Month: February 2020

Alabama’s Robinson Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Martin

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date February 11, 2020
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Bonaire’s Denney Wins Co-angler Division

ALEXANDER CITY, Ala. (Feb. 10, 2020) – Boater Dusty Robinson of Eclectic, Alabama, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 13 pounds, 4 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Martin in Alexander City, Alabama. For his victory, Robinson earned a total of $5,686, including a $1,000 Mercury contingency award.

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“I started my day out with a spinnerbait in my hand, and I didn’t put it down throughout the entire day,” said Robinson, who earned his first career Phoenix Bass Fishing League victory. “I caught around 20 keepers all day long, fishing in the Hog Pen Slough area – around the D.A.R.E. Power Park.”

Robinson’s key lure was a 3/8-ounce purple shad-colored War Eagle Spinnerbait with a white Zoom Split Tail Trailer.

“I caught them anywhere from 6 inches to 8 feet deep,” Robinson said. “The Hog Pen Slough is a main feeder creek, about mid-river. I was targeting the blowdowns and rocky secondary points. If I didn’t get bit on the bank, I’d slow roll it all the way back to the boat.

“The bite was really hot from 9:30 to 10:30 (a.m.), then there was a lull until about 1:15 (p.m.). Then it really picked up again,” Robinson continued. “The key was definitely slowing down and being patient.

“I’ve been battling against these hammers in the Bama Division for three years now, and I’ve been one bite away from the win a couple of times. It was shocking that the weights were this low – I didn’t expect to win – but it was an awesome day and I’m glad I did.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Dusty Robinson of Eclectic, Ala., five bass, 13-4, $5,686

2^nd: Thomas Frink of Cedartown, Ga., five bass, 12-12, $2,843

3^rd: Kip Balkcom of Auburn, Ala., five bass, 12-2, $1,562

4^th: Brad Jones of Sylacauga, Ala., five bass, 12-0, $1,093

5^th: Mason Franklin of Mulga, Ala., five bass, 11-12, $898

6^th: Steven Ingram of Tallassee, Ala., five bass, 11-12, $898

7^th: Anthony Goggins of Clanton, Ala., five bass, 11-6, $742

8^th: Ken Morris of Childersburg, Ala., five bass, 11-6, $942

9^th: Robert Werner of Spanish Fort, Ala., five bass, 11-5, $625

10^th: Greg Bearden of Oxford, Ala., five bass, 11-3, $547

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Chris Rutland of Wetumpka, Alabama, brought a 4-pound, 3-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $690.

Frink took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Mark Denney of Bonaire, Georgia, won the Co-angler Division and $2,493 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 11 pounds, 2 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Mark Denney of Bonaire, Ga., five bass, 11-2, $2,493

2^nd: Lew Moore of Roanoke, Ala., five bass, 11-1, $1,517

3^rd: Andrew Fisher of Anniston, Ala., five bass, 10-8, $781

4^th: Jacob Hays of Marbury, Ala., five bass, 10-6, $547

5^th: Justin Foster of Zebulon, Ga., five bass, 10-0, $469

6^th: Jim Laster of Newnan, Ga., five bass, 9-13, $410

7^th: Scott Carpenter of Childersburg, Ala., five bass, 9-13, $410

8^th: Bill Gaston of Sylacauga, Ala., five bass, 9-10, $351

9^th: Gary Marlowe of Montgomery, Ala., five bass, 9-9, $312

10^th: Chance Hebert of Woodstock, Ga., five bass, 9-5, $273

Moore caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds even. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $345.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Martin was hosted by the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce. It was the opening event of five qualifying tournaments in the Bama division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Bama division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 8-10 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee, hosted by the Rhea Economic and Tourism Council. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine 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 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held April 30 through May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.

MLF BIG-5

Georgia’s Dover Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Tournament on Lake Keowee

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date February 11, 2020
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Gainesville’s Grizzle Wins Co-angler Division

WALHALLA, S.C. (Feb. 10, 2020) – Boater Randy Dover of Buford, Georgia, brought five to the scale Saturday totaling 15 pounds, 10 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Keowee in Seneca, South Carolina. For his victory, Dover earned a total of $5,627.

Weather was a factor for the Savannah River division anglers, as cold, snowy conditions hampered a lot of plans and strategies for competitors. Dover said that he did the majority of his damage close to Seneca, only a mile to a mile and a half from takeoff.

“The places that I caught them in practice really got stained, so I had to move out to clearer water,” said Dover, who earned his first career victory in just his third career Phoenix Bass Fishing League event. “I ended up catching them on roadbeds and ditches.”

Dover said his two key baits throughout the day were a Ned rig and a shaky-head rig.

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The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Randy Dover of Buford, Ga., five bass, 15-10, $5,627

2^nd: Tim Watson of Martin, Ga., five bass, 13-4, $2,345

3^rd: Jimmy Gooch of Jefferson, Ga., five bass, 13-4, $2,345

4^th: Jason Johnson of Dawsonville, Ga., five bass, 13-1, $1,813

5^th: Jeremy Strong of Elberton, Ga., five bass, 12-11, $1,125

6^th: Jayme Rampey of Liberty, S.C., five bass, 12-9, $1,942

7^th: Jody Holland of Clermont, Ga., five bass, 12-0, $938

8^th: Bo Price of Seneca, S.C., five bass, 11-14, $797

9^th: Russell Clark of Abbeville, S.C., five bass, 11-14, $797

10^th: Tyler Thompson of Easley, S.C., five bass, 11-11, $623

10^th: Brad Benfield of Demorest, Ga., five bass, 11-11, $623

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Rampey brought a 5-pound, 7-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $910.

For the second week in a row, boater Jason Johnson was highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $500. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Harold Grizzle of Gainesville, Georgia, won the Co-angler Division and $3,268 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 6 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Harold Grizzle of Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 17-6, $3,268

2^nd: Fisher Rodgers of Camden, S.C., five bass, 12-6, $1,407

3^rd: Sawyer Redmond of Easley, S.C., five bass, 11-5, $938

4^th: Wendell Grantham of Athens, Ga., five bass, 10-14, $656

5^th: Bruce Faulkner of Seneca, S.C., five bass, 10-10, $563

6^th: Will White of Wake Forest, N.C., five bass, 10-9, $516

7^th: Stephen McCoy of Walhalla, S.C., five bass, 10-4, $469

8^th: Chris Wilson of Easley, S.C., five bass, 10-2, $572

9^th: John Wilson of Six Mile, S.C., five bass, 9-11, $351

9^th: Wesley Wilson of Cornelia, Ga., three bass, 9-11, $351

Grizzle also caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 7 pounds, 10 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $455.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Keowee was hosted by Visit Oconee. It was the first of five qualifying events in the Savannah River Division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Savannah River Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 22-24 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia, hosted by the Gainesville Convention & Visitors Bureau. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

MLF BIG-5

Florida’s Littich Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Okeechobee

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date February 11, 2020
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Bradenton’s Hibbs Wins Co-angler Division

CLEWISTON, Fla. (Feb. 10, 2020) – Boater Thomas Littich of Cape Coral, Florida, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 23 pounds, 14 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Okeechobee in Clewiston, Florida. For his victory, Littich earned a total of $7,220, including a $2,500 FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency award.

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The tournament was the second of five events in the Gator Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps.

“I’ve fished these tournaments for six years, and this is the first time that I’ve gotten to hold one of these fancy winner trophies up,” said Littich, who was fishing in his 36^th career Bass Fishing League event. “The feeling that I got when I knew I had the win was absolutely awesome.

“I started my day up north, near the Monkey Box area, then I ended up around Observation Shoal,” Littich continued. “Those were the two main areas that I fished. I bounced to one spot about halfway down the shoal, then came back in at the end of the day.”

Littich said that he caught his fish on a variety of baits. His first bass – a 7-pounder – came on a Z-Man ChatterBait. An hour and a half later, Littich boated a 6-pounder on a black and blue-colored Yamamoto Senko. Another key bite came late in the day flipping a Gambler Burner Craw with a 3/8-ounce weight.

“The key was not getting out of my own head,” Littich went on to say. “It was a very slow bite this morning, so I had to take my time and not get worried.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Thomas Littich of Cape Coral, Fla., five bass, 23-14, $7,220

2^nd: Jerry Stalvey Jr. of Palatka, Fla., five bass, 22-15, $3,055

3^rd: Jared McMillan of Belle Glade, Fla., five bass, 19-7, $1,574

4^th: Mike Vititoe of Lakeworth, Fla., five bass, 17-3, $1,101

5^th: Mike Davis of Alachua, Fla., five bass, 17-0, $944

6^th: Alex Terescenko of West Palm Beach, Fla., five bass, 15-14, $865

7^th: Christopher Hunter of Hilliard, Fla., five bass, 15-11, $787

8^th: Garrett Thomas of Mulberry, Fla., five bass, 15-0, $708

9^th: Jared Howell of Hilliard, Fla., five bass, 14-13, $629

10^th: Cedric Perry of Cross City, Fla., five bass, 14-12, $551

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Stalvey Jr. brought an 8-pound, 13-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $695.

Littich took home an extra $2,500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Timothy Hibbs of Bradenton, Florida, won the Co-angler Division and $2,510 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 7 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Timothy Hibbs of Bradenton, Fla., five bass, 15-7, $2,510

2^nd: Moses Wilson of Clewiston, Fla., five bass, 13-13, $1,180

3^rd: Brandon Prophitt of Orlando, Fla., five bass, 12-13, $787

4^th: Bryan Ray of Lake Leelanau, Mich., five bass, 12-12, $551

5^th: Scott Farnham of Port St. Lucie, Fla., five bass, 10-5, $472

6^th: Jay McNamara of Issaquah, Wash., five bass, 9-14, $433

7^th: David Wickham of Fruitland Park, Fla., five bass, 9-13, $373

7^th: Jason Gonzalez of Loxahatchee, Fla., five bass, 9-13, $473

9^th: Joshua Tackett of Orange City, Fla., five bass, 9-9, $295

9^th: Sean Wiggins of Pinellas Park, Fla., five bass, 9-9, $295

Vidal Melendrez of Miami, Florida caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 6 pounds, 12 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $347.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Okeechobee was hosted by the Hendry County Tourism Development Council.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Gator Division presented by A.R.E. based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 22-24 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia, hosted by the Gainesville Convention & Visitors Bureau. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

BASSMASTER Elite Series/Opens

MUELLER’S FINAL-DAY AUDIBLE LEADS TO BASSMASTER ELITE SERIES WIN ON ST. JOHNS

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date February 10, 2020
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PALATKA, Fla. — Paul Mueller’s crucial decision delivered a key fish on Championship Monday that propelled the Connecticut angler to a three-day total of 47 pounds, 6 ounces and what he described as a most unlikely victory at the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at Florida’s St. Johns River.

After grinding most of the day in Trout Creek, about 25 miles downriver from Palatka, Mueller called an audible and relocated to nearby 6-Mile Creek where he had found a key stretch of pads with 25 feet of water.

Punching this thick vegetation with a craw bait rigged on a 4/0 Strike King Hack Attack hook with a 1-ounce weight yielded a 6-11 bass — the day’s largest — that dramatically changed his outcome.

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“That was the horse that brought me here, no doubt about it,” said Mueller, who earned $101,000 for his second career Elite Series victory. “A big bite is the best thing you can have on the final day. I knew I was leading, but I got off to such a bad start, throughout the entire day, I didn’t think I had enough.

“All day long, I never felt like I had a shot. It wasn’t easy today, but when it’s God’s will, everything works out.”

Mueller kept himself in contention throughout the event by remaining consistent. He placed second on Day 1 with 20-8 and took over the lead a day later by adding 16-2.

During Monday’s final round, Mueller fell short of a limit by one fish, but four bass that weighed 10-12 were enough to deliver the win by a 3-2 margin.

All three days, Mueller punched pads when he found sufficient water for prespawn staging fish to move into the cover. His punching bite consistently improved later in the day, as the week’s tide schedule brought higher water to the relatively shallow pads in the afternoon.

With wind advisories from the National Weather Service postponing the tournament’s official start by two days, B.A.S.S. officials shortened the event to three days total instead of four. The final day’s shorter schedule afforded Mueller a smaller window of the rising tide, so moving to the deep spot in 6-Mile Creek allowed him his shot at a big bass suspending beneath the cover.

He also caught fish on a 1/2-ounce green pumpkin Strike King Hack Attack swim jig with a junebug color Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craw trailer.

Mueller, who finished 62nd at last year’s St. Johns Elite tournament, said he was pleased to fare better this time — particularly considering the significant difference between the mostly shallow Florida fishery and the deep, clear waters he considers his specialty.

“I don’t feel like this is a place that sets up to fish my strength,” Mueller said. “When I looked at this year’s schedule, there were tournaments where I said ‘I may have a chance to win that,’ and then there were tournaments where I thought: ‘Man, I just hope I have a good finish.’ This was one of them.

“This is not my style of fishing, so it’s amazing that I caught enough weight to win here.”

John Crews of Salem, Va., rose four spots to finish second with 44-4. Crews caught 16-13 on Day 1, 15-5 on Day 2 and finished with 12-2 on Monday. He earned $25,000.

Crews, who placed fifth at last year’s St. Johns event, caught his fish on a 1/2-ounce Z-Man Jackhammer ChatterBait trailed with a 3.5-inch Missile Baits Shockwave swimbait and a new Missile Baits Quiver worm, which he used on a drop-shot rig and wacky style. He anchored his day with a 4-13.

“Today, I could hardly get bit on anything slow; everything was on the reaction bait,” Crews said. “I used a bluegill-colored ChatterBait when it was cloudy, and then I switched over to a black and blue. I used a shrapnel-colored trailer — it’s kind of a bluegill color — with both.”

Day 1 leader Kelley Jaye of Dadeville, Ala., slipped a couple of spots to finish third with 41-10. With daily weights of 21-7, 14-3 and 6-0, Jaye earned $21,000.

The jerkbait guru mostly stuck with his signature technique, catching the majority of his fish on a Berkley Skinny Cutter. He also caught a Day 3 keeper on a Texas-rigged Berkley MaxScent General stickworm.

“Where I was fishing was like 6 to 7 feet when the water was up during practice, but it dropped down to 4 feet during the tournament,” Jaye said. “That Skinny Cutter doesn’t go very deep so it allowed me to keep off the bottom.”

Kyle Welcher of Opelika, Ala., earned $1,000 for Phoenix Big Bass of the week with his 10-1 largemouth.

Mueller also took home $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and John Crews took home $2.000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

2020 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River 2/8-2/11
St. Johns River, Palatka FL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3

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

1. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 14 47-06 100 $101,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 16-02 Day 3: 4 10-12
2. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 15 44-04 99 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 15-05 Day 3: 5 12-02
3. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 15 41-10 98 $21,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-07 Day 2: 5 14-03 Day 3: 5 06-00
4. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 15 41-06 97 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 5 14-12 Day 3: 5 16-00
5. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 14 41-01 96 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 5 16-03 Day 3: 4 08-02
6. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 15 40-09 95 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-14 Day 2: 5 12-06 Day 3: 5 10-05
7. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 15 40-01 94 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 10-12 Day 3: 5 13-03
8. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 14 39-11 93 $17,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 20-12 Day 3: 4 07-02
9. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 15 39-09 92 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 16-11 Day 3: 5 11-13
10. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 15 38-13 91 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-09 Day 2: 5 22-15 Day 3: 5 06-05

11. Buddy Gross            Chickamauga, GA         12  36-10   90  $12,000.00
  Day 1: 5   15-05     Day 2: 5   15-14     Day 3: 2   05-07   
12. Harvey Horne           Bella Vista, AR         14  36-00   89  $12,000.00
  Day 1: 4   08-07     Day 2: 5   17-08     Day 3: 5   10-01   
13. Robbie Latuso          Gonzales, LA            15  35-11   88  $12,000.00
  Day 1: 5   17-05     Day 2: 5   08-08     Day 3: 5   09-14   
14. Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY             15  34-14   87  $12,000.00
  Day 1: 5   07-14     Day 2: 5   18-05     Day 3: 5   08-11   
15. Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID            15  34-13   86  $12,000.00
  Day 1: 5   10-05     Day 2: 5   15-06     Day 3: 5   09-02   
16. Clark Wendlandt        Leander, TX             11  33-10   85  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   20-00     Day 2: 4   08-03     Day 3: 2   05-07   
17. Todd Auten             Lake Wylie, SC          13  32-12   84  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   17-11     Day 2: 5   09-09     Day 3: 3   05-08   
18. Drew Cook              Midway, FL              13  32-06   83  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   09-10     Day 2: 5   17-14     Day 3: 3   04-14   
19. Jay Yelas              Lincoln City, OR        13  32-02   82  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   13-15     Day 2: 5   14-01     Day 3: 3   04-02   
20. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL               8  27-14   81  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   19-00     Day 2: 3   08-14     Day 3: 0   00-00

———————————————————————-

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 09-02 $0.00
2 Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 10-01 $0.00
3 Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 06-11 $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 10-01 $1,000.00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 44 322 762-08
2 47 332 831-07
3 11 80 164-14
———————————-
102 734 1758-13

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King Kat Uncategorized

PAGE, PAGE, AND SUMMERS WIN CABELA’S KING KAT TOURNAMENT ON SANTEE COOPER

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date February 10, 2020
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February 10, 2020 – Catfish anglers from nine states traveled to Santee Cooper for a King Kat Tournament Trail event presented by Bass Pro Shops Cabela’s. Forty-eight teams gathered at Cross, SC to test their catfishing skills against other anglers and Mother Nature.

Anglers fishing the February 7, 2020 event were vying for $11,750 in cash and prizes, and an opportunity to qualify for the $120,000 Classic Championship to be held October 30 – 31, 2020 on Milford Lake in Milford, KS.

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Tournament day followed a late winter storm that produced torrential rainfall and winds greater than 40 miles per hour. Still, most anglers who were there ventured out the day before for some prefishing before the Captains Meeting on Friday night. Though none admitted to good catches, there was a feeling of optimism in the air. Almost everyone reported good quantiles of bait and the stage was set for tournament day.

When the time came for lines-in at 6:30 the winds had fallen to 2 miles per hour blowing from the NNW. Santee Cooper was flat. Too flat in fact, for most catfish tournament anglers. Winds increased as the day went on and clouds rolled in to make for a cool weigh-in in the 40’s. Santee Cooper produced another outstanding weigh-in at Black’s Camp and Restaurant.

Results for the Top Catfish Teams

The top spot at Santee Cooper went to Jim Page, Rick Page, and Alex Summer from Newberry and Clinton SC. Their limit of 5 fish weighed 157.2 pounds and included big fish of the tournament at 60 pounds. They earned a check for $4,400 and added $960 for Big Kat.

The team fished the King Kat on Santee last year and finished 3^rd with 111 pounds just out of first by 8 pounds. They had trouble finding their unders last year and it cost them the tournament. So, they come in this year knowing that they would have to find some good unders to have a shot.

“I came down to Santee and prefished the weekend before the tournament,” reported Jim. “We found some good overs with 5 or 6 fish in the 40- and 50-pound range. The big fish were holding tight to structure in around 20 feet of water with small schools of baitfish.”

He also found some good unders in the 17- to 20-pound range hanging out under big schools of bait in about 25-30 feet of water. They found that if they went any deeper the fish seemed to get smaller so they had the info they needed to make a strategy.

“I left last weekend with a good game plan,” continued Jim. “The plan was to come back the following Friday to prefish one more day before the tournament. The weather had different plans as 30 mph winds and torrential rains kept us off the water. We came back on Friday evening for the captains meeting and decided to stick with the game plan I had established from the weekend before.”

Jim felt like the fish were not pressured too much from the weather conditions and should still be in about the same pattern if the bait hadn’t moved. So, they fished the lower end of Lake Moultrie targeting ditches and humps. They used gizzard shad from Midlands Outdoors, LLC as bait.

“Tournament morning held to our expectations,” recalled Jim. “We marked some good fish staged up around structure and baitfish in 20 feet of water. We anchored up on them and the first rod down was the big fish of the tournament. He hit hard pulling drag around 6:45 am. When we landed the fish, we knew he would at least be in the 50- pound class.”

Their heavy scales were not working so they put the big fish on a backup set that only went to 50 pounds. It would go up to 50 and then say fail. So, they didn’t know exactly how much the big fish weighed until they got to the scales. They caught several more fish in the high 20’s and low 30-pound class.

“We culled close to 120 pounds for being over the 36-inch rule,” reported Jim. “We culled a 26, 28, 29, and a 32. We kept a 35 for our second over. We bounced around the same area targeting fish holding tight to structure until around lunchtime. We only had 3 keepers in the boat, the 60, a 35, and a 21-pound under.

Knowing there was a good bite with all the water flowing through the lake from the heavy rains and wind the team needed two more good unders to have a chance at the win. They made the hard decision to leave biting fish to go find the unders they needed.

“We made a run across the lake close to Pinopolis,” explained Jim. “I had caught decent unders there before by drifting in deeper water under the big bait schools. We marked some fish holding all along a ledge in about 30 feet under huge bait schools. We made about a two-hour drift but only picked up one fish. It was a perfect size under at 35 1/2 inches and weighing 24 pounds.”

With only 4 weighable fish at 2 pm, they had to make another move. They decided to go back across the lake and see if they could target smaller fish that may have moved into the area they fished in the morning.

“I marked a good group of smaller cats,” reported Jim. “They were holding in a small ditch between Bonneau and Russellville in about 25 feet of water. We anchored up on them around 2:30 and downsized all our baits. We caught our last under of 18 pounds at 2:55 pm. Talk about coming down to the wire!”

“The good Lord looked out for us today, putting us on a solid bite,” concluded Jim. “We caught around 280 pounds of fish with 120 pounds going back over the side as culls. We had a blast fishing with some of the top teams in the country and look forward to the next one.

I would like to think Cabela’s King Kat and Kevin Davis from Blacks Camp for putting on an awesome tournament. Santee is a great fishery for any size catfish from eaters to trophy-class fish up in the triple-digit range. I encourage anyone wanting the chance to hook into a fish of a lifetime to give it a try or book a trip with many of the great guides this lake has to offer.”

The runner up spot went to James Wesney from Somerset, OH and Craig Shirey from Baltimore, OH. They teamed up to put 142.2 pounds of Santee Cooper cats in the boat and earned a check for $2,200.

Wesney and Shirey didn’t get to the lake until Friday. All their prefishing was done on a map and the rest of the time was used to get bait.

SHOP – THE NATIONAL ANGLER

“We had one spot that we fished last year which was our first time on the lake,” recalled Shirey. “We also picked out two other spots we wanted to fish. We started on a shallow spot which did not pay off after two hours. So, we moved to the area we fished the previous year and had no bites after thirty minutes. So, off we go again to spot number three.”

It was third time charms for the OH team. The spot they picked from the map started producing fish right away. They caught about 15 fish on the day.

“We started catching fish,” concluded Shirey. “At one time we had a 43, 47 and a 20-pound fish on at the same time. It was about forty feet of water using fresh cut shad. I really thought we had the win because we crushed last year’s weight. But with just a couple of boats left to weigh we got bumped by a huge weight. We are still happy with the results, especially for only being the second time fishing on the lake.”

Finishing in third place was David Kingsmore from Prosperity, SC and Mark Coburn from Conway, SC. Kingsmore and Coburn brought in a weight of 132.7 pounds to earn a check for $1,600.

This is the first year that Coburn has fished a Cabela’s King Kat USA event. He teamed up with David Kingsmore, a former Crappie USA National. It was the first time for the pair to fish together. They prefished separately in order to cover more water and make a plan of attack for the tournament.

“Through our prefishing we were able to quickly determine that the 23- to 28-foot depth seemed to be key in finding the best numbers of fish,” reported Coburn. “We decided to go ‘all in’ at that depth. With the wind blowing directly into the Bonneau area of Lake

Moultrie, we decided to head that way where we made a long drift from north to south with ‘lines-in’ beginning at 6:30.”

The team focused their drift in a heavily contoured area with the water depth that they determined in prefishing. That first drift produced nothing.

“Once the winds subsided, we moved,” stated Coburn. “We went a little further north to drift a flat area in 26 feet of water that David had found. In a span of 90 minutes, we had boated 16 fish. Fourteen of them were under fish. We kept our best three for about 66 pounds.”

“When the wind stopped the bite turned on,” confirmed Kingsmore. “After that, we caught a lot of fish.”

The team had 2 small overs at 11:30 am. They decided to use the next 4 hours to focus on nothing but overs.

“We moved to deeper water for the next several hours,” continued Coburn. “We only managed to increase our overs to a 38- and a 28-pound fish. In the end, it was luck and the focus on the unders that gave us a shot. David is an extremely talented angler. His extensive tournament experience and ability to formulate a plan was the key. It gave us an opportunity to compete in the field of elite anglers that Cabela’s is able to produce.”

“I feel I am an extremely blessed individual,” concluded Coburn. “I have gained acceptance and friendships from many in the Catfish world through my years behind the

camera. Now as a weighmaster and tournament promoter, I am able to take part in some of these wonderful events. There’s no better place to do it than Santee Cooper, SC.

Larry Mazalatis from Summerville, SC and Chuckie Ouvry from Goose Creek, SC, drifted the Rocks Pond area using perch and shad to catch 5 fish that weighed 132.2 pounds. Their efforts earned them fourth place and a check for $950.

Rounding out the top five was Wayne Estes and Alan Kerley from Statesville, NC. They drifted in the middle of lake Moultrie at various depths using cut baits to bring in a weight of 128.4 pounds and earn $600.

The Remaining Top Ten

6^th Place – Danny Chappell and Bobby Chappell—126.5 pounds

7^th Place – Jeff Outz and Kenneth Sudderth —122.9 pounds

8^th Place – Clay Henderson and Gary Morton—118.80

9^th Place – Mark Stanley and Bill Bristow—117.60

10 Place – Paul Blackwell and Tyler Lodridge—116.60

SHOP – THE NATIONAL ANGLER

Epilogue

Tournament director, Darrell Van Vactor thanked Kevin Davis and the staff at Black’s Camp for making the Santee Cooper event possible and for the hospitality shown to the anglers.

“As always, we enjoy coming to Santee Cooper,” stated Van Vactor. “I think this weekend just goes to show what kind of fishery lakes Moultrie and Marion really are.”

The 2020 Championship

This year’s Cabela’s King Kat Classic Championship will be held October 30 – 31, 2020 on Milford Lake in Milford, KS. The Classic features a guaranteed payout of $120,000 in cash and prizes. The points race is set to pay $30,000 to the top 20 places based on the competitor’s top five finishes.

Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

CHRIS LANE LEAPS AHEAD IN MLF BASS PRO TOUR SEASON OPENER

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date February 7, 2020
No Comments on CHRIS LANE LEAPS AHEAD IN MLF BASS PRO TOUR SEASON OPENER

February 7, 2020 (Tulsa, Okla.) Alabama resident Chris Lane finished day one of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour B&W Hitches Stage One presented by Power-Pole at the top of the SCORETRACKER® with 35-pounds, 12-ounces representing nine bass. Weather over recent days on Lake Eufuala played a factor in today’s competition as the excessive rain, wind, and lightning led to rising lake levels and muddy water conditions. Josh Bertrand finished in second with seven total bass weighing in at 26-pounds, six ounces. Brandon Coulter caught the Berkley Big Bass of the day, which weighed in at seven pounds, 14 ounces.

Chris Lane took an early lead in Period 1 by catching the first bass of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour at 8:09 a.m. local time. The Power-Pole pro had eight fish for 33 pounds, nine ounces – a more than four-pound average – at the conclusion of that first period. Despite a drought in Period 2 and only one fish in Period 3, Lane held his lead throughout the day. Included in his total were fish that weighed five pounds, 11 ounces and five pounds, 7 ounces, respectively.

“That was a great first period,” exclaimed Lane. “(In Period 3), I found an area late in the day with some clear water, and I made the mistake of not going there soon enough in the day. I look forward to getting back there (Sunday).”

32-year-old Josh Bertrand of moved from fifth place to end the day at second despite a slower start in Period 1 than others. His largest bass of the day weighed in at six pounds, 10 ounces and landed two others over four pounds. The Berkley pro who lives in Arizona didn’t know what to expect today and indicated that he hopes better weather in coming days may help hasten the pace of the game.

“We have some better weather coming so it might bust wide open,” said Bertrand, when asked about returning on Sunday to Lake Eufaula for his second Qualifying Day.

The Top Ten of Day One, Qualifying Group A finished as follows:

Place	Angler	Total Weight	Total Fish	Largest Fish
1	Chris Lane	35-12	9	5-11
2	Josh Bertrand	26-06	7	6-10
3	Todd Faircloth	25-13	6	5-08
4	Bryan Thrift	19-11	7	3-13
5	Greg Hackney	19-08	5	5-07
6	Anthony Gagliardi	19-08	4	6-04
7	Brent Ehrler	17-14	5	5-15
8	Jeff Sprague	17-08	6	3-13
9	Brandon Coulter	16-04	3	7-14
10	Mark Rose	14-08	5	3-14

For complete results, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com, Bass Pro Tour, Results.

The Qualifying Round continues Saturday with Group B, which includes Edwin Evers, 2019 Points Champion and REDCREST presented by Venmo Champion, fishing greats Kevin VanDam and Mike Iaconelli, as well as 2019 Major League Fishing (MLF) World Champion Jacob Wheeler and MLF Rookie David Dudley. The weather forecast calls for a slightly warmer day calling for a high of 57-degrees-Farenheit and scattered showers midday.

The day begins with launch 6-6:30 a.m. before lines-in at 7:00 a.m. Period 1 ends at 10:30 a.m. Period 2 spans 10:45 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. Period 3 begins at 1:30 p.m. and lasts until day’s end at 4:00 p.m. The General Tire Takeout show airs approximately 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. as anglers return to the ramp.

Fans can catch all the action every day of competition on MLFNOW! livestream on MajorLeagueFishing.com or download the MLF App for your Apple or GooglePlay device or on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).

The National Angler

FISHIN MAGICIAN TACKLE CO (FMTC) – WELL GUARDED WEST COAST TACKLE COMPANY

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date February 2, 2020
No Comments on FISHIN MAGICIAN TACKLE CO (FMTC) – WELL GUARDED WEST COAST TACKLE COMPANY

FISHIN MAGICIAN TACKLE CO (FMTC) – WELL GUARDED WEST COAST TACKLE COMPANY

FAMILY AND FISHING – THE AMERICAN FISHING DREAM

Some of you are going to love me for getting information about this company out to you. There is also going to be a group of anglers pissed at me for sharing this as well. This company is a well-known West Coast staple in the bass fishing world. Those in the know, throughout the rest of the country, try to keep this as a guarded secret.

I just recently discovered Fishin Magician Tackle Company (FMTC) on Tackle Warehouse and was immediately intrigued by the designs of the jigs and attachments. This was truly one of those innovative companies that I like to buy from. I also thought I had found a really new company. Wrong, FMTC has been a well-guarded secret since 1995. When you look closely at their tackle you will see everything is custom designed and made.

Let’s talk about the being made part; designed, developed and family made in the USA. This is a 100% family run business, and in my mind, this is truly what it’s about. These are also the exact companies that should be fully supported!!!

JIGS –

The first thing you should notice is the custom Voodoo Head jig offered by FMTC. This is a swim style jig with and open eye. That open eye is the critical piece to having a multi-faceted fishing tool. The jig ranges from 3/8 to 1 oz. and they have 4 total Voodoo attachments. 2 styles of blades, spinnerbait, and buzzbait attachments. So, with that weight range and 5 options for fishing, you have the swiss army knife of the fishing world. It’s really important to not confuse the action and design of this jig with any other bladed jig. The eyelet on this jig and it’s attachments puts this lure in its own category of lures.

Voodoo Jig & Voodoo Attachments
click the image to learn more

Now, the flippin style jigs are also custom designed and feature Gamakatsu hooks, custom shaped head with a skirt collar. The Monster Crasher, Infiltrator, and Wedding Crasher all have a unique connection point that allows the hook to swing freely and create more action in all your baits. FMTC also offers several other custom jigs to include football and underspin style swim jigs.

FMTC Wedding Crasher Weedless Swim Jig Connection

FMTC Wedding Crasher Weedless Swim Jig Shad

FLIPPIN & SWIM
click the image to learn more

SOFTBAITS –

FMTC plastics are all custom designed and made, and you will not find anything else like them. The craws feature 3 distinct designs, Crasher Craw, Crasher Craw Wide Load, and Turbo Craw along with the Wraith which looks to be a versatile powerhouse. Sizes and colors to fill the appetite of anglers and fish alike. These baits are going to be a must have to match up with the jigs produced by FMTC.

SOFT PLASTIC CRAWS & WRAITH
click the image to learn more

A-Rig –

I may not be a A-Rig user, do to living in Maryland. I see day in and day out, these things produce and are one of the most popular lures that catch fish and shared on social media. Don’t believe me? Take a look for yourself on the FMTC Instagram page below. The A-rigs have a great look and again all custom designed and made.

UMBRELLA RIGS
click the image to learn more

My FMTC lures will be part of my daily arsenal and I suggest the same for you!! The anglers who guarded this secret for so long…well sorry, word is now out and you should probably stock up before everything is gone. Be sure to head over to Tackle Warehouse to get your hands on FMTC today!

SHOP – THE NATIONAL ANGLER

SHOP – THE NATIONAL ANGLER

SHOP – THE NATIONAL ANGLER

SHOP – THE NATIONAL ANGLER

SHOP – THE NATIONAL ANGLER

SHOP – THE NATIONAL ANGLER

SHOP – THE NATIONAL ANGLER

SHOP – THE NATIONAL ANGLER

SHOP – THE NATIONAL ANGLER

FISHIN MAGICIAN TACKLE CO (FMTC) – WELL GUARDED WEST COAST TACKLE COMPANY

Voodoo Jig & Voodoo Attachmentsclick the image to learn more

FLIPPIN & SWIM click the image to learn more

SOFT PLASTIC CRAWS & WRAITHclick the image to learn more

UMBRELLA RIGSclick the image to learn more

FMTC lures sell out fast, don't hesitate and get them NOW!!!

Voodoo Jig & Voodoo Attachments
click the image to learn more

FLIPPIN & SWIM
click the image to learn more

SOFT PLASTIC CRAWS & WRAITH
click the image to learn more

UMBRELLA RIGS
click the image to learn more