Bass Edge’s The Edge – Episode 239 – Michael Neal
September 1, 2016 at
FLW Tour Angler and 2016 FLW Cup Runner-Up Michael Neal is featured on Bass Edge Radio presented by MegaWare KeelGuard. Michael talks about late summer schooling fish and early fall techniques.
![Lucky Craft Lightning Pointer XR Jerkbait Review [Walker Smith] Walker Smith](https://thebasscast.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/lucky-craft-lightning-pointer-xr-in-bass-mouth.jpg "Lucky Craft Lightning Pointer XR Jerkbait Review [Walker Smith] Walker Smith")
Walker Smith
This bass fishing jerkbait has been producing some great action for us in clear-water situations.
I’ll be totally honest—I didn’t like jerkbait fishing for the longest time. It simply never appealed to me until my late college years. The more I started to tinker with these lures, however, the wider my eyes opened to their sheer productivity. Over the last decade, jerkbaits have become a major part of my arsenal when the bite is tough; they just flat-out catch fish.
I’ve been fishing with the Lucky Craft Lightning Pointer XR for the last several months and part of me wanted to keep it somewhat quiet because it’s been such a big-time producer for me lately. If you like to fish jerkbaits in the wind, you’ll want to take a close look at this lure.
David A. Brown
Hard bass lures can be the better alternative when fishing around docks than soft plastics.
Flipping, skipping, shooting, shaking — the common dock fishing tactics lean heavily toward soft plastics, either as primary baits or trailers. However, you don’t want to overlook those hard baits. From topwaters to squarebills; these presentations should occupy a prominent position in your game plan.
FLW pro Terry Bolton flips and swims plenty of jigs around docks of all sizes and styles, but he knows he knows he’s not the only one doing so. The fact is that dock fish, like ledge fish, tend to get wise to certain baits of high frequency.
“Fish get jaded by seeing the same lures over and over again,” Bolton said. “Hard baits gives them a different action; something the fish aren’t used to seeing.
“They’re used to seeing spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and things of that nature. By the time you get into fall, the fish get pretty lure educated.”
Walker Smith
This affordable fluorocarbon fishing line offers high-quality features to budget-minded bass anglers.
Fluorocarbon fishing line can be pretty darn expensive. Last year alone, I spent well over $600 on various diameters to get me through my tournament and guiding seasons. Because our fishing line is the most critical link between us and the fish, I actually factor fishing line purchases into my annual budget.
I’ve been hearing about Seaguar Red Label Fluorocarbon for several years. Several of my very successful fishing buddies swear by it; they won’t use anything else. When it came time for me to respool a few of my reels, I finally purchased a few spools for $14.99 to see what the hype was about.
Sept. 1, 2016
Elite Anglers Hope To Salvage Their Seasons At Mississippi River Finale
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LA CROSSE, Wis. — The full field of 107 Bassmaster Elite Series anglers will be putting it all on the line for the final regular-season tournament of 2016 during the Plano Bassmaster Elite at the Mississippi River presented by Favorite Fishing out of La Crosse, Wis., Sept. 8-11.
A very exciting 2016 season will come to a close for many of the anglers at La Crosse, but the Top 50 in Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points will advance to the AOY Championship on Minnesota’s famed Mille Lacs Lake Sept. 15-18.
Elite anglers sitting within several spots either side of 50th place know that making good decisions and catching the right size bass will make or break how and when their season ends. For those anglers looking to move up in the rankings and earn an invitation to the AOY Championship, this is their last chance.
The other race heating up is at the top of the AOY leaderboard. Gerald Swindle of Warrior, Ala., currently holds a 37-point lead on Texas pro Keith Combs. But anything can happen in this sport, and nothing is official until the Angler of the Year is crowned.
Pools 7, 8 and 9 of the Upper Mississippi River are in play and will kick out a good number of fish. In fact, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the entire field weigh a five-fish limit of bass on the first two days of competition.
Regional pro angler and outdoor writer Glenn Walker has been bass fishing this stretch of river for many years, and he said there will be plenty of both largemouth and smallmouth bass caught and weighed at this event.
“The sheer number of 2- and 3-pounders is amazing,” Walker said. “The fishery is in excellent health, and I expect the Elite Series anglers to really put on a show. This is a numbers fishery, but you won’t likely see many fish over 6 pounds. If you do see one, it will likely be a smallmouth.”
Walker explained that it has been a very wet summer, and the river water levels are high when compared to what is normal this time of year.
“The forecast isn’t calling for much rain between now and when the event is scheduled to begin, so the water levels and conditions should stabilize,” the Minn Kota/Humminbird pro explained. “I expect Pool 7 to produce the bigger fish, and Pool 8 to be best for good numbers of keeper bass. Based on my time bass fishing the river, I think it’ll take 18 to 19 pounds per day to win, but I think we’ll see a couple of limits pushing the 20-pound mark.”
The Elite Series pros will also have access to Pool 9, which is the farthest south of the three, and it is known for producing winning limits of bass in the 18- to 20-pound range.
Iowa game warden and local tournament angler Jeremy King has won bass tournaments on Pool 9 before, and he thinks it will be a major player in this week’s event.
“With the water levels being reduced each day, the bass will be easy to pattern and willing to bite,” King said. “Anything adjacent to main channels and back channels that have current will regularly reload with bass, and the anglers who find a multiple locations like that will find a competitive limit of bass — possibly even some big ones.”
King believes that most of the anglers will fish pools 7 and 8, reducing pressure on 9.
“Pool 9 is much like Pool 8 with an abundance of backwaters,” he explained. “The anglers willing to risk a 45-minute to 1-hour run, including locking down and up, will find some very productive fishing. Is it better than 7 or 8? That’s to be determined, but perhaps a reduced amount of fishing pressure will increase the odds of catching more and larger bass.”
Daily takeoffs are scheduled for 6:15 a.m. at Veterans Freedom Park in La Crosse, Wis., and weigh-ins will be held at the same location at 3:15 p.m.
A total purse of $638,000 will be paid to the Top 50 anglers at La Crosse.
Anglers fortunate enough to finish in the Top 50 will head immediately to Mille Lacs Lake for the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year championship and potential qualification for the 2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.
LAKE NORMAN SET TO HOST WALMART FLW TOUR INVITATIONAL EVENT PRESENTED BY LOWRANCE
Multiple Patterns in Play for FLW Anglers
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HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 1, 2016) – The first Walmart FLW Tour Invitational tournament of 2016 will visit North Carolina Sept. 15-17 for the Walmart FLW Tour Invitational at Lake Norman presented by Lowrance. Hosted by Visit Lake Norman, Visit Charlotte and Mecklenburg County Parks & Recreation, the tournament will feature competitors casting for huge cash payouts and a coveted spot in the world championship of bass fishing – the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup.
“Lake Norman is one of the most diverse fisheries that we can visit,” said Quaker State pro Matt Arey of Shelby, North Carolina, who has 20 career top-10 finishes in FLW competition. “There are a ton of different options to catch bass, and anglers have won tournaments all over the lake. They’ll be catching them as deep as 40 feet and as shallow as six inches. I think you’re going to have to hit a lot of different areas and mix up patterns to win.
“It’s definitely going to be a junk-fishing deal,” Arey continued. “There’s some rain and cooler weather coming, which means shad and bass will be in transition. Patterns like topwater fishing and running docks will be strong. The river is also going to be a player because of the current. A lot of spotted bass live in the lake, and if someone can dial in on those deep schools, the spots could definitely be a factor.”
Arey said that drop-shot rigs, wacky-rigged worms, jigs, and spinnerbaits will all be lures in his arsenal.
“Lake Norman is really all over the map right now,” said Arey. “You could have 18 rods on the deck, but you may only catch eight keepers with 12 of them.”
Arey went on to say that a three-day cumulative catch ranging from 37 to 39 pounds should be enough to win the event.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if someone caught 15 pounds on one day, and then 11 or 12 pounds the other two. Lake Norman is chock-full of fish.”
Anglers will take off from Blythe Landing Park located at 15901 N.C. Highway 73 in Huntersville at 7 a.m. EDT each day. Weigh-in each day will be held at the park, beginning at 3 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
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.
FLW ANNOUNCES 2017 FLW COLLEGE FISHING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP, OPEN LOCATIONS AND DATES
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MINNEAPOLIS (Sept. 1, 2017) – FLW announced today the dates and location for the 2017 FLW College Fishing National Championship and the date for the third annual FLW College Fishing Open on Kentucky Lake. The National Championship will be held May 31-June 3 on Wheeler Lake in Rogersville, Alabama, host to multiple major FLW tournaments. The annual FLW College Fishing Open will be held April 7-8 on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Kentucky.
Anglers competing in the FLW College Fishing Open on Kentucky Lake will be competing for a new Ranger Z175 boat and trailer with a 90-horsepower outboard motor, trolling motor and Lowrance electronics valued at more than $27,000. In addition, top teams will automatically qualify for the 2018 FLW College Fishing National Championship.
The 2017 FLW College Fishing National Championship awards the top team a $30,000 prize package, including a Ranger Z175 boat with a 90-horsepower outboard engine and an entry into the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup. The winning team will compete against each other on June 3 at Wilson Lake to determine which team member will compete as a professional at the Forrest Wood Cup. The Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing, will be held August 11-13 on Lake Murray in Columbia, South Carolina, and will offer a collegiate angler the opportunity to compete for a top award of $300,000.
2017 FLW College Fishing OPEN
April 7-8 Kentucky Lake Gilbertsville, Ky. Hosted by Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau
2017 FLW College Fishing National Championship
May 31-June 2 Wheeler Lake Rogersville, Ala. Hosted by Florence/Lauderdale Tourism
June 3 – Fish-Off Wilson Lake Florence, Ala. Hosted by Florence/Lauderdale Tourism
The complete 2017 FLW College Fishing schedule and rules will be announced in October. Rules will be posted online at FLWFishing.com.
FLW College Fishing teams compete in regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. Top teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the annual FLW College Fishing Open advance to the 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.
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 CollegeFishing.com to sign up or to start a club at your school.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2016 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat: @FLWFishing.
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Plano, IL (August 31, 2016) – Fishing is supposed to relieve stress, not bring it on. So it’s a real buzzkill when the salt-splashed, sun-soaked, stress-stretched zippers on your tackle bag finally say uncle. Plenty do, either locking up or failing outright, while leaving their owners stressed out and scratching their heads over what to do with the high-dollar tackle bag that just died before its time.
“Zippers are the weak link in many poorly-designed tackle bags,” says Plano Synergy’s Director of Brand Management – Fishing, Ryan Olander, who points out that most anglers aren’t willing to pay the increased costs associated with super-premium zipper systems that are by no means failsafe and don’t always solve the problem. “Replacement zippers are neither desirable nor practical, so our team is constantly designing solutions that remove or minimize the sources of stress around any zipper we incorporate into one of our products.” And in the case of Plano’s NEW Z-Series Technical Tackle Bags, those solutions involved removing the zippers altogether. Eliminate the zippers. End the frustration. Problem solved.
Z-Series 3700 Technical Tackle Bag
Both 3600- and 3700-size Z-Series Technical Tackle Bags employ a clever, gusseted top that opens fast, while closing neatly and securely with durable HDPE buckles. Tried and true Velcro closures get the nod for both ample side pockets, as well as on large front and rear mesh slip pockets. The result is a durable, splash-proof, worry-free, workhorse of a tackle toter that provides ample storage for up to four 3600- or 3700-size StowAway Utility Boxes, plus loads of other angling essentials.
Stress-relieving, zipperless designs aside, Plano’s Z-Series Technical Tackle Bags boast a bevvy of additional innovative features that will place them lovingly at home on the deck of any drift boat, technical skiff, bass boat or center console.
A new, high-performance Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) waterproof fabric defies the elements and allows for easy care, while a vivid, light orange finish prevents overheating and delivers high-speed aesthetics.
A breakthrough bag deserves an advanced foundation. Both 3600- and 3700-size Z-Series Technical Tackle Bags ride atop Plano’s all-new Utili-Tackle Rail System Base – an innovative, waterproof bottom design with raised corners and over-molded rubber feet that prevent sliding on all surfaces while slightly elevating the bag and contents above standing water. The integral Utili-Tackle Rail provides multiple tie-down points to secure the bag in transit or during rough conditions, while also facilitating fast attachment of multiple accessories.
Utili-Tackle Rail System Base – an innovative, waterproof bottom design with raised corners and over-molded rubber feet that prevent sliding on all surfaces while slightly elevating the bag and contents above standing water.
NEW Plano Model No. 119936 Z-Series 3600 Technical Tackle Bag
MSRP $69.99
Z-Series 3600 Technical Tackle Bag
NEW Plano Model No. 119937 Z-Series 3700 Technical Tackle Bag
MSRP $94.99
Into fishing more and worrying less? Of course you are. So fish clean with the most reliable tackle bags available. Protect your passion with the technological superiority of Plano’s NEW Z-Series 3600 and 3700 Technical Tackle Bags; two innovative new zipperless, splash-proof tackle storage solutions that let you carry everything you need, while leaving your troubles behind. Learn more at www.planomolding.com.
We are averaging 15.33 boats per event this year with the past 9 weeks having an 18 boat average, we are also going to have a Sunday Morning Bass Series Fall Classic on Oct 23. All you need to do to qualify is fish 1 regular season tournament.
We have four Sunday Morning events remaining on the 2016 Calendar. Sept 4, 11, 18 & 25.
Tournament Times are from 7am-12pm
Oct 23 Fall Classic
Safe Light – 3:30pm
