Mullins & Noel Win TBF/FLW Murray State Open

1st Place Allen Mullins - Colton NoelKentucky Lake was full of anglers this past weekend with more than half a dozen high school, college and adult bass tournaments scattered down the lake from KY Dam all the way to Pickwick Dam.  A total of 117 high school teams from seven different states gathered for the TBF/FLW Murray State Open, once again, hosted by Murray State University on Saturday, March 12.

After a week-long rain and so much water flowing into the river, anglers were wondering how the fish would bite. The rain gave way Saturday to be replaced with cloudy skies and warm temperatures.  The anglers took advantage and several nice bags of fish were brought to the scales.

After the last bag was weighed, the Calloway County Lakers team of Allen Mullins and Colton Noel were crowned champions with a massive limit of bass weighing 27lbs. Right behind them, was the Henderson County Colonel Team of Addison Watson and Bobby Miller with a limit weighing 20lbs 3oz.  Rounding out the top three teams to advance was the Muhlenburg County Mustang team of Billy Hardison and Nathan Flener with a limit that tipped the scales at 16lbs 9oz. The top three advance to the Southeast Conference Regional, which will be held in Somerset, Ky., on September 17.

3rd Place Hardison & FlenerAmong the top three teams winning patterns were rattletraps, crawfish colored crankbaits, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, square bill crankbaits, swimbaits and the ever popular Alabama rig. The depth of the water for success varied almost as much as the variety of baits.  Some anglers caught them in the backs of pockets and creeks in 1-3ft waters, while others caught them just inside the creeks on the first points or pockets in 6-10ft water.  Still other anglers targeted fish on the main lake points in 15-20ft of water.

Trophies and plaques were given to the top five teams overall.  Fourth place was Douglas Guidorzi and William Curtright from the Rockwood Summit Falcons team with 16lbs 6oz.  Fifth place was another Calloway County Laker team of Clayton Bobo and Myles Mcmanus with 15lbs 11oz.

2nd Place Watson & MillerThe Lew’s Big Bass Award was taken by the Calloway County Laker team of Colton Cox and Andrew Douglas with a hefty 6lb 9oz largemouth lunker.  They received a Lew’s reel for catching the biggest bass of the tournament.  Click here for the full Big Bass Report.

The Certified Angler award went to Austin Sherrod (12 lbs. 12 oz) from the 22:6 High School Bass Team.   He was the highest finishing person in the event who took the on-line test and turned in his certificate of completion.  He received a nice bag of goodies from our sponsors at FLW.

                          For Full Results Click HERE.

DELTA TEEN TEAM OPEN

Delta Teen Team of Oakley, CA is hosting a tournament on the California Delta for JUNIOR ANGLERS and STUDENT ANGLERS.

Where: Russo’s Marina, Bethel Island, CA

Tournament Date: April 3

Check In: 5am at Russo’s

Weigh In: Starts at 1pm

Picnic Lunch for Boaters and Anglers after the weigh in Awards Ceremony to follow.

All anglers must be current active Junior or Student Anglers with TBF/FLW membership. You must have your membership numbers. Anglers can compete as Junior Anglers (individual 5 fish limit) OR as Student Anglers (High School Teams, 5 fish limit per team)

Registration Fee is $25 per angler includes launch fee, awards, raffle and lunch for anglers and boaters. You must register by 8:00 pm Wednesday, March 30th to receive your free raffle tickets. Late registration will not receive free raffle tickets.

Call or email for Registration Forms and information: Barry Sterud, email: s2bsterud@aol.com cell:925-584-6868

Boaters Needed

Safe boaters are needed to give kids an opportunity to compete in Bass Tournaments. Boaters must be at least 19 years old and out of high school. Boats must be a safe fishing platform for two anglers with a boater/coach aboard and must have live wells or another means of keeping fish alive. Boaters serve as coaches for these events and can help net and care for fish and advise anglers. In this format, boaters can fish if their boater/coach needs are met but are encouraged not to fish for fish the young anglers are targeting.

If you would like to be a boater/coach for this event, please call: Barry Sterud, 925-584-6868

Jason Christie’s Old-School Approach Talk of the Bassmaster Classic

TULSA, Okla. — Oklahoma pro Jason Christie ended up one spot short of winning the 2016 Bassmaster Classic at Grand Lake, Okla., finishing second to fellow Oklahoman and Bassmaster Elite Series roommate Edwin Evers. Though he didn’t win, Christie’s old-school spinnerbait approach was the talk of the tournament, even among fellow competitors.

With the cold and muddy water, Christie wanted a bulky bait that he could fish slowly. He fished a 1-ounce BOOYAH Blade spinnerbait that he altered by replacing the single No. 5 Colorado blade with a huge No. 6 gold Colorado blade, and used the new YUM Pulse swimbait as a trailer.

“I used that combination because I wanted to increase the strike zone in that dirtier water,” he IMG_YUM Pulsesaid. “The fish couldn’t see so well, so I wanted them to feel the bait.”

Key to his rig was the new YUM Pulse swimbait, which he received just in time for the Classic. The YUM Pulse wasn’t designed to be a spinnerbait trailer or even a trailer at all, but once Jason got some in his hands just two weeks before the Classic he knew they were the missing ingredient for his Classic presentation.

“That bait is the best,” he said. “It swims really good at a slow speed – that tail really kicks. And when you burn it, it still kicks. It doesn’t blow out and tracks great.

“I used the YUM Pulse as a trailer because I wanted that bulk and density. I wanted to go slow but keep the spinnerbait up off the bottom,” he said. “It was just what I needed.”

Unlike many swimbaits, the YUM Pulse has great tail-kicking action while also being very durable. In three days of fishing the Bassmaster Classic plus practice, Christie said he never had to replace a YUM Pulse because of a fish strike.

The single-Colorado blade BOOYAH Blade spinnerbait is available at stores nationwide, and the YUM Pulse will be available soon.

For more about BOOYAH baits go to http://www.BooyahBaits.com. For more about YUM baits, go to http://www.YumBaits.com.

Contact:

Chad Warner, brand manager, 479-441-1024, cwarner@pradcooutdoorbrands.com