2013 Southern Division Championship Kicks Off on Lake Barkley

TBF anglers flock to Lake Barkley in Clarksville, Tenn., this week for the 2013 SouthernDSC_0062 Division Championship presented by Solar Bat.  Twelve state champions from each of the seven states in the Southern division will compete for the division champion titles both in the individual and state team standings.  Fourteen TBF anglers, the top two from each state, will also earn slots in the 2014 Federation National Championship.

Out in front after day one is Gary Abernethey from Skyland, N.C. and the North Carolina state team.   Abernethey had a five bass limit yesterday weighing 15lbs even.

The North Carolina state team caught 80lbs 9ounces of Lake Barkley bass to step into the lead.  The Alabama state team is close in second with 74lbs 6ounces.  In third, is the Georgia state team with 71lbs 13ounces. 

Today, the battle continues on Lake Barkley as day two of the 2013 Southern Division Championship continues.

THE STANDOFF IS OVER – ALEXANDER’S TAILWATERS BILL PASSES

Legislation ensures that world-class tailwater fisheries will remain open

(May 23, 2013) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cannot legally restrict fishing below dams in Tennessee, according to a two-year ban that passed Congress yesterday.

Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander has led the effort to persuade the Corps to be reasonable on this issue, but it finally took passage of his bill in the Senate and the House to ensure that the areas below Corps dams would not be closed off to fishing boats. Continue reading

Oregon holds on for the title; Echterncamp comes from behind to win 2013 Northwest Division Championship

DSCN1318A week of beautiful weather was the setting for the 2013 Northwest Division Championship presented by Berkley on Pot Holes Lake in Moses Lake, Wash.  TBF anglers continued to bring in heavy bags of mostly smallmouth all three tournament days. 

The top ten anglers advanced on the final day to the 2014 Federation National Championship and division champion titles were awarded both in the individual and state team standings.    

Aaron Echterncamp, from Moses Lake, Wash., trailed in the individual standings the first two days but made a run the final day to take the lead and the esteemed title.  Echerncamp had five bass limits all three days of 20lbs 3ounces, 21lbs 7ounces and 24lbs to make his tournament total 65lbs 10ounces, a mere 3 ounces in front of day one and two leader, Chad Kaiser. 

DSCN1317“First day, I didn’t expect to see someone come in with 26lbs,” Echterncamp said.  “I was pacing the weights at 20lbs, thought that would be pretty adequate.  When Kaiser came in with that, I knew I had a little making up to do.”

Pot Holes Lake is in Echterncamp’s backyard.  He’s spent many days on its waters, but this week he said he was seeing, “just huge fish, a lot bigger than normal on that lake.”  He saw bigger fish in practice but was having trouble getting the good bite.  “By the third day, they were getting more active.  More fish just kept coming up the whole week.”   

The final day Echterncamp fished all new areas, but first set out to hunt down and catch a smallmouth he lost the first day.  “I spent the rest of the day looking for areas that hadn’t been fished,” Echertencamp continued.  “Everybody was kind of concentrating in the same areas further in the back; those areas were getting a lot of pressure, I just moved outside of them. And with the good weather I was able to move further and further out, the fish were a lot less spooked.” 

Echerncamp is no stranger to nationals but this is his first divisional win, and being on his home lake makes it that much sweeter.  “I just want to thank our Washington TBF President, Russell Baker, and Limit Out Marine.  I was having some boat issues on the second day; they worked on my boat and got me back out there to do what I did today.” 

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TBF Anglers Catch Perfect Weather on Pot Holes Reservoir for the 2013 Northwest Division Championship

Sixty TBF anglers from five states in the Northwest Division gather this week on Pot Holes Reservoir in Moses Lake, Wash., to compete for the division championship titles both in the individual and state team standings.  The championship event is hosted on a yearly rotation; this year, the Washington Bass Federation plays host. 

Anglers are consistently catching 20lb bags of mostly smallmouth and someChad Kaiser (2) Idaho largemouth bass on Pot Holes Reservoir.  Out in front on day one and holding on by less than a pound after day two, is Idaho state team angler, Chad Kaiser, from Hayden, Idaho. 

“The weather’s been great; a week ago it was 28 degrees, this afternoon it will be 95,” Kaiser said.  “It’s kind of unusual for this area, but it’s great.  The fish are all just piling up; it’s going to get even better today.”   Kaiser brought in five bass limits on both tournament days with 26lbs 1ounce on day one and 20lbs 4ounces on day two. 

“All the fish are pulling up off the beds, and more and more keep filling up the areas I’ve been fishing,” Kaiser continued.  “I’ve been catching a mix of smallmouth and largemouth, getting a limit then going through and picking out the big ones, just working them.”  Today, Kaiser is looking for largemouth in the hunt for his number one goal, nationals.  “I’ve fished every divisional since 2007 and never advanced to nationals.  I’m so close; my main goal is just to make it for my state. I am ready for nationals.”       

Kaiser led the Idaho state team to the top on day one, but on day two they were edged out by Oregon.  Today, Kaiser hopes to take them all the way.  “We’ve all talked about catching fish in our meetings,” Kaiser said.  “I helped them out with what I know and told them what to look for out there; hopefully, we can make a run at it.” 

This week 10 TBF anglers, the top two from each state, will advance to the 2014 Federation National Championship.  A division champion in the individual and state team standings will also leave here with the titles and all the bragging rights as the 2013 Northwest Division Championship presented by Berkley wraps up today in Moses Lake, Wash.