Easton Fothergill Wins St. Croix Open at Leech Lake Presented by Seviin; Carl Jocumsen Advances to Classic!

By Andrew Canulette 

BASS Press Release

WALKER, Minn. — The major storyline heading into the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Leech Lake presented by SEVIIN was that the global bass-fishing community would get its first look at what’s heralded as one of the sport’s best, yet relatively unknown, fisheries.

Everyone watching, meanwhile, already knew that Easton Fothergill is one of the best young anglers on the water today.

The two forces collided during a spectacular two-day derby in northern Minnesota this week, and both shined under pressure — Leech as host of its first B.A.S.S. tournament and Fothergill as the young prodigy looking to make hay on home water.

The 22-year-old Fothergill, a Grand Rapids, Minn., native who grew up 30 minutes from Leech Lake, bagged a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 49 pounds, 13 ounces and clinched the tournament championship Saturday at Walker Public Dock. He collected $45,936 cash with the win, part of a $300,034 purse split among the Top 45 of 203 pros competing at Leech this week.

The victory at Leech continued a hot streak not often seen at any level of professional fishing. In the past 10 months and change, Fothergill won the 2023 Bassmaster College Classic Bracket presented by Lew’son Kansas’ Milford Lake last October, finished 16th of 56 anglers in the 2024 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees in March, and followed with his first St. Croix Bassmaster Opens win of the year in June on Lake Eufaula, also in the Sooner State.

Mark Rose Grabs 2018 FLW Tour Angler of the Year!

Thrift, Martin, Johnston and Meyer round of Top 5 AOY

by Curtis Niedermier

FLW PRESS RELEASE

For fans, the Pennzoil Marine Angler of the Year race is over. For Mark Rose, the Pennzoil Marine Angler of the year race is finally over.

Faith and family guide Mark to another AOY win.
(Photo: FLW)

“Finally” is necessary to emphasize the relief that Rose felt after Scott Martin was bumped from the top 10 during today’s day-three weigh-in at the FLW Tour event presented by Mercury on Lake St. Clair. That Martin didn’t make the cut to Sunday meant that he could no longer catch Rose in the standings. When Joey Cifuentes weighed in and Martin dropped to 11th, the wait was over, and it became official: Mark Rose is the 2018 FLW Tour Angler of the Year.

Rose took over the lead in the standings at stop No. 5 at Smith Lake and was able to ride it out despite a mediocre 67th-place finish at St. Clair. He had a 64-point lead coming in and needed to finish 64th or better to guarantee no one could catch him.

Sixty-four places is a lot, but not really. Not on St. Clair, where 20 places can be separated by only ounces.

Rose knew that, and he knew it was far from a sure thing. And he was reminded about it often because, when you’re the AOY leader, everyone asks you about AOY. When you’re the AOY leader, bass writers crunch the numbers and figure the odds on whether or not you’ll win it. And when you leave the door open at the final tournament and have to wait it out on shore while Scott Martin, a former AOY himself, gets to fish on top-30 day, you’re forced to sit and watch and wonder about your fate.

David Williams Wins 2018 FLW Tour Lewis Smith with 64-09lbs!

Wire to wire win for Williams

by Sean Ostruszka

FLW PRESS RELEASE

David Williams’ has dreamed of this moment all his life; but even he couldn’t have dreamed how well his first major victory would come together.

Topwater frog & jig key to win.
(Photo: FLW)

While many anglers struggled to cull, the Maiden, N.C., pro was catching more than 25 bass a day and upwards of 50 on some days. Best of all, he was doing it on one of his favorite patterns from back home – skipping a swim jig around docks to capitalize on a shad spawn.

The end result rarely seemed in question after day one, as he sacked up a tournament-leading 18-11 by 10 a.m. and never looked back. He extended his lead by roughly 2 pounds each of the next two days, and then simply shut the door with a 13-13 limit on day four to win the FLW Tour presented by T-H Marine on Smith Lake with 64-9 total. For the win, Williams takes home $102,700. 

“It’s been a long-time coming,” says Williams of his first major win. “I’m glad people didn’t give up on me.”

Williams’ dream week actually didn’t get off to the best start.

He began practice with the mindset of fishing toward his strength: targeting largemouths up shallow. The recent rains had raised the lake up to create miles of flooded cover and trash piles far up the various creek arms. Plus, with the full moon and water temps, there was still a chance to find fish on beds. That seemed to line up perfectly for what Williams wanted to do.

After looking at the map for areas he felt would offer the most flooded cover, he began looking for water with just the right amount of color. The best combination was in White Oak Creek, but while everything looked perfect, bites were hard to come by as the water may have come up too much. Still, it was his best bet going into day one. Little did he know everything would change Thursday morning.

TOP 10 BELOW

2018 FLW Tour Lewis Smith Day 2: David Williams Leads with 34lbs!

Gustafson 15th, Chris Johnston 37th, Cory Johnston 71st & Richardson 171st

by Sean Ostruszka

FLW PRESS RELEASE

Docks and wood key to Williams' pattern.
(Photo: FLW)

Almost every pro who crossed the weigh-in stage today said things changed today. David Williams was not one of them.

Just as he did on day one, the Maiden, N.C., pro ran a simple pattern he loves from back home and milked it for another big sack. This one went 15 pounds, 5 ounces and it extended his lead to more than 4 pounds at the FLW Tour presented by T-H Marine on Lewis Smith.

“This is fun,” says Williams with a toothy smile.

For him, yes, it’s been a lot of fun so far.

The bright sunshine and dropping water levels made life tougher for just about everyone, with weights dropping like stones for many. Yet, while Williams’ weight dropped, he still caught 50 keepers and had 15 pounds by 10 a.m. Plus, had he not lost the biggest fish he’s hooked all week – a for-sure 5-pounder, he says – he actually could’ve brought in another 18 pounds.

A big reason for his success is his pattern.

“I fish all over North and South Carolina,” says Williams. “We fish a lot of docks in the Carolinas, and there are a lot of lakes with flooded cover. That’s what I’m fishing here. So this is right up my alley. It’s just nice to not be fishing grass.”

Top 10 Below

2018 FLW Tour Lewis Smith Day 1: David Williams Leads with 18-11lbs!

Chris Johnston 39th, Gustafson 40th, Cory Johnston 85th & Richardson 131th

by Sean Ostruszka

FLW PRESS RELEASE

Williams leads by 2 pounds.
(Photo: FLW)

One species or the other – that’s how the last two FLW Tour events have shaped up, and it may go down that way again here at Lewis Smith.

At Lanier, the top pros were divided into either the largemouth camp or the spotted bass camp. At Cumberland, it was smallmouth versus largemouth. Now at the FLW Tour presented by T-H Marine on Lewis Smith, it’s back to largemouth or spots, with largemouths taking the early edge thanks to David Williams.

The Maiden, N.C., pro sacked up 18 pounds, 11 ounces of largemouths to take nearly a 3-pound lead over Blake Smith.

Now, it’s worth noting that Williams caught his fair share of spotted bass on day one, though, they were all “babies.” In fact, may pros’ bags were mixed, but it’s clear they’re typically targeting one or the other.

Williams is a shallow-water, largemouth guy at heart, and he did his heart right today.

“Today went just like I’d dreamed it,” Williams says. “I culled a few times and was basically done fishing by 10:30 a.m. I actually gave my rod to my co-angler so he could catch some.”

Top 10 Below

2017 Walmart FLW Tour Beaver Lake Day 3: Johnny McCombs Leads with 41-13lbs!

Lakes levels at record high as it keeps raining.

by Curtis Niedermier

FLW PRESS RELEASE

In the Rogers area in northwest Arkansas, the story of the day was the series of severe thunderstorms that washed through the region overnight Friday and again on Saturday morning and afternoon. The result was flash flooding that swept debris across roads and caused many low-lying areas to become impassible. Downed trees and power lines also caused headaches. Currently, the entire area is a saturated, mucky mess.

One big bass vaults Johnny to first.
(Photo: FLW)

But not all was gloomy in Rogers on Saturday. Out on the water, Alabama pro Johnny McCombs was writing his own story at the FLW Tour event presented by General Tire at Beaver Lake. McCombs, who’s fishing the Tour in 2017 for the first time since 2003, pounded out an 18-pound, 15-ounce limit – the best of the tournament so far – to race from 11th place into first going into the final day of competition. McCombs’ 41-13 total has him in front of Texas pro Jason Reyes by 2 pounds, 4 ounces.
TOP TEN BELOW

2017 Walmart FLW Tour Beaver Lake Day 1: Cody Meyer Leads with 16-01Lbs

Gustafason 36th, Richardson 66th, Cory Johnston 82th & Chris Johnston 105th.

by Rob Newell

FLW PRESS RELEASE

Imagine trying to shoot a game of pool on a table that rises a foot or two while you’re drawing back your cue to take a shot. Each time you draw for a shot, the table comes up.

Cody stays deep for lead.
(Photo: FLW)

That’s a little bit what fishing has been like for the 165 pros and co-anglers this week at the FLW Tour event presented by General Tire on Beaver Lake. Each day they get on the water, the targets they fished the day before are gone – submerged underwater.

Since practice started on Sunday, Beaver Lake has come up some 8 feet. Since the pros last saw the lake on Tuesday’s practice day, the water has come up more than 4 feet. The rising water creates a moving target that’s hard to hit when everything is in a state of flux.

While the ever-increasing water level has thrown many pros for a loop, Californian Cody Meyer only chuckles at the “epic rise.”

Meyer cut his teeth fishing lakes out west like Shasta and Oroville, where water can rise 10 to 15 feet in a day. What’s happened in eight days on Beaver Lake can occur in 8 hours on Meyer’s home waters.

Maybe that helps explain why Meyer is leading after day one with five bass weighing 16 pounds, 1 ounce. Meyer’s limit included three smallmouths and two largemouths.

“I’ve fished tournaments out west where the spot I started on in the morning was under 10 feet of water by weigh-in,” Meyer says. “So this is not that much of a shock to me. One thing I’ve learned when a sudden rise happens, especially out west, is that the fish generally stay at the depth they were in as the water rises.”

2017 Walmart FLW Tour Beaver Lake Day 2: Meyer Leads by Hair with 28-09 Lbs.

Richardson 52nd, Gustafason 70th, Chris Johnston 92nd & Cory Johnston 95th.
by Curtis Niedermier
FLW PRESS RELEASE

It can never be easy at Beaver Lake. At least, that’s the track record for this lake over the course of its 20-year history as an FLW Tour destination. Beaver is notorious for its up-and-down fishing conditions, and the pros who’ve been lucky enough to lead at Beaver on day one frequently end up falling out of the cut on day two.

Cody's focus on smallmouth give him lead for now.
(Photo: FLW)

Today, day-one leader Cody Meyer thought he might experience the typical Beaver Lake flip-flop, but he was able to maintain his spot atop the standings in the FLW Tour presented by General Tire despite an overall drop in production. Meyer caught 16 pounds, 1 ounce on day one to lead by just 6 ounces over runner-up Chris Brasher. He followed up on day two with a 12-pound, 8-ounce limit and now has a 3-ounce lead over Texan Jason Reyes going into the weekend.

TOP TEN BELOW

New World Record Spotted Bass Caught in Cali!

FLW Pro Cody Meyer nets early Christmas present.
By Luigi De Rose

All smiles with record spot.
(Photo: Cody Meyer)

FLW pro Cody Meyer catches the potential IGFA Line Record Spotted Bass in California. The bass weights 10.80lbs on certified scales is awaiting official certification.
Via a post on Cody's Facebook page, he said he saw the fish with the Garmin Panoptix ahead of the boat. The spotted bass was suspended over 100 feet of water. This isn't the only big bass boat that day. He and JR Wright estimated that their best 5 bass total weight was over 40 pounds that day.

Here's Cody's gear and tackle:
Rod: Prototype Diawa Tatula spinning rod which is a future signature series
Reel: Diawa Exist
Line: 6lb Seaguar Tatsu Fluorocarbon line
Bait: Strike King Ocho stick bait

Become an Amazing Drop Shot Angler with Cody Meyer

Another great video to help you become a better drop shot angler. One of the best techniques from Japan, drop shotting works amazing especially in autumn for giant smallmouth and largemouth.
Listen to FLW Pro Cody Meyer as he explains how he drop shot fishes and what gear he likes to use.

Five Fabulous Fall Baits for Bass: Jerkbaits

Jerkbait are king of fall! 

By Luigi De Rose

*Special Video Feature: Jackall Pro-angler Cody Meyers explains how to fish jerkbaits next week*

Jerkbaits work exceptionally well when the water cools and the bass are thinking of eating.  Largemouth bass love them but smallies get all the glory. Jerkbaits are so versatile that there is almost no wrong method to using them. But, if you’re after superb fall action, the devil is definitely in the details.

Several key factors will affect where and how you fish a jerkbait. Consider these factors before you leave home.

Key Factors:

• Water depth
• Baitfish
• Water colour
• Water temp

Suspending jerkbaits with shallow lips have been all the rage for almost two decades. No one makes them better than the Japanese.  As the saying goes, “you get what you pay for” and that is very true with jerkbaits. An internal weight system, fantastic action, immaculate finishes and the finest hooks all help put more bass in the boat. 

Jackall and Shimano pro Cody Meyers knows
that cold water and jerkbaits like the Dowzvido 90SP
are truly amazing. 

These types of baits simply cast further, look better and have better action. Don't forget that many companies such as Jackall, Lucky Craft and Megabass offer deeper diving versions of their shallow baits. They're tailor made for cold, deep water.

Water colour and temps will play a huge role in how to fish the bait. Establishing a jerk-pause-jerk caddice is a must to catch the eye of a bass.  As the water become chilly the rod tempo must be slowed. A little used technique called strolling becomes stronger as we progress through autumn. Technically, strolling is long line trolling using the wind and trolling motor to propel the boat and bait along deep flats. Gingerly sweep the rod along instead of doing a wild dance is a better match for the conditions.

Bait and bass should determine lure size. Smaller sized baits can trigger moody bass, particularly pressured smallmouth. Down sizing tackle and moving to spinning gear is a must if you wish to launch them any distance.

Don’t hesitate to buck conventional wisdom. Exchange your favourite jerkbait with a magnum one can be great. Giant bass sometimes only want to eat once. A large bait will surely appeal to them.  This is particularly true when fishing around smelt. Smelt are long, nomadic bait and candy to bass. Matching their size, shape and look is a must. 

Jerkbait fishing is the corner stone to fall bass fishing. Often considered superior in the spring, these baits must be utilized in the fall.

50 Straight Limits

Jackall and PowerPro angler Meyer Streak Ends

by Cody Meyer
(Take from FLW Outdoors)

Editor’s Note: On day four of the Walmart FLW Tour event at Lake Hartwell, Repel pro Cody Meyer brought in only four bass, ending his record-setting streak of 50 straight limits caught in Walmart FLW Tour Major and Forrest Wood Cup competition days.

Wow, 50 straight days with a limit – it’s so incredible to me to have that record. Obviously, when I started fishing the Walmart FLW Tour in 2010, I never thought of breaking the record for most consecutive limits weighed in. My focus was just on trying to get a limit every single day I fished so I could do well.

I have always said that the “power of five” goes a long way. What I mean by that is when you have a limit in the boat you can relax more and focus more on fishing to win. After I get a limit I feel like maybe I can take a chance to get a big one or swing for the fence.

I have always given credit to catching keepers when the bite is tough to light-line finesse fishing, which is something that I’ve worked hard to learn and that has helped me a lot in my career. However, getting to this point of 50 straight limits wasn’t easy by any means. There were many days where, by the afternoon, I never thought I’d get to five bass by 3 p.m. I can remember one day last year at Lake Eufaula where it was 2:50 and I only had three keepers. With 10 minutes to spare I pulled in within 100 yards of the check-in boat and planned on finishing out my day. I pulled out a drop-shot rig and went behind a fellow angler and caught two keepers back-to-back to keep the record alive. That’s kind of how fishing goes sometimes, and you have to capitalize when the opportunity is there.

I am sad that the record ended at Lake Hartwell, but I know that everything good has to end sometime. Now, I’m starting from zero and hope that when the Tour arrives at Sam Rayburn, I’ll land four consecutive limits on the way to someday breaking my own record.

Forrest Wood Cup 2011 Day 2: Jason Christie Takes Lead, Martin in 2nd.

By Luigi De Rose

Jason Christine using a noisy prop bait
on Day 2
(Photos: Rob Newell FLW)

Day 2 saw a few flips and some flops in the FLW Cup. Sunny skies still had fish shallow and the anglers willing to hunt for them did well. Off-shore anglers, who typically do well during the summer failed. Many are explaining the strongest pattern as a "bream bite". Bream is another word for panfish or sunfish. These fish are up shallow with the bass close behind. Typically, in April, May, June or even in early July, the sunfish are up shallow spawning and largemouth take advantage of the abundance of food. Considering Lake Ouachita has had water temps in the low 90F and it's mid-summer, many felt the fish would be all located in deeper brush. But those fish are reluctant to bite whereas the shallow bass are feeding well.