2023 SiteOne Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee Day 1: Bernie Schultz Leads 28-11lbs!

Canadians: Gallant 9th, Gustafson 21st, Chris Johnston 23rd  & Cory Johnston 95th

Bernie Schultz of Gainesville, Fla., is leading after Day 1 of the 2023 SiteOne Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee with 28 pounds, 11 ounces. (Photo: BASS)

BASS PRESS RELEASE

OKEECHOBEE, Fla. — Expectations did not match reality for Bernie Schultz, but the veteran Florida pro was delighted with a surprising day that yielded a five-bass limit of 28 pounds, 11 ounces, which leads Day 1 of the SiteOne Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee.

 

Hailing from Gainesville, Fla., Schultz anchored his bag with an 8-10 that leads the Phoenix Boats Big Bass standings. He heads into Day 2 with a 3-pound lead over local favorite Scott Martin.

 

“It was a remarkable day; I didn’t expect to catch that,” Schultz said. “I thought I’d get one — if I was lucky maybe two — big bites, but I got four big bites.”

 

Schultz caught his bass in two main sections of one general area that he found prior to the off-limits period. With depths of about 3 feet, the area held a mix of vegetation — a key ingredient, given the lake’s present condition.

 

High water has altered much of the traditional spawning areas, while herbicide treatments have dramatically reduced the hydrilla and eelgrass that once covered vast acreage. The area Schultz fished had a mix of these submerged aquatic plants, along with dollar pads, bulrush and cattails.

 

“I knew this area was going to be good because the vegetation is very healthy; that’s really a rare thing in this lake these days,” Schultz said. “The lake has shrunk because of habitat loss. Places that were once lush and healthy are barren right now.

 

“There’s not a lot of filtration in places that were historically really productive this time of year because the fish aren’t using them.”

Rick Clunn Wins 2016 BASS Elite St. Johns River with 81-15lbs!

Clunn Gets it Done with  Bladed Jig.                           
By Bryan Brasher
BASS PRESS RELEASE

On Nov. 5, 1976, Missouri angler Rick Clunn claimed his first B.A.S.S. victory in the Bassmaster Classic on Lake Guntersville.

It was his first giant step toward becoming a true legend in the sport of professional fishing.



On Sunday, he won for the 15th time on the B.A.S.S. circuit — and in many ways, this step might have gone even further toward cementing his legacy.

Clunn, who will turn 70 in July, caught five bass that weighed 19 pounds during Sunday’s championship round and won the Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River presented by Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels easily with a four-day weight of 81-15. The win was bolstered by a monumental catch of 31-7 during Saturday’s semifinal round.



Clunn used his instincts to win with bladed jig. (Photo: BASS)

“I was certainly feeling some pressure after having such a big weight yesterday,” said Clunn, who finished 4 pounds ahead of second-place finisher Greg Hackney (77-15). “Through the years, you just learn to hide it better. Having my son (River) here helped a lot.”

After catching 16-11 and 14-13 the first two days, Clunn was in 31st place and seemed a longshot to make Sunday’s Top 12 championship cut. But the incredible catch of 31-7, which ranked as the third-best five-bass limit of his career, gave him the lead going into the final round with 62-15.



2016 BASS Elite St. John's River Day 2: Hackney in Command.

Sight Fishing a Grind as Topwaters Tempt.

By Brian Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

With most of the field sight fishing for spawning bass, Louisiana pro Greg Hackney took a slightly different approach during Friday’s second round of the Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River presented by Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels.

Hackney mixing blind casting and sight fishing.
(Photo: BASS)

By daring to be a little different, Hackney caught a five-bass limit that weighed 18 pounds, 1 ounce and jumped into the overall lead with a two-day total of 39-6. Florida pro and local favorite Terry Scroggins is second with 38-8, followed by Alabamian Jordan Lee with 38-7 and South Carolina angler Marty Robinson with 38-5.

“I’m fishing spawning fish for sure,” Hackney said. “I’m not necessarily looking at all of them, but I know they’re bedding or guarding fry or something.

“I caught a couple of rats (small fish) that I was looking at. But I caught all of the good ones just fishing.”

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.

Big Topwaters for Big Bass part 2

By Luigi De Rose

The most popular of all topwater plugs is a popper. Poppers or chuggers are versatile in cover and open water. With a minnow profile and large concaved mouth, poppers spit water and pop distinctly. Traditionally, poppers where meant for still evening with the bait gently worked next to lilies in a gentle plop, plop, plop fashion. This is fine, but poppers are much more versatile. David Chong a seasoned bass tournament angler and topwater nut from Thornhill loves hunting the mid-depths with poppers. He’s always done well with poppers and last year it helped him seal a victory on Stoney Lake. Stoney, a clear lake with thousands of rocky outcrops is nestled along the northern edge of the Kawarthas. Working both a Frenzy and Splash It popper he landed numerous four pound plus smallmouth all in five to eight feet (1.8 to 2.7m) of water.
Worked next to cover, poppers can be chugged slowly to agitate big bass into striking. With a lot of slack in the line, about two feet, snapping the rod tip will cause the bait to jump a few inches at a time. This way poppers remaining in the strike zone until they’re goggled up. Although great at slow speeds, popper are also fantastic zipped across the surface at lighting speed. Zell Roland, a highly successful tournament angler and topwater guru, resurrected the Rebel PopR popper to superstar status in the mid 1980s. He popularized skittering poppers across the water at high speeds. Anytime the fish are scattered or suspended off mid-range structure anglers can really mop up with this bait. With the rod tip held high, snap the rod tip in 1-foot intervals and collect slack line with half turns of the reel handle. The popper will sputter water as it zigzags towards the boat. As the lure nears the boat, drop the rod tip closer to the water line and continue popping the bait along. Lure cadence should vary according to the furiousness of the bass. Most work the bait in a pop, pop, pause, pop, pop, pause routine. If the bass are eager, anglers can skip the pause altogether. Poppers will draw in fish from great distances especially in clear water, which is ideal habitat for big smallies. One trick to keep the bait running true is to use heavy monofilament line. You need the stretch of mono, but most important is that heavy line like 17lb test, which floats a bit keeping the bait on the surface. It’s not uncommon for smallies to strike two, three, four times and still catch nothing by air. To transforming those misses into solid hook ups add a Storm Suspend dot or strip on the belly of the lure just up from the back hook. The weight keeps the tail section slightly lower. Instead of lying horizontal, the bait sits diagonally making it easier to be sucked in. Be careful not to add too much weight. Lowering the bait’s tail can also be done but replacing the back hook with a slightly larger one. The weight of a larger hook, just one size larger, should be enough to bring the tail down, but not as drastically as the lead strips. Another great modification is adding a feathered trailer to the back hook. Most poppers already come with some type of trailer. Bucktail is common, but feathers are far superior. When making your own trailer add a few strains of mylar for added flash. The trailer should be lively and undulate with the slightest rod movement. A shimmering feathered trailer can be just enough to make a bass eat.