Scott Martin Wins 2017 Walmart FLW Tour Lake Cumberland with 60-01lbs!

Smallmouth key to victory.

by Rob Newell

FLW PRESS RELEASE

Adjusting to calm, clear water key to win.
(Photo: FLW)

After leading day one of the FLW Tour event on Lake Cumberland presented by T-H Marine, then falling back to fifth place on day two, Scott Martin of Clewiston, Fla., battled back to regain his lead on the final day of the event Sunday, winning in Kentucky with a four-day total of 60 pounds, 1 ounce.

This marks Martin’s 8th FLW Tour win – a new FLW record. During his 18-year career he has won Tour events in Florida, Mississippi, New York, Arkansas, Maryland and now Kentucky, proving that he’s matured from a being just a kid under his famous father’s wing to one of the top anglers in the professional fishing world.

His win on Lake Cumberland demonstrated just how much he has learned to trust his instincts to fish new water instead of being chained only to places where he has caught fish in the past.

“When I first started fishing professionally, I would only fish places where I had caught a fish in practice or in the tournament,” Martin says. “I didn’t have the confidence to go down the lake during a tournament and just pull into a place I had never fished before. Basically, I was a very spot- or area-oriented angler. So this win feels good because it shows progress in becoming more of a pattern-oriented angler that is willing to take risks on new water during the events.”

TOP 10 BELOW

2017 Walmart FLW Tour Lake Cumberland Day 3: Clark Wendlandt Continues to Lead with 50lbs!

Calm day after the big front

by Rob Newell 

FLW PRESS RELEASE

As forecasters promised, day three of the FLW Tour event on Lake Cumberland presented by T-H Marine proved to be slick and calm with bright blue skies, throwing FLW Tour pros their third drastic condition change in a row.

Clark widening lead.
(Photo: FLW)

The one angler who seems to be most nimble at weaving his way through condition swings this week is Clark Wendlandt, who extended his lead on day three to 3 pounds, 11 ounces over second-place pursuer Scott Martin.

Wendlandt hauled in 14-10 Saturday to bring his three-day total to 50 pounds even.

Lake Cumberland has landed right in Wendlandt’s wheelhouse this week for several reasons.

First, it’s been a long time since FLW has visited Lake Cumberland. It’s a lake with very little searchable tournament history when compared to the Okeechobees, Beavers and Kentucky Lakes of the world.

Second, Lake Cumberland is monstrously large – its vastness for an impoundment is impressive.

Third, Lake Cumberland is a very conditional lake where fish act one way on one day in one condition - and suddenly change everything the next day based on another condition.

2017 BASS Elite Toledo Bend Day 3: Hartman's Lead Larger with 56-15!

New Yorker loves Toledo Bend

By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

For three days, Jamie Hartman has made southern fishing look easy.

Now, he needs one more good day to make his dreams come true.

Spawn key to Hartman's pattern.
(Photo: BASS)

The New York resident, who has readily admitted that he isn't familiar with the patterns and practices observed by bass that live in the lakes of the South, caught five Saturday that weighed 17 pounds, 14 ounces to push his three-day total to 56-15 in the Bassmaster Elite at Toledo Bend presented by Econo Lodge.

He will lead the remaining 12 anglers into Championship Sunday with a chance to earn $100,000 and his first B.A.S.S. victory.

"I'm absolutely, 100 percent pleased with the way things went today," said Hartman, who caught 23-5 and 15-12 the first two days of the tournament. "I'm just winging it, piecing things together, but it's all working out so far."

Hartman said he came to Toledo Bend this week expecting the spawn to be over. But when he realized it was still in full swing, he adjusted and turned his attention to spawn and prespawn fish.

They were his target again Saturday.

"I caught three fish on beds today," said Hartman, an Elite Series rookie fishing only his 13th B.A.S.S. event. "Then after that, the shallow stuff was over. I caught my next 12 fish in 32 feet of water. Those fish in deep water were all prespawn fish — big and fat."

2017 Walmart FLW Tour Lake Cumberland Day 2: Clark Wendlandt Leads with 35-06lbs!

Cory Johnston 43rd, Gustafson 72th, Chris Johnston 118th & Richardson 132th 
by Rob Newell 

FLW PRESS RELEASE

“Loosey goosey” is not the next secret lure in bass fishing, or a magical spray formula that makes your reels cast farther.
Rather, it’s how Clark Wendlandt described his fishing after taking the day two lead Friday in the FLW Tour event on Lake Cumberland presented by T-H Marine with a total of 35 pounds, 6 ounces.
After weighing in four smallmouths and one largemouth for 18-7 on day one, Wendlandt backed that up with two smallmouths and three largemouths weighing 16 pounds, 15 ounces on day two.

Clark always loves the spawn. (Photo FLW)

Wendlandt used the term “loosey goosey” to explain his freewheeling approach to Cumberland as he bounced from smallmouth water to largemouth water on a whim based totally on looks and conditions.
Friday’s bright sun and high wind only seemed to help Wendlandt’s easy, breezy strategy.
“This lake is very intriguing to me,” Wendlandt says. “I’ve only fished it once before and I really liked it. It’s so huge and expansive, which gives it an open-ended feel. It’s a very freeing place to fish because your moves and decisions are not dictated by other boats or past pressure. You can just fish the moment all day long – nothing gets in the way of your gut feelings and I really love fishing that way."

2017 BASS Elite Toledo Bend Day 2: Hartman Takes Lead with 39-01lbs!

Hartman hooks Toledo Bend
By Bryan Brasher
BASS PRESS RELEASE

Hartman one of few to sack good limit. (Photo: BASS)

Where Jamie Hartman comes from, the largemouth bass spawn only lasts about two weeks.
So, when the New York resident pre-fished Toledo Bend Reservoir back in February and saw lots of bass already on the beds, he just assumed the spawn would be long done by the time he returned for this week's Bassmaster Elite at Toledo Bend presented by Econo Lodge.
He was wrong, but he wasn't too stubborn to admit it.
After starting the week in deeper water, Hartman adjusted and has put together a two-day total of 39 pounds, 1 ounce to lead the event. While much of the 110-angler field struggled during post-front conditions Friday, Hartman caught a five-bass limit that weighed 15-12.
"I had a terrible, terrible practice this week," Hartman said. "I'm not familiar with these southern waters, where the spawn just lasts for months, obviously.
"I pre-fished here for 2 1/2 weeks in February and saw two big waves of fish go in and out. I spent all of that time graphing deeper spots where I thought postspawn fish would be, and it just hasn't happened yet."

2017 BASS Elite Toledo Bend Day 1: Jacob Wheeler Grabs Lead with 25-01lbs!

Toledo Bend fishing strong

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Wheeler lead big day on Toledo Bend.
(Photo: BASS)

For the second time in three tournaments this season, Jacob Wheeler is sitting atop the leaderboard.

The Indiana pro caught five bass that weighed 25 pounds, 1 ounce during Thursday's first round of the Bassmaster Elite at Toledo Bend presented by Econo Lodge.

Wheeler, who won the season's first Elite Series event on Tennessee's Cherokee Lake in February, leads Arizona pro Brett Hite (24-11) by 6 ounces. But the field has three days left to fish on a lake that has topped the list of Bassmaster Magazine's 100 Best Bass Lakes the last two years.

"I don't have much experience here, which might have helped me a little bit or might have hurt me," said Wheeler, who made the move to the Elite Series this year after a successful career on the FLW Tour. "I spent two days here in the fall one time, five or six days in pre-practice and then practice this week — and that's it.

"But I know there are a lot of big fish here, and everything worked out for me today."

With so much fishing left to do, Wheeler was tightlipped about how he caught his fish Thursday. He only said that he managed to catch a few good fish early to calm his nerves.

2017 Walmart FLW Tour Lake Cumberland Day 1: Scott Martin Leads with Smallmouth

Cory Johnston 55th, Gustafson 94th, Richardson 118th & Chris Johnston 123nd. 

by Rob Newell

FLW PRESS RELEASE

Scott grabs lead with 19-07lbs.
(Photo: FLW)

The word of the day Thursday at the FLW Tour event presented by T-H Marine on Lake Cumberland was smallmouths – at least for the day one leaders.

Despite having an 18-inch minimum size limit, smallmouths were the day one shining stars of the species for many pros in the top 10.

Raw weather, which included gusty winds, drizzly rain and temperatures in the 40’s, all seemed to have spurred the smallmouth bite, and even those who were a little reluctant to commit to smallmouths Thursday did so based on the weather.

Scott Martin of Clewiston, Fla., took the early lead on Cumberland with a catch of 19 pounds, 7 ounces, which included four smallmouths and a stout largemouth.

“Based on this weather, I decided to start the day by targeting smallmouth,” Martin says. “And after I caught two, I figured I’d just keep rolling with it to see how many overs (18 inches) I could get. As it turned out, I caught a couple more and then a nice largemouth.”

Martin hinted he made a long run by saying he did have to stop for fuel. Some of his smallmouth water and largemouth water are in close proximity, so he bounced back and forth between the two later in the day.

3 Tips on How to Improve Your Swimbait Fishing with Fred Roumbanis

Swimbaits are awesome but knowing how to rig them for the conditions makes all the difference. Listen to Optimum Baits Pro Fred "BOOM BOOM" Roumbanis as he explains how to fish weedless swim bait over shallow water grass. For open water, consider changing the hooks. The more you fish swim baits the better your fishing will be. Fred "BOOM BOOM" Roumbanis knows what he is talking so pay attention.

NEW SHIMANO CHRONARCH MGL LOW-PROFILE CASTING REELS

Offering advanced baitcasting reel technology both tournament and advance bass anglers require, Shimano introduces its re-engineered Chronarch MGL reels, now offered with lightweight Magnumlite spools and in three different gear ratios models. Weighing-in at 6.5-ounces, the six reels in the series include the Chronarch MGL 150 and left-hand retrieve 151 with 6.2:1 gear ratios, the 150HG and 151 HG with fast 7.1:1 gear ratios, and the MGL 150XG and 151XG with super-fast 8.1:1 gear ratios.

With many tournament caliber bass anglers, having continuity among all their rods and reels rigged on their boat deck can contribute to their fishing confidence. “The Chronarch MGL line-up is ideal for this, enabling anglers to have an array of lures ready to cast – and on the right speed reel for the best performance,” said Trey Epich with Shimano’s product development team. “Plus the Magnumlite spool allows a low amount of inertia, meaning the spool starts spinning with little force for exceptional casting distance and performance with both smaller and standard size lures.”