Dudley in the Driver’s Seat – 2014 Forest Wood Cup – Day 1

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August 15, 2014

Dudley in the Driver’s Seat

14.Aug.2014 by David A. Brown
COLUMBIA, S.C. – In the field of 45 pros hoping to raise the trophy at the Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart and hosted by Capital City/Lake Murray Country, five have enjoyed that magical moment before. After a strong day-one performance, Castrol pro David Dudley is looking a lot like a man on a mission for No. 2.Weighing in a first-round limit of 17 pounds, 14 ounces, Dudley took an early lead and held off all challengers to finish atop the field by a margin of 3-5.As expected, definitive patterns remained elusive. Very few anglers stuck exclusively with shallow or deep patterns, and Dudley was not among them.

“I went deep and shallow. I think everybody is doing that. I’m mixing it up,” he says. “I have no idea where the next bite is coming from. I’m just flying by the seat of my pants and trying to stay focused.”

Dudley, whose biggest fish went about 4 1/4 pounds, explained that dialing in the timing of his shallow and deep efforts was a work in progress.

“That’s kind of what I was checking today,” he says. “Even though this was a tournament day, today was kind of a practice day. I spent today trying to figure out when I do need to stay shallow and when I need to stay deep.

“I went deep during a certain time of the day. I didn’t get bit, so then I went shallow and got bit,” he continues. “It was a process of trying to figure out the timing. I don’t have it down pat, but today I learned a lot about what I need to do more of.”

Dudley didn’t reveal his specific baits, but he noted that he needed three different lures to secure his limit.

He hit approximately 40 spots and nabbed seven keepers. Offshore, Dudley fished as deep as 30 feet, and on the bank, he targeted a variety of shallow cover.

“These bass aren’t holding on any particular cover,” he explains. “They’re just kind of roaming around. You just hope to collide with them. It may be in between docks. It may be on the dock. It may be some other place. You’re just going shallow trying to find them.”

Dudley says that while he doesn’t plan to return to any of his shallow spots on day two, he will revisit some of his deep structure. He’s hoping to expand on his day-one success – a satisfying way to open the tournament.

“In the Forrest Wood Cup, you need to come out strong,” Dudley says. “If you look at the history of this event, everybody who’s won always has one exceptional day.”

Of his potential to win another title, Dudley appears poised to do whatever it takes: “I’ve always said, ‘Never be satisfied.’ I’ve won one, but if you keep that attitude of never be satisfied, you’re always going to be climbing the mountain.”

Check back soon for a full report from the rest of the top five.

Day-One Top 10

1^st Place – David Dudley – 17 pounds, 14 ounces

2^nd Place (tie) – Cody Meyer – 14 pounds, 9 ounces

2^nd Place (tie) – Bryan Thrift – 14 pounds, 9 ounces

4^th Place – Brad Knight – 13 pounds, 7 ounces

5^th Place – Scott Martin – 13 pounds, 6 ounces

6^th Place – Brent Ehrler – 13 pounds, 5 ounces

7^th Place – Anthony Gagliardi – 13 pounds, 2 ounces

8^th Place – Andy Morgan – 12 pounds, 10 ounces

9^th Place – Jacob Wheeler – 12 pounds, 5 ounces

10^th Place – Barry Wilson – 11 pounds, 8 ounces

For complete results, click here.

Tournament Details

Competition Format

In the Forrest Wood Cup, 45 pros and co-anglers from the Walmart FLW Tour, Rayovac FLW Series, Walmart Bass Fishing League, FLW College Fishing and The Bass Federation are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The full field competes in the two-day opening round. After day two, a co-angler champion is crowned and the pro field is pared to the top 20. After Saturday’s weigh-in, the pro field is cut to the top 10. A pro champ is crowned on Sunday, with a $500,000 prize paid to the winner.

For More Coverage

For those who can’t catch the weigh-in action in person, FLWOutdoors.com offers FLW Live, an online application that brings fans real-time weigh-in results, streaming video and audio.

In addition to FLW Live, FLWOutdoors.com and ForrestWoodCup.com offer real-time updates from the water.

Forrest Wood Cup Event Information

Daily Takeoffs

Location: Dreher Island State Park, 3677 State Park Road, Prosperity, S.C.

Time: 6:30 a.m. Takeoff Show; 7 a.m. takeoff

Daily Weigh-ins

Time: 5 p.m.

Location: Colonial Life Arena, 801 Lincoln Street, Columbia, S.C.

FLW Expo

Date: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 15-18

Location: Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, 1101 Lincoln Street, Columbia, S.C.

Time: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Admission: FREE

Full Schedule

Check out all that FLW has in store at the FLW Expo, including a barbecue contest, free Rodney Atkins concert and a jam-packed tackle show at ForrestWoodCup.com.

New Custom Crossover Kit from PowerTeam Lures.com

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August 13, 2014

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New Custom Crossover Kit from PowerTeam Lures.com

As many of you already know, in the past year a handful of our baits have taken off tremendously in the salt water angling community. Those being the 4.8″ Swinging Hammer, the 4.8″ JP Hammer Shad, the 3.6″ JP Hammer Shad, and the 4.5″ PTL Grub. And because of this, we’ve been getting hit with numerous requests to offer a customizable kit geared toward salt water species such as Red fish, Speckled Trout, Stripers, Flounder and Blues. But being that these baits already kick butt on Largies and Smallies, and being that many of our colors suit both fresh and salt water, we decided make a Custom Kit available that would please both salt and fresh water parties at the same time. So the new Custom Crossover Kit was born!

For those of you that fish both salt and fresh, you can now crush all of the before mentioned species with just one kit. Or, get 2 Custom Crossover Kits and build one specifically for salt and build one specifically for fresh (decisions, decisions). The choice is yours! All you have to do is choose your colors accordingly. So what’s inside this cool new customizable kit? Simmer down and I’ll tell you!

Inside each kit you get:

12 ea 4.8″ Swinging Hammers (2 trays – 6 ea)

16 ea 4.8″ JP Hammer Shads (2 trays – 8 ea)

24 ea 3.6″ JP Hammer Shads (2 trays – 12 ea)

20 ea 4.5″ PTL Grubs (2 trays – 10 ea)

8 ea Hog Tonic Capsules

All of your personal color choices, all conveniently packed in a Plano 3620 Pro Latch Utility box. Boom!

And for the next 5 days as an introductory offer, every Custom Crossover Kit that goes out the door will be accompanied by a FREE bottle of our awesome Hog Tonic!
No coupon code needed!

The Ike Engine Did by Bruce Callis

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August 12, 2014

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Shocked! Disbelief! I am sure the fans were feeling the same thing as the anglers took the stage each day for the weigh in. They had come to see the best in the fishing industry show them just how great their fishery was. Of course there were many there who came to root on one of their own. While they saw that even the best can struggle on their mighty Delaware River, with the exception of day 1, they saw the boy who grew up fishing the home waters run away with the championship.
It is in the books. The Bassmaster Elite at Delaware River is history and Michael “Ike” Iaconelli has secured his place in both history and the 2015 Bassmaster Classic. Not bad for the hometown boy from Jersey. But if you had told me that when the dust had settled, that this would be the toughest fishery the pros would face, I wouldn’t have believed you. If you had told me that the average winning weight would be less than 3 pounds per fish, I would have bet the farm that you were way under. Good thing I didn’t bet.
Day one started off with Boyd Duckett holding a 4 pound lead over Morizo ShShimizu. Not bad, as Boyd averaged a little over 3 pounds per bass for his 5 fish limit. While Morizo averaged a little over 2 pounds per bass for his 5 fish limit. The biggest news of the day wasn’t about big bags as it was little to no fish at all. Of the 106 anglers fishing, 6 could not find the first legal fish and 20 anglers only found one. Kevin and Jonathon VanDam were 2 of the 6 who did not weight any fish the first day. Russ Lane, Kelly Jordan, Pete Ponds, Mike McClelland, Hank Cherry, and Rick Clunn were some of the anglers who could only find one fish to bring to weigh in.
Day 2 saw Boyd struggle to find fish, landing only 3 keepers while 21st place Ike found another limit of 5 fish but upgrading to a 15.1 pound bag. Boyd did manage to hang on to 2nd place for the day. But the skunk fell again and landed hard on Randy Howell, Rick Clunn, Russ Lane, and finally the big zero landed for the second time on Jonathon VanDam and David Smith. Ten anglers in total on day 2 found no keepers. Kevin VanDam found one fish along with 14 other anglers on day two. At the end of the day, only 7 anglers had a 10 fish limit for the 2 days and the cut for the top 50 was 11 pounds.
The fishing remained a struggle on day 3 as 5 anglers found no measureable bass and 13 could only find one fish to weigh in. Only 3 anglers at this stage, Ike, Bill Lowen, and Scott Rook, could say they found a limit all 3 days. Ike increased his lead to almost 7 pounds, 37 pounds, over 2nd place Lowen, 30.7 pounds. The top 12 was set with Boyd Duckett holding on to 12th with 25.1 pounds, finding only 1 fish on day 3 for 1.12 pounds.
Ike was the only angler to find a limit all 3 days, finishing day 4, Championship Sunday, with a 5 fish limit of 10.14 and holding on to win by 8 pounds. Scott Rook was the only angler to find only 1 fish to weigh and all 12 anglers weighed in fish.
The results don’t lie, some mighty good anglers found the Delaware River to be far tougher then they could imagine. I just find it hard to imagine that so many anglers struggled to find measurable fish. I’m not surprised by the lower weight totals, as we are talking river not lake. But to find none or only one over 2 days? And they are the “Elite” anglers? Think you could have done better?

Q&A with Davy Hite by: Terry Brown

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August 12, 2014

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Q&A with Davy Hite

by: Terry Brown

We get to speak to the best anglers in the world here at Wired2Fish and hopefully get to pass on tips, techniques, and just how they approach fishing along the way to our readers. Sitting down and covering them differently with what makes them tick and what is on their minds is part of it. Most of the time we see them on the water fishing, at a press event or even on TV but sitting down one on one is where rubber meets the road in our book.

We just got that opportunity with 2-time Angler of the Year, Bassmaster Classic and FLW Championship winner Davy Hite and picked his brain a bit about the state of the sport and what he sees from an anglers perspective in this Q&A. The amicable South Carolina pro has an even keel and is very cerebral from both a fishing and business perspective. Below is that Q&A.

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LUND The Ultimate Fishing Experience

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August 12, 2014

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The Ultimate Fishing Experience

Lund Boats’ television program educates and captures the essence and excitement of angling

New York Mills, Minn. – (August 12, 2014) For millions of North American anglers, fishing is much more than the lures, tackle or tactics we use to catch fish. It’s the challenge of discovery; the crisp morning air awakening your senses as you motor across the lake. It’s the hunt for the hot-spot. It’s the cast, and the anticipation of the next bite that ignites your excitement like nothing else on earth.

In its inaugural season, The Ultimate Fishing Experience invited TV viewers to hop aboard and join top anglers plying their craft on amazing aquatic venues across North America. For thirteen consecutive weeks, the Lund Boats Pro Staff embarked on awesome fishing adventures, showcasing incredible fisheries while teaching the audience about the hottest new angling tools and techniques.

One week, the cameras chronicle veteran walleye guides on Minnesota’s Mille Lacs Lake. The next, it’s all about small boat, small water strategies for catfish. Then learn how to rig a boat for competitive bass fishing. And experience the wonders of a Canadian fishing exploration. Further episodes highlight Great Lakes king salmon, river rats and walleye, and Missouri River multi-species action.

“The Ultimate Fishing Experience goes well beyond the typical fishing show,” says Lund Boats Marketing Director, Jason Oakes. “Not only do we showcase a variety of waters and species—everything from bass, salmon and muskies to catfish, crappies and walleye— we take each fishing expedition and focus on educating anglers on how to use the different tools available today. We run through the different layouts of the boats, educate on the trolling motors, graphs and engine selection, care and use. We also showcase different methods to achieve precise boat control as well as different angling techniques and choosing the right tackle. It’s all about helping anglers be more successful with their time on the water.”

Following a successful first season, The Ultimate Fishing Experience is currently filming new episodes for the upcoming 2015 season. Produced by Lindner Media Productions, the popular new show format includes famed hosts such as Al Lindner, Ted Takasaki and Gary and Tony Roach. Plans also call for expanded geographical TV coverage in 2015, plus all new anglers, fisheries and species.

You can check out the first season online.

About Lund – Since 1948, Lund has been building boats from the heart of lakes country in New York Mills, Minnesota. Built with professional grade materials to withstand a lifetime of use, Lund Boats are guide tested and wilderness proven and demanded by more camps, resorts, fishing guides and professionals throughout North America. Whether the preference is aluminum or fiberglass, each boat is carefully designed with fishing features and optimal fishing layouts in mind. They’re engineered for maximum performance and superior boat control to effortlessly stay on the breaks and catch more fish, delivering The Ultimate Fishing Experience. Lund Boats – Built by Fishermen for Fishermen. For more information, visit www.lundboats.com.

About Brunswick – Headquartered in Lake Forest, Ill., Brunswick Corporation endeavors to instill “Genuine Ingenuity”(TM) in all its leading consumer brands, including Mercury and Mariner outboard engines; Mercury MerCruiser sterndrives and inboard engines; MotorGuide trolling motors; Attwood marine parts and accessories; Land ‘N’ Sea, Kellogg Marine, and Diversified Marine parts and accessories distributors; Bayliner, Boston Whaler, Brunswick Commercial and Government Products, Crestliner, Cypress Cay, Harris FloteBote, Lowe, Lund, Meridian, Princecraft, Quicksilver, Rayglass, Sea Ray, Uttern and Valiant boats; Life Fitness and Hammer Strength fitness equipment; Brunswick bowling centers, equipment and consumer products; Brunswick billiards tables and table tennis. For more information, visit http://www.brunswick.com.

Rapala Ike’s Custom Ink DT 4 by: Walker Smith

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August 12, 2014

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Rapala Ike’s Custom Ink DT 4

by: Walker Smith

When the summertime water temperatures begin flirting with the 90-degree mark, it’s not uncommon for bass to leave their deep, summertime haunts in favor of shallow water and more favorable water conditions. I’ve had a lot of success targeting these fish with small crankbaits and the Rapala Ike’s Custom Ink DT 4 has been producing some awesome action the past several weeks.

Aside from the fact that it flat-out catches ‘em, there are a few specific characteristics I really like about this crankbait.

Click Here To Read More

Honoring Our Warriors – By Bruce Callis

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August 11, 2014

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On August 2, 2014 I was given the opportunity to serve our wounded warriors as a volunteer at the Reel American Heroes Foundation 4th annual fishing tournament at Hope Springs Marina in Stafford County, Virginia. To serve those who served us and our country, an honor I do not take lightly. To each and every one of them, thank you. This was a day that they could escape the everyday routine and relax while enjoying a day out fishing. A more normal event in their life that is full of hospitals, doctors, and horrors of events that we see on the news.
The morning started early, with volunteers arriving at 4:30 am, met by the Reel American Heroes Foundation staff of volunteers. The first order of business was to sign in and be assigned a job. The most daunting of which was the boat launching and parking. It wasn’t long after getting the flashlight and vest that boaters started to arrive. If you have never seen a steady line of 70 plus bass boats attempting to launch and the parking of the trailers, it can be a real madhouse. But each year, more is learned and it runs so much smoother. We were very lucky to have the experience of those that came before us. With very little problems, and the hand bumping of trailers to fit in the spots better, all was done as light filled the sky.
As boats were docked, the boaters came up the hill to the registration tent to check in. Each was given a lanyard with their name and a number. The veterans arrived and were given a lanyard with a number that corresponded to a boater. They were also given a new Lews spinning rod and reel and a tackle box with baits that they got to keep for their own. The air was full of excitement, with boaters and vets discussing the day ahead. There was of course a lot of laughter too. This year, a few big names in the BASS Elite Series were there to show their support of the warriors and the hosts of one television show. Timmy Horton, Paul Elias, John Crews, Shaw Grigsby, Michael Simonton, and Hook n’ Look hosts Kim and Danny Stricker where there, not off away from the crowd, but smiling and taking pictures with the vets and talking to them about everything. Also there were Lews’ Gary Remensnydor and Mike Eutsler.
The morning opened with Ron DeFreitas, founder and Executive Director of Reel American Heroes, welcoming everyone. Ashante Johnson moved everyone with her rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, which brought cheers from everyone there. A few more announcements, a quick review of the rules and it was time to launch. A few of the vets who had signed up to go could not go that day due to health issues, so the crowd was asked for any vets or active duty military personnel who would like to fish. No boater would be left out, as I got the privilege to go out with Rick Chenoweth to fish and talk with the anglers on the water. I can’t said enough about how thankful I am to Ron and Rick for this special privilege, as I got to hear the interaction first hand and see what you could not see from shore.
The first stop was with Paul Elias and his co angler, who had stopped to fish the railroad bridge just outside the marina. Paul had gotten some good bites during his practice time and wanted to get his co-angler “onto the fish early.” Paul was unable to attend the event last year due to scheduling conflicts, but he donated a jersey and a day of fishing, and brought a vet down to Mississippi to fish. Paul stated that “they sacrifice their lives for us, it’s the least I can do to come help in some way.”
We moved on out further in the creek, stopping to talk with other boats, with Rick fishing between boats. Not the best way to fill out a limit, but Rick did so, upgrading fish from time to time. And it was that way all day. As we got closer to the others, I could hear just how much talk was happening, how the interaction between the two anglers evolved and see with my own eyes how much it affected both of them. Now, I will have to say that Rick had them figured out pretty good, and most of us wouldn’t do what he did, but what he was using and where they were, he shared with the other boats. He finally said he shouldn’t be sharing the tips and said he wasn’t gonna tell anyone else. He was a man of his word, he didn’t open his mouth to tell the next boat, he just picked up his rod and showed them the bait, and we laughed at his keeping mum. Rick, thank you, for you could have kept the information to yourself, but this wasn’t about us, it was about the warriors.
Our last stop was out in the mouth of the creek in the Potomac River where a lot of the anglers had made their stop. There we met up with John Crews. While this was John’s first year at the event, he had fished the earlier event this year held down in North Carolina. John stated that “they gave so much for us, this is the least I can do to honor them.” As we made our way back in to the marina through the no wake zone, I could still hear the talk aboard the other boats. I can only say that the smiles on the faces were broad and the laughter delightful.
Once back at the marina, everyone was bringing their bag of fish to the official weigh in station. I didn’t get to see all the catches personally, but I did get to see some very nice bass. I even got to see one warrior’s dinner, a big almost 10 pound catfish. Saw a nice 5.55 pound bass weighed in by a female warrior too. There was nothing but smiles by all. As the fish were weighed in and photos taken, volunteers awaited to take them back to the water to be released. A lot of these volunteers were the youth that had come out to honor the warriors.
Then it was on to lunch provided by Billiken’s BBQ Company. The food was awesome, but it was the talk about the day on the water that filled the air. Families mingled together, more pictures were taken, and a lot of laughter filled the eating area, spilling out into the parking lot. This was a scene that carried out over and over until the announcement of the awards ceremony and then up unto the first announcement of the awards, it was a heart moving time among everyone. A special presentation was made to each of the Elite anglers and to Lews for their involvement as a sponsor of the event. Then the awards were made for the top anglers among the boaters and the warriors, with each earning a trophy and a prize. Prizes included large screen televisions, a guitar, and fishing equipment including a Lews rod and reel.
For those that have never done anything like this, it is a day worthy of giving up. Shawn Grigsby summed up the day perfectly. The Reel American Heroes Foundation is “an awesome, awesome organization.” “You can’t do enough for these guys that put their life on the line for us; they are the backbone of America. That’s what makes America what it is, is protecting our freedoms. Each one of these guys put their life on the line every day and we appreciate it and can’t give enough back to them.” I will be back next year to volunteer again in whatever way they need me. I hope that I have done enough to honor our wounded warriors and to motivate you to want to be a part of honoring them in this small way.

CASHION FISHING RODS 'END OF YEAR' TEAM BASS TRAIL QUALIFIER #3 RESULTS Saturday August 9th, 2014 ~ Kerr Lake

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August 11, 2014

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CASHION FISHING RODS 'END OF YEAR' TEAM BASS TRAIL QUALIFIER #3 RESULTS Saturday August 9th, 2014 ~ Kerr Lake

1st Place: Robert Perkins & Brandon Gray of Rougemont & Bullock…5 bass…15.21 lbs

1st Place Big Fish: 5th Place Team above…7.05 lbs

The Cashion Fishing Rods ‘End of Year’ Team Tournament Bass Fishing Trail Qualifier #3 was one of the wettest in our history! It was raining when I arrived at check in (5am) and it didn’t quit until the 26 teams came in at 2pm to weigh in!! Figures!! The predicted weather conditions did hurt the turnout and it also hurt the bite for most of the teams. Only 5 teams caught a limit but we did have one of the biggest bass caught at Kerr in several years brought in. Everyone came in soaked to the bone! Tough bunch!
Air temps ranged from 69 in the am and around 75 in the afternoon. The winds were pretty much light to variable, maybe 8 mph at times. Water temps averaged 82 degrees. Most of the fish were caught in shallow water on Pop R’s, Flukes, Carolina Rigs and Shakey Heads.
Robert Perkins & Brandon Gray squeezed out 5 bass weighing a total of 15.21 lbs. taking 1st Place worth $832 and 1st TWT, bringing their total winnings to $1,217.
The 2nd Place Team of Larry & Mark Inman arrived with 5 bass weighing 13.92 lbs. They also won the 2nd Place TWT & 2nd Place Big Fish to take home a total of $799. The 5th place team of Robert Bristow & Alan Thomerson only had 3 bass, but one weighed in at 7.05 pounds which is the largest we’ve seen at Kerr since the bass recovered from a gill disease a year or so ago. The big one helped them take home $551 in earnings! 1st place Team Member Brandon Gray won the Tow Boats US Member Award of $50.
Only 46 bass were weighed in for a total of 107 pounds. This averaged 2.3 lbs. a fish and they were nice and healthy looking. We also had a 14 pound striper caught & released Saturday…Nice!
I want to thank all the anglers that participated and all our sponsors that support these trails. Our next tournament will be the Cashion Fishing Rods ‘End of Year’ Team Tournament Bass Fishing Trail Qualifier #4,
Saturday, August 23rd at Falls Lake out of Ledge Rock Wildlife Ramp.
All the information on our tournaments can be found at http://piedmontbassclassics.com/

Now here are the full results:

1st Place: Robert Perkins & Brandon Gray of Rougemont & Bullock…5 bass…15.21 lbs…$832
2nd Place: Larry & Mark Inman of Greensboro…5 bass…13.92 lbs…$478
3rd Place: Joe Langley & Brian Fritts of Benson & Raleigh…5 bass…12.90 lbs…$333
4th Place: Chad Emory & Jeremy Martin of Durham & Rougemont…5 bass…11.63 lbs…$250
5th Place: Robert Bristow & Alan Thomerson of Franklinton…3 bass…10.30 lbs…$187

1st Place Big Fish: 5th Place Team above…7.05 lbs…$364
2nd Place Big Fish: 2nd Place Team above…4.05 lbs…$156

1st Place TWT: 1st Place Team above: 15.21 lbs…$385
2nd Place TWT: 2nd Place Team above: 13.92 lbs…$165

Tow Boats US Award: Brandon Gray of Bullock: $50

Contact Information:
Phil McCarson…Tournament Director—922 Valetta Rd.—Durham, NC 27712
Home: 919-471-1571 Cell: 919-971-5042
email: [email protected] website: http://piedmontbassclassics.com/

Philadelphia 'goes Ike' Native son wins big at home – Bassmaster Elite at Delaware River Delaware River – Philadelphia, PA, Aug 7 – 10, 2014

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August 11, 2014

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Philadelphia ‘goes Ike’

Native son wins big at home

James Overstreet

Michael Iaconelli is famous for his unrepressed vocal and physical expression, whether the fishing goes right or wrong. Fishing went right for Ike on the Delaware River.

By Deb Johnson

Aug 10, 2014

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Michael Iaconelli hopped five feet down off the Bassmaster Elite Series stage, turned and hoisted his 55-pound winner’s trophy, then practically danced with it up through the roaring audience stacked on the concrete steps of the Great Stage of Penn’s Landing.

Moments before, he had told the crowd exactly what he was feeling as he won Bassmaster Elite on the Delaware River.

“I won today, but not for me. I won for you guys,” said Iaconelli, Philly-born and raised in New Jersey.

Suddenly, “Going Ike” took on a new meaning.

When the fishing goes very right and when the fishing goes horribly wrong, Iaconelli is famous for his, um, unrepressed vocal and physical expression. Now, “Going Ike” also means achieving the win of any pro angler’s dreams.

Sunday, Ike nailed what few anglers have been able to: win a Bassmaster Elite Series event on home water. He topped that by whipping the field by no less than 8 pounds.

His winning total was 47 pounds, 14 ounces — a respectable weight for any midsummer tournament, and, as Iaconelli pointed out, proof that the Delaware River is a fishery worth any bass angler’s time.

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A Big Debate looms over the Delaware River! by Jason Houchins

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August 10, 2014

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A Big Debate looms over the Delaware River! by Jason Houchins

With the Bassmaster Elite Series currently on the Delaware River, a big debate has begun in the world of fishing. Leading up to the event there was so much talk of a tough bite and how the body of water should never be considered for an event. Some people were very disappointed about having a possible low weight event, while others were over joyed at the thought of the Elites struggling. It never ceases to amaze me how fisherman think, and what they think about the top level of fishermen. Some are very out of touch with reality and I believe it really shows when debates about the Elites or FLW Tour surface.
I’m a tournament angler who loves to see big bags and big fish. I want to fish tournaments when the conditions for a body of water are optimum. I’m sure that the top tier of tournament anglers are no different. I’m not a big fan of tournaments where one pattern dominates the whole event either, and if you’re not doing “it”, you have zero chance to compete. I want to see deep vs shallow, fast vs slow, and the jig vs a drop shot. I want the best fisherman, using their best skill, against one another. Of course that’s not always the case, nor can it be, just too many variables in fishing. I think both organizations, for the most part do a good job of placing their competitors in good fishing conditions.
Now back to the debate about tough tournaments. Something that does bother me a little bit is the mentality of people wanting to “stick it” to the top anglers. I think I saw one guy call the Elite competitors “crybabies”, and he was glad they had a tough time. This guy obviously has jealousy issues that are beyond help. Which will lead up to the guy that thinks he’s better than the actual pro angler, and maybe you are. But, I don’t see you out there even attempting to do it, so shut up! Then there is the guy that thinks certain events are held places to give one or two anglers an advantage. I can see this one being a more likely scenario, but honestly it’s all about money. When a tournament is set, nobody really can predict much, other than the date and time. This leads to a conclusion that conditions really can’t be set and regardless of where an event is held, the way a venue fishes will always be unknown until it arrives.
I think the real issue is that every angler has a preferred way to catch fish. If they can’t catch them the way they want, then they are most likely not as happy. This is only magnified at an event that has less than stellar weights, thus getting more press about bad conditions. In reality every single event has its anglers that are not comfortable, but if everyone is catching fish, we will never hear about the bad. At this event it seems as though some are catching decent fish, so the negativity will die down. I don’t think it’s good or bad to have a low weight event, it’s just part of the game at some point. I’m sure the debate will continue about this, and like most things debatable, it will never have a clear right or wrong answer. But when there is a tough event with low weights one thing is for sure, there will be a winner. There will also be a big prize purse to boot, and that will not change. So I say embrace it for what it is and enjoy watching the mental side of tournament angling, it will be on showcase during any “tough” event.

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