2019 BPT Lake Conroe: Duckett Leads Top 10 Anglers into Championship Round

Stephan Browning jumps into Top 10 at very last moment!
By Rory Connellan
BPT PRESS RELEASE

Battle for the win starts tomorrow!
(Photo: BPT)

For the better part of the past year, Boyd Duckett has been "Mr. MLF" as he worked endlessly to establish the Major League Fishing® (MLF) Bass Pro Tour. But for the seven hours of competition in the Knockout Round of MLF Bass Pro Tour Huk Stage Two Conroe presented by Favorite Fishing, Duckett was "Mr. Consistency".

Duckett caught his first scorable bass 22 minutes into the competition at Lake Conroe and then steadily added fish to SCORETRACKER® throughout the morning and early afternoon, swimming a small worm. By the time Period 3 got underway, Duckett had already weighed 31 pounds, 14 ounces, and owned a 9-plus-pound lead on the field.  

 

The Alabama pro would eventually finish the day with 38-5 on 21 fish, followed by Gary Klein (30-1), Edwin Evers (29-2), Brent Ehrler (28-12) and Jordan Lee (28-12).

"I've always been decent at compartmentalizing my fishing and my work, but I just couldn't make fishing the most important thing at Toho," Duckett admitted, referring to the MLF Bass Pro Tour's inaugural event in Florida two weeks ago. "Coming into this one, I told everybody that I was going to concentrate on my fishing. It's been nice to just be an angler at this event."

And Duckett the angler has been consistently stout on Conroe from Day 1. He recorded 46 fish in his first three rounds, despite spending the majority of each competition day either looking for new water, or guarding what he considers his best area.    

"I like that this fishery is tough," Duckett said. "I've traditionally done well in events that are difficult to fish. You really have to figure out how to catch these fish, you can dial something in that's just a little bit different than what the other guys are doing."

Surviving the battle for the Championship 10

Randall Tharp (27-13), David Walker (27-10), Wesley Strader (27-5), Jeff Sprague (26-6) and Stephen Browning (25-13) filled out the Top 10 and will compete in the Championship. And while all five anglers endured their moments of stress, Browning had to work especially hard for his spot in the finals.

Entering the last 10 minutes of competition, Browning, Shin Fukae, Keith Poche, Andy Montgomery and Jonathan VanDam all sat within 14 ounces of each other in the race to make the 10 cut.   

Ish Monroe Wins 2018 Bassmaster Elite Mississippi River with 65-07lbs!

Powroznik 2nd, Tharp 3rd
By Thomas Allen

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Frogs and flipping key to win.
(Photo: BASS)

Notching his fifth Bassmaster victory, Ish Monroe of Hughson, Calif., produced a solid limit of largemouth bass that weighed 16 pounds, 2 ounces to win his first victoryin six years at the 2018 Bassmaster Elite at Mississippi River presented by Go RVing.
 
Monroe’s four-day total was 65-7, edging out Jacob Powroznik of North Prince George, Va., who produced a four-day limit of 64-12. Powroznik finished in second place.
 
Across the four official competition days, there were four different leaders, which kept the event very exciting until the final weigh-in.
 
Monroe started out in 20th place on Thursday’s opening round, moved up to sixth on Friday, third following Saturday’s semi-final round of competition and then into the top spot on ChampionshipSunday.
 
The impressive victory earned the 44-year-old pro valuable Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points and a $100,000 payday.
 
“Everybody knew that the rising river levels would affect the fish and how they positioned on the structure,” Monroe said. “I had a plan, but early on Day 1, I got stuck on a sandbar, and that was as stuck as I’ve ever been in a bass boat. I freed my boat, and it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.”

2018 Bassmaster Elite Mississippi River Day 2: Aaron Martens Leads by Ounce over Tharp!

Strong fishing despite flooding 
By Thomas Allen

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Martens and Zaldain share honey hole.
(Photo: BASS)

With this tournament being his fourth visit to the legendary Upper Mississippi River, Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala., is now eyeballing a $100,000 payday as he took the lead at the 2018 Bassmaster Elite at Mississippi River presented by Go RVing.

The water is rising at La Crosse, but it’s not stopped the big largemouth and smallmouth bass from eating with regularity. River levels are expected to remain within the forecasted range: 12 feet high by Sunday, and cresting sometime Monday.
 
Twelve feet is considered flood stage, which will certainly impact the fishing from day to day.
 
Regardless of challenging river conditions, Martens posted a five-bass limit that weighed 17 pounds, 14 ounces to push him to the atop of the leaderboard with a two-day total of 34-3.

The three-time Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year finished in fifth place in 2012 when the Elite Series visited La Crosse, second in 2013 and 30th in 2016.
 
To say he wants to win here is an understatement.
 
“I know the winning limit of fish is swimming where I'm fishing,” he said. “I want to prove it this time. But a number of factors are going to have to go my way for that to happen.”
 
Over the years, he’s spent a lot of time across this vast fishery, and he said it’s an amazing place to come and catch a lot of bass. But his location close to the launch in Veterans Freedom Park continues to produce quality fish year after year.
 

2018 Bassmaster Elite Grand Lake Day 3: KVD Jumps into Lead with 64-13lbs

KVD early morning rampage key to lead.
By Thomas Allen
BASS PRESS RELEASE

KVD on the prowl for 25th win.
(Photo: BASS)

After catching his heaviest limit of the tournament on Day 3, bass fishing superstar Kevin VanDam took over the lead at the 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees.
 
VanDam's 22 pounds, 4 ounces was his third exceeding the 20-pound mark — a benchmark in professional bass fishing -- the only angler to do so. His three-day total is 64-13 gives him a 3-4 lead heading into the final round of the four-day Elite tournament. VanDam is looking to add to his record 24 titles on the Bassmaster tournament trail, including four Bassmaster Classic wins and seven Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year awards.
 
With $100,000 on the line for first place, and win No. 25 for the Kalamazoo, Mich., resident, VanDam is confident his fishing areas are only getting better.
 
“It’s going to take another bag of 20 pounds or better to win this thing,” he said. “I think where I’ve spent my time this week has the right fish, but as the standings will show, the other Top 12 anglers are also catching them. I’m not comfortable yet.”
 
The field will be cut down to the Top 12 anglers with VanDam leading them out on Championship Sunday.
 
“Each of us are focusing on spawning bass,” VanDam said. “And with the weather and moon phase both factors, the spots are reloading by the hour. The bass are fat and very healthy looking — plus I feel like my pattern is only getting stronger.”
 

2016 BASSfest Lake Texoma Day 3: Casey Ashley Grabs Lead Again with 51-15!

Ashley surges ahead 
BASS PRESS RELEASE
Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., bounced back to reclaim the lead today after bringing 17 pounds, 5 ounces to the scale during the semi-final round of GEICO Bassmaster BASSfest presented by Choctaw Casino and Resort at Lake Texoma.
Ashley's limit of bass bumped his three-day total to 51-15, which is more than 3 pounds ahead of Gerald Swindle of Warrior, Ala., who now sits in second.

Early morning bite key for Casey. (Photo: BASS)

"The morning hours are very important to producing a solid limit," Ashley said. "Once the sun gets high, the fish seem more reluctant to bite. It's flat-out challenging to cull up during the afternoon."
Even after three days of competition and several official practice days, the 2015 Bassmaster Classic champion said that he still isn't locked in on a specific pattern, but the fishing remains good in his area.
"During most tournaments you can often predict when and where the fish will bite, but here it's not that way at all. The fish are setting up in submerged bushes that are typically on dry land. When one does bite, it's very random compared to how and where the last fish did."
Ashley said that covering water and keeping his lure in the brush is the best way to find and catch active fish.

Randall Tharp Wins 2016 Bassmaster Elite at Bull Shoals/Norfork!

Tharp thumps ‘em

By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

The tournament format was complicated.

It was one event on two lakes over the course of four days.

But through all of the shifting and changing, Florida pro Randall Tharp decided to keep things simple — and that stay-the-course approach ultimately led to a victory in the Bassmaster Elite at Bull Shoals/Norfork event.

Tharp used a 4x4 Jig — the Randall Tharp Signature series that he designed for the company — in the golden craw color pattern with a green pumpkin Zoom Big Salty Chunk to catch his fish all four days.

Nothing like your first Elite win. (Photo: BASS)

His final total of 61 pounds, 10 ounces was more than 2 pounds better than that of second-place finisher Skeet Reese (59-8).

Chris Zaldain (58-12), Matt Herren (58-10) and Bill Lowen (58- 5) made up the rest of the top five.

2016 BASS Elite St. John's River Day 1: Lester Leads in Sigh Fishing Fest.

Sight Fishing key to Season Opener

By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

During the final round of practice for the Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River presented by Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Tennessee angler Brandon Lester found a giant largemouth on a spawning bed.

                                                                                                                                                                                     

Brandon is all smiles with a 9 pounder and the lead. (Photo: BASS)

He was so excited about the fish that he texted some of his family members and told them to pay attention to Bassmaster.com when the tournament began, because he thought he could make something special happen early.                                                                                                      

Hopefully they took it to heart.

Lester went straight to the big fish Thursday morning — and caught it on his fourth cast — to set the tone for a fantastic day of sight fishing. The bass, which weighed 9 pounds, 3 ounces, anchored a five-fish limit that tipped the scales at 23-13 and gave Lester the opening-round lead.

Randall Tharp Teaches You How To Punch Heavy Matted Grass with IBASSIN

With the 2016 FLW Tour starting this week on Florida's Lake Okeechobee and there will be a lot of heavy punching. No one is better than catching big Florida bass than FLW Cup Champ Randall Tharp. Listen how he approaches punching the matted grass.

Randall Tharp Teaches You How To Punch Heavy Matted Grass.

The 2013 Forrest Wood Cup Champ and Bassmaster Elite pro, Randall Tharp explains how to improve at heavy cover punching. A lot of anglers are beating the cold this winter by hunting big bass in Florida. One of the best techniques is punching and it requires the correct gear. Learn from one of the very best as Tharp explains how to be better at punching.

2015 Bassmaster Elite Lake Havasu Day 2: Cliff Pirch 36-12lbs.

Murray Close Second as Locals Lead.

By Bryan Brasher

bass press release

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. - After two days, the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Havasu presented by Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels has turned into a neck-and-neck battle between two home-state pros with a star-studded cast lurking not too far behind.

Cliff putting western edge to his advantage.
(Photo: Shaye Baker BASS)

Cliff Pirch, of Payson, Ariz., had an impressive catch of 19 pounds, 4 ounces Friday and took the lead with a two-day total 36-12.  John Murray of Phoenix caught 16-1 Friday to land in second, a little more than a pound back, with 35-9.

The anglers, who both have a long list of tournament victories on Lake Havasu, will lead the remaining field of 52 into Saturday, as they brace for the lake’s legendary weekend boat traffic.

“The increased boat traffic may hurt me, I just don’t know,” said Pirch, who finished second in a Bassmaster Open on Havasu in 2003. “It’s one of those things where you just hope you can make some adjustments and keep on fishing. It was tough out there today.”

2015 Bassmaster Elite Lake Havasu Day 1: Edwin Evers Leads with 20-07lbs!

E2 Battles Wind and Wins.

By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. – The wind was blowing hard across Lake Havasu before daylight Thursday, and it only got worse throughout the day as it sometimes pushed 30 miles per hour.
But big gusts and even bigger waves weren’t enough to keep the scenic fishery on the California-Arizona border from showing just how far it’s come.

Edwin leads tight pack of pros. (Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

Oklahoma pro Edwin Evers caught five bass that weighed 20 pounds, 7 ounces to take the Day 1 lead in the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Havasu presented by Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels. He was one of 20 anglers to bring at least 16-0 to the scales on a day when many elected to fish close to the launch site instead of making rough journeys along the Colorado River.
Phoenix, Ariz., pro John Murray was second with 19-8. He was followed by Matthew Herren of Ashville, Ala., with 18-9; Randall Tharp of Port St. Joe, Fla., with 18-3; and Mike Kernan of Wylie, Tex., with 18-2.
“It was a great day, but I wasn’t really doing anything special,” Evers said. “It’s not like I’ve got one area I can go into and find a big school of fish. I’m going to have to fish new water all week, and hopefully find more fish like I caught today. The fish are out there, but it’s going to be a week of adjustments, for sure.”

A 20-pound bag was once considered virtually impossible on Havasu, but anglers raved Thursday about the lake’s metamorphosis. Murray, who has been fishing Havasu for three decades, said he once enjoyed fishing tournaments on the lake because he knew it wouldn’t take much to win.
He said things are different now.
“I’m fishing techniques I don’t normally fish, actually a technique that I used to win a tournament on this lake 23 years ago,” Murray said. “I’ve been fishing this lake since 1985. Back then, it took about 10 pounds to win here. I’m fishing the same spots now and just catching bigger fish.”
Murray said he believes the size of the bass on Havasu began improving when quagga mussels appeared during the early 1990s.
Quaggas are an invasive Ukrainian species that most believe were accidentally introduced into the lake. The mussels often settle in massive colonies that can block water intakes and affect municipal water supplies, causing billions of dollars in damage.
But Murray said the quaggas actually jumpstarted Havasu’s fish growth.
“Quagga mussels kicked the food chain into high gear,” Murray said. “Divers say the crawdads are all over the bottom, and the redear (sunfish) are growing to world-record size now. Before the quaggas showed up, fish this size just weren’t here.”
While some anglers were bothered by the high winds Thursday, others, like Murray, said it actually helped their cause on a lake as clear as Havasu.
“The wind is why they bite,” Murray said. “If we didn’t have the wind today, it would have been a battle – at least for my stuff. I saw the weather forecast, and I geared my tackle for the wind.”
If the forecast is correct and the wind is much lighter for Friday’s second round, Murray said he might have to use some new tricks to further his success. Tharp and other pros said it isn’t likely to have much effect on their tactics either way.
“I really only saw one other angler doing what I’m doing,” said Tharp, who needed the good day after finishing 61st, 84th and 98th in the first three Elite Series events of the season. “I caught my fish early and then spent most of the day running new water, looking for something I could use the rest of the week. I actually got three bites this afternoon and didn’t set the hook.
“I know it does for some, but I honestly don’t believe the wind makes any difference for what I’m doing.”
The tournament will resume with take-off at 6:15 a.m. Friday from Lake Havasu State Park. Weigh-in is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. back at the park, with only the top 52 anglers advancing to Saturday.

Rapala® Shadow Rap

A lot of great baits are being released just ahead of the 2015 Bassmaster Classic. Here is another winner from Rapala.

Randall Tharp Picks Up Zoom Baits.

Randall Tharp, the 2013 Forrest Wood Cup Champion and a noted big fish pro, has joined the pro staff of Zoom Bait Company, the pros’ choice for soft plastics when it comes to everything from ultra-finesse to oversized lures. If there’s a specific situation at hand, Zoom offers a lure that excels in that application.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re fishing in your local pond or you’re competing in the Bassmaster Classic, Zoom baits are the very best and catch fish all over the world,” Tharp said.

In a relatively short time on the national fishing scene, he’s amassed a tremendous list of accomplishments on circuits including both the FLW Tour and, more recently, the Bassmaster Elite Series. In addition to the Forrest Wood Cup victory on Louisiana’s Red River, he’s added an FLW Tour Open victory on Lake Okeechobee and three Bassmaster Open victories – on Ross Barnett, Santee Cooper and Guntersville. What do those bodies of water have in common? Most likely it’s that they harbor big fish in gnarly cover, most often grass. While Tharp has proven exceptionally versatile over the years, it’s those big fish, heavy cover situations that call out to him most.

“My first national win was the 2008 EverStart championship on Lake Eufaula,” he recalled. “The winning lures were a Zoom 6-inch lizard, a Zoom Big Critter Craw and a Chatterbait with a Zoom Speed Craw trailer. That seems like a long time ago but one thing hasn’t changed – Zoom is a company that is obsessed with building the very best lures you can use to catch a bass, and their lineup gives me everything I need to do my job.”

Tharp competed in five consecutive Forrest Wood Cups from 2010 through 2014, and next month he’ll compete in his third Bassmaster Classic. Savvy followers of the sport expect him to be in the running to become one of just a handful of pros to have won both major championships – and if that happens you can bet that Zoom baits will be a part of it.

Randall Tharp & Rapala Join Forces for 2015

For years, Randall Tharp has used a Rapala® knife and cleaning table to prepare dinners of fish caught fresh from the sea. Now he’ll rely on the iconic brand to put food on the table in another way — throwing Rapala baits to win prize money in Bassmaster tournaments. The 2013 Forrest Wood Cup champion has joined Rapala’s pro-staff.

“Previously some of my favorite Rapala products were not even baits,” says Tharp, an Alabama native now living in Florida. “Down where I live, I clean fish with a Rapala fillet knife on a Rapala cleaning table almost every day. That’s how I prepare my dinner!”

Still, Tharp adds, he’s used Rapala baits “long before the last couple of years to put fish in my boat.” His favorites are “the whole DT® Series” of crankbaits and the Original Floating Rapala. The floater is one of his “all-time favorite” lures. “I’ve caught more bass on that little original Rapala balsa floating minnow lure than probably any other lure in my tackle box,” he says.
Tharp is the second Forrest Wood Cup champion on Rapala’s pro-staff. 2012 Cup Champion (and 2013 runner-up to Tharp) Jacob Wheeler signed with Rapala in 2012. Wheeler fishes on the FLW Tour. In 2014, Tharp fished both the FLW Tour and the Bassmaster Elite Series. As a B.A.S.S. rookie, he finished 13th in the Angler of the Year race and qualified to fish in the 2015 Bassmaster Classic Feb. 22-24 on South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell.

Randall Tharp Teaches You How To Punch Heavy Matted Grass with IBASSIN

The 2013 Forrest Wood Cup Champ and Bassmaster Elite pro, Randall Tharp explains how to improve at heavy cover punching. A lot of anglers are beating the cold this winter by hunting big bass in Florida. One of the best techniques is punching and it requires the correct gear. Learn from one of the very best as Tharp explains how to be better at punching.

Day 2 ICAST Photos

Here is a sample of ICAST day 2.

More photos link here.

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.”

2014 Bassmaster Classic Lake Guntersville Day 2: Evers by an Ounce!

By Deb Johnson
Bass Press Release

E2 pushes ahead by an single ounce.
(Photo: Darren Jacboson BASS)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Just 1 ounce separated the two frontrunners Saturday in the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by Diet Mountain Dew and GoPro, but it’s far from being a duel in Sunday’s finale, said the leader.

“It’s not just me and him,” said Edwin Evers, who replaced Randall Tharp in the catbird seat in the Lake Guntersville competition. “There’s a lot of anglers in this yet who can catch them. Thirty-pound bags are possible.”

After adding 20-9 Saturday, Evers of Talala, Okla., racked up a two-day total of 47 pounds, 6 ounces, enough to budge him out of second place. Tharp of Port St. Joe, Fla., weighed 19-13 Saturday for a running total of 47-5, 1 ounce shy of keeping his lead.

The Evers-Tharp place switch was just the beginning of Saturday’s leaderboard shuffle. Moving up into the Top 5 was Ott DeFoe of Knoxville, Tenn., up from 11th place into third with 43-5, about 4 pounds out of first place. Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., moved from seventh into fourth with 42-14.

The angler in fifth place leapt from 47th place to get there. Toting 32-3 to the scales — a one-day record for a five-bass-limit Classic — Paul Mueller of Naugatuck, Conn., amassed 41-13.

The field was cut to the Top 25 for the final push Sunday toward a first prize of $300,000 and the crown of the sport. The cutline fell at 34-2, the two-day weight posted by Keith Combs of Huntington, Texas.

Evers said he had just six bites Saturday.

“It was just a really hard day. I didn’t get the bites that I’d been getting, and the fish were not getting the bait. I lost a couple fish at the boat, about 4-pounders,” he said.

Evers, who like Tharp is seeking his first Classic crown, said conditions changed on Lake Guntersville from Friday to Saturday.

“The water definitely cleared up, and the water was quite a bit cooler this morning,” he said. “They just didn’t bite. I don’t know why.”

Still, 20-9 is good, he said.

“I’ll take it,” he said.

Sitting neck and neck is eerily similar to his FLW CUP
victory only months ago.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

Tharp was disappointed in his Saturday bag.

“Any time I go out there and catch 19 pounds on this lake, it’s a failure for me,” said Tharp, a veteran of Guntersville tournaments during his many years living in northern Alabama before moving to Florida last July. “I had a couple ‘good’ fish today; yesterday I had four. I was in a good rhythm this morning, things were clicking — then I had some issues with my boat.

“I never found it (rhythm) after that. I culled one time this afternoon after three hours of fishing. I’m not disappointed in the time that I lost, I’m just disappointed I couldn’t get back into my rhythm.”

2014 Bassmaster Classic Lake Guntersville Day 1: Tharp Thumps Them!

Tharp Proving He Might be Best Angler in the World

By Luigi De Rose

Wicked winds, heavy rains and front alters Guntersville for the first day of the Bassmaster Classic. Many anglers discovered muddy waters in prime areas. Several fan favourites flopped yet current FLW CUP Champ Randall Tharp, a former resident of northern Alabama, claims top spot with 27-08 pound bag. Fred Roumbanis claims the day's largest bass with 9.03lb beast.

Full standings

2014 FLW Lake Okeechobee Day 3: Hite Still On Top

Tougher day still has Arizona pro on top by 12-3

08.Feb.2014 by Kyle Wood

CLEWISTON, Fla. – The first two days of competition on Lake Okeechobee saw numerous bags of 20-plus pounds brought in to the scales. Today, however, seemed to reflect more of traditional Saturday on the Big O where the fish go into hiding from the amount of pressure the receive each weekend. Despite lower catches, Brett Hite still clings to what is now a 12-pound, 3-ounce lead heading into the final day.

“The fishing is really day to day out here,” said the Phoenix, Ariz., resident. “It’s hard to say when the fish will bite or won’t. We had about the same conditions as the first day, so I thought they would bite a lot better.”

Hite still casting on the Big O. Overall fishing was
slower but Hite still managed to catch enough
for a 12 pound lead.
(Photo: FLW) 

Hite has been mentioning all week that he has two patterns he could rely on depending on the conditions. His primary pattern has carried him so far, but today he had to fall back to plan B.

“I fished my main area all morning until about 11 o’clock and had one decent fish and three little ones,” Hite explained. “I got a feeling today that something wasn’t right and when that happens it helps to have something to fall back on, luckily I did. I had a voice in my head that told me to change. I wasn’t seeing the size or numbers from the primary patter so I made the change.”

When an angler experiences being in the “groove” everything falls into place for them. It is almost as if they can do no wrong. Hite has been to that level before back in 2008 when he won his first Walmart FLW Tour event on Lake Toho by over 20 pounds. He then headed west to fish another tour-level event on the California Delta where he caught over 100 pounds of bass to claim back-to-back titles. The way Hite is fishing this week eerily resembles his performance from then.