Russ Lane Tops 70 Pounds on Lake Chickamauga, Leads Group A by 21-6

Lane ignites school and gains 20lb lead over Jordan Lee

MASON PRINCE 

BASS PRO TOUR

 

The attention (and a majority of the praise) from the first day of competition in the B&W Trailer Hitches Stage Four Presented by ATG x Wrangler belongs to Russ Lane. The Alabama pro sits on top of SCORETRACKER® looking down at the rest of his Group A counterparts after catching 23 bass for 70 pounds, 12 ounces Friday, and building a more than 21-pound lead on Lake Chickamauga.

 

Lane Locates a Shell Bar Shad Spawn

The B&W Trailer Hitches pro got off to a scorching hot start on a beautiful morning in East Tennessee to build a sizable lead. Lane began his morning by catching 13 bass for 37-4 in Period 1 thanks to a productive area he found during his final day of practice.

“I found a shad spawn yesterday afternoon during practice, so I knew that probably would be a good place to start today,” Lane said. “It was lights out this morning and worked out well for me. It feels awesome to have a cushion over second place like I do right now. I’m going to try to stay fluid, stay open-minded and move with the fish.”

Lane did his damage with a 3/4-ounce vibrating jig during the morning shad spawn. He added 21-15 in Period 2 targeting the same area, which he had a hard time leaving thanks to its productivity. According to Lane, at this time of the year on the Tennessee River, the area he found is about as good as you can get.

Major US fishing retailer posts record quarterly sales

By Mal Baginal 

(Originally posted in Angling International)

Dick’s Sporting Goods has announced record quarterly sales and earnings for the first quarter of 2021, while also raising its full year outlook. On the news, shares jumped more than 7% in pre-market trading.

The US omni-channel retailer crushed analysts’ estimates of $2.18 billion with net sales for the quarter of $2.92 billion, a 119% increase over 2020 and 52% up on a COVID-free 2019. Same-store sales for the period ending May 1st were the basis for the strong performance, with a 115% increase compared to the same period last year. Temporary store closures starting in March last year led to a 29.5% drop compared to 2019.

Same store sales included a 14% leap in e-commerce sales. E-commerce penetration is now at 20% of total net sales. Consolidated income for the quarter was $361.8 million, compared to a net loss in 2020 of $143.4 million. Net income for the first quarter of 2019 was $57.5m.

The 730-store chain revealed that it spent £13m in incremental safety costs in response to COVID during the 13-week period, compared to $62m in 2020.

Dick’s has upwardly revised its full year outlook and now forecasts sales of between $10.5 billion and $10.8 billion. As of Tuesday, May 25th, its shares were up around 50% year-to-date.

A Smallmouth Secret: The Carolina Rig

A Carolina rig is an old school technique to catch big bass. It works exceptionally well on beast smallmouth. If you encounter heavy wind, giant waves, scattered smallmouth or just cannot figure out finesse, then you need to learn how to Carolina rig. Carolina rig is a secret technique to nail smallmouth. You'll be surprised how how IBASSIN.com rigs up for smallmouth. Listen to Luigi De Rose as he goes through the set up, bait selection and when are where to fish the Carolina Rig for smallmouth.

Ott DeFoe Wins the Favorite Fishing Stage Three Presented by Bass Cat Boats on the Harris Chain with 73-14lbs!

Shad spawn and cranking key to win. 

Ott celebrates his 2nd win of the Bass Pro Tour season.
(Photo: MLF) 

MASON PRINCE • BASS PRO TOUR

BASS PRESS RELEASE

LEESBURG, Fla. – A couple of months ago, Ott DeFoe won the first event of the 2021 Bass Pro Tour season on Sam Rayburn Reservoir. On Wednesday, DeFoe won his second event of the season and his third overall with a dominating performance in the Championship Round of the Favorite Fishing Stage Three Presented by Bass Cat Boats on the Harris Chain. The Tennessee pro used a barrage of scorable bass in Period 3 to pull away from the rest of the field, securing yet another Bass Pro Tour trophy and $100,000.

DeFoe’s Dominant Third Period

DeFoe began the third period on Lake Harris in a battle with Brent Chapman, Andy Montgomery and Bobby Lane for the top spot on SCORETRACKER®. He mentioned to his camera before the final period started that whoever caught the most fish in Period 3 would walk out the champion. Well, it turns out it was DeFoe after he caught more than 28 pounds in the final frame, extending his lead to 27-1 over Bobby Lane (which is an MLF record for largest margin of victory in a Bass Pro Tour event).

“I’m really just speechless right now and I give all the glory to God,” DeFoe said moments after lines out. “I really struggled my first day of this tournament on Lake Griffin and struggled so much that it made me go to Lake Harris the rest of the tournament. That decision paid off big time, obviously.”

Boat Trailer Safety Checklist

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Wire to Wire 2021 Bassmaster Elite Lake Guntersville Win for Caleb Kuphall!

Canadians Chris Johnston 9th

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Kuphall's 17lb gap between second place Wes Logan. 
(Photo: BASS) 

An Elite angler’s “walk-up” music has no bearing on tournament performance, but Caleb Kuphall’s could not have been more fitting for his dominant wire-to-wire victory in the Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville, where he tallied a four-day total weight of 85 pounds, 14 ounces.

 

The second-year pro from Mukwonago, Wis., enters the weigh-in stage each day to the Beach Boys’ Catch a Wave. The opening verse perfectly mirrors the eye-popping Day 1 performance that gave Kuphall nearly a 6 1/2-pound lead and positioned him to ride out the slower periods and end up surging across the finish line by a huge margin.

 

“Catch a wave and you’re sitting on top of the world.”

 

“Having as much of a lead as I did, it was very nerve wracking, because you don’t want to blow it,” Kuphall said. “You’re like ‘I’ve got this lead and if I blow it, it’s a catastrophic train wreck.’ I kinda just rode that wave.”

 

Earning his first Elite trophy and becoming the first Wisconsin angler to do so, Kuphall set the bar high with a Day 1 catch of 27-10. With a windy Day 2 creating position and presentation challenges, his productivity dipped to 15-10, but Kuphall retained the top spot by a 4-9 margin.

 

Day 3 saw him getting back on track with a 23-9 limit that pushed his lead to 11 1/2 pounds. On Championship Sunday, Kuphall started slow, picked up steady momentum and sacked up the biggest bag of the final round — 19-1 — to collect a $100,000 top prize.

 

Notably, Kuphall’s 17-14 margin of victory is the second largest in Bassmaster Elite Series history (behind South Carolina pro Patrick Walter’s 29-10 margin last year at Lake Fork). Kuphall is only the 11th Elite angler to win by a double-digit margin.

 

Kuphall caught all of his bass flipping and punching shallow vegetation. In a tournament that saw competitors trying a wide range of spring tactics, he kept it simple and stuck to a fundamentally sound game plan that helped steady his nerves.

2021 Bassmaster Elite Lake Guntersville Day 3: Caleb Kuphall Extends Big Lead!

Canadians Chris Johnston 3rd, Cory Johnston 11th & Gustafson 73rd

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Pitching grass and mats key to massive 11lb lead
for Kuphall. (Photo: BASS)

Knowing when to shift gears rewarded Caleb Kuphall with a five-bass limit of 23 pounds, 9 ounces, which helped him extend his lead in the Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville with a three-day total weight of 66 pounds, 13 ounces.

 

Holding the top spot since Day 1, the pro from Mukwonago, Wis., set the pace with a first-round limit of 27-10 — the tournament’s biggest bag — and followed with 15-10. After the first two days found Kuphall with leads of 6-7 and 4-9, he enters Championship Sunday 11 1/2 pounds ahead of Alabama pro Wes Logan.

 

“The more the better,” Kuphall said of his numerical advantage. “If you’re going to lead, you might as well lead big, I guess. I don’t know; I’ve never been in this position before.

 

“It feels great to be in the lead, but I’m going to be nervous tonight.”

 

As he has done the past two days, Kuphall began on a large milfoil bed close to takeoff. The area yielded much of his weight on Days 1 and 2, but intense fishing pressure — from him and other anglers — has steadily decreased the area’s productivity.

 

Kuphall had been Texas-rigging a Zoom Z Hog in the California 420 color on a 4/0 extra-wide gap hook with a 3/4-ounce tungsten weight, but today he switched to a 1-ounce Dirty Jigs No Jack Punchin’ Jig with a forktail trailer.

 

“I was just trying to show them something different,” Kuphall said of his bait change. “They started taking my (Texas rig) really lightly and I was missing a couple.

 

“Generally, with that jig, if they get it, you’re gonna get them. It’s just a better hookup percentage.”

 

Around 9 a.m., Kuphall had four fish for approximately 10 1/2 pounds, so he pulled the plug and relocated to his secondary spot — a large milfoil bed near the B.B. Comer Bridge (State Route 35). Expansive cover with lots of sunfish and big gizzard shad presented a promising scenario.

 

Within 30 minutes of arriving, Kuphall experienced a flurry that started with a 6-pounder and followed with two in the 4-pound class. Adding two more quality fish later in the day, Kuphall culled all the fish he’d caught on his starting spot.

 

“I knew the big fish were there,” he said. “I just got on a good stretch and conditions were just right today.

 

“The sun was positioning the fish in those mats and the wind was so light it wasn’t affecting my ability to fish the mats. Everything just set up perfectly to go in there and do damage.”

 

On Day 2, Kuphall found the stronger wind was compacting the mats and making presentations more difficult. Also, he had to use higher trolling motor power, which likely spooked the fish. Today’s conditions allowed him to leisurely work isolated grass clumps on the mat’s perimeter.

 

“I was looking for the thickest stuff available; the thicker the better,” Kuphall said. “You’d flip in there and they’d destroy the bait as soon as it gets through.

 

“I was using a Z Hog with an ounce weight. I try to go as light as possible because I miss a lot of fish if you go too heavy on the weight.”

 

Looking ahead to Championship Sunday, Kuphall said he’ll give his first spot a chance to produce, but unless he finds a big bite, he’ll transition to his spot near the B.B. Comer Bridge much earlier.

 

“By the way my first area’s going, I’m thinking I’m going to spend a lot of time in (the second spot) tomorrow,” he said.

 

Hailing from Springville, Ala., Logan bolstered his first two limits of 14-1 and 20-12 with a third-round bag of 20-8 and tallied 55-5. Fresh off his win at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake, Logan caught all of his bass by flipping milfoil mats in the same general area where Kuphall spent most of his day.

 

2021 Bassmaster Elite Lake Guntersville Day 2: Caleb Kuphall Continues to Lead with 43-04lbs!

Canadians Chris Johnston 2nd, Cory Johnston 16th & Gustafson 73rd

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Early morning and shallow bite key to big lead. 
(Photo: BASS)

On Thursday, Caleb Kuphall said he was concerned he’d exhausted his Day 1 hot spot, but the area still held enough quality fish to help him maintain his lead at the Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville with a two-day total of 43 pounds, 4 ounces.

 

Sacking up a Day 1 limit of 27-10 — the tournament’s biggest bag so far — the pro from Mukwonago, Wis., carried a lead of 6-7 into Friday’s competition. Adding 15-10, Kuphall heads into Saturday’s semifinal round with a 4-9 margin over Canadian Chris Johnston.

 

Starting both days on a large milfoil bed not far from takeoff, Kuphall has done most of his work in a relatively small area within this sprawling habitat. Other boats were fishing around him, but Kuphall has dialed in a particular sweet spot.

 

“There’s a lot of pressure in that spot; today, there was another two boats in there and another one came in later on,” Kuphall said. “There’s still a lot of fish there; I got bit pretty much up until I left around 9:30. I just don’t think I can get another two days out of it.”

 

Kuphall is catching his bass on a Zoom Z-Hog in the California 420 color. He’s rigging the bait on a 4/0 extra-wide gap hook with a 3/4-ounce tungsten weight.

 

Once his starting spot fizzled, Kuphall ran about 15 minutes uplake to fish a matted milfoil bed. This area holds scattered pads, but he said the secondary habitat isn’t factoring into his game plan.

 

“You have the mat line, and what I’m fishing is out from that,” he said. “It’s a little deeper water and the isolated grass clumps are key to getting my bites. I really haven’t gotten any bites fishing the line.

 

“I’m using the Z-Hog here too, but I’m using a 1-ounce weight. If the wind blows again tomorrow, I may have to go to an ounce and a quarter or an ounce and a half.”

2021 Bassmaster Elite Lake Guntersville Day 1: Caleb Kuphall Scores Lead with 27-10lbs!

Canadians Chris Johnston 5th, Cory Johnston 10th & Gustafson 71st

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Morning flurry paves way to monster limit. 
(Photo: BASS) 

A fast start plus two afternoon upgrades yielded a five-bass limit of 27 pounds, 10 ounces for Caleb Kuphall of Mukwonago, Wis., who leads Day 1 of the Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville.

 

Heading into Day 2, Kuphall holds a lead of 6-7 over veteran South Carolina pro Todd Auten.

 

According to BassTrakk’s unofficial standings, Kuphall had secured a limit of approximately 19-4 by 6:58 a.m. Registering his first keeper — a 2-12 — 24 minutes after the 5:30 takeoff, Kuphall quickly added four more keepers, including two over 5 pounds.

 

About 30 minutes after securing the day’s first limit, Kuphall upgraded to 21-12. Several hours passed without further improvement, but shortly after noon, he added a 4-8 and followed with a 5-8 just before 1 p.m.

 

Noting that he fished two different areas, Kuphall described his primary spot as a classic postspawn staging area. Located in a large spawning cove, the area he targeted provided a natural stopping point for bass on their way out toward summer habitat.

 

“It was a point with a big mat of milfoil going out to the main lake,” he said. “I got back-to-back bites — in the morning, I caught a 6- and a 5 1/2-pounder on the very next cast.

 

“I kind of had two things going today, and the first one was a supershallow deal. I caught two of my weigh-in fish in about 3 feet of water, and the rest of them came in about 6 feet.”

 

Kuphall kept his bait details guarded, but he noted that a bottom-oriented presentation tempted all of his bites. He used multiple colors, but he said the appearance is less important than the presentation.

 

“It’s a reaction bite; a fast-fall kind of deal,” he said.