Close But No Cigar! Won Bass, Flw, ISE show

First out of the money always stinks!! But more importantly it was a prefish tournament for the upcoming FLW everstart series on Feb 22, 23 at Lake Havasu.  My practice was ok at best but found a lot of fish using the A-Rig on outside mainlake points.  Tournament day I slowed down and caught them all on a drop shot for a little over 28 lbs for two days.. The fishing is going to be fantastic as they are starting to move up and come on the beds. 
     The accommodations for this tournament have been nothing short of spectacular.  I am staying with my best friends and traveling partners at Mike's house about five minutes away from the lake.  Leather couches, Flat Screen TV's enclosed garages to keep the boats safe.....(What a treat!!!)  Sure beats the motel 6.
      I am going to change up my pattern a little bit and throw a new crank bait from Damiki Tackle called the DC 300/400 crankbait series in a shad pattern along the flats and then when I get out to the points switch back to the worm. Talk about a great hardbait at a great price! You can find these baits at the Hook Up Tackle .  A new must have in my boat for sight fishing the beds is the new Hydra Bait by Damiki.  Just go to the previous link and look for the 4 inch white color.  During my practice I will be filming another show with TC Sports Report.  Tami does a great job and puts out some great videos with the nations top west coast pros!  Check her videos and website out.
     After the FLW tournament I have to run back to Phoenix and do a two day demonstration on the tank at the Phoenix Cardinals Stadium.  It's always fun to do those and show people how we are catching fish with the latest and great baits on the market!  Any way I have played a lot of hooky this month so I have to get back to loading some mattresses and make some gas money!!!  I'll put a new post up right after the FLW with some cool pics and a short intro to the new show I'm filming..

Andy

P.S.  Quick Shout out to my sponsors Canyon Plastics, Reactor Watches, Mattress Depot and my title sponsor Lobina Lures. (home of the rico) 

Bass A Thon Recap, TC Sports Reports Cribs Edition #1???

Yep you heard it Cribs Edition....( We'll get to that a little later!!)

The 2011 Bass A Thon was held at Anglers Marine in Anaheim this last weekend.  What a great event.  Autographs were being handed out like candy from our legendary anglers like Rick Clunn, Jimmy Houston, Mike Folkestad, Skeet Reese and countless others.  The theme should have been named the Alabama Rig Show!  It was amazing to see how a lure can impact a sport of this size so quick.  In case you have been living under a rock this last month bassmaster elite pro Paul Elias tore em up at a FLW event about a month ago with over 100lbs of fish.  I'll let you do the research on your own so you can get up to speed.  Anyway, I picked up a few " Cal A Bama rigs for myself and everyone is coming up with there own twist and ways to fish it.

     My good friend Mike Folkestad and his wife Vicky were nice enough to open there home for the weekend and allow us to attend the show as well as have some good fellowship fun!  Jennifer Duff and I had a booth at the show selling ricos 3 for 20 bucks which is absolutely unheard of.  Don't get use to seeing us at these shows every year because it only happens every four years or so.  Jeff Klicka provided the steaks and carne asada for the meals as well as his usual humor to provide for a very entertaining weekend! Jody and Ryan Only were all filming for advanced angler and Tami was filming for TC Sports Report and other magazine publications during the event as well.  Here is a clip from Jody Only interviewing Mike Folkestad for Advanced Angler.http://www.advancedangler.com/2011IcastVid.asp?SelectValue=Mike Folkestad - Lobina Lures Rico

     Okay, back to the Cribs segment.. While at Mike's house Tami, Jeff and myself were talking the previous year on how to play some tricks on Mike while we were staying there and it actually ended up turning out to be a Cribs edition of the Folkestad house.  We had so much fun messing around with hundreds of plaques, trophies and fishing tackle..  I think Klicka still has a tackle bag of roboworms and yamamoto baits to give back.. We will see if that gets done..  So for now check out Jody Only's publications in the Examiner as well as Tami Curtis on TC Sports Report.  These girls are not only accomplished fisherman but extremely talented in video and editing..

     In closing be sure you keep the TC Sports Report website on your favorites to look for the First Edition of the Cribs episode. There will be more to follow!!  I would like to thank my sponsors Lobina Lures, Mattress Depot, Canyon Plastics, Mercury Marine, Reactor Watches, Costa Del Mar, The Hookup Tackle.  Without these sponsors I wouldn't be able to chase those little brown and green guys!! Until next time!!
Andy

Alabama Rig, Bass A Thon, Blown Power Heads, T.O.C, Cancer, 2012 !!

We just wrapped up our 2011 season and I'm getting geared up for our TOC at lake Naciemento and San Antonio over in California.  I am excited to fish both of these lakes because I have never been there so my mind is wide open to throw variety of baits.  It's always a challenge to find pieces to the puzzle on a new lake and hard to stay away from the dock talk...
     Speaking of dock talk, the Alabama Rig is making some serious headlines in a hurry across blogs, chat rooms and fishing forums.. I haven't been around the game that long but have come to this conclusion.  Fish within your states rules.  When I used to play golf professionally the rules of the game were not meant to hurt you but to simply educate you how you play the sport! If the Alabama rig is legal in your state then go ahead and fish it.  The senko, plastic worm, floating minnow were all subject to the same lines and controversy as this (not so new rig).... Enough said I guess...


     The Bass A Thon is coming up at Anglers Marine in Anaheim California!  Lobina Lures is making a huge splash this year with some amazing deals!!Jennifer Duff, my self and the legendary Rick Clunn are all going to be at the booth throughout the two day event so stop by and say hello and enter for a chance to win a Autographed rico from Rick Clunn himself!!  BTW, if chance has it and those little A rigs are for sale I'll be picking one up and modifying it to fish legally in my own waters.
     2012 is approaching fast and I am going to be fishing the FLW everstart events as well as the WON BASS pro am events..  Last year I only entered one FLW event and took 8th place so I am going to try and see if I can have the same if not better success at all 4. 
     I also wanted to take this time to thank Mercury Marine for a professional as well as expedited turn around time on helping me get back on the water and do what I love.  I blew a power head while prefishing for a tournament and was back as good as new within 5 days!!! Mercury you guys Rock!!  Everyone has there favorite power plant on the back of the boat but I am a customer and promoter for Life!  Thank you again Mercury Marine and Brent at Performance Marine in Phoenix, Az for the awesome service!
     As you all probably know my close and personal friend Tami Curtis was diagnosed with cancer.  We are all wishing her a speedy and 100% full recovery so your thoughts and prayers are appreciated. Drop her a line on her website and let her know your thinking of her.. Or maybe you just don't want her to keep on beating you!!!! Congrats on going in to the TOC at first place Stick!!! You rock!  Another Congrats to the man himself Mike Folkestad on leading once again our points and soon to be winner of the Daiwa Cup! Klicka the Mad Scientist, and big bird!!  Guess what guys, Mikey's buyin!!!
     In closing the topwater bite is great here in Arizona The Suave 20th anniversary and #570 rio rico are killing em right now so get on the water and throw some lobina lures and get your fish on!!! 

Until next time..  See ya on the water!!!

Andy