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PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — An afternoon decision paid off big for Jamie Hartman of Russellville, Ark., who nabbed a day-ending bonus that helped him claim the Day 1 lead of the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain with 22 pounds, 1 ounce.

At the day’s conclusion, Hartman’s name appeared next to three of the Top 10 Big Bass — a 5-pounder, a 4-14 and a 4-4. He also added a 4-0 just 10 minutes before the weigh-ins opened at 3 p.m.

“I upgraded in the last few minutes on the way in; I was pretty much done and I just hit something on the way in, made three casts and caught a 4-pound smallmouth,” said Hartman, a native New Yorker. “That spot was just a steep drop with some grass on top of it.

“I’ve fished it in the past and I’ve never caught a big fish off of it, but I’ve caught some decent fish. I was basically scouting for tomorrow, so after catching a 4-pound smallmouth, I think they’re there.”

Hartman’s late-day bonus spot exemplified the type of habitat he eventually settled into. Finishing his day with a mixed bag of three smallmouth and two largemouth, Hartman actually got off to a slow start but eventually turned his day around by adjusting his location.

“I went up north and the water was so calm that it was tough for me to get bit at all,” he said. “I ground it out for a while, got a couple of bites and made one move. When I finally made the move to go fish what I wanted to fish, it all came together. I bounced around to several different spots within the same area, making decisions on what to fish.”

Hartman generally described his area as a mix of rock and grassbeds in 12 to 15 feet. The key, he said, was targeting the right type of grass, specifically taller patches of milfoil.

“I was watching my electronics and making sure I was around patches of grass,” he said. “I was making sure I was in the high enough grass.”

Hartman caught his bass on a mix of soft-plastic presentations. Although he tried to get the fish interested in reaction baits early, a Carolina rig proved most productive.

“I tried to catch them on a swimbait like I did in practice. But there was no wind, so they wouldn’t eat it,” he said.

With the grassy shallows of the Ticonderoga area at Champlain’s lower end presenting the tempting potential for big largemouth, Hartman admitted he considered making the 70-mile run.

“When I had a slow start, I thought I had made the wrong decision by not running to Ti, but I slowly started to put it together,” he said. “I just kept reminding myself: pick off one at a time. They’re good ones, so we’ll keep going.”

Buddy Gross of Chickamauga, Ga., is in second place with 21-2. Noting that Champlain’s smallmouth have often confounded him in the past, Gross mainly focused on largemouth Thursday. But with the lake about 4 feet below normal, he caught them in places where he has targeted smallmouth.

“I had spent a lot of time looking for structure for smallmouth, but the largemouth took over some of my spots and it’s really helping a lot,” Gross said. “As low as the water is, it’s pulling the largemouth out to the first places on the drops, and it’s making them a little easier for me to find them.”

Fishing the lake’s north end, Gross caught his fish on a prototype bullethead jig from Nichols Lures with a Zoom Chunk trailer and a Z-Man Jack Hammer ChatterBait with a Zoom Z-Craw trailer. The latter, he said, proved most strategic in finding his bites.

“I used moving baits to cover a lot of water,” he said. “I haven’t been getting a ton of bites, but when I do, it has been quality. So, I’m having to run a whole lot of water.”

Micah Frazier of Newnan, Ga., is in third place with 20-8. Targeting solely smallmouth, he committed to the lake’s north end where he targeted offshore humps, shoals and boulders in 15 to 40 feet.

“I caught my fish on a drop shot with a Yum Warning Shot and a 3/8-ounce weight,” Frazier said. “I had a midmorning flurry, and then I caught a couple of bigger ones later once the sun came out.”

Bryan Schmitt of Deale, Md., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 6-2 largemouth.

Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:45 a.m. CT at Plattsburgh City Marina. The weigh-in will be held back at the marina at 3 p.m.

Live coverage of the event will be available starting at 8 a.m. on Bassmaster LIVE at Bassmaster.com with simulcasts on ESPN2 and ESPN3. Check local listings for ESPN2 times.

The tournament is being hosted by the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau, City of Plattsburgh and Clinton County.

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Abu Garcia, Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Skeeter Boats, Talon, Yamaha

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Carhartt, Garmin, Huk Performance Fishing, Mossy Oak Fishing, Rapala

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Conservation Partners: AFTCO, Huk

2020 Bassmaster Elite At Lake Champlain Local Hosts: Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau, City of Plattsburgh, Clinton County

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 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), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2 and The Pursuit Channel), 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 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, new Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Bassmaster Elite Series tournament previously scheduled for Cayuga Lake earlier in July will instead be held Sept. 30 – Oct. 3 on Alabama’s historic Lake Guntersville, B.A.S.S. officials announced today. Daily launches and weigh-ins will take place at Goose Pond Colony Resort Marina in Scottsboro, Ala., which is hosting the event.

Scottsboro, Ala., will host the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville Sept. 30 – Oct. 3. Photo by B.A.S.S.

“We are excited to host another B.A.S.S. event and showcase our facilities at Goose Pond Colony,” said Scottsboro Mayor Robin Shelton. “I know the event will be as successful as last year’s event, and I am looking forward to working with this staff again.”

Lake Guntersville has hosted 24 major B.A.S.S. events, including the 2020 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk. The Big G also took the No. 2 spot in Bassmaster Magazine’s list of Best Bass Lakes of the Decade. Lake Guntersville is known for its breathtaking scenery and easy access, but big fish swim there as well. Most big-bass prizes are awarded to fish topping the 8-pound mark, with 10-plus-pounders taking center stage on occasion.

Angler Jamie Hartman raised the coveted blue championship trophy when the Elite Series visited Scottsboro in June 2019, winning the four-day tournament in dramatic fashion coming from tenth place to win with a total of 79 pounds, 10 ounces. In March of this year, Hank Cherry dominated the 2020 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Guntersville. Cherry weighed in a massive 29-3 limit on Day 1 of the tournament en route to a wire-to-wire victory.

“While it has been challenging to reschedule events, we intend to complete a full schedule of tournaments,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “We are thankful to our friends at the City of Scottsboro for partnering with us to offer anglers another opportunity to fish on one of our country’s best lakes while showcasing the area’s beauty for our audience.

“Our anglers and fans are going to really enjoy the fishing on Lake Guntersville in the fall.”

Officials emphasized that they will adhere to all local and state guidelines to ensure the event is safe for athletes, staff and the host community.

The Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville will kick-off a busy schedule of fall derbies that will see the Elite Series pros competing on Santee Cooper in Clarendon County, S.C., Oct. 8-11, Tennessee’s Lake Chickamauga Oct. 16-19, and Texas’s Lake Fork for the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Nov. 5-8.

For more information, visit Bassmaster.com.

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 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), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2 and The Pursuit Channel), 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 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, new Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic.

The post Bassmaster Elite Tournament Moved To Lake Guntersville appeared first on Bass365.com.

Florence, AL. (July 23, 2020) – If last year’s 22-pound limit of winning smallmouth are any indication, Toyota Bonus Bucks members can expect a great weekend of fish catching and fellowship as the 9th Annual Toyota Bonus Owners tournament returns to Pickwick Lake at Florence, Alabama the weekend of September 19th and 20th, 2020.

The tradition-rich weekend kicks-off Saturday afternoon with a registration meeting where Team Toyota pro anglers will be on hand to greet guests and talk fishing. B.A.S.S. tournament staff will conduct the tournament and be onsite Saturday afternoon as well for angler registration.
Launch and weigh-in for Sunday’s competition will take place at McFarland Park. The top 31 teams in the tournament are guaranteed a paycheck, and a free gift bag will be given to the first 200 anglers to sign up for the tournament.

COVID-19 safety measures that adhere to local government guidelines and regulations will be put in place during the Toyota Bonus Bucks Owners Event to help provide protection for the health and well-being of all tournament participants. Registered teams will be sent information about the measures prior to the tournament.
Only one of the team members must be currently registered in the Toyota Bonus Bucks Program to be eligible to compete in the Toyota Owners Tournament. (To be eligible to participate in Toyota Bonus Bucks- participant must own or lease a 2016 or newer Toyota Tundra, Tacoma, Sequoia, or 4Runner) Visit toyotafishing.com for more Program details. Bassmaster Elite Series, MLF, and FLW Tour pros are not eligible to participate in the Owners Tournament. Teams are required to pre-register by September 7, 2020.

Participants are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible for this prize-rich event. Limited space is available. To register, visit toyotafishing.com. You can also call the Toyota Bonus Bucks Headquarters at (918) 742-6424, or email: bonusbucks@dynamicsponsorships.com.

The post Toyota Bonus Bucks Owners Event Returns to Pickwick appeared first on Bass365.com.

Daiwa Pro Cody Meyer recaps his 20th place finish at Stage 5 of the Sturgeon Bay Bass Pro Tour Event. Great job Cody!!

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