Month: August 2019

August 19, 2019 by FLW Communications

PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, Wis. – Boater Joe Pollak of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Great Lakes Division tournament on the Mississippi River at Prairie du Chien Saturday after catching five bass weighing 15 pounds, 1 ounce. For his win, Pollack netted $4,586.

“I was able to catch a limit fairly quick fishing between the middle and the north side of Pool No. 9, south of Lansing,” said Pollak, who logged his second career victory in BFL competition – both on the Mississippi River. “I had a bunch of spots that had schools of fish on them – probably a dozen or so points that were current-related.”

Pollack said he fished in 1 to 5 feet of water, casting a ¼-ounce white and chartreuse-colored Dirty Jigs swimjig with a 4-inch white Zoom Paddle Tail swimbait trailer, as well as some reaction baits including a white Heddon Zara Spook Jr.

“Around 11 [a.m.], I locked back down to [Pool No.] 10 and sat on another current-related point on the north end and was able to cull out two or three fish using the same baits,” said Pollak. “I upgraded by about 2 pounds which gave me enough to win the tournament.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st: Joe Pollak, Lake Geneva, Wis., five bass, 15-1, $4,586

2nd: Mike Brueggen, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 15-0, $1,793

3rd: Brian Fitzpatrick, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 14-10, $1,554

4th: Kyler Chelminiak, Franklin, Wis., five bass, 14-9, $1,090

5th: Kyle Von Ruden, Stoddard, Wis., five bass, 14-6, $677

6th: Robby Tufte, Fountain City, Wis., five bass, 14-5, $771

7th: Terry Fitzpatrick, Waukon, Iowa, five bass, 13-15, $536

7th: Steven Johnson, Lake Villa, Ill., five bass, 13-15, $536

9th: Curtis Samo, Rochelle, Ill., five bass, 13-10, $451

10th: Jeff Ritter, Prairie du Chien, Wis., five bass, 13-9, $395

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Fitzpatrick caught a bass weighing 3 pounds, 13 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $425.

Kory Krienke of Annandale, Minnesota, won the Co-angler Division and $1,893 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 12 pounds, 4 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1st: Kory Krienke, Annandale, Minn., five bass, 12-4, $1,893

2nd: Bradley Thacher, Preston, Minn., five bass, 11-8, $846

3rd: Alan Bernicky, Joliet, Ill., five bass, 11-5, $764

4th: Rene Luis, Chicago, Ill., five bass, 11-3, $395

5th: Richard Conrad, Arcadia, Wis., five bass, 11-0, $439

6th: Thomas Roberts, Waunakee, Wis., five bass, 10-7, $310

7th: Josh Mohn, Lansing, Iowa, five bass, 10-4, $282

8th: Mike Toft, Belleville, Wis., five bass, 9-12, $254

9th: Joe Perez, Chanhassen, Minn., five bass, 9-8, $226

10th: Matt Finkeldei, Davenport, Iowa, five bass, 9-6, $198

Jared Greninger of Byron, Illinois, caught the heaviest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 3 pounds, 11 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $212.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 17-19 BFL Regional Championship on Kentucky and Barkley lakes in Buchanan, Tennessee, presented by Evinrude. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard.

The 2019 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2020 BFL All-American will be held April 30-May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina, and is hosted by Visit Anderson. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

August 19, 2019 by FLW Communications

LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. – Boater Craig Mills of Hamilton, Ohio, took top honors at Saturday’s T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Buckeye Division tournament on the Ohio River at Tanners Creek after catching five bass weighing 10 pounds, 4 ounces. Mills took home $5,466 for his win.

After working in Tanners Creek for the first three hours of the tournament, Mills said he couldn’t get anything going. Around 9:30 a.m., he went and fished three creeks on the lower end near Meldahl Dam.

“I’ve fished those creeks over the years – just shallow, flat creeks. I knew they were in there, I found them in practice,” said Mills, who earned his second career victory in BFL competition. “I caught them here and there – I think I had my limit by 1 [p.m.]. I culled a couple fish and caught my last at about 2 [p.m.].”

Mills said he caught a couple of bass with a black ¼-ounce Strictly Bass Meatheads spinnerbait and a white ¼-ounce Tim Poe Thunder Blade Double Blade spinnerbait with a white Kalin’s Lunker Grub trailer. He also caught four flipping a Texas-rigged Spring Break-colored Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver, as well as his heaviest on a black and white Booyah Pad Crasher frog.

“I was throwing around any type of wood,” said Mills. “My biggest came at 1 [p.m.] – that was my fifth fish.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st: Craig Mills, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 10-4, $3,466 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

2nd: Michael Powell Jr., Greendale, Ind., five bass, 8-10, $1,933

3rd: Dick Shaffer, Rockford, Ohio, three bass, 7-10, $1,405

4th: Chris Martinkovic, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 7-8, $1,059

5th: Dave Lauer, McConnelsville, Ohio, three bass, 7-4, $693

6th: Cody Seeger, Lewistown, Ohio, five bass, 7-1, $635

7th: Sean Wieda, Florence, Ky., five bass, 6-15, $578

8th: Jamie Cunnagin, New Lebanon, Ohio, four bass, 6-13, $491

8th: Brandon Hobbs, Grove City, Ohio, three bass, 6-13, $491

10th: Dan Fry, Marysville, Ohio, five bass, 6-3, $404

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Michael McCoy of Mentor-on-the-Lake, Ohio, caught a bass weighing 4 pounds, 11 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $435.

Samuel Jones of Morgantown, West Virginia, won the Co-angler Division and $1,733 Saturday after catching three bass weighing 5 pounds, 2 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1st: Samuel Jones, Morgantown, W. Va., three bass, 5-2, $1,733

2nd: William Gross, Cleveland, Ohio, two bass, 4-7, $866

3rd: Mark Redman, Pendleton, Ky., one bass, 4-6, $707

3rd: Austin Brock, West Chester, Ohio, three bass, 4-6, $840

5th: Dan Schlegel, Cincinnati, Ohio, two bass, 3-13, $397

6th: Billy Senters, New Richmond, Ohio, three bass, 3-12, $318

7th: Ryan Rich, Eaton, Ohio, one bass, 3-11, $289

8th: Tony Baber, Centerville, Ohio, two bass, 3-10, $260

9th: Brent Wilkens, Hamilton, Ohio, three bass, 3-8, $231

10th: Matthew Hostetter, East Palestine, Ohio, three bass, 3-4, $192

10th: Brandon Fraley, Tipp City, Ohio, two bass, 3-4, $192

Redman caught the heaviest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 6 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $217.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 17-19 BFL Regional Championship on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard.

The 2019 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2020 BFL All-American will be held April 30-May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina, and is hosted by Visit Anderson. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

August 15, 2019 by FLW Communications

CHARLES COUNTY, Md. – The Potomac River is set to host some of the top regional bass anglers Aug. 22-24 for the Costa Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) Series Northern Division tournament on the Potomac River presented by Lowrance. The three-day tournament will feature a field of more than 250 pros and co-anglers vying for the top prize package of up to $92,000, including a brand new Ranger Z518L boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Evinrude outboard in the Pro Division. Valuable points in the Northern Division presented by Gajo Baits Angler of the Year race are also up for grabs.

“I think the Potomac River is going to fish pretty well,” said FLW Tour pro Bryan Schmitt, of Deale, Maryland, who has three career wins in Costa FLW Series competition on the Potomac River. “Over the last two months a substantial amount of hydrilla has started to grow. It’s got the water really clean and turned the river into a better fishery.

“I think we’ll see traditional Potomac tactics [next week] – flipping grass with creature-style baits like a Missile [Baits] D Bomb, topwaters in the grass, swimjigs, ChatterBaits, and stickbait worms,” said Schmitt. “Some hard structure like docks or rocks will be in play, but it will mainly be a grass deal. It’s going to be about who can find that magic spot within a spot, or who can get that magic place to themselves.”

Schmitt went on to say that mid-river has been really productive, especially Quantico and Chicamuxen creeks. He mentioned Potomac Creek, which is farther south, as well.

“I think it will take 46 pounds over the three days to win – 15 pounds a day will be banging on the door for sure,” said Schmitt. “I typically would predict a hair more, but it’s fishing a little bit tougher than normal. There will be a lot of fish caught, though, and a lot of good ones, too.”

Anglers will take off from Smallwood State Park, located at 2750 Sweden Point Road, in Marbury, Maryland, at 6:30 a.m. EDT each day of competition. Weigh-ins each day will also be held at the park beginning at 2:30 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.

The tournament is being hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners.

In Costa FLW Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event. At the Potomac River, pros will fish for a top prize of up to $92,000 including a brand new Ranger Z518L boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Evinrude outboard if Ranger Cup qualified. Co-anglers will cast for a brand new Ranger Z175 boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Evinrude outboard, and $5,000 if Ranger Cup qualified.

The Costa FLW Series consists of five U.S. divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western – along with the International division. Each U.S. division consists of three regular-season tournaments with competitors vying for valuable points that could earn them the opportunity to compete in the season-ending Costa FLW Series Championship. The 2019 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held Oct. 31 – Nov. 2 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Costa FLW Series on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

August 12, 2019 by FLW Communications

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Pro Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, brought a five-bass limit to the stage weighing 10 pounds, 13 ounces, Sunday to claim the title of FLW Cup Champion at the FLW Cup on Lake Hamilton. Thrift, with a three-day total of 15 bass for 38 pounds, 7 ounces, won by a 5-pound, 1-ounce margin over pro Kyle Walters of Grant Valkaria, Florida, who caught a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 33-6, good for $60,000. Sunday’s final weigh-in marked the finale of the 2019 FLW Cup, which featured 52 of the best professional bass anglers from across North America. Thrift led the tournament on all three days of competition and took home the top prize of $300,000.

“I feel like this tournament was an event that everybody thought I would eventually win one day, except for myself,” said Thrift, who pushed his career earnings to more than $3 million dollars and is now the No. 2 all-time leading money winner in FLW history. “I felt like I would eventually get a chance, and I felt like this tournament was the first Cup that I truly had a chance to win. I still can’t believe that I won it, this is an amazing feeling.”

Thrift said that his tournament was a “mixed bag” each day. Of the 15 bass that he weighed in, he caught them on eight different baits, including a buzzbait, a topwater walking bait, a Texas rig, a drop-shot rig, five different crankbaits, a frog, a Damiki Underspin and a Damiki Armor Shad Paddle Tail swimbait.

“Fishing in August, you have to fish everything,” Thrift said. “Every morning I’d start fishing shallow – the bank and shade lines – then I’d fish a few boat docks, and then I’d move out and fish some brush. I even caught some fish that weren’t around anything, just around bait and suspended. I caught them on seven or eight different patterns, and you have to have that in August because two or three of them will let you down.”

The only time that Thrift really stuck a lot of fish in a hurry was Sunday when he pulled up to his first spot and fish were busting the surface over a 200-yard span.

“Today started out actually pretty good,” he said. “I ran to a place that I knew [Bryan] Schmitt was catching them schooling, and I knew he didn’t make the cut. So I went in there, and sure enough they were schooling like crazy. I caught a limit fairly quickly at probably about 8 or 8:30. It didn’t weigh much; maybe 7 or 7 1/2 pounds. And I’m thinking, ‘Shoot, I’ve got all day to upgrade. This is good. We’re good to go.’

“So that helped slow me down and give me confidence. But at about 12:30 I hadn’t had another bite. I had one area that I’d caught most of my weight in in the last hour and a half each day in Hot Springs Creek. So I ran in there at 12:30. I said, ‘If I’m gonna win it, I’m gonna win it back here.’ I didn’t crank the boat until 3:30 and ended up culling three.”

The spot was a small dead-end pocket with deep water running all the way to the back. The bass were pushing bait up not quite to the bank, but close.

“It’s just a shallow flat,” he said of that final spot. “It’s got a lot of shad back there. There were three little brush piles. They weren’t big. They were maybe the size of the hood of a truck; just three small, little brush piles. I’d just rotate between them. One of them, they were kind of schooling around a little bit, and I caught a couple around it while they were up schooling.”

The top 10 pros at the 2019 FLW Cup on Lake Hamilton finished:

1st: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 38-7, $300,000

2nd: Kyle Walters, Grant Valkaria, Fla., 15 bass, 33-6, $60,000

3rd: Dakota Ebare, Denham Springs, La., 14 bass, 32-2, $50,000

4th: Bass Pro Shops pro Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 15 bass, 31-6, $37,500

5th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 15 bass, 31-2, $30,000

6th: Lowrance pro Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn., 15 bass, 30-6, $24,000

7th: Joseph Webster, Winfield, Ala., 15 bass, 28-2, $23,000

8th: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., 15 bass, 26-12, $22,000

9th: Josh Douglas, Isle, Minn., 14 bass, 26-3, $21,000

10th: Jordan Osborne, Longview, Texas, 10 bass, 22-6, $20,000

Full results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Overall there were 43 bass weighing 66 pounds, 3 ounces caught by pros Sunday. Eight of the final 10 anglers weighed in five-bass limits.

The 2019 FLW Cup at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, was hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs. Total attendance for the three-day event was 67,453 fishing fans. The Bank OZK Arena was at 100-percent capacity, Sunday, with additional fans watching the Trace Adkins concert and final weigh-ins on the big screens at the Hot Springs Convention Center.

Television coverage of the 2019 FLW Cup at Lake Hamilton will premiere in the fall of 2019. The Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

August 11, 2019 by FLW Communications

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Kayak angler Clint Henderson of Rome, Georgia, caught, photographed and released a two-day total of 157¾ inches from Lake Ouachita to best the 72-angler field and win the inaugural Dee Zee FLW/KBF Kayak Cup at Lake Ouachita presented by YakAttackSaturday. For his win, Henderson earned the top prize of $15,000.

Henderson almost didn’t fish the event – he said he’s “in the negative on PTO balance” at work – and Navionics study on his phone was about as much early scouting as he could do.

“We found the spot on the map that had the stuff we like to fish back home, contour- and cover-wise,” said Henderson. “We got on the water there, and I got to looking at my map. I saw this spot that, when I first pulled up on it, that MEGA Imaging just lit up. I was telling myself there was no way that was all bass.”

He was wrong. Henderson had found a massive school of bass that hung around the same area all week. After catching some in practice, he decided to leave the school undisturbed.

“I caught three good fish in practice easy, quick. I was like, ‘We need to go. We need to get out of here. It’s special here.’”

What Henderson had found was a section of the lake with a main-channel ledge in 12 to 18 feet of water. For whatever reason, that particular ledge was a favorite summering spot for some big Ouachita largemouths.

“I caught them all dragging a junebug creature bait,” Henderson went on to say. “I had some fish on other lures on day one, but today was different. I was just dragging that thing, dragging it slow. You could feel that thing coming through the school of fish, popping the line.”

The top 10 kayak anglers on Lake Hamilton finished:

1st: Clint Henderson, Rome, Ga., 157.75 inches

2nd: Dwain Batey, Siloam Springs, Ark., 155 inches

3rd: Garrett Morgan, Conway, Ark.., 154 inches

4th: A.J. McWhorter, Lexington, Ky., 152.5 inches

5th: Eric Jackson, Walling, Tenn., 151.5 inches

6th: Dustin Murguia, Forest Park, Ill., 148.25 inches

7th: Henry Veggian, Durham, N.C., 147.25 inches

8th: Drew Gregory, Wingate, N.C., 146.75 inches

9th: Matt Ball, Little Hocking, Ohio, 139.5 inches

10th: Josh Stewart, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 137.25 inches

Complete results can be found at KayakBassFishing.com.

KBF was formed in 2009 to offer kayak anglers the opportunity to compete for hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and prizes at premier fisheries around the country. Currently in its seventh season for live events, KBF offers more than 25 professional-level bass-fishing tournaments to kayak anglers. For complete KBF details, schedules and updated information, visit KayakBassFishing.com.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

August 11, 2019 by FLW Communications

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Pro Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, crossed the stage with a five-bass limit weighing 12 pounds, 7 ounces, for a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 27-10, to lead Day Two of the FLW Cup on Lake Hamilton. Thrift now holds a 1-pound, 8-ounce lead over pro Kyle Walters of Grant Valkaria, Florida, who weighed five bass weighing 12-5 – for a two-day total of 10 bass for 26-2 – in the championship tournament featuring 52 of the world’s best professional bass anglers competing for a top prize of $300,000.

“Today was a long, trying day, but that’s the way I like it,” said Thrift, who has now made the top-10 cut in 10 of his 13 career FLW Cup appearances. “We like when it’s tough fishing at the Cup. I only had two fish at 12:30. I ended up getting six keeper bites, though – two good ones and three decent ones – but I have no idea what’s going to happen tomorrow.

“I ran a lot of the same stuff and a lot of new stuff today, and I caught my fish on most of the same baits as I did yesterday. But I didn’t catch any topwater fish today,” Thrift continued. “All of my fish came on a big worm and stuff like that in brush. I tried, but I just couldn’t get the topwater bite going. I’m going to try that again in the morning and see if I can get lucky. In my mind, that’s what I have to have to win.”

Thrift’s accomplishments and accolades in the sport of professional bass-fishing has long put him in discussion amongst fans and his peers as being one of, if not the, best of all-time. He has six career FLW Tour wins, 42 top-10 finishes and more than $2.7 million dollars in career earnings. One trophy that has eluded him thus far in his career, though, is the FLW Cup. Thrift is optimistic that he can slam the door Sunday.

“If I can catch a couple early, that would really calm me down and settle me in and give me the confidence to slow down and fish each place thoroughly,” Thrift went on to say. “I’m not going to die on any one pattern. I’m going to run around and fish and try to make the best of it, and hopefully I can stumble into a few.”

The top 10 pros that advanced to the final day of competition on Lake Hamilton are:

1st: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 10 bass, 27-10

2nd: Kyle Walters, Grant Valkaria, Fla., 10 bass, 26-2

3rd: Dakota Ebare, Denham Springs, La., 10 bass, 24-7

4th: Bass Pro Shops pro Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 10 bass, 24-6

5th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 10 bass, 22-10

6th: Lowrance pro Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn., 10 bass, 22-9

7th: Jordan Osborne, Longview, Texas, 10 bass, 22-6

8th: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., 10 bass, 21-14

9th: Joseph Webster, Winfield, Ala., 10 bass, 21-1

10th: Josh Douglas, Isle, Minn., 10 bass, 21-0

Full results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Overall there were 240 bass weighing 427 pounds, 12 ounces caught by 51 pros Saturday. The catch included 42 five-bass limits.

The final 10 anglers will take off from the Andrew Hulsey Fish Hatchery, located at 350 Fish Hatchery Road in Hot Springs, at 6:30 a.m. CDT Sunday. Sunday’s championship weigh-in will be held at the Bank OZK Arena, located at 134 Convention Blvd., in Hot Springs, beginning at 5 p.m.

Fans will be treated to the FLW Expo at the Hot Springs Convention Center located at 134 Convention Blvd., in Hot Springs, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. prior to the weigh-ins. The Expo includes activities, giveaways and games provided by more than 40 FLW sponsors, as well as the opportunity to shop the latest and greatest tackle and outdoor gear from more than 100 exhibitors – including multiple kayak-fishing companies in the Expo’s new Kayak Village. The opportunity to meet and interact with top professional anglers, including Hank Parker, Jimmy Houston, and many more also awaits fishing fans.

On Sunday the first 250 children 14 and under who are accompanied by an adult will receive a voucher to redeem for a free rod-and-reel combo after the evening’s weigh-in from Shakespeare rods. On Saturday, one lucky fishing fan will win a brand new Jackson Kayak Coosa FD following the weigh-in, and on Sunday a new Ranger Z521L bass boat with a 250-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard motor bill be awarded. The Kayak and Ranger Boat giveaways are free to enter but the winner must be present at the conclusion of each day’s final weigh-in to win.

FLW fans will also enjoy the Bass & BBQ Festival in conjunction with the FLW Expo. FLW has partnered with the Arkansas Democrat Gazette to feature award-winning BBQ teams offering delicious fare to visitors and raising money for local charities. Come enjoy all of the fishing action and barbeque from top barbeque teams on Sunday 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and help raise money for some worthy causes.

Country music superstar Trace Adkins will perform a free concert on the weigh-in stage at the Bank OZK Arena on Sunday, starting at 4 p.m., prior to the final weigh-in. The concert is presented by Realtree and KSSN 96. Adkins will be showcasing his fiery and memorable live performance to fishing fans in Arkansas as well as live-streamed to fans around the globe at FLWFishing.com.

The Morning Takeoff, FLW Expo, Bass & BBQ event, live concert and weigh-ins are all free and open to the public.

Television coverage of the 2019 FLW Cup at Lake Hamilton will premiere in the fall of 2019. The Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

August 10, 2019 by FLW Communications

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Fifty-two of the best bass anglers in the world began their three-day competition for a top cash award of $300,000 at the 24th annual FLW Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing, on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Friday.

FLW Tour stalwart Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 15 pounds, 3 ounces to take the early lead after Day One of the three day event. Thrift now holds a slim 3-ounce lead over pro Nick LeBrun of Bossier City, Louisiana, who caught five bass weighing 15 pounds even, good for second place.

“One of the cool things about having the Cup in August every year is that you never know what’s going to happen, and you can usually throw practice out the window. That’s what I did today and I caught fish off of stuff that I had never even fished in practice,” said Thrift, who has never won an FLW Cup but has 9 top-10 finishes in FLW Cup competition – most in Tour history. “I think I ended up catching 20 to 25 fish, steady all day – one bite here, one bite there – on around 10 different baits.”

Thrift declined to mention any bait specifics at this point of the event, but did mention throwing a buzzbait – as did the majority of competitors. Of the five bass that Thrift brought to the stage, he said that three came shallow and two came from brush piles offshore.

“I’m flying by the seat of my pants, doing a little of everything,” Thrift said. “I’ve got 20 different Fitzgerald rods rigged up on my deck and I’m throwing at everything that I see.”

Although an early lead is certainly favorable, Thrift acknowledged the fact that he still has work left to do in order to make the final-day top-10 cut.

“I’m not going to count my chickens before they’re hatched, and I expect the fishing to get tougher tomorrow,” Thrift went on to say. “I’m hoping to go out tomorrow and catch 10 pounds. That was my goal for today – a 10-pound bag – and I’d be happy with that tomorrow.”

The top 20 pros after Day One on Lake Hamilton are:

1st: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., five bass, 15-3

2nd: Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., five bass, 15-0

3rd: Kyle Walters, Grant Valkaria, Fla., five bass, 13-13

4th: Jordan Osborne, Longview, Texas, five bass, 13-11

5th: Lowrance pro Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn., five bass, 13-5

6th: Bryan Schmitt, Deale, Md., five bass, 12-15

7th: Joel Willert, Prior Lake, Minn., five bass, 12-13

8th: Billy McCaghren, Mayflower, Ark., five bass, 12-4

9th: Bass Pro Shops’ pro Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., five bass, 12-1

10th: J. Todd Tucker, Moultrie, Ga., five bass, 11-14

11th: Erik Luzak, Fenelon Falls, Ontario, Canada, five bass, 11-12

12th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., five bass, 11-9

13th: Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa., five bass, 11-7

13th: Cory Johnston, Cavan, Ontario, Canada, five bass, 11-7

15th: Matt Reed, Madisonville, Texas, five bass, 11-3

16th: Kurt Dove, Del Rio, Texas, five bass, 11-0

17th: Yamamoto Baits pro Larry Nixon, Quitman, Arkansas, five bass, 10-9

18th: Bradford Beavers, Summerville, S.C., five bass, 10-4

18th: Costa pro Todd Castledine, Nacogdoches, Texas, five bass, 10-4

20th: Dakota Ebare, Denham Springs, La., five bass, 9-8

20th: Matthew Stefan, Junction City, Wis., five bass, 9-8

For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.

Overall there were 246 bass weighing 473 pounds, 7 ounces caught by 52 pros Friday. The catch included 45 five-bass limits.

Anglers will take off from the Andrew Hulsey Fish Hatchery, located at 350 Fish Hatchery Road in Hot Springs, at 6:30 a.m. CDT each morning. Each day’s weigh-in will be held at the Bank OZK Arena located at 134 Convention Blvd., in Hot Springs, beginning at 5 p.m.

Fans will be treated to the FLW Expo at the Hot Springs Convention Center located at 134 Convention Blvd., in Hot Springs, each day from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. prior to the weigh-ins. The Expo includes activities, giveaways and games provided by more than 40 FLW sponsors, as well as the opportunity to shop the latest and greatest tackle and outdoor gear from more than 100 exhibitors – including multiple kayak-fishing companies in the Expo’s new Kayak Village. The opportunity to meet and interact with top professional anglers, including Hank Parker, Jimmy Houston, and many more also awaits fishing fans.

On Saturday and Sunday the first 250 children each day 14 and under who are accompanied by an adult will receive a voucher to redeem for a free rod-and-reel combo after the evening’s weigh-in from Shakespeare rods. On Saturday, one lucky fishing fan will win a brand new Jackson Kayak Coosa FD following the weigh-in, and on Sunday a new Ranger Z521L bass boat with a 250-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard motor bill be awarded. The Kayak and Ranger Boat giveaways are free to enter but the winner must be present at the conclusion of each day’s final weigh-in to win.

FLW fans will also enjoy the Bass & BBQ Festival in conjunction with the FLW Expo. FLW has partnered with the Arkansas Democrat Gazette to feature award-winning BBQ teams offering delicious fare to visitors and raising money for local charities. Come enjoy all of the fishing action and barbeque from top barbeque teams on Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and help raise money for some worthy causes.

Country music superstar Trace Adkins will perform a free concert on the weigh-in stage at the Bank OZK Arena on Sunday, Aug. 11, starting at 4 p.m., prior to the final weigh-in. The concert is presented by Realtree and KSSN 96. Adkins will be showcasing his fiery and memorable live performance to fishing fans in Arkansas as well as live-streamed to fans around the globe at FLWFishing.com.

The Morning Takeoff, FLW Expo, Bass & BBQ event, live concert and weigh-ins are all free and open to the public.

Television coverage of the 2019 FLW Cup at Lake Hamilton will premiere in the fall of 2019. The Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2019 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW and their partners conduct more than 290 bass-fishing tournaments annually around the world, including the United States, Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Namibia, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and Zimbabwe. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

July 29, 2019  by FLW Communications

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The FLW Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing, returns to Hot Springs and Lake Hamilton, Aug. 9-11, to crown bass fishing’s top angler of 2019. Hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs, the tournament will feature 52 of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals casting for the sport’s biggest award – $300,000 cash.

Although Hot Springs and Lake Ouachita have played host four times previously, the FLW Cup has been held just once at Lake Hamilton in the 24-year history of the FLW Tour – 2005. In that event Hot Spring’s local legend, pro angler George Cochran, won the event literally in his own backyard, catching key fish on a buzzbait about 300 yards from his house. He attacked the shallows of Lake Hamilton with a trip of topwater baits to earn a decisive final-day victory and the illustrious title.

Even though Lake Hamilton is only 7,200 surface acres, it fishes big enough for 52 pros thanks to miles of shoreline and more docks and brush piles than a bass angler could fish in a season. Expect several anglers to average 10 to 12 pounds a day and to be in the hunt for the win on Championship Sunday.

One pro in particular, Polaris pro David Dudley of Lynchburg, Virginia, has had an incredible season – winning his fourth Angler of the Year (AOY) title – and is primed to take his shot at bass fishing’s top prize.

“The most exciting thing for me is to get the chance to fish for $300,000,” Dudley said. “It gets my blood flowing. I also want to become the first man to ever win two FLW Cups.”

Dudley seems to shine when he fishes in tournaments with very large purses. Key wins in Dudley’s career include the 2003 FLW Cup on the James River, where he won $500,000, and the 2002 Ranger M1 Millennium on the Mobile-Tensaw Delta that brought a $700,000 payday.

Dudley cemented his fourth FLW Tour AOY title at the Lake Champlain event earlier this year. With the title, Dudley became the first pro to win four AOY crowns. The AOY title pushed FLW’s leading money winner past the $3.6 million mark. He was the youngest angler to the $2 million mark. He has accumulated seven FLW wins, 44 top-10 finishes and has qualified for 21 FLW Cup appearances in his 24 years as a pro.

Dudley said anglers will find Lake Hamilton displaying typical summertime patterns.

“Summertime fishing is always tough, but they’ll be biting,” Dudley said. “Hamilton is a small lake, but it has miles and miles of shoreline so I think it’ll fish pretty big. It’s going to be a grind, but I’d expect nothing less in August.”

Another angler ready for his shot at Lake Hamilton is Tennessee’s Brad Knight, who won the 2015 FLW Cup on Lake Ouachita. Knight said he thinks the winning angler will need to boat 13 pounds a day to earn the title, and he expects anglers will be able to fish their strengths.

“Some people call it ‘junk-fishing’, but I call it hustle,” said Knight. ”We’re going to have to mix it up and it will be all about putting in the hustle. You have just as good of a shot of winning with a buzzbait as you do drop-shotting brush piles. We’re going to be able to catch fish however we feel most comfortable, but every decision and every fish catch will be critical.”

Anglers will take off from the Andrew Hulsey Fish Hatchery, located at 350 Fish Hatchery Road in Hot Springs, at 6:30 a.m. CDT each morning. Each day’s weigh-in will be held at the Bank OZK Arena located at 134 Convention Blvd., in Hot Springs, beginning at 5 p.m.

Also in Hot Springs next week, the Dee Zee FLW/KBF Cup presented by YakAttack will be held on Lake Ouachita. The tournament will feature top kayak bass anglers from around the country competing for a for a total prize package of $18,000, with winners being recognized on the FLW stage.

Fans will be treated to the FLW Expo at the Hot Springs Convention Center located at 134 Convention Blvd., in Hot Springs, each day from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. prior to the weigh-ins. The Expo includes activities, giveaways and games provided by more than 40 FLW sponsors, as well as the opportunity to shop the latest and greatest tackle and outdoor gear from more than 100 exhibitors – including multiple kayak-fishing companies in the Expo’s new Kayak Village. A Ranger boat simulator, a casting pond and a trout pond for children, as well as the opportunity to meet and interact with top professional anglers, including Hank Parker, Jimmy Houston, and many more also awaits fishing fans.

On Saturday and Sunday the first 250 children each day 14 and under who are accompanied by an adult will receive a voucher to redeem for a free rod-and-reel combo after the evening’s weigh-in from Shakespeare rods. On Saturday, one lucky fishing fan will win a brand new Jackson Kayak Coosa FD following the weigh-in, and on Sunday a new Ranger Z521L bass boat with a 250-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard motor bill be awarded. The Kayak and Ranger Boat giveaways are free to enter but the winner must be present at the conclusion of each day’s final weigh-in to win.

FLW fans will also enjoy the Bass & BBQ Festival in conjunction with the FLW Expo. FLW has partnered with the Arkansas Democrat Gazette to feature award-winning BBQ teams offering delicious fare to visitors and raising money for local charities. Come enjoy all of the fishing action and barbeque from top barbeque teams on Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and help raise money for some worthy causes.

Country music superstar Trace Adkins will perform a free concert on the weigh-in stage at the Bank OZK Arena on Sunday, Aug. 11, starting at 4 p.m., prior to the final weigh-in. The concert is presented by Realtree and KSSN 96. Adkins will be showcasing his fiery and memorable live performance to fishing fans in Arkansas as well as live-streamed to fans around the globe at FLWFishing.com.

The Morning Takeoff, FLW Expo, Bass & BBQ event, live concert and weigh-ins are all free and open to the public.

Television coverage of the 2019 FLW Cup at Lake Hamilton will premiere in the fall of 2019. The Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.