Snagless Chatterbait

Designed by Z-Man pro and jig fishing ace David Walker, the CrossEyeZ ChatterBait leverages the weedless, oversized eye design of Z-Man’s CrossEyeZ jig series. A custom 5/0 O’Shaughnessy hook bolsters hookup and landing percentages. For optimal snag resistance around wood and grass, an adjustable, v-shaped, coated multi-strand wire weedguard deflects cover and prevents snagging and fouling, while folding back during hooksets. A dual trailer keeper, with molded lead and wire spikes, offers the ultimate in trailer security. Hand-tied silicone skirts are secured to the hook-shank with stainless wire for maximum longevity. Durable, color-matched jighead and hallmark ‘cross eyes’ add attraction. With a custom, super-hard stainless hex-shaped ChatterBlade and uniquely designed line tie snap that reduces fouling and enhances durability, the CrossEyeZ ChatterBait presents strong, bold vibration, unmatched durability and superior snag resistance.

Michael Neal Conquers MLF Bass Pro Tour Stage 7 on Lake St. Clair!

MLF Press Release

ST. CLAIR SHORES, Mich. – Dayton, Tennessee pro angler “The Real Deal” Michael Neal has long been considered one of the best pros in the world without a signature professional win. For nine years, Neal has made a name in the pro bass-fishing world with his consistency – always near the top of the leaderboard, but never ON the top. Wednesday, at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour CarParts.com Stage Seven at Lake St. Clair Presented by Covercraft in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, Neal finally came out on top.

Neal caught 58 smallmouth bass totaling 168 pounds, 11 ounces – a new Bass Pro Tour Championship Round record for the heaviest one-day weight – to win by a 76-pound, 2-ounce margin over second place – also a new Bass Pro Tour record for the largest margin of victory.

“What a week! I really am not sure what to say at this point,” Neal joked in his post-game interview. “The first win of my career. I won the (Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit) Angler of the Year title earlier this year, but this is my first actual tournament win and it feels really, really good to get the monkey off of my back. I’ve had so many second-place finishes – I finished second this year at REDCREST. I never would have expected my first win would be with smallmouth. I’ve never been a smallmouth guy – I grew up on the Tennessee River fishing offshore. But, I’ll take it.”

Neal caught his fish this week mainly off of one key area near the mouth of the Detroit River in Lake Erie – a spot that he described as a massive grass flat with some high spots, rock and depressions mixed in. He estimated that the flat was about ¾ of a mile long, and loaded with smallmouth.

“I came here in Day 2 of practice, really because I was just sick of fighting the wind,” Neal said. “I doubled up on a crankbait, then caught one or two more, then left. I really had no idea what this area really held. On Day 1 of the tournament, this was actually my fourth stop. And you can see what was here… it was just crazy.

Jacob Wheeler Wins 2021 Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year!

By Tyler Brinks, MLF Press Release

ST. CLAIR SHORES, Mich. – It’s official: Jacob Wheeler is the 2021 Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year. Through the first six events this season, Wheeler had won half (Stages Two, Five and Six), and if not for Ott DeFoe‘s consistently excellent season, he likely would have had the race all but wrapped up before Stage Seven even started at Lake St. Clair.

Coming into the CarParts.com Stage Seven Presented by Covercraft, DeFoe had a 12 point advantage in the AOY race. Wheeler advanced to the Championship Round while DeFoe finished the Knockout Round in 30th Monday, sealing the fate of both anglers.

Through his remarkable season, Wheeler was able to see great success across the country and etch his name onto the list of tour-level Angler of the Year winners.

Proven Consistency in Angler of the Year Race

With the dominance Wheeler has shown since beginning his career, it was clearly only a matter of time before he graduated from being an angler who frequently wins tournaments to an Angler of the Year winner.

While the 2021 season was the first time Wheeler claimed the AOY title, he’s been consistently good across every tour he’s fished for several years.

Starting in 2016, he finished fourth in the FLW Tour points race and followed it up with a third and ninth the following two years on the Elite Series. Since joining the Bass Pro Tour, he’s been right near the top: He finished fourth in the inaugural season in 2019 and backed it up with a third-place showing last year.

That’s six straight seasons in the Top 10 in points at the highest professional level.

Three Wins and Counting

Wheeler’s wins this season occurred in Texas and twice in New York. With his advancement to the Championship Round on Lake St. Clair, he may also add one in Michigan.

His triumph at Lake Travis was the closest in Bass Pro Tour history as he edged Bobby Lane by just 2 ounces. His next two wins weren’t even close as he lapped the field and won each by close to 30 pounds.

Cory Johnston Wins the 2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Northern Open on the St. Lawrence River!

Cory Johnston sack 15 mega smallmouth for 78lbs!
(Photo: BASS)

By David A. Brown, BASS Press Release

CLAYTON, N.Y. — Saving the best for last, Bassmaster Elite Series angler Cory Johnston turned in his biggest bag of the week, 27 pounds, 6 ounces, and won the Basspro.com Bassmaster Northern Open at the St. Lawrence River/1000 Islands with a three-day total of 78-0.

Edging Day 1 leader Cal Climpson by 13 ounces, Johnston won the top prize of $43,433. Hailing from Cavan, Ontario, Canada, he said local knowledge proved invaluable.

“It was a great week and I had a lot of fun,” Johnston said. “I have a lot of spots out on Lake Ontario. I only pre-fished for about two days out here; I just know this place so well, but it’s burnt me so many times.

“I caught a ton of fish and I caught a lot of big fish. It just goes to show you what an incredible fishery we have here, so we have to look after this place.”

The first two days, Johnston kept himself in the hunt with limits of 25-7 and 25-3 that put him in fifth and second place. His final-round limit was the event’s second-heaviest, behind Climpson’s Day 1 bag of 27-7.

Johnston’s win provided a much-needed dose of redemption, after what looked to be a run at the victory ended with a fourth-place finish at mid-July’s Farmers Insurance Bassmaster Elite at the St. Lawrence River.

2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Northern Open on the St. Lawrence Day 1: Cal Climpson Sack 27-07; Gallant 2nd!

Climpson leads Cooper Gallant by ounces. 
(Photo: BASS)

BASS PRESS RELEASE 

Fall’s seasonal transition took a big chunk out of Cal Climpson’s practice findings, but the Canadian pro located enough quality to assemble a limit catch of 27 pounds, 7 ounces to lead Day 1 of the Basspro.com Bassmaster Northern Open at the St. Lawrence River/1000 Islands.

The recent arrival of cooler weather and big winds have cracked the whip on large schools of smallmouth that had been lounging in deep water. With schools fragmenting and scattered fish starting to push shallower, consistency has become challenging.

“I had quite a bit of fish located in practice, but a lot of my spots were dry today, so I had to work really hard to get that weight,” Climpson said. “I wish I knew where they moved to. The fish that I caught were ones that stuck around in the same depths as they were in practice.

“This is classic September; the fish are in all depths right now. The water temperature has dropped 7 to 8 degrees in the last week and a half, and the fish are not as grouped up as they were in August.”

Knowing that Lake Ontario has historically produced a higher quality of fish than the St. Lawrence — river fish burn more calories in the higher current — Climpson began his day in the big water.

“I snuck out into the lake, but then it started getting rough, so I ended up in the river around noon,” Climpson said. “What I caught was about fifty-fifty between the lake and the river.”

For his Lake Ontario work, Climpson ran about 7 miles out and targeted an area of rock and transition bottom (rock to gravel) in 25 to 35 feet. Noting that large, isolated boulders were the key spots, Climpson said his Garmin LiveScope played a key role in his success.

Bassmaster Pros Helping With Hurricane Relief

Reigning Bassmaster Classic Champion Hank Cherry of Lincolnton, N.C., is one of several Elite Series anglers helping with hurricane relief efforts by raising funds or volunteering manpower. 

After Hurricane Ida devastated areas across south Louisiana and Mississippi, Bassmaster Elite Series pros are helping to raise funds for hurricane relief as well as lending a helping hand to a fellow angler and impacted communities.

Immediately after the hurricane hit, reigning Bassmaster Classic champion Hank Cherry of Lincolnton, N.C., teamed up with his title sponsor, Woods to Water Outdoor Co., to formulate a plan to get down to Louisiana and help those in need. Local sporting goods store The Great Outdoors in Cherryville, N.C., was able to lend Cherry a massive trailer to load up goods to haul down to the Bayou State.

“I just felt like I needed to do something,” Cherry said. “I want to use my platform to help those in need right now.”

The response that Cherry and company received after posting about their efforts on social media was incredible. The local community donated an overwhelming number of supplies to send with the North Carolinian — which include water, food, tarps, charcoal, roofing equipment, diapers, paper towels and countless other necessities. Cherry has also created a GoFundMe relief account for the communities that were affected.

Initially, the goal was to reach $5,000. That number was reached within the first day. The plan is to keep the account open to donations and wait to use the funds until they know exactly what is needed most.

“Our area is so great,” he said. “We’ve had people all across the board reach out to help, which has been really cool to see. It may end up that we need two trailers to haul everything by the time we leave.

“The people down there have been devastated by this storm,” he continued. “We’re just trying to do as much as we can to help. Really, it’s just the right thing to do.” 

Cherry is heading toward the Gulf Coast to meet up with fellow Elite Series pro Brock Mosley, of Collinsville, Miss., who is currently assisting their Elite Series roommate Tyler Rivet and his family in Raceland, La. Raceland, in Lafourche Parish, was one of the areas hit the hardest as Category 4 Ida moved across the area on Sunday.

10 Trolling Motor Maintenance Tips

Minn Kota® trolling motors have been around for over 86 years and they’re the toughest out there, but that doesn’t mean periodic maintenance should be ignored.

We’re going to break down the most important trolling motor maintenance and care procedures for all trolling motors to keep them running like new for years to come.

A little bit of TLC goes a long way in keeping this important fishing tool in good condition.

Check and Tighten Battery Connections

Poor connections to batteries are one of the most common sources of trolling motor problems. All trolling motors require a clean connection to power to run effectively.

While this doesn’t necessarily extend the life of your trolling motor, it does prevent unwanted headaches during your valuable time on the water.

trolling motor battery connection maintenance. Simply pull out your wrench or socket and check that all connection points are snug. 

While you are there, check the battery terminals and wires for corrosion. Give them a quick clean with fine sandpaper or emery cloth and replace any corroded wires.

It's also important to check any additional connection points, for example, where your trolling motor wire meets a terminal ring. If it's loose, re-snug or replace the terminal ring.

Frequency: It only takes a minute, so it may be good to check every or every other outing depending on how often you fish.

For more tip link here

Get back to school!

All across America, middle school and high school students are discovering that there’s an alternative way to feed their competitive passion – competitive bass fishing. 

Launched by The Bass Federation in 2007, the National High School Fishing Program and its Students Anglers Federation (SAF) is the fastest growing segment in fishing today. Today, more than 40,000 students will compete in an SAF-sanctioned tournament. To get your school signed up or your High School fishing events sanctioned visit HighSchoolFishing.org

For the 2021-2022 school year, the SAF plans to conduct more than 60 no-entry fee high school events, across 48 states and Canada, and will sanction hundreds of more high school events under the SAF umbrella.  The granddaddy of all high school events, the 13th annual High School Fishing World Finals and National Championship, will be held June 22-25, 2022 and conducted, in Florence, Alabama on Pickwick and Wilson Lakes with over 3 million dollars in scholarships and prizes up for grabs at that week-long event. More than 1,200 participants representing more than 40 states and multiple foreign countries are expected to attend the World Finals and National Championship alone. For more info click here

Chris Johnston Wins Toyota Series Northern Division with 77-15lbs!

Johnston brothers score 1st and 2nd on giant smallmouth!
(Photo: MLF) 

JODY WHITE • TOYOTA SERIES

MASSENA, N.Y. – Getting the monkey off his back in style, Chris Johnston plopped 27 pounds, 6 ounces on the scale on the final day of the Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. Northern Division event on the St. Lawrence River for the win. With a 77-15 total, Chris Johnston lead wire-to-wire and beat his brother Cory Johnston by more than 7 pounds. Taking home $39,048, he also qualified for this fall’s Toyota Series Championship on Pickwick Lake.

Though he’s an FLW Tour and B.A.S.S. Elite Series champion, Chris Johnston has been foiled by Toyota Series events on the St. Lawrence and the associated waters too many times over the last several years. After running hundreds of miles over the last three days, going from Massena to Lake Ontario each day, he finally got it done.

“I was thinking about it running back up the river, thinking ‘If I get back, I’ve finally got this off my back,’” Chris Johnston said. “It’s pretty good. I’ve obviously won tournaments, but this place is special to me. To win this one here, it means a lot. They’ve bit me in the ass too many times, always something has gone wrong. Today I jumped off a 6 before I had a good one in the boat, and my co-angler had like three good ones. Then, I broke a 6 ½ off, I was like ‘Oh no, this is gonna happen again.’ Then I finally got some in the boat, but it was going through my mind, I was sweating a little bit today.”

Catching 25-pound bags each of the first two days, Chris Johnston mixed in a river bass or two both times. On Day 3, he sent it straight to the lake to close things in style.

“It was good, but I didn’t have a lot of time,” he said. “People think it’s easy to go out there and catch a big bag, but it’s really not. I don’t have a spot that’s loaded, I only hit two spots today, but they’re not loaded, I had to work for them. I needed all four hours to catch them. Today, my starting spot never had a bass on it. On Day 2, I hit two that were dry. That’s what’s scary, when you’re making that run, if you hit two spots in a row that don’t have them, you don’t have enough time to be running around.”