2016 BASSfest Lake Texoma Day 3: Casey Ashley Grabs Lead Again with 51-15!

Ashley surges ahead 
BASS PRESS RELEASE
Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., bounced back to reclaim the lead today after bringing 17 pounds, 5 ounces to the scale during the semi-final round of GEICO Bassmaster BASSfest presented by Choctaw Casino and Resort at Lake Texoma.
Ashley's limit of bass bumped his three-day total to 51-15, which is more than 3 pounds ahead of Gerald Swindle of Warrior, Ala., who now sits in second.

Early morning bite key for Casey. (Photo: BASS)

"The morning hours are very important to producing a solid limit," Ashley said. "Once the sun gets high, the fish seem more reluctant to bite. It's flat-out challenging to cull up during the afternoon."
Even after three days of competition and several official practice days, the 2015 Bassmaster Classic champion said that he still isn't locked in on a specific pattern, but the fishing remains good in his area.
"During most tournaments you can often predict when and where the fish will bite, but here it's not that way at all. The fish are setting up in submerged bushes that are typically on dry land. When one does bite, it's very random compared to how and where the last fish did."
Ashley said that covering water and keeping his lure in the brush is the best way to find and catch active fish.

2016 BASSfest Lake Texoma Day 1: Casey Ashley Grabs 20 Pounds in Flood.

Ashley Surges Ahead!

By Thomas Allen

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Flooded shorelines and muddy water didn’t stop some Bassmaster Elite Series pros from finding big bass during the GEICO Bassmaster BASSfest presented by Choctaw Casino and Resort at Lake Texoma.
 


The day's big bass helps Ashley grad lead. (BASS)

After a very difficult and unproductive practice, Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., “just went fishing,” and put together the day’s heaviest five-fish limit of bass that weighed 20 pounds, 1 ounce. His lead eclipsed Chad Morgenthaler of Coulterville, Ill., who is in second place by only 11 ounces with a total of 19-6.
 


Ashley’s limit included the tournament’s current Phoenix Boats Big Bass that tipped the scales at 6-15. If the 2015 Classic champion can hold the big-fish lead for the duration of BASSfest, he’ll earn a $1,500 bonus.
 


“I had no idea I was going to catch them that good today,” Ashley said. “The first bite of the day was my big one, and when you start things out with that kind of momentum, it really helps you to settle in and make good decisions for the rest of the day.”
 


The South Carolinian is unsure if he can replicate today’s success on Thursday, but he’s sure going to try.
 


Edwin Evers Wins BASSFEST on Kentucky Lake with 97lb 4oz.!

Big bass make the difference for Ever's win. 

By Bryan Brasher

bass press release

Evers nails 8 pounder and the win. KVD finishes 2nd!
(Photo: Seigo Saito BASS)

Edwin Evers holds his 8-11 from Sunday. -- Seigo Saito photo

PARIS, Tenn. — After a tough start to the Bassmaster Elite Series season, Edwin Evers said he hasn’t been that much fun for his wife, Tuesday, to live with back home in Talala, Okla.

But things should be more pleasant for both of them now.

Not only did Evers win $100,000 as the champion of Zippo BASSfest at Kentucky Lake presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps, but he earned an automatic berth into the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro. Evers never relinquished the lead after seizing it on Day 2, and he sealed the victory Sunday with a catch of 25 pounds that pushed his four-day total to 97 pounds, 4 ounces.

Michigan pro Kevin VanDam finished second with 94-4.

“My wife’s been about ready to shoot me, because I’ve been in a pretty bad mood most of the season,” said Evers, who claimed his ninth B.A.S.S. victory and first since 2013. “I just have to be at that Classic, so this means the world to me. It’s so important.”

2015 BASSfest at Kentucky Lake Day 1: Ott DeFoe Lands Lead and Seven Pounder!

Big up-grade vaults Ott into lead.

By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

PARIS, Tenn. — Ott DeFoe admits he entered Wednesday’s opening round of the Zippo Bassmaster BASSfest at Kentucky Lake presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps feeling confident bordering on cocky.
But as excited as he was, he wasn’t expecting this.
DeFoe brought five bass to the scales that weighed 26 pounds, 7 ounces and claimed the Day 1 lead by more than a pound over South Carolina angler Andy Montgomery, who was second with 25-4.
Oklahoma pro Edwin Evers was third with 24-0, and Michigan superstar Kevin VanDam was fourth with 23-9 on a day when it took 20-4 just to make the Top 25.

Ott lucky to lead as pack is tight. (Photo: BASS)

“I had expectations, but I didn’t really think 26 pounds was where it was going to end up,” said DeFoe, who lives 4 1/2 hours away in Knoxville, Tenn. “I don’t want to say I was cocky, but I felt like I was going to have a pretty good day if I got on the place I wanted to fish – and if the fish stayed, which apparently they did.”
Like many in the 124-angler field, DeFoe caught most of his best fish before 10 a.m. and then went into “fish-management” mode.
Instead of pounding his best areas and potentially wasting fish that could help him later in the week, he backed away and went looking for new hot spots.
He was surprised when one of the new places he found actually produced his best fish — a 7-5 largemouth that ranked as the second-largest fish caught during the opening round.
“I’m not going to say I was killing time, because I was still fishing,” DeFoe said. “But I was kind of waiting on time to go by until it was time to come in. I got one bite there, and it was a 7 1/4-pounder.”

Jacob Wheeler Wins the 2014 BASSFest!

Wheeler Wins his First Elite

By Deb Johnson

bass PRess release

DAYTON, Tenn. — Jacob Wheeler chose the road less traveled. It led straight to victory Sunday in the inaugural Bassmaster BASSfest event.

Jacob is now a two tour winner and
making a huge name for himself.
(Photos: BASS)

The 23-year-old from Indianapolis, Ind., amassed 90 pounds, 6 ounces over four days of competition on Chickamauga Lake. His margin of victory was 5 pounds and 10 ounces over arguably the best angler on the planet, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Kevin VanDam, who stepped up from third place to finish as the runner-up.

After leading for two days, Wheeler added a pad of 22-1 Sunday to clinch the win. He took home $125,000 and a qualification for the 2015 world championship, the Bassmaster Classic.

“I feel unbelievable,” said Wheeler, who at age 21 made a name for himself on the FLW tour by winning the 2013 Forrest Wood Cup. “To be the first BASSfest champion, and to do it in my first Elite Series event…I mean, these (Elite) guys are the best in the world. I couldn’t feel more humbled. The stars lined up for me this week.”

The Classic qualification means as much to him as the event win, he said.

“That’s so big, qualifying for the Classic,” Wheeler said. “That’s the event you want to be in for your career to advance. I’ve wanted to qualify for a Classic since I was 10 years old.”

2014 BASSFest Lake Chickamauga Day 2: Wheeler Whack 30lb Limit and Lead!

By Deb Johnson

bass press release

DAYTON, Tenn. — At age 23 and from Indianapolis, Ind., Jacob Wheeler would not be most people’s odds-on favorite to take over in the June 11-15 Bassmaster BASSfest competition on Tennessee’s Chickamauga Lake.

Two impressive bass from Wheeler's massive limit. While many Day 1 leaders fall
Jacob and Van Dam move up dramatically.
(Photo: BASS)

Until you know that he’s been fishing Chickamauga for years because one of his often-visited friends lives near the lake. And that he competed on the lake just last year in a major event. And that at age 21, he was the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup champion.

Wheeler put all his experience to work Thursday, BASSfest’s second day. He weighed in 29 pounds, 13 ounces for a two-day total of 52-3, banking a lead of 6 pounds, 12 ounces against Bassmaster Elite Series pro Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich.

2014 BASSFEST Day 1: Ike is King for a Day.

PLACE	NAME	DAY 1		TOTAL FISH	TOTAL WEIGHT
		FISH	WEIGHT
1	Michael Iaconelli	5	25-12	5	25-12
2	Edwin Evers	5	24- 3	5	24- 3
3	Tommy Biffle	5	24- 1	5	24- 1
4	Takahiro Omori	5	22-15	5	22-15
5	Kevin VanDam	5	22- 9	5	22- 9
6	Matthew Herren	5	22- 7	5	22- 7
7	Jacob Wheeler	5	22- 6	5	22- 6
8	Jason Christie	5	22- 5	5	22- 5
9	Davy Hite	5	21- 8	5	21- 8
10	Jason Williamson	5	21- 3	5	21- 3
11	Scott Rook	5	20-10	5	20-10
12	David Smith	5	20- 6	5	20- 6
13	Greg Hackney	5	20- 5	5	20- 5
14	Fred Roumbanis	5	20- 0	5	20- 0
15	Terry Scroggins	5	19- 7	5	19- 7
16	Brett Hite	5	19- 2	5	19- 2
16	Skeet Reese	5	19- 2	5	19- 2
18	Britt Myers	5	19- 1	5	19- 1
19	John Crews	5	18-14	5	18-14
20	Brandon Palaniuk	5	17-15	5	17-15

BASSfest Starts Today!

Anglers of all ranks chat it up during the registration.
(Photo: BASS)

BASSfest a new tournament altogether!

By Ken Duke

BASS Press Release

The 2014 Elite Series season still has four events to go, but if you're one of the competitors you'd better believe you're already coming down the home stretch. There are just two more tournaments on the schedule for you to make your move at a Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year title, a 2015 Bassmaster Classic berth or to re-qualify for the 2015 Elite season.

Those two tournaments are on the Delaware River (Aug. 7-10) and Cayuga Lake (Aug. 21-24). The other two events are BASSfest and the AOY Championship.