Bass Cast Radio Episode #1 Featuring Dale Wilson & Jason Houchins
In this weeks episode we will be welcoming everyone to Bass and giving you a look at what you can expect from each episode. Plus Special guest will be Captain Dale Wilson as well as Bass Cast Fall Tournament Dircetor Jason Houchins.
How Humminbird® Pro Aaron Martens Mastered the Tides For Second 2015 Bass Elite Win
How Humminbird® Pro Aaron Martens
Mastered the Tides For Second 2015 Bass Elite Win
EUFAULA, AL (August 24, 2015) – We caught Bass Elite pro Aaron Martens ordering breakfast at the time of the interview.
“No dude, we can talk now. Where am I? Not sure where I am. Somewhere in northern Michigan, I think. Just getting breakfast,” laughed Martens.
Such is the life of a bass pro, which is as much Over-the-Road trucking as it is chunking and winding.
Bass fishing fans across the country already knew the details of A-Mart’s Bassmaster Elite win at Chesapeake Bay a week ago Sunday night, and pundits had covered the win inside and out by Monday morning. Like how Martens struggled until noon on the final tournament day to catch a fish. And the story of a magic fish that may as well have offered him three wishes—a 7-pound, 2-ounce pig, which secured his pole position and second BASS Elite win this year. Martens finished the four-day event with 70 pounds, 2 ounces for $104,000 in winnings. Angler Bill Lowen took second place with 62 pounds, 3 ounces.
There’s significance in the number two. For years Martens couldn’t win a tournament, perpetually taking second place event after event. Superstition grew. He told his wife he’d need 13 second places before he took another first, exactly what happened prior to his win on Lake Havasu this past May.
And now, the number two again … but this time for two firsts.
So, while Aaron waited for his eggs, we asked: “Aaron, what happened on Chesapeake that other fishing writers haven’t already covered?”
“Probably how cool the tide charts are on my Humminbird ONIX units. I was using them to keep track of the tides – how many inches, how many feet it was fluctuating. I’ve never had that before on my graphs. It helped me make sure I was where I needed to be when the fish were going to bite, basically the last two and a half hours of the outgoing tide. It’s super neat and really came into play the last day of the tournament when it was crucial,” says Martens.
A-Mart explains the down and dirty of how he got it done in this off-the-cuff video shot on location.
KNIGHT WINS PROFESSIONAL BASS FISHING’S FORREST WOOD CUP PRESENTED BY WALMART
KNIGHT WINS PROFESSIONAL BASS FISHING’S FORREST WOOD CUP PRESENTED BY WALMART
Tennessee Angler Amasses 51 Pounds of Bass, Wins $500,000
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HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (Aug. 23, 2015) – Professional angler Brad Knight of Lancing, Tennessee, crossed the stage with a five-bass limit weighing 11 pounds, 7 ounces Sunday to claim the title of Forrest Wood Cup Champion at the Forrest Wood Cup at Lake Ouachita presented by Walmart. Knight, with a four-day total of 20 bass for 51-12, won by a 3-pound, 15-ounce margin over Ramie Colson Jr., of Cadiz, Kentucky, and won the $500,000 top award in professional bass fishing’s world championship that featured 50 of the best professional anglers in the world casting for the sport’s largest prize.
“This is unbelievable and it still has not sunk in yet,” said Knight, a seven-year veteran of the Walmart FLW Tour who earned the first victory of his career in this championship event. “It is so humbling to add my name to the list of great champions that have won this Cup before. I may never catch another bass again as long as I live, but no matter what happens from here on out, I’ll still be a Forrest Wood Cup champion. To be a part of that club, that is something that nobody can ever take away from me.
“I had such a tough practice,” Knight continued. “We get three days to figure out the lake, and on the second and third day of practice I did not have a single keeper bite. I found an area in the back of Blakely Creek that was the only place that I was confident that I could even get a single bite and that spot turned out to be gold.”
Knight said that the back of the creek had a lot of standing timber and laydowns that he would target each morning with a 6-inch straight-tail worm on a drop-shot rig. As the day progressed, Knight would move out into the main creek and target a deeper creek channel mud flat with a buzzbait. Weather conditions changed on Sunday and Knight said that he made a key adjustment, finding success using a homemade balsa squarebill-crankbait.
“The drop-shot rig was the most consistent each day,” said Knight. “The buzzbait was a big player for me on the first day. Then, today, the wind changed directions and was blowing directly into the creek. It dirtied the water up and the fish got up shallow and were active. I pulled out an old squarebill plug that I hadn’t caught a fish on in five years and that turned out to be my key bait today.”
“When you win a Tour-level tournament, that is a career-changer and a great feather in your cap,” Knight said. “But, when you win the Forrest Wood Cup, that is a life-changer. I’ve got a 3-year-old girl who now has college paid for. I can write a check and pay off my house when I get home. The thoughts that are running through my head right now are how I can best provide for my family. This is just a humbling, humbling experience.”
The top 10 pros finished the tournament in:
1st: Brad Knight, Lancing, Tenn., 20 bass, 51-12, $500,000
2nd: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 18 bass, 47-13, $60,000
3rd: Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, S.C., 20 bass, 47-11, $50,000
4th: Jacob Wheeler, Indianapolis, Ind., 18 bass, 45-13, $37,500
5th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 18 bass, 45-4, $30,000
6th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 20 bass, 45-0, $24,000
7th: Larry Nixon, Bee Branch, Ark., 18 bass, 44-10, $23,000
8th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 20 bass, 43-11, $22,000
9th: Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 19 bass, 37-12, $21,000
10th: Chris Baumgardner, Gastonia, N.C., 16 bass, 37-9, $20,000
A complete list of results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 42 bass weighing 94 pounds, 15 ounces caught by pros Sunday. Five of the final 10 anglers weighed in five-bass limits.
Sunny Hawk of Salt Lake City, Utah, won the co-angler division and $50,000 Friday with a two-day total of eight bass weighing 19 pounds, 11 ounces followed by Bryan New of Belmont, North Carolina, in second place with nine bass weighing 16-6 worth $10,000.
The 2015 Forrest Wood Cup at Lake Ouachita presented by Walmart was hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
FLW and the Huntsville/Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau announced Saturday that Huntsville, Alabama, will be hosting the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart, the world championship of bass fishing, Aug. 4-7, 2016, on Wheeler Lake. This event marks the first time that the Forrest Wood Cup, the sport’s richest prize, has visited Wheeler Lake.
Coverage of the Forrest Wood Cup will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on the NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) when “FLW” airs December 6 from 7 – 8 p.m. ET. 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 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.
WHEELER REGAINS LEAD AT PROFESSIONAL BASS FISHING’S FORREST WOOD CUP PRESENTED BY WALMART
WHEELER REGAINS LEAD AT PROFESSIONAL BASS FISHING’S FORREST WOOD CUP PRESENTED BY WALMART
Indianapolis Pro Takes Narrow 12-Ounce Lead Into Final Day
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HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (Aug. 22, 2015) – Professional angler Jacob Wheeler of Indianapolis, Indiana, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 14 pounds even to regain the lead after day three of the four-day Forrest Wood Cup at Lake Ouachita presented by Walmart. Wheeler, with a three-day total of 15 bass for 41-1, holds a 12-ounce lead over Brad Knight of Lancing, Tennessee, who has a three-day total of 15 bass for 40-5 in professional bass fishing’s world championship that features 50 of the best professional anglers from around the world casting for the sport’s top award of $500,000.
“I fished clean today and you can’t ask for much more than that,” said Wheeler, who is seeking to become the first ever two-time Forrest Wood Cup champion after winning this event in 2012. “I should have had 14 pounds yesterday, but I lost some fish and didn’t fish clean Today was much better.”
Wheeler estimated that he caught 9 or 10 keeper bass today, with six of them coming on various topwater baits and the rest coming on baits that he fished in the mid-depths. Although he declined to mention any specifics, he said that he was bouncing back and forth between covering water on the bank and targeting schooling fish in the mid-depths.
“The schooling fish are very conditional and fickle,” Wheeler said. “They are not my main pattern, though. I’m catching a few that are schooling then I’m going to the bank and covering water. I’m extremely confident in how I am fishing and just doing what I love to do.”
“This tournament is still wide open and anyone in the top-10 could absolutely win this thing,” Wheeler continued. “The guys behind me are so good. Brad Knight is an unbelievable fisherman. Ramie Colson is right there. Then we’ve got Bryan Thrift sneaking around – he’s capable of catching a giant bag anytime. Somebody is going to catch a big bag tomorrow and whoever gets that big bite is going to be the guy that wins this.
“My gameplan for tomorrow is just to go out and have fun,” Wheeler went on to say. “I live for this moment. I live for the Forrest Wood Cup, every single year. I told Brad (Knight) that he could have the money, I want the Cup. That’s how much that trophy means to me. I want to become the first ever to win the Cup twice. If I can get the right bites and put five fish in the boat tomorrow, I like my odds.”
The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition are:
1st: Jacob Wheeler, Indianapolis, Ind., 15 bass, 41-1
2nd: Brad Knight, Lancing, Tenn., 15 bass, 40-5
3rd: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 14 bass, 37-9
4th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 35-13
5th: Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, S.C., 15 bass, 34-13
6th: Chris Baumgardner, Gastonia, N.C., 14 bass, 33-11
7th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 13 bass, 32-12
8th: Larry Nixon, Bee Branch, Ark., 14 bass, 32-10
9th: Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 15 bass, 32-1
10th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 15 bass, 31-5
Finishing in 11th through 20th are:
11th: Walmart pro David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 15 bass, 30-8, $15,000
12th: Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 15 bass, 30-5, $15,000
13th: Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa., 15 bass, 29-12, $15,000
14th: Livingston Lures pro Stetson Blaylock, Benton, Ark., 15 bass, 28-3, $15,000
15th: Todd Auten, Lake Wylie, S.C., 10 bass, 26-3, $15,000
16th: James Biggs, Euless, Texas, 14 bass, 25-1, $15,000
17th: Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., 10 bass, 24-12, $15,000
18th: Quaker State pro Matt Arey, Shelby, N.C., 12 bass, 24-12, $15,000
19th: Lowrance pro Ishama Monroe, Hughson, Calif., nine bass, 23-2, $15,000
20th: Clark Wendlandt, Leander, Texas, 11 bass, 22-13, $15,000
Final results for the remaining field can be found on FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 78 bass weighing 161 pounds, 1 ounce caught by pros Saturday. The catch included 11 five-bass limits.
Sunny Hawk of Salt Lake City, Utah, won the co-angler division and $50,000 Friday with a two-day total of eight bass weighing 19 pounds, 11 ounces followed by Bryan New of Belmont, North Carolina, in second place with nine bass weighing 16-6 worth $10,000.
The 2015 Forrest Wood Cup at Lake Ouachita presented by Walmart is being hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
The final 10 anglers will take off from the Brady Mountain Resort and Marina located at 4120 Brady Mountain Road in Royal, Arkansas, at 7 a.m. Sunday at the Folger’s Morning Takeoff. Sunday’s final weigh-in will be held at Bank of the Ozarks Arena located at 134 Convention Blvd. in Hot Springs, Arkansas, beginning at 5 p.m.
Fans will be treated to the FLW Expo at the Hot Springs Convention Center on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. prior to the weigh-ins. The Expo includes games, activities and giveaways provided by more than 40 FLW sponsors, the opportunity to shop the latest tackle and outdoor gear from more than 120 exhibitors, Ranger boat simulators, a casting pond and a trout pond for children, as well as the opportunity to meet and interact with top professional anglers, including Hank Parker, Jimmy Houston and Byron Velvick. FLW’s namesake Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, will also be greeting fans.
On Sunday the first 500 children 14 and under each day who are accompanied by an adult will receive a voucher to redeem for a free rod and reel combo courtesy of KATV ABC 7 after the evening’s weigh-in. One lucky fishing fan will win a brand new Ranger Z520C bass boat with an Evinrude G2 outboard motor courtesy of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The Ranger Boat giveaway is free to enter but the winner must be present at the conclusion of Sunday’s final weigh-in to win.
Also on Sunday, FLW fans will be treated to the Bass & BBQ Festival in conjunction with the FLW Expo. During the two day event, fans will have the opportunity to sample barbecue from 30 of the top teams in the country. The competition is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society and is a part of a yearlong points race to find the best barbecue in the nation. A $5 donation will give fans five tickets to redeem for pulled pork and rib samples from the competing teams. All fans who buy sampling tickets will help determine the “Fishermen’s Favorite” Award, which goes to the team that collects the most votes. Awards will be presented before the Forrest Wood Cup weigh-ins Saturday and Sunday at Bank of the Ozarks Arena. The total payout for the two-day competition is $10,000.
Live concerts will also be a huge part of the Bass & BBQ festival and the FLW weigh-ins. The Luke Williams Band will perform outdoors at the BBQ competition on Sunday from 2 to 3 p.m. Country music superstar Justin Moore will headline the festivities with a free live concert on the Walmart weigh-in stage in Bank of the Ozarks Arena on Sunday, starting at 4 p.m. The Valory Music Company recording artist has four No.1 hits, including “Small Town USA,” “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away” and “Til My Last Day.”
The Folger’s Morning Takeoffs, FLW Expo, Bass & BBQ event, live concerts and weigh-ins are all free and open to the public.
Coverage of the Forrest Wood Cup will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on the NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) when “FLW” airs December 6 from 7 – 8 p.m. ET. 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 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.
HUNTSVILLE TO HOST 2016 FORREST WOOD CUP – FLW
HUNTSVILLE TO HOST 2016 FORREST WOOD CUP
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (Aug. 22, 2015) – FLW and the Huntsville/Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) announced Saturday that Huntsville, Alabama, will be hosting the Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart, the world championship of bass fishing, Aug. 4-7, 2016, on Wheeler Lake. This event marks the first time that the Forrest Wood Cup, the sport’s richest prize, has visited Wheeler Lake.
“Wheeler Lake has been the site of many successful FLW events,” said Kathy Fennel, FLW President of Operations. “We are thrilled to be working with our partners at the Huntsville/Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau to bring the Super Bowl of professional fishing to Alabama in 2016.”
Wheeler Lake and the Huntsville area are a very familiar destination for FLW. The city has played host to numerous Walmart FLW Tour, Rayovac FLW Series and Walmart Bass Fishing League events. The 2016 Forrest Wood Cup will mark the 21st anniversary of the championship tournament. The event will be held at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville.
“We are thrilled Huntsville was selected to host the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup,” said Judy Ryals, President and CEO of the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau. “By hosting previous Walmart FLW Tour events, our partnership with FLW showcased Huntsville and Madison County to fishing fans across the country, and now, we are extremely honored to host the Cup for the very first time. We invite attendees to come experience our hospitality and get a taste of why Huntsville is ranked as one of the top places to live, work and play. The CVB, City of Huntsville, Ditto Landing and Von Braun Center, are excited for FLW’s return to the Rocket City.”
Hot and Cold: The Struggle of Fishing by Bruce Callis
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The Huk Performance Fishing Bassmaster Elite at Chesapeake Bay is in the books and many are so glad. Championship day started off with Aaron Martens holding a 5 pound lead over Bill Lowen. Fans following along on Bassmaster Live saw Bill on fire as Aaron struggled. But with one bass, a whopping 7 pound 2 ounce monster, Aaron came alive, producing both the big bass of the tournament and the biggest bag of the tournament at 21.5 pounds.
Aaron started off Day 1 with a 17.8 pound bag to take a less than a pound lead over Chad Pipkens. Day 2 had Aaron catching a 15 pound limit for a slim, less than a pound, lead over Chad still. Following the cut, Aaron produced a 16.5 pound limit and an almost 5 pound lead over Bill Lowen. Aaron secured his victory with an almost 8 pound lead over Lowen. And to end the day, a young boy standing on the pier cheering him on as he did wrap up videos, fell into the water. Talking to him to keep him calm, Aaron used his trolling motor to go over and pull him into his boat.
Aaron used a drop shot rig, a standard vibrating jig, a spinnerbait, and a Chatterbait throughout the 4 days. He credits the Chatterbait as the key to his rebound Sunday. He said he was using a green pumpkin/blue skirt on the Chatterbait with a Strike King Blade Minnow in the blue gizzard color pattern as a trailer.
But as much as it was a tough battle for some, it was a disappointment for others. The Upper Chesapeake Bay proved to be as tough as it can be. On the first day, 9 anglers did not land one measurable bass. On day 2 that figure rose to 13 anglers. Seventeen anglers on day one could only land one measurable bass, with day 2 improving to only 12 anglers with one bass. Day one offered 43 limits and on day 2 that dropped to 36. That is not even counting the many anglers who struggled finding only 2 or 3 bass that measured. A fishery that can be so hot was so cold to so many.
Following the event why do so many anglers put out videos saying what they used to catch their bass? They say how much of a struggle it was, but I used this bait and this bait to catch my fish (all 3 of them). I like knowing what anglers use and what works, but really? Do I want to know that this bait didn’t produce a limit for you? Or do I want to know that this sponsor’s bait didn’t land you any fish at all. Brand loyalty is great, but why do you need to say this bait worked for me. Obviously, it didn’t work that great for you, you finished with just 3 fish for the tournament. I’m not saying it isn’t a great bait, but really, only catching 3 fish with 2 baits is going to make me rush out and buy that lure?
COLSON TAKES LEAD AT PROFESSIONAL BASS FISHING’S FORREST WOOD CUP PRESENTED BY WALMART
COLSON TAKES LEAD AT PROFESSIONAL BASS FISHING’S FORREST WOOD CUP PRESENTED BY WALMART
Salt Lake City’s Hawk Wins Co-angler Title, $50,000
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HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (Aug. 21, 2015) – Fifty of the best professional bass anglers in the world continued their four-day competition for a top cash award of $500,000 at the Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart, the world championship of bass fishing, at Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas on Friday.
After the last fish had been brought to the scale, Ramie Colson Jr., of Cadiz, Kentucky, grabbed the lead by weighing in a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 4 ounces – the heaviest stringer of the tournament thus far. Colson’s two-day total of 10 bass weighing 31-1 give him a 2-pound, 13-ounce lead heading into day three, with Brad Knight of Lancing, Tennessee, right behind him in second place with 10 bass weighing 28-4.
“I had about 12 or 13 pounds in my livewell this afternoon and was already having a pretty good day,” said Colson, who has earned more than $645,000 in his 11 years as a professional on the Walmart FLW Tour. “I told my co-angler that if I could get a big fish right now, it would be a game changer for me. Then the Good Lord blessed me and I caught a 5 (pound), 14 (ounce) fish at 2:30. Now, here I am getting ready to fish another day.”
Colson said that he has stuck to one main area, consisting of three different arms of the lake. He said that while many of his competitors were beating the banks with topwater baits, he opted to stay out deeper and fish very, very slow.
“That’s been my key so far, fishing extremely slowly,” Colson said. “I don’t cover water very fast, and it seems like that is what everybody else is doing. That seems to be working for them, but that is not my cup of tea. I like to spend my time fishing slow and dissect the spot, then I move on to another.”
Although he declined to mention any specifics, he did say that he was fishing soft plastics and managed to bag a total of 12 keepers throughout the day. He credited his Garmin Panoptix sonar as being a major factor in his success.
“I can turn my Panoptix directly on the brush pile and it’ll show me if there are any fish there, saving me quite a bit of time. I caught them out of 15 different piles, but I’ve got around 40 different piles marked.
“I figured that if I could catch 10 to 12 pounds a day that I would make the top-20 cut and get to fish the weekend. Anything more than that would be a bonus,” Colson went on to say. “It’s tough fishing out there, but I’m having a lot of fun and doing what I love to do.”
The top 20 pros that will continue to Saturday’s competition are:
1st: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 10 bass, 31-1
2nd: Brad Knight, Lancing, Tenn., 10 bass, 28-4
3rd: Jacob Wheeler, Indianapolis, Ind., 10 bass, 27-1
4th: Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, S.C., 10 bass, 25-12
5th: Chris Baumgardner, Gastonia, N.C., 10 bass, 25-10
6th: Todd Auten, Lake Wylie, S.C., nine bass, 24-13
7th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 10 bass, 24-9
8th: Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 10 bass, 23-4
9th: Walmart pro David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 10 bass, 21-11
10th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 10 bass, 21-10
11th: Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., nine bass, 21-8
12th: Larry Nixon, Bee Branch, Ark., 10 bass, 21-7
13th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 10 bass, 20-9
14th: Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa., 10 bass, 20-6
15th: Quaker State pro Matt Arey, Shelby, N.C., 10 bass, 20-1
16th: Livingston Lures pro Stetson Blaylock, Benton, Ark., 10 bass, 20-0
17th: Clark Wendlandt, Leander, Texas, nine bass, 19-15
18th: Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 10 bass, 19-13
19th: Lowrance pro Ishama Monroe, Hughson, Calif., seven bass, 19-12
20th: James Biggs, Euless, Texas, nine bass, 19-4
Final results for the remaining field can be found on FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 193 bass weighing 387 pounds, 9 ounces caught by pros Friday. The catch included 28 five-bass limits.
Sunny Hawk of Salt Lake City, Utah, won the co-angler division and $50,000 Friday with a two-day total of eight bass weighing 19 pounds, 11 ounces followed by Bryan New of Belmont, North Carolina, in second place with nine bass weighing 16-6 worth $10,000.
“It’s a blessing to be here competing for the Forrest Wood Cup,” said Hawk of his first win in FLW competition. “There’s a ton of great co-anglers in the field. It has been an amazing opportunity for me.”
Hawk said that he caught the majority of his fish on a Lucky Craft Gunfish topwater bait, but also caught one of his keepers on a frog.
Sunny Hawk, Salt Lake City, Utah, eight bass, 19-11, $50,000
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Sunny Hawk, Salt Lake City, Utah, eight bass, 19-11, $50,000
2nd: Bryan New, Belmont, N.C., nine bass, 16-6, $10,000
3rd: David Hudson, Jasper, Ala., five bass, 12-12, $9,000
4th: Todd Lee, Jasper, Ala., seven bass, 11-4, $8,000
5th: Timmy Thompkins, Myrtle Beach, S.C., five bass, 11-0, $7,000
6th: Billy Billeaud, Lafayette, La., eight bass, 10-14, $6,000
7th: Tee Watkins, East Point, eight bass, 10-9, $5,500
8th: Joshua Weaver, Macon, Ga., four bass, 9-6, $5,000
9th: Brett Rachal, Monroe, La., five bass, 9-2, $4,500
10th: Eric Self, Lawndale, N.C., five bass, 8-10, $4,000
Overall there were 81 bass weighing 131 pounds, 14 ounces caught by co-anglers Friday.
The 2015 Forrest Wood Cup at Lake Ouachita presented by Walmart is being hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
Anglers will take off from the Brady Mountain Resort and Marina located at 4120 Brady Mountain Road in Royal, Arkansas, at 7 a.m. each morning at the Folger’s Morning Takeoff. Each days weigh-in will be held at Bank of the Ozarks Arena located at 134 Convention Blvd. in Hot Springs, Arkansas, beginning at 5 p.m.
Fans will be treated to the FLW Expo at the Hot Springs Convention Center on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. prior to the weigh-ins. The Expo includes games, activities and giveaways provided by more than 40 FLW sponsors, the opportunity to shop the latest tackle and outdoor gear from more than 100 exhibitors, Ranger boat simulators, a casting pond and a trout pond for children, as well as the opportunity to meet and interact with top professional anglers, including Hank Parker, Jimmy Houston and Byron Velvick. FLW’s namesake Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, will also be greeting fans.
On Saturday and Sunday the first 500 children 14 and under each day who are accompanied by an adult will receive a voucher to redeem for a free rod and reel combo courtesy of KATV ABC 7 after the evening’s weigh-in. Also on Sunday one lucky fishing fan will win a brand new Ranger Z520C bass boat with an Evinrude G2 outboard motor courtesy of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The Ranger Boat giveaway is free to enter but the winner must be present at the conclusion of Sunday’s final weigh-in to win.
Also on Saturday and Sunday, FLW fans will be treated to the Bass & BBQ Festival in conjunction with the FLW Expo. During the two day event, fans will have the opportunity to sample barbecue from 30 of the top teams in the country. The competition is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society and is a part of a yearlong points race to find the best barbecue in the nation. A $5 donation will give fans five tickets to redeem for pulled pork and rib samples from the competing teams. All fans who buy sampling tickets will help determine the “Fishermen’s Favorite” Award, which goes to the team that collects the most votes. Awards will be presented before the Forrest Wood Cup weigh-ins Saturday and Sunday at Bank of the Ozarks Arena. The total payout for the two-day competition is $10,000.
Live concerts will also be a huge part of the Bass & BBQ festival and the FLW weigh-ins. Shari Bales & Southbound will perform outdoors at the competition on Saturday from 2 to 3 p.m., while the Luke Williams Band will play at the same time Sunday. Country music superstar Justin Moore will headline the festivities with a free live concert on the Walmart weigh-in stage in Bank of the Ozarks Arena on Sunday, starting at 4 p.m. The Valory Music Company recording artist has four No.1 hits, including “Small Town USA,” “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away” and “Til My Last Day.”
The Folger’s Morning Takeoffs, FLW Expo, Bass & BBQ event, live concerts and weigh-ins are all free and open to the public.
Coverage of the Forrest Wood Cup will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on the NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) when “FLW” airs December 6 from 7 – 8 p.m. ET. 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 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.
LUTCOM SA DE CV SIGNS EXCLUSIVE FLW LICENSING AGREEMENT TO BEGIN RUNNING FLW FISHING TOURNAMENTS IN MEXICO
LUTCOM SA DE CV SIGNS EXCLUSIVE FLW LICENSING AGREEMENT TO BEGIN RUNNING FLW FISHING TOURNAMENTS IN MEXICO
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HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (Aug. 21, 2015) – FLW, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced an exclusive licensing agreement today with LUTCOM SA DE CV, of Mexico City, Mexico, to begin sanctioning FLW bass-fishing tournaments in Mexico at a signing during the “FLW Morning Show” at the Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart. The agreement was signed by FLW President of Operations Kathy Fennel and Jaime Luengo, President and CEO of LUTCOM SA DE CV.
“Bass fishing is a year-round sport in Mexico that is rapidly growing in popularity,” said Luengo, who has experience on the Walmart FLW Tour as a co-angler. “This new era of competitive fishing will bring more awareness to my country to take care of the resources. It is great to have the support of FLW, as it allows our great fisherman to compete head-to-head with the best anglers in the world.”
Mexico will run a series of FLW tournaments that advance anglers, who are citizens of the host country, to the new international division at the Rayovac FLW Series Championship beginning in 2016. Two anglers will compete as pros with FLW providing Ranger boats and two will compete as co-anglers.
The top pro award at the Rayovac FLW Series Championship is $95,000, including a Ranger Z518C if the pro is Ranger Cup qualified, and the top co-angler award is a Ranger Z117. The highest finishing pro from the newly introduced International Division at the Rayovac FLW Series Championship will advance to the following year’s Forrest Wood Cup for the chance to compete on the sport’s biggest stage for the biggest payday in bass fishing. FLW will also provide a Ranger boat for use in the Forrest Wood Cup.
Mexico is the fourth country to sign on for international sanctioning, joining Canada, South Korea and China as FLW partners under the new program.
“We are thrilled that Mexico has joined Canada, South Korea and China in running FLW-sanctioned tournaments in 2016,” said Kathy Fennel, FLW President of Operations. “It is well known that there are some fantastic bass fisheries in Mexico. There are also some incredibly talented anglers, and we look forward to welcoming them to the new international division of our Rayovac FLW Series.”
Additional FLW qualifying tournaments in other countries are forthcoming. Watch FLWFishing.com for details.
Named after the founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW introduced its Fishing League Worldwide tagline last year to better reflect its status as the world’s largest tournament fishing organization. Earlier this year FLW expanded its presence on the world stage with the introduction of a sanctioning program allowing international partners to license the iconic brand and run FLW tournaments abroad.
WHEELER GRABS DAY ONE LEAD AT PROFESSIONAL BASS FISHING’S FORREST WOOD CUP PRESENTED BY WALMART
WHEELER GRABS DAY ONE LEAD AT PROFESSIONAL BASS FISHING’S FORREST WOOD CUP PRESENTED BY WALMART
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HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (Aug. 20, 2015) – Fifty of the best professional bass anglers in the world began their four-day competition for a top cash award of $500,000 at the Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart, the world championship of bass fishing, at Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas on Thursday.
Jacob Wheeler of Indianapolis, Indiana, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 2 ounces to take the early lead after day one of the four-day event. Wheeler now holds a slim 1-pound, 2-ounce lead over Lowrance pro Ishama Monroe of Hughson, California, who caught five bass weighing 15 pounds even, good for second place.
“I was very fortunate today. My practice wasn’t great, and I really wasn’t on a whole lot coming in to the tournament,” said Wheeler, who won the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Lanier in Duluth, Georgia. “I had a few places out deep and a few places shallow, but I felt like I could catch a pretty good bag if everything worked out. Today, it did. Hopefully I can go out tomorrow and duplicate what I did today.”
Wheeler said that he was threw six different baits throughout the day and managed to catch nine fish, although four of them only weighed 1½ pounds. He said that he covered a lot of water today and tried to find some new areas to fish tomorrow.
“I did some looking and tried to figure out what was getting hammered by other anglers and what was being left alone,” Wheeler said. “Tomorrow I’m going to fish my same area, but I won’t hesitate to fish some new water. The key will be figuring out how to stay consistent.”
When the 2012 champ was asked if he approached this event just like any other tournament he was quick to point out that the magnitude of this event.
“The Forrest Wood Cup is a totally different tournament,” Wheeler said. “There is so much on the line – not only the money. One of these years, someone is going to become the first ever two-time champion. I know Scott (Martin) wants to win it. I know (Luke) Clausen wants to win it. No one has ever won it twice.
“I love those guys, but I’m going to go out there tomorrow and catch as much as I can to do my best to beat them,” Wheeler went on to say. “It’s going to be an absolute grind – a battle to the end – I can guarantee you that.”
The top 20 pros after day one on Lake Ouachita are:
1st: Jacob Wheeler, Indianapolis, Ind., five bass, 16-2
2nd: Lowrance pro Ishama Monroe, Hughson, Calif., five bass, 15-0
3rd: Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, S.C., five bass, 14-10
4th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., five bass, 14-6
5th: Brad Knight, Lancing, Tenn., five bass, 14-4
6th: Chris Baumgardner, Gastonia, N.C., five bass, 13-8
7th: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., five bass, 13-3
8th: Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., five bass, 13-1
9th: Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., five bass, 12-15
10th: John Cox, DeBary, Fla., four bass, 12-0
11th: Matthew Stefan, Junction City, Wis., five bass, 11-12
12th: Chris McCall, Brookeland, Texas, five bass, 11-8
13th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., five bass, 11-4
13th: Patrick Walters, Summerville, S.C., five bass, 11-4
15th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., five bass, 10-14
16th: Clark Wendlandt, Leander, Texas, five bass, 10-10
17th: Livingston Lures pro Stetson Blaylock, Benton, Ark., five bass, 10-9
18th: Livingston Lures pro Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., four bass, 10-5
19th: Quaker State pro Matt Arey, Shelby, N.C., five bass, 10-4
20th: James Biggs, Euless, Texas, four bass, 10-1
For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.
Sunny Hawk of Salt Lake City, Utah, leads the co-angler division with five bass weighing 13 pounds, 6 ounces followed by Bryan New in second place with five bass weighing 10 pounds, 15 ounces. Co-anglers are fishing for a top award of $50,000.
The top 20 co-anglers are:
1st: Sunny Hawk, Salt Lake City, Utah, five bass, 13-6
2nd: Bryan New, Belmont, N.C., five bass, 10-15
3rd: Brett Rachal, Monroe, La., five bass, 9-2
4th: Eric Self, Lawndale, N.C., five bass, 8-10
5th: Todd Lee, Jasper, Ala., five bass, 8-9
6th: Bob Burgess, Charleston, W. Va., four bass, 8-6
7th: Joshua Weaver, Macon, Ga., three bass, 7-15
8th: David Hudson, Jasper, Ala., two bass, 7-5
9th: Tee Watkins, East Point, Ky., five bass, 7-1
10th: Chad Randles, Elkhorn, Neb., three bass, 7-0
11th: Jordan Osborne, Longview, Texas, three bass, 6-13
12th: Brandon Bray, Marble Falls, Texas, three bass, 6-8
13th: Billy Billeaud, Lafayette, La., five bass, 6-4
13th: Tom Stark, Angola, Ind., five bass, 6-4
15th: Carl Gillespie, Old Hickory, Tenn., three bass, 6-3
16th: Gary Haraguchi, Redding, Calif., four bass, 5-14
17th: Ryan Bowman, Seneca, S.C., three bass, 5-3
18th: Josh Smith, Hamilton, Ohio, three bass, 4-9
19th: Tim Cales, Sandstone, W. Va., three bass, 4-0
20th: Gettys Brannon, Columbia, S.C., two bass, 3-13
20th: Shane Melton, Kokomo, Ind., two bass, 3-13
Anglers will take off from the Brady Mountain Resort and Marina located at 4120 Brady Mountain Road in Royal, Arkansas, at 7 a.m. each morning at the Folger’s Morning Takeoff. Each days weigh-in will be held at Bank of the Ozarks Arena located at 134 Convention Blvd. in Hot Springs, Arkansas, beginning at 5 p.m.
Fans will be treated to the FLW Expo at the Hot Springs Convention Center on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. prior to the weigh-ins. The Expo includes games, activities and giveaways provided by more than 40 FLW sponsors, the opportunity to shop the latest tackle and outdoor gear from more than 100 exhibitors, Ranger boat simulators, a casting pond and a trout pond for children, as well as the opportunity to meet and interact with top professional anglers, including Hank Parker, Jimmy Houston and Byron Velvick. FLW’s namesake Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, will also be greeting fans.
On Saturday and Sunday the first 500 children 14 and under each day who are accompanied by an adult will receive a voucher to redeem for a free rod and reel combo courtesy of KATV ABC 7 after the evening’s weigh-in. Also on Sunday one lucky fishing fan will win a brand new Ranger Z520C bass boat with an Evinrude G2 outboard motor courtesy of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The Ranger Boat giveaway is free to enter but the winner must be present at the conclusion of Sunday’s final weigh-in to win.
Also on Saturday and Sunday, FLW fans will be treated to the Bass & BBQ Festival in conjunction with the FLW Expo. During the two day event, fans will have the opportunity to sample barbecue from 30 of the top teams in the country. The competition is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society and is a part of a yearlong points race to find the best barbecue in the nation. A $5 donation will give fans five tickets to redeem for pulled pork and rib samples from the competing teams. All fans who buy sampling tickets will help determine the “Fishermen’s Favorite” Award, which goes to the team that collects the most votes. Awards will be presented before the Forrest Wood Cup weigh-ins Saturday and Sunday at Bank of the Ozarks Arena. The total payout for the two-day competition is $10,000.
Live concerts will also be a huge part of the Bass & BBQ festival and the FLW weigh-ins. Shari Bales & Southbound will perform outdoors at the competition on Saturday from 2 to 3 p.m., while the Luke Williams Band will play at the same time Sunday. Country music superstar Justin Moore will headline the festivities with a free live concert on the Walmart weigh-in stage in Bank of the Ozarks Arena on Sunday, starting at 4 p.m. The Valory Music Company recording artist has four No.1 hits, including “Small Town USA,” “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away” and “Til My Last Day.”
The Folger’s Morning Takeoffs, FLW Expo, Bass & BBQ event, live concerts and weigh-ins are all free and open to the public.
Coverage of the Forrest Wood Cup will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on the NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) when “FLW” airs December 6 from 7 – 8 p.m. ET. 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 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.