Search
Subscribe
Tuesday, December 16, 2025
Home Blog Page 1252

Evers Rockets Into Lead In Bassmaster Elite On The St. Lawrence River

wpalert
-
0
Evers Rockets Into Lead In Bassmaster Elite On The St. Lawrence River
Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., takes the lead on Day 2 of the Evan Williams Bourbon Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River bringing 22 pounds, 9 ounces to the scales for a two-day total weight of 43 pounds, 12 ounces. 

Photo by Gary Tramontina/Bassmaster

July 31, 2015

Evers Rockets Into Lead In Bassmaster Elite On The St. Lawrence River

[print_link]

WADDINGTON, N.Y. — With the bass still scattered after a late spawn, anglers haven’t gotten a lot of bites during the first two rounds of the Evan Williams Bourbon Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River.

They’ve been concentrating more on finding quality bites — smallmouth or largemouth bass weighing 4 pounds or more apiece — and no one has found better quality so far than Oklahoma angler Edwin Evers.

After catching 21 pounds, 3 ounces during Thursday’s opening round, Evers added five gorgeous smallmouth bass that weighed 22-9 Friday and jumped into the lead with a two-day total of 43-12.

His Friday catch, which was the largest of the day for the 107-angler field, gave him a solid cushion over second-place angler Skeet Reese (40-5) of California and third-place angler Josh Bertrand (39-12) of Arizona.

“I’ve only been getting about seven or eight bites a day these first two days,” Evers said. “But I’ve been getting good bites, and they’ve been coming early. I spent the second half of both days practicing and just trying to find more stuff like I’m doing.”

Evers said he was concerned coming into the event after locating only four bass on the second day of practice — a time by which he usually likes to have a big part of his game plan nailed down. He also said it could be a little nerve-racking going back out Saturday, knowing he doesn’t have a large number of fish located.

But his consistency in the first two rounds has put him in position to do something that’s never been done on the Bassmaster Elite Series. After winning BASSfest on Kentucky Lake last month, he could become the first angler to win back-to-back tournaments since the Elite Series was formed 10 years ago.

“That would be awesome, but there’s a lot of fishing left,” Evers said. “There’s just not a lot of fish in any one spot. So we’ll just have to see how it goes.”

Day 1 leader Shaw Grigsby proved just how unpredictable the fishing is on the river right now. After a tournament-best catch of 22-15 Thursday, Grigsby caught just two fish that weighed 3-13 Friday and missed the semifinal cut after falling all the way to 76th place.

Such collapses were common Friday, and they cleared a path for anglers like Reese and Bertrand to make a move.

After landing in ninth place with 20-8 Thursday, Reese caught 19-13 Friday and rose to second with 40-5. He’s one of the few anglers in the field who has been catching good numbers of bass.

“I caught a lot of fish today, probably 40 or better,” Reese said. “It was a fun day. Last time we were here, I didn’t make it to Saturday. So I’m glad to make the cut and get to go fishing again tomorrow.”

Like Evers, Bertrand said his bites were few and far between Friday. But he still managed five bass that weighed 20-11 and moved into third with 39-12.

“Luckily, out of the bites I got, I put them all in the boat — and they were good quality,” Bertrand said. “I’ve caught them really by ‘junk fishing.’”

Unlike the other anglers at the top of the leaderboard, Bertrand was open about the technique he’s using. He’s said he’s been using a drop-shot rig, and the fishing has been extremely slow.

“My two best fish today came from totally different depths,” Bertrand said. “One was up in 10 feet and one was down in 30. That’s sort of the way it’s working. There hasn’t been any flurry when you can catch several fish in a row.”

Alabama angler Aaron Martens caught 17-11 Friday and moved into 12th place with 37-3.That allowed him to maintain a slim lead over Arizona pro Dean Rojas in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings.

Rojas caught 18-3 and moved into 24th place with 34-9. With 501 points on the season, Rojas trails Martens by eight points in the AOY standings.

The field was trimmed to 50 after Friday’s round, with pros needing at least 30-8 to make the cut. Oklahoma angler Tommy Biffle was the last man in.

Those Top 50 anglers will leave Whittaker Park at 6:15 a.m. ET Saturday with the weigh-in scheduled back at the park at 3:15 p.m. Only the Top 12 anglers after Saturday will advance to Sunday’s championship round.

2015 Evan Williams Bourbon Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River 7/30-8/2
St. Lawrence River, Waddington  NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2

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

1.  Edwin Evers            Talala, OK              10  43-12  100     $500.00
Day 1: 5   21-03     Day 2: 5   22-09
2.  Skeet Reese            Auburn, CA              10  40-05   99
Day 1: 5   20-08     Day 2: 5   19-13
3.  Josh Bertrand          Gilbert, AZ             10  39-12   98
Day 1: 5   19-01     Day 2: 5   20-11
4.  Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL         10  39-07   97
Day 1: 5   21-07     Day 2: 5   18-00
5.  Brandon Card           Caryville, TN           10  38-11   96
Day 1: 5   19-08     Day 2: 5   19-03
6.  Alton Jones            Lorena, TX              10  38-10   95
Day 1: 5   21-04     Day 2: 5   17-06
7.  Kevin Ledoux           Choctaw, OK             10  38-00   94
Day 1: 5   20-07     Day 2: 5   17-09
8.  Mark Davis             Mount Ida, AR           10  37-14   93
Day 1: 5   19-14     Day 2: 5   18-00
9.  Seth Feider            Bloomington, MN         10  37-14   92
Day 1: 5   18-04     Day 2: 5   19-10
10. Bobby Lane Jr.         Lakeland, FL            10  37-11   91
Day 1: 5   21-10     Day 2: 5   16-01
11. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA            10  37-07   90
Day 1: 5   18-15     Day 2: 5   18-08
12. Aaron Martens          Leeds, AL               10  37-03   89
Day 1: 5   19-08     Day 2: 5   17-11
13. Dennis Tietje          Roanoke, LA             10  36-14   88
Day 1: 5   17-05     Day 2: 5   19-09
14. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ              10  36-11   87
Day 1: 5   18-01     Day 2: 5   18-10
15. Jacob Powroznik        Port Haywood, VA        10  36-07   86
Day 1: 5   18-15     Day 2: 5   17-08
16. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL            10  36-07   85
Day 1: 5   17-09     Day 2: 5   18-14
17. Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID            10  36-01   84
Day 1: 5   18-08     Day 2: 5   17-09
18. Chris Zaldain          San Jose, CA            10  35-15   83
Day 1: 5   17-03     Day 2: 5   18-12
19. Stephen Browning       Hot Springs, AR         10  35-11   82
Day 1: 5   21-02     Day 2: 5   14-09
20. Fred Roumbanis         Bixby, OK               10  35-09   81
Day 1: 5   18-14     Day 2: 5   16-11
21. Billy McCaghren        Mayflower, AR           10  35-03   80
Day 1: 5   18-03     Day 2: 5   17-00
22. Chad Pipkens           Holt, MI                10  35-00   79
Day 1: 5   18-06     Day 2: 5   16-10
23. Michael Iaconelli      Pitts Grove, NJ         10  34-12   78
Day 1: 5   20-12     Day 2: 5   14-00
24. Dean Rojas             Lake Havasu City, AZ    10  34-09   77
Day 1: 5   16-06     Day 2: 5   18-03
25. Takahiro Omori         Emory, TX               10  34-06   76
Day 1: 5   17-04     Day 2: 5   17-02
26. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX          10  34-02   75
Day 1: 5   17-15     Day 2: 5   16-03
27. Casey Ashley           Donalds, SC             10  34-01   74
Day 1: 5   17-04     Day 2: 5   16-13
28. David Williams         Maiden, NC              10  33-10   73
Day 1: 5   14-04     Day 2: 5   19-06
29. John Murray            Phoenix, AZ             10  33-01   72
Day 1: 5   15-08     Day 2: 5   17-09
30. Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT           10  33-01   71
Day 1: 5   16-13     Day 2: 5   16-04
31. Nate Wellman           Newaygo, MI             10  32-15   70
Day 1: 5   18-14     Day 2: 5   14-01
32. David Walker           Sevierville, TN         10  32-15   69
Day 1: 5   17-03     Day 2: 5   15-12
33. Andy Montgomery        Blacksburg, SC          10  32-14   68
Day 1: 5   17-01     Day 2: 5   15-13
34. Kevin VanDam           Kalamazoo, MI           10  32-13   67
Day 1: 5   18-02     Day 2: 5   14-11
35. Hank Cherry Jr         Maiden, NC              10  32-13   66
Day 1: 5   16-12     Day 2: 5   16-01
36. Zell Rowland           Montgomery, TX          10  32-10   65
Day 1: 5   17-08     Day 2: 5   15-02
37. Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA              10  32-07   64
Day 1: 5   12-12     Day 2: 5   19-11
38. Morizo Shimizu         Suita, Osaka JAPAN      10  32-01   63
Day 1: 5   19-10     Day 2: 5   12-07
39. Marty Robinson         Lyman, SC               10  31-13   62
Day 1: 5   17-13     Day 2: 5   14-00
40. Jared Lintner          Arroyo Grande, CA       10  31-10   61
Day 1: 5   17-01     Day 2: 5   14-09
41. Jordan Lee             Vinemont, AL            10  31-09   60
Day 1: 5   16-00     Day 2: 5   15-09
42. Paul Elias             Laurel, MS              10  31-06   59
Day 1: 5   13-14     Day 2: 5   17-08
43. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY             10  31-01   58
Day 1: 5   11-09     Day 2: 5   19-08
44. Randy Howell           Springville, AL         10  31-00   57
Day 1: 5   17-13     Day 2: 5   13-03
45. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN          10  30-15   56
Day 1: 5   15-15     Day 2: 5   15-00
46. Matt Lee               Guntersville, AL        10  30-13   55
Day 1: 5   16-08     Day 2: 5   14-05
47. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL              10  30-13   54
Day 1: 5   14-10     Day 2: 5   16-03
48. Brent Ehrler           Newport Beach, CA       10  30-11   53
Day 1: 5   18-02     Day 2: 5   12-09
49. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                 10  30-10   52
Day 1: 5   14-14     Day 2: 5   15-12
50. Tommy Biffle           Wagoner, OK             10  30-08   51
Day 1: 5   16-09     Day 2: 5   13-15
51. Britt Myers            Lake Wylie, SC          10  30-07   50
Day 1: 5   15-13     Day 2: 5   14-10
52. Scott Rook             Little Rock, AR          9  30-06   49
Day 1: 5   16-00     Day 2: 4   14-06
53. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA               10  30-05   48
Day 1: 5   17-03     Day 2: 5   13-02
54. Jeff Kriet             Ardmore, OK             10  30-01   47
Day 1: 5   18-07     Day 2: 5   11-10
55. Mike Kernan            Wylie, TX               10  30-00   46
Day 1: 5   13-15     Day 2: 5   16-01
56. Russ Lane              Prattville, AL           8  29-15   45
Day 1: 5   20-12     Day 2: 3   09-03
57. J Todd Tucker          Moultrie, GA            10  29-13   44
Day 1: 5   13-06     Day 2: 5   16-07
58. Joseph Sancho          New Windsor, NY         10  29-13   43
Day 1: 5   16-03     Day 2: 5   13-10
59. Jason Williamson       Wagener, SC             10  29-06   42
Day 1: 5   16-08     Day 2: 5   12-14
60. Brent Chapman          Lake Quivira, KS        10  29-05   41
Day 1: 5   14-00     Day 2: 5   15-05
61. Justin Lucas           Guntersville, AL        10  29-01   40
Day 1: 5   12-09     Day 2: 5   16-08
62. Kevin Hawk             Guntersville, AL         9  29-01   39
Day 1: 5   15-09     Day 2: 4   13-08
63. Ish Monroe             Hughson, CA             10  28-15   38
Day 1: 5   18-00     Day 2: 5   10-15
64. Terry Scroggins        San Mateo, FL           10  28-15   37
Day 1: 5   16-02     Day 2: 5   12-13
65. Cliff Pace             Petal, MS               10  28-14   36
Day 1: 5   12-10     Day 2: 5   16-04
66. Casey Scanlon          Lanexa, KS              10  28-11   35
Day 1: 5   13-15     Day 2: 5   14-12
67. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN        10  28-07   34
Day 1: 5   14-04     Day 2: 5   14-03
68. James Elam             Tulsa, OK               10  28-05   33
Day 1: 5   12-09     Day 2: 5   15-12
69. Randall Tharp          Port St. Joe, FL        10  28-05   32
Day 1: 5   13-10     Day 2: 5   14-11
70. Tim Horton             Muscle Shoals, AL       10  27-15   31
Day 1: 5   14-00     Day 2: 5   13-15
71. Mike McClelland        Bella Vista, AR         10  27-13   30
Day 1: 5   15-05     Day 2: 5   12-08
72. Greg Vinson            Wetumpka, AL            10  27-05   29
Day 1: 5   10-02     Day 2: 5   17-03
73. Bradley Roy            Lancaster, KY           10  27-04   28
Day 1: 5   14-00     Day 2: 5   13-04
74. Koby Kreiger           Bokeelia, FL            10  27-03   27
Day 1: 5   13-11     Day 2: 5   13-08
75. James Niggemeyer       Van, TX                 10  26-15   26
Day 1: 5   11-14     Day 2: 5   15-01
76. Shaw Grigsby Jr.       Gainesville, FL          7  26-12   25
Day 1: 5   22-15     Day 2: 2   03-13
77. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL             10  26-06   24
Day 1: 5   14-04     Day 2: 5   12-02
78. Ott DeFoe              Knoxville, TN           10  26-05   23
Day 1: 5   17-12     Day 2: 5   08-09
79. Keith Poche            Pike Road, AL           10  26-00   22
Day 1: 5   10-11     Day 2: 5   15-05
80. Todd Faircloth         Jasper, TX              10  25-15   21
Day 1: 5   09-14     Day 2: 5   16-01
81. Jonathon VanDam        Kalamazoo, MI            8  25-03   20
Day 1: 5   18-03     Day 2: 3   07-00
82. Jason Christie         Park Hill, OK            8  23-10   19
Day 1: 5   15-06     Day 2: 3   08-04
83. Randy Allen            Shreveport, LA           8  23-06   18
Day 1: 3   11-02     Day 2: 5   12-04
84. Derek Remitz           Grant, AL               10  22-15   17
Day 1: 5   11-00     Day 2: 5   11-15
85. David Smith            Del City, OK            10  22-13   16
Day 1: 5   14-07     Day 2: 5   08-06
86. Chris Lane             Guntersville, AL         8  22-04   15
Day 1: 4   11-07     Day 2: 4   10-13
87. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN            9  22-02   14
Day 1: 5   14-08     Day 2: 4   07-10
88. Carl Jocumsen          Queensland TX AUSTRALIA  9  21-12   13
Day 1: 5   13-08     Day 2: 4   08-04
89. Kevin Short            Mayflower, AR           10  21-10   12
Day 1: 5   11-15     Day 2: 5   09-11
90. Brandon Coulter        Knoxville, TN            8  21-00   11
Day 1: 5   11-02     Day 2: 3   09-14
91. Cliff Crochet          Pierre Part, LA          7  19-13   10
Day 1: 5   15-12     Day 2: 2   04-01
92. Brett Hite             Phoenix, AZ              9  19-08    9
Day 1: 5   10-12     Day 2: 4   08-12
93. Boyd Duckett           Guntersville, AL         6  19-07    8
Day 1: 5   15-11     Day 2: 1   03-12
94. Gerald Swindle         Warrior, AL              9  19-07    7
Day 1: 4   09-03     Day 2: 5   10-04
95. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO         6  19-03    6
Day 1: 5   14-01     Day 2: 1   05-02
96. Chad Morgenthaler      Coulterville, IL         6  19-03    5
Day 1: 3   11-12     Day 2: 3   07-07
97. Matt Reed              Madisonville, TX         7  18-08    4
Day 1: 4   11-05     Day 2: 3   07-03
98. Kenyon Hill            Norman, OK               7  18-07    3
Day 1: 2   07-03     Day 2: 5   11-04
99. Fletcher Shryock       New Philadelphia, OH     7  18-02    2
Day 1: 4   12-10     Day 2: 3   05-08
100. Kelley Jaye            Dadeville, AL           10  17-12    1
Day 1: 5   07-02     Day 2: 5   10-10
101. Charlie Hartley        Grove City, OH           7  17-05    0
Day 1: 2   05-11     Day 2: 5   11-10
102. Kurt Dove              Del Rio, TX              7  17-04    0
Day 1: 2   07-02     Day 2: 5   10-02
103. Gary Klein             Weatherford, TX          8  16-12    0
Day 1: 4   09-10     Day 2: 4   07-02
104. Ken Iyobe              Tokoname  Aichi JAPAN    9  15-14    0
Day 1: 5   09-14     Day 2: 4   06-00
105. Davy Hite              Ninety Six, SC           6  14-12    0
Day 1: 5   11-00     Day 2: 1   03-12
106. Kotaro Kiriyama        Moody, AL                4  13-04    0
Day 1: 4   13-04     Day 2: 0   00-00
107. Scott Ashmore          Broken Arrow, OK         6  12-14    0
Day 1: 4   07-14     Day 2: 2   05-00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1        95       515      1648-14
2        85       487      1461-09
———————————-
180      1002      3110-07

 

Strike King KVD Perfect Plastic 10″ Bullworm with FLW Pro Mark Rose | ICAST 2015

wpalert
-
0
Strike King KVD Perfect Plastic 10″ Bullworm with FLW Pro Mark Rose | ICAST 2015

Tackle Warehouse discusses the new Strike King KVD Perfect Plastic 10″ Bullworm with FLW Pro Mark Rose at the 2015 ICAST Show in Orlando.

logo-tackle

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Florida Bass Pros Lead The Field At New York Elite Series Shootout

wpalert
-
0
Florida Bass Pros Lead The Field At New York Elite Series Shootout

haw Grigsby of Gainesville, Fla., takes the lead on the first day of the Evan Williams Bourbon Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River, bringing 22 pounds, 15 ounces to the scales on Thursday. 

Photo by Gary Tramontina/Bassmaster

Florida Bass Pros Lead The Field At New York Elite Series Shootout

[print_link]

WADDINGTON, N.Y. — On a Northern fishery known for producing monster smallmouth bass, three Florida largemouth gurus stole the show during the opening round of the Evan Williams Bourbon Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River.

Shaw Grigsby of Gainesville, Fla., caught five smallmouth that weighed 22 pounds, 15 ounces and grabbed the lead ahead of Lakeland, Fla., pro Bobby Lane (21-10) and a second Gainesville angler, Bernie Schultz (21-7).

Grigsby said he made a long run that was slowed some by shipping traffic. But once he arrived where he wanted to fish, he caught bass steadily — even when the heavy rains began.

“I didn’t know what the weather was going to bring us, but I took off and drove a good long ways,” Grigsby said. “I hit one of those huge ship waves out there that are like two-story buildings and realized I needed to slow down a little bit. But once I finally got there, I started catching them and kept catching them all day.”

Pleasant overcast conditions at takeoff quickly gave way to thunderstorms with heavy rains and streaks of lightning that chased some anglers briefly off the water.

While Grigsby revealed little about the techniques he used, he said the rain never slowed him down.

“It was a gully washer out there for a while, but I just kept catching them,” Grigsby said. “Whether I can accomplish that again tomorrow, I just don’t know.

“For one thing, I don’t know if my heart can handle it. When you hook these fish, with every one of them, it’s like a 10-minute battle.”

The smallmouth on the St. Lawrence River were late finishing their spawn this year, and as a result, they’re late moving into the usual postspawn areas. Many anglers visited traditional midsummer hot spots during practice with no luck at all, and even those who had success Thursday said it’s hard to find fish in bunches.

“The fishing is very random,” Schultz said. “In places I fished two years ago where there would be 12 to 15 fish, I’m finding four to six fish. Places that would have had five or six fish two years ago have one or none.”

Schultz said he didn’t get a lot of bites, but he got the “right bites.” He also said the erratic weather worked in his favor.

“The weather change played right into my hands,” he said. “I caught fish one way in the morning when it was raining. Then when that sun came out, I switched gears and things just kept happening.

“After the tough practice I had, I was surprised I caught them like I did.”

Lane also had a tough time preparing for the event, but for vastly different reasons than Schultz.

On July 4, Lane stepped on piece of glass and suffered a severe cut on his right foot. It put him completely out of commission for two weeks, and he was worried he might have trouble standing up this week to fish.

With help from friends, he made it through practice and landed in second place after Day 1.

“My good friend Tony Chachere — of the Louisiana spice company of that name — drove me most of the way up here, and he’s helped me with anything I’ve needed this week,” Lane said. “Alan McGuckin with Toyota also told me to get some Dr. Scholl’s (inserts) to put in my shoes, and that’s been helping a lot.

“I’m feeling great. I had a good day, and hopefully I can go out and do it again tomorrow.”

Every angler in the Top 10 had at least 20 pounds, including Texas pro Alton Jones, who placed fourth with 21-4, and Oklahoma pro Edwin Evers, who is in fifth with 21-3.

Alabama angler Aaron Martens finished 13th with 19-8, but it was enough to grab the lead in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year race. Arizona pro Dean Rojas, who came into the event leading the AOY race, finished 49th Thursday with 16-6 and slipped to second in the season standings.

The tournament will resume Friday with a full field of 107 anglers taking off from Whittaker Park at 6:15 a.m. The weigh-in will be held back at the park at 3:15 p.m.

The field will be trimmed to the Top 50 for Saturday’s semifinal round and then to the Top 12 for Championship Sunday.

Follow all the action on Bassmaster.com with Bassmaster Live at 10 a.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, plus photos, live blog updates, BASSTrakk and more.

The Elite Series Expo will have B.A.S.S. sponsor representatives onsite throughout the weekend with activities, games and prizes for attendees. All of the family-friendly activities planned throughout the weekend are free and open to the public.

2015 Evan Williams Bourbon Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River 7/30-8/2
St. Lawrence River, Waddington  NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1

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

1.  Shaw Grigsby Jr.       Gainesville, FL          5  22-15  100
Day 1: 5   22-15
2.  Bobby Lane Jr.         Lakeland, FL             5  21-10   99
Day 1: 5   21-10
3.  Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL          5  21-07   98
Day 1: 5   21-07
4.  Alton Jones            Lorena, TX               5  21-04   97
Day 1: 5   21-04
5.  Edwin Evers            Talala, OK               5  21-03   96
Day 1: 5   21-03
6.  Stephen Browning       Hot Springs, AR          5  21-02   95
Day 1: 5   21-02
7.  Michael Iaconelli      Pitts Grove, NJ          5  20-12   94
Day 1: 5   20-12
7.  Russ Lane              Prattville, AL           5  20-12   94
Day 1: 5   20-12
9.  Skeet Reese            Auburn, CA               5  20-08   92
Day 1: 5   20-08
10. Kevin Ledoux           Choctaw, OK              5  20-07   91
Day 1: 5   20-07
11. Mark Davis             Mount Ida, AR            5  19-14   90
Day 1: 5   19-14
12. Morizo Shimizu         Suita, Osaka JAPAN       5  19-10   89
Day 1: 5   19-10
13. Brandon Card           Caryville, TN            5  19-08   88
Day 1: 5   19-08
13. Aaron Martens          Leeds, AL                5  19-08   88
Day 1: 5   19-08
15. Josh Bertrand          Gilbert, AZ              5  19-01   86
Day 1: 5   19-01
16. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA             5  18-15   85
Day 1: 5   18-15
16. Jacob Powroznik        Port Haywood, VA         5  18-15   85
Day 1: 5   18-15
18. Fred Roumbanis         Bixby, OK                5  18-14   83
Day 1: 5   18-14
18. Nate Wellman           Newaygo, MI              5  18-14   83
Day 1: 5   18-14
20. Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID             5  18-08   81
Day 1: 5   18-08
21. Jeff Kriet             Ardmore, OK              5  18-07   80
Day 1: 5   18-07
22. Chad Pipkens           Holt, MI                 5  18-06   79
Day 1: 5   18-06
23. Seth Feider            Bloomington, MN          5  18-04   78
Day 1: 5   18-04
24. Billy McCaghren        Mayflower, AR            5  18-03   77
Day 1: 5   18-03
24. Jonathon VanDam        Kalamazoo, MI            5  18-03   77
Day 1: 5   18-03
26. Kevin VanDam           Kalamazoo, MI            5  18-02   75
Day 1: 5   18-02
27. Brent Ehrler           Newport Beach, CA        5  18-02   74
Day 1: 5   18-02
28. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ               5  18-01   73
Day 1: 5   18-01
29. Ish Monroe             Hughson, CA              5  18-00   72
Day 1: 5   18-00
30. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX           5  17-15   71
Day 1: 5   17-15
31. Marty Robinson         Lyman, SC                5  17-13   70
Day 1: 5   17-13
32. Randy Howell           Springville, AL          5  17-13   69
Day 1: 5   17-13
33. Ott DeFoe              Knoxville, TN            5  17-12   68
Day 1: 5   17-12
34. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL             5  17-09   67
Day 1: 5   17-09
35. Zell Rowland           Montgomery, TX           5  17-08   66
Day 1: 5   17-08
36. Dennis Tietje          Roanoke, LA              5  17-05   65
Day 1: 5   17-05
37. Casey Ashley           Donalds, SC              5  17-04   64
Day 1: 5   17-04
37. Takahiro Omori         Emory, TX                5  17-04   64
Day 1: 5   17-04
39. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA                5  17-03   62
Day 1: 5   17-03
39. David Walker           Sevierville, TN          5  17-03   62
Day 1: 5   17-03
39. Chris Zaldain          San Jose, CA             5  17-03   62
Day 1: 5   17-03
42. Jared Lintner          Arroyo Grande, CA        5  17-01   59
Day 1: 5   17-01
42. Andy Montgomery        Blacksburg, SC           5  17-01   59
Day 1: 5   17-01
44. Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT            5  16-13   57
Day 1: 5   16-13
45. Hank Cherry Jr         Maiden, NC               5  16-12   56
Day 1: 5   16-12
46. Tommy Biffle           Wagoner, OK              5  16-09   55
Day 1: 5   16-09
47. Matt Lee               Guntersville, AL         5  16-08   54
Day 1: 5   16-08
47. Jason Williamson       Wagener, SC              5  16-08   54
Day 1: 5   16-08
49. Dean Rojas             Lake Havasu City, AZ     5  16-06   52
Day 1: 5   16-06
50. Joseph Sancho          New Windsor, NY          5  16-03   51
Day 1: 5   16-03
51. Terry Scroggins        San Mateo, FL            5  16-02   50
Day 1: 5   16-02
52. Jordan Lee             Vinemont, AL             5  16-00   49
Day 1: 5   16-00
53. Scott Rook             Little Rock, AR          5  16-00   48
Day 1: 5   16-00
54. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN           5  15-15   47
Day 1: 5   15-15
55. Britt Myers            Lake Wylie, SC           5  15-13   46
Day 1: 5   15-13
56. Cliff Crochet          Pierre Part, LA          5  15-12   45
Day 1: 5   15-12
57. Boyd Duckett           Guntersville, AL         5  15-11   44
Day 1: 5   15-11
58. Kevin Hawk             Guntersville, AL         5  15-09   43
Day 1: 5   15-09
59. John Murray            Phoenix, AZ              5  15-08   42
Day 1: 5   15-08
60. Jason Christie         Park Hill, OK            5  15-06   41
Day 1: 5   15-06
61. Mike McClelland        Bella Vista, AR          5  15-05   40
Day 1: 5   15-05
62. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                  5  14-14   39
Day 1: 5   14-14
63. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL               5  14-10   38
Day 1: 5   14-10
64. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN            5  14-08   37
Day 1: 5   14-08
65. David Smith            Del City, OK             5  14-07   36
Day 1: 5   14-07
66. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL              5  14-04   35
Day 1: 5   14-04
66. David Williams         Maiden, NC               5  14-04   35
Day 1: 5   14-04
68. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN         5  14-04   33
Day 1: 5   14-04
69. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO         5  14-01   32
Day 1: 5   14-01
70. Tim Horton             Muscle Shoals, AL        5  14-00   31
Day 1: 5   14-00
70. Bradley Roy            Lancaster, KY            5  14-00   31
Day 1: 5   14-00
72. Brent Chapman          Lake Quivira, KS         5  14-00   29
Day 1: 5   14-00
73. Mike Kernan            Wylie, TX                5  13-15   28
Day 1: 5   13-15
73. Casey Scanlon          Lanexa, KS               5  13-15   28
Day 1: 5   13-15
75. Paul Elias             Laurel, MS               5  13-14   26
Day 1: 5   13-14
76. Koby Kreiger           Bokeelia, FL             5  13-11   25
Day 1: 5   13-11
77. Randall Tharp          Port St. Joe, FL         5  13-10   24
Day 1: 5   13-10
78. Carl Jocumsen          Queensland TX AUSTRALIA  5  13-08   23
Day 1: 5   13-08
79. J Todd Tucker          Moultrie, GA             5  13-06   22
Day 1: 5   13-06
80. Kotaro Kiriyama        Moody, AL                4  13-04   21
Day 1: 4   13-04
81. Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA               5  12-12   20
Day 1: 5   12-12
82. Cliff Pace             Petal, MS                5  12-10   19
Day 1: 5   12-10
83. Fletcher Shryock       New Philadelphia, OH     4  12-10   18
Day 1: 4   12-10
84. James Elam             Tulsa, OK                5  12-09   17
Day 1: 5   12-09
84. Justin Lucas           Guntersville, AL         5  12-09   17
Day 1: 5   12-09
86. Kevin Short            Mayflower, AR            5  11-15   15
Day 1: 5   11-15
87. James Niggemeyer       Van, TX                  5  11-14   14
Day 1: 5   11-14
88. Chad Morgenthaler      Coulterville, IL         3  11-12   13
Day 1: 3   11-12
89. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY              5  11-09   12
Day 1: 5   11-09
90. Chris Lane             Guntersville, AL         4  11-07   11
Day 1: 4   11-07
91. Matt Reed              Madisonville, TX         4  11-05   10
Day 1: 4   11-05
92. Brandon Coulter        Knoxville, TN            5  11-02    9
Day 1: 5   11-02
93. Randy Allen            Shreveport, LA           3  11-02    8
Day 1: 3   11-02
94. Davy Hite              Ninety Six, SC           5  11-00    7
Day 1: 5   11-00
94. Derek Remitz           Grant, AL                5  11-00    7
Day 1: 5   11-00
96. Brett Hite             Phoenix, AZ              5  10-12    5
Day 1: 5   10-12
97. Keith Poche            Pike Road, AL            5  10-11    4
Day 1: 5   10-11
98. Greg Vinson            Wetumpka, AL             5  10-02    3
Day 1: 5   10-02
99. Todd Faircloth         Jasper, TX               5  09-14    2
Day 1: 5   09-14
99. Ken Iyobe              Tokoname  Aichi JAPAN    5  09-14    2
Day 1: 5   09-14
101. Gary Klein             Weatherford, TX          4  09-10    0
Day 1: 4   09-10
102. Gerald Swindle         Warrior, AL              4  09-03    0
Day 1: 4   09-03
103. Scott Ashmore          Broken Arrow, OK         4  07-14    0
Day 1: 4   07-14
104. Kenyon Hill            Norman, OK               2  07-03    0
Day 1: 2   07-03
105. Kelley Jaye            Dadeville, AL            5  07-02    0
Day 1: 5   07-02
106. Kurt Dove              Del Rio, TX              2  07-02    0
Day 1: 2   07-02
107. Charlie Hartley        Grove City, OH           2  05-11    0
Day 1: 2   05-11
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1        95       515      1648-14
———————————-
95       515      1648-14

2015 Reel American Heroes Tournament: Serving Those Who Serve Us By Bruce Callis

wpalert
-
0
2015 Reel American Heroes Tournament: Serving Those Who Serve Us By Bruce Callis

2015 Reel American Heroes Tournament: Serving Those Who Serve Us

[print_link]

On Saturday morning, July 25, 2015, the car lights filtered down the winding road to Hope Springs Marina. The 5th Annual Reel American Heroes Foundation was about to happen. Cars with wounded warriors, volunteers, and trucks with bass boats made the left hand turn on the gravel driveway and made their way to their assigned locations. A volunteer stood at the entrance, directing them in to the next volunteer who further directed them to the correct parking location or to the boat ramp. Like a finely tuned machine, everyone worked to ensure everyone was taken care of personally.
For some, this was their first year as a volunteer boater, or as a shore volunteer, but for most, this was at least their second year. But what happens on Saturday didn’t happen overnight. When the tournament ended last year, the fundraising and planning started the next day. Through the hard work of Ron DeFreitas, his wife Maria, son Jason and daughter Ashley, and the other members of the RAHF staff, every dollar that is raised is converted into what you see on the day of the tournament. Weekends spent in front of Bass Pro Shops in Hampton, sales of RAHF gear, sponsors, and donations from individuals make up every penny of the budget for the year. What so many organizations do is through paid staff, but not RAHF, Ron insists on doing for nothing. His pay is the help he gives to each warrior. Ron says “It is an honor and a privilege to host this tournament for them.”
The day is marked with anglers talking about their passion. While there are the professional anglers present, giving their time to honor these men and women, they are not paid to be there. John Crews, Paul Elias, Shaw Grigsby, Ish Monroe and David Mullins took time out of their busy schedule to be here because it is important to them. Many left right after the awards to drive up to New York for the Elite tournament that starts Thursday. But the remaining boaters, over 80 in total, were weekend anglers, and lower level tournament anglers. They drove here for the same reason, to honor our warriors. They came from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, and Virginia; from the BFL, the Rayovac, the Priority, the VBL and other local clubs, all giving their time.
As the boaters and warriors arrived, they were registered and paired up for the day. The warriors were given a new Lews rod and spinning reel and a tackle box, which was theirs to carry home. The day dawned and the opening ceremony began. The Color Guard presented the colors, Cameron Barrett sang the National Anthem, and a prayer, then the signal was given to go fishing and the fun started.
As much as it was a competition and awards would be given out to those who caught the biggest bag, with the boater being allowed 2 bass and the remaining 3 being warrior caught, it was more about the fun. The fishing was tough, but the laughter plentiful. It was about bringing a bit of normalcy to the men and women who are suffering from their service to our country. A couple warriors had their day cut short due to mechanical failure, but not one warrior complained; they were just so glad to have gotten out on the water. At 2 pm, the boats started to arrive back for the weigh-in and lunch. A good crowd stood around the weigh-in tent, cheering on each team as they came forth. There was only one 5 fish limit caught on this day, but that did not matter. The big fish was weighed in early, a beautiful 4 pound bass, but there were some nice 3 plus pound fish that came close. Proudly each warrior held up their catch for the many cameras taking pictures. The funniest time was when Shaw Gribsy’s team mate made it to the scales and Shaw was putting his gear away on the boat. As he was alerted to the moment, he sprang like a spring chicken off his boat and hustled to the scales to the delight of all there.
With all the fish weighed, everyone made their way over to the delicious meal prepared for them. Pulled pork, chicken, sausage, corn-on-the-cob, coleslaw, beans, and rolls awaited each hungry person, and there was plenty to be had. No one left hungry for sure! But the time was spent, not in silence, but with stories of the day, tips shared on techniques, fishing stories from the past, and plans for the future. Laughter filled the air for the entire time until everyone was called over to the awards ceremony. As each winner was announced, loud applause welcomed them forward and each boater and warrior was given the opportunity to claim a prize from the respective table. The smile on the warrior’s face light up the bright sky. For just that one day, their problems seemed to disappear, to take a back seat, and a small amount of normalcy shined through. May it stay there forever.

B.A.S.S. Urges Congress To Restore Funding For Fishing And Hunting

wpalert
-
0
B.A.S.S. Urges Congress To Restore Funding For Fishing And Hunting

July 30, 2015

B.A.S.S. Urges Congress To Restore Funding For Fishing And Hunting

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S., along with 30 other conservation organizations, has signed a letter urging Congress to restore funding for sportfishing projects suffering under the current federal budget impasse.

“The letter asks Congress to get off ‘high center’ and do its job, pass a budget and fund conservation programs,” said B.A.S.S. Conservation Director Gene Gilliland, “especially including the Sportfish Restoration Act which is the most important bill up for reauthorization from the freshwater fisheries management standpoint.”

The letter to leaders and members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, was sent Tuesday afternoon on behalf of 31 conservation organizations. It stated:

“The undersigned sportsmen, conservation, outdoor recreation business and resource professional organizations, collectively representing millions of American hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts would like to urge the Congress to start in earnest the process of a bipartisan and bicameral budget deal that lifts the sequester and can begin to reinvest in absolutely critical conservation funding priorities.

“As you know, the expiration of the Murray-Ryan budget deal in just a few short months raises the distinct possibility of a return to sequester-level funding for the domestic discretionary programs that are essential to so many segments of economic growth and job creation. When it comes to the outdoor recreation economy, Budget Control Act funding levels are simply inadequate, and in many cases push a backlog of costs onto future generations of Americans.

“As conservation has shrunk as a percentage of the federal budget by half from 1978 until today, the outdoor recreation economy has continued to grow; but that phenomenon is unlikely to endure. If investments in recreation, habitat restoration, access improvement, and facility maintenance continue to fall, we can likely expect the health of the American $646 billion outdoor recreation economy, which employs millions, and puts billions into federal, state, and local tax coffers to suffer.

“The impact of insufficient funding is clear: shuttered visitor’s centers, unmaintained trails, closed campgrounds, reduced staff, and degraded habitat. These reductions in service keep Americans from enjoying the outdoors to their fullest potential, and in so doing, unnecessarily constrain an entire segment of the American economy, perhaps most pointedly in the rural countryside most dependent on the annual spending of hunters and anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts. Furthermore, the Wildlife Restoration and Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Funds (Trust Funds) are a user pays – public benefits system of fish and wildlife conservation derived from hunters, recreational shooters, anglers and boaters instead of federal income tax dollars. As mandatory programs, the Trust Funds are already being sequestered, and the sequestration rate is expected to increase to 8.5 percent in FY2016. These Trust Funds are the lifeblood of many state resource agency operating budgets, and any bipartisan budget deal should address the issue of sequestering these critical trust funds.

“Many of our organizations applauded the Murray-Ryan budget deal, and likewise we stand ready to support the next iteration of the bipartisan budget leadership necessary to keep American outdoor traditions alive for many future generations.”

Among other fishing and hunting organizations signing onto the letter were the American Fisheries Society, American Sportfishing Association, Berkley Conservation Institute, Coastal Conservation Association, Ducks Unlimited, Izaak Walton League of America, National Wild Turkey Federation and Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.

PROFESSIONAL BASS FISHING’S FORREST WOOD CUP SET TO RETURN TO LAKE OUACHITA

wpalert
-
0
PROFESSIONAL BASS FISHING’S FORREST WOOD CUP SET TO RETURN TO LAKE OUACHITA
The 2015 Walmart FLW Tour Angler of the Year Scott Martin of Clewiston, Florida, will be one of the favorites on Lake Ouachita at the Forrest Wood Cup championship in August.
PROFESSIONAL BASS FISHING’S FORREST WOOD CUP SET TO RETURN TO LAKE OUACHITA
World’s Best Anglers Eye $500,000 Title in Historic 20th-Anniversary Event
[print_link]
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (July 30, 2015) – The Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart, the world championship of professional bass fishing, will return to Lake Ouachita and the Hot Springs, Arkansas, area August 20-23 to crown bass fishing’s top angler of 2015. Hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, the tournament will feature 50 of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals and co-anglers casting for the sport’s biggest awards – $500,000 cash in the pro division and $50,000 cash in the co-angler division.
“This is going to be a very exciting tournament,” said Scott Martin of Clewiston, Florida, the reigning FLW Tour Angler of the Year who claimed his Forrest Wood Cup victory on Lake Ouachita when FLW last visited back in 2011. “The Forrest Wood Cup is the fishing tournament that nobody forgets. I’ve had five other major victories in my career, and some people may remember them, but no one forgets the Forrest Wood Cup.”
Martin said that multiple different patterns would be in play amongst competitors and that he expected the fishing to be even better than when he won in 2011.
“There are so many ways to catch fish this time of year on Lake Ouachita,” Martin continued. “Every time we visit, it seems like the field splits up pretty evenly – half of the anglers fish shallow while the other half opts to fish deep. You can really fish to your strengths. One factor that may be different this year, though, is the grass. There is more grass on Ouachita than we have seen in the past, and that could really add another dimension to this event. We’re also visiting the lake a little later in the year this time, so it’s hard to say exactly what pattern will be dominant.
“I think topwater baits, buzzbaits, walking baits and prop baits will all be dominant for the shallow-water anglers, as well as flipping jigs in the shallow cover,” Martin said. “The water levels are up right now, so flipping the heaver cover could be a really good pattern to get on. If I’m fishing out deep, I’m bringing all of my tackle – everything from drop-shot rigs, to 10-inch worms, to big crankbaits, big swimbaits and underspins.”
Martin said that he expects anglers will need to catch at least 13 pounds a day in order to make the top-20 cut and fish the weekend, and he expects the winner to weigh in a four-day total right around 60 to 61 pounds.
“This tournament will change somebody’s life,” Martin went on to say. “All of the press and the prestige that comes from winning this event – it’s a game changer. This event is something that you will never forget.”
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.
“Fans that come out to the Forrest Wood Cup this year are in for a real treat,” said Steve Arrison, Chief Executive Officer of Visit Hot Springs. “We’ve got great fishing, great music and great BBQ, and it is going to make for one awesome week.”
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 a full schedule of events, 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.

Oneida Presents Multiple Choice Test For Northern Open Contenders

wpalert
-
0
Oneida Presents Multiple Choice Test For Northern Open Contenders

The second Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open presented by Allstate heads to the Oneida Lake out of Syracuse, N.Y., Aug. 6-8., where a field of 199 pro anglers will compete for the top spot and a berth in 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.

Photo by James Overstreet/B.A.S.S

July 30, 2015

Oneida Presents Multiple Choice Test For Northern Open Contenders

[print_link]

Syracuse, N.Y. — Whether to go green or brown will be the key question contenders in the Bass Pro Shops Northern Open presented by Allstate will have to answer when they compete Aug. 6-8 on Oneida Lake.

“The tournament will be won by someone who can find one or two 4- to 5-pound largemouth a day,” said Bill Lortz, a former Bassmaster Northern Open angler who owns NY North Country Bassin’ Guide Service. “Largemouth are definitely going to be a player to win. You will see some anglers fish for largemouth exclusively, and they may do well.”

The local guide believes Oneida will fish similar to the last Northern Open held there in 2013 when New York angler Jim Bianchi weighed in 52 pounds, 7 ounces of mostly largemouth bass and a few smallmouth bass.

Bianchi caught most of his green fish — largemouth — flipping jigs or drop shotting soft plastics in the shallow grass. Lortz estimates it will take about 16 pounds a day to make the Top 12 cut this year. He predicts the winner will need about 53 to 54 pounds to top the pro division field.

Sparse grass in Oneida has condensed the largemouth bass into smaller areas and resulted in 20- to 21-pound bags during tournaments last summer.

Lortz noticed areas on the west end of the lake that normally contained 20 acres of vegetation have dwindled to 2 acres, making it easier for anglers to pinpoint the largemouth. Grass growth has been a little behind schedule this year, but Lortz suggests the vegetation will play a role during the Open.

“If the grass increases this year, it will spread out the fish,” he said. The guide’s choices for luring largemouth from the grass include Texas rigged green pumpkin creature baits, beaver style baits and soft stickworms.

Fishing pressure on brown bass will present a challenge for Northern Open contenders who prefer targeting smallmouth. “The guy who does well with the smallmouth is going to be the one who catches them quick and avoids the crowds,” Lortz said.

The smallmouth will be schooling up along rock shoals and humps in depths of more than 12 feet. However, the brown bass will be chasing baitfish rather than relating to the structure during the Open, so Lortz recommends watching for diving terns. Then it’s time to tempt the smallies on top with a Zara Spook or a Rebel Pop-R. When the surface action diminishes, Lortz recommends switching to snapping a 3/8- or 1/2-ounce brown football jig and green pumpkin plastic craw, or drop shotting green pumpkin soft plastic finesse baits.

Avoiding the crowds then becomes a problem once a school of smallmouth is found. Lortz notes the “bent rod” pattern comes into play because once other anglers see someone fighting a smallmouth, they all flock to that spot.

The west end of the lake should produce best during the Open, according to Lortz. “Some guys will go down to the other end of the lake, which does hold fish, but the majority of the tournaments are usually won west of midlake,” Lortz said.

Wind could also determine where most of the field fishes during the tournament. “Oneida can be a very, very mean lake when we get a west or east wind,” Lortz said. He noted a 15-mph east wind (capable of creating 5-foot waves) is the worst wind possible on Oneida.

Anglers will take off each day at 6 a.m. ET. Weigh-ins will be held at 2 p.m. ET at Oneida Shores Park the first two days, with the final weigh-in on Day 3 held at the Bass Pro Shops in Auburn, N.Y., at 3:15 p.m.

The local host for the event is the Syracuse Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Keith Wray Wins CASHION FISHING RODS ‘END OF YEAR’ TEAM TOURNAMENT BASS FISHING TRAIL QUALIFIER #2

wpalert
-
0
Keith Wray Wins CASHION FISHING RODS ‘END OF YEAR’ TEAM TOURNAMENT BASS FISHING TRAIL QUALIFIER #2

CASHION FISHING RODS ‘END OF YEAR’ TEAM TOURNAMENT BASS FISHING
TRAIL QUALIFIER #2 RESULTS
Saturday July 25th, 2015 ~ Mayo Lake ~ Triple Springs Wildlife Ramp

[print_link]

The Cashion Fishing Rods ‘End of Year’ Team Tournament Bass Fishing Trail Qualifier #2 at Mayo Lake just showed how tough this clear lake can be in the summer. 21 teams found light winds, air temps ranging from 69
to 89 and the water level at normal pool for this day. Surface water temps averaged 87 degrees! The topwater bite was on for about an hour early on and then the bass backed off to dropoffs around 15 to 20 feet.

Keith Wray, a regular at Mayo won by catching 5 bass weighing 18.33 lbs to take 1st Place, 1st Place TWT and also a $50 Gift Certificate from Sharp Shooter Custom Tackle for a total of $1,190!
2nd Place was won by Ernest Warren with 5 bass weighing 15.14 lbs. to take home a total of $455. The 3rd Place Team of Mark Herndon & Jay Garred netted 5 bass weighing 11.50 lbs. & also won the 2nd Place TWT for a total of $450. 1st Place Big Fish (5.62 lbs.) was caught by the team of Derek Bowden & Matthew Little worth $270.

Only 45 bass were brought to the scales for a total of 119 pounds averaging 2.63lbs. each. Most were caught on
straight lining spoons, Carolina worm rigs, crankbait & jig combos in 15 feet of water on average.

I want to thank Cashion Fishing Rods and all the anglers that participated. Our next tournament will be the
2015 Cashion Fishing Rods ‘End of Year’ Team Tournament Bass Fishing Trail Qualifier #3, Saturday August  8th at Kerr Lake out of Flemingtown Landing Wildlife Ramp. All the information on our tournaments can be found http://piedmontbassclassics.com/

Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Keith Wray of Eden…5 bass…18.33 lbs…$755
2nd Place: Ernest Warren of Burlington…5 bass…15.14 lbs…$455
3rd Place: Mark Herndon & Jay Garrard of Bahama & Durham…4 bass…11.50 lbs…$285
4th Place: Brandon Gray & Robert Perkins of Bullock & Rougemont…5 bass…9.81 lbs…$185

1st Place Big Fish: Derek Bowden & Matthew Little of Louisburg…5.62 lbs…$294
2nd Place Big Fish: Vinston Nettles & Jasper Cotton of Pittsboro…5.54 lbs…$126

1st Place TWT: 1st Place Team above: 18.33 lbs…$385
2nd Place TWT: 3rd Place Team above: 11.50 lbs…$165

Tow Boats US Award: $50…None

Z Man Razor Shadz with Tackle Warehouse Pro Luke Clausen | ICAST 2015

wpalert
-
0
Z Man Razor Shadz with Tackle Warehouse Pro Luke Clausen | ICAST 2015

Tackle Warehouse discusses the new Z Man Razor Shadz with Tackle Warehouse Luke Clausen at the 2015 ICAST Show in Orlando.

logo-tackle

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

BANDYS HIGH SCHOOL WINS SECOND-STRAIGHT NORTH CAROLINA STATE HIGH SCHOOL FISHING CHAMPIONSHIP ON LAKE NORMAN

wpalert
-
0
BANDYS HIGH SCHOOL WINS SECOND-STRAIGHT NORTH CAROLINA STATE HIGH SCHOOL FISHING CHAMPIONSHIP ON LAKE NORMAN
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (June 16, 2015) – The Bandys High School team of Tyler Black and Logan Anderson brought five bass to the scale Sunday weighing 13 pounds, 15 ounces, to win the 2015 North Carolina State High School Fishing Championship on Lake Norman. The win earned the team the title of state champions and qualified the team to compete in the High School Fishing Southeastern Conference championship on Lake Lanier in September.
The top three teams on Lake Norman that advanced to the Southeastern Conference Championship were:
  1st:       Bandys High School – Tyler Black and Logan Anderson, five bass, 13-15
  2nd:      East Gaston High School – Connor Usher and Corey Lassiter, five bass, 12-8
  3rd:       South Granville High School – Noah Howard and Brady Trueheart, five bass, 10-10
Rounding out the top 10 teams were:
  4th:       North Lincoln High School – Joshua Benge and Cameron Keller, five bass, 10-1
  5th:       North Carolina Student Angler Federation – Tyler Dunn and Matthew Shrewsbury, five bass, 9-12
  6th:       Statesville High School – Gilliam Tharpe and Blake Collins, five bass, 9-10
  7th:       Lake Norman Charter High School – William Monti and Curtis Brown, five bass, 9-9
  8th:       Cherryville High School – Ethan Moss and Austin Treadway, five bass, 9-7
  9th:       Cherryville High School – Ryan Pence and Preston Lingerfelt, five bass, 9-2
  10th:     Piedmont High School – Noah Hill and Drew Davis, five bass, 7-14
Complete results can be found at HighSchoolFishing.org.
The 2015 North Carolina State High School Fishing Championship was a two-person (team) event for students in grades 7-12. The top 10 percent from each TBF/FLW state championship field will advance to a High School Fishing conference championship along with the top three teams from each of the seven TBF/FLW High School Fishing Opens held this season. The top 10 percent of each conference championship field will then advance to the High School Fishing National Championship, coinciding with the TBF National Championship and an FLW Tour stop in the spring of 2016. The High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.
In addition to the High School Fishing National Championship, all High School Fishing anglers nationwide automatically qualify for the world’s largest high school bass tournament, the 2015 High School Fishing World Finals, held on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama, on July 8-11. At the 2014 World Finals more than $40,000 in scholarships and prizes were awarded. Visit HighSchoolFishing.org for details.
1...1,2511,2521,253...1,533Page 1,252 of 1,533

Follow Us

The latest

Matt Robertson wins the CATT Lake Norman Fall Final with 5 bass weighing 16.50 lbs!

CATT Lake Norman 0
Matt Robertson wins the Lake Norman Fall Final with...

Surviving the Cold While Catching Monster Bass by Bruce Callis Jr

Bruce Callis 0
Surviving the Cold While Catching Monster BassBruce Callis Jr The...

Turtlebox Audio named Title Sponsor of Bassmaster Opens Tournament Series

Bassmaster Open 0
Dec. 16, 2025 Turtlebox Audio named Title Sponsor of Bassmaster...

© 2023 The Bass Cast. All Rights Reserved.