Classic & FLW CUP Champ Luke Clausen coming to Scarborough to talk bass!

ProJ Fishing Tackle and Megabass of America are pleased to announce that 2004 Forrest Wood Cup, 2006 Bassmaster Classic Champion and Elite Series angler Luke Clausen will be making his first ever Canadian in-store appearance at ProJ Fishing Tackle, Sunday October 16th from 2-6pm. Luke will be on hand to give tips and insight into his favourite Megabass products, sign autographs, and talk fishing with ProJ customers. Purchase a minimum of $50 in Megabass products at the event and be entered into the draw to win one of Luke's signature Orochi XX rods! This is an event not to be missed.

2016 FLW CUP: Interview with Chris Johnston FLW Rookie of the Year

Hometown legend in the making.

By Luigi De Rose 

As the scales settled on the FLW CUP on Wheeler Lake, Alabama on August 7^th, the 2016 Walmart Tour season came to a close.  John Cox was declared champion but there is another champion who was bolting back home to continue his bass tournament season in Canada. Chris Johnston, of Peterborough, Ontario had concluded his rookie season on tour. We caught up with him to discuss his fantastic season and his 8^th place finish at the FLW CUP. 

Chris Johnston 2016 FLW TOUR Rookie of the Year. (Photo: FLW)

IBASSIN: Thanks for taking the time out to chat. 

Chris: No problem we are just about 40 minutes from the Canadian border.

IBASSIN: You had an amazing FLW CUP! Let’s talk a bit about it the championship and how you fished. 

Chris: I am surprised that I did so well. I had a very poor practice. I was expecting to flip trees to get the better bites and I did get a few fish but it was random. The first couple of practice days I could get about 5 to 6 bass a day. I was worried that I couldn’t get a limit each day. The deep bite wasn’t there. I got nothing out deep.

On the third practice day, I found a point that had some schoolers but many of the fish were very small. Some were only a few inches long but there were a few 2 pounders mixed in. So, I determined that I would get a few schoolers each morning then try for the flipping fish.

What I discovered was that the schooling bite got better throughout the day. That is something you shouldn’t figure out during an event but in practice so I got a bit lucky. On Day 1 of the tournament I determine that bite was stronger than what I imagined it would be. 

IBASSIN: FLW had pictures of you with some big smallmouth. Did you catch them mixed in with the small schoolers?

The 2016 FLW Cup Starts Today!

For the first time in FLW CUP history, there are three Canadians fishing. Good luck to Jeff "Gussy" Gustafson, Chris Johnston and Cory Johnston. The heat, lack of grass and limited current will all make fishing more difficult but the pros will catch them regardless. Get all the news and daily standings here.

2017 Walmart FLW Tour Scheduled Announced!

New lakes for 2017
FLW PRESS RELEASE

In what has become an annual tradition at FLW, the 2017 Walmart FLW Tour schedule was announced at a press conference and industry gathering held Thursday on the show floor at ICAST in Orlando, Fla.

A crew of six Walmart FLW Tour pros joined FLW Weighmaster Chris Jones for the announcement. One-by-one, each pro was handed a sealed envelope containing the location and date of one of the six 2017 regular-season Tour events, which he then revealed to the crowd. In attendance were many of the world’s best anglers, tackle manufacturers and outdoor media.

Additional details regarding rules, entry dates and payouts will be announced later this year.

The schedule:

1. Lake Travis

Jonestown, Texas – Feb. 16-19         

Hosted by the City of Jonestown and Austin Sports Commission

2. Harris Chain

Leesburg, Fla. – March 9-12  

Hosted by Lake County, Fla.

Randall Tharp Teaches You How To Punch Heavy Matted Grass with IBASSIN

With the 2016 FLW Tour starting this week on Florida's Lake Okeechobee and there will be a lot of heavy punching. No one is better than catching big Florida bass than FLW Cup Champ Randall Tharp. Listen how he approaches punching the matted grass.

2015 Forrest L. Wood Cup Lake Ouachita Day 1: Jacob Wheeler Takes Lead!

All or northing at Ouchita for Cup anglers
By Luigi De Rose

Wheeler is all smiles on Day 1 (Photo: FLW)

Day 1 is a wrap with Jacob Wheeler taking the lead with 16-2 lbs just over a pound ahead of two-tour pro Ish Monroe. The next top nine anglers are within striking range and this tournament will be an endurance race. One big day might make or break a career here at Ouchita. Many anglers are working established patterns but size is a huge problem. Most of the field has under ten pounds for a five bass limit. Spotted bass are more plentiful but tend to be slim and fail to amass enough weight to make a big difference. Expect tomorrow's top anglers to try to duplicate their first day and the rest of the field to make adjustments.

Here is the top 10.

1	JACOB WHEELER	INDIANAPOLIS, IN	16 - 2 (5)
2	ISHAMA MONROE	HUGHSON, CA	15 - 0 (5)
3	BRANDON COBB	GREENWOOD, SC	14 - 10 (5)
4	SCOTT MARTIN	CLEWISTON, FL	14 - 6 (5)
5	BRAD KNIGHT	LANCING, TN	14 - 4 (5)
6	CHRIS BAUMGARDNER	GASTONIA, NC	13 - 8 (5)
7	RAMIE COLSON JR	CADIZ, KY	13 - 3 (5)
8	LUKE CLAUSEN	SPOKANE, WA	13 - 1 (5)
9	MARK DANIELS JR	TUSKEGEE, AL	12 - 15 (5)
10	JOHN COX	DEBARY, FL	12 - 0 (4)

2015 FLW Cup Field Announced

By Luigi De Rose

After the recent Potomac River event, the 2015 FLW Cup field has been selected.  Here's the break down of who's fishing this summer.

1. Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla.
 (2015 Angler of the Year)

2. John Cox, DeBary, Fla.


4. Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J.


5. Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash.


6. Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn.


7. Ish Monroe, Hughson, Calif.


8. Tracy Adams, Wilkesboro, N.C.


10. Larry Nixon, Bee Branch, Ark.


11. Shinichi Fukae, Palestine, Texas


12. Peter Thliveros, Saint Augustine, Fla.


13. Cody Meyer, Auburn, Calif.


14. Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa.


15. Stetson Blaylock, Benton, Ark.


Full List Below

2014 Walmart FLW Cup Lake Murray Day 1: David Dudley Captures Lead with 17-14lbs!

Dudley Take 3lb Lead!

by David A. Brown
FLW PRESS RELEASE

COLUMBIA, S.C. – In the field of 45 pros hoping to raise the trophy at the Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart and hosted by Capital City/Lake Murray Country, five have enjoyed that magical moment before. After a strong day-one performance, Castrol pro David Dudley is looking a lot like a man on a mission for No. 2.

Weighing in a first-round limit of 17 pounds, 14 ounces, Dudley took an early lead and held off all challengers to finish atop the field by a margin of 3-5.

David Dudley might be the first angler to win 2 FLW Cups! It is only the first day
but the last few FLW Cup winner all had big first days.
(Photo: Brian Lindberg FLW)

                       
As expected, definitive patterns remained elusive. Very few anglers stuck exclusively with shallow or 
deep patterns, and Dudley was not among them.

“I went deep and shallow. I think everybody is doing that. I’m mixing it up,” he says. “I have no idea where the next bite is coming from. I’m just flying by the seat of my pants and trying to stay focused.”

2014 ICAST VMC Swinging Rugby head with Jacob Wheeler and IBASSIN

2014 ICAST in the VMC booth with FLW Cup winner Jacob Wheeler. Jacob Wheeler explains why we all need to have a few VMC Swinging Rugby head jigs especially when ledge fishing.



VMC® updated its popular Rugby Jig design with an articulated, free-swinging jig head that allows soft-plastic baits to flow and move more naturally on the retrieve. A cross between a traditional round-ball head jig and a football head jig, the Swinging Rugby Jig's head features a recessed line tie, which helps it come through cover much better than other jigs. Extra long z-bend hook leg ensures soft plastics will not hinder action when rigged.

2014 ICAST NEW Rapala BX Waking Minnow Crankbait with Jacob Wheeler and ...

2014 ICAST we find Jacob Wheeler, FLW Cup Winner in the Rapala booth chatting about the new Rapala BX Waking Minnow crankbait. Join IBASSIN.com as we learn all about it.



With the patent pending construction combining a balsa core with a durable co-polymer outer body, the BX Minnow features a super responsive action that comes alive with the slowest of retrieves and the most delicate twitches. Yet it can handle fast, aggressive retrieves and take a beating from toothy, strong predators. Precision weighted for perfect balance and long casting.

Features:

Balsa Body Inside

Durable Copolymer Shell

Molded 3D Head, Gills and Scales

Internal X-Foil

Flat-Sided with Strong Flash on Roll

Black Nickel VMC® Hooks

Floating

Incredible Life-like Finishes

3D Holographic Eyes

Hand-Tuned & Tank Tested

ICAST 2014 Halo Titanium Series Randall Tharp Signature Series of rods w...

IBASSIN tracked down Halo Fishing Rod pro and FLW Cup Champ Randall Tharp at ICAST 2014. Randall fishes the Bassmaster Elite tour and Walmart FLW Tour. With that much fishing skill, he knows how to catch bass especially punching in heavy grass. Listen as Randall Tharp explains all the new features of the Halo Titanium Series "Randall Tharp" Flipping rod at ICAST in Orlando Florida.

2014 Bassmaster Classic Coverage: How to Fish Lake Guntersville Now! PART 2

An in-depth analysis of Lake Guntersville and fishing the Classic
By Luigi De Rose

Kevin has been guiding on Guntersville for the
past 3 years. (Photos: BASS/Kevin Hunt)

With the Bassmaster Classic a day away, we wanted to know more about fishing Lake Guntersville in late February. Elite Angler and 2010 FLW CUP CHAMP Kevin Hawk shares his knowledge of his home lake.  

IBASSIN:

There is a saying, “You cannot win the Classic on the first day but you can lose it.”  Can the Classic be lost on the first day?

Hawk: It is really hard to catch up here. If you have a 10 to 15lb limit, you’re not going to go out and catch a 40lb limit the next day to catch up to the leaders. You need to be consistent all three days and have a really good bag one of those days. A really good day on Guntersville would be a 30lb day backed up with mid-twenty catches. 

I think 70 to 75lbs of bass will win the Classic this year.

IBASSIN:

Guntersville being so large, will anglers have a lot of crowding from other contestants?

Hawk:

There might be multiple guys fishing the same areas but it would be much different if the bass were way in the backs of creeks or dead–end coves. The bass should be in the middle or the outside areas of the creeks.  These areas are much larger so fisherman will have more room to fish. The top leaders will do their damage in a short time. They will hit the right cover at the correct time and catch several of them in a hurry. The trick is to hit the right window of opportunity. 

IBASSIN:

Who are your Top 3 picks for this Classic?

Hawk:

My Top 3 picks are:

1^st Jordan Lee. He is young guy and a friend who knows Guntersville very well. He is a tremendous angler.

2^nd Aaron Martens. He is such a strong angler.

3^rd. Dean Rojas. Dean is another very strong angler. 

IBASSIN:

Thanks for giving IBASSIN your perspective on fishing Guntersville. 

Hawk:

You’re welcome.

2014 Bassmaster Classic Coverage: How to Fish Lake Guntersville Now!

An in-depth interview with Elite angler and FLW CUP Champ Kevin Hawk on fishing the Classic Waters.

By Luigi De Rose

IBASSIN wanted to give greater understanding on how the pros will fish Lake Guntersville, the host of the 2014 Bassmaster Classic. This famed reservoir on the Tennessee River has a long history with BASS. Numerous events have been held on Guntersville, even Rick Clunn’s first Classic win in 1976. Almost all past tournaments occurred in late spring or autumn not the frigid late winter period greeting the Classic contestants this year.  With 69 000 acres of fishable waters and 71 miles long it is clearly Alabama’s largest water body.  There are no shortage of choices for the Classic anglers.

Photo: Jim Leary/ Kevin Hawk.

We contacted BASS Elite angler and 2010 FLW Cup Champ Kevin Hawk for his knowledge and insight on this week’s Classic. A resident of Guntersville, Kevin has guided on the lake for 3 years and provides great perspective.

IBASSIN:

What are the traditional patterns for Guntersville at this time of year?

Hawk:

Moving baits are the key. Lipless crankbaits and slowly worked jerkbaits are best. It is all weather dependent. Many are familiar with all the grass that canopies in the summer on this lake. This time of year, it is still a factor but the weeds have died off.  Anglers will be looking for grass, even brown grass, in the 4 to 7 foot depth range.  Single swimbaits might produce very well but the water needs to warm up. Jigs will also account for fish but moving baits will be the way to go.

Berkley Goes Back To School for Kids

COLUMBIA, S.C. Berkley fishing tackle is going back to school. High school that is, with the launch of the first International High School Fishing Club Challenge. Beginning August 15th, high school fishing coaches can register their school to participate in the program. The program lasts through the school year and offers numerous fishing related opportunities, rewards, product samples and prizes. 

"The program is designed to encourage more students to participate in fishing activities through high schools," says Roxanne Coleman, Senior Field Marketing Manager, Berkley Fishing. "Throughout the year clubs will be given a variety of team and individual challenges and the successful completion of those tasks will earn the club rewards and points for the team." 

Randall Tharp is the 2013 FLW Cup Champion!

FLW Press Release
(Photos: FLW)

SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER CITY, La. – Two years ago, Randall Tharp fished a nearly-flawless Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Ouachita but took second to Scott Martin and a big school of offshore bass. Tharp prepared for the 2013 Cup knowing that deep fish weren't an option on the Red River. Everything was shallow and positioned around dense cover – right in the honey badger's wheelhouse.

Coming in to the tournament, Tharp had located a handful of productive backwater areas in Pool 5. He was convinced that the bigger bites that came from the main river were random, whereas the backwater kickers, while extremely difficult, could be patterned. On day one, he learned several other pros had found those same areas and was forced to regroup and reassess. By Sunday, he was fishing two spots – one a finger off the river located three miles north of Red River South Marina and one a lily pad field adjacent to the marina.

Tharp started each of the last three days on the finger, one of the few areas lined with homes. He'd throw a bluegill-colored 3/8-ounce 4x4 Swim Jig with a Strike King Rage Craw Trailer (green pumpkin with 1/3 of the body trimmed) on the side that featured a mud bank. Once the sun got up around 9 a.m., he'd bounce across and fish the longer riprap stretch with a Lucky Craft 1.5 squarebill crankbait (TO color).

2013 Forrest Wood Cup Day 3: Thrift Jumps into Lead on Difficult Day.

By Luigi De Rose

Bryan Thrift is pulling out all the stops to take the lead
in the FLW Cup.
(Photo: FLW)

The Red River bass have surrendered to the intense fishing pressure and summer heat. They are refusing to bite, particularly bass over 2 lbs. The lead continues to be a tug-of-war match over Randall Tharp and Bryan Thrift. By the end of Day 3, Bryan inched passed Tharp for the first time in this event. Tharp has had a narrow lead the past two days and didn't indicate any desire to relinquish it. The final top 10 anglers will fish on Sunday. It might seem like a two-angler battle for the Cup but if anyone catches another 18 pound bag like Bryan and Randall did on Day 1, they might enjoy the $500 000 dollar grad prize.

Standings
rank/angler/hometown/day1 (#fish), day2 (#fish), day 3 (#fish), total (#fish)

1	BRYAN THRIFT	SHELBY NC	18-7 (5)	11-0 (5)	9-15 (5)	39-6 (15)
2	RANDALL THARP	PORT SAINT JOE FL	18-8 (5)	11-3 (5)	9-7 (5)	39-2 (15)
3	LARRY NIXON	BEE BRANCH AR	13-4 (5)	14-5 (5)	8-5 (5)	35-14 (15)
4	JACOB WHEELER	INDIANAPOLIS IN	7-4 (5)	13-7 (5)	14-4 (5)	34-15 (15)
5	MARK ROSE	WEST MEMPHIS AR	12-15 (5)	11-14 (5)	9-9 (5)	34-6 (15)
6	ROBBIE DODSON	HARRISON AR	10-15 (5)	12-8 (5)	9-14 (5)	33-5 (15)
7	KERRY MILNER	BONO AR	8-15 (5)	12-4 (5)	11-10 (5)	32-13 (15)
8	TROY MORROW	EASTANOLLEE GA	10-15 (5)	10-10 (5)	10-14 (5)	32-7 (15)
9	TOM MONSOOR	LA CROSSE WI	11-8 (5)	13-3 (5)	7-9 (5)	32-4 (15)
10	MICHAEL NEAL	DAYTON TN	11-5 (5)	10-11 (5)	10-4 (5)	32-4 (15)
11	ADRIAN AVENA	VINELAND NJ	13-2 (5)	8-14 (5)	10-3 (5)	32-3 (15)
12	RAY SCHEIDE	DOVER AR	12-7 (5)	12-12 (5)	6-8 (4)	31-11 (14)
13	JT KENNEY	PALM BAY FL	11-2 (5)	11-0 (5)	8-9 (5)	30-11 (15)
14	WESLEY STRADER	SPRING CITY TN	9-7 (5)	10-13 (5)	10-3 (5)	30-7 (15)
15	JUSTIN LUCAS	GUNTERSVILLE AL	10-3 (5)	12-13 (5)	7-6 (5)	30-6 (15)
16	JOHN COX	DEBARY FL	10-10 (5)	13-5 (5)	5-11 (5)	29-10 (15)
17	MARK DANIELS JR	FAIRFIELD CA	11-12 (5)	11-6 (5)	6-8 (4)	29-10 (14)
18	MATT AREY	SHELBY NC	11-6 (5)	9-10 (5)	7-11 (5)	28-11 (15)
19	ANDY MORGAN	DAYTON TN	11-2 (5)	8-11 (5)	8-2 (5)	27-15 (15)
20	BRENT EHRLER	REDLANDS CA	8-12 (5)	12-0 (5)	6-11 (5)	27-7 (15)