Sunday, April 30, 2017

2017 BASS Elite Ross Barnett Day 4 Postponed Due to Hazardous Weather!

Due to a dangerous weather Day 4 of the tournament has been postponed. 
The Top 12 will be fishing on Monday. 

2017 Walmart FLW Tour Beaver Lake Day 3: Johnny McCombs Leads with 41-13lbs!

Lakes levels at record high as it keeps raining.
In the Rogers area in northwest Arkansas, the story of the day was the series of severe thunderstorms that washed through the region overnight Friday and again on Saturday morning and afternoon. The result was flash flooding that swept debris across roads and caused many low-lying areas to become impassible. Downed trees and power lines also caused headaches. Currently, the entire area is a saturated, mucky mess.
One big bass vaults Johnny to first.
(Photo: FLW)
But not all was gloomy in Rogers on Saturday. Out on the water, Alabama pro Johnny McCombs was writing his own story at the FLW Tour event presented by General Tire at Beaver Lake. McCombs, who’s fishing the Tour in 2017 for the first time since 2003, pounded out an 18-pound, 15-ounce limit – the best of the tournament so far – to race from 11th place into first going into the final day of competition. McCombs’ 41-13 total has him in front of Texas pro Jason Reyes by 2 pounds, 4 ounces.
TOP TEN BELOW

Saturday, April 29, 2017

2017 BASS Elite Ross Barnett Day 3: Connell Leads as KVD and JVD Close In!

Weather worries for Sunday. 
By Thomas Allen 
BASS PRESS RELEASE
Rookie Connell steady as veterans close in.
(Photo: BASS)
For the second day in a row, Alabama native Dustin Connell is leading the fourth Bassmaster Elite Series event of his life. The 26-year-old rookie is closing in on his first victory and the $100,000 first-place prize at the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Ross Barnett.

The weather forecast for Ridgeland, Miss., is predicting strong thunderstorms and heavy rain for Championship Sunday, which could impact whether the tournament concludes on schedule or gets postponed until Monday.
 
Connell’s pattern produced 15 pounds, 7 ounces of largemouth bass for a three-day total of 51-14, which is just over 6 pounds ahead of second place.
 
“I’m fishing up in the Pearl River,” Connell said. “And if we get heavy rain, the potential flood waters could wash out my spots. If that happens, I may have to revert to plan B and pick up a frog. I’m hoping we’ll dodge a bullet and be able to fish on Sunday.”
 
Connell mentioned that he’s so confident in his fishing spots that if the weather holds off, he believes he can win.
 

2017 BASS Elite Ross Barnett Day 2: Dustin Connell Jumps into Lead with 36-07lbs.

Windy day flattens catches. 
By Thomas Allen 
BASS PRESS RELEASE
Twenty-six-year-old Bassmaster Elite Series rookie Dustin Connell took over the lead on Friday’s second round of competition at the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Ross Barnett.
Rookie grabs Day 2 lead.
(Photo: BASS)
Connell, of Clanton, Ala., caught a five-bass limit that weighed 16 pounds, 11 ounces, pushing his two-day total to 36-7, which is less than 2 pounds ahead of second place.
 
A big wind picked up during the afternoon pushing sustained speeds of 20 mph with gusts near 30. On a relatively shallow lake like Mississippi’s Ross Barnett Reservoir, that means muddy water and big waves — something all of the competitors will have to deal with on Saturday’s semifinal round.
 
“The wind won’t affect my fishing spots, but it will affect my travel time to and from where I’ll be spending my day,” Connell said. “What’s concerning me is that the water level is rising and getting muddier.”
 
The young angler mentioned that the water conditions seemed to be worsening, but the bass were still active and willing to attack multiple presentations.


Friday, April 28, 2017

2017 Walmart FLW Tour Beaver Lake Day 1: Cody Meyer Leads with 16-01Lbs

Imagine trying to shoot a game of pool on a table that rises a foot or two while you’re drawing back your cue to take a shot. Each time you draw for a shot, the table comes up.
Cody stays deep for lead.
(Photo: FLW)
That’s a little bit what fishing has been like for the 165 pros and co-anglers this week at the FLW Tour event presented by General Tire on Beaver Lake. Each day they get on the water, the targets they fished the day before are gone – submerged underwater.
Since practice started on Sunday, Beaver Lake has come up some 8 feet. Since the pros last saw the lake on Tuesday’s practice day, the water has come up more than 4 feet. The rising water creates a moving target that’s hard to hit when everything is in a state of flux.
While the ever-increasing water level has thrown many pros for a loop, Californian Cody Meyer only chuckles at the “epic rise.”
Meyer cut his teeth fishing lakes out west like Shasta and Oroville, where water can rise 10 to 15 feet in a day. What’s happened in eight days on Beaver Lake can occur in 8 hours on Meyer’s home waters.
Maybe that helps explain why Meyer is leading after day one with five bass weighing 16 pounds, 1 ounce. Meyer’s limit included three smallmouths and two largemouths.
“I’ve fished tournaments out west where the spot I started on in the morning was under 10 feet of water by weigh-in,” Meyer says. “So this is not that much of a shock to me. One thing I’ve learned when a sudden rise happens, especially out west, is that the fish generally stay at the depth they were in as the water rises.”

2017 Walmart FLW Tour Beaver Lake Day 2: Meyer Leads by Hair with 28-09 Lbs.

It can never be easy at Beaver Lake. At least, that’s the track record for this lake over the course of its 20-year history as an FLW Tour destination. Beaver is notorious for its up-and-down fishing conditions, and the pros who’ve been lucky enough to lead at Beaver on day one frequently end up falling out of the cut on day two.
Cody's focus on smallmouth give him lead for now.
(Photo: FLW)
Today, day-one leader Cody Meyer thought he might experience the typical Beaver Lake flip-flop, but he was able to maintain his spot atop the standings in the FLW Tour presented by General Tire despite an overall drop in production. Meyer caught 16 pounds, 1 ounce on day one to lead by just 6 ounces over runner-up Chris Brasher. He followed up on day two with a 12-pound, 8-ounce limit and now has a 3-ounce lead over Texan Jason Reyes going into the weekend.
TOP TEN BELOW

2017 BASS Elite Ross Barnett Day 1: Brandon Card Leads with 22-14lbs!

Big lake fishing very small
BASS PRESS RELEASE
Card scores big on difficult day.
(Photo: BASS)
While 33,000 acres of fishable water seems like it should easily support a 109-angler field, most Elite Series anglers would say they’re sharing water at the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Ross Barnett.
 
Ross Barnett Reservoir is the smallest venue on the schedule this year, but the quality is evident as the Top 6 anglers weighed limits of bass near or exceeding the 20-pound mark.
 
The question is can weights like Brandon Card’s impressive 22 pounds, 14 ounces be reproduced during Friday’s second round of competition.
 
“That’s a great question,” Card of Knoxville, Tenn., said following weigh-in. “I spent some time here during pre-practice, and the fishing was on fire. But that bite has changed dramatically since then, and I found an area during our official practice days, which is where I caught them today. I know the number of quality fish are available to have another 20-pound day, but I think it’ll take about a 17-pound average per day to remain in contention for the win.”
 

Thursday, April 27, 2017

Why Beaver Lake in Arkansas is an awesome bass lake with LUNKERHUNT pro Matt Arey

Every year the FLW Tour makes a stop on Beaver Lake in northwest Arkansas. Today is Day 1 of the 2017 FLW Tour stop on Beaver Lake. Being in the Ozarks, it is a very beautiful lake but it can be a challenge to fish. One guy who always does well on Beaver Lake is Lunkerhunt pro Matt Arey. With back-to-back wins on Beaver, Matt is the guy to talk to about why Beaver Lake in an awesome lake to fish.

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Tips on improving your trolling motor with T-H Marine Pro Gerald G-MAN Swindle

The G-Man know all about boat control. Listen to the 2016 BASS Elite Angler of the Year as he explains all the cool products from T-H Marine to help your trolling motor perform amazingly.  T-H Marine has so many new and great products to help make your trolling motor run better and quieter.

Monday, April 24, 2017

John Cox Wins 2017 BASS Southern Open on Lake Chickamauga with 68-03lbs!

Cox Newest Classic qualifier
By Andrew Canulette
BASS PRESS RELEASE
John Cox is one of the more laid-back professional anglers you’ll find. But from the start of the Bass Pro Shops Southern Open #2, he was confused.
Cox mines shallows instead of popular ledges for win.
(Photo: BASS)
He was perplexed by Chickamauga Lake and the way fishing conditions seemingly changed on him from hour to hour. He ran countless miles to find clean water, and fought for quality catches as his bites were infrequent each day. He got so worked up at times that he stopped for breaks to regroup and regain focus.
The hand wringing may have been tough for him on the water, but it all proved worthwhile on Saturday during the final weigh-in at the Bass Pro Shops location just outside of Chattanooga. Cox finished with a three-day total of 68 pounds, 3 ounces to win the Open championship.
Cox, who hails from Debary, Florida, picked up a contingency berth in the 2018 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’s Sporting Goods with the victory. Fishing all three Southern Opens this season will solidify that berth. He also won more than $8,000 in cash, as well as a Triton 19 TrX and Mercury 200 Pro XS boat/motor package worth $40,000.

Friday, April 21, 2017

Bass Pro takeover of Cabela’s could be back on track

Deal back on
Originally posted in Angling International
Bass Pro’s buy-out of rival retailer, Cabela’s, which appeared to be facing collapse earlier this year, could be back on track.
But the cost of the acquisition will be $500 million less under the terms of a new merger agreement.
The $5.5 billion deal was announced in February, but then ran into difficulty when Cabela’s had problems selling the internal banking operation for its credit card programme.
Cabela’s had reached agreement to dispose of it to Capital One, with the deal being announced on the same day as the acquisition. But that move stalled when it failed to get approval from the Federal Trade Commission, putting the overall merger in jeopardy.
However, Synovus Financial, the Georgia owner of 250 south-east branches, is now reportedly planning to buy the banking business before reselling to Capital One. If Cabela’s should fail to complete the new sale then the broader deal will remain at risk.

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Humminbird® Introduces 360 Imaging for the New Minn Kota Ultrex

360 Imaging is a Humminbird innovation that gives anglers a 360-degree, detail-rich view of the underwater world. Previously, this bow-mount technology was only compatible with Minn Kota’s Fortrex™ and Maxxum™ trolling motors. But now, anglers can combine Humminbird 360 full-surround sonar imaging with all the advantages of Minn Kota’s Ultrex trolling motor – including power steering, Spot-Lock and i-Pilot® Link™.
 
According to Humminbird brand manager Ray Schaffart, “The new Humminbird 360 accessory for the Minn Kota Ultrex trolling motor allows owners to locate fish, cover, structure and drop-offs in any direction – while trolling or sitting still – without spooking fish. Multiple viewing options deliver the 360-degree image results onto compatible Humminbird fishfinders. It’s the best-of-the-best in boat control and imaging paired into one fluent system.”

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Dyneema President delighted by victory in long-running patent battle

Intellectual Property Saved!
Originally posted in Angling International

Golnar Motahari Pour, President of DSM Dyneema, 
DSM Dyneema has won a major case challenging one of its key patents. The Netherlands manufacturer of the world’s strongest fibre, a major component of many top fishing lines, prevailed in a long legal battle with FMS Enterprises Migun, of Tel Aviv, Israel.
The publicly-held Israeli business had been trying to prevent the issuance of the patent through a series of opposition proceedings and appeals.
However, an Israeli District Court has affirmed a previous decision of the Israeli Patent Office dismissing the claims by FMS.
“This ruling once again demonstrates the strength of DSM Dyneema’s Intellectual Property portfolio and innovations and confirms its position in the field of high-strength fibres and ballistic resistant material solutions,” said a press release. “This decision is in line with the granting of corresponding patents to DSM Dyneema in other global jurisdictions, such as the U.S., China and Europe.”
DSM Dyneema confirmed that the ruling covers the yarns that are used for manufacturing fishing lines. The company invented UHMWP fibre, branded as Dyneema, which combines maximum strength with minimum weight and is a highly-coveted material among fishing line manufacturers.
“DSM Dyneema has consistently and rigorously defended its Intellectual Property on many occasions, and will continue to do so,” said Golnar Motahari Pour, President of DSM Dyneema. “It has successfully secured this same patent in several countries, and the patent has proven its relevance for protecting both DSM’s and its customers’ businesses.”

Sunday, April 16, 2017

Thursday, April 13, 2017

Advanced Finesse Swimbaiting with Megabass Pro Chris Zaldain


Swimbaits are so popular. They work 12 months, 365 days of the year! Learn from Chris Zaldain, one of the best West Coast anglers who makes a living throwing a swimbait on the BASS Elite Tour. He'll explain advanced finesse swimbaiting techniques and presentations that on largemouth, smallmouth and spots.

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

DYI Line Thru Swimbaits!

Here is a video I did for Ontario OUT OF DOORS magazine that explains how to rig a Line-Thru swimbait and create your own versions of line -thru. The second part explains how to make your own line-thru from your favourite swimbaits. Converting a regular bait is easier than you think. So, check out the vid and enjoy better hook ups using this method.

Monday, April 10, 2017

John Murray Wins 2017 BASS Elite Toledo Bend with 77-10lbs!

Two monster bass seal victory
By Bryan Brasher
BASS PRESS RELEASE
After spending 11 seasons on the Bassmaster Elite Series without a victory, John Murray was starting to think his window of opportunity might have already closed.
Now, he knows better.
Crankbait score big with last day heroics.
(Photo: BASS)
The West Coast native was in 34th place after Friday's second round and in danger of missing the final cut. But he made an enormous recovery with 23 pounds, 7 ounces Saturday and then slammed the door with 24-15 Sunday to win the Bassmaster Elite at Toledo Bend presented by Econo Lodge.
His final four-day total was 77-10.
"I've been on the Elite Series since its inception (in 2006)," said Murray, who earned $100,000 for the victory. "All that time I've been trying to win one, and I always thought I would. But as the years went by and the competition kept getting better and better, I was starting to think maybe it wasn't going to happen.

Scott Martin Wins 2017 Walmart FLW Tour Lake Cumberland with 60-01lbs!

Adjusting to calm, clear water key to win.
(Photo: FLW)
After leading day one of the FLW Tour event on Lake Cumberland presented by T-H Marine, then falling back to fifth place on day two, Scott Martin of Clewiston, Fla., battled back to regain his lead on the final day of the event Sunday, winning in Kentucky with a four-day total of 60 pounds, 1 ounce.
This marks Martin’s 8th FLW Tour win – a new FLW record. During his 18-year career he has won Tour events in Florida, Mississippi, New York, Arkansas, Maryland and now Kentucky, proving that he’s matured from a being just a kid under his famous father’s wing to one of the top anglers in the professional fishing world.
His win on Lake Cumberland demonstrated just how much he has learned to trust his instincts to fish new water instead of being chained only to places where he has caught fish in the past.
“When I first started fishing professionally, I would only fish places where I had caught a fish in practice or in the tournament,” Martin says. “I didn’t have the confidence to go down the lake during a tournament and just pull into a place I had never fished before. Basically, I was a very spot- or area-oriented angler. So this win feels good because it shows progress in becoming more of a pattern-oriented angler that is willing to take risks on new water during the events.”
TOP 10 BELOW

Sunday, April 9, 2017

2017 Walmart FLW Tour Lake Cumberland Day 3: Clark Wendlandt Continues to Lead with 50lbs!

FLW PRESS RELEASE
As forecasters promised, day three of the FLW Tour event on Lake Cumberland presented by T-H Marine proved to be slick and calm with bright blue skies, throwing FLW Tour pros their third drastic condition change in a row.
Clark widening lead.
(Photo: FLW)
The one angler who seems to be most nimble at weaving his way through condition swings this week is Clark Wendlandt, who extended his lead on day three to 3 pounds, 11 ounces over second-place pursuer Scott Martin.
Wendlandt hauled in 14-10 Saturday to bring his three-day total to 50 pounds even.
Lake Cumberland has landed right in Wendlandt’s wheelhouse this week for several reasons.
First, it’s been a long time since FLW has visited Lake Cumberland. It’s a lake with very little searchable tournament history when compared to the Okeechobees, Beavers and Kentucky Lakes of the world.
Second, Lake Cumberland is monstrously large – its vastness for an impoundment is impressive.
Third, Lake Cumberland is a very conditional lake where fish act one way on one day in one condition - and suddenly change everything the next day based on another condition.

2017 BASS Elite Toledo Bend Day 3: Hartman's Lead Larger with 56-15!

New Yorker loves Toledo Bend
By Bryan Brasher
BASS PRESS RELEASE
For three days, Jamie Hartman has made southern fishing look easy.
Now, he needs one more good day to make his dreams come true.
Spawn key to Hartman's pattern.
(Photo: BASS)
The New York resident, who has readily admitted that he isn't familiar with the patterns and practices observed by bass that live in the lakes of the South, caught five Saturday that weighed 17 pounds, 14 ounces to push his three-day total to 56-15 in the Bassmaster Elite at Toledo Bend presented by Econo Lodge.
He will lead the remaining 12 anglers into Championship Sunday with a chance to earn $100,000 and his first B.A.S.S. victory.
"I'm absolutely, 100 percent pleased with the way things went today," said Hartman, who caught 23-5 and 15-12 the first two days of the tournament. "I'm just winging it, piecing things together, but it's all working out so far."
Hartman said he came to Toledo Bend this week expecting the spawn to be over. But when he realized it was still in full swing, he adjusted and turned his attention to spawn and prespawn fish.
They were his target again Saturday.
"I caught three fish on beds today," said Hartman, an Elite Series rookie fishing only his 13th B.A.S.S. event. "Then after that, the shallow stuff was over. I caught my next 12 fish in 32 feet of water. Those fish in deep water were all prespawn fish — big and fat."

Saturday, April 8, 2017

2017 Walmart FLW Tour Lake Cumberland Day 2: Clark Wendlandt Leads with 35-06lbs!

FLW PRESS RELEASE

“Loosey goosey” is not the next secret lure in bass fishing, or a magical spray formula that makes your reels cast farther.
Rather, it’s how Clark Wendlandt described his fishing after taking the day two lead Friday in the FLW Tour event on Lake Cumberland presented by T-H Marine with a total of 35 pounds, 6 ounces.
After weighing in four smallmouths and one largemouth for 18-7 on day one, Wendlandt backed that up with two smallmouths and three largemouths weighing 16 pounds, 15 ounces on day two.

Clark always loves the spawn. (Photo FLW)
Wendlandt used the term “loosey goosey” to explain his freewheeling approach to Cumberland as he bounced from smallmouth water to largemouth water on a whim based totally on looks and conditions.
Friday’s bright sun and high wind only seemed to help Wendlandt’s easy, breezy strategy.
“This lake is very intriguing to me,” Wendlandt says. “I’ve only fished it once before and I really liked it. It’s so huge and expansive, which gives it an open-ended feel. It’s a very freeing place to fish because your moves and decisions are not dictated by other boats or past pressure. You can just fish the moment all day long – nothing gets in the way of your gut feelings and I really love fishing that way."

2017 BASS Elite Toledo Bend Day 2: Hartman Takes Lead with 39-01lbs!

Hartman hooks Toledo Bend
By Bryan Brasher
BASS PRESS RELEASE

Hartman one of few to sack good limit. (Photo: BASS)
Where Jamie Hartman comes from, the largemouth bass spawn only lasts about two weeks.
So, when the New York resident pre-fished Toledo Bend Reservoir back in February and saw lots of bass already on the beds, he just assumed the spawn would be long done by the time he returned for this week's Bassmaster Elite at Toledo Bend presented by Econo Lodge.
He was wrong, but he wasn't too stubborn to admit it.
After starting the week in deeper water, Hartman adjusted and has put together a two-day total of 39 pounds, 1 ounce to lead the event. While much of the 110-angler field struggled during post-front conditions Friday, Hartman caught a five-bass limit that weighed 15-12.
"I had a terrible, terrible practice this week," Hartman said. "I'm not familiar with these southern waters, where the spawn just lasts for months, obviously.
"I pre-fished here for 2 1/2 weeks in February and saw two big waves of fish go in and out. I spent all of that time graphing deeper spots where I thought postspawn fish would be, and it just hasn't happened yet."

Friday, April 7, 2017

2017 BASS Elite Toledo Bend Day 1: Jacob Wheeler Grabs Lead with 25-01lbs!

Toledo Bend fishing strong
BASS PRESS RELEASE
Wheeler lead big day on Toledo Bend.
(Photo: BASS)
For the second time in three tournaments this season, Jacob Wheeler is sitting atop the leaderboard.
The Indiana pro caught five bass that weighed 25 pounds, 1 ounce during Thursday's first round of the Bassmaster Elite at Toledo Bend presented by Econo Lodge.
Wheeler, who won the season's first Elite Series event on Tennessee's Cherokee Lake in February, leads Arizona pro Brett Hite (24-11) by 6 ounces. But the field has three days left to fish on a lake that has topped the list of Bassmaster Magazine's 100 Best Bass Lakes the last two years.
"I don't have much experience here, which might have helped me a little bit or might have hurt me," said Wheeler, who made the move to the Elite Series this year after a successful career on the FLW Tour. "I spent two days here in the fall one time, five or six days in pre-practice and then practice this week — and that's it.
"But I know there are a lot of big fish here, and everything worked out for me today."
With so much fishing left to do, Wheeler was tightlipped about how he caught his fish Thursday. He only said that he managed to catch a few good fish early to calm his nerves.

Thursday, April 6, 2017

2017 Walmart FLW Tour Lake Cumberland Day 1: Scott Martin Leads with Smallmouth

Scott grabs lead with 19-07lbs.
(Photo: FLW)
The word of the day Thursday at the FLW Tour event presented by T-H Marine on Lake Cumberland was smallmouths – at least for the day one leaders.
Despite having an 18-inch minimum size limit, smallmouths were the day one shining stars of the species for many pros in the top 10.
Raw weather, which included gusty winds, drizzly rain and temperatures in the 40’s, all seemed to have spurred the smallmouth bite, and even those who were a little reluctant to commit to smallmouths Thursday did so based on the weather.
Scott Martin of Clewiston, Fla., took the early lead on Cumberland with a catch of 19 pounds, 7 ounces, which included four smallmouths and a stout largemouth.
“Based on this weather, I decided to start the day by targeting smallmouth,” Martin says. “And after I caught two, I figured I’d just keep rolling with it to see how many overs (18 inches) I could get. As it turned out, I caught a couple more and then a nice largemouth.”
Martin hinted he made a long run by saying he did have to stop for fuel. Some of his smallmouth water and largemouth water are in close proximity, so he bounced back and forth between the two later in the day.

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

3 Tips on How to Improve Your Swimbait Fishing with Fred Roumbanis

Swimbaits are awesome but knowing how to rig them for the conditions makes all the difference. Listen to Optimum Baits Pro Fred "BOOM BOOM" Roumbanis as he explains how to fish weedless swim bait over shallow water grass. For open water, consider changing the hooks. The more you fish swim baits the better your fishing will be. Fred "BOOM BOOM" Roumbanis knows what he is talking so pay attention.

Monday, April 3, 2017

NEW SHIMANO CHRONARCH MGL LOW-PROFILE CASTING REELS

Offering advanced baitcasting reel technology both tournament and advance bass anglers require, Shimano introduces its re-engineered Chronarch MGL reels, now offered with lightweight Magnumlite spools and in three different gear ratios models. Weighing-in at 6.5-ounces, the six reels in the series include the Chronarch MGL 150 and left-hand retrieve 151 with 6.2:1 gear ratios, the 150HG and 151 HG with fast 7.1:1 gear ratios, and the MGL 150XG and 151XG with super-fast 8.1:1 gear ratios.

With many tournament caliber bass anglers, having continuity among all their rods and reels rigged on their boat deck can contribute to their fishing confidence. “The Chronarch MGL line-up is ideal for this, enabling anglers to have an array of lures ready to cast – and on the right speed reel for the best performance,” said Trey Epich with Shimano’s product development team. “Plus the Magnumlite spool allows a low amount of inertia, meaning the spool starts spinning with little force for exceptional casting distance and performance with both smaller and standard size lures.”