Overhaul to BASS Opens for 2018

Big changes for BASS Opens in 2018. Two divisions instead of three and now 4 events per division instead of 3. Listen as BASS explains how more anglers can leap to the Elites and quality for the Bassmaster Classic.

Eastern Opens Division
Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, Kissimmee, Fla. — Feb. 1-3, 2018
Total B.A.S.S. events hosted: 22, including 1977 and 2006 Classics
Most recent B.A.S.S. winner: Chad Morgenthaler (52-7), 2015 Bassmaster Southern Open, Jan. 15-17, 2015
Bassmaster 100 Best Bass Lakes Rank: 11th, Southeastern Division, in 2017
 
Lake Norman, Cornelius, N.C. — May 10-12, 2018
Total B.A.S.S. events hosted: 11
Most recent B.A.S.S. winner: 2014 Southern Open, Andy Montgomery (37-10), Oct. 2-4, 2014
Bassmaster 100 Best Bass Lakes Rank: 91st in 2013
 

Hot Spring Arkansas to Host 2018 Forrest Wood Cup

Cup back to Hot Springs
FLW PRESS RELEASE

FLW, in conjunction with Visit Hot Springs and the State of Arkansas, announced Saturday that Hot Springs, Ark., will host the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Ouachita Aug. 10-12.

Hot Springs has previously hosted four Forrest Wood Cup championships – one on Lake Hamilton (2005) and three on Lake Ouachita (2007, 2011 and 2015). The 2018 Forrest Wood Cup will again feature the most successful anglers from the FLW Tour, Costa FLW Series, T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League, YETI FLW College Fishing and The Bass Federation.

“Our whole city is excited by the fact that FLW has chosen Hot Springs for the fifth time as the host for the Forrest Wood Cup,” says Steve Arrison, CEO of Visit Hot Springs. “Hot Springs has established a wonderful relationship with FLW, and our audiences for the Cup and other FLW events have been large and enthusiastic. I know the 2018 Cup will find the same level of enthusiasm and warm hospitality that FLW has come to associate with the great fishing in Hot Springs.”

2016 Forrest Wood Cup Qualifiers

The Full Field

FLW PRESS RELEASE

Now that the 2016 Walmart FLW Tour has wrapped up and the Angler of the Year race is final, the full 50-angler roster for the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup is set.

The Cup, which is presented by Walmart, will take place at Wheeler Lake Aug. 4-7. Its roster is made up of the top anglers from all of FLW’s tournament circuits plus The Bass Federation national champion.

Here’s how the roster breaks down:

2015 Forrest Wood Cup Champion

1. Brad Knight, Lancing, Tenn.

2015 Walmart FLW Tour Angler of the Year

2. Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla.

2016 FLW Bass Fishing League All-American Champion

3. Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo.

2016 FLW College Fishing National Champion

4. Hampton Anderson, Anderson, S.C.

2016 The Bass Federation National Champion

5. Joseph Webster, Fulton, Miss.

2015 Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship Day 1: Locals Lead With 27lbs!

Canadian Team of Chong and Brownridge Sitting in 6th Place.

By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. — After a two-day pre-tournament practice period that saw most of the 197-boat field from around the country struggle, it only makes sense that two local teams shot to the top of the leaderboard during Wednesday’s opening round of the Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship on Lake Guntersville.

Fishing "history" yields lead for local sticks on Day 1 at Lake Guntersville. (Photo: BASS)

Billy Sharp and Kevin Stubblefield, who qualified for the event through the Alabama Bass Trail, brought five fish to the scales that weighed 27 pounds, 6 ounces and claimed the Day 1 lead. Stubblefield is from right here in Guntersville, while Sharp lives in Albertville, less than 30 minutes from the lake.
“We grew up here, and we’ve been fishing here since we were just kids,” said Stubblefield, who teamed with Sharp to win the Alabama Bass Trail championship on nearby Lake Wheeler in October. “We were fishing history today, places we’ve fished before. We stayed off of them in practice, and the fish were on some of them today.”
Practice was tough for Sharp and Stubblefield just like it was for most of a field that includes anglers from as far away as Maine, Delaware, New Jersey, California and Canada. But when competition began, the leaders were aided by built-in knowledge of the lake and conditions that are slowly improving.
“We had kind of a hard time in practice,” Sharp said. “But the water is clearing up, and I think that’s helping us some.”

FLW to Host International Events!

Canada 1st to Sign Up!
 FLW Press Release
Named after the founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW introduced its Fishing League Worldwide tagline last year to better reflect its status as the world’s largest tournament fishing organization. Today FLW expanded its presence on the world stage yet again with the introduction of a sanctioning program allowing international partners to license the iconic brand and run FLW tournaments abroad.

Each partner country will run a series of FLW tournaments that advance anglers, who are citizens of the host country, to a new international division at the Rayovac FLW Series Championship beginning in 2016. The highest finisher among countries represented in the international division will then advance to the Forrest Wood Cup, making it the sport’s only true world championship.
“We’ve had a significant international following for years thanks to our worldwide television distribution and the appeal of FLW Fantasy Fishing,” says Trisha Blake, FLW president of marketing. “Now with dedicated FLW bass tournaments in partner countries we’ve realized our goal of being a truly worldwide organization in terms of both our fan base and competitors. FLW stands alone in providing the very best bass anglers from around the world with an outlet for their competitive ambitions by establishing a clear qualifying path to the Forrest Wood Cup and the sport’s biggest payday.”

2014 Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship Day 1: Brett Hite the Hero with 24lbs, Hackey Holding On!

Big bags of smallmouth dominate but all eyes on AOY leader board.

By Steve Wright

bass press release

ESCANABA, Mich. — Greg Hackney had numbers in mind while thinking about what it would take for him to win the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year title this week at Lake Michigan.

Those numbers were 20 and 18, in that order.

Greg is holding onto the AOY but fishing was
better for Davis and Faircloth.
(Photo: BASS)

"I thought if I caught 20 pounds the first day and backed it up with 18 or 19, I'd be alright," said Hackney about his game plan for clinching the coveted AOY title.

After Day 1, the number 18 made him breathe a sigh of relief. That was his five-bass total weight Thursday, exactly.

"They actually weighed about two pounds heavier than what I thought I had," Hackney said. "That helped my feelings a little bit when I weighed in. (Friday) I've got to catch 20."

Todd Faircloth's number Thursday was 20 pounds, 15 ounces. That allowed him to cut into Hackney's lead in the AOY race.

Faircloth was in third place, 17 points behind. Now he's in second place, 10 points back.

Aaron Martens was discouraged by his numbers. A Day 1 total of 17-6 dropped him from 15 points behind Hackney to 19 points back.

2012 Forrest L. Wood Cup Day 3: Wheeler Commands for Another Day!

Indianapolis pro widens lead at Forrest Wood Cup

11.Aug.2012 by Brett Carlson

(FLW Outdoors Press Release)

DULUTH, Ga. – Despite being a 21-year-old rookie pro, Jacob Wheeler implements and executes a game plan like a savvy veteran. After whacking a huge stringer on opening day, day two of the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Lanier was all about getting a limit. On day three, he planned to push the pedal a little more in hopes of catching a bag in the mid-teens. Thus far, Wheeler is batting three for three and with one more successful day he’ll become the youngest pro ever to claim the Cup.

Fishing wood with heavy equipment is Wheeler's game plan.
(Photos: FLW outdoors)

Wheeler started day three just like the first two – running up the Chattahoochee River in search of quality largemouths. The bite was steady, but unspectacular until a mini-flurry around 10 a.m. brought a 3-pounder and then a 4-pounder 15 minutes later. Wheeler saw Jay Yelas leave the area about an hour earlier and decided enough was enough – he wasn’t going hammer anymore. 

2012 FLW CUP: Wheeler Still Leading Cup!

Illinois’ Krekovich Paces Co-Anglers
FLW Press Release

10.Aug.2012

Overcast skies and wind greeted anglers on the second day of competition. After weighing a massive 21 pounds, 15 ounces on the opening day of competition, Fatheadz pro Jacob Wheeler of Indianapolis, Ind., retained his lead after Day 2 by weighing a five-bass limit for 11 pounds, 12 ounces. Wheeler’s two-day catch of 10 bass weighing 33 pounds, 11 ounces gives him a 3-pound, 3-ounce lead heading into the third day of the tournament.

“I just never got that big bite,” said Wheeler, who won the Bass Fishing League All-American in 2011. “It was a struggle this morning to catch what I caught. I pulled into the area that I really thought was a good area where I caught three big ones yesterday and didn’t catch any good ones there today.”

Wheeler said he had only three fish at 1 p.m. He started to scramble, and managed to eke out seven keepers during the day.

2012 FLW CUP: Young Pro Take Lead with Largemouth

Hensley grabs top spot in Co-angler Division

09.Aug.2012

(FLW Outdoors Press Release)

DULUTH, Ga. – Forty-six of the best professional bass anglers from all over the world began their four-day battle for a top cash award of $500,000 at the Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart, the world championship of bass fishing, on Lake Lanier on Thursday.

Surprise Largemouth take big lead on day 1.
(Photo: David Hunter Jones FLW)

Fatheadz pro Jacob Wheeler of Indianapolis, Ind., weighed a five-bass limit for 21 pounds, 15 ounces to take the early lead in the tournament. Wheeler now holds an impressive 5-pound, 6-ounce lead over Straight Talk pro Scott Canterbury of Springville, Ala., who caught five bass weighing 16-9.

Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship: Raveling and Luhman WIN!

Pos Team Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Total Captain Partner
1 3 19.73 17.49 17.84 55.06 Mark Raveling Mike Luhman
2 20 16.71 16.24 18.88 51.83 Chad Johnson John Janousek
3 5 16.63 18.23 15.69 50.55 Jeff Gustafson John Peterson
4 91 17.25 16.00 16.81 50.06 Jim Sandelovich Karl Howells
5 14 15.37 18.27 16.41 50.05 Ted Heyens Leo Heyens
6 37 15.00 18.33 16.69 50.02 Scott Ourada John Allen
7 31 16.67 16.37 15.89 48.93 Troy Norman Jay Samsal
8 7 15.24 18.00 15.65 48.89 Darren Ward Tony Holenko
9 42 15.40 17.07 15.86 48.33 Dennis Barnard Scott Gobeil
10 18 13.44 17.34 17.46 48.24 Steve Sandberg Scott Sandberg

FLW EverStart Championship Day 1: Canadian Cory Johnston Leads!

17-15 for Cory, One-Half of Canadian Wonder Brothers
Kentucky Lake - Paris Landing 10/27/11 - 10/30/11

Here is a quick look at the EverStart Championship tournament on Kentucky Lake. Considering all the hype surrounding the new super Alabama Rig, this tournament is clouded in a lot of mystery. With so many future super stars fishing, this Championship might be the launching pad for the legends of tomorrow.

Top 10
Place/Angler/Hometown/weight (fish)
1  CORY JOHNSTON  PETERBOROUGH, ON 17-15 (5)   
2  LENDELL MARTIN JR  NACOGDOCHES, TX 17-11 (5)  
3  MONTE KNIGHT  QUITMAN, MS 15-15 (5)      
4  ZACH KING  CLARKSVILLE, AR 15-03 (5)        
4  DAN MOREHEAD  PADUCAH, KY 15-03 (5)      
6  GEORGE KAPITON  INVERNESS, FL 15-01 (5)       
7  JEFF HIPPERT  HAMBURG, NY 14-14 (5)        
8  CHARLES BEBBER  WILLIS, TX 14-09 (5)       
9  MIKE EUTSLER  SPRINGFIELD, MO 14-04 (5)       
10  SCOTT MANSFIELD  MCKENZIE, TN 14-02 (5) 

Western and Clifton Win Renegade Bass Classic on St. Francis

Forrest Wood Cup 2011 Day 1: They're OFF!

2011 Forrest Wood Cup commences under thunderstorms, cloudy skies

11.Aug.2011 by Brett Carlson

FLW PRESS RELEASE

ROYAL, Ark. – During each of the past two Walmart FLW Tour qualifiers, it was common knowledge that the tournament would be dominated on deep, offshore ledges. But as the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup gets under way on Lake Ouachita, several patterns have the potential to go the distance.

Although the water temperature is hovering around 90 degrees, there is significant activity in the shallows. Not only are the bream bedding with the impending full moon, but there are considerable schooling windows as well. And Thursday morning’s cloudy, stormy weather should only help the skinny-water bite.FLW Live, an online application that brings fans real-time weigh-in results, streaming video and audio.

In addition to FLW Live, FLWOutdoors.com is offering real-time updates from the water throughout each day of the Forrest Wood Cup. Simply click on the “On the Water” tab from any of the home pages.

Thursday’s conditions

Sunrise: 6:30 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 72 degrees
Expected high temperature: 93 degrees
Water temperature: 89-93 degrees
Wind: E at 11 mph
Maximum humidity: 61 percent
Day’s outlook: scattered thunderstorms