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Spring & Red Crankbaits
There is something about the Spring and Red Crankbaits, Brent Ehrler shares his thoughts on the color and why its so effective.
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Swindle on Starting From Scratch
There is plenty of uncertainty amongst Elite Series anglers now that the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite on Pickwick Lake has been postponed for a second day. Rising water levels, extreme changes in current flow and water clarity all add up to an aura of ambiguity for the pros competing on Pickwick this week. One thing is certain though; anglers will likely have to throw out what they learned in practice.
Most anglers, like Team Toyota pro Gerald Swindle, have not made a cast on Pickwick since Tuesday evening. Conditions have drastically changed since then and the Elites will have to change on the fly when competition begins Saturday morning.
In Swindle’s 26 years as a professional angler he has seen it all and is well known for “making chicken salad out of chicken poo”. We picked the two-time Bassmaster Angler of the Year’s brain to learn how a tournament veteran like “G” approaches starting from scratch in a major event.
Throw practice out the window
Swindle wasn’t afraid to admit he didn’t have a great two days of practice on Pickwick when conditions were stable earlier in the week. He didn’t have a bad practice per say, but he didn’t find anything he felt like he could win off of. So Swindle is throwing his practice completely out of the window and looking at tomorrow as a fresh start.
“Tomorrow I won’t fish any of the stuff I got bites off of in practice… I’m dead serious,” Swindle said boldly. “I promised myself I’d trust my gut and the first place I make a cast on will be a completely new spot tomorrow. I’m going out there like I have to find new fish. I can’t run to what was, I gotta fish for what is and what will be.”
Water conditions have changed so dramatically that anglers will be catching fish out of cover that was dry just a few short days ago. Right now the theme of this event is the unknown and while it would be easy to dwell on the not-so-good aspects of this scenario, Swindle has been looking at the positive side.
“Before the conditions changed this tournament was likely going to be won off of a spot,” Swindle estimated. “Now whoever is leading after day one will be running a pattern in my opinion, and I love that. Earlier in the week I think only 15% of this lake could have produced the winning weight. Now I’d put that number closer to 40 or 50% of this lake capable of producing a win.”
Bass fishing’s funniest man truly believes current conditions will open up Pickwick Lake. Maybe not in the first hour or two of the tournament, but by the end of day one he believes the field will be spread out and able to try to do their own thing. Swindle said tomorrow is all about bringing five solid keepers to the scales so an angler doesn’t dig himself into a hole on day one.
Take advantage of the opportunity
It’s not just areas and patterns that’ll change according to Swindle, but baits and techniques too. Pickwick’s water temps will have cooled considerably and there is much more stain to the water. But Swindle isn’t spun out by these details. In fact, he is looking at these challenges as an opportunity.
“Honestly I am excited,” Swindle said. “Throughout my career I’ve often wondered what it would be like for a whole Elite field to fish a four day tournament with no practice. Just show up and fish. Well, this is about as close as we’ll ever get to that. It’s an opportunity to test ourselves and win, lose, or draw… it’s going to be fun.”
Swindle is well known for his tagline of “PMA” or positive-mental-attitude. Less than half a day before the start of stop number three of the Elite Series season and that PMA is serving him well. With any luck that positivity will pay off for G-Man and he’ll bring back a heavy sack to McFarland Park tomorrow afternoon.
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Drury University Wins College Series Bonus Bucks
When I called Cameron Smith and Cole Breeden to congratulate them on winning the MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship a few days after their victory on Grand Lake, the two Drury University anglers were already rolling down the highway to Kentucky Lake to fish another college tournament.
Smith, a senior at Drury gradating with a Biology degree and Breeden, a junior studying Marketing were humble, appreciative, and grateful for the whirlwind of a week they experienced at Grand Lake and in the days that followed their big win.
Not only did they take the National Championship trophies back to Missouri, Smith and Breeden also qualified for the 2021 Bass Pro U.S. Open Championship on Table Rock this fall as well as the 2021 Toyota Series Championship. They’ll fish the Toyota Series Championship individually and the Bass Pro U.S. Open Championship as a team.
On top of all that they won an extra $500 for themselves, as well as a matching amount for the Drury University Fishing Team, for being the highest finishing Toyota Bonus Bucks College Series contenders. Smith estimates he and Breeden have put over 25,000 miles on his Tundra towing to college tournaments over the years.
“Having a truck you can trust really makes a huge difference for guys like us who try to fish as many tournaments as possible,” Smith and Breeden said. “I bet we’ve put over 25,000 miles on that truck towing to college tournaments through the years. It’s been a workhorse.”
The College Series segment of the Bonus Bucks program is available to any college anglers who tow their boat with a Toyota tow vehicle. Even better, there are no year restrictions for the College Series. Whether it’s a 2018 like the Tundra Smith and Breeden were rolling in, or it’s a 2007 Tacoma with a few hundred thousand miles on the odometer, they all qualify.
Breeden and Smith are still riding the wave of emotions after becoming college fishing National Champions, but it was easy to see the “big picture” was not lost on these young men.
“We’re just super grateful honestly,” Breeden said. “Grateful for the school, for our fishing club, for our club sponsors, and for our Coach Rick Emmitt. They’ve all supported us so much… it’s been humbling.”
“College fishing has more or less been my life the last 3+ years,” Smith added. “It went super fast but has accounted for some of my favorite college memories. I wouldn’t trade them for the world. Like Cameron said, we’re just super thankful.”
If you fish in college and tow your boat with a Toyota you need to head to https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/college and get signed up for free ASAP.
Payouts are available for Major League Fishing Abu Garcia College Fishing events, the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series, or Collegiate Bass Fishing Series tournaments. You don’t need to win a tournament to be eligible for the contingency money; you just have to finish higher than other program participants. Click the link above for more info or give us a call at (918) 742-6424.
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Flooding Forces Postponement Of Elite Event At Pickwick Lake
FLORENCE, Ala. — After increased current caused by severe weather and high sustained west-southwest winds forced the postponement of Day 1 of the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake on Thursday, B.A.S.S. officials announced that Friday’s planned competition would also be postponed.
Tournament staff is working in conjunction with the Tennessee Valley Authority, National Weather Service and other agencies to monitor flooding conditions, water flow and potential floating debris to ensure that the event resumes safely.
Competition is expected to start Saturday morning at 6:45 a.m. CT when a full field of 100 anglers launches onto Pickwick Lake. Daily weigh-ins will be held at 3 p.m.
B.A.S.S. is working alongside local officials to determine if a new venue is needed for takeoffs and weigh-ins after McFarland Park, the original ramp and weigh-in venue for the tournament, was evacuated mid-morning on Thursday due to flooding.
The tournament is being hosted by 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.
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Myrtle Beach’s Thompkins Earns Wire-to-Wire Victory at Toyota Series Event on Harris Chain of Lakes
19-Year-Old Boater Earns First Career MLF Victory, Earns $40,000
Thompkins has a strong fishing pedigree – his father, Timmy Thompkins, competed on the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit for four seasons and has fished in numerous Toyota Series and Phoenix Bass Fishing League events. The 19-year-old Jordan became the fourth pro under 20-years-old to win a Toyota Series event.
“My dad has blessed me with awesome teaching – I’ve learned every piece of information that I know from him,” Thompkins said. “This is all for him. I’ve gotten so much support from everyone back home, it really helped me keep my mind in it and kept me on my game.”
Thompkins credited a Rapala DT-10 crankbait as being his key bait throughout the week.
“I’d never really cranked before in my life – especially in Florida – but when I saw them there and I saw the way the fish were setting up, it reminded me of a couple of different times that I caught them cranking and then when I caught the first one it gave me the confidence to stick with it,” Thompkins said.
“On the first day, it was lights out very quick and I caught the 31 pounds in a hurry,” Thompkins continued. “The rest of the week was a bit of a scramble. I’d start on my first spot and could get a limit in 15 minutes with a jerkbait. That was important because it would help me get my nerves down. Then later in the day I would pick up a ChatterBait and the crankbait and look for the bigger bites. I really just had to run as many high percentage areas as I could, and it worked out. Not very often things like this happen, but every decision I made worked and it’s just been an awesome experience.”
1st: Jordan Thompkins of Myrtle Beach, S.C., 15 bass, 65-0, $40,000
2nd: Willy Dennison of Willoughby Hills, Ohio, 15 bass, 52-8, $15,500
3rd: Steven Eastman of Eustis, Fla., 15 bass, 50-1, $12,000
4th: Michael Conley of Bainbridge, Ga., 15 bass, 48-1, $10,000
5th: Jeffrey Harper of Fleming Island, Fla., 15 bass, 46-8, $9,000
6th: Destin Lesesne of Blue Ridge, Ga., 15 bass, 45-5, $8,000
7th: Lance Oligschlaeger of Gallatin, Tenn., 14 bass, 42-8, $7,000
8th: Nathan Thomas of Weirsdale, Fla., 14 bass, 40-12, $6,000
9th: Jacob Walker of Alabaster, Ala., 14 bass, 39-10, $5,000
10th: Christian Greico of Tampa, Fla., 13 bass, 39-4, $4,150
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Greico won Thursday’s Berkley Big Bass Award after bringing a 9-pound, 12-ounce largemouth to the scale. The lunker had a special tag attached to it, indicating that it was a part of the Lake Apopka Fish Tag Challenge. The challenge was launched by the Friends of Lake Apopka and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to further recovery of the state’s fourth-largest lake. When it was originally tagged in January, the bass Greico caught had weighed in at 12 pounds even. The Commission also tagged 499 other fish, including approximately 200 largemouth bass more than 16 inches long, 150 black crappie 10 inches or more and 150 bluegills of at least 8 inches. Potential winnings for catching the tagged fish are more than $10,000. For rules and more information, visit friendsoflakeapopka.org.
The 11th place finisher, Dakota Ebare of Brookeland, Texas, took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
John Stahl of Land O’ Lakes, Florida, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Thursday with a three-day total of 13 bass weighing 42 pounds, 15 ounces. Stahl took home the top prize package of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.
1st: John Stahl of Land O’ Lakes, Fla., 13 bass, 42-15, Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat w/115-hp outboard
2nd: Todd Classon of Camilla, Ga., 13 bass, 37-13, $5,000
3rd: Fisher Cusic of Lakeland, Fla., 12 bass, 36-11, $4,000
4th: Jim House of Fort Lee, Va., 12 bass, 35-7, $3,500
5th: Bill Spence of San Diego, Calif., 14 bass, 35-6, $3,000
6th: Eduardo Ramos of Labelle, Fla., 14 bass, 33-11, $2,500
7th: B.J. Bass of Pinetta, Fla., 13 bass, 29-15, $2,000
8th: Marshall Daugherty of Ocean Springs, Miss., 11 bass, 29-0, $1,750
9th: Andy Niles of Ocean Springs, Miss., 13 bass, 27-7, $1,500
10th: Steve Pennington of Delton, Mich., 12 bass, 26-14, $1,250
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The Toyota Series the Harris Chain of Lakes was hosted by Lake County, Florida. It was the second of three regular-season tournaments in 2021 for Southern Division anglers. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will take place on March 25-27 – the Toyota Series at Lake Texoma Presented by Abu Garcia in Durant & Madill, Oklahoma. For a complete schedule, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. The 2021 Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2021 Toyota Series Championship Presented by A.R.E. will be held Oct. 28-30 on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee, and is hosted by the Hardin County Convention and Visitors Bureau. For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. on the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. |
| About MLF BIG5 MLF BIG5 is part of MLF, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization. It provides anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money across five tournament circuits featuring a five-biggest-fish format. Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with offices in Benton, Kentucky, MLF and its partners conduct more than 290 bass-fishing tournaments annually around the world, including the United States, Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Namibia, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and Zimbabwe.MLF tournaments are broadcast on Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel, World Fishing Network, MyOutdoorTV, Discovery and CBS Sports while MLF Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros to the world’s most avid bass anglers. |
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