Month: June 2016

Photos by bassnomadJun 24, 20161:08 pm

Quantum pro Kevin VanDam with part of his 20-pound limit. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Rooming with Bass Nomad this week obvioiusly paid off for Andy Montgomery on day 1! Photo by Joel Shangle.

Garmin pro Paul Mueller shows off a giant Day 1 smallie. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Big Show put on a show with this Day 1 bronzeback. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Rigid Industries pro Britt Myers’ look says it all: “Oooooooooh yeaaahhh!” Photo by Joel Shangle.

Spiderwire pro Fletcher Shryock hustles a fish into his weigh bag. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Livingston pro Hank Cherry was one of 71 anglers with 15 pounds or more. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Watch out for Proz this week: Jacob Powroznik with one of three giant smallies he caught early on Day 1. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Garmin pro Russ Lane bagged up 19-13 on Day 1. Photo by Joel Shangle.

The fish of Cayuga Lake: It got brung on Day 1

UNION SPRINGS, New York – Rigid Industries pro Britt Myers probably said it best as he prepared to bag his fish on Day 1 at the Busch Beer Bassmaster Elite at Cayuga Lake: “I think […]

Photos by bassnomadJun 19, 20165:55 pm

Surprise surprise, Livingston Lures pro Andy Morgan holds the AOY lead heading into Champlain. Photo by Joel Shangle for Livingston Lures.

V&M Baits pro Jeff Sprague has hovered in the Top 3 for most of the 2016 season. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Shimano pro Jeff Gustafson is having his best Tour season ever! Photo by Joel Shangle for BassFIRST.

Perennial AOY contender Jacob Wheeler is in the hunt again. Photo by Joel Shangle for BassFIRST.

Kei Blaylock has made sure his dad Stetson was on his game this season. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Tennessee River hotshot Michael Neal has put together a consistent season in 2016. Photo from Pickwick in 2015. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Mud Hole pro John Cox was AOY runner-up last year. Can he pull it off this time at Champlain? Photo by Joel Shangle.

Garmin Tour rookie Chris Johnston started off hot at Okeechobee, finishing third. Photo by Joel Shangle for Garmin.

The Great 8: FLW Tour Angler of the Year down to the wire

LAKE CHAMPLAIN, New York – It seems appropriate that the last race of the Triple Crown was recently completed, because we’re looking at one heckuva horse race down the stretch for the FLW Tour Angler […]

Photos by bassnomadJun 14, 20164:40 pm

Eyes on the prize: Greg Hackney has his sights on a new Elite AOY points record. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Greg Hackney has reason to celebrate in 2016. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Greg Hackney rolled out for action on Bull Shoals. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Greg Hackney has worked his way through a phenomenal 2016 season. Here at Lake Ray Roberts. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Greg Hackney’s expression says it all: “I’m a baaaad, bad man.” Photo by Joel Shangle.

The Hack Attack might be hugging it out with another AOY trophy soon. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Greg Hackney throwing them in at a record pace through six tournaments. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Greg Hackney’s 2016 season started off strong: second place at the St. Johns River. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Looking ahead: Hackney is pretty good at catching smallies, too, as Mille Lacs approaches. This from last year’s AOY at Sturgeon Bay. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Hackney on pace for the best season in Elite history

TERRELL, Texas – Just how dominant has Garmin pro Greg Hackney been during the 2016 Elite Season? Well, just THE most dominant ever. After six events – punctuated by Hackney’s win at BASSfest on Lake […]

Uncategorized by bassnomadJun 13, 20161:58 pm

The Hack Attack: “Strong” on Lake Texoma!

DURANT, Oklahoma – Garmin pro Greg Hackney’s walkup song sums it up pretty well: the Hack Attack was indeed “Strong” last week on Lake Texoma. Hackney, who seems poised to win the Elite Series Angler […]

Photos by bassnomadJun 10, 20162:21 pm

The fish of BASSfest, Friday edition

DURANT, Oklahoma – It’s been an intriguing couple of days on Lake Texoma: 20-year-high waters, blazing heat, and just enough 6-plus-pound largemouth to keep the field pretty tightly packed down to the Top 25. And […]

Uncategorized by bassnomadJun 9, 20164:18 am

BASSfest sights and sounds: bagging ’em up on Day 1

DURANT, Oklahoma – We’re apparently a chattery bunch when fish are being bagged at an Elite Series event. I left my onboard mic on and collected some raw, natural sound this afternoon at Casey Ashley, […]

Photos by bassnomadJun 8, 20164:04 pm

Mean Green: We’re green with envy over Avena’s ride

DURANT, Oklahoma – It was dark as pitch when we made it to the ramp for Day 1 at BASSfest this morning, but like moths to a flame, we headed straight to the Hulk-green glow […]

Uncategorized by bassnomadJun 7, 20162:39 pm

The Bass Nomad “Livewell Cam”: check it out!

We did a little experimenting with the Garmin VIRB XE at a recent Bassmaster Elite Series event. Thanks to Cliff Prince, Chris Zaldain and Dave Mullins for letting us climb into their livewells! Video by […]

Photos by bassnomadJun 5, 20165:25 pm

Brent Ehrler has won on every conceivable style of fishery. I like his chances on the fluctuating waters of Texoma. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Watch out for this hillbilly: Mullins is on a roll, and will follow up his Southern Open win with a Top 20. Photo by Joel Shangle.

“Boom Boom” seems to thrive when situations are weird. Texoma’s rapidly rising water qualifies. Roumbanis will be a Top 20 threat. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Texoma seems to set up pretty well for Crossed Industries Elite Rookie Jay Brainard’s style. Watch for Brainard’s first Top 25 this week. Photo by Joel Shangle.

2012 AOY Brent Chapman made a lot of noise early in the season, and has since drifted close to the “Mendoza Line” for Classic qualification. Texoma is the type of fishery he excels at, though. I smell another Championship Sunday for the Chap Attack. Photo by Joel Shangle.

There’s a rightful amount of attention being given to the deep-offshore hotshots (KVD, Combs, etc.), but Texoma’s crazy-high water will bring a whole lot of new shallow stuff into play. JTodd Tucker will benefit from that. Joel Shangle.

A lot of attention this week on Oklahoma anglers to do well at BASSfest, but nobody’s picking James Elam. Except me: Elam will be in the mix this week. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oi oi oi! So far in his Elite career, Carl Jocumsen has proven to be super streaky (in a good way at Chesapeake Bay and Guntersville). There’s a Top 20 in the Aussie’s future on Texoma. Photo by Joel Shangle.

BASSfest sets up well for the Texas gang. James Niggemeyer will quietly put a Texas whoopin’ on Texoma. Photo by Joel Shangle.

The Nomad 9: Darkhorses to watch at BASSfest

DURANT, Oklahoma – En route to Durant, Oklahoma for BASSfest, and have been skimming Bassmaster.com’s Fantasy Fishing picks for the event. Some good choices by Kevin Hawk, Ronnie Moore and the gang about what might […]

Uncategorized by bassnomadJun 3, 20165:20 pm

Former TTBC champ Brian Snowden with a Day 2 lunker. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Kevin VanDam was still on a big-fish roll from Toledo Bend. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Dave Lefebre brought a fattie to the stage on Day 1. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Edwin Evers rolls in under the full moon, Day 2. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Crawling into some thick Lake Ray Roberts timber with Greg Hackney. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Jordan Lee came out swinging on Day 1. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Ish Monroe brought not one but two Texas “overs” to the TTBC stage. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Day 1 launch saw the All-Star team of the FLW Tour and Bassmaster Elites ready to roll. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Texan Alton Jones knows a thing or two about big Tejas-sized fish. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Luke Clausen worked his way to a third-place finish in the TTBC. Photo by Joel Shangle.

It was a confounding week at the 2016 TTBC

FRISCO, Texas – I don’t know how else to put this, so I’ll just come right out with it: I hope we didn’t just witness the death of the Toyota Texas Bass Classic. Anyone who […]

Photos by bassnomadJun 2, 20168:46 pm

The victor’s march: Kevin VanDam carries his winning bag to the stage on Champ Sunday. Photo by Joel Shangle.

That makes 21 B.A.S.S. major trophy hoists for KVD. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Kevin VanDam loads up his Championship Sunday bag. Photo by Joel Shangle.

KVD claimed the lead with this Day 2 hawg and never looked back. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Paul Mueller made it interesting with a giant bag on Champ Sunday. Photo by Joel Shangle.

JTodd Tucker heads out into the overcast Louisiana heat on Day 1. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Livingston pro Hank Cherry battled his way to a Top 10. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Epic Fish Pull of the Year goes to Brett Hite with this giant. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Yep, we ate crawfish until we couldn’t eat no mo’. You would too if Tony Cachere was cooking them! Photo by Joel Shangle.

Justin Lucas picks his way through a grass pocket in Bridge Bay. Photo by Joel Shangle.

A VanDoozy at Toledo Bend! VanDam wins 21st

MANY, Louisiana – Was it just me, or did everything feel just a little surreal at Cypress Bend Park during the recent Toledo Bend Elite Series event? I mean, was it just the dizziness I […]

Videos by bassnomadJun 2, 20168:00 pm

Psychology Sunday: A Bass Nomad exclusive with Dave Lefebre

FLORENCE, Alabama – What, exactly, makes a top-tier competitor tick? In ANY sport? Is it confidence? Intuition? Heck, is it fear? We wondered that too. So, we went out and asked. Welcome to “Psychology Sunday”, […]