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FORREST WOOD CUP SET FOR RETURN TO LAKE OUACHITA IN HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS

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FORREST WOOD CUP SET FOR RETURN TO LAKE OUACHITA IN HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS

FORREST WOOD CUP SET FOR RETURN TO LAKE OUACHITA IN HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS

World’s Best Anglers Eye $300,000 Title in Historic 23rd-Annual Championship

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HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (July 26, 2018) – The Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing, will return to Lake Ouachita, Aug. 10-12, to crown bass fishing’s top angler of 2018. Hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs, the tournament will feature 56 of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals casting for the sport’s biggest award – $300,000 cash.

The Forrest Wood Cup has been held at Lake Ouachita three times in the 23-year history of the FLW Tour – 2007, 2011 and 2014. In the three Forrest Wood Cups that have been held on Lake Ouachita, both shallow and deep patterns were applied by top-10 competitors. Tennessee pro Brad Knight, who won the 2015 Cup, surprised many people by camping in one area in the back of a creek for four days and catching the winning fish shallow. The prior two Cups at Lake Ouachita – won by Scott Martin in 2011 and Scott Suggs in 2007 – were won out deep around standing timber, brush piles and other areas where balls of shad had congregated.

Lake Ouachita will still offer up its usual mix of deep and shallow patterns, but no matter what patterns emerge, the weights are always close at Lake Ouachita in August. Expect several anglers to average 12 to 14 pounds a day and to be in the hunt for the win on Championship Sunday.

“Ouachita is a really good fishery and is a perfect venue to host the Forrest Wood Cup,” said Justin Atkins, the reigning Forrest Wood Cup champion who won last year on Lake Murray in Columbia, South Carolina. “I’ve been there twice and caught quite a few big fish. This event should be a little tougher, but it’s during the dog-days of summer. Fishing is tough right now all over the country. I love a good slugfest, but I really enjoy the tough tournaments for our championship event.”

Atkins won the FLW Cup in his rookie season on Tour and is now looking to become the first angler in history to ever win the Cup twice.

“The most exciting thing for me about the 2018 Cup is the unknown – I know what happens when you win and it truly is a life-changing tournament. The possibility that it could happen to me again is just so exciting,” Atkins said. “I’m still learning my way through this sport, but winning the Cup last year gave me the financial support, the sponsor support, and the self-confidence that I do belong here and I can make my way in this sport.”

Atkins went on to predict that the winner this year would need to average about 14 pounds a day to be in contention for the win, and the winner would have right around 42 pounds after the three-day competition.

“The key is going to be your ability to think on the fly and ability to change patterns each day as the fish and conditions change.”

Anglers will take off from Brady Mountain Resort & Marina, located at 4120 Brady Mountain Road in Royal, Arkansas, at 7 a.m. CDT each morning. Each day’s weigh-in will be held at the Bank OZK Arena located at 134 Convention Blvd., in Hot Springs, beginning at 5 p.m.

Fans will be treated to the FLW Expo at the Hot Springs Convention Center located at 134 Convention Blvd., in Hot Springs, each day from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. prior to the weigh-ins. The Expo includes games, activities and giveaways provided by more than 40 FLW sponsors, the opportunity to shop the latest tackle and outdoor gear from more than 100 exhibitors, Ranger boat simulators, a casting pond and a trout pond for children, as well as the opportunity to meet and interact with top professional anglers, including Hank Parker, Jimmy Houston, and Larry Nixon. FLW’s namesake Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, will also be greeting fans.

On Saturday and Sunday the first 250 children 14 and under each day who are accompanied by an adult will receive a voucher to redeem for a free rod-and-reel combo after the evening’s weigh-in from Shakespeare rods. Also on Sunday, one lucky fishing fan will win a brand new Ranger Z521L bass boat with a 250-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard motor. The Ranger Boat giveaway is free to enter but the winner must be present at the conclusion of Sunday’s final weigh-in to win.

Also on Saturday and Sunday, FLW fans will be treated to the Bass & BBQ Festival in conjunction with the FLW Expo. FLW has partnered with local BBQ vendors to feature award-winning BBQ teams offering delicious fare to visitors at the Forrest Wood Cup Expo. A portion of all proceeds will be donated to local Arkansas charities.

Country music superstar Justin Moore will perform a free concert on the weigh-in stage at the Bank OZK Arena on Sunday, Aug. 12, starting at 4 p.m., prior to the final weigh-in. The concert is presented by Realtree and KSSN 96. Moore will be performing songs from his latest album, Kinda Don’t Care, to fishing fans in Arkansas as well as live-streamed to fans around the globe at FLWFishing.com.

 

The Morning Takeoff, FLW Expo, Bass & BBQ event, live concert and weigh-ins are all free and open to the public.

Television coverage of the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) Sept. 27 from Noon -1 p.m. EDT. The Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.

For a full schedule of events, complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.

B.A.S.S. Postpones Chesapeake Bay Elite Due To Unsafe Boating Conditions

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B.A.S.S. Postpones Chesapeake Bay Elite Due To Unsafe Boating Conditions

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July 26, 2018

B.A.S.S. Postpones Chesapeake Bay Elite Due To Unsafe Boating Conditions

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Due to recent heavy rainfall and increasingly dangerous water conditions, B.A.S.S. officials decided to postpone the Huk Bassmaster Elite at Upper Chesapeake Bay presented by Mossy Oak Fishing that was originally scheduled for July 26-29 out of Harford County, Md.

“Our number one priority is the safety of our anglers and anyone else who might be on the waters of the Upper Chesapeake Bay,” said B.A.S.S. Tournament Director Trip Weldon. “After consulting with authorities regarding increased water releases, debris and current hazardous conditions on tournament waters, B.A.S.S. is postponing this week’s event.”

The tournament will likely be scheduled for later in the 2018 Bassmaster Elite Series season, which concludes with the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship in September.

Officials from B.A.S.S., event sponsors and local host organizations will be meeting in coming days to discuss options pertaining to rescheduled dates.

For more information, visit Bassmaster.com.

Mustad Elite Series Football Head Review By Jason Sealock

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Mustad Elite Series Football Head Review By Jason Sealock

Finesse fishing for bass has been refined over the years thanks to better hooks, materials and addressing of certain shortcomings with the original jighead designs. The newer Mustad Elite Series Football Heads incorporate a lot of small design features to give you a solid shaky head or small jig option for your finesse fishing. Here are a few of the features I found interesting about these new jigheads from Mustad.

Double keeper barb

The Mustad Elite Series Football jigheads feature a fine wire with sharp double barb keepers under the head to securely hold your plastics in place. The barbs with the optional collar ring work together to hold even small worms snug to the head. It can take a little maneuvering to get the worm to slide up over the optional collar ring, but I found once there, if you poke a little a barb just out of the plastic it will help lock it all in place. Which is nice because with the lighter heads I could really sling them hard under dock walkways and low hanging trees.

Multifaceted Fishery Awaits Anglers For Bassmaster Eastern Open On Lake Champlain

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Multifaceted Fishery Awaits Anglers For Bassmaster Eastern Open On Lake Champlain

A full field of 400 pro and co-anglers will be competing in the third Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Eastern Open Aug. 2-4 on Lake Champlain out of Plattsburgh, N.Y. 

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

July 25, 2018

Multifaceted Fishery Awaits Anglers For Bassmaster Eastern Open On Lake Champlain

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — The Bassmaster Opens circuit will make its northernmost trip of the season with next week’s Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Eastern Open No. 3 at Lake Champlain.

The tournament is scheduled for Aug. 2-4, with daily takeoffs at 6 a.m. ET from Plattsburgh City Marina and weigh-ins back at the marina each day at 2 p.m. A full field of 200 boats will compete the first two days, with only the Top 12 pro and co-anglers advancing to Saturday’s final round.

Sam George, an Alabama angler with a history on Champlain, said he wouldn’t be surprised if that Top 12 is made up of anglers from 12 different states.

“This is literally my favorite place in the world,” George said. “You see more people from around the country do well here because it has a little bit of everything. It has grass, rock, offshore fishing, shallow fishing, boat docks.

“Whatever you like to do, you can find it here.”

George’s personal experience at Champlain exemplifies the diversity of the fishery. He finished fourth in a Northern Open on the lake in 2014 and 11th when the circuit returned to Champlain in 2016.

He used vastly different tactics each time.

“When we were here in 2014, that was an offshore deal with typical hot summertime fishing,” George said. “Then when we were here in 2016, they were kind of transitioning into that fall period. I was catching smallmouth in 2 feet of water on a ChatterBait.

“That’s two Top 12s doing two totally different things — so you just never know here.”

One thing that creates so many opportunities on the lake is the presence of both largemouth and smallmouth bass.

Miles Burghoff is an Opens competitor and a guide on Tennessee’s Lake Chickamauga, who goes by the nickname “Sonar” — partly because his father, Gary Burghoff, portrayed the popular character “Radar” on the landmark television series “M.A.S.H.”

He thinks anglers taking part in the event will have to be prepared to fish for both species.

“This is my second trip to Champlain and though the fishing is phenomenal across the board, the lake is absolutely massive and it presents some tough decisions, including whether to target smallmouth or largemouth or both,” Burghoff said. “Being mostly a largemouth guy, and seeing that it’s August, I’m inclined to focus on shallow vegetation. But I think to win, you’ll need a strong smallmouth game plan as well.

“I plan on eliminating as much water the first couple days of practice as possible, so I can start narrowing my focus for the event.”

George said he thinks it will take 17-plus pounds a day to make the final Top 12, and he expects 57 pounds — an average of 19 pounds per day — to win. Those who finish highest, he said, will be the anglers who find bass of both species that are just a few ounces bigger.

“There are a lot of 3 1/2-pound fish in the lake — both largemouth and smallmouth,” George said. “The guy who separates himself from the pack will be the one who finds fish in the 3 3/4-pound range. It’ll be that close — and one giant fish could be the difference in the tournament.”

B.A.S.S. has visited Lake Champlain 11 times, including 2017 when Alabama pro Aaron Martens won a Bassmaster Elite Series event there with a total of 58-12 in an event that was scheduled for four days, but shortened to three because of inclement weather.

The value of one giant fish was obvious in that tournament when Martens rose 19 places on the final day, thanks largely to a 6-4 largemouth.

Martens’ winning pattern involved drop shotting a 4-inch Roboworm in the Aaron’s magic red color on massive weed flats. Largemouth and smallmouth were mixed together, and he caught quality fish of both species, though it was the largemouth that ultimately propelled him to victory.

He fished 20 to 30 feet of water the first two days, but moved shallower the final day into 12 to 21 feet.

The event will be hosted by the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau and the City of Plattsburgh.

Swindle shares tips on How he creates AN EPIC RAPALA® DT®-20 SUMMER BITE Posted on July 24, 2018 by Rapala

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Swindle shares tips on How he creates AN EPIC RAPALA® DT®-20 SUMMER BITE Posted on July 24, 2018 by Rapala
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Cast a Rapala® DT®-20 upriver and bang bottom across a hump in deep water and you’re bound to catch a lot of big bass the next few weeks on Lake Guntersville and similar reservoirs across the Southeast.

“You can go out and catch 22 to 25 pounds every evening in a couple hours, and catch 90 percent of them on the DT-20,” says Bassmaster Elite pro Gerald Swindle, who lives on Lake Guntersville. “It’s been the DT-20 Summer around the Swindle house.”

Swindle’s fishing buddies are on an epic DT-20 bite too.

“There’s a running joke with the four or five guys that I fish with that there ain’t a tackle store within 60 miles from here that’s got a DT-20 left, ‘cause we bought every one they had,” Swindle says. “They’re bitin’ it, so we’re givin’ it to ‘em!”

“DT” stands for “Dives To.” Built of balsa wood, Rapala’s signature material, a DT-20 will get down to its maximum depth of 20 feet sooner than – and thus stay in the strike zone longer than – lookalike crankbaits. The way its balsa body wobbles while swimming and digging its bill into the bottom make it the perfect tool for triggering bites from bass in their deep-water summer haunts.

“All around Guntersville, the bass are in their peak-of-the-summertime patterns,” Swindle says. “The fish are really out there good in the 15- to 22-foot range, which is where the DT-20 excels.”

Go head to head with Swindle by throwing lookalike crankbaits and you’ll see just how well a DT-20 excels. “I went out with some guys and they wanted to stand toe-toe-and throw some other baits, but you just beat the britches off ‘em with a DT-20,” Swindle says. “And they’re like, ‘We don’t get it!’ But fish have the tendency to desire different baits at different times, based on whatever’s different with the baitfish they eat. This summer, the bass are feeding on a lot smaller gizzard shad, I think. I’ve seen a lot of shad around 3 or 4 inches.”

That’s why bass are ignoring bigger and louder deep-running crankbaits, Swindle surmises. “The DT-20 has a really good shad profile, but it’s not as big and gaudy as some other baits,” he says. “The sound’s not as obnoxious and it really does match the shad they’re eating.”

To catch deep-dwelling reservoir bass this summer like Swindle does, spool up a Disco Shad-colored DT-20 on 10- or 12-pound-test fluorocarbon line on a 5.3:1 baitcasting reel and 7½-foot baitcasting rod and follow these tips.

First, use your sonar/GPS unit to locate a few hard-bottom humps or high spots in otherwise deep water, “where it comes out of like 40 feet, up to 20, and back down to 40,” Swindle advises.

When you see fish on your sonar screen in such areas, move back downstream a bit and set your electric trolling motor to its virtual-anchor setting. Cast your DT-20 upstream past the hard-bottom hump and retrieve it fast and hard. “Boat position is key,” Swindle advises. “Whether I’m at Guntersville or any reservoir when the current’s moving, I want to crank my bait with the current to get that natural presentation.”

You’ll catch more fish if you reel your DT-20 fast, grinding it into the hard bottom across the entire distance of the hump. “It’s key that you make bottom contact,” Swindle says. “90 percent of the bites will come on the bottom. So a key for me is burning it to get it down. But once I get that bait down on the bottom, I don’t slow up on it, I keep bringin’ it. I’m reeling it like I’m having a fit, reeling it so fast.”

A Rapala DT-20 gets down to the strike-zone fast with the help of a metal disk permanently embedded in its ultra-thin polycarbonate lip. Swimming with a side-to-side action only balsa crankbaits can achieve, DT-20’s pull with ease despite the depth to which they dive. Perfectly weighted to hit the water in a nose-down, quick-dive position, they can be easily cast 150 feet.

“The DT-20, out of everything I’ve tried, has dominated the amount of bites I get when the bass get out deep in the summer like this, no matter if it’s windy or slick,” Swindle says. “It’s just subtle enough you can throw it in most all conditions, but yet aggressive enough when they are feeding it will catch every giant in there. And that’s hard to find in anybody’s crankbait, not just ours.”

DT-20’s measure 2 ¾ inches, weigh 7/8 oz. and come armed with two No. 3 black-nickel VMC® trebles. They feature a specially tuned internal baritone rattle, premiere finishes in all the right color patterns to match local baitfish across the country.

Disco Shad, an Ike’s Custom Color, is Swindle’s “number-one color, day in and day out” for targeting deep summer bass with a DT-20. “It’s a great imitation of the gizzard shad that they’re feeding on and it looks really good in that color of water,” he explains. Blue Back Herring has also been productive for him.

Swindle’s last bit of advice for replicating his successful summertime DT-20 bite is to cycle through several different humps where you’ve marked fish. Be patient and persistent on each one. If your electronics show a school, those bass are likely to bite as soon as you bring the bait past them at the right angle.

“You might have to throw 15 or 20 times,” Swindle advises, “but all of a sudden, one will bite it. And when one bites it, buddy you can just wreck ‘em for the next ten minutes – just really catch ‘em!”

See Rapala® DT®-20

See Rapala® DT®-20 Custom Ink Colors by Mike Iaconelli

ADRIAN COLLEGE WINS YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING NORTHERN CONFERENCE EVENT ON LAKE CAYUGA PRESENTED BY BASS PRO SHOPS

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ADRIAN COLLEGE WINS YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING NORTHERN CONFERENCE EVENT ON LAKE CAYUGA PRESENTED BY BASS PRO SHOPS

ADRIAN COLLEGE WINS YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING NORTHERN CONFERENCE EVENT ON LAKE CAYUGA PRESENTED BY BASS PRO SHOPS

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SENECA FALLS, N.Y. (July 23, 2018) – The Adrian College team of Myles Jackman of White Lake, Michigan, and Zachary Graham of Gallipolis, Ohio, won the YETI FLW College Fishing event on Lake Cayuga presented by Bass Pro Shops Saturday with five bass weighing 20 pounds, 2 ounces. The victory earned the Bulldogs’ bass club $2,400 and a slot in the 2019 FLW College Fishing National Championship.

The two anglers focused on a 75-yard stretch of docks on the eastern shoreline above the Interstate 90 bridge, specifically between the bridge and the lock system. Graham said there were bluegill beds in the area, near both the front and backs of the docks and between the docks along the seawalls.

“We started on the north end of the stretch and worked our way down,” said Graham, a junior majoring in Environmental Studies and Geology. “Myles primarily threw a frog on the grass mats and we ended up weighing two on it.

“I used the jig under the docks and the Zell Pop on the seawalls,” Graham continued. “I caught fish with the jig, but the topwaters got the big keeper bites. They were definitely the key to our success.”

Jackman’s frog was a white Strike King KVD Sexy Frog. Graham used a Booyah Boo jig with a green-pumpkin-colored Berkley Powerbait Chigger Craw and a hitch-colored XCalibur Zell Pop.

Jackman, a junior majoring in Environmental Science and Geology, said the duo had a limit by 7:15 a.m. before Graham culled out three fish in a row with the Zell Pop to put the Bulldogs up around 17 pounds by 8:30 a.m.

“After the culls we ran down the lake to a point on the east side that had big chunk rock going out into the lake,” said Graham. “There was a 20- to 30-yard trough between the rock and the grassline that we thought the fish would be holding in. I threw the jig in there and on my third cast I caught a 4½ -pounder. I culled out a small fish and that put us at 20 pounds.”

The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2019 College Fishing National Championship are:

1st:          Adrian College – Myles Jackman, White Lake, Mich., and Zachary Graham, Gallipolis, Ohio, five bass, 20-2, $2,400

2nd:         Virginia Tech University – Perry Marvin, Peru, N.Y., and Jeffery Cullop, Marion, Va., five bass, 18-0, $1,000

3rd:          State University of New York-Cobleskill – Tristen Bauer, Port Leyden, N.Y., and Drew Tiano, Hudson, N.Y. five bass, 16-5, $500

4th:          Adrian College – Ryan Sharnas, Davison, Mich., and Brandon Herzberg, Clark Lake, Mich., five bass, 16-4, $700

5th:          University of Massachusetts-Amherst – Julian Burgoff, Amherst, N.Y., and Jon Hastings, Leominster, Mass., five bass, 15-10, $500

6th:          Western Michigan University – Jared Havenaar, Kalamazoo, Mich., and Bo Thomas, Edwardsburg, Mich., five bass, 14-8

7th:          Penn State University – Jason Zubris, Plains, Pa., and Josh Bowser, Slippery Rock, Pa., five bass, 14-2

8th:          Penn State University – Derek Horner and Matthew Huggler, both of State College, Pa., five bass, 13-11

9th:          Slippery Rock University – Nathan Quince, Imperial, Pa., and Samuel Jenesky, Pittsburgh, Pa., five bass, 13-8

10th:        State University of New York-Buffalo – Anthony DeGregorio, Queensbury, N.Y., and Noah Weinstein, Jamestown, N.Y., five bass, 13-4

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

The YETI FLW College Fishing event at Lake Cayuga presented by Bass Pro Shops was hosted by the Seneca County Chamber of Commerce, and was the second of three regular-season qualifying tournaments for Northern Conference anglers in 2018. The next YETI FLW College Fishing event takes place July 28, when Central Conference anglers compete at the YETI FLW College Fishing event at the Mississippi River presented by Costa Sunglasses in Wabasha, Minnesota.

YETI FLW College Fishing teams compete in three regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual FLW College Fishing Open will advance to the 2019 FLW College Fishing National Championship. Additional teams will qualify for the National Championship if the field size in regular-season events exceeds 100 boats.

YETI FLW College Fishing is free to enter. All participants must be registered, full-time students at a college, university or community college and members of a college fishing club that is recognized by their school.

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

Jerkbait Mods: Rigs And Tips For Soft Jerkbaits – Mystery Tackle Box

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Jerkbait Mods: Rigs And Tips For Soft Jerkbaits – Mystery Tackle Box

Jerkbait Mods: Rigs And Tips For Soft Jerkbaits

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Anglers are constantly tinkering and tweaking baits to help enhance a lures presentation and illicit more bites, we broken down 4 soft jerkbait mods to help you land more fish this season. The soft plastic jerkbait can be an extremely effective lure when bass are prowling the shallows where it can be twitched near the surface in open water or allowed to fall into any shoreline cover.

Savvy anglers have tinkered with the lure throughout the years to improve its effectiveness as a bass catcher. Here are four modifications and rigging techniques you can try to turn a soft plastic jerkbait into a multipurpose lure.

Distributing Weight

You can work a soft jerkbait different ways by placing nail weights in three locations.  Stick the nail through the jerkbait’s cavity near the front of the lure if you want the lure to fall slowly nose first. For a faster retrieve, add a second nail to the rear of the lure. Insert a nail into the rear of the lure to make it sink tail first and then it will jump out of the water when you jerk the rod.

Jerkbait Mods: Adding A Swivel

donkey rig header

Inserting a nail weight into a Fluke tends to inhibit the lure’s action. So, instead tie a barrel swivel on your main line and attach a leader line of 6-pound test/30-pound strength Spiderwire to the swivel and Fluke. The swivel serves a dual purpose of weighing down the lure and eliminating line twist caused by the bait’s zigzagging action.

When fishing open water, impale a number one octopus hook through the nose of the Fluke to get more action out of the lure. Exposing the hook this way increases your hookup ratio.

Add A Stinger Hook

If you keep missing bass on a soft jerkbait, add a trailer hook to the lure. After rigging the lure with the hook you normally use, create a stinger by pinching an open eye siwash bait hook onto the larger hook and adding a piece of plastic tubing to hold the stinger in place.  Then insert both hooks into the lure’s cavity and back.

Add Sound

Jerkbait Mods: Josh Douglas Largemouth

Although it’s considered a quiet, subtle bait for clear water, the soft jerkbait can be productive in stained water by adding sound to its repertoire. You can create a noisy soft jerkbait by inserting a rattle in the lure’s body.

Jerkbait Mods: Spinnerbait Trailer

A soft jerkbait can also be used as a spinnerbait trailer when bass are chasing larger baitfish. The trailer gives the spinnerbait a larger profile and its quivering tail mimics the swimming action of a shad.

Ready To Catch Some Fish?

mystery-tackle-boxGear up and catch more fish! With a Mystery Tackle Box Subscription, you’ll get a box of baits hand delivered to your door each month. In addition to the best new baits you’ll have access to our expert tips, how-to videos, fishing decals, MTB exclusive baits, and more. With baits up to 40% off retail, this is one service every angler needs to try!

Learn More

Fish Monkey, a leading-edge angling glove and gear company, talks growth and innovations

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Fish Monkey, a leading-edge angling glove and gear company, talks growth and innovations

Positive Vibes at ICAST

Fish Monkey, a leading-edge angling glove and gear company, talks growth and innovations

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Destin, FL (July 23, 2018) – Fish Monkey is on a mission. In the space of just a year and a half, the fishing-focused glove and gear apparel company has made remarkable strides across the U.S. and well into international sportfishing markets. Such observations turned into validations and endorsements during last week’s ICAST show, as crowds of visitors to the Fish Monkey booth rubbernecked to get a better view of the new, high-level fishing gloves and face guard products.

It was the undeniable buzz of a brand on the rise.

“Greatest ICAST show ever,” exclaims Fish Monkey president and principle product designer, Tim Mossberg. “I don’t’ think we had one single minute of downtime in our booth throughout the whole three-day event. We had such an incredible vibe happening in our booth, just an amazing amount of positive feedback from everyone — fly fishing specialists, bass tourney pros, inshore guides, offshore captains, as well as sales reps and retail buyers.”

A few of the sound bites heard on the ICAST floor:

“Without question, best gloves I have ever used,” said Jim Crowley, Hook & Hunt TV.

“These amazing gloves grip braided and fluorocarbon line for rigging or landing big fish, all while preventing damage or cuts to your hands,” observed Mark Davis, BigWater Adventures.

“Fish Monkeys are performance-enhancers on the water. They provide a better grip on my rod and the steering wheel and even enhance my hook-setting ability. They also protect my two most important fishing tools,” said Timmy Horton, Bassmaster Elite Series Pro.

Stubby Guide Glove in new Swamp Green

Mossberg notes additional ICAST highlights:

“We were approached out of the blue by buyers from prestigious retailers and major distributors, too. They’d heard about our products and liked our aggressive approach to marketing, merchandising and our constant commitment to innovation. These are big wins for us, as well as the consumer who will have expanded access to our gloves and gear.”

“International interest was amazing, too, which just shows the reach of our message and quality of our products. We had great feedback from our sales representative covering Central and South America, plus lots of potential new accounts from Canada to South Korea to Japan.”

On the product front, Fish Monkey has engineered and now offers the most complete and well-researched fishing glove line on the globe, with twenty different situation-specific glove designs. They have recently expanding into vented, breathable, sun-protecting Face Guards. And interest in several of Fish Monkey’s specialty gloves has been off the charts.

New for 2019 FreeStyle Glove

“The new Free Style Glove is already a big deal,” Mossberg notes. “It’s the first ever glove designed to allow the user to custom cut and expose only the fingers you need. We’ve had awesome feedback from bow and spear fishing folks as well as anglers, who love this design.

“We’re launching our new Tundra EX Series glove, specifically for ice anglers and winter sport enthusiasts. These gloves will be the warmest, driest, most fully functional cold-weather gloves to date. And our mix and match color products, including our new Voodoo Swamp patterns, are fast becoming the most in-demand glove-and-Face Guard combos on the water for 2019.

“We’re on to something good here. But we believe it’s just the tip of the iceberg. For example, we’re working on a new . . .” (We hit the mute button as Mossberg continues, keeping company secrets under wraps, for now.) But rest assured, this Monkey is on a mission.

For more information, visit www.fishmonkeygloves.com or call (888) 659-8864.

RICHMOND’S JACOBI WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE SHENANDOAH DIVISION TOURNAMENT ON JAMES RIVER

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RICHMOND’S JACOBI WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE SHENANDOAH DIVISION TOURNAMENT ON JAMES RIVER

RICHMOND’S JACOBI WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE SHENANDOAH DIVISION TOURNAMENT ON JAMES RIVER

Maryland’s Reid Takes Co-angler Title

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HENRICO, Va. (July 23, 2018) – Boater Ben Jacobi of Richmond, Virginia, brought five bass to the scale Saturday weighing 19 pounds even to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Shenandoah Division tournament on the James River. For his win, Jacobi earned $4,009.

“It was basically the same thing I did last year,” said Jacobi, who also won the Shenandoah Division BFL tournament on the James River in 2017. “I stayed on the main river flipping hard cover and fishing creek mouths. I didn’t count out anything. Every spot I hit the fish were scattered around the cover, which was odd. They weren’t as shallow as I was anticipating. I had to fish my stuff from top to bottom to make sure I didn’t miss anything.

“I used an Arkie-head-style Hog Snatcher jig and creature baits,” continued Jacobi. “I always have some different stuff rigged up because the river seems to be in junk-fishing mode almost all year round. If they do bite a bait, it seems like I can go to other spots and they’ll bite it. They just have to tell you what they want that day.”

Jacobi, who also fished last weekend’s Piedmont Division tournament on the James River, went on to say that the fish were a bit lazier this time around.

“Last weekend I had several fish grab the bait at the boat,” said Jacobi. “I guess, with the lower pressure and the little bit of a cold front we had, they held tight to cover. I was kind of shocked at how much things changed from last week to this week.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Ben Jacobi, Richmond, Va., five bass, 19-0, $4,009

2nd:         Keith Estes, Spring Grove, Va., five bass, 18-14, $2,205

3rd:          Nick Disabatino, Oakton, Va., five bass, 17-5, $1,986

4th:          John Duarte, Middle River, Md., five bass, 16-11, $935

5th:          Bryan Elrod, Mechanicsvlle, Va., five bass, 15-5, $1,102

6th:          Ryan Powroznik, Hopewell, Va., five bass, 14-12, $735

7th:          Rick McFaul, Phoenix, Md., five bass, 14-9, $668

8th:          Moo Bae, West Friendship, Md., five bass, 14-3, $601

9th:          Robert Hinds Jr., South Prince George, Va., five bass, 13-13, $535

10th:        Jason Holder, Powhatan, Va., five bass, 13-0, $468

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Disabatino brought an 8-pound, 1-ounce, bass to the scale – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $550.

Damon Reid of Bowie, Maryland, won the Co-angler Division and $2,280 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 1 ounce.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1st:          Damon Reid, Bowie, Md., five bass, 14-1, $2,280

2nd:         David Deciucis, Chester, Va., five bass, 12-9, $1,002

3rd:          Lenny Baird, Stafford, Va., five bass, 12-3, $868

4th:          Christopher Atkins II, Goode, Va., five bass, 11-8, $468

5th:          Cort Gardner, Jessup, Md., five bass, 11-7, $401

6th:          Tevinn Rollins, Newport News, Va., five bass, 10-1, $418

7th:          Micheal Sharp, Rixeyville, Va., five bass, 9-7, $334

8th:          Lawrence Whitt, Newport News, Va., five bass, 8-11, $284

8th:          Jamie Newton, Falls Church, Va., five bass, 8-11, $284

10th:        Tony Toombs, Drakes Branch, Va., five bass, 8-7, $222

10th:        Bill Naron, Beaverdam, Va., four bass, 8-7, $222

Reid also caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division weighing in at 7 pounds, 13 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $275.

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. 11-13 BFL Regional Championship on Chesapeake Bay in North East, Maryland. 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. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.

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.

Jay Carter Wins Stockton ABA Tournament July 23,2018

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Jay Carter Wins Stockton ABA Tournament July 23,2018

Jay Carter Wins Stockton ABA Tournament

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Only two 5-fish limits came to the scales in American Bass Anglers Stockton Lake D126 tournament Saturday, July 21. But the winner weighed only three fish for 11.46 lbs, which included Big Bass that topped the scales at 6.03 lbs. Before he took them out of the bag, he was asked if he had any big ones. His reply was, “One big, one medium and one small.” And that was a good description of his catch. Second place went to Byron Maze with a 5-fish limit that weighed 9.67; 3rd place winner was Justin Delk with the other limit weighing 9.53 lbs.

The next tournament for this circuit is the D126 2-day Championship scheduled for August 11-12, 2018 using Old State Park as launch site.  Anglers must qualify for this Championship by fishing four (4) 1-day ABA tournaments in any of the ABA Divisions. D126 Angler of the Year will be decided at the end of the 2-day. A short awards presentation will take place at the end of Day 2 weigh-in. Cash and several prizes as well as plaques will be presented to the anglers. Watch FB posts for specific weigh-in times. Area sponsors including Pete’s, the Outboard Doctor, Albers Marine, Legacy Farm & Lawn, Ken’s Kafe and our newest sponsor, “That’s A Good Fish” provide the cash and prizes.

Next stop for these anglers is a National Championship scheduled for October 21-26 on Hartwell Lake in South Carolina. The winner of that 3-day tournament will bring home a fully rigged Triton TR21. A host of other cash and prizes will be given away at the event.

D126 is a series of tournaments conducted by American Bass Anglers, all held on Stockton Lake. This tournament series is a draw format and designed for the week-end angler, boaters and non-boaters from age 14. An ABA membership costing $35 per year is required and allows anglers to fish any ABA tournament. Entry fee for D126 tournaments is $70/angler; a $10 Big Bass option pot is offered. A 2019 schedule will be posted soon and can be seen at www.centralmidwestbass.com as well as several Face Book pages.  Call Becky with any questions at 316 644-1454.

The American Fishing Tour offers low cost, close to home bass tournaments that are designed for the weekend angler. All ABA anglers fish for money and points.
The American Fishing Tour offers low cost, close to home bass tournaments that are designed for the weekend angler.

All ABA anglers fish for money and points. The points advance the angler to their divisional championship and the top 500 anglers in the US are invited to the American Fishing Tour National Championship for this fall on Lake Hartwell near Anderson SC.

American Bass Anglers, Inc. is supported by Triton Boats, Mercury Outboards, Optima Batteries, GEICO, Berkley, Abu Garcia, T-H Marine, Maui Jim, Power Pole, Garmin, and SiriusXM Marine Weather. American Bass Anglers, Inc. can be contacted at (256) 232-0406 or by visiting americanbassanglers.com

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