Marcus Morrison and Rodney Lambert won the second stop of the ACM NC Team Trail at Lake Norman with five fish weighing in at 18.94 pounds. Second place with 17.86 pounds was the team of Cole Haskins and Hank Cherry. Rodney Bell and Tommy Jones came in third place with five fish weighing 17.65 pounds. Great job guys!
The team of @Cole Haskins and Hank Cherry took second place with 17.86 lbs. Rodney Bell and Tommy Jones came in third place with five fish weighing 17.65 pounds. Great job guys!
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Z-Man® Project Z ProFileZ: Luke Clausen |
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Hop in the boat with ‘Laid-Back Luke’ |
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Ladson, SC (February 18, 2020) – Luke Clausen is pretty chill about his approach to catching bass. “I like to keep the positive thoughts in my head,” says Clausen, a highly versatile fisherman and one of the few Northwesterners to excel in a sport where Southern and Eastern anglers almost always own homefield advantage. Among his national tournament wins, Clausen’s resume cites one spectacular statistic: One of only four anglers to win both a Bassmaster Classic and an FLW Championship. In 2018, even after a serious accident placed Clausen on the IR list, the positive philosophy persisted. “I never doubted I’d return to professional fishing,” he recalls. Despite broken ribs, a separated and broken shoulder and a concussion, Clausen was already casting again within a month of his accident. Following a successful return season in 2019, the Spokane, Washington resident savored some downtime with his family, as well as a chance to hunt elk, recharge and return to his roots. “This is a special place,” he observes, referring to Coeur d’ Alene Lake, Idaho, the majestic, diverse waterway that taught him how to catch bass—shallow, deep and in between. “There’s no place I’d rather be.” |
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As he embarks on a new tournament season, Clausen is quick to single out an intriguing little lure he helped design. “A finesse spinnerbait has always been an under-the-radar presentation—a category of lure that’s pretty overlooked. I’ve been throwing the SlingBladeZ™ Power Finesse Spinnerbait a lot lately. This past week, it’s already produced several 5-pounders. Put a 3-inch MinnowZ™ or Slim SwimZ™ on the back and you’ve got a sweet little spinner that shines early in spring when the water’s still cold.” A Z-Man Fishing TV exclusive, Project Z: ProFileZ takes you on the water with the folks who count on Z-Man Fishing Products daily as tournament anglers, guides, and industry professionals. Take a trip with us to our ProZ’ home waters to learn their stories and how they’ve ended up where they are today—as well as why they rely on Z-Man baits day-in and day-out. In this episode, you’ll hop in the boat with professional bass angler Luke Clausen, as he spends a day on his home lake, Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho. Between hooksets, Clausen talks about his Northwestern roots, shares a few choice Z-Man baits and recounts a few of the more memorable catches of his career. |
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Twelve-year-old Luke Clausen with the 7-pound 14-ounce largemouth that fueled his dreams to fish for a living. |
[print_link] DAYTON, Tenn. (Feb. 18, 2020) – The 2020 Toyota Series will open the Central Division with a tournament next week at Lake Chickamauga, Feb. 27-29, with the Toyota Series at Lake Chickamauga. Hosted by Fish Dayton and the Rhea Economic and Tourism Council, 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.
According to Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour angler Michael Neal, who lives on the shores of Lake Chickamauga, the quality of the bass fishing at his home fishery remains at an all-time high. There are loads of 3-pounders in the lake and likely more double-digit fish than in any other fishery in the region. In 2019 alone, more than 100 10-pound bass were caught and recorded at Chickamauga, and many more probably went unreported.
If it’s big bass you want, late winter and early spring are ideal times to catch them, which is why the Central Division opener is perfectly timed to be a big-bass slugfest.
“There will definitely be a lot of fish caught, and they’ll be all spread out,” said Neal, who has five career top-10 finishes on Lake Chickamauga in FLW competition. “The high water will push a lot of fish off the river to get out of the current. They’ll be in creeks. That’s where they’re used to living when the water’s up anyway. If it stabilizes and gets back to normal color, there will be guys fishing from 1 to 15 feet. It could be anything from a shallow, 1/4-ounce lipless bite to a 3/4-ounce swimbait bite in 15 feet of water. The weather is going to dictate everything.
“Regardless of conditions, the weights are going to be good,” he continued. “Everybody I’ve talked to that’s been out in the last few days says it’s not a problem to catch 18 pounds just fishing current and stuff like that. If at least one person doesn’t have 30 pounds throughout the tournament, I’ll be shocked. If it stabilizes, you’ll see more 30-pound bags. I think the lake is as healthy or healthier than it’s ever been, numbers-wise especially.”
One of the benefits from the rain that’s fallen around Chickamauga is that new patterns are in play. Whether or not they’ll continue to factor in come tournament time will depend on upcoming weather.
“It depends on the rain,” Neal said. “Your normal early spring patterns, as far as umbrella rigs and jerkbaits, could play if it quits raining and the water cleans up. If it doesn’t, Rat-L-Traps, spinnerbaits and flipping are going to play.”
Anglers will take off from the Dayton Boat Dock, located at 175 Lakeshore St. in Dayton at 7 a.m. EDT each day of competition. The weigh-ins will be held each day at the Dayton Boat Dock beginning at 3 p.m. All takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
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.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, FLW and its partners conduct more than 290 bass-fishing tournaments annually around the world, including the United States, Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Namibia, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and Zimbabwe.
FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show while Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. Acquired by Major League Fishing in late 2019, FLW is expanding its programming in 2020 to the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel as well as on-demand at MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).
For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Heybo Outdoors Introduces New Ring-Spun Cotton T-shirts
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CHESTER, S.C., Feb 18, 2020 – Heybo Outdoors – a rapidly growing outdoor lifestyle, hunting and fishing apparel brand – has released its brand new line of ring-spun cotton t-shirts just in time for Spring.
Whether you’re in a deer stand, duck hunting, on a boat, running errands, or enjoying the weekend with friends, these lightweight, ring-spun cotton tees are perfect for everyday wear and extremely versatile in any casual setting. Available in new styles including lifestyle, fish, dog, duck, and deer designs, these graphic tees stay true to the Heybo style with a left chest logo and bright, colorful, and captivating graphic designs featured on the back.
Created using an innovative spinning process designed to thoroughly soften and straighten each fiber, these ring-spun cotton tees feel heavier to the touch than regular cotton tees. In addition to being softer and more comfortable, ring-spun cotton t-shirts are more durable and last longer than their regular counterparts.
“Fit, quality, and feel are all very important components when it comes to choosing what t-shirt to wear,” said Scott Clyburn, president of Heybo Outdoors. “We want to make t-shirts that you don’t just want to wear, but love to wear each and every day.”
Ring-Spun graphic tees retail for $32.00. Look for this item at your local hunting retailer or at the official HEYBO website, https://heybooutdoors.com/collections/graphic-tees
Fayetteville’s Guyot Earns Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Tournament on Lake Murray
Elgin’s Locklear Wins Co-angler Division
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PROSPERITY, S.C. (Feb. 17, 2020) – Boater Scott Guyot of Fayetteville, North Carolina, brought five bass to the scale Saturday totaling 23 pounds, 8 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Murray in Prosperity, South Carolina. For his victory, Guyot earned a total of $4,359.
“The key was that I was in the right place at the right time,” said Guyot, who earned his first career victory as a boater in Bass Fishing League competition. “I was fishing stained water in Bear Creek – from the mouth all the way to the back of the creek.”
Guyot said that his most effective bait for the majority of the day was crawdad-colored shallow crankbaits, but his biggest fish came on a chartreuse and white-colored ½-ounce spinnerbait with double willow blades.
“The wind was tough in a few spots, but it really worked to our advantage later in the day,” Guyot went on to say. “We had to adapt to it, but I made some good decisions and every spot that we went to, it worked out.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:
1st: Scott Guyot, Fayetteville, N.C., five bass, 23-8, $4,359
2nd: Greg Rikard of Leesville, S.C., five bass, 21-9, $2,379
3rd: Cody Hoyle of Rutherfordton, N.C., five bass, 21-2, $1,452
4th: Wesley Story of Clarks Hill, S.C., five bass, 20-9, $1,517
5th: Michael Fuller of Pacolet, S.C., five bass, 20-6, $872
6th: Gary Michaud of Chesnee, S.C., five bass, 18-15, $799
7th: Chris Epting of Chapin, S.C., five bass, 18-12, $726
8th: Mark Collins of Inman, S.C., five bass, 18-9, $654
9th: Charles Clark of Camden, S.C., five bass, 18-6, $681
10th: Patrick Cook of Hemingway, S.C., five bass, 18-5, $1,134
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Cook brought an 8-pound, 15-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $625.
Story was the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $500. 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.
Dylan Locklear of Elgin, South Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $2,157 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds, 1 ounce.
The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:
1st: Dylan Locklear of Elgin, S.C., five bass, 18-1, $2,157
2nd: Ronald Harris of Jefferson, Ga., four bass, 12-12, $1,079
3rd: Matthew Dangerfield of Summerville, S.C., four bass, 11-12, $717
4th: Brandon Jeffcoat of Columbia, S.C., five bass, 11-4, $503
5th: Ken Hodges of Hodges, S.C., two bass, 10-13, $736
6th: Jared Wallace of Leesville, S.C., three bass, 10-5, $396
7th: Lonnie Drusch of Sumter, S.C., five bass, 10-1, $510
8th: Paul Dunn of Prosperity, S.C., three bass, 9-9, $324
9th: Josh Kirby of Gaffney, S.C., four bass, 9-6, $288
9th: Trey Brafford of Kings Mountain, N.C., three bass, 8-13, $252
Hodges caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 6 pounds, 6 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $305.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Murray was the first of five qualifying events in the South Carolina Division.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the South Carolina Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 16-18 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Cherokee in Jefferson City, Tennessee, hosted by the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce. 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.
Harris Chain of Lakes Readies for 2020 Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship presented by Lowrance
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: LEESBURG, Fla. (Feb. 18, 2020) – The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers fishing in Leesburg this week won’t be the only anglers enjoying the big bass factory that is the Harris Chain of Lakes. The best college fishing teams from across the country are also making their way to the Harris Chain, Feb. 26-28, for the 2020 Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI College National Championship presented by Lowrance. The no-entry fee tournament will feature a total of 162 college bass fishing clubs competing in the event for a $30,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard.
In addition to the boat package, both members of the winning team at the 2020 FLW College Fishing National Championship will advance to the 2020 FLW Series Championship where they will compete for a top prize of $200,000. Both members of the second, third and fourth-place teams will advance to the 2020 BFL All-American to compete as boaters where they are guaranteed $1,500 plus a shot at winning the top prize of $100,000. Both members of the fifth and sixth-place teams advance to the 2020 All-American to compete as co-anglers where they are guaranteed $750 plus a shot at winning $50,000.
“Winning the National Championship last year was one of the coolest experiences of my life,” said Adam Puckett of Murray State University, who won the event last year along with partner Blake Albertson on the Potomac River. “It was one of those weeks where everything just went right for us. We requalified to fish in this year’s championship and are looking forward to the opportunity to defend our championship. To win it again – I don’t even have the words. It would be another dream come true.”
Tournament waters available to competitors include Lake Apopka, Lake Griffin, Lake Eustis, Lake Dora, Lake Carlton, Horseshoe Lake, Lake Harris, Little Lake Harris, Lake Denham and Lake Beauclair.
With all three stages of the spawn expected to be in play, Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit angler Tim Frederick of Leesburg, expects shallow-water cranking – squarebill and lipless crankbaits – to be strong for tournament anglers, along with flipping and casting soft-plastics. He said if the weather cooperates a topwater bite could come into play.
“I think we’ll see the field really split up, and I expect that there will be tournament boats in every lake,” Frederick said. “The key will be finding an area that has fish steady coming to you – moving into spawn or back out after they spawn. A staging area where the fish are migrating in and out of will be the winning spot.”
Anglers will take off from the Venetian Gardens, located at 201 E. Lake Harris Drive in Leesburg at 7 a.m. EDT each day of competition. The weigh-ins will be held each day at the Venetian Gardens beginning at 3 p.m. All takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
Television coverage of the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship presented by Lowrance will premiere in 2020 on YouTube and broadcast around the globe on the World Fishing Network.
Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI teams compete in regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual College Fishing Open advance to the following year’s Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, FLW and its partners conduct more than 290 bass-fishing tournaments annually around the world, including the United States, Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Namibia, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and Zimbabwe.
FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show while Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. Acquired by Major League Fishing in late 2019, FLW is expanding its programming in 2020 to the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel as well as on-demand at MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).
For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
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Daiwa Launches New Lighter, More Compact Tatula SV Baitcaster |
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New TATULA SV TW103 baitcaster to be showcased at the Bassmaster Classic |
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Cypress, CA (February 18, 2020) – Just when you thought the in-demand Tatula SV reel couldn’t get any better, Daiwa unleashes the new smaller 100 size TATULA SV TW103. Daiwa’s progressive product development team redesigned the new Tatula SV reel to be the smallest and lightest, most stress-free reel the company has ever introduced. The amazing new Tatula reel comes in at a featherweight 6.7 ounces, and is one of the lightest, most controlled baitcasting reels on the market today. What really makes The Daiwa Tatula SV TW103 so special are its patented SV Spool and Air Brake technology. The proprietary features work together to truly reduce backlashes, while still allowing for incredible casting distances and unmatched control, as the reel employs both magnetic breaking and centrifugal breaking, simultaneously. |
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But that’s not all… Daiwa’s Zero Adjuster spool let’s anglers finely tune the spool tension while the T-Wing System level-wind opens up line feed, working together to cast longer, more accurately, and provide stress-free control when chunking into the wind, skipping baits or casting light lures. Comfort is enhanced with the reel’s smaller, low-profile design and Soft Touch handle knobs. The SV TWS103’s immaculate innerworkings are housed in an aluminum frame and chassis, too, giving the reel strength, rigidity and smooth performance. The 100 size Tatula SV is available in Standard (6.3:1), High Speed (7.3:1) and Hyper Speed (8.1:1). And all gear ratios come in both left- and right-hand models. When you’re considering a small, lightweight and palmable baitcaster, look no further than Daiwa’s new TATULA SV TW103…a reel that is set to redefine baitcasting. |
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TATULA SV TW103 Features:
MSRP $199.99 |
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TATULA SV TW103 Exclusive Technologies:
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For Daiwa’s latest color catalog and/or information on Daiwa dealers in your area, call Daiwa’s Customer Service Department at 562-375-6800 or e-mail inquiries to: [email protected]. The URL for Daiwa’s web site is http://www.daiwa.com/us/ |
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Match-The-Hatch® Like Never Before |
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LIVETARGET product development taking it to the next level |
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Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. (February 17, 2020) – LIVETARGET is a global brand, well known for its Match-the-Hatch® profiles and colorations. The realism achieved in their products was once unimaginable. The company has spent a decade mastering the science of making fishing lures of all kinds; hardbaits, softbaits, hollow body, wireframe, swimbaits and spoons – all with incredible anatomical detail. Winning 10 ICAST Best of Show awards in the past 10 years, is proof that this product development team is at the top of their game. LIVETARGET is now positioned to leverage their expertise and new technologies to create incredibly life-like actions by incorporating physics into their already complex design process. What is being created in the LIVETARGET lab is something the fishing industry has never seen before. “We’re very good at making a lure look life-like, now we’ll make it behave life-like”, says the company’s Chief Technology Officer, Tobias Wiegand. “Technology is rapidly evolving and we’re on the cusp of taking it to the next level”. With literally hundreds of different lures and styles to choose from, anglers have more options than ever before. Wiegand adds, “Many anglers believe that every conceivable lure has already been designed and there is no room left for innovation”. The product development team at LIVETARGET strongly disagrees. |
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Imagine a thin profiled minnow darting and flickering along a rocky ledge. It suddenly stops, tilts to a 45-degree angle and begins to peck at miniscule forage off a rock. It continues its path, feeding from rock-to-rock. Now imagine an artificial lure that precisely mimics that natural feeding behavior. It’s coming… How about a frog that leisurely strokes across the surface from pad-to-pad? It dives to the bottom to seek protection; perches on its hind quarters, and then thrusts in a random direction to the next hiding spot. It’s coming too… Ever witness a bluegill raid a bass nest? Bass eggs are a common forage during spawning season, and panfish have a particular way of robbing eggs from a defensive bass. Only from the minds at LIVETARGET, those baits are coming too. In fact, coming down the pipeline are 3 new lure platforms that will yield way to hundreds of new products, all with out-of-the-box applied physics that give every lure a unique species-specific life-like motion. “Everything in the queue is unique,” says Wiegand. “Everything we’re designing has never been done before and it all aligns to our core belief, Match-The-Hatch”. |
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These new designs will offer anglers much more than realistic motion and appearances – they’ll be solutions to challenges that have existed for years. Think about how often you’ve wished a specific lure didn’t require upsizing to reach deeper zones? It’s solved. How about a small profiled bait that will cast further, have more vibration, carry a larger heavy-duty hook and trace dark water where target gamefish are suspended? That’s also solved. Lightweight baits that track deeper without adding weight or gaudy customizations, hybrid lures with adjustable actions, how about a crankbait with a tiny lip that can be fished off a 30’ ledge with ease? Also solved. “We want to make it easy for the end-user”, Wiegand admits. “These new baits will be balanced out of the package. They will require no tuning and will stay tuned, even after catching big fish. Our new modular lures will be easy to assemble and adjust. The process of rigging our baits will be simple and no experience or skill will be required”. “The nucleus of our company is product development”, explains Wiegand. “Every leg of our business; finance, sales, marketing, production and logistics is tethered together to support the birth of our products. While the lab techs at LIVETARGET have been buried in conceptual design for the past 16 months, the other branches of the company have been restructuring to support the 2021 launch. In the meantime, dealers and media can expect 5 new exciting ICT baits which will be released at ICAST this coming July 2020. |
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Cullman’s Flack Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lewis Smith Lake
Mississippi’s Underwood Wins Co-angler Division
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CULLMAN, Ala. (Feb. 17, 2020) – Local boater Jackie Flack of Cullman, Alabama, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 17 pounds, 3 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lewis Smith Lake in Cullman. For his victory, Flack earned a total of $6,011.
“It feels great to get the win here – this is my home lake, and the field of anglers in this tournament was so tough,” said Flack, who earned his second career victory in Bass Fishing League competition. “There were a lot of really good fisherman out there so to get this win really means a lot. I am tickled to death.”
Flack said he caught his fish running a typical Smith Lake pattern for this time of the year.
“I was fishing ditches with shaky-head rigs and Ned rigs,” he said. “I was setting up in 40 to 45 feet of water and throwing into 25 to 30 feet. I found a few areas where the fish were stacked up and I got lucky with a couple of 4-pound bites that really helped me.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:
1st: Jackie Flack of Cullman, Ala., five bass, 17-3, $6,011
2nd: Josh Butler of Hayden, Ala., five bass, 16-11, $3,506
3rd: Kyle Glasgow of Guin, Ala., five bass, 15-0, $2,001
4th: Dale Pelfrey of Rockwood, Tenn., five bass, 14-12, $1,403
5th: Greg Lamb of Birchwood, Tenn., five bass, 14-8, $1,152
5th: Billy Brindle of Calhoun, Ga., five bass, 14-8, $1,152
7th: Tim Arnold of Cullman, Ala., five bass, 14-7, $1,002
8th: Jody Brooks of Birmingham, Ala., five bass, 14-2, $902
9th: Jason Sloan of Warrior, Ala., five bass, 14-1, $802
10th: Colton Chambers of Elizabethton, Tenn., five bass, 13-12, $701
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Butler 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.
Jason Berrong of Crossville, Alabama, brought a 5-pound, 4-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $995.
Kenneth Underwood of Columbus, Mississippi, won the Co-angler Division and $3,486 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 12 pounds, 13 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:
1st: Kenneth Underwood of Columbus, Miss., five bass, 12-13, $3,486
2nd: Michael Matlock of Olivehill, Tenn., five bass, 12-9, $1,495
3rd: Don Bible of Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 12-0, $998
4th: Hayden O’Barr of Gurley, Ala., five bass, 11-13, $698
5th: Justin Stephenson of Jasper, Ala., five bass, 11-11, $598
6th: Jason Smith of Lawrenceburg, Tenn., five bass, 11-7, $548
7th: Richard Pugh of Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 10-11, $498
8th: Jacob Pospy of Morris, Ala., five bass, 10-9, $449
9th: Nathan Brewer of Lawrenceburg, Tenn., five bass, 10-8, $374
9th: Cameron Gatlin of Chattanooga, Tenn., five bass, 10-8, $524
Underwood also earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $495 after bringing a bass weighing 4 pounds, 13 ounces to the scale.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lewis Smith Lake was hosted by Cullman County Parks and Recreation. The tournament was the second of five events in the Choo Choo Division.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Choo Choo Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 16-18 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Cherokee in Jefferson City, Tennessee, hosted by the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce. 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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BASS – Spring bass fishing begins in earnest in March and April as waters warm above 50 degrees and pre-spawn fish move to the banks. Mid-to-upper sections of both river arms (Markers R22 to R56 and B12 to B30) and main creeks like Gills and Walton are prime. Check docks, boathouses, riprap and laydown trees in 5-to 10-foot depths with a 1/2-ounce spinnerbait (Stanley, Terminator, etc.) or a jig n’ pig (black/blue).
BASS – Spawning is underway from mid-April until mid-June with most fish remaining in depths of 2 to 6 feet through the end of the post-spawn period. Sight casting a minnowbait (Rapala, Rogue) or Slug-Go around cover like docks, piers and stumps is effective.
BASS – This lake is famous for night fishing during summer months. This, of course, is suggested because of the great popularity of the water by the boating public. In June/July bass key on alewife spawning runs, especially in the areas around Marker R12 around to B10. Work this stretch with a buzzbait or shallow running crankbait (Mann’s 1-Minus). In August, fish hold around traditional cover – brushpiles or stumps on structure (points, humps, old roadbeds, creek channels) in depths of 15 to 25 feet. Texas-rigged worms and Carolina-rigging comes into its own during this season. Watermelon, pumpkinseed and motor oil are effective colors.
BASS -In September and October, bass start schooling while foraging on gizzard and threadfin shad. These “jumps ” normally occur over long points and humps, especially at dawn and dusk. Typically, shad-patterned minnowbaits, Pop-R’s or Zara Spooks, are deadly. Aggressively “twitching” a minnowbait in the middle of a “jump” is a sure guarantee of action. The “S-Curve” sections of both river arms (R12 to R22 and B10 to B22) can be terrific.
BASS – By November, cooling water pulls bait and bass back to shallow depths, often 5 to 10 feet, in major creeks like Beckys and Bettys. Jig n’ pigs, spinnerbaits, tubes and medium diving cranks all produce.
BASS – Winter bass are schooled tightly on structure – steep, rocky main-channel points, creek bends, humps – in 25-to 45-foot depths. The presence of sunken brush is always a plus. Vertical jigging is the main presentation with Hopkins and other slab spoons the local favorite. Blade baits are also important – the Zip, Silver Buddy or Sonar.
