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GADSDEN, Ala. — Wes Logan said memories came flooding back to him throughout the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake.

That’s bound to happen when you’ve fished a place since you were 5 years old.

Logan now has countless new reasons to think fondly of his home water after claiming the tournament title here on Championship Monday. The 26-year-old from Springville, only a 30-mile drive from the Gadsden City Boat Docks, caught a four-day total of 20 bass weighing 57 pounds, 9 ounces. He capped the competition with a 14-1 limit Monday, the third-heaviest of the day.

Logan earned $100,000 for the win, his first in 26 B.A.S.S. events.

The second-year Elite Series angler charged into the lead on Day 3 with a 16-15 bag that tied for the heaviest of the tournament. That made him the last man to weigh in Monday and the only one with a chance to knock Connecticut pro Paul Mueller from the hot seat.

Logan peeked silently at the scale while his bass were weighed. When his winning total flashed on screen, he let out a victorious yell and pumped his right fist over his head. Then he hugged Mueller and hoisted his first blue trophy for his home-based fans to see.

“I started tournament fishing with my dad when I was 5,” Logan said. “We’d come here, Logan Martin and Weiss … I went into practice trying to not put pressure on myself. I wanted to fish like I’d never seen the place before. I wanted to figure out a pattern.”

Having an open mind, even on water he knows so well, was critical this week. Neely Henry was a difficult read for most of the 98 anglers who started the tournament on Friday, postponed by a day because of heavy rains earlier in the week. The storms sent the water table rising and shot sediment throughout the lake. The Elites scrambled to find stable water, many relying on junk fishing to see which lures and techniques produced the best bites.

A trio of lures worked best for Logan — a 5/8-ounce Dirty Jigs Matt Herren flipping jig (black/blue skirt) with a Zoom Big Salty sapphire blue Chunk; a Dirty Jigs No Jack swim jig with a Zoom Super Speed Craw trailer; and a frog, which he used to fill his Day 3 limit.

Logan started the tournament strongly, putting 14-1 on the board Friday, good enough for ninth place. He caught 12-8 on Day 2, climbing to eighth and surviving the cut to 48. He made his move on Day 3 with the 16-5 haul, pointing to a pair of unusual catches as the turning point.

“I caught two bass under a bridge right by the Gadsden City Boat Docks on a crankbait,” he said “I’m not a crankbait fisherman. It was about 11:30, and I only had two keepers at the time. But I caught a 2 1/2 there, and then two casts later, I caught a 5 1/4. I only got one more bite that day.

“When you get that kind of bite when you’re not supposed to, that let me know I had a chance to win. Stuff like that just doesn’t happen all the time.”

Logan didn’t divulge specifics on the crankbait, other than to say it’s specially painted, similar to a black/chartreuse combo.

“I keep that one in my hand around here,” he said. “It’s a confidence thing.”

Logan planned to fish down-lake from the start, but low water in that area made him choose otherwise. Each of the 20 bass he weighed was caught between Cove Creek and Minnesota Bend — both only a 10-minute run from the Gadsden City Boat Docks.

Mueller, meanwhile, went straight for the lower end of Neely Henry and found success. He seized the lead after Day 2 and was in second place going into Day 4, trailing Logan by just more than a pound. Mueller caught the heaviest bass of the tournament Monday, a 6-6 largemouth, but his 13-13 closing weight wasn’t enough to overtake Logan.

“My pattern went away today and I knew that would be the deal,” Mueller said. “I had to fish new water. I was able to catch some fish, and I had a good day. I’m glad at the way this turned out. As short as the morning bite was, I could have been sitting in sixth or seventh right now.”

Mueller caught his best bass, including the 6-6, on a Deps Evoke 2.0 squarebill crankbait (chartreuse/brown back). He earned an additional $2,000 for having the Phoenix Boats Big Bass on Day 4 and overall.

Alabama native Gerald Swindle caught the second-heaviest bag on Day 4 (a 15-0 limit) and finished third with 54-2 overall.

Mueller took home an additional $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and fourth-place finisher Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Logan earned $4,000 for winning while Christie claimed an additional $1,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

Minnesota pro Seth Feider finished 12th in the derby and didn’t qualify for Championship Monday, but he still left Gadsden with a commanding lead in the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. His season total of 525 points gives him a 41-point cushion over Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., (484) with three tournaments remaining.

Brock Mosley of Collinsville, Miss., is third with 464, followed by Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, with 462 and Christie with 457.

Bryan New of Belmont, N.C., is leading the Rookie of the Year standings with 372 points.

The City of Gadsden and the Greater Gadsden Area Tourism hosted the event.

2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota

2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha

2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Bass Pro Shops, Garmin, Huk Performance Fishing, Marathon, Rapala

2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Conservation Partner: AFTCO

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.

The post Local Pro Wes Logan Gets First Bassmaster Elite Series Victory At Neely Henry Lake appeared first on Bass365.com.

To most fans, anybody making a living in the professional bass fishing business has the coolest job in the world. But what gets overlooked so often is the loneliness of being away from home and the people you love hundreds of nights a year. And few miss home and his three girls more than top pro Matt Arey.

“Absolutely, 120-percent, no doubt, the toughest part of my job is the time I’m away from my awesome wife Emily and my two little girls,” said Arey minutes prior to Championship Monday at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite on Neely Henry.

Emily certainly feels the heart-tugging sacrifice of her husband’s career too. So like she’s done roughly 20 other times during their 15-year marriage, as soon as the scales stopped spinning Sunday afternoon, and she knew for certain Matt had made the championship round, she packed up and headed-off in a hurry from their Shelby, NC home to be there in person to cheer him on.

“The girls and I were watching Sunday’s weigh-in at home, and we knew it was going to come down to ounces whether Matt squeaked into the Top 10. So, I refused to start packing the Sequoia until we knew for sure he’d made it because I didn’t want to jinx it,” she said with a smile on the dock Monday morning standing next to Matt.

She and daughters Reese, age 8, and Wren, age 3, drove six hours, arriving in Gadsden just before midnight Sunday night. Matt had called a local hotel and reserved them a room not far from the official launch ramp so they’d have a safe and comfortable place to land, while he slept 45 minutes away at fellow pro Scott Canterbury’s house, where he’s stayed all week.

“They were crazy wild excited to get here and sang songs from Strawberry Shortcake at the top of their lungs for pretty much the entire drive,” laughed Emily. “When they weren’t singing, Wren was talking about her daddy catching big “shishes” – that’s how she says “fishes”.”

Daddy will need his share of big “shishes” on Championship Monday to make a run at winning from the 10th position, but on this fishery it’s certainly possible. He plans to throw a big topwater walking bait to seek strikes from above average sized Coosa River largemouth.

“No matter where I finish – hero or zero – I’ve got my girls here – so I kinda feel like I’ve already won without making a cast,” concluded the Team Toyota pro before morning launch.

The post Team Arey: Big “Shishes”and Strawberry Shortcake appeared first on Bass365.com.

GADSDEN, Ala. — After a few forgettable practice rounds, Brock Mosley polished his junk fishing repertoire to produce a shining start at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake.

Brock Mosley, of Collinsville, Miss., is leading after Day 1 of the 2021 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake with 16 pounds, 15 ounces. 

                                                                                              Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

Mosley, a 32-year-old pro from Collinsville, Miss., weighed a limit of five bass on Friday that totaled 16 pounds, 15 ounces, putting him at the top of the pack in the tournament that was due to start Thursday but was postponed because of extremely heavy rain in the region earlier this week.

All that rain swelled Neely Henry’s water level and sent sediment shooting through the north end of the fishery. Anglers struggled to find clean water, if they could at all, and a muddy Neely Henry made fishing tough on those heading uplake. Others heading down the 11,250-acre impoundment found many of their spots inaccessible thanks to the flow of water choked at the natural bottleneck on the lake known as Minnesota Bend.

The varied conditions led Mosley to “junk fishing,” or using a variety of techniques and lures in numerous places to see what worked.

Something certainly did for him, with 5-pound and 4 1/2-pound kickers anchoring the limit he brought to the Gadsden City Boat Docks.

“It was a special day, especially after my practice,” Mosley said. “The biggest one I had in practice was only 2 1/4. I was hoping to just catch a limit today and they just bit better than they have all week. I’m fishing upriver, downriver, anything I can. It was just one of those days where everything bounced my way.”

Because he struggled to find anything consistent during practice, Mosley had no idea where he wanted to begin fishing Friday morning. He settled on a place, he said, mostly “because no one else was in there.”

“I was Boat 92 (of 98 taking off) this morning, and this being a small lake, I figured it might be the only place all day I wouldn’t fish behind somebody,” he said. “That’s where I caught the 4 1/2-pounder and I just started fishing new stuff from there. I had all my weight by 11 a.m., but I didn’t lay off anything because I didn’t have anything to lay off.”

Mosley noted that Friday’s weather (mid-60s, partly cloudy skies) was the best it’s been all week, which could have contributed to the better catches most anglers had.

“The fish also got a break yesterday (with the tournament postponed),” he said. “They got the chance to adjust to the high water, the low water. But it’s not easy. It’s a real grind out there.”

Bryan New of Belmont, N.C., is in second place with 16-7. Like Mosley, the 31-year-old pro was surprised by the heft of his bag, considering the struggles he endured in practice.

“I had a little place where I thought I could get some bites, but I couldn’t get to it,” New said. “The water was too low. So, I wound up messing around, practicing, junk fishing. I caught a 4 1/2-pounder and a 3-plus … I think I ruled some stuff out today, maybe added a few things. I think we can make something happen tomorrow.”

Reigning Bassmaster Angler of the Year Clark Wendlandt of Leander, Texas, is in third place with 15-13. He was another in the long line of anglers who didn’t figure much out in practice but struck some Alabama gold when competition began.

“I caught four in practice doing the same thing I did today when I caught 15 or 20,” he said. “The water’s dirty still, but I think it’s making the fishing better. Nothing has been easy this week.”

Wendlandt won $1,000 for the 5-4 he caught that was the day’s Phoenix Boats Big Bass.

“I kind of ran into that 5-4,” he said. “I’d love for that to happen again tomorrow.”

Matt Arey of Shelby, N.C., is fourth with 15-4, followed by Paul Mueller of Naugatuck, Conn., with 15-3 and Todd Auten of Lake Wylie, S.C., with 15-2.

A cluster of Alabama anglers is just behind that group — Clent Davis of Montevallo with 14-9, Gerald Swindle of Guntersville with 14-3 and Wes Logan of Springville with 14-1.

The full field of 98 Elites will take off again at 6:30 a.m. CT from the Gadsden City Boat Docks, also known as Coosa Landing, with weigh-in back at the docks at 2:30 p.m. The Top 48 after Day 2 will advance to the semifinal round on Sunday.

Live coverage of the event can be streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms. FS1 will also broadcast the action live with the leaders beginning at 7 a.m.

The City of Gadsden and the Greater Gadsden Area Tourism are hosting this week’s Elite Series event.

2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota

2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha

2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Bass Pro Shops, Garmin, Huk Performance Fishing, Marathon, Rapala

2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Conservation Partner: AFTCO

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.

2021 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake 5/7-5/10
Neely Henry Lake, Gadsden  AL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1

Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Brock Mosley           Collinsville, MS         5  16-15  100
Day 1: 5   16-15
2.  Bryan New              Belmont, NC              5  16-07   99
Day 1: 5   16-07
3.  Clark Wendlandt        Leander, TX              5  15-13   98   $1,000.00
Day 1: 5   15-13
4.  Matt Arey              Shelby, NC               5  15-04   97
Day 1: 5   15-04
5.  Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT            5  15-03   96
Day 1: 5   15-03
6.  Todd Auten             Lake Wylie, SC           5  15-02   95
Day 1: 5   15-02
7.  Clent Davis            Montevallo, AL           5  14-09   94
Day 1: 5   14-09
8.  Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL         5  14-03   93
Day 1: 5   14-03
9.  Wes Logan              Springville, AL          5  14-01   92
Day 1: 5   14-01
10. Bob Downey             Hudson, WI               5  13-15   91
Day 1: 5   13-15
11. KJ Queen               Catawba, NC              5  13-14   90
Day 1: 5   13-14
12. Randy Sullivan         Breckenridge, TX         5  13-13   89
Day 1: 5   13-13
13. Austin Felix           Eden Prairie, MN         5  13-10   88
Day 1: 5   13-10
14. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN            5  13-08   87
Day 1: 5   13-08
15. Seth Feider            New Market, MN           5  13-07   86
Day 1: 5   13-07
16. Drew Benton            Blakely, GA              5  12-08   85
Day 1: 5   12-08
17. Ed Loughran III        Richmond, VA             5  12-05   84
Day 1: 5   12-05
18. Joshua Stracner        Vandiver, AL             5  11-13   83
Day 1: 5   11-13
19. Kyle Welcher           Opelika, AL              5  11-12   82
Day 1: 5   11-12
20. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR               5  11-09   81
Day 1: 5   11-09
21. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC           5  11-08   80
Day 1: 5   11-08
22. Frank Talley           Temple, TX               5  11-07   79
Day 1: 5   11-07
23. Brandon Cobb           Greenwood, SC            5  11-06   78
Day 1: 5   11-06
24. Patrick Walters        Summerville, SC          5  11-05   77
Day 1: 5   11-05
25. Jason Christie         Park Hill, OK            5  11-03   76
Day 1: 5   11-03
26. Caleb Kuphall          Mukwonago, WI            5  11-02   75
Day 1: 5   11-02
27. Brandon Card           Salisbury, NC            5  11-01   74
Day 1: 5   11-01
28. Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA               5  11-00   73
Day 1: 5   11-00
29. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA             5  10-15   72
Day 1: 5   10-15
30. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                  5  10-13   71
Day 1: 5   10-13
30. Brett Preuett          Monroe, LA               5  10-13   71
Day 1: 5   10-13
32. Luke Palmer            Coalgate, OK             5  10-08   69
Day 1: 5   10-08
33. Koby Kreiger           Alva, FL                 5  10-07   68
Day 1: 5   10-07
34. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY              5  10-06   67
Day 1: 5   10-06
35. Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA           5  10-05   66
Day 1: 5   10-05
36. Shane LeHew            Catawba, NC              5  10-04   65
Day 1: 5   10-04
36. Yusuke Miyazaki        Forney, TX               5  10-04   65
Day 1: 5   10-04
38. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN           5  10-03   63
Day 1: 5   10-03
38. Matt Robertson         Kuttawa, KY              5  10-03   63
Day 1: 5   10-03
40. Kenta Kimura           Osaka JAPAN              5  10-01   61
Day 1: 5   10-01
41. Randy Pierson          Oakdale, CA              5  10-00   60
Day 1: 5   10-00
42. Gregory DiPalma        Millville, NJ            5  09-15   59
Day 1: 5   09-15
42. Chad Pipkens           Dewitt, MI               5  09-15   59
Day 1: 5   09-15
42. Jake Whitaker          Fairview, NC             5  09-15   59
Day 1: 5   09-15
45. Jay Yelas              Lincoln City, OR         4  09-15   56
Day 1: 4   09-15
46. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA                5  09-13   55
Day 1: 5   09-13
47. Buddy Gross            Chickamauga, GA          4  09-10   54
Day 1: 4   09-10
48. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL             5  09-09   53
Day 1: 5   09-09
48. Cory Johnston          Cavan CANADA             5  09-09   53
Day 1: 5   09-09
48. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL               5  09-09   53
Day 1: 5   09-09
51. Marc Frazier           Newnan, GA               5  09-07   50
Day 1: 5   09-07
52. Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY              5  09-02   49
Day 1: 5   09-02
53. Dale Hightower         Mannford, OK             5  09-01   48
Day 1: 5   09-01
54. Derek Hudnall          Denham Springs, LA       5  09-00   47
Day 1: 5   09-00
54. Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID             5  09-00   47
Day 1: 5   09-00
56. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX           5  08-14   45
Day 1: 5   08-14
57. Scott Martin           Clewiston, FL            5  08-10   44
Day 1: 5   08-10
58. Justin Hamner          Northport, AL            5  08-09   43
Day 1: 5   08-09
59. Jason Williamson       Wagener, SC              5  08-08   42
Day 1: 5   08-08
60. Taku Ito               Chiba JAPAN              5  08-05   41
Day 1: 5   08-05
61. Bryan Schmitt          Deale, MD                5  08-01   40
Day 1: 5   08-01
62. Mike Huff              Corbin, KY               5  07-12   39
Day 1: 5   07-12
63. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL          5  07-11   38
Day 1: 5   07-11
64. Lee Livesay            Longview, TX             5  07-10   37
Day 1: 5   07-10
64. Brad Whatley           Bivins, TX               5  07-10   37
Day 1: 5   07-10
66. Darold Gleason         Many, LA                 4  07-07   35
Day 1: 4   07-07
67. Chris Johnston         Otonabee Ontario CANADA  5  07-05   34
Day 1: 5   07-05
68. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ               5  07-04   33
Day 1: 5   07-04
69. Justin Atkins          Florence, AL             5  06-14   32
Day 1: 5   06-14
70. Drew Cook              Cairo, GA                4  06-14   31
Day 1: 4   06-14
71. Skylar Hamilton        Dandridge, TN            4  06-13   30
Day 1: 4   06-13
71. Ray Hanselman Jr       Del Rio, TX              4  06-13   30
Day 1: 4   06-13
73. Garrett Paquette       Canton, MI               5  06-11   28
Day 1: 5   06-11
74. Tyler Rivet            Raceland, LA             4  06-11   27
Day 1: 4   06-11
75. Kyle Monti             Okeechobee, FL           3  06-09   26
Day 1: 3   06-09
76. Jeff Gustafson         Keewatin Ontario CANADA  3  06-08   25
Day 1: 3   06-08
77. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO         3  06-03   24
Day 1: 3   06-03
78. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN         3  05-12   23
Day 1: 3   05-12
79. David Fritts           Lexington, NC            5  05-09   22
Day 1: 5   05-09
80. Bill Weidler           Helena, AL               2  05-05   21
Day 1: 2   05-05
81. Robbie Latuso          Gonzales, LA             3  05-02   20
Day 1: 3   05-02
82. Chris Zaldain          Fort Worth, TX           3  05-00   19
Day 1: 3   05-00
83. Quentin Cappo          Prairieville, LA         3  04-04   18
Day 1: 3   04-04
83. Rob Digh               Denver, NC               3  04-04   18
Day 1: 3   04-04
85. Cody Hollen            Beaverton, OR            2  04-03   16
Day 1: 2   04-03
86. Scott Canterbury       Odenville, AL            3  04-00   15
Day 1: 3   04-00
87. Destin DeMarion        Grove City, PA           3  03-09   14
Day 1: 3   03-09
88. Harvey Horne           Bella Vista, AR          2  03-09   13
Day 1: 2   03-09
89. John Cox               Debary, FL               1  03-08   12
Day 1: 1   03-08
90. Rick Morris            Lake Gaston, VA          2  03-07   11
Day 1: 2   03-07
91. Pat Schlapper          Eleva, WI                2  03-06   10
Day 1: 2   03-06
92. Chris Groh             Spring Grove, IL         1  03-05    9
Day 1: 1   03-05
93. Chad Morgenthaler      Reeds Spring, MO         2  02-10    8
Day 1: 2   02-10
94. Kelley Jaye            Dadeville, AL            1  02-06    7
Day 1: 1   02-06
95. Hunter Shryock         Ooltewah, TN             1  01-04    6
Day 1: 1   01-04
96. Carl Jocumsen          Queensland AUSTRALIA     0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
96. Shane Lineberger       Lincolnton, NC           0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
96. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL              0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
———————————————————————–

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1   Clark Wendlandt          Leander, TX         05-04      $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1        68       414       872-06
———————————-
68       414       872-06

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