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LATIMER IS CHAMPION AT FLW TOUR AT LAKE SEMINOLE PRESENTED BY COSTA

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LATIMER IS CHAMPION AT FLW TOUR AT LAKE SEMINOLE PRESENTED BY COSTA

LATIMER IS CHAMPION AT FLW TOUR AT LAKE SEMINOLE PRESENTED BY COSTA

South Carolina Pro Earns First Career Tour Victory, Wins $100,000

Link to HD video of Latimer’s Winning Moment

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BAINBRIDGE, Ga. (March 10, 2019) – In one of the most dramatic finishes in recent FLW Tour history, fourth-year FLW Tour pro Brian Latimer of Belton, South Carolina, brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 21 pounds, 3 ounces to win the FLW Tour at Lake Seminole presented by Costa Sunday and the first-place prize of $100,000.

Latimer’s four-day total of 20 bass totaling 80 pounds, 15 ounces edged out Day One leader Braxton Setzer of Montgomery, Alabama (78-14), who finished second and 21-year-old pro Sheldon Collings of Grove, Oklahoma (76-2), in third place.

All day long Latimer, Setzer and Collings traded blows, landing one big one after another much to the thrill of the thousands of viewers that tuned in to watch the day’s action on FLW Live. As the broadcast came to an end at 2 p.m. Latimer was in third place, but only had three bass in his livewell. Latimer added two more keepers late in the day to overtake Setzer and Collings and earned the South Carolina pro his first career victory.

“I have fished for so long, and I always knew that I could do this,” an emotional Latimer said on the weigh-in stage. “I didn’t do well, for a long time. This is not an easy sport. But I knew I could do it, and I kept going. All I’ve ever wanted to do was fish for a living. To win the $100,000 is great, but to finally have my trophy… that is so awesome.”

Latimer caught his fish on Day One Thursday by cranking a current seam in the Flint River with a Bill Lewis MR-6 crankbait, bringing a solid limit weighing 19-1 to the scale. Friday, he caught a few fish cranking, but the majority came from a run down the river to a flat with isolated clumps of grass. He scrapped up a limit weighing 17-11, then decided to stick it out on the flat for the final two days of competition, weighing in 23-0 and 21-3 to slam the door and earn the win.

“Friday is when I figured out that I was on the winning school of fish,” Latimer said. “I did the majority of my damage at a big hydrilla and milfoil flat. I told my wife that if I can get five bites there, every day, I could win this tournament. I stuck it out there, and that’s what happened.

Latimer’s one-two punch on the flat was flipping a Texas-rigged Z-Man Palmetto Bugz with a 1/2-ounce weight or finessing them out with a wacky-rigged Zoom Trick Worm.

“It was stressful – probably the most stressful thing that I have ever been through,” said Latimer. “I lost quite a few fish this week, but I kept my composure. I wasn’t getting many bites. I had to stay focused, and I’m just so blessed that I caught what I did.

The top 10 pros on Lake Seminole finished:

1st:          Brian Latimer, Belton, S.C., 20 bass, 80-15, $102,500

2nd:         Braxton Setzer, Montgomery, Ala., 17 bass, 78-14, $30,200

3rd:         Sheldon Collings, Grove, Okla., 20 bass, 76-2, $25,100

4th:         Rapala pro Terry Bolton, Benton, Ky., 20 bass, 72-6, $20,000

5th:         Rob Kilby, Hot Springs, Ark., 20 bass, 62-14, $19,000

6th:         Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 20 bass, 62-10, $18,000

7th:         Miles Howe, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., 19 bass, 59-6, $17,000

8th:         Bradford Beavers, Summerville, S.C., 17 bass, 55-8, $16,500

9th:         Joshua Weaver, Macon, Ga., 16 bass, 51-1, $15,000

10th:       Hunter Freeman, Monroe, La., 15 bass, 49-2, $14,000

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

Overall there were 42 bass weighing 138 pounds, 12 ounces caught by pros Sunday. Eight of the final 10 pros weighed in five-bass limits.

Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lake Seminole presented by Costa 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 total purse for the FLW Tour at Lake Seminole presented by Costa was more than $860,000. The tournament was hosted by the Bainbridge Convention and Visitors Bureau. The next event for FLW Tour anglers will be the FLW Tour at Grand Lake presented by Mercury, in Grove, Oklahoma, March 28-31. The tournament will be hosted by the City of Grove and Cherokee Casino Grove.

In FLW Tour competition, the full field of 165 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening round Thursday and Friday. The top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to fish on 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.

Craig Chambers & Derrick Cumming win CATT Lake Norman,NC March 2,2019

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Craig Chambers & Derrick Cumming win CATT Lake Norman,NC March 2,2019

Next CATT Lake Norman Qualifier is April 28 at Pinnacle!

Visit your nearest Academy Sports for all your sporting needs!

1st Place Craig Chambers & Derrick Cumming! 15.75 lbs!

Big Total Total
12 Teams Fish Weight Winnings Points
Craig Chambers – Derrick Cummings 3.35 15.75 $560.00 110
Steve Addington – Adam Featherstone 2.63 12.25 $180.00 109
Chris Graham – Ricky Byrd 4.44 11.53 $90.00 108
Shane Sharpe – Will Mitchell 3.21 11.47 107
Steven James – KC Choosakul 3.86 11.43 106
Bill Grier 4.32 10.93 $30.00 105
Matt McBee – Bryan Lefever 2.85 10.76 104
Todd & Hayden Hammond 3.06 8.84 103
Joel Marcotte 3.24 7.21 102
Boo Whitaker – John Miller 0.00 4.86 101
Keith Westrick – Terry Pittman 0.00 1.59 100
Dale Phillips 0.00 0.00 99
Total Entrys $960.00
BONUS $ $200.00
Total Paid At Ramp $860.00
Norman Spring 2019 Final Fund $245.00
2019 CATT Championship Fund $25.00
2019 Norman Spring Final Fund Total $655.00
2019  CATT Championship Fund Total $3,420.00

Elliot & Chad Pilson Win Bass Cast T.T. Stop #1 March 9, 2019 with 21.54 lbs

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Elliot & Chad Pilson Win Bass Cast T.T. Stop #1 March 9, 2019 with 21.54 lbs

We would like to thank the 23 teams that come out for the first event of the 2019 season braving the cold weather & the snow. Over half the field weighed in some great looking bags. But the team of Chad & Elliot Pilson pulled it off by only a few ounces. Congratulations to them & thank you to everyone that comes out today. Come on out for our next event April 6th.

CLICK HERE TO SEE FINAL RESUILTS

,center>1st place Chad & Elliot Pilson with 5 fish weighing 21.54 lbs. Plus They won a 1 night stay at Halesford Harbour Inn.

2nd Place Michael Thomas & Jacob Cooper with 5 fish weighing 21.22 lbs

3rd Place Ben & Brandon Reynolds with 5 fish weighing 20.30 lbs

SOUTH CAROLINA’S LATIMER MOVES INTO LEAD AT FLW TOUR AT LAKE SEMINOLE PRESENTED BY COSTA

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SOUTH CAROLINA’S LATIMER MOVES INTO LEAD AT FLW TOUR AT LAKE SEMINOLE PRESENTED BY COSTA

SOUTH CAROLINA’S LATIMER MOVES INTO LEAD AT FLW TOUR AT LAKE SEMINOLE PRESENTED BY COSTA

Fourth-Year Pro Seeks First Tour Win, Brings 1-pound, 10-ounce Lead into Final Day

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BAINBRIDGE, Ga. (March 9, 2019) – The weather threw anglers a curveball Saturday morning at the FLW Tour at Lake Seminole presented by Costa. A heavy, dense fog settled in over Lake Seminole and greeted the pros as they arrived to the Earle May Boat Basin in Bainbridge, prompting FLW Tournament Director Bill Taylor to delay takeoff for a little over an hour due to the low visibility.

Around 8:15 a.m., after the fog had lifted, the 30 anglers that qualified to fish the weekend embarked on Day Three of competition. Pro Brian Latimer of Belton, South Carolina moved into the top spot after bringing a limit weighing 23 pounds even to the scale.

The field is now trimmed to the final 10 pros for Sunday, and Latimer (15 bass, 59-12) will start with a slim 1-pound, 10-ounce lead over second-place pro Braxton Setzer of Montgomery, Alabama, (15 bass, 58-2) who led the first day of competition. Also in striking distance is Sheldon Collings of Grove, Oklahoma, (15 bass, 56-2) who sits in third place. The four-day competition features 165 of the world’s best bass-fishing anglers competing for a top cash award of up to $125,000.

“It might look like I had a really good day, but I only caught six fish,” said Latimer, who is fishing in his 26th career FLW Tour event. “I had nothing until 10 a.m., then I just started catching them slowly, one at a time, like every hour. I knew that if I could ever get five bites in the area I was fishing that I’d catch 20+ pounds, and today that finally happened.”

Latimer put a charge into the FLW Live broadcast Saturday morning, boating a 6-pounder on a wacky-rig two hours into the broadcast. He stayed in the same area for the entire day, grinding out six keepers.

“The current had pushed a lot of muddy water out of my area and it was crystal clear this morning,” Latimer said. “They wouldn’t bite flipping, so I had to go with the wacky rig. Tomorrow, unless the wind blows all night, it should be clear so I’ll start with the wacky-rig again. If the wind picks up and blows in muddy water from the river then I’ll have to pick them off by flipping.”

Latimer is already guaranteed to have the highest finish of his young career this week, yet seemed to have the confidence of an angler that has been fishing for many years. When asked about any nerves heading into the final day, the South Carolina pro said he had nothing to worry about.

“I’ve got no nerves – I’ve got one place to fish and two baits to throw. If I stay focused, land my bites and catch five, I think I can do it again. Fishing is momentum, and right now everything is working out right for me. I really feel like I can catch them again.”

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

1st:          Brian Latimer, Belton, S.C., 15 bass, 59-12

2nd:         Braxton Setzer, Montgomery, Ala., 12 bass, 58-2

3rd:         Sheldon Collings, Grove, Okla., 15 bass, 56-2

4th:         Rob Kilby, Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 55-9

5th:         Joshua Weaver, Macon, Ga., 15 bass, 48-14

6th:         Hunter Freeman, Monroe, La., 14 bass, 47-10

7th:         Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 15 bass, 46-13

8th:         Bradford Beavers, Summerville, S.C., 12 bass, 46-10

9th:         Miles Howe, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., 14 bass, 45-6

10th:       Rapala pro Terry Bolton, Benton, Ky., 15 bass, 45-4

 

Finishing in 11th through 30th are:

 

11th:       Buddy Gross, Chickamauga, Ga., 12 bass, 45-4, $12,000

12th:       Greg Bohannan, Bentonville, Ark., 15 bass, 44-14, $12,000

13th:       Jason Abram, Piney Flats, Tenn., 15 bass, 44-1, $12,000

14th:       Billy McCaghren, Mayflower, Ark., 15 bass, 43-2, $12,000

15th:       Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., 15 bass, 42-8, $12,000

16th:       Kurt Mitchell, Milford, Del., 11 bass, 42-4, $11,500

17th:       Jared McMillan, Belle Glade, Fla., 15 bass, 42-1, $11,500

18th:       Chris McCall, Palmer, Texas, 14 bass, 40-14, $11,500

19th:       Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa., 15 bass, 39-12, $11,500

20th:       Tyler Woolcott, Port Orange, Fla., 10 bass, 37-13, $11,500

21st:        Miles Burghoff, Hixson, Tenn., 14 bass, 36-9, $10,500

22nd:       Jimmy Brewer, Marshall, Texas, 13 bass, 36-6, $10,500

23rd:       Tommy Dickerson, Orange, Texas, 14 bass, 35-15, $10,500

24th:       Joseph Webster, Winfield, Ala., nine bass, 35-14, $10,500

25th:       Russell Cecil, Willis, Texas, 14 bass, 35-13, $10,500

26th:       Jacob Wall, Jacksonville, Ore., 12 bass, 34-5, $10,500

27th:       Andy Young, Isle, Minn., 13 bass, 32-10, $10,500

28th:       Kurt Dove, Del Rio, Texas, nine bass, 32-8, $10,500

29th:       Nitro pro Dylan Hays, El Dorado, Ark., 12 bass, 30-12, $10,500

30th:       Matt Reed, Madisonville, Texas, 11 bass, 28-7, $10,500

 

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

Overall there were 119 bass weighing 322 pounds even caught by pros Saturday, Of the final 30 pros, 18 of them were able to bring a five-bass limit to the scale.

In FLW Tour competition, the full field of 165 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening round Thursday and Friday. The top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to fish on 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 Lake Seminole presented by Costa is more than $860,000. The tournament is hosted by the Bainbridge Convention and Visitors Bureau.

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 7:45 a.m. EST Sunday from the Bainbridge Earle May Boat Basin, located at 100 Boat Basin Circle, in Bainbridge. Sunday’s Championship weigh-in will also be held at the boat basin beginning at 4 p.m.

In conjunction with the weigh-ins, FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at the Bainbridge Earle May Boat Basin 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, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.

Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lake Seminole presented by Costa 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 Sunday, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran will be joined by veteran FLW Tour pro Todd Hollowell 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.

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.

Your Guide To Buying A Baitcaster Reel – MTB

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Your Guide To Buying A Baitcaster Reel – MTB

Your Guide To Buying A Baitcaster Reel

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Selecting your first baitcaster can be a daunting task as there are so many products and price points on the market today. Sometime during the initiation process of bass fishing, anglers take steps that elevate them from a beginner to the more advanced status of their sport. One crucial step in this process is learning how to master a baitcast reel.

Spinning and spin-cast reels can adequately handle some bass fishing techniques (especially light-line presentations), but the durable and dependable baitcast reel is the ultimate choice for serious anglers when they encounter bass in the rivers and lakes throughout the country. Whether fishing standing timber, weeds, rocks, boat docks or brush piles, a bass fisherman depends on heavy line and a baitcast reel to winch bass out of some tight places.

Purchasing Your First Baitcaster

Baitcaster

So any beginning bass anglers who want to consistently catch more fish must make the baitcast reel one of their key tools of the trade. Since reel manufacturers have made baitcasters highly specialized lately, novices have a more difficult choice when buying their first baitcast reel. There are a few guidelines beginners can follow to help them pick a baitcaster that fits their needs though.

Setting A Budget

Baitcaster

The first step you need to take when choosing a baitcast reel is considering the price of the various models. You should set in your mind what your budget is going to be and what you are willing to spend on a reel. Then look at getting the most reel for that dollar amount. You should avoid buying cheaper reels because those models usually aren’t equipped with good, lasting features.

Understanding Pricing

Baitcaster

If you buy the cheapest reel you can find, you will usually be frustrated with its performance or it won’t last long. The amount of usage can determine how much you should spend on your first baitcaster. If you are going to fish more than 35 days a year you should look at spending about $100 for a baitcast reel because it will give you high performance with a good number of ball bearings and it will last you a long time if you take care of it. You should buy a reel with as many ball bearings as possible because more ball bearings ensure great durability and longevity of the reel and enhances its performance.

All reels now have some sort of magnetic cast control which will help you avoid the frustration of constant backlashes. Baitcast reels with magnetic cast controls feature magnets that put resistance on the spool as it turns and serve as fine-tuning mechanisms in conjunction with the reel’s main cast control. If the magnets and cast control are working properly, you can cast the reel without applying any thumb pressure to the spool and have the lure hit the water without any backlash.

Baitcasters Magnetic Breaking

Baitcaster

Despite the cast controls and magnetic braking systems on today’s baitcasters, you still need to learn the basics of casting a baitcast reel, even if you buy a high-dollar model. Don’t expect the reel to do all the work for you. Casting a baitcaster is still a matter of the skill level of the angler to understand the principle of a baitcast reel in that the spool revolves. It’s still up to you to control the spool’s speed with your thumb.

Your first baitcaster should also have a reliable drag system. You want a drag that keeps the pressure on bass without line slippage but will also allow a surging bass to pull line smoothly off the spool to prevent it from breaking your line.

You should also consider purchasing a baitcast reel designed for multiple tasks rather than a model made for special duties such as deep cranking or high-speed retrieves. All of today’s reels are designed to do more than one thing simply because they have the cast control features with the magnetics and flipping features that allow you to disengage the spool, pitch the lure out and still have control with your thumb over how far the lure goes.

Get A Reel That Can Do It All

Your first baitcaster should be a multipurpose reel in the mid-price range with a gear ratio between 6.2:1 to 7.0:1. Most of these reels will have about the same line capacity of 110 to 120 yards in the 10- to 14-pound test range.
A reel in the mid-speed gear ratio range will handle most bass fishing applications because it allows you to adjust the speed of your retrieve easier than low- or high-speed reels. If you are fishing a buzz bait or Rat-L-Trap, you can crank a 6.2:1 reel faster and still get good performance. If you are slow rolling a spinnerbait or fishing a deep-diving crankbait you can still wind it slow enough that it’s not going to overwork the lure. If you buy a baitcast reel on either side of the spectrum on gear ratios it will be hard to work a higher speed reel slowly or a low-speed reel faster.

SOUTH CAROLINA’S BEAVERS MOVES INTO LEAD AT FLW TOUR AT LAKE SEMINOLE PRESENTED BY COSTA

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SOUTH CAROLINA’S BEAVERS MOVES INTO LEAD AT FLW TOUR AT LAKE SEMINOLE PRESENTED BY COSTA

SOUTH CAROLINA’S BEAVERS MOVES INTO LEAD AT FLW TOUR AT LAKE SEMINOLE PRESENTED BY COSTA

2017 FLW Series Champion Paces Field into Weekend Cut, Thrift’s Limit Streak Comes to an End at 71

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BAINBRIDGE, Ga. (March 8, 2019) – Pro Bradford Beavers of Summerville, South Carolina, caught five bass weighing 18 pounds, 12 ounces Friday to take control of the leaderboard after Day Two of the FLW Tour at Lake Seminole presented by Costa. Beavers’ two-day total of 10 bass weighing 43 pounds, 14 ounces gives him a 3-pound advantage heading into Day Three of the four-day competition that features 165 of the world’s best bass-fishing anglers competing for a top cash award of up to $125,000.

Although Beavers’ 18-pound, 12-ounce limit was an impressive sight on the stage, the South Carolina pro admits that he had to grind it out for the entire day. He boated four keepers in a 45-minute window right away Friday morning, then didn’t boat his fifth keeper until just three minutes before having to leave the water and head to weigh-in.

“I hooked seven fish today, but only got five of them to the boat,” said Beavers, the 2017 Costa FLW Series Champion. “I was around them. They would bump my bait, but they just weren’t going to eat.

“I spent three hours there this morning, then I finally gave up and ran around looking for another bite the rest of the day,” Beavers continued. “I don’t know if the fish are becoming more educated or the weather is changing their habits.”

Beavers said that he caught all of his fish Friday on a bladed jig.

“I finally got my last one with just three minutes left in the day,” Beavers said. “It was a huge window with nothing happening.

“Tomorrow my plan is to just go hit the one area where I have been catching them, and then just run some new water from there,” Beavers went on to say. “I’ll probably stay shallow. I don’t have anything else worth going back to, and it just takes too long to find them out deep. I hope I can find them.”

The top 30 pros that made the cut and will fish Saturday on Lake Seminole are:                                                                                      

1st:          Bradford Beavers, Summerville, S.C., 10 bass, 43-14

2nd:         Sheldon Collings, Grove, Okla., 10 bass, 40-14

3rd:         Rob Kilby, Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 38-15

4th:         Kurt Mitchell, Milford, Del., 10 bass, 37-5

5th:         Brian Latimer, Belton, S.C., 10 bass, 36-12

6th:         Greg Bohannan, Bentonville, Ark., 10 bass, 36-3

7th:         Hunter Freeman, Monroe, La., 10 bass, 35-5

8th:         Joshua Weaver, Macon, Ga., 10 bass, 34-7

9th:         Joseph Webster, Winfield, Ala., eight bass, 34-6

10th:       Braxton Setzer, Montgomery, Ala., seven bass, 33-10

11th:       Tyler Woolcott, Port Orange, Fla., eight bass, 33-2

12th:       Miles Howe, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., nine bass, 32-12

13th:       Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 10 bass, 32-7

14th:       Billy McCaghren, Mayflower, Ark., 10 bass, 32-5

15th:       Jimmy Brewer, Marshall, Texas, 10 bass, 31-0

16th:       Jared McMillan, Belle Glade, Fla., 10 bass, 30-12

17th:       Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., 10 bass, 29-11

18th:       Rapala pro Terry Bolton, Benton, Ky., 10 bass, 29-1

19th:       Russell Cecil, Willis, Texas, nine bass, 28-9

20th:       Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa., 10 bass, 28-8

21st:        Buddy Gross, Chickamauga, Ga., seven bass, 28-7

22nd:       Jason Abram, Piney Flats, Tenn., 10 bass, 28-2

23rd:       Miles Burghoff, Hixson, Tenn., 10 bass, 27-15

24th:       Costa pro Dylan Hays, El Dorado, Ark., 10 bass, 27-0

25th:       Andy Young, Isle, Minn., 10 bass, 26-13

26th:       Matt Reed, Madisonville, Texas, 10 bass, 26-10

27th:       Tommy Dickerson, Orange, Texas, nine bass, 26-8

28th:       Kurt Dove, Del Rio, Texas, seven bass, 26-6

29th:       Chris McCall, Palmer, Texas, nine bass, 26-3

30th:       Jacob Wall, Jacksonville, Ore., eight bass, 26-0

 

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

Pro Bryan Thrift’s remarkable streak of 71 consecutive five-bass limits weighed in FLW Tour competition came to an end Friday as the Shelby, North Carolina pro weighed in just one fish totaling 2 pounds, 1 ounce. Thrift’s streak began in May of 2015 at the FLW Tour at Pickwick Lake. Thrift’s mark of 71 smashed the all-time professional bass fishing record of 57 set by Kevin Van Dam on the Bassmaster Elite Series. The previous all-time FLW Tour record was 50, set by pro Cody Meyer in 2014. Thrift finished the event with six bass for 12-7 and finished in 130th place.

Todd Castledine of Nacogdoches, Texas, earned Friday’s $500 Big Bass award in the pro division after bringing a largemouth weighing 8-pounds, 13-ounces to the scale.

Overall there were 596 bass weighing 1,528 pounds, 11 ounces caught by 157 pros Friday. The catch included 79 five-bass limits.

In FLW Tour competition, the full field of 165 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight now 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.

The total purse for the FLW Tour at Lake Seminole presented by Costa is more than $860,000. The tournament is hosted by the Bainbridge Convention and Visitors Bureau.

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 at 7 a.m. EST Saturday and 7:45 a.m. Sunday from the Bainbridge Earle May Boat Basin, located at 100 Boat Basin Circle, in Bainbridge. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins will also be held at the boat basin beginning at 4 p.m.

In conjunction with the weigh-ins, FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at the Bainbridge Earle May Boat Basin from 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. 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, 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 1st and 2nd place anglers that catch the biggest fish will be recognized Saturday on the FLW Tour stage, just prior to the pros weighing in.

Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lake Seminole presented by Costa 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 Saturday and Sunday, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran will be joined by veteran FLW Tour pro Todd Hollowell 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.

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.

Favorite Fishing Joins Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour to Grow the Sport

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Favorite Fishing Joins Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour to Grow the Sport
MLF pro Zack Birge is one of the new additions to the Favorite Fishing team competing in Major League Fishing’s Bass Pro Tour. He joins Dustin Connell, Mark Daniels Jr. and Andy Morgan in representing the Favorite brand. 
Favorite Fishing Joins Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour  
to Grow the Sport
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TULSA, Okla. (March 8, 2019) – Favorite Fishing, makers of rods, reels and accessories, made its debut as a Major League Fishing® (MLF) Bass Pro Tour supporter at Stage One in Kissimmee, Florida, and served as the presenting sponsor of the league’s Stage Two of competition.
Favorite’s top executive says Conroe’s wrap-up wasn’t the ending to their involvement with the league, but rather the beginning of a partnership in what is setting up to be an exciting year for the sport and the new tour.
“‘The Future of Fishing’ is Favorite Fishing’s brand slogan,” said the company’s founder, Winston Tucker. “We must continue to change, not just in this generation but in generations to come, for if we don’t innovate we could lose anglers through their complacency.
“That’s why we feel this partnership with Major League Fishing makes so much sense; we both want to grow the sport. The MLF tournament format is exciting and innovative, and fishing needs this kind of action to get things going in a big way. We will build on this relationship while also continuing to support all anglers, from high school and college, up to the professional ranks.”

Favorite Fishing proudly sponsors anglers Dustin Connell, Mark Daniels Jr., Andy Morgan

and Zack Birge on the Bass Pro Tour. Daniels and Morgan have been part of the Favorite family for more than a year now while the recent additions of Connell and Birge give the brand two up-and-coming anglers. Connell earned a top-10 finish in the first Stage of the 2019 season and punched his ticket to the first Cup event with a solid finish at Stage Two.
MLF angler Mark Daniels Jr. is one of the two senior Favorite Fishing pros fishing the MLF Bass Pro Tour, joining Andy Morgan.  (Click to enlarge/download)
“Favorite showed its true fan appeal at both our Stage One event and at Stage Two, proving what most of us already knew anyway: that they are moving the needle with a lot of young anglers,” said MLF President and CEO, Jim Wilburn. “Favorite has been creative in getting the attention of the new generations with their partnership with the Googan Squad and the new Googan Baits company while not overlooking fishing’s greatest mentors by also having high-end performance gear for top-tier pros. I’m confident we’re on a good path together.”
Next up for the Bass Pro Tour is the Stage Three stop at Raleigh, North Carolina, where the 80-man field will compete on three nearby prolific bass lakes March 26-31. Falls Lake, Shearon Harris Reservoir and Jordan Lake will serve as host to the best professional bass anglers in the country.
MLF uses a conservation-minded catch, weigh and immediate-release-back-into-the-water format during competition, with no restriction as to the number of “scorable” bass allowed. As a result, the Bass Pro Tour often has the flexibility to take advantage of some smaller waters with rule restrictions that don’t work for typical bass tournament in which anglers carry up to their 5-fish limits in livewells for a weigh-in at day’s end.
Bass Pro Tour events feature seven hours of live streaming on each competition day, with free access to the real-time broadcast available at www.majorleaguefishing.com.
For more information about Favorite Fishing, visit FavoriteUSA.com.
For more information about MLF and its anglers rules and sponsors, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

MICHAEL GAUBATZ Wins Big Bass Tour Lake Conroe, Texas with 10.80 lb

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MICHAEL GAUBATZ Wins Big Bass Tour Lake Conroe, Texas with 10.80 lb

Top Weights

Rank Name Weight
1 MICHAEL GAUBATZ 10.80
2 RANDY GREENE 10.58
3 JD YARBROUGH 9.87
4 JACKIE SANSOM 9.63
5 LESLEE ZEMLICKA 9.41
6 DEBBIE SCOTT 9.39
7 WESLEY BUTTON 9.00
8 DENNIS MCREYNOLDS 8.90
9 TIM MEENAN 8.78
10 KEITH HUGHES 8.71

 

 

Big-Bass Fest Featured In Season Opener Of The Bassmasters TV Show Saturday

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Big-Bass Fest Featured In Season Opener Of The Bassmasters TV Show Saturday
March 8, 2019

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Big-Bass Fest Featured In Season Opener Of The Bassmasters TV Show Saturday

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — February’s Power-Pole Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River, which kicked off the 2019 Elite Series season for B.A.S.S., received advance billing as one of the most momentous tournaments in the history of competitive fishing. It did not disappoint.

While local observers predicted bass fishing on the St. Johns would be subpar following ravaging hurricanes in the area, the sun, moon and Elite Series stars aligned to produce a big-bass parade that drew enormous crowds of fans to the Palatka, Fla., weigh-ins.

Bass fishing fans who couldn’t attend or tune in for the 24 hours of Bassmaster LIVE coverage will not want to miss the season debut of The Bassmasters TV Show on ESPN2 Saturday, March 9, at 10 a.m. ET.

“Many people said afterward that the live-streaming coverage from the final round on the St. Johns was the best day of LIVE video ever,” said Mike McKinnis, vice president of media content for JM Associates and producer of Bassmaster LIVE and The Bassmasters. “As a lifelong fan, I can’t disagree. But we’re extremely proud of the episode of The Bassmasters on that event and can’t wait to share it with our viewers on ESPN2.

“Rick Clunn flirted with 100 pounds for four days of competition and took home his 16th B.A.S.S. title. While everybody knows the outcome, scenes of our Elite anglers battling giant bass will get hearts pumping overtime as fans follow the action up-close.”

The St. Johns Elite event was followed immediately by the Toyota Bassmaster Elite at Lake Lanier, Georgia, which produced its own brand of fireworks as the anglers battled huge spotted bass — fish tournament emcee Dave Mercer called “spotopotamuses.” That event will be covered in The Bassmasters program airing the following Saturday, March 16, at 9 a.m.

The back-to-back Elite tournaments provided a perfect prelude to the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, which gets underway next week (March 15-17) on the Tennessee River at Knoxville. The 49th world championship will be covered in special programming airing on ESPN2 on three consecutive Sunday mornings, March 31, April 7 and April 14. These and other Bassmasters episodes will be reaired on ESPN2 and ESPN Classic beginning in the summer, as well as on the Pursuit Channel.

If digital and social media audiences attracted to the opening Elite Series events are any indication, the television programs should be ratings winners.

“February was by far our best month ever in video and social media,” reported Jim Sexton, VP/Digital for B.A.S.S. “Video views on the website and social came in at 4.8 million, which was more than double that of February 2018 and was even higher than last March, the Classic month. And we had 32 million impressions in our social media — another all-time high.”

To create live-stream, on-the-water programming, which was introduced by B.A.S.S. at the 2015 Bassmaster Classic, JM Associates uses up to 10 high-definition cameras to both stream and record fishing action throughout each competition day.

“Condensing more than 200 hours of video into a one-hour TV show has to be a challenge to editors and producers, especially when there’s as much great fishing action as there was on the St. Johns,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “I’ve seen a sneak preview of our debut show, and Mike and his team have done a masterful job of telling the story and capturing the excitement. Diehard bass fishing fans are going to love this weekend’s program.”

The Bassmasters TV Shows

(All times Eastern. For a full TV schedule, visit Bassmaster.com/television, or check local listings.)

ESPN2 Sat 3/9/2019 10:00 AM Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River
ESPN2 Sat 3/16/2019 9:00 AM Bassmaster Elite at Lake Lanier
ESPN2 Sun 3/31/2019 11:00 AM 2019 Bassmaster Classic Day 1
ESPN2 Sun 4/7/2019 11:00 AM 2019 Bassmaster Classic Day 2
ESPN2 Sun 4/14/2019 10:00 AM 2019 Bassmaster Classic Championship

2019 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota

2019 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Abu Garcia, Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Skeeter Boats, Talon, Triton Boats, Yamaha

2019 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bass Pro Shops, Carhartt, Lowrance, Mossy Oak Fishing, T-H Marine

Storm® 360GT Searchbait® Weedless Jig Heads take swimbaits where few can follow

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Storm® 360GT Searchbait® Weedless Jig Heads take swimbaits where few can follow
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Big bass in thick cover can see so many flippin’ jigs they’ll hardly bat an eye when another falls near their nose. But show ‘em a swimbait and they’ll come out swingin’. The new Storm® 360GT Searchbait® Weedless Jig Head can take swimbaits where few can follow, triggering bites from bass that can’t be bothered by anything else.

“A lot of your bigger fish, they live in thick grass and way back in heavy cover,” says Bassmaster Elite pro Jacob Wheeler. “To get to those fish without getting hung up all the time, you want something that’s weedless, snagless. And a swimbait is something they don’t see a lot, so that can be a great way to get bit.”

A thin wire guard protects the 360GT Weedless Jig Head’s premium VMC® hook, allowing you to fish swimbaits in and around heavy cover and thick vegetation with ease. “It’s ideal for fishing around submerged grass, hydrilla and milfoil,” says Wheeler, who’s won two top Bassmaster tournaments and Fishing League Worldwide’s top prize, the Forrest Wood Cup.

Additional features of 360GT Weedless Jig Heads are life-like design, 3D holographic eyes, a single-ball rattle, an exclusive VMC Coastal Black hook and an extended, 60-degree line-tie leg. “It’s not just a normal lead-head jig,” Wheeler says. “It’s really got a lot of detail in it.”

360GT Weedless Jig Heads are designed to pair perfectly with 360GT Searchbait bodies. Creating the ultimate illusion of a live baitfish, a toe-in boot-tail gives a 360GT Searchbait incredible fish-attracting action. Made from phthalate-free soft plastic, 360GT bodies feature a hook channel and well-marked hook-exit hole, making them extremely easy to rig.

360GT Weedless Jig Heads come two-per-pack in two sizes, ¼ oz. (4/0 hook) and 3/8th oz. (7/0 hook). They’re available in five color patterns – Chartreuse Ice, Gaga, Smokin’ Ghost, Smelt and Tru Blue. Pair the lighter jig with a 4.5-inch 360GT Searchbait body. Pair the heavier jig with a 5.5-inch body. The baitfish-shaped bodies are available in 11 color patterns to perfectly match regional forage: Chartreuse Ice, Gaga, Herring, Houdini, Hot Olive, Marilyn, Pearl Ice, Smokin’ Ghost, Smelt, Tru Blue and Volunteer.

The Weedless Jig Head is the newest offering in Storm’s popular and productive 360GT series. “GT” stands for “go to” bait. Anglers can expect to catch bass, walleye and pike on 360GT Searchbaits. Ease of use makes them great for anglers of all skill levels.

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