2022 Bassmaster Elite Series Event On Lake Oahe Day 1: Card Grabs Lead with 21-10lbs!

Canadians Gustafson 4th, Chris Johnston 7th & Cory Johnston 58th

Brandon Card of Salisbury, N.C., is leading after Day 1 of the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Lake Oahe with 21 pounds, 10 ounces. (Photo: Seigo Saito/BASS)

BASS PRESS RELEASE

MOBRIDGE, S.D. — Capitalizing on several different flurries throughout the day, Brandon Card landed 21 pounds, 10 ounces to claim the Day 1 lead at the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite on Lake Oahe.

 

The Tennessee native turned North Carolinian holds narrow advantages of 1-4 over Georgia's Drew Cook in second and 1-5 over South Carolina angler Patrick Walters in third. With his Day 1 bag, Card exceeded the biggest bag weighed at the 2018 Elite Series event on Oahe, a 20-11 sack brought in by Clifford Pirch.

 

“I didn’t know how good it was going to be. I had high hopes, and it turned out to be a lot better than I thought,” Card said. “It was weird. I had several flurries, but then lots of just nothing. There were hours of no bites and then several in a row. It was like there were small little feeding windows.”

 

With a rotation of baits, Card caught quality bass that were consistent in size, with his biggest smallmouth weighing 4-14.

 

Despite seeing miles of dead water, Card located six or seven areas in practice that held decent schools of smallmouth. One of those areas produced most of his action on Day 1, while he didn’t end up going to another of his better areas.

 

Fishing what he called “pretty deep,” Card landed a limit early and culled several times throughout the day.

2019 Bassmaster Elite St. Johns River Day 3: Chris Johnston Leads with 75-13lbs!

Canadian atop mega big bass fest!

By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Chris' 28-13lb limit sets him ahead of wild day as big bass bite.
(Photo: BASS)

The one word used most often by the anglers weighing in during today’s semifinal round of the Power-Pole Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River was “special.”
 
“Magical” was also floated around. So was “awesome.”
 
They all fit, and yet somehow they didn’t do justice to a day that saw 14 limits of bass totaling 20 pounds or more brought to the scales. Of those catches, six topped the 25-pound mark and three eclipsed the almost-unattainable 30-pound benchmark.
 
Canadian Chris Johnston caught 28-13 and held on to the lead with a three-day total of 75-13. But after standing in a weigh-in line surrounded by giants, Johnston said he knows he still has work to do if he hopes to earn his first Elite Series win.
 
“I did the same thing I did the last three days, but you don’t normally catch 7- or 8-pounders unless you’re on the St. Johns River,” Johnston said. “Apparently, everyone caught them today. I was hoping to have a little bit of a cushion, but I’m gonna have to catch them again tomorrow.
 
“I think I’m gonna need probably at least another 23-pound bag tomorrow to win this.”
 
With at least 24-3, Johnston could break the 100-pound mark and earn one of the coveted “Century Belts” awarded by B.A.S.S. to anglers who reach triple digits. But for the moment, he has much more important things to worry about.
 
The bags weighed in by the anglers just behind him in the standings were astounding.
 

Mark Daniels Jr. Wins 2018 Bassmaster Elite Lake Oahe with 69-09 lbs!

Bait fish and drop shot key to win. 

By James Hall

BASS PRESS RELEASE 

MDR's rookie season just improved a lot!
(Photo: BASS)

For the first time in four days, the wind and waves were calm on mighty Lake Oahe. Mark Daniels Jr. was not. The Alabama pro started Championship Monday with a lead of more than 6 pounds over the rest of the field.
 
However, he struggled to get bites from the bigger bass he needed, and it seemed the Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Lake Oahe presented by Abu Garcia was slipping through his hands.
 
Former Bassmaster Classic winner Casey Ashley was reported on Bassmaster.com to have caught up to Daniels. However, when the scales settled, Daniels’ last-round 13-pound, 3-ounce limit was enough to take home the big blue trophy. His final tally was 69-9, besting Ashley, the runner up, by more than 3 pounds.
 
“This is a special place in South Dakota! Beautiful place, beautiful people and an awesome fishery. There is nothing you can complain about here,” Daniels said before getting emotional over his very first Elite Series win. “I have literally dedicated my life to this sport. And I never gave up. And let me say one thing, if anyone out there has something they love, pursue it. I’m living proof you can live your dream if you are willing to work for it.”
 
And Daniels worked hard for it this week. He found an area where postspawn bass were congregating after the spawn, and he used finesse techniques to catch them. “I was fishing deep points adjacent to shallow flats. The fish were pretty finicky, so I relied heavily on a Finesse TRD soft-plastic bait by Z-Man with the mushroom head (Ned rig), and drop shotting a Z-Man Finesse WormZ,” Daniels explained.
 

Rojas, Pirch, Card,Pipkens and Aveda Move to Suzuki Motors in 2018!

Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. is proud to announce their roster of pro fishermen for the 2018 Bassmaster® Elite Tournament Series. “Suzuki is back in 2018, bigger and better than ever,” said Gus Blakely, vice president of sales for Suzuki Marine. “We’re eager to see our guys compete on the Elite circuit – all powered by Suzuki’s 250SS 4-stroke outboard.”

Suzuki stalwarts Brandon Card, Chad Pipkens and Clifford Pirch, will welcome Dean Rojas, Gerald Spohrer and Adrian Aveda to the team in 2018.

Dean Rojas

Suzuki welcomes veteran Arizona bass angler Dean Rojas to the team. Dean is a four-time winner on the Bassmaster® Elite Series tour and has 47 career Top 10 finishes. In addition, Rojas still holds the all-time B.A.S.S.® one day record catch of 45.2 pounds. With winnings totaling over $2 million dollars as a professional angler, Rojas brings a wealth of experience to the Suzuki team.

”I’m super-pumped to have a Suzuki on the transom of my new Blazer bass boat this year,” said Rojas. “I’ve watched Suzuki come alive over the past couple seasons and couldn’t be prouder to be on the team.” Look for Dean to be in the spotlight in 2018, as he campaigns for the first time with Suzuki Power.

Gerald Spohrer

Next up is Gerald Spohrer, a US Navy vet from Gonzales, LA. After starting out on the FLW Tour, Gerald moved to the Elite series last year. He was the Bassmaster® Central Open Angler of the Year in 2016 and broke into the Top 10 at last year’s Elite tournament on Lake St. Clair.

2018 holds a lot of promise for Spohrer. “Having a new Suzuki on my Bass Cat will be a first for me,” said Spohrer, “but not a first for Bass Cat. I can’t wait to get out on the water again and give ‘er a go.”

Adrian Avena

Adrian Avena also moved up to the Bassmaster® Elite Series after starting out on the FLW Tour and boasts career winnings approaching half a million dollars. Adrian grew up in New Jersey and counts the Chesapeake Bay as his home lake. Needless to say, he’s comfortable on big water.

2017 Bassmaster Classic Lake Conroe Day 1: Brent Ehrler Leads with 23-3lbs!

Giant 9-12 largemouth vaults Ehrler into lead. 
By Luigi De Rose

Brent all smiles as he takes the lead on Day 1!
(Photo: BASS)

A windy, cloudy first day of the greatest tournament of the year made for finicky fishing for most Classic anglers on Lake Conroe. Focusing on the morning shad spawn worked for Van Dam and Evers but many including G-man and Coombs couldn't connect making for a terrible morning. The sight fishing bite didn't seem to materialize for most. Neither did the numerous monster Texas bass that swim in Conroe. Mid-morning and into the afternoon produced more larger bass for the top 10 anglers.

Former Toyota Texas Bass Classic (TTBC) winner Brent Ehrler grabbed the lead anchored with a 9-10lb Texas giant. That bass was the Berkley Big Bass Day 1 winner. Brent spent most of the day in the mid-lake region.

Classic rookie, Bradley Roy grabbed second with 22-01lbs. Cliff Crochet, 22-08 for third, had a steady fishing day in the shallows of the upper regions of the lake. He said the fishing was consistent and matched his power fishing style well.

Mike Iaconelli, 21-02lbs for 4th had a slow morning except for the capture of a 6 lber which kept his spirits high as he remained in the lower section of the lake.

Clifford Pirch rounded out the top 5 with 20-11lbs. Clifford started along the dam among Van Dam, Ike and several others. He had a mid-moring flurry which several key bass were landed.

Experts agree that monster bass will make the difference of whom heroes or zeros. Ehrler's near 10 pound largemouth made a world of difference; without it he would be far from the lead. Ike's morning was set with a solid 6 pounder caught on a Carolina rig. He openly stated that it helped him confidently fish slowly all day.

Surprizingly, 4 of the Top 10, Brent Ehrler, Mike Iaconelli, Dave Lefebre and Matt Herren are past  Toyota Texas Bass Classic winners. Their past wins might offer them great understanding of the nuances of these Texas big bass lakes. Saturday's sunny, calmer weather should allow Classic angler great freedom to fish throughout the lake in search of a few monsters.

Aaron Martens Wins BASS Elite Lake Havasu Tournament with 68-09lbs!

With 13 Second Place Finishes Martens Finally Wins. 

By Bryan Brasher

bass press release

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. – Aaron Martens heard the chuckles from the crowd when he explained the primary pattern he used during the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Havasu presented by Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels.

But as crazy as it sounded, he was serious.

Martens made a short run up the Colorado River each day and fished thick patches of shoreline vegetation where big largemouth bass were feeding on blackbirds. Flipping a bait designed to mimic their prey, he caught enough bass the first three days to enter Sunday’s championship round in fourth place.

Then during the championship round, he caught five bass that weighed 19-5 and took home the $100,000 first-place prize with a four-day total of 68-9.

Winning on Mother's Day overcame series of second places.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

He used a drop-shot rig some during the week, too. But after the final weigh-in, the buzz was about the birds.

“I do that all the time,” said Martens, who earned the victory on Mother’s Day with his own mother, Carol, in the crowd. “I don’t know why people don’t believe me when I say it. The birds fall out of the nest, and the bass eat them. Birds are definitely part of their diet.”

Martens used a 1/2- or 3/4-ounce weight and a 4/0 Heavy-Cover Gamakatsu hook rigged with a green pumpkin punch skirt and one of two plastic trailers. His choice of trailer was determined by which weight he was using – it was a large Rage Craw for the 1/2-ounce rig and a Speed Craw for the 3/4-ounce setup.

He paid special attention to areas where lots of blackbirds were nesting.

“I probably shouldn’t even be talking about it, because I’ve known about it for 25 years,” said Martens, who said several fish spit up black feathers in his livewell during the tournament. “I’ve caught them in California and had them spit up full-grown blackbirds.

2014 US OPEN Lake Mead Day 1: Clifford Pirch in Commanding Lead Again!

Las Vegas, Nev. - September 8, 2014 - The King of Lake Mead is at it again.

Clifford Pirch, a two-time U.S. Open champion and multiple time top five finisher in the event has once again astounded the followers of the most prestigious bass fishing event in the Western United States.

Clifford takes control with Mead monster.
His 6.49 pounder is his largest Lake Mead bass ever.  

On a day ruled by changing weather conditions that saw high temperatures well below last week's 109 degree heats, Pirch managed to utilize his skills as an angler and his knowledge of the lake to scramble and find the kind of fish that leaves fans and competitors shaking their heads.

Pirch and his AAA partner Ronald Slack Jr. brought a 15.47-pound limit of bass to the scales that included Pirch's 6.49-pound largemouth; which was the big fish of the day. The performance put Pirch in the driver's seat to claim his third U.S. Open victory by nearly four pounds over Dixon, Calif. pro Brett Leber, who came to the scales with 11.54 pounds.

Pirch said that his game plan suffered an early demise, and he ran the conditions to improve. "I had a stretch that I thought I could get a pretty strong limit on first thing, but by one o'clock, I still only had seven pounds in the boat," he said. "I saw the weather changing, and the wind and rain picking up and I started moving around more. Within a couple hours I had caught the big one and two other really good fish that got me to 15 pounds."

Full Standings

Sean Stafford Wins 2012 WON Bass Nitro Boats / Mercury U.S. Open

Defeats Two-Time Champion Clifford Pirch by Narrow Margin Las Vegas, Nev. - September 13, 2012 - The theme for the 2012 WON Bass Nitro Boats / Mercury U.S. Open has been the proverbial adage, "change is constant." Once again, the conditions at Lake Mead made an about face and it made for interesting decision making for the 256 anglers in the field. But, when you are running the most prestigious single tournament in the Western United States; one that has a reputation for being the toughest tournament in bass fishing, a little adversity adds to the story. Following a day with dense clouds and desert monsoon conditions, Lake Mead became a gentle lady and provided the field with high, bluebird skies and glassy surface waters. While those conditions are perfect for a boating day with the family, they are certainly no gift for the bass angler.

2012 US OPEN on Lake Mead Day 2: Pirch Posed for another Victory

Las Vegas, Nev. -
September 11, 2012 -
WON Press Release
The one constant of a bass tournament is that change is going to happen. Don't like the weather conditions? Wait a while. When the field of anglers for the 30th Anniversary WON Bass Nitro Boats / Mercury U.S. Open awoke at Boulder Station Casino, it was obvious that change had occurred.

Clifford gains control for another win at the US Open.
(Photos: WON) 

The cloudy, blustery weather that had been predicted for the first day had held off, but it decided to make an appearance on day two. The day two takeoff conditions featured higher winds and a thick layer of storm clouds building out of the eastern shores of Lake Mead.

Normally, clouds and wind often signal an improved bite for anglers as baitfish are stirred up bringing a lake's bass population to life. However, being that the venue for this event is Lake Mead; those conditions can often have a negative effect.  

FLW Tour Potomac River Day 2: Lane On Top, Nixon Tumbles to Bottom

Bobby Lane Bolts to the Top

Bobby Lane ready to win again on the
Potomac River.
(Photo by Gary Mortenson FLW)

03.Jun.2011
FLW PRESS RELEASE

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla., caught a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds, 8 ounces Friday to capture the lead on day two of the Walmart FLW Tour on the Potomac River presented by the National Guard. His two-day catch of 10 bass weighing 35 pounds, 11 ounces gives him a 2-pound, 2-ounce lead heading into the third day of the tournament. There were 154 pros and 154 co-anglers from across the United States and Canada that started the tournament. The top 20 will fish day three and the top 10 will compete for the title on day four.

“This river has been good to me,” said Lane, who was in fifth place after day one. “The key factor in being successful on this river is learning the tides. For me there is an hour-and-a-half window when the high tide starts rolling in that gives me my opportunity. All my big fish came in that hour-and-a-half window.

“There is not one area that is going to produce consistently year after year,” Lane went on to say. “The traffic on the river is so heavy that it puts a lot of pressure on the fish and they tend to move to new areas. I have had a lot of success in many different areas on the river. This week I have been fishing some new water. The area I am fishing now seems to be where the brim are spawning and the bass are coming back to feed..

FLW Tour on Lake Chickamauga: Key Concepts

How they Stayed Alive on Chichamauga
By Luigi De Rose

Clifford working the posts. I guess he didn't see the sign.
(Photo: Rob Newell FLW)

Lake Chichamauga last week was a lake in transition. Water levels were fairly high during the practice period. Into the first two days of the tournament, the lake's water levels slowly dropped . On Friday afternoon, the sky opened and the rains came.  The intensity was so sever that the TVA, the authority who controls water levels on the lake, opened the dam to release the excess water. 

During the beginning of the week, anglers discovered bass in partially flooded shoreline cover. Other sections of the lake held spawning bass on beds. As the water dropped, to the utter shock of FLW Touring Pros, much of the productive cover what now out of the water and bass beds were left high and dry.

Once the dam gate closed, especially on Saturday and into Sunday the final day, the water levels began to climb. Unfortunately the new water was cold and muddy; erasing any chances to find bedding bass again. Many of the top anglers, including eventual winner Clifford Pirch and second place Shinichi Fukae, felt their sight fishing strategy was sunk.

Shinichi Fukae explained during a few different interviews that his primary area had become muddy and difficult to fish. Clifford Pirch used his skill to seek out the clearest water he could. He found it behind large marina complexes. The riprap, walkways, docks and any vertical cover he discovered would eventually yield enough bass to hold off for the win.

Clifford determined the marina was best because the area was not fed by a creek. Coves and bays which had a creek in the back instantly turned to chocolate milk with the heavy down pours. If spawning bass were present, anglers couldn't find them.


Scott flipping his way to 4th.
(Photo: Rob Newell FLW)


One angler who adopted to the dramatic changes extremely well was Scott Canterbury of Springville AL. He targeted trees. As the water flooded these fallen trees, the bass moved in and Scott was right behind them. He sacked of 19-09 which turned out to be the heaviest creel on Day 4. Everyone except him and Tom Monsoon  had poorer success on Sunday.

The lesson learnt on Lake Chickamauga is to practice with the intention of change. Anglers who stuck to steep bank and kept an eye on what could be good suffered the least and the one who banked on slow tapering shorelines watched in horror as their bass and luck got sucked out.

FLW Tour on Lake Chickamauga Day 4: Prich Grabs Prize on Chick!

Clifford Clinches First Win on Tour
Shinichi a solid second.

FLW Press Release

Clifford Pirch on Top.
(Photo: Brett Carlson FLW)

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Clifford Pirch of Payson, Ariz., caught a five-bass limit weighing 16 pounds, 10 ounces Sunday to win $125,000 at the Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Chickamauga presented by National Guard with a four-day catch of 20 bass weighing 77-3.

“This is awesome,” said Pirch, who now has won more than $645,000 in FLW Outdoors competition. “It’s exciting. When you’re sitting up there waiting to see what guys have it’s a little nerve wracking.

“The last two fish came late in the day and I knew they were really going to have to catch them,” Pirch added. “You never know what everybody else has got … if they found a pocket that warmed up just a couple of hours earlier than I did and put a hurt on them.”

“I’m pretty spent,” Pirch said. “You fish one of these things and have burned it at both ends … it’s one of those deals where you leave it all out on the lake. I’m worn, but I’m excited. It’s been a fun time.”

Pirch said he employed a Roboworm creature bait as well as a jig-head worm for sight fish and blind bed fishing. As the water levels rose during the week, Pirch said he had to adapt and become mobile and target specific pieces of cover slowly with a jig.

“I caught five fish today,” Pirch said. “I got five bites and I caught five of them. Any time that happens that’s just a blessing. I don’t know how else to explain it. I got exactly what I needed, and man, I’m thankful.

FLW Tour on Lake Chickamauga Day 4: Clifford Pirch Wins!

Pirch Wins First FLW!
By Luigi De Rose

Arizonian pro Clifford Pirch with his first FLW Tour event on Lake Chickamauga with four day total of 77-03. Shinichi Fakue finished second after weighing in 10-15, his smallest limit of the tournament. His four day total was 70-08. Tom Monsoor, finished third with 69-05 on the back of a respectable 15-02 day 4 limit. 
More info later tonight. 

Clifford Prich with his first WIN!

TOP 5
1. CLIFFORD PIRCH 77-03
2. SHINICHI FUKAE 70-08
3. TOM MONSOOR 69-05
4. SCOTT CANTERBURY 67-08
5. BRETT HITE 62-09

FLW Tour on Lake Chickamauga Day 3: Pirch Remains on Top

Pirch Remains on Top of Leader Board on Day 3

Lake Chickamauga Day 3 leader with a nice one.
(Photo: Rob Newell FLW)

FLW Press Release

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. –Clifford Pirch of Payson, Ariz., caught a five-bass limit weighing 16 pounds, 14 ounces Saturday to retain the lead at the Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Chickamauga presented by National Guard and advanced to the top 10 as the crucial No. 1 seed. With a three-day catch of 15 bass weighing 60-9,he now holds a 1-pound lead in the tournament going into the final day of competition.

“I pulled in there this morning and the water was at least two feet higher than it had been,” Pirch said. “The water clarity was still decent when I started, so I was glad to see that. I thought the sun was going to break free and warm them up and move some new ones in, but we didn’t get that. We had winds and clouds all day.”

Pirch didn’t reveal the techniques he employed on Saturday, however he did say that he was not sight fishing.

“It was just pure fishing,” Pirch said. “I was blessed with some good bites and caught quite a few fish. It went well and I certainly can’t complain.

“It’s hard to say what’s going to happen tomorrow,” Pirch added. “I’m thinking we’ll get some sun. They’re really wanting to move in. The temperature’s right and we’ve got a full moon this weekend. They’ve got to be coming.”

Cheez-It pro Shinichi Fukae of Palestine, Texas, advanced to the final round of 10 pros in the No. 2 spot with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 59-9.

Fukae said he caught the majority of his fish “junk fishing” by throwing soft plastics on a Texas-rig anchored with a 3/8-ounce weight as well as a chatterbait and crankbait. He said his deepest fish of the day came in no more than 8 feet of water. Fukae said he believes some of the fish he got to bite could have been spawning fish.

“I cannot see them because the water is high,” Fukae said. “They may be bedding fish because I missed them a couple of times and they still bite. I don’t know about tomorrow because the water is getting high and muddy and cold.

“They’re starting to scatter now,” Fukae added. “I caught 10 keepers the past two days and only six keepers today.”

Rounding out the top 10 pros and advancing to the final day of competition are:

FLW Tour on Lake Chickamauga Day 1: Shin Fukae Steals First

Fukae Takes Day 1 with 23-11
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.
FLW Official Press Release

Shinichi leads Lake Chickamauga.
(Photo: Brett Carlson FLW)

Cheez-It pro Shinichi Fukae of Palestine, Texas, crossed the stage Thursday with a five-bass limit weighing 23 pounds, 11 ounces to lead day one of the Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Chickamauga presented by National Guard. Fukae holds a 6-ounce lead over Clifford Pirch of Payson, Ariz., who caught five bass weighing 23-5 in a tournament featuring 154 anglers from all across the country and Canada.


“Two days of practice I was looking for bedding fish,” said Fukae, who said he was surprised he ended the first day of competition in the lead because he spent the day “junk fishing” - fishing using a variety of baits or methods. “But the water level got lower and everything was gone. Then on the third day of practice I found a couple of fish close to the bank. I didn’t have any confidence today, but I do have confidence right now.”


Fukae remained tight-lipped about the methods he used during the first day of competition, although he did say he was fishing near the bank and caught fish both shallow as well as a “little deeper.” Fukae said his bigger fish came in shallow water and looks for the more of the same with the lower water levels on Friday.