2022 Bassmaster Elite Series Event On Mississippi River Day 3: Chris Johnston Continues Lead!

Canadians Gustafson 26th & Cory Johnston 52th.

Chris Johnston of Otonabee, Ontario, is leading after Day 3 of the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Mississippi River with a three-day total of 48 pounds, 10 ounces. (Photo: Seigo Saito/ BASS) 

BASS PRESS RELEASE

LA CROSSE, Wis. — Chris Johnston believed in his sweet spot enough to give it a second chance, and that call paid off in a big way, as the pro from Otonabee, Ontario, tallied a three-day total of 48 pounds, 10 ounces and maintained the lead on Day 3 of the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Mississippi River.

 

After tying for fourth place on Day 1 with a limit of 16-4, Johnston added 15-10 on Day 2 and took over the top spot. He entered Semifinal Sunday 2 ounces ahead of Texan Keith Combs — and with a third-round limit of 16-12, Johnston now heads into Championship Monday with an advantage of 1-13 over Combs.

 

“I ran to a spot that I’d fished in the morning, but I never got a bite because it was raining,” Johnston said. “There was a lot of bait in the area, and I think the rain had the bait all pushed down to the bottom and the fish weren’t active.

 

“I stopped there again with about 15 minutes to go because I know there’s a lot of fish in there. It’s just hard to get them to bite.”

 

Johnston said he usually has to see fish blowing up (surface feeding) in the spot’s matted grass, but his first cast drew a bite. He missed that fish, but five casts later he caught a 3 1/4-pound largemouth a little before 2:30 p.m.

 

“It was hard because the wind was blowing in, but they were in these little pockets,” Johnston said. “The wind had my frog kind of going across sideways, but that (3 1/4-pounder) grabbed a hold of it and that was huge.”

 

Johnston’s key spot comprised a break in the vegetation with sand next to a current edge. The week’s rainfall has raised the water level, and Johnston said that has expanded the spot’s opportunity.

 

Brandon Cobb Wins 2019 BASS Elite Lake Hartwell with 72-04lbs!

Sight fishing peaked as tournament progressed.
By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Wire to wire win for first year Elite angler.
(Photo: BASS)

Many anglers have led the first three rounds of a Bassmaster Elite Series event, only to have the title slip through their hands on the final day.

More times than not, pressure was the culprit.

But if South Carolina pro Brandon Cobb felt pressure a single time during this week’s Bassmaster Elite at Lake Hartwell, he certainly hid it well.

Cobb, who lives in nearby Greenwood, S.C., took the lead on Day 1 of the event and never relinquished it, slamming the door on his first Elite Series victory with a final-day catch of 16 pounds, 14 ounces on Championship Sunday. His four-day winning weight of 72-4 earned him a $100,000 paycheck and the iconic blue trophy that goes to every Elite Series winner.

“Staying calm definitely made the difference for me,” said Cobb, who stayed at his own house and made the 50-minute drive to Lake Hartwell each day. “I don’t do well if I get flustered. I start running around a lot, and it just doesn’t go well for me.

“Being on my home lake helped, too. I literally never ran out of places where I felt like I was going to catch one.”

Cobb caught 19-9, 17-8, 18-5 and 16-14 in four days — and he did most of his damage with two baits. He used a green pumpkin Zoom Fluke Stick when he was moving through shallow areas where he thought spawning beds were present and a 1/8-ounce Greenfish Tackle shaky head with a green pumpkin Zoom Trick Worm when he was stopped, fishing for bass he could actually see on bed.

2018 Bassmaster Elite Classic Bracket Day 2: 6 Battles for 3 Classic Spots.

Final 6 ready to fish 

BASS PRESS RELEASE

The picture is steadily growing clearer at the Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster Classic Bracket on Carters Lake, with the two-day semifinal round now complete and six anglers qualified for Friday’s finals.

A trio of head-to-head matchups on Friday will pit Gerald Swindle vs. Scott Rook, Chris Lane vs. Greg Vinson and Adrian Avena vs. Shin Fukae. The anglers’ weights will start back at zero, and they will fish from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET with the winners of each match advancing to the 2019 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.

Lane had one of the most impressive days Thursday, landing three big spotted bass that weighed 8 pounds, 9 ounces. Combined with the 2-3 he caught Wednesday, it gave him a two-day total of 10-12 that was more than enough to win his match against Michigan angler Chad Pipkens, who finished with 7-11.

“Knowing I had a little bit of a lead allowed me to fish with an eye toward tomorrow,” said Lane, a former Bassmaster Classic winner who lives in Alabama. “Tomorrow’s going to be amazing with a Classic berth on the line. It’ll either be really exciting or really disappointing.”

Lane’s biggest bass came at 8:18 a.m. when he landed a gigantic 4-10 spotted bass near a boat dock. He added two more fish on a Whopper Plopper the rest of the way to seal the win.

Pipkens caught a nice bass on a jerkbait with just over 30 minutes remaining in the morning session to keep pressure on Lane. But it wasn’t enough.

“I don’t think I would have made any different decisions today except maybe picking up a jerkbait a little earlier,” Pipkens said. “But that’s the way it goes. I’m already looking forward to next year.”

Mark Hicks Wins Costa FLW Northern Series Potomac River with 48-10lbs!

Topwater key for Hicks

By Jody White

FLW PRESS RELEASE

Mike Hicks is nearly always good for a check when FLW comes to the Potomac, but this week he put it all together. The Costa FLW Series presented by Plano hit the Potomac when it was fishing wicked tough, but Hicks stayed steady all week. All told, the Goochland, Va., pro put together limits of 17 pounds, 14 ounces, 13-14 and 16-14 on the final day for a total of 48-10 and a payday of $42,200.

Hicks wins last Northern event.
(Photo: FLW) 

Hicks is a Potomac River veteran, and he showed it this week, running a diverse game plan and adapting every day.

On day one, Hicks mined the grass in front of Aquia Creek and the far back of Potomac Creek for his limit, landing just seven keepers on the day. On day two, Hicks started in front of Aquia, essentially fishing the same stretch of grass Casey Smith won off last year, and landed three keepers to start. Then, the back of Potomac failed him, and he was forced to scramble north to Pohick to fill his limit.

For the final day, Hicks decided to spend some more time at Aquia, figuring that his best odds for a big bag were there.

Cory Johnston Wins 2016 Costa FLW Oneida Lake and Angler of the Year!

King of the North!

by Jody White

FLW PRESS RELEASE

One of only three pros to bring limits to the stage on the final day of the Costa FLW Series presented by Ranger Boats on Oneida Lake, Cory Johnston earned the win by more than 4 pounds. In total, the Cavan, Ontario, pro toted 14 pounds, 1 ounce to the scale on the final day for a 50-4 total that earned him $32,778 and a new Ranger Z518. In addition to winning the tournament, Johnston also finished off his third Northern Division Strike King Angler of the Year title, earning a Strike King tackle pack and the deposits in the division of his choice for 2017.

Cory is " King of the North" in New York!
(Photo: FLW)

“We’ve never been here before and its fun to go out and learn a new lake,” says Cory Johnston of his and Chris’s first time on Oneida. “When you’re somewhere you haven’t been before you’re not going into the lake with a preconceived notion of what the fish were doing last time here. You can really figure it out and zone in on them real good.”

Zone in they did. Combined, the brothers rustled exactly 95 pounds of Oneida bass over three days of fishing with Cory taking the win and Chris settling for fourth place.

All week, Johnston followed a strict shallow game plan that separated him from other pros grouped up on shoals or slinging umbrella rigs on points and flats.

“The whole thing that I was fishing was isolated rock piles off the shore,” says Johnston. “When it was calm and clear like in practice you should see all these rock piles and that’s how I found all my fish. The first two days when I got here I put my trolling motor on 100 and just went looking for stuff and right away I caught a 4-pounder and a 3-pounder on topwater so I knew the big fish would be shallow and I could key in on what they were on.”

ICAST 2016 EverGreen's JT Pencil Topwater with Justin Kerr

The JT Pencil Topwater is one of the very best from EverGreen International. Now that Diawa USA is supplying North America with these baits, its time to take a serious look at them. Justin Kerr, a Western pro, explains all the details.

Jackall's Cool Topwater Popper

Blitz Bass with Binksy!
By Luigi De Rose

At first glace, the Binksy looks odd. Tail spinner, belly blade and a concave face have transformed this Jackall topwater to much more than your average popper. Belly blades have been the rage for the past few years in Japan. The added flash and glimmer of silver is a huge attraction. When ripped along, it create a strong pulse. Blade vibration is a unique concept for a topwater bait and most North American bass have never seen such a bait. The tail spinner allows it to rip well with short rod pops plus it ensures the feather tail hook remains downward in the water. Skittered across the surface or chugged along isolated cover, the Binksy will provide more action than traditional poppers.

At 2.75" long, it is ideal for smallmouth, spotted and largemouth bass. At 3/7oz, this compact bait will cast very well on casting gear. A dressed rear hook and matching belly treble will hold anything that bites it.

 The Jackall Binksy is available in 10 colour patterns. Anglers will find top-notch quality consistent with all Jackall Lures.

For more JACKALL LURES CLICK HERE

Fall Fishing: Top Water fun with Jackall Trigger Boil 100

By Luigi De Rose

Autumn is a great time to fish. The fish are active and the crowds have dissipated. One surprising presentation that doesn't get much hype is topwater during this time of year. If the conditions are correct, topwater action can be amazing. 

One new bait to his stores this year was the Jackall Trigger Boil 100. A truly unique bait, it is a popper that can be easily walked plus it has jointed action.  A little longer than most poppers, it is the perfect treat for bass.  Amazingly, it can be snapped quickly or slowly walked without much work. Jackall is a dominate Japanese tackle manufacture that prides itself in quality and innovation. This might be your new fall favourite. 

A nicely cupped mouth and two, super sharp treble hooks. Rear hook is feathered. 

Its jointed action works well at a range of speeds. 

Long and slender, this bait provides a strong profile without the bulk.

Jackall's Boil Trigger 100

Post Spawn bass are suckers for topwaters poppers. Plus, who doesn't love topwater fishing? So, if you're after a new popper or just appreciate good quality, then you need a few Jackall Boil Trigger 100s. Jackall is well known for its fine craftsmanship and this popper is no different. One truly unique feature is that this bait is jointed. Jointed lures have always shined but never really seen much play in topwater fishing. Expect easy popping action at slow and fast retrieves. The jointed body will provide sexy swimming action.

Photo features Baby Bass colour pattern.

Megabass' Pop Max topwater

Megabass makes magical lures. The Pop Max is an amazing. Listen to "The Chef" as he explains to you and IBASSIN.com what makes this topwater bait so great.

Forrest Wood Cup 2011 Day 2: Where and How with What

By Luigi De Rose

Here is a look at what the top anglers are doing on Lake Ouachita, Arkansas at the 2011 Forrest L. Wood Cup Championship. The top FLW anglers seem to be on the same pattern. Finding areas, just off the bank, where schools of panfish (bream or bluegills) are cruising.

All Photos from Rob Newell and David A. Brown of FLW.

Location
Shallow, mid-range flats; shoreline with a huge focus of rock; some timber and a bit of grass. The photos reveal a big drop in water level and this should have the bass more focused on what remaining cover is in the water. Many pros have indicated that the baitfish not the cover is most important.

Jason Christie works his banks to first place.

Randall Tharp is working the same sort of mid-cove stuff.