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Official statement from FLW regarding Irwin Jacobs

 

Statement from Kathy Fennel, FLW President of Operations:

Yesterday was a difficult day for the FLW family and the entire sport of professional bass fishing. Mr. Jacobs did so much for our organization and truly had a revolutionary impact on the industry throughout his time as owner of FLW. He cared deeply about the anglers and staff, and he gave all of us the unwavering support needed to be successful. I remain humbled and honored for the leadership opportunity he provided me. His sincerity and kindness extended not only to me but to all families of this organization. It was a privilege to know and work for Mr. Jacobs and his impact on our organization as well as our sport will continue on. My thoughts and prayers are with Trish and the entire Jacobs Family during this time.

 

Official Statement from FLW:

It is with deep sadness that we mourn the passing of FLW Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Irwin Jacobs and his loving wife, Alexandra. We as an organization are devastated by this loss and remember the leadership and passion with which Mr. Jacobs led our organization.  We ask the bass fishing community to keep the Jacobs family in your thoughts and prayers during this time.

Rapala® Shad Dancer® Now Available In Smaller Size

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Rapala® Shad Dancer® Now Available In Smaller Size

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Anglers asked and Rapala® delivered. The popular Rapala Shad Dancer® is available now in a smaller size. The new No. 4 model measures 1-1/2 inches — half an inch shorter than the original Shad Dancer.

“I like the new shorter, stubbier profile,” says Tom Neustrom, a Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame Legendary Guide. “And, so do the fish. They eat that thing alive.”

Swimming with a silent but aggressive hard-thumping and sweeping tail action, Shad Dancers offer the excitement of a Rapala Tail Dancer in a shad-profile bait. They feature a tough balsa body that dives 7-to-10 feet whether cast or trolled.

“The smaller Shad Rap is really going to electrify the world of crankbait fishing early in the season,” Neustrom says. “And, for the guys who like to troll shallow, this thing’s going to be a killer. There are other crankbaits that have a similar profile that start to fly out on you when you start to go at a certain speed — they’ll fly out, they’ll come up on the surface, or they won’t track. But the new No. 4 Shad Dancer doesn’t have any of those problems. This thing tracks really, really well. It runs true.”

The new No. 4 Shad Dancer weighs 3/16 ounce and comes armed with two No. 8 VMC® treble hooks. The lure comes in 21 attention-grabbing color patterns: Live Bluegill, Dark Brown Crawdad, Firetiger, Green Tiger UV, Hot Steel, Helsinki Shad, Live Largemouth Bass, Perch, Pink Chrome, Purpledescent, Purple Chrome, Live Pumpkinseed, Pink Tiger UV, Red Crawdad, Redfire Crawdad, Live River Shad, Silver, Live Smallmouth Bass, Shad Silver Fluorescent and Yellow Perch.

See what Tony Roach and Al Lindner say about the Rapala® Shad Dancer®.

See Rapala® Shad Dancer®

Why Tackle Prep Is Important And How It Can Help You Catch More Fish – MTB

Why Tackle Prep Is Important And How It Can Help You Catch More Fish

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Anyone that is any good at anything knows that preparation is key. The same goes for fishing. If you or your gear are not ready to take on the elements, then you might as well stay home. Below, I have outlined a few of the main aspects of tackle prep that you need to pay attention to as an angler. Preparation makes perfect.

1: Tackle Prep Tips: Check Line

Tackle Prep

Most of us are not professional anglers. We do not get paid to go across the country and fish for a living. We don’t get free fishing line from sponsors. We have to pay for the stuff. Thus, we aren’t stripping off hundreds of yards of line and replacing it with a fresh spool every time we go fishing. However, this doesn’t mean that line care and attentiveness should be an afterthought. On the contrary, checking your line for abrasions and weak spots before retying is critical. As a rule of thumb, before each new outing, I check the first two to three feet of line above the knot for weaknesses before re-tying on a different bait.

2: Tackle Prep Tips: Check Drag

Tackle Prep

This is one that not many anglers think about. This isn’t as important with braided fishing line as it is with monofilament or fluorocarbon because of its relative strength, but the principle is the same. The drag on your fishing reel can tighten on its own over time if it isn’t checked. This could be Bad-News-Bears if you do not frequently check your drag. Additionally, over-tensioning your drag can have adverse effects on the life of the reel.

3: Tackle Prep Tips: Fresh Hooks

Tackle Prep

Make sure to check your hooks. It doesn’t matter whether they are treble hooks, bait holder hooks, EWG worm hooks, or any other type. Hooks dull over time and with use, so it is important to check barbs, hook points, and eyelets for defects. If you aren’t using the best quality hooks, it doesn’t take much to roll over a barb or hook point. I am not saying that you need to replace your hooks every time on the water. Just note that it is important to check the integrity of your hooks and replace them if they are even minorly defective.

4: Tackle Prep Tips: Rig ‘Em All

Tackle Prep

This one is a bit subjective, but I have found it useful over the years. Firstly, you need to identify which type of angler you are when it comes to tackle prep. The first type of angler rigs all their rods with some sort of lure or bait in preparation for their fishing outing even if they don’t think they will use that rod or lure setup. They believe that by rigging all their rods, they will always have something to throw if the going gets tough. This type of angler doesn’t retie often as they feel what they have rigged should catch fish.

The second type of angler rigs only one or two rods that they know they are going to use and then rigs the rest during the actual outing once they know what they want to try. This equates to more prep work during your fishing time but can pay dividends due to the angler’s willingness to be versatile. Which type of angler are you? Which approach works better for your style of fishing?

Fusion: Gill’s Bold New Product Pushes Design Innovation to Create the Most Breathable System to Date

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Fusion: Gill’s Bold New Product Pushes Design Innovation to Create the Most Breathable System to Date

100% Water Tested: For Complete Protection For All Adventures, On and Off, the Water

Buford, GA (April 11, 2019) – Trusted as one of the world’s leading marine clothing brands for over 40 years, Gill is proud of their brand new product addition to their wet weather collection: the Fusion System. The multifunction jacket and bibs offer unparalleled protection for anyone taking on the toughest conditions in or around the water. The Fusion System takes the best of product development and rigorous testing to create a stylish and watertight combination for any sporting activity on the water, especially fishing.

The products also incorporate a number of clever innovations and are finished in black-graphite and a bold tango flair, Gill’s signature color for its latest season. The Fusion System has the highest level of breathability across Gill’s S119 range with its use of specially developed 3-layer lightweight, waterproof and breathable fabric.

Summarizing the newest product addition to the Gill family, alongside the brand’s new creative vision, Matt Clark, Head of Product Development concluded: “At Gill, we want to create the best technical apparel designed and engineered for a perfect balance of performance and protection on and around the water. Boats are moving faster and anglers are more critical of apparel than ever before and how we design and develop products is reflecting this—customers are demanding that our product is lighter but still durable, with a focus on fishing. Since 2002, we have developed our own unique fabrics to offer flexibility in product development and ensure the best protection, comfort and fit.”

“We test to destruction and we endeavor to give the product a good lifetime—and we are very proud of the results. We know our customers have trusted Gill for a long time and we are excited to see their reaction to the new Fusion performance and style.”

The head-to-toe Fusion System is an essential item for any active outdoor wardrobe – and now those seeking style and guaranteed protection can tap into Gill’s world class fabric technology and product innovation. The Fusion jacket and bibs are available in sizes S – XXL in Black / Graphite and Tango / Graphite.

To learn more about Gill’s fishing rainwear and additional apparel, visit www.gillfishing.com.

James Blankinship & Jonthan Phillips win CATT Yadkin High Rock, NC April 7, 2019 with 26.69 lbs

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Next Yadkin CATT is May 11 at Tuckertown launching from Flat Rock!

James Blankinship & Jonthan Phillips weighed in another great sack on High Rock tipping the scales at 26.69 lbs! Add in their weight from March 23rd and they have weighed in over 60 lbs with 10 bass!

2nd went to Ladd & Landon Whicker with 22.55 lbs!

Brad & Carson Younts 3rd with 22.30 lbs!

Byron Brush & Greg Deal 4th with 21.01 lbs!

Kyle Whisnant & Greg Deal won the $50 Wacky Riggers Gift Certificate!

Big Total Total
23 Teams Fish Weight Winnings Points
Jonathan Phillips – James Blankinship 6.12 26.69 $920.00 110
Ladd & Landon Whicker 5.23 22.55 $440.00 109
Brad & Carson Younts 0.00 22.30 $200.00 108
Bryon Brush – Greg Deal 7.60 21.01 $280.00 107
Kyle Whisnant – Mack Lowe 5.02 20.18 106
Mike Smith – Erik Myers 5.48 18.42 105
Roger Hoover 0.00 18.30 104
Dusty Taylor – Nick Williams 5.59 16.39 103
Jerry Bono – Marty Williams 5.98 15.35 102
Greg Creech – Chris McDuffie 0.00 15.27 101
Mike Ray – Orlando Giles 0.00 15.13 100
Josh Stafford 0.00 14.30 99
Andrew Wallace – Derek Livingston 6.25 11.70 98
John Lancaster – Thomas Carroll 0.00 10.91 97
Brian File – Wayne File 5.98 8.49 96
RM Parker – Corey Gibson 0.00 5.69 95
Steve Sink – Tony Foster 0.00 0.00 94
Phillip Hedrick – Lucas Hedrick 0.00 0.00 94
George Lambeth – Herby Young 0.00 0.00 94
Noah Beck – Jared Kinard 0.00 0.00 94
Tom File – Hunter Harwood 0.00 0.00 94
Petey Brookeshire – Jeremy Beatty 0.00 0.00 94
Dwayne Hughes – Stan Gobbel 0.00 0.00 94
Total Entrys $1,840.00
BONUS $ $475.00
Total Paid At Ramp $1,840.00
Yadkin Spring 2019 Final Fund $385.00
2019 CATT Championship Fund $50.00
2019 Yadkin Spring Final Fund Total $1,660.00
2019 CATT Championship Fund Total $4,590.00

Crochet’s First-Period Maelstrom Propels Him to Shotgun Round Win

It was a rapid-fire performance by MLF pro Cliff Crochet in Period 1 of today’s Group B Shotgun Round, as he caught 31 scorable bass that tallied more than 65 pounds. (Photos by Phoenix Moore.
Crochet’s First-Period Maelstrom Propels Him to Shotgun Round Win
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DAYTON, Tenn. (April 10, 2019) – In the five-decade history of organized bass-fishing competition, there have been very few 2 ½-hour displays of fish-catching proficiency the likes of which Major League Fishing® (MLF) pro Cliff Crochet put on this morning on Lake Chickamauga.
Fishing in the Group B Shotgun Round of the Bass Pro Tour Econo Lodge Stage Four Presented by Winn Grips, Crochet caught his first scorable bass – a 5-plus-pounder – 12 minutes into the competition, and then went on a spree that saw the Louisiana pro stack 65 pounds, 11 ounces of Tennessee River largemouth onto SCORETRACKER by the end of Period 1.
Crochet’s 31-fish, 65-plus-pound maelstrom of hookups in Period 1 was more than the daily total weights of 18 of the 19 round winners so far in the 2019 Bass Pro Tour schedule.
“I didn’t know that was going to happen,” Crochet joked as he waited for the Berkley Postgame Show to start. “I caught four fish in the first little flurry, and I thought that was a good start to the day. Worst-case scenario, I could grind and have a decent day. I hit the second flurry and had enough sense to realize what was going on.
“I really tried to focus on good technique: from casting to hookset to fighting them to weighing them. I didn’t know how long it was going to last, but I knew I needed to cover as much ground (on SCORETRACKER™) as I could.”
Crochet finished the day with 34 fish for 69-6, at one time opening up a 30-pound lead before backing off and spending most of the second and third periods scouting for new water for his Elimination Round on Friday.
Another Heavy Day on Chickamauga
While Crochet’s cushion on the rest of the field was virtually insurmountable after the first period, a large percentage of the other 39 Group B anglers competing had strong days as well: Edwin Evers finished second with 55-2, Zack Birge was third with 51-4. In all, 17 anglers put 37 pounds or more on SCORETRACKER during the day.
The field accounted for 1,312 pounds on the day, including six fish over 7 pounds.
MLF pro Andy Morgan knows home-lake Chickamauga isn’t finished in showing of its wealth of big bass. Because of that, it is unlikely any angler will try coasting his way through Elimination Rounds into the Knockout Round. (Photo by Josh Gassmann. Click to enlarge/download)
 
On to Elimination Rounds
The 40 anglers from Group A return to Chickamauga Thursday for the first Elimination Round of Stage Four. The leading edge of a storm front will bring 10- to 20-mph winds out of the south, which will create some change from the nice conditions of the first two days of fishing.
Dave Lefebre heads into that round with the comfort of the 59-14 he caught in his Shotgun Round, followed by five other anglers who landed 50 pounds or more. But unlike some previous Elimination Rounds – where the Top 10 could take their foot off the gas and “practice” during the day – the proliferation of fish catches (combined with the simmering potential for more 8-plus-pound giants to show up on beds) will likely keep most of the field focused on the task at hand.
 “These guys flat need to catch fish in the Elimination Round, there’s not much room to cruise,” said MLF NOW! analyst Marty Stone.
Looking Ahead
Group B will fish the second Elimination Round on Friday. The Top 20 anglers from each of the two Elimination groups will advance to a 40-angler Knockout Round on Saturday – weights will be zeroed, making the Knockout a one-day scramble. The Top 10 anglers in the Knockout Round will advance to the Championship Round on Sunday, April 14.
Where, When, How to Watch
Competition begins daily 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.
Final Standings – Shotgun Round 2
For Shotgun Round standings and to keep up with cumulative results throughout the week, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com and click “Results.”

Steve Sink & Tony Foster Win CATT Yadkin Tuckertown, NC April 6, 2019

Use PHANTOMCATT15 at Check Out and receive 15% off your order of Phantom Outdoor Apparel! Click on the Phantom Logo!

Steve Sink & Tony Foster won on Tuckertown with 5 bass weighing 19.92 lbs and a BF of 6.71 lbs!

David Cheek & Auston Wagner 2nd with 18.24 lbs!

Weston Lineberry – Dakota Lineberry won the Wacky Riggers $50 Gift Certificate!

Big Total Total
13 Teams Fish Weight Winnings Points
Steve Sink – Tony Foster 6.71 19.92 $655.00 110
David Cheek – Auston Wagner 5.63 18.24 $315.00 109
Weston Lineberry – Dakota Lineberry 0.00 11.64 108
Mike Love – Josh Love 0.00 11.53 107
Cole File – TJ Drew 0.00 11.39 106
Dan Funderburke – Butch Drew 0.00 10.54 105
John Lancaster – Thomas Carroll 4.34 6.20 104
Andrew Wallace – Derek Livingston 0.00 5.71 103
Mike Ray – Orlando Giles 0.00 4.10 102
RM Parker – Corey Gibson 0.00 2.51 101
Phillip Hedrick – Lucas Hedrick 0.00 0.00 100
Nathan McGeathy 0.00 0.00 100
Roy & April Barrow 0.00 0.00 100
Total Entrys $1,040.00
BONUS $ $250.00
Total Paid At Ramp $970.00
Yadkin Spring 2019 Final Fund $270.00
2019 CATT Championship Fund $20.00
2019 Yadkin Spring Final Fund Total $1,275.00
2019 CATT Championship Fund Total $4,540.00

Dennis & Keith Allen Win CATT Old North Shearon Harris ,NC April 6 2019

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Next Old North is at Jordan Lake April 28th launching from Farrington Point!

Dennis & Keith Allen win 2 in a row! They weighed in 16.55 lbs taking 1t place and $2,480.00!

Scott Woodson & Todd Staker claim 2nd with 13.15 lbs!

Jaime Fajardo & Jeff Hodges with the BF of the day! 7.69 lbs!

Big Total Total
35 Team Fish Weight Winnings Points
Dennis Allen – Keith Allen 5.59 16.55 $2,480.00 110
Scott Woodson – Todd Staker 6.38 13.15 $1,190.00 109
Richard Petty – Hunter Petty 6.09 10.98 $630.00 108
Randy Black – Mikey Anderson 5.80 10.69 $350.00 107
Terry Amen –  Chuck Darden 5.16 10.66 $250.00 106
Jaime Fajardo – Jeff Hodges 7.69 9.50 $438.00 105
Tom Saywell – James Saywell 4.75 9.21 $160.00 104
Chris Insco – Mark Antonelli 5.74 7.02 103
Jonathan Holloway – Brian West 6.74 6.74 $102.00 102
Kyle Romohr – Tim Cantrell 5.71 5.71 101
James Davis – Dolores Davis 0.00 5.10 100
Mike Cole – Vinson Nettles 0.00 4.61 99
Thomas Kuchen – Britt Kuchen 4.47 4.47 98
Tony Stanley – Chase Stanley 0.00 3.59 97
John McClelland – Eric Schell 2.46 2.46 96
Jordan Young – Mark Young 1.86 1.86 95
Rich Z – Jamie Olive 0.00 0.00 94
Todd Sumner – Chuck Bolten 0.00 0.00 94
Jeff Brown – Ron Johnson 0.00 0.00 94
Johnny Howard – William Howard 0.00 0.00 94
Alec Lower – Jon West 0.00 0.00 94
David Blanton – Jimmy Henderson 0.00 0.00 94
Evan Fleming – Matt Fuhr 0.00 0.00 94
Rick Dunstan – Josh Huff 0.00 0.00 94
Edward Smith – Richard Emge 0.00 0.00 94
Ronnie Harrison 0.00 0.00 94
James Freeland – Jim Freeland 0.00 0.00 94
Juddie Revels – Kaden Revels 0.00 0.00 94
Stump Bledsoe – Glenn Elliott 0.00 0.00 94
Paul Worthington 0.00 0.00 94
wesley Tucker – Zak Davenport 0.00 0.00 94
Ashely Ivey 0.00 0.00 94
Bibba Haywood – David Fyore 0.00 0.00 94
Steve Millen – Scott Mathews 0.00 0.00 94
David Wilson & Randall Wilson 0.00 0.00 94
Total Entrys $5,600.00
BONUS $ $950.00
Total Paid At Ramp $5,600.00
Old North 2019 Spring Final Fund $625.00
2019 CATT Championship Fund $50.00
2019 Old North Spring Final Fund Total $1,970.00
2019 CATT Championship Fund Total $4,520.00

Shawn Phipps & Brandon Garraway Win Potomac River Battle Bass Series April 6th 2019 with 21.01 lbs

1ST PLACE SHAWN PHIPPS & BRANDON GARRAWAY 21.01LBS
2ND PLACE & BIG FISH RICKY WINDSOR & RICKY WINDSOR JR 20.64LBS / BIG FISH 5.90LBS
3RD PLACE BOBBY SHETLEY & JOHN FAIR 19.18LBS

 

B.A.S.S. Agrees To Associate Sponsorship With Joe Gibbs Racing

B.A.S.S. has signed on as an associate sponsor of the No. 19 Toyota Camry driven by Martin Truex, Jr.                                                                                                                                                                                     Image provided by Joe GIbbs Racing

April 10, 2019

 

 

 

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HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announces today that it has entered into an agreement with Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.) to serve as an associate sponsor on its No. 19 Toyota Camry driven by Martin Truex, Jr.

“B.A.S.S. is thrilled to enter into this partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing and the Bass Pro Shops No. 19 car,” said Bruce Akin, CEO of B.A.S.S. “As an avid outdoorsman and fisherman, Martin Truex, Jr. is a great fit as an ambassador for our sport. This partnership also amplifies our common partnerships with Toyota and Bass Pro Shops. Most importantly, in a year where we are celebrating the fans of B.A.S.S., it connects our organization with racing fans who are also fans of fishing.”

B.A.S.S. is the world’s largest fishing organization with a growing membership that has now reached 510,000. A media-and-events company that celebrated its 50thanniversary last year, B.A.S.S. conducts the world’s most prestigious professional bass fishing tournaments and reaches millions of fans each month through its flagship magazine, Bassmaster, Bassmaster.com, and the highly rated The Bassmasters television program.

“It’s great to have B.A.S.S. come on board as an associate sponsor with our No. 19 Toyota Camry,” said Martin Truex, Jr. “It’s no secret that I love fishing so this is obviously a great fit. B.A.S.S. has done a lot to advance the sport and I look forward to working with them and through their partnerships with Toyota and Bass Pro Shops.”

About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 510,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, BassPro.com Bassmaster Opens Series, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.

 About Joe Gibbs Racing:
Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR with four Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams, three NASCAR Xfinity Series teams and a driver development program. Its 2019 driver lineup will consist of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Erik Jones, and Martin Truex, Jr. in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Meanwhile Christopher Bell and Brandon Jones will each run fulltime in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2019, joining Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Jeffrey Earnhardt, Riley Herbst, and Harrison Burton all of whom will run partial schedules. In addition, Herbst and Ty Gibbs will share duties behind the wheel of JGR’s ARCA Series entry. Based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by Joe Gibbs — a three-time Super Bowl winner as head coach of the Washington Redskins and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame — JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning four Cup Series championships, and five Xfinity Series owner’s championships along with more than 300 NASCAR races, including four Brickyard 400s and three Daytona 500s.