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Hamburger Kicks Off Carhartt Bassmaster National Championship Week with a Whopper
Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship week kicked-off Monday with the first official practice day and an evening full of chargrilled grub at Dayton Boat Dock. But the side serving featured talk of Lake Chickamauga’s giant largemouth already being caught by collegiate fishing’s best talents – including Oklahoma State’s Taylor Hamburger who had photo proof of a 9 pounder he dredged up.
“We idled for more than two hours this morning just looking for deep schools before I ever made a cast, and when I finally saw the kind of school I was looking for, I made my first cast and caught a 9 pounder,” says Hamburger, a 20-year-old from Tulsa Edison High School, now majoring in Construction Management Technology at Oklahoma State.
Oklahoma is primarily known for its shallow water bass fishing, but through the school of hard knocks, failures, and mostly persistence as a high school angler, Hamburger learned the deep-water sonar game on his own with no mentors. And apparently he’s learned it as well as Coach Mike Gundy knows the OSU Cowboy offense.
“The first two years I qualified for the high school championships on Pickwick, I knew I had to try to catch fish off ledges, but I didn’t do good at all, but on my third trip, things started to click, and now I seem to do really well at places like Pickwick and Guntersville where Tennessee River ledge fishing often dominates,” he says.
Hamburger says he can now tell which schools of bass are catchable fish, and which aren’t, but the biggest key is having the self-control and discipline to simply ride and stare at his sonar screens, rather than succumb to the natural desire of wanting to cast and catch.
“We’ve ridden for three solid days before, looking for fish without ever making a cast. The goal is to find them in practice and catch them in the tournament,” he makes clear.
In refreshing fashion, he also funds his fishing obsession on a college kid’s budget. So that limits the sonar technology he can afford. Hence, he does the best he can with what he can afford. And for Hamburger, that equates to two fairly small 7” Lowrance HDS Gen 3 units, versus the much larger and pricier 12 or 16” displays.
On day one of practice, two 7-inch screens equated to 9 pounds of Chickamauga largemouth on his first cast, and perhaps a strong sign of the meaty potential Hamburger has for a shot at big time success this week.
Iaconelli to Host Weekend of Fun for a Great Cause
Team Toyota angler Mike Iaconelli continues his passion for getting more kids fishing in areas where outdoor activities are not readily available through a weekend of fun and fundraising at the 4th Annual 2019 Ike Celebrity Pro-Am Bass Tournament, on his home waters of the Delaware River, near Camden and Glouster City, NJ, August 8-10, 2019.
This year’s event kicks-off with fundraising at “Ike’s Casino Night in the City” on Thursday August 8th hosted at Yard’s Brewery on Thursday where supporters can enjoy music, casino tables, and great auction items. The cost of the evening of fun is $90 per person and includes $200 in casino chips, along with great food and drink.
Friday will feature the Pro-Am pairings meeting amid happy hour at the Crowne Plaza in Cherry Hill, NJ where “Ike Live” will be broadcast, and then Saturday morning, anglers will pursue their passion both by kayak and full sized bass boat.
The kayak division is a Hobie Tournament of Champions qualifying event. All public fishing waterways in Camden and Glouster Counties are in bounds, while top pros like Iaconelli, Bobby Lane, and Jacob Powroznik, along with former Philadelphia Eagles’ wide receiver Freddie Mitchell, and UFC fighter Gregor Gillespie, compete the same day with their amateur partners on the Delaware River.
The winner of the bass boat division will leave with a brand new BassCat Boat, powered by a Yamaha Outboard, and the winner of the kayak division will get a berth to the Hobie Tournament of Champions. Several other top prizes will also be given-away from great brands like Lowrance, Power Pole, RS nets, Flambeau and RAM Mounts.
But perhaps the most meaningful part of the weekend also takes place on Saturday at Camden’s Waterfront Park when roughly 1,000 kids typically arrive to receive a Free Flambeau tackle box, along with free tackle as they navigate through Fun Fest, and learn about fishing.
Money raised from this fun and philanthropic event will benefit the Ike Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Mike and Becky Iaconelli, with the goal of both urban and rural children to fishing, as well as to provide academic scholarships to five college bound high school seniors annually.
For more information, please visit www.TheIkeFoundation.org or call (856) 712-2328.
Iaconelli Rides Early Bites To Victory At Bassmaster Eastern Open On James River
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Iaconelli Chases Tide To Take Lead At Bassmaster Eastern Open On James River
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GILL FISHING: New Waterproof Backpack
Buford, GA (July 25, 2019) – When it comes to comfortably accessing the field or waterscape, it’s hard to beat the form and function of a durable, well-appointed backpack. We all need room for those essential items—utility tackle boxes, extra apparel for weather changes, a place to store handheld electronics including a laptop computer, room for fishing and hunting necessities, a safe place for keys and eyeglasses, as well as generously sized exterior pockets for water bottles to stay hydrated on the water or trail. This in mind, GILL’s new Transit Backpack is the perfect accompaniment for any day out and about. Not too large or small, its 25-liter capacity is just the right size for wearing on any outing, like treks through the woods or bank fishing excursions, as well as taking off to stow in a boat compartment, on an ATV/UTV or snowmobile. |
The Transit Backpack was designed for rugged use while keeping its contents safe and dry—its waterproof tarpaulin fabric offers loads of protection from the elements. Internally, the spacious main compartment features a padded laptop sleeve and a pair of internal zippered pockets. For toting, you’ll appreciate the padded back system with grab handle and adjustable sternum strap. Think of Gill’s Transit Backpack like the ultimate, waterproof fishing organizer for freshwater or salt… |
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To learn more about Gill’s fishing rainwear and additional apparel, visit www.gillfishing.com. |
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