Author: jcarrigan

Categories
BASSMASTER Elite Series/Opens

Gustafson Cracks 25 Pounds, Takes Lead At Bassmaster Elite Series Event On Cayuga Lake

UNION SPRINGS, N.Y. —

Canadian pro Jeff Gustafson came into the SiteOne Bassmaster Elite at Cayuga Lake with modest expectations.

But his confidence has grown with each passing day — and on Friday, it grew by leaps and bounds as Gustafson caught five bass that weighed 25 pounds, 6 ounces and took the lead with a two-day total of 49-1.

His catch of 25-6 is the biggest of the tournament so far.

“It was a dream day — both of the last two days were,” said Gustafson, who lives in Keewatin, Canada. “I was expecting that to happen either day, but now the expectations are pretty high. I’ve seen what’s out there, and it’s pretty impressive.”

While much of the field has been concentrating on shallow grass, Gustafson has focused on small patches of hard bottom offshore. Since this is his first trip to Cayuga, he said he doesn’t know a lot of spots to try.

So, he’s been sticking mainly with one area.

“There’s just not a lot of rock here,” he said. “In practice, I idled for hours and every couple of hours I’d kind of find something.

“When I started the tournament, my plan was to get a limit of largemouth and then go fish for smallmouth. I thought the smallmouth would be my biggest fish, but they disappeared.”

Gustafson has been using an Aqua-Vu underwater camera — and on Friday, he saw a few smallmouth that gave him an extra tinge of hope for the final two days.

“Even though I caught 25 pounds today, it wasn’t as easy as it might have seemed,” he said. “I’m really just catching one here and one there, but they’re the right ones.

“If the smallmouth turn back on, that could really make a big difference for me.”

Thursday’s leader Chris Zaldain of Fort Worth, Texas, caught another impressive bag of 21-11 and now rests in second place with 46-0.

He said his day could have been much better if it hadn’t been for some early miscues.

“With the way they’re biting, you’ve got to capitalize early,” Zaldain said. “I had some big bites early today and didn’t catch any of them. I missed a bite on a swimbait when the fish just crushed it, and then I broke one off.

“You have to put fish in the boat in that situation.”

Like Gustafson, Zaldain is fishing offshore structure with a variety of baits, including the big swimbaits he’s known for using.

“I think these big bass roam, they’re nomadic,” he said. “There’s 400 feet of water out in the middle of this place, and it’s nothing for a 5- or 6-pound largemouth to live in 35 feet of water — just like they do during the wintertime here.

“Where they go after the morning bite, I have no clue. I think they just hang out in the lake with the lake trout.”

Tennessee pro David Mullins, who caught 22-1 on Day 1, added 23-13 Friday and is now in third place with 45-14. Mullins said he’s fishing “mid-range” depths and has been lucky enough to have several spots to himself.

“Not only have I been fishing by myself, but I’ve got several places from practice I haven’t even tried yet, and I haven’t seen anybody on those spots either,” he said. “It may be that there’s no fish there, but they were there in practice.

“It’s nice to have that in reserve.”

Alabama pro Scott Canterbury had yet another solid day, bringing in 22-4 to move into fourth place with 45-2. With that showing, he maintained his stranglehold on the lead for Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year.

Canterbury’s total of 686 puts him 24 points ahead of second-place angler Drew Cook, a rookie from Florida.

“It’s just been a dream week for me,” said Canterbury, who was obviously emotional over the prospect of winning the AOY title. “The last two weeks have been that way.

“There’s so much fishing left to do. But winning Angler of the year … that would just be a dream come true.”

Cook caught 21-10 Thursday and jumped from 20th place in the tournament to seventh. He maintained his lead in the race for DICK’S Sporting Goods Rookie of the Year.

Louisiana’s Derek Hudnall still holds the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the week with an 8-1 largemouth.

The tournament resumes Saturday, with the Top 35 remaining pros taking off at 6:30 a.m. ET from Frontenac Park. The weigh-in will be held back at the park at 3 p.m., with only the Top 10 advancing to Championship Sunday for a chance to win the $100,000 first-place prize.

Categories
Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

BIRGE CONTINUES ONSAUGHT, ROSE ROLLS AT REDCRESRT ON UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER ELIMINATION ROUND

LA CROSSE, Wis. (Aug. 22, 2019) – Another day on the Upper Mississippi River is in the books at the 2019 REDCREST Presented by Venmo, the Major League Fishing® (MLF) Bass Pro Tour championship. The fish continued to bite, and the field is set for the two Knockout Rounds to be held Friday and Saturday.

This week is a case of anglers either catching them or not, with nothing in between: The gap between 20th and 21st place was over 11 pounds. There were few changes in the standings as 19 of the Top 20 from yesterday’s Shotgun Round have advanced.

Only one angler was able to make a move up, and the bottom 10 anglers could not do enough to keep pace. Mark Rose is in, and Wesley Strader is out. Those are the only two changes from the day.

Rose was the star of the day as he moved up 18 places, and Birge continued to roll as he and several other top anglers cruised through the day. In total, the field caught over 943 pounds of bass, which was down from yesterday with some of the field in practice mode for the Knockout Rounds.

Birge Reaches 117 pounds
With a massive lead going into today, Birge had a stress-free day until getting his boat stuck late in the day.

“Today was pretty good until I got stuck,” Birge said. “I went to one of the places I got bit yesterday and in practice, caught six in a row and left. I just bounced around the rest of the day. I caught plenty in the morning, but they weren’t biting real good this afternoon.”

He caught 19 fish for 35-2 and pushed his weight total well past the 100-pound mark. No other angler was able to reach triple digits, but several came close.

During Period 3, Birge got stuck in shallow water and was not able to free it before time expired. He will occur a 15-minute penalty that starts as “Lines In” is called during tomorrow’s Knockout Round.

Rose’s Birthday Present to Himself
Today is Mark Rose’s birthday, and he celebrated all day. Rose started the day at a furious pace and continued to catch bass throughout the day. When it was all said and done, he had found 44 bass for 67-8. His great day pushed him from 22nd to 4th place.

“I had some ground to make up and went to the same place as yesterday and fished the same way,” Rose said. “There were more baitfish in there, and the bass were much more active. To be honest, I think the Good Lord blessed me on my birthday.”

Based on the seeding for the Knockout Rounds, Rose will have tomorrow off and will have to wait to see if his fish are still there on Saturday.

“It was a special day today, and if they turn on Saturday like they did today, I will have a chance. If not, I do have some backup areas, but will be scratching and clawing to survive,” said Rose.

Strader Falls Out
The lone angler to fall out of the Top 20 was Wesley Strader. He started the day in 20th and remained at or near 21st for the entire day. He tallied 16 bass for 26-5, a respectable total for the day, but was the victim of Rose’s meteoric rise today.

Elimination Line Watch
Casey Ashley finished the day in 20th and was an astonishing 11-11 above 21st place Wesley Strader.

Aside from Strader, the following anglers were eliminated from contention: Dustin Connell, Andy Montgomery, Cody Meyer, Ott DeFoe, Jordan Lee, Bradley Roy, Aaron Martens, Jared Lintner, and Bobby Lane.
Daily Winners
Shotgun Round daily awards
  • The Berkley Big Bass of the day was Jacob Wheeler’s 4-0 smallmouth.
  • Mark Rose won the Berkley Catch Count award with 44 bass on the day.
  • Rose’s 67-8 earned him the Phoenix Boats Daily Leader award.
Looking Ahead
The Top 20 anglers have advanced to the Knockout Rounds. Weights will be zeroed and the field split, with 10 MLF pros competing on Friday, Aug. 23, and 10 more on Saturday, Aug. 24. The Top 5 from each of these round will advance to Sunday’s Championship Round, where weights will again start over, and the playing field switched to Pool 7.

How, When, Where to Watch
Competition continues on Friday at 7 a.m. CDT, with live, official scoring available via SCORETRACKER® on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MLF app.

MLF NOW! Live Stream Schedule (Times CDT)
  • Friday, Aug. 23: 6:55 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Saturday, Aug. 24: 6:55 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Postgame Show at approximately 4 p.m.
  • Sunday, Aug. 25: 6:55 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Postgame Show at approximately 4 p.m.
How to Attend
Fans are invited to the Onalaska Omni Center for the MLF Midway and Postgame Show Presented by Berkley
  • REDCREST Midway: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 23-25; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Postgame Show Presented by Berkley: Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 24-25; approximately 4 p.m.
Categories
BASSMASTER Elite Series/Opens

AFTER BIZARRE START, ZALDAIN TAKES DAY 1 LEAD ST BASSMASTER ELITE SERIES EVENT ON CAYUGA LAKE

UNION SPRINGS, N.Y. —

Chris Zaldain’s day couldn’t have started much worse.

Or ended much better.

The California native who now lives in Fort Worth, Texas, woke up Thursday to find that several of his best rod-and-reels had been stolen during the night.

But with what he had left, he went out and caught five bass that weighed 24 pounds, 5 ounces to take the first-round lead at the SiteOne Bassmaster Elite at Cayuga Lake. His catch was 10 ounces better than that of second-place angler Jeff Gustafson (23-11) and one of 14 bags of the day that weighed at least 20 pounds.

“I opened up my rod box and my whole top layer — my starting lineup of Megabass rods and Shimano reels, $1,000 combos — were just gone,” Zaldain said. “It started out really bad. But I decided to salvage what I had, re-tie a few things and just stick to what I knew.”

As is often the case during the early rounds of an Elite event, Zaldain was tight-lipped about how he caught his fish. He said he only used two or three baits most of the day, but wasn’t specific about what they were.

It helped him, he added, that the situation took place on a fishery where the bass are often very cooperative once you locate them.

“Just like any northern fishery, when you find the bass here, they will bite,” he said. “I will say they’re not as easy to find as they were when we were here in 2016. I’m not finding huge groups of fish where you catch one every cast.

“You’ve got to work every spot, see what’s there and mine everything out of it.”

Despite not finding giant schools of bass, Zaldain was hopeful about his chances of repeating his success Friday.

“This place is unique in that your spots replenish,” he said. “I learned that the last time I was here. There are so many bass in Cayuga that it’s not even funny — and when they pull up to some of your waypoints, it happens fast.

“The average fish on this place reminds me of Clear Lake back in California — just fatties that weigh about 3 3/4 pounds.”

Zaldain’s excellent day was just enough to put him ahead of Gustafson, who came close to leading an Elite Series event on Day 1 for the second time this year. The Canadian newcomer led the first round on Georgia’s Lake Lanier — the second event of the season — only to struggle on Day 2 and finish 48th.

Gustafson, who is making his first trip to Cayuga, said he was surprised by the size of his catch, judging from what he caught in practice.

“I was hoping to catch 19 or 20 pounds today,” he said. “I wasn’t really expecting to catch the quality of fish that I did. I don’t really have a lot of spots — and the ones I do have, I’m having to lean on pretty hard.”

Gustafson grew up fishing deep water in Canada, and he said the offshore bite on Cayuga has been relatable to what he’s used to at home.

“This time of year and into the fall, we’re fishing deep water back home,” he said. “The same thing is kind of happening here — at least for me.

“I know guys are fishing grass and fishing shallow, too. That’s what’s really cool about this place. You can kind of do what you want to.”

Alabama angler Scott Canterbury continued his impressive run of consistency by catching a five-bass limit of 22-14 that landed him in third place.

It also helped him maintain his lead in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year race. He now has 687 total points, with Zaldain following in second with 655.

“Today was an unbelievable day on the water,” Canterbury said. “We blasted them today — and I had no idea I was going to catch them like that. It was a lot of fun.”

After finishing third last week at the St. Lawrence River, Canterbury now has three Top 10s this season and has finished lower than 22nd in only one event.

For maybe the first time all year, he admitted Thursday that thoughts of the AOY title are starting to creep into his head.

“There’s still a lot of fishing left,” he said. “But you know, you are starting to think about it a little bit. I just want to keep fishing — and fish to win.”

Florida pro Drew Cook caught 19-2 Thursday and finished in 20th place, but he maintained his lead in the race for DICK’S Sporting Goods Rookie of the Year. Another rookie, Louisiana’s Derek Hudnall, took the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the week with an 8-1 giant.

The tournament resumes Friday with takeoff at 6:30 a.m. ET from Frontenac Park and the weigh-in back at the park at 3 p.m. After Friday, only the Top 35 remaining anglers will advance to Saturday’s semifinal round.

Categories
Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

TOP 30 PRO ANGLERS COMPETE IN LA CROSSE, WISCONSIN, AUGUST 21-25 FOR TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

LA CROSSE, WIS. (Aug. 20, 2019) – REDCREST presented by Venmo, the Major League Fishing® (MLF) Bass Pro Tour championship, launches Wednesday, Aug. 21 in La Crosse featuring a field of the top 30 professional anglers based on points earned across the league’s eight-event Bass Pro Tour.

Major League Fishing features a fast-paced competition format in which all fish over 1 pound count and day-end weight totals whittle the field over four days until the final 10 compete for a total purse exceeding $700,000 in cash, as well as the final trophy of the year. As with each stage of the Bass Pro Tour, fans can catch live, continuous action online at majorleaguefishing.com or on the MLF app.

REDCREST takes place in Pools 7 and 8 of the Upper Mississippi River over the five-day event. All 30 anglers compete on days one and two, with the top 20 based on their two-day cumulative weight total advancing to the Knockout Rounds on Friday (day three) and Saturday (day four), in which 10 anglers compete each day. The top five from each group of the Knockout Rounds advance to the Championship Round on Sunday, Aug. 25.

The 30 REDCREST competitors, in order of points earned on the Bass Pro Tour, include: 2019 Points Champion Edwin Evers (510 points), Jeff Sprague (500), Brent Ehrler (491), Jacob Wheeler (488), Michael Neal (470), Todd Faircloth (468), Jordan Lee (460), Dustin Connell (445), Bobby Lane (437), Mark Rose (431), Andy Morgan (428), Mike Iaconelli (417), Casey Ashley (414), Aaron Martens (413), Andy Montgomery (413), Ott DeFoe (406), Wesley Strader (406), Jared Lintner (406), Greg Hackney (406), Fred Roumbanis (405), Bradley Roy (402), Stephen Browning (399), Jacob Powroznik (390), Zack Birge (385), Takahiro Omori (376), Greg Vinson (374), Brandon Palaniuk (371), Mark Daniels, Jr. (369), Cody Meyer (365) and Randall Tharp (361).

Jeff Sprague easily qualified for REDCREST after finishing second in the Race for the Points Championship behind Edwin Evers. The battle for the top spot came down to the final Stage of the season before Evers went home with the crown. After taking a couple of days to shake off the second-place finish, Sprague set his sights on going after a REDCREST title.

“I’m ready to get back in the saddle,” Sprague said. “I had a mediocre event in Stage Eight. It wasn’t a bad event, but it just so happened it was the event I really needed to do well at, but it didn’t work out. I’m ready to get back in the boat and to get the juices going again. After Stage Eight, I came straight home to Texas and took my son fishing and remembered that fishing is fun. I want to go out there and have some fun.”

Jordan Lee rode his Stage One championship all the way to the seventh-place spot in the points standings. While Lee spent his regular season trying to capture another Stage championship, he always had the thought of what the postseason could bring in the back of his mind.

“Throughout the year it’s always on your mind that you want to make it to the championship,” Lee described. “You don’t want to be sitting at home when the big one is around. I’m excited to get there because La Crosse is a great venue and I’m looking forward to having a chance to be the first winner of the REDCREST.”

MLF Executive Vice President and General Manager Don Rucks provided the origin of the REDCREST name, explaining that the prominent red MLF logo itself is a symbolic crest meant to represent the League’s family atmosphere among the anglers, sponsors, fans and host communities.

“A crest is also the highest point of a mountain, therefore REDCREST is our pinnacle of achievement – the peak of proficiency,” relayed Rucks. “Every MLF angler wants to be the best of the best, and all want the right to prove it by first earning an entry into REDCREST, and then winning the event.”

About the MLF Midway
Along with the competition days, REDCREST will include the MLF Midway, a free expo featuring the MLF NOW! live stage, autograph sessions with Major League Fishing pro anglers, and the chance to win prizes and test gear from the Bass Pro Tour sponsors, Friday to Sunday, Aug. 23-25. All activities, including interaction with the pros, are free and open to the public.

The MLF Midway is located at the Onalaska Omni Center (255 Riders Club Road, Onalaska, Wisconsin) and open Friday, Aug. 23 through Sunday, Aug. 25, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST. Sponsors present include: Venmo, Bass Pro Shops, Pure Fishing, General Tire, White River Marine Group, and Pure Fishing, to name a few, featuring over $25,000 in prizes and giveaways throughout the weekend. Fans can test ride boats and motors driven by MLF pros from Mercury Marine, Evinrude, Phoenix, and Bass Cat. Families can also learn about the importance of protecting fisheries through interactive exhibits from the Major League Fishing Conservation Team.

In addition to the anglers competing in REDCREST, fans can meet Major League Fishing pro anglers: Kevin VanDam, Skeet Reese, Josh Bertrand, Brent Chapman, Jason Christie, Cliff Crochet, Boyd Duckett, James Elam, Paul Elias, Shaw Grigsby, Roy Hawk, Randy Howell, Alton Jones, Alton Jones Jr., Kelly Jordon, Gary Klein, Jason Lambert, Chris Lane, Justin Lucas, Mike McClelland, John Murray, Britt Myers, Keith Poche, Marty Robinson, Dean Rojas, Terry Scroggins, Gerald Spohrer, Jonathon VanDam, James Watson and Russ Lane.

About the Postgame Show
Fans can also catch the Berkley Postgame Show live from the MLF NOW! stage at the MLF Midway on Thursday, Aug. 22, Saturday, Aug. 24, and Sunday, Aug. 25 beginning at approximately 4 p.m. CST. Postgame shows are free and open to the public, featuring competitors from that round, as well as prizes and giveaways from MLF.

About the Location
Major League Fishing chose La Crosse, Wisconsin, as the site of its inaugural REDCREST for the bass-rich waters of the Upper Mississippi, as well as the outdoor-centric lifestyle among its residents. “The entire La Crosse region overflows with fans who love the outdoors,” remarked Michael Mulone, Senior Director, Events for Major League Fishing. “It’s only fitting that the (Bass Pro Tour) championship happens where fishing is woven into the fabric of the community. Explore La Crosse and Onalaska Parks have done an exceptional job of welcoming our anglers, sponsors, and fans to their beautiful region.”

For more information on REDCREST and all MLF news, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

About Major League Fishing
Founded in 2011, Major League Fishing (MLF) brings the high-intensity sport of competitive bass fishing into America’s living rooms on Outdoor Channel, Discovery, CBS, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, Sportsman Channel and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). New for 2019, the Bass Pro Tour consists of eight events and a championship streamed live on www.MajorLeagueFishing.com and MOTV. MLF uses the entertaining and conservation-friendly catch, weigh and immediate-release format where every scorable bass counts and the winner is the angler with the highest cumulative weight.

For more information on the league and anglers, visit www.majorleaguefishing.com and follow MLF on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

For more in-depth coverage, see Game & Fish magazine, the official publication of MLF.
Categories
MLF BIG-5

VIRGINIA’ LANGFORD WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE TOURNAMENT ON POTOMAC RIVER

August 19, 2019 by FLW Communications

MARBURY, Md. – Boater Todd Langford of Great Falls, Virginia, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Shenandoah Division tournament on the Potomac River Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 2 ounces. Langford took home $2,600 for his efforts.

Langford said he fished mid-river, in Occoquan Bay. He caught them out of heavy grass mats using a Texas-rigged green-pumpkin-colored Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver, paired with a 1¾-ounce weight.

“I really fished one area where you could get bit on– the river is fishing tough right now,” said Langford, who notched his first career win in FLW competition. “The area was probably 500 yards, but had key spots within the stretch. There was some moving water in those spots and the high tide helped.”

Langford’s bait was rigged on a straight shank hook via snell knot, tied to 65-pound-test PowerPro Super Slick braided line on a 7-foot, 11-inch Halo Twilite Series heavy–action flipping rod.

“I caught 7 or 8 keepers during the tournament,” said Langford. “They bit best when the water was moving – at the end of the incoming tide and the beginning of the outgoing tide.”

Langford went on to say that he caught a key fish in the very back of a creek during low tide around 1:30 p.m. using a white 3/8-ounce Z-Man Evergreen ChatterBait Jack Hammer with a white Reaction Innovations Skinny Dipper trailer.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st: Todd Langford, Great Falls, Va., five bass, 15-2, $2,600

2nd: Thomas Svec, Chesapeake, Va., five bass, 14-1, $1,440

3rd: Greg Lahr, Fayetteville, N.C., five bass, 13-8, $900

4th: Ronnie Baker, Providence Forge, Va., five bass, 11-0, $810

5th: Troy Morrow, Eastanollee, Ga., five bass, 10-5, $460

5th: Jim Jarvis, Timberville, Va., three bass, 10-5, $460

7th: Brian Mullaney, New Market, Md., five bass, 10-4, $400

8th: Kermit Crowder, Matoaca, Va., five bass, 10-0, $510

9th: Dennis Middleton, Madison Heights, Va., five bass, 9-15, $320

10th: Travis Lugar, McGaheysville, Va., five bass, 9-12

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Svec caught a bass weighing 6 pounds, 3 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $240.

Shawn Huwar of Fredericksburg, Virginia, won the Co-angler Division and $1,320 Saturday after catching four bass weighing 11 pounds, 6 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1st: Shawn Huwar, Fredericksburg, Va., four bass, 11-6, $1,320

2nd: Costas Melendez, Shenandoah, Va., four bass, 8-15, $600

3rd: Michael Taylor, Providence Forge, Va., five bass, 8-10, $600

4th: Jeff Mellott, Warfordsburg, Pa., five bass, 7-10, $280

5th: Keith Allen, Sumerduck, Va., five bass, 7-6, $240

6th: John Poos, Manassas, Va., four bass, 7-5, $420

7th: Hayward Thaxton III, Emmitsburg, Md., three bass, 6-14, $200

8th: Barker Plake, Hodges, S.C., three bass, 6-4, $180

9th: John Castro, Lorton, Va., three bass, 6-1, $160

10th: Timothy Patch, Lorton, Va., two bass, 5-14

Huwar also caught the heaviest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 10 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $120.

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. 10-12 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Hartwell in Seneca, South Carolina, presented by Navionics. 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.

Categories
MLF BIG-5

WISCONSIN’S POLLAK WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE TOURNAMENT ON MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT PRAIRIE DU CHIEN

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.

Categories
MLF BIG-5

OHIO’S MILLS WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE TOURNAMENT ON OHIO RIVER AT TANNERS CREEK

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.

Categories
BASSMASTER Elite Series/Opens

MICAH FRAZIER CATAPULTS TO VICTORY AT ST. LAWRENCE WITH MASSIVE FINAL-DAY LIMIT

WADDINGTON, N.Y. —

The great smallmouth battle of 2019, also known as the Berkley Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River presented by Black Velvet, came down to a rookie Canadian pro who has spent his life plying the pristine waters of the storied fishery and a young Georgia pro who is experiencing a breakout season.

Chris Johnston of Peterborough, Canada, was the favorite leading up to this event because of his history on the St. Lawrence. Micah Frazier of Newnan, Ga., wasn’t on the radar of anglers who may finish in the top half of the field. As the scales settled in Waddington, N.Y., these two prolific pros held their breath alongside thousands of fans waiting to see which of these anglers would wear the crown.

And by just 14 ounces, Frazier toppled the overwhelming favorite. The Georgia pro’s massive 25-pound, 9-ounce limit on Day 4 vaulted him from 10th place to Elite Series champion, completing a four-day total of 87-4. “I had no idea I had that much weight,” Frazier admitted. “I’m terrible at judging smallmouth. Still, I felt like I had an outside shot at winning as long as the leaders didn’t crush them.”

Frazier caught bass all day long. His culls were countless, and the big fish kept on biting his bait. That bait, the only one he used all four days of the event, was a prototype Yum Ned Dinger fished on 1/4- or 1/8-ounce mushroom jigheads. “I don’t think the bait is out yet, but it mimics a goby better than anything I’ve seen. It has a hollow section in the tail that makes it stand up and it bubbles a little when you shake it.” Frazier’s pattern was simple. The Georgia pro focused on areas 18 to 40 feet deep, keeping his line perfectly vertical under the boat while drifting with the current. “I’d seen some light sand spots and there were a lot of mussels and shells there,” he said.

Frazier’ win puts an exclamation mark on a breakout season. The soft-spoken pro has been fishing the Elite Series since 2016, but this year has captured two third-place finishes (Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest on Lake Fork and the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Hartwell) along with the win on the St. Lawrence.

“This year has been so special. The atmosphere on the Elite Series now is just incredible. All the guys are positive and I have never had so much fun fishing as I have had this year. B.A.S.S. and Bassmaster fans are just awesome.”

Johnston, who led the first three days of the event and the hands-down favorite to win, struggled most of the day, but landed two key fish in the last 30 minutes to put him back in contention. “My main area ran out of big fish. I knew I was going to have to grind today,” the Canadian pro said.

His grinding produced a solid 20-pound, 1-ounce limit. But, it fell just slightly short of overcoming the final-day heroics of Frazier. Johnston finished in second place with 86-6. “It’s tough, you know. I had an entire country cheering for me this week. It’s been surreal. I wanted it for all these awesome fans more than anything and I left it all out there.”

Johnston sight-fished for the majority of his weight over the past four days. He was fishing a shallow flat that featured rock veins and grass. “I threw a handmade hair jig a lot, and caught some on it. But mainly, I’d see fish follow it and then throw back with a Senko or tube to catch them.”

Alabama pro Scott Canterbury was hoping to survive the northern swing of the Elite Series, and ended up exceeding that expectation after he weighed in 21-5 on the final day for a four-day total of 84-8 and the third-place spot.

“I am so blessed to have had such an incredible week,” the veteran pro admits. “I have never fished this body of water before and came here not really knowing what to expect. So, I identified a few areas with some bigger-than-average bass and just slowed way down and fished. I just went fishing.”

His fishing focused on water down to 45 feet, drifting a Berkley Flat Worm on a drop-shot rig around rocky seams. “I’d be dragging the bait with the current, feel my weight hit some rocks, and typically that’s where the bigger fish would bite.”

Canterbury’s third-place showing at the St. Lawrence puts him in first place in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year race with only three events remaining. He was awarded $1,000 for taking the lead. Indiana’s Bill Lowen moved up to second place in the AOY race with an 11th-place effort, and Florida’s Drew Cook slid to third.

The Phoenix Boats Big Bass award and $1,500 went to Steve Kennedy for the 6-2 giant he landed on Day 1. Canterbury earned $3,000 in Toyota Bonus Bucks for being the highest placing angler to drive a Toyota, while Keith Combs earned an extra $2,000 for being the second highest-placing pro to drive a Toyota.

Categories
MLF BIG-5

POTOMAC RIVER SET FOR COSTA FLW SERIES TOURNAMENT PRESENTED BY LOWRANCE

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.

Categories
BASSMASTER Elite Series/Opens Uncategorized

CHRIS JOHNSTON SMASHES ST. LAWRENCE SMALLMOUTH FOR DAY 1 LEAD

WADDINGTON, N.Y. —

Expectations for the 2019 Berkley Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River presented by Black Velvet were slightly muted going into Day 1. After all, last year’s event on this storied fishery was dubbed as the best smallmouth tournament in the history of man, and practice for most of the Elite Series pros this time around was tough. There was no way, according to reports from the competitors, that this year’s event could match the statistics from the previous year. However, Chris Johnston proved that The No. 1 fishery in the nation according to Bassmaster Magazine’s 100 Best Bass Lakes rankings was still top of the class. The Canadian pro boated 24-7, including a 5-13 behemoth, to take the Day 1 lead.

“My day started pretty rough,” Johnston admitted. “I lost the first three fish I hooked, two 4s and a 5. I thought ‘oh, no, it’s going to be one of those days.’ But then, I landed a couple of good ones, and then caught one that nearly weighed 6 pounds. So, I’m really happy with how much weight I ended up with today.” Johnston is a little worried about whether or not he will be able to reproduce the massive limit over the next three days of the event. “I only have one really good spot, and I’m sharing it with another angler. So, I don’t know if it will hold up.”

Right on the heels of Johnston is Alabama pro Scott Canterbury, who boated 23-8. Unlike the Canadian pro, who has spent countless hours fishing the St. Lawrence River, Canterbury is fishing the New York waters for the very first time. “A lot of my practice was spent driving around, trying to learn the landscape of this fishery. I started to figure a few things out, and a lot of what doesn’t work here, and finally pieced together a game plan that would help me survive this tournament. My weight today is a blessing, I just hope I can reproduce it tomorrow.”

Veteran Elite Series pro Steve Kennedy weighed in 23-7 to take the third-place position, which included the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the day, a 6-2 monster smallmouth. “I am doing something a lot different than most of the field,” the Alabama pro admitted. “I hand painted a big glide bait to look like a perch. I am using it as a search bait for individual fish. They follow the glide bait and show themselves, then I throw a follow-up lure to catch them.” Like the other top anglers, Kennedy is not sure if there are enough big fish in his area to bring another massive limit to the scales. “I have seen a lot of 4 pounders, but those 5- and 6-pound fish are rare where I am. I’m hoping more bass move into the area, otherwise I’ll have to go to Plan B.”

As for the expectations leading into this episode of the St. Lawrence Smallmouthfest, they were certainly exceeded. There were 35 limits exceeding 19 pounds, 26 of which topped the 20-pound mark and five eclipsed 23 pounds.