HAPPY NEW YEARS!

Happy New Years from IBASSIN. THANKS for your support in 2015 as we will

continue to provide more bass fishing action in the new year!

Merry Christmas from IBASSIN!

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas. Enjoy the good in the world and share it with the people you love and enjoy. 

Rapala Canada Scores New Product and Web Manager

Nomark Inc. announced that Chris Hockley has joined the company to further develop their exclusive Canadian product offering and website.  Chris comes with a wealth of experience within the Industry, having spent the last 25 years in marketing, sales, consulting, outdoor writing, and promoting fishing products.

Chris joins Normark Inc. (Rapala Canada) as Product and Web Manager to continue Normark’s recent success in supplying exclusive Canadian inspired fishing products to Canadian consumers. Chris’s responsibilities will include working with the global product development team on new product initiatives as well as further developing the company’s website.  Chris comments “I am excited to start a new challenge within the Normark group and look forward to working with the team to further develop their already extensive product offering and website.   I am fortunate to be joining such a respected company that prides itself on providing innovative premium quality fishing products”.

2015 Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship Day 1: Locals Lead With 27lbs!

Canadian Team of Chong and Brownridge Sitting in 6th Place.

By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. — After a two-day pre-tournament practice period that saw most of the 197-boat field from around the country struggle, it only makes sense that two local teams shot to the top of the leaderboard during Wednesday’s opening round of the Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship on Lake Guntersville.

Fishing "history" yields lead for local sticks on Day 1 at Lake Guntersville. (Photo: BASS)

Billy Sharp and Kevin Stubblefield, who qualified for the event through the Alabama Bass Trail, brought five fish to the scales that weighed 27 pounds, 6 ounces and claimed the Day 1 lead. Stubblefield is from right here in Guntersville, while Sharp lives in Albertville, less than 30 minutes from the lake.
“We grew up here, and we’ve been fishing here since we were just kids,” said Stubblefield, who teamed with Sharp to win the Alabama Bass Trail championship on nearby Lake Wheeler in October. “We were fishing history today, places we’ve fished before. We stayed off of them in practice, and the fish were on some of them today.”
Practice was tough for Sharp and Stubblefield just like it was for most of a field that includes anglers from as far away as Maine, Delaware, New Jersey, California and Canada. But when competition began, the leaders were aided by built-in knowledge of the lake and conditions that are slowly improving.
“We had kind of a hard time in practice,” Sharp said. “But the water is clearing up, and I think that’s helping us some.”

Lowrance Announces All New Fishfinders

Three Cool New Products from Lowrance

Lowrance TotalScan Transducer – TotalScan is an all-in-one transducer that combines CHIRP technology with high-resolution StructureScan HD and DownScan Imaging technology. TotalScan eliminates the need for multiple transducers and simplifies installations.

Lowrance Elite Ti – Available in both 5- and 7-inch displays, Lowrance announces the new Elite Ti Series Fishfinder/Chartplotter. With CHIRP sonar, StructureScan HD and DownScan Imaging, the Elite Ti Series is an affordable unit for anglers that want a complete view of what’s under their boat. Also, with integrated wireless connectivity with GoFree, Elite Ti models can access mapping downloads, software updates and Insight Genesis.

Lowrance HOOK Fishfinders – With CHIRP sonar and DownScan Imaging, Lowrance introduces HOOK Series fishfinders. Available in 4-, 5-, 7-, and 9-inch displays, HOOK fishfinders offer Ice Machine models in the 4- and 5-inch models. Also in the HOOK line are two new affordable fishfinders, the HOOk-3x with BroadBand Sounder and HOOK-3x DSI with DownScan Imaging. Also available with and All Season Pack, these compact units bring convenience to fishing, be it from a dock, small boat, or frozen lake.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing all our readers a very enjoyable and Happy Thanksgiving! 

FLW Rayovac Register Now Open

This is the week to register for everyone planning on fishing the FLW Series in 2016. Registration has been open for the top 40 pros and co-anglers from each division of the 2015 FLW Series and the top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division of the 2015 Walmart Bass Fishing League (BFL) for some time. Tuesday is when everyone else can begin to get in on the action.

 Registration dates

November 17 – Ranger Boat owners and sponsor entries

November 19 – TBF members

November 20 – Everyone

LEST WE FORGET

Lest We Forget
All the old and young who gave so we could have so much. 

Ray Hanselman Wins the FLW Rayovac Championship on the Ohio River!

Hanselman 4.0
by Rob Newell 
FLW  PRESS RELEASE
In the world of tournament bass fishing there are two types of learning. One is the mechanical side of the sport, which involves tactics and techniques. The other is learning how to win tournaments, which is so abstract and visceral it simply can’t be taught.

This is Ray's 4th Rayovac Win this year! (Photo: FLW)

On Saturday, Ray Hanselman of Del Rio, Texas, proved that he has mastered both versions of the tournament-fishing learning process by accomplishing the unthinkable: In a single Rayovac FLW Series season, Hanselman not only won all three Texas Division regular-season events, but he completed the Rayovac Grand Slam by winning this week’s Rayovac FLW Series Championship on the Ohio River. The tournament was hosted by the Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau and the City of Paducah.
“This is epic,” Hanselman says. “I really don’t know how else to explain it. I’m in shock. It’s so hard to put into words.

LIVETARGET Lands Scott Martin

LIVETARGET announces that it has enhanced its Pro Staff team with the addition of FLW Tour pro, and TV personality Scott Martin along with his long-running TV show, Scott Martin Challenge to a multi-year sponsorship agreement.

Gary Abernethy, marketing manager of LIVETARGET commented on the selection of Scott Martin to the LIVETARGET team: “Scott brings to LIVETARGET a great blend of proven tournament fishing excellence along with one of the best media outlets via his TV show and recognized personality.  We’ve talked to Scott over the years, and with his recent Angler of the Year achievement on the FLW Tour, and our ongoing growth at LIVETARGET, it was the right time to add Scott onto our team.”

Abernethy added, “Scott will help us in promotions with the media elements, but as with all our ProStaff, we look to use Scott and his proven skills as a leading bass angler to help us with our continued lure designs.  It is great that Scott is also a multi-species angler, and that works well to help us across a product line that now has over 750+ lure models.  We have plans to have Scott present tips and techniques to anglers so they can become better fishermen with LIVETARGET lures.”     

Pitching a JACKALL Sasteki Craw into the Trees with Luigi De Rose and IB...

Enjoying a hot day on the water. The largemouth bass were tucked under the overhanging trees and one of the best ways to get one them out is to pitch a JACKALL Lure's craw on heavy PowerPro line.
Bait: Jackall Sasteki Craw in Black Blue Flake
Line: Power Pro 50lb

TJ Lacey and Travis Vivan Lead the CSFL Classic on Day 2

With one day to go on Sturgeon Lake, Ontario, the team of Lacey and Vivian have a slight lead with 33.4lbs  The CSFL National  Classic XIX winners will be crowned tomorrow.

Position	Angler	Co-Angler	Regional	Classic D1	Total Weight
1	TJ Lacey	Travis Vivian	18.5	14.9	33.4
2	Erik Luzak	Tom Hardy	14.35	18.3	32.65
3	Cory Johnston	Chris Johnston	16.8	15	31.8
4	Kirk Sullivan	Kevin Sullivan	14.7	15.2	29.9
5	Dan Miguel	Bryan Low	16.75	12.8	29.55
6	Chris Little	Cam Neville	10.35	18.55	28.9
7	Greg Roth	Bob Switzer	12.55	15.75	28.3
8	Dan Risorto	Frank Perciasepe	14.9	13	27.9
9	Wayne Misselbrook	Dave Kennedy	14.3	13.35	27.65
10	Justin Woolacott	Jay Taylor	13.2	14.45	27.65

Click to view full standings.

Brad Knight Wins the 2015 Forrest L. Wood Cup Lake Ouachita!

Knight Slays Ouachita 
by Rob Newell
FLW PRESS RELEASE

For the last decade, Brad Knight has had the same recurring dream at night. Although the dream has varying versions, scopes and backdrops, the theme is always the same: He is in contention to win a big bass tournament.

Sticking to his guns kept Brad in the same area the entire tournament.
(Photo: FLW)

“It’s not so much that I win the tournament or that I catch a big bass or anything like that,” he said Saturday afternoon. “It’s more that I’m in contention to win. I’m in a good position, I feel good about what I’m doing and I know exactly how I’m going to catch them. It’s not a nervousness but an anticipation – a good anticipation …”

And then he wakes up to his normal life as a part-time manager of Wartburg Pharmacy in Wartburg, Tenn., and all the intense feelings of anticipation are chased into the shadows by reality.

Knight again experienced that same dream on Saturday night. Except this time when he awoke, it was reality: He really was in contention to win a big tournament, the biggest of its kind – the 2015 Forrest Wood Cup.

“When I woke up, the first thing I said was, ‘If I’m dreaming, please don’t wake me up. I want to know how this ends,’” he added.

On Sunday afternoon, Knight stood before a packed house in the Bank of the Ozarks Arena in Hot Springs, Ark., hoisting a Forrest Wood Cup over his head. He now knows how his dream ends.

Positive Outlook for Tackle Giants Rapala and Shimano!

Original article posted by 

Angling International

Two of the world’s biggest fishing tackle manufacturers saw their sales for the first half of 2015 increase on the previous year.

For the majority of last year, Rapala VMC Corporation was burdened by the costs of the changeover of production of its lure manufacturing unit from China to Batam Island, Indonesia. However, with the new location now having a positive impact on profitability, the Finnish giant reported a comparable operating profit of €9.9 million (2014: €9.7 million) – up 2%. Its net sales for the period also increased 3% to €80.1 million (2014: €77.7 million).

Fishing sales at Japanese-based Shimano for the year increased 9.8% to 33,386 million yen and operating income increased 19.2% to 2,667 million yen.

The company said that a generally robust performance in North America, Western Europe, Oceania and New Zealand, helped make up for a comparable decrease in sales in the Japanese market.

Positive comparable stores sales in a number of categories – including fishing – helped North America’s iconic outdoor sporting goods store, Cabala’s Incorporated, post a 9.9% increase in total revenue to $836.3 million for the second quarter of 2015.

Retail store revenue increased 13.9% to $570.1 million, while its internet sales fell 7%.

TOP BASS Live Release Tournament Angler of the Year as of July 28!

TOP BASS Angler of the Year status reflects anglers who will be fishing with three of more partners during the coarse of the 2015 bass tournament season.

Top 5

POS	Captain	Total Weight
1	WILLIAMS, MIKE	66.71
2	WOROSZ, PETER	63.96
3	FERNANDES, TIM	61.23
4	PILKEY, RON	53.53
5	BAUMANN, RICK	52.29

ICAST 2015 Best Rod Award: G. Loomis E6X Rods!

The new E6X rod series introduces anglers to what G. Loomis rod designers refer to a ‘swing-weight’, the proper rod balance needed when fishing ‘tip up’ techniques like pitching/flipping and casting tubes, jigs, soft plastic jerkbaits and drop shot rigs, and ‘tip down’ lures like crankbaits, spinnerbaits or swimbaits. “Proper balance lets anglers concentrate on what is happening on the end of the line, rather than the tip of the rod,” said G. Loomis’ Bruce Holt. “With the E6X series and the G. Loomis’ Multi-Taper Technology behind them, we can provide light, sensitive, yet powerful rods for all types of bass fishing techniques – what anglers know and come to expect form G. Loomis and all at a very comfortable price.”

There are 12 E6X technique specific casting rods designed for jig & worm use, for flipping and punching, crankbait and spinnerbait specific, along with four technique specific spinning models for small jigs, tubes and worms, plus two drop shot spinning rods. Holt notes that both the casting and spinning jig & worm rods have the needed extra-fast tips, the crankbait rods have the needed slower, softer actions, while stiff, powerful actions are found on the flip/punch rods and unique actions are featured on the spinnerbait, swimbait and drop shot rods. The entire technique specific rods feature split grip handles with cork grips, along with Fuji reels seats and guides.

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