Bryan Thrift Wins 2012 Toyota Texas Bass Classic

Just in!
Bryan Thrift wins!
Here is the standings.

Pro Advice on Flipping

By I.M. Bradley

Any angler can go randomly flipping around grass or cover and catch a few bass. That should not surprise anyone, but why just settle for a few fish when you can catch more and better bass. The key to better flipping comes from knowing when to fish a quick-sinking lure or a slow-falling lure, and what to do after the lure settles to the bottom.

FLW Tour and B.A.S.S. professional angler Jason Christie always thinks flipping first when approaching a tournament. He’s so good at it, he even has a new signature series flipping rod coming out.

Christie has made his living fishing shallow.

Catching better bass for Christie comes down to how fast the lure falls, or “rate of fall.”

“For me, I pick the lure and weight by the water clarity,” he said. “The clearer the water; the faster I want the lure to fall.” 

Christie says that when fishing impoundments with gin clear water, like Beaver Lake and Table Rock, he wants a fast falling lure anytime the water temperature is more than 70 degrees. When water temperature gets very cold, however, he’ll begin considering a slower-sinking jig for his flipping.

The technique of flipping is done on a short line. With the reel in free spool and thumb holding the spool motionless, the angler takes the jig in his off hand (the one not holding the rod) and swings the rod to pendulum the bait toward a target in the cover, while removing the tension his thumb has been applying to the spool. The result is that the lure hits the target as quietly as possible, right in the face of the bass. Bass then strike the lure out of a feeding response or reaction strike. Christie believes that more than 75 percent of the strikes he gets while flipping are reaction strikes.

Tommy Biffle Joins River2Sea

River2Sea continues to make waves in the industry with the expansion of their product line, and now they are increasing the size of those waves with the addition of a true bass fishing legend to their pro staff. River2Sea is proud to announce the addition of Tommy Biffle, from Wagoner, Okla. to their pro staff. Biffle has a reputation for being a staunch competitor who has the ability to dig heavyweight bass from the thickest cover with his Flippin' Stick and heavy line. The combination of Biffle and his weapons has resulted in a career full of hall of fame worthy credentials.

2013 Bassmaster Open's Schedule

2013 BPS Bassmaster Southern Open

Lake Tohopekaliga   January 31 – February 2

Douglas Lake    April 4-6

Lake Logan Martin  May 16-18

2013 BPS Bassmaster Central Open

Red River   April 25-27


Arkansas River September 19-21


Ross Barnett Reservoir   October 17-19

2013 BPS Bassmaster Northern Open

James River  June 13-15

Oneida Lake   August 1-3

Lake Erie  (Sandusky)  September 12-14

Mustad Introduces New Grip-Pin Max Hooks

MUSTAD® INTRODUCES NEW GRIP-PIN MAX™ HOOKS FOR SOFT PLASTICS

Anglers take notice; two new Grip-pin series hooks are here! The Grip-Pin Max (G34131NP-BN) is a straight-shank, wide-bite hook with a sleek, integrated keeper on the upper shank to keep baits perfectly positioned without hanging in the grass. This versatile “no slip/no slide” design securely anchors baits without tearing or slipping. The hook eye is completely sealed for 100% confidence when fishing braid lines.

In conjunction with the launch of the Grip-Pin Max, Mustad has also modified the original KVD Grip-Pin® hook (38101NP) with a new smaller, sleeker keeper that holds baits securely and makes presentations perfectly weedless.

Like all UltraPoint® hooks, both hooks feature Mustad’s 4.3 Micro Sharp Point Technology for an incredibly sharp point which is ultra-durable. MUSTAD® INTRODUCES NEW GRIP-PIN MAX™ HOOKS FOR SOFT PLASTICS

Denny Brauer and George Cochran Retires

Denny Brauer

Two legendary anglers, Denny Brauer and George Cochran will retire in 2012. Between them they dominated both FLW and BASS. Brauer has won Mega Bucks, Angler of the Year and the Bassmaster Classic plus numerous BASS tournaments. He is best know for pitching and flipping.

George Cochran

Gentleman George has also won the Classic, actually he has won two of them plus the Forrest Wood Cup. He is best known for shallow water angling along with cranking.

Both have made an impact on the sport of tournament bass fishing and will be missed.

2012 FLW Open Wheeler Lake: Mark Rose Wins

 by David A. Brown
FLW Press Release
DECATUR, Ala. – It's neither fair, nor respectful to other competitors to assume a tournament is "in the bag" just because a guy brings a huge lead into the final round. But Mark Rose, at least indirectly, justified any such murmurings with his dominant wire-to-wire win at the FLW Tour Open event on Wheeler Lake.

Mark lead all four days and took the trophy with ease.
(Photos: FLW)

Ever the humble gentleman, Rose simply won't engage in that line of thinking. He'll thank God, his family and his sponsors and he'll let others draw their own conclusions. For him, it's simply a matter of being fortunate enough to fish his style of fishing during a period when Wheeler's bass were positioned well for it. Essentially, the fish are just starting to move into their fall transition of shallow migration, but the water's still on the warm side, so plenty of quality fish remain out deep. With a solid understanding of these seasonal patterns and significant experience at picking apart the deep bottoms of TVA impoundments, Rose was in his comfort zone and simply went to work methodically locating and engaging his finned opponents.
"I just felt comfortable out there – I just get in tune with it," he said. "It's a passion I have. I really like it. I like it when I'm not catching anything because I'm trying to figure them out.

King and Burns become the 2012 Berkley B1 winners

A weather shorten tournament netted Norman King and PJ Burns champion rings plus a fully rigged Charger Bass Boat. Their creel of five smallmouth for 23.51LBs took the prize from a wildly windy and wet tournament.

2012 Aaron Marens is the All-Star Champ!

Aaron displayed great fishing ability to win the
super difficult All-Star Championship.
(Photo: BASS)

By Ken Duke
BASS Press Release
This one had it all — long runs, risky strategies, run-and-gun fishing and a dramatic save of a stranded competitor. In the end, Alabama’s Aaron Martens edged out Oklahoma’s Edwin Evers to win the 2012 Toyota Trucks All-Star Week championship. Martens’ strategy of staying close to the launch area to increase his fishing time bested Evers’ choice of making a long, difficult run up the Sangamon River. Martens’ win was the culmination of four days of fishing featuring 12 of the best anglers in the sport on two lakes that presented some of the most challenging fishing in B.A.S.S. tournament history. In the end, Martens’ final day catch of 13 pounds, 8 ounces on Lake Decatur was enough to outpace Evers by 1-4. Martens total was the heaviest catch of the week.

2012 Berkley B1 Day 2 CANCELLED!

Tournament official at the B1 cancelled Day 2 due to extreme weather conditions. Award presentation will start at noon.

http://www.berkleyb1.com/index.html

2012 Berkley B1 Canadian Open Day 1: Peter Burns and Norman King Grab Lead with 23.51lbs.

The full Day 1 results.

2012 Bass All-Star Week Bracket

2012 FLW Open Wheeler Lake Day 3: Mark Rose Continues to Dominate!

Missouri’s Loeffelman Jr. Wins Co-Angler Title, $20,000

FLW Press Release
DECATUR, Ala. – National Guard pro Mark Rose slipped a bit and only weighed in the second-biggest stringer of the day at the Walmart FLW Tour Open on Wheeler Lake presented by Ranger Boats. It was still enough to increase his lead to a near-insurmountable 7 pounds, 1 ounce heading into the fourth and final day. The top cash award of $125,000 is now his to lose as the world’s best bass-fishing pros continued their four-day battle at Wheeler Lake on Saturday.

Rose does a little kneeling and reeling while keeping
a keen eye on the depth finder.
(Photos: FLW)

The West Memphis, Ark., native moves on to the final day of competition as the No. 1 seed with a five-bass limit Saturday of 15-10. Rose’s three-day catch of 15 bass weighing 54-8 gives him a dominating lead heading into Day 4.
“It’s awful special to be able to come out and be in the lead here,” said Rose, who is hunting for his sixth FLW tournament championship. “The Tennessee River just has a really special place in my heart. I’m fishing with a lot of confidence right now, just doing what I love to do.”
Rose said the bites were hard to come by Saturday and he really credits his Lowrance Structure Scan as being the key to his success.
“You have to idle and find these fish, and see where and how they’re set up,” Rose said. “You have to use your Lowrance to find the depths and positioning, and then decide what baits to throw. I couldn’t be doing this without it.

2012 Elite Series - Evan Williams Bourbon All-Star Championship

It’s down to Evers, Martens

One-day matchup will determine 2012 All-Star champion

By Ken Duke

BASS Press Release

DECATUR, Ill. — Ten superstar bass anglers have been eliminated, but one more must go before the 2012 Toyota Trucks All-Star Week champion is crowned.

Last year’s All-Star runner-up Edwin Evers and 2005 Bassmaster Angler of the Year Aaron Martens advanced to the fourth and final round of the Evan Williams Bourbon All-Star championship on Lake Decatur. They eliminated 2004 Bassmaster Angler of the Year Gerald Swindle and defending All-Star champ Ott DeFoe, respectively.

2012 FLW Open Wheeler Lake Day 2: Mark Rose in Total Control

FLW Press Release
by David A. Brown
DECATUR, Ala. – Experience can certainly build confidence, but it's not an absolute requirement. Case in point: National Guard pro Mark Rose admits to having little of the former on Wheeler Lake, but he had plenty of the latter as he maintained his lead on day two of the FLW Tour Open event.
The pro from West Memphis, Ark. caught 21 pounds, 6 ounces on day one and took the top spot by a margin of 3-7 over Alabama pro Blake Nick. Today, Rose added 17-8 and widened his lead to 4-6 with a total weight of 38-14, as Nick also held his position.

Fishing deep is really paying off for Mark Rose.
(Photos: FLW)

"I'm fishing with a lot of confidence right now and I'm comfortable fishing on the Tennessee River, although I don't know as much about Wheeler as the ponds above and below it," Rose said. "I don't have the time on Wheeler, but it's on the Tennessee River and I'm very comfortable at it. I'm fishing my style and I like it."
Asked what defines his style, Rose said it's as much about the hunt as the presentations. He's working two main areas with specific bottom characteristics and giving the fish a good mix of baits.
"I like reading my Lowrance StructureScan and finding deep fish," he said. "I like cranking, I like throwing a big worm, I like throwing a big spoon, I like throwing a big swimbait and that’s the kind of stuff that I'm doing here.

2012 FLW Open Wheeler Lake Day 1: Mark Rose Take Command with 21 pound limit

FLW Press Release

Mark Rose hold up two beasts. Most of the field couldn't break
the 7 pound mark yet Mark caught more than 21 pounds.
(Photo: FLW)

DECATUR, Ala. – Junk fishing was the name of the game Thursday as the world’s best bass-fishing pros began competing at the Walmart FLW Tour Open on Wheeler Lake presented by Ranger Boats. Multiple styles, patterns and presentations were used as pros from all across the United States began the four-day tournament fishing for a top cash award of up to $125,000.
By the end of the weigh-in, one angler had separated himself quite a bit from the pack. National Guard pro Mark Rose of West Memphis, Ark., brought a five-bass limit to the scales Thursday weighing 21 pounds, 6 ounces to lead day one of the event. Rose now holds nearly a 3½-pound lead over Blake Nick of Adger, Ala., who caught five bass weighing 17-15.
“Normally I can say it was this bait, or this pattern,” said Rose, who has career winnings of more than $1.5 million. “Today, I was just blessed and it just happened for me. It was pretty tough, though. I didn’t catch that many fish – I only had seven keepers. Wheeler is definitely a tough lake, but it’s still got them.”

2012 Bass All-Star Week Day1: Evers and DeFoe Battle it Out!

Déjà vu with Evers, DeFoe

Last year’s All-Star finalists pick up where they left off

Seigo Saito

Edwin Evers holds the lead in the All-Star Semi-FInal.

By Ken Duke

Bass Press ReleaseDECATUR, Ill. — The second annual Toyota Trucks All-Star Week is shaping up a lot like the first one ended, with Oklahoma’s Edwin Evers and Tennessee’s Ott DeFoe sitting atop the leaderboard.

After finishing second and first, respectively, at the inaugural All-Star Week in 2012, the two are poised to advance yet again. With one day to go before the 12-angler field is cut to the Top 4, Evers’ limit of five Lake Shelbyville bass weighing 13 pounds, 1 ounce looks like it will propel him to the semifinals with ease.
DeFoe, last year’s All-Star champion, is in second place with four bass weighing 11-3. No other angler has more than 7-7.
Evers was the only angler in the field to catch a limit in the first round. He caught a total of seven keepers, culling down to the tournament limit of five. He’s working two patterns — one that’s “fairly shallow” and another offshore. Though he’s in great shape to finish in the Top 4 and advance, he wasn’t ready to talk about the details of his methods just yet.
“I’m doing something that I don’t think anyone else is doing,” Evers said. “If I can catch five more keepers tomorrow that weigh 7 or 8 pounds, I’ll feel really good about my chances.”
Though DeFoe managed the second-best total of the day, he fell one short of a limit. Like Evers, he was predictably reserved in his comments, but did offer a few details. “I caught my three biggest bass in about a 15-minute span — all on the same bait — and I lost another in the same area. I’m fishing shallow, less than 5 feet deep.”

Classic Champ's Secret Weapon

Fellow Anglers,

For those of you that follow the Bass Tournament scene here in Ontario, you will be well aware that the new 2012 CSFL Classic Champions are Pete Garnier & Rob Lafleur.
Special Offer time!!!!

For anyone that purchases 3 scents at any Canadian Retailer, EdgePoint will ship you one free!!! Please email me a picture of your new scents (in package) and the receipt! Please include your mailing address.

Craig@EdgePointInc.com

Why not catch more fish with BioEdge!!!!!

Regards,
Craig Butler

*** Offer Expires October 31, 2012 ***

FLW Open on Wheeler Lake Start Thrusday

2012 Classic Champions Report: How Garnier and Lafleur Won it. PART 2

This is the continuation of the 2012 CSFL Classic.

Rob Lafleur and Pete Garnier proudly display their Day 3 catch!

Day 2

Horrific wind, rain and lighting greeted the anglers at dawn. After weather delayed the launch, Rob and Pete bee lined it to their best spot.  Surprisingly the bait remained locked on the spot and no competition boats from Friday pestered them. Immediately, Rob connected with smallmouth in the 3 pound class.

Being a team tournament, the focus is to do what’s best for the team. Pete explained how they worked co-operatively to hammer out their best day of the Classic.

Pete explains, “The wind was up a bit but nothing to be too concerned about so I positioned the boat to allow Rob to pick apart the area. Rob went to town on them. I allowed the boat to slip in to try and get in on the action but the wind had picked up as the rain was intensifying. We chose to keep Rob in a position where he could fish comfortable rather than risk blowing(the boat)  in on it and spooking the baitfish. Rob locked up with another good fish which tipped the scales at 5.35, and after a short fist bump and mini-celebration we knew we had a shot at a good bag.”

Working together was essential. With winds close to 50kms throughout the morning and early afternoon; Rob and Pete worked a tag team approach that was critical to their success.  

“The swirling winds and gusts made reading the GPS difficult. Because I was controlling the boat it was easier for me to keep track of the sweet spots were and I help guide Rob by telling him which side of the boat to focus on.” Explains Garnier.

2012 Classic Champions Report: How Garnier and Lafleur Won it.

2012 CSFL Classic Champs!
Pete Garnier, Andy from CSFL and Rob LaFleur

The 2012 CSFL Classic is in the books. Pete Garnier and Rob Lefleur caught 53.35 pounds of smallmouth on famed Rice Lake to claim the championship. Battling for three days of competition is a culmination of a strong practice, team work, good decision making and maybe a little bit of luck. IBASSIN tracked down Pete and Rob to obtain the full story of their impressive win.

Well first of all, congratulations on the terrific win! Having been fishing for decades, a win of this calibre must be rewarding. “It’s a great feeling! Certainly something I am proud of and one I won’t soon forget. The onslaught of texts, emails, and phone calls has been really been humbling.” Reflects Pete. “Makes you feel like the years of hard work and determination have all been worthwhile for sure.”

Working through the entire week leading up to the tournament, Pete and Rob put in hours of pre-fishing. Rob had to miss the first few days but Pete spent it hunting for largemouth. The mindset was to wait for Rob to arrive before they targeted smallmouth.

“If you look back over the years, smallmouth bass have always played a significant role on Rice, maybe even more so in the last 10-years. In our minds, it is easier to catch four to six pound smallies on Rice than it is to largemouth.” Declares Rob and Pete.

Practice

Having a clear practice game plan, Pete focused his efforts on largemouths. “Typically at this time of year, Rice lake produces a phenomenal algae bloom which forms a thick 4” to 6” layer of “green-pea” looking slick on the surface. When this occurs largemouth and smallmouth can be had on fast moving horizontal baits like spinnerbaits and shallow running crankbaits. I totally anticipated to find these conditions and looked forward to that style of fishing and was shocked that the lake had not setup like that when I arrived on the Sunday prior to the tournament for my first day of practice.” Explains Garnier.

2012 Renegade Bass Classic XVII Day 1: Martin and Jackson lead with 17.14!

Weather was cool and mornings were very cool. Fall is coming quick. Muskrat lake, the host for this Classic is known for big bass. Sunday, tomorrow, will  be icy cold at blast off and then warm up to the high teens.

Full results of day 1.

Shimano and Jackall Enter Partnership

Beginning in January, Shimano will take on sales, marketing and distribution responsibilities in the U.S. and Canada for Jackall Lures, the companies announced today.
Jackall’s parent company already shares a partnership with Shimano Inc. on the development of bass fishing rods for the Japan domestic market.

“We look forward to bringing the strengths of Team Shimano to help Jackall become the leading player in the premium bass lure market,” said Dave Pfeiffer, president of Shimano American Corporation.

Formed in 1999, Jackall products have been available in North America since 2003, but this new partnership will allow for more effective distribution.

“While this new agreement will be a solid benefit for both our companies, it will be bass anglers throughout North America who will benefit the most from this relationship,” said Jackall president Toshiro Ono. “Tackle dealers will become more aware of our lures, and will be able to stock the right models, sizes and colors most effective for the bass fishing waters in their areas.”

Jackall’s North American operations will continue to be based in Los Alamitos, Calif., under the direction of Curt Arakawa, Jackall’s vice president of sales, marketing and operations. Shimano’s Ted Sakai will handle product management responsibilities for Jackall.

Warehousing and shipping logistics will be handled through Shimano’s distribution centers in Irvine, Calif., and Ladsen, S.C.

Sean Stafford Wins 2012 WON Bass Nitro Boats / Mercury U.S. Open

Defeats Two-Time Champion Clifford Pirch by Narrow Margin Las Vegas, Nev. - September 13, 2012 - The theme for the 2012 WON Bass Nitro Boats / Mercury U.S. Open has been the proverbial adage, "change is constant." Once again, the conditions at Lake Mead made an about face and it made for interesting decision making for the 256 anglers in the field. But, when you are running the most prestigious single tournament in the Western United States; one that has a reputation for being the toughest tournament in bass fishing, a little adversity adds to the story. Following a day with dense clouds and desert monsoon conditions, Lake Mead became a gentle lady and provided the field with high, bluebird skies and glassy surface waters. While those conditions are perfect for a boating day with the family, they are certainly no gift for the bass angler.

Ontario Chinese Anglers Association Host Luigi De Rose

Don't forget I'll be doing a talk Thursday, September 13, 2012 at 8pm. Come and say hello. I'll have great prizes for everyone!

2012 US OPEN on Lake Mead Day 2: Pirch Posed for another Victory

Las Vegas, Nev. -
September 11, 2012 -
WON Press Release
The one constant of a bass tournament is that change is going to happen. Don't like the weather conditions? Wait a while. When the field of anglers for the 30th Anniversary WON Bass Nitro Boats / Mercury U.S. Open awoke at Boulder Station Casino, it was obvious that change had occurred.

Clifford gains control for another win at the US Open.
(Photos: WON) 

The cloudy, blustery weather that had been predicted for the first day had held off, but it decided to make an appearance on day two. The day two takeoff conditions featured higher winds and a thick layer of storm clouds building out of the eastern shores of Lake Mead.

Normally, clouds and wind often signal an improved bite for anglers as baitfish are stirred up bringing a lake's bass population to life. However, being that the venue for this event is Lake Mead; those conditions can often have a negative effect.  

2012 CSFL Classic Full Standings

Full Classic Standing

	Angler	Co-Angler	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
1	ROB LAFLEUR	PETE GARNIER	17.65	20.55	15.15	53.35
2	BLAKE RANKIE	SEAN MCLAUGHLIN	17.95	16.6	17.45	52
3	WAYNE MISSELBROOK	DAVE KENNEDY	18.05	15.45	18.2	51.7
4	BARRY GRAVES	JASON GOUGH	16.3	18	16.6	50.9
5	MATT HUBBLE	DAVE BAIRSTOW	17.2	14.15	18.45	49.8
6	STEVE STINSON	GREG SIBLOCK	15.05	17.75	15.6	48.4
7	DON THOMPSON	JAY THOMPSON	12.25	19.65	15.25	47.15
8	JASON CHRISTIE	JOHN RYCHEL	14.05	14.2	16.15	44.4
9	DAN DUNN	DAVE CHONG	17.45	14.15	12.2	43.8
10	GARRY MANSHOLT		11.6	16.2	15.4	43.2
11	ART BERGHOUT	JOHN BOOTH	16.85	13.6	12.1	42.55
12	CHRIS VANDERMEER	JEFF SLUTE	16.4	16.35	9.55	42.3
13	ANDREW SHUFELT	DOUG STRONG	15.7	12.25	13.35	41.3
14	CHRIS JOHNSTON	LYNN JOHNSTON	12.6	15.85	12.7	41.15
15	JOHN CHARTERS	DALLAS CHARTERS	12.2	15.75	10	37.95
16	JAY SHORT	CHRIS WALTER	14.2	12.7	10.4	37.3
17	BOB IZUMI	DARREN IZUMI	14.65	12.9	9.35	36.9
18	ANDREJ CHOWANIEC	ALEX FERNANDES	12.65	13.75	9.95	36.35
19	RYAN CROWLEY		16.45	9.85	9.65	35.95
20	FRANK ADAMO	JOHN DELICATA	18.45	11.45	0	29.9

Rest of the field only fished two days. Top 20 advanced to Day 3