FISH FINDER WORLD

How to Locate Fish in a Lake

2012-03-10T07:06:00.002-08:00

Finding fish in a lake is all about observation and using what you see to put the right lure at the right depth and in the right spot. Fish generally hang out in schools. They will gravitate towards areas that meet their immediate needs: shelter, comfort and food.
Lakes will have a small amount of productive water and a large amount of unproductive water. Staying in the former will increase success. Fish will go deep when they are holding to get safety and comfort. When they are deep they will be hugging the bottom usually over rocks or gravel. They will avoid sandy bottom. This is usually along the banks or in the top 6-10' of water anywhere on the lake. The center of the lake productive is only productive when there is insect activity.
A depth finder will show bottom structure and many units will show individual fish and mark their depth. A good rule of thumb to use, if you do not have a depth finder is to troll parallel with the bank so you can see the bottom on one side of you boat and not on the other. Often times this is the perfect spot. It is the littoral zone and is usually in 6-10' of water often between the high and low water marks. If I had to choose one area to fish this would be it. Feeding fish will be found on the shallower side so focus your presentation there.
Fish are always wary of predators: birds, bigger fish and you. They will seek shelter to survive. It is rare to find fish hanging out in clear shallow water unless they are actively feeding. Their silhouette is visible to birds and anglers. Being out in the open they have no place to seek shelter if attacked by larger fish. Choppy water will make them more comfortable than calm water. They are no longer as visible from above the water. Reading the water conditions is a good start to finding fish. In calm water the fish will be either deep or under cover. Downed trees, rock piles and stumps all offer protection to the fish. They can hang out in a safe spot and ambush prey as they see it. Weed beds offer a protection and food to trout. This is an area they may abandon their natural protective instinct and search for food more freely. Some of these features are easily visible with the naked eye, others you will need a depth finder to see.
Polarized glasses are a huge benefit in searching for fish. Good glasses will eliminate surface glare letting you see into the water.

http://www.thefishinggeek.com/paddle-for-trout Paddling for Trout is a great reference for kayak and SUP anglers. For more info and reviews, products and more check out http://www.thefishinggeek.com The Fishing Geek
Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_M_Becker

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6866883

Morehead continues to roll

2012-03-10T07:05:00.001-08:00

Morehead continues to roll:

Dan Morehead of Paducah, Ky., used a two-day catch of 36 pounds, 15 ounces to maintain the overall lead in the Pro Division for the second day in a row at the FLW Tour Lake Hartwell event. (Photo by Gary Mortenson)

Kentucky veteran maintains lead at FLW Tour Lake Hartwell event, Lauer surges into co-angler lead, top-20 cut announced

09.Mar.2012 by Gary Mortenson
ANDERSON, S.C. – Dan Morehead of Paducah, Ky., is clearly feeling a lot better these days. After battling a terrible 24-hour virus that greatly curtailed his pre-fishing schedule and left him scrambling to come up with any sort of game plan for this week’s FLW Tour event on Lake Hartwell, Morehead now finds himself atop the leaderboard for the second day in a row.
Morehead’s unlikely ascent to the top is a testament to his continued perseverance as well as his veteran fishing savvy accumulated after years of hard work. But obviously, at least so far, this has been one of the harder challenges of his career.
“When I launched my boat on the first day of the tournament, I was just hoping to get a check,” said Morehead. “So this is truly a blessing from God. But man, it was a grind just to generate a bite today. It was pretty tough out there.”
Morehead said that he’s using a combination of Alabama Rigs and soft plastics to target staging bass relating to blueback herring.
“My boat is sitting in about 30 feet of water and I’m concentrating on narrow cuts where the bass are suspended,” he said. “They’re staging right now but they’re hanging around those narrow cuts trying to ambush those herring. But today was definitely a grind for me. I probably only had nine keeper bites all day.
“I’m basically running and gunning and hitting a lot of different spots that look right,” Morehead continued. “But there were definitely times when I felt like I was grasping for straws out there.”
As far as tomorrow is concerned, Morehead said he has no idea what to expect.
“This lake is really unpredictable right now,” he said. “But you know what? Sometimes that’s when I fish the best. I’ve made the cut right now and I’ve qualified for the (2012 Forrest Wood) Cup so I don’t have any pressure on me at all. I’m just going to go out there and go fishing tomorrow.”
Ehrler continues his climb
After finishing the day in third place overall at the end of yesterday’s competition, Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., now finds himself a mere 9 ounces off the overall lead in second place.
“I feel great,” said Ehrler of today’s finish. “I actually don’t like leading the tournament until the final day. So I’m fine with second place right now.”
Ehrler said he’s continuing to pick apart Lake Hartwell, targeting fish in anywhere from 2 to 50 feet of water with a combination of drop-shots and reaction baits.
“I’m really bouncing around a lot but I do have a couple of key spots I really like,” he said. “The key is really just to be around the fish because once you find them, you can catch them a lot of different ways. Today I used about six to eight different rods. I used a drop-shot and several different reaction baits and wound up with about 15 keepers. It’s definitely a fun lake to fish.”
Ehrler said that timing is equally important.
“Being at the right spot at the right time is important,” he said. “It’s really a timing issue. You could be at the right spot but if they’re not feeding, you’re not going to catch them. The fish are definitely staging right now and they want to move up. So they will feed, stop feeding and then start up again. And you have hit them at the right time.”
As for tomorrow, Ehrler says that the reduced field – as a result of the top-20 cut – will make the lake even more wide open.
“I’m really looking forward to tomorrow,” said Ehler, who now boasts a two-day catch of 36 pounds, 6 ounces. “They’re will be a lot less people on the water and I won’t have to worry about fishing behind somebody. It’s really going to spread things out nicely.”
Frazier makes his move
Micah Frazier of Newnan, Ga., leapfrogged from fifth place to third on the strength of a two-day catch totaling 36 pounds, 5 ounces.
“This is the first time I’ve done well two days in a row so I’m pretty excited about it,” said Frazier. “I had an awful time at (the first FLW Tour event) at Lake Okeechobee and was feeling pretty down about that. So it’s nice to be where I’m at. I’m finally making the right decisions.”
Frazier said that he has been targeting one particular creek this entire tournament and that’s exactly where he plans to spend the rest of the event as well.
“I’m fishing quarter-mile stretches of this one creek. I’ve caught everything so far on one crankbait,” he said. “But I’m having to move around a ton. I’ll start out my day in deeper water closer to the lake and then, later in the day, I’ll move shallower. It’s a pretty obvious pattern. But it’s not easy. It’s a grind. And a limit, at least for me, is really hard to come by.”
Today, Frazier said his fortunes were greatly bolstered after he landed a 5-pounder at 2:30 p.m. with time literally winding down in the day.
“That really helped,” he said. “I’m only 23 years old. And one of my main goals I set this year was just to make a cut. And I’ve already done that. So I’m pretty happy right now.”
And what about Saturday’s competition?
“I’ll be back in that same area,” he said. “That’s all I’ve got at this point.”
Best of the rest
Todd Auten of Lake Wylie, S.C., finished the day in fourth place overall with a total catch of 35 pounds, 5 ounces. Meanwhile, Marty Stone of Fayetteville, N.C., landed in fifth place with a catch of 33 pounds, 15 ounces.
Rounding out the top-10 pros:

6th: Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, S.C., 33-6

7th: Jim Moynagh of Carver, Minn., 33-6

8th: Tom Monsoor of Lacrosse, Wisc., 32-15

9th: Brett Hite of Phoenix, Ariz., 32-7

10th: Clifford Pirch of Payson, Ariz., 32-0
Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., took home the Snickers Big Bass award in the Pro Division after landing a 7-pound largemouth. Christie won $500 for his catch.
For a complete list of the day’s results, click here.
Lauer takes advantage of incredible day
Heading into today’s competition, David Lauer of Loxahatchee, Fla., was in 61st place and in desperate need of a major haul into order to qualify for today’s top-20 cut. And that’s exactly what he got. After boating an eye-popping limit of 20 pounds in Friday’s competition, Lauer soared up the leaderboard and grabbed the top spot heading into Saturday’s co-angler finals.
And he could not have been happier.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Lauer, who boasts a total catch of 26 pounds, 15 ounces. “I’ve had a lot of top-10 finishes before but I’ve never won one. Hopefully this time I will finally get that first win. But no matter what, it’s a great way to start the year.”
So how exactly did Lauer engineer the greatest comeback of the tournament to date?
“At about 1 p.m. I had two little fish in the boat,” he said. “And then I landed that 6-pounder. At that point, I was thinking, ‘At least now I’ll get a check.’ But then my partner pulled into a pocket and for the next 30 minutes it was game-on. It was clearly a timing deal.”
Lauer said that he rounded out his limit fishing a combination of All-Terrain jigs and Shaky Heads equipped with Zoom Trick worms.
Amazingly enough, Lauer said that everything he learned in practice hasn’t helped him in the slightest so far in the tournament.
“It’s funny, in practice, all I did was fish in shallow water,” he said. “And in the tournament, with the way my partners were fishing, everything I caught was out deep. As far as tomorrow goes, I’ll just have to see what (Dan) Morehead is doing. Hopefully I’ll be able to get that elusive win.”
Best of the rest
Kevin Gordon of Aiken, S.C., used a total catch of 25 pounds, 2 ounces to grab the runner-up position heading into Saturday’s all-important co-angler finals.
Meanwhile, Richard Peek of Centre, Ala., qualified in third place with a catch of 24 pounds, 14 ounces.
“Anytime you make a top-20 or top-10 cut it’s awesome,” said Peek. “I really mixed it up out there today. I probably used about 10 to 12 different lures. Fishing as a co-angler, especially on this lake, you really have to be versatile.”
Rich Dalbey of Greenville, Texas, used a total catch of 24 pounds, 8 ounces to grab fourth place overall.
“I’m ecstatic,” said Dalbey. “I really didn’t expect this. I’m just looking forward to tomorrow. Then we’ll see what happens.”
Dalbey said that he’s thankful that he has been able to land some big bites on each day of the competition.
“It’s actually pretty tough out there,” he said. “You really have to stay focused. For me the key has been getting those big bites in the boat. Yesterday, I caught a 6-pounder and today, I caught a 5-pounder on my last cast.”
Dalbey said that he used a combination of crankbaits and Shaky Heads to land the majority of his catch.
Alex Posey of Roswell, Ga., finished the day in fifth place with a total catch of 23 pounds, 6 ounces.
Rounding out the top-10 co-angler qualifiers:

6th: David Kuykendall of Fletcher, N.C., 23-4

7th: Doug Caldwell of Kane, Pa., 23-0

8th: Jim Jeff Townsend of Philadelphia, Pa., 22-12

9th: Jason Johnson of Gainesville, Ga., 22-9

10th: Allen Murray of Reidsville, Ga., 22-3
For a complete list of the day’s results, click here.
Bass-fishing fans take note
FLW Tour action continues during Saturday’s takeoff, scheduled to take place at 7 a.m. at Portman Shoals Marina, located at 1629 Marina Road in Anderson, S.C.
Daily on-the-water coverage will also be available online at FLWOutdoors.com beginning at takeoff. To see up-to-the-minute tournament updates, click here.
In addition to takeoff and weigh-in action, fans in the Greenville, S.C., area will be treated to the FLW Outdoors Expo at the TD Convention Center on Saturday and Sunday from noon - 4 p.m. prior to the final weigh-ins. The Expo includes Ranger boat simulators, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by sponsors, and fans can learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public. On Sunday the first 300 children 14 and under who are accompanied by an adult will receive a free rod and reel combo courtesy of The Greenville News. Also on Sunday one lucky fishing fan will win a Can-Am ATV courtesy of WESC 92.5. The ATV giveaway is free to enter but the winner must be present at the conclusion of Sunday’s final weigh-in to win.
Want to watch the weigh in live but can’t make it in person? Then tune into FLW Live on FLWOutdoors.com shortly before 4 p.m. Eastern Time to watch live streaming video and audio of Saturday’s weigh in.
Coverage of the Lake Hartwell tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network when “FLW” airs April 15 from 1 - 2 p.m. ET. "FLW" is hosted by Jason Harper and is broadcast to more than 559 million households worldwide.

Late 5-Pounder Keeps Morehead Out In Front

2012-03-10T07:02:00.001-08:00

Late 5-Pounder Keeps Morehead Out In Front:

Friday, March 09, 2012

Photo: FLW/Gary Mortenson

Dan Morehead caught his best fish of the day on his final cast.

By BassFan Staff

Dan Morehead saved his best for last on day 2 of the Hartwell FLW Tour major.

Buoyed by a 5-pounder that he caught on his final cast, the Kentuckian retained the lead at the first Tour points event of 2012. But as was the case after day 1, it's a scant margin, as the Top 10 are separated by less than 5 pounds at the midway point.

Morehead's 16-01 sack gave him a 2-day total of 36-16. He's 9 ounces in front of Brent Ehrler, who caught a nearly identical stringer (16-02) and moved up one slot into the No. 2 position with 36-06

Georgia's Micah Frazier gained 2 places to 3rd with a 16-14 bag that gave him a 36-05 aggregate, putting him just 10 ounces off the pace. The 4th and 5th positions were manned by the anglers who caught the biggest bags of the day – Todd Auten, who sacked 18-01 for a 35-05 total; and Marty Stone, who caught 20-01 to give him 33-15.

Here are the totals for the rest of the Top 10:

6. (tie) Anthony Gagliardi: 33-06
6. (tie) Jim Moynagh: 33-06
8. Tom Monsoor: 32-15
9. Brett Hite: 32-07
10. Clifford Pirch: 32-00

Change is the overriding theme of this event, and the competitors who've been most efficient at adapting are the ones who survived today's cut to the Top 20. The air was a bit cooler today, but a warm night had water temperatures up as much as 4 degrees over day 1 in some places. Also, the wind changed directions to come primarily out of the north following a spate of morning showers.

In addition to Auten and Stone, other newcomers to the Top 10 today were Gagliardi (up 14 places with a 17-12 stringer), Moynagh (up 8, 16-05), Monsoor (up 3, 15-00) and Hite (up 4, 15-00). The biggest backslider was Matthew Stefan, who started the day in 2nd but dropped all the way to 46th with a three-fish, 4-04 bag.

Photo: FLW/Gary Mortenson

Brent Ehrler thinks he has plenty of water left to get him through the weekend.

Blake Nick (28th, 8-08 today), Michael Neel (55th, 4-12), Shane Long (27th, 10-03) and Jay Yelas (11th, 13-09) also dropped out of the Top 10.

Another weather change is in store for tomorrow as the forecast for the Anderson, S.C. area predicts sunny skies and an east/northeast wind that tops out at 12 mph. The field will be reduced to the Top 10 after the weigh-in, with the winner determined Sunday by highest 4-day weight.

Late Cull Lifts Morehead

> Day 2: 5, 16-01 (10, 36-15)

The cull that Morehead made with his last cast of the day was worth about 3 pounds (the fish replaced a 2-pounder). He might not have remained in the Top 5 without it.

"I came in 10 minutes early after that because I knew how important that fish was," he said. "It was a hard grind, but it ended up being a pretty darn good day.

"I know I didn't catch all the fish out (of his primary areas), but we had rain to get through and the wind switched directions, and to me it was just a lot tougher (than day 1). Quite honestly, I feel as good as if I'd just won the tournament."

He caught nine keepers for the day and didn't have a limit until almost 12:30. The 5-pounder topped his bag and he also had a 4.

He threw an Alabama Rig quite a bit this morning and it produced two of his weigh-in fish.

"I'm fishing the weather conditions. It's kind of embarrassing, but I'm living day by day. I'd like to have the sun tomorrow to see what I can do with that. To me, all the pressure's off. I made the cut and I get to fish tomorrow."

He doesn't have to fish for points this year – he's already in the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup by virtue of his EverStart Championship victory last fall.

"I don't have to be so defensive, like if it's late in the day and I've only got four keepers, I don't have to go into panic mode."

The majority of his action is occurring late in the day, and that concerns him a bit for day 3 since quitting time will come earlier due to the 45-minute drive to the TD Convention Center in Greenville for the weigh-in.

"My deal just isn't generating bites early, so I'm going to try to change that up a little."

2nd: Ehrler in Good Shape

> Day 2: 5, 16-02 (10, 36-06)

Ehrler spent much of his day not catching fish, but that time wasn't entirely wasted because he was able to whittle down his gameplan for the weekend.

"I spent a bunch of time looking for stuff that didn't pan out, but it worked out all right," he said. "Now I've got what I'm going to do pretty well narrowed down.

"I've got some good areas that I didn't beat up at all, and I'm excited to catch some of those fish and see what size they are."

He boated about 15 keepers today and the ones he weighed in were all of similar size – none were over 3 1/2 pounds.

Photo: FLW/Gary Mortenson

Second-year pro Micah Frazier has already assured himself of his best-ever Tour finish.

"By about 9:00 I had almost all of my weight, and then later in the day I made about a half-pound upgrade. I lost one that I didn't get a look at, but I think it was big. I just had it hung for a few seconds."

His goal for tomorrow is at least 15 pounds.

"If I can get into that 15 to 17 range I should still be within a pound of the lead, and then anything can happen on the last day. If the wind doesn't hurt me, I think I can catch 12 pounds off one spot.

"The sun shouldn't affect anything – the fish should bite regardless."

3rd: Frazier Gains Ground

> Day 2: 5, 16-14 (10, 36-05)

Frazier is already assured of his best-ever Tour finish – a 24th at the Red River was his top placement during his 2011 rookie campaign. Today's bag was about 2 1/2 pounds lighter than the one he caught on day 1, but he advanced 2 places on the leaderboard and gained a few ounces on Morehead.

"I'm thrilled with it," he said. "I did the same thing in pretty much the same area. I've got a pattern I'm running and I'm hopping around to different places in the same general area. I'm staying in one creek."

He's had quite a bit of company in that area to this point, but he thinks the majority of those anglers missed the cut. Therefore, he expects far less traffic on day 3.

He caught only six keepers, but one was a 5-pounder. He lost a 3-pounder that likely would've put him in the lead.

"My confidence isn't great because I'm not getting that many bites. I'm not going to worry about it, though, because I don't have anything else to go with.

"I'm confident that the fish are there, but whether I can get enough bites is the question."

4th: Auten's Instincts on Target

> Day 2: 5, 18-01 (10, 35-05)

A change of location proved fruitful for Auten, whose bag was second-best of the day to Stone's.

"I seem to be making the right moves when I need to," he said. "I couldn't catch them today where I caught them yesterday, so I ended up on another little stretch and I got a couple of good ones, and then I beat around in there for awhile and caught a couple more.

"It isn't easy. I can catch a limit pretty easy, but the bigger bites are hard to come by."

A 4 1/4-pounder was the biggest of the 12 keepers he caught today. He lost his biggest bite, which he estimated at 4 1/2.

"It hit me real short at the boat and I tried to swing it in, and it just came off. Maybe I can go back tomorrow and get that sucker."

He's caught some on an Alabama Rig, but hasn't weighed any of them in.

"I can't see it being a big player for me. It'll catch fish, but the bigger ones are tighter to cover."

5th: Big Bag for Stone

> Day 2: 5, 20-01 (10, 33-15)

Stone, who's back competing at the tour level after taking 2011 off, was the lone angler to surpass the 20-pound mark today after three such sacks were caught on day 1. His bag included a 6 1/2-pounder and he had another that pushed 5.

Photo: FLW/Gary Mortenson

Todd Auten weighed an 18-pound sack despite losing his best bite of the day.

"I was very fortunate today, but that's what it takes sometimes," he said. "It took all day, but I learned some more about the areas I need to be looking at and the fish seem to be replenishing.

"This was a huge relief for me because I showed myself I could still do this. It's the first time in 6 or 7 years that I've gotten to fish a Southern impoundment with cold, dirty water that was constantly changing. I had a lot of fun today and if I can catch a few tomorrow, maybe I'll get to try a day 4. I think I can handle 4 days of this."

He's working shallow water and his arsenal includes a crankbait, a spinnerbait and a jig.

"I've fished clean both days. When you're fishing the way you like to, your execution's usually better, and mine has been good so far."

His intuition been good, as well.

"The place where I caught the big one today was dead on day 1, but I went in there today and it's personality had changed. It's a matter of understanding what you're seeing when you get in there."

46th: Stefan's Fish were Gone

> Day 2: 3, 4-04 (8, 25-00)

Stefan was just 2 ounces out of the lead after day 1, but managed just three small keepers today and was in danger of falling out of the Top 50 (the cutline for a $10,000 check).

"I wish I knew specifically," he responded when asked why things got so much tougher for him today. "The water was 4 degrees warmer and I think those fish finally moved up. I was keying on deep, submerged brushpiles and they just weren't there today.

"My co-angler caught one spot that was about 4 pounds. Other than that, we were pretty much in scramble mode all day. I was just trying to catch a few to make a check."

He fished a cove that had at least 10 different piles, some as deep as 40 feet. He threw a jerkbait, an Alabama Rig and a spider grub.

"We had a couple of warm days and nights, and I just didn't adjust well enough. I had no backup plan – I didn't find anything else that was working in practice."

Notable

> Day 2 stats – 163 anglers, 127 limits (4 more than day 1), 9 fours, 11 threes, 8 twos, 2 ones, 6 zeroes (2 more than day 1).

> Jason Christie, last year's champion at Hartwell, missed the cut by half a pound and finished 25th. He caught a 7-pounder today that took big-bass honors.

> BassFan Big Stick Luke Clausen picked up a $10,500 check today for a 36th-place finish. To read his competition report, click here.

Weather Forecast

> Sat., March 10 - Sunny - 63°/33°
- Wind: From the E/NE at 12 mph

> Sun., March 11 - Sunny - 67°/45°
- Wind: From the E at 8 mph

Day 2 Standings

1. Dan Morehead -- Paducah, Ky -- 20-14 (5) -- 16-01 (5) -- 36-15 (10)

2. Brent Ehrler -- Redlands, Ca -- 20-04 (5) -- 16-02 (5) -- 36-06 (10)

3. Micah Frazier -- Newnan, Ga -- 19-07 (5) -- 16-14 (5) -- 36-05 (10)

4. Todd Auten -- Lake Wylie, SC -- 17-04 (5) -- 18-01 (5) -- 35-05 (10)

5. Marty Stone -- Fayetteville, NC -- 13-14 (5) -- 20-01 (5) -- 33-15 (10)

6. Anthony Gagliardi -- Prosperity, SC -- 15-10 (5) -- 17-12 (5) -- 33-06 (10)

7. Jim Moynagh -- Carver, Mn -- 17-01 (5) -- 16-05 (5) -- 33-06 (10)

8. Tom Monsoor -- La Crosse, Wi -- 17-15 (5) -- 15-00 (5) -- 32-15 (10)

9. Brett Hite -- Phoenix, Az -- 17-07 (5) -- 15-00 (5) -- 32-07 (10)

10. Clifford Pirch -- Payson, Az -- 19-06 (5) -- 12-10 (5) -- 32-00 (10)

11. Jay Yelas -- Corvallis, Or -- 18-05 (5) -- 13-09 (5) -- 31-14 (10)

12. Travis Fox -- Rogers, Ar -- 14-05 (5) -- 17-00 (5) -- 31-05 (10)

13. Dave Lefebre -- Erie, Pa -- 14-08 (5) -- 16-07 (5) -- 30-15 (10)

14. Vic Vatalaro -- Kent, Oh -- 13-10 (5) -- 17-01 (5) -- 30-11 (10)

15. Allen Boyd -- Salem, In -- 14-01 (5) -- 16-08 (5) -- 30-09 (10)

16. Cody Meyer -- Auburn, Ca -- 15-11 (5) -- 14-11 (5) -- 30-06 (10)

17. Lancen Halbert -- Enoree, SC -- 18-01 (5) -- 12-04 (5) -- 30-05 (10)

18. Andy Morgan -- Dayton, Tn -- 13-05 (5) -- 17-00 (5) -- 30-05 (10)

19. Ron Shuffield -- Bismarck, Ar -- 13-01 (5) -- 16-07 (5) -- 29-08 (10)

20. Adrian Avena -- Vineland, Nj -- 14-04 (5) -- 15-03 (5) -- 29-07 (10)

The following anglers did not make the cut and will not fish on day 3.

21. Shinichi Fukae -- Palestine, Tx -- 16-05 (5) -- 13-01 (5) -- 29-06 (10) -- $11,500

22. Justin Lucas -- Guntersville, Al -- 13-04 (5) -- 15-15 (5) -- 29-03 (10) -- $11,500

23. Matt Arey -- Shelby, NC -- 17-10 (5) -- 11-08 (5) -- 29-02 (10) -- $11,500

24. David Dudley -- Lynchburg, Va -- 15-02 (5) -- 14-00 (5) -- 29-02 (10) -- $11,500

25. Jason Christie -- Park Hill, Ok -- 12-14 (5) -- 16-01 (5) -- 28-15 (10) -- $11,500

26. Randall Tharp -- Gardendale, Al -- 15-07 (5) -- 13-07 (5) -- 28-14 (10) -- $11,000

27. Shane Long -- Springfield, Mo -- 18-06 (5) -- 10-00 (3) -- 28-06 (8) -- $11,000

28. Blake Nick -- Adger, Al -- 19-11 (5) -- 8-08 (5) -- 28-03 (10) -- $11,000

29. Jacob Powroznik -- Prince George, Va -- 14-09 (5) -- 13-06 (5) -- 27-15 (10) -- $11,000

30. Ishama Monroe -- Hughson, Ca -- 13-06 (5) -- 13-13 (5) -- 27-03 (10) -- $11,000

31. Bill Day -- Frankfort, Ky -- 10-01 (5) -- 17-00 (5) -- 27-01 (10) -- $10,500

32. Todd Hollowell -- Fishers, In -- 14-13 (5) -- 12-04 (5) -- 27-01 (10) -- $10,500

33. Brandon Coulter -- Knoxville, Tn -- 13-13 (5) -- 13-04 (5) -- 27-01 (10) -- $10,500

34. Cody Bird -- Granbury, Tx -- 9-15 (5) -- 16-01 (5) -- 26-00 (10) -- $10,500

35. JT Kenney -- Palm Bay, Fl -- 16-06 (5) -- 9-09 (5) -- 25-15 (10) -- $10,500

36. Luke Clausen -- Spokane, Wa -- 12-12 (5) -- 13-02 (5) -- 25-14 (10) -- $10,500

37. Randy Blaukat -- Joplin, Mo -- 13-09 (5) -- 12-04 (5) -- 25-13 (10) -- $10,500

38. Jacob Wheeler -- Indianapolis, In -- 12-05 (5) -- 13-08 (5) -- 25-13 (10) -- $10,500

39. Derrick Snavely -- Rogersville, Tn -- 12-08 (5) -- 13-05 (5) -- 25-13 (10) -- $10,500

40. Troy Morrow -- Eastanollee, Ga -- 8-11 (5) -- 17-01 (5) -- 25-12 (10) -- $10,500

41. Tim McDonald -- Prestonsburg, Ky -- 13-07 (5) -- 12-03 (5) -- 25-10 (10) -- $10,000

42. Gary Yamamoto -- Palestine, Tx -- 9-11 (4) -- 15-13 (5) -- 25-08 (9) -- $10,000

43. Scott Martin -- Clewiston, Fl -- 13-10 (5) -- 11-09 (5) -- 25-03 (10) -- $10,000

44. Jim Tutt -- Longview, Tx -- 11-10 (5) -- 13-09 (5) -- 25-03 (10) -- $10,000

45. Tim Johnson -- Dallas, Ga -- 11-02 (5) -- 14-00 (5) -- 25-02 (10) -- $10,000

46. Matthew Stefan -- Park Ridge, Il -- 20-12 (5) -- 4-04 (3) -- 25-00 (8) -- $10,000

47. Pete Thliveros -- Saint Augustine, Fl -- 12-14 (5) -- 12-01 (5) -- 24-15 (10) -- $10,000

48. Craig Dowling -- Nashville, Tn -- 14-05 (5) -- 10-06 (5) -- 24-11 (10) -- $10,000

49. Koby Kreiger -- Okeechobee, Fl -- 9-14 (5) -- 14-11 (5) -- 24-09 (10) -- $10,000

50. Ramie Colson Jr -- Cadiz, Ky -- 11-05 (5) -- 13-02 (5) -- 24-07 (10) -- $10,000

51. Mike Surman -- Boca Raton, Fl -- 9-07 (5) -- 14-14 (5) -- 24-05 (10) -- $4,000

52. Brad Knight -- Wartburg, Tn -- 14-03 (5) -- 10-02 (5) -- 24-05 (10) -- $4,000

53. Guido Hibdon -- Sunrise Beach, Mo -- 9-00 (5) -- 15-03 (5) -- 24-03 (10) -- $4,000

54. Terry Bolton -- Paducah, Ky -- 10-13 (5) -- 13-04 (5) -- 24-01 (10) -- $4,000

55. Michael Neal -- Dayton, Tn -- 19-02 (5) -- 4-12 (2) -- 23-14 (7) -- $4,000

56. Stetson Blaylock -- Benton, Ar -- 14-00 (5) -- 9-13 (5) -- 23-13 (10) -- $4,000

57. John Cox -- Debary, Fl -- 12-08 (5) -- 11-04 (5) -- 23-12 (10) -- $4,000

58. David Wolak -- Wake Forest, NC -- 9-13 (5) -- 13-14 (5) -- 23-11 (10) -- $4,000

59. Charles Bebber -- Willis, Tx -- 14-04 (4) -- 9-02 (4) -- 23-06 (8) -- $4,000

60. Barry Wilson -- Birmingham, Al -- 10-05 (5) -- 12-07 (5) -- 22-12 (10) -- $4,000

61. Ken Golub -- Pittsford, NY -- 14-02 (5) -- 8-08 (5) -- 22-10 (10) -- $4,000

62. Glenn Browne -- Ocala, Fl -- 11-02 (5) -- 11-07 (5) -- 22-09 (10) -- $4,000

63. Robbie Dodson -- Harrison, Ar -- 13-10 (5) -- 8-13 (5) -- 22-07 (10) -- $4,000

64. Dakota Lucy -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 10-00 (5) -- 12-05 (5) -- 22-05 (10) -- $4,000

65. Bryan Thrift -- Shelby, NC -- 8-06 (5) -- 13-14 (5) -- 22-04 (10) -- $4,000

66. Jimmy Millsaps -- White, Ga -- 13-09 (5) -- 8-11 (5) -- 22-04 (10) -- $4,000

67. Robert Behrle -- Hoover, Al -- 12-02 (5) -- 10-01 (5) -- 22-03 (10) -- $4,000

68. Dearal Rodgers -- Camden, SC -- 10-07 (5) -- 11-12 (5) -- 22-03 (10) -- $4,000

69. Chris Neau -- New Orleans, La -- 16-02 (5) -- 5-15 (5) -- 22-01 (10) -- $4,000

70. Wesley Strader -- Spring City, Tn -- 9-15 (4) -- 12-00 (5) -- 21-15 (9) -- $4,000

71. Kendale Roach -- Knoxville, Tn -- 12-14 (5) -- 9-00 (5) -- 21-14 (10) -- $4,000

72. Stacey King -- Reeds Spring, Mo -- 7-13 (5) -- 13-15 (5) -- 21-12 (10) -- $4,000

73. John Voyles -- Petersburg, In -- 10-11 (5) -- 11-00 (5) -- 21-11 (10) -- $4,000

74. Clent Davis -- Montevallo, Al -- 14-00 (5) -- 7-10 (5) -- 21-10 (10)

75. JT Palmore -- Blackstone, Va -- 11-01 (5) -- 10-08 (5) -- 21-09 (10)

76. Glenn Chappelear -- Acworth, Ga -- 11-14 (5) -- 9-09 (5) -- 21-07 (10)

77. Spencer Shuffield -- Bismarck, Ar -- 15-04 (5) -- 6-02 (4) -- 21-06 (9)

78. Charlie Evans -- Gilbertsville, Ky -- 11-12 (5) -- 9-09 (5) -- 21-05 (10)

79. David Kromm -- Kennewick, Wa -- 12-01 (5) -- 8-15 (5) -- 21-00 (10)

80. Jonathan Newton -- Rogersville, Al -- 9-10 (5) -- 11-05 (5) -- 20-15 (10)

81. Kevin Hawk -- Guntersville, Al -- 9-14 (5) -- 11-01 (5) -- 20-15 (10)

82. Kyle Mabrey -- Mccalla, Al -- 9-06 (4) -- 11-08 (5) -- 20-14 (9)

83. Larry Nixon -- Bee Branch, Ar -- 11-07 (5) -- 9-06 (4) -- 20-13 (9)

84. Mike Reynolds -- Modesto, Ca -- 8-02 (5) -- 12-09 (5) -- 20-11 (10)

85. Dion Hibdon -- Sunrise Beach, Mo -- 8-15 (5) -- 11-12 (5) -- 20-11 (10)

86. Brent Long -- Cornelius, NC -- 10-13 (5) -- 9-13 (4) -- 20-10 (9)

87. Mark Rouse -- League City, Tx -- 9-14 (5) -- 10-12 (5) -- 20-10 (10)

88. Terry Segraves -- Kissimmee, Fl -- 11-08 (5) -- 8-15 (5) -- 20-07 (10)

89. Robert Pearson -- Herndon, Va -- 10-00 (5) -- 10-07 (5) -- 20-07 (10)

90. Thanh Le -- Lake Havasu City, Az -- 8-08 (5) -- 11-14 (5) -- 20-06 (10)

91. John Devere -- Berea, Ky -- 7-11 (5) -- 12-10 (5) -- 20-05 (10)

92. Colby Schrumpf -- Highland, Il -- 13-12 (5) -- 6-08 (1) -- 20-04 (6)

93. George Cochran -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 10-13 (5) -- 9-04 (5) -- 20-01 (10)

94. Clark Wendlandt -- Leander, Tx -- 7-12 (5) -- 12-00 (5) -- 19-12 (10)

95. Rob Kilby -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 11-15 (5) -- 7-11 (3) -- 19-10 (8)

96. Nick Larson -- Ball Ground, Ga -- 8-11 (4) -- 10-12 (4) -- 19-07 (8)

97. Chris Baumgardner -- Gastonia, NC -- 13-00 (5) -- 6-06 (5) -- 19-06 (10)

98. Mark Rose -- West Memphis, Ar -- 8-00 (5) -- 11-05 (5) -- 19-05 (10)

99. Scott Canterbury -- Springville, Al -- 6-04 (5) -- 13-00 (5) -- 19-04 (10)

100. Terry Baksay -- Easton, Ct -- 7-07 (3) -- 11-07 (5) -- 18-14 (8)

101. Kelley Jaye -- Dadeville, Al -- 8-01 (5) -- 10-11 (5) -- 18-12 (10)

102. Jason Reyes -- Huffman, Tx -- 9-07 (5) -- 9-03 (5) -- 18-10 (10)

103. Darrel Robertson -- Jay, Ok -- 11-15 (4) -- 6-09 (5) -- 18-08 (9)

104. Rusty Trancygier -- Hahira, Ga -- 6-14 (5) -- 11-10 (5) -- 18-08 (10)

105. Scott Suggs -- Bryant, Ar -- 6-01 (5) -- 12-05 (5) -- 18-06 (10)

106. Jimmy Houston -- Cookson, Ok -- 11-12 (5) -- 6-10 (4) -- 18-06 (9)

107. Keith Monson -- Harrodsburg, Ky -- 8-10 (5) -- 9-10 (5) -- 18-04 (10)

108. Christian Romans -- Carrollton, Ky -- 9-00 (5) -- 9-02 (5) -- 18-02 (10)

109. Clint Brownlee -- Tifton, Ga -- 4-15 (3) -- 13-01 (5) -- 18-00 (8)

110. Shawn Murphy -- Nicholasville, Ky -- 7-13 (5) -- 10-01 (5) -- 17-14 (10)

111. Kevin Snider -- Elizabethtown, Ky -- 4-00 (3) -- 13-13 (5) -- 17-13 (8)

112. Ray Scheide -- Dover, Ar -- 6-02 (5) -- 11-11 (5) -- 17-13 (10)

113. Shad Schenck -- Waynetown, In -- 6-02 (4) -- 11-11 (5) -- 17-13 (9)

114. Van Roy Foster Jr -- Dalton, Ga -- 9-03 (5) -- 8-09 (5) -- 17-12 (10)

115. Jim Milson -- Odessa, Tx -- 8-10 (4) -- 9-02 (5) -- 17-12 (9)

116. Greg Bohannan -- Rogers, Ar -- 8-01 (5) -- 9-09 (5) -- 17-10 (10)

117. Randy McAbee Jr -- Bakersfield, Ca -- 8-07 (5) -- 8-14 (5) -- 17-05 (10)

118. Chad Morgenthaler -- Coulterville, Il -- 6-13 (5) -- 10-00 (5) -- 16-13 (10)

119. Roland Martin -- Naples, Fl -- 6-09 (4) -- 10-03 (5) -- 16-12 (9)

120. Chad Grigsby -- Maple Grove, Mn -- 7-04 (5) -- 9-05 (5) -- 16-09 (10)

121. Christopher Brasher -- Spring, Tx -- 8-07 (5) -- 8-00 (3) -- 16-07 (8)

122. Mike Neilson -- Markham, On -- 7-03 (3) -- 9-03 (5) -- 16-06 (8)

123. Tim Wilson -- Gas City, In -- 9-01 (5) -- 7-00 (5) -- 16-01 (10)

124. Tom Mann Jr -- Buford, Ga -- 4-04 (2) -- 11-07 (5) -- 15-11 (7)

125. Tim Gaskill -- Edwardsville, Il -- 7-10 (5) -- 7-11 (5) -- 15-05 (10)

126. Payden Hibdon -- Sunrise Beach, Mo -- 3-11 (2) -- 11-05 (5) -- 15-00 (7)

127. Andrew Upshaw -- Hemphill, Tx -- 6-04 (5) -- 8-11 (4) -- 14-15 (9)

128. Wade Hendricks -- Thompsons Station, Tn -- 3-08 (4) -- 11-06 (5) -- 14-14 (9)

129. Kenneth (Boo) Woods -- Hazard, Ky -- 8-06 (5) -- 6-03 (5) -- 14-09 (10)

130. Jeff Cloud -- Lubbock, Tx -- 8-01 (3) -- 6-08 (3) -- 14-09 (6)

131. James Watson -- Waynesville, Mo -- 8-12 (4) -- 5-09 (3) -- 14-05 (7)

132. Jason Cordiale -- Orinda, Ca -- 4-05 (2) -- 9-15 (5) -- 14-04 (7)

133. Wes Thomas -- Hanover, In -- 9-10 (5) -- 4-10 (2) -- 14-04 (7)

134. Todd Schmitz -- Goshen, In -- 6-04 (4) -- 7-14 (5) -- 14-02 (9)

135. David Fritts -- Lexington, NC -- 10-13 (5) -- 3-01 (2) -- 13-14 (7)

136. Brandon Rummel -- Knoxville, Tn -- 3-12 (3) -- 9-14 (5) -- 13-10 (8)

137. Stuart Arthur -- Benton, Mo -- 4-01 (1) -- 9-07 (5) -- 13-08 (6)

138. Brien Vaughn -- Kinmundy, Il -- 6-07 (3) -- 6-15 (4) -- 13-06 (7)

139. Brad Rightnour -- Mingoville, Pa -- 7-02 (5) -- 5-15 (2) -- 13-01 (7)

140. Tom Redington -- Royse City, Tx -- 3-04 (2) -- 9-10 (5) -- 12-14 (7)

141. Jack Wade -- Knoxville, Tn -- 8-14 (3) -- 3-12 (3) -- 12-10 (6)

142. Jay Keith -- Camden, SC -- 8-05 (4) -- 4-05 (3) -- 12-10 (7)

143. Joseph Thompson -- Landenberg, Pa -- 7-15 (5) -- 4-11 (5) -- 12-10 (10)

144. Chris Wilkerson -- Conroe, Tx -- 8-02 (5) -- 4-00 (3) -- 12-02 (8)

145. Zach Caudle -- Shreveport, La -- 12-00 (5) -- 0-00 (0) -- 12-00 (5)

146. Ryan Chandler -- Hobart, In -- 3-11 (3) -- 8-00 (5) -- 11-11 (8)

147. Jason Meninger -- Gainesville, Ga -- 8-14 (5) -- 2-10 (2) -- 11-08 (7)

148. Jordan Card -- Cary, NC -- 0-00 (0) -- 10-14 (5) -- 10-14 (5)

149. Wil Hardy -- Harlem, Ga -- 5-11 (3) -- 4-14 (2) -- 10-09 (5)

150. Andy Gaia -- Tomball, Tx -- 5-03 (3) -- 4-03 (3) -- 9-06 (6)

151. Tim Griggs -- Paducah, Ky -- 9-00 (5) -- 0-00 (0) -- 9-00 (5)

152. Charlie Ingram -- Santa Fe, Tn -- 7-08 (5) -- 1-04 (1) -- 8-12 (6)

153. Kyle Welcher -- Opelika, Al -- 3-13 (3) -- 4-08 (3) -- 8-05 (6)

154. Rick Cotten -- Guntersville, Al -- 0-00 (0) -- 8-03 (5) -- 8-03 (5)

155. Jim Dillard -- West Monroe, La -- 1-03 (1) -- 6-14 (4) -- 8-01 (5)

156. Tony Chachere -- Opelousas, La -- 8-00 (4) -- 0-00 (0) -- 8-00 (4)

157. Richard Lowitzki -- St Charles, Il -- 4-02 (3) -- 3-12 (2) -- 7-14 (5)

158. John McGinnis -- Clarkson, Ky -- 6-13 (5) -- 0-00 (0) -- 6-13 (5)

159. Joe Nech -- Alba, Tx -- 2-04 (1) -- 3-11 (2) -- 5-15 (3)

160. Travis Loyd -- Kinmundy, Il -- 3-01 (2) -- 2-14 (2) -- 5-15 (4)

161. Michael Williamson -- Fort Smith, Ar -- 1-02 (1) -- 4-07 (3) -- 5-09 (4)

Sean Brehm -- Eddyville, Ky -- 0-00 (0) -- 0-00 (0) -- 0-00 (0)

Jerry Willis -- Atlanta, Ga -- 0-00 (0) -- 0-00 (0) -- 0-00 (0)

Big Bass

Day 2: Jason Christie -- 7-00 -- 500
Day 1: Brandon Coulter -- 5-13 -- $500

Morehead Leads Tightly Packed Field After Day 1

2012-03-09T07:33:00.001-08:00

Morehead Leads Tightly Packed Field After Day 1:
Morehead Leads Tightly Packed Field After Day 1 Thursday, March 08, 2012

Photo: FLW/Gary Mortenson

Dan Morehead's 20-pound sack was headed up by a pair of 5-pound largemouths.

By BassFan Staff

A bout with the flu limited Dan Morehead to just a day and a half of practice for the Hartwell FLW Tour Major. The reduced time on the water certainly didn't hinder him on day 1.

The veteran from Kentucky, who won the EverStart Series Championship last fall but hasn't prevailed at the tour level since 2003, brought in a 20-14 sack to snatch the early lead. He said the Alabama Rig played a big role in his day, but he caught fish doing other things as well.

He holds a 2-ounce lead over 2nd-year pro Matthew Steffan of Illinois, who weighed 20-12. He's fishing a specific pattern for pre-spawn female largemouths, but is limited to just a few productive areas.

Californian Brent Ehrler caught fish from depths ranging from 2 to 50 feet and boxed the other 20-pound sack (20-04 to be precise), grabbing the No. 3 position. Alabamian Blake Nick, another 2nd-year pro, is 4th with 19-11.

Georgia's Micah Frazier made it a trio of sophomore-season competitors in the Top 5 with a 19-07 stringer.

Here's a look at the bottom half of the Top 10:

6. Clifford Pirch: 19-06
7. Michael Neel: 19-02
8. Shane Long: 18-06
9. Jay Yelas: 18-05
10. Lancen Halbert: 18-01

Following a practice period that featured violent wind and blue skies, the field was greeted by overcast conditions with just a mild breeze today. Overall weights might've been a bit higher than anticipated as 23 competitors sacked 15 pounds or more.

It appears as if the A-Rig (along with some of its various knock-offs) will be a substantial factor throughout the event, but won't dominate like it did in the FLW Tour Open at Guntersville last fall. A few anglers indicated that its effectiveness may increase if the wind picks up again.

Tomorrow's forecast for the Anderson, S.C. area calls for morning showers with a high temperature of 60 degrees and a north/northeast wind to 7 mph. The field will be cut to the Top 20 after the weigh-in.

Only the Top 10 will advance to Sunday, when the winner will be determined by highest cumulative weight.

Morehead Feels Good

> Day 1: 5, 20-14

Morehead, who caught the flu bug from his 7-year-old daughter, would've had an even better bag had he not lost a 5-pounder at the boat. His haul included a pair of 5-pound largemouths and a 4-pound spotted bass.

"I caught some fish in the little bit of time I got to practice, but they weren't that size," he said. "In that sense, I was caught off-guard a little bit. I just kind of put things together as I went.

"I feel good and I think I can go out and catch some fish (tormorrow), but I don't know if I'll be able to do it the same way. I am confident about the areas I'm in."

He went through at least 15 keepers, with most coming on the A-Rig (which he used to win the EverStart Championship at Kentucky Lake) or a Scrounger head. He described the big one that got away as "a miscommunication between me and my co-angler, I believe. It just didn't work."

It won't bother him if the wind picks up again.

"The one full day of practice I had it was windy and I was hoping to get some more of that – I really didn't expect to do great today. If we can get a cloudy, windy day, I assume it'll be a good day of fishing."

Photo: FLW/Gary Mortenson

Matthew Stefan is focusing on pre-spawn females sitting in deep, cold water.

2nd: Stefan was Ready

> Day 1: 5, 20-12

Stefan followed up a good practice with an excellent day 1.

"I had 2 (practice) days where I either caught or shook off roughly 18 or 19 pounds," he said. "I'm running a specific pattern and I really need three things to come together. I've got four or five spots I'm rotating through, and it's a grind.

"I think I caught nine fish on 10 bites today. When I do get bit, most of them are pre-spawn females. They're coming from deep, clear, cold water – the temperature is 53 degrees. They're not really even thinking about moving up to spawn."

He used a variety of baits to compile his bag, including a jerkbait, an A-Rig, a jig and a swimbait. He weighed all largemouths.

"I pull up on a spot and throw one bait, and then come back through with another. I basically fish each area with four or five baits. I know the fish are there – I can see them on the graph – and sometimes one of similar size will follow the one I've got hooked. It's a matter of triggering them.

"Location is the key, and my problem is I don't know this lake well enough. I could do a lot better if I had 20 places, but I've only got a few and I'm going to live and die by them."

3rd: Ehrler was Surprised

> Day 1: 5, 20-04

Ehrler said he'd have been happy if he'd caught 15 pounds today.

"I didn't think that kind of size was there and it'll be hard to duplicate," he said. "I caught a big one here and a big one there. There's quite a few good fish on a few of those spots, but there's a lot of little ones, too."

He fished both shallow and deep and employed several different tactics, one of which was throwing a Picasso School-E-Rig (an A-Rig knock-off). He boated about 20 keepers and the biggest was a 5 1/2-pounder.

"I'm kind of junk-fishing, but then in a way I'm really not. They're definitely staging fish and they're getting in these areas before pulling up. I laid off a few areas because I didn't feel I needed to beat them up.

"I've got plenty of water to fish and hopefully I can continue to get some of the bigger bites."

Photo: FLW/Gary Mortenson

Brent Ehrler fished both shallow and deep and employed a variety of tactics.

The decreased wind suited him just fine.

"I think it helped – it definitely made it easier to run around and fish. As far as it being overcast, I kind of think that maybe that doesn't matter. The timing isn't a sun/cloud issue."

5th: Frazier Needed Patience

> Day 1: 5, 19-07

Frazier's day went from good to great with a couple of big bites in the final hour.

"The first day of practice I had a good day, and I did the same things in the same areas today," he said. "I had to wait today, though – it took a little while for the big ones to pull up in the shallow, stained water.

"I caught two of the big ones later than I'm even going to be able to fish tomorrow (he was in the last flight today), so it might be tough to do it again."

He caught all largemouths and two of them topped 5 pounds. He lost a couple of 2-pounders, but neither would've gone to the scale.

"I'll do pretty much the same thing tomorrow, but I narrowed it down quite a bit today and I'll start in a different area in the morning. I'll go a little farther out and maybe catch some a little deeper first."

6th: Trio of 5s for Pirch

> Day 1: 5, 19-06

Pirch's sack contained three fish that each weighed more than 5 pounds.

"I was hoping for that (kind of weight), but I thought maybe they'd all be 4-pounders," he said. "It was one of those deals where I was fortunate to get those three big ones.

"They were kind of spread out – I caught one in the morning, one at mid-day and one late. I've got a little longer day tomorrow, so I'm excited about that. I'll have more time to slow down and get to work."

He caught approximately 10 keepers on the day – about half from deep water and the others near the bank.

Photo: FLW/Gary Mortenson

Micah Frazier got his two best bites late in the day.

"I'm doing a number of things. I caught two of the big ones shallow and the other one deep, and I also lost a big one out deep.

"I did catch a couple on the A-Rig, but it's not a major part of my gameplan. I don't have much experience with it – we can only use two hooks in Arizona. But you can't ignore it, I guess. Just about every boat you drive by is throwing it."

8th: Long Focused on Quality

> Day 1: 5, 18-06

Long knew he wouldn't get nearly as many bites as some other competitors and wasn't entirely sure he could fill out a limit.

"I'm around quality fish, but I didn't know if I could get five bites or not," he said. "I ended up catching six keepers and two of them were right around 5 pounds each. All of them were largemouths.

"I fished shallow early, but I think that was a mistake. I thought I could catch a couple real quick and I only caught one. I did lose a keeper, but it wouldn't have helped. Then I moved out deep and ended up catching all my good ones out there."

The A-Rig wasn't part of his attack today, but he plans to experiment with it as the event progresses.

"If I'm going to throw it, I'd like to have a little more wind than we had today. I just gained confidence in something else and stuck with it."

He'd prefer to not see the sun at all on day 2.

"If it gets cloudy tomorrow, I think I can catch them."

110th: Thrift's Big Ones didn't Bite

> Day 1: 5, 8-06

Bryan Thrift was befuddled by his inability to catch any quality whatsoever today.

"I did what I thought I needed to do to catch a giant bag, but they did not bite," he said. "I'm going to do the same thing in the same places tomorrow and hope they do bite. I know the potential's there for a 25-pound bag.

"The worst thing was I actually culled three times."

He lost the best bite he had, but said that one likely wasn't over 3 pounds.

"I'll need a huge bag to catch up, and the way I'm fishing is the only chance I've got to catch it. I fished docks and ran pockets for the last 2 hours today and I got some bites, but the quality wasn't any better."

He lives just an hour and a half from the lake in Shelby, N.C., but this is only the second time he's fished it.

"Wylie and Norman are so much fun that I just never come here. Plus, I hate these blueback herring lakes."

Notable

> Day 1 stats – 163 anglers, 123 limits, 14 fours, 13 threes, 5 twos, 4 ones, 4 zeroes.

Weather Forecast

> Fri., March 9 - A.M. Showers - 60°/37°
- Wind: From the N/NE at 6 mph

> Sat., March 10 - Sunny - 63°/35°
- Wind: From the E/NE at 13 mph

> Sun., March 11 - Partly Cloudy - 66°/46°
- Wind: From the E at 5 mph

Day 1 Standings

1. Dan Morehead -- Paducah, Ky -- 20-14 (5)

2. Matthew Stefan -- Park Ridge, Il -- 20-12 (5)

3. Brent Ehrler -- Redlands, Ca -- 20-04 (5)

4. Blake Nick -- Adger, Al -- 19-11 (5)

5. Micah Frazier -- Newnan, Ga -- 19-07 (5)

6. Clifford Pirch -- Payson, Az -- 19-06 (5)

7. Michael Neal -- Dayton, Tn -- 19-02 (5)

8. Shane Long -- Springfield, Mo -- 18-06 (5)

9. Jay Yelas -- Corvallis, Or -- 18-05 (5)

10. Lancen Halbert -- Enoree, SC -- 18-01 (5)

11. Tom Monsoor -- La Crosse, Wi -- 17-15 (5)

12. Matt Arey -- Shelby, NC -- 17-10 (5)

13. Brett Hite -- Phoenix, Az -- 17-07 (5)

14. Todd Auten -- Lake Wylie, SC -- 17-04 (5)

15. Jim Moynagh -- Carver, Mn -- 17-01 (5)

16. JT Kenney -- Palm Bay, Fl -- 16-06 (5)

17. Shinichi Fukae -- Palestine, Tx -- 16-05 (5)

18. Chris Neau -- New Orleans, La -- 16-02 (5)

19. Cody Meyer -- Auburn, Ca -- 15-11 (5)

20. Anthony Gagliardi -- Prosperity, SC -- 15-10 (5)

21. Randall Tharp -- Gardendale, Al -- 15-07 (5)

22. Spencer Shuffield -- Bismarck, Ar -- 15-04 (5)

23. David Dudley -- Lynchburg, Va -- 15-02 (5)

24. Todd Hollowell -- Fishers, In -- 14-13 (5)

25. Jacob Powroznik -- Prince George, Va -- 14-09 (5)

26. Dave Lefebre -- Erie, Pa -- 14-08 (5)

27. Craig Dowling -- Nashville, Tn -- 14-05 (5)

27. Travis Fox -- Rogers, Ar -- 14-05 (5)

29. Adrian Avena -- Vineland, NJ -- 14-04 (5)

29. Charles Bebber -- Willis, Tx -- 14-04 (4)

31. Brad Knight -- Wartburg, Tn -- 14-03 (5)

32. Ken Golub -- Pittsford, NY -- 14-02 (5)

33. Allen Boyd -- Salem, In -- 14-01 (5)

34. Stetson Blaylock -- Benton, Ar -- 14-00 (5)

34. Clent Davis -- Montevallo, Al -- 14-00 (5)

36. Marty Stone -- Fayetteville, NC -- 13-14 (5)

37. Brandon Coulter -- Knoxville, Tn -- 13-13 (5)

38. Colby Schrumpf -- Highland, Il -- 13-12 (5)

39. Robbie Dodson -- Harrison, Ar -- 13-10 (5)

39. Scott Martin -- Clewiston, Fl -- 13-10 (5)

39. Vic Vatalaro -- Kent, Oh -- 13-10 (5)

42. Randy Blaukat -- Joplin, Mo -- 13-09 (5)

42. Jimmy Millsaps -- White, Ga -- 13-09 (5)

44. Tim Mcdonald -- Prestonsburg, Ky -- 13-07 (5)

45. Ishama Monroe -- Hughson, Ca -- 13-06 (5)

46. Andy Morgan -- Dayton, Tn -- 13-05 (5)

47. Justin Lucas -- Guntersville, Al -- 13-04 (5)

48. Ron Shuffield -- Bismarck, Ar -- 13-01 (5)

49. Chris Baumgardner -- Gastonia, NC -- 13-00 (5)

50. Jason Christie -- Park Hill, Ok -- 12-14 (5)

50. Kendale Roach -- Knoxville, Tn -- 12-14 (5)

50. Pete Thliveros -- Saint Augustine, Fl -- 12-14 (5)

53. Luke Clausen -- Spokane, Wa -- 12-12 (5)

54. John Cox -- Debary, Fl -- 12-08 (5)

54. Derrick Snavely -- Rogersville, Tn -- 12-08 (5)

56. Jacob Wheeler -- Indianapolis, In -- 12-05 (5)

57. Robert Behrle -- Hoover, Al -- 12-02 (5)

58. David Kromm -- Kennewick, Wa -- 12-01 (5)

59. Zach Caudle -- Shreveport, La -- 12-00 (5)

60. Rob Kilby -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 11-15 (5)

60. Darrel Robertson -- Jay, Ok -- 11-15 (4)

62. Glenn Chappelear -- Acworth, Ga -- 11-14 (5)

63. Charlie Evans -- Gilbertsville, Ky -- 11-12 (5)

63. Jimmy Houston -- Cookson, Ok -- 11-12 (5)

65. Jim Tutt -- Longview, Tx -- 11-10 (5)

66. Terry Segraves -- Kissimmee, Fl -- 11-08 (5)

67. Larry Nixon -- Bee Branch, Ar -- 11-07 (5)

68. Ramie Colson Jr -- Cadiz, Ky -- 11-05 (5)

69. Glenn Browne -- Ocala, Fl -- 11-02 (5)

69. Tim Johnson -- Dallas, Ga -- 11-02 (5)

71. JT Palmore -- Blackstone, Va -- 11-01 (5)

72. Terry Bolton -- Paducah, Ky -- 10-13 (5)

72. George Cochran -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 10-13 (5)

72. David Fritts -- Lexington, NC -- 10-13 (5)

72. Brent Long -- Cornelius, NC -- 10-13 (5)

76. John Voyles -- Petersburg, In -- 10-11 (5)

77. Dearal Rodgers -- Camden, SC -- 10-07 (5)

78. Barry Wilson -- Birmingham, Al -- 10-05 (5)

79. Bill Day -- Frankfort, Ky -- 10-01 (5)

80. Dakota Lucy -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 10-00 (5)

80. Robert Pearson -- Herndon, Va -- 10-00 (5)

82. Cody Bird -- Granbury, Tx -- 9-15 (5)

82. Wesley Strader -- Spring City, Tn -- 9-15 (4)

84. Kevin Hawk -- Guntersville, Al -- 9-14 (5)

84. Koby Kreiger -- Okeechobee, Fl -- 9-14 (5)

84. Mark Rouse -- League City, Tx -- 9-14 (5)

87. David Wolak -- Wake Forest, NC -- 9-13 (5)

88. Gary Yamamoto -- Palestine, Tx -- 9-11 (4)

89. Jonathan Newton -- Rogersville, Al -- 9-10 (5)

89. Wes Thomas -- Hanover, In -- 9-10 (5)

91. Jason Reyes -- Huffman, Tx -- 9-07 (5)

91. Mike Surman -- Boca Raton, Fl -- 9-07 (5)

93. Kyle Mabrey -- Mccalla, Al -- 9-06 (4)

94. Van Roy Foster Jr -- Dalton, Ga -- 9-03 (5)

95. Tim Wilson -- Gas City, In -- 9-01 (5)

96. Tim Griggs -- Paducah, Ky -- 9-00 (5)

96. Guido Hibdon -- Stover, Mo -- 9-00 (5)

96. Christian Romans -- Carrollton, Ky -- 9-00 (5)

99. Dion Hibdon -- Sunrise Beach, Mo -- 8-15 (5)

100. Jason Meninger -- Gainesville, Ga -- 8-14 (5)

100. Jack Wade -- Knoxville, Tn -- 8-14 (3)

102. James Watson -- Waynesville, Mo -- 8-12 (4)

103. Nick Larson -- Ball Ground, Ga -- 8-11 (4)

103. Troy Morrow -- Eastanollee, Ga -- 8-11 (5)

105. Jim Milson -- Odessa, Tx -- 8-10 (4)

105. Keith Monson -- Harrodsburg, Ky -- 8-10 (5)

107. Thanh Le -- Lake Havasu City, Az -- 8-08 (5)

108. Christopher Brasher -- Spring, Tx -- 8-07 (5)

108. Randy McAbee Jr -- Bakersfield, Ca -- 8-07 (5)

110. Bryan Thrift -- Shelby, NC -- 8-06 (5)

110. Kenneth (Boo) Woods -- Hazard, Ky -- 8-06 (5)

112. Jay Keith -- Camden, SC -- 8-05 (4)

113. Mike Reynolds -- Modesto, Ca -- 8-02 (5)

113. Chris Wilkerson -- Conroe, Tx -- 8-02 (5)

115. Greg Bohannan -- Rogers, Ar -- 8-01 (5)

115. Jeff Cloud -- Lubbock, Tx -- 8-01 (3)

115. Kelley Jaye -- Dadeville, Al -- 8-01 (5)

118. Tony Chachere -- Opelousas, La -- 8-00 (4)

118. Mark Rose -- West Memphis, Ar -- 8-00 (5)

120. Joseph Thompson -- Landenberg, Pa -- 7-15 (5)

121. Stacey King -- Reeds Spring, Mo -- 7-13 (5)

121. Shawn Murphy -- Nicholasville, Ky -- 7-13 (5)

123. Clark Wendlandt -- Leander, Tx -- 7-12 (5)

124. John Devere -- Berea, Ky -- 7-11 (5)

125. Tim Gaskill -- Edwardsville, Il -- 7-10 (5)

126. Charlie Ingram -- Santa Fe, Tn -- 7-08 (5)

127. Terry Baksay -- Easton, Ct -- 7-07 (3)

128. Chad Grigsby -- Maple Grove, Mn -- 7-04 (5)

129. Mike Neilson -- Markham, On -- 7-03 (3)

130. Brad Rightnour -- Mingoville, Pa -- 7-02 (5)

131. Rusty Trancygier -- Hahira, Ga -- 6-14 (5)

132. John McGinnis -- Clarkson, Ky -- 6-13 (5)

132. Chad Morgenthaler -- Coulterville, Il -- 6-13 (5)

134. Roland Martin -- Naples, Fl -- 6-09 (4)

135. Brien Vaughn -- Kinmundy, Il -- 6-07 (3)

136. Scott Canterbury -- Springville, Al -- 6-04 (5)

136. Todd Schmitz -- Goshen, In -- 6-04 (4)

136. Andrew Upshaw -- Hemphill, Tx -- 6-04 (5)

139. Ray Scheide -- Dover, Ar -- 6-02 (5)

139. Shad Schenck -- Waynetown, In -- 6-02 (4)

141. Scott Suggs -- Bryant, Ar -- 6-01 (5)

142. Wil Hardy -- Harlem, Ga -- 5-11 (3)

143. Andy Gaia -- Tomball, Tx -- 5-03 (3)

144. Clint Brownlee -- Tifton, Ga -- 4-15 (3)

145. Jason Cordiale -- Orinda, Ca -- 4-05 (2)

146. Tom Mann Jr -- Buford, Ga -- 4-04 (2)

147. Richard Lowitzki -- St Charles, Il -- 4-02 (3)

148. Stuart Arthur -- Benton, Mo -- 4-01 (1)

149. Kevin Snider -- Elizabethtown, Ky -- 4-00 (3)

150. Kyle Welcher -- Opelika, Al -- 3-13 (3)

151. Brandon Rummel -- Knoxville, Tn -- 3-12 (3)

152. Ryan Chandler -- Hobart, In -- 3-11 (3)

152. Payden Hibdon -- Sunrise Beach, Mo -- 3-11 (2)

154. Wade Hendricks -- Thompsons Station, Tn -- 3-08 (4)

155. Tom Redington -- Royse City, Tx -- 3-04 (2)

156. Travis Loyd -- Kinmundy, Il -- 3-01 (2)

157. Joe Nech -- Alba, Tx -- 2-04 (1)

158. Jim Dillard -- West Monroe, La -- 1-03 (1)

159. Michael Williamson -- Fort Smith, Ar -- 1-02 (1)

Sean Brehm -- Eddyville, Ky -- 0-00 (0)

Jordan Card -- Cary, NC -- 0-00 (0)

Rick Cotten -- Guntersville, Al -- 0-00 (0)

Jerry Willis -- Atlanta, Ga -- 0-00 (0)

Big Bass

Day 1: Brandon Coulter -- 5-13 -- $500

Low Water Level Makes Hartwell Different Than Last Year

2012-03-09T07:32:00.001-08:00

Low Water Level Makes Hartwell Different Than Last Year:

Wednesday, March 07, 2012

Photo: FLW

Jason Christie won at Hartwell last year by fishing in the bushes, but those bushes are on dry land right now.

By John Johnson
Senior Editor

The FLW Tour is at Lake Hartwell for the second time in 50 weeks, but the gigantic, serpentine South Carolina impoundment is a much different fishery right now than it was a year ago.

Jason Christie flipped willow bushes en route to victory here in 2011. But due to a relatively dry winter, the water level is about 6 feet lower this time around and, as Andy Morgan put it, "the only thing guys are doing in those bushes is rabbit hunting."

The lake will therefore likely fish more similarly to how it did in February 2008, when Alton Jones won the Bassmaster Classic by plying ditches with a spoon and a jig. He pulled timber-oriented, pre-spawn fish from as deep as 35 feet.

Lest we forget, though, the Alabama Rig is in play this time around. The umbrella-style contraption can be set up to get real deep, real fast, and you can bet that just about every angler in the field experimented with one during practice.

Very few of Hartwell's bass have begun the spawning ritual, but reports from the field indicate that some are getting ready to. If the pre-spawn stage were broken down into sub-stages, there'd be fish in all of them, which puts them in every type of water (deep or shallow, clear or muddy, etc.) at the moment. Catching a limit won't be a problem for most – whether they're throwing the A-Rig or not – but they'll toss back a lot of puny fish for every 3-pounder they put in the livewell.

Before getting much further into the bite, here's the lowdown on the lake itself.

BassFan Lake Profile

> Lake Name: Lake Hartwell
> Type of Water: Lowland reservoir
> Surface Acres (full pool): 56,000
> Primary structure/cover: Standing timber, points, humps, creek channels, brushpiles, docks
> Primary forage: Shad, blueback herring, crawfish, bream
> Average depth: 45.6 feet at full pool
> Species: Largemouths, spotted bass
> Minimum length: 12 inches
> Reputation: An expansive, quality fishery with excellent average size, but unpredictable from spring through summer, since fish move a lot day-to-day in relation to blueback herring. Contains some bruiser spotted bass.
> Weather: A mixture of sun, clouds and maybe some thunderstorms. A big temperature dip is forecast for the weekend.
> Water temp: Mostly in the 50s
> Water visibility/color: The color varies from muddy in the very backs of creeks to almost gin-clear in some areas.
> Water level: Several feet below full pool (significant, as most of the willows and buckbrush are now on dry land)
> Fish in: All depths
> Fish phase: Pre-spawn
> Primary patterns: Alabama Rigs, plastics, jigs, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, crankbaits
> Winning weight: 62 pounds
> Cut weight (Top 10): 44 pounds
> Fishing quality (1=poor, 5=great): 3 for Hartwell
> Biggest factors: Adaptability – the conditions (and therefore the fish) are changing daily
> Biggest decision: When to leave a place that's producing plenty of fish, but not the right quality
> Wildcard: The Alabama Rig – a guy using it in the right place could produce some heavy sacks.

The A-Rig Factor

This will be the first tour-level event ever contested in which the A-Rig is both legal and a known entity from the start. FLW announced that it was fair game in January, shortly after B.A.S.S. banned it for the Classic and the Elite Series, and it's safe to assume that everyone in the field is at least somewhat familiar with using it.

Here's a look at how Hartwell lays out.

How big of a factor it'll be here is debatable at this point, but it's a certainty that a lot of competitors will be slinging one around.

"I don't think it'll play a huge role, but there will be some checks cashed on it," Morgan said. "I don't see it being totally dominant, but I could be wrong about that. I'm pretty sure it won't turn out to be another Guntersville."

Said Stetson Blaylock: "Somebody will catch them on it, but it won't be me. I've seen a lot of guys throwing it, but I haven't heard anybody say that it really worked.

"That's a bait that you've got to be committed to, and in this event it might be hard to stay committed to a bait like that. You might not get enough bites on it."

The Blueback Conundrum

Hartwell is one of several lakes dotting the Southeast region that harbor a substantial population of blueback herring. The nomadic baitfish are unpredictable in their movements, and they can thus cause the bass to take on that same air of irregularity.

Some anglers find them so confounding that they've stopped considering them altogether. If they happen across a situation in which the bass are gorging on them, great. Otherwise, they'll build their gameplan around other elements.

The consensus seems to be that the bluebacks are currently roaming the 50- to 60-foot depth range and have not yet moved up for their own spawn, when they become particularly vulnerable to the bass. Where they are right now, they're mainly providing nutrition for the deeper-dwelling stripers.

"These herring lakes are just weird," said Wesley Strader. "For one thing, you can't idle a boat over them – they'll swim off. You have to see them with your eyes because they usually won't let you get a look at them on the graph.

"The whole deal with them is the first hour of the morning. If you know where they are right then, you could do well."

Field Notes

Here are practice notes from some of the anglers who'll be competing this week.

Terry Baksay
"The fish aren't where I think they should be, but what's going to end up happening is they're going to change every day, and the person who changes with them is the one who's going to do well.

"I've seen a few fish cruising, but I haven't seen any on beds. Last year they came up really quick – this is one of those lakes where that seems to happen really fast. I think it's definitely something you have to look for.

"I've caught fish from 2 to 25 feet and there hasn't been any rhyme or reason to it. It's junk-fishing for me, but I love that. I like it when you can do a lot of different stuff and move around quite a bit."

Jason Christie
"The water's way, way lower than last year and there's (no vegetation) in it, and it's cold. It was not a fun practice for me – it was probably one of the worst practices I've ever had. I've caught one here and one there, but I can't put a pattern together.

"It worries me that I'm not catching any females. Last year I was catching them in practice, and that tells you that they're coming to you. I've kind of got my little area that I want to fish – this place is too big to go running around a whole lot – but I haven't been able to locate quality in it.

"Somebody will catch big sacks the first couple of days, but not everybody. Somebody's going to find them grouped up out there deep."

Stetson Blaylock
"I had 2 good practice days, then a slow day (on Tuesday). It's definitely not easy, but I'm pretty confident. It's all about getting the big bites – on this lake you have to wade through a lot of smaller ones to get one of the bigger ones.

Photo: FLW/Shaye Baker

Bryan Thrift is always strong at the start of a new season and is fishing in his home region this week.

"It's totally different than last year – the water's 6 or 7 feet lower, it's a whole lot cooler and the fish aren't as far along (in their seasonal progression). It's a whole different ballgame.

"I think maybe by the end of the day Thursday, or maybe Friday, some will be caught off beds and weighed in, but it's definitely not going to be won that way. Those big ones aren't up there yet – they're still out roaming."

Andy Morgan
"I did way better when it was windy (on the first 2 days of practice). It calmed down (on Tuesday) and everything really slowed down for me. I was catching fish on anything I wanted, but then it became not so easy. I expect things to change as it warms back up, though.

"It wouldn't take much to get me to scratch my whole plan and start all over. I'm teetering on doing something totally different and I might catch something, or I might not. I don't see anybody catching a lot of spawning fish – we're just not going to have the weather for it."

Mark Rose
"My practice was what I'd call just fair. I caught lots of fish, but I didn't see the quality I would've liked to have seen yet. I did catch a couple of random nice fish, but I don't have anything I can bank on with big ones.

"As far as shallow or deep, I think I'll incorporate a little of both. I spent some time deep and there are some fish out there, but I'm not finding real big ones out there, either. A lot of them are spots, and spots aren't what you need to be targeting. There will be a lot of nice spots weighed in, but if you're fishing only for them, you're just fishing for a check.

"I'm just going to have to fish hard. I've got some schools found, but I'll need to find that 4- to 6-pound bite, and I think I'm going to have to be shallow for that."

Marty Stone
"I had a decent practice. This is a typical blueback lake and this time of year, you need to either be fishing 30 feet down or you have to fish in the dirt. I haven't found a lot in between.

"Catching a limit won't be that big of a deal because they're biting in both places, but coming across the right quality is the hard part. You have to go through a lot of little fellas to get the fish you want. And by quality, I'm talking anything over 3 pounds.

"The fish here are notorious for getting in ditches and suspending at about 25 feet. This is the perfect setup for that, but I haven't found in consistency in catching them."

Dave Wolak
"I feel like this is a pattern lake and whatever I find I can expand on, even during the event. That's kind of what I did (Tuesday) – I ran a lot of water and fished moving baits. It's setting up to be one of those kinds of tournaments.

"This should be a good fisherman's tournament, where you have to adapt on the fly. The weather and a lot of things are going to be different than they were in practice. I think the way Alton fished in '08 might be the way to go – just hunker down and grind it out."

Top 10 to Watch

With the above in mind and more, here's BassFan's recommendation on the Top 10 to watch at this event.

1. Bryan Thrift – He's from this part of the country, he's back on top of his game and he's always – always – strong at the start of a new season. He should still be around come Sunday.

2. Brent Ehrler – He was the runner-up here last year and conditions might be even better suited for him this time around. Versatility is the name of his game.

3. Andy Morgan – He's equally adept at fishing shallow or deep, and a combo attack using a lot of the water column might be just the ticket this week.

4. Anthony Gagliardi – The South Carolina native has some knowledge of this place, and that could be a big factor with the water level down. The former Angler of the Year (AOY) is coming off a very poor 2011 and needs to get this points campaign started off right.

5. David Dudley – The defending AOY has been on a lackluster run since logging a Top 10 at the Forrest Wood Cup last August, but that won't last. He's back in his home region and should be able to turn his momentum back around.

6. Stacey King – The veteran from Missouri is still a pre-spawn wizard, as he proved at the start of 2011. He can catch them from any depth at this time of the year.

7. Dave Lefebre – He notched a Top 10 at this event last year and he's not one to mess around with small spotted bass. He'll likely either turn in a very strong finish or be no factor whatsoever.

8. Troy Morrow – Another home-region guy who's familiar with the ways of the blueback herring. He can also find – and catch – larger-than-average spots.

9. Larry Nixon – With all the ballyhoo over the A-Rig, it'd be ironic if this tournament were won on a regular old plastic worm. And if that can indeed happen, he's just the guy to do it.

10. Jay Yelas – Not many situations befuddle him at this stage of his career, and he's on a nice roll with four finishes of 13th or better in his last six outings. His versatility and patience should serve him well this week.

Launch/Weigh-In Info

Anglers will take off from Portman Shoals Marina (1629 Marina Road, Anderson, S.C.) at 7 a.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and at 7:30 a.m. Sunday (Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday). Thursday's and Friday’s weigh-ins will be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday's and Sunday’s weigh-ins will be held at the TD Convention Center (One Exposition Drive, Greenville, S.C.) beginning at 4 p.m.

Weather Forecast

> Thurs., March 8 - A.M. Clouds/P.M. Sun - 71°/53°
- Wind: From the S at 9 mph

> Fri., March 9 - Few Showers - 69°/44°
- Wind: From the W at 6 mph

> Sat., March 10 - Partly Cloudy - 61°/41°
- Wind: From the E/NE at 13 mph

> Sun., March 11 - Cloudy - 61°/52°
- Wind: From the E/NE at 7 mph

Notable

> BassFan Big Stick Luke Clausen has filed his practice report, and he's optimistic that he can catch a strong bag on day 1. To read it, along with Jay Yelas' earlier report, click here.

More Head of the Class

2012-03-09T07:30:00.001-08:00

Dan Morehead of Paducah, Ky., grabbed the overall lead in the Pro Division on day one of the FLW Tour Lake Hartwell event with a total catch of 20 pounds, 14 ounces. (Photo by Gary Mortenson)

Kentucky veteran claims top spot in Pro Division on Lake Hartwell, Johnson nets co-angler lead

08.Mar.2012 by Gary Mortenson
ANDERSON, S.C. – Dan Morehead of Paducah, Ky., arguably had the worst practice of the entire field heading into the FLW Tour Major on Lake Hartwell. It wasn’t so much that he couldn’t figure out how to catch fish, it was more that he couldn’t figure out how to stay on the water.
“My son brought home a stomach bug and I got it. Honestly, I’ve never had anything like this before,” said Morehead. “It really wiped me out. And by Sunday, I had no energy at all. I could barely lift up the trolling motor. So, I decided to lay down on my boat for a little bit. The next thing I knew I had fallen asleep on the deck of my boat for four hours. I wound up doing everything I could just to get back to the marina. Once I got back, I didn’t get out of my bed again until Tuesday. And that put me in a total panic.”
With virtually no practice time to speak of and facing off against the best anglers in the nation, Morehead clearly had his work cut out for him. But shortly after Thursday’s opening takeoff, something very interesting – and unexpected – happened.
“I found myself in a total zone,” said Morehead. “I could do no wrong. Every decision I made was the right one. It was truly a day given by God. As it turned out, getting sick like that just might have given me an advantage. Because I didn’t have any preconceived notions about this lake heading into today.”
Ultimately Morehead landed a total catch of 20 pounds, 14 ounces, chasing around bass relating to blueback herring.
“That was the key for me,” said Morehead. “Blueback herring like to migrate and the fish just follow them around. I caught some of my good fish on the Alabama Rig but I had a couple of other deals that were working as well. I was fishing deep and fishing shallow. I was basically running a pattern where I’d be literally running down the lake until I saw a place I liked. Then I’d pull over and fish it. For me, catching that 20-pound bag today was just icing on the cake.”
While Morehead didn’t want to get into too many specifics, he said that he primarily targeted suspending bass.
“They weren’t in the middle of the lake, but the fish I was going after were staging in about 20 to 28 feet of water. They were really relating to those bluebird herring. I really hope that some of the places where I caught my better fish will reload. But we’ll just have to wait and see tomorrow.”
As far as day two is concerned, Morehead said he’s going to take the same general approach unless conditions changes dramatically.
“I’m fishing both deep and shallow but the fish want to go shallow real bad,” he said. “I feel like I’m in some good areas and if I get some wind and some clouds, watch out. So far though, the bluebird herring are the key. And I actually think a lot of the guys are making this more complicated than it needs to be. But that’s good for me.”
Stefan off the lead by 2 ounces
Matthew Stefan of Park Ridge, Ill., parlayed a total catch of 20 pounds, 12 ounces into a second-place finish at the conclusion of today’s weigh-in.
“It feels good but it was a real, slow grind out there for me today,” said Stefan. “I only had about nine or 10 bites all day and you really just had to sit on top of these fish and grind them deep. I’m rotating between about five or six spots but the fish aren’t very active. So it’s tough fishing. Today, I didn’t even have a limit until about noon.”
Stefan said that he’s basically fishing an entire arsenal of baits and has been moving around quite a bit.
“I don’t have one magic spot,” he said. “I go here, catch one. I go there, catch another one. I’m fishing anywhere from 20 to 50 feet. My fish aren’t even thinking about spawning and like I said, they’re not real active. So you have to have a lot of patience.”
Stefan said he’s throwing everything from swimbaits, to A-Rigs, to jigs and jerkbaits.
“I’ll throw something for awhile and if I don’t get bit, I switch to something else,” he said. “But the key for me is the sun. When the sun comes out, my bite really turns off. You could definitely say I’m basically fishing for a home run every time.”
Ehrler nets top-three finish
Bolstered by a total catch of 20 pounds, 4 ounces, Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., headlined a strong contingent of western pros making plenty of noise so far on Hartwell.
“I’m ecstatic,” said Ehrler, who picked up a third-place finish by the end of weigh-in. “I told myself that I’d be happy with 15 pounds today so it was a good day overall. This is a really fun lake to fish. I really like this lake – you can run to a lot of spots you know well and run to spots that you’ve never fished before and have some success.”
Ehrler said that he caught fish in anywhere from 2 to 50 feet of water.
“This lake is in a typical staging pattern right now,” he said. “The fish are moving shallow and when you find those transition areas, you’re going to have some success. As far as baits are concerned, I’m doing a lot of junk fishing. And I’m obviously fishing some deep and some shallow water as well. The fish are really finicky and they’re moving around a lot. Tomorrow, I’m just going to let the day dictate what I’m going to do.”
Nick keeps leaders in sight
At the end of the day, Blake Nick of Adger, Ala., parlayed a total catch of 19 pounds, 11 ounces into a fourth-place finish.
“I didn’t lose any fish today and made good decision all day long so I’m happy,” said Nick. “I figured if I could get a few big bites today I could get close to that (19-pound weight) and that’s pretty much what happened.”
Like many of the top pros, Nick said that he’s targeting fish with a variety of baits – Alabama Rigs, crankbaits, Shaky Heads, Tailspins and soft plastics.
“I’m fishing deep and shallow,” he said. “I’ve also fished one end of this lake to the other. I’ll catch one here and catch one there but I’ve basically been doing a little bit of everything. I did find this one area where if you can get the fish fired up, it’s fast and furious. But I wasn’t able to get any of my bigger bites from that area. So I wound up moving around quite a bit.”
So what’s the game plan heading into tomorrow?
“The fish here pretty much change everyday,” he said. “So I don’t have any preconceived notions as far as tomorrow goes. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
Best of the rest
Micah Frazier of Newnan, Ga., finished the day in fifth place overall with a total catch of 19 pounds, 7 ounces.
Rounding out the top-10 pros:

6th: Clifford Pirch of Payson, Ariz., 19-6

7th: Michael Neal of Dayton, Tenn., 19-2

8th: Shane Long of Springfield, Mo., 18-6

9th: Jay Yelas of Corvallis, Ore., 18-5

10th: Lancen Halbert of Enoree, S.C., 18-1
Brandon Coulter of Knoxville, Tenn., took home the Snickers Big Bass award in the Pro Division after landing a 5-pound, 13-ounce bass. Coulter won $500 for his catch.
For a complete list of the day’s results, click here.
True rookie takes co-angler lead
Fishing in the very first FLW Tour event of his career, Jason Johnson of Gainesville, Ga., made the most of it – parlaying a 16-pound, 2-ounce catch into a first-place finish.
“It was just a great day,” said Johnson. “I’ve wanted to tournament fish for a long time and I finally decided to give it a try. And I couldn’t be happier right now.”
Johnson said that having Brent Ehrler as a partner didn’t hurt either.
“During my first ever day of tournament fishing I draw Brent Ehrler,” he said. “So you can’t do much better than that.”
As far as fishing was concerned, Johnson said he targeted bass in deeper water with a combination of drop-shots and jigs.
“I’m from Lanier, so (Ehrler’s) style of fishing fits my style pretty well,” said Johnson. “We’re really mixing it up today. We fished anywhere from 2 to 50 feet of water. So it was a lot of fun.”
Tennison nets runner-up spot
Like Johnson, Michael Tennison of Russell Springs, Ky., was fishing in his first-ever FLW Tour event. And like Johnson, Tennison will probably remember this day for the rest of his career. Using a total catch of 16 pounds, 1 ounce, Tennison finished the day in second place overall.
And he couldn’t have been happier.
“Boy it was a nice day out there. This is my first FLW Tour Major and I’m in second place by an ounce,” said Tennison. “I’m freaking excited right now.”
Tennison said that not only did he have a great day on the water and wind up in second place, but he also learned plenty of new fishing techniques as well.
“Brett Hite was my partner and he taught me a couple of new things that I really didn’t know about today,” he said. ‘If I didn’t learn from him, I wouldn’t have caught what I caught. So it was a really good day for me.”
Tennison said that he targeted both deep and shallow water using a combination of Shaky Heads and split-shot rigs to land the majority of his catch.
Best of the rest
Philip Jarabeck of Lynchburg, Va., finished the day in third place with a total catch of 14 pounds, 2 ounces.
Meanwhile, Bryant Grimm of Kingsport, Tenn., and David Kuykendall of Fletcher, N.C., tied for fourth place overall with identical catches weighing in at 13 pounds, 10 ounces.
Ralph Myhlhousen of Council Bluffs, Iowa landed the day’s Snickers Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division with a catch of 6 pounds, 11 ounces. Myhlhousen won $250 for his efforts.
For a complete list of the day’s results, click here.
Bass-fishing fans take note
FLW Tour action continues during Friday’s takeoff, scheduled to take place at 7 a.m. at Portman Shoals Marina, located at 1629 Marina Road in Anderson, S.C.
Fans who can’t make tomorrow’s weigh-in in person can also tune into FLW Live on FLWOutdoors.com shortly before 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time to watch live streaming video and audio of Friday’s weigh-in.

Targeting the Spawn

2012-03-08T11:24:00.002-08:00

Spring is on the way so the Bass are headed for the beds and picking the right Bass fishing tackle for this time of year can be tricky. Do you know how to catch bedding Bass? Here are several new tips and techniques for catching these finicky fish during the spawn and I will explain them to you.

Sight fishing is one of the funnest ways to catch Bass. It is also one of the most frustrating. Bedding Bass do not bite out of hunger. They bite to defend there nest of eggs so rule number 1 is be patient and keep your distance. The goal is to see the Bass sitting on the bed but not spook them yet be close enough to make accurate cast and be able to watch your bait. Large female bass defend this nest with the utmost aggression so getting your bait in or right at the bed is critical.

Picking the right bait

Once you have found your beds the next step is picking the right lure. Bedding bass are defending the eggs from would be intruders who eat them. Bass have several enemies who eat there eggs depending on what part of the country you are in. Therefore Bass fishing tackle should vary depending on where you are fishing. If you live in the south( Below the Mason Dixon line) lizards and craw's are your best bet. If you live up north and are fishing the great lakes during the spawn the goby is your lure of choice. This little fish is well known for stealing small mouth eggs. If you are looking for a universal bait that will work well all over then there are 2. The bluegill/sunfish and the crawfish are the best choices. Any of these soft plastic baits will work.

How to fish it

There is a new log head that I am excited to tell you about. It's the stand up jig. Pairing this new jig head with a soft plastic craw makes it an awesome bed bait. This ingenious new shaky head jig stands up on end so the craw stands up with claws out like it is in defense mode. This is irresistible to a Bass. Get this Bass bait near a bed and the Bass will strike for sure. Texas rigging a stick worm or lizard is also a very good way to get the big finicky female to bite and of course old faithful, you cannot leave out the tubes. Dropping a tube into the bed is still one of the deadliest ways to get bedding Bass to bite. Natural looking soft plastic swim baits offer convincing targets for bedding Bass as well. Just get it in or near the bed and let it sit.

I hope this helps put more fish in your live well. Enjoy your next fishing trip!

Sincerely,
Tripp McKay

Please visit http://www.discountbassfishingtackle.com to see my large selection of Bass fishing tackle.

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tripp_E_McKay

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Sun And Weeds Are Keys To Lefebre's Ice-Out Tactic

2012-03-08T11:20:00.001-08:00

Sun And Weeds Are Keys To Lefebre's Ice-Out Tactic:

Wednesday, March 07, 2012

Photo: FLW

Dave Lefebre said anglers fishing Northern-tier lakes during ice-out should concentrate their efforts on the north shore.

By Terry Battisti
Special to BassFan

For those anglers who live in the Southern-tier states, ice-out is a foreign concept. Moderate winter temperatures allow year-round fishing in water that rarely dips below the 50-degree mark.

In the North, though, the scene is much different. Summer transitions into fall and then winter – when the surface of lakes, reservoirs and even rivers freezes solid. About all the serious angler can do is drill holes through the ice in order to placate the desire to catch fish for up to 4 long months.

Late winter brings one of the best times of year, though – ice-out. To a Southern angler, ice-out can only mean one thing – bitter cold weather. Whereas, to the serious Northern angler, it means something else – free water and a rapid increase in surface temperature. This rapid increase in water temperature also signals the fish to move shallow into the warmest water they've seen in months.

In this installment of BassFan Pro Fishing Tips, FLW Tour pro and Pennsylvania resident Dave Lefebre talks about fishing ice-out – one of his favorite times of the year to be on the water.

Sun and Weeds Dictate Area

“Ice-out offers the most dramatic surface temperature increase you’ll see the entire year,” Lefebre said. “But that isn’t the only thing an angler needs to consider when fishing at this time. Sun angle is also really important. In the southern lakes, the sun is relatively high in what we consider spring. But in the North, it’s still low on the horizon, and this will dictate what area of the lake to fish.

“In nearly all the lakes I fish in the North, the northern side of the lake always has the biggest concentration of fish that are willing to eat. The fish are always where the sun shines most.”

But there’s another variable that plays a major role in Lefebre’s ice-out success.

“Weeds are the second thing that come into play this time of year. I generally start out in the same places that I fished in the fall, the last places that had good weed growth. These areas have the best grass and actually hold bluegill, crappie and perch all winter long. Where you have the bait, the bass will be close by. It’s your typical forage-prey relationship.”

He doesn’t just look for any weeds, though. He’s primarily looking for milfoil and coontail, the latter being the best.

This isn’t just going-down-the-bank type of fishing, though, he added.

“What you’re looking for are flats in 4 to 14 feet of water. Once you locate the flat, then look for the dark and light areas. The dark areas are where the grass is and where they butt up against lighter areas signify a change in the bottom composition.

"You’re not really keying in on one thing because the fish are pretty random this time of year. You just have to search them out day to day."

Tactics and Tackle

Once you’ve located a flat that contains a good weed population, Lefebre suggests two baits – one to find the fish and the second to clean up.

“When I first come into a weedy flat this time of the year, I prefer to throw a blade-type bait like a Jann’s Netcraft VibE,” he said. “This bait allows me to fish the area quickly to find the fish. Then, once I find the fish, I throw out some buoys and change to a Countdown Rapala.”

“The Countdown Rapala is a lost bait, but it’s my favorite bait to throw right after ice-out. I cast the bait out and let it sink into the grass. When it sinks, it kind of has a Senko-like fall, so always pay attention when you go to move it the first time – a lot of the time this is when you get bit.

“If you don’t get bit on the initial fall, pull the bait as if you were fishing a worm. As soon as you feel the lip hit the grass, stop it for a few seconds and then give it a sharp yank to clear the grass. As soon as you feel it wobble, stop it and let it sink back to the bottom. Work the bait like this all the way back to the boat.

“The best flats seem to be in the 6- to 12-foot depth,” he added. “The bait sinks slow and you have to fish it slow, so any deeper than that isn’t good.”

He mainly uses the CD9 version, but sometimes will use the CD7. He also keeps his color selection simple by using only silver/black, gold/black and chartreuse (if the water’s dirty). But he has a little trick he does to the bait to make it more weedless.

“I take off the belly hook completely,” he said. “Then I replace the rear hook with a No. 3 Gamakatsu treble hook and cut off the bottom hook all the way to the bend so it doesn’t hang in the weeds.”

His rod of choice for the Countdown isn’t the typical rod you’d normally throw with a jerkbait.

“I use a 6 1/2-foot medium-heavy casting rod with 14-pound fluorocarbon,” he said. “I’m fishing the bait more like a worm and don’t need the shock-absorbing characteristics of a rod normally used for cranks and jerkbaits. Also, the fluorocarbon line sinks and gives me better contact with the bait."

For the VibE, he uses a little bit different tackle.

“With the VibE, I use a rod like you’d throw a 'Trap on. I also use 30-pound Suffix 832 braid with it. It’s just like fishing a trap in the weeds and the braid helps me rip the bait free from the weeds.”

His color selection for the VibE is the same as for the Countdowns – silver, gold and chartreuse – and he prefers the 3/8- to 1/2-ounce sizes.

“Like I said before, this is a bait that no one throws,” he said. “It’s my favorite way to fish this time of year and I’ve had days when three of us in the boat caught over 200 fish. It’s not just a Northern thing, either. I’ve caught fish like this at Okeechobee in the winter and any lake that has a lot of grass flats."

Scanlon Not (Just) In Kansas Anymore

2012-03-08T11:19:00.001-08:00

Scanlon Not (Just) In Kansas Anymore:

<i>By Jonathan Manteuffel
Special to BassFan</i>

Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Photo: B.A.S.S./Deb Johnson

Casey Scanlon's rookie year on the Bassmaster Elite Series will be filled with new experiences.

By Jonathan Manteuffel
Special to BassFan

Not many anglers can say they won the very first bass tournament they ever entered, but Casey Scanlon did it. He was only 15 years old then. Now, at age 27, he's finally running with the big dogs in the 2012 Bassmaster Elite Series.

One of just two Kansans on the tour, this will be his first year in the Elites. He is one of a handful of true rookies in the 100-angler field.

"This is something I've always dreamed about doing," he said. "I started my own landscaping company so I could have time off to fish. Then I worked my way up through local and regional tournaments. Finally last year I decided to do the (Bassmaster Central) Opens, and got a break."

His break was that veteran Tommy Martin, who finished ahead of Scanlon in the points, declined his invitation to the Elite Series. Only the Top 5 in each division of the Opens received invitations, but when Martin opted not to fish, B.A.S.S. offered the 6th place-finisher the spot.

That was Scanlon, and he jumped at it.

"It's been a financial struggle getting my ducks in a row, but I'm tired of mowing grass," he noted. "I've been (tournament fishing) since I was 15, and the last 5 or 6 years I've fished 30 to 40 tournaments a year. I would drive to the Ozarks and practice just 1 day and still be able to compete with the big names in the region.

"This year I'm ready to step up my game."

Ready to Learn

Doing that will require that he learn at a very fast pace. The Elites get under way next week in Florida, where if you're not fishing grass of some sort, you're probably not catching fish. Unfortunately for him, there isn't much grass to fish in Kansas.

"Grass fishing will be new to me. I made a trip to Okeechobee and the St. Johns to start learning it this winter. It's an overwhelming, amazing thing to look at when you idle out into miles of (vegetation), but I'm looking forward to fishing there. That will benefit me in the long run – I'll learn more in 1 season on the tour than in 2 or 3 years fishing around home.

"I'm interested to see how my style compares to the other guys, and looking forward to learning new lakes and getting experience. Then when we get up North, I may be working hard learning to use a dropshot rig. I'm not good at looking at them on a graph while I fish for them."

What he is good at is power fishing.

"I catch a lot of fish on a shallow crank and a jig," he said. "I love throwing a jerkbait, too, and I'll probably do quite a bit of that this year. And, of course, I like throwing a topwater. That's everybody's favorite when they're hitting it.

"I haven't done a lot of traveling, so that will be exciting," he added. "I'm also looking forward to the Mystery Lake. That's a concept I like."

The event he's most looking forward to is the Bull Shoals stop next month.

"It's the only one I've fished tournaments on before (out of the eight stops on the Elite Series schedule). Hopefully it won't be in full-out spawn. With the mild winter we've had, it has a chance to be that. But even if it is, I'm comfortable fishing Ozark lakes and highland reservoirs, so I'm looking to do well there."

Some Advice from a Veteran

One of the anglers fishing the Elites who Scanlon already knows is fellow Kansan Brent Chapman, who recently won the Lewisville Central Open – the same tournament in which Scanlon placed 2nd last year. Despite the connection, they aren't planning on sharing information routinely on tour.

"Brent has been helpful on financial advice and sponsors and stuff," he said. "But he already has his own (network). I talked with (fellow rookie) Jared Miller a little at the Lewisville Open, and we may room together some, but we'll probably do our own thing (fishing-wise).

"I'll be kind of flying solo. I won't be sharing information with anyone. I really don't know anybody well enough on tour at this point."

Despite all the new lakes, techniques, travel, financial concerns and the higher level of competition, Scanlon believes he can be competitive right away.

"It might be lofty, but I'd love to win Rookie of the Year," he said. "I'm really competing against only nine or 10 guys, and this year it's pretty much true rookies – not like when David Walker or somebody (moved over from the FLW Tour). We all have a good chance.

"And of course I'd love to qualify for the Classic on Grand Lake next year," he added. "I've fished there quite a bit, and I like it. I'll have to have some good finishes and make some checks. I'll just have to keep my head down, focus on fishing and not let the financial thing or stress get to me."

Pro Tips Weekly: Jason Christie

2012-03-08T11:17:00.001-08:00

After catching a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 8 ounces, pro Jason Christie sits in second place. (Photo by Brett Carlson)

Take the lures you’re likely to need

07.Mar.2012 by Jason Christie
A fisherman should work out the tackle management system that makes sense to him. By this time of year, I’ve gone through my boat and replenished everything I think I might need anywhere the tournament trail goes. Otherwise, I take each tournament on an individual basis and I load the stuff I think I might need for a particular lake and time of year. I have a process I follow. In my garage I store a lot of tackle and when I get ready to hit the road, I’ll go around and drop the lures I think might come into play into one of two strong plastic bags. Then I put the bags in my truck and I’m good to go. Of course, a fisherman needs to pack a little of everything. However, I used to pack so much stuff it looked like I had five or six ricks of wood in the back of my truck. Take some spares, take some stuff that fits in with seasonal patterns and take some stuff in case of unforeseen circumstances – such as a passing cold front or thunderstorm that muddies the water unexpectedly. A lot of different stuff will work at different times, but you don’t need to haul it around every time you go fishing.
--- Rayovac Pro Jason Christie, Park Hill, Oklahoma

Performance Psychology

2012-03-08T11:16:00.001-08:00

06.Mar.2012 by Jay T. McNamara, Ph.D., L.P., aka Dr. Fish
Successful fishing is a complex process requiring mastery over your intellect, emotions, and behavior. To consistently catch fish you have to be able to think clearly, control your emotions, and act efficiently, displaying both urgency and care, depending on the issues at hand.
Based on the natural skills you were born with, and what you learned through life experiences, you already have some sense of mastery over your intellect, emotions, and behavior. However, performance psychology techniques allow you to take this mastery to a much higher level. It's kind of like fishing with a cane pole, dacron line, and a bobber, versus using a graphite rod, a 10 ball-bearing spinning reel, and premium fluorocarbon line. You can catch fish with either, though most of us would rather have the spinning outfit, eh? In subsequent articles I will talk about mastering emotions and behavior. For now let’s focus on using your intellect for maximum effectiveness.
In addition to my performance psychology work, I also do pre-employment and promotional evaluations for several large companies. When evaluating job applicants, intellectual capacity (brainpower) is a good predictor of whether someone will be successful or not. First and foremost, you have to be smart enough to do the job at hand. If you can’t figure out how to do the work of accounting, mechanical drafting or bricklaying, it’s unlikely you’ll be successful at those jobs.
What is equally important is how you use and develop your intellectual skills. Physical strength is a great analogy. The body you were born with has a certain amount of arm and leg strength, though if you want to, you can go to the gym, work out, lift weights and get substantially stronger. Similarly, regardless of the natural intellect you have, there are a number of things you can do to strengthen and expand your analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Category width is a great concept, one that all would-be successful anglers should get to know. It refers to how wide or inclusive your mental categories are. So for example, one of the categories you use (whether you know it or not) is pre-spawn bass baits. For starters, take a look at what’s in that category now. You probably have spinnerbaits and jerkbaits, and you might also have jigs and rattle-baits. Would you consider making your pre-spawn bait category bigger? How do you do that? Well, you could review magazine or Web site articles on pre-spawn tournaments in your area for the last five years. Take note of the lures the top five finishers used, and see if you might add one (or three) of these to your arsenal.
Alternately, you might think about shrinking or consolidating one of your categories. Last summer, I helped a guy in our bass club “evaluate” his plastic-worm category. We started in his boat, moved to the garage and ended up in his basement. By actual count, we sorted through 326 bags of plastic worms, some of them dating back to 1976, based on sales receipts stapled to the bag. For this guy, shrinking this category will make finding and using plastic worms a lot easier.
Intellectual flexibility is one of my favorite performance psychology concepts. Like some of you, I have a remarkable capacity to get into a mindless, chunk-and-wind routine during which many minutes, sometimes hours, go by while I have not had a single conscious thought about what I’m doing. Of course, if while doing this every 10th cast produces a four-pounder, then I would say keep it up. However, that’s not usually the case, and I end up being zoned-out, rather than “In the Zone.”
Several intellectual or cognitive flexibility techniques can be helpful here. One of them is no more complex than using the alarm on your watch or cell phone. Let’s say you are practice-fishing for a tournament, and you want to make sure you don’t get into a rut. Set your alarm for 15 minutes and when it rings ask yourself: “Do I want to keep doing this for another 15 minutes, or do I want to change something?” Maybe you decide to change spots, or perhaps you may change something subtle like casting angle, the size or color of lure, or your retrieve speed. Even if you change nothing at all, you are giving yourself an opportunity to sort through options and make proactive decisions rather than just getting into a mindless, non-thinking routine that fails to utilize your intellectual talents.
Whatever your natural intellect might be, just remember there are lots of ways performance psychology can help you stretch, strengthen, and expand your skills to become an even more effective angler.

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Jay T. McNamara, Ph.D., L.P., also known as Dr. Fish, has published his book “The Psychology of Exceptional Fishing.” You can order it by contacting Jay via e-mail at this address: jay.DrFish@gmail.com.
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Jay T. McNamara, Ph.D., L.P., is a psychologist, who is also an avid bass and walleye angler. With more than 27 years of professional experience complemented by participation in competitive fishing at local and national levels, he is uniquely qualified to illustrate

Several FLW Pros Sound Off On Using A-Rig

2012-03-05T06:03:00.000-08:00

Monday, March 05, 2012

By Todd Ceisner
Special to BassFan

Here's a question to ponder: What was the last lure, technique or piece of equipment to register as significant an impact on the bass-fishing universe as the Alabama Rig?

Ever since the multi-lure rig burst onto the scene last October when Paul Elias used it to tattoo the field at the Guntersville FLW Tour Open, winning by 17-plus pounds, its impact on the industry has been far-reaching. In the weeks and months since, the rig has been the talk of the town, creating an almost unprecedented buzz that shows no signs of simmering down. It has spawned a spirited debate over its place in tournament fishing – does it go against the spirit of the sport, or is it the next major innovative way for people to catch more and bigger bass? If nothing else, it sure has people talking and … fishing.

“This time of year, you go to a lake and the ramps are empty,” FLW Tour pro Brent Ehrler said last month. “Now, the ramps are full and it’s because of this rig.”

Various tackle companies are scurrying to capitalize on the hoopla as other versions of the umbrella rig are hitting the market, while some pros are experimenting with making their own and tailoring them for different conditions and applications. Rod manufacturers are now marketing umbrella rig-specific models. A quick scan of the "New Accessories" page on Tackle Warehouse’s website recently revealed that nearly a third of the 82 items displayed were directly related to an umbrella rig. Heck, there’s been so much discussion about, it one would think Tim Tebow had put his likeness on a bait.

Worth A Try

Many pros have spoken out in favor and against using the rig in competition. B.A.S.S. has prohibited the use of multiple-lure rigs in the Bassmaster Classic and in Elite Series tournaments this year, while FLW opted to allow them – provided they are used in accordance with state and local regulations.

BassFan spoke with several FLW Tour pros about the umbrella rigs and where they see them fitting into the tournament scene. Many believe the B.A.S.S. rules committee jumped the gun when issuing its zero-tolerance policy. Most FLW Tour pros are pleased with their circuit's ruling and are eager to see how the rig plays into decision-making during tournaments this year.

Allowing the rig in competition, some said, will at least provide a broader sample of data to study to determine if it'll be allowed in future years. After all, it’s evident how effective the rig can be in the fall and through the winter. It’s only fair, some say, to see how it plays through the spring and summer.

More than one pro admitted that when he was first introduced to the setup, either on the ramp by the product’s inventor Andy Poss or at a tournament, they chuckled at its appearance and dismissed it as just another gimmick. Who’s laughing now?

As one pro pointed out, people are sometimes resistant to change, and veering down a path that features multi-lure rigs may represent a radical change to some. However, in a results-driven world, one thing’s for sure: The Alabama Rig is here stay simply because it's so effective at catching fish.

Favorable Reception

Following is a sampling of opinions from FLW Tour pros on the Alabama rig, its usefulness, its future place in the sport and what tournaments it might play a deciding factor in this year.

Darrell Robertson

"I think guys better get one. I haven't fished it much this winter and really haven't caught any fish on it, but undoubtedly on lakes around me like Grand Lake, they're catching all kinds of fish on it. The only thing I have against it is it's going to allow people to catch fish when they're not that catchable. It might be something that'll cause the fish to not get much of a break.

"People come up with new ways to catch fish every year. It's probably one of the better things someone's come up with in a while. This is probably the hottest thing that's come along. With the new Structure Scan and Side Imaging and the Alabama Rig, it puts bass in a lot of danger. They'll all get used it, but it'll be something that will catch fish for a long time. It'll make all of the bass fishermen be more versatile.

“B.A.S.S. didn't allow it because there are 10 to 15 guys that cash a big, fat check every tournament and they don't have to change their way of fishing. I think FLW has led the way ever since FLW started and B.A.S.S. has kind of followed.

Photo: Plano
Brent Ehrler thinks the A-Rig might make its biggest impact during the summer months.

“(I think it’ll work at) Kentucky Lake. I don't think it'll be a big factor in the tournaments that are right around the spawn. You have to have the right conditions for it, but if the conditions are on, let me tell you, that thing will catch fish.”

Jay Yelas

“I love the innovation of the Alabama Rig. To me, it’s a whole new paradigm shift, going from the single bait to a multi-bait. It’s just fascinating to me how we’ve missed this for so many years and then overnight, it’s this huge sensation.

"When I first saw it last July, I just chuckled and thought it might catch some fish, but there was nothing special about it. It never clicked in my head until October when Paul Elias did that in that tournament. I was in that tournament and I got my hands on one and went back to the same area I’d been fishing the first 2 days where I was catching seven or eight keepers a day on everything I knew how to use. I went in there with the Alabama rig and caught 30 on the third day of the tournament. It was just one of those special days. I haven’t had that much fun in bass fishing in so long. To struggle on those fish for 2 days and just barely make the cut, and then find a new way to just whack them, that’s what fishermen live for.

“Everybody has a ton to learn about it. We’re still in the beginning stages of this thing. To me it’s not all about swimbaits. Who knows where it’s going to from here? You might see people rig up combinations of different baits like soft plastics or topwaters or whatever.

“In my 24 years of fishing as a pro, I’ve never seen a new product introduced into the sport of any sort that works so well and have people just want to ban it immediately. I’ve never seen anything like it. To me, that goes against the grain. I want to embrace the thing. I love it. I think it’s the coolest thing anybody’s invented in a long time.

“I’m really curious to see what it does on the national scene this year. I’m glad FLW is going to let us fish it just because everybody is so excited about it and I’m looking forward to seeing how good it really is. There are 10 FLW tournaments this year. Are half of them going to be won on the Alabama Rig? Who knows? It’s going to be exciting to find out. I know in the fall it’ll be good at Wheeler. I think it could be a big player in the Forrest Wood Cup. It could be good at St. Clair in August.”

Brent Ehrler

“I don’t think anything has ever hit the market like this. It was like the perfect storm on the Tennessee River with fall fishing, schooling fish, off-the-bank fish and suspended fish along with it, and that’s where it’ll be interesting to see how it plays out. It’s obviously winning every tournament through the middle of winter right now. It could be one of those where it continues to win tournaments through the spring. It’ll obviously win them in the summer. I think that’s when it’s really going to shine. It might just be a year-round thing. How long it will last, I don’t really know, but it has definitely rejuvenated everybody in the industry.

“I think it’s great for the industry as a whole as far as getting people involved and getting them out there and getting them excited about fishing. I think it’ll boost other tackle sales, too. You’d never think of a bait that could sell a boat, but I think it’s possible now.

“I think it’ll be a factor the entire year with the exception of Okeechobee and maybe the Potomac. I think a guy could, theoretically, go and catch them at any of the stops we go to and they could even catch them at the Potomac and Okeechobee, but it’s a different scenario with shallow water and grass. I just don’t think it’s going to shine in that stuff. But if you get into any kind of deep water I think it’ll work. I honestly believe it could work at every single one of the stops on the schedule this year.”

Luke Clausen

“I’m glad FLW did allow it. I think a lot of people are against it because they’re afraid everybody’s going to be able to catch them on it, but if that’s the case we’re all going to be throwing it and the guys who are better at finding fish are still going to be better at finding them, and they’ll catch them on that instead of throwing something else.

“I think it’s good for the sport, but I think there’s a lot of fear that guys who don’t know how to fish as well as others are going to catch them on it. If that’s the case, you better pick one up and go find a better area than everyone else.

“From what I’ve heard about it, those Ozark lakes will be good if we go there early enough. It’s going to be a deal where, in my opinion, if it’s cold it’s going to be good if they’re relating to shad. If it gets warm and they start getting around the bank, it’s not going to be the powerhouse that people think it’s going to be. I could be dead wrong, but I don’t think it’ll be that good then. As far as ledge-fishing, it seems like it would be good then, but I don’t know. I just haven’t done it enough to know. We’re all going to learn. From what I hear, it doesn’t appear to be as good on the blueback (herring) lakes like Hartwell and Lanier. It’s just not the bait it is on the Tennessee River and some of the river fisheries where they’re really following balls of shad.

“A lot of it will depend on the time of year, too. Right now, in my opinion, it’s probably going to be at its best. I’m not saying it’s not going to work some other time, but right now the fish are relating so heavily to those bait balls that it’s going to better now than ever, but I could be wrong.”

Photo: Sara Hageman Schenck
Shad Schenck said all the hoopla that's been created by the A-Rig is good for the sport.

Shad Schenck

“It’s a great rig and I’m sure every angler I know is excited for the opportunity to throw it. Of course, there’s a time and place for that lure just like there is for any lure. Everyone gets excited and there’s a lot of hoopla about a new lure that works really well and I think there’s been a lot of the same thing with this lure that there was with the ChatterBait and things like that.

“I’ve fished the FLW Tour for 13 years and I certainly wasn’t around when the jig came out and I wasn’t around when the buzzbait was invented, but I think it’s great for the sport. It’s created a lot of hoopla and gotten people excited about it.

“I think it is here to stay just like the Carolina Rig is here to stay and every other lure is here to stay. My rule is I’m not out there to test lures. I’m out there to win tournaments. I don’t throw a lure until it’s won a tournament and when it’s won a tournament it’s in my arsenal. I’ve never thrown anything unless I know it works. My time and every cast I make for the whole season are too valuable to be a tester.

“It’s certainly going to play a role at Kentucky Lake. I’ll be anxious to see if it does anything at Champlain, but certainly with the time of the year, it’s very doubtful. It’s more of a schooling bait so if we get into a situation where there are schooling fish, which could happen at Beaver Lake or Table Rock, then yeah, it’s going to come into play. It’s almost like asking me if a jig is going to win a tournament this year. I hope people have forgotten about some baits that I’m going to be throwing at certain times.”

Charles Bebber

"I’ve caught several fish on it since it came out. I finished 13th at the Everstart Championship at Kentucky Lake. I caught every bass on it. Granted, I was only able to use one hook in that deal, but I haven’t seen it do any damage to a fish that a crankbait or something like that wouldn’t do.

“You’d be crazy to not throw it under certain circumstances. If everybody’s catching them on it and you say, ‘I’m against it,’ you’re going to get beat.

“There are so many applications to it and I’ve already started tinkering with making my own and I’ve made some finesse versions for when we go to different lakes where I might feel like the wire might be a hindrance to catching them.”

Cox, York Found Their Own Unique Stuff

2012-03-05T05:58:00.000-08:00

By BassFan Staff
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Flipping mats was the route to winning the Okeechobee FLW Tour Open, as Randall Tharp proved by racking up more than 100 pounds over 4 days in Florida. There were other ways to earn a hefty paycheck, though, and John Cox and Jeremy York, the respective 2nd- and 3rd-place finishers, paved their own paths to single-digit placements.

2nd: John Cox

> Day 1: 5, 27-10
> Day 2: 5, 25-04
> Day 3: 5, 16-15
> Day 4: 5, 8-06
> Total = 20, 78-03

Florida's John Cox, a rookie winner last year at the Red River FLW Tour Major, spent most of this tournament in close proximity to the launch in Clewiston. He could've gotten to his best spot within minutes each morning powered only by his trolling motor.

He focused primarily on clumps of vegetation near the mouth of the Clewiston channel. "I'd just drift down through there and flip everything that was there," he said, noting that a spinnerbait also accounted for a few weigh-in fish.

He had no company at all for the first 2 days, when he weighed his big sacks. On day 3 the Soldier Appreciation event launched and, with many of those participants opting against long runs in a stiff north wind, the area saw a lot more traffic.

He ran to an area he'd been saving on ultra-windy day 4 and it didn't produce (he ended up catching his five squeaker fish on a small crankbait), but he still held onto the No. 2 slot by more than 4 pounds.

> Flipping gear: 7'6" heavy-action Shimano Clarus pitching rod, Abu Garcia Revo Premier casting reel (7.1:1 ratio), unnamed 50-pound braided line, 1/2-ounce Rattle Head jighead, Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver (junebug).

> Spinnerbait gear: 7'2" medium-heavy Shimano Clarus rod, same reel, unnamed 30-pound braided line, 1/2-ounce Rattle Head spinnerbait (white with gold willow-leaf blades).

> Cranking gear: 7'6" heavy-action Shimano Clarus flipping stick, same reel, unnamed 30-pound braid, unnamed 1/2-inch crankbait (white with blue belly).

> "I don't even know who makes that bait and it's one I can't find anymore," he said. He was forced to throw it on flipping gear because he didn't have a cranking setup in his boat at the time.

Main factor in his success – "The good weather the first couple of days and being around some big fish."

Performance edge – "The jighead had a loose hook, and I don't know if it was the clicking noise or what, but sometimes I'd just barely shake the line and a fish would pick it up."

Photo: FLW/Shaye Baker
Third-place finisher Jeremy York had to wrestle many of his fish out of the gator grass.

3rd: Jeremy York

> Day 1: 5, 20-06
> Day 2: 5, 22-15
> Day 3: 5, 17-08
> Day 4: 5, 13-05
> Total = 20, 74-02

Jeremy York had no worries about traffic in his primary area – there might not have been another angler in the field who'd considered venturing into Uncle Joe's Cut and attempting to wrestle fish out of the unrelenting gator grass.

Uncle Joe's is a narrow ditch connected to the rim canal that runs for several miles. He'd had a good first day there in last month's EverStart and was in position to make a run at a Top 10, but then got 30 bites on day 2 and landed exactly one of them to end up 55th.

"That stuff is unlike any other grass," he said. "Compared to gator grass, hyacinths or hydrilla are pretty easy to get fish out of. About half the fish I caught, I had to go and physically dig them out of the grass."

He'd originally figured the area was good for about 15 pounds and he had a little less than that on day 1 when he began thinking about pulling out. A 4-pounder convinced him to stay a while longer and two similar fish went into his livewell over the next hour.

"After that I thought I'd really milked it, but they'd reloaded in there the second day and they just kept replenishing. I lost two 5-pounders and a 3 on camera (on day 4). It was just so tough to get them out."

> Flipping gear: 7'6" extra-heavy G. Loomis rod, Lew's Tournament Speed Spool casting reel (6.4:1 ratio), 25-pound Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon line, 1-ounce Strike King tungsten weight, 4/0 Trokar flipping hook (attached with a snell knot), 4" Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog (Okeechobee craw).

Main factor in his success – "Probably the biggest thing was just listening to the fish. They were telling me what I needed to know and they just kept telling me to stay."

Performance edge – "The Power-Poles, especially with the wind blowing the way it was. When I really needed to pick a place apart, I could put the sticks down and take the time to really work on the area."

EverStart Series, FLW College Fishing events at Table Rock Lake canceled

2012-03-04T12:18:00.000-08:00

The aftermath of the Branson tornado and the destruction to the Port of Kimberling Marina at Table Rock Lake. The damage and infrastructure loss led directly to the cancellation of the EverStart Series Table Rock Lake tournament, scheduled for March 1-4. (Photo by Laura Powell)
Isolated storm damage from Branson-area tornado damages marina
29.Feb.2012

KIMBERLING CITY, Mo. – Damage sustained from severe weather in the area has forced the cancellation of the EverStart Series tournament scheduled for March 1-3 and the FLW College Fishing tournament scheduled for March 3 at Table Rock Lake. The severe weather that went through the area yesterday caused damage to the Port of Kimberling Marina and FLW tournament equipment.

“Our number one concern is the safety of our anglers, staff and the community,” said Kathy Fennel, FLW president of operations. “The storm that ravaged the area severely damaged the marina and much of the equipment needed to conduct a tournament, unfortunately we have no choice but to cancel the event at this time.

“There is no reason why this tournament won’t be rescheduled,” Fennel continued. “Right now we are looking at alternative dates but nothing has been decided at this time.”

Anglers were scheduled to take off from Port of Kimberling Marina located at 72 Marina Way in Kimberling City, Mo. Weigh-in was scheduled to take place at the marina on Thursday and Friday and Walmart located at 18401 State Highway 13 in Branson on Saturday, all activities have been canceled.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWOutdoors.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the EverStart Series on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.

About FLW

FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing unparalleled fishing resources and entertainment to our sponsors, fans and host communities. FLW is offering anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2012 over the course of 191 tournaments across five tournament circuits, each providing an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water,” through a variety of platforms including tournaments, outdoor expos and the world’s richest fantasy sports game – FLW Fantasy Fishing. For more information about FLW and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.

Tucker would like to run the Table

2012-03-04T12:10:00.000-08:00

Tucker would like to run the Table: Catbird's seat With Classic in hand, Tucker would like nothing more than to run the Table

Conventional wisdom isn't

2012-03-04T12:09:00.000-08:00

Conventional wisdom isn't: If you hang around enough tournament weigh ins, you'll hear all kinds of ideas and theories. Some are obviously correct, some are remarkably stupid, and some are up for grabs ...

Irons In Two Fires

2012-03-04T12:07:00.001-08:00

Monday, February 06, 2012

Photo: Bill Day
Bill Day claims that he works too much to be a good fisherman and fishes too much to be a good boat dealer.

By Lynn Burkhead
Special to BassFan

Sometimes, when you watch Bill Day make a cast from the deck of his boat, you might see him smile.

Why? Simply because he's out there on the FLW Tour, getting to live out a dream.

"I have a tremendous love of fishing, always have, and I'm willing to take a lot of licks on the chin," he said.

In his "real" job – he's a full-time boat dealer in Frankfort, Ky. – he's taken plenty of licks in recent years.

"I was afraid in 2008-09 that we'd go out of business because of the economy," Day said. "But last year was my most profitable year in the business, ever."

How did that turnaround happen? Day attributes at least a portion of it to key business relationships he has learned to develop.

"There were a couple of key things that enabled us to survive and get to last year," he said. "One was being a Ranger dealer. And the other was the partnership we have with REC Lending, which allowed us to make the dream of owning a boat a reality for our customers."

Not surprisingly, Day credits his presence on the FLW Tour to that same thing: key relationships.

"I live in a part of Kentucky where we don't have any really super-strong fishing spots," Day said. "When people think of fishing in my state, they automatically think of Kentucky Lake. But Kentucky Lake is 3 1/2 hours from where I live. So really, I've learned how to fish out here with these guys."

Ego Adjustment

Day says that he's the first to admit that he came onto the FLW Tour with a "fairly big ego" after having done well on fishing circuits in the Bluegrass State.

"But then I decided to fish the EverStarts and it didn't take long to figure out that I really didn't know what I was doing," he laughed.

Enter J.T. Kenney, the Florida pro with more than $900,000 in career earnings, two FLW wins, and 30 Top-10 finishes.

"I've had some really good friends on the Tour who have helped educate me," Day said. "I simply can't say enough about J.T. Kenney. He has really shown me a lot of stuff (about succeeding as a pro)."

Day, whose best 2011 finish was a 37th at Hartwell, is particularly enthused about putting some of that stuff to good use in the FLW Tour season opener this week at Lake Okeechobee.

"Yeah, I'm really looking forward to (that one)," he said. "Of course, it's Florida we're talking about, so the game changes moment to moment, but J.T. is one of best flippers in the world and he has shown me a lot that I'm looking forward to using."

Beyond the season opener, Day is also excited about how the remainder of the schedule sets up for him.

"I like to power fish and I like the schedule this year. I'm going to simplify all of my tackle and flip as much as possible. Because of that – and if they don't ban the Alabama Rig – I may be able to catch them this year."

If he's able to do so, it will be due in part to some of the lessons that he learned last season thanks to another successful FLW pro.

"Traveling and rooming with Shawn Murphy, last year's rookie of year on FLW, has also taught me quite a few things," he said.

Such as?

"He has a really strong work ethic," Day said. "I wanted to quit at 3:30 every day – my shoulders were hurting, my feet were hurting, etc. But after watching Shawn (and his dedication to succeeding), I learned that if I'm going to fish with these boys, then I'm going to have to get back after it pretty hard."

Caught in the Middle

While Day readily credits some of his fellow pros with helping him learn more about the business of fishing on the FLW Tour, don't think for a minute that he comes to the table with nothing to offer.

"It's not my day-to-day profession, but I think I can hang with those guys, and every once in a while get something done on the water," he said.

"I work too much to be a good fisherman and fish too much to be a good boat dealer. But this year, with a more stable economy, I've kind of turned a corner in my mind and I'm going to give everything I need to this year in order to be good at it."

Part of being able to turn that mental corner is due to the commitment of Day's employees to minding the fort so that he can concentrate on fishing.

"As far as my employees go, I'm just the luckiest guy in world," Day said. "A lot of guys might resent their boss getting to go fish and be on tour with all the pros. But not my guys. I think they know how hard it is, how hard you have to work at it, how hard I work at it."

Day says that many of his staff members are tournament anglers themselves, so they understand the grind of trying to succeed on two fronts.

"When I get to go, they're watching to see how I'm doing. They see me have my good days and they see me have my struggles. And when I struggle, I think it hurts them a little bit because they want to see me do good."

With his tournament skills improving, with his business stable, and with his employees backing his endeavor to be successful, Day is able to hit the water this year with few worries on his mind.

Add in financial sponsorships from the likes of Ranger, Mercury, Shimano, G. Loomis, Backwater Outfitters, and Team BassADX and it's easy to see why Day is highly optimistic about his chances in 2012.

"Some guys swing for the fence, but I'm going to try and knock it down," Day laughed. "And right now, with the season about ready to start, I'm like a kid who can't wait to get out of school.

"I'm getting better and I'm getting my confidence back," he added. "But I'm not going to be cocky about any of this. Instead, I'm going to be thankful for the good fortune I'm having."

Hopefully all the way to the Forest Wood Cup this year on Georgia's Lake Lanier.

Canadian angler gains huge fan following after top-20 finish

2012-03-04T11:53:00.001-08:00

01.Mar.2012 by Brett Carlson

There were several compelling storylines at the season-opening Walmart FLW Tour event on Lake Okeechobee – from Roland Martin's impressive return to Brandon McMillan's emotional fifth-place finish just weeks after his father's passing. Randall Tharp, of course, garnered the most attention by breaking through and notching his first Tour win on his favorite lake.

Amid the hectic tournament news cycle, there was one story that didn't receive the coverage it deserved. A 29-year-old Canadian angler drove 37 hours to south Florida to compete in his pro debut. Sounds like a donator, a recipe for disaster, right? For most fishermen, it would be. But not for Jeff "Gussy" Gustafson.

A native of Kenora, Ontario, Gustafson is well known in the North Country as a smallmouth stick. He's been fishing tournaments since he was 10-years-old when he received a paid entry fee as a Christmas present. Since then, he's claimed the area's most prestigious events – the Kenora Bass International and the International Falls Bass Championship.

"I grew up on the Canadian side of Lake of the Woods and I've been fortunate enough to make a living within the fishing industry most of my life," said Gustafson, who guides and writes in addition to competing in tournaments. "I'm just a fish-head; I live and breathe for bass fishing."

Gustafson has always had the itch to test his skills against the best in the sport. He never had the chance until Kruger Farms president and CEO Don Nelson approached him with a sponsorship opportunity.

"Last fall Don basically offered to help me out on the four Opens. This has always been a lifelong dream and Don made it a reality."

Gustafson had fished Okeechobee exactly once before the 2012 opener and was limited to sampling the rim canal due to low lake levels. With that lack of experience in mind, he traveled to Florida early to sample the nearby lakes while Okeechobee was off-limits.

"I spent a few days on Toho, Kissimmee and Istokpoga just fishing with family and friends. What I learned about Florida fishing is that you go a long time without getting a bite and then all of a sudden you'd find one of these stretches that held fish. So when the official Okeechobee practice started, I decided that's what I wanted to find."

Flipping turned out to be the dominant pattern for most, but Gustafson was able to coax some quality largemouths into chasing a bait.

"I used a new a prototype swimbait from Trigger X called the Slop Hopper. It's a Skinny Dipper-type bait. It's funny because I don't ever fish that way back home. But everywhere I went in Florida I could make it work.

"The other thing I learned during that practice time was that you were only going to get two cracks a day at catching those really big Okeechobee bass. There just wasn't a lot of 3- and 4-pounders. So the whole key to doing well was capitalizing on those two big cracks."

Gustafson executed his game plan flawlessly – catching limits of 15-2 and 19-2 the first two days and squeaking into the top-20 cutoff. His pattern consisted of throwing the Slop Hopper along a 1-mile stretch of small dollar-sized lily pads. Ironically, he started the first day within sight of several of the tournament leaders who were flipping mats on the northwest side of the lake. Even then, Gustafson had the confidence to stick with his buzzing strategy.

"Coming in, I didn't have lofty goals. I just wanted to make the top 50 and take home one of the big checks. But I was so happy when I made the cut. The best part was going to the mandatory meeting after weigh-in. It was so surreal being there with guys like Randall Tharp, Bryan Thrift and Jay Yelas. That was just wild."What happened the third day can best be described as a media frenzy. Shortly after takeoff, FLW's On-The-Water coverage page blew up with innumerable requests for updates on "Gussy." The user comments ranged from the simple "Gussy! Gussy! Gussy!" to the more patriotic "Gussy Nation out in full force today. Great representation for Canada."

Likewise, the social media world got Gussy Fever. Keep in mind this was a rookie pro who hadn't previously competed in a single FLW or BASS tournament. Before the event started, one member (who will go unnamed) of the On-The-Water coverage team didn't even know who Gustafson was. Others simply knew him as the guy fishing out of the tin boat. Rest assured, everyone knows "Gussy" now.

Ultimately his pattern died and he failed to make the top-10 cutoff. But 20th place out of 160 pros is an impressive feat nonetheless. Since the tournament, Gustafson has returned to the glacial lakes that line the Minnesota-Canada border. Instead of flip flops and Florida sun, he's back to his normal routine of drilling holes through 20-plus inches of ice in search of slab crappies.

In his personal life, he's proud to announce his recent engagement to longtime girlfriend August Collison. Other than that, Gustafson simply can't wait to fish the next FLW Tour Open, slated for the Detroit River in August.

"Now that the Majors are starting next week it is absolutely killing me to watch from the sideline; I wish I was fishing. I just hope that everything goes all right at the four Opens this year and if it does, I'm going to try and make a run at fishing all the events next year."

If Okeechobee was any indication, Gustafson has what it takes to compete full time. However, FLW's computer system, which runs the On-The-Water page, might not be able to handle a full dose of Gussy Fever.

The Best Fish Finder 101

2011-06-19T05:29:00.001-07:00

Perhaps you might be interested in precision fishing. And so you better secure the best fish finder around. It enables you to locate the whereabouts of fishes underwater with high-efficiency. And you've got great options to choose from. There many different varieties available on the market. In fact, each unit varies in terms of functionality, packaging, and brand.

By Functionality

Fish finders vary by functionality. Most likely, each one comes equipped with the basic fish finding system. Basically, it is equipped with SONAR component varying from single-beam, dual-beam, and multiple-beam types. It also comes along with an LCD screen displaying the underwater particulars fed by transducers. Fishing monitor ranges from monochrome to full colour display. Either way you should make sure that picture and pixel resolutions are at their finest. Apart from the basic highlights, there are some extra functions that you might find interesting such as the GPS tracking system enabling you to track down specific locations. Some are further incorporated with network sharing system to impart critical fishing spots to fellow enthusiasts. Besides, fishing can be a team effort, too!

By Packaging

Apart from functionalities, these fishing devices also differ in terms of packaging. More often than not, these are fashioned in typical fishing boxes mounted on top of solid arbours. These stuffs may even look like some TV units docked on ship decks. Unlike your typical TV, a fish finder presents real-time underwater scenario. Unfortunately, some people may not be likely to grab the boxed version for it can be hefty, especially when you are supposed to go fish hunting on a small boat. Luckily, there are some variants made compact in portable sizes. You can even find some of these devices in ultra-lightweight forms which you can carry whenever and wherever. There is also the wristwatch version which you can literally wear around your wrist.

By Brand

Furthermore, fish finders likewise differ in their trademarks. And you can find many of them ranging from economical to expensive brands. Topping the list of high-quality and costly fish finders, is the Furuno collection. Hummingbird Fish Finders has its counterpart of highly efficient units sold in great value offers. The Fishin Buddy series, for instance, is available in affordable prices without compromising the quality. For special fishing niche, you might want to check out Vexilar or Marcum fish finders selection meticulously crafted for ice fishing. There is but more options for you such as Hawkeye, Eagle, Lowrance, and many more.

There are many fishing devices sold on the market but we highly recommend the best fish finder. And for more details, check out Jennifer Ling's best fish finder review.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Choosing Humminbird Piranhamax Fish Locators on a Budget

2011-06-19T05:24:00.001-07:00

Ever spent all day on the lake and came back empty handed because you weren't sure where the fish were? If this sounds familiar then you might want to consider getting a fish locator to help you consistently find more fish. When looking for a fish finder you'll notice that they come in many different styles, sizes, and price ranges. The Humminbird Piranhamax is the entry level or budget line of fish finders by Hummingbird Fish Finders.

With 8 different Humminbird Piranha models you'll be able to find one that fits your needs. The Piranhamax fish locators are offered in stationary and portable models and both grayscale or color screens. The different models of Humminbird fish locators can make picking just one difficult.

Humminbird Piranhamax 150 Fishfinder

The entry level Piranha this model will pick up fish at a depth of up to 600ft and display them on the 4" grayscale screen. Using a single beam sonar to find where the fish are hiding this fish locator is great for the fishermen who either doesn't fish often or just wants to know if the fish are in the area. Mount the fish finder to your dash for easy viewing while floating down the lake or river.

Humminbird Piranhamax 160 Portable Fishfinder

For the fishermen looking for a fish finder that they can bring from boat to boat the Piranhamax 160 portable fish locator is sure to impress. Featuring a 4" grayscale screen and dual beam sonar this locator will find more fish because it has a wider coverage area. Everything you need can be stored in a convenient carrying case for easy transport. The transducer is suction-cup based for easy placement and removal. This portable fish finder comes complete with a battery that powers the unit for hours of operation on the water and a battery charger so you don't have to worry about connecting it to the boats power system.

Humminbird Piranhamax 180 Fishfinder

The Piranhamax 180 is the middle line in the Piranha series with tri beam sonar so you can see even more fish and under water terrain. Along with the wider sonar beam the 180 also has a crystal clear advance grayscale display. With the ability to find fish at up to 800 feet and a waterproof housing this fish locator will quickly become your go to tool on all your fishing trips. This unit is great for the fisher looking for the best possible coverage area for the price.

Humminbird Piranhamax 190C

Optimized for excellent coverage of the bottom the 190C is the only Piranhamax with a color screen. The narrow single sonar beam provides 20Ës of viewing for more precise views of fish that are holding close to underwater structures. You can spot fish at 800 feet with this fish finder making it great for the fishermen who wants easy viewing of the water bottom.

For more fish finders visit PoorFish Outdoors providing quality Outdoor Sporting Goods since 1995.

By Matt Heeb

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Alaska Fishing Trips are a Once In a Lifetime Experience

2011-05-27T13:43:00.003-07:00

Most of the time, people would think that fishing is just an ordinary activity. In fact, many would just visit a local fishing spot close to their home and treat it as a nice – but regular activity. Fishing at a heavily populated location near your home will truly bring this impression. However, it can be a once in a lifetime experience if you were to vacation at one of the many Alaska fishing trips you can find online.

Alaska fishing trips are starting to be known worldwide because of the various things they offer. This is not just a regular fishing outing. Whether you are an experienced or novice fisher there are lots of different activities to maximize the whole experience.

Fishing is one of the main attractions in the area. Staying within their beautiful lodges which have been built right along rivers and seas will surely be much more breathtaking than just staying at your typical location. They have all the best accommodations to match every client's needs. You will also find the best trips for your budget. Choosing any of these thrilling fishing trips will bring a great feeling. You will be welcomed by the sun upon waking up, tasty and fresh meals just waiting on the dining tables and a view of nature to guide you while fishing.

By being among one of the prime fishing locations in the country, they offer a wide array of fish types, depending on the season. Whether you are looking for seawater fish or freshwater fish, you are assured of the largest fish. You can also depend on the help of fishing experts to guide your charter.

Other exciting activities are also offered in the area. Fly fishing trips are available. For instance, they can also drop off guests at various areas where bears can be seen. Seeing wild bear in action may be one of the most memorable experiences of your lifetime. You may see them hibernating, fishing for their food, or just lazing around with their fellow grizzly families. In addition to bear watching, hunting trips are also available to give you a unique experience while in the area. They have guides who can help you hunt for deer, moose, and sheep. Make sure to look for these trips online so you can compare their itineraries and of course their prices.

Alaska fishing trips are by far different from what you will experience anywhere else. Make sure to look for these fishing trips today. Start looking for your ideal fishing package. The internet now has lots of sites to help you compare and find the perfect trip for your next vacation.

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The Ultimate Tips for Catfishing

2011-05-27T13:43:00.001-07:00

To become successful with catfishing you surely need to make use of the various tips for catfishing that are available. If it is concerning catfish that are kept in ponds, you can divide them into three main classes. The first one here is the Blue catfish. This type is known for its ability to grow into immense sizes and catching them may not be too fun. The same goes for the Flathead in terms of the monstrous size. For the third class there are catfish called the Channel catfish. The size of this fish is not intimidating.

The diet is one thing that features prominently when speaking of tips for catfishing. If it is for the Channel catfish, the preferred food is actually more of refuse as they prefer to scavenge on dead insects and fish. However, this attribute of theirs make them loved by the pond managers. Apart from the fact that they can be very easy to catch, they quickly adapt once they have been released. On the other hand, the Flatheads do not have a limit to the quantity and type of food they consume. They are really voracious when it comes to feeding and this increases their mobility, which in turn makes the catching more stressful.

Tips for catfishing have to be utilized properly to catch the catfish you desire. The kind of style that you employ is very important. In a situation where your intention is to net the heavier ones such as the Flatheads and the Blues, you will have to make use of the action rod alongside the reels, especially the spinning or bait casing types. At this stage, you need to know that the hooks used are of prime importance. If you want to ensure that the catfish does not just slip off, then you have to use a treble hook instead of a hook with a single point.

To catch very small fish you will need an ultra-light fishing tackle, and this means getting a few rods as well. If you want to tip the scale in your favor and get the best out of your tips for catfishing, then you will have to make use of the two lines simultaneously after which you leave them to soak very well. Take note and make sure that the drags on the reels are not too tight. This measure is to keep the fish in place.

For the various kinds of catfish that have been mentioned earlier on, catching them is actually easy but that is if you take time to soak your bait adequately. To attract the fish, you need to make use of baits, which can be composed of corn flakes or dog food. You need to try catfishing at night if you want to catch the big fish. The massive ones come up during nighttime, so go nocturnal and use big baits that smell strongly too.

Lastly, You also needs to know more about noodling if you want to properly catfish. This type of fishing is becoming more popular by the day. To noodle, you place your hand in a watering hole and put it in the mouth of the catfish and pull it out of the water. To do this the most efficient way possible, you need the ultimate application of all your tips for catfishing.

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Alaska Fishing and Lodging Services-Close To The Heart Of Fishing Enthusiasts

2011-05-27T13:42:00.003-07:00

When it comes to summer season, a lot of people choose to hit the beach for relaxation and enjoy the sun while showing their beach bodies. However, this is a different story when it comes to fishing enthusiasts. If others are just looking to enjoy the water, they are looking forward to enjoy the fishes they can catch from it. The good news is Alaska fishing and lodging options are available to help them find their catches.

By looking for these lodging options, people have the opportunity to catch the best fishes they can find form these bodies of water. They can even choose to fish on saltwater or freshwater as there are different lodges found at these areas. As long as they compare these lodging options they'll find the best value they need while enjoy their potential catches.

The good thing about these lodging options is they also have all the facilities they need in order to fish. They just need to know the things they offer within the lodge and enjoy them for their fishing activities. Everything they need is found in Alaska fishing and lodging services in the market. Charters are available as well as different fishing gears are offered with their packages so they don't have to bring it with them.

In addition to just getting the best equipments, they can also find their services to be at their fair rates. They know that people who are travel to visit the area for fishing would like the best value possible. They just have to look for them online and start getting the most valuable options for their needs and budget. Furthermore, best value is also guaranteed as long as they check out various lodges online. They can compare their prices and services to get the ideal ones for their preferences.

If you'll ask these fishing enthusiasts about their experience, they will definitely tell you great stories about their experiences especially if they're able to join derbies during their stay in the lodges. Most of the time, these lodges are venues of different fishing derbies. They may have a specific fishing derbies set on their lodges or just special derbies set on different dates. These lodges have these derby schedules posted on their site so people will know when they can visit and get their services.

Many of these companies are now posting their services online so searching is now very simple. They just need to look for them online and start getting the ideal services they're looking for and will match their preferences. So whether it's for outdoor activities or for pure vacation, fishing lodges will surely give what enthusiasts want and get the best lodging options that provide the best companies.

Alaska fishing and lodging service are the closest services for people who love this type of activity. With all the service providers in the market, they will surely find the ideal companies that will help them get the services they need and enjoy this activity without any problems.

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Live Fishing Baits - the Minnows

2011-05-27T13:42:00.001-07:00

Fishing with live bait is still considered as one of the best way to catch fish, including the trout. It is true that lures will probably out fish live bait in some situations, but live bait is the natural way where real bait is presented to the fish. One of the most popular types of live bait is the minnow. Minnows are available in many types. Below is the list of popular freshwater minnows that are proven effective and successful in catching various kinds of fish. Here is the list:

#1 - Fathead minnows. This minnow species is the most common type bait fish for freshwater fishing. It is liked most since it's the favorite treat for many freshwater fishes and they are quite strong to stay alive while attached to the hook struggling to get the attention of the fish.

Fatheads can also stay alive in the bait bucket for quite a long time with only a little care. If exposed to cooler temperature or cold weather they can even stay alive for days in a bait bucket. Fathead is the excellent live bait for walleye, bass, perch and crappie.

#2 - Rosey red minnow is a variant of the fathead minnow characterized by its red-orange color. Other characteristic of the rosey red minnow is the same as the flathead and is also an excellent treat for the same type of fishes: walleye, bass, perch and crappie.

#3 - Suckers are large live baits that can grow up to 12 inches, hence very good to catch bigger fishes. You can buy suckers at a bait shop and are available in various sizes, usually those 3 – 4 inches. Some shops can provide the larger size, even bigger than 12 inches. The 5 – 8 inches suckers are suitable for the big largemouth bass, while to catch muskie or northern pike you can use bigger size of suckers.

Suckers are known to be very tough and can live long in your bait bucket or while on the hook. But you should be aware of the oxygen supply in your bait bucket if you keep more than half a dozen in your bucket. Due to their big size the oxygen supply will be depleted very soon, hence you need to add oxygen by the mean of an aerator. With sufficient oxygenation the suckers will stay alive for days and even for weeks

#4 - Golden shiners or just called by shiners are the common bait to catch bigger fishes. They are characterized by the green to olive shade back and a silvery white belly. You can also find a dark stripe along its sides.

Shiners can reach a size of one foot long, but the usual size carried and offered by a bait shop is the 5 – 6 inches size. They are suitable to fish bass, pike, northern pike, catfish, walleye and muskie. The majority of Florida fishing guides uses shiners as bait to catch bass. They are able to catch plenty of largemouth bass and can weigh more than 10 lbs

#5 - Emerald shiner is a different type of shiner. They are characterized by a much smaller body compared to golden shiners with a size of 2 to 4 inches long. They will be suitable to catch bass, perch, crappie and other panfish.

#6 - Hornyhead chub or Redtail chubs are also great to catch larger fishes. But they are a bit difficult to find and are not always available in all bait shops. However, if you find them available at your local bait shop, consider to using them as perfect bait for walleye, bass, muskie, northern pike and catfish.

#7 - Creek chubs are considered as the best freshwater bait for big fish game fishing. They are widely available in many bait shops or you can get them by yourself in shallow creeks and streams using a bit corn or a little cut of worm. They are excellent bait for walleye, largemouth bass, big smallmouth bass, northern pike, catfish and muskie.

#8 - Shads are also popular bait for game fishing. As a matter of fact shads are stocked in game fishing lakes to feed the game fishes. The most popular shad as bait fish is the threadfin shad and gizzard shad, and are most liked by largemouth bass and striped bass.

#9 - Herring are another common type of bait fish. You can find various types of herring which can live in both freshwater and saltwater. Most herring are small in size, but some can grow big that reach 1.5 lbs. They are common bait for numerous saltwater species and are suitable for the freshwater striped bass

Learning What the Best Bait for Catfishing Really Is

2011-05-26T18:39:00.001-07:00

There is one important factor that must always be considered when catfishing is the topic of discussion. This factor is the type of bait that you make use of when fishing. If it is your interest and passion to net large fish then you have to ensure that the very best bait for catfishing is correctly utilized.

There are other factors that must be considered apart from the bait. These include the environment and locality that you have decided to use as your fishing ground. It is also noteworthy that to be successful with your catfishing don't use an excessive number of baits. The important thing is making use of the right bait in the right way. It is known that being evasive is one of the features of catfish. That is the reason why you need to be familiar with the area that you have chosen for the best bait for catfishing to be most useful.

It is important to ensure that there is steady movement in a situation where the rod and heel are employed, especially when the water looks somewhat disturbed. Eddy currents should also be used when they are available. If you utilize these tactics and you do not catch anything in less than an hour then it is advisable to shift to another area.

It is important not to swish bait around excessively when using it. To add, appropriate styles and techniques must be used if you want to catch the monstrous kinds of fish; of course with the right type of equipment too.

You have better chances with the fishing when flood raises the level of the water. This is simply because of the fact that floodwater is full of food and nutrients that the fish find very sumptuous. You can make use of shad head or chopped Bluegill for your best bait for catfishing.

You can also decide to take on the catfish at any period or hour of the day if you're really in love with the activity. You do need to understand that some periods are clearly better than others. If you want the highest probability for success then try the early parts of the mornings and towards the late part of the evenings. The reason for this is that once the sun is set the catfish tend to move up in search of food. Cloudy or rainy days have also been observed to be particularly good for catfishing. The best seasons for fishing are the springs and fall especially in the early stages of the month. You can always make a success of these periods by using the best bait for catfishing.

The sometimes troublesome activity of catfishing can be very fascinating and tiring as well. This is because you may have to put in a considerable amount of energy. Additionally, you have to make use of various baits and spots. You can also utilize frogs and night crawlers too. It is time for you to migrate to another site if you spend almost thirty minutes in one spot and you have not catched anything. Also note that a rich site usually has birds hovering above. Two factors that always need to be considered is to make use of your best bait for catfishing and never forget to make use of the eddy currents.

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