MIDDLETON WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE SHENANDOAH DIVISION OPENER ON SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE

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March 23, 2015

MIDDLETON WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE SHENANDOAH DIVISION OPENER ON SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE

Dennis Middleton of Madison Heights, Va., won the March 21 Shenandoah Division event on Smith Mountain with a 19-pound, 11-ounce limit. He took home more than $7,000 for his efforts.

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MIDDLETON WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE SHENANDOAH DIVISION OPENER ON SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE

Ferguson wins co-angler title

HUDDLESTON, Va., (March 23, 2015) – Dennis Middleton of Madison Heights, Virginia, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds, 11 ounces Saturday to win the first Walmart Bass Fishing League Shenandoah Division tournament of 2015 on Smith Mountain Lake. For his victory, Middleton earned $7,199.

“To start the season with a win is awesome,” said Middleton. “It was a great day of fishing and I’m already looking forward to the next tournament.”

Middleton said that he targeted the prespawn fish in the mid lake area of Smith Mountain. He targeted the natural cover – wood, rock and a combination of the two.

“I threw crankbaits looking to imitate the shad that the bass were feeding on,” said Middleton. “They were really responding to shad and other natural-colored baits.”

As the water temperature rose, Middleton decided to change strategies and flip jigs. He used a green-pumpkin jig with Missile Baits D Bomb and Twin Turbo trailers. Middleton said he caught all of his fish in less than 10 feet of water.

“I was fishing 46 to 48 degree water temperatures,” said Middleton. “Over the course of the day it rose two degrees, so I knew the fish would be shallower.

“I only caught six keepers, but they were spread throughout the day which kept things exciting.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1^st: Dennis Middleton, Madison Heights, Va., five bass, 19-11, $4,199 + $2,000 Ranger Cup bonus + $1,000 Mercury Bonus

2^nd: Ben Reynolds, Callands, Va., five bass, 16-11, $2,100

3^rd: Bryan Elrod, Mechanicsville, Va., five bass, 15-11, $1,398

4^th: Brian Peak, Wytheville, Va., five bass, 15-6, $980

5^th: Brandon Reynolds, Callands, Va., five bass, 15-5. $840

6^th: Ronnie Baker, Providence Forge, Va., five bass, 14-15, $770

7^th: Geoffrey Hill, Rocky Mount, Va., five bass, 14-14, $700

8^th: Johnny Martin, Moneta, Va., five bass, 14-7, $630

9^th: Rick McFaul, Phoenix, Md., five bass, 13-10, $560

10^th: Mike Altizer, Vinton, Va., five bass, 12-13, $490

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Chip Adams of Fredericksburg, Virginia, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $585.

Warren Ferguson of Peterstown, West Virginia weighed in a four bass totaling 16 pounds, 2 ounces Saturday to win $2,100 in the co-angler division.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1^st: Warren Ferguson, Peterstown, W.Va., four bass, 16-2, $2,100

2^nd: Todd Hurst, Pulaski, Va., five bass, 15-3, $1,050

3^rd: Justin Hicks, Roanoke, Va., five bass, 11-15, $701

4^th: Travis Riley, Evington, Va., three bass, 10-12, $490

5^th: Edward Louthen, Princeton, W.Va., four bass, 9-15, $420

6^th: Aaron Bartlett, Mechanicsville, Va., two bass, 8-15, $385

7^th: Jeff Lederman, Powhatan, Va., four bass, 8-11, $350

8^th: Mike Eldridge, Blacklick, Pa., four bass, 7-14, $315

9^th: William Kyte, Waldorf, Md., two bass, 6-7, $280

10^th: Mark Finley, Palmyra, Va., two bass , 6-4, $245

Bartlett caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $292.

The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 15-17 Regional Championship on Lake Wateree in Camden, South Carolina. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.

The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Rayovac FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.

JOHNSON WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE MOUNTAIN DIVISION OPENER ON DALE HOLLOW LAKE

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March 23, 2015

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JOHNSON WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE MOUNTAIN DIVISION OPENER ON DALE HOLLOW LAKE

Robby Johnson of Byrdstown, Tenn., won the March 21 Mountain Division event on Dale Hollow with 22 pounds, 7 ounces to earn over $6,600 in prize money.

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JOHNSON WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE MOUNTAIN DIVISION OPENER ON DALE HOLLOW LAKE

Trobaugh wins co-angler title

BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (March 23, 2015) – Robby Johnson of Byrdstown, Tennessee, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 22 pounds, 7 ounces Saturday to win the first Walmart Bass Fishing League Mountain Division tournament of 2015 on Dale Hollow Lake. For his victory, Johnson earned $5,689.

“I was proud to win it,” said Johnson. “It’s nice to see those long days of practice pay off.”

Johnson said that he targeted the main-lake grass near the Wolf River and found fish lurking in the 10-12 foot depths with an umbrella rig with white pearl-colored Reaction Innovations Skinny Dipper swimbaits.

“I would slow down my reeling and let the umbrella rig get deep,” Johnson said. “It didn’t take long before they found it.”

Johnson said that he caught 12 keepers throughout the day, with the majority coming from the grass. As the sun came out, Johnson said that the fish would get closer to the surface.

“The sun heated the water temperature by four degrees, which really helped the fish become active,” said Johnson.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1^st: Robby Johnson, Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 22-7, $5,689

2^nd: Rusty Smith, Somerset, Ky., five bass, 19-12, $2,844

3^rd: Adam Militana, Nashville, Tenn., five bass, 19-10, $1,898

4^th: Chris Hurd, Somerset, Ky., five bass, 19-6, $1,327

5^th: William Campbell, Middlesboro, Ky., five bass, 18-10, $1,090

5^th: Jonathan Green, East Bernstadt, Ky., five bass, 18-10, $1,090

7^th: Jason Bean, Scottsville, Ky., five bass, 18-0, $948

8^th: Michael Kennedy, Monroe, Tenn., five bass, 17-4. $853

9^th: Ethan McDonald, Livingston, Tenn., five bass, 16-15, $711

9^th: Ricky Roy, Russell Springs, Ky., four bass, 16-15, $711

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Johnson also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $920.

Greg Trobaugh of Rickman, Tennessee, weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 6 ounces Saturday to win $2,844 in the co-angler division.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1^st: Greg Trobaugh, Rickman, Tenn., five bass, 17-6, $2,844

2^nd: Tim Kempf, Louisville, Ky., five bass, 15-13, $1,422

3^rd: Bill Haunert, Blue Ash, Ohio, five bass, 15-9, $948

4^th: Ryan Fisk, Independence, Ky., five bass, 15-6, $664

5^th: Kevin Allen, Louisville, Ky., five bass, 15-5, $569

6^th: James Worley, Whitley City, Ky., five bass, 14-13, $521

7^th: Tracy Helton, London, Ky., four bass, 14-3, $474

8^th: Glen Ruth, Frankfort, Ky., five bass, 14-0, $427

9^th: Paul Corning, Evansville, Ind., four bass, 13-11, $379

10^th: Greg Brown, Georgetown, Ky., four bass, 13-9, $332

Corning caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $153.

The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 15-17 Regional Championship on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.

The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Rayovac FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.

Michael Webser and Guy Eaker Win Carolinas Bass Challenge NC Division Qualifier #2 – Lake Wylie

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March 23, 2015

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Michael Webser and Guy Eaker Win Carolinas Bass Challenge NC Division Qualifier #2 – Lake Wylie

Lake Wylie, NC(Mar 21, 2015)

Click Here for Results

Jeff Coble and David Wright topped the field with 23.52lbs of bass earning them $8,000. Brandon Thomas Gavin and Bobby Winn caught the big fish of 9.02lbs for $1,000 BF Bonus.

Chuck Bolton & Steve Gardner finished 3rd and topped the Skeeter Owners to captured the $2,500 Top Skeeter Bonus.

GRIFFIN WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE MISSISSIPPI DIVISION OPENER ON ROSS BARNETT RESERVOIR

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March 23, 2015

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GRIFFIN WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE MISSISSIPPI DIVISION OPENER ON ROSS BARNETT RESERVOIR

Jason Griffin of Benton, Miss., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 23 pounds, 2 ounces Saturday to win Saturday’s Mississippi Division tournament on Ross Barnett Reservoir. For his victory, Griffin earned $5,349.

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GRIFFIN WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE MISSISSIPPI DIVISION OPENER ON ROSS BARNETT RESERVOIR

Corley wins co-angler title

BRANDON, Miss. (March 23, 2015) – Jason Griffin of Benton, Mississippi, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 23 pounds, 2 ounces Saturday to win the first Walmart Bass Fishing League Mississippi Division tournament of 2015 on Ross Barnett Reservoir. For his victory, Griffin earned $5,349.

“It feels good to win a tournament like this,” said Griffin. “I know some of the competitors in this tournament fish Ross Barnett two or three times a week and are a lot more experienced than I am, so this is pretty special.”

Griffin started off his day by flipping and pitching clumps of grass in the main lake area using a black and blue-colored Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver. After just 45 minutes on the water, Griffin said he had put five bass in the livewell. From there he worked his way down the banks, where he found other boaters fishing.

“I had to play a little bit of defense with all of those boaters out there. I made sure to stay out of their water,” Griffin said.

As his bite slowed, Griffin made the decision to follow shad that were being pushed by the wind out onto the flats.

“I let off the trolling motor and drifted out to where the shad were,” said Griffin. “As soon as I did that I caught a 5-pounder.”

Out on the flats, Griffin used a junebug-colored Zoom Mag Lizard and said he could see the fish he was targeting in the pad stem holes.

“I really concentrated on those spots,” said Griffin. “I would sometimes catch three or four in a row.”

As his weigh-in time approached, Griffin worked his way out of the pads throwing a swimbait and ended up catching a 6-pound kicker around 3:45 p.m. to cap off his stringer.

“I knew I had to have more than 20 pounds of fish to have a shot,” said Griffin. “After I caught the kicker at the end of the day I was feeling pretty comfortable about my chances of winning.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1^st: Jason Griffin, Benton, Miss., five bass, 23-2, $5,349

2^nd: Corey Glenn, Smithville, Miss., five bass, 22-1, $2,675

3^rd: John Bailey, Terry, Miss., five bass, 21-5, $1,782

4^th: Eddie Armstrong, West Point, Miss., five bass, 20-3, $1,248

5^th: Ray King, Brandon, Miss., five bass, 19-6, $1,070

6^th: Marty Torrence, Crystal Springs, Miss., five bass, 19-2, $981

7^th: Justin Sylvester, Bailey, Miss., five bass, 18-7, $892

8^th: Robert Keifer, Brandon, Miss., five bass, 17-13, $802

9^th: Danny Walden, Columbus, Miss., five bass, 17-10, $713

10^th: Michael McCollum, Morton, Miss., five bass, 17-0, $624

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Jeff Johnston of Marion, Arkansas caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $850.

Chad Corley of Pearl, Mississippi, weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 2 ounces Saturday to win $2,631 in the co-angler division.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1^st: Chad Corley, Pearl, Miss., five bass, 18-2, $2,631

2^nd: Charles Knowles, Canton, Miss., five bass, 16-3, $1,315

3^rd: Don Meyerett, Southaven, Miss., five bass, 15-1, $877

4^th: Josh Hamilton, Maben, Miss., five bass, 14-11, $614

5^th: Farley Fondren, Maben, Miss., five bass, 14-10, $526

6^th: Mike Allen, Crystal Springs, Miss., five bass, 13-13, $482

7^th: Joel Ross, Brandon, Miss., five bass, 13-12, $438

8^th: Kenneth Underwood, Columbus, Miss., five bass, 13-7, $395

9^th: Jason Mitchell, Hamilton, Miss., five bass, 13-4, $351

10^th: Joe Henderson, Memphis, Tenn., five bass, 13-2, $307

Henderson caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $410.

The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 22-24 Regional Championship on Neely Henry Lake in Gadsden, Alabama. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.

The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Rayovac FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.

Set the Hook featuring 2015 Bassmaster Classic Champion Costa Pro Casey Ashley, The Rod Glove owner Jim Van Ryn, and from Accu Cull Culling System Brent Shores.

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March 23, 2015

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Set the Hook featuring 2015 Bassmaster Classic Champion Costa Pro Casey Ashley, The Rod Glove owner Jim Van Ryn, and from Accu Cull Culling System Brent Shores.

Set the Hook! with Pat Rose – Mar 14, 2015

Posted on March 14, 2015 by Webdude Kaminski

Our guests this week were 2015 Bassmaster Classic Champion Costa Pro Casey Ashley, The Rod Glove owner Jim Van Ryn, and from Accu Cull Culling System Brent Shores.

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).

Please visit our sponsors page and tell them Pat sent you! If you would like to advertise on Set the Hook! with Pat Rose, give us a call at (423) 314-4541. Put Set the Hook! with Pat Rose to work for you.

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/www.facebook.com/SetTheHookWithPatRose, he would love to add you as a friend.

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Jay Kendrick reacts to his well-deserved Rayovac FLW Series win on Lake Guntersville.

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March 23, 2015

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Jay Kendrick reacts to his well-deserved Rayovac FLW Series win on Lake Guntersville.

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March 21, 2015 by Jody White

The final day of the Rayovac FLW Series Southeast Division event on Lake Guntersville was a simply tremendous. Mark Rose and Bryan Thrift, both veterans of the Walmart FLW Tour, made valiant efforts to unseat Minnesota pro Joe Hall, but it was Jay Kendrick of Grant, Ala., who managed it in the end. Kendrick caught 33 pounds, 8 ounces on the final day of the Mercury-presented tournament for an 83-pound, 7-ounce total and his first win with FLW.

Kendrick, who is fishing the Rayovac FLW Series in hopes of qualifying for the FLW Tour, caught more than 25 pounds each day of the event and finished in fine fashion when it counted. After an 80^th place finish at the season-opener on Lake Okeechobee, Kendrick will be well on his way to doing so pending a high finish at the final Southeast Division event on Lake Seminole.

A veteran of tournament competition, from the Red Man days to some time spent on the B.A.S.S. Elite Series, Kendrick managed to set himself apart from the rest of the crew fishing Guntersville’s famous bridges with a specific swimbait presentation.

“The key to where I was at was that there were baitfish there,” says Kendrick. “I could feel the swimbait bumping them. I could almost tell when I was going to get a bite today. Those big bass would track my swimbait before they ate it, and when they would be lurking around those big shad would get nervous and start hitting my line really hard – almost like a little bass. Then those big ones would just load up on it.”

Kendrick targeted bass that were suspending about 20-feet down over 25 feet of water and held his boat out over 30 feet. He says he was casting into water that was about 15-feet deep had to fizz (a technique to release air from the swim bladder) a number of fish that came from especially deep water.

“I didn’t practice the stuff I was going to fish in the tournament,” says Kendrick. “I was eliminating the shallow bite. I didn’t want to waste time in the tournament fishing for shallow fish that couldn’t win.”

Two big swimbaits produced most of the weight for Kendrick’s win. The first, and most productive of the two, was a 7-inch Scottsboro Tackle Company swimbait that he had specially made in a Houdini pearl-color. To fish the big solid-bodied bait properly, Kendrick used a 10/0 Owner Beast hook and a pegged 3/4-ounce tungsten bullet weight. His second big swimbait was a shad-colored 7-inch Basstrix Paddle Tail Swimbait, which he rigged on a 3/4-ounce Buckeye Lures J-Will Swimbait Head. Because he was making repeated casts to the same locations, Kendrick used the two in tandem, rotating through them when he felt the need. He believes the Scottsboro swimbait won out because it has a thinner, more subtle tail, that worked less vigorously in the water.

Kendrick was confident all week and happy as could be on stage after he cinched his win. Despite having a boatload of local knowledge, he didn’t need to employ all of it for the W.

“I had five places that had fish on them, but I only went to two of them in the tournament,” says Kendrick. “I just didn’t want to change what was working, and when you move you risk losing your spot or not getting the next one.”

Kendrick’s final day was a particularly impressive display – after an unproductive morning (punctuated by a heartbreaking lost fish), Kendrick had an amazing flurry as the clock ran down. He says he caught 30 pounds in 30 minutes, which is nothing short of a miracle anywhere but Guntersville. To top it off, Kendrick also tossed a bream-colored 3/8-ounce Choo Choo Lures Jig to a duck blind between his two spots for a kicker.

Considering the grumbling in practice (which seems like a distant memory at this point), Kendrick has really accomplished something. He eclipsed last year’s winning weight and the 80-pound mark for one of the most exciting wins of the season.

Top 10 Pros:

1. Jay Kendrick – 83-7 (15)

2. Joe Hall – 77-6 (15)

3. Bryan Thrift – 74-3 (15)

4. Walmart pro Mark Rose – 73-10 (15)

5. Cameron Gautney – 70-7 (14)

6. Ed Oilar – 67-4 (15)

7. Rob Digh – 65-15 (15)

8. Mark Daniels Jr. – 58-6 (14)

9. Trevor Fitzgerald – 55-15 (12)

10. Billy Brindle – 55-9 (13)

Click here for the full results.

O’Donnell Holds Steady For Co-angler Win

Walmart FLW Tour co-angler Casey O’Donnell of Bradenton, Fla., landed four bass worth 17 pounds, 2 ounces, to earn the win on the co-angler side. In total, O’Donnell caught 62 pounds, 12 ounces over the course of the three-day event. For his efforts, O’Donnell took home a brand-new Ranger Z117 and an outboard to match.

O’Donnell, who recently moved to Guntersville, caught his fish on a variety of baits throughout the week, but most of his weight the final two days came on a 3/4-ounce red-colored lipless crankbait.

Top 10 Co-anglers

1. Casey O’Donnell – 62-12 (14)

2. Josh Klinghagen – 56-13 (13)

3. Alphonso Taylor – 44-8 (12)

4. Justin Sward – 42-11 (11)

5. James Brooks – 39-6 (12)

6. Thomas Rubbo – 37-3 (7)

7. Michel Purvis – 36-7 (12)

8. Wayne Boyd – 36-3 (8)

9. Mike McDaniel – 36-2 (11)

10. Nik Kayler – 35-1 (8)

Chris Lane Makes Midday Adjustment To Claim Elite Series Victory

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March 23, 2015

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Chris Lane Makes Midday Adjustment To Claim Elite Series Victory

Chris Lane of Guntersville, Ala., takes first place at the Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River presented by STARK Cultural Venues. He brought a four-day total of 50 pounds even to the scales.

Photo by Seigo Saito/Bassmaster

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March 22, 2015

Chris Lane Makes Midday Adjustment To Claim Elite Series Victory

ORANGE, Texas — Chris Lane left the City of Orange Boat Ramp Sunday morning with a clear game plan in mind.

He was going to make a lengthy run upriver to the grassy canals and ditches where he had caught the majority of his fish during the first three days of the Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River presented by STARK Cultural Venues. But if the fish were no longer biting there due to the heavy rains that fell across the region Saturday, he was going back downriver to win or lose the event on the main body of the Sabine.

He stuck to the plan, bailing on the suddenly unproductive areas upriver around 12:30 p.m. and traveling back to the Sabine to finish a five-bass limit that weighed 10 pounds, 6 ounces. The weight gave him a four-day mark of 50-0, earning him his seventh victory on the Bassmaster Tournament Trail and a winner’s check for $100,000.

Lane is the first angler to lead all four days of an Elite Series event since Brandon Palaniuk did it on the St. Lawrence River in 2013.

“I just kept wondering if the water was clear up there where I had been catching them,” Lane said. “I ran all the way up there, and all I caught were two keepers and a bunch of short fish. I finally just decided that I couldn’t make those fish bite, and I wasn’t going to lose the tournament right there.”

The run back downriver produced three bass that helped Lane fill his five-fish limit and one more that allowed him to cull for added weight.

“Experience really gave me a confident attitude about coming back downriver,” Lane said. “I caught two fish down here on back-to-back casts late Saturday, and I knew there were fish here. That was a real confidence builder.”

The decision to change locations was one of several good ones made by Lane during a week he owned from start to finish.

He targeted shallow spawning fish most of the week and caught the majority of his weight on a new plastic bait called a “Live-Motion Drop Dead Craw” from Luck-E-Strike. It’s so new, in fact, that he only had about 25 to last the entire week.

“When you’re catching five or six nonkeepers and you go through four or five baits, you have to make a decision,” Lane said. “You have to decide if you want to just keep using them until they’re all gone or save some for later in the week. I ended up having just enough.”

As the week drug on, Lane said he put added pressure on himself to pull off the rare wire-to-wire victory.

“With a 2-pound lead going into today on a place like this — where I knew 10 pounds would probably carry me in — I wanted to put pressure on myself,” Lane said. “I didn’t want to go out there and just think I was going to catch them or just give it away because it was muddy. I wanted to finish the deal.”

With other anglers from the top of the leaderboard fading on the final day, Lane’s closest competition came from Mike McClelland. The Arkansas pro, who started Sunday in fourth place, caught 13-1 and finished the event in second with 46-0.

He caught his fish by making a 228-mile boat run, round-trip, to Galveston Bay and back each day. He burned 80 gallons of gas per day and arrived back at the City of Orange Boat Ramp on Saturday with only four seconds to spare.

“The fastest I could make the run was two hours,” McClelland said. “On Saturday when it was so rough, it took me two hours, 47 minutes. It was absolutely brutal. That was the day I made it back with four seconds to spare after running 114 miles.”

Aaron Martens, who entered Sunday in second place, managed only four bass that weighed 6-15 and finished third with 44-8. He used a pattern very similar to Lane’s for most of the week, targeting shallow spawning fish in narrow, grass-lined ditches and canals.

“I had my fifth fish on about eight times, but I never put it in the boat,” Martens said. “I probably had more than 20 bites. It was really frustrating, but this is a great fishery that’s going to keep getting better and better.”

The remainder of the Top 12 was as follows: Brandon Lester (43-2), Greg Hackney (42-14), John Crews (41-9), Shaw Grigsby (39-9), Scott Rook (37-12), Todd Faircloth (36-7), Justin Lucas (36-2), Keith Poche (34-15) and Micah Frazier (31-10).

Bonuses and Contingency Awards:

The $1,000 award for the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points leader will go to Lane.
The Power-Pole Captain’s Cash will award $1,000 to Lane.
The Evan Williams Bourbon Heavyweight Award of $500 for the angler with the heaviest five-fish limit during the tournament goes to both Lane and John Crews for their 15-10 bags.
The Livingston Lures Leader Award of $500 for the angler leading on Day 2 goes to Lane.
The HUK Biggest Jump Award of $1,000 for the angler who made the largest jump in standings from Day 1 goes to Jordan Lee.
The Bass Pro Shops Big Bass award of $1,500 for the heaviest bass weighed goes to Terry Scroggins for his 6-10 catch.
The Toyota Bonus Bucks award of $3,000 for the highest placing eligible angler goes to Mike McClelland. The second highest placing angler, Brandon Lester, is awarded $2,000.
The A.R.E. Truck Caps Top Angler Award of $1,000 goes to Crews.

Chris Lane Holds Onto Narrow Lead In Rain-Soaked Sabine River Elite

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March 22, 2015

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Chris Lane Holds Onto Narrow Lead In Rain-Soaked Sabine River Elite

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March 21, 2015

Chris Lane Holds Onto Narrow Lead In Rain-Soaked Sabine River Elite

ORANGE, Texas – Despite a heavy downpour that began shortly after takeoff Saturday and never relented, Alabama angler Chris Lane caught five bass that weighed 11 pounds, 3 ounces and maintained his lead in the Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River presented by STARK Cultural Venues with a three-day mark of 39-10.

But with flash-flood warnings in effect across the area Saturday night and muddy water flowing into the river’s maze of bayous and canals, Lane said Sunday’s final round may require a completely different approach if he hopes to score a rare wire-to-wire Elite Series victory.

“It was just a good day as far as I’m concerned, but I think everybody’s going to be thrown a curveball tomorrow with the mud and the rain,” Lane said. “I could be wrong. I’m going to hit a couple of the same spots I’ve been fishing early. But if it’s not happening, I’m going to make an adjustment right off the bat.”

Lane, who holds a slim lead over fellow Alabama angler Aaron Martens (37-9) and veteran Florida pro Shaw Grigsby (36-0), has been targeting shallow spawning fish all week in secluded ditches and canals where the water clarity was at least decent compared to other areas of the fishery.

But with good water clarity likely to be a thing of the past, Lane said he hopes to form a backup plan Saturday night in his hotel room.

“I’ve got a lot of work to do between now and takeoff in the morning, because I may have to do something totally different,” Lane said. “But that doesn’t bother me at all. It’s what we do. We love to go out there and figure out how to catch the fish when conditions are tough.”

Lane, the winner of the 2012 GEICO Bassmaster Classic, said he also relishes the opportunity to match wits with the top anglers in the world under rapidly changing circumstances with a $100,000 first-place prize on the line.

“If you’re going to beat these guys, you want to beat them when they’re at their best,” Lane said. To throw this kind of mix into it, you never know what could happen – and that makes it fun.”

Martens has been right on Lane’s heels throughout tournament, and he produced another solid limit Saturday with five bass that weighed 11-11. He’s been fishing a pattern similar to Lane’s, targeting shallow spawning fish in narrow inlets with thick patches of grass that provide good spawning cover for largemouth.

The two-time Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year will enter Sunday’s final round trailing by only 2-1. Like Lane, he said a complete redirect could be necessary.

“Who knows how things might work out tomorrow with high, muddy water?” Martens said. “It could be one of those days when whoever comes in with a limit is the guy who wins it.

“But none of that matters. There aren’t too many times when you’re in position to win a tournament like this, and I’m excited to have that opportunity to go out and fish for it.”

Grigsby, who entered Saturday’s round in third place, held onto that position by bringing four bass to the scales that weighed 11-10. He might have made a major move toward the top of the leaderboard if he had been able to land his fifth and final fish – an opportunity he said he had several times during the rain-soaked day.

“I had him on I don’t know how many times, but I just didn’t put him in the boat,” Grigsby said. “I’m fishing for spawners, and because you can’t see them when they pick up the bait, it’s hard to get a really good hook set.”

He said the typical springtime spawning strikes have frustrated him all week.

“They’re not picking it up to eat it,” Grigsby said. “They’re picking it up to kill it and spit it out of the bed. You’ll feel a good strike, and you’ll be getting ready to set the hook. But then they’re gone. You can’t see any of this happening because the water is so stained.”

Grigsby said the area he’s been fishing all week was “rolling with mud” by the time he left Saturday. But he plans to go back Sunday and sink or swim with what’s been working.

Sunday’s field will be trimmed to the Top 12 anglers. Behind Lane, Martens and Grigsby, the remainder of the field will be as follows: Mike McClelland (32-15), Scott Rook (32-14), Todd Faircloth (32-11), Greg Hackney (31-4), Brandon Lester (30-10), John Crews (28-13), Justin Lucas (28-9), Micah Frazier (28-1) and Keith Poche (28-0).

Mike Kernan, who ranked 12th after the first two days, failed to qualify for Saturday’s semifinal round after tournament officials disqualified his first-round catch for violating a rule that prohibits fishing in an off-limits area.

Sunday’s final takeoff is scheduled for 7:10 a.m. CT at the City of Orange Boat Ramp with the championship weigh-in scheduled back at the ramp at 4 p.m. CT. All Bassmaster events are free.

2015 Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River Presented By STARK Cultural Venues 3/19-3/22
Sabine River System, Orange TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3

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

1. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 15 39-10 100 $500.00
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 12-13 Day 3: 5 11-03
2. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 15 37-09 99
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 12-00 Day 3: 5 11-11
3. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 14 36-00 98
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 11-02 Day 3: 4 11-10
4. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 14 32-15 97
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 4 09-08 Day 3: 5 12-00
5. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 14 32-14 96
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 10-13 Day 3: 4 11-08
6. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 14 32-11 95
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 13-00 Day 3: 4 09-03
7. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 15 31-04 94
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 08-12 Day 3: 5 09-15
8. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 13 30-10 93
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 3 07-09 Day 3: 5 10-14
9. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 11 28-13 92
Day 1: 4 09-09 Day 2: 2 03-10 Day 3: 5 15-10
10. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 13 28-09 91
Day 1: 5 09-03 Day 2: 4 08-04 Day 3: 4 11-02
11. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 13 28-01 90
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 3 05-09 Day 3: 5 11-02
12. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 15 28-00 89
Day 1: 5 07-11 Day 2: 5 10-03 Day 3: 5 10-02
13. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 13 27-04 88 $10,000.00
Day 1: 3 06-02 Day 2: 5 10-12 Day 3: 5 10-06
14. Boyd Duckett Guntersville, AL 13 26-15 87 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-09 Day 2: 3 06-07 Day 3: 5 10-15
15. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 12 26-09 86 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 3 07-07 Day 3: 4 08-10
16. David Williams Maiden, NC 11 26-06 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 5 13-05 Day 3: 5 10-11
17. Chris Zaldain San Jose, CA 12 24-10 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 3 06-10 Day 3: 4 06-10
18. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 12 24-08 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 4 08-03 Day 3: 3 05-06
19. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 12 24-08 82 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-09 Day 2: 5 10-06 Day 3: 2 04-09
20. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 13 24-04 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 3 05-11 Day 3: 5 09-10
21. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 11 23-03 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 2 06-11 Day 2: 5 09-11 Day 3: 4 06-13
22. Jordan Lee Vinemont, AL 10 22-12 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 1 01-05 Day 2: 5 12-10 Day 3: 4 08-13
23. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 11 21-07 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-12 Day 2: 3 06-08 Day 3: 3 06-03
24. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 11 21-03 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 09-12 Day 3: 1 01-09
25. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 10 20-11 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 3 05-05 Day 3: 2 05-03
26. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 8 20-10 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 1 02-00 Day 3: 2 03-08
27. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 11 20-00 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 07-03 Day 2: 3 05-12 Day 3: 4 07-01
28. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 10 19-12 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-01 Day 2: 3 06-06 Day 3: 2 04-05
29. Hank Cherry Jr Maiden, NC 11 19-09 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 06-15 Day 2: 5 08-13 Day 3: 2 03-13
30. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 11 19-06 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 3 04-15 Day 3: 3 04-08
31. Randy Howell Springville, AL 12 19-03 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-01 Day 2: 5 07-08 Day 3: 2 03-10
32. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 9 18-15 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 2 03-14 Day 2: 5 09-13 Day 3: 2 05-04
33. Dennis Tietje Roanoke, LA 7 18-14 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 1 02-15 Day 2: 3 08-09 Day 3: 3 07-06
34. Casey Scanlon Lanexa, KS 11 18-07 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 07-00 Day 2: 5 08-08 Day 3: 2 02-15
35. Ken Iyobe Tokoname Aichi JAPAN 6 18-06 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 10-03 Day 2: 1 05-01 Day 3: 1 03-02
36. David Smith Del City, OK 10 18-03 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 2 03-05 Day 3: 3 04-14
37. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 8 17-15 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 10-00 Day 2: 2 04-03 Day 3: 2 03-12
38. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 8 17-14 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 2 04-13 Day 3: 1 01-15
39. Brandon Card Caryville, TN 8 17-12 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 3 06-04 Day 2: 3 08-06 Day 3: 2 03-02
40. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 9 17-09 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 2 03-09 Day 3: 2 04-01
41. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 10 17-09 60 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 2 02-03 Day 3: 3 05-14
42. Derek Remitz Grant, AL 8 17-07 59 $10,000.00
Day 1: 3 06-05 Day 2: 4 08-08 Day 3: 1 02-10
43. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 10 16-14 58 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-04 Day 2: 4 06-13 Day 3: 1 01-13
44. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 7 16-12 57 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 1 03-12 Day 3: 1 02-12
45. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 8 16-10 56 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 09-12 Day 2: 2 03-13 Day 3: 2 03-01
46. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 7 16-03 55 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 09-10 Day 2: 2 04-03 Day 3: 1 02-06
47. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 7 15-04 54 $10,000.00
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 5 11-04 Day 3: 0 00-00
48. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 7 14-04 53 $10,000.00
Day 1: 2 03-06 Day 2: 5 10-14 Day 3: 0 00-00
49. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 7 13-13 52 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 08-08 Day 2: 2 03-11 Day 3: 1 01-10
50. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 8 13-07 51 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 07-02 Day 2: 3 04-08 Day 3: 1 01-13
51. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 6 13-05 50 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 1 02-03 Day 3: 0 00-00
52. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 5 12-00 49 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Day 3: 0 00-00
53. Kurt Dove Del Rio, TX 6 11-11 48 $10,000.00
Day 1: 2 03-04 Day 2: 4 08-07 Day 3: 0 00-00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 39 356 719-12
2 20 263 529-06
3 12 147 316-09
———————————-
71 766 1565-11

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS WINS INAUGURAL FLW COLLEGE FISHING OPEN ON KENTUCKY LAKE

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March 22, 2015

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UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS WINS INAUGURAL FLW COLLEGE FISHING OPEN ON KENTUCKY LAKE

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GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (March 21, 2015) – A huge field of 194 college teams launched Friday morning on Kentucky Lake, shattering the record to become the largest collegiate fishing tournament ever held. Once the final ounce had been tallied Saturday evening, the University of Arkansas team of Zachary Pickle of South Lake, Texas, and, Drew Porto of Colleyville, Texas, were named champions of the inaugural FLW College Fishing Open on Kentucky Lake. The Razorback duo brought five bass weighing 21 pounds, 15 ounces to the scale for a two-day total of 10 bass totaling 43 pounds, 12 ounces. The victory earned the club a new Ranger Z117 boat with a Mercury or Evinrude outboard engine and a berth into the 2016 FLW College Fishing National Championship.

“I never thought we were going to win it,” said Porto, a senior majoring in Marketing. “I knew we had enough weight to push us into the top 10, but I never thought we would come out with a victory.”

“We were pretty nervous up on stage,” said Pickle, a freshman majoring in Agricultural Business. “I had lost a couple of three- or four-pounders during the tournament so I was hoping that it wouldn’t come back to haunt us.”

The freshman’s mishap didn’t hurt the duo as the two went on to win the tournament by fishing the Big Sandy River area, where the fish were active along 30 yards of chunk rock and a creek channel bend.

“We were dialed in on the exact 30-yard stretch both days. We just went back and forth along the rocks at a consistent pace,” said Porto. “During practice I found the water was warmer there – about 53 degrees. After 20 casts, I had put three fish weighing around five pounds each in the livewell. I knew we would have to return there during the tournament.”

The anglers said that they caught 12 keepers in the tournament, all coming on a black chartreuse-colored Xcalibur XCS Square Lip Silent Crankbait.

“The bait worked perfectly in that warmer water,” said Pickle. “The bass were right where we wanted them. This whole week was really exciting.”

The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2016 FLW College Fishing National Championship are:

1^st: University of Arkansas — Zachary Pickle, South Lake, Texas, and Drew Porto, Colleyville, Texas, (10 bass, 43-12)

2^nd: University of Alabama — Konnor Kennedy and Ethan Flack, both of Cullman, Ala., (10 bass, 43-5)

3^rd: University of Illinois — Qiurun Chen, Urbana, Ill., and Luke Stoner, Pekin, Ill., (10 bass, 43-0)

4^th: Northwest Missouri State University — Andrew Nordbye, Saint Joseph, Mo., and Adam Almohtadi, Blue Springs, Mo., (10 bass, 41-14)

5^th: Bethel University — Joseph Huggins, Ovieda, Fla., and Ty Dyer, Lexington, Tenn., (10 bass, 38-1)

6th: Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville — Dalton Wesley, Worden, Ill., and Zach Hartnagel, Edwardsville, Ill., (10 bass, 37-4)

7th: Bethel University — Kristopher Queen, Catawba, N.C., and Grant Rutter, Dillsburg, Pa. (10 bass, 36-2)

8^th: Bethel University — Alec Piekarski, Greenfield, Wis., and Kyler Chelminiak, Franklin, Wis., (10 bass, 34-9)

9^th: University of Tennessee-Chattanooga — Patrick Hoskins, Chattanooga, Tenn., and Dillon Falardeau, Slatersville, R.I., (10 Bass, 34-6)

10^th: Iowa State University — Zac Beek, Bloomington, Minn., and Zachary Hartley, Minneapolis, Minn., (nine bass, 32-14)

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

This FLW College Fishing Open was hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau. The next event for FLW College Fishing anglers is a Central Division event scheduled for April 11 at Table Rock Lake in Kimberling City, Missouri, and is hosted by the Table Rock Lake Chamber of Commerce.

FLW College Fishing teams compete in qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top fifteen teams from each regular-season tournament will qualify for one of five Conference Championship tournaments. The top ten teams from each of the five Conference Championship tournaments, along with the top-10 teams from the FLW College Fishing Open, will advance to the 2016 FLW College Fishing National Championship.

College Fishing is free to enter. All participants must be registered, full-time students at a college, university or community college and members of a fishing club recognized by their college or university.

For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow College Fishing on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing. Visit FLWFishing.com to sign up or to start a club at your school.

Bill Lewis Floating Rat-L-Trap Review by Walker Smith

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March 21, 2015

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Bill Lewis Floating Rat-L-Trap Review

Walker Smith

This lure offers a pretty cool spin on an old bass fishing classic

I’m willing to bet that you have at least one lipless crankbait in your tackle box. They’ve always been popular among anglers. What’s not to love about ‘em? You can cast ‘em a mile, dissect shallow water with ease and efficiently target submerged vegetation throughout the year. They’re simply one of those “special” lures that’s proven to catch fish.

Like most of you, I’m used to heavy lipless crankbaits that sink like a rock. So when I heard about the Bill Lewis Floating Rat-L-Trap, I didn’t really know how to feel about it. It was kind of like somebody telling you about a floating flutter spoon or a peanut butter and jelly burrito—it goes directly against everything I considered normal.

I’ll be honest. I avoided using it for a while because it just didn’t seem right. I figured it would feel like putting my flip flops on opposite feet. But a few months ago I got a wild hair to rig it up and see what it would do. Change is a good thing, right?

After a lot of testing in various bodies of water, the “weirdness” of it has worn off and it has actually transformed into a pretty productive little lure for me. I think there are a few important things you should know about it.

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Bill Lewis Floating Rat-L-Trap Review

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