Op Ed: Has the Swimbait Dethroned the Jig as the Best Big Bass Bait?

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March 1, 2017

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Jig versus swimbait for bass fishing / Jason Sealock

Op Ed: Has the Swimbait Dethroned the Jig as the Best Big Bass Bait?

Jason Sealock

02/21/2017

My take on the swimbait becoming the more dominant big bass catcher in recent years.

When I was learning to bass fish, the really good fishermen that I looked up to all told me the same thing — “you throw a jig if you want to catch big bass.”

Thirty years later, when guys ask me about bass fishing, especially here on Kentucky Lake, I tell them, “you throw the swimbait if you want to catch big bass.”

I’m certainly not advocating that everyone run home, empty their jig boxes and throw them in the trash. I don’t measure hypotheses with such extreme rationale. I’m interested in if other anglers have seen more of a trend in their fishing or others fishing where a swimbait is reached for more for big bass than a jig. Because I’m a student of bass fishing — the anglers, the fish, and especially the tackle. I field thousands of calls, messages, emails, texts a year asking about various lures.

Lake Anna Fishing Report March 2017 by Chris Craft

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March 1, 2017

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MARCH

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As we wrap up the warmest February I can remember and head into March, I look for fish catches to be possible record setting! The fishing last month was he best I have seen in many years for late winter, that is if you can call it winter.

The Anna Point Marina/Fish Tales Big Fish Contest will start back up and we will pay $100 or a yearly ramp pass ($50 value) to the angler that catches the largest Bass, Crappie or Striper for the month of March. The rules are very simple……..

1- MUST LAUNCH FROM ANNA POINT MARINA and pay

the $10 ramp fee of be a yearly ramp pass holder.

2- Anglers fishing with a guide or employee must pay ramp fee before outing.

3- ALL fish must be weighed on porch scale at Fish Tales.

4- Tournament caught fish are eligible, however they must be weighed on porch scales as well.

5- Live and artificial bait is allowed.

6- All anglers in the boat are eligible with the paid ramp fee.

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!

FISHING TOURNAMENTS

SAT 3-4 FREDERICKSBURG FISHING CLUB OPEN 7:30A-3:30P
SAT 3-11 FREDERICKSBURG FISHING CLUB
SUN 3-12 VA BASS FEDERATION REGION 3 HARVEY REECE
SAT 3-18 VA ELITE 70 STEVE CAMP 804-516-0669
SUN 3-19 EXTREME BASS ANGLERS
SAT 3-25 SHENANDOAH VALLEY BASS ASSOCIATION TIM SHANK
SUN 3-26 MIKE EAVEY MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT 7A-3P DOUG FITZGERALD 540-910-0078 …..

BASS- The largemouth will be moving into the shallows all month long and will be willing to take a variety of reaction baits as they feed up in preparation for the spawn. If venturing uplake in the stained water, shallow crankbaits like the SPRO LITTLE JOHN 50 will draw strikes from hungry bass. Dave’s Tournament Tackle Tiger Shad Spinnerbaits fished in the dormant/emering willow grass has been a proven tactic for many years. Search baits like a Rat-L-Trap or Red Eye Shad has always been a favorite lure choice of mine. Fish these baits around the many rocky points that are adjacent to the channel.

Mid lake will have better water clarity, suspending jerkbaits fished on main lake points, rip rap banks, deep boat docks and bridge pilings are a great choice to have a chance at a BIG FAT BUCKET MOUTH! As the water warms, you can get more aggressive with the cadence that you are fishing.

If fishing around bait fish, A-Rigs rigged with four inch swimbaits will do the trick. A 1/2oz Blade Bait made by SG HEAVY METAL BAITS will catch them as well.

By mid month, the down lake region will even have a few early spawners, but most will be cruising the shallows. My favorite way to fish for the cruisers is with a 5″ Damiki Armor Shad (soft jerkbait) rigged on a 4/0 EWG Gamakatsu Hook. Fish the baits around boat docks, parallel with the shore line in 5-10′ of water and around the many stumps in the lake.

CRAPPIE- The SPECKS have already started to make their move to the spawning areas with the warm weather and rising water temps. Look for the around bridge pilings, brush piles, rock piles and willow grass very soon if the current weather patterns stay in place.

Small minnows rigged under a slip bobber is a great way to fill your cooler up with the tasty panfish. As they become more aggressive, 2″ Curly Tail Grubs on a 1/16oz jig head is a proven method of catching not only numbers of fish, but big ones as well. If the water starts to cool back down small tubes with very little action will produce for you.

STRIPER- The LINESIDES are on the move uplake and will continue to move uplake all month. Jerkbaits, four inch swimbaits, blade baits and spoons will all catch fish. There are still a number of birds on the lake diving on baitfish, these feathered fish locaters will help you put a few in the cooler. As the water warms and gets closer to the 60 degree mark, broken back red fins and top water walking baits are fun to fish. There is no other strike like a big striper crushing a top water bait.

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE AND PLEASE REMEMBER C.P.R. Catch-Photo-Release if you do not plan on getting an official weight of your catch or inviting your catch to dinner.

LAKE LEVEL- Full Pool

WATER TEMPS

DOWN LAKE- 54-57 Degrees

MID LAKE- 52-56 Degrees

UP LAKE- 51-58

Chris Craft

Anna Point Marina/Fish Tales Tackle Manager

540-895-5900 ext5

ccbassn @aol.com

Tyler Faggart & Paul Owen Win Cashion Fishing Rods Team Tournament Trail Qualifier #1 Feb 25,2017 Shearon Harris

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March 1, 2017

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Tyler Faggart & Paul Owen Win Cashion Fishing Rods Team Tournament Trail Qualifier #1 Feb 25,2017 Shearon Harris

CASHION FISHING RODS SPRING TEAM TOURNAMENT BASS TRAIL QUALIFIER #1
Saturday February 25th, 2017 ~ ~ Shearon Harris ~ ~ Cross Point Landing Ramp

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It was like fishing in July!!! 74 boats arrived to vie for the 1st Place award in the C ashion Fishing Rods Spring Team Tournament Bass Trail Qualifier #1 at Shearon Harris Lake. The weather was unlike we’ve ever seen in
February with winds light & variable in the am and up to 15 mph in the afternoon, the air temps ranged from 59 to 80 and the water level was about normal. Surface water temps were 53 to 63 degrees depending where you
were on the lake! The fish are trying to hit the banks but with the unstable temps it’s just a matter of time before the spawn really begins!! No rhyme or reason in finding a pattern. Polygraph was given and results final.Tyler Faggart & Paul Owens found 5 overslot bass weighing a total of 24.60 lbs to take 1st Place and 1st Place TWT for a total of $2,570 in prize money!
The 2nd Place team of Billy Bledsoe & Brian McDonald caught 5 bass weighing 18.50 lbs. and took home $800 in winnings. The 3rd Place team of KC Choosakul & Tim Penhollow presented 5 bass weighing 17.41 lbs. and
they also won 1st Place Big Fish (9.26 lbs.) to rack up $1,375 in winnings.

With the slot limit rules enforced at Harris, only 104 bass were brought to the scales for a total of pounds averaging 2.99 lbs. each. Jerk baits, spinnerbaits, jig & pigs and Alabama rigs in the more shallow water
seemed to be the lures of choice.

I want to thank

Cashion Fishing Rods and all the anglers that participated. Our next tournament will be the 2017 Piedmont Bass Classics $10,000 Spring Team Bass Trail Qualifier #1 , Saturday March 4th also at Shearon Harris out of Cross Point Landing Wildlife Ramp. All the information on our tournaments and dates can be found http://piedmontbassclassics.com/

Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Tyler Faggart & Paul Owens of Raleigh…5 bass…24.60 lbs…$1,310
2nd Place: Billy Bledsoe & Brian McDonald of Grays Creek & Hope Mills…5 bass…18.50 lbs…$800
3rd Place: KC Choosakul & Tim Pinhollow of Sanford & Mebane…5 bass…17.41 lbs…$575
4th Place: Shane & Bonnie Burns of Durham…4 bass…16.76 lbs…$520
5th Place: Mike Corbishley & Bryce McClenney of Raleigh & Cary…5 bass…15.45 lbs…$463
6th Place: Scott Woodson & Todd Staker of Fuquay Varina & Cary…4 bass…14.18 lbs…$407
7th Place: Rich Szczerbala & Jamie Olive of Apex & New Hill…3 bass…14.16 lbs…$351
8th Place: Randy Fisher & Donnie Lowe of Hillsborough & Mebane…5 bass…12.99 lbs…$295
9th Place: Cody Backus & John Anderson of Oxford…4 bass…12.83 lbs…$246
10th Place: Larry Hipps & Patrick Arzonico of Cary & Raleigh…5 bass…11.45 lbs…$230
11th Place: Scott Mooneyham & David Price of Fayetteville & Raleigh…3 bass…9.74 lbs…$190
12th Place: Jaime Fajardo & Josh Hooks of Fuquay Varina & Apex…4 bass…9.71 lbs…$170
13th Place: Stump Bledsoe & Glenn Elliott of Hope Mills & Fayetteville…3 bass…9.53 lbs…$124 (tie)
13th Place: Wayne Shaw & Raeford Soles of Aberdeen…3 bass…9.53…$124 (tie)
15th Place: Ricky & Hunter Petty of Gibsonville…3 bass…9.11 lbs. $1151st Place Big Fish: 3rd Place Team above…9.26 lbs…$800

1st Place TWT: 1st Place Team above: 24.60 lbs…$1,260

Tyler Faggart & Paul Owens on left…1st place team (guy on right just helping hold the fish.)

KC Choosakul with the winning 9.26 lb. Big Fish Award

Contact Information:
Phil McCarson…Tournament Director—922 Valetta Rd.—Durham, NC   27712
Home: 919-471-1571     Cell: 919-971-5042
email: [email protected]            website: http://piedmontbassclassics.com/

A Review of the Kaesu Kotetsu Glide Bait for Bass Fishing By Jason Sealock 2/21/2017

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March 1, 2017

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Kaesu Kotetsu new category of glide bait / Jason Sealock

A Review of the Kaesu Kotetsu Glide Bait for Bass Fishing

Jason Sealock

2/21/2017

A new category possibly of glide baits based on material could be found in this new lure.

As fishing lures have evolved, building a better trap for the predator became more difficult. There are still new innovations every year from proven companies in fishing tackle manufacturing. One of those new technologies came to my attention last summer from a company out of Japan.

A close friend in the industry confided in me last year at ICAST and handed me a mysteriously wrapped lure to take home and “play with” as he put it. When I got to my room, that evening, I unwrapped a new glide bait called a Kotetsu from the company Kaesu out of Japan with the moniker of Extreme Lure Factory.

The Kaesu Kotetsu looks like a medium to smaller sized glide bait. But it’s a lot more than that.

Staley Takes Home $5,000 on Center Hill

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March 1, 2017

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Tim Staley of Dowelltown, Tennessee won the American Bass Anglers Ram Truck Open Series Tennessee Central tournament, held February 25, 2017 at Lake Center Hill. Running out of Ragland Bottom in Sparta, Tennessee, Staley caught five bass weighing 18.30 pounds with a 3.71-pound kicker. He took home $5,000 for his efforts.

“I used a KVD Jerk bait for most of the day. I caught about 30 or 40 fish using it. I also used a Rattle Trap to catch a few fish as well. I was fishing steep banks and bluffs all day,” Staley stated.

In second for the Boaters, Leo Knowles landed a five-bass tournament limit weighing 17.09 pounds with a 3.42 – pound kicker. He collected $1,400 for the effort. He was also the highest Triton Gold finisher and will receive an additional $500. “I caught my fish today using a swim bait. We didn’t do anything special, we just went out fishing and was able to catch fish all day,” Knowles stated.

Jason Dies of Lebanon, Tennessee took third for the Boaters with five bass going 16.69 pounds with a 4.18 pound kicker taking home $950. “We caught everything today on a Livingston Lure Jerk Bait. My non- boater started catching them on this and he gave me one to tie on. We both caught about 25 keepers all day long thanks to the jerk bait,” stated Dies.

Rodney Clawson of Nashville, Tennessee, Brandon Eddings of Nashville, Tennessee, and Jason Lee of Baxter, Tennessee tied for fourth place. They each caught a five bass tournament limit going weighing 16.55 pounds.

The biggest bass for the Boaters was caught by David Cook of Whitehouse, Tennessee that weighed 5.26 pounds and pocketed $680.

In the Co-Angler division, Austin Poston of Cookeville, Tennessee won with three bass weighing 10.94 pounds. He sealed his victory with a 4.99-pound kicker to pocket a check for $1,200.

“I just got lucky today and was able to catch my fish using a black and blue jig,” state Poston.

Taking second for the Co-Anglers, Ethan Wheeler of Mayfield, Kentucky brought in a three-bass division limit weighing 9.54 pounds including a 3.26-pound kicker. He collected $275 for the effort. “I caught everything today using an ½ oz. green jig targeting bluff walls. I only caught four fish all day but they were the right fish,” Wheeler stated.

Conoly Brown of Brentwood, Tennessee placed third among the Co-Anglers with two bass weighing 8.37 pounds. He anchored his catch with a 3.50-pound kicker to earn $225. “I caught the majority of my fish today using a swimbait. I caught a few fish using a jig. I caught fish all day long but was only able to cull once,” stated Brown.

In fourth place among the Co-Anglers, Garrett Turner of Sparta, Tennessee brought in three bass for 8.06 pounds.

Robbie Lester of Cookeville, Tennessee finished in fifth place with three bass at 7.56 pounds topped by a 3.09-pound kicker.

The biggest bass for the Co-Anglers was caught by Austin Poston that weighed 4.99 and pocketed $170.

Slated for March 11, 2017 the next divisional tournament will be held on Percy Priest launching out of Fate Sanders Marina in Smyrna, TN. At the end of the season, the best anglers from across the nation advance the 2018 Ray Scott Championship.

For more information on this tournament, call Kristin Malott, tournament manager, at (256)771-3709 or ABA at (256)232-0406. On line, see www.ramopenseries.com .

American Bass Anglers is committed to providing low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers, the Ram Truck Open Series, the American Fishing Tour or the American Couples Series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com.

Rapala® Skitter V topwater makes walking the dog a walk in the park

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February 28, 2017

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Rapala® Skitter V topwater makes walking the dog a walk in the park

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Rapala

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Walking the dog has never been so easy. Leash on a Rapala® Skitter V and you’ll soon be triggering topwater bites like a pro.

“A 4-year-old kid could make this thing walk on his first cast,” says nine-time Bassmaster Classic contender Bernie Schultz in this BassBlaster video. “The bait walks super-easy.”

“Walking the dog” with a topwater bait means retrieving it back to the boat with a side-to-side cadence of drastic direction changes, followed by soft, long glides on slack line. The Skitter V’s innovative V-Rap belly design makes that fish-triggering action easier to accomplish than ever before. “It’s so simple. It’s almost like it’s got a nail in the tail and its pivoting off that one point.”

If you’ve ever seen a V-shaped boat keel, the Skitter V’s belly will look familiar, “just like the name implies,” Schultz explains. “What that allows this bait to do is pivot on point so easily,” he says.

Although the Skitter V was introduced last summer in a new line-up of coastal Rapala baits, bass anglers were quick to adopt it for freshwater fishing. “It’s the right size and has right hook distribution,” Schultz says. “This is a really well-thought-out bait.” It’s versatile too. “You can push water with it aggressively,” he says, “or you can let it glide and be more of a stealthy, subtle approach.”

The Skitter V measures 4 inches, weighs half an ounce and comes armed with two No. 4 VMC black-nickel round-bend hooks. It’s available in 10 color patterns: Bone Chartreuse, Chrome, Gold, Gold Chrome, Glass Ghost, Gold Olive, Hot Olive, Hot Pink, Red Ghost and Silver.

Rapala has long been a leader in the coastal market. In the company’s storied history, a Rapala lure has accounted for almost 600 International Game Fish Association world records, many of them in saltwater, including an impressive 231-pound, 13-ounce southern bluefin tuna in 2014. Rapala is the first and only lure manufacturer to receive an IGFA Lifetime Achievement Award, and anglers have caught world-record catches with Rapala lures on every continent but Antarctica.

See Rapala® Skitter V

See VMC® Round-bend hook

OSCEOLA HIGH SCHOOL WINS TBF HIGH SCHOOL FISHING FLORIDA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP AT ST. JOHNS RIVER

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February 28, 2017

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OSCEOLA HIGH SCHOOL WINS TBF HIGH SCHOOL FISHING FLORIDA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP AT ST. JOHNS RIVER

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PALATKA, Fla. (Feb. 28, 2017) – The Osceola High School duo of Bailey Chisholm and Cole DePuy, both of St. Cloud, Florida, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Sunday weighing 17 pounds, 5 ounces, to win the 2017 TBF High School Fishing Florida State Championship tournament on the St. Johns River in Putnam County, Florida. The win advanced the team to the 2017 High School Fishing National championship, held June 27-July 1 at Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama.

A field of 57 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which launched from the City Dock Launch Ramp in Palatka. In FLW/TBF High School Fishing competition, the top 10-percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.

The top five teams on the St. Johns River that advanced to the 2017 High School Fishing National Championship were:

1st: Osceola High School – Bailey Chisholm and Cole DePuy, both of St. Cloud, Fla., (five bass, 17-5)

2nd: Okeechobee High School – Kaitlyn Williams and David Daniel, both of Okeechobee, Fla., (five bass, 15-13)

3rd: Fort Meade High School– Tyler Bazemore, Mulberry, Fla., and Shane Schmucker, Lakeland, Fla., (five bass, 15-9)

4th: First Coast High School – James Brooks, Inverness, Fla., and Matthew Sorrells, Middleburg, Fla., (five bass, 15-3)

5th: Seminole County Junior Anglers – Fisher Omans and Steven Steinard, both of Oviedo, Fla., (five bass, 14-15)

Rounding out the top 10 teams were:

6th: Bartow High School – Jeremy Morgan and Joshua Johnson, both of Bartow, Fla., (five bass, 14-4)

7th: Keystone Heights High School – Coy Givens and Madison Givens, both of Keystone Heights, Fla., (four bass, 13-10)

8th: Seminole County Junior Anglers – Joey Bloom, Winter Springs, Fla., and Dylan Westhelle, Sanford, Fla., (five bass, 13-4)

9th: Seminole County Junior Anglers – Logan Wright, Oviedo, Fla., and Colin Blanton, Winter Springs, Fla., (five bass, 12-15)

10th: Seminole County Junior Anglers – Noah Napolitano and A.J. Alameda, both of Longwood, Fla., (five bass, 12-8)

Complete results and photos from the event can be found at HighSchoolFishing.org.

The 2017 TBF High School Fishing Florida State Championship was a two-person (team) event for students in grades 7-12, open to any Student Angler Federation (SAF) affiliated high school club in the state of Florida. The top 10 percent of each Challenge, Open, and state championship field will advance to the High School Fishing National Championship. The High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.

In addition to the High School Fishing National Championship, all High School Fishing anglers nationwide automatically qualify for the world’s largest high school bass tournament, the 2017 High School Fishing World Finals, held in conjunction with the National Championship. At the 2016 World Finals more than $60,000 in scholarships and prizes were awarded.

Full schedules and the latest announcements are available at HighSchoolFishing.org and FLWFishing.com.

B.A.S.S. To Launch Weekly National Radio Program

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February 28, 2017

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B.A.S.S. To Launch Weekly National Radio Program

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Bassmaster Radio, a new weekly program focusing on professional bass fishing, debuts Saturday, March 4, on more than 100 radio stations nationwide, B.A.S.S. announced today.

Hosted by veteran broadcaster Thom Abraham, a passionate bass angler and tournament fisherman from Winchester, Tenn., the new one-hour program will be available to 126 stations on the SB Nation Radio network coast to coast, as well as on additional stations in Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama. The program will also be streamed on Bassmaster.com, where fans can listen to it either live or on demand.

“We at B.A.S.S. have long been fans of Thom Abraham and his Southern Bass Radio program, which has covered the sport of bass fishing — especially the Bassmaster Elite Series — in such a professional and entertaining way over the years,” said Bruce Akin, CEO of the 500,000-member B.A.S.S. “He’s a lifetime B.A.S.S. member and one of professional fishing’s biggest fans. Thom was an easy choice to host the first weekly Bassmaster Radio program.”

Noting that B.A.S.S. already is the industry leader in every other media platform, including television, magazines, website and social media, Akin said, “Launching Bassmaster Radio furthers our mission of providing cutting-edge content about bass fishing wherever, whenever and however fans want to consume it.”

The new show will feature coverage of the Bassmaster Elite Series, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens and the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods. It also includes tips and strategies from the pros, as well as insight into the latest trends and technologies important to bass anglers of all skill levels.

“We’ll go behind the scenes with the legends of professional bass fishing through interviews, as well as today’s stars and up-and-coming anglers,” said Abraham. “I’m a lifelong bass fisherman, a huge fan of B.A.S.S. and an incurable tournament angler. I can’t wait to bring the sport that I love to fishing fans all across the nation.”

“This is the kind of program everyone can enjoy,” said David Gow, CEO of Gow Media and SB Nation Radio. “With Thom at the helm and the vast resources of B.A.S.S. supporting, you can count on this show being immensely entertaining and informative.”

Based in Houston, Gow Media distributes audio content reaching an estimated 6.5 million people each week on a network of more than 500 terrestrial radio stations, Sirius Satellite Radio, mobile and digital partners. Formerly operating under the Yahoo! Sports Radio brand name, Gow Media also owns two sports talk radio stations in Houston, which will host the upcoming GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods March 24-26.

(Note to Editors: Images accompanying this release will be available on Bassmastermedia.com as soon as possible.)

About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation presented by Magellan, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.

Mitch Mitchell and Candler McCollum Win 2017 Alabama Bass Trail Wheeler Lake

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February 27, 2017

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Mitch Mitchell and Candler McCollum Win 2017 Alabama Bass Trail Wheeler Lake
Team Smashes more than 30 pounds to beat weather, and 203 boat Field at North Division Opener

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February 25, 2017 – Decatur, Ala – As the 2017 Alabama Bass Trail Northern Division season opener was approaching, the entire State of Alabama had been treated to warmer and milder conditions than the norm. As Friday’s practice day wound down, and the registration meeting commenced, it became clear that those conditions were set to make an about face.

Friday’s high temperature of nearly 80 degrees gave way to overnight thunderstorms and a post front high of 52 degrees with heavy winds and high skies. A nearly 30 degree temperature change and strong post-front conditions mean rough seas and bad fishing.

None of that mattered to Mitch Mitchell and Candler McCollum.

The pair made a long, backbreaking ride to the Guntersville Dam and battled the conditions in the tailrace for three hours, then navigated the treacherous conditions headed back downstream to bring their 30.59-pound limit to the scales to blow away a big field and take home the $10,000 first prize for winning an ABT event.

Their limit was a true spectacle, consisting of three smallmouth, one weighing 6.99 pounds, a solid four-pound spotted bass, and a 9.47-pound largemouth that took home the $5,000 big bass bonus. The team’s total prize including ABT payout and Phoenix First Flight bonus prize totals $17,500 for a one day tournament.

The pair had to wait a long time to receive their credit and take home the money. “We had our limit by 10:30, and left upriver at around 11:30 to try and take our time getting back because we knew we had a special bag,” they said. “We pulled into Ingalls Harbor around 12:30 to 12:45 and waited until ABT staff got here so we could check-in; it’s still pretty amazing to think that this is how our day went.”

The anglers from Muscle Shoals, Ala. and Little Rock, Ark. reported catching a 15-pound limit early, then spending the next two hours culling all but one of their original limit. “We caught 12 or 13 fish all day, and we caught all of them by making the same two casts,” they said. “It was an underwater point upriver, and the smallmouth were out off the end of the point, and the spotted bass and the largemouth came off the backside of it; we caught them all on swimbaits.”

They reported throwing 5.5 to 7.5-inch Basstrix Paddletail and Strike King Shadalicious swimbaits on 3/4-ounce jigheads to get the job done. They said they caught their early limit on shad colored versions, but turned to a chartreuse and blue model as the day wore on. “We didn’t expect the day to go like this when the weather turned,” they reported. “We expected it to be tough, but we walk out of here with a personal best smallmouth and largemouth, our biggest win and our biggest payday too – this is truly unbelievable, and we are so happy to be standing here.”

While finishing more than 10 pounds behind the winners, Lanny Guthrie and Bobby Brown produced an impressive 20.11-pound limit to finish the day in second place and earn the $5,000 runners up prize. The pair attempted to run the crankbait pattern that they had found in practice early, but had to adjust. “Things just didn’t happen like we had planned early,” they said. “But, we made the adjustment to go throw spinnerbaits on bluff walls and it really started to happen.”

They said they selected a 3/8-ounce double willowleaf War Eagle chartreuse spinnerbait with painted blades and drifted with the wind, slow rolling the spinnerbait. “Lanny is the one that figured it out,” said Brown. “Once he did, we both got on the front deck and made the most of it we could; we are really pleased with the way everything turned out.”

Third place finishers Jason Smith and Chaz McMahan weighed-in their 20.09-pound limit within the first 10 minutes of the afternoon, then got to watch the whole field weigh, but their limit was good enough to hang onto the $4,000 third place prize. Rounding out the top five were David Kyle and Scott Callahan, who earned $3,000 with their 19.96-pound limit, followed in fifth by James Harrison and Larry Hill who earned $2,000 for their 19.51-pound performance, as well as the Wedowee Marine $1,000 bonus for being the highest finishing anglers who purchased their Phoenix Boat from sponsor Wedowee Marin.

The top 10 standings are below, for complete standings go to http://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/wl-results/

Place	ANGLERS	Weight	BIG FISH	WINNINGS
1	Mitch Mitchell and Candler McCollum	30.59	9.47	$10,000 (plus $7,000 Phoenix First Flight bonus)
2	Lanny Guthrie and Bobby Brown	20.11		$5,000
3	Jason Smith and Chaz McMahan	20.09	5.37	$4,000
4	David Kyle and Scott Callahan	19.96		$3,000
5	James Harrison and Larry Hill	19.51		$2,000 (plus $1,000 Wedowee Marine Bonus)
6	Ryan Salzman and Jon Canada	18.06	5.33	$1,500
7	Gary Thacker and Winston Jackson	17.58		$1,100
8	Josh Benford and Jerry McCaferty	16.67		$1,100
8	Mark McCaig and Tim Hurst	16.67		$1,100
10	Bobby Simmons and Austin Simmons	16.45		$1,100

Raymarine Pro Tim Horton Wins Bassmaster Elite on Florida’s Lake Okeechobee

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February 27, 2017

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Raymarine Pro Tim Horton

Wins Bassmaster Elite on Florida’s Lake Okeechobee

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Alabama bass pro emerges triumphant, adds a notch in his flippin’ stick with fifth career Bassmaster Elite win

WILSONVILLE, OR – February 27, 2017 – Raymarine pro Tim Horton fell to his knees when emcee Dave Mercer announced his five-fish weight on Sunday afternoon at the A.R.E. Truck Caps B.A.S.S. Elite event on Florida’s Lake Okeechobee.

Seconds later, his family handed him a pizza and Horton threw his hat to the crowd, an entertaining segue to Horton hoisting another big blue trophy.

“It was humbling, gratifying, and I got so excited I threw my hat! As for the pizza, that goes back to an event I won on Lake Champlain where I called in a pizza delivery from my boat driving into the weigh-in,” laughs Horton.

The accomplishment marks Horton’s fifth B.A.S.S. event win—and his second on Florida’s Lake Okeechobee.

“Okeechobee is very special to me. It’s a lake that can build confidence. But the wind can complicate everything; the water gets dirty, and you’re just not going to catch them. I made the decision to run back up north because they forecasted northeast winds, but it didn’t work out that way. Having confidence in other lake areas was huge,” says Horton.

Following two days of heavy bags – including a massive 30 pound, 4 ounce five-fish limit on Friday – Horton lost two big fish on Saturday that would have put him in a nearly untouchable double-digit lead over competitors. Horton’s no stranger to that kind of pole positioning. He’s won three BASS Elite events in his career by over 13 pounds.

“Lost fish are hard to overcome. They’re game-changers. When that 9 pounder came undone, I said goodbye to what would have been a 22 or 23 pound day. Then I lost another five pounder, which would have made a 28 pound day. But looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing. Other victories have been by a large margin. This 11-pound bag was the most special limit I’ve ever weighed.”

Unbuttoned fish and strong competition turned the final day into a nail-biting, down-to-the-wire finish, with the final 12 contenders jumping in and out of the hot seat each time a bag was weighed.

“Approaching the stage, I was pretty sure Ott had over 18 pounds and he’d win. I got up there, I was happy for him, was happy with my week, so when they called out my weight, I just couldn’t believe it.”

Horton’s official weights for the tournament tallied 25-15 on Day 1; 30-4 on Day 2; 15-11 on Day 3; and 11-7 on Day 4 for a tournament total of 83-15. He edged out second-place finisher Ott DeFoe by 1 pound, 4 ounces.

This most recent win brings Horton’s career accomplishments to five B.A.S.S. Elite wins, 11 Bassmaster Classic qualifications, 2000 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year (AOY), and over $1 million in winnings.

High-Tech Fish-Finding

“You’ve gotta find bass to catch ‘em,” says the reigning champ.

To that end, Horton credits his Raymarine units as a key to his Okeechobee success. He runs two Raymarine eS 12-inch displays at the helm, one dedicated to mapping, the other for running split-screen views of CHIRP Sonar, CHIRP DownVision, and CHIRP SideVision. At the bow, Horton employs an eS 12-inch and eS 9-inch with multiple choices of maps and sonar in split-screen view.

“The thing about Florida, so much of it is sight-fishing. But I was running through five and six feet waves on Sunday for an hour at a time and the units held up, no problem whatsoever. The reliability of my Raymarine mapping, from getting from point A to point B, was bullet-proof. That was critical for this event.”

He continues: “I used the Navionics maps and a Standard Mapping Florida One e-card for satellite overlay imagery of specifically where I wanted to fish. I’ve never had that before. You could actually see the boat lanes, I could zoom in and out to see specific backwater ponds, even tell the difference between Kissimmee grass and reeds. Unbelievably helpful.”

Although Horton fished primarily to his mapping for Okeechobee’s shallow fish, he praises Raymarine CHIRP technology for giving him an edge in events where sight-fishing isn’t an option.

“I’ve never seen a cleaner image. I can actually tell which direction the bass are facing with my Raymarine DownVision. There’s no other unit that does that. When it to comes to CHIRP sonar, I can see my bait and weight when drop-shotting.”

Horton is getting ready for installation of a recently-introduced Raymarine Axiom MFD on his Nitro, units that start shipping to Raymarine dealers this March.

“I’m really excited about Raymarine’s new RealVision 3D technology. It’s pretty mind-blowing that I can see in three dimensions where bass and forage are positioned in relation to the boat. Combine that with Raymarine’s superior clarity and it’s going to be a game-changer.”

This spring, Raymarine will release a free Lighthouse 3 operating system software update for anglers running Raymarine eS MFDs that offers a faster and more intuitive user experience and networking compatibility with new Axiom units.

Winning Presentations

Horton caught the majority of his fish around emergent and submergent vegetation on a Profound Outdoors 4-inch Klone Crawsome soft plastic threaded onto a heavy-duty flipping hook with a ¾- to 1-ounce weight on 50 lb. Bass Pro Shops XPS Braid. Fishing higher-visibility waters on Sunday, Horton down to a 3/8-ounce weight, fishing the bait on 20-lb. Bass Pro Shops XPS Fluorocarbon.

“The areas I fished the first two days were set up perfectly for my presentation choice and that helped me build an early lead. Having the right flippin’ rod, reel, and line for heavy cover was the deal.”

Looking Ahead

Riding the excitement of his first major win in a decade, Horton says he’ll be fishing the remaining Elite season with the monkey off his back.

“This win is definitely a shot in the arm to keep the intensity level up. I’m going to ride the motivation and keep having fun. That was a big deal here… having fun.”

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