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WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE PREVIEW FOR SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14

WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE PREVIEW FOR SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14
 
WHAT: The 2015 Walmart Bass Fishing League continues its tournament season the weekend of Saturday, Feb. 14 with two events. An Arkie Division tournament will be held on Lake Ouachita in Mount Ida, Arkansas, while the South Carolina Division will compete on Lake Murray in Prosperity, South Carolina. Up to 400 boaters and co-anglers will be competing for top awards of up to $8,000 and $3,000 respectively in the one-day events.
 
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015
 
Arkie Division
Lake Ouachita
Mountain Harbor Marina
34 Marina Drive
Mount Ida, Ark.
 
NOTES: Lake Ouachita is expected to produce a quality day of bass fishing for BFL anglers competing in the first Arkie Division event of the year. Weather forecasts indicate 52 degrees and a lot of sunshine which means the fish will be actively seeking food. Local reports show bass are biting very well around structure on jig-and-pigs and Rat-L-Traps. With clear water and water temperatures expected to be in the 50-degree range, anglers are also expected to catch fish with jerkbaits, lipless crankbaits, shallow-diving crankbaits, and spinnerbaits. The winner of this tournament is expected to weigh in a five-bass limit nearing 22 pounds.
 
South Carolina Division
Lake Murray
Dreher Island State Park
3677 State Park Road
Prosperity, S.C.
Host: Capital City/Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism
 
NOTES: Anglers can expect Lake Murray to fish well. Local guides have reported strong bites in the morning with fish seeking shadier areas as the sun gets high in the sky. Pockets near deep water have seen action, as well as rocky banks at later times in the day. With the water temperature hovering around 52 degrees, anglers will want to fish deep and slow. Crankbaits, jigs and shaky-head rigs will most likely bring in suitable fish. The winner of this tournament is expected to bring a five-bass limit weighing nearly 23 pounds to the scale.

FLW COLLEGE FISHING SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE FIELD SET FOR LAKE SEMINOLE

FLW COLLEGE FISHING SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE FIELD SET FOR LAKE SEMINOLE
 
BAINBRIDGE, Ga. (Feb. 3, 2015) – FLW College Fishing is headed to Lake Seminole February 14 for the first of three regular-season stops in the Southeastern Conference. A full field of college teams will be competing for a top award of $2,000 and a berth in the Southeastern Conference Championship tournament.
 
“There are a few dominant patterns we could see anglers pursuing,” said Walmart FLW Tour pro Troy Hollowell, of Paducah, Kentucky. “Teams will definitely be targeting the outer rim grass looking for the Chatterbait and Rat-L-Trap bite and exploring isolated clumps. I could also see anglers heading into the Flint River arm to work the jerkbait along those channel ledges.”
 
The weather on Lake Seminole has been mild, so the bass will still be in their prespawn phase come tournament time. Hollowell said this opens up a lot of opportunity for anglers.
 
“Fishing the drains, which are basically old creek channels with shorter grass, would be a good bet,” said Hollowell. “As the day goes on and temperatures warm up, the bass should make their way to spawning areas in deeper water, which means a lot of action.”
 
Hollowell went on to say that he could see a 22-pound bag winning the tournament.
 
“Don’t get stuck on one place. Teams should keep moving until they find the fish, and then expand around that area,” added Hollowell.
 
Anglers will take off from the Bainbridge Earle May Boat Basin located at 100 Boat Basin Circle in Bainbridge at 7:30 a.m. Saturday. Weigh-in will be held at the marina beginning at 3:30 p.m. Takeoff and weigh-in are free and open to the public.
 
Schools competing in the Lake Seminole tournament, which is hosted by Bainbridge Convention & Visitors Bureau, include:
 
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College – Taylor Thompson, Kennesaw, Ga., and Hunter Coppolino, Fayetteville, Ga.
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College – Kyle Parks , Albany, Ga., and Tylar Royle, Sanbornville, N.H.
Appalachian State University – Charlie Sipe, Hickory, N.C., and Chad Whitley, Boone, N.C.                             
Auburn University – Alex Tobon, Fairhope, Ala., and Lucas Brown, Auburn, Ala.
Auburn University – Timmy Ward , Childersburg, Ala., and Christopher Knight Jr., Sylacauga, Ala.
Auburn University – Garrett Roberts and Ethan Hayes, both of Cullman, Ala.
Auburn University – Mitchell Jennings and Chuck Wise, both of Auburn, Ala.
Auburn University – Trey O’ Daniel, Fort Payne, Ala., and Murphy Klumpp, Fairhope, Ala.
Campbell University – Blake Schultze, Smithfield, N.C., and Ethan Sasser, Troy, N.C.
Campbell University – Mackenzie Roberts, Laurinburg, N.C., and Aaron Griffin, McLeansville, N.C.
Clemson University – Justin Adams, Gaffney, S.C., and William Maley, Clemson, S.C.
Clemson University – Patrick Williford, Greensboro, N.C., and Briggs Kennington, Central, S.C.
Coastal Carolina University – John Duarte and Jonathan Kelley, both of Middle River, Md.
Darton State College – Andrew Suggs, Albany, Ga., and Chase Coker, Valdosta, Ga.
Darton State College – Wesley Griner and Dalton Dedge, both of Leesburg, Ga.
Daytona State College – James Oltorik and Thomas Oltorik, both of Deland, Fla.
Florida Gulf Coast University – Zane Xanders, Mount Vernon, Ill., and Arthur Hoath, Lithia, Fla.
Florida Gulf Coast University – Brianne McMillan, Belle Glade, Fla., and Hunter Bozeman, Ocala, Fla.
Florida State University – Drew Cook, Quincy, Fla., and Cody Spears, Tallahassee, Fla.
Gadsden State Community College – Josh Oliver, Anniston, Ala., Colby Smith, Jacksonville, Ala.
Georgia Highlands College – Eric Fisher, Kennesaw, Ga., and Jake Akin, Powder Springs, Ga.
Jacksonville State University – Dillon Dodd Centre, Ala., and Will Bullen, Childersburg, Ala.
LaGrange College – Blake Spradlin, and Channing Brand, both of LaGrange, Ga.
Lincoln Memorial University – Chris Hunt, Loudon, Tenn., and Kyle Warwick, Oak Ridge, Tenn.
Middle Georgia State College – Regan Green and Ethan Wallace, both of Macon, Ga.
Mississippi State University – Grant Galloway, Houlka, Miss., and Joseph Marty, Manitowoc, Wis.
Mississippi State University – Nathan Woodruff, Iuka, Miss., and Eli Frierson, Starkville, Miss.                         
Roane State Community College – Isaiah Herrington, and James Parker, both of Lenoir City, Tenn.
Roane State Community College – Zack Taylor, Rockwood, Tenn., and Jon Dailey, Kingston, Tenn.
Rollins College – Brooks Robinson, Maitland, Fla., and Blake Agresti, Palm Beach, Fla.
Savannah College of Art & Design – Isaac Payne, Lithonia, Ga., and Connor Mannina, Chicago, Ill.
Tennessee Technological University – Sam Carris, Knoxville, Tenn., and Brandon Bryant, Cleveland, Tenn.
Tusculum College – Nick Hatfield, Chuckey, Tenn., and Corey Neece, Bristol, Tenn.
University of Central Florida – Hunter McKamey, Shelbyville, Tenn., and Kyle Oliver, Winter Garden, Fla.
University of Central Florida – Kevin Lucas, Apopka, Fla., and Kyle Stafford, Haynes City, Fla.
University of Florida – James Altman and Mark Blanar, both of Royal Palm Beach, Fla.
University of Montevallo – Brandon Easterling, Clanton, Ala., and Thompson Fuller, Montevallo, Ala.            
University of North Georgia – Branson Marks and Lenny Bishop, both of Cumming, Ga.
University of North Georgia – Josh Simpson, Athens, Ga., and Cody Chambers, Dahlonga, Ga.
University of North Georgia – Levi Baker, Loganville, Ga., and Caleb Dickson, Dahlonga, Ga.                         
University of South Alabama – Ethan Wages and Luis McMurphy, both of Mobile, Ala.
University of South Carolina – Patrick Walters, Summerville, S.C., and Josh Rennebaum, Chapin, S.C.
University of Tennessee-Chattanooga – Michael Lee, Chattanooga, Tenn., and Gavyn Bridges, Thompsons Station, Tenn.
University of Tennessee-Chattanooga – Sahadut Mughal, Jasper, Tenn., and Luke Lackey, Chattanooga, Tenn.         
Valdosta State University – Landon Tucker, Adel, Ga., and Grant Colson, Valdosta, Ga.
Valdosta State University – Michael Harbach and Taylor Minick, both of Valdosta, Ga.
Wake Forest University – Ryan Edwards, Stuart, Fla., and Lance Berry, Charlotte, N.C.
Western Carolina University – Austin Neary, Cullowhee, N.C., and Alex Frazier, Polk County, N.C.
Western Carolina University – Tyler Thomasson, Whittier, N.C., and Josh Cannon, Waxhaw, N.C.  
 
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.
 

RAYOVAC FLW SERIES TEXAS DIVISION SET TO OPEN ON LAKE AMISTAD

RAYOVAC FLW SERIES TEXAS DIVISION SET TO OPEN ON LAKE AMISTAD
 
DEL RIO, Texas (Feb. 3, 2015) – The Rayovac FLW Series is headed to Lake Amistad Feb. 12-14 for a tournament presented by Frabill when as many as 300 pros and co-anglers will take to the water for the first stop of 2015 in the Texas Division.
 
“The fishing on Lake Amistad is going to be tougher than the other stops in the division,” said Walmart FLW Tour pro Clark Reehm of Huntington, Texas, runner up in the 2014 Rayovac FLW Series Texas Division Angler of the Year.  “The natural cover that has fished well in the past is almost gone due to the low water levels.
 
“You’re going to see a lot of anglers targeting suspended fish,” continued Reehm. “Jerkbaits and natural-colored football-head jigs will definitely come into play. Also, with Lake Amistad being a clear, open body of water, umbrella rigs will be a heavy favorite among the competitors.”
 
Aside from targeting the suspending fish on the main lake, Reehm said exploring rocks and finding the Rat-L-Trap bite in the grass could be dominant patterns as well.
 
“The last I heard, there was a decent amount of hydrilla which means the prespawn Rat-L-Trap bite could be really good,” added Reehm.
 
Reehm concluded that a three-day weight nearing 40 pounds will win the tournament.
 
“It’s going to come down to finding those suspended fish,” Reehm said. “This lake is capable of producing a big bite.”
 
Anglers will take off from the Diablo East boat ramp located at Highway 90 West HCR 3 in Del Rio, at 7:30 a.m. CST each day. Weigh-in will be held at the launch ramp on Thursday and Friday beginning at 3:30 p.m. Saturday’s final weigh-in will take place at 4 p.m. at Walmart, located at 2410 Dodson Ave., in Del Rio. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public. The event is being hosted by the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce.
 
Pros will fish for a top award of $40,000 plus a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard if Ranger Cup guidelines are met. Co-anglers will cast for a top award consisting of a Ranger Z117 with 90-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $5,000 if Ranger Cup guidelines are met.
 
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 Rayovac FLW Series Championship. The 2015 Rayovac FLW Series Championship is being held Oct. 29-31 on the Ohio River in Paducah, Kentucky.
 
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Rayovac FLW Series on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.

February Kerr Lake Fishing Report by Jason Houchins

February Kerr Lake Report
February, maybe the coldest month at Kerr. Weather is the key to your success this month as is most months. One day could be snowing and the next day could be close to 60. But if you’re willing to tough it out you may be in for some of the biggest bass this lake has to offer, especially towards the end of the month. Temperatures this year seem to be hanging around the low to mid 40s everywhere on the lake. The water still has some stain in the upper reaches and is still fairly high for this time of year. The lake level has stayed around 299 and frequent rains have kept it close to full pool or better all winter.

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Look for jerkbaits to really dominate this month, water temps are perfect for this to be at its most effective. Look for rocky banks close to channel swings or rip rap close to mouths of creeks or cuts. Also look for cleaner water this time of year, unless there has been a warm spell for 3 days or so, because dingy water will warm faster. While throwing a jerkbait, change your cadence and speed often until you find one that works. I have used a twitch, twitch, pause for years and the pause is always the deciding factor. The length of the pause is key and once you find that, the rewards will be amazing. I have caught fish at some painfully slow retrieves and had to let the bait pause up to a count of 15 before moving it again. Sometimes you have to wait that long to trigger the strike and other times a simple 5 count will do. Each day is different and experimenting each day is important to find out just how long you need to pause. Let the bass tell you how they want it and at what speed, I’ve been shocked at just how slow or fast I have to move the bait. Always work your bait completely back to the boat, you will find fish like to follow a jerkbait, so be ready for short stikes.

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I like throwing a jerkbait on a med action type rod or a glass composite crankbait rod. The Kistler Carbon Steel or KLX medium action rip and twitch rod are perfect. I prefer 10lb test 100% fluorocarbon line and a 6.3 to 1 reel or faster. The line has small diameter, little stretch, and you can feel the soft touch that a bass makes while sucking in a jerkbait. The rod with a softer tip will keep you from ripping it away from the fish once you sweep the rod to set the hook. My favorite jerkbait is the high dollar Lucky Craft Pointer 78. It dives a little deeper and has a small profile that I love in a jerkbait. There are many others that work as well, KVD Strike King is a good one, Bomber, and the old standby Rattling Rouge jerkbait. They will all produce at times, once again confidence and experimenting will most likely help you make up your mind. Remember February is an excellent month for big ones, so don’t miss your opportunity. Bundle up, be patient, and shake that cabin fever.

Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship Set For Lake Guntersville

Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship Set For Lake Guntersville
 
MARSHALL COUNTY, Ala. — Lake Guntersville, site of the 2014 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by Diet Mountain Dew and GoPro, has been selected to host the 2015 Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship.
 
Top anglers on participating team tournament trails from across the country will have a chance to win a national team title and a berth in the 2016 Bassmaster Classic berth when they compete in the team championship tournament Dec. 9-12, 2015, at Lake Guntersville.
 
“Lake Guntersville is a rich part of B.A.S.S. history and a great fishery to host our second annual Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “The Classic on Guntersville last year set several new catch records, and I know the lake will offer up plenty of big bass in this year’s team competition.”
 
The Marshall County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) will host the championship at Lake Guntersville, which is one of the lakes on the Alabama Bass Trail. The daily launches and weigh-ins will be held at Guntersville State Park.
 
“We are thrilled with the opportunity to host this team championship,” said Katy Norton, president of the Marshall County CVB. “We have hosted other bass tournaments in the past but this is a team championship that really highlights tournament trails. To be able to hold this team championship just makes sense for us. It gives us a chance to show off our lake to tournament trails across the country.”
 
The unique four-day tournament will qualify one angler for the 2016 Bassmaster Classic. The top two-angler team will also be crowned as the national champion of the event.
 
Teams across the nation qualify for the championship through various independently operated team trails sanctioned by B.A.S.S. (A list of sanctioned trails is available at Bassmaster.com.)
 
“Toyota has a proud history of supporting competitions for bass anglers of all levels,” said Jim Baudino, Engagement Marketing Manager for Toyota, the title sponsor of the championship. “We’re especially glad to partner with B.A.S.S. to showcase the fast-growing team tournament segment of the sport and provide America’s outstanding grass-roots anglers a top-level national championship event.”
 
The team portion of the competition, Dec. 9-10, pits the two-angler teams against one another to determine the national team champion. On Dec. 11-12, the six anglers from the Top 3 teams will compete individually in the Bassmaster Team Championship Classic Fish-Off. The winner of the individual competition earns a bid to fish the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing the following year.
 
In the inaugural team championship at DeGray Lake in Arkansas last year, teammates Flannagan Fife and Royce Davis from the Fishers of Men circuit clinched the team championship title in their home state and advanced to the Classic Fish-Off. However, North Carolina angler Brandon Gray from the Anglers Choice team trail won the fish-off and qualified for the 2015 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro, to be held Feb. 20-22 on Lake Hartwell out of Greenville, S.C.
 
“The first Bassmaster Team Championship was a huge success,” said Jon Stewart, Bassmaster Team Championship director. “We were very pleased with the turnout, since 155 of the 173 eligible teams made the trip to DeGray Lake in Arkansas.”
 
Stewart expects this year’s event will be even larger than the inaugural championship. “Marshall County, Lake Guntersville and the Guntersville State Park Resort are great places to host this event. There is more than enough room on and off the water to support a 250-boat championship event. And at Guntersville, there is always a chance to catch the bass of a lifetime. It should be very exciting fishing that time of year.”
 
For more information on how a team trail can become sanctioned for the Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship, contact Stewart at [email protected]

To Fish or Not to Fish – By Bruce Callis

The Richmond Fishing Expo made its annual appearance at The Meadows in Doswell, Virginia this past January 16-18, 2015. For those that may have missed it, I hope you were out catching some big bass somewhere. As for me, I chose to not go fishing, especially since the ice made it very difficult. I made the right choice for sure, as I look forward to this great event. For me, it’s like being a kid in a candy store, so many great things to see, touch, and in this case, experience. I myself could only make it out one day this year, and wish I could have been there at least 2 days to get the full experience.

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John Crews, Davy Hite, Jacob Powroznik, and John Hutchins were some of the pros giving presentations to the many anglers and families who attended. I know I couldn’t wait to hear from them and get some much needed tips and tricks that would help make my fishing better. And I was not disappointed at all. While they were able to give great presentations, I do wish that they were given more time to talk, as I felt they wanted to tell more, but always had to cut it short. But hopefully they will think about changing it from 30 minutes to at least 45 minutes for next year. There were 2 seminar classrooms offering both freshwater and saltwater discussions and the Oklahoma Bass Tank. I really wish the Meadows had a wing added onto the main building so that the classrooms could be held there and you could hear well. Either way, I will be back in 2016.
If you had your drool bib on, you could go over and check out all the new fishing boats they had on display. From johnboats to big open water rigs, you could find them all there. You could climb in and see how it would feel to be up on it. The kids were able to climb in and experience that same joy. The biggest thrill I had was watching kids up there pretending to fish. Oh yes, the next generation is alive and kicking.
With today’s Social Media use, it was also a great place to meet up with the friends we have online that we talk with, but have failed to meet or only get to meet at select events. I know I myself arrived looking for friends from online. I managed to find some of them, missed some, and some couldn’t make it Saturday. The hot spot was Jay’s Inferno Tackle Co booth for one group and the food court for another. Some, I knew the minute I saw them, others, they surprised me. It was good thing that many of them knew who I was from my fishing pics, guess those selfies paid off. But that is what makes this great event so special, we get to feed our passion and meet others that enjoy the same passion.
For the tackle junkies, there were plenty of great deals to be found. Tons of soft plastics, jigs, hard baits, line, reels and rods were everywhere. I personally found some must have products, and a few that I just had to have because of the deal. Along the way were great opportunities to check out the great places to go fish here in Virginia, talk boat safety, find out what the DGIF is doing here for us, and sample some great food. One of the highlights for me was the Reel American Heroes booth. It is a cause that is very important to me, giving back to those that have served this great country. I got to really check out the sweet reel that they developed to give the one wounded warrior with the use of only one hand or arm the ability to fish. Once they have the patents worked out, it is going to a great gift to them.
In talking with others, they really enjoyed themselves, but do wish it was bigger. They would love to have more manufactures there with a bigger variety of the newest baits. I know that is not always possible, but it is part of the wish list for attendees. And while they enjoy the location, a lot still wish they were back at the Richmond Raceway Complex, as there was more room. And some said they liked the current location a lot better, but just wanted more space. What was your experience like? What are your thoughts? Let me hear it!!HPIM0004

Allstate Returns As Sponsor Of Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series

Feb. 2, 2015

Allstate Returns As Sponsor Of Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series
 
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. is excited to announce the return of Allstate as the presenting sponsor of one of bass fishing’s most popular competitive circuits in 2015, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series.
 
The Opens are comprised of a Northern, Southern and Central division, and each division is comprised of three tournaments. In addition to cash and prizes, the Opens Series offers tournament winners within the three Opens divisions an entry into the Bassmaster Classic, the world championship of bass fishing.
 
Allstate’s sponsorship is set to include the nine Opens events scheduled around the country in 2015. The season kicked off on Lake Tohopekaliga in Kissimmee, Fla., with the Jan. 15-17 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open presented by Allstate.
 
Considered a stepping stone for aspiring pro anglers, the Opens Series also allows anglers to earn points for each finish, and at the end of the season, the top anglers are offered a berth in the followingyear’s Elite Series.
 
“B.A.S.S’s partnership with Allstate is extremely successful and something we are very proud of,” says B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “We are eager to continue our relationship with Allstate as they connect not only with all of our Opens anglers, but also with the growing number of bass fishing fans.”
 
“Presenting the Bassmaster Opens Series is a great catch for us,” says Allstate’s Boat Line Manager Christine Bischoff. “We’re excited to be interacting with anglers from all over the country and discussing all of their insurance needs.”
 
At each Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens event, the Allstate Good Hands, Great Day award will be presented to the angler and co-angler climbing the most in points from Day 1 to Day 2. The pro angler wins $250, and the co-angler wins $150.

FOX WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE GATOR DIVISION EVENT ON LAKE OKEECHOBEE

Ty Fox of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, won the Jan 31. Gator Division event on Lake Okeechobee with a 23-pound, 9-ounce limit to claim an $8,000 payday.
 
Schuh wins co-angler title
 
CLEWISTON, Fla. (Feb. 2, 2015) – Ty Fox of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 23 pounds, 9 ounces Saturday to win the second Walmart Bass Fishing League Gator Division tournament of 2015 on Lake Okeechobee. For his victory, Fox earned $8,000.
 
“It feels good,” said Fox. “I’ve been fishing for a long time and to win one of these tournaments is pretty special.”
 
To seal the deal, Fox spent his day flipping to the cattail clumps at the south end of the lake. Using a Heroic rod, he threw a watermelon-colored Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craw and a Tramp-Stamp-colored Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver.
 
“It was a tough morning. I only caught two fish between 8:30 and 9:30 (a.m.),” Fox said. “Thankfully things picked up as the day went on.”
 
Fox cited the northeast wind as being a big factor for the slow bite in the morning. He found a window of opportunity when the wind switched from the east.
 
“Between 1 and 2 p.m. I caught my big ones,” Fox said. “By 2:30 I reached my limit and knew I probably had enough to hold onto the lead.”
 
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
 
1st:           Ty Fox, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., five bass, 23-9, $6,000 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd:          Brianne McMillan, Belle Glade, Fla., five bass, 18-2, $3,000
3rd:          Jesus Villegas, Virginia Gardens, Fla., five bass, 17-12, $2,000
4th:           Keith Burden, Seminole, Fla., five bass, 17-8, $1,300
4th:           John Tavano, Sebring, Fla., five bass, 17-8, $1,300
6th:           Josh Bright, Delray Beach, Fla., five bass, 17-1, $1,100
7th:           Gerry Brousseau, Naples, Fla., five bass, 17-0, $1,000
8th:           Mike Keyso Jr., North Port, Fla., five bass, 16-12, $900
9th:           Brian Divito, Saint Petersburg, Fla., five bass, 16-10, $800
10th:        Johnny Walker, Clewiston, Fla., five bass, 15-15, $700             
 
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
 
A.J. Schuh of Mulberry, Florida, weighed in four bass totaling 16 pounds, 11 ounces Saturday to win $3,000 in the co-angler division.
 
The top 10 co-anglers were:
 
1st:           A.J. Schuh, Mulberry, Fla., four bass, 16-11, $3,000
2nd:          Scott Wright, Clewiston, Fla., five bass, 15-10, $1,500
3rd:          Eric Veilleux, Orlando, Fla., five bass, 15-3, $1,000
4th:           Tony Manganello, Boynton Beach, Fla., five bass, 14-13, $700
5th:           Steve Dial, Lehigh Acres, Fla., five bass, 14-0, $600
6th:           Robert Turcotte, Naples, Fla., five bass, 13-4, $550
7th:           James Sloan, Cooper City, Fla., five bass, 13-3, $500
8th:           Albert Winter, Boca Raton, Fla., five bass, 13-1, $450
9th:           Charles Hatherill, Vero Beach, Fla., five bass, 12-12, $400
10th:        Joey Roberts, Jensen Beach, Fla., five bass, 12-1, $350
 
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 8-10 Regional Championship on Lake Sinclair in Milledgeville, Georgia. 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.

Smith Mountain Lake Fishing Report February 2015

SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE FISHING REP
February 2015
DALE WILSON’S
SML GUIDE SERVICE
PHONE NO: 540-297-5650 / 540-874-4950
www.captaindalewilson.com

Picture: Captain Dale Wilson with a nice striper caught 1/29/15.

OVERVIEW: Fishing has been good the past two weeks. Water temperature will be in the upper 30’s to lower 40’s. Baitfish will start to move to shallow water later this month. Most species of fish will begin feeding this month as the days get longer and water temperature rises.

Largemouth Bass- Fishing will be fair to good later this month. Best lures will be Alabama rigs, football head jigs, drop shot rigs, slow rolling spinner baits, jigging spoons and jerk baits. Most largemouth bass will be caught on rocky points, creek channel banks, brush piles and docks. Best depths will be from 2 to 30 feet deep. Most largemouth bass will start to follow the shad movements. Rocks are a key factor to finding bass this month. Slow your retrieve when you have cold water temps.

Smallmouth Bass- Fishing should be fair. Best areas will be rocks, humps, ledges and deep main channel points. Best lures will be jig & pig, jerk baits, hair jigs and floating-fly-rigs. Best areas will be in the mid to the lower sections of the lake. Most smallmouth bass will be suspended on or around ledges and humps this month. Cloudy days with light winds are good times to try your luck! Light line and smaller lures will increase your chances to catch smallmouth bass.

Striped Bass- Fishing will be good. Stripers will be caught in the mid to upper sections of the lake and in
the larger creeks. Best lures will be jerk baits, Alabama rigs, swim baits, and Zoom flukes fished on 3/8 to 1/2 oz. lead heads. The best depths will be from near the surface to 40 feet deep. Try to find areas with the largest concentrations of baitfish. Vertical jigging with 3/4 oz. Hopkins spoons will also work this month. Find the seagulls and you will usually find feeding stripers. Live bait will also work this month.

Crappie- Fishing for crappie will be better this month. They will be found 5 to 15 feet deep. Best areas will be in the main creeks around docks, fallen trees, and brush piles in the mid to upper parts of the lake. Small live minnows and 1 ½ to 2 inch tubes or shad shaped plastic lures fished on 1/16 to 1/8 oz. lead heads will work best to catch crappie this month. Spider rigging is also a great method to catch crappie this month.

TIP OF THE Month: Don’t over look fishing shallow during the coldest days! The fish will relate to the super shallow areas because of a slightly warmer water temp. It a good idea to always fish with a partner during the cold months. Make sure you wear your life jacket during the winter. You can never be too careful when boating. Remember to be courteous and obey all the boating laws. Please practice catch and release. Take a kid fishing!

B.A.S.S. announces penalties for Monroe and Poche

B.A.S.S. announces penalties for Monroe and Poche

B.A.S.S.
Ish Monroe (left) and Keith Poche.

B.A.S.S. announced today that it has completed its investigation of an incident January 16 involving two professional anglers, Ish Monroe of Hughson, Calif., and Keith Poche of Pike Road, Ala., during the Bassmaster Open tournament on Lake Tohopekaliga, Fla. After interviewing both anglers as well as many of the numerous eyewitnesses of the incident, B.A.S.S. has imposed the following penalties, which are covered in the current Angler Code of Conduct:

For unsportsmanlike conduct, Monroe has been fined $500, the maximum amount for a first offense. In addition, he has been suspended from participation in all Bassmaster Opens for 2015. He already had been disqualified from the Southern Open on Lake Tohopekaliga, forfeiting any payouts he would otherwise have earned.

Also for unsportsmanlike conduct, Poche has been fined $250, the minimum amount for a first offense. In addition, he has been suspended from participation in Bassmaster Opens in the Southern Division for 2015. He, too, had earlier been disqualified from the Southern Open in Florida.

 “Both Keith Poche and Ish Monroe have cooperated fully in our investigation of the incident, and they have expressed regret for their roles in it,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “While conflicts occur frequently in other sports, we hold bass fishing professionals to a higher standard, particularly when the safety of participants is involved. We believe the penalties imposed under the Angler Code of Conduct agreement are appropriate and fitting in these circumstances.”

Akin also noted that B.A.S.S. has refunded the entry fees of the co-anglers paired with Monroe and Poche on January 16 in consideration for the effect the incident may have had on their fishing success.