2019 BASS Elite Lake Guntersville Day 1: Paul Mueller Sacks Lead with 22-14lbs!

Canadians Chris Johnston 4th, Cory Johnston 25th & Gustafson 62th.
BASS PRESS RELEASE

Mueller regains G-Vile success!
(Photo: BASS)

More than half the field caught at least 16 pounds of bass during Friday’s opening round of the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville, and 14 anglers topped the coveted 20-pound mark.
 
Meanwhile, Connecticut pro Paul Mueller showed once again why Guntersville is one of his favorite lakes in the United States.
 
Mueller, who finished second in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods on Guntersville, took Friday’s opening-round lead on the famed fishery with five bass that weighed 22 pounds, 14 ounces.
 
“I didn’t really see this coming because I didn’t catch a lot of big fish in practice,” Mueller said. “The fish aren’t doing what they should for this time of year, so it’s been mentally exhausting trying to figure them out.
 
“But you only need five — and I’m glad I was able to put something together.”
 
Mueller’s first claim to fame in the big leagues of bass fishing came when he had a whopping catch of 32-3 on the second day of the 2014 Classic. That was a February event, and Mueller — who had qualified for that Classic through the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship for grass-roots anglers — was quick to point out that none of that strategy played into his success Friday, when temperatures rose to the low 90s.
 
Despite his heavy weight, he said Friday was anything but easy — and BASSTrakk statistics backed up that claim. The five bass he weighed were caught at 7:25 a.m., 8:09 a.m., 11:02 a.m., 1:59 p.m. and 2:07 p.m.
 

2017 Walmart FLW Tour Potomac River Day 1: Clark Wendlandt Leads with 19-11lbs!

Chris Johnston 10th, Cory Johnston 23rd,  Richardson 42th & Gustafson 106th

FLW PRESS RELEASE

Picking up right where he left off back in 2015 after winning on this same body of water, Clark Wendlandt claimed the lead Thursday on day one of the FLW Tour on the Potomac River presented by Costa Sunglasses, thanks to a healthy 19-pound, 11-ounce limit. Though his lead is a mere 5 ounces ahead of Tom Monsoor, Wendlandt has reinforced the notion that he’s in tune with this tidal system. 

Clark feeling comfortable in the lead on Potomac.
(Photo: FLW)

“I have fished the Potomac for a long time, since 1996,” Wendlandt says. “My first three tournaments here were terrible. I couldn’t catch a bass. Then I just figured out how to catch them here and it’s hard to describe but I get a warm, fuzzy feeling fishing out here. Not that I think I am going to catch them, but I feel very confident.

“I truly believe this is the best this river has been in terms of size since I’ve fished it. That’s some 20 years of experience. It is fantastic.”

While the Potomac is possibly fishing better than ever, Wendlandt admits he couldn’t have pictured today starting out the way it did.

TOP 10 BELOW

2016 Walmart FLW Tour Lake Champlain Day 1: Scott Martin Leads with 22, Chris Johnston in 2nd!

All Canadians faired well today. 
by Rob Newell
FLW PRESS RELEASE

It has been a few years since the Walmart FLW Tour visited Lake Champlain, but it did not take Scott Martin of Clewiston, Fla., very long to reconnect with some familiar history in the north end of the “Sixth Great Lake” and catch 22 pounds, 5 ounces of largemouths to take the day-one lead this time around.

Largemouth key for Martin. (FLW Photo)

Martin’s familiarity with the north end comes from his FLW Tour win in 2009 on Champlain, when he tapped into an offshore largemouth bite for victory. Martin is fishing the same areas again, but has changed his bait selection.

“It’s a little different this time,” Martin says. “There is not as much grass covering stuff up. As a result, I’m fishing some different baits than I did last time.”

Martin caught about 15 bass on the day, with his biggest weighing 5 pounds, 1 ounce. He is fishing isolated cover out off the bank and believes the lower water levels this year might be helping to usher the postspawn largemouths out his way.

“There are a lot of fish up there,” says Martin, who also won a Tour event on Champlain in 2004. “It’s a great largemouth area because of the shallow habitat. I have a lot of good memories from it, and maybe I can make some more good memories this week.

Bradley Hallman Wins 2016 Walmart FLW Tour Lake Okeechobee with 71-02 Pounds!

Wire to wire win while weather worsens. 

FLW PRESS RELEASE
Bradley Hallman is fishing his first season on the Walmart FLW Tour, but he is by no means a rookie in the world of tournament bass fishing. Hallman spent six years as a pro on the Bassmaster Elite Series from 2006 to 2011, so he knows his way around the business of bass tournaments pretty well.

Two 25 pound limits allow Bradley to ride out rough weather for win.
(Photo: FLW)

During his six years on the Elite Series, Hallman encountered some pretty stiff headwinds that forced him to retreat from the national level of the sport.

“I had a lot going on back then,” Hallman remembers. “My wonderful children were born. My dad passed away. I had a lot going on financially and emotionally, and I just needed a break from it all to sort of regroup and get my head right before getting back in the game at a national level.”

From his pro experience, Hallman learned a very valuable lesson.

“Transitioning from regional-level competition to national-level competition changes the way you fish,” Hallman reflects. “At home I had success fishing my way – fishing my strengths as a pitcher and flipper. But when I got on the Elites, the financial pressure was immense, and I started fishing just to get checks – just to survive – and it changed the way I fished. I was trying to fish the way other people fish just to stay out there. When I quit the Elites I vowed I would not return to national-level tournaments until I could fish my way all of the time.”

2016 Walmart FLW Tour Lake Okeechobee Day 3: Hallman Punching Up a Huge Lead!

Chris Johnston Jumps to 4th. 

by Rob Newell
FLW PRESS RELEASE
The third day of Walmart FLW Tour events always seem to be the stingiest days. Whether it’s due to condition changes or fishing pressure or both, day three is the seam where anglers’ primary locations and patterns from the first two days begin to fray. As a result, anglers fishing in the top-20 round on day three are faced with some difficult decisions that boil down to staying committed to their primary gig or switching up their game to try something else for a new window that might be opening.

This week at the Walmart FLW Tour event presented by Ranger Boats on Lake Okeechobee, tournament leader Bradley Hallman, who has sacked up about 25 pounds per day the last two days, says his day-three decision was pretty easy: stay committed to flipping and punching matted reed heads.

This 8 pounder helps keep the pack 13 1/2 pounds behind.  (Photo: FLW)

That decision resulted in being one fish shy of a limit on day three. But one of his four bass weighed 8 pounds, 10 ounces, pushing Hallman’s catch to 14 pounds, 3 ounces to give him a three-day total of 64-10. His lead over second-place angler Alex Davis is now 13 1/2 pounds going into the fourth and final day in this event that is hosted by Roland and Mary Ann Martin's Marina and Resort and the Hendry County Tourism and Development Council.

Costa FLW Series Lake Okeechobee Day 1: Cherkas Lands Lead!

Canadian Chris Johnson Sitting 8th!
by Kyle Wood
FLW PRESS RELEASE

Huge 250 Pro field fishing this event. (Photo FLW)

The opening day of competition for the Costa FLW Series Southeastern Division event on Lake Okeechobee – which is presented by Power-Pole and hosted by Okeechobee County Tourism – was a textbook example of what a cold front does to Florida bass.  Catching a limit wasn’t the issue, however, connecting with 4- and 5-pound bites was. Peter Cherkas of Des Moines, Iowa, was able to scrounge out a strong limit worth 20 pounds to take a narrow lead over Zach Crider of Tunnel Hill, Ga., by a mere 12 ounces.
With so much water to fish on Okeechobee that virtually all looks like it should hold a 10-pounder, settling in on a certain area and combing it thoroughly can be the best bet for success. Most anglers find an area roughly the size of a few football fields to pick through during tournament hours, while Cherkas dialed in an area big enough to cover with his Power-Poles down.
“When I pulled into my area this morning there were some other boats around it so I stayed off,” says Cherkas. “When the other boats moved out enough that is when I moved in. I dropped my Power-Poles and didn’t touch my trolling motor until 10 a.m.”
Cherkas bucked the trend of fishing slow and worked one area thoroughly to rack up the bulk of his weight by 11 a.m. Due to how tough the tournament is you can understand why he opted to remain tight-lipped about his presentation and type of area he is fishing.
The Iowa pro did unveil that the area he is fishing is something you can pattern. He got one bite from the specific area in practice – an 8-pounder – and spent more time just searching for other places like it. While he succeeded in doing so, he also isn’t too sure if they are as good because he didn’t want to burn his areas up by checking them today.
“I have been down [in Florida] for almost three weeks now,” explains Cherkas. “The fish have moved around so much from day to day and that is my biggest concern. I think I know where they may move to if they pull off of my primary area. It shouldn’t take long to find out if they are still there come tomorrow morning.”
Top 10 Below

FLW Rayovac Championship Ohio River Day 1: Barnes Leads with 21 Pounds of Smallies!

Two massive bags from stingy Ohio.

by Rob Newell

FLW Press Release

Smallmouth produce for leader Barnes.
(Photo: FLW)

First, David Barnes Sr. of China, Maine showed up with an eye-popping limit of smallmouths that weighed 21 pounds. Then, red-hot Ray Hanselman of Del Rio, Texas, who won all three Texas Division tournaments this year, proved he is still in the fish-catching groove with a limit that hefted 19 pounds – all bronze. For them at least, it was the perfect end to a perfect day.

After four rainy days of practice, Rayovac Championship qualifiers were greeted with bluebird skies and chilly temperatures down into the middle 40’s on opening morning. And apparently that fall weather tripped the big smallmouths’ trigger as Barnes and Hanselman are working similar patterns in swift river currents.

2015 BASSfest at Kentucky Lake Day 2: Edwin Evers Take Lead with Giant Bag!

Ever's 8-pounder helps keep KVD at bay. 

By Bryan Brasher

bass press release

PARIS, Tenn. – Oklahoma pro Edwin Evers got the kind of bite Thursday that helps a professional angler separate himself from the field in a tournament like Zippo BASSfest at Kentucky Lake presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps.

Big fish make the difference for top leaders like Edwin.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

But when the mammoth 8-pound largemouth first bit, he wasn’t sure what he had.

“I set the hook on that thing, and I thought I had the bottom,” Evers said. “It was a really cool bite. I didn’t think she would weigh that much, but she was solid.”

The big fish of the day helped Evers put together a five-bass limit that weighed 27 pounds, 2 ounces and pushed him into the lead with a two-day total of 51-2. Michigan superstar Kevin VanDam is second with 47-14, while Alabama pros Derek Remitz and Tim Horton are next with 47-4 each.

2015 BASSfest at Kentucky Lake Day 1: Ott DeFoe Lands Lead and Seven Pounder!

Big up-grade vaults Ott into lead.

By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

PARIS, Tenn. — Ott DeFoe admits he entered Wednesday’s opening round of the Zippo Bassmaster BASSfest at Kentucky Lake presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps feeling confident bordering on cocky.
But as excited as he was, he wasn’t expecting this.
DeFoe brought five bass to the scales that weighed 26 pounds, 7 ounces and claimed the Day 1 lead by more than a pound over South Carolina angler Andy Montgomery, who was second with 25-4.
Oklahoma pro Edwin Evers was third with 24-0, and Michigan superstar Kevin VanDam was fourth with 23-9 on a day when it took 20-4 just to make the Top 25.

Ott lucky to lead as pack is tight. (Photo: BASS)

“I had expectations, but I didn’t really think 26 pounds was where it was going to end up,” said DeFoe, who lives 4 1/2 hours away in Knoxville, Tenn. “I don’t want to say I was cocky, but I felt like I was going to have a pretty good day if I got on the place I wanted to fish – and if the fish stayed, which apparently they did.”
Like many in the 124-angler field, DeFoe caught most of his best fish before 10 a.m. and then went into “fish-management” mode.
Instead of pounding his best areas and potentially wasting fish that could help him later in the week, he backed away and went looking for new hot spots.
He was surprised when one of the new places he found actually produced his best fish — a 7-5 largemouth that ranked as the second-largest fish caught during the opening round.
“I’m not going to say I was killing time, because I was still fishing,” DeFoe said. “But I was kind of waiting on time to go by until it was time to come in. I got one bite there, and it was a 7 1/4-pounder.”

Chad Pikens Wins 2014 BASS Northern Open on Lake St. Clair

Canadian brothers Chris and Cory finish strong!

By Louie Stout

bass press release

DETROIT – Chad Pipkens picked the right day to have the best day of his life.

The 31-year-old Holt, Mich., angler, who has fished Lakes St. Clair and Erie since his college days, bagged 23 pounds, 6 ounces to win the Bass Pro Shops Northern Open #3 presented by Allstate on Lake St. Clair. 

Chad's first win and a trip to the 2015 Classic. Cannot beat
a day on the water like that!
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

His three-day total of 67 pounds, 4 ounces edged out Fletcher Shryock of Ohio. Shryock came in second with 63-10, while Chris Johnston of Canada placed third with 63-6. 

Joe Balog, the Harrison Township., Mich., pro and heavy favorite who led the first two days, lost valuable fishing time due to mechanical problems. Balog caught only three fish on Day 3, and fell to seventh. 

2014 BASS Northern Open Lake St. Clair Day 2: Balog Still Leads Over Smallmouth fest.!

Canadian brothers sit 3rd and 6th.

By Louie Stout

SEP 5, 2014

DETROIT – Joe Balog’s hopes of running the table in the Bass Pro Shops Northern Open #3 presented by Allstate could be blowin’ in the Lake St. Clair wind on Saturday.

Balog slapped an impressive 25 pounds, 2 ounces of smallmouth bass onto the scales Friday, expanding his first-day lead to nearly four pounds.

But a forecast calling for a turnaround in the wind – from the southwest to the northwest – is fret-worthy fodder.

Balog steals the day with 25 pound bag.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

“I’m really fishing something ‘off the wall’ and I’m concerned what the wind change might do to my fish,” the Harrison Twp, Mich. angler said.

Fellow Michigan angler Chad Pipkens, anchored in second place with 43 pounds, 10 ounces, expects the wind change to benefit him greatly and give him more time to fish his most productive area.

“I’ve had to leave it early every day this week because the wind made it difficult to fish,” he said. “If I could get a couple more hours there, I’ve got a shot.”

The field will be cut to 12 on Saturday. Canadian Chris Johnston is third with 43-12, Michigander Ben Nielsen is fourth with 42-13 and Elite Series Pro Fletcher Shryock of Ohio is fifth with 41-14.

Johnston’s brother, Cory, is sixth with 41-14.

2014 BASS Northern Open Lake St. Clair Day 1: Balog Sacks Lead with 22-8!

Balog leads over a strong local showing.

By Louis Stout

bass press release

DETROIT — The home-field advantage played a big role in the first round of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open presented by Allstate on Lake St. Clair Thursday.

Joe was one of 11 who cracked 20 pounds.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

Two local anglers jumped to the head of the pack, with formidable pro Joe Balog of Harrison Township, Mich., sacking 22 pounds, 8 ounces, good for a 4-ounce lead over fellow Harrison Township angler Andrew Smith.

Canadian Chris Johnston is third with 21-12, while Bassmaster Elite Series pros Fletcher Shryock of Ohio and Michigander Chad Pipkens are tied for fifth with 21-6.

In addition to valuable prizes going to the winner of this final leg of the Northern Open is a berth in next February’s Bassmaster Classic to be held on Lake Hartwell of out Greenville, S.C., providing the winner has competed in two previous 2014 Northern Opens.

Chris Johnson Wins the 2013 Canadian Open

Chris Johnson take the win with a staggering 26lb five bass limit
on the final day.  His super bag vaulted him to a three day total of 69.3lbs
(Photo: Chris Johnson)

More info coming soon. 

FLW EverStart Nothern 1000 Islands/ Lake Ontario Day 3: Bob Izumi Wins!

In true Bob Izumi style, his last day charge overtakes fellow Canadian to Win!

Bob Wins!
(Photo: Real Fishing )

1  BOB IZUMI  MILTON, ON   
Day 1 17-09; Day 2 19-07; Day 3 21-01 Total 58-01 

2  JOHN MCGOEY  OMEMEE, ON
Day 1 18-03; Day 2 19-06; Day 3 19-08  Total 57-01 

3  CORY JOHNSTON  PETERBOROUGH, ON
Day 1 17-07; Day 2 19-03; Day 3 19-14; Total 56-08 

4  GREGG SEAL  ELDRED, PA
Day 1 20-12; Day 2 18-10; Day 3 16-15  Total 56-05 

5  ERIC FOLTIN  LEBANON, PA
Day 1 18-10; Day 2 16-09; Day 3 20-09  Total 55-12 

6  JEFF HIPPERT  HAMBURG, NY
Day 1 24-08; Day 2 15-06; Day 3 15-12  Total 55-10 

7  CHRIS JOHNSTON  PETERBOROUGH, ON
Day 1 22-11; Day 2 17-08; Day 3 14-11  Total 54-14 
 
8  THOMAS LAVICTOIRE JR  WEST RUTLAND, VT
Day 1 20-05; Day 2 17-04; Day 3  15-12  Total 53-05 
 
9  KEVIN SHORT  MAYFLOWER, AR
Day 1 21-03; Day 2 17-00; Day 3  14-12  Total 52-15 

10  JASON PUTMAN  CICERO, NY
Day 1 18-08; Day 2 17-15 ; Day 3 15-03  Total 51-10

FLW Press Release plus IBASSIN.com summary to follow.

FLW EverStart Nothern 1000 Islands/ Lake Ontario Day 2: Top 10 List

Banner Day for Canadians and IBASSIN.COM's Picks All Advance
By Luigi De Rose

1  CHRIS JOHNSTON  PETERBOROUGH, ON  40-03     
2  JEFF HIPPERT  HAMBURG, NY  39-14  
3  GREGG SEAL  ELDRED, PA  39-06  
4  KEVIN SHORT  MAYFLOWER, AR 38-03  
5  THOMAS LAVICTOIRE JR  WEST RUTLAND, VT  37-09  
6  JOHN MCGOEY  OMEMEE, ON 37-09  
7  BOB IZUMI  MILTON, ON 37-00  
8  CORY JOHNSTON  PETERBOROUGH, ON 36-10  
9  JASON PUTMAN  CICERO, NY 36-07  
10  ERIC FOLTIN  LEBANON, PA 35-03