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Toyota Angler Of The Year Championship Headed To Mille Lacs, Minnesota

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Toyota Angler Of The Year Championship Headed To Mille Lacs, Minnesota
The nation’s top bass anglers will compete for more than $1 million in payouts and berths in the 2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro during the 2016 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship, Sept. 15-18, on Mille Lacs Lake out of Onamia, Minn. 
Photo courtesy of Mille Lacs Tourism

Sept. 8, 2016

Toyota Angler Of The Year Championship Headed To Mille Lacs, Minnesota

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ONAMIA, Minn. — With more than $1 million in payouts and coveted berths in the 2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro on the line for 50 of the world’s best bass anglers, the 2016 season will come to an exciting conclusion next week in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship on Minnesota’s famed Mille Lacs Lake, Sept. 15-18.

The Top 50 bass anglers in the world will compete for their share of a $1 million purse. The rankings will be based on points earned from their finishes at the eight previous events, including how well they finish at Mille Lacs during the AOY Championship. This tournament is not won by the angler who weighs the largest limit of bass; rather, the top angler in the AOY standings after the championship will be awarded $100,000. The remaining $900,000 will be handed out to the other 49 pros based on where they finished in the points.

There will also be a minimum of 36 berths in the 2017 Classic up for grabs. Spots will be awarded to the Elite Series anglers based on their AOY rankings.

This is the first time the Elite Series has ever visited Mille Lacs, which has garnered the reputation of being one of the finest smallmouth-bass fisheries in the nation. In fact, Bassmaster Magazine’s panel of experts picked the central Minnesota lake as No. 6 on the 100 Best Bass Lakes of America for 2016.

Mille Lacs is located about 100 miles north of Minneapolis, and with 132,516 acres, the giant lake is the second-largest inland lake in the state.

Minnesota fishing guide and Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens angler Josh Douglas thinks Mille Lacs will show her true colors during this event.

“It’s been a wet summer, and the lake is a different color than what’s considered normal,” Douglas said. “I don’t think that will slow the bite, however. I believe the fish will be feeding heavily in preparation for winter, so we could see some of the largest smallmouth of the year. There will be numerous limits near, if not exceeding 25 pounds.”

Douglas said while unlikely, a 30-pound limit of five smallmouth bass is certainly a possibility.

“I know a 6-pound average is possible with the resident smallmouth. I’ve caught them like that in the past, but a limit that heavy would surprise me,” he said. “The largemouth will be a factor, too. I just don’t think a guy will likely find 20 pounds of them each day over a three-day period. But, it is possible.”

Anglers will fish Thursday and Friday, Sept. 15-16, and on Saturday all 50 anglers will be on-site for Bassmaster University and Military and First Responders Appreciation Day. Bassmaster University, a series of seminars from professional anglers and B.A.S.S. staff, will offer meet-and-greets, bass-fishing advice as well as discussions on products and services from local vendors and sponsors.

The anglers will return to the water on Sunday, Sept. 18, for the final day of competition, with the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year being crowned at the final weigh-in.

From watching the first boats take off and the final weigh-in at Grand Casino Mille Lacs on Sunday, to participating in the family-friendly Bassmaster Elite Series expo with many national and local vendors, the activities planned throughout the weekend are free and open to the public. Companies like Mercury, Nitro, Skeeter, Triton and Yamaha will have booths at the expo and will offer demo rides. Toyota, Minn Kota, Humminbird, Livingston Lures, A.R.E. Truck Caps, Carhartt, Lowrance, Huk, Power-Pole and Shimano will also exhibit.

Other activities planned throughout the weekend at the Bassmaster AOY Championship include games and prizes for attendees, Kids Zone, and angler autograph and photo sessions.

Takeoffs will occur daily at 6:40 a.m. out of Eddy’s Resort in Onamia, Minn., and weigh-ins will take place at Grand Casino Mille Lacs beginning at 3:45 p.m.

2017 Bassmaster Opens Slated For Top-Ranked Bass Fisheries

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2017 Bassmaster Opens Slated For Top-Ranked Bass Fisheries
The 2017 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series tournament season kicks off on the Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Fla., Jan. 19-21. At this same fishery in January of 2012, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Chris Lane earned his third B.A.S.S. win by bringing 72 pounds, 11 ounces to the scales.
Photo by James Overstreet/Bassmaster

Sept. 7, 2016

2017 Bassmaster Opens Slated For Top-Ranked Bass Fisheries

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — From the lakes of central Florida in mid-January to the Ozark Plateau of Oklahoma in early October, bass tournament anglers will find a variety of dates, locations and fisheries to challenge them in the 2017 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series schedule, which B.A.S.S. announced today.

Nine Bassmaster Opens tournaments will be held in eight different states next year. Fisheries range from natural lakes to rivers to upland reservoirs, and from big-bass factories to tidewater fisheries that can humble the best in the sport.

Opens are divided into three separate divisions of three events each. The Opens Series has become extremely popular in recent years as the primary qualifying events for the prestigious Bassmaster Elite Series. The Top 5 anglers from each of the three divisions (after excluding any Elite anglers who are already qualified for that tour) are invited to step up to the pinnacle of professional angling.

In addition, the winner of each Open earns a berth in the 2018 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro, contingent upon his or her fishing the other two events in that Opens division.

The tournaments feature fields of 150-200 pros and the same number of co-anglers fishing trying to amass the heaviest limits of bass — five for the pros and three for the co-anglers — for two days. The field is cut to the Top 12 in each division for the final day, with weigh-ins usually held at a nearby Bass Pro Shops.

It all begins on the Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Fla., on Jan. 19-21 with the first of three 2017 Southern Opens. The last tournament of the year will be the final Central Open, scheduled for Oct. 5-7 on the famed Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees in Grove, Okla.

“The Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens is not only a great way for an angler to make his mark in professional bass fishing, but these are also fun and rewarding tournaments in their own right,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “We’re especially proud of being able to offer events on some of the most outstanding bass fisheries in the world, including three that have hosted the GEICO Bassmaster Classic.”

Anglers in each Opens tournament will compete for a portion of more than $250,000 in cash and prizes, including a boat and motor package in each division, to be awarded at each event. The winning pro gets more than $50,000 in cash and prizes, including a chance to compete in the Super Bowl of bass fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.

“Many of the most competitive Elite Series pros fishing today qualified through the Bassmaster Opens,” said Chris Bowes, Opens tournament director. “There’s not a better way to prove you’re ready to fish on the national stage.”

Deadlines for registration and other details about participation will be posted later this month on Bassmaster.com.

SOUTHERN OPENS

No. 1 — Harris Chain of Lakes, Leesburg, Fla., Jan. 19-21

The Harris Chain is one of the more popular stops for B.A.S.S. The chain is made up of nine lakes connected by a system of canals, and it covers approximately 80,000 acres in central Florida just north of Orlando. Chris Lane won this event in 2012 with a whopping three-day total of 72 pounds, 11 ounces. Lake County Tourism is host of the event.

No. 2 — Lake Chickamauga, Dayton, Tenn., Apr. 20-22

Lake Chickamauga is a reservoir covering just more than 36,000 acres along the Tennessee River, and was completed in 1940 as part of the Tennessee Valley Authority. BASSfest was held here in 2014, with Jacob Wheeler holding off Kevin VanDam and Matt Herren for the title. Chickamauga was also the site of the 1986 Classic, and it ranks third in the Southeastern division of Bassmaster Magazine’s 100 Best Bass Lakes list for 2016. Hosting is the Rhea Economic and Tourism Council Inc.

No. 3 — Smith Lake, Jasper, Ala., Sept. 28-30

A Bassmaster Southern Open returns to Smith Lake in 2017, after the lake was home to a rain-shortened tournament earlier this year. The 21,000-acre lake in north-central Alabama produced a $53,000 payday in cash and prizes to winner Jesse Wiggins. It is noted for its giant spotted bass and ranks 23rd in the Southeast on the 100 Best Bass Lakes list. The Chamber of Commerce of Walker County is the host.

CENTRAL OPENS

No. 1 — Table Rock Lake, Branson, Mo., March 2-4

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Mike McClelland broke a six-year drought by winning a tour stop here in 2014. Table Rock, which at 43,000 acres is plenty big enough for Open anglers to spread out, also was host to a Central Open in 2015. The fishery offers some compelling side trips for visitors, including the popular tourist destinations in Branson and the flagship Bass Pro Shops store in Springfield. The massive Wonders of Wildlife museum and aquarium at Bass Pro Shops should be open by tournament time. Host organizations are Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau.

No. 2 — Sabine River, Orange, Texas, June 15-17

This river forming the southern portion of the border between Texas and Louisiana is a playground for Elite Series anglers, and it will welcome competitors in the second Central Open in 2017. Just navigating the network of bayous, sloughs, canals and backwaters is a challenge. Catching the heaviest limits of black bass can be tricky as well. Opens anglers will want to study the tactics of Elite Series standouts Chris Lane (who won in 2015) and Todd Faircloth (winner in 2013). The Greater Orange Chamber of Commerce is hosting the event.

No. 3 — Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, Grove, Okla., Oct. 5-7

Grand Lake has been home to not one, but two Bassmaster Classics (in 2013 and again in 2016). In 2013, Cliff Pace won the Classic with a three-day total of 54 pounds, 12 ounces. Earlier this year, it was Oklahoma’s own Edwin Evers earning a Classic win with a 60-pound, 7-ounce total. Kevin VanDam and Mike McClelland have won previous Elite Series events on this 46,500-acre impoundment, which ranks eighth in the central divisions of Bassmaster’s Best 100 Lakes listing. Hosting the tournament is the City of Grove, Okla.

NORTHERN OPENS

No. 1 — Oneida Lake, Syracuse, N.Y., June 29-July 1

B.A.S.S. heads to upstate New York for the first Northern Division Open of the 2017 season. Elite Series pro Randy Howell won an Open on Oneida in 2015 with a three-day haul of 49 pounds, 2 ounces, and this July, Wil Hardy won there with 53-13 over three days of fishing. At more than 50,000 acres, Oneida is the largest lake located entirely in New York, and this will be the 13th Bassmaster event on the fishery. It ranks 11th among bass fishing in the Northeast. Visit Syracuse is hosting the event.

No. 2 — James River, Richmond, Va., Aug. 3-5

The James River has hosted an even dozen Bassmaster events through the years, including a three-year string of Classics from 1988-1990. Guido Hibdon won the first Classic held here in 1988, and Hank Parker claimed the title in 1989. The legendary Rick Clunn won his fourth Classic on this river in 1990. In 2013, Randy Howell won an Open on the James to qualify for the 2014 Bassmaster Classic, which he won, and former Elite angler Charlie Hartley earned a return trip to the Classic with his James River win in August. Host is the Richmond CVB.

No. 3 — Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn., Sept. 7-9

The final Northern Open stop of 2017 will be on this reservoir in eastern Tennessee. Douglas was home to an Open tournament in May 2016, and in 2012, pro Jeremy Starks boated a four-day total of 81 pounds, 2 ounces to win the Elite Series Douglas Lake Challenge and a $100,000 check. The Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce is host.

2016 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops

2016 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota

2016 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Premier Sponsors: Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha, Berkley, GoPro, Huk, Humminbird

2016 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Supporting Sponsors: Power-Pole, Rapala, Shell Rotella, Shimano, A.R.E. Truck Caps, Carhartt, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Livingston Lures, Lowrance

Coach Chad LaChance tells what it took for Wood and Masson to win 2016’s Costa Bassmaster High School National Championship

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Coach Chad LaChance tells what it took for Wood and Masson to win 2016’s Costa Bassmaster High School National Championship

Shallow Thoughts and Right Rod Take

Top Honors for High-Schoolers

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Coach Chad LaChance tells what it took for Wood and Masson to win 2016’s Costa Bassmaster High School National Championship

Park Falls, WI (September 6, 2016) – We’ve all heard the adage “think outside the box”. And then there’s the axiom when anglers talk about their “confidence bait”. Combine the two and you know what you get? What it took for Ryan Wood and Turner Masson to win the 2016 Costa Bassmaster High School National Championship on Kentucky Lake, near Paris, Tennessee, in early August.

During a time of year when most anglers rely on catching bass in places where they should be—along cool, deep-water structure near old river beds in main-lake basins—Wood and Masson found big fish, and lots of them, where no one else was looking: In water no deeper than three feet, with the average bite occurring much shallower than that.


Turner Masson (L) and Ryan Wood. Photo by Ronnie Moore, courtesy of B.A.S.S.
“Ryan and Turner are jerkbait junkies back home in Colorado,” says Chad LaChance, the winning duo’s coach during the three-day derby August 4 through 6, as well a St. Croix pro and host of “Fishful Thinker”. “We decided early on they should use floating, shallow-diving jerkbaits well before prefishing started. And it was a decision that, obviously, paid off.”

Water temperatures were tickling the 93 degree mark and its clarity only about 8 inches; not the perfect scenario for catching lethargic bass in the heat of summer. Well, at least that’s everyone else thought.

Five-inch floating jerkbaits were the lure of choice, with white working best before the sun came up over the hillsides and chrome attracting the most strikes once the day wore on. And the baits were fished as fast as possible, with an irregular stop-and-go motion the key to getting the fish to strike the bait.

New for 2016 St. Croix Legend Elite

“Any lures that were more rhythmic during the retrieve, like square-billed or lip-less crankbaits, would be followed by fish, but never produced strikes,” LaChance adds. “It was the super-quick snap-and-pause motion while reeling quickly in that seemed to make the fish attack. And the calmer the water, the more action the boys had to give the lures. In fact, some of the fish shot through the water thirty feet to blast it.

“But you couldn’t just fish these baits with just any terminal tackle or rod; both had to be just right to get the lures to do what they needed to do.”

Wood and Masson were casting their jerkbaits on 15-pound-test Stren Braid Superline, with a 12-inch section of 20-pound-test monofilament attached via a uni-to-uni knot; then a Palomar knot connected the lure’s split ring at its nose. “It was more a rig you’d use in saltwater,” explains LaChance. “But that heavy, thick mono helped keep the lure higher in the water column, as well kept it from spinning in the air during the cast and entangling with the superline”.


2012 ICAST Best of Show (Freshwater Rod) St. Croix Legend Xtreme
“And the rod had to be just the right power and action to make the lure do what the boys needed them to do.”
With about 40 St. Croix rods onboard, Wood and Masson found both the 6-foot 8-inch medium-power extra-fast-action Legend Elite (ES68MXF) and Legend Xtreme (LXS68MXF) to be the perfect sticks. “The rod could not have any sponginess to it,” LaChance states. Anything less than an extra-fast action and the jerkbait wouldn’t have its, well, ‘mechanical motion,’ you could say.”

The technique was deadly just about everywhere Wood and Masson fished, but all their fish during the derby came from only three, well-known spots on Kentucky Lake, about 22.5 miles from the takeoff sight. And it wasn’t just bass that were fooled by their baits; skip jack herring, pickerel, huge yellow perch and a muskie were also landed.

Wood and Masson, representing Front Range Bass Club of Legacy High School, were two of 340 anglers on behalf of 170 high schools from across the United States and Ontario, Canada. Their three-day total was 49 pounds 4 ounces, moving from 19th place on day one, to 4th place day two and then the win the following day.

According to Bassmaster, teams were awarded $70,250 in scholarship funds – B.A.S.S. contributed $21,000, while sponsors delivered $9,250 and Bethel University $40,000. Triton Boats honored each angler through sixth place with an additional $500 scholarship.

Ryan Wood (L), Chad La Chance and Turner Masson

Meet the men who are changing the way we look at kayak fishing

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Meet the men who are changing the way we look at kayak fishing

This was one of our best episode on Bass Cast Radio so far year to date recorded in late 2015. We had the opportunity to talk with Chad Hoover, Gene Jensen & Dwayne Walley with Tourney X.com & More an episode you cannot afford to miss.Due to the length it ended up being a two part show. so we hope that you enjoy.

Bass Fishing – Money Saving Tips By Gene Jensen

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Bass Fishing – Money Saving Tips By Gene Jensen

Published on Sep 2, 2016

Making the switch to braided line for my bass fishing could be costly but here are some tips that I use to save me money in the long run.

Kayak Bassin TV – SEASON 2: Episode 12 – Long Branch Lakes

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Kayak Bassin TV – SEASON 2: Episode 12 – Long Branch Lakes

Published on Sep 3, 2016

Chad Hoover chases double-digit bass at Long Branch Lakes with country music star, Easton Corbin.

Toad Trips #7 – GIANT WHOPPER PLOPPER BASS with Flukemaster

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Toad Trips #7 – GIANT WHOPPER PLOPPER BASS with Flukemaster

Published on Sep 2, 2016

I have a full episode coming with plenty more kayak bass fishing action from this shoot with Flukemaster, Kristie and Mrs. Flukemaster, but I just had to share this TOAD that smashed a Whopper Plopper. The full episode will include the BIG BASS BREAKDOWN and a lot of tips and insights.

Here is One Way to Fish Submerged Grass By Gene Jensen

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Here is One Way to Fish Submerged Grass By Gene Jensen

September 1,2016

Another great tip by Gene Jensen

Bass Fishing – Day on The Lake – Developing a Pattern By Gene Jensen

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Bass Fishing – Day on The Lake – Developing a Pattern By Gene Jensen

Today I take you bass fishing with me and show you how I use the current conditions to develop a pattern. It doesn’t always turn out that way but today it did.

Set the Hook! with Pat Rose – Aug 27, 2016 Featuring Justin Lucas, Gerald Swindle, & Charlie Hartley

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Set the Hook! with Pat Rose – Aug 27, 2016 Featuring Justin Lucas, Gerald Swindle, & Charlie Hartley

Set the Hook! with Pat Rose – Aug 27, 2016

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justin_lucasGerald_Swindlecharlie_hartleyOur guests this week were winner of the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament on the Potomac River Justin Lucas, from Alabama Bassmaster Elite Series Pro Gerald Swindle, Bassmaster Northern Open winner Charlie Hartley, and Dan O’Sullivan.

podcastIf you missed the show, you can listen to the podcast here.

On The AirYou 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.

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