Posts | The Bass Cast | Your News Source for Bass Fishing

Wheeler Takes Over Lead At Bassmaster Classic On Tennessee River

wpalert

-

March 17, 2019

Wheeler Takes Over Lead At Bassmaster Classic On Tennessee River

Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., took the lead on Day 2 of the 2019 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods with a two-day total of 32 pounds, 6 ounces.

Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.

March 16, 2019

Wheeler Takes Over Lead At Bassmaster Classic On Tennessee River

[print_link]

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — During the early portions of practice for the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, Jacob Wheeler discovered a pattern that he knew would put bass in his livewell.

But since it seemed a little too obvious, he spent the latter portions of practice looking for something he thought no one else would find.

He ultimately went back to the obvious — and it has him in position to win the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing.

After landing 14 pounds, 11 ounces during Friday’s opening round, Wheeler caught five bass Saturday that weighed 17-11 and sprang into first place with a two-day total of 32-6. His five-bass limit Saturday was one of the few weighed in this week that featured all smallmouth.

“I know this crew,” Wheeler said. “I knew they would figure out the same thing I had figured out. Even though there are miles and miles and miles of water, they were going to figure it out.

“I tried to move around the lake, be smart about it and just fish what looked good to me — looking for that needle in the haystack. But I never found it, so I just had to fall back to what I knew I had.”

No angler on earth is more guarded with his techniques than the one who leads the Bassmaster Classic heading into the final round. So Wheeler only said that he was fishing a “reaction bite” with moving baits.

He said catching five smallmouth Saturday was a surprise.

“If you would have told me at the start of the tournament that eight of my 10 fish so far would be smallmouth, I would have said there’s no way,” Wheeler said. “It’s been so hard to catch a smallmouth — even a nonkeeper.”

“That is not something I thought I had dialed in at all.”

Wheeler, who has two career Bassmaster Elite Series victories — one on Chickamauga Lake and one on Cherokee Lake — actually relocated from Indiana to Tennessee two years ago. He now lives on Chickamauga and said the knowledge he’s gained on that fishery has played into his success this week.

“We don’t have smallmouth on Chickamauga, but these fish are set up a lot like the ones I fish for at home,” he said. “So that knowledge gives me a little something in my back pocket.” Wheeler earned the GEICO Everyday Leader Award of $2,500 for finishing atop the leaderboard today.

Wheeler’s catch was just enough to help him edge Alabama angler Mark Daniels Jr., who moved into second place with a Day 2 catch of 17-6 that pushed his two-day mark to 31-14. Daniels said he caught most of his bass Saturday on an original Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap, including a 6-3 largemouth that gave him the lead in the Berkley Big Bass competition.

Daniels said he used the red crawfish-colored Rat-L-Trap and changed the factory hooks to Owner ST-56 No. 4 short-shank trebles.

“They’re just such a sharper hook, and I think that’s really key,” Daniels said. “When that big fish came to the top, I could see it had both hooks in its mouth — one in the corner of its mouth and one down under its chin.

“I knew that fish was never coming off, so I just took my time and landed it.”

The biggest mover of the day was Texas pro Chris Zaldain who brought in a tournament-best limit that weighed 21-12 and jumped from 28th place into third with a two-day total of 30-12.

Like Wheeler, Zaldain said returning to the obvious pattern helped him on Day 2.

“I fished a pattern today that I didn’t get a chance to fish on Day 1,” Zaldain said. “I made a bad decision, and I ended up having to resort to some smallmouth tactics that gave me the 9 pounds I weighed in.

“Today, I fished the patterns, the areas and the bait that I originally intended to fish.”

Zaldain’s success left him feeling supremely confident for Championship Sunday.

“At one point today, I probably went 10 for 10 on pointing at spots on my graph and telling my marshal we were about to get bit,” he said. “Within two casts, it would happen.

“I’m to the point where if it doesn’t look exactly right, I don’t even stop.”

The tournament will resume Sunday with takeoff at 7:40 a.m. from Volunteer Landing and weigh-in at 4:15 p.m. at Thompson-Boling Arena. The weigh-in will culminate with the crowning of a new world champion and the awarding of the $300,000 first-place prize. The other 51 anglers will share in the remainder of a $1 million total purse.

The Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods is being held at the Knoxville Convention Center and the adjacent World’s Fair Exhibition Hall from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

2019 2019 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods 3/15-3/17
Tennessee River, Knoxville TN.
(ANGLER) Standings Day 2

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

1. Jacob Wheeler Harrison, TN 10 32-06 0 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 17-11
2. Mark Daniels Jr. Tuskegee, AL 10 31-14 0
Day 1: 5 14-08 Day 2: 5 17-06
3. Chris Zaldain Laughlin, NV 9 30-12 0
Day 1: 4 09-00 Day 2: 5 21-12
4. Ott DeFoe Blaine, TN 10 30-05 0 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 10-05
5. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 10 28-09 0
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 5 19-07
6. Wesley Strader Spring City, TN 10 28-00 0
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 17-02
7. Roy Hawk Lk Havasu Cty, AZ 10 27-10 0
Day 1: 5 17-11 Day 2: 5 09-15
8. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 10 27-00 0
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 10-09
9. Jesse Wiggins Cullman, AL 10 26-10 0
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 5 15-15
10. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 10 26-07 0
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 13-03
11. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 8 25-14 0
Day 1: 5 16-11 Day 2: 3 09-03
12. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 10 24-12 0
Day 1: 5 08-12 Day 2: 5 16-00
13. Adrian Avena Vineland, NJ 10 24-04 0
Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 11-05
14. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 10 24-02 0
Day 1: 5 14-08 Day 2: 5 09-10
15. Kyle Dorsett Odenville, AL 9 24-02 0
Day 1: 4 12-03 Day 2: 5 11-15
16. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 10 23-09 0
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 10-05
17. James Elam Tulsa, OK 10 23-08 0
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 10-15
18. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 10 23-05 0
Day 1: 5 09-04 Day 2: 5 14-01
19. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 10 22-15 0
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 10-14
20. Seth Feider New Market, MN 9 22-01 0
Day 1: 4 08-10 Day 2: 5 13-07
21. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 21-11 0
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 5 12-00
22. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 10 21-06 0
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 11-04
23. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 10 21-04 0
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 10-06
24. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 8 20-09 0
Day 1: 3 08-03 Day 2: 5 12-06
25. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 8 20-01 0
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 3 06-08
26. Frank Talley Temple, TX 9 19-14 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 09-05 Day 2: 5 10-09
27. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 6 18-13 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 1 04-01 Day 2: 5 14-12
28. Josh Bertrand San Tan Valley, AZ 9 18-13 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 4 07-08
29. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 10 18-05 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 5 08-04
30. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 10 18-02 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-09 Day 2: 5 08-09
31. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 10 18-01 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 5 09-02
32. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 10 17-07 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 07-06 Day 2: 5 10-01
33. Derek Hudnall Baton Rouge, LA 9 17-05 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 07-00 Day 2: 5 10-05
34. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 8 17-01 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 07-14 Day 2: 4 09-03
35. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 7 16-09 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 2 04-10
36. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 7 15-06 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 2 03-03 Day 2: 5 12-03
37. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 7 15-03 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 08-04 Day 2: 3 06-15
38. Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 7 14-15 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 3 06-06 Day 2: 4 08-09
39. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 10 14-14 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 5 05-12
40. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 6 14-07 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 3 08-01 Day 2: 3 06-06
41. Nick Ratliff Vine Grove, KY 7 14-05 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 06-10 Day 2: 3 07-11
42. Jordan Lee Cullman, AL 8 13-10 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-06 Day 2: 3 05-04
43. Brent Ehrler Redlands, CA 6 12-14 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 3 08-04 Day 2: 3 04-10
44. Gerald Spohrer Gonzales, LA 7 12-12 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 07-06 Day 2: 3 05-06
45. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 6 12-02 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 2 03-12 Day 2: 4 08-06
46. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 7 11-10 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-12 Day 2: 2 02-14
47. Matthew Robertson Kuttawa, KY 4 09-08 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 2 03-05 Day 2: 2 06-03
48. Alton Jones Jr. Lorena, TX 3 09-01 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 2 07-07 Day 2: 1 01-10
49. Jacopo Gallelli Firenze ITALY 5 08-13 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 08-13
50. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 4 06-15 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 06-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
51. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 4 06-05 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 06-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
52. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 3 04-07 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 2 02-14 Day 2: 1 01-09
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 30 217 501-15
2 33 213 508-10
———————————-
63 430 1010-09

Headland Cranks Into High School Classic Win

wpalert

-

March 17, 2019

0

March 16, 2019

Headland Cranks Into High School Classic Win

[print_link]

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Mobility was the key for Gracie Herbold and Aaron Cherry of Headland Bass Team, who caught a five-bass limit that weighed 16 pounds, 9 ounces to win the Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Classic presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors on Watts Bar Lake, held in conjunction with the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.

Hailing from Headland, Ala., the winners found their bass in creeks. Herbold said their bites varied from the mouths to the backs of the creeks, but the key was targeting chunk rock, which held heat.

“It really just depended on where the fish were,” Herbold said. “A lot of times, they were just cruising, and we picked them up.”

Cherry said he and his partner fished Strike King Redeye Shad Tungsten 2-Tap and Strike King 2.5 squarebill crankbaits. Red proved to be the best color for both.

“I think they would have eaten either one, you just had to get it in front of them,” he said.

The key to doing that was a run-and-gun strategy, which took them to 20 different spots.

“He caught three fish back to back in one little area, but for a lot of the time, it was just one every now and then,” Herbold said. “We had a very long lull in the middle of the day where we didn’t catch anything.”

Cherry noted that they caught two good bass late in the day and ended up culling a smaller one.

“I think the sun got up and warmed those rocks,” he said. “The last one I caught was probably in about 3 inches of water. They were really shallow warming up.”

Cherry, who caught most of his fish on the Redeye Shad, said the key to a proper presentation was letting the bait hit bottom and then slow rolling it back. The bites, Herbold said, were convincing.

“You knew when they bit,” she said. “The fish would run straight at you, so you had to reel very fast to catch up.”

The event comprised 10 teams. The qualification format took the top two teams from each of the four 2018 High School Opens, the top two from the 2018 High School National Championship and the 2018 Tennessee State Championship team. One of the 11 eligible teams was unable to participate.

	Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Classic presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors 3/16/2019 – 3/16/2019 Watts Bar Lake
STANDINGS BOATER DAY 1

	Name	# Fsh	Lbs – Oz	High School/Club
1	Gracie Herbold – Aaron Cherry	5	16-9	Headland Bass Team
2	BJ Collins – Garrett Holder	5	15-12	Chatuge Anglers
3	Scott Springer – Trust Say	2	9-3	Christy, Springer and Say Community Club
4	Grayson Morris – Tucker Smith	2	6-15	Briarwood Christian School
5	Caz Anderson – Dean Crisler	2	5-8	Chatuge Anglers
6	Marshal Robinson – Mason Fulmer	2	4-13	Byrnes Rebels
7	Niko Romero – Isaiah Rios	1	3-11	AZ HS BASS Nation
8	Jaxon Brown – Cole Dodson	1	2-15	Gardendale Rockets
9	Christopher Capdeboscq – Sam Acosta	0	0-0	Northlake Christian
9	Devin Howard – Dawson Mason	0	0-0	Walker Valley High School

BIG BASS TOTALS
Name City, State Lbs-Oz # Fish # Live Lbs-Oz # Limits
Scott Springer- Trust Say Bolingbrook, IL 5-5 20 20 65-6 2

Dennis Gilbert & Landon Siggers Win Angler’s Choice SML with 24.62 lbs March 16th 2019

wpalert

-

March 16, 2019

0

Dennis Gilbert & Landon Siggers Win Angler’s Choice SML with 24.62 lbs March 16th 2019

On a cool day in Central VA 174 teams fished the first stop of the 2019 Angler’s Choice Tournament trail on Smith Mountain Lake. With a lot of great looking bags weighed in one team was able to find the mother load of giant bass Dennis Gilbert & Landon Siggers with 24.62 lbs. Congratulations to them & see you at the next stop.

CLICK LINK TO SEE FULL RESULTS

Beautiful Beginnings and Struggles at Day 1 of the 2019 Bassmaster Classic by Bruce Callis

wpalert

-

March 16, 2019

0

Beautiful Beginnings and Struggles at Day 1 of the 2019 Bassmaster Classic by Bruce Callis

[print_link]

Day one of the 2019 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods started off with high hopes and dreams of a great first day. It also started off with the ribbon cutting for the 2019 Classic Expo. The fans were not to be disappointed. As we watched live as the anglers faced the changing conditions on the river system, some of us were glued to the coverage, while others tried their best to take in everything that B.A.S.S. had to over us the fans.

Cliff Pirch set the stage early by weighing in the first double digit bag and an impressive 16 pounds 11 ounces. Roy Hawk came in and knocked Cliff into second with and equally impressive bag limit of 17 pounds 11 ounces, but the big bag of the day went to home town boy Ott DeFoe, who brought in a limit weighing 20 pounds. He also took over the big bass of the day with a largemouth weighing a whopping 6 pounds even. The predictions of a big first day bag were true.

Brandon Palaniuk Came in with high hopes and brought 3 bass to the scale weighing 8 pounds 3 ounces. He was “not sure what happened today.” He thought with the water being higher and warmer that it would “push them up shallow.” He just said he had to go back and see if he can figure it out. He wasn’t sure if he needed to stay where he “caught my 3 and grind it out or change it up and do something differently.”

Wesley Strader’s day didn’t go as good he had planned, but it didn’t go bad. He said he “just never got a good bite today.” The “river came up and the stuff I was fishing got real muddy.” He said he was going to have to “regroup and do it again tomorrow.” He had expected to catch a couple on his first stop, but didn’t catch anything, staying more local to the launch. But tomorrow he plans to change it up and probably make a longer run.
Roy Hawk had an impressive 17 pounds 11 ounces for day one ended up in 2nd place heading into day 2. Using a square bill crankbait, he took advantage of the morning bite, fishing shallow structure. He only burnt a half a tank of gas for the day. The wind really made the day difficult for boat control. He plans on going out and taking advantage of the morning bite and then changing up as he needs the rest of the day.

Anglers are competitive but love to have fun as well. The big story was Jacob Wheeler who finished the day sitting in 5th place with 14 pounds 11 ounces and the giant teddy bear. “We had 6 guys get in on it (friendly competition), myself, Mark Daniels Jr., Edwin Evers, Casey Ashley, Adrian Avena, and Jesse Wiggins,” the angler who came in with the smallest bag, “has to take him with him on day number 2.” So technically, as per the rules, Edwin should have him on the boat for day 2.”

Hometown Angler Ott DeFoe Takes Lead At Bassmaster Classic On Tennessee River

wpalert

-

March 16, 2019

0

March 15, 2019

Hometown Angler Ott DeFoe Takes Lead At Bassmaster Classic On Tennessee River

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Ott DeFoe came into Friday’s opening round of the GECIO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods with two patterns in mind that he thought would work on the Tennessee River.

Only one of them did — and even then, just barely.

But it worked well enough to give him the lead at the Super Bowl of Professional Bass Fishing.

DeFoe caught only eight keeper bass on the day, but his best five weighed 20 pounds and gave him an early cushion over Arizona pros Roy Hawk, who was second with 17-11, and Clifford Pirch, who was third with 16-11.

“I got five good bites all day, and I landed them,” said DeFoe, a Knoxville resident who was considered by many to be the odds-on favorite coming into the event. “Honestly, it felt like a very tough day.”

DeFoe’s two-pattern strategy included one tactic he believed would produce heavier bass and another he thought would be a good “limit filler.” The limit-filling pattern didn’t work at all.

Fortunately for the Tennessee pro, the big-fish strategy produced a 6-pound largemouth that anchored his catch.

“A 6-pounder here is a really big one,” said DeFoe, who also took the Day 1 lead in the Berkley Big Bass competition. “So to get that one and four other pretty good ones, I felt really blessed.”

This marks the first time that Fort Loudon and Tellico Lakes have hosted a major Bassmaster event — and since DeFoe lives in the area, he probably knows as much about the fisheries as anyone. But even he couldn’t say exactly what changed the fishing so dramatically from what he had come to expect in practice.

“Coming in, I felt like both of my patterns would hold up all week,” DeFoe said. “I don’t know if the fishing pressure got to the one that didn’t work for me today or if it was the fact that the water level came up some.

“If I had to guess, I would say the water level coming up probably caused the fish to scatter out in some places.” As the first-round leader, DeFoe receives the GEICO Everyday Leader Award of $2,500.

Hawk — an Arizona angler who finished second in last year’s Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings — said he spent all day fishing shallow structure with an unspecified red crankbait. He said his solid weight of 17-11 didn’t come as a huge surprise.

“After what I saw in practice, I felt like you could have a day like today,” Hawk said. “Two things made me believe that. One, I have a lot of confidence in the bait I’m throwing right now and two, the mapping I’m using is fantastic here.”

Hawk said a new C-Map of the fishery from Lowrance allowed him to highlight the shallow areas and follow them exactly.

“I have the shallow water marked red, and I’m using a red crankbait,” he said. “So you just connect the red with the red and let her roll.”

Pirch said he had to make a quick adjustment Friday morning after rains Thursday night muddied the water he had planned to fish.

“I was going to gin-clear water, and when I showed up it was chocolate brown,” he said. “So I had to do things differently than I expected. But it still worked out.”

Pirch wouldn’t disclose the bait he was using — or even which one of the two lakes he was fishing. He only said he didn’t let the muddier water scare him away.

“I didn’t know if the color of the water would make a difference,” Pirch said. “I’ve caught them in practice this week in the chocolatey-brown water, but I went there to do something totally different.

“Fortunately, they were still there.”

The tournament will resume Saturday with takeoff at 7:40 a.m. from Volunteer Landing and weigh-in at 4:15 p.m. at Thompson-Boling Arena. Friday’s Day 1 takeoff at Volunteer Landing drew a Classic-record takeoff crowd of 5,500 spectators.

The Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo presented by DICK’S Sporting is also underway this week at the Knoxville Convention Center and the adjacent World’s Fair Exhibition Hall. The Expo will be open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunday’s weigh-in will culminate with the crowning of a new world champion and the awarding of the $300,000 first-place prize. Total purse for the 52 anglers is $1 million.

2019 2019 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods 3/15-3/17
Tennessee River, Knoxville TN.
(ANGLER) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Ott DeFoe Blaine, TN 5 20-00 0 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-00
2. Roy Hawk Lk Havasu Cty, AZ 5 17-11 0
Day 1: 5 17-11
3. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 16-11 0
Day 1: 5 16-11
4. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 5 16-07 0
Day 1: 5 16-07
5. Jacob Wheeler Harrison, TN 5 14-11 0
Day 1: 5 14-11
6. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 5 14-08 0
Day 1: 5 14-08
6. Mark Daniels Jr. Tuskegee, AL 5 14-08 0
Day 1: 5 14-08
8. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 5 13-09 0
Day 1: 5 13-09
9. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 5 13-04 0
Day 1: 5 13-04
9. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 5 13-04 0
Day 1: 5 13-04
11. Adrian Avena Vineland, NJ 5 12-15 0
Day 1: 5 12-15
12. James Elam Tulsa, OK 5 12-09 0
Day 1: 5 12-09
13. Kyle Dorsett Odenville, AL 4 12-03 0
Day 1: 4 12-03
14. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 5 12-01 0
Day 1: 5 12-01
15. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 5 11-15 0
Day 1: 5 11-15
16. Josh Bertrand San Tan Valley, AZ 5 11-05 0
Day 1: 5 11-05
17. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 5 10-14 0
Day 1: 5 10-14
17. Wesley Strader Spring City, TN 5 10-14 0
Day 1: 5 10-14
19. Jesse Wiggins Cullman, AL 5 10-11 0
Day 1: 5 10-11
20. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 10-02 0
Day 1: 5 10-02
21. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 5 10-01 0
Day 1: 5 10-01
22. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 09-11 0
Day 1: 5 09-11
23. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 5 09-09 0
Day 1: 5 09-09
24. Frank Talley Temple, TX 4 09-05 0
Day 1: 4 09-05
25. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 5 09-04 0
Day 1: 5 09-04
26. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 5 09-02 0
Day 1: 5 09-02
26. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 5 09-02 0
Day 1: 5 09-02
28. Chris Zaldain Laughlin, NV 4 09-00 0
Day 1: 4 09-00
29. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 5 08-15 0
Day 1: 5 08-15
30. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 5 08-12 0
Day 1: 5 08-12
30. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 5 08-12 0
Day 1: 5 08-12
32. Seth Feider New Market, MN 4 08-10 0
Day 1: 4 08-10
33. Jordan Lee Cullman, AL 5 08-06 0
Day 1: 5 08-06
34. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 4 08-04 0
Day 1: 4 08-04
35. Brent Ehrler Redlands, CA 3 08-04 0
Day 1: 3 08-04
36. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 3 08-03 0
Day 1: 3 08-03
37. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 3 08-01 0
Day 1: 3 08-01
38. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 4 07-14 0
Day 1: 4 07-14
39. Alton Jones Jr. Lorena, TX 2 07-07 0
Day 1: 2 07-07
40. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 5 07-06 0
Day 1: 5 07-06
41. Gerald Spohrer Gonzales, LA 4 07-06 0
Day 1: 4 07-06
42. Derek Hudnall Baton Rouge, LA 4 07-00 0
Day 1: 4 07-00
43. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 4 06-15 0
Day 1: 4 06-15
44. Nick Ratliff Vine Grove, KY 4 06-10 0
Day 1: 4 06-10
45. Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 3 06-06 0
Day 1: 3 06-06
46. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 4 06-05 0
Day 1: 4 06-05
47. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 1 04-01 0
Day 1: 1 04-01
48. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 2 03-12 0
Day 1: 2 03-12
49. Matthew Robertson Kuttawa, KY 2 03-05 0
Day 1: 2 03-05
50. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 2 03-03 0
Day 1: 2 03-03
51. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 2 02-14 0
Day 1: 2 02-14
52. Jacopo Gallelli Firenze ITALY 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 30 217 501-15
———————————-
30 217 501-15

Fiberglass World Reveal is Today! Vexus Boats

wpalert

-

March 15, 2019

0

Fiberglass World Reveal is Today! Vexus Boats

[print_link]

Today marks an important milestone in our company’s history. While this season is full of excitement for us, and hopefully for you too, we wanted to pause to express our gratitude to the people who made this day possible: our employees, customers, dealers, families, and friends. The game-changing fiberglass boats we’ll reveal to the world in just a few hours not only represent a giant step forward for Vexus® Boats, but also an extraordinary commitment by our employees and the invaluable support of our customers. Throughout it all, we humbly say, “Thank you.”

We hope you can join us at 12:30 (EDT) as we reveal these new boats. If you’re here at the Bassmaster Classic, join us at booth 803 in the World’s Fair Expo Hall. If you are unable to attend in person, you can follow the unveiling via Facebook Live at https://www.facebook.com/vexusboats/. You’ll also want to check back throughout the day as we will provide additional updates via our numerous social media platforms. #worththewait

The Bassmaster Classic 2019 Media Day Angler Interview’s

wpalert

-

March 15, 2019

0

The Bassmaster Classic 2019
Media Day Angler Interviews

The 2019 Bassmaster Classic practice has officially ended and the big media day, where we, the media, get the opportunity to interview all 52 anglers. As hard as you try, it’s not always easy.
I posed the same questions to each angler in hopes to gain some insight into what they had planned for the 3 days.

What do you think the winning weight will be?
Brandon Palaniuk 18 a day for 54 pounds
Brent Chapman 49 lbs 1 ounce
Jason Christie 46 pounds
Edwin Evers 16 a day for 48 pounds
Seth Feider 57 pounds
Micah Frazier 50 pounds
Brett Hite 48 pounds
Alton Jones Jr 47 pounds
Wesley Stader 48-52 pounds
Chris Zaldain 50 pounds
Jesse Wiggins 50 pounds  What will you be fishing for primarily, LM or SM?
Brandon Palaniuk in areas predominantly largemouth with smallmouth nearby
Brent Chapman largemouth
Jason Christie largemouth
Edwin Evers (laughing)whatever bites
Seth Feider largemouth
Micah Frazier mixed bag
Brett Hite both
Alton Jones Jr largemouth
Wesley Stader largemouth
Chris Zaldain both
Jesse Wiggins largemouth

What 2 words would you use to sum up the TENN River right now?
Brandon Palaniuk constant change
Brent Chapman muddy & fast
Jason Christie very inconsistent
Edwin Evers greatest river
Seth Feider fast
Micah Frazier changing and inconsistent
Brett Hite Changing
Alton Jones Jr rolling rolling
Wesley Stader fast and muddy
Chris Zaldain up and down
Jesse Wiggins big bite

What do you think will be type of bait that wins the Classic?
Brandon Palaniuk Rapala DT6
Brent Chapman vibrating jig & square bill crankbait
Jason Christie soft plastic, spinnerbait, squarebill
Edwin Evers variety of baits
Seth Feider soft plastic
Micah Frazier spinnerbait
Brett Hite Crankbait, spinner bait, jig
Alton Jones Jr crankbait
Wesley Stader mix of baits
Chris Zaldain swimbait
Jesse Wiggins crankbait

Elite Anglers’ thoughts on the 2019 Bassmaster Classic by Jacob Stephens

wpalert

-

March 14, 2019

0

Elite Anglers’ thoughts on the 2019 Bassmaster Classic by Jacob Stephens

Keith Poche

Guess the winning weight? 51.11 lbs

What will you be fishing for LM or SM? Large Mouth

How can you sum up the TENN River in two words? Very Unique

Would you have the river high or low to fish your strengths? Low

What do you think will be the bait or type? Moving Bait

Wear do you think Will be the winning combination you a spinning or bait caster? Bait Caster

Derek Hudnall

Guess the winning weight? 47 lbs

What will you be fishing for LM or SM? Both

How can you sum up the TENN River in two words? Shallow & Dirty

Would you have the river high or low to fish your strengths? Low Water

What do you think will be the bait or type? Junk Fishing

Wear do you think Will be the winning combination you a spinning or bait caster? Both

Andy Montgomery

Guess the winning weight? 51 Lbs 2 oz 1/2

What will you be fishing for LM or SM? Large Mouth

How can you sum up the TENN River in two words? Different

Would you have the river high or low to fish your strengths? Low

What do you think will be the bait or type? Power Fishing

Wear do you think Will be the winning combination you a spinning or bait caster? Bait Caster

Todd Faircloth

Guess the winning weight? 48 lbs 7 oz

What will you be fishing for LM or SM? Large Mouth

How can you sum up the TENN River in two words? Unstable

Would you have the river high or low to fish your strengths? low

What do you think will be the bait or type? Power Fishing

Wear do you think Will be the winning combination you a spinning or bait caster? Bait Caster

FLW TOUR SET TO VISIT GRAND LAKE FOR FOURTH FLW TOUR EVENT OF SEASON

wpalert

-

March 14, 2019

0

FLW TOUR SET TO VISIT GRAND LAKE FOR FOURTH FLW TOUR EVENT OF SEASON

Warming Trend Should Make for Prime Conditions in ‘Old-School Prespawn Shootout’

[print_link]

GROVE, Okla. (March 14, 2019) – Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), the world’s largest tournament fishing organization, is set to continue the 2019 FLW Tour season – the 24^th season of the competitive Tour – March 28-31, with the FLW Tour at Grand Lake presented by Mercury. Hosted by the City of Grove and the Cherokee Casino Grove, the tournament will feature 168 of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals competing for a top award of up to $125,000 and valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2019 FLW Cup – the world championship of bass fishing.

The FLW Tour has visited Grand Lake just once prior in FLW’s 24-year history. When the Tour visited the northeastern Oklahoma fishery in 2013, Oklahoma pro angler Jason Christie averaged nearly 20 pounds a day targeting willow trees in the Elk River to earn his third-career FLW Tour win. The 2019 event will mark the 214^th tournament in FLW Tour history. The total purse for the FLW Tour at Grand Lake presented by Mercury is more than $860,000.

“We’ve got a big warming trend happening in the days leading up to this tournament and by the time it rolls around it should be lights out,” said local Tour pro 21-year-old Sheldon Collings of Grove, who is currently in his second season on the FLW Tour. “I expect that the fishing will be phenomenal and we should see some big bags.

“I really think it’s going to be an old-school prespawn shootout,” Collings continued. “If I had to predict, I think 90-percent of the fish that we see caught will come on a (Storm) Wiggle Wart, a big spinnerbait and a jig. The water is stained right now, and there is only so much you can do with it.”

Collings added that he also expects squarebill crankbaits and jerkbaits to produce for tournament anglers, but didn’t believe that pattern could hold up for a four-day event. He predicted that the jig bite would be very strong – especially transition banks on bluff ends and to laydowns on chunk rock banks.

“We’re hitting it right and we should see a couple of big limits – 24 to 25 pounds,” Collings went on to say. “I think the winner will need to average right around 20 pounds a day. I’ll predict the winning weight will be 75 to 80 pounds over the four days.”

Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. CST Thursday through Sunday from Wolf Creek Park, located at 963 N. 16^th St., in Grove. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins, March 28-29, will be held at the park beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins, March 30-31, will also be held at the park, but will begin at 4 p.m.

Prior to the weigh-ins, FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at Wolf Creek Park from 2 to 6 p.m. each day. The Expo is a chance for fishing fans to meet their favorite anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.

Also for youth, the FLW Foundation’s Unified Fishing Derby will be held at the boat basin on Saturday, March 30 from Noon-2 p.m. The event is hosted by FLW Foundation pro Cody Kelley along with other FLW Tour anglers, and is free and open to anyone under the age of 18 and Special Olympics athletes. Rods and reels are available for use, but youth are encouraged to bring their own if they own one. The 1^st and 2^nd place anglers that catch the biggest fish will be recognized Saturday on the FLW Tour stage, just prior to the pros weighing in.

As part of the FLW Tour’s community outreach initiative, FLW Tour anglers will visit patients, guests and staff at the INTEGRIS Grove Hospital, located at 1001 E. 18^th St., in Grove on Wednesday, March 27 from 8:30-10 a.m. to interact with guests, snap photos and sign autographs for patients, give away some goodie bags and share fishing stories.

Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Grand Lake presented by Mercury will premiere in 2019. 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 Days Three and Four of the event, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. New for 2019, host Travis Moran will be joined by Oklahoma Costa FLW Series pro Matt Pangrac to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com, the FLW YouTube channel and the FLW Facebook page.

In FLW Tour competition, the full field of 168 pro anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advance to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue 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.

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA WINS FIFTH-ANNUAL YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING OPEN ON KENTUCKY/BARKLEY LAKES

wpalert

-

March 14, 2019

0

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA WINS FIFTH-ANNUAL YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING OPEN ON KENTUCKY/BARKLEY LAKES

[print_link]

GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (March 14, 2019) – The University of North Alabama team of Hunter McCarty of Dora, Alabama, and Sloan Pennington of Childersburg, Alabama, won the fifth-annual YETI FLW College Fishing Open on Kentucky and Barkley lakes Wednesday with a two-day cumulative total of 10 bass weighing 45 pounds, 14 ounces. The victory earned the duo a $27,400 prize package, including a new Ranger Z175 boat with a 115-horsepower outboard, and a slot in the 2020 FLW College Fishing National Championship.

The Lions’ duo said that they were on a bit of a junk-fishing pattern, though they only used a few baits to get the job done – a red ½-ounce Jackall TN 60 lipless crankbait and a demon-colored Rapala DT6 crankbait. They also caught one fish on a custom 3/4-ounce double-Colorado blade (with one orange blade) spinnerbait and a Kalin’s Lunker Grub trailer.

McCarty and Pennington said they looked for gravel transitions and main-lake points that had gravel on them in the Blood River area fairly far south of takeoff.

“Gravel bank was definitely a key, but there’s gravel banks just about everywhere,” said Pennington. “Our best area was more like a shallow point or a shallow flat. They were in about 2 feet of water and that was before it went into a spawning pocket. We caught several on the main river before it goes into the pocket.”

Current and wind were big factors both days of the event, perhaps even more so on day two. Kentucky Dam continued to pull water throughout the tournament, and the high winds that shortened day two played a big role in how fish were positioned.

“The only area we caught more than one fish was directly in the current, today especially because of the wind,” McCarty said. “They were sitting on the banks in the deeper area behind the points.”

“Tuesday we covered a lot of water and only caught one here and one there, and then there was only one area we caught more than one,” Pennington added. “We stopped there first Wednesday and with the current and the wind, we never really left that one spot.

“We weren’t (feeling pressure) as much as we probably should have been, because we didn’t know if we were on enough fish to win anyway, so we were just kind of going to make the best of what we could,” Pennington went on to say. “That was a lot of it. We fished a lot more relaxed and we executed really well.”

The 20 teams that now advance to the 2020 FLW College Fishing National Championship were:

1^st: University of North Alabama – Hunter McCarty, Dora, Ala., and Sloan Pennington, Childersburg, Ala., 10 bass, 45-14

2^nd: Bethel University – Tristan McCormick, Burns, Tenn., and Dakota Pierce, Ava, Mo., 10 bass, 44-4

3^rd: Blue Mountain College – Chandler Boman, New Albany, Miss., and Ty Cox, Guntown, Miss., 10 bass, 42-5

4^th: McKendree University – Nathan Doty, Decatur, Ill., and Jacob Louis, Pinckneyville, Ill., 10 bass, 40-6

5^th: Adrian College – Alex Henderson, Mooresville, Ind., and Zach Manneback, Howell, Mich., 10 bass, 39-9

6^th: Youngstown State University – Jonathan Creed, Niles, Ohio, and Jared Latone, Youngstown, Ohio, 10 bass, 39-1

7^th: Adrian College – Cody Batterson, Pleasant Hill, Iowa, and Zachary Graham, Gallipolis, Ohio, 10 bass, 37-14

8^th: Bethel University – Kyle Palmer, Estill Springs, Tenn., and John Coble Garrett, Union City, Tenn., 10 bass, 37-7

9^th: Bethel University – Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, and Carter McNeil, Abbeville, S.C., eight bass, 36-13

10^th: McKendree University – Blake Jackson, Carterville, Ill., and Trevor McKinney, Benton, Ill., eight bass, 35-1

11^th: Adrian College – Gunner Wilson, Fenton, Mich., and Chase Serafin, White Lake, Mich., nine bass, 34-14

12^th: Eastern Kentucky University – Tyler Frye and Marcus Davis, both of Corbin, Ky., nine bass, 33-10

13^th: West Virginia University – Nolan Minor, Charlottesville, Va., and Casey Lanier, Sanford, N.C., nine bass, 32-14

14^th: Greenville Technical – Joshua Howard and Austin Davis, both of Pelzer, S.C., eight bass, 32-13

15^th: University of Missouri – Lane Best, Clifton, Mo., and Jonathan Hardy, Eureka, Mo., eight bass, 31-3

16^th: Grand Valley State University – Lucas Murphy, Walker, Mich., and William Mathews, Joliet, Ill., eight bass, 29-12

17^th: Itawamba Community College – Carlos Welch, Baldwyn, Miss., and Daniel McAfee, Amory, Miss., 10 bass, 29-4

18^th: Bryan College – Jake Lee, Powell, Tenn., and Dalton Price, Seymour, Tenn., seven bass, 28-0

19^th: Mississippi State University – Cody Peak, Starkville, Miss., and Landon Cook, Collinsville, Miss., seven bass, 27-11

20^th: Greenville University – Cale Jausel, Coulterville, Ill., and Jordan Phillips, Belleville, Ill., six bass, 27-4

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

The YETI FLW College Fishing Open on Kentucky and Barkley lakes was hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau and Moors Resort & Marina. The next event for FLW collegiate anglers will be a Southern Conference tournament scheduled for April 5 on Lake Texoma in Denison, Texas.

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.

basscastPRO

basscastPRO

The Bass CastYour Tourney News Headquarters

The Bass CastPRO

Wheeler Takes Over Lead At Bassmaster Classic On Tennessee River

Headland Cranks Into High School Classic Win

Dennis Gilbert & Landon Siggers Win Angler’s Choice SML with 24.62 lbs March 16th 2019

CLICK LINK TO SEE FULL RESULTS

CLICK LINK TO SEE FULL RESULTS

Beautiful Beginnings and Struggles at Day 1 of the 2019 Bassmaster Classic by Bruce Callis

Hometown Angler Ott DeFoe Takes Lead At Bassmaster Classic On Tennessee River

Fiberglass World Reveal is Today! Vexus Boats

The Bassmaster Classic 2019 Media Day Angler Interview’s

Elite Anglers’ thoughts on the 2019 Bassmaster Classic by Jacob Stephens

Keith Poche

Derek Hudnall

Andy Montgomery

Todd Faircloth

FLW TOUR SET TO VISIT GRAND LAKE FOR FOURTH FLW TOUR EVENT OF SEASON

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA WINS FIFTH-ANNUAL YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING OPEN ON KENTUCKY/BARKLEY LAKES

The Bass CastPRO

Follow Us

The latest

Mark Cannon & David Wright Win CATT Yadkin on High Rock Lake! 27.86 lbs with a BF at 6.50 lbs!

Britt Myers Win the CATT Lake Wylie Fall Final! 17.85 lbs & BF at 4.65 lbs!

Mike Stephens Wins CATT Lake Wylie! 5 Bass weighing gup at 16.05 lbs!