Tactics for fishing Pre Spawn for bass with FLW Pro Cody Meyer

Pre-spawn is the time to catch numbers and trophy bass. Listen to FLW pro Cody Meyer as he explains some of the best presentations for targeting bass in the early spring.

Skeet Reese Wins 2015 Bassmaster Elite Lake Guntersville with 92-11lbs

Skeet and Bryon Claim 1 &2 with Swimbait. 

By Bryan Brasher

bass press release

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. – When Skeet Reese arrived in Alabama last week for the Diet Mountain Mtn Dew Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville, he had a solid plan in place for how he wanted to fish.

His plan didn’t work.

So instead, he just followed the lead of his friend and roommate on the tour, Byron Velvick.

Swimbaits and friends won G-ville. (Photo: BASS)

Velvick told Reese about the 7-inch Basstrix Swimbait – the largest version of a 15-year-old soft plastic bait that has seen a recent resurgence in popularity – and Reese used it to win with a four-day catch of 92 pounds, 11 ounces. He entered the final round in second place, more than 2 pounds behind Michael Iaconelli, but vaulted himself to the $100,000 victory with a Sunday catch of 25-5.

His buddy, Velvick, placed second with 88-1.

“You just couldn’t have scripted this any better,” said Reese, a California native who now has eight victories in B.A.S.S. events, including two on Guntersville. “I had a really tough practice. I was going out with the anticipation of catching 13 to 14 pounds a day — unless maybe I could find a big bite and come in with 16 to 17. But Byron turned me on to a bait, and it evolved into something special, a win.”

Keith Combs wins the TTBC for a Record Third Time!

Lake Fork and Keith Combs are best friends again, again and again!

Defending champion earns third TTBC title in four years at Lake Fork QUITMAN, TX. – The world championship of bass fishing, the Toyota Texas Bass Classic was decided by a world record-breaking performance from two-time winner and defending TTBC Champion Keith Combs of Huntington, Texas. Combs broke the tour-level world record today with a amassing 110 pounds following three days of competition … - See more at: http://www.toyotatexasbassclassic.com/#sthash.yIuHnnAx.dpuf

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.

バオバブホッグ New Baobah Hog from Geecrack with IBASSIN

This is a new trend to hit the North American fishing scene. Giant creature baits like the Baobah Hog from Geecrack are slowly making waves here. It is in Japanese but you'll get the idea.

琵琶湖にて単日ロクマル5本を引き寄せた8インチビッグホッグワーム。ナチュラルに大きくアピールする大きなテールとプリプリと小刻みに動く4本の足を持つ。また確実なフッキングをサポートする、針先のオフセットスペースも装備。

Keith Fels Wins 2014 Rayovac FLW Series Southeast Division Event On Lake Okeechobee

by Rob Newell
FLW Press Release

OKEECHOBEE, Fla. – For an entire year Keith Fels of Ocala, Fla., has had to live with the nightmare that occurred last year at the Rayovac FLW Series on Lake Okeechobee.

In that event, Fels entered the final day of the event in fifth place. Everything was going according to plan on the last day, including the 20-plus pounds that was swimming in his livewell. Then his cranking battery died. He was able to jump it off and made a fateful decision to keep the outboard running in neutral while he fished from the front deck without his kill switch attached.

Luckily, Fels day 2 bag was super heavy because
he almost let it slip away today.
(Photo: FLW)

The grievous error constituted a rules infraction that requires the kill switch to be attached to the pro anytime the motor is running. As result, Fels catch for the day was disqualified, costing him his first Rayovac Series win.

Today, Fels redeemed himself from the mistake, holding a Rayovac FLW Series trophy in his hands.

“Redemption,” sighed an exasperated Fels, who is a driver for Fed Ex in Ocala. “This helps make up for last year for sure. That’s 40 grand I can use to pay off my truck and boat.”

Fels took a healthy 12-pound lead into the final day, but his four-bass bag weighing in at only 7 pounds, 15 ounces today left the door open. Jared McMillan tried to take advantage of the opportunity to rain on Fels’ wire-to-wire parade, but Fels had built up too much of a lead overcome with his previous days’ bags of 20 pounds, 9 ounces and 26 pounds, 7 ounces, respectively. In the end, Fels held on to victory with a three-day total of 54 pounds, 15 ounces, winning by 2 pounds, 4 ounces.

And Fels might forever remember the 10-pound, 9-ounce monster he caught on day 2 – that he had to hand-line in after his line broke – which pushed him over the top.

Fels’ week centered on pitching a Gambler 1-1/4-ounce Jigzilla, trailed with a Gambler Megadaddy trailer (both black/blue), into holes in hydrilla in several feet of water. He fished the big jig on 65-pound braid with Fitzgerald’s Rods in lengths of 7-foot, 6-inches and 7-foot, 10 inches.

Fels could not confirm whether the fish were bedding in the holes saying, “the water was too dingy to see down that far.”

As to why his catch fell off so dramatically today, Fels said that the wind wreaked havoc on his boat control in the matted hydrilla.

Lake Simcoe Open Today!

The Bass Pro Shop Lake Simcoe Open starts today.
This 5-bass limit, one day tournament is arguably the most dramatic
tournament of the year. Giant smallmouth are out there and everyone is ready
to catch them. This tournament is where the largest smallmouth bass in Canadian
tournament history 8.05 lbs was caught. It is also home to the largest single day tournament
limit of just over 31lbs.

Today should be equally amazing!
Come back for tournament news. 

Keith Combs Wins Toyota Texas Bass Classic Again!

Keith Combs wins the 2013 TTBC on Lake Conroe by over 12 pounds.  

TTBC Press Release

Conroe, TX (October 6, 2013) – Entering the final day of the Toyota Texas Bass Classic (TTBC) on Lake Conroe, tournament leader Keith Combs was comfortably on edge.  He led his closest pursuer by 7 pounds, 8 ounces, but on a lake where a 9 pound largemouth crossed the stage on Friday, he knew that it would be a mistake to relax on the final day and coast to his second TTBC victory in the past three years.

Combs wins for the second time. Texas is his ticket.
(Photo:TTBC)

After opening round limits weighing 24 pounds, 8 ounces on Friday and 23 pounds, 4 ounces on Saturday, the Texas pro went to work on Sunday and put together a 15 pound limit on Lake Conroe.  Combs’ cumulative weight of 62 pounds, 12 ounces easily outdistanced the 2^nd place weight of John Murray by 12 pounds, 8 ounces.

 The wire-to-wire victory this week capped off a stellar 2013 season for Combs that included a Bassmaster Elite Series win on Falcon Lake this past March and a 5^th place finish in the Elite Series Toyota Angler Of the Year point standings.   Combs also became the first angler to earn a second TTBC championship ring after winning on Conroe in 2011.

 “It’s an incredible feeling,” said Combs after lifting the TTBC trophy.   “I know how good the other anglers in this tournament are, and it’s very humbling to come out on top.  Winning this title for the second time is definitely a major career accomplishment for me.”

Combs began the week as one of the tournament favorites, and he went on to execute his Lake Conroe game plan to perfection.  “My entire week was incredibly smooth,” he explained. “I never lost a single bass the entire week, and I was able to fish anywhere I wanted from the first cast of the tournament to the last cast.”

9 lb 3 oz Bass Attacks Frog in the Air Beside the Boat! Top Water Bass F...

Well, summer is technically over! A lot of great fall fishing is yet to happen but it is still sad to see summer leave. Nothing will warm a fisherman's heart than an amazing topwater hit. See why the Lunkerhunt Lunker Frog will be a winner on your lake.

2013 3 New Lucky Craft SKT Magnums with Skeet Reese and IBASSIN

2013 ICAST If you love big baits and bigger bass, you'll love the SKT Magnum crankbaits from Lucky Craft! Either in a deep diver or squarebill, these baits will catch fish. Skeet Reese explains what makes these lures special.

2013 ICAST New Strike King Denny Brauer Structure Jig and DB Craw with D...

2013 ICAST If you love jig fishing then Strike King's new Denny Brauer Structure jig is for you. B.A.S.S. legend Bauer created a jig for all situations. He also made the DB craw to match.

We Love Big Bass!

If you love big bass, then you got to check out this guy. Oliver Ngy has a cool blog that tracks his adventures of big bass hunting. By the looks of this photo, hunting has been very good!
Check out Oliver's blog, Big Bass Dreams.

Want to know how heavy this brute is? Then check out his blog. 

2013 Bassmaster Elite Falcon Lake: Keith Combs Wins his First Elite!

Combs holds off Clunn

Texan busts 100-plus pounds in wire-to-wire win in home state

By Deb Johnson

Bass Press Release

ZAPATA, Texas — Third-year Elite pro Keith Combs of Huntington, Texas, locked out 11 other finalists Monday in the Rigid Industries Falcon Slam, including his biggest threat after three rounds, four-time Bassmaster Classic champ and Zen master of bass fishing, Rick Clunn.

Combs come out on top.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

After weighing 28 pounds, 2 ounces on the final day, Combs hit and surpassed the 100-pound mark with 111 pounds, 5 ounces over four days of competition on Falcon Lake out of Zapata, Texas. In his home state on a lake he’s guided on for years, Combs took his first Bassmaster Elite Series title in wire-to-wire fashion and by a margin of 5-15 over Clunn.

Besides the Bassmaster Century Club entry, Combs walked away with $100,000, an automatic berth in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic, and 100 points in the 2013 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year race, which awards $100,000 at the end of the eight-event regular season.

2013 Bassmaster Elite Falcon Lake Final Day Postponed until Monday

Wild wind storm has made Falcon lake too dangerous to fish. Top 12 anglers will fish on Monday.
(Photo: BASS)

2013 Bassmaster Elite Falcon Lake Day 3: Combs leads but Clunn Catching Up FAST!

By Deb Johnson

BASS Press Release

ZAPATA, Texas — Rick Clunn was exhausted. The man with arguably the all-time most famous name in pro bass fishing had just spent more than seven hours hauling in big bass after big bass from Falcon Lake in 100-degree-plus Texas Brush Country heat. In his weigh-in bags — he had to use two — swam five enormous largemouth bass.

Rick Clunn's Mega bag worth 36-14!
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

“I had 32-9 yesterday, and I think I have over that,” said the pro from Ava., Mo., back at the docks. He came off the water early and was in line to be the first to weigh in on the third day of the Rigid Industries Falcon Slam out of Zapata, Texas.

His trip to the scales proved his prediction. Clunn’s five fish weighed 36 pounds, 14 ounces, the largest single-day bag after three of the Slam’s four days. The only thing Clunn missed catching Saturday was the leader, Keith Combs of Huntington, Texas.

Combs remained the leader by one pound over Clunn after starting the day with a 7-7 margin.

Combs weighed in 20-5 Saturday, a disappointment to him after his huge Day One bag of 34-13 and Day Two sack of 28-1. He ran into trouble Saturday and brought in a lighter bag — even though 20-5 would be terrific on almost any lake but Falcon. His three-day total was 83 pounds, 3 ounces.

2013 Bassmaster Elite Falcon Lake Day 2: Combs leads with 62-14 for 10 Bass!

By Deb Johnson

Bass Press Release

ZAPATA, Texas — Do the math: 33 pounds x 4 days = 132.

You can bet Texan Keith Combs is doing the multiplication. Combs weighed 28 pounds, 1 ounce Friday, and while not duplicating his 34-13 smash of Thursday, he still amassed 62-14 after two days in the Rigid Industries Falcon Slam out of Zapata, Texas. Such a weight after two days is enough to dream of the possibility of coming close to or busting the 132-8 Bassmaster Elite Series all-time, five-fish-limit, four-day weight record set five years ago on Falcon.

Combs with another amazing day!
(Photos: James Overstreet BASS)

And now with a 7-pound, 7-ounce lead, Combs can also set his sights for his first win on Lake Falcon, where he’s been a guide for years. It would also be his first win in the Elite Series.

He’s headed the right way. The Huntington, Texas, pro’s two heavyweight bags added up to the leader spot for the second day in a row in a four-day tournament.

Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., put up 55-7 after Friday against the leader’s 62-14, coming up far short of knocking Combs off the catbird seat. But Evers felt good about his Friday weight of 28-15, which boosted him from ninth place into second. Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., pushed himself up one place into third with his 54-0 two-day weight.

One of the biggest moves of the day was by Cliff Crochet of Pierre Part, La., who shot from 50th place on the first day into fourth on the second. The rocket ship he rode was the day’s largest bag: 35-3. In fifth Friday with 53-9 was Cliff Prince of Palatka, Fla., the pro who had never seen Falcon Lake before this week, but has managed two impressive sacks of largemouth bass two days running.

Cliff with two of his monsters. 

Combs needs to boost his daily weights Saturday and Sunday to go for the win and the record, but as his fellow Elite pro Hank Cherry put it, “Any cast here can be a double-digit fish.”

Combs isn’t close to being cocky about his chances, though.

“I don’t even want to talk about winning, not on the second day,” he said after Friday’s weigh-in. “Maybe tomorrow.”

Combs had a limit by noon Friday, but the count was “two decent fish,” and “three real small fish,” he said. Probably not enough to keep his Day 1 lead. Then, to his relief, he managed a late rally, including a last cast that came back with a 6-pounder attached. The catch allowed him to cull a 2-pounder.

2013 Walmart FLW Lake Okeechobee Day 2: Smashing 30 Pound Bag Sends Cotton to Lead.

FLW Press Release
CLEWISTON, Fla. – In the days leading up to the Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Okeechobee presented by Mercury, many pros lamented the tougher fishing conditions and most predicted that no one would break the 100-pound mark this year. Rick Cotten of Guntersville, Ala., ignored the dock talk and now leads a full field of 174 of the world’s best bass-fishing pros in the four-day event that has competitors casting for a top cash award of up to $125,000.

Massive catch sends Cotton into lead.
(Photo: FLW outdoors)

Cotten weighed in the first 30 pound stringer of the tournament Friday – a five-bass limit weighing 30 pounds, 3 ounces – to vault to the top of the leaderboard after finishing day one in second place. After two days of competition Cotten has weighed in 10 bass totaling 54 pounds, 3 ounces and is well on pace to break the 100-pound mark. Cotten now holds a 7 pound, 3 ounce lead over Drew Benton of Panama City, Fla., who caught five bass today weighing 23 pounds, 9 ounces. Benton has weighed in 10 bass totaling 47 pounds even after his first two days on the water.
“There’s a lot of work left to do,” said Cotten, who has one previous top-20 finish on the FLW Tour – a 12th-place finish on Kentucky Lake in 2012 . “If I had a 20-pound lead I’d be tickled. But, I don’t. I placed third in an EverStart event on Guntersville last year and finished 12th at Kentucky (Lake). I’ve never led a tournament this big before.

Formosa and Saliba Win 2012 Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open ...For Fourth Time!

Official Press Release

Orillia, Ontario Canada

As 100 boats and 200 anglers blasted off on the calm waters of Lake Couchiching the morning of October 20th, many were surprised they had to deal with four foot waves as soon as they entered Lake Simcoe. Some turned around and headed back for calmer waters while others prevailed ... carefully manoeuvring their bass boats to productive fishing waters they found during practice period the week before. The Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open, hosted by the Aurora Bassmasters capitalizes on one of the world’s finest smallmouth fisheries. As good as Orillia’s Couchiching is ... Simcoe is bigger and so too are it’s smallmouth bass. In 2010, the winning team of Mark Moran and Joey Muszynski set the all time Canadian record with an incredible 31.5 pounds worth of smallmouth bass. During that same BPS Lake Simcoe Open event, a Canadian tournament record 8.05 smallmouth bass was also weighed in.