THE LATEST NEWS
Official Statement from FLW Regarding Irwin Jacobs
Statement from Kathy Fennel, FLW President of Operations:
Yesterday was a difficult day for the FLW family and the entire sport of professional bass fishing. Mr. Jacobs did so much for our organization and truly had a revolutionary impact on the industry throughout his time as owner of FLW. He cared deeply about the anglers and staff, and he gave all of us the unwavering support needed to be successful. I remain humbled and honored for the leadership opportunity he provided me. His sincerity and kindness extended not only to me but to all families of this organization. It was a privilege to know and work for Mr. Jacobs and his impact on our organization as well as our sport will continue on. My thoughts and prayers are with Trish and the entire Jacobs Family during this time.
Official Statement from FLW:
It is with deep sadness that we mourn the passing of FLW Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Irwin Jacobs and his loving wife, Alexandra. We as an organization are devastated by this loss and remember the leadership and passion with which Mr. Jacobs led our organization. We ask the bass fishing community to keep the Jacobs family in your thoughts and prayers during this time.
All FLW tournaments and operations will proceed as scheduled.
Hard Work the C ore of Matt Lee in Baseball and Bass
Major League Fishing pro Matt Lee is the son of a Carhartt wearing man who may just be the sweetest natured, hardest working veterinarian in Alabama. So it’s no surprise that hard work has also been the common thread of his son’s current success as a competitive angler, and previously as a 2-time Alabama High School State Champion baseball player as a Cullman Bearcat.
“Our pitching staff probably wasn’t the best in the state at Cullman, and we weren’t near as big physically as some teams, but we worked harder than everybody else,” says the now 30-year old Lee, as he reflects on the 2007 State Champion Bearcats.
“Baseball was something I absolutely loved from the time I was in tee-ball. But at 5’ 7” and 150 pounds in high school, I wasn’t nearly as gifted as my good friend Josh Rutledge who played for the Crimson Tide and then the Colorado Rockies, or our pitcher Caleb Clay who could throw 94 mph and got drafted in the first round by the Red Sox,” says Lee.
Lee graduated from Cullman High with a 3.96 GPA, scored an impressive 29 on the ACT, and eventually earned a degree in engineering from Auburn where he became a national champion in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series. But it was pure dedication and hustle that allowed him to be a key contributor at second base on the same starting line-up as future big leaguers like Clay and Rutledge.
“Fishing became my competitive outlet when my baseball career ended, and just like baseball, I may not be the most naturally gifted angler on tour. So I have to work extra hard to stay competitive against the best bass fishermen in the world,” admits Lee.
“Trust me, life as a pro angler can be a physical and mental grind. But I love it. And the cool thing about fishing is through hard work I can be successful. The fish don’t care how big I am or how fast I can throw a baseball,” he smiles.
With a dugout full of Top 20 finishes to his credit, a Carhartt Bassmaster College Series title, and two Bassmaster Classic qualifications, obviously the hard work is paying off in a manner to make all who know him proud, including a particular hard working veterinarian in Cullman, Alabama.
Mosley, Palmer, and Arey on Winyah Bay and Seafood
Bassmaster Elite Series pros Brock Mosley, Luke Palmer, and Matt Arey all took home a top-35 paycheck last week on Lake Hartwell and are looking to keep the momentum rolling on Winyah Bay for the 4th stop of the 2019 season. We caught up with them before tournament registration to gauge their thoughts on this expansive, and sometimes confusing fishery.
Team Toyota’s Matt Arey and Elite Series rookie Luke Palmer had never launched a boat on Winyah Bay until official practice this week, While Mosley competed in 2016 and finished in 41st place. Similar to when the Elites were last here; fickle fishing and long boat rides seem to be the topic of conversation.
Q: Name two lures you suspect to play a role in the top 10s arsenal this week.
Mosley – “A Texas rigged worm of some kind and a chatterbait.”
Arey – “I’m going to say something to flip with, like a creature bait, and a swim jig.”
Palmer – “I’m going to say a chatterbait and a Senko type stick worm.”
Q: How many miles, round trip, do you suspect the winning angler to run their boat each day this week?
Mosley – “I’d guess about 110 miles each way… so 220 miles round trip.”
Arey – “Hmm… Round trip? I’d say 160 miles. The local gas stations love us this week. ”
Palmer – “Brock’s guess of 110 miles is pretty good, but I’ll say 115 each way just to be different. 230 miles total each day.”
Q: What’s your favorite seafood dish to take advantage of when the Bassmaster Elite Series competes near the coast?
Mosley – “Hard to beat seafood! Both redfish and shrimp are way up on my list.”
Arey – “Sushi all day for me… preferably tuna.”
Palmer – “Boiled shrimp for me.”
Crochet’s First-Period Maelstrom Propels Him to Shotgun Round Win
) as I could.”
 |
|
MLF pro Andy Morgan knows home-lake Chickamauga isn’t finished in showing of its wealth of big bass. Because of that, it is unlikely any angler will try coasting his way through Elimination Rounds into the Knockout Round. (Photo by Josh Gassmann. Click to enlarge/download)
|
Swindle: Don’t Forget About The Possum
Most bass fishing fans know Gerald Swindle for his world-class comedy and angling skills. What they may not know is Swindle has a deep love of lyrics, mostly country music lyrics. Hence he’s quick to parallel spinnerbaits, arguably the greatest bass fishing lure of all time, to country music legend George “The Possum” Jones.
“Just like lures, there are so many new songs released every year it’s easy to get caught up in the new stuff and forget about the proven classics like “He Stopped Loving Her Today”,” says Swindle. “That’s why anytime we start talking about spinnerbaits, I say “Don’t forget about The Possum, fellas.” – because to me, a spinnerbait is a whole lot like George Jones.”
In 1998, Swindle was struggling a bit financially, splitting time between pro tournaments and a job he hated as a house framer, when he rode a spinnerbait through the high waters of Beaver Lake, Arkansas to a $150,000 FLW victory and put down his hammer for good.
“That win launched my career, and I haven’t stopped loving a spinnerbait since,” smiles Swindle. “People think the pros stopped throwing spinnerbaits the last decade, but that’s not necessarily true. Fact is, we were using spinnerbaits to find fish in practice, but when the pressure was on to go catch five fat ones in the derby, we’d switch to a big swimbait or something else.”
“To be honest the new Major League Fishing format has revitalized the spinnerbait. I’ve had two different tackle manufacturers tell me that recently. In MLF, you’re just trying to generate keeper bites, not necessarily fishing for giants, and there ain’t many lures in history that get more bites than a spinnerbait,” says the Team Toyota angler.
Chatterbaits and Spinnerbaits are first cousins
Some anglers might ask how the now highly popular Chatterbait fits into Swindle’s spinnerbait mix. It’s simple. He says they’re in the same family. It’s just a matter of habitat and weather conditions as to which one he throws, and it’s a pretty elementary formula. If there’s rocks, wood, and wind … he’ll likely throw a spinnerbait. If there’s aquatic vegetation, and a lack of wind, he’ll choose a Chatterbait.
Rod, reel, line, and lure weight
“People would be shocked to know how simple I keep my spinnerbait and chatterbait fishing,” says Swindle. “I throw a 5/16 ounce spinnerbait with a Colorado-Indiana blade combo 90-percent of the time. And for Chatterbaits, I always throw a ½ ounce to keep the lure down in the water column a little better,” he explains. “I throw ‘em both on 16-pound Sunline Shooter fluorocarbon spooled on a Quantum Smoke 7.3:1 reel. My trailer for each is a Zoom Boot Tail.”
“The 7’ 2” medium heavy rod I use is a $99 Quantum G-Force, and it’s critical to success with bladed baits, because the biggest mistake most anglers make is using a rod that’s too stiff or too limber with this category of lures. That rod has the perfect combination of tip and backbone,” emphasizes Swindle.
The success Swindle has had since putting down the framing hammer 21 years ago ranks amazingly high in the 50-year history of professional bass fishing – and a whole lot of his accolades can be traced back to spinnerbaits.
“I’d argue a spinnerbait is the most versatile lure ever,” says Swindle. “Don’t make it complicated, folks. Don’t forget about The Possum.”
“He stopped loving her today. They placed a wreath upon his door. And soon they’ll carry him away. He stopped loving her today.” George “The Possum” Jones (1980)