Category: BASSMASTER Elite Series/Opens

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.

LA CROSSE, Wis. —

The Mississippi River delivered two surprises to Devin Teigen, who won the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open with a three-day total weight of 43 pounds, 3 ounces. The most significant delivery was the opportunity for the Nelson, Wis., angler to hold a first-place trophy in the first B.A.S.S. event he ever fished.

“It feels like a dream; can somebody pinch me?” Teigen said. “I never saw this coming.”

En route to claiming the win, Teigen had to reckon with changing river conditions that required a new game plan. After several weeks of high water, the Mississippi lost about 3 1/2 feet since the weekend prior to the tournament. This repositioned fish and shook up several of the patterns that had been working in the higher conditions.

“A week and a half ago, I felt pretty good with smallmouth stuff — until I saw the forecast for the river dropping,” he said. “The first day, I was going to run it and see what happened and I literally caught five smallmouth before 7:30. Luckily, four were good ones.”

Day 2, the river proved less generous and, with no fish in his livewell at 11 o’clock, Teigen shifted gears to a largemouth pattern — throwing frogs into shallow vegetation. Quickly securing three keepers in Pool 7, he returned to Pool 8 and finished his limit.

“I ran that pattern today and caught 15 keepers,” Teigen said. “They were all good quality fish. I only weighed one fish because the first four that I flipped into the boat, I thought they were all over 3 pounds.”

Teigen caught his winning fish on a Spro Bronzeye frog. He threw frogs with white, yellow and darker bellies, with the lighter baits producing most of his bites. Teigen fished a 7-6 heavy rod with braided line.

Teigen placed ninth on Day 1 with 13-15 and held that same spot a day later by adding 12-7. Adding 16-13 — the tournament’s heaviest bag — on Day 3 sealed the deal. Admittedly, a big loss earlier in the day had Teigen concerned he may have seen his opportunity wither.

“I started the day with three frog rods on my deck and after two hours, I had one left,” he said. “I messed up the reel on one and with the second one, I threw into a little pocket in the duck weed, the fish boiled on it one time and I could see it was a good one, so I threw back in there.

“He smoked the frog and when I gave it to him, my rod blew up in three places. It broke right at the reel seat, so I had no way to fight the fish. I tried pulling it in with my hand and it came off.”

Fortunately, Teigen amassed enough weight to secure the victory and a $39,600 prize by an 11-ounce margin.

Mike Brueggen of La Crosse, Wis., finished second with 42-8. He placed 15th on Day 1 with a limit of 13-9 and rose to fourth the next day by adding 14-15. Capping his performance with 14 pounds pushed him up two more spots.

Brueggen caught his bass on a 1/4-ounce white swim jig with a boot-tail trailer and a variety of topwater frogs. The week’s changing conditions pulled the fish out of more accessible areas, but Brueggen said he still had to mind his stealth.

“I had to stay away, cast far and get them to react to the moving bait,” he said. “I spooled the reel every time. Speed was key, but it’s hard not to tight-line them when they bite, so it was kind of a fine line.”

After leading for two days, Wes Logan of Springville, Ala., finished third with 42-4. After catching his fish on a 5/8-ounce Dirty Jigs Scott Canterbury Flipping Jig, Logan switched to a frog today when he realized his big-fish bait was unproductive.

“When I got bit today, it was a 2-pounder instead of a 3- or 4-pounder like the last two days,” he said. “I knew I probably couldn’t win the tournament on a frog, but I had to make sure I didn’t fall on my face. I thought I could catch some 2-pounders and I finally caught five.”

Kenta Kimura of Osaka, Japan, won the Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with a 5-8.

Fernando, Lobato of Sparta, Wis., won the co-angler division with 20-8. His daily weights of 7-1, 6-11 and 6-12 earned him a $19,800 first prize.

“I think the key was that I practiced for this tournament by watching were I saw the pros practicing,” Lobato said. “I would go fish right behind them and try to figure out how to get bites behind them.

“I found a couple of baits that would get those extra bites. I fished a Zoom Speed Craw on the back of a 1/4-ounce swim jig and on a Carolina rig. I think that smaller profile was key.”

Thaddaeus Vettrus of Chippewa Falls, Wis., won the Phoenix Boats Big Bass lead among co-anglers with a 4-4.

The event was hosted by Explorelacrosse.com

LA CROSSE, Wis. —

Wes Logan of Springville, Ala., found a falling Mississippi River presenting a very different scenario than he saw in practice. But adjusting to the conditions allowed him to catch a five-bass limit of 16 pounds, 10 ounces to lead Day 1 of the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open.

“I was just blessed today; I wasn’t on anything, but I’d get a bite and it would be a 3-pounder,” he said.

With the river dropping significantly since the weekend, Logan said he struggled to find consistency. Doing so required him to leverage the flow — without much company.

“I got here on Saturday and started practicing, and I think it’s dropped 3 1/2 feet since Saturday,” he said. “Obviously, it’s the Mississippi River, so you catch them on a frog, but most of those places are dry ground now.

“This really screwed up my plan from practice, so I just went on a whim. I think I figured something out, but I think it’s more that I got into an area without a lot of boat pressure. When the water fell, there are only so many places they’re going to get on and those places are getting pounded.”

Logan said he’s looking for the hardest current he can find. Moving water always bodes well for bass anglers, but the extremely swift areas, he said, delivered the biggest bites.

“I only had seven bites, but it seems to me that you got better quality bites,” Logan said. “Tomorrow, I could get two or three bites. But if I get one, I think it will be a better-quality fish.”

Efficiency and proper presentation can be challenging when fishing heavy current, but Logan made sure he was properly prepared for a day of water resistance.

“The key is a good trolling motor battery,” he said. “I took an extra one for my Minn Kota Ultrex and switched it over about 1 o’clock. At home on the Coosa River, sometimes you can drift with it, but here it’s way too hard to float with it because you’re flying too fast.

“You have to go against it and most people’s batteries have been done by 11-12 o’clock, and then you’re dead in the water.”

Logan said he caught fish on reaction baits and plastics. Neither option outperformed the other, but Logan noted that he determined a color preference.

“If the bait just happens to flow in front of a fish’s face, he’ll bite it,” he said. “I fished five places and got one of my keepers per spot.”

Kenta Kimura of Livingston, Texas, is in second place with 15-1. He said he started out fishing the same types of banks most of the field is targeting. But his day came together quickly once he figured out a key adjustment.

“About 10 o’clock, I moved a little farther off the bank,” Kimura said. “I think because the water level dropped, the bigger ones moved offshore. I know what I have to do tomorrow.”

Kimura said he caught his fish on a mix of swimbaits, Texas-rigged worms and a 3/8-ounce jig with a chunk trailer.

Kazuki Kitajama of Orlando, Fla., is in third place with 14-15. He said he dealt with the changing water level by staying in Pool 8 and picking apart the area he knew.

“I caught my fish on a frog over grass in an area with a little bit of current,” he said. “I caught fish all day; I got about 10 keepers.”

Kimura is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with a 5-8.

Howard Lee of Brooklyn Park, Minn., leads the co-angler division with 9-12. He caught all of his fish on the hand-tied swim jigs he makes. Lee used a variety of trailers and fished banks with grass.

“When we got into areas of current, smallies will sit in or near that current,” he said. “Slow, lift, slow was the best retrieve.”

Thaddaeus Vettrus of Chippewa Falls, Wis., holds the Phoenix Boats Big Bass lead among co-anglers with a 4-4.

Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6 a.m. CT at Veterans Freedom Park. The weigh-in will be held at the park at 2 p.m.

The event is hosted by Explorelacrosse.com.

RICHMOND, Va. —

Mike Iaconelli knew his fate depended on low water, so the Pitts Grove, N.J., pro made a key decision during Saturday’s final round of the Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open on the James River.

After placing sixth in Thursday’s opening round with 15 pounds, 2 ounces, Iaconelli repeated that weight Friday and took the lead with 30-4. Then Saturday, for the third day in a row — while much of the field ran far downriver to the James River tributary, the Chickahominy River — Iaconelli stayed closer to the main river take-off site so he could take advantage of the morning tide schedule.

That decision led to a five-bass limit that weighed 13-12 and pushed him to victory with a three-day weight of 44 pounds.

The tournament started with a small window of morning low water, with another window on the afternoon change. But with tides advancing an hour each day, the final round saw tournament hours overlapping only the morning low.

“The low water was the key,” said Iaconelli, who earned $39,000 for his first B.A.S.S. victory since 2014. “I didn’t mind if it was incoming or outgoing, but lower water stages were the key.”

Iaconelli fished what he called a “trout stream pattern,” which basically meant he pushed as far back as most anglers will push — and then kept pushing. Depths were sketchy, but referencing similar scenarios he fishes on his Delaware River home waters, Iaconelli knew he would find two important benefits: The creek’s lowest water and largely unmolested fish.

Rotating among six creeks, Iaconelli focused on areas with hard cover adjacent to pads. He caught some of his fish on a 1/2-ounce black/blue Missile Baits Mini Flip jig with a black Berkley Power Bait chunk trailer (flippin blue color) and a 1/2-ounce Molix Lover vibrating jig with a Berkley Power Bait Chigger Craw trailer.

“Today, the fishing got tough and the fish got on the ends of the cover even more,” he said. “I caught almost everything I weighed today on a Rapala DT-6 in a color called Old School.”

Noting that his decision to stay close and chase the optimal tide stage was a calculation based on several years of tidal water fishing, Iaconelli said he caught all of his weight by 11 a.m. That left a lot of time without culling and he left the water unsure if he had done enough.

“On this river, you usually have to be consistent, which means 15 to 17 pounds a day,” he said. “The entire time, until five minutes before the weigh-ins, I had no idea I might win this. I didn’t have that kicker today.

“This win means as much to me as my first club tournament win, because I’ve come close so many times. This is the sixth B.A.S.S. event on the James River, and I believe this is my fourth Top 12. I always had one bad day to keep me from winning. Today, it was enough to win.”

Whitney Stephens of Waverly, Ohio, finished second with 41-15. Making a big improvement from 11th place, Stephens said the second half of his day delivered all of his weight fish.

“Every day this week, I could have slept in the first four hours,” he said. “At 12:24, I had no fish. At 1:03, I had the bag I weighed.”

Stephens fished the Chickahominy and caught his fish on a drop-shot rig with a 6-inch Reaction Innovations Trixter worm in the Muscatine color and a Neko-rigged Zoom Trick. Worm in green pumpkin magic.

“I would throw the Neko rig when I was fishing the current more; I’d throw directly into the current and just let the bait drift along,” he said. “The dropshot was more target-oriented for underwater objects that you couldn’t see with the naked eye.

Day 1 leader Bryan Schmitt of Deale, Md., finished third with 40-6. He spent his week in the Chickahominy and caught his fish on a 3/8-ounce swim jig with a Missile Baits Twin Turbo trailer and a wacky-rigged Missile Baits 48 worm.

“The swim jig seemed to get a big bite, but you had to get a limit and the wacky rig did it,” Schmitt said.

Timothy Lucy of Prince George, Va., won the Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 6-11 largemouth.

Jon Wiese of Charlotte, N.C., held on to his Day 2 lead and won the co-angler division with 30-5. After catching limits of 9-7 and 8-11 the first two days, Wiese closed the door with 12-3 Saturday — his biggest catch of the week.

Wiese caught most of his fish by swimming a Texas-rigged black/blue flake Zoom Finesse worm and flipping a Missile Baits Baby D-Bomb (purple/red). Varying his presentations from what his pro was doing proved an effective strategy.

Wiese dedicated his win to his mother, Mary Dell, who passed away five years ago. Her constant encouragement, Wiese said, kept him on track for the dream he realized today.

“My mother would always call me and say ‘Are you fishing?’” he emotionally recalled. “Yeah, mom — I’m fishing!”

Scott Stephenson III won he Phoenix Boats Big Bass award in the co-angler division with a largemouth that weighed 7-8.

The event was hosted by Richmond Region Tourism and Visit Henrico County.

Mike Iaconelli of Pitts Grove, N.J., leveraged low water windows to back up his Day 1 catch of 15 pounds, 2 ounces with an identical Day 2 bag for a 30-4 total that leads the Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open on the James River.

As Iaconelli explained, tidal fisheries typically deliver their best opportunities on low, outgoing tides, as the falling water positions fish in predictable locations where they utilize current breaks to ambush forage flushed from shoreline cover. “Chasing” a tide refers to fishing the preferred stage until it ends and then repositioning up or down the tidal plane to find that scenario in another location.

“It was the same thing as yesterday; the lowest outgoing water you can find is key,” Iaconelli said. “What happens is you have it here in the morning, then it goes away and then you run South and you get it there in the afternoon.

“The reason I had that bag today is because I had a late flight. Had I had to check in a 2 o’clock, I would not have had that bag. I was able to fish two completely different areas of the river and keep with the low, outgoing tide. Almost all of that bag came late.”

Iaconelli said he power fished with three different reaction baits. Essential to his success was targeting areas with hard cover and nearby grass. That gives the fish those ambush spots with plenty of forage coming out of the soft cover.

“I’m fishing areas with current flow; nothing I’m fishing has slack water,” Iaconelli said. “Everything has what I call a ‘flush’ going past it.

“It’s all reaction baits on heavy line. I’m just throwing and winding. There’s no finesse at all. It’s in and out and if they bite, they bite.”

Noting that he intends to follow the same game plan tomorrow, Iaconelli said he knows he has his work cut out for him. Tides advance about an hour each day, so tomorrow’s later window of afternoon low tide could become a critical factor.

“I’ll need a magic day tomorrow to win; I’ll need one of those 18- to 20-pound days,” he said. “It’s possible — (Day 1 leader) Bryan Schmitt did it. They’re here, I’m in the right areas to do it, I just have to get fortunate.”

Kataro Kiriyama of Guntersville, Ala., is in second place with 29-14. Improving from eighth place on Day 1, Kiriyama added 14-14 to his first-round weight of 15 pounds. The key, he said, was recognizing the opportunity delivered by changing conditions.

“I fished a similar area in the Chickahominy River, but the approach was different,” Kiriyama said. “The fish positioned differently today because the tide was one hour later and I didn’t know that until 11:30 — I had no fish until then. From there, I caught all of my fish in about an hour and a half.

“I’ve never been here before, but I have experience on the Potomac River and the Delaware River (both tidal fisheries). I figured it could be similar, so I was patiently waiting until I thought it was good and that’s when it happened.”

Precise presentations with finesse worms were the key to triggering bites from fish positioned in feeding spots.

Tommy Little of Chester, Va., is in third place with 29-11. Drawing on his three decades of James River experience, he avoided the frustration he experienced on Day 1 by adjusting the order in which he ran his spots.

“I changed my rotation up today because it took me until 11 o’clock yesterday morning before I caught my first keeper,” Little said. “I had one on my first stop this morning and then I caught my biggest fish on my second stop. I caught another big fish around 11 and then I caught fish the rest of the day.”

Little declined to mention what he used to fool his fish, but he did say that he had 10 rods on is deck and could have left nine in the locker.

Timothy Lucy of Prince George, Va., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 6-10 largemouth.

Jon Wiese of Charlotte, N.C., leads the co-angler division with 18-2. He said his day Friday included a thrilling start, a peppy conclusion and a whole lot of boredom in the middle.

“It was crazy, I literally had one bite in the first three quarters of the day, but it was the one that counted,” Wiese said of the 5-pounder that ate a wakebait. “At the end of the day, we ran up the river, I picked up a little black and blue Zoom Finesse worm on a Slider head and caught three fish in three casts.

“They were sitting in a little shaded area, the tide was going out and they were just fighting over food. It was meant to be and it happened.”

Scott Stephenson III holds the Phoenix Boats Big Bass lead among co-anglers with a 7-8 largemouth.

Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6 a.m. ET at Osborne Park & Boat Landing. The weigh-in will be held at the Bass Pro Shops in Ashland, Va. at 3 p.m.

The event is hosted by Richmond Region Tourism and Visit Henrico County.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —

Bassmaster Magazine has released the highly anticipated rankings of the best bass fisheries in the nation for 2019 and for the first time ever, New York’s St. Lawrence River earned the top spot.

Over the past seven years, this incredible smallmouth fishery has cracked the Top 10 in Bassmaster’s 100 Best Bass Lakes rankings two times. In both 2015 and 2018, the St. Lawrence (also known as the Upper St. Lawrence River) ranked eighth on the list. This year, though, the New York fishery would not be denied as the No. 1 bass fishing destination in the country. There are plenty of tournament results to back up this claim, but there is no need to look any further than the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops held June 19 through 21. In this event, a 26-pound, 6-ounce limit of smallmouth was weighed in. However, the most astounding statistic is that the average weight of the entire 149-team field was 20.3 pounds. The winning team from Sam Houston State University averaged 24-4 per day. The Carhartt Big Bass Award for that event was a 6-pound, 7-ounce giant. Suffice it to say, the St. Lawrence not only has big smallmouth swimming around the many islands dotting its waterscape, but a lot of them.

“The St. Lawrence is not only healthy right now, but seems to be showing off,” said James Hall, editor of Bassmaster Magazine. “There have been years where a spirited internal debate was required to assign the top spot in the rankings. This year was easy after looking at the unbelievable weights being produced at the Upper St. Lawrence River. And on top of that, the scenery is stunning. If you are looking for the best angling experience in the country right now, the St. Lawrence river should be your next destination.”

Hall explained the process of creating the rankings takes more than two months. State fishery agencies across the U.S. are polled and rank the fisheries in their states based on stocking efforts, catch rates and angler access. Then, B.A.S.S. Nation conservation directors add to the potential lakes list based on the thousands of tournaments they hold across the country. And finally, the data from dozens of tournament organizations, as well as big bass programs from various states, are analyzed to create the ultimate list of the Top 100 lakes. The rankings are debated by a blue-ribbon panel of fishing industry insiders. The final result of this research and debate is Bassmaster’s 100 Best Bass Lakes rankings published in the July/August issue of the magazine.

Alabama’s Lake Guntersville took the No. 2 spot after producing several 30-plus-pound limits this spring. That said, the Big G was producing so many 20-pound limits that a 4-pound average quit turning heads. Even during tough tournaments, anglers had to catch at least 24 pounds to win. This historic fishery had been down in the rankings for several years, falling out of the Top 10 in both 2016 and 2017. It climbed to No. 9 last year, and is now looking as healthy as ever.

Texas’ Sam Rayburn Reservoir slipped from No.1 last year to No. 3. Although production has slowed a little bit, this lake still produced a 40-pound limit and typically required at least 22 pounds to win a one-day event. California’s Clear Lake is in the fourth spot on the strength of the giant bass it is producing. A 16-pound largemouth was landed recently, and double-digit fish abound. Rounding out the remainder of the Top 10 lakes are Texas’ Lake Fork at fifth; Tennessee’s Chickamauga Lake at sixth; California’s New Melones Lake at seventh; Michigan’s Lake St. Clair at eighth; South Carolina’s Santee Cooper Lakes at ninth; and New York’s Lake Erie (out of Buffalo) at tenth.

The rankings identify the Top 10 lakes in the nation based on head-to-head comparisons, as well as the Top 25 lakes in four geographical regions. “We divide the nation into four regions and rank the lakes in each region to give anglers perspective on the fisheries they can most likely reach,” Hall explained.

As for bragging rights on which state has the most fisheries in the 2019 rankings, the title is shared. Both Texas and California have 10 lakes on the list. Florida has the next highest with eight lakes making the rankings.

2019 List Of Bassmaster Magazine’s 100 Best Bass Lakes       RANK FISHERY STATE Top 10

1 St. Lawrence River New York 

2 Lake Guntersville Alabama 

3 Sam Rayburn Reservoir Texas 

4 Clear Lake California 

5 Lake Fork Texas 

6 Chickamauga Lake Tennessee 

7 New Melones Lake California 

8 Lake St. Clair Michigan 

9 Santee Cooper Lakes  South Carolina 

10 Lake Erie New York

Northeast

1 St. Lawrence River New York 

2 Lake St. Clair Michigan 

3 Lake Erie New York 

4 Lake Erie Ohio 

5 Burt/Mullett lakes Michigan 

6 Lake Champlain New York/Vermont 

7 Bays de Noc Michigan 

8 Saginaw Bay Michigan 

9 Lake Charlevoix Michigan 

10 Grand Traverse Bay Michigan 

11 Potomac River West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland 

12 Oneida Lake New York 

13 Cayuga Lake New York 

14 Presque Isle Bay Pennsylvania 

15 Upper Chesapeake Bay Maryland 

16 Smith Mountain Lake Virginia 

17 Webber Pond Maine 

18 Green River Lake Kentucky 

19 Lake Cumberland Kentucky 

20 China Lake Maine 

21 Great Pond Maine 

22 Candlewood Lake Connecticut 

23 Chautauqua Lake New York 

24 Lake Winnipesaukee New Hampshire 

25 Kentucky Lake Kentucky/Tennessee

Western

1 Clear Lake California 

2 New Melones Lake California 

3 Lake Perris California 

4 Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta California 

5 Diamond Valley Lake California 

6 Don Pedro Reservoir California 

7 Lake Berryessa California 

8 Lake Coeur d’Alene Idaho 

9 Shasta Lake California 

10 Lake Havasu Arizona/California 

11 Roosevelt Lake Arizona 

12 Lower Colorado River Arizona/California 

13 Alamo Lake Arizona 

14 Potholes Reservoir Washington 

15 Lake Washington Washington 

16 Brownlee Reservoir Idaho/Oregon 

17 Sand Hollow Reservoir Utah 

18 Elephant Butte Reservoir New Mexico 

19 Lake Mohave Nevada/Arizona 

20 C.J. Strike Reservoir Idaho 

21 Siltcoos Lake Oregon 

22 Owyhee Reservoir Oregon 

23 Lake Pleasant Arizona 

24 Lake Mead Nevada/Arizona

25 Columbia River Oregon/Washington

Central

1 Sam Rayburn Reservoir Texas 

2 Lake Fork Texas 

3 Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin 

4 Toledo Bend Texas/Louisiana 

5 Mille Lacs Lake Minnesota 

6 Lake Falcon Texas 

7 Lake Conroe Texas 

8 Lake Minnentonka Minnesota 

9 Caddo Lake Texas/Louisiana 

10 Table Rock Lake Missouri 

11 Lake Lyndon B. Johnson Texas 

12 Millwood Lake Arkansas 

13 Caney Creek Reservoir Louisiana 

14 Lake Dardanelle Arkansas 

15 Lake Ray Roberts Texas 

16 Lake Texoma Texas/Oklahoma 

17 Lake Ouachita Arkansas 

18 Lake of the Ozarks Missouri 

19 Lake O’ the Pines Texas 

20 Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees Oklahoma 

21 Lake Columbia Arkansas 

22 Bull Shoals Lake Arkansas 

23 Lake Wanahoo Nebraska 

24 La Cygne Reservoir Kansas 

25 Newton Lake Illinois

Southeast

1 Lake Guntersville Alabama 

2 Chickamauga Lake Tennessee 

3 Santee Cooper Lakes  South Carolina 

4 St. Johns River Florida 

5 Lake Seminole Florida/Georgia 

6 Pickwick Lake Alabama/Mississippi/Tennessee 

7 Jordan Lake North Carolina 

8 Rodman Reservoir Florida 

9 Lake Murray South Carolina 

10 Falls Lake North Carolina 

11 Lake Tohopekaliga Florida 

12 Shearon Harris North Carolina 

13 Lake Eufalua Alabama 

14 Lake Istokpoga Florida 

15 Watts Bar Reservoir Tennessee 

16 Stick Marsh/Farm 13 Florida 

17 Lake Wateree South Carolina 

18 Lake Okeechobee Florida 

19 Wheeler Lake Alabama 

20 Cherokee Lake Tennessee 

21 Clarks Hill Lake Georgia/South Carolina 

22 Lake Jordan Alabama 

23 Fellsmere Reservoir Florida 

24 Roanoke River North Carolina 

25 Lake Lanier Georgia

June 24, 2019, SCOTTSBORO, Ala. — Photo courtesy of BASS

When Jamie Hartman burst onto the scene with the Bassmaster Elite Series in 2017, he seemed like a virtual lock to eventually hoist one of the trail’s coveted blue winner’s trophies.

He had five Top 10s that first season — including a second- and a third-place showing — prompting many to believe he could be a true superstar in professional bass fishing.

A back ailment cut Hartman’s season short in 2018 and delayed his quest for an Elite Series win.

But it couldn’t derail it.

The New York native, who now lives in Arkansas, caught five bass Monday that weighed 23 pounds, 15 ounces and claimed his first Elite Series victory with a four-day total of 79-10 at the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville.

“It’s just a godsend to be back here on the Bassmaster Elite Series,” Hartman said. “I’m just so happy to be able to do this for a living and to finally get over the hump with a win.

“I never say this — and I really don’t even know how to describe it. But I had a creepy, creepy feeling coming into this week that I was going to win.”

Having never seen Lake Guntersville before the official practice period began Tuesday, Hartman did what most anglers would likely do — he headed straight for the lake’s famous ledges and tried to find big schools of bass deep. But he struggled deep on Day 1, bringing in only 14-13 and landing in 46th place.

That’s when he finally admitted to himself that he needed to commit to a shallow pattern he had identified along a grassy stretch of shoreline. He caught 20-10 on Day 2 and 20-4 on Day 3 to begin Championship Monday in 10th place.

“It’s the third week of June, so there was no reason not to go deep,” Hartman said. “But that bite got progressively worse every day from practice through the first day of the tournament.

“I had several schools located deep. But on that first day when we lost the wind, I lost two of those schools.”

That’s when he moved to a spot that was loaded with fish in 3 feet of water. He described it as a “simple cutout along the bank that probably wouldn’t stand out to anyone.”

He caught some of fish flipping and punching baits through thick grass. But he did all of his damage Monday with an unspecified bone-colored walking topwater lure.

He had more than 18 pounds by 7:30 a.m. and continued culling up throughout the day. His biggest fish — a largemouth that weighed 6-7 — came around 1 p.m.

“The wind made that spot better today — and the cloudy conditions,” Hartman said. “I felt going out like there was a chance they would be stacked in there, and they were stacked.

“To come from behind in a tournament like this — and to catch all of the fish on top — it just doesn’t get much better than that.”

Hartman outscored Texas pro Chris Zaldain and Matt Arey who both weighed in 79-4, by 6 ounces. Louisiana pro Caleb Sumrall brought 77-10 to the scales to finish fourth.

A major storm rolled through Scottsboro just as Hartman was handed the trophy — and in the chaos of 40 mph winds, he wasn’t sure of even the smallest details.

He just knew he won.

“I don’t know if I won by an ounce or 10 ounces,” he said. “And it really doesn’t matter.”

Florida angler Bernie Schultz earned $1,500 for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the week with a 7-0 largemouth he caught on Day 1. Another Florida pro, Drew Cook, took the lead in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings and the DICK’S Sporting Goods Rookie of the Year race.

Hartman won the Toyota Bonus Bucks prize of $3,000 for being the highest-finishing eligible angler, and Sumrall collected $2,000 on Toyota Bonus Bucks for finishing second-highest.

June 21, 2019, SCOTTSBORO, Ala. — Photo courtesy of BASS

More than half the field caught at least 16 pounds of bass during Friday’s opening round of the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville, and 14 anglers topped the coveted 20-pound mark.

Meanwhile, Connecticut pro Paul Mueller showed once again why Guntersville is one of his favorite lakes in the United States.

Mueller, who finished second in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods on Guntersville, took Friday’s opening-round lead on the famed fishery with five bass that weighed 22 pounds, 14 ounces.

“I didn’t really see this coming because I didn’t catch a lot of big fish in practice,” Mueller said. “The fish aren’t doing what they should for this time of year, so it’s been mentally exhausting trying to figure them out.

“But you only need five — and I’m glad I was able to put something together.”

Mueller’s first claim to fame in the big leagues of bass fishing came when he had a whopping catch of 32-3 on the second day of the 2014 Classic. That was a February event, and Mueller — who had qualified for that Classic through the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship for grass-roots anglers — was quick to point out that none of that strategy played into his success Friday, when temperatures rose to the low 90s.

Despite his heavy weight, he said Friday was anything but easy — and BASSTrakk statistics backed up that claim. The five bass he weighed were caught at 7:25 a.m., 8:09 a.m., 11:02 a.m., 1:59 p.m. and 2:07 p.m.

The weigh-in began at Goose Pond Colony at 2:15 p.m.

“For a while there, I was just worried about getting a limit,” said Mueller, who earned his first Elite Series victory earlier this season at Lake Lanier. “Then I kind of put it together late.”

Mueller attributed his late-afternoon success to a slight change in technique.

“I downsized a little bit,” he said. “I caught them on a 10-inch Reins Bubbling Shaker in the morning on a Magnum Shaky Head. Then I switched over to a 7-inch Bubbling Shaker on a drop-shot rig.

“I spent the last part of the afternoon using a spinning reel.”

Mueller will enter Saturday’s second round with just a 4-ounce lead over North Carolina pro Matt Arey, who weighed in 22-10.

Arey was less specific about how he caught bass than Mueller, but he said Lake Guntersville’s famous summer boat traffic — which always increases greatly on Saturdays — could play a role in how he does on Day 2.

“What I did today is definitely repeatable,” Arey said. “In a perfect world — if I could get out there and rotate through my places without company — absolutely I could do it again. But on a lake that gets this much pressure, we all know that’s not going to happen.”

The only other pro who reached the 22-pound mark Friday was Brandon Lester. The Fayetteville, Tenn., angler, who has extensive experience on Guntersville, caught 22-0 and rests just 14 ounces out of the lead.

“I’m not gonna call this my home lake, but it’s probably as close to home as I’ll ever get to fish in an Elite Series tournament,” Lester said. “I’ve got quite a bit of experience here — and to my surprise, I was able to get on pretty much everything I wanted to fish today.”

Lester said he’s fishing offshore — and even with more boat traffic Saturday, he’s confident he’ll be able to reach at least some of the areas where he was successful Friday.

“The one spot where I caught most of my fish is a really big spot,” Lester said. “There are five or six little sweet spots on it, and there’s not likely to be a boat on every single one of them.

“But I will say — from past experience on this lake — when the boat traffic increases, it really affects these fish. So, who knows what will happen tomorrow?”

Veteran Florida pro Bernie Schultz took the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass with a largemouth that weighed 7-0.

The tournament will resume Saturday with takeoff from Goose Pond Colony at 6 a.m. CT The weigh-in will be held back at Goose Pond at 2:15 p.m., with only the Top 35 anglers advancing to Sunday’s semifinal round.

B.A.S.S. Nation members, Bassmaster High School anglers and dozens of other volunteers will fan out across the Lake Guntersville shoreline to take part in the B.A.S.S. Nation Cleanup project, which will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday. Other volunteers wanting to help out in the cleanup are welcome to participate.

While competition is underway, the Miracle Mile Festival at Goose Pond will feature live entertainment, prize giveaways, food vendors and more. The Festival begins at 11 a.m. The Mercury Concert Series will provide live music prior to the weigh-in.