Bass boat cover-up

06/03/10 by admin | Fishing Tips | 4 Comments »

By Louie Stout
Bassmaster.com
Archive

Did you ever hook the boat up to the tow vehicle and debate whether to trailer with the cover on or without it?

We all have.

For short trips, I prefer to leave the cover off, so I can see behind it better. I don’t have to worry about a strap coming loose and flapping down the highway.

On the other hand, the cover keeps the interior clean and dry and boat contents are a little more secure during stops at a restaurant or gas station.

Major improvements in covers provided by bass boat manufacturers have made covering a boat easier. They’re built to fit specific models, are made of lighter material so they’re less cumbersome and they have adjustable, form-fitting straps and buckles to keep them tight.

However, a surprising number of Elite Series pros still don’t cover their boats except in bad weather or overnight parking.

Texan Zell Rowland is not one of them.

“I travel with it on all the time,” he insists. “I want to keep my boat immaculate for resale, and you can’t do that when you trailer thousands of miles with the boat uncovered.”

Rowland says boaters would be surprised by the amount of road scum that will collect in the carpet or upholstery. The problem is compounded when towing with a diesel, he adds.

“Some of the stuff you get on there won’t come off,” he says. “The cover is a lot easier to clean, fix or replace.”

Rowland says boat manufacturer covers work fine for the average guy, but he prefers one he has custom built of lightweight, waterproof canvas for about $700.

“Each year, I take my new boat to a place that makes awnings and they build it to fit the boat and the equipment I have on it,” he explains. “They pad all of the stress areas, such as around trolling motors, depthfinders, windshields — any place I need added protection.”

His custom cover has three belly straps (standard models only have one or two) with adjustable locking clasps for snugging it up even tighter. The rear draw cord is attached with ratchet-style hooks that clip on the transom and allow him to pull it extremely tight from bow to stern.

That’s important, he says, because a loose cover or strap will flap and rub against the fiberglass and cause damage.

Some anglers say they get better towing fuel economy with the cover off, but Rowland disagrees. He believes a proper fitting cover provides better gas mileage.

“It’s like driving down the road with the windows up in your truck versus the windows rolled down,” Rowland describes. “You get better mileage with the windows up. With the cover on, air moves over and past the boat. Without it, it goes into the boat and creates a vacuum.”

He also believes a covered boat keeps people honest when the rig sits unattended in a parking lot.

“People don’t know what’s under there, so they’re less likely to try to steal something,” he says.

Hackney attacks summer cover with big jigs

06/03/10 by admin | Fishing Tips | Comments Off

Fishouflage pro Greg Hackney is pretty confident with a jig in his hand, whether he’s quickly swimming a small one around cover or plunking a big one through heavy matted vegetation in mid-summer.

He’s tried all kinds of jigs through the years in an effort to find one the ones he prefers for shallow and deep situations. But like most anglers, when it gets down to brass tacks he’s comfortable with a few sizes and colors that mimic craws or small bluegills. Natural colors, like greenish-brown and black-blue, will most often be found tied on his line.

So it was no surprise last year when Strike King Lures, with whom Hackney is associated, came out with a its “Hack Attack” signature jig. The jigs come in 3/8 to 1 1/4-ounce sizes in nine colors, with a specially-designed head. A Gamakatsu black nickel heavy wire hook features a 30-degree line tie and is 3/0 in the smallest jig, 5/0 up to 1 ounce and 6/0 on the largest jig.

Even with the smaller sizes, these jigs are designed for close-quarter combat and heavy braided line or high-test fluorocarbon.

That’s just what Hackney wanted, too.

“Probably the No. 1 thing about it is the hook, which is heavy gauge wire with a big bite that doesn’t flex,” said Hackney, who lives in Gonzales, La. “Sometimes when guys are fishing heavy cover and really hit a fish hard, the hook opens a little and may cut its way out. I’ve had to lighten up on rods in the past, too, because with braid you sometimes tend to bend a hook.

“With these, you definitely have to set the hook to drive it home. But the way the gap is designed to be a little wider along with the size (wire) of the hook, you can do that and not worry about it flexing.”

Hackney burst upon the professional scene in 2004 on the Bassmaster Elite Series after moving through the organization’s Central Open ranks. He quickly established himself with a run at the tour’s Angler of the Year title that first season. Since then he has three wins, 12 top 10 finishes and more than $1.2 million in winnings.

His accomplishments are brighter on the FLW Tour, where he has four victories including the 2009 Forrest Wood Cup championship, 27 Top 10 finishes  and $1.039 million in winnings. He competed on the BFL circuit off and on since 1995 and in 2008 won the East-West Fishoff on Lake Amistad to qualify for the Cup championship, which was held in Pittsburgh on the Three Rivers.

Hackney cut his teeth in tournaments in Arkansas, long a tough state with many good anglers and challenging waters. From there he honed his skills, often with a jig, throughout the seasons and in a wide variety of conditions.

It was when he signed on with Strike King that Hackney intensified his thoughts about designing his new jig. The company has had success for years with its jigs and pro staff, and his addition to the lineup provides an extra element to that ledger.

With the Hack Attack design, the weight of the jig is all at the front, even with the largest ones in the lineup. That, he said, makes a difference in how it falls when pitching to cover.

“The biggest thing on heavier jigs is with the collar, a lot of people put lead down the shank to hold the collar and skirt and the jig might fall at an angle,” he said. “But you don’t want that on a heavy-cover jig. You want it to fall straight down and the weight being forward helps that. If it runs sideways it can hang on something.

“When I pitch a jig into something, I want it falling straight down. I want it falling vertically, just like a slip sinker. Plus, with the line tie it doesn’t snag on cover. With a 60- or 90-degree eye there’s a tendency to hang, and then you pull on it and get it hung up.”

Hackney didn’t want a wide variety of colors, either, which can be confusing to anglers trying to pick a few. The nine Hack Attack colors are basic with a mix of green pumpkin, pumpkinseed, orange, brown (craw) and black-blue. Combined with matching trailers, “they’ll work pretty much anywhere in the country because of the simplicity and versatility,” he said.

When it comes to his line, Hackney ops for braid or heavy fluorocarbon. Both give him abrasion resistance, strength and durability.

“In clear water and sparse cover, and I don’t care how clear the water is, if I’m going in anything like brush or grass then I’m going with heavy braid,” he said. “In clear situations like around clean boat dock posts, stumps or isolated wood in gin-clear water, I’ll use 25-pound fluorocarbon. In recent years I’ve used more flurorocarbon because the lakes we’ve fished have been pretty clear.”

Hackney worked on the jig for about a year and then tweaked it in winter of 2009 before introducing it last summer. Jigs have been around for decades but he’s satisfied with his latest creation.

“Anyone who has fished with jigs before has had the same issues,” he said. “We didn’t re-invent the wheel … we just tweaked it.”

Thinking Outside the Box

05/27/10 by admin | Fishing Tips | Comments Off

During a Bassmaster post-season tournament last September, Alabama pro Gerald Swindle found himself going against the grain of what “the book” suggested for that time of year.

“The book,” that mythical pronouncement of tactics and techniques, said the bass probably should be on offshore structure in late summer. No way should they be in shallow water that wouldn’t dampen your knees. Temperatures probably would be too hot, according to “the book.” Cooler offshore temperatures would harbor the biggest bass and forage.

Swindle threw the book into the trash and went against the grain. He tied on a topwater popping frog and worked it methodically in and around shoreline weeds. Small openings, little cuts and slimy gunk offered little to the casual observer. But Swindle knew some bass always stay in shallow, shady areas.

When “the book” says to do one thing, how many will choose to ignore it and seek something different? Sometimes that can make the difference. Skeet Reese did just that on Smith Mountain Lake in May during a tournament when conditions set up perfectly for him to throw a big Rago swimbait.

“I think it depends on the body of water more than anything,” Reese said. “One thing I’ve learned traveling east is that some lakes, the hotter it gets the shallower the bass will get. On rivers where they pull water and have current and oxygen, they’ll be out offshore. But on certain lakes it seems like they lose the oxygen content at 8 to 10 feet or below that. I think that’s when they get in the dirt-shallow water, especially where a little wind can create a chop and stir up things.

Reese recalled Bassmaster Classic championships won by George Cochran in 1996 on Lay Lake and Denny Brauer in 1998 on High Rock. Cochran threw spinnerbaits in a shallow backwater pool, and Brauer was targeting shallow isolated cover with a tube. Both were in water 1-3 feet deep that for August, which was when the tournament was held at that time, was warmer than bathwater.

“That time of year, usually things seem to get won offshore cranking or throwing a Carolina-rig, or in dirt-shallow water no one thinks about,” Reese said. “That made no sense to me, being a West Coast guy used to drop shotting a worm 60 feet deep. But everything’s a learning curve and sometimes you do have to think differently.”

Deciding to zig when the other guys zag can be a tricky decision, though. Brent Ehrler did that earlier this year on Table Rock Lake in the opening FLW Tour tournament. Many of the pros were throwing jerkbaits for suspended bass in the White River arm of the lake. Ehrler fished there, too, but opted for a Lucky Craft 2.5 DD crankbait and a 5-inch grub on a jighead.

Ehrler swam the smoke-colored grub, treating it similar to a crankbait. He would cast to about 12 feet, let it hit bottom and then swim it out through or above suspended fish. He’d also work the bait the same way in deeper water up to 30 feet.

The tactic was a winner, giving him the tournament win and kick-starting his season.

“I fished it like a crankbait but was able to get into the deeper range where fish were holding over the timber,” he said. “The fish might be 5-10 feet deep but were hanging over 30 feet. They’re harder to catch but Table Rock is famous for the jerkbait and swimming the grub.”

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box on occasion. The results might surprise you.

Bass CPR: Catch, Pic and Release

05/24/10 by admin | Industry news | Comments Off

You’re excited about the big bass you just caught, and your fishing buddy whips out his cell phone to take a photo.

A couple of quick keypad touches, the fish goes back in the lake and then you take a look. Part of your buddy’s finger was over the phone’s small lens but he didn’t notice. The sun was high overhead and your shadowed face is dark. Or maybe the sun was glaring off the water, blowing out the photo with bright light.

In any case, your trophy catch is not preserved for history.

It’s not difficult to take better photos. Instead of crooked shots, sun problems, a dopey expression on your face or the “Hold ‘er up, Bubba!” photo, all it takes is a little thinking and time to get things right. If it truly is a great fish, 10 minutes of work will pay off for a quality photo.

Great photos combine multiple elements to capture the scene and provide a lasting memory. (Photo: Doug Cox)

Professional photographers for outdoors magazines, websites and organizations are like those for any other business. They’re serious about getting good photos because solid photography makes people take notice. Photographers always are looking around, scanning backgrounds, thinking about angles and sunlight or what cool vantage point might offer a unique perspective.

Just like you plan ahead for a fishing trip, you can plan ahead to take good photos.

Don’t rush

Hawgzilla finally bit your bait and it’s in the boat as you go bonkers high-fiving your buddy. A photo is suggested but your shirt is untucked, there’s tobacco dribbling down your chin and the background is a busy marina gas dock.

Put the fish in the livewell and relax for a moment. Clear the front deck of any rods that are a’kilter. Tuck in your shirt, make sure your fly is zipped and look for a nice background where you don’t have telephone poles growing out of your head or vehicles on a highway behind you.

If you have a Power Pole and are in shallow water, use it to hold the boat.

Find the sun

Bright, overhead sun ruins many photos because it blows out the colors, or the deep shadow of your cap’s bill makes your face too dark.

Anything between about 10 a.m. and 3 or 4 p.m. when the sun’s highest in the sky can cause problems. Take off your sunglasses and tip your cap back a bit, or remove it completely for the photo. If the sun’s too bright and you’re squinting, put on the sunglasses but leave the cap off.

The sun should be behind the photographer if you’re out in the morning or afternoon. Position yourself so it’s shining from behind the photographer on you holding the fish. That way you get the light on your face and the fish instead of your back, which creates shadows.

Professional photographers love about 90 minutes after sunrise and 90 before sunset, which is called “golden light.” The light isn’t as harsh and everything is pretty. There’s not as much, if any, glare.

Fill the frame

You’ve seen the bad fishing photos where a guy on the back deck snaps the shot and gets half the boat, the front deck, the rods and lots of water. Joe Angler with the fish is somewhere in the middle, like he was dropped into the scene as an extra instead of being the featured player.

Avoid that by filling the frame with the angler and fish. There should only be a little band of background around you. Even with that little band, though, you don’t want it to be a sign with the barbecue special at the highway snack bar or marina slips. Remember to check your background.

If you’re at a scenic location or seasonal colors are nice – dogwoods in spring, or changing leaves in autumn – use those to your advantage. Sometimes a hint of color looks good in photos as borders or backgrounds.

Support the fish

Lip the fish and, if it’s a big bass, support the tail with your other hand for a horizontal or near-horizontal pose.

If you’re doing it this way, have the photographer shoot closer to fill the frame with your upper body and the fish. A vertical photo would look silly if you were holding the fish horizontally. If you’re holding it vertically, the photographer should shoot vertically.

Please smile … please?

There are countless photos of big fish and a guy holding it who looks like he just came from the proctologist’s office.

Smile! You just caught a fish worthy of taking photos, so you don’t need to look like Bobo the Stone Man on some deserted island.

A good tip is to talk with the photographer while he’s shooting. That sounds goofy, but as you’re talking your facial expressions change. Excitedly say, “Man, what a big fish! This sucker hit that jig like a freight train! We need to catch some more!” Show off your molars and get a smile on your face.

If you notice your buddy doing something wrong, let him know. Turn the camera … it won’t break if you do something different with it.

Another tip is after a few shots, securely hold the fish and dip it in the water. This adds some “shine” to it, water dripping and often the dorsal fin will pop up. Tell your camera operator to be ready to shoot when you lift the fish from the water and get positioned.

When you’re done

After taking some photos for a couple of minutes, put the fish back in the livewell so it can rest. Keeping a fish out for long periods of time isn’t good.

Check the photos. Look at your face, the colors, the backgrounds … if there is anything terribly wrong, re-position and shoot some more. If you’re satisfied with the photos, release the fish when it’s able to swim away.

Then go catch another photo fish.

Home run!

05/24/10 by admin | News | Comments Off

By Doug Grassian
Bassmaster.com
Archive

EVANS, Ga. — The stars were perfectly aligned for Jason Williamson heading into the final day of the Pride of Georgia on Clarks Hill Lake.

His sisters performed the National Anthem prior to the weigh-in and the crowd was filled with family, friends and fishing buddies who he had smoked in years past at local tournaments. But the Wagener, S.C., rising pro couldn’t get the fish to bite.

Sunday, he made a long trek upriver to a spot that produced for him in the past both monetarily — he has won boats in numerous local tournaments relying on the area — and in piscatorial terms — he dredged up a 7-12 brute Saturday, the biggest bass of the tournament.

But the current wasn’t running on the sprawling reservoir and Williamson couldn’t buy a bite. Showing a veteran’s poise, Williamson dug deep into his vast local knowledge bank and decided to downsize from the Buckeye mop jig he primarily worked the first three days of competition. He tied on a shaky head worm and was able to scratch out a quick limit ultimately weighing 7 pounds, 10 ounces, upgrading his total to 53 pounds, 6 ounces.

James OverstreetJason Williamson celebrates upon learning he held off Cliff Crochet by 2 ounces to win the Pride of Georgia.

It was enough, albeit barely, to best Elite rookie Cliff Crochet of Pierre Part, La., by 2 ounces and take home the $100,000 top prize

“Words can’t describe how it feels to win in front of these folks,” said Williamson, who jumped wildly in celebration when he results were finalized. “I won a lot of money from that spot but I just couldn’t get anything started today (Sunday). I wish I hadn’t run up there but I just had to go. I was regretting it all day.”

Fishing fans can catch all of the on-the-water action from the Pride of Georgia on The Bassmasters, which airs Sunday, June 6, at 10:30 a.m. ET on ESPN2.

Although the shaky worm rig carried the day Sunday, the Buckeye mop jig was the key to the victory. Saturday, Williamson built enough of a cushion — more than 4 pounds — that he was able to withstand a stumble. His 19 pounds, 2 ounces, Saturday was the biggest limit of the tournament and the 7-12 brute was the biggest bass caught this week.

With skyrocketing temperatures, Williamson knew that the north end of the lake would hold the bigger fish. He settled on his specific area because it was 5 degrees cooler than the rest of the reservoir. He was working flat points filled with rock and crawdads. The bass were still feeding on the tail end of the blueback herring spawn in those areas and were extremely active when current was being pulled.

A relative unknown when he first qualified for the Elite Series, Williamson is proving he is a force to be reckoned with. The victory is Williamson’s second in Elite competition and he also scored a second-place finish earlier this year on Smith Mountain Lake.

James OverstreetIn the boat, Williamson gives the fish a human’s-eye view.

“When I first qualified, things were really tough,” Williamson said. “I just didn’t have the experience. I definitely feel comfortable now. Experience is the most important thing that you can have out here. I feel like I can contend in every tournament now and that’s a good feeling.”

Still, it’s been a roller-coaster ride of a season for Williamson as he paired three missed cuts with his two stellar performances. His lack of consistency hasn’t hampered him too much, however. After this week, he is 24th in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings, and comfortably in position to qualify for the 2011 Bassmaster Classic.

Crochet was absolutely floored. The Elite rookie got his first taste of contention and he thought he had the victory. The Assumption Parish (La.) sherrif’s deputy worked a Spro bronzeye poppin’ frog in the shallows and exhibited the most consistency in the field over the course of four days.

He toted 11-11 to the scales Sunday and for a moment, it appeared all the hard work he had put in fishing tournaments at the Federation Nation and Bassmaster Open level had paid off. But ultimately, it wasn’t enough.

“That’s the nature of the beast,” said Crochet, who was still shaking minutes after the result had been decided. “I’m wrecked right now but if you look at the big picture, I’m fishing against the best in the world and I’m loving it.”

Crochet lost a fish that he estimated to be 2 to 3 pounds that would have put him over the top. The silver lining for Crochet is that he moved up to 36th in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. That puts him on top of the Rookie of the Year standings and in the last qualifying position for the 2011 Classic with two regular-season tournaments remaining.

James OverstreetCliff Crochet (2nd, 53-4)

As the Elite regular-season winds down, Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., still holds a comfortable lead in the AOY standings despite a 58th place stinker this week. Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., was able to close the gap on Reese a bit but still remains a distant second, more than 175 points off the pace.

Rounding out the top five this week was Terry Scroggins of Palatka, Fla., in third with 48-9. Matt Reed of Madisonville, Texas, made a big move Sunday, moving up 8 places from 12th to take fourth with 47-13. Two-time Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Gary Klein of Weatherford, Texas, finished fifth with 43-11.

Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., the other local favorite, finished seventh.

Along with the top prize of $100,000, the Pride of Georgia awarded valuable points in the 2010 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race. The top 12 pros in the AOY standings at the end of the regular season will advance to the 2010 Bassmaster Elite Series postseason, in which the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year will be determined. The top 36 will qualify for the 2011 Bassmaster Classic.

Up next for Elite pros is the June 9-12 Tennessee Triumph on Kentucky Lake out of Paris, Tenn.

Change Your Ways

05/16/10 by admin | Fishing Tips | Comments Off

John Crews

Most anglers will openly define their fishing abilities. “I am a flipper” or “I love crankbaits,” has been said a thousand times. These types of anglers will live and die by their favorite technique. Often times their favorite technique coincides with what their favorite angler is known for using. There is nothing wrong with being really good at one technique. If you do so, make sure it is a technique that is very adaptable or you only use your go-to technique when the conditions are right. Don’t flip when the water is crystal clear and no thick cover is around. Be smart about your favorite way to catch fish. Know when to use it and when to change your ways.

http://johncrews.com

DeGray Lake set to host BFL All-American

05/16/10 by admin | Industry news | Comments Off

Weekend anglers from across nation to compete for championship title, Forrest Wood Cup berth

Skeet can’t be stopped

05/09/10 by admin | News | 1 Comment »

By Doug Grassian
Bassmaster.com

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. — Skeet Reese exuded calm Sunday morning heading into the final day of the Synergy Southern Challenge.

Perhaps it’s easy to be carefree when you are sitting on a pile of momentum — Reese had already notched one Elite victory this year and four consecutive top-5 finishes — but the Auburn, Calif., angler figured he had no shot of winning this tournament.

Reese’s best areas had diminished on Lake Guntersville and Davy Hite moved into the catbird seat Saturday with his second 27-plus pound limit and appeared poised to capture his seventh elusive BASS victory.

But Reese, who took home $100,000 with the victory, performed when it counted most — as he has all year — scoring his second Elite victory in five events and his fifth consecutive top 5, an unprecedented achievement in Elite competition.

If not for losing by a whisker on the California Delta — Reese lost by 1 ounce to Virginia’s John Crews — the 2007 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year would have three Elite victories in five events.

As is, Reese has opened up a 258-point margin in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. To illustrate the gap, Reese could finish in dead-last in two weeks on Clarks Hill Lake and his closest competitor, Edwin Evers, could win and Reese would still hold a 50-plus point lead. In Elite Series competition, Reese’s domination is entering uncharted territory but the carefree attitude still prevails.

Fishing fans can catch all of the on-the-water action from the Southern Challenge on The Bassmasters, which airs Sunday, May 16, at 10:30 a.m. ET on ESPN2 (re-airs Sunday, May 30, 11 a.m. ET).

“I can’t believe I won this thing,” Reese said of his sixth BASS victory. “I really didn’t think I had a chance. I was totally relaxed this morning without a worry in the world. I had no pressure and wasn’t even thinking about a victory. I would have been happy with 18 pounds.”

Instead, Reese caught 25 pounds, 15 ounces, blowing the tournament wide open with his four-day total of 100 pounds, 13 ounces, which accounted for the fourth time the 2009 Bassmaster Classic champion has crossed the 100-pound threshold in Elite competition.

James OverstreetDavy Hite and Skeet Reese were the last two anglers to weigh their fish.

After faltering Saturday, Reese said he would “punt” and scramble together a plan prior to his launch on Sunday morning. He stuck to his guns early and ran some of the same areas he had been fishing. He was spurred by an early good fish — more than 5 pounds — before he decided to move on.

Inadvertently, Hite contributed to Reese’s success. A skilled jig angler, Hite had built most of his total this week on the lure, and Reese was astutely aware. Knowing Hite’s success, Reese tied on one lone homemade mop jig, colored brown, and decided to work it around a bridge. He boated two 5-plus pounders, which upgraded his weight and effectively closed the competition.

Still, as most in the field, Reese primarily worked a crankbait — a Lucky Craft 3.5 DD — on main lake ledges for the majority of the four days. Key to the victory was Reese’s rods — the Wright & McGill brand that hold his namesake — which were designed strictly for long-distance casting with a crank.

“I almost feel like I’m going to get shot by one of these guys (Reese’s other competitors) if I keep this up,” said Reese, 40. “I always try to do something that hasn’t been done before so I’m going to keep putting the pressure on.”

While Reese stole the headlines from Hite, the two-time Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year was pleased with the fact that he put himself in contention. It has been a long dry spell for Hite — he had missed out on a top-10 finish dating back to last year — and though he faltered Sunday, the 1999 Bassmaster Classic champion did so to the hottest angler on the planet.

“A 5-pound margin (heading into the final day) just isn’t enough on Lake Guntersville,” Hite said. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t in the cards for me to catch them today, but at least I finished in second.”

Right behind Hite was Crews of Salem, Va., with 92-11. Though Reese bested Crews by more than 1 ounce, he was able to exact some measure of redemption this week for the close call on the California Delta.

Morizo Shimizu of Osaka, Japan, who finished second here in 2005, brought in Sunday’s biggest limit at 27-1 and moved up from eighth to fourth. Rounding out the top 5 was homestate pro Russ Lane of Prattville with 91-15.

Paul Elias of Laurel, Miss., moved up to sixth with a 26-2 limit, which included the tournament’s biggest bass — an 8-2 brute.

Five-time Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Kevin VanDam posted his best finish in Elite competition thus far this year with a ninth. VanDam moved up to 22nd in the Angler of the Year standings and will look to make a charge to qualify for the Bassmaster Elite Series Postseason, which only includes the top 12 anglers from the regular-season AOY standings.

Next up on the Elite Series schedule is the Pride of Georgia on Clarks Hill Lake May 20-23. Reese has a phenomenal track there, notching finishes of ninth and sixth.

Defending champion Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala., limped in below the cutline in 57th. Guntersville has been the site of 20 top-level BASS events, including the 1976 Bassmaster Classic, won by Elite Series pro Rick Clunn of Ava, Mo. Clunn finished 67th this week.

In 2009, the top four overall weights for the four-day tournament crashed the scales at more than 100 pounds. Reese was the only angler to accomplish the feat this week.

Short and sweet

05/03/10 by admin | News | 1 Comment »

By Doug Grassian
Bassmaster.com

FLORENCE, Ala. — Kevin Short saved his best for last.

James OverstreetKevin Short (1st, 75- 1)

Short of Mayflower, Ark., registered the biggest limit of the tournament Sunday — a 23-pound, 5-ounce, haul despite a reduced competition day — and trounced the rest of the field on way to his second Bassmaster Elite Series victory at the Alabama Charge on Pickwick Lake.

Cliff Pace of Petal, Miss., finished a distant second, more than 4 pounds behind.

With nasty weather looming, BASS officials shortened the competition day to five hours in order to escape the brunt of the inclement weather. While some competitors who were making longer runs were adversely affected, Short, who totaled 75-1 over four days, adapted to the parameters and boated the vast majority of his weight less than two hours into the day, effectively ending the tournament.

A frustrating start to the season — mainly due to the style of fishing that the venues have called for — is now in Short’s rearview mirror. Short cut his teeth on the Arkansas River and this week used much of his experiences there to feel his way out on Pickwick. The back-to-basics approach paid off to the tune of $100,000.

“I kept telling myself throughout the week just to think of Pickwick like a river,” said Short, who took his first Elite victory on the Mississippi River. “I was discouraged after Saturday because I just couldn’t figure out how to get them to bite. But I landed my biggest fish early today (Sunday) and I knew it would be my day then.”

Fishing fans can catch all the on-the-water action from the four-day event on The Bassmasters, which airs Sunday, May 9, at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN2 (re-airs Sunday, May 23, at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN2).

Short caught all of his fish on a Pepper’s Baits WEC crankbait, switching the colors from chartreuse classic when it was sunny to chartreuse black when it was cloudy. The balsa-based square-billed crank is in the same family of lures as the bait Short rode to victory on the Mississippi. The one-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier found the area which produced the majority of his winning catch on the first day of competition.

The 48-year-old found a creek, which produced all of his winning catch, on Thursday morning and preceded to catching cruising males. With a flurry of activity, he knew that the larger females had to be close behind. As he expanded on his area, he moved to the back of the creek and found a bevy of cover, including clumps of cypress tress mixed in with singular cypress trees.

On Sunday, Short’s early bass — a 6-12 brute — came off a singular tree, which prompted Short to strictly key on that cover the rest of the day.

“You couldn’t ask for a better area, it had everything,” Short said. “Trees, habitat, you name it. I knew the fish to win were in there, it was just a matter of me remaining patient and finding a way to catch them.”

The icing on the cake for the victory was Short’s uptick in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. Short was in a disappointing 74th place heading into the tournament, but moved to 35th with his banner performance, which puts him safely in the 2011 Bassmaster Classic qualification cut.

James OverstreetCliff Pace grabs a chunky smallmouth and slips it into his weigh-in bag on Day Four of the Alabama Charge.

Sticking to second place, as he has all week, was Pace. Pace worked a community hole, saturated with many of the other competitors who advanced to Sunday. The 29-year-old was able to milk it for all it was worth, including an 18-3 limit on Sunday, but in the end, it couldn’t produce like Short’s spot.

Plying through a ton of bites, Pace threw a jig to tight, small areas that were home to roaming smallmouth. As the day progressed, he was moving toward the outer edges and finding quality large and smallmouth.

“I thought I gave myself a great chance with the day I had today,” said Pace, who qualified for the Bassmaster Elite Series Postseason last season. “But it just wasn’t my time to win. Still, I have no regrets and it was a great week.”

Saturday leader Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., slipped to fifth. He was the only one in the Sunday field who was locking through to Lake Wilson, which took a sizable chunk of his fishing day.

As such, he took one on the chin Sunday with the truncated day and his 12-11 limit was indicative of the risky approach. Still, Reese came in with zero expectations for Pickwick as this week marked his first time on the Tennessee River impoundment.

James OverstreetKevin Short led the tournament for the first two day and reclaimed his lead on Day Four with these two monsters.

Couple that with his fourth consecutive top-five finish in Elite competition and Reese should find the silver lining in his performance. The top-five streak, which is quite rare, puts him more than 150 points in the lead in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings.

Behind Pace in third this week was Steve Kennedy of Auburn, Ala., with 67-9. Moving up to fourth and scoring his best Elite finish of the season was Rick Morris of Virginia Beach, Va., with 65-2. Reese rounded out the top five with 64-14.

Reese’s closest competitor in the AOY standings is Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La. Close behind Hackney is Edwin Evers (third) of Talala, Okla., and Dean Rojas (fourth) of Lake Havasu City, Ariz

Next up for the Elite Series is the Synergy Southern Challenge on Alabama’s Lake Guntersville, another Tennessee River impoundment, on May 6-9.

Voting Underway for PAA Board of Directors Positions

04/28/10 by admin | Industry news | Comments Off

BENTON, Ky. (April 23, 2010) – Voting is underway to fill three positions on the Professional Anglers Association Board of Directors.

Voting is restricted to PAA Tour Members. All votes must be received by 4 p.m. CST on April 30.

Nominees are Mark Davis of Arkansas, Timmy Horton of Alabama, Dave Mansue of Texas, Mike McClelland of Arkansas, Chad Morgenthaler of Illinois, Ronnie Wagner of Texas, Dave Wolak of North Carolina and Mike Wurm of Arkansas.

The positions are for the term beginning with 2010-11.

Outgoing board members are Sean Hoernke of Texas, Mansue and Morgenthaler.

Tour members may submit their votes via mail to PAA, c/o Lisa Bell, P.O. Box 655, Benton, KY 42025; via email to lisa@fishpaa.com or by calling (270) 527-2032.

The PAA is a 501c6 non-profit organization that is owned and operated by the members of the organization. Board members serve in a volunteer capacity. For information on the election process, Tour members can contact Lisa Bell at lisa@fishpaa.com About the PAA: The Professional Anglers Association is a non-profit organization that gives professional anglers a unified voice in order to aid in the growth of the sport of professional bass fishing. The PAA also aims to administer educational programs to the average angler, to increase enjoyment of the sport, and to embrace sound conservation practices to further the future of the sport. Web: www.FishPAA.com