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South Carolina’s Cobb Grabs Lead at Professional Bass Fishing’s Forrest Wood Cup
COLUMBIA, S.C. (Aug. 12, 2017) – FLW Tour pro Brandon Cobb of Greenwood, South Carolina, continued his momentum Saturday at the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Murray , the world championship of professional bass fishing, weighing in a five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds, 4 ounces – his second straight day with a 19-plus pound limit. With a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 39 pounds even, Cobb will lead the final 10 pros who will fish Sunday for $300,000 cash – the top award in professional bass fishing.
Anglers began competition Friday in Columbia, South Carolina, with the full field of 53 anglers competing. Tour rookie Justin Atkins of Florence, Alabama, jumped out to the early lead Friday with a 21-pound, 5-ounce limit, with local anglers Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, South Carolina, and Cobb of Greenwood, South Carolina, close behind. Saturday, Cobb (39-0) jumped to the top of the leaderboard while Atkins (37-3) slipped to second and Gagliardi (36-1) fell to third.
“This is pretty crazy,” said Cobb, who is appearing in his third-career Forrest Wood Cup after finishing third in 2015 and ninth in 2016. “I’m really amazed, because I had no idea that I had that much weight today. I really thought that I had about 16 pounds and I thought that I’d be in third place. To be leading the Forrest Wood Cup going into the final day – it really hasn’t sunk in, yet.
“Today actually seemed bad,” Cobb continued. “I know 19 pounds doesn’t seem bad, but I kind of got in a bad rotation today. Yesterday I caught between 20 and 25 fish, and I left them biting. Today, I caught seven. I’m hitting around 40 different places, but I’ve got about 20 areas where I’m pretty confident that I can get a bite. The other areas have fish but they don’t always bite.”
Cobb said that all of his fish have come via topwater baits. He said he’s fishing three different hard baits and a fluke, changing things up based on the weather conditions.
“Yesterday I was throwing popping-style baits, and today I fished a couple of places with it and didn’t catch any. I knew they were still there, so I picked up a Yo-Zuri Saltwater Pencil – a bigger pencil-walking bait, but it’s a saltwater size – and I caught a few on it. It’s really a conditional thing.
“I’m really excited to get back out there tomorrow and see if I can finish this,” Cobb went on to say. “I love August fishing and I love high-pressure tournaments – I always have.”
The top 10 pros that advanced to the final day of competition on Lake Murray are:
1st: Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, S.C., 10 bass, 39-0
2nd: Justin Atkins, Florence, Ala., 10 bass, 37-3
3rd: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 10 bass, 36-1
4th: Travis Fox, Rogers, Ark., 10 bass, 35-0
5th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 10 bass, 33-13
6th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 10 bass, 31-14
7th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 10 bass, 30-14
8th: Aaron Britt, Yuba City, Calif., 10 bass, 29-10
9th: Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark., 10 bass, 28-8
10th: Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 10 bass, 28-4
Finishing in 11th through 20th are:
11th: Bradford Beavers, Ridgeville, S.C., nine bass, 26-0, $15,000
12th: Jeff Sprague, Point, Texas, 10 bass, 25-15, $15,000
13th: Lowrance pro Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn., 10 bass, 25-8, $15,000
14th: Quaker State pro Matt Arey, Shelby, N.C., 10 bass, 25-0, $15,000
15th: Andrew Upshaw, Tulsa, Okla., nine bass, 23-15, $15,000
16th: Brandon McMillan, Clewiston, Fla., 10 bass, 22-12, $15,000
17th: Yamamoto Baits pro Larry Nixon, Bee Branch, Ark., seven bass, 22-2, $15,000
18th: Cody Meyer, Auburn, Calif., 10 bass, 22-0, $15,000
19th: Shane LeHew, Catawba, N.C., eight bass, 21-3, $15,000
20th: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 10 bass, 21-0, $15,000
Full results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The final 10 anglers will take off from Dreher Island State Park located at 3677 State Park Road in Prosperity, at 7 a.m. EDT Sunday morning at the Folger’s Morning Takeoff. Sunday’s championship weigh-in will be held at the Colonial Life Arena located at 801 Lincoln St., in Columbia, beginning at 5 p.m.
Fans will be treated to the FLW Expo at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center located at 1101 Lincoln St. in Columbia, Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. prior to the final weigh-in. The Expo includes games, activities and giveaways provided by more than 40 FLW sponsors, the opportunity to shop the latest tackle and outdoor gear from more than 100 exhibitors, Ranger boat simulators, a casting pond and a trout pond for children, as well as the opportunity to meet and interact with top professional anglers, including Hank Parker, Jimmy Houston and Byron Velvick. FLW’s namesake Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, will also be greeting fans.
On Sunday the first 500 children 14 and under in attendance at the Expo who are accompanied by an adult will receive a voucher to redeem for a free Kid Caster’s no-tangle, rod-and-reel combo courtesy of WLTX 19 after the evening’s weigh-in. Also on Sunday one lucky fishing fan will win a brand new Ranger Z521C bass boat with a 250-horsepower Evinrude outboard motor courtesy of 97.5 WCOS radio. The Ranger Boat giveaway is free to enter but the winner must be present at the conclusion of Sunday’s final weigh-in to win.
FLW fans will also be treated to the Bass & BBQ Festival in conjunction with the FLW Expo. FLW and the South Carolina BBQ Association have partnered to feature award-winning BBQ teams offering delicious fare to visitors at the Forrest Wood Cup Expo. A portion of all proceeds will be donated to local South Carolina charities.
Country music superstar Easton Corbin will perform a free concert on the weigh-in stage at Colonial Life Arena on Sunday starting at 4 p.m., prior to the final weigh-in. The concert is presented by 97.5 WCOS radio. With two No. 1 singles, multiple awards and nominations, plus performances on some of the biggest stages in the world, Mercury Nashville’s Corbin has made a lasting impression on the country music landscape. He is lauded for his traditional country sound, authentic lyrics and mastery of understatement. American Songwriter says, “Easton Corbin has one of those rare, glorious voices that was made – just made – for singing country music.”
The Folger’s Morning Takeoff, FLW Expo, Bass & BBQ event, live concert and weigh-ins are all free and open to the public. The event is hosted by the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board.
Television coverage of the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) Sept. 27 from Noon -1 p.m. EDT. 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, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
For a full schedule of events, complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
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 2017 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 258 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea. 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.
Bryan College wins Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship
Two freshmen from one of the smallest colleges in the field, not only won the 2017 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship, they dominated it.
Jacob Foutz and Jake Lee, from faith-based Bryan College near Lake Chickamauga in East Tennessee, led all three days, before winning by 5-pounds.
“There was a peace about us all week. We knew it was all in God’s hands,” says Lee.
The young team idled out of the south end of Lake Bemidji each day, through a narrow portion of the Mississippi River into Lake Irving, to catch their fish.
“We made so many laps around Lake Irving, we feared we might run out of bass to catch, but thankfully we never did,” added Lee.
The two freshmen averaged 16-pounds per day, with a winning weight of 49 pounds 15 ounces, and caught most of their fish by pitching black/blue and green pumpkin Strike King tubes on 20-pound line around shallow shaded docks.
“We caught a few fish on frogs really early in the morning, but as soon as the sun got up, that bite died fast,” explains Lee.
This is only the third year that Bryan College has been involved in competitive fishing, and Coach Mike Keen says the small school’s President is their biggest fan. “We get tremendous moral and financial support from the college, and our President even had garages constructed for the kids on our team to keep their boats in,” smiles Coach Keen.
The youngsters will now compete in a bracket format against anglers from the top three finishing teams, including John Garrett. He won the bracket format last year, and subsequently gained a berth to the 2017 Bassmaster Classic last March on Lake Conroe.
This year’s bracket tournament takes place 90 miles down the road from Bemidji on Serpent Lake, MN. At its conclusion, on Wednesday, August 16th, one angler will qualify for the 2018 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell, SC.
Don’t be surprised if it’s a young Lion from tiny Bryan College, they roared loudly and left Bemidji as kings of the jungle among college bass fishing’s very best.
Alabama Rookie Atkins Grabs Lead after Day One of Professional Bass Fishing’s Forrest Wood Cup
COLUMBIA, S.C. (Aug. 11, 2017) – The world’s best bass anglers convened on Lake Murray in Columbia, South Carolina, Thursday to kick off the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The three-day event, which awards a $300,000 top prize to the victor, featured a full field of 53 anglers competing today and Saturday before being cut to the final 10 on championship Sunday.
FLW Tour rookie Justin Atkins of Florence, Alabama, secured the early lead after weighing in a five-bass limit totaling 21 pounds, 5 ounces – the largest limit ever weighed on Lake Murray in Forrest Wood Cup competition. Atkins’ limit was enough to edge local favorite Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, South Carolina, by just four ounces, who caught five bass weighing 21-1, good for second place.
“Today was really good,” said Atkins, who finished runner-up in the 2017 FLW Tour Rookie of the Year race. “I caught two real quick this morning, then finished out my limit by 7:40 (a.m.). Then I just started running areas from practice that looked like they would be productive and managed to catch a couple of good ones. Around 10:30 I caught a 5-pounder at a spot that I had saved, then I went to another place that I had found that was a little off of the wall and caught a 6-pounder on my first cast there.
“I didn’t want to burn through a bunch of 3½-pounders that could help me later, so I spent the afternoon graphing and looking for more areas, just getting ready for tomorrow.”
Atkins said that he fished just one bait throughout the entire day. Although he withheld specifics, he did say that it was a topwater bait and that he caught 20 to 25 fish throughout the day.
“I’m comfortable catching them on a worm or a few other baits here if I need to, but it was one bait all day, today,” Atkins said. “I’m fishing more of a pattern rather than certain areas or spots.
“I thought I’d catch around 17 pounds, which would have been a good Day One goal,” Atkins continued. “I definitely didn’t think I’d catch more than 20. The lake is fishing a lot better than it has in years past. I’m not planning on doing anything different tomorrow, I’m going to do the same thing and hopefully will have similar results.”
The top 20 pros after Day One on Lake Murray are:
1st: Justin Atkins, Florence, Ala., five bass, 21-5
2nd: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., five bass, 21-1
3rd: Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, S.C., five bass, 19-12
4th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., five bass, 19-4
5th: Travis Fox, Rogers, Ark., five bass, 18-3
6th: Yamamoto Baits pro Larry Nixon, Bee Branch, Ark., five bass, 17-13
7th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 16-0
8th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., five bass, 15-14
9th: Aaron Britt, Yuba City, Calif., five bass, 15-9
10th: Shane LeHew, Catawba, N.C., five bass, 15-7
11th: Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark., five bass, 14-13
12th: Allen Boyd, Salem, Ind., five bass, 14-6
12th: Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., five bass, 14-6
14th: Darrel Robertson, Jay, Okla., five bass, 13-5
15th: Jeff Sprague, Point, Texas, five bass, 12-13
16th: Quaker State pro Matt Arey, Shelby, N.C., five bass, 12-3
17th: Cody Bird, Granbury, Texas, five bass, 11-4
18th: Joel Richardson, Kernersville, N.C., five bass, 10-15
19th: Lowrance pro Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn., five bass, 10-14
20th: Quaker State pro Scott Canterbury, Odenville, Ala., five bass, 10-9
20th: Mud Hole Custom Tackle pro John Cox, DeBary, Fla., five bass, 10-9
For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.
Anglers will take off from Dreher Island State Park located at 3677 State Park Road in Prosperity, at 7 a.m. EDT each morning at the Folger’s Morning Takeoff. Each day’s weigh-in will be held at the Colonial Life Arena located at 801 Lincoln St., in Columbia, beginning at 5 p.m. Backpacks and other large bags are prohibited at Colonial Life Arena, so fishing fans are encouraged to leave their belongings in their vehicle.
Fans will be treated to the FLW Expo at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center located at 1101 Lincoln St. in Columbia, each day from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. prior to the weigh-ins. The Expo includes games, activities and giveaways provided by more than 40 FLW sponsors, the opportunity to shop the latest tackle and outdoor gear from more than 100 exhibitors, Ranger boat simulators, a casting pond and a trout pond for children, as well as the opportunity to meet and interact with top professional anglers, including Hank Parker, Jimmy Houston and Byron Velvick. FLW’s namesake Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, will also be greeting fans.
On Saturday and Sunday the first 500 children 14 and under in attendance at the Expo each day who are accompanied by an adult will receive a voucher to redeem for a free Kid Caster’s no-tangle, rod-and-reel combo courtesy of WLTX 19 after the evening’s weigh-in. Also on Sunday one lucky fishing fan will win a brand new Ranger Z521C bass boat with a 250-horsepower Evinrude outboard motor courtesy of 97.5 WCOS radio. The Ranger Boat giveaway is free to enter but the winner must be present at the conclusion of Sunday’s final weigh-in to win.
Also on Saturday and Sunday, FLW fans will be treated to the Bass & BBQ Festival in conjunction with the FLW Expo. FLW and the South Carolina BBQ Association have partnered to feature award-winning BBQ teams offering delicious fare to visitors at the Forrest Wood Cup Expo. A portion of all proceeds will be donated to local South Carolina charities.
Country music superstar Easton Corbin will perform a free concert on the weigh-in stage at Colonial Life Arena on Sunday starting at 4 p.m., prior to the final weigh-in. The concert is presented by 97.5 WCOS radio. With two No. 1 singles, multiple awards and nominations, plus performances on some of the biggest stages in the world, Mercury Nashville’s Corbin has made a lasting impression on the country music landscape. He is lauded for his traditional country sound, authentic lyrics and mastery of understatement. American Songwriter says, “Easton Corbin has one of those rare, glorious voices that was made – just made – for singing country music.”
The Folger’s Morning Takeoff, FLW Expo, Bass & BBQ event, live concert and weigh-ins are all free and open to the public. The event is hosted by the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board.
Television coverage of the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) Sept. 27 from Noon -1 p.m. EDT. 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, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
For a full schedule of events, complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
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 2017 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 258 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea. 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.
2017 Forrest Wood Cup Weigh In Videos
Day one of the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup is in the books and Justin Atkins jumped into the early lead with an impressive 21-5lbs. After practice most of the anglers had the same thing to say about Lake Murray…. it’s Tough. When the scales closed today two bags over 20lbs followed by two over 19lbs held down the top 4 spots , pretty impressive! There were 30 limits caught by the field of 53 anglers weighing a total weight of 535 pounds.
Here are a few videos from just after the weigh in.
Bryan College Lions Extend Lead In Bassmaster College National Championship
Jake Lee (left) and Jacob Foutz of Bryan College maintain their lead on the second day of the 2017 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops on Lake Bemidji out of Bemidji, Minn., with a two-day total weight of 34 pounds, 10 ounces.
Photo by Bri Douglas/B.A.S.S.
BEMIDJI, Minn. — Jake Lee and Jacob Foutz of Bryan College not only held the top spot, but extended their lead at the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops on Lake Bemidji. They caught a two-day total of 34 pounds, 10 ounces of bass and hold a 4-13 lead over their nearest pursuer.
After coming to the scales on Thursday with only four fish, Lee and Foutz knew if they managed to get five bites that they would have the quality to back up their performance on the first day. Instead of coming up one fish short of their five-bass limit, they filled it and managed to accumulate their daily total of 18-4 before 10:45 a.m.
“We knew yesterday that today would be a better day because of the conditions,” Lee said. “Our area was blown out as soon as the day started on Thursday, so with hardly any wind today, we knew it would be fine.”
Lee and Foutz managed to find an area away from crowds of other anglers and where bass were willing to cooperate. They are the only team in the Top 12 that isn’t fishing the Stump Lake region of this fishery.
“The first two hours of practice we fished this area and caught three 4-pounders,” Foutz said. “We never caught another bass after that. We knew we were going to live or die in this area so that’s what we’ve done.”
The duo played it safe after catching 18 pounds by returning to the ramp at 11 a.m. and never moving until they weighed their fish at 2:30 p.m. It may be an unorthodox approach to preventing a disaster, but with a limit like that they knew there was no reason to risk it.
Chasing the Bryan College teammates are Cole Floyd and Carter McNeil of Bethel University. They moved from third place into the runner-up position and did so by staying consistent. With 14-12 on Thursday and 15-1 today, they are in the hunt.
“We opted to start on a spot we found later in the day on Thursday,” Floyd said. “We had four big ones within the first 45 minutes. We left and went to Stump Lake to fill our limit.”
They have relied on numerous tactics to catch their 10 bass this week and they chalked up their pattern as strictly “junk fishing.” The strategy propelled them to second place.
The local favorites from Bemidji State University, brothers Thor and Mitch Swanson dropped to third place, and they felt fortunate to have filled their limit. At 11:30 a.m. they only had two bass in their livewell and weren’t sure if it would be enough to make the Top 12. Instead they are in the thick of the battle and are 7-3 behind the leaders.
Bethel University boasts another team in the Top 4 with Garrett Enders and Cody Huff moving from 12th into fourth. Tyler Firebaugh and Chad Sweitzer of Chico State sit in fifth, Josh Worth of Colorado Mesa University is in sixth, Hunter McCarty and Sloan Pennington of the University of North Alabama are in seventh, Brian Pahl and John Garrett of Bethel University are in eighth, Patrick Walters and Tyler All of the University of South Carolina are in ninth, John Duarte and Chesley Alford of Coastal Carolina University are 10th, Sam Carris and John Berry of Tennessee Tech University are 11th and Tyler Craig and Spencer Lambert of the University of Louisiana-Monroe took the final spot and will leave the dock in 12th on Saturday.
Not only are these 12 teams battling for a National Championship title on Saturday, but the Top 4 teams will advance to a bracketed competition for a single spot in the 2018 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods as well as entry into all nine Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens next year.
Lee and Foutz of Bryan College brought the big bag of the tournament to the scales on Friday with their five-bass limit weighing 18-4.
Logan Laprarie and Aaron Belgard still hold the top spot for the big bass of the event because of their 6-6 giant from Thursday.
The Top 12 will take off from Paul Bunyan Park at 6 a.m. CT. Weigh-in will take place at the park at 2:30 p.m.
The event is hosted by Bemidji State University and Visit Bemidji.
2017 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Title Sponsor: Carhartt
2017 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Presenting Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2017 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2017 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Premier Sponsors: Triton Boats, Yamaha, Berkley, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Huk, Skeeter Boats, Humminbird, Mercury, Shell Rotella
2017 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Supporting Sponsors: Advance Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Livingston Lures, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Lowrance, Costa, Shimano, St. Croix Rods, ABU Garcia
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 more than 45 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 presented by Magellan Outdoors, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.