Mike Williams and Duane Jacobs Win the 2016 CSFL National Classic XX with 43 Pounds!

Wire to Wire Win!
By Luigi De Rose

A big win for the whole family! (Photo: Dave Chong)

Mike Williams and Duane Jacob win the CSFL National Classic! Williams and Jacobs used years of knowledge to their advantage on the fog delayed final day on Stony Lake, Lakefield, Ontario to net a final day limit was 11.35 pounds. Their three day total of 43 pounds was good enough to fend off a last day charge from Chris Monk and Greg Elcich who landed a 19 pound limit of bass. Paired with a 4.05lb largemouth and 4.45lb smallmouth, Monk and Elcich narrowly missed grabbing the title with a three day total of 42.95 pounds. Gerard Cocks and Jarrod Dean secured third with a Classic limit of 40.65 pounds. Erik Luzak and Tom Hardy had 39.55 pounds for forth and Jeff Mifsud and Joe Cascanette placed fifth with 38.5 pounds.

How to Score on Clear Water Lakes with Megabass Pro Chris Zaldain

Clear lakes can be a challenge. Clear water conditions makes traditional presentations less effective and anglers can become frustrated. Listen to BASS Elite angler Chris Zaldain as he explains some great tips on fishing clear water lakes.

2016 Bassmaster Classic on Grand Lake Day 1: Local Jason Christie Leads with 20lb!

Canadian Sim sits in 44th.
By Bryan Brasher
BASS PRESS RELEASE

The bass on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees are in transition, and all of the 55 anglers in the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro are doing a decent job staying ahead of them.

Jason says his best fishing is during bright, calm days. This is
the opposite of what most of the field has experience.
(Photo: BASS)

But on Friday, one angler — a local favorite who lives right down the road — did it better than anyone else.

Jason Christie, a Park Hill, Okla., pro who lives just an hour away from the lake, brought five bass to the scales that weighed 20 pounds, 14 ounces and took the opening-round lead in the Super Bowl of professional bass fishing. Alabamian Greg Vinson, who almost missed the event due to the lingering effects of a concussion, is second with 18-1, and Texas pro Alton Jones is third with 17-13.

Even after a big day, Christie admitted the fishing was tough.

“It was slow. It was a grind, but it was a grind in practice,” Christie said. “I honestly didn’t think I had that kind of weight, but the fish up here just fool you because they’re thick and heavy.

“I’m not getting a lot of bites. I think the most I’ve had in one day is nine — and that’s including practice.”

Getting just nine bites during an eight-hour day forces an angler to exercise patience and remain focused through the downtime so he doesn’t miss the next bite when it finally comes.

Christie Wins 2013 Walmart Beaver Lake Tournament

FLW Press Release

The Christie Clan is all smiles.
(Photos: FLW)

Rayovac pro Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., brought a 20-pound, 4-ounce stringer to the scales Saturday – the third-largest stringer ever weighed in during FLW competition at Beaver Lake. Christie didn’t duplicate that effort Sunday, but it turns out he didn’t need to. After the final fish was weighed, Christie’s five-bass limit worth 14 pounds, 1 ounce gave him a total four-day weight of 61 pounds, 8 ounces as well as the championship trophy and $126,500 at the Walmart FLW Tour at Beaver Lake presented by Kellogg’s.

“I’ve got a little groove going right now,” said Christie, who earned his second career victory in FLW Tour competition. “If you had asked me after practice if I was going to do any good in this event, I would have said ‘no way.’ It always seems like you win tournaments when you least expect it, and I really did not expect this one.

Christie’s four-day total of 61 pounds, 8 ounces was the heaviest weight to ever win an event in FLW competition at Beaver Lake.

“My key bait this week was a Yum Yumbrella Flash Mob Jr.,” he said. “It’s a special rig. It’s more compact and has willow leaf blades on it. And, it’s tough. I used one rig and it lasted all three days. I never broke a wire or anything – it’s really the best one on the market.

Alabama rigs of all sizes were
the best bait for almost the entire field.

“When I get in the groove, I just seem to make good decisions,” Christie continued. “Today, I really struggled. I was expecting to catch them real well, and I didn’t. I found a stretch that I hadn’t fished all week, and something just told me to pull up there. When I did, I started catching them.

“My family is the reason that I do this,” Christie went on to say. “I go fishing so that I can support them. I enjoy it, and there is not a day that I go fishing that I take for granted. This will give me some momentum, and hopefully I can carry it over into qualifying for the Forrest Wood Cup. The last few years FLW has held the Cup at deep, clear reservoirs. This year, we’re changing it up and I really want to go fish the muddy water down in Shreveport.”

2013 Walmart FLW Beaver Lake Day 2: Coulter in Lead at Alabama Rig Fest!

Johnson leads co-anglers by 3 pounds
by Kyle Wood

FLW Press Release

ROGERS, Ark. – With this being the second day after a front, most people figured the bite would slip on Beaver. To degree that was the case with several of the top pros from day one failing to match their catches. But day two of the Walmart FLW Tour on Beaver Lake was highlighted with consistent catches, some big stringers and the Alabama rig.

Coming into this tournament a lot of the focus was on how big of a factor the A-rig would become. The general consensus was the rig could hold up early in the derby but would slowly dwindle throughout the event. Today was a case of several anglers making huge moves on the leaderboard including Brandon Coulter who has utilized nothing but the rig to move into the lead.

With 17 pounds, 3 ounces on day one, Coulter went back to work to haul in 14-12 today. The Tennessee resident kept the same three rods on his deck consisting of umbrella rigs and now holds a total weight of 31-15 and the lead by 1-12.

All smiles as Coulter takes lead on difficult day.
(Photo: FLW)

“I think the momentum I have really started at the beginning of the year for me,” said Coulter. “My son told me to just go out and catch 12 pounds on the second day of Okeechobee and just cash a check. That made me realize all I have been doing for the past few years is just trying to cash a check and not win. Since then I have been fishing much more relaxed, calm and comfortable – I put no pressure on myself.”

With a less than favorable track record on Beaver, Coulter opted to arm himself with three different umbrella rigs and target transition areas. So far the decision is paying off.

“I went to a lay-down this morning that I caught my second biggest bass on yesterday,” the Knoxville, Tenn., native said. “I figured I could start there and catch a limit quick like I did yesterday, but it was nothing but crickets this morning. I went back there later and caught a solid fish off it. On my next cast back at the lay-down I got hung up and one eats one of the free swimbaits and pulls it off the tree. On my very next cast after that I caught a 4-pounder. You can’t create stuff like that; sometimes things just go your way.”