BAINBRIDGE, Ga. (Jan. 21, 2013) – FLW College Fishing is headed to Lake Seminole Feb. 1 for the first of four stops in the Southeastern Conference. Fifty college teams will be competing for a top award of $2,000 and a berth in the Southeastern Conference Invitational tournament. “I was just fishing on Seminole last week,” said Straight Talk pro Scott Canterbury of Springville, Ala., who finished third when the Rayovac FLW Series visited Lake Seminole in 2013. “The college anglers are definitely going to be fishing shallow. It’s all pre-spawn patterns right now. “The key to this tournament will be finding the submerged vegetation and fishing around the grass,” Canterbury continued. “Look for the spawning areas. The fish will be staged up on the big flats. If you can find the right grass, hydrilla and coon tails you will have a good shot at winning.” Canterbury said that he expects the most popular baits in this event to be Rat-L-Traps, jerkbaits and umbrella rigs. “For those that throw a Rat-L-Trap, they’ll be targeting 4 to 8 feet of water,” Canterbury continued. “The umbrella rig guys will be fishing a little deeper, from 6 to 12 feet. “You’re fishing for eight to 10 bites all day long. You’re not catching 20 fish a day, but the ones that you do catch are going to average 4 or 5 pounds. I think the winning team will bring 24 to 26 pounds to the scales.” Canterbury said that fish will be caught everywhere, but did give the college teams a little advice on where to start. “The whole lake is good,” Canterbury went on to say. “But, I like to fish the main lake area within five miles of where the Flint and Chattahoochee Rivers meet. I feel like that is the most fertile area of the lake. That being said, you can catch them anywhere on the lake.” Anglers will take off from Bainbridge Earle May Boat Basin located at 100 Boat Basin Circle in Bainbridge, Ga., at 7:30 a.m. Saturday. Weigh-in will be held at the park beginning at 3 p.m. Takeoff and weigh-in are free and open to the public. FLW College Fishing teams compete in three qualifying events in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top 15 teams from each regular- season tournament will qualify for one of five conference invitational tournaments. The top 10 teams from each conference invitational tournament will advance to the 2015 FLW College Fishing National Championship. College Fishing is free to enter and FLW Outdoors provides boats and drivers for each competing team along with travel allowances. All participants must be registered, full-time undergraduate students at a four-year college or university and members of a fishing club recognized by their college or university. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow College Fishing on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing. Visit CollegeFishing.com to sign up or to start a club at your school. ABOUT FLW FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2014 over the course of 229 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW" television show and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water.” For more information about FLW visit FLWOutdoors.com and look for FLW on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube. Courtesy of FLWOutdoors.com

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The weather in Kissimmee was sublime last weekend with bluebird skies and balmy temperatures. Bassmaster Elite Series pro Shaw Grigsby even broke a sweat while practice fishing on Lake Tohopekaliga for the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open presented by Allstate, Jan. 23-25. “If the weather stays like it is now, it would be amazing fishing,” said Grigsby, who hails from Gainesville, Fla. “With these conditions, we could see a tournament like when Dean Rojas won quite a few years back.” It was in January 2001 that Rojas won in Kissimmee with 108 pounds, 12 ounces, an impressive victory that Grigsby believes can be duplicated. With that win, Rojas also secured the all- time one-day catch record for a five-bass-limit tournament with 45-pounds, 2 ounces. “This is a great lake — one of the best lakes in the state of Florida because it has the big fish,” Grigsby said. “You have the potential to catch a 13-pounder with every flip, every pitch, every cast. “The last few weeks, everyone has been saying it’s really tough fishing here, and the weights are down. But that’s not going to happen in this tournament. You’ll see normal stringers in the 12- to 14-pound range. Then you’ll see guys with over 20, and one guy who really gets on it and has a 30-pound stringer.” Grigsby predicts that the cold weather, which may be a factor, will really only hinder the sight fishing. He anticipates the first morning of the tournament to be in the 36-degree temperature range, which will push the bass off the beds but not off the bite. “I’m excited about it and looking forward to it,” Grigsby said. “The cool thing about this time of year is that you can catch fish doing it all. If you like cranking and doing that stuff, fine. If you like flipping and pitching, you’re good to go.” Grigsby, who hosts his own television show, One More Cast, sometimes will film on Lake Toho and tries to visit the fishery at least once a year for the opportunity to bring in a monster bass. “I like to sight fish in February when you can find 12-, 13- or even 14-pounders,” Grigsby said. “This is always a great place to fish.” Boats will take off daily at 7 a.m. local time from Big Toho Marina, 101 Lakeshore Blvd., Kissimmee, FL 34741. Weigh-ins on Day 1 and Day 2 will be held at the same location. On Saturday, the final weigh-in will be held at Bass Pro Shops, 5156 International Dr., Orlando, FL 32819. To follow the action, visit Bassmaster.com. Courtesy of BASS Communications.

Aaron Martens Heads Into Bassmaster Classic At Top Of His Game BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Four times a Bassmaster Classic bridesmaid means only that the odds are with Aaron Martens to finally be the bride. That’s how Martens regards his legendary four near misses to be the world champion. It’s a positive spin on what could be heavy baggage heading into the Feb. 21-23 GEICO Bassmaster Classic on Lake Guntersville and in Birmingham, Ala., Martens’ home base. “I feel very fortunate to have come that close four times. It makes me feel like I can win. You’re that close in a short period of time; the odds are with you; it’s going to happen,” said Martens, who is looking for his first Classic crown. Martens has more than the odds going for him this time around. He has momentum after wrapping up his 2013 Bassmaster Elite Series season by adding another Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year title to his first AOY title from 2005. He has a solid track record in Classic competitions. He’s competed in 14 Classics since 1999, missing only in 2003 after an uncharacteristic off year. In nine of the 14, he scored a Top 12 finish. In only three of those 14 did he fail to advance to the third-day finals. In his Bassmaster career, he’s won six times (and placed second a dozen times). One of those wins was in the Bassmaster Elite Series on Lake Guntersville in May 2009. And now the world championship is coming to a lake he’s not only won on, but competed on eight times since 2002. Not to mention that the Classic is where he lives. His home in Leeds, Ala. — just east of Birmingham — is 78 miles from Lake Guntersville. Martens has been doing his Classic homework. One priority has been keeping himself in top physical condition. “I’ve been training so I can try to spank everybody. If I can get into phenomenally good shape, maybe it will help that much,” he said. Martens is a runner — a marathoner. For him a 10-mile run is a warm-up. Unless he’s laid up in bed sick, he’s out running every day. In the same dedicated way, he cares for his tackle, boat, clothing and any other gear and tools he relies on. “I work on it all the time. I put in eight hours a day in the offseason, sometimes more,” he said. “I’m getting ready for the Classic and for the whole season. I start over every year and go through everything to make sure it’s perfect.” Martens’ Classic homework also included about six days on Lake Guntersville over a two-week period. Other commitments kept his Classic pre-fishing time relatively short for someone who lives nearby. But he said six days was enough to bring him up-to-date on the big fishery and enough time to know there are many things about Guntersville he doesn’t know. Overall, he liked what he saw. “The lake’s healthy and the grass was tremendous, even in December,” he said. “With the grass as thick as it is, the bass are averaging pretty good size. For all the fishing pressure Guntersville gets, the fishing still holds up. That’s what’s so amazing about Guntersville. “And I like Guntersville’s layout — long, with a lot of creeks on it, and good main-river stuff.” He compared the lake now to how it was in 2009, when he won the Elite event. “In ’09, you could catch 20 or 30 5-pounders a day. I don’t see that now,” he said. “But you can catch four or five of the big ones a day.” He said his Guntersville goal is to bring in at least 25 pounds a day. “I don’t know if I’ll do it, but if I can, my chances (of winning) are good,” he said. If conditions are perfect, he said, he expects to see some 30- pound bags. “I’m pretty sure the record will fall,” he said, referring to the Classic weight record for five fish over three days set at 69 pounds, 10 ounces in 2011 by Kevin VanDam on the Louisiana Delta. Martens, of course, hopes to be the one who busts the record — to be the bride this time. Courtesy of BASS Communications.

Big bags expected on the Big O! OKEECHOBEE, Fla. (Jan. 2, 2014) – The Rayovac FLW Series is headed to Lake Okeechobee January 9-11 when as many as 300 pros and co-anglers take to the water for the first of three stops in the Southeast Division. The Lake Okeechobee event is presented by Power-Pole. Castrol pro Mike Surman knows Lake Okeechobee very well. Throughout his career he has won eight brand new fully-rigged bass boats in tournament competition just on Okeechobee. If you want to know how the lake is setting up prior to a tournament, you can’t go wrong talking to him. “Okeechobee is one of those lakes that changes every day,” said the Boca Raton native. “Everybody knows everything, there are no secrets. “No matter what the conditions are, the fishing is going to be good. If the weather is really nice and it’s mild throughout the week, then fishing could be unbelievable. If we get a front, we’ll still see some really good weights but the total field won’t all really catch them.” An optimistic Surman went on to explain that because of the volume of fish moving shallow, good weights should be expected almost regardless of the weather. He said that there were fish in all stages of the spawn – shallow and vulnerable throughout the lake. “A couple baits could dominate, totally depending on the weather,” said Surman. “I think a guy has a chance to win on a Gambler Big EZ, because that bait really catches big fish. If we get some heavy cold fronts, then flipping will be more popular and I’ll be throwing a Gambler Crawdaddy or even a Gambler BB Cricket if it gets really cold. “I think somebody is going to have to break a big bag to win, just because the fishing is so good right now,” finished the Florida pro. “I’d say that 70 pounds or a little bit more will win it.” Anglers will take off from C. Scott Driver Park located at 10100 W. Highway 78 in Okeechobee, Fla., at 7:30 a.m. daily. Weigh-ins will be held at the launch site beginning at 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at Gilbert Chevrolet located at 3550 U.S. 441 in Okeechobee at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public. Pros will fish for a top award of $40,000 plus a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard if Ranger Cup guidelines are met. Co-anglers will cast for a top award consisting of a Ranger Z117 with 90-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $5,000 if Ranger Cup guidelines are met. The Rayovac FLW Series consists of five divisions – Central, Northern, Southeast, Texas and Western. Each division consists of three tournaments and competitors will be vying for valuable points in each division that could earn them the opportunity to fish in the Rayovac FLW Series Championship. The 2014 Rayovac FLW Series Championship is being held Oct. 30-Nov. 1 on Wheeler Lake in Rogersville, Ala. The Rayovac FLW Series tournament on Lake Okeechobee is being hosted by the Okeechobee County Tourism Development Council. For complete details and updated information visit FLWOutdoors.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Rayovac FLW Series on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing. Courtesy of FLW Outdoors.

WHAT: The 2014 Walmart BFL season begins on Saturday, Jan., 4. The Gator division will make FLW’s first visit of the year to Lake Okeechobee. Up to 400 boaters and co-anglers will be competing in each event for top awards up to $8,000 and $3,000 respectively. WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 4, 2013 WHERE: Gator Division Lake Okeechobee Roland & Mary Ann Martin’s Marina 920 E. Del Monte Ave. Clewiston, Fla. NOTES: The bass fishing on Lake Okeechobee is expected to be excellent. With good weather anglers will likely find the bass very cooperative, and big limits will be brought to the scales. If the weather holds out, fishermen will be able to catch fish by sight-fishing, flipping plastics and jigs in mats and reeds and throwing moving baits like the Gambler Big EZ and ChatterBaits in the grass. If a cold front comes to town, the competitors will face a tough challenge, and punching big weights into thick cover will likely produce the winning weight. The winner is expected to bring a five-fish limit weighing about 25 pounds to the scales. The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest- running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWOutdoors. ABOUT FLW FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2014 over the course of 229 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW" television show and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water.” For more information about FLW visit FLWOutdoors.com and look for FLW on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube. Courtesy of FLWOutdoors.com