Freedom Lures Helping Grassroots Anglers in Ontario

The Ontario B.A.S.S. Nation is pleased to announce Freedom Tackle Corp. has come on board as a new sponsor to the OBN.

The OBN and Freedom Tackle had been working very hard to come together in a great sponsorship opportunity for the OBN. Freedom Tackle will be sponsoring all aspects of the OBN, being Team Ontario, OBN High School Program, and all other aspects of the OBN.

Freedom Tackle Corp. is committed to providing anglers with cutting edge technology. “We strive to improve the accuracy and efficiency of anglers without restricting their freedom to customize. Think of our products as tools that enhance the systems you already fish with. We pride ourselves in each and every product we produce, which is why every product we sell is unique to the industry and truly one of a kind”

For more information please check out Freedom Tackle at: www.freedomlures.com

The Ontario B.A.S.S. Nation was founded in 1995 and is made up of 24 Senior and Junior clubs from all across the Province of Ontario.

For more information about bass fishing in Canada please check us out on line at: www.ontariobass.com

Canadian Mark Cavanaugh Wins B.A.S.S. Nation Eastern Regional!

Giant last day limit secures win.
BASS PRESS RELEASE
Canadian Mark Cavanaugh caught his winning catch of largemouth within the first half hour of fishing this morning to win the Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Eastern Regional presented by Magellan Outdoors.
Cavanaugh, of Port Perry, Ontario, won the tournament after three days with a total weight of 45 pounds, 3 ounces. A 5-bass limit weighing 19-7 anchored his Day 3 catch.
"They were feeding fast and furious soon as I arrived," said Cavanaugh, a member of the Port Perry Bassmasters. "It didn't slow down until after I caught my limit and then the fish just shut down."
William Lortz II of Rochester N.Y., finished second with 41-7. Jason Vaughn of Bridgeville, Del., took third with 40-12. Casey Smith of Macdeon, N.Y., was fourth with 40-7. Mike Wolfenden of Warwick, R.I., was fifth with 39-11.

Fishing deep and shallow sets Mark up for success. (Photo BASS)

With exception of Smith those anglers also caught the heaviest individual weights for their states. Each top placing boater and non-boater from the 17 states and Ontario competing in the tournament advanced to the Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Magellan Outdoors. Date and location of the championship will be announced soon.
Jon Robia of Norawood, N.Y., won the non-boater division with a total weight of 25-10. John Bernard of McKees Rocks, Pa., took second with 25-3 and Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pa., was third with 25-2.
Cavanaugh's fishing area improved daily as evidenced by his scorecard. On Day 1 the Canadian returned to the scales with a limit weighing 10-8 to put him in 52nd place. The next day he moved to 10th based on the lift provided by a limit weighing 15-4. He finished the tournament with the limit weighing 19-4.

2014 Bassmaster Classic: Randy Howell Wins with Dramatic Final Weigh-in!

Howell comes from back in the pack to win by a pound!

By Cara D. Clark

Bass Press Release

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Every angler dreams of catching bass after giant bass like Randy Howell did on Sunday.

Howell began hauling in Lake Guntersville lunkers minutes into the final round of the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by Diet Mountain Dew and GoPro. He lost track of how many culls he was able to make, but at one point he was trading 4- and 5-pounders for even larger bass.

When Howell brought his bag to the scales, his five bass weighed 29 pounds, 2 ounces, with the largest going 7-3. The banner day beefed up his total to 67 pounds, 8 ounces.

“I don’t even know if I’m going to win, but it doesn’t matter,” Howell said before all the 25 finalists came to the scales. “It was the best day I’ve ever had in 21 years of professional bass fishing, a day of a lifetime.”

But his day did get better: He became the world champion, the 2014 Bassmaster Classic champ.

“I’ve had this dream so many times, and it’s happening now. I can’t believe I won the Bassmaster Classic. I don’t win tournaments very often,” said Howell as he was announced the winner.

Howell is a two-time Bassmaster event winner, including a 2013 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open presented by Allstate event that earned him his 2014 Classic qualification.

Sunday’s victory — Howell’s first after 11 other tries as a Classic competitor — was worth $300,000 and the most coveted trophy in the sport. From Springville, Ala., Howell became only the second angler to win the Classic in his home state.

Randy had a "feeling" to switch locations and win on
final day of the 2014 Bassmaster Classic.
(Photos: BASS)

Howell edged out B.A.S.S. Nation qualifier Paul Mueller of Naugatuck, Conn., by 1 pound. Mueller, who on Day 2 set a new one-day Classic weight record at 32-3, totaled 66-8 for second place.

Third place was claimed by second-day leader Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., with 65-11. Fourth was Ott DeFoe of Knoxville, Tenn., with 63-6, including the day’s largest bass, an 8-4. First-day leader Randall Tharp of Port St. Joe, Fla., finished in fifth place at 62-12.

Howell repeatedly used the words “perfect” and “effortless” to describe his day on Lake Guntersville.

“I caught my first one on my second or third cast,” he said. “I caught one almost every cast or two and had a limit in the first 10 or 15 minutes. It was quick. It would have been quicker if I hadn’t had to stop and retie every time because of the rocks.”

The rocks were the riprap up against a causeway bridge on Spring Creek. That early flurry included releasing eight 4-pounders.

Howell spent most of his time on the riprap. He moved only once, going farther back into the creek to a grassy area. The move yielded a 6-pounder and allowed him to cull a 4-pounder. He then motored back to the riprap. His largest was a 7-3. It was his fourth bass of the day and the one that told him he’d made the right decision to go to Spring Creek.

Emotions took over as Randy had to wait as
every Super Six anglers tried to knock him out of first.

His Classic lure arsenal included a Livingston Lures model being developed within the Pro Series. Not yet available to the public, it’s a medium diver in a crawfish color. He also used a Rapala DT6 crankbait in the “demon” crawfish color and a Yamamoto bladed jig.

“I went out this morning believing I could win,” the champ said. “That’s the weirdest thing. Typically, I would never be in 11th place and 9 pounds back and think I had a chance to win. But for some reason I had the feeling I could win on Spring Creek — that something big would happen there.”