Author: jcarrigan

Categories
MLF BIG-5

MICHIGAN’S GREENE AND ROSARIO TIE FOR WIN AT T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE OPENER ON LAKE ST. CLAIR

GREENE AND ROSARIO TIE FOR WIN AT T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE OPENER ON LAKE ST. CLAIR

June 24, 2019  by FLW Communications

HARRISON TOWSHIP, Mich. – Boaters Kyle Greene of Ortonville, Michigan, and Angel Rosario of Kalamazoo, Michigan, each caught five bass weighing 23 pounds, 7 ounces, to tie for the win at Saturday’s T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Michigan Division opener on Lake St. Clair. For their efforts, Greene took home $3,376 while Rosario pocketed $5,176 after contingency awards.

“I fished a jerkbait and a tube on the main lake and pretty much the entire lower half of the St. Clair River,” said Greene, who earned his second career win in BFL competition on Lake St. Clair. “I worked scattered weeds in 6 to 10 feet of water on the lake and targeted grass in similar depths on the river. I just bounced around and probably hit 20 places throughout the day.”

Greene said he used a Lucky Craft Pointer 100 jerkbait and a Fiesta Melon-colored Provider tube with a ¼-ounce jig inserted into it.

“I caught over 30 keepers. The sun was crucial – we haven’t had good sunshine for about two months,” Greene went on to say. “It helped me see a little better and positon the fish.”

Rosario said he preferred a Duo Realis Spinbait 90 spybait, and that he caught around 15 keepers throughout the day.

“I fished deeper – around 16 feet of water with a spybait for the most part,” said Rosario, who notched his first win in FLW competition. “It was a half-mile stretch on the north side of the main lake and I was targeting grass. My Humminbird electronics really helped me figure it out.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

 1st: Kyle Greene, Ortonville, Mich., five bass, 23-7, $3,376

 1st: Angel Rosario, Kalamazoo, Mich., five bass, 23-7, $3,176 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

 3rd: Tom Beale, St. Clair Shores, Mich., five bass, 22-0, $2,003

 4th: Hugh Cosculluela, The Woodlands, Texas, five bass, 21-15, $1,088

 5th: Jason Elliott, Warsaw, Ind., five bass, 21-8, $847

 6th: Jason Root, Fostoria, Ohio, five bass, 21-5, $776

 7th: Heath Wagner, Angola, Ind., five bass, 21-4, $670

 7th: Derwin Thomas, Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 21-4, $670

 9th: Matt Elkins, Spencerville, Ohio, five bass, 21-2, $529

 9th: Steve York, Bronson, Mich., five bass, 21-2, $529

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Beale caught a bass weighing 5 pounds, 13 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $590.

Craig Fanning of Elwood, Illinois, won the Co-angler Division and $2,118 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 21 pounds, 13 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

 1st: Craig Fanning, Elwood, Ill., five bass, 21-13, $2,118

 2nd: Jeffrey Thomson, Birmingham, Mich., five bass, 21-6, $1,059

 3rd: Aaron Stahley, Batavia, Ohio, five bass, 20-12, $906

 4th: Leo Reiter, Greenup, Ill., five bass, 20-6, $544

 5th: Nicholas Veselka, Fishers, Ind., five bass, 20-2, $574

 6th: Joshua Yeazel, Plymouth, Ind., five bass, 19-14, $388

 7th: Greg Medell, Grand Haven, Mich., five bass, 19-8, $353

 8th: Andy White, Canton, Mich., five bass, 19-7, $318

 9th: Edison Prendi, Fraser, Mich., five bass, 19-6, $282

 10th: Robert Keller, Chesterfield, Mich., five bass, 19-4, $247

Thomas Matual of Chicago, Illinois, caught the heaviest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 4 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $295.

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. 17-19 BFL Regional Championship on Kentucky and Barkley lake in Buchanan, Tennessee, presented by Evinrude. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard.

The 2019 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 2020 BFL All-American will be held April 30-May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina, and is hosted by Visit Anderson. 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, and YouTube.

Categories
BASSMASTER Elite Series/Opens

FINAL-DAY COMEBACK AT GUNTERSVILLE GIVES ARKANSAS’S HARTMAN FIRST ELITE SERIES VICTORY

FINAL-DAY COMEBACK AT GUNTERSVILLE GIVES ARKANSAS'S HARTMAN FIRST ELITE SERIES VICTORY

June 24, 2019, SCOTTSBORO, Ala. — Photo courtesy of BASS

When Jamie Hartman burst onto the scene with the Bassmaster Elite Series in 2017, he seemed like a virtual lock to eventually hoist one of the trail’s coveted blue winner’s trophies.

He had five Top 10s that first season — including a second- and a third-place showing — prompting many to believe he could be a true superstar in professional bass fishing.

A back ailment cut Hartman’s season short in 2018 and delayed his quest for an Elite Series win.

But it couldn’t derail it.

The New York native, who now lives in Arkansas, caught five bass Monday that weighed 23 pounds, 15 ounces and claimed his first Elite Series victory with a four-day total of 79-10 at the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville.

“It’s just a godsend to be back here on the Bassmaster Elite Series,” Hartman said. “I’m just so happy to be able to do this for a living and to finally get over the hump with a win.

“I never say this — and I really don’t even know how to describe it. But I had a creepy, creepy feeling coming into this week that I was going to win.”

Having never seen Lake Guntersville before the official practice period began Tuesday, Hartman did what most anglers would likely do — he headed straight for the lake’s famous ledges and tried to find big schools of bass deep. But he struggled deep on Day 1, bringing in only 14-13 and landing in 46th place.

That’s when he finally admitted to himself that he needed to commit to a shallow pattern he had identified along a grassy stretch of shoreline. He caught 20-10 on Day 2 and 20-4 on Day 3 to begin Championship Monday in 10th place.

“It’s the third week of June, so there was no reason not to go deep,” Hartman said. “But that bite got progressively worse every day from practice through the first day of the tournament.

“I had several schools located deep. But on that first day when we lost the wind, I lost two of those schools.”

That’s when he moved to a spot that was loaded with fish in 3 feet of water. He described it as a “simple cutout along the bank that probably wouldn’t stand out to anyone.”

He caught some of fish flipping and punching baits through thick grass. But he did all of his damage Monday with an unspecified bone-colored walking topwater lure.

He had more than 18 pounds by 7:30 a.m. and continued culling up throughout the day. His biggest fish — a largemouth that weighed 6-7 — came around 1 p.m.

“The wind made that spot better today — and the cloudy conditions,” Hartman said. “I felt going out like there was a chance they would be stacked in there, and they were stacked.

“To come from behind in a tournament like this — and to catch all of the fish on top — it just doesn’t get much better than that.”

Hartman outscored Texas pro Chris Zaldain and Matt Arey who both weighed in 79-4, by 6 ounces. Louisiana pro Caleb Sumrall brought 77-10 to the scales to finish fourth.

A major storm rolled through Scottsboro just as Hartman was handed the trophy — and in the chaos of 40 mph winds, he wasn’t sure of even the smallest details.

He just knew he won.

“I don’t know if I won by an ounce or 10 ounces,” he said. “And it really doesn’t matter.”

Florida angler Bernie Schultz earned $1,500 for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the week with a 7-0 largemouth he caught on Day 1. Another Florida pro, Drew Cook, took the lead in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings and the DICK’S Sporting Goods Rookie of the Year race.

Hartman won the Toyota Bonus Bucks prize of $3,000 for being the highest-finishing eligible angler, and Sumrall collected $2,000 on Toyota Bonus Bucks for finishing second-highest.

Categories
BASSMASTER Elite Series/Opens

MUELLER FLEXES HIS MUSCLES ON LAKE GUNTERSVILLE AGAIN, TAKE DAY 1 ELITE SERIES LEAD

June 21, 2019, SCOTTSBORO, Ala. — Photo courtesy of BASS

More than half the field caught at least 16 pounds of bass during Friday’s opening round of the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville, and 14 anglers topped the coveted 20-pound mark.

Meanwhile, Connecticut pro Paul Mueller showed once again why Guntersville is one of his favorite lakes in the United States.

Mueller, who finished second in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods on Guntersville, took Friday’s opening-round lead on the famed fishery with five bass that weighed 22 pounds, 14 ounces.

“I didn’t really see this coming because I didn’t catch a lot of big fish in practice,” Mueller said. “The fish aren’t doing what they should for this time of year, so it’s been mentally exhausting trying to figure them out.

“But you only need five — and I’m glad I was able to put something together.”

Mueller’s first claim to fame in the big leagues of bass fishing came when he had a whopping catch of 32-3 on the second day of the 2014 Classic. That was a February event, and Mueller — who had qualified for that Classic through the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship for grass-roots anglers — was quick to point out that none of that strategy played into his success Friday, when temperatures rose to the low 90s.

Despite his heavy weight, he said Friday was anything but easy — and BASSTrakk statistics backed up that claim. The five bass he weighed were caught at 7:25 a.m., 8:09 a.m., 11:02 a.m., 1:59 p.m. and 2:07 p.m.

The weigh-in began at Goose Pond Colony at 2:15 p.m.

“For a while there, I was just worried about getting a limit,” said Mueller, who earned his first Elite Series victory earlier this season at Lake Lanier. “Then I kind of put it together late.”

Mueller attributed his late-afternoon success to a slight change in technique.

“I downsized a little bit,” he said. “I caught them on a 10-inch Reins Bubbling Shaker in the morning on a Magnum Shaky Head. Then I switched over to a 7-inch Bubbling Shaker on a drop-shot rig.

“I spent the last part of the afternoon using a spinning reel.”

Mueller will enter Saturday’s second round with just a 4-ounce lead over North Carolina pro Matt Arey, who weighed in 22-10.

Arey was less specific about how he caught bass than Mueller, but he said Lake Guntersville’s famous summer boat traffic — which always increases greatly on Saturdays — could play a role in how he does on Day 2.

“What I did today is definitely repeatable,” Arey said. “In a perfect world — if I could get out there and rotate through my places without company — absolutely I could do it again. But on a lake that gets this much pressure, we all know that’s not going to happen.”

The only other pro who reached the 22-pound mark Friday was Brandon Lester. The Fayetteville, Tenn., angler, who has extensive experience on Guntersville, caught 22-0 and rests just 14 ounces out of the lead.

“I’m not gonna call this my home lake, but it’s probably as close to home as I’ll ever get to fish in an Elite Series tournament,” Lester said. “I’ve got quite a bit of experience here — and to my surprise, I was able to get on pretty much everything I wanted to fish today.”

Lester said he’s fishing offshore — and even with more boat traffic Saturday, he’s confident he’ll be able to reach at least some of the areas where he was successful Friday.

“The one spot where I caught most of my fish is a really big spot,” Lester said. “There are five or six little sweet spots on it, and there’s not likely to be a boat on every single one of them.

“But I will say — from past experience on this lake — when the boat traffic increases, it really affects these fish. So, who knows what will happen tomorrow?”

Veteran Florida pro Bernie Schultz took the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass with a largemouth that weighed 7-0.

The tournament will resume Saturday with takeoff from Goose Pond Colony at 6 a.m. CT The weigh-in will be held back at Goose Pond at 2:15 p.m., with only the Top 35 anglers advancing to Sunday’s semifinal round.

B.A.S.S. Nation members, Bassmaster High School anglers and dozens of other volunteers will fan out across the Lake Guntersville shoreline to take part in the B.A.S.S. Nation Cleanup project, which will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday. Other volunteers wanting to help out in the cleanup are welcome to participate.

While competition is underway, the Miracle Mile Festival at Goose Pond will feature live entertainment, prize giveaways, food vendors and more. The Festival begins at 11 a.m. The Mercury Concert Series will provide live music prior to the weigh-in.

Categories
The National Angler

FIRST LOOK – 13 FISHING 2019 ICAST SOFT PLASTIC PREVIEW

The groundbreaking 13 Fishing release of a new soft plastic lure line is sure to draw some attention at the 2019 ICAST show in July. 13 Fishing has truly designed a unique line of technical soft plastics that is sure to be a hit across the bass fishing world. The designs are a first of their kind and the action will draw some of the biggest strikes from bass from coast to coast. The names are also truly unique and I’m sure there is a story behind each one of them. Coming in an assortment of colors, I would put money on the new 13 Fishing soft plastic line being one of the biggest hits at ICAST 2019.

In case you haven’t seen these on Instagram yet, I put this together to share with everyone. Scroll down through the previews of each lure and see what I’m talking about. These lures will be officially released at ICAST this year but at the bottom, you will find a link to the tackle shop that will be the first to carry them and is offering a pre-sale.

Below you will see the exact preview video’s that were first shared by 13 fishing and get a sneak peak at the action of the new lures. I will save the best for last, as that new design has some serious action and I have a unique way of rigging that I can’t wait to show you.

JEFF

NINJA CRAW

CHURRO

VERTIGO MINNOW

BLUNT FORCE FINESSE “BFF”

INVADER

WOBBLE CRAW

THE JERK

This is the new lure that I have a specific rigging technique that I can’t wait to try out on this lure and it is sure to be on fire this summer. You will have to check back to see what I’m talking about!!!

THE NINJA WORM

BIG SQUIRM

I haven’t seen a preview video’s for these two and the Ninja Worm is available for pre-sale along with several others on www.tackledirect.com so make sure you head over and check them out. I will update the videos when they are available.

What lure do you think will be the best and share your opinion on the new 13 FISHING soft plastic line of lures.

Categories
MLF BIG-5

ILLINOIS’ SAMO WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE TOURNAMENT ON WOLF RIVER CHAIN OF LAKES

June 17, 2019  by FLW Communications

WINNECONNE, Wis. – Boater Curtis Samo of Rochelle, Illinois, won Saturday’s T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Great Lakes Division tournament on the Wolf River Chain of Lakes with five bass weighing 15 pounds even. For his win, Samo took home $5,794.

According to post-tournament reports, Samo caught his fish flipping Chompers tubes and running buzzbaits on Lake Winneconne.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

 1st: Curtis Samo, Rochelle, Ill., five bass, 15-0, $3,794 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

 2nd: Joe Pollak, Lake Geneva, Wis., five bass, 14-6, $2,097

 3rd: Kyler Chelminiak, Franklin, Wis., five bass, 13-4, $1,565

 4th: Clayton Reitz, Morton, Ill., five bass, 13-3, $885

 5th: Jason Skutt, Menomonie, Wis., five bass, 12-10, $759

 6th: Brian Fitzpatrick, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 12-9, $696

 7th: Jeff Ritter, Prairie du Chien, Wis., five bass, 12-5, $982

 8th: Chris Aswegan, Tiffin, Iowa, five bass, 12-3, $537

 8th: William Schultz, Viroqua, Wis., five bass, 12-3, $537

 10th: Dylan Drephal, Black Creek, Wis., five bass, 12-1, $593

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Mike Feldermann of Galena, Illinois, caught a bass weighing 4 pounds, 2 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $495.

Mike Puterbaugh of Montello, Wisconsin, and Joe Rockey of Schaumburg, Illinois, each caught 13 pounds, 4 ounces, worth of bass Saturday to tie for the win in the Co-angler Division. For their efforts, each angler took home $1,423.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

 1st: Mike Puterbaugh, Montello, Wis., five bass, 13-4, $1,423

 1st: Joe Rockey, Schaumburg, Ill., five bass, 13-4, $1,423

 3rd: Josh Yonak, Big Lake, Minn., five bass, 12-0, $983

 4th: Rick Ragner, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 11-8, $443

 5th: Andy Heisler, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 11-6, $379

 6th: Alan Bernicky, Joliet, Ill., five bass, 10-14, $498

 7th: Tom Lyskawka, Arlington Heights, Ill., four bass, 10-9, $316

 8th: Gage Griffin, Lake Forest, Ill., five bass, 10-1, $285

 9th: Andrew Hegerty, Colgate, Wis., five bass, 9-14, $253

 10th: Brad Bernau, Caledonia, Minn., five bass, 9-13, $221

Josh Mohn of Lansing, Iowa, caught the heaviest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 3 pounds, 10 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $247.

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. 17-19 BFL Regional Championship on Kentucky and Barkley lakes in Buchanan, Tennessee, presented by Evinrude. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard.

The 2019 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 2020 BFL All-American will be held April 30-May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina, and is hosted by Visit Anderson. 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, and YouTube.

Categories
MLF BIG-5

NEW JERSEY’S SENTORE WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE TOURNAMENT ON CHESAPEAKE BAY

June 17, 2019  by FLW Communications – Photo courtesy of FLW

NORTH EAST, Md. – Boater Michael Sentore of Gloucester City, New Jersey, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Northeast Division tournament on the Chesapeake Bay Saturday with a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds even. For his finish, Sentore netted $3,362.

Sentore said he stayed in the North East River and Furnace Bay during the tournament, and caught all of his fish flipping a ½-ounce, green-pumpkin-colored Riot Baits Minima Jig with a Riot Baits Tantrum trailer of the same color.

“The Chesapeake Bay has been getting a lot of pressure, and by using a bait with a smaller profile, but still on 20-pound-test [Bass Pro Shops 100-percent fluorocarbon] line, it allowed me to get some bites behind other boaters,” said Sentore, who earned his first win FLW competition. “I was basically flipping laydowns and dock pilings. I caught them throughout the day – I’d get handful of bites each hour.”

Sentore said he caught around nine keepers and about 10 short fish on the day.

“I’d say high-tide in Furnace Bay was the best for flipping laydowns,” said Sentore. “In Furnace Bay there are essentially two sides – the Mill Creek side and the rest of Furnace Bay. The Mill Creek shoreline laydowns produced a handful of my keeper fish. And I got a couple of keeper bites on the lower water – the North East river. When the water was low and off the banks there was fish on the dock pilings. That kind of broke my day up.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

 1st: Michael Sentore, Gloucester City, N.J., five bass, 19-0, $3,632

 2nd: Travis Manson, Conshohocken, Pa., five bass, 17-13, $2,016

 3rd: Rick McFaul, Phoenix, Md., five bass, 16-2, $1,310

 4th: Luke Shrader, Barrington, N.J., five bass, 16-0, $847

 5th: Jonathan Dietz, Corry, Pa., five bass, 15-6, $726

 6th: Sheron Brown, Leominster, Mass., five bass, 15-2, $666

 7th: John Vanore, Mullica Hill, N.J., five bass, 12-8, $855

 8th: John Hauserman, Towson, Md., five bass, 12-7, $545

 9th: Robert Bidniuk, Chambersburg, Pa., three bass, 11-14, $949

 10th: Ronald Tracy, Marlton, N.J., five bass, 11-12, $424

Ron Tracy, the founder of Bass Fishing Network Live, is all smiles after his 10th place finish.
Make sure to go check out his Facebook group Bass Fishing Network Live

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Bidniuk caught a bass weighing 6 pounds, 5 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $465.

Chris Herr of Denver, Pennsylvania, won the Co-angler Division and $1,816 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 14 pounds, 8 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

 1st: Chris Herr, Denver, Pa., five bass, 14-8, $1,816

 2nd: Daniel Fiori, Voorhees, N.J., five bass, 13-6, $908

 3rd: Chad Dorney, Macungie, Pa., four bass, 10-0, $606

 4th: Scott Gropp, Trenton, N.J., four bass, 9-12, $524

 5th: John Chacosky, Media, Pa., four bass, 8-8, $548

 5th: Christopher Trovinger, Smithsburg, Md., three bass, 8-8, $348

 7th: Michael Bahnweg, Union Dale, Pa., three bass, 8-1, $403

 8th: Bill Klaips, Shavertown, Pa., two bass, 6-13, $272

 9th: Dylan Martin, Narvon, Pa., two bass, 6-12, $242

 10th: C.J. Tuite, Succasunna, N.J., two bass, 6-3, $212

Matthew Gaeng of Greeley, Pennsylvania, caught the heaviest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 5 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $232.

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. 17-19 BFL Regional Championship on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard.

The 2019 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 2020 BFL All-American will be held April 30-May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina, and is hosted by Visit Anderson. 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, and YouTube.

Categories
MLF BIG-5

KENTUCKY’S ROBERTSON WINS TWO T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE TOURNAMENTS ON KENTUCKY LAKE IN SAME WEEKEND

June 17, 2019  by FLW Communications

BUCHANAN, Tenn. – Boater Matt Robertson of Kuttawa, Kentucky, swept the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) LBL Division this weekend after winning back-to-back tournaments on Kentucky and Barkley lakes presented by Navionics, the first on Saturday and then again on Sunday. For his wins, Robertson earned a total of $7,842.

“I was fishing the mid-section of Kentucky Lake – from the Blood River to the Highway 68 Bridge,” said Robertson, who earned his first two wins in FLW competition. “I didn’t catch a whole lot of fish Saturday – probably seven keepers. The high water had the schools busted up.”

Robertson said his key baits Saturday were a Blue and Chartreuse-colored Strike King 5XD crankbait and an Ole Smokey- or Natural Light-colored Scottsboro Tackle swimbait. His rod setup included a Lew’s 7-foot, 6-inch Custom Pro Mark Rose Ledge Casting rod with a Lew’s Wide Spool Super Duty Casting reel.

“I was just fishing points at the mouths of the bays, where the fish would come to after they spawned,” said Robertson. “I think the lake is about a month behind, and a lot of them are just now getting done.”

On Sunday, Robertson said he returned to a couple of spots he’d fished Saturday, but they didn’t produce. He went searching and found a couple of small schools around the mouth of Jonathan Creek. He again fished the Scottsboro Tackle swimbaits, but said he caught the majority of his fish on a Texas-rigged, green-pumpkin-colored Strike King KVD Perfect Plastic Bullworm. Robertson said he caught around 10 keepers Sunday.

“My fish were all largemouth this weekend,” said Robertson. “I just had to keep an open mind and not get too stuck on where I’d been catching them. The fish are moving a lot with the rising water.”

The top 5 boaters Saturday finished the tournament in:

 1st: Matt Robertson, Kuttawa, Ky., five bass, 21-12, $4,046

 2nd: Drew Boggs, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 20-11, $2,098

 3rd: Bill Schroeder III, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 19-6, $949

 4th: Michael Wasden, Paris, Tenn., five bass, 17-14, $664

 5th: Daniel Langton, Haubstadt, Ind., five bass, 17-7, $569

Andrew Matuszak of Washington, Indiana, won the Co-angler Division and $1,523 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 15 pounds, 7 ounces.

The top 5 co-anglers Saturday finished the tournament in:

 1st: Andrew Matuszak , Washington, Ind., five bass, 15-7, $1,523

 2nd: Shane Cansler, Crofton, Ky., three bass, 14-0, $923

 3rd: Bobby Wade, Mayfield, Ky., two bass, 9-8, $475

 4th: Jerry Ivy, Dawson Springs, Ky., three bass, 9-3, $332

 5th: Charles Richardson III, Dyersburg, Tenn., two bass, 9-0, $285

Complete results and Big Bass award winners from Saturday’s BFL event can be found at FLWFishing.com.

The top 5 boaters Sunday finished the tournament:

 1st: Matt Robertson, Kuttawa, Ky., five bass, 21-8, $3,796

 2nd: Hunter Louden, Springville, Tenn., five bass, 20-6, $1,668

 3rd: Kevin Caskey, Madisonville, Ky., five bass, 16-12, $864

 4th: Brad Baldwin, Waynesville, Ohio, five bass, 16-6, $606

 5th: Bob Drake, Noblesville, Ind., five bass, 15-4, $769

Bobby Wade of Mayfield, Kentucky, won the Co-angler Division and $1,298 Sunday after catching three bass weighing 10 pounds, 4 ounces.

The top 5 co-anglers Sunday finished the tournament:

 1st: Bobby Wade, Mayfield, Ky., three bass, 10-4, $1,298

 2nd: Ricky Boehringer, Troy, Ohio, two bass, 9-13, $984

 3rd: Tim Burke, Petersburg, Ky., three bass, 8-12, $432

 4th: Joseph Gulash, Edwardsville, Ill., two bass, 8-10, $353

 5th: Paul McBride, Vienna, Ill., four bass, 8-4, $260

Complete results and Big Bass award winners from Sunday’s tournament can be found at FLWFishing.com.

The two tournaments were hosted by the Henry County Alliance.

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. 17-19 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Alabama, presented by Mercury. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard.

The 2019 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 2020 BFL All-American will be held April 30-May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina, and is hosted by Visit Anderson. 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, and YouTube.

Categories
MLF BIG-5

SULLIVAN WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE TOURNAMENT ON ROSS BARNETT RESERVOIR

June 17, 2019  by FLW Communications

BRANDON, Miss. – Local boater Corey Sullivan of Brandon, Mississippi, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Mississippi Division tournament on Ross Barnett Reservoir Saturday after catching five bass weighing 17 pounds, 5 ounces. For his win, Sullivan pocketed $3,377.

“It was a cloudy day and I threw a frog. The reservoir is notorious for frog fishing this time of year, and I made up my mind Friday that that’s what I was going to do,” said Sullivan, who earned his second career win on Ross Barnett Reservoir in BFL competition. “I stayed upriver, north of the Ratliff Ferry Trading Post and covered a ton of water. I fished thick pads close to deep water – the river’s edge, an old channel edge – anything. The reservoir has got a lot of pads and the fish love them this time of year.”

Sullivan said he used a Black Widow-colored Spro Dean Rojas Bronzeye 65 frog and a Pearl White Strike King KVD Sexy frog. He threw them on 7-foot, medium-heavy Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris Signature Series Casting rods with Johnny Morris Signature Series baitcast and Abu Garcia Revo reels.

“During the morning I caught some that were short and put one keeper on the boat,” said Sullivan. “It started getting cloudy around 10 [a.m.] and whenever the clouds blocked the sun they started looking up a bit more. The key was covering water.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

 1st: Corey Sullivan, Brandon, Miss., five bass, 17-5, $3,377

 2nd: Ivy Bradshaw, Brandon, Miss., five bass, 15-13, $1,689

 3rd: Mitch Crane, Columbus, Miss., five bass, 15-3, $1,578

 4th: Jason Cordell, Pelahatchie, Miss., five bass, 14-11, $888

 5th: Larry Savell, Brandon, Miss., five bass, 13-9, $675

 6th: Jason Hannah, Forest, Miss., five bass, 13-5, $713

 6th: Dudley Salers, Brandon, Miss., five bass, 13-5, $563

 6th: Glenn Page, Union, Miss., five bass, 13-5, $563

 9th: Brandon Perkins, Counce, Tenn., five bass, 12-15, $450

 10th: Brandon Bolton, West Point, Miss., five bass, 12-3, $394

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Lake Blasingame caught a bass weighing 5 pounds, 1 ounce – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $415.

Jimmy Tisdale of Ellisville, Mississippi, won the Co-angler Division and $1,644 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 13 pounds even.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

 1st: Jimmy Tisdale, Ellisville, Miss., five bass, 13-0, $1,644

 2nd: Tim Beale, Hernando, Miss., five bass, 12-14, $1,120

 3rd: Morris Collins, Kettering, Ohio, five bass, 10-13, $549

 4th: Ryan Godwin, Meridian, Miss., four bass, 10-9, $384

 5th: Tommy Nichols, Fayette, Ala., five bass, 9-14, $329

 6th: Tyler Helms, Meridian, Miss., five bass, 9-13, $501

 7th: Shane Cade, Clinton, Miss., four bass, 8-12, $274

 8th: Dylan Cornelius, Bear Creek, Ala., five bass, 8-11, $247

 9th: Scott Brown, Lucedale, Miss., three bass, 7-10, $219

 10th: Tom Miles, Chadds Ford, Pa., three bass, 7-9, $192

Beale and Kenneth Amos of Greenville, Mississippi, both caught a bass weighing in at 5 pounds, 11 ounces, and split  the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $196.

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. 17-19 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Alabama, presented by Mercury. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard.

The 2019 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 2020 BFL All-American will be held April 30-May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina, and is hosted by Visit Anderson. 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, and YouTube.

Categories
MLF BIG-5

TEXAS’ WILSON GOES WIRE-TO-WIRE, WINS COSTA FLW SERIES TOURNAMENT ON SAM RAYBURN PRESENTED BY MERCURY

une 15, 2019  by FLW Communications

BROOKELAND, Texas – Pro Kris Wilson of Montgomery, Texas, caught a five-bass limit Saturday weighing 24 pounds, 1 ounce, to lead the event from start to finish and win the three-day Costa FLW Series on Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Mercury Marine. Wilson’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 72 pounds, 8 ounces, was enough to earn him the victory by a 13-pound, 15-ounce margin over second-place pro Josh Bensema of Willis, Texas, and earn him $37,586.

“Coming into this event I expected the fish to be in the bushes, but it really evolved as the week went on,” said Wilson, who earned his second career FLW Series victory on Sam Rayburn. “I really focused on finding fish that were coming to me rather than leaving. And that ended up being about 300 yards out from the bushes.

“My main areas were mainly in the mouths of big coves, and the fish were set up on hard spots – ledges and points,” Wilson continued. “The key was that it had to have a hard bottom. I was running a lot of spots, but I had three spots that produced big fish each day.”

Wilson said he caught around 15 keepers each day. His main tactic was dragging a Carolina-rigged red bug creature bait that resembles a Zoom Brush Hog, poured by him and his tournament partner, Harold Moore. He also weighed in two keepers on chartreuse and blue-colored 6th Sense Lures C15 and C20 crankbaits.

The top 10 pros on Sam Rayburn Reservoir finished:

 1st: Kris Wilson, Montgomery, Texas, 15 bass, 72-8, $37,586

 2nd: Josh Bensema, Willis, Texas, 15 bass, 58-9, $13,910

 3rd: Justin Morton, Etoile, Texas, 15 bass, 50-0, $10,692

 4th: Cole Moore, Anacoco, La., 15 bass, 47-6, $8,910

 5th: Albert Collins, Nacogdoches, Texas, 15 bass, 47-1, $8,019

 6th: Cory Rambo, Orange, Texas, 15 bass, 46-15, $7,128

 7th: Dicky Newberry, Houston, Texas, 15 bass, 44-0, $6,237

 8th: Matt Pangrac, Broken Arrow, Okla., 15 bass, 43-0, $5,346

 9th: Bob Vote, Kingwood, Texas, 15 bass, 41-3, $4,455

 10th: Eric Wright, Balch Springs, Texas, 15 bass, 40-15, $3,812

A complete list of results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Wilson weighed a 9-pound, 5-ounce bass Friday – the heaviest of the tournament in the Pro Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $248.

Zack Freeman of Russellville, Arkansas, won the Co-angler Division with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 53 pounds, 5 ounces. For his win, Freeman took home the top prize package of a new Ranger Z175 boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor.

The top 10 co-anglers on Sam Rayburn finished: 

 1st: Zack Freeman, Russellville, Ark., 15 bass, 53-5, $27,347

 2nd: Alan Moore, Lufkin, Texas, 15 bass, 47-6, $4,628

 3rd: Steve Phillips, Diboll, Texas, 15 bass, 40-7, $3,712

 4th: Charles Dubroc, Hessmer, La., 14 bass, 37-4, $3,204

 5th: Jerry Meece, Lufkin, Texas, 15 bass, 33-13, $2,997

 6th: Buddy Hicks, Port Neches, Texas, 15 bass, 33-2, $2,289

 7th: Louis Ferguson, Woodville, Texas, 15 bass, 32-15, $1,831

 8th: John Hatton, Buna, Texas, 13 bass, 32-9, $1,602

 9th: James Callaghan, De Berry, Texas, 15 bass, 32-5, $1,373

 10th: Michael Bates, Corsicana, Texas, 10 bass, 27-6, $1,144

Freeman also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Friday, a fish weighing 7 pounds, 10 ounces. He earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $165.

The Costa FLW Series on Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Mercury Marine was hosted by the Jasper Lake Sam Rayburn Area Chamber of Commerce. It was the second of three Southwestern Division tournaments of the 2019 regular season. The next tournament for FLW Series anglers will be the Northern Division presented by Gajo Baits opener, the Costa FLW Series at Lake Champlain, held July 18-20 in Plattsburgh, New York. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.

The Costa FLW Series consists of five U.S. divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western – along with the International division. Each U.S. division consists of three regular-season tournaments with competitors vying for valuable points that could earn them the opportunity to compete in the season-ending Costa FLW Series Championship. The 2019 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held Oct. 31 – Nov. 2 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky.

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

Categories
MLF BIG-5

FLW TOUR BRINGS WORLD’S TOP BASS ANGLERS TO LAKE CHAMPLAIN FOR 2019 SEASON FINALE

June 13, 2019  by FLW Communications – Photo courtesy of FLW

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, will visit Plattsburgh, June 27-30, for the FLW Tour at Lake Champlain presented by T-H Marine – the seventh and final event of the 2019 FLW Tour regular season. The four-day tournament, hosted by the City of Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau, will feature 168 of the world’s best bass anglers competing for a cash prize of up to $125,000 along with a free outdoor expo and a kid’s fishing derby.

Lake Champlain has long been a staple on FLW’s tournament schedule. With more than 50 visits across multiple FLW circuits since 1994, the northern fishery has solidified its reputation as a top bass-fishing destination and continues to kick out notable weights year after year. When the FLW Tour last visited in 2016, Tour stalwart Scott Martin of Clewiston, Florida, finished on top with a four-day total of 74 pounds, 10 ounces.

“The lake should fish well for us. If the weather is nice, I would expect the winning weight to be in the 73- to 75-pound range [in four-days]. I wouldn’t be shocked if it took even more, though,” said Lowrance pro Austin Felix of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, who has two top-10 finishes on Lake Champlain in FLW competition. “The only problem is that the lake is a lot higher and a bit dirtier than we’re used to, so it’s going to make sight-fishing a lot more difficult. But at the same time, the high water should make the largemouth fishing a lot better.

“I think we’ll see both species (largemouth and smallmouth bass) in all three phases of the spawn,” continued Felix. “Down by Ticonderoga they might be a little more postspawn, but there’ll definitely be largemouth up north that haven’t spawned yet.”

Felix said that with the largemouth bite being more of a factor than in years past, the Ticonderoga and Missisquoi areas could be especially productive for anglers.

“The usual areas like the Inland Sea and around Burlington will be in play. The middle, wider part of the lake tends to warm up slower so those fish should be a little bit bigger,” said Felix. “There’s so many bass in that lake. Everybody is going to catch fish – it’s just going to come down to finding the ones that are a bit bigger than the rest.”

For anglers targeting largemouth, Felix said a ChatterBait and a flipping bait would be a good bet, while a jerkbait, a Keitech swimbait and a Ned rig would work well for smallmouth. The Minnesota pro added that a drop-shot rig will be a good choice for both species.

Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. EST each day from the Plattsburgh City Marina, located at 5 Dock St., in Plattsburgh. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins, June 27-28, will be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins, June 29-30, will also be held at the marina, but will begin at 4 p.m.

Prior to weigh-in each day, FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at the Plattsburgh City Marina from 2 to 6 p.m. The Expo is a chance for fishing fans to meet their favorite anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, as well as 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 Wilcox Dock, located at 90 Cumberland Ave., in Plattsburgh, on Saturday, June 29, from Noon-2 p.m. The event is hosted by FLW Foundation pro Cody Kelley along with other FLW Tour anglers, and is free and open to anyone under the age of 18 and Special Olympics athletes. Rods and reels are available for use, but youth are encouraged to bring their own if they own one. The 1st and 2nd place anglers that catch the most fish will be recognized Saturday on the FLW Tour stage, just prior to the pros weighing in.

As part of the FLW Tour’s community outreach initiative, FLW Tour anglers will visit patients, guests and staff at the Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital, located at 75 Beekman St., in Plattsburgh on Wednesday, June 26, from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. During their visit, anglers will interact with guests, snap photos and sign autographs for patients, as well as give away some goodie bags and share fishing stories.

Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lake Champlain presented by T-H Marine will premiere in 2019. The exact air-date will be announced soon. The Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.

The popular FLW Live on-the-water program will air on Days Three and Four of the event, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran will be joined by veteran FLW Tour pro Todd Hollowell to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com, the FLW YouTube channel and the FLW Facebook page.

In FLW Tour competition, the full field of 168 pro anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. 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.

Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2019 FLW Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2019 FLW Cup will be on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 9-11 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 and YouTube.