Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Berkley® Expands its Cast for Cash 2020 Bait Contingency Program!

 Berkley's® Cast for Cash will expand in 2020, bringing the successful tournament contingency program to even more anglers and more tournament circuits. On the heels of its successful 2019 launch, the Cast for Cast program will add nearly 300 new tournaments across 13 different tournament trails, including bass, walleye and bass kayaking competitions. Cash rewards for semi-professional and loyal weekend tournament anglers will be awarded to the top two finishers at each qualifying tournament. 
To participate, anglers must be a member of the Berkley Cast for Cash program. Memberships for 2020 are $29.99 and come with an exclusive 2020 Berkley Pro Pack valued at $50. The Pro Packs include Berkley hard and soft baits, as well as a 2020 Cast for Cash hat and boat decal.
Prizes ranging from $100 to $1,000, depending on the tournament, will be awarded to the two top finishers at each Berkley Cast for Cash-eligible event, regardless of their place of finish. There is no cap as to how many times one can win. 
"We recognize the pass for tournament fishing and want to do our part to reward anglers who put their trust in the science behind Berkley baits to help them catch more fish," said Jon Schlosser, Berkley VP of Marketing. "We saw success during the 2019 tournament season and, we are excited to expand the program for the 2020 tournament season.”


Monday, December 16, 2019

Busby Wins 2019 Bassmaster Classic Team Championship Fish-Off

Last Classic spot filled
By Andrew Canulette
BASS PRESS RELEASE

(Photo: BASS)
Josh Busby had dreamed of this moment since he was a young boy.
So on Saturday, when he won the Bassmaster Classic Team Championship Fish-Off and secured the 53rd and final spot in the 2020 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk, he was overcome by the moment.
Busby pumped his right fist into the air, let out a holler and hugged a fellow angler. Then he fell to his knees on the Bassmaster stage, covered his eyes, and wept.
Such is the raw emotion that goes with earning entry into the biggest bass fishing tournament in the world. And the excitement is only beginning for the Rogersville, Mo. resident who is a 36-year old food scientist by trade, but now will go head to head against some of the world’s best bass anglers when the Classic takes place on Lake Guntersville and in Birmingham, Ala. on March 6-8.
Busby fishes with the Ozark Mountain Team Trail, and he caught a five-bass limit Saturday on Lake Hartwell that weighed 16 pounds, 7 ounces. That was the heaviest bag of the two-day fish-off, and when coupled with the 10-5 limit he caught Friday, it gave him a 26-12 total.

Thursday, December 12, 2019

2019 Bassmaster Team Championship Lake Hartwell Day 1: Lakeland Team Grab Lead with 17-15lbs!

Top Canadians are Chong and Brownridge in 15th
By Andrew Canulette
BASS PRESS RELEASE
Kris Lockard and Michael Morse said they knew next to nothing about Lake Hartwell heading into the Bassmaster Team Championship, but they made it look like their local favorite spot on Wednesday.
Lockard and Morse, who compete on the Lakeland (Fla.) Bassmaster Team Trail, caught a five-bass limit that weighed 17 pounds, 15 ounces to take the lead on Day 1 of the final event of the 2019 season.
The Florida anglers said they weren’t sure which strategy to employ on Hartwell, so they went “junk fishing” on Wednesday. Their limit (four largemouth and one spotted bass) was heavy enough for a 15-ounce lead over Adam Smith and Jayme Rampey, who live only minutes from Lake Hartwell and know it as well as any tandem in the tournament.
In all, 165 duos from 30 different states and two foreign countries are competing for a total cash purse of $87,200 in the two-day Team Championship portion of this event. The duo with the heaviest two-day total will earn a $20,000 Nitro/Mercury cash prize.
Lockard and Morse put themselves in good position to claim that cash. Their catches were spread throughout the day and covered ample water to entice their bites. That was the case for many teams, who scooted across Hartwell Wednesday, when skies were sunny and temperatures hovered near 50 degrees all day.
“We got lucky fishing this cold and deep water,” Morse said. “We’re from Florida, and there are no buggy whips or lily pads for us to flip here like we have back home. But we found some backwater spots that looked decent and were holding a little bait. We were able to get five good bites.”

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

B. Lat Moving to BASS!

Brian Latimer is another FLW Tour pro moving to the BASS Opens for 2020. 
Check out his video to his decision for his 2020 season. 

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Geigertec Marine Products Team Up with Humminbird

Local company Geigertec Marine Products has teamed up with Johnson Outdoors to develop a mounting solution for their award winning Humminbird MEGA 360 transducer. This universal solution is designed to work on different boat hulls from deep v's to flats boats, as well as being able to mount almost anywhere on the boat including off of the transom. Most current Humminbird 360 users attach their transducer to the trolling motor. This new system allows more mounting options for anglers. Customer purchases a Universal MEGA 360 anywhere in the world there will be a GeigerTec Mega Mount in the box.

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Aaron Martens Teams Up with Shimano and G. Loomis!


One of the most consistent anglers in the professional bass fishing ranks, being ‘in the money’ in 75-percent-plus of the more than 250 tournaments he’s competed in, noted angler Aaron Martens will be relying on G. Loomis’ complete line-up of IMX-PRO and NRX bass rods in 2020. Now competing on the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour, Martens notes that similar to the performance he has with his Shimano Metanium and Stella reels, he’ll be on the water with rods consistent in performance and that can enhance his known natural fishing ability.

“I’ve been a lifetime Shimano reel fan and came to realize I needed that same on-going quality, technology, innovation and performance in my fishing rods,” Martens said. “With the G. Loomis brand being part of Shimano and being aware of how they have taken rod manufacturing to a next level, I had an easy decision once they asked me to fish with all the high-end G. Loomis rods.

With G. Loomis’ expanding rod line-up for the bass fishing market, ‘having someone with Aaron’s credentials from both his fishing expertise and tackle knowledge shows bass anglers our commitment to continue to grow the sport,” notes Blaine Anderson, field marketing manager for all the Shimano brands, including G. Loomis.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Dave Bulthuis as the new President of Pure Fishing North American Operations




Originally posted in Angling International
Pure Fishing has named Dave Bulthuis as the new President of its North American operation
He is the former Vice President of Sales for Costa Sunglasses, where he has served in a number of capacities since 2003. A long-time champion of the sport and industry, Bulthuis has been hired to further establish meaningful relationships with key North American stakeholders, including customers, industry associations and governmental agencies.
Bulthuis was honoured in October 2018 with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) during the organisation’s annual summit, in recognition of his ‘extraordinary’ leadership and lifelong commitment to sportfishing. He has served on the ASA’s Board of Directors for eight years, including a stint as Chairman of the Board in 2015 and 2016.
Prior to 16 years at Costa, Bulthuis served as Director of Sales for several brands in the outdoor industry, including Fin-Nor Fishing Tackle, Jones and Company and several independent rep groups.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Dudley and Thrift Move to MLF; Swindle and Palaniuk Back to Elites in 2020


Recruitment for 2020 already in full swing
By Luigi De Rose

As the G-Man and Palaniuk move back to the Bass Elites, under the legends exemption, MLF welcomes 2019 FLW Cup champ Bryan Thrift and 2019 FLW Angler of the Year David Dudley. Thrift and Dudley join several other top FLW pros who have abandoned the FLW Tour once the announcement that FLW and MLF have joined forces for the 2020 season.  

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Win with Minn Kota!

Since the first time you stepped on an Ultrex™ foot pedal, how has your fishing experience been improved? We want to hear about it directly from YOU! 

Submit a short video telling us what you love about your Ultrex trolling motor and your clip could be featured in an upcoming Ultrex video. 

Don't wait. If you're one of the first 60 entries you'll receive a t-shirt for free


LINK OVER HERE

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Scott Martin Moves to BASS Opens for 2020!

Scott Martin, a 20 year pro with FLW, decides to join the BASS Opens for 2020. He has not be given a free pass to the BASS Elites, so Scott will try to qualify for 2021 Elite season. The main drive for the move is to win a Bassmaster Classic for his dad Roland.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

2020 FLW Pro Circuit Schedule


Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), announced the full details, including rules, entry dates, schedules and the location for the 2020 Championship. The circuit will feature a field of 150 pro anglers competing across seven regular-season tournaments, which culminate to the FLW TITLE. A new event, the TITLE will showcase the top 50 pros from the FLW Pro Circuit regular season as they compete for an $820,000 purse.
The seven regular-season events will operate under a four-day, five-bass limit format with a full field of 150 anglers competing on days one and two. The field will cut to the top 30 on day three, and then the top 10 will advance to the championship round on day four. In the FLW TITLE, anglers will compete using the Major League Fishing catch, weigh, and instantly release format. The TITLE field will divide into two groups of 25 (Group A and B) whereas Group A competes on days one and three and Group B competes on days two and four. Based on the cumulative two-day weight total, the top ten from each Group (field of 20) will advance to day five. The top 10 pros after day five will advance to the sixth and final day of competition for the opportunity to become the inaugural FLW TITLE Champion with a top prize of $200,000.

2020 FLW PRO CIRCUIT SCHEDULE
Jan. 23-26 – Sam Rayburn Reservoir – Brookeland, Texas
Hosted by the Jasper County Development District

Feb. 20-23 – Harris Chain of Lakes – Leesburg, Fla.
Hosted by Lake County, Fla.

March 19-22 – Lake Martin – Alexander City, Ala.
Hosted by the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce

April 2-5 – Cherokee Lake – Jefferson City, Tenn.
Hosted by the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce

April 23-26 – Lake Hartwell – Anderson, S.C.
Hosted by Visit Anderson

May 14-17 – Lake Dardanelle – Russellville, Ark.
Hosted by the Russellville Advertising & Promotion Commission

June 27-30* – Detroit River – Trenton, Mich.
Hosted by the Detroit Sports Commission
*Saturday-Tuesday event

2020 FLW TITLE CHAMPIONSHIP
Aug. 8-13 – St. Lawrence River – Massena, N.Y.
Hosted by the Town of Massena

2020 FLW PRO CIRCUIT PAYOUTS
Place – Payout
1 – $100,000
2 – $30,000
3 – $25,000
4 – $20,000
5 – $19,000
6 – $18,000
7 – $17,000
8 – $16,000
9 – $15,000
10 – $14,000
11-20 – $11,000
21-30 – $10,500
31-50 – $10,000
51-60 – $5,500
61-75 – $5,000
Big Bass (days one and two) – $500

2020 FLW TITLE PAYOUTS
Place – Payout
1 – $200,000
2 – $50,000
3 – $30,000
4 – $25,000
5 – $19,000
6 – $18,000
7 – $17,000
8 – $16,000
9 – $15,000
10 – $14,000
11-20 – $11,000
21-30 – $10,500
31-50 – $10,000
Big Bass (days one and two) – $500

Monday, November 18, 2019

B.A.S.S. announces new national tournament series for kayak anglers

The popularity of kayak fishing is at an all-time high, just one of the reasons B.A.S.S., the world’s largest fishing organization, has formed a new tournament trail aimed specifically at kayaking enthusiasts.
Today, B.A.S.S. officials announced the schedule for the inaugural Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia. The trail will feature five regular-season events in 2020 on well-known bass fisheries across the country with a championship to be held in conjunction with the 2021 Academy Outdoors + Sports Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.
“You don’t have to look very hard these days to find a kayak in the bed of a truck or strapped to the roof of a SUV,” said Bruce Akin, CEO of B.A.S.S. “People are bass fishing from kayaks all over the world — and they’re doing it everywhere from big lakes and rivers to small creeks and ponds.
“With this new trail, we wanted to give those anglers an opportunity to show what they can do from a small craft.”
The inaugural tournament will be held in conjunction with the 50th edition of the Bassmaster Classic on Logan Martin Lake in Pell City, Ala., on March 5. Classic competition kicks-off on nearby Lake Guntersville the next morning. Other events will be held on Lake Fork in Lake Fork Marina, Texas (March 14), Chickamauga Lake in Dayton, Tenn. (May 23), the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wis. (Aug. 15) and Clear Lake in Lakeport, Calif. (Aug. 29).
Entry fees for all of the events will be $250, and each will pay 30 places. Based on a full field of 150 kayaks, the total purse for each event will be $30,000.
“Huk is proud to work with B.A.S.S. on this exciting new tournament series designed to push the limits of kayak fishing,” said Melinda Hays, Freshwater Community Manager for Huk. “Bass fishing is an integral part of our DNA here at Huk and we endeavor to inspire anglers to explore their home waters by kayak.”

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Hollen Wins 2019 BASS National Championship on Lake Hartwell


By Andrew Canulatte 
BASS PRESS RELEASE
Cody Hollen had a feeling that his favorite lipless crankbait would be a difference-maker during Friday’s final round of the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship.
Boy, was he ever right.
The 35-year old angler from Beaverton, Ore., caught the heaviest bag of the tournament — a five-bass limit that weighed 13 pounds, 12 ounces — to vault from 10th place to the tournament title here on Lake Hartwell in the northwest corner of the Palmetto State.
Hollen finished with a three-day total of 32-12, and he reaped a wealth of spoils with the victory. Not only did he grab a berth in the 2020 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk, he also won a Skeeter/Yamaha cash award of $20,000, an invitation to fish the 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series and paid entry into the 2020 Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens division of his choice.
He was one of 59 boaters and 115 total anglers who qualified for the championship at Hartwell. Competitors hailed from 47 states and 11 foreign countries, and they competed for a total of $140,300 in prize money this week.
Hollen made the final push to jump ahead of all of them, and it was his decision to fish exclusively with a Yo-Zuri lipless crankbait in the chrome with a blue back color that paid dividends, he said. He tried other lures earlier in the tournament, but he eventually decided to forego variety for what was working best.
“I had confidence coming into today,” Hollen said. “I had five or six cane piles way down lake where the water was cleaner than it was up here. They were in those cane piles. I was setting myself up maybe 30 yards back of them and casting into them.
“The bait would hit the cane pile and the fish would hit it hard.”
Hollen was in 19th place after Day 1 with a limit that weighed 9-2, and he followed with a 9-14 limit on Day 2 to make the cut. He entered the final day in 10th place, but he trailed leader Justy Varkevisser of South Africa by only 3-5.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Remembering

Remembering the people who sacrificed so much so we can live in peace.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Winter Bassin' Bait: The bucktail jig

Bucktail jigs use to be the best cold water/ winter time bait for bass. Recently, they have been pushed out by more modern techniques but they still work. Non't sure where to find a good bucktail jig? Check out VMC.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Andrew Upshaw Wins 2019 Costa FLW Series Championship on Lake Cumberland!


2nd Cumberland win for Upshaw in 2019
by Curtis Niedermier
FLW PRESS RELEASE
He did it again.
Fog delay and bluff walls key to win for Upshaw.
(Photo: FLW)
For the second time this season, Andrew Upshaw is an FLW champion thanks to consistent days spent targeting big Southern smallmouths. The Tulsa, Okla., pro won the 2019 Costa FLW Series Championship on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Ky., with a three-day total weight of 42 pounds, 15 ounces. The win comes less than seven months after Upshaw won the FLW Tour event on Cherokee Lake in east Tennessee.
“I’m just going to call it blind luck,” says Upshaw about his recent string of success on smallmouth fisheries. “And I’m glad to have it, to be honest with you.”
Upshaw calls it luck, but his recent performances say otherwise. He’s actually a smallmouth fanatic, and it showed this week.
“For the duration of my Tour career, we’ve fished enough smallmouth fisheries that I’ve kind of learned how they set up and stuff like that,” he says. “The other thing is, one of my favorite places to fish in the country is Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie. I really love catching smallmouth up there. Now, they set up totally different up there, but that love for smallmouth drives me to learn how to catch them in other places.”
Like up north, the smallmouths down here are aggressive fish. Upshaw had that in mind as he formulated a game plan. He knew that if he was going to win with smallmouths, he needed to find a pattern that would get him a lot of bites. Cumberland is full of fish, so if he wasn’t getting bit consistently, he wasn’t on a program that could win. 
He eventually found the right stuff down on the reservoir’s lower end.
“What I figured out was main-lake transition bluffs, but it had to have the river channel swing on it – true river-channel swings,” Upshaw says. 
The best transitions started at 45 to 50 feet deep adjacent to the wall and shallowed up to 22 to 24 feet deep. 
“Right where it started slightly flattening out, that’s where they’d be sitting,” Upshaw says. “I had about 15 spots, from about Conley Bottom down. Some of them didn’t ever fire like they did in practice, and some did better than they did in practice.”
Upshaw figures a lot of these fish are already in or near their wintertime holes. Some might eventually shift over to the deeper water near the bluffs, but others will stay put. More fish were transitioning into these areas during the tournament, which meant he had new bass coming to him. He was on so many fish that, yesterday, Upshaw actually left them biting after multiple culls for ounces. He was consistently on more fish than his fellow competitors, and by getting more bites, he eventually was able to assemble limits of the quality fish needed to win. 

Friday, November 1, 2019

2019 Costa FLW Series Championship on Lake Cumberland Day 1: Roger Cousens Slams 17-02lbs of Smallmouth!


Smallmouth rule on Cumberland
by Curtis Niedermier
FLW PRESS RELEASE

Zimbabwe locks up lead with 17-02lbs of smallmouth.
(Photo: FLW)

The road Roger Cousens had to travel to live out his dream of being a professional bass angler in the United States included a 19-hour flight to Atlanta and a five-hour drive to Burnside, Ky., where today, the 62-year-old International Division qualifier from Zimbabwe took the day-one lead in the Costa FLW Series Championship on Lake Cumberland.
To be fair, Cousens competed in the U.S. a few times in the 1990s, but the Evinrude and Mercury outboard technician has never fished a pro-level event with as much on the line as there is in this one. After catching a 17-pound, 2-ounce limit that included a mix of largemouths and smallmouths, he leads the way over California’s Robert Nakatomi by 3 ounces.
“It feels fantastic right now,” he says. “It’s pretty hard to believe that I’m leading a tournament of this caliber with this number of anglers. It’s pretty amazing.”
Cousens says he’s a big-bass specialist, which he’s proven in his last two FLW events. To qualify for this week’s championship, he weighed in more than 100 pounds in three days of fishing at the FLW Zimbabwe Championship. 

Sunday, October 27, 2019

2020 FLW Series and BFL Details

Expanded Format for FLW Series and BFL
MLF Press Release 
Major League Fishing (MLF) and Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) announced today the expanded 2020 FLW Series and T-H Marine Bass Fishing League (BFL) details, schedules, rules, entry fees and payouts, highlighted by lower entry fees in both circuits and an expanded FLW Series schedule, along with upping the FLW Series Championship payout to $200,000 for first place and adding a $10,000 bonus for the highest-finishing pro from each of the eight U.S. FLW Series divisions and the International Division.
The 2020 FLW Series season will consist of three events in eight divisions, up from five divisions in 2019. Anglers that fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee FLW Series Championship for a shot at winning $200,000 cash, plus lucrative contingency bonuses. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a $30,000 17-foot bass boat with a 115-hp outboard. The new win-and-you're-in format guarantees that anglers are never out of contention to qualify for the Championship, too. Fish all three qualifiers in a division and win a tournament, and they’ll be on their way to the championship. FLW Series entry fees have been reduced to $1,700 for pros and $550 for co-anglers per tournament, while top payouts in each event remain $40,000 for pros and a $30,000 17-foot bass boat with a 115-hp outboard for co-anglers. As field sizes increase, so do payouts, with top awards reaching $65,000 for pros and $35,000 for co-anglers at 260 boats, and awards of $2,000 for pros and $550 for co-anglers extending through 65th place. 
MLF and FLW are also rolling back entry fees in the BFL to give grassroots anglers – the heart and soul of the bass fishing community – the best payouts at the lowest cost available anywhere. Entry fees are now just $200 per boater and $100 per co-angler for one-day qualifiers and $300 per boater and $150 per co-angler for two-day Super Tournaments – the lowest levels since 2014. While entry fees have been lowered, BFL payouts remain the same as 2019, with boaters fishing for top awards of $6,000 plus contingency bonuses in each one-day qualifier and $9,000 plus contingency bonuses in each two-day Super Tournament. Co-anglers fish for top awards of $3,000 plus contingency bonuses in each one-day qualifier and $4,500 plus contingency bonuses in each two-day Super Tournament. Anglers also have the opportunity to qualify for six no-entry-fee Regional championships with top awards of $60,000 for boaters and $50,000 for co-anglers, a no-entry-fee Wild Card regional, the no-entry-fee All-American with top awards of $100,000 for the boater and $50,000 for the co-angler, and even the FLW Series Championship with top awards of $200,000 for the pro/boater and $30,000 for the co-angler. 

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Team Canada Wins Gold at 2019 Pan AM on St. Lawrence River


MDJ and B. Lat Top Team

By Jody White
FLW PRESS RELEASE
Stand on Guard for Thee.
(Photo: FLW)


Though Team USA locked up the top three places, Team Canada placed six teams in the top 10 and averaged 38.98 pounds to win the Pan American Bass Championship on Lake St. Francis. Results were tallied based on the average weight brought in by each team in the two sessions of fishing, which almost guaranteed an extremely close finish. Earning a silver medal, Team USA finished just a hundredth of a pound back with a 38.97 average.
Earning bronze, Team Mexico had a tough afternoon overall and finished with a 28.62 average. Team Akwesasne First Nations brought up the rear with a 23.97 average.
Nicolas Gendron and Jason Gramada were the highest-finishing Canadian team at fourth, and they also weighed the big fish of the day, a behemoth 6.26-pound smallmouth.
Gramada and Gendron took a power approach to the day, and as one of the truly local teams in the event, they were able to fully apply their history on St. Francis. 
“We’re from here, we’ve got a lot of history here, we’ve won some Canadian Opens on this body of water,” says Gramada. “This time of year, the fish migrate up towards the dam. It’s kinda unique, there are three major spawning tributaries, and I think they do their wintering there to get ready for the spring spawn. So, it’s not a secret, that’s why the weights are so close – it would have been way different fishing had it been a July or august tournament.”

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Nick Salvucci Wins 2019 WON US Open on Lake Mead with 31.98lbs!

Salvucci Wins on Mead!
(Photo: WON)
He had been close the past two years, including a frustrating second place finish in 2018. Nick Salvucci had said that he wanted to win the U.S. Open more than anything – now he can claim that title as his own.
After taking over the lead on day two, Paso Robles, Calif. pro Salvucci did enough on the final day to close out the victory, despite coming in to the Calville Bay sales one fish short of his daily limit. He did enough the first two days in posting consecutive 11-pound limits, and his more than two and a half pound lead allowed for a margin of error seldom seen in a U.S. Open on Lake Mead. He arrived as the final angler to present his fish to the scales, and when the screen hit 9.44 pounds, he had what he needed and more.
Salvucci’s total weight of 31.98 pounds eclipsed DeeJay Evans, who had taken over the lead with one of the largest bags of the event only moments earlier.  For his efforts, Salvucci will receive $100,000 cash and the keys to a 2019 Bass Cat Puma FTD powered by a Mercury Pro XS 250 Four Stroke outboard. 
More importantly, Salvucci gets to take home the hardware. “I’ve wanted this trophy for so long, and I’ve been fishing this lake so well for the past several years that it hurt to come so close,” he said. “Now, I get to put my hands on that trophy and I’ve got the perfect place for it at home; I can’t believe it’s finally happened.

Salvucci reported spending his tournament in the mid-lake area. Specifically, he fished the Echo Bay area of the Overton Arm, and worked his way back towards the main lake. He said he caught them on multiple lures. “I didn’t really have any one thing that I caught them on, I junk fished my way through, throwing what I felt l needed to throw,” he said. “The reel key to this week was to keep a positive attitude and just keep my head down. I pulled the hood of my Aftco shirt over my head and stayed focused – it feels amazing.”

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

2019 WON US Open on Lake Mead Day 2: Salvucci Scores Lead; Kerr 2nd

Double digit limits difficult
WON PRESS RELEASE

Nick Salvucci leads with 22.54lbs (Photo: WON) 
While rough conditions can make it hard on the anglers at the WON Bass U.S. Open, Lake Mead’s black bass population thrives in the wind. The problem for the field at the 2019 edition of the West’s most prestigious event, is that there has been very little to speak of. Those conditions mean that there will be a limited morning bite, then a grind for the rest of the day.

After finishing day one in second place with 11.35 pounds, Nick Salvucci proved to be the most consistent angler on day two when he brought 11.19 pounds to the Calville Bay scales to bring his total weight to 22.54 pounds, enough to take the lead heading into the final day. Salvucci and day one leader Justin Kerr swapped places when Kerr slipped, producing 8.05 pounds on day two, falling to second place with a total weight of 19.72 pounds.
That 2.82-pound differential can be massive on a body of water like Lake Mead. That margin, and one more day of fishing stand between Salvucci and the title he has wanted so badly for the past two years.

Despite the strong lead, Salvucci said he is anything but comfortable. “I really don’t know what to expect tomorrow,” he said. “I am covering as much water as I can, but when I’m getting six or seven bites a day, anything can happen.”

Salvucci reported being able to pare down the collection of rods on his deck, but that junk fishing remained the name of the game on day two. “I probably had 10 rods on the deck instead of 20, but I still caught fish on four different baits,” he said. “I have to get out there and see how it goes; but anything could still happen.”

Kerr said that his day boiled down to one word – imperfection. “I know that there’s still a chance, but I have to land everything that bites,” he said. “My partner and I both lost fish today, and you can’t win if that happens. My whole career has been about execution, and I’ll need to be perfect tomorrow to have a chance.”

The third place pro, Jim Moynagh, brought in 11.08 pounds on day two, a huge leap from his day one, 6.98-pound performance to bring his total weight to 18.64 pounds. He is followed by two-time U.S. Open Champion John Murray, who added 8.97 pounds today to bring his total weight to 18.55 pounds, enough to leap from 10th place to fourth. Randy Estrada M.D. rounded out the top five by bringing 9.50 pounds to the scales to finish the day with 17.60 pounds.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

2019 WON US Open on Lake Mead Day 1: Justin Kerr Snags Lead

Wind whipped Mead fishing tough
WON PRESS RELEASE

Kerr and Bo McNelly net 11.67lbs for lead.
(Photo: WON)
In the days leading up to the 2019 WON Bass US Open on Lake Mead, the weather did anything but cooperate. Strong winds kept the field of 254 pro anglers and their AAA partners confined to areas that weren’t pounded by the resultant waves. On the eve of the 37th edition of the event, the wind laid down.
 

When those conditions present themselves to tournament anglers, the immediate thought is that it the fishing is going to be tough. While the results showed that much of the field found the fishing to be difficult, someone will always find a way to put together a bite. 
 
On the first day of the 2019 WON Bass U.S. Open, that proved to be former U.S. Open champion Justin Kerr, and his partner Bo McNeely. Their 11.67 pound limit put Kerr in position to claim his second U.S. Open victory. Nick Salvucci, who has been close to winning the past two years, and his AAA partner Brandon Smith came in with 11.35 pounds to end the day in second place. 
 
Kerr, the Lake Havasu City, Arizona pro said that he just took what Lake Mead gave him. “We had an early draw today, and it took a while for the bit to get going, but when it did, we were able to put it together,” he said. “There were a lot of boats in the area, so we had to kind of lock down in one spot and do what we could; everything just kind of worked out.”
 
Kerr said that his partner helped the cause. “These events become a team event for the day, and my partner caught a three pounder that really helped,” said Kerr. “I don’t know how tomorrow will go, but I’ll go out there and see what I can put together tomorrow.”
 
Salvucci said that he used a variety of techniques, in the mid-lake area to sack his day’s weight. “I used about 20 different rods today to catch my fish; it was a junk fishing day,” he said. “I never really knew what I was going to get bit on, so I just picked something up and culled as many times as I could. I’ve been close the past two years, and I’m ready to see if I can make it happen this year.” He

Thursday, October 10, 2019

MAJOR LEAGUE FISHING TO ACQUIRE FLW

Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today that it has reached an agreement to acquire Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization. The Letter of Intent (LOI) sets in motion the most significant brand merger in competitive bass fishing history, linking a tour and original, award-winning programming featuring the top professional anglers in the world to an extensive grassroots organization that serves tens of thousands of competitive anglers from high school and college to weekenders and tour pros.
“We’re thrilled about welcoming FLW to the MLF team,” said Jim Wilburn, President and CEO of Major League Fishing. “FLW shares our commitment to creating tournaments and opportunities centered on the success of the angler. Through this acquisition, we are better positioned to support anglers and sponsors at all levels.”
“Our business plan always included reaching all levels of grassroots fishing,” said Boyd Duckett, MLF co-founder and President of the Professional Bass Tour Anglers’ Association (PBTAA). “FLW does it best with the Tour and grassroots tournaments; their reputation in competitive bass fishing is remarkable and their culture has always been pro-angler, which makes this the perfect opportunity for both organizations. We couldn’t be more excited about FLW: their team, anglers, and sponsors.”

Monday, October 7, 2019

Abu Garcia® LTD Program Rods and Combos Promise Unmatched Comfort Alongside Iconic Abu Garcia Features

Abu Garica blends its iconic features with custom rod grips by Winn® to bring an improved grip and comfort to the new LTD Program rods and combos. The Vendetta® LTD and Veritas® LTD standalone rods, as well as the Revo® X LTD and Revo® S LTD spinning and casting combos, provide exceptional durability and a comfortable, and well-controlled grip to suit any angler’s needs.

“The new Abu Garcia Winn LTD Program rods and combos are a marriage of expertise,” said Andrew Wheeler, director of global brands for Abu Garcia. “Combining Abu’s iconic features and designs with the impressive grip quality of Winn grips, we’ve crafted rods, without compromising other features, that anglers won’t want to put down.”

The Abu Garcia Vendetta rods feature IntraCarbon technology that creates a lightweight barrier, improving durability without adding weight. The Abu Garcia Veritas rods include Sublayer™ Armor with high strength fibers that outfit the rods with superior hoop strength and durability. Modeled with lightweight, 30-ton graphite designs, the Vendetta LTD and Veritas LTD rods are available in a wide variety of colors. The Vendetta LTD rods retail for $99.95, while the Veritas LTD retail for $119.95 – both are available in stores now.

The Abu Garcia Revo X LTD and Revo S LTD combos come in both spinning and casting models, all with stainless steel bearing systems. Constructed with a 24 ton graphite rod blank and stainless steel guides with titanium oxide inserts, the new combos are built to be smooth yet powerful. The Revo X LTD Combos are available in silver, blue and seafoam, while the Revo S LTD combos are available in white. The Revo X LTD casting and spinning combos retail for $149.95 and are currently available in stores. The Revo S LTD combos are also available and retail for $169.95 price.

Friday, October 4, 2019

Ontario anglers rank among Bassmaster elite


Cory Johnston fishing his heart out on Lake St. Clair.
(Photo: BASS)
Here's a cool piece on the great season of three Canadian BASS Elite anglers who each had a fantastic season.

Click here for full article

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Scott Canterbury is the 2019 BASS Elite Angler of the Year; Cory Johnston Tied for 2nd!

Canadians Cory Johnston 2th, Chris Johnston 13th & Gussy 28th
By Bryan Brasher
BASS PRESS RELEASE

Canterbury claims AOY by 8 points of Johnston and Blaylock.
(Photo: BASS)
As a child, Scott Canterbury always spent his Saturday mornings watching The Bassmasters television program.
To him, the stars of that show — people like Bob Cobb, Ray Scott and Denny Brauer — are the true legends of professional bass fishing.

Now, he has forever claimed his own spot alongside them in B.A.S.S. history.
With five bass that weighed 19 pounds, 12 ounces during Tuesday’s final round, Canterbury pushed his three-day total to 59-4 and finished in 14th place for the week at the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship on Lake St. Clair.
More importantly, he finished at the top of the season points standings with 848 points, earning one of the most coveted titles in professional fishing and the $100,000 check that goes with it.
“My first goal coming into the season was to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic next year,” Canterbury said. “Angler of the Year is always there on the radar. It’s just way out there.
“You always set goals that you don’t think you can reach — because if they’re easy to reach, you didn’t set them high enough.”