Bryan Thrift Wins 2014 Walmart FLW Tour San Rayburn Event!

Flipping, Pitching and the Chatterbait solves the Rayburn puzzle!

by Curtis Niedermier

FLW PRESS RELEASE

Thrift comes from behind to take $125 000 and the trophy!
(Photos: FLW)

Fast, shallow and with moving baits – if you were to script the perfect scenario for a Bryan Thrift victory, those would be the key pieces. Today at the Sam Rayburn Walmart FLW Tour event presented by Chevy, however, Thrift proved that he can not only break his own stereotype, but he can win when he does it.

Relying on ultra-slow flipping tactics with a Texas-rigged Damiki Knock Out, Thrift brought in a 17-pound limit - the day’s heaviest - to come from 2 pounds, 14 ounces behind Walmart pro Mark Rose and lock up his third Tour victory. His four-day total was 73 pounds, 3 ounces, which earned the Chevy pro $125,000.

"I had to pitch that bait up there, let it sink and shake it," Thrift said. "Then I'd feel the 'thunk.'"

2014 Walmart FLW Tour San Rayburn Day 3: Mark Rose Hangs onto Lead

Warming trend has bass moving shallower

by Curtis Niedermier
FLW Press Release

Early morning action has occurred off the bank for
Mark Rose. (Photos:FLW)

LUFKIN, Texas - Falling weights and high pressure – both the atmospheric kind and the psychological kind – told the story of day three of the Walmart FLW Tour event at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Chevy. In the wake of a severe Friday-night thunderstorm that knocked out power and uprooted dozens of east Texas pines, pros took to “Old Man Sam” amid a high-pressure system and high, bluebird skies.

Walmart pro Mark Rose maintains his lead going into the fourth and final day, but for the second consecutive day, he failed to match his previous day’s weight.

Rose opened the event with 23 pounds, 14 ounces on a blustery, overcast day that provided the perfect conditions to activate the bass on his primary offshore spot. On day two, bolstered by a 9-pound giant, Rose weighed 19 pounds, 2 ounces. Today, he fell off to 16 pounds, 1 ounce and leads by less than 3 pounds over Chevy pro Bryan Thrift.

The key all week for the West Memphis, Ark., pro has been the early morning period, which has produced all of his big bites.

“Every day I have caught one or two big ones,” Rose told the weigh-in crowd at the Lufkin, Texas, Walmart. “It’s hard to win a tournament based on a spot where I’m only getting one or two big bites. I’ve just been so blessed in the mornings to have enough wind and clouds to get those fish.”

Sunny, calm conditions tend to push the fish deeper into Rayburn’s grass, according to Rose, which makes them more difficult for him to catch. Today, Rose got the strong winds he wanted for most of the competition period, but the sunshine settled over Sam Rayburn by about 10 a.m., making it difficult for most of the top-20 pros.

A red crankbait and Carolina rig has been Rose's magic techniques at Rayburn.

Only one pro, Jayme Rampey of Liberty, S.C., caught a 20-pound limit, and surprisingly there was a lack of 5- to 7-pound kickers hauled in at a lake known for producing giant bass, at a time of year when fat female largemouths should be mobbing the bank.

Rose caught a 4- and 5-pounder on his best spot this morning then scrambled to fill his limit by running the same pattern on a few places closer to the Cassels-Boykin County Park launch site. He used the same bottom-dragging soft plastics, crankbait and Strike King Red Eye Shad he used on day two when he took over the lead, but today Rose also added a drop-shot to the mix.

2014 Walmart FLW Tour San Rayburn Day 2: Rose Leapfrog with Lunker

Heavy fog then warm weather flip flops leaderboard

by Curtis Niedermier
FLW Press Release

Weathermen lie, but Mother Nature never does.

Mark Rose always seems to have the magic.
(Photo: FLW)

Her power was on display on day two of the Walmart FLW Tour event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Chevy. Forecasts called for a gloomy, potentially stormy day. But other than a light mist at takeoff and a dense fog that hung around until mid-morning, the weatherman couldn’t have been more wrong.

By lunchtime, sunshine and slick conditions spread across Sam Rayburn. The bass responded quickly by repositioning deeper into shallow cover and, in some areas, heading for the bank to answer nature’s spawning call.

The pros atop the day-two standings experienced mixed results. For some, the bite was better and should continue to improve over the weekend with more warm weather expected. For others, it was a day of scrambling and grinding, trying to make the most of what their primary areas had left.

2014 Walmart FLW Tour San Rayburn Day 1: Rick Cotton Top with 25 lbs!

Big Sam was wicked and many veteran suffered. 
by Curt Niedermier
FLW Press Release

Big wind, big lakes, big bass – it’s a perfect storyline for the “everything’s-bigger-in-Texas” shootout that’s playing out at the Sam Rayburn Walmart FLW Tour event presented by Chevy.

Cotton's approach was good enough for first
even with a lack luster practice.
(Photo: FLW)

Pro Rick Cotten of Guntersville, Ala., slammed 25 pounds, 15 ounce to jump into the early lead over Blacksburg, S.C., pro Andy Montgomery, who weighed 24 pounds, 11 ounces.

Four of the top-10 anglers surpassed 20 pounds, and the 20th-place cut currently sits at 16 pounds, 13 ounces.

“This was a total surprise based on my practice,” Cotten said. “I had about 16 pounds in practice, and they just kind of moved in.”

Like many in the field, Cotten lamented the effects of south winds that began gusting across Sam Rayburn at 15 to 20 mph right from the start of competition. Rather than tear across the lake and hit the few spots he located in practice, Cotten camped out in one spot on what he called an “all-day deal.”

“I didn’t catch my last fish until 30 minutes before weigh-in,” he said. “I just kept fishing hard. They’re not really holding on anything, other than a little grass line. Who knows if they’ll be there tomorrow.”

Most of the top anglers fell into one of two camps today: cover water with reaction baits or thoroughly scour a few key spots with bottom baits. Cotten is among the slow-fishing group. He landed seven quality fish from a roughly 2-acre area with just two lures – the same two lures he’s been using since the start of practice.

“Honestly, I think these were mostly prespawn fish,” Cotten said. “Fishing slow was necessary to coax a bite. They haven’t really moved up in numbers yet, but I think they’ll move in more as the weekend goes on.”

Check back this evening for the patterns of the rest of the top five from stop No. 3 of the 2014 Walmart FLW Tour on Sam Rayburn.

To see the full results, visit FLWOutdoors.com

North GTA Bass Anglers Tackle Swap

Date: Sunday April 6, 2014

Time: Set-up 7:30 AM Doors Open from 8:30 AM -1:00 PM

Location:       St. Basil the Great College School

                        20 Starview Ln, North York, ON M9M 3B2

Admission Costs: Inaugural Year – FREE Admission with a Food Bank donation

Vendor Table Costs: 6 ft. - Individuals - $20 each     Companies - $50 each

                                    8 ft. - Individuals - $30 each    Companies - $60 each

                 Tables are limited, First Come First Serve

Info Contact: Tackle Swap Hotline – 416-993-3477

                         e-mail – tackleswap@ngtaba.com

50 Straight Limits

Jackall and PowerPro angler Meyer Streak Ends

by Cody Meyer
(Take from FLW Outdoors)

Editor’s Note: On day four of the Walmart FLW Tour event at Lake Hartwell, Repel pro Cody Meyer brought in only four bass, ending his record-setting streak of 50 straight limits caught in Walmart FLW Tour Major and Forrest Wood Cup competition days.

Wow, 50 straight days with a limit – it’s so incredible to me to have that record. Obviously, when I started fishing the Walmart FLW Tour in 2010, I never thought of breaking the record for most consecutive limits weighed in. My focus was just on trying to get a limit every single day I fished so I could do well.

I have always said that the “power of five” goes a long way. What I mean by that is when you have a limit in the boat you can relax more and focus more on fishing to win. After I get a limit I feel like maybe I can take a chance to get a big one or swing for the fence.

I have always given credit to catching keepers when the bite is tough to light-line finesse fishing, which is something that I’ve worked hard to learn and that has helped me a lot in my career. However, getting to this point of 50 straight limits wasn’t easy by any means. There were many days where, by the afternoon, I never thought I’d get to five bass by 3 p.m. I can remember one day last year at Lake Eufaula where it was 2:50 and I only had three keepers. With 10 minutes to spare I pulled in within 100 yards of the check-in boat and planned on finishing out my day. I pulled out a drop-shot rig and went behind a fellow angler and caught two keepers back-to-back to keep the record alive. That’s kind of how fishing goes sometimes, and you have to capitalize when the opportunity is there.

I am sad that the record ended at Lake Hartwell, but I know that everything good has to end sometime. Now, I’m starting from zero and hope that when the Tour arrives at Sam Rayburn, I’ll land four consecutive limits on the way to someday breaking my own record.

Sports Illustrated Magazine's Classic Article & Great Video

A great article in a recent Sports Illustrated. 

LINK

Chris Lane Wins the Bassmaster Elite St. John's River

No Passing Lane!

By Deb Johnson

bass press release

PALATKA, Fla. — Tick-tock, pow!

When everything is in sync and his timing feels perfect, Chris Lane says he experiences a sensation like a clock ticking inside of him. He yells “Pow!” when he boats a big bass.

This is Chris Lane's sixth BASS title setting
him aside from most anglers.
(Photo: BASS)

Over the four-day Bassmaster Elite Series event on the St. Johns River system, Lane heard the tick-tock, and his word of triumph exploded repeatedly from his lips.

Starting Sunday’s final round with a 12 1/2-pound lead, the tournament was Lane’s to win or lose.

Lane not only stayed in stride the final day by catching 15-0, he walked off with the victory in high style: His winning margin was 14 pounds, 4 ounces over the second-place finisher, Dean Rojas.

Lane amassed 90-13 over the four days of competition. He added a sixth Bassmaster victory to his resume that includes being the 2012 Bassmaster Classic champion and a 2013 Bassmaster Elite Series winner.

Chris Lane Wins Elite Tournament on St. John's River!