Thursday, December 31, 2015

HAPPY NEW YEARS!


Happy New Years from IBASSIN. THANKS for your support in 2015 as we will
continue to provide more bass fishing action in the new year!

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Pure Fishing Sold!

The owner of Pure Fishing has been sold in a deal that is said to be worth $13 billion. The Jarden Corporation has been acquired by Newell Rubbermaid, makers of many home hold names such as: Sharpie and Irwin tools. This is the second time in the past eight years that Pure Fishing has changed hands. It was bought by Jarden back in 2007. 
Pure Fishing is a powerhouse in the fishing world. Its fishing tackle manufacturers, including Shakespeare, Mitchell, Berkley, SpiderWire, Abu Garcia and Hardy.

Monday, December 28, 2015

LOWRANCE TOTALSCAN – THE ALL-IN-ONE FISH- AND STRUCTURE-FINDING TRANSDUCER

With all three sonar technologies in one transducer, anglers receive the benefits of greater fish-target separation and less interference for a more clutter-free display with CHIRP Sonar, plus photo-like images of fish-holding structure on both sides of your boat with StructureScan HD – along with the same photo-like images directly beneath your boat with DownScan Imaging. TotalScan reduces the number of transducers required to take full advantage of all the latest fishfinding features of Lowrance systems. Lowering costs and simplifying installations, the Lowrance TotalScan transducer offers additional versatility with multiple mounting options.

“We are constantly building on our hard-won reputation for innovation that provides meaningful benefits to anglers,” said Leif Ottosson, CEO, Navico. “We believe that innovation is not only about bringing new products to market, but also simplifying the boater’s experience by eliminating the need for additional products and simplifying the installation process. TotalScan is the only transducer you will ever need.”

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Merry Christmas from IBASSIN!

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas. Enjoy the good in the world and share it with the people you love and enjoy. 

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

VanDam stays with new Hydrowave owners

KVD still supports Hydrowave
Originally posted in Angling International
One of the world’s top anglers, Kevin VanDam, an owner of leading marine electronics company, Hydrowave, will remain with the company following its acquisition by T-H Marine.
Huntsville, Alabama-based T-H Marine, a leading manufacturer of boating and fishing accessories, completed the acquisition of Hydrowave last month for an undisclosed sum.
Jeff Huntley, President of T-H Marine, said: “We are very pleased to announce the acquisition of the Hydrowave assets. We are proud that we will retain several key Hydrowave employees and have entered into a multi-year consulting agreement with the founder, Gene Eisenmann. Gene and his team have built a strong company with an excellent reputation for providing cutting-edge technology to help make fishing more rewarding for anglers of any skill.
“These products really work and we are excited about adding this great brand to the T-H Marin product line.
“We are also pleased to announce that Kevin VanDam is maintaining an interest in the brand and staying involved with product development and promotion. We love that KVD believes in us and the Hydrowave brand.”
VanDam added: “I am excited that a super company like T-H Marine has bought Hydrowave. T-H is a true leader in innovation of new products for serious fishermen. I have used and believed in its products for many, many years. We have already made plans for me to stay very involved with the brand and to work with T-H Marine to help more anglers catch fish with our sound technology.”

Monday, December 21, 2015

2016 Top Bass Tournaments Announced!

Top Bass Announces its 2016 line up of bass tournaments in southern Ontario.  With eight qualifying events and a two-day Classic on Rice Lake in early September, these season will fill up in a hurry.
Link to TOP BASS

TOP BASS FISHING SERIES
2016 TOURNAMENT DATES

Q1
June 19 Sturgeon Lake

Q2
July 2 Rice Lake #1

Q3
July 3 Rice Lake #2

Q4
July 16 Lake Scugog

Q5
August 6 Balsam Lake

Q6
August 14 Lake Seymour

Q7
August 27 Tri-Lakes #1

Q8
August 28 Tri-Lakes #2

CLASSIC
September 10 & 11 Rice Lake

Friday, December 18, 2015

WEEGO WANTS TO KNOW ‘WATT’S UNDER YOUR TREE’?

The Perfect Gift Jump Starts Cars, Charges Phones and Fits In a Pocket
Weego, an innovator in portable battery solutions, announced today a powerful gift package for the holiday season, Weego Jump Starter Battery+ bundled with a free Weego smartphone charger. There should be no shortage of power under anyone’s tree this year.
“Product registrations for Weego to date, show that 35% of all units sold are given as gifts,” said Gerry Toscani, CEO, Weego. “The message ’Don’t get stuck like Chuck’ is loud and clear when planning your holiday purchases. Weego is a top-ten gift for everyone’s list in 2015. From mom to the mechanic, a college-bound kid to a long-distance grandmom, having peace of mind and safety when away from home and on the go is priceless. So much better than a gaudy Christmas sweater, why not give a super-practical, why-didn’t-I-think-of-that gift to them.”

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Rapala Canada Scores New Product and Web Manager

Nomark Inc. announced that Chris Hockley has joined the company to further develop their exclusive Canadian product offering and website.  Chris comes with a wealth of experience within the Industry, having spent the last 25 years in marketing, sales, consulting, outdoor writing, and promoting fishing products.

Chris joins Normark Inc. (Rapala Canada) as Product and Web Manager to continue Normark’s recent success in supplying exclusive Canadian inspired fishing products to Canadian consumers. Chris’s responsibilities will include working with the global product development team on new product initiatives as well as further developing the company’s website.  Chris comments “I am excited to start a new challenge within the Normark group and look forward to working with the team to further develop their already extensive product offering and website.   I am fortunate to be joining such a respected company that prides itself on providing innovative premium quality fishing products”.

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Pure Fishing Merger in the Works.

According to Angling International, the owner of the world’s biggest fishing tackle manufacturer could be on the brink of a merger. 
Jarden Corporation, which boasts the Pure Fishing group of companies within its portfolio, saw its stock market price rise by nearly 4% earlier this week following a report in the Wall Street Journal that it was in merger talks with Newell Rubbermaid, the maker of a wide variety of products including Irwin tools, Parker pens and Rubbermaid food containers. 
Pure Fishing, which includes some of the world’s top angling brands, for approximately $400m in April 2007. It added Sébile to its stable in 2011and the iconic UK brand Hardy & Greys in 2014.

Monday, December 14, 2015

Thomas Martens Grabs Last Classic Spot!

Marten nets win in blowout fish-off victory.
GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. — Things didn’t go exactly as Thomas Martens had hoped during Saturday’s six-man Bassmaster Classic fish-off on Lake Guntersville.
Last day hero make Classic as individual. (Photo: BASS)
The current he had relied on all week disappeared, and that may have caused him to lose a couple of good fish Saturday morning. He also had to share his best spot with the crowd of recreational fishermen who always flock to Guntersville on the weekends.
But none of it was enough to keep Martens from his biggest accomplishment as a tournament angler.
Martens caught just two fish that weighed 6 pounds, 2 ounces during the morning session of the fish-off. But he rebounded with four giants that weighed 22-12 during the afternoon session and claimed the individual title with a combined weight of 28-14.
The victory earned Martens a berth in the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro, which is scheduled for March 4-6 on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees.

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Chris Risner and Timothy Eaton Win 2015 Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship.

Six Anglers Now Battle for Classic Spot.
GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. — Everything went right for Chris Risner and Timothy Eaton during Friday’s second round of the Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship on Lake Guntersville.
Even some things they never could have imagined.
The Michigan anglers, who qualified for the event through their home state’s D&R Sports Center Tournament Risner and Eaton finished just Trail, caught five bass that weighed 24 pounds, 13 ounces and claimed the national team championship with a two-day weight of 48-7. Two of their best fish came around mid-morning on one magical cast.
Good bites came on key day. (Photo: BASS)
“Chris had just finished telling me that he needed me to catch an 8-pounder,” Eaton said. “Then on the very next cast, I got a bite and set the hook. I couldn’t believe it. It was 8 pounds of fish, but it was two of them on the same bait — a 5-pounder and a 3-pounder.
“That’s when we started to feel like maybe it was just meant to be. This is our biggest dream come true.”
They finished ahead of the Texas team of Dean Alexander and Thomas Martens (46-10) and the Louisiana pairing of Nickolas LeBrun and Randy Deaver (45-4).

Friday, December 11, 2015

2015 Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship Day 2: Fog Prevents Day of Fishing.

Warm December Sidelines Anglers
GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. – Dense fog and low visibility brought things to a standstill Thursday for the 394 anglers who were hoping to compete in the second round of the Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship on Lake Guntersville.
Hours of heavy fog stalls day 2. (BASS Photo)
Jon Stewart, tournament director for the Team Championship, postponed Thursday’s round when the teams were still sitting at the launch site at 10:30 a.m. waiting out a fog delay more than four hours after the scheduled takeoff time.
B.A.S.S. rules call for competition days to be postponed if the anglers can’t fish at least four hours of a scheduled eight-hour day. Thursday’s weigh-in was scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
“I knew that if it was foggy, it was going to be bad,” Stewart said after announcing the postponement. “It was foggy when we were setting up on Tuesday, and it didn’t lift until after 10:30. I told the anglers at the briefing Tuesday that if it got foggy at all, it would probably be tough.”

Thursday, December 10, 2015

2015 Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship Day 1: Locals Lead With 27lbs!

Canadian Team of Chong and Brownridge Sitting in 6th Place.

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. — After a two-day pre-tournament practice period that saw most of the 197-boat field from around the country struggle, it only makes sense that two local teams shot to the top of the leaderboard during Wednesday’s opening round of the Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship on Lake Guntersville.
Fishing "history" yields lead for local sticks on Day 1 at Lake Guntersville. (Photo: BASS)
Billy Sharp and Kevin Stubblefield, who qualified for the event through the Alabama Bass Trail, brought five fish to the scales that weighed 27 pounds, 6 ounces and claimed the Day 1 lead. Stubblefield is from right here in Guntersville, while Sharp lives in Albertville, less than 30 minutes from the lake.
“We grew up here, and we’ve been fishing here since we were just kids,” said Stubblefield, who teamed with Sharp to win the Alabama Bass Trail championship on nearby Lake Wheeler in October. “We were fishing history today, places we’ve fished before. We stayed off of them in practice, and the fish were on some of them today.”
Practice was tough for Sharp and Stubblefield just like it was for most of a field that includes anglers from as far away as Maine, Delaware, New Jersey, California and Canada. But when competition began, the leaders were aided by built-in knowledge of the lake and conditions that are slowly improving.
“We had kind of a hard time in practice,” Sharp said. “But the water is clearing up, and I think that’s helping us some.”

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

2016 BASS Elite Field Announced!

New Faces Coming in 2016
BASS Press Release
Entering its 11th season, the 2016 Bassmaster Elite Series field has been filled with 111 professional anglers, including both new and familiar names.
Most are veteran tournament anglers; 98 are returning Elite Series anglers, while many of the 13 newcomers have long and distinguished résumés from other fishing circuits. All will be battling for hundreds of thousands of dollars, plus the prestigious Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year title and coveted 2017 Bassmaster Classic spots, in competition on some of America’s top bass fisheries.
Headlining the field is Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala., the reigning Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year. Martens clinched the 2015 AOY title after turning in one of the most dominant performances in recent history, including two Elite Series victories. Joining him are other members of the Top 5 in 2015 AOY points, including Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Ala., who won the 2015 Sacramento Bassmaster Elite at Sacramento River; four-time tournament winner Dean Rojas; 10-time champion Edwin Evers, who also won back-to-back events in 2015; and three-time winner Jacob Powroznik.
Fifteen former Classic winners will be competing in the 2016 Bassmaster Elite Series, including the 2015 champion, Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C.; Luke Clausen of Otis Orchards, Wash.; Rick Clunn of Ava, Mo.; Mark Davis of Mount Ida, Ark.; Boyd Duckett of Guntersville, Ala.; Paul Elias of Laurel, Miss.; Davy Hite of Ninety Six, S.C.; Randy Howell of Guntersville, Ala.; Michael Iaconelli of Pittsgrove, N.J.; Alton Jones of Lorena, Texas; Chris Lane of Guntersville, Ala.; Takahiro Omori of Emory, Texas; Cliff Pace of Petal, Miss.; Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif.; and Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich.

Monday, December 7, 2015

2016 Best New Rods: The New G. Loomis E6X Series of Rods with Jonathon Van Dam and IBASSIN



The new E6X rod series introduces anglers to what G. Loomis rod designers refer to a ‘swing-weight’, the proper rod balance needed when fishing ‘tip up’ techniques like pitching/flipping and casting tubes, jigs, soft plastic jerkbaits and drop shot rigs, and ‘tip down’ lures like crankbaits, spinnerbaits or swimbaits. “Proper balance lets anglers concentrate on what is happening on the end of the line, rather than the tip of the rod,” said G. Loomis’ Bruce Holt. “With the E6X series and the G. Loomis’ Multi-Taper Technology behind them, we can provide light, sensitive, yet powerful rods for all types of bass fishing techniques – what anglers know and come to expect form G. Loomis and all at a very comfortable price.”

Friday, December 4, 2015

Lowrance Announces All New Fishfinders

Three Cool New Products from Lowrance


Lowrance TotalScan Transducer – TotalScan is an all-in-one transducer that combines CHIRP technology with high-resolution StructureScan HD and DownScan Imaging technology. TotalScan eliminates the need for multiple transducers and simplifies installations.

Lowrance Elite Ti – Available in both 5- and 7-inch displays, Lowrance announces the new Elite Ti Series Fishfinder/Chartplotter. With CHIRP sonar, StructureScan HD and DownScan Imaging, the Elite Ti Series is an affordable unit for anglers that want a complete view of what’s under their boat. Also, with integrated wireless connectivity with GoFree, Elite Ti models can access mapping downloads, software updates and Insight Genesis.

Lowrance HOOK Fishfinders – With CHIRP sonar and DownScan Imaging, Lowrance introduces HOOK Series fishfinders. Available in 4-, 5-, 7-, and 9-inch displays, HOOK fishfinders offer Ice Machine models in the 4- and 5-inch models. Also in the HOOK line are two new affordable fishfinders, the HOOk-3x with BroadBand Sounder and HOOK-3x DSI with DownScan Imaging. Also available with and All Season Pack, these compact units bring convenience to fishing, be it from a dock, small boat, or frozen lake.

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Prison Sentence Given to Killer of Bass Pro James “Jimmy” Johnson.

Photo: BASS
JACKSON, Miss. —A man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison in a 2013 shooting outside a Jackson motel that killed professional bass fisherman, James “Jimmy” Johnson in the parking lot of the Motel 6 off Instate 55. If you recall this was during a BASS Central Open Event on Ross Barnett. event. Johnson confronted Brown who was burglarizing his boat.

Shaun Brown, 19, pleaded guilty Nov. 16 to a second-degree murder charge in Hinds County Circuit Court. He was originally charged with capital murder. Jackson police said at the time that the then-17-year-old confessed to killing.

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Humminbird Controls Side View Technology.

Garmin Banned
Originally posted in Angling International
Electronics giant Garmin has been banned from selling and importing its SideVu sonars in the US after they were was found to infringe a patent belonging to rival Humminbird – part of the Johnson Outdoors group of companies.
The International Trade Commission (ITC) has confirmed an earlier ruling by the Administrative Law Judge that Garmin had violated a section of the 1930 Tariff Act by importing and selling SideVu sonars, which infringe a Johnsons Outdoor side scan sonar patent used in certain Humminbird fishfinders.
The latest decision has been welcomed by Johnson Outdoors Chairman and CEO, Helen Johnson-Leipold. She said: “Humminbird’s pioneering, patented side scan sonar technology, marketed under its Side Imaging brand, is the gold standard in fishfinders. This reflects our unique understanding of anglers and our expertise in designing products which provide the best fishing experience on the water.
“We are recognised as an innovation leader – a company that respects the intellectual property of others and protects its own. Obviously, we are very pleased by this final determination by the ITC.”
In its verdict the ITC affirmed that all three patents asserted by Johnson Outdoors are valid and enforceable and that numerous models of Garmin’s SideVu sonars directly infringe six Johnson Outdoors patent claims.
It also issued a limited exclusion order barring Garmin’s infringing SideVu sonar systems and its components, which are manufactured overseas, from import into the US. A cease and desist order, prohibiting Garmin from selling or distributing any offending product or component from its inventory, was also put into place.
The orders will come into effect following a mandatory review by the US trade representative.