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Biffle Fishing Same Rod, Reel, Line and Bushes at Wheeler where he Won Seven Years Ago
No surprise, not much has changed for Tommy Biffle in seven years. In fact, he was even tied up to nearly the exact same spot on the dock Saturday morning at Ingalls Harbor, as he was before blast-off back in 2009 when he won at Wheeler.
It’s a scene that’s nearly comical. Certainly cause for deep thinking for any serious fan of bass fishing. And it’s also a scene that commands respect.
In a sport with more variables than an Oklahoma spring weather forecast, Tommy Biffle has done one thing very well for 31 years as a pro, and hauled home $2.6 Million dollars in the process.
Sure enough, there sat the grey bearded Biffle under matching cloudy grey skies Satruday morning, rigging up three identical 7’ 6” Quantum flippin sticks with 25-pound Sunline Shooter fluorocarbon to 4/0 straight shank hooks, pegged to 5/16 ounce Elite Tungsten weights.
He won with a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver back in 2009, before developing his own very similar Biffle Bug in more recent yeas.
“This color is called Double Silver, it’s my favorite, I can fish down the bank behind somebody else, and catch bass on this bait out of the same bushes they couldn’t get a bite in,” says Biffle, who sports a giant image of the silver soft plastic on his jersey and tow vehicle.
And when he says ‘bushes’ – he means some of the same exact bushes he caught the winning fish from on Wheeler seven years ago – even though the water levels were considerably higher back then.
“My Marshall couldn’t believe I was catching fish out of bushes with 6” of water at their base this week – but I did,” states Biffle. “You think about it, those 20 pound carp live up there in less than a foot of water all the time, so there’s no reason a 5 pound bass can’t live there too.”
He proved his theory correct by weighing-in a 6-pounder from the nearly dry bushes on Thursday.
Biffle can’t likely repeat victory this week, he sits 43rd, mostly because he lost a 4-pounder and a 3-pounder that would have vaulted him into striking distance of another blue Elite Series trophy.
But he’s already snared a check for $10,000 by making into Saturday’s cut, and he didn’t have to hardly change a thing from what he did on Wheeler seven years ago, or the past 31 years of his phenomenal career, for that matter.
“On Deck” Day 3 at Wheeler Lake 2016
Here are a few shots fro the day 3 take off at Wheeler Lake 2016
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Lefebre Takes Over Lead At Elite On Wheeler Lake
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DECATUR, Ala. — Erie, Pa., angler and Bassmaster newcomer Dave Lefebre is the second-day leader after catching an impressive limit of bass that weighed 21 pounds, 3 ounces.
Like most of the anglers, Lefebre had a difficult practice and was only able to isolate a single area that was producing the kind of fish he thought could carry him through to Championship Sunday at the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Wheeler Lake.
Lefebre is competing during his first year as a Bassmaster Elite Series pro, but he is no rookie. He spent 13 years fishing the Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) tour, earning six wins and nearly $2 million in prize money.
“I knew I had more weight than yesterday, but I was pleasantly surprised to find I had caught better fish today than I had expected,” Lefebre said, who weighed 18-12 on Thursday for a combined two-day total of 39-15. “I feel like I could have weighed even more yesterday and today if I executed better. I’ve been leaving that area after I have a good limit hoping to keep some fresh bass for the next day.”
During a four-day tournament, the anglers need to manage their bite, which means not catching every single willing bass. Lefebre said that bigger fish seem to be moving into his area, and he’s eager for the semifinal round on Saturday.
“I saw a huge bass today,” he continued. “A big fish tried to eat my lure, but missed it and I saw the whole thing. I don’t want to sound unrealistic, but at first I thought it might have been a 10-pounder. But it was probably more like a 7 or 8-pound fish.”
Improving on Thursday’s weight by more than 2 pounds, and after seeing a big fish in the area, Lefebre has confidence that he is capable of producing a competitive five-fish limit of bass on Saturday that will carry him into Championship Sunday.
Veteran Bassmaster competitor Gary Klein of Weatherford, Texas, has appeared in 30 GEICO Bassmaster Classics during his illustrious career, and was able to produce another solid limit of bass on Friday’s second round of competition that weighed 19-7 for a total of 35-8. The successful day on Wheeler Lake bumped him up 13 places, and he is currently sitting in second place.
“I’m fishing a little area, and I got very fortunate with today’s catch,” Klein said. “I honestly don’t think that the winning fish are in my area, but it’s all I’ve got that is producing the kind of fish I need to stay competitive. I was surprised today, so maybe I’ll be surprised again tomorrow with another quality limit.”
Klein is fishing a pattern that is dependent upon the shad spawn, which occurs only at night. As the sun comes up in the morning, there’s only about 45 minutes to an hour of productivity that he can take advantage of. As with any spawn-related fishing pattern, things change daily and can be hard to predict.
Speaking of hard to predict, the 2014 Bassmaster Classic champion Randy Howell had every intention of running up the river to the Guntersville dam today, but an early morning smallmouth bite kept him near the main launch.
“Yesterday I ran to the Wheeler dam, and today I had plans to head the opposite direction,” Howell said. “I decided to make a quick stop on the way, and I quickly learned that making the run wasn’t worth it because I was catching the kind of fish I needed to stay in this tournament.”
Howell’s bite was exciting during the early morning hours, but later in the day he managed to catch the biggest bass of the day, which weighed 6 pounds even. That big bass contributed to his 18-pound, 11-ounce limit, increased his total weight to 35-2 and put him in third place.
After Friday, the remaining Top 10 anglers include: Takahiro Omori (33-10), Casey Ashley (33-7), John Crews (32-7), James Elam (32-6), Bobby Lane (32-6), Steve Kennedy (31-12) and Josh Bertrand (31-8)
The Top 50 anglers will compete during Saturday’s semifinal round, and will be cut to the Top 12 for Championship Sunday’s final round.
Lefebre also earned the Livingston Lures Leader award of $500 for leading the second day of the event.
Daily takeoffs are scheduled for 6:15 a.m. ET at Ingalls Harbor in Decatur, Ala., with weigh-ins scheduled at the same location each afternoon at 3:15 p.m.
2016 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Toyota, Triton Boats, Yamaha, GoPro, Berkley, Huk, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats
2016 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Shimano, Academy Sports + Outdoors, A.R.E. Truck Caps, Carhartt, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Phoenix Boats, Power-Pole, Rapala, Shell Rotella
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, Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation presented by Magellan, 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.
Day 2 Weigh In at Wheeler Lake 2016
Here are a few videos from this afternoons weigh in at the Wheeler Lake Elite.
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Casey Ashley Continues to Succeed with Homemade Lures
The shad are spawning at Lake Wheeler. So a lot of Bassmaster Elite Series pros have a baitfish impersonating willow leaf spinnerbait tied on – most of them provided by sponsors.
But no surprise, just like the under-spin horsehead lure he used to win the 2015 Bassmaster Classic, the spinnerbait Casey Ashley has tied on is one he and his dad Danny make themselves.
“The art of spinnerbait fishing has gone away,” says Ashley who slapped 19 pounds on the scales to sit in second place on Day One at Wheeler, including the biggest bass of the day – a 6 pound 14 ounce beast.
“Very few tournaments allow us to think we can tie on a spinnerbait, ride it for four days, and win with it, but if I need one, I can build it using components from a couple plastic jars I carry in my boat,” says Ashley. “And when I build it, I’m confident the blades are always gonna spin, no matter how slow or fast I retrieve it,” says the easy going South Carolina pro.
“The spinnerbait Daddy and I build came from my buddy Trad Whaley. His dad’s name is Danny too, and he fished B.A.S.S. events back in the Hank Parker era,” says Ashley. “If there was a fish to be caught on a spinnerbait, Trad’s daddy was gonna catch it – and usually big ones – using this bait right here that they built, and called the “Big Train”,” grinned the Quantum pro.
“Dad and I pour our own heads from that original Big Train mold, and Trad was kind enough to have some plated for us. But a lot of times, I’ll just fish it with no paint at all on the head – just plain lead,” says Ashley, known for his old soul and simple approach to life.
Favorite Size: “Most of the time, I’ll start with a ½ ounce, but if I realize I need to keep it shallower, then I’ll move to 3/8. On a rare occasion, if I need to get deep, I’ll go with a ¾ – but day in and day out, I use a ½ ounce.”
Blades and Beads: “I put a lot of beads between my blades for a reason,” smiles Ashley. “That keeps those blades separated, spaced apart – and always spinning – that’s really key,” he emphasizes. “I like a #4 size in gold up front, and a 4 ½ silver as the main blade in the back – and almost always throw the smooth finish, even though I carry a few hammered ones in this jar.”
Speed of Retrieve: “A lot of people wind a spinnerbait way too fast in the springtime,” warns Ashley. “It’s a tool you can get more bites with if you’ll take your time, and make contact with cover. A lot of that comes from choosing the right reel. I use a 6.6:1 Quantum Smoke.”
“Spinnerbaits may not get a lot of use anymore, but they still catch fish — good fish. And there just aren’t many lures you can tie on that flash, replicate shad, and offer the versatility they do,” concludes Ashley.
He just simply prefers to make his own.