THE LATEST NEWS
Number 25 for KVD
We caught up with KVD after he grabbed his 25 victory yesterday. Here is how he caught them last week at Grand Lake.
Championship Sunday “Mercer Report” from Grand Lake
Changing conditions at Grand Lake again today…. here is the Championship Sunday Mercer Report.
Day 3 Mercer Report from Grand Lake 2018
Dave Mercer checks in from Grand Lake with special guest Alan Mcguckin for today’s Mercer Report.
Brandon Lester Takes Command At Grand Lake Bassmaster Elite
Brandon Lester of Fayetteville, Tenn., takes the lead on the second day of the 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Grand Lake out of Grove, Okla., with a two-day total weight of 43 pounds, 9 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
GROVE, Okla. — Brandon Lester of Fayetteville, Tenn., is no stranger to pressure. Just over a month ago, he and his wife Kimberly welcomed a new baby girl to their family.
Today he weighed the largest limit of his fishing career — a staggering 26-pound, 3-ounce limit of five bass that pushed his two-day total to 43-9 and took the lead at the 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees.
With $100,000 on the line for first place, the 30-year-old pro was calm and collected after walking off of the official Bassmaster weigh-in stage — not a common look among anglers who just took the lead over the world’s top-bass anglers.
“There’s a lot of fishing to be had still, and I’m not getting ahead of myself,” Lester said. “However, I like what’s happening to my fishing area, and I’m feeling pretty good about things.”
Based on the calendar, Lester believes the spawn is behind schedule on the Oklahoma lake. That is, it’s happening right now.
“These bass are moving in to spawn in impressive numbers,” he said. “This time of year, the fish are very susceptible to being caught, but they can also be spooky. Some anglers are sight fishing, but I’m covering water slowly and methodically.
“I had my fish early enough in the day that I decided to go look for more productive water as a backup plan. I like what I’ve got going on, and I also like what I found this afternoon.”
The current weather trend is indicating more sun and increasing temperatures, which should only improve the fishing across the lake.
“The spawn is happening right now, and I feel like my areas are reloading with fresh fish by the day,” Lester said.
Another angler who is comfortable atop the Bassmaster leaderboard is four-time Bassmaster Classic champion Kevin VanDam from Kalamazoo, Mich.
VanDam began his day in fourth place, but dominated the field according to unofficial weights listed on BASSTrakk, available at Bassmaster.com.
After bringing 20-10 to the scales, VanDam’s two-day total weight is 42-9, placing the seven-time Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year in second place.
“I covered quite a bit of water today looking for the right bites,” he said. “I had a very productive morning, so that afforded me some time to scout new areas for upcoming days of the tournament.”
Having backup areas an angler can rely upon if his primary pattern falls apart is critical to fishing — and especially winning — a four-day tournament.
“The extra practice time I had today was productive. Most of what I found was a bust, but I did learn a few things that will help with my game plan going into tomorrow.”
VanDam believes some heavy limits of bass will be brought to weigh-in over the next two days.
The 108-angler field was cut to the Top 50 for Saturday’s semi-final round of competition.
“The reduced number of boats on the water will eliminate a lot of fishing pressure occurring on Grand Lake right now,” VanDam said. “I think the fans are in for a treat by the time this thing wraps up on Sunday. We are fishing this lake during one of the best weeks of the year.”
Rounding out the Top 5 are Jacob Wheeler with 39-3, Cliff Crochet with 38-15 and Cliff Pace with 38-13.
Alabama’s Bill Weidler is currently leading the $1,500 Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award, thanks to a heavy 7-3 largemouth bass he caught during Thursday’s opening round of competition.
Daily takeoffs will occur Saturday and Sunday at 6:15 a.m. CT out of Wolf Creek Park, and weigh-ins are scheduled in the same location beginning at 3 p.m.
2018 Bassmaster Elite At Grand Lake Title Sponsor: Academy Sports + Outdoors
2018 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2018 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha, Abu Garcia, Berkley, Huk, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota
2018 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Academy Sports + Outdoors, Carhartt, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Phoenix Boats, T-H Marine
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.
Williams Extends Lead on Day Two of FLW Tour at Lewis Smith Lake
JASPER, Ala. (April 27, 2018) – Pro David Williams of Maiden, North Carolina, caught five bass Friday weighing 15 pounds, 5 ounces, to extend his lead at the FLW Tour at Lewis Smith Lake presented by T-H Marine. Williams’ two-day total of 10 bass weighing 34 pounds even gives him a 3-pound, 12-ounce advantage heading into Saturday over second-place pro Cody Meyer of Auburn, California, who has 10 bass weighing 30-4. The field is now cut to the final 30 pros, with only 10 anglers advancing to championship Sunday where the winner will take home the top prize of up to $125,000.
“I probably caught 50 keepers today and ended up weighing in three largemouth and two spotted bass,” said Williams, who is currently ranked fifth in the 2018 Pennzoil Marine Angler of the Year standings. “I went through the same two creeks (from Thursday) as well as a third creek and caught them just as good. I actually lost a big one in the third creek. I had a chance to have as big of a bag as I did yesterday if I’d have gotten it in the boat.”
Williams fished flooded cover and docks Friday, and his biggest catch of the day was a spotted bass – a 4-pound, 9-ouncer.
“I left my main area where I caught most of my big ones by 10 (a.m.),” said Williams. “I should be able to hammer on them a little more this weekend, and I’ll probably need to.”
Williams emphasized that he needs to finish strong if he wants to seal the deal on championship Sunday.
“It’s a tough field. You’ve got guys behind you like Cody Meyer and Matt Arey – guys that are real veterans. If you slip up, even a little bit, they’ll take advantage of it. I think I’m around the winning fish. I just need to execute and put them in the boat.”
The top 30 pros that made the first cut and will fish Saturday on Lewis Smith Lake are:
1st: David Williams, Maiden, N.C., 10 bass, 34-0
2nd: Cody Meyer, Auburn, Calif., 15-13, 30-4
3rd: Pennzoil Marine pro Matt Arey, Shelby, N.C., 10 bass, 30-2
4th: Greg Bohannan, Bentonville, Ark., 10 bass, 29-7
5th: Jordan Osborne, Longview, Texas, 10 bass, 29-0
6th: Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa., 10 bass, 28-15
7th: Jim Moynagh, Carver, Minn., 10 bass, 28-13
8th: Joseph Webster, Winfield, Ala., 10 bass, 28-11
9th: Todd Auten, Lake Wylie, S.C., 10 bass, 28-4
10th: John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 10 bass, 28-0
11th: Blake Smith, Lakeland, Fla., 10 bass, 27-6
12th: Robert Behrle, Hoover, Ala., 10 bass, 27-2
13th: Jason Reyes, Huffman, Texas, 10 bass, 26-5
14th: Clent Davis, Montevallo, Ala., 10 bass, 26-4
15th: Jeff Gustafson, Keewatin, Ontario, Canada, 10 bass, 26-4
16th: Cabela’s pro Clark Wendlandt, Leander, Texas, 10 bass, 26-2
17th: Billy McCaghren, Mayflower, Ark., 10 bass, 25-10
18th: Andrew Upshaw, Tulsa, Okla., 10 bass, 25-6
19th: Cody Hahner, Wausau, Wis., 10 bass, 25-6
20th: Cabela’s pro James Niggemeyer, Van, Texas, 10 bass, 25-4
21st: Jeff Dobson, Bartlesville, Okla., 10 bass, 24-14
22nd: Randy Haynes, Ripley, Miss., 10 bass, 24-14
23rd: Berkley pro Justin Atkins, Florence, Ala., 10 bass, 24-14
24th: Yamamoto Baits pro Jimmy Reese, Witter Springs, Calif., 10 bass, 24-13
25th: General Tire pro Mark Rose, West Memphis, Ark., 10 bass, 24-12
26th: Costa pro Russell Cecil, Willis, Texas, 10 bass, 24-11
27th: Rex Huff, Corbin, Ky., 10 bass, 24-11
28th: Gene Larew pro Kyle Cortiana, Broken Arrow, Okla., 10 bass, 24-8
29th: Sheldon Collings, Grove, Okla., 10 bass, 24-6
30th: J.T. Kenney, Palm Bay, Fla., 10 bass, 24-4
For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.
Smith earned the $500 Simms Big Bass award in the Pro Division Friday thanks to a 5-pound, 2-ounce bass.
Overall there were 855 bass weighing 1,715 pounds, 15 ounces caught by 178 pros Friday. The catch included 164 five-bass limits.
Joel Willert of Prior Lake, Minnesota, won the Co-angler Division and $20,100 Friday with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 24 pounds, 4 ounces. After winning the Co-angler title at Lake Cumberland earlier this month, Willert became the fifth co-angler in FLW Tour history to win back-to-back events.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Joel Willert, Prior Lake, Minn., 10 bass, 24-4, $20,100
2nd: Kyle Owen, Bradenton, Fla., 10 bass, 22-0, $7,550
3rd: Mark Horton, Nicholasville, Ky., nine bass, 21-7, $5,000
4th: Jerry Reagan, Byrdstown, Tenn., 10 bass, 21-7, $4,250
5th: Kyle Glasgow, Guin, Ala., 10 bass, 20-8, $3,000
6th: Gary Haraguchi, San Jose, Calif., 10 bass, 20-4, $2,500
7th: Justin Mounce, Springdale, Ark., 10 bass, 20-1, $2,000
8th: Joshua Perrymon, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 19-6, $1,800
9th: James Littich, Davidson, N.C., 10 bass, 18-15, $1,700
10th: Wataru Iwahori, Palestine, Texas, 10 bass, 18-10, $1,600
Reagan earned $250 for the Simms Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division Friday with a bass weighing 5 pounds even.
Overall there were 649 bass weighing 1,023 pounds, 13 ounces caught by 172 co-anglers Friday. The catch included 77 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 anglers competed in the two-day opening round. Co-angler competition concluded 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 Lewis Smith Lake presented by T-H Marine is more than $930,000. The event is hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County
Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. CDT each day from the Smith Lake Dam Access, located at 7482 Smith Lake Dam Road in Jasper. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins, April 28-29, will be held at the Access beginning at 4 p.m.
Prior to the weigh-ins Saturday and Sunday, April 28-29, FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at the Smith Lake Dam Access from noon to 4 p.m. The Expo is the perfect opportunity for fishing fans of all ages 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 Smith Lake Dam Access on Saturday, April 28, 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 youth (18 and under) and Special Olympics athletes (all ages). 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 Lewis Smith Lake presented by T-H Marine will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) June 6 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.