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Andy Morgan Claims Hometown Win on Lake Chickamauga at Bass Pro Tour Econo Lodge Stage Four presented by Winn Grips  

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Andy Morgan Claims Hometown Win on Lake Chickamauga at Bass Pro Tour Econo Lodge Stage Four presented by Winn Grips  
MLF pro-Andy Morgan weighed in 34 largemouth bass for 80-0 pounds on Championship Sunday to claim hometown win on Lake Chickamauga.
Andy Morgan Claims Hometown Win on Lake Chickamauga at
Bass Pro Tour Econo Lodge Stage Four presented by Winn Grips
DAYTON, Tenn. (April 14, 2019) – From the moment he announced his intention to compete on the Major League Fishing® (MLF) Bass Pro Tour, Tennessee pro Andy Morgan was tabbed by his fellow competitors as an angler to watch. Based on both his exceptional 23-year career and his catch-every-fish-that-swims fishing style, Morgan came into the season as a near-universal pick by his contemporaries to take home one of the eight regular-season Bass Pro Tour trophies.
It turns out that Morgan’s first Bass Pro Tour trophy didn’t have far to travel: 7.1 miles from Lake Chickamauga to the trophy room in his home in Dayton.
Fishing a lake that he grew up on – and finishing the day in a pocket that he and his dad have won “a number of April tournaments in over the years” – Morgan weighed in 34 Lake Chickamauga largemouth for 80-0 pounds to run away with the Championship Round of the Econo Lodge Stage Four presented by Winn Grips.
“I wanted to win one more tournament on Chickamauga,” Morgan admitted. “I can’t explain how hard it is to win an event at this level, and I can’t explain just how bad I wanted to win right here in front of my family and friends – I wanted it bad. It means the world to me to be able to come out here on this lake where I won my first tournament when I was 15, fish against this bunch of guys, and get that trophy. I’m awful proud of it.”
Jared Lintner finished second with 60-7, Todd Faircloth was third with 59-5, Jacob Powroznik was fourth with 54-4 and Mike Iaconelli completed the Top 5 with 54-2.
Morgan Committed to One Spot Early
Morgan fished Championship Sunday as one would expect a seasoned veteran to work his home fishery, committing his entire championship round to a long backwater north of Dayton that locals refer to as “The Branch”. Morgan woke up on Championship Sunday, looked at the weather forecast calling for heavy morning rain and afternoon winds, and knew immediately that he had an outstanding chance for a big day in two sloughs inside “The Branch”.
“As soon as I saw the weather, I knew that I wasn’t going to leave that area all day,” Morgan confirmed. “I was going to fish it all day long and figure it out, because I thought it had the best population of fish to work on. I knew it could all go down right in those two sloughs, and that I needed to just stay put and be patient.”
Morgan’s patience paid off. The Favorite Fishing pro worked his way around two areas he refers to as “Back Slough” and “Bus Slough” with a jig and Zoom Super Salt Plus Z Craw, a lipless crankbait and a vibrating jig, picking up 11 fish apiece in the first and second periods to claim and hold a 7-1 lead heading into the final period.
Jared Lintner, who spent a good part of his day sight fishing, had crept to within 2 pounds of Morgan midway through Period 2 and had located one spawner that he identified as “a double-digit fish.” But while Lintner added 11 fish to his SCORETRACKER™ total through the final 2 ½ hours of competition, eight of those were under 2 pounds; Morgan, meanwhile, connected with his two biggest fish of the day – a 5-7 and a 6-9 – and a 4-4 to gradually open up his lead.
“I had no other competitors in my area and the weather kept the local traffic out, so I had the whole place to myself,” Morgan said. “I’ve had some pretty special days on Chickamauga – I won my first Angler of the Year title on this lake – but today was the one day in my whole career where the deck was stacked for me to win.”
MLF pro Andy Morgan spent Championship Sunday in familiar waters – two sloughs that he knew well from years of fishing on home-lake Chickamauga – and it earned him the Bass Pro Tour Stage Four trophy. (Photo by Garrick Dixon. Click to enlarge/download.)
Morgan finished the week with 224-8, a record for weight caught in a Bass Pro Tour event. He and Lintner’s 106 fish caught is also a record.
Lintner Made a Run at It 
Lintner made things interesting through the first two periods, catching solid numbers of 1- to 3-pound males in an area in Soddy Creek that had been fished heavily throughout the week. The Aftco pro made a serious run at Morgan’s lead in the second period with a series of 3-pounders, but ultimately couldn’t convince a couple of big females to bite.
“I didn’t know if that area would replenish, or if the ones that were in there would bite again, but the winning fish were in that area,” Lintner said. “I saw a couple of fresh big ones that I thought were going to go, but they just weren’t ready to bite.”
Bass Pro Tour Stage Four By the Numbers
Total Weight                     7,415 pounds, 9 ounces
Total Fish                         3,829 fish
5-plus pounds                  74 fish
6-plus pounds                  36 fish
7-plus pounds                  17 fish
Records Broken

Total Event Weight            7,415 pounds, 9 ounces

Total Event Fish Caught    3,829
Most Overall Weight          224 pounds, 8 (Andy Morgan)
Most Fish Caught              106 (Jared Lintner & Andy Morgan)
Two-Day Weight                105 pounds, 6 ounces (Zack Birge)

 

Next Up on the Bass Pro Tour 

The 80-man MLF Bass Pro Tour field will have a two-week break before returning to competition for Stage Five on Smith Lake in Cullman, Alabama, April 30 to May 5.

For more information on the MLF Bass Pro Tour and its anglers, rules and schedule, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Blaylock Holds On To Win Bassmaster Elite Series Event At Winyah Bay

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Blaylock Holds On To Win Bassmaster Elite Series Event At Winyah Bay
Stetson Blaylock celebrates winning the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Elite at Winyah Bay with his family after weighing a four-day total of 50 pounds, 15 ounces. 

                                                                                                                                                      Photo by  Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

April 14, 2019

Blaylock Holds On To Win Bassmaster Elite Series Event At Winyah Bay

GEORGETOWN, S.C. —  Stetson Blaylock came to the Bassmaster Elite at Winyah Bay with one goal in mind: don’t finish last.

He accomplished that goal — and then some.

The third-year Elite Series pro from Arkansas tallied a four-day total of 50 pounds, 15 ounces and earned a victory that was unexpected, to say the least. He capped the win with a Championship Sunday limit of five bass that weighed 9-3.

“I came here with the intentions of ‘Don’t ruin your season; don’t come here and finish dead last,’” said Blaylock, who earned $100,000 for the victory. “When I found my area, I knew it had fish, so I thought I’d get out of here with a Top 35 and roll on to the next one. I didn’t know it had winning potential at all.

“I look back at every bass I lost this week and think ‘Gosh, I should’ve caught that one.’ Today, I had one good one that jumped off that would have been another 2 pounds. When that kind of stuff happens, you’re not supposed to win, but when it’s your time, you can’t do anything wrong.”

Time management was essential throughout the week. While many of his competitors ran 100-plus miles to fish various areas of the Cooper River, Blaylock earned his first blue trophy by staying in a pond off the Waccamaw River, about 18 minutes from takeoff at Georgetown’s Carroll Ashmore Campbell Marine Complex.

Lined with overhanging trees, the area held deeper water and sprouted a few tributary canals. Here, Blaylock placed 11th on Day 1 with 11-6, rose to sixth the next day with 12-7 and surged into the Day 3 lead by sacking up a limit of 17-15, the tournament’s heaviest bag.

Today, Blaylock faced a tougher bite, but his 9-3 was enough to hold off a dramatic charge by second-place angler Scott Canterbury, who finished just 9 ounces behind Blaylock.

“I’ve never been here before, so I went to where I knew there were some fish,” Blaylock said. “That gave me the entire day to fish.”

Coming off a second-place finish in last week’s Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Elite at Lake Hartwell, Blaylock not only carried over the positive momentum, he also stuck with the same selection of lures. His primary bait was a 5-inch green pumpkin YUM Dinger stickworm with a 1/32-ounce nail weight and a Gamakatsu G-Finesse Dropshot Hook tucked under an O-ring.

Blaylock used this rig for skipping under tree limbs, a technique that accounted for most of his bites. He also caught a keeper on a P-70 Pop-R — and when he found bed fish, he pitched a white YUM Christie Craw on a 3/0 hook and a 7/16-ounce weight.

“Going out this morning with the chance to win, all day it seemed like I had given it away,” Blaylock said. “I figured I’d finish sixth or seventh with the way I lost so many and fished so poorly today. But it all comes down to those key fish you get in the box.

“Winning an event like this is everything to a fisherman. The money’s nice, but the trophy is what it’s all about.”

In second place, Canterbury’s ambitious venture was pure Bassmaster LIVE gold, as a long run up the Cooper yielded a limit of 16-2 — the day’s heaviest catch — and gave him a total weight of 50-6. Motoring well past where other competitors fished, the Alabama angler, who started the day in eighth place, made a key bait change that produced 10 pounds in two bites — a 6- and a 4-pounder — within 30 minutes.

“I went up there yesterday and I was only going to fish about an hour just to get away from everybody, because I struggled so bad the second day,” Canterbury said. “When I got up there yesterday I caught a 2-pounder and then a 5-pounder 10-minutes later, so I ended up staying in that area.

“Today, I went up there and threw the same Dirty Jigs swim jig I threw yesterday and couldn’t get them to bite it. I hadn’t thrown a buzzbait all week. But today, with muddy water and overcast weather, it just felt like a buzzbait day. I caught every one of my fish on that bait.”

Earlier in the day, Canterbury took advantage of the morning’s high water to fish around spawning areas. When the outgoing tide started draining the areas, he moved outside to the main creek channel and caught his fish on points of vegetation out of the main current.

“It’s all about making those adjustments and today, I made some good ones,” he said.

In third place, Canadian Cory Johnston also fished the Cooper River, but he focused on the expansive flats that once served as rice fields. In practice, he had marked several key areas with hydrilla clumps and isolated hard-bottom spots.

Targeting these spawning sites was his plan, but the day’s conditions were not favorable.

“The water was clear, but with cloudy skies, I couldn’t see the beds and the clear spots and that hurt me,” Johnston said. “I could get my bait in the area, but I wasn’t able to specifically throw it on a bed, so I had to blind cast.”

Johnston added a limit of 9-1 and finished with 49-5. He caught his fish on a wacky-rigged green pumpkin stickbait and a homemade swim jig with a Strike King Rage Craw trailer.

Rounding out the Top 5 were Jason Williamson with 46-3 and John Crews with 46-2.

Williamson won the $1,500 Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award with a 6-10 largemouth.

Williamson and Crews were also the two highest finishing anglers eligible for Toyota Bonus Bucks. Williamson finished fourth and added $3,000 to his purse, while Crews finished fifth earning a $2,000 bonus.

South Carolina rookie Patrick Walters claimed the lead in both the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year and the DICK`S Sporting Goods Rookie of Year race, after four events, earning $1,000 for AOY and $500 for ROY.

2019 Bassmaster Elite at Winyah Bay 4/11-4/14
                                  Winyah Bay, Georgetown  SC.
                                (PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4

   Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              20  50-15  100 $100,000.00
  Day 1: 5   11-06     Day 2: 5   12-07     Day 3: 5   17-15     Day 4: 5   09-03
2.  Scott Canterbury       Odenville, AL           20  50-06   99  $25,000.00
  Day 1: 5   11-15     Day 2: 5   07-01     Day 3: 5   15-04     Day 4: 5   16-02
3.  Cory Johnston          Cavan CANADA            20  49-05   98  $20,000.00
  Day 1: 5   11-02     Day 2: 5   11-12     Day 3: 5   17-06     Day 4: 5   09-01
4.  Jason Williamson       Wagener, SC             20  46-03   97  $16,500.00
  Day 1: 5   15-11     Day 2: 5   08-11     Day 3: 5   10-13     Day 4: 5   11-00
5.  John Crews Jr          Salem, VA               20  46-02   96  $15,000.00
  Day 1: 5   11-13     Day 2: 5   08-15     Day 3: 5   15-09     Day 4: 5   09-13
6.  Koby Kreiger           Alva, FL                20  45-03   95  $15,000.00
  Day 1: 5   08-11     Day 2: 5   12-11     Day 3: 5   15-04     Day 4: 5   08-09
7.  Patrick Walters        Summerville, SC         20  44-00   94  $16,500.00
  Day 1: 5   11-04     Day 2: 5   10-00     Day 3: 5   12-08     Day 4: 5   10-04
8.  Luke Palmer            Coalgate, OK            20  42-09   93  $15,000.00
  Day 1: 5   14-02     Day 2: 5   12-06     Day 3: 5   09-05     Day 4: 5   06-12
9.  Jesse Tacoronte        Kissimmee, FL           20  41-04   92  $15,000.00
  Day 1: 5   10-14     Day 2: 5   13-07     Day 3: 5   09-09     Day 4: 5   07-06
10. Clent Davis            Montevallo, AL          17  40-13   91  $15,000.00
  Day 1: 5   12-14     Day 2: 5   09-02     Day 3: 5   16-06     Day 4: 2   02-07
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
     Jason Williamson         Wagener, SC         06-10      $1,500.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
 1        62       342       631-04
 2        60       347       674-12
 3        28       159       349-12
 4         9        47        90-09
----------------------------------
         159       895      1746-05

OKLAHOMA’S UPSHAW LEADS WIRE-TO-WIRE, WINS FLW TOUR ON CHEROKEE LAKE PRESENTED BY LOWRANCE

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OKLAHOMA’S UPSHAW LEADS WIRE-TO-WIRE, WINS FLW TOUR ON CHEROKEE LAKE PRESENTED BY LOWRANCE

OKLAHOMA’S UPSHAW LEADS WIRE-TO-WIRE, WINS FLW TOUR ON CHEROKEE LAKE PRESENTED BY LOWRANCE

Oklahoma pro tops the 164-angler field at the FLW Tour on Cherokee Lake, earns $100,000

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Link to HD video of Upshaw’s winning moment

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. (April 14, 2019) – Pro Andrew Upshaw of Tulsa, Oklahoma, won the FLW Tour at the Cherokee Lake presented by Lowrance after catching five bass Sunday weighing 15 pounds, 6 ounces. Upshaw’s four-day cumulative total of 20 bass weighing 67 pounds, 10 ounces, was enough to edge second-place pro Grae Buck of Harleysville, Pennsylvania, by 1 pound, 2 ounces, at the event that featured 164 of the world’s top bass anglers. For his win – the first of his FLW Tour career – Upshaw earned $100,000.

“This week was phenomenal – there’s no other way to describe it,” a visibly emotional Upshaw said on the FLW Tour weigh-in stage Sunday afternoon. “Through practice, I knew I was on something special, but I didn’t know just how special.”

Upshaw’s week on the water primarily involved targeting spawning bass. Early on, he said he lured bites with a drop-shot rig, using a green-pumpkin-colored Strike King KVD Drop-Shot Half Shell with a 1/8-ounce weight, but ended up switching after breaking it off 30 minutes into day one of competition. He proceeded to pick up a 4-inch, wacky-rigged Strike King KVD Perfect Plastic Ocho of the same color and went to work putting together consistent limits around mid-lake islands. He said he preferred 10-pound-test Seaguar Smackdown braid line with a 6-pound InvisX fluorocarbon leader.

“These fish stay around these islands all year long – they don’t leave,” said Upshaw. “I caught some on banks, but all my big ones came on islands. I wanted to be around the deepest water and the steepest banks. It had to have boulders out in front, and more importantly, the bank had to have somewhat of a turn in it. It didn’t have to have a cove, but just a turn – those smallmouth were spawning in them. There was just enough [curve] to get them out of the current where they could spawn.

“I took the Ocho and pitched it behind those boulders because that’s where they were spawning,” continued Upshaw. “Everybody was casting out in front and in the cracks, but they were actually behind the boulders the entire time. Anybody throwing a weighted bait, whether it was a Ned rig or a shaky-head, wasn’t able to effectively fish it because it was dropping so fast. By pitching that very, very light-weight Ocho around, I was able to get the fish that no one else was fishing for.”

On Championship Sunday, Upshaw slipped and surrendered the lead for a significant period of time, but after a last-minute stop at a secondary area he’d been saving – two points a quarter-mile from takeoff – the Oklahoma pro made two culls that would end up putting him over the top.

“Off to the side of one of the points there was a rock pile – it had isolated boulders and only big ones were moving up on it,” said Upshaw. “I caught a 3½-pounder and one that weighed about 2½ pounds to cull out two small fish.”

Upshaw caught his final two fish using a 3.25-inch, Ghost Shad-colored Strike King Rage Swimmer on a ¼-ounce jighead.

The top 10 pros on Cherokee Lake finished:

1st:          Andrew Upshaw, Tulsa, Okla., 20 bass, 67-10, $100,000

2nd:         Grae Buck, Harleysville, Pa., 20 bass, 66-8, $30,200

3rd:          Dylan Hays, El Dorado, Ark., 20 bass, 65-12, $25,100

4th:          Jason Reyes, Huffman, Texas, 20 bass, 65-11, $20,000

5th:          Andy Young, Isle, Minn., 20 bass, 64-0, $19,000

6th:          Yamamoto Baits pro Tom Monsoor, La Crosse, Wis., 20 bass, 63-1, $18,000

7th:          Tim Cales, Sandstone, W. Va., 20 bass, 62-8, $17,000

8th:          Derrick Snavely, Piney Flats, Tenn., 20 bass, 61-9, $16,000

9th:          Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa., 20 bass, 61-4, $15,000

10th:        Tim Frederick, Leesburg, Fla., 20 bass, 60-12, $14,000

 

For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.

Overall, there were 50 bass weighing 146 pounds, 14 ounces, caught by pros Sunday. All of the final 10 pros were able to bring five-bass limits to the scale.

Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Cherokee Lake presented by Lowrance will premiere in 2019. The exact air-date will be announced soon. The Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.

The total purse for the FLW Tour at Cherokee Lake presented by Lowrance is more than $860,000. The tournament is hosted by the Economic Development Alliance, Jefferson County. The next event for FLW Tour anglers will be the FLW Tour at Lake Chickamauga presented by Evinrude, in Dayton, Tennessee, May 2-5. The tournament will be hosted by Fish Dayton and the Rhea Economic & Tourism Council.

In FLW Tour competition, the full field of 164 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continued competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2019 FLW Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2019 FLW Cup will be on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 9-11 and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

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

FLOYD CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL WINS 2019 BASS PRO SHOPS FLW HIGH SCHOOL FISHING LAKE CUMBERLAND OPEN

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FLOYD CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL WINS 2019 BASS PRO SHOPS FLW HIGH SCHOOL FISHING LAKE CUMBERLAND OPEN

FLOYD CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL WINS 2019 BASS PRO SHOPS FLW HIGH SCHOOL FISHING LAKE CUMBERLAND OPEN

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BURNSIDE, Ky. (April 14, 2019) – The Floyd Central High School duo of Zach Rose of Prestonsburg, Kentucky, and Cameron Crider of Dwale, Kentucky, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 16 pounds, 10 ounces to win the 2019 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Lake Cumberland Open.

A field of 161 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which launched from General Burnside Island State Park in Burnside. The tournament was hosted by the Burnside Tourism Commission. In FLW and The Bass Federation (TBF) High School Fishing competition, the top 10-percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.

The top 16 teams on Lake Cumberland that advanced to the 2019 High School Fishing National Championship were:

1st:       Floyd Central High School, Langley, Ky. – Zach Rose, Prestonsburg, Ky., and Cameron Crider, Dwale, Ky., five bass, 16-10

2nd:     McCracken County High School, McCracken County, Ky. – James Harper Burkeen and Austin Braboy, both of Paducah, Ky., five bass, 16-0

3rd:      Russell County High School, Russell Springs, Ky. – Jesse York, Russell Springs, Ky., and Kyle Roy, Jamestown, Ky., five bass, 13-13

4th:      Larue County High School, Hodgenville, Ky. – Wyatt Pearman, Hodgenville, Ky., and Evan Morris, Buffalo, Ky., five bass, 13-9

5th:      Lake Cumberland Bass Club, Somerset, Ky. – Blake Stringer and Ragan Burton, both of Somerset, Ky., five bass, 13-9

6th:      Russell County High School, Russell Springs, Ky. – Dylan Stringer, Jamestown, Ky., and Branson Campbell, Russell Springs, Ky., four bass, 12-13

7th:      Garrard County High School, Garrard County, Ky. – Will Oberman and Clay Oberman, both of Lancaster, Ky., four bass, 12-8

8th:      Spencer County High School, Taylorsville, Ky. – Dillon Stallings and Clayton Rountree, both of Taylorsville, Ky., five bass, 12-6

9th:      Bethlehem High School, Bardstown, Ky. – Will Johnson, Cox’s Creek, Ky., and Elijah Peake, Bardstown, Ky., five bass, 12-6

10th:    McCracken County High School, McCracken County, Ky. – Hunter Valerius and Sarah Moorehead, both of Paducah, Ky., three bass, 11-15

11th:    Bath County High School, Owingsville, Ky. – Jacob Conyers and Spencer Pergrem, both of Owingsville, Ky., five bass, 11-13

12th:    Somerset High School, Somerset, Ky. – Matthew Gosser and Mason Ellnor, both of Somerset, Ky., five bass, 11-12

13th:    Cornerstone Christian Academy, Shelbyville, Ky. – Doug Jesse, Shelbyville, Ky., and Jake Thornbury, Finchville, Ky., four bass, 11-12

14th:    East Jessamine High School, Nicholasville, Ky. – Ridge Rutledge and Jacob Wielgus, both of Nicholasville, Ky., five bass, 11-9

15th:    Madison Southern High School, Berea, Ky. – Kurtis Blair and Cody Blair, both of Berea, Ky., five bass, 11-5

16th:    Madison High School, Marshall, N.C. – Bailey Merrill and Trevor Thorpe, both of Marshall, N.C., four bass, 11-5

Complete results from the event can be found at FLWFishing.com.

The 2019 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Lake Cumberland Open was a two-person (team) event for students in grades 7-12, open to any Student Angler Federation (SAF) affiliated high school club in the United States. The top 10 percent of each Challenge, Open, and state championship field will advance to the 2019 High School Fishing National Championship on a body of water that has yet to be revealed. The High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.

In addition to the High School Fishing National Championship, all High School Fishing anglers nationwide automatically qualify for the world’s largest open high school bass tournament, the 2019 High School Fishing World Finals, held in conjunction with the National Championship. At the 2018 World Finals more than $150,000 in scholarships and prizes were awarded.

Full schedules and the latest announcements are available at HighSchoolFishing.org and FLWFishing.com.

Steven Costa & Jesse Dalton Win One Stop Mart Leesville lake T.T. April 14, 2019

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Steven Costa & Jesse Dalton Win One Stop Mart Leesville lake T.T. April 14, 2019

We had 14 boats competing today on Leesville Lake in a one-stop mart Leesville lake tournament Trail tournament. 1st place – Steven Costa / Jesse Dalton – 5 fish – 15.67 lbs

2nd place – Roger Dolan /Roger Dolan Jr – 5 fish – 13.89 lbs

3rd place – Bradley Lumpkin /Lucas Lambert -4 fish – 13.09 lbs

4th place – Dillion Gray /Dan Smathers – 3 fish -9.89 lbs

Big fish of the day – Steven Costa / Jesse Dalton – a 6.62 lb largemouth

Warming Water Trends And How It Can Help You Find More Bass This Spring

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Warming Water Trends And How It Can Help You Find More Bass This Spring

Warming Water Trends And How It Can Help You Find More Bass This Spring

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For fishermen in the north country, early spring can be a special time of year. Finally, after months of snow, ice, and frigid temperatures, it is time to get back in the boat and begin the chase once more. However, if you don’t know where or how to begin finding or catching bass you won’t have a productive day on the water. Follow these tips to find and catch largemouth bass this spring after a long winter.

Warm Water Is Essential

Examples of areas to look fish during the Spring.

I am sure this comes as no surprise. After ice out, largemouth will be looking for the warmest water in the fishery. However, one thing I have noticed over the years is the warmest water is not always in the northwest corner of a lake. In fact, it can be found almost anywhere on the lake depending upon multiple factors. If you are not familiar with a body of water, though, the northwest corner is your best bet as a starting point.

Dark Water Usually Warms First

Dark bottom bays often hold the warmest water.

Look for dark bottom bays. These are typically your best bet on a bright, warm, sunny day as this dark bottom will hold heat and attract bass and baitfish. Additionally, look for the smallest, shallowest, isolated bays on your fishery. The less water there is, the quicker it will warm up. Hordes of largemouth will move into these small bays as soon as the ice goes out and the sun warms them up.

It Comes Down To Timing

bass fishing lake taneycomo
Find the right water and find the right fish.

Keep in mind that not all fish in the system move up at the same time. In fact, this process, at least in the north, can be drawn out over the course of weeks. Bass will begin their general migration towards the shallows. Some will move all the way up immediately while others will stop in staging areas before going the rest of the distance.

Look for big, female largemouth bass to use these deeper water staging areas before moving in shallow to feed and spawn. Typically, the best way to find these staging areas is to locate the spawning bays and backtrack to the nearest access to deep water. Oftentimes, these areas are the points and flats directly outside of spawning bays.

Bait Selection – Keep It Simple

Lake Fork Guy prepping for an outing.

Lastly, bait selection is key this time of year. Because there are so many fish in so many different areas, you have to be ready for anything as an angler. However, when simplified, fishermen don’t need many baits to be successful in the early spring. For staging, deeper fish, an assortment of mid-depth crankbaits, rattlebaits, and heavier swim jigs are good options. This time of year, slow retrieves seem to work best. If the bass are around, they will munch whatever you throw. Throw your confidence and goto baits.

The same goes for shallow water fish. Anglers will find great success with weightless soft plastics like Texas-rigged finesse worms and senkos as well as wacky rigs. If you are fishing a large spawning bay and need to cover water, look to swimbaits or swim jigs. Bomb cast these baits as far as you can, slow roll them on the bottom and hold on for dear life.

MURRAY STATE UNIVERSITY WINS YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING CENTRAL CONFERENCE OPENER ON LAKE CUMBERLAND PRESENTED BY COSTA

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MURRAY STATE UNIVERSITY WINS YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING CENTRAL CONFERENCE OPENER ON LAKE CUMBERLAND PRESENTED BY COSTA

MURRAY STATE UNIVERSITY WINS YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING CENTRAL CONFERENCE OPENER ON LAKE CUMBERLAND PRESENTED BY COSTA

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BURNSIDE, Ky. (April 14, 2019) – The Murray State University duo of Hunter McKinley of Murray, Kentucky, and Brendan Bingham of Louisville, Kentucky, won the YETI FLW College Fishing event on Lake Cumberland presented by Costa Friday with a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 8 ounces. The victory earned the Racer’s bass club $2,400 and a slot in the 2020 FLW College Fishing National Championship.

The duo said that they caught a combined mix of largemouth and smallmouth – 20 to 30 throughout the day – bringing a five-bass limit to the scale consisting of two smallmouth and three largemouth. They credited shad-colored Keitech swimbaits as the key bait for their smallmouth and flipping a green-pumpkin with blue flake and orange-colored Bruiser Baits Crazy Craw for their largemouth.

“It’s nice to be ending my College Fishing career with a win,” said McKinley, a senior graduating in May with a degree in advertising. “We were planning on targeting largemouth, but we started out on smallmouth in the morning hoping for a bonus big bite and we got one. We were fishing on the river near Jamestown until 9:30 or 10 (a.m.) then we switched to flipping for largemouth. We caught 10 to 15 keepers flipping the Crazy Craw – including another nice smallmouth.”

“It was an awesome day – there was at least two or three times that we were both hooked up, back-to-back,” said Bingham, a sophomore majoring in Occupational Safety and Health Administration. “We were mainly targeting laydowns on transition banks. We stayed in one spot – Pumpkin Creek, up by the Jamestown Marina – for most of the day. Our river smallmouth spot was near there as well.

“I think our key for the day was picking up the flipping sticks when the sun came out,” McKinley went on to say. “We made the right decision and it was great to get the win on a really fun day of fishing.”

The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2020 College Fishing National Championship are:

1st:          Murray State University – Hunter McKinley, Murray, Ky., and Brendan Bingham, Louisville, Ky., five bass, 19-8, $2,400

2nd:         Campbellsville University – Nick Ratliff, Vine Grove, Ky., and Bradley Dunagan, Monticello, Ky., five bass, 19-7, $1,250

3rd:         Eastern Kentucky University – Blake Riley, Henderson, Ky., and Corey Elliott, London, Ky., five bass, 17-13, $500

4th:         McKendree University – Nathan Doty, Decatur, Ill., and Jacob Louis, Pinckneyville, Ill., five bass, 17-3, $500

5th:         Eastern Kentucky University – Kyler Petrey, Richmond, Ky., and Jeffrey Ruber, Dry Ridge, Ky., five bass, 17-1, $500

6th:         University of Wisconsin-La Crosse – Gage Griffin, Lake Forest, Ill., and Colby Wolff, Shiwano, Wis., five bass, 16-1

7th:         Southern Illinois University – Mason Bishop, Tunnel Hill, Ill., and Kyle Kreger, Du Bois, Ill., five bass, 15-9

8th:         Campbellsville University – Adam Carman, Berea, Ky., and Hunter Grant Adams, Campbellsville, Ky., five bass, 14-13

9th:         Bellarmine University – Andrew Kuebler, Louisville, Ky., and Zack Ruhland, Fort Mitchell, Ky., five bass, 14-5

10th:       Georgetown College – Hunter Osborne, Irvine, Ky., and Samuel Clark, Danville, Ky., five bass, 14-1

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

The YETI FLW College Fishing event on Lake Cumberland presented by Costa was hosted by the Burnside Tourism Commission. It was the first of three regular-season qualifying tournaments for Central Conference anglers. The next event for FLW College Fishing anglers will be the Northern Conference opener, April 26 at Smith Mountain Lake in Huddleston, Virginia.

YETI FLW College Fishing teams compete in three regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. All participants must be registered, full-time students at a college, university or community college and members of a college fishing club that is recognized by their school. The top 10 teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual FLW College Fishing Open will advance to the 2020 FLW College Fishing National Championship. Additional teams will qualify for the National Championship if the field size in regular-season events exceeds 100 boats. The Potomac River and Marbury, Maryland, will play host to the 2019 FLW College Fishing National Championship, June 4-6, 2019.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow YETI FLW College Fishing 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 in 2019 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW and their partners conduct more than 290 bass-fishing tournaments annually around the world, including the United States, Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa and Spain. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

UPSHAW LEADS FIELD INTO FINAL DAY OF FLW TOUR ON CHEROKEE LAKE PRESENTED BY LOWRANCE

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UPSHAW LEADS FIELD INTO FINAL DAY OF FLW TOUR ON CHEROKEE LAKE PRESENTED BY LOWRANCE

UPSHAW LEADS FIELD INTO FINAL DAY OF FLW TOUR ON CHEROKEE LAKE PRESENTED BY LOWRANCE

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JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. (April 13, 2019) – Pro Andrew Upshaw of Tulsa, Oklahoma, maintained his lead Saturday at the FLW Tour at the Cherokee Lake presented by Lowrance after catching five bass weighing 16 pounds even. Upshaw’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 52-4 will lead the final 10 pros into the fourth and final day of the event, where he and his peers will cast for a top prize of up to $125,000.

After starting the day in eight place, Yamamoto Baits pro Tom Monsoor of La Crosse, Wisconsin, made a leap up the leaderboard with a limit weighing 17-6 to sit within striking distance of Upshaw in second place with a three-day cumulative total of 50-10, while Dylan Hays of El Dorado, Arkansas, sits in third with 50 pounds, 1 ounce. The stage is set for an exciting final day of competition with only 4 pounds, 15 ounces, separating 10th place from first.

Upshaw said he spent the day targeting main-lake spawning fish, a pattern he’s followed all week. He said his day started out slower than his first two mornings, which he admitted threw him off mentally.

“I pulled up to where I wanted to start and I caught a non-keeper immediately, and that’s only my second non-keeper of the week,” said Upshaw, who is seeking his first career victory in FLW Tour competition. “Then, a few minutes later, I caught another non-keeper, then another, and it really started spinning me out a little bit. Not necessarily the missed fish. But when you’re just catching little, little ones, it threw me off a little bit.

“Once I caught my first couple of decent ones, I kind of got this calming feeling,” Upshaw continued. “I really focused and got a little talkative – I got to where I was having fun. I caught a 4-pounder and I was really having fun – I know how big 4-pounders are going to be here.”

Upshaw said his plan for Championship Sunday is to try and eliminate the slow morning by going for a limit at a secondary area he’s been saving.

“What I’m trying to do is get that stress off of my back. I can pull up to this spot, and maybe not catch a bunch of fish, but I feel like I can catch two, three, maybe a limit fairly quick,” said Upshaw. “It’s actually a bigger area. It’s reloading and it’s got a ton of fish in it.”

The Oklahoma pro went on to say that he’s definitely feeling the pressure to finish strong after leading the event for three days, but with his secondary area set to potentially ease the stress of getting an initial limit, he has confidence that he can find his groove once again.

“As far as nerves go, I’ve dealt with high-stress situations before. Not just in tournament fishing, but in other sports like football and basketball and everything like that. Tomorrow I get to go have fun and I’ve got my family here to calm me down, so everything should be fine.”

The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition Sunday on Cherokee Lake are:

1st:          Andrew Upshaw, Tulsa, Okla., 15 bass, 52-4

2nd:         Yamamoto Baits pro Tom Monsoor, La Crosse, Wis., 15 bass, 50-10

3rd:          Dylan Hays, El Dorado, Ark., 15 bass, 50-1

4th:          Grae Buck, Harleysville, Pa., 15 bass, 49-4

5th:          Andy Young, Isle, Minn., 15 bass, 49-0

6th:          Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa., 15 bass, 48-13

7th:          Tim Frederick, Leesburg, Fla., 15 bass, 48-3

8th:          Jason Reyes, Huffman, Texas, 15 bass, 48-3

9th:          Derrick Snavely, Piney Flats, Tenn., 15 bass, 48-2

10th:        Tim Cales, Sandstone, W. Va., 15 bass, 47-5

 

Finishing 11th through 30th are:

 

11th:        Lowrance pro Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn., 15 bass, 47-4, $12,000

12th:        Polaris pro David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 15 bass, 47-2, $12,000

13th:        J. Todd Tucker, Moultrie, Ga., 15 bass, 46-14, $12,000

14th:        Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 15 bass, 46-11, $12,000

15th:        Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 46-11, $12,000

16th:        Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 15 bass, 46-9, $11,500

17th:        Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., 15 bass, 46-8, $11,500

18th:        Dakota Ebare, Denham Springs, La., 15 bass, 46-4, $11,500

19th:        Berkley pro Joey Cifuentes, Clinton, Ark., 15 bass, 45-14, $11,500

20th:        Johnny McCombs, Morris, Ala., 15 bass, 45-14, $11,500

21st:        Kerry Milner, Bono, Ark., 15 bass, 45-12, $10,500

22nd:       Josh Douglas, Isle, Minn., 15 bass, 45-7, $10,500

23rd:        A.J. Slegona, Pine Bush, N.Y., 15 bass, 45-6, $10,500

24th:        Jon Englund, Farwell, Minn., 15 bass, 44-13, $10,500

25th:        Yamamoto Baits pro Larry Nixon, Quitman, Ark., 15 bass, 43-5, $10,500

26th:        Brandon McMillan, Clewiston, Fla., 15 bass, 42-14, $10,500

27th:        Jason Meninger, Saint Augustine, Fla., 15 bass, 42-14, $10,500

28th:        Evan Barnes, Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 42-10, $10,500

29th:        Matthew Stefan, Junction City, Wis., 15 bass, 42-10, $10,500

30th:        Kurt Mitchell, Milford, Del., 15 bass, 42-1, $10,500

 

For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.

Overall, there were 150 bass weighing 436 pounds, 13 ounces, caught by pros Saturday. All 30 pros were able to bring five-bass limits to the scale.

In FLW Tour competition, the full field of 164 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to Saturday. Now, only the top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

The total purse for the FLW Tour at Cherokee Lake presented by Lowrance is more than $860,000. The tournament is hosted by the Economic Development Alliance, Jefferson County.

Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2019 FLW Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2019 FLW Cup will be on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 9-11 and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

Anglers will take off for the final day of competition at 7 a.m. EST Sunday from the TVA Dam Boat Launch, located at 2805 N. Highway 92, in Jefferson City. Sunday’s Championship weigh-in will be held near the launch beginning at 4 p.m.

In conjunction with the weigh-ins, FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at the TVA Dam Boat Launch from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday. The Expo is a chance for fishing fans to meet their favorite anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, as well as learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.

Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Cherokee Lake presented by Lowrance will premiere in 2019. The exact air-date will be announced soon. The Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.

The popular FLW Live on-the-water program will air on Sunday, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros. Host Travis Moran will be joined by veteran FLW Tour pro Todd Hollowell to break down the extended action 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 sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Jacob Powroznik Aiming for Back-To-Back Wins After Knockout Round Victory

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Jacob Powroznik Aiming for Back-To-Back Wins After Knockout Round Victory
MLF pro Jacob Powroznik connected with 10 fish for 20-15 in the final period to finish first in today’s Knockout Round on Chickamauga with 67-14. A Bass Pro Tour win on Championship Sunday would be two in a row for him.
Jacob Powroznik Aiming for Back-To-Back Wins After Knockout Round Victory
DAYTON, Tenn. (April 13, 2019) – Almost as soon as he drove away from Raleigh, North Carolina – a Bass Pro Tour trophy riding shotgun in his Toyota Tundra – Major League Fishing® (MLF) pro Jacob Powroznik was already talking about how much he likes to fish Lake Chickamauga. The Virginia pro, who won Stage Three in Raleigh just two weeks ago, has competed on this impoundment of the Tennessee River multiple times and identifies it as one of his favorite fisheries.
In Saturday’s Knockout Round of the Econo Lodge Stage Four presented by Evinrude, Powroznik showed why. After hovering around the middle of the Top 10 for the majority of the first two periods, Powroznik connected with 10 fish for 20-15 in the final period to finish first in the round with 67-14 on the day.
“I love throwing a wacky worm, I love bed fishing, I love fishing while they’re spawning, and that’s what’s going on here right now,” said Powroznik. “It would be hard for me to win a five-fish event doing what I’m doing right now, but in our format, you get to go out and catch as many bass as you possibly can. That suits my style of fishing right now. I’ve seen some big ones – they’re just ‘cranky’ right now – but those 2- to 3-pounders are biting really good right now, and I’m just fine with that.”
Powroznik will be joined in Sunday’s Championship Round of 10 by: Todd Faircloth (63-12), Mike Iaconelli (59-8), Brandon Palaniuk (56-15), Andy Morgan (56-3), Luke Clausen (53-10), Keith Poche (52-3), Jared Lintner (52-1), Edwin Evers (50-15) and Michael Neal (49-11).
Today’s weights will be wiped clean as the finalists start the Championship Round with a zero score.
Final-Period Knockout Drama
The final 2 ½ hours of competition saw several dramatic stories play out, none more so than Iaconelli’s. The Berkley pro entered the third period in 24th place – well out of contention for a Top 10 spot – but then connected with nine fish for 23-5 in the final 30 minutes on a squarebill to catapult him to third place.
“It’s not a magic spot, I don’t have a magic bait, it wasn’t something I did or changed, it wasn’t dumb luck, it was just timing,” Iaconelli said. “It was just a place where they started to pull up on and started to feed, and I happened to fish it at just the right time. I’ve been doing this for 22, 23 years professionally, and that was the most magical 20 minutes of my tournament career.”
On the other end of the spectrum, local pro Michael Neal was left to agonize after the “lines out” call as he waited for the official final results to post to SCORETRACKER™. Neal, who started the day on fire with nearly 30 pounds, caught two fish in the final 13 minutes and then clung to a Top 10 spot as Terry Scroggins and Casey Ashley fell less than 2 pounds behind him in the standings.
“I had confidence that if I kept moving through my areas, I’d find one that had some fish pulled up on it and ready to eat,” Neal said. “It was just a matter of keeping my head up, keep fishing and keep throwing my confidence baits that I’ve been throwing all week.”
Championship Veterans vs. First-Timers
Neal is one of four anglers who have competed previously in Bass Pro Tour Championship Sunday. Powroznik won Stage Three, Lintner finished third in Stage One Kissimmee (Florida). Evers is the only angler to qualify for all four championship finals.
On the flipside, six of the Championship 10 will fish their first-ever Bass Pro Tour final round on Sunday: Faircloth, Iaconelli, Palaniuk, Morgan, Clausen and Poche.
“I’ve spent a lot of time trying different things and thinking I’d find some ‘golden ticket’, but this is all about getting out there and grinding away until I got something done,” said Clausen, a Bassmaster Classic and Forrest Wood Cup champion. “I’m happy to finally get to a Championship Round, I think this lake is setting up for a big-fish day tomorrow.”
Records Continue to Fall on Chickamauga
The first three Championship Rounds of the 2019 Bass Pro Tour have been competitive by all measures, but with records being written and rewritten all week on Chickamauga, this Sunday’s final round shapes up to be the most explosive to date. Nine of the 10 anglers competing have posted at least one 50-plus-pound day this week, and the fishery has kicked out 1,687 scorable largemouth for 3,138 pounds in the past three days alone.  
MLF pro Jared Lintner finished the Knockout Round in 8th, with this 8-10 being the kicker in his today’s total of 52-1.
(Click to enlarge / download)
When, Where & How to Watch
Competition begins on Championship Sunday at 7:30 a.m. ET, with live, official scoring available via SCORETRACKER™ on MajorLeagueFishing.com and on the MLF app. The MLF NOW! Live Stream starts at 10 a.m. ET, with live, on-the-water coverage and analysis provided by Chad McKee, JT Kenney, Marty Stone and Natalie Dillon until lines out at 3:30 p.m. The Berkley Postgame Show – hosted by Steven “Lurch” Scott – will start at 5 p.m. daily.

The Day’s Results  

 
To see all results from the Knockout Round, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com and click ” Results.”

Stetson Blaylock’s Big Day Delivers Lead In Bassmaster Elite At Winyah Bay

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Stetson Blaylock’s Big Day Delivers Lead In Bassmaster Elite At Winyah Bay
Stetson Blaylock takes the lead on Day 3 of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Elite at Winyah Bay with a three-day total of 41 pounds, 12 ounces. 

                                                                                                                                                      Photo by  Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

April 13, 2019

Stetson Blaylock’s Big Day Delivers Lead In Bassmaster Elite At Winyah Bay

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GEORGETOWN, S.C. —  Committing his day to a deeper pocket off the Waccamaw River, Arkansas angler Stetson Blaylock caught the largest five-bass limit of the week, weighing 17 pounds, 15 ounces, and took over the lead at the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Elite at Winyah Bay with a three-day total of 41-12.

Blaylock said his selected area provided bass with a comfortable habitat beyond the spawn. He admitted he started the day concerned that he was running out of fish, but his persistence was rewarded with a day of steady productivity.

“I really thought that it was drying up, and I was almost to the point of thinking, ‘Okay, I’m going to end up catching five 12-inchers and wherever it happens, it happens,’” Blaylock said. “I caught that first big one — a 4-pounder at 9:50 — and that let me know that things were happening there that I wasn’t aware of.

“I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that (the pocket) is so deep out in the middle, those fish have an opportunity to keep moving up and keep moving up. I don’t think you can fish it out.”

Blaylock caught his fish by flipping a Texas-rigged YUM Christie Craw and skipping a wacky-rigged YUM Dinger. He added a nail weight to the latter for a strategic presentation.

“I think that’s the difference between me and a lot of the guys; everyone’s probably throwing weightless wacky rigs, but it seems that putting that nail weight in it gets it down faster and maybe triggers a strike or two that a slow fall won’t,” he said.

Tides proved critical in two aspects of Blaylock’s success. First, the morning’s falling tide facilitated his skipping presentations by creating an increasingly wider gap between the water’s surface and overhanging limbs. Toward the end of his day, rising water ushered bedding female bass back into a catchable position.

Blaylock’s biggest bass, a 5-pounder, had dropped nearly out of sight when he spotted the bed during low water. Returning when there was more water over the spot allowed him to tempt his day-maker.

While most of the field again made the long run south from the takeoff spot to the Cooper River, Blaylock said he refused to let thoughts of what others might be doing distract him or diminish his confidence.

“These fisheries can hurt you and burn you so bad that I try not to worry about what’s going on and try to concentrate on the next bite,” he said “That first big one I caught surprised me. I had already thoroughly fished that area the first two days, and she was just sitting up there fresh and ready to go. That means there are more fish in there than I’d thought.”

Noting that fellow angler Koby Kreiger had also fished the same area, Blaylock said he’s comfortable returning to the spot for the final round.

“I don’t know if it will be easy to catch five big ones again, but the opportunity is there,” he said. “I’m past worrying about it. I’m just going to go in there and fish like I’m the only guy in there and hope I can get five more good bites.”

In second place, Canadian Cory Johnston ran to the Cooper River and found the day’s second largest bag, a limit of 17-6 that gave him a total weight of 40-4. Noting that he threw reaction baits and soft plastics, Johnston said he quickly dialed into what the bass were doing, and he was happy to discover that more bass are moving into the areas each day.

“Today, I feel that a lot more big fish have moved in. I probably caught 25 fish today,” he said. “We had a good tide today and not a lot of wind, so it was a ‘true’ tide, and that really helped. It’s a big area but there are three specific spots within the area. They’re hard-bottom spots, and there are a lot of fish on them.”

In third place, Alabama’s Clent Davis also had his biggest day of the week. His Day 3 limit of 16-6 gave him a total weight of 38-6. Fishing in the Waccamaw River, Davis fished reeds and trees on high tide and switched to arrowhead pads during low tide.

“I fished a Nichols Saber swim jig in the shad spawn color with a white Mister Twister Buzz Bug trailer all day,” Davis said. “I just have a lot of confidence in that bait. The last time we were here, I caught a pretty good bag on it. I’ve caught 15 keepers on it every day.”

Rounding out the Top 5 are Koby Kreiger with 36-10 and John Crews with 36-5.

Crews caught a 6-7 today to anchor his catch, but Jason Williamson of Wagener, S.C., leads the $1,500 Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award with a 6-10 he caught in the first  round of competition.

Takeoff on Championship Sunday will be at 7 a.m. ET out of Carroll Ashmore Campbell Marine Complex, and the final weigh-in is scheduled at the same location beginning at 3:15 p.m.

2019 Bassmaster Elite at Winyah Bay 4/11-4/14
                             Winyah Bay, Georgetown  SC.
                           (PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3

   Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              15  41-12  100
  Day 1: 5   11-06     Day 2: 5   12-07     Day 3: 5   17-15
2.  Cory Johnston          Cavan CANADA            15  40-04   99
  Day 1: 5   11-02     Day 2: 5   11-12     Day 3: 5   17-06
3.  Clent Davis            Montevallo, AL          15  38-06   98
  Day 1: 5   12-14     Day 2: 5   09-02     Day 3: 5   16-06
4.  Koby Kreiger           Alva, FL                15  36-10   97
  Day 1: 5   08-11     Day 2: 5   12-11     Day 3: 5   15-04
5.  John Crews Jr          Salem, VA               15  36-05   96
  Day 1: 5   11-13     Day 2: 5   08-15     Day 3: 5   15-09
6.  Luke Palmer            Coalgate, OK            15  35-13   95
  Day 1: 5   14-02     Day 2: 5   12-06     Day 3: 5   09-05
7.  Jason Williamson       Wagener, SC             15  35-03   94
  Day 1: 5   15-11     Day 2: 5   08-11     Day 3: 5   10-13
8.  Scott Canterbury       Odenville, AL           15  34-04   93
  Day 1: 5   11-15     Day 2: 5   07-01     Day 3: 5   15-04
9.  Jesse Tacoronte        Kissimmee, FL           15  33-14   92
  Day 1: 5   10-14     Day 2: 5   13-07     Day 3: 5   09-09
10. Patrick Walters        Summerville, SC         15  33-12   91
  Day 1: 5   11-04     Day 2: 5   10-00     Day 3: 5   12-08
11. Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA          15  33-04   90  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   07-11     Day 2: 5   13-07     Day 3: 5   12-02
12. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN          14  32-06   89  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   13-04     Day 2: 5   13-15     Day 3: 4   05-03
13. Brock Mosley           Collinsville, MS        15  31-15   88  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   09-11     Day 2: 5   11-15     Day 3: 5   10-05
14. Rob Digh               Denver, NC              15  31-14   87  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   09-13     Day 2: 5   11-01     Day 3: 5   11-00
15. Jake Whitaker          Fairview, NC            15  31-13   86  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   10-14     Day 2: 5   10-00     Day 3: 5   10-15
16. Lee Livesay            Gladewater, TX          15  31-08   85  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   07-11     Day 2: 5   17-03     Day 3: 5   06-10
17. Tyler Rivet            Raceland, LA            15  31-02   84  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   09-15     Day 2: 5   10-08     Day 3: 5   10-11
18. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL            15  30-14   83  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   09-10     Day 2: 5   12-01     Day 3: 5   09-03
19. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ              15  30-12   82  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   12-06     Day 2: 5   10-06     Day 3: 5   08-00
20. Shane LeHew            Catawba, NC             14  30-06   81  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 4   07-05     Day 2: 5   11-11     Day 3: 5   11-06
21. Bill Weidler           Helena, AL              12  30-05   80   $7,500.00
  Day 1: 4   08-10     Day 2: 5   14-10     Day 3: 3   07-01
22. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY             15  29-15   79   $7,500.00
  Day 1: 5   08-10     Day 2: 5   11-01     Day 3: 5   10-04
23. Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY             15  29-14   78   $7,500.00
  Day 1: 5   10-09     Day 2: 5   09-10     Day 3: 5   09-11
24. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL             15  29-09   77   $7,500.00
  Day 1: 5   10-09     Day 2: 5   07-08     Day 3: 5   11-08
25. Hunter Shryock         Newcomerstown, OH       10  29-02   76   $7,500.00
  Day 1: 5   15-08     Day 2: 3   08-01     Day 3: 2   05-09
26. Chris Johnston         Peterborough Ontario CA 15  29-00   75   $7,500.00
  Day 1: 5   07-01     Day 2: 5   13-04     Day 3: 5   08-11
27. Yusuke Miyazaki        Forney, TX              15  28-06   74   $7,500.00
  Day 1: 5   12-01     Day 2: 5   07-07     Day 3: 5   08-14
28. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN        15  28-06   73   $7,500.00
  Day 1: 5   10-07     Day 2: 5   08-00     Day 3: 5   09-15
29. Garrett Paquette       Canton, MI              12  28-00   72   $7,500.00
  Day 1: 5   12-08     Day 2: 2   05-07     Day 3: 5   10-01
30. Brandon Card           Knoxville, TN           14  27-02   71   $7,500.00
  Day 1: 5   09-09     Day 2: 5   08-06     Day 3: 4   09-03
31. Dale Hightower         Mannford, OK            14  26-05   70   $7,500.00
  Day 1: 5   09-05     Day 2: 5   09-02     Day 3: 4   07-14
32. Mike Huff              Corbin, KY              15  25-15   69   $7,500.00
  Day 1: 5   07-06     Day 2: 5   11-09     Day 3: 5   07-00
33. Ray Hanselman Jr       Del Rio, TX             15  24-04   68   $7,500.00
  Day 1: 5   10-11     Day 2: 5   07-05     Day 3: 5   06-04
34. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO        12  22-08   67   $7,500.00
  Day 1: 5   07-05     Day 2: 5   12-12     Day 3: 2   02-07
35. Todd Auten             Lake Wylie, SC           6  18-11   66   $7,500.00
  Day 1: 1   03-01     Day 2: 5   15-10     Day 3: 0   00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
 1        62       342       631-04
 2        60       347       674-12
 3        28       159       349-12
----------------------------------
         150       848      1655-12
Benton, AR 15 41-12 100 Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 12-07 Day 3: 5 17-15 2. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 15 40-04 99 Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 11-12 Day 3: 5 17-06 3. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 15 38-06 98 Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 09-02 Day 3: 5 16-06 4. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 15 36-10 97 Day 1: 5 08-11 Day 2: 5 12-11 Day 3: 5 15-04 5. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 15 36-05 96 Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 08-15 Day 3: 5 15-09 6. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 15 35-13 95 Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 12-06 Day 3: 5 09-05 7. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 15 35-03 94 Day 1: 5 15-11 Day 2: 5 08-11 Day 3: 5 10-13 8. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 15 34-04 93 Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 07-01 Day 3: 5 15-04 9. Jesse Tacoronte Kissimmee, FL 15 33-14 92 Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 13-07 Day 3: 5 09-09 10. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 15 33-12 91 Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 5 10-00 Day 3: 5 12-08 11. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 15 33-04 90 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 07-11 Day 2: 5 13-07 Day 3: 5 12-02 12. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 14 32-06 89 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 13-15 Day 3: 4 05-03 13. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 15 31-15 88 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 5 11-15 Day 3: 5 10-05 14. Rob Digh Denver, NC 15 31-14 87 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 09-13 Day 2: 5 11-01 Day 3: 5 11-00 15. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 15 31-13 86 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 10-00 Day 3: 5 10-15 16. Lee Livesay Gladewater, TX 15 31-08 85 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 07-11 Day 2: 5 17-03 Day 3: 5 06-10 17. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 15 31-02 84 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 10-08 Day 3: 5 10-11 18. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 15 30-14 83 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 09-10 Day 2: 5 12-01 Day 3: 5 09-03 19. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 15 30-12 82 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 10-06 Day 3: 5 08-00 20. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 14 30-06 81 $10,000.00 Day 1: 4 07-05 Day 2: 5 11-11 Day 3: 5 11-06 21. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 12 30-05 80 $7,500.00 Day 1: 4 08-10 Day 2: 5 14-10 Day 3: 3 07-01 22. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 15 29-15 79 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 08-10 Day 2: 5 11-01 Day 3: 5 10-04 23. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 15 29-14 78 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 09-10 Day 3: 5 09-11 24. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 15 29-09 77 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 07-08 Day 3: 5 11-08 25. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 10 29-02 76 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 3 08-01 Day 3: 2 05-09 26. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 15 29-00 75 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 07-01 Day 2: 5 13-04 Day 3: 5 08-11 27. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 15 28-06 74 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 07-07 Day 3: 5 08-14 28. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 15 28-06 73 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 08-00 Day 3: 5 09-15 29. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 12 28-00 72 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 2 05-07 Day 3: 5 10-01 30. Brandon Card Knoxville, TN 14 27-02 71 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 09-09 Day 2: 5 08-06 Day 3: 4 09-03 31. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 14 26-05 70 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 09-05 Day 2: 5 09-02 Day 3: 4 07-14 32. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 15 25-15 69 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 07-06 Day 2: 5 11-09 Day 3: 5 07-00 33. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 15 24-04 68 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 5 07-05 Day 3: 5 06-04 34. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 12 22-08 67 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 07-05 Day 2: 5 12-12 Day 3: 2 02-07 35. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 6 18-11 66 $7,500.00 Day 1: 1 03-01 Day 2: 5 15-10 Day 3: 0 00-00 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals Day #Limits #Fish Weight 1 62 342 631-04 2 60 347 674-12 3 28 159 349-12 ---------------------------------- 150 848 1655-12
1...823824825...1,533Page 824 of 1,533

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