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Bardolf Wins $5200 ABA Georgia Season Opener on Lake Eufaula

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Bardolf Wins $5200 ABA Georgia Season Opener on Lake Eufaula

ATHENS, Ala. –Michael “Keith” Bardolf won the Bass Pro Shops Open Series Georgia Division tournament, held February 22nd on Lake Eufaula. Running out of Lakepoint Resort State Park in Eufaula, AL Keith caught five bass weighing 20.91 pounds. For the Boater Division victory, Bardolf took home a check for $5200 for his win.

“I was fishing the south end of the lake during practice and I knew it was going to be a zoo on tournament day so I fished mid-lake today. I was targeting every stump and brush I knew about around 10ft deep. I caught all my fish before 11:00am and caught most on a brush-hog bumping off brush.” Bardolf said.

In second for the boaters, Ryan Horton of Palmetto, GA landed a five-bass tournament limit going 19.81 pounds.

“I caught my fish junk fishing on the south end of the lake. I was fishing docks, stumps, grass, anything that you could throw at.” Horton said.

Ryan Ingram of Phenix City, AL took third for the boaters with five bass going 18.68 pounds.

“I also caught my fish today on the south end of the lake. I was fishing road-beds using a spinnerbait between 16ft-18ft. I caught two of my fish on a crankbait also.” Ingram said.

The big bass award for the boaters went to Michael Smith of Andalusia, AL for a big bass that weighed 6.88 pounds

“I caught that big bass offshore on the south end of the lake.” Smith said.

Finishing fourth, Armando Ortiz of Phenix City, AL landed a five-bass limit for 16.99 pounds. Clayton Shoupe of Newton, AL rounded out the top five boaters with five bass at 16.47 pounds.

In the Co-Angler Division, Robert Enke of Phenix City, AL won with three bass going 5.61 pounds. He pocketed a check for $750 for his win.

“I caught my fish today on the south end of the lake on a jig in deep water.” Enke said.

Taking second for the co-anglers, Harold Driver of Powder Springs, GA brought in only one bass weighing 5.13 pounds which also was big bass for the co-anglers. Driver collected a check for $140 for the big bass award.

“I caught that fish as I was reeling my jig back to the boat. It felt funny and that’s when I set the hook.” Driver said.

Julio Candelario of Midland, GA placed third among the co-anglers with two bass going 4.73 pounds.

“I caught my fish on a shakey-head on the south end of the lake.“ Candelario said.

In fourth place among the co-anglers, Russell Jones of Jonesboro, GA brought in two bass for 3.71 pounds. Jeff Grubbs of Palmetto, GA finished in fifth place with one bass for 3.71 pounds.

Slated for March 14th, 2020, the next tournament will be held on Lake Oconee out of Sugar Creek Marina in Buckhead, GA. At the end of the season, the best anglers from across the nation advance the 2021 Ray Scott Championship to be held at Lake Chickamauga in April, 2021.

For more information on this tournament, call Billy Benedetti, tournament manager, at 256-230-5632 or ABA at 256-232-0406. On line, see www.americanbassanglers.com

About the American Bass Anglers – American Bass Anglers is committed to providing low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler while offering an upward path for individual angler progression.  For more information about American Bass Anglers and all their bass tournament trails visit www.americanbassanglers.com.

American Bass Anglers is sponsored by: Bass Pro Shops, Triton Boats, Nitro Boats, Tracker Boats, Mercury Marine, MotorGuide, Monster Energy Drinks, Garmin, T-H Marine, Abu Garcia, Berkley, Engel Coolers, Maui Jim and Power-Pole.

 

Why Are There So Many More Black And Blue Jigs Than Crankbaits?

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Why Are There So Many More Black And Blue Jigs Than Crankbaits?

Why Are There So Many More Black And Blue Jigs Than Crankbaits?

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Black and blue is one of the best color combinations for a bass jig, but the color combo has never really caught on with lure manufacturers of crankbaits. However, I have discovered the touring pros have been using all black or black-and-blue crankbaits to catch bass in certain situations throughout the years.

The Bubonic Crankbait In Black And Blue

The late great pro bass angler Guido Hibdon once told me he had a lot of success on a dark bait with a tint of blue on it when he fished Ozark lakes in the fall. When I fished with Major League Fishing Pro Mark Davis on Kentucky Lake one fall, I witnessed Davis catching bass on a black squarebill crankbait he threw along a rock riprap bank.

While researching crawfish color changes, I discovered Hibdon and Davis caught bass on those colors because some crawfish turn dark brown, dark blue or black when the water cools off in autumn.

Black And Blue Crankbaits

I didn’t have any black-and-blue crankbaits in my stockpile of lures so I had Table Rock Lake guide and renowned lure painter Tim Hughes paint one of my Storm Lures Wiggle Wart crankbaits with a black back and blue belly. I have had moderate success fishing the crankbait in the clear waters of Lake of the Ozarks during the fall. I have also caught some bass at night during the summer on a dark Norman Lures DD22 crankbait.

Black And Blue Crankbaits
Bubonic Crankbaits

Black And Blue Crankbaits: Water Clarity Is KEY

Water color and a crawfish’s diet are a couple of other factors to consider for fishing a darker crankbait. Crawfish living in muddy water and low light conditions are generally darker in color. Clear water crawfish are usually lighter in color, which explains why I have had limited success on these colored baits in the clearer water I fish a Lake of the Ozarks.

Black And Blue Crankbaits
SHOP THE BUBONIC CRANKBAIT

I also found out in researching crawfish colors that mudbugs feeding on decaying plant material tend to be darker colored, while those eating zooplankton and living plant material are often more orange. In that case, black-and-blue crankbaits are more effective in the fall on lakes filled with dying vegetation and backwater areas of rivers where there are decaying lily pads and other brown weeds.

Big Bass Boss, Joe Balog, on the NEW St. Croix Legend® Xtreme

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Big Bass Boss, Joe Balog, on the NEW St. Croix Legend® Xtreme

XTREME STORIES: “It’s Like the Fish is in Your Hand”

Big Bass Boss, Joe Balog, on the NEW St. Croix Legend® Xtreme

Park Falls, WI (February 26, 2020) – How does one describe the indescribable? Here’s what Florida big-bass angler Joe Balog says about his initial experiences with the all-new Legend® Xtreme – St. Croix’s most-sensitive rod series ever:

“The first time I used the rod, I was in a river environment fishing a plastic worm around some fairly deep mussel beds. The wind was blowing 20 or 30 MPH left to right and the current was coming right to left. I’m throwing this way and my line is blowing the other way. Everything is wrong, and yet I get a strike at the end of the cast and it’s just, THONK! It was a beautiful 3-4-pound fish. I throw back in and it’s another, and another. Even in the situations and environments where you normally would have no feel at all, these new Legend Xtreme rods have all the feel in the world. It reminded me of the first time I ever used braided line… no stretch… I just couldn’t believe what I felt… it’s just connected. Same thing with the new Xtreme; you’re connected right to the fish. It’s like the fish hit five feet from the boat and he’s in your hand. It’s unbelievable; a ton of feel and a ton of sensitivity. In long-casting applications, fishing offshore structure, fishing deep water, fishing in the wind…  these are places where every little sensitive feeling is important to me. I’m pulling a worm on the bottom and it’s sand… sand… sand… and then there’s one little shell, one little stick; I feel the lure totally connected to my hand and right then a fish grabs it. For me, it’s not so much when I’m pitching something up real close to cover, or a topwater… when you can’t miss it. It’s  for when I’m searching around – basically with my eyes closed – looking for fish on structure in difficult conditions. That’s when these new Legend Xtreme’s are imperative.”

Meet the New Legend Xtreme Models

Designed and handcrafted for extreme sensitivity in Park Falls, USA, the new Legend® Xtreme blends St. Croix’s highest-grade materials and proprietary technologies with a carbon fiber Daiwa AGSTM guide train and an all-new Gen2 Xtreme-Skin handle. The series includes seven rods — four new casting models and three new spinning models – and will be available for purchase online at https://stcroixrods.com/collections/rod-shopper and at participating St. Croix dealers beginning Friday, March 6 – the day of its official launch at the 2020 Bassmaster Classic.

MEET OUR MACHINERY

Coming to northern Wisconsin? We’d love to meet you, and we’d love for you to have the chance to Meet Our Machinery. Call us at 800.826.7042 or email us at [email protected] to schedule a factory tour. Learn more at https://stcroixrods.com/pages/factory-tours.

#stcroixrods

Wheeler Wins the Knockout Round: Wednesday’s Championship Round Set

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Wheeler Wins the Knockout Round: Wednesday’s Championship Round Set

February 25, 2020 (Okeechobee, Fla.) Jacob Wheeler won the Knockout Round in the Bass Pro Tour Favorite Fishing Stage Two presented by Bass Cat. Zack Birge took second with only a two-pound-five-ounce deficit. SCORETRACKER® moved today on Lake Okeechobee with more than 190 bass caught as compared to 71-110 on the previous four days of competition. Five anglers tied for catching the most scorable bass at 10 caught each. Alton Jones landed the Berkley Big Bass of the Day with an eight-pound, three-ounce largemouth late in Period 3. The Championship Round begins tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. ET as 10 Pros compete for the $100,000 prize and Stage Two title.

Academy Sports Pro Jacob Wheeler will enter his second Championship Round in as many Stages on the 2020 Bass Pro Tour. He steadily caught fish all day long but his burst of six fish in Period 2 ended with a four-pound, 13-ounce largemouth that placed him comfortably at the front of the pack. Wheeler then used Period 3 to look for additional areas rather than running up a larger lead.

“It’s going to take a lot of weight to win tomorrow,” Wheeler predicted. “The big ones are starting to move up and it’s going to be fun. The ‘Big O’ saved the best for last.”

At the end of the day, Wheeler scored 35 pounds, one ounce to win the Knockout Round only two pounds, five ounces ahead of Favorite Fishing Pro Zack Birge. After catching no fish on his first day of the Qualifying Round, Birge surged on Sunday to catch 27 pounds, three ounces to advance to today’s Knockout Round. Today he bettered himself with 32 pounds, 12 ounces and a second-place finish to advance to tomorrow’s Championship Round.

“I had a good day,” Birge said, adding that his success helps ease the pain of coming up just short at Lake Eufaula where he missed the Knockout Round by one place. “I cleared my mind and went fishing with one rod on my deck all day long.”

Birge, Wheeler, Jeff Sprague, Michael Neal, and Stephen Browning all caught 10 scorable bass today. All but Browning will advance to the Championship Round, whose last-minute catch of three pounds, two ounces still left him one pound, five ounces behind Fletcher Shyrock.

The top eight of the Knockout Round, who will join Qualifying Round Group A winner Takahiro Omori and Qualifying Round Group B winner Jordan Lee in Wednesday’s Championship are as follows:

Place Angler Total Weight Total Bass Largest Bass
1 Jacob Wheeler 35-01 10 5-15
2 Zack Birge 32-12 10 5-10
3 Jeff Sprague 31-08 10 5-04
4 Randall Tharp 30-05 8 5-06
5 Michael Neal 29-11 10 4-09
6 Jacob Powroznik 29-05 9 5-12
7 James Elam 27-14 9 7-05
8 Fletcher Shyrock 27-11 7 6-05

For complete results, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com, Bass Pro Tour, Results.

The competition concludes Wednesday with the Championship Round where ten anglers compete for the Favorite Fishing Stage Two presented by Bass Cat Title. The weather forecast suggests thunderstorms may hinder the competition in the morning. Bass Pro Tour Tournament Director Aaron Beshears will consider safety over competition every time.

“We continuously monitor weather on the entire body of water to determine the safest situation for the anglers and MLF staff,” said Beshears. “With a lake the size of Okeechobee, we will be especially cautious for all involved.”

Pending no weather delays, the day begins with launch at C. Scott Driver Park, Okeechobee, Fla. 7:15 a.m. EST before lines-in at 8:00 a.m. Period 1 ends at 10:30 a.m. Period 2 spans 10:45 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. Period 3 begins at 1:30 p.m. and lasts until day’s end at 4:00 p.m. The General Tire Takeout show airs approximately 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. as anglers return to the ramp.

Fans can catch all the action every day of competition on MLFNOW! livestream on MajorLeagueFishing.com or download the MLF App for your Apple or GooglePlay device or on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).

About the Bass Pro Tour:

The Bass Pro Tour began in 2019 and features 80 of the best professional anglers in the world, including Kevin VanDam, Edwin Evers, Aaron Martens, Mike Iaconelli, Jordan Lee, and Skeet Reese. Each stage includes six days of competition using the Major League Fishing, catch-weigh-and-immediately-release format, where every bass over a variable minimum weight, which is two pounds on Lake Eufaula for Stage One, toward a cumulative weight total for the day.  Variable minimum weights are determined by fishery akin to a golf course handicap. The field of 80 anglers is divided into two groups of 40 to compete on days one and two respectively for the Shotgun Round. On days three and four, the Elimination Round culls the field based on a combined 2-day total weight from each angler’s Shotgun and Elimination Round. The top 20 anglers from each group in the Elimination Round (40 total) advance to the Knockout Round on day five, which determines who will compete on that final day, the Championship Round, for the Stage title and $100,000.

Each of Eight Stages of the Bass Pro Tour have the following payout schedule: 1st $100,000; 2nd $42,000; 3rd $30,000; 4th$24,000; 5th $18,000; 6th $16,800; 7th $15,600; 8th $14,400; 9th $13,200; 10th $12,000; 11th – 40th $6,000; Big Bass Daily $1,000; Big Bass Overall $1,000.

In addition to the economic impact on a host community, Major League Fishing showcases the region through their award-winning, live and linear programming. Each Stage of the Bass Pro Tour is broadcast live on the Major League Fishing app, MyOutdoorTV (MOTV), and majorleaguefishing.com, totaling more than 325 hours of original programming. Fans can follow the fast-paced nature of the MLF format as it unfolds on the live leaderboard through “SCORETRACKER® updates.” Highlights from each Stage of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour will air on Discovery Network beginning in July 2020 and Sportsman Channel in early 2021.

“MLF offers the strongest broadcast presence in the industry to fans and sponsors,” said Jim Wilburn, President and CEO of Major League Fishing. “And with these lakes planned for this coming Bass Pro Tour, we know 2020 will be our best year yet as we continue to capture a broad audience of both longtime fishing fans and those new to the sport, thanks to our fast-paced, fan-friendly format,”

LIVETARGET solidifies inventory before current and escalating industry-wide shortage

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LIVETARGET solidifies inventory before current and escalating industry-wide shortage

We’re in Stock!

LIVETARGET solidifies inventory before current and escalating industry-wide shortage

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. (February 25, 2020) – The fishing market quickly fell victim to the Coronavirus outbreak in China and the illness’ greater effect on global supply chains. Chinese authorities have imposed travel restrictions in many jurisdictions. Ultimately, this will impact production and delivery of products manufactured in China and may leave dealers inventories compromised for the 2020 fishing season and beyond.

Many production factories are currently on standby, waiting for word from their municipal governments to announce that it is safe to return to work.

The distinctive and 2018 ICAST award-winning Hollow Body Craw is available at the click of a button.

Fortunately for anglers and the North American market, LIVETARGET built its 2020 inventory prior to the Chinese New Year and January outbreak, and is fully stocked for the remainder of the season and beyond. LIVETARGET advanced production timelines this year, and it was this acceleration that lead to early stocking. As challenging as that was, this proactive action has LIVETARGET in a strong position to assist their valued customers, should they experience shortages from other brands.

We will continue to ship on a first-come-first-serve basis and encourage you to take advantage of our healthy inventory levels for the remainder of the season.

We thank everyone for their continued support of LIVETARGET.

Completely reinventing the spoon, LIVETARGET’s ICT Flutter Shad and 2019 ICAST award-winning ICT Flutter Sardine are must-haves for freshwater and saltwater anglers.

Jordan Lee Leaps from Last to First, Advances Directly to the Championship Round: 38-Angler Field Set for Tuesday’s Knockout Round

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Jordan Lee Leaps from Last to First, Advances Directly to the Championship Round: 38-Angler Field Set for Tuesday’s Knockout Round

February 24, 2020 (Okeechobee, Fla.) Jordan Lee won the Group B Qualifying Round of the Favorite Fishing Stage Two presented by Bass Cat with a one-day total of 36 pounds, 10 ounces. The 29-year-old steadily climbed SCORETRACKER®, passing Dean Rojas, who began Monday with the lead after catching 20 pounds, five ounces on Saturday. Lee earns a day off on Tuesday to advance directly to the Championship Round. Two other anglers who began their second day at zero pounds – Stephen Browning and Jeff Sprague – will join Rojas and 35 others to determine the final eight who will compete against Lee and Takahiro Omori, the winner of Group A Qualifying Round on Sunday, on Wednesday for a chance to win $100,000.

Lee said that he began the day with nothing to lose. After a scoreless Saturday, Lee opened his day with three, four-plus-pound largemouth bass in the first Period for a total weight of 13 pounds, five ounces. Lee retained his lead through a scoreless third Period after a catching one weighing six pounds, seven ounces late in Period Two.

“Today is a day for the history books; it was special,” said Lee as he returned to the ramp for the General Tire Takeout show on MLFNOW! “I went to a place I hadn’t fished since college; I had to work for them, but it was just the right move.”

When asked if his scoreless first day impacted his outlook going into today, Lee shared that he had hope starting today and decided to listen to his instincts, a strategy that also paid off for him in Eufaula at Stage One of the Bass Pro Tour earlier this month.

“Last night I was thinking about how I had gone with my gut already this season and it paid off big,” said Lee. “So, I went someplace today that I hadn’t been in a long time again and it worked. I could tell halfway through the day I had something special.”

Dean Rojas made the most of difficult lake conditions on Saturday to begin today with a two-pound lead over Britt Myers. Despite best efforts, Rojas caught only three scoreable bass weighing in collectively at seven pounds even to finish second, just missing the automatic berth to the Championship.

“I tried my hardest; I just never had a big bite,” reflected Rojas. “I’m going to think about my game plan and will have to make an adjustment. I missed an opportunity to qualify for the Championship Round, but I plan to change areas for tomorrow and see what I can make happen.”

Stephen Browning made a run in Period 3 catching six scoreable bass in only 38 minutes. These, plus the one he caught midway through today’s second Period, gave him a two-day total of 18 pounds, two ounces after catching no scoreable bass on Day one of the Qualifying Round. Enough to secure 12th place, Browning advances to the Knockout Round.

“The area I fished on Saturday suffered a major temperature change in only two feet of water,” said Browning. “Then late in the third Period, I hit a flurry – a fisherman’s dream.”

Much of the day’s drama unfolded on the elimination line as anglers battled for their place in Tuesday’s Knockout Round. Chris Lane snuck into 17th place with two, two-pound bass within the last 30 minutes of the day. With only five minutes left in the day, Alton Jones caught a three-pound, two-ounce bass, which moved him to 18th place and knocked Boyd Duckett out of the Knockout Round into 21st place.

The Top Ten of the Qualifying Round, Group B finished day two as follows:

Place Angler Total 2-Day Weight Day Two Weight Total Biggest Bass
1 Jordan Lee 32-10 32-10 6-07
2 Dean Rojas 27-08 7-03 3-13
3 Josh Bertrand 25-07 16-10 6-03
4 Jacob Powroznik 24-11 13-06 3-11
5 Scott Suggs 22-15 16-04 6-11
6 Anthony Gagliardi 20-04 7-12 6-09
7 Jeff Sprague 20-03 20-03 3-07
8 Andy Montgomery 19-13 2-11 6-06
9 Todd Faircloth 19-05 15-05 5-07
10 Britt Myers 18-04 0-00 5-12

For complete results, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com, Bass Pro Tour, Results.

Scott Suggs caught the Berkley Big Bass of the Day weighing in at six pounds, 11 ounces. Suggs finished 5th overall and will advance into the Knockout Round with a strong showing toward his Heavy Hitters qualifying weight. MLF Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo brings together the 30 anglers with the heaviest “virtual bags” after five Stages of the Bass Pro Tour. Anglers will compete for over $750,000 in prizes including a Berkley Big Bass payout ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 per day. Heavy Hitters takes place on the Kissimmee Chain (Fla.) May 16-20, 2020.

Today’s event concluded the Qualifying Round of the Favorite Fishing Stage Two presented by Bass Cat. Two anglers advanced directly into the Championship Round on Wednesday: Takahiro Omori, winner of Group A and Jordan Lee, winner of Group B. The remaining eight spots in the Championship Round will be determined in Tuesday’s Knockout Round, in which the anglers who finished in places 2-20 on their respective days will compete in a field of 38 for the top eight spots.

The 38 anglers competing in the Knockout Round include:

 

Wesley Strader
Zack Birge
Ott DeFoe
Cody Meyer
Michael Neal
Mike McClelland
Ish Monroe
Shaw Grigsby
Dustin Connell
Dave Lefebre
Jacob Wheeler
David Dudley
Randall Tharp
Jason Lambert
Adrian Avena
Fred Roumbanis
Kevin VanDam
Fletcher Shyrock
Gerald Spohrer
Dean Rojas
Josh Bertrand
Jacob Powroznik
Scott Suggs
Anthony Gagliardi
Jeff Sprague
Andy Montgomery
Todd Faircloth
Britt Myers
Greg Hackney
Stephen Browning
Mark Rose
Brent Chapman
Cliff Pace
Andy Morgan
Chris Lane
James Elam
Alton Jones
Mark Daniels Jr.


Tuesday’s Knockout Round begins on Lake Okeechobee (Eastern Standard Time) with launch 7-7:30 a.m. before lines-in at 8:00 a.m. Period 1 ends at 10:30 a.m. Period 2 spans 10:45 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. Period 3 begins at 1:30 p.m. and lasts until day’s end at 4:00 p.m. The General Tire Takeout show airs approximately 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. as anglers return to the ramp.

Fans can catch all the action every day of competition on MLFNOW! livestream beginning at 7:45 a.m. ET on MajorLeagueFishing.com or download the MLF App for your Apple or GooglePlay device or on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).

Heybo Outdoors Introduces The Moorland Waxed Jacket In New Mossy Oak® Camo

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Heybo Outdoors Introduces The Moorland Waxed Jacket In New Mossy Oak® Camo

CHESTER, S.C., Feb. 24, 2020 – Heybo Outdoors – a rapidly growing outdoor lifestyle, hunting and fishing apparel brand – is releasing its classic Moorland Waxed Jacket in Mossy Oak® Shadowgrass™ for Fall 2020.

Crafted for a crisp fall hunt, as well as everyday wear, the Moorland Waxed Jacket is made for the active outdoorsman. A stretch-canvas outer shell with a durable waxed finish makes this jacket a comfortable, weather-resistant garment for busy chilled days. The Moorland includes features such as quilted lining, hand warmer pockets, and elastic adjustable cuffs that ensure you’re prepared to take on the elements without letting them in. The two front saddle bag pockets and game pocket allow you to carry all the tools needed for your hunt and will stay secured with durable YKK zippers and snap buttons. This outerwear piece is great for throwing over a button down or for being used as an extra tough barrier while allowing room for essential winter layering.

Features:

  • 100% poly fleece
  • Waxed outer shell
  •  Quilted lining
  •  Hand warmer pockets
  •  Saddle bag front pockets
  •  Game pocket
  •  Elastic, adjustable outer cuffs
  • YKK zippers
  • Snap buttons

“As we roll out our new series of waxed jackets, we continue to add unique, yet purposeful camo pattern options that are suitable for the field and everyday wear,” explains Scott Clyburn, president of Heybo Outdoors. “The Moorland provides the perfect combination of warmth, comfort and style that can be worn at home, to work, in the field and everywhere in-between.”

In addition to the countless unique characteristics of this waxed jacket, The Moorland features a very affordable price measured against comparable waxed coats that retail for over $400. With an MSRP of $249.99, look for this jacket at your local hunting retailer or at the official HEYBO website, https://heybooutdoors.com/collections/waterfowl-jackets/products/waxed-jacket

About HEYBO

Headquartered in Chester, S.C.,Heybo makes affordable, versatile, high-quality outdoor lifestyle apparel and gear that performs in the field, at work and at play. Heybo is an outdoors obsessed, family owned company; committed to helping its customers live their best outdoor life. Founded by life-long outdoorsman, Scott Clyburn, Heybo products are designed by an outdoors-obsessed team who understands the demands of today’s serious outdoorsman. From standing in the cold flooded timber of Arkansas to an all-day trip trolling for marlin in the Gulf Stream, Heybo uses modern fabrics and state-of-the-art technology to make the world’s finest outdoor gear and lifestyle apparel.

For more information about Heybo Outdoors, visit www.heybooutoors.com or follow along on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Lake Hartwell Set to Host Toyota FLW Series Tournament

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Lake Hartwell Set to Host Toyota FLW Series Tournament

Lake Hartwell Set to Host Toyota FLW Series Tournament

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SENECA, S.C. (Feb. 24, 2020) – The 2020 Toyota Series will continue its season next week at Lake Hartwell, March 3-5, with the Toyota Series at Lake Hartwell tournament. Hosted by Visit Oconee, the three-day tournament will feature the best regional bass-fishing pros and co-anglers casting for a top prize of up to $65,000, plus a $35,000 bonus if the winner is a qualified Phoenix Boat owner.

“The fish are still in their wintertime patterns – we haven’t had much warm weather yet, and we’ve even had some snow recently – so I think we’re going to see a good mixture of fish caught out of ditches and stuff like that. Any areas where they can chase the bait up shallow,” said Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit pro David Williams of Maiden, North Carolina, who has eight top-10 finishes on Lake Hartwell in FLW competition.

“Finding the baitfish will be the key in this tournament,” continued Williams. “We’re going to see anglers throwing a lot of crankbaits, swimbaits, jigs and shaky-head rigs. Within the next few weeks we’ll start to see fish move up shallow, but the normal wintertime patterns will be in play for this one.

“I think it’s going to take 14½ to 15 pounds a day to be there at the end,” Williams went on to say. “I predict that the three-day winner is going to have right around 45 pounds”

Anglers will take off from the Clemson Beach and Recreation Area, located at 275 YMCA Circle in Seneca at 7 a.m. EDT each day of competition. The weigh-ins will be held each day at the Recreation Area beginning at 3 p.m. All takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.

“Visit Oconee SC is excited to welcome the 2020 Toyota Series to Lake Hartwell,” said Charlotte Waters, Sales/Event Manager with Visit Oconee. “The economic impact of this event is significant to our community. We wish all the anglers a memorable and safe time throughout the event on Lake Hartwell and we hope to show them why Oconee County is well known for our natural resources and outdoor adventure.”

Anglers and fans attending the event will have the free opportunity to win a new a Polaris Sportsman® 570 EPS, valued at approximately $7,799. To enter, fans can complete an official entry form on-site and deposit into an official ballot box at participating FLW tournaments from March 2 through November 14, 2020.

In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a full field, pros will fish for a top prize of up to $65,000, plus an extra $35,000 if FLW PHOENIX BONUS qualified. Co-anglers will cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at $33,500).

The Toyota Series consists of eight divisions – Central, Eastern, Northern, Plains, Southeastern, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning $200,000 cash, plus lucrative contingency bonuses. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The 2020 Toyota Series Championship is being held Nov. 5-7 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky, and is hosted by the Somerset Tourist & Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission.

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

Tracy Robinson and Mike Carter Win Alabama Bass Trail Northern Division February 22,2020

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Tracy Robinson and Mike Carter Win Alabama Bass Trail Northern Division February 22,2020

The Alabama Bass Trail North Division is off to Chilly Start from Guntersville

By Jason Duran

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February 22, 2020 Guntersville, AL– It was a very chilly start to the Alabama Bass Trail North Division from Lake Guntersville with temps below freezing at takeoff. The predictions at the meeting on Friday night were that someone would catch over 30 pounds. February and pre-spawn conditions typically mean big bags, but the weather conditions were not going make it easy.

The team of Tracy Robinson and Mike Carter put a limit in the boat within the first 20 minutes of fishing their spot way up the lake. That quick limit included a fish weighing 8.69 and a second fish over 7 pounds.  They fished shallow grass in the 2-4 feet range targeting fish with jigs, crankbaits and bladed jigs. They noticed, “about mid-morning the water began to drop in the area, and it shut down the bite in those upper river creeks.”  They worked their way back down river “fishing traditional points and high places” using crankbaits. The final upgrade was made to their limit about 1:00 with a 4 pound cull putting them over the 30 pound mark.

Wesley Sams and Jordan Wiggins returned to Guntersville after winning the ABT Championship here back in October 2019. Jordan said he “stumbled upon the spot they fished today a couple of months ago while practicing.” He described it as a “shallow ditch with about six feet of water and filled full of eelgrass.  It was just one of those places we came to at the mouth of a spawning bay packed full of shad.” They said, “these fish have been there for months. When we went back in there Thursday during practice to check them and caught two over 5 pounds, we knew they were still there.” Even though the water temps dropped over 5 degrees, Wesley and Jordan believe the colder temps actually made their fishing better. “It just made the fish stack up in there even more.” They primarily caught their fish on a bladed jig swapping up some with a rattle trap. They caught the 24.67 pound limit all on that one spot. They tried to run around some in the last few hours to upgrade and get the 30 pounds they knew it would take to win, but just couldn’t find any solid upgrades.

Danny Shell and Anthony Land have fished the ABT since the beginning and have placed as high as 4th place. They claimed the 3rd place spot. The team fished scattered grass in 6-8 feet deep water in the backs of pockets and the main river, targeting fish with only three baits: a bladed jig, DT 6 and a rattle bait. They moved around a lot rotating through six spots getting only 5 bites all day long. They caught all five, but one was a sixteenth of an inch too short. That fish weighed a little over two pounds but was released. The 4 bass bag of 24.07 was anchored by Danny with the Moutain Dew big bass of the tournament caught on a DT 6 weighing 8.93 pounds.

Tracy and Mike said they “talked all day long saying, we need one more 5 pounder because we are close, but don’t think we have it won.” They both agree that winning an ABT tournament is a “great accomplishment considering it is against the best fishermen in Alabama.” Especially after only catching one fish in practice, they were a little worried going into the event. Both said, “we had a blast and a great time fishing.”

The top ten standings are below for a full list of results visit. https://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/lg-results/

The sponsors of the 2020 Alabama Bass Trail include; Phoenix Bass Boats, Bill Penney Toyota, Garmin, Academy Sports & Outdoors, America’s First Federal Credit Union, Sweet Home Alabama, Alabama Tourism Department, Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association, T-H Marine Supplies, Wedowee Marine, Strike King, Buffalo Rock, Mountain Dew, Jack’s, Fish Neely Henry Lake.com, Alabama Power Company, Lew’s Fishing, Berkley, YETI, Power Pole, Big Bite Bait Company, E3 Apparel and Hydrowave.

For information about Alabama Bass Trail and for complete tournament standings visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.

 

Elberton’s Partain Earns Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Hartwell

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Elberton’s Partain Earns Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Hartwell

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Flowery Branch’s Macleod Claims Co-angler Title

LAVONIA, Ga. (Feb. 24, 2020) – Boater Kerry Partain of Elberton, Georgia, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 15 pounds, 5 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Hartwell in Lavonia. For his victory, Partain earned $5,336.

“I know a lot about this lake – I’ve camped here a lot with my family and my mom used to take me all around it with a trolling motor,” said Partain, who earned his second career victory at Lake Hartwell in Phoenix Bass Fishing League competition. “I was fishing deeper ditches – 20-feet deep – throwing a De-railer Blade (underspin) right over them with a Zoom Fluke.

“Later in the day I switched to a Carolina-rigged watermelon-candy Zoom Baby Brush Hog,” Partain continued. “I also added a few on a shaky-head rig with a Zoom Magnum Swamp Crawler.”

Partain said he fished on the lower end of the lake, a 30-minute run from takeoff, and managed to catch around 20 keepers throughout the day.

“I hadn’t been on Hartwell since November. I was able to get in one day of practice for this event, and I found a school of fish that were still there during the tournament. I never thought I’d win with my weight, but this one was just meant to be,” Partain went on to say.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1st:       Kerry Partain of Elberton, Ga., five bass, 15-5, $5,336

2nd:      Tim Watson of Martin, Ga., five bass, 14-8, $2,668

3rd:       Jody Holland of Clermont, Ga., five bass, 14-0, $1,780

4th:       Tyler Thompson of Easley, S.C., five bass, 12-7, $1,445

5th:       Derek Freeman of Anderson, S.C., five bass, 12-5, $1,667

6th:       Shannon Poore of Walhalla, S.C., five bass, 12-2, $978

7th:       Mick Rhinehart of Anderson, S.C., five bass, 12-0, $844

7th:       Carl Whitfield of Anderson, S.C., five bass, 12-0, $844

9th:       Greg Glouse of Liberty, S.C., five bass, 11-14, $712

10th:     Travis Garrett of Toccoa, Ga., five bass, 11-11, $623

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Freeman 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.

Tony Holliday of Piedmont, South Carolina, brought a 6-pound, 8-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $840.

David Macleod of Flowery Branch, Georgia, won the Co-angler Division and $2,668 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 11 pounds, 10 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:       David Macleod of Flowery Branch, Ga., five bass, 11-10, $2,668

2nd:      Kyle Rogers of Cleveland, Ga., five bass, 9-14, $1,334

3rd:       Russell Woodson of Jonesville, S.C., five bass, 9-13, $888

4th:       Jason Clauss of Ball Ground, Ga., five bass, 9-12, $623

5th:       Cody Coker of Comer, Ga., five bass, 9-11, $489

5th:       Thomas Pennell III of Boiling Springs, S.C., five bass, 9-11, $489

5th:       Scott Coussou of Cumming, Ga., three bass, 9-11, $489

8th:       Bryan Lesley of Piedmont, S.C., five bass, 9-6, $400

9th:       Wendell Grantham of Athens, Ga., five bass, 8-13, $356

10th:     James Blackwell of Blairsville, Ga., four bass, 8-10, $461

Westley Denny of Westminster, South Carolina, earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $420 after bringing a bass weighing 4 pounds, 14 ounces to the scale.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Hartwell was hosted by the City of Lavonia. The tournament was the second of five events in the Savannah River Division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Savannah River Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 22-24 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia, hosted by the Gainesville Convention & Visitors Bureau. 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 April 30 through May 2 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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