FLW COLLEGE FISHING SOUTHERN CONFERENCE HEADS FOR LAKE TEXOMA

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February 10, 2015

FLW COLLEGE FISHING SOUTHERN CONFERENCE HEADS FOR LAKE TEXOMA

DENISON, Texas (Feb. 10, 2015) – FLW College Fishing is headed to Lake Texoma Feb. 21 for the second of three regular-season stops in the Southern Conference. A full field of college teams will be competing for a top award of $2,000 and a berth in the Southern Conference Championship tournament.

“The water levels are low right now,” said Walmart FLW Tour pro Tom Redington of Royse City, Texas. “Texas is in a drought and a lot of the cover that is normally in play is out of the water. Anglers are going to have to choose whether to target smallmouth in the clear water near the lower end of the lake or run way up the arms into the stained water to target largemouth.

“The smallmouth seem to bite a lot better on the windy and nasty days,” Redington said. “On the southern end of Texoma there are a lot of rocky banks and huge boulders, and you can kind of visually tell where the smallmouth live.

“The Alabama rig is always a big factor with the smallmouths. You can get so many good fish on it if they’re biting it. Jerkbaits and finesse jigs are both good this time of year as well. Teams can also slow down with shaky head- or dropshot-rigs. The thing about the smallies, though, is that they’re here today, gone tomorrow. You could locate them in practice, but they’ll have disappeared by the time the tournament rolls around.

“The largemouth should be a little bit steadier, as it’s classic winter prespawn tactics,” Redington continued. “There are quite a few boat docks, so flipping docks could be a strong pattern. Or, you can target the little cover that remains with squarebill crankbaits, flipping jigs, pitching Texas rigs, spinnerbaits and ChatterBaits – classic power fishing.”

Redington said that Lake Texoma will be a fun lake for college anglers because any team could win if they find the right fish, and estimated that the winning team would likely bring a stringer between 16 to 20 pounds to the scale.

“Teams aren’t going to be offshore graphing honey holes to win this tournament,” said Redington. “It’s going to be mostly shallow-water power fishing. If it looks good – a dock, a laydown, a riprap bank – hit it. If there’s nothing there, hit it an hour later, because something might have moved in.”

Anglers will take off from Highport Marina located at 120 Texoma Harbor Drive in Pottsboro, Texas, at 7 a.m. Saturday. Weigh-in will be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. Takeoff and weigh-in are free and open to the public.

Schools are allowed to register up until the morning of the tournament. Entries may be made either by phone or at CollegeFishing.com.

Schools currently registered to compete in the Lake Texoma tournament, which is hosted by the Denison Area Chamber of Commerce, include:

Colorado Mesa University – Josh Worth, Grand Junction, Colo., and Kennedy Kinkade, Midvale, Utah

East Central University – Wyatt Ryan and Hunter Fulton, both of Ada, Okla.

Harding University – Brayden Shelby, Memphis, Tenn., and Lane Carger, Searcy, Ark.

Henderson State University – Michael Gross, Gurdon, Ark., and Cobey Wingfield, Malvern, Ark.

Henderson State University – Theron Asbery, Grove, Okla., and William Stone, Arkadelphia, Ark.

Louisiana Tech University – Dustin Browning, Jonesboro, La., and Christopher Vallillo, Ruston, La.

Louisiana Tech University – Adam Forester, Pineville, La., and James Mathews, Ruston, La.

Northeastern State University – Devin Duncan and Dylan Duncan, both of Kansas, Okla.

Oklahoma State University – Spencer Randolph, Broken Arrow, Okla., and Cameron Deborde, Sapulpa, Okla.

Southeastern Oklahoma State University – J.C. Thompson and Cory Johnson, both of Calera, Okla.

Southeastern Oklahoma State University – Dwight Camp, Talihina, Okla., and Jonathan Furlong, Bixby, Okla.

Southern Arkansas University – Charles Swilley Jr., Cashdown, Ark., and Troy Elliott, Waldo, Ark.

Southern Arkansas University – Hunter Bruce, Paris, Texas, and Steven Self, Kirby, Ark.

Southwestern Oklahoma State University – Collin McFeeters, Thomas, Okla., and Chris Bradley, Osage, Okla.

Southwestern Oklahoma State University – Jeremy Guest, Collinsville, Okla., and Kenneth Kellems, Weatherford, Okla.

Southwestern Oklahoma State University – Mitchell Decker, Coweta, Okla., and Dalton Warrington, Thomas, Okla.

Stephen F. Austin State University – Jay Lawson, Corrigan, Texas, and Matthew Anthony, Colleyville, Texas

Stephen F. Austin State University – Tyler Woods, Mansfield, Texas, and Taylor Barton, Montgomery, Texas

Stephen F. Austin State University – Blake Schroeder, Cypress, Texas, and Alec Castonguay, Rockwell, Texas

Tarleton State University – Stetson Overton and Justin Seeton, both of Glen Rose, Texas

Tarleton State University – Marshall Hughes, Port Neches, Texas, and Tanner Crim, Devine, Texas

Texas A&M University – Garrett Nance, Pearland, Texas, and James Wittenborn, Haskell, Texas

Texas A&M University – Josh Bensema, Willis, Texas, and Matthew McArdle, College Station, Texas

Texas A&M University-Galveston – Garrett Goettee, Tomball, Texas, and Hugh Keller, Houston, Texas

Texas A&M University-Texarkana – Caleb Young, Maud, Texas, and Michael Wicks, Atlanta, Texas

Texas A&M University-Texarkana – Josh Cole and Logan Byrd, both of Texarkana, Texas

Texas State University – David Cosner, San Jose, Calif., and Sam Stone, Austin, Texas

Texas Tech University – Joseph Smith, Midland, Texas, and Donald Peters, Los Cruces, N.M.

University of Arkansas – Blake Kubiak, Crossett, Ark., and Drew Watt, Fayetteville, Ark.

University of Arkansas – Drew Porto, Colleyville, Texas, and Travis Harriman, Huntsville, Ark.

University of Central Oklahoma – Easton Ramsey, Oklahoma City, Okla., and Tanner McColl, Edmond, Okla.

University of Louisiana-Lafayette – Justin Mann, Lafayette, La., and Colby Drago, Livonia, La.

University of Louisiana-Lafayette – Jed Hebert and Neil Arnaud, Lafayette, La.

University of Oklahoma – Landon Dixon, Hinton, Okla., and Alex Edgeman, Sandpoint, Idaho

FLW College Fishing teams compete in qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top 15 teams from each regular-season tournament will qualify for one of five Conference Championship tournaments. The top 10 teams from each of the five Conference Championship tournaments 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 CollegeFishing.com to sign up or to start a club at your school.

Batson Immortal Rod Blank and ALPS Review Jason Sealock

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February 10, 2015

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Batson Immortal Rod Blank and ALPS Review

Jason Sealock

Check out this bit different fishing rod review on components you can get to build your own rods

Rods come in all shapes and sizes these days. What’s even cooler is that a rod can come in exactly your shape and size. There is a growing segment of custom rod makers using widely available components and building rods on their own. I wanted to do a bit different fishing rod review and review a rod made from custom components from Batson Enterprises’ brands: RainShadow, ALPS and ForeCast.

Many folks aren’t familiar with Batson, so here is the 15-second rundown: they are the largest American rod component company that makes many of the rod components you see on a lot of the popular rods on the market today. They make everything from blanks, reel seats, grips, guides, tips, handles and a lot more to completely spec out and build your own custom rod or have someone make one for you.

If you go to their batsonenterprises.com site you could spend hours looking at components, studying technology, and reading the forums on building your own rods. But we asked Karry Batson and CEO Bill Batson to build us a rod with their blanks, components and everything in the action and power of our choosing so we could put it to the test and see how we liked the fit and finish of each individual part in one custom-made rod.

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WEBB WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE CHOO CHOO DIVISION OPENER ON LAKE GUNTERSVILLE

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February 10, 2015

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WEBB WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE CHOO CHOO DIVISION OPENER ON LAKE GUNTERSVILLE

Lawless wins co-angler title

SCOTTSBORO, Ala. (Feb. 9, 2015) – Chris Webb of Decatur, Alabama, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 28 pounds, 8 ounces Saturday to win the first Walmart Bass Fishing League Choo Choo Division tournament of 2015 on Lake Guntersville. For his victory, Webb earned $6,000.

Chris Webb of Decatur, Ala., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 28 pounds, 8 ounces to win the first Choo Choo Division tournament of 2015 on Lake Guntersville earning him $6,000.

“The competition was extremely tough,” said Webb of the 150-boater field that included multiple professionals that fish on the Walmart FLW Tour. “Lake Guntersville is a difficult lake to fish, so when you can come out on top of a field like that it feels pretty good.”

To claim top honors Webb said he fished the main lake around the Goose Pond area, in a range of depths between 3 to 12 feet. He caught seven fish throughout the day using a red Rat-L-Trap, a black and blue-colored jig and a swimbait.

“I caught my first fish at 8 a.m. and one more around 9:30,” Webb said. “It was between 1 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. when I really cleaned up. The fish became more active as the temperature rose, which helped me find my rhythm.

“A lot of guys were throwing jerkbaits,” continued Webb. “I even threw one a couple times, but my original three baits were what got me the win.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1^st: Chris Webb, Decatur, Ala., five bass, 28-8, $6,000

2^nd: Keystone Light pro Casey Martin, New Hope, Ala., five bass, 27-5, $3,000

3^rd: Josh Driver, Hiram, Ga., five bass, 24-8, $2,000

4^th: Tim Hurst, Oxford, Ala., five bass, 24-6, $1,400

5^th: Cameron Gautney, Muscle Shoals, Ala., five bass, 24-4, $1,200

6^th: Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., five bass, 23-13, $1,100

7^th: Kevin McMahan, Huntsville, Ala., five bass, 21-2, $1,000

8^th: Tim Wilson, Gas City, Ind., five bass, 20-14, $900

9^th: Robert Behrle, Hoover, Ala., five bass, 20-10, $800

10^th: Tommy Henley, Oakfield, Tenn., five bass, 20-2, $700

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Terry Lawless of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, weighed in three bass totaling 19 pounds, 10 ounces Saturday to win $3,000 in the co-angler division.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1^st: Terry Lawless, Murfreesboro, Tenn., three bass, 19-10, $3,000

2^nd: Randy Evett, Grant, Ala., four bass, 19-1 $1,500

3^rd: Jack Gumbert, Huntsville, Ala., five bass, 17-13, $1,000

4^th: Jerry Armstrong, Shelbyville, Tenn., five bass, 17-9, $700

5^th: Cory Johnson, Crane Hill, Ala., five bass, 17-6, $600

6^th: Darrell Hester, Haleyville, Ala., three bass, 16-11, $550

7^th: Brian Dodd, Florence, Ala., five bass, 14-11, $500

8^th: Harold Driver, Powder Springs, Ga., four bass, 14-8, $450

9^th: Davis Whitten, Tuscumbia, Ala., three bass, 14-2, $400

10^th: Trent Wright, Scottsboro, Ala., five bass, 13-14, $350

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, Ala. 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.

RAMPEY WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE SAVANNAH RIVER DIVISION OPENER ON LAKE KEOWEE

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February 10, 2015

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RAMPEY WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE SAVANNAH RIVER DIVISION OPENER ON LAKE KEOWEE

Coleman wins co-angler title

SENECA, S.C. (Feb. 9, 2015) – Jayme Rampey of Liberty, South Carolina, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds even Saturday to win the first Walmart Bass Fishing League Savannah River Division tournament of 2015 on Lake Keowee. For his victory, Rampey earned $8,154.

Jayme Rampey of Liberty, South Carolina won the first Walmart Bass Fishing League Savannah River Division tournament of 2015 on Lake Keowee, earning him $8,154.

“It feels really good to win this tournament,” said Rampey, who fishes as a professional on the Walmart FLW Tour. “I finished off last year with a win, so to begin the 2015 season with a victory is really exciting.”

Rampey said that he spent his day fishing the South Cove edges and banks a few miles from the boat ramp. Around 9 a.m. he netted two fish throwing an umbrella rig with Buckeye J-Will swimbait heads and shad-colored Keitech swimbaits.

“The bite was really good along those edges, so I made the decision early to keep grinding it out there,” Rampey said.

Exploring the edges and banks, Rampey caught a few more in the early afternoon on a Buckeye Spot Remover shaky-head jig with a green pumpkin-colored Zoom Trick Worm to reach his limit.

“It was a pretty straightforward day of fishing,” Rampey went on to say. “I won a BFL tournament on Lake Keowee a couple of years back by fishing the shallow water, so I figured I’d do it again and it worked out.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1^st: Jayme Rampey, Liberty, S.C., five bass, 17-0, $5,154 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus + $1,000 Mercury Bonus

2^nd: Matthew Justice, Fair Play, S.C., five bass, 15-2, $2,577

3^rd: Dearal Rodgers, Camden, S.C., five bass, 13-4, $1,719

4^th: Jeremy Strong, Elberton, Ga., five bass, 13-3, $1,203

5^th: Chris Baxter, Winder, Ga., five bass, 13-2, $1,031

6^th: Marcus Church, Seneca, S.C., five bass, 13-1, $945

7^th: Sean Skey, Sumter, S.C., five bass, 12-15, $859

8^th: Bryan Cothran, Belton, S.C., five bass, 12-14, $773

9^th: Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, S.C., five bass, 12-13, $687

10^th: Craig Sahms, Taylors, S.C., five bass, 12-3, $601

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Chris Coleman of Laurens, South Carolina, weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 12 pounds, 2 ounces Saturday to win $2,577 in the co-angler division.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1^st: Chris Coleman, Laurens, S.C., five bass, 12-2, $2,577

2^nd: Nathaniel Moore Fairview, N.C., five bass, 11-13, $1,288

3^rd: Spencer Woodson, Jonesville, S.C., four bass, 10-8, $858

4^th: John Wilson, Six Mile, S.C., five bass, 10-6, $601

5^th: Kaleb Turner, Hartwell, Ga., four bass, 9-14, $515

6^th: Stanley Grant, Salem, S.C., five bass, 9-13, $472

7^th: Walter Whitfield, Chesnee, S.C., five bass 9-11, $429

8^th: Brandon Brock, Honea Path, S.C., five bass, 9-10, $365

8^th: Mike Brown, Buford, Ga., five bass, 9-10, $365

10^th: Bryan Waddell, Taylors, S.C., five bass, 9-8, $301

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, S.C. 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.

Riot Baits Fuzzy Beaver Review – By Walker Smith

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February 9, 2015

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Riot Baits Fuzzy Beaver Review

Walker Smith

This soft, buoyant creature bait releases air bubbles and has a lifelike profile for bass fishing

I always make an effort to keep my fishing simple. But as much as I’d like to say big bass will indiscriminately eat anything that’s green and wiggly, that’s simply not the case in most situations. So whenever a new soft plastic bait hits the market and spurs conversation within the bass fishing community, I go out of my way to test it and see what the fuss is all about. I want to see firsthand if various design features make a difference on the water.

I’ve heard a lot of chatter surrounding the Riot Baits Fuzzy Beaver, so I’ve spent the last few weeks putting it underneath every dock and into each laydown and grass bed I can find. After hours of experimentation and several fun fish catches, I’ve become quite fond of this bait whenever I’m pitching and flipping shallow cover.

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FLW LOCKS IN LEER FOR 2015 SPONSORSHIP DEAL

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February 9, 2015

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FLW LOCKS IN LEER FOR 2015 SPONSORSHIP DEAL

MINNEAPOLIS (Feb. 9, 2015) – FLW, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, has announced a sponsorship deal with LEER, North America’s leading manufacturer of fiberglass truck caps and tonneaus for more than 40 years. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.

Per the agreement, LEER will receive exposure through FLW’s platforms including its website, social media community, world-class tournaments and expos, and FLW Bass Fishing magazine. The organization will also receive time on the “FLW” television show which is broadcast in high definition (HD) to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.

“LEER is a well-respected brand that makes high quality products that FLW is proud to be associated with,” said Patterson Leeth, vice president of marketing at FLW. “We’re glad to have them on board for the 2015 season and excited to promote their products to our audience of outdoor enthusiasts.”

For five decades, LEER has produced premium truck bed caps and tonneaus. The company’s expansive line features fiberglass caps that deliver the performance, aesthetics and value truck owners demand. In addition to this full line of fiberglass caps, including products for the most popular 2015 model pickups, LEER also recently introduced the new Trilogy tonneau, a lightweight, tough, secure tonneau designed for maximum functionality. For more information, please visit LEER.com.

In addition to building best-in-class truck caps and tonneaus, LEER has proven their allegiance to FLW anglers for the second straight year with their “Cover Cash” tournament bonus program. Anglers who recently purchased or already own a LEER truck cap or tonneau can sign up for “Cover Cash” for free at LEERCoverCash.com, or by calling Kristie at (918) 742-6424. Once signed-up, the highest finishing LEER participant in any of the LEER-approved tournaments will earn a cash bonus ranging from $150 to $1,000.

“The relationship between pickup owners and the impressive angling professional in FLW-affiliated tournaments is clearly a strong one,” said Kevin Page, vice president of sales and marketing for LEER. “FLW has a fantastic reputation for running top-notch tournaments and LEER ‘Cover Cash’ bonuses are a great way to reward and recognize LEER-owning anglers.”

URIBE WINS RAYOVAC FLW SERIES WESTERN DIVISION EVENT ON LAKE HAVASU

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February 8, 2015

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URIBE WINS RAYOVAC FLW SERIES WESTERN DIVISION EVENT ON LAKE HAVASU

Leue wins co-angler title

Link to photo of winner Joe Uribe Jr.

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. (Feb. 7, 2015) – Joe Uribe Jr. of Surprise, Arizona, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 26 pounds, 7 ounces Saturday to win the Rayovac FLW Series Western Division event on Lake Havasu presented by Mercury Marine with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 67 pounds, 3 ounces. For his victory, Uribe earned $40,000.

“This victory is ever so sweet,” said Uribe, who earned the first victory of his career. “I’ve been so patient, and I knew that sooner or later it would be my time. This has been a really exciting tournament and I’ve had a fantastic week. My co-angler and I had a great time today – we must have caught 30 fish, and we caught them all day long.”

Uribe’s monster final-day stringer was anchored by a 9-pound monster largemouth that bit right away in the morning.

“I thought it was a striper,” Uribe said. “As I was pulling it up I realized that it was green. My co-angler was battling a big carp at exactly the same time and it was a pretty crazy few minutes. I was feeling pretty good when I got it into the boat.”

Uribe said that he fished three primary areas throughout the tournament that he found on the last day of practice. Uribe found that he was having a lot of success fishing bays south of the marina that included shad, birds and striped bass. He said that the birds and the striper would trigger the largemouth and he was able to key in on the specific bays that were holding fish. He fished shallow – from 3 to 6 feet deep – and targeted the tule lines making extremely long casts.

“My areas were replenishing each day, which usually doesn’t happen on the Colorado River,” Uribe said. “I caught my fish by 9 a.m. on the first day, then 8:30 a.m. on the second day. I was definitely trying to manage my fish, so as soon as I had a solid limit I would leave the area alone. I was fishing the shady side of the bay, and as soon as the sun was up I was out of there.”

Uribe said his two main baits throughout the week were an original Z-Man ChatterBait with a Reaction Innovation Skinny Dipper and a Basstronix Alabama-rig with Skinny Dippers as the primary bait and smaller Keitech Swimbaits rigged as teasers.

“I was dipping the tail of the Skinny Dipper in chartreuse for the ChatterBait,” Uribe said. “It definitely seemed to make a difference. It was pretty close, but I think that 60 percent of my fish came on the ChatterBait and 40 percent came on the A-rig.”

Uribe’s final day stringer of 26 pounds, 7 ounces was the largest five-bass limit ever weighed on Lake Havasu in FLW competition, and his 14-pound, 14-ounce, margin of victory tied for the third largest margin of victory in Rayovac FLW Series history.

The top 10 pros on Lake Havasu were:

1^st: Joe Uribe Jr., Surprise, Ariz., 15 bass, 67-3, $40,000

2^nd: Josh Bertrand, Gilbert, Ariz., 15 bass, 52-5, $15,500

3^rd: Scott Hellesen, Whittier, Calif., 14 bass, 48-3, $12,000

4^th: Shaun Bailey, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 15 bass, 45-6, $10,000

5^th: J.J. Gibbs, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 14 bass, 42-8, $9,000

6^th: Hunter Schlander, Modesto, Calif., 12 bass, 38-5, $8,000

7^th: Matt Shura, Gilbert, Ariz., 11 bass, 38-5, $7,000

8^th: Mark Williams, Blythe, Calif., 12 bass, 38-0, $6,000

9^th: Gary Pinholster, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 11 bass, 36-13, $5,000

10^th: Charlie Weyer, West Hills, Calif., 10 bass, 36-7, $4,000

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Bertrand caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division Thursday – a fish weighing 6 pounds, 2 ounces that earned him the day’s Big Bass award of $300.

Daniel Leue of Colusa, California, won the co-angler division and a Ranger Z117C with an Evinrude or Mercury outboard motor, with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 38 pounds even.

The top 10 co-anglers on Lake Havasu were:

1^st: Daniel Leue, Colusa, Calif., 15 bass, 38-0, Ranger Z117C with a 90-horsepower outboard

2^nd: Parker Wright, Laguna Niguel, Calif., 10 bass, 34-11, $5,000

3^rd: Phil Risnes, Hartford, S.D., 10 bass, 29-14, $4,000

4^th: Rick Grover, Trabuco Canyon, Calif., nine bass, 29-3, $3,500

5^th: Stuart Hein II, Orange, Calif., nine bass, 22-1, $3,000

6^th: Todd Kline, San Clemente, Calif., seven bass, 19-7, $2,500

7^th: Quincy Washington, Elk Grove, Calif., six bass, 19-5, $2,000

8^th: Jordan Pinasco, Galt, Calif., seven bass, 17-5, $1,750

9^th: Kevin Smith, Phoenix, Ariz., six bass, 16-15, $1,500

10^th: Carl Nelson, Hanford, Calif., seven bass, 16-6, $1,250

Washington caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division Friday – a 5-pound, 4-ounce bass – that earned him the day’s Big Bass award of $200.

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 Lake Havasu was hosted by the Lake Havasu City Convention & Visitors Bureau. It was the first of three Western Division tournaments of 2015. The next Rayovac FLW Series tournament will be a Texas Division event, held Feb. 12-14, on Lake Amistad in Del Rio, Texas. 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.

OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY WINS FLW COLLEGE FISHING WESTERN CONFERENCE OPENER ON LAKE HAVASU

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February 8, 2015

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OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY WINS FLW COLLEGE FISHING WESTERN CONFERENCE OPENER ON LAKE HAVASU

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. (Feb. 7, 2015) – The Oregon State University team of Zach MacDonald of Willits, California, and Zach Martinez of Linden, California, won the FLW College Fishing Western Conference tournament on Lake Havasu Saturday with five bass weighing 12 pounds, 9 ounces. The victory earned the club $2,000 and advanced the team to the FLW College Fishing Western Conference Championship tournament.

“We were feeling really down after our practice on the lake,” said Martinez, a junior majoring in Agricultural Business Management. “We didn’t catch a keeper fish in two days. But Zach (MacDonald) is a really, really good angler and we work well together. We made some adjustments today and were able to put together a pretty good day.”

“We definitely feed off of each other,” added MacDonald, a junior majoring in Fisheries and Wildlife. “We communicate well, throwing different baits and try to learn and expand on each other’s pattern.”

The formula seems to be working for the Beaver Bass Club, as the duo of MacDonald and Martinez has now finished first in two of the three tournaments they have fished as a team.

“We completely scrapped everything that we had done in practice and just went fishing today,” said MacDonald. “We ran two or three miles up the Colorado River and fished some cuts and tule lines. We fished shallow, only 3 to 5 feet deep, and managed to catch nine fish throughout the day.”

The duo said that eight of their nine fish came on a shad-colored Tualatin River Tackle swimbait, while one came via a cinnamon black and purple flake-colored Yamamoto Senko.

“The key for us was definitely the Tualatin swimbait,” MacDonald said. “We had to fish it less than a foot away from the Tule line, with a slow, steady retrieve otherwise we wouldn’t get bit.”

“We’re going down to the Delta to pre-fish for the next Western Conference tournament over our spring break,” Martinez said. “We won that event last year and I’m looking forward to fishing it again and trying to win another.”

Teams that advanced to the Western Conference Championship tournament on Clear Lake are:

1st: Oregon State University – Zach MacDonald, Willits, Calif., and Zach Martinez, Linden, Calif. (five bass, 12-9, $2,000)

2nd: California State University-Chico – Chas Brannon, Santa Maria, Calif., and Michael Woods, Olivehurst, Calif. (five bass, 11-15, $1,000)

3rd: Utah Valley University – Weston Probst, Midway, Utah, and Corey Higgins, Lehi, Utah (five bass, 10-9, $500)

4th: Eastern Washington University – Laj Trip, Hayden, Idaho, and Kyle Sittman, Kennewick, Wash. (four bass, 10-3, $500)

5th: Eastern Washington University – Cy Floyd, Wenatchee, Wash., and Travis Opel, Spokane, Wash. (five bass, 10-1, $500)

6th: University of Oregon – Ryan Habenicht, Auburn, Calif., and Riley Russen, Redding, Calif. (three bass, 7-1)

7th: California Polytechnic State University – Johan Eide, Sebastopol, Calif., and Colton Farquer, Oakdale, Calif. (one bass, 5-14)

8th: University of Southern California – Nick Nikchevich, Westlake Village, Calif., and Elliott Beckstrom, Santa Cruz, Calif. (three bass, 5-10)

9th: California State University – Seth Meyer, Lancaster, Calif., and Rick Zatarain, Long Beach, Calif. (one bass, 4-10)

10th: California State University-Chico – Travis Bounds, Roseville, Calif., and Andrew Loberg, Rocklin, Calif. (two bass, 3-15)

11th: Dixie State University – Mathew Baker, Ogden, Utah, and Nordel Erickson, Saint George, Utah (one bass, 3-12)

12th: Sonoma State University – Brock Trudeau, Lancaster, Calif., and Jake Davidson, Sebastopol, Calif. (two bass, 2-14)

Complete results can be found at CollegeFishing.com.

This FLW College Fishing Western Conference tournament was hosted by the Lake Havasu City Convention & Visitors Bureau and was the first of two regular-season qualifying tournaments in the Western Conference. The next event for Western Conference anglers is scheduled for May 9 at the California Delta in Bethel Island, California, and is hosted by the City of Oakley.

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 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 CollegeFishing.com to sign up or to start a club at your school.

FLW FANTASY FISHING SET TO LAUNCH FOR 2015

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February 6, 2015

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FLW FANTASY FISHING SET TO LAUNCH FOR 2015

MINNEAPOLIS (Feb. 6, 2015) – FLW announced today that registration for the 2015 season of FLW Fantasy Fishing will open on Wednesday, Feb. 11. FLW Fantasy Fishing is free to play and allows players to compete for the largest fantasy cash prizes in the sport while following along with each Walmart FLW Tour event.

Players can log on to FantasyFishing.com to enter for their chance to win up to $5,000 at each of the seven FLW Tour events of the season, including the world championship of bass fishing, the Forrest Wood Cup. In addition, a grand prize of $10,000 will be awarded to the top cumulative scoring team after the seven events.

The 2015 version of FLW Fantasy Fishing will again emphasize strategy. Players will select a roster of 10 pro anglers at predetermined values within a $200 salary cap for every Walmart FLW Tour stop. The value of each angler will change for each event, so players will have to adjust, not just to the fishery, but also to the valuation of each angler. This new format will force players to choose more than just the local favorites and perennial top finishers; the best-performing players will dig deep for high-value anglers.

FLW members will have the advantage of using the Member’s Advantage tools to help select their winning rosters. Detailed profiles, lake reports, pundit picks, local finder, fantasy trends and real-time scoring are all perks and advantages offered only to FLW members. To sign up for an FLW membership, visit FLWFishing.com.

Players can begin selecting their fantasy rosters at midnight on Feb. 11, 2015. The fantasy fishing season kicks off March 5, in conjunction with the beginning of the Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Toho presented by Mercury Marine in Kissimmee, Florida. The season culminates Aug. 20-23 at the prestigious Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Ouachita presented by Walmart in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Fifty prizes are awarded at each of the seven individual tournaments, including the $5,000 top prize. In addition, 10 cumulative prizes, including the $10,000 grand prize, will be awarded to the top cumulative scoring teams after all seven tournaments.

For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing, to examine angler valuations, register and select your roster, please visit FantasyFishing.com.

PLANO, FRABILL RENEW SPONSORSHIP DEAL WITH FLW

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February 6, 2015

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PLANO, FRABILL RENEW SPONSORSHIP DEAL WITH FLW

MINNEAPOLIS (Feb. 6, 2015) – FLW, the world’s largest bass fishing tournament organization, has announced today a continued partnership with Plano, an industry leader in outdoor equipment protection and storage solutions, and Frabill, providers of the most trusted gear in the fishing industry. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Plano and Frabill are iconic brands that stand for quality and reliability,” said Trish Blake, FLW president of marketing. “FLW is proud to continue our longstanding partnership with such powerful brands.”

Per the agreement, Plano and Frabill will receive exposure through FLW’s website and social media communities. Their brand will also be visible at FLW’s world class tournaments and expos, in FLW Bass Fishing magazine and on the “FLW’ television show which is broadcast on NBC Sports Network in high definition (HD) to more than 564 million viewers.

“We view FLW as a platform that goes a long way in reaching our core audience and elevating the sport to audiences around the country,” said Ben Rand, Plano director of marketing. “Plano and Frabill are excited to continue our partnership with FLW. All of the events allow our brands to be seen throughout the year and on a platform where they are viewed as being synonymous with many of the best anglers in the world.”

For more than 60 years, Plano has been known for their user-friendly designs and durability. In addition to their famed tackle boxes, Plano also offers an array of storage containers for firearms, bows and hand tools. The company also has a line of shelving units and rugged bags for medical use. To learn more about Plano’s product portfolio, visit planomolding.com.

Plano acquired Frabill in 2012, creating a partnership with more than 150 years of combined industry experience, values and product quality. In 2015, Frabill will continue to provide Conservation Series landing nets for use in Walmart FLW Tour boats and the critically acclaimed F-Series Storm Gear and apparel to keep anglers warm and dry in all conditions.

ABOUT FLW

FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2015 over the course of 229 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world. For more information about FLW visit FLWFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

ABOUT FRABILL

Frabill was established in 1938 and is celebrating 76 years of providing the most trusted gear in the fishing industry. Frabill’s fresh and saltwater products include a wide selection of landing nets, portable aeration systems, bait containers, bait care, bait traps and seines, apparel and other fishing accessories. Frabill’s ice fishing product mix consists of portable ice fishing shelters, ice fishing rods and combos, tip-ups, bait containers, portable aeration, apparel and other ice fishing accessories.

For more information on Frabill, visit www.frabill.com or www.facebook.com/frabill.

ABOUT PLANO MOLDING COMPANY

Plano Molding Company, headquartered in Plano, Illinois, is a leading supplier of plastic organizational products. Founded in 1932, the company’s products include Plano® brand fishing tackle boxes, its first proprietary business and still best known product line. Plano also supplies Plano® gun and archery cases and other shooters storage items, Plano® tool boxes and plastic utility shelving, and Caboodles® cosmetic cases. Most recently, Plano introduced a line of craft storage products under the Creative Options by Plano® brand.

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