Tackle Warehouse discusses the new Nichols MPB Swimbait & Swimbait Head with Ben Parker at the 2015 ICAST Show in Orlando.


July 25, 2015
Louisiana High School Team Wins National Championship With 15-pound Lead
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MCKENZIE, Tenn. — From start to finish Alex Heintze and Justin Watts of Baton Rouge, La., held the lead at the Costa Bassmaster High School National Championship presented by TNT Fireworks.
Saturday, the Livingston Parish Bassmasters team added a third consecutive 20-plus-pound catch and made the win official. After three days on Kentucky Lake the teenagers caught 66 pounds to win the Costa Bassmaster High School Series’ most elite tournament. Their winning total included daily five-bass limits weighing 20-10, 23-14 and 22-2.
How they won is just as impressive as the margin of victory. During summertime the lake is revered for its trophy bass fishing on main-river channel ledges. Big bass school in deep water and are caught in abundance on crankbaits.
The deep-diving lure never factored in the team’s strategy, nor did the lake’s signature ledges. Instead, Heintze and Watts relied on their fishing strengths in south Louisiana’s shallow bayous.
“We didn’t come here to fish the ledges, so we committed to fishing shallow,” said Heintze, 16, a junior at Denham Springs High School. “The lake set up to fish shallow anyway with the water so high.”
The team’s first stop during practice ended the search for bass. Flooded shoreline habitat, the presence of baitfish and inundated ditches attracted enough bass to sustain their strategy for three days.
“The high water was the difference,” said Watts, 15, a sophomore at Live Oak High School. “Without it the fish wouldn’t be there, and I doubt they will be tomorrow.”
He noted the water dropped overnight by 6 inches for the final day’s fishing. The predator bass hid in the brushpiles to ambush baitfish.
The team alternated between a tube jig and topwater frog. That choice was a black Spro Dean Rojas Signature Series Bronzeye Frog. A Strike King tube jig Texas rigged with a 1/4-ounce weight and 4/0 Trokar hook completed the lure arsenal.
“I never thought we’d come to Kentucky Lake and catch bass like that on a frog, but we did,” Heintze said.
A zig-zig action with the frog was a must and mimicked the motions of the baitfish. The anglers alternated between the two lures to maximize time in the strike zone. When success with the frog slowed, they switched to a flipping presentation with the tube jig.
On Kentucky Lake the team struck early, and their bites came quickly. All of the 20-pound limits were caught by 9 a.m. The team fished the same 150-yard stretch of shoreline.
“We thought of trying other places, but we didn’t know if other contestants might be on the spots,” Watts said. “It didn’t seem like the sportsmanlike thing to do, so we stayed in the same area.”
Louisiana teams claimed the Top 2 spots in the tournament. Braden Blanchard and Cade Fortenberry, fishing for St. Amant High School in St. Amant, La., took second place with 51-15.
The B.A.S.S. Youth Nation Junior Championship coincided with the high school tournament. The 26 qualifying teams from as many states competed for two days on Carroll County Thousand Acre Recreational Lake.
Aaryn Minyard and Hunter Meadows of the Oklahoma City Junior Bassmasters won the tournament with 28 pounds, 7 ounces. The entire catch came on Saturday after the anglers failed to boat a bass on the opening round.
“Friday, we figured out late in the day that we should be fishing deeper,” Meadows said. “Today, we caught our fish on a submerged roadbed sloping from 15 to 20 feet.”
The team caught fish on a 3/4-ounce green pumpkin Strike King jig and a Carolina rigged lizard. The rig was an 8-inch Zoom Magnum Lizard with a 3/4-ounce weight.
Bethel University, an event host, offered four-year scholarships valued at $20,000 each to Heintze and Watts. The scholarship offer was also extended to Jacob Bruener, who competed in the junior championship. Bruener, a student at Douglas High School in Nacogdoches, Texas, caught a largemouth weighing 11 pounds, 14 ounces, from Carroll County Thousand Acre Recreational Lake. The catch is under review as the new lake record.
The championship was the culmination of seasonal qualifying events. Competing was a B.A.S.S. high school fishing record of 134 teams representing 37 states and Ontario. Schools participating in the B.A.S.S. Nation High School Nation program were eligible to qualify two-angler teams to the championship. Teams also qualified through B.A.S.S. regional events and sanctioned affiliate tournament trails.
Teams competed for $94,000 in scholarships and prizes. Heintze and Watts are invited to compete in the Bassmaster High School Classic that coincides with the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro. The championships are next March in Tulsa, Okla.
Official hosts are Paris-Henry County, Carroll County, Northwest Tennessee Tourism and Bethel University.
Costa Bassmaster High School Series presented by TNT Fireworks – National Championship
7/22/2015 – 7/25/2015
Kentucky Lake – Paris Landing State Park – Paris, TN
STANDINGS BOATER DAY 3
Today’s Activity
# Fish Lbs – Oz
Accumulative
Name # Live # Fish # Live Lbs – Oz
1 Alex Heintze – Justin Watts Livingston Parish Bassmasters 5 5 22- 2 15 15 66- 0
2 Braden Blanchard – Cade Fortenberry St Amant High School 5 4 17-14 15 14 51-15
3 Lucas Lindsay – Logan Parks Auburn Anglers 5 4 17-13 14 13 48- 0
4 Hunter Silverstrim – Nathaniel Burris Queen City High School 5 5 12- 2 15 14 45-12
5 Hunter Bouldin – Samuel Vandagrif Warren County 5 5 16-10 14 13 44-10
6 Cole Moore – Casey Haymon Anacoco High School 3 3 8- 2 13 12 42- 9
7 Josh Wissinger – Justin Kanute Hayden High School 5 5 13- 5 14 14 41-12
8 Taylor Ashley – Chase Kanute Hayden High School 5 5 11- 7 15 15 41- 1
9 Michael Arndt – Ryan Hujar New York HS Club 4 4 16-11 13 11 40-15
10 Cody Stahl – Tate VanEgmond Crosspointe Christian Fishing Club 4 4 15-10 14 13 40-13
11 Casey Trosclair – Levi Areno Sulphur High School 4 4 10- 0 14 13 38- 8
12 Trevor Huff – Logan Meredith Pacific Bass Anglers 3 3 7-14 11 9 36- 1
13 Tyler Eagan – Jason Thompson Lees Summit West Fishing Club 10 8 27- 0
14 Connor Nimrod – Trevor Watts Desoto Bass Team 9 8 26-10
15 Garrett Enders – Nick Osman Susquehanna Valley 10 10 26- 5
16 Josh Dugger – Jake Dugger Pottsville HS 9 9 26- 3
17 Nathan Kmiecik – Cole Luetkenhaus Bishop Neuman HS 10 9 26- 1
18 Taylor Cox – Ben Muse Carrollton High School 8 7 25-12
19 Hunter Courvelle – Alex Erickson Sam Houston High School 8 7 25-11
20 Matt Shirley – Cade Barnes Tuscaloosa County High School 7 7 25- 9
21 Bryson Mort – Gabe Litterell Idaho Trophy Bass Hunters 8 6 25- 1
22 Grayson Cook – Bryson Galloway Windsor High School 8 8 23-11
23 Ryan Shields – Austin Hale Hazel Green High School 10 10 23- 6
24 Carter McNeil – Tucker Smith Abbeville High School 10 9 22- 2
25 Brennan Swanson – Adam Hutmacher Chamberlain HS 6 6 21- 3
26 Zach Hingson – Tyler Benedict Arthur Levington Atwood Hammond 8 7 20-15
27 J T Russell – Jared Turnbloom Briarwood High School 6 6 20- 9
28 Ben Riggs – Nick Ratliff Hardin/LaRue 9 9 20- 5
29 Zeke Gossett – Hayden Bartee Pell City High School 10 10 19- 9
30 Jeremy Bates – Joshua Holden Bishop Brady HS 6 6 18-12
31 Cole Schmucker – Chandler Cornelius George Jenkins HS 7 7 18-11
32 Tristan Thomas – Dakota Crumely East Hall Anglers 5 5 17-10
33 Max McQuiade – Conner Foley MA High School 6 6 17- 4
34 Bailey Fain – Justin Selvidge Lenoir City High School 6 6 16-13
35 Nathan Walley – Caleb Parker Heidelberg Academy 6 5 16-11
36 Kyle Ingleburger – Kyle Palmer Grundy County HS 5 5 15-15
37 Michael Duarte – Richie Martin Sparrows Point HS 8 8 15-14
38 Matt Miller – Adrian Stafford Southside Anglers 5 5 14-11
39 Blake Albertson – Jordan Mullis Southside Anglers 4 4 14- 9
40 Justin Barnes – Sutton Black Monroe Student Bass Anglers 6 5 14- 1
41 Luke Jasper – Tommy Rimbo Lemont High School 5 5 13-12
42 Will Moffett – Kyle McCormick Franklin County High School 5 5 13- 9
43 Trevor Yates – Evan Wahpekeche LIttle Axe Bass Club 5 5 13- 7
44 Julius Mazy – Thomas Sendek Arizona High School Club 5 4 13- 7
45 Fischer Keel – Auburn Anglers 6 6 13- 5
46 Dylan Berry – Chase Berry Madison Anglers 4 4 13- 2
47 Dillon King – Kody Kelly Livingston Parish Bass Masters – 5 4 12- 8
48 Dailus Richardson – Trevor McKinney Benton High School 5 5 12- 6
49 Connor Edwards – Braden Lovely American Christian Academy 6 6 12- 6
50 Keaton Zarr – Michael Yarger Susquehanna Valley Fishing Club 6 6 11-15
51 Spencer Lambert – Jeffrey Tyler West Monroe Rebel Bass Club 6 6 11-12
52 Colten Smith – Rafet White Strawberry Crest HS 6 6 11-11
53 Andrew Flair – Ethan Mally Omaha Bass Assassins 3 3 11-11
54 Tyler Dunn – Matthew Shrewsbury Beddingfield Bassers 3 3 11-11
55 Josh Powers – Cole Stewart Grundy County HS 2 2 11-10
56 Ryan Winchester – Jacob Mashburn Clinton High School 4 4 11- 7
57 Mason Raveling – Ben Provost Prior Lake High Schol 5 5 11- 6
58 Jacob Woods – Austin Winter Lenoir City 6 6 11- 6
59 Ian Oldenburg – Dawson Lack Pacific Bass Anglers 4 4 11- 2
60 Blake Seaton – Zack Bauer Martinsville HS 5 5 10-12
61 Nick Fulks – John Eckels Canon McMillan High School 3 3 10- 2
62 Joe Koon – Dozier Greer Eufaula HS 4 3 10- 0
63 Austin Gaab – Jacob Jones Susquehanna Valley Fishing Club 4 4 9-14
64 Case Anderson – Grant Hodosi Grundy County HS 4 4 9-12
65 Bailey Nelson – John Justiss Hillcrest High School 4 4 9-10
66 Gil Crew – Reese Kingston Alexander HS 5 5 9- 9
67 Russell Butler – Jonathan North Strawberry Crest HS 4 4 9- 8
68 Cole Burdeshaw – Jacob Hartzog Headland Bass Team 4 4 9- 8
69 Christian Mathews – Cole Ward North Desoto High School 4 4 9- 3
70 Joseph Bruener – Jack Garner Douglass Indians 3 3 9- 2
71 Sammy Camut – Griffin Barnes Beddingfield High School Club 4 4 9- 1
72 Joseph Kovatch – Wade Pritsel Hartley Hawgs 3 3 8- 3
73 Cole Sands – Caden Watson Walker Valley High School 4 3 8- 0
74 Cooper Gallant – Danny McGarry 905 HS Bass Club 2 2 7-15
75 Wyatt Burkhalter – Trace Greene Team Fast & Easy 3 3 7-11
76 Sam Milazzo – Nick Martens Maine South 3 3 7-11
77 Dustin Johnston – Trevor Brown Beulah Bass Team 3 3 7- 2
78 Brett Avery – Drake Vines Magnolia Bass Cats 3 3 6-14
79 Sean Hall – Kyler McKie North Augusta High School 2 2 6-14
80 Will Garrett – Haynes Waid Auburn Anglers 2 2 6-12
80 David Gaston – John McKinney Sylacauga Fishing 2 2 6-12
82 Joe McClosky – Morgan Winegardner Southern Garrett Bass Slayers 3 3 6-10
83 Christian King – Will Nichols Alexandria High School 3 3 6-10
84 Michael Scaggs – Derek Null Lawrence Co Hs 3 3 6- 4
85 Alex Williamson – Daniel Rodgers Windham Christian Academy 3 3 6- 2
86 Allex Conner – Jeremy Reese Central Ohio School Bass Club 3 3 6- 2
87 Tyler Lubbat – Hunter Lubbat Buffalo Grove Bass Fishing 2 0 5-13
88 Travis Frisk – Berlin High School 2 2 5- 8
89 Nick Embrey – Bryce Tucker UKV Warriors 2 2 5- 2
90 Kaleb Appling – Quintin Dorough Chelsea High School 2 2 4-15
90 Colton Fountain – Brett Herrin Kirbyville Wildcat Bassmasters 2 2 4-15
92 Kreston Richardson – Dalton Askew Buna High School 3 3 4-13
93 Liam Blake – Matthew Brien McQuad Jesuit HS 2 2 4-12
94 Jesse Heflin – Cameron Pappan Capital City HS Bass Club 2 2 4- 3
95 Brady Frank – Alec Schmidt Eastern IA HS Club 2 2 4- 3
96 Rudd Rexford – Max Bellinghiri South Burlington HS 2 2 4- 0
97 Matt Hasenfratz – Trevor Owens Ponca City HS Bass 2 2 3-14
98 Noah Pescitelli – Chris Moody Mill Creek High School 2 2 3-12
99 Nick Beers – Carter Williams Grand Haven Bassmasters 1 0 3- 8
99 Dray Davis – Brandon Lawson Union County Bass Club 1 0 3- 8
101 James Graves III – Kadin Thens Madison Anglers 2 2 3- 8
102 Damian Privat – David Spielberger Woodward Academy 2 2 3- 7
103 Bowdi Armstrong – Emily Pollard Mesilla Valley Bass Anglers 1 1 3- 7
103 Kameron Fox – Nathan Burrow Bryant-Conway HS 1 1 3- 7
105 Colton Haney – Noah Lindus BW Bassers 2 2 3- 6
106 Evan Bramhill – Teddy Peznola Mass BN High School Club 1 1 3- 6
107 Colton Harrell – Ryan Geraghty Riley’s Catch 1 1 3- 4
108 Ian Goff – Genry Ellison Jackson Co Homeschool 1 1 3- 3
109 Jonathon Wilburn – Connor Jones Guntersville High School 1 1 3- 0
110 Luke Brozovich – Canyon Kenny Minooka Anglers Club 1 1 2-14
111 Trace O’Dell – Lucas Sammons Buna High School 1 1 2-13
112 Nicholas Wiggins – Lane Possoit Natchitoches Central High School 1 1 2- 8
113 Eli Chambers – Hunter Herfurth Vinemont High School 1 1 2- 4
114 Jason Felter – Anthony Mello Idaho Trophy Bass Hunters 1 1 1-13
115 Adan Hernandez – Alexander Holquin Mesilla Valley Bass Anglers 1 1 1- 9
116 Sam Morgan – Eldon Posey Grundy Co 1 1 1- 6
117 Tanner Bruyninckx – Brad Wilson North Augusta Fishing Team 1 1 1- 2
118 Sam Barwick – Max Brandon Guntersville High School 0 0 0- 0
118 Chris Bee – Alec Lipon Hartland Eagles Bass Club 0 0 0- 0
118 Clayton Childs – Sawyer Stewart North Oconee Titans 0 0 0- 0
118 Sean Cook – Tommy Zobel Joliet Central High School 0 0 0- 0
118 Andrew Denton – Scotty Alexander Mustang HS Club 0 0 0- 0
118 Reece Eddleblute – Randy Denney Buckeye State Student Anglers 0 0 0- 0
118 Austin Eiben – Isaiah Minton Eastern IA HS Clu b 0 0 0- 0
118 Andrew Marcantel – Cole Talbot Sulphur High School 0 0 0- 0
118 Blaine Marks – Logan O’Dell Buna High School 0 0 0- 0
118 Jake Mims – Noah Rega Alexander High School 0 0 0- 0
118 Nick Montilino – Edina HS 0 0 0- 0
118 Devin Prine – Trace Crumpton Buna High School 0 0 0- 0
118 Tyler Spiers – Daniel Medvetz John Stark HS Bass Team 0 0 0- 0
118 Seth Utt – Brian Moore Eastgate Life Academy 0 0 0- 0
118 Noah Winslow – Doug Marino Nonnewaug HS 0 0 0- 0
118 Ryan Wood – Turner Mason Front Range Bass Club 0 0 0- 0
118 Trae Wright – Tripp Hodges Sylacauga HS 0 0 0- 0
Name City,State Lbs-Oz
BIG BASS
Day
1 Jeremy Bates – Joshua HoldeCnhichester, NH 6-12
2 Bailey Fain – Justin SelvidgeLENOIR CITY, TN 6- 3
3 Alex Heintze – Justin Watts DENHAM SPRINGS, LA 5-12
Day # Live Lbs-Oz # Limits
TOTALS
# Fish
1 291 276 806- 9 27
2 261 247 713- 3 28
3 53 51 169-10 7



Our guests were FLW Touring Pro Clent Davis, BASS Opens / FLW Rayovac Pro Brent Aaron Shores, and president and owner of the NWA Bruce Tharpe.
If you missed the show, you can listen to the podcast here.
You can listen to the show on any of the following Set the Hook! with Pat Rose radio network affiliates: Saturday 7-8 am EST on ESPN 105 1 The Zone espnchattanooga.com, 1-2 pm EST on Fox Sports Radio 1670 foxsports1670.com (IHeart Radio app), 7-8 am CST on KEWI 690 am 103.4 FM saline247.com (Tunein Radio app), Sunday 9-10 am EST on Copperhead 1240 Soddy Daisy, TN 1240wsdt.com (Tunein Radio app), 4-5 pm CST on 1480 The Fan! 5-6 pm EST on WKWN 1420 AM 106.1 FM Trenton, GA discoverdade.com/1061FM.htm (Freestream Radio app).
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The last group of pros ease out from the Clinton Street Landing on the Mississippi River.
July 22, 2015
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FLW College Fishing is headed to the Mississippi River July 25 for the third and final regular-season tournament in the Central Conference. A full field of college teams will be competing for a top award of $2,000 and a berth in the Central Conference Championship tournament.
“This tournament will be a bit of a challenge, but there are still a few different ways to catch good stringers,” said 13-year Walmart FLW Tour veteran Tom Monsoor of La Crosse, Wisconsin.
“I think a lot of teams will use white-colored frogs to target bass that are still in moss beds preparing to move out into open water,” continued Monsoor. “The shad are still too small to feed on, so that’s where I think most of the fish will be. The smallmouth bite in the riprap will also play a role in this tournament. They’ve been responding well to different types of green-pumpkin-colored worms.
“I could also see some quality fish coming from the weedlines,” said Monsoor. “Lately I’ve been throwing a small green-pumpkin jig and it’s brought in some decent weights. The fish were usually around cover – like stumps – so competitors will need to find a good spot that compliments their pattern before using up too much time. It’s those types of decisions that will really test an angler’s instincts.”
Monsoor said he thinks a five-bass stringer nearing 16 pounds will take top honors.
“Somebody will find the 3-plus-pound bass, especially with a frog,” said Monsoor. “It should be an exciting event for both the anglers and fans.”
Anglers will take off from the Clinton Street Landing West ramp, located on Clinton Street in La Crosse, at 6:30 a.m. CT Saturday. Weigh-in will be held at the landing beginning at 2:30 p.m. Takeoff and weigh-in are free and open to the public.
Schools are allowed to register up until the morning of the tournament. Entries may be made either by phone or at CollegeFishing.com. Schools currently registered to compete in the Mississippi River tournament, which is hosted by the La Crosse Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, include:
Alder School of Professional Psychology – Marshall Sandretto, Winthrop, Ill., and Zach Regnier, Hager City, Wis.
Bemidji State University – Thor Swanson and Mitchell Swanson, both of Blaine, Minn.
Eastern Illinois University – Evan Hakman, Mason, Ill., and Mitchell Meinhart, Effingham, Ill.
Eastern Illinois University – Phillip Arnold, Pana, Ill., and Dan Martin, Elmhurst, Ill.
Eastern Kentucky University – Shaw Owens, Barboursville, Ky., and Ethan Snyder, Flaherty, Ky.
Greenville College – Joseph Seabaugh, Walshville, Ill., and Ray Hingson, Montrose, Ill.
Indiana State University – Andrew Feutz, Eminence, Ind., and Blaine Timonera, Batesville, Ind.
Indiana State University – Jeremy Crocker, Lowell, Ind., and Zac Niehaus, Brazil, Ind.
Indiana State University – Jordan Nauert, Fillmore, Ind., and Brody Comer, Terre Haute, Ind.
Indiana State University – Tyler Wilson, Brazil, Ind., and Nicholas Gallina, Griffith, Ind.
Iowa State University – Justin Heim, Luxemburg, Iowa, and Andrew Paulsen, Ames, Iowa
Iowa State University – Pat Morrison, Omaha, Neb., and Jake Olson, West Des Moines, Iowa
Iowa State University – Zac Beek, Bloomington, Minn., and Zachary Hartley, Minneapolis, Minn.
Kansas State University – Graham Howard, Sabetha, Kan., and Sheldon Rogge, Saint George, Kan.
McKendree University – Jordan Ledbetter, Carlyle, Illinois, and Brock Wilke, Saint Rose, Ill.
McKendree University – Shane Campbell and Dustin Pendegraft, both of Summerfield, Ill.
Midland University – Nicholas Jensen, Watertown, S.D., and Ethan Aschenbrenner, Waterloo, Neb.
Milwaukee School of Engineering – Patrick Schmidt and Zachary Ottman, both of Oshkosh, Wis.
Northern Illinois University – Quinn Groenwald, DeKalb, Ill., and Ryan Moser, Elgin, Ill.
Northwest Missouri State University – Andrew Nordbye, Saint Joseph, Mo., and Adam Almohtadi, Blue Springs, Mo.
Saint Cloud State University – Troy Switajewski, Pine River, Minn., and Daniel Carlson, Milaca, Minn.
South Dakota State University – Kaiden Karst, Pierre, S.D., and Chase Porter, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Saint Ambrose University – Blake Vincent, Kewanee, Iowa, and Cole Atkinson, Camanche, Iowa
University of Dubuque – Austin Brimeyer, Dubuque, Iowa, and Eric Nie, Jesup, Iowa
University of Dubuque – Matt Smith, Harvard, Ill., and Alex Steffen, Cascade, Iowa
University of Illinois – Qiurun Chen, Urbana, Ill., and Luke Stoner, Pekin, Ill.
University of Iowa – Max Mercer, Burlington, Iowa, and Collin Cook, Fort Dodge, Iowa
University of Minnesota – John Vang, Saint Paul, Minn., and Makoto Hang, La Crosse, Wis.
University of Minnesota – Matt Merz And Conner Hansen, both of Milwaukee, Wis.
University of Minnesota – Trevor Lo, Woodbury, Minn., and Chris Burgan, Rhinelander, Wis.
University of Minnesota-Duluth – Justin Sande, Orono, Minn., and Erik Gaffron, Maple Grove, Minn.
University of Minnesota-Duluth – Mark Shirley, Saint Cloud, Minn., and James Chapman, South Haven, Minn.
University of Missouri – Christian Ponzetti, Minnetonka, Minn., and Matt Kudrna, Columbia, Mo.
University of North Dakota – Dominic Schneider, Maplewood, Minn., and Jonathan Welle, Saint Paul, Minn.
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse – Nathan Hettinga And Dustin Genrich, both of Wausau, Wis.
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse – Pat Bowers, Hudson, Wis., and Sig Finley, Wonder Lake, Ill.
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse – Xeng Lee & Pelli Lee, both of La Crosse, Wis.
University of Wisconsin-Platteville – Grant Stittleburg and Remington Stittleburg, Black River Falls, Wis.
University of Wisconsin-Stout – Michael Jansen and Craig Jansen, New Richmond, Wis.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater – Daniel Blasy, Eden Prarie, Minn., and Steven Sellnow, Watertown, Wis.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater – Jared Mataczynski, Wausau, Wis., and Steve Nebel, Whitewater, Wis.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater – Nicholas Andersen, Racine, Wis., and Andrew Mlotek, Naperville, Ill.
Winona State University – Wyatt Stout, Winona, Minn., and Cade Laufenberg, La Crosse, Wis.
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My name is Charlie Machek, and I am the Owner and Guide at the Swift Creek Reservoir Guide Service. I will be writing a monthly fishing report to encourage everyone to get out on the water, and catching fish. I have likely spent the majority of my life out on The Reservoir in search of largemouth bass, crappie, brim, and the occasional toothy chain pickerel. For inquiries about a fishing trip email [email protected]
Report: June was another great month of fishing on the Swift Creek Reservoir, and I hope you were able to find success catching fish as well. As I had said in June’s fishing report, the topwater bite in the morning can be extremely exciting, and it didn’t let me down. Towards the end of June, we started seeing great numbers of fish showing up on the deeper offshore points, drop offs, and humps. Some of these fish seemed to be in small schools chasing baitfish, and others were hunkered down in the cover waiting for a meal to ambush. This trend should continue through the entire month of July. For these fish Deep Diving Crankbaits in the 10’ to 15’ range can be very effective, making long casts is important to reach the proper depth. Other great options for these areas are, Texas Rigged worms, Carolina Rigs, and even slow rolling a 3/4oz spinnerbait, or swimbait. If the fish don’t seem to take those lures, downsizing to a shaky head trick worm, or a dropshot can catch both numbers of bass, and the occasional big fish.
The grass carp that were stocked in May, initially knocked back the vegetation growth, but in the last month it has managed to grow more than they can eat. For the quality of fishing in the Reservoir, this is great news, but management is still important. Looking back at the results of 2010/2011, the first year of carp introduction actually saw an increase in hydrilla coverage, with the following year allowing the carp to accomplish complete removal of the vegetation. There are excellent fishing opportunities around the many grass beds in the lake. Topwater lures remain the most fun way to catch these fish, but they will not always produce. Early morning, and late evening should be the best times for this. Weedless lures are a must here, texas rigs, weightless texas rigs, chatterbaits, and swimjigs are all good choices. One of my favorites is a texas rigged speed worm. The water is very clear around the grass, so keep your eye out for all of the aquatic life. The baby bass fry can be seen growing all throughout these areas, when spooked it almost looks like rain drops hitting the water. When you see this, the bass are likely to be nearby. With the water clearing, you’ll be able to see the turtles, bluegills, and baitfish swimming in their natural habitat. I have even gotten lucky and spotted a few big bass cruising around looking for an easy meal. To catch these cruisers, cast a senko, or swimming worm quietly past the fish, and then kill it. Sometimes they eat, and sometimes they just look at you like you are dumb, and swim away.
Take a kid fishing, practice catch and release, and I’ll see you out on the water!
If you have questions feel free to contact me by email, or social media @MachekFishing and @SwiftCreekReservoirGuideService
July 24, 2015
New York, Georgia Teams Advance In High School Championship Second Chance Event
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HUNTINGDON, Tenn. — Friday, teams from Georgia and New York earned a second chance to compete in the finale of the Costa Bassmaster High School National Championship presented by TNT Fireworks.
Michael Arndt and Ryan Hujar of Syracuse, N.Y., and Cody Stahl and Tate VanEdmond of Williamson, Ga., will join the Top 10 teams on Kentucky Lake Saturday to determine high school bass fishing’s top anglers.
The teams qualified after taking the Top 2 spots in a competition held Friday on Carroll County Thousand Acre Recreational Lake. The 11th through 50th place teams were eligible to compete. By the rules, only the best two bass caught by each team counted toward the qualifying weight.
New York’s B.A.S.S. high school state champions Arndt and Hujar caught a largemouth weighing 7 pounds, 10 ounces. Stahl and VanEdmond, representing Crosspointe Christian Academy in Williamson, caught a bass weighing 7 pounds, 1 ounce to qualify for the finals.
Both teams caught their bass on jigs fished along dropoffs on the lake.
“We’ve beat up all our spots on Kentucky Lake, so we plan to change our strategy,” Stahl said. “Hopefully, with only 12 boats in the tournament, we can catch up.”
“We have one area, so it was good for us to give it a rest,” said Fred Blom, coach of the New York team.
The second chance contest coincided with Day 1 of the B.A.S.S. Youth Nation Junior Championship, also held on Carroll County Thousand Acre Recreational Lake. Leading the tournament with 12-12 are Austin Brewer and Jacob Bruener of Douglas High School in Nacogdoches, Texas.
The highlight of the day was the largemouth weighing 11 pounds, 14 ounces, caught by Bruener. The fish stands to break the current lake record weighing 9-2.
“It was amazing, and every other boat on the lake probably heard us when it came aboard,” said Bruener, 14, a sophomore. His previous personal best bass weighed 8 pounds.
Bruener caught the fish on a shaky head jig. He was fishing the lure on the bottom of an underwater ridge tapering from 12 to 14 feet deep.
Teams are competing for $75,000 in scholarships and prizes. Schools participating in the B.A.S.S. Nation High School Nation program were eligible to qualify two-angler teams to the championship. Teams also qualified through B.A.S.S. regional events and sanctioned affiliate tournament trails.
The main campus of Bethel University hosts the final championship weigh-in on Saturday beginning 1:45 p.m. CT.
Official hosts are Paris-Henry County, Carroll County, Northwest Tennessee Tourism and Bethel University.
Costa Bassmaster High School Series presented by TNT Fireworks – NC Second Chance
7/24/2015 – 7/24/2015
Carroll County 1,000 Acre – Recreational Lake – Huntingdon, TN
STANDINGS BOATER DAY 1
Today’s Activity
# Fish Lbs – Oz
Accumulative
Name # Live # Fish # Live Lbs – Oz
1 Michael Arndt – Ryan Hujar New York HS Club 1 0 7-10 1 0 7-10
2 Cody Stahl – Tate VanEdmond Crosspointe Christian Fishing Club 1 1 7- 1 1 1 7- 1
3 Taylor Cox – Ben Muse Carrollton High School 1 1 6-15 1 1 6-15
4 Carter McNeil – Tucker Smith Abbeville High School 1 1 6-13 1 1 6-13
4 Nathan Walley – Caleb Parker Heidelberg Academy 1 1 6-13 1 1 6-13
6 Trevor Yates – Evan Wahpekeche LIttle Axe Bass Club 1 1 6- 7 1 1 6- 7
7 J T Russell – Jared Turnbloom Briarwood High School 1 1 4- 9 1 1 4- 9
8 Connor Edwards – Braden Lovely American Christian Academy 1 1 2- 9 1 1 2- 9
9 Michael Duarte – Richie Martin Sparrows Point HS 1 1 2- 7 1 1 2- 7
10 Blake Albertson – Jordan Mullis Southside Anglers 1 1 1-11 1 1 1-11
11 Will Moffett – Kyle McCormick Franklin County High School 1 1 1- 5 1 1 1- 5
12 Ryan Shields – Austin Hale Hazel Green High School 1 1 1- 3 1 1 1- 3
13 Dailus Richardson – Trevor McKinney Benton High School 1 1 0-15 1 1 0-15
13 Keaton Zarr – Michael Yarger Susquehanna Valley Fishing Club 1 1 0-15 1 1 0-15
15 Bailey Fain – Justin Selvidge Lenoir City High School 1 1 0-12 1 1 0-12
16 Max McQuiade – Conner Foley MA High School 1 1 0- 9 1 1 0- 9
17 Justin Barnes – Sutton Black Monroe Student Bass Anglers 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
17 Jeremy Bates – Joshua Holden Bishop Brady HS 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
17 Dylan Berry – Chase Berry Madison Anglers 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
17 Grayson Cook – Bryson Galloway Windsor High School 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
17 Hunter Courvelle – Alex Erickson Sam Houston High School 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
17 Josh Dugger – Jake Dugger Pottsville HS 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
17 Tyler Eagan – Jason Thompson Lees Summit West Fishing Club 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
17 Garrett Enders – Nick Osman Susquehanna Valley 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
17 Zeke Gossett – Hayden Bartee Pell City High School 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
17 Zach Hingson – Tyler Benedict Arthur Levington Atwood Hammond 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
17 Kyle Ingleburger – Kyle Palmer Grundy County HS 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
17 Luke Jasper – Tommy Rimbo Lemont High School 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
17 Fischer Keel – Auburn Anglers 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
17 Dillon King – Kody Kelly Livingston Parish Bass Masters – 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
17 Nathan Kmiecik – Cole Luetkenhaus Bishop Neuman HS 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
17 Julius Mazy – Thomas Sendek Arizona High School Club 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
17 Matt Miller – Adrian Stafford Southside Anglers 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
17 Bryson Mort – Gabe Litterell Idaho Trophy Bass Hunters 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
17 Connor Nimrod – Trevor Watts Desoto Bass Team 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
17 Ben Riggs – Nick Ratliff Hardin/LaRue 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
17 Cole Schmucker – Chandler Cornelius George Jenkins HS 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
17 Matt Shirley – Cade Barnes Tuscaloosa County High School 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
17 Brennan Swanson – Adam Hutmacher Chamberlain HS 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
17 Tristan Thomas – Dakota Crumely East Hall Anglers 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
Name City,State Lbs-Oz
BIG BASS
Day
1 Michael Arndt – Ryan Hujar North Syracuse, NY 7-14
Day # Live Lbs-Oz # Limits
TOTALS
# Fish
1 16 15 58-10 16
Today’s Activity
# Fish Lbs – Oz
Accumulative