B.A.S.S.

BASS Elite Returns to Birthplace

from BassFeed.com: The *Bass Fishing* Podcast! by admin

With five Bassmaster Elite Series tournaments remaining, BASS heads back to the state were it was founded during the organization’s celebration of its 40th anniversary. The Elite Series makes its seventh stop of the season at Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Ala., for the Southern Challenge presented by Advance Auto Parts.

With 1,063 miles of shoreline, Wheeler is the largest of three Alabama lakes that connect with the Tennessee River. It has been the host of nine BASS events, including the 1974 Bassmaster Classic. Elite angler and 1998 Classic champion Denny Brauer won an Open-level event in 2003 on Wheeler with a three-day total of 32 pounds, 10 ounces.

In 2007, Frank Ippoliti worked the ledges of the main lake’s banks with a green-pumpkin jig to win the third and final Southern Open of the season with 38 pounds, 1 ounce overall in the three-day event. Popping the jig off the ledges in areas that had moving shad produced limits for Ippoliti all three days, as he topped a tight field with a top-10 spread of just 7 pounds.

Elite Series pro and Alabaman Russ Lane of Prattville, who finished 10th in the 2007 Southern Open at Wheeler, said he expects to see a lot of big bags in this year’s Southern Challenge.

“Something that’s happened with that lake, as well as some of the other Tennessee River lakes like Pickwick and Wilson,” said Lane, who weighed in 31 pounds, 0 ounces in October’s Southern Open. “They’re getting a whole lot better. There are more fish there now. Creeks could come into play in that tournament.

“It’s still early post-spawn, there’ll be a lot of fish shallow, like around docks and stumps, but also there’ll be some schools of fish that’ll be found out in 10-15 feet of water. If anybody can find maybe three schools out there in 12 feet, they’re going to be really hard to beat.”

Lane said there will be a lot of techniques going on. He expects some anglers to go with topwater lures, some big crankbaits and smaller swimbaits under docks.

“I think it’ll take 65 pounds total to win,” he said. “A lot of people may laugh and think it’s not going to take that much, but when everybody gets there and practice gets going, they’re going to see a different Wheeler than they’re used to.”

Meanwhile, the Trail to the Trophy heats up as the Elite Series enters the home stretch with five events to go. Mike McClelland of Bella Vista, Ark., leads the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race and is inching closer to the $250,000 top prize. Texan Todd Faircloth lurks 10 points behind, while 2007 AOY winner Skeet Reese and three-time AOY winner Kevin VanDam are third and fourth, respectively.

Daily weigh-ins and launches at the Southern Challenge will take place at Ingalls Harbor, 701 Market St. NW, Decatur, Ala. Launches Thursday-Sunday begin at 6 a.m. CT and weigh-ins begin at 3 p.m.

Activities at the Southern Challenge include a musical performance by artist Chad Bradford at noon Saturday and Sunday. There will be a Berkley Beginner fishing class at 1:30 p.m. and a “Boat Performance with Skeeter” class daily at 2 p.m. both days, as well as Skeeter boat demo rides from noon to 2 p.m.

On Saturday, fans can talk to the Elite pros during “Ask the Experts” at Bassmaster University, set for 2:30 p.m. at the weigh-in site. On Saturday and Sunday kids can enjoy a bounce house, a coloring contest, face painting and much more.

Sunday’s activities include the live taping at 2:30 p.m. of Hooked Up, hosted by ESPN Outdoors personalities Tommy Sanders and Mark Zona. The show, which airs on Bassmaster.com, will preview the final weigh-in. Live, streaming video of the Carolina Clash’s daily weigh-ins begins at 3 p.m. CT on Bassmaster.com.

For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit Bassmaster.com. Visit ESPNMediaZone.com for ESPN’s latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video, audio clips and more.

The local sponsor of the Southern Challenge is the Decatur-Morgan County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite Series include Toyota Tundra, Advance Auto Parts, Berkley, Lowrance, Mercury, Purolator, Skeeter, Yamaha, Evan Williams Bourbon, Longhorn, OPTIMA Batteries, Triton Boats, Costa Del Mar, MotorGuide and Ramada Worldwide.

About BASS

For 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. With its considerable multi-media platforms and expansive tournament trail, BASS is guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer and comprehensive web properties in Bassmaster.com and ESPNOutdoors.com, the organization is committed to delivering content true to the lifestyle. Additionally, television programming on ESPN2 continues to provide relevant content from tips and techniques to in-depth tournament coverage to passionate audiences.

The organization oversees the prestigious Bassmaster tournament trail which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, Women’s Bassmaster Tour and the Bassmaster Classic, the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing. Through its grassroots network, the BASS Federation Nation, BASS sanctions more than 20,000 events annually.

BASS also offers an array of services to its more than 525,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.

Fishing Docks

Fishing the Docks

from BassFeed.com: The *Bass Fishing* Podcast! by admin

By Edwin Evers

Docks are great places to catch bass, but some docks are better than others. Docks in clear to moderately clear lakes are better than those in stained or algae-laden waters.

Those with constant foot traffic are less productive than those used less frequently. For example: resort docks and gas docks are usually poor prospects.

On docks with a lot of use, morning might be the only time the fish will be there. Windswept docks are never as good as those in calm water. Three or more warm days in a row tend to draw more fish to docks than post-cold front conditions and midday is usually better than morning or evening.

Docks with barking dogs or crabby owners are usually not worth the bother.

Martin Wins 3rd

Martin-Wells Grabs 3rd Victory

from BassFeed.com: The *Bass Fishing* Podcast! by admin

Two lures she nicknamed “Randall” and “Bobby” helped Pam Martin-Wells of Bainbridge, Ga., to a winning overall weight of 36 pounds, 1 ounce, Saturday at the second stop of the 2008 Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Academy Sports & Outdoors.

“Randall is a friend of mine who taught me how to swim a jig, so a ‘Randall’ is a jig, and Bobby is my sister, and she taught me how to use a weightless Wave Worms Tiki Stik, which I used to catch all my biggest fish Thursday, so that’s a ‘Bobby,’ ” said Martin-Wells, who netted $1,000 and a $50,000 Triton/Mercury boat rig in the three-day competition on Alabama’s Neely Henry Lake.

She won by a margin of more than 9 pounds over two pros who tied for second place at 26-15: Juanita Robinson of Highlands, Texas, and Lucy Mize of Ben Lomond, Ark. Placing fourth with 26-10 was Kim Bain of Alabaster, Ala., the winner of the season opener last month on Texas’ Lewisville Lake.

Fifth with 25-4 was the 2007 Toyota WBT Angler of the Year, Sheri Glasgow of Muskogee, Okla., who recovered from a slow start — 33rd place on the first day — to make the top five.

Fans can go to Bassmaster.com for all the details of the Neely Henry competition. The site has photo galleries, stories, standings, and the latest on the season-long race to capture the 2008 Toyota WBT Angler of the Year crown and a Bassmaster Classic berth.

This season’s Angler of the Year will make history, becoming the first woman to earn a much-coveted berth in the 2009 Bassmaster Classic, Feb. 20-22 on the Red River out of Shreveport-Bossier City, La.

Bain held on to her lead in the standings, and Mize and Robinson moved into the top five. Martin-Wells racked up enough points with her win to push her from 17th place into fifth in the standings.

“This entire year with the WBT and BASS is huge with the announcement of the Classic berth,” Martin-Wells said. “I was disappointed because I didn’t have such a great start at Lewisville, so this win is a step in the right direction.”

Saturday’s victory was the third WBT win for Martin-Wells. She holds the titles to the 2005 WBT Preview event and the 2006 WBT Championship — the circuit’s first — on Mitchell Lake, which like Neely Henry is a Coosa River impoundment.

Martin-Wells said much of her weight came from grass along the shallow shorelines of Neely Henry, but she used a combination of techniques.

“After I caught one fish this morning, it was on. I was culling by 6:30 this morning,” she said. “But every day, the fishing’s been different, even though I started in the same place each day, a 20-minute run from the launch ramp all the way to the southern end of the lake.”

She took her Saturday limit in 40 minutes, after which she culled to improve her weight to 13-11.

“I started out each morning in grass,” Martin-Wells said. “I had some deep patterns, but they weren’t panning out because there was no current, no water moving. But today a ski boat kept running back and forth, and I thought, ‘Maybe a fish will think that’s current.’ So I pulled over and caught a 4-pounder.”

Mize was in 24th place after Day 1, but she put it together to jump into the tie for second place.

“I was fishing chunk-rock banks, riprap and retainer walls early in the day when it was overcast, all on the south end of the lake,” said Mize, who holds title to the 2007 WBT stop on Kentucky and Barkley lakes. “Then I would go to a Carolina rig and a deep-diving crankbait as the day wore on, working humps and ridges.”

Robinson, who won the 2007 WBT event on Texas’ Lake Amistad, said lack of current during competition hours was an obstacle to beefing up the weight of her daily bags.

“I had limits early. Today I was culling by 7 in one spot,” she said. “But I just didn’t get a big bite. I knew I had to get to them before the sun came up, and when it did, the bass disappeared.”

In the co-angler division, the winner of the first-place package of a Triton/Mercury rig valued at $25,000 plus $500 was Marilyn Biszmaier of Louisville, Ky., who led Day 2 and closed for the win with 16 pounds, 8 ounces.

Second in the co-angler competition with 16-2 was Stacy Zhelesnik of Hoboken, N.J. Lesli Lively of Palestine, Texas, had a total of 15-12 for third place.

The next stop for the WBT will be June 19-21 on Old Hickory Lake out of Gallatin, Tenn. The tour’s presenting sponsor, Academy Sports & Outdoors, will host the final-day weigh-in at the Madison, Tenn., store. All WBT events are free and open to the public.

Sponsors of the Women’s Bassmaster Tour include Academy Sports & Outdoors, Toyota Tundra, Advance Auto Parts, Lowrance, Mercury, Skeeter, Yamaha, OPTIMA Batteries, Triton Boats, Legend Boats, MoGills and Mustang.

Local hosts include the City of Gadsden Parks & Recreation Department.

Items for Sale in my Ebay Store Music City Superstore

Pam Martin Wells Leads

Martin-Wells Leads Day 2

from BassFeed.com: The *Bass Fishing* Podcast! by admin

More than 22 pounds of bass over two days shows that Pam Martin-Wells of Bainbridge, Ga., has Coosa River impoundments figured out.

She took the lead with 22 pounds, 6 ounces, Friday in the Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Academy Sports & Outdoors event on Neely Henry Lake, a river-run impoundment of the Coosa.

Martin-Wells won the 2006 WBT Championship on another Coosa River fishery, Mitchell Lake, adding a big victory to her previous win, the 2005 WBT Preview event in Texas. Moving up from second to first place in the Neely Henry tournament, she put herself in position to take her third WBT victory.

Saturday will be the final day of competition, when just the top 20 pros will compete for the first-place prize of $1,000 cash and a Triton/Mercury boat rig valued at $50,000. Fans can watch Saturday’s finale at http://www.Bassmaster.com. Live video and a real-time leaderboard will begin at 2:15 p.m. CT. Bassmaster.com also will post final results, stories and photo galleries.

WBT pros are competing this season in a points race to become the first woman to qualify for a Bassmaster Classic, bass fishing’s most prestigious competition. The one pro with the most points at the end of the season will win a berth in the 2009 Classic, Feb. 20-22 on the Red River out of Shreveport/Bossier City, La. The points race winner will be the 2008 Toyota WBT Angler of the Year crown, an honor that comes with a 2009 Toyota Tundra.

Leading the field along with Martin-Wells was one-time WBT winner Juanita Robinson of Highlands, Texas, who had a two-day weight of 18 pounds, 11 ounces.

Right behind Robinson with 18-3 was Kim Bain of Alabaster, Ala., who was the winner of the season’s first event and leads the AOY points race. Fourth was one-time WBT winner Lucy Mize of Ben Lomond, Ark., with 18-0. Bonnie Johnson of Weatherford, Texas, had 17-12 for fifth place.

The 2007 Toyota WBT Angler of the Year, Oklahoma’s Sheri Glasgow, shot up from 33rd into sixth with a two-day total of 16-2.

Martin-Wells said she returned Friday to her first-day spot for the 10-4 bag she brought to the scales.

“And there are still fish there,” said Martin-Wells, a fishing guide on Georgia’s Lake Seminole as well as a pro angler. “I can see them come up and miss my bait. It’s just a matter if I can make them bite tomorrow.”

Although she was guarded about revealing specifics on productive patterns, she did say she was looking for bright and sunny conditions Saturday. And, like the rest of the field of 94 pros, she’d also like to see a release of water from the upstream dam, which would create current that often turns on a bite from larger bass.

“Lack of current isn’t hurting what I did to catch what I’ve brought in, but lack of current is hurting the bite for the better fish I’d found in practice,” Martin-Wells said. “I’ve had to adjust to fish that aren’t current-oriented, a variety of patterns.”

Moving up from third to second place, Robinson said the bite wasn’t quite as good Friday, but she adjusted. She said she’s hitting four areas she discovered in practice, getting her limit early and culling.

“They were really pushing shad and biting a whole lot better yesterday,” she said. “Today, as soon as the morning cloud cover went away, they shut down on me. If the weather changes and we get some rain, and they turn the turbines on, that should turn on the bite.”

“I’m starting out with topwaters, then going to a crankbait, then to a shaky head or a Carolina rig, and I caught some flipping to laydown trees,” she said.

In the co-angler division, in which the first-place prize is a Triton/Mercury rig valued at $32,000, Marilyn Biszmaier of Louisville, Ky., climbed from 33rd place to take the lead with 11-13. Close behind her were Lesli Lively of Palestine, Texas, with 11-3, and Linda Walker of Beebe, Ark., who with 10-12 maintained her first-day standing of third.

Pros will launch Saturday at 5:30 a.m. at Coosa Landing, 200 Lake Street in Gadsden. Daily weigh-ins will be at 2:15 p.m. at Academy Sports & Outdoors, 601 George Wallace Drive
in Gadsden. All WBT events are free and open to the public.

To view related images of the event, click here.

Sponsors of the Women’s Bassmaster Tour include Academy Sports & Outdoors, Toyota Tundra, Advance Auto Parts, Lowrance, Mercury, Skeeter, Yamaha, OPTIMA Batteries, Triton Boats, Legend Boats, MoGills and Mustang.

Bass Fishing Tips III

How To Catch Large Mouth Bass

from *Bass Fishing* Tips by mike

Six strategies for a good day’s fishing

(1) Largemouth Bass like plastic worms. Purchase a variety of colours from clear to bright and in varying shades. If fish don’t seem to be biting on one colour then switch for something lighter, and if they’re still not biting, go for a worm darker than your original. Generally, it depends on the water colour, time of day and temperature.

(2) Largemouth Bass like man-made or natural structure so look for them around jetty pylons, treefall and rock formations. They also like lots of weed so keep your eye out for a variety of spots.

(3) Largemouth Bass like baitfish. Herons like baitfish too. Look out for flocks of birds diving. Quite often where you find one you’ll find the other.

(4) Largemouth Bass like it quiet. Fish in areas away from frenzied activity or at dawn before activities begin. Be aware though that some activity can be a bonus as the wake from passing boats can wash out the baitfish from their hiding places in the rocks and, therefore, attract the bass.

(5) Largemouth Bass like deep water and shallow. Keep a variety of deep-diving lures and surface lures in the tacklebox depending on time of day, currents and water temperature.

(6) Largemouth Bass like it cool. Fish early in the day if possible. If the sun is high, aim for shaded areas.

To catch a Largemouth Bass Light tackle with fast-retrieving lures is usually the best, and remember, once the fish is landed, the best method of preparation for cooking is to ice immediately.

Bass Fishing Tips II

Corraling Cruisers With A Floating Worm

from BassFeed.com: The *Bass Fishing* Podcast! by admin

By Jay Yelas

If you spend time at the lake, either at the marina or around the boat slips, undoubtedly you’ve noticed bass cruising around. You’ve probably been on the water since before sunrise, made a long run to an end of the lake and all the while there are bass within a short walk of a hot cup of coffee and an indoor restroom. It can be frustrating.

But to experience true frustration, try your hand at catching one of these cruisers. The frustration seems to ratchet up even higher as the cruising bass get bigger. Sure, they’re swimming around and you can see them, but it’s hard to make them bite. There’s no shortage of ways to try to target these cruisers, but one of the most effective ways I’ve found is to use a floating worm. A floating worm can help you catch fish whenever they are refusing to eat, but only if you know how to use it.

What could be so hard about using a floating worm? A lot of people just cast it out, let it fall and twitch the bait a little. But there’s more to it than that. First, I like to use floating worms in shallow water (5 feet or less) or when the bass are high in the water column around structure - like boat slips. I use them a lot during spring and fall because the differences in water temperature between day and night draw more bass into shallow water. As the sun gets higher on these spring and fall days, the shallow water warms faster than the deeper water. So, the bass will migrate into these areas mid- to late morning (that’s why you see them cruising the boat slips when you come back to the marina for a sandwich), so focus on areas around the docks, heavy vegetation and willow trees.

I don’t consider the floating worms a go-to bait. I usually reserve these for really tough days. When the bass are shallow, I’d much rather be flipping or throwing a spinnerbait. But when I am seeing them cruising and they won’t eat, the floating worm is my last resort. When the bass seem to have lockjaw, it can be because the conditions are tougher than normal. But if the conditions turn windy, I prefer a spinnerbait.

When using a floating worm, the most important thing to do is establish a cadence, a walk-the-dog-type rhythm like those used on big top-water baits. As the bait passes cover, pause your retrieve and hang on: stopping the bait sometimes drives bass crazy and strikes can range from dead weight to a slight tug or violent flash and boil.

My floating worm rig stays pretty much the same wherever I go: I use a Berkley Power Bait 6-inch Bubblegum Pink Floating Steelhead Worm. I use 14- or 20-pound Fireline mainline (depending on the amount of cover in the area) and use 8-pound Trilene XL as a leader, connected with a Double Uni Knot, and spooled on a Size 3 spinning reel and a 6-foot finesse-action spinning rod. I never weight the floating worm (so it will float) and rig the bait with a 4/0 offset worm hook.

Sometimes the fishing gets so tough that you run out of ideas. When that happens, try a floating worm in shallow water around cover and see if you can entice a big cruiser to come crash into your bait. Once you figure out how to make the floating worm work for you, you’ll be hauling in fish while everyone else struggles.

Berkley Pro Jay Yelas is the reigning FLW Tour Angler of the Year and a former Bassmaster Classic champion from Corvallis, Ore.

Fishing Tip

Catch More Bass on a Carolina Rig

from BassFeed.com: The *Bass Fishing* Podcast! by admin

By D.B. Jackson

The Carolina Rig is one of the most effective bass fishing techniques on the planet. Two top 2008 Bassmaster Elite Series pros - Peter T and Kenyon Hill - consider it a mainstay in their arsenal on the tour. Between them they have banked over $1,000,000 using the technique.

And, the great thing about Carolina rigging is that you don’t need to be an expert to use it effectively. It’s easy to make and even easier to use.

The basic rigging is as follows: Thread a sinker and a bead to the main line running off your reel. Then, tie a swivel to the line. The bead should be between the sinker and the swivel.

Tie a leader to the other ring of the swivel and a hook to the far end. Attach your favorite soft plastic lure. Toss it out over your favorite structure or near your favorite cover and you’ll should be good to go.

Those are only the basics, however. To make your rig more effective give these refinements a try.

1. Sound: Beads are made from different materials. Each has its own unique sound as it smacks against the weight; some are loud and clank, others are soft and barely tick. Change beads to create a different sound.

2. Line size and strength: The line running from your reel to the swivel is important but isn’t visible to the fish. It’ll have no effect on lure action or movement. Heavy fluorocarbon or braid increases feel and sensitivity while reducing break-offs. Give one of them if you haven’t already.

3. Tie knots carefully: There are three knots in a Carolina rig - two on the swivel and one on the hook. That’s three places for trouble to develop. Take your time, tie your knots carefully and retie frequently throughout the day.

4. Adjust leader length: The length of your leader directly affects the way your lure looks to a bass. Short leaders tend to keep your bait near the bottom and restrict its action. Longer leaders do just the opposite.

5. Hook size and design matters: A round bend model is not an offset worm style. And, neither is a circle hook. Make sure your selection suits your style of fishing and the bite pattern of the the day.

Buy good, high-quality hooks. Keep them sharp and make sure they’re big enough. Bass have very big mouths. They can handle a big hook.

6. Get creative with your lures: You can rig darn near any bait available with a Carolina rig. Hill used a 10-inch worm on his during the Pride of Georgia. And, don’t think plastic lures are your only choice.

Small, shallo

Porter Prevails on the Delta

Porter Prevails On The Delta

from BassFeed.com: The *Bass Fishing* Podcast! by admin

Pro Kyle Porter of Acampo, Calif., caught a five-bass limit weighing 31 pounds, 7 ounces Saturday to win the Stren Series Western Division tournament on the California Delta with a four-day total of 20 bass weighing 100-08. For his victory, Porter earned $25,000 cash.

“This is an awesome feeling,” said Porter, who now has his first FLW Outdoors victory under his belt. “It’s like you try for so long and finally all of the pieces come together.”

Porter threw a jig with a pork trailer all four days to catch his quality bass.

“I fished different spots all week, because my areas were getting beat up so bad,” Porter added. “Today, I fished 10 different spots until I got my limit. I caught a total of nine keepers today.”

Porter opened the tournament in second place Wednesday with five bass weighing 28-07. On Thursday he added another five bass weighing 18-12. He then caught five bass weighing 21-14 Friday to make the crucial top 10 cut in third place.

“It was really tough this week but it was all worth it in the end,” Porter said. “I can’t even describe what I am feeling right now.”

Rounding out the top five pros are Jeremy Zipton of Discovery Bay, Calif. (20 bass, 96-00, $9,299); Chris Raza of Roseville, Calif. (20 bass, 86-00, $8,370 plus $5,000 Ranger bonus); Timothy Venkus of Wilton, Calif. (20 bass, 85-09, $7,439); and Hunter Schlander of Modesto, Calif. (20 bass, 85-08, $6,509).

Dugan Mcintosh of Palermo, Calif., caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Pro Division Thursday – an 10-pound, 3-ounce bass – that earned him the day’s Snickers Big Bass award of $280.

Overall there were 45 bass weighing 181 pounds, 15 ounces caught by 9 pros Saturday. The catch included 9 five-bass limits.

Charles Peak of San Jose, Calif., won the Co-angler Division and $5,000 with a four-day total of 20 bass weighing 75-00.

“This is my first big win,” Peak said. “I really owe everything to the boaters I had this week. I really learned a lot.”

Peak was throwing a wacky-rigged watermelon-red finesse worm to key in on quality bass.

“I put a small nail in the head of the worm that creates a different fall which triggered the bite,” Peak said. “This was the key to my success.”

Peak caught five bass weighing 10-14 Wednesday while fishing with pro Scott Koehler of Galt, Calif., to open the tournament. He then caught five bass weighing 23-08 Thursday while fishing with pro Ryan German of Fairfield, Calif. On Friday he added five more bass weighing 19-12 to make the top 10 cut in first place while fishing with pro Mark Casey of Fairfield, Calif. Finally, on Saturday, he sealed the win with a five-bass catch weighing 20-14 while fishing with pro Mike Andrews of Oakley, Calif.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Kyle Baker of Lancaster, Calif. (20 bass, 73-06, $3,779); Chris Hughes of Orangevale, Calif. (20 bass, 70-03, $3,071); Aaron Reitz of Soda Springs, Calif. (20 bass, 54-08, $2,362); and Roy Desmangles Jr. of Lincoln, Calif. (20 bass, 54-06, $1,891).

Tommie Goldston of Gardnerville, Nev., caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Thursday – an 9-pound, 13-ounce bass – that earned him the day’s Snickers Big Bass award of $142.

Overall there were 45 bass weighing 147 pounds, 11 ounces caught by 10 co-anglers Saturday. The catch included 8 five-bass limits.

After four qualifying events are complete in each of the Stren Series’ five divisions, the top 40 pros from each division will advance to the $1 million Stren Series Championship in Branson, Mo., Nov. 5-8 for a shot at $140,000. The highest-finishing pro from each division at the championship will also earn a spot in the $2 million 2009 Forrest Wood Cup, where they will compete against top pros from the Wal-Mart FLW Tour®, Wal-Mart FLW Series®, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League® and TBF (The Bass Federation) for bass fishing’s biggest prize – $1 million.

Tournament pros aren’t the only ones winning big this season. With the introduction of FLW Fantasy Fishing™, FLW Outdoors® offers anyone the opportunity to enter for their chance to land the catch of a lifetime with the opportunity to win $7.3 million in cash and prizes. Players can become a virtual pro angler by signing up for Player’s Advantage, providing them with exclusive insider information that could guide them to a $100,000 victory at every Wal-Mart FLW Tour® stop and the Forrest Wood Cup. Player’s Advantage will give them an edge over the competition and increase their shot for a $1 million cash grand prize that will be awarded to the FLW Fantasy Fishing cumulative points winner. Those who visit FantasyFishing.com today can sign up for Player’s Advantage and FLW Outdoors will include a $15 Wal-Mart gift card.

The top 40 co-anglers from each Stren Series division will also advance to the championship, where they will fish for as much as $70,000. The highest-finishing co-angler from each division at the championship will then advance to the 2008 Forrest Wood Cup.

FLW Outdoors historically maintains a 98 percent live release rate in all of its bass tournaments.

FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008 alone the organization is offering more than 90,000 anglers the chance to win over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits targeting bass, walleye, redfish, kingfish and striped bass. FLW Outdoors is also taking fishing mainstream with the largest cash awards in the history of fantasy sports, $7.3 million.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player’s Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.

Fred Wins on Murray

Fred Fires A Frog To Win On Murray

from BassFeed.com: The *Bass Fishing* Podcast! by admin

Four hours into day one of the Carolina Clash on Lake Murray, Fred Roumbanis was worried he might actually blank. He miscalculated on a big bedding bass and then missed his chance to tap into the blue back herring bite that the rest of the Elite field was chasing.

But in short order, Fred went from “zero” to “zeroed in” on a topwater frog bite. He found a remote part of the lake that he describes as “full of life” and went to work on a nice population of largemouth bass that were feeding on bluegill.

Bass Fishing Tips

Bass Fishing Boats: Advice for the First Time Buyer

from *Bass Fishing* Advice by admin

Bass fishing is a great past time that many people, both young and old enjoy. Once you get the taste of bass fishing, you might decide that you want to venture into buying your first bass fishing boat. This is truly an exciting experience, so it is best that you get some advice, being a first time buyer of a bass fishing boat.

One of the first things you want to make sure you have when you go to get your new boat is the right kind of vehicle for towing the boat. There are many vehicles that are just not made for towing something behind them. When you have your boat fully loaded with your gear as well as gas and attach it to your trailer, you can expect to be towing over 3500 lbs. behind your vehicle. You need to be sure to get a car or truck that can take that kind of load and pull it up a mountain or a hill.

When deciding on what size of a boat to get you will want to consider the size of the body of water that you will be fishing in. In larger bodies of water it is best to go with a boat that is at least 19 feet long where as if you are going to be fishing in a smaller body of water then you can go with a smaller outboard motor on a smaller boat. You can also choose which material your boat is made out of. Bass boats are generally made from aluminum or fiberglass. Each type of material has its good points as well as its bad points. For instance, if you were going to be doing most of your fishing in a small lake then you may want to go with the aluminum boat.

(more…)

BFL Tournament

Top Bass Anglers Set To Compete In $1 Million Wal-Mart BFL All-American

from Fishing News

"It is our longest running championship and an event that holds a special place in the hearts of anglers nationwide. A trip to the All-American is something that thousands of anglers strive for every year, but only the best accomplish."

HOT SPRINGS, AR. )... Hot Springs will host the nation's top weekend bass anglers May 29-31 as they compete for a share of $1 million on Lake Hamilton in the 25th annual Wal-Mart Bass Fishing

The Palomar Knott

Peacock Bass in Brazil

Here is a picture of one of my best friends ,he lives in Brazil and frequently gets his lures from my Ebay Store. Music City Superstore. Nice Catch Gilton.

Mike McClelland looks at AOY

By Ed Harp
(Archive)

Updated: April 16, 2008, 4:11 PM ET

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View the 2008 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Standings

Mike McClelland is currently leading the 2008 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race after four events.

Mike McClelland, capitalizing on his best Elite Series start ever, is currently leading the 2008 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race after four events. The Arkansas pro won on the Harris Chain; finished 19th at the Kissimmee Chain; placed 42nd at Falcon; and took 4th at Amistad. (McClelland's Angler Pro File)

"I've been very fortunate this year," says McClelland. "I won one in Florida and have been competitive since then. It's a great feeling and one I'm not familiar with. Usually, I'm slow early on and then get better as the season progresses. This year has been different."

Asked what has made this year different, McClelland's reply is brutally candid. "I made up my mind that I'd fish Florida with a Zoom worm, rigged Texas style this year regardless of what I wanted to do or how I like to fish. That's what they bite down there and I wanted in on the action.

"Sometimes you have to do what it takes to catch fish. Frankly, I've had a problem doing that in the past in Florida. Now, however, I've learned it's not about what you want to do, or like to do. It's about what works. I changed my attitude and that's why I'm where I am today."

But in truth there's more to the story than that. McClelland admits that finances have had a lot to do with his success this year.

"My sponsorship deals are solid, and with an early win I'm not worried about catching a fish to pay the bills. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not rich or anything but I am in a position not to worry every day about the credit cards and the other expenses. That frees up my mind to go fish. It makes a big difference; it has for me anyway."

When it comes to the future, however, McClelland is less straightforward, more philosophical and willing to let life take its course.

He opines that he'll do his best to win every tournament this year as well as the Angler of the Year title but declines to make any predictions. A man of faith, he'll tell you in no uncertain terms that the race is not in his hands. It's a matter of what the Lord has planned for him and that he'll take whatever is offered, and be glad for it.

"Some things are meant to be and others aren't. We'll have to see what the future holds. I think the schedule is favorable but it's really not in my hands, other than doing the best I can every single day on the water. After that, I guess we'll all find out at about the same time."

McClelland might not have a window into his future but that doesn't stop him from speculating on what might be. "It'd be great. I think in the long-run AOY is more prestigious and worth more money than a Classic win," he mused as he considered what it would be like to win his first Angler of the Year title.

"There's more industry recognition and peer respect. That can make a big difference in an angler's career.

"The Classic is one tournament; Angler of the Year is 11. That's a big difference. One bad tournament — for instance, maybe you miss a Saturday cut — and you're most likely out of it. It's really the ultimate achievement of a good year. I've never won one so I can't say for sure, but that's what I think at this point anyway."

New S.D Record Smallmouth

New Record Smallie in South Dakota

By David Jones
(Archive)

Updated: April 30, 2008, 7:53 PM ET

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Darin Laue holds his 6-pound, 9-ounce South Dakota smallmouth record.

Darin Laue was in for an unexpected surprise when he was walleye fishing on Lake Poinsett in eastern South Dakota on April 27. Laue, of Castlewood, S.D., was having an unsuccessful day walleye fishing, when at around 6:30 p.m. he hooked into a 6-pound, 9-ounce smallmouth, and a new South Dakota record.

The lake was choppy, and the water temperature had dropped into the 40s because of recent snowfall, and the air temperature was a frigid 38. Laue was fishing a rockpile near shore with a hot pink jig right next to his buddy's boat when it hit.

"We found this rockpile a few nights ago that held walleye, so we went back but weren't having any luck, except for this," Laue said. He said it was an exceptional fight, as he was using a 6 1/2-foot Scheels Outfitters IM8 graphite rod spooled with 6-pound-test Berkley Trilene monofilament.

After catching the record smallie, Laue and his friends kept fishing, not yet appreciating what they had in the livewell. "We took some pictures, then put it away and kept fishing, but when we thought it could be a record, we called it in," Laue said. "We went to Lakeview Resort to use the scale, saw how big it was and then we went to Watertown, where they have certified scales," says Laue.

The previous record smallmouth was caught on Lewis and Clark Lake on the South Dakota-Nebraska border by Loran Moore in 1999. Laue's fish trumps Moore's by seven ounces. He's overwhelmed by his record-breaking experience. "I'm still taking it all in," he said.

"This record will probably stand for a year or two, but if things keep going at the rate they are at, we should be seeing bigger fish all the time."

Mark Ermer, South Dakota's Northeast Regional Fisheries Manager, isn't surprised that the new record came from one of his lakes. "It really could have come from a number of lakes in this region, because they're all so healthy," he says. "Poinsett is known for its smallmouth population."

Ermer says the smallmouth fisheries in his region have been growing and becoming established over the past ten years for a number of reasons. There is a new slot regulation stipulating the release of all fish between 12 and 18 inches, protecting the most productive spawners.

"The new regulation has really helped the fish out more than anything, and while it isn't in effect on Poinsett yet, it should be within a year," Ermer says. "We're seeing a lot more fish in the 21-inch and up range as a result of this new regulation."

Stocking the lakes of Northeast South Dakota proved worthwhile as well. "We stocked them about 5 or 6 years ago, and they have done well on their own."

These lakes are ideal for smallmouth development, according to Ermer. "It's a very healthy system for smallmouth. There are lots of crayfish and rocky points and pilings that provide good habitat."

While Ermer says the fisheries are still developing, he is pleased with the progress that has been made. He is also proud that the new state record came from one of his lakes, but is optimistic that even bigger fish will emerge as the fisheries grow. "This record will probably stand for a year or two, but if things keep going at the rate they are at, we should be seeing bigger fish all the time."

Fishing Tips

The Ultimate Big Bass by Mike Echols
If there is a lure that seems to always find a way on to the end of my line, it has to be a buzzbait. This lure allows me to catch fish just about any time of the year and under most conditions.

The BOOYAH Buzz is the best around for the way I like to fish buzzbaits. While most anglers like to use buzzbaits to catch shallow-water bass or those around grass, I like to use a buzzbait around any type of cover I can find.

For example, in early spring I like to throw a 3/8-ounce White BOOYAH Buzz along sandy banks or near blowdowns, both places I look for big females to be situated in advance of the spawn. With most buzzbaits, however, throwing near wood cover is a no-no, since they are prone to snagging. But with the BOOYAH Buzz, which has a round instead of flat head, the lure deflects off the cover and can draw some vicious strikes.

Regardless of the season the key to fishing a BOOYAH Buzz is to keep it as close to possible to any available cover. Typically, largemouth or spotted bass will be located near some sort of cover, which can be a dock, a stump, a boulder or laydown.

Once the fish move in to spawn, I'll often throw a BOOYAH Buzz over a spawning largemouth's bed to see if it draws a response. Often, the noise from this bait will be enough to aggravate the fish and draw a reaction strike.

After the fish move off the bed I began looking for fish along docks near the end of points. Once these fish leave the beds they'll often suspend near the best cover adjacent the main lake; docks usually fit the bill.

Try throwing right up against the docks and pulling the bait so close along the dock that it frequently ticks off the sides. Fish suspended near the surface can't resist this.

Later in the summer I throw the BOOYAH Buzz along riprap banks, flats near the river channel, the edge of grass beds and near blowdowns close to deep water.

My favorite time to throw a BOOYAH Buzz, however, is when the water begins to cool at the beginning of fall. The lowered temperatures will often send these fish on a feeding binge, and a BOOYAH Buzz over their heads is often more than they can stand.

Look for schooling fish and throw the BOOYAH Buzz into the activity. Also, go to the backs of creeks and try to find shad at the surface or use the depth finder and look for them below the surface. If there is shad present in the creek, there is a good chance bass are nearby.

To locate the fish, work a White BOOYAH Buzz along any visible cover in the creek. These fish, which are usually actively feeding, won't be able to stand it.

Mike Echols, of Athens, GA, is a Bassmaster pro who has also enjoyed great success in the Angler's Paradise tournament trail. Mike is considered an expert buzzbait fisherman by his peers.

Winner of the 2008 Bassmasters Classic

Alton Jones – 2008 Bassmaster Classic Champion
BOOYAH Bait Company congratulates Alton Jones, winner of the 2008 Bassmaster Classic. Jones used two different BOOYAH Jigs - the A-Jig and Pigskin Jig – to outpace the star-studded Classic field by more than five pounds. Jones added a YUM Chunk to both jigs and presented them very slowly in approximately 30 feet of water. The win drove the Jones’ career earnings past the $1.6 million mark