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EDWIN EVERS TALKS JERKBAIT FISHING
As the ice melts and water warms up, bass begin to enter into their pre-spawn, spawn, and post spawn stages. These stages are especially acute and short in northern latitudes where water temperatures change quickly in March through to the end of May.Earlier this year, Bassmaster Elite, Edwin Evers, spoke about cold water bass strategy with the AnglingAuthority.com team. We want to share key tips Edwin had for anglers when fishing deep jerk baits.
PAA To Take Another Vote On Umbrella Rigs
Only one angler who finished among the Top 15 at last week's PAA Tournament Series opener at Tennessee's Douglas Lake did not utilize an umbrella rig during the competition. That's ignited enough of a firestorm within the ranks that the membership will be surveyed for a second time as to whether the multi-arm contraptions should be banned on the circuit.PAA president Dave Mansue told BassFan that competitors in next month's event at Fort Loudoun/Tellico will be asked to give a straight "yay" or "nay" vote on the rigs, and the remainder of the organization's 300-plus Tour Level members will be polled via email. If the naysayers prevail, the ban would go into effect at the start of the 2014 season.The determination to put the issue to a new vote was reached during a conference call this week among the PAA Board of Directors. The membership also weighed in on the matter last year, but "no opinion" was given as a third choice in that instance. The number of voters who selected that option, combined with the number who voted in favor of the rigs, was greater than the number who voted to outlaw them, and they were thus declared legal for PAA events.Some think the results of the upcoming vote will be different with the "no opinion" option off the table."We need to do this while this tournament's still fresh on everyone's mind," said Mike McClelland, a PAA board member who's spearheading the move to rid the circuit of the rigs. "We need to find out one way or the other if a majority of the membership is for it or against it, and if it turns out there's more for it, I'll throw up my hands and say I'm sorry for the comments I've made."I truly believe, though, that given only those two choices, there'll be more against it than for it."The Only Way to Go (Almost)
Bass Pro Shops, Nitro Boats Renews Sponsorship of PAA for 2013
The Professional Anglers Association (PAA) announced today that Bass Pro Shops, America’s leading outdoor retailer, has renewed its sponsorship of the PAA for 2013.From a simple but effective idea, founder Johnny Morris, built Bass Pro Shops into one of America’s premier outdoor retailers with destination outdoor retail stores across America and Canada, serving over 75 million sportsmen a year. Today, huge boat showrooms are featured in every Bass Pro Shops but Bass Pro Shops isn’t just about fishing anymore and is now a leading outdoor retailer in hunting, camping, nature gifts, outdoor cooking and much more.Nitro and Tracker boats have also joined in this renewed sponsorship of the PAA for 2013 and will continue to feature America’s number one selling fishing boats to the bass fishing enthusiasts of PAA.“Bass Pro Shops and Nitro Boats are pleased to announce that we are continuing as the premier partner of the Professional Anglers Association in 2013. The PAA features the top professional anglers from both the B.A.S.S. and FLW organizations. The PAA Board of Directors are competitive anglers who have a passion for tournament fishing and growing the sport of bass fishing. Their efforts regarding conservation and the promotion of youth fishing programs is instrumental to the future of the sport,” said Rick Emmitt, Marketing Manager-Angler Programs/Pro Staff for Bass Pro Shops.PAA President Dave Mansue said, ”The PAA is excited to extend our partnership with America’s best outdoor retailer, Bass Pro Shops. Over the last three years Bass Pro Shops and the PAA have done some exciting things together bringing more anglers and more fans to Bass Pro Shops stores across the country. Our Bass Pro Shops PAA Tournament Series events are filled with the best anglers and offer some of the best competition in the industry.
Edwin Evers' 5 favorite hard baits
"Spring is a time when you need to cover a lot of water," says Edwin Evers, seven-time B.A.S.S. winner. “I rely heavily on hard baits because, by nature, they’re easier to cover water with. A jerkbait, crankbait and topwater are some of the best tools there are to get a feel for what the bass are doing.” Here’s what Edwin Evers is packing in springtime.
MLF back Thursday
Major League Fishing returns to the Outdoor Channel lineup Thursday evening with the first of six shows from the Challenge Cup at Florida's Lake Istokpoga. The opening-round episode from the event, which was shot last October, will air at 9 p.m. ET.Istokpoga offers the anglers unspoiled natural scenery, challenging but rewarding fishing conditions, a host of changing weather conditions and even unexpected visits from species other than bass.“We just came off an event on Chautauqua Lake in New York, where our anglers showed their dock-fishing skills and were confined to some tight quarters. Now we move to south Florida for the Challenge Cup, and the contrast our anglers find on Lake Istokpoga couldn’t be more evident,” said MLF commissioner Don Rucks.“At Istokpoga, our anglers get a full dose of Florida fishing on an absolute gem of a lake. Istokpoga was a lot of fun, and I promise you that every episode is highly entertaining. In fact, in the first show, one of our anglers gets tangled with a gator. And he lives to tell about it.”Challenge Cup coverage will air six times per week during the second quarter of 2013. Expanded shows are also available through the Extended Cast option, which can be accessed via the organization's website (www.majorleaguefishing.com).
Edwin Evers Tournament Blog: Falcon Lake 2013
Falcon isn’t quite the lake it was when the Elite Series first visited in 2008, but it’s still a tremendous fishery where you have to catch well over a hundred pounds over four days to be in contention. This time around we were there a little bit earlier in the spring and the weather had been slightly cooler, so I felt that there would be a lot more fish caught shallow. Despite that fact, I was also of the opinion that some fish had probably spawned in November or December, and those bass would be ganged up on offshore structure. That’s where I decided to focus my efforts, figuring that the offshore fish would be more reliable. On the first day of practice I focused exclusively on mid- to deep structure and it was one of the best days of fishing I’ve ever experienced. I’m sure that my top five fish would’ve weighed 50 pounds. Once I figured out what I was looking for I could pull up on a spot, make one cast, and usually I’d catch an absolute giant.
Edwin Evers Tournament Blog: Sabine River 2013
The Sabine River was a new tournament venue for just about all of us on the Elite Series and it provided us with a seemingly endless string of waterways to fish. You could run until you ran out of gas and still have fishable water, but the bass seemed to be concentrated in small portions of the river system. As you can see from the low weights, it was a tough fishery, but I really enjoyed it – it was a mental battle to stay focused and when you’re making long runs and looking for little hidey-holes it forces you to utilize all of your fishing knowledge and craftiness if you want to excel. I had really hoped to find fish close to the take-off spot. If you’re making a run of an hour or two, not only do you lose valuable fishing time, but you also increase your chances of a breakdown or other mechanical difficulties. With that in mind, I spent the first day fishing in the Sabine itself. I went up as far as I could go and didn’t catch a keeper, so obviously that strategy wasn’t going to work for me.
KEITH COMBS LEADS DAY THREE AT FALCON
3rd Place: Edwin Evers (26-8, 28-15, 23-8: 78-15)What were your expectations heading into the day?“I was hoping to catch as much as I possibly could, and hopefully catch another 28-pound stringer.It just didn’t happen.”How would you summarize your day as a whole? “It was a horrible grind and it was really hard today. I just didn’t get a lot of bites at all.”Was there a key moment for you during the day?“I was about to leave an area and I ended up hitting one more spot and I caught an 8-1 and culled a couple more times. That turned out to be pretty key.”What was the most challenging/surprising aspect of your day?“Just the spectator boats. There were a few that were getting pretty close today.”How would you assess your decision making and execution on the water? “My execution wasn’t as good as I was hoping it would be, but it went alright for me out there today.”
Optima program adds new awards, circuits
In addition to enticing anglers with the opportunity to win extra cash this season, Optima Batteries is offering anglers the chance to win a day on the water with pro angler Edwin Evers as part of its True Blue Marine Rewards program.Optima today announced the beginning of the 4th year of the program to anglers across the U.S. This year’s version welcomes back a number of popular circuits and a few new ones, including the Florida B.A.S.S. Nation, Georgia South Division of Fishers of Men, Minnesota Pro-Team Bass Tour, Bad Bass Champs Tournament Trail (Ohio), North American Bass Circuit (Georgia, Minnesota, South Carolina, Wisconsin), Wisconsin Association of Bass Tournament Anglers, BBT Bass (Michigan) and the Sturgeon Bay Open Bass Tournament (Wisconsin).The program, designed to reward anglers who use Optima Bluetop products in their tournament boat, will pay the top-finishing, contingency-qualified team a cash prize of up to $1,000 with an added incentive in certain events that pay a higher amount for any team that wins the event. This year anglers have the chance to bring home more than a collective $24,000 in cash rewards as well as free Optima product at select events.“We are really excited about adding Edwin Evers to this year’s True Blue program,” said Cam Douglass, director of marketing and product development for Optima. “Anglers who qualify for True Blue cash in 2013 will be thrown into a drawing. At the end of the year we will pick one person to win the fishing trip of a lifetime. The best part is the more times you win, the more times your name gets thrown into the hat.”
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