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An Open Letter Regarding FLW Outdoors
March 9, 2010
An Open Letter Regarding FLW Outdoors
There has been a great deal of discussion regarding FLW Outdoors and the sport of professional angling and ...
<< MORE >>Clearly Another Sort of California Challenge: Bassmaster Elite Series Heads Next Week to Clear Lake for March 18-21 ‘Shootout’
Just as soon as Bassmaster Elite Series pros compete March 11-14 in the season opener on the California Delta, they’ll hit the road to travel about 175 miles north to Lakeport, Calif., to prep for another northern California tournament, but of an entirely different nature.
The March 18-21 Golden State Shootout will be on Clear Lake, the largest natural lake to lie entirely within California. In sharp contrast to the sprawling, shallow Delta ...
<< MORE >>EHRLER DOMINATES FLW TOUR EVENT ON TABLE ROCK LAKE
Melton wins co-angler title, $25,000
BRANSON, Mo. (March 6, 2010) – National Guard pro Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., caught a five-bass limit weighing 16 pounds, 13 ounces Saturday to win $125,000 at the FLW Tour event presented by Cabela’s on Table Rock Lake with a four-day catch of 20-bass weighing 69-11.
... << MORE >>PURDUE UNIVERSITY WINS NATIONAL GUARD FLW COLLEGE FISHING CENTRAL DIVISION ON BULL SHOALS LAKE
Fishing was Tough, but Ice Free Lake was Welcome Site for Central College Teams
BRANSON, Mo. (March 6, 2010) – The Purdue University team of Chad Dunham and Alex Lowe won the National Guard FLW College Fishing Central Division event on Bull Shoals Lake Saturday with three bass weighing 7 pounds, 8 ounces. The victory earned the team $10,000 to be split evenly between the university and the university’s bass-fishing club. The win also helped them advance to ...
<< MORE >>EHRLER WITH COMMANDING LEAD AT FLW TOUR EVENT ON TABLE ROCK LAKE
Melton Wins Co-Angler Title, $25,000
BRANSON, Mo. (March 5, 2010)
– National Guard pro Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., caught a 5-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 6 ounces Friday to maintain the lead at the FLW
Tour event presented by Cabela’s on Table Rock Lake advancing to the top-5 as the crucial No. 1 seed. With a three-day catch of 15-bass weighing 52-14 he
now holds ...
EHRLER LEADS FLW TOUR EVENT ON TABLE ROCK LAKE
Trees Have Been Key for Both Day One and Day Two Leaders
BRANSON, Mo. (March 4, 2010) – National Guard pro Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., caught a 5-bass limit weighing 22 pounds, 2 ounces Thursday to capture the lead on day two of the FLW Tour event presented by Cabela’s on Table Rock Lake. His two-day catch of 10 bass weighing 38-pounds, 
unces gives him a commanding lead in the tournament which features 148 pros and 148 co-anglers from across the United States.
“I can’t wait to go fishing tomorrow, I am just so excited,” said Ehrler, who is coming off an FLW Series National Guard Western Division win at Lake Shasta in January. “I had a great day today, I found two great areas and wanted to quit at noon. I also had a couple of random lucky bites that really helped me tip the scales this afternoon.”
Ehrler is fishing an underwater point and says he has fished hundreds of spots like it, but none with the amount of fish he is seeing here. The area is a ledge where the water goes from deep to shallow with plenty of brush and trees. He is using reaction baits to haul in his stringers.
“I haven’t had a chance to pick the area apart yet so I haven’t figured out what makes it so special; but the area is full of fish. I am getting a lot of bites with some big ones mixed in. Although I did not get my big one in that area today, I know they are there. I am looking forward to fishing it tomorrow and hopefully wearing it out on Saturday,” added Ehrler.
“I have never had more fun netting fish than today,” said Ehler’s co-angler Ken Keirsey of Owasso, Okla. who currently sits tied for 67th place. “And truth be told, he wanted to quit at eight! He is just an awesome angler and so much fun to fish with, I had a great time.”
Mike Wurm of Hot Springs, Ark., is in second on the pro side with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 30-3.
“I’m just doing what I love to do,” said Wurm. “I’m using a finesse jig with a spinner rod and 10-pound braid line.
“I am being very slow and deliberate with my presentation; if you’re barely moving you’re moving too much. I am running about 45 miles to an area with a stretch of three to four banks that have worked well for me so far this week. I am just hoping it holds up. As we all know anything can happen at Table Rock Lake. Someone could bring in a 22-25 pound sack and blow us all out of the water.”
Rounding out the top-10 pros after day two on Table Rock Lake are:
3rd: Greg Pugh, Cullman, Ala., four bass, 10-8 for a two day total of nine bass, 29-3
4th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., five bass, 14-3 for a two day total of 10 bass, 29-0
5th: Chevy pro Dion Hibdon, Stover, Mo., five bass, 21-2 for a two day total of seven bass, 25-10
6th: National Guard pro Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., two bass 11-1 for a two day total of seven bass, 25-8
7th: Robert Harkness, Elizabeth, W.Va., five bass, 13-5 for a two day total of 10 bass, 25-7
8th: Mark Rose, Marion, Ark., five bass, 12-13 for a two day total of 10 bass, 25-0
9th: Joe Thomas, Milford, Ohio, three bass, 9-8 for a two day total of eight bass, 24-15
10th: Ron Shuffield, Bismarck, Ark., five bass, 15-6 for a two day total of eight bass, 24-11
Overall there were 232 bass weighing 648 pounds, caught on the pro side Thursday. The catch included 12 five-bass limits.
FLW Outdoors sports a full field consisting of 150 of the nation’s top pro anglers who will compete in the entire 2010 FLW Tour season. Due to family emergencies two pros had to drop out of the Table Rock event where anglers are competing for a top award of up to $125,000, which will still be based on the full 150 boat field and will feature a full payback through 50th place. Anglers are also vying for valuable points in the hope of qualifying for the Forrest Wood Cup. This year’s Cup will be held Aug. 5- 8 at Lake Lanier in Atlanta, Ga., where pros could win as much as $600,000 – the sport’s biggest award.
Shane Melton of Greentown, Ind., has a narrow lead in the Co-angler Division with two-day total of eight bass weighing 20 pounds, 8 ounces, followed by Brad Roberts of Nancy, Ky., in second place with six bass weighing 19-9.
“I have been very fortunate to have drawn two anglers that are the best in the business,” said Melton. “Yesterday was amazing and I am just excited to go back out there tomorrow.”
Melton caught five bass weighing 13-9 while fishing with pro Bryan Thrift of Shelby, N.C., Wednesday and three bass weighing 6-15 while fishing with pro Mark Rose of Marion, Ark., Thursday.
Second place Roberts weighed in a monster bag at 16 pounds and 9 ounces.
“We started in dirty water about eight to 10-feet deep,” said Roberts, who was fishing with pro Jason Cordiale of Orinda, Calif. “I caught a big fish early so my pro and I knew we were in an area that had fish and we just tried to key in on them. I was using a Cumberland Pro 3/8” casting jig in an oops color. I actually culled twice.”
Rounding out the top-10 co-anglers are:
3rd: Todd Lee, Jasper, Ala., one bass, 4-2 for a two day total of four bass, 13-0
4th: Darrell Mitchell, Taneyville, Mo., zero bass for a two day total of four bass, 12-10
5th: Mike Foree, Osage Beach, Mo., three bass, 6-13 for a two day total of five bass, 11-10
6th: Chad Parks, Olive Branch, Miss., one bass, 2-7 for a two day total of five bass, 11-3
7th: Teddy Bradley, Mishawaka, Ind., one bass, 2-0 for a two day total of five bass, 10-13
8th: Jason Law, Waycross, Ga., one bass, 3-0 for a two day total of two bass, 9-10
9th: Steve Meador, Bella Vista, Ark., two bass, 3-11 for a two day total of five bass, 9-5
10th: Sean Stepp, Stafford, Va., zero bass for a two day total of two bass, 8-13
Overall there were 76 bass weighing 199 pounds, 2 ounces caught by the co-anglers Thursday. The catch included one five-bass limit.
Co-anglers are fishing for a top award of up to $25,000 this week plus valuable points that could help them qualify for the 2010 Forrest Wood Cup.
Anglers will take off from Table Rock State Park Marina located at 380 State Park Marina Road (Highway 165 South) in Branson at 7 each morning. Friday’s weigh-in will be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at the Branson Convention center located at 200 West Main Street in Branson beginning at 4 p.m.
Fans will be treated to a Family Fun Zone & Outdoor Expo at the Branson Convention Center on Friday from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. and Saturday prior to the final weigh-in from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be a drawing for a Can-Am ATV and rod and reel combos will be given to the first 300 kids under 14 in attendance on Saturday. The Family Fun Zone & Outdoor Expo includes Ranger boat simulators, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by sponsors, and the opportunity to learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public. For a full schedule of events, additional information and to register for the ATV, visit FLWOutdoors.com/tablerock.
Coverage of the Table Rock Lake tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on VERSUS. “FLW Outdoors,” will air April 18 from 12:30 to 1:30 ET. “FLW Outdoors,” hosted by Jason Harper, is broadcast to approximately 500 million households worldwide.
ABOUT FLW OUTDOORS
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 189 tournaments in 2010. FLW Outdoors has also taken fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing awarding the largest prizes in the history of fantasy sports. FLW Outdoors memberships are available featuring numerous benefits including Player’s Advantage. For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FantasyFishing.com.
Courtesy of FLWOutdoors.com
AUBURN UNIVERSITY WINS NATIONAL GUARD FLW COLLEGE FISHING SOUTHEAST DIVISION ON LAKE OKEECHOBEE
2009 Southeast Division Regional Champions Upset, Finish in Sixth Place
CLEWISTION, Fla. (Feb. 27, 2010) – The Auburn University team of Shaye Baker and Kenneth (Jordan) Lee won the National Guard FLW College Fishing Southeast Division event on Lake Okeechobee Saturday with six bass weighing 11 pounds, 7 ounces. The victory earned the team $10,000 to be split evenly between the university and the university’s bass-fishing club. The win also helped them advance to the Southeast Division Regional Championship where they could ultimately ...
<< MORE >>BUSCH BEER SIGNS EXCLUSIVE SPONSORSHIP WITH AMERICAN BASS ANGLERS
BUSCH Beer to have a presence at Bassmaster Weekend Series Events in 2010
ATHENS, ALA. (Feb. 25, 2010) – American Bass Anglers (ABA) announced today that BUSCH and BUSCH Light have signed on as the official beer sponsors of the ABA, continuing the BUSCH brand’s support of the outdoor lifestyle with an on-site presence at the Bassmaster Weekend Series.
The sponsorship will cover five events: The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series operated by American Bass Anglers, the American Fishing Tour National ...
<< MORE >>FLW COLLEGE FISHING CENTRAL DIVISION TO HOST EVENT ON BULL SHOALS LAKE
Co-eds Will Have to Use Their Finesse at Bull Shoals
BRANSON, Mo. (Feb. 14, 2010) – National Guard FLW College Fishing is headed to Bull Shoals Lake March 6 for the first of four stops in the Central Division series. Forty collegiate teams will be competing for a top award of $10,000 to be split evenly between the school and bass fishing club.
<< MORE >>
Michigan's Kevin VanDam Wins 2010 Bassmaster Classic, his Third Title in Fishing's Premiere Event
-----Original Message-----
From: BASS News
Date: Mon, 22 Feb 2010 01:17:23
To: Undisclosed recipients:;
Subject: CORRECTED - BASS News: Michigan's Kevin VanDam Wins 2010 Bassmaster
Classic, his Third Title in Fishing's Premiere Event
For related images, click here.
February 21, 2010
Michigan's Kevin VanDam Wins 2010 Bassmaster Classic, his Third Title in Fishing's Premiere Event
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Five Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles; two Bassmaster Classic titles. Make that three Bassmaster Classic titles. The 2009 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year, Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., added another accolade to his career Sunday, winning the 40th Bassmaster Classic on Lay Lake.
After a banner final day with a haul of 19 pounds, 7 ounces, VanDam will take home the $500,000 first-place prize from the total Classic payout of $1.2 million, along with bass fishing's most coveted trophy. With the win, his career BASS earnings topped $4 million, making him the first BASS pro to hit that mark.
With a three-day total of 51 pounds, 6 ounces, of Lay Lake bass, KVD held off a determined and confident Jeff Kriet of Ardmore, Okla., who finished second with 46 pounds, 6 ounces, and third-place finisher Todd Faircloth of Jasper, Texas, who had 44-3.
Alabama's Russ Lane, from Prattville, made a charge Sunday with an 18-1 haul, ending up fourth. Brent Chapman of Lake Quivira, Kan., was fifth with 37-14, and Mike Iaconelli of Pittsgrove, N.J., the 2004 Classic champ, finished sixth with 37-5.
A majority of the top finishers, including the top five, fished all three days in Beeswax Creek, not far from the Classic's daily launch site at Beeswax Creek Park. All fished roughly 2 to 10 feet of water, relying on a plentiful crop of submerged coontail in the creek, where bass were bunched up in the cold weather.
VanDam had an area to himself, save for a short visit to the spot by Takahiro Omori, who told VanDam once he realized the bounty of fish VanDam was focusing on that he would back off the area.
"That's the class of anglers that we have on the Elite Series, and that's one of things that makes it special to compete with these guys," VanDam said. "It's an honor for me to get to fish with them through the year. I love the competition; it's how we measure ourselves ... they're the best in the world. You don't see that in other sports."
VanDam knows Beeswax Creek well, having fished it during the 2007 Bassmaster Classic. The only major Lay Lake creek with grass in it, the area holds a lot of food, along with two feeder creeks with channels, stumps, coontail grass, slime and shell bed points, all good habitats for bass.
With water temps in the low 40s as the Classic started Friday, VanDam had success with a lipless crankbait. He said that the shad kill wasn't as bad in Beeswax, and the bass were a little more active than they were elsewhere. As the weather warmed, more fish moved into Beeswax.
VanDam caught every bass he weighed on a ½-ounce Strike King Red Eye Shad in plain gold along with a new color, gold Sexy Shad. He used Quantum Signature cranking gear: a 7-foot, medium-action KVD Tour cranking rod with a Signature KVD Tour reel and 17- and 20-pound test fluorocarbon, a larger size that helped slow down the bait, important in the shallow water.
Kriet, who went into Sunday with a 2-ounce lead over VanDam, has battled and lost to VanDam before in a high-stakes competition, and was clearly disappointed with Sunday's outcome.
"What do you do?" he said. "I figured I had to have my best day today. None of these guys are really fun to have behind you. I respect him (Kevin), he's great - obviously. But I guess I shouldn't want him there ... that's two big tournaments I would've won if he hadn't been there. That's twice I've been leading and he's been in second and he's beaten me. This one hurts a little more than the first time."
Faircloth, who lost the 2008 Bassmaster Angler of the Year race to VanDam by a few pounds on the last day of competition, also felt the sting of going home without the trophy.
"It's a good finish, but not where I wanted to be," he said. "Third place, people say that's great, but that's not what I came here for."
Pam Martin-Wells of Bainbridge, Ga., the 2009 Toyota Tundra Women's Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year, made history Saturday as the first woman to make the cut into the top 25. Martin-Wells weighed in a third five-fish limit Sunday for 25-0 overall and a 22nd-place finish.
On stage, Martin-Wells told the crowd of 58,478 fans at BJCC that her Classic experience has been indescribable.
"I tried to prepare myself coming into this so that I wouldn't be overwhelmed, so I could come and fish," Martin-Wells said. "Now probably tonight, tomorrow or the next day, I might fall to pieces - or tonight, when I watch it on TV, because every time I see it I get goose bumps. It has been incredible, the guys have been wonderful. There are really no words to describe this whole feeling."
Martin-Wells will continue to compete with the guys as she participates in the 2010 Bassmaster Southern Open and Central Open circuits. Up next is the April 8-10 Central Open on Lake Amistad in Del Rio, Texas.
VanDam said that the physical demands of his style of fishing - fast and constant casting - took its toll by Sunday, but it didn't lessen his intense satisfaction of winning his third Bassmaster Classic.
"I'm worn out right now, but this means everything," VanDam said. "It's what I dreamed about as a kid, it's very special. I'm going to really enjoy it. Everybody that's ever fished a bass tournament dreams of being on that stage. I'm as motivated as ever, I love the competition; I love the people that I get to be around.
"There's a bunch of dang good people in our sport. Outdoorsmen, fishermen are good people - we're passionate about what we do. Any of these guys, you ask them to do something and they're willing to do it. They give their time freely because they care so much about the bass that we fish for and the water we get to do it on."
ESPN2, ESPN360.com and Bassmaster.com have provided extensive coverage of the three-day competition. Schedules are posted at Bassmaster.com.
Sponsors of the 2010 Bassmaster Classic: Toyota Trucks, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Mercury, Humminbird, Minn Kota, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Marine.
About BASS
For more than 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and its expansive tournament structure while championing efforts to connect directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.
As the flagship offering of ESPN Outdoors, the Bassmaster brand and its considerable multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer; comprehensive Web properties in Bassmaster.com, BASSInsider.com, ESPNOutdoors.com and ESPN360.com, and ESPN2 television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.
BASS oversees the prestigious Bassmaster Tournament Trail, which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, BASS Federation Nation and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.
BASS offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.
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Media Contacts: Doug Grassian, 407-566-2216 or doug.grassian@espn.com
2010 Bassmaster Classic 02/19-02/21
Lay Lake, Birmingham Ala.
(PRO Division) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, Mich. 15 51-06 0 $500,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-08 Day 2: 5 12-07 Day 3: 5 19-07
2. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, Okla. 15 46-06 0 $45,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 15-10 Day 3: 5 14-05
3. Todd Faircloth Jasper, Texas 15 44-03 0 $40,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 5 13-12 Day 3: 5 12-05
4. Russ Lane Prattville, Ala. 14 43-12 0 $30,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 4 11-10 Day 3: 5 18-01
5. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, Kan. 15 37-14 0 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 8-02 Day 3: 5 16-12
6. Michael Iaconelli Pittsgrove, N.J. 14 37-05 0 $23,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 4 12-03 Day 3: 5 10-09
7. Matt Herren Trussville, Ala. 15 35-13 0 $21,500.00
Day 1: 5 9-07 Day 2: 5 13-15 Day 3: 5 12-07
8. Kevin Wirth Crestwood, Ky. 15 34-12 0 $21,000.00
Day 1: 5 8-09 Day 2: 5 10-11 Day 3: 5 15-08
9. Jeff Freeman Max Meadows, Va. 15 32-11 0 $20,500.00
Day 1: 5 9-08 Day 2: 5 8-13 Day 3: 5 14-06
10. Takahiro Omori Emory, Texas 13 32-10 0 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 4 8-14 Day 3: 4 8-05
11. Aaron Martens Leeds, Ala. 15 30-03 0 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 8-11 Day 2: 5 7-09 Day 3: 5 13-15
12. Mark Tucker Kirkwood, Mo. 13 29-03 0 $14,500.00
Day 1: 5 9-15 Day 2: 4 7-04 Day 3: 4 12-00
13. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, La. 15 28-15 0 $14,250.00
Day 1: 5 9-05 Day 2: 5 10-11 Day 3: 5 8-15
14. Cliff Pace Petal, Miss. 10 27-15 0 $14,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 1 2-06 Day 3: 4 9-06
15. Bobby Lane Lakeland, Fla. 15 27-11 0 $13,750.00
Day 1: 5 7-13 Day 2: 5 12-09 Day 3: 5 7-05
16. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, Ala. 15 27-10 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 7-03 Day 3: 5 10-04
17. Jason Quinn Lake Wylie, S.C. 10 27-00 0 $12,900.00
Day 1: 2 5-12 Day 2: 4 9-13 Day 3: 4 11-07
18. James Niggemeyer Van, Texas 14 26-12 0 $12,800.00
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 7-04 Day 3: 4 6-05
19. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, Okla. 11 26-07 0 $12,700.00
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 10-06 Day 3: 1 1-14
20. Gerald Swindle Warrior, Ala. 15 26-04 0 $12,600.00
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 7-01 Day 3: 5 8-11
21. Shaw Grigsby Gainesville, Fla. 14 25-09 0 $12,400.00
Day 1: 4 6-15 Day 2: 5 10-07 Day 3: 5 8-03
22. Pam Martin-Wells Bainbridge, Ga. 15 25-00 0 $12,300.00
Day 1: 5 6-13 Day 2: 5 9-15 Day 3: 5 8-04
23. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, Ariz.15 24-07 0 $12,200.00
Day 1: 5 6-09 Day 2: 5 9-05 Day 3: 5 8-09
24. Billy McCaghren Mayflower, Ark. 10 22-09 0 $12,100.00
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 3 4-11 Day 3: 2 2-10
25. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, Ark. 11 18-06 0 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 8-15 Day 2: 5 6-14 Day 3: 1 2-09
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Big Bass of Tournament
Michael Iaconelli Pittsgrove, N.J. 6-10 $1,000.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 30 189 410-03
2 19 153 313-13
3 17 109 262-06
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66 451 986-06