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MATTOON’S MCDOWELL WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE ILLINI DIVISION FINALE ON LAKE SHELBYVILLE

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MATTOON’S MCDOWELL WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE ILLINI DIVISION FINALE ON LAKE SHELBYVILLE

MATTOON’S MCDOWELL WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE ILLINI DIVISION FINALE ON LAKE SHELBYVILLE

Co-angler Title Goes to Walnut Hill’s Arning

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SHELBYVILLE, Ill. (Sept. 24, 2018) – Boater Garrett McDowell of Mattoon, Illinois, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Illini Division tournament on Lake Shelbyville Sunday with a two-day cumulative catch of 10 bass weighing 26 pounds, 3 ounces. McDowell earned $6,540 for his win.

“I went from one end of the lake to the other running the backs of coves in a foot or less of water,” said McDowell, who earned his first win in FLW competition. “The water was pretty clear but  my polarized Solar Bat sunglasses were key for me. If you didn’t have sunglasses where you could see the wood on the bottom, I wouldn’t have caught what I did. A lot of the stumps were a foot or more under the water where you just can’t see them without the polarized lenses.”

McDowell said he primarily used a custom white swimjig with a White Pearl-colored Zoom Super Chunk. He also rotated in a ChatterBait with a white Keitech swimbait when he needed to cover more water, and noted that it caught one of his largest fish of the day Saturday.

“I probably hit 12 to 15 coves each day, with stumps and laydowns being the deal,” said McDowell. “I saved my southern coves for Sunday. I thought they held better-quality fish.”

McDowell said he ended up catching about eight keepers each day.

“Making multiple casts to the same target was important. Sometimes I had to cast 10 times to a stump before they’d eat the bait.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:           Garrett McDowell, Mattoon, Ill., 10 bass, 26-3, $4,540 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

2nd:         Jeremy Mull, Chatham, Ill., 10 bass, 23-5, $2,470

3rd:          Brennon McCord, West Frankfort, Ill., 10 bass, 22-7, $1,515

4th:          Brian Tschudy, Mascoutah, Ill., nine bass, 20-15, $1,159

5th:          Darren Frazier, Anna, Ill., seven bass, 20-13, $908

6th:          Michael Black, Toledo, Ill., eight bass, 20-12, $832

7th:          Mike McGill, Findlay, Ill., nine bass, 20-4, $757

8th:          Dan Morehead, Paducah, Ky., nine bass, 20-1, $981

9th:          Andrew Harper, Shelbyville, Ill., eight bass, 19-2, $605

10th:        Bobby McMullin, Pevely, Mo., nine bass, 17-15, $530

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Nick Koehne of Manteno, Illinois, caught a bass weighing 4 pounds, 12 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division. The catch earned him the Boater Big Bass award of $532.

Aaron Arning of Walnut Hill, Illinois, caught a two-day total of eight bass weighing 18 pounds, 15 ounces, to win the Co-angler Division and $2,470.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1st:           Aaron Arning, Walnut Hill, Ill., eight bass, 18-15, $2,470

2nd:         David Duzan, Oakland, Ill., seven bass, 15-11, $1,135

3rd:          Mark Carlock, Hillsboro, Ill., five bass, 12-10, $757

4th:          Ryan Murphy, Paris, Ill., six bass, 11-12, $530

5th:          Dale Renth, Mascoutah, Ill., seven bass, 11-10, $504

6th:          Adrian Lungu, Palos Hills, Ill., five bass, 11-5, $682

7th:          Aaron Wehmeyer, Odell, Ill., five bass, 11-0, $378

8th:          Austin Sloan, Shelbyville, Ill., four bass, 9-14, $341

9th:          Mario Rossi Jr., Granite City, Ill., five bass, 9-10, $303

10th:        Shane Campbell, Highland, Ill., four bass, 9-7, $265

Lungu caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 4 pounds, 3 ounces – and earned the Co-angler Big Bass award of $266.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 25-27 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.

The 2018 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2019 BFL All-American will take place May 30-June 1 on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.

Eric Kunz & Dubby Carr Win Wet Line Productions T.T. on Lake Anna 9/23/18

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Eric Kunz & Dubby Carr Win Wet Line Productions T.T. on Lake Anna 9/23/18

BYRDSTOWN’S REAGAN WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE MOUNTAIN DIVISION FINALE ON BARREN RIVER

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BYRDSTOWN’S REAGAN WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE MOUNTAIN DIVISION FINALE ON BARREN RIVER

BYRDSTOWN’S REAGAN WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE MOUNTAIN DIVISION FINALE ON BARREN RIVER

Scottsville’s Bennington Takes Co-angler Title

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GLASGOW, Ky. (Sept. 24, 2018) – Boater Robert Reagan of Byrdstown, Tennessee, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Mountain Division tournament on the Barren River Sunday with a two-day cumulative catch of nine bass weighing 30 pounds, 7 ounces. For his win, Reagan took home $7,329.

Reagan said he caught most of the fish he weighed on a homemade football-head jig with a Watermelon Meat-colored Strike King Rage Tail Craw trailer in 18 to 20 feet of water.

“I got on a shallow bite early in practice, so I went to the river Saturday but only caught one small fish by 1:30 p.m.,” said Reagan, who earned his fourth career win in BFL competition. “I ran back down to the main lake to the mid-lake area and ran some ledges. I marked fish and got four bites by the end of the day and they were the right ones.”

Reagan flipped shallow wood with a green-pumpkin Zoom Speed Craw with a 3/8-ounce weight to catch his keeper from the river.

“I returned to the same mid-lake area Sunday and caught two fish from a place I’d caught them Saturday, and the other two from ledges I hadn’t fished yet,” said Reagan. “I marked them and fished them with the same jig – I never laid it down. I lost my “fifth” a couple of times Sunday – it just didn’t get into the net.”

Reagan noted that his Lowrance electronics were essential to his win.

“I couldn’t have won without my Lowrance unit – they showed me the fish. I idled the ledges and when I‘d see them I’d stop the engine and cast in there. It seemed like I could catch them on a first or second cast.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:           Robert Reagan, Byrdstown, Tenn., nine bass   , 30-7, $5,329 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

2nd:         Densmore Goodson, Letcher, Ky., 10 bass, 24-8, $2,664

3rd:          James Copeland, Bowling Green, Ky., 10 bass, 24-8, $2,118

4th:          Steve Whitaker, Scottsville, Ky., 10 bass, 23-13, $1,543

5th:          Tim Akers, Richmond, Ky., 10 bass, 23-10, $1,407

6th:          Mike Casada, Stearns, Ky., 10 bass, 22-7, $977

7th:          Keith Monson, Burgin, Ky., 10 bass, 21-6, $888

8th:          Ryan White, Lancaster, Ky., nine bass, 21-0, $799

9th:          Kenneth Patterson, Knifley, Ky., eight bass, 20-9, $910

10th:        Bennie Mutter, Glasgow, Ky., nine bass, 20-4, $722

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Copeland caught a bass weighing 5 pounds, 8 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division. The catch earned him the Boater Big Bass award of $341.

Ed Bennington of Scottsville, Kentucky, caught a two-day total of eight bass weighing 23 pounds, 5 ounces, to win the Co-angler Division and $2,664.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1st:           Ed Bennington, Scottsville, Ky., eight bass, 23-5, $2,664

2nd:         Tommy Glass, Verona, Ky., eight bass, 16-4, $1,532

3rd:          Jason Ratcliff, Eubank, Ky., seven bass, 15-12, $939

4th:          Doug Adkins, Gray Hawk, Ky., eight bass, 15-8, $622

5th:          Andy Spencer, Glasgow, Ky., nine bass, 13-3, $533

6th:          Matt Chiodi, West Chester, Ohio, seven bass   , 13-1, $488

7th:          Les Reeves, Rockholds, Ky., five bass, 12-5, $444

8th:          Jonathan Sydnor, Canmer, Ky., four bass, 10-4, $400

9th:          Bobby Arms, Jamestown, Tenn., five bass, 10-3, $355

10th:        Bob Wiles, Huntington, W. Va., six bass, 10-3, $311

Nick Haunert of Maineville, Ohio, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 3 pounds, 7 ounces – and earned the Co-angler Big Bass award of $341.

The 2018 T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Mountain Division finale on the Barren River was hosted by the Glasgow-Barren County Tourist & Convention Commission.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 25-27 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.

The 2018 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2019 BFL All-American will take place May 30-June 1 on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.

About FLW

SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY BASS CLUB WINS BASS PRO SHOPS FLW HIGH SCHOOL FISHING RAYSTOWN LAKE OPEN PRESENTED BY COSTA

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SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY BASS CLUB WINS BASS PRO SHOPS FLW HIGH SCHOOL FISHING RAYSTOWN LAKE OPEN PRESENTED BY COSTA

SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY BASS CLUB WINS BASS PRO SHOPS FLW HIGH SCHOOL FISHING RAYSTOWN LAKE OPEN PRESENTED BY COSTA

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HESSTON, Pa. (Sept. 24, 2018) – The Susquehanna Valley Bass Club duo of Cadin Sheesley and Gavin Enders, both of Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 15 pounds, 5 ounces to win the 2018 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Raystown Lake Open presented by Costa.

According to post-tournament reports, the duo caught their limit by working a green-pumpkin-colored worm very slowly on the lower end of Raystown, near the dam.

A field of 20 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which launched from Seven Points Marina. In FLW/TBF High School Fishing competition, the top 10-percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.

The top two teams on Raystown Lake that advanced to the 2018 High School Fishing National Championship were:

1st:     Susquehanna Valley Bass Club, Lewisburg, Pa. – Cadin Sheesley and Gavin Enders, both of Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania., five bass, 15-5

2nd:    Central High School, Martinsburg, Pa. – Kasey Imler and Ken Imler, both of East Freedom, Pa., five bass, 15-2

Rounding out the top 10 teams were:

3rd:     Susquehanna Valley Bass Club, Lewisburg, Pa. – Dylan Edwards, Milton, Pa., and Zachary Stroud, South Williamsport, Pa., five bass, 14-15

4th:     Archbishop Curley High School, Baltimore, Md. – Reed Barra and Travis Nale, both of Pasadena, Md., five bass, 12-9

5th:     Central High School, Martinsburg, Pa. – Hunter Klutz and Gerald Brumbaugh, both of Martinsburg, Pa., five bass, 12-3

6th:     Lancaster Junior Hog Hunters – Ben Wright, Lititz, Pa., and Andrew Fields, Myerstown, Pa., five bass, 11-6

7th:     Berkeley Springs High School, Bath, W.Va. – Landon Harrington and Sam Ambrose, both of Berkeley Springs, W.Va., five bass, 10-11

8th:     Camp Hill High School, Camp Hill, Pa. – Andrew Zulli and Casey Zulli, both of Camp Hill, Pa., five bass, 8-9

9th:     Susquehanna Valley Bass Club, Lewisburg, Pa. – Tyler Mowery and Dominic Cecco, both of Winfield, Pa., five bass, 8-8

10th:   Chambersburg High School, Chambersburg, Pa. – Dylan Barefoot and Carson Forrester, both of Chambersburg, Pa., five bass, 7-12

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

The 2018 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Raystown Lake Open presented by Costa was a two-person (team) event for students in grades 7-12, open to any Student Angler Federation (SAF) affiliated high school club in the United States. The top 10 percent of each Challenge, Open, and state championship field will advance to the 2019 High School Fishing National Championship on a body of water that has yet to be revealed. The High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.

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

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

Traditions Media Comes Up Golden, Basks Briefly in the Glow

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Traditions Media Comes Up Golden, Basks Briefly in the Glow

 

Traditions Media Comes Up Golden,

Basks Briefly in the Glow

Communications team awarded the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers’ highest honor

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MANDAN, N.D. (September 24, 2019) – The Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers (AGLOW) presented three recipients with the organization’s highest honors at its 63rd annual conference in Bismarck-Mandan, North Dakota last week.

Nominated and selected by AGLOW’s Council of Past Presidents, Golden Glow honorees are named annually, as merited, in up to five categories. The storied organization’s prestigious list of past Golden Glow recipients includes such names as Aldo Leopold, Homer Circle, Bruce Babbitt, Gov. Mike Huckabee, Forrest Wood, National Wild Turkey Federation, and Boy Scouts of America.

Traditions Media, the progressive public relations, media-buying and media communications agency for the outdoors industry has now been added to this list, receiving the 2018 Golden Glow “Corporation” award in recognition of its diverse and wide-reaching accomplishment in the field of outdoor communications.

Traditions Media founders, Noel Vick and Leslie Sundahl, entered the fishing and hunting industry in their 20’s, purchasing a Fish & Game Finder franchise from a newspaper ad. It was a home-based business run while raising three kids in the shadows of Minnesota’s Twin Cities. They wrote everything themselves, took the photographs, sold the ads and delivered the magazines from the back of an old Suburban.

Traditions Media’s Dena Vick

One of their early mentors was Bill Love, who published a similar publication in Illinois. Other early mentors were Mark Strand and Tim Lesmeister, recognized by those in the know as outdoors industry pioneers of what is now commonly known as “native content”.

After selling Fish & Game Finder, Vick embarked on a freelance career before becoming Vice President of Marketing for Clam Corporation. From there, he moved to a creative agency where he quickly tired of the long Italian shoes, fat retainers, and a lack of appreciation for the ground game required to succeed in PR in the passion-laden outdoors industry.

Thus, Traditions Media, the “anti-agency, agency,” was born.

Traditions Media broke ground as a fishing-specific group with an ice-fishing emphasis, and quickly gained expertise in all forms of fishing. They would soon progress into the hunting, shooting sports and tactical arenas, recruiting expert talent with deep roots in each category.

AGLOW legend Tim Lesmeister, as seen through FLIR thermal imaging.

“Legitimacy has been a cornerstone of our organization since day one,” says Vick. “You can’t run the plays in our play book without the best talent in the industry.” In addition to being exceptional writers, you see, each Traditions Media team member has a lifetime of experience in fishing, hunting, shooting, or all of the above. “You can’t fake experience,” Vick continues. “So we build our communications teams so we never need to try.”

Vick and Sundahl apply the same principle to their would-be clients. Traditions Media prides itself in working with best-in-category brands that make the products their team members actually use. “The worst thing someone can do in the PR business is put themselves in a position where they need to try and make a ‘C’ or ‘D’ product look like an ‘A’ product,” says Sundahl. “That’s a pitfall we’ve always done our best to avoid.”

While Traditions Media’s actual clients may be outdoor companies, a lion’s share of the agency’s day-to-day service is provided directly to outdoor communicators—writers, editors, publishers and bloggers whose readers are hungry for the best information on the latest products which fuel their outdoor passions. That’s why the Traditions Media team actively participates in as many outdoor communicators’ groups and events as possible, and insists that its clients do, too.

Whether it comes in the form of a new product press release, a ready-to-publish syndicated story, supporting photography, or hands-on experiences at hunting, fishing and shooting media events, the unyielding support delivered by Traditions Media makes it easy for outdoor communicators to add tremendous value to their work, while exciting new generations of traditional outdoor sports enthusiasts.

“It’s more than a casual appreciation,” Vick says of his team’s individual relationships with so many of the nation’s best outdoor communicators. “These are our peers, and we couldn’t do what we do without their partnership. “To be recognized with an award the caliber of a Golden Glow… by an organization with the history, prestige and impact of AGLOW is something our team can be incredibly proud of. It’s a treasured reminder that the work we do is helping to move our industry forward for everyone.”

Craig & Susan Blankenship Win Bass Cast T.T. SML with 19.31lbs 9/23/18

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Craig & Susan Blankenship Win Bass Cast T.T. SML with 19.31lbs 9/23/18

1st place Craig & Jimmy (Susan) Blankenship with 5 Fish 19.31lbs plus 5.86lb Large Mouth Lunker

2nd Place Mark Cooper & Steve Roberts with 5 Fish Weighing 17.52lbs

3rd Place Jeff Newman & David Goins with 5 Fish Weighing 16.88lbs

CLICK HERE TO SEE FINAL RESULTS

Jackie Flack and Craig Daniel Win Alabama Bass Trail Pickwick Lake Charlie Cummings and Greg Pugh Claim North Division AOY by Dan O’Sullivan

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Jackie Flack and Craig Daniel Win Alabama Bass Trail Pickwick Lake Charlie Cummings and Greg Pugh Claim North Division AOY by Dan O’Sullivan

Jackie Flack and Craig Daniel Win Alabama Bass Trail Pickwick Lake
Charlie Cummings and Greg Pugh Claim North Division AOY
by Dan O’Sullivan

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September 22, 2018 – Florence, Ala. – It is a rare occurrence for the Alabama Bass Trail to conclude its season this late in the year.  However, thanks to a bevy of storm fronts that pummeled Alabama in February, the season opening event – scheduled for Pickwick Lake at Florence’s McFarland Park – was postponed to September.  That event was held yesterday, and the drama was high.

Along with the individual event, there was the matter of the Anglers of the Year race to be decided; which separated first and second place by a mere three points.  With Pickwick Lake having been in a state of flux, thanks to rising and falling water levels, as well as hot, summerlike conditions, things were going to be dicey.

For the individual event portion, Jackie Flack and Craig Daniels; winners of the inaugural ABT Championship in 2014, they bested the field with a total weigh of 19.89 pounds to earn the $10,000 winners’ purse, but they also earned a slew of contingency bonuses from Phoenix Boats, Garmin and others that will push their total take to over $17,000.  To top it all off, they earned the automatic bid to the Championship at Neely Henry Lake in October; something they would not have done based on points.

They said it was a great day.  “We really knew we had to perform – in fact – we really needed to win to make the Championship,” they said.  “We threw topwater baits around grass near the Natchez Trace Bridge, and culled three times to get our weight.  We didn’t think we had enough, but we sure are glad we did.”  They reported throwing buzzbaits and Super Spooks all day to get their bites.

The team of Duane and Brandon Edel finished with 19.43 pounds to finish second.  They said fished the same general area of the lake, but instead of focusing on the topwater approach, they turned to Punching in the grass.  “We flipped a 3/4-ounce, green pumpkin Strike King jig and Rage Craw into the grass and got a bite or two every hour to get to our limit,” they said.  “We only caught seven or eight keepers, but are really happy with the way things turned out.”  They earned $5,000 for the day.

The Grandfather / Grandson team of Nathan and Hunter Brewer caught the Mountain Dew Big Bass of the day; a 7.04-pound largemouth, that earned them the $500 cash bonus award. The fish anchored their 16.89-pound limit that earned them a ninth place finish.

The day began with Charlie Cummings and Greg Pugh holding a three-point lead in the North Division standings over Bill Mayo and Walt Roberts.  Cummings and Pugh finished the event in 13th place, and when Mayo and Roberts struggled, the AOY leaders prevailed.  “This is a truly big honor and an accomplishment we will never forget,” they said.  “This is very tough field, and to be standing here after this season as the top team is amazing, we are so happy with, and proud of this outcome.”

The rest of the Top 10 Standings are below, for complete standings visit: https://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/pl-results/

PLACE ANGLERS WEIGHT PENALTY BIG FISH WINNINGS
1 Craig Daniel / Jackie Flack 19.89 $10,000
2 Duane Edel / Brandon Edel 19.43 $5,000
3 Wesley Sams / Jordan Wiggins 18.87 $4,000
4 Brian Ingersoll / Michael Restifo 18.58 1.00 6.32 $3,000
5 Cody Nichols / Koby Newman 18.19 $2,000
6 Bradley Jones / Andy Kilgore 17.7 $1,500
7 Brad Shelton / Eric White 17.09 $1,100
8 Brett Coggins / Adam Christen 16.95 5.82 $1,100
9 Nathan Brewer / Hunter Brewer 16.89 1.00 7.04 $1,100
10 Shawn Dalrymple / Ryan Salzman 16.76 1.00 $1,100

Northern Division Top 10 Anglers of the Year Standings – foe complete standings, visit: https://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/north-division-standings/

PLACE ANGLERS POINTS
1 Charlie Cummings/Greg Pugh 1007
2 Bradley Jones /Andy Kilgore 990
3 Grant Hopson/Wes Ward 987
4 Cody Nichols/Koby Newman 976
5 Wesley Sams/Jordan Wiggins 971
6 Brett Coggins/Adam Christen 952
7 Paul Davis/Josh Chapple 939
8 Hunter Penney/Chris Hopper 929
9 Lanny Guthrie/Lee Hurley 926

The sponsors of the 2018 Alabama Bass Trail include; Phoenix Bass Boats, Bill Penney Toyota, Garmin, Academy Sports & Outdoors, America’s First Federal Credit Union, Wind Creek Hospitality – Wetumpka, Wind Creek Hospitality – Montgomery, Alabama Tourism Department, T-H Marine Supplies, Wedowee Marine, Buffalo Rock, Jack’s, Fish Neely Henry Lake.com, Alabama Power Company, Trapper Tackle, Lew’s Fishing, AFTCO, YETI, and E3 Apparel.

For information about Alabama Bass Trail and for complete tournament standings visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.

Lucas Puts Finishing Touches On Bassmaster Angler Of The Year Championship

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Lucas Puts Finishing Touches On Bassmaster Angler Of The Year Championship

Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Ala., takes the 2018 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year title on Lake Chatuge, Georgia, with 820 points.

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

September 23, 2018

Lucas Puts Finishing Touches On Bassmaster Angler Of The Year Championship

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HIAWASSEE, Ga. — By the time Justin Lucas made it to the stage during Sunday’s final weigh-in for the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship at Lake Chatuge, Georgia, the drama was all but gone.

Lucas came into the event with an eight-point lead in the AOY season standings — and after solid catches on Thursday and Friday, he had stretched that lead to an almost-insurmountable 47 points. Plus, his closest competition in the race, Arizona angler Josh Bertrand, decided not to fish Sunday because his wife is expected to deliver their second child any time now back home.

It eliminated all the suspense, but that suited Lucas just fine.

The California native turned Alabama resident caught five bass that weighed only 11 pounds, 14 ounces Sunday. But his three-day weight of 39-0 was more than enough to give him the AOY title and the biggest accomplishment of his young, flourishing career.

“I wanted this so badly,” Lucas said. “The build-up to this tournament affected every part of my life. I haven’t been sleeping because I would wake up in the middle of the night thinking about my game plan for this week. I’ve told my family and friends just to bear with me for a few more days, and everything would be okay — and now it’s all good.”

The gravity of the award hit Lucas and moved him to tears on stage.

“You think about the guys who’ve won this title — Gerald Swindle, Kevin VanDam — it’s unbelievable,” he said. “I’m the 23rd guy who’s ever won this in the 50-year history of B.A.S.S., and that’s humbling.”

Lucas came into the week knowing if he finished inside the Top 8 he couldn’t lose the AOY title — even if Bertrand won the tournament. His Sunday weight helped lift him into seventh place and capped a dominant finish to his 2018 season.

The seventh-place showing marked his fifth straight Top 12 appearance in a Bassmaster Elite Series event, dating back to the regular-season tournament held on the Sabine River in Orange, Texas, in June.

“I’ve always considered myself a better prespawn, spawn and maybe a little bit of a postspawn fisherman, and then I kind of struggled after that,” Lucas said. “So I can’t explain it. This summer, I’ve just caught fire and it hasn’t slowed down.”

Lucas earned one of the most coveted trophies in professional bass fishing and a $100,000 bonus — and as icing on the cake, he caught most of his bass during the week on a new topwater lure that he helped Berkley design.

The Cane Walker, which was just released last week, is a noisy popper/walking-style topwater bait with an aerodynamic shape that is designed for long casts.

“Making long casts with that bait is key because you need to cover as much water as possible,” he said. “You can cover more water and work it over multiple brushpiles on the bottom. It brings fish up — and I think it’s already sold out at Tackle Warehouse.”

Besides the AOY title, Lucas qualified for the 2019 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods — his fourth time to qualify for bass fishing’s biggest event in five years on the Elite Series.

The Top 35 anglers in the final AOY standings all qualified for the event, and the next 16 in the standings will have a chance to compete for three additional Classic berths at the Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster Classic Bracket on Carters Lake in Ellijay, Ga., Oct. 23-26.

Though the main purpose of the event was to decide the season points winner and Classic qualifiers, the angler with the heaviest three-day weight for the week also earned $25,000 and an Elite Series trophy. That honor went to Oklahoma angler James Elam, who led every day of the tournament and finished with a three-day weight of 48-8.

Elam caught 16-10 Thursday and 16-14 Friday, and the majority of his weight came early both days. Things started slower Sunday, but his resolve led him to a five-bass limit that weighed 15-0.

“We had a full moon last night, so I think these fish woke up just a little bit late today,” said Elam, who earned his first Elite Series victory. “They finally got hungry again about 1 o’clock, and I caught four of the fish in my bag from 1 o’clock to 3.”

Elam came into the event simply wanting to improve his place in the AOY standings and secure a Classic berth. But he left with one of the bigger accomplishments of his career.

“You don’t get this opportunity very often,” he said. “I’ve been close — I’ve had it going on until the third or fourth day at several tournaments. So I’m glad to finally get it done.”

The Toyota Bassmaster Rookie of the Year award went to North Carolina pro Jake Whitaker, who finished 15th in the tournament and barely edged Arizona angler Roy Hawk for the title.

Alabama pro Jordan Lee earned the $1,500 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award with a fish that weighed 5-13.

Chris Lane of Guntersville, Ala., earned the Power-Pole Captain’s Cash Award of $1,000 for being the highest-placing angler who is registered and eligible and uses a client-approved product on his boat.

2018 Points Report    
PROFESSIONAL ELITE SERIES    
as of 23-Sep-2018
Angler Points Lbs-Oz
1 Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 820 273- 0
2 Josh Bertrand San Tan Valley, AZ 769 260-10
3 Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 758 268- 3
4 Ott DeFoe Blaine, TN 727 251-9
5 Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 715 245-10
6 Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 714 253-12
7 Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 695 259-14
8 Brandon Palaniuk Hayden, ID 694 254- 6
9 Jacob Wheeler Harrison, TN 690 277- 6
10 Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 690 244- 5
11 Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 672 247- 5
12 Gerald Spohrer Gonzales, LA 665 247- 6
13 Mark Daniels Jr. Tuskegee, AL 662 252- 0
14 Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 658 251- 5
15 Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 650 232- 2
16 Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 644 234- 9
17 Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 642 246- 4
18 Seth Feider Bloomington, MN 638 244- 9
19 James Elam Tulsa, OK 637 262-13
20 Chris Zaldain Laughlin, NV 637 241-11
21 Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 636 233- 9
22 Alton Jones Jr. Waco, TX 635 239- 9
23 Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 634 242-13
24 Brent Ehrler Redlands, CA 633 259- 6
25 Cliff Pace Petal, MS 620 241- 2
26 Jesse Wiggins Cullman, AL 618 252-12
27 Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 617 238- 5
28 Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 617 221- 3
29 Roy Hawk Lk Havasu Cty, AZ 613 237- 1
30 Edwin Evers Talala, OK 612 257- 4
31 Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 610 249- 9
32 Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 608 246- 6
33 Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 608 231-13
34 Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 605 236-12
35 Wesley Strader Spring City, TN 604 229- 6
36 Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 599 235- 5
37 Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 595 223- 3
38 Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 594 246- 6
39 Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 589 240-13
40 Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 589 236- 5
41 Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 586 233- 6
42 Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 581 233- 2
43 Keith Combs Huntington, TX 581 231- 9
44 Chad Pipkens Lansing, MI 577 237-10
45 Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 575 226-15
46 Jordan Lee Grant, AL 566 256-10
47 Shin Fukae Palestine, TX 563 234- 0
48 Adrian Avena Vineland, NJ 558 228- 1
49 Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 558 222- 9
50 Dustin Connell Clanton, AL 543 214- 1

 

2018 Rookie of the Year    
as of 23-September-2018
Angler Points Lbs-Oz
1 Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 617 238- 5
2 Roy Hawk Lk Havasu Cty, AZ 613 237- 1
3 Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 460 195-11
4 Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 430 203- 5
5 Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 366 186-13
6 Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 355 176-13
7 Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 353 183-15
8 Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 313 171- 4
9 Bill Weidler Helena, AL 217 147- 8

Note: For a complete list of today’s standings in the 2018 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship, visit Bassmaster.com.

The Best 3 Ways To Catch Bass Using Swimbaits – MTB

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The Best 3 Ways To Catch Bass Using Swimbaits – MTB

The Best 3 Ways To Catch Bass Using Swimbaits

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Throwing swimbaits for bass can be fished from top to bottom in clear water if it is rigged correctly. The beauty of a paddletail swimbait is that it can be rigged different ways to make it fall vertically with its head down or swim horizontally. It can also be rigged weedless for fishing around cover or with the hook exposed for swimming in open water.

Here are three rigging methods I have used to catch bass with paddletail swimbaits.

Swimbaits For Bass: Weighted Hooks

Swimbaits For Bass
These hooks usually feature lead weight molded on the hooks and some sort of screw lock on the hook eye for keeping the swimbait head attached to the hook. The weighted hook can be used with either a hollow or solid body swimbait and allows you to Texas rig the swimbait so the lure is weedless. The weight on the bend of the hook also causes the lure to remain horizontal as the swimbait is falling to create a more natural-looking swimming action. A swimbait rigged in this fashion is ideal for swimming around docks and cover or through schools of suspended bass.

Swimbaits For Bass: Jigheads

Swimbaits For Bass
Several lure manufacturers offer a variety of jigheads made specifically for hollow or solid body swimbaits. Jigheads are available in light weights such as 1/8- or 1/4-ounce sizes for running swimbaits near the surface or heavier models in 1/2- or 3/4-ounce sizes for bouncing along the bottom. Swimbaits attached to jigheads fall head first so this setup works best for vertical jigging or stroking a swimbait off the bottom. The hook is exposed on this rig so you will need to throw this swimbait in open water or around sparse cover.

Swimbaits For Bass: Internal Weighting

Swimbaits For Bass
This is the best rigging system I have tried for preventing hooked bass from getting off hollow-body swimbaits. My rig consists of a short piece of plastic tube from a WD-40 spray can, a bullet worm weight and a treble hook. After inserting the tube into the swimbait’s nose, make a slight incision in the lure’s belly and thread your line through the tube and the lure’s belly. Slide the sinker on the line and then tie the treble hook on the line. Pull on the line in front of the lure’s nose so the sinker slides up into the belly and the hook hangs just outside the belly. The exposed treble hook limits this rig to open-water presentations.

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Burroughs and Tellock Win the ABA Couples Series Championship

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Burroughs and Tellock Win the ABA Couples Series Championship

Burroughs and Tellock Win the Couples Series Championship 

[print_link]Lake HArtwell,September 23,2018,A

Athens AL – Every year the top angling couples from across the nation converge on a body of water to compete for the title of American Bass Anglers Couples Series National Champion, this year that body of water was Lake Hartwell.  65 teams blasted off from the Green Pond Landing in Anderson, SC with the hopes of catching limits and winning the title.  For the team of Jason Burroughs and Samantha Tellock, those hopes were fulfilled, bringing in 5-fish limits both days for a total weight of 22.75-lbs sealing their victory and giving them the title of American Bass Anglers Couples Series National Champion.

On day one Jason and Samantha brought in a 5-fish limit that tipped the scales at 12.91-lbs anchored with Men’s Big Bass for day one, a nice kicker weighing in at 3.71-lbs.  Going into day two with the lead they stayed consistent and brought in another 5-fish limit that locked in the scales at 9.84-lbs.  giving them a two-day total of 22.75-lbs.  For the victory, they took home a check for $3,500 plus an additional $320 for Men’s Big Bass on day one.

“We didn’t get many bites, only six the first day and eight on the second day.  We fished the lower end of the lake, you could see the dam from where we were at.  We stayed offshore in around 25-35 feet of water, throwing chrome topwater lures. It was a team effort, we both caught fish just not a lot of them.  And a big thanks to Anderson, SC for being such great host,” said Burroughs.

Second place was claimed by the team of Jaris and Sherri McGee. On day one they brought a 5-fish limit to the scales that went for 8.97-lbs.  They managed to bring in another 5-fish limit on day two that locked in the scales at 10.91-lbs anchored by the day two Women’s Big Bass a nice kicker that weighed 4.07-lbs. They finished with a two-day total weight of 19.88-lbs.  For their second-place finish, they took home a check for $800.

“We ran all over the place, we burnt 20 gallons of gas the first day and 22 gallons on day two.  Running around that much, we got to see a lot of the lake we had never seen before.  We threw top water all day both days buzz baits, toads, and whopper ploppers,” said Jaris.

“I caught the women’s big bass early in the morning on a bone colored whopper plopper,” stated Sherri.

“Since this is the second year in a row that she has caught the women’s big bass on day two, we’re not going to call her momma anymore, instead we’re going to start calling her second day Sherri,” added Jaris.

Third place was seized by David and Ashley Sutton. They brought in a 5-fish limit on day one, weighing 9.72-lbs.  They couldn’t find the fifth fish on day two brining back only 4-fish that locked in at 9.50-lbs, giving them a two-day total of 19.22 lbs. They took home a check for $575 for their efforts.
“We caught everything on buzz baits and whopper ploppers.  The biggest fish we caught came on day one around 1:00 pm.  We struggled on day two, but the wife pulled us out, she pulled in the last 2 fish we needed to keep us in there,” said David.

Fourth place was taken by Brody and Briana Kimbrell with a two-day total weight of 19.01-lbs.  Briana caught ooverallWomen’s Big Bass on day one a beautiful fish that locked in the scales 4.43-lbs.  For their fourth place finish, they took home a check for $400 plus an additional $320 and a brand-new Abu Garcia Revo X for the big bass.

Rounding out the top five was Bo and Jessica Price with a two-day total weight of 18.83-lbs.

Overall Men’s Big Bass was caught by Joey Miller that fish locked in the scales at 4.87-lbs.

The coveted title of American Bass Anglers Couple Series Anglers of the Year was claimed by Dale and Victoria Goff.  They worked hard all year to accumulate the points needed to be victorious.  This is their second time claiming the title, the first was during their first season fishing the Couples Tour five years ago.

“This is our fifth year fishing the Couples Series and we love it.  I fished other trails and local clubs by myself for a long time and one day I got up with JB and Tammy and they told me about the Couples tournaments and how much they loved it, so we decided to give it a try.  Victoria fell in love with it immediately, and we’ve been fishing them ever since.  We were lucky enough to have some of the best directors ever, Don and Martha Goodfellow.  They put on some wonderful tournaments and are just great people,” said Dale.

This year Don and Martha Goodfellow were honored as the Directors of the year. They have run the South Carolina Couples Series Division for over ten years now and have built up one of the top Couples Division in the nation. Every one that has fished with them or in any of the tournaments that they have run will tell you just how great they are.

American Bass Anglers commitment is to provide low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about the American Bass Anglers and the American Fishing Tour, the Open Series, the 100% Plus Team Tour, or the American Couples Series visit www.AmericanBassAnglers.com .

American Bass Anglers, Inc. is supported by Triton Boats, Mercury Outboards, Hydrowave, T-H Marine, ABU Garcia, Berkley, Garmin, Maui Jim, Power Pole, Sirius XM, Optima Batteries and GEICO.

American Bass Anglers, Inc. can be contacted @ (256)232-0406 or visit www.AmercanBassAnglers.com

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