Quillback

I go for the best of both worlds, Daichi Deathtraps on jerkbaits, some topwaters, and minnow type lures, the KVD Mustad Ultrapoints on cranks that are banging off cover.

Some great fish you got up at that end of the lake, Bill. I'm going to be fishing that area myself a little more this summer.

ROGERS, Ark. – Coming in to this event David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va., had career winnings of $2.9 million dollars – the most of any professional angler on the FLW Tour. Dudley widened that gap today by winning the FLW Tour Major bass fishing tournament on Beaver Lake. The $125,000 victory has pushed him over the $3 million mark. Dudley weighed in a five-bass limit worth 16 pounds, 9 ounces to win the tournament, besting the best bass fishing pros in the tournament. Dudley weighed in 20 bass totaling 54 pounds, 7 ounces during four days of competition fishing. He edged out a man who had previously won this event in 2007, Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tenn., who weighed in five bass today totaling 17 pounds, 8 ounces. Morgan’s four-day total of 53-15 was good enough for second place – and a $35,000 check. “Winning a tournament like this really drives me,” said Dudley, who now has 32 top-10 finishes and six victories in FLW competition. “Me and Glenn (Browne) are good friends, but when he said on stage yesterday that there were only three anglers in contention to win and he didn’t mention my name, well, it really fueled my fire. So thank you, Glenn Browne. What I did today was like hitting two grand slams in the last inning of a baseball game. I just kept plucking away at it. It’s a passion for me. “You really just have to go out there and catch as much as you can,” Dudley continued. “You can’t worry about what the other guy is doing. Fishing is so much of a mental game; you have to be mentally tough. It’s not about the skill, it’s about the decisions. It’s not like I’m a better angler than anybody out there. It’s the decisions that we make that separate us.” Dudley used his decision-making skills today to leap from fourth place after Saturday’s weigh-in into the top spot. He caught most of his fish this week on an umbrella rig, but changed his strategy this afternoon after having a slow morning. “I was catching them all week on the umbrella rig, but around 1 p.m. I realized that if I wanted to win I was going to need to switch it up,” he said. “I went to a steep bank that I had caught a couple off of this week using a wacky worm, and the wind was blowing pretty good against it. I made the decision to switch back to the wacky worm and I just worked my way down that bank. I caught four or five keepers and culled a couple of times, and it just seemed to turn on for me. Everywhere I stopped I caught a big one. I ended up only weighing in one on the umbrella rig today.” Despite the umbrella rig being a key part of Dudley’s success throughout the week, he knows that it was not the only factor in his victory. “That rig is something that we are all still learning about,” said Dudley. “It’s gotten a bad name because some people say that it mistreats the fish, but it doesn’t do any of that. It’s a lure that is going to catch some fish, but it does not dominate. Of my 20 bass that I weighed in, only 13 of them came on the umbrella rig. Seven of my fish came on different lures. The umbrella rig is a tool, not a cure-all tool. I believe the key decision to my tournament was not going after the spotted bass. I had a legit 10 to 12 schools located, and it was very tempting. I knew I couldn’t rely on them, though, because they would not have had the weight that helped me get to this spot today.” Moments after his emotional victory, Dudley was already looking ahead to the next FLW Tour event on the Potomac River. “I’m really looking forward to the Potomac, that’s for sure. I really love tidal rivers and I love the current. The Potomac is a very healthy fishery right now, so all of you Fantasy Fishing players out there better pick some good power fishermen.” The remaining top 10 pros finished the tournament in: 3rd: Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., 20 bass, 53-9, $30,000 4th: Scott Canterbury, Springville, Ala., 20 bass, 52-13, $25,000 5rd: Glenn Browne, Ocala, Fla., 20 bass, 51-14, $20,000 6th: Jay Yelas, Corvallis, Ore., 20 bass, 50-5, $17,000 7th: Charlie Evans, Gilbertsville, Ky., 20 bass, 46-10, $16,000 8th: Jacob Powroznik, Prince George, Va., 20 bass, 45-14, $15,000 9th: Kelley Jaye, Dadeville, Ala., 19 bass, 40-2, $14,000 10th: Brad Rightnour, Mingoville, Pa., 17 bass, 38-12, $13,000 Overall there were 46 bass weighing 115 pounds even caught by pros Sunday. The catch included eight five-bass limits. Chad Pipkens of Holt, Mich., won the co-angler division and $25,000 Saturday with a three-day total of nine bass weighing 22-15 followed by Todd Lee of Jasper, Ala., in second place with 10 bass weighing 18-14 worth $7,500. In FLW Tour Major tournaments, pros and co-anglers are competing for valuable points that could help them qualify for the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup. The top 35 pro and co-anglers in the point standings from the six FLW Tour Major tournaments will qualify.

ROGERS, Ark. – Coming into day three at the FLW Tour Major on Beaver Lake the largest stringer that had been weighed in for the bass fishing tournament was a nice 16-pound, 3-ounce bag weighed in Friday by J.T. Kenney. That weight was shattered on Saturday as Kenney’s fellow pro Scott Canterbury wowed the Rogers, Ark., crowd with a huge 19-pound, 11-ounce stringer of Beaver Lake bass. He now leads a full field of bass pros as they fish for a top cash award of up to $125,000. The Springville, Ala., native weighed in a five-bass limit Saturday vaulting him from 13th place yesterday into the top spot. After three days of fishing, Canterbury has weighed in 15 bass totaling 42 pounds, 5 ounces. He now holds a slim 12-ounce lead over Luke Clausen of Spokane, Wash., who caught five bass today weighing 14-5. Clausen has weighed in 15 bass totaling 41-9 after the first three days. “Man, it was an absolutely awesome day today,” said Canterbury, who has career earnings of more than $500,000 on the FLW Tour. “I have not changed anything, and I’m fishing the exact same way that I did on day one and day two. I was just blessed today. Every time I moved, I caught them. Every time I changed baits, I caught them. When I switched to bigger lures, I caught bigger fish. It was one of those days where everything that I did just worked out for me.” Canterbury said that he covered a lot of water Saturday, and plans on doing the same Sunday. “I started today in Prairie Creek and just started catching them right off of the bat,” Canterbury said. “Then I went way up the river and had some good bites up there as well. I’m really just looking for the transition banks and fishing the shallow cover. I was throwing so much different stuff today. I was power fishing. I threw the Alabama rig. I was throwing a big jig. I fished some topwaters. I was throwing a squarebill-crankbait. I’m just covering as much water as I can and trying different lures. I caught nine keepers on the day today. I feel like I’m around some fish – it’s just all about getting the big bites, though. Luckily that happened for me today, and I’m hoping I can do it again tomorrow.” After his success on day three, Canterbury said he has no plans of altering his strategy heading into the fourth and final day. “My plan for day four is to just keep doing the same thing. It’s just how I like to fish,” he continued. “I’ve got a good chance to catch some big fish tomorrow, but you never really know. I feel good about my chances, but this is still Beaver Lake. I only weighed in 8 pounds on the second day, and I’ve zeroed here before. I feel like I’m around a lot of fish but it’s all about getting those bites. Hopefully I can make that happen and everything goes good for me on day four and I can finish this thing off.” Rounding out the top 10 pros and advancing to the final day or competition on Beaver Lake are: 3rd: Glenn Browne, Ocala, Fla., 15 bass, 39-0 4th: David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 15 bass, 37-14 5th: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 36-7 6th: Jay Yelas, Corvallis, Ore., 15 bass, 36-5 7th: Kelley Jaye, Dadeville, Ala., 15 bass, 35-8 8th: Charlie Evans, Gilbertsville, Ky., 15 bass, 35-7 9th: Brad Rightnour, Mingoville, Pa., 15 bass, 34-8 10th: Jacob Powroznik, Prince George, Va., 15 bass, 34-6

I was reading the fishing report in the Benton County Daily Record this Thursday and there was a paragraph in there stating someone had caught a 100 Lb. Blue on shad while striper fishing. No pictures, names or any other info. Anyone else heard this from another source? I know there's 100 + lb. blues caught in the big rivers but never heard of one that big coming out of a lake around here.

Funny thing on the Day 2 standings, 2 guys from the Pacific Northwest leading and the next 2 are from Florida. You'd think the local guys would have an advantage, but there's only one guy left from AR or MO in the top 20 and he's from West Memphis. Standings are pretty tightly bunched also. Big bass so far are barely breaking 5 lbs., I would have thought a 6-7 lb. fish would have been caught by now.

Yep we were fishing Lake Windsor in BV, the fish were biting plastics really well, just one of those days where you can do no wrong.

I was thinking Nov/Dec and they launched out of LB North but we should not have to guess, they should have provided more info. They may have been doing some fishing around the mouth of Honey Creek cove, I think I recognized one of the shorefront houses in the background, but I can't be sure.

Yeah I was disappointed that they didn't give more info.

I was unaware of this, but there had been a rash of vehicle break-ins at one of the Windsor ramps, I think it's called London Park. Today the BVPD caught the perps red-handed, 16 and 19 yo males. Story is the PD took them home and found a bunch of fishing stuff in their garage. If you've been ripped off at the lauch you might want to contact BVPD and see if they have your stuff.

Here you go, totals at the bottom: Bull Shoals Lake, Bull Shoals, Ark. Final Standings Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Winnings 1. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 20 78-06 99 $102,000.00 Day 1: 5 21-09 Day 2: 5 24-04 Day 3: 5 19-10 Day 4: 5 12-15 2. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 20 66-08 98 $25,000.00 Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 20-04 Day 3: 5 17-05 Day 4: 5 14-00 3. Matt Herren Trussville, AL 20 66-07 97 $20,000.00 Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 17-00 Day 3: 5 12-12 Day 4: 5 15-14 4. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 20 66-00 96 $15,000.00 Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 16-06 Day 3: 5 15-07 Day 4: 5 17-11 5. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 20 64-07 95 $15,000.00 Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 18-15 Day 3: 5 14-03 Day 4: 5 15-15 6. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 20 63-01 94 $13,500.00 Day 1: 5 19-10 Day 2: 5 12-07 Day 3: 5 16-01 Day 4: 5 14-15 7. Bobby Lane Lakeland, FL 20 62-10 93 $13,000.00 Day 1: 5 17-11 Day 2: 5 19-12 Day 3: 5 13-06 Day 4: 5 11-13 8. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 20 61-08 92 $12,500.00 Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 20-12 Day 3: 5 14-12 Day 4: 5 11-14 9. Derek Remitz Grant, AL 20 60-13 91 $12,000.00 Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 14-03 Day 3: 5 17-10 Day 4: 5 13-11 10. Jason Quinn Lake Wylie, SC 20 60-05 90 $11,500.00 Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 15-15 Day 3: 5 13-13 Day 4: 5 13-04 11. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 20 59-05 89 $11,000.00 Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 15-00 Day 3: 5 18-04 Day 4: 5 10-00 12. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 20 58-03 88 $10,500.00 Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 14-02 Day 3: 5 18-02 Day 4: 5 09-06 Awards BIG BASS Zell Rowland Montgomery, TX 06-13 $750.00 BERKLEY HEAVYWEIGHT Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 24-04 $500.00 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals Day #Limits #Fish Weight 1 95 489 1349-02 2 98 493 1387-15 3 49 248 671-12 4 12 60 161-06 ---------------------------------- 254 1290 3570-03

Just flipping through the guide, at 6 PM tonight, G3 Sportsman show, which is on the Sportsman channel will have a show on Beaver lake striper fishing.

Yep I gotta get over there and fish Bull myself. I was reading that they were catching 30-100 14-15" bass per day.

Congrats to the young man, must be a great feeling to be 24 and win an Elite event. http://www.baxterbulletin.com/article/20120422/SPORTS/304220002/Palaniuk-holds-TroKar-Quest-title

I don't target stripers but I fish out of LB North quite a bit, Horn Hollow always seems to hold a few stripers and Honey Creek cove is also a good place to look. I'd hope for relatively calm winds and do some scouting early and late in the day looking for surface activity.

BULL SHOALS, Ark — Brandon Palaniuk has been relentless in his pursuit of a win during the Elite Series TroKar Quest bass fishing tournament on Bull Shoals Lake, and he isn’t holding anything back, even though he has almost a 13-pound lead over his nearest rival. The 24-year-old Idaho angler’s Day 3 weight of 19-10 gave him a three-day total of 65-7 and an almost insurmountable margin over the rest of the field. Palaniuk said a dramatic change in weather today – from overcast, rainy and warm on Friday to 38 degrees and bluebird skies at the start of fishing today – made fishing much tougher, and it slowed even more as the afternoon progressed. He expressed disappointment that he didn’t weigh a limit worth more than 20 pounds, as he did the first two days, yet his 19-10 was the heavyweight of the day. Even with the tournament virtually in the bag, Palaniuk is determined to catch the heaviest string again in Sunday’s final round. “I’m going to go out and try to sack up 20 pounds,” Palaniuk said. “If I have 20 pounds by 7:30, I’m going to keep grinding it out until 2 o’clock when I have to make my run back.” Aiming to catch Palaniuk is Britt Myers of Lake Wylie, S.C., who moved up two places from yesterday and sits in second with 52-8. He feels as if he’s dialed in on the right tactic to do that: fishing a reaction bait. “When you can keep the bait in the strike zone where the fish are, and they react to it like that, it’s good,” Myers said. “At first, I was trying to catch the fish suspended, then they moved up higher. If I can just follow where the fish are (moving), I can have some good luck. I might go out tomorrow and catch 12 pounds, or I might go out tomorrow and catch 25 pounds.” Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla., third with 50-13, said he should have had a much bigger limit today, but he lost three big bass today. “I think I had an opportunity to catch 17 or 18 pounds today, but Palaniuk’s tough to catch,” he said. “The cold front put a little ding on the fish today.” In Sunday’s final round, he intends to move less and milk everything he can out of certain areas. “The longer you fish one spot, the more opportunity you have to catch a big one there,” he said. “It’s a crap shoot.” Matt Herren, fourth with 50-9, noted that the lake level, which has been dropping several inches every day, is a major reason he fell from second yesterday to fourth today. “I’ll get a chance to regroup tomorrow and put together another pattern,” Herren said, explaining that he will switch to a deeper-diving crankbait. Scott Rook, the only Arkansan to make the Top 12 final round cut, discovered that big smallmouth are biting deeper than the largemouth, and two smallies helped him hold onto fifth with 49-10. First prize in the TroKar Quest is $100,000 and a qualification for the 2013 Bassmaster Classic. Pros are also fishing to rack up points that count toward postseason entry, Classic qualification and the Bassmaster Angler of the Year award. The public is invited to the final TroKar Quest weigh-in Sunday, which begins at 3 p.m. CT at Bull Shoals White River State Park at Pavilion #2 & Picnic Area on the east side of Bull Shoals Dam. 2012 4/19-4/22 Bull Shoals Lake, Bull Shoals, Ark. Standings Day 3 Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Winnings 1. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 15 65-07 99 Day 1: 5 21-09 Day 2: 5 24-04 Day 3: 5 19-10 2. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 15 52-08 98 Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 20-04 Day 3: 5 17-05 3. Bobby Lane Lakeland, FL 15 50-13 97 Day 1: 5 17-11 Day 2: 5 19-12 Day 3: 5 13-06 4. Matt Herren Trussville, AL 15 50-09 96 Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 17-00 Day 3: 5 12-12 5. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 15 49-10 95 Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 20-12 Day 3: 5 14-12 6. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 15 49-05 94 Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 15-00 Day 3: 5 18-04 7. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 15 48-13 93 Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 14-02 Day 3: 5 18-02 8. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 15 48-08 92 Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 18-15 Day 3: 5 14-03 9. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 15 48-05 91 Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 16-06 Day 3: 5 15-07 10. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 15 48-02 90 Day 1: 5 19-10 Day 2: 5 12-07 Day 3: 5 16-01 11. Derek Remitz Grant, AL 15 47-02 89 Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 14-03 Day 3: 5 17-10 12. Jason Quinn Lake Wylie, SC 15 47-01 88 Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 15-15 Day 3: 5 13-13 13. Clark Reehm Shreveport, LA 15 46-13 87 $10,000 Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 15-07 Day 3: 5 14-01 14. Randy Howell Springville, AL 15 45-13 86 $10,000 Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 13-13 Day 3: 5 15-09 15. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 15 45-12 85 $10,000 Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 16-06 Day 3: 5 14-07 16. Zell Rowland Montgomery, TX 15 45-10 84 $10,000 Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 19-08 Day 3: 5 13-02 17. David Walker Sevierville, TN 15 45-06 83 $10,000 Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 18-06 Day 3: 5 13-09 18. Brandon Card Caryville, TN 15 45-06 82 $10,000 Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 14-13 Day 3: 5 17-10 19. Michael Iaconelli Pittsgrove, NJ 15 45-00 81 $10,000 Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 16-10 Day 3: 5 11-15 20. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 15 44-12 80 $10,000 Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 5 13-07 Day 3: 5 13-03 21. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 15 44-03 79 $10,000 Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 5 15-09 Day 3: 5 11-04 22. Travis Manson De Pere, WI 15 43-15 78 $10,000 Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 5 15-14 Day 3: 5 11-00 23. Kyle A. Fox Lakeland, FL 15 43-04 77 $10,000 Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 15-08 Day 3: 5 14-04 24. Boyd Duckett Demopolis, AL 15 43-02 76 $10,000 Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 20-08 Day 3: 5 10-02 25. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 15 42-12 75 $10,000 Day 1: 5 17-03 Day 2: 5 13-05 Day 3: 5 12-04 26. Terry Butcher Talala, OK 15 42-11 74 $10,000 Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 16-15 Day 3: 5 12-02 27. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 15 42-09 73 $10,000 Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 5 11-15 Day 3: 5 14-14 28. Alton Jones Woodway, TX 15 42-07 72 $10,000 Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 5 13-02 Day 3: 5 11-08 29. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 15 42-06 71 $10,000 Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 14-14 Day 3: 5 11-09 30. Chris Zaldain San Jose, CA 15 42-03 70 $10,000 Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 16-10 Day 3: 5 13-11 31. Dustin Wilks Rocky Mount, NC 15 42-03 69 $10,000 Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 16-00 Day 3: 5 13-01 32. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 15 42-02 68 $10,000 Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 5 12-06 Day 3: 5 11-10 33. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 15 41-14 67 $10,000 Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 14-00 Day 3: 5 14-09 34. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 15 41-13 66 $10,000 Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 13-08 Day 3: 5 14-03 35. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 15 41-06 65 $10,000 Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 5 13-01 Day 3: 5 12-12 36. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 15 41-06 64 $10,000 Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 13-04 Day 3: 5 13-08 37. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 15 41-03 63 $10,000 Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 15-01 Day 3: 5 12-00 38. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 15 41-00 62 $10,000 Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 13-06 Day 3: 5 12-09 39. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 15 41-00 61 $10,000 Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 14-07 Day 3: 5 13-12 40. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 15 40-15 60 $10,000 Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 13-07 Day 3: 5 11-07 41. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 15 40-11 59 $10,000 Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 14-09 Day 3: 5 11-13 42. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 15 40-11 58 $10,000 Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 14-02 Day 3: 5 13-09 43. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 15 40-10 57 $10,000 Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 13-05 Day 3: 5 13-06 44. Casey D Ashley Donalds, SC 15 40-08 56 $10,000 Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 15-08 Day 3: 5 11-09 45. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 15 40-05 55 $10,000 Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 14-03 Day 3: 5 12-14 46. Russell Parrish Riesel, TX 15 40-03 54 $10,000 Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 5 13-14 Day 3: 5 12-08 47. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 15 39-15 53 $10,000 Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 16-04 Day 3: 5 11-08 48. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 15 39-14 52 $10,000 Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 15-01 Day 3: 5 12-07 49. Jeremy Starks Scott Depot, WV 15 38-14 51 $10,000 Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 15-07 Day 3: 5 10-11 50. Scott Ashmore Broken Arrow, OK 13 32-11 50 $5,000 Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 5 10-12 Day 3: 3 04-09

Wow, Palaniuk has put together an impressive bag so far.

The punishment seems excessive. And as long as the kids were obeying traffic rules (and if they weren't that should be a matter for the cops), I can't see why it's a big deal to ride a lawnmower to school. When I was in HS, streaking had become the thing to do, or blowing up school trash cans with M-80's. Not that I did any of that stuff

I'm pulling for Mike McClelland. BULL SHOALS, AK -- Brandon Palaniuk was the last angler to launch his boat for the Bassmaster Elite Series bass fishing tournament on Bull Shoals Lake in Mountain Home, Ark., today, and he was the last to weigh-in, but his Day 1 finish was first with a catch of 21 pounds, 9 ounces. That included the Big Bass of the day, a 5-pound, 11-ounce largemouth. Palaniuk will take the lead at launch tomorrow, but he started Day 1 with some trepidation. “Being the last boat out, I was a little bit nervous about where I was going to start,” Palaniuk said. “I ran to the first place, and I didn’t really have anything going. I started jumping around. The next spot I went to, I caught one about 3 pounds. I was still thinking and deciding if I was doing the right thing and then at the next spot, I pulled up and caught that 5-11 and then a 5 ½-pounder. Then I knew I was doing the right deal, and just ground it out all day.” Using a technique he found in practice fishing, Palaniuk boated the five bass that put him in the lead, including mostly fat prespawners. “I’m running around, covering a lot of water, fishing a lot of different stuff. Just kind of junk fishing so far, which is kind of a scary deal but I’m hoping it will hold up,” Palaniuk said. In taking the first day lead, Palaniuk hopes that momentum will carry through the tournament. “It’s huge, it’s everything,” Palaniuk said. “In this sport it’s so mental. Once you catch that first big one, it lets you know you’re kind of doing the right thing. Then you catch another big one, and it kind of compounds. It gives you that much more confidence to keep doing the same thing throughout the day.” Palaniuk said the second round Friday may require a different approach. Conditions were sunny and calm today, and he saw improved water clarity from practice days. But with rain coming in and temperatures dropping overnight, he plans to make adjustments as he goes. “When I caught that big one today, I wasn’t real calm, I was jacked up,” Palaniuk said. “But it’s important to stay calm so you can make those adjustments. You can’t be really bull headed and stubborn and try to make something work when it’s not.” Matt Herren of Trussville, Ala., took the second spot on Day 1 with 20 pounds, 13 ounces. Cliff Pace of Petal, Miss., is in third with a catch of 19 pounds, 10 ounces. “I had a heck of a day,” Herren said. “I probably caught about 25 keepers. I’ve been on a pretty good bite all week, but everything started coming together this morning. I settled down in one area and found another area that seemed to hold up just as well. I wish it would stay hot and sunny like it was today. We might have rain tomorrow, and it might be all right or it might not.” Pace, who reeled in about 30 fish throughout the day, said he exceeded his expectations today in a tournament that’s all about “getting good quality bites.” He got a couple of bonus bites that helped him inch closer to the 20-pound mark and has plenty of water he tried out in practice that he didn’t have time to get to today. “If you catch two 5-pounders here, that gets you well quick,” Pace said. “It’s a pattern deal. One thing about fishing a pattern you’ve got to keep hustling and keep going and hope you come across those bigger fish. There’s guys who did what I did today and weren’t catching quality bites. But I got fortunate and got some of them.” First prize in the TroKar Quest is $100,000 and a qualification for the 2013 Bassmaster Classic. Pros are also fishing to rack up points that count toward postseason entry, Classic qualification and the Bassmaster Angler of the Year award. The public is invited to the official TroKar Quest weigh-ins, which take place throughout the tournament at approximately 3 p.m. CT at Bull Shoals White River State Park at Pavilion #2 & Picnic Area on the east side of Bull Shoals Dam,153 Dam Overlook Lane, Bull Shoals, AR 72619. Bull Shoals Lake, Bull Shoals, Ark. Standings Day 1 Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts 1. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 21-09 99 Day 1: 5 21-09 2. Matt Herren Trussville, AL 5 20-13 98 Day 1: 5 20-13 3. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 5 19-10 97 Day 1: 5 19-10 4. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 5 18-02 96 Day 1: 5 18-02 4. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 5 18-02 96 Day 1: 5 18-02 6. Alton Jones Woodway, TX 5 17-13 94 Day 1: 5 17-13 7. Bobby Lane Lakeland, FL 5 17-11 93 Day 1: 5 17-11 8. Scott Ashmore Broken Arrow, OK 5 17-06 92 Day 1: 5 17-06 8. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 17-06 92 Day 1: 5 17-06 10. Jason Quinn Lake Wylie, SC 5 17-05 90 Day 1: 5 17-05 10. Clark Reehm Lufkin, TX 5 17-05 90 Day 1: 5 17-05 12. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 17-03 88 Day 1: 5 17-03 13. Travis Manson De Pere, WI 5 17-01 87 Day 1: 5 17-01 14. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 5 16-09 86 Day 1: 5 16-09 15. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 5 16-08 85 Day 1: 5 16-08 16. Randy Howell Springville, AL 5 16-07 84 Day 1: 5 16-07 16. Michael Iaconelli Pittsgrove, NJ 5 16-07 84 Day 1: 5 16-07 18. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 16-01 82 Day 1: 5 16-01 18. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 5 16-01 82 Day 1: 5 16-01 20. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 5 15-15 80 Day 1: 5 15-15 21. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 5 15-12 79 Day 1: 5 15-12 22. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 5 15-09 78 Day 1: 5 15-09 23. Billy McCaghren Mayflower, AR 5 15-07 77 Day 1: 5 15-07 24. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 5 15-06 76 Day 1: 5 15-06 25. Derek Remitz Grant, AL 5 15-05 75 Day 1: 5 15-05 26. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 15-01 74 Day 1: 5 15-01 26. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 5 15-01 74 Day 1: 5 15-01 28. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 5 14-15 72 Day 1: 5 14-15 28. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 5 14-15 72 Day 1: 5 14-15 30. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 5 14-10 70 Day 1: 5 14-10 31. Kelly Jordon Palestine, TX 5 14-08 69 Day 1: 5 14-08 32. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 5 14-05 68 Day 1: 5 14-05 33. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 5 14-03 67 Day 1: 5 14-03 34. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 5 14-02 66 Day 1: 5 14-02 34. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 5 14-02 66 Day 1: 5 14-02 34. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 5 14-02 66 Day 1: 5 14-02 34. Nate Wellman Newaygo, MI 5 14-02 66 Day 1: 5 14-02 38. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 5 13-15 62 Day 1: 5 13-15 39. Russell Parrish Riesel, TX 5 13-13 61 Day 1: 5 13-13 39. David Smith Del City, OK 5 13-13 61 Day 1: 5 13-13 41. Terry Butcher Talala, OK 5 13-10 59 Day 1: 5 13-10 41. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 5 13-10 59 Day 1: 5 13-10 43. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 5 13-09 57 Day 1: 5 13-09 44. Kyle A. Fox Lakeland, FL 5 13-08 56 Day 1: 5 13-08 45. Casey D Ashley Donalds, SC 5 13-07 55 Day 1: 5 13-07 45. David Walker Sevierville, TN 5 13-07 55 Day 1: 5 13-07 47. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 5 13-05 53 Day 1: 5 13-05 48. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 13-04 52 Day 1: 5 13-04 49. Kevin Ledoux Choctaw, OK 5 13-02 51 Day 1: 5 13-02 49. Dustin Wilks Rocky Mount, NC 5 13-02 51 Day 1: 5 13-02 51. Jami Fralick Martin, SD 5 13-01 49 Day 1: 5 13-01 52. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 5 13-00 48 Day 1: 5 13-00 52. Zell Rowland Montgomery, TX 5 13-00 48 Day 1: 5 13-00 54. Brandon Card Caryville, TN 5 12-15 46 Day 1: 5 12-15 54. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 5 12-15 46 Day 1: 5 12-15 54. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 5 12-15 46 Day 1: 5 12-15 57. Timmy Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 5 12-15 43 Day 1: 5 12-15 58. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 5 12-14 42 Day 1: 5 12-14 59. John Crews Salem, VA 5 12-13 41 Day 1: 5 12-13 59. Kevin Short Mayflower, AR 5 12-13 41 Day 1: 5 12-13 59. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 12-13 41 Day 1: 5 12-13 62. Jeremy Starks Scott Depot, WV 5 12-12 38 Day 1: 5 12-12 63. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 5 12-10 37 Day 1: 5 12-10 64. Boyd Duckett Demopolis, AL 5 12-08 36 Day 1: 5 12-08 65. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 5 12-07 35 Day 1: 5 12-07 66. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 5 12-06 34 Day 1: 5 12-06 67. Denny Brauer Camdenton, MO 5 12-05 33 Day 1: 5 12-05 67. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 5 12-05 33 Day 1: 5 12-05 69. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 12-04 31 Day 1: 5 12-04 70. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 5 12-03 30 Day 1: 5 12-03 70. John Murray Phoenix, AZ 5 12-03 30 Day 1: 5 12-03 72. Matt Greenblatt Port St Lucie, FL 5 12-02 28 Day 1: 5 12-02 72. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 5 12-02 28 Day 1: 5 12-02 74. Jamie Horton Centerville, AL 5 12-01 26 Day 1: 5 12-01 74. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 5 12-01 26 Day 1: 5 12-01 74. Byron Velvick Boenre, TX 5 12-01 26 Day 1: 5 12-01 74. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 5 12-01 26 Day 1: 5 12-01 78. Pat Golden Bethlehem, GA 5 11-15 22 Day 1: 5 11-15 78. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 5 11-15 22 Day 1: 5 11-15 80. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 5 11-14 20 Day 1: 5 11-14 80. Morizo Shimizu Matsugaoka JAPAN 5 11-14 20 Day 1: 5 11-14 80. Chris Zaldain San Jose, CA 5 11-14 20 Day 1: 5 11-14 83. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 5 11-12 17 Day 1: 5 11-12 84. Shaw E Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 5 11-11 16 Day 1: 5 11-11 84. Kenyon Hill Norman, OK 5 11-11 16 Day 1: 5 11-11 86. Pete Ponds Madison, MS 5 11-10 14 Day 1: 5 11-10 87. Casey Scanlon Lenexa, KS 5 11-09 13 Day 1: 5 11-09 88. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 5 11-07 12 Day 1: 5 11-07 89. Michael Simonton Fremont, OH 5 11-02 11 Day 1: 5 11-02 90. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 5 10-13 10 Day 1: 5 10-13 91. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 10-11 9 Day 1: 5 10-11 92. Grant Goldbeck Boerne, TX 4 10-11 8 Day 1: 4 10-11 93. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 5 10-08 7 Day 1: 5 10-08 94. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 5 10-01 6 Day 1: 5 10-01 95. Chad Griffin Cresson, TX 5 09-09 5 Day 1: 5 09-09 96. Brent Broderick Oregonia, OH 5 09-07 4 Day 1: 5 09-07 97. Fletcher Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 4 08-02 3 Day 1: 4 08-02 98. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 3 06-03 2 Day 1: 3 06-03 99. Jared Miller Norman, OK 3 05-10 1 Day 1: 3 05-10 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals Day #Limits #Fish Weight 1 95 489 1349-02 ---------------------------------- 95 489 1349-02

Yep 73.5 would be a good bag for Beaver. I'm going to go below that and say 60 lbs. I'm thinking that if someone gets 15 lbs. per day they can win. But if there's an A-rig bite, I'm guessing the bags will be higher, maybe 70-80 to win? Should start seeing a lot of wrapped boats on Beaver next week pre-fishing.

Beaver did not make the top 100! The nerve of that magazine! Anyway, Lake Falcon is #1, Okeechobee #2. Local lakes - Grand #17, Lake Ouchita #28, Lake of the Ozarks #30, Table Rock #41, Bull Shoals #51.

18" is huge for a Meanmouth, very nice!

Nice one!

Very nice! That bass you have looks like a Meanmouth, and a fat one at that!

Those are some nice eyes, any day you can get three on Beaver is a great day!