2016 Bassmaster Bass Pro Shop Southern Open #1 Day 2: Strader Soars with Hail Mary!

FLW and BASS top pros raising to top. 

By John Neporadny Jr.

BASS PRESS RELEASE
Wesley Strader has moved into first place in the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open #1 with a game plan that seems to change by the hour.

Wesley grabs lead with 37-04 pounds over two locals.
(Photo: BASS)

“I just have been kind of winging it the whole time,” said Strader, who leads the pro division with 37 pounds, 4 ounces. “I seem to do better when I can wing it, just go fishing and not have any preconceived notions of what I am going to do.” 

Thursday, Strader went to a spot where he expected to catch just keeper-size bass to complete his limit but the spot produced heavyweight bass for him.  Friday, the Spring City, Tenn., angler caught about a 10-pound limit from that spot and since he knew he had enough weight to make the Top 12 cut, Strader decided to try another place he found in practice.

After arriving at the new spot, Strader noticed his partner threw a “Hail Mary” out into the middle of the lake and caught a quality bass.  “So I threw out there and caught a big one,” he said.  “Then I threw out there and caught another big one.”  Strader thanked his partner for putting him on those couple of bites that helped him complete a 15-11 limit.  

“I kind of figured something out there at the end of the day so maybe it will pay off tomorrow,” he said.  “It seems like the later in the day it gets the better the bite because Florida bass like it hot. So I could see as the water temperature got up to that 62 to 64 degrees the fish started getting a little more aggressive. “

Winter Springs Bassmasters club member Eric Panzironi celebrated his son Landen’s seventh birthday today by catching a 16-13 limit that moved him into second place with 34-4.  “It just all came together,” said the 36-year old swimming pool maintenance man.  “I found a spot that was holding fish and I caught a limit early and then got a couple of big bites."

“I went to the same exact spot (as yesterday) and I made about 10 casts and caught a decent one,” Panzironi said. “From there on I got a couple more. Then I caught a big one and that was pretty much it. I didn’t cull too much, maybe once or twice, but that was it.”

The Longwood, Fla., angler admits he had a terrible practice this week, but he has turned it around during the tournament. “I barely caught a limit on Monday and Tuesday,” he said.  His bite has been early as he has caught his limit by about 9:30 each morning.

2016 Bassmaster Bass Pro Shop Southern Open #1 Day 1: Brad Knight Lances Lead!

Knight's 9-06 big bass made all the difference.

By John Neporadny Jr.

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Brad leads with 22-11 pound limit.
(Photo:BASS)

Team tournament partners Brad Knight and Wesley Strader got on big fish on the Kissimmee chain and are neck and neck in the pro division after the first round of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open.

Knight holds the lead with a 22-pound, 11-ounce limit that included a 9-06 bass, while Strader is in second place with 21-9. “Wesley is a great friend of mine,” said Knight. “We have fished team tournaments together.“

Both anglers found big bass either nesting or moving up to spawn. “I had a terrible execution day because I had a chance at four or five other fish that wereof that (9-06) caliber or more,” said Knight, the reigning Forrest Wood Cup champion from Lancing, Tenn. Knight noted he lost most of his bass when they burrowed into the vegetation.

Customize Onix Humminbird Side Imaging to Turn a Tough Day into A Great ...

The Hunninbird Onix is a complex unit. Learn how to customize your screen to optimize side imaging, sonar and mapping to help you catch more bass. Nick will explain how to maximize the side imaging on your Onix units to turn a tough day into a great one.

Benefits of Running a Yamaha VMAX SHO Engine with Dave Chong.

Pro angler Dave Chong explains the benefits of the new Yamaha VMAX SHO four stroke engines. Better hole shot, great gas mileage, high end speed are only a few of the fantastic benefits of running a Yamaha VMAX SHO engine.

New Mustang Elite 28K Inflatable PFD with James Friedrich.

Mustang Survival is a world leader in inflatable PFD. The brand new Elite 28K is form fitting, comfortable and provides great safety while on the water. Learn all about the Mustang Elite 28K PFD from product manager James Friedrich when he was visiting the 2016 Toronto Boat Show.

Uncle Josh Halts Pork Products.

Skinny Pigs Hurt Classic Bait Company!

By Luigi De Rose

The Uncle Josh Bait Company has discontinued the manufacture and sale of pork rind products after 93 years. Pork has been a standard but finding amply raw materials have hurt the production of the Pork Chunk. National Sales Manager Matt Bichanich stated to Angling-International.com that, 

“The quality of the pork fat we require has been in short supply for more than five years. Some 90% of what we bought went to waste."

Uncle Josh will continue to provide a wide range of products to anglers but the famous #1 and #11 pork chunk will be a thing of the pass. 

New Humminbird HELIX 9, 10 and 12 with Nick Cousvis

The Humminbird family of HELIX units just got larger in 2016. HELIX now offers a HELIX 9, HELIX 10 and HELIX 12. Learn form Humminbird pro-staff Nick Cousvis about all their great features. Did you know they now have Auto Chart Live. This allows anglers to record their maps and further develop their lake maps in real time. A super cool feature!

Evinrude's New E-TEC G2 Outboard Motors with FLW Tour Pro Cory Johnston.

Canadian bass pro Cory Johnston explains the benefits of the Evinrude's New E-TEC G2 Outboard Motors and why he'll be running one this year on the FLW Tour. Listen to Cory as he key features of the Evinrude's New E TEC G2 Outboard Motor. 

Jason Lambert Wins Costa FLW Series Lake Okeechobee Event.

Canadian Cole Bailey scores 10th after largest day 2 catch. 

by Kyle Wood

FLW PRESS RELEASE

Lake Okeechobee was stingy at best when it came to showing off the caliber of bass that lurk in it during the season-opening event of the Costa FLW Series Southeastern Division presented by Power-Pole and hosted by Okeechobee County Tourism. Despite having what locals thought were prime conditions for a smashfest, Saturday’s competition wasn’t as eventful as anticipated. Nevertheless, Jason Lambert defended his day-two lead after grinding out a 12-pound, 12-ounce limit to claim the title and $60,000 payday.

Spinnerbait and Chatterbait key to win. (Photo FLW)

Conventional wisdom leading up to this event led to thinking that flipping would hands down be the winning tactic to pull sluggish fish from thick cover. Florida’s Glenn Browne ran with that theory – along with numerous others in the top 10 – and found himself in contention to win on the final day.

In the end, it was Lambert’s power-fishing strategy that would prevail with a three-day total of 44-12, beating out Browne by a mere 1-8.

Lambert and Browne were without a doubt the most consistent all week – at times even shared the same water – yet neither could connect with multiple big bites.

Costa FLW Series Lake Okeechobee Day 2: Lambert Lead!

Huge Storm Rocks Lake!

by Kyle Wood

FLW PRESS RELEASE

Jason's Big O beast made a huge difference. (Photo: FLW)

While Lake Okeechobee may lack offshore structure that Jason Lambert is used to, that hasn’t stopped him from catching good limits of Florida bass this week. By the time the scale closed on day two of the Costa FLW Series Southeastern Division event – which is presented by Power-Pole – the Pickwick Dam, Tenn., pro quietly overtook the top spot thanks to a day-two bag of 15 pounds, 7 ounces.

Combined with his day-one catch of 16-9, Lambert now has an overall weight of 32 pounds even. That means he will carry a slim 1-1 lead over Florida stud Glenn Browne into the final act of the Costa Series season opener.

If you know anything about Lambert’s career, you know that summertime on the Tennessee River is his element. What you may not know is just how much he loves to fish grass, which he is out to prove this week.

“People think that all I do is fish offshore,” says Lambert, who will be entering his third season on the Walmart FLW Tour. “But really I love fishing grass. I’ve had a good practice and a lot of fun this week. It feels good to be fishing down in Florida.”

Costa FLW Series Lake Okeechobee Day 1: Cherkas Lands Lead!

Canadian Chris Johnson Sitting 8th!
by Kyle Wood
FLW PRESS RELEASE

Huge 250 Pro field fishing this event. (Photo FLW)

The opening day of competition for the Costa FLW Series Southeastern Division event on Lake Okeechobee – which is presented by Power-Pole and hosted by Okeechobee County Tourism – was a textbook example of what a cold front does to Florida bass.  Catching a limit wasn’t the issue, however, connecting with 4- and 5-pound bites was. Peter Cherkas of Des Moines, Iowa, was able to scrounge out a strong limit worth 20 pounds to take a narrow lead over Zach Crider of Tunnel Hill, Ga., by a mere 12 ounces.
With so much water to fish on Okeechobee that virtually all looks like it should hold a 10-pounder, settling in on a certain area and combing it thoroughly can be the best bet for success. Most anglers find an area roughly the size of a few football fields to pick through during tournament hours, while Cherkas dialed in an area big enough to cover with his Power-Poles down.
“When I pulled into my area this morning there were some other boats around it so I stayed off,” says Cherkas. “When the other boats moved out enough that is when I moved in. I dropped my Power-Poles and didn’t touch my trolling motor until 10 a.m.”
Cherkas bucked the trend of fishing slow and worked one area thoroughly to rack up the bulk of his weight by 11 a.m. Due to how tough the tournament is you can understand why he opted to remain tight-lipped about his presentation and type of area he is fishing.
The Iowa pro did unveil that the area he is fishing is something you can pattern. He got one bite from the specific area in practice – an 8-pounder – and spent more time just searching for other places like it. While he succeeded in doing so, he also isn’t too sure if they are as good because he didn’t want to burn his areas up by checking them today.
“I have been down [in Florida] for almost three weeks now,” explains Cherkas. “The fish have moved around so much from day to day and that is my biggest concern. I think I know where they may move to if they pull off of my primary area. It shouldn’t take long to find out if they are still there come tomorrow morning.”
Top 10 Below

Randall Tharp Teaches You How To Punch Heavy Matted Grass.

The 2013 Forrest Wood Cup Champ and Bassmaster Elite pro, Randall Tharp explains how to improve at heavy cover punching. A lot of anglers are beating the cold this winter by hunting big bass in Florida. One of the best techniques is punching and it requires the correct gear. Learn from one of the very best as Tharp explains how to be better at punching.

ULTRA TUNGSTEN's New Wacky Jigs

Wacky rigging and flick shaking made easier with ULTRA TUNGSTEN.

By Luigi De Rose

Ultra TUNGSTEN has a great jig for all you finesse anglers. The new Wacky Jig is an easy answer if you need Senko or Flick Shake worms to run deeper. ULTRA TUNGSTEN's new jigs offer a super strong jig head teamed with sharp hook which makes rigging so much easier yet keeps the bait working great.

 Here's a run down on its features:

• black, chip resistant head 
• super strong ultra sharp hook
• environmentally friendly/lead-free 
• super compact, 97% Tungsten head
•  1/8oz MSRP $6.99
• 3/16oz and 1/4oz MSRP $7.99

What's Wacky Rigging? 

What's Flick Shake? 

Legendary Angler Ken Cook Dead at 68.

Super Bass Winner and 1991 Classic Champ Passes. 
By Luigi De Rose

Cook was a six time BASS champion during his career.
(Photo: BASS)

With great sadness the bass fishing industry mourns the loss of Ken Cook of Oklahoma.

While visiting one of his three sons, he suffered an apparent heart attack early last Friday morning. Ken's career started in the early 1970s but winning the 1983 Super Bass event on the St. John's River in Florida cemented his legendary pro status. He continued to fish BASS until 2009 and notched six career wins on that circuit including the 1991 Bassmaster Classic. Most will associate him flinging spinnerbaits while he steered his Skeeter bass boat with one foot on his hand controlled trolling motor in the early years.

A fisheries biologist by trade along with tournament angling, he later became an owner of a successful big game ranch. He is survived by his wife Tammy, three sons and their families.

Here's a great BASS video of the 1991 Classic which he won doing what he did best, casting a spinnerbait.

Link here for video

The NEW HELIX 9 and 10 on the Water

                     
Humminbird has gained a lot of attention with their new HELIX line of units. Now check out the two newest editions to the Helix family, the HELIX 9 and 10. Here's a video that will explain all their great features!

Sharpen Up Yours Skills with a Navionics Webinar

Itching to do something regarding fishing? Try a webinar. Navionics' schedule is packed with dozens of informative and entertaining webinars hosted by presenters with deep experience on a variety of topics. Click the links below to register now for any of our January webinars. Check the full schedule to sign up for other upcoming webinars – more will be added throughout the year – or watch webinars you may have missed at Navionics.com/webinar. 

Register now for any of these webinars:

January 5: 9 PM / 03:00 CET    

“Breaking Down Swimbaits” — Josh Douglas/Seth Feider

January 7: 7:00 PM / 01:00 CET    

“Le Secret D'une Prospection Gagnante” — André Morin/Hugues Sébire

January 11: 8 PM / 02:00 CET    

“Shallow Water Electronics” — Bernie Schultz 

ULTRA TUNGSTEN's New Arky Jig

Smaller is better with ULTRA TUNGSTEN's New Arky Jig
By Luigi De Rose

Ultra TUNGSTEN has just released it's new Arky style bass jig. Its compact size, due to a pure tungsten head, makes it ideal for punching or where a compact bait is needed. With direct input from Canadian Pro-Angler Dave Chong, this jig focuses on the minor details. Each jig is wire tied, large XX strong Mustad hook, chip resistant paint and features a duel rattle chamber.

 Here's a run down on its features:

• available in 3/8oz and 1/2oz sizes
• 4 colour combinations: black, black/blue, black/purple & blue/okeechobee craw
• environmentally friendly/lead-free 
• super compact, 97% Tungsten head
• MSRP $6.99

Blood Run Tackle's Floating Line for Shallow Bass

Try some steelhead line this year!
By Luigi De Rose
 

Here's a line that most bass guys are not aware of but should consider. Blood Run Tackle produces a floating monofilament line for river anglers who float fish. This line remains on the surface making it ideal for all topwaters, shallow spinnerbaiting, wake baits or any other near surface presentations.

Unlike Fluorocarbon and braid which tend to sink; forcing baits down. These floating lines won't ruin the lure action. 

Blood Run Tackle's Floating Mono is available in 10lb and 15lb tests in a range of colours from clear to Hi-Viz orange and yellow.

For more info.
www.bloodruntackle.com