2022 Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork Day 3: Livesay Lead Going into Last Day!

Canadians Chris Johnston 8th & Gustafson 24th.

Lee Livesay of Longview, Texas, is leading after Day 3 of the 2022 Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork with a three-day total of 87 pounds, 15 ounces. (Photo: BASS)

BASS PRESS RELEASE

QUITMAN, Texas — Despite a lifetime of fishing Lake Fork and several years of guiding on the East Texas powerhouse, Lee Livesay found something he’d never seen before and that revelation delivered a Day 3 limit of 27 pounds, 5 ounces that kept him atop the Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork with a three-day weight of 87-15.

 

Livesay heads into Championship Sunday with a 3 1/2-pound advantage over Idaho superstar Brandon Palaniuk — and he credits much of his success to that new discovery.

 

“Most of the fish I’ve caught this week have come from a spot I’ve never even caught a bass on,” said Livesay, who won his first St. Croix Bassmaster Open presented by Mossy Oak Fishing at Ross Barnett on April 30. “I found them the first day of practice and thought they were little, but they grew. I got lucky yesterday and got an 8-pounder on another spot where it was just her.”

 

Livesay knows Fork intimately, but the spot he’s leveraging this week was so unassuming that it had never caught his eye. During practice, another tournament crowded the lake’s diminished waters — the lake level is down 5 1/2 feet for dam repairs — so Livesay searched for less obvious spots.

 

“I went looking at off-the-wall stuff I’d never looked at,” he said. “When I found them, I thought they were catfish. I came back the second day of practice and caught two under 4 pounds.

Buddy Gross Wins the 2020 Bassmaster Lake Eufaula with

From 10th to 1st, Buddy Gross whacks them with a jig!
By Bryan Brasher

BASS Press Release

Adjusting to changing conditions, Gross moved shallow and onto a jig that
scores the week's most impressive limit.
(Photo: BASS)

After a week of constant adjustments, everything came together perfectly for Buddy Gross on Championship Saturday.

The Bassmaster Elite Series rookie, fishing only his second event on the trail, caught a tournament-best five-bass limit that weighed 27 pounds, 11 ounces and sprang from 10th place to a victory in the DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula with a four-day total of 84-8. He earned $100,000 and one of the coveted blue trophies that comes with every Elite Series win.

Instead of the usual routine of being handed the trophy by Elite Series Tournament Director Trip Weldon, Gross received the prize onstage from his family due to strict social distancing measures in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It doesn’t get much better than that,” Gross said. “This is something you dream of as a kid because B.A.S.S. is the epitome of fishing — just the staple of the fishing world. To dream about something like this, and then for it to happen so early in my career, is amazing.”

Gross, who lives in Chickamauga, Ga., made two scouting trips to Lake Eufaula before the event. Each trip, the weather was so rough that he spent all of his time just idling around and marking brushpiles.

Clent Davis Wins 2018 Forest Wood Cup Lake Ouachita with 36-13lbs!

Davis restarts career with FLW victory

by Sean Ostruszka

FLW PRESS RELEASE

Little less than a year ago Clent Davis was contemplating giving up the sport of professional bass fishing for good. Now, he’s the Forrest Wood Cup champion.

Big worm and topwater proves to be key baits on win.
(Photo: FLW)

Despite starting the final day at Lake Ouachita in 10th place, Davis crushed the largest bag of the tournament – 17 pounds, 13 ounces – to be the first angler to make up nine places on the final day of the Cup. His 36 pounds, 13 ounces was more than 7 pounds better than second-place pro James Niggemeyer.

“I don’t even know what to do or what I’m feeling,” a stunned Davis said on stage after day-two leader Wes Logan lifted his hand to show he had only one fish in his bag. “This is incredible.”

Davis’ run to becoming Cup champion started last November when FLW Senior Director of Tournament Operations Bill Taylor called Davis about returning to the Tour after being on the Bassmaster Elite Series the previous two seasons. Admittedly, Davis was burnt out on the sport, but the itch came back after that call.

Fast-forward to the Cup, and Davis knew there was only one way he was going to have a chance to win.

“I’m a decent offshore fisherman, but I think I’m a really good brush pile fisherman,” Davis says. “So that was the only thing I was going to do since day one.”

2015 Walmart Bass Fishing League All-American Day 2: Curtis Richardson Leads with 46-12lbs!

O'CANADA! Richardson leads All-American!

by Colin Moore

FLW PRESS RELEASE

For a guy who’s put together two solid days of fishing to occupy the top spot in the Walmart Bass Fishing League All-American on Kentucky Lake hosted by the Henry County Alliance, Curtis Richardson doesn’t exude a lot of confidence.

Ontario angler Richardson feels comfortable on the ledges. Just like
smallmouth fishing back home. (Photo FLW)

It’s understandable. On day two of the championship, the 31-year-old Ontario angler had six bites all day, and managed a five-bass limit weighing 21 pounds, 15 ounces. So Richardson isn’t exactly covered up with aggressive fish. He’s also fishing in an area near New Johnsonville, Tenn., that’s going to get covered up with boats Saturday, and he has Billy Schroeder stalking him – that in itself is enough to make a body worry.

In fact, counting his 24-13 stringer from day one, Richardson has a total of 46-12, or about a 1¼ pounds ahead of Schroeder. Both anglers moved up in the standings after first-round leader Bobby Padgett faltered with a second-round stringer of 17-2. The trio is among the top 10 finalists who will compete for the title and the $100,000 prize ($120,000 if Ranger Cup qualified) that goes with it in Saturday’s final round.

2015 Walmart FLW Tour Lake Chickamauga Day 2: Michael Wooley Stays Consistent Sack Lead as Most Fall.

Leaderboard flip flop shakes up Top 20.

by Rob Newell

FLW PRESS RELEASE

The last time the Walmart FLW Tour visited Lake Chickamauga in June 2013, the term “mega-school” was thrown around a lot. At this year’s Chickamauga event, which is presented by Igloo Coolers, you will hardly hear that term at all at the weigh-in.

Another 20 pound plus day put Wooley into the lead.
(Photo: FLW)

Michael Wooley of Collierville, Tenn., knows the difference between mega-schools and the “regular” kind. After sacking 26 pounds, 2 ounces on day one and 23-05 on day two to take the tournament lead with 49-07, Wooley says his fish are certainly not swimming in a mega-school.

“I fish Kentucky Lake and Pickwick a lot, so I know what a mega-school looks like,” Wooley confirms. “This is just a small group of fish using a bar inside a creek to feed. I’d say the group maybe has 30 or 40 fish in it at any given time.

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.”