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Ed Wentland & John Thibodeaux Win Cashion Fishing rods Sprint Team BASS Mini Trail June 6th 2015

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Ed Wentland & John Thibodeaux Win Cashion Fishing rods Sprint Team BASS Mini Trail June 6th 2015

CASHION FISHING RODS SPRING TEAM BASS MINI TRAIL CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
Saturday June 6th, 2015 ~ Shearon Harris Reservoir ~ Cross Point Landing Wildlife Ramp

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The Cashion Fishing Rods Spring Team Bass Mini Trail Championship is now in the books! 22 out of the 28 qualified teams fished hard for the top spot! The weather was great, the winds were light, the air temps ranged from 70 to 88 and the water level was ok. Water temps averaged about 80 and the clarity was good. Door prizes, pizza and drinks were enjoyed after the weigh-in.

1st time winners Ed Wentland & John Thibodeaux weighed only 4 bass weighing 20.43 lbs. to take 1st Place, 1st Place Big Fish (7.15 lbs.) and 1st Place TWT plus 2 Cashion Custom Fishing Rods & trophies for a total of over $2,323 in cash and prizes! They had 2 in their bag that totaled over 13 lbs. to help seal the deal.

Losing 1st Place by just over 2 tenths of a pound was the 2nd Place Father/Son Team of Carl & Justin Johnson with 5 bass weighing 20.20 lbs. They also won 2nd Place Big Fish (6.67 lbs.) to take home a total of $932.

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Points Winners for this Spring Trail were the team of Kevin Woodall & William Tobias. They received $580, trophies & 2 Cashion Custom Fishing Rods totalling over $1,000 in value for their Trail loyalty & consistent good catches. 66 bass were weighed in for a total of 196 pounds averaging 2.97 lbs. each. Most were caught on worm rigs and spinnerbaits in shallow water around grass and slime. The early topwater bite was great from what I heard.

I want to thank Cashion Fishing Rods and all the anglers that participated. Our next tournament will be the the 2015 Piedmont Bass Classics $10,000 Spring Team Bass Trail Championship will be held at Falls Lake out of Ledge Rock Wildlife Ramp on June 13th. This is just for qualified teams only and is not an open event.
Spectators are more that welcome to attend the weighin at 3pm that day!
All the information on our tournaments can be found http://piedmontbassclassics.com/

Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Ed Wentland & John Thibodeaux of Bunn Level…4 bass…20.43 lbs…$1,160
2nd Place: Carl & Justin Johnson of Apex…5 bass…20.20 lbs…$800
3rd Place: Scott Woodson & Austin Randall of Fuquay Varina…5 bass…16.83 lbs…$460
4th Place: Jaime Fajardo & Josh Hooks of Fuquay Varina & Apex…5 bass…16.15 lbs…$300
5th Place: Todd Sumner & Mike Dinterman of Southern Pines & Oxford…5 bass…15.20 lbs…$200

Cashion Rods Mini Trail Points Champions: Kevin Woodall and William Tobias of Angier

1st Place Big Fish: 1st Place Team above…7.15 lbs…$308
2nd Place Big Fish: 2nd Place Team above…6.67 lbs…$132

1st Place TWT: 1st Place Team above: 20.43 lbs…$455
2nd Place TWT: 3rd Place Team above: 16.83 lbs…$195

Tow Boats US Award: Jaime Fajardo of Fuquay Varina: $50
The Piedmont Bass Classics $10,000 Spring Team Bass Trail Championship Is
Next Saturday June 13th At Falls Lake Out Of Ledge Rock Wildlife Ramp. All
the info is on our website.
Contact Information:
Phil McCarson…Tournament Director—922 Valetta Rd.—Durham, NC 27712
Home: 919-471-1571 Cell: 919-971-5042
email: [email protected] website: http://piedmontbassclassics.com/
Check out all of our Great Sponsors Click Here!
Our Sponsors Support Us…….So…….Please Support Our Sponsors!

St. Croix Rod Merges Departments, Increases Customer Commitment

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St. Croix Rod Merges Departments, Increases Customer Commitment

St. Croix Rod Merges Departments, Increases Customer Commitment

Wisconsin-based family-run rod makers take legendary Superstar Service to the next level

Park Falls, WI (June 8, 2015) – Although the announcement of department mergers can often spell layoffs within large corporations, quite the opposite is happening at family-run Wisconsin, USA-based company St. Croix Rod.

Marketing VP Jeff Schluter says their recent strategic planning prioritized merging the company’s Order Center and Service (Warranty) Center into one cohesive team that would handle all aspects of consumer and dealer needs.

St. Croix continues  building on a 65-year legacy of providing industry-best customer service.

“Our intent is to provide an even greater level of service to our network of dealers and distributors, as well end users,” says Schluter.

He adds: “It’s going to mean that wholesalers and retailers will have more efficient contact with us. It’s not uncommon for a retailer to call, place an order, and then follow up on a service or warranty issue. Now, instead of transferring that caller, it’ll be handled on the same call.”

Of course, they needed to find the right person to head the ambitious and streamlined department, as well hire additional fishing industry experts with strong customer service skills.

After extensive searches and interviews, St. Croix hired Chris Raymond as St. Croix’s new Customer Operations Manager. Chris assumed his post on March 2, 2015.

Raymond is the former director of sales and marketing of a sports flooring manufacturing company, and prior to that, spent a decade as a customer service/call center manager with an information technology firm.

The Michigan native is also a lifelong multi-species angler with a well-rounded background in all things fishing. “One of my first memories is of catching a sunfish at age 3 and carrying it around in a wheel barrow for a couple days. I’ve been an active angler ever since: a little fly fishing but mostly walleye, salmon, trout, ice fishing and bass with a lot of time on the Great Lakes. And most of that time on the water has been with a St. Croix rod in my hand,” says Raymond.

Besides manpower, St. Croix has made significant capital investment in its physical infrastructure with a recent 1000 square foot build-out designed to house the team’s new Customer Center, which was also recently updated with an all new state-of-the-art call center management technology.

Director of Sales Jeff Crockett with new Customer Operations Manager Chris Raymond.

” ‘Customer Center’ is the official name we’ve adopted for the new area of our company. We’re working on names for the two levels of staffers within the CC. Most likely, we’ll call them ‘customer guides,’” says Schluter.

Raymond says the Customer Center will become a one-stop shop where consumers and retailers will be served within one organized unit within the company, reducing call transfers and the points of contacts needed to address almost any issue. The team will address all modes of customer communication: phone, e-mail, and inquiries via web and social media.

“Our ‘customer guides’ will be able to place orders, make warranty claims, even recommend rods to dealers and consumers. Typically, on the consumer side, it’s predominately warranty and service while on the retailer side, it’s about rod selection and order placement,” says Raymond.

He adds that the Customer Center will also house a “determination staff” of two to five experts depending on the season, individuals who look at the physical rods that come in on warranty claims and determine the best course of action to repair or replace a rod and get that process started.

Extensive, formal training will be ongoing to ensure all staff are truly product experts, each well tuned to the fishing uses of all St. Croix products. “This will be a continual process as we launch many new products each year. But it will help us literally explain products more fully to our retailers and distributors,” says Raymond.

Jeff Crockett, Director of Sales, sums it up: “When your company is 65 years old – and you have as many rods in the field as we do – you spend a lot of energy and human resources to manage and handle service. But we understand just how important it is that we’re there when our customers have problems. Consistency is huge. Each customer is treated in a friendly, efficient manner, which we’re always mindful of. It’s really key for success. Our people are at the core of that.”

Within the industry, St. Croix Rod has built incredible company loyalty through excellent products and outstanding customer service. Obviously, by making this move, the company is trying to enhance that with fewer phone transfers, more timely response to electronic inquiries, greater product knowledge, and expanded service and warranty knowledge through customer guides.

In an industry haunted by empty promises, sounds like St. Croix is putting their money where their mouth is, and taking best-in-class service to the next level.

 

Dan Rothgeb & Jacob Rothgeb Win One Stop Mart Leesville Lake Tournament Trail event June 7th 2015

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Dan Rothgeb & Jacob Rothgeb Win One Stop Mart Leesville Lake Tournament Trail event June 7th 2015

We had 14 boats competing at Smith Mtn. on June 7. Results are:

1st Place-Dan Rothgeb/Jacob Rothgeb-5 fish-15.02 lbs.

2nd Place-Bryant Copley/Mike Compton-5 fish-14.51 lbs.

3rd Place-Rick White/Reggie Mayhew-5 fish-13.22 lbs.

Big fish of the day-Jerry Rice/Robert Reynolds-a 4.49 lb. largemouth

 

                                         Thanks,

                                           J.Rice

Dennis Scott & Robert More Win VA Bass Region 2 on Kerr Lake May31,2015

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Dennis Scott & Robert More Win VA Bass Region 2 on Kerr Lake May31,2015

1 D. Scott R. Moore 15.32 BF 5.65
2 J. Lugar B. Harold 15.24
3 T. King R. Trent 13.95
4 J. Dudley T. Farmer 13.74
5 K. Langford T. Holcomb 13.13
6 B. Copley S. Woodroof 13.03
7 T. Axt H .Axt 12.55
8 B. Drake W. Drake 12.11
9 M. Thomas M. Young 12.05
10 T. McLaughlin S. Brogan 11.73
11 R. Tweedy Richard 11.09
12 T. Bates J. Argwbright 10.80
13 T. Lee J. Lee 10.72
14 J. Adamezak H. Camper 10.60
15 T. Taylor A. Miller 10.47
16 M. Bowling M. Heatwole 9.83
17 C. Davis P. Newman 9.02
18 R. Castillo T. Maschal 8.93
19 R. Willams C. Dugger 8.87
20 Nelson Troyer 8.77
21 J. Swink J. Bandager 8.34
22 S. Vanlear C. West 7.96
22 R. Armes P. Armes 7.96
23 B. Herndon R. Waterman 7.26
24 C. Joseph T. Lane 4.38

WALMART FLW TOUR PRO AMERSON WITHDRAWS FROM 2015 TOUR

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WALMART FLW TOUR PRO AMERSON WITHDRAWS FROM 2015 TOUR

WALMART FLW TOUR PRO AMERSON WITHDRAWS FROM 2015 TOUR

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MINNEAPOLIS (June 8, 2015) – Walmart FLW Tour pro Keith Amerson of Selmer, Tennessee, informed FLW of his decision Saturday to withdraw from the remaining two regular-season FLW Tour events in the 2015 season due to a family medical obligation. A tournament field of 147 boats will compete this week at the FLW Tour at Lake Chickamauga presented by Igloo Coolers.
Amerson issued the following statement via his Facebook page:
“Just wanted to let all my friends and supporters know that I won’t be competing in the last two FLW Tour events of the season. I had a cute little granddaughter that decided to come two weeks early. We knew that there’d be a few complications when she was born, so I’m sitting fishing aside for awhile until everything is fine with her. I feel my first job is to be there for my family and that what I intend to do as well as spoil my little Evan. My daughter is doing very good and she’s going to be an amazing mother and everything with baby Evan is going as expected. I ask that you all continue to pray for Evan. I want to thank each of you that have supported me the last two seasons, it means so much. Hopefully, I can get back to fishing next season. Thank you all.”
Amerson fished four events in 2015 and was in 133rd place in the Angler of the Year race. His best showing of the season was a 98th-place finish last month at Lake Eufaula.
In FLW Tour competition, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2015 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. The 2015 Forrest Wood Cup will be in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 20–23 on Lake Ouachita and is hosted by Visit Hot Springs. The Forrest Wood Cup Champion could win as much as $500,000 – professional bass-fishing’s richest prize.
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.

Mark Winn & Michael Nichols Win Angler’s Choice Kerr Lake event June 7 2015

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Mark Winn & Michael Nichols Win Angler’s Choice Kerr Lake event June 7 2015

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1st place Mark Winn & Michael Nichols with five fish weighing 18.01lbs.

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2nd place Scott Wiley & Charlie Machek with five fish weighing 16.43lbs.

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3rd place Richard Chattin & Michael Pendleton with five fish weighing 16.24lbs.

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4th place Brandon Gray & Robert Perkins with five fish weighing 16.21lbs.

CLICK HERE TO SEE RESULTS


CLICK HERE TO SEE FINAL POINTS STANDINGS

Switching My Approach by Jason Houchins

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Switching My Approach by Jason Houchins

Out of Commision by Jason Houchins

June 8,2015

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Out of commission for this entire weekend with a pulled muscle in my back has given me time to reflect on the not so great year that I’m having and what changes I can make to turn it around. It has also slowed me down and help me realize what’s important in my life, fishing is not everything but it is very high on my list of loves. It’s very apparent that it is much easier to write about stuff when things are going great. It’s also very apparent that it is much harder to write about failures and shortfalls, it forces you to face reality and that’s tough to swallow sometimes. I have a real hard time knowing a big tournament is going on just down the road and I’m not competing in it. Although I still say everything happens for a reason and this misfortune has a purpose. I think it’s time to reevaluate my approach at tournaments.
I have been one that believes you need to fish as many tournaments as possible to get better at it, so that’s what I do. This year has me rethinking my philosophy quite a bit. After talking with a few guys that I know who always seem to be pretty successful in tournaments, I’m really going to try and change my approach going forward. I’m beginning to believe you need to pick a goal or two, and strictly concentrate your time and effort towards those goals. I have never approached a season that way at all, I like to go with the wind so to speak. I think the level of competition and the expense of fishing is increasing every day, and I need to adjust in order to have more success. I honestly believe I have spread myself too thin and it has cost me confidence, time, and money. So I need to change something to save the season so to speak. At the least I need to try and adjust and find a medium that works for me.
Two of the anglers I respect the most Kurt Dove and Brandon Gray seem to have this approach down very good. They set a goal or two before the year begins and that’s what they work for. They will totally focus and work towards those specific goals. Instead of fishing the jackpot event, they will go practice at the destination of their next goal oriented event. Not to say you can’t add a tournament or two along the way, but they are focused most on the initial goals they set. Most people will read this and say, duh that’s what you’re supposed to do. I just feel like everyone is different and you can’t always plan out everything to be a success. As much as I try to structure myself at work, fishing is totally opposite to me. I love the feeling of just winging it in tournaments and where it takes me on any given day. But ultimately to me it’s about competing, and in the bigger events this season I have been absent. I need to change something moving ahead.
This week I will head to High Rock for the next Piedmont BFL. I will practice a couple of days for this event and I hope that it pays off. If you’ve read any of my articles before, you know I don’t put very much faith into practice. But I’m not real familiar with High Rock and I need to feel comfortable going into the event. I have no history there and nothing to hang my hat on, so I will fish my strengths and enjoy my time on the water. Hopefully this will begin to get me on track for the push towards the last half of the season. I’m definitely looking forward to the challenge and attempt at a different approach. But the one thing I thing has lacked the most this year is the “JOY” of tournament fishing. That may be the most important thing that needs to happen first. That’s ultimately why we all do it, because we love and enjoy it. Hopefully I will find myself enjoying this week and ultimately getting back to being more successful.

Evers Slams Door On BASSfest Victory, Earns Automatic Classic Berth

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Evers Slams Door On BASSfest Victory, Earns Automatic Classic Berth

Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., takes first place at the Zippo Bassmaster BASSfest presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps om Kentucky Lake. He brought a four-day total of 97 pounds, 4 ounces to the scales.

Photo by Gary TramontinaBassmaster

June 7, 2015

Evers Slams Door On BASSfest Victory, Earns Automatic Classic Berth

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PARIS, Tenn. — After a tough start to the Bassmaster Elite Series season, Edwin Evers said he hasn’t been that much fun for his wife, Tuesday, to live with back home in Talala, Okla.

But things should be more pleasant for both of them now.

Not only did Evers win a first-place check for $100,000 as the champion of Zippo BASSfest at Kentucky Lake presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps, but he earned an automatic berth into the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro. Evers never relinquished the lead after seizing it on Day 2, and he sealed the victory Sunday with a catch of 25 pounds that pushed his four-day total to 97 pounds, 4 ounces.

Michigan pro Kevin VanDam finished second with 94-4.

“My wife’s been about ready to shoot me, because I’ve been in a pretty bad mood most of the season,” said Evers, who claimed his ninth B.A.S.S. victory and first since 2013. “I just have to be at that Classic, so this means the world to me. It’s so important.”

BASSfest is the only tournament on the Elite Series schedule that results in an automatic Classic berth for the winner — and with the 2016 Classic taking place on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees in Evers’ home state of Oklahoma, the 40-year-old pro fished all week like his season was on the line.

He opened Wednesday with a catch of 24-0 and jumped into the lead after catching 27-2 Thursday. After taking Friday off while those who finished out of the Top 50 took part in a Second Chance event on Lake Barkley, Evers held onto the lead with 21-2 Saturday.

Then Sunday, he followed the same pattern he had fished all week to keep VanDam and third-place angler Brett Hite (91-9) from slipping past him.

Like most of the field, Evers fished Kentucky Lake’s famed ledges with a variety of baits. He used a Megabass Deep-Six Crankbait, a swimbait and an E2 Head Turner Stand Up Worm, but it was a homemade bucktail jig that helped him catch his largest bass.

“It’s a 5/8-ounce hair jig that a buddy back home made for me,” Evers said. “He actually shot the deer off my property that he made the bucktails out of. It’s something I catch some fish on back home. I had him make them for me last year before BASSfest (on Lake Chickamauga), and I should have thrown it a whole lot more last year.”

Evers said the bucktail jig worked especially well as a “follow-up” bait.

“Once I had the schools fired up on a crankbait, it was something that really worked for me,” Evers said. “I would do the same thing on each of my spots: I’d start with a crankbait, then I’d go to the swimbait and then the jig.

“Every bait I used was important.”

What helped Evers separate himself from the field was one or two big bites each day. He said most of the big fish he caught, including an 8-0 Thursday and an 8-11 Sunday, came out of one small area.

“They all came within a 5-foot circle, I can promise you,” Evers said. “Every one of them came from the same spot.”

Evers’ consistency also helped him outlast a hard charge from VanDam — a noted ledge-fishing specialist whose star-studded history on Kentucky Lake has included two third-place finishes in B.A.S.S. events, two seconds and two victories.

VanDam caught 23-9 and 24-5 the first two days, but stumbled with only 19-12 Saturday. Despite rebounding with an outstanding catch of 26-10 Sunday, he couldn’t overcome the one bad day.

“Saturday was the difference for me,” VanDam said. “If you’re going to have one bad day on this lake, it has to be at least 22 or 23 pounds. Then you have to have a 27-pound day to make up for that. You just about have to have (an average of) 25 pounds a day here to win.”

VanDam’s selection of lures was as diverse as Evers, with Strike King 6XD, 8XD and 10XD crankbaits leading the way. He said natural color patterns like sexy blueback herring and green gizzard shad worked best, and the silent version of the 6XD helped him to several impressive flurries.

“I don’t know that they’re conditioned to the one with the rattles on this lake, but it seems like that,” VanDam said. “Using the silent one was just night and day. Once you quit catching them on the regular one, you can switch to the silent one and start catching them again.

“I had some unbelievable flurries cranking this week.”

Hite caught 22-14 Sunday to earn his third-place finish with 91-9. Alabama angler Tim Horton only had two fish at 2 p.m. Sunday, but a late flurry helped him weigh in 22-11 and land in fourth place with 88-8. Fred Roumbanis rounded out the Top 5 with 18-7 Sunday for a total of 87-9.

Bonuses and Contingency Awards:

  • The $1,000 award for the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points leader will go to Dean Rojas.
  • The Power-Pole Captain’s Cash will award $1,000 to Fred Roumbanis.
  • The Evan Williams Bourbon Heavyweight Award of $1,000 for the angler with the heaviest five-fish limit during the tournament goes to Derek Remitz for his 28-1 bag on Day 2.
  • The Livingston Lures Leader Award of $500 for the angler leading on Day 2 goes to Edwin Evers.
  • The HUK Biggest Jump Award of $1,000 for the angler who made the largest jump in standings from Day 1 goes to Steve Kennedy.
  • The Bass Pro Shops Big Bass award of $1,500 for the heaviest bass weighed goes to Evers for the 8-11 bass caught on Day 5.
  • The Toyota Bonus Bucks award of $3,000 for the highest placing eligible angler goes to Evers. The second highest placing angler, Brandon Lester, is awarded $2,000.
  • The A.R.E. Truck Caps Top Angler Award of $1,000 will be awarded to Evers for being the highest placing angler using A.R.E. products.
  • David Williams was awarded the Dick Cepek Tires Rolling Forward award for most places climbed in AOY between the Lake Havasu and Kentucky Lake events.
  • The Rigid Industries Big Fish Light Jackpot of $2,000 was awarded to Edwin Evers for his five-fish limit weighing 27 pounds, 2 ounces.

2015 Zippo BASSfest at Kentucky Lake presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps 6/3-6/7
Kentucky Lake, Paris  TN.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4

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

1.  Edwin Evers            Talala, OK              20  97-04  100 $103,000.00
Day 1: 5   24-00     Day 2: 5   27-02     Day 3: 5   21-02     Day 4: 5   25-00
2.  Kevin VanDam           Kalamazoo, MI           20  94-04   99  $60,000.00
Day 1: 5   23-09     Day 2: 5   24-05     Day 3: 5   19-12     Day 4: 5   26-10
3.  Brett Hite             Phoenix, AZ             20  91-09   98  $35,000.00
Day 1: 5   23-05     Day 2: 5   23-06     Day 3: 5   22-00     Day 4: 5   22-14
4.  Tim Horton             Muscle Shoals, AL       20  88-08   97  $32,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-03     Day 2: 5   27-01     Day 3: 5   18-09     Day 4: 5   22-11
5.  Fred Roumbanis         Bixby, OK               20  87-09   96  $21,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-09     Day 2: 5   20-10     Day 3: 5   26-15     Day 4: 5   18-07
6.  Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA              20  87-07   95  $18,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-01     Day 2: 5   26-11     Day 3: 5   20-02     Day 4: 5   21-09
7.  Derek Remitz           Grant, AL               20  87-04   94  $18,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-03     Day 2: 5   28-01     Day 3: 5   22-07     Day 4: 5   17-09
8.  Brandon Card           Caryville, TN           20  86-13   93  $16,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-02     Day 2: 5   22-06     Day 3: 5   24-08     Day 4: 5   19-13
9.  Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN        20  85-06   92  $15,000.00
Day 1: 5   22-14     Day 2: 5   22-05     Day 3: 5   24-05     Day 4: 5   15-14
10. Billy McCaghren        Mayflower, AR           20  80-04   91  $14,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-12     Day 2: 5   19-04     Day 3: 5   21-15     Day 4: 5   17-05
11. Andy Montgomery        Blacksburg, SC          20  77-07   90  $13,000.00
Day 1: 5   25-04     Day 2: 5   17-02     Day 3: 5   21-07     Day 4: 5   13-10
12. Kotaro Kiriyama        Moody, AL               19  71-15   89  $12,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-15     Day 2: 5   15-08     Day 3: 5   24-15     Day 4: 4   09-09
BASS PRO SHOPS BIG BASS
Edwin Evers              Talala, OK          08-11      $1,500.00
EVANS WILLIAMS HEAVYWEIGHT
Derek Remitz             Grant, AL           28-01      $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1        94       543      1801-14
2        91       517      1722-15
3        45       270       912-05
4        11        59       230-15
———————————-
241      1389      4668-01

Evers Finds Fishing Tougher, Maintains BASSfest Lead

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Evers Finds Fishing Tougher, Maintains BASSfest Lead

Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., takes the lead on Day 4 of the Zippo Bassmaster BASSfest presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps on Kentucky Lake. He has a three-day total of 72 pounds, 4 ounces.

Photo by Gary Tramontina/Bassmaster

June 6, 2015

Evers Finds Fishing Tougher, Maintains BASSfest Lead

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PARIS, Tenn. — After catching two limits of bass that weighed 24 pounds or better the first two days of Zippo BASSfest at Kentucky Lake presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps, Oklahoma angler Edwin Evers had high expectations for Saturday.

Things didn’t go as well as he’d hoped, but he still managed a five-bass limit that weighed 21 pounds, 2 ounces and maintained his lead with a three-day total of 72-4.

He will now lead a field of 12 anglers into Sunday’s final round with a $100,000 first-place and an automatic berth into the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro up for grabs.

“I’m not nearly as confident going into tomorrow as I was coming into today,” Evers said. “It got a lot tougher out there. There was a lot of local pressure, and that takes a toll.”

Evers took some ribbing about sounding disappointed with 21-2. But after catching 24-0 and 27-2 the first two days, it was a bit of a downturn.

The Tennessee Valley Authority didn’t generate as much water Saturday as they had earlier in the week, and Evers said that lack of current hurt the fishing.

“You just about have to catch them early – early is the thing,” Evers said. “I caught some later in the day back in practice, but there was a lot more current then. I was saving those fish, and I think the lack of current has kind of taken them away.”

After spending much of the week hitting multiple spots quickly and searching for fresh schools of fish, Evers said he didn’t move around as much Saturday. That’s something he plans to change Sunday.

“I’m going to do it a little different tomorrow,” he said. “I’m going to go back to looking. That’s what got me here. I’m going to be a little more wide-open tomorrow and try not to be as conservative as I was today.”

Another 21-pound bag may not be enough to help Evers pull off the victory with so many rock-solid anglers in striking distance behind him. Alabama angler and Tennessee River specialist Derek Remitz (69-11) is in second place, followed by Brandon Lester (69-8), Fred Roumbanis (69-2), Brett Hite (68-11), Kevin Vandam (67-10), Brandon Card (67- 0), Micah Frazier (65-14), Tim Horton (65-13), Andy Montgomery (63-13), Billy McCaghren (62-15) and Kotaro Kiriyama (62-6).

Most of the anglers in the Top 5 behind Evers said they believed it will take at least 26 to 28 pounds to make them feel comfortable about having a chance to win.

Remitz, who caught 28-1 during Thursday’s second round, added 22-7 Saturday.

“I fished a place today where I had been catching my limit every day, and the school had just gotten really big all of a sudden,” Remitz said. “I ended up catching probably 25 or 30 in about an hour. Everything just went like it was supposed to, except I didn’t catch any 6-pounders like I did Thursday.”

Temperatures pushed toward 90 degrees Saturday, and Remitz said the warmer weather helped his cause by pushing fish onto the deeper ledges to feed. The lack of water generation hurt him as it did Evers, but he fished a narrower section of the river where the current was more noticeable.

Remitz used three main lures — a swimbait, a hair jig and a crankbait – and he said alternating frequently between the three was the key to finding what the fish wanted at a given time.

He said he’s hoping for identical weather and water conditions Sunday for a run at his second career victory with B.A.S.S.

“This weather makes them feed,” Remitz said. “It tightens them up on those little sweet spots. Hopefully, it’ll be just like this again tomorrow – high skies and bright sunshine.”

The tournament began with a field of 111 Bassmaster Elite Series pros and 13 invited anglers from the Bass Pro Shops Open circuits. The field was cut to 50 after Thursday’s second round, but 10 anglers earned their way back into the main event by finishing 10th or better in Friday’s Second Chance tournament on Lake Barkley.

The angler who made the most of his Second Chance bid was 2014 Bassmaster Classic champion Randy Howell. He was in 67th place after two days on Kentucky Lake, but he won the Second Chance event and caught 22-13 Saturday for a final BASSfest finish of 34th.

While no Open anglers qualified for Sunday’s Top 12, Canadian Christopher Johnston came close with a three-day catch of 62-5 that left him just an ounce shy of 12th place.

The tournament will conclude Sunday with take-off scheduled for 6:15 a.m. CT from Paris Landing Marina and weigh-in set for 3:15 p.m. CT at Paris Landing State Park.

2015 Zippo BASSfest at Kentucky Lake presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps 6/3-6/7
Kentucky Lake, Paris  TN.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3

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

1.  Edwin Evers            Talala, OK              15  72-04  100     $500.00
Day 1: 5   24-00     Day 2: 5   27-02     Day 3: 5   21-02
2.  Derek Remitz           Grant, AL               15  69-11   99
Day 1: 5   19-03     Day 2: 5   28-01     Day 3: 5   22-07
3.  Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN        15  69-08   98
Day 1: 5   22-14     Day 2: 5   22-05     Day 3: 5   24-05
4.  Fred Roumbanis         Bixby, OK               15  69-02   97
Day 1: 5   21-09     Day 2: 5   20-10     Day 3: 5   26-15
5.  Brett Hite             Phoenix, AZ             15  68-11   96
Day 1: 5   23-05     Day 2: 5   23-06     Day 3: 5   22-00
6.  Kevin VanDam           Kalamazoo, MI           15  67-10   95
Day 1: 5   23-09     Day 2: 5   24-05     Day 3: 5   19-12
7.  Brandon Card           Caryville, TN           15  67-00   94
Day 1: 5   20-02     Day 2: 5   22-06     Day 3: 5   24-08
8.  Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA              15  65-14   93
Day 1: 5   19-01     Day 2: 5   26-11     Day 3: 5   20-02
9.  Tim Horton             Muscle Shoals, AL       15  65-13   92
Day 1: 5   20-03     Day 2: 5   27-01     Day 3: 5   18-09
10. Andy Montgomery        Blacksburg, SC          15  63-13   91
Day 1: 5   25-04     Day 2: 5   17-02     Day 3: 5   21-07
11. Billy McCaghren        Mayflower, AR           15  62-15   90
Day 1: 5   21-12     Day 2: 5   19-04     Day 3: 5   21-15
12. Kotaro Kiriyama        Moody, AL               15  62-06   89
Day 1: 5   21-15     Day 2: 5   15-08     Day 3: 5   24-15
13. Chris Johnston         Otonabee CANADA         15  62-05    0  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-03     Day 2: 5   20-13     Day 3: 5   20-05
14. Darold Gleason         Leesville, LA           15  61-04    0  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-15     Day 2: 5   21-06     Day 3: 5   18-15
15. Aaron Martens          Leeds, AL               15  59-11   86  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-00     Day 2: 5   21-13     Day 3: 5   18-14
16. Brent Ehrler           Newport Beach, CA       15  59-08   85  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-12     Day 2: 5   20-02     Day 3: 5   17-10
17. Ott DeFoe              Knoxville, TN           15  59-03   84  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   26-07     Day 2: 5   18-02     Day 3: 5   14-10
18. Gerald Swindle         Warrior, AL             15  59-02   83  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-07     Day 2: 5   18-07     Day 3: 5   20-04
19. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN           15  58-03   82  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-09     Day 2: 5   21-04     Day 3: 5   19-06
20. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL              14  58-00   81  $11,000.00
Day 1: 4   14-02     Day 2: 5   23-02     Day 3: 5   20-12
21. Fletcher Shryock       New Philadelphia, OH    15  57-10   80  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-09     Day 2: 5   16-08     Day 3: 5   19-09
22. Brandon Coulter        Knoxville, TN           15  57-08   79  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-00     Day 2: 5   15-03     Day 3: 5   21-05
23. Shin Fukae             Palestine, TX           15  56-13    0  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   22-14     Day 2: 5   17-08     Day 3: 5   16-07
24. Matt Lee               Auburn , AL             15  55-14   77  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-12     Day 2: 5   20-13     Day 3: 5   16-05
25. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX          15  55-07   76  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-12     Day 2: 5   22-10     Day 3: 5   12-01
26. Jason Williamson       Wagener, SC             15  54-07   75  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-11     Day 2: 5   17-12     Day 3: 5   17-00
27. Randall Tharp          Port St. Joe, FL        15  54-05   74  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-09     Day 2: 5   19-14     Day 3: 5   13-14
28. Jason Christie         Park Hill, OK           15  53-12   73  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   22-07     Day 2: 5   17-13     Day 3: 5   13-08
29. Britt Myers            Lake Wylie, SC          15  53-06   72  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-02     Day 2: 5   18-05     Day 3: 5   14-15
30. Ken Iyobe              Tokoname  Aichi JAPAN   15  53-04   71  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   22-08     Day 2: 5   16-12     Day 3: 5   14-00
31. Russ Lane              Prattville, AL          15  53-03   70  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-15     Day 2: 5   17-01     Day 3: 5   17-03
32. Morizo Shimizu         Suita, Osaka JAPAN      15  53-02   69  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-05     Day 2: 5   16-02     Day 3: 5   17-11
33. Jordan Lee             Vinemont, AL            15  52-14   68  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-07     Day 2: 5   17-02     Day 3: 5   18-05
34. Randy Howell           Springville, AL         15  52-08   67  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-01     Day 2: 5   13-10     Day 3: 5   22-13
35. Boyd Duckett           Guntersville, AL        15  51-09   66  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-03     Day 2: 5   19-03     Day 3: 5   15-03
36. Marty Robinson         Lyman, SC               15  50-11   65  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-02     Day 2: 5   14-08     Day 3: 5   15-01
37. Kelley Jaye            Dadeville, AL           14  50-01   64  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-06     Day 2: 5   19-05     Day 3: 4   13-06
38. Justin Lucas           Guntersville, AL        15  48-07   63  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-05     Day 2: 5   15-11     Day 3: 5   12-07
39. Jonathon VanDam        Kalamazoo, MI           15  48-04   62  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-01     Day 2: 5   15-15     Day 3: 5   12-04
40. Jacob Powroznik        Port Haywood, VA        15  47-14   61  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-11     Day 2: 5   19-12     Day 3: 5   11-07
41. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO        15  47-04   60  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   14-02     Day 2: 5   20-12     Day 3: 5   12-06
42. Josh Bertrand          Gilbert, AZ             14  46-14   59  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-10     Day 2: 5   18-11     Day 3: 4   09-09
43. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL            15  46-07   58  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-04     Day 2: 5   18-15     Day 3: 5   11-04
44. JT Kenney              Palm Bay, FL            14  46-06    0  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-05     Day 2: 5   17-15     Day 3: 4   08-02
45. James Elam             Tulsa, OK               15  46-03   56  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-01     Day 2: 5   17-02     Day 3: 5   12-00
46. Dean Rojas             Lake Havasu City, AZ    15  46-03   55  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-15     Day 2: 5   16-14     Day 3: 5   12-06
47. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              13  43-15    0  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-05     Day 2: 5   16-01     Day 3: 3   06-09
48. Davy Hite              Ninety Six, SC          13  43-04   53  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-06     Day 2: 5   18-06     Day 3: 3   06-08
49. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA               14  42-13   52  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-00     Day 2: 5   16-12     Day 3: 4   08-01
50. Matt Reed              Madisonville, TX        14  42-10   51  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-07     Day 2: 5   17-02     Day 3: 4   09-01
51. Terry Scroggins        San Mateo, FL           13  39-15   50  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   12-07     Day 2: 3   09-13     Day 3: 5   17-11
52. Brent Chapman          Lake Quivira, KS        12  39-12   49  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-04     Day 2: 5   15-08     Day 3: 2   04-00
53. Alton Jones            Lorena, TX              14  34-10   48  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   12-04     Day 2: 5   14-04     Day 3: 4   08-02
54. Chad Wiley             Pineville, LA           12  34-01    0  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-05     Day 2: 3   05-13     Day 3: 4   16-15
55. Scott Rook             Little Rock, AR         10  33-15   46  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-02     Day 2: 1   03-10     Day 3: 4   13-03
56. Bobby Lane Jr.         Lakeland, FL            10  33-08   45
Day 1: 5   19-05     Day 2: 5   14-03
57. Stephen Browning       Hot Springs, AR         10  32-12   44
Day 1: 5   18-15     Day 2: 5   13-13
58. Seth Feider            Bloomington, MN         10  32-10   43
Day 1: 5   19-06     Day 2: 5   13-04
59. Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID            10  32-09   42
Day 1: 5   14-05     Day 2: 5   18-04
60. Greg Vinson            Wetumpka, AL            10  32-06   41
Day 1: 5   14-09     Day 2: 5   17-13
61. Jared Lintner          Arroyo Grande, CA       10  32-02   40
Day 1: 5   11-05     Day 2: 5   20-13
62. Chris Zaldain          San Jose, CA            10  31-13   39
Day 1: 5   12-12     Day 2: 5   19-01
63. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                 14  31-12   38  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   10-07     Day 2: 4   10-05     Day 3: 5   11-00
64. John Murray            Phoenix, AZ              9  31-07   37
Day 1: 4   11-13     Day 2: 5   19-10
65. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA            10  31-00   36
Day 1: 5   17-03     Day 2: 5   13-13
66. Chris Lane             Guntersville, AL        10  30-14   35
Day 1: 5   14-15     Day 2: 5   15-15
67. Mark Davis             Mount Ida, AR           10  30-10   34
Day 1: 5   14-10     Day 2: 5   16-00
68. Shaw Grigsby Jr.       Gainesville, FL         10  30-07   33
Day 1: 5   14-14     Day 2: 5   15-09
69. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ              10  29-09   32
Day 1: 5   16-13     Day 2: 5   12-12
70. Kenyon Hill            Norman, OK               9  29-07   31
Day 1: 4   18-01     Day 2: 5   11-06
71. Jeff Kriet             Ardmore, OK             10  29-05   30
Day 1: 5   16-13     Day 2: 5   12-08
72. Randy Allen            Shreveport, LA           8  28-03   29
Day 1: 3   10-05     Day 2: 5   17-14
73. Paul Elias             Laurel, MS              10  28-01   28
Day 1: 5   14-03     Day 2: 5   13-14
74. Dennis Tietje          Roanoke, LA             10  27-15   27
Day 1: 5   10-01     Day 2: 5   17-14
75. Koby Kreiger           Bokeelia, FL            10  27-13   26
Day 1: 5   13-13     Day 2: 5   14-00
76. Yusuke Miyazaki        Forney, TX               9  27-03   25
Day 1: 4   10-07     Day 2: 5   16-12
77. Chad Morgenthaler      Coulterville, IL        10  27-03   24
Day 1: 5   13-04     Day 2: 5   13-15
78. James Niggemeyer       Van, TX                 12  27-00   23  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   10-02     Day 2: 5   12-01     Day 3: 2   04-13
79. Hank Cherry Jr         Maiden, NC              10  26-15   22
Day 1: 5   12-02     Day 2: 5   14-13
80. Skeet Reese            Auburn, CA               8  26-14   21
Day 1: 5   17-03     Day 2: 3   09-11
81. Bradley Roy            Lancaster, KY           10  26-08   20
Day 1: 5   12-09     Day 2: 5   13-15
82. Casey Ashley           Donalds, SC             10  26-07   19
Day 1: 5   12-11     Day 2: 5   13-12
83. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY              8  26-03   18
Day 1: 3   04-12     Day 2: 5   21-07
84. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL             10  26-00   17
Day 1: 5   13-15     Day 2: 5   12-01
85. Takahiro Omori         Emory, TX               10  25-15   16
Day 1: 5   13-03     Day 2: 5   12-12
86. Ish Monroe             Hughson, CA             10  24-11   15
Day 1: 5   13-03     Day 2: 5   11-08
87. Cliff Crochet          Pierre Part, LA         10  24-09   14
Day 1: 5   13-13     Day 2: 5   10-12
88. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN          10  24-09   13
Day 1: 5   12-00     Day 2: 5   12-09
89. Mike McClelland        Bella Vista, AR         10  23-15   12
Day 1: 5   11-00     Day 2: 5   12-15
90. Keith Poche            Pike Road, AL            9  23-13   11
Day 1: 5   14-00     Day 2: 4   09-13
91. Brian Clark            Haltom City, TX          9  23-05    0
Day 1: 4   11-05     Day 2: 5   12-00
92. Nate Wellman           Newaygo, MI              9  22-02    9
Day 1: 4   09-00     Day 2: 5   13-02
93. J Todd Tucker          Moultrie, GA             9  21-10    8
Day 1: 4   08-15     Day 2: 5   12-11
94. Zell Rowland           Montgomery, TX          10  21-00    7
Day 1: 5   10-03     Day 2: 5   10-13
95. David Walker           Sevierville, TN          6  20-15    6
Day 1: 1   02-12     Day 2: 5   18-03
96. Todd Faircloth         Jasper, TX               7  20-06    5
Day 1: 5   15-14     Day 2: 2   04-08
97. Gary Klein             Weatherford, TX          8  20-05    4
Day 1: 5   13-02     Day 2: 3   07-03
98. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL          7  19-14    3
Day 1: 2   06-01     Day 2: 5   13-13
99. Michael Iaconelli      Pitts Grove, NJ          6  19-12    2
Day 1: 5   17-15     Day 2: 1   01-13
100. Cliff Pace             Petal, MS                8  19-10    1
Day 1: 5   10-13     Day 2: 3   08-13
101. Kurt Dove              Del Rio, TX              7  18-14    0
Day 1: 5   11-05     Day 2: 2   07-09
102. Troy Broussard         Beaumont, TX             8  18-08    0
Day 1: 5   12-01     Day 2: 3   06-07
103. Casey Scanlon          Lanexa, KS               6  18-07    0
Day 1: 5   14-04     Day 2: 1   04-03
104. Tommy Biffle           Wagoner, OK              8  16-05    0
Day 1: 5   10-07     Day 2: 3   05-14
105. Mike Kernan            Wylie, TX                7  15-15    0
Day 1: 4   08-05     Day 2: 3   07-10
106. Kevin Ledoux           Choctaw, OK              7  15-10    0
Day 1: 4   08-01     Day 2: 3   07-09
107. Gary Clouse            La Vergne, TN            5  14-04    0
Day 1: 4   10-06     Day 2: 1   03-14
108. Kevin Hawk             Guntersville, AL         7  14-03    0
Day 1: 5   09-07     Day 2: 2   04-12
109. Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT            6  13-07    0  $10,000.00
Day 1: 4   08-13     Day 2: 0   00-00     Day 3: 2   04-10
110. Chad Pipkens           Holt, MI                 5  13-00    0  $10,000.00
Day 1: 2   05-15     Day 2: 2   04-09     Day 3: 1   02-08
111. David Smith            Del City, OK             6  12-11    0
Day 1: 1   01-10     Day 2: 5   11-01
112. Jesse Tacoronte        Orlando, FL              4  12-07    0
Day 1: 2   06-08     Day 2: 2   05-15
113. Joseph Sancho          New Windsor, NY          5  12-05    0
Day 1: 2   04-03     Day 2: 3   08-02
114. Scott Barnett          Mansfield, TX            3  10-12    0
Day 1: 3   10-12     Day 2: 0   00-00
115. Jared Miller           Norman, OK               6  10-10    0
Day 1: 4   07-15     Day 2: 2   02-11
116. Kelly Jordon           Flint, TX                2  06-07    0
Day 1: 2   06-07     Day 2: 0   00-00
117. Carl Jocumsen          Queensland TX AUSTRALIA  3  06-07    0
Day 1: 2   04-15     Day 2: 1   01-08
118. Craig Workman          Fort Worth, TX           3  06-04    0
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 3   06-04
119. Scott Ashmore          Broken Arrow, OK         2  04-13    0
Day 1: 1   03-07     Day 2: 1   01-06
120. David Williams         Maiden, NC               2  03-09    0
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 2   03-09
121. Stephen Longobardi     Northford, CT            1  02-08    0
Day 1: 1   02-08     Day 2: 0   00-00
122. Kevin Short            Mayflower, AR            1  01-11    0  $10,000.00
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 1   01-11     Day 3: 0   00-00
123. Charlie Hartley        Grove City, OH           0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   00-00
123. Logan Sherrer          Karnack, TX              0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   00-00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1        94       543      1801-14
2        91       517      1722-15
3        45       270       912-05
———————————-
230      1330      4437-02

JOHNSTON WINS RAYOVAC FLW SERIES NORTHERN DIVISION OPENER ON JAMES RIVER

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JOHNSTON WINS RAYOVAC FLW SERIES NORTHERN DIVISION OPENER ON JAMES RIVER
JOHNSTON WINS RAYOVAC FLW SERIES NORTHERN DIVISION OPENER ON JAMES RIVER
Honeycutt wins co-angler title
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HENRICO, Va. (June 6, 2015) – Cory Johnston of Peterborough, Ontario, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 14 ounces Saturday to win the Rayovac FLW Series Northern Division opener on James River presented by Mercury with a three-day total of 14 bass weighing 46 pounds, 14 ounces. For his win, Johnston earned $31,229 and a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
“It feels absolutely incredible to win this tournament,” said Johnston, who has nine career top-10 finishes. “I’ve finished in second place too many times in these events before so I couldn’t be happier.”
On day one of competition, Johnston said he targeted the outside edges of lily pad fields throughout 15 different spots on Chickahominy River.
“It was raining so we had some flood tide,” said Johnston. “I started out using a Jackall square-billed crankbait but soon switched to flipping a jig. Shortly before noon I caught a 6-pound, 6-ouncer which helped get the momentum going.”
With 30 minutes left in his day, Johnston said he lost a fish at the side of the boat which would’ve capped off his five-bass limit.
“It was a tough bite all day,” said Johnston. “I only ended up catching four keepers.”
Heading into day two, Johnston followed a similar pattern as head the previous day but quickly changed strategies – a move he described as the turning point in the tournament.
“Shortly after takeoff I realized what I was doing wasn’t working,” Johnston said. “I began flipping into shallow pads and lost a good one. At that point I grabbed a black and blue-colored Punisher Jig with a black-colored Zoom Super Chunk and started flipping to the inside of pad beds instead of the outside. As the day went on I found success in inconspicuous spots that weren’t being hit by other competitors.”
Johnson said he finished the day by catching nearly 20 fish, all on the Punisher Jig.
“As day three approached I knew exactly what I was going to do,” said Johnston. “I had five or six key spots that I wanted to hit. They were all in anywhere from 1 to 3 feet of water. I went to the first spot and caught two small keepers. After a few minutes, I boated a 7-pounder. I had three good-sized fish before 8 a.m. and figured I was in contender for the title.”
The top 10 pros on the James River were:
               1st:          Cory Johnston, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, 14 bass, 46-14, $31,229 + Ranger Z518  w/ 200-horsepower outboard motor
               2nd:         Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa., 15 bass, 46-7, $12,101
               3rd:          Kelly Pratt, Williamsburg, Va., 15 bass, 46-2, $9,369
               4th:          Ryan Powroznik, Prince George, Va., 15 bass, 46-2, $7,807
               5th:          Troy Morrow, Eastanollee, Ga., 15 bass, 42-6, $7,027
               6th:          Bryan Elrod, Mechanicsville, Va., 15 bass, 40-14, $6,246
               7th:          Bo Boltz, New Kent, Va., 15 bass, 40-6, $5,465
               8th:          Clay Lewis, Sandston, Va., 15 bass, 39-9, $4,684
               9th:          Glenn Browne, Ocala, Fla., 15 bass, 38-12, $3,904
               10th:        Jeffrey Ware, Warrenton, Va., 15 bass, 33-12, $3,123
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Keith Honeycutt of Temple, Texas, won the co-angler division and a Ranger Z117C with a 90-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard motor, with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 30 pounds, 10 ounces. Honeycutt’s win was his seventh as a co-angler with FLW.
The top 10 co-anglers on the James River were:
               1st:          Keith Honeycutt, Temple, Texas, 15 bass, 30-10, Ranger Z117 w/ 90-horsepower outboard + $5,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
               2nd:         Rick Harkness, St. Marys, W. Va., 12 bass, 30-7, $3,949
               3rd:          Tyler Sheppard, Hermitage, Pa., 13 bass, 28-9, $3,160
               4th:          Matt Hummel, Lancaster, Pa., 15 bass, 28-2, $2,765
               5th:          Robert Bruguiere, Mechanicsville, Va., 13 bass, 27-13, $2,370
               6th:          Stephen Kocell, Waxhaw, N.C., 14 bass, 25-7, $1,975
               7th:          David Underwood, Waco, Texas, 10 bass, 22-7, $1,580
               8th:          Gavin Stone, Chester, Va., nine bass, 22-5, $1,382
               9th:          David Williams, Fredericksburg, Va., nine bass, 21-9, $1,185
               10th:        Zachary Francis, Abingdon, Va., 11 bass, 20-8, $987
The Rayovac FLW Series consists of five divisions – Central, Northern, Southeast, Texas and Western. Each division consists of three tournaments and competitors will be vying for valuable points in each division that could earn them the opportunity to fish in the no-entry-fee Rayovac FLW Series Championship. The 2015 Rayovac FLW Series Championship is being held Oct. 29-31 on the Ohio River in Paducah, Kentucky.
The Rayovac FLW Series on the James River was presented by Mercury and was the first Northern Division tournament of 2015. The next Rayovac FLW Series tournament will be a Northern Division event and will take place July 31 through Aug. 1 on Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, New York. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow FLW on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
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