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Rapala® Shad Dancers Now Available in Five New Color Patterns Posted on August 15, 2017 by Rapala

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Rapala® Shad Dancers Now Available in Five New Color Patterns Posted on August 15, 2017 by Rapala
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Anglers asked and Rapala® delivered. Shad Dancers are available this year in five more popular color patterns. Swimming with a silent but aggressive, hard-thumping and sweeping tail action, Shad Dancers offer the excitement of a Rapala Tail Dancer in a shad-profile bait. They feature a tough balsa body that dives 7-to-10 feet whether cast or trolled. They measure 2 inches, weigh 1/4 ounce and come armed with two No. 6 VMC® Black Nickel Round Bend Hooks.

Green Tiger UV

Pink Chrome

Purple Chrome

Pink Tiger UV

Redfire Crawdad.

 

See Rapala® Shad Dancer

 

Bryan College Teammates To Face Each Other In Bassmaster College Classic Bracket Finals

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Bryan College Teammates To Face Each Other In Bassmaster College Classic Bracket Finals

Jacob Foutz (left) and Jake Lee, both of Bryan College, will move on to the final day of the 2017 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Classic Bracket presented by Bass Pro Shops. At stake is a berth in the 2018 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods to be held on Lake Hartwell out of Greenville/Anderson, S.C.

Photo by Ronnie Moore/B.A.S.S.

August 15, 2017

Bryan College Teammates To Face Each Other In Bassmaster College Classic Bracket Finals

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DEERWOOD, Minn. — Since the 2017 season started on January 26, thousands of college anglers began battling for a chance at a single berth in the 2018 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods. The dust settled today, two anglers stand atop the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series and will compete for seven final hours to determine a bracket champion.

And those two anglers are teammates on the Bryan College bass fishing team: Jacob Foutz and Jake Lee. The two Tennessee anglers survived through opposite sides of the bracket to face each other in Wednesday’s finale.

Foutz outfought Chad Sweitzer of Chico State University during the semi-final round. After a good start for both anglers that had them close at halftime, Foutz prevailed with 13 pounds, 6 ounces by the end of the day. Most of his weight came because of a trio of important 3-pounders.

“I went through a flurry and put three good fish in the boat at the same spot,” Foutz said. “I’ve stayed with a drop shot in my hand and stuck it out with that technique.”

Sweitzer’s limit wasn’t enough to eclipse Foutz’ original weight. His main technique included flipping docks with a jig, which he relied on for quality bites.

Foutz has been consistent with his technique of drop shotting in deep water. His Round 1 total of 14-1 put him into the semifinals. No matter the weather that hits Serpent Lake on Wednesday, Foutz thinks his strategy will pay off.

“I’m not sure how the weather might impact my pattern, but I’m only going to worry about the things I can control,” Foutz said. “I’m just going fishing like every day at this lake, if I need to adjust with the conditions, I’ll try my best to do so.”

Although they seem to be catching good weight from Serpent Lake, these anglers are still learning this fishery day by day. On the other side of the bracket was Foutz’ teammate Jake Lee and Bethel University’s Cole Floyd.

Floyd led the entire field in weight Monday as he caught 16-1, but the second day of competition offered different conditions. The clouds and wind disappeared and blue bird skies with slick conditions hurt his pattern. He did his best to prolong the topwater bite he had found as he caught two quick keepers, but Jake Lee overtook him soon afterward and put together a solid 12-pound plus limit.

Floyd finally filled his limit at the midday break and was within striking distance. He fell short and Lee took that matchup with 13-4 to Floyd’s 12-0.

A freshman at Bryan College, Lee was a member of the inaugural Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team in 2015, and now he is one day away from college bass fishing’s biggest championship.

“We said from the beginning that if we had to lose to someone we would want it to be one of us,” Lee said. “We both want to win it bad, but neither one of us is going to be too sad since one of us will win. We will still be partners next year if Coach lets us.”

For the first time since the Bracket’s creation, a college freshman will qualify for a Bassmaster Classic. Although they won’t compete until the middle of their sophomore year, it is unprecedented for two freshmen to be in this position.

They are also the third set of teammates to make it through the eight-angler bracket and meet in the championship round. Matt Lee and Jordan Lee of Auburn did so in the 2012 bracket, while Jordan Lee and Shane Powell followed it up again in 2013. The Lee brothers currently are Bassmaster Elite Series pros, and Jordan is the reigning Bassmaster Classic champion.

Another first for the bracket format is that a member of a National Championship winning duo will take home the individual bracket honor. Andrew Upshaw did so in 2011, but that was before the 8-person bracket was implemented.

In addition to the Classic berth, also at stake in Wednesday’s final matchup is paid entry into all nine Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens next year. Foutz and Lee will fish from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. CT before stopping at midday for an hour. Then they will compete from noon to 3 p.m., after which one will be awarded the honor of representing the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series for the 2018 season.

Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Classic Bracket presented by Bass Pro Shops
8/14/2017 – 8/16/2017
Serpent Lake – Crosby Park – Deerwood, MN
STANDINGS BOATER DAY 2

Match 1
Name # Fish # Live Lbs – Oz
WINNER: Jacob Foutz – Bryan College 5 5 13-6
Chad Sweitzer – Chico State 5 5 12-0

Match 2
Name # Fish # Live Lbs – Oz
WINNER: Jake Lee – Bryan College 5 5 13-4
Cole Floyd – Bethel University 5 5 12-0

TOTALS
Day # Fish # Live Lbs-Oz # Limits
1 40 40 87-13 8
2 20 20 50-10 4

Bass Edge’s The Edge – Episode 260 – Shane Lehew July 15, 2017,

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Bass Edge’s The Edge – Episode 260 – Shane Lehew July 15, 2017,

Bass Edge’s The Edge – Episode 260 – Shane Lehew
July 15, 2017,

Bass Edge Radio, presented by MegaWare KeelGuard is pleased to have FLW Tour angler and 2017 Forrest Wood Cup Qualifier Shane Lehew featured in their latest podcast. Bass Edge Radio hosts Aaron Martin and Kurt Dove talk with Shane about summer time fishing and spotted bass as well as a preview of the 2017 FWC!

POTOMAC RIVER SET FOR COSTA FLW SERIES NORTHERN DIVISION FINALE PRESENTED BY PLANO

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POTOMAC RIVER SET FOR COSTA FLW SERIES NORTHERN DIVISION FINALE PRESENTED BY PLANO

POTOMAC RIVER SET FOR COSTA FLW SERIES NORTHERN DIVISION FINALE PRESENTED BY PLANO

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MARBURY, Md. (Aug. 15, 2017) – As many as 350 pros and co-anglers are ready to compete Aug. 24-26 in the Costa FLW Series Northern Division finale on the Potomac River. The tournament, presented by Plano, is the third and final regular-season event of 2017 scheduled in the Northern Division. Pros will be casting for a top award of up to $40,000 cash and a new Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.

“This event is going to be all about grass fishing,” said FLW Tour pro Bryan Schmitt of Deale, Maryland, who has three career-victories on the Potomac River in FLW Series competition. “The grass is a lot thicker and way more developed than it was for June’s (FLW Tour) event. I think anglers are going to be surprised at the amount of grass out there.

“As for techniques, it’s going to be a pretty standard deal,” Schmitt continued. “We’ll see anglers throwing frogs, flipping jigs, using swimjigs, ChatterBaits, and (Yamamoto) Senko-style baits. It’s all going to come down to who can find those key spots where fish are congregating within popular areas.”

Schmitt said he expects Pomonkey, Piscataway and Occoquan Creeks to receive of a lot of attention from competitors.

“Anglers will definitely be watching the water clarity as well,” said Schmitt. “We’ve had a lot of rain this week and the river has been running high. If we get more, the river will still be fishable, but things will obviously be different. I’m hoping the water level stables out and it stays clear.”

Schmitt said he predicts it will take a three-day cumulative total between 51 and 53 pounds to win the event.

“Teams in recent tournaments on the river have consistently needed 19 or 20 pounds to win one-day events, so I think that’s a safe bet,” said Schmitt.

Anglers will take off from the Smallwood State Park, located at 2750 Sweden Point Road in Marbury at 6:30 a.m. EDT each day. Weigh-ins will be held at the State Park beginning at 2:30 p.m. each day. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public. The event is hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners.

In Costa FLW Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event. At the Potomac River, pros will fish for as much as $40,000 and a Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard if Ranger Cup qualified. Co-anglers will cast for a Ranger Z175 boat with a 90-horsepower Evinrude outboard and an additional $5000 if Ranger Cup qualified.

The Costa FLW Series consists of five U.S. divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western. Each division consists of three tournaments with competitors vying for valuable points that could earn them the opportunity to fish in the Costa FLW Series Championship. The 2017 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held Nov. 2-4 on Kentucky Lake in Paris, Tennessee.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Costa FLW Series on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.

Lake Murray Top 10 Baits – August 13, 2017 by Curtis Niedermier and Matt Pace

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Lake Murray Top 10 Baits – August 13, 2017 by Curtis Niedermier and Matt Pace

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August 13, 2017  by Curtis Niedermier and Matt Pace

Dialing in on surface activity – or near-surface activity – for bass that were chasing blueback herring seemed to be the key to success at the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Murray. Late-summer largemouths were often relating to brush or cane. Anglers either “called them up” with jumbo walking plugs or capitalized on visible surface activity to get bit.

Here’s what the top 10 threw to make it happen.

Atkins’ winning pattern

Complete results

1. Tournament champion Justin Atkins targeted herring-eating bass and caught all 15 of his weigh-in keepers on one bait: a chrome ima Little Stick 135. On day three, he actually lost the Little Stik that he’d used on days one and two, and he unwrapped a new one to finish out his title run.

2. Travis Fox came up a little shy in his bid for a Cup victory. Unlike many others who played the open-water topwater game, he wasn’t keying on brush, but instead fished points. For the first two days he relied mostly on an ima Little Stick 135 in the American shad color with the stock hooks swapped out to VMC trebles. When the fish refused to bite it on day three, he caught his biggest fish with a Strike King Sexy Spoon. Fox was turned onto the spoon by a keen observation at a tackle shop. Essentially, there were so many spoons in the store that he figured they had to be productive baits on Murray. He was right. His other change on the final day was to swap the Little Stik for a Storm Arashi Top Walker in ghost pearl shad.

3. Brandon Cobb, one of the in-state favorites, made his third consecutive Cup top 10 this week with a variety of baits. His primary tool was a Yo-Zuri Hydro Pencil, which is actually an inshore walking plug, but he replaced the stock saltwater hooks with lighter-wire freshwater models. On the final day, he added a Yo-Zuri 3DB Pencil in prism ghost shad, and wound up catching most of his keepers on a Zoom Super Fluke in a shad pattern with glitter. A last-ditch effort on day three to fill his limit with a drop-shot produced only a catfish.

4. Bryan Thrift played the topwater game with a Paycheck Baits The One pencil popper, but he did a lot of damage with a 10-inch Texas-rigged worm fished in brush piles. On the final day, he caught three keepers on a Damiki Finesse Miki rigged on a shaky head.

 

Round 1 Complete At College Classic Bracket

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Round 1 Complete At College Classic Bracket

The Top 4 college anglers move on to the second day of the 2017 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Classic Bracket presented by Bass Pro Shops. From left to right: Jacob Foutz of Bryan College, Chad Sweitzer of Chico State University, Jake Lee of Bryan College and Cole Floyd of Bethel University.

Photo by Ronnie Moore/B.A.S.S.

August 14, 2017

Round 1 Complete At College Classic Bracket

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DEERWOOD, Minn. — Just two days ago the 2017 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops concluded and Bryan College was crowned team champion. On Monday, the Top 4 teams were split into eight individual anglers and battled head-to-head in the first leg of the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Classic Bracket presented by Bass Pro Shops.

Cole Floyd was the third overall seed, but rose to the top of the leaderboard during the first few hours of competition as he boasted a limit worth 16 pounds, 1 ounce; taking the lead in overall weight. The Bethel University angler started slow in the first hour of the day, but began to catch quality smallmouth and largemouth and figured out a pattern he could work with.

“I was still in practice mode to start today,” Floyd said. “I didn’t really know where I was going to start, but I went to one place I thought was best from my four-hour practice session, and I didn’t catch a fish.”

Floyd was initially worried when his first spot didn’t pay off, but he didn’t get in a hurry. He covered enough different areas to piece together the puzzle. He later caught the biggest bass of the day at 4-0.

“I went to a few more spots where I got some bites, and I found out real quick that there were a lot more fish there than I had previously thought,” Floyd said.

After loading the boat in the first four-hour session, he found out he had a substantial lead on his opponent Tyler Firebaugh of Chico State University.

Jacob Foutz of Bryan College jumped on top of the leaderboard and capitalized with an excellent morning bite. He boated three of the first four fish of the event and eclipsed 10 pounds easily in the first hour of the day. His matchup pitted him against Bethel’s Brian Pahl, who fished in the 2016 College Classic Bracket as well.

Pahl didn’t get a limit in the first four hours of action and knew he needed a big comeback after the scoreboard revealed a 12 to 6 margin at halftime. Pahl made a valiant comeback and ended with 9-10, but it wasn’t enough as Foutz made two important culls late in the day to get to his 14-1 total.

“I knew there was a good school of smallmouth on one of my spots,” Foutz said. “I caught a 3-pounder there in practice and my (sonar) graph lit up with fish.”

Foutz’ fast start settled him down and allowed him to fish conservatively, but it also gave him the patience to upgrade late in the day to ensure that he would advance. His five-bass limit consisted of smallmouth exclusively.

Foutz’ teammate Jake Lee was matched against the reigning College Bracket Champion John Garrett of Bethel University, and the matchup was exciting all the way to the end. Lee started fast and had the first limit of the day, which was 10-11. After two hours, Garrett was in a significant hole, but climbed out with 8-1 at the halftime mark. Garrett went on to improve his limit to 9-9, while Lee couldn’t add any weight in the final three hours of action. Lee ended his day with four largemouth and one smallmouth in his five-bass limit.

In the final matchup, Chad Sweitzer of Chico State faced Carter McNeil of Bethel. It was a back and forth contest between the anglers as Sweitzer had a limit worth 10-9 by halftime while McNeil only had four fish for 7-15. The last three hours gave McNeil hope as he finished his limit with 9-6, but Sweitzer’s final upgrade put the match out of reach.

The eight anglers were cut to the final four for Tuesday’s semi-final matchup. Foutz of Bryan College will face Sweitzer of Chico State and on the other side of the bracket, Lee of Bryan College will fish against Floyd of Bethel University.

First cast on Serpent Lake will take place at 7 a.m. CT and anglers will compete until 11 a.m. when they have a halftime intermission. They will resume from 12 p.m. until 3 p.m. where the field will be cut to the final two competitors. The champion will be crowned at the conclusion of the head-to-head battle Wednesday.

Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Classic Bracket presented by Bass Pro Shops
8/14/2017 – 8/16/2017
Serpent Lake – Crosby Park – Deerwood, MN
STANDINGS BOATER DAY 1

Match 1
Name # Fish # Live Lbs – Oz # Fish # Live Lbs – Oz
WINNER: Cole Floyd – Bethel University 5 5 16- 1 5 5 16- 1
Tyler Firebaugh – Chico State 5 5 7- 4 5 5 7- 4

Match 2
Name # Fish # Live Lbs – Oz # Fish # Live Lbs – Oz
WINNER: Jacob Foutz – Bryan College 5 5 14- 1 5 5 14- 1
Brian Pahl – Bethel University 5 5 9-10 5 5 9-10

Match 3
Name # Fish # Live Lbs – Oz # Fish # Live Lbs – Oz
WINNER: Jake Lee – Bryan College 5 5 10-11 5 5 10-11
John Garrett – Bethel University 5 5 9- 9 5 5 9- 9

Match 4
Name # Fish # Live Lbs – Oz # Fish # Live Lbs – Oz
WINNER: Chad Sweitzer – Chico State 5 5 11- 3 5 5 11- 3
Carter McNeil – Bethel University 5 5 9- 6 5 5 9- 6

TOTALS
Day # Fish # Live Lbs-Oz # Limits
1 40 40 87-13 8

 

Legend Boats Sells to Johnny Morris By Fishing Tackle Retailer August 14,2017

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Legend Boats Sells to Johnny Morris By Fishing Tackle Retailer August 14,2017

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SPRINGFIELD, MO— Legend Boats is set to join Ranger, Triton, Nitro and Tracker under the White River Marine Group label. The announcement has been confirmed by both parties, on the heels of a letter to dealers from Legend Boats President Randy Qualls late last week.

“From humble beginnings in a small Texas facility back in 2002, Legend has matured into one of the world’s premium fiberglass bass boat brands,” Qualls writes. “As we look to the future, our focus has always been considering how to best serve our customer base and maintain our high standard of quality. This led us to consider an exciting opportunity to establish the next chapter for Legend Marine.

I’m thrilled to share Legend is joining the White River Marine Group family, one of the premier manufacturers and marketers of boats in the world. Under the leadership of founder Johnny Morris, the company emphasizes performance, innovation, and world-class service with an unparalleled range of industry-leading brands. White River has a strong history in the boating business with a deep understanding of how to help develop and support independent retailers in growing strong profitable brands within our highly competitive industry.

Johnny and his team are committed to maintaining the values and standards that define our brand and products. I’m confident that joining White River will greatly benefit Legend thanks to well-established industry expertise and highly sophisticated marketing strategy and support.

Attached is a letter from Johnny and Les Crawford, President of White River Marine Group, outlining what this exciting new chapter looks like and how it will impact you. I am excited and proud to watch this future unfold – thank you for helping us accomplish this milestone.

Sincerely,
Randy Qualls
Founder and President, Legend Marine

Bass Pro Shops Founder Johnny Morris and White River Marine Group President Les Crawford also released a statement welcoming Legend Boats into their fold.

With the addition of Legend, White River Marine strengthens their hold on the bass boat market, while adding another prominent sport fishing brand alongside other fishing and recreational brands like Mako, Regency, Sun Tracker and Tahoe. White River officials say Legend will continue operations at its Midway, Arkansas factory. “We believe this state-of-the-art facility and extremely skilled workforce will increase our overall capacity and potentially be a significant long-term benefit to all White River Marine Group dealers.”

White River plans to honor all existing warranties.

The industry rocked in 2014 when White River purchased Fishing Holdings, LLC, a group that included Ranger, Triton and Stratos, and again in 2015 when upper-level management of those companies stepped down. However, despite profits now heading into the pocketbooks of the Bass Pro Shops founder, Morris’ pattern of operation has not been one of shuttering brands. If that pattern holds, Legend is likely to continue operations for the foreseeable future, though according to insiders, integration of technologies from across the White River line—and vice versa—are likely.

Financial terms of the deal have not been released.

Do You Believe? By Bruce Callis – August 14,2017

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Do You Believe? By Bruce Callis – August 14,2017

Do You Believe? By Bruce Callis

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The FLW held their championship this past weekend, the Forrest Wood Cup. Unlike some, they still finish the year with a big bang. Lake Murray in Columbia, SC set up to be a great event for the top 53 anglers. And in the end, only one could be crowned as the winner, the Champion! This year, it was rookie angler Justin Atkins of Florence, Alabama taking the lead on day one to get things started.

Thursday saw Justin Atkins, FLW rookie secure the early lead bringing in an impressive 21 pound 5 ounce five fish limit, and the largest limit weighed in on Lake Murray in Forrest Wood Cup competition. It was just 4 ounces larger then Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, SC limit, who brought in 21 lb 1 oz, sitting him firmly in 2nd place. Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, SC, caught 5 fish weighing 19-12, landing him in 3rd place to start the tournament. Bryan Thrift, Shelby, NC, and 2017 AOY, had a nice 19-4 bag to take 4th place and Travis Fox of Rogers, AR rounded out the top 5 with a 5 fish limit of 18 pounds 3 ounces. The General, Larry Nixon of Bee Branch, AR sat in 6th place with 17 lb 13 ounces. Rounding out the top 10 were Michael Neal, 7th, Scott Martin, 8th, Aaron Britt, 9th, and Shane LeHew in 10th place.

Justin fished only one bait all day on day 1, a chrome ima Little Stick 135, catching a limit by 7:40 am. He then started to run areas from practice looking to upgrade. Around 10:30 he caught a nice 5 pounder and then hit another spot, he caught a nice 6 pounder. Figuring he had a nice bag to start with, he actually spent the afternoon graphing and looking for more areas to be ready for day two. Atkins said, “I’m fishing more of a pattern rather than certain areas or spots.” He was targeting the cane piles and the fat blueback herring eating largemouths that hung around them.

On day 2, Brandon Cobb continued to find bass with another 19 pound bag limit, 19-4, to take over the lead with 39 pounds total. Justin Atkins stumbled a little an fell into second with a 15 lb 14 oz limit, 1 lb 13 oz behind the leader. Anthony Gagliardi finished day 2 sitting in 3rd place with 36-1, 2 pounds 15 oz off the lead. Travis Fox sat in 4th with 35 pounds, and Bryan Thrift had 33-13 to hold onto 5th place. The top 10 rounded out with Scott Martin, Michael Neal, Aaron Britt, Scott Suggs, and Wesley Strader.

Cobb was throwing 3 different topwater baits and a Zoom fluke. He said he hit about 40 different places during the day, mostly running from one cane pile to the next on the lower end of the lake. He was also fishing some more subtle drops and rock features, where schools of bass were eating the herring. Captain Cobb is still nursing a sore foot that is still mending from a broken bone he suffered in May.

Championship Sunday saw the top 10 anglers fighting to be crowned FWC Champion. Some struggled, but for Justin Atkins, runner up in the Rookie of the Year race, it was another day to shine. He brought a 22 lb 1 oz bag limit, the second heaviest limit ever weighed in the 22 year history of the Forrest Wood Cup to the scales to edge out Travis Fox by 2 pounds 9 ounces and win his 1st tour event and the $300,000 top cash prize. Brandon Cobb finished out the tournament in 3rd place with 54-10 and Bryan Thrift finished in 4th place with 51-15 to earn $37,500. Anthony Gagliardi rounded out the top 5 with 51-3 and winning $30,000. Michael Neal, Scott Suggs, Scott Martin, Wesley Strader, and Aaron Britt rounded out the field and the top 10 FWC contenders.

Justin Atkins started the year “out on a limb of faith.” He didn’t have the money to fish the full Tour when he started, having only enough money to fish about 4 events, “and I was hoping I would make it. I felt like God had a plan, and that’s what I was supposed to be doing. I just went out there and fished.” He fished for Mississippi State team in college and came up through the ranks with other young pros making their debut this year. The future of the FLW looks very promising.

It doesn’t matter sometimes, we just have to follow our dreams, even when the odds are slim. When you are doing what you love, every day is a blessing. When you believe in yourself, you make sacrifices to make it happen. We study, we practice, we do without so we can achieve. We put our trust, in ourselves and our abilities. Do you trust in yourself enough to go for the goal? I’ll never be a top angler on the FLW, but I trust in my abilities to want to be the best angler I can be. I believe I can, therefore I can. No one can tell me otherwise. Do you believe in yourself? Do you believe?

ATKINS WINS PROFESSIONAL BASS FISHING’S FORREST WOOD CUP

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ATKINS WINS PROFESSIONAL BASS FISHING’S FORREST WOOD CUP

ATKINS WINS PROFESSIONAL BASS FISHING’S FORREST WOOD CUP

Alabama Rookie Justin Atkins Weighs Second-Largest Limit in Forrest Wood Cup History to Clinch Victory

Link to HD video of Atkins’ Winning Moment 

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (Aug. 13, 2017) – FLW Tour rookie Justin Atkins of Florence, Alabama, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Sunday weighing 22 pounds, 1 ounce – the second-heaviest limit ever weighed in the 22-year history of the Forrest Wood Cup – to earn the win at the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Murray. Over three days, Atkins weighed in 15 fish totaling 59 pounds, 4 ounces to edge out second-place pro Travis Fox of Rogers, Arkansas, by 2 pounds, 9 ounces and win the $300,000 top cash prize. The tournament featured 53 of the top bass-fishing anglers in the world competing for professional bass-fishing’s world championship.

“When I say I feel like this is what I’m meant to do I don’t mean that in any kind of arrogant way,” said Atkins, who became just the third angler to win the Forrest Wood Cup in their rookie season. “I just went out on a limb of faith this year. I didn’t have the money to fish the full Tour when I started. I had enough money to fish about four events, and I was hoping I would make it. I felt like God had a plan, and that’s what I was supposed to be doing. I just went out there and fished, and today signed off that I was supposed to be there.”

Atkins targeted cane piles throughout the week and the fat blueback herring-eating largemouths that hung around them. He estimated that he had about 60 to 80 waypoints on cane piles he liked, and most of the piles topped out about 8 to 10 feet below the surface, rising up from about 20 or 22 feet deep. The fresher and “bushier” the pile was, the more fish were in it.

“I caught every fish that I weighed in this week on an Ima Little Stick 135 in chrome,” Atkins said. “I fished them on a 7:1 gear ratio Abu Garcia reel with 30-pound-test braid and a 7-foot, 5-inch medium-heavy composite rod. I think the key was being consistent and sticking with the topwater bait. My Humminbird electronics really played a role helping me find the brush and the cane piles. Other guys weren’t able to graph them, but my Humminbird could.

“I still feel like I’m in a dream and going to wake up soon,” Atkins went on to say. “To come out on top and win this tournament really just solidifies that I can fish at this level and I’m supposed to be here. I’m already excited to get the season started next year on Lake Okeechobee.”

The top 10 pros at the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Murray finished:

1st:          Justin Atkins, Florence, Ala., 15 bass, 59-4, $300,000

2nd:         Travis Fox, Rogers, Ark., 15 bass, 56-11, $60,000

3rd:         Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, S.C., 14 bass, 54-10, $50,000

4th:         Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 51-15, $37,500

5th:         Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 15 bass, 51-3, $30,000

6th:         Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 46-11, $24,000

7th:         Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark., 15 bass, 43-3, $23,000

8th:         Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 14 bass, 41-4, $22,000

9th:         Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 12 bass, 34-2, $21,000

10th:       Aaron Britt, Yuba City, Calif., 11 bass, 31-9, $20,000

Full results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Overall there were 41 bass weighing 140 pounds, 5 ounces caught by pros Sunday. Six of the final 10 anglers weighed in five-bass limits.

The 2017 Forrest Wood Cup at Lake Murray in Columbia, South Carolina, was hosted by the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board. Total attendance for the three-day event was 68,315 fishing fans.

FLW and Visit Hot Springs announced Saturday that Hot Springs, Arkansas, will be hosting the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing, Aug. 10-12, 2018, on Lake Ouachita. This event marks the fourth time that the Forrest Wood Cup, the sport’s richest prize, has visited Lake Ouachita.

Television coverage of the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) Sept. 27 from Noon -1 p.m. EDT. The Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.

For a full schedule of events, complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.

Jerry Rice & Robert Reynolds win ‘One Stop’ Leesville Lake tournament Trail August 13,2017

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Jerry Rice & Robert Reynolds win ‘One Stop’ Leesville Lake tournament Trail August 13,2017

Twenty boats competed today on Leesville lake in the One Stop Mart Leesville lake Tournament Trail. But the tough day comes down to two men winning it all Jerry Rice & Robert Reynolds with five fish weighing 15.35lbs.

2nd Place Bryant Copley with Four Fish weighing 12.72lbs

3rd Place Tim Goff & Steve Woodruff with five fish weighing 12.00lbs.

Big fish of the day Jerry Rice & Robert Reynolds  a 5.42lb Large Mouth.

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Winter Is Prime for Trophy Bass

Fresh Baitz 0
Late fall and early winter are often overlooked, yet...

Bassmaster Elite Angler and St. Croix Rod Pro, Bob Downey, Joins SEVIIN Reels Team

Bass News 0
PARK FALLS, WIS. – “Ol’ Bob Downey” will be competing...

Tyler & Ricky Trent win the Kerr Lake Fall Final with 18.83 lbs

Buggs Island/Kerr Lake Tournament Results 0
We are currently working on a 2026 BassKings schedule...

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