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Barry Hollman & Joey Bramlett WIN Carolina’s Bass Challenge SC Division with 20.13lbs – April 28,2018

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Barry Hollman & Joey Bramlett WIN Carolina’s Bass Challenge SC Division with 20.13lbs – April 28,2018
Lake Wateree – Clearwater Cove, SC (Apr 28, 2018)

Click Here for Results

We were greeted by some higher than average water levels at Wateree but the bass were cooperating with some of the teams!

Barry Hollman & Joey Bramlett have been on a tear and they did it again! They win the Wateree Qualifier with 5 bass weighing 20.13 which gave them the 1st Skeeter BONUS $. All total Joey and Barry took home $13,200.00!

2nd went to Chad Gainey & Zach Smothers with 5 bass weighing 19.78 lbs! They claimed the 2nd Skeeter BONUS $ worth another $3,000.00! They took home a total of $7,000.00!

Butch Williams & David Ethridge claimed the 3rd spot with 19.40 lbs and took home $2,500.00!

Keith Porter & Tony Price finished 4th with 18.62 lbs! They earned the 3rd Skeeter BONUS $ which was $2,000.00 pushing their total winnings to $3,600.00!

Thomas Hardwick & Tommy Williams came in 5th with 18.59 lbs good enough for $2,050.00 with the 4th Skeeter BONUS $ added in!

The BF of the day went to Glenn Altman & Larry Parker with a 6.06 lb bass and they collected $1,000.00!

Total payback was $45,800.00 which was $11,000.00 over the entry fees taken in!

VanDam Dominates Grand Lake To Win 25th Bassmaster Championship

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VanDam Dominates Grand Lake To Win 25th Bassmaster Championship

Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., won his 25th B.A.S.S. title at the 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Grand Lake out of Grove, Okla., with a four-day total weight of 83 pounds, 4 ounces.

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

April 29, 2018

VanDam Dominates Grand Lake To Win 25th Bassmaster Championship[print_link]

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GROVE, Okla. — Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., relied upon large female prespawn bass to claim a record-breaking 25th title on the Bassmaster Elite Series, and a $100,000 payday at the 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Grand Lake in Grove, Okla.

During Championship Sunday, VanDam put up 18 pounds, 7 ounces to push his four-day total to 83-4, which outscored Tommy Biffle of Wagoner, Okla., by more than 5 pounds.

The 50-year-old VanDam will place an unprecedented 25th Bassmaster trophy on his mantle — a feat many believe may never be broken.

This isn’t his first victory on the famous Oklahoma lake. He won an Elite Series event on Grand Lake back in 2007 with 78-2.

The bass VanDam was targeting this time were primarily in the prespawn phase and were positioned along transition zones where one type of bottom met another.

“The male bass were all in shallow along the bank and pretty easy to catch,” VanDam said. “I knew that to win, I needed to catch the larger females that were staging farther offshore — around 8 to 10 feet of water.”

After an unproductive practice, the four-time Bassmaster Classic champion said he was forced to adapt and experiment on Thursday’s opening round of competition.

“I really didn’t think I could win this thing after the tough practice I had,” he said. “But I knew I had to cover water to find active fish. The female bass that were moving in to spawn were not yet on beds, but they would still hit a reaction bait like a crankbait or a spinnerbait.”

VanDam said he fished at least 50 spots per day early in the tournament, but dialed in to the best locations during Saturday and Sunday, which meant less traveling from one to the next.

“Today was a tougher bite for me. I caught fewer fish, but I was focusing on the locations that were producing the largest bass. It proved to be the right decision,” he said.

He caught some bass this week on a 1/2-ounce green pumpkin Strike King Structure Jig paired with a green pumpkin Rage Menace Grub with the tail dipped in chartreuse dye.

For the rod-and-reel combo, he used a 7-foot, 4-inch Quantum Tour KVD rod matched with a Quantum Smoke S3 baitcaster in a 7.3:1 gear ratio. The reel was spooled with 20-pound Bass Pro Shops XPS fluorocarbon line.

“My most productive bait was a Strike King KVD 1.5 squarebill crankbait in a brown craw color,” he said. “I pulled that on a 7-foot Quantum Tour KVD medium-action crankbait rod paired with a Quantum Smoke 200 reel in a 5.3:1 gear ratio. I tied the crankbait on to 12-pound Bass Pros Shops XPS fluorocarbon.”

A huge factor for the seven-time Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year was the hooks he used on the squarebill crankbait.

“I swapped the factory hooks with No. 2 Mustad KVD treble hooks, and that increased my hook-up rate tremendously,” he said. “I heard multiple anglers comment on how the bass were swatting at their lures and not staying hooked up. My hook change was critical to getting all my fish into the boat.”

When asked if retirement was in his near future, VanDam laughed.

“Short answer: No. I’m having too much fun,” he said.

“These tournaments are very difficult to win, and I’ve been very blessed over my career, but I’ll never take any of it for granted. I still get very emotional, just like winning my first B.A.S.S. tournament in 1991.”

VanDam’s victory at Grand Lake will push his winnings to more than $6.3 million across 306 tournaments over an impressive 29-year career, and he has no ambitions of stopping.

Biffle weighed 78-2 for second place; Roy Hawk of Lake Havasu, Ariz., was third with 77-0; Bradley Roy of Lancaster, Ky., was fourth with 75-3; and Seth Feider of Bloomington, Minn., was fifth with 73-11.

Hawk, a rookie on the Elite Series this year, was awarded $1,000 for the leading the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race at the end of the event. He also claimed 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. And he collected the Toyota Bonus Bucks Award of $3,000 for being the highest-placing eligible entrant in the program.

The second-highest-placing eligible entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, Brandon Lester of Fayetteville, Tenn., received $2,000.

Bill Weidler of Helena, Ala., received $1,500 dollars as the winner of the Phoenix Boats Big Bass award. He had the largest bass of the tournament with a 7 – 3 largemouth he caught in the first round of competition Thursday.

Next up on the Bassmaster Elite Series circuit is the Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Kentucky Lake presented by Abu Garcia. Competition begins there Friday.

2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Grand Lake 4/26-4/29
Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, Grove  OK.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4

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

1.  Kevin VanDam           Kalamazoo, MI           20  83-04  110 $100,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-15     Day 2: 5   20-10     Day 3: 5   22-04     Day 4: 5   18-07
2.  Tommy Biffle           Wagoner, OK             20  78-02  109  $25,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-09     Day 2: 5   18-09     Day 3: 5   22-01     Day 4: 5   20-15
3.  Roy Hawk               Lk Havasu Cty, AZ       20  77-00  108  $22,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-15     Day 2: 5   19-14     Day 3: 5   24-12     Day 4: 5   15-07
4.  Bradley Roy            Lancaster, KY           20  75-03  107  $15,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-12     Day 2: 5   19-09     Day 3: 5   16-04     Day 4: 5   20-10
5.  Seth Feider            Bloomington, MN         20  73-11  106  $14,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-07     Day 2: 5   18-11     Day 3: 5   20-14     Day 4: 5   15-11
6.  Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN        20  73-00  105  $13,500.00
Day 1: 5   17-06     Day 2: 5   26-03     Day 3: 5   17-06     Day 4: 5   12-01
7.  Greg Vinson            Wetumpka, AL            20  72-09  104  $13,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-13     Day 2: 5   17-13     Day 3: 5   17-08     Day 4: 5   17-07
8.  Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT           20  72-00  103  $12,500.00
Day 1: 5   19-03     Day 2: 5   16-13     Day 3: 5   19-07     Day 4: 5   16-09
9.  Randall Tharp          Port St. Joe, FL        20  71-01  102  $12,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-05     Day 2: 5   18-05     Day 3: 5   23-03     Day 4: 5   11-04
10. Jordan Lee             Grant, AL               20  68-10  101  $11,500.00
Day 1: 5   20-04     Day 2: 5   18-07     Day 3: 5   15-01     Day 4: 5   14-14
11. Fred Roumbanis         Russellville, AR        19  63-02  100  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-09     Day 2: 5   16-03     Day 3: 5   19-11     Day 4: 4   08-11
12. Cliff Crochet          Pierre Part, LA         17  58-05   99  $10,500.00
Day 1: 5   19-11     Day 2: 5   19-04     Day 3: 5   14-12     Day 4: 2   04-10
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Bill Weidler             Helena, AL          07-03      $1,500.00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1       102       531      1674-05
2        92       505      1507-09
3        48       248       757-06
4        10        56       176-10
———————————-
252      1340      4115-14

WILLIAMS EXTENDS LEAD TO NEAR SEVEN POUNDS AT FLW TOUR AT LEWIS SMITH LAKE PRESENTED BY T-H MARINE

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WILLIAMS EXTENDS LEAD TO NEAR SEVEN POUNDS AT FLW TOUR AT LEWIS SMITH LAKE PRESENTED BY T-H MARINE

WILLIAMS EXTENDS LEAD TO NEAR SEVEN POUNDS AT FLW TOUR AT LEWIS SMITH LAKE PRESENTED BY T-H MARINE

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JASPER, Ala. (April 28, 2018) – Pro David Williams of Maiden, North Carolina, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 12 ounces, Saturday to continue his reign atop the leaderboard at the FLW Tour at Lewis Smith Lake presented by T-H Marine. Williams’ three-day cumulative total of 50-12 gives him a commanding 6-pound, 10-ounce lead heading into the fourth and final day of competition when he will lead the final 10 pros on the water to compete for the top prize of up to $125,000.

Williams started his day by returning to his primary stretch of water and was able to catch the bulk of his weight by 9 a.m. By 10 a.m., he said he left the area alone.

“I got to the point where I was throwing back 2½ to 2¾ pounders and I’m like ‘I’m wasting a lot of weight here and can’t be doing this. I’ll need these tomorrow’,” said Williams, a former Bassmaster Elite Series pro who is fishing his sixth career FLW Tour event this week. “I wanted to stick around, but decided to move on.”

Williams said he caught around 25 keepers today, noting that although he had less bites compared to the first two days of the event, the fish were heavier on average.

“I had a couple of big bites on a frog, but I lost them,” said Williams. “There was one by the boat that was a 3-pounder, and one that wrapped me up in the cover that was probably a 5. Hopefully they’ll still be there tomorrow and I can have another shot at them.”

The North Carolina pro said he plans on making the same milk run he’s made all week to finish out the tournament.

“It’s a blast out there right now,” said Williams. “I’m fishing exactly the way I love to fish.”

The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition on Lewis Smith Lake are:

1st:          David Williams, Maiden, N.C., 15 bass, 50-12

2nd:         Jordan Osborne, Longview, Texas, 15 bass, 44-2

3rd:          Pennzoil Marine pro Matt Arey, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 43-15

4th:          Cody Meyer, Auburn, Calif., 15 bass, 43-12

5th:          John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 15 bass, 43-12

6th:          Jason Reyes, Huffman, Texas, 15 bass, 41-10

7th:          Yamamoto Baits pro Jimmy Reese, Witter Springs, Calif., 15 bass, 40-1

8th:          Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa., 15 bass, 39-12

9th:          Todd Auten, Lake Wylie, S.C., 15 bass, 39-12

10th:        Clent Davis, Montevallo, Ala., 15 bass, 39-2

 

Finishing in 11th through 30th are:

 

11th:        Greg Bohannan, Bentonville, Ark., 15 bass, 38-6, $12,000

12th:        Andrew Upshaw, Tulsa, Okla., 15 bass, 38-6, $12,000

13th:        Joseph Webster, Winfield, Ala., 15 bass, 38-3, $12,000

14th:        Rex Huff, Corbin, Ky., 15 bass, 37-7, $12,000

15th:        Jim Moynagh, Carver, Minn., 15 bass, 37-4, $12,250

16th:        Robert Behrle, Hoover, Ala., 15 bass, 37-2, $12,000

17th:        J.T. Kenney, Palm Bay, Fla., 15 bass, 37-1, $12,000

18th:        Berkley pro Justin Atkins, Florence, Ala., 15 bass, 36-13, $12,000

19th:        Kyle Cortiana, Broken Arrow, Okla., 15 bass, 36-0, $12,000

20th:        Sheldon Collings, Grove, Okla., 15 bass, 36-0, $12,000

21st:        Cabela’s pro Clark Wendlandt, Leander, Texas, 15 bass, 35-12, $10,000

22nd:       General Tire pro Mark Rose, West Memphis, Ark., 15 bass, 35-11, $10,000

23rd:        Blake Smith, Lakeland, Fla., 15 bass, 35-7, $10,500

24th:        Cody Hahner, Wausau, Wis., 15 bass, 35-1, $10,000

25th:        Billy McCaghren, Mayflower, Ark., 15 bass, 35-0, $10,000

26th:        Jeff Dobson, Bartlesville, Okla., 15 bass, 32-12, $10,250

27th:        Costa pro Russell  Cecil, Willis, Texas, 15 bass, 32-6, $10,000

28th:        Cabela’s pro James Niggemeyer, Van, Texas, 15 bass, 31-13, $10,000

29th:        Jeff Gustafson, Keewatin, Ontario, Canada, 12 bass, 29-1, $10,000

30th:        Randy Haynes, Ripley, Miss., 10 bass, 24-14, $10,000

 

For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.

Overall there were 142 bass weighing 323 pounds, 13 ounces caught by 29 pros Saturday. The catch included 28 five-bass limits.

Joel Willert of Prior Lake, Minnesota, won the Co-angler Division and $20,100 Friday with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 24 pounds, 4 ounces. After winning the Co-angler title at Lake Cumberland earlier this month, Willert became the fifth co-angler in FLW Tour history to win back-to-back events.

In FLW Tour competition, pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The full field of anglers competed in the two-day opening round. Co-angler competition concluded following Friday’s weigh-in, while the top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

The total purse for the FLW Tour at Lewis Smith Lake presented by T-H Marine is more than $930,000. The event is hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County.

Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2018 Forrest Wood Cup will be on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 10-12 and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

The final 10 anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. CDT Sunday from the Smith Lake Dam Access, located at 7482 Smith Lake Dam Road in Jasper. Sunday’s weigh-in will also be held at the Access, beginning at 4 p.m.

Prior to the weigh-in Sunday, FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at the Smith Lake Dam Access from noon to 4 p.m. The Expo is the perfect opportunity for fishing fans of all ages to meet their favorite anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.

Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lewis Smith Lake presented by T-H Marine will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) June 6 from Noon-1 p.m. EST. 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.

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

Jason Adams & Zach Peaslee Win Angler’s Choice T.T. with 20.25 lbs on Smith Mountain Lake April 28,2018

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Jason Adams & Zach Peaslee Win Angler’s Choice T.T. with 20.25 lbs on Smith Mountain Lake April 28,2018

On a beautiful Saturday on Smith Mountain Lake 150 anglers landed to fish the Angler’s Choice Team Tournament Trail. With the conditions right for the big old bags, SML was not where we thought it would be. But still brought in some great bags of fish, not the 24 plus we thought we would see. Weighing the winning bag was the team of Jason Adams & Zach Peaslee with 20.25lbs. Congratulations to them on their win & See you all at the next event.

CLICK HERE TO SEE FULL RESULTS

CLICK HERE TO SEE CURRENT STANDINGS

Kevin VanDam Takes Over Top Spot At Bassmaster Elite On Grand Lake

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Kevin VanDam Takes Over Top Spot At Bassmaster Elite On Grand Lake

Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., takes the lead on the third day of the 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Grand Lake out of Grove, Okla., with a three-day total weight of 64 pounds, 13 ounces.

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

April 28, 2018

Kevin VanDam Takes Over Top Spot At Bassmaster Elite On Grand Lake

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GROVE, Okla. — After catching his heaviest limit of the tournament, bass fishing superstar Kevin VanDam produced five bass that weighed 22 pounds, 4 ounces to take the lead at the 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees.

Not only was today’s limit of largemouth VanDam’s biggest of his week, it was his third limit exceeding the magical 20-pound mark — a benchmark in professional bass fishing.

His three-day total is 64-13.

With one more round remaining in the four-day Elite tournament, the bass fishing legend is looking to add to his already astounding record of 24 titles on the Bassmaster tournament trail, including four Bassmaster Classic wins and seven Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year awards.

With $100,000 on the line for first place, and win No. 25 for the Kalamazoo, Mich., resident, VanDam is confident his fishing areas are only getting better.

“It’s going to take another bag of 20 pounds or better to win this thing,” he said. “I think where I’ve spent my time this week has the right fish, but as the standings will show, the other Top 12 anglers are also catching them. I’m not comfortable yet.”

The field will be cut down to the Top 12 anglers with VanDam leading them out on Championship Sunday.

“Each of us are focusing on spawning bass,” VanDam said. “And with the weather and moon phase both factors, the spots are reloading by the hour. The bass are fat and very healthy looking — plus I feel like my pattern is only getting stronger.”

Most anglers aren’t usually willing to reveal their tactics until the tournament is over, but if the world’s greatest bass angler is confident, history indicates that big things will happen.

And that’s what makes him the most feared angler on the planet.

Bassmaster rookie Roy Hawk of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., finished in second place at the first tournament of the year on Lake Martin in Alexander City, Ala.

That was his first appearance on the Elite Series.

Today he weighed 24-12 to push is three-day total to 61-9. Hawk will be starting Sunday’s final round of competition in second place yet again.

“My pattern hasn’t changed much this week,” Hawk said. “Each day I’ve narrowed down the most productive water, and the fish have been getting bigger. Of course, everything will have to go perfectly tomorrow if I’m going to win.”

Hawk said he was implementing several different techniques, and one of those in particular was catching the larger fish.

“Today I dialed in on that pattern, and weighed my biggest limit of the week. I don’t think that’s an accident, and I plan to do the same thing again tomorrow.”

After leading Friday’s second round of competition, Brandon Lester of Fayetteville, Tenn., weighed 17-6 today and fell back to third place with a three-day total of 60-15.

“I didn’t catch as many fish today, and they weren’t as big,” said Lester. “I spent too much time fishing water I caught fish from the past couple days. I learned something valuable today, and tomorrow I am going to focus on new water.”

A late-day cull helped keep Lester in contention, and it revealed a potentially new pattern. He plans to begin Championship Sunday in that spot.

Rounding out the Top 5 are Randall Tharp of Port St. Joe, Fla., with 59-13 and Seth Feider of Bloomington, Minn., with 58-0.

Alabama’s Bill Weidler is currently leading the $1,500 Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award, thanks to a heavy 7-3 largemouth bass he caught during Thursday’s opening round of competition.

Championship Sunday takeoff will begin at 6:15 a.m. CT out of Wolf Creek Park, and the final weigh-in is scheduled in the same location beginning at 3 p.m.

WILLIAMS EXTENDS LEAD ON DAY TWO OF FLW TOUR AT LEWIS SMITH LAKE PRESENTED BY T-H MARINE

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WILLIAMS EXTENDS LEAD ON DAY TWO OF FLW TOUR AT LEWIS SMITH LAKE PRESENTED BY T-H MARINE

WILLIAMS EXTENDS LEAD ON DAY TWO OF FLW TOUR AT LEWIS SMITH LAKE PRESENTED BY T-H MARINE

Minnesota’s Willert Wins Second Consecutive Co-angler Title, $20K

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JASPER, Ala. (April 27, 2018) – Pro David Williams of Maiden, North Carolina, caught five bass Friday weighing 15 pounds, 5 ounces, to extend his lead at the FLW Tour at Lewis Smith Lake presented by T-H Marine. Williams’ two-day total of 10 bass weighing 34 pounds even gives him a 3-pound, 12-ounce advantage heading into Saturday over second-place pro Cody Meyer of Auburn, California, who has 10 bass weighing 30-4. The field is now cut to the final 30 pros, with only 10 anglers advancing to championship Sunday where the winner will take home the top prize of up to $125,000.

“I probably caught 50 keepers today and ended up weighing in three largemouth and two spotted bass,” said Williams, who is currently ranked fifth in the 2018 Pennzoil Marine Angler of the Year standings. “I went through the same two creeks (from Thursday) as well as a third creek and caught them just as good. I actually lost a big one in the third creek. I had a chance to have as big of a bag as I did yesterday if I’d have gotten it in the boat.”

Williams fished flooded cover and docks Friday, and his biggest catch of the day was a spotted bass – a 4-pound, 9-ouncer.

“I left my main area where I caught most of my big ones by 10 (a.m.),” said Williams. “I should be able to hammer on them a little more this weekend, and I’ll probably need to.”

Williams emphasized that he needs to finish strong if he wants to seal the deal on championship Sunday.

“It’s a tough field. You’ve got guys behind you like Cody Meyer and Matt Arey – guys that are real veterans. If you slip up, even a little bit, they’ll take advantage of it. I think I’m around the winning fish. I just need to execute and put them in the boat.”

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

1st:          David Williams, Maiden, N.C., 10 bass, 34-0

2nd:         Cody Meyer, Auburn, Calif., 15-13, 30-4

3rd:          Pennzoil Marine pro Matt Arey, Shelby, N.C., 10 bass, 30-2

4th:          Greg Bohannan, Bentonville, Ark., 10 bass, 29-7

5th:          Jordan Osborne, Longview, Texas, 10 bass, 29-0

6th:          Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa., 10 bass, 28-15

7th:          Jim Moynagh, Carver, Minn., 10 bass, 28-13

8th:          Joseph Webster, Winfield, Ala., 10 bass, 28-11

9th:          Todd Auten, Lake Wylie, S.C., 10 bass, 28-4

10th:        John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 10 bass, 28-0

11th:        Blake Smith, Lakeland, Fla., 10 bass, 27-6

12th:        Robert Behrle, Hoover, Ala., 10 bass, 27-2

13th:        Jason Reyes, Huffman, Texas, 10 bass, 26-5

14th:        Clent Davis, Montevallo, Ala., 10 bass, 26-4

15th:        Jeff Gustafson, Keewatin, Ontario, Canada, 10 bass, 26-4

16th:        Cabela’s pro Clark Wendlandt, Leander, Texas, 10 bass, 26-2

17th:        Billy McCaghren, Mayflower, Ark., 10 bass, 25-10

18th:        Andrew Upshaw, Tulsa, Okla., 10 bass, 25-6

19th:        Cody Hahner, Wausau, Wis., 10 bass, 25-6

20th:        Cabela’s pro James Niggemeyer, Van, Texas, 10 bass, 25-4

21st:        Jeff Dobson, Bartlesville, Okla., 10 bass, 24-14

22nd:       Randy Haynes, Ripley, Miss., 10 bass, 24-14

23rd:        Berkley pro Justin Atkins, Florence, Ala., 10 bass, 24-14

24th:        Yamamoto Baits pro Jimmy Reese, Witter Springs, Calif., 10 bass, 24-13

25th:        General Tire pro Mark Rose, West Memphis, Ark., 10 bass, 24-12

26th:        Costa pro Russell Cecil, Willis, Texas, 10 bass, 24-11

27th:        Rex Huff, Corbin, Ky., 10 bass, 24-11

28th:        Gene Larew pro Kyle Cortiana, Broken Arrow, Okla., 10 bass, 24-8

29th:        Sheldon Collings, Grove, Okla., 10 bass, 24-6

30th:        J.T. Kenney, Palm Bay, Fla., 10 bass, 24-4

 

For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.

Smith earned the $500 Simms Big Bass award in the Pro Division Friday thanks to a 5-pound, 2-ounce bass.

Overall there were 855 bass weighing 1,715 pounds, 15 ounces caught by 178 pros Friday. The catch included 164 five-bass limits.

Joel Willert of Prior Lake, Minnesota, won the Co-angler Division and $20,100 Friday with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 24 pounds, 4 ounces. After winning the Co-angler title at Lake Cumberland earlier this month, Willert became the fifth co-angler in FLW Tour history to win back-to-back events.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:          Joel Willert, Prior Lake, Minn., 10 bass, 24-4, $20,100

2nd:         Kyle Owen, Bradenton, Fla., 10 bass, 22-0, $7,550

3rd:          Mark Horton, Nicholasville, Ky., nine bass, 21-7, $5,000

4th:          Jerry Reagan, Byrdstown, Tenn., 10 bass, 21-7, $4,250

5th:          Kyle Glasgow, Guin, Ala., 10 bass, 20-8, $3,000

6th:          Gary Haraguchi, San Jose, Calif., 10 bass, 20-4, $2,500

7th:          Justin Mounce, Springdale, Ark., 10 bass, 20-1, $2,000

8th:          Joshua Perrymon, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 19-6, $1,800

9th:          James Littich, Davidson, N.C., 10 bass, 18-15, $1,700

10th:        Wataru Iwahori, Palestine, Texas, 10 bass, 18-10, $1,600

 

Reagan earned $250 for the Simms Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division Friday with a bass weighing 5 pounds even.

Overall there were 649 bass weighing 1,023 pounds, 13 ounces caught by 172 co-anglers Friday. The catch included 77 five-bass limits.

In FLW Tour competition, pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The full field of anglers competed in the two-day opening round. Co-angler competition concluded following Friday’s weigh-in, while the top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advance to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

The total purse for the FLW Tour at Lewis Smith Lake presented by T-H Marine is more than $930,000. The event is hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County

Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. CDT each day from the Smith Lake Dam Access, located at 7482 Smith Lake Dam Road in Jasper. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins, April 28-29, will be held at the Access beginning at 4 p.m.

Prior to the weigh-ins Saturday and Sunday, April 28-29, FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at the Smith Lake Dam Access from noon to 4 p.m. The Expo is the perfect opportunity for fishing fans of all ages to meet their favorite anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.

Also for youth, the FLW Foundation’s Unified Fishing Derby will be held at the Smith Lake Dam Access on Saturday, April 28, from 9-11 a.m. The event is hosted by FLW Foundation pro Cody Kelley along with other FLW Tour anglers, and is free and open to youth (18 and under) and Special Olympics athletes (all ages). Rods and reels are available for use, but youth are encouraged to bring their own if they own one. The 1st and 2nd place anglers that catch the biggest fish will be recognized Saturday on the FLW Tour stage, just prior to the pros weighing in.

Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lewis Smith Lake presented by T-H Marine will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) June 6 from Noon-1 p.m. EST. 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.

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

 

Brandon Lester Takes Command At Grand Lake Bassmaster Elite

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Brandon Lester Takes Command At Grand Lake Bassmaster Elite

Brandon Lester of Fayetteville, Tenn., takes the lead on the second day of the 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Grand Lake out of Grove, Okla., with a two-day total weight of 43 pounds, 9 ounces.

Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.

April 27, 2018

Brandon Lester Takes Command At Grand Lake Bassmaster Elite

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GROVE, Okla. — Brandon Lester of Fayetteville, Tenn., is no stranger to pressure. Just over a month ago, he and his wife Kimberly welcomed a new baby girl to their family.

Today he weighed the largest limit of his fishing career — a staggering 26-pound, 3-ounce limit of five bass that pushed his two-day total to 43-9 and took the lead at the 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees.

With $100,000 on the line for first place, the 30-year-old pro was calm and collected after walking off of the official Bassmaster weigh-in stage — not a common look among anglers who just took the lead over the world’s top-bass anglers.

“There’s a lot of fishing to be had still, and I’m not getting ahead of myself,” Lester said. “However, I like what’s happening to my fishing area, and I’m feeling pretty good about things.”

Based on the calendar, Lester believes the spawn is behind schedule on the Oklahoma lake. That is, it’s happening right now.

“These bass are moving in to spawn in impressive numbers,” he said. “This time of year, the fish are very susceptible to being caught, but they can also be spooky. Some anglers are sight fishing, but I’m covering water slowly and methodically.

“I had my fish early enough in the day that I decided to go look for more productive water as a backup plan. I like what I’ve got going on, and I also like what I found this afternoon.”

The current weather trend is indicating more sun and increasing temperatures, which should only improve the fishing across the lake.

“The spawn is happening right now, and I feel like my areas are reloading with fresh fish by the day,” Lester said.

Another angler who is comfortable atop the Bassmaster leaderboard is four-time Bassmaster Classic champion Kevin VanDam from Kalamazoo, Mich.

VanDam began his day in fourth place, but dominated the field according to unofficial weights listed on BASSTrakk, available at Bassmaster.com.

After bringing 20-10 to the scales, VanDam’s two-day total weight is 42-9, placing the seven-time Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year in second place.

“I covered quite a bit of water today looking for the right bites,” he said. “I had a very productive morning, so that afforded me some time to scout new areas for upcoming days of the tournament.”

Having backup areas an angler can rely upon if his primary pattern falls apart is critical to fishing — and especially winning — a four-day tournament.

“The extra practice time I had today was productive. Most of what I found was a bust, but I did learn a few things that will help with my game plan going into tomorrow.”

VanDam believes some heavy limits of bass will be brought to weigh-in over the next two days.

The 108-angler field was cut to the Top 50 for Saturday’s semi-final round of competition.

“The reduced number of boats on the water will eliminate a lot of fishing pressure occurring on Grand Lake right now,” VanDam said. “I think the fans are in for a treat by the time this thing wraps up on Sunday. We are fishing this lake during one of the best weeks of the year.”

Rounding out the Top 5 are Jacob Wheeler with 39-3, Cliff Crochet with 38-15 and Cliff Pace with 38-13.

Alabama’s Bill Weidler is currently leading the $1,500 Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award, thanks to a heavy 7-3 largemouth bass he caught during Thursday’s opening round of competition.

Daily takeoffs will occur Saturday and Sunday at 6:15 a.m. CT out of Wolf Creek Park, and weigh-ins are scheduled in the same location beginning at 3 p.m.

2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Grand Lake 4/26-4/29
Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, Grove  OK.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2

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

1.  Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN        10  43-09  110
Day 1: 5   17-06     Day 2: 5   26-03
2.  Kevin VanDam           Kalamazoo, MI           10  42-09  109
Day 1: 5   21-15     Day 2: 5   20-10
3.  Jacob Wheeler          Harrison, TN            10  39-03  108
Day 1: 5   16-10     Day 2: 5   22-09
4.  Cliff Crochet          Pierre Part, LA         10  38-15  107
Day 1: 5   19-11     Day 2: 5   19-04
5.  Cliff Pace             Petal, MS               10  38-13  106
Day 1: 5   21-04     Day 2: 5   17-09
6.  Jordan Lee             Grant, AL               10  38-11  105
Day 1: 5   20-04     Day 2: 5   18-07
7.  Bradley Roy            Lancaster, KY           10  38-05  104
Day 1: 5   18-12     Day 2: 5   19-09
8.  Dave Lefebre           Erie, PA                10  38-03  103
Day 1: 5   14-02     Day 2: 5   24-01
9.  Greg Vinson            Wetumpka, AL            10  37-10  102
Day 1: 5   19-13     Day 2: 5   17-13
10. Seth Feider            Bloomington, MN         10  37-02  101
Day 1: 5   18-07     Day 2: 5   18-11
11. Roy Hawk               Lk Havasu Cty, AZ       10  36-13  100
Day 1: 5   16-15     Day 2: 5   19-14
12. James Elam             Tulsa, OK               10  36-10   99
Day 1: 5   19-13     Day 2: 5   16-13
13. Randall Tharp          Port St. Joe, FL        10  36-10   98
Day 1: 5   18-05     Day 2: 5   18-05
14. Brett Hite             Phoenix, AZ             10  36-02   97
Day 1: 5   14-03     Day 2: 5   21-15
15. Brock Mosley           Collinsville, MS        10  36-00   96
Day 1: 5   23-05     Day 2: 5   12-11
16. Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT           10  36-00   95
Day 1: 5   19-03     Day 2: 5   16-13
17. Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL        10  35-05   94
Day 1: 5   21-08     Day 2: 5   13-13
18. Bill Weidler           Helena, AL              10  35-04   93
Day 1: 5   19-12     Day 2: 5   15-08
19. Brent Ehrler           Redlands, CA            10  35-02   92
Day 1: 5   21-08     Day 2: 5   13-10
20. Tommy Biffle           Wagoner, OK             10  35-02   91
Day 1: 5   16-09     Day 2: 5   18-09
21. Fred Roumbanis         Russellville, AR        10  34-12   90
Day 1: 5   18-09     Day 2: 5   16-03
22. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ              10  34-11   89
Day 1: 5   17-01     Day 2: 5   17-10
23. Justin Lucas           Guntersville, AL        10  34-09   88
Day 1: 5   17-12     Day 2: 5   16-13
24. Jesse Wiggins          Cullman, AL             10  34-08   87
Day 1: 5   13-12     Day 2: 5   20-12
25. Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA          10  34-06   86
Day 1: 5   16-10     Day 2: 5   17-12
26. Kyle Monti             Okeechobee, FL          10  34-05   85
Day 1: 5   22-06     Day 2: 5   11-15
27. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              10  34-05   84
Day 1: 5   21-00     Day 2: 5   13-05
28. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC          10  34-03   83
Day 1: 5   15-14     Day 2: 5   18-05
29. Alton Jones Jr.        Waco, TX                10  34-02   82
Day 1: 5   15-12     Day 2: 5   18-06
30. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO        10  34-02   81
Day 1: 5   16-11     Day 2: 5   17-07
31. Keith Poche            Pike Road, AL           10  34-01   80
Day 1: 5   17-09     Day 2: 5   16-08
32. Brent Chapman          Lake Quivira, KS        10  33-10   79
Day 1: 5   14-11     Day 2: 5   18-15
33. Scott Rook             Little Rock, AR         10  33-07   78
Day 1: 5   17-09     Day 2: 5   15-14
34. Dean Rojas             Lake Havasu City, AZ    10  33-05   77
Day 1: 5   13-09     Day 2: 5   19-12
35. Randy Howell           Guntersville, AL        10  33-01   76
Day 1: 5   17-02     Day 2: 5   15-15
36. Jared Lintner          Arroyo Grande, CA       10  32-09   75
Day 1: 5   18-05     Day 2: 5   14-04
37. Ish Monroe             Hughson, CA             10  32-09   74
Day 1: 5   17-04     Day 2: 5   15-05
38. Josh Bertrand          San Tan Valley, AZ      10  32-08   73
Day 1: 5   19-15     Day 2: 5   12-09
39. Adrian Avena           Vineland, NJ            10  32-05   72
Day 1: 5   17-05     Day 2: 5   15-00
40. Aaron Martens          Leeds, AL               10  32-00   71
Day 1: 5   16-12     Day 2: 5   15-04
41. Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY             10  31-11   70
Day 1: 5   17-06     Day 2: 5   14-05
42. Stephen Browning       Hot Springs, AR         10  31-10   69
Day 1: 5   20-08     Day 2: 5   11-02
43. Takahiro Omori         Emory, TX               10  31-09   68
Day 1: 5   23-12     Day 2: 5   07-13
44. Marty Robinson         Lyman, SC               10  31-09   67
Day 1: 5   14-07     Day 2: 5   17-02
45. Jacob Powroznik        North Prince George, VA 10  31-09   66
Day 1: 5   15-00     Day 2: 5   16-09
46. Fletcher Shryock       Dennison, OH            10  31-07   65
Day 1: 5   15-12     Day 2: 5   15-11
47. Mark Daniels Jr.       Tuskegee, AL            10  31-00   64
Day 1: 5   15-04     Day 2: 5   15-12
48. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA               10  30-13   63
Day 1: 5   17-03     Day 2: 5   13-10
49. Edwin Evers            Talala, OK              10  30-13   62
Day 1: 5   14-02     Day 2: 5   16-11
50. Chris Zaldain          Laughlin, NV            10  30-06   61
Day 1: 5   15-07     Day 2: 5   14-15
51. Russ Lane              Prattville, AL          10  30-03   60
Day 1: 5   12-15     Day 2: 5   17-04
52. Brandon Card           Knoxville, TN           10  30-02   59
Day 1: 5   17-07     Day 2: 5   12-11
53. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN          10  30-02   58
Day 1: 5   13-03     Day 2: 5   16-15
54. Skylar Hamilton        Dandridge, TN           10  30-01   57
Day 1: 5   14-11     Day 2: 5   15-06
55. David Walker           Sevierville, TN         10  30-01   56
Day 1: 5   15-04     Day 2: 5   14-13
56. Brandon Palaniuk       Hayden, ID               9  30-00   55
Day 1: 5   16-15     Day 2: 4   13-01
57. Andy Montgomery        Blacksburg, SC          10  29-07   54
Day 1: 5   15-12     Day 2: 5   13-11
58. Alton Jones            Lorena, TX              10  29-06   53
Day 1: 5   16-03     Day 2: 5   13-03
59. Hunter Shryock         Newcomerstown, OH       10  29-03   52
Day 1: 5   15-07     Day 2: 5   13-12
60. Jonathon VanDam        Gobles, MI              10  29-02   51
Day 1: 5   15-11     Day 2: 5   13-07
61. Gerald Spohrer         Gonzales, LA            10  29-01   50
Day 1: 5   15-09     Day 2: 5   13-08
62. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA            10  29-00   49
Day 1: 5   15-07     Day 2: 5   13-09
63. Kelly Jordon           Flint, TX               10  28-15   48
Day 1: 5   12-05     Day 2: 5   16-10
64. Dustin Connell         Clanton, AL             10  28-15   47
Day 1: 5   14-13     Day 2: 5   14-02
65. Gary Klein             Mingus, TX              10  28-14   46
Day 1: 5   17-04     Day 2: 5   11-10
66. Boyd Duckett           Guntersville, AL         8  28-07   45
Day 1: 5   18-07     Day 2: 3   10-00
67. Skeet Reese            Auburn, CA              10  28-05   44
Day 1: 5   13-01     Day 2: 5   15-04
68. Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA              10  27-13   43
Day 1: 5   14-04     Day 2: 5   13-09
69. Bobby Lane Jr.         Lakeland, FL            10  27-12   42
Day 1: 5   11-13     Day 2: 5   15-15
70. Mike McClelland        Bentonville, AR         10  27-12   41
Day 1: 5   14-10     Day 2: 5   13-02
71. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL             9  27-10   40
Day 1: 5   18-02     Day 2: 4   09-08
72. Brandon Coulter        Knoxville, TN           10  27-10   39
Day 1: 5   12-00     Day 2: 5   15-10
73. Drew Benton            Panama City, FL          9  27-01   38
Day 1: 5   16-12     Day 2: 4   10-05
74. Wesley Strader         Spring City, TN         10  27-01   37
Day 1: 5   14-07     Day 2: 5   12-10
75. Chad Pipkens           Lansing, MI             10  26-13   36
Day 1: 5   13-08     Day 2: 5   13-05
76. John Murray            Spring City, TN         10  26-10   35
Day 1: 5   13-14     Day 2: 5   12-12
77. Ott DeFoe              Blaine, TN              10  26-07   34
Day 1: 5   14-04     Day 2: 5   12-03
78. Kelley Jaye            Dadeville, AL            9  26-05   33
Day 1: 4   09-04     Day 2: 5   17-01
79. Todd Faircloth         Jasper, TX              10  25-10   32
Day 1: 5   13-14     Day 2: 5   11-12
80. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL              10  25-09   31
Day 1: 5   12-08     Day 2: 5   13-01
81. Michael Iaconelli      Pitts Grove, NJ         10  25-07   30
Day 1: 5   12-13     Day 2: 5   12-10
82. Tyler Carriere         Youngsville, LA         10  25-04   29
Day 1: 5   13-14     Day 2: 5   11-06
83. Ray Hanselman Jr       Del Rio, TX              9  25-03   28
Day 1: 4   08-14     Day 2: 5   16-05
84. Chris Groh             Spring Grove, IL         7  25-02   27
Day 1: 5   20-04     Day 2: 2   04-14
85. Robbie Latuso          Gonzales, LA            10  24-09   26
Day 1: 5   12-07     Day 2: 5   12-02
86. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY             10  24-04   25
Day 1: 5   14-11     Day 2: 5   09-09
87. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX          10  24-03   24
Day 1: 5   14-00     Day 2: 5   10-03
88. Chris Lane             Guntersville, AL        10  23-14   23
Day 1: 5   14-08     Day 2: 5   09-06
89. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN           10  23-08   22
Day 1: 5   11-09     Day 2: 5   11-15
90. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL             10  23-07   21
Day 1: 5   11-11     Day 2: 5   11-12
91. Matt Lee               Guntersville, AL        10  23-03   20
Day 1: 5   11-02     Day 2: 5   12-01
92. Tim Horton             Muscle Shoals, AL       10  22-11   19
Day 1: 5   12-10     Day 2: 5   10-01
93. Jake Whitaker          Fairview, NC             8  22-09   18
Day 1: 5   15-01     Day 2: 3   07-08
94. Morizo Shimizu         Suita, Osaka JAPAN       8  21-15   17
Day 1: 5   13-09     Day 2: 3   08-06
95. Shaw Grigsby Jr.       Gainesville, FL         10  21-14   16
Day 1: 5   09-14     Day 2: 5   12-00
96. Jeff Kriet             Ardmore, OK             10  20-11   15
Day 1: 5   11-03     Day 2: 5   09-08
97. Jason Christie         Park Hill, OK            8  20-07   14
Day 1: 5   13-12     Day 2: 3   06-11
98. Terry Scroggins        San Mateo, FL           10  20-07   13
Day 1: 5   09-04     Day 2: 5   11-03
99. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL          7  20-06   12
Day 1: 5   12-12     Day 2: 2   07-10
100. Casey Ashley           Donalds, SC             10  20-05   11
Day 1: 5   11-13     Day 2: 5   08-08
101. Randy Sullivan         Breckenridge, TX         7  20-00   10
Day 1: 4   11-12     Day 2: 3   08-04
102. Shin Fukae             Palestine TX JAPAN       9  19-12    9
Day 1: 5   11-14     Day 2: 4   07-14
103. Rick Morris            Lake Gaston, VA          9  19-09    8
Day 1: 5   12-14     Day 2: 4   06-11
104. Jason Williamson       Wagener, SC              7  17-13    7
Day 1: 2   05-08     Day 2: 5   12-05
105. David Fritts           Lexington, NC            6  17-08    6
Day 1: 5   15-00     Day 2: 1   02-08
106. Paul Elias             Laurel, MS               7  14-14    5
Day 1: 3   05-08     Day 2: 4   09-06
107. Darrell Ocamica        New Plymouth, ID         6  14-03    4
Day 1: 5   11-02     Day 2: 1   03-01
108. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                  4  11-12    3
Day 1: 4   11-12     Day 2: 0   00-00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1       102       531      1674-05
2        92       505      1507-09
———————————-
194      1036      3181-14

Bassmaster Elites To Converge On Kentucky Lake Next Week

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Bassmaster Elites To Converge On Kentucky Lake Next Week

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Mark Menendez will be among a full field of 108 anglers as they take on the Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Kentucky Lake presented by Abu Garcia May 4-7 out of Paris, Tenn. 

Photo by Garrick Dixon/B.A.S.S.

April 27, 2018

Bassmaster Elites To Converge On Kentucky Lake Next Week

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PARIS, Tenn. — Suffice it to say that hopes will run high when the world’s best bass anglers visit Kentucky Lake for the Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Kentucky Lake presented by Abu Garcia May 4-7, but hope won’t be the only high measure on this Tennessee River impoundment. According to local pro Mark Menendez, the big lake’s going to be bigger.

For reference, this 160,300-acre reservoir generates a significant amount of hydroelectric power, courtesy of Kentucky Dam; but the lake’s vast storage capacity also serves to reduce flood crests on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. With snowmelt and heavy spring rains swelling those two systems, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has been using Kentucky Lake’s intended design to minimize downstream flooding.

For a time, it looked like Kentucky Lake could be as much as 8- to 10-feet high — a definite game changer that’s not going to happen. The TVA will be steadily dropping the water level throughout the tournament week and Menendez says he’s expecting Kentucky Lake to be closer to summer pool (359 feet) by tournament time.

“When I left home (Paducah, Ky.) on April 22 for the Elite tournament on Grand Lake, Kentucky Lake was at 359 feet and a day later, it was 362 with 145,000 cubic feet per second running through it and it was coming up half an inch an hour,” Menendez said.

“Now, it’s going to be a lot more manageable; it’s going to be 3 feet over summer pool and falling, so we’re going to be able to access the fish. They’re not going to go up in the woods and get away from us like I’d thought with that first forecast.”

Anytime waters rise as much as Kentucky Lake has, the following weeks invariably see some level of lingering impacts. Floating logs and debris pulled from the bank by the water’s reach and retraction, stained from muddy inflows — Elite anglers will see some of this, but the lake’s big enough to find areas of lesser impacts and cooperative fish.

“It should be as premier as Kentucky is ever going to be seen,” Menendez said. “This is best case scenario for us right now. The falling water will be pulling them to the outside edges of the buckbrush, willows and stuff like that.

“Just get a big old jig, a big old stiff rod and some big line and — hand-to-hand combat.”

Menendez said he’s looking for most of the tournament’s productivity to be found south of the Paris Bridge, as more of the lake’s fish historically inhabit this region. Likely patterns include spinnerbaits, ChatterBaits, buzzbaits and, very likely, a lot of sight fishing.

“It should be on,” Menendez said. “It’s time for them to spawn. They spawn the first week of May every year, so it’s dead-on.”

Each angler can weigh his five largest bass each day for a shot at the $100,000 top prize. After two days of full-field competition, the Top 50 anglers will qualify to fish the semi-final round on Saturday. The field will then be cut again to the Top 12 on Sunday’s championship round.

Daily takeoffs will begin each morning at 6 a.m. CT out of Paris Landing Marina (16055 Highway 79 N, Buchanan, Tenn.). Weigh-ins will happen at Paris Landing State Park (400 Lodge Rd., Buchanan, Tenn.) beginning at 3 p.m. each afternoon. Henry County Alliance will be hosting the event.

The Bassmaster Outdoors Expo will be held Saturday and Sunday beginning at noon at Paris Landing State Park.

All activities are free and open to the public. For more information, visit Bassmaster.com.

ZeeBait Company Lures Review by Bruce Callis April 27,2018

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ZeeBait Company Lures Review by Bruce Callis April 27,2018

ZeeBait Company Lures

I had the opportunity to test out the Zee Bait Company lures recently. They are designed in Spring City, PA and made here in the U.S.A. I got to test out the Rib Tail Worm recently along with a few other products. I found the lure to be quite unique with its ribbed bulb tail and slender body. The make up of the plastics, Phthalate free, used to make the lure was soft, but also durable, unlike some that are too soft and rarely last for more than one bite or catch. The deeper cavities in the tail rings give it increased tail action to entice the bass.
I found that they were great to Texas rig on a variety of weights, to Neko rig, on a shaky head, on a drop shot, and my favorite, wacky rigged. The tail floats up giving it a tantalizing action. I tried it weightless wacky rigged, weighted wacky rigged, wacky with a nail weight buried in the head, and one that is rarely used but so effective, weightless wacky Texas rigged. For those who have not heard of it, let me describe it. You take a worm hook, I prefer a 1/0 or 2/0 wide gap hook, and Texas rig it in the center of the worm. This makes it weedless and gives it a very different action then bass normally see. You can also put a nail weight in the head to really change it up. You can also rig it on a football head Super Swing, available on the website as well, to really give the bait amazing action.
The lure comes in Zee Green, Watermelon Red Flake, Junebug, Bright Plum (my favorite), Brown Pumpkin, Erie Shiner, and Black Melon Chartreuse Tail. And each package comes with 7 worms ready to catch bass.

I also tested out the Bamboo Bomber S baits. This is a completely overhauled bait which was inspired by the original Bamboo Bomber. It is designed to penetrate thick cover easily, but yet still be fished in any situation. It’s multi-jointed body offers the ability to easily be adjusted in length for different presentations. You can rig it Texas rigged, on a Shaky Head, Drop Shot, Wacky rigged, as a jig trailer or a spinnerbait trailer. These are just suggested presentations, but don’t stop there, try a Neko rig also, either full length or cut it down to fit your needs.

The lure comes in Zee Green, Watermelon Red Flake, Junebug, Bright Plum (my favorite), Brown Pumpkin, Erie Shiner, and Black Melon Chartreuse Tail. And each package comes with 7 worms ready to catch bass.

You can find them at www.zeebaitco.com and start at $5.99 per package. They can also be found at www.lunkerbrag.com and in select local bait shops. Give them a try for yourself and check out all the amazing products they offer, like the Mudpuppy, the Angry Beaver: VITAL Series, the StickZ 5”: VITAL Series, and the Swimmer: 3.5” & 4.75”: VITAL Series.

Brother Bruce with another great catch! 

WILLIAMS GRABS EARLY LEAD AT FLW TOUR AT LEWIS SMITH LAKE PRESENTED BY T-H MARINE

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WILLIAMS GRABS EARLY LEAD AT FLW TOUR AT LEWIS SMITH LAKE PRESENTED BY T-H MARINE

WILLIAMS GRABS EARLY LEAD AT FLW TOUR AT LEWIS SMITH LAKE PRESENTED BY T-H MARINE

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JASPER, Ala. (April 26, 2018) – Pro David Williams of Maiden, North Carolina, weighed an 18-pound, 11-ounce limit of largemouth bass to take the lead on Day One of the FLW Tour at Lewis Smith Lake presented by T-H Marine. Williams will bring a 2-pound, 9-ounce lead into Day Two of the four-day event that features the world’s premier bass-fishing professionals and co-anglers casting for top awards of up to $125,000 cash in the Pro Division and up to $25,000 cash in the Co-angler Division.

Williams worked along two 4- to 5-mile stretches of creek to catch his largemouth Thursday. He said he fished flooded cover, and that he had 40 to 50 bites throughout his day.

“I went to the area where I’d caught two big ones in practice and caught my weight pretty quickly,” said Williams, who is seeking his first career win as a professional on the FLW Tour. “I culled a few times and was basically done fishing by 10:30 (a.m.).

“They’re on a mixture of stuff – it’s not just one thing,” continued Williams. “I didn’t see anybody else in the area and I didn’t fish anything twice. I just kind of blew through it one time and left.”

Williams said he plans on returning to his two stretches Friday.

“There’s plenty of fish in there to catch a fairly decent limit. It’s just a matter of getting those big 4- and 5-pound bites,” said Williams. “I don’t know if I can catch another 18 pounds, but I can catch some fish. I’m just going to keep working them and hopefully it lasts a few days.”

The top 10 pros after day one on Lewis Smith Lake are:

1st:          David Williams, Maiden, N.C., five bass, 18-11

2nd:         Blake Smith, Lakeland, Fla., five bass, 16-2

3rd:          Clent Davis, Montevallo, Ala., five bass, 15-13

3th:         Cody Meyer, Auburn, Calif., five bass, 15-13

5th:          Pennzoil Marine pro Matt Arey, Shelby, N.C., five bass, 15-9

6th:          Joseph Webster, Winfield, Ala., five bass, 15-8

7th:          James Niggemeyer, Van, Texas, five bass, 15-6

8th:          Jim Moynagh, Carver, Minn., five bass, 15-2

9th:          Jeff Dobson, Bartlesville, Okla., five bass, 15-1

10th:        Jason Reyes, Huffman, Texas, five bass, 15-0

For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.

Moynagh and Dobson each angler weighed a 4-pound, 15-ounce bass to tie for and split the day’s $500 Simms Big Bass award..

Overall there were 863 bass weighing 1,825 pounds, 15 ounces, caught by 178 pros Thursday. The catch included 161 five-bass limits.

Billy Messer of Spartanburg, South Carolina, leads the Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 13 pounds, 15 ounces, followed by Joel Willert of Prior Lake, Minnesota, who weighed five bass totaling 12-10, good for second place.

The top 10 co-anglers after day one on Lewis Smith Lake are:

1st:          Billy Messer, Spartanburg, S.C., five bass, 13-15

2nd:         Joel Willert, Prior Lake, Minn., five bass, 12-10

3rd:          Hiroyuki Watanabe, Shizuoka, Honshu, Japan, five bass, 12-7

4th:          Joshua Perrymon, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 11-11

5th:          Brian Norman, Hagersville, Ontario, Canada, five bass, 11-2

5th:          Greg Pugh, Cullman, Ala., five bass, 11-2

7th:          Marcus Corbett, Anniston, Ala., five bass, 11-1

8th:          Casey Martin, New Hope, Ala., five bass, 10-14

9th:          Jerry Reagan, Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 10-12

10th:        Wataru Iwahori, Palestine, Texas, five bass, 10-10

10th:        Randy Hill, Athens, Ala., five bass, 10-10

10th:        Robby Frashier, Carrollton, Ga., five bass, 10-10

Mark Guhne of Hixson, Texas, earned $250 for the Simms Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division with a 4-pound, 2-ounce bass.

Overall there were 644 bass weighing 1,074 pounds, 12 ounces caught by 169 co-anglers Thursday. The catch included 81 five-bass limits.

In FLW Tour competition, pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The full field of anglers competes in the two-day opening round. Co-angler competition concludes following Friday’s weigh-in, while the top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advance to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

The total purse for the FLW Tour at Lewis Smith Lake presented by T-H Marine is more than $930,000. The event is hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County

Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. CDT each day from the Smith Lake Dam Access, located at 7482 Smith Lake Dam Road in Jasper. Friday’s weigh-in, April 27, will be held at the Access beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins, April 28-29, will also be held at the Access, but will begin at 4 p.m.

Prior to the weigh-ins Saturday and Sunday, April 28-29, FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at the Smith Lake Dam Access from noon to 4 p.m. The Expo is the perfect opportunity for fishing fans of all ages to meet their favorite anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.

Also for youth, the FLW Foundation’s Unified Fishing Derby will be held at the Smith Lake Dam Access on Saturday, April 28, from 9-11 a.m. The event is hosted by FLW Foundation pro Cody Kelley along with other FLW Tour anglers, and is free and open to youth (18 and under) and Special Olympics athletes (all ages). Rods and reels are available for use, but youth are encouraged to bring their own if they own one. The 1st and 2nd place anglers that catch the biggest fish will be recognized Saturday on the FLW Tour stage, just prior to the pros weighing in.

Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2018 Forrest Wood Cup will be on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 10-12 and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lewis Smith Lake presented by T-H Marine will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) June 6 from Noon-1 p.m. EST. 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.

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

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