Bass Utopia

Central Open Rookie Douglas Picks Up Points, Confidence in Lake Lewisville Grind

2012-02-13T00:37:00.004-06:00

By Greg Huff -- Bass Utopia Contributor

Josh Douglas (right). Screengrab courtesy Rich Lindgren.

It was just like he'd seen it in his mind's eye -- a Bassmaster Central Open rookie named Josh was sitting in the weigh-in "hot seat" on Day 3 with a chance to win thousands of dollars and a ticket to the Bassmaster Classic.

Except for one important detail -- it was Arizonan Josh Bertrand in the hot seat. Minnesota angler Josh Douglas, on the other hand, was seated at the wheel of his pick-up, towing his Ranger boat home from Texas' Lake Lewisville, where he finished in 68th place in his first Bassmaster Open.

Still, all things considered, Douglas was not too disappointed with his finish in what was arguably the most challenging Bassmaster Open in recent memory -- perhaps ever. In a derby plagued by cold fronts, strong winds and the killer combination of high, cold, muddy water, only three anglers kept the skunk out of the boat on every day they competed -- 5th-place finisher and Elite Series pro Mike McClelland, 7th-place finisher Shawn Temple and the eventual champion, Elite Series pro Brent Chapman, who defeated Betrand in a five-hour tie-breaker fish-off Sunday.

"My mentality went from trying to win it, to trying to get a check, to trying to get in the top 50, to now I just want to get a bite and I'm going to go from there," Douglas said on the eve of the first day of the tournament.

In two days of competition, he weighed a 1-pound, 5-ounce bass and a 2-8.

"Toughest fishing I've ever encountered, probably in my life, or close to it," Douglas said by phone on Saturday, while driving home to Minnesota.

Still, he earned 112 points toward his dream to fish in the Bassmaster Elite Series (the top point winners in the Bassmaster Open circuits are extended Elite Series invites), and finished ahead of several Elite Series sticks, including 4-time Bassmaster Classic Champion Rick Clunn, who did not weigh a single bass in the tournament.

"I fared well against a lot of my idols. …" Douglas said.

Elite Series pro Scott Rook tied for 112th, weighing a 1-pound, 8-ounce bass on Day 1, then zeroing on Day 2.

Elite Series pros Clark Reehm, Bradley Roy and Brian Snowden zeroed on both Thursday and Friday.

"It was a grind," Douglas says. "Everyone's in the same boat and I know its tough on everybody. ...

"It's really hard when you're not getting any bites, but it's better than sitting at home on the couch and not fishing," he said further. "A bite like that means its anybody's ballgame."

Several anglers that weighed good bags on Day 1 blanked on Day 2.

"You gotta look at that when you grade yourself," he said.

Josh Douglas (right). Screengrab courtesy Rich Lindgren.

Although Douglas finished 28 places out of the money, his 3-pound,13-ounce total weight was only 2 pounds, 9 ounces lighter than the last paid place, 40th. That's only one bite away from a check, two bites away from a top-12 finish. Several anglers that earned checks zeroed at least one day, having built a lead on the first day, when the weather -- while still bad -- was better than on Day 2.

"It's tough knowing that I only needed one more bite to cash a check," Douglas said. "If i could catch two more, I could've got into the top 12. … If you got fish, it seems you got pretty good ones."

Four in the top 12 blanked on two days -- runner-up Betrand, Brad Lankford (4th), Tommy Jonovich (9th) and Billy McCaghren (10th).

"If you would have told me before that you would only need nine pounds to cash a check, I would have said 'Sign me up, I can catch nine pounds,'" Douglas said. "But it was 5,000 casts per bite."

Douglas appreciates "grinder tournaments," but said the muddy, cold water really "messed up" Lewisville's bass. Not to mention that most visible cover was a foot underwater following recent rains that raised the lake level about five to six feet to nearly full pool.

"Muddy water and warm temperatures is not the worst thing in the world, especially for a guy like me that likes to flip. …" Douglas said. "The problem is that there was really nothing in the water for a guy to flip to -- or very minimal, because everything is still down a foot. … And then the [water] temperature really dropped down."

"High muddy and cold water [made] for a very tough fishery on a lake that already has a record of being tough even when its good," he said further.

In practice, Douglas said, he "threw the kitchen sink" at Lake Lewisville.

"I've tried it all -- from real deep to ultra-shallow and everything in between," he said.

Douglas caught his 1-pound, 5-ounce, Day 1 bass on a Carolina rig. He caught his 2-pound, 8-ounce, Day 2 bass early on a dark chatterbait.

"I thought I was kinda in good position" at that point, he said. When he couldn't get another bite on the Chatterbait, he switched to an all-black spinnerbait that had garnered some attention from the Lewisville bass in practice.

"But I couldn't get 'em to bite it in the tournament," he said.

With the water so muddy, Douglas decided reaction baits were better bets than bottom baits.

"Chatterbaits ruled the roost," he said.

He saw a lot of people throwing crankbaits also, he said.

* * *

"Web Guy Greg" Huff, is host of "Fantasy Fishing Insider," a free iTunes podcast that features bass fishing tips and tactics and Fantasy Fishing roster advice for the Bassmaster Elite Series and FLW tours. He is following Josh Douglas' rookie season in the Bassmaster Central Opens and documenting his quest to make the leap from local and regional success to bass fishing's top level.

Chapman Wins Central Open Fish-Off, Qualifies for 2013 Classic

2012-02-12T16:28:00.001-06:00

LEWISVILLE, Texas – Fittingly for stingy Lewisville Lake, the fish-off Sunday came down to one bite. Brent Chapman got it, Josh Bertrand never did.

Chapman. James Overstreet B.A.S.S photo.

Chapman caught a 6-pound, 5-ounce largemouth to capture the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Central Open title in extra innings after the two anglers tied for the lead on Day 3 and had to go into a tie-breaker fish-off on Sunday. On Feb. 11.

On Saturday, Elite Series pro Chapman weighed in three keepers, and Bertrand brought one fish to the scales. The anglers finished tied for first with 20 pounds, 9 ounces. The fish-off, from 7 a.m. to noon CST on Sunday, was the decider.

The tournament victory came with a berth in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic on Chapman’s home water: Grand Lake in Oklahoma. The pressure is off for this year’s Elite Series, provided Chapman fishes the remaining two Central Open events.

“This is a big weight off my shoulders,” Chapman said. “First, this tournament is over. The bigger reason is that I made the Classic and finally got another win.”

The clinching bass very nearly never made it into the boat. Chapman was fishing a small creek that had warm water from a discharge running into the back of it. When he arrived Sunday morning, the current had disappeared, and the water was in the high 40s, a severe temperature drop.

“I didn’t know what to think,” Chapman said. “I honestly thought if there wasn’t water generation back there, it would be shot. I decided I had to at least make a pass and give it a try. After fishing for a short while without a bite, I remembered my partner a few days ago caught one on a wacky rig. On my third cast, I caught that one.”

When he first set the hook, he thought the fish might have been a catfish or a drum by the way it was staying down. As it got closer to the boat, however, he realized just how big of a bass he had hooked.

“If it had been the Elite Series without a net, I probably wouldn’t have caught that fish,” Chapman said. “I got that fish in the boat and the hook fell out of its mouth. If I wasn’t able to use a net, that fish would have gotten off.”

The 23-year-old Bertrand was gracious in defeat, enjoying every minute of the excitement, but ready to get on the road home.

“Surprisingly, I’m happy that he won with a good fish like that,” Bertrand said. “It was an exciting day. Obviously, I am disappointed I didn’t make it to the Classic, but a second-place finish on unfamiliar water is still an accomplishment.”

After a huge first day, during which Bertrand caught 18 pounds on an umbrella rig, his catch tapered off significantly. The dam area that proved to be so productive on Day One got swamped by heavy north winds the next two days. Though he was able to get there again today, the water temperature had dropped and it didn’t produce.

“With that big bag the first day, it’s been a stressful week, so I’m glad I’ll be able to relax on the way home,” said Bertrand, who hails from Arizona. “My goal is still to qualify for the Elite Series. I don’t know if it will happen this year or in 10 years, but I’m going to keep trying.

2012 Bassmaster Open Official Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Mercury, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha

2012 Bassmaster Open Supporting Sponsors: BoatUS Angler, BOOYAH Bait Company, Humminbird, Luck “E” Strike, Minn Kota, Power-Pole

About B.A.S.S.

For more than 40 years, B.A.S.S. has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and an expansive tournament structure while connecting directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.

The Bassmaster brand and its multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications — Bassmaster Magazine and B.A.S.S. Times — comprehensive website Bassmaster.com and ESPN2 and Outdoor Channel television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, College B.A.S.S., B.A.S.S. Federation Nation events and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.

B.A.S.S. offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members and remains focused on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala.

* * *

Article and images courtesy Bassmaster Media. Used with Permission. Edited and posted by "Web Guy Greg" Huff, host of "Fantasy Fishing Insider," a free iTunes podcast that features bass fishing tips and tactics and Fantasy Fishing roster advice for the Bassmaster Elite Series and FLW tours.

Updated: Chapman v. Betrand Bassmaster Central Open fish-off underway!

2012-02-11T17:47:00.001-06:00

By Greg Huff -- Bass Utopia Contributor

Betrand, Chapman. James Overstreet B.A.S.S. photo.

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Brent Chapman was looking forward to sleeping in today after three ultra-tough days fishing with few bites in the Central Open on Texas' Lake Lewisville.

Instead, he launched at 7 a.m. this morning to compete in a fish-off with Josh Betrand to try to break a tie and claim the championship, several thousand dollars and, oh yeah, an automatic berth in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic.

Considering what's at stake, Chapman said yesterday he was willing to wait another day to catch up on his sleep. Unless, of course, Bertrand and B.A.S.S. wanted to move the tie-breaker fish-off to a more hospitable venue, protected from the cold and wind that buffeted the Central Open competitors all week:

"How about we go into Bass Pro Shops and have a fish-off in the tank!" He jested on the weigh-in stage Saturday.

He had no takers, so he and Betrand launched at 7 a.m. CST at the Lewisville Lake Park boat lauch at 100 E. Lake Park Rd. The weigh-in will be held there as well.

Chapman sacked three bass weighing a combined 7 pounds, 7 ounces for a three-day total of 20-9. Bertrand, who blanked on Day two after finishing Day 1 in second place with a whopping 18-pound bag, weighed one 2-lb. 9 oz. bass on Day 3 to tie Chapman, who had weighed in before him and was sitting in the hot seat, and force the fish-off.

Chapman’s best spot has been in the back of a creek he found in practice.

“I knew there would be a lot of boats in there, but I felt like if I could just get in there and put my Power-Poles down and camp on that one spot, I might be able to catch a few,” Chapman told B.A.S.S yesterday. “I was real fortunate. I got in there and had four quality bites and put three in the boat and was off to a good start (the first day). I went in there yesterday and spent almost the entire day in there and never had a bite.”

Since his partner caught two fish there, Chapman knew the area still had fish. On the way in, he caught about a 2-pound spotted bass yesterday, his only keeper.

“[Saturday] I went back in there, and I knew it would be good, because there wouldn’t be that many people in there,” he said. “I caught two in the first hour and fished the rest of the day and had one other bite.”

Bertrand caught his biggest stringer (18 pounds) the first day on an Alabama Rig with Pro Swim Bait 5-inch Pro Minnows.

“Today I had to slow down a lot,” he told B.A.S.S. “The wind was really blowing hard in the area I was fishing and I couldn’t fish it. So I pitched boat docks the rest of the day and caught one pitching a drop shot with a Roboworm.”

Day 3 leader Bradley Hallman, who weighed in last on Saturday in a position to overcome the tied anglers with with one decent bass, contributed no drama to the weigh-ins when he walked from his boat to the weigh-in stage with an empty bag.

Hallman weighed one 4-12 bass on Day 1 and then caught the only limit of the day on Day 2 for a best-in-field 15-8 bag, but said he could not get any bites on the third day, which was cold and windy like Day 2. Hallman finished in third place with 20-4.

Rounding out the top five on the pro side were Hallman with 20-4 in third; Brad Lankford, 18-1, fourth; and Mike McClelland, 17-7, fifth.

Bassmaster Elite Series pros Mike McClelland and Terry Butcher placed 5th and 6th, respectively, with 17-7 and 16-4. McClelland, one of only four anglers to catch at least one bass all three tournament days, weighed two fish on Day 3 for 4-10.

Butcher blanked on Day 3 after weighing two bass for 5-1 on Day 1 and four bass for 11-3 on Day 2.

Bassmater Elite Series pro Billy McCaghren also blanked on Day 3, to finish 10th with a total weight of 10-5. He caught all of that weight with a 3-bass bag on Day 1. He zeroed on both Day 2 and 3.

2011 Lake Lewisville Bassmaster Central Open winner Mark Tucker finished in 11th with 10 pounds even. He weighed 3 bass for 8-9 on Day 1 and one 1 lb. 7 oz. bass on Day 2, but blanked on Day 3.

Others in the top 12 were: 4th -- Brad Lankford, 18-1; 7th -- Shawn Temple, 15-10; 8th -- Chip Porche, 12-8; 9th -- Tommy Jonovich, 11-12; 12th -- Dustin Reneau, 9-13.

Only four anglers kept the skunk out of the boat all three days -- Chapman, Betrand, McClelland and Temple. All other anglers that earned checks zeroed at least one day. Three in the top 12 blanked two days -- Lankford, Jonovich and McCaghren.

Chapman, who had not fished an Open tournament in several years told B.A.S.S. prior to the tournament that he entered the Lewisville event for three reasons: to earn an automatic 2013 Bassmaster Classic bid; to warm up for the 2012 Bassmaster Classic in two weeks; and to fish with his father, who was entered as a co-angler. Although boaters and co-anglers are paired on tournament days by random draw, they can fish with a partner of their choice in the practice period.

An automatic 2013 Classic bid is contingent upon fishing all three Open events. If Chapman wins today, he would have to compete in the Table Rock Central Open at the end of April in The Ozarks and the Fort Gibson Central Open in Oklahoma in early September.

B.A.S.S. is live-blogging the fish-off here.

* * *

"Web Guy Greg" Huff is host of "Fantasy Fishing Insider," a free iTunes podcast that features bass-fishing tips and Fantasy Fishing roster advice for the Bassmaster Elite Series and FLW tours. B.A.S.S. contributed reporting and images to this report; used with permission.

Hallman Leading in Lake Lewisville Bassmaster Central Open

2012-02-11T08:29:00.000-06:00

LEWISVILLE, Texas— Taking the Steve Kennedy approach is paying off for Bradley Hallman at the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Central Open on Lewisville Lake.

Kennedy is known for his lack of practicing for tournaments and still doing well in Elite Series events. Even though he has never been on Lewisville, Hallman decided to imitate Kennedy and limit his practice time for this Open.

“I practiced about 11 hours,” Hallman said after Friday's weigh-ins. “Part of it was intentional, and then the third day, I didn’t go out at all. Practice was so bad that I didn’t have a bite in two days. I have watched Steve for the last six years not practice at all and still go out and catch them.”

Bradley Hallman. Bassmaster photo by James Overstreet.

Hallman slept-in the last day of practice.

“A buddy of mine’s aunt and uncle were here, and they were going to IHOP, so I thought that was better than going out on the lake,” he said.

The Oklahoma pro skipped the last practice day thinking he could locate fish the first day, but he caught only one keeper weighing 4 pounds, 12 ounces. Staying on one stretch of bank longer made a difference for Hallman today as he caught the only limit of the day, weighing 15-8 to take over the lead with 20-4.

“I think the sunshine helped more than anything else,” said Hallman. “The wind also made a difference. I slowed down a little bit, too.”

“I am fishing shallow and covering a lot of water,” said the Oklahoma pro. “There are definitely pre-spawn staging fish here. They are really winter fish more than anything, though.”

Day One leader Brad Lankford blanked today, yet only dropped to second place with 18-1.

Brad Lankford. Bassmaster photo by James Overstreet.

“I just couldn’t get the fish to go today,” Lankford said. “The wind was really brutal on me, and I stayed in it all day. Then my trolling motor died about 2:15. It was just one of those things. I couldn’t get them to bite, and I was too pigheaded to leave my spot. I just don’t have anything else to go by. That is the only thing that has produced all week, and I wasn’t about to leave it.”

Cold, murky water and a cold front combined to shut down the fishing at Lewisville this week. Lankford described his practice days as terrible.

“I only caught five fish all week,” he said after the first day of competition. “I had a spot that I felt would hold up. I pulled up on it this morning and then never started the big motor again. We stayed on it all day [Thursday], and it worked. "

Josh Bertrand also blanked today and dropped from second place to third with 18 pounds.

Elite Series pro Terry Butcher jumped into fourth place with 16-4 and fellow Elite Series competitor Mike McClelland moved into fifth with 13-6.

Texan Rick Parker added a couple of keepers today to boost his total to 11-1 and stay in the lead on the co-angler side.

“I caught them on a shaky head and a Chatterbait,” said Parker. “I started throwing the Chatterbait, because as slow as these fish are biting, I tried to find something to get them to react to it.”

Terry Butcher. Bassmaster 2001 file photo.

The other top five non-boaters are Brent Haggard in second place with 10-5; Christopher Warren, third, 8-5; Keith Glasby, fourth, 7-6; and Patti Campbell, fifth, 6-14.

The top 12 competitors on the pro and co-angler side advanced to the final round tomorrow.

Hosting this event is the City ofLewisville. The top 12 anglers launched this morning from Lewisville Lake Park, 100 E. Lake Park Rd. Today's weigh-in will be held at the Bass Pro Shops at 2501 Bass Pro Dr. in Grapevine, Texas, and will begin at 4 p.m. CST. You can watch it online live here.

2012 Bassmaster Open Official Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Mercury, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha

2012 Bassmaster Open Supporting Sponsors: BoatUS Angler, BOOYAH Bait Company, Humminbird, Luck “E” Strike, Minn Kota, Power-Pole

About B.A.S.S.
For more than 40 years, B.A.S.S. has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and an expansive tournament structure while connecting directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.

The Bassmaster brand and its multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications — Bassmaster Magazine and B.A.S.S. Times — comprehensive website Bassmaster.com and ESPN2 and Outdoor Channel television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, College B.A.S.S., B.A.S.S. Federation Nation events and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.

B.A.S.S. offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members and remains focused on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala.

* * *

Article and images courtesy Bassmaster Media. Used with Permission. Edited and posted by "Web Guy Greg" Huff, host of "Fantasy Fishing Insider," a free iTunes podcast that features bass fishing tips and tactics and Fantasy Fishing roster advice for the Bassmaster Elite Series and FLW tours.

Podcast: Bassmaster Classic Preview; Lake Lewisville Central Open Preview

2012-02-09T01:34:00.002-06:00

In 2012's inaugural episode, host "Web Guy Greg" Huff and co-hosts Rich Lindgren of Rich's Bassin' Blog and Jason Holmer of Bass Utopia -- the Minnesota Bass Blog Mafia -- preview the Bassmaster Classic (Feb. 24-26) and the Bassmaster Central Open (Feb. 9-11) on Texas' Lake Lewisville. Guests include Bassmaster Elite Series pro Edwin Evers and rookie Bassmaster Central Open competitor Josh Douglas.

Listen to the podcast in the player below, or click here, or subscribe on iTunes.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Next week: Bassmaster Classic previews with Evers and Elite Series sophomore Brandon Palaniuk; *Keith Alan; Custom Classic forecast with weatherman Tony Barlow; and Classic roster picks. (* = pending availability)

Play Fantasy Fishing, Improve Your Real Fishing

2012-02-07T15:25:00.002-06:00

By "Web Guy Greg" Huff -- Guest Blogger

WWKVDD  

If you’re a pro-bass-tournament-fishing junkie like me, you might have seen hats, T-shirts or wrist bracelets emblazoned with the above cryptic acronym.

And if you’re like me, you enjoyed a big LOL, knowing exactly what it was asking …  What would KVD do?

FishingForward.com's Kurt Mazurek

sports a WWKVDD T-shirt in his topwater-fishing video on YouTube (as pictured at right). If you’re a pro-bass-tournament-fishing junkie like me, you might have seen similar hats, T-shirts or wrist bracelets emblazoned with the acronym, which stands for "What Would Kevin Van Dam Do?"

Nerd alert: My "good luck" KVD trading card.

Tournament-fishing nerd that I am, I carry a Kevin VanDam trading card in my wallet today. But truth be told, as recently as four years ago, I did not even know who KVD was.  

That was right before I caught bass fever and began reading every bass-fishing how-to article in every fishing magazine and website I could find. As I devoured bass-fishing info practically 24-7, one name – nay, three initials! – kept popping up over and over: KVD.  

Who was this KVD, this “Kalamazoo Kid,” ubiquitous in the bass-fishing world? And why should I care what he has to say about how to be a better bass angler? Why should I care how he wins tournaments? Why should I care what baits, rods, reels, lines and hooks he uses? (Note: He uses Mustad hooks. I’ve posted at the end of this blog a video interview I shot with KVD in July 2011 about his signature hooks, and his desire to win more tournaments.)

Before I started following professional

bass fishing, I was lucky to catch

a two-pound bass like the fish

I'm holding up at right). Having learned

much from bass pros by following

their careers, I'm much more likely now to catch bass like the pigs in the photo below.

Why should I care What Would KVD Do?  

Intrigued, I began setting the DVR to record “The Bassmasters” TV broadcasts. My eyes were opened to the world of big-time tournament bass fishing and I was hooked immediately.  I learned all about KVD’s rise from skinny rookie (from Kalamazoo, Michigan – not a traditional bass-fishing mecca) to, arguably, the greatest tournament bass angler of all time (I’m convinced, but I respect other opinions …).

I learned about veterans like Rick Clunn, Denny Brauer, about young-gun superstars like Skeet Reese, Mike Iaconelli. I learned about Tennessee River Valley impoundments, about big-bass factories like Falcon, Amistad and Okeechobee.

I learned about bass fishing.  

KVD taught me how to slow-roll a spinnerbait, how to rip a lipless crankbait through grass, how to bump a crankbait off a stump.  

Denny Brauer taught me how to pitch a jig.  

Aaron Martens taught me how to drop-shot.

Mike Iaconelli taught me how to throw a shakey head, told me never give up.

Byron Velvick taught me how to throw a swimbait.  

Admittedly, I’m not a pro at all of these tactics, but by following tournament fishing, I learned when, where and how to use these tactics to improve my chances of catching a limit. That’s the great thing about bass tournaments, big or small—and whether you’re fishing in them or following them in the media—they improve your fishing.

While I may never win a bass tournament with the tactics I’ve learned (I’ve fished in exactly one small club tournament as a fill-in, and fared miserably—although I didn’t zero!), I’ve caught much more, and much bigger, bass than I ever had before I tuned in to the bass-tournament scene.  

While I may never win a bass tournament with the tactics I’ve learned from pros, I’ve caught much more -- and much bigger -- bass than I ever had before I tuned in to the bass-tournament scene. I caught this nice bass and several bigger than 4 pounds this summer, fishing with Bass Utopia's Jason Holmer.

Not only do you learn from watching and reading about the techniques bass pros use to win tournaments, you also learn more about where and when to use those techniques, as they relate to:

    •    Types of fishery (river, impoundment, natural lake?), and what combination of fish-holding cover and structure they feature (ledges, creek channels, humps, backwaters, points, grass, docks, laydowns?), and how to game-plan for those factors
    •    Time of year (pre-spawn, spawn, post-spawn, summer, fall?) and relative water temperature for that period (colder or warmer than normal?), and how those factors will position fish
    •    Weather (stable, overcast, blue-bird skies, cold front, warm front, rising or falling barometer?)
    •    Water level (stable, rising, falling?)
    •    Current (none, steady, controlled by power-generating dam, caused by tides?)

Competing in Fantasy Fishing competitions is an even better way to improve your own fishing. In these competitions, you analyze the above factors and then pick a roster of bass pros you think will win or place high in tournaments, based on how their skills match best with the tournament locale and conditions.  “Sounds fun,” you may be thinking, “but how will this improve my fishing?”

Well, it won’t happen overnight, but picking likely tournament winners creates a vicarious fishing experience that focuses your mind on the variables for success – and in a much more powerful way than can watching a tournament-highlight show or reading an account of who won and how. (To listen to archived episodes of my podcast about tournament bass fishing, click here. The 2012 season of “Fishing Club First Cast” starts this week.)   

Consider the upcoming Bassmaster Classic, scheduled for February 24—26 on the Red River in Louisiana. Having followed tournament fishing for four years now – and read and watched every archived article and video available on the Internet – I have a pretty good idea of where on the river the 49 competitors will catch them, in what water depth and with what kinds of baits and presentations.

I have a pretty good idea the water temperature will be about 54 degrees. I suspect the water will be higher and muddier than it was in the 2009 Classic, also on the Red, and that will make it fish smaller -- that is, bunch up the competitors. I’m pretty sure two of three baits will produce the biggest bags – soft-pastics, a shallow-running square-billed crankbait and/or a spinnerbait. I’m confident most bass will come out of 1 to 4 feet of water.

And I’m almost certain KVD will make all the cuts to fish the final day.

I’ll pick him to win, and add to my roster other anglers who excel at fishing those baits and presentations I think have the potential to catch the most fish in the tournament. I’ll then “fish” those baits in the spots I favor—albeit vicariously through the anglers on my roster—as I follow tournament reports online. And once a winner emerges and final results are known, I will gain valuable insight into my own instincts for assessing variables and developing a fish-catching game-plan based on them—even though I was not the one executing that game-plan on the water.  

And the best part? I can put to use what I learn to catch more fish when I am on the water.

I live in Minneapolis only one mile from a world-class section of the Mississippi River, Pool 2, one of Minnesota’s only year-round catch-and-release fisheries for bass. Today, she remains mostly frozen over, her bass at their most inactive. But come spring, she’ll thaw. Her water will eventually warm to the temperatures the Red River reached during the Classic. Her bass will move into backwaters, preparing to spawn.   

And I’ll be there, on my river, when the conditions in my area are similar to those that my angler roster encountered in the Classic. And if KVD wins the Classic—which is a pretty safe bet—guess what I’ll be asking myself the night before I launch my boat, as I decide which five baits to pre-rig on my rods, as I review backwater areas on my maps and Google Earth images, as I visualize where those pre-spawn bass will be staging and where I should position my boat to best present my baits to them?  

What would KVD do?  

Then I’ll go out and do that … to the best of my ability, anyway.  

And I although I won’t win anything more than braggin’ rights on my fishin’ buddy if that game-plan succeeds, I’ll be pretty confident I can catch a decent limit. And as you know, a more confident angler is a more successful angler.  

Like KVD always says, “It’s all about the attitude.”

(Scroll down to view a video interview I shot with KVD in July 2011 about his signature Mustad hooks, and his desire to win more tournaments. I was North American Fisherman's social media editor at the time )

* * *  

You can contact Bass Utopia Guest Blogger “Web Guy Greg” Huff at webguygreg@bassutopia.com, follow him on Twitter at lazy_ike, or friend him on Facebook at Web Guy Greg. He’ll be posting often on Bass Utopia's Facebook page as well.

2012-01-09T20:36:00.001-06:00

January/February Photo Contest

By now the tidal wave of Alabama Rig style baits have hit full force, yet somehow seem to remain tough to get a hold of...until now!

Close up of the Picasso School-E Rig

We are happy to announce our most recent Facebook photo contest, courtesy of Picasso Lure Company. Over the next two months email your entries to: jason@bassutopia.com.

The top three voted photo entries that are emailed in will each receive their very own Picasso School-E Rig! One look at the School-E Rig and you can see that they live up to the standard that Picasso has set for high quality materials and finish. Just look at the detail in the above picture!

School-E Rig set up with five swim baits

If you haven't heard about these baits, I'd like to be the first to welcome you back to earth. We're all glad that you made it back ok. Do yourself a favor and catch up on what has been the hottest and most controversial bait to hit the bass fishing world in years!

Regardless of what you think about these baits, or whether they should be tournament legal, there is no debating their effectiveness.

Remember, according to Facebook rules, we can not enter photos that are posted on our wall by users. Entries MUST be emailed.

Happy fishing!

2011-11-07T15:21:00.000-06:00

Cheating Chester

Brian Schram, "The Rockin' Fisherman"

By now the buzz surrounding the cheating scandal that rocked the bass fishing world has started to die off from it's frenzy of the past couple months. To be honest, I can't say I miss it. Nothing plays out as well as controversy in the blog-o-sphere, and it was a heck of a story.

Yesterday I was sent a link to this song, which I almost completely disregarded, but then gave it a listen. It's actually pretty good, and worth a laugh. I'm sure while the events on Lake Erie unfolded, our anti-hero did, at some point, envision his name in lights, but I'm pretty sure he didn't see a song being written about him. At least not like this.

Thanks to Brian Schram, who many may know from his appearances with Pete Mania on Mark Zona's "World's Greatest Fishing Show", for sharing his version. I just hope he was wearing his fuzzy pink hat when he wrote this. Enjoy...

The Negotiator
by Brian Schram

Hey now according to the good book, you choose your own heaven or hell
Well Chester didn't weigh his choices, so tangled up and mangled he fell
During his quest little minded, Chester opened up a wound that goes deep
He thought he had an ace right up his sleeve, until they kicked him right into next week

Hey, hey cheating Chester daddy's one egg nester, Oh the crying shame of a man
Hey, hey cheating Chester got to deal with the pressure and never be respected again

Chester he thought he had it all figured out, could taste the classic on his tongue
So he tried to seal the deal with a Benjamin meal, then cried that it was all in fun
Ya see reality TV cheatin' on your girl, yes it's the latest fashion
But their ain't no fame tree or fancy limousine, worth cheatin' on your passion

Hey, hey cheatin' Chester daddy's one egg nester, Oh the crying shame of a man
Hey, hey cheatin' Chester got to deal with the pressure, and never be respected again

You know that money talks but it don't sing and dance, and mostly tells us what to do
But as long as Chester can buy himself a bass, He'll still beat me and he'll still beat you

Hey, hey cheatin' Chester daddy's one egg nester, Oh the crying shame of a man
Hey, hey cheatin' Chester got to deal with the pressure, and never be respected again
Hey hey cheatin' Chester daddy's one egg nester, oh the crying shame of a man
Hey, hey cheatin' Chester he's the co-angling tester and never be a cheater again

Ya know their ain't nothing worse than cheating on your own passion
How could you ever feel like a winner? I couldn't

After all said and done dreams never came true,
Kicked out of the big time and in to the blues

Hey hey cheatin' Chester daddy's one egg nester, oh the crying shame of a man
Hey, hey cheatin' Chester he's the co-angling tester and never be a cheater again

2011-11-04T10:15:00.000-05:00

November Facebook Photo Contest

Here we are staring Thanksgiving down as we creep closer and closer to that snowy wonderland in many areas of the country. I don't know about you all, but here in MN, my season goes all year, and my boat stays out of storage until I can't break ice at the landing anymore!

Touchdown 2 Jig

The good news is that with another month comes another photo contest! This month we are excited to bring you a combo pack compliments of Outkast Tackle! This package from Outkast will include:

- One 1/2 ounce Touchdown 2 Football Jig
- Three 3/4 ounce Touchdown 2 Football Jigs

- Five Rod Slix Rod Covers

Rod Slix Rod Cover

Those of you who follow the site and our videos know that Bass Utopia TV host, Jason Holmer, is a huge believer in Football style jigs. In fact, one of our most popular videos features Outkast Pro Staffer, and Bass Utopia member, Brian Bengtson catching a 6 pound largemouth using the Touchdown 2 Jig! (Video Here)

For those who have used rod covers, you know how nice it is to have your investments protected, but also to keep your rods tangle free! Rod Slix are a great way to do both!

The rules are simple:

- Entries must be emailed to: jason@bassutopia.com. Photos posted on our page can not be entered into the contest per Facebook rules.
- Pictures may only be entered once
- You may enter as many different shots as you like
- All entries are the property of Bass Utopia
- Winner will be determined by a vote amongst Bass Utopia staff, sponsors of the contest, and other partners
- Bass Utopia has the right to cancel the contest for any reason

On a side note...

Check out who made an appearance on the packaging for the Touchdown 2 Jig...

It's Bass Utopian, and Bass Utopia TV guest Brian Bengtson!

Looking forward to your entries! Happy Fishing!

2011-10-28T13:04:00.000-05:00

The Alabama Rig: Bass Fishing's Latest Bandwagon

Welcome bass fishing aficionados to the latest and greatest installment (to date) of bass fishing "got-to-have's": The Alabama Rig. While I haven't put much thought into the origin of the name, I'm assuming it's because Alabama is one of the only states in the country to allow an angler to fish with 117 hooks at a time. Ok, that's a bit of an overstatement, and joking aside, what is this rig?

The Alabama rig will look pretty familiar to those who have fished stripers in salt water who know this rig by its other name: the Umbrella Rig. In both applications, a school of bait fish is mimicked to be chasing or following a larger bait fish. For obvious reasons, this method catches the attention of predator fish in the area. It's a healthy looking helping of suppertime, and the predator wants to take a bite!

The Alabama Rig. Why fish for one Bass
when you could fish for five?

There is an obvious huge buzz on the interwebs about this rigging technique after Paul Elias won a recent FLW event using the Alabama rig. Much like the chatterbait or the hollow body swim bait craze that preceeded it, the Alabama rig now is flying off the EBay auctions at costs double, triple, or higher than its retail value. While many anglers are busy trying to get their hands on this hot item, I'm left wondering why this is a legal tournament tactic. Let me explain.

For starters, this rig will be illegal in many states. I know that I can't use it here in Minnesota, and I'd recommend checking your state's regulations before plopping down the $80+ these things are selling for online. In the states where this sort of thing is illegal, obviously tournament rules will not allow them to be used based on this regulation. But what about the states that do allow them to be used? Should tournaments allow them?

In my opinion, no, they should not.

Maybe I'm being old fashioned, and maybe I'm resisting change. I could see that argument holding some water. However, there is one fact that I think separates this technique: It's ability to catch a limit on one cast.

As I've sat back and taken in some of the buzz going on around this technique I've heard many views for and against it. Most commonly I have heard that crank baits have the ability to catch more than one fish with their multiple treble hooks, and every so often we see the evidence of that. Remember Timmy Horton's magic day on Kentucky Lake? That image of two giant bass coming in at once is still burned into my memory.

Here is the key factor for me: The purpose of a crank bait is to target one fish.

If you happen to fire up a school could you catch more than one on a cast? Sure, but it's extremely rare due to the fact that if those bass don't hit that bait perfectly, the second fish is more likely to knock the first one off than it is to also get hooked.

With an Alabama rig there are five (5) individual hooks on individual baits, all rigged to catch their own fish. While catching your 5 fish limit on one cast is going to be extremely rare, it's not probably nearly as rare to catch two or three fish at once.

Doesn't anyone else think that this takes away from the concept of fishing a tournament? Sort of changes the meaning of the phrase "I'm fishing for five bites" since in this case it can mean "I'm fishing for five bites on every cast".

My other thought is simply that if the justification of this technique is that the state regulations allow for it, then why shouldn't anglers be allowed to fish with more than one rod at a time in states that allow anglers multiple lines in the water? Why not be able to cast a senko out and dead stick it in an area while also throwing a jig or drop shot?

The next question is: Where does it stop? Can I tie five hooks up my drop shot line? What about rigging an Alabama Rig for deep finesse fishing? Can I tie five drop shot lines off an Alabama rig? What about Texas rigging worms at different lengths onto the Alabama and dragging it along a deep weed edge? Yeah, that's right, I added a Texas Rig to an Alabama Rig, I'll call it a "Deep South Rig". Shoot, maybe I'll throw a weight four feet up the line, add a floating apparatus to the Alabama Rig section. Now I'm Carolina Rigging a Deep South Rig! Now I'm throwing the "Confederate Rig", and now I'm getting calls from Al Sharpton complaining about my potentially racist fishing rig. Not good.

I don't intend to lead the charge against state regulators to force them to change their laws, but I do think that this bait should not be allowed in tournaments. This seems like a pretty obvious decision for the tournaments to make now that the cat is out of the bag, but who knows.

Well, I've added my two cents. I'm off to start rigging those Confederate Rigs up for my weekend fishing trip!

2011-10-11T21:17:00.000-05:00

Using the Picasso Fantasy Football Jig and Lowrance HDS to Find Fish on a Local Lake During the Fall Transition (Part 2)

After a longer-than-normal wait, we are happy to post part 2 of our day on the water during the beginning of Fall transition using the Picasso Fantasy Football Jig!

Part 1 ended with a decent fish catch after a grinder of a morning. We had a really unstable weather pattern that went from a week of cold days and frosty nights, to a very warm calm day. The days preceding this shoot, the fish had started to slowly move from their deep water hang-outs to shallower weed lines. However, the sudden change in weather seemed to push them back out to their deep water structure. I late-in-the-game adjustment sent me out to those deeper fish just before the camera crew had to leave.

We got some great fish to end this shoot, and special thanks to my partner and producer, Danny Schmidt, for using the worst possible show wrap! (I can just imagine him hunkered down in his dark cutting room, clipping and editing away in Final Cut Pro on his Macintosh, wringing his hands together while muttering "You want this footage faster Jason, well then, enjoy the ending! Muhahahaha!")

The best/worst part about this day is that once the camera crew had to leave for another shoot, I went back out knowing that I had just figured the fish out and would pound on them. I proceeded to have the best day of fishing I have had in years. Literally. Over the next two hours I caught 22 fish. Six of those fish were between 5 and 6 pounds, 14 were between 4 and 5 pounds, and the rest were over 3! At one point I hit 14 fish on 14 straight casts! What a day!

Hope you enjoy the video, thanks for tuning in, and please be sure to subscribe to our channel on YouTube!

2011-10-01T16:00:00.001-05:00

October Facebook Photo Contest: Lazer Trokar Hooks!

We are very excited to announce the latest Facebook photo contest offering! Thanks so much to Lazer Trokar for this generous prize package. This package includes:

1 Package of 9/0 Swimbait Hooks (qty 2)
1 Package of 2/0 Finesse Wormt Hooks (qty 6)
1 Package of 3/0 Magworm Hooks (qty 6)
1 Package of 2/0 HD Worm Hooks (qty 6)
1 Package of 5/0 Magworm Hooks (qty 5)
1 Lazer Trokar Baseball Cap

This prize pack is valued at over $50!

For those of you who have used these hooks before, you know how good they are. For those who haven't, I'd do your best to win this contest or run out to your local shop and buy some! I was skeptical about these at first, but I rarely fish any tournaments without them now. With the surgically sharpened hooks, the fish are mush more easily hooked with much less pressure, meaning those fish that you just didn't quite get a hook in won't be so lucky this time around!

These hooks are no joke...they are the sharpest hook I have ever used by a long shot. So sharp in fact that you actually need to use some caution when handling your fish! Take one of these hooks out of the package and just look at the point and you will be amazed. Touch the point, and you might get scared! Now just imagine what the fish think!

Be sure to check out Lazer Trokar's website for more information about these amazing hooks!

Remember, in order for us to enter your photo into the contest you must email the photo to: jason@bassutopia.com. Facebook rules do not allow us to enter pictures that are posted on our wall.

http://www.lazertrokar.com/

TroKar 11 from 5 Stone Advertising on Vimeo.

2011-09-29T20:51:00.000-05:00

Chasing the Dream: Jason Dudek

This past week, Bassmaster concluded the final stop on the Northern Open circuit on Lake Oneida with Ish Monroe walking away with top honors. The bags that anglers brought to the scales were a heavy mix of largemouth and smallmouth bass, and the anglers did well with both types of black bass.

I have had a close personal connection with the Northern Opens the past few years as my main tournament partner from years past started his quest to qualify for the Elite Series. Jason Dudek, the first official Bass Utopia Pro Staffer, started his quest four years ago on the Central Opens, but quickly shifted his focus to the Northern Opens when BASS introduced the new circuit in 2009. It wouldn't do the road justice to say that Dudek has been met with extremely difficult challenges. Jason threw himself into the fire taking on lakes he had never fished, never studied, and never imagined he would fish in his life. As a Minnesota angler, Dudek doesn't have the opportunities to fish reserviors or tidal water systems. River fishing in general in Minnesota tournaments is more the exception than the norm, but knowing that this is what faced him at the highest levels, he took on the challenge.

Now, knowing Jay the way that I do, I can tell you that he is the most competitive person I have ever met, and that's saying something. With competitive drive comes an willingness to push yourself to the edge, but at times, it also can drive you off a cliff. With high expectations, comes big disappointment at times, and I have had more than one conversation with my friend trying to help pick him up off the ground after a tough trip out to a distant lake that didn't go quite as planned. Heck, we've had those moments in the middle of team tournaments that we have fished locally in Minnesota.

After couple tough tournaments to start the season, Dudek was a bit down, and I think, was starting to doubt whether or not this was the right thing to do. Let's face it, Minnesota is a long way from Lake Erie, Lake Oneida, and the James River, so the travel is grueling. Each tournament was a 10-12 day trip with travel, practice, and tournament, and that gets expensive, especially when you include the $1000 per event entry fee for the pro anglers.

With this last event, Dudek headed out with nothing to lose. He had to go for broke. He did...and it worked. Dudek found himself finishing 10th overall, his best finish in any BASS Open event to date, and with such a great finish, a renewed focus.

I chatted with Jason following the event:

How good does it feel both personally and professionally to get this one in the books and how much confidence does something like this give you going into next season?

It feels great but on the other side I know I could of done a lot better. I had the fish on to do even better, but when you fish for smallmouth losing fish is common. This drives me even more to fish a tournament that's clean, meaning not losing any fish. As far as confidence goes this gives me a boost for next year, and I can't wait for the James River.

When you look back at your year, it was pretty challenging, but you managed a 44th place overall rank in the AOY race. What can you do differently next year to hopefully get you over the hump?

I need to just go out and fish without any cares, take risks I've have not in the past. I think with me losing my title sponsor it really affected me at the James River because I had the anxiety of "do i have enough money for this trip and the next two that are only a month away". My wife really helped me get through a little rough patch with my confidence and having a supporting family is huge, without them it's pretty much impossible. Also I was thinking I really need to cash a check and that really puts a lot stress behind the scenes and I think I was pushing too hard and trying to make things happen rather then letting them come to me. In the Oneida tournament I was not having a good practice, and finally found my pattern on Monday that would turn out to be a great move. I tried the weeds and shoals that are over the lake and I was catching fish, but not enough quality fish to really think I was going to do well. I then thought lets try out deep and try to drag a tube, I found some deep water 20-25 ft. and started dragging and the first and only drag of the night because it got dark produced six smallmouth. This drag was about a 1/4 mile long so I new that this was a huge area that had fish all over. The next day I worked nothing but the 20-25 ft. zone and developed a bigger area then I realized I found the day before. This area had little rocky humps all over this big 20 ft. flat.

What is the most challenging part of fishing the Opens for you personally?

The most challenging is the travel, this trips are sometimes 25 hours long one way to these different lakes and rivers. The fishing and the tournament days are the easy part. I always felt that the tournament days are the easier then the practice days. Practice days for me are 12 -16 hours a day, dusk to dawn.

Looking specifically at Oneida, what was the key adjustment that you made that brought you from the middle of the pack to the forefront after Day 1?

I did not waste as much time in the morning looking for the schooling smallmouth, I tried for about 30 min. then left to fish deep all day. I had a long day and check in was at 4:45 compared to 2:30 on Thursday. The wind was really blowing and there was at least five footers all day. the bigger fish really bit and dragging a tube was the perfect technique for the conditions I had. The day before the wind was blowing in the morning and died later in the day, that's when the drop shot really took over but the wind never died on friday so the tube was the deal all day long. I stayed with that tube and stayed persistant despite the big waves, I must have made 40-50 drifts just on Friday. Big key was two drift socks I used and keeping that drift speed to .6-1 mph. any faster and you really did not get bit as well.

Being that your parents live near Lake Oneida, I hear you got some special treatment from Mom. Is your Mom's home cooking going to be your equivalent of Kevin an Dam's wife's cookies?

Cooking was awesome we had all kinds of good eats, chicken and rice, hot dogs(zwiegles) spaghetti, fresh walleye and one of my favorite Polish dishes Poor Man's Perogy. I think it was key to have a good dinner every night after a long day on the water and just to relax and have fun with my parents. I was very relaxed compared to the other two events and found that is going to be key for next year, just relax.

What is one take away that you got from your efforts this year on the Northern Opens?

Keep my mind open go with my gut, if I think try over there go there and don't second guess myself. "One Rung At A Time" has been my slogan since my high school and college football day's and that's my slogan for the Open's. I had one rung for Oneida so I need to get three rungs next year, one for each Open tournament.

What advice would you give someone who is thinking that they want to take that step into a national circuit like the Bassmaster Opens?

Start as co angler and see and learn how the pros attack and fish a body of water. I think I hurt myself fishing as a boater to early instead of fishing as a co angler. If you jump into on the professional side, then just be aware that these guys are good and you need to fish from dawn to dusk to compete against these pros. Hard work and research before you go is huge too, study a map, look on YouTube for video of a body of water. These videos may not pertain to fishing but you can get a feel for what it looks like if you have not been there before. Remember "Get Tired There's a lot of good on the other side of Tired"

2011-09-29T20:37:00.001-05:00

Product Review: Picasso Lures Shad Walker

** I'm happy to announce that Bass Utopia has worked out a deal with Picasso to offer any of their products through this site for a 10% discount! You must click through using this link and enter the coupon code "FALL2011"**

For those not already aware, or for those who have not read my previous post about Picasso Lures being re-acquired my it's former owner, fear not, the maker of some of the industry's finest jigs, shaky heads, and the inventor of the Tru Tungsten insert-free/fray-free tungsten weight system is back. This is good news for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the continuation of those great tungsten weights! This post, however, is focusing on a different segment, and one in which Picasso is set to make a huge splash (pun intended)!

Some of you may be familiar with this bait, as it was released by Tru Tungsten shortly before the company went under. I was able to get my hands on a couple of these fantastic baits, courtesy of Picasso Lures, and after having a chance to throw them for a few hours recently, I felt compelled to do this write up.

Before I get started, I have to tell you that I was slightly skeptical of this bait. After speaking with my contact at Picasso, it sounded intriguing, but then again, so have any other number of baits over the years. Remember the Banjo Minnow and the Flying Lure? Both were can't miss secrets of the pros, right?

The first thing I will mention is that I think the bait itself is deceiving when you look at pictures of it online. We are used to seeing a bait fish style lure sitting up and down in the water column, like a crankbait or swimbait. This bait, however, lays on it's side on top of the water. Both the top and underside of the bait are fully finished, giving it a realistic look to the fish in the water. The hook is the same style that most soft frog baits use with two hooks that are kept weedless by the bulk of the body. Once a fish grabs the bait, the body collapses and the hooks are exposed. Just like a frog bait.

The size of the bait is also similar to a standard sized frog, however, as you can see in the pictures, in place of legs, the soft body of the bait extends to a tail section.

Now for the good stuff.

The action on this bait is incredible! In slop or heavy cover, the Shad Walker comes through with ease, just like you would expect from a soft bodied weedless frog. When the Shad Walker hits an opening the the weeds, a pocket, or the edge of the pads, etc, it comes alive! The walking action on this bait is enough to make any style of spook bait blush! Whether you want long slow sweeping action, or short fast twitches, the Shad Walker out performs it peers. Not only do you get an amazing action from the bait, but it makes a ruckus on the surface. Without being overly splashy, the Shad Walker moves a tremendous amount of surface water, which is sure to get any nearby fishes attention. This bait imitates a struggling bait fish as well as anything I have ever seen.

My test on the water took me to a local lake that has a mix of lily pads and thick weed edges. I only had a few hours to spend, and it was not by any means prime time for a top water bite. I hit the water shortly after 10:00 and fished until about 2:00. My first strike came on my third cast over some submerged weeds. The water I was fishing had a pretty decent green stain to it, so visibility was not great. That wasn't enough to keep this first fish away! I saw the wake from the fish start about 15 feet to the left of the bait, and it bee-lined right to it's target. I had no issues hooking the fish whatsoever, and boated the three pounder with ease! I was already hooked!

Now, you may have noticed that I said I only had a few hours, but my time frame actually ended up being four hours. There's a reason for that...I couldn't stop! I fished the Shad Walker over the weeds and in the pads with pretty good success, but with the high afternoon sun, I decided to take a shot at some docks. That's when things got really fun. The Shad Walker attracted fish out from under docks and boat lifts with regularity. I also found that the Shad Walker skips under docks and trees very well. My biggest fish of the day, a four pound nine ounce beauty, came after skipping the bait under a boat lift and walking it back out!

I guess it's safe to say that I'd recommend this bait! If you like top water fishing for bass, then get your hands on a few of these, I promise you, you won't be disappointed! I know I will have one tied on at least one rod in my boat every time I'm on the water this fall.

** I'm happy to announce that Bass Utopia has worked out a deal with Picasso to offer any of their products through this site for a 10% discount! You must click through using this link and enter the coupon code "FALL2011"**

2011-09-21T18:54:00.002-05:00

Wellman out of Bassmaster Open on Oneida and Classic

With controversy swirling around the previous Northern Open on Lake Erie, Nate Wellman and B.A.S.S. have mutually decided that Wellman will skip the final Northern Open event on New York's Oneida Lake. With this absence, Wellman is also deemed ineligible for the 2012 Bassmaster Classic. With the new Classic qualifying rules, an angler must fish all three events in order to qualify, a rule that also costs Tommy Biffle his automatic berth this season.

Mystery still continues to surround this story, however, as the media and web buzzes with their theories about what allegedly happened that fateful day on Lake Erie (story here) between Nate Wellman and his co-angler, Joe Stois. Whether this buzz has caused B.A.S.S. to encourage Wellman to voluntarily miss the Oneida event, which gets under way this Thursday, September 22nd, or if Wellman made this decision on his own and approached B.A.S.S. about it, has not been disclosed. A brief statement by B.A.S.S. is all we have to go on at this time,which I'm sure, will lead to more wild speculation, and throw more fuel on the fire.

As a life-long B.A.S.S. member, I am fully behind the organization, but I just do not understand their handling of this. I like that B.A.S.S. released the initial statement announcing the fine and probationary measures that they imposed on Wellman, but after that everything just becomes very cloudy, and the questions that are left become the issue more so than Wellman.

B.A.S.S. needs to recognize the full magnitude of this situation. Their "mutual agreement" does lead me to believe that they realize that something had to be done, but again, I think the organization dropped the ball. FLW recognized B.A.S.S's non-response in the face of public outrage, and immediately suspended Wellman from all competition for a period of one year. This move smacks of public relations genius as FLW saw a clear opportunity to position themselves as the leader in competitive bass fishing.

I feel like Will Ferrell in Zoolander who screams out "Am I taking crazy pills?" every time I think about how this has been approached. My opinion was echoed by Ray Scott himself when he called for B.A.S.S. to enact "Rule 3", which requires all anglers to submit to a polygraph if there is any question about a rules infraction. Surely the most recognized name in tournament bass fishing has the means to enforce such a rule. Why has Wellman and all three of his co-anglers not been asked to perform this test?

This half-hearted attempt to save some face by B.A.S.S., I believe, will only lead to more head scratching from fans who want answers, who want some closure on this thing. Until we have those answers, I don't think this is going to go away. While FLW takes the lead on enforcing their tournament rules of conduct, B.A.S.S. is leaving their fans asking questions about how many times this has happened, and why B.A.S.S. won't hold their anglers to the same standard.

Here's hoping we eventually have some clarity and closure on what has been one of the biggest black-eyes in the history of the sport.

2011-09-21T11:31:00.000-05:00

Using the Picasso Fantasy Football Jig and Lowrance HDS to Find Fish on a Local Lake During the Fall Transition

I headed out last week with my partner/producer, Danny Schmidt, to get some footage of fall transition bass. We started out on mid range rocks, headed shallow, then finally out deep. With the help of my Lowrance HDS Structure Scan I was able to pin point locations on structure that held good fish.

It's always interesting filming because you want to have an idea of what you are going to target/feature while out filming, but the fish don't really seem to care what those goals are for some reason. I guess they are a bit selfish. Be that as it may, we tried to target fish transitioning up to shallower water, but found that bite wasn't going, so we headed into the shallows. After throwing various topwater baits, reaction baits, and worm baits with little success, we decided to try out deep since the weather had taken a turn for the warmer, which had temporarily slowed down the water's temperature decline. Funny what happens when you let go of your preconceived and goals and just let the fish speak to you!

Using the Picasso Fantasy Football Jig, I was able to pick apart the deeper rocks with ease, and with some effort, eventually trigger the fish to start feeding out on what I would normally consider summer structure. Just goes to show that you need to keep your mind open to changes while on the water!

2011-09-17T12:46:00.001-05:00

Smallmouths...Big Appetite!

The Author with a 4 pound 15 ounce
trophy smallmouth bass

Has it really happened again? Has another summer slipped by? September is here, marking the first unofficial month of fall. The familiar drone of the school buses driving through the neighborhood in the morning echo on as we reminisce on which stick-impaled food was our favorite at the state fair. Are we really heading into another harsh Minnesota winter again? Already?

Fear not my fellow open water anglers! As the saying goes, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Why focus on the waning days of summer when some of the best bass fishing of the season is about to come on like a wave of hot summer heat? Each year I have a love/hate relationship with fall. I don’t look forward to the ice season, but fall fishing is probably my favorite time of the year!

Fall is a great time to target trophy fish of all sorts, but my favorite target in the fall is the smallmouth bass. The decreasing temperatures and shorter daylight periods result in falling water temps, which in turn brings the bronze backs up from their deep water summer areas into shallower, easier to target areas as they put on the feed bags in preparation for the winter.

Basic Tube Jig

What sort of baits the fish are eating will not only change from day-to-day, but at times, hour-to-hour, so be ready to make the appropriate adjustments as needed. I like to search fish out throwing top water baits such as prop style, spook baits, or slash baits like the Rapala X-Rap, but be ready with a smaller “follow up” bait such as a tube jigs or stick worm. Often times smallmouth will follow a bait to the boat and will appear to turn around. When this happens simply drop the follow up bait over the side of the boat and hang on! Other effective baits at this time of year are standard crank baits, lipless cranks, and spinnerbaits.

Rapala X Rap Slash Bait

Fishing jerk baits, or slash baits, can lead to some of the most exciting and knee buckling strikes you will get while fishing bass. For my money, the Rapala X Rap is the best in it’s class when it comes to slash baits. The X Rap can be fished in a number of different ways. The key, howver, is to find the right cadence for your retrieve. Somedays a jerk-pause, jerk-pause works. Other days, jerk-jerk-pause, jerk-jerk-jerk-pause is the key. The point is to play around with your cadence until you zero in on a speed and method that triggers the fish to bite, and boy do they hammer it! Smallmouth will often hit a bait fish twice: first to stun it, then to eat it. Usually that strike you get on that X Rap is the “stun hit”. Quite literally the bass is trying to deliver the knock out blow to your bait!

When fishing a spinnerbait be sure to use a trailer hook and work the bait very aggressively back to the boat by using a fast retrieve combined with a jerk/pause. I like to turn my trailer hook over and run it opposite of the bait’s standard hook. Generally the areas that smallmouth are found don’t have much in the way of weed cover, so hanging the trailer hook in the weeds really isn’t an issue. By having the hook facing down your chances of hooking up with a fish increases should they take a half hearted swipe, or try to knock the bait to stun it and hit only the skirt.

The structure bass will relate to can be unpredictable as well, but I always start with shallow rocky areas, especially reefs. A mid-lake reef can be a very popular hang out for large numbers of smallmouth bass. Look for fish to move up on the reefs and off the sides as they feed. Another good bet is a rocky shore line or point. Similar to their larger-mouthed cousins, smallmouth love eating crawdads and can often be seen moving from rock to rock in search of their next meal.

So as the lemons of winter start showing signs of making their annual appearance, start looking for your chance to make lemonade. Take advantage of the changing conditions to capitalize on what just might be the best fishing of the year! I know I’ll be out there every chance I get!

2011-09-14T21:24:00.000-05:00

Janet Parker's Shot at the B.A.S.S. Elites

By now most of the fishing industry has taken note that, wait for it, a...oh my goodness, a...gasp, a woman is in strong position to qualify for the 2012 Bassmaster Elites Series through the Central Opens. After finishing 6th on Lake Lewisville in the first event, and following up with a 10th place finish on the Arkansas River, Janet Parker finds herself in 2nd place in the Angler of the Year race in the Central Division of the Opens, 24 points ahead of her closest competitor. It certainly looks like, barring a collapse in the third event, that Ms. Parker will be facing the big boys next year on the Elite Series trail.

Initially, my reaction to this story was pretty even keeled. I read the various articles and blog posts on the topic with interest since this is, after all, technically a historic event. In case you have been living under a rock, or not following the sport at all, there has never been a woman competing on the Elite level. Pretty cool, right? Of course it is, but I have some concerns.

Kim Bain-Moore broke the barrier initially with the berth through the short-live women's side of the B.A.S.S. circuit. The media was buzzing with "A woman will fish the Classic!" stories and human interest pieces. Bain-Moore was on everything bass. Magazine covers, internet blogs and websites, interviews, you name it she was covered by it. The fishing media was falling all over itself trying to get their piece of Kim and make their predictions. Even TIME Magazine wrote an article about Bain-Moore called "The First Lady of Bass Fishing". Of course, it was set up from day 1 of the tournament season with an automatic berth, but that's besides the point...she is a woman!

So how did Kim Bain-Moore fare? After two days of competition, Kim weighed in 12.2 pounds, good for 47th out of 51 anglers. Pretty underwhelming. Obviously women can't compete at that level, right?

Of course that is ridiculous. Think about the pressure that the media put on Bain-Moore. Think about the non-stop interviews, the questions at the landing, the radio and TV spots, the new demands from her sponsors as the event neared. Why so much pressure? Because she is a woman. Essentially, the media that built her up and held her on the gender pedestal probably got so much in her way that she really couldn't do her job the way she would have liked. Skeet Reese won the event that year. Do you think Reese had even one tenth the media attention that Kim had going into the event? Not a chance.

Now back to Janet Parker.

A few women have ventured across the gender barrier in other sports. Michelle Wie did it in golf and Danica Patrick does it in racing, but both have struggled or have fallen on their faces. Most sports are based on an element of strength. It's not sexist to say that professional male golfers hit a golf ball farther than professional women do. Just look at the numbers. The same argument could be made in most other sports as well, and they would be correct, and in those cases, a woman competing would be pretty amazing.

Not in fishing.

Fishing, unlike most competitive sports, is played against a field of anglers trying to all best a common opponent: a living creature looking for a meal. There is no competitive advantage that a gender brings to fishing. Does anyone think that Kevin Van Dam is better because he is a male and might have a larger build of be physically stronger that a woman? No way. KVD is the best because of his understanding of his aquatic opponent, his decision making, and his mental toughness. So why is it so surprising to some people that a woman might qualify? Since the name of the game is brains and mental toughness, does that mean that women aren't as mentally capable as men? Trust me, if you met my wife and I you would know who the brains are in my house, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who would admit that. Of course women are as bright and mentally tough as men...in my experiences they might even have an edge on us guys in that category.

So why is it so surprising that a woman is set to qualify?

Parker is not getting an automatic berth through an all women's circuit. She is doing it by beating the boys. She is doing it on a level playing field. Parker is just straight up having a tremendous season! I've fished an Open event, and I have many friends and contacts who compete on them currently. These tournaments are no joke. They are a grind from the time you leave your driveway until the end of the long drive back home. Finishing as high as she has in the first two events is a testament to her abilities on the water as well as her mental toughness.

The point I'm trying to make is simple, let's focus on the fact that Janet Parker is a top notch angler who is kicking tail in one of the toughest circuits in the country. It doesn't matter if she is a woman, man, donkey, or lima bean, she's good. Period. I for one hope that she makes it to the Elites, not only because she is a woman, but because she will be a force to be reckoned with.

Sure, it's hard not to get caught up in a story like this. It's intriguing, and I find myself rooting for her to make it. Who doesn't like the "against all odds" story line? In the meantime, let's all sit back and let her do her job. Leave the media pressure on the sidelines until after the event, and then let's get our story and leave her to her job come Elite season should she make it.

Go Janet!

2011-09-12T21:44:00.000-05:00

Picasso Lures is Back in Business. Good News for Football Fans!

Picasso's Fantasy Football Jig

While most sports fans waited for the announcement that we were going to have a football season this year, some anglers found that headline had more than one meaning. Not only are we going to enjoy a full season from our favorite NFL teams, fans of the Picasso Lure Company were happy to find out that their favorite rock jig was back on the market! With Picasso being re-acquired by their original owner, we can look forward to many years of tossing the Fantasy Football Jig down to our favorite deep water rock piles!

The Fantasy Football Jig finds itself tied on the end of my line on at least one rod every time I'm on the water. With the ease of finding deep water structure thanks to my Lowrance Structure Scan, I can quickly locate those classic deep water spots perfect for tossing a football jig! Dragging or stroking a football jig is easily my most utilized technique once the bass have moved off their spawning grounds. Using this method will not only land you plenty of fish, but it also usually attracts bigger fish than many other deep water techniques!

4" Berkley Chigger Craw

3" Berkley Chigger Chunk

For those not familiar with the how to fish this type of bait, a football jig's basic design is to be resistant to hang ups in rocks. This allows an angler to drag the jig across rocky bottom structure, tipped with their favorite plastic trailer, very closely mimicking a crawdad as it moves along. For me, the Berkley Powerbait Chigger Craw or Chigger Chuck are the perfect trailer. Which I choose depends on the mood of the fish. I usually start with the 4" Chigger Craw, but will switch to the smaller 3" Chigger Chuck if the fish are grabbing at the claws or want a more compact presentation.

What I like about the Picasso Fantasy Football Jig in particular is in the details:

First, the line tie on the jig head is recessed into the lead mold. This does two things: it protects your knot from total exposure to the rocky elements it is dragging through, and with the eye of the hook being buried in the jig head, it keeps a true round shape to the head. With no bulky hook eye exposed, there is less tendency for the jig head to get wedged in small crevasses in the structure.

Second, the textured jig head allows the jig to "grab" the structure as it drags through it. This causes increased movement of the skirt and trailer, and also allows the jig to rock back and forth is it drags. This increased action will lead to more bites on a tough day!

Finally, and most importantly, Picasso utilizes a Gamakatsu hook to ensure that the angler gets a good hook into the fish for those deep water hook sets.

The author with a 6.5 pounder
fooled by a Fantasy Football Jig

The technique couldn't be more simple! My most successful approach for big fish on a football jig is to cast to the structure I am targeting and let the bait fall straight to the bottom on a slack line. Once on the bottom, I reel in the slack and slowly, and I mean slowly, start to drag the bait through the structure. With the right rod and reel set up, you should feel the jig as it bumps through any rocks. When I start to feel my jig hitting the structure, I slow down even more, which allows the jig to really use the rocks to it's advantage, especially with the Fantasy Football Jig's textured jig head.

The bite will vary greatly. As times the fish will all but rip the rod out of your hand when they pick up the jig, other times it's a more subtle, almost panfish-like knocking as the fish picks the jig off the bottom. Either way, or if in doubt, set the fire out of the fish! It is incredibly important to put a big hook set on the fish when in deep water since you are pulling a lot of line through a lot of water, and driving a single large hook into the fish's tough mouth. For my money, there is no better hook set in all of bass fishing than a big deep water bass on a jig! Talk about rod bending action!

What's the morale of this story? Get to your local tackle shop, or click on one of our advertiser's links, and grab some Fantasy Football Jigs! Trust me when I say, you will be glad you did!

2011-09-11T09:58:00.001-05:00

9/11 Ten Years Later

In some ways it is hard to believe that today marks the ten year anniversary of the most shocking day of my life, of many of our lives. There are very few things as I look back over these tens years that I remember more vividly. My wedding day and the birth of my two children are really the only events so ingrained in my memory. I know this site is a fishing site, but I can't help but step away from my normal subject matter for a few moments of reflection. For those of you who read this, it's probably not going to be the most informative article commemorating one of the darkest days in our nation's history, but my hope is to stir those memories up for the common man. I think we can all benefit from a few minutes of silent reminiscence today.

For me personally, I went to work like everyone else. A little early that day since I had my plate pretty full with projects that had deadlines approaching. As I sat groggily rubbing my eyes, staring at my computer screen in my cubicled corner of the office, thoughts of coffee ran through my mind as the only thing that could get me over the hump on this morning. If only that were the truth.

Determined to get my first item accomplished before leaving my cubicle, I set up the printer for a large scale schematic map for a television display wall that I had designed for a major retailer that most of us have been too more times than our wives would like. Yes, I was one of the reasons that you oogled those "new" plasma televisions that you could hang on your wall. Such a complex distribution of high definition signal required a well drawn map for the folks who would be installing them, and I had to get that map printed on a large scale and sent to about 200 stores. It was a large print job, one of the details of these projects that I loathed, but it was a necessary evil on this morning. I hit "print" and headed to the break room area to get coffee going, which would in turn, hopefully get my body and mind going as well.

The break room was empty since it was early, and I didn't mind at all. Just me an the coffee maker. Perfect. As I waited for the coffee, I sat down at the nearby table and mindlessly watched as the big screen TV across the room aired Good Morning America. Just a few more minutes and I'd be enjoying that hot coffee that I was dreaming of.

The door to the break room opened and in walked Bob. Bob was a nice enough guy, in fact, he sat kitty-corner from me on the opposite side of my cubicle. We were sort of neighbors who waved at each other as a courtesy, but never really got to know each other. We said our "good morning" to each other as Bob noted my efforts on the coffee and made a joke about how happy he was that it had been started. I stood in anticipation of the coffee being ready, and to speak with Bob for a few minutes.

Breaking new on Good Morning America.

Bob and I watched as the first images of the first tower showed up on the television. We were shocked and speechless. How on Earth did a plane fly into the World Trade Center? We started to comment on the situation. Was it another drunk pilot? Did someone fall asleep? Whatever it was, it was awful.

Then the second plane hit.

In looked at Bob who was ash white, which was at least partially from his shock. I didn't know what to say. I remember the news team just going momentarily silent. I think the whole country did. It became clear very quickly that we were under attack. All at once our impenetrable borders, our missile defense systems, and the world strongest military didn't matter. Someone figured out how to attack us from the inside using our own infrastructure against us. Using our collective trust against us.

My thoughts went to my fiance who was still in school at the University of Minnesota as speculative reports came in about what could be next. Major buildings in every city, large malls, schools and universities, corporate headquarters. Was my family safe? Were all my friends ok? What about my cousin who works near the towers?

I ran back to my office area and reported what i had just seen. Suddenly the large break room that had hosted many division luncheons and meetings was packed full of people trying to get a glimpse. People scrambling to get info. What had happened? Where else? Who did this? Why?

My group headed to the main corporate building and offered our services to distribute TV signal to as many TVs as we could. It was the only thing we could think of to help, and people were thankful for it. We ran cabling all over the place and wheeled TVs to every corner of the corporate campus that we could. The galvanization had started.

What I saw over the next few months was nothing short of amazing. The country got behind their leader. We stood together against a common enemy who had dared to attack us at home. We all had the same resolve: Do what's best for our country, and stand together. Our differences melted away as we worked together to rebuild our confidence as a nation and our sense of self. We were proud to be Americans again, and we felt, even for a short time, a unity that I had not felt before as an American.

As I share my story with you, simple as it may be, I hope that we all remember how it affected us on a personal level. Some where more affected than others, but we all felt that tower when it hit the ground. Now we find ourselves in some tough times as a nation. The economy is shaky, everyone knows someone who has lost a job, and we don't know what is going to happen. I know one thing for sure though: we can get through all of of this. American has shown through her history that she can get knocked down, but she doesn't stay down.

My hope as I close this out is that we remember this day not for the horror of what it was, but for the triumph that it can be. Like many who died serving this country before them, let's remember those who lost their lives and the heroes who emerged as the story unfolded, but let us also serve their memory proud by being the best we can be and rising above all challenges that we may face. Not alone, but as a nation.

God bless America.

2011-09-09T10:25:00.002-05:00

Ray Scott, Founder of BASS, weighs in on "Wellmangate"

BASS may have changed hands a few times since The Godfather of Bass Fishing, Ray Scott, has been in control of things, but his presence and legacy is always a factor. Many still see Scott as the figurehead of this storied organization, and his opinion carries a tremendous amount of weight. Thanks to the continued work of BassFan.com, we now have a statement from Mr. Scott, and I for one couldn't agree more with the ledgendary Bassmaster. In fact, if you read through these past blog posts, you will find a very similar call to action. Here is what Mr. Scott told our friends at BassFan.com:

"For those who have been around B.A.S.S. and know our history of tournaments, there is a process clearly identified in Rule 3 (B.A.S.S. Tournament Rules) that deals with infractions like this. When two anglers are in the middle of the lake and it becomes a question of who said what or what took place, you call on the polygraph. A polygraph is the only means at our disposal to clarify and resolve this matter.

"I would hope Mr. Wellman would recognize the criticality of what is at risk now – the perception of dishonesty in bass fishing tournaments and, more importantly, the integrity of every angler around the world. B.A.S.S. has rules that deal with sportsmanship and nothing stands to suffer more from this incident than the honor and veracity of all anglers. Even though B.A.S.S. opted for another course of action, they can still direct a polygraph.

"This isn't going to go away and the stigma will continue to hang over our heads until Mr. Wellman is either exonerated or held accountable. With all the speculation that is going on, the right thing for Mr. Wellman to do would be to contact B.A.S.S. and insist that they give him a polygraph. If he doesn't put this issue to rest beyond any reasonable doubt, B.A.S.S. and the bass-fishing community will forever hold him suspect in any tournament he attempts to enter."

Finally someone with an opinion that matters has called this to the forefront! Not only has Ray Scott stated that this is the only way to introduce any level of clarity into the discussion, he specifically outlines the Rule itself, Rule 3, in which the polygraph verbage reads like this:

"By his/her signature on the official tournament entry form, each competitor agrees to submit to a polygraph examination and abide by its conclusion should he/she be accused of any rule violation. The BASS Tournament Director, rules committee, or such person designated by the Tournament Director, shall have the discretion to determine the need for a polygraph examination. The BASS Tournament Director or his/her designee shall be responsible for selecting an independent expert to administer and interpret the results and establishing, in consultation with the expert administrator, the scope of the questions which may be asked during the polygraph examination. The BASS Tournament Director, or his/her designee, shall attempt to have the location of such polygraph examination as close in proximity to the angler’s permanent address, or such other mutually convenient location as possible. The competitor shall make himself/herself available at the location selected by the Tournament Director and shall cooperate in all respects with such examination. Anglers taking a polygraph examination may be responsible for any and all costs incurred"

So now we are left with a new question: Why isn't BASS pursuing this? Obviously this incident has become a huge black eye for BASS and its leadership. I personally have been a member of BASS since I was a boy, and will continue to be a member. I think the new leadership team, namely Jerry McKinnis, is a very capable unit, and I support them wholeheartedly. I just don't get this. It's time to step up. It's time to make a statement. It's time to clear this thing up! Rule 3 is in place for exactly this reason. If BASS isn't going to use this rule now, when will they? What sort of infraction are they looking for in order to enact Rule 3?

It has become clear to most of us that Nate Wellman is not going to volunteer to any sort of polygraph anytime soon, and in my opinion, that is a terrible idea if he is truly innocent. Now this issue rests solely on the shoulders of BASS as an organization. The fans of BASS are screaming out for closure on this mess one way or another! This is an angler competing on the highest level the sport has to offer, this needs to be handled and put to rest. The sooner the better for Nate Wellman, BASS, and all of the fans of bass fishing.

What do you say BASS? Your move.

2011-09-08T10:27:00.000-05:00

Joe Stois, Nate Wellman's Day 3 Co-Angler, Interviewed by BassFan.com

The nameless man behind the Nate Wellman controversy now has a name. Joe Stois, from Cleveland Ohio, has spoken with BassFan.com regarding his role in the events that transpired following the Day 3 weigh-in at the Bassmaster Northen Open on Lake Erie. Stois states to Bass Fan:

"I wish none of this would have happened and to be quite honest I feel bad for Nate, (but) I think he made a terrible mistake once he started thinking about not making the Classic. I don't know Nate, but aside from the offer, I enjoyed the beginning of the day with him. I told Nate that I would net my own fish so he could have more time to fish. I knew what was at stake for this young man and I didn't want to do anything to ruin his chances. I also know that when he said he 'would give me $1,000 for my fish' and that 'his dad walks around with $1,000 to $3,000 cash in his pocket' and 'we could meet up with his dad after the weigh in to take care of it,' and the fact that he said he 'would drive me out to the middle of the lake to transfer the fish to his livewell so that no one would see' it was not a joke."

Stois added: "I know some of you believe what Nate did was harmless and he was truly joking. That is your right and I'm just trying to let you know what really happened. I myself would never joke about something this important to a person I barely know. The people who know me have stood up for me as you would expect them to. I did what was right in my mind, period. Until you're in a similar situation, do you really know what you would do? As for me, I can wake up every morning and look in the mirror and know I did what was right, and I have."

Nate Wellman, or course, is maintaining his innocence by holding firm on his claim that his comments were made in jest. For those of you interested, Wellman will be interviewed on Tournament Fishing Radio on Monday, September 12th at 5:30 central. The interview will be available online Tuesday the 13th.

For more details on BASS's reaction and reasoning behind their decision, be sure to check out the full article on BassFan.com!

2011-09-07T18:18:00.003-05:00

Wellman Speaks, Will Anyone Listen?

In the wake of one of the most highly reacted to controversies in recent angling history, Nate Wellman has issued a statement regarding his alleged attempt to purchase one of his co-anlger's fish during the Bassmaster Northern Open on Lake Erie in late August. Wellman's statement goes like this:

"I regret the statements that I made to my co-angler during the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open on Lake Erie Aug. 25-27, 2011. While I never intended for my statements to be anything more than an expression of my envy for his performance that day, looking back I can understand now why my co-angler would have misinterpreted my statements. My statements were wrong and should never have been made.

"To be perfectly clear: I am not a cheater. I've never cheated in the past and will never do so in the future. I've dedicated my entire adult life to bass fishing – the sport that I love – and no amount of money in the world is worth jeopardizing my career that I've spent my life working for. I'm an accomplished angler and am confident about my future. Simply stated: I have no reason to cheat and would never tarnish my accomplishments nor compromise my future by cheating. I respect myself, my family, my sponsors and my sport way too much to bring it all down by cheating.

"I apologize to everyone for my mistake, including B.A.S.S. and my co-angler, for putting them in such an awkward position. Also a sincere apology to the fans of fishing for it was not my intention to tarnish the integrity of the sport."

I don't doubt for a second whether or not Wellman regrets his comments. Anyone would regret comments leading to their banning from one major circuit, and probation for another. Anyone making comments that could potentially destroy their career will have some regrets. What I think Wellman needs to address immediately is the fact that his comments were taken out of context. Were they? Only Nate knows for sure, but I can tell you the best way to erase most of the doubts about his intentions, and I've been screaming this since the announcement from BASS: Submit to a voluntary lie detector test, monitored by a BASS official.

Let's be honest, this thing has gotten out of control. With the age of instant Tweets and Status Updates, it doesn't take long before the phones start ringing, the blogs start buzzing, and the "Did you hear..." conversations start at the local landing. Wellman didn't do himself any favors by waiting almost four days to address the situation. His excuse was that a strong storm went through his area and knocked power out. Surely he still knew what was going on, and if my career was at risk I certainly wouldn't wait four days while the internet explodes with rumors, opinions, and "Ban Nate Wellman" Facebook pages complete with Elite Series Pros joining and posting. I would have gotten out in front of this thing, with the co-angler if possible, and address this issue in both print and video.

I want to be clear: I hope beyond hope that this thing is all a misunderstanding, but the evidence we are seeing doesn't really support that. If Wellman thinks his statement of "I'm a good angler who doesn't need to cheat" will counter balance the detailed statements outlining a plan to drive to a remote area, make a fish exchange, and have his $1,000-$3,000-in-cash-toting-dad pay up at the docks, I feel he is going to find out he is mistaken.

I personally fear for Nate and his family. I fear he is going to lose sponsorships, and I fear this thing is not over with BASS. I fear he will forever wear this scandal as an invisible patch on his tournament jersey. I, along with most people I have spoken with about this, hope that Wellman takes the steps to clear this up with more than a coached public relations statement. I hope that my next post on this announcing that Wellman is proven innocent. Until then, we all wait.

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2011-09-06T21:23:00.001-05:00

FLW Bans Nate Wellman for 1 Year.

Following his infraction in the Bassmaster Northern Open, Nate Wellman has been banned from competing in any FLW events for a period of one year. FLW also has the ability to deny his entry beyond that if they choose.

FLW Outdoors decided to conduct their own investigation with the parties involved to formulate an opinion about the incident. Ultimately, FLW is pointing to their governing rules, specifically Rule 9, which states:

9. Sportsmanship

All contestants are required to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy and conservation and to conduct themselves in a manner that will be a credit to themselves, to FLW Outdoors, FLW Outdoors’ sponsors, the sport of fishing and FLW Outdoors’ efforts to promote the sport. Conduct not complying with these standards includes, but is not limited to, the following:
• Violation of, or failure to comply with, any of the rules for the 2011 FLW Tour.
• Consumption and/or possession of alcoholic beverages or any kind of mind-altering substance during registration, the pretournament meeting or during tournament hours extending through the weigh-in procedure.
• Abuse of, or addiction to, mind-altering substances.
• Conviction of a felony within the past 36 months.
• Suspension/disqualification or ban from any tournament or fishing organization.
• Any other words, conduct or actions reflecting unfavorably upon efforts to promote safety, sportsmanship, fair competition and compliance with tournament rules, or which fail to comply with the standards set forth in the first sentence of paragraph 9.In case of any conduct not complying with the standards outlined above, FLW Outdoors shall have the right to refuse an application to compete, to deny a confirmed application to compete by returning the entry fee (minus deposit) or to disqualify a contestant.

Now, I came down pretty hard on Wellman in my previous post on this subject, and rightfully so. That said, I want to be clear that I really want Wellman to be innocent of this. It's not good for anyone in the sport, myself included. This is why I suggested the lie detector as a means of resolving this. I don't wish Wellman, or anyone else involved any hardship, but I do think if he is in fact guilty, then this sort of penalty should be enacted on all levels.

Wellman is expected to make a statement on this controversy tomorrow. Stay tuned for our coverage of this story as it develops.

2011-09-06T13:47:00.001-05:00

Bass Utopia Show 3, Part 2 Starring Brian Bengtson

For those of you who had the great pleasure of watchin Part 1 of our day on the water with Gander Mountain's Brian Bengtson, who is on the Outkast Tackle and Lowrance Pro Staff, here is the exciting conclusion to that edit.

This next cut is really fun to watch for me personally because I love it so much when I watch someone let their guard down and forget that there is a camera in the boat. I love watching real reactions to fish. What we want to convey through our show is the pure joy that fishing brings to people, and the pure unraveling that can happen on a bad day. Fishing can be a series of highs and lows, but there is nothing like those high moments, and for me personally, I love watching them happen in my boat whether it's coming from me or my guests!

Filming has really started to become a passion for me. My partner at Bass Utopia, Danny Schmidt (Fade to Black Productions) has made it both fun, and brought a very professional flare to what we are putting out there! We take a lot of pride in bringing a true reality approach to these shows, and the production value associated with the,. So far, we've been fortunate enough to have some great days, but I have to tell you, we've got one of the toughest days I've had on the water all season in production right now. It'll be interesting to see what comes of the cut because delirium hit after about 4 hours of fishing with only a few small fish in the boat. All I know is that Danny told me "I have plenty to work with" and then laughed. I am scared.

Hope you all enjoy the new video! Please be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel!