Full Stride for Bass Tournament Season

The 2018 bass tournament season hits full stride this week, at least from my perspective. The season is well underway and has been for a few week. In fact, an FLW Costa Series event, an FLW Tour event and a Bassmaster Open are in the books. The Bassmaster Elite Series begin this week, though, and to me, the tournament season hits full stride once the FLW Tour and the Elite Series are underway.

The Elites are fishing Lake Martin in Alabama this week. Practice begins this morning. Last word I heard was that the lake was muddy and the water was cold. This week's weather looks pretty mild, though, so it will be interesting to hear practice reports and more importantly see tournament results!

I don't suppose will see anyone bring 31 pounds and change to the scales, like Bobby Lane did on day 1 on the Kissimmee Chain! That said, I suspect some of the guys will unlock good patterns and bring in some fat sacks of pretty spotted bass.

Sorting Out All Star Week

B.A.S.S. Photo Seigo Saito

Twenty-two anglers are fishing two separate events on three largely unknown Michigan waterways this weekend, with the competition beginning this morning. Fourteen B.A.S.S. All Stars are competing for total purse of $100,000 ($50,000 for first place). Eight top collegiate anglers are competing for a spot in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic at Lake Guntersville. The tournaments themselves, which are concurrent, both follow unique formats.

The All Star event begins with all 14 anglers fishing two days on Muskegon Lake. The top four from Friday's and Saturday's fishing will move onto the final round, with weights zeroed, and fish a single day on Sunday at nearby White Lake for the championship. All fourteen anglers got practice time on both lakes this week.

The All Star field includes the top eight anglers in this season's Angler of the Year Standings (Aaron Martens, Edwin Evers, Kevin VanDam, Bobby Lane, Keith Combs, Alton Jones, John Crews, Chris Zaldain); rookie of the year (Hank Cherry); 2013 Bassmaster Classic Champion (Cliff Pace) and four anglers chosen through fan voting (Brandon Palaniuk, Mike Iaconelli, Gerald Swindle, Skeet Reece).

The College Series Classic Bracket, which will take place on the Grand River, just south of Muskegon, includes the four two-man teams that finished highest in the College Championship on Lake Chatuge earlier this summer. The anglers won't competing as teams, though. Instead they'll fish as eight individuals in an elimination-style event that will finish with two anglers fishing head-to-head on Sunday for the chance to be the college representative in the Bassmaster Classic.

Learn more about how to follow both events at the unfold at www.bassmaster.com.

Double-Digit Repeat

Photo courtesy of PAA

Gerald Brown and Bobby Lane brought a 10-pound-plus largemouth to the scales for the second day in a row today and overtook the lead in the PAA Tour Team Challenge on Lake Toho. The team's two-day total of 49.65 pounds puts them a little more than a pound ahead of first-day leaders Glenn Browne and Chad Morgenthaler with one day of fishing remaining.

Today was rainy and windy. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and calm. Will Brown and Lane bring double-digit fish No. 3 to tomorrow's weigh-in and enough pounds of total weight to take the crown?

While the teams are fishing, I'll be traveling, and my plan is to be at Bass Pro Shops with my camera in hand by 4:30, when they begin weighing fish.

Toho Delivers Big on Day 1

Photo courtesy of PAA

Plenty of pigs were held high for pictures as PAA pro teams brought their catches to the scales yesterday. It was Day 1 of the PAA Tour Team Challenge, and the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes did not disappoint. Glenn Browne and Chad Morgenthaler took the early lead, with a five fish limit that weighed 31.89 pounds. Gerald Brown and Bobby Lane brought in the day's biggest single bass, which weighed 10.59 pounds.

The pros came to the scales as teams and talked about their day on the water -- not only about the fishing but about the unique dynamic of fishing together. For some it was natural, like buddies just fishing together; for others, who are used to always running the boat and making every decision, fishing together was a challenge and required some adjustments.

Today is supposed to be windy and rainy. That could make navigation rough, and it certainly won't favor sight-fishing; however it could turn on a different bite and create some pretty exciting fishing.

For updates throughout the day today and tomorrow, visit the PAA's facebook page. Yesterday, they were able to post shots of some hawgs right after they were caught -- stuff that made it pretty clear that the weigh-in would be exciting for fans. To see great photo galleries and more detailed reports, visit fishpaa.com.