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Cullman’s Hopper And Franks Get Redemption In High School Classic
FORT WORTH, Texas — Implementing a two-stage game plan, Brody Hopper and Landon Franks of Alabama’s Cullman High School caught a five-bass limit of 13 pounds, 1 ounce to win the Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series Classic presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors on Eagle Mountain Lake and Lake Worth.
Brody Hopper and Landon Franks, of Cullman (Ala.) High School, have won the Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series Classic presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors on Eagle Mountain Lake and Lake Worth. with 13 pounds, 1 ounce. Photo by Chris Mitchell/B.A.S.S.
Heading into their junior year, Hopper and Franks edged Madison County High School’s Logan Fisher and Will Hart by 6 ounces. In the event’s nine-boat field, Cullman was one of only two teams to catch a limit.
“We started on the south end of the lake because of the clear water and we found the fish right up on the bank. They were right in the dirt,” Franks said.
The winners started their day on seawalls in about 3 feet of water. Franks threw 3/8-ounce jigs in watermelon and green pumpkin colors with a green pumpkin blue flake Strike King Menace, while Hopper fished a 1/4-ounce watermelon shaky head with a watermelon candy Zoom Needle Worm.
“I was throwing my jig right along the seawalls and dragging it off; they were right there,” Franks said. “We tried to focus on shaded banks. We caught a couple off main river seawalls, but most of them were shaded banks.”
Later in the day, the anglers transitioned to docks, where they caught their fish on the same baits. Franks said they were picky about their dock selection.
“We’d try to find docks in about 6 feet of water, but not floating docks; we’d try to find stationary docks,” he said. “The fish will stack up on the poles and find shade under there. You could skip up under there and catch them.”
Hopper noted that long casts were essential for the morning seawalls, while his afternoon presentations were shorter and more targeted.
The Cullman team fished last year’s Classic and experienced a disappointing finish. Hopper said that sore memory motivated him and Franks to seek redemption.
“We had one fish and got beat pretty badly last year,” Hopper said. “I knew it was going to change this year.
“We were planning for Lake Grapevine (the original site) and we were going to try deep cranks, but when we heard it was moved to Eagle Mountain, we switched it up and went shallow. Smith Lake, near Cullman, is full of docks, so it was pretty much the same thing.”
Hopper’s father, Jeremy, serves as the team’s boat captain. He said his team focused on the mental toughness necessary to maintain focus in tough conditions.
“I always tell Brody to stay positive,” Jeremy Hopper said. “When it gets hot during the day and your mind wants to wander off from the heat and the exhaustion, I always tell him, ‘Put your head in it, keep it in it and you can do it.’”
In second place, Fisher and Hart caught four fish for 12-11. Chase Hubble and Brent May of Strawberry Crest High School finished third with a limit catch of 10-7.
2021 Bassmaster High School Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Bass Pro Shops, Garmin, Huk Performance Fishing, Marathon, Rapala, TNT Fireworks
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, 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), TV show, radio show, 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, Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.
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NEW 5-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY, Longer Warranty Coverage
(Tampa, FLA) – Suzuki Marine USA, LLC has introduced a new 5-Year Limited Warranty on all of its new outboard motors, from the ultra-compact 2.5HP portable to its flagship DF350A. This significantly longer coverage (Suzuki’s previous standard Limited Warranty was three years) applies to all motors purchased for pleasure use and warranty registered on or after April 1, 2021.
To qualify, motors must be purchased new from an authorized Suzuki Marine USA dealer in the continental United States, Alaska or the Bahamas. Motors purchased for governmental agency or commercial/rental fleet use are covered by a separate warranty that remains the same as in the past.
“Suzuki 4-stroke outboards have long had a reputation for performance and rugged durability over the long run,” said Suzuki Marine USA Vice President George “Gus” Blakely. “We’re excited to now be offering customers even more confidence and peace of mind, by covering their new motors for 60 months from the time of purchase. We are moving into the 2021 boating season with a new company and new headquarters in Tampa, Florida, a growing product line up and now, one of the strongest standard warranties in the business. This is exciting news for our company and our customers alike,” added Blakely.
Suzuki’s business in the United States was recently restructured with the separation of the motorcycle and marine divisions, and the formation of Suzuki Marine USA. The company officially opened its new headquarters in Tampa, Florida on April 1.
To learn more about Suzuki Marine’s full line of Ultimate Outboard Motors from 2.5 to 350 horsepower, contact Suzuki Marine USA at (813) 687-7200 or visit www.suzukimarine.com.
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Kennedy Starts Fast, Takes Day 1 Lead At Bassmaster Classic On Lake Ray Roberts
FORT WORTH, Texas — Steve Kennedy caught a five-bass limit that weighed 23 pounds Friday to take the lead during the opening round of the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.
And the scary thing is, he said he didn’t even get to go to the biggest bass he found in practice.
Steve Kennedy, of Auburn, Ala., is leading after Day 1 of the 2021 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk with 23 pounds.
Photo by Chris Brown/B.A.S.S.
The Auburn, Ala., pro made the most of an early-morning shad spawn bite, putting the bulk of his limit in the livewell before 7 a.m. Then with the winds blowing hard across Lake Ray Roberts, he decided he wouldn’t be able to proceed with the second part of his game plan.
On Saturday, he hopes to exploit that morning bite again — and hopefully move on to Phase 2.
“I kind of got stuck up on one end of the lake because the wind was blowing so hard,” said Kennedy, a 10-time Classic qualifier who has finished as high as second in the event. “I didn’t go anywhere near where I was planning on fishing my second deal.
“Maybe I will tomorrow. Maybe I won’t have to. If I don’t have to show that until the final day, I sure don’t want to.”
During Kennedy’s final day of practice, he said he got 18 bites the first two hours of the morning. But those came during cloudy conditions — and since he didn’t know if there would be cloud cover Friday, he said he tried to cover water as quickly as he could.
“I was trying to condense that two hours into 30 minutes,” he said. “I was fishing a jig, and they were just eating it like crazy. The morning went just like I had hoped it would.”
After the morning bite died down, Kennedy had hoped to move to deeper water and target larger bass with big glide baits. But the weather nixed those plans.
“It was extremely rough,” he said. “My core was hurting. There were times when I was on my tippy-toes and times when I was on my heels trying not to go over.
“I was headed to my other fish and taking waves over the bow. If I had gone all the way there, I might not have been able to stand up.”
South Carolina pro Patrick Walters is right on Kennedy’s heels in second place with 22-7 — and like Kennedy, Walters found the morning conditions much more favorable.
“I was really hoping for an afternoon bite, but the wind made that nonexistent,” said Walters, who earned his first Bassmaster Elite Series victory last season on Lake Fork in Texas and finished second in another event on Fork earlier this year. “I planned to spend the entire afternoon fishing offshore, but you really couldn’t position on the fish and present your bait the way you needed to.”
That left him to rely on the early-morning bite — and, as it was for most of the field, that was short-lived.
“The shallow bite is good first thing,” Walters said. “But then about 9 o’clock, it cuts off like a light switch. I don’t know what happens, if they just move out or what. But you have until about 9, and then you have to go do something different.”
Walters — who earned Bassmaster Century Belts in both Fork events with four-day limits that weighed more than 100 pounds — did so by targeting big suspended bass in standing timber. He said Ray Roberts features a different kind of structure than Fork, but he’s counting on those same suspended fish to earn the biggest win of his career.
“You have to cover so much water out there offshore just to get a bite or two,” Walters said. “If you can’t fish efficiently, it’s just not worth it.”
But if conditions allow, Walters said the tournament could certainly be won offshore.
“You’re talking about isolated bass that are eating white bass and crappie instead of the ones up shallow that are eating little shad,” Walters said. “A fish that suspends owns the water column. When they get up that high in the water column, they’re usually pretty big fish — and in Texas, they’re especially big.
“I only need 15 fish to win this tournament, so those are the ones I’m looking for.”
A familiar name — reigning Classic champ Hank Cherry of North Carolina — finished the day in third after landing five bass that weighed 20-4.
“This was actually my worst day since I’ve been here,” said Cherry, who caught 29-3 on the first day of last year’s Classic at Lake Guntersville. “I never got comfortable today. The situation, the water color, the wind.
“I kept second-guessing myself and thinking I should be somewhere else.”
It was a midmorning revelation that finally made Cherry feel at home.
“I kind of slowed down and started kind of retracking how the morning went and noticing that I got more bites on the trees than I did in the bushes,” Cherry said. “So, I picked up a jig and kind of went back to that and started getting bit.”
Though he weighed in 20-plus pounds, Cherry said fans shouldn’t confuse Friday’s bag with the big opening-round total he weighed in last year’s event.
“This was a lot of work,” he said. “I spent a lot of time wondering what was going on, and I tried to force it. I tried to get up on some of those shallower points and really fish it, but I just wasn’t comfortable there.
“I figured out what I needed to be doing, and I’m not leaving the area I fished today.”
The full field of 54 anglers will take off again at 6:15 a.m. CT Saturday from Lake Ray Roberts State Park – Isle du Bois in Pilot Point, Texas. The weigh-in will be held at 4 p.m. CT at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth. After Saturday’s weigh-in, only the Top 25 anglers will advance to Championship Sunday with a chance at the $300,000 first-place prize.
FOX network will broadcast four hours of live coverage with tournament leaders beginning at 7 a.m., and full event coverage is available on Bassmaster.com.
The annual Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo will be held Saturday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Exhibitors are on-site selling a variety of merchandise for fishing, hunting, camping and more. As part of the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo, the Go Out{side} Experience will offer fun options for families, including inflatable archery, cornhole, jumping dogs and knot tying. Kids can even catch their first fish at an on-site catfish pond.
The Bassmaster Classic is being hosted by the Fort Worth Sports Commission and Visit Fort Worth.
2021 Bassmaster Classic Title Sponsor: Academy Sports + Outdoors
2021 Bassmaster Classic Presenting Sponsor: Huk Performance Fishing Apparel
2021 Bassmaster Classic Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2021 Bassmaster Classic Premier Sponsors: Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2021 Bassmaster Classic Local Sponsors: Anderson Merchandisers, T-Mobile, TNT Fireworks
2021 Bassmaster Classic Hosts: Fort Worth Sports Commission; Visit Fort Worth
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, 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), TV show, radio show, 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, Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.
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Adjustment Leads Pendergraf To Narrow Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship
FORT WORTH, Texas — When conditions trashed his practice findings, Mark Pendergraf of Fort Worth, Texas, made a key adjustment and won the inaugural Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series Championship powered by TourneyX on Possum Kingdom Lake with a two-day total of 209.25 inches.
Edging second-place Joe McElroy of Alabama by 1/2 inch, Pendergraf won the $20,000 first-place award. TourneyX owner/operator Dwayne Walley confirmed that the winner notched the highest two-day total in TourneyX history.
Mark Pendergraf of Fort Worth, Texas, has won the Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series Championship powered by TourneyX on Possum Kingdom Lake with a two-day total measuring 209.25 inches. Photo by Chris Mitchell/B.A.S.S.
Possum Kingdom, an 18,000-acre Brazos River reservoir located 90 miles west of Fort Worth, is normally relatively clear. However, Day 1 brought muddy conditions. McElroy had graphed chunk rock sweet spots on bluff walls during practice, but the declining clarity fizzled that bite.
“From about 6:30 to 1, I caught fish on bluff walls with a Strike King 5XD in the sexy shad color, but I fished closer than I did in practice because of the muddy water,” Pendergraf said. “I had a rough start to the day and I only had 4 fish at 12:30.”
Frustrated with his low productivity, Pendergraf steered his Old Town Autopilot 120 kayak back to his launch ramp where he assumed he’d wind up his day with a few random casts.
“I made a cast and caught a striper. So, I thought, that’s not a bad way to spend the last 30 minutes of the tournament,” Pendergraf said. “I made a cast to the left and caught a 19-inch (largemouth). I made another cast, 20 1/2; made another cast, 18 3/4.
“Day 2, I literally launched my kayak, I went out, made a U-turn, waited until lines-in and I stayed there for 10 hours. I punched some heavy, heavy fish. I think my first fish was a 24-inch bass. That was my fourth cast, about 6:05.”
Pendergraf targeted the concrete boat ramp with a Strike King 6XD (sexy shad) and quickly dialed in a particular positioning preference.
“I would crank from about 3 feet down to 12,” Pendergraf said. “On Day 1, it was a fast flurry, just a lot of fish in a short amount of time, so I didn’t have anything pinpointed on that boat ramp that they were attracted to.
“Day 2, I found that one side of the boat ramp had a lip on it. There was a solid drop-off on it and the fish were tucking down on the side of that. If I could land my bait on that lip and run it down, they would smash it cast after cast after cast.”
Reflecting on the way his tournament played out, Pendergraf said he should have spent his entire tournament on that boat ramp. “I could have just gone out with one rod and one bait and just been done.”
Daniel Lyons earned Big Bass honors on Day 1 with his 24 1/2-inch fish. Pendergraf’s 24-inch bass took top honors for Day 2.
McElroy finished second with 208.75 inches. Mississippi’s Brad Case finished third with 201.75.
2021 Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX Partner: Old Town
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, 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), TV show, radio show, 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, Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.
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Smaller Size, Eight New Colors
Cypress, CA (June 10, 2021) – It walks, it chugs, it rattles, it spits, and it catches bass like crazy. Ever Green’s Showerblow (SB) line of pencil poppers is renowned for its ability to draw smashing topwater strikes from lunker largemouth bass. Now, Ever Green and Daiwa have added a new downsized version that’s ideal whenever you need more finesse or want to invite bronzebacks to the brawl.
Measuring just 3.5 inches (77.7 mm) and available in eight sharp colors to match any type of forage or water conditions, the new Showerblow SB-77.7 features the same built-in tungsten weight transfer system as the larger sizes to both increase casting distance and provide a loud, fish calling knock on the retrieve. Showerblow’s unique aerodynamic shape and weight transfer system allow you to reach out to surface breaking fish or the back of coves with pinpoint accuracy. Its pencil-popper shape makes it perfect for walk-the-dog retrieves while a scooped face adds extra splash with every twitch of the rod.
“These new, smaller Showerblows are absolutely awesome,” says Daiwa’s Field Marketing Manager, Marc Mills. “Their shorter length makes them ideal for targeting smallmouth bass or matching the hatch for bigmouths when smaller forage predominates. Like its larger brothers, the SB-77.7 features premium-quality split rings, super-sharp hooks, plus a hand-tied feather tail on the back treble for extra predatory attraction. Extremely versatile, you can fish them with any kind of surface retrieve and at any speed from a quick-paced walk-the-dog motion to a pop-and-stop presentation. With a pencil-popper body shape and cupped face, these lures move easily across the surface while kicking up plenty of splash. They really have a way of provoking explosive surface strikes.”
The new Evergreen Showerblow SB-77.7 retails for $15.99 and is available in eight proven patterns. With water temperatures on the climb across the country, you’ll want work these “finesse” poppers into your arsenal as quickly as possible to take full advantage of that summer surface bite.
For Daiwa’s latest color catalog and/or information on Daiwa dealers in your area, call Daiwa’s Customer Service Department at 562-375-6800 or e-mail inquiries to: [email protected]. The URL for Daiwa’s web site is daiwa.us
About Daiwa Corporation
Daiwa’s first spinning reel rolled off the assembly line in 1955. Since then, the company has grown into one of the largest and most influential tackle companies in the world today. To handle sales and distribution in the United States, Daiwa Corporation first opened its doors on September 26, 1966, operating from a small facility in Culver City, California. Today, based in Cypress, California, Daiwa Corporation sells tackle throughout the United States, Canada, Central and South America. From the very beginning, Daiwa’s emphasis has been upon innovation and quality. The result is a long list of product features, design and materials that have become standards for the fishing tackle industry. Daiwa’s long-standing record of innovation has left a visible mark on the majority of tackle manufactured today and continues to advance the sport of fishing. Learn more at daiwa.com/us.
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