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Back to Work in Park Falls, Handcrafting the Best Rods on Earth®

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Back to Work in Park Falls, Handcrafting the Best Rods on Earth®

Back to Work in Park Falls, Handcrafting the Best Rods on Earth®

Reenergized and grateful members of the St. Croix family resume their mission to anglers

Park Falls, WI (June 26, 2020) – Rare are the people, business and industries left unaffected by the coronavirus pandemic. Even places like rural Price County, Wisconsin – a Northwoods community with just 14,000 residents and only two confirmed COVID-19 cases to-date – were recently shut down with most of the rest of the nation… and much of the world.

Price County is a scenic and sleepy paradise for its residents and visiting anglers. It’s home to more than 400 lakes – the majority of them officially unnamed – as well as St. Croix Rod, which was shuttered for over five weeks in compliance with orders from the State of Wisconsin.

St. Croix’s story has evolved throughout its 70-plus-year history. The company has experienced and survived twists and turns and challenges – some unique, and others emblematic of larger societal and economic impact, such as COVID-19. All have been met with consistently gritty determination. The result is the most advanced fishing rod facility on earth and a brand that has earned the respect and admiration of anglers around the world.

St. Croix resumed manufacturing operations with limited staff on May 26. And aside from legions of St. Croix anglers, nobody was more excited about St. Croix getting back to business than company CEO, Scott Forristall.

“After all these weeks of the place being empty, the energy is great,” a grateful Forristall relays. “It’s great to see people back working, and the really gratifying part is that the people working want to be here. St. Croix is an incredible company and we enjoy a great culture. St. Croix is a family-owned company and working here means you are an extension of that family. There’s a renewed energy to prove that we make the Best Rods on Earth®, and that we’re going to continue to be the best.”

Forristall’s comments may sound like executive-level cheerleading, but that’s all part of his job. The thing is, it’s something he has to do far less than many CEOs at other companies. St. Croix employees at all levels are delivering the same message.

“I’ve been here almost five years,” says St. Croix Production Supervisor, Brandi Schmidt. “I didn’t think the St. Croix culture could get any better, but it has. We live and work in a small community, so people have always had close ties to one another, but now we’ve come together even closer. Our people are thankful to be back, and everyone is coming together across the plant and helping each other every day to get caught up and closer to normal. It’s good. It’s really good.”

The day she was interviewed for this story, Brandi was focused on rebuilding inventory of St. Croix’ s Premier Series of rods – the top-selling family of American-made rods for over a decade running.

“I know these have a special place in the minds of my team members, because Premier has been in production in Park Falls longer than any other. When we see Premier rods on the schedule, it resonates that there have been over 60 years of Premier rods coming thru this factory. There is a real sense of pride to make sure that the rods we produce today live up to that legacy.”

Jo Murphy, a more recent addition to the St. Croix team, dives deeper. “I’ve made so many wonderful friends here and it’s like working with family,” she says. “Personally, I am excited to be back at work. I missed coming to St. Croix and seeing my family. Park Falls is such a tight knit community that we all realized how much we missed working together That, and the fact that we kept hearing how many more people were going fishing these days, made us want to get back to making the Best Rods on Earth for our anglers.”

Director of Engineering and Manufacturing, Jason Brunner has been at St. Croix for over 20 years. “Challenges like these, while difficult, also can provide moments of clarity. I think anyone who has lived through this pandemic can appreciate what I mean,” says Brunner. “It was eerie being in the manufacturing facility during the shutdown and experiencing it being so quiet; we don’t like a quiet manufacturing floor. But it gave us the opportunity to review spacing and process improvements, which we were able to implement before our Team’s return. It’s really rewarding to see how excited everyone has been to get back to crafting the rods our anglers rely on… Premier, Legend Glass, the new Legend Xtremes and others. There’s a renewed sense of urgency and attention to detail… the pride has been amplified.”

Laura Olsen agrees. “Things have been extremely busy, catching up with demand,” says Olsen, who points out the pandemic has helped to raise awareness about the need for more domestic production of all kinds of goods. “We need more USA products. I take a lot of pride in what I do helping to put St. Croix Rods in the hands of passionate anglers. I’ve heard a lot of people hollering that there aren’t enough rods in the warehouse, so we’re going to be staying busy. A lot of people are going to buy more USA products after this, because they realize we can’t rely on other countries to make what we need to support not only our safety, but our regular lives and livelihoods. We’re going to continue to make sure that anglers enjoy their fishing!”

St. Croix’s mission is to give anglers the upper hand in any situation. It’s a promise the company remains well-positioned to deliver on. “This is a great time to be an angler fishing St. Croix Rods, and the best days are just around the corner,” says St. Croix Director of Marketing, Jesse Simpkins. “This team is constantly getting better in working with materials, supporting our dealers, and listening to our anglers. Anyone who thinks St. Croix has reached its peak is mistaken, and we’re going to continue to prove that with the kinds of innovations and product introductions that make big differences for anglers.”

The great reveal begins next month, with the makers of the Best Rods on Earth® from the tiny town of Park Falls poised to unveil a record number of all-new and reengineered rod series for 2021 at the first-ever virtual ICAST show. The fishing world will be watching, and – no doubt – the grateful hearts of every St. Croix employee will be swollen with pride.

#STCROIXRODS

Wheeler Reclaims Lead at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament at Lake Chickamauga

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Wheeler Reclaims Lead at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament at Lake Chickamauga

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DAYTON, Tenn. (June 25, 2020) – Major League Fishing (MLF) pro Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, caught a five-bass limit weighing 27 pounds, 12 ounces Thursday to reclaim his lead in the $1.3 million Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super-Tournament at Lake Chickamauga. Wheeler now holds a 4-pound, 13-ounce edge over his closest competitor, Jason Reyes of Huffman, Texas, heading into the fourth and final day of competition. The $1.3 million Super Tournament that featured 204 anglers competing from FLW and Major League Fishing (MLF) with a top prize of up to $160,000.

Although Wheeler’s weight on the scale was 27-12, he was credited with 25-12 after being assessed a 2-pound penalty for accidently making a cast with six fish in his livewell. After catching a 10-pound largemouth, Wheeler placed it into his livewell and quickly jumped up to make another cast. The problem was that Wheeler already had a five-bass limit. Wheeler made one cast before realizing his mistake, and did not catch a fish, but the Tennessee pro was assessed a 2-pound penalty and allowed to cull out his smallest fish.

“When you catch one that big, you get a little flustered,” Wheeler joked on the weigh-in stage. “I was so excited to make another cast. As soon as I fired it out there, I was like ‘Gosh, dang it. I’ve got six in my livewell.’ I immediately called (Tournament Director) Daniel Fennel and I knew I was getting a 2-pound penalty. I was so mad at myself for making that error, I used it to motivate myself to go out and catch even more than what I had.”

Other than the penalty, it was a near flawless day for Wheeler on the water Thursday as he caught the largest limit of the tournament. After spending the first two days of the tournament bouncing back and forth between shallow and deep water, Wheeler spent day three mainly offshore.

“It was an awesome day out there on the lake,” Wheeler said. “Yesterday I had 10 to 15 places shallow, but today I spent most of my time deep. I had some stuff in my back pocket that I was sort of saving, and I still have some stuff that I saved shallow where there should be some big ones.

“I’m going out tomorrow with the mindset that I’m going to have to catch a really big bag,” Wheeler said. “It’s so easy here for someone to catch a 10-pounder and put together a 30-pound limit, so I’ve got to catch another 20+ pounds. If I lose, I lose, and I leave it out on the water, but for me, my goal is to keep catching 20.”

The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition Friday on Lake Chickamauga are:

1st:       Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., 15 bass, 72-6
2nd:      Jason Reyes of Huffman, Texas, 15 bass, 67-9
3rd:       Cole Floyd of Leesburg, Ohio, 15 bass, 62-3
4th:       Cody Meyer of Auburn, Calif., 15 bass, 57-1
5th:       Miles Burghoff of Soddy-Daisy, Tenn., 15 bass, 55-6
6th:       John Cox of DeBary, Fla., 15 bass, 55-1
7th:       Alex Davis of Albertville, Ala., 15 bass, 54-11
8th:       Joshua Weaver of Macon, Ga., 15 bass, 53-2
9th:       David Williams of Maiden, N.C., 15 bass, 51-15
10th:     Alton Jones of Lorena, Texas, 15 bass, 51-14

Finishing in 11th through 30th are:

11th:     Dakota Ebare of Denham Springs, La., 15 bass, 51-10, $14,000
12th:     Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 50-1, $14,000
13th:     Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 49-2, $14,000
14th:     Wade Strelic of Alpine, Calif., 15 bass, 48-14, $14,000
15th:     Mark Daniels Jr. of Tuskegee, Ala., 15 bass, 48-9, $14,000
16th:     Lendell Martin Jr. of Nacogdoches, Texas, 15 bass, 48-3, $14,000
17th:     Kerry Milner of Bono, Ark., 15 bass, 48-1, $14,000
18th:     Tom Monsoor of La Crosse, Wis., 15 bass, 47-11, $14,000
19th:     Jesse Wiggins of Logan, Ala., 15 bass, 46-14, $14,000
20th:     Fred Roumbanis of London, Ark., 15 bass, 46-10, $14,000
21st:     Matt Greenblatt of Port Saint Lucie, Fla., 15 bass, 46-8, $11,000
22nd:    Christopher Brasher of Longview, Texas, 15 bass, 46-7, $11,000
23rd:     Justin Atkins of Florence, Ala., 15 bass, 46-6, $11,000
24th:     Jason Meninger of Saint Augustine, Fla., 15 bass, 46-3, $11,000
25th:     Jonathan Canada of Helena, Ala., 15 bass, 46-1, $11,000
26th:     Barry Wilson of Birmingham, Ala., 15 bass, 45-15, $11,000
27th:     Kyle Cortiana of Coweta, Okla., 15 bass, 45-14, $11,000
28th:     Adrian Avena of Vineland, N.J., 15 bass, 45-9, $11,000
29th:     Michael Neal of Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 45-9, $11,000
30th:     Terry Scroggins of San Mateo, Fla., 15 bass, 45-5, $11,000

Full results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Overall there were 237 bass weighing 678 pounds, 3 ounces, caught by 50 pros Thursday. Of the final 50 pros, 44 of them were able to bring a five-bass limit to the scale.

The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Chickamauga is hosted by Fish Dayton and the Rhea Economic & Tourism Council.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament competition, the full field of 204 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Tuesday and Wednesday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to Thursday. Now only the top 10 pros will continue competition on Championship Friday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

FLW anglers are vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the Tackle Warehouse FLW TITLE presented by Toyota, the Pro Circuit championship. The 2020 Tackle Warehouse FLW TITLE presented by Toyota will be held on the St. Lawrence River in Massena, New York, Aug. 24-29.

MLF pros competing in the Pro Circuit Super Tournaments will fish for prize money only. No points will be awarded toward any championship or title to MLF competitors. Only the original Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers will compete for the AOY title throughout the remainder of the season. AOY points in the final events will be awarded based on Pro Circuit anglers finishing order. The top-finishing FLW pro will receive “first-place points” regardless of where he finishes in the overall standings, and so on.

The top 10 anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. EDT Friday from Point Park at Dayton Boat Dock, located at 185 Chickamauga Drive, in Dayton. Friday’s Championship weigh-in will also be held at Dayton Boat Dock and will begin at 3 p.m. To minimize the spread of COVID-19, attendance is limited to competing anglers and essential staff only. Fans are encouraged to forgo the daily takeoffs and weigh-ins and follow the event online through the expanded “FLW Live” broadcasts and weigh-in coverage at FLWFishing.com.

Television coverage of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Chickamauga will premiere at 7 p.m. EDT, Aug. 14 on the Outdoor Channel. Beginning July 3 and running through Dec. 27, FLW will air 312 hours of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit action on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Episodes have been expanded to two hours long, allowing each show to go in-depth to break down the final rounds of regular-season competition. Each episode will premiere in Friday night primetime slots on the Outdoor Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel.

The popular FLW Live on-the-water broadcast has been expanded to air on all four days of competition, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran is joined by Toyota Series pro Todd Hollowell and MLF’s Marty Stone to break down the extended action Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Go ‘Timberbassing’ with Z-Man’s® New All-Terrain Bladed Jig

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Go ‘Timberbassing’ with Z-Man’s® New All-Terrain Bladed Jig

Go ‘Timberbassing’ with Z-Man’s® New All-Terrain Bladed Jig

Ultimate snag-resistant CrossEyeZ™ ChatterBait® emerges from bass pro David Walker’s workshop

Ladson, SC (June 25, 2020) – David Walker is a git ‘er done kind of guy, a DIY luresmith from way back. Most bass fans know all about his genius with a jig. Fewer know about the hefty bags of bass he regularly boats with a ChatterBait in tow. So it was a few years ago that Walker—who’s never entirely satisfied with a lure right out of the pack—found himself once again out in the workshop, cutting, calibrating and sleuthing out a solution. The challenge? To match the right hook, jighead, skirt, and component parts and build a fish-catching ChatterBait truly worthy of the tag, snag-resistant.

“The ChatterBait has been a proven bass tour commodity since its release almost two decades back,” notes Walker, who’s won nearly $2-million dollars in bass competition. “To me, it’s largely been known as a grass bait—and no one disputes its value in vegetation. But I worked for a long time on a design I could fish in timber, cypress knees, laydowns and around marinas and under dock structures. After boating over 75 bass on the final prototype, I’m super happy to tell folks about the CrossEyeZ ChatterBait, a highly-developed bladed jig built for true all-terrain fishing in wood, emergent vegetation and anywhere else you want to throw it.”

Z-Man CrossEyeZ ChatterBait

The Z-Man CrossEyeZ ChatterBait, notes Walker, is anything but ‘just another ChatterBait with a fresh coat of paint. “Other than borrowing the proven ChatterBait JackHammer blade, we developed the CrossEyeZ ChatterBait entirely from the ground up, using totally customized, deeply vetted components,” he notes. Walker knew exactly what he wanted, and when Z-Man finally tapped him for design intel, he’d already sketched out a comprehensive breakdown of essential accoutrements.

“The CrossEyeZ ChatterBait features its own unique, tournament-winning action and vibration,” notes Walker. “It’s a high performance bladed swim jig whose blade, jighead, terminal connections, skirt and hook all work together in harmony.”

Walker proudly points to the bait’s totally adjustable, coated, multi-strand wire brushguard. “I knew the standard jig brushguard with a pile of stiff fibers wasn’t right for this bait. I began by taking an existing ChatterBait, drilling holes in the head and welding two coated wire guards in parallel, letting the jighook ‘split the uprights’ for easy hooksets as the guard compresses. Deflects cover like a dream. And Z-Man has duplicated this configuration and produced what I believe to be the most efficient ChatterBait brushguard ever.

“When I say it’s adjustable, I mean you can bend it down so the wires barely cover the hookpoint, or you can spread them wide apart for enhanced protection around super heavy brush, so when the bait comes up and over a log, the guard deflects the cover and protects the hookpoint. And you can customize the guard for every situation, as in, you can re-bend the guard over and over again without the wires breaking off. This really is the ultimate ChatterBait brushguard.”

To activate the bait’s dinner-bell-like vibrations, Z-Man and Walker affixed a proven hex ChatterBlade® to the jighead with Z-Man’s patented direct-to-head connection. “I’m a steadfast believer in the bass’ lateral line and its function in triggering bites, and the CrossEyeZ ChatterBait plays on this advantage with its powerful vibrations.”

Adding a secondary layer of sound, Walker prescribed a wider jighead—and totally original sculpt— that frequently collides with the blade as it oscillates back and forth. “The direct blade-to-jighead connection gives the blade so much freedom of movement. When you pull the bait fast with your rodtip, you can hear that knocking sound as the blade cracks the jighead—it’s another auditory cue that really makes bass eat the bait.”

Walker also notes that the slightly flattened, well-balanced head “keels the bait and keeps the hook in the upright position at all times. The shape also produces a subtle body roll that activates the soft ElaZtech® trailer,” he says. “Red, bulging ‘cross’ eyes focus fish’s attention and provide a strike target.”

To hook and keep bass pinned all the way to the boat, the CrossEyeZ ChatterBait utilizes a custom forged 5/0 O’Shaughnessy hook. Walker says this special hook sports a unique bend that keeps bass buttoned down better than other jighooks by a wide margin. Relative to the ChatterBait JackHammer™, the CrossEyeZ ChatterBait hook also has a slightly shorter shank for a more compact presentation.

Standard equipment on the CrossEyeZ ChatterBait, a high-grade snap affords extra freedom of movement and stays shut. “The snap plays a surprisingly critical role in bringing out the right vibration in the blade, as well as allowing the bait to ‘start’ with the first turn of the reel handle,” notes Walker. To prevent it from opening up, the snap features an extended clasp, turned at a 90-degree angle to slide cleanly through cover.

Primo silicone skirts are painstakingly chosen by Walker himself, including specific strand colors and quantities. Wraps of tough-as-nails stainless steel wire affixes skirts nearly permanently in place. A two-way trailer keeper includes both a molded in lead barb and a secondary wire flange for total plastics protection. For trailers, Walker is a big fan of both the Z-Man 3” MinnowZ and the RaZor ShadZ, though the lure is equally compatible with other soft plastics.

Z-Man CrossEyeZ ChatterBait

“When it comes to lure design, David Walker is among the most hands-on and meticulous anglers we work with,” notes Z-Man president Daniel Nussbaum. “It’s really fun collaborating with him on projects like this because no detail goes overlooked. Makes a huge difference in the fish-catching qualities of all the baits we work on together.”

Landing at outdoor retailers in early August, the snag-resistant Z-Man CrossEyeZ ChatterBait will be priced competitively at $9.99 each, perhaps the best value in pro-grade bladed jigs today. Available in 3/8-, ½- and ¾-ounce sizes and ten elite color patterns. Visit www.zmanfishing.com for more information.

Chad Midkiff Win’s CATT Lake Norma,NC Open June 20, 2020

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Chad Midkiff Win’s CATT Lake Norma,NC Open June 20, 2020

Next Lake Norman Open this Saturday June 27 at Pinnacle! $60 Per Team Entry & $25 optional Side Pot!

Chad Midkiff wins with 14.62 lbs and takes home $1,200.00!

Here’s the Top 10 from this past Saturday!

25 Teams BF Weight Winnings
CHAD MIDKIFF 4.68 14.62 $1,200.00
PRESTON HARRIS / STANTON HARRIS 0.00 12.91 $240.00
ADAM PARKER / LOGAN ANDERSON 0.00 11.49 $130.00
LANCE ECKFORD 2.57 11.35 $100.00
SHANE SHARPE / WILL MITCHELL 0.00 11.12 $75.00
LUKE HELMS / KEVIN TOLER 0.00 10.61
DAVID COOKE / TY COOKE 0.00 10.44
STEVE ADDINGTON / AARON JORDAN 0.00 10.21
ANDREW GOODSON / GIDEON ANTHONY 3.32 9.95
BOO WHITIKER / JOHN MILLER 3.69 9.68

Zeb West and Wayne Stallings Win CATT East Pamlico River, NC June 20, 2020

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Zeb West and Wayne Stallings Win CATT East Pamlico River, NC June 20, 2020

Results from CATT East first tournament on the Pamlico. We were very excited to get back out there and hope to see everyone next Saturday on the mighty Roanoke.

1st Zeb West and Wayne Stallings 15.49lbs $485.00, side pot $300.00 and Big Fish 4.98lbs $112.00 for a grand total of $897.00. Congratulations!

2nd Larry Thomas and Gerald Elks 14.20lbs $210.00. Congratulations!

3rd Darly Peele and Nortwood Ligon 10.91lbs $90.00. Congratulations!

2nd Big Fish David Price 3.96lbs $48.00. Congratulations!

Next up on the East Division Qualifier is this coming Saturday at Roanoke River launching from the Water Street Lighthouse Landing!

16 Teams BF Weight Winnings Points
Zeb West – Wayne Stallings 4.98 15.49 $897.00 110
Larry Thomas – Gerald Elks 3.71 14.20 $210.00 109
Daryl Peele – Norwood Ligon 2.58 10.91 $90.00 108
Dennis Langston – Andrea Willis 2.65 10.29 107
Robin Bauer – Roger Jones 3.39 9.82 106
Danny Flynn – James Ormond 0.00 8.95 105
Scooter Lilley – Eric Galasso 2.16 8.41 104
Lee Jones – Dean Jones 3.93 8.13 103
David Price 3.96 8.12 $48.00 102
Richard Lewis – Steve Vann 0.00 8.00 101
Adam Haithcolck – Greg Taylor 0.00 6.89 100
Paul King – Bradley Stain 0.00 6.77 99
Chris Minton – Curt Honican 3.07 6.27 98
Mike White – Dana Moore 3.71 3.71 97
Wayne Harris – Kenny Simpson 0.00 3.26 96
Mike Ellis – Mark Faircloth 0.00 0.00 95
Total Entrys $1,280.00
BONUS $ $300.00
Total Paid At Ramp $1,245.00
East 2020 Final Fund $250.00
2020 CATT Championship Fund $35.00
2020 East Final Fund Total $250.00
2020 CATT Championship Fund Total $3,715.00

WOO Tungsten: Answering the question of size by Bruce Callis

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WOO Tungsten: Answering the question of size by Bruce Callis
WOO Tungsten: Answering the question of size
by Bruce Callis

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For years we as anglers have struggled when it comes to telling what size weight we are using on our Texas rigged soft plastics. We had to depend on sorting them into different containers and marking the container with the size. But what about when we are changing them. A lot of times we don’t put them back in the container or we simply just don’t know the size. But finally help has arrived.

The days of the lead weight for bass fishing is slowly disappearing. Tungsten is by far the best weight for soft plastics. With it’s higher density and smaller compact size, we get more sensitivity and can now get a better feel for what we run into on the bottom. With the lead weights we grew up with, it was difficult to tell if it was a log or something else on the bottom, but tungeston transmits a better sound and feel to the user. You can now tell if it is a rock, a log, a root or something else on the bottom. Granted, the price difference is huge. But the benefits typically overshadow the prices.

One issue that we always had was the price we paid for painted tungsten weights and the susceptibility of them chipping. And WOO Tungsten has made it easier for us to know exactly which weight we are using with their new NEVER CHIP line of tungsten. The NEVER CHIP series is exactly what it sounds like. These weights never chip, ever. Instead of painting them black, they use a patented process so they get black and stay black, forever, regardless of what they are exposed to. Drag them over rocks, hit them with a hammer, you can even put them in a blender (something I truly do not recommend) and they will NEVER CHIP. Weight labels are incorporated into the NEVER CHIP and stamped directly to each weight. Thus helping those who are less organized or simply rushed to be able to recognize what weight they are using or about to put on their line.

When tungsten first came out, there we issues with the weights causing line fray from the paint that would chip, the weight had rough edges, or insert sleeve. But no worries with the NEVER CHIP series. There is no insert sleeve and the edges are nice and rounded, helping prevent unwanted line fray. By eliminating the insert in the weight, it also adds increased sensitivity by providing direct contact between the weight and the line.

The NEVER CHIP line of tungsten weights come in sizes from the 1/16th ounce all the way up to the heavy cover 2 ounce flipping weights, each stamped with the size on them. They cost from $4.99 for a 5 pack of 1/16th to $11.99 for a single 2 ounce weight on the WOO website, https://wootungsten.com/collections/neverchip and can also be found at Tackle Warehouse https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/WOO_Tungeston_Never_Chip_Flipping_Weights/descpage-WTNC.html ranging from $4.99 to $11.99 also.

Make sure to up your game with the use of tungsten weights and make sure to stay ahead of your competition by using these sweet NEVER CHIP WOO Tungsten flipping weights.

One Of The Worlds Best Anglers Breaks Down 3 BIG Bass Lures

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One Of The Worlds Best Anglers Breaks Down 3 BIG Bass Lures

One Of The Worlds Best Anglers Breaks Down 3 BIG Bass Lures

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Watch Brian Latimer break down three baits that can catch you BIG BASS!

Professional angler Brian Latimer breaks down three bad to the bone bass lures. From topwater rigging to clever jig fishing tips – Brian explains his approach to fishing each lure.

All but one of the baits seen in this video have were featured in previous Mystery Tackle Boxes and all of them are available at Karl’s Tackle Shop

13 Fishing Motorboat

13 fishing motor boat with professional angler brian latimer
New to the market, the 13 Fishing Motorboat might be the lure that catches your biggest bass of the season. It has an insane action not seen by many fish.

The13 Fishing Motor Boat is a soft plastic minnow style bait built with an attached buzzing trailer. As you reel the Motor Boat across the surface, the trailing propeller will continually buzz while it rotates over and over. This helps call in big fish lurking in the shallows.

The Hybrid Prop Bait’s blade features a frameless design that allows the bait to have a compact profile, enabling longer casts.

This bait’s 3/0 VMC wide gap hook comes pre-rigged and is sharp, durable, and unbelievably strong, allowing you to wrestle fish out of heavy cover. If you want to hit a lot of water with a bait that will call fish in from a distance and induce vicious topwater strikes, you can’t go wrong with the innovative Motor Boat Hybrid Prop Bait form 13 Fishing!

13 fishing motor boat bass lure
Brian showcases some big bass lures along with rod and reel preference for each bait.

Important Note: The Motor Boat Hybrid Prop Bait is made up of a unique blend of plastic materials that melts in prolonged direct sunlight and reacts with regular PVC plastics. Store your Motor Boat Hybrid Prop Baits in a shaded location and separate from your other plastics.

Googan Squad Mini Recon

crankbait - googan squad recon
The Googan Squad Mini Recon may be small, but sometimes that’s what you need to fool big fish.

The Googan Squad Mini Recon is a downsized, round billed crankbait designed to hunt and deflect off cover in the 3-6 foot depth range. In shallow lakes and rivers, the Mini Recon gets down quickly and starts banging against anything in its path. With each turn of the reel, you’ll create a bad to the bone action that big fish can’t pass up. The Mini Recon will also stand out when fishing docks, grass lines, or quick breaks and drop-offs along the shoreline. Whenever the fish are keyed in on small baitfish, tie on the Googan Squad approved Mini Recon crankbait and start foolin’ fish with this one of a kind bait.

googan squad recon - big bass lures
Small crankbaits lures can produce BIG bites from hungry bass.

Pro Tips: Use the Mini Recon when you need a downsized crankbait to trigger active fish in the 3-6 foot depth range, a thinner line diameter will help the bait run deeper to deflect off the bottom and trigger reaction strikes.

Googan Squad Juicee Jig

big bass lures
Jigs are big bass lures virtually all season in any water type. When things get tough, pull out the jig!

The Googan Squad Juicee Jig is the “do it all jig” designed specifically by the Googans. The Juicee jig has an arkie style head which means it can be flipped around wood, skipped under docks, and easily fished through grass. And it also lets you cast weedlines and grass which add to this jigs versatility. From hook point to line tie, the Googan Squad Juicee Jig is designed to help you increase hook up percentage, decrease snags, and bring in big fat bass.

jigs are big bass fishing lures

Pro Tip: Skip the Googan Squad Juicee Jig under docks and brush to target unpressured fish. Skipping a jig will take some serious practice but getting your rod tip as parallel and low to the water as possible the better. Skipping a jig is like skipping a stone, you want to cast low, be parallel at release, and use something flat.

Texan Reyes Moves into Lead at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament at Lake Chickamauga

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Texan Reyes Moves into Lead at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament at Lake Chickamauga

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DAYTON, Tenn. (June 24, 2020) – Veteran FLW pro Jason Reyes of Huffman, Texas, caught a five-bass limit Wednesday weighing 27 pounds, 4 ounces – the largest limit weighed in the event – to capture the lead after day two of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super-Tournament at Lake Chickamauga with a two-day catch of 10 bass weighing 49-14. He now holds a 3-pound, 4-ounce lead in the $1.3 million Super Tournament that features 204 anglers competing from FLW and Major League Fishing (MLF).

“I caught a 7-pounder early, then I went a good stretch this morning with only that one fish,” said Reyes, who is competing in his 14th season on FLW’s top circuit. “Finally the sun peeked out a little bit and I think that set them off. I caught around 18 bass total – probably 12 or 13 keepers – and I caught eight in the last hour.”

Reyes said that he caught his fish on three different stretches of pepper grass. He weighed in one fish yesterday on a frog, but the rest of his keepers have come on a Yamamoto Senko.

“I’m not doing anything special or fancy,” Reyes said. “They come in spurts. I’ll have a 40-minute window where I’ll catch three or four, then I’ll go an hour without one. It took me a little bit to get dialed in. They want it so slow. I’ll throw a bait in there and just hold it and they’ll walk off with it. If I pump it, or shake it at all, they won’t bite it.

“This is a huge field, with huge names – (Jacob) Wheeler, (John) Cox has won here multiple times – and it feels good to be hanging around with those guys,” Reyes said. “But I know they’re not going to let me slip. You slip and they’ll pass you. So, I’m going to need to keep plugging big sacks to have a chance to win.”

The top 20 pros after day two on Lake Chickamauga are:

1st:       Jason Reyes of Huffman, Texas, 10 bass, 49-14
2nd:      Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., 10 bass, 46-10
3rd:       Cole Floyd of Leesburg, Ohio, 10 bass, 43-14
4th:       John Cox of DeBary, Fla., 10 bass, 41-12
5th:       Cody Meyer of Auburn, Calif., 10 bass, 38-2
6th:       Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 37-15
7th:       Dakota Ebare of Denham Springs, La., 10 bass, 37-7
8th:       Fred Roumbanis of London, Ark., 10 bass, 36-12
9th:       Miles Burghoff of Soddy-Daisy, Tenn., 10 bass, 35-4
10th:     Alex Davis of Albertville, Ala., 10 bass, 35-1
11th:     Joshua Weaver of Macon, Ga., 10 bass, 35-0
12th:     David Williams of Maiden, N.C., 10 bass, 35-0
13th:     Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 34-15
14th:     Kyle Cortiana of Coweta, Okla., 10 bass, 34-15
15th:     Christopher Brasher of Longview, Texas, 10 bass, 34-13
16th:     Barry Wilson of Birmingham, Ala., 10 bass, 34-2
17th:     Chip Harrington of Olathe, Kan., 10 bass, 33-15
18th:     Lendell Martin Jr. of Nacogdoches, Texas, 10 bass, 33-15
19th:     Jason Meninger of Saint Augustine, Fla., 10 bass, 33-12
20th:     Justin Atkins of Florence, Ala., 10 bass, 33-10

Full results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Floyd brought the largest bass of the day, a 9-pound, 4-ounce largemouth, to the scale Wednesday to claim the day’s $500 Berkley Big Bass award.

Overall there were 945 bass weighing 2,598 pounds, 2 ounces caught by 200 pros Wednesday. The catch included 175 five-bass limits.

The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Chickamauga is hosted by Fish Dayton and the Rhea Economic & Tourism Council.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super-Tournament competition, the full field of 204 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Tuesday and Wednesday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight now advance to Thursday. Only the top 10 pros will continue competition on Championship Friday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

FLW anglers are vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the Tackle Warehouse FLW TITLE presented by Toyota, the Pro Circuit championship. The 2020 Tackle Warehouse FLW TITLE presented by Toyota will be held on the St. Lawrence River in Massena, New York, Aug. 24-29.

MLF pros competing in the Pro Circuit “Super Tournaments” will fish for prize money only. No points will be awarded toward any championship or title to MLF competitors. Only the original Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers will compete for the AOY title throughout the remainder of the season. AOY points in the final events will be awarded based on Pro Circuit anglers finishing order. The top-finishing FLW pro will receive “first-place points” regardless of where he finishes in the overall standings, and so on.

The top 50 anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. EDT Thursday from Point Park at Dayton Boat Dock, located at 185 Chickamauga Drive, in Dayton. Weigh-in each day will also be held at Dayton Boat Dock and will begin at 3 p.m. To minimize the spread of COVID-19, attendance is limited to competing anglers and essential staff only. Fans are encouraged to forgo the daily takeoffs and weigh-ins and follow the event online through the expanded “FLW Live” broadcasts and weigh-in coverage at FLWFishing.com.

Television coverage of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Chickamauga will premiere at 7 p.m. EDT, Aug. 14 on the Outdoor Channel. Beginning July 3 and running through Dec. 27, FLW will air 312 hours of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit action on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Episodes have been expanded to two hours long, allowing each show to go in-depth to break down the final rounds of regular-season competition. Each episode will premiere in Friday night primetime slots on the Outdoor Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel.

The popular FLW Live on-the-water broadcast has been expanded to air on all four days of competition, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran is joined by Toyota Series pro Todd Hollowell and MLF’s Marty Stone to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com, the FLW YouTube channel and the FLW Facebook page.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Jacksboro’s Faulkner Wins Saturday, Turner Wins Sunday at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Double-Header on Norris Lake

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Jacksboro’s Faulkner Wins Saturday, Turner Wins Sunday at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Double-Header on Norris Lake

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ANDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (June 23, 2020) – It was a double-header for bass anglers this past weekend in Andersonville with the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Norris Lake events. FLW, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, rescheduled the events after the coronavirus pandemic forced the organization to pause competition in mid-March.

Boater Riley Faulkner of Jacksboro, Tennessee, brought a three-bass limit to the scale totaling 8 pounds, 14 ounces to win Saturday’s event, while Derek Turner, also of Jacksboro, brought in three bass weighing 7 pounds, 11 ounces on Sunday to earn the win. Faulkner earned $2,400 for his win Saturday, while Turner won Sunday’s top prize of $2,300.

“I stayed on the Powell (River), fishing brush piles from 5 to 15 feet deep,” said the 17-year-old Faulkner, who earned the win in just his fourth career event. “My key bait was a 10-inch Zoom Ol’ Monster worm (cherry seed).

“My dad won the last BFL tournament held on this lake, so it’s really cool to come out and win again right after he did. I know how hard these events are to win,” Faulkner went on to say.

The top five boaters on Saturday were:

1st:       Riley Faulkner of Jacksboro, Tenn., three bass, 8-14, $2,400

1st:       Eddie Richards of Corbin, Ky., three bass, 8-9, $1,200

3rd:       Tate Rice of Newport, Tenn., three bass, 8-7, $800

4th:       Jake Lee of Powell, Tenn., three bass, 7-14, $560

5th:       Vernon Lowe of Oneida, Tenn., three bass, 7-11, $480

Complete results for Saturday can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Eddie Ball of Newport, Tennessee, won Saturday’s Big Bass Award of $240 with a 4-pound bass.

Archie Wilson Jr. of Corryton, Tennessee, was the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $500 Saturday. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Josh Smith of Siler, Kentucky, won the Co-angler Division and $1,320 Saturday after catching two bass weighing 6 pounds, 11 ounces.

The top five co-anglers Saturday finished as follows:

1st:       Josh Smith of Siler, Ky., two bass, 6-11, $1,320

2nd:      Gabriel Poveda of Knoxville, Tenn., three bass, 6-7, $600

3rd:       John Gann of Kingston, Tenn., three bass, 6-4, $400

4th:       Ben Arnold of La Follette, Tenn., three bass, 5-15, $280

5th:       Ronald Musgrave of Knoxville, Tenn., three bass, 5-9, $240

Smith also caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division Saturday, weighing in at 3 pounds, 9 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $120.

On Sunday, Turner also won the event by fishing up the Powell River, but instead of brush piles he was looking for laydowns.

“I went way up the Powell River – about 20 miles,” said Turner, who also earned his first career victory. “I was looking for laydown trees, but the key was that they had to be horizontal to the surface. If they sloped down, they weren’t really productive.”

Turner also credited the Zoom Ol’ Monster (green-pumpkin) as being his key bait and was thankful to earn his first victory on a special day.

“I’m a new dad, so it’s really special to get the first win of my career on Father’s Day.”

The top five boaters on Sunday were:

1st:       Derek Turner of Jacksboro, Tenn., three bass, 7-11, $2,300

2nd:      Jesse Burnett of Knoxville, Tenn., three bass, 6-5, $1,150

3rd:       Bryan Leonard of Blountville, Tenn., three bass, 6-0, $766

4th:       Justin McGaha of Knoxville, Tenn., three bass, 5-15, $537

5th:       Craig Powers of Rockwood, Tenn., three bass, 5-13, $460

Complete results for Sunday’s event on Norris Lake can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Ted Ridley of Maryville, Tennessee, brought a 3-pound, 1-ounce bass to the scale to win Sunday’s Boater Big Bass award of $230.

Eddie Ball, who weighed in Saturday’s Big Bass, was Sunday’s highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $500.

Henry Bryan of Sevierville, Tennessee, won the Co-angler Division and $1,150 Sunday after catching a three-bass limit weighing 6 pounds, 1 ounce.

The top five co-anglers Sunday finished as follows:

1st:       Henry Bryan of Sevierville, Tenn., three bass, 6-1, $1,150

2nd:      Ben Arnold of La Follette, Tenn., two bass, 4-13, $690

3rd:       Darren Kelly of Wartburg, Tenn., three bass, 3-14, $384

4th:       Terri Davis of Chilhowie, Va., two bass, 3-13, $268

5th:       Curtis Crooke of Washburn, Tenn., two bass, 3-12, $230

Arnold caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 2 pounds, 13 ounces. The catch earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $115.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Double-Header on Norris Lake was the third and fourth of five qualifying events in the Volunteer Division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Volunteer Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 8-10 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the James River in Richmond, Virginia, hosted by Richmond Region Tourism. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held Nov. 11-13 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Pawnee’s Mull Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Lake Shelbyville

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Pawnee’s Mull Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Lake Shelbyville

St. Louis’ Curtright Wins Co-angler Division

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SHELBYVILLE, Ill. (June 23, 2020) – Boater Jeremy Mull of Pawnee, Illinois, earned the win Saturday at the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Shelbyville after bringing a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 16 pounds, 7 ounces. For his victory, Mull earned a total of $4,463.

“I started out fishing deep on the lower end of the lake, and we pulled up on the right spot at the right time,” said Mull, who earned his third career Bass Fishing League victory. “My co-angler caught the first two fish, then we just went to work on them. I caught them on a football jig (green-pumpkin) in 20-foot-of-water.

“The key was sticking with it all day long,” Mull went on to say. “I caught one real late – within the last 10 minutes – that culled. It was a grind, but I stuck with it all day long.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1st:       Jeremy Mull of Pawnee, Ill., five bass, 16-7, $4,463

2nd:      Michael Black of Toledo, Ill., five bass, 15-12, $2,232

3rd:       Todd Blakeman of Chatham, Ill., five bass, 14-11, $1,689

4th:       Mike Jackson of Moweaqua, Ill., five bass, 14-3, $1,041

5th:       Shane Haslett of Beecher City, Ill., five bass, 13-15, $893

6th:       Martin Conaughty of Fairview Heights, Ill., five bass, 13-14, $818

7th:       Matt Carroll of Hillsboro, Ill., five bass, 13-8, $744

8th:       Brian Futch of Herrin, Ill., four bass, 12-9, $1,169

9th:       Ryan Armstrong of Robinson, Ill., five bass, 12-2, $595

10th:     Ryan Lewis of Glasford, Ill., five bass, 11-0, $521

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

James Wright of Paducah, Kentucky, claimed the day’s Boater Big Bass Award of $640 after bringing a 5-pound, 13-ounce bass to the scale.

Futch took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

William Curtright of St. Louis, Missouri, won the Co-angler Division and $2,232 Saturday after catching four bass weighing 11 pounds, 8 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1st:       William Liam Curtright of St. Louis, Mo., four bass, 11-8, $2,232

2nd:      Blake Hadley of Pana, Ill., five bass, 11-5, $1,116

3rd:       Arden Damberg of Wheatland, Iowa, five bass, 10-4, $743

3rd:       Jojo Johnson of Benton, Ill., five bass, 9-15, $521

5th:       Brad McElroy of Gardner, Ill., five bass, 9-7, $446

6th:       Dan Brown of Glenarm, Ill., five bass, 9-5, $409

6th:       Ryan Fancher of Olney, Ill., four bass, 9-2, $372

8th:       Barry Aumiller of O’Fallon, Mo., three bass, 7-13, $335

9th:       Ethan Fields of Breese, Ill., three bass, 7-9, $298

10th:     Timothy Nanzer of Bourbonnais, Ill., two bass, 7-7, $260

Dave Dobill of Royalton, Illinois, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 4 pounds, 13 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $320.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Shelbyville was the opening event of five qualifying tournaments in the Illini division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Illini Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 15-17 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin, hosted by Explore La Crosse. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held Nov. 11-13 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

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