Category: Blogs

Blogs by bassnomadSep 1, 201812:06 am

Justin Lucas, Josh Bertrand battle for AOY

The battle for AOY: Bertrand or Lucas?

Uncategorized by bassnomadAug 24, 20174:04 pm

In pursuit of AOY: Behind the numbers

By Joel Shangle ST. CLAIR SHORES, Michigan – Brandon Palaniuk was Boat No. 1 yesterday morning on Day 1 of the Bassmaster Elite Series regular-season finale on Detroit’s Lake St. Clair. As he motored out […]

Uncategorized by bassnomadMay 25, 20172:53 am

Larry Nixon Mississipi River Day 1 fish — Yamamoto pro Larry Nixon bagged up another Top 10 finish at the FLW Tour event on the Mississippi River. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Ode to “The General” …

Uncategorized by bassnomadMay 25, 201712:01 am

1. They call Livingston pro Andy Morgan “The GOAT” for a reason. This is the last guy I ever want to fish against, and the first guy’s house I’m going to in a zombie apocalypse. Photo by Joel Shangle.

2. YUM pro Jason Christie is also my starting shooting guard in any game of pickup 3-on-3. Photo by Joel Shangle.

3. Does it seem like BPS pro Ott Defoe has been around forever?!? Well, he hasn’t. He’s just been so damned good in the six years he’s fished the Elite Series that it just seems like it: Top 20 50% of his tournaments! Photo by Joel Shangle.

4. Talk to Fitzgerald Rods pro Bryan Thrift before a tournament and you’ll swear he won’t catch a single fish. And then he’ll beat you 99 days out of 100. Photo by Joel Shangle.

5. I can tell that the rest of the Elite Series field is nervous that Rigid pro Brandon Palaniuk has matured into a consistent Top 10 guy. He’s always had the ability to win tournaments, but now you throw in AOY-level consistency? Yeah, no thanks, I don’t want any part of a head-to-head with BP. Photo by Joel Shangle.

6. Is Enigma pro Aaron Martens having a down year? Well, yes, especially by his standards. But out of this list of nine, I’ll wager that Aaron is the guy THEY would least like to have to beat head-to-head. Photo by Joel Shangle.

7. Nicest guy you’ll ever meet, ol’ Ark Rods pro Randall Tharp … and then mention the word “compete” or “contest” or “game” and the Honey Badger comes out. The only way I’m ever facing off against Tharp is if it’s a drop-shot-only contest on Lake Washington, and Tharp is blindfolded. Photo by Joel Shangle.

8. You know when somebody just HAS it?!? You can’t even identify it, but you can tell that whatever IT is, they have it, and you don’t. Carhartt pro Jordan Lee owns “IT”. This guy is going to be a terror for the Elite Field for years to come. Photo by Joel Shangle.

9. Unless you’ve been on a boat with Quantum pro Kevin Vandam, you can’t begin to understand just what a machine he is. Not in a robotic way, but in an “I’m going to beat the daylights out of you” way. Photo by Joel Shangle.

The Nomad 9: Who would we least like to face in a head-to-head fish off?

SEATTLE – The latest Bassfan.com World Rankings are out, and it’s no stretch that Jacob Wheeler is the new No. 1. He rankles a fair number of his competitors with his scouting/practice habits, but when […]

Uncategorized by bassnomadMar 13, 201712:51 am

Livingston pro Jacob Powroznik’s breath says it on on a frigid Lake Cherokee morning. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Family pride: Alton Jones and Alton Jr. made their first Top 50 together at Cherokee. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Academy Sports pro Jacob Wheeler went 2-for-2 in his Elite Series career by winning the Cherokee trophy. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Gene Larew pro Jacob Wheeler found the right size smallies on Cherokee. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Looks like we’re back in Florida: Costa pro Casey Ashley heads out onto Okeechobee. Photo by Joel Shangle.

The bag that won it for Timmy Horton: Day 2, Horton brought some monsters to the party. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Livingston pro Randy Howell showed off a pair of Lake O. beauties. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Daiwa pro Andy Montgomery in the thick of it with some big fish. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Spiderwire pro Bobby Lane’s big Day 1 fish had his marshall’s attention. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Simms pro Brett Hite with an in-your-face giant from Day 1. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Bass Pro Shops pro Timmy Horton tried to absorb the fact that he had won. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Timmy Horton is thumbs up with his fifth Elite Serie strophy. Photo by Joel Shangle.

2017 Elite Series first-lap observations: Wheeler chills, Horton hangs on

For a season that started off so ice-cold (literally, it was below freezing at Cherokee Lake), things have heated up pretty quickly on the 2017 Bassmaster Elite Series. Faced with an inordinately early start to […]

Photos by bassnomadJan 1, 201711:12 pm

Bass Nomad’s favorite moment: Rick, River and Skeet

Our friends at Bassmaster.com were gracious enough to include us recently in their “My favorite moment” series. The 2016 Elite Series season was memorable in many ways, but nothing was as powerful to us as […]

Uncategorized by bassnomadDec 20, 20167:21 pm

Cody Meyer’s record spot: it was only a matter of time

By Joel Shangle Bass Nomad Media AUBURN, Calif. – … and who, exactly, was surprised last week when Simms pro Cody Meyer yarded a potential-world-record 10.80-pound spotted bass out of the chilly waters of New […]

Uncategorized by bassnomadOct 14, 201611:19 pm

simms-pro-ish-monroe-with-one-of-two-overs-at-the-ttbc — Simms pro Ish Monroe likes his chances at the 2017 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Conroe. Photo by Joel Shangle.

The dish with Ish: our Q&A with Simms pro Ish Monroe

Uncategorized by bassnomadSep 5, 20166:47 pm

Elite schedule-makers should get Christmas cards from these 3 anglers

Let’s play a little game of “Pick the Pros”, shall we? Taking a quick glance at the newly announced 2017 Bassmaster Elite Series schedule, a couple of things popped out at me. First, the Elites […]

Uncategorized by bassnomadAug 4, 20163:53 am

Meyer was a Cup bully the first three years he fished it, finishing in the Top 10 three years in a row. He’s had some middle-of-the-pack finishes in recent years, but Meyer is always, always a threat at this event. Photo by Joel Shangle

Garmin pro Stetson Blaylock is an interesting story here because he’s like the rent: due. Blaylock has competed in 10 FWCs and averaged somewhere in the 30s, but that can’t continue forever for a guy who averages a Top 10 every five tournaments. Photo by Joel Shangle.

MHX pro John Cox is maybe the wildest of the wild cards here this week. Not because he’s a hack – two Top 10 AOY finishes in a row – but because he’s flat out admitted that he’s taking the Crestliner places that nobody else would even think of. He’ll be fun to watch this week, no matter what. Photo by Joel Shangle.

The other half of the “Aluminum Duo”, G-Loomis pro Jeff Gustafson had a break-out year on the FLW Tour. He’s been consistently good this year, and is fishing this week without a care in the world. Watch out for that. Photo by Joel Shangle.

How happy do you think 2007 Cup champion Scott Suggs is to be back in this tournament? Damn happy. And how dangerous is a guy who knows how to fish these bathtub-warm waters? Damn dangerous. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Quaker State pro Matt Arey has three Cup Top 10s as a co-angler and three Top 20s as a pro. He obviously knows how to compete here, and you’d be a fool not to put him on your must-watch list. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Confession: Troy Morrow is our darkhorse favorite this week. Not necessarily because we think Wheeler sets up well for him, but because he squeaked into this event … and that’s all he needed. Morrow shows out at the Cup, with three Top 10s in the four he’s fished. Photo by Joel Shangle.

If Garmin pro Scott Martin is in the Cup field, he’s automatically a threat to win. Doesn’t matter what fishery it’s on. The 2011 FWC champ has matured into maybe the best “big-game player” on Tour, with four Top 10s in the last five FWCs. Photo by Joel Shangle.

… and the longtime fans of the FLW Tour went “Chis WHO?!?” this season. Johnston. As in, the guy who damn near knocked off Andy Morgan for AOY honors. The young Canadian has proven to be a top-shelf pro. Photo by Joel Shangle.

If it’s on the Tennessee River, it’s in 5 x 3 pro Michael Neal’s wheelhouse. Even though we’re a few pools away from his home water (Lake Chickamauga), you can bet your last dollar that Neal will be in the mix this week. Photo by Joel Shangle.

There are about 1,000 reasons to pick Mercury pro Mark Rose to win this whole thing, but here are the two most compelling: he’s won on Wheeler (in 2012), and he’s going to find some deep fish that nobody else does. Count on it. Photo by Joel Shangle.

How bad does Livingston Lures pro Andy Morgan want to win the Forrest Wood Cup? Bad. Like, grizzly-with-a-toothache bad. I don’t care if it’s an ice-fishing competition, I’m never betting against the G.O.A.T. Photo by Joel Shangle.

12 Spot: A dozen stories to watch at the Forrest Wood Cup

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – Judging by the social media of many of the 50 anglers getting ready to throw down at the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup on Wheeler Lake in northern Alabama, there’s not a single […]

Uncategorized by bassnomadJul 29, 20165:25 pm

Proz and Kreiger at Classic Bracket — Jacob Powroznik lends Koby Kreiger a helping hand at the recent Classic Bracket event on the Niagara River. Bassmaster photo by Thomas Allen.

Proz’s Bracket “busting”: What’s the big deal?

Photos by bassnomadJul 18, 20167:27 pm

Bagley Baits pro Drew Benton might have the biggest Round 1 task of all with Kevin VanDam, but don’t be surprised if the Florida rookie pulls the upset. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Carhartt pro Jordan Lee has a hot hand going into the Classic Bracket. Expect him to do well. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Gander Mountain pro Dean Rojas is Bass Nomad Chris’s choice to bust the bracket. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Mercury pro Brett Hite is Bass Nomad’s pick to win it all this week. Photo by Joel Shangle.

At this point, does it make any sense at all to pick against Strike King pro Keith Combs? No, it doesn’t. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Livingston pro Jacob Powroznik is the most interesting X-factor in the bracket. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Minn Kota pro Koby Kreiger has the most to gain this week: a Bracket victory is likely his only way into the 2017 Classic. Photo by Joel Shangle.

Bracket busting! Who will win on the Niagara River?

BUFFALO, New York – First, a confession: you say the word “bracket” and I automatically regress 20 years into Joel the Former Sportswriter. I start thinking about matchups and scenarios and things that would determine […]