Oct 4, 2016
This month I filmed my MTB Slam on Lake Chickamauga. The Frog bite was so good that I forgot what I was doing.
Join my Fishing Shirt of the Month Club – https://fishingshirtofthemonth.com/
Fantasy Fishing Becomes Reality For One Illinois Angler
CJ Meyer of Greenville, Ill., pictured with two of his sons, finished the 2016 Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing season with a total of 11,160 points earning him the grand prize of a Triton 189 TrX bass boat with a Yamaha VF150LA outboard, a MotorGuide trolling motor and a Lowrance Mark 5 Fishfinder worth a total of more than $37,000.
Photo courtesy of CJ Meyer
Fantasy Fishing Becomes Reality For One Illinois Angler
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — CJ Meyer has grown up fishing his whole life in his hometown of Greenville, Ill., and now after earning more than $37,000 in merchandise by winning the grand prize in Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing presented by Toyota, he can share that passion with his three sons.
Meyer scored 11,160 total points with his picks in the 2016 Bassmaster Elite Series events, earning a Triton 189 TrX bass boat with a Yamaha VF150LA outboard, MotorGuide trolling motor and a Lowrance Mark 5 Fishfinder.
Though this is an exciting win for Meyer, things haven’t always been this way. Meyer has recently faced some family hardships leaving him to raise his three boys, one of whom has plans to begin fishing competitively on his local high school bass fishing team.
“My family has gone through so much in the last six months,” said Meyer. “I actually at one time thought I shouldn’t play Fantasy Fishing because I don’t have the time to put in it since I have my boys. But, I stuck with it and it ended up paying off, that’s for sure.
“Now my son is going to have more than enough to get out there and start high school bass fishing. He can do what he loves, and I can get back out and tournament fish with my local club. It is amazing. I am still almost speechless about it.”
Meyer has fished tournaments for two years as a co-angler.
“I have always been a co-angler,” he said. “I would fish with friends competitively. My friend would let me borrow his aluminum boat with a little 25-horsepower on it, and that’s how my son and I would go out.”
Meyer’s decision to stick with playing Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing earned him the No. 1 spot and a boat of his own. Even though he was ranked low with just 743 points for the ninth Elite Series event at the Potomac River in Charles County, Md., he persevered.
After doing research on the anglers, Meyer told himself to follow his strategy of going with his gut feeling. His gut was leading him to stick with local pros, as well as Bassmaster Elite pro, Jacob Powroznik.
“I have never met the guy before,” he said. “I have watched YouTube videos of him, and I have seen interviews of him. He just seems like a very good, big-hearted guy, so I picked him probably six or seven times out of the 10 tournaments.
He also had a knack for picking the right local anglers, especially including Seth Feider of Minnesota in the Plano Bassmaster Elite at the Mississippi River presented by Favorite Fishing and the 2016 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship tournament on Mille Lacs Lake. Feider was second at the Mississippi River event, and he brought in the most weight with a three-day total of 76 pounds, 5 ounces at Mille Lacs.
Another key factor that aided in bringing Meyer to the No. 1 spot was Bassmaster Elite pro Takahiro Omori’s heaviest-bag bonus at the Angler of the Year tournament.
“I am so glad I went with Tak that weekend,” said Meyer. “He is the one that gave me the 40-point bonus. I thought it was over and then he got the big-bass bonus, which was what put me over the top to win by 19 points.”
Meyer and his sons plan to spend their weekends on the water after the big win. He hopes they will have the passion for fishing like he does.
“My kids are my life, and this win is for us as a family. My boys have been my rock and picked me up when I’ve been down. The opportunity for me to teach them how to bass fish now with a new boat is amazing!”
When asked if Meyer would be competing in Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing in 2017 he replied, “Will Gerald Swindle be back to defend his AOY title? Then yes, absolutely, I’ll be back to defend my title. I’m already studying the locations. Anyone who is competitive knows you always come back to defend your title!”
Other top finishers received prizes including GoPro Hero 4 Black cameras and Bass Pro Shops gift cards. For more information on Bassmaster’s Fantasy Fishing competition and a step-by-step guide on how to play, visit Bassmasterfantasy.com.
“This year we had a record number of Fantasy Fishing players,” said Jim Sexton, vice president of digital at B.A.S.S. “We’re thrilled with the passion participants bring to the game. It’s easy to enter, and a great way to follow the Elite Series. We plan to continue improving it for next season.”
Registration for the 2017 Bassmaster Elite Series season will begin in early February.
TENNESSEE’S NORRIS LAKE READIES FOR WALMART FLW TOUR INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY QUAKER STATE
TENNESSEE’S NORRIS LAKE READIES FOR WALMART FLW TOUR INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY QUAKER STATE
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ANDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (Oct. 6, 2016) – The final tournament of the 21st season of the Walmart FLW Tour, the most competitive circuit in professional bass-fishing, kicks off Oct. 20-22 with the Walmart FLW Tour at Norris Lake presented by Quaker State. Hosted by the Anderson County Tourism Council, the tournament will feature a full field of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals and co-anglers casting for top cash awards and a coveted spot in the world championship of bass fishing – the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup.
The FLW Tour has never before visited Norris Lake in its 21-year history, but the lake hosted an FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) event in 2016 and has another scheduled for 2017. Norris Lake holds all three primary species of bass targeted by FLW pros – largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass. The primary forage is a typical mix of shad, crawfish and bluegill, and there is a mixture of rock structure and bankside wood cover in the lake.
“Norris Lake is a fantastic fishery, but it’s going to be a little tricky in this tournament,” said T-H Marine pro Luke Dunkin of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, who finished in 16th place at the first FLW Tour Invitational last month at Lake Norman. “The lake is facing some major drawdowns – it can be close to 20 feet at times that the lake comes down. It’s also still been pretty warm here and the fish are just starting to transition into their fall patterns. It’s going to be a typical early fall grinder-type tournament.
“We’re going to see all three species of bass weighed in but I think the winner will likely have a majority of largemouth,” Dunkin continued. “There are some giant smallmouth there, and there are some good spots, but it is very difficult to pattern them and catch five good ones, especially this time of year. Those east Tennessee smallmouth are so different than any other place in the country. They like to move around and they can break your heart.”
Dunkin said that he expected topwater baits, jigs, squarebill crankbaits and swimbaits would all be popular baits for competitors in this tournament.
“The lake isn’t very wide, but it’s huge,” Dunkin said. “It’s one of those deals where when you pick an area, you’re there. You can run well over an hour up each of the two rivers and still not be all the way up them. Decision making is going to be huge and this is going to be a very interesting tournament for the fans to follow because it’s a total unknown.
“I think if a guy can put together 12 to 14 pounds each day, he’ll be right there at the end,” Dunkin went on to say. “The way the weather has been as of late, we’re just in a grind. I’m going to say the winner will have a three-day total of 38 pounds. The potential for some big weights are there, though, and with the right conditions it could take a lot more.”
Anglers will take off from Anderson County Park located at 2191 Park Lane in Andersonville at 7:30 a.m. EDT each day of competition. Weigh-ins will be held at the park each day beginning at 3 p.m. All takeoff and weigh-in activities are free and open to the public.
In FLW Tour Invitational competition anglers are competing to qualify for the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. The 2017 Forrest Wood Cup will be on Lake Murray in Columbia, South Carolina, Aug. 11-13 and is hosted by the Capital City/Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Bass Edge’s The Edge – Episode 241 – Charlie Hartley October 1, 2016
Bass Edge’s The Edge – Episode 241 – Charlie Hartley
October 1, 2016
2016 BASS Northern Open James River Champion and 2017 Classic Qualifier Charlie Hartley is featured on Bass Edge Radio presented by MegaWare KeelGuard. Charlie chats with Aaron and Kurt about is James River ‘Win’, Classic preparations and fall fishing.
Set the Hook! with Pat Rose – Oct 01, 2016 Featuring Mike Iaconelli, Bassmaster Elite Series Pro Ott Defoe, and Alabama Bass Trail Director Kay Donaldson.
Set the Hook! with Pat Rose – Oct 01, 2016
This week’s guests were Bassmaster Elite Series Pro and Host of Ike Live Mike Iaconelli, Bassmaster Elite Series Pro Ott Defoe, and Alabama Bass Trail Director Kay Donaldson.
If you missed the show, you can listen to the podcast here.
You can listen to the show on any of the following Set the Hook! with Pat Rose radio network affiliates: Saturday 7-8 am EST on ESPN 105 1 The Zone espnchattanooga.com, 1-2 pm EST on Fox Sports Radio 1670 foxsports1670.com (IHeart Radio app), 7-8 am CST on KEWI 690 am 103.4 FM saline247.com (Tunein Radio app), Sunday 9-10 am EST on Copperhead 1240 Soddy Daisy, TN 1240wsdt.com (Tunein Radio app), 4-5 pm CST on 1480 The Fan! 5-6 pm EST on WKWN 1420 AM 106.1 FM Trenton, GA discoverdade.com/1061FM.htm (Freestream Radio app).
Please visit our sponsors page and tell them Pat sent you! If you would like to advertise on Set the Hook! with Pat Rose, give us a call at (423) 314-4541. Put Set the Hook! with Pat Rose to work for you.
Follow Pat Rose on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SetTheHookWithPatRose, he would love to add you as a friend.
Please send any comments or suggestions about this website to [email protected].
Set the Hook! with Pat Rose – Sep 24, 2016 Featuring Seth Feider & Bryan Thrift
Set the Hook! with Pat Rose – Sep 24, 2016
This week’s guests were Bassmaster Touring Pro winner and of the AOY Championship Seth Feider, FLW Touring Pro and winner of the FLW Invitational on Lake Norman Bryan Thrift, and in-studio the Ider High School Fishing Team and Dan O’Sullivan.
If you missed the show, you can listen to the podcast here.
You can listen to the show on any of the following Set the Hook! with Pat Rose radio network affiliates: Saturday 7-8 am EST on ESPN 105 1 The Zone espnchattanooga.com, 1-2 pm EST on Fox Sports Radio 1670 foxsports1670.com (IHeart Radio app), 7-8 am CST on KEWI 690 am 103.4 FM saline247.com (Tunein Radio app), Sunday 9-10 am EST on Copperhead 1240 Soddy Daisy, TN 1240wsdt.com (Tunein Radio app), 4-5 pm CST on 1480 The Fan! 5-6 pm EST on WKWN 1420 AM 106.1 FM Trenton, GA discoverdade.com/1061FM.htm (Freestream Radio app).
Please visit our sponsors page and tell them Pat sent you! If you would like to advertise on Set the Hook! with Pat Rose, give us a call at (423) 314-4541. Put Set the Hook! with Pat Rose to work for you.
Follow Pat Rose on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SetTheHookWithPatRose, he would love to add you as a friend.
Please send any comments or suggestions about this website to [email protected].
St. Croix Rod goes to the head of the class; sponsors Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops and Costa Bassmaster High School Series
The Summa Cum Laude of School Supporter
St. Croix Rod goes to the head of the class; sponsors Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops and Costa Bassmaster High School Series
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Park Falls, WI (October 3, 2016) – So where do you find all the smart kids these days? In school, of course. Just like when Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn…okay, bad example, although fishing might somewhat justify playing hooky… How about the smarter kids, even the smartest? That’s simple. They’re fishing the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops and Costa Bassmaster High School Series. And, the brightest minds in rod manufacturing are right there to support the extracurricular activities. In 2017, St. Croix Rod will be as provisional as the PTA.
2016 Costa Bassmaster High School Series champions Turner Masson (L) and Ryan Wood. Photo courtesy of B.A.S.S.
Valedictorians in fishing rod design and craftsmanship, St. Croix Rod spends countless hours in the science lab concocting bass-fishing-specific rods. The test results are in, too: A’s across the board. What’s more, the Wisconsin rod company recently introduced a premium, affordably priced bass fishing series. Consider BASS X that sort of gateway instrument that can keep young anglers fishing for life.
Hugely inspired about starting classes next year, St. Croix Director of Marketing Jesse Simpkins is all about sponsoring the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops and Costa Bassmaster High School Series. “These kids really are the future of fishing. And that’s no lip service. These student athletes are as committed to competition as any football or baseball player, or serious academic for that matter.
They study the lakes. Prep their gear. Practice as hard as anyone. And when the field lights go on, they’re all game.”
B.A.S.S. is equally as enthused about St. Croix enrolling. “We are extremely grateful to St. Croix Rod for its commitment to support B.A.S.S.’s high school and college fishing programs,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “The Costa Bassmaster High School tournaments and the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series are making thousands of passionate anglers and conservationists out of young people who might never have gotten into the sport otherwise. They and programs like them are vital to our sport and industry.”
Participating college and high school teams are encouraged to contact St. Croix and ask about available scholastic programs.
Photo by Bill Lindner
LAKE SEMINOLE SET TO HOST FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY MERCURY
LAKE SEMINOLE SET TO HOST FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY MERCURY
BAINBRIDGE, Ga. (Oct. 4, 2016) – The FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) is headed to Lake Seminole Oct. 13-15 for the fourth of six BFL regional championships scheduled around the country. The three-day tournament, which is presented by Mercury, will feature the top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers from each of the Bulldog, Choo Choo, Gator and South Carolina divisions.
The winning boater will receive a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower outboard and a check for $20,000, while the winning co-angler will receive a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower outboard. The top six boaters and co-anglers at each regional will advance to one of the longest-running championships in bass fishing – the BFL All-American.
“I think at least two of the top six anglers will weigh in limits from the Flint River,” said Walmart FLW Tour pro Troy Morrow, of Eastanollee, Georgia, a five-time Forrest Wood Cup qualifier. “They’ll be fishing for shoal bass up in the pools. Personally, I’d throw moving baits to them. Topwater baits, spinnerbaits, flukes and crankbaits should be the deal. Shoal bass are aggressive, so if you get a lure around them, they’re going to eat. I could see 10 to 12 pounds a day coming from those areas.
“The rest of the top six will likely be flipping or frogging,” Morrow continued. “Spring Creek is a good mid-lake area with very clear water – lots of grass and some good standing timber. Anglers in there will be punching through mats with a creature bait or working a frog over the top.”
Morrow said that dragging a worm with a light weight along the grass edges could also be an option for competitors looking to mix up their day.
“They’ll need a three-day catch nearing 45 pounds to win,” said Morrow. “We could see more. This lake is capable of producing 20-pound limits – especially from the grass.”
Anglers will take off from Earle May Boat Basin, located at 100 Boat Basin Circle in Bainbridge, at 7:30 a.m. EDT each day. Weigh-in on Thursday and Friday will be held at the marina beginning at 3:30 p.m. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at Walmart located at 500 E. Alice St. in Bainbridge, beginning at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
The BFL Regional Championship event on Lake Seminole is being hosted by the Bainbridge Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and 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. The 2017 BFL All-American will be held May 31-June 3 on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart 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.
KENTUCKY LAKE READIES FOR FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY MERCURY
KENTUCKY LAKE READIES FOR FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY MERCURY
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GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (Oct. 4, 2016) – The FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) is headed to Kentucky and Barkley lakes Oct. 13-15 for the third of six BFL regional championships scheduled around the country. The three-day tournament, which is presented by Mercury, will feature the top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers from each of the Buckeye, Great Lakes, Illini and Michigan divisions.
The winning boater will receive a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower outboard and a check for $20,000, while the winning co-angler will receive a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower outboard. The top six boaters and co-anglers at each regional will advance to one of the longest-running championships in bass fishing – the BFL All-American.
“This won’t be a tournament won from any single area,” said Walmart FLW Tour pro Dan Morehead of Paducah, Kentucky, a 15-time Forrest Wood Cup qualifier. “It’s kind of like fishing early in the spring right now – anglers will have to cover a lot of water.
“The fish are on top of bars and will likely migrate to shallower drops,” Morehead continued. “They aren’t really using the ledges. They’re roaming and chasing bait, which makes them a little harder to catch. I’d say watch for the seagulls diving, but that’s a difficult strategy to keep up for three days in a row. I’d shoot for catching a couple smallmouth – that will really help. The winner will likely have mixed limits with different species.”
Morehead said jigs, crankbaits and spinnerbaits will all be strong lure choices for offshore bass, as well as lipless crankbaits if the drops are shallow enough.
“There will also be some fish up shallow in the backs of bays,” said Morehead. “In my experience, those bass have been smaller, but that could change. They’re just more inconsistent and weather related. Competitors up shallow will catch them on swimbaits, topwater baits or umbrella rigs – it will all depend on the weather conditions.”
Morehead said a three-day cumulative weight totaling 54 pounds should be enough to take home top honors.
“Someone will really get on them throughout the event,” said Morehead. “There’s a ton of big bass in this lake.”
Anglers will take off from Moors Resort & Marina, located at 570 Moors Road in Gilbertsville, at 7 a.m. CDT each day. Weigh-in on Thursday and Friday will be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at Walmart located at 310 W. 5th St. in Benton, Kentucky, beginning at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
The BFL Regional Championship event on Kentucky and Barkley lakes is being hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and 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. The 2017 BFL All-American will be held May 31-June 3 on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart 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.