2016 BASS Elite St. John's River Day 1: Lester Leads in Sigh Fishing Fest.

Sight Fishing key to Season Opener

By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

During the final round of practice for the Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River presented by Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Tennessee angler Brandon Lester found a giant largemouth on a spawning bed.

                                                                                                                                                                                     

Brandon is all smiles with a 9 pounder and the lead. (Photo: BASS)

He was so excited about the fish that he texted some of his family members and told them to pay attention to Bassmaster.com when the tournament began, because he thought he could make something special happen early.                                                                                                      

Hopefully they took it to heart.

Lester went straight to the big fish Thursday morning — and caught it on his fourth cast — to set the tone for a fantastic day of sight fishing. The bass, which weighed 9 pounds, 3 ounces, anchored a five-fish limit that tipped the scales at 23-13 and gave Lester the opening-round lead.

Chris Lane Wins the Bassmaster Elite St. John's River

No Passing Lane!

By Deb Johnson

bass press release

PALATKA, Fla. — Tick-tock, pow!

When everything is in sync and his timing feels perfect, Chris Lane says he experiences a sensation like a clock ticking inside of him. He yells “Pow!” when he boats a big bass.

This is Chris Lane's sixth BASS title setting
him aside from most anglers.
(Photo: BASS)

Over the four-day Bassmaster Elite Series event on the St. Johns River system, Lane heard the tick-tock, and his word of triumph exploded repeatedly from his lips.

Starting Sunday’s final round with a 12 1/2-pound lead, the tournament was Lane’s to win or lose.

Lane not only stayed in stride the final day by catching 15-0, he walked off with the victory in high style: His winning margin was 14 pounds, 4 ounces over the second-place finisher, Dean Rojas.

Lane amassed 90-13 over the four days of competition. He added a sixth Bassmaster victory to his resume that includes being the 2012 Bassmaster Classic champion and a 2013 Bassmaster Elite Series winner.

2014 Bassmaster Elite St. John's River Day 1: Randy Howell Leads Sight Fishing Battle

Lake George a mob of Elite anglers and big bass

By Deb Johnson

bass press release

PALATKA, Fla. — Randy Howell, the 2014 Bassmaster Classic winner, often says that professional bass fishing is a humbling sport.

He ate a piece of that bitter pie last week at the Bassmaster Elite Series season opener in Georgia on Lake Seminole, where he finished close to the bottom of the field. But this week, after a hop to Florida for the next event, Howell The Champ shined through.

Classic Champ find biggest bass in Lake George
sight fishing fest.
(Photos: James Overstreet BASS)

With 27 pounds, 3 ounces, Howell led the field Thursday in the first of four days of Elite competition on the St. Johns River. He was 3-2 ahead of Davy Hite and Marty Robinson, who tied for second place at 24-1.

Fourth place was marked at 22-6 by Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, S.C., following up in style on his Top 12 finish in Georgia. Fifth place at the St. Johns event was taken with the 22-1 bag brought in by Takahiro Omori of Emory, Texas — another Top 12 finisher on Seminole.

The Elite pros are competing on the St. Johns for a first-place prize of $100,000 and an instant entry into the 2015 Bassmaster Classic.

Howell credited his 27-3 to good decision making while sight fishing on Lake George, one of the river system’s most prolific and well-known bedding areas for largemouth bass.

Almost all of the Top 20 leaders fished within sight of each other.
Competitors who tried to out fox the crowds fared poorly. 

“Late in the day in Florida, they always move up, and I’m usually the guy who leaves at the wrong time and somebody catches them after I leave. Today I made the decision to stay,” said Howell, who is from Springville, Ala.

Bassmaster Elite Power-Pole Citrus Slam: Edwin Evers Wins One in Florida

Why Edwin Evers Won

By Luigi De Rose

Evers cranking one in.
(Photo: Dave Hunter Jones BASS)

Edwin Evers is a super star. Overshadowed by the drama of the Van Dam and Skeet Reese AOL race along with last season's post season quandaries, he has been consistent and determined. His wins are geographically and seasonally diverse. Edwin's last Elite win came dredging up deep smallmouth in Lake Erie. Winning in Florida is a particularly pretty feather in his cap.


Florida Bass 
Florida strain bass are massive yet moody. Add a cold front or fishing pressure into the situation makes matters worse. The spawning cycle is one of the few times of year, giant bass are accessible to the masses of fisherman. Laregemouth typically spawn in calm, quick warming areas with a sand or hard bottom. Stumps, dock posts and other manmade structures will work if bottom substrate is too muddy or silted. Anglers hunt these areas identifying white, fanned out nests. Beds or nest will look different during the stages of the spawn. Identifying the ones that will attract a female is key.


The little things matter
Edwin Evers, like many of the top pros at the Bassmaster Elite tournament on Lake Harris Chain of Lakes last week and the FLW tournament on Lake Okeechobee earlier this year focused on beds that were protected from the wind. Anglers who didn't suffered with poor visibility from the slightest of breezes. Blind sight fishing works, it's not the most effective on time management. A calm spot can be a channel within the pads, along a nook on shore, among eel grass or behind a dock. Being able to see the fish's temperament makes all the difference.

Being flexible

Working hard for the win.
(Photo: Dave Hunter Jones BASS)

Edwin Evers remained flexible. He would continue to search for aggressive bass and larger females. Many pros burned valuable time working over a bass. You cannot blame them for spending hours on a double digit fish. One lunker weighs more than a limit of squeakers. In the line up to the scales, Edwin explained, during a bassmaster.com interview, that he saw many bass in the last few minutes of that fishing day. This was common as bass would move up and enjoy the full heat of the afternoon. Edwin was quick to realize fish were moving into beds throughout the day and the possibility of finding new bass was very high. 

On Saturday, Edwin witnesses many large bass and hoped to visit them on Sunday. When he returned on Sunday, the final tournament day, those big ones were gone. Instead of allowing the panic to deepen, he had the confidence to keep hunting for bass. A positive attitude and keen eyes keep him in the game right until the closing minutes of fishing.


The Bassmaster Elite schedule is out of Florida. It has been a dramatic two tournaments. Sight fishing has been so dominant. Either you did it or you went home early. For most of the Elite anglers, they have had enough with sight fishing for the year.

Bassmaster Elite Power Pole Citrus Slam Day 2: Alton Still in Control

Jones Continues to Lead After Two Days.

Power- Pole Citrus Slam

St. Johns River Palatka, Fla. March 17-20 
By Luigi De Rose
           
Day 2

Alton working his magic.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

Consistency has been the name of the game on the St. John's River. Florida and spawning fishing are always a crap shoot. The sighfisherman have continued to dominate and capitalize on landing the big ones. KVD had the day's largest bass at 9-5.  Many also brought in a good kicker bass and that has made the difference between placing within the top 50.  Last weekend's champion Shaw Grigsby's day 2 catch of 29-08 on the Harris Chain of Lakes would be good enough to rank him 16th here. The fishing has been difficult and anglers have really had to work hard to catch them.

Expect some better catches tomorrow after the field is cut in half. The decrease in boat traffic will greatly influence the bass. Less motors and fewer lures means less spooky bass. Many on Lake George really were fishing boat to boat within the weed flats.

Saturday might be better than today. There is a likelihood of more spawners coming to the beds. Edwin Ever's expressed his disappointment of losing two different 5 pound class bass minutes before weigh-in. Edwin already had one beast and two extra five pounders would have launched him straight to the top on this tight tournament.  He wasn't the only one to realize Saturday might result in better catches. Often, seeing new spawners late in the day is a precursor to what will happen tomorrow.

We'll have to wait and see. 

Results 
                                    day 1    day 2       total
1 Alton Jones             5 26- 9 5 22-13 10 49- 6
2 J Todd Tucker         5 20- 8 5 21- 5 10 41-13
3 Terry Scroggins      5 17- 3 5 22-13 10 40- 0
4 Edwin Evers             5 16- 8 5 22- 5 10 38-13
5 Billy McCaghren     5 20-11 5 15-11 10 36- 6
6 Kevin VanDam        5 17- 3 5 17-13 10 35- 0
7 Keith Combs            5 19- 8 5 14- 9 10 34- 1
8 Todd Faircloth         5 23-10 5 10- 5 10 33-15
9 Casey Ashley          5 20- 9 5 12- 3 10 32-12
10 Jared Lintner          5 20- 9 5 11- 9 10 32- 2
11 Brent Chapman      5 25- 4 5 6-14 10 32- 2
12 Fred Roumbanis    5 15-10 5 16- 3 10 31-13
13 Kelly Jordon          5 15-10 5 16- 1 10 31-11
14 John Crews            5 21- 3 5 10- 3 10 31- 6
15 Cliff Crochet          5 13-11 5 16- 2 10 29-13
16 Timmy Horton       5 22- 4 5 6-11 10 28-15
17 Bobby Lane           5 18- 4 5 10- 9 10 28-13
18 Greg Vinson           5 14- 4 5 14- 6 10 28-10
19 Dustin Wilks         5 18- 7 5 9- 5 10 27-12
20 Russell Parrish      5 12- 7 5 15- 0 10 27- 7
21 David Walker        5 11-14 5 15- 9 10 27- 7
22 Gary Klein              5 16-14 5 10- 1 10 26-15
23 Dean Rojas            5 16- 7 5 10- 0 10 26- 7
24 Clark Reehm          5 20-10 3 5- 8 8 26- 2
25 Paul Elias               5 18- 4 5 7-13 10 26- 1

Bassmaster Elite Power Pole Citrus Slam Day 1: Alton Jones Leads the Pack

Jones gets the Job Done on Day 1.

Power- Pole Citrus Slam

St. Johns River Palatka, Fla. March 17-20 
By Luigi De Rose

Lake George is a parking lot on Day 1.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

Alton Jones sacks 26-09 to take the lead on the St. John's River. The second stop on the Bassmaster Elite tour had all the making of a slugfest. The water temp was consistent, a giant full moon and stable sunny weather had everyone imagining a 30 pound bags. Even with all the stars aligned, weights were below expectations. The problem? Too many anglers fighting to fish the same bedding bass. Many top pros complained of having too many competitors hovering over their secret spots.

When the bass get split up like that, everyone looses. Some lost the sight fishing battle very badly. In Florida, everyone expects to have high weights. Today, that was not the case.  Zell Roland and Stephan Browning are tied for 48 place with 10-01.  The top 50 advanced on Saturday and then the top 12 anglers advance to fish Sunday. With only ten pounds, an indicator of the very poor fishing, being the cut-off many might still be in the game.

Some did do well. Clark Reehm and Billy Mc Caghren each had one in the 10 pound class and Brent Chapman had two of them. Big bass honours when to Jason Williamson with a 10-03 giant. 

Many who didn't fare well are planning to abandon the sight fishing game while others are going for it no matter what. If the bedding bass get bothered too much they'll likely split; leaving the door wide open for anyone who can consistently bring a high teens bags over all four days.

 DAY 1 TOTAL
1 Alton Jones 26- 9
2 Brent Chapman  25- 4
3 Todd Faircloth  23-10
4 Jason Williamson  22- 5
5 Timmy Horton  22- 4
6 John Crews  21- 3
7 Billy McCaghren  20-11
8 Clark Reehm  20-10
9 Jared Lintner  20- 9
9 Casey Ashley  20- 9
11 J Todd Tucker  20- 8
12 Keith Combs  19- 8
13 Ryan Said  18- 7
13 Dustin Wilks  18- 7
15 Paul Elias 18- 4
15 Bobby Lane  18- 4
17 Terry Scroggins  17- 3
17 Kevin VanDam 17- 3
19 Gary Klein  16-14
20 Edwin Evers 16- 8