Summer Tree Trimming for Suspending Bass David A. Brown June 9,2016

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June 13, 2016

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Summer Tree Trimming for Suspending Bass

David A. Brown

Thursday at 12:15 AM

Brent Ehrler and Brandon Palaniuk share some great tips for fishing for and catching bass out of deep trees in the summer.

Tree houses hold a special place in many of our summer memories. Trees can house many bass in the summer, as well, especially on clear lakes; but it’s less about imagined pirate lairs and secret handshakes and more about the habitat preferences found in deep wood.

Emergent, or fully submerged, summer bass favor flooded trees. Bassmaster Elite Series pro Brent Ehrler is partial to the deep trees found in highland reservoirs like those of the White River, where old cedars sport extensive limb structures. In any case, waterlogged wood offers luxury suite accommodations for bass.

“Fish really do key on submerged trees because they create everything they want — a lot of shade, a lot of cover,” Ehrler said. “It gives them an area where they can sit at whatever depth they want to be at on that piece of cover. They can be over 30-40 feet of water but only 5 feet deep.

“They can be in deep water really quickly, they can be in shallow water really quickly and there’s the whole food chain. You have the algae on the trees, you have the baitfish that eat the algae, and the bass eat those baitfish.”

Bass Edge’s The Edge – Episode 233 – John Cox

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June 13, 2016

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Bass Edge’s The Edge – Episode 233 – John Cox
June 1, 2016

The #1 Ranked Angler in the World, FLW Tour Pro, John Cox is featured on Bass Edge Radio presented by MegaWare KeelGuard. John discusses his commitment to shallow water angling and his strategies that make it successful.

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Hackney Beats The Best Of The Best At BASSfest

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June 13, 2016

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Hackney Beats The Best Of The Best At BASSfest

Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., wins the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster BASSfest presented by Choctaw Casino and Resort at Lake Texoma held out of Durant, Okla., Sunday, with a four-day total weight of 66 pounds, 2 ounces.

Photo by Seigo Saito/Bassmaster

June 12, 2016

Hackney Beats The Best Of The Best At BASSfest

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DURANT, Okla. — Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., started the day in third place, but weighed in 17 pounds, 15 ounces on Championship Sunday to increase his four-day total to 66-2 at the GEICO Bassmaster BASSfest presented by Choctaw Casino and Resort at Lake Texoma. With his win, Hackney earned the $100,000 first-place prize and a berth in the 2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic to be held in Houston, Texas.

Hackney’s final limit of bass helped him slip past Brandon Card of Caryville, Tenn., by a slim margin of 1-15.

Hackney, the 2014 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year, knew he needed to have a solid day to contend for the win. As a result, he fished his spots in reverse order because the larger fish were biting later in day.

“The way the fishing had been all week, there was a good bite early in the morning, then it slowed during the middle of the day and picked up again in the afternoons,” Hackney said. “I knew I had to catch a big bag of fish today to have a shot at winning.”

Hackney’s best locations were adjacent to the main river channel. He also caught a lot of fish on the inside turns of coves and the points that were created on the outside edges of those coves.

“Green, leafy bushes were key to finding bass,” he said. “The fish were holding tight to brushy cover, and it often took multiple flips to the same piece of structure to make one eat. When it was hot and sunny, it was a grind. But today with the cloud cover, I felt like the fishing was much better.”

Most of Hackney’s morning bass came on a 1-ounce Strike King Hack Attack jig with a black-and-blue trailer. He’d switch to a green pumpkin trailer during the afternoons.

“It was critical for me to raise and lower the jig vertically in the middle of the bushes,” he said. “Pulling bass out of that thick and nasty cover requires heavy tackle and durable line. I lost quite a few big fish that became tangled in the brush. Sometimes you have to wrestle them out of the cover, and you don’t always win.”

Card weighed the heaviest limit of the tournament on Championship Sunday with 21-2, which bumped his total weight to 64-3 for the week.

“I wasn’t on the pattern I caught my fish on this week until the final day of practice,” Card said. “I was actually targeting smallmouth on the lower end of the lake near the dam.

“With an hour of practice remaining, I drove up the lake and marked a bunch of great looking structure and returned to those spots during each day of the tournament. I’m sure glad I did.”

Card caught his fish flipping the flooded bushes with a jig and Texas rigged soft plastic during the first three days of the tournament. With the cloudy conditions Sunday, he knew there would be a quality topwater bite throughout the day.

“I caught most of my fish today on a buzzbait and a Yo-Zuri walking bait in a bone color pattern,” he said during Sunday’s final weigh-in. “My first stop of the morning, I caught two nice fish, which gave me the confidence to stick with the topwater pattern all day long. The fishing slowed down mid-morning, but the wind calmed down and I knew it was game on.”

Gerald Swindle of Warrior, Ala., finished in third place with a four-day total of 60-6 after bringing in only 12-1 on the final day of competition.

“I had a great tournament, and I’ve got nothing to complain about,” Swindle said. “I caught a lot of great fish, but I missed some key bites today and lost several fish that cost me a better finish. But that’s tournament fishing and a big part of why I love this sport.”

Rounding out the Top 12 were Chad Morgenthaler (57-9), Ott DeFoe (56-11), Casey Ashley (56-8), Rick Clunn (56-3), Dean Rojas (56-2), Jordan Lee (54-10), Randall Tharp (54-2), Keith Poche (53-15) and Bradley Roy (53-4).

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

Swindle 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.

Hackney also earned the Livingston Lures Leader Award of $500 for leading on the second day.

Card won the Toyota Bonus Bucks of $3,000 for being the highest-placing eligible entrant in the program. The second-highest-placing eligible entrant, Chad Morgenthaler, received $2,000.

The Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award of $1,500 was presented to Randall Tharp for weighing in the overall biggest bass of the event — a 7-6 bass caught on Friday.

Card also earned the A.R.E. Top Angler Award of $1,000 for being the highest placing angler using A.R.E. products.

Dick Cepek Rolling Forward Award of $1,000 will be presented to the angler who makes the largest gain in Toyota Angler of the Year points from tournament to tournament.

2016 GEICO Bassmaster BASSfest presented by Choctaw Casino and Resort 6/8-6/12
Lake Texoma, Durant OK.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4

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

1. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 20 66-02 110 $101,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 20-02 Day 3: 5 12-07 Day 4: 5 17-15
2. Brandon Card Caryville, TN 20 64-03 109 $35,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 10-08 Day 3: 5 16-09 Day 4: 5 21-02
3. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 20 60-06 108 $31,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 17-10 Day 3: 5 16-00 Day 4: 5 12-01
4. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 19 57-09 107 $22,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-06 Day 2: 4 11-02 Day 3: 5 13-00 Day 4: 5 14-01
5. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 20 56-11 106 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 12-00 Day 3: 5 11-05 Day 4: 5 15-01
6. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 18 56-08 105 $16,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 5 14-09 Day 3: 5 17-05 Day 4: 3 04-09
7. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 20 56-03 104 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 15-06 Day 3: 5 14-10 Day 4: 5 12-03
8. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 20 56-02 103 $14,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 15-08 Day 3: 5 12-06 Day 4: 5 15-06
9. Jordan Lee Grant, AL 20 54-10 102 $13,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 14-02 Day 3: 5 14-12 Day 4: 5 13-06
10. Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 20 54-02 101 $14,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 12-02 Day 3: 5 16-01 Day 4: 5 11-09
11. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 20 53-15 100 $12,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 12-15 Day 3: 5 12-07 Day 4: 5 12-09
12. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 20 53-04 99 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 18-12 Day 3: 5 13-08 Day 4: 5 11-01
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 07-06 $1,500.00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 91 508 1176-04
2 79 490 1151-06
3 38 223 544-04
4 11 58 160-15
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219 1279 3032-13

Samuel Thomas & Scott Faulkner Win Piedmont Bass Classic ‘Metal Mania Invitational’ June 11th 2016

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June 13, 2016

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Samuel Thomas & Scott Faulkner Win Piedmont Bass Classic ‘Metal Mania Invitational’ June 11th 2016

PIEDMONT BASS CLASSICS ‘METAL MANIA’ INVITATIONAL !!!
Falls Lake~~June 11th, 2016 Ledge Rock Wildlife Ramp

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What a mighty fine day, weatherwise, for the inaugural Piedmont Bass Classics ‘Metal Mania’ Invitational at Falls Lake. The water level was about normal pool and water temps ranged from about 83 to 88. Winds were light and air temps went from 79 in the am to a hot 94 around 3pm. It was mighty hot in the afternoon, but our 23 teams toughed it out and brought in 73 bass for a total weight of 218 pounds for an average of 2.99 lbs. each. I’m very proud of our teams for taking such good care of their fish in this heat. It was kinda neat to see a full field of aluminum boats for blastoff. We will do it again next year for sure. Everyone participating loved it.

Ist Place team of Samuel Thomas & Scott Faulkner blew the field away weighing in 5 bass at 29.53 lbs to take 1st Place, 1st Place TWT and 2nd place Big Fish (6.97 lbs.) for a total of $1,476 and trophies!

The 2nd Place team was Kevin Cheatham & Johnny Wilder with 5 bass weighing 19.03 lbs. to take home a
total of $505. 3rd Place Team of Robyn Cook & Owen Penhollow also won the 2nd Place TWT for a grand total of
$560. Big Fish for the day (7.73 lbs.) was caught by the team of Charles Stewart & Tobey Lawson netting them
$294 for their efforts!

Most bass were caught with jigs, plastics & crankbaits. Most were caught in 4′ to 12′ of water.

I want to thank all the anglers that participated and all our sponsors. Our next tournament will be the 2016 Piedmont Bass Classics $10,000 Spring Team Bass Trail Championship, Saturday June 18th at Jordan Lake out
of Farrington Point Wildlife Ramp for qualified teams only. Spectators are more than welcome to attend. Info on this particular event can be found at: http://piedmontbassclassics.com/2016PBCSpringTeamTrailMain.html
Our Cashion Rods ‘End of Year’ Team Trail fires up July 9th at Kerr Lake out of Flemingtown Landing Wildlife Ramp. Check this link for all the info on this trail:
http://piedmontbassclassics.com/2016EndOfYearMainPage.html
All the information on all our tournaments can be found at: http://piedmontbassclassics.com/

Now here are the full results:
1st Place:…Samuel Thomas & Scott Faulkner of Lexington…5 bass…29.53 lbs…$965
2nd Place:…Kevin Cheatham & Johnny Wilder of Oxford & Butner…5 bass…19.03 lbs…$505
3rd Place:…Robyn Cook & Owen Penhollow of Raleigh & Durham…5 bass…18.62 lbs…$395
4th Place:…Stanton McDuffie & Chris Fesmire of Raleigh…5 bass…17.64 lbs…$275
5th Place:…Keith Deal & Ricky Kenworthy of Holly Springs & Cary…5 bass…14.82 lbs…$160

1st Place Big Fish: Charles Stewart & Tobey Lawson of Oxford & Raleigh…7.73 lbs…$294
2nd Place Big Fish: 1st Place Team above…6.97 lbs…$126

1st Place TWT: 1st Place Team above: 29.53 lbs…$385
2nd Place TWT: 3rd Place Team above: 18.62 lbs…$165

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

LAMBERT WINS WALMART FLW TOUR ON KENTUCKY LAKE PRESENTED BY MERCURY MARINE

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June 13, 2016

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LAMBERT WINS WALMART FLW TOUR ON KENTUCKY LAKE PRESENTED BY MERCURY MARINE

Tennessee River Ace catches Massive 29-pound Limit, Wins $125,000

Link to HD video footage of Lambert’s winning moment

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GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (June 12, 2016) – Pro Jason Lambert of Pickwick Dam, Tennessee, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Sunday weighing 29 pounds even – the heaviest limit ever weighed at Kentucky Lake in FLW Tour competition – to win the Walmart FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Mercury Marine. Lambert’s four-day total weight of 20 bass for 97-2 gave him the victory by a 7-pound, 12-ounce margin over second place pro Brandon Hunter of Benton, Kentucky, in the tournament that featured 162 of the best professional bass-fishing anglers in the world competing for the top cash award of $125,000.

“Today was one of those days when everything just came together perfect,” said Lambert, the 2014 FLW Tour Rookie of the Year, now in his third season. “I culled two fish that were over 5 pounds today. That has never happened to me before. I’ve said for years, Kentucky Lake is the best ledge-fishing tournament lake in the country. This week has been magical.”

Lambert said that his key bait on the first two days of competition was a Castaic Heavy Metal Flutter Spoon, but he also caught a couple of largemouth on a V&M J-Mag Worm. He made what he called a tactical decision and switched to a 7-inch green shad-colored Castaic Jerky J Swimbait to catch most of his fish on the final two days of competition.

“On the last two days, there is no co-angler to help net our fish,” Lambert said. “That swimbait is a single hook, and the chances of losing a fish are way, way less than the chances of losing one on a spoon or a crankbait. That factored a lot into my decision to throw the swimbait the last two days.

“I really figured out a cadence – the right speed and the depth range to run it in,” Lambert continued. “But, if there was a key for me this week, it was my Garmin electronics.”

Lambert said that he had around 60 different schools of fish marked on a 75-mile run down the Tennessee River from Kentucky Dam, and that the schools got bigger as the tournament progressed.

“There is so many fish in this entire lake, you can fish everywhere. I knew from the way that the schools were getting bigger that the opportunity was there for me to absolutely crush them today, and it worked out.”

The top 10 pros finished the tournament:

1^st: Jason Lambert, Pickwick Dam, Tenn., 20 bass, 97-2, $125,000

2^nd: Brandon Hunter, Benton, Ky., 20 bass, 89-6, $30,000

3^rd: Walmart pro Mark Rose, West Memphis, Ark., 20 bass, 80-4, $25,000

4^th: Jayme Rampey, Liberty, S.C., 20 bass, 79-5, $20,000

5^th: Quaker State pro Scott Canterbury, Springville, Ala., 20 bass, 78-1, $19,000

6^th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 20 bass, 77-6, $18,000

7^th: Jacob Wheeler, Indianapolis, Ind., 20 bass, 76-13, $17,000

8^th: Brad Knight, Lancing, Tenn., 20 bass, 76-13, $16,500

9^th: Terry Bolton, Paducah, Ky., 20 bass, 76-6, $15,000

10^th: Livingston Lures pro Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 20 bass, 70-12, $14,000

For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.

Overall there were 50 bass weighing 212 pounds, 10 ounces caught by pros Sunday. All of the final 10 pros weighed in five-bass limits.

Mark Horton of Nicholasville, Kentucky, won the co-angler division and $25,000 Friday with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 33 pounds, 8 ounces, followed by Kevin King of Blountville, Tennessee, who finished in second place with 10 bass weighing 32 pounds, 6 ounces worth $7,500.

In addition to casting for top awards of up to $125,000 cash in the pro division and up to $25,000 cash in the co-angler division, anglers are also competing for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. The 2016 Forrest Wood Cup will be in Huntsville, Alabama, Aug. 4-7 on Wheeler Lake.

Coverage of the Kentucky Lake tournament will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) Sept. 28 from 1 p.m.-2 p.m. EST. The Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.

The Walmart FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Mercury Marine is hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. The next event for FLW Tour anglers will be the Walmart FLW Tour at Lake Champlain presented by General Tire.

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.

Brad Weese & Terry Weese Win Angler’s Choice Team Tournament Trail Buggs Island June 11,2016

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June 13, 2016

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Brad Weese & Terry Weese Win Angler’s Choice Team Tournament Trail Buggs Island June 11,2016

1st Place Brad & Terry Weese with five fish weighing 18.07lbs

2nd Place Rick Tilley & Rick Tilly Sr with five fish weighing 17.47lbs.

3rd Place Marty Warren & Michael Chlomoudis with five fish weighing 16.06lbs.

CLICK HERE TO SEE RESULTS

CLICK HERE TO SEE FINAL STANDINGS

MISSOURI’S LAWYER LEADS WIRE-TO-WIRE, WINS BFL ALL-AMERICAN TOURNAMENT ON LAKE BARKLEY

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June 12, 2016

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MISSOURI’S LAWYER LEADS WIRE-TO-WIRE, WINS BFL ALL-AMERICAN TOURNAMENT ON LAKE BARKLEY

Alabama’s Smith wins co-angler title

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CADIZ, Ky. (June 11, 2016) – Jeremy Lawyer of Sarcoxie, Missouri, brought a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 10 ounces to the scale Saturday to win the 2016 BFL All-American on Lake Barkley. Lawyer’s three-day cumulative weight of 15 bass totaling 50-12 gave him a 6-pound, 2-ounce edge over second-place finisher Todd Walters of Kernersville, North Carolina, in the internationally-televised event which hosted the nation’s top weekend anglers.

“I’ve fished many BFL events and have never won, so I guess if you’re going to come out on top, this is the event to do it at,” said Lawyer, who qualified for the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup – the world championship of bass fishing – with his win Saturday. “I’ve had so much support from friends and family this week. I’m happy for myself, but I’m also glad I could pull through for everyone that was counting on me. I’m just tickled to death right now.”

Lawyer said he needed one bait to catch his limit today – a green-pumpkin-colored Zoom Mag Finesse Worm.

“I started out the morning on a bluff in the mouth of the Little River and caught my biggest fish – a 5-pounder – at 8 a.m.,” said Lawyer. “That catch really set the pace for the day. Within an hour or two I boated a keeper around the Highway 68 bridge off of a rocky point. I ran back to the Little River bluff at 11 a.m., and was able to nab two more keepers – a 3- and 4-pounder. At that point I started doing the math to figure out how much weight the other competitors would need to catch me.”

In addition to the Zoom Mag Finesse Worm, Lawyer said a Herring-colored Bandit Lures 200 Series Crankbait and a green-pumpkin-blue Zoom Brush Hog were also key baits this week.

“By 2 p.m., I still didn’t have a fifth keeper,” said Lawyer. “With 12 minutes left to fish, I returned to the bluff end and caught a 4-pounder. I think it was all of the boat traffic that got the area so active. The crawdads were stirred up and the fish were chasing them, and the wake from the boats were pushing the fish up onto the bank to where I could catch them. This was one of those tournaments where everything went my way. I’m going to enjoy this feeling for as long as I can.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1^st: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 15 bass, 50-12, $100,000 + $20,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

2^nd: Todd Walters, Kernersville, N.C., 15 bass, 44-10, $20,000

3^rd: Clabion Johns, Covington, Ga., 15 bass, 43-3, $15,000 + $8,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

4^th: John Vanore, Mullica Hill, N.J., 15 bass, 40-7, $14,000 + $7,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

5^th: Kyle Weisenburger, Ottawa, Ohio, 15 bass, 40-5, $13,000

6^th: Drew Boggs, Lebanon, Tenn., 14 bass, 39-5, $12,000

7^th: Mike Devere, Berea, Ky., 13 bass, 38-9, $11,000 + $4,500 Ranger Cup Bonus

8^th: Nelson Walker, Manning, S.C., 14 bass, 38-1, $10,000 + $4,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

9^th: Thomas Helton, Charleston, Tenn., 14 bass, 36-2, $9,000 + $3,500 Ranger Cup Bonus

10^th: Jim Eakin, Clarksville, Tenn., 11 bass, 28-10, $13,000 + $3,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Wesley Smith of Vinemont, Alabama, won the co-angler division and $50,000 with a three-day total of 11 bass weighing 26 pounds, 4 ounces, followed by Mike Allen of Crystal Springs, Mississippi, in second place with eight bass weighing 25-4, worth $15,000.

The top 10 co-anglers are:

1^st: Wesley Smith, Vinemont, Ala., 11 bass, 26-14, $50,000

2^nd: Mike Allen, Crystal Springs, Miss., eight bass, 25-4, $15,000

3^rd: Adam Wood, Guyton, Ga., nine bass, 24-3, $6,000

4^th: Marvin Reese, Gwynn Oak, Md., 10 bass, 23-11, $5,000

5^th: John Wilkerson, Nashville, Tenn., nine bass, 23-5, $4,500

6^th: John Duarte, Middle River, Md., nine bass, 21-8, $4,000

7^th: Randy Smith, Fayetteville, Ga., eight bass, 21-4, $3,500

8^th: Bill Haunert, Blue Ash, Ohio, seven bass, 15-9, $3,000

9^th: Jesse Parks, Avondale, Ariz., six bass, 14-8, $2,500

10^th: Jamie Eynard, Holts Summit, Mo., five bass, 12-15, $2,000

Hosted by Cadiz-Trigg County Tourism, the BFL All-American featured the top 49 boaters and top 49 co-anglers from across the 24-division BFL circuit and the TBF National Championship casting for cash prizes of up to $120,000 in the Boater Division and $60,000 in the Co-angler Division, plus an opportunity to compete for the Forrest Wood Cup Aug. 4-7 on Wheeler Lake in Huntsville, Alabama.

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. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.

Coverage of the 2016 BFL All-American will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) Oct. 5 from 1 p.m.-2 p.m. EDT. The Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.

For a full schedule of events, complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow FLW on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.

Northwestern State University Wins College Wild Card

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June 12, 2016

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Northwestern State University Wins College Wild Card

John Ledet (left) and Justin Cooper of Northwestern State University win the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Wild Card presented by Bass Pro Shops on Lake Murray out of Ardmore, Okla., with a three-day total weight of 51 pounds, 7 ounces.

Photo by Craig Lamb/Bassmaster

June 11, 2016

Northwestern State University Wins College Wild Card

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DURANT, Okla. — John Ledet and Justin Cooper talked all week about how timing was everything for the success of their fishing strategy on Lake Murray.

On Saturday, the anglers representing Northwestern State University showed up again, on the right place at the right time. In doing so, they won the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Wild Card presented by Bass Pro Shops.

After taking the lead on Friday, the team from Natchitoches, La., sealed the win by catching a five-bass limit that weighed 18 pounds, 1 ounce. The final catch gave them a three-day total of 51-7.

J.P. Kimbrough and Jared Rascoe, fishing for Louisiana State University-Shreveport, took second place with 46-11. Aaron Belgard and Logan Laprarie, another team from Northwestern State, came in third with 46-8.

“The timing was really the key,” said Ledet, 21, a senior majoring in business management with a marketing emphasis. “When the wind picked up, we needed to be on our best spot.”

That area, spanning just 10 acres, attracted bass to a bed of submerged hydrilla growing within 3 feet of the surface. The bass weren’t alone.

“In our livewell, we had regurgitated bluegill the bass had eaten,” added Cooper, 22, a senior majoring in biology with a biomedical focus.

The food source and habitat combined to help the winners develop a successful strategy. The spot actually got better each day.

Northwestern State started the tournament in sixth place with 15-12. They took the lead with a second-day catch of 17-10 that gave them 33-6 heading into the final round.

“It got better today (Saturday) because there was more wind,” said Cooper.

More wind and overcast skies stimulated baitfish activity and the predatory instinct of the bass.

A V&M Pacemaker Lightning Blade, chartreuse in color to match the hue of the bluegill, was the key lure. The leadhead jig and spinner combination produced strikes as the lure was ripped through the vegetation.

Seclusion was another key.

“We had the place to ourselves, and that was a big deal,” said Ledet. “There were boats all around us, but the fishing pressure never really affected us.”

Lake Murray spans 5,700 acres, and with 80 teams competing, the fishing pressured mounted by end of the tournament.

Under calm conditions, the team alternated between a V&M Chopstick, a soft-plastic stick bait, and a V&M J Bug jig. The anglers fished both lures in reeds and aquatic grass growing near the shoreline.

Bass fishing teams from more than 40 colleges and universities competed in the tournament.

Saturday, the Top 20 teams competed for 13 available berths in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops. The tournament is scheduled for July 28-30 in Campbellsville, Ky., on Green River Lake.

Teams in this week’s event earned contingency awards from tournament sponsors. Northwestern State University, led by Cooper and Ledet, won the Livingston Lures Leader Award and $250 in merchandise for leading the tournament on Day 2.

Texas State University won the Nitro Big Bag Award after catching the heaviest single-day weight. On Friday, Sam Stone and Evan Coleman caught a limit weighing 19-3 to win a $250 gift card from Bass Pro Shops.

Hunter Loudon of Bethel University caught a largemouth weighing 8-7 to win the Carhartt Big Bass Award and a $500 gift card.

STANDINGS BOATER DAY 3
Lake Murray – Lake Murray North Ramp – Ardmore, OK
6/9/2016 – 6/11/2016
Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Wild Card presented by Bass Pro Shops

Today’s Activity
# Fish Lbs – Oz
Accumulative
Name # Live # Fish # Live Lbs – Oz

1 John Ledet – Justin Cooper Northwestern State University 5 5 18- 1 15 15 51- 7
2 JP Kimbrough – Jared Rascoe LSU Shreveport 5 5 18-15 15 15 46-11
3 Aaron Belgard – Logan Laprarie Northwestern State University 5 5 17-13 15 15 46- 8
4 Chris Blanchette – Dylan Allison University of South Carolina 5 4 14- 4 15 14 41- 6
5 Zach Hurst – Austyn Fowler Tarleton State University 5 5 13- 4 15 15 41- 1
6 Josh Bensema – Tyler Anderson Texas A&M University 5 5 11-11 15 15 40-13
7 Ty Cox – Jake Houston Itawamba Community College 5 4 11-11 15 14 39- 9
8 Sam Stone – Evan Coleman Texas State University 5 5 7- 6 15 15 39- 4
9 Brian Pahl – John Garrett Bethel University 5 5 13-12 15 14 38- 7
10 Hunter Louden – Bethel University 2 2 10- 1 12 12 38- 5
11 Zach Ziober – Dakota Ebare Tarleton State University 5 5 7-10 15 14 37-10
12 Stetson Overton – Justin Seeton Tarleton State University 5 5 12- 1 15 15 37- 1
13 Sheldon Rogge – Parker Davis Kansas State University 5 5 13- 8 15 15 36-11
14 Patrick Walters – Brian Sweeney University of South Carolina 5 5 12-13 15 15 36-10
15 Reed Foster – Zackery Hines Dallas Baptist University 5 5 9-15 15 14 35- 6
16 Trent Newman – Nathan Wood Dallas Baptist University 5 4 9- 7 15 14 34- 3
17 Ty Dyer – Ricky Harris Bethel University 5 5 7-12 15 14 30-13
18 CJ Knight – Mitchell Jennings Auburn University 2 2 3- 6 12 12 30-12
19 Morgan Locke – Logan Elton Florida State University 5 4 6-15 15 14 30-11
20 Dawson Lenz – Evan Horne University of North Alabama 5 5 6-15 15 15 30- 2
21 Jason Ashe – Western Carolina University 10 10 22-10
22 Dalton Warrington – Chris Bradley Southwestern Oklahoma State University 10 8 22- 7
23 Chris Zins – Zach Holliday University of Central Oklahoma 10 10 22- 5
24 Jared Bourgeois – Parker White LSU 10 10 22- 1
25 Andrew Madison – Jose Palma University of Central Oklahoma 10 10 21-11
26 Dustin Nash – Thomas Merchant Northwestern State University 10 10 21- 7
27 Wyatt Frankens – Hunter Price Stephen F Austin University 10 9 21- 6
28 Adam Burkett – Christian Brown LSU Shreveport 10 10 21- 1
29 Makenzie Henson – Sloan Pennington U. of North Alabama 10 10 20-11
30 Kyler Chelminiak – Alec Piekarski Bethel University 10 10 20-10
31 Alex Murray – Alex Felder Southeastern Louisiana University 9 9 20- 1
32 Nathan Martin – Joe Nakai U. of North Alabama 10 10 19-14
33 Taylor Umland – Justin Schick Illinois State University 8 7 19-11
34 Cameron Brooks – Mason Sapp Campbellsville University 10 10 19-11
35 Wyatt Burkhalter – Taylor Teague University of West Alabama 10 9 18-14
36 Tanner Crim – Zach Montalvo Tarleton State University 10 9 18-13
37 Mitchell Mayard – Owen Richard LSU 9 9 18- 6
38 Spencer Lambert – Thomas Soileau La Monroe 10 9 18- 3
39 Tyler Woods – Robert Tweed Stephen F Austin State University 10 10 18- 2
40 Cody Metzger – Conner Schwab Northeastern State University 10 10 18- 2
41 Garrett Stone – Collin Chandler University of Georgia 9 9 18- 0
42 Cody Peak – Jeff Roman Clayton IV Mississippi State University 10 9 17-14
43 Jordan Ledbetter – Taylor Schmitt McKendree University 10 10 17- 9
44 Cody Cleary – Max Gresham Valdosta State University 10 10 17- 6
45 Caleb Garvin – CJ Holbrook Mississippi State University 10 10 17- 2
46 Clayton Godfrey – John-Michael Brattlof Stephen F Austin State University 10 8 17- 2
47 Tyler Craig – Hunter Freeman La Monroe 10 10 16-15
48 Michael Corbishley – Austin Warmus East Carolina University 10 10 16-14
49 Dillon Harrell – Dustin Moreno Sam Houston State University 9 9 16-13
50 Adam Neill – Thomas Mistead University of Alabama 10 10 16-11
51 Forrest Sears – Greg Dean Wallace State Comm College 7 7 16- 9
52 Eric Hanna – Oklahoma State University 10 8 16- 9
53 Jacob Fournier – Jared Bascle Nicholls State 10 10 15-13
54 Brock Wilke – JT Russell McKendree University 9 9 15- 5
55 Dakota Sparks – Levi Sharp LSU 9 9 14-13
56 Garrett Goettee – Grant Pietsch Texas A&M University at Galveston 8 6 14- 6
57 Dakota Cline – Stephen F Austin University 8 7 14- 5
58 Cody Billings – Daulton Smith University of Georgia 9 9 14- 3
59 Jared Baker – Layton Jones Georgia Southern University 10 9 14- 3
60 Jacob Reome – Daniel Rupee Clemson University 10 10 14- 2
61 Zachary Bodford – NC State University 8 8 14- 2
62 Nicholas DiCamillo – Justin Hettinga New Mexico State University 9 9 13-14
63 Levi Umland – Heartland Community College 8 8 13-12
64 Ryan Kennedy – Frank Lillig Kennesaw State University 8 8 13- 8
65 Chandler South – JR Wright Itawamba Community College 6 6 13- 1
66 Mack Hicks – Alice Lloyd College 9 9 12-12
67 Alex Schieman – Garrett Reynolds Georgia College 8 8 12- 8
68 Tyler Brown – Baylor Ronemus Clemson University 7 7 12- 4
69 Charles Conger – Jackson Moody Kennesaw State University 9 9 11-15
70 Nick Ratliff – Grant Adams Campbellsville University 5 5 10-12
71 Adam Carman – Justin Mayfield Campbellsville University 7 7 10- 8
72 Armando Ortiz – Roy Zhang Auburn University 6 6 9-14
73 Ashley Ruggles – Jeff White Drury University 7 7 9-11
74 Tyler Moses – Brennan Soileau LA Tech 8 7 9- 8
75 Derek Louderbaugh – Drury University 5 5 6- 0
76 Cameron Simmons – Cameron DeBorde Oklahoma State 5 5 5-13
77 Scott Fair – Northwestern State University 2 2 4- 1
78 Landon Tucker – Valdosta State University 2 2 3-11
79 Benjamin Webster – Andrew Deloney University of Alabama 3 3 3- 7
80 Logan Shaddix – Ethan Flack University of Alabama 1 1 1- 3
Name City,State Lbs-Oz
BIG BASS
Day
1 Trent Newman – Nathan WoodDallas, TX 4-10
2 Sam Stone – Evan Coleman Austin, TX 7-11
3 Springville, TN 8- 7
Day # Live Lbs-Oz # Limits
TOTALS
# Fish
1 362 352 737- 6 62
2 345 334 719-12 58
3 94 90 227- 4 18

TENNESSEE’S LAMBERT TAKES LEAD AT WALMART FLW TOUR ON KENTUCKY LAKE PRESENTED BY MERCURY MARINE

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June 12, 2016

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TENNESSEE’S LAMBERT TAKES LEAD AT WALMART FLW TOUR ON KENTUCKY LAKE PRESENTED BY MERCURY MARINE

Ledge-Fishing Shootout Sets Stage for Dramatic Championship Sunday

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GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (June 11, 2016) – The Walmart FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Mercury Marine will come down to a nail-biting finish Sunday – six anglers known for their Tennessee River prowess competing alongside four of the most versatile fisherman in the country. The event that started with 162 of the best bass-fishing anglers in the country has now been trimmed to 10 as the anglers compete for the title of Kentucky Lake champion and the top prize of $125,000.

Jason Lambert of Pickwick Dam, Tennessee, who started the day in second place, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 25 pounds, 5 ounces – the largest limit of the tournament – to take the lead with a three-day total of 68-2.

Local pro Brandon Hunter of Benton, Kentucky, (66-10) sits in second, with Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, (63-2) in third. Day Two leader Terry Bolton of Paducah, Kentucky, (61-11) fell to fourth after bringing in a limit weighing 16-14, and Walmart pro Mark Rose of West Memphis, Arkansas, (58-8) rounds out the top five.

With just 6-7 separating Lambert from fourth place angler Terry Bolton, the tournament has turned into an old fashioned Kentucky Lake ledge-fishing shootout.

“Today was as good of a day that I could ask for,” said Lambert, who finished in second place when the FLW Tour last visited Kentucky Lake in 2014. “This lake is really turning on more every day. I got a good start early – I caught a five-pounder and a couple of fours, and it seemed that every stop that I made for the next couple of hours I was upgrading. I probably caught 30 to 40 fish today, the most fish that I’ve caught any day of this tournament. More fish are coming to the ledges and there is less fishing pressure now.”

Lambert said that he had started the tournament with 14 rods on the deck of his boat, but had narrowed it down to just eight today. When he broke off his drop-shot rig today, he said that he didn’t re-tie, opting to remove it from his arsenal.

“There are getting to be less and less rods on my front deck,” Lambert said. “I’m keyed in on three baits, and I’ve been cycling through them. I’ll hit them from different angles and change how I line things up, but I’m really dialed down to three.

“If we can get some wind or a breeze to get the water moving around a little bit, I think we can wreck them tomorrow,” Lambert continued. “The lake has really opened up now with only 10 of us fishing, so the opportunity of getting more places to fish and bouncing around are going to be a lot better.

“I’ve been coming up here fishing for a long time and had a lot of success on this lake,” Lambert went on to say. “I’ve had a couple of second place finishes, a couple of thirds and quite a few top-10s. But, I’ve never gotten the win. It’d be special to win $125,000 anywhere, but it would really be nice to win up here and I would love to pull it off tomorrow.”

The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition on Kentucky Lake are:

1^st: Jason Lambert, Pickwick Dam, Tenn., 15 bass, 68-2

2^nd: Brandon Hunter, Benton, Ky., 15 bass, 66-10

3^rd: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 63-2

4^th: Terry Bolton, Paducah, Ky., 15 bass, 61-11

5^th: Walmart pro Mark Rose, West Memphis, Ark., 15 bass, 58-8

6^th: Livingston Lures pro Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 55-4

7^th: Jayme Rampey, Liberty, S.C., 15 bass, 54-13

8^th: Jacob Wheeler, Indianapolis, Ind., 15 bass, 54-0

9^th: Quaker State pro Scott Canterbury, Springville, Ala., 15 bass, 53-14

10^th: Brad Knight, Lancing, Tenn., 15 bass, 53-10

Finishing in 11^th through 20^th are:

11^th: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 15 bass, 53-10, $12,000

12^th: Quaker State pro Matt Arey, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 51-11, $12,000

13^th: Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., 15 bass, 51-10, $12,000

14^th: Randy Haynes, Counce, Tenn., 14 bass, 51-1, $12,000

15^th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 50-14, $12,000

16^th: Jim Jones, Big Bend, Wis., 15 bass, 48-10, $12,000

17^th: Yamamoto Baits pro Shinichi Fukae, Palestine, Texas, 15 bass, 48-0, $12,000

18^th: Todd Hollowell, Fishers, Ind., 13 bass, 46-2, $12,000

19^th: TH-Marine pro Luke Dunkin, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., 15 bass, 44-12, $12,000

20^th: Pete Ponds, Madison, Miss., 15 bass, 43-11, $12,000

Final results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Overall there were 98 bass weighing 331 pounds even caught by pros Saturday. Nineteen of the final 20 pros weighed in five-bass limits.

Mark Horton of Nicholasville, Kentucky, won the co-angler division and $25,000 Friday with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 33 pounds, 8 ounces, followed by Kevin King of Blountville, Tennessee, who finished in second place with 10 bass weighing 32 pounds, 6 ounces worth $7,500.

In addition to casting for top awards of up to $125,000 cash in the pro division and up to $25,000 cash in the co-angler division, anglers are also competing for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. The 2016 Forrest Wood Cup will be in Huntsville, Alabama, Aug. 4-7 on Wheeler Lake.

Anglers will take off for the final day of competition from Kentucky Dam State Park located at 7792 U.S. Highway 641 N. in Gilbertsville at 6:30 a.m. CDT Sunday. Sunday’s final weigh-in will also be held at the State Park, beginning at 4 p.m.

Fans will also be treated to the FLW Expo Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. at Kentucky Dam State Park before the final weigh-ins. The Expo includes a 100-yard Lew’s Casting Lane, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public.

Coverage of the Kentucky Lake tournament will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) Sept. 28 from 1 p.m.-2 p.m. EST. The Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.

The Walmart FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Mercury Marine is hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

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.

High School All-American Anglers Compete With Pros On McGee Creek Lake

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June 11, 2016

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High School All-American Anglers Compete With Pros On McGee Creek Lake

As part of the GEICO Bassmaster BASSfest presented by Choctaw Casino and Resort, the 12 Bassmaster High School All-Americans were paired with 12 Bassmaster Elite Series pros and earned a chance to fish with the pros on McGee Creek Lake. Cody Stahl (right), a Georgia angler representing CrossPointe Christian Academy, won the one-day event with his Elite Series partner, J Todd Tucker. The pair caught 11 pounds, 7 ounces.

Photo by Seigo Saito/BassmasterBA

June 11, 2016

High School All-American Anglers Compete With Pros On McGee Creek Lake

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DURANT, Okla. — Bassmaster Elite Series pros and the nation’s best high school anglers fished side-by-side Saturday in the second annual Bassmaster High School All-American event, as part of the GEICO Bassmaster BASSfest presented by Chocotaw Casino and Resort.

The program was created to reward young anglers who have gone above and beyond — on the water in competition, as well as off the water in school, leadership and community service — and to let them learn from the nation’s best professional anglers.

The consensus at the conclusion of the fun-fishing derby on Oklahoma’s McGee Creek Lake was that the pros learned from the high school anglers, too.

“When I had the opportunity to participate in this event, it was a no-brainer,” said Bassmaster Elite Series pro Gary Klein. “This is what bass fishing is all about — it’s an opportunity for us to give back and share our experiences. I’ll fish every High School All-American event I can be a part of.”

The 12 high school anglers were paired by random draw with 12 pros who volunteered their time.

Cody Stahl, a Georgia angler representing CrossPointe Christian Academy, won the one-day event with his Elite Series partner, J Todd Tucker. The pair caught a total of 11 pounds, 7 ounces. Each team could only weigh two fish. One had to be caught by the All-American angler.

“On our first spot this morning, J Todd caught an 8-13, and that was so exciting,” Stahl said. “That really set the tone for the rest of the day.

“That catch gave me the confidence to stay out deep,” continued Stahl, who had spent several days practicing on McGee Creek before the derby. “Throughout the day, I only had a couple more bites, and at noon, we went to one more spot were I knew there were giants.”

Stahl hooked a large bass that ended up coming off before he could get it to the boat.

“I set the hook, and it was like setting the hook into a brick wall,” Stahl said. “That bass had to have been every bit of 12 pounds, and she came unbuttoned. It was heartbreaking, but J Todd kept me calm.”

Tucker said he had a great day spending time with the accomplished young angler.

“I thought I was going to have to do a lot of teaching, but I’m the one that learned so much,” Tucker said. “Cody had already been on the water for three days, and he was absolutely 100 percent dialed in on what the fish were doing and why they were doing it. I was amazed at the knowledge Cody has.”

All of the pros shared his sentiment, and many said they are excited about the future of professional fishing with aspiring pros being so skilled at such a young age.

“When I was growing up, someone always took the opportunity to take me hunting or fishing or teach me something new,” said Elite Series angler Bill Lowen, who fished with All-American angler Mason Moore of Waynesburg, Ky. “And, if I hadn’t had those experiences, I might not be standing here today. “

“The High School All-American program gives me hope for the future of our sport,” said Elite Series pro Cliff Crochet, who was partnered with High School All-American Bailey Fain. “These guys are chosen on multiple qualifications from academics to community service, and what they do outside of fishing is just as impressive.”

“This whole experience is a dream come true,” said Fain of Lenoir City, Tenn. “The ultimate goal for me is to be able to do what these guys do — fish for a living — and this is perfect way to realize that.”

Only 12 young anglers were selected from a pool of more than 200 nominees to be a part of the 2016 Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team. The high school anglers traveled from all over the country to McGee Creek Lake from as far west as Arizona and Colorado and as far east as Massachusetts.

Read profiles of each of the Bassmaster High School All-American anglers at Bassmaster.com/High-School and look for more on them in the next issue of Bassmaster Magazine.

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