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Championship Sunday Ride Along with Ish Monroe
Ride along with Ish Monroe on Championship Sunday on the Mississippi River!
Grigsby Tops 25 Pounds To Take Early Lead at FLW Tour on Lake St. Clair
DETROIT, Mich. (June 28, 2018) – FLW Tour pro Chad Grigsby of Maple Grove, Minnesota, crossed the stage with a limit of smallmouth bass weighing 25 pounds, 13 ounces – the largest limit ever weighed in his 15-year FLW Tour career – to lead Day One of the FLW Tour at Lake St. Clair presented by Mercury. The Minnesota pro now holds a 1-pound, 13-ounce lead over pro Darrel Robertson of Jay, Oklahoma, who caught five bass weighing 24 pounds even. The four-day event features a field of 180 of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals and co-anglers competing for top awards of up to $125,000 cash in the pro division and up to $25,000 cash in the co-angler division.
“I thought that I could go out and catch 23 pounds today, but you never really know,” said Grigsby, a four-time Forrest Wood Cup qualifier with one previous Tour-level win. “You can’t win the tournament on Day One, but I’m around a bunch of big fish and now I just have to figure out what they want to bite.”
Grigsby was fairly tight-lipped about his pattern, but said that he fished “deep” on a big main-lake area and caught fish on three different baits. He credited a bait change around 10 a.m. as being the key to his 25-pound limit.
“We were catching them, but we made an adjustment when the wind quit blowing around 10 (a.m.) and then we really started catching them,” Grigsby said. “It was a bait that I had never thrown in practice, but everything that I weighed in came on it.
“The area where I’m fishing is a big area, and it’s deep and has a lot of bait where I’m at,” Grigsby continued. “It seems to have all of the right ingredients. Tomorrow the wind is supposed to be blowing a little bit, so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to catch them the way that I did today. Fishing changes every day, though, and you have to be able to change with it. I know the area where they’re at and I’m confident that I can catch them again.”
The top 10 pros after day one on Lake St. Clair are:
1st: Chad Grigsby, Maple Grove, Minn., five bass, 25-13
2nd: Darrel Robertson, Jay, Okla., five bass, 24-0
3rd: Ryan Chandler, Hebron, Ind., five bass, 23-10
4th: Scott Dobson, Clarkston, Mich., five bass, 23-7
5th: Costa pro Dylan Hays, Sheridan, Ark., five bass, 23-6
6th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., five bass, 23-2
7th: Chris Johnston, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, five bass, 23-1
7th: Joey Cifuentes, Clinton, Ark., five bass, 22-11
9th: Abu Garcia pro Justin Atkins, Florence, Ala., five bass, 22-6
10th: Russell Cecil, Willis, Texas, five bass, 22-2
For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.
Grigsby’s limit was anchored by a chunky 6-pound, 3-ounce, smallmouth that also earned the day’s $500 Simms Big Bass award in the pro division.
Overall there were 868 bass weighing 3,033 pounds, 7 ounces caught by 178 pros Thursday – by far the largest single-day catch for the FLW Tour pros in 2018. The catch included 165 five-bass limits.
Mark Myers of Cedar Falls, Iowa, leads the co-angler division with five bass weighing 23 pounds, 9 ounces, followed by Cody Kelley of Portage, Michigan, and Jason Williams of Mason, Michigan, who both weighed five bass totaling 22-3, and are tied for second place.
The top 10 co-anglers after day one on Lake St. Clair are:
1st: Mark Myers, Cedar Falls, Iowa, five bass, 23-9
2nd: Jason Williams, Mason, Mich., five bass, 22-3
2nd: Cody Kelley, Portage, Mich., five bass, 22-3
4th: Chad Smith, Minnetonka, Minn., five bass, 21-6
4th: Jamie Jacobus, Johnstown, Ohio, five bass, 21-2
6th: Kenneth Taylor, Shelby Township, Mich., five bass, 20-9
7th: Mike Emrich, Chatham, Ontario, Canada, five bass, 20-2
8th: Mark Goetsch, Gibralter, Mich., five bass, 19-12
9th: Don Smith, Brodhead, Ky., five bass, 19-10
10th: Craig Kopczyk, Ortonville, Mich., five bass, 19-7
Rob Bakeman of Rochester Hills, Michigan, earned $250 for the Simms Big Bass award in the co-angler division with a 5-pound, 6-ounce smallmouth.
Overall there were 779 bass weighing 2,415 pounds, 7 ounces caught by 174 co-anglers Thursday. The catch included 130 five-bass limits.
In FLW Tour competition, pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The full field of 360 anglers competes in the two-day opening round. Co-angler competition concludes following Friday’s weigh-in, while the top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advance to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.
The total purse for the FLW Tour at Lake St. Clair presented by Mercury is more than $930,000. The tournament is hosted by the Detroit Sports Commission, Macomb County, the Huron-Clinton Metroparks Authority and the Sterling Heights Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2018 Forrest Wood Cup will be on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 10-12 and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.
Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. EDT each morning from the Lake St. Clair Metropark, located at 31300 Metro Parkway, in Harrison Township. Friday’s weigh-in will be held at the park beginning at 3:15 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins will also be held at the park, but will begin at 4 p.m.
Prior to the weigh-ins Saturday and Sunday, June 30-July 1, FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at the Lake St. Clair Metropark from noon to 4 p.m. each day. The Expo is a chance for fishing fans to meet their favorite anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.
Also for youth, the FLW Foundation’s Unified Fishing Derby will be held at the Lake St. Clair Metropark on Saturday, June 30 from 9-11 a.m. The event is hosted by FLW Foundation pro Cody Kelley along with other FLW Tour anglers, and is free and open to anyone under the age of 18 and Special Olympics athletes. Rods and reels are available for use, but youth are encouraged to bring their own if they own one. The 1st and 2nd place anglers that catch the biggest fish will be recognized Saturday on the FLW Tour stage, just prior to the pros weighing in.
Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lake St. Clair presented by Mercury will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) Aug. 8 from Noon-1 p.m. EST. The Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide.
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, YouTube and Snapchat.
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 2018 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW and their partners conduct 286 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, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, 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, YouTube and Snapchat.
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Ish Monroe Recaps His Mississippi River Win
Here is a quick recap from the Mississippi River Elite Series. Congratulations on the “W” Ish!!!
Randall Tharp Takes Control With One Day To Go At Mississippi River Bassmaster Elite
LA CROSSE, Wis. — Randall Tharp of Port St. Joe, Fla., scrapped his fish catching game plan because floodwaters washed out his primary hot spot and forced him to find a place to catch bass on the upper Mississippi River.
That adjustment might earn him a second Bassmaster Elite Series title and a healthy $100,000 payday.
Tharp’s efforts produced 15 pounds, 10 ounces of bass today, giving him the lead going into Championship Sunday at the 2018 Bassmaster Elite at Mississippi River presented by Go RVing.
His two-day total is 49-12 — only 1 ounce ahead of Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala.
Martens will start the final round Sunday in second place with 49-11.
The moderate flooding of the Upper Mississippi has been a hot topic in La Crosse this week. It’s affected the fishing for most of the field — some good and some bad. For Tharp, it’s kept him on his toes.
“I knew my pattern was falling apart. The more the water levels increased, the more concerned I’ve been that my bass would move,” he said. “And they did. I started out in the same area I have been over the past couple of days, and after an hour or so I knew the fish weren’t there any more. I decided to call an audible, and it paid off.”
The 49-year-old pro said that he was catching bass right along a section of the bank that is now under water, and the bass are no longer positioned on the same structure.
“I probably stayed too long this morning,” Tharp said. “Decisions are critical in this game, and today I made the right ones after changing my plan and moving to a different spot. Hopefully tomorrow I can keep the momentum rolling and win this thing.”
Tharp won a Bassmaster event in 2016 that was played out on two Arkansas lakes: Bull Shoals and Norfork. A second Elite Series title would mean a lot to the former Forrest Wood Cup champion.
“I know what it means to win one of these, and that would be great. But right now I’m focusing on staying on top of the fish,” he said. “The standings are very tight, and it could come down to a single big bite for one of us tomorrow. One ounce ahead of Aaron Martens isn’t enough to be comfortable.”
Martens was sharing water for the past three days with California pro Chris Zaldain, who finished in 28th place with a final three-day total of 42-7. That means Martens will be fishing his favorite spots all by himself during the final round of competition.
“I’m not worried about catching a limit at my spot. I’m confident I can do that,” he said. “The fish are there, but finding a big fish that weighs 4 pounds or better is the challenge. I know they are there because I caught two during practice. To have a shot at winning tomorrow, I’m going to need a couple of bigger bass like that.”
Ish Monroe of Hughson, Calif., will begin Championship Sunday in third place, only 7 ounces out of the lead.
“It’s always great to spend a week fishing here,” Monroe said. “I love tournaments where I can fish my strengths, and I’ve only got one rod on my front deck. It’s rigged up with Ish’s Phat Matt Daddy Frog from River2Sea, and my best spots only seem to be getting better, even with the high water. Tomorrow is going to be exciting.”
Rounding out the Top 5 are Gerald Spohrer of Gonzales, La., with 49-2 and Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., with 48-1.
The current leader of the Phoenix Boats Big Bass award is Chad Pipkens of Lansing, Mich., thanks to a 5-8 largemouth bass he caught on Day 1 of the event. If no one catches a larger bass, Pipkens will earn a $1,500 bonus.
Takeoff will occur at Veterans Freedom Park in La Crosse, Wis., at 6 a.m. CT, and final weigh-in will be at Valley View Mall at 3 p.m.
The Bassmaster Elite Series Outdoors Expo and Rock-N-Ribs Festival are being held in conjunction with the tournament. The events will continue Sunday at Valley View Mall beginning at noon featuring boat demo rides, an aquarium, bbq competition, free prizes and the latest fishing products on the market. All activities are free and open to the public. For more information, visit Bassmaster.com.
2018 Bassmaster Elite At Mississippi River Presenting Sponsor: Go RVing
2018 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2018 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Yamaha, Abu Garcia, Berkley, Huk, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats
2018 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Phoenix Boats, T-H Marine, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Carhartt, Livingston Lures, Lowrance
2018 Bassmaster Elite Series Elite Partner: Black Velvet Canadian Whisky
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 500,000-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 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, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Series presented by Magellan Outdoors, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
2018 Bassmaster Elite at Mississippi River presented by Go RVing 6/21-6/24
Mississippi River, La Crosse WI.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 15 49-12 110
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 17-12 Day 3: 5 15-10
2. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 15 49-11 109
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 17-14 Day 3: 5 15-08
3. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 15 49-05 108
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 16-11 Day 3: 5 17-04
4. Gerald Spohrer Gonzales, LA 15 49-02 107
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 16-06 Day 3: 5 16-05
5. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 15 48-01 106
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 13-06 Day 3: 5 18-04
6. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 15 48-01 105
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 15-08 Day 3: 5 15-11
7. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 15 46-04 104
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 15-14 Day 3: 5 16-03
8. Gary Klein Mingus, TX 15 46-03 103
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 15-00 Day 3: 5 15-06
9. Jacob Wheeler Harrison, TN 15 45-09 102
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 14-10 Day 3: 5 15-00
10. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 15 45-02 101
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 14-02 Day 3: 5 16-06
11. Wesley Strader Spring City, TN 15 44-15 100
Day 1: 5 16-04 Day 2: 5 14-11 Day 3: 5 14-00
12. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 15 44-09 99
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 12-15 Day 3: 5 14-12
13. Ott DeFoe Blaine, TN 15 44-08 98 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 18-02 Day 3: 5 14-11
14. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 15 44-04 97 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 15-12 Day 3: 5 14-08
15. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 15 44-02 96 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-14 Day 2: 5 13-08 Day 3: 5 14-12
16. Alton Jones Jr. Waco, TX 15 44-02 95 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-08 Day 2: 5 15-08 Day 3: 5 14-02
17. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 15 44-01 94 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 15-02 Day 3: 5 13-13
18. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 15 43-14 93 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 14-08 Day 3: 5 13-09
19. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 15 43-10 92 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-03 Day 2: 5 13-02 Day 3: 5 15-05
20. Dave Lefebre Erie, PA 14 43-07 91 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 14-05 Day 3: 4 12-09
21. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 15 43-04 90 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 12-12 Day 3: 5 14-03
22. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 15 43-02 89 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 15-02 Day 3: 5 14-13
23. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 15 43-01 88 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 5 11-11 Day 3: 5 15-10
24. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 15 42-12 87 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 15-10 Day 3: 5 12-09
25. Chad Pipkens Lansing, MI 15 42-11 86 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-15 Day 2: 5 12-06 Day 3: 5 12-06
26. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 15 42-11 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 14-09 Day 3: 5 13-15
27. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 15 42-09 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 13-00 Day 3: 5 14-03
28. Chris Zaldain Laughlin, NV 15 42-07 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 5 17-11 Day 3: 5 10-00
29. Fletcher Shryock Dennison, OH 15 42-05 82 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 5 12-12 Day 3: 5 14-11
30. Josh Bertrand San Tan Valley, AZ 15 42-01 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 15-01 Day 3: 5 12-01
31. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 15 42-00 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 14-10 Day 3: 5 12-06
32. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 15 41-14 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 12-09 Day 3: 5 13-08
33. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 15 41-12 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 13-04 Day 3: 5 13-11
34. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 15 41-11 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 15-11 Day 3: 5 13-01
35. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 15 41-08 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 14-03 Day 3: 5 13-10
36. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 15 41-06 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 13-10 Day 3: 5 13-06
37. Matt Lee Guntersville, AL 15 41-02 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 15-02 Day 3: 5 11-05
38. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 15 40-11 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 13-12 Day 3: 5 12-00
39. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 15 40-11 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 14-01 Day 3: 5 13-02
40. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 15 40-08 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 5 13-12 Day 3: 5 11-08
41. Morizo Shimizu Suita, Osaka JAPAN 15 40-06 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 16-03 Day 3: 5 12-01
42. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 15 40-06 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 14-03 Day 3: 5 12-15
43. Jonathon VanDam Gobles, MI 15 40-03 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 5 13-02 Day 3: 5 11-13
44. James Elam Tulsa, OK 15 40-03 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 15-01 Day 3: 5 11-09
45. Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 14 40-00 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 14-01 Day 3: 4 10-15
46. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 15 39-14 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 13-00 Day 3: 5 11-12
47. John Murray Spring City, TN 15 39-11 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 14-07 Day 3: 5 11-04
48. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 14 39-05 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-03 Day 2: 5 13-06 Day 3: 4 10-12
49. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 15 39-03 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 14-15 Day 3: 5 11-06
50. Brent Ehrler Redlands, CA 15 38-07 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 14-07 Day 3: 5 10-07
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 98 512 1400-08
2 95 505 1354-07
3 47 247 680-08
———————————-
240 1264 3435-07