Author: jcarrigan

February 9, 2019 Palatka, Fla. — Photos courtesy of BASS

During the weeks leading up to the Power-Pole Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River, brothers Chris and Cory Johnston insisted the Florida fishery reminded them a lot of the waters they grew up fishing back home in Canada.

Those who may have doubted them know better now.

Chris Johnston, who had fished a grand total of four B.A.S.S. events prior to this week, caught five bass during Friday’s round that weighed 25 pounds, 11 ounces and took the lead in the season-opening Elite event with a two-day total of 47-0.

Lee Livesay of Texas is second with 46-2, followed by Mark Menendez of Kentucky (45-14), Brandon Cobb of South Carolina (42-14) and Rick Clunn of Missouri (41-0).

Cory Johnston, who has teamed with his brother to dissect the fishery for months, caught 21-1 himself Friday and moved into sixth place at 41-0.

“I just hope I’m a couple of ounces ahead of him after tomorrow and then hopefully again on Sunday,” Chris said of his brother. “We always have a rivalry between us. We’re always trying to beat each other for bragging rights.

“I’ve got a little lead on him now, and hopefully I can carry it through the rest of the week.”

Chris said he’s been fishing for mixture of bedding bass that he can’t see and prespawn fish that are still working their way onto the beds. Like most of the field, he expects the weather to be a factor on Saturday, when the forecast calls for a shift from the sunny, clear conditions of the past two days to somewhat cooler temperatures and 10- to 20-mph winds.

“It’ll probably affect me, but I think everyone’s in the same boat,” Johnston said. “I went around looking today for three or four hours, marked a few fish and saw a couple of areas I like. If Plan A fails, I’ll go to Plan B.”

Livesay, who caught 19-12 on Day 1, got off to a fast start Friday, putting 12 pounds in his livewell in less than 15 minutes. Once that area started receiving pressure, he began checking out new fishing areas and put together a five-bass limit that weighed 26-6.

“I got on a little pattern and caught a big one in a spot,” he said. “Then I thought the same thing should work in another spot — and sure enough, I caught another big one.”

Then, as strange as it sounds, he basically started fishing where he didn’t expect to catch a bass.

“It’s gonna be so weird tomorrow with this weather coming in, and I didn’t want to burn any 2- or 3-pounders that might help me a lot,” he said. “So I just went to some water I’d never even looked at and caught a 5-pounder.”

Menendez, who caught 24-8 Thursday, added 21-6 Friday and held on to third place with 45-14. He scored early in the day with a 6-pounder that he wasn’t really expecting to catch.

“That’s a spot where I’ve always caught 2- to 4-pounders,” Menendez said. “So when you pull up there and catch a 6-pounder, you’re thinking, ‘Well, giddy-up, it’s gonna be a good day.’”

A slight shift in technique helped Menendez to his quick start, but then he went back to the same tactics he used on Day 1 — tactics he’s not quite ready to discuss.

“I had to change baits today, and the change gave me the bites early so I could slow down and fish really thorough,” Menendez said. “Then during the afternoon, I went back to what I caught them on Thursday and got into another one of those big ones, a 5-plus, and another one that was about 4 pounds.

“Those really help you.”

Fourth and fifth place represent the age diversity on this year’s Elite Series, with the 29-year-old Cobb leading the 72-year-old legend, Clunn, by less than 2 pounds. Cobb caught 23-1 Friday to push his mark to 42-14, while the seemingly ageless Clunn caught 23-11 to lift his two-day total to 41-0. Clunn won his 15th Bassmaster title on these same waters when the Elite Series last stopped here in 2016.

Cory Johnston is tied statistically with Clunn for fifth place, but is credited for sixth place because Clunn has had the bigger single-day bag of the two and won the tie-breaker.

Cory said he’s not conceding anything to his brother — or anyone else.

“No one wants to be behind his brother,” he said. “The competition that we have amongst ourselves and our friends, that’s bigger than anything. So I just want to beat him.

“I’ll be out there trying to win.”

The tournament will resume Saturday with the Top 35 remaining anglers taking off from Riverfront Park at 7:30 a.m. ET. The weigh-in will be back at the park at 4:10 p.m., with only the Top 10 anglers advancing to Championship Sunday with a chance to win the $100,000 first-place prize.

Arizona pro Clifford Pirch wowed the weigh-in crowd with a 10-4 trophy largemouth, but Virginia angler John Crews still leads the race for Phoenix Boats Big Bass with the 11-2 largemouth he caught Thursday.

February 7, 2019Giant Bass Make A Showing at Power-Pole Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns RiverPalatka, Fla. —

After a tough practice, Robbie Latuso said he only had one area that he felt confident about heading into Thursday’s opening round of the Power-Pole Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River.

But it turned out to be a good area — and it just kept getting better as the day went along.

The third-year Elite Series pro from Gonzales, La., caught a solid limit early and then steadily culled up until he had a five-bass limit that weighed 25 pounds, 2 ounces. The big bag, which was anchored by an 8-6 largemouth, was good enough for the Day 1 lead.

“I got to that spot and caught a bunch of fish that were all about 3 pounds,” Latuso said. “Then I finally caught a 3-10. Then I caught a 5-pounder. Then I caught the biggest one and another big fish — about a 5-pounder — toward the end of the day.

“So I really caught most of my big fish later.”

With three days left to fish, anglers are always stingy with details. But Latuso said he’s using a technique he’s very comfortable with — and he believes his one magic spot could actually be better for Friday’s second round.

“I think more fish are coming to that area,” he said. “So I’m just gonna go out there tomorrow and have fun again and try to get five more bites.”

Latuso’s 8-plus was impressive, but it wasn’t nearly the biggest bass caught on a day when the Florida fishery really showed its muscle. The Top 10 anglers in the standings all had more than 20 pounds, and the biggest bass of the day was an 11-2 behemoth caught by Virginia angler John Crews.

The giant fish — which Crews said broke his personal-best mark of 11-1 by an ounce — anchored a five-bass limit that weighed 24-13 and moved Crews into second place.

In a scene that would make even the most experienced anglers queasy, Crews landed the bass on a spinning rod with only 12-pound-test line.

“I had caught four, and I knew I had a pretty decent bag,” Crews said. “I knew if I could just catch one more keeper, I would be in good shape. So I actually just started fishing around and picked up that spinning rod.”

He knew the bass was big when he set the hook, but it was while before he knew exactly how big.

“It went all over the place, got hung up in a tree and came out,” Crews said. “But I didn’t get in a big hurry.

“When it jumped, I thought it was a 6- or 7-pounder. When it got close to the boat and jumped again, I thought it was an 8 or 9. Then when I lipped it, it just kept coming out of the water and I knew it was at least a 10.”

Crews referred to his day as a “typical Florida day” because along with the big fish, he also had one that weighed only about 14 ounces. He said he has no idea what Friday will hold, but he’s seen proof positive once again that a big bass can bite at any moment in this state.

Having just turned 40 last year, Crews has been with the Elite Series since its inception in 2006. Another Elite Series veteran, 54-year-old Mark Menendez from Paducah, Ky., fished his way into third place Thursday — and like the two anglers ahead of him, his bag was anchored by a giant.

Menendez weighed in five bass that tipped the scales at 24-8 with a 9-13 anchoring the bag.

“My day was real slow,” said Menendez, who has three career B.A.S.S. victories. “I lost my first two bites, and they were little peanuts.”

He was about to leave and make a long run, but instincts told him to explore the stretch he was on just a little further.

“I fished and fished and fished and kept thinking I needed to make that long run,” he said. “But then I stopped in a spot, made a pitch and caught the 9-13. I fished around a little longer and caught a solid 3 3/4.

“That’s when I decided I was going to be there a while — and before noon, I caught another 3-pounder and a 6-pounder, all on the same bait.”

When bass are moving onto the spawning beds, as they seem to be on the St. Johns this week, it’s hard to know exactly what will happen next. Warm weather could bring another big wave of bass to the shorelines overnight, making Friday’s round better. Or, the pressure from Thursday’s round could cause a downturn in the fishing.

But one thing is certain: Most of the 75-angler field left Riverfront Park Thursday with a solid understanding of the fishery’s potential.

“I really didn’t know what I could catch going into today,” said Brad Whatley, an Elite Series rookie from Bivins, Texas, who landed in fourth place Thursday with a catch of 23-4 that included two 8-pounders. “I think I’m in an area that has some fish coming in to spawn and some leaving the beds.

“To catch 23 pounds my first day on the job, I’ll take it all day long.”

The tournament will resume Friday with a full field of 75 anglers fishing once again. Takeoff will be from Riverfront Park at 7:30 a.m. ET, and weigh-in will be back at the park at 4:15 p.m.

After Friday’s competition, only the Top 35 will advance to Saturday’s semifinal round.

February 1, 2019 KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Photo courtesy of BASS

The 2019 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, scheduled for March 15-17 on the Tennessee River, will feature the usual mix of established pro fishing superstars and hungry young pros who are destined to be the stars of tomorrow.

The 52 anglers converging on Knoxville will be gunning for the largest share of the $1 million prize fund, and they’ll be aiming to establish their angling legacy by winning the most important title in professional fishing.

Among the field are eight former Classic winners, including four-time champion Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., and defending champion Jordan Lee of Grant, Ala., who last year became one of only three anglers to claim back-to-back wins in the event.

Seven of the pros have hoisted the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year trophy, including 2018 AOY winner Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Ala., and Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala., who has claimed the award three times.

“The Classic is a showcase for some of the most accomplished bass anglers in the world,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “You’ll have veteran pros out there who’ve experienced the huge stage that is the Classic and excelled in that environment in the past. But you’ll also have some young guys who are just chomping at the bit to make a name for themselves.

“That’s one of the most exciting things about the Classic — it literally will change someone’s life forever.”

Anglers hungry for first-time Classic glory include Florida’s Drew Benton, Tennessee’s Brandon Lester and Arizona’s Clifford Pirch — just to name a few.

Whoever wins the event, the immediate effects will be easy to see.

There’s the world-famous Classic trophy, which weighs more than 40 pounds and is easily the most coveted piece of hardware in professional fishing. Then there’s the $300,000 first-place check and the chance to stand before an arena full of screaming fans as confetti cannons set the stage for the accomplishment of a lifetime.

This year’s weigh-ins will be held in Thompson-Boling Arena on the campus of the University of Tennessee. The arena, which seats 21,678, has served as the site for some incredible sporting moments, including Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt’s historic 1,000th career victory on Feb. 5, 2009.

As always, the Classic will be held in conjunction with the fan-favorite Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods. Known as the most important consumer show in the bass fishing world, the Classic Expo will be held in the Knoxville Convention Center and the adjacent World’s Fair Exhibition Hall.

Companies from across the fishing industry use the Expo annually to debut new products, and fans will be able to purchase many types of lures, rods, reels and accessories for the first time anywhere.

There will be a special one-hour Expo preview for B.A.S.S. members from 11 a.m.-noon March 15. Then the regular times for the event will be March 15 from noon-7 p.m., March 16 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and March 17 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Doors will open to the arena for weigh-ins each day for B.A.S.S. Life and Nation members at 3 p.m. and to the general public at 3:15 p.m.

“I’m especially excited for this event because I grew up in Knoxville and fished Fort Loudoun and Tellico as a kid,” said B.A.S.S. Director Chase Anderson. “Some of the most avid sports fans in the world live right there — and when you combine that kind of passion with an event as spectacular as the Bassmaster Classic, it’s going to be an incredible experience for everyone who attends.”

January 31, 2019Bassmaster Elite Series Anglers Are Looking For Giant Bass In Season Opener On St. Johns RiverPALATKA, Fla. — Photo courtesy of BASS

The St. Johns River has been a familiar destination for the Bassmaster Elite Series since the circuit first visited there in 2011.

But this year’s Elite Series visit will be different than all the rest.

Really, really different.

The 2019 Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River is scheduled for Feb. 7-10 with daily takeoffs at 7:30 a.m. ET from Palatka City Dock and Boat Ramp and weigh-ins at 4:10 p.m. each day at Palatka Riverfront Park.

It will be the season opener for the new-look Elite Series, which now features a smaller field of 75 anglers — down from more than 110 in years past — and a new payout scale that assures every competitor in the field will leave with a check.

The anglers will also find a new-look fishery, since much of the eelgrass the St. Johns River has long been famous for was decimated by Hurricane Irma last summer and has yet to return.

“To say that I’m excited for this tournament would be an understatement,” said Cliff Prince, a Palatka, Fla., resident and an eight-year Elite Series veteran. “Not only am I starting the season on my home water, but this is also a whole new ballgame, a whole new Elite Series. B.A.S.S. has given us an opportunity to really showcase what we can do — and I can’t wait!”

With that said, Prince knows the wealth of knowledge he’s acquired from living on the fishery may not help as much as it has in year’s past when he finished sixth, 56th and 16th in three previous Elite Series events on the river.

The hurricane changed things in ways that might force many anglers with experience on the fishery to start from scratch.

“In 2016, there was a lot more grass up and down the river from one end of it to the other,” Prince said. “When that storm came through last year, it just dumped so much rain. What grass didn’t get torn up by the storm got shaded out by the high water.

“This river was as high as I’ve seen it in my lifetime, and it stayed that way for a long time. Our tides are really just now getting back to normal.”

During past Elite Series events on the St. Johns, anglers who couldn’t find a solid pattern elsewhere could almost always rely on the tremendous number of bass that spawn in Lake George. But even that once-dependable area will require a different approach.

“Lake George is just not in good shape,” said Bernie Schultz, a Gainesville, Fla., angler who has fished the Elite Series since its inception in 2006. “There’s plenty of dollar weed — those little, small lily pads that grow in about 2 feet of water. But that won’t filter the water like it needs to.

“Eelgrass is a great filter. That’s why bass go to it —good cover, good filtration, lots of oxygen and it’s an ideal place to spawn.”

The number of bass that are spawning could play a major role in how much weight it takes to win the event’s $100,000 first-place prize.

Temperatures in the region have been colder than normal for the past 10 days. But a warming trend is predicted for this weekend, and several warm days could raise the water temperatures enough to send a wave of fish to the spawning areas.

“When the water temperature reaches the high 50s, there will be some fish go to the bank,” Prince said. “So there will be some fish caught sight fishing, I’m sure. In Florida, in February, you can’t afford not to at least look for them.”

With the absence of eelgrass, anglers will likely turn to dollar pads, wood, reeds, lily pads and even boat docks. Despite all the changes, Prince said he expects the usual tactics to play — topwater lures, bladed jigs, swim jigs, lipless baits, swimbaits and even standard Texas-rigged worms.

One thing he doesn’t expect, however, is the signature five-bass limits of big bass that have anchored the four-day weights of past winners.

“In 2016, Rick Clunn had a 31-pound bag and then three more good, solid days that helped him win,” Prince said. “That’s usually the way it works here. But if you look at the results from tournaments around here since the grass has disappeared, we just haven’t been having those 30-pound days.

“If you have a 25- to 27-pound bag and then back it up with a 20-pound bag and a couple of 15-pound bags, that’s gonna be strong.”

The St. Johns tournament, like all Elite Series events, is a free, family-friendly celebration of bass fishing, with activities for all ages.

The Elite Series Expo at Palatka City Ramp will be open Saturday and Sunday starting at 10 a.m. ET. Fans will have a chance to take a demo ride in a Nitro, Skeeter or Triton boat, look over the newest Toyotas, develop fishing skills in the Berkley/Abu Garcia Experience trailer, and win prizes and check out new products from leading companies in the fishing industry.

Fans can meet the Elites at Angler Alley on Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m., and on Championship Sunday, they can join the Elite LIVE Watch Party and hang out with anglers and other special guests as they watch the final hours of Bassmaster LIVE. Elite angler clinics will be held onstage from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, which is also Military and First Responder Appreciation Day.

January 28, 2019B.A.S.S. Airs Week Of Programming To Preview 2019 Elite SeriesBIRMINGHAM, Ala. —

Fishing fans who just can’t wait for the official kickoff of the 2019 Bassmaster Elite Series Feb. 7 on the St. Johns River, Florida, can get a sneak preview of the fishing action during a special “Bassmaster LIVE Preview Week” on Bassmaster.com every day through Friday.

“Since we introduced live-streamed, on-the-water tournament coverage to the world in 2015, bass fishing fans have clamored for more,” said Mike McKinnis, vice president of media content for JM Associates and producer of Bassmaster LIVE and The Bassmasters TV show. “We are expanding LIVE coverage from 18 to 24 hours for each Elite event this season, and we’re adding more cameras to cover more anglers.

“We think fans will appreciate getting a taste of what’s in store for them this year through this week-long push of LIVE and pre-produced content served on all B.A.S.S. social and digital media outlets.”

The special programming is designed to entertain and educate fans and will be anchored by the Dream Team of tournament broadcast coverage — Tommy Sanders, Mark Zona, Davy Hite, Dave Mercer, Ronnie Moore and Mike Suchan — along with a host of players from the Toyota Bassmaster Studios and from throughout the country.

The special programming kicks off today with the “2019 Bassmaster Elite Series Preview,” a one-hour studio show featuring video and special reports on each of the nine regular-season Elite tournaments, including video, graphics and interviews with Elite Series anglers. Long-time B.A.S.S. members will want to tune in for a special guest appearance by Bob Cobb, the former editor of Bassmaster Magazine and founding producer of The Bassmasters.

The parade of big-bass lakes begins with Elite No. 1 on the St. Johns River at Palatka, Fla., Feb. 7-10, and continues the following week with a visit to Gwinnett, Ga., and Lake Lanier, renowned for its big spotted bass.

The season takes a break for the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods in Knoxville, Tenn., March 15-17, and the Classic is the focus of Tuesday’s preview show, airing on Bassmaster.com at 11 a.m. ET. The program incorporates historical footage of memorable Classics, along with video of Knoxville and the Tennessee River fishery, plus interviews with some of the 52 Classic contenders.

Fans of Fantasy Fishing will want to tune in to Wednesday’s show, “Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing 2019 — Meet the Pros,” debuting at 11 a.m. ET. With a number of rookies and other newcomers this year, the field will be harder to handicap without insights from the Bassmaster LIVE crew and other experts.

Registration for Fantasy Fishing is now open on Bassmaster.com. The top scorer of each Elite event will earn a $2,500 gift card to Bass Pro Shops, and the overall winner will receive a fully rigged Triton/Yamaha boat-and-motor combo valued at more than $35,000.

Thursday features a fun-filled competition, the “B.A.S.S. Brawl,” during which Zona and Hite are paired with Elite anglers Drew Benton and Drew Cook for a four-hour live-stream team competition on Bassmaster LIVE. The show will be streamed from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET and will be hosted from the Toyota Bassmaster Studios.

And on Friday, “Zona LIVE” presents a fun-filled fishing trip with Zona and Benton as they cut up on the water and preview the upcoming Elite No. 1 on the St. Johns River. “Zona LIVE” is a spinoff of the hugely popular Zona’s Awesome Fishing Show on the Outdoor Channel.

“We’ve adopted the theme — ‘Big Bass. Big Stage. Big Dreams.’ — for our 2019 Bassmaster Elite Series season,” noted Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “Fans who tune in for our special ‘Bassmaster LIVE Preview Week’ will quickly understand why that theme is so fitting.

“We hope they’ll follow the Elite anglers throughout the year as they try to catch the heaviest limits of big bass and fulfill their dreams of grabbing the spotlight on the biggest stages in bass fishing — the Elite Series and the Bassmaster Classic.”