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Oakley’s Almassey Wins Costa FLW Series Tourney on Cal Delta
BETHEL ISLAND, Calif. (May 21, 2016) – Charley Almassey of Oakley, California, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 15 pounds, 1 ounce Saturday to win the Costa FLW Series Western Division event on the California Delta presented by Power-Pole with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 60 pounds, 1 ounce. For his win, Almassey earned $32,880.
“I was totally taken by surprise when I had enough to win today,” said Almassey, who pushed his FLW career earnings to more than $130,000. “I consider the Delta my home waters and know what a great fishery it is. To come away with the win this week is really unbelievable.”
Almassey said he caught his fish throughout the week by targeting spawning flats where bass and bluegill were spawning. Each day he would run the tide, following the low tide south to Discovery Bay, a run which he estimated between 20 to 25 miles. He targeted weed clumps that looked ‘good’ – sparse patches with tules that had limited amounts of angel hair grass.
“I was throwing at patches that had the wind blowing into it,” Almassey said. “I’m a reaction bait fisherman; the nastier conditions the better.”
Almassey credited three baits for his success this week – a bluegill-colored Bobby D’s Custom Baits Grinder paired with a watermelon-candy-colored Assault Lures Ringer paddle-tail swimbait, an ABT Lures Glide Bait and a 3/8-ounce Blade-Runner Weedless Paddle Head Swim Jig with a 4.8-inch green-pumpkin Keitech Swing Impact FAT.
“I was only catching 8 or 9 keepers a day,” Almassey said. “I was not messing with little fish this week and was on a big-fish-only pattern. I think that was the key for me this week. My local knowledge definitely helped as well – I knew where the big fish were.”
The top 10 pros on the California Delta were:
1st: Charley Almassey, Oakley, Calif., 15 bass, 60-1, $32,880
2nd: Mike Birch, Oakley, Calif., 15 bass, 58-8, $12,959
3rd: Roy Hawk, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 15 bass, 56-13, $9,864
4th: Robert Lee, Angels Camp, Calif., 15 bass, 55-0, $8,220
5th: Michael Caruso, Peoria, Ariz., 15 bass, 53-5, $7,398
6th: Bobby Barrack, Oakley, Calif., 15 bass, 52-8, $6,576
7th: Harvey Pulliam, Brentwood, Calif., 15 bass, 50-1, $5,754
8th: Bryant Smith, Castro Valley, Calif., 15 bass, 49-1, $4,932
9th: Benjamin Byrd, Moab, Utah, 15 bass, 48-6, $4,110
10th: Dane Mitchell, Lake Charles, La., 15 bass, 48-5, $3,288
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Birch caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division Thursday – a largemouth weighing 10 pounds, 11 ounces to earn him the day’s Big Bass award of $300.
Aaron Agner of Redding, California, won the co-angler division and a Ranger Z117 with a 90-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard motor, with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 43 pounds, 8 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers on the California Delta were:
1st: Aaron Agner, Redding, Calif., 15 bass, 43-8, Ranger Z117 w/90-horsepower outboard
2nd: Justin Bolen, Paradise, Calif., 15 bass, 38-5, $4,150
3rd: Blake Leonard, Elk Grove, Calif., 14 bass, 36-4, $3,320
4th: Jack Farage, Discovery Bay, Calif., 15 bass, 36-2, $2,905
5th: Kevin Gross, Claremont, Calif., 15 bass, 34-14, $2,490
6th: George Edes, Boise, Idaho, 14 bass, 33-7, $2,075
7th: Rob Larrabee, Livermore, Calif., 14 bass, 32-10, $1,660
8th: Troy Diatte, Salinas, Calif., 13 bass, 32-4, $1,452
9th: Jake Stephens, Carmel, Calif., 15 bass, 32-0, $1,390
10th: James Tate, Calabasas, Calif., 14 bass, 31-2, $1,037
David Marroquin of San Leandro, California, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division Friday weighing 8 pounds, 14 ounces to earn him the day’s Big Bass award of $145.
The Costa FLW Series consists of five divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western. Each division consists of three tournaments with competitors vying for valuable points that could earn them the opportunity to fish in the Costa FLW Series Championship. The 2016 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held Nov. 3-5 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri.
The Costa FLW Series on the California Delta was hosted by Russo’s Marina and Sugar Barge RV Resort and Marina. It was the third Western Division tournament of 2016.
The next Costa FLW Series tournament will be the Northern Division opener, held June 16-18, on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland, and is hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners and Office of Tourism. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Costa FLW Series 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 2016 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico 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 Periscope: @FLWFishing.
Mullins Maintains Lead at Douglas Lake
David Mullins of Mount Carmel, Tenn., maintains the on Day 2 of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open #3 held on Douglas Lake out of Dandridge, Tenn. Mullins brought 9 pounds, 3 ounces to the scales at Friday’s weigh-in for a two-day total of 20-3.
Photo by Seigo Saito/Bassmaster
DANDRIDGE, Tenn. — Obviously, David Mullins is sick of finishing second at Douglas Lake. The Mount Carmel, Tenn., angler, who finished second in 2014 and 2013 Bassmaster Opens here, will take a 7-pound, 7-ounce lead into Saturday’s Top 12 final of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open at Douglas Lake.
For the second day in a row, Mullins topped 20 pounds with a five-bass limit. His total of 22-2 today, plus 21-5 from Thursday gives him a two-day total of 43-7. Kyle Glasgow Jr. of Guin, Ala., is second with 36-0.
Mullins, who competes on the Bassmaster Elite Series, had a big bass of 4 pounds, 12 ounces, and four more 4-pounders to go with it. He said he caught about 20 keepers Friday.
“It was another history deal,” said Mullins, who grew up fishing Douglas Lake. “We used to sack ’em a lot on this spot. But they don’t get on it good now. The wind was coming across it making some current. I idled over it one time, and they were there. I culled about everything I had.”
Mullins won’t let himself get cocky, even with the big lead.
“When you grow up here, you can’t be overconfident,” he said. “Each day is different in east Tennessee. You pretty much have to wake up and go with it. That’s the way these lakes fish.”
Mullins also earned the Livingston Lures Leader Award of $250 for leading Day 2.
Glasgow was in second place after Thursday, trailing by less than two pounds. But he struggled today.
“I only caught six fish,” he said. “It was really hard to get bites. I stayed on one spot until the last hour. Mullins is going to be hard to catch.”
However, a couple of anglers believe they can do just that. One of them is Jesse Wiggins of Cullman, Ala. He jumped from 33rd place to third with the biggest bag of the tournament. It totaled 22-7, anchored by the biggest bass of the event, a 6-pound, 15-ounce largemouth.
“I knew those fish were there during practice,” Wiggins said. “I was so disappointed to weigh-in 13 pounds (Thursday). I started on the same place today. I fished the same baits. But the big ones bit today.”
Wiggins needed to simply compete at Douglas Lake in order to earn the 2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic berth he qualified for by winning Southern Open #2 at Alabama’s Smith Lake last month.
“When I go fish somewhere, I go to win,” Wiggins said. “I wasn’t going to just show up here and fish for a Classic spot.”
Wiggins is also trying to nail down a Top-5 finish in the points standings compiled over the three Southern Open tournaments. That would earn him an invitation to join the Bassmaster Elite Series next season. Wiggins also earned an Elite Series invitation in 2014, but the 26-year-old respiratory therapist didn’t have the sponsor backing to follow through.
“I want to fish the Elite Series,” Wiggins said, “but I’m going to have to have help. I don’t have any sponsors, not even tackle. My ultimate dream is to fish the Elite Series.”
There is also an Elite Series angler who might have a say in who wins this tournament Saturday. He would be Britt Myers of Wylie, S.C., who won the Elite Series event at South Carolina’s Winyah Bay earlier this season and finished second in the Elite Series tournament at Douglas Lake in 2012.
Myers jumped from 28th place with 14-1 Thursday to fifth place with 20-7 Friday.
“I lost a sure-enough 7-pounder yesterday, or I would have been neck-and-neck (with Mullins),” Myers said. “I thought I could win this tournament before it started. I had that good of a practice. I couldn’t even sleep. It’s been a long time since I couldn’t sleep before a tournament.
“I do think 25 pounds is definitely doable here. I caught that in the Elite Series tournament (in 2012). You can hook the big ones and lose them, like I did yesterday. I had a 20-pound bag on, and I weighed 14 pounds. That could happen to Mullins. But he knows this lake well. It’s his tournament to lose.”
Scott Canterbury of Springville, Ala., is in fourth place, between Wiggins and Myers, with a two-day total of 35-3.
It should be noted that Mark Rose of West Memphis, Ark., earned the ultimate consolation prize Friday by taking the final spot in Saturday’s Top 12. But it wasn’t much consolation to an obviously distraught Rose. He’d chartered an airplane to fly home tonight for his daughter Natalie’s high school graduation. But as the weigh-in started, Rose was informed that his charter flight was cancelled due to storms in the area.
“I’m just real emotional,” Rose said. “I had every plan to be home tonight with my daughter. This tournament is really second in my mind right now. Natalie is a straight-A student, and she’s worked so hard.”
Rose has a two-day total of 31-13. He edged Chris Moody of Brooks, Ga., by one ounce to take the final berth in Saturday’s finale.
In the co-angler competition, Rodney Tapp of Inman, S.C., remained atop the standings for the second day. He caught a co-angler three-bass limit weighing 9-3 to give him a two-day total of 20-3. Matt Justice trails him by only five ounces after catching the biggest co-angler limit of the day — 11-11. Andy Simm of Piney Flats, Tenn., dropped from second to third place on Day 2. But he’s within striking distance of Tapp, exactly two pounds out of the lead.
Tapp also earned a Livingston Lures gift pack valued at $250 for being the second-day co-angler leader.
Takeoff for the Top 12 will begin at 6:15 a.m. ET Saturday at The Point Marina in Dandridge. The weigh-in will start at 3:15 p.m. at the Bass Pro Shops, 3629 Outdoor Sportsman’s Place, Kodak, Tenn.
2016 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2016 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2016 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Premier Sponsors: Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha, Berkley, GoPro, Huk
2016 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Supporting Sponsors: Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Power-Pole, Rapala, Shell Rotella, Shimano, A.R.E. Truck Caps, Carhartt, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels
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), 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, B.A.S.S. Nation, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.
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Penn State Maintains Lead In Bassmaster College Series
Sean Cummins (left) and Maurice Hudson from Penn State University maintain their lead on Day 2 of the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Eastern Regional presented by Bass Pro Shops on the James River out of Richmond, Va., after catching 11 pounds, 8 ounces on Friday for a two-day total weight of 28-10.
Photo by Ronnie Moore/Bassmaster
Pros Pick One Lure to Catch a Giant Bass
The pro angler that catches the biggest bass of the 3-day Toyota Texas Fest event on Lake Ray Roberts in North Texas will win a Toyota Tundra. And while practice reports were tough, the field of 38 best-in-the-world bass pros are very aware of the giant largemouth that live in Ray Roberts.
In fact, the lake record was caught a little more than one year ago – a 15-pound behemoth landed by Shannon Elvington on a Lucky Craft jerkbait in cold March waters.
Four pros were asked what lure they’d choose in an effort to catch a bass big enough to win a Toyota Tundra – here’s what they said:
Jacob Powroznik: “A V&M J-Bug on 25-pound line, Texas rigged with a 3/8 ounce weight.” Powroznik was proud to show off an entire box full of the soft plastic lure he helped design largely for flippin’ and pitchin’.
Greg Hackney: “Nope I’m not showin’ you the lure,” grinned Hackney. “I’ll show the hook, the weight and the line – and I’ll tell you this much – here’s your hint – the lure swims – but not by itself.” Okay, we’re stumped – but we do know Hackney is spooled-up with 60-pound Gamma Torque braid on a new large-spooled reel called a Smoke HD that he says is the finest reel Quantum has ever built. His hook for the mystery lure is a 5/0 Hack Attack straight shank with a 5/16-ounce weight.
Andy Morgan: Andy Morgan built a career pitching and flippin’ jigs to shallow habitat. So no surprise, he chose a jig – but a heavy one. “I think you need a ¾ ounce jig to get deep where a giant bass lives – like way down in one of these flooded trees.” He chooses a Zoom Big Salty chunk as a trailer, and ties it to 20-pound Gamma fluorocarbon.
Jordan Lee: The young pro with an amazing list of tournament success chose a rather sleek offering. “I’m going with a Strike King craw Texas-rigged to a ½ ounce weight and 25-pound line.” When asked why not a jig or a large worm or creature bait, he said he felt the craw gets in and out of heavy cover with less snags than a jig or big worm.
FLW Foundation Offering Grants to Florida High School Fishing Clubs
MINNEAPOLIS (May 19, 2016) – The Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) Foundation has announced the availability of grants to Student Angler Federation (SAF)-affiliated high school fishing clubs in Florida of up to $500 per school to establish new or expand existing clubs. The grants are offered via a two-year initiative with the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
The grants can be used by school teams/clubs to pay SAF dues for participating students, cover the cost of running team-sponsored tournaments, purchase student jerseys or other club costs. The initiative will help recruit new anglers, retain existing anglers during a critical developmental period, and reactivate lapsed anglers, including parents and grandparents, eager to support fishing as a high school sport.
Florida High School Fishing clubs that have at least 10 SAF members or are interested in becoming an SAF-affiliated club are eligible and encouraged to apply for the grants.
“High School Fishing in the most impactful recruitment tool that our industry has,” FLW Foundation Director Dave Washburn said. “Studies conducted by the Illinois High School Association show that 60 percent of High School Fishing participants do not participate in other school-sponsored sports. This means that participating schools are reaching a whole new segment of the student body, giving them an incentive to make good grades and a sense of school pride that they may not previously have had.”
The program will increase sales of youth and regular fishing licenses among high school students and recruit new anglers to the sport. Many youth demonstrate less interest in fishing as they enter high school. This program intends to retain these younger anglers and create lifelong avid anglers who have a strong conservation appreciation.
Funding provided by RBFF will be administered by the FLW Foundation. Additional requirements include completion of aquatic education and/or boater safety courses and a conservation project. All Florida high schools and members of the Home School Cooperative are encouraged to apply. Special consideration will be given to schools that include novice anglers in their club roster.
The Florida High School Fishing Grant Application is available at FLWFishing.com/Foundation. Applications are generally reviewed within three to five business days, but may be as long as four weeks. Applicants are encouraged to begin applying as soon as possible.
More information on the FLW Foundation is available at FLWFishing.com/Foundation. Questions from the public should be directed to Dave Washburn by emailing dave.washburn@flwfishing.com or calling 270-252-1607. Please note that this is not a toll-free number.
About Fishing League Worldwide (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 2016 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico 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 Periscope: @FLWFishing.
About the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF)
RBFF is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase participation in recreational angling and boating, thereby protecting and restoring the nation’s aquatic natural resources. RBFF developed the award-winning Take Me Fishing™ and Vamos A Pescar™ campaigns to create awareness around boating, fishing and conservation, and educate people about the benefits of participation. Take Me Fishing and Vamos A Pescar help boaters and anglers of all ages and experience levels learn, plan and equip for a day on the water. The campaign websites, TakeMeFishing.org, and VamosAPescar.org, feature how-to videos, information on how to get a fishing license and boat registration, and an interactive state-by-state map that allows visitors to find local boating and fishing spots.