vision
for the future of the Lew's brand," said Remensnyder. "I am so pleased
to have the opportunity to work with him and the entire Lew's team to
help rebuild what is a great American fishing tradition. Our goal is to
be true to the heritage of the brand founded by the legendary Lew
Childre, building quality and innovation into our products just like he
did, while also providing outstanding service and value to our
customers."
Lew's was originally
founded in the 1950s. Reeves acquired the Lew's name and many affiliated
trademarks, including Speed Spool®, Speed Spin®, Laser® and Speed
Stick®, from the Lew Childre family in 2008.
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His boat wrap features Powerline Services, Power Tackle and the Lateral Perch, and Tournament Saver Pro. Powerline Services was formed last March by Energy Capital Partners and is a construction services firm nation-wide for major utilities, regional cooperatives, renewable energy
developers, commercial and industrial customers and several oil and gas
companies. Power Tackle makes some great sticks for bass fishing and recently entered the lure market with the Lateral Perch, a panfish-shaped jig for fishing deep structure. And Tournament Saver Pro which is a battery jumping system for your cranking batteries in your boat.
Ironically I fished with Combs on an outing on Falcon Lake when his cranking battery went dead. We had to swap wires from the cranking battery to the trolling batteries. It was a chore to do and I was relieved we were able to get the boat started. It was many years ago before he had the Tournament Saver Pro system and probably one of the reasons he's been running it for a while.
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Metal Flake Shad(D67)
Fried Squash or Butter Bean? Sounds like something from the garden but in reality its a couple of the new color names from Bandit Lures and do they look sweet. Combine with them Canary, Natural Shad, Metal Flake Shad and Chartruese Fleck and you have the makings of a salad that every angler will love.
We are impressed not only by the color but by the dimension that the color patterns portray. Fried Squash is a dark gray opaque back with scaled sides and a wisp of chartruese with a gray under belly. Butter Bean, has more gray and a butterscotch look with a hint of purple on the belly.
We bet these new colors will be hotter than a two dollar pistol this year.
The new colors will be available in the Series 100, 200, and 300.
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By Alan McGuckin
Gerald Swindle is bass fishing’s funniest man. And finally, finally, after 167 B.A.S.S. tournament tries without a win, the 2004 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year can smile victoriously after leading wire-to-wire to win the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open.
He reflected on his first B.A.S.S. win as he piloted his Toyota Tundra away from Florida’s Lake Toho.
“Big Show” = Big Heart. Top Florida bass pro, and Swindle’s Toyota teammate Terry “Big Show” Scroggins told Swindle to get out there in the middle, and sling a Carolina Rig around if he was struggling on the bank. “Big Show won’t lead you astray, he’s got a big heart,” said Swindle. “It seems I’ve always struggled in Florida when I fish against the bank. ‘Big Show’ saying that gave me the vote of confidence to get out there and search for some big ones that were grouped-up, staging to move up and spawn, but hadn’t yet made it to the bank.”
Two bites and only two Bites. “I about froze to death out there on the first day of practice. I was cold. I was wet, and I only got two bites that day. I don’t mean three. I’m telling you, I had two bites using a Carolina Rig, but my gut, my intuition, told me they were the right bites. I caught a few small fish in different areas during the other two days of practice, but my confidence was in those two bites. And those are the fish I won on in the tournament.”
No worries, Honey. “I called ‘Lulu’ (his wife LeAnn) that night, after Day 1 of practice, and told her I’d had two bites all day. She was worried. But I’m telling you, I felt so good about those two bites being good fish that I told her not to worry, that I actually felt pretty confident based on just those two bites.”
Cold fish. “Those bass were cold. They weren’t in a mood to chase. I could not have moved my lipless baits much slower than I did. I was barely draggin’ them through the grass in 6-feet of water, and that’s how they wanted it, slow, slow, slow.”
Back Deck Pressure. Swindles’s co-angler on the final day, Marlon Crowder, caught three keepers totaling an astonishing 21 pounds by 8:00 a.m.. “He was a great guy, I was rooting for him to do well, but let’s be honest, that’s a gut check. I told myself if I could overcome seeing him catch three giants so early in the day from my back deck, then I’d be tough enough mentally to win.”
Smokin. “I threw the lipless baits and the Carolina rig on 7-foot Quantum rods, and both rods were outfitted with our new lightweight Smoke reels.”
Safety First. “I’ve got this big ole trophy strapped into this Tundra with the seatbelt around it. Safety first. You gotta take good care of the things that are important to you.”
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The
Lamar University team of Matt Morrison and Danny Iles won the National
Guard FLW College Fishing Texas Division event on Choke Canyon Saturday
with five bass weighing 15 pounds, 1 ounce. The victory earned the team
$10,000 to be split between the university and the university’s bass
fishing club - $7,500 for the bass club and $2,500 for their school. The
win also helped them advance to the Texas Division Regional
Championship.
"Coming into this event we just wanted to qualify for the
regional championship and we accomplished that,” said Iles, a senior
mechanical engineering major. “We fished clean and didn’t lose any
fish.”
Iles said the team fished a Rayburn Red Rat-L-Trap all day
and managed to catch nine keepers and two short fish during competition.
Iles said they concentrated on fishing hydrilla in 2 to 4 feet of
water.
Iles said the new format for 2011 where college teams fish to
weigh cumulative weights played a role in their tournament strategy.
“I really like the new format,” said Iles. “It makes you work
together more than before. Now one person can focus on the big fish
while the other person focuses on just catching a limit.”
Rounding out the top five teams and also advancing to the Texas Regional Championship are:
2nd: Louisiana Tech University – Brian Eaton and Wade Tracy, (five bass, 12-13, $3,000)
3rd: Texas A&M – Weston Brown and Andrew Shafer, (five bass, 12-10, $2,000)
4th: Texas A&M Kingsville– Cody Burell and Jerod Hawkes, (five bass, 11-6, $2,000)
5th: LSU – Timothy Morris and Richard Murdock, (three bass, 9-15, $2,000)
Note: Tournament director Kevin Hunt said the University of
Oklahoma team was disqualified for fishing in an area designated as
off-limits for the tournament.
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Photo by David A. Brown / FLW Outdoors
Kelly Owens of Crowley, La., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 15 pounds even Saturday and led wire-to-wire to win the FLW EverStart Series Texas Division event presented by Mercury on Choke Canyon with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 68 pounds, 3 ounces. For his victory, Owens earned $29,919 and a 198VX Ranger boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard motor.
“The key was that I found a group of fish in practice,” said Owens. “I found them on my electronics. They were pulling up into a pocket and everybody was just fishing way too shallow for them.”
Owens said he prefers to fish for staging fish in the early part of the year, and the event played right into his hands. He said that many of the ditches or drains at Choke Canyon are flat, but the one he found fish on had definition and featured hydrilla and milfoil. Owens described it as the “perfect place for the fish to pull up on.” He caught all of his fish except one on a pearl/chartreuse/black Norman Deep Little “N” crankbait in 5 to 11 feet of water. His only other bass came on a Rat-L-Trap on a windy point.
“Any event would be great to win, but the quality of the top 10 here it just made it more special,” Owens said. “It made me understand that I could go out and compete with these guys.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Russell Cecil, Willis, Texas, 13 bass, 53-9, $10,258
3rd: Kevin Lasyone, Dry Prong, La., 12 bass, 47-0, $8,548
4th: Matthew Scogin, Magnolia, Texas, 15 bass, 46-11, $7,693
5th: David Curtis, Trinity, Texas, 14 bass, 44-4, $6,839
6th: Charles Bebber, Willis, Texas, 14 bass, 42-5, $5,948
7th: Todd Castledine, Nacogdoches, Texas, 13 bass, 38-11, $5,129
8th: Kellogg’s pro Jim Tutt, Longview, Texas, 10 bass, 37-8, $4,274
9th: Cody Bird, Granbury, Texas, 14 bass, 36-3, $3,419
10th: Tommy Martin, Hemphill, Texas, 11 bass, 33-15, $2,564
Owens caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Pro Division Friday – an 11-pound, 3-ounce bass – that earned him the day’s Big Bass award of $236.
Dan Wilson of Pilot Point, Texas, won the Co-angler Division and a Ranger boat with an Evinrude or Mercury outboard motor with a three-day total of 13 bass weighing 31 pounds even.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Trevor Rogge, San Antonio, Texas, 11 bass, 29-12, $3,985
3rd: Clinton McNiel, George West, Texas, 11 bass, 27-8, $3,542
4th: James McKeithen, Baton Rouge, La., 10 bass, 23-2, $3,099
5th: Russell Lohman, Pineville, La., seven bass, 22-10, $2,656
6th: Keith Hawkins, Missouri City, Texas, eight bass, 22-3, $2,214
7th: Steve Corbin, Bacliff, Texas, eight bass, 21-3, $1,771
8th: Joseph Brozak, Orange, Texas, nine bass, 20-2, $1,328
9th: Gary Fields, New Orleans, La., seven bass, 19-15, $885
10th: Danny Bickom, Canastota, N.Y., six bass, 19-15, $708
Tommy Hagler caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Thursday – a 9-pound, 13-ounce bass – that earned him the day’s Big Bass award of $157.
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Elite Series pro Gerald Swindle can no longer be considered one of “the best who’s never won.” During his 167-tournament career, he’s won Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year and joined the B.A.S.S. Millionaires Club. But a win has eluded him until now.
With his win at the first 2011 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open on Florida’s Lake Tohopekaliga, the Warrior, Ala., resident earned a brand new Triton 18XS boat with a 200-hp Mercury OptiMax motor and more importantly, claimed the first berth in the 2012 Bassmaster Classic, set to take place in Shreveport, La.
“I can’t even think about the Classic yet; that won’t set in until I get home,” he said. “When I came here I never thought about the Classic; I was just fishing. I didn’t have any intention of winning. I knew I had one sure spot and I was going to make it work, and it just worked out.”
Swindle credits his win to a bit of advice given to him by fellow Elite pro and Florida native Terry Scroggins. Scroggins told Swindle that despite the spawn being in full swing, the tournament would be won in deeper water. Swindle relied on a lipless crankbait and a Carolina rig to sack 25 pounds, 8 ounces on Day 3, which gave him a total of 80-13.
In second place was Elite pro and Lakeland, Fla., native Bobby Lane, who brought 26 pounds to the Day 3 scales for a total of 77-13. Lane stuck to what he’s best at to give Swindle a run for his money: sight fishing for bedding bass.
“Gerald deserves it and I’m really happy for him,” he said. “But I always want to win, so it was tough giving that up.”
Lane was flipping a Berkley Chigger Craw to fish he saw on beds in shallow water.
In third place was Trevor Fitzgerald of Belleview, Fla., with 67-14; in fourth place was Ott DeFoe of Knoxville, Tenn., with 61-7; and in fifth place was Larry Cahan of East Palatka, Fla., with 56-7.
On the co-angler side, Marlon Crowder of Tampa, Fla., took home $35,000 for his winning catch of 36-05. Crowder’s monster 21-6 bag on Day 3 was in the boat by 8 a.m. He spent the rest of his day netting fish for his pro partner, Swindle.
“This is unreal. I’ve wanted this for a while, and now I have a chance to take my fishing to the next level,” he said.
Crowder relied on the same techniques as Swindle to catch his bass.
Behind him was Chris Lewis of Dublin ,Va., with 25-3; in third is Bill Bruce of Hendersonville, Tenn., with 23 pounds; in fourth is Vance McCullough of Jacksonville, Fla., with 22-15; and in fifth is Daniel Lanier of Winter Springs, Fla., with 22-1.
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Gerald Swindle Warrior, Ala. 15 80-13 315 $57,000.00
Day 1: 5 30-13 Day 2: 5 24-08 Day 3: 5 25-08
2. Bobby Lane Lakeland, Fla. 15 77-13 295 $18,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-07 Day 2: 5 30-06 Day 3: 5 26-00
3. Trevor Fitzgerald Belleview, Fla. 15 67-14 290 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 29-15 Day 2: 5 20-05 Day 3: 5 17-10
4. Ott Defoe Knoxville, Tenn. 15 61-07 285 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 29-11 Day 3: 5 15-15
5. Larry Cahan East Palatka, Fla. 15 56-07 280 $10,800.00
Day 1: 5 24-09 Day 2: 5 22-00 Day 3: 5 9-14
6. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, Fla. 15 53-07 276 $9,600.00
Day 1: 5 25-05 Day 2: 5 16-01 Day 3: 5 12-01
7. Will Evans Winter Haven, Fla. 15 49-13 272 $8,400.00
Day 1: 5 8-06 Day 2: 5 31-15 Day 3: 5 9-08
8. Tony Chachere Opelousas, La. 12 48-04 268 $7,200.00
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 27-11 Day 3: 2 8-00
9. Brandon Card Caryville, Ky. 14 47-10 264 $9,600.00
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 30-15 Day 3: 4 5-09
10. Cliff Prince Palatka, Fla. 15 47-03 260 $5,400.00
Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 5 20-09 Day 3: 5 7-08
11. Chris Lane Guntersville, Ala. 15 43-01 257 $4,800.00
Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 5 12-09 Day 3: 5 11-06
12. Marty Robinson Lyman, S.C. 15 41-06 254 $4,200.00
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 21-15 Day 3: 5 8-09
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 FLW photo
Veteran FLW pro Keith Monson has joined Attraxx for 2011. Monson has nearly a half of a million in career winnings with FLW and has fished in over 170 events dating back to 1994.
"I am very excited about working with Attraxx" said Monson. "This is a neat deal and we have a group that are hungry to build more and better products. I am a shallow water angler and the shapes of the Attraxx soft plastics are perfect for what I do."
Attraxx continues to make waves in the fishing industry and has Sci-X enhanced baits proven for both fresh and saltwater.
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Photo by Sam Root/ B.A.S.S. Communications
Swindle Holds on to Lead in Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open on Lake Tohopekaliga; Hard-charging Bobby Lane Moves into Second
Elite Series pro Gerald Swindle once again has his first B.A.S.S. win in sight. He’s had several narrow misses but is still in command of the first 2011 Bass Pro Shops Southern Open on Florida’s Lake Tohopekaliga.
Swindle holds 3-pound, 8-ounce lead, but has stiff competition breathing down his back in Elite pro and local ringer Bobby Lane.
“Today started out kind of weird. You would have thought with the warm conditions we had last night the fish would be really fired up, but that wasn’t the case,” Swindle said.
“I was throwing a reaction bait and the first four or five nice ones that bit came off; they didn’t really want it that bad. I was hooking them in the tail, side and lots of other places; they just got in the way (of the bait).”
The feverish pace at which the Warrior, Ala., pro caught his bass during Day 1 slowed significantly, calling for him to adjust his approach. He slowed down his presentation and filled out a five-fish limit that weighed 24 pounds, 8 ounces for a total of 55-5. Swindle plans to stick to his plan (and spot) for the third and final day.
Lane once again showcased the quality fish that live in Lake Kissimmee, which is just south of Lake Tohopekaliga, connected via the Kissimmee River. He brought 30-6 to the scales on Day 2 for a two-day total of 51-13, his bag anchored by a 9-plus-pound lunker. Lane’s sight-fishing bite relies heavily on fair weather and little or no winds, but tomorrow may throw a wrench into his plans. Cooler, frontal conditions may move bass off their beds, making them harder to catch.
“A lot depends on what this weather does,” Lane said. “It’s Florida, and when it gets cold, they shuffle all over the place, and everything is against you. I lost a big one today and I lost a big one yesterday, so I should be better off than I am. But, I’m happy to have what I have.”
In third place is Trevor Fitzgerald of Ocklawaha, Fla., who slipped a spot since Day 1, but he’s still within striking distance of his second B.A.S.S. win. Fitzgerald brought 20-5 to the Day 2 scales for a total of 50-4. In fourth is Larry Cahan of East Palatka, Fla., who added 22-0 to his Day 1 weight of 24-9 for a total of 46-9. In fifth is Elite Series rookie Ott DeFoe of Knoxville, Tenn., with 45-8.
On the co-angler side, Day 1 leader John Avalos of Jacksonville, Fla., zeroed, leaving the door wide open for Chris Lewis of Dublin, Va., to take the reigns with a 13-pound, 6-ounce three-fish limit that brings his two-day total to 18-1. In second is Bill Bruce of Tennessee with 16-13; in third is Clint Sterling of Winter Garden, Fla., with 16-11; in fourth is Preston Harris of North Carolina with 16-5; and rounding out the top five is Jason Patterson of Bluffton, Ind., with 15-7.
Big bass honors of Day 2 lie with Elite Series pro Charlie Hartley, of Grove City, Ohio, who bagged a 10-10 monster.
BASS PRO SHOPS BASSMASTER SOUTHERN OPEN- PRO- DAY 2
2011 Southern Open 1- Lake Toho BO 01/20-01/22 Lake Toho, Kissimmee Fla.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Gerald Swindle Warrior, Ala. 10 55-05
Day 1: 5 30-13 Day 2: 5 24-08
2. Bobby Lane Lakeland, Fla. 10 51-13
Day 1: 5 21-07 Day 2: 5 30-06
3. Trevor Fitzgerald Belleview, Fla. 10 50-04
Day 1: 5 29-15 Day 2: 5 20-05
4. Larry Cahan East Palatka, Fla. 10 46-09
Day 1: 5 24-09 Day 2: 5 22-00
5. Ott Defoe Knoxville, Tenn. 10 45-08
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 29-11
6. Brandon Card Caryville, Ky. 10 42-01
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 30-15
7. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, Fla. 10 41-06
Day 1: 5 25-05 Day 2: 5 16-01
8. Will Evans Winter Haven, Fla. 10 40-05
Day 1: 5 8-06 Day 2: 5 31-15
9. Tony Chachere Opelousas, La. 10 40-04
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 27-11
10. Cliff Prince Palatka, Fla. 10 39-11
Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 5 20-09
11. Marty Robinson Lyman, S.C. 10 32-13
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 21-15
12. Chris Lane Guntersville, Ala. 10 31-11
Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 5 12-09
13. Jeremy Prouty Vero Beach, Fla. 10 30-12 251 $3,326.00
Day 1: 5 9-12 Day 2: 5 21-00
14. John Kremer Sanford, Fla. 10 30-07 248 $3,215.00
Day 1: 5 9-05 Day 2: 5 21-02
15. Jason Counsil Casselberry, Fla. 9 28-00 245 $3,104.00
Day 1: 4 14-00 Day 2: 5 14-00
16. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, Ala. 10 27-09 243 $2,993.00
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 5 16-15
17. Charlie Hartley Grove City, Ohio 10 27-07 241 $2,882.00
Day 1: 5 8-14 Day 2: 5 18-09
18. Roland Martin Naples, Fla. 10 27-07 239 $2,771.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 9-07
19. Dow Cox Jonesborough, Tenn. 9 26-01 237 $2,605.00
Day 1: 4 6-07 Day 2: 5 19-10
20. Kurtis Michaux Clermont, Fla. 9 25-13 235 $2,356.00
Day 1: 4 3-12 Day 2: 5 22-01
21. Heath Smith Gadsden, Ala. 10 25-07 233 $2,273.00
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 14-07
22. Keith Poche Troy, Ala. 10 25-03 231 $2,217.00
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 11-02
23. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, N.C. 9 25-01 229 $2,162.00
Day 1: 4 13-03 Day 2: 5 11-14
24. Joe Ventrello Orlando, Fla. 10 24-14 227 $2,106.00
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 10-13
25. Kelly Jaye Dadeville, Ala. 10 24-09 225 $2,051.00
Day 1: 5 9-12 Day 2: 5 14-13
26. Red Flowers Deland, Fla. 10 24-05 223 $1,995.00
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 11-12
27. Eric Nethery Acworth, Ga. 9 24-05 221 $1,940.00
Day 1: 5 10-12 Day 2: 4 13-09
28. Keith Caka Huntsville, Texas 10 23-11 219 $1,885.00
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 10-13
29. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, S.C. 10 23-07 217 $1,829.00
Day 1: 5 7-15 Day 2: 5 15-08
30. Nate Wellman Newaygo, Mich. 10 23-03 215 $1,774.00
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 12-11
31. Brett Mitchell Timmonsville, S.C. 10 23-00 213 $1,718.00
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 7-11
32. Lloyd Griffin Titusville, Fla. 7 22-15 211 $1,663.00
Day 1: 2 3-12 Day 2: 5 19-03
33. Gary Clouse La Vergne, Tenn. 10 22-13 209 $1,607.00
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 11-10
34. Wayne Hauser Mooresville, N.C. 10 22-10 207 $1,552.00
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 11-09
35. Justin Hamner Birmingham, Ala. 10 22-07 205 $1,524.00
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 8-14
36. Joseph Smith Goose Creek, S.C. 8 22-04 203 $1,497.00
Day 1: 3 4-08 Day 2: 5 17-12
37. Casey Ashley Donalds, S.C. 9 22-03 201 $1,469.00
Day 1: 4 6-05 Day 2: 5 15-14
38. Teb Jones Hattiesburg, Miss. 8 21-15 199 $1,441.00
Day 1: 3 3-10 Day 2: 5 18-05
39. Jason Williamson Aiken, S.C. 10 21-06 197 $1,413.00
Day 1: 5 7-13 Day 2: 5 13-09
40. Arnie Lane Lakeland, Fla. 10 21-06 195 $1,386.00
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 8-09
41. Jeff Freeman Max Meadows, Va. 10 21-05 193
Day 1: 5 9-01 Day 2: 5 12-04
42. Rich Patterson Windermere, Fla. 6 21-04 191
Day 1: 1 1-15 Day 2: 5 19-05
43. Michael Johnson Talking Rock, Ga. 10 21-02 189
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 7-08
44. Roy Sanford Brookeland, Texas 9 21-02 187
Day 1: 4 7-15 Day 2: 5 13-03
45. Richard Howes Orlando, Fla. 9 21-01 185
Day 1: 4 7-04 Day 2: 5 13-13
46. Kyle Fox Lakeland, Fla. 10 21-00 183
Day 1: 5 9-00 Day 2: 5 12-00
47. Larry Rollings Hartsville, S.C. 10 20-15 181
Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 5 9-07
48. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, S.C. 10 20-15 179
Day 1: 5 9-11 Day 2: 5 11-04
49. Tony Hughes Samburg, Tenn. 10 20-14 177
Day 1: 5 7-12 Day 2: 5 13-02
50. James Charlesworth Saint Cloud, Fla. 10 20-12 175
Day 1: 5 9-14 Day 2: 5 10-14
51. Jimmie Murphy Ocala, Fla. 10 20-11 173
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 8-04
52. Trad Whaley Abbeville, S.C. 10 20-09 171
Day 1: 5 8-09 Day 2: 5 12-00
53. Brian Clark Haltom City, Texas 10 20-08 169
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 9-15
54. Dave Mansue Hemphill, Texas 10 20-03 167
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 7-05
55. James Castillo Grandview, Wash. 10 20-03 165
Day 1: 5 7-07 Day 2: 5 12-12
56. Brandon Medlock Lake Placid, Fla. 10 19-10 163
Day 1: 5 8-08 Day 2: 5 11-02
57. Randy Elliott Bowie, Md. 9 19-03 161
Day 1: 4 13-15 Day 2: 5 5-04
58. Rob Thames Lexington, S.C. 10 18-15 159
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 7-14
59. Mike Cox Huntsville, Ala. 10 18-14 157
Day 1: 5 9-07 Day 2: 5 9-07
60. Eric Conant Lakeland, Fla. 10 18-11 155
Day 1: 5 7-11 Day 2: 5 11-00
61. Craig Taylor Tallahassee, Fla. 10 18-09 153
Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 5 8-09
62. Steven Wisdom Sterrett, Ala. 10 18-09 151
Day 1: 5 8-12 Day 2: 5 9-13
63. Steve Daniel Clewiston, Fla. 10 18-08 149
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 7-07
64. Mark Mauldin Knoxville, Tenn. 10 18-08 147
Day 1: 5 9-05 Day 2: 5 9-03
65. John Hansen Street, Md. 10 18-06 145
Day 1: 5 7-10 Day 2: 5 10-12
66. Terry Segraves Kissimmee, Fla. 10 18-05 143
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 7-04
67. Jason Quinn Lake Wylie, S.C. 5 18-04 141
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 5 18-04
68. Davy Hite Ninety Six, S.C. 8 18-02 139
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 3 5-05
69. Cecil Douberly Lakeland, Fla. 9 18-01 137
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 4 6-05
70. Hank Cherry Maiden, N.C. 10 17-15 135
Day 1: 5 6-07 Day 2: 5 11-08
71. Casey Gallagher Pulaski, Wisc. 10 17-15 133
Day 1: 5 8-11 Day 2: 5 9-04
72. Kyle Kempkers Hamilton, Mich. 10 17-13 131
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 7-04
73. Derek Allen Ponchatoula, La. 10 17-13 129
Day 1: 5 8-03 Day 2: 5 9-10
74. Derrick Snavely Rogersville, Tenn. 8 17-13 127
Day 1: 3 5-07 Day 2: 5 12-06
75. Sean Hoernke Conroe, Texas 8 17-12 125
Day 1: 3 4-09 Day 2: 5 13-03
76. Merle Wells Hammond, N.Y. 7 17-09 123
Day 1: 4 13-03 Day 2: 3 4-06
77. Darrell Davis Dover, Fla. 9 17-07 121
Day 1: 5 9-04 Day 2: 4 8-03
78. Greg Pugh Cullman, Ala. 8 17-04 119
Day 1: 3 6-01 Day 2: 5 11-03
79. Jerry Gore Belle Isle, Fla. 6 17-03 117
Day 1: 1 7-08 Day 2: 5 9-11
80. Tracy Adams Wilkesboro, N.C. 10 17-02 115
Day 1: 5 7-03 Day 2: 5 9-15
81. Jason Lieblong Conway, Ark. 10 17-02 113
Day 1: 5 7-11 Day 2: 5 9-07
82. Sumiyuki Takano Winter Springs, Fla. 8 16-12 111
Day 1: 3 7-12 Day 2: 5 9-00
83. Ray Hashimoto San Fransico, Calif. 9 16-10 109
Day 1: 4 4-15 Day 2: 5 11-11
84. David Walker Sevierville, Tenn. 10 16-08 107
Day 1: 5 7-09 Day 2: 5 8-15
85. Randy Allen Shreveport, La. 7 16-08 105
Day 1: 2 7-13 Day 2: 5 8-11
86. Barry Wilson Birmingham, Ala. 7 16-03 103
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 2 4-13
87. David Burch Jacksonville Beach, Fl 9 16-02 101
Day 1: 5 8-13 Day 2: 4 7-05
88. Brian Easler Inman, S.C. 8 16-00 99
Day 1: 3 7-01 Day 2: 5 8-15
89. Allan Glasgow Ashville, Ala. 9 15-15 97
Day 1: 4 5-14 Day 2: 5 10-01
90. Al Little Greensboro, N.C. 10 15-12 95
Day 1: 5 7-10 Day 2: 5 8-02
91. Garry Rogers Statesville, N.C. 8 15-12 93
Day 1: 3 5-12 Day 2: 5 10-00
92. Scott Mcgehee Madison, Miss. 10 15-11 91
Day 1: 5 8-03 Day 2: 5 7-08
93. Bradley Roy Lancaster, Ky. 10 15-10 89
Day 1: 5 8-09 Day 2: 5 7-01
94. Ed Burnett Louisville, Ky. 6 15-10 87
Day 1: 1 1-06 Day 2: 5 14-04
95. Patrick Pierce Jacksonville, Fla. 10 15-09 85
Day 1: 5 7-03 Day 2: 5 8-06
96. Charlie Machek Willard, N.C. 8 15-08 83
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 3 4-14
97. Frank Jordan JR Bainbridge, Ga. 10 15-07 81
Day 1: 5 8-11 Day 2: 5 6-12
98. Rick Morris Virginia Beach, Va. 9 15-04 79
Day 1: 4 8-13 Day 2: 5 6-07
99. John Bitter Longwood, Fla. 8 15-04 77
Day 1: 3 4-07 Day 2: 5 10-13
100.Brad Rightnour Mingoville, Pa. 8 15-03 76
Day 1: 3 3-10 Day 2: 5 11-09
101.Russ Moran Manchester, Tenn. 8 15-03 75
Day 1: 3 7-14 Day 2: 5 7-05
102.Chad Poteat Mount Airy, N.C. 7 15-03 74
Day 1: 2 2-14 Day 2: 5 12-05
104.Jayme Rampey Liberty, S.C. 9 14-13 72
Day 1: 4 4-10 Day 2: 5 10-03
105.Stanley Gunter Saluda, S.C. 7 14-13 71
Day 1: 4 7-09 Day 2: 3 7-04
106.Jeff Stoner Wellsville, Pa. 8 14-11 70
Day 1: 3 3-05 Day 2: 5 11-06
107.Landon Lomax Owens Cross Roads, Ala 7 14-10 69
Day 1: 2 2-15 Day 2: 5 11-11
108.Luke Gritter Kalamazoo, Mich. 6 14-09 68
Day 1: 1 1-01 Day 2: 5 13-08
109.Brent Bonadona Port Allen, La. 10 14-08 67
Day 1: 5 5-12 Day 2: 5 8-12
110.AC Campbell Mineral Springs, Pa. 8 14-04 66
Day 1: 3 3-15 Day 2: 5 10-05
111.Bob Morin Seymour, Tenn. 9 14-03 65
Day 1: 5 7-11 Day 2: 4 6-08
112.Steven Priest New Lexington, Ohio 8 14-02 64
Day 1: 3 3-07 Day 2: 5 10-11
113.John Brazzell Ocoee, Fla. 8 14-02 63
Day 1: 5 8-05 Day 2: 3 5-13
114.Blake Lewis Lakeland, Ga. 8 14-00 62
Day 1: 3 4-04 Day 2: 5 9-12
115.Ron Wolfarth Oakboro, N.C. 10 13-15 61
Day 1: 5 6-02 Day 2: 5 7-13
116.Michael Hall Annandale, Va. 6 13-13 60
Day 1: 2 5-09 Day 2: 4 8-04
117.Hojin Chang Windermere, Fla. 8 13-11 59
Day 1: 3 3-14 Day 2: 5 9-13
118.Ryusuke Nishio Talladega, Ala. 9 13-08 58
Day 1: 4 5-11 Day 2: 5 7-13
119.Frank Scalish Cleveland, Ohio 7 13-06 57
Day 1: 2 2-04 Day 2: 5 11-02
120.Ray Brazier Lawrenceburg, Tenn. 7 13-06 56
Day 1: 2 5-09 Day 2: 5 7-13
121.J T Kenney Palm Bay, Fla. 9 13-05 55
Day 1: 5 7-07 Day 2: 4 5-14
122.Carl Cavalier Avondale, La. 8 13-04 54
Day 1: 3 4-01 Day 2: 5 9-03
123.Paul Pagnato Vienna, Va. 9 13-02 53
Day 1: 5 7-02 Day 2: 4 6-00
124.Luke Smith St. Cloud, Fla. 10 13-01 52
Day 1: 5 6-08 Day 2: 5 6-09
125.Lee King Cherryville, N.C. 10 12-13 51
Day 1: 5 7-09 Day 2: 5 5-04
126.Lynn Oswalt Jasper, Ala. 7 12-12 50
Day 1: 2 3-04 Day 2: 5 9-08
127.George Crain Cropwell, Ala. 7 12-12 49
Day 1: 4 7-08 Day 2: 3 5-04
128.Anthony Dumitras Winston, Ga. 5 12-10 48
Day 1: 3 4-04 Day 2: 2 8-06
129.Foster Bradley Bessemer, Ala. 10 12-07 47
Day 1: 5 6-10 Day 2: 5 5-13
130.David Kilgore Jasper, Ala. 7 12-06 46
Day 1: 2 2-12 Day 2: 5 9-10
131.Harry Moore Valley, Ala. 10 12-04 45
Day 1: 5 6-01 Day 2: 5 6-03
132.Craig Chambers Charlotte, N.C. 6 12-04 44
Day 1: 1 1-04 Day 2: 5 11-00
133.James Tunder Chagrin Falls, Ohio 8 12-01 43
Day 1: 3 3-07 Day 2: 5 8-10
134.Robert Miley Miami, Fla. 7 11-15 42
Day 1: 2 4-13 Day 2: 5 7-02
135.Scott Farmer Columbia, S.C. 8 11-13 41
Day 1: 4 6-06 Day 2: 4 5-07
136.Chuck Pippin Kissimmee, Fla. 9 11-11 40
Day 1: 5 6-06 Day 2: 4 5-05
137.Jeffrey Worth Longwood, Fla. 5 11-10 39
Day 1: 4 10-08 Day 2: 1 1-02
138.Ben Quisno Maineville, Ohio 9 11-07 38
Day 1: 5 6-10 Day 2: 4 4-13
139.Steve Jenkins Jonesborough, Tenn. 5 11-06 37
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 5 11-06
140.Charles Graybeal Erwin, Tenn. 6 11-03 36
Day 1: 1 1-12 Day 2: 5 9-07
141.Charlie Ingram Santa Fe, Tenn. 5 11-01 35
Day 1: 2 4-00 Day 2: 3 7-01
142.Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, La. 9 11-00 34
Day 1: 4 4-13 Day 2: 5 6-03
143.David Cooke Mooresville, N.C. 7 11-00 33
Day 1: 2 2-05 Day 2: 5 8-11
144.Kurt Dove Del Rio, Texas 6 10-15 32
Day 1: 4 5-04 Day 2: 2 5-11
145.Ryan Mcmurtury Abbeville, S.C. 8 10-13 31
Day 1: 5 7-03 Day 2: 3 3-10
146.Scott Hamrick Denver, N.C. 5 10-13 30
Day 1: 3 7-10 Day 2: 2 3-03
147.Bradley Sears Covington, Ga. 7 10-12 29
Day 1: 2 3-02 Day 2: 5 7-10
148.Rusty White Rock Hill, S.C. 6 10-10 28
Day 1: 4 7-05 Day 2: 2 3-05
149.Jay Gillfillan Ridgeway, Ohio 5 10-08 27
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 5 10-08
150.Tim Saylor Johnson City, Tenn. 8 10-07 26
Day 1: 3 4-06 Day 2: 5 6-01
151.Trevor Knight Magnolia, Del. 6 10-05 25
Day 1: 1 1-08 Day 2: 5 8-13
152.Jeffrey Purves Roanoke, Va. 4 10-03 24
Day 1: 3 8-10 Day 2: 1 1-09
153.Lee Boutwell Climax, Ga. 8 10-02 23
Day 1: 5 5-11 Day 2: 3 4-07
154.Michael Bennett Panama City, Fla. 7 10-01 22
Day 1: 4 5-13 Day 2: 3 4-04
155.Jay Kendrick Grant, Ala. 5 10-00 21
Day 1: 3 7-03 Day 2: 2 2-13
156.Kyle Walling Fisherville, Ky. 7 9-14 20
Day 1: 2 1-15 Day 2: 5 7-15
157.Garrett Olivotti Rockford, Ill. 6 9-11 19
Day 1: 3 4-10 Day 2: 3 5-01
158.Ronnie Getz Sunman, Ind. 8 9-10 18
Day 1: 4 5-08 Day 2: 4 4-02
159.Kyle Smith Elizabethton, Tenn. 6 9-05 17
Day 1: 5 7-00 Day 2: 1 2-05
160.Jason Krasnosky Milton, Fla. 6 9-01 16
Day 1: 1 1-00 Day 2: 5 8-01
161.Fletcher Shryock Newcomerstown, Ohio 6 8-14 15
Day 1: 3 3-08 Day 2: 3 5-06
162.Monte Knight Quitman, Miss. 7 8-06 14
Day 1: 5 6-05 Day 2: 2 2-01
163.David Perdue Wirtz, Va. 6 8-06 13
Day 1: 2 3-07 Day 2: 4 4-15
164.James Bader Fruitland Park, Fla. 6 8-05 12
Day 1: 2 2-14 Day 2: 4 5-07
165.Jeff Jennings Charlotte, N.C. 5 8-04 11
Day 1: 5 8-04 Day 2: 0 0-00
166.Jim Turner Clarksville, Ind. 5 7-14 10
Day 1: 3 5-01 Day 2: 2 2-13
167.Travis Manson De Pere, Wisc. 6 7-07 9
Day 1: 3 2-15 Day 2: 3 4-08
168.Jimmy Liao St Augustine, Fla. 5 7-06 8
Day 1: 5 7-06 Day 2: 0 0-00
169.Chris Barnett Harrogate, Tenn. 3 7-06 7
Day 1: 3 7-06 Day 2: 0 0-00
170.David Smith Del City, Okla. 5 7-05 6
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 5 7-05
171.John Hempel Brownstown, Mich. 5 7-04 5
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 5 7-04
172.Jeffrey Prisza Wyandotte, Mich. 6 7-03 4
Day 1: 1 1-06 Day 2: 5 5-13
173.Mike Haggerty Hendersonville, Tenn. 5 7-03 3
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 5 7-03
174.Shane McCosh Knoxville, Tenn. 5 7-01 2
Day 1: 1 0-15 Day 2: 4 6-02
175.Earnie Jones Blythewood, S.C. 4 6-14 1
Day 1: 2 3-02 Day 2: 2 3-12
176.Jeff Cloud Lubbock, Texas 5 6-11 0
Day 1: 5 6-11 Day 2: 0 0-00
177.Carroll Blevins Jonesboro, Ga. 4 6-08 0
Day 1: 2 3-08 Day 2: 2 3-00
178.Ronnie Green Tampa, Fla. 5 6-03 0
Day 1: 1 1-00 Day 2: 4 5-03
179.Tim Ezell Key West, Fla. 3 5-12 0
Day 1: 1 2-10 Day 2: 2 3-02
180.Brannon Long Longview, Texas 4 5-05 0
Day 1: 2 2-10 Day 2: 2 2-11
181.Jimmy Mason Rogersville, Ala. 3 5-03 0
Day 1: 2 3-15 Day 2: 1 1-04
182.Steve Crowley Concord, N.C. 5 5-00 0
Day 1: 1 0-08 Day 2: 4 4-08
183.Jeff Jordan Tulsa, Okla. 3 4-11 0
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 3 4-11
184.Christiana Bradley Bealeton, Va. 3 4-07 0
Day 1: 2 2-10 Day 2: 1 1-13
185.Bucky Helms Dallas, N.C. 5 4-05 0
Day 1: 5 4-05 Day 2: 0 0-00
186.Tony Dadante Kissimmee, Fla. 3 4-03 0
Day 1: 1 1-00 Day 2: 2 3-03
187.Chris Anderson Darlington, S.C. 3 3-12 0
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 3 3-12
188.Tony Risinger Brooks, Ky. 4 3-10 0
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 4 3-10
189.Rogne Brown Hixson, Tenn. 2 3-07 0
Day 1: 2 3-07 Day 2: 0 0-00
190.Jordan Card Cary, N.C. 1 2-14 0
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 1 2-14
191.Lee Hartley Buford, Ga. 2 2-08 0
Day 1: 2 2-08 Day 2: 0 0-00
192.Eric Stong Belle Isle, Fla. 1 1-10 0
Day 1: 1 1-10 Day 2: 0 0-00
193.Shannon Abbott Seymour, Tenn. 0 0-00 0
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 0 0-00
193.Stu Martel Elmhurst, Ill. 0 0-00 0
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 0 0-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 93 702 1408-10
2 131 808 1813-15
----------------------------------
224 1510 3222-09
BASS PRO SHOPS BASSMASTER SOUTHERN OPEN- CO-ANGLER- DAY 2
2011 Southern Open 1- Lake Toho NB 01/20-01/22 Lake Toho, Kissimmee Fla.
(NON-BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Chris Lewis Dublin, Va. 6 18-01
Day 1: 3 4-11 Day 2: 3 13-06
2. Bill Bruce Hendersonville, Tenn. 5 16-13
Day 1: 2 2-06 Day 2: 3 14-07
3. Clint Sterling Clermont, Fla. 6 16-11
Day 1: 3 6-06 Day 2: 3 10-05
4. Preston Harris State Road, N.C. 6 16-05
Day 1: 3 7-08 Day 2: 3 8-13
5. Jason Patterson Bluffton, Ind. 6 15-07
Day 1: 3 6-02 Day 2: 3 9-05
6. Chris Patrick Sanford, Fla. 6 15-03
Day 1: 3 4-10 Day 2: 3 10-09
7. Daniel Lanier Winter Springs, Fla. 6 15-01
Day 1: 3 9-08 Day 2: 3 5-09
8. Marlon Crowder Tampa, Fla. 6 14-15
Day 1: 3 4-13 Day 2: 3 10-02
9. Jonathan Barnette Jasper, Ala. 6 14-15
Day 1: 3 6-06 Day 2: 3 8-09
10. Randy Gabel Boyertown, Pa. 5 14-12
Day 1: 3 12-02 Day 2: 2 2-10
11. Vance Mccullough Jacksonville, Fla. 5 14-12
Day 1: 3 9-07 Day 2: 2 5-05
12. Dale Wolfskill Orlando, Fla. 6 14-11
Day 1: 3 5-05 Day 2: 3 9-06
13. Anthony Hunt Tamarac, Fla. 6 14-04 251 $776.00
Day 1: 3 6-06 Day 2: 3 7-14
14. Thomas Pickett Milford, Ohio 6 14-02 248 $665.00
Day 1: 3 6-14 Day 2: 3 7-04
15. Jack Morgan Lake Placid, Fla. 6 14-01 245 $610.00
Day 1: 3 6-03 Day 2: 3 7-14
16. Edward Fye Atlanta, Ga. 4 13-14 243 $554.00
Day 1: 1 2-15 Day 2: 3 10-15
17. Michael Fletcher Longwood, Fla. 6 13-13 241 $499.00
Day 1: 3 6-12 Day 2: 3 7-01
18. Robert Dice Perry, Fla. 3 13-07 239 $471.00
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 3 13-07
19. Norman Soash Land O Lakes, Fla. 6 13-06 237 $443.00
Day 1: 3 7-10 Day 2: 3 5-12
20. Jim Short Ocean Pines, Md. 6 12-14 235 $416.00
Day 1: 3 7-08 Day 2: 3 5-06
21. Jody Andrzejewski Maineville, Ohio 6 12-12 233 $416.00
Day 1: 3 5-13 Day 2: 3 6-15
22. Walter Swafford Winter Garden, Fla. 5 12-11 231 $416.00
Day 1: 2 7-02 Day 2: 3 5-09
23. Bradley Dortch Celebration, Fla. 6 12-10 229 $416.00
Day 1: 3 4-12 Day 2: 3 7-14
24. Jesse Windsor Orlando, Fla. 6 12-06 227 $416.00
Day 1: 3 6-10 Day 2: 3 5-12
25. Keith Childree Valdosta, Ga. 4 12-04 225 $416.00
Day 1: 1 1-11 Day 2: 3 10-09
26. John Avalos Jacksonville, Fla. 3 12-04 228 $416.00
Day 1: 3 12-04 Day 2: 0 0-00
27. Brandon Williams Fort Mill, S.C. 6 12-03 221 $416.00
Day 1: 3 8-04 Day 2: 3 3-15
28. Nathan Bloom Casselberry, Fla. 6 12-02 219 $416.00
Day 1: 3 5-04 Day 2: 3 6-14
29. William Beekman East Quogue, N.Y. 5 11-15 217 $416.00
Day 1: 2 5-13 Day 2: 3 6-02
30. Rich Chriscinske Salyersville, Ky. 5 11-14 215 $388.00
Day 1: 2 4-01 Day 2: 3 7-13
31. Bill Clifton Brandon, Fla. 6 11-13 213 $388.00
Day 1: 3 6-06 Day 2: 3 5-07
32. Daniel Parks Greenville, S.C. 6 11-12 211 $388.00
Day 1: 3 3-11 Day 2: 3 8-01
33. John White Armuchee, Ga. 6 11-12 209 $388.00
Day 1: 3 8-00 Day 2: 3 3-12
34. Dustin Bozeman Lakeland, Fla. 4 11-12 207 $388.00
Day 1: 1 1-08 Day 2: 3 10-04
35. Jason Horner Knoxville, Tenn. 3 11-09 205 $388.00
Day 1: 1 1-08 Day 2: 2 10-01
36. Kevin Clark Leesburg, Fla. 6 11-05 203 $388.00
Day 1: 3 4-11 Day 2: 3 6-10
37. Joe Moore Kissimmiee, Fla. 6 11-03 201 $388.00
Day 1: 3 6-04 Day 2: 3 4-15
38. Fred Hood Monroe, Ga. 6 11-01 199 $388.00
Day 1: 3 4-03 Day 2: 3 6-14
39. Frank Jones Land O Lakes, Fla. 6 11-01 197 $388.00
Day 1: 3 6-11 Day 2: 3 4-06
40. Todd Saddler Bristol, Tenn. 6 11-01 195 $388.00
Day 1: 3 4-14 Day 2: 3 6-03
41. Jon Kohr Moncks Corner, S.C. 6 10-15 193
Day 1: 3 3-15 Day 2: 3 7-00
42. Ike Rogers Madison, Ala. 6 10-15 191
Day 1: 3 5-05 Day 2: 3 5-10
43. Mike Prance Palatka, Fla. 6 10-14 189
Day 1: 3 3-12 Day 2: 3 7-02
44. Robbie Anderson Crystal River, Fla. 6 10-09 187
Day 1: 3 4-01 Day 2: 3 6-08
45. Kevin Revay Ashford, Ala. 6 10-09 185
Day 1: 3 6-01 Day 2: 3 4-08
46. Marcus Parker Jacksonville, Fla. 6 10-09 183
Day 1: 3 4-06 Day 2: 3 6-03
47. Brant Grimm Church Hill, Tenn. 4 10-09 181
Day 1: 3 9-00 Day 2: 1 1-09
48. Linda Higginbotham Palm Coast, Fla. 6 10-08 179
Day 1: 3 6-12 Day 2: 3 3-12
49. Richard Finley Lakeland, Fla. 5 10-07 177
Day 1: 2 3-06 Day 2: 3 7-01
50. Ronald Dow Leesburg, Fla. 4 10-06 175
Day 1: 1 1-08 Day 2: 3 8-14
51. Cory Krawczyk Buffalo, N.Y. 5 10-04 173
Day 1: 2 2-04 Day 2: 3 8-00
52. Lee Farber Watertown, Minn. 5 10-00 171
Day 1: 3 7-07 Day 2: 2 2-09
53. Michael Robinson Deland, Fla. 6 9-10 169
Day 1: 3 5-06 Day 2: 3 4-04
54. George Beville Apex, N.C. 6 9-09 167
Day 1: 3 4-05 Day 2: 3 5-04
55. David Snyder Onalaska, Wisc. 4 9-08 165
Day 1: 3 7-10 Day 2: 1 1-14
56. Lester Terry Perry, Fla. 6 9-07 163
Day 1: 3 4-09 Day 2: 3 4-14
57. Timmy Cales Sandstone, W.Va. 4 9-07 161
Day 1: 3 7-13 Day 2: 1 1-10
58. Patrick Gallagher Suamico, Wisc. 5 9-06 159
Day 1: 3 7-02 Day 2: 2 2-04
59. Derek Cogland Villa Rica, Ga. 4 9-01 157
Day 1: 1 1-06 Day 2: 3 7-11
60. Mark Hicks Glouster, Ohio 4 9-00 155
Day 1: 1 1-13 Day 2: 3 7-03
61. Matthew Crabill Murfreesboro, Tenn. 4 8-15 153
Day 1: 1 2-14 Day 2: 3 6-01
62. Paul Ham West Columbia, S.C. 4 8-10 151
Day 1: 1 0-15 Day 2: 3 7-11
63. Ben Fitzgerald Ocala, Fla. 5 8-09 149
Day 1: 2 3-05 Day 2: 3 5-04
64. Andrew Mcclintock Wellford, S.C. 5 8-08 147
Day 1: 2 2-13 Day 2: 3 5-11
65. Jerry Morgan Inman, S.C. 4 8-07 145
Day 1: 1 1-03 Day 2: 3 7-04
66. Jeffrey Brooks Lake Worth, Fla. 5 8-05 143
Day 1: 2 2-11 Day 2: 3 5-10
67. Don Lewis Jacksonville, Fla. 5 8-04 141
Day 1: 3 6-09 Day 2: 2 1-11
68. Darren Gay Richfield, N.C. 5 8-03 139
Day 1: 3 4-13 Day 2: 2 3-06
69. Greg Mauldin Archdale, N.C. 6 8-01 137
Day 1: 3 4-09 Day 2: 3 3-08
70. Paul Hanley Sanford, Fla. 5 8-01 135
Day 1: 2 2-02 Day 2: 3 5-15
71. Dale Dewberry Clermont, Fla. 3 8-01 133
Day 1: 3 8-01 Day 2: 0 0-00
72. Edward Sankowski Indian Lake Estates, F 6 8-00 131
Day 1: 3 5-02 Day 2: 3 2-14
73. Johnny Pittman Albertville, Ala. 5 8-00 129
Day 1: 3 4-15 Day 2: 2 3-01
74. James Green Lincoln, Ala. 6 7-15 127
Day 1: 3 4-03 Day 2: 3 3-12
75. Chuck Thurlow Auburn, Ala. 6 7-13 125
Day 1: 3 3-05 Day 2: 3 4-08
76. Vincent Dellolio Wesley Chapel, Fla. 5 7-12 123
Day 1: 2 2-07 Day 2: 3 5-05
77. Roy Mccall Box Springs, Ga. 4 7-12 121
Day 1: 2 5-03 Day 2: 2 2-09
78. Darrell Cranor Lakeland, Fla. 3 7-12 119
Day 1: 3 7-12 Day 2: 0 0-00
78. Bill Fugate Kissimmee, Fla. 3 7-12 119
Day 1: 3 7-12 Day 2: 0 0-00
80. Jarvis Ellis Leesburg, Ga. 5 7-08 115
Day 1: 3 3-10 Day 2: 2 3-14
81. Eamon Bolten Temple Terrace, Fla. 6 7-05 113
Day 1: 3 2-15 Day 2: 3 4-06
82. Chad Christensen Alpine, Utah 4 7-05 111
Day 1: 1 1-15 Day 2: 3 5-06
83. Aaron Gengler Lakeland, Fla. 3 7-01 109
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 3 7-01
84. Craig Cavanna Spring Hill, Fla. 5 7-00 107
Day 1: 2 2-01 Day 2: 3 4-15
85. Michael Wiles Perry, Fla. 5 7-00 105
Day 1: 2 2-03 Day 2: 3 4-13
86. Daniel Robertson Brandon, Miss. 4 7-00 103
Day 1: 1 1-14 Day 2: 3 5-02
86. Bob Snyder Marion, Ind. 4 7-00 103
Day 1: 1 1-14 Day 2: 3 5-02
88. Lawrence Sifert Scottsdale, Ariz. 4 7-00 99
Day 1: 1 2-07 Day 2: 3 4-09
89. Lance Powell Morganton, N.C. 5 6-15 97
Day 1: 2 2-10 Day 2: 3 4-05
90. Thomas Henderson Roseland, Fla. 5 6-15 95
Day 1: 2 3-02 Day 2: 3 3-13
91. Jason Williams Winder, Ga. 6 6-14 93
Day 1: 3 3-08 Day 2: 3 3-06
92. Jeff Robinson Deland, Fla. 5 6-13 91
Day 1: 3 4-11 Day 2: 2 2-02
93. Jim Barnette Decatur, Ala. 4 6-13 89
Day 1: 1 1-11 Day 2: 3 5-02
94. Michael Burchett Pulaski, Va. 5 6-12 87
Day 1: 2 2-02 Day 2: 3 4-10
95. John Brodkorb Orange City, Fla. 5 6-11 85
Day 1: 2 2-14 Day 2: 3 3-13
96. Bill Bade Omaha, Neb. 3 6-11 83
Day 1: 1 3-12 Day 2: 2 2-15
97. Doug Staetter Sanford, Fla. 4 6-10 81
Day 1: 3 5-01 Day 2: 1 1-09
98. John Howard Alexander City, Ala. 6 6-09 79
Day 1: 3 3-04 Day 2: 3 3-05
99. Kibbee Mccoy Crossville, Tenn. 5 6-09 77
Day 1: 2 1-14 Day 2: 3 4-11
100.Everette Lane Clarkrange, Tenn. 5 6-09 76
Day 1: 2 1-15 Day 2: 3 4-10
101.Scott Kerslake Henderson, N.C. 3 6-09 75
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 3 6-09
102.John Dedecker Johnson City, Tenn. 3 6-09 74
Day 1: 1 2-05 Day 2: 2 4-04
103.David Wallace Brooks, Ky. 4 6-07 73
Day 1: 3 4-06 Day 2: 1 2-01
104.Forrest Greenfield Winter Haven, Fla. 4 6-07 72
Day 1: 2 3-09 Day 2: 2 2-14
105.Aaron Dunkle Mooresville, N.C. 4 6-06 71
Day 1: 2 3-07 Day 2: 2 2-15
106.Ben Potaracke La Crosse, Wisc. 2 6-04 70
Day 1: 1 3-00 Day 2: 1 3-04
107.John Fugate Kenneth City, Fla. 4 6-01 69
Day 1: 2 3-06 Day 2: 2 2-11
108.JR Clark Milton, Del. 4 5-15 68
Day 1: 3 4-09 Day 2: 1 1-06
109.Bobby Crowley Kannapolis, N.C. 3 5-15 67
Day 1: 2 4-04 Day 2: 1 1-11
110.George Hirapetian Charlotte, N.C. 3 5-14 66
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 3 5-14
111.Dan Jolly Houston, Texas 5 5-13 65
Day 1: 3 3-02 Day 2: 2 2-11
112.Scott Huff Madison, Ga. 5 5-12 64
Day 1: 3 3-06 Day 2: 2 2-06
113.Phillip Burke York, S.C. 4 5-12 63
Day 1: 3 3-12 Day 2: 1 2-00
114.Will Jefferies Bountiful, Utah 3 5-10 62
Day 1: 2 3-08 Day 2: 1 2-02
115.Wayne Prater Jacksboro, Tenn. 4 5-08 61
Day 1: 3 4-08 Day 2: 1 1-00
116.Steve Jarrett Valrico, Fla. 4 5-08 60
Day 1: 3 4-06 Day 2: 1 1-02
117.Robert Gleason Gainesville, Fla. 4 5-08 59
Day 1: 3 4-01 Day 2: 1 1-07
118.Stephen Britt Columbia, S.C. 4 5-07 58
Day 1: 2 1-11 Day 2: 2 3-12
119.David Van Ens Newaygo, Mich. 4 5-06 57
Day 1: 3 3-09 Day 2: 1 1-13
120.Christopher Chambers Clovis, N.M. 3 5-06 56
Day 1: 2 3-01 Day 2: 1 2-05
121.Matt Drew Temple Terrace, Fla. 3 5-05 55
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 3 5-05
122.Greg Crumpton Ocala, Fla. 3 5-05 54
Day 1: 1 1-11 Day 2: 2 3-10
123.Curtis Pendergrass Maineville, Ohio 4 5-03 53
Day 1: 1 1-04 Day 2: 3 3-15
124.Jimmy Dudley White, Ga. 2 5-03 52
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 2 5-03
125.Jimmy Hayes Fayetteville, N.C. 3 5-02 51
Day 1: 1 2-00 Day 2: 2 3-02
126.Heath Armbruster Saline, Mich. 3 5-01 50
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 3 5-01
127.Edward Knight Magnolia, Del. 3 5-00 49
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 3 5-00
128.Herbert Glaros Lakeland, Fla. 3 4-14 48
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 3 4-14
129.Bill Hunter Murfreesboro, Tenn. 1 4-14 47
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 1 4-14
130.Ralph Wells Castaic, Calif. 2 4-13 46
Day 1: 1 1-10 Day 2: 1 3-03
131.Keith Thames Owens Cross Roads, Ala 3 4-12 45
Day 1: 3 4-12 Day 2: 0 0-00
132.Michael Klokus Clermont, Fla. 3 4-09 44
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 3 4-09
132.Paul Scharf Tampa, Fla. 3 4-09 44
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 3 4-09
134.Mark Snitow Lake Havasu City, Ariz 4 4-08 42
Day 1: 1 1-05 Day 2: 3 3-03
135.Shorty Behrens Osteen, Fla. 1 4-08 41
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 1 4-08
136.Jeff Stone Woodstock, Ga. 3 4-07 40
Day 1: 3 4-07 Day 2: 0 0-00
137.Robert Hatfield Morehead, Ky. 4 4-05 39
Day 1: 2 2-00 Day 2: 2 2-05
138.Mike Knox Alexander City, Ala. 4 4-04 38
Day 1: 1 0-14 Day 2: 3 3-06
139.Peter Saraf Kissimmee, Fla. 2 4-00 37
Day 1: 2 4-00 Day 2: 0 0-00
140.Abraham Street Glade Spring, Va. 3 3-15 36
Day 1: 1 1-12 Day 2: 2 2-03
141.Tony Martinez Bunnell, Fla. 2 3-15 35
Day 1: 1 1-10 Day 2: 1 2-05
142.Gregory Weber Louisville, Ky. 3 3-11 34
Day 1: 2 2-11 Day 2: 1 1-00
143.Deron Donohoo Sumter, S.C. 2 3-11 33
Day 1: 1 1-00 Day 2: 1 2-11
144.Richard Reeves Eufaula, Ala. 4 3-09 32
Day 1: 1 0-15 Day 2: 3 2-10
145.Trathen Dollar West Jefferson, N.C. 3 3-09 31
Day 1: 2 2-06 Day 2: 1 1-03
146.Lee Wright Jonesboro, Ga. 2 3-09 30
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 2 3-09
147.Bill Bonner Wetumpka, Ala. 3 3-08 29
Day 1: 3 3-08 Day 2: 0 0-00
147.Thomas Reeves Land O Lakes, Fla. 3 3-08 29
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 3 3-08
147.Nick Stoffel Huntington, Ind. 3 3-08 29
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 3 3-08
150.Austin Banks Madison, Miss. 3 3-08 26
Day 1: 2 2-03 Day 2: 1 1-05
151.Matt Fair Ocoee, Fla. 3 3-08 25
Day 1: 1 1-02 Day 2: 2 2-06
152.Steve Redwine Ash Blue, Ohio 4 3-07 24
Day 1: 2 0-15 Day 2: 2 2-08
153.Carl Hunter Snellville, Ga. 2 3-07 23
Day 1: 2 3-07 Day 2: 0 0-00
154.Alfred Brown Maiden, N.C. 3 3-05 22
Day 1: 1 1-02 Day 2: 2 2-03
155.Tomas Gomez Kissimmee, Fla. 2 3-04 21
Day 1: 1 2-04 Day 2: 1 1-00
156.Greg Royse Lexington, S.C. 3 3-03 20
Day 1: 2 2-01 Day 2: 1 1-02
157.Miriam Donohoo San Mateo, Fla. 3 3-01 19
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 3 3-01
158.Joe Medlock Lake Placid, Fla. 3 3-00 18
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 3 3-00
159.Frank Kruk Valrico, Fla. 3 3-00 17
Day 1: 2 1-14 Day 2: 1 1-02
160.Doug Conklin Harmony, Fla. 3 2-14 16
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 3 2-14
161.JJ Polak Oxford, Ga. 2 2-14 15
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 2 2-14
162.James Robinson Jackson, Tenn. 2 2-14 14
Day 1: 1 1-02 Day 2: 1 1-12
163.Kathy Freehling Interlachen, Fla. 2 2-13 13
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 2 2-13
164.Anthony Roy Lancaster, Ky. 2 2-10 12
Day 1: 2 2-10 Day 2: 0 0-00
165.Joe Wheeler Douglasville, Ga. 1 2-10 11
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 1 2-10
166.Matthew Jones Delmar, N.Y. 2 2-08 10
Day 1: 1 1-02 Day 2: 1 1-06
167.Aaron Bidarian Somerset, Ky. 2 2-05 9
Day 1: 1 1-00 Day 2: 1 1-05
168.Travis Dehart Greenville, S.C. 2 2-03 8
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 2 2-03
169.Billy Graham Brentwood, Md. 2 2-01 7
Day 1: 1 1-00 Day 2: 1 1-01
170.Don Moore Crossville, Tenn. 2 1-14 6
Day 1: 2 1-14 Day 2: 0 0-00
171.Thomas Toth Clermont, Fla. 1 1-14 5
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 1 1-14
172.Ray Burchfield Casselberry, Fla. 1 1-13 4
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 1 1-13
173.Bill Lowery Farmers, Ky. 1 1-12 3
Day 1: 1 1-12 Day 2: 0 0-00
174.Jeff Campbell Cincinnati, Ohio 1 1-11 2
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 1 1-11
175.Bill Poirier Riverview, Fla. 1 1-10 1
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 1 1-10
176.Glenn Bailey Land O Lakes, Fla. 1 1-08 0
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 1 1-08
177.Garry Fisher Winter Haven, Fla. 1 1-07 0
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 1 1-07
178.Josh Dorr Pickens, S.C. 1 1-05 0
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 1 1-05
178.Bryon Medeiros Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 1 1-05 0
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 1 1-05
178.Tommy Wheeler Douglasville, Ga. 1 1-05 0
Day 1: 1 1-05 Day 2: 0 0-00
181.Billy Watson Readyville, Tenn. 1 1-03 0
Day 1: 1 1-03 Day 2: 0 0-00
182.Preston Rogers New Smyrna Beach, Fla. 1 1-02 0
Day 1: 1 1-02 Day 2: 0 0-00
182.Jeanette Sander Byron, Ga. 1 1-02 0
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 1 1-02
182.Jim Settle Dandridge, Tenn. 1 1-02 0
Day 1: 1 1-02 Day 2: 0 0-00
185.Lamar Spade Brodheadsville, Pa. 1 0-15 0
Day 1: 1 0-15 Day 2: 0 0-00
186.Thomas Ayars Kissimmee, Fla. 0 0-00 0
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 0 0-00
186.Michael Blanchard Land O Lakes, Fla. 0 0-00 0
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 0 0-00
186.Roger Burke Newbury, Ohio 0 0-00 0
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 0 0-00
186.Kenneth Hoffman Cambridge, N.Y. 0 0-00 0
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 0 0-00
186.James Kilby Jr Tifton, Ga. 0 0-00 0
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 0 0-00
186.David Oney Harrogate, Tenn. 0 0-00 0
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 0 0-00
186.John Standafer West Liberty, Ky. 0 0-00 0
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 0 0-00
186.Leslie Swann Lake Placid, Fla. 0 0-00 0
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 0 0-00
186.Rodney Vaow Cornelius, N.C. 0 0-00 0
Day 1: 0 0-00 Day 2: 0 0-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 0 339 599-10
2 0 393 763-01
----------------------------------
0 732 1362-11
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The Toyota Texas Bass Classic (TTBC) will return to the Lone Star Convention & Expo Center in Conroe October 28 – 30, 2011. The event, a three-day world-class fishing tournament, also features an outdoor music festival. Event proceeds benefit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and its outdoor recreation programs.
“We are proud to bring the TTBC back to Conroe and continue to raise awareness for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department,” said TTBC Founder Dan Friedkin. “This event has become the premier bass fishing tournament for anglers across the world while having a positive impact on this community and the state of Texas.”
The TTBC will continue to host family-friendly live music performances by noteworthy artists. Previous events have featured performances by Blake Shelton, Montgomery Gentry and Pat Green. The 2011 concert line-up will be announced by the summer. Activities at the Lone Star Convention & Expo Center appeal to a wide range of spectator interests and include a kids’ area with outdoor activities, giant video screens and outdoor industry exhibitions featuring instructional clinics and the latest in equipment and accessories.
The 2011 TTBC will host a 50-angler field, assembled from the top professional leagues in the world, including the PAA Bass Pro Shops Tournament Series, Bassmaster Elite Series and the Walmart FLW Tour. The format has created a true bass fishing world championship. All professional anglers must be members of the PAA to compete.
Brian Snowden, of Reeds Spring, Missouri, won the 2010 tournament over Toyota Pro Team angler Michael Iaconelli, calling it “the biggest [victory] of my life.”
Anglers will compete on Lake Conroe over three days with the field being reduced to the top-10 who will compete in the final round on Sunday, October 30. The tournament remains a non-entry fee event, with all 50 competing anglers taking home guaranteed prize money, including a new Legend Bass Boat for the champion. In addition, the TTBC will continue its focus on conservation and adhere to strict catch, weigh and immediate release format that has earned the event national praise the past four years.
The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department has received $1 million in donations from the TTBC over the past four years. The 2011 donation will include a minimum of $250,000. “The focus of these programs is to expose kids and non-traditional users to the sport of fishing and the conservation efforts upon which all good fishing depends,” said JC Fassino, President, Texas Bass Classic Foundation.
The Lone Star Convention & Expo Center is a state-of-the-art facility conveniently located minutes from Lake Conroe and The Woodlands and only 40 minutes north of Houston. The location offers easy access to event activities, local shops and restaurants. For more information visit www.thelonestar.org.
The Toyota Texas Bass Classic tournament functions are operated by the Professional Anglers Association with technical assistance and support from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Inland Fisheries Division. Title sponsor for the event is Toyota. Corporate partnership opportunities are available for 2011. For additional information, visit toyotatexasbassclassic.com or call 1-866-907-0143.
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Wired2Fish's Scott and Marty Glorvigen will be attending the Minneapolis Boat Show this weekend and will be working in the Lowrance Electronics and Lund Boats booths.
They will be there showcasing Lund's new 1775 Impact as well as all of the other great boats in the Lund line-up. The Impact has all the ameneties and is affordable priced. There are 3 models of the Lund Impact.
The Lund Impact is a 17 and 1/2 foot boat perfect for both big and small waters. The Impact is constructed with aft and bow livewells and casting platforms and allows for easy movement around the boat and it fishes great. It is designed with center rod storage and dual side rod lockers and plenty of other storage. It is rated for 75/125 HP and is a wide 94 inches for great stability even in rough water.
They will also be showcasing all of the new Lowrance HDS and DSI graphs as well as the new hand held GPS units and other great Lowrance Products.
Ask Scott and Marty to give you a to walk through of these great products and see if they have any Wired2Fish wrist bands. You could be one of the first to own one. Supplies are limited.
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Eco Pro Tungsten continues to add to it's growing lineup of Elite Series Pros with the addition of 23 year old Brandon Palaniuk of Idaho. Brandon will be fishing next month's Bassmaster Classic in New Orleans and starting the 2011 season as a rookie on the Elite Series.
"Eco Pro Tungsten is an innovative company that brings everything to the table. They have the perfect combination between power and finesse! With their insert free system, and their special "Seal Coat" painting, you don't have to worry about frayed line or them taking a beating. These weights help me catch more fish hands down and are the only choice for my tackle box!" said Palaniuk.
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Elite Series pro Gary Klein has joined Eco Pro Tungsten for 2011.
"I am truly excited about getting involved with Tim Norman and Eco Pro Tungsten" said Klein. "Tim knows how to make the best products. The weights that Tim and Dean Rojas developed are right on target not only because of the sleeveless design and color but also because of the shape of the weights, as well. Tungsten truly makes a big difference to best feel the bite . Using the Eco Pro tungsten weights will make a big difference this year at the Classic."
Eco Pro will be announcing other pro's joining their pro staff in the next few days.
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 Terry Bolton is an FLW Outdoors Stalwart, with 11 top 10 finishes at the FLW Tour Majors or Open level (formerly the FLW Series). He also has an Everstart Series win on his home waters, Kentucky Lake. He's always been a likable approachable pro, and he always seems to just shrug off adversity and drama. Steve Kennedy narrowly beat him on his home lake in an FLW Tour event many years ago, and moments after the weigh-in, he was all smiles. "Guess it wasn't my turn," he said.
His name is synonymous with ledge fishing. For many years, however, his name has also been synonymous with Yamaha. The manufacturer changed some business models for 2011 and moved its sponsorship from FLW Outdoors to B.A.S.S. Along with that most FLW pros were cut from the prostaff, including Bolton.
"I have no hard feelings towards Yamaha," Bolton said. "I understand they had to make some business decisions. I enjoyed the years with Yamaha, and they were very good to me and helped me a lot in my career."
But Bolton is equally as happy to be running an Evinrude 250 on his Ranger Z520 this year.
"I'm very excited about running the Evinrude 250 on the FLW Tour this year. Those engines have great power and top-end speed," he said. "I'm very pleased to be working with Krista Heidgerken and her staff. They are great people and have treated me really well."
Bolton's new Ranger / Evinrude package will likewise have a new wrap. Although there hasn't yet been a formal announcement, Bolton was spotted wearing his Off! jersey at the Murray Boat Show this weekend, and the Off! logo is on the FLW Outdoors sponsor page on their website.
One of his main sponsors for the last several years has been Rapala and Trigger X and he's continuing his partnership with them. "David James, is great to work with and they offer a lot of great products that I use a lot on tour," he said.
A couple new sponsors for Bolton this year are his new rod sponsor, Denali rods and his eyewear sponsor, Browning. He really bragged on the Denali custom spinnerbait rod and their medium heavy crankbait rod for heaving big DT 20 crankbaits on Kentucky Lake's many famed ledges.
"I've fished a lot of spinnerbait rods, and love throwing a spinnerbait deep," Bolton said. "Their 6'10" Rosewood Matrix Spinnerbait rod is absolutely perfect. I wouldn't change anything about it. If you throw spinnerbaits deep or shallow, it's worth your time to check it out. I also like a crankbait rod with a little more back bone for throwing deep diving plugs, and their MH Rosewood crankbait rod is awesome. I also really like the Noirwood jig/worm rod."
So Bolton traded in his blue/white colors for bright orange and dark blue, and he's excited about getting the new chapter in his career started on Beaver Lake in March.
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 B.A.S.S., in conjunction
with Toyota, announces exciting changes in the format of the 2011 Toyota
Tundra Angler of the Year program and the popular postseason event of
the Bassmaster Elite Series.
At the conclusion of the final Elite Series tournament on Wheeler
Lake, Ala., B.A.S.S. will crown the 2011 Toyota Tundra Angler of the
Year based on points earned during the regular season. The winner will
be awarded $100,000, and others in the top 50
will be awarded a share of the Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year purse.
But that won’t be the end of the fishing season for top Elite Series pros — or their fans.
“These exciting format changes will create an even more compelling
ending to the Bassmaster Elite Series,” noted Jerry McKinnis, an owner
of B.A.S.S. “A few weeks after the Angler of the Year is crowned and
celebrated by the bass fishing world, a unique
playoff week involving 12 Toyota Tundra All-Stars and Bassmaster fans
will take place in the River Region of Montgomery and Wetumpka, Ala.”
The top eight anglers in AOY points, including the 2011 Toyota
Tundra Angler of the Year champion, will be invited to Toyota Trucks
All-Star Week, beginning Saturday, July 23, with preliminary competition
on Lake Jordan near Wetumpka, Ala. In addition,
Bassmaster fans will be able to select four wild card competitors from
the Bassmaster Elite Series lineup, based on votes cast on Bassmaster.com.
Twelve Bassmaster fans will be selected randomly and paired with
the 12 Bassmaster Elite anglers as virtual competitors during Toyota
Trucks All-Star Week. These 12 fans will be able to follow their angler
daily on Bassmaster.com. The fan paired with the
eventual winner of the Toyota Trucks All-Star Week competition will win a
fully rigged bass boat.
All-Star Week adds another interesting twist to Bassmaster
competition. Following the two-day preliminary round on Lake Jordan, the
top eight All-Stars, based on cumulative weights turned in, will be
seeded and move to the Alabama River in Montgomery for
a bracket-style, head-to-head format over three days of competition.
After two elimination days, the two anglers left standing will duel it
out for the winner-take-all prize of $100,000.
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Today on Weighing In Radio with Terry Brown, Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro talks about his Fins and Skins Celebrity golf and fishing tournament for Operation One Voice. Operation One Voice is a program designed by police officers, firefighters and community leaders to raise funds to help support the immediate needs of children and families of wounded and fallen Special Operations Forces. Special Operation Forces consist of US Army Special Operations Command (USASCOC), Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC), Air Force Special Oplick herations Command (AFSCOC), Marine Force Special Operations Command (MARSOC), and Joint Special Operation Command (JSOC).
The Fins and Skins event will run in conjunction with the PAA lid lifter at Lake Lanier in Georgia and fan's have a chance to fish and play golf with the likes of Phil Niekro, Ozzie Smith, Steve Barkowski, Ron Reed and a host of other celebrities in a two day fun filled event April 1 and April 2 on Lanier. PAA anglers will be serving as guides for the fishing part of this event.
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By Mark Zona
Last time I blogged – (that still sounds funny, the Z-train
blogging) – anyhow – the last time I blogged, I told you I was headed to a warm
water power plant lake in Illinois with Little Johnny VanDam. It was funny, when I first called to invite
JVD he thought we were leaving Michigan to fish in some tropical place like
Florida. Which would seem logical. But nope! No Sir! We were headed to
Illinois – in a snowstorm.
Uh – not the best idea. Oh, we caught ‘em, as you’ll soon
see on “Zona’s Awesome Fishing Show.” The water was 66 degrees. The air temp was 20 degrees. But, they bit.
But then, we drove home to Michigan in an absolute
blizzard. Yep, great idea “Z”, schedule
a fishing show in a blizzard, and then tow the NitroÒno faster than 45 mph
all the way home for six hours. Brilliant! I’m glad Little Johnny and I made it home safe.
Now listen, this week I’m headed somewhere around Texas to
film a show. I don’t know where. I’m old school, so I’m not on the gotta-go to
Falcon or Amistad train. I’m on the
crazy train, the old school train, and I think we might just end up at one of
those old school stump jumper reservoirs where dudes like Harold Allen, Tommy
Martin and Rick Clunn prowled around with 12-inch Jelly Worms back in the ‘70s.
And let me add, as I point it south once again, the weather
is not good. But TV fishing shows have
to be filmed, fish have to be caught, and the Z-train is kept warm and safe by
a big ole security blanket better known as Boat U.S. Angler.
If I break down, or heaven forbid, slide into a ditch, I can
call the phone number on my Boat U.S Angler membership card and they’ll
dispatch somebody to come save my big harry self. They’re like the electric blanket I had as a
kid – or better yet, the blue Snuggie I
have now as an adult.
I’ll leave you with this. I was back in my hometown of Chicago doing seminars at Bass Pro Shops
last weekend. I thought everybody should
have been home watching the Bears game, but instead, tons of folks went to Bass
Pro Shops. One of the dudes in the
audience was a high school buddy I haven’t seen in 19 years. He looked at me and said, “dude, it looks
like your face has seen a lot of harsh sun since high school. You look like a leather catcher’s mitt.” Nice
guy. Classic compliment.
Until next time, Go Bears, beat the Packers!
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Some time ago, we ran a piece called Michael Murphy's Man Cave Disaster. FLW Outdoors pro Michael Murphy and his wife had just had a new baby, and he had just returned from his last tournament and unloaded his Suburban and boat on the garage floor. Hot off the presses! He has cleaned up his man cave and provided visual proof of it below. We love your man cave Michael!
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B.A.S.S. Communications
Special Bassmaster tournament announcement
Visit Bassmaster.com Wednesday, Jan. 19, at 2 p.m. EST for a special
video announcement by Jerry McKinnis, an owner of B.A.S.S., concerning
2011 Bassmaster tournaments.
Classic KVD
Kevin VanDam was on his father’s small Michigan
lake for a day of ice fishing. Forget those sit-and-wait, heated ice
shacks. His technique was to move fast, to hunt for the fish.
This, mind you, was relaxation.
“It’s the first time I’ve been out all winter,” VanDam said via
cell phone from the ice. “I’ve been so busy I haven’t had a chance to do
any fishing. I’m trying to tune my skills for the Bassmaster Classic by
ice fishing.”
He was joking, of course, at least in part. It is unlikely that
hard-water fishing in Michigan could help the defending champion prep
for his 21st consecutive Classic appearance, Feb. 18-20 on the Louisiana
Delta out of New Orleans.
The part he wasn’t joking about was being busy — much too busy for a
scouting trip to Louisiana. As one of the sport’s superpros, VanDam’s
time is much in demand. He’s the reigning Toyota Tundra Bassmaster
Angler of the Year — 2010 was his sixth AOY title
— and a three-time Classic winner.
He took his first Classic title in 2001 on the Louisiana Delta.
Interestingly, when the Classic returned to the delta in 2003, VanDam
ended 34th in a field of 61, which stands today as the lowest Classic
finish of his life.
What happened in 2003 that he will avoid this time around? Nothing.
In a delta Classic, that’s just how a competition can come down.
“In 2003, the area that I chose was the same area that I’d fished
in 2001, but it just was not happening at all. The problem I ran into
was that there were a couple other guys in the area I was in, and it was
just too small. By the time you try to make
an adjustment, it’s too late.”
There are few, if any, chances for corrections on the delta.
“That’s the nature of that fishery,” VanDam said. “It’s one of
those that has good fishing, but the fishing areas are far apart. If you
make a wrong decision or have a breakdown or anything like that, you
can be in a world of hurt in a hurry.”
He hasn’t been back to the delta since 2003. Like all of the
Classic competitors, he’ll begin to hunt fish during official Classic
practice days, Feb. 11-13 and Feb. 16. He has a practice plan.
As he described his plan, he interrupted himself.
“Believe it or not, I’m fishing for bluegill, and I just caught a
bass,” he laughed. “It’s the second one today! It’s all I catch!” He
paused. “Good problem to have, huh?”
Ashley sings
Bassmaster Elite Series pro Casey Ashley of
Donalds, S.C., has agreed to perform on the 2011 Bassmaster Classic
stage Friday, Feb. 18, the first day of the 41st world championship.
“It’ll just be me and a guitar sitting up on the stage,” Ashley
said. “I’ll sing three or four songs before the weigh-in begins.”
One of the songs likely will be I Am A Fisherman, the tune
he debuted when he competed in his first Classic in 2008. Since then,
between fishing tournaments and public appearances, he’s been working on
more songs for a CD he hopes will be ready
in time for a summer 2011 release.
Free and open to the public, the Feb. 18-20 weigh-ins will be at
the New Orleans Arena. For more information about the Classic, click here.
The promise of this week’s Toho Open
Although windblown and
wet, James Charlesworth was happy. He was back on Florida’s Lake
Tohopekaliga — his favorite fishery — and headed once again into a
Bassmaster tournament.
Charlesworth said wind roughed up Toho early on Monday, the first
day of official practice for the Jan. 20-22 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster
Southern Open, the season opener. Then came the lightning and hard rain.
At one point, he said, visibility was almost
zero. He decided to hunker down in a safe spot and wait it out.
Charlesworth, 37, first competed as a pro in a Bassmaster event in
2002. Climbing up through the Open division, he qualified for the 2007
Bassmaster Classic and Elite Series. After the 2007 season, he returned
to his former career as a surgical consultant
with a medical device company. He moved from St. Cloud, Fla., to
northern Virginia for his work, but kept his home near Lake Toho.
He got back into Open events in 2009. In 2010, job demands, wedding
plans and buying a home in Virginia kept him out of Bassmaster
competitions. But Charlesworth could not resist jumping back in when
B.A.S.S. expanded the Open winner’s prize package for
the 2011 Open season to include a 2012 Classic berth. The fact that the
season opener would be on the lake he loved also helped to sway him.
“It’s exciting to have the Classic opportunity,” he said. “I want
to get back to the world championship. I can’t think of a better place
to do it than on this lake, my favorite lake.”
He knows Toho. The bass on Monday were still in prespawn mode, he
said, but the combination of rising water temperatures and a Jan. 19
full moon holds promise that the big spawners will move up. That means
great catches are possible during the Thursday-Saturday
tournament.
“We’re catching the lake at a very difficult time, but it’s about to explode and be amazing,” Charlesworth said.
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While many fishing tackle companies have been trimming their pro staffs, the Lew's team continues to get stronger. Lew's, a great tradition in American bass fishing equipment, has been busily assembling a group of high-profile anglers to help launch their new lineup of baitcast and spinning reels and rods for 2011.
Following recent announcements by BASS Elite Series anglers Mark Menendez and Kevin Short that they've joined Team Lew's, company owner Lynn Reeves says he is honored by the recent additions to the team. The list reads somewhat like a Who's Who of fishing and, in addition to Menendez and Short, now includes Terry Scroggins (Fla.), Peter Thliveros (Fla.) and David Fritts (N.C.).
"I am so honored to have such a great team representing the Lew's brand." Reeves said. "What makes this team special is that they approached us after fishing with our reels or hearing about the quality of the equipment we are bringing to market. We want individuals who are passionate about winning but also willing to share their knowledge with others. The late Lew Childre was known for being passionate about fishing and showed it through his mentoring ways and dedication to product improvements. To me that's what Lew's is still all about."
Of the group, David Fritts has the most history with the Lew's brand having been a primary spokesman for the Lew's name over much of his nearly two decades of tournament fishing. Fritts helped put the Lew's BB1N Speed Spool on the map through his prowess at throwing big-lipped crankbaits a "mile" and "feeling" them all the way back to the boat. Over a career that includes six FLW tournament wins and five BASS victories, including the 1993 Bassmaster Classic, Fritts has won more than $2 million in competitive fishing.
It is Fritts who is responsible for Lew's again introducing bigger line capacity reels with low gear ratios and larger cranking handles, among their 2011 baitcast series during a time when other manufacturers are focusing on the high speed models. Lew's features 5.4:1, 6.4:1 and super-fast 7.1:1 models in their lineup.
Thliveros, known to most bass fishing fans as "Peter T," also has been fishing professionally for nearly 20 years. He has seven wins along the BASS trail, plus an FLW win, contributing to his nearly $2 million in combined tournament earnings.
Scroggins has been fishing BASS tournaments since 1999, recording five wins and more than $1.2 million along the way. He says flipping is his primary strength, and that the new lightweight Lew's reels with their paddle handles are perfect for what he does best. Scroggins has qualified to fish in the 2011 Bassmaster Classic on the Louisiana Delta, Feb. 18-21.
"This is a great team of quality individuals, all having proved their character over time," said Reeves. "These are the kind of guys who spend extra time signing autographs, giving seminars and making other public appearances. I'm proud to have them associated with the Lew's name."
Reeves also teased that one other well-known and highly successful angler has committed to joining the pro staff, to occur sometime before the 2011 Bassmaster Classic. "We can't tell you who it is yet, but he's a popular guy and a great fit with our company. We're looking forward to making our signing with him official and public very soon."
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.
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Attraxx Soft Baits enhanced with scientifically formulated Sci-X is all over the news. Whether in the freshwater or saltwater the new amino acid based bait is gaining a reputation as a big time fish catcher. Reports across the south are saying large numbers of saltwater fish like trout and redfish are on it. Bass anglers say once they bite it they hold on. It takes out the fishin' and puts catchin' into the equation!
Wired2Fish and Attraxx wanted to get 6 readers a chance a "six pack" of the best Attraxx shapes. The contest concluded on Friday and below are the winners. Congrats and your product is on the way!
1. Stan Horne, Aston, PA
2. Terry Grafton, Springdale, AR
3. Joe Fedewa, Portland, MI
4. Carolyn Campbell, Maryville, TN
5. Gene Shaw, Anniston, AL
6. Dennis Wong, San Francisco, CA
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One of the country's premier boat shows begins Thursday January 20th. The 39th Annual Minneapolis Boat Show runs the January 20-23 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Representatives from Ranger, Lund and Legend will be there with their new line-ups for 2011.
This boat show combines the best selection of new boats and hundreds of booths showcasing the very latest in marine engines, electronics, fishing gear and accessories.
The 4-day event is also the best time to buy, offering you a once-a-year chance to compare makes and models, secure insurance and financing and gear up with the latest accessories all at one time, under one roof and beat cabin fever.
Wired2Fish's Scott Glorvigen will be working in the Lund Boats Booth so stop by and say hello.
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 BASS photo
Elite Rookie and new Dodge Ram Team member Ryan Said of Wixon, Michigan talks about the new Dodge Outdoorsman, his sponsorship with Dodge and Poor Boys and how Michigan anglers "ROCK" on Weighing In Radio with Terry Brown. As an engineer at Chrysler, Said knows his new tow vehicle from the inside out. He also knows how to fish vegetation and how to put them in the boat. Interesting listen to one of 2011's brightest rookies!
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Ardent Reels and Accessories just introduced a new screen cleaning kit called Screen Kleen for electronics displays that is off the charts. We have tried them all, and we really like this one for a number of reasons. It doesn't streak or leave a nasty residue, but more importantly it removes hard water spots which can be very difficult to eliminate. In the past we have had to use a light soap and water mixture with a drop or two of descaler to get the job done. We always had to worry about destroying the screen so the job was a tough one. Screen Kleen works like magic, eliminating dirt grime and water spots and also protects all kinds of screens including marine electronics, GPS, digital cameras, MP3, PDA, and DVD players. Routine use keeps your valuable electronics looking like new.
Screen Kleen is formulated alcohol and ammonia free and like all of the Ardent Products its Made in the USA.
To learn more about Screen Kleen, Reel Kleen, Reel Butter and other Ardent Accessories go the Ardent Reels Website.
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 Mark Menendez has battled a lot of adversity in his angling career. Yet through it all, he's been able to win at the highest levels of the sport. He has three wins, five Classic appearances and two Bassmaster records. He's amassed more than a $1 million in career earnings, and his success in individual events and point standings show his passion and skill for the sport. He's a legend and liked by many anglers for his humble and down to earth approach to teaching anglers. Now he's taking his desire to educate anglers a step further.
With the support of West Kentucky Community and Technical College, Menendez is offering a five-week course, Bass Fishing with Mark Menendez, to improve an angler's knowledge and approach to fishing. He has a degree from Murray State in Fisheries Biology, and he's going to be using his 20 years of experience as well as his book knowledge of fish and forage to educate anglers in this advanced class.
The class will be 2 hours every Tuesday night at the West Kentucky Emerging Technology Center from 6 to 8 p.m. The classes start this week though so you need to sign up fast. He's already signed more than 60 anglers to the class. The price is amazingly only $65 a person and each student is getting an awesome lure pack from his sponsors like Strike King Lure Company.
To register for the class call (270) 534-3335 and ask to sign up for the Bass Fishing with Mark Menendez course.
For those that can't make this class, don't fret, Menendez is already being approached by other colleges about doing future courses.
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Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro is among the star-studded team of celebrities set to participate in the inaugural "Phil Niekro's Fins & Skins Celebrity Pro-Am" bass tournament and golf outing on beautiful Lake Lanier.
The event is scheduled for April 2 at Sunset Cover Marina at Lake Lanier Islands Resort in conjunction with the season-opening event of the Bass Pro Shops PAA Tournament Series presented by Carrot Stix.
Hall of Fame athletes from several sports and some of the best professional bass fishermen in the nation will help raise money to benefit Operation One Voice, an organization that helps meet immediate needs for wounded or fallen Special Operations Forces troops and their families during and after their service to our country. A benefit golf tournament also will be held at Legacy on Lanier Golf Club April 1. Golfers can participate in a Meet and Greet starting at 9 a.m., followed by teeing off with celebrities from the sporting and entertainment world, starting at 9:30 am.
Among the celebrities scheduled to participate with Phil Niekro include former NBA great Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz, former Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox, Ozzie “The Wizard” Smith and Ron Reed.
"I am excited to bring together my friends, community, celebrity athletes and some of the country's most exciting professional bass anglers to raise funds for an incredible cause, Operation One Voice," said Niekro, who a Major League Baseball pitcher for 20 seasons with the Atlanta Braves. "Their mission of improving the lives of Special Operations Forces troops and their families during and after service is crucial."
Individuals can purchase the opportunity to spend the day playing golf, or fishing on Lake Lanier with both a professional bass fisherman and celebrity athlete. After competing in the fun pro-am tournament on the lake, the winning team will be determined during a weigh-in at Bass Pro Shops in Lawrenceville, located on I-85. The tournament will use an in-boat scorecard system to measure and weigh the fish, which then will be released. The team with the heaviest five-bass limit will be the winner.
The coveted and limited team slots can be purchased at operationonevoice.com. For anyone interested in making a donation, Special Operations Forces troops will be paired with celebrities for anyone who wants to purchase and then donate a bass tournament or golf tournament berth.
"The business community around Atlanta and Lake Lanier is passionate about supporting the troops," said Jacky Jackson of Bass Pro Shops. "I see no reason this event cannot be one the most successful charity events that takes place in Atlanta for 2011. We must continue to support our Special Forces troops and their families."
Fishing teams will launch from Sunset Cove Marina at 8 a.m. and compete for six hours before going to Bass Pro Shops for the weigh-in. Opportunities will be available for fans to take photos and get autographs of the celebrities and pro anglers.
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The
University of Oregon team of Kyle Schneider and William Crowl, won the
National Guard FLW College Fishing Western Division on Lake Shasta
Saturday with five bass weighing 7 pounds, 6 ounces. The victory earned
the team $10,000 to be split between the university and the university’s
bass-fishing club; $7,500 for the bass club and $2,500 for their
school. The win also helped them advance to the Western Division
Regional Championship.
“It was a slow day,” said William Crowl, a junior in
business administration. “I think it was our patience and ability to
slow down our fishing that made the difference. We were fishing a little
shallower than most of the other teams, we were in about 20 to 30 feet
of water and unlike most of the teams that were drop-shotting we were
using flick shake worms and shaky heads.
“The morning bite seemed to be a bit better; that is when I caught the 2 1/2-pounder. It was a struggle all day long.”
Midway through the morning the team lost their
trolling motor and had to duct tape it together. After that the Ducks
held on to keep things together.
“The feeling is so overwhelming, this was the first
tournament I have ever fished in and to win…what a way to break into the
sport,” added an excited Kyle Schneider, freshman marine biology major.
“I was nervous all day. I had two early bites but I think I swung too
early and lost them both so I didn’t catch any of the fish, but I was a
great net. The nets didn’t make it to the tournament so I got to help
haul William’s fish in the boat.”
Rounding out the top five teams and also advancing to the Western Regional Championship are:
2nd: Chico State – Thomas White and Frank Vogt, (five bass, 6-13, $3,000)
3rd: Sacramento State – Kyle Derbish and Greg Taluban, (five bass, 6-10, $2,000)
4th: University of Oregon – Zachary Niesen and Nick Doring, (four bass, 6, $2,000)
5th: Chico State – Bryce Hayes and Lucas Russell, (five bass, 5-13, $2,000)
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Pro
Jeff Michels of Lakehead, Calif., caught a five-bass limit weighing 6
pounds, Saturday to win the FLW EverStart Series Western Division
tournament on Lake Shasta with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 36
pounds. For his victory, Michels earned $35,000 and a 198VX Ranger boat
with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard motor.
“It was a tough week of fishing,” Michels said. “I
only caught 17 keepers all week which is extremely unusual for Shasta;
normally you will catch 20 to 30 fish a day out here. I was very
fortunate, three of my fish weighed over 18 pounds and that is what
really made the difference, I was able to get those quality bites.
"I fish this lake three to four times a week; I use an
Offspring swimbait to locate quality fish so when tournament time comes
around I know where to find the big ones. I was catching my fish on Yamamoto Senkos, Mother’s Finest, and Dry Creek Tubes. The early bite was really
good for me, that is when I got all my big ones. That really helped take
the pressure off too; after I caught the big ones I was able to relax
and keep fishing to fill my limit.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Richard Dobyns, Yuba City, Calif., 14 bass, 27-15, $12,000
3rd: Jason Milligan, Shasta Lake, Calif., 15 bass, 27-1, $10,000
4th: Cody Meyer, Grass Valley, Calif., 15 bass, 26-5, $9,000
5th: Charley Almassey, Oakley, Calif., 15 bass, 25-8, $8,000
6th: Young Yang, Los Angeles, Calif., 15 bass, 24-10, $7,000
7th: Howard Hughes, Redding, Calif., 14 bass, 23-15, $6,000
8th: Rob Bass, Redding, Calif., 11 bass, 23-1, $5,000
9th: Ken Phillips, Antioch, Calif., 13 bass, 22-6, $4,000
10th: Jim Hawkes, Apache Junction, Ariz., 11 bass, 18-3, $3,000
Jeff Michels caught the biggest bass of the tournament
in the Pro Division Thursday – a 7-pound, 3-ounce bass – that earned
him the day’s Big Bass award of $300.
Bryant Smith of Castro Valley, Calif., won the
Co-angler Division and a Ranger boat with Evinrude or Mercury outboard
motor, with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 24 pounds, 5 ounces.
“This week couldn’t have ended any better,” said
Smith. “I was mostly using a finesse worm to catch my limit early and
then I would switch to senkos, brown and purple, to try and get some
bigger fish. The bite was not aggressive so I really had to work hard
for what I got.”
Smith caught five bass weighing 10-4 Thursday while
fishing with pro David Malone of Elko, Nev., to open the tournament in
first place. On Friday he added five more bass weighing 7-15 to maintain
first place while fishing with pro Gabe Bolivar of Ramona, Calif.
Finally, on Saturday, he sealed the win with a five bass limit weighing
6-2 while fishing with Jeff Michels.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Matthew Nadeau, Grass Valley, Calif., 15 bass, 21-12, $4,500
3rd: Lonnie Foster, Kneeland, Calif., 13 bass, 20-8, $4,000
4th: Toshitada Suzuki, Katusidadu, Japan, 15 bass, 20-6, $3,500
5th: Charles Keller, Redding, Calif., 15 bass, 20-2, $3,000
6th: Roy De Smangles Jr., Lincoln, Calif., 15 bass, 19-2, $2,500
7th: Willie Church, Cottonwood, Calif., 13 bass, 16-6, $2,000
8th: Kirk Beardsley, Huntington Beach, Calif., 13 bass, 16-5, $1,500
9th: George Wise, Park City, Utah, 13 bass, 16-4, $1,000
10th: Daniel Leue, Colusa, Calif., 11 bass, 14-3, $800
Jason Chang of Riverside, Calif., caught the biggest
bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Friday – a 6-pound,
1-ounce bass – that earned him the day’s Big Bass award of $200.
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They anticipate it for months, and the days before the event they can hardly sleep at night. In their dreams, the boats roar, the fish bend the rod to the water, and there are prizes, hot dogs and drinks, trophies, fishing lures and baits, and FUN to be had with friends — new and old. Some are old veterans like Mary and Mark, and others, like Jim and Cassidy, are rookies but willing to give it a shot. All they want is the chance to experience what other kids do but seldom get a chance.
It, too, was a dream that Tim had some 13 years ago. He had entered the bass fishing world as a pro, had been successful, and one day he determined he wanted to "give back" to the community and the fans that had been good to him. And he saw a need in the eyes of kids in his area — the disabled, the disadvantaged, and the mentally challenged. But to achieve his dream of fulfilling the dreams of the kids, he needed help so he called in his "markers." He bent the ear of his sponsors, his current and former competitors, his buddies from the bass clubs, and the business people of his community.
And when they saw his commitment, they came, they contributed, and they supported his efforts. And in 2010, we celebrated the 13th year of Tim
It takes a lot of folks and planning to make an event like this a success — for the kids (the primary reason this event exists), the volunteers and the boat captains. Tim, Mel, and Judy start early in the year rounding up sponsors and prizes and Tournament Director and Chief of Staff Brad Whitehead makes it work. He brings all the elements together by ensuring there are enough boat captains on hand — bass boats and pontoons for the anglers in wheelchairs, worms and minnows, ice and hot dogs and buns, enough soft drinks to fill a barge, tables and chairs, garbage bags, sponsor lures and "giveaways," and boat loads of prizes and trophies for the participants.
Fishing For Kids takes anglers from Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, and from far ranging states like Ohio and the Mid-West and volunteers from every walk of life to make it work. Dennis Sherer of the Times Daily helps get the word out. Volunteers like Johnny Stonecipher, Ronnie Leatherwood, Mike Johnson, Sarah Parrish, Emma Sherer, Dakota Morgan, Renee Morgan, and a hundred others that we don't have the space to name give of their time and money to see that each of our kids goes away from the event with a smile on their face and a memory in their heart that will last forever.
Weekend anglers and bass club members, like John Thorton and his crew of Belgreen Bassmasters, Jimmy Morgan and Blake Gowen of Bassmasters of North Alabama, travel to Florence and tow their boats and supply the fishing expertise, the fuel and tackle to help make this a special day for the kids and adult participants of the event. A special thanks goes out to Eddie Plemons of the Alabama B.A.S.S. Federation Nation for member volunteers and financial support, and to the many ladies that help prepare the picnic lunch and distribute the t-shirts. Fishing For Kids is truly a team effort.
To get involved with the annual Fishing For Kids event, visit timmyhorton.com.
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 The Bass Federation (TBF), announced the dates and locations of the 2011 TBF “No Entry Free” Divisional Championship Series. The series consists of seven no-cost tournaments that lead grassroots anglers to the biggest events in fishing!
To qualify to fish these no entry fee events, TBF anglers compete close to home in their home states to qualify for a 12 person state team. “On a national average, TBF members pay less than $200 per year including state entry fees and full TBF and FLW Outdoors memberships,” TBF President, Robert Cartlidge, stated. “Earn a spot on your state team and you’re on your way; everything past the state level is a no entry fee event. TBF has long been the industry leader in no cost and low cost fishing opportunities and we’re thrilled to offer these types of events once again.”
What does this mean to the average angler? There is no more cost effective place to fish than with TBF and FLW Outdoors. Fish close to home and qualify for all the biggest events in fishing! TBF members just like YOU do it each year!
Starting at the TBF Divisional Championship Series, anglers compete with no entry fees for cash payouts and opportunities to advance. The 7 divisional events in 2011 will have more sponsor bonus money and prizes than ever before with bonuses from Ranger Cup, Cabela’s Anglers Cash, and Lowrance electronics. Two anglers from every state progress to the 2012 TBF Federation National Championship, presented by the National Guard to fish for over $200,000 in cash and prizes.
From there, 14 TBF anglers will move on to FLW Outdoor’s 2012 BFL All-American. Also, the top two anglers from the TBF Federation Championship earn a berth in the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup all for no tournament entry fees! The 2012 TBF National Champion also earns the “LIVING THE DREAM” prize package to include; cash prize, fully paid entry fees into the 2013 FLW tour, travel funds and use of a wrapped Ranger Boat and Chevrolet truck for the year!
It’s easy to get started and you don’t have to own a boat. Simply contact your local state federation through the TBF website at bassfederation.com. Or give us a call at 580.765.9031 to find a club near you or to get your club started with TBF and FLW Outdoors.
2011 TBF Divisional Championship Series Dates and Locations
April 27-29, TBF Northwest Division Championship, Presented by Cabela’s, Columbia River, Hood River, Oregon
May 4-6, TBF Southwest Division Championship, Presented by Lowrance, Lake Powell, Bull Frog, Utah
June 1-3, TBF Southern Division Championship, Presented by Berkley, Green River Lake, Campbellsville, Kentucky
June 22-24, TBF Central Division Championship, Presented by Evinrude E-Tec, Wilson Lake Russell, Kansas
Sept., 7-9 TBF Northern Division Championship, Presented by Cabela’s, Gull Lake, Brainerd, Minnesota
Sept., 14-16, TBF Eastern Division Championship, Presented by Ranger Boats, Point Sebago, Casco, Maine
Sept., 21-23, TBF Mid-Atlantic Division Championship, Presented By Solar Bat, Kerr Reservoir, South Hill, Virginia
The TBF Divisional Championship series will continue in 2012 with events slated to be hosted by, Idaho, Colorado, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Vermont and our Nation’s Capitol/Washington DC, federations.
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Lew's has signed two-time Elite Series champion and
Bassmaster Classic qualifier Kevin Short. Short will use the Lew's Speed
Spool and Speed Spin line of reels during competition on the Bassmaster
Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, and FLW EverStart Series during 2011.
Considered by many as a river rat and shallow crankbait specialist,
Short has been a threat to win several Elite Series events since 2006
before winning in 2009 at the Mississippi River out of Fort Madison,
Iowa, and again in 2010 at Lake Pickwick out of Florence, Ala.
"I've been using the Lew's Tournament Pro and Tournament reels since
July of last year", Short said, "and they have performed far beyond my
expectations. The Tournament Pro has become my favorite because of its
incredible light weight, 6.7 ounces, and the durability that I've seen.
One of the fastest ways to wear any reel down is cranking and I have
made many, many thousands of casts with the Tournament Pro since July.
The only way I can tell that first Tournament Pro reel from a new one is
to look for the dirt on the line guide — it's still as smooth as the
first cast! That's impressive. Lighter, faster, stronger is more than a
catch phrase at Lew's. It's just what we do.
"In addition to the fantastic reels, I'm just as excited about working
with Lynn Reeves and his staff at Lew's", Short continued. "Lynn and his
crew have not just years but multiple decades of experience in the
tackle industry and have been responsible for bringing numerous brands
to the forefront of the market place. I look for them to put the Lew's
brand back on top in short order."
"We at Lew's are excited to
have Kevin with Team Lew's," stated Lynn Reeves of Lew's. "Kevin brings a
wealth of knowledge regarding the needs of the tournament angler and
also has a great grasp on where the tackle market is headed today. We
feel that he will be an asset in promoting the Lew's brand and that
Lew's Speed Spool and Speed Spin reels will help him perform at the
upper level of the Bassmaster Elite Series."
Lighter. Faster. Stronger. That was the original claim made by founder
Lew Childre when the Speed Spool was first introduced in the 1970s. It
remains true today. The newest baitcasters from Lew's feature the latest
in materials and technology. For more information about Lew's products,
visit your local tackle retailer, online at lews.com, or contact Lew's at 877-470-LEWS (5397).
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B.A.S.S. Communications
“The Jersey Score” are the words printed under Michael Iaconelli’s photo, his victory-pumping arm frozen by the camera. It’s an ad that promotes the Feb. 18-20 Bassmaster Classic’s return to New Orleans and the Louisiana Delta for the first time since the New Jersey pro won the world championship there in 2003.
That Classic title was a huge score for Iaconelli — and the reason he dropped his half-formed plan to quit fishing professionally.
Roughed up by a bad patch in life, he had convinced himself that his career was the cause. He had vowed that the 2003 Classic would be his final competition. It was his way of going out with a bang.
A bang it indeed was, but the only thing that ended was Iaconelli’s negative view of fishing.
“Now, my life is almost a full 180 degrees the other way: My personal life has never been better, I’ve never been happier, I’ve got a baby on the way, my professional life is full. I’m in a totally different place than I was in 2003,” said the Bassmaster Elite Series pro as he talked this week about that pivotal year and his upcoming 12th Classic appearance.
Since his Classic victory, he has earned his first Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title (2006). He has his own fishing show, “City Limits,” on the Versus channel. He and another pro launched The Bass University this year; he’s happy to be teaching, one of his passions. He also started “Going Ike,” a fun, self-produced video project for social media sites and his own website.
Between commitments, he spent more than a week on the delta before the off-limits period set in Dec. 13. The scouting trip was his first look at the water since his Classic victory.
“Just being back at the place that changed my life was a neat experience. It was almost surreal,” he said. “And it was probably the most productive week of pre-practice I’ve ever had.”
Like Ike himself, the delta has changed, but some things are the same. He said he located some familiar areas, but an equal number of his spots had vanished. He had to relearn navigation of the delta, torn by hurricanes, the oil spill and the wear of time.
He declared that he is ready for the contest to begin. Yet there’s an important consideration that’s got him wondering when he’ll take off for Louisiana. It’s literally a very small issue: The baby he and his wife, Becky, are expecting is due Feb. 3. He said he can wait as late as Feb. 10 to fly into New Orleans so he’ll be on time for the practice days of Feb. 11-13 and Feb. 16. He would send his boat ahead via a hired driver.
“That gives us about a seven-day window to have this baby, so we’re cutting it close,” he said.
As winner of the 2003 Classic, Iaconelli is regarded as the defending delta champion. But in the more traditional sense, it’s the 2010 winner who is the defending champ of the 2011 Classic. That would be, of course, Kevin VanDam, the 2010 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year who will be making his 21st consecutive Classic appearance.
The dual defending champs are just two in the field of 50 anglers who will compete over three days for a first-place prize of $500,000. Daily launches will be at Bayou Segnette State Park in Westwego, La. The weigh-ins will take place at the New Orleans Arena, across the street from the Louisiana Superdome. All events are free and open to the public. More about the Feb. 18-20 competition is available at Bassmaster.com.
For information about the concurrent Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Feb. 18-20, click here.
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Pure Fishing brands have supported college and high school fishing programs for a long time, and now they are offering discounts and incentives to college anglers across the board that fish the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Series.
First their support starts with product discounts across all Pure Fishing brands for anglers competing in the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Series. The launched a new website for college anglers to register for the discounts.
"The collegiate bass fishing programs are an integral part of our marketing program", said Andrew Marks, Marketing Director for Pure Fishing. "These anglers are not only helping to ensure the future of our sport, but we also use this program as a recruitment tool for our company and have hired some tremendously talented individuals."
The second part of the support is angler incentives for college angers competing in the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship, Big Bass Bash or Pepsi Collegiate Bass Fishing Open. For complete details on their incentive program for these tournaments, visit collegiatebasschampionship.com.
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Presented by Straight Talk in 2011, FLW Fantasy Fishing is set for another record year as play begins today. Fans can visit FantasyFishing.com immediately to get set up for the season and to select their teams for a shot at winning some of the greatest prizes in all of fantasy sports.
TracFone Wireless, America’s largest “no-contract” cellular service provider will become the official and exclusive mobile phone service provider of FLW Outdoors. The partnership is significant as mobile communication has become a fundamental part of modern tournament fishing and outdoor recreation.To enhance its sponsorship, TracFone will support a two-member professional fishing team. Team Straight Talk’s Scott Canterbury and JT Kenney will compete in internationally televised events on the 2011 Walmart FLW Tour.
Fantasy Fishing is free to play, but fans can gain an edge with Player’s Advantage. Player’s Advantage is a unique tool that offers additional resources and information, and those with Player’s Advantage have won at a rate of four-to-one. An added benefit to purchasing Player’s Advantage is receiving access to the FLW Outdoors Magazine e-edition.
The 2011 Fantasy Fishing season will consist of 10 tournaments surrounding the Walmart FLW Tour with an increase in cumulative and individual tournament prizes. Fans will compete for more than $25,000 in cash and prizes from each of the 10 tournaments and a top prize of $15,000. The cumulative grand prize is $100,000 with the overall runner-up winning a Ranger Z-520 boat with a Ranger Trail Trailer, 250 Mercury outboard, Minn Kota Maxxum 80 trolling motor, Lowrance electronics and trolling motor batteries – all valued at $54,000.
The third-place overall winner will win a Chevy 1500 Silverado valued at $38,000, and fourth place will take home a FinCraft 17 Dual Console boat with a 115 Evinrude outboard that is valued at $27,000. A BRP Can-Am Outlander 400 All-Terrain vehicle, valued at $8,000, will be awarded to the fifth-place finisher; while sixth- through 10th-place finishers will win Walmart gift cards ranging in value from $9,000 to $5,000.
To begin playing, visit FantasyFishing.com and sign up. A team will automatically be selected for you, but you can edit that team and choose the 10 anglers you think will place the highest in the next Tour event. You must then select the angler you think will win the tournament and predict that angler’s cumulative winning weight, which will serve as the tiebreaker. Player’s modifications to their teams must be finalized by 11:59 p.m. ET the night prior to the tournament.
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Elite Series angler Jason Quinn has signed a new agreement with Bass King Clothing for 2011. They are a new clothing line, just introduced, for bass anglers.
Bass King manufactures T-shirts, hats, shorts and outdoor apparel for people who love to fish. "I really like Bass Kings clothing line-up" said Quinn. "They are very comfortable, are made with the best materials, and the boardshorts are perfect for hot summertime fishing. Not only do they look great but they are functional as well. "
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The Ram Truck Brand today announced it has reached an agreement in principle to sponsor professional tournament bass angler Ryan Said.
Said, the 2010 Bassmaster Northern Open points champion, will compete in the 2011 Bassmaster Classic and Bassmaster Elite Series under prominent Ram Truck colors -- his boat featuring Ram Truck graphics, pulled behind a Ram Outdoorsman tow vehicle and Said wearing a Ram Truck jersey.
“Bass anglers are passionate about their trucks,” said Fred Diaz, Ram Truck Brand President and CEO. “They demand unsurpassed capability and proven reliability. They’re also very loyal to their brand. The introduction of the new Ram Outdoorsman and Ram’s sponsorship of Ryan Said are two of the ways we’re sharing our passion for the sport and connecting with anglers like ourselves.”
Forty-four percent of Ram 1500 owners and 48 percent of Ram 2500 and 3500 Heavy Duty owners call fishing their top hobby, ranking the sport third among owners’ favorite non-work-related truck uses.
Ryan Said is a Wixom, Mich. resident and Chrysler Group engineer who has been tournament fishing for more than 11 years.
Said’s season will get underway Feb. 18 through 20, at the prestigious Bassmaster Classic in New Orleans, where 52 of the best anglers in the world will compete on the waters of Louisiana’s Mississippi River Delta. This invitation-only event is considered professional fishing’s premier event, pays the sport’s highest purse and is broadcast on ESPN2.
The eight-event 2011 Bassmaster Elite Series follows the Classic, and begins March 10 with the Sunshine Showdown on Tavares, Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes. The Elite Series hosts the world’s top 100 bass anglers, who earned a spot based on past event wins and qualifying results.
Said will be competing in both the Bassmaster Classic and Elite Series for the first time, and outlined his challenges as a rookie.
“Mostly, it’s keeping your head on straight,” said Said. “There’s glitz, glamor, media and 100,000 fans at the Classic. I need to focus on the fishing, because the competition comes from all over the world and they’re absolutely the best anglers you’ll ever see.
“I have two goals for 2011,” added Said. “The first is to further cement the bond between fishermen and Ram Trucks. Our Ram Outdoorsman and our boat are going to get a lot of attention on the road and on the water. It means a lot to our sport and our fans to have Ram here.
“The second is to finish close enough to the top of the standings to earn a qualifying spot for next year’s Bassmaster Elite Series. My stretch goal is to win Rookie of the Year. The series has a very strong rookie field this year with more than 20, several of whom are already full-time pros from other series.”
Said is preparing for the 2011 season by hitting the books, re-reading back-issues of Bassmasters magazine. When he’s not doing that, he’s got his hands full with tackle and boat preparation.
“For me, there’s a lot of new water to cover,” said Said. “The conditions down south are different than where I usually fish in the north, so there’s new tackle to stock up on.”
Said will be conducting four bass-fishing seminars during the Ultimate Fishing Show at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Mich., Jan. 13 (7 p.m.), 14 (7 p.m.), 15 (12:30 p.m.) and 16 (3 p.m.) on the National Bass Anglers Association stage. It will be his first event as a Ram Truck Team Member. He expects to make additional Ram Truck dealer appearances throughout the year.
Said’s other sponsors include: Dobyns Rods, Lew’s Reels, Minn Kota trolling motors, Humminbird electronics, Poor Boy’s Baits and Mike’s RX Baits.
He’s actively involved in community projects, volunteering his support to American Bass Anglers Fish ‘n’ Friends youth fishing events, FLW Outdoors College Fishing Tournaments and “Fish with the Pros” Life Line fundraising events.
About the 2011 Ram Outdoorsman
Ram Outdoorsman takes all of the features most useful hunters, fishermen, campers and boaters, and packages them into one model. Outdoorsman combines convenience, off-road capability and trailer towing hardware in one package with a name that will resonate among its intended users.
Ram Truck engineers – many of whom count hunting, fishing, boating and camping among their hobbies – brought together what they felt would best meet the practical needs of owners who will frequently use their Ram truck for towing or long, remote trips.
Standard trailer-towing upgrades, interior and exterior lighting enhancements, off-road-oriented tires and underbody protection are combined with a unique exterior appearance to distinguish the new Ram Outdoorsman.
Ram Outdoorsman is available in 1500 (half-ton), 2500 HD (3/4-ton) and 3500 HD single rear wheel (1 ton), Regular Cab; Quad Cab, Crew Cab and Mega Cab; four-wheel drive and two-wheel drive; and short- and long-wheelbase models.
Also available for RamBox equipped Ram Outdoorsman is the Mopar RamBox Holster Rod and Gun Rack.
The Mopar RamBox Holster was designed by Chrysler Group engineers to fit within the Ram’s two unique locked, lighted and sealed exterior storage bins. The Mopar RamBox Holster gently, yet securely cradles two rifles or shotguns, or can be rotated 90 degrees to hold up to six fishing rods.
The RamBox Holster is the only rack of its kind and the only one offered by a major automaker.
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Award winning sports and fishing journalist Don Barone thinks differently than most of us. He also sees the little things that others may miss. His writing is unique and his followers cannot weight for his next column. Each touches the heart and makes us think. Today on Weighing In with Terry Brown Don talks about the sport he loves and his perspective on following those chasing their dreams. To listen click here. |
Across much of the United States, January not only signals the arrival of a new year but also the beginning of boat show season. With spring fishing just around the corner, many manufacturers are busy introducing consumers to new products and innovations to increase the pleasure of boat ownership and time on the water. Long known as an industry leader in this regard, Ranger Boats recently announced the return of its “Gotcha Covered” retail sales promotion – back by popular demand in time for the busy 2011 boat show season.
The “Gotcha Covered” sales promotion runs January 10 to March 31, 2011 and is available for buyers of Ranger’s most popular freshwater models. During this period, buyers who purchase one of the specific models from an authorized Ranger dealer will receive a custom-matched deluxe boat cover valued at $900 plus a Ranger Owners Group membership which includes $100 credit towards premium, member-specific merchandise available only through RangerOwnerStore.com.
The $1,000 “Gotcha Covered” incentive is limited to new, eligible Ranger boats sold during the promotion’s timeframe powered by Yamaha, Mercury, Evinrude or Suzuki engines. Freshwater models eligible for the “Gotcha Covered” promotion include:
• Z-500 Comanche Series
• Fisherman Series
• Z-100 Series
• Reata Series
For more information about the “Gotcha Covered” promotion or to see the 2011 Ranger models, go to the Ranger Website.
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Noreen Clough, a highly
respected and experienced leader in conservation and natural resource
organizations, has been named B.A.S.S. conservation director, the
organization announced today.
Clough, who served 20 years with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, including director of the FWS Southeast Region, formerly served
as B.A.S.S. conservation director from 2004 until her retirement in
2007. Chris Horton held the position from that time
until last fall, when he became midwest director of the Congressional
Sportsmen’s Foundation.
“I’ve known Noreen for many years, and I am excited about the
enthusiasm and dedication to sportfishing she brings back to B.A.S.S.,”
said Jerry McKinnis, an owner of the company. “Anglers contribute so
much time and money to conservation already. It’s
great to have her providing leadership for bass fishermen on behalf of
our resources.”
She will be working closely with state conservation directors and
other leaders in the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation, and she will represent
sportfishing interests on national conservation and natural resource
boards, in addition to other responsibilities.
Her first priorities will be to help “re-energize the state
conservation director program and help them establish meaningful,
exciting conservation priorities,” Clough said. “They have done a
remarkable job over the years, and they are respected for the
work they’ve done throughout the sportfishing industry.”
She identified efforts to make large areas of key fisheries
off-limits to sportfishing, such as Marine Protected Areas, as a major
threat to recreational angling. “The whole idea that giant areas need to
be set aside as protected areas — in freshwater
as well as saltwater — violates good fishery management,” she said. “I
want to ensure that B.A.S.S. stays connected to the larger fisheries and
sportfishing community and will remain a player at the table when key
decisions are made regarding the future of
fishing.”
Clough has received numerous honors for her work, including being
named the American Sportfishing Association Woman of the Year and
receiving the U.S. Department of the Interior Meritorious Service award
and the Coleman Outdoors award. She currently serves
on the board of the Berkley Conservation Leaders Advisory Team and is a
member of the Michigan State University Fly Gals team, mentoring
graduate students in sportfishing and conservation advocacy.
She resides in Clermont, Fla.
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Oklahoma's Jeff Kriet has inked a new endorsement deal with Uncle Ray's as his title sponsor for 2011.
The Michigan potato chip company has been in business for almost 50 years, making over 15 types of potato chips.
"I have eaten Uncle Ray's BBQ chips for years and am truly excited about this deal. They are good people, have a great product and folks in fishing who don't know about them sure will in 2011," Kriet said. "They will be my wrap for the year, and I am excited to have a family company like theirs in fishing with me."
Kriet was last year's runner-up at the Bassmaster Classic and will be competing again this year in New Orleans in February.
Welcome to fishing Uncle Ray's!
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The Activist Angler is a new web site intended to promote and protect recreational fishing.
Founder Robert Montgomery says that he saw need for such a voice in the wake of his coverage of the National Ocean Council and the threat that it poses to access on the nation’s waters. “It allows the feds to tell us where we can and cannot fish in our oceans, coastal waters and the Great Lakes, with the door left open to move inland as well,” said Montgomery, who covered the issue at ESPN Outdoors until that web site ceased publishing.
“We wouldn’t lose our right to fish all at once. It would be death by a thousand cuts, one fishery at a time,” he continued.
Access, invasive species, pollution, water wars, anything and everything that affects fisheries will be covered on the site, Montgomery explained, as well as news and information that encourages anglers to be activists and helps them catch more fish.
Montgomery is a long-time Senior Writer for B.A.S.S. Publications, focusing often on conservation issues. He also is the author of Better Bass Fishing, contributing editor for Stratos Magazine (an in-flight publication), and 2010 recipient of the prestigious Homer Circle Fishing Communicator Award. He serves on the board of directors for Recycled Fish, a conservation organization that encourages a life of stewardship.
Montgomery can be contacted at roticomontgomery@gmail.com or through his web site, activistangler.com. He is soliciting content for the site.
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Strike King Lure Company is proud to announce a sponsorship of the Crappie Masters Tournament Trail for 2011.
“We are very excited to get involved with the growing and popular Crappie Masters Tournament trail,” says Marketing Manager Chris Brown. “We are excited to introduce our new line-up of Slab Hammer Crappie baits and we feel they will really benefit the crappie anglers on and off the trail.” Best known for their Bass fishing lures, Strike King has become very involved over the last year in the growing crappie market and has developed both soft plastics and crankbaits specifically for crappie fisherman.
Strike King Lure Company has been gearing up fisherman of over 40 years with a wide selection of Fresh & Saltwater fishing lures for both Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, Catfish, Panfish, Redfish, Speckled Trout and many others and a complete line of Polarized sunglasses.
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FLW Outdoors pro Glenn Browne has signed an agreement with Lew's as his reel sponsor for 2011.
"I have fished the Team Lew's TL1H for the last two days and they are amazing," Browne said. "I am blown away at how good they are. It seems like when new companies come out many times they cut corners. It certainly didn't happen here. These reels are totally awesome. They are super smooth and cast as well as any reel I have ever touched. This is premium quality, and I am honored to be working with them."
Browne, a Team Evinrude angler as well, is gearing up for the FLW Open on Okeechobee.
For more information on the new lineup of rods and reels, visit Lew's. |
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Pro Team Journal with KVD and shallow cranking.....get a taste of PTJ3 with the master.
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As a sponsor of the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Series, Lazer TroKar invites collegiate anglers to stop by their booth (#2065) during the Bassmaster Classic Expo. All anglers wearing their school club fishing jerseys will receive a limited edition TroKar tackle bag FREE. Check out their awesome hooks and pick up a free tackle bag.
The 2011 Expo will be held February 18-20 at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Expo hours are:
Friday, Feb 18 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Saturday, Feb 19 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday, Feb 20 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
For more information about Lazer TroKar, visit lazertrokar.com.
For additional information about the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Series, visit CollegiateBassChampionship.com.
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 Cox photo
Here at Wired2Fish we love Zoom Baits. Number one, all of their baits catch bass. Number two, they never rest on their laurels and are always developing new colors that help anglers put more bass in the boat. One of the latest creations that we can hardly wait to try is green pumpkin orange. (pictured in a Baby Brush Hog above)
The orange glitter in an already hot color, green pumpkin, is the difference. Its very natural looking and blends perfectly with green pumpkin. Green pumpkin orange mimics numerous different crawfish patterns and we will fish it flipping and pitching and on a Carolina Rig. This color is especially good in lakes with a clay bottom or clay colored rocks.
Green pumpkin orange will be featured in six lures including the: Brush Hog, Baby Brush Hog, 6″ Lizard, Finesse Worm, Trick Worm and Ultravibe Speed Craw. Green Pumpkin Orange will also include the Super Chunk and Super Chunk Jr.
Zoom also introduced watermelon orange at the same time.
To learn more about all the great products at Zoom and stay updated on the latest Zoom news go to their website, Zoom Baits.
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You have heard the news. Attraxx is one of the hottest new products of 2011 and they are now available for sale on Tackle Warehouse. They have 4 products and will be adding others. They have the Finesse Worm, the Myz-Stick, the Gee Bug and the Drop Shot Eel in 8 great colors. To buy go the to Tackle Warehouse site.
Also don't forget we have a great "six pak" contest going right now on Wired2Fish, as well, where 6 "Attraxx smart" anglers get a chance at a great variety of Attraxx products. You can get to the contest by clicking here. |
The field of competitors for the 2011 Bassmaster Elite Series has been set. The 101 most talented anglers in bass fishing will be competing for the coveted 2011 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title. Last year there was 94 anglers participating.
The Elite field accounts for 16 Bassmaster Classic titles (including four-time champion Rick Clunn and three-time champ Kevin VanDam), 20 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year awards (including six-time winner Kevin VanDam) and more than 200 B.A.S.S. victories. The season kicks off March 10-13 with the Sunshine Showdown on the Harris Chain of Lakes in Tavares, Fla. The regular season will conclude with the Dixie Duel on Wheeler Lake, June 16-19, in Decatur, Ala.
Qualifying anglers and their hometowns are listed below. They represent 25 different states plus Japan. Texas has the most competitors with 16, followed by Alabama with 13.
New to the Elite Series for 2011 are Dean Alexander, Keith Combs (2010 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Central Open points champion), Ott Defoe, Travis Manson, Andy Montgomery, Brandon Palaniuk (2010 B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Championship presented by Yamaha and Skeeter Boats winner), Ben Parker, Russell Parrish, Ryan Said (2010 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Opens points champion), Craig Schuff, Lee Sisson, James Stricklin, Jonathon VanDam (nephew of six-time Bassmaster Angler of the Year Kevin VanDam), David Walker and Nate Wellman.
2011 Bassmaster Elite Series Anglers
Dean Alexander, Florence, Texas
Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C.
Scott Ashmore, Broken Arrow, Okla.
Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla.
Denny Brauer, Camdenton, Mo.
Brent Broderick, Oregonia, Ohio
Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark.
Terry Butcher, Talala, Okla.
Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan.
Rick Clunn, Ava, Mo.
Keith Combs, Del Rio, Texas
Jeff Connella, Bentley, La.
John Crews, Salem, Va.
Cliff Crochet, Pierre Part, La.
Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark.
Ott DeFoe, Knoxville, Tenn.
Boyd Duckett, Demopolis, Ala.
Paul Elias, Laurel, Miss.
Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla.
Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas
Jami Fralick, Martin, S.D.
Grant Goldbeck, Boerne, Texas
Pat Golden, High Point, N.C.
Matt Greenblatt, Tequesta, Fla.
Chad Griffin, Cresson, Texas
Shaw Grigsby, Gainesville, Fla.
Greg Hackney, Gonzales, La.
Bradley Hallman, Norman, Okla.
Charlie Hartley, Grove City, Ohio
Byron "B.J." Haseotes, Centerville, Mass.
Matt Herren, Trussville, Ala.
Kenyon Hill, Norman, Okla.
Davy Hite, Ninety Six, S.C.
Tim Horton, Muscle Shoals, Ala.
Randy Howell, Springville, Ala.
Michael Iaconelli, Pittsgrove, N.J.
Alton Jones, Woodway, Texas
Kelly Jordon, Mineola, Texas
Steve Kennedy, Auburn, Ala.
Kotaro Kiriyama, Moody, Ala.
Gary Klein, Weatherford, Texas
Jeff Kriet, Ardmore, Okla.
Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla.
Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala.
Russ Lane, Prattville, Ala.
Jared Lintner, Arroyo Grande, Calif.
Bill Lowen, North Bend, Ohio
Travis Manson, Green Bay, Wis.
Aaron Martens, Leeds, Ala.
Billy McCaghren, Mayflower, Ark.
Mike McClelland, Bella Vista, Ark.
Mark Menendez, Paducah, Ky.
Yusuke Miyazaki, Forney, Texas
Ish Monroe, Hughson, Calif.
Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C.
Rick Morris, Lake Gaston, Va.
John Murray, Phoenix, Ariz.
Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, N.C.
James Niggemeyer, Van, Texas
Takahiro Omori, Emory, Texas
Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss.
Brandon Palaniuk, Rathdrum, Id.
Ben Parker, Springville, Tenn.
Russell Parrish, Riesel, Texas
Keith Poche, Troy, Ala.
Pete Ponds, Madison, Miss.
Jason Quinn, York, S.C.
Matt Reed, Madisonville, Texas
Clark Reehm, Russellville, Ark.
Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif.
Derek Remitz, Grant, Ala.
Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C.
Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
Scott Rook, Little Rock, Ark.
Fred Roumbanis, Bixby, Okla.
Zell Rowland, Austin, Texas
Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky.
Ryan Said, Wixom, Mich.
Craig Schuff, Watauga, Texas
Bernie Schultz, Gainesville, Fla.
Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla.
Morizo Shimizu, Suita, Japan
Kevin Short, Mayflower, Ark.
Lee Sisson, Winter Haven, Fla.
David Smith, Edmond, Okla.
Brian Snowden, Reeds Spring, Mo.
Jeremy Starks, Charleston, W.Va.
James Stricklin, Jasper, Texas
Gerald Swindle, Warrior, Ala.
Peter Thliveros, St. Augustine, Fla.
Dennis Tietje, Roanoke, La.
J. Todd Tucker, Moultrie, Ga.
Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala.
David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn.
Nate Wellman, Newaygo, Mich.
Dustin Wilks, Rocky Mount, N.C.
Jason Williamson, Wagener, S.C.
Kevin Wirth, Crestwood, Ky.
Dave Wolak, Wake Forest, N.C.v
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The 2011 Oakley Big Bass Tour campaign begins in Texas on Lake Conroe March 5th and 6th, 2011 with the 14th Annual Lake Conroe Big Bass Classic. Based at Papas on the Lake, this open big bass tournament will offer amateur anglers the chance to compete for over $150,000 in cash and prizes during the 2- day event. The angler with the largest overall big bass of the tournament will take home a $25,000 2011 Nitro® Z7 powered by a Mercury® 150 horsepower motor. As an added bonus for 2011 a second Nitro Z7 will be drawn from the remaining hourly winners for both days, bringing the total guaranteed grand prize payouts to $50,000.
The Lake Conroe Big Bass Classic will be open to amateur anglers only. There will be seven hourly weigh-ins each day with thousands in hourly cash payouts and the overall largest fish of the event will earn the winner a fully rigged 2011 Nitro Z7 powered by Mercury. All 2-day entrants will receive a custom Oakley rod from Quantum. Anglers may pre-register for this event online at Oakleybigbass.com. Anglers may also register by phone, fax or mail. Additionally, on-site event registration will be held at Papas on the Lake on Thursday, March 3rd from 5:00 – 9:00 pm and Friday, March 4th from 10:00 a.m.- 9:00 p.m. Anglers may pick up registration forms at Papas on the Lake, Bass Pro Shops and Tracker Marine locations. Anglers must check in Thursday or Friday at Papas on the Lake to pick up tournament information.
Oakley's Rolling O Lab will be onsite at Papas on the Lake for registration. There will be complimentary food and drink on Friday along with prize raffles and contests for those anglers touring the Rolling O Lab. Saturday and Sunday's weigh-ins will take place at the Toyota Main Stage at Papas on the Lake. The public is welcome at the live weigh-ins from 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and after the weigh-ins there will be angler and attendee hospitality activities from 3:00 p.m. -5:00 p.m. each day. For more information on Lake Conroe visit tpwd.state.tx.us.
"We are excited to kick off 2011 Oakley Big Bass Tour on Lake Conroe," says Louis Wellen with Oakley Sports Marketing. "For 14 years this has been one of Texas’ premier tournament events and we look forward to another year of monster bass being brought to the scales," added Wellen.
Sponsors of the 2011 Lake Conroe Big Bass Classic include: Oakley, Bass Pro Shops, Tracker Marine, Nitro Performance Bass Boats, Toyota Trucks, Mercury Marine, TroKar Hooks, Lake Fork Trophy Lures, MotorGuide, Quantum, Power-Pole, Vitamin Water Zero, Powerade Zero, Sony, San Jacinto River Authority, Mariner Realty, KSTAR 99.7, La Torretta Lake Resort & Spa and Papas on the Lake.
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The Murray State Bass Team will host the 2011 Murray State Invitational at Kentucky Lake on February 25-27. Collegiate anglers throughout the country are invited to compete in this popular tournament which is sanctioned by the Association of Collegiate Anglers.
Participating college fishing clubs may send as many teams as they like. Prizes provided by Cabela's, Ranger, Yamaha, American Rodsmiths, Costa, Sperry, Lazer TroKar, Sebile and Columbia will be awarded to teams finishing in the top 25 percent of the field. Winners will be determined by the heaviest accumulated weight over the course of two days.
There is no off-limits or official practice period for this event. Registration and the rules banquet will be held on Feb. 25 beginning at 5:00 p.m. at the Bayview Building located in Kenlake State Resort Park. Competition will take place on February 26 & 27 beginning at safe light. Weigh-in will begin at 3:00 pm on the 26th and 2:00 pm on the 27th.
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FLW
Outdoors announced an extension of their partnership with Chevy, one of
America’s most iconic brands, through a multiyear sponsorship. Chevy, a
longtime partner and supporter of tournament fishing, has supported FLW
Outdoors since its inception in 1996, making this their 16th year as the official vehicle of FLW Outdoors.
For the 2011 season, Chevy will be represented by some of the
best anglers in professional fishing. Their eight-member team will
consist of bass-fishing pros Luke Clausen, Anthony Gagliardi, Dion
Hibdon, Jimmy Houston, Larry Nixon, Jay Yelas and its newest member,
Bryan Thrift, the 2010 FLW Tour Angler of the Year. Jason Przekurat will
represent Chevy on the National Guard FLW Walleye Tour.
Trisha Blake, president, FLW Outdoors Marketing Division,
stated, “Chevy has been with FLW Outdoors since its inception. Their
continued partnership exemplifies Chevy’s long-standing commitment and
support of the anglers, fans and the FLW organization. We will continue
to build upon our unique relationship including an enhanced emphasis at
our grassroots events in 2011.”
Fans will have the opportunity to meet the Chevy team anglers at
a local dealership prior to each stop on the 2011 Walmart FLW Tour. The
team will be available to sign autographs, take pictures and talk
fishing for two hours the Saturday prior to the tournament. Complete
details will be announced prior to each tournament and available at FLWOutdoors.com.
“Chevrolet is proud to continue our longstanding relationship
with FLW Outdoors and actively support the sport of fishing in
communities across the country.” said Phil Caruso, Promotions Manager of
Chevrolet.
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BoatUS Angler only handles boats. They don't protect for losses on your home or life and they don't insure cars. They know a lot about boats and are building some great programs with the angler in mind. They just announced a new incentive based program that combines piece of mind and tournament success and BoatUS Angler representative Steve Levi was right in the middle of it.
Today on Weighing In Radio with Terry Brown Levi discusses the new program and what it can mean to dedicated anglers. To listen click here. |
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Rising second-year Elite Series pro Dennis Tietje announced today that he has agreed to partner with Coolze and Omega Custom Tackle for the 2011 fishing season. Along with Southern Bar-B-Que Sauce Company, this brings the number of new deals the personable Louisiana pro has signed this offseason to three.
The Coolze Heat Relief Towel lowers the impact of heat stress when combined with proper rest and hydration. Simply run it under water, wring it out, and apply it to skin for quick cooling relief. For Tietje, who has fished through dozens of hot Louisiana summers, the pairing was an obvious fit.
“This is the coolest product on the market,” Tietje said. “They have a great product for any outdoorsperson and they’re from right here in south Louisiana.”
Part of Tietje’s appeal to Coolze was his Louisiana background and the breadth of his outdoor interests. “He’s a good old boy living the dream,” said Coolze Owner John Broussard. “As his career grows, we hope to grow with him and we expect that he will create a market for our products among outdoor sportsmen across the country.”
The addition of Omega Custom Tackle to Tietje’s group of sponsors fills an important niche in Tietje’s tackle arsenal. The company is known primarily for its tournament-winning jigs, but offers other products as well.
“I met company President Todd Barnes on tour last season and we’ve created a great relationship,” Tietje said. “Omega is a proven element in the fishing world. You simply cannot compete on the Elite Series if you do not have quality jigs and Omega makes products that cover everything from swimming and pitching jigs in a foot of water all the way down to dragging a football jig on deep ledges.”
Barnes was similarly ecstatic about the relationship: “We are excited to welcome Dennis aboard the Omega nation,” he said. “He’s a hardcore jig fisherman and fishes a jig 12 months out of the year. We know that he has already enjoyed tremendous success with several of our products and he is extremely knowledgeable about our products and their applications.”
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Barone is back: Award-winning writer Don Barone will be providing his unique perspective on the Bassmaster Elite Series again in 2011.
B.A.S.S. LLC and Wired2Fish.com have joined forces to bring Barone’s take on the trail as well as on fishing in general to readers of both Bassmaster.com and Wired2Fish.com.
“Don Barone writes about the anglers’ hearts, about why we fish,” said Jerry McKinnis, a B.A.S.S. owner.
“I was both humbled and honored when Don brought up the idea of being involved with Wired2Fish" said Todd Hammill, Wired2Fish COO. "I have always been a fan since his first article with Kevin Short. We’re excited to add Don to the already great team here at W2F!"
Barone’s first piece of 2011, “From Heart to Home Plate,” is scheduled to be posted Tuesday, Jan. 11, at Bassmaster.com.
“It’s about … why B.A.S.S. means so much to me,” he said. “B.A.S.S. is the place to be, so it’s what I called ‘being home,’ and that’s what the column is about.”
He said he will continue in 2011 to travel with the Elite Series field and will stop at Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open events as his itinerary allows.
At Wired2Fish, his work will appear in a special section named “DB’s The Quest,” he said.
“If I’m out and see somebody fishing, I’ll stop and talk to them and try to find out why they fish, to discover the spiritual aspect of why people fish,” he said.
Barone’s first piece about bass fishing was July 2007’s “Diary of a Bassmaster Virgin.” With the fresh perspective he had — and still has — Barone helped to educate the general public about fishing as a pro sport.
In that 2007 piece, he wrote: “If you've been sitting back thinking that catching bass for cash is just a bunch of Joe-Bob's with a six-pack and ham sandwich lazily floating around in a boat, waiting for some dumb smallmouth to come by and hit the cheese whiz they're using for bait … you'd be WRONG.”
Thus, with a solid claim to being an “outdoor writer virgin,” Barone glued a hula-girl mascot to the dashboard of his van, uploaded very long iPod playlist, and struck out from his Connecticut home for Greenville, S.C., and the 2008 Bassmaster Classic. The blogs he wrote there for Bassmaster.com established him firmly in anglers’ hearts, and they in his.
“In the column that’s going up (Tuesday), I talked about how I’ve covered every major league sport that everybody in this country’s ever watched — NFL, MLB, NHL, MBA, all of it — but none of those sports are as special to me as this sport,” Barone said. “I think bass fishing is the last treasure hunt in America. That’s why I love the people who do this sport.”
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More crazy and sexy stuff from Dave Mercer on the Facts of Fishing FYI.
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Bass angling superstar Clark Wendlandt weighs in today on Weighing In Radio with Terry Brown about what he is fishing this year and his new agreement with Typhoon Eyewear, Mt. Dew and Evinrude. To listen click here. |
Photojournalist Robert Faaborg has launched a new site for co-anglers of tournament bass fishing called backdeckpro.com. The site will feature coverage of co-anglers in bass tournaments as well as their insight into practice, preparation and more.
“I have photographed numerous sporting events ranging from High School football to Olympic Game events.” said Faaborg. “Not too much can get me excited but bringing a big bass to the stage ranks right up there with shooting Steve Garvey’s walk off homer in the ’84 Series.”
Faaborg will be fishing the events as well as providing the daily coverage. The site can be found at BackDeckPro.com as well as Facebook and Twitter.
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FLW Outdoors announced that Shop-Vac
Corporation, the world leader in wet/dry vacuum cleaners, has joined
the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization as a new sponsor.
Through FLW Outdoors’ lucrative bass and walleye tournaments, Shop-Vac will showcase its extensive line of vacuums and accessories. In addition, Shop-Vac will have a strong presence across FLW Outdoors’ multiple platforms.
Trisha Blake, president, FLW Outdoors Marketing Division stated, “We are delighted to welcome Shop-Vac back into the ranks of FLW Outdoors. Shop-Vac is a natural fit and we look forward to further building upon our past successes.”
Shop-Vac officials said the FLW Outdoors sponsorship
offers great opportunities to support tournament anglers, in both the
bass and walleye arenas.
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Arkansas Elite Angler Scott Rook signed a new deal with Jewel Bait Company for 2011.
Rook, a long time top tier angler on the B.A.S.S Elite Tour, brings a wealth of knowledge to Jewel as one of the premier river and jig anglers on tour. Rook joins Kevin Short, Larry Nixon, Mike McClelland, Jeff Kriet, Jim and Troy Eakins on the Jewel Team.
On the BASS trail alone, Rook has placed in a top 50 spot in 91 of the 146 tournaments he has entered over the past 13 years. Among them are six third place finishes, four second place checks and a win. He won the 2006 Bassmaster Legends tournament on the Arkansas River.
"Scott has dominated tournaments on the Arkansas River system for the past several years on Jewel products, and he's taken our baits and his skills all across the country to become one of bass fishing's million dollar winners," said Bryan Head, national sales manager for Jewel Bait. "He's a true expert with all of our jigs and we appreciate the way he shares his fishing knowledge with anglers of all ages, everywhere he goes."
"It's never been a secret in my case, I'm a river guy that relies heavily on my jig," Rook said. "I've been using the Eakins 5/16-ounce. finesse jig ever since it first came out, but more recently I've become big fans of the J-Lock Flip 'N Jig and Jewel's Football Jigs. Football jigs have greatly enhanced my offshore, deep-water fishing the last couple of years. I'm also liking what I see in their new Hole Punch skirts and Swim It jigs (see Kevin Short's article on swim jigs), and I'm confident they'll play a role, too, in what I do best."
Rook will be heading soon to his eighth Bassmaster Classic, this one scheduled for the Louisiana Delta, Feb. 18 – 20, with weigh-ins being held each day in New Orleans. Rook joins fellow Jewel team members who have also qualified for the Classic, Jeff Kriet (Okla.) and Mike McClelland (Ark.).
“Louisiana’s Delta is a great river system with hundreds of miles of fishing options,” Rook said. “It fits my style of fishing extremely well and I can’t wait to get down there and start tossing my jig into that wide variety of cover.”
For more information about Jewel Bait and its entire pro staff, visit JewelBait.com. They also have more information on their Facebook Page.
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By purchasing a very affordable BoatUS Angler Towing Membership you can find peace of mind for all of boat ownership’s “what ifs” – plus you’ll be eligible to win BoatUS Angler “Weigh-to-Win” cash bonuses to complement your sense of ease.
The Weigh-to-Win program will pay the highest placing, registered angler in most B.A.S.S., FLW and PAA events, as well as the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship. For as little as $38, the cost of a BoatUS Angler membership and Unlimited On-the-Road Towing service, an angler who performs well in a single B.A.S.S. Weekend Series tournament could win a $150 cash bonus.
Anybody that has ever towed a boat has thought about “what if.” What if I have a flat trailer tire in the darkness at 5:00 am on a busy interstate eighty miles from home? What if somebody fails to stop behind me, and crashes into my boat and motor rendering it un-towable? And what if once I’m launched, I have a battery failure or spin a prop hub five miles from the ramp?
BoatUS Angler is the nation’s largest association of recreational boaters, and they offer boat-owning anglers roadside and on-the-water towing assistance as well as boat insurance. Benefits begin at only $38 for a BoatUS Angler membership and Unlimited On-the-Road Towing, which provides services such as fuel delivery, jump-starts, flat tire assistance, lockout service, ramp winching and tow truck service for both your trailer and tow vehicle while trailering your boat.
Getting signed-up for Weigh-to-Win is simple. Go to BoatUSFishing.com or call them at (877) 584-2628 to purchase an affordable Unlimited On-the-Road or On-the-Water BoatUS Angler towing membership. Then plug your membership number into the Weigh-to-Win registration form, and you’re ready to fish, win and have ‘peace of mind.’
For more details about tournament paybacks and getting signed-up for Weigh-to-Win, please visit BoatUSFishing.com or call Kendell at (918) 742-6424
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Rugged Shark is proud to announce the signing of tournament bass fishing prodigy Bradley Roy, the youngest angler to enter the professional ranks of the Bassmaster Elite Tournament Series and the 2010 Rookie of the Year!
“Becoming part of the Rugged Shark team alongside Bill Dance is an honor for me,” Bradley said. “Being from Kentucky, I was always a basketball shoe guy until I started wearing Rugged Shark last year. I’ve found these shoes to be every bit as comfortable and stylish and certainly much more suited to being in a boat all day.”
Hailing from Lancaster, Bradley started tournament bass fishing as a youngster by partnering with his father in adult buddy tournaments. He is the first angler to come up through the Bassmaster Junior Tournament Series to qualify to fish in the professional ranks and at 19 years of age the youngest person to ever qualify to fish the Bassmaster Elite Series.
“Bradley is a level headed young man and quite a role model as he balances his professional bass fishing career with college,” said Mike Wilkes, Rugged Shark VP of sales. “We are very excited to have him join Bill Dance and a growing list of professional anglers and captains representing the Rugged Shark outdoor footwear and apparel brand in the coming year.”
In 2010, his first year in the Elite Series, he competed in 8 bass tournaments, finished in the money in five and earned close to $50,000 in winnings competing against pros with decades of experience. His personality, performance and humble approach have made him popular with fans and sponsors alike and Rugged Shark is pleased to have him on the team.
Bradley Roy will be attending the Bassmaster Classic Expo in New Orleans from February 18 through 20, 2011 and will be making personal appearances at the Rugged Shark booth during the show. If you are attending the Classic make it a point to stop by Booth #1061 for a meet and greet and while you’re there check out the latest in aggressive footwear for serious anglers by Rugged Shark.
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Photo courtesy of FLWOutdoors
Pro
Brandon Medlock of Lake Placid, Fla., caught a five-bass limit weighing
19 pounds, 2 ounces Saturday to win the EverStart SeriesSoutheast
Division tournament on Lake Okeechobee with a three-day total of 15 bass
weighing 63 pounds, 8 ounces. For his victory, Medlock earned $35,000.
“I am so happy, this is unbelievable,” Medlock said.
“What a day – believe it or not I lost a big one and I am just glad I
was able to catch what I did.
“I was flipping a jig all week, Medlock went on to say.
“Black and blue one ounce with 65 pound braid. I caught the big one
today under a mat with a mini cricket. I caught about 50 keepers this
week. The first day the fishing was incredible. Then the cold front came
through and things got a little tougher, this has just been an
unbelievable experience.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd:Brandon McMillan, Belle Glade, Fla., 15 bass, 58-1, $12,000
3rd: Yancy Windham, Reform, Ala., 15 bass, 54-15, $10,000
4th: Frank Jenkins, Fort Myers, Fla., 13 bass, 54-13, $9,000
5th: EverStart pro Randall Tharp, Gardendale, Ala., 15 bass, 54-12, $8,000
6th: National Guard pro Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 53-10, $7,000
7th: Joey Thigpen, St. Johns, Fla., 14 bass, 48-11, $6,000
8th: Rodger Beaver, Dawson, Ga., 15 bass, 46-5, $5,000
9th: JT Kenney, Palm Bay, Fla., 15 bass, 44-6, $4,000
10th: Derek Yasinski, Senoia, Ga., 11 bass, 40-10, $3,000
Joey Thigpen caught the biggest bass of the tournament in
the Pro Division Thursday – a 9-pound, 11-ounce bass – that earned him
the day’s Big Bass award of $300.
Rodney Treadaway of Decatur, Ala., won the
Co-angler Division and Ranger boat with an Evinrude or Mercury outboard,
with a three-day total of 14 bass weighing 37 pounds, 10 ounces.
“This has been the best week of fishing in my entire
life,” said Treadaway. “Lake Okeechobee is just a great place to be,
what an incredible fishery.”
Treadaway caught five bass weighing 16-8 Thursday while
fishing with pro Leon Williams of Fairdale, Ky., to open the tournament
in seventh place. On Friday he added five more bass weighing 13-15 to
make the top-10 cut in first place while fishing with pro Kenneth (Boo)
Williams of Hazard, Ky. Finally, on Saturday, he sealed the win with
four bass weighing 7-3 while fishing with Brandon McMillan.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Gerald Bozeman, Sylvester, Ga., 12 bass, 37-3, $4,500
3rd: Bill Brown, Vero Beach, Fla., 14 bass, 35-3, $4,000
4th: Galen Fugh, Hixson, Tenn., 12 bass, 30-1, $3,500
5th: Josh Smith, Germantown, Ohio, 13 bass, 29-14, $3,000
6th: Thomas Kevin, Miramar, Fla., 15 bass, 29-12, $2,500
7th: Fred Martin, North Little Rock, Ark., 13 bass, 29-9, $2,000
8th: Ron Buck, Port Saint Lucie, Fla., 12 bass, 27-6, $1,500
9th: Lisa Opel, Hernando, Fla., 10 bass, 24-12, $1,000
10th: Ray Elmore, Calhoun, Ga., seven bass, 23-9, $800
Wayne Dixon of Sautee Nacoochee, Ga.,caught the biggest
bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Thursday – a 8-pound,
12-ounce bass – that earned him the day’s Big Bass award of $200.
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Eco Pro Tungsten has hired Tyler Brinks as the pro staff manager. He will be in charge of grass roots and national pro staff responsibilities going forward. "Hiring Tyler is just another step on the path for Eco Pro Tungsten in becoming the worlds leading supplier of premium tungsten sleeveless weights" said Eco Pro President Tim Norman.
Brinks received his Bachelor's Degree in Marketing from Eastern Washington University. His background includes sales, market research and being a manufactuer's rep and social media strategist within the fishing industry. He is a die-hard bass fisherman with tournament accomplishments including being a two-time BFL Co-Angler of the Year and a BFL All-American Qualifier. He is a writer and also a blogger for tbrinksfishing.com.
"I am excited to be a part of a growing company with products that I use and strongly believe in" said Brinks.
You can learn more about Eco-Pro Tungsten by going to their website.
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Mix one part north-woods sportsman and fishing guide, one part outdoors
educator and one part media personality, and what do you get? A great
host for a professional walleye-fishing circuit. That’s why the National
Guard FLW Walleye Tour will have legendary outdoorsman Chip Leer
serving as the stage host for the 2011 season.
Kathy Fennel, president, FLW Outdoors Operation Division, stated: “We
are very excited about Chip joining FLW Outdoors and working with us
this coming season. We believe his personality, experience and education
will be a valuable asset to our Walleye Tour events.”
Leer, who is one of the elite outdoor personalities in the industry, has
been involved with fishing in numerous ways for more than 15 years.
Leer has served as a guide on various fisheries of walleye legend
including Lake Mille Lacs and Leech Lake in Minnesota. He has authored
numerous fishing articles for various publications and has created and
launched three fishing-themed publications. Leer also has served as a
regular radio guest on programs throughout the country.
Leer may be known best as a television personality. Since 1992, he has
been a regular host on Midwest Outdoors and has done work with various
other television programs and regional outdoors shows. Leer is dedicated
to the sport of fishing, works diligently behind the scenes and has
been a host and stage emcee for multiple tournaments and events
throughout his career.
“It is truly an honor to be a part of the FLW Outdoors family,” said
Leer. “What FLW, as well as the National Guard, has done to enhance the
Walleye Tour for 2011 and their commitment to the anglers is amazing and
I can’t wait to be a part of that continued growth and prosperity.”
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 FLW Outdoors has definitely rebounded in a big way from the down cycle in the fishing industry last year. Last season the field sizes were down, the sponsor line-up was reduced to 14 core brands and a few associate sponsors. And a bit of animosity had formed among anglers. But this season they have hit the ground running with more than full fields, and an army of big brand sponsor support.
The announcements have been trickling out on new sponsors, but their first event is ongoing on Lake Okeechobee right now and the line-up of sponsors was announced at the pairing meetings and their website page lists a large roster of sponsorships, 49 brands to be exact. About 28 core brands and another 21 associate sponsor brands.
Several brands that have yet to be announced are listed on that page. Brands like Bandaid, Braun, Gillette, IAMS, Neosporin, Off!, Prevacid, Pringles, Straight Talk, Excedrin, Gas-X, Crisco, Jif, Lamisil AT, Shop Vac, Smuckers and more are all listed as sponsors or associate sponsors.
The Everstart Series has weighed some impressive catches on Okeechobee and fishing should be great in a few weeks when the FLW Tour hits town. More than 320 anglers (160 boats) are fishing the Everstart Series event and the tour has just as many. For the first time in a long time, the FLW Tour actually has the better schedule, and anglers are a buzz about the reinvigorated FLW.
It's going to be great to see pros like Craig Powers, Peter T, and other familiar faces back fishing the FLW Tour events again. Visit FLWOutdoors.com for more information about the tournaments, the sponsors and to read the great coverage they do at every event!
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Bassmaster Elite Series angler Randy Howell has signed on as the main spokesperson for
King’s Home, a nonprofit organization based near his home in Central
Alabama. Beginning in 2011, Howell will prominently display the King’s
Home logo, name and colors on his tournament boat, truck and jersey.
Howell
began volunteering at King’s Home two years ago after learning about
the organization’s mission to provide hope and healing to moms,
children, youth and women seeking refuge from abuse, neglect and
homelessness. He connected instantly with the residents of King’s Home,
sharing his love of fishing while teaching them about the sport at one
of the campus lakes. Along the way, the children discovered the
therapeutic joys of spending time on the water in fellowship with this
personable angler – and with one another.
“Fishing is therapeutic
for these kids and motivates them to get outside and explore,”
Howell said. “And watching their faces as they catch their first fish is a
wonderful experience, not just for them, but for me, as well.”
King’s
Home has found fishing to be valuable in other ways. In April 2010
Howell served as keynote speaker for the group’s largest fundraising
event, and in November signed a contract to promote King’s Home
nationwide.
“Our partnership with Randy has been a wonderful
blessing,”said Lew Burdette, President of King’s Home. “His engaging
personality, media savvy, talent as a world-class angler and tremendous
heart for helping children, youth and moms make him a perfect fit as our
spokesperson.”
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This past year a new plastic company hit the market with killer new shapes and designs called Power Team Lures. Their 12 products hit the market with a vengeance, and they also increased their presence with a ton of traffic at ICAST. As the product line began to grow with baits like the Texas Rig Jig and the Diesel Craw, anglers started to notice that they also liked the scent that was packaged with the baits. Bob Bernotsky, owner of Power Team, tells us that the emails and correspondence drove him to add that formula enhanced with a special amino acid formulation that fish can't resist.
By loading their already proven scent with a heavy dose of specific amino acids, Power Team Lures has developed an attractant that not only convinces bass to strike, but more importantly, keeps them holding on long afterward.
Watch for a contest on Wired2Fish very soon, so bone up on Power Team details. If you want to purchase, it is available on Tackle Warehouse.com.
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Cabela's announced today that they will continue to provide awards for top finishing collegiate anglers competing in the 2011 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Series. As a long-time supporter of collegiate fishing, Cabela's is committed to continuing to provide opportunities for student anglers who are pursuing their passion for fishing, while at the same time, representing their colleges.
"At Cabela's, we view outdoor recreation as a way of life for the whole family," said Chris Sprangers, Cabela's marketing manager. "So we're proud to have the opportunity to encourage young people to continue their involvement in outdoor pursuits like fishing."
The 2011 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Series will feature three major nationally televised events in 2011 including the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship hosted by Lewisville, Texas, the Pepsi Collegiate Bass Fishing Open hosted by Paris/Henry County, Tenn. and the Big Bass Bash hosted by Florence, Ala. Cabela's Angler Cash awards will be available at these events as well as a number of regional events hosted by several college fishing clubs and sanctioned by the Association of Collegiate Anglers.
"Thanks in great part to Cabela's support, collegiate fishing has grown tremendously over the past several years," stated Wade Middleton, BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Series Tournament Director. "From the Cabela's collegiate night event at the national championship to their support of smaller regional tournaments, Cabela's continues to encourage growth among this important age class of anglers."
In order to be eligible, participating anglers are required to register for Cabela's Angler Cash and display the Cabela's Angler Cash logo on their boat and jersey. Patches and decals are provided free of charge to registered anglers.
The BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship television series will once again be nationally televised with 18 half hours of coverage on the Versus network beginning in August of 2011. Additional coverage of the BoatUS Collegiate Series can be seen on line via streaming video as well on the World Fishing Network as part of the expanded coverage of this series of events.
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Legend Advantage has offered up to $1,500 in contingency per win to Legend Boat owners and now is announcing the Legend Advantage Plus program, offering purse-matching double paybacks on select events.
That’s right; double your money with a win. And don’t just do it once, do it seven times per year. The amount of potential bonus cash available solely from the Advantage Plus program totals $30,000.00, and participants automatically double-qualify for the standard Advantage Program upon entry into the Advantage Plus program.
Over the course of seven wins, Legend Boats will match purses up to the following amounts, respectively:
Win 1: $5,000.00
Win 2: $2,500.00
Win 3: $2,500.00
Win 4: $2,500.00
Win 5: $2,500.00
Win 6: $5,000.00
Win 7: $10,000.00
Great incentive program from a great boat manufacturer.....Get the Legend Advantage!
Visit legendmarine.com/advantage for full program details.
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If you are impressed with Plano's long list of hunting and fishing storage boxes you are going to be WOWED in a big way by their shelving units. Tough as steel and can be put together in a few minutes these shelves were designed to hold just about anything. The 9524 Shelving Unit is perfect for the Man Cave, office, tackle room or garage and holds up to 1000 pounds of weight.
The 5 shelves on this unit are 24 inches deep so props, anchors and tackle can be stacked neatly and labeled for easy access.
These shelves are so good that after seeing them many on our staff rushed out and purchased a few for their Man Caves. Wired's Todd Hammill is pretty handy around the shop and he told us "it took longer to get it out of the box than it did to assemble it and I love mine".
Two lucky winners of the Plano Man Cave will be getting a Plano 9524 Shelving Unit shipped to their door step. The winners are:
Jonathon Billings
Fenton, MO
Estaban Soto
Mirimar, FL
They are on the way. Congrats and thanks to everyone that participated.
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Illinois FLW pro Rich Lowitzki has joined Dobyns Rods for 2011.
" I am super excited about this opportunity to work with Gary Dobyns at Dobyns Rods," said Lowitzki. "Gary has won just about everything there is to win, and he knows how a rod should feel and how they should be built. He also wants our input and that is very important as well."
Lowitski also changed motor companies this year.
"I will be running a Mercury this year," he said. "I am also very amped about this. It's a sweet motor."
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We really enjoy getting our copies of FLW Outdoors and Bassmaster Magazines every issue in the mail. But the new FLW Outdoors magazine online edition offers more rich video content to supplement the great magazine content. The magazine also seems to display a little better in the new magazine viewer. They are offering a free trial of the digital edition until the March 2011 issue is released. You can view the Bass and Walleye Editions online at FLWOutdoors.com/emagazine/ and then just pick which issue you want to view.
We really enjoyed the Bryan Thrift video piece with Skipping a jig on page 26. And Jason even makes a cameo appearance on page 12. Be sure to check out their online edition while it's free. We subscribe so we can be sure we don't miss what Colin, Curt, Sean and Brian are putting together from month to month.
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FLW Outdoors, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced that Kellogg Company®, the world’s leading producer of cereal and a leading producer of convenience foods, is sponsoring FLW Outdoors.
“We are excited that Kellogg has rejoined the ranks of FLW Outdoors,” said Trisha Blake, president, FLW Outdoors Marketing Division. “They have been a strong supporter of the fishing industry, and we are delighted they will continue to showcase their products at the FLW Outdoors Expo and other events all around the country.”
Kellogg will be featured across the multiple platforms of FLW Outdoors, including all bass and walleye events, FLW Outdoors’ multiple websites, FLW Fantasy Fishing, FLW Outdoors Magazine, “FLW Outdoors” television show on VERSUS and additional functions operated by FLW Outdoors. Kellogg will have the opportunity to set up displays promoting their products and sponsored anglers while providing promotional products and offers to fans at the FLW Outdoors Expo, surrounding the FLW Tour and championship events, and the College Fishing Festivals, held in conjunction with National Guard FLW College Fishing.
“Kellogg has a long-standing relationship with FLW Outdoors,” said Gary Gatton, senior vice president of Walmart sales for Kellogg. “The 2011 season should be very exciting, and we are proud to have some of the best anglers in the world representing our iconic brands.”
An esteemed group of Walmart FLW Tour pros has been assembled with members serving as brand ambassadors for the following brands: Kellogg’s® Frosted Flakes®, Pop-Tarts® and Rice Krispies® Treats®. Sunshine® Cheez-It®, Keebler® E.L. Fudge®, Each member of Team Kellogg will travel the country in brand-wrapped tow vehicles, competing in matching boats and jerseys.
One of the hardest working anglers in the sport, Shinichi Fukae, who captured the Tour Angler of the Year in 2004 in his rookie season, will join the Kellogg team representing Cheez-It®, In addition to the AOY title, Fukae has two Tour wins and 10 top-10 finishes under his belt while earning more than $1 million in his young career. The Mineola, Texas, pro finished second in 2007 and ninth in 2010 in the Angler of the Year race and has qualified for the Forrest Wood Cup six times.
Dave Lefebre, representing Frosted Flakes®, is one of the sport’s most recognized and consistent anglers, having won more than $1.5 million in his young career. Lefebre finished in the top 10 in the Angler of the Year race on Tour in 2010, 2009, 2007, 2005 and 2004. The Erie, Pa., native has notched three top-10 finishes at the Forrest Wood Cup, including a second-place finish in 2008. In addition to an FLW Tour victory in 2004, Lefebre also won the Texas Bass Classic in 2009.
Jim Tutt, who will return to his role representing Rice Krispies®Treats®, is a 12-year veteran of the FLW Tour and has fished in 221 FLW Outdoors events, earning more than $690,000 along the way. Greg Bohannan, who will fish his fifth full season on Tour in 2011 and display the Cheez-It®brand, has racked up more than $400,000 in career earnings and won three FLW Outdoors events.
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Bassmaster Elite Series pro Jeff "The Squirrel" Kriet did a little fishing and filming with Wade Middleton down in Texas and talked about his favorite early spring baits -- soft plastics. Some good basic tips. Makes us dream of flipping bushes this spring.
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Veteran Elite Series Pro Mike McClelland knows all the tricks of the trade. He knows how to catch bass and win tournaments and he also knows how to protect his gear. He is a big believer in Hefty One Zip Sportsman's Series. "The uses are endless for outdoors people. I use the 2 1/2 gallon bags for plastics. I use the gallon size for extra baits and the smaller quart size for baits I will use in a tournament day" said McClelland. I use the 11 gallon bags (comes with handles) to keep my rainsuit, life jackets, and spare clothes that I want to keep dry. You can even weigh fish in them if you wish."
"This is more than just a sponsorship deal for me" said McClelland. "As an outdoorsman and a professional angler these bags are exactly what we have used for years, only better. They are freezer quality bags, come in the right sizes and zip very easily."
We spent some time with Mike recently at Lake Norfolk and Stratos Boats in Arkansas and helped him move gear from his old boat to his new one. Even though he had enough tackle for 4 anglers in his old boat it was easily moved from one boat to another due to the way he was utilizing the Hefty One Zip bags. Each of his different types of tackle were organized in those bags so he was able to move them to the right compartment in his new boat quickly. Loose baits got tossed into quart bags to be sorted when he got home."
"Everytime we leave a tournament Jeff Kriet hits me up for a Hefty Big Bag for his dirty laundry" said McClelland. "It used to be that I used whatever my wife got at the store, but not anymore. Hefty One Zip Sportsman bags are my choice now."
Hunters, as well as anglers, will love these bags. They are tough, yet pliable and hold up well to the abuse of game, fish and everything we take with us outdoors. We pilfered a few of the bags from Mike in Arkansas and use them all over the Wired2Fish Man Cave.
McClelland will be running the Hefty One Zip wrap this year on the Elite Series. If you see him, stop him, and let him show you how he using this great storage system.
These will be available very soon at local outdoor retailers.
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Newcomer to the Bassmaster Elite Series Brandon Palaniuk and Abu Garcia and Berkley have entered into a sponsorship agreement for the upcoming 2011-tournament season. Effective December 30, 2010, Palaniuk will be fishing with with Abu Garcia reels and rods along with Berkley line and soft baits. He will be competing in his first Bassmaster Classic in February followed by the Bassmaster Elite Series beginning in March.
“We are very excited to have Brandon sign with Abu Garcia and Berkley,” said David Lund, Vice President of Marketing. “He is currently the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Champion, and has represented the sport of fishing very well. It will be a pleasure to work with him throughout the upcoming year.”
This isn’t the first time Abu Garcia and Berkley have made a big announcement of a big name rookie. During the 2010 elite series, Bradley Roy, youngest angler to fish the series, signed with Abu Garcia and Berkley, which helped him become the youngest angler to also win the Bassmaster Rookie of the Year title. Palaniuk looks to have a similar year, being the youngest angler to fish in the Bassmaster Classic.
“To fish this season with the elites will be exciting,” said Palaniuk. “I think it will be a great year to be a rookie. The series of lakes we are fishing play to many of my strengths, which should lead to a solid season. I’m also excited to have the finest sponsors on the water. Abu Garcia and Berkley have been great to work with, and their products lead the way in innovation and performance.”
The Hayden, Idaho native has competed in the Federation Nation Circuit since 2007. Palaniuk is the reigning Federation Nation Championship with his win on the Red River near Shreveport, La.
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Toyota recently signed an agreement with Wired2Fish to advertise in 2011. A top truck brand among professional anglers and weekend anglers alike, Toyota has come on strong in recent years with it's support of fishing and fishermen.
"We're thrilled to get this deal done," said Jason Sealock, VP of Content and Technology for Wired2Fish, Inc. "Toyota and the agencies that represent them are great people who love fishing and share the same core values that we do. The dealerships we've been to, their ad agencies, and even their racing division, everyone we've come in contact with or worked with around Toyota have been above and beyond our expectations. They are extremely humble but extremely passionate. Two great qualities we share."
Sealock recently documented his truck purchase on Wired2Fish's Facebook page. He wanted to support a company that supported fishing, which narrowed it down to Chevy and Toyota because they supported fishing. After talking with several pros he trusted and test driving some vehicles, he went with the Toyota Tundra truck. This was all done prior to Toyota and Wired2Fish working together. It was a personal choice.
"I recently bought a 2011 Toyota Tundra," Sealock said. "I went ahead and got the big engine because I pull a Ranger Z520 down to Guntersville, over to Missouri and Arkansas and back and forth to Kentucky, Barkley and Dale Hollow Lakes in Kentucky. It pulls the Ranger around with ease. I forget the boat is back there at times. But my favorite features are the back-up camera and the Bluetooth connectivity. I talk on the phone on long trips with both hands on the wheel and no phone on my ear. And folks that talk to me say it sounds like I'm on a handset. My music even plays off my iPhone through my truck with no wires attached."
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Denali Rods builds custom fishing rods with a touch of class with their wooden foregrips and outstanding blank designs. They have the Jadewood, Rosewood Matrix, Rosewood Shadow and Noirwood Series in their line up.
Denali currently sponsors Ray Scheide, Michael Murphy, Preston Clark, Terry Bolton and Mark Tyler.
"When Scott Estes started building the new class of Denali Rods, I knew they would hit the market strong," said Terry Brown, President of Wired2Fish. "Not only do they have a rod for every style of fishing but also for every checkbook as well."
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Vicious Fishing, the makers of premier fishing line and fishing clothing, has joined Wired2Fish as an advertiser for 2011. They make fishing line for panfish, catfish, bass, musky, walleye and saltwater species at a very attractive price point. Their new Vicious Elite Flurocarbon has begun shipping and the reviews have been outstanding. Not only is it a high quality product but also has an attractive price point starting at $14.99 for a 200 yard spool. John Crews tested the prototype 25-pound Vicious Elite to a win at the California Delta in early 2010.
"We are excited to be partnering with Wired2Fish on this program. We have worked with the folks at Wired2Fish for a number of years, and it's great to formalize that friendship into a business deal," said Chris Dutton, Vicious Pro Staff Director.
"I have had the opportunity to know Jeff Martin, Sylvia Martin, Chris Dutton, and the rest of the team at Vicious since the beginning and am truly excited about working with them again," said Terry Brown, President of Wired2Fish. "They want to build the best products that are species specific and do so at a cost that anglers can afford."
Vicious currently sponsors Crews, Gerald Swindle, Pete Ponds, Kevin Short, Brody Broderick, and Tim Horton on the B.A.S.S. Elite Series.
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Denali Rods announced the signing of professional fisherman Terry Bolton.
“Denali is extremely excited to have Terry on our pro staff,” said Denali Rods president Scott Estes. “Through many years of professional fishing, Terry Bolton has been the model of consistency. Terry is a great fisherman, a great guy, and will represent us well.”
Terry Bolton has been fishing the FLW Tour since 1996 and has qualified for 9 championships in that time frame, including four of the past five. Terry also had 3 top 10 finishes in those events. Terry has also qualified for two BFL All Americans.
“I am really excited to be with Denali Rods and I feel they are a real up and coming company," Bolton said. "I have been real impressed with the way they build rods that fishermen can use with the proper actions and sensitivity. With the help of Denali, my job will be a lot easier this year.”
Bolton will be joining Ray Scheide, Michael Murphy, Preston Clark, and Mark Tyler on the Denali Rods Pro Staff.
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FLW Outdoors announced Tuesday that Mystic Tackleworks, Inc., makers of Attraxx soft baits, has agreed to a sponsorship with the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization. As part of the agreement, the new Attraxx line of soft baits will be promoted across all platforms of FLW Outdoors, including its tournaments, multiple websites, bass magazine, and various FLW Outdoors events.
Starting with the EverStart Series season opener on Lake Okeechobee, Attraxx will begin promoting the new line to tournament anglers. In addition, Attraxx will also have a booth at the FLW Outdoors Expo, which coincides with the 10 Walmart FLW Tour events and the Forrest Wood Cup.
The Attraxx pro staff includes FLW Tour anglers Randall Tharp, Greg Pugh and Craig Powers.
“We at Mystic Tackleworks welcome the opportunity to be part of the FLW family of sponsors and to promote our Attraxx baits to a great bunch of fishermen – especially the BFL fishermen," said Howard Hammonds, Mystic Tackleworks President. "The BFLs are where I got my start in the fishing business.”
The Attraxx line of baits includes finesse worms, ribbontail worms, grubs, lizards, frogs, bugs and shad. Attraxx contains patented Sci-X Feeding Stimulants – the most advanced fish-feeding stimulants available, according to Attraxx representatives.
“My favorite bait is their frog, but I also really like the 10-inch worm,” Tharp said. “In fact, their frog is the best bait of that style I’ve ever used; the design is just perfect.”
Tharp also explained that each member of the pro staff is working on designing baits specific to their angling preferences.
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Veteran FLW pro Dave Lefebre has joined Dobyns Rods for 2011.
"I have researched rods for a number of years and have talked to a bunch of people and just about everyone came back to Dobyns" said Lefebre. "I had been very loyal to a rod company for years and if I made a change I wanted the best. That is why I chose Dobyns."
"Gary is a go getter and works hard everyday to build the best. I feel blessed to be part of this energy and growth. He has so much experience with rods he can build anything. He also builds a great glass rod and that means a ton to me." said Lefebre.
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BRP launches a new retail incentive promotion for its Evinrude outboard engines brand today. The new program, "Season's BEST Boat Show Sales Event," offers participating Evinrude dealers an aggressive sales closing tool designed to deliver added peace of mind for boat show shoppers.
Qualified Evinrude E-TEC purchases between January 1, 2011 and April 15, 2011 receive a FREE 5-year factory backed limited warranty (3-year BRP factory warranty PLUS an additional 2 years B.E.S.T. coverage). In addition, if a consumer repowers their existing boat with a qualifying Evinrude E-TEC engine between January 1, 2011 and April 15, 2011, they will receive up to an $800 discount off rigging equipment - which means additional retail savings.
"We want to continue offering our dealers effective retail programs to drive dealer traffic," stated Christopher Berg, Director of Marketing and Strategic Planning for Evinrude. "This latest retail offer will give our dealers the necessary selling incentives to boost retail activity at the upcoming boat shows," he concluded.
The new retail program is supported by a full print and on-line advertising and media campaign. Dealers are provided a complete package of point-of-purchase materials to advertise the promotion on the showroom floor and at boat shows with no dealer contribution required.
For full details and conditions about this promotion, consumers should visit an authorized, participating Evinrude dealer or www.evinrude.com.
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Bassmaster Elite Series angler Mark Menendez announces that
he has joined Team Lew’s and will be fishing with the all new line up of Lew’s
reels for the upcoming season.
Through the 1970s, '80s, and '90s, owning a Lew’s reel was
the goal of every serious angler. Lew’s
Speed Spool reels were simply the best engineered, most advanced fishing reels
obtainable. This year they are introducing six new reel
series from Lew’s.
It was the late Lew Childre who started many of today’s
popular baitcast features, such as the low-profile design, a palming side cover, spool
and disengaging levelwind. His ground
breaking innovations in design created a focus on technology and performance that
drives the company today.
“There are several important career highlights that a Lew’s
Speed Spool helped me accomplish," Menendez said. "Qualifying for the Bassmaster BP Top 100’s,
catching the largest bass in the first 31 years of BASS, making my first Bassmaster
Classic, and earning my first Bassmaster win were all earned with a Lew’s Speed
Spool on my rod. I am so proud and honored to be part of the
Lew’s team and associated with the tradition of the Lew’s name. I would love to know how many miles of line I
have cast with a Lew’s.”
“We are extremely proud to be
working with Mark," said Lynn Reeves of Lew's. "He brings an outstanding knowledge of product and history to
the Lew’s family. He has been fishing at the highest level of competitive
angling for 20 years. We are confident that the new line up of Lew’s Speed
Spool and Speed Spin reels will give him the extra edge.”
Lew’s offers reels, rods, and fishing accessories .The Lew’s
offices are located at 2333 E. Bennett, Springfield, Mo 65804. The Lew’s line
is available at most fishing tackles retailers.
To explore the tradition, go to lews.com
or call 1-877-470-LEWS (5397).
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PowerTeam Lures announced Travis Manson as the newest member of their prostaff. Travis is fishing his rookie season on the Bassmaster Elite Series trail this year and PowerTeam Lures will be his co-sponsor, along with The Reel Shot, for the 2011 Season. He will also be fishing all the Bassmaster Northern Opens, a few Southern Opens and many local tournaments back in his home state of Wisconsin.
“We’re excited to have an angler like Travis as a part of our team” said Bob Bernotsky, co-owner and President of PowerTeam Lures. “Travis is extremely motivated and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals, and after spending time with him on the water and watching him dissect an area like a mad scientist, I knew he was exactly what we were looking for.”
Travis was introduced to PowerTeam Lures while competing in the final 2010 Bassmaster Northern Open on the Chesapeake Bay.
“I was so impressed with the natural action and quality of these baits I immediately knew that PowerTeam’s lineup of soft plastics would be the perfect match for my style of fishing. Putting quality bass in the livewell on tournament day, the first time I used them, was the icing on the cake.”
Travis Manson was born and raised in Northeastern Wisconsin and is proud to be the first Elite Series Pro to come from his home state. Travis has been actively involved and passionate about the sport of fishing his entire life. From tournament walleye fishing in Wisconsin, to trout and salmon fishing in the Great Lakes, to bass fishing throughout the country, Travis is drawn to the sport like a magnet.
From 1996-2006, Travis primarily fished walleye tournaments, but in 2006 he fished the Bassmaster Elite Series as a Co-Angler through Mercury Marine and was immediately hooked. It was at this time that Travis ultimately decided to permanently switch from walleye fishing to tournament bass fishing. Then in 2010 he decided to fish the Bassmaster Northern Opens in order to gain himself more exposure at the higher levels. With an impressive 4th-place finish in overall points, Travis qualified for the 2011 Bassmaster Elite Series Trail.
“I am looking forward to help build PowerTeam’s brand recognition and catch a ton of bass with their baits along the way," he said. “I encourage people to come talk to me if they see me on the water or at the ramp and I would be more than happy to show them the awesome baits PowerTeam Lures has to offer.”
For more information about these products or to see them perform, please visit powerteamlures.com.
For more information on Travis Manson, visit travismanson.com.
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Dean Rojas is one heck of a frog fisherman. He is also recognized as an expert with plastic baits and bedding fish. At one time he was also a very successful peanut chucker and is now the spokesman of Eco-Pro Tungsten and is helping them develop some new products like the 2 ounce Dean's Monster punch weight and several other new products on the horizon.
Because tungsten is environmentally friendly and more dense than lead it has a smaller profile and works well in heavy cover. Tim Norman, the President of Eco-Pro, has them on the move and are now available across the country at leading retailers and tackle stores.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the recent Eco-PRO contest and 3 winners will be receiving a Eco-PRO shirt and hat, autographed by Rojas, and two packages of their great tungsten product.
The winners were:
Rod Klempnow
Murfreesboro, TN
Bob Bryant
Nacogdoches, TX
Duane Arledge
Pueblo, CO
Congrats!
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Strike King unveiled a new look website today that offers more video, product information and tips from the Strike King pros than ever before. The fresh new look is user friendly and will also highlight the Strike King Pro Team Journal each week. To take a look, go to StrikeKing.com. |
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