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Rippin’ Winter Bass
A cold weather tip by Shane Lineberger: Do you think it is too cold to fish? As the New Year begins and the water temperature dips into the 40’s-50’s most people take a break and prepare for the upcoming season. I on the other hand hit the lake wide open in search of some of the best fishing of the year.
Fishermen have always heard how lethargic bass will become in cold water. This statement is true however presented with the right circumstances they still have to eat. The first thing you must find is bait. Finding bait is a big piece of the puzzle this time of year and helps aid in locating bass. Once the bait is found we must choose the right weapon. I always reach for a JERKBAIT! The jerkbait seems to be the right profile and its erratic action entices bass to hit that otherwise would not hit a slow moving bait. I throw the Megabass Vision 110 in sexy shad color. This setup closely mimics what the bass are eating this time of year.
Other important parts of winter time jerkbait fishing includes rod, reel and line. Starting out with line, I spool up with 10lb. Seaguar Invizx Fluorocarbon. This line is the most manageable line I have used and very strong when fighting those big fish. For my rod choice I opt for Denali Rods. The Michael Murphy Signature Jerkbait is perfect for this technique. At 6’8 this rod allows me to work the bait correctly in a downward motion. The med action of the rod also allows for proper action of the bait and has enough flex to aid in fighting the fish and helping not to pull the trebles out. I equip this Denali rod with an Abu Garcia Revo Premier 7:1 reel. This reel has excellent casting control over the Megabass jerkbait. Casting control is very critical especially on those windy days. The Revo’s drag is excellent as well. Using 10lb. line you have to make sure the drag is smooth for those hard running fish which seems to happen when they see the boat.
Lastly is the method to the madness. I use a simple cadence of “jerk”, “pause”, “jerk”, “jerk”, “pause”, “jerk”, “jerk”,” jerk, “pause”. The “pause” can vary so let the bass tell you how long to pause it.
So as the water cools don’t get stuck inside. Spend a little time honing your skills and enjoy some great fishing. Trust me, once you find the bass you will forget all about the cold!
Find out more about Shane here.
Brothers From Daytona State College Lead Day 2 Of Carhartt College Southern Regional
Brothers Thomas (left) and James Oltorik of Daytona State College lead Day 2 of the Carhartt Bassmaster College Southern Regional on the St. Johns River out of Flagler County, Fla. Photo by Shaye Baker/Bassmaster
FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — Brothers Thomas Oltorik III and James Oltorik of Daytona State College took the Day 2 lead Sunday at the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Southern Regional on the St. Johns River with a two-day total of 29-2.
Daytona State is located just 40 minutes up the road from where the college anglers have had takeoff at Bull Creek Fish Camp on Dead Lake the past two days. Some might think that close proximity gives the Oltorik brothers an advantage, and in a way it does, but by no means has it made leading the Southern Regional easy.
After hoisting 15-9, the second heaviest bag of Day 1, onto the scales, the Oltorik brothers added to that momentum on Day 2 with 13-9. Though they fell off their pace by 2 pounds, they managed to take the lead by 1 pound, 2 ounces.
The lighter weight on Day 2 was harder to come by. After having only one fish by 8:30 a.m., the Oltoriks decided to pack up and make a two-and-a-half hour run down the St. Johns River past Lake George. That run didn’t leave the brothers a lot of time to fish.
“We caught them all in about 2 hours,” Thomas said. “We went real slow on the way back because I didn’t want to have to re-fuel. My boat holds almost 60 gallons, and we made it back on fumes.”
That move certainly paid off for Daytona State, but Thomas isn’t sure if the same long run will take place tomorrow, the final day of competition.
“We’ll stop on a few places to see if we can get bit,” Thomas said. “I don’t like to have to make that long run, but if they don’t bite in Crescent Lake we’ll have to. If the ones in the lake bite, we could have more than our Day 1 weight of 15-9.”
For leading after Day 2, Daytona State’s 29-2 earns the Oltoriks the Livingston Lures Leader Award.
Clemson’s Baylor Ronemus and Cole Tinsley brought in 16-15 Sunday to jump from 19th on Day 1 to second place at the end of Day 2. Their Day 2 bag of 16-15 was one of six limits that exceeded anything brought to the scales on Day 1, showing that the fishing is certainly improving here on the St. Johns.
Jacob Reome and Matthew Garvin of Clemson University backed up their Day 1 weight of 14-4 with 11-7 on Day 2 to retain their third-place position from Day 1.
One of the biggest moves of Day 2 came from Florida StateUniversity’s Cody Spears and Justin Mahon, who brought in 19-15 to move from 60th all the way into fourth place. Their weight of nearly 20-pounds took over the Bass Pro Shops Nitro Big Bag lead, which will be awarded at the end of the event for the largest one-day weight of the week.
CJ Knight and Tim Ward of Auburn University round out the Top 5 with a two-day total of 24-8.
On a day of big bags and come-from-behinds, Grant Galloway and Joe Marty of Mississippi State University made the biggest move, jumping 77 spots with a total of 20-15 to finish Day 2 in 16th place after starting the day in 93rd.
The Top 20 move on to fish the final day, which will start tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. ET from Bull Creek Fish Camp on Dead Lake. The weigh-in will begin at 3 p.m. ET when the winner of the Southern Regional and the Top 18 teams will be determined. Those 18 teams will advance to the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship to be held later this summer.
For the complete results as well as photos, videos and stories from the event, visit Bassmaster.com.
2015 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Title Sponsor: Carhartt
2015 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Nitro, Skeeter, Triton, Yamaha
2015 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Supporting Partners: Dick Cepek Tires, Diet Mountain Dew, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Power-Pole, Rigid Industries, Shimano
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport. 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 presented by Allstate, Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation events, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series, Bassmaster High School Series presented by Carhartt, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by Diet Mountain Dew and GoPro.
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Media Contact: Helen Northcutt, 205-313-0944, hnorthcutt@bassmaster.com or
Dave Precht, 205-313-0931, dprecht@bassmaster.com.
Carhartt Bassmaster College Series – Southern
1/3/2015 – 1/5/2015
St. Johns River – Bull Creek Fish Camp – Flagler County, FL
STANDINGS BOATER DAY 2
Today’s Activity Accumulative
Name #Fish #Live Lbs – Oz
1 Thomas Oltorik III – James Oltorik Daytona State College 5 4 13- 9 10 9 29- 2
2 Baylor Ronemus – Cole Tinsley Clemson University 5 5 16-15 10 10 28- 0
3 Jacob Reome – Matthew Garvin Clemson University 5 5 11- 7 10 10 25-11
4 Cody Spears – Justin Mahon Florida State University 5 4 19-15 8 7 24-15
5 CJ Knight – Tim Ward Auburn University 5 5 13- 4 10 10 24- 8
6 John Duarte – Jonathan Kelley Coastal Carolina University 5 5 12-10 10 10 23-14
7 Patrick Walters – Josh Rennebaum University of South Carolina 5 5 12- 4 10 10 23-12
8 Ross Burns – Richard Nesbitt Clemson University 5 4 13- 3 10 9 22-12
9 Ross Dove – Richie Young Emmanuel College 5 5 10-11 9 9 22-12
10 Hunter Gibson – Caiden Sinclair University of Alabama 5 5 10-10 10 10 22-10
11 Taylor Minick – Micheal Harbach Valdosta State University 5 5 17- 9 8 8 22- 7
12 Frankie Appaluccio – Logan Shaddix University of Alabama 4 4 7-11 9 9 21-12
13 Josh Oliver – Nathan George Gadsden State Community College 5 5 9-13 10 10 21- 2
14 Lealand Johnson – Drew Grow University of Alabama 3 3 4-10 8 8 21- 1
15 Austin Littrell – Ben Wall Auburn University 5 4 11- 5 10 9 21- 0
16 Grant Galloway – Joe Marty Mississippi State University 5 4 18- 9 7 6 20-15
17 Justin Rivers – CJ Waters Wallace State CC Hanceville 5 5 12- 3 8 8 20-14
18 Kevin Lucas – Kyle Stafford U. of Central Florida 5 5 6-14 10 10 20- 7
19 Murphy Klumpp – Lucas Brown Auburn University 5 5 17-11 8 8 20- 6
20 Anderson Aldag – Lee Mattox University of Alabama 5 5 7-12 10 10 19-14
21 Andrew Warbington – Taylor Teague University of West Alabama 5 5 17-12 6 6 19- 6
22 Ben Stone – Collin Smith Lander University 5 5 7-13 10 10 19- 1
23 John Davis – Payton McGinnis University of Alabama 5 5 8-11 10 10 18-10
24 John Maner – Colt Kelso U. of North Alabama 5 5 10- 7 10 10 18- 7
25 Tom Brewbaker – Gettys Brannon University of South Carolina 5 5 9- 4 10 10 18- 6
26 Justin Lynch – Tom Catania U. of North Alabama 3 3 9- 1 8 8 17-15
27 Kirk Savage – William Blount U. of South Alabama 5 5 13- 9 6 6 17-10
28 Thompson Fuller – Trey Fyock University of Montevallo 4 4 4- 2 9 9 17-10
29 Michael Martindill – Evan French U. of North Florida 5 5 7-14 10 10 17- 7
30 Adam Acker – Christi Rolin Georgia State University 5 5 9- 9 10 10 17- 6
31 Cody Harrison – Clint Frederick U. of North Alabama 3 3 8-10 6 6 17- 0
32 Colby Smith – Adam Hall Gadsden State Community College 4 4 7- 5 9 9 16-15
33 Justin Singleton – Zac Bennett Georgia College & State University 5 5 13-12 7 7 16-14
34 Trent Palmer – Dean Mullett Georgia Southern 2 2 7-15 6 6 16-13
35 Nathan Felker – Joe Bates Georgia Southern 4 4 14-14 5 5 16-12
36 Jordan Heath – Chapman Curtis Auburn University 5 5 7-10 9 9 16- 8
37 Dakota Garner – Sawyer Haney Northeast Alabama Community College 3 3 4-10 7 7 16- 0
38 Austin Bell – Jerod Gadd Polk State College 5 5 7-15 9 9 15-14
39 Travis King – Madison Webb University of Montevallo 5 5 7- 1 10 9 15-12
40 Austin Archer – Chase Chastain Jacksonville State University 3 3 3- 2 8 8 15- 8
41 Myles Bowen – Nick Gresens Georgia College & State University 4 4 7- 6 9 9 15- 6
42 Shelby Concon – Grant Bergeron University of Florida 5 5 9-11 9 9 15- 2
43 Mitchell Jennings – Kendall Andrews Auburn University 5 5 9-15 9 8 14- 9
44 Brad Davis – Bo Jones Columbus State University 5 5 10- 5 8 8 14- 8
45 Wade Griffith – Bryan Spellman Gadsden State Community College 5 5 7-13 10 10 14- 8
46 Justin Brown – Scott Swatscheno U. of Central Florida 5 5 8- 9 10 10 14- 3
47 Mitch Brumbeloe – Ashley Robinson University of West Alabama 4 4 6- 5 8 8 14- 1
48 Austin Herring – Tanner Ellis University of Montevallo 5 5 10-12 7 7 13-15
49 Landon Tucker – Grant Colson Valdosta State University 0 0 0- 0 5 5 13-14
50 Sandy Teaf – Steven Barker U. of Central Florida 5 5 7- 9 9 9 13- 5
51 Shawn Callahan – Brian Sweeney U. of South Carolina 5 5 6-10 10 10 13- 5
52 Tyler Moody – Austin Maynard UAB 2 2 9-12 5 5 13- 4
53 Eric Fisher – Jake Akin Georgia Highlands College 5 1 8- 6 9 5 13- 4
54 Hunter Bozeman – Dylan DeForrest Florida Gulf Coast University 4 4 6- 2 9 9 13- 1
55 Travis Johns – MJ Vihnanek U. of South Alabama 5 5 7- 9 9 9 12-11
56 Isaac Payne – Connor Mannina Savannah College of Art & Design 1 1 1- 0 6 6 12- 4
57 Hampton Anderson – Chris Blanchette University of South Carolina 4 4 6- 5 9 9 12- 4
58 Phillip Heyde – Kevin Hires Seminole State College 3 3 5-12 6 6 11-15
59 Hunter McKamey – Kyle Oliver U. of Central Florida 3 3 3- 6 8 8 11-12
60 Joshua Butts – Colin Morrow Wallace State CC Hanceville 3 2 5- 9 8 7 11-12
61 Alan Simmons – Bradley DeLeon Auburn University 4 4 7- 5 5 5 11- 7
62 Nathan Lain – Grayson Lambert University of Florida 2 2 2-14 7 7 11- 4
63 Lucas Johnson – Anthony McCullough Georgia Regents University 3 3 4- 0 6 6 11- 1
64 Joe Nakai – Blake Burtram U. of North Alabama 2 2 6- 2 5 5 11- 1
65 Adam Neill – Mitch Naler University of Alabama 1 1 2-12 6 6 10-14
66 Shane Haas – Matthew Cantrell University of Florida 5 5 7- 1 7 7 10-14
67 John Bryant – Trey Coile University of Alabama 5 5 8- 9 7 7 10-11
68 Ethan Wages – U. of South Alabama 5 5 6- 7 8 8 10-10
69 Jesse James – Nolan Vinson Troy University 5 5 7-11 7 7 10- 7
70 Clark Lawrence – Ethan Weeks Mississippi State University 2 2 2-11 4 4 9-10
71 Brad Vice – Austin Mize U. of North Alabama 5 5 9- 9 5 5 9- 9
72 Jeff Clayton IV – Cody Peak Mississippi State University 2 2 0- 0 5 5 9- 5
73 James Altmann – Mark Blanar University of Florida 0 0 0- 0 5 5 9- 1
74 Konner Kennedy – Ethan Flack University of Alabama 0 0 0- 0 5 5 9- 0
75 Zachary Edmunds – Nelson Madruga U. of Central Florida 2 2 2- 4 7 7 8-14
76 Ryan Darracott – Zachary Darracott U. of North Alabama 3 3 4-10 5 5 8- 6
77 Dawson Lenz – Evan Horne University of North Alabama 1 1 1-15 5 5 7-13
78 Garrett Roberts – Ethan Hayes Auburn University 3 3 4- 5 5 5 7- 7
79 Scott Cain – Tyler Teal UAB 3 3 7- 5 3 3 7- 5
80 Seth Hanchey – Gunnar McCollough Troy University 0 0 0- 0 3 3 7- 3
81 Alex Parker – Hunter Franklin U. of South Alabama 5 5 6- 0 6 6 6-13
82 Brett Webster – Ryan Williams U. of North Alabama 2 2 5- 5 3 3 6- 6
83 Cody Kennedy – Glenn Kennedy Calhoun Comm College 1 1 2- 1 3 3 6- 3
84 Wesley Griner – Dalton Dedge Darton State College 3 3 3- 7 5 5 5-15
85 Alex Schieman – Ryan Stewart Georgia College & State University 0 0 0- 0 5 5 5-13
86 Charles Conger – Hunter Branham Southern Polytechnic College 1 1 0-13 6 6 5- 5
87 Brett Nelson – Chase Turner Wallace State CC Hanceville 0 0 0- 0 3 3 5- 4
88 Hayden Tilley – Cole Gifford Northeast Alabama Community College 1 1 2- 0 2 2 5- 3
89 Andrew Cannon – Drew Herold U. of North Alabama 2 2 3- 0 4 4 5- 1
90 Andrew Suggs – Chase Coker Darton State College 3 3 5- 0 3 3 5- 0
91 Zane Xanders – A.J. Hoath Florida Gulf Coast University 0 0 0- 0 3 3 4- 7
92 Matt Oliver – Justin Woodruff UAB 0 0 0- 0 3 3 4- 4
93 Jon Feazell – Alex Bell UAB 0 0 0- 0 1 1 4- 4
94 Adam Clark – Matt Cagle Wallace State CC Hanceville 0 0 0- 0 2 2 4- 2
95 Cale Mathis – Jonathan McLendon Abraham Baldwin Ag College 2 2 3- 5 3 3 4- 2
96 Denver McLain – Benjamin Chandler Abraham Baldwin Ag College 0 0 0- 0 1 1 4- 1
97 Brady Bowden – Landon Olson Faulkner University 1 1 0-12 4 4 3-15
98 Makenzie Henson – Ryan Hayse U. of North Alabama 1 1 3-10 1 1 3-10
99 Jacob Burns – Wesley Minor UAB 0 0 0- 0 4 4 3- 6
100 Nathan Martin – Andrew Tate U. of North Alabama 0 0 0- 0 3 3 3- 5
101 Philippe Brown – Kent Green AUM 0 0 0- 0 1 1 3- 4
102 Hunter Bechtel – Hunter Waller Abraham Baldwin Ag College 0 0 0- 0 2 2 3- 2
103 Toby Roach – Caleb Whitehead Mississippi State University 0 0 0- 0 2 2 2-15
104 Kenneth Ryan – Adam Kemp University of Florida 0 0 0- 0 2 2 2-13
105 Kenny Johnson – Brandon Black University of West Georgia 2 2 2-12 2 2 2-12
106 Andrew Himmelreich – Ethan Barrett Young Harris College 2 2 2- 7 2 2 2- 7
107 Timothy Parker – Hunter Bland University of Florida 2 2 2- 3 2 2 2- 3
108 Kolby Bowers – Alex Oliver Abraham Baldwin Ag College 1 1 1- 8 1 1 1- 8
109 Kyle Alford – Nathan Woodruff Mississippi State University 0 0 0- 0 1 1 1- 3
110 Luke Ferguson – Polk State College 0 0 0- 0 1 1 1- 2
111 Michael Skat – Kaitlyn Nardi Seminole State College 0 0 0- 0 1 1 1- 1
112 Austin Handley – Alex Wolfe UAB 0 0 0- 0 1 1 1- 0
113 Samuel Bass – Logan Elton Florida State University 0 0 0- 0 1 1 0-15
114 Colby Harville – Hunter Haney U. of North Alabama 0 0 0- 0 1 1 0-14
115 Drew Wilson – Kendall Pierce UAB 0 0 0- 0 1 1 0-13
116 Tanner Malone – Logan Smith Mississippi State University 0 0 0- 0 1 1 0-12
117 Caleb Barksdale – Ean Miles Northeast Alabama Community College 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
117 Brandon Easterling – Daniel Perry University of Montevallo 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
117 Layton Jones – Tyler Schmidt Georgia Southern 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
117 Skylar Lansdell – Matthew Hand AUM 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
117 Blake McDaniel – Chet Reaves Auburn University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
117 Hunter Reeves – Tucker Hill Georgia Southern 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
117 Taylor Thompson – Hunter Coppolino Abraham Baldwin Ag College 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
117 Stephen Young – Zach Hitt Reinhardt University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
BIG BASS TOTALS
Day Name City,State Lbs-Oz
Day # Fish # Live Lbs-Oz # Limits
1 Lealand Johnson – Drew Grow Huntsville, AL 7-15
2 Nathan Felker – Joe Bates Suwanne, GA 10- 7 1 367 365 691-12 42
2 343 333 698- 0 46
BTW with a Legend
The 2015 tournament season is about to get started. As you get your tackle prepared and game plans together this tip from Raymarine pro Paul Elias may be the one thing you overlook.
University of Alabama Team Leads Day 1 Of Carhartt College Southern Regional
FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — Lealand Johnson and Drew Grow of the University of Alabama lead the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Southern Regional after Day 1 with 16-7 including the Carhartt Big Bass weighing 7-15.
The Southern Regional on the St. Johns started a little slow for many teams. Although most reported more bites on Day 1 than they found during practice, getting the fish into the boat seemed to be a problem for many anglers.
The 7-15 Carhartt Big Bass caught by Johnson was the biggest bass weighed in on Day 1 by 2 pounds. The near 8-pounder may be a sign of things to come. There’s a full moon approaching that will hit on the final day of this tournament, Jan. 5, and that could bring loads of big St. Johns River females to the bank.
“I was almost to the point of quitting when that big fish bit,” Johnson said. “It’s been a long week with everything that’s happened to us, so we were pretty beat down.”
That long week consisted of a blown trailer hub on the way down, then the top cap came loose from the hull of their boat on Wednesday, and they had to drive to Panama City Wednesday night to borrow a boat from Johnson’s friend. When they got back to Palm Coast at 6 a.m. Friday they went straight back out on the water to practice all day and finally got a little sleep last night. So when the big one bit, they could feel their luck changing.
“We were lucky to get her in,” Johnson said. “I switched to braid about 30 minutes before that, and she wrapped me up in a bunch of stuff. Once we caught that big fish, everything turned around and the momentum changed for us.”
As for now, the Bass Pro Shops Nitro Big Bag award of 16-7 caught by Johnson and Grow of Alabama has the bar set. Four teams are within 2-8 of the lead. Thomas Oltorik III and James Oltorik of Daytona State College sit in second with 15-9 and pose the most immediate threat to the University of Alabama.
Thomas Oltorik finished second in the 2013 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Southern Regional on the Harris Chain with his then partner Scott Heaberlin. Without a kicker in their Day 1 bag and considering their local knowledge of the area, Daytona State stands a good chance of making a move one step up the leader board on Day 2.
Rounding out the Top 5 are Jacob Reome and Matthew Garvin of Clemson University with 14-4, Frankie Appaluccio and Logan Shaddix of the University of Alabama with 14-1, and Landon Tucker and Grant Colson of Valdosta State University with 13-14.
Anglers will launch from Bull Creek Fish Camp at 7 a.m. and weigh-in at 3 p.m ET Sunday and Monday. On the final day, the field will be cut to the Top 20 teams. For more information, please visit Bassmaster.com.
2015 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Title Sponsor: Carhartt
2015 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Nitro, Skeeter, Triton, Yamaha
2015 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Supporting Partners: Dick Cepek Tires, Diet Mountain Dew, Livingston Lures, Power-Pole, Rigid Industries, Shimano
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport. 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 presented by Allstate, Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation events, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series, Bassmaster High School Series presented by Carhartt, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by Diet Mountain Dew and GoPro.
Bass Cast – Dave Mercer
Keep up with Dave and the Facts of Fishing right here.