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Veteran Angler Lowen Earns First Bassmaster Elite Series Victory At Pickwick
FLORENCE, Ala. — Bill Lowen turned in an impressively consistent performance at the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake, but he’ll never forget the 8-pound, 5-ounce largemouth that buoyed his Championship Tuesday performance and delivered a winning total of 83-5.
Bill Lowen has won the 2021 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake with a four-day total of 83 pounds, 5 ounces. Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
The only competitor to break 20 pounds three of the four days, Lowen placed third on Day 1 with 21-3 and improved to second a day later by adding 23-13. He earned his final-round berth on Day 3 with a limit of 17-10 that put him in a first-place tie with Chad Pipkens.
On Tuesday, Lowen surged across the finish line with a limit of 20-11. Edging second-place Brock Mosley by 2-10, Lowen claimed his first Elite win and earned $102,000, which includes the daily and overall Phoenix Boats Big Bass awards.
Lowen’s game-changing kicker bit around 10:30 a.m., when he skipped his black and blue Signature Series 3/8-ounce Lure Parts Online jig with a chunk trailer under a dock near Kogers Island. He initially snagged a piece of submerged cover, but then his line tightened.
“I had to pitch way up in there so the bait could get down in the current and sweep it through,” Lowen said. “I felt my jig get into a limb or a piece of brush, and as I hopped the jig over I felt the bite.
“I hesitated because I wanted to be sure, but when I got big pressure, I set the hook and it was game on.”
Lowen described that emotional catch: “There were so many feelings going through my head. You could hear me screaming and hollering and that’s not me. But that’s 14 years of excitement built up for this day. It all came out.”
The Tennessee Valley Authority steadily worked the volume through the system. But with Wilson Dam dumping approximately 180,000 cubic feet per second into Pickwick, the rising water and intense current dramatically changed Lowen’s game plan.
“My main goal was to start the tournament out on the grass flat by Koger Island. When all this rain and current came through I (was concerned) because I didn’t have anything else.
“The first morning of the event I ran down there and saw what was going on, and I said, ‘These fish have to slide to the sides — whether it’s on the island where I was fishing or the docks on the other side.’ Fortunately, when I pulled up and started flipping trees I got a bite, which keyed me in.”
That pattern worked for three days, but in the final round, falling water had drained much of Lowen’s prime habitat.
“Today, my main area (shallow cover on the outskirts of Kogers) was a foot and a half low,” he said. “A lot of the wood I was catching fish on was dry, so I started running some deeper stuff. I switched from the 3/8-ounce jig to a 1/2 and caught a couple key fish.”
Earlier in the tournament, Lowen used the 3/8-ounce jig so he could float it through the shallow, current-swept cover without getting hung up. He also used a Strike King Rodent Texas-rigged on a 5/0 Hayabusa flipping hook with a 5/16-ounce Reins tungsten weight for flipping reeds.
“Anytime I’m fishing current and I can keep a flipping rod in my hand, that’s my comfort zone,” Lowen said. “I grew up on the Ohio River, which looks just like (Pickwick) when it’s flooded. I’m used to rising, muddy water; it doesn’t affect me or make me get spun out. I just went out and fished the way I’d fish at home.”
Brock Mosley of Collinsville, Miss., finished second with 80-11. Entering the final day in sixth place, Mosley caught the day’s heaviest limit — 22-14. His previous weights were 19-9, 21-8 and 16-12.
Having cut his teeth on Pickwick, Mosley said he knew the famous Horseshoe area of the Wilson Dam tailrace held tremendous potential, but he waited until the final day to fish this area.
“I’ve been waiting all week for the current to slow down,” Mosley said. “I don’t like fishing the tailrace when it’s 120,000 CFS. I saw that it was going to slow down yesterday, but you usually give them a half day to reposition.
“I went up there this morning and threw a 3/4-ounce spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades. In the first 10 minutes, I hooked up with two good ones.”
After leaving the tailrace, Mosley fished a big paddletail swimbait on the bluffs across from McFarland Park. He would rotate his areas once more and pick up a 5-pound fish 15 minutes before check-in.
Cory Johnston of Cavan, Canada, entered Championship Tuesday in third place and ended in that position with 79 pounds. His daily weights were 18-9, 15-3, 25-5 and 19-15.
After focusing on main-river current breaks the previous days, Johnston realized his opportunities were dwindling in the falling water. Transitioning to docks with 8 to 10 feet of water at the ends proved to be strategic adjustment.
Johnston caught his fish on a 7/16-ounce black/blue Punisher jig with a matching chunk trailer.
Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., leads the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 264 points. Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., is in second with 246, followed by Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, with 245, Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., with 242 and Bryan New of Belmont, N.C., with 239.
New leads the Rookie of the Year standings with 239 points.
Lowen took home $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and Hank Cherry of Lincolnton, N.C., earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Lowen earned $2,500 for being the highest-placing entrant while Palaniuk claimed an additional $1,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
The tournament was hosted by Florence-Lauderdale Tourism.
2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Bass Pro Shops, Garmin, Huk Performance Fishing, Marathon, Rapala
2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Conservation Partner: AFTCO
2021 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake Local Host: Florence-Lauderdale Tourism
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, 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 515,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, 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 Opens 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, Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.
2021 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake 3/20-3/23
Pickwick Lake, Florence AL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 20 83-05 100 $102,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-03 Day 2: 5 23-13 Day 3: 5 17-10 Day 4: 5 20-11
2. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 20 80-11 99 $35,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-09 Day 2: 5 21-08 Day 3: 5 16-12 Day 4: 5 22-14
3. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 20 79-00 98 $31,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 15-03 Day 3: 5 25-05 Day 4: 5 19-15
4. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 20 77-04 97 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 5 20-09 Day 3: 5 17-09 Day 4: 5 20-07
5. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 20 73-11 96 $21,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 22-09 Day 3: 5 19-12 Day 4: 5 15-14
6. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 20 73-09 95 $19,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 5 20-15 Day 3: 5 21-00 Day 4: 5 14-14
7. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 20 73-03 94 $18,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 20-09 Day 3: 5 18-12 Day 4: 5 16-02
8. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 20 72-01 93 $17,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 23-08 Day 3: 5 20-03 Day 4: 5 15-02
9. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 17 68-14 92 $16,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 18-05 Day 3: 5 23-03 Day 4: 2 06-04
10. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 19 64-11 91 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-03 Day 2: 5 17-00 Day 3: 5 16-10 Day 4: 4 07-14
———————————————————————–
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 07-06 $1,000.00
2 Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 07-11 $1,000.00
3 Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 07-02 $1,000.00
4 Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 08-05 $1,000.00
———————————————————————–
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 08-05 $1,000.00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 51 363 1149-15
2 63 411 1345-02
3 36 220 768-10
4 8 46 160-01
———————————-
158 1040 3423-12
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Matt Lee Suggest Three Fishing Items for your Easter basket
Carhartt pro Matt Lee has treasured memories of Easter egg hunts with eight cousins on his Nan and Pop’s property that contained a pond full of 4-pound bass where he and brother Jordan fell in love with fishing.
Twenty years later, Lee hunts largemouth bass for a living, and with a Carhartt College Championship to his credit, along with numerous Top 20 finishes as a pro angler, he’s more than qualified to make thoughtful recommendations about what you or your favorite angler might hope the Easter bunny brings the first weekend of April.
Onyx A/M-24 Inflatable Life Vest – “The one I love not only looks cool with Mossy Oak Elements camo on it, but more importantly, when I wear an inflatable life vest, I want one that fits my body really well like this one. I’ve worn several lesser-quality vest that don’t fit well. But this is a great one.”
Quantum Smoke S3 spinning reel – “This is the only spinning reel I use. I like the size 30. It’s super smooth with an awesome drag, doesn’t get dreaded line twists, and is very durable. No matter how hard core you are, everybody who fishes needs a great spinning reel, and this Smoke S3 is awesome.”
Lure Lock tackle tray – “What angler wouldn’t like to have another tackle storage box? So get a Lure Lock box with patented TakLogic
sticky gel pads in it to keep your weights, lures, hooks, and even small spools of line better organized and firmly in place.”
Lee says the Easter Bunny was to be taken as seriously as Santa Claus growing up. And these days he days he takes his fishing equipment pretty darn serious too. So hopefully his three great recommended pieces of equipment above will lead to a treasured memory on your future trips to the lake.
The post Matt Lee Suggest Three Fishing Items for your Easter basket appeared first on Bass365.com.
Davis Leads Qualifying Group B of Major League Fishing’s Toro Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir Presented by Power-Pole
Arkansas Veteran Jumps out to Early Lead after Day 1 for Qualifying Group B with 10 Bass in First Period Flurry
JASPER, Texas (March 22, 2021) – For Major League Fishing (MLF) fans following the MLF Now!® live stream, it looked like pro Mark Davis was having a very tough day on the water. Mid-way through the second period, the Mount Ida, Arkansas, veteran had yet to weigh a single fish and he remained at the bottom of the leaderboard without a scorable bass. Then, all of a sudden, Davis returned to an area that had cellular service and the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard lit up.
In actuality, Davis had a fantastic morning, boating 10 bass in the first period and jumping out to a big lead on day 1 of Qualifying Group B at the Toro Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Power-Pole. It just happened to be in an area that did not have cellular coverage, and therefore his SCORETRACKER updates were unable to send. When all was said and done, Davis caught a total of 12 bass weighing 28 pounds, 2 ounces, Monday to gain the early lead after Group B’s day 1, midway through their two-day Qualifying Round.
Pro Gerald Spohrer of Gonzales, Louisiana, sits comfortably in second place, just two pounds back of Davis with seven bass totaling 26-2. Brent Ehrler of Redlands, California, finished the day in third place with seven bass for 22-2, six pounds behind the leader. The six-day event awards a top cash prize of $100,000 to the winner and is being live-streamed online and filmed for television broadcast on the Discovery Channel and the Outdoor Channel later this year.
The 40 anglers in Group B will now enjoy an off day on Tuesday, while the 40 anglers in Qualifying Group A will complete their two-day Qualifying Round of competition. Group B will resume competition on Wednesday.
“I caught my fish this morning on a Strike King Red Eye Shad,” Davis said. “I had found this area in practice and I knew that the fish were there. I went in there this morning and started fishing shallow and there wasn’t much going on, then I saw a couple of them come up and bust, way out off of the bank.
“The trick was that I had to cast it out and let the bait sink, then kind of pump it,” Davis said. “It took a cadence with that lure to get them to bite. They wouldn’t just bite it on my cast and retrieve. You had to pump it, you had to work it out and kind of feel it around in the grass.”
Davis said that he threw the Red Eye Shad on a Lew’s KVD Composite Cranking rod paired with a Lew’s Hyper Mag reel, spooled with 15-pound test line.
“The fish were really biting it good – just swallowing it,” Davis said. “But, when it was over, it was done. I mean, it was done. I went to a Carolina rig and was able to catch a few more, but they were small. The shad were there and when the fish were ready to feed, they’ll feed. They’ll probably feed again later this afternoon.”
Spohrer did not have as fast of a start to the morning as Davis did, but his bite managed to be a bit more consistent throughout the entire day.
“The way my morning started, it wasn’t looking good,” the Louisiana pro said. “I had an area that I thought I was going to be my best spot where I’d get the most bites, and I didn’t get anything. I just kept my head down and kept fishing, swimming a jig all day and covering water. I figured out a little deal around the cypress trees, and it proved to be a good method for me.
“The fish are moving around, but I think I have a good feel for what they are doing and it should keep getting better and better for me. Hopefully I can get back out here on Wednesday and try to win the round to advance to Championship Friday,” Spohrer went on to say.
“It ended up being a brutal day for me,” said third-place angler Ehrler. “It started off really well – I felt like I was getting in a groove – then I went the entire second period without catching anything. Then with just an hour left in the third period I finally caught one more 3-pounder. So really, after the first period, I sucked pretty much all day. I’ve got some decisions to make here before Wednesday because I’m just really not comfortable. Hopefully I can change some things up and advance.”
The top 20 pros from Qualifying Group B after Day 1 on Sam Rayburn Reservoir are:
1st: Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., 12 bass, 28-2
2nd: Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., seven bass, 26-2
3rd: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., seven bass, 22-2
4th: Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn., seven bass, 21-4
5th: Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., seven bass, 19-2
6th: Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif., six bass, 18-10
7th: Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., six bass, 17-11
8th: Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa., five bass, 17-1
9th: Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., seven bass, 16-10
10th: Randall Tharp, Port Saint Joe, Fla., six bass, 16-3
11th: Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla., five bass, 15-8
12th: Jeff Sprague, Point, Texas, six bass, 15-5
13th: Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., three bass, 13-15
14th: Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, five bass, 13-8
15th: David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., five bass, 12-11
16th: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., four bass, 12-3
17th: Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 11-10
18th: Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., four bass, 11-9
19th: Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., five bass, 11-8
20th: Jeff Kriet, Ardmore, Okla., five bass, 10-13
| A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 167 bass weighing 457 pounds, 11 ounces caught by 39 pros on Monday, which included two 7-pounders and six 5-pounders caught from Sam Rayburn. Scroggins won Monday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award, weighing in a 7-pound, 9-ounce largemouth which bit on a bladed swimjig right at the end of Period 3. Berkley will award $1,000 to the angler that weighs the biggest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the largest bass of the tournament. The MLF Bass Pro Tour Toro Stage 1 at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Power-Pole is hosted by the Jasper County Development District and the Jasper/Lake Sam Rayburn Chamber of Commerce. The 40 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Sunday and Tuesday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Monday and Wednesday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2nd through 20th place from both groups advance to Thursday’s Knockout Round, while the the winner of each group advances directly to Friday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed and the remaining 38 anglers compete to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. In the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed and the highest one-day total wins. Full breakdown of the format can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com. Attendance is limited to competing anglers, essential staff and media covering the event only. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com The 2021 Bass Pro Tour features a field of 76 of the top professional anglers in the world – joined at each event by 4 pros that qualify from the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit – competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, competing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2022 championship. The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action each day of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com. and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app. Television coverage of the Bass Pro Tour Toro Stage 1 at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Power-Pole will be showcased across two two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, Aug. 28 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition. For complete details and updated information on the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. |
| About Major League Fishing Founded in 2011, Major League Fishing (MLF) brings the high-intensity sport of competitive bass fishing into America’s living rooms on Outdoor Channel, Discovery, CBS, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, Sportsman Channel, and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). According to Nielsen ratings, Major League Fishing remains the number one series on Outdoor Channel for five years and MLF premiered as the number one outdoor show in their time slot on Discovery in 2019.In 2019 MLF acquired FLW, which expands their portfolio to include the world’s largest grassroots-fishing organization, including the strongest five-biggest-fish format professional bass fishing tour, the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, as well as the MLF Toyota Series, MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine, MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI, and MLF U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing. |
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There’s A Tie At The Top At Pickwick Elite
FLORENCE, Ala. — Tomorrow, there can be only one winner, but Bill Lowen and Chad Pipkens share the Day 3 lead at the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake.
Bill Lowen of Brookville, Ind., and Chad Pipkens of Holt, Mich., are tied for first place after Day 3 of the 2021 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake with a three-day total of 62 pounds, 10 ounces. Photos by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
Both anglers head into Championship Tuesday with 62 pounds, 10 ounces.
If a tie occurs in the tournament’s final round, the winner will be determined by a fish-off between the tied competitors.
Hailing from Brookville, Ind., Lowen improved from second place by adding 17-10 to his previous days’ limits of 21-3 and 23-13. Pipkens, who lives in Holt, Mich., moved up from sixth. His daily weights were 21-2, 18-5 and 23-3.
Since last week’s fierce storm, the Tennessee Valley Authority has been moving a tremendous volume of water through Pickwick. Lowen started his day fishing main-river current breaks on the backside of Kogers Island and continued his quest to determine how the fish are adjusting.
As the water level slowly declines, warming conditions have set the stage for a possible spawning movement.
“It just seems like every day the morning has been the deal, that first three hours,” Lowen said. “After that, I just have to beat around and try other things. I’m just trying to find out where the fish have gone.
“I feel like the current is pushing those fish off the flats. I have some areas that they should be going to. I keep checking them, but they haven’t shown up yet.”
Lowen caught his fish on his signature series 3/8-ounce Lure Parts Online jig with a chunk trailer. This bait’s weight and buoyancy allows it to sweep across shallow wood cover without snagging.
Later in the morning, Lowen started exploring other habitat features, including tall stands of flat reeds where spawners may eventually move. Signs are pointing in that direction, he said, but Lowen’s not ready to commit his final day to this uncertain stage.
“At the end of the day, I had some fish come up on a swim jig that didn’t get it,” Lowen said. “I’ve been saying it all day that it’s time for that to happen. Tomorrow, I’m going down there and starting on that same stretch. The only thing I was missing today were those big bites. Hopefully tomorrow some of those big females will move up.”
Spending his day on the backside of a small island upstream of Kogers, Pipkens focused on a grassy ditch. Receding water seems to be working in his favor.
“The first day I caught every fish I weighed up close to that island on a current seam because the water was so high,” Pipkens said. “At the end of the day I caught a couple about 100 yards back, and yesterday I caught most of them [farther] back.
“Today, I caught them all there, except for one at the end. I think they’re starting to scatter back throughout that ditch. I’m ready to move around tomorrow.”
Pipkens anchored his bag with a 5-pounder around 10:46 a.m., but a 4-pounder at 2:14 p.m. gave him a key cull that secured his first-place tie. He caught his fish on a ChatterBait with a trailer hook and a swimbait trailer. Pipkens said his bites were subtle.
“There’s so much current, they’re just sitting down there and they’re not eating until the bait comes over them,” Pipkens said.
Pipkens is hopeful that tomorrow’s forecasted rain and dim skies could trigger a more aggressive bite.
“With tomorrow’s weather, it could get right,” he said. “I’ve said if you can catch 15 to 20 fish in this area, you can weigh in 25 to 30 pounds. I was one big bite away today and I only caught six. The right ones bit today.”
Cory Johnston of Cavan, Canada, is in third place with 59-1. Moving up from 22nd place, he added the day’s heaviest bag, 25-5, to his previous weights of 18-9 and 15-3.
“I caught most of my fish offshore in the Kogers Island area on current breaks in 3 to 8 feet, and then I went looking for some other stuff,” Johnston said. “I ended up finding some stuff on the bank and caught a 5-pounder.
“Up shallow, it was wood and junk they’re sitting behind out of the current. I was just trying to expand my options, but it’s hard to say which might play tomorrow. I’ll try both.”
Johnston said he rotated through a selection of 10 reaction baits. Continuously giving the fish different looks was the key to his success.
Hank Cherry of Lincolnton, N.C., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 7-11.
Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., leads the Angler of the Year standings with 264 points. Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., is in second with 246, followed by Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, with 245, Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., with 242 and Bryan New of Belmont, N.C., with 239.
Tuesday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:45 a.m. CT at McFarland Park. The weigh-in will be held at the park at 3 p.m.
Live coverage of the event can be streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms.
The tournament is being hosted by Florence-Lauderdale Tourism.
2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Bass Pro Shops, Garmin, Huk Performance Fishing, Marathon, Rapala
2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Conservation Partner: AFTCO
2021 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake Local Host: Florence-Lauderdale Tourism
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, 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 515,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, 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 Opens 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, Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.
2021 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake 3/20-3/23
Pickwick Lake, Florence AL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 15 62-10 100
Day 1: 5 21-03 Day 2: 5 23-13 Day 3: 5 17-10
1. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 15 62-10 99
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 18-05 Day 3: 5 23-03
3. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 15 59-01 98 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 15-03 Day 3: 5 25-05
4. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 15 58-11 97
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 5 20-15 Day 3: 5 21-00
5. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 15 57-13 96 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 22-09 Day 3: 5 19-12
6. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 15 57-13 95
Day 1: 5 19-09 Day 2: 5 21-08 Day 3: 5 16-12
7. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 15 57-01 94
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 20-09 Day 3: 5 18-12
8. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 15 56-15 93
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 23-08 Day 3: 5 20-03
9. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 15 56-13 92
Day 1: 5 23-03 Day 2: 5 17-00 Day 3: 5 16-10
10. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 15 56-13 91
Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 5 20-09 Day 3: 5 17-09
11. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 13 56-05 90 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-12 Day 2: 5 19-15 Day 3: 3 10-10
12. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 15 56-00 89 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 16-13 Day 3: 5 21-03
13. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 15 54-07 88 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 16-11 Day 3: 5 24-11
14. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 15 54-03 87 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 19-11 Day 3: 5 17-11
15. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 14 53-09 86 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 4 14-07 Day 3: 5 20-06
16. Wes Logan Springville, AL 15 52-14 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 18-14 Day 3: 5 20-09
17. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 15 52-08 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 17-00 Day 3: 5 18-11
18. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 15 52-03 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 5 18-08 Day 3: 5 16-15
19. Bryan New Belmont, NC 15 51-10 82 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 19-03 Day 3: 5 13-07
20. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 15 50-13 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 15-02 Day 3: 5 19-12
21. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 13 50-08 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 22-13 Day 3: 3 09-06
22. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 15 50-06 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 19-02 Day 3: 5 17-08
23. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 15 50-05 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-13 Day 2: 5 15-00 Day 3: 5 15-08
24. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 15 50-03 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-11 Day 2: 5 16-13 Day 3: 5 16-11
25. Seth Feider New Market, MN 15 49-12 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 17-11 Day 3: 5 15-11
26. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 14 49-07 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 12-03 Day 2: 5 19-14 Day 3: 5 17-06
27. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 15 48-07 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 5 15-09 Day 3: 5 18-00
28. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 15 48-06 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 21-10 Day 3: 5 13-10
29. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 13 47-15 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 3 08-14 Day 2: 5 20-13 Day 3: 5 18-04
30. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 14 47-03 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 4 08-06 Day 3: 5 21-03
31. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 14 46-11 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 13-14 Day 3: 4 11-11
32. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 15 46-02 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 14-14 Day 3: 5 14-13
33. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 15 45-15 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 15-00 Day 3: 5 14-01
34. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 15 45-09 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 12-01 Day 3: 5 18-15
35. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 13 44-09 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 11-02 Day 2: 5 19-03 Day 3: 4 14-04
36. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 13 43-01 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 12-06 Day 2: 5 17-08 Day 3: 4 13-03
37. Frank Talley Temple, TX 15 43-01 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-04 Day 2: 5 11-03 Day 3: 5 15-10
38. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 14 43-01 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 4 12-09 Day 3: 5 16-01
39. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 13 42-14 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 18-15 Day 3: 3 07-05
40. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 13 42-00 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 15-14 Day 3: 3 10-01
41. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 13 41-11 60 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-14 Day 2: 5 13-08 Day 3: 3 10-05
42. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 15 41-10 59 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 5 11-15 Day 3: 5 11-14
43. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 14 41-03 58 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 14-09 Day 3: 4 10-01
44. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 13 40-14 57 $10,000.00
Day 1: 3 08-00 Day 2: 5 17-13 Day 3: 5 15-01
45. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 14 40-04 56 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 11-09 Day 2: 5 14-10 Day 3: 5 14-01
46. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 13 39-05 55 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 17-15 Day 3: 3 08-01
47. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 12 39-03 54 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 10-04 Day 2: 4 15-01 Day 3: 4 13-14
48. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 11 38-12 53 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 13-08 Day 2: 5 19-13 Day 3: 2 05-07
49. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 10 26-05 52 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 13-13 Day 3: 0 00-00
50. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 9 25-04 51 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 4 10-14 Day 3: 0 00-00
———————————————————————–
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 07-06 $1,000.00
2 Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 07-11 $1,000.00
3 Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 07-02 $1,000.00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 51 363 1149-15
2 63 411 1345-02
3 36 220 768-10
———————————-
150 994 3263-11
The post There’s A Tie At The Top At Pickwick Elite appeared first on Bass365.com.
Safety First, Catch ‘em Second
Watching Chris Zaldain and other Bassmaster Elite Series pros catch big smallmouth and largemouth bass out of extremely heavy currents below the Wilson Dam on Pickwick Lake has been quite the spectacle. The techniques, the baits, and methods are unique to this type of fishing and make for entertaining Bassmaster LIVE coverage.
There is a lot to take in, but perhaps the most important lesson anglers can obtain from watching Zaldain work in the white water comes from the Personal Floatation Device (PFD) he has strapped to his chest for every cast.
Per their rules, Elite Series pros only have to wear a lifejacket / PFD when their outboard motor is running. But with the amount of current ripping in the Wilson Dam tailrace, Zaldain is wisely choosing to wear an inflatable PFD over his Carhartt jacket even when he’s on his trolling motor.
“Safety always comes first – no matter what,” Zaldain said. “Anything can happen on the water and that’s only magnified in conditions like we are facing on Pickwick this week. When in doubt, throw a PFD on and then worry about catching fish.”
Zaldain reiterated that even the most experienced anglers need to err on the side of caution in turbulent water, but beginning anglers should wear a PFD anytime they feel slightly uncomfortable.
No fish is worth something bad happening to you, or someone in your boat. Plain and simple.
“If you get knocked out of the boat in heavy current it could be a disaster,” Zaldain explained. “You’d get separated from your boat and would be in trouble in a hurry. I’m a pretty good swimmer, but I promise you I can’t handle this current like my Yamaha and Skeeter can.”
Seeing someone with as much experience on the water as “Zaldaingerous” wear a PFD in competition and take the proper precautions is a good reminder for anglers of all levels.
Zaldain started day three of the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite in 16th place and plans to head back to his swift water honey hole. Dealing with the waves, current, and approximately one million drum in hopes he can connect with another 20+ pound bag of smallmouth like he brought to the scales Saturday.
“I’ll start my day slinging a 6-inch Mergabass Magdraft swimbait up in the current for sure,” Zaldain offered. “It’s all about current seams and boulders up there in the tailrace. It’s a stressful way to fish, but it’s been fun.”
The post Safety First, Catch ‘em Second appeared first on Bass365.com.