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Cobbs Trade Horse Lessons for Horsepower
While South Carolina pro Brandon Cobb was racing to a record setting win at the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest event on Lake Fork, his bride Amy was back home in South Carolina cancelling the equestrian lessons she teaches at Lander University in order to surprise her husband on stage moments after he was awarded the winner’s trophy and keys to a brand new Toyota Tundra.
Cobb’s winning 4-day tournament weight of 114 pounds included an 11 pound 1 ounce giant bass he landed on Day 3 of competition. It was the biggest bass of the event, and in turn, won him the prize 381 horsepower Toyota Tundra.
“Not only did I catch the biggest bass of my life this week, but I also caught the biggest 5-bass limit of my life with 37 pounds 15 ounces. And on top of that, I got a new Toyota. That’s just incredible,” says the always happy-go-lucky Cobb.
“The fact that Toyota supports B.A.S.S. in so many ways, and then gives away a Tundra on top it all for big fish in this tournament tells you all you need to know about how Toyota does for our sport,” says the grateful and humble Clemson grad, who majored in fisheries and wildlife science.
Cobb caught most of massive limits of fish using a Duel Hardcore jerkbait to fool largemouth that were munching on spawning shad. But he and Amy caught one another while they were in college together at Clemson.
She loves horses, like he loves largemouth. And two years into their marriage on a sunny Monday afternoon on the shores of famed Lake Fork, they celebrate their second Bassmaster Elite victory of the season, a 2020 Bassmaster Classic berth, the $100,000 prize, and a new Tundra.
Now that’s definitely worth cancelling a few equestrian lessons, and booking a fast flight to Texas for.
Dean Rojas Rides Hot Morning Bite to Win at Bass Pro Tour Stage Five
MLF pro Dean Rojas caught them early and often on Championship Sunday at Smith Lake, finishing Period 1 with 23 bass totaling 36-5 to put him atop SCORETRACKER and the position he stayed for the rest of the competition.
(Photo by Josh Gassmann. Click to enlarge/download)
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MLF pro Brent Chapman made a strong run in the final period of Championship Sunday, but fell about 6-pounds short of catching up to Rojas’ winning weight. (Photo by Josh Gassmann. Click to enlarge/download)
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Founded in 2011, Major League Fishing (MLF) brings the high-intensity sport of competitive bass fishing into America’s living rooms on Discovery Channel, World Fishing Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, Discovery Channel, Sportsman Channel and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). The new Bass Pro Tour consists of eight events and the Bass Pro Tour Championship, the REDCREST. MLF will also continue its popular Cup events and World Championship, all of which use the same entertaining and conservation-friendly catch, weigh and immediate-release format. For more information, visit www.majorleaguefishing.com and follow MLF on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Also, for more information about MLF anglers, see Game & Fish magazine, the official publication of MLF.
Cobb’s Giant Day Gives Him The Lead At Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest On Lake Fork Inbox x
Cobb’s Giant Day Gives Him The Lead At Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest On Lake Fork
LAKE FORK, Texas — After catching two bass in the 8-pound range by 10 a.m., Brandon Cobb was already having one of the best days of fishing he’s ever had.
Brandon Cobb rockets into the lead after boating a five-bass limit for 37 pounds, 15 ounces during Day 3 of the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at Lake Fork for a combined three-day total of 84-1. Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S
Then the bite of a lifetime at 2 p.m. moved the day to the very top of his list.
The giant afternoon bass, which weighed 11 pounds, 1 ounce and ranked as his biggest ever, lifted Cobb’s five-bass limit for the day to 37-15.
Now, with a three-day total of 84-1, he will enter the final day of Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on Lake Fork with margin of 7-5 over his closest competition.
“I’ve never had a day like this before — not even close,” said Cobb, who recorded his first Bassmaster Elite Series victory in April on Lake Hartwell. “A 29-pound limit was my best ever until the other day (Thursday), when I caught 31-11. Now this is without a doubt the most amazing day I’ve ever had on the lake.”
Cobb went into the day with two-part game plan.
He expected to spend much of his time fishing shallow shellbeds away from the shoreline where bass have been feasting all week on spawning shad. Then he planned to fish shoreline cover where he’s been catching good numbers of solid bass, but nothing huge.
The shad-spawn bite paid off big time, as he caught an 8-8, an 8-13 and a 4-4 — all before noon. Then when he moved to the shoreline, he found something he wasn’t expecting.
“When I went to fish the bank, honestly, I expected to catch 3-pounders,” Cobb said. “That was my goal for the day — to catch big ones off the shad spawn and then fill a limit fishing the bank.
“But then, when I went to the bank, I caught an 11 and a 5.”
The 11-1 monster not only helped Cobb jump into the overall lead, it put him in first place for Toyota Tundra Big Bass of the Week. The prize for that award is a new Toyota Tundra truck.
Cobb was fishing a frog down a shoreline when he noticed the big bass sitting on a bed. He dropped his Power-Poles, believing the bass weighed 7 or 8 pounds.
Then he proceeded to pester the fish until it bit.
“It was one of those fish that looked like it was gonna bite every cast,” Cobb said. “Every cast I would make, it would kind of nose down and look at it. It took about 20 minutes to finally get it to eat. But with the way she was acting, I knew I could catch her.”
Cobb’s meteoric rise was aided in part by the struggles of Michigan pro Chad Pipkens. After catching 30-plus pounds the first two days and entering Day 3 with more than an 11-pound lead, Pipkens caught just four fish Sunday that weighed 5-8.
That allowed Cobb, Garrett Paquette (76-12), Brandon Card (73-4), Micah Frazier (70-13), Drew Cook (70-5) and Keith Combs (69-10) to all move past him in the standings. Pipkens will start Championship Monday in seventh place with 68-6.
After catching 28-12 Sunday, Paquette, a first-year Elite Series pro from Michigan, said he believes he’ll need at least 30 pounds — and maybe a little luck — to catch Cobb and win the $100,000 first-place prize.
“Brandon caught an 11-pounder and two 8-pounders today, and you can’t bank on doing that every day,” Paquette said. “So if I can catch 30 pounds, I’ll feel like I did everything I could have done.”
Unlike Cobb, who is spending much of his time shallow, Paquette is fishing offshore areas in about 10 feet of water — and with the way the bite has been working, he could create some last-hour drama Monday.
“It’s been really slow out there in the mornings,” he said. “It seems like the longer I can wait to get on my best stuff, the better it works out for me. About 2 o’clock (an hour before quitting time) seems like the best time.”
Card caught 25-11 Sunday, but he has even more ground — almost 11 pounds — to make up during the final round.
“I have a few key areas, and if you pull up on them at the right time, you can catch a lot of weight in a hurry,” Card said. “I’ll probably stay with the offshore stuff all day tomorrow and just see what happens.”
The tournament will conclude Monday with the Top 10 remaining anglers taking off at 7 a.m. CT from Sabine River Authority in Quitman. The weigh-in will be at the same site at 3 p.m.
All fish are being weighed on the water and immediately released, but each angler is allowed to bring to the “weigh-in” one bass that measures more than 24 inches.
2019 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2019 Bassmaster Texas Fest Title Sponsor: Toyota
2019 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Skeeter Boats, Talon, Triton Boats, Yamaha, Abu Garcia, Berkley, Humminbird
2019 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Carhartt, Lowrance, Mossy Oak Fishing, T-H Marine, Academy Sports + Outdoors
2019 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest Beneficiary: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
2019 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest Host Sponsors: Lake Fork Chamber, Wood County Industrial Commission, the Sabine River Authority, Quitman Economic Development Commission, Emory TX Tourism
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 510,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, BassPro.com Bassmaster Open Series, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
2019 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks & Wildlife Department 5/2-5/6 Lake Fork, Emory TX. (PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3 Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$ 1. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 15 84-01 100 Day 1: 5 31-11 Day 2: 5 14-07 Day 3: 5 37-15 2. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 15 76-12 99 Day 1: 5 28-12 Day 2: 5 19-01 Day 3: 5 28-15 3. Brandon Card Knoxville, TN 15 73-04 98 Day 1: 5 25-11 Day 2: 5 21-04 Day 3: 5 26-05 4. Drew Cook Midway, FL 15 71-06 97 Day 1: 5 25-12 Day 2: 5 25-14 Day 3: 5 19-12 5. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 15 70-13 96 Day 1: 5 22-13 Day 2: 5 19-15 Day 3: 5 28-01 6. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 15 69-10 95 Day 1: 5 27-01 Day 2: 5 13-01 Day 3: 5 29-08 7. Chad Pipkens Lansing, MI 14 68-06 94 Day 1: 5 31-15 Day 2: 5 30-15 Day 3: 4 05-08 8. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 15 67-01 93 Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 24-13 Day 3: 5 20-12 9. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 14 66-14 92 Day 1: 4 18-08 Day 2: 5 26-05 Day 3: 5 22-01 10. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 15 66-04 91 Day 1: 5 21-00 Day 2: 5 20-06 Day 3: 5 24-14 11. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 15 64-11 90 $16,000.00 Day 1: 5 26-14 Day 2: 5 15-15 Day 3: 5 21-14 12. Seth Feider New Market, MN 15 63-15 89 $16,000.00 Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 18-04 Day 3: 5 28-07 13. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 14 63-10 88 $16,000.00 Day 1: 5 30-10 Day 2: 4 14-01 Day 3: 5 18-15 14. Derek Hudnall Baton Rouge, LA 15 62-12 87 $16,000.00 Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 22-08 Day 3: 5 19-02 15. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 15 62-10 86 $16,000.00 Day 1: 5 17-14 Day 2: 5 25-06 Day 3: 5 19-06 16. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 15 62-08 85 $16,000.00 Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 23-02 Day 3: 5 22-06 17. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 15 60-11 84 $16,000.00 Day 1: 5 22-05 Day 2: 5 13-13 Day 3: 5 24-09 18. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 15 60-08 83 $16,000.00 Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 21-00 Day 3: 5 19-13 19. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 15 59-15 82 $16,000.00 Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 22-08 Day 3: 5 24-03 20. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 15 59-14 81 $16,000.00 Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 22-11 Day 3: 5 22-01 21. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 15 59-02 80 $13,500.00 Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 20-01 Day 3: 5 25-13 22. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 15 58-06 79 $13,500.00 Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 13-10 Day 3: 5 23-15 23. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 15 57-01 78 $13,500.00 Day 1: 5 20-10 Day 2: 5 17-13 Day 3: 5 18-10 24. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 15 55-13 77 $13,500.00 Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 23-04 Day 3: 5 18-03 25. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 15 55-10 76 $13,500.00 Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 20-02 Day 3: 5 23-05 26. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 15 55-01 75 $13,500.00 Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 24-12 Day 3: 5 14-06 27. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 13 54-05 74 $13,500.00 Day 1: 3 14-03 Day 2: 5 18-11 Day 3: 5 21-07 28. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 15 51-08 73 $13,500.00 Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 16-13 Day 3: 5 17-14 29. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 15 51-05 72 $13,500.00 Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 5 15-13 Day 3: 5 16-06 30. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 15 50-07 71 $13,500.00 Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 5 11-13 Day 3: 5 18-04 31. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 15 49-03 70 $13,500.00 Day 1: 5 17-07 Day 2: 5 15-08 Day 3: 5 16-04 32. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 12 48-05 69 $13,500.00 Day 1: 3 13-14 Day 2: 5 21-14 Day 3: 4 12-09 33. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 13 45-15 68 $13,500.00 Day 1: 5 19-08 Day 2: 3 12-01 Day 3: 5 14-06 34. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 14 45-11 67 $13,500.00 Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 18-14 Day 3: 4 13-15 35. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 15 44-12 66 $13,500.00 Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 16-08 Day 3: 5 12-15 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals Day #Limits #Fish Weight 1 62 354 1221-03 2 57 345 1157-00 3 32 172 732-11 ---------------------------------- 151 871 3110-14
Crews Always Provides a Welcome Mat
Consistency has been the mark of 11-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier John Crews’ pro angling career. And that includes his commitment to a pre-launch routine.
The green rag you see laying on the front deck of his Bass Cat is first used to wipe the dew off his boat seats. Then he arranges it in perfect position every morning to be used as a welcome mat for his ride-along judges and marshals to wipe their feet on as they board.
Crews’ ride along judge on Sunday at Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest on Lake Fork was sweet and jovial Amy Wisdom.
She’s a 24-year-old from East Texas who couldn’t help but laugh at the site of Crews’ green welcome mat. She’s been paired with him before and knew it would be there this morning. Especially following three wet and muddy days on Lake Fork.
“Oh yea. The towel is there every time,” she laughed. “I rode with John at the Bassmaster Elite on the Sabine River when he made it to Championship Sunday, and he had the welcome mat waiting for me that morning too.”
Crews says it’s not just any old green rag. “I actually call it “The Charlie Hartley Signature Series Towel” because Charlie is the only angler I know who is so fanatical about keeping his equipment clean, he actually washes his boat in the morning before he launches,” laughs Crews.
Not only is Crews’ towel a nice gesture, but also a common sense move by the Virginia pro to maintain resale value on his Bass Cat by avoiding visible wear and dirt stains on the front deck carpet.
This is Amy’s third tournament to ride with the Elite Series pros, and she sees the opportunity as a fast track to learning more about the sport she loves. “I’ve always been a fan, but I’m hoping to start fishing some team tournaments with my dad, so this is a great way to learn a lot really quick,” she says.
She’ll certainly garner great knowledge on everything from how to target bass that are munching on spawning shad, to shallow crankbaits and swimbaits too.
But her first lesson of the day from Crews was one centered on courtesy, and a simple way to keep your boat carpet clean.
John Cox Wins FLW Tour at Lake Chickamauga
DAYTON, Tenn. (May 5, 2019) – Berkley pro John Cox of DeBary, Florida, won $100,000 at the FLW Tour at Lake Chickamauga presented by Evinrude Sunday with a four-day total of 83 pounds, 9 ounces. The victory was the fourth FLW Tour win of Cox’s career – moving him to a tie at No. 7 for the most Tour wins all-time.
Cox brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 21 pounds even to clinch the victory by a 1-pound, 11-ounce margin over local favorite Buddy Gross of Chickamauga, Georgia, who brought 20 bass weighing 81-14 to the scale and earned $30,100. Tour rookie Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan, who led the tournament coming into the final day, caught a four-day total of 80-5 to finish third and win $25,000.
“I can’t believe that I won,” said Cox, who also took over the points lead in the ultra-competitive Angler of the Year (AOY) race with just one event left in the regular season. “It was so tough today. I ran all over this place and had a decent limit, but not what I needed. I was bouncing around, then right before I had to check in I remembered a stretch of trees that I hadn’t checked.
“It was the last minute, and I really don’t know why it just popped in my head, but it did – go to the trees,” Cox continued. “It was weird because I had forgotten all about this area. When I pulled up and Power-Poled down, I knew before I even threw in there.”
With less than 10 minutes before he had to check-in, Cox boated a pair of 4-pounders from the trees and raced back to the Dayton Boat Dock.
“When I caught the two in the last 10 minutes, I got all worked up,” Cox said. “I was running back, and I just felt something. Tears were coming down. It was overwhelming – I don’t know. I’ve won tournaments before, but I’ve never felt anything like it before. I’m getting chills right now just talking about it. This one was different.”
Cox said he used two main baits throughout the week. He threw a Texas-rigged 6-inch Baby Bass-colored Berkley PowerBait MaxScent The General while sight fishing and a white ½-ounce Dirty Jigs jig with a white Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Meaty Chunk Trailer to cover water.
“The jig setup really came into play when the rain came in,” Cox said. “It was something that I could cover a lot of water with. I really thought the jig was going to be deal today, but I had to completely change gears at the end of the day and go back to the worm.”
With just one tournament remaining in the regular season, Cox now shifts his focus to Lake Champlain in upstate New York. He holds just a slim 1-point lead in the AOY race over Polaris pro David Dudley – a three-time AOY winner who already has an FLW Tour win on Lake Champlain on his resume.
“My two favorite lakes are Lake Chickamauga and Lake Champlain, and to finish the season on those two fisheries is great,” Cox went on to say. “I’ve been going to Lake Champlain since I was 20, and I really want to win there. But, I really, really want to win the AOY title. That would be awesome.”
The top 10 pros on Lake Chickamauga finished:
1st: Berkley pro John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 20 bass, 83-9, $102,700
2nd: Buddy Gross, Chickamauga, Ga., 20 bass, 81-14, $30,100
3rd: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 20 bass, 80-5, $25,000
4th: Yamamoto Baits pro Matt Greenblatt, Port St. Lucie, Fla., 20 bass, 80-0, $20,000
5th: Polaris pro David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 20 bass, 78-9, $19,000
6th: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 20 bass, 76-7, $18,000
7th: Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., 20 bass, 74-12, $17,000
8th: Strike King pro Jared McMillan, Belle Glade, Fla., 20 bass, 74-12, $16,000
9th: David Williams, Maiden, N.C., 20 bass, 69-9, $15,000
10th: Lowrance pro Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn., 20 bass, 66-10, $14,000
Complete results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 50 bass weighing 172 pounds, 10 ounces caught by pros Sunday. All 10 of the final-day pros brought a five-bass limit to the scale.
Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lake Chickamauga presented by Evinrude will premiere in 2019. The Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.
The total purse for the FLW Tour at Lake Chickamauga presented by Evinrude was more than $860,000. The tournament was hosted by Fish Dayton and the Rhea Economic Tourism Council. The next event for FLW Tour anglers will be the FLW Tour at Lake Champlain presented by T-H Marine in Plattsburgh, New York, June 27-30. The tournament will be hosted by the City of Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau.
In FLW Tour competition, the full field of 165 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening round Thursday and Friday. The top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to fish on Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continued competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.
Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2019 FLW Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2019 FLW Cup will be on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 9-11 and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2019 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW and their partners conduct more than 290 bass-fishing tournaments annually around the world, including the United States, Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa and Spain. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.