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DISCOVERY BAY’S TROUGHTON WINS COSTA FLW SERIES WESTERN DIVISION FINALE ON CALIFORNIA DELTA PRESENTED BY POWER-POLE

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DISCOVERY BAY’S TROUGHTON WINS COSTA FLW SERIES WESTERN DIVISION FINALE ON CALIFORNIA DELTA PRESENTED BY POWER-POLE

DISCOVERY BAY’S TROUGHTON WINS COSTA FLW SERIES WESTERN DIVISION FINALE ON CALIFORNIA DELTA PRESENTED BY POWER-POLE

Gregory Troughton wraps up 2018 Costa FLW Series Western Division season with win, earns $77,000

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BETHEL ISLAND, Calif. (Sept. 29, 2018) – Pro Gregory Troughton of Discovery Bay, California, brought five bass weighing 12 pounds, 13 ounces, to the scale Saturday to win the Costa FLW Series Western Division finale on the California Delta presented by Power-Pole. Troughton’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 60 pounds, 2 ounces, was enough to earn him the grand prize of $77,691, including a brand new Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.

“I’ve worked really, really hard to get to this point. This [win] has been 30 years of work [in the making],” said Troughton, who earned his first career win in FLW Series competition. “I focused on this event, put in tons of time and effort and made it happen. It’s been an incredible week.”

Troughton said he started out Thursday expecting to put together a decent limit with a Don Iovino’s bass pattern-colored Splash-It Popper, but as conditions changed, so did his approach.

“My son Carter and I pre-fished together, and I did well with the Splash-It in the morning. I thought I could get limits fairly quickly for about 12 or 13 pounds, but things changed, as they always do in these tournaments,” said Troughton. “On Thursday, I didn’t have any bites for an hour and a half. My co-angler caught a few on a drop-shot and I felt things were changing, so I decided to get to the punching water and go to work.”

Troughton said he primarily worked through grass mats near three flooded islands in the central region of the Delta, adding that he fished slowly in 6 to 8 feet of water.

“I had confidence in the secondary deal. Within five minutes Thursday, I had my first bite – a 4-pounder,” said Troughton. “I made a little move to another small grass mat and stuck a 3-pound, 8-ouncer. I rotated amongst several small mats, focusing on key parts of them. I noticed a new mat had formed with ‘cheese’ on it, which is hydrilla grass that grows from the bottom to the surface. When it gets hot, it blooms yellow, and we call it cheese. It tells you that there’s a good canopy with lots of thick grass and that’s where the big ones live. I punched in there and caught a 7-pounder – my fifth fish.”

Troughton said that both Thursday and Friday’s limits came on a 4½-inch green-pumpkin-colored Yamamoto Baits Flappin’ Hog on a 4/0-sized Gamakatsu Super Heavy Cover Flippin’ Hook with a 1½-ounce River2Sea tungsten weight.

“I focused on one island Friday and did the exact same rotation through the mats. I started out with two 5-pounders, and after about an hour I caught a 3. Then, after an hour and a half, boom – I caught the big one – a 9-pound, 4-ouncer,” said Troughton. “I followed that up with a 7, and then another 3. Then I stopped fishing and helped my co-angler catch his fish, that was enough for the day.”

On Saturday, Troughton mixed in some new baits, catching two keepers punching mats, two on the Splash-It, one on a ½-ounce, green-pumpkin Z-Man/Evergreen Jack Hammer ChatterBait with a Yamamoto Zako trailer. He also used a wacky-rigged, green-pumpkin Yamamoto Senko. He said the early bite died as the sun got up, so he finished out his day at one of his primary islands, noting that the conditions had changed.

“The wind blew out the cheese and there were clouds so you couldn’t see the grass underneath. We scrambled a bit – it was tough today,” said Troughton.

The top 10 pros on the California Delta finished:

1st:          Gregory Troughton, Discovery Bay, Calif., 15 bass, 60-2, $77,691

2nd:         Bobby Barrack, Maud, Texas, 15 bass, 53-7, $12,507

3rd:         Ish Monroe, Hughson, Calif., 15 bass, 52-15, $9,683

4th:         Ken Mah, Elk Grove, Calif., 15 bass, 52-12, $8,169

5th:         Jerred Jennings, Stockton, Calif., 15 bass, 51-4, $7,369

6th:         Jason Cordiale, Orinda, Calif., 15 bass, 51-2, $6,455

7th:         Nick Nourot, Benicia, Calif., 15 bass, 50-9, $5,648

8th:         Nicholas Cloutier, Oakley, Calif., 15 bass, 48-6, $4,842

9th:         Kyle Grover, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., 15 bass, 45-10, $4,035

10th:       Jeremy McKay, Creswell, Ore., 13 bass, 39-15, $3,228

A complete list of results will be posted at FLWFishing.com.

Troughton’s 9-pound, 4-ounce, largemouth was the biggest of the tournament in the Pro Division and earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $214.

Jacob Traba of Pacifica, California, won the Co-angler Division and a Ranger Z175 with a 90-horsepower outboard motor with a three-day total catch of 14 bass weighing 40 pounds, 2 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers on the California Delta finished:

1st:          Jacob Traba, Pacifica, Calif., 14 bass, 40-2, $27,142

2nd:         Jack Farage, Discovery Bay, Calif., 15 bass, 38-15, $4,174

3rd:         Rodney Brinser, Discovery Bay, Calif., 15 bass, 35-15, $3,309

4th:         Blaine Christiansen, San Jose, Calif., 15 bass, 35-2, $2,851

5th:         Daniel Lutz, Las Vegas, Nev., 15 bass, 34-11, $2,444

6th:         Aaron Sok-Jung Yun, Northridge, Calif., 14 bass, 34-1, $2,037

7th:         Chuck Kavros, Grass Valley, Calif., 14 bass, 29-0, $1,629

8th:         Scott Bern, San Rafael, Calif., 11 bass, 25-7, $1,426

9th:         Brad Shepherd, Templeton, Calif., 12 bass, 24-15, $1,222

10th:       Richard Rodriguez, Modesto, Calif., nine bass, 23-10, $1,089

Rodriguez caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Thursday, a fish weighing 7 pounds, 3 ounces. For his catch, Rodriguez earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $71.

The Costa FLW Series on the California Delta was presented by Power-Pole was hosted by Russo’s Marina and Sugar Barge RV Resort and Marina. It was the third and final FLW Series Western Division tournament of the 2018 regular season. The next Costa FLW Series tournament will be the Southwestern Division finale, held Oct. 4-6 on Fort Gibson Lake in Wagoner, Oklahoma, and is presented by Mercury. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.

The Costa FLW Series consists of five U.S. divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western – along with the International division. Each U.S. division consists of three regular-season tournaments with competitors vying for valuable points that could earn them the opportunity to compete in the season-ending Costa FLW Series Championship. The 2018 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held Nov. 1-3 on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Alabama, and is hosted by the Marshall County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

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

Using Searchbaits To Cover Water And Catch More Fish – MTB

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Using Searchbaits To Cover Water And Catch More Fish – MTB

Using Searchbaits To Cover Water And Catch More Fish

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Three different searchbaits to help you locate bass.

Bass do a lot of roaming in the fall in pursuit of baitfish so you need to throw lures capable of tracking down the roamers.
Search baits allow you to employ high speed retrieves and cover a lot of water when bass are in their fall feeding frenzy and following baitfish schools. Here’s a look at three search baits that are ideal for covering water quickly and triggering bites from bass wandering around looking for food.

Searchbaits: Crankbaits

searchbaits

Crankbaits are prime search baits throughout the fall because these lures can be used in a variety of depth ranges. When bass move out of their deep summertime haunts, you can track them down running a deep-diving crankbait over main lake brush piles or points. Medium-diving crankbaits are effective when bass migrate into the coves and set up ambush points on the secondary points and drop-offs halfway to three-quarters of the way back into the coves or creeks.

A squarebill crankbait is the most effective search bait during the classic fall pattern when bass move up on the flats to chase shad. Some of these flats are hundreds of yards long with isolated wood cover scattered along the structure. Burning a squarebill along the flats and banging it into the wood allows you to search the flat quickly and trigger reaction strikes from roaming bass or bass holding tight to the cover.

Searchbaits: Spinnerbaits

searchbaits

Running a double willowleaf spinnerbait just below the surface is another effective way to search for bass roaming around on the flats. Throw the lure close—but not on top of—any bass you see busting shad on the surface or run the blade bait along the wood cover on the flats for best results.
An effective search tactic for catching bass in late fall along rocky points or steeper rock banks is waking a spinnerbait. Run a 1/2- or 3/4-ounce double willowleaf spinnerbait at a pace in which the blade bulges the surface for the entire retrieve.

Searchbaits: Jerkbaits

searchbaits

A floating or suspending hard plastic jerkbait is an ideal search bait in the fall when shad bunch up on windy banks or roam along the edges of grass flats. The most productive retrieve for covering water and finding bass is a series of hard jerks of the rod with an occasional pause.

Hold on to your rod tight because vicious strikes usually occur while you are jerking the lure.

Save 30% On Your Tackle!

mystery-tackle-boxIt’s time to join the club! With a Karl’s Club Membership, you’ll save 30% on all your tackle purchases, receive access to members only deals, AND 50% off your first order! Join Karl’s yearly club to save on everything in Karl’s Bait & Tackle Shop!

Join The Club!

Bass Edge’s The Edge – Episode 286 – Nick LeBrun August 15, 2018

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Bass Edge’s The Edge – Episode 286 – Nick LeBrun August 15, 2018

Bass Edge’s The Edge – Episode 286 – Nick LeBrun
August 15, 2018

Champion Nick LeBrun as the featured angler on the latest podcast presented by Megaware KeelGuard. Show hosts Aaron Martin and Kurt Dove discuss with Nick his winning ways on the shallow fishery Cross Lake, Louisiana and preparation for his national tournament debut at the FLW Cup.

Become Better At Neko Rig Fishing With These 3 Baits MTB

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Become Better At Neko Rig Fishing With These 3 Baits MTB

Become Better At Neko Rig Fishing With These 3 Baits

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The versatility of a neko rig fishing makes it an ideal technique for pros and amateurs alike.

A fishing trip with my wife also proved the Neko rig is one of the simplest tactics for novices to catch bass. While fishing around docks on my home waters of Lake of the Ozarks, I set up my wife with a Neko rig and told her to throw it at the corners of the docks. I told her to let the rig sink and do nothing else except let the rig pendulum back to the boat. The do nothing presentation produced bass for her on two straight casts.

The Neko rig is basically a soft plastic bait rigged wacky style with a nail weight stuck in one end of the bait to give the lure a unique action as it falls through the water column. A multitude of weight sizes can be used to fish the rig effectively at various depths.

A fat straight tail worm is most commonly used on a Neko rig, but other lures also work on the rig. Here are three baits you can try to catch bass on the Neko rig.

Neko Rig Fishing: Senkos

Neko Rig Fishing

The Yamamoto Senko or Catch Co. 4 1/4-inch Tickler are ideal for Neko rigs because both ends of these stick worms are fat enough to secure a nail weight. This allows you to fish the worm so it falls either head or tail down. I like to tail weight the rig when fishing for suspended bass to give fish a different look as it falls. If I am fishing the bottom I slide the weight in the worm’s head so it noses the bottom when I shake the rig.

Neko Rig Fishing: Trick Worms

Neko Rig Fishing

When you want a larger profile bait for bigger bass, attach a Zoom Trick Worm or Catch Co. Waggle Worm to the Neko rig. You can either drag it along the bottom or add a weedless hook to shake it in brush piles.

Neko Rig Fishing: Plasma Tail

Neko Rig Fishing

Shake this lure over   and along ledges or skip it under boat docks to catch heavily pressured bass. Place an O-ring close to the lure’s tail, add a weedless hook and insert the weight in the head of the worm for the best action when shaking the bait. The tail action of this worm will frequently cause the lure to glide backwards as it falls.

Save 30% On Your Tackle!

mystery-tackle-boxIt’s time to join the club! With a Karl’s Club Membership, you’ll save 30% on all your tackle purchases, receive access to members only deals, AND 50% off your first order! Join Karl’s yearly club to save on everything in Karl’s Bait & Tackle Shop!

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Bassmaster Elite Series To Visit Guntersville, Cayuga In 2019

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Bassmaster Elite Series To Visit Guntersville, Cayuga In 2019

The Bassmaster Elite Series will now be making stops at New York’s Cayuga Lake and Alabama’s Lake Guntersville in 2019. 

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

September 27, 2018

Bassmaster Elite Series To Visit Guntersville, Cayuga In 2019

B.A.S.S. officials announced major schedule changes Thursday for the 2019 Bassmaster Elite Series, responding directly to concerns voiced by anglers about the previous slate.

The trail is now set to visit Alabama’s famed Lake Guntersville on June 21-24 and Cayuga Lake in New York on Aug. 22-25.

When the Elite Series schedule was announced in July, two events were originally planned for the Western United States on the California Delta and the Columbia River in Washington. But after listening to anglers’ concerns about travel expenses and time away from their families, two venues that are more conveniently located to the anglers were selected.

“While it is our goal to take the Bassmaster Elite Series to new venues across the country, we are also very sensitive to the needs and wishes of our anglers,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “Many of them had legitimate concerns about the travel demands of our original schedule, and that was the basis for this decision.

“We are confident we’ve chosen two great fisheries.”

Scottsboro, Ala., will be the tournament headquarters at Lake Guntersville, which ranked ninth on the 2018 list of BassmasterMagazine’s 100 Best Bass Lakes. It has been the site of 22 major B.A.S.S. events, including the 2014 Bassmaster Classic. The lake is known for giant largemouth and aquatic grass that makes for excellent summertime fishing.

The official practice period for the Guntersville tournament will begin Tuesday, June 18. The competition days will be the following Friday through Monday (June 21-24).

Cayuga, which is New York’s longest glacial finger lake at just under 40 miles, ranked 13th in the Northeastern Division of Bassmaster Magazine’s 100 Best Bass Lakes. The fishery has hosted three major B.A.S.S. tournaments, dating back to 2012.

The Cayuga tournament dates of Aug. 22-25 were chosen specifically to cut down on anglers’ travel time. The Elite Series already has an event scheduled for New York’s St. Lawrence River on Aug. 15-18.

The official practice period for Cayuga will begin Aug. 19, the day after the St. Lawrence event ends.

“Guntersville is widely known as one of the best bass fisheries in the country, and it’s very centrally located for many of our competitors,” Akin said. “Cayuga is also an excellent fishery, and the timing of that tournament will allow our anglers to make one great trip to the Northeastern United States.”

The Cayuga event will be hosted by The Village of Union Springs with weigh-ins held at Frontenac Park. The City of Scottsboro, Ala., will host the Guntersville Elite event, which will be held at Goose Pond Colony Resort.

B.A.S.S. Celebrates The 50th Birthday Of The B.A.S.S. Nation

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B.A.S.S. Celebrates The 50th Birthday Of The B.A.S.S. Nation

Harold Sharp (left), the first tournament director at B.A.S.S. and a pioneer in competitive bass fishing, was the first to affiliate his Chattanooga Bass Club with B.A.S.S., and he was a leader in establishing the network of clubs that is now known as the B.A.S.S. Nation.

Photo by B.A.S.S.

Sept. 27, 2018

B.A.S.S. Celebrates The 50th Birthday Of The B.A.S.S. Nation

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Fifty years ago, Harold Sharp, a young railroad employee who loved to bass fish, became the second member of the newly organized Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, or B.A.S.S.

Sharp soon organized the Chattanooga Bass Club and affiliated it with the B.A.S.S. “mothership,” as he called it, creating what would later become known as the B.A.S.S. Nation of affiliated bass clubs.

Along with Ray Scott, founder, and Bob Cobb, editor of Bassmaster Magazine, Sharp helped mold B.A.S.S. into the “keeper of the culture” of bass fishing. Sharp died three years ago this month, but his legacy lives on in the B.A.S.S. Nation, which has affiliated B.A.S.S. clubs in 47 states and 10 nations worldwide.

“The Nation has been an integral part of B.A.S.S., and the sport of bass fishing,” said Jon Stewart, B.A.S.S. Nation director. “Over the past 50 years, the grass-roots club members of the B.A.S.S. Nation have turned millions of young anglers on to the sport, instilling in them the conservation ethic and the love of competition.”

The conservation ethic in bass fishing began with the B.A.S.S. “Don’t Kill Your Catch” program in 1972. Now, catch and release is the sporting standard in bass fishing. B.A.S.S. continues to lead on the conservation front through the state conservation directors of the B.A.S.S. Nation, who are dedicated to the improvement of local fisheries, lobby for angler access and focus on fish care during tournaments.

The Nation, which has enjoyed steady growth over the past five years and now numbers more than 30,000 members, is one of the prime organizers of high school bass tournaments at the local level. In addition, B.A.S.S. now has 958 high school clubs affiliated with the organization, which includes 10,585 young anglers. Growth in the college ranks continues to rise, as well, as B.A.S.S. now has over 200 colleges affiliated, including over 1,400 anglers. This spike in youth participation has injected new enthusiasm throughout the bass fishing industry.

“Nation club members are some of the most active and engaged anglers among our 500,000 members,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “They’re also some of the best amateur anglers in the world. Current Bassmaster Elite Series stars Michael Iaconelli and Brandon Palaniuk were B.A.S.S. Nation champions before earning their way into the Elite Series.”

Sharp’s other legacy was through his work as the original tournament director of the B.A.S.S. Tournament Trail, which he helped make the most competitive, fair and popular tournament series in the world.

“Today’s tournament anglers owe a huge debt of gratitude to Harold Sharp,” said Trip Weldon, B.A.S.S. tournament director. “For 50 years, a competition to see who can catch the heaviest daily limits of bass has been the gold standard all other tournaments are judged by.”

In the Bassmaster Elite Series, professional anglers fish for four days to determine who can catch the five heaviest each day. In the regular season finale on the St. Lawrence River at Waddington, N.Y., Matt Lee set a new record by weighing in the heaviest limit of smallmouth in Elite Series history, 27 pounds, 12 ounces.

That event, the Huk Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River presented by Black Velvet, witnessed the establishment of another record. Attendance over the four-day event totaled 36,200, according to local authorities, which exceeded the previous mark of 34,100, set in Waddington in 2013.

“Attendance is just one of the facets of growth we’re seeing in the sport,” Akin added. “Fans are consuming content about the Elite Series in increasing numbers. Our Bassmaster LIVE live-stream programs of Elite competition, which we are expanding to four days and more cameras next year, have already hit incredible marks with the season not yet over. Through last week’s Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship, LIVE programming drew almost 2.7 million views and recorded a total of 62 million minutes viewed.”

Akin noted that live programming is only part of the exposure focused on professional bass fishing and its athletes. In addition, many of the 1.1 million monthly unique visitors to Bassmaster.com go there for information about Elite Series tournaments, which also are covered by B.A.S.S. Times and Bassmaster Magazines, read by 4.4 million people per issue, according to independent media research statistics, he said. Add to that the 1.7 million social media followers of B.A.S.S., and there is no louder voice in the sport of bass fishing.

Exposure goes highest for anglers competing in the annual Bassmaster Classic, which will be held March 15-17, 2019, on the Tennessee River out of Knoxville, Tenn.

“We set attendance records for the Classic in Greenville, S.C., earlier this year,” said Akin. “It will surprise us if we don’t exceed those numbers in Knoxville next spring.” Alongside the incredible number of bass fishing fans attending the Classic and the anglers who qualified to fish the biggest event in bass fishing, there will stand an army of B.A.S.S. Nation volunteers behind the scenes to ensure the sport’s continued rise. After all, that is what this grass-roots group has done for half a century.

Barry Thames Win’s CATT Savannah River Sept 22,2018

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Barry Thames Win’s CATT Savannah River Sept 22,2018

Tournament Results Savannah River Final Sept 22, 2018 Thames Smacks Em!

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Get your Phantom Apparel at a discount! Use PHANTOMCATT15 and receive 15% off your next order!

Click on the Phantom logo to get started!

Barry Thames laid down the law this past weekend on the Savannah River with a convincing win at the Summer Final! Barry weighed in a limit at 14.38 lbs and weighed the Lews BF at 6.85 lbs! Barry collected $1,270.00 plus a Lews Mach Speed Stick and Lews Mach Baitcast Reel!

2nd went to Buddy Wheeler & Bubba Bowers with 8.60 lbs and they earned $790.00!

Point Winners Richard Boatright & Ken Morgan

Hope to see you at future Savannah River CATT events! So far we’ve paid back over $12,000.00 on the Savannah River!

Big Total Total
10 Teams Fish Weight Winnings
Barry Thames 6.85 14.38 $1,270.00
Buddy Wheeler/Bubba Bowers 3.26 8.60 $790.00
Ken Morgan/Richard Boatright 0.00 7.14
Tim Roundtree/Al Pittman 0.00 6.83
Anthony Joyner/Barry Conley 0.00 6.40
Barry Descaro/Mike Marcovich 0.00 6.10
Frank Ackerman 0.00 5.97
Aaron Soucy 0.00 5.81
Joe Toth/Kyle Suddath 0.00 4.27
Mac Sampey/Vonette Sampey 0.00 3.69
Total Entrys $1,080.00
BONUS $ $160.00
2018 Savannah River Fall  Final Fund $820.00
Total Paid At Ramp $2,060.00
Total Paid 2018 Fall Savannah  River $5,050.00
Grand Total Paid Svannah River as of 9/26 $12,805.00

Ribbit Ribbit by Caleb Luzader on Lake, TN

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Ribbit Ribbit by Caleb Luzader on Lake, TN

Chickamauga Lake, TN
Caleb Luzader

Ribbit Ribbit

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The air is crisp and pure, a heavy dew is on the gunnel of the boat. Your main mission is to wrangle the biggest bass of your life, but how? For many of us in the southeast and north, fall fishing means the perfect time to catch a big bass on top. Specifically in matted grass. For many of us, that means frogs. There are many different factors that can play in to being successful when frog fishing, and hopefully by the end of this article you will be a frog fishing master!

The Equipment
One of the keys to being successful when frog fishing is having the right gear. The right reel, the right rod, the right line. This is the foundation and can make or break catching a fish of a lifetime. When looking for a frogging reel look for a reel with a MINIMUM of a 7.1:1 gear ratio. If you can find one with a faster ratio, even better. This will allow you to catch up to a fish quick after they take your frog and get them out of heavy cover. When looking for a rod, 7’3” to 7’6” Medium Heavy to Heavy Action is imperative. I prefer a medium heavy, I believe it gives enough backbone to get a fish out of heavy cover but enough tip to manipulate your frog for the right retrieve. When picking your line, ALWAYS USE BRAID. Braid is important to bring those fish out of the thick grass that most of this fish will be slurping your frog in. This also allows for longer casts. The last thing you want to do is lose your tournament because your line snaps when you are hauling in that massive bucketmouth with 20 pounds of grass attached.

The Frog
There is a TON of options out there for frogs. Which frog is best? That is a loaded question, everyone has their brand they love more than the other. Personally, I love the trusty dusty Spro Bronzeye series. Many other brands also work, on a budget H20 Express makes a great frog as does Booyah. Stanford Baits just came out with an awesome design, the BOOM BOOM FROG. It has a great hook and a “Frog Fur” top that attaches to the top of the fishes mouth and increases hookup ratios. After you have picked your frog, there are a few modifications that can help increase your chances at hooking up with your next PB. The color doesn’t have to be rocket science. My person preference is very complicated. I like a dark bellied frog, and a light bellied frog. I like light colored bellies on sunny days, and dark colored frogs for cloudy days. Your lake may be different though, so play with the different colors and let the fish do the choosing.
Bend the Hooks Out!
Take a pair of needle nose pliers and slight bend the hooks to where they catch your fingers when you lightly (I emphasize lightly, they are called hooks for a reason people) run your finger across the top of the frog.

Cut the legs!
Trim your legs to where they are about two inches long. Many times this helps the fish not miss your lure because it is a smaller target. This also helps achieve longer casts because of the reduction of drag caused by the longer legs.
Add Some Weight!
Add two 1/16 ounce bullet weights to the inside of the frog. This helps the frog sit lower on the mat and create more disturbance. The weights will also clang around inside the frog creating a rattle effect. You can also actually add rattles in replacement of legs. More sound the better.

Where To Toss Em and the Retrieve
We have the right equipment, and the right frog, all we are lacking is the right location. (Which is 90% of the battle might I add.) If you aren’t fishing the right grass at the right location at the right time, you will be making lots of casts. One of my biggest suggestions is this, listen. When you pull up to a grass mat, turn your motor off and listen. If you aren’t hearing the “Rice Crispy sound” you aren’t at an active mat. That sound is exactly like a bowl of cereal. Snapping, crackling, and popping of baitfish in the top portion of the mat. These fish are sucking down the brim and shad that are feeding on all the bugs that are living in the decaying grass that makes the mat. It is important that the mats you fish are close to a highway. What I mean by that is a creek channel, or some type of structure that can take these fish to deeper water for their winter haunts.
The type of grass you fish is also very important. If you aren’t fishing the right grass, the fish will not be there. On my lake, if you find milfoil mats, you are much more likely to have success. If you can find a mat with a good mix of grass that is in the process of “Hollowing Out” you are much more likely to find fish in the mat. When I say, Hollowed Out, I mean that the grass is detaching from the bottom, creating a thick mat on top, and a hollow area in the water column allowing those fishing to easily ambush prey. Milfoil, coontail, and hydrilla are the main types of grass that are most productive for finding frog fish in the mats.

The retrieve is pretty simple, but you need to change it up. Start out with Jerk-pause retrieve. Speed it up, slow it down, and then let the frog sit for 5 seconds. You can also try a steady retrieve starting off. Like anything, let the fish dictate your retrieve. Don’t be hard headed and think you HAVE to only retrieve one way. Nature is sporadic, so should your retrieves.

Lowering the Boom
The final piece to this puzzle, and for many people the hardest part, is the hookset. I know how hard it is not to rip the lips off of a big largemouth that just flushed your frog. Many times a premature hookset is what makes and breaks a successful outing. When the fish takes your frog, count to three. One-One thousand, two-one thousand, three- one thousand, BOOM. It also helps to not look directly at your frog, look at it out of the corner of your eye. Sounds crazy, but it helps.

I hope that these few tips help you to be more successful in catching fish on frogs in the mat!

Jonathan Brindle & Justin Harvey Win CATT Cooper River Sept 22,2018

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Jonathan Brindle & Justin Harvey Win CATT Cooper River Sept 22,2018

Tournament Results Cooper River Sept 22, 2018 Brindle & Harvey Come out on Top!

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Next Cooper River CATT is October 6th at Cypress Gardens!

Get your Phantom Apparel at a discount! Use PHANTOMCATT15 and receive 15% off your next order!

Click on the Phantom logo to get started!

CATT Cooper River 2018 Fall Points

1st Receives Free Entry at Cooper River Fall Final & #1 Blastoff

2nd – #2 Blastoff Position at Final

3rd – #3 Blastoff Position at Final

Jonathan Brindle & Justin Harvey took 1st at the Cooper River with 5 bass weighing 16.85 lbs anchored by the BF of the Qualifier at 6.97 lbs! Add in the BONUS $ and they took home $780.00!

2nd went to Bubba Dennis & Randy Gibson with 14.51 lbs worth $215.00!

3rd was Quinton Nikke Jones & Clint Jones 12.42 lbs $110.00!

4th Brent Bartman & Issac Perkins 11.84 lbs $60.00!

Big Total Total
20 Teams Fish Weight Winnings Points
Jonathan Brindle – Justin Harvey BF & BONUS $ 6.97 16.85 $780.00 110
Bubba Dennis – Randy Gibson 0.00 14.51 $215.00 109
Quinton Nikki Jones – Clint Jones 0.00 12.42 $110.00 108
Brent Bartman – Issac Perkins 0.00 11.84 $60.00 107
Jim Butler – Chris Peirano 0.00 11.46 106
Kyle Welch – Wayne Clifton 0.00 10.45 105
James Evans –  Jason Riley 0.00 8.91 104
Michael Craven – Justin Craven 0.00 8.74 103
Dave McConnell – Dylan Mcconnell 0.00 8.01 102
Cj Cannington – Nathan McPherson 0.00 7.99 101
Allen Bowzard – Leah Bowzard 0.00 7.08 100
Matt Baker – Andrew Baker 0.00 6.37 99
Andy Rutledge 0.00 5.87 98
Butch Estes -Elvis Peagler 0.00 5.60 97
Tyler Cunningham – Mathew Peterson 0.00 4.79 96
John Campbell – Grace Campbell 0.00 3.24 95
James Roy Jr Robison – William Gregory 0.00 0.00 94
Jonathan Singletary – Anthony Amerson 0.00 0.00 94
Adam Rodenhouse – Trey Epich 0.00 0.00 94
Wesley Ragland – Chandler Ackerman 0.00 0.00 94
Total Entrys $1,000.00
BONUS $ $280.00
Total Paid At Ramp $1,165.00
Cooper River 2018 Fall Final Fund
2019 CATT Championship Fund $10.00
Cooper River 2018 Fall Final Fund Total $255.00
2019 CATT Championship Fund $1,160.00

Steve Drummond and Danny Shanz Win CATT Santee Cooper with 18.13lbs Sept 22,2018

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Steve Drummond and Danny Shanz Win CATT Santee Cooper with 18.13lbs Sept 22,2018

Tournament Results Santee Cooper Sept 22, 2018 Shanz & Dummond Weigh in 18.13 lbs to win!

Posted Brett Collins

Next Santee Cooper Fall CATT is Oct 13 at John C Land!

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CATT Santee Cooper  2018 Fall Points
1st Receives Free Entry at Santee Final
2nd – #2 Blast Off Postion at Final
3rd –  #3 Blast Off Postion at Final

Steve Drummond and Danny Shanz weighed in 5 bass at 18.13 lbs to take the win and $740.00 this past weekend on Santee Cooper! Great jobs guys! Somebody is always going to find some good uns down there!

Bucky Deberry earned 2nd with 5 bass weighing 18.04 lb worth $275.00!

Freddie Gamble brought in 17.06 lbs and placed 3rd and collected $125.00!

Trez Winges & Alex Dempsey weighed in the BF at 6.68 lbs!

 

Big Total Total
19 Teams Fish Weight Winnings Points
Danny Shanz – Steve Drummond   BONUS $ 5.54 18.13 $740.00 110
Bucky Deberry 4.30 18.04 $275.00 109
Freddie Gamble 4.26 17.06 $125.00 108
Alex Dempsey- Trez Winges  1st BF 6.68 13.81 $133.00 107
Bunn Tyson- Thad Driggers 0.00 13.45 106
Nelson Walker – Chris Brunson 0.00 13.43 105
Robert Clarke- Lonnie Jones    2nd BF 6.46 12.54 $57.00 104
Ray Winans 5.46 11.42 103
Sam Hopkins- Craig Matthews 3.75 11.06 102
Ricky Irick-David Eargle 0.00 10.84 101
Steve Borton 0.00 9.88 100
Donald McLaud 6.02 9.50 99
Chris Scott- Michael Barkley 0.00 7.86 98
Grayson Cook- Bryan Haley 3.40 5.29 97
Jason Smith 0.00 0.00 96
Don Pendoris – Bobby Gibbs 0.00 0.00 96
Sandy Oliver 0.00 0.00 96
Hugh McCutchen – Jamie Blackburn 0.00 0.00 96
Quionne York 0.00 0.00 96
Total Entrys $1,520.00
BONUS $ $240.00
Total Paid At Ramp $1,330.00
Santee Cooper 2018 Fall Final Fund $280.00
2018 CATT Championship Fund $50.00
2018 Santee Cooper Fall Final Fund Total $625.00
2018 CATT Championship Fund Total $1,100.00
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