Jimmy Washam Win 2021Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Championship!

Jody White Tackle Warehouse Pro Tour 

LA CROSSE, Wis. – In 2020, Jimmy Washam started fishing the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers after qualifying via the Toyota Series Central Division. Then, he was in the running for Polaris Rookie of the Year most of the way and fished the Tackle Warehouse TITLE in his first season, doing basically everything you could ask for in a rookie year.

This year has seen Washam take it to the next level, with a Toyota Series win on Lake Guntersville, a fifth-place finish in Angler of the Year on the Pro Circuit and a dominating Championship Round win in the second-annual Tackle Warehouse TITLE Presented by Mercury. Putting 17 pounds, 15 ounces on the scale, Washam beat out Bass Pro Tour superstars Bobby Lane and Zack Birge to earn $200,000 and the TITLE belt.

“All the glory goes to God,” Washam said of the win. “This is so amazing, but it’s His work above, I promise you. Five years ago, I bought my first fiberglass boat and decided I’d fish the [Phoenix Bass Fishing League] as a boater. Now I’m standing here with a TITLE belt on my shoulder.”

A deputy sheriff sergeant in Tennessee, Washam took a big financial risk in 2020 and did it again in 2021 after losing his title sponsor right before the season started. Now, he’s gone from a kid ate up with fishing to a TITLE champ.

“I’m 34 years old, I did not start as young as I wished I would have, but I had to earn a living and work, and I slowly progressed and stepped up to this level,” Washam said. “After last year I knew that I could hang, after this year, it’s been an absolutely incredible year. It’s humbling to know the group of anglers I just joined.”

Finding the Winning Fish

Washam tallied 25-1 (10) in the Qualifying Round to make the Knockout Round out of Group A. In the early going, he caught all his fish in the Black River, but that well started to dry up during the Knockout Round.

2017 Walmart FLW Mississippi River Day 1: Matthew Stefan Leads with 18 Pounds!

Chris Johnston 32nd, Cory Johnston 92th, Gustafson 100th and Richardson 159th
by Rob Newell 
FLW PRESS RELEASE

Muddy, rising water has been the bane of the FLW Tour recently. After a rising-water event at Lake Cumberland, then a mega rising-water event at Beaver Lake, the pros once again find themselves in a familiar predicament at the FLW Tour presented by Evinrude on the Mississippi.

Local Stefan grabs lead on rising river. (Photo: FLW)

After a warm, sunny practice where bass were moving up by the droves to spawn, a cold front dumped plenty of rain in the river basin Wednesday. For FLW Tour pros, it was like déjà vu all over again. And with many Tour pros having very little prior experience on the Mighty Mississippi, things can get even more confusing.
But even just a little experience on the river goes a long way, as day one tournament leader Matthew Stefan of Junction City, Wis., demonstrated Thursday.
Stefan took the early lead with five smallmouths weighing 18 pounds even.
“I am by no means a river stud over here on these pools, but I do fish here about five days a year,” says Stefan, who lives about two hours away from La Crosse. “I’ve never fished here in May, but on this place, just knowing how to get around in these backwaters and how to gauge barge traffic for locking is a big help. So, comparatively speaking, I probably do have a little bit of an advantage on guys who have never seen this place before this week.”
Stefan sampled pools 8 and 9 for his catch Thursday. He weighed in all smallmouths, a rarity for day one limits.
TOP 10 BELOW

2017 BASS Elite Ross Barnett Day 3: Connell Leads as KVD and JVD Close In!

Weather worries for Sunday. 

By Thomas Allen 

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Rookie Connell steady as veterans close in.
(Photo: BASS)

For the second day in a row, Alabama native Dustin Connell is leading the fourth Bassmaster Elite Series event of his life. The 26-year-old rookie is closing in on his first victory and the $100,000 first-place prize at the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Ross Barnett.

The weather forecast for Ridgeland, Miss., is predicting strong thunderstorms and heavy rain for Championship Sunday, which could impact whether the tournament concludes on schedule or gets postponed until Monday.
 
Connell’s pattern produced 15 pounds, 7 ounces of largemouth bass for a three-day total of 51-14, which is just over 6 pounds ahead of second place.
 
“I’m fishing up in the Pearl River,” Connell said. “And if we get heavy rain, the potential flood waters could wash out my spots. If that happens, I may have to revert to plan B and pick up a frog. I’m hoping we’ll dodge a bullet and be able to fish on Sunday.”
 
Connell mentioned that he’s so confident in his fishing spots that if the weather holds off, he believes he can win.
 

2017 BASS Elite Ross Barnett Day 1: Brandon Card Leads with 22-14lbs!

Big lake fishing very small
BASS PRESS RELEASE

Card scores big on difficult day.
(Photo: BASS)

While 33,000 acres of fishable water seems like it should easily support a 109-angler field, most Elite Series anglers would say they’re sharing water at the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Ross Barnett.
 
Ross Barnett Reservoir is the smallest venue on the schedule this year, but the quality is evident as the Top 6 anglers weighed limits of bass near or exceeding the 20-pound mark.
 
The question is can weights like Brandon Card’s impressive 22 pounds, 14 ounces be reproduced during Friday’s second round of competition.
 
“That’s a great question,” Card of Knoxville, Tenn., said following weigh-in. “I spent some time here during pre-practice, and the fishing was on fire. But that bite has changed dramatically since then, and I found an area during our official practice days, which is where I caught them today. I know the number of quality fish are available to have another 20-pound day, but I think it’ll take about a 17-pound average per day to remain in contention for the win.”
 

2016 BASS Elite Mississippi River Day 2: Ott DeFoe Leads Rainy Day 2!

DeFoe dominates! 

BASS COMMUNICATIONS

After claiming second with a 17-plus-pound limit of bass in the first round of the Plano Bassmaster Elite at the Mississippi River presented by Favorite Fishing Thursday, Knoxville, Tenn., angler Ott DeFoe predicted he would catch one more limit at least that big — and that would be it.

 Friday he backpedaled on the last part of that prediction, but he validated the first. His 17-pound, 11-ounce collection of five largemouth pushed his two-day total to 35-2 and a sizable (for this fishery), nearly 2-pound lead over his nearest competitor.



Ott's 6 pounder leaps him into lead. (Photo: BASS)

“After today, I know those fish are there,” DeFoe said. “I feel like it’s got more potential. They’re there.”

The big bass, currently leading for the Phoenix Boats Big Bass award, hit late in the day, with less than 30 minutes of fishing time remaining.



2016 BASS Elite Mississippi River Day 1: Casey Ashley Leads 17-09 Pounds!

Rising water changes Day 1 plans

BASS COMMUNICATIONS

Casey Ashley has only a slim lead following the first round of the Plano Bassmaster Elite at the Mississippi River presented by Favorite Fishing, yet he almost oozed confidence as he left the weigh-in stand today.

Ashley turns misfortunate during practice to triumph!
(Photo: BASS)

"I feel like I've got another shot at winning," he said after weighing in a limit of four smallmouth and one largemouth totaling 17 pounds, 10 ounces. The Elite pro from Donalds, S.C., knows that feeling, having won the 2015 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro. He aims to add another $100,000 to his career total on the Mississippi River this week.

Never mind that two other skilled young fishermen are breathing down his neck. Ott Defoe of Knoxville, Tenn., is second with 17-7, and Jordan Lee, the former college standout from Grant, Ala., is third with 17-2.

Reigning Classic champion Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., is fourth with 16-13, and Brandon Card of Caryville, Tenn., rounds out the Top 5 with 16-9.

Card's success may actually help Ashley's dream of winning become reality.

DeFoe revealed that he has two great spots. One gave up three of the bass he weighed in, and the other produced two.

2013 BASSMASTER Bass Pro Shops Central Open #3 Ross Barnett Reservoir Day 2: Tharp Holds Lead

By John Neporadny Jr.

Bass Press Release

RIDGELAND, Miss. — Randall Tharp moved one step closer to achieving his goals for the Bass Pro Shops Central Open at Ross Barnett Reservoir. Catching a 13-pound, 4-ounce limit kept Tharp in the lead of the pro division with 29-4 and enhanced his chances of earning an Open triple crown by winning this tournament, qualifying for the 2014 Bassmaster Classic, and finishing atop the Central Open point standings.

"My main goal is to win the points title and qualify for the Elites again," Tharp said. "I have caught a few fish before on Guntersville (the site of the 2014 Bassmaster Classic) and I sure would like to fish that Classic."

The St. Joe Beach, Fla., angler estimated that he caught about 10 keepers today, and about half of the fish bit after 12 o’clock. "It was a little slower for me this morning," said Tharp, who didn't think the 45-minute fog delay this morning hurt him. "Where I fished today was really foggy. I didn't start where I wanted to because I didn't think I could get there safely."

2013 BASSMASTER Bass Pro Shops Central Open #3 Ross Barnett Reservoir: Tharp Leads and Possibly Heading to the Classic

By John Neporadny Jr.

OCT 17, 2013

RIDGELAND, Miss.— Touring pro Randall Tharp took a big step towards winning a point standings title and qualifying for a berth in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic by taking the lead in the Bass Pro Shops Central Open at Ross Barnett Reservoir.

The Gardendale, Ala., pro came into the final Central Open in the runner-up spot of the point standings and solidified his chances of winning the points title by catching a 16-pound limit today. He is also hoping to win this event so he can qualify for the Bassmaster Classic to be held at Lake Guntersville. “I cut my teeth on Guntersville and it would mean a lot to me to fish that tournament,” he said.

Tommy Biffle Wins with Smallmouth at the 2013 Elite Mississippi River Tournament!

By Deb Johnson
BASS Press Release

LA CROSSE, Wis. — Tommy Biffle was watching the clock. With 45 minutes left in the final round, Biffle knew it was time to give up on the special smallmouth spot he’d been milking during the entire four-day Diet Mountain Dew Mississippi River Rumble presented by Power-Pole.

Aaron 2nd and winner Tommy
battled for the lead all tournament.
(Photos: BASS)

Thirty years of pro bass fishing tells you to when to make a move.

“If you sit there and hope they come and they don’t come, you have do something,” said Biffle, 55, of Wagoner, Okla.

Going into Sunday’s final round, Biffle was 7 ounces in back of leader Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala. Biffle wanted the win, and especially the Bassmaster Classic berth that comes with an Elite trophy.

He abandoned the spot that had kept him in contention all week, and ran to a similar place he knew of nearby, with hard current between two islands. It hadn’t produced much before, but Sunday it paid off quickly.

“First throw, I caught a big one, second throw I caught a big one,” he said. He built his weight to 16 pounds, 13 ounces.

2013 Bassmaster Elite Mississippi River Day 3: Martens Ounces Ahead of Biffle

By Deb Johnson

BASS Press Release

LA CROSSE, Wis. — Seven ounces.

After three days of competition, Aaron Martens was just 7 ounces from victory in last year’s Bassmaster Elite Series event on the Mississippi River.

Now Martens gets to play out a similar scenario on the same river, and he’s going for big bass in the same spot that put him in contention in 2012. And, oddly enough, once again 7 ounces plays into his game.

Aaron with his trademark spinning gear.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

But now the advantage is his. On Saturday, Martens put himself 7 ounces in front of his nearest challenger in the Diet Mountain Dew Mississippi River Rumble presented by Power-Pole.

Martens of Leeds, Ala., amassed a 47-pound, 12-ounce total for the Rumble’s third-day lead.

Tommy Biffle of Wagoner, Okla., was the angler trailing Martens by 7 ounces. The day’s largest five-bass sack of 17-5 put Biffle in second place with a total of 47-5. In third place was John Crews of Salem, Va., with 42-14 — 4 pounds, 14 ounces behind the leader, or the size of one fat Mississippi River bass.

2013 Bassmaster Elite Mississippi River Day 2: Palaniuk DQ From Leader to Out!

By Deb Johnson
Bass Press Release

LA CROSSE, Wis. — The Day Two weight of Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, has been disqualified in the Bassmaster Elite Series event on the Mississippi River out of La Crosse, Wis.

Palaniuk had been the leader for the first two days of the event.

Culling rule between different States catches Brandon.
Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

Friday evening after the day’s results had been published, an official, written protest presented to B.A.S.S. officials stated that Palaniuk may have been culling in Minnesota waters. Minnesota law prohibits culling from a limit of bass in state waters, or any culling in Wisconsin-Minnesota border waters.

The fishery for the event includes Pools 7, 8 and 9 of the Mississippi River, including all rivers, creeks and canals connecting to the Mississippi River.

“We discussed the protest with Brandon Palaniuk, and we determined that he did in fact cull from a five-fish limit while he was in Minnesota,” said Chris Bowes, B.A.S.S. senior tournament manager. “We recognize that he did not realize he was in Minnesota waters, and his error was completely inadvertent. In dealing with a river system like the Mississippi and its numerous channels, it’s easy to become confused about the state lines on the water.”

2013 Bassmaster Elite Mississippi River Day 1: Palaniuk Pounds Them

By Deb Johnson
BASS Press Release

LA CROSSE, Wis. — For some reason, said Brandon Palaniuk, he felt the bass were going to bite for him Thursday, the kickoff of the Diet Mountain Dew Mississippi River Rumble presented by Power-Pole.

Palaniuk, the first of 99 Bassmaster Elite Series pros to come to the scales, had just weighed what later proved to be the largest bag of the day: 18 pounds, 4 ounces.

Brandon mixed up his presentation and locations
on the diverse river.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS))

“I caught a few big ones in practice, but never felt I was on anything solid,” said the pro from Rathdrum, Idaho. “I don’t know how to explain that, other than I had confidence that the bass I was after were going to bite today.”

On Wednesday, the eve of the four-day event, he had described his practice as “not very good.”

But the magic happened for Palaniuk, who at 25 already has a 2012 Elite win on his record as well as the 2010 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship title. He secured a 2-pound, 4-ounce lead over Kevin Hawk of Guntersville, Ala., in second place with 16-0.