2020 Bassmaster Elite St. Lawrence River Day 2: Paul Mueller Hold Lead with 52-02lbs!

Canadians Chris Johnston 2nd, Jeff Gustafson 12th & Cory Johnston 19th
By David A. Brown
BASS PRESS RELEASE

Mueller continues to lead, Chris Johnston ounces behind.
(Photo BASS)

After sacking up 27 pounds, 1 ounce during Thursday’s opening round, Connecticut pro Paul Mueller added 25-1 Friday and maintained the lead in the SiteOne Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River with a two-day total of 52-2.

Committing his day to the massive waters of Lake Ontario, Mueller started on rock transitions in about 40 feet, but he seemed to struggle in the early going.

“Some of the places I had, they really suspended and those fish got tougher to catch,” Mueller said. “I realized I had to get away from that and once I found fish on the bottom, those fish were easier to catch.

“The fact that the shallower fish didn’t suspend is kind of intriguing, but I also think the deeper fish were feeding on something else other than gobies.”

Mueller got things moving in the right direction around 11:30 a.m. when he boated a 4 1/2-pounder, the first of four big fish he’d catch in about an hour. Moving into shallower areas and fishing rock structure in 20 to 26 feet proved to be the key decision.

He caught all of his fish on a drop shot with a Berkley MaxScent Flat Worm in the natural shad and goby colors. Noting that his fish seemed much spookier in the day’s clear, calm conditions, Mueller said he had to transition from vertical drops to a cast-and-drag presentation.

“The fish definitely got a little more finicky, and they definitely got a little more boat shy,” Mueller said. “I think boat shadow, livewell noise and the pinging transducer all contributed to that. The big thing for me today was keeping away from the fish.

2020 Bassmaster Elite St. Lawrence River Day 1: Paul Mueller Claims Lead with 27-01lbs!

Canadians Chris Johnston 2nd, Cory Johnston 19th & Jeff Gustafson 47th
By David A. Brown
BASS PRESS RELEASE

Despite Mueller's giant 7-13lb smallmouth, he only has a 1 ounce
lead over Christ Johnston. (Photo: BASS)  

Paul Mueller grabbed the Day 1 lead at the SiteOne Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence with an astounding limit weighing 27-1. Read more!

Tournament wisdom says you can’t win on Day 1, and you can’t win with a single bass.

But one giant bass certainly helped Connecticut pro Paul Mueller to a fantastic start Thursday, as he took the opening-round lead at the SiteOne Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River with a 27-pound, 1-ounce limit. His bag was anchored by a massive smallmouth that weighed 7-13.

Seeking to add another 2020 Elite win to his season-opening victory on Florida’s St. Johns River, Mueller spent his day in Lake Ontario, where he targeted rock transitions in 15 to 35 feet. His area was thick with gobies — a prime smallmouth forage — but Mueller said his open-minded approach was essential to his success.

“I didn’t get locked into a certain depth, even though I caught more fish deeper in practice,” Mueller said. “Today, I caught fish shallower and my Garmin LiveScope was the key. It told me if they were there or not.

“That’s going to be a big deal for me this week — using that LiveScope to pinpoint these fish daily because these fish move. Smallmouth are here today and gone tomorrow. With good electronics, you’re able to stay with them. I’m hoping I can just be consistent.” 

One of 17 competitors to break the 20-pound mark, Mueller caught all of his bass on a drop shot rigged with a Berkley MaxScent Flat Worm. He alternated between the natural shad and goby colors and used a custom 3/8-ounce Do-it Molds drop-shot weight. 

2020 Bassmaster Classic Lake Guntersville Day 1: Hank Cherry Grabs Lead with 29lbs!

Canadians Gustafson 12th, Chris Johnston 38th & Cory Johnston 45th
By Bryan Brasher
BASS PRESS RELEASE

Hank Cherry scored 29-03lbs and 8 pound lead.
Rock and wind helped steer himself into glory.
(Photo: BASS)

Halfway through Day 1 of the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk, North Carolina pro Hank Cherry fell and injured his right arm.

For a moment, he thought it might even be broken.

But Cherry powered through the pain — and with only one good arm, he caught five bass that weighed 29 pounds, 3 ounces to take the lead at the 50th edition of the Super Bowl of Professional Bass Fishing. Competition is taking place on Lake Guntersville with weigh-ins at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex.

Cherry said his injury, which occurred as he was reaching down to grab a fish, would likely require a visit to a local doctor — but it wouldn’t keep him from fishing Saturday morning.

“I didn’t expect to catch them like this at all,” Cherry said. “What I caught my fish on was actually plan B. But it’s plan A now, for sure.”

Scott Canterbury is the 2019 BASS Elite Angler of the Year; Cory Johnston Tied for 2nd!

Canadians Cory Johnston 2th, Chris Johnston 13th & Gussy 28th
By Bryan Brasher
BASS PRESS RELEASE

Canterbury claims AOY by 8 points of Johnston and Blaylock.
(Photo: BASS)

As a child, Scott Canterbury always spent his Saturday mornings watching The Bassmasters television program.

To him, the stars of that show — people like Bob Cobb, Ray Scott and Denny Brauer — are the true legends of professional bass fishing.

Now, he has forever claimed his own spot alongside them in B.A.S.S. history.

With five bass that weighed 19 pounds, 12 ounces during Tuesday’s final round, Canterbury pushed his three-day total to 59-4 and finished in 14th place for the week at the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship on Lake St. Clair.

More importantly, he finished at the top of the season points standings with 848 points, earning one of the most coveted titles in professional fishing and the $100,000 check that goes with it.

“My first goal coming into the season was to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic next year,” Canterbury said. “Angler of the Year is always there on the radar. It’s just way out there.

“You always set goals that you don’t think you can reach — because if they’re easy to reach, you didn’t set them high enough.”

2019 Bassmaster Elite Cayuga Lake Day 1: Chris Zaldain Scores Lead with 24-05lbs!

Gustafson 2nd, Cory Johnston 35th, Chris Johnston 49th.
By Bryan Brasher
BASS PRESS RELEASE

Despite Zaldain's gear being stolen, he came out swing!
(Photo: BASS)

Chris Zaldain’s day couldn’t have started much worse.

Or ended much better.

The California native who now lives in Fort Worth, Texas, woke up Thursday to find that several of his best rod-and-reels had been stolen during the night.

But with what he had left, he went out and caught five bass that weighed 24 pounds, 5 ounces to take the first-round lead at the SiteOne Bassmaster Elite at Cayuga Lake. His catch was 10 ounces better than that of second-place angler Jeff Gustafson (23-11) and one of 14 bags of the day that weighed at least 20 pounds.

“I opened up my rod box and my whole top layer — my starting lineup of Megabass rods and Shimano reels, $1,000 combos — were just gone,” Zaldain said. “It started out really bad. But I decided to salvage what I had, re-tie a few things and just stick to what I knew.”

As is often the case during the early rounds of an Elite event, Zaldain was tight-lipped about how he caught his fish. He said he only used two or three baits most of the day, but wasn’t specific about what they were.

It helped him, he added, that the situation took place on a fishery where the bass are often very cooperative once you locate them.

“Just like any northern fishery, when you find the bass here, they will bite,” he said. “I will say they’re not as easy to find as they were when we were here in 2016. I’m not finding huge groups of fish where you catch one every cast.

2019 Bassmaster Elite St. Lawrence River Day 2: Chris Johnston Continues to Lead with 47-4lbs!

Jeff Gustafson 32th & Cory Johnston 36th.

By James Hall

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Consistence key for Johnston's lead.
(Photo: BASS)

The only thing clearer than the pristine waters of New York’s St. Lawrence River is the realization that Elite Series pro Chris Johnston is a force to be reckoned with. The Canadian is known as a smallmouth specialist and earned that moniker after the first two days of the 2019 Berkley Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River presented by Black Velvet. Johnston weighed in 22-13 today, giving him a two-day total of 47-4 and the lead heading into Semi-Final Saturday. Still, Johnston is not overconfident.

“I have been leading on Day 2 on this river for more tournaments than I can count, and have blown it on the third day. So, I’m not going to count my chickens just yet,” Johnston said. Plus, the area he has fished relentlessly over the past two days alongside Elite Series pro Shane LeHew may no longer hold enough fish for the win. “I didn’t get a lot of bites today and only caught six or seven 4-pound fish there. And I never saw a kicker fish. So, I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to scramble tomorrow. I really believe the guy that wins this event is going to be the one who makes the best adjustments on the fly. I just hope I can figure out those adjustments.”

Hot on the trail of Johnston is Elite Series veteran Steve Kennedy, who is only 15 ounces out of the lead. The affable Alabama pro followed up his impressive Day 1 limit of 23-7 with another solid 22-14 worth of smallmouth for a total of 46-5. “I’m living on the edge,” Kennedy admitted. “I’m only fishing for seven or eight bites per day. If the weather report is accurate and we get overcast skies tomorrow, I might have to change my game plan.”

Kennedy’s tactic so far has been to cast a big glide bait to locate fish, then cast to the fish with a swim bait or hair jig. However, if he can’t see the fish, his weight could slide south.

“I’ve caught some of my biggest fish looking at them. I mean, I’ve had to cast four or five times at the bass to get them to bite. If I can’t see them, I may be in trouble.”

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.
 

New Z-Man® TicklerZ™ tones down fanfare, maximizes bites

Gussy gives the official bass-thumbs-up. Sometimes, the most alluring baits for bass and other species, by far, are the simplest in stature. The best minimalist baits don’t mimic anything specifically; they’re suggestive of aquatic life, approximating the size, silhouette and movements of a bite-sized critter. The anatomical opposite of exacting, match-the-hatch profiles, bare-bones Ned Rig baits do one thing extraordinarily well: catch fish in assembly-line numbers. That’s the idea behind Z-Man’s fresh-from-the-molds TRD TicklerZ™. Put one in the water and there’s no denying its simple, elegant appeal to underwater predators.

“What makes Ned Rig fishing so good is, well, nothing,” deadpans Brian (aka “B. Lat”) Latimer, winner of the 2019 FLW Tour event at Lake Seminole. Lest you misinterpret B. Lat’s take, first realize the Z-Man pro is actually a major Ned Rig fan. But he feels the key to sleek baits like the TicklerZ is its minimalist physique, as well as its buoyancy, which essentially breathes life into the presentation, sans angler intervention. “The TRD TicklerZ is my new favorite Ned bait—super unassuming, but with just enough subtle, bite-inducing appendages. It’s similar to the Hula StickZ™— my other favorite finesse bait— only in a shorter, stubbier package and with a smooth-skin texture. “I can’t tell you how to fish it, because you can’t fish it wrong,” B. Lat shrugs

Meanwhile, another migrating angler who splits time between bass- and walleye-rich Lake of the Woods, Ontario and southern U.S. Bassmaster Elite Series events, Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson says the TRD TicklerZ has been a revelation for both smallmouth and spotted bass. “Earlier this spring, we crushed the spotted bass with a Ned rigged TicklerZ at Lake Lanier. Came home and cleaned up on big smallmouths with the same combo on Lake of the Woods. For guiding kids and first-time anglers, it’s like fishing livebait, because there’s no wrong way to work it. That’s a sign you’ve got a sweet bait tied on.”

Brandon Cobb Wins 2019 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest with Massive 114lbs!

Canadians Gustafson 5th & Cory Johnston 5^th.

By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

 Brandon Cobb takes home the title at Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on Lake Fork after catching an impressive four-day total of 114 pounds. This is his second win of the 2019 Elite Series season.
(Photo: BASS)

Big Bass. Big Stage. Big Dreams. It’s the inspiring mantra B.A.S.S. unveiled before the 2019 Bassmaster Elite Series season, and it perfectly sums up the last two months for Brandon Cobb.

After earning his first Elite Series victory in April on Lake Hartwell in his home state of South Carolina, Cobb caught one big bass after another at Texas’ Lake Fork to amass a four-day total of 114 pounds. It earned him his second six-figure first-place prize of the season on one of the biggest stages in bass fishing — the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

He’s living his dream — big time.

“It’s absolutely been an amazing season for me,” said Cobb, who also earned an automatic berth into the 2020 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods with the victory. “I had a lot of success on the FLW Tour, but I never could quite put together a win.

“For so many things to go right this season, it’s just been a dream come true.”

Cobb went into the day with nearly an 8-pound advantage over his closest competitor. But after a slow start, he actually lost the lead for a while to Georgia pro Micah Frazier.

Then Cobb, a 29-year-old former college angler at Clemson University, started working the magic that helped him grab the lead during Sunday’s semifinal round with a catch of 37-15.

Cobb put a three-pounder in his livewell at 8:23 a.m. and then added a 4-13 and a 6-5 in the span of six minutes between 9:07 a.m. and 9:13. He added a 3-15 at 9:38 and a 6-2 at 9:43. At that point, he had 24-13 and the tournament seemed to be over.

He kept culling until his five biggest fish weighed 6-5, 6-2, 6-2, 5-10 and 5-12 for total weight of 29-15. All fish were weighed on the water and immediately released.

“It was really boring until you’d run into them,” he said. “Then when you’d hit them, it was amazing.”

Cobb caught the bulk of his weight all week fishing around shallow shellbeds where bass were feeding on spawning shad. His primary bait was a Dual Hardcore Minnow Flat 110 SP jerkbait in ghost pro blue.

“I was basically running points and flats, and the areas I was fishing might be 6 feet deep for 200 yards,” he said. “But the fish, when they were eating, were in 1 to 2 1/2 feet of water up on the tops of the shellbeds.

“I’ve got mud all over me because I had to pick mud off my jerkbait bill just about every cast. I was literally jerking it into the bottom.”

Surface activity always signaled Cobb that the fishing was about to get good.

2019 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest Day 3: Brandon Cobb Scores 37lb Limit and Lead!

Canadians Gustafson 9th & Cory Johnston 10^th.

By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

This 11 pounder plus 2 8-ponders equal mega limit for Cobb!
(Photo: BASS)

After catching two bass in the 8-pound range by 10 a.m., Brandon Cobb was already having one of the best days of fishing he’s ever had.

Then the bite of a lifetime at 2 p.m. moved the day to the very top of his list.

The giant afternoon bass, which weighed 11 pounds, 1 ounce and ranked as his biggest ever, lifted Cobb’s five-bass limit for the day to 37-15.

Now, with a three-day total of 84-1, he will enter the final day of Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on Lake Fork with margin of 7-5 over his closest competition.

“I’ve never had a day like this before — not even close,” said Cobb, who recorded his first Bassmaster Elite Series victory in April on Lake Hartwell. “A 29-pound limit was my best ever until the other day (Thursday), when I caught 31-11. Now this is without a doubt the most amazing day I’ve ever had on the lake.”

Cobb went into the day with two-part game plan.

He expected to spend much of his time fishing shallow shellbeds away from the shoreline where bass have been feasting all week on spawning shad. Then he planned to fish shoreline cover where he’s been catching good numbers of solid bass, but nothing huge.

The shad-spawn bite paid off big time, as he caught an 8-8, an 8-13 and a 4-4 — all before noon. Then when he moved to the shoreline, he found something he wasn’t expecting.

“When I went to fish the bank, honestly, I expected to catch 3-pounders,” Cobb said. “That was my goal for the day — to catch big ones off the shad spawn and then fill a limit fishing the bank.

“But then, when I went to the bank, I caught an 11 and a 5.”

The 11-1 monster not only helped Cobb jump into the overall lead, it put him in first place for Toyota Tundra Big Bass of the Week. The prize for that award is a new Toyota Tundra truck.

Cobb was fishing a frog down a shoreline when he noticed the big bass sitting on a bed. He dropped his Power-Poles, believing the bass weighed 7 or 8 pounds.

Then he proceeded to pester the fish until it bit.

“It was one of those fish that looked like it was gonna bite every cast,” Cobb said. “Every cast I would make, it would kind of nose down and look at it. It took about 20 minutes to finally get it to eat. But with the way she was acting, I knew I could catch her.”

Cobb’s meteoric rise was aided in part by the struggles of Michigan pro Chad Pipkens. After catching 30-plus pounds the first two days and entering Day 3 with more than an 11-pound lead, Pipkens caught just four fish Sunday that weighed 5-8.

2019 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest Day 2: Chap Pipkens Lengths Lead with 62-12lbs!

Canadians Gustafason 7th, Cory Johnston 13th & Chris Johnston 40^th

By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Pipkens has a massive 12lb lead!
(Photo: BASS)

After two days of competition at the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the anglers will take a break from fishing Saturday.

Chad Pipkens said he will welcome the break — and with the cushion he has in the standings, he should rest easy.

Pipkens’ five biggest bass during today’s second round weighed 30 pounds, 15 ounces — his second straight day with more than 30 pounds — and he maintained his overall lead in the event with a massive, two-day total of 62-14.

 That means he’ll have a gigantic cushion of 11-4 over his closest competitor when fishing resumes Sunday morning.

“I had probably the best hour and a half of fishing I’ve ever had — and I got to have it on the right day,” said Pipkens, a Michigan resident who is fishing just two months after breaking his collarbone while playing ice hockey. “I’ve seen it like that before, but it happened on the wrong day when I had to let up on them.

“We have an off day tomorrow. So today, I was able to just keep hammering them.”

Unlike Thursday’s first round when Pipkens struggled early, he got off to a fast start today, exploiting an early-morning shad-spawn bite in shallow water. He caught a nice-size largemouth off his first spot and then moved to another spot where things got as good for him as they’ve ever been.

2019 Bassmaster Elite Lake Hartwell Day 1: Brandon Cobb Score Lead with 19-02lbs

Canadians Gustafson 15th, Cory Johnston 17th & Chris Johnston 27th
BASS PRESS RELEASE

Local Cobb able to capitalize on spawning and post-spawn bite.
(Photo: BASS)

When Brandon Cobb realized the bass might be spawning for this week’s Bassmaster Elite at Lake Hartwell, he grimaced just a little bit.
 
Cobb is a South Carolina native who grew up fishing Hartwell, and he knows things about the lake that others don’t. He was afraid the spring spawn would bring the bass into clear view for the entire field, neutralizing his home-field advantage.
 
Turns out, they are spawning.
 
But so far, his advantage seems to be intact.
 
Cobb brought five bass to the scales today that weighed 19 pounds, 9 ounces and took the Day 1 lead at the third Elite Series event of the season. He has a 2-pound advantage over North Carolina pro Hank Cherry and Georgia pro Micah Frazier, who each caught 17-9.
 
“There are a lot of fish on bed out here right now,” Cobb said. “But I know what this lake looks like when there’s an all-out spawn going on, and it’s just not happening.
 
“There have been some fish caught on beds, and there will be some more caught off the beds. But judging from today and from what I saw in practice, the spawn is not in full swing.”
 
Cobb said he caught a couple of bass on spawning nests himself today, but he also caught prespawn and postspawn fish.
 
His experience on the lake played a big role in his first-round success — just as he’d hoped it would.
 
“I didn’t really have a specific pattern today,” said Cobb, a former member of the Clemson University bass fishing team who holds a degree in wildlife and fisheries biology. “I basically just ran a lot of stuff where I’ve caught them in the past. Since practice was so bad, I just fished a lot of stuff I was familiar with.”
 
Just as Cobb wouldn’t offer specific details about how he caught his bass, Cherry was vague about how he ended up in second place. The seventh-year Elite Series pro weighed in four solid largemouth and one impressive shoal bass that weighed just over 3 pounds.
 

2019 Bassmaster Elite St. Johns River Day 1: Robbie Lastuso Leads with 25-02lbs!

Chris Johnston 7th, Cory Johnston 8th  & Gustafson 69th
By Bryan Brasher
BASS PRESS RELEASE

Spawn is on in Florida!
(Photo: BASS)

After a tough practice, Robbie Latuso said he only had one area that he felt confident about heading into Thursday’s opening round of the Power-Pole Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River.

But it turned out to be a good area — and it just kept getting better as the day went along.

The third-year Elite Series pro from Gonzales, La., caught a solid limit early and then steadily culled up until he had a five-bass limit that weighed 25 pounds, 2 ounces. The big bag, which was anchored by an 8-6 largemouth, was good enough for the Day 1 lead.

“I got to that spot and caught a bunch of fish that were all about 3 pounds,” Latuso said. “Then I finally caught a 3-10. Then I caught a 5-pounder. Then I caught the biggest one and another big fish — about a 5-pounder — toward the end of the day.

“So I really caught most of my big fish later.” 

With three days left to fish, anglers are always stingy with details. But Latuso said he’s using a technique he’s very comfortable with — and he believes his one magic spot could actually be better for Friday’s second round. 

 “I think more fish are coming to that area,” he said. “So I’m just gonna go out there tomorrow and have fun again and try to get five more bites.”

Latuso’s 8-plus was impressive, but it wasn’t nearly the biggest bass caught on a day when the Florida fishery really showed its muscle. The Top 10 anglers in the standings all had more than 20 pounds, and the biggest bass of the day was an 11-2 behemoth caught by Virginia angler John Crews.

The giant fish — which Crews said broke his personal-best mark of 11-1 by an ounce — anchored a five-bass limit that weighed 24-13 and moved Crews into second place. 

In a scene that would make even the most experienced anglers queasy, Crews landed the bass on a spinning rod with only 12-pound-test line. 

“I had caught four, and I knew I had a pretty decent bag,” Crews said. “I knew if I could just catch one more keeper, I would be in good shape. So I actually just started fishing around and picked up that spinning rod.”

He knew the bass was big when he set the hook, but it was while before he knew exactly how big.

“It went all over the place, got hung up in a tree and came out,” Crews said. “But I didn’t get in a big hurry.

“When it jumped, I thought it was a 6- or 7-pounder. When it got close to the boat and jumped again, I thought it was an 8 or 9. Then when I lipped it, it just kept coming out of the water and I knew it was at least a 10.”

Crews referred to his day as a “typical Florida day” because along with the big fish, he also had one that weighed only about 14 ounces. He said he has no idea what Friday will hold, but he’s seen proof positive once again that a big bass can bite at any moment in this state.

Having just turned 40 last year, Crews has been with the Elite Series since its inception in 2006. Another Elite Series veteran, 54-year-old Mark Menendez from Paducah, Ky., fished his way into third place Thursday — and like the two anglers ahead of him, his bag was anchored by a giant. 

Menendez weighed in five bass that tipped the scales at 24-8 with a 9-13 anchoring the bag.

“My day was real slow,” said Menendez, who has three career B.A.S.S. victories. “I lost my first two bites, and they were little peanuts.”

He was about to leave and make a long run, but instincts told him to explore the stretch he was on just a little further. 

Expanded Shimano Pro-Staff Ready for 2019 Tournament Season!

BPS, Elites and FLW Tour heavy with Shimano Pros

As the professional bass fishing tours kick off their 2019 seasons, there are both established anglers and rising stars ready to show off their skills using the latest in Shimano tackle, G. Loomis rods, PowerPro braided line, and Jackall bass baits.

JVD donig Shimano/ G. Loomis proud on BPS tour. 

“All of us at Shimano are excited to be working with and providing exceptional tackle to some of the best bass anglers both in the U.S. and Canada,” said Kurt Mazurek with Shimano North American Fishing, Inc. “With 2019 being an interesting year for the pro-level bass fishing trails, we are anxious to watch how the three major circuits can generate more interest in bass fishing, and in turn, push Shimano to always be a leader in fishing tackle technology.”

On the Bassmaster Elite circuit, pro anglers including Keith Combs, Brett Preuett, Bernie Shultz, and newcomers Greg Dipalma and Ed Loughran are all using Shimano rods and reels. Clent Davis, the 2018 FLW champ, will now be using Shimano reels as an Elite angler.

Part of the ‘Canada invasion’ to the B.A.S.S. Elite angler ranks, Jeff Gustafson, Chris Johnston and Cory Johnston will be casting Shimano reels spooled up with PowerPro braid, Shimano and G. Loomis rods, and an assortment of Jackall lures.

The FLW tour will see Alex Davis, Josh Douglas and Brandon McMillan flying the Shimano colors. Davis and Douglas also use G. Loomis rods and spool their Shimano reels up with PowerPro.

On Major League Fishing’s new Bass Pro Tour, the Shimano brands are well represented. Continuing their use of Shimano reels are James Elam – now also using Shimano rods, and David Walker and Jonathon VanDam, who both also use G. Loomis rods. Aaron Martens continues to fish with Shimano Curado DC and Metanium casting reels, along with Stella spinning reels. New to the Shimano team is past Bassmaster Classic and FLW Cup winner Luke Clausen all rigged-up with Shimano reels and G. Loomis rods.

“We have long-time pros who continue to show they know their way around just about any lake, anglers just starting their professional fishing careers, and a solid group with plenty of experience who can easily be at the top of the leaderboard at any of the tournaments,” Mazurek said. “Having them use Shimano rods and reels, G. Loomis rods, PowerPro braid and Jackall lures at the events helps us prove the tackle’s durability, performance and fish-catching features to the hundreds of thousands of bass anglers who follow pro bass fishing. We look forward to all the upcoming events from B.A.S.S., FLW and MLF.”

Johnston Brothers Bassmaster Elites for 2019

Cory and Chris moving to BASS
By Luigi De Rose

From left to right: Cory Johnston, Jeff Gustafson, and Chris Johnston
(Photo by Jeff Gustafson)

Canadian fishing brothers Cory and Chris Johnston have made the decision to move to the Bassmaster Elite in 2019. Cory stated in his Facebook announcement that fishing in the Bassmaster Classic has been a childhood dream and this move to the Elites is a step in the right direction to fulfilling that dream. They will be joining fellow Canadian Jeff "Gussy" Gustafson who announced his decision two weeks ago.