Wednesday, March 30, 2011

FLW Tour on Lake Hartwell: Bryan Thrift's Favourite Rock!

I forgot a key piece of information that further details the determination needed to excel at Lake Hartwell.
Bryan Thrift, for four days cast to a single boulder. Sounds crazy but that is what he did and it worked. First, how confident or desperate are you to press your luck and entire tournament on one rock? That takes nerves of steel. He explained that the fish were coming off of it so why change. I'm sure he tried to broaden his fishing area, but something made him come back to that rock.
If you were betting man; would you take a wager that you could only fish one area on a lake? Hey, let's make it interesting, say we make it only one rock. No one would take a bet like that. But, Bryan made it work all the way to Sunday. It helped him keep his AOY title safe for another week and that is all that counts. 
When we look at tournament performances, it really is the on the water decisions and adjustments that allow anglers become super stars. Bryan makes it look easy. Maybe for him it is.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

FLW Tour on Lake Hartwell: Secrets to Their Success

How Hartwell Was Won
By Luigi De Rose

Under trying conditions, Jason Christie of Oklahoma went wire to wire all four days to claimed the championship at Lake Hartwell this past weekend. To the casual observer, it looks so simple. Whip a spinnerbait out there and reel them in.
Fourth-place Ramie Colson, Jr. and 12th-place Dan Morehead fished the same backwater, yet they couldn't equal his success.  Christie's catches over the event were: day 1: 22-04, day 2: 20-04, day 3: 13-06 and day 4: 14-13  for a grand total of 70-11. Jason Christie executed very well and used a proven spring time strategy to keep first place all to himself.

Confidence was the name of his game. During several interviews, Jason explained that his fishing area looked a lot like Oklahoma water. What that meant was his area was very similar to the types of areas he fishes back in his home state. It had shallow flats with trees along the shoreline and an underwater ditch. It was very typical of the areas Jason prefers to fish in the spring.

Feeling comfortable in an area provides a feeling that cannot be matched. This is especially true during high stakes fishing. Its easy to become frazzled and leave a good area. Jason had the confidence, conviction and stamina to work it. Much like how KVD won the Classic, how Brandon MacMillan won at Lake Okeechobee and how Shaw Grigsby won at Harris Chain of Lakes. Each angler found the correct location, with all the features needed for spawning and worked it to death. It is amazing how much repetitive casting is needed to grind out a victory. Larry Nixon, a living legend, explained that he intentionally searched out clearer water at Hartwell.  For him, clear water has always worked for him in the past and he felt comfortable there and road it out to a sixth place finish. Even when the wind blew the baitfish out of Larry's location the second day, he stood by his guns like a true veteran.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

FLW Tour on Lake Hartwell Day 4: Christie Captures Hartwell with 70-11

Thrift, current leader and reigning Angler of the Year, continues streak of top performances


Lake Hartwell 3/24/11 - 3/27/11 -- Lake Hartwell
Portman Shoals Marina, Greenville, SC

FLW Press Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Diet Mountain Dew pro Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., caught a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 13 ounces Sunday to lead the tournament wire-to-wire to win his first Tour title as well as $125,000 at the Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Hartwell presented by Chevy with a four-day catch of 20 bass weighing 70-11.

“This goes to the people who support me,” said an emotional Christie. “They’re sitting there watching me right now – my parents, kids, wife and uncles.”
The final day of competition started slowly for Christie. He made a run down the same area in Beaver Creek he had fished the previous days of competition and didn’t have a bite at almost 10 a.m. Christie stuck with his game plan, however, and relocated to another spot in the same creek.


“I had one stretch that I could catch them in, but I went through the entire stretch and never got a bite,” Christie said. “I moved across to a little half-moon - a little notch in the bank that has a deep cut that runs into it. That’s where I caught my fish.”


Christie said he caught most of his keeper fish in Beaver Creek with four coming during the second day from Shoal Creek. Christie said he caught one fish by flipping a YUM soft plastic bait the second day of competition, and said 75 percent of the rest came on a BOOYAH spinnerbait and the others on a YUM F2 Mighty Bug. Christies’ rigs consisted of Falcon rods, Quantum Smoke reels and 20- and 25-pound-test Silver Thread Fluorocarbon line.


“The spinnerbait has taken a lot of trial and error with me,” Christie said. “The BOOYAH ½-ounce spinnerbait has a single willow blade on it and the wire is light, so when you throw it, it has the same vibration as a (BOOYAH) Boogie Bait. It has a thumping vibration. And the fish – pre-spawn, spawn and postspawn fish – they like that vibration.


“One of the reasons I picked that creek was it was landlocked,” Christie added. “So you’re going to have some pre-spawn fish, some fish that are spawning and some post-spawn fish. I mean, they’re going to spawn in there for another month. It’s just a big area. Three guys in the top 20 were in there and the co-angler won in there. There’s some really big fish in there. I was shocked.”


Christie opened the tournament on Thursday with five bass weighing 22-4. On Friday he added another five bass weighing 20-4. He then caught five bass weighing 13-6 Saturday to make the crucial top-10 cut in first place.


“People don’t realize how hard it is to win a tournament after four days,” Christie said. “And it’s not done very often out of one area. After the second day I had come in with two big bags and I still had to catch them two more days to win. I know if I had gone scrambling good things wouldn’t have happened.”


Christie’s final-day catch gave him the win by a 10-pound margin over National Guard pro Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., who caught a total of 20 bass weighing 60-11 and earned $35,000.


“Coming into today I didn’t think second (place) was doable,” Ehrler said. “I was thinking, ‘Man, I hope I just catch them OK and move up into third or fourth.’ It was brutal because it took all day. I didn’t just go out and catch them on the one spot. I did something different every day. And that’s tough, because you don’t know if you’re going to catch 7 pounds or 20 pounds.”


The remaining top 10 pros finished the tournament in:


3rd: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 20 bass, 59-4, $30,750


4th: Stacey King, Reeds Spring, Mo., 20 bass, 57-10, $25,000


5th: Chevy pro Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 20 bass, 55-13, $20,500


6th: Chevy pro Larry Nixon, Bee Branch, Ark., 20 bass, 55-2, $17,000


7th: Joe Thomas, Milford, Ohio, 20 bass, 54-2, $16,500


8th: Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes pro Dave Lefebre, Union City, Pa., 20 bass, 54-1, $15,000


9th: AMP Energy pro Stetson Blaylock, Benton, Ark., 19 bass, 50-12, $14,000


10th: Tom Monsoor, La Crosse, Wis., 16 bass, 50-10, $13,000

Overall there were 46 bass weighing 111 pounds, 12 ounces caught by pros Sunday. The catch included nine five-bass limits.


J.R. Wright of Truckee, Calif., won the Co-angler Division and $25,000 Saturday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 40 pounds, 9 ounces followed by Moo Bae of West Friendship, Md., in second place with 14 bass weighing 33-0 worth $7,500.


In FLW Tour competition, pros and co-anglers are vying for valuable points that could help them qualify for the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart, where they could win up to $600,000 – the sport’s biggest award – and $60,000 respectively. This year’s Cup will be in Hot Springs, Ark., Aug. 11-14 on Lake Ouachita.


Pros and co-anglers are also competing for the prestigious Walmart FLW Tour Angler of the Year presented by Kellogg’s in 2011 that will be determined by the most points accumulated over the six Tour Majors. The pro winner will receive $100,000, while the co-angler title holder will win a new Ranger 198VX with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.


The Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Hartwell presented by Chevy was hosted by the Greenville Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Anderson Convention and Visitors Bureau, and was the third of 10 Walmart FLW Tour tournaments of the 2011 season. The Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Chickamauga presented by National Guard will be the next tournament and will be held April 14-17 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The event will be hosted by the Great Chattanooga Sports Committee and boats will launch from Chester Frost Park in Hixson, Tenn.


Coverage of the Lake Hartwell tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on VERSUS. “FLW Outdoors” will air May 8 from 1 to 2 p.m. ET. “FLW Outdoors,” hosted by Jason Harper and Laura Schara, is broadcast to more than 500 million households worldwide.


For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow FLW Outdoors on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWOutdoors.


About FLW Outdoors


FLW Outdoors is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 191 tournaments in 2011. FLW Outdoors has taken fishing mainstream with the world’s richest fantasy sports game, FLW Fantasy Fishing presented by Straight Talk, where competitors can play for free as well as sign up for Player’s Advantage to gain an edge. For more information about FLW Outdoors and FLW Fantasy Fishing, browse FLWOutdoors.com or visit FantasyFishing.com.

FLW Tour on Lake Hartwell: Day 4 Predictions

For All the Chips
By Luigi De Rose

FLW Tour stop on Lake Hartwell has been a typical spring tournament. A battle of spawning fish. A battle of dirty vs. clear water. A battle of East vs. West anglers.  Day 4 is when it all counts. This is the last day to make it happen. Unfortunately, it might be out of everyone's hands. 

What's working
With so much rain on Day 3 it should have effected the fishing but good catches came from both stained and clearer areas. Sight fishing was a wash. Ish Monroe complained that the overcast conditions impaired his view along with the pollen floating on the water. His catch dropped and he didn't advance. Surprisingly, finesse worked well for West Coast super star Brent Ehrler as it did for Stacy King in his muddy, up- river coves. Power fisherman like tournament leader Jason Christie, Bryan Thirft in fifth and Joe Thomas in tenth, all did well cranking a range of baits. Others said the swimbait bite should have been better but the rain was a cold rain which hampered the fish's mood.

Problem
It rained like hell all of Day 3. Anglers were soaked. With more rain expected last night, the lake will continue to rise. This is concerning for all. The anglers in the upper reaches of the lake, especially the ones fishing coves with creeks in the back might be met with a wall of cold, muddy water. Even in the lower sections of the lake this is not a blessing. Tom Monsoor explained that the grass his fish are relating to is now underwater. During practice he could see the grass and cast to it. Now he is fishing from memory. Joe Thomas, while being interviewed by FLW outdoors stated that his dad told him two thing, "muddy water is OK and cold water is OK but cold muddy water is no good." If his dad's theory is correct many in the Top 10 are in for a world of trouble.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

FLW Tour on Lake Hartwell Day 3: Christie Still Leads

Christie Still in Lead but Tom Monsoor Closing In

Lake Hartwell 3/24/11 - 3/27/11 -- Lake Hartwell
Portman Shoals Marina, Greenville, SC
FLW Press Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Diet Mountain Dew pro Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., caught a five-bass limit weighing 13 pounds, 6 ounces Saturday to capture the lead at the Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Hartwell presented by Chevy and advanced to the top 10 as the crucial No. 1 seed. With a three-day catch of 15 bass weighing 55-14, he now holds a 6-pound, 1-ounce lead in the tournament going into the final day of competition.


“They’re there … I just have to make them bite,” Christie said. “I think I’ve figured it out. Hopefully this dirty water will make it where I can catch them.


“The water has gotten really clear,” Christie added. “I thought the lake had come down a lot, but it’s actually just clearing up to where I can see the bottom, and I don’t like that. They can see my bait too good. I can’t tell you how many I had wake my bait … just running out of the bed after my bait.”


Christie said he employed the same technique to catch his limit on the third day of competition that he used the first two days - a ½-ounce white BOOYAH spinnerbait with a single gold Colorado blade. Christie said he doesn’t plan on changing tactics.


“I’m going to go down swinging doing the same thing tomorrow,” Christie said.


Jason Christie Still in Control.
(Photo: Brett Carlson FLW)
Christie said the creeks are flowing muddy water into the lake after Saturday’s rain, and he thinks that could play right into his hands for his first FLW Tour win.


“Hopefully it’s going to wash dirty water into my area,” Christie said. “And if it does, it’s going to be fun.”


Tom Monsoor of La Crosse, Wis., advanced to the final round of 10 pros in the No. 2 spot with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 49-13.


“It was a long, slow day, but I ground it out and ended up with a decent sack,” Monsoor said. “I’m going to go out and grind it out again tomorrow. I’m happy with what I’m doing.”


Monsoor said he targeted bass with a jerkbait on “specific” types of grass on the lake during the first three days of competition and believes his method will continue to be productive on the last day.


“Fish are slowly moving up as the water goes up, and there’s a few more fish every day,” Monsoor said. “It’s been beat up pretty bad. But today I had a little more than yesterday. Each day I try to find another little spot here or there.”


Despite his 6-pound deficit, Monsoor remained optimistic about his chance for his first FLW Tour victory.


Tom Monsoor a solid second.
(Photo: Brett Carlson FLW)
 “It all depends on if I do good and if (Christie) does bad,” Monsoor said. “I guess we’ll just have to see tomorrow.”


Rounding out the top 10 pros and advancing to the final day of competition are:


3rd: Stacey King, Reeds Spring, Mo., 15 bass, 45-9
4th: Chevy pro Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 45-6
5th: National Guard pro Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 15 bass, 45-3
6th: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 15 bass, 45-0
7th: AMP Energy pro Stetson Blaylock, Benton, Ark., 14 bass, 43-5
8th: Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes pro Dave Lefebre, Union City, Pa., 15 bass, 42-6
9th: Chevy pro Larry Nixon, Bee Branch, Ark., 15 bass, 42-5
10th: Joe Thomas, Milford, Ohio, 15 bass, 42-3


Finishing in 11th through 20th are:


11th: Mike Reynolds, Modesto, Calif., 15 bass, 42-0, $12,500
12th: Prevacid 24HR pro Dan Morehead, Paducah, Ky., 15 bass, 41-9, $12,500
13th: Straight Talk pro J.T. Kenney, Palm Bay, Fla., 15 bass, 41-8, $12,500
14th: Todd Auten, Lake Wylie, S.C., 15 bass, 41-3, $12,500
15th: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 40-14, $12,500
16th: Walmart pro Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 15 bass, 40-4, $12,000
17th: Ishama Monroe, Hughson, Calif., 14 bass, 38-10, $12,000
18th: National Guard pro Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 37-0, $12,000
19th: Troy Morrow, Toccoa, Ga., 15 bass, 36-8, $12,000
20th: Chevy pro Jimmy Houston, Cookson, Okla., 10 bass, 29-7, $12,000


King's Near the Top Again
(Photo: Brett Carlson FLW)
Overall there were 93 bass weighing 215 pounds, 1 ounce caught by pros Saturday. The catch included 17 five-bass limits.


Pros are competing for a top award of up to $125,000 this week plus valuable points in the hope of qualifying for the Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart, the world championship of bass fishing. This year’s Cup will be in Hot Springs, Ark., Aug. 11-14 on Lake Ouachita where pros will compete for a top prize of $600,000 – the sport’s biggest award. Pro anglers are also vying for the prestigious 2011 Walmart FLW Tour Angler of the Year presented by Kellogg’s that will be determined by the most points accumulated over the six Tour Majors with the winner receiving $100,000 for their accomplishment.


J.R. Wright of Truckee, Calif., won the Co-angler Division and $25,000 Saturday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 40 pounds, 9 ounces followed by Moo Bae of West Friendship, Md., in second place with 14 bass weighing 33-0 worth $7,500.


“I fished three different styles this week,” Wright said. “The first day I was in stained water. I threw a drop-shot (rig) with a Jackall Flick Shake … and I just got the right bites. Today I weighed in all largemouth; I had been weighing in spotted bass.


“Today I fished with Jason Christie and had plenty of room,” Wright added. “I caught them on a spinnerbait and a drop-shot (rig) that I throw down on the (California) Delta. It has a 6-inch leader in about a foot of water. So every day it changed.”


Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers are:


3rd: Richard Peek, Centre, Ala., 14 bass, 30-14, $5,000
4th: Jeff Sprague, Forney, Texas, 15 bass, 30-11, $4,000
5th: Andy Scholz, Reno, Nev., 14 bass, 29-14, $3,250
6th: Tommy Milligan, Seneca, S.C., 15 bass, 29-12, $2,500
7th: Mike Helton, Jeffersonville, Ind., 14 bass, 29-5, $2,000
8th: Nick Hensley, Cumming, Ga., 15 bass, 27-11, $1,800
9th: Doug Caldwell, Kane, Pa., 15 bass, 27-8, $1,700
10th: Spencer Shuffield, Bismarck, Ark., 11 bass, 26-4, $1,600


Overall there were 67 bass weighing 118 pounds, 1 ounce caught by co-anglers Saturday. The catch included 10 five-bass limits.


Co-anglers are fishing for a top award of $25,000 this week plus valuable points that could help them qualify for the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup. The Walmart FLW Tour Co-angler of the Year presented by Kellogg’s will be determined by the most points accumulated over the six Tour Majors and the winner will receive a new Ranger 198VX with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.


The top 10 pros will take off at 7 Sunday morning from Portman Shoals Marina located at 1629 Marina Rd. in Anderson, S.C. Sunday’s final weigh-in will be held at the Carolina First Center located at One Exposition Drive in Greenville beginning at 4 p.m.


Fans will be treated to the FLW Outdoors Expo at the Carolina First Center on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. prior to the final weigh-in. The Expo provides the opportunity for fans to interact with professional anglers, ride Ranger boat simulators, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. The first 300 kids 14 and under to the Expo will receive a free rod & reel courtesy of The Greenville News. Plus, one lucky fan will win a Can-Am ATV compliments of 92.5 WESC following the final weigh-in. You must be present to win. All activities are free and open to the public.


Coverage of the Lake Hartwell tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on VERSUS. “FLW Outdoors” will air May 8 from 1 to 2 p.m. ET. “FLW Outdoors,” hosted by Jason Harper and Laura Schara, is broadcast to more than 500 million households worldwide.


For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow FLW Outdoors on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWOutdoors .


About FLW Outdoors


FLW Outdoors is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 191 tournaments in 2011. FLW Outdoors has taken fishing mainstream with the world’s richest fantasy sports game, FLW Fantasy Fishing presented by Straight Talk, where competitors can play for free as well as sign up for Player’s Advantage to gain an edge. For more information about FLW Outdoors and FLW Fantasy Fishing, browse FLWOutdoors.com or visit FantasyFishing.com.

FLW Tour on Lake Hartwell: How to Make the Top 20

How to Make it to the Top 20
By Luigi De Rose

There are always leaders in any tournament. A magic few who seem to hit the right spots at the correct time. Others might be fishing similar spots or similar ways with poorer results. As the legendary Rick Clunn explained, sometimes it is finding the secondary or even a lesser pattern that will allow you to win. Even though it is not the primary pattern, not everyone is working it. This allows you to expand it without being overcrowded. Rick Clunn rode this theory to the winner circle many times over his career. It might be what is needed to do well on Lake Hartwell.

Lake Hartwell
Lake Hartwell is a reservoir bordering Georgia and South Carolina on the Savanna, Tugaloo and Seneca Rivers. It was host to the 2008 Bassmaster Classic. Anglers will recall that the water was ultra low and fishing was difficult.

In the year of 2008, due to severe drought in the southeastern United States, the lake dropped to over 22 feet (6.7 m) below its normal water level at its lowest in December 2008. As of the first of October 2010, the lake is back up to just over 654 feet, 6 ft lower than full pool of 660 ft. During the drought, much of the shoreline dried and was able to seed with bushes, weeds and other plant life. A rejuvenation of the shoreline creates an abundance of cover as water levels rises to normal levels.  During the spring, when the bass are searching out shallow areas to feed and spawn, anywhere that has a mix of cover, proper water temperature and baitfish, anglers can expect good results.

Two Lakes in One
Anglers were in two camps this week. Some wanted to dabble in sight fishing which meant heading towards the dam area in search of clearer water. The clearer the better for seeing the beds. Another group wished to head up river to the stained water to fish for staging bass or bedding bass. Many anglers admit that catching bedding bass is not their strength. Feeling more comfortable just fishing, many anglers focus running spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, cranks, swimbaits mixed in with casting to target with soft plastics or jigs. 

What to Use
Christie looks over his spinnerbait.
(Photo: Rob Newell FLW)
No one is crazy enough to admit to using a specific lure on Day 1 or 2. Unless bed fishing, which is more a game of finding the correct beds with larger female bass, giving up any details, especially on a weigh in stage is asking for trouble. But, if you analyze the anglers and look that how their co-anglers fared will give you some clues to their future success.

On Day 1 many anglers did well. Trying to figure out if their on them is difficult. Larry Nixon has 16-10 and his co-angler Keith Honeycutt sacked the largest creel on the co-angler side with 16-13. Two excellent bags from the same boat. Mike Reynolds had a huge 21-15 pound day and his co-angler Moo Bae got a respectable 13-15. Both co-anglers are skilled but their pros where on good areas. I'm sure either pro wished their co-anglers didn't hook as many big bass as they did.

Bryan Thrift is another example. He has 12-14 on Day 1 and his partner Aaron Combs nailed 11-01.  This was further explained on Day 2 when Thrift landed 19-10 and his partner Timothy Lane got 10-05. Bryan's two day total of 32-08 was good enough for fourth place. Imagine how well he would or could do if his partners were not in the boat.  

Joe Thomas is loving the Chatterbait.
(Photo: Rob Newell FLW)
Sight fishing pro's co-anglers didn't fare as well. Ish Monroe has 16-10 his partner has only 1-11. David Dudley had 20 and Westley Strader 16-11 but their partners did horribly.  But that is the nature of the beast. When the pro is staring at a bed, the co-angler is kind of out of the loop. One question is how will the sight fishing guys fare over four full tournament days. Interestingly, both Westley and Ish spent a considerable amount of time on Day 1 in the same pocket. 

Day 3 and 4
What will the next two days reveal?  My bet is that the bass will continue to position into the creek arms and slowly move to the backs of the coves or pockets. If the water is super clean, anglers will see them as the weekend progresses as long as the days stay warm. Many anglers who were using reaction baits need overcast, wind or an early boat number to have the longest bite. Many who did well on Day 1 when it was windy didn't do well with the calmer conditions. The trick is to be relentless with casting to good spots to trigger a bite. A bit of luck won't hurt either. Unlike Florida, a giant bite is not available to rocket you up 15 places in the leader board. Slow and steady with the fish will produce. As much as anglers like the stained water you just never know if there are fish in your area or not. Being confident in an area will make a huge difference.

FLW Tour on Lake Hartwell Day 1: Christie Still in Command

Lake Hartwell 3/24/11 - 3/27/11 -- Lake Hartwell
Portman Shoals Marina, Greenville, SC
FLW Press Release

Jason Christie retains first place targeting
bushes.
(Photo: Rob Newman FLW)
Diet Mountain Dew pro Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., caught a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 4 ounces Friday to extend his lead on day two of the Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Hartwell presented by Chevy. His two-day catch of 10 bass weighing 42 pounds, 8 ounces gives him a massive 9-pound, 1-ounce lead heading into the third day of the tournament. There were 155 pros and 155 co-anglers from across the United States and Canada that started the tournament. The top 20 will fish day three and the top 10 will compete for the title on day four.


“It was kind of the opposite of yesterday where I caught them pretty fast,” Christie said. “I pulled in and after about an hour had caught a 5-pounder and a 3-pounder.”


Christie said he had a limit by 1:30 p.m. and had been changing locations when he happened to pull into an area where he expected boat traffic. He had the area to himself, however, and he caught fish weighing 6, 4 and 2 1/2 pounds. Christie said the fish fell for a BOOYAH spinnerbait.


“I actually had two more big fish in there, so I left and got back closer to (check-in),” Christie said.


Christie said he’s confident his areas will replenish with fish over the next two days of competition and hopes for anything but a bright, sunny sky.


“If it’s cloudy I think I can catch them,” Christie said. “I know where they’re living. They’re bedding so shallow I can see them whether it’s cloudy or not. I hope the wind blows. That would be fine with me.


Tom Monsoor with his second day's catch.
(Photo: Brett Carlson FLW)
“There’s big fish around me,” Christie added. “I’ve just got to get the bites and get them in the boat. It seems like I’m either catching 12-inchers or big ones. I’m not catching anything in between.”


Rounding out the top 20 pros that will fish another day on Lake Hartwell are:


2nd: Tom Monsoor, La Crosse, Wis., 10 bass, 33-7


3rd: Todd Auten, Lake Wylie, S.C., 10 bass, 32-14


4th: Chevy pro Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 10 bass, 32-8


5th: Stacey King, Reeds Spring, Mo., 10 bass, 32-7


6th: Prevacid 24HR pro Dan Morehead, Paducah, Ky., 10 bass, 32-3


7th: Mike Reynolds, Modesto, Calif., 10 bass, 32-1


8th: National Guard pro Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 10 bass, 31-12


9th: AMP Energy pro Stetson Blaylock, Benton, Ark., 10 bass, 31-1


10th: Joe Thomas, Milford, Ohio, 10 bass, 30-14


11th: Ishama Monroe, Hughson, Calif., 10 bass, 30-9


12th: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 10 bass, 30-8


13th: Chevy pro Larry Nixon, Bee Branch, Ark., 10 bass, 30-6


14th: Walmart pro Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 10 bass, 30-6


15th: National Guard pro Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 30-5


16th: Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes pro Dave Lefebre, Union City, Pa., 10 bass, 29-14


17th: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 10 bass, 29-12


18th: Chevy pro Jimmy Houston, Cookson, Okla., 10 bass, 29-7


19th: Straight Talk pro J.T. Kenney, Palm Bay, Fla., 10 bass, 29-1


20th: Troy Morrow, Toccoa, Ga., 10 bass, 28-15


Thrift caught the Snickers® Big Bass of 6-9 on the pro side and won $500.


Bryan's Day 2 6-09 Big Bass
Overall there were 689 bass weighing 1,571 pounds, 5 ounces caught by 152 pros Friday. The catch included 119 five-bass limits.


Pros are competing for a top award of up to $125,000 this week plus valuable points in the hope of qualifying for the Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart, the world championship of bass fishing. This year’s Cup will be in Hot Springs, Ark., Aug. 11-14 on Lake Ouachitawhere pros are competing for a top prize of $600,000 – the sport’s biggest award. Pro anglers are also vying for the prestigious 2011 Walmart FLW Tour Angler of the Year presented by Kellogg’s that will be determined by the most points accumulated over the six Tour Majors with the winner receiving $100,000 for their accomplishment.


J.R. Wright of Truckee, Calif., leads the Co-angler Division with an opening-round total of 10 bass weighing 28 pounds, 5 ounces, followed by Jade Keeton of Florence, Ala., in second place with 10 bass weighing 25-6.


Rounding out the top 20 co-anglers are:


3rd: Keith Honeycutt, Temple, Texas, 10 bass, 24-8


4th: Andy Scholz, Reno, Nev., 10 bass, 23-9

Thursday, March 24, 2011

FLW Tour on Lake Hartwell Day 1: Christie Leads Hartwell with 22-04

Lake Hartwell 3/24/11 - 3/27/11 -- Lake Hartwell
Portman Shoals Marina, Greenville, SC
FLW Press Release


Jason Christie the man on top of the
leader board.
(Photo: Rob Newman)
 Diet Mountain Dew pro Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., crossed the stage Thursday with a five-bass limit weighing 22 pounds, 4 ounces to lead day one of the Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Hartwell presented by Chevy. Christie holds a 5-ounce lead over Mike Reynolds of Modesto, Calif., who caught five bass weighing 21-15 in a tournament featuring 155 anglers from all across the country and Canada.

“I started on a little stretch that I was hoping to get two or three fish off of,” said Christie, who has won more than $359,000 in FLW Outdoors competition. “I made one pass and had 18 or 19 pounds. I didn’t know how the day was going to shake out, so I decided to leave and go fish other stuff. I’d fish new water and go to other stuff where I thought I could catch one. I didn’t catch a lot of fish today, but I caught good fish.”

Christie said he caught “about a dozen” keepers during the course of the day.

“It’s hard to tell when you’ve got all good (fish),” Christie said.

Christie said the warm weather trend has the fish moving up into shallow water and nearly every pocket holds pairs of fish preparing for the spawn. He said he was catching “spawners” but wasn’t visually targeting them. Instead, he’s fishing slightly dirty water and using BOOYAH brand baits to provoke a reaction strike.

“I don’t think they’re conducive to being caught while you’re looking at them right now,” Christie said. “Some guys are going to catch them and there is probably going to be somebody come in with 25 pounds he caught while looking at them. But they’re too interested in each other. You just have to get them on a reaction strike on a bait and I can do that better fishing than I can looking at them.”

Chevy pro Jimmy Houston of Cookson, Okla., who finished the day in fifth place, also used BOOYAH spinnerbaits and jigs for reaction bites to fill his limit.

“The only time I saw them was when I put them in the boat,” Houston said.

Legendary angler Jimmy Hoston got them
on Day 1.
(Photo: Brett Carlson FLW)


Houston said fishing during practice was solid but the bite seems to have slowed with the cold front that has approached Lake Hartwell.

“We’re going to have to slow down and fish a lot differently than we did in practice,” Houston said. “I think it will get a lot more difficult for me. I don’t think the guys who are sight fishing are going to have many more fish come in, and those stringers might deteriorate a little bit.

“I’ve got fish but I don’t think they’re going to bite very well,” Houston added.

Rounding out the top 10 pros after day one on Lake Hartwell are:

3rd: Castrol pro David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., five bass, 20-0

4th: Joe Thomas, Milford, Ohio, five bass, 19-10

5th: Chevy pro Jimmy Houston, Cookson, Okla., five bass, 19-3

6th: Tom Monsoor, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 18-9

7th: National Guard pro Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 18-2

7th: Chevy pro Larry Nixon, Bee Branch, Ark., five bass, 18-2

9th: Prevacid 24HR pro Dan Morehead, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 17-8

10th: Randy Macabee Jr., Bakersfield, Calif., five bass, 17-5


Joe Thomas with the day's biggest bass.
(Photo: Brett Carlson FLW)

Thomas caught the Snickers® Big Bass weighing 6-10 in the pro division to win $500.

Overall there were 713 bass weighing 1,703 pounds, 9 ounces caught by 152 pros Thursday. The catch included 124 five-bass limits.

Pros are competing for a top award of up to $125,000 this week plus valuable points in the hope of qualifying for the Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart, the world championship of bass fishing. This year’s Cup will be in Hot Springs, Ark., Aug. 11-14 on Lake Ouachitawhere pros will compete for a top prize of $600,000 – the sport’s biggest award. Pro anglers are also vying for the prestigious 2011 Walmart FLW Tour Angler of the Year presented by Kellogg’s that will be determined by the most points accumulated over the six Tour Majors with the winner receiving $100,000 for their accomplishment.
FantasyFishing.com.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

FLW Tour on Lake Hartwell

3 NEW HAVOC BAITS REVEALED

BERKLEY EXCLUSIVE
By Luigi De Rose

Berkley's HAVOC baits have been a smash hit. Usually, bait launched in mid-season, meaning not introduced at ICAST, have mixed results. HAVOC baits are flying off the shelves.

For the first time in years, Berkley has launched baits based on profile and colours not scent. Scent, either Power Bait or Gulp is hugely influential in the development of scent in baits. Scent makes fish bite. Only problem is that the chemicals used limit the amount of colours that can be produced. Translucent, two-tone and many variations in hues simply cannot be done when large amounts of scent are part of the bait. HAVOC baits are focused on creating the best design in the best colours.





Berkley's HAVOC has been so successful that three new baits are being release. Not sure when they will hit stores. As of last Thursday, no samples were available in Canada. Not even the dealers had them. Getting a photo of them wasn't even available outside of the PDF file. So pardon the poor quality. I had to cut off the price list of each PDF file.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Bassmaster Elite Power-Pole Citrus Slam: Edwin Evers Wins One in Florida

Why Edwin Evers Won

By Luigi De Rose


Evers cranking one in.
(Photo: Dave Hunter Jones BASS)
Edwin Evers is a super star. Overshadowed by the drama of the Van Dam and Skeet Reese AOL race along with last season's post season quandaries, he has been consistent and determined. His wins are geographically and seasonally diverse. Edwin's last Elite win came dredging up deep smallmouth in Lake Erie. Winning in Florida is a particularly pretty feather in his cap.


Florida Bass 
Florida strain bass are massive yet moody. Add a cold front or fishing pressure into the situation makes matters worse. The spawning cycle is one of the few times of year, giant bass are accessible to the masses of fisherman. Laregemouth typically spawn in calm, quick warming areas with a sand or hard bottom. Stumps, dock posts and other manmade structures will work if bottom substrate is too muddy or silted. Anglers hunt these areas identifying white, fanned out nests. Beds or nest will look different during the stages of the spawn. Identifying the ones that will attract a female is key.


The little things matter
Edwin Evers, like many of the top pros at the Bassmaster Elite tournament on Lake Harris Chain of Lakes last week and the FLW tournament on Lake Okeechobee earlier this year focused on beds that were protected from the wind. Anglers who didn't suffered with poor visibility from the slightest of breezes. Blind sight fishing works, it's not the most effective on time management. A calm spot can be a channel within the pads, along a nook on shore, among eel grass or behind a dock. Being able to see the fish's temperament makes all the difference.

Being flexible
Working hard for the win.
(Photo: Dave Hunter Jones BASS)
Edwin Evers remained flexible. He would continue to search for aggressive bass and larger females. Many pros burned valuable time working over a bass. You cannot blame them for spending hours on a double digit fish. One lunker weighs more than a limit of squeakers. In the line up to the scales, Edwin explained, during a bassmaster.com interview, that he saw many bass in the last few minutes of that fishing day. This was common as bass would move up and enjoy the full heat of the afternoon. Edwin was quick to realize fish were moving into beds throughout the day and the possibility of finding new bass was very high. 

On Saturday, Edwin witnesses many large bass and hoped to visit them on Sunday. When he returned on Sunday, the final tournament day, those big ones were gone. Instead of allowing the panic to deepen, he had the confidence to keep hunting for bass. A positive attitude and keen eyes keep him in the game right until the closing minutes of fishing.


The Bassmaster Elite schedule is out of Florida. It has been a dramatic two tournaments. Sight fishing has been so dominant. Either you did it or you went home early. For most of the Elite anglers, they have had enough with sight fishing for the year.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Bassmaster Elite Power Pole Citrus Slam: Edwin Evers Wins!

Power- Pole Citrus Slam

St. Johns River Palatka, Fla. March 17-20 
By Luigi De Rose


(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)
 Edwin Evers wins with 77-01 pounds.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Bassmaster Elite Power Pole Citrus Slam Day 3: Alton Still On Top

Jones's Still on Top Even as Weights Shrink. 

Power- Pole Citrus Slam

St. Johns River Palatka, Fla. March 17-20 
By Luigi De Rose
           
Alton Jones praying to catch one on Saturday.
(Photo: Seigo Saito BASS)
Overall, the weight decreased across the board for most anglers. Even with the Super Moon, anglers had a difficult time on Day 3 of the Bassmaster Elite Power-Pole Citrus Slam tournament on the St. John's River in Florida. The majority of anglers are sight fishing in two primary areas of the St. John's river. Lake George, a spring fed section that is famous for gin clear water and Rodman Pool, an extension of a defunked cross Florida barge system which is home to heavy vegetation and stump fields. Each area is world class but the anglers have been picking each spot clean of spawners. Also, the water level is quite low making these shallow bass even less torrent of fisherman and their baits.   

Interestingly, the last 20 or so anglers to weigh-in all had hefty sacks of fish. Steve Kennedy bested them all with a 26-0 bag today. He had a pair of 8 pounders, the largest weighed 8-12 good enough to win big bass honours today. While on stage, Kennedy explained that he only saw these two big bass today and caught both of them. He might be sand bagging. If he isn't it will make Sunday very suspenseful. 

Edwin Evers, who complained of missing some key fish in the closing minutes of Day 2 did very well today and leaped into second. On the back of a 19-04 bag, he is only 2-09 off the lead. Maybe the five pound fish he missed yesterday bit today. If Evers or Kennedy continue to produce on the Sunday, Alton Jones might not be able to hold on for a forth day in a row.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Bassmaster Elite Power Pole Citrus Slam Day 2: Alton Still in Control

Jones Continues to Lead After Two Days.

Power- Pole Citrus Slam

St. Johns River Palatka, Fla. March 17-20 
By Luigi De Rose
           
Day 2
Alton working his magic.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)
Consistency has been the name of the game on the St. John's River. Florida and spawning fishing are always a crap shoot. The sighfisherman have continued to dominate and capitalize on landing the big ones. KVD had the day's largest bass at 9-5.  Many also brought in a good kicker bass and that has made the difference between placing within the top 50.  Last weekend's champion Shaw Grigsby's day 2 catch of 29-08 on the Harris Chain of Lakes would be good enough to rank him 16th here. The fishing has been difficult and anglers have really had to work hard to catch them.

Expect some better catches tomorrow after the field is cut in half. The decrease in boat traffic will greatly influence the bass. Less motors and fewer lures means less spooky bass. Many on Lake George really were fishing boat to boat within the weed flats.

Saturday might be better than today. There is a likelihood of more spawners coming to the beds. Edwin Ever's expressed his disappointment of losing two different 5 pound class bass minutes before weigh-in. Edwin already had one beast and two extra five pounders would have launched him straight to the top on this tight tournament.  He wasn't the only one to realize Saturday might result in better catches. Often, seeing new spawners late in the day is a precursor to what will happen tomorrow.

We'll have to wait and see. 

Results 
                                    day 1    day 2       total
1 Alton Jones             5 26- 9 5 22-13 10 49- 6
2 J Todd Tucker         5 20- 8 5 21- 5 10 41-13
3 Terry Scroggins      5 17- 3 5 22-13 10 40- 0
4 Edwin Evers             5 16- 8 5 22- 5 10 38-13
5 Billy McCaghren     5 20-11 5 15-11 10 36- 6
6 Kevin VanDam        5 17- 3 5 17-13 10 35- 0
7 Keith Combs            5 19- 8 5 14- 9 10 34- 1
8 Todd Faircloth         5 23-10 5 10- 5 10 33-15
9 Casey Ashley          5 20- 9 5 12- 3 10 32-12
10 Jared Lintner          5 20- 9 5 11- 9 10 32- 2
11 Brent Chapman      5 25- 4 5 6-14 10 32- 2
12 Fred Roumbanis    5 15-10 5 16- 3 10 31-13
13 Kelly Jordon          5 15-10 5 16- 1 10 31-11
14 John Crews            5 21- 3 5 10- 3 10 31- 6
15 Cliff Crochet          5 13-11 5 16- 2 10 29-13
16 Timmy Horton       5 22- 4 5 6-11 10 28-15
17 Bobby Lane           5 18- 4 5 10- 9 10 28-13
18 Greg Vinson           5 14- 4 5 14- 6 10 28-10
19 Dustin Wilks         5 18- 7 5 9- 5 10 27-12
20 Russell Parrish      5 12- 7 5 15- 0 10 27- 7
21 David Walker        5 11-14 5 15- 9 10 27- 7
22 Gary Klein              5 16-14 5 10- 1 10 26-15
23 Dean Rojas            5 16- 7 5 10- 0 10 26- 7
24 Clark Reehm          5 20-10 3 5- 8 8 26- 2
25 Paul Elias               5 18- 4 5 7-13 10 26- 1

HAVOC BAITS

Check out the new line of HAVOC BAITS from Berkley. We got a chance to see them live at the Toronto Sportsman Show. We also found out that there are three new baits coming. So new that no samples exist yet. We'll have an update in a few days.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Bassmaster Elite Power Pole Citrus Slam Day 1: Alton Jones Leads the Pack

Jones gets the Job Done on Day 1.

Power- Pole Citrus Slam

St. Johns River Palatka, Fla. March 17-20 
By Luigi De Rose

Lake George is a parking lot on Day 1.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)
Alton Jones sacks 26-09 to take the lead on the St. John's River. The second stop on the Bassmaster Elite tour had all the making of a slugfest. The water temp was consistent, a giant full moon and stable sunny weather had everyone imagining a 30 pound bags. Even with all the stars aligned, weights were below expectations. The problem? Too many anglers fighting to fish the same bedding bass. Many top pros complained of having too many competitors hovering over their secret spots.

When the bass get split up like that, everyone looses. Some lost the sight fishing battle very badly. In Florida, everyone expects to have high weights. Today, that was not the case.  Zell Roland and Stephan Browning are tied for 48 place with 10-01.  The top 50 advanced on Saturday and then the top 12 anglers advance to fish Sunday. With only ten pounds, an indicator of the very poor fishing, being the cut-off many might still be in the game.

Some did do well. Clark Reehm and Billy Mc Caghren each had one in the 10 pound class and Brent Chapman had two of them. Big bass honours when to Jason Williamson with a 10-03 giant. 

Many who didn't fare well are planning to abandon the sight fishing game while others are going for it no matter what. If the bedding bass get bothered too much they'll likely split; leaving the door wide open for anyone who can consistently bring a high teens bags over all four days.

 DAY 1 TOTAL
1 Alton Jones 26- 9
2 Brent Chapman  25- 4
3 Todd Faircloth  23-10
4 Jason Williamson  22- 5
5 Timmy Horton  22- 4
6 John Crews  21- 3
7 Billy McCaghren  20-11
8 Clark Reehm  20-10
9 Jared Lintner  20- 9
9 Casey Ashley  20- 9
11 J Todd Tucker  20- 8
12 Keith Combs  19- 8
13 Ryan Said  18- 7
13 Dustin Wilks  18- 7
15 Paul Elias 18- 4
15 Bobby Lane  18- 4
17 Terry Scroggins  17- 3
17 Kevin VanDam 17- 3
19 Gary Klein  16-14
20 Edwin Evers 16- 8

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Kinami Baits with Derek Yamamoto

All that bed fishing got you excited?  Check out the video with Derek Yamamoto on Kinami Baits. Derek took time out to explain what's new and hot from Kinami at ICAST 2010.

Bassmaster Elite Sunshine Showdown: Shaw Shines is Florida

Shaw Grigsby a Super Star in Spring
By Luigi De Rose

Shaw always shines in Florida.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)
Ending a 10 year long drought on the Bassmaster Elite tour, Shaw Grigsby won the Sunshine Slam on the Harris Chain of Lakes in Florida this past weekend. To the untrained eye, it might seem that this veteran just got lucky or maybe used his long time knowledge of Harris to his advantage. Regardless, Shaw shines in Florida, especially in the spring. All nine of this victories have happened in the early spring/ late winter period. March is magic for him. Five of his wins have come in March. The other wins were also during this time period with two in January and another two in February. Looking at the stats, it is clear that this guy knows how to catch them as the water starts warming. 

Florida is a weird and demanding fishery especially during the spawning period which can happen anytime from December to April. Knowing how to adjust is the name of the game and Shaw has mastered it. Three of his wins occurred in Florida and five of his ten second place finished with BASS have also occurred in the Sunshine state. It's clear that Grigsby knows Florida bass. Even the tournament that launched his career, the $100 000, 1984 REDMAN All American was won in Florida.

Catching bedding bass is something he excels at. He started a climb to stardom by sight fishing Lake San Rayburn in east Texas and scored his first three (1988, 1990 and 1992) wins there. Sight fishing is an art and Shaw was amazing at it. He made Hobbies's yellow lenses sightmaster glasses a must have during the 1990s. He and a fellow Floridian designed the HP tube hook for Eagle Claw. A specialized hook designed to help catch bed fish. The hook, the glasses and the Lucky Strike tube were all hot sellers and all credited to Shaw's mastery of catching shallow bedding bass. 

Shaw has many good years left in him. Looking at the numbers, I will be putting my money on him the next time a tournament is held in Florida during March. Hey,  anyone want to bet who'll win on the St. John's?

Monday, March 14, 2011

Bassmaster Elite Sunshine Showdown Day 4: Shaw Grigsby Wins!

Sunshine Showdown
Harris Chain, Tavares, FL, March 10-13, 2011

By Deb Johnson
Bassmaster.com (Press Release)


TAVARES, Fla. -- Shaw Grigsby, you still have it.
The veteran pro from Gainesville, Fla., outfished the 99-man Bassmaster Elite Series field in a nerve-jangling contest over four days that hinged on an on-again, off-again sight bite on the Harris Chain of Lakes.
Sunshine Showdown, it was called. For Grigsby, it was a personal test as well as a competition.
"I've been close quite a few times since my last win in 2000. I'm turning 55 in May, and at this age, you wonder, you question, do I still have it? -- and I guess I do," Grigsby said.
He flashed his trademark grin and waved the $101,000 check he'd just been handed as reporters interviewed him.
Shaw wins his 9th Tour Event.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)
"This is awesome," he said. "Yeah, baby! That's a lot of zeros."
Grigsby led for two days in the Harris event before he wrapped it up with 75 pounds, 4 ounces on Sunday. He won by 7-6 over Grant Goldbeck, who finished second with 67-14 after starting out in 97th place.
Stephen Browning was third with 66-9. Kevin VanDam finished fourth with 65-13, followed by his nephew, Jonathon VanDam, fifth with 56-13 in his first Elite Series event. Day One leader Pat Golden ended in sixth place with 55-5.
Shaw Grigsby (1st, 75-4)Grigsby's win was his first in a Bassmaster event in more than 10 years. He also won a 2012 Bassmaster Classic berth. It was the first one awarded under new rules that give each of the eight regular-season Elite winners an instant entry, bypassing the points system under which non-winners can still earn their way into the world championship.
"That to me is as big a thing as you can have," he said. "Winning is great, but making the Classic is like a load off. In the past, I've had some good years, but still I struggled to make the Classic, sweating it until the last second -- a lot like this tournament, sweating it until the last second -- so to make the Classic and know it's in the bag is like heaven, it's so nice."
Even though he led by more than 11 pounds going into Sunday's final round, Grigsby said he questioned all day whether he would pull off the win. His fears were not ungrounded. Any one big bedder could have altered the outcome on the final day.
"When Grant (Goldbeck) weighed in only 16 and he had the lead, I knew I had it, and I went 'ahhh.' It was a relaxing moment," Grigsby said.
He competed under one of the sport's most unusual circumstances. For four days, Grigsby and Goldbeck fished almost side by side in a small canal in a residential area between lakes Eustis and Griffin. They respected each other's water, and didn't jump a prior claim on a spawning bed the other had been working.
This is Grigsby's ninth B.A.S.S. victory.It was a new twist on bass competition, Grigsby noted.
"That was really fun. I guess in another sense, he was my main competition, so you could keep your eye on him, and as long as he doesn't bust 20 pounds, I'm doing OK -- and I did OK."
Like Goldbeck and a few others, Grigsby said, he found the canal off the Haines Creek during practice. It looked promising, he said, because of the hard bottom, quiet water thanks to low boat traffic, and deeper water adjacent to shallows.
Paradise for Shaw. His magic pond at the end of a canal.
(Photo: Steve Bowman BASS)
The first day's wind and rain created conditions that wrecked his chances to actually look at the spawners. Grigsby managed 14-7 out of the canal for 11th place.
"It was really brutal conditions with overcast skies and a lot of wind, so you couldn't see," Grigsby said. "I went back the second day and, oh my goodness, all the ones I'd seen were still there, and it was just a slugfest from there."
He slammed them Friday, that second day. His catch weighed in at 29 pounds, 8 ounces, for a lead of more than 8 pounds over Kevin VanDam. Grigsby held on handily on Day Three, even stretching his lead against Goldbeck to 11-10.
Grigsby's victory is well overdue; it's his first in over a decade.Grigsby didn't credit any one lure or setup for his fish. He tried anything he could think of to entice bites from the big females settling on the beds, from 8- to 25-pound Stren to casting and spinning reels. He pitched different baits to the spawners. His choices were mainly Strike King's Rage Craw, Rodent, and Ringworm lures.
"I just mixed it up, and it didn't matter what color. I did a lot of black-blue, Okeechobee craw, white -- white Rage Craw was really big for me. I just kept pitching, and going, and stopping, locking down on one and working it, hopefully catching it and going on.
"It was rare that I could just pull up, cast and catch one. I did that a couple times, but it was more like fish one bait, and he wouldn't pay attention, change to another one and he wouldn't pay attention, change again and maybe he'd tee off on it."
It was not a numbers game. He made repeated trips to the same beds for his five bass Sunday, five or six the first day, and seven each of two middle days.
"I didn't catch very many, I caught the right ones," he said.
For Goldbeck, Sunday's second-place finish was a victory. Second place is the highest he's ever finished in a Bassmaster tournament, but it was his zero-to-hero performance that thrilled him more.
He had ended Day One in 97th place with 1-1, but went back to the canal's spawners for another try, and sacked 27-1. That moved him up to 16th. Day Three he did it again, 22-15 for the runner-up spot and direct threat to Grigsby.
"You don't have to win them to get that feeling," he said. "It's an awesome feeling."

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Bassmaster Elite Sunshine Showdown Day 3: Seeing is Believing or Is It?

Sunshine Showdown
Harris Chain, Tavares, FL, March 10-13, 2011

By Luigi De Rose

Shaw hopes Sunday has no more dinks.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)
Spring time in Florida can anglers envisioning dreams of sighfishing for behemoth bedding bass. This dream is a reality this week on the Bassmaster Tour stop in Florida's Harris Chain of Lakes. Sight fishing, meaning fisherman are casting to bedding or cruising bass in shallow water, is a  fragile styles of fishing especially in crowds. If  you want to latch onto a lunker, then this pattern can be the way to go - sometimes. The last two tournaments in Florida, FLW's event at Lake Ockeecheobee and here at Harris has been a sight fishing battle. Again, the top anglers are crammed into a few honey holes and hoping to out duel each other along with the finchy fish.

How Big is Big?
Grant Goldbeck was hovering over the largest bass he is ever seen in his life on Day 3 of the Bassmaster Elite Sunshine Showdown. "I've never seen a fish that big in my life. Its on a bed there. (beside his boat) I feel that it is 13 or 14 pounds and there is a 6 pounder with it." explains Grant to Bassmaster.com while on the water.
Shaw Grigsby, who caught the tournament's largest 5 fish sack of bass on Day 2 weighting 29-08, is also under the lunker spell. Catching a super sized 10 pounder yesterday, he has been seeing even larger monsters in the little pond he and other top 5 anglers are sharing. "I left two giants and when I say giants, they were bigger than my 10 pounder (weighted in on Day 2) and they're worth a whole stringer." illuminates Grigsby on how large the fish are his magic fishing area.  He says, 
Shaw hunting for another lunker.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

"It is all timing sometimes you are zigging when you need to zag." 

Harris Chain vs. Okeechobee
Harris Chain is a maze of canals, residential ponds, bays, and protected pockets along with the six main lakes: Lake Harris, Little Lake Harris, Lake Griffen, Lake Dora, Lake Eustis and Lake Yale. Each has their own uniqueness. Each have great fishing. The key factor here is that the fish really cannot leave like they can on Okeecheobee. On Day 2, a harsh, windy cold front blew in. Anglers were anticipating the worse yet many bass move into position to spawn. These bass live in within these micro areas and they have to contend with their own habitat. It is easy to consider the entire chain of lakes as a whole but each canal, pond and weedy cut has it's own micro environment that will dictate how the fish react to the weather and lures.
The main problem is that these area are small. A threshold of fish can live within each area and when they are fished out or spooked the game is over. Shaw, declared that he is trying to hold onto the lead. Surprised about the amount of fish that have been brought to scales from his area, he nervously laughs at the possible dilemma that his hot spot is burned out. 
Only time can tell.

STAY TUNED