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GAINESVILLE’S BRISBOIS WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE BULLDOG DIVISION OPENER ON LAKE LANIER

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February 27, 2018

GAINESVILLE’S BRISBOIS WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE BULLDOG DIVISION OPENER ON LAKE LANIER

Jefferson’s Harris Wins Co-angler Title

GAINESVILLE, Ga. (Feb. 26, 2018) – Boater Ben Brisbois of Gainesville, caught five bass weighing 20 pounds, 11 ounces, Saturday to win the 2018 T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Bulldog Division opener on Lake Lanier. Brisbois earned $6,380 for his victory.

“Lanier is my home lake, and I knew that my best bet was to target spotted bass, so that’s what I did,” said Brisbois, who was fishing in his first career event as a boater in FLW competition. “I made a 20 to 25 minute run to the south end of the lake and I stayed there all day.

“I started off throwing a crankbait, but to no avail,” Brisbois continued. “Around 9 a.m. we weren’t getting any action so we moved to the backs of some pockets. I caught a couple of fish on a shaky-head rig, then the wind started blowing around 10 a.m. I knew that I had to get back out offshore, so we moved back out and I was able to put some keepers in the boat.”

Brisbois said he caught around a dozen fish throughout the day on an Ike’s Penguin-colored Rapala DT10 crankbait and an electric shad-colored Spot Sticker worm on a Spot Sticker shaky-head rig.

“The key was definitely moving back out when the wind started blowing,” Brisbois said. “They wouldn’t touch the crankbait earlier in the day, but when the wind picked up, in the exact same spots, we caught them.”

Brisbois limit was anchored by a 6-pound, 3-ounce spotted bass that he caught on the crankbait – his personal best.

“I was fishing a 7-foot, medium-heavy ALX IKOS Hustler rod with my crankbait and it made a huge difference,” Brisbois went on to say. “It’s designed for fishing mid-depth crankbaits and was a perfect set up for the DT10. The rod has enough tip where you’re not going to pull the hooks right out of their mouths, but enough backbone to crank 5- and 6-pounders in.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1^st: Ben Brisbois, Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 20-11, $6,380

2^nd: David Morton, Suwanne, Ga., five bass, 20-7, $2,242

2^nd: Alan Piacentine, Dallas, Ga., five bass, 20-7, $3,097

4^th: Jesse Millsaps, Jasper, Ga., five bass, 19-3, $1,455

5^th: Brock Turner, Jasper, Ga., five bass, 19-1, $1,076

6^th: Shane Peck, Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 18-2, $986

7^th: Patrick Bone, Cleveland, Ga., five bass, 17-13, $897

8^th: Brad Fowler, Townville, S.C., five bass, 17-3, $907

9^th: Josh Maddox, Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 16-8, $717

10^th: Bryan Hinkle, Cumming, Ga., five bass, 16-7, $628

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Piacentine caught a largemouth weighing 8 pounds, 8 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $855.

Ronald Harris of Jefferson, Georgia, won the Co-angler Division and $2,620 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 12 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1^st: Ronald Harris, Jefferson, Ga., five bass, 14-12, $2,620

2^nd: Ben Adams, Buford, Ga., five bass, 13-8, $1,310

3^rd: Jack Fowler, Coleman, Ga., five bass, 12-14, $744

3^rd: Andrew Fisher, Alexandria, Ala., five bass, 12-14, $744

5^th: Josh Kemp, Ball Ground, Ga., five bass, 12-13, $502

5^th: Jerry Bryant, Douglas, Ga., five bass, 12-13, $502

7^th: Jerry Brumfield, Cumming, Ga., five bass, 12-3, $415

7^th: Stephen Young, Canton, Ga., five bass, 12-3, $415

9^th: Joe Anders, Easley, S.C.., three bass, 11-14, $349

10^th: Jason Wilson, Lula, Ga., five bass, 11-13, $390

10^th: Don Hall, Mableton, Ga., five bass, 11-13, $290

John Blevins of Cumming, Georgia, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a 5-pound, 3-ounce fish. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $412.

The T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Bulldog Division event on Lake Lanier was hosted by the Gainesville Convention & Visitors Bureau.

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 the St. John’s River in Palatka, Florida. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.

The 2018 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2018 BFL All-American will be held May 31-June 2 at Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. 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.

ROGERSVILLE’S LINKOUS WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE VOLUNTEER DIVISION OPENER ON NORRIS LAKE PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS

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February 27, 2018

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ROGERSVILLE’S LINKOUS WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE VOLUNTEER DIVISION OPENER ON NORRIS LAKE PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS

Harriman’s Brown Wins Co-angler Title

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ANDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (Feb. 26, 2018) – Boater Rob Linkous of Rogersville, Tennessee, caught a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds, 1 ounce, Saturday to win the 2018 T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Volunteer Division opener on Norris Lake presented by Navionics. Linkous earned $3,545 for his victory.

“I was fishing on the main lake, on the Clinch side,” said Linkous, who earned his first career victory in FLW competition. “I figured out a pattern late Friday while practicing and I just went to the bank and started cranking.”

Linkous said that he caught around 25 fish throughout the day – six keepers. He said the key to his victory was his lure – an Ike’s Demon-colored Rapala DT6 crankbait.

“I was sitting in 17 feet of water and throwing parallel to the bank,” Linkous said. “I would use a fast retrieve, then stop and twitch the bait. The fish would bite on the pause.

“The keepers were coming out of 10 feet of water,” he continued. “Once I had my limit, I cut off the DT6 and gave it to my co-angler to tie on and catch a few. It was his first tournament and he ended up cashing a check as well. It was a fun day on the water.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1^st: Rob Linkous, Rogersville, Tenn., five bass, 18-1, $3,545

2^nd: Chris Bullock, Lake City, Tenn., five bass, 17-13, $1,773

3^rd: Brian Pate, Wise, Va., five bass, 16-5, $1,181

4^th: Kyle Smith, Elizabethton, Tenn., five bass, 16-3, $827

5^th: Craig Powers, Rockwood, Tenn., five bass, 14-10, $709

6^th: Willie Bryan, Sevierville, Tenn., five bass, 14-7, $650

7^th: Justin McGaha, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 14-2, $1,091

8^th: Jimmy Taylor, Clinton, Tenn., five bass, 13-7, $532

9^th: Nick Huff, Corbin, Ky., four bass, 13-0, $543

9^th: Burton Bryan, Sevierville, Tenn., five bass, 13-0, $443

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Tyler Duckworth of Gray, Tennessee, caught a bass weighing 5 pounds, 14 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $445.

Matt Brown of Harriman, Tennessee, won the Co-angler Division and $1,889 Saturday after catching four bass weighing 12 pounds, 8 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1^st: Matt Brown, Harriman, Tenn., four bass, 12-8, $1,889

2^nd: Brandon Harris, Spring City, Tenn., five bass, 11-12, $894

3^rd: Bobby Hendricks, Reliance, Tenn., five bass, 11-6, $564

4^th: Dan Roberts, Cincinnati, Ohio, five bass, 10-12, $394

5^th: David Blakely, Kingsport, Tenn., five bass, 10-5, $338

6^th: Chad Ball, Abingdon, Va., three bass, 10-3, $310

7^th: John Coker, Knoxville, Tenn., four bass, 9-0, $281

8^th: Matthew Rasnick, Elizabethton, Tenn., four bass, 8-15, $253

9^th: Scott Standafer, Hamilton, Ohio, three bass, 8-12, $211

9^th: Dakota Vance, Lenore, W. Va., three bass, 8-12, $211

Ryan Buchanan of Gray, Tennessee, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a 4-pound, 9-ounce fish. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $207.

The T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Volunteer Division event on Norris Lake presented by Navionics was hosted by the Anderson County Tourism Council.

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. 18-20 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Norman in Huntersville, North Carolina. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.

The 2018 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2018 BFL All-American will be held May 31-June 2 at Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. 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.

REMITZ WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE CHOO CHOO DIVISION OPENER ON LAKE GUNTERSVILLE PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS

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February 27, 2018

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REMITZ WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE CHOO CHOO DIVISION OPENER ON LAKE GUNTERSVILLE PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS

Kentucky’s Taylor Earns Co-angler Title

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SCOTTSBORO, Ala. (Feb. 26, 2018) – Boater Derek Remitz of Grant, Alabama, caught a massive five-bass limit weighing 30 pounds, 5 ounces, Saturday to win the 2018 T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Choo Choo Division opener on Lake Guntersville pressented by Navionics. Remitz earned $5,412 for his victory.

Remitz said that he stuck with a pattern in a two-mile stretch of the lake for the entire day, catching 25 to 30 fish.

“I didn’t get to spend very much time on the water before the tournament, and I really think that helped me,” said Remitz, the 2007 Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie of the Year who earned his first career win in FLW competition. “Rather than running around burning 40 gallons of gas, I put the trolling motor down and never left the stretch that I was fishing. I was looking for the deepest, greenest grass that was close to where I thought they were going to spawn.”

Remitz said that he caught his fish alternating between a lipless crankbait and a squarebilled crankbait.

“The main thing was just covering water,” he said. “I’d catch 3 or 4 off of each little stretch of grass. The nice thing was that you knew if you were the right spot because you’d get bit in the first five minutes of being there.

“I had pretty close to my weight around 11:30, but I caught a 9-pounder around 1 p.m. that really sealed the deal for me,” Remitz went on to say. “I got lucky and was fortunate to run across a few groups of fish that were staging and willing to bite.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1^st: Derek Remitz, Grant, Ala., five bass, 30-5, $5,412

2^nd: Dennis Barnes, Boaz, Ala., five bass, 25-12, $2,706

3^rd: Casey O’Donnell, Langston, Ala., five bass, 25-0, $1,999

4^th: Jeremy Renfroe, Birmingham, Ala., five bass, 24-2, $1,263

5^th: Seth Davis, Harrison, Tenn., five bass, 23-7, $1,182

6^th: Ben Johnson, Huntsville, Ala., five bass, 22-5, $992

7^th: Jason Henson, Rome, Ga., five bass, 21-6, $857

8^th: Jeff Kitchens, Auburn, Ala., five bass, 21-6, $857

9^th: Justin Lynch, Alabaster, Ala., five bass, 20-11, $722

10^th: John Polly, Nauvoo, Ala., five bass, 20-3, $631

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Jeff Ragsdale of Gardendale, Alabama, caught a largemouth weighing 10 pounds even – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $860.

Brandon Taylor of Russellville, Kentucky, won the Co-angler Division and $2,706 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 6 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1^st: Brandon Taylor, Russellville, Ky., five bass, 20-6, $2,706

2^nd: Ron Montgomery, Armuchee, Ga., five bass, 20-2, $1,453

3^rd: Jason Cook, Harrison, Tenn., four bass, 19-11, $905

4^th: Chris Harcrow, Dawson, Ala., five bass, 19-8, $681

5^th: Johnny Pittman, Albertville, Ala., five bass, 18-11, $541

6^th: Derek Miller, Grant, Ala., five bass, 18-6, $496

7^th: Daniel Crockett, Old Hickory, Tenn., five bass, 17-15, $451

8^th: Riley Welch, Beecher, Ill., five bass, 17-13, $406

9^th: Roy Hurst Jr., Birmingham, Ala., five bass, 17-12, $361

10^th: Travis Johns, Birmingham, Ala., five bass, 17-10, $316

Jason Risley of Cordova, Tennessee, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – an 11-pound, 3-ounce largemouth – that earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $430.

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

The 2018 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2018 BFL All-American will be held May 31-June 2 at Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. 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.

CATAWBA’S QUEEN WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE NORTH CAROLINA DIVISION OPENER ON LAKE NORMAN PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS

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February 27, 2018

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CATAWBA’S QUEEN WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE NORTH CAROLINA DIVISION OPENER ON LAKE NORMAN PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS

Mount Holly’s Trull Earns Co-angler Title

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MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 26, 2018) – Boater Jeff Queen of Catawba, North Carolina, caught five bass weighing 22 pounds, 1 ounce, Saturday to win the 2018 T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) North Carolina Division opener on Lake Norman presented by Navionics. Queen earned $3,918 for his victory.

“I was fishing on the south end of the lake, targeting sandy flats and boat docks,” said Queen, who earned his third career win in BFL competition. “I like these early in the year tournaments because they fit my pattern real well.”

Queen said that he caught his fish on two baits – a 3/8-ounce KJ Camo-colored Queen Tackle Flippin jig and a ½-ounce Greenpumpkin Green-colored Queen Tackle Hammerhead jig.

“I threw the Flippin jig around docks, and used the Hammerhead on the sandy flats,” Queen said. “The Hammerhead is a football-head jig that has a tungsten bead in the head, and it gives a crayfish clicking noise that makes the bass go crazy. I had it trailered with a Bizz Baits Cutter Craw and I was just imitating a crayfish as close as I could.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1^st: Jeff Queen, Catawba, N.C., five bass, 22-1, $3,918

2^nd: Nick Miller, Terrell, N.C., five bass, 19-9, $2,344

3^rd: Preston Harris, State Road, N.C., five bass, 16-6, $1,638

4^th: Dylan Fulk, Concord, N.C., five bass, 15-5, $867

5^th: Alvin Shaw, Roaring Gap, N.C., five bass, 14-9, $744

6^th: Mark Carpenter, Lincolnton, N.C., five bass, 14-3, $682

7^th: Rob Digh, Denver, N.C., five bass, 14-1, $620

8^th: Doug Easton, Huntersville, N.C., five bass, 14-0, $558

9^th: Carson Orellana, Mooresville, N.C., five bass, 13-15, $496

10^th: Hank Cherry, Maiden, N.C., five bass, 13-13, $434

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Miller caught a bass weighing 6 pounds, 3 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $485.

Tristen Trull of Mount Holly, North Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $1,859 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 12 pounds, 8 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1^st: Tristen Trull, Mount Holly, N.C., five bass, 12-8, $1,859

2^nd: Cameron Baker, Monroe, N.C., five bass, 10-15, $929

3^rd: Brian Souza, Cornelius, N.C., five bass, 10-13, $819

4^th: Nathan Grose, Summersville, W. Va., five bass, 10-12, $484

5^th: Jeff Scism, Shelby, N.C., five bass, 9-13, $372

6^th: Matt Markland, Blowing Rock, N.C., five bass, 9-11, $341

7^th: Brian Transon, Sherrils Ford, N.C., five bass, 9-9, $310

8^th: Greg Bragg, Kings Mountain, N.C., four bass, 9-3, $279

9^th: John Carroll, Galax, Va., five bass, 9-2, $248

10^th: Steve Cannon, Wilkesboro, N.C., four bass, 9-0, $459

Cannon caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a 4-pound, 9-ounce fish. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $242.

The T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) North Carolina Division event on Lake Norman presented by Navionics was hosted by the Mooresville Convention & Visitors Bureau.

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 the 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. The 2018 BFL All-American will be held May 31-June 2 at Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. 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.

CANADA’S JOHNSTON WINS FLW TOUR AT HARRIS CHAIN OF LAKES PRESENTED BY LOWRANCE

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February 26, 2018

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CANADA’S JOHNSTON WINS FLW TOUR AT HARRIS CHAIN OF LAKES PRESENTED BY LOWRANCE

Ontario angler earns first career win on the FLW Tour, takes home $125,000

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Link to HD video of Johnston’s winning moment

LEESBURG, Fla. (Feb. 25, 2018) – Canadian pro angler Chris Johnston of Peterborough, Ontario, brought a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 6 ounces, to the scale Sunday to win the FLW Tour at the Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Lowrance with a four-day total of 20 bass weighing 79 pounds, 6 ounces. Johnston’s cumulative weight was enough for him to edge second-place pro and fellow Canadian Jeff Gustafson of Keewatin, Ontario, to earn his first FLW Tour win and a check for $125,000.

“You couldn’t ask for anything better – two Canadians up here (on the weigh-in stage),” said Johnston, who is now leading the 2018 FLW Tour Angler of the Year standings after posting two strong finishes to open the FLW Tour season. “We’re buddies. We’re going to go home happy and back to some snow and ice. It’s a vacation down here, coming to Florida, and for us to finish one and two, what more could you ask for?”

Johnston’s first stop on Sunday was a 12-foot-deep, 100-yard indentation along a weed edge on Lake Harris. A key location for him this week, Johnston used a jerkbait and ½-ounce gold-colored lipless crankbait to lure fish feeding around a shad spawn.

“I went there first thing in the morning, but was a little nervous because the bite was getting shorter each day I visited it,” said Johnston. “I couldn’t catch them there reeling. I’d let the crankbait go to the bottom and then yo-yo it to make it look like a dying shad. I’d do that after they quit chasing the jerkbait.”

Johnston weighed a tournament-best 25 pounds, 7 ounces, from the area Friday, but could only catch one useful fish Sunday – a 3-pounder.

“I moved on to my secondary area, which was near Gussy (Gustafson),” said Johnston. “It was another hydrilla flat, about a mile from the takeoff ramp. Those fish were on top, so I switched to a (white) vibrating jig with a Jackall Rhythm Wave swimbait and casted over it.”

Johnston said he hit a small flurry, but ultimately decided to leave and try other areas. After two hours with no bites, he returned to the flat and was able to cap off his limit.

“I stopped a ways out from where I’d hit the first flurry, and just as I put the trolling motor down I saw a big swirl about 50 yards away,” said Johnston. “I fired my vibrating jig out, made a couple cranks and the bass knocked it like 2 feet. It was my biggest fish today – a 4 pounder. In 15 minutes I caught around 10 bass, including a couple of 3-pounders. That last flurry was what sealed the deal for me.”

The top 10 pros on the Harris Chain of Lakes finished:

1^st: Chris Johnston, Peterborough, Ontario, 20 bass, 79-6, $125,200

2^nd: Jeff Gustafson, Keewatin, Ontario, 20 bass, 77-0, $30,100

3^rd: John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., 20 bass, 75-13, $25,000

4^th: Glenn Browne, Ocala, Fla., 20 bass, 73-15, $20,000

5^th: Buddy Gross, Chickamauga, Ga., 20 bass, 69-15, $19,000

6^th: Yamamoto Baits pro Matt Greenblatt, Port St. Lucie, Fla., 20 bass, 69-1, $18,000

7^th: Tony Dumitras, Winston, Ga., 17 bass, 68-8, $17,000

8^th: Kurt Dove, Del Rio, Texas, 20 bass, 67-0, $16,000

9^th: Jared McMillan, Belle Glade, Fla., 20 bass, 66-5, $15,000

10^th: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 20 bass, 65-1, $14,000

For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.

Overall there were 47 bass weighing 141 pounds, 10 ounces, caught by the final 10 pros Sunday. The catch included nine five-bass limits.

Ryan Eckman of Okeechobee, Florida, won the Co-angler Division and $20,000 Friday with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 35 pounds even, followed by Robert Kimbrough of Vero Beach, Florida, who finished in second place with 10 bass totaling 34-14, worth $7,600.

The total purse for the FLW Tour at the Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Lowrance was more than $930,000, including $10,000 through 60th place in the Pro Division. The tournament was hosted by Lake County, Florida. The next event for FLW Tour anglers will be the FLW Tour at Lake Lanier presented by Ranger, March 8-11 in Gainesville, Georgia, hosted by Gainesville Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Television coverage of the FLW Tour at the Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Lowrance will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) April 11 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.

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 368 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 continued competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 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.

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.

Christopher Graham and Bill Granberry win 2018 Alabama Bass Trail Lay Lake

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February 26, 2018

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Christopher Graham and Bill Granberry win 2018 Alabama Bass Trail Lay Lake
by Dan O’Sullivan

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February 24, 2018 – Columbiana, Ala. – With a full field of 225 teams preparing for the first Alabama Bass Trail Southern Division event of 2018, the expectations were high for an absolute shootout. As warm, tropical rains had buffeted the Southeast for weeks prior to the event, water levels and temperatures were on the rise – hurriedly.

The double digit increase in air and water temperatures brought with it rising expectations for a good, old fashioned Coosa River Slugfest on Lay Lake. Rumors of 30-pound winning weights, and 20-pound limits being needed to cash checks were commonly heard in the week leading up to the event. There was even discussion that someone may win the event by sightfishing for bedded bass.

Then, the conditions changed. While temperatures stayed warm, the lake level began to fall in anticipation of coming storms, and with that, the conditions became tougher. But, with a field of anglers the caliber of whom compete in the Alabama Bass Trail, someone will figure out how to put together impressive performances in tough conditions.

The team of Christopher Graham and Bill Granberry – who call Lay Lake their home waters – ran a morning pattern that produced little, but made adjustments and culled up to an impressive winning weight of 22.29 pounds to claim the first trophy of the 2018 Alabama Bass Trail season. Their victory earned them the $10,000 Champion’s purse.

They did so by junkfishing. “We caught them on several baits, and every one of our fish but two came from different spots,” they said. “We used a variety of swim jigs, a lipless crankbait and even a spinnerbait, but the key was finding fish that had not yet left the prespawn mode.”

They said they spent most of the day looking for cooler temperatures. “The water temperature was in the upper 60’s in most areas and we felt like most of the fish had made their moves into the spawn early because of it,” they reported. “We went in and out of areas looking for water that was a few degrees cooler to try and target fish that were still in prespawn mode; we found just enough to win. It’s surprising, because we felt like we were a bite short, this is really cool to be standing here having won an ABT event on our home lake.”

Joe Wickoff and Radney Atchison used a different approach to win. The pair fished one area in Paint Creek, and relied on one technique to post their 20.84-pound limit to finish the day in second place and earn a $5,000 payday. “We caught 50 or 60 fish in Paint Creek,” they reported. “We caught them on Radney’s homemade Thunder Head jighead and Merthiolate Trick Worms in three feet of water; it was a really fun day of fishing.”

The Georgia based team of John Drew and Christopher Brummitt earned the Mountain Dew Big Bass award of the day with a 7.13-pound largemouth that bit a Texas Rigged swimbait around the grass. Their giant earned them the $500 Mouthain Dew Big Bass bonus.

The Top 10 Standings are below, for complete standings visit: http://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/ll-results/

PLACE	ANGLERS	WEIGHT	BIG FISH	WINNINGS
1	Christopher Graham / Bill Granberry	22.29	6.17	$10,000
2	Joe Wikoff / Radney Atchison	20.84		$5,000
3	Charlie Williams / Michael Smith	20.72	5.42	$4,000
4	Shane Horton / Brandon Horton	20.21		$3,000
5	Clint Miller / Jeramy Ray	20.19		$2,000
6	James Van Blake / Donnie Zundel	18.59		$1,500
7	Nicholas Turner / Joe Lay	18.53	5.83	$1,100
8	Charles Beach / Chuck Beach jr	18.49		$1,100
9	Billy Smith / Brian Miller	18.33		$1,100
10	Allen Yarborough / Kyle Dorsett	18.28	5.02	$1,100

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

Sam Dowey & Tommy Moak Win CATT Lake Wateree February 24,2018

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February 25, 2018

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Sam Dowey & Tommy Moak Win CATT Lake Wateree February 24,2018

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Posted February 24, 2018 Brett Collins

The bite is on at Wateree with multiple teams reporting catching numbers of bass and they’re shallow! Next CATT on Wateree is this coming Saturday March 3rd at Clearwater Cove! Look for some good bags to be brought in!

Sam Dowey & Tommy Moak brought in 5 healthy Lake Wateree bass weighing 23.18 lbs! They also weighed in the 1st BF at 6.42 lbs! With the BONUS $ added in they took home $1,165.00!

2nd Place went to Chad Rabon & Walt Almond with 5 bass weighing 21.21 lbs and they received $300.00!

Mike Ware & Bryan Holmes came in 3rd with 17.00 lbs even and collected $200.00!

That’s our top 3 teams! See you next week!

		Big	Total
Place	Team	Fish	Weight	Winnings	Points
1	Sam Dowey – Tommy Moak BONUS $ & 1st BF	6.42	23.18	$1,165.00	110
2	Chad Rabon – Walt Almond	4.84	21.21	$300.00	109
3	Mike Ware – Bryan Holmes	3.60	17.00	$200.00	107
4	Donald Wells – Paul Wells	4.72	16.98	$110.00	108
5	Butch Williams – David Ethridge	3.69	16.32	$100.00	106
6	Chad Gainey – Mack Kitchens	4.30	16.16		105
7	Chris Crawford & Austin Cromer 2nd BF	5.81	16.09	$75.00	104
8	Scott Williams – Mike Jennings	3.57	15.76		103
9	Allen Fletcher	5.58	14.73		102
10	Thomas Richmond – Joel Wilkins	3.90	13.87		101
11	Bob Weaver – Scott Floyd	3.29	13.26		100
12	Brad Petway & Brett Collins	4.56	13.03		99
13	Greg Sigmon	5.47	12.95		98
14	Craig Haven	3.38	12.79		97
15	Trent McLaughlin – Brett Neal	5.12	12.58		96
16	Ricky Brown – Dustin Snipes	2.65	6.73		95
17	Lewis Thompson – Jared Thompson	2.40	2.40		94
18	David F Canupp & David L Canupp	2.37	2.37		93
19	Jacob Norris – Jeff Norris	0.00	0.00		92
20	Steve Borton	0.00	0.00		92
21	Matt Nettles – Phillip Nettles	0.00	0.00		92
22	Chad Johnson	0.00	0.00		92
23	Wesley & Cole Jackson	0.00	0.00		92
24	Phillip Anderson – Andy lake	0.00	0.00		92
25	Mark Healon	0.00	0.00		92
	Total Entrys			$2,000.00
	BONUS $			$440.00
	Total Paid At Ramp			$1,950.00
	Wateree 2018 Spring Final Fund			$440.00
	2018 CATT Championship Fund			$50.00

	2018 Wateree Spring Final Fund Total			$855.00
	2018 CATT Championship Fund Total			$2,640.00

Chad Rabon & Walt Almond 1st BF Shane Cantley & Michael Richardson

Donald & Paul Wells Austin Cromer & Chris Crawford

David Ethridge Butch Williams

Patrick Williams & Ray Spence Win CATT Santee Cooper with 36 lbs – February 24,2018

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February 25, 2018

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Patrick Williams & Ray Spence Win CATT Santee Cooper with 36 lbs – February 24,2018

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Posted February 25, 2018 Brett Collins

Santee Cooper continues to churn out the big bass! The warm weather has the fish way ahead in their seasonal patterns and the fisherman are loving it! More great Low County bass fishing is on the way! Our next CATT Santee Cooper Qualifier is March 17th at Blacks Camp!

Patrick Williams & Ray Spence with 5 bass weighing 36.48 lbs!

Carolina Post Frame is sponsoring a $500 cash prize to the Santee Cooper Point Winners!

Marine Fuel Injection Cleaning and Calibration www.brucatofis.com

Patrick Williams & Ray Spence weigh in 5 bass wt 36.48 lbs to take 1st Place at Santee Cooper! Great job guys!

Check out the weights as Santee Cooper is showing out!

		Big	Total
Place	Team	Fish	Weight	Winnings	Points
1	Patrick Williams – Ray Spence	7.40/8.75	36.48	$2,370.00	110
2	Trip Poplin – Brian Flowers BONUS $	7.23	29.53	$1,685.00	109
3	Sean Skey – T Edmunds	6.12	26.32	$625.00	108
4	Ted Urquhart – John Ford	5.85	24.07	$525.00	107
5	Lex Costas – Xan Costas	7.02	24.03	$375.00	106
6	TJ Anderson – Shai Haley	7.23	23.73	$270.00	105
7	Jim Smoak – Jamie Galsscock	6.24	22.54	$200.00	104
8	Chris & Wyatt Scott	7.12	21.78	$170.00	103
9	Don Pendarvis – Bobby Gibbs	6.77	21.11	$150.00	102
10	Jerry Montjoy – Brett Mitchell	6.69	20.90	$130.00	101
11	Thad Driggers – Bunn Tyson	5.76	19.28		100
12	Sean & TJ Anderson	5.94	19.21		99
13	Zeke Lynam – Jason Morse	0.00	19.11		98
14	Brent Waynick – Emment McCauley	0.00	18.03		97
15	Justin Cromer – Taylor Brunson	0.00	17.67		96
16	Max Terry – Cody Brunson	0.00	17.27		95
17	Bryan & Austin Miller	0.00	17.23		94
18	David Benenhaley – Michael Cox	0.00	16.93		93
19	Johnny Player – John Gardenhire	5.00	16.92		92
20	Wesley Bilton – Kerry Bilton	7.22	16.82		91
21	Mark Hutson – Gary Elsey	0.00	16.51		90
22	Kevin Alford – Gary Pope	4.23	16.48		89
23	Will Timmons – Chase Marshall	0.00	16.42		88
24	Elvis & Brian Peagler	0.00	16.19		87
25	Bucky Deberry – Van Smith	0.00	16.12		86
26	Eric Bozeman – Max Shuman	0.00	15.85		85
27	Ryan Thompson	0.00	13.79		84
28	DJ Cox – Glenn Altman	0.00	13.54		83
29	Chad Parnell – Casey Warren	0.00	13.12		82
30	Carlton Thompkins – Joel Barfield	0.00	13.08		81
31	Freddie Gibbs – Clark Gibbs	0.00	13.02		80
32	Tim Reams – Joey Murphy	0.00	12.58		79
33	Larry Avins – Joe Avin	0.00	12.35		78
34	Robert Clarke	4.35	12.00		77
35	James McCutchen – Jamie Blackburn	0.00	11.77		76
36	Joey Timmerman – Steven Leaonard	0.00	10.44		75
37	John Johnson – Mark Cercopley	0.00	10.40		74
38	Mario & Reid Colangelo	0.00	9.93		73
39	Jamie Partee – Donnoe McCord	0.00	9.90		72
40	Grayson Cook – Mark Cook	0.00	9.25		71
41	Mack Altman – Randall Miller	0.00	0.00		70
42	Dillon Ellis – Allen Crawford	0.00	0.00		70
43	Hunter Hoffmeyer – Thomas Hoffmeyer	0.00	0.00		70
44	Horace Scott – Scott Jr	0.00	0.00		70
45	Lee Morris – Robert Ross	0.00	0.00		70
46	Ray Winans – Wendell Causey	0.00	0.00		70
47	Bo Chappell	0.00	0.00		70
48	Sany Oliver	0.00	0.00		70
49	Nelson Walker – Mark Brice	0.00	0.00		70
50	Jason Blankenship – Steve Smith	0.00	0.00		70
51	Corey Allsbrook – Rick McLean	0.00	0.00		70
52	Tracy Raines – Brent Bacman	0.00	0.00		70
53	Daniel Howell	0.00	0.00		70
	Total Entrys			$6,360.00
	BONUS $			$760.00
	Total Paid At Ramp			$6,500.00
	Santee Cooper 2018 Spring Final Fund			$525.00
	2018 CATT Championship Fund			$85.00

	2018 Santee Cooper Spring Final Fund Total			$1,535.00
	2018 CATT Championship Fund Total			$2,725.00

T Edmunds & Sean Skey with a 26 lb bag!

TJ Anderson and Shai Haley

CANADA’S JOHNSTON MAINTAINS LEAD AFTER DAY THREE OF FLW TOUR AT HARRIS CHAIN OF LAKES PRESENTED BY LOWRANCE

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February 25, 2018

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CANADA’S JOHNSTON MAINTAINS LEAD AFTER DAY THREE OF FLW TOUR AT HARRIS CHAIN OF LAKES PRESENTED BY LOWRANCE

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LEESBURG, Fla. (Feb. 24, 2018) – Canadian pro angler Chris Johnston of Peterborough, Ontario, held his lead after Day Three of the FLW Tour at the Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Lowrance after bringing a five-bass limit weighing 16 pounds, 12 ounces, to the scale. Johnston brings a slim 14-ounce advantage over second-place pro Tony Dumitras of Winston, Georgia, heading into championship Sunday when the final 10 anglers will compete for the top prize of up to $125,000.

Johnston started his day in the same area he caught the bulk of his weight Friday – a 12-foot-deep weed edge with a long indentation on Lake Harris. He said he used two baits to catch the majority of his fish – a jerkbait and a lipless crankbait.

“It started out with a bang. By 8:15 (a.m.) I pretty much had all of my weight,” said Johnston, who is seeking his first career win on the FLW Tour. “The fish were right where they were supposed to be.”

Between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., it was a different story. Johnston said he stayed on Lake Harris, but managed to catch only a few short fish in other hydrilla-filled areas.

“With 20 minutes left in the day I got into some fish and upgraded my weight by a quarter-pound,” said Johnston. “There were a lot of fish and some shad in the area, and they were chewing. I wish I’d had another half hour out there because I think I could’ve gotten a big one.”

Johnston said his game plan for Sunday will be similar to what he’s done for the past two days.

“After the morning spot I’m hoping they will be where I left them biting today,” said Johnston. “If fish aren’t in my starting spot, I’m going to be in some trouble.”

The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition at the Harris Chain of Lakes are:

1^st: Chris Johnston, Peterborough, Ontario, 15 bass, 62-0

2^nd: Tony Dumitras, Winston, Ga., 15 bass, 61-2

3^rd: Glenn Browne, Ocala, Fla., 15 bass, 58-15

4^th: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 15 bass, 57-13

5^th: Jeff Gustafson, Keewatin, Ontario, Canada, 15 bass, 55-13

6^th: Buddy Gross, Chickamauga, Ga., 15 bass, 55-6

7^th: Jared McMillan, Belle Glade, Fla., 15 bass, 55-4

8^th: Yamamoto Baits pro Matt Greenblatt, Port St. Lucie, Fla., 15 bass, 55-0

9^th: Kurt Dove, Del Rio, Texas, 15 bass, 54-15

10^th: John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., 15 bass, 54-2

Finishing 11^th through 30^th are:

11^th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 15 bass, 53-11, $12,000

12^th: Koby Kreiger, Bokeelia, Fla., 15 bass, 52-5, $12,000

13^th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 52-3, $12,000

14^th: Randy Haynes, Counce, Tenn., 15 bass, 51-13, $12,000

15^th: Yamamoto Baits pro Larry Nixon, Bee Branch, Ark., 15 bass, 49-1, $12,000

16^th: Ronald Young, Lake Wales, Fla., 15 bass, 48-14, $12,000

17^th: Shawn Murphy, Nicholasville, Ky., 15 bass, 48-5, $12,000

18^th: Braxton Setzer, Montgomery, Ala., 15 bass, 48-3, $12,000

19^th: Bob Morin, Seymour, Tenn., 14 bass, 47-14, $12,000

20^th: Boo Woods, London, Ky., 15 bass, 47-8, $12,000

21^st: Jamie Horton, Centreville, Ala., 15 bass, 44-12, $10,000

22^nd: John Devere, Berea, Ky., 15 bass, 44-11, $10,500

23^rd: Joshua Weaver, Macon, Ga., 15 bass, 44-11, $10,000

24^th: Jordan Osborne, Longview, Texas, 15 bass, 44-7, $10,000

25^th: Matt Reed, Madisonville, Texas, 15 bass, 44-0, $10,000

26^th: Johnny McCombs, Morris, Ala., 15 bass, 43-0, $10,000

27^th: Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, S.C., 15 bass, 42-12, $10,000

28^th: Josh Douglas, Isle, Minn., 15 bass, 41-4, $10,000

29^th: Greg Bohannan, Bentonville, Ark., 15 bass, 38-1, $10,000

30^th: Harry Moore, Valley, Ala., 11 bass, 35-7, $10,000

For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.

Overall there were 145 bass weighing 427 pounds, 8 ounces, caught by the 30 pros Saturday. The catch included 28 five-bass limits.

Ryan Eckman of Okeechobee, Florida, won the Co-angler Division and $20,000 Friday with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 35 pounds even, followed by Robert Kimbrough of Vero Beach, Florida, who finished in second place with 10 bass totaling 34-14, worth $7,600.

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 368 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 now 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 the Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Lowrance is more than $930,000, including $10,000 through 60th place in the Pro Division. The tournament is hosted by Lake County, Florida.

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 7 a.m. EST Sunday from the Venetian Gardens boat ramp, located at 201 E. Lake Harris Drive in Leesburg. Sunday’s final weigh-in will also be held at the Venetian Gardens, and will begin at 4 p.m.

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

Television coverage of the FLW Tour at the Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Lowrance will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) April 11 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.

CANADA’S JOHNSTON GRABS LEAD AFTER DAY TWO OF FLW TOUR AT HARRIS CHAIN OF LAKES PRESENTED BY LOWRANCE

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February 24, 2018

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CANADA’S JOHNSTON GRABS LEAD AFTER DAY TWO OF FLW TOUR AT HARRIS CHAIN OF LAKES PRESENTED BY LOWRANCE

Okeechobee’s Eckman Wins Co-angler Title, $20k

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LEESBURG, Fla. (Feb. 23, 2018) – Canadian pro Chris Johnston of Peterborough, Ontario, brought a five-bass limit weighing 25 pounds, 7 ounces, to the scale Friday to top the pro standings after Day Two of the FLW Tour at the Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Lowrance. Johnston will lead the final 30 pros into Day Three of the four-day tournament event that featured 368 of the world’s best 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.

Johnston, who vaulted into the lead after starting the day in 12^thplace, spent his Friday fishing on Lake Harris. He said he targeted bass along a stretch of main-lake hydrilla in 12 feet of water, and caught the majority of his weight by 10 a.m.

“I fished a weed edge with a 300-yard-long indentation in it,” said Johnston, the 2016 Tour Rookie of the Year who is nearing $300,000 in FLW career earnings. “The wind was blowing in and I think shad kind of got grouped up. I hit Spot Lock on my Minn Kota Ultrex and didn’t move for 2 hours or so. That’s where four of the five that I weighed in came from.”

Around 9:30 a.m., Johnston caught an 8-pound, 6-ounce kicker with a Rat-L-Trap to anchor his limit. He said he worked through the area for another hour before moving on to old water, where he caught a 4-pounder as the day came to a close.

“It’s definitely key to get them early in the hydrilla,” said Johnston. “In the afternoon they shut down. Hopefully they’re there again tomorrow.”

The top 30 pros that made first cut and will fish Saturday at the Harris Chain of Lakes are:

1^st: Chris Johnston, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, 10 bass, 45-4

2^nd: Tony Dumitras, Winston, Ga., 10 bass, 42-5

3^rd: Yamamoto Baits pro Matt Greenblatt, Port St. Lucie, Fla., 10 bass, 41-12

4^th: Glenn Browne, Ocala, Fla., 10 bass, 41-11

5^th: Ronald Young, Lake Wales, Fla., 10 bass, 40-4

6^th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 10 bass, 38-6

7^th: Koby Kreiger, Bokeelia, Fla., 10 bass, 38-1

8^th: Jamie Horton, Centreville, Ala., 10 bass, 36-14

9^th: John Devere, Berea, Ky., 10 bass, 36-9

10^th: Shawn Murphy, Nicholasville, Ky., 10 bass, 36-0

11^th: Randy Haynes, Counce, Tenn., 10 bass, 35-14

12^th: Bob Morin, Seymour, Tenn., 10 bass, 35-13

13^th: Jordan Osborne, Longview, Texas, 10 bass, 35-10

14^th: Kurt Dove, Del Rio, Texas, 10 bass, 35-9

15^th: Boo Woods, London, Ky., 10 bass, 35-8

16^th: Jeff Gustafson, Keewatin, Ontario, Canada, 35-8

17^th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 10 bass, 35-2

18^th: John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., 10 bass, 34-15

19^th: Jared McMillan, Belle Glade, Fla., 10 bass, 34-9

20^th: Harry Moore, Valley, Ala., 10 bass, 33-5

21^st: Yamamoto Baits pro Larry Nixon, Bee Branch, Ark., 10 bass, 33-4

22^nd: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 10 bass, 33-0

23^rd: Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, S.C., 10 bass, 32-4

24^th: Buddy Gross, Chickamauga, Ga., 10 bass, 31-13

25^th: Joshua Weaver, Macon, Ga., 10 bass, 31-11

26^th: Johnny McCombs, Morris, Ala., 10 bass, 31-4

27^th: Matt Reed, Madisonville, Texas, 10 bass, 31-2

28^th: Josh Douglas, Isle, Minn., 10 bass, 30-14

29^th: Greg Bohannan, Bentonville, Ark., 10 bass, 30-13

30^th: Braxton Setzer, Montgomery, Ala., 10 bass, 30-12

For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.

Jimmy Reese of Witter Springs, California, earned Friday’s $500 Simms Big Bass award in the Pro Division thanks to a 9-pound, 1-ounce largemouth.

Overall there were 873 bass weighing 2,147 pounds, 1 ounce, caught by 183 pros Friday. The catch included 160 five-bass limits.

Ryan Eckman of Okeechobee, Florida, won the Co-angler Division and $20,000 Friday with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 35 pounds even, followed by Robert Kimbrough of Vero Beach, Florida, who finished in second place with 10 bass totaling 34-14, worth $7,600.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1^st: Ryan Eckman, Okeechobee, Fla., 10 bass, 35-0, $20,000

2^nd: Robert Kimbrough, Vero Beach, Fla., 10 bass, 34-14, $7,600

3^rd: Daniel Weaver, Macon, Ga., 10 bass, 34-7, $5,050

4^th: Mark Howard, Mesquite, Texas, 10 bass, 33-4, $4,000

5^th: George Kapiton, Inverness, Fla., 10 bass, 32-5, $3,000

6^th: Fred Rigdon, Belleview, Fla., nine bass, 29-9, $2,500

7^th: Kevin Medine, Port Allen, La., 10 bass, 27-5, $2,000

8^th: J.P. Sims, Cookeville, Tenn., 10 bass, 27-2, $1,800

9^th: Glenn Day, Cumming, Ga., 10 bass, 27-0, $1,700

10^th: Brian Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, 10 bass, 26-11, $1,600

Rex Jaeger of Hamilton, Ohio, earned $250 for the Simms Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division Friday with an 8-pound, 11-ounce largemouth.

Overall there were 678 bass weighing 1,332 pounds, 7 ounces, caught by 169 co-anglers Friday. The catch included 99 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 368 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 the Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Lowrance is more than $930,000, including $10,000 through 60th place in the Pro Division. The tournament is hosted by Lake County, Florida.

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.

Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. EST each day from the Venetian Gardens boat ramp, located at 201 E. Lake Harris Drive in Leesburg. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins, Feb. 24-25, will also be held at the Venetian Gardens, beginning at 4 p.m.

Prior to the weigh-ins Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 24-25, FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at the Venetian Gardens from noon to 4 p.m. each day. The Expo is the perfect opportunity for fishing fans to meet their favorite anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.

Also for youth, the FLW Foundation’s Unified Fishing Derby will be held at the Venetian Gardens on Saturday, Feb. 24 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 1^st and 2^nd 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 the Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Lowrance will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) April 11 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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CANADA’S JOHNSTON WINS FLW TOUR AT HARRIS CHAIN OF LAKES PRESENTED BY LOWRANCE

Christopher Graham and Bill Granberry win 2018 Alabama Bass Trail Lay Lake

Sam Dowey & Tommy Moak Win CATT Lake Wateree February 24,2018

Patrick Williams & Ray Spence Win CATT Santee Cooper with 36 lbs – February 24,2018

CANADA’S JOHNSTON MAINTAINS LEAD AFTER DAY THREE OF FLW TOUR AT HARRIS CHAIN OF LAKES PRESENTED BY LOWRANCE

CANADA’S JOHNSTON GRABS LEAD AFTER DAY TWO OF FLW TOUR AT HARRIS CHAIN OF LAKES PRESENTED BY LOWRANCE

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