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CATAWBA’S QUEEN WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE NORTH CAROLINA DIVISION OPENER ON LAKE NORMAN PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS

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CATAWBA’S QUEEN WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE NORTH CAROLINA DIVISION OPENER ON LAKE NORMAN PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS

CATAWBA’S QUEEN WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE NORTH CAROLINA DIVISION OPENER ON LAKE NORMAN PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS

China Grove’s Wike claims Co-angler title

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MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 27, 2017) – Jeff Queen of Catawba, North Carolina, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 9 ounces, Saturday to claim top honors at the first T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) North Carolina Division tournament of 2017 on Lake Norman, presented by Navionics. For his efforts, Queen took home $4,279.

“The weather Saturday morning was cloudy and breezy, which told me the jig bite would be strong,” said Queen, who earned his second career win in BFL competition. “We’d had seven warm days in a row, so both largemouth and spotted bass were up shallow. I knew I’d be cruising the bank to catch them.”

Queen said his strategy was to cover as much water as he could. He said he used one lure to catch his limit – a 3/8-ounce Queen Tackle tungsten jig with a blue Zoom Super Chunk trailer.

“I fished mid-lake and hit anything that had wind blowing into it,” said Queen. “I caught one of my best bass on my third cast, and put one quality fish in the boat every hour from then on. I caught a lot of fish, but it took a while to boat the 3-pounders.”

Queen said the majority of his bass came from open stretches of bank in 3 to 8 feet of water, and one that he weighed in came from a dock.

“I made long casts – probably 35 to 40 yards,” said Queen. “The key was that I would take the jig and swim it fast. With its small head, trimmed skirt and large hook, I could really load it up and set it hard. I didn’t lose a single fish all day.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Jeff Queen, Catawba, N.C., five bass, 16-9, $4,279

2nd:         Wes Lewis, Sherrills Ford, N.C., five bass, 15-4, $2,140

3rd:          Stephen Cannon, Wilkesboro, N.C., five bass, 15-0, $2,031

4th:          Carson Orellana, Mooresville, N.C., five bass, 14-15, $998

5th:          Craig Chambers, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 14-13, $856

6th:          Jason Wilson, Lincolnton, N.C., five bass, 14-10, $949

6th:          Drew Montgomery, Maiden, N.C., five bass, 14-10, $1,249

8th:          David Cooke, Mooresville, N.C., five bass, 14-2, $642

9th:          Jacob Moore, Stanley, N.C., five bass, 13-12, $671

10th:        Chris Baumgardner, Gastonia, N.C., five bass, 13-9, $499

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Cannon caught a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass – the largest of the event – which earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $605.

Austin Wike of China Grove, North Carolina, weighed in five bass totaling 11 pounds, 5 ounces Saturday to win the Co-angler Division and $2,140.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1st:          Austin Wike, China Grove, N.C., five bass, 11-5, $2,140

2nd:         Tristen Trull, Mount Holly, N.C., five bass, 10-11, $1,070

3rd:          Hunter Harwell, Hickory, N.C., five bass, 10-9, $712

4th:          Dominick LeSerra, West Jefferson, N.C., five bass, 10-7, $439

4th:          James Webb, Mooresville, N.C., five bass, 10-7, $439

4th:          Steve Reynolds, Concord, N.C., five bass, 10-7, $439

7th:          Adam Lockler, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 10-6, $357

8th:          Charles Wood, Thomasville, N.C., five bass, 10-2, $321

9th:          Tyrell Collins, Galax, Va., five bass, 9-12, $285

10th:        Ryan Sommerville, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 9-9, $250

Kyle Richardt of Raleigh, North Carolina, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing 3 pounds, 15 ounces, and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $302.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 12-14 BFL Regional Championship on the James River in Williamsburg, Virginia. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.

The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.

For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.

ROGERSVILLE’S HAMMOND WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE OZARK DIVISION OPENER ON TABLE ROCK LAKE

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ROGERSVILLE’S HAMMOND WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE OZARK DIVISION OPENER ON TABLE ROCK LAKE

ROGERSVILLE’S HAMMOND WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE OZARK DIVISION OPENER ON TABLE ROCK LAKE

Cuba’s Fey tops Co-angler field

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BRANSON, Mo. (Feb. 27, 2017) – Eric Hammond of Rogersville, Missouri, weighed a 17-pound, 6-ounce-limit of bass Saturday to win the first T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Ozark Division tournament of 2017 on Table Rock Lake. For his victory, Hammond took home $5,457.

Hammond said he began his day on the White River near Baxter. He said he targeted 45-degree rock banks that transitioned into gravel as they descended into the water.

“I used a Phantom Green-colored Storm Wiggle Wart,” said Hammond, who earned his first win in BFL competition. “I made long casts, got it down there and let it do its thing.”

Hammond said the cool water temperatures had the bass feeling sluggish, which influenced his strategy.

“I reeled the Wiggle Wart in slowly and steadily,” said Hammond. “The water temperature were still in the high 40s. I think they were still asleep – it was hard to feel them bite. I think they eventually ate the bait because they were tired of looking at it.”

Toward the afternoon, Hammond said he decided to move out deep to focus on submerged trees.

“I threw an umbrella rig and got a couple key fish to round out the limit,” said Hammond. “The trees were about 45-feet-down, near points and other spots where bass were moving up. It was a grind to catch all six keepers, but it only took a couple of them to make it a great day.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Eric Hammond, Rogersville, Mo., five bass, 17-6, $5,457

2nd:         Mike Brueggen, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 17-0, $2,728

3rd:          Roy Hawk, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., five bass, 16-14, $2,319

4th:          Lance Williams, Billings, Mo., five bass, 16-13, $1,373

5th:          Brian Thompson, Springfield, Mo., five bass, 16-11, $1,091

6th:          Ronnie Dobbs, Shell Knob, Mo., five bass, 16-8, $1,000

7th:          Jason Newberry, Nixa, Mo., five bass, 15-11, $909

8th:          John Hewkin, Sullivan, Mo., five bass, 15-2, $819

9th:          Chad Allison, Carl Junction, Mo., five bass, 14-12, $728

10th:        Todd Knaack, Lawson, Mo., five bass, 14-11, $637

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Roger Morris of Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Chuck Baggett of Union, Missouri, each caught a 5-pound, 7-ounce bass to tie for the day’s Boater Big Bass award and each won $437.

Michael Fey Sr., of Cuba, Missouri, weighed in five bass totaling 12 pounds, 7 ounces Saturday to win the Co-angler Division and earn $2,728.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1st:          Michael Fey Sr., Cuba, Mo., five bass, 12-7, $2,728

2nd:         Landon Rogers, Battlefield, Mo., five bass, 11-12, $1,364

3rd:          Derrick Wright, Carl Junction, Mo., four bass, 11-1, $911

4th:          Michael Bray, Union, Mo., four bass, 10-13, $637

5th:          Jerry Riddle, Summit, Miss., five bass, 10-11, $546

6th:          Trey Schroeder, Crestwood, Mo., five bass, 10-4, $700

7th:          Lance Maldonado, Chapman, Kan., four bass, 9-3, $455

8th:          Don Heiser, Kearney, Mo., four bass, 9-0, $409

9th:          Joshua Brassard, Nixa, Mo., four bass, 8-8, $364

10th:        Spencer Clark, Maryland Heights, Mo., four bass, 7-14, $318

Ernie Wooten of New London, Missouri, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 5 ounces, and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $437.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 5-7 BFL Regional Championship on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.

The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.

For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.

FLW SHATTERS RECORD FOR LARGEST COLLEGIATE FISHING TOURNAMENT

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FLW SHATTERS RECORD FOR LARGEST COLLEGIATE FISHING TOURNAMENT

FLW SHATTERS RECORD FOR LARGEST COLLEGIATE FISHING TOURNAMENT

Tusculum College Tops 248-Boat Field at Lake Guntersville, 24 Teams Advance to National Championship

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GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (Feb. 27, 2017) – The Tusculum College duo of Nick Hatfield of Jonesborough, Tennessee, and Corey Neece of Bristol, Tennessee, won the YETI FLW College Fishing Southeastern Conference event on Lake Guntersville Saturday with a five-bass limit weighing 22 pounds, 13 ounces, topping the largest field ever assembled for a collegiate bass fishing tournament – 248 teams. The victory earned the Tusculum College bass club a $2,000 club scholarship and the team will now advance to compete at the 2018 FLW College Fishing National Championship. 

The new participation record eclipses the previous all-time mark of 214 teams set last season at the Bassmaster College Series Southern Regional at Lake Martin. The previous FLW record of 203 teams was set and later matched in 2016 at the FLW College Fishing Open on Kentucky Lake in April and the Southeastern Conference qualifier at Lake Chickamauga in September.

“We’ve fished several events together, but this is our first win as a team and for our club,” said Hatfield, a senior majoring in business administration. “We’ve been working really hard and it is so awesome to see our hard work pay off.”

“We went down to Guntersville to practice a couple of weekends before the tournament, and a few days before this event,” said Neece, a junior majoring in environmental science. “We found some areas that were holding fish a few weeks ago, and were hoping that they would stay put.

“The day of the tournament the wind was blowing really badly and it washed out a lot of the areas that we knew the fish were in,” Neece continued. “We couldn’t even fish in some of the pockets – the eel grass was blown in and completely covering the pockets and the water was very muddy. We had a few pockets that were protected from the wind so that’s where we decided to focus our time.”

The duo said that they stayed in just two pockets, side-by-side in the mid-lake area. They estimated that they caught 20 to 30 keepers on two baits – a Sexy Shad-colored Strike King Red Eye Shad and a Royalty-colored Booyah One Knocker.

“We were sitting in 2 feet of water and fishing really, really shallow,” Hatfield said. “Our trolling motor kept hitting the bottom and kicking up mud and we had to raise it up.”

“The key was definitely how shallow we were fishing,” Neece said. “The fish were in the very backs of the pockets getting ready to spawn. If you weren’t fishing shallow enough, you weren’t going to get a bite.”

“We are absolutely stoked to qualify for the National Championship,” Hatfield went on to say. “We’ve been fishing together and trying to qualify for a couple of years now, so to finally get in my senior year is really special. Hopefully it opens up a few more opportunities for our club and hopefully we can make something out of that tournament.”

The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2018 College Fishing National Championship are:

1st: Tusculum College – Nick Hatfield, Jonesborough, Tennessee, and Corey Neece, Bristol, Tennessee, five bass, 22-13, $2,400 Club Scholarship

2nd: University of Georgia – Wesley Griner, Leesburg, Ga., and Nathan Ragsdale, Fayetteville, Ga., five bass, 22-10, $1,200 Club Scholarship

3rd: Bethel University – Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, and Carter McNeil, Abbeville, S.C., five bass, 19-12, $500 Club Scholarship

4th: Bethel University – Garrett Enders, Mifflinburg, Pa., and Cody Huff, Ava, Mo., five bass, 18-14, $500 Club Scholarship

5th: Snead State Community College – Brandon Matthews, Gadsden, Ala., and Nathan Doss, Cullman, Ala., four bass, 18-8, $500 Club Scholarship

6th: Lander University – Ben Stone, Donalds, S.C., and Collin Smith, Honea Path, S.C., five bass, 17-12

7th: Florida Gulf Coast – Beau Clymer and Hunter Bozeman, both of Ocala, Fla., five bass, 17-4

8th: Bryan College – Nathan Bell, Riceville, Tenn., and Cole Sands, Calhoun, Tenn., five bass, 17-4

9th: Bethel University – Brian Pahl, Wildwood, Mo., and John Coble Garrett, Union City, Tenn., five bass, 16-13

10th: University of North Alabama – Triston Crowder, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., and Lake Blasingame, Florence, Ala., five bass, 16-8

FLW also advances one additional team to the National Championship for every 10 teams over 100 that compete. A total of 248 teams participated in this event, so also advancing to the 2018 College Fishing National Championship are:

11th: University of North Alabama – Evan Bernas, El Paso, Texas, and Matthew Uptain, Harvest, Ala., five bass, 15-12

12th: Clemson University – Robert White, Greenville, S.C., and Derek Freeman, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 15-6

13th: Kennesaw State University – Logan Smith, Ball Ground, Ga., and Payton Morgan, Woodstock, Ga., four bass, 14-3

14th: Mississippi State University – Grant Hyche, Sterrett, Ala., and Hunter Hatcher, Starkville, Miss., five bass, 14-0

15th: University of Alabama – John Bryant, Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Ethan Flack, Cullman, Ala., five bass, 14-0

16th: Savannah College of Art and Design – Noah Pescitelli, Buford, Ga., and Sean Hall, North Augusta, Ga., five bass, 13-9

17th: University of Mississippi – Andrew Hulbert, Ridgeland, Miss., and Chandler South, Mantachie, Miss., five bass, 13-6

18th: Calhoun Community College – Dakota Guzman, Moulton, Ala., and Charles Rieser, Huntsville, Ala., five bass, 13-0

19th: Bryan College – Chandler Fogg and Conner Fogg, both of Kelso, Tenn., five bass, 12-14

20th: University of South Carolina – Tyler Smith, Dorchester, S.C., and Shawn Callahan, Cincinnati, Ohio, four bass, 12-8

21st: Faulkner University – Tyler Pennington, Chicota, Ala., and Brady Bowden, Hope Hull, Ala., five bass, 12-3

22nd: University of Tennessee – Logan Brewster, Maryville, Tenn., and Clay Walters, Charleston, Tenn., four bass, 12-0

23rd: Bethel University – Evan Owrey, Jackson, Tenn., and Kristopher Queen, Catawba, N.C., five bass, 11-10

24th: University of North Alabama – Nathan Martin, Tuscumbia, Ala., and Davis Whitten, Muscle Shoals, Ala., four bass, 11-5

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

This YETI FLW College Fishing Southeastern Conference tournament at Lake Guntersville was the second regular-season qualifying tournament of 2017 in the Southeastern Conference. The next event for Southeastern Conference anglers is a tournament scheduled for March 18 on Lake Hartwell in Hartwell, Georgia.

YETI FLW College Fishing teams compete in three regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments, along with an additional qualifier for every 10 teams over 100 that compete, along with the top 20 teams from the annual YETI FLW College Fishing Open will advance to the 2018 FLW College Fishing National Championship.

College Fishing is free to enter. All participants must be registered, full-time students at a college, university or community college and members of a college fishing club that is recognized by their school.

For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow College Fishing on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing. Visit FLWFishing.com to sign up or to start a club at your school.

SOUTH CAROLINA’S TAYLOR WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE SAVANNAH RIVER DIVISION TOURNAMENT ON CLARKS HILL LAKE

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SOUTH CAROLINA’S TAYLOR WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE SAVANNAH RIVER DIVISION TOURNAMENT ON CLARKS HILL LAKE

SOUTH CAROLINA’S TAYLOR WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE SAVANNAH RIVER DIVISION TOURNAMENT ON CLARKS HILL LAKE

Grovetown’s Deufel claims Co-angler title

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APPLING, Ga. (Feb. 27, 2017) – Brock Taylor of Pendleton, South Carolina, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 22 pounds, 10 ounces, Saturday to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Savannah River Division event on Clarks Hill Lake. Taylor pocketed $5,565 for his win.

“I started out fishing a brush pile in about 20 feet of water,” said Taylor, who notched his third career-win in FLW competition. “The area was within three miles of the takeoff ramp and near the dam. After about 30 minutes, I caught my biggest bass on a green-pumpkin-colored Zoom Trick Worm, rigged on a shaky-head.”

Taylor said his other productive stop was a nearby creek channel swing that was covered with chunk rock. There he opted for an Alabama Craw-colored jig.

“The fish didn’t hit the jig until it was about 20-feet-down,” said Taylor. “Every time the jig would get caught up in the slime when I was reeling in, I’d give it a jerk and that’s when they would bite. I ended up catching two that I weighed in on that channel swing.”

Taylor said he was able to put eight keepers in the boat throughout the tournament.

“After a couple hours, the wind picked up so I ran along any bank that had a mud line,” said Taylor. “I used a white spinnerbait, and caught my last keeper fairly close to the takeoff ramp at 3:15 p.m. I guess it was my time to do well.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Brock Taylor, Pendleton, S.C., five bass, 22-10, $5,565

2nd:         Chris Rodwell, Evans, Ga., five bass, 21-14, $2,783

3rd:          Charles Doyle, Augusta, Ga., five bass, 20-8, $1,853

4th:          Marcus Church, Seneca, S.C., five bass, 19-13, $2,199

5th:          Franklin Ramey, Abbeville, S.C., five bass, 19-6, $1,113

6th:          Jimmy Gooch, Jefferson, Ga., five bass, 19-0, $1,020

7th:          Daniel Atkins, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 18-6, $1,428

8th:          Hunter Eubanks, Inman, S.C., five bass, 18-3, $835

9th:          Kevin Dearth, Cumming, Ga., five bass, 17-7, $742

10th:        James Redd, Lincolnton, Ga., five bass, 17-3, $616

10th:        Michael Chandler, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 17-3, $616

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Church caught a bass weighing 8 pounds even – the largest of the event – which earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $900.

Matt Deufel of Grovetown, Georgia, weighed in five bass totaling 17 pounds, 10 ounces Saturday to win the Co-angler division and the top prize of $2,737.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1st:          Matt Deufel, Grovetown, Ga., five bass, 17-10, $2,737

2nd:         Jimmi Leuthner, Tamassee, S.C., five bass, 15-2, $1,369

3rd:          Chad Hamm, Aiken, S.C., five bass, 14-10, $913

4th:          Justin Kimmel, Athens, Ga., five bass, 14-7, $593

4th:          Stephen Reasoner, Harlem, Ga., four bass, 14-7, $593

6th:          Robert Gambrell, Clermont, Ga., five bass, 13-14, $502

7th:          Eric Cerny, Alpharetta, Ga., five bass, 13-9, $456

8th:          Stephen Burress, Mills River, N.C., five bass, 13-1, $611

9th:          Brian Nappier, Huntersville, N.C., five bass, 12-9, $392

9th:          Brody Manley, Pickens, S.C., five bass, 12-9, $342

Renee Price of Westminster, South Carolina, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 6 pounds, 15 ounces, and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $435.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 19-21 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.

The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.

For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.

March 2017 Smith Mtn. Lake Fishing Report by Captain Dale Wilson

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March 2017 Smith Mtn. Lake Fishing Report by Captain Dale Wilson

SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE FISHING REPORT
March 2017
DALE WILSON’S
SML GUIDE SERVICE
PHONE NO: 540-297-5650 / 540-874-4950
www.captaindalewilson.com

Picture: Captain Dale with 2 large stripers caught last week while fishing with a friend at Smith Mtn. Lake

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OVERVIEW- Above average water temps should make for good fishing! Fishing has been good this past month! Water temperature will be in the 50’s to low 60’s. Best times will be early morning, late afternoon, windy days and cloudy days. Striped and largemouth bass fishing has been good this past month. Depending on the weather, fishing should improve greatly during the month of March.

Largemouth Bass- Fishing for largemouth bass will improve this month as water temps warm and they feed heavily before the spawn starts. Best lures will be jigs, jerk baits, drop shots, shallow running crank baits, spinner baits, Carolina rigs and shaky heads. Most largemouth bass will be in their prespawn patterns later in the month. Secondary points, creek channel banks and shallow rocks, stumps and docks will be the best areas to try your luck. Best depths will be from the 2 to 10 feet deep. Shad and crawfish will be the main forage for largemouth bass this month. Remember to take care of the bass during the spawn and release them! Warm days will bring the water temperatures up in the afternoons, making for a good window to catch a large bass in shallow water.

Smallmouth Bass- Fishing should be good. Best areas will be shallow humps, stumps, shallow rocky areas and secondary flats. Best lures will be tubes, jigs, jerk baits, hair jigs and medium diving crank baits. Best areas will be in the mid to the lower sections of the lake. Cloudy days with wind and at night are good times to try your luck! Look for areas with rocks, stumps and flat points next to deep water. Look for humps and isolated rocks near deep water ledges. They feed heavily on crawfish around the full moon. Some smallmouth will spawn later this month.

Striped Bass- Fishing will be great this month. Stripers will be caught in the mid sections of the lake, the lower section towards the dam and in the large creeks. Best lures will be swim baits, buck tails and Zoom flukes fished on 1/4 to 3/8 oz. lead heads. Sea gulls may help you locate schools of feeding stripers. Best time to fish is cloudy days, early morning, windy days and late afternoon. The best depths will be from the surface to 40 feet deep. Live bait fished on down lines and planner boards will also work this month. They will constantly be on the move. Find the largest concentration of shad. Night fishing will be good later this month.

Crappie- Fishing for crappie will be good this month. The best depths will be 5 to 15 ft. deep. Crappie will be found around docks, brush piles, and fallen trees. Docks with brush piles are usually good areas to hold crappie. Small live minnows and 1½ to 2 inch tubes or shad shaped plastic lures fished on 1/32 to 1/16 oz. lead heads will work best to catch crappie this month. Best areas are the main creeks and the upper section of the lake.

TIP OF THE Month- Remember to always wear your life jacket. Try to find the areas with the largest concentration of bait fish. When the water temps get above 55 degrees and the water gets very clear, you should try fishing at night. You can also hear reports about local fishing on the website: THE BASS CAST RADIO SHOW each month. Make sure your running lights are on after dark! Remember to TAKE A KID FISHING!

Horton Tops Best Of The Best At Bassmaster Elite On Lake Okeechobee

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Horton Tops Best Of The Best At Bassmaster Elite On Lake Okeechobee

Tim Horton of Muscle Shoals, Ala., pictured with family, wins the 2017 A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee on Sunday, with a four-day total weight of 83 pounds, 5 ounces.

Photo by Seigo Saito/Bassmaster

Feb. 26, 2017

Horton Tops Best Of The Best At Bassmaster Elite On Lake Okeechobee

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OKEECHOBEE, Fla. — After starting Championship Sunday more than 8 pounds ahead of his nearest competitor, Tim Horton of Muscle Shoals, Ala., struggled throughout the day, but held on tight to win his first championship in a decade at the A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee.

Horton was only able to bring 11 pounds, 7 ounces of Okeechobee largemouth to the scales today, which pushed his total four-day weight to 83-5. His success topped second-place finisher Ott DeFoe of Knoxville, Tenn., by 1 pound, 4 ounces.

Horton’s last victory was at the 2007 Elite Series Champion’s Choice on New York’s Lake Champlain. It’s been 10 years since the 11-time qualifier of the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods took home the trophy and $100,000 first place prize.

“Today was a very difficult day, no question about it,” Horton said. “I’m so thankful and so very blessed that Thursday and Friday went as well as they did. If it weren’t for those two heavy limits, I wouldn’t have won.”

Looking back at Saturday’s semi-final round when Horton lost a 9-pounder early on, he said that fish would have put his total near 26 pounds for the day.

“If I would have caught and weighed that fish, I would have been ahead by 13 or 14 pounds,” he said. “Had that been the case, I would have stayed closer to the boat ramp and fished conservatively for the win — you can’t always do that, but that big bass would have made today a lot easier.”

Horton caught his first keeper bass on Sunday at 11 a.m., but not at the spot where he had been fishing the past three days.

“When I arrived at my spot this morning, the wind and fishing pressure made the water a big mess,” Horton said. “I knew catching the fish I needed to win from that location was a long shot, so I spent some time looking at a couple other locations and ended up deciding on Harney Pond.”

Harney Pond is a 30-mile run from Okeechobee, Fla., on the southwest side of the lake. When Horton scrapped the game plan that had put him in the driver’s seat the first three days, he was taking a big risk.

“My family drove 13 hours to watch the final weigh-in, and I really felt like I had let them down,” he said. “I literally walked on stage thinking DeFoe had me beat, and it ended up that my 11-pound limit was the most beautiful 11 pounds I’ve ever caught.”

An emotional Horton said having his family present, and sharing the final-day stage with good friend Ott DeFoe made this victory the best of his career.

“I have a tremendous support system, and I wouldn’t be here without my family,” he said. “So much happened this week; so many ups and downs that I’m not sure the gravity of what’s happened has sunk in yet.”

Horton won a Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open on Lake Okeechobee in 2004. He relied this experience, but kept an open mind as Florida’s renowned big-bass factory has dramatically changed over the years.

The big lake has endured numerous hurricanes, water-level fluctuations and struggling habitat. But the potential for big fish has remained the same thanks to miles of various vegetation types including hydrilla, milfoil, hyacinth, pencil reeds, alligator grass, pennywort and lily pads.

“Everything I weighed in this week was on a 4-inch Klone Crawsome in two colors: black/blue swirl and a black/red copper,” Horton said. “I rigged the creature-style baits on a heavy-duty flipping hook beneath a 3/4- to 1-ounce weight — depending on how thick the reeds were I was flipping to — on 50-pound Bass Pro Shops XPS braid.”

Horton’s rod of choice was an 8-foot Duckett Flip Stick, Gary Klein Edition, paired with a Lew’s SuperDuty Speed Spool baitcaster in an 8.0:1 gear ratio. On the final day, however, he made a few subtle changes.

“Today I caught my fish on a 3/8-ounce tungsten weight rigged on 20-pound test Bass Pro Shops XPS fluorocarbon,” he said. “I focused on Harney Pond because the water was a little bit clearer, which I felt required a different line selection, but the main presentation stayed the same.”

Rounding out the Top 12 are: Ott DeFoe (82-1), Cliff Prince (78-3), Fletcher Shryock (77-10), Greg Hackney (73-12), Dave Lefebre (73-0), Bobby Lane (72-10), Jason Williamson (69-10), Dean Rojas (68-14), Andy Montgomery (67-12), Stephen Browning (67-5) and Adrian Avena (63-14).

Tyler Carriere of Youngsville, La., earned the Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award of $1,500 with a 9-5 largemouth.

DeFoe was awarded $1,000 for the leading the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race at the end of the event.

Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla., earned the Power-Pole Captain’s Cash Award of $1,000 for being the highest-placing angler who is registered and eligible and uses a client-approved product on his boat.

Horton earned $500 as the recipient of the Livingston Lures Day 2 Leader Award.

The event was hosted by the Okeechobee County Tourism.

2017 A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee 2/23-2/26
Lake Okeechobee, Okeechobee  FL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4

Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Tim Horton             Muscle Shoals, AL       20  83-05  110 $100,500.00
Day 1: 5   25-15     Day 2: 5   30-04     Day 3: 5   15-11     Day 4: 5   11-07
2.  Ott DeFoe              Knoxville, TN           20  82-01  109  $26,000.00
Day 1: 5   31-03     Day 2: 5   17-03     Day 3: 5   14-14     Day 4: 5   18-13
3.  Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL             20  78-03  108  $20,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-11     Day 2: 5   21-06     Day 3: 5   19-11     Day 4: 5   15-07
4.  Fletcher Shryock       New Philadelphia, OH    20  77-10  107  $15,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-00     Day 2: 5   20-04     Day 3: 5   18-14     Day 4: 5   21-08
5.  Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA            20  73-12  106  $14,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-02     Day 2: 5   19-09     Day 3: 5   21-07     Day 4: 5   12-10
6.  Dave Lefebre           Erie, PA                20  73-00  105  $13,500.00
Day 1: 5   07-07     Day 2: 5   21-05     Day 3: 5   25-11     Day 4: 5   18-09
7.  Bobby Lane Jr.         Lakeland, FL            20  72-10  104  $14,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-15     Day 2: 5   12-14     Day 3: 5   19-05     Day 4: 5   18-08
8.  Jason Williamson       Wagener, SC             20  69-10  103  $12,500.00
Day 1: 5   17-09     Day 2: 5   19-05     Day 3: 5   17-07     Day 4: 5   15-05
9.  Dean Rojas             Lake Havasu City, AZ    20  68-14  102  $12,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-13     Day 2: 5   25-04     Day 3: 5   15-01     Day 4: 5   10-12
10. Andy Montgomery        Blacksburg, SC          20  67-12  101  $11,500.00
Day 1: 5   20-13     Day 2: 5   12-09     Day 3: 5   23-12     Day 4: 5   10-10
11. Stephen Browning       Hot Springs, AR         20  67-05  100  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   26-13     Day 2: 5   15-12     Day 3: 5   17-04     Day 4: 5   07-08
12. Adrian Avena           Vineland, NJ            20  63-14   99  $10,500.00
Day 1: 5   15-02     Day 2: 5   17-00     Day 3: 5   23-06     Day 4: 5   08-06
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Tyler Carriere           Youngsville, LA     09-05      $1,500.00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1       103       534      1492-01
2       105       534      1481-01
3        50       254       823-12
4        12        60       169-07
———————————-
270      1382      3966-05

Jeff & Clay Ross Win The Bass Cast open on SML February 26,2017

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Jeff & Clay Ross Win The Bass Cast open on SML February 26,2017

Congratulation’s goes out to the Team of Jeff & Clay Ross for their win today on Smith Mountain Lake with their five fish limit weighing 18.56lbs. I would like to thank all ten teams that made the trip out in the cold weather to support the Bass Cast. Thank You everyone.

In second place the team of Robert & Ben Hudson with their fish limit weighing 5.27lb Large Mouth lunker & a total weight of 18.11lbs.

Rick Tilley Jr & Senior walked away with the Big Small Mouth Lunker of the day weighing 3.5lbs.

Horton Stays Tough, Maintains Lead Heading Into Final Day At Bassmaster Elite On Lake Okeechobee

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Horton Stays Tough, Maintains Lead Heading Into Final Day At Bassmaster Elite On Lake Okeechobee

im Horton of Muscle Shoals, Ala., maintains the lead on the third day of the A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee, bringing 15 pounds, 11 ounces to the scales on Saturday for a three-day total weight of 71-14. 

Photo by Seigo Saito/Bassmaster

Feb. 25, 2017
Horton Stays Tough, Maintains Lead Heading Into Final Day At Bassmaster Elite On Lake Okeechobee

OKEECHOBEE, Fla. — After losing a 9-pound bass to start his morning, Tim Horton of Muscle Shoals, Ala., kept his composure and weighed 15 pounds, 11 ounces to keep a tight grip on the lead at the A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee.

Horton’s three-day total was pushed to 71-14, which is more than 8 pounds ahead of second place — Ott DeFoe of Knoxville, Tenn.

Horton, who is hoping to win his fifth Bassmaster title, said it was a heartbreaking moment, and it wasn’t the only big bass he lost during Saturday’s competition.

“I had a perfect day on Friday, I didn’t lose a single fish,” Horton explained. “I knew I was bound to mess something up, and I did today. Twice. When you’re in contention to win one of these tournaments, mistakes like that can cost you big time. I lost that big one early, then I dumped another 5-pounder around midday.”

Horton’s misfortune, while painful, didn’t last long.

“I had two minutes to go and I caught a 5-13, which culled out a 13-ounce bass I had been trying to get rid of all day,” he said. “I made it to check-in with one minute to spare. I’m so thankful I was able to catch that big fish late in the day. It gave me a much needed boost in confidence to start the final day, and that always helps.”

Speaking of confidence, DeFoe ended the day with a total weight of 63-4, and he is sure he can do just as well, if not better, on Championship Sunday.

“I started out in the same location this morning where I have the past couple days,” DeFoe said. “On Friday there was an increase in activity, but I didn’t catch any big ones. Today, I caught one of the biggest fish in my limit right off the bat, and I think more fish are moving into the area.”

On Thursday, DeFoe weighed the heaviest five-bass limit of the tournament so far, and he feels good about his plan for the final day of competition. But, another big limit will be required to have a shot at winning the derby.

“Anything less than 15 pounds just won’t cut it,” he said. “If Horton does the same as he did today, and I can find 20 pounds or better, I might have a legitimate chance. But then again, someone behind me could catch a monster bag and surprise everyone. That’s the great thing about Okeechobee, a 5- to 8-pound deficit really isn’t that much and a 30-pound bag could be just a few good casts away.”

Another angler who made a last-minute upgrade was Cliff Prince of Palatka, Fla., who increased his three-day total weight to 62-12.

“I culled out a 13-incher with my last pitch of the day,” Prince said. “I told my marshal to have a seat, buckle his life jacket that we were about to head in. I pitched my jig out, saw my line jump and I set the hook into a bass that weighed about 7 pounds.”

Prince said the forecasted winds for the final day, which could be pushing 15 to 20 mph out of the north, will likely make the fishing more difficult for him.

“I’ve been catching my fish differently each day,” he said. “And it looks like I’ll be changing things up again tomorrow. All I can do is go fishing — on this lake anything can happen.”

South Carolina angler Andy Montgomery weighed the heaviest bass of the day. The bass weighed 9 pounds and anchored an impressive three-day total weight 57-2, which earned him an opportunity to begin Championship Sunday in seventh place.

“I caught that fish at about 1 p.m. on the heaviest jig Strike King makes,” Montgomery said. “That big one really helped. You don’t catch bass like that in tournaments very often, and I’m sure thankful that I did today.”

Tyler Carriere’s 9-5 bass caught Thursday still maintains the lead for the Phoenix Boats Big Bass award.

Rounding out the Top 12 are: Greg Hackney (61-2), Stephen Browning (59-13), Dean Rojas (58-2), Andy Montgomery (57-2), Fletcher Shryock (56-2), Adrian Avena (55-8), Dave Lefebre (54-7), Jason Williamson (54-5) and Bobby Lane (54-2).

The Top 12 anglers will advance to Championship Sunday and compete for the $100,000 first-place prize.

Competition will resume Sunday with takeoff at 6:45 a.m. at C. Scott Driver Park, and the final weigh-in will be held at 3:15 p.m. in the same location.

The event is hosted by the Okeechobee County Tourism.

2017 A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee 2/23-2/26
Lake Okeechobee, Okeechobee  FL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3

Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Tim Horton             Muscle Shoals, AL       15  71-14  110     $500.00
Day 1: 5   25-15     Day 2: 5   30-04     Day 3: 5   15-11
2.  Ott DeFoe              Knoxville, TN           15  63-04  109
Day 1: 5   31-03     Day 2: 5   17-03     Day 3: 5   14-14
3.  Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL             15  62-12  108
Day 1: 5   21-11     Day 2: 5   21-06     Day 3: 5   19-11
4.  Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA            15  61-02  107
Day 1: 5   20-02     Day 2: 5   19-09     Day 3: 5   21-07
5.  Stephen Browning       Hot Springs, AR         15  59-13  106
Day 1: 5   26-13     Day 2: 5   15-12     Day 3: 5   17-04
6.  Dean Rojas             Lake Havasu City, AZ    15  58-02  105
Day 1: 5   17-13     Day 2: 5   25-04     Day 3: 5   15-01
7.  Andy Montgomery        Blacksburg, SC          15  57-02  104
Day 1: 5   20-13     Day 2: 5   12-09     Day 3: 5   23-12
8.  Fletcher Shryock       New Philadelphia, OH    15  56-02  103
Day 1: 5   17-00     Day 2: 5   20-04     Day 3: 5   18-14
9.  Adrian Avena           Vineland, NJ            15  55-08  102
Day 1: 5   15-02     Day 2: 5   17-00     Day 3: 5   23-06
10. Dave Lefebre           Erie, PA                15  54-07  101
Day 1: 5   07-07     Day 2: 5   21-05     Day 3: 5   25-11
11. Jason Williamson       Wagener, SC             15  54-05  100
Day 1: 5   17-09     Day 2: 5   19-05     Day 3: 5   17-07
12. Bobby Lane Jr.         Lakeland, FL            15  54-02   99
Day 1: 5   21-15     Day 2: 5   12-14     Day 3: 5   19-05
13. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN          15  53-11   98  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-11     Day 2: 5   15-02     Day 3: 5   20-14
14. Brett Hite             Phoenix, AZ             15  53-10   97  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   23-03     Day 2: 5   10-01     Day 3: 5   20-06
15. Jeff Kriet             Ardmore, OK             15  53-06   96  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-08     Day 2: 5   12-00     Day 3: 5   21-14
16. Jesse Tacoronte        Orlando, FL             15  53-03   95  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   10-12     Day 2: 5   28-04     Day 3: 5   14-03
17. David Fritts           Lexington, NC           15  51-08   94  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-06     Day 2: 5   18-10     Day 3: 5   16-08
18. Luke Clausen           Otis Orchards, WA       15  51-06   93  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   09-08     Day 2: 5   19-02     Day 3: 5   22-12
19. Boyd Duckett           Guntersville, AL        15  51-04   92  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   08-12     Day 2: 5   22-03     Day 3: 5   20-05
20. Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA              15  51-01   91  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   13-08     Day 2: 5   22-04     Day 3: 5   15-05
21. Chad Pipkens           Lansing, MI             15  51-00   90  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-09     Day 2: 5   16-07     Day 3: 5   15-00
22. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN        15  50-13   89  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   15-15     Day 2: 5   15-12     Day 3: 5   19-02
23. Josh Bertrand          Gilbert, AZ             15  50-08   88  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-10     Day 2: 5   15-12     Day 3: 5   18-02
24. Kevin VanDam           Kalamazoo, MI           15  49-15   87  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   10-05     Day 2: 5   18-11     Day 3: 5   20-15
25. Randall Tharp          Port St. Joe, FL        15  49-15   86  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-03     Day 2: 5   20-05     Day 3: 5   11-07
26. Dustin Connell         Clanton, AL             15  49-14   85  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-08     Day 2: 5   12-14     Day 3: 5   18-08
27. Keith Poche            Pike Road, AL           15  49-13   84  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-00     Day 2: 5   14-01     Day 3: 5   19-12
28. Mark Davis             Mount Ida, AR           15  49-13   83  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-00     Day 2: 5   12-15     Day 3: 5   17-14
29. Brent Ehrler           Newport Beach, CA       15  49-11   82  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-09     Day 2: 5   10-06     Day 3: 5   19-12
30. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL              15  49-02   81  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-07     Day 2: 5   11-15     Day 3: 5   18-12
31. Casey Ashley           Donalds, SC             15  47-03   80  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   14-08     Day 2: 5   17-14     Day 3: 5   14-13
32. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC          15  46-15   79  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   13-13     Day 2: 5   17-10     Day 3: 5   15-08
33. Alton Jones Jr.        Lorena, TX              15  46-04   78  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   12-01     Day 2: 5   19-05     Day 3: 5   14-14
34. James Elam             Tulsa, OK               15  45-10   77  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   15-10     Day 2: 5   12-06     Day 3: 5   17-10
35. Gary Klein             Weatherford, TX         15  45-09   76  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   12-07     Day 2: 5   22-15     Day 3: 5   10-03
36. Todd Faircloth         Jasper, TX              15  44-13   75  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   10-15     Day 2: 5   20-01     Day 3: 5   13-13
37. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              15  44-11   74  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   13-04     Day 2: 5   16-03     Day 3: 5   15-04
38. Jordan Lee             Grant, AL               15  44-08   73  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-02     Day 2: 5   16-13     Day 3: 5   10-09
39. Brock Mosley           Collinsville, MS        15  44-07   72  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   14-04     Day 2: 5   15-00     Day 3: 5   15-03
40. Jesse Wiggins          Cullman, AL             15  44-05   71  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-10     Day 2: 5   16-10     Day 3: 5   16-01
41. Brandon Card           Knoxville, TN           15  44-03   70  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-10     Day 2: 5   08-14     Day 3: 5   15-11
42. Jason Christie         Park Hill, OK           15  43-04   69  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-03     Day 2: 5   11-15     Day 3: 5   14-02
43. Cliff Pace             Petal, MS               15  42-15   68  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-02     Day 2: 5   13-15     Day 3: 5   11-14
44. Edwin Evers            Talala, OK              15  41-05   67  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-02     Day 2: 5   17-00     Day 3: 5   13-03
45. Tyler Carriere         Youngsville, LA         15  40-11   66  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   15-03     Day 2: 5   14-15     Day 3: 5   10-09
46. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN           15  40-09   65  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-15     Day 2: 5   14-10     Day 3: 5   08-00
47. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO        15  40-09   64  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-11     Day 2: 5   14-14     Day 3: 5   09-00
48. Skylar Hamilton        Dandridge, TN           12  40-00   63  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-03     Day 2: 3   08-09     Day 3: 4   11-04
49. David Walker           Sevierville, TN         15  36-14   62  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   14-15     Day 2: 5   14-09     Day 3: 5   07-06
50. Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT           15  35-15   61  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-09     Day 2: 5   07-08     Day 3: 5   06-14
51. Chad Grigsby           Maple Grove, MN         15  35-15   60  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   15-12     Day 2: 5   12-02     Day 3: 5   08-01
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1       103       534      1492-01
2       105       534      1481-01
3        50       254       823-12
———————————-
258      1322      3796-14

NACOGDOCHES’ CASTLEDINE WINS COSTA FLW SERIES SOUTHWESTERN DIVISION OPENER ON SAM RAYBURN RESERVOIR PRESENTED BY YETI

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NACOGDOCHES’ CASTLEDINE WINS COSTA FLW SERIES SOUTHWESTERN DIVISION OPENER ON SAM RAYBURN RESERVOIR PRESENTED BY YETI

NACOGDOCHES’ CASTLEDINE WINS COSTA FLW SERIES SOUTHWESTERN DIVISION OPENER ON SAM RAYBURN RESERVOIR PRESENTED BY YETI

Texas Angler Bests 207-boat Field to Earn Fifth Career Victory, $50,500

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JASPER, Texas (Feb. 25, 2017) – Texas pro Todd Castledine of Nacogdoches, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 27 pounds even Saturday to vault to the top of the leaderboard after starting the day in ninth place and claim top honors at the Costa FLW Series Southwestern Division opener on Sam Rayburn presented by YETI. Castledine’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 66 pounds, 11 ounces, was enough to earn him the win by a 3-pound, 11-ounce margin and a check for $50,500.

“I spent the first two days of the event sight fishing, and all of the fish that I weighed, I was looking at,” said Castledine, who pushed his career earnings to more than $230,000 in FLW competition. “Today, I was out of sight fish and just went fishing. I had a good day and had 16 or 17 pounds early, and I caught around 11 keepers.

“I was running all over the lake, and I stopped on this deep spot with 20 minutes to go in the day and made one cast,” Castledine continued. “It didn’t feel good, so I reeled up and told my co-angler that we were moving. I decided to graph the area before I left, and it looked like there was a big fish down there. I left anyways, and after running a bit down the lake, an intuition told me to turn around and go back. So, I made a U-turn and went back to that spot – it was mid-lake, about 18 feet and around stumps. On my first cast there I hooked into a 9-pounder.”

Castledine said that he caught the big 9-pounder on a 10-inch Strike King Rage Tail Anaconda.

“Twelve of the fish that I weighed in, including another 9-pounder that won me the Big Bass Award on Day Two came sight fishing with a Strike King Rage Bug,” Castledine said. “I also was catching fish on a swimjig and a Strike King 2.5 Squarebill, but the big one today came on the Anaconda.

“In these big multi-day events, you can’t win in one day – you have to survive,” Castledine went on to say. “I was hanging around – tenth place after Day One, and ninth place after Day Two – and just trying to keep myself in position to possibly win. I believe the intuition to turn around today was from the Good Lord above. I’m so happy that I listened to Him.”

The top 10 pros on Sam Rayburn Reservoir were:

1st:          Todd Castledine, Nacogdoches, Texas, 15 bass, 66-11, $50,500

2nd:         Jason Bonds, Lufkin, Texas, 15 bass, 63-0, $20,900

3rd:         Ray Hanselman, Del Rio, Texas, 15 bass, 60-10, $14,500

4th:         Casey Sobczak, Willis, Texas, 15 bass, 58-15, $12,500

5th:         Kris Wilson, Montgomery, Texas, 15 bass, 56-13, $11,500

6th:         Ken Smith, Dallas, Texas, 15 bass, 56-1, $9,250

7th:         Jeff Reynolds, Calera, Okla., 15 bass, 52-12, $8,000

8th:         Andrew Upshaw, Tulsa, Okla., 15 bass, 52-3, $7,000

9th:         Billy Billeaud, Lafayette, La., 15 bass, 51-12, $6,000

10th:       Tommy Martin, Hemphill, Texas, 14 bass, 50-15, $4,500

A complete list of results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Jason Bonds of Lufkin, Texas, caught a big largemouth weighing 10-pounds even Thursday – the biggest bass of the tournament in the Pro Division. For his catch, Bonds earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $300.

Mat Downey of Kountze, Texas, won the Co-angler Division and $28,350, including a Ranger Z175 with a 90-horsepower Evinrude outboard motor. Downey earned his win with a three-day total catch of 15 bass weighing 55 pounds, 4 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers on Sam Rayburn Reservoir were:

1st:          Mat Downey, Kountze, Texas, 15 bass, 55-4, $28,350

2nd:         David Kayda, Huffman, Texas, 15 bass, 51-10, $6,300

3rd:         Bud Pruitt, Houston, Texas, 15 bass, 50-12, $5,000

4th:         Antwon Harris, DeRidder, La., 14 bass, 47-3, $4,000

5th:         Andrew Brandstrom, White Bear Lake, Minn., 14 bass, 46-13, $3,500

6th:         Craig Strickland, Lumberton, Texas, 14 bass, 43-9, $3,000

7th:         Michael Greer Jr., DeRidder, La., 15 bass, 42-0, $2,500

8th:         Michael Allbright, Athens, Texas, 14 bass, 38-10, $2,000

9th:         Jeff Cade, Richardson, Texas, 11 bass, 37-1, $1,800

10th:       Jim Zaleski, Parsons, Kan., 12 bass, 36-0, $1,350

Cade caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Friday, a largemouth weighing 8 pounds even that earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $200.

The Costa FLW Series on Sam Rayburn Reservoir was hosted by the Jasper-Lake Sam Rayburn Area Chamber of Commerce and the Jasper County Development District. It was the first Southwestern Division tournament of 2017. The next Costa FLW Series tournament will be a Southeastern Division event, held March 2-4, on Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Georgia. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.

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.

Sufix® 832® Advanced Superline® prevents breakoffs without breaking the bank

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Sufix® 832® Advanced Superline® prevents breakoffs without breaking the bank

Sufix® 832® Advanced Superline® prevents breakoffs without breaking the bank

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Landing big fish need not cost big bucks. And unlike some other braided lines, Sufix 832 Advanced Superline® prevents break-offs at a price that won’t break the bank. It’s available on the shelves of all your favorite sporting goods retail stores now at an even better price.

That’s great news for anglers across the country, as Sufix 832 is the braid of choice for putting fish of all species and sizes in the boat, in all sorts of situations and conditions – not just for pitching and flipping into heavy cover for largemouth bass.

Shallow Spring Walleyes
When spring walleyes are occupying flats in 4 to 10 feet of clear water, Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame Legendary Communicator James Lindner targets them with minnows or soft-plastics thrown on 10-pound-test Sufix 832 tipped with a three- to four-foot leader of 10-pound-test Sufix Castable Invisiline™ 100% Fluorocarbon. The diameter of 10-pound Sufix 832 braid is equivalent to that of 4-pound-test monofilament line.

Whether you’re casting or dragging jigs, Lindner says, a “variety of key attributes” makes a Sufix 832 main line key to putting fish in the boat — increased sensitivity to feel light bites, the ability to make long casts, and easy hook-sets.

Sufix 832 does not stretch, so when you set the hook, a fish is pegged almost immediately. Monofilament and fluorocarbon line will create a slight delay – more so with the mono – because they stretch. “If I’ve got 45 feet of mono out on the end of a cast and I start to pull up on the bait, you have to take some of that stretch out of it,” Lindner explains.

And with Sufix 832 braid spooled on, you don’t need a super-human hookset to get the job done. “You just reel down, tighten up and you got ‘em,” Lindner explains. “With the really sharp, fine-wire, finesse hooks we’re using today, you just lift up with that braid and you got ‘em.”

Drop-Shot Smallies
A main line of 10-pound-test Neon Lime Sufix 832 helped Minnesota pro Seth Feider drop-shot is way to victory in the 2016 Bassmaster Angler of the Year tournament on Mille Lacs Lake in his home state. The no-stretch braid ensures his bait is directly below his depthfinder, with which he is targeting individual fish.

“I can get right above a fish with the graph and see if the fish is looking at it,” Feider says.

Neon Lime is one of two high-visibility colors in which Sufix 832 is offered in order to improve hook-up ratios. The other is Hi-Vis Yellow. Both make it easier to see strikes before you can even feel them.

Brawny Buzzbait Bass
In a runner-up finish in a Bassmaster Elite Series tournament last year on Alabama’s Wheeler Lake, Dave Lefebre spooled up 65-pound-test Sufix® 832 Advanced Superline braid to land the big bass he was catching on a Terminator® Super Stainless Buzzbait. He knew he had the right combination of bait and line when in practice he boated a 7-pound largemouth.

Deep Walleyes on Jigging Raps
Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame Legendary Guide Tom Neustrom spools up 10-pound-test Sufix 832® when targeting walleyes in current or deeper water with a Rapala® Jigging Rap®. “10-pound braid gives me maximum strength while the small line diameter cuts through the water like a knife,” he explains.

In such situations, he tips his Sufix 832 main line with a 10-pound-test Sufix Castable Invisiline 100% Fluorocarbon leader “for more immediate hooksets in deep water.” He joins his two lines with a barrel swivel, which reduces line twist with the Jigging Rap, which spirals as it falls vertically.

When targeting spring bass with Shadow Rap® jerkbaits, Neustrom tips a 10-pound-test Sufix 832 main line with a four to five-foot leader of 10-pound-test Sufix Castable Invisiline 100% Fluoro. In that scenario, he joins the two lines with a knot, rather than a swivel.

Saltwater Giants
Sufix 832 is available in strengths up to 80-pound test. That’s great news for George Poveromo, host of World of Saltwater Fishing on NBC Sports, who trolls for huge tarpon and snook with Rapala Floating Magnum®s spooled up on 50-pound-test Sufix 832 connected via barrel swivel to an 8-foot leader of 60-pound-test Sufix 100% Fluorocarbon Invisiline.

Poveromo relies on a main line of 50-pound Sufix 832 also when he’s casting Floating Magnums to coastal fish in rocks. He adds a Bimini Twist before tying on a barrel swivel and 5- to 6-foot leader of 50-pound-test Sufix 100% Fluorocarbon Invisiline.

See Sufix Castable Invisiline™ 100% Fluorocarbon

See Sufix 832 Advanced Superline®

See Sufix 100% Fluorocarbon Invisiline Leader

See Rapala Floating Magnum®

See Rapala Shadow Rap®

See Rapala® Jigging Rap®

See Terminator® Super Stainless Buzzbait

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