Russ Lane Tops 70 Pounds on Lake Chickamauga, Leads Group A by 21-6

Lane ignites school and gains 20lb lead over Jordan Lee

MASON PRINCE 

BASS PRO TOUR

 

The attention (and a majority of the praise) from the first day of competition in the B&W Trailer Hitches Stage Four Presented by ATG x Wrangler belongs to Russ Lane. The Alabama pro sits on top of SCORETRACKER® looking down at the rest of his Group A counterparts after catching 23 bass for 70 pounds, 12 ounces Friday, and building a more than 21-pound lead on Lake Chickamauga.

 

Lane Locates a Shell Bar Shad Spawn

The B&W Trailer Hitches pro got off to a scorching hot start on a beautiful morning in East Tennessee to build a sizable lead. Lane began his morning by catching 13 bass for 37-4 in Period 1 thanks to a productive area he found during his final day of practice.

“I found a shad spawn yesterday afternoon during practice, so I knew that probably would be a good place to start today,” Lane said. “It was lights out this morning and worked out well for me. It feels awesome to have a cushion over second place like I do right now. I’m going to try to stay fluid, stay open-minded and move with the fish.”

Lane did his damage with a 3/4-ounce vibrating jig during the morning shad spawn. He added 21-15 in Period 2 targeting the same area, which he had a hard time leaving thanks to its productivity. According to Lane, at this time of the year on the Tennessee River, the area he found is about as good as you can get.

2021 Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee River Day 1: Gustafson Take Lead with 17-14lbs!

Canadians Cory Johnston 11th & Chris Johnston 66th

By Christopher Decker

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Gussy sacks limit of smallies to grab lead.
(Photo: BASS)

In his tournament experience thus far, Canadian Jeff Gustafson said he had never fished a Southern fishery where smallmouth bass act the same as they do up North.

That changed Thursday when the Canadian pro most people know simply as “Gussy” smashed a limit of mostly smallmouth weighing 17 pounds, 14 ounces, securing a Day 1 lead in the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee River.

The Keewatin, Ontario, native holds a nearly 4-pound advantage over three-time Elite Series champion Steve Kennedy of Auburn, Ala., who put 14-0 on the scales.

“I’m catching them a way that I love to fish at home,” Gustafson said. “I’m pretty excited to get back out there, and I’m 100% committed to smallmouth. I spent five hours largemouth fishing this afternoon and caught one 2-pounder and a couple shorts.

Gustafson said he found the spot during the final day of practice. But with the 18-inch minimum size limit for smallmouth on the Tennessee River, he wasn’t sure if the area held the right quality of fish.

He learned quickly on Thursday that it did, landing a limit of smallmouth by 9:30 a.m. in an area with several other competitors close by.

“It was one of the toughest practices I’ve ever had, and I found a little something yesterday and I didn’t catch big fish like that,” he said. “I didn’t know if I could get a keeper; the 18-inch thing is tough.

“My first fish I hooked this morning was 17 7/8 inches. Then I caught another short and another short, and then the next three I got were keepers. It worked out.”

The bass Gustafson located are in about 20 feet of water, and he said what he is doing is something a little different than most of his competitors.

“What I’m doing is kind of a unique way of catching them,” he said. “It’s not easy for everyone if you’ve never done it.”

Ott DeFoe Wins Lake Fork/Lake Athens MFL Event with 57-4lbs!

Last Period Charge Secures Win

By Tyler Binks

MLF Press Release

After five days watching the field battle with big bass at the General Tire Stage Three Presented by TrueTimber on Lake Fork, the Championship Round moved to Lake Athens.

Athens set up much differently than Fork and was a complete unknown to nearly every angler in the field. And while very little was known about this 1,799-acre lake located an hour south of Lake Fork, the day developed into one of the closest races seen in the final round of a Bass Pro Tour event.

That was until Ott DeFoe caught fire and turned a close tournament into an all-out blowout. His ascension to the top was quick and unrelenting.

With just over an hour to go, DeFoe found himself in fifth place with less than 20 pounds for the day, trailing then-leader Mark Daniels, Jr. by over 15 pounds. That’s when he turned things on and left the field in the dust.

In the end, he won by over 28 pounds.

DeFoe Rallies to a Landslide Win

DeFoe did most of his damage a short idle from takeoff, fishing near a bridge. He put on a clinic in the final 75 minutes of the day with a flotilla of bass boats, kayaks and pontoon boats getting a front-row seat to watch one of the best anglers in the world dominate the competition.

DeFoe’s fishing spot was so close to the ramp that he was easily the first angler back; when he put his boat on the trailer a few short minutes after lines-out, he was still trying to process what just happened.

This was surely what the other nine anglers were feeling.

DeFoe finished the day with 23 bass for 69 pounds, 12 ounces.

“That last hour was one of the more special hours that I have ever had in all of my time bass fishing,” DeFoe said.

He discovered his honey hole by watching his electronics, specifically side imaging.

Micah Frazier Wins 2019 Bassmaster Elite St. Lawrence River with 87-4lbs!

Johnston falls to 2nd, 1 pound short. 

By James Hall

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Ned rig key to Frazier's massive last day limit.
(Photo: BASS)

The great smallmouth battle of 2019, also known as the Berkley Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River presented by Black Velvet, came down to a rookie Canadian pro who has spent his life plying the pristine waters of the storied fishery and a young Georgia pro who is experiencing a breakout season.

Chris Johnston of Peterborough, Canada, was the favorite leading up to this event because of his history on the St. Lawrence. Micah Frazier of Newnan, Ga., wasn’t on the radar of anglers who may finish in the top half of the field. As the scales settled in Waddington, N.Y., these two prolific pros held their breath alongside thousands of fans waiting to see which of these anglers would wear the crown.

And by just 14 ounces, Frazier toppled the overwhelming favorite. The Georgia pro’s massive 25-pound, 9-ounce limit on Day 4 vaulted him from 10th place to Elite Series champion, completing a four-day total of 87-4.

“I had no idea I had that much weight,” Frazier admitted. “I’m terrible at judging smallmouth. Still, I felt like I had an outside shot at winning as long as the leaders didn’t crush them.”

Frazier caught bass all day long. His culls were countless, and the big fish kept on biting his bait. That bait, the only one he used all four days of the event, was a prototype Yum Ned Dinger fished on 1/4- or 1/8-ounce mushroom jigheads. “I don’t think the bait is out yet, but it mimics a goby better than anything I’ve seen. It has a hollow section in the tail that makes it stand up and it bubbles a little when you shake it.”

Frazier’s pattern was simple. The Georgia pro focused on areas 18 to 40 feet deep, keeping his line perfectly vertical under the boat while drifting with the current. “I’d seen some light sand spots and there were a lot of mussels and shells there,” he said.

Frazier’s win puts an exclamation mark on a breakout season. The soft-spoken pro has been fishing the Elite Series since 2016, but this year has captured two third-place finishes (Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest on Lake Fork and the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Hartwell) along with his win on the St. Lawrence.

“This year has been so special. The atmosphere on the Elite Series now is just incredible. All the guys are positive and I have never had so much fun fishing as I have had this year. B.A.S.S. and Bassmaster fans are just awesome.”

Bryan Thrift Wins 2019 FLW Cup on Lake Hamilton with 38-07lbs!

Schooling bass and determination gave Thrift  the win!
(Photo: FLW)

FLW PRESS RELEASE

Everyone knew it was only a matter of time, and that time is finally now. Bryan Thrift is an FLW Cup champion.

The Shelby, N.C., pro won the 2019 FLW Cup at Lake Hamilton with a three-day total weight of 38 pounds, 7 ounces. 

Winning the Cup is not something Thrift needed to do to prove his greatness. That he’s one of the best ever was already an agreed-upon fact by just about everyone. Winning the Cup just added more separation between him and so many others. At 40 years old, in addition to being a world champion, Thrift is a two-time FLW Tour Angler of the Year, a seven-time Tour-level winner, holds a slew of FLW records and has now earned more than $3 million in his FLW career.

Coming into this week, Thrift was the favorite to win. It just felt like a Bryan Thrift kind of tournament, and it turns out it was. 

August in the South is an incredibly difficult time to fish a multiple-day bass tournament. Bass are stingy, and bites are tough to get. It’s rare to find a school of bass that can hold up for more than a day. Thrift’s style is the perfect tool to attack that type of scenario. He’s mastered the craft of “precision junk-fishing,” whereby he fishes specific targets (usually dozens of them) but chooses from 10 to 15 baits to make the perfect presentation for each target. 

For the most part, that’s how Thrift fished at Hamilton. However, each day, he eventually settled down in Hot Springs Creek and grinded out key bites that pushed his weight ahead of everyone else. Slowing down at the end of the day was a veteran move that Thrift might not have made early on in his career, when he never fished a spot long enough for a cameraman to focus his lens. 

And it obviously worked to perfection. Thrift led from wire to wire, starting with 15-3 on day one and 12-7 on day two. He led Kyle Walters, who roomed with Thrift this week, by 1 pound, 8 ounces coming into the final day, when Thrift wound up as the only angler to catch a double-digit limit. Weighing in 10-13 gave Thrift a 5-pound, 1-ounce winning margin over Walters.

As easy as Thrift can make it look sometimes, this was a grueling tournament. 

“I’m wore slam out,” says Thrift. “I really am. I fished as hard as I ever have in my life today. I’m tired, but I’m feeling good.”

The only time that Thrift really stuck a lot of fish in a hurry was the final morning when he pulled up to his first spot and fish were busting the surface over a 200-yard span.

“Today started out actually pretty good,” he says. “I ran to a place that I knew [Bryan] Schmitt was catching them schooling, and I knew he didn’t make the cut. So I went in there, and sure enough they were schooling like crazy. I caught a limit fairly quickly at probably about 8 or 8:30. It didn’t weigh much; maybe 7 or 7 1/2 pounds. And I’m thinking, ‘Shoot, I’ve got all day to upgrade. This is good. We’re good to go.

2017 BASS Elite Lake Dardanelle Day 3: Mark Davis Leads by Ounces with 48-08lbs!

Davis found a honey hole way, way up the river.  
By Thomas Allen

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Mark has tiny side channel to himself up the river.
(Photo: BASS)

Mark Davis of Mount Ida, Ark., caught a five-bass limit that weighed 14 pounds, 15 ounces during today’s semi-final round to maintain his lead at the GoPro Bassmaster Elite at Lake Dardanelle presented by Econo Lodge.
 
With $100,000 on the line for Monday's champion, Davis still thinks 16 to 17 pounds will be required to win. He’s averaging just over 16 pounds with a three-day total of 48-8.
 
“I’ve really beat up on the fish I’ve been depending on this week,” Davis said. “I believe the right fish are still there, and that I can catch a decent limit tomorrow. But I didn’t get as many big bites today as I had hoped.”
 
Davis’ spot did receive some additional local pressure before he could get there, and that certainly could be contributing to the reduced action during Sunday’s competition.
 
“I have no problem sharing water with local anglers, heck they’ve got just as much right to fish there as I do — if not more so,” he said. “When I arrived he moved off and let me have it, which was appreciated.
 

2016 BASS Elite Potomac River Day 3: Justin Lucas Continues Lead!

Magic docks cools off big time!
By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

The heat is rising and his magical dock seems to be cooling off a little.

But despite catching only 12 pounds, 15 ounces during Saturday’s semifinal round, Alabama pro Justin Lucas is in position for a wire-to-wire win at the Bassmaster Elite at Potomac River presented by Econo Lodge.

Drop Shot key all week for Lucas (Photo BASS)

Lucas’ Saturday catch — easily his smallest of the week — pushed his three-day total to 53-1. He will enter Championship Sunday with a lead of almost 6 pounds over Indiana pro Bill Lowen (47-3).

Both anglers were covered with sweat backstage after Saturday’s weigh-in, with the heat index rising above 112 degrees.

“I had 10 pounds for a long time today,” Lucas said. “I don’t know why things slowed down the way they did. But I’m very fortunate to be where I am with this kind of lead.

“This all started from Day 1 of the tournament. I had no idea what lived under that dock — never even had a bite there in practice.”

A California native, Lucas has been using the kind of finesse tactics that West Coast anglers are known for. He’s caught a couple of fish on a stickbait and a couple on a swim jig, but the majority have been caught on spinning tackle with a drop shot rig.

2016 BASS Elite Potomac River Day 2: Justin Lucas Leads by 6 Pounds with a Total of 40-2lbs.

Lucas only fishes 2 hours today.
By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASEThroughout his young professional fishing career, Alabama angler Justin Lucas says he’s never found a spot quite like the one he’s fished the first two days of the Bassmaster Elite at Potomac River presented by Econo Lodge.
The stats back up his claims.

One pass is all it took this morning. (Photo: BASS)

Lucas caught the biggest limit of the tournament for the second day in a row Friday, landing five bass that weighed 19 pounds, 14 ounces. That catch pushed his two-day mark to 40-2 and gave him a comfortable lead of nearly 6 pounds over second-place angler Brent Ehrler (34-4) as the event heads into the semifinal round Saturday.

Buddy Gross Wins 2016 Walmart FLW Tour Pickwick Lake with 74-5lbs!

Wire to wire for rookie.
by Rob Newell
FLW PRESS RELEASE
There are no more secrets.
That phrase has become cliché in tournament bass fishing. And to a large degree, it’s true. With the advent of modern electronics, which feature mapping and imaging, every square foot of a lake bottom can be scoured, mapped and captured on an SD card.
But what grows on that mapped lake bottom can change and these days true bass fishing secrets tend to hide in the seams of environmental changes to waterways. For instance, consider how exotics like gobies and zebra mussels have changed fisheries in the Midwest.
Anglers who ply the same waters day after day, year after year are the first to notice these changes in ecosystems and how the changes begin to influence bass behavior. Once these anglers detect a change in how bass relate to the ecosystem, they discover approaches and tactics that give them huge advantages in tournaments.

Gross wins despite poor last day. (Photo: FLW)

One such angler who has seen just such a change along the TVA system in recent years is Walmart FLW Tour rookie Buddy Gross of Ringgold, Ga. Gross fishes Lake Guntersville quite a bit and over the last few years he has seen a change in Guntersville’s vegetation that can best be described with one word: Eelgrass.