Friday, December 31, 2021

Happy New Year!

 

Wishing all our valued readers a very
healthy and fish filled New Year!

Saturday, December 25, 2021

Merry Christmas

Wishing you and your family a very wonderful and peaceful Christmas!

 

Monday, December 20, 2021

Sportsman’s Warehouse merger with Bass Pro Shops collapses


Originally posted by Angling International 

The planned merger between the owner of Bass Pro Shops and Sportsman’s Warehouse, first announced a year ago, has collapsed.

Sportsman’s Warehouse and the Great Outdoors Group, the parent company of Bass Pro Shops, have terminated the drawn-out deal after the US Federal Trade Commission refused to give it clearance.

It has been a costly experience for The Great Outdoors Group, which will pay a $55 million termination fee. Its acquisition of the 112-store chain was first announced in December 2020, with a joint press release saying the driver behind the move was that the two companies shared similar histories, geographic footprints and complementary business ideals. Both businesses are immersed in the fishing, boating, camping, hunting and other outdoor markets and share a strong commitment to conservation.

Friday, December 17, 2021

2022 OKBT Events!


The Ontario Kayak Bass Trail is a competitive tournament bass series for the kayak anglers in Ontario. It is run by anglers for anglers to provide an opportunity for kayak anglers to participate in top level tournaments yet still be able to enjoy the day with other like-minded anglers.

The OKBT was conceived in 2017 when it was decided it was time for Ontario to have a competitive kayak bass series. While there are many tournament organizations and series available to the kayak angling community in the USA, the opportunity for a competitive kayak bass series did not exist in Ontario and many of the local Ontario anglers were heading south to compete. After participating in numerous events in the USA, we saw what worked and what did not work, what the anglers liked and what they did not like. From these events we took the best practices and procedures and used these to develop the framework of the OKBT.


In 2018 the series consisted of three events on Balsam Lake, the Otonabee River and Lake St Clair. Almost immediately the response was positive with anglers joining the series page and inquiring about the events. All three events were very well attended with an average of 36 anglers at each event. The first year was a season of determining how the series would be accepted and by all the feedback, a bass only kayak series was needed and wanted in Ontario. 2019 saw the OKBT grow to 4 events, add an Angler of the Year award, and grow to average 44 anglers per event. 2019 also saw the addition of online Monthly Challenges to the OKBT schedule. In 2020 the OKBT held 4 events again with participation growing to an average of 64 anglers per event despite the turbulent times we faced. As the new season is upon us, the OKBT sees even more growth ahead. With 5 events planned for the 2021 season and 4 online challenges it is going to be a busy season.

Link here for more

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Advanced Drop Shotting with Cody Myers


Another great video to help you become a better drop shot angler. One of the best techniques from Japan, drop shotting works amazing especially in autumn for giant smallmouth and largemouth.

Listen to MLF Pro Cody Meyer as he explains how he drop shot fishes and what gear he likes to use.

Monday, December 13, 2021

Team: Alabama's Powell earns Classic berth


By Andrew Canulette

BASS PRESS RELEASE

EUFAULA, Ala. — Shane Powell saw the Bassmaster Team Championship and the ensuing Classic Fish-Off as his chance to settle unfinished business.

Now, after watching friends and former Auburn University teammates reach the Bassmaster Classic in previous years, his time has arrived.

Powell won the Bassmaster Classic Fish-Off portion of the Team Championship here on Lake Eufaula Saturday, less than an hour from his lifelong home of Dothan, Ala. His two-day total of 23 pounds, 5 ounces was the best of the six anglers that survived to make the fish-off, and it earned him the final berth in the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk when it’s held March 4-6 on South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell.

The victory was no easy feat, with heavy rain, dense fog and significant temperature swings throughout. The conditions confounded anglers, from the 378 who competed in the team portion Wednesday and Thursday, to the final six who competed the past two days in the fish-off.

Powell credited a slight warming trend overnight for Saturday’s better catch. He had five-bass limits both days of the fish-off but improved from 10-2 on Day 1 to 13-3 on Day 2.

“I had three or four places I started on every day,” Powell said. “Yesterday, I ran through them all and I had zero keepers. This morning, I ran through the same areas and I had 12 pounds by 7:30 or 7:45.

“A buddy texted me last night and said if it was meant to be, that everything would fall into place. And it did.”

Friday, December 10, 2021

Tolbert and Thompson Win 2021 Bassmaster Team Championship at Lake Eufaula!

Top Canadians Phillip Hegarty and Stephen Hegarty 51st!

(Photo: BASS)

By Andrew Canulette

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Every time a competing team weighed their fish during Thursday’s final round of the Bassmaster Team Championship, Randy Tolbert and Gary Thompson nodded in approval.

“We’re good,” they told one another, knowing their lead remained intact.

Tolbert and Thompson were good until the end on Lake Eufaula, winning the final tournament of the 2021 Bassmaster season with a two-day total of 10 bass that weighed 28 pounds, 14 ounces.

Tolbert and Thompson, who represent the Alabama Bass Trail, earned a $20,600 cash prize provided by Ranger/Mercury. They also advanced to the Bassmaster Classic Fish-Off, a two-day competition starting Friday that will feature the Top 3 tandems (six individual anglers) competing for the final berth in the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk which is scheduled for March 4-6 on South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell.

“We had one over 4 pounds on both days and that really helped us,” said Tolbert, who fished the Bassmaster College Series while at the University of Georgia. “And out here this week, that’s a big one. We caught quite a few fish both days, but I really didn’t think we had a shot to win. Coming into today, I was thinking the best we could do is make the Top 3. But when these other guys started coming in, knowing what was out there, we knew we could win it.”

Tolbert and Thompson came into Day 2 tied for ninth with 14-1. A 90-minute delay Thursday because of fog didn’t keep them from posting the heaviest bag of the day – a 14-13 limit that vaulted them to the top of the leaderboard. They took the hot seats early in the weigh-in and remained there until the end.

Thompson said winning the team championship, not to mention having a 1-in-6 chance of making the Bassmaster Classic, seemed like a dream.

“It’s very exciting, but I don’t think it’s sunk in yet,” he said. “I’m surprised I was as calm as I was sitting up there.”

Wednesday, December 8, 2021

MLF Announces 2022 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Roster

157 Pros to Compete Across Six Regular-Season Five-Biggest-Fish Format Tournaments with a Total Purse of More Than $6 million


TULSA, Okla. – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the roster for the 2022 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit, showcasing a field of 157 of the top professional anglers in the world competing in the five-biggest-fish format across six regular-season tournaments. In its 27th season, the 2022 Pro Circuit roster features a solid field of veterans and a fresh crop of rookies from across the country, all competing for a total season purse of more than $6 million.

“We had a fantastic 2021 season and are excited to be going into the upcoming year stronger than ever,” said Daniel Fennel, MLF Senior Director of Tournament Operations. “We’re thrilled to offer our top pros an exciting 2022 schedule with expanded media coverage and more opportunities than ever before. We’re extremely proud of what we have accomplished over the last few years, and with this power-packed group of pros, we’re looking forward to very tough competition and the opportunity to continue that legacy in 2022.”

The 2022 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit roster features former FLW Cup champions Darrel Robertson (1999), Dion Hibdon (2000), Randall Tharp (2013), Brad Knight (2015) and John Cox (2016), TITLE champions Rusty Salewske (2020) and Jimmy Washam (2021), along with former Pro Circuit Angler of the Year (AOY) winners David Walker (1999), Mark Rose (2018), Ron Nelson (2020) and Michael Neal (2021). Bass-fishing legend “The General” Larry Nixon also returns to the field for his 24th season on the Pro Circuit.

They’ll be joined by 23 rookies from the MLF Toyota Series, including Plains Division AOY Andy Newcomb, Southern Division AOY Lance Oligschlaeger, Western Division AOY Phillip Dutra and Ricardo Gonzales, who qualified via the MLF Mexico International Division. The star-studded roster also includes 16 Bass Pro Tour anglers, including reigning 2021 Pro Circuit AOY Michael Neal, Pro Circuit 2021 Lake Okeechobee champion Skeet ReeseWesley StraderJustin Lucas and seven other pros who fished both circuits in 2021.

The competition kicks off on Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Jan. 27-30, in Brookeland, Texas and culminates with the 2022 Tackle Warehouse TITLE, the Pro Circuit championship, on the St. Lawrence River, Aug. 16-21, in Massena, New York. Each stop will be broadcast live on the Major League Fishing app, MyOutdoorTV (MOTV), and MajorLeagueFishing.com. The 2022 MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit will air on the CBS Sports Network and the Sportsman Channel beginning in July 2022.

Angler List Below

Monday, December 6, 2021

2022 MLF Roster

 

TULSA, Okla. – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the full field for the 2022 Bass Pro Tour, the fourth season of professional bass fishing’s most visible and competitive tournament circuit. The field of 80 of the world’s top bass-fishing professionals will visit seven fisheries during the Bass Pro Tour regular season and will compete for a total season purse of more than $7.6 million.

The 2022 Bass Pro Tour roster includes 74 returning anglers, headlined by 2021 Angler of the Year (AOY) Jacob Wheeler, REDCREST 2021 champion Dustin Connell, two-time AOY runner-up Ott DeFoeEdwin EversJustin Lucas and the most decorated angler in the history of professional bass fishing, Kevin VanDam. They’ll be joined by six newcomers who qualified via the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit – Dakota EbareCole FloydDylan HaysClabion JohnsJeremy Lawyer and Ryan Salzman. Pros John Cox and Ron Nelson declined their invitations to the 2022 Bass Pro Tour to focus their efforts on other circuits, including the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit.

The 2022 Bass Pro Tour will kick off Feb. 5-10, 2022, with Stage One at Caney Creek Reservoir, Lake D’Arbonne and Bussey Brake in Monroe-West Monroe, Louisiana.

“The professional anglers that compete on the Bass Pro Tour are the best in the world, and we look forward to seeing what they can do across nine of the finest fisheries in the United States,” said Don Rucks, Executive Vice President and General Manager for MLF. “We expect the upcoming 2022 season to be one of the most challenging, if not the most challenging and competitive seasons in the history of the MLF Bass Pro Tour. We couldn’t be more excited to kick off another fantastic Bass Pro Tour season in February in Monroe and West Monroe, Louisiana, on three fisheries that have never before hosted a professional tournament.”

In addition to millions of dollars in cash prizes, the 2022 Bass Pro Tour anglers are vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2023 General Tire Heavy Hitters All-Star event and REDCREST 2023, the world championship of professional bass fishing. Each stage of the Bass Pro Tour includes six days of competition using the catch, weigh, immediate-release format, and is broadcast live on the Major League Fishing app, MyOutdoorTV (MOTV), and MajorLeagueFishing.com, totaling more than 450 hours of original programming. Fans can also follow the on-the-water action as it unfolds on the live SCORETRACKER® leaderboard.

The 2022 MLF Bass Pro Tour will air on the Discovery Channel beginning in July 2022 and the Outdoor Channel in early 2023.

For complete details and up-to-date tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at FacebookTwitterInstagram, and YouTube.

The 80 professional anglers that will compete on the 2022 Bass Pro Tour are:

  • Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C.
  • Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J.
  • Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz.
  • Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla.
  • Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla.
  • Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark.
  • Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan.
  • Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash.
  • Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala.
  • Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn.

Friday, December 3, 2021

Plano EDGE Vertical Jig & Spy Bait Box


Plano is turning the world of specialized lure storage on its head with the introduction of the EDGE Vertical Jig and Spy Bait Box. Anglers that use vertical jigs, spy baits, and other smaller, specialized lures have a new storage solution. This inventive organizer stores and protects up to 52 premium vertical jigging and spy baits in a small space, allowing anglers to maximize their space in tackle lockers and bags.

The EDGE Vertical Jig and Spy Bait Box stores an unbelievable number of baits in a small space, keeping them protected and tangle-free in the process. The secret is the unique cradle system, which secures and protects up to 52 baits in the same dimensions as a standard EDGE 3700-series box. Even fully loaded, anglers can count on their baits staying protected thanks to a Dri-Loc O-ring seal, which keeps water out of the box when it’s closed, a WaterWick divider to soak up any moisture, and Rustrictor technology that delivers 360 degrees of rust-preventative protection to everything stored in the box.

 Key Features:
• Holds up to 52 jigs, spy baits, or bucktails
• Innovative cradle protects and secures baits to keep them tangle-free
• WaterWick divider with reusable moisture-wicking packet
• Dri-Loc O-ring seal maintains waterproofing when closed
• Rustrictor technology delivers 360 degrees of rust-preventative protection
• EZ Label system for quick identification of contents
• DuraView crystal-clear polycarbonate lid
• One-handed latch design
 
MSRP: $29.99 USD
Available: December 2021

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

New Duo Realis Spinbait 80 & 90 with David Williams and IBASSIN (Hottest Bait of the YEAR!)


Spybaits or spinbaits are super regardless of the season. They can be one of the best winter/cold water baits for all bass. It really is something you need to try. Have a listen to David Williams as he explains his skills with this bait.  David Williams knows a few secrets on how to make the Duo Realis Spinbait into a tournament winning techniques.