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I just visited the Red Gold Tomato facility to get information for an article as well as an interview with Todd Hollowell. Red Gold Tomatoes is sponsoring Todd in the 2012 Walmart FLW tour. Red Gold is a great company that is proud to supply more than 1300 jobs to rural Indiana to include 60 growers throughout the Midwest. Look for Red Gold on your super market shelves and support not only a proud supporter of bass fishing but an all American company as well.


VISIT THE RED GOLD SITE HERE


PAUL ELIAS STUNNS THE FIELD AT THE LAST 2011 FLW EVENT
lake guntersville tournament
Photo By: Ken McBroom

WALMART FLW Tour Open on Lake Guntersville

Fishing Pressure May Be a Factor

Ken McBroom

DAY 1: Guntersville Alabama is the home of one of the best bass fisheries in America. The problem is over the past several years, with all the big sacks the pros have brought in at weigh-ins, all of America knows it is a great big bass producer. All that publicity is great for the local economy but now the pros must contend with the problem they may have created and that is pressured bass.

Lake Guntersville is big but even a big lake can be pressured and after a full season of weekend anglers, vacationing anglers as well as the many tournaments held on Guntersville throughout the season the Lake Guntersville bass have seen it all. My guess is that the angler that finds the bass offshore (Mark Rose) will do well provided he finds them. I pulled Mark Rose from my winner on my fantasy team after hearing his discouraging interview on the morning of day 3 practice. I inserted Randall Tharp into his place because Randall has been hot and he finished second in 2008 in a B.A.S.S open in October so I think with his strengths in shallow water and covering water he should do well with the bass scattered throughout the lake I think that is going to be the way to catch them. You must keep in mind that Mr. Rose and anyone else can find the ledge fish and if they do they should bite especially since they ultimately see much less pressure than the grass and shoreline bass.


Check back here the next few days for updates on the progress and what is working during this tournament.


DAY 2:
Well so much for the low weights. Paul Elias is hammering them. Unfortunately I took him off my fantasy team, amazing. Anyway the rumer is that Paul is using an unorthodox presentation and I will post that as soon as the on the water cam gets some shots of his technique. Paul already has 21 pounds this morning and I would say he has this one wrapped up. Most of the anglers are flipping but the fishing has been super slow so like everyone else I am anxious to see what Mr. Elias is doing to get those big to bite.

Overall the weights, I guess you could say, are down a bit compared to past Guntersville tournaments but with Paul Elias and Marshall Deakins breaking the 20 pound mark and reportedly Paul has already broke that mark this morning and 16 pounds needed for the top ten I would say not too bad especially considering the conditions.


The big story here is Paul Elias and his technique that is continuing to put monsters in the boat. Check back and see what that technique is and why it is working so well.


The Alabama rig. Holy cow, Paul Elias catches 29 pounds on the rig and jumps his weight to 55-03 on day two and with nearly a 15 pound lead it looks like the win is his. This tournament has turned into the Alabama rig on-slought and rest assured there will be a few sold in the days to come. I hope they can make them fast enough.


DAY 3:
Well there are more guys throwing that Alabama Rig on day 3 and the weights have increased because of it. Occasionally a bait comes along that the bass have not seen and they really take to it just like they took to this rig at Guntersville. It would not surprise me if someone wasn't on lake Guntersville this very moment slinging the Alabama Rig. Scott Martin said, during weigh in that there was two tournaments going on. The one he was fishing and that other one called the Alabama Rig tournament and that in his tournament he was doing well but since a rumored 18 out of the top 20 anglers were throwing the Alabama Rig.

It is a fact that 9 of the remaining 10 anglers, left for tomorrow, is fishing for second place. Unless something really bazaar happens Paul Elias has it in the bag. Keep in mind though that his nearly 15 pound lead could be considered bazaar to the many anglers that struggled just to get a bite through practice and into the tournament.


Casey Martin took care of business sacking 20 pounds, 9 ounces and the win by 1pm and laid down his rod. A friend gave Casey an Alabama Rig and then he was paired with Mr. Elias or should we call him, at least for now Mr. Alabama Rig? This win was Casey Martin's second in a row winning at Lake Champlain a month ago.


Check back for a summary of the Alabama Rig open on lake Guntersville tomorrow. I wonder if anybody will be throwing anything but an Alabama Rig and if there is someone not throwing it I wonder where he will place.


DAY 4: Paul Elias brings in another big sack of Lake Guntersville bass and breaks the 100 pound mark for the tournament. This has been one of those tournaments that will be talked about for a long time and the Alabama Rig will be the center of the conversation. There will be more said about this lure and if it will be legal I am sure. There are some states that do not allow this many hooks on a line. I thought they were rigging it like an umbrella rig, used for trolling for stripers, which only has one bait with a hook and the others are just to attract the fish to the rig then the center bait had the hook and trailed a few inches back from the rest of the pack like a weaker baitfish. I was surprised myself to learn they had hooks on all the baits but I guess it is legal so I guess it pays to know the rules to stay out of trouble but also to get the upper hand because I would have automatically thought it wasn't allowed.

Congrats to Paul Elias a great guy and a pillar in the sport of bass fishing.

FLW on BEAVER LAKE
BEAVER LAKE
Beaver Lake 3/3/11 - 3/6/11 -- Beaver Lake
Prairie Creek Park, Rogers, AR


Walmart FLW returned to Beaver Lake this year after a one year hiatus and they are glad to be back. The cold winter has kept the water temps a little low for this time of year and the bass are still a bit sluggish. These guys are some of the best anglers in the world so they can make it seem easy but when you hear them talk about getting five bites all day and bringing five fish to the scales you know they know what they are doing. Below is an overview to the FLW tournament on Beaver Lake in Rogers Arkansas. Information obtained from flwoutdoors.com.

DAY 1: Kellogs pro Dave Lefebre leads after day one and feels good about his spot but will it last? No one is really open about what they are throwing but the consensus is, with the surface temps below 50 degrees in the clear water, that the jerkbait would be the deal. Lefebre says he is sitting in 80 feet of water throwing into an undisclosed depth and working his undisclosed bait really slow.

National Guard pro Justin Lucas brought 15-13 of bass to the scales to take second place on day 1. Lucas says he is fishing deep, clear water and four largemouth bass including one that weighed 5 pounds 6 ounces. Lucas' fifth bass was a spotted bass and they all fell to a Lucky Craft jerkbait twitched over 20-30 feet of water.

Justin Kerr brought in a 14 pound 4 ounce bag of 3 Largemouth bass, 1 spotted bass and a smallmouth bass on his first trip to Beaver Lake. Kerr threw a jerkbait as well but his biggest bass came on a 3/16th-ounce Evergreen finesse jig. His bass came from 10 to 25 feet deep and Kerr says it is his only spot so far.

DAY 2: In fourth place after day 1 MONSANTO pro Shad Shenck moves into the first place slot after day 2 with a 14-14 pound bag to go with his day one 13-9 bag. Shad says he is fishing deep brush and Berkley Fluorocarbon line has been the ticket for his success. Schenck hopes to win his first FLW event on Beaver Lake and says he isn't worried about the forecasted cold front that is supposed to hit the region the next couple days.

Frosted Flakes pro Dave Lefebre only had 10 pounds 2 ounces but still hangs in there in second place. Lefebre has counted on some largemouth bass to help his weight and the largemouth bite may dwindle as the clouds clear out and the air gets cold. His spot he says is a pre-spawn spot that he has not hit too hard but the forecast of colder temps might pull the largemouth bass out to deeper water and the guys counting on those largemouth might drop in the standings.

This leads us to Roy Hawk who has been running up the river targeting largemouth bass and hopefully these fish will stay put and continue to bite for Hawk. I am skeptical that the guys hitting shallow largemouth can stay on top.

DAY 3: Long time pro Ron Shuffield managed 18-10 on day three to take the lead. He was confident for the remaining tournament but hopefully he can locate some active largemouth in the cold temps to come. Ron Shuffield says he really wants to win an FLW event and maybe this will be the one.

Bryan Thrift, the reigning FLW Angler of the Year, brought in the heaviest sack ever weighed in an FLW event on Beaver Lake with 20 pounds 8 ounces and took over the second place spot in style. Fishing a little different than others Thrift says he is throwing a jerk bait in three feet of water and working it fast. We will see if the pattern holds up for Thrift.

We had a tie for third after day 3 with Stacey King and Matt Arey sharing the spot. Watch both of these guys as on the final day. Both are catching fish, Arey catching a lot of bass and King with only a few bites a day but good ones.

THE CONCLUSION: After just three bass on day one Thrift thought his chances were slim. Sitting in 36th place after day 1 Thrift changed his tactics and stayed where he caught his three fish the first day. The largemouth bass just did not bite up the river where Thrift went to try and find a couple kicker fish. On day three Thrift mounted his comeback with the largest sack ever weighed at an FLW event on Beaver Lake with 20 pounds 8 ounces. Thrift said his good friend, who finished fifth, Matt Arey let him in on the fast retrieve technique with the jerkbait. This is how Thrift managed his big sack and ultimately the weight to win his second FLW event and starts off the season in great shape for repeating his angler of the year title.

I said watch out for Stacey King and he made it to second with the biggest bag weighed on day four. The Straight Talk Pro Stacey King fished a Megabass jerkbait most of the tournament but when the sun came out he switched to an old standby, the Cordell Super Shad Tailspinner. He told flwoutdoors.com that it was a great clear water bait that was no longer made. Stacey said that with the sun out and no clouds the bass began to suspend over deep cover and he just let that little tailspinner sink over the brush and slowly and methodically brought the bait back with a slight pumping action. King said he thought the Super Shad resembled the dying shad that was struggling throughout his area and it was just what they wanted.

Everstart pro Ron Shuffield really wanted to win this one and felt he had a good chance after leading going into the final day of the tournament. Shuffield's fish just would not cooperate for him on day four and he only managed three fish. The wind killed Shuffield's jerkbait bite and without the wind his Wiggle Wart bite dried up too. Shuffield said more than half of his fish came from his Megabass Vision Jerkbait but the bigger bites came on his Wiggle Wart pattern. Without the wind in his area he just could not get the bites he needed. Even with the slow final day Ron Shuffield still managed a great finish with third place and a check for $30,000, not too bad.


ALABAMA RIG
CHECK IT OUT


  • 12/08/2011 - Minn Kota Renews FLW Sponsorship
  • 12/08/2011 - Shop-Vac Renews Commitment With FLW
  • 11/19/2011 - Duo Wins Soldier Appreciation Bass Fishing Tournament on Saguaro Lake
  • 11/14/2011 - Daniel Wins Soldier Appreciation Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Mead
  • 10/26/2011 - Alexander Wins $15,000 in FLW Fantasy Fishing Event
  • 10/24/2011 - 2012 Everstart Series Entry Dates Announced
  • 10/23/2011 - Elias Wins FLW Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Guntersville
  • 10/22/2011 - Elias Dominates FLW Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Guntersville
  • 10/22/2011 - Duo Wins FLW Soldier Appreciation Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Guntersville
  • 10/21/2011 - Elias Still Leads FLW Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Guntersville
  • 10/20/2011 - Elias Leads FLW Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Guntersville
  • 10/13/2011 - FLW Outdoors Announces Strike Pro America as Newest Sponsor
  • 10/08/2011 - Conner Wins Soldier Appreciation Bass Fishing Tournament on Kinkaid Lake
  • 10/04/2011 - 2012 FLW Tour Registration Dates Announced
  • 10/03/2011 - Schatz Wins FLW Soldier Appreciation Bass Fishing Tournament on Grand Lake
  • 09/21/2011 - Avid Angler Wins Fantasy Fishing Event for Lake Champlain Tournament
  • 09/18/2011 - Wolak Wins FLW Tour Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Champlain
  • 09/17/2011 - Duo Wins Soldier Appreciation Bass Tournament on Lake Champlain
  • 09/17/2011 - Wolak Leads FLW Tour Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Champlain
  • 09/16/2011 - Yamamoto Still Leads FLW Tour Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Champlain
  • 09/15/2011 - Yamamoto Leads FLW Tour Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Champlain
  • 09/10/2011 - Duo Wins Soldier Appreciation Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Harding
  • 09/03/2011 - Troutwein Wins Soldier Appreciation Bass Tournament on Sayers Lake
  • 08/27/2011 - Wellnitz & Wellnitz Win Soldier Appreciation Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Oahe
  • 08/14/2011 - Martin Wins FLW Cup Bass Fishing Championship on Lake Ouachita
  • 08/13/2011 - Team Wins Soldier Appreciation Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Hamilton
  • 08/13/2011 - Deering and Davis Win 2011 Junior World Bass Fishing Championship Titles
  • 08/13/2011 - Martin Regains Lead at FLW Cup Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Ouachita
  • 08/12/2011 - 12 Juniors Advance to Finals on DeGray Lake Bass Fishing Tournament
  • 08/12/2011 - Christie Leads Forrest Wood Cup Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Ouachita
  • 08/11/2011 - Martin Leads FLW Cup Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Ouachita
  • 08/10/2011 - FLW Foundation and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Announce Partnership
  • 08/08/2011 - Fritter & Selmon Win Soldier Appreciation Bass Fishing Tournament on Ohio River
  • 07/28/2011 - Retired Air Force Master Sgt. Wins $15,000 In FLW Fantasy Fishing Event
  • 07/24/2011 - Rose Wins FLW Tour on Pickwick Lake
  • 07/23/2011 - Rose Leads Pickwick Lake Bass Fishing Tournament
  • 07/23/2011 - Beyer and Kavanaugh Win Soldier Appreciation Bass Tournament on Green Bay
  • 07/23/2011 - Jewell, Scott Win Soldier Appreciation Bass Tournament on Pickwick Lake
  • 07/22/2011 - Rose Still Leads FLW Bass Fishing Tournament on Pickwick Lake
  • 07/21/2011 - Rose Leads FLW Bass Fishing Tournament on Pickwick Lake
  • 07/11/2011 - Sanderson and Scribner Win Soldier Appreciation Bass Fishing Tournament on Yellowtail Reservoir

  • todd hollowell, flw tour
    Todd Hollowell


    RED GOLD SPONSORS HOLLOWELL IN 2012 FLW TOUR

    11/17/2011


    Elwood, Ind.-based Red Gold Inc. recently announced a 2012 title sponsorship with professional angler Todd Hollowell of Fishers, Ind. Hollowell will fish the Walmart FLW Tour in 2012 and will sport the bright and beautiful Red Gold logo and boat-wrap design. Fans will also see Red Gold and Hollowell at the popular FLW Outdoors Expo at FLW Tour Majors events.

    Hollowell is an up-and-coming pro that has successfully worked his way up the ranks with FLW Outdoors and earned his spot for the 2012 FLW Tour. In 2002, Hollowell began competing as a co-angler in the BFL Music City Division, where he won the points title and advanced to the 2003 BFL All-American championship. He quickly advanced to the Boater Division, where just a few years later he qualified for the 2006 BFL All-American. In 2011, Hollowell fished his first full pro circuit in the EverStart Central Division where he finished sixth in the points and qualified for the EverStart Series Championship. Hollowell has a strong track record including numerous regional titles, seven top-10 finishes in 36 events with FLW, and he appears to have a bright future with the FLW Tour.

    “This is an exciting opportunity for me to advance to the highest level in the sport of professional bass fishing with FLW Outdoors,” said Hollowell. “Red Gold is a great partner that I’m honored to represent. Growing up in Central Indiana, I’m very familiar with their great tomato products. Tomatoes are healthy and versatile in many meals, from chili to meatloaf, and people love Red Gold and their products. They also make great salsa and ketchup products that I’ve grown to love over the years.”

    About Red Gold

    Red Gold, an Indiana company, is one of the largest privately owned tomato processors in the nation. The third-generation family-owned company traces its roots, investment and job creation in Indiana back to 1942, when it began producing tomato products for the soldiers overseas. Red Gold produces premium quality canned tomatoes, ketchup, and tomato-based products for the retail, foodservice, private brand, and club channels of distribution. The Red Gold family of consumer brands includes Red Gold, Redpack, Tuttorosso and Sacramento. Exceptional quality and operational excellence are the shared values that contributed to the employee-created mission statement: “To produce the freshest, best tasting tomato products in the world.” Visit RedGoldTomatoes.com and facebook.com/RedGold to learn more about Tomato Country, special offers, and delicious tomato recipes.

    If you would like more information about this topic or would like to schedule an interview with Red Gold, please contact Colt Reichart by phone at (765) 754-7527 extension 2238 or by e-mail at creichart@redgold.com.



    RAMBLING ANGLER