Monday, April 23, 2018
Bucktail Jig Magic with Jim McLaughlin
Thursday, April 19, 2018
OFAH Insights: Have your say on Firearms Bill C-71
On March 20th, Ralph
Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness tabled Bill C-71,
the federal government’s long anticipated gun bill. While the intent of this
Bill was to target illegal guns and gang violence in Canada, it is abundantly clear
that this Bill adds numerous additional restrictions to licensed firearms
owners.
The OFAH continues to
work with as many MPs as possible across the province, including Minister
Goodale’s office, and has requested to appear before a government committee on
Bill C-71 in an effort to minimize unnecessary restrictions on law-abiding
firearms owners.
We need your feedback
on Bill C-71 to help drive our messages home. Your participation in a short survey on the Bill is
extremely important to the OFAH, and we appreciate you taking a few minutes to
provide us with your feedback.
Take thesurvey here and please share it with family, friends and
colleagues.
Your opinion matters.
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Humminbird & Minn Kota Linked for Better Fishing with Charles Sim
Monday, April 16, 2018
Bryan Thrift Wins 2018 FLW Tour Lake Cumberland with 70-02lbs!
Chris Johnston move to 6th from 70th
by Curtis NiedermierFLW PRESS RELEASE
![]() |
Smallmouth and swimbaits make Thrift a champion. (Photo: FLW) |
The Shelby, N.C., pro proved once again that if he’s in the hunt on the weekend, he’s not going to have a bad day. He’s purely lethal. Today, Thrift put the finishing touches on his sixth FLW Tour victory and his 10th FLW win overall. This one came on a cold, rainy, miserable day in central Kentucky at Lake Cumberland for stop No. 4 of the 2018 Tour. The tournament was presented by General Tire, and Thrift won with a 70-pound, 2-ounce total and pocketed $125,200 for his efforts.
Thrift squashed an impressive run by 2017 The Bass Federation National Champion Allen Boyd, who gave one of the tournament’s best performances, catching 18 pounds, 2 ounces of largemouths despite losing a couple of hours this morning to a mechanical issue. Boyd charged ahead hard, but he couldn’t keep pace with Thrift, whose 18-10 stringer gave him a four-day margin of victory of 1 pound, 10 ounces.
Surely, if there’s a conversation about who’s the best bass angler alive right now, Thrift deserves consideration. Andy Morgan, another of bass fishing’s best, said on stage today in Somerset that he thinks Thrift is the best there is. There couldn’t be a much better commendation than that.
“Who’s the best?” is a fun debate, but the facts are what matter now. Thrift closed out the tournament with his fourth consecutive stringer of Cumberland smallmouths. He weighed in 15-9 on day one, improved the following two days with 17-4 and 18-11, and finished with 18-10.
Top 10 Below
Top 10 Below
Sunday, April 15, 2018
2018 FLW Tour Lake Cumberland Day 3: Bryan Thrift Jumps into Lead by Ounces over Andy Morgan
Chris Johnston 10th
FLW PRESS RELEASEAll FLW Tour events are exciting, but this week’s tournament has been exceptional thanks to a showdown among A-list pros who are flat out smashing fish on Lake Cumberland. We’re on the cusp of what could be one of the greatest Sunday slugfests in FLW Live history on the final day of the season’s fourth Tour stop, which is presented by General Tire.
![]() |
Morning smallmouth key to Thrift pattern. (Photo: FLW) |
Aside from the pro showdown, there’s also a very interesting species showdown going on. The main patterns are targeting staging and spawning smallmouths with swimbaits, and targeting staging and spawning largemouths with spinnerbaits. The two patterns seem to be producing at about an equal rate.
Thrift is in the smallmouth camp. He’s weighed in 15 brown bass, and brought in 18-11 today for his 52nd consecutive limit in FLW Tour competition, extending the record that he broke yesterday.
“Today was fun,” Thrift says. “The first two days were a little bit of a struggle, but I caught a lot of fish today.
“You can’t feel safe with Morgan behind you,” he adds. “Hopefully they bite again tomorrow. I caught a lot of them, so we’ll see.”
The fact that he caught so many today is the only thing that worries Thrift. He’s simply not sure if his “home area” can last for another day.
All three days he’s fished a variety of targets in his area, from the main lake to primary and secondary points to some of the lead-in banks in pockets. About the only thing he’s not fishing is the backs of the pockets where other pros are targeting largemouths.
TOP 10 BELOW
TOP 10 BELOW
Saturday, April 14, 2018
2018 FLW Tour Lake Cumberland Day 2: Andy Morgan Controls Tournament with 34-11lbs!
Chris Johnston 17th, Cory Johnston 93rd, Richardson 114th, Gussy 125th
by Curtis Niedermier
FLW PRESS RELEASE
For the second consecutive day, tournament leader Andy Morgan has a 1-pound, 6-ounce lead over second place at the FLW Tour event presented by General Tire on Lake Cumberland.
![]() |
Sling a spinnerbait is what Andy does best. (Photo: FLW) |
Consistency is nice when you’re in the lead, but Morgan knows he left the door open today. A rash of lost fish, short strikes and bad breaks prevented him from fulfilling his potential. He weighed in 15 pounds, 12 ounces to back up 18-15 on day one, and likely could’ve come close to repeating his day-one weight had he managed to land a few more of the Cumberland smallmouths that slapped and toyed with his spinnerbait this morning.
“I think it was just bad luck,” says the Dayton, Tenn., pro about his misfortunes today. “I had some pretty good opportunities today to have a really, really nice bag.”
Among the heartbreak bass was a 5-pound-class smallmouth that gobbled Morgan’s spinnerbait. He says the fish had almost the entire bait in its mouth; only the top blade was hanging out. Morgan got a good look at it when the fish “gave up” the fight and wallowed on the surface. With his co-angler poised and ready with the net, Morgan believed the fish was as good as caught. Then the spinnerbait shot free. That fish alone would have been a big help.
As it stands, Morgan has 12 anglers within 5 pounds of his lead. Five pounds is a healthy cushion on some lakes, but Cumberland’s smallmouths are really starting to fire, and the forecast for tomorrow is for rain and overcast skies at least part of the day, which should make the smallmouth bite even better.
Top Ten Below
Friday, April 13, 2018
2018 FLW Tour Lake Cumberland Day 1: Andy Morgan Claims First with 18-15lbs!
Richardson 40th, Chris Johnston 71st, Cory Johnston 105th, Gussy 154th
by Curtis Niedermier
FLW PRESS RELEASE
![]() |
All largemouths for Andy. (Photo: FLW) |
Today, Andy Morgan did what he’s previously
failed to do all season long: He stuck with what he knows, fished ways that
he’s comfortable fishing and hammered a tournament-leading stringer of bass
that weighed 18 pounds, 15 ounces.
Morgan, who came into the tournament 109th in
the standings, was the only pro to break the 18-pound mark on day one of the
FLW Tour event presented by General Tire on Lake Cumberland, and he has a
1-pound, 6-ounce lead over Jason Meninger in second place.
Morgan admits that he’s tried a little too
hard this season to fish the patterns that are “supposed to be” good, instead
of sticking with the shallow-water, power-fishing approach that has
historically landed him in check range at tournaments, and Forrest Wood Cup
range at the end of the season. He wasn’t making that mistake here this week.
“I knew coming in here I was gonna fish my
way,” he says. “I don’t give a darn if the smallmouths are biting, or if
they’re biting off the hook. I’m gonna fish my way.
“I made a run, and the lake’s flooded,” he
adds. “There’s a lot of stuff to throw at. The fishing’s good. It’s not like I
smoked ’em, but I got quality bites.”
The smallmouth bite certainly was good today,
too, with most of the top five pros keying on brown bass, which are starting to
spawn on Cumberland’s lower end. Morgan and the rest of the largemouth crew
mostly worked moving baits in flooded trees and bushes.
The Dayton, Tenn., pro says he needed a couple
hours this morning to relocate the largemouths he’d found during practice.
There are real giants in his areas, but he thinks the fish are in a bit of a
funk due to the fluctuating water levels and air temperatures that have ranged
from the mid-20s to mid-70s over the last few days. He anticipates big bags of
fish at tomorrow’s weigh-in.
“I think they’re right on the cusp [of spawning],”
Morgan adds. “The five fish I caught today were all females, and were all full
of eggs.
“It’s really, really random,” he adds. “I
don’t know what the next one is going to be beside or when the next bite is
going to come. But it’s my kind of fishing. It ain’t no dragging around.”
Top 10 pros
1. Andy Morgan – Dayton, Tenn. – 18-15 (5)
2. Jason Meninger – St. Augustine, Fla. – 17-9
(5)
3. Grae Buck – Harleysville, Penn. – 16-13 (5)
4. Jared McMillan – Belle Glade, Fla. – 16-12
(5)
5. Allen Boyd – Salem, Ind. – 16-5 (5)
Thursday, April 12, 2018
2019 Bassmaster Classic Heading to Knoxville
BASS PRESS RELEASE
For the first time in its 49-year history, the Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods will be held on the Tennessee River out of Knoxville, it was announced today by B.A.S.S. and the host organization, Visit Knoxville.The prestigious championship bass tournament — widely known as the “Super Bowl of Bass Fishing” — will be held March 15-17 in downtown Knoxville and on The University of Tennessee at Knoxville campus.
“Knoxville meets and exceeds all the requirements we have for the Bassmaster Classic — great fishing on the Tennessee River, first-class facilities to accommodate crowds of fishing fans, a vibrant city with plenty to see and do, and a corps of state and local tourism professionals who will ensure its success,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin.
“Bass fishing is hugely popular in this part of the country,” he added. “In fact, 10 of our 109 Bassmaster Elite Series pros are from the Volunteer State, and most live in east Tennessee. This is going to be a very exciting Classic.”
“Bass fishing is hugely popular in this part of the country,” he added. “In fact, 10 of our 109 Bassmaster Elite Series pros are from the Volunteer State, and most live in east Tennessee. This is going to be a very exciting Classic.”
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Jackall Rerange Jerkbaits with FLW Pro Cory Johnston
Monday, April 9, 2018
Sunline's New Flipping FC with Hi Viz
Fluorocarbon lines can be hard to see in dirty water. If your local lake
or river is muddy this Spring, Flipping FC can be a great choice for helping
you see your line better. Sunline pro angler Jason Christie says,"Flipping
FC has been great for me in dirty water to allow me to better see my
line."
Friday, April 6, 2018
Outdoor Recreation Roundtable Praises Inclusion of Wildfire Funding Reform
The Outdoor Recreation
Roundtable (ORR) celebrated the passage of wildfire funding reform as part of
the FY18 Omnibus Spending Bill. This new legislation will support long-term
wildfire mitigation practices and safeguard important forest programs including
recreation, ensuring Americans continue to have access to healthy, active
outdoor recreation on their public lands.
Wildfire costs have risen out of control, constraining other federal agency efforts and jeopardizing public lands recreation programs and projects vital to an outdoor recreation industry that accounts for two percent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product and $673 billion in Gross Output according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that wildfire suppression costs surpassed $2.3 billion this year, with more than 8.5 million acres burned. In addition to the tragic loss of lives and homes, vital recreation infrastructure has been destroyed. Fire suppression activities continue to rise as a percentage of the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) budget. This rise has reduced investments in trails, campgrounds and other recreation infrastructure, much of which needs modernization and expansion.
Wildfire costs have risen out of control, constraining other federal agency efforts and jeopardizing public lands recreation programs and projects vital to an outdoor recreation industry that accounts for two percent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product and $673 billion in Gross Output according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that wildfire suppression costs surpassed $2.3 billion this year, with more than 8.5 million acres burned. In addition to the tragic loss of lives and homes, vital recreation infrastructure has been destroyed. Fire suppression activities continue to rise as a percentage of the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) budget. This rise has reduced investments in trails, campgrounds and other recreation infrastructure, much of which needs modernization and expansion.
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Crestliner PT 20 Bass Boat Walk-Though with 2 Time Classic Champ Mike Williams
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
2018 BASS Elite Sabine River Tournament Postponed
Citing recent heavy rains and high water in the Sabine River watershed, B.A.S.S. has decided to postpone the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Elite presented by Econo Lodge that had been scheduled to begin in Orange, Texas, next week.
“The safety of our anglers and others on the waters of the Sabine River system are our primary concern,” said B.A.S.S. Tournament Director Trip Weldon. “Weather and water conditions are expected to create potentially hazardous boating conditions, and we feel compelled to postpone the event until conditions are more favorable.”
The tournament originally was to begin Friday, April 6, and conclude Monday, April 9. As conditions began to deteriorate, Weldon told Elite Series anglers Thursday the tournament would be delayed at least one day. “We became convinced today that conditions would not improve in time for the tournament to be held in the coming days.”
The tournament will be rescheduled for another time during the 2018 Elite Series season, which concludes with the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship in September. Officials from B.A.S.S. and local host organizations in Orange will be meeting in the coming days to select a suitable date to reschedule the event.
B.A.S.S. has conducted Elite Series tournament at Orange twice before, in 2013 and 2015. Both generated tremendous crowds of spectators, including some of the best attendance figures in tournament history.
Local organizers were hoping to set new records next week and had planned concerts following the afternoon weigh-ins to further entertain bass fishing fans.
The Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce (GOACC) said in a statement it has been made aware of B.A.S.S.’s decision to postpone the Bassmaster Elite Tournament on the Sabine River, based on the safety of the anglers. “As a result of this decision the Orange County River Festival will also be cancelled,” it said.
Tad McKee, Chairman of the GOACC Board, stated, “This was a hard decision, but we support B.A.S.S.’s commitment to the safety of the anglers and participants. We look forward to a rescheduled tournament in the near future."
Monday, April 2, 2018
Bill C-71: An Act to Amend Certain Acts and Regulations in Relation to Firearms
The Ontario Federation of
Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) supports firearms legislation measures that increase
the public safety of Canadians, as long as it doesn’t implement further
unnecessary restrictions or barriers on law-abiding firearms users.
The
government’s stated intention of Bill C-71 is to prioritize public safety and
respond to increasing trends in gun crime and violence, yet it would seem that
the majority of the proposals are focused on lawful firearms users. The
government is painting a picture of alarming trends in firearms-related crime
and violence to justify the proposed measures and to show action on election
platform promises of 2015. Unfortunately, targeting lawful firearms users will
not help them achieve their intended goals.
The stats being used to support the need for Bill C-71 reference
2013 (lowest criminal homicides in 50 years) as a baseline to suggest we have a
growing problem with firearms in Canada. However, the facts show a long-term
decline in firearm-related crime.
For decades, the OFAH has been
pushing the federal government to invest in programs and policy that targets
illegal firearms and actual criminal activity, rather than policy that has the
effect of making criminals out of law-abiding firearms owners. The investments announced by the Government of Canada in 2017 to
fight gangs and gun violence are a step in the right direction; however, this
‘complementary bill’ will do little to achieve the government’s stated goals.
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Thursday, March 29, 2018
Ned Rig for Smallmouth with Z Man Pro Dave Chong
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
G Loomis Redesigns E6X
NEWLY-DESIGNED E6X BASS RODS
Providing bass anglers with both performance and value, G.
Loomis launches a redesign to its popular E6X Series to make them more durable
and even lighter. Available to anglers for the 2018 fishing season, the new E6X
bass rods includes 33 models offered in both technique specific, along with G.
Loomis’ universal ‘Mag Bass’ (MBR) casting and ‘Spin Jig’ (SJR) spinning
actions.
Built around a performance platform with
a focus on weight, balance, sensitivity and action, “our E6X bass rods are the
perfect choice for anglers who have never experienced what it’s like fishing a
G. Loomis rod,” said G. Loomis senior planning manager - and noted bass angler
- David Brinkerhoff. “And for those anglers who want to add specific actions to
their rod arsenal - say a big swimbait rod or a dropshot spinning rod for some
finesse fishing - the E6X series will have it covered.”
The slight weight reduction on rods was
done while also increasing overall durability. “When you can go light and
stronger, along with providing a smaller sized guide train for better balance, it
was the right time for this nice upgrade to the E6X bass rods,” said
Brinkerhoff. “Plus with the 14 spinning rods offered in the line-up, anglers
will appreciate the added in-hand comfort from a more streamlined reel seat.”
Monday, March 26, 2018
Berkley's Squarebull Crankbaits
Thursday, March 22, 2018
Shimano Launched New Bantam Baitcasting Reel at Bassmaster Classic
BANTAM
150 BAITCASTING REELS FROM SHIMANO NOW OFFERED -
THE
REEL THAT BEGAN SHIMANO’S PERFORMANCE LEGACY
Going
back 40 years, Shimano introduced anglers to Bantam - its first low-profile
baitcasting reel. It began Shimano’s connection to bass anglers. A new chapter
for Bantam reels begins with the introduction of the Bantam 150 MGL, now being
offered in six models - the Bantam MGL150, 151, 150HG, 151HG, 150XG and 151XG.
![]() |
Suggested Retail: all sizes - $349.99 |
Bringing the rigidity of a machined
round reel to a low profile reel, anglers will experience the Bantam MGL’s
‘CoreSolid Body’ design. “We are able to combine multiple parts and integrate
the B-sideplate, frame and levelwind guard into a solid one-piece aluminum
platform,” explains Epich. “After a day on the water casting and retrieving,
anglers will notice the familiar, rigid feel of round reel design, along with
appreciating the ergonomics, comfort and sensitivity of this low profile reel.”
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Jerkbait Refinement for BASS with Megabass Pro Nick Cousvis
Monday, March 19, 2018
Jordan Lee Wins the 2018 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell with 47-07lbs!
Lee Repeats as Classic Champ
By Bryan Brasher
BASS PRESS RELEASEBy Bryan Brasher
![]() |
Lee comes from behind again to win! (Photo: BASS) |
Lee, who began Sunday’s championship round in sixth place, caught five bass that weighed 16 pounds, 5 ounces and won the 2018 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods with a three-day total of 47-1.
Lee, who won last year’s Classic on Lake Conroe, Texas, joins fishing legends Rick Clunn and Kevin VanDam as the only anglers in history to win the Super Bowl of professional bass fishing two years in a row.
“That part of it hasn’t set in for me,” said Lee, who pushed his career earnings with B.A.S.S. past $1 million with the $300,000 Classic win. “I’m still just freaking out.
“It was just a perfect week for me. I caught fish on five different baits and a lot of different techniques.”
Saturday, March 17, 2018
2018 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell Day 2: Christie Leads with 37-04!
Christie leads Evers by 5!
By Bryan Brasher
BASS PRESS RELEASE![]() |
Jason Christie ready for Day 3 and the win. (Photo: BASS) |
And once again, his good friend — and occasional nemesis — Edwin Evers, has a chance to take it away from him.
The Oklahoma anglers occupied the Top 2 spots in the standings for the second straight day at Lake Hartwell, and they will lead the remaining 23 anglers into Championship Sunday with a chance to win the $300,000 first-place prize and the most coveted trophy in professional bass fishing.
Christie caught 16-6 during Saturday’s second round to push his two-day total to a tournament-best 37-4. Evers had a much tougher day than he did on Friday, landing only 13-0. But he remained in second place with a two-day mark of 32-9.
“It was the same deal today where you just had to weed through them until you found a good one,” said Christie, who also led the first two days of the 2016 Classic on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, only to lose the title to Evers on the final day. “I had a chance to have a really good day, but I lost some fish. I don’t know if it was the lightning we had this morning or if the water’s clearing up or what, but they’re biting funny.”
Those funny bites led to some ragged hook sets that cost Christie on several occasions.
“I lost a 5-pounder and a 3- or 3 1/2-pounder,” said Christie, who won the GEICO Everyday Leader Award of $2,500 for the second straight day. “I also broke one off that was my fault. I hit a cable on one cast, and I didn’t retie. Then later on, I broke one off setting the hook.
“I caught a 4-pounder on my last cast, but I’m not getting enough of those kinds of bites. I can’t afford to booger those up when I get them.”
2018 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell Day 2: Mid-Morning Report.
Change is good for leaders
By Luigi De Rose
![]() |
Evers working a typical Grand Lake Pre-spawn pattern. (Photo: BASS) |
Largemouth are making a move toward the back of pockets,
coves and flat banks to start the spawning ritual. Christie, Evers, Elam, DeFoe
and a few others are fishing grass, rocks, wood but the docks seem to be the best
at holding the larger females. Largemouth will migrate to the truly shallow
water if the conditions change, and they’re changing. The corners and
especially the back corners, closest to the bank are the best. Much of the Top
10 caught their larger bass yesterday after 11am as it became warmer. If it
continues to warm up, anglers on this pattern will be waiting for them.
The vibrating jig, jigs and even spinnerbaits are key baits
today and yesterday to the largest bass being caught. If it gets super sunny,
rising the water temperature, it might produce a strong bite that could launch
an angler back in the Top 15 into the lead just like what happened to Jordan
Lee when he won the 2016 Classic on Lake Conroe.
Top 10
- Edwin Evers 32-3
- Jason Christie 29-12
- Jordan Lee 29-6
- James Elam 29-05
- Jacob Wheeler 27-13
- Brent Ehrler 27-12
- Casey Ashley 24-0
- Jacob Powroznik 23-14
- Aaron Martens 23-8
- Dustin Connell 23-9
2018 Bassmaster Classic Lake Hartwell Day 1: Jason Christie Grabs Lead with 20-14lbs.
Christie leads with 20!
By Bryan Brasher
BASS PRESS RELEASE
![]() |
Christie ready to win first Classic! (Photo: BASS) |
After one day of fishing on Lake Hartwell, the leaderboard
for the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods has a
familiar look.
Oklahoma angler Jason Christie leads the way, with Edwin Evers — a fellow Okie and Christie’s roommate on the Bassmaster Elite Series — sitting close behind in second.
Christie said a change in strategy near the mid-point of Day 1 helped him to his tournament-best weight of 20 pounds, 14 ounces.
“I’ve got two little deals going, and I did the first little deal for the first three or four hours,” said Christie, who claimed the GEICO Everyday Leader Award of $2,500. “But then it just kind of ran out.
“I changed it up and actually caught a 5-pounder — and that gave me a clue. So, I just ran with it and ended up culling everything I had.”
Christie said he caught fish all day, but patience was required for finding the type of big fish that helps an angler win the Classic.
“They’re all on the same kind of stuff, but you just don’t know where the big ones are going to come from,” he said. “You’ll catch a 2-pounder, a 2-pounder and then finally a 5-pounder.”
Evers, who brought in 19-9 Friday, got off to a fast start with a good early-morning bite that he said might have been due to bass feeding on blueback herring.
“I honestly don’t know what they were doing,” he said. “I got really lucky and found a place that had a bunch of fish in it. It was an early-morning deal. I caught them every cast.”
Like Christie, Evers caught his biggest fish — two largemouth that each weighed 4-10 — in the afternoon hours.
“Those fish came around 12:30 or 1 o’clock,” he said. “It made for a better day than I thought I was going to have. I thought I was going to catch 16 or 17 pounds and maybe get a couple of big bites to push that up — and that’s what happened.”
The last time these two anglers waged a close battle in a Classic was 2016 on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees in their home state. Back then, Christie led the first two days, only to see Evers overcome him with a giant catch on the final day.
Oklahoma angler Jason Christie leads the way, with Edwin Evers — a fellow Okie and Christie’s roommate on the Bassmaster Elite Series — sitting close behind in second.
Christie said a change in strategy near the mid-point of Day 1 helped him to his tournament-best weight of 20 pounds, 14 ounces.
“I’ve got two little deals going, and I did the first little deal for the first three or four hours,” said Christie, who claimed the GEICO Everyday Leader Award of $2,500. “But then it just kind of ran out.
“I changed it up and actually caught a 5-pounder — and that gave me a clue. So, I just ran with it and ended up culling everything I had.”
Christie said he caught fish all day, but patience was required for finding the type of big fish that helps an angler win the Classic.
“They’re all on the same kind of stuff, but you just don’t know where the big ones are going to come from,” he said. “You’ll catch a 2-pounder, a 2-pounder and then finally a 5-pounder.”
Evers, who brought in 19-9 Friday, got off to a fast start with a good early-morning bite that he said might have been due to bass feeding on blueback herring.
“I honestly don’t know what they were doing,” he said. “I got really lucky and found a place that had a bunch of fish in it. It was an early-morning deal. I caught them every cast.”
Like Christie, Evers caught his biggest fish — two largemouth that each weighed 4-10 — in the afternoon hours.
“Those fish came around 12:30 or 1 o’clock,” he said. “It made for a better day than I thought I was going to have. I thought I was going to catch 16 or 17 pounds and maybe get a couple of big bites to push that up — and that’s what happened.”
The last time these two anglers waged a close battle in a Classic was 2016 on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees in their home state. Back then, Christie led the first two days, only to see Evers overcome him with a giant catch on the final day.
Friday, March 16, 2018
2018 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell Day 1: Christie Sacks 20-14lbs for Lead!
Oklahoma room mates land 1 & 2!
By Luigi De Rose
Considering the hype about Lake Hartwell prior to the start, the fishing was slow for most. Even the top anglers complained about long lulls between bites. Oklahoma anglers Christie and Evers, room mates on tour, sit first and second after Day 1. Both explained that Hartwell fishes very similar to Grand Lake. The site of the 2016 Classic, Grand Lake is where Christie led the first two day but later succumbed to a heroic last day limit by Ever which vaulted him in the winner's circle. This event could be a repeat of 2016.
Tomorrow will see increased cloud cover and warmer temps. This might give shallow anglers or anglers targeting spotted bass with moving baits the edge.
By Luigi De Rose
Considering the hype about Lake Hartwell prior to the start, the fishing was slow for most. Even the top anglers complained about long lulls between bites. Oklahoma anglers Christie and Evers, room mates on tour, sit first and second after Day 1. Both explained that Hartwell fishes very similar to Grand Lake. The site of the 2016 Classic, Grand Lake is where Christie led the first two day but later succumbed to a heroic last day limit by Ever which vaulted him in the winner's circle. This event could be a repeat of 2016.
Tomorrow will see increased cloud cover and warmer temps. This might give shallow anglers or anglers targeting spotted bass with moving baits the edge.
1
|
Jason Christie
|
5 / 20-14
|
||
2
|
Edwin Evers
|
5 / 19- 9
|
||
3
|
Jordan Lee
|
5 / 18-10
|
||
4
|
Brent Ehrler
|
5 / 17- 8
|
||
5
|
Ott DeFoe
|
5 / 16- 8
|
||
6
|
James Elam
|
5 / 16- 7
|
||
7
|
Jacob Wheeler
|
5 / 16- 1
|
||
8
|
Mark Daniels Jr.
|
5 / 15-14
|
||
9
|
Gerald Swindle
|
5 / 15-13
|
||
10
|
Jamie Hartman
|
5 / 15-12
|
||
11
|
Dustin Connell
|
5 / 15- 5
|
||
11
|
Jason Williamson
|
5 / 15- 5
|
||
13
|
Jacob Powroznik
|
5 / 15- 4
|
||
14
|
Casey Ashley
|
5 / 15- 0
|
||
15
|
Alton Jones
|
5 / 14- 9
|
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)