Bassmaster Elite Evan Williams Bourbon Carolina Clash Day 3

Local Boy Ashley Lead Day 3


By Luigi De Rose

Casey's on top.
(Photos: James Overstreet BASS)

The Bassmaster Elite anglers had a rough ride today. The highs were high but the lows were very low. Many who did very well the last two days barely qualified for the Top 12. South Carolina's Casey Ashley took the lead after Day Three on Lake Murray. His charming grin said it all when he placed his limit on the scales and claimed first place. Being a local might be his saving grace as he understands the moods of schooling largemouth bass.

Look carefully to see the double white flukes.

He seems to be doing most of his damage on a double fluke rig. This employs tandem Texas rigged soft jerkbaits. Jerked on the surface or just below it, bass envision fleeing bait fish and attack. Many are using this technique but Casey has the timing down. He is also been using topwaters and hard swimbaits but he has been tight lipped about confirming or denying specifics.

TOP 20
Place/name/day 3 weight/total
1 Casey Ashley 15-13  45-14
2 Michael Iaconelli 16- 6  43- 5
3 Jeff Connella 14-11  42- 4
4 Kevin Wirth 15- 3  42- 1
5 Tommy Biffle 16- 7 42- 0
6 Jami Fralick 14-15 41- 4
7 Davy Hite  11-12 41- 3
8 Brian Snowden 12-12 41- 1
9 Edwin Evers  18- 8 39-12
10 Rick Clunn 11-13 39- 9
11 Chris Lane 14- 9 39- 0
12 Fred Roumbanis 7-14 38- 7
13 Morizo Shimizu 12-12 38- 3
14 Marty Robinson 11- 8 37-13
15 Clark Reehm 13-11 37-10
16 John Crews 15-10 37- 7
17 Bradley Roy 14-13 37- 5
18 Dustin Wilks  11-13 37- 5
19 Matt Reed  14-15 36-14
20 David Smith 11-11 36- 8

Bassmaster Elite Evan Williams Bourbon Carolina Clash Day 2

Boom Boom Busts to the Top!

By Deb Johnson

BASS Official Press Release

May 13, 2011

Booming BOOM BOOM!
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

COLUMBIA, S.C. — In a second-day rally to repeat his 2008 Bassmaster Elite Series title on Lake Murray, Fred Roumbanis shot from 34th place into the lead Friday at the Evan Williams Bourbon Carolina Clash.
With a catch of 18-4 Friday for a two-day total of 30-9, the pro from Bixby, Okla., kept two South Carolina challengers at bay, but just barely. Eight ounces back was Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., who put up 30-1 for two days. A home-lake favorite, Davy Hite of Ninety Six, S.C., fell one spot into third with 29-7 after two days.
Fourth and fifth places were secured by pros from Missouri: Brian Snowden with 28-5, and Rick Clunn with 27-12.
Roumbanis struggled on the first day, but was able to turn it around and establish a pattern he said is strong enough to carry him to a repeat win. He encountered a slight hitch: The pattern drew strikes from stripers, too.
“It was a little slow because I started catching striped bass. Every time I’d hook a fish, I’d say, ‘Please be a bass, please be a bass.’”

Bassmaster Elite Evan Williams Bourbon Carolina Clash Day 2

Lake Murray: What's Happening!
Lake Murray - Columbia, SC, May 12 - 15, 2011

By Luigi De Rose

Fred " Boom Boom" Roumbais is on top on Day 2 of the Bassmaster Elite Evan Williams Bourbon Carolina Clash. The who and what will be covered in the official BASS press release. I will be discussing the where and how to catching them at Lake Murray.

Points and herring are the key ingredients to the early morning bite. Rick Clunn, the legend of all legends and currently in 5th stated that the herring bite is early and quick. With that in mind almost every angler was zipping back and forth between points waiting and hoping for a school to erupt. Many had success and many others didn't Check out these photos to see the action.



Davy Hite in 3rd working the points.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)



Ike zipps around Ott De Foe as Ott fishes a point.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

  Another surprising trend is all the spinning gear. Lighter line and further casts are needed to work the schools of bass and these pros are all on to it. Very interesting to watch how many of these Elite stars felt spinning was the way to go.

Ike's got one.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)



Big Show has one.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)




Even Jami got one.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

The most important ingredient is the correct lures to catch schooling bass. Soft plastic jerkbaits, swimbaits and topwaters are all deadly. 

What? No flipping jigs. Even Biffle is after the schoolers.
(Photo: Seigo Saito BASS)

A little double rigged fluke rig for South Carolina’s Jason Williamson.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

 AGAIN SORRY FOR THE DELAY BUT BLOGGER WAS DOWN.









Bassmaster Elite Evan Williams Bourbon Carolina Clash: Day 1

Fralick Find Enough for First

Lake Murray - Columbia, SC, May 12 - 15, 2011

By Deb Johnson

BASS Press Release

May 12, 2011

Fralick Finds Them.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Jami Fralick was struggling on Lake Murray until he landed a 6-pound, 9-ounce largemouth, the anchor to his 17-9 bag and the key to the first-day lead in the Evan Williams Bourbon Carolina Clash.

“It was tough out there. I didn’t get the number of bites I thought I was going to get. I was fortunate to catch that 6-9 — that turns around a tough day pretty fast,” said the pro from Martin, S.D.

Fralick edged ahead of Davy Hite of Ninety Six, S.C., who considers Lake Murray home water. The winner of the season’s third event, Hite had 16-7 to show for his day.

Bass fishing legend Rick Clunn was third with 15-12, and John Crews ended the day in fourth place just 1 ounce behind Clunn. Rounding out the top five with 15-8 was Steve Kennedy, who on May 8 won the Elite event on West Point Lake in his native Georgia.

The day started with fishing-favorable overcast skies, but ripened to hot sun over slick water, factors that made the post-spawn bite on Murray a challenge for most of the Bassmaster Elite Series field. Only 78 of the 99 anglers were able to bring in limits.