Author: jcarrigan

Categories
MLF BIG-5

NEVER GOING TO BELIEVE IT! FLW LIVE

FLW ANNOUNCES EXPANDED FLW LIVE COVERAGE ACROSS MULTIPLE CIRCUITS FOR 2019

November 15, 2018  by FLW Communications

MINNEAPOLIS – Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization announced today a greatly expanded FLW Live schedule for the 2019 season as part of its commitment to growing the sport of tournament bass fishing and bringing more publicity to the anglers who fish its circuits. Fans will now be able to watch more than 700 hours of live coverage in 2019, including 286 weigh-in broadcasts from every FLW tournament and 23 days of on-the-water live streaming.

Originally airing from 8 a.m. to Noon during events, the FLW Live on-the-water program has been extended two hours and will now broadcast from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The FLW Live schedule will extend from January through November, providing nearly year-round viewing opportunities for fans, and more chances than ever for FLW anglers and their sponsors to receive exposure on the internet and to FLW’s social media audience of more than a million followers.

Here’s a rundown by circuit of what’s in store in 2019:

Forrest Wood Cup

On-the-water stream: The popular FLW Live on-the-water program will air all three days of the FLW Cup and will be broadcast from the floor of the FLW Expo in the Hot Springs Convention Center. Fans can stop in and watch the show hosts and FLW pros break down the action at bass fishing’s main event.

Daily weigh-ins: Every weigh-in will be broadcast on FLWFishing.com.

FLW Tour

On-the-water stream: The live on-the-water broadcast will air on days three and four of all FLW Tour regular-season events from the boats of the tournaments’ top pros.

Daily weigh-ins: Every weigh-in will be broadcast on FLWFishing.com.

Costa FLW Series

On-the-water stream: For the first time ever, FLW will stream a live on-the-water broadcast, complete with expert hosts and commentary, from the Costa FLW Series Championship, which will be held at Lake Cumberland. Coverage will air Nov. 1—2 on days two and three of competition.

Daily weigh-ins: Every weigh-in at the championship as well as all 15 regular-season events will be broadcast on FLWFishing.com.

T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League

On-the-water stream: Grassroots bass fishing will experience its first-ever live on-the-water tournament broadcast at the 2019 BFL All-American on the Potomac River. The broadcast will air May 31-June 1 for days two and three of competition, in the same hosted format as FLW Tour and Costa FLW Series events.

Daily weigh-ins: New this year, all 120 regular-season BFL events, six BFL Regional Championships, the BFL Wild Card and the All-American will feature FLW Live weigh-in broadcasts, allowing friends, fans and family to follow their favorite BFL anglers in action from anywhere in the world. That’s 168 total weigh-ins being broadcast live in 2019.

YETI FLW College Fishing

On-the-water stream: FLW Live from on the water will debut at the collegiate level at the National Championship on the Potomac River June 5-6 for days two and three of competition. FLW’s hosts and experts will break down the fishing action as it happens.

Daily weigh-ins: The FLW Live weigh-in broadcast schedule now includes all 15 regular-season FLW College Fishing events, the FLW College Fishing Open and the National Championship.

Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Opens

Daily weigh-ins: The fastest-growing segment of tournament bass fishing will get an additional boost in 2019 thanks to FLW Live weigh-in broadcasts from all High School Fishing Opens. National Championship weigh-ins will also be broadcast live.

You can watch any FLW Live broadcast – either from on the water or weigh-in – by logging on to FLWFishing.com and clicking on the FLW Live page link. On-the-water broadcasts will be simulcast on FLWFishing.com, YouTube.com/FLWFishing and Facebook.com/FLWFishing. All FLW Live broadcasts are free to watch.

Categories
BASSMASTER Elite Series/Opens

Field For The 2019 Bassmaster Elite Series Features Familiar Faces, Rising Stars

November 7, 2018 – Photo’s courtesy of Bassmaster
Field For The 2019 Bassmaster Elite Series Features Familiar Faces, Rising Stars
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —With another season just three months away, B.A.S.S. officials announced Wednesday that the field for the 2019 Bassmaster Elite Series has been set.

The prestigious circuit, which will feature higher payouts and lower entry fees than ever before, will consist of 75 anglers (about 40 fewer than last year), including three who have won both the Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods and the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year award.

The season-opening event is scheduled for Feb. 7-10 on the St. Johns River in Palatka, Fla.

“Every year when our anglers leave the takeoff site for the opening day of the first tournament, the excitement in the air is just amazing — and that will certainly be true this year,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “As in past years, we have some familiar faces who have already accomplished great things with us.

“Then, we also have some new anglers who are bound and determined to become superstars themselves.”

Missouri legend Rick Clunn, who owns four Classic trophies and the 1988 AOY award is back from last year’s Elite Series field, along with North Carolina pro David Fritts, who won the 1993 Classic and the 1994 AOY trophy. Jay Yelas, a veteran Texas pro who won the 2002 Classic title and 2003 AOY award, will also be joining the Elite Series after several years with other circuits.

Other big names returning from last year’s Elite field will be Keith Combs, a two-time B.A.S.S. winner who is right on the cusp of the $1 million mark for career earnings, 2016 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship tournament winner Seth Feider of Minnesota and Nevada pro Chris Zaldain, who holds two B.A.S.S. wins of his own.

Elite Series stalwarts John Crews, Mark Menendez, Bernie Schultz, Matt Herren, Clifford Pirch and Steve Kennedy are also back, along with 2018 Toyota Bassmaster Rookie of the Year Jake Whitaker. A final spot will be added based on the top finisher from the 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Magellan Outdoors.

The field will have a distinct international flavor with popular Australian pro Carl Jocumsen joining the circuit, along with Canadian pros Chris Johnston, Cory Johnston and Jeff Gustafson and Japanese angler Yusuke Miyazaki.

“We’ve got a great mix of competitors in every conceivable way,” said B.A.S.S. Tournament Director Trip Weldon. “We have anglers from all over the United States and a few from around the world. We’ve got established pros who have seen a little bit of everything and some young guys who have been waiting on the opportunity to make their dreams come true.”

After the kickoff tournament on the St. Johns River and a second event scheduled for Feb. 14-17 on Georgia’s Lake Lanier, the Elite Series schedule will pause for the Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods on March 15-17 on the Tennessee River in Knoxville, Tenn. Seven more regular-season Elites will be held between April and August, including the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest on May 2-6 at Lake Fork, Texas. Then, the season will conclude with the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship, which will be held at a date and site yet to be determined.

The Bassmaster Classic, Texas Fest and the Angler of the Year Championship will all feature $1 million payouts with no entry fee.

Regular-season Elite Series events will feature a full field of 75 anglers for the first two days, 20 during the semifinal round and 10 on Championship Sunday. Instead of only the top half of the field being paid — as they were in the past — all participants will leave this year’s events with a check. The winner will still earn $100,000 and the prestigious blue trophy that has become synonymous with Elite Series victory, and the angler who finishes in 75th place will earn $2,500.

The popular Bassmaster LIVE show on Bassmaster.com, which generated over 2.8 million video views and 65 million minutes of content consumed by fans in 2018, will be produced all four days of 2019 Elite Series events instead of just the final three days of an event as in the past. There will also be live-streaming cameras on all 20 boats for the semifinal round, as well as Bassmaster LIVE cameras on all 10 anglers for Championship Sunday.

“We celebrated our 50th anniversary at B.A.S.S. this year,” Akin said. “But even after a half-century of excellence, we’re not slowing down in our efforts to create the best opportunities possible for all of our anglers.

“With the field we’ve just announced and the format changes we’ve made, we have some really exciting days ahead.”

2019 Bassmaster Elite Series Field

Name                                       Hometown/State

1.        Matt Arey                                 Shelby, N.C.

2.        Todd Auten                              Lake Wylie, S.C.

3.        Drew Benton                            Panama City, Fla.

4.        Stetson Blaylock                      Benton, Ark.

5.        Scott Canterbury                      Odenville, Ala.

6.        Quentin Cappo                         Prairieville, La.

7.        Brandon Card                           Knoxville, Tenn.

8.        Tyler Carriere                           Youngsville, La.

9.        Hank Cherry                             Lincolnton, N.C.

10.     Gary Clouse                               Winchester, Tenn.

11.     Rick Clunn                                 Ava, Mo.

12.     Brandon Cobb                            Greenwood, S.C.

13.     Keith Combs                              Huntington, Texas

14.     Drew Cook                                 Midway, Fla.

15.     John Crews Jr.                            Salem, Va.

16.     Clent Davis                                 Montevallo, Ala.

17.     Rob Digh                                    Denver, N.C.

18.     Greg DiPalma                             Millville, N.J.

19.     Seth Feider                                 Bloomington, Minn.

20.     Micah Frazier                             Newnan, Ga.

21.     David Fritts                                Lexington, N.C.

22.     Chris Groh                                 Spring Grove, Ill.

23.     Jeff Gustafson                            Keewatin, Ontario, Canada

24.     Skylar Hamilton                        Dandridge, Tenn.

25.     Ray Hanselman                         Del Rio, Texas

26.     Jamie Hartman                          Newport, N.Y.

27.     Matt Herren                               Ashville, Ala.

28.     Dale Hightower                         Manford, Okla.

29.     Harey Horne                              Bella Vista, Ark.

30.     Derek Hudnall                           Baton Rogue, La.

31.     Mike Huff                                  Corbin, Ky.

32.     Kelley Jaye                                Dadeville, Ala.

33.     Carl Jocumsen                           Frisco, Texas

34.     Chris Johnston                           Otonabee, Ontario, Canada

35.     Cory Johnston                           Cavan, Ontario, Canada

36.     Steve Kennedy                          Auburn, Ala.

37.     Koby Kreiger                             Bokeelia, Fla.

38.     Robbie Latuso                           Gonzales, La.

39.     Shane Lehew                            Charlotte, N.C.

40.     Brandon Lester                         Fayetteville, Tenn.

41.     Shane Lineberger                      Lincolnton, N.C.

42.     Lee Livesay                              Longview, Texas

43.     Ed Loughran III                        Mechanicsville, Va.

44.     Bill Lowen                                Brookville, Ind.

45.     Mark Menendez                        Paducah, Ky.

46.     Yusuke Miyazaki                      Forney, Texas

47.     Kyle Monti                                Okeechobee, Fla.

48.     Chad Morgenthaler                   Reeds Spring, Mo.

49.     Rick Morris                               Lake Gaston, Va.

50.     Brock Mosley                            Collinsville, Miss.

51.     Paul Mueller                             Naugatuck, Conn.

52.     David Mullins                           Mount Carmel, Tenn.

53.     Luke Palmer                             Coalgate, Okla.

54.     Garrett Paquette                       Canton, Mich.

55.     Chad Pipkens                           Lansing, Mich.

56.     Clifford Pirch                           Payson, Ariz.

57.     Brett Preuett                             Monroe, La.

58.     Cliff Prince                               Palatka, Fla.

59.     Tyler Rivet                                Raceland, La.

60.     Bernie Schultz                          Gainesville, Fla.

61.     Hunter Shryock                         Newcomerstown, Ohio

62.     Brian Snowden                         Reeds Spring, Mo.

63.     Randy Sullivan                         Breckenridge, Texas

64.     Caleb Sumrall                           New Iberia, La.

65.     Jesse Tacoronte                         Orlando, Fla.

66.     Frank Talley                             Temple, Texas

67.     Patrick Walters                         Summerville, S.C.

68.     Bill Weidler                              Helena, Ala.

69.     Clark Wendlandt                       Leander, Texas

70.     Brad Whatley                            Bivins, Texas

71.     Jake Whitaker                           Fairview, N.C.

72.     Jason Williamson                     Wagener, S.C.

73.     Jay Yelas                                   Lincoln City, Ore.

74.     Chris Zaldain                            Laughlin, Nev.

75.    TBD – 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Magellan Outdoors

Categories
MLF BIG-5

FLORIDA’S WALTERS WINS COSTA FLW SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP ON LAKE GUNTERSVILLE

November 3, 2018  by FLW Communications

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. – Pro Kyle Walters of Grant-Valkaria, Florida, caught a five-bass limit weighing 24 pounds, 4 ounces Saturday – the largest limit of the event – to win the weather-shortened Costa FLW Series Championship on Lake Guntersville with a two-day cumulative total of 10 bass weighing 44 pounds, 3 ounces. Walters’ efforts earned him $92,700, including a brand new Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard motor and a slot in the 2019 FLW Cup – the world championship of professional bass fishing.

“If you would’ve told me 15, 20 years ago when I started fishing [T-H Marine Bass Fishing League] BFLs that I’d eventually be standing here as the Costa FLW Series Champion – and going to the Forrest Wood Cup – I would’ve told you that you’re crazy,” said Walters, who earned his third win in FLW competition. “To come out here and fish with all the guys you watch on TV is really special. Guys like Bryan Thrift, J.T. Kenney and John Cox – guys from Florida. There are only a few lakes that I feel like I can compete with them at and Lake Guntersville is one of them. It fits the way I like to fish.”

Walters tapped into his Florida-bred instincts this week, flipping for bass in grass mats on the main-river channel, a strategy that also helped him win a BFL Regional Tournament on Lake Guntersville back in the fall of 2013. Walters said he was able to pick apart the channel-facing hydrilla in 2013, but due to recent heavy winds and high water flow washing out the outer edge he was forced to move to the bank side of the same mats this year.

“When I showed up here, I wanted something on the main river,” said Walters. “In 2013, everything was on the main-river channel, so I immediately went and looked for hydrilla there. Well, I couldn’t find it – when I pulled out of Waterfront [boat ramp] it was gone. So I went up the river – it’s what’s we do in Florida – and I looked for something. I got a few bites the first couple of hours I was here, and I said I was going to commit to it one way or the other.

“I fished my main stretch a pretty good distance in practice,” Walters continued. “I’d get a couple bites and then I’d start fishing fast. If I got another couple of bites, I’d mark them. Then in the tournament I’d expand on them both ways and keep moving.”

Walters had two primary areas along his stretch this week – grass mats in 4- to 5-feet-of-water about a mile above of the BB Comer Bridge, and hydrilla in 8-feet-of-water a couple of miles below the bridge. His grass mats consisted of a mix of hydrilla and milfoil. Dead eelgrass and other vegetation had blown in on top of the grass and created dead, brown mats.

“I caught eight of the 10 I weighed in up there. It was milfoil, and hydrilla was growing from the bottom and then the ‘cut grass’ was all loaded up inside,” said Walters. “When one [lure] would go in, it would fall free and into a cavern and they’d kind of attack it. The big ones seemed to be within the first two feet of the mats.”

Walters said he used beaver-style baits, citing a Green Pumpkin Black Blue-colored Gambler Stinger. The lures were Texas-rigged with a 1½-ounce Picasso tungsten sinker on a 4/0-sized straight shank hook and 75-pound-test Halo Winch braided line. To hoist bass out of the vegetation, he preferred to use a Halo 7-foot, 11-inch J.T. Kenney Signature Series rod.

“In practice, I didn’t get a lot of bites at the stretch below the bridge, but I caught one big fish there each day,” said Walters. “I could never get multiple bites going on there, so when I went there, it was one of those deals where I was really going to have to fish for them to get the bites. I caught my last 4 or 5 pounder there today with an hour to go.”

The top finishing boater from each of the six Costa FLW Series divisions that qualified for the 2019 FLW Cup were:

Southeastern

1st: Kyle Walters, Grant-Valkaria, Fla., 10 bass, 44-3, $92,700

Southwestern

7th: Zach Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 10 bass, 29-2, $7,000

Central

11nd: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., 10 bass, 27-11, $4,000

Northern

12th: Power-Pole pro Cory Johnston, Cavan, Ontario, Canada, nine bass, 27-10, $4,000

Western

4th: John Griffith, Mesa, Ariz., 10 bass, 31-6, $15,000

International

37th: Erik Luzak, Orillia, Ontario, Canada, eight bass, 21-5, $2,000

The top 10 overall anglers finished:

1st: Kyle Walters, Grant-Valkaria, Fla., 10 bass, 44-3, $92,700

2nd: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 10 bass, 39-8, $25,100 + $5,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

3rd: Robert Crosnoe, Inverness, Fla., 10 bass, 37-5, $20,000 + $3,500 Ranger Cup Bonus

4th: Jon Griffith, Mesa, Ariz., 10 bass, 31-6, $15,000

5th: Bryan New, Belmont, N.C., nine bass, 30-0, $10,000 + $1,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

6th: Troy Gibson, Mountain Home, Ark., 10 bass, 29-5, $8,000

7th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 10 bass, 29-2, $7,000

8th: Terry Tucker, Gadsden, Ala., 10 bass, 28-13, $6,000

9th: John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 10 bass, 28-2, $5,000

10th: Jake Ormond, Sterlington, La., 10 bass, 28-1, $4,500

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

Competitors qualified for the Costa FLW Series Championship through five U.S. divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western – and an International division that features anglers from Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa and Spain.

The 2019 FLW Cup will be held at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 9-11.

Jacob Traba of Pacifica, California, won the Co-angler Division and $30,000, including a Ranger Z175 boat with a 90-horsepower Evinrude outboard with a two-day total of eight bass weighing 23 pounds, 12 ounces. Scott Parsons of Rogers, Arkansas, finished in second place with nine bass weighing 23 pounds, 1 ounce, good for $12,600.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st: Jacob Traba, Pacifica, Calif., eight bass, 23-12, $30,000

2nd: Scott Parsons, Rogers, Ark., nine bass, 23-1, $12,600

3rd: Roger Stubbs, Locust Grove, Ga., seven bass, 21-6, $10,050

4th: Robbie Bartoszek, Hampshire, Tenn., seven bass, 20-7, $7,500

5th: Doug Iorio II, Kennerdell, Pa., eight bass, 20-2, $5,000

6th: Bradley Robbins, Wilmington, N.C., eight bass, 19-10, $4,000

7th: Brad Hostetler Jr., Franklin, Ind., eight bass, 19-9, $3,500

8th: Alex Redwine, Cincinnati, Ohio, six bass, 18-6, $3,000

9th: Jared West, Mont Belvieu, Texas, five bass, 17-15, $2,500

10th: Wes Proctor, Manhattan, Kan., seven bass, 17-13, $2,000

The Costa FLW Series Championship on Lake Guntersville was hosted by the Marshall County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

In Costa FLW Series competition, 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.

 

Categories
Bass Pro/Cabelas Big Bass Tour

2019 Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Big Bass Tour Schedule

2019 Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Big Bass Tour Schedule

We are excited to announce the 2019 schedule for the Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Big Bass Tour powered by Mercury Marine. The 2019 tournament schedule will feature over $1.5 million in guaranteed prizes and payouts with tournaments in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.  Early entry rod promo will be provided to the first 250 two day or three day entrants at our nine three day events and to the first 250 two day entrants at our two day events. One day entry fee is $110, two day entry fee is $160, and three day entry is $240. Guaranteed Hourly Payouts are $21,175 per day.

Guaranteed Overall Grand Prize(s): $45,000

2019 NITRO Z19 rigged with a Mercury® 200 L Pro XS FourStroke outboard, Minn Kota® Ultrex® 24V, 80-lb, Bow Humminbird® HELIX™ 9 DI G2N, Console Humminbird® HELIX™ 9 SI G2N, genuine NITRO ratchet cover, tandem-axle 2 brakes NITRO® trailer w/powder-coat finish & GALVASHIELD® Impact corrosion & chip protection.

Harris Chain of Lakes, Florida (Three Day Event) – February 15-17, 2019

Lake Conroe, Texas (Three Day Event) – March 1-3, 2019

Table Rock Lake, Missouri (Three Day Event) – April 5-7, 2019

Lake Norman, North Carolina (Three Day Event) – April 12-14, 2019

Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia (Three Day Event) – April 26-28, 2019

Lake Murray, South Carolina (Three Day Event) – May 3-5, 2019

Chickamauga Lake, Tennessee (Three Day Event) – May 17-19, 2019

Lake Dardanelle, Arkansas (Two Day Event) June 1-2, 2019

Douglas Lake, Tennessee (Three Day Event) September 27-29, 2019

Guntersville Lake, Alabama (Three Day Event) October 11-13, 2019

Clarks Hill Lake, Georgia (Two Day Event) October 19-20, 2019

The Big Bass Tour is the nation’s premier amateur big bass tournament series. Established in 2010 our Tour is focused on the promotion of bass fishing and bass conservation at the grass roots level through our tournament events.

For more information regarding our tournament events please visit www.bigbasstour.com or call (877) 958-8687.

 

Online registration for our 2019 tournaments will open on November 1, 2018 at 8am CST/9am EST.

Categories
MLF BIG-5

NEVER GOING TO GUESS WHAT LURE PUT THIS AUSSIE IN THE LEAD FOR DAY ONE OF COSTA FLW SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP ON LAKE GUNTERSVILLE

AUSTRALIA’S JOCUMSEN LEADS DAY ONE OF COSTA FLW SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP ON LAKE GUNTERSVILLE

November 2, 2018  by FLW Communications

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. – Pro Carl Jocumsen of Queensland, Australia, caught a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 2 ounces Friday – the only 20-plus-pound limit of the day – to grab the lead after Day One of the Costa FLW Series Championship on Lake Guntersville. Jocumsen will bring a slim 3-ounce advantage into the final day of the event, which was shortened to two days after inclement weather moved through the area Thursday. The full field will fish again Saturday with the winner being determined by their two-day cumulative weight.

The Costa FLW Series Championship, hosted by the Marshall County Convention & Visitors Bureau, features anglers from across the world casting for a $95,000 prize package in the Pro Division, including a new Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and automatic qualification to the 2019 Forrest Wood Cup – the world championship of bass fishing.

“I started out by jumping around. We’ve been off of the lake for two days [due to a mandatory off day and a cancellation day due to severe weather] so I knew I’d have to go fishing a little bit,” said Jocumsen. “I picked up a big glide bait and a pretty decent-sized swimbait and just kind of went for it.”

Jocumsen said that he went one-for-one with his co-angler, Jared West, (who leads the co-angler race) throughout the day, which made it difficult to pinpoint what the fish were doing. After the two logged catches with a few different baits, and with four good keepers in the livewell, Jocumsen said he decided to commit to the glide bait for the final two hours of the day.

“I usually wouldn’t pick up the glide bait with two hours to go, but everything was right and I’d gotten some awesome bites on it Saturday [my best day of practice],” said Jocumsen. “I went for it and a 5½-pounder crushed it beside the boat. Once that happened, I never put it down. With about 35 minutes to go, I caught another 5-pounder and got rid of a 2½-pounder – that put me at 20 pounds.

“This year, for me, has been ‘the year of the glide bait’,” continued Jocumsen. “It has pulled me out of some really bad situations. I’ve been dialing in on it for about four or five years, just trying to put it into my tournament arsenal rather than just have it be a bait that you throw for giants. I’ve sort of figured out how to do that and it’s paid off.”

Jocumsen said that tomorrow, he’s going to have to make some major adjustments in order to follow up his big day.

“I had some of the worst practice days ever Tuesday, Monday and most of Sunday and tomorrow is supposed to be the same conditions as those days,” said Jocumsen. “I’m going to have to adjust like crazy. I couldn’t get them to eat the glide bait in sunny conditions without wind. It had to be cloudy, rainy, windy, nasty weather, and that’s what I had today.”

The Texas pro went on to say that while the weather may not play into his hand Saturday, there is still a chance the glide bait could produce some big bites for him, saying that stain in the water could mimic cloud cover and trigger some bites.

“If everything goes to plan I can get on that early morning bite and get five by 10 o’clock, and then I can pick up the glide and things could get pretty scary,” said Jocumsen. “I think I need to get two big bites, but I don’t think I can get five. These fish are the smartest fish I’ve ever fished for right now.”

The top 10 boaters after Day One of competition on Lake Guntersville are:

1st: Carl Jocumsen, Queensland, Australia, five bass, 20-2

2nd: Kyle Walters, Grant Valkaria, Fla., five bass, 19-15

3rd: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., five bass, 18-3

4th: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, five bass, 18-2

5th: Casey Smith, Macedon, N.Y., five bass, 17-8

6th: Dennis Shawn Perrigo, Rienzi, Miss., five bass, 17-6

7th: Terry Tucker, Gadsden, Ala., five bass, 16-6

8th: David Hudson, Jasper, Ala., five bass, 16-3

9th: Brandon Perkins, Counce, Tenn., five bass, 15-7

9th: Troy Gibson, Mountain Home, Ark., five bass, 15-7

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

Competitors qualified for the Costa FLW Series Championship through five U.S. divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western – and an International division that features anglers from Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa and Spain. The highest finishing pro from each U.S. division and the International division will qualify for the 2019 FLW Cup. A total of six FLW Series boaters will advance to the 2019 FLW Cup, which will be held at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 9-11.

Jared West of Mont Belvieu, Texas, caught five bass weighing 17 pounds, 15 ounces, to lead the Co-angler Division, followed by Roger Stubbs of Locust Grove, Georgia, in second place with five bass weighing 16-1.

The top 10 co-anglers on Lake Guntersville are:

1st: Jared West, Mont Belvieu, Texas, five bass, 17-15

2nd: Roger Stubbs, Locust Grove, Ga., five bass,   16-1

3rd: Brad Hostetler Jr., Franklin, Ind., five bass, 13-15

4th: Alex Redwine, Cincinnati, Ohio, four bass, 13-11

5th: Jeremy Johnson, Kansas City, Kan., five bass, 13-1

6th: Robbie Bartoszek, Hampshire, Tenn., four bass, 12-9

7th: James Callaghan, DeBerry, Texas, five bass, 12-7

8th: Robert Olivier, Amanzimtoti, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, five bass, 12-5

9th: Glenn Mason, Alpharetta, Ga., four bass, 12-3

10th: Scott Bern, San Rafael, Calif., five bass, 11-3

Co-anglers are casting this week for a top award of a Ranger Z175 boat with a 90-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $5,000 if Ranger Cup guidelines are met.

Anglers will take off Saturday from Guntersville City Harbor, located at 201 Blount Ave., in Guntersville, at 7:30 a.m. CDT. Saturday’s final weigh-in, originally scheduled to take place at Cabela’s in Huntsville will now remain at Guntersville City Harbor, and will begin at 3 p.m.

Area youth are encouraged to attend the free FLW Foundation Unified Fishing Derby at Guntersville City Harbor on Saturday, Nov. 3, from 1-2:30 p.m. The all-inclusive event is open to youth (18 and under) and Special Olympics athletes (all ages). Tackle, bait and expert assistance will be provided. Registration begins on site at noon.

In Costa FLW Series competition, 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.

 

Categories
Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

HISTORIC NEWS Coming from Major League Fishing

October 30, 2018 –

MLF Bass Pro Tour Anglers Vote No Entry Fees for 2019

TULSA, Okla. – The professional bass anglers who comprise the 80-man field in Major League Fishing’s (MLF) new Bass Pro Tour have voted “no” to required entry fees for their participation in the 2019 tournament competitions.

The no-fee decision is the first of its kind for a high stakes professional bass fishing series and reveals the kind of autonomous authority the Bass Pro Tour participants have as a group for guiding the future of their events and the sport.

Major League Fishing Pro Bobby Lane

No entry fees means the cash payouts per event will be less than initially announced, although still higher than what the anglers have become accustomed to on other trails. Another advantage to this decision is that the anglers effectively eliminated one of the greatest expenses and upfront cash hurdles professional anglers had to incur annually.

“What brought this great group of anglers together in the first place was the allure of being able to ultimately control our own destiny because collectively we now make the rules,” said Gary Klein, who was instrumental in the formation of MLF and Bass Pro Tour. “It’s all about the big picture of what we want this sport to be and getting it there. We call this ‘Major League’ Fishing for a reason and no entry fees is a monumental move in our achieving that distinction.”

The MLF expansion with the new Bass Pro Tour has advanced rapidly since being announced in mid-September. It was made possible when Bass Pro Shops and Outdoor Sportsman Group (OSG) pledged additional support to an already long list of MLF sponsors.

In addition to the pro tour, MLF will continue its popular Cup events and General Tire World Championship, airing on Outdoor Channel and CBS, respectively. All events will use the same entertaining MLF format of catch, weigh and immediate release of bass during competitions.

“Things are moving fast and each new step this group takes seems to be another giant leap in bringing attention to fishing,” MLF President and CEO, Jim Wilburn said. “It’s a pleasure to watch the enthusiasm and sincerity of the greatest bass anglers in the world as they take the reins in advancing the sport to the benefit of everyone who loves to fish.”

MLF airs on Outdoor Channel, World Fishing Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network and Discovery Channel, and is available on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).

For current MLF schedules, rules and sponsors, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Categories
BASSMASTER Elite Series/Opens

Avena, Lane, Swindle Win Final Matches At Bassmaster Classic Bracket On Carters Lake

October 26, 2018 – Photo by: B.A.S.S.

Avena, Lane, Swindle Win Final Matches At Bassmaster Classic Bracket On Carters Lake

ELIJAY, Ga. —Adrian Avena told his followers on social media Thursday night that Friday’s final round of the Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster Classic Bracket on Carters Lake would be the most important six hours of his career.

Then he went out and made the most of the opportunity.

The New Jersey pro was one of three anglers — along with Gerald Swindle and Chris Lane of Alabama — who won their head-to-head matches during the Bracket finals to earn berths into the 2019 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.

Avena, who will be making his first trip to the Super Bowl of Professional Bass Fishing, caught a five-bass limit that weighed 8 pounds, 11 ounces, to easily win his match with Japanese pro Shin Fukae, who boated only one keeper that weighed 1-5.

“Today was all about making a dream come true,” Avena said. “I’ve never had a day of fishing that meant more, and I’m so glad it happened the way it did for me.”

The pressure of the moment was so immense that Avena had trouble sleeping Thursday night, and he used that insomnia to his advantage to make some adjustments to a bait that would be the key to his success Friday.

Avena hand-painted a 1 1/2-ounce spoon pink and white at midnight Thursday and rigged it with a size No. 2 Berkley Fusion treble hook. He then used the bait to catch a good limit of spotted bass by 10:30 a.m. Friday.

With Fukae struggling, the match was essentially over at that point.

“I used basically three techniques this week, and they were all important,” Avena said. “I used a drop shot with a 4-inch hand-poured worm, and I used a longer 2-foot leader because I was fishing for suspended fish. I also used a jerkbait, which served as a great search tool, and then I caught most of my fish today on the spoon.”

Swindle also threw several baits to catch his Friday limit of five bass that weighed 11 pounds, 6 ounces.

He caught a 12-ounce keeper just five minutes into the competition on a Rapala DT10 crankbait and then added 1-6 keeper less than an hour later on a buzzbait. For the rest of the day, in cloudy conditions that were ideal for a surface or near-surface bite, he used a jerkbait to fill out his limit.

His match was also a bit anticlimactic because his opponent, Arkansas pro Scott Rook, struggled for most of the day. Rook caught just one bass that weighed 1-14.

“I used a little bit of everything this week,” Swindle said. “I used a River2Sea spoon, a DT10 crankbait, a jerkbait, a buzzbait and then a shaky head.

“The shaky head with a Zoom green pumpkin/blue flake trick worm was probably the biggest bait for me — and most of the fish I caught on it came from 35 to 45 feet of water.”

Lane fished all week with larger topwater presentations that produced only a few bites, but larger fish on average. He stuck with that approach Friday and landed the biggest limit of the day — five bass that weighed 10-12.

His first keeper was a 2-3 spot that bit a Luck-E-Strike jerkbait at 8:09 a.m. He added a 2-9 on the same lure at 8:58 and a 3-11 at 9:01 during a furious stretch that put his match with fellow Alabama pro Greg Vinson out of reach.

Vinson finished with five bass that weighed 5-14.

“It all happened on top for me this week,” Lane said. “I switched from a wakebait to a Whopper Plopper and then I really just switched up today to that Luck-E-Strike jerkbait. The name of the game was cover, cover, cover — just cover a lot of water.”

One of the key moments for Lane came when he tied into a big fish that actually came unhooked.

“That big fish came off and then another one grabbed it,” Lane said. “If I had gotten that fish up next to the boat and then it came off, I might not have had that shot.”

Photo by: B.A.S.S.

Categories
BASSMASTER Elite Series/Opens

Twelve Anglers Advance After First Round of Bassmaster Classic Bracket on Carters Lake

October 23, 2018 – Photo by: James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.

Twelve Anglers Advance After First Round of 2019 Bassmaster Classic Bracket on Carters Lake

ELIJAY, Ga. —The first round of the Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster Classic Bracket on Carters Lake was a one-day tournament to determine the seeding for three separate competitions that will each send an angler to the 2019 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.

With that one-day tournament in the history books, the stakes will now get higher every moment until the Classic Bracket concludes Friday.

After Tuesday’s opening round, 15 anglers were allowed to weigh their five biggest bass with the Top 12 advancing to the upcoming three-day, bracket-style competition. The anglers qualified in the following order: 1. Fred Roumbanis (16 pounds 1 ounce), 2. Greg Vinson (13-10), 3. Keith Combs (12-6), 4. Ray Hanselman Jr. (10-0), 5. Chris Lane (9-12), 6. Gerald Swindle (9-10), 7. Mike McClelland (9-0), 8. Chad Pipkens (8-8), 9. Adrian Avena (6-13), 10. Shin Fukae (6-11), 11. Dustin Connell (5-5) and 12. Scott Rook (5-4).

Marty Robinson (4-12), Takahiro Omori (1-15) and Bill Lowen (0-0) were eliminated.

“Today’s goal was just to advance,” said Hanselman, of Del Rio, Texas. “I just wanted to try and fish clean and make sure I made it into that Top 12. I figured a little something out (during Monday’s practice round), and it helped me today. But there aren’t a whole lot of places to do it on this lake.”

Starting Wednesday, the weights will go back to zero, and six matches will be held from 8-11 a.m. ET, pitting No. 1 vs. No. 12, No. 2 vs. No. 11 and No. 3 vs. No. 10. Then during the afternoon session from 12:30-3:30 p.m., three additional matches will pit No. 4 vs. No. 9, No. 5 vs. No. 8 and No. 6 vs. No. 7.

Wednesday’s weights will carry over to Thursday when the morning and evening lineups will be flipped. After Thursday’s round of 12, the six advancing anglers will fish head-to-head on Friday with their weights back at zero once again.

Friday’s three winners will advance to the 2019 Bassmaster Classic.

Carters Lake is a 3,200-acre highland reservoir known for big spotted bass that gorge themselves on the lake’s abundant population of blueback herring. Schools of herring sometimes cause the bass to congregate in large numbers along the surface, allowing anglers to catch big limits quickly.

But that wasn’t the case for most of the 15-angler field Tuesday.

“I didn’t get too many bites out there today,” said Elite Series pro Keith Combs of Texas. “But when I did get them, they were good ones. I usually try to cover a lot of water. But today I kind of punted on that, and at least it got me the five fish I needed.”

Chad Pipkens, an Elite Series angler from Michigan, said the lake could change a lot during the next three days.

“It’s anybody’s game out there,” he said. “The fish are moving around so much. I think I caught one bass today where I caught them in practice.”

Pipkens said having only three hours to fish the next three days will make things tough.

“I tried to learn a little bit more today and add that to what I learned in practice,” he said. “You’ve just got to put your bait in places where they live — and with only three hours to fish, you’ll have to do it right away.”

Since B.A.S.S. is using a catch-weigh-release format for the event, there will be no weigh-ins the rest of the week. All fish will be weighed by onboard judges and released immediately.

All of the action will be carried live on Bassmaster.com.

Photo by: James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.

Categories
MLF BIG-5

LEXINGTON’S WALSER WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ON LAKE NORMAN PRESENTED BY COSTA SUNGLASSES

LEXINGTON’S WALSER WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ON LAKE NORMAN PRESENTED BY COSTA SUNGLASSES

October 22, 2018  by FLW Communications – Photo courtesy of FLW Tour

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – Boater Robert Walser of Lexington, North Carolina, caught a three-day cumulative total of 15 bass weighing 35 pounds, 8 ounces, to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Regional championship on Lake Norman presented by Costa Sunglasses. Walser earned $66,000 for his efforts, including a new Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and automatic entry into the 2019 BFL All-American Championship.

Walser said he made a 20- to 25-minute run to the Buffalo Shoals Road bridge near Long Island, North Carolina, each morning of the tournament and fished his way back to the takeoff ramp. Along his route, he flipped docks using a Texas-rigged, green-pumpkin-colored Zoom Baby Brush Hog and a Zoom Z Craw Jr. with 5/16th-ounce Echo Pro tungsten weights and 3/0-sized Berkley Fusion19 offset hooks. He also caught some bass on the bank between docks with a Rush Lures spinnerbait.

Check out Robert Walser Tackle Selection @ Tackle Warehouse

Zoom Baby Brush Hog https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Zoom_Brush_Hogs/descpage-ZBBH.html

Zoome Z Craw Jr. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Zoom_Z_Craw/descpage-ZRPOCC.html

ECho Pro Tungsten https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Eco_Pro_Tungsten_Elite_Series_Flipping_Weights/descpage-EPDRTFW.html

Berkley Fusion 19 Off-set hook https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Berkley_Fusion19_Hooks_Offset_Worm/descpage-SFOW.html

“I probably hit 80 to 100 docks each day. I’d fish three or four in a stretch and then move on,” said Walser, the 2006 BFL All-American champion who logged his 11th career victory in BFL competition. “A lot of the docks I targeted had brush, which I could see on my Garmin Panoptix electronics, so that’s where I concentrated my casts. All of my fish came from less than 10 feet of water.

“I keyed in on docks that have had fish on them over the past couple of weeks. Depth- and structure-wise, there wasn’t really anything that made one dock better than the next, they just needed to have fish,” continued Walser. “You could have three or four bites at one dock, and then not have anything at any others in the area.”

Walser said he caught 8 or 10 keepers each day Thursday and Friday, and at least three or four limits on Saturday. He used an 8-foot Lamiglas 806 flipping rod with a Pflueger 7:1 Supreme reel and 20-pound-test Berkley Trilene 100-percent fluorocarbon line.

Check out his line @ Tackle Warehouse https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Berkley_Trilene_100_Fluorocarbon_Line_Clear/descpage-NTB.html

“I think the south wind pushing the cold front toward us made them bite better Saturday,” said Walser. “There was also less fishing pressure [since only the top 12 anglers fish on Saturday].”

Walser went on to say that in addition to catching fish, he also had to deal with various mechanical issues. The North Carolina boater said he ended up needing to use a different boat each day of the event.

“An employee at Angler’s Choice Marine brought me the other boat I own on Thursday, which I used until a gasket failed on Friday. I’d like to give them a special thanks for helping me,” said Walser. “The mental strain of having all that stuff fail was a lot, but I got through it and it all worked it out.”

The top six boaters that qualified for the 2019 BFL All-American were:

1st: Robert Walser, Lexington, N.C., 15 bass, 35-8, $66,000

2nd: Scott Beattie, Lincolnton, N.C., 15 bass, 32-1, $10,000

3rd: Dylan Fulk, Concord, N.C., 15 bass, 30-10, $5,200

4th: Bryan New, Belmont, N.C., 15 bass, 29-14, $3,100

5th: Michael Fox, Statesville, N.C., 15 bass, 29-11, $2,000

6th: Travis Young, Charlotte, N.C., 15 bass, 29-9, $1,800

Rounding out the top-10 boaters were:

7th: Jack Dice, Lynchburg, Va., 15 bass, 29-4, $1,600

8th: Jake Frye, Charlotte, N.C., 13 bass, 27-7, $1,400

9th: Chad Poteat, Mount Airy, N.C., 15 bass, 27-1, $1,200

10th: Cole Huskins, Mt. Holly, N.C., 12 bass, 25-8, $1,000

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Wayne Smelser of Rural Retreat, Virginia, won the Co-angler Division and a new Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard with a three-day cumulative catch of 15 bass weighing 28 pounds, 12 ounces.

The top six co-anglers that qualified for the 2019 BFL All-American were:

1st: Wayne Smelser, Rural Retreat, Va., 15 bass, 28-12, $45,200

2nd: Larry Freeman Jr., La Crosse, Va., 13 bass, 27-11, $5,000

3rd: Tristen Trull, Mt. Holly, N.C., 13 bass, 25-13, $2,500

4th: Ben Dacey, Chesterfield, Va., 15 bass, 25-3, $1,550

5th: Jeff Rikard, Leesville, S.C., 12 bass, 23-7, $1,000

6th: Khris Williams, Mount Holly, N.C., 13 bass, 21-3, $900

Rounding out the top-10 co-anglers were:

7th: Ronnie Cutshall, Piedmont, S.C., 12 bass, 18-15, $800

8th: Darren Kelly, Wartburg, Tenn., 10 bass, 18-8, $700

9th: David Blakely, Kingsport, Tenn., 10 bass, 18-6, $600

10th: Bart Beasley, Mount Pleasant, S.C., eight bass, 16-13, $500

The T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Norman presented by Costa Sunglasses was hosted by Visit Lake Norman, Visit Charlotte and Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation.

The 2018 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2019 BFL All-American will take place May 30-June 1 on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland, and is hosted by the Charles County Board of Commis

Photo courtesy of FLW Tour

Categories
BASSMASTER Elite Series/Opens

Jared Lintner Wins Bassmaster Opens Championship At Table Rock

October 20, 2018 –

Photo by: James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.

Jared Lintner Wins Bassmaster Opens Championship At Table Rock

Springfield, MO. —Dialing into the details was the ticket to victory for Jared Lintner, winner of the 2018 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Championship on Table Rock Lake.

Linter of Arroyo Grande, Calif., added 10 pounds, 15 ounces of bass today to push his winning total weight to 37 pounds for three days of fishing. Brandon Lester of Fayetteville, Tenn., took second \with 34-11, and Derek Hudnall of Baton Rouge, La., was third with 34-1. Bobby Lane Jr. of Lakeland, Fla., was fourth with 32-7, and Scott Suggs of Alexander, Ark., took fifth with 32-3.

The weather was a key factor throughout the three-day tournament. A chilly rain on Friday was braced by sunny, unseasonably warm weather on Thursday and Saturday. The best fishing occurred during the worst weather when the bass were most active in the low-light conditions.

Everyone, especially including Lintner, knew the bass were in the fall transition, moving from deep to shallow water.

“I knew the bass were moving shallow, just not enough to put together a reliable pattern,” he said.

When the bites began Lintner, took note. He discovered greater concentrations of bass holding on steeper tapering shorelines used as migration routes.

“It started replicating itself so I went searching for similar areas,” he explained.

The steep dropoffs near shorelines where Lintner initially discovered the pattern were a 45-mile run from the launch site. Table Rock is a big lake, and Lintner decided to search nearer the weigh-in site. After two days, he found enough of the steep transition areas to complete a pattern. Lintner could spend more time fishing, allowing the continually moving bass to come to him.

On Thursday, Lintner moved into fourth place with 12-14, a respectable catch compared to the rest of the field. The next day, rain and overcast skies made the bite better, producing a limit weighing 13-3.

Today, the sun came out and the post-frontal funk set in. Lintner caught his limit by 8:30 a.m. The sun grew brighter, the wind went calm and the bite shut down.

“The low light compensated for the lack of wind, which made the pattern really click,” he said. “Without wind, the fish could see lures from farther away in the clearer water.”

By midday, the wind picked up but the bite did not for Lintner. That made the early morning bite the saving grace for the Californian.

Lintner alternated between a Spro Mike McClelland RkCrawler 55 crankbait, and a Jackall MC/60. He also used a 3/4-ounce jig with a Strike King Rage Bug. He flipped the latter setup when encountering isolated cedar trees near the transition areas.

Lester used a technique that is popular on his native middle Tennessee bass fisheries during the wintertime. Called tight lining, it involves methodically fishing a lightweight jig across deepwater structure. Very little movement is necessary to make the fish bite.

“I found bass at the ends of bluffs but couldn’t make them bite anything,” he said. “I thought of tight lining and it worked.”

Lester used a 3.75-inch X Zone Lures Shiver Shad on a 1/8-ounce jighead for his tight-lining rig fished on 10-pound braid with a 6-pound test leader.

He further dialed into the pattern by finding bass staging where deep bluffs transitioned into other forms of structure, such as rocky points or gravel shorelines.

The Opens Championship was the climax of a year featuring eight events in as many states. The Top 28 pro and co-anglers in the point standings from the Central and Eastern divisions qualified for the championship.

Lintner and the Top 3 pro anglers in points from each division were invited to bass fishing’s premier event, the 2019 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods. Frank Talley, Brad Whatley and Derek Hudnall advanced from the Central Division, while Brandon Lester, Bobby Lane Jr., and Garrett Paquette qualified from the Eastern Division. The Classic is set for March 15-17 in Knoxville, Tenn. Lester won the Eastern points title, while Frank Talley of Temple, Texas, won the Central title.

Lintner earned a Classic berth, $10,000 bonus cash and a Triton 19 TrX with Mercury 200 Pro XS and accessories worth $45,000.

Winning the $750 Phoenix Big Bass Award on the pro side was Mark Rose of Wynne, Ark., with a largemouth weighing 6-1. Alex Heintz of Denham Springs, La., won the co-angler $250 Phoenix Big Bass Award with a largemouth weighing 4-7.

Lane earned the Power-Pole Captain’s Cash Award of $500 on the pro side for being the highest-placing angler who is registered and eligible and uses client-approved product on his boat.

Photo by: James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.