Jacob Powroznik Aiming for Back-To-Back Wins After Knockout Round Victory!

Records falling on Chick!

Major League Fishing Press Release

Almost as soon as he drove away from Raleigh, North Carolina - a Bass Pro Tour trophy riding shotgun in his Toyota Tundra - Major League Fishing® (MLF) pro Jacob Powroznik was already talking about how much he likes to fish Lake Chickamauga. The Virginia pro, who won Stage Three in Raleigh just two weeks ago, has competed on this impoundment of the Tennessee River multiple times and identifies it as one of his favorite fisheries.

 

Powroznik readies for second win in a row.
(Photo: MLF)

In Saturday's Knockout Round of the Econo Lodge Stage Four presented by Evinrude, Powroznik showed why. After hovering around the middle of the Top 10 for the majority of the first two periods, Powroznik connected with 10 fish for 20-15 in the final period to finish first in the round with 67-14 on the day.

 

"I love throwing a wacky worm, I love bed fishing, I love fishing while they're spawning, and that's what's going on here right now," said Powroznik. "It would be hard for me to win a five-fish event doing what I'm doing right now, but in our format, you get to go out and catch as many bass as you possibly can. That suits my style of fishing right now. I've seen some big ones - they're just 'cranky' right now - but those 2- to 3-pounders are biting really good right now, and I'm just fine with that."

 

Powroznik will be joined in Sunday's Championship Round of 10 by: Todd Faircloth (63-12), Mike Iaconelli (59-8), Brandon Palaniuk (56-15), Andy Morgan (56-3), Luke Clausen (53-10), Keith Poche (52-3), Jared Lintner (52-1), Edwin Evers (50-15) and Michael Neal (49-11).  

 

Today's weights will be wiped clean as the finalists start the Championship Round with a zero score. 

 

Final-Period Knockout Drama  

 

The final 2 ½ hours of competition saw several dramatic stories play out, none more so than Iaconelli's. The Berkley pro entered the third period in 24th place - well out of contention for a Top 10 spot - but then connected with nine fish for 23-5 in the final 30 minutes on a squarebill to catapult him to third place.

 

"It's not a magic spot, I don't have a magic bait, it wasn't something I did or changed, it wasn't dumb luck, it was just timing," Iaconelli said. "It was just a place where they started to pull up on and started to feed, and I happened to fish it at just the right time. I've been doing this for 22, 23 years professionally, and that was the most magical 20 minutes of my tournament career."

 

2019 Bassmaster Classic Tennessee River Day 2: Jacob Wheeler Take Lead with 32-06lbs

Zaldain, Ike, MDJ & Wheeler score big limits. 

By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Wheeler's luck in Tennessee continues as he moves into the lead
with 17-11lb limit on Day 2.
(Photo: BASS)

During the early portions of practice for the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, Jacob Wheeler discovered a pattern that he knew would put bass in his livewell.

But since it seemed a little too obvious, he spent the latter portions of practice looking for something he thought no one else would find.

He ultimately went back to the obvious — and it has him in position to win the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing.

After landing 14 pounds, 11 ounces during Friday’s opening round, Wheeler caught five bass Saturday that weighed 17-11 and sprang into first place with a two-day total of 32-6. His five-bass limit Saturday was one of the few weighed in this week that featured all smallmouth.

“I know this crew,” Wheeler said. “I knew they would figure out the same thing I had figured out. Even though there are miles and miles and miles of water, they were going to figure it out.

“I tried to move around the lake, be smart about it and just fish what looked good to me — looking for that needle in the haystack. But I never found it, so I just had to fall back to what I knew I had.”

No angler on earth is more guarded with his techniques than the one who leads the Bassmaster Classic heading into the final round. So Wheeler only said that he was fishing a “reaction bite” with moving baits.

He said catching five smallmouth Saturday was a surprise.

“If you would have told me at the start of the tournament that eight of my 10 fish so far would be smallmouth, I would have said there’s no way,” Wheeler said. “It’s been so hard to catch a smallmouth — even a nonkeeper.”

“That is not something I thought I had dialed in at all.”

Buy Yourself a New Reel! You've Earned it!

With Christmas coming up soon, it might be a great time to treat yourself to a new fishing reel. Listen to Mike Iaconelli as he explains why you need to invest in a top of the line reel.

2017 Bassmaster Classic Bracket Showdown on Lake Pokegama Day 3

Monroe and Powroznik prevail.

By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Then there was two. Ish and Jacob battle for last Classic spot.
(Photo: BASS)

When the Bassmaster Elite Series season began, 110 of the best pro fishermen in the world had a chance to qualify for the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.

Now, after eight months and thousands of miles traveled on the nation’s interstates and waterways, that race for a last-chance berth is down to two.

California pro Ish Monroe and Virginia pro Jacob Powroznik both won their matches during Thursday’s semifinal round of the Bassmaster Classic Bracket event on Pokegama Lake, Minnesota. That means they’ll battle head-to-head Friday from 7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. CT for an automatic Classic berth.

The Classic Bracket started Tuesday with the Top 8 anglers from the final Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings who failed to qualify for the Classic. All of the action from the catch-weigh-release event has been carried by Bassmaster LIVE online at Bassmaster.com.

bracket_day3_results.png

Here’s a look at how the semifinals played out.

Ish Monroe vs. Michael Iaconelli

The two anglers, who are close friends and frequent roommates on the Elite Series, were close in the standings most of the day, with Monroe using a plastic frog to catch largemouth around shallow grass and Iaconelli relying heavily on a jerkbait to catch offshore smallmouth.

2017 Bassmaster Classic Bracket Showdown on Lake Pokegama

Two matches, with a camera on each angler's boat, will be held from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m today and the other two matches will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. On Wednesday, the anglers will complete their six-hour matches in the other time slot, morning to afternoon and vice versa.On Thursday, there will be two full-day matches simultaneously, and the final will be on Friday.

2017 ICAST VMC Weedless Neko Hooks

The brand new VMC Neko weedless hook. Offset point, resin closed eye, long shank and wide gaps make is perfect for cover and open water. The 2 strands of Fluorocarbon make it a super weedless hook. The closed eye works well with all sizes and styles of fishing line.

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.

Who Has the Right on Public Water? Mike "Ike" Iaconelli and Local Angler Scrap it Out!

Who does have the right?
By Luigi De Rose

This topic has come to a head a few times in 2016; conflict between fisherman and tournament angler.  Many cry foul during an event when a local comes in too close. It’s never cool to squeeze someone out of their fishing area but who really does have the right?  How many tournament guys have arrived at their best spot, spied a few boats fishing only to ignore them and willingly go right in. Their excuse is often that money is on the line so they just have to fish their best spot. If you own an aluminum boat, especially a Jon boat, I would say this has happened to you and probably very often. 

The pressing question is how much space does someone really need? Are you entitled to have 50m, 100m or 1km or jack squat? The unwritten rule of "first come first served" has always worked in the past but you cannot always be first. Regardless of which side you're on in this argument, have a look at this video and determine for yourself if Ike violated the respect of another angler. 

ICAST 2016 New Molix Supernato Beetle Topwater with Mike Iaconelli and I...

One of the coolest baits at the 2016 ICAST show was the Molix Supernato Beetle topwater bait. Ike explains why it is a must for anyone looking for an edge or just because it looks so damn cool!

ICAST 2016 ABU Garica Revo MGXtreme 2 with Mike Iaconelli

The ABU Garcia released an amazing new baitcaster at the 2016 ICAST show. The new Abu Revo MGXtreme 2 is one of the lighters, fastest and smoothest casting reels ever made. Listen to Mike Iaconelli as he explains its features.

ICAST 2016 New Crawfish Rapala with Mike Iaconelli

Mike has the latest colours available in DT and Balsa lures from Rapala. He'll explains which colours he loves and when to fish them so you'll be successful.

ICAST 2016 VMC Finesse Ruby Head Jigs with Mike Iaconelli

If you love to finesse fish then the new VMC Ruby jighead is for you. Let Mike Iaconelli explain all its features.

2016 BASS Elite Cayuga Lake Day 1: Shimizu Smashes into Lead with 23!

5 Big Mammas!

By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

As a native of Osaka, Japan, Morizo Shimizu doesn’t speak quite as much English as the average angler on the Bassmaster Elite Series.

But he knows the words “Big Mama” very well.

That’s the nickname he uses for the size bass he likes to catch — and on Thursday, he caught five of them.

Big largemouth key for Japanese pro.
(Photo: BASS)

Shimizu, an 11-year veteran of the Elite Series, brought 23 pounds, 6 ounces to the scales and took the first-round lead in the Busch Beer Bassmaster Elite at Cayuga Lake. His catch was anchored by a 6-3 largemouth that he said came during the afternoon hours.

“I catch about eight fish all day,” Shimizu said in his usual broken English. “But I only catch five big ones. I caught fish early and late — all day long — from about 5 feet of water. But the biggest one came during afternoon.”

Including Shimizu’s mammoth catch, the 107-angler field produced 12 bags that weighed 20 pounds or more. It took 19-5 to make the Top 20 and 16-15 to make the Top 50 — the highest Day 1 mark needed to make the Top 50 this year.

Spawning smallmouth played a role for many anglers, but Shimizu opted to fish for largemouth because the smallies he located during practice had disappeared.

“I saw some on beds, but they had gone,” he said. “I don’t know if somebody caught them or if they just left. But they weren’t there anymore.”

New Jersey pro Michael Iaconelli was second with 21-15 — and like Shimizu, he chose to concentrate mainly on largemouth.

2015 Bassmaster Elite St. Lawrence River Day 3: Evers Continues to Lead!

E2 on pace to win two in a row!

By Bryan Brasher

bass press release

WADDINGTON, N.Y. — With several distinct patterns still in play and nine anglers within 6 pounds of the lead, the Evan Williams Bourbon Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River is setting up perfectly for a dramatic finish on Championship Sunday.

Bassfest winner Evers ready to win his second smallmouth fest.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

Edwin Evers, who began Saturday’s semifinal round with a lead of more than 3 pounds, retained the top spot with a catch of 16 pounds, 6 ounces that pushed his three-day total to 60-2. But his cushion dwindled to less than 1 1/2 pounds, with Arizona pro Josh Bertrand (58-11), Texas angler Alton Jones (57-8), New Jersey pro Michael Iaconelli (57-0) and a suddenly red-hot Kevin Ledoux (56-5) of Oklahoma trailing close behind.

Evers stayed on top despite some early-morning trouble with his batteries.

2015 Bassmaster Elite Lake Guntersville Day 3: Ike Keeps Leads as Leaderboard Flip-slops!

Ike  Struggles as Skeet Advances!

By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. – Michael Iaconelli’s ever-evolving game plan for the Diet Mtn Dew Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville took another drastic turn during Saturday’s third round.
The New Jersey pro switched to a Carolina Rig – a technique he calls his “next-to-least-favorite way” to fish – and managed a five-bass limit that weighed 16 pounds, 7 ounces. It pushed his three-day total to 69-8 and kept him in the lead for the third straight day.
Iaconelli’s margin dwindled, however, dropping from nearly 5 pounds as the day began to just 2-2 entering Sunday’s championship round. California pro Skeet Reese caught 25-1 Saturday and jumped into second with 67-6, followed by Tennessean David Walker (67-4) and Oklahoma angler Jason Christie (65-7).

Just enough for IKE to keep lead. (Photo: BASS)

“My least-favorite way to catch fish is with a jiggin’ spoon,” Iaconelli said. “After that, it would be Carolina-rigging.  But if I had not pulled out that Carolina Rig, I probably would have only weighed in about 11 pounds today.”
Iaconelli worked the same area that produced catches of 28-2 and 24-15 the first two days. But the fishing was much tougher due to strong winds that made the lake choppy and eventually caused some areas to become stained with mud.
He said he’ll have to decide before take-off Sunday whether he’ll stick with the area that’s been so good to him or finally make a move.
“I still believe in my heart that the area I’m fishing is the winning area,” Iaconelli said. “It’s so hard to leave. My mind keeps thinking I just need to stay in there the entire day and commit. I’m going to go home and think about it tonight.”
Iaconelli did leave the area briefly Saturday to check out a spot where he had found several fish on spawning beds during practice. But after inspecting that area, he said he abandoned any thought of sight-fishing the rest of the way.
“I took it off the table,” Iaconelli said. “When I ran in there today, there were dudes on the bank everywhere. So I just decided I’m not bed fishing.”
Though it helped him hang onto the lead Saturday, Iaconelli said he believes another 16-pound catch Sunday will sink his chances for a wire-to-wire victory. He thinks it’ll take 20-plus pounds, possibly even mid-20s, to win.

2015 Bassmaster Elite Lake Guntersville Day 2: Ike Takes 5 Pound Lead Going into Weekend!

Consistency a difficult feat as bass move shallow.

By Bryan Brasher

bass press release

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. – After rocketing into the lead with 28 pounds, 2 ounces on the first day of the Diet Mtn Dew Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville, Michael Iaconelli went back out during Friday’s second round with intentions of fishing the same way.

Ike lands a shallow brute!
(Photo: Steve Bowman BASS)

But after a while, things just didn’t feel right. So he followed his instincts, made a quick adjustment and put together another fantastic catch of 24-15 to widen his lead in the event with a two-day total of 53-1.

The remainder of the top five anglers on the leaderboard saw some drastic changes on a day that was delayed one hour by thunderstorms. David Walker (48-6) moved into second, followed by Carl Jocumsen (46-8), Byron Velvick (45-3) and Brent Ehrler (43-13). With the lake itself undergoing changes, even more shifting could happen atop the leaderboard Saturday.

“On Thursday, I thought I knew exactly what was happening,” Iaconelli said. “After today, I believe there’s a lot more fish moving up to spawn than I thought and a lot more fish coming out for the post-spawn than I thought. There are a lot of fish on the move.”

Iaconelli, who never said which lures he was using Thursday, said he switched to a crankbait when things got slow Friday. That’s when he caught two of his largest fish of the day.

“The first cast on a crankbait, I caught one that weighed almost 8 pounds,” Iaconelli said. “The next one on a crankbait was a 6-pounder. That was a key decision, because without those two fish, I probably would have only weighed in about 16 or 17 pounds.”

Casey Ashley is the 2015 Bassmaster Classic Champ!

Casey Ashley wins hometown Classic with dad's homemade baits

By Bryan Brasher

bass press release

GREENVILLE, S.C. - On Sunday evening at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Casey Ashley completed a journey that began more than three decades ago and seemed to drag on forever these past few weeks.

The 31-year-old South Carolina native, who has lived just a few miles from Lake Hartwell all his life, caught five bass that weighed 20 pounds, 3 ounces to cap a moving victory in the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro on his home waters with a three-day total of 50-1.

The weight was enough to help Ashley past Florida pro Bobby Lane, Jr., who finished second with 46-15, and Texas angler Takahiro Omori who placed third with 44-3.

Casey kept underspin spinning all day to capture win by 3 pounds.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

The end of the weigh-in meant Ashley could finally take a deep breath after seven weeks when the lake was mostly off-limits due to B.A.S.S. rules and when virtually everyone he saw wanted to talk about him being the favorite to win.

“I worked a show in Greenville at the TD Convention Center (in mid-January), and I bet I thought about the Classic 50,000 times while I was standing there,” said Ashley, who won the event on his sixth try. “My first Classic was here (in 2008), and ever since then I’ve been saying I’d like to have that one back.
“I wanted to win so bad here at home, and I had a long time to think about it. It was pretty rough.”

2015 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell Day 2: Omori Leads Ounces Over Rojas and Ike!

By Bryan Brasher

BASS press release

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The final day of the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro on Lake Hartwell is shaping up to be a free-for-all with a handful of former Classic champions sitting atop the standings with the coveted trophy and $300,000 first-place prize well within their grasp.

Takahiro Omori, a Japanese angler who now makes his home in Emory, Texas, caught five fish that weighed 16 pounds, 11 ounces Saturday and claimed the lead going into Sunday’s final round with a two-day total of 31-11.

Takahiro Omori jumped from seventh place into the lead going into the final day of the 2015 Bassmaster Classic.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

The 2004 Classic winner holds a razor-thin lead over Arizona angler Dean Rojas (31-9), New Jersey angler and 2003 Classic winner Michael Iaconelli (31-0) and 2014 Classic winner Randy Howell of Alabama (30-11).

Omori got off to a slow start Saturday. But with years of experience and one Classic title already under his belt, he didn’t panic and managed enough weight to jump from seventh into first.

2015 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell Day 1: Rojas Rules with Over 21 Pounds!

Despite Bitter Cold Dean was Red Hot!

By Bryan Brasher

bass press release

Doesn’t it just figure that after the coldest day in the history of the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro, four anglers from warm, sunny climates are sitting atop the standings?

Arizona angler Dean Rojas wowed the crowd at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C., with five Lake Hartwell bass that weighed 21 pounds, 2 ounces despite frigid temperatures that were in the neighborhood of 10 degrees just before takeoff at Green Pond Landing in Anderson.

Dean overcame the bass, weather, and
practice late penalty to take day 1 lead. He was
optimistic before the day started because this was
his 13th Classic, he is boat #13 and its was
Friday the 13th.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

Rojas also overcame a 28-minute penalty that he was forced to spend in the tournament “penalty box” as punishment for being late for check-in to Wednesday’s practice period.

He leads California angler Skeet Reese (20-2), Texas pro Keith Combs (18-8) and fellow Arizona angler Brett Hite (15-7).

“This is our biggest stage that we perform on, and to be able to catch a big bag like that on the first day is amazing,” Rojas said. “How could you script it any better than that? Obviously, I’d rather finish it that way. But hey, I’ll take it.”

Though Rojas hasn’t won a Classic in 12 previous appearances – and hasn’t finished first in an event since the 2011 Elite Series event on Toledo Bend Reservoir – he said he’ll be more excited than nervous to lead the field into Saturday’s second round.

He’s taking his Day 1 success in stride, much like he did the 28-minute penalty he endured Friday morning. He said the infraction was due to a Lowrance unit on his boat that he kept promising himself he would switch from Central Time to South Carolina’s Eastern Time, but never did.

Rapala® Shadow Rap

A lot of great baits are being released just ahead of the 2015 Bassmaster Classic. Here is another winner from Rapala.