Albert Collins Wins 2015 Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Championship!

Charles Sim becomes second Canadian ever to fish Classic!

By Tyler Wade

BASS PRESS RELEASE

MONROE, La. — Albert Collins’ victory in the 2015 Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Championship was a year in the making. The Texas angler lost his bid to the Classic by 1 1/2 pounds on the Ouachita River in November 2014; he’s been planning for his next chance ever since.
Collins ended the 2015 championship with 44 pounds, 15 ounces over three days, and he earned a berth in the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro. He also won the Bryan V. Kerchal Memorial Trophy and a Skeeter ZX200 with a Yamaha motor, a Minn Kota trolling motor and Lowrance electronics.

Remove location key for Collin's come from behind win. (Photo: BASS)

Collins has qualified for the Classic before, back in 2013 when he won the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series Championship. But he really wanted to make it through the B.A.S.S. Nation.
“It means something special to qualify through the Nation,” said Collins, who has tried several times to qualify through the Nation Championship and, like one year ago, fell just short.
“What I learned last year was that I needed an aluminum boat,” said Collins. “Last year, I used my fiberglass boat, and it’s just not made to go through those stumps and all that shallow water. So I bought an aluminum one for this tournament.”

2015 Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Championship Day 2: Jamie Laiche Continues to Lead!

Canadian Charles Sim sits in 14th. 

By Tyler Wade

bass press release

Jamie Laiche of Gonzales, La. holds a 2 pound lead.
(Photo: BASS)

MONROE, La. — The conditions changed on Day 2 of the 2015 Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Championship on the Ouachita River, but the first-day leader did everything the same and managed to stay on top of the field.

Louisiana’s Jamie Laiche added 13 pounds, 14 ounces, ending Day 2 with 30 pounds, 4 ounces and a 1 1/2-pound lead.

“I did the exact same thing,” Laiche said, “but I didn’t get that big bite like I did yesterday. I caught a ton of fish, but the size wasn’t there.”

The air temperature dropped 5 degrees from yesterday and the Monroe area got an inch of rain. Day 3 should bring more rain and even cooler temperatures.

None of those weather changes bother Laiche.

“I have the opinion that if it affects me, it’ll affect everybody else,” he said, calmly. “If the Lord feels like it’s my time, I’ll find ’em.”

2015 Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Championship Day 1: Jamie Laiche Grabs Leads!

Canadian Charles Sim in 7th!

By Tyler Wade

bass press release 

MONROE, La. — Jamie Laiche of Gonzales, La., only traveled four hours to get to the 2015 Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, so it seems like he would have home-lake advantage over the rest of the field. However, he had never fished the Ouachita River until he started pre-fishing it earlier this fall, and now he leads the event on Day 1 with 16 pounds, 6 ounces.

Sixteen pounds take lead for Laiche. (Photo: BASS)

“I call the Atchafalaya Basin my home water,” said Laiche, “and so I’d call myself a shallow-water, stump, cypress tree fisherman. This is right in my wheelhouse.

“I’m used to fishing tough for seven to eight bites a day, which is how this is fishing,” he said.

Laiche is one of a handful of anglers who brought small boats to navigate the stumpfields of the Ouachita.

“I gambled a little and brought the smaller boat,” said Laiche, referring to his 17-foot Bass Tracker boat that is only 6 feet wide but floats in 7 inches of water. “It’s got a small motor on the back that floats high, and that’s key to getting into those shallow backwaters.”

The drawback to that small boat? “It goes 28 miles per hour,” said Laiche with a laugh. “They’re all passing me.”