World championship and music festival will return to Lake Conroe and the Lone Star Convention & Expo Center

CONROE, TX (JAN. 17, 2012) –Dates for the highly-anticipated return of the Toyota Texas Bass Classic (TTBC), the world championship of professional bass fishing and country music festival, were announced today with all of the action set to begin Friday, Sept. 28.

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Final day of competition to air on Versus Saturday

CONROE, TX (DEC. 14, 2011) – The thrilling conclusion of this year’s Toyota Texas Bass Classic will air nationally in over 75 million homes this Saturday at 1 p.m. Eastern (Noon Central) on Versus, a member of the NBC Sports Group. Following two days of fierce competition, an exciting finale awaits the national viewing audience as the final weigh-in promises a finish unlike any in tournament history.

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World Championship to air on Versus as a part of the NBC Sports Group

CONROE, TX – The second day of this year’s Toyota Texas Bass Classic (TTBC) will air this Saturday at 1 p.m. Eastern (Noon Central) on Versus, a member of the NBC Sports Group. 

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Funds from TTBC vital to youth fishing programs

By Alan Clemons, PAA Communications

CONROE, Texas- Professional fishermen win the prizes, attendees see the anglers and watch the concerts, and sponsors show off their products to the thousands who pass through the annual Toyota Texas Bass Classic.

The biggest prize, though, goes to the beneficiary of the event proceeds, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

TPWD has received more than $1 million from the event since its inception in 2007. Given the sweeping budget cuts this year and next, this year’s TTBC couldn’t come at a better time. Budget reductions have been spread among multiple TPWD divisions and Inland Fisheries was not insulated from those cuts that include money along with full- and part-time staff.

“We wanted the proceeds to go to help introduce youth and families to fishing in Texas, and especially in urban areas,” said Dave Terre, TPWD Inland Fisheries chief of management and research. “Texas has 16 million people living in its urban areas, and many have never fished.”

The Neighborhood Fishing Program was established with the help of TTBC funds, where TPWD partners with local governments to provide fishing opportunities in local parks.

“And a new fishing pond was constructed within San Antonio that is very popular,” Terre said.

TTBC funds also support the Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest, a national competition for students in grades K-12 requiring students to learn about an official state fish and depict it in a drawing or painting.

“And a Texan was the national Best in Show winner this year,” Terre said.

The “Fish Texas” trailer travels to events across the state, thanks to TTBC funds, as well as a series of “Take Me Fishing 101” videos that have been viewed by more than 100,000 people, Terre said.

“Our goal is to increase outdoor participation among today’s youth and develop conservation-minded anglers,” Terre said. ‘”Ultimately, that benefits everyone.”

Terre said the budget cuts have widespread ramifications in the TPWD. Agency officials have looked at every possibility, division, program and plan for the future.

“It translates into a variety of things,” Terre said. “We lost hatchery personnel, but we still have the hatcheries. Can we maintain production with less people? Some of that remains to be seen. We also lost some of our staff in fisheries management research, which is a team that looks at lakes and monitors our lakes, makes determinations on if they need fish and then we make fish for public water bodies.

“We’re committed to the anglers and the resource to do all we can do. We’re not sitting on our thumbs.”

Fishing programs key

Terre said the urban fishing programs “are a high priority in the state” and believes they’ll continue on stable ground.

“I think our ability to produce catfish to stock for these programs will be the same,” he said. “But our ability to expand the program is definitely impacted. If we lost funding through the TTBC, our ability to replace some of what is lost would be difficult.

“It just emphasizes the importance of the TTBC and the donations from people interested in helping. With the TTBC we’ve been able to grow the urban program by five lakes. The $250,000 per year has allowed us to contract with private fish hatcheries in the state to expand the program. The program operates in partnership with local communities or cities and they control those lakes, but we have a partnership with them.

“It’s a complex partnership among groups but one that has worked well, and one we definitely look forward to continuing,” Terre added.

For information on the TPWD’s Neighborhood Fishing program, visit http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/management/stocking/urban_catfish.phtml

CONROE, Texas – Spectators roamed through the Toyota Texas Bass Classic Expo on a sunny, perfect afternoon at the Toyota Texas Bass Classic. The Day Two weigh-in was just a few hours away, but the Expo kept them entertained.

By Alan Clemons
PAA Communications

CONROE, Texas – Powerline Services pro Keith Combs of Texas is making his lead in the Toyota Texas Bass Classic look easy, but he says that’s an incorrect assumption.

Combs put together a five-bass limit weighing 27 pounds, 4 ounces, for a total of 55-12 to hang onto the lead going into the final day of the world championship on Lake Conroe. He’s still ahead of Toyota pro Mike Iaconelli of New Jersey, who had 25 pounds Saturday and trails with 51-12.

“It’s a grind, it really is,” said Combs, who guided on Lake Amistad in Del Rio before moving east to Huntington earlier this year. “I caught a 6-12 pretty quickly with the second flight going by me, and then another one but then went about three hours before I caught another one.”

Zoom pro Todd Auten of South Carolina surged into third place after switching gears from shallow to deep water Saturday. He caught 24-4 and has a total of 41-12, well behind Combs and Iaconelli … although one big bite on Conroe could swing the pendulum and two big bites could be a complete game-changer.

Rounding out the Tundra 10 are Nitro pro Edwin Evers of Oklahoma (38-12), defending champion and Nitro pro Brian Snowden of Missouri (36-4), Nitro pro Ott DeFoe of Tennessee (36-0), Kinami Baits pro Steve Kennedy of Alabama (34-0), Walmart pro Wesley Strader of Tennessee (33-12) and Yamaha pro Alton Jones of Texas (33-12), and National Guard pro Mark Rose of Arkansas (32-12).

The 10 pros will launch from Waterpoint Marina at 8 a.m., with the final weigh-in at 4 p.m. Live scoring will be available at www.ToyotaTexasBassClassic.com until about midday, when it will be frozen prior to the live-stream weigh-in.

Combs grinding

Combs is hitting more than 50 areas on Conroe and wasn’t as worried Saturday with the way his start mirrored the first day.

He added three keepers after his three-hour drought and then went hunting for anything to round out his limit.

“It was probably about 12:30 when I decided to just try to catch something to get my limit,” he said. “I got that one and then settled down a little bit. This kind of fishing is the way I’m comfortable with, and I’m making more stops probably than I ever have in a tournament.

“At each place, I’m probably making five or six casts and then getting out if I don’t get a bite. It’ll either be a big one or there won’t be one. That’s all I’m looking for.”

Combs said he spent about a week here last year and then a few days this year prior to the official practice this week, so he’s comfortable with what he’s doing.

“It’s all or nothing,” he said. “I’ve put in my preparation and if I don’t win, I don’t know what else I could have done differently.”

Iaconelli surprised

Friday evening, Iaconelli said he figured the first day would be the one to pound on the fish to build the weight because of the cloudy, windy conditions that would disappear Saturday.

With the cold front having moved through overnight, Saturday arrived with sun and bluebird skies. That’s typically not the best thing for fishing since high pressure often puts bass close to cover and post-frontal conditions give ‘em lockjaw.

“My first spot I caught a 4- and 7-pounder and thought ‘Hmmm …’ because they were biting,” he said. “I figured today would be the one when they didn’t bite as well.”

Iaconelli still is running his pattern he developed earlier this week but didn’t yield any insight about specifics.

“I had a really good day and caught fish all day,” he said. “I’m happy with it and am happy to be fishing another day. You always want to be in the position to have a chance to win.”

What a difference a day makes. The cold, dark and cloudy wind-blown day that was yesterday on Lake Conroe gave way to a classically gorgeous post cold front, sun drenched morning on Saturday at the Toyota Texas Bass Classic.

Mike McClelland never got the big off-shore bite on Day 1 that Conroe is famous for, but “Pee Paw” as his close angling friends call him, based on his mature-beyond-his-years slow moving demeanor, is hell-bent to call up a hog today after catching a small 12 pound limit yesterday that has him sitting in 28th place.

By Alan Clemons, PAA Communications

CONROE, Texas – The Texas Rig migrated east to Alabama many years ago, introducing fishermen to a darn good technique for catching bass.

This week, the Alabama Rig made its introduction to the Lone Star State.

More than a few Toyota Texas Bass Classic competitors have tried the Alabama Rig this week during the world championship event on Lake Conroe. Some haven’t talked much about it. Others haven’t worried about who knows.

“I have one, one of ‘the’ rigs and I’ve tried it,” said Toyota Trucks pro Gerald Swindle of Alabama. “It looks crazy and I don’t know if I’ll throw it (during the tournament), but you better believe I have one.”

The reasons Swindle and other pros here have the rigs, or have made their own versions, are two-fold.

First, they and everyone else who keeps up with tournament fishing knows how well it worked on Guntersville Lake last week in the FLW Tour Open, won by Paul Elias with a four-day total of 102-pounds and change.

Second, even if something looks wild, unconventional or just flat-out “no way I’m fishing that” crazy … if it’s legal to use and their peers are trying it, they’re going to give it a shot. Whether it’s to rule it out and not try it again or figure out if it works and is another tool to use, they’ll consider it.

Drop shot? Why, that’s a silly finesse rig that won’t work anywhere in the Deep South wooly-booger fisheries. Wrong.

Swimbaits? Nothing outside of a few trout-fed bass lakes in Cali or special Texas lakes would eat those big 8- and 10-inch (or bigger) swimmers. Wrong.

The Alabama Rig, for anyone who may have been visiting the moons of Jupiter the last two weeks, is a vastly modified umbrella rig. That rig’s concept is used by striper and saltwater fishermen, albeit with bigger and heartier rigs and bigger baits. The Alabama Rig has five strong wires with snap clips coming out of the rear of a composite body in which the line-tie is molded. The clips can hold spinnerbaits, swimbaits, crankbaits or other lures. It could, potentially, be an awesome crappie or walleye rig, too. But it’s impossible to argue with the success after repeated reports from pros who fish in an area with no bites or 2-3 fish, and then have five keepers in the box after a few throws with the rig outfitted with swimbaits.

“It’s what I caught my 9-pounder on in practice,” Damiki pro Bryan Thrift of North Carolina said before Friday’s TTBC launch. “I’m going to give it a shot if I think the time and location’s right.”

Don’t worry. Every guy in the TTBC field isn’t flinging the Alabama Rig in some kind of monotonous, repetitious merry-go-round of bass angling. There will be, as with other techniques, a time and place where it may shine. Confidence plays a big role, too, and it’s still so new that some guys are tinkering with it.

“I think it could play a role this week for sure,” said Booyah pro Terry Butcher of Oklahoma. “I’ve thrown it in the swimming pool and it looks good. I put Yum Money Minnows on it and they’re like a little swarm of shad swimming together.”

The Alabama Rig is legal this week in the TTBC, according to PAA Tournament Director Randy Knight.

“There wouldn’t be any reason I can determine that they couldn’t throw it,” Knight said. “Anglers will still have to make and complete a legal cast and retrieve, just like with any other lure.”

Knight said a ruling will come soon about the Alabama Rig for use in the 2012 PAA Tournament Series.

“Because it still is new and something a little different, we will be evaluating it for the upcoming season,” he said. “I realize it is legal in many states, and some states have regulations about the number of hooks or baits that may be used. We will evaluate it and have a determination soon for the 2012 PAA Tournament Series season.”

This weekend, it’s fair game in the TTBC.

“It looks wild,” Butcher said, “but it looks pretty darn good, too.”

Giant leaps land anglers in finals, four pros make big jumps to Tundra Ten

By Craig Nyhus, PAA Communications

CONROE, Texas - Trying to make the top 10 at a professional bass fishing tournament with the best field from three tours is tough.

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Unique scoring system with real-time results

By Craig Nyhus, PAA Communications

CONROE, Texas -- The scoring system used at the Toyota Texas Bass Classic brings the best of both worlds to the conservation-minded event: Instant information for tournament officials and a near 100-percent fish survival rate.

The system, modified for the TTBC by www.fishhound.com, allows information from the water to be delivered to tournament officials.

Here’s how it works. When the professional angler lands a fish, a non-fishing judge in the boat weighs and measures the fish. The angler confirms the recorded weight and then releases the bass. The judge, using an iPhone, sends the information (including photo, if desired) via Fishhound’s system to the secure site for officials.

At TTBC, only a few of the biggest bass are brought to the stage to be shown to the spectators.
A real-time, accurate leaderboard is maintained for fans, although the results will be frozen as the TTBC reaches its conclusion for added drama.

The software has more benefits, according to Fishhound VP of Operations Rick Patri. “We get a GPS reading from the phone,” he said. “The TV guys use that to get to the hot angler.”

Dave Terre, inland fisheries chief of management and research for Texas Parks and Wildlife, touts the conservation aspects of the system. “With a 99 percent survival rate, we think this type of system could become the way future tournaments are handled,” Terre said.

Can the system be used for smaller tournaments that don’t have judges on the boats or TV crews?

Yes, Patri said.

“Closed groups may be set up on our system,” he said. “Scoring and reporting information could be collected within the group in much the same way. And an individual angler can use it as a personal catch diary — kept private or he can make it public if he wants.”

And with the GPS component, he’ll know exactly where he caught them.

Fishhound.com launched in 2010, primarily as a real-time fishing report site. “We have reports from 2,300 U.S. waters,” Patri said. “Reports come from pros, guides and boat captains.

There is a free option or additional features available for a $20 annual fee.

By Alan Clemons

PAA Communications

Day One Leaderboard > CLICK HERE

Angler Catch Breakdown > CLICK HERE

CONROE, Texas – Two big flurries of activity and one record-setting bite helped the top three anglers take command of the leaderboard Friday at the Toyota Texas Bass Classic.

Powerline Services pro Keith Combs of Texas had a record-setting day on Lake Conroe to take the lead with a stunning five-bass limit weighing 28 pounds, 8 ounces. That catch was anchored by a 10-8 largemouth he caught about three hours into the day that claimed ATX Wheels Big Bass award.

Both were individual TTBC records for Lake Conroe. This is the third season for the tournament on Conroe; the first two tournaments were held on Lake Fork as team events. Combs qualified for the TTBC through the Bassmaster Elite Series after a strong rookie season in which he finished among the top 15 in the Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year points race.

“I caught one pretty fast, and then the second keeper was the big one,” Combs said. “I was getting kind of freaked out, though, because I hadn’t caught one in a while. It had been a couple of hours since I’d had a good bite.”

Toyota Trucks pro Mike Iaconelli of New Jersey was second with 26-12 and Yamaha pro Alton Jones of Texas was third with 24-4. Both said their catches came in a wild flurry of activity that gave them the opportunity to leave their top areas alone and go check other places to fish Saturday and, possibly, Sunday.

The TTBC field is comprised of the top 15 points finishers from this season’s Bass Pro Shops PAA Tournament Series, Bassmaster Elite Series and Walmart FLW Tour. Rounding out the field are defending TTBC champion and Nitro pro Brian Snowden of Missouri and four sponsor exemptions.

All 50 anglers will return to Lake Conroe Saturday for the second round, leaving Waterpoint Marina at 8 a.m. in two 25-boat flights. Weigh-in begins at 6 p.m. at the Lone Star Convention & Expo Center in Conroe. The field will be trimmed to the Tundra 10 for Sunday’s final shootout. At stake is more than $400,000 in cash and prizes.

Combs worked hard

Combs competed on the PAA Tournament Series in 2010 and won the tour’s mid-summer tournament on Lake Tawakoni with a record-setting performance, which helped him financially to make the jump to this season’s Elite Series after qualifying through the Bassmaster Central Open circuit.

Friday morning, he set the hook on a bass “that really didn’t do anything,” he said, but didn’t give any ground.

“She just kind of buried up in some brush and stayed there,” Combs said. “I had 10-pound test line on and wasn’t putting a lot of pressure on her, but I could feel her give a little bit and then just sit. I figured the line would break but I didn’t give up.”

After about a minute, Combs estimated, she moved out of the brush and he was able to get her safely to the boat. After measuring and weighing her with the Boga Grip scales each TTBC angler uses for the catch-weigh-release format, Combs put her in the livewell. Anglers may bring in one bass larger than 21 inches to weigh for the ATX Wheels Big Bass Award.

Combs then continued his milk run on Conroe.

“I think I hit 51 places,” he said. “That’s the only way I know how to fish. If I sit in one spot, it seems like all I catch is little ones.”

Iaconelli got juiced

Iaconelli prepares for a tournament by going over maps and old notebooks he’s compiled about the fishery, but rarely gets time to pre-practice due to his hectic schedule.

He didn’t get to practice on Conroe until Monday morning, the first official day of practice, and quickly began checking key spots. He got clued in on one piece of the puzzle, which led him to try something else and develop two patterns.

Friday morning, that work paid off when he caught two keepers on the first two passes in his top area. Then, things ramped up.

“I don’t know exactly what it was but I knew something had changed,” he said. “Maybe the air pressure, maybe catching those fish … I don’t know exactly. But the whole school ignited and it was like every cast. Then it became a decision of going for 21-22 pounds or staying and trying to get 30 pounds.”

There are no points on the line in the TTBC, no qualifications for championships or other events. It’s all or nothing for three days and that’s what Iaconelli had in mind.

“My goal for the first day was to catch 30 pounds,” he said. “The way the weather conditions set up with the front moving in, clouds and probably the next two days may be high pressure and bluebird skies with tougher fishing, I knew I wanted to beat them up and hammer on them.”

Iaconelli finished second last year and has an itch, as he does in every tournament, to finish holding the trophy.

“I always try to have three patterns just in case something happens,” he said. “This week I was only able to really develop two, so hopefully it won’t get to needing something other than them. We’ll see how things shake out with the weather and maybe I won’t need but two. It’s always good to have a backup or two, though.”

Jones worked fast

The TTBC’s real-time Fishhound.com leaderboard showed Jones at the top with 24-4 just about immediately Friday morning.

Then, nothing for the rest of the day.

“I caught them all in about 30 minutes and then left,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to manage your fish and in a tournament like this, that’s a good thing. I think the cold front moving in helped because it made my decision easier to leave.”

Jones said he has three or four areas and fished just one of them Friday. He’ll probably hit his best spot Saturday and then move, if necessary.

“I didn’t have to touch any of my other areas and just looked around for some new ones,” he said.