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Published: 23 May 2018

David Eggers (Granger) and Tad Hepler (Niles), defending champions in the Sturgeon Bay Open in Wisconsin, finished 13th this year and took home $1,800.

The Michiana team had 48.48 pounds of smallmouth during the two-day event won by locals Jason Stangal and John Ullmer who had 57.87 pounds, including 29.22 pounds the second day.

The annual tournament featured 127 boats that weighed in 134 20-pound-plus limits over the two days. There were nine smallmouth caught that weighed 7 pounds or more and big bass was an 8.78-pound, 22-inch smallmouth.

“We just couldn’t get a fish over 5 ½ pounds,” said Hepler. “Nearly every team that finished ahead of us had a 6 or 7 pounder in their sack.”

Hepler and Eggers used swimbaits and tubes to catch their fish.

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Published: 16 May 2018

By Al McGuckin

McClelland and VanDam Feel at Home on Lake Travis

Tuesday morning marked the start of the second very long hot practice day on Lake Travis for the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Two of pro fishing’s most likeable, accomplished, and even-keeled veteran anglers, Mike McClelland and Kevin VanDam, launched next to one another in the humid predawn air, and say this gorgeous reservoir in the Texas Hill Country is very new to them, but also one they’re liking a lot, and feeling right at home on.

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Published: 16 May 2018

By Al McGuckin

Swindle Says Lake Travis is Full of Fish

Gerald Swindle has no history with Lake Travis. He’d never seen the gorgeous 18,000- acre reservoir along the Colorado River in the Texas Hill Country until arriving for practice on Mother’s Day.

But after another long 12-hour day of practice for the Bassmaster Texas Bassfest this week, he likes what he sees.

“Well, I just saw a woman swim across the cove with her Larbradoodle; that was interesting. And they dang sure like to party on this lake, even on a Monday,” says the hilarious Team Toyota pro.

“It’s also full of fish. I think it’s gonna surprise people what we catch here this week. There’s a ton of bass swimming here. The challenge will be getting that big bite or two to separate you from the pack,” he explains.

Water temps are ranging 77 to 80. It’s full post-spawn mode, and how you choose to catch them is up to you. Swindle says most of the baitfish he saw on Lake Travis were super tiny shoreline minnows.

“You name it – we’ll be throwing it this week,” says Swindle. “Drop shot, Ned Rig, a casting jig, Shaky head, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, deep cranking -- it’s all in play this week.”

Swindle piloted his Tundra roughly 14 hours to get to Austin after saying a brutally tough, heartbreaking goodbye to his dog Myrick, but Lake Travis has been reason to smile again for the highly accomplished Quantum pro.

“Grand Lake and Kentucky Lake, where we just came from, were places I’d been many times before, but bites were tough to come by,” says Swindle.

“We weighed-in big bags, but bites were real tough to get. Coming here to Travis was a long drive, but kind of cool like getting a Christmas present. You’re excited to unwrap it, and see what you got, and so far, I like what we’ve got here.”

“I think one of the reasons Lake Travis is good is because there’s not a lot of fishing pressure. Now look, there’s party pressure – if the bass bit Bud Light cans here they’d be in trouble, because these locals know how to party - especially with the weather being so hot this week – like hotter than Miranda Lambert in yoga pants,” he concluded.