The Great Grigsby Leads Bassmaster Elite Event In Georgia

The Great Grigsby Leads Bassmaster Elite Event In GeorgiaIf bed fishing’s the game, Shaw Grigsby’s the name.  And that’s just how it went Thursday, the first day of the Dick Cepek Tires Bassmaster Elite at Lake Seminole presented by Hardee’s. Out of Bainbridge, Ga., the event is the 2014 Elite Series season opener. Well-known for his bed fishing talents, Grigsby led the 108-pro field by 3 pounds, 7 ounces, with a 30-pound, 5-ounce day’s total.
 
“It was a perfect day,” said Grigsby, who caught the entire 30-plus pounds by 10 a.m., and then sat back and ate cold chicken. “One of those great days — amazing.”
 
Grigsby took the first step toward duplicating his 2011 season-opener victory in Florida, the ninth and most recent win of his storied Bassmaster career. Two of those titles were taken at Lake Seminole.
 
Grigsby’s 3-7 lead was over Bernie Schultz, who weighed 26-14. A largemouth of 10-10 was the jewel of Schultz’s bag — and the largest single bass brought to the scales Thursday.
 
Coincidentally, the two leaders both hail from Gainesville, Fla.
 
Kevin Short of Mayflower, Ark., was in third place with 25-9, trailing the leader by 4-12. Fourth place was pegged at 24-11 by Brett Hite, a 2014 Elite rookie from Phoenix, Ariz. In fifth was Tommy Biffle of Wagoner, Okla., with 23-13.
 
Local favorite J Todd Tucker of Moultrie, Ga., who calls Lake Seminole his home water, ended his first day in 18th place. His Day 1 weight of 18-14 was for four bass, one short of the five-fish limit.
 
The first-place prize of the event is $100,000 and an automatic berth in the 2015 Bassmaster Classic. Pros also earn points that count toward the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year award and a Classic qualification.
 
Grigsby said his largest bass of the day were two over 7 pounds. They came from one of his several bed-fishing spots, he said, as did most of the bass he hooked into Thursday.
 
For the second round on Friday, Grigsby said he’d go back to his magical spot.
 
“I don’t know whether I’ll get a bite in that same area, but I’ve got a couple more areas to hit, and then I can always go sight-fishing to get decent little sacks,” he said.
 
Grigsby said he’s targeting prespawners moving up to beds, as well as fish actually on beds.
 
The cold front that came through Wednesday night did not affect his bite Thursday, unusual behavior for spawning fish, he said.
 
Schultz’s behemoth largemouth of 10-10 set the bar high for the event’s Carhartt Big Bass bonus of up to $1,500. He said he caught the bass sight fishing at about noon.
 
“She was on a bed with a male that weighed about 4 pounds; I caught him next,” Schultz said.
 
Fish came in pairs for Schultz. He caught a second couple (male and female) soon after the first two. A fifth bass soon finished his limit.
 
Short, unlike many in the field, was not bed fishing or sight fishing. He established a pattern during practice and stuck to it.
 
“You gotta love it when the plan comes together,” Short said.
 
Neither did Biffle try to “look at ’em.”
 
“I haven’t seen one on the bed. If I did happen to, I’d try for it. But I don’t like to hunt them,” said Biffle, who would describe his pattern only as “just fishing.”
 
The full field of 108 will return to the water at 7:30 a.m. Friday. Takeoff will be at Earle May Boat Basin, 100 Boat Basin Circle, Bainbridge. The weigh-in will begin at 4 p.m. at the same location.
 
Opening at noon Saturday and Sunday, the Bassmaster Elite Series Expo presents the products of Elite Series sponsors. People ages 14 and up can sign up for free demo rides in Nitro, Skeeter and Triton boats powered by Mercury ProXS and Yamaha SHO engines.
 
There’s no admission charge to any Bassmaster event, and parking is free.
 
Friday through Sunday, the 11th annual Bainbridge River Town Days will offer many kids activities, plus vendors and Flames on the Flint, a barbecue cook-off. Town Days also will include many free concerts, including Chris Cagle, Saturday’s headliner.
 
The local host of the Elite event is the Bainbridge-Decatur County Chamber of Commerce (http://www.bainbridgegachamber.com).
 
2014 Bassmaster Elite Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha
 
2014 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Booyah, Carhartt, Diet Mountain Dew, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Plano, Power-Pole, Rigid Industries, Shimano
 
 
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
 
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series presented by Allstate, B.A.S.S. Nation events, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series, Bassmaster High School Series, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by Diet Mountain Dew and GoPro.
 
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Media Contact: Cara Clark, 205-313-0955, cclark@bassmaster.com, or Dave Precht, 205-313-0931, dprecht@bassmaster.com.
 
 

2014 Bassmaster Elite Series Lake Seminole Presented by Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels 3/13-3/16
Lake Seminole, Bainbridge  GA.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
 
   Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts  
 
1.  Shaw Grigsby Jr.       Gainesville, FL          5  30-05  100
  Day 1: 5   30-05  
2.  Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL          5  26-14   99
  Day 1: 5   26-14  
3.  Kevin Short            Mayflower, AR            5  25-09   98
  Day 1: 5   25-09  
4.  Brett Hite             Phoenix, AZ              5  24-11   97
  Day 1: 5   24-11  
5.  Tommy Biffle           Wagoner, OK              5  23-13   96
  Day 1: 5   23-13  
6.  Hank Cherry Jr         Maiden, NC               5  23-03   95
  Day 1: 5   23-03  
7.  David Walker           Sevierville, TN          5  21-04   94
  Day 1: 5   21-04  
8.  Mark Davis             Mount Ida, AR            5  21-00   93
  Day 1: 5   21-00  
9.  Todd Faircloth         Jasper, TX               5  20-15   92
  Day 1: 5   20-15  
10. Chad Morgenthaler      Coulterville, IL         5  20-10   91
  Day 1: 5   20-10  
11. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO         5  20-03   90
  Day 1: 5   20-03  
12. Takahiro Omori         Emory, TX                5  19-11   89
  Day 1: 5   19-11  
13. Cliff Crochet          Pierre Part, LA          5  19-07   88
  Day 1: 5   19-07  
13. Charlie Hartley        Grove City, OH           5  19-07   88
  Day 1: 5   19-07  
13. James Niggemeyer       Van, TX                  5  19-07   88
  Day 1: 5   19-07  
16. Britt Myers            Lake Wylie, SC           5  19-03   85
  Day 1: 5   19-03  
17. Morizo Shimizu         Osaka JAPAN              5  19-02   84
  Day 1: 5   19-02  
18. J Todd Tucker          Moultrie, GA             4  18-14   83
  Day 1: 4   18-14  
19. Dennis Tietje          Roanoke, LA              5  18-11   82
  Day 1: 5   18-11  
20. Dean Rojas             Lake Havasu City, AZ     5  18-09   81
  Day 1: 5   18-09  
21. Davy Hite              Ninety Six, SC           5  18-08   80
  Day 1: 5   18-08  
22. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ               5  18-07   79
  Day 1: 5   18-07  
23. Chris Lane             Guntersville, AL         5  18-06   78
  Day 1: 5   18-06  
23. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN         5  18-06   78
  Day 1: 5   18-06  
25. Ott DeFoe              Knoxville, TN            5  17-11   76
  Day 1: 5   17-11  
26. Kevin VanDam           Kalamazoo, MI            5  17-09   75
  Day 1: 5   17-09  
27. Josh Bertrand          Gilbert, AZ              5  17-08   74
  Day 1: 5   17-08  
27. Justin Lucas           Guntersville, AL         5  17-08   74
  Day 1: 5   17-08  
29. Matt Reed              Madisonville, TX         5  17-07   72
  Day 1: 5   17-07  
30. Aaron Martens          Leeds, AL                5  17-05   71
  Day 1: 5   17-05  
31. Marty Robinson         Lyman, SC                5  17-01   70
  Day 1: 5   17-01  
32. Kurt Dove              Del Rio, TX              5  17-00   69
  Day 1: 5   17-00  
32. Randall Tharp          Port Saint Joe, FL       5  17-00   69
  Day 1: 5   17-00  
34. Gerald Swindle         Warrior, AL              5  16-15   67
  Day 1: 5   16-15  
35. Brandon Card           Caryville, TN            5  16-10   66
  Day 1: 5   16-10  
35. Jamie Horton           Centerville, AL          5  16-10   66
  Day 1: 5   16-10  
37. Skeet Reese            Auburn, CA               5  16-07   64
  Day 1: 5   16-07  
37. Byron Velvick          Boenre, TX               5  16-07   64
  Day 1: 5   16-07  
39. Boo Woods              Oneida, KY               5  16-06   62
  Day 1: 5   16-06  
40. Jeremy Starks          Scott Depot, WV          5  16-00   61
  Day 1: 5   16-00  
41. Yusuke Miyazaki        Forney, TX               5  15-15   60
  Day 1: 5   15-15  
42. Trevor Romans          Plano, TX                5  15-14   59
  Day 1: 5   15-14  
43. Andy Montgomery        Blacksburg, SC           5  15-10   58
  Day 1: 5   15-10  
44. Rick Morris            Lake Gaston, VA          5  15-09   57
  Day 1: 5   15-09  
45. Kelly Jordon           Palestine, TX            5  15-05   56
  Day 1: 5   15-05  
45. Nate Wellman           Newaygo, MI              5  15-05   56
  Day 1: 5   15-05  
47. Matt Herren            Trussville, AL           5  15-04   54
  Day 1: 5   15-04  
48. Kelley Jaye            Dadeville, AL            5  15-03   53
  Day 1: 5   15-03  
49. Scott Rook             Little Rock, AR          5  15-02   52
  Day 1: 5   15-02  
50. Casey Ashley           Donalds, SC              5  14-13   51
  Day 1: 5   14-13  
51. Jacob Powroznik        Port Haywood, VA         5  14-12   50
  Day 1: 5   14-12  
52. Stephen Browning       Hot Springs, AR          5  14-11   49
  Day 1: 5   14-11  
53. Greg Vinson            Wetumpka, AL             5  14-10   48
  Day 1: 5   14-10  
54. Alton Jones            Lorena, TX               5  14-09   47
  Day 1: 5   14-09  
54. Jared Lintner          Arroyo Grande, CA        5  14-09   47
  Day 1: 5   14-09  
56. Mike Kernan            Wylie, TX                5  14-08   45
  Day 1: 5   14-08  
57. Jason Christie         Park Hill, OK            5  14-05   44
  Day 1: 5   14-05  
57. Bobby Lane             Lakeland, FL             5  14-05   44
  Day 1: 5   14-05  
59. Chad Pipkens           Holt, MI                 5  14-04   42
  Day 1: 5   14-04  
60. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA                5  14-00   41
  Day 1: 5   14-00  
61. Michael Iaconelli      Pitts Grove, NJ          5  13-15   40
  Day 1: 5   13-15  
62. James Elam             Tulsa, OK                4  13-15   39
  Day 1: 4   13-15  
63. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL              5  13-08   38
  Day 1: 5   13-08  
64. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN           5  13-03   37
  Day 1: 5   13-03  
65. Casey Scanlon          Shawnee Mission, KS      5  13-01   36
  Day 1: 5   13-01  
66. Zell Rowland           Montgomery, TX           5  12-15   35
  Day 1: 5   12-15  
67. Brent Chapman          Lake Quivira, KS         5  12-13   34
  Day 1: 5   12-13  
68. Gary Klein             Weatherford, TX          5  12-12   33
  Day 1: 5   12-12  
69. Bradley Roy            Lancaster, KY            5  12-10   32
  Day 1: 5   12-10  
70. Russ Lane              Prattville, AL           5  12-08   31
  Day 1: 5   12-08  
71. Kotaro Kiriyama        Moody, AL                5  12-03   30
  Day 1: 5   12-03  
71. Ish Monroe             Hughson, CA              5  12-03   30
  Day 1: 5   12-03  
73. BJ Haseotes            Centerville, MA          5  11-14   28
  Day 1: 5   11-14  
74. Fred Roumbanis         Bixby, OK                4  11-12   27
  Day 1: 4   11-12  
75. Terry Scroggins        San Mateo, FL            5  11-11   26
  Day 1: 5   11-11  
76. John Murray            Phoenix, AZ              5  11-10   25
  Day 1: 5   11-10  
77. Tracy Adams            Wilkesboro, NC           5  11-09   24
  Day 1: 5   11-09  
78. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX           5  11-03   23
  Day 1: 5   11-03  
78. Fletcher Shryock       New Philadelphia, OH     5  11-03   23
  Day 1: 5   11-03  
80. Jason Williamson       Aiken, SC                4  11-00   21
  Day 1: 4   11-00  
81. Chris Zaldain          San Jose, CA             5  10-15   20
  Day 1: 5   10-15  
82. Tim Horton             Muscle Shoals, AL        4  10-07   19
  Day 1: 4   10-07  
83. Kevin Hawk             Guntersville, AL         2  10-05   18
  Day 1: 2   10-05  
84. Boyd Duckett           Guntersville, AL         3  09-12   17
  Day 1: 3   09-12  
85. Edwin Evers            Talala, OK               4  09-01   16
  Day 1: 4   09-01  
86. Brandon Palaniuk       Hayden, ID               5  09-00   15
  Day 1: 5   09-00  
87. Glenn Browne           Ocala, FL                5  08-13   14
  Day 1: 5   08-13  
88. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL               5  08-09   13
  Day 1: 5   08-09  
89. Scott Ashmore          Broken Arrow, OK         3  07-15   12
  Day 1: 3   07-15  
90. Keith Poche            Pike Road, AL            4  07-13   11
  Day 1: 4   07-13  
91. Pete Ponds             Madison, MS              3  07-08   10
  Day 1: 3   07-08  
92. Mike McClelland        Bella Vista, AR          3  07-04    9
  Day 1: 3   07-04  
93. Billy McCaghren        Mayflower, AR            3  06-11    8
  Day 1: 3   06-11  
94. Randy Howell           Springville, AL          2  06-10    7
  Day 1: 2   06-10  
95. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                  4  06-09    6
  Day 1: 4   06-09  
96. Jonathon VanDam        Kalamazoo, MI            3  06-05    5
  Day 1: 3   06-05  
97. Paul Elias             Laurel, MS               2  06-03    4
  Day 1: 2   06-03  
98. Jeff Kriet             Ardmore, OK              5  06-01    3
  Day 1: 5   06-01  
99. Derek Remitz           Grant, AL                3  05-12    2
  Day 1: 3   05-12  
100. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA             2  05-00    1
  Day 1: 2   05-00  
101. Kenyon Hill            Norman, OK               1  04-10    0
  Day 1: 1   04-10  
102. Michael Simonton       Fremont, OH              2  03-15    0
  Day 1: 2   03-15  
103. Joel Baker             Talala, OK               2  03-04    0
  Day 1: 2   03-04  
103. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN            2  03-04    0
  Day 1: 2   03-04  
105. Jared Miller           Norman, OK               2  02-12    0
  Day 1: 2   02-12  
106. David Smith            Del City, OK             2  02-07    0
  Day 1: 2   02-07  
107. Joseph Sancho          New Windsor, NY          1  02-03    0
  Day 1: 1   02-03  
108. Grant Goldbeck         Boerne, TX               1  02-00    0
  Day 1: 1   02-00  
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
 1        81       479      1503-02
———————————-
          81       479      1503-02
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