08.Jun.2013
GROVE, Okla. – Rayovac pro Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., brought a five-bass limit to the scales Saturday weighing 17 pounds, 10 ounces giving him a three-day cumulative total of 15 bass for 58 pounds, 4 ounces and the lead for the third consecutive day at the Walmart FLW Tour at Grand Lake presented by Castrol. He now holds a solid 3½-pound lead over second place pro Barry Wilson of Birmingham, Ala., in the event that features the best bass-fishing anglers in the world casting for the top cash award of up to $125,000.
“All that you can ask for in a bass tournament is to go into the last day and have a legitimate chance to win,” said Christie, who is seeking his second FLW Tour victory of the season after winning at Beaver Lake just two months ago. “If I can catch what I did today tomorrow, I have a good chance.”
Christie said that Saturday was his slowest day of the tournament so far, and that he only boated 10 to 12 keeper bass.
“We won’t know until tomorrow whether my fish will hold up or not,” Christie said. “I think I’m going to try a couple of different spots early, because my main area didn’t fire up until later today. I don’t have any other areas that I have the confidence that I do in my main area, though. Hopefully, they replenish.”
Christie said that his main area was about 10 to 15 miles up the lake from the takeoff site at Wolf Creek Park. Like yesterday, he said that his main pattern all week has been flipping a YUM F2 Wooly Bug and a creature bait.
“I ran way down the lake today and tried to catch some crankbait fish,” Christie said. “I really did that to eliminate it. I didn’t want to be thinking about anything else tomorrow other than flipping bushes. It’s definitely getting a little tougher in my area, but I do believe that it can be won up there. We’re all great fisherman, but it’s all about how good your locations are… and if they can hold up for four days.”
The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition on Grand Lake are:
1st: Rayovac pro Jason Christie, Park Hill, Okla., 15 bass, 58-4
2nd: Barry Wilson, Birmingham, Ala., 15 bass, 54-12
3rd: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 54-7
4th: Chevy pro Jimmy Houston, Cookson, Okla., 15 bass, 53-8
5th: Robbie Dodson, Harrison, Ark., 15 bass, 53-2
6th: Chevy pro Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 53-1
7th: Chevy pro Jay Yelas, Corvallis, Ore., 15 bass, 51-11
8th: Zell Rowland, Montgomery, Texas, 15 bass, 51-6
9th: Stetson Blaylock, Benton, Ark., 15 bass, 51-1
10th: Straight Talk pro J.T. Kenney, Palm Bay, Fla., 15 bass, 50-12
Finishing in 11th through 20th are:
11th: Travis Fox, Rogers, Ark., 15 bass, 50-10, $12,216
12th: Todd Auten, Lake Wylie, S.C., 15 bass, 50-1, $12,216
13th: Ish Monroe, Hughson, Calif., 15 bass, 50-1, $12,216
14th: James Biggs, Richland Hills, Texas, 15 bass, 49-5, $12,216
15th: Chevy pro Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., 15 bass, 48-13, $12,216
16th: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 15 bass, 47-15, $11,726
17th: M&M’s pro Jim Moynagh, Carver, Minn., 15 bass, 45-8, $11,726
18th: Lendell Martin Jr., Nacogdoches, Texas, 14 bass, 45-0, $11,726
19th: Tommy Martin, Hemphill, Texas, 15 bass, 44-7, $11,726
20th: Matthew Stefan, Park Ridge, Ill., 15 bass, 43-11, $11,726
Final results for the remaining field can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Overall there were 99 bass weighing 300 pounds, 12 ounces caught by pros Saturday. The catch included 19 five-bass limits.
Pros are competing for a top award of up to $125,000 this week plus valuable points in the hope of qualifying for the 2013 Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart, the world championship of bass fishing. The top 35 anglers in the point standings from the six events on the 2013 Walmart FLW Tour will qualify. The 2013 Forrest Wood Cup will be in Shreveport, La., Aug. 15-18 on the Red River. Coverage of the Forrest Wood Cup will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC when “FLW” airs Sept. 29 from 2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. ET.
Keith Honeycutt of Temple, Texas, won the co-angler division and $25,000 Saturday with a three-day total of 11 bass weighing 27 pounds, 7 ounces, followed by Jason Johnson of Gainesville, Ga., in second place with 10 bass weighing 24 pounds, 13 ounces worth $7,500.
“When I drew Jason Christie today, I just thought to myself that there is no way in the world that he can flip every single bush,” said Honeycutt, who has earned more than $180,000 via fishing as a co-angler in FLW competition. “I just knew that there had to be a few bushes here and there for me.”
Honeycutt said that he caught his fish this week by flipping bushes and throwing shallow crankbaits.
“I really do appreciate what Jason (Christie) did for me today,” Honeycutt went on to say. “I had three bass at 1 p.m. and Jason heard me sighing in the back of the boat. He asked me if I wanted to go crankbait fishing, so of course I smiled and told him that I would love to go. We made a 25-mile run and went crankbait fishing, and I caught three or four more fish and got my limit. There is no doubt that Jason left the area where this tournament is going to be won to help me, and I really do appreciate it.”
More on FLWOutdoors.com
Oklahoma pro expands overall lead during second day of FLW Tour action on Grand Lake, top-20 cut announced
Courtesy 
07.Jun.2013 by Gary Mortenson
GROVE, Okla. – For the most part, the changing landscape of the FLW Tour event on Grand Lake has been a sight to behold. Water levels have shifted somewhat dramatically, starting off nearly 4 feet above normal pool and then receding steadily with each passing day. The muddied up waters that greeted anglers upon their arrival have slowly given way to more gin-clear conditions throughout significant portions of the lake. Throw in the fact that anglers witnessed sunny and calm conditions today, in stark contrast to the overcast skies and medium winds on day one, and it’s obvious that anglers have had much to process throughout this tournament.
However, given all of the significant changes anglers have had to battle through this week, the one constant appears to be the standing atop the leaderboard. For a second day in a row, pre-tournament favorite and Rayovac team pro Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., has dominated the headlines. Bolstered by a total, two-day catch of 40 pounds, 10 ounces, Christie took a 5-ounce lead after yesterday’s competition and inflated it to nearly 3 full pounds after Friday’s weigh-in.
And although Christie – who considers Grand Lake to be his hometown water – had attempted to argue at the start of the tournament that the conditions left him with no local advantage, the results say otherwise. Christie is clearly on top of his game. And he’s now obviously the man to beat.
“Twenty pounds a day, I’ll take it,” said Christie. “I’m where I wanted to be.”
While weights were down across the board in Friday’s competition, including Christie who recorded nearly 2 pounds less than yesterday’s catch, the Oklahoma pro still managed to haul in the day’s biggest stringer in either division with a whopping 18-pound, 14-ounce stringer.
“I have three different patterns going on in three different sections of the lake,” said Christie. “And I’m using all three patterns each day. I have about 1,000 places on this pond, but it has to be the right deal. A stretch that was good today might not be good tomorrow. The water levels are starting to stabilize and there’s still plenty of fish. But you have to be in the right place at the right time. Believe it or not, I’ve never fished a four-day tournament here and I’m learning just like everyone else.”
While Christie lost two nice fish today, he basically chalked it up to the way he’s fishing.
“I’m basically flipping a Yum Wooly Bug in two different colors and throwing a Booyah spinnerbait. But I’m mostly flipping,” said Christie. “I did lose two big fish at the boat today so that was kind of aggravating. But that’s going to happen. I didn’t catch as many keepers as yesterday, but I still caught 20 to 25 fish. So overall, I’m pretty happy with how today went.”
One of the keys to Christie’s success has been an area in deeper water where he’s been able to haul out some of his bigger largemouth. While Christie didn’t want to divulge much, he did note that it was “off the bank” and that he appreciates windier conditions where fish continue to get prodded out into deeper water.
“I’m fishing at different depths,” said Christie. “Tomorrow I’m going to have to (adapt) to the conditions like everyone else. I’m just going to go out there and go fishing.”
Rest of Story on FLWOutdoors.com
FLW Press Release
06.Jun.2013
GROVE, Okla. – Rayovac pro Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., proved that in fishing there is sometimes a hometown advantage, as he brought a five-bass limit to the scales Thursday weighing 21 pounds, 12 ounces to take the lead at the Walmart FLW Tour at Grand Lake presented by Castrol. Christie now holds a slim 5-ounce lead over another Oklahoma fishing legend, Chevy pro Jimmy Houston of Cookson, Okla., who weighed in five bass worth 21 pounds, 7 ounces. Both will be looking to add to their totals tomorrow heading into day two of the four-day competition featuring the world’s best bass-fishing anglers who are vying for the top cash award of up to $125,000.
“I actually exceeded my expectations a little bit today,” said Christie, who has five career victories in FLW competition on Grand Lake. “I was hoping to catch 16 to 18 pounds and stay in the hunt, but I got lucky today and pulled up on the right spot at the right time, and they were there.”
Christie caught an early-morning limit by fishing shallow water, but knew that he needed to change his tactics in order to stay near the top of the leaderboard.
“At 12 o’clock I decided that what I was doing wasn’t working,” Christie said. “I knew that I needed to do something different, and it paid off for me.”
Christie made the move to his key area, where he was able to quickly upgrade his limit by culling all of his smaller fish. He said the area was not new to him, and was a place where he has caught fish in the past.
“It was definitely my lake experience that helped,” Christie continued. “This was a spot where I have caught a lot of fish under these conditions. I actually have a lot of places like it, but most of them don’t have any fish on them. If you look at my GPS, it’s crowded with waypoints, but a lot of them don’t have any fish on them because of the water color.
“With the way that they ran the water today, I think it pulled a lot of those fish out and set them where they needed to be,” Christie continued. “One thing about Grand Lake, though, is that they can be there today and gone tomorrow. You just have to try to catch them coming out, and today I had pretty good timing. Hopefully I can hit it at the right time again tomorrow.
“There are no secrets here,” Christie went on to say. “You just have to fish and move around until you find them. Grand Lake has so many fish in it that if you’re not getting bit, you’re not around them. You just have to keep moving until you find them.”
The top 10 pros after day one on Grand Lake are:
1st: Rayovac pro Jason Christie, Park Hill, Okla., five bass, 21-12
2nd: Chevy pro Jimmy Houston, Cookson, Okla., five bass, 21-7
3rd: Todd Auten, Lake Wylie, S.C., five bass, 20-12
4th: Randy Blaukat, Joplin, Mo., five bass, 20-3
5th: Matthew Stefan, Park Ridge, Ill., five bass, 19-14
6th: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., five bass, 19-11
6th: Ryan Chandler, Valparaiso, Ind., five bass, 19-11
8th: Robbie Dodson, Harrison, Ark., five bass, 19-9
9th: Zell Rowland, Montgomery, Texas, five bass, 19-8
10th: Ish Monroe, Hughson, Calif., five bass, 19-4
10th: Troy Morrow, Eastanollee, Ga., five bass, 19-4
Rest of story on FLWOutdoors.com
|
James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.
Jason Christie’s leapfrog from 11th into first place was the
biggest Day Four comeback in Elite Series history.
|
BULL SHOALS, Ark. — Two days ago on the Ramada Quest stage, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Jason Christie bemoaned the crystal water and dead-calm conditions of Bull Shoals Lake.
“Clear water and no wind scares the heck out of me,” said the Elite Series rookie from Park Hill, Okla., on that second day of competition. He dropped from fourth place into 14th. It was a serious fall in what had become the “ounces-count” Quest.
If Christie was scared, he was scared straight. On the third day, he managed to climb up into 11th place and qualify for Monday’s fourth and final round. He was 5 pounds, 6 ounces behind the leader.
Monday at the weigh-in, he showed what having the fire under you can do. He turned in a huge bag, the tournament’s largest: 18 pounds, 0 ounces. Christie landed squarely in the winner’s seat, with his first Elite Series trophy. It came with $100,000 and his second consecutive Bassmaster Classic qualification.
“Awesome,” said Christie about his secure return to the Classic. “I was hooked on it last time, and I’m ready to go again.”
Christie’s winning weight was 56 pounds, 8 ounces. His Day Four bag of five largemouth of 18-0 included two 4-pounders and a 5-0, the largest bass of the day.
His margin of victory was 1 pound, 2 ounces over Fred Roumbanis of Bixby, Okla. That was a notable achievement given that the Day Three leader, Casey Scanlon, led by 12 ounces, and the Day One and 2 leader, Greg Vinson, led by 1 pound and by 3 ounces, respectively.
Christie’s leapfrog from 11th into first place was the biggest Day Four comeback in Elite Series history. (Arkansas pro Kevin Short rose from sixth place to win the 2009 Mississippi River Elite event.)
Christie, 39, came into the Quest hot off an April 14 FLW Tour win on Beaver Lake. The Elite Series title of Monday chalked up rare consecutive wins in the sport’s best-known circuits, both on White River impoundments in Arkansas.
“I just want to ride this train till it wrecks,” said Christie of his winning streak.
Photo: Brett Carlson / FLW Outdoors
Courtesy 
By Todd Ceisner
BassFan Editor
For some anglers, 3 days of practice isn't enough. For others, it's way too much. Jason Christie understands the importance of getting a feel for how a lake is setting up prior to the start of competition, but like others, he has fallen prey to the what-works-in-practice-will-work-in-the-tournament mindset.
Maybe his Beaver Lake FLW Tour experience will change that.
After a so-so day 1 netted him just five keeper bites and saw him mired in 67th place, he scrapped his plan to target smallmouths and moved into areas in and around the White River, where the water had more color to it and he stood a better chance of colliding with some chunky, pre-spawn largemouths.
His "Just Go Fishing" mentality paid off as he caught more than 51 pounds over the final 3 days to earn his second career FLW Tour win and moved into the Top 10 in the latest Angler of the Year standings.
"Whenever I can figure it out during the tournament, that's when I do best," he said. "If I figure it out during practice, I might as well just stay in the truck because you get locked into certain areas. If you figure it out during the tournament, you can take off and run with it. It's just different. Practice is very important, but I think some people put too much emphasis on it and catching a lot of fish. Every lake's different."
While he caught fish on a variety of baits all week, from a spinnerbait to a jig and also a crankbait, the vast majority of his weigh-in fish were caught in less than 10 feet of water on an umbrella rig.
He's now finished in the Top 50 in the five Beaver Lake FLW Tour events he's fished since 2008.
Here's how he did it.
Practice
From past experience, Christie had a pretty good idea of how Beaver was going to set up last week, but he had no inkling that the lake would kick out the weight it did.
The weather was blustery and cold through practice and a warm front was due to move in for the weekend with shifting winds. Trying to prepare for all of those scenarios on a lake where the fish can be quite finicky was a difficult proposition.
Coming out of practice, he opted to target smallmouth in the clear-water areas.
Jason Christie poses for the cameras with his family at his side in
their "Rayovac Attack" t-shitrs. (Photo by Kyle Wood)
From
14.Apr.2013
ROGERS, Ark. – Rayovac pro Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., brought a 20-pound, 4-ounce stringer to the scales Saturday – the third-largest stringer ever weighed in during FLW competition at Beaver Lake. Christie didn’t duplicate that effort Sunday, but it turns out he didn’t need to. After the final fish was weighed, Christie’s five-bass limit worth 14 pounds, 1 ounce gave him a total four-day weight of 61 pounds, 8 ounces as well as the championship trophy and $126,500 at the Walmart FLW Tour at Beaver Lake presented by Kellogg’s.
“I’ve got a little groove going right now,” said Christie, who earned his second career victory in FLW Tour competition. “If you had asked me after practice if I was going to do any good in this event, I would have said ‘no way.’ It always seems like you win tournaments when you least expect it, and I really did not expect this one.
Christie’s four-day total of 61 pounds, 8 ounces was the heaviest weight to ever win an event in FLW competition at Beaver Lake.
“My key bait this week was a Yum Yumbrella Flash Mob Jr.,” he said. “It’s a special rig. It’s more compact and has willow leaf blades on it. And, it’s tough. I used one rig and it lasted all three days. I never broke a wire or anything – it’s really the best one on the market.
“When I get in the groove, I just seem to make good decisions,” Christie continued. “Today, I really struggled. I was expecting to catch them real well, and I didn’t. I found a stretch that I hadn’t fished all week, and something just told me to pull up there. When I did, I started catching them.
“My family is the reason that I do this,” Christie went on to say. “I go fishing so that I can support them. I enjoy it, and there is not a day that I go fishing that I take for granted. This will give me some momentum, and hopefully I can carry it over into qualifying for the Forrest Wood Cup. The last few years FLW has held the Cup at deep, clear reservoirs. This year, we’re changing it up and I really want to go fish the muddy water down in Shreveport.”
Read More on FLWOutdoors.com
Day-three leader Jason Christie holds up part of his 20-pound, 4-ounce stringer.
(Photo by Brett Carlson)
From
13.Apr.2013
ROGERS, Ark. – Rayovac pro Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., caught a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 4 ounces Saturday to take the lead on day three of the Walmart FLW Tour at Beaver Lake presented by Kellogg’s. Christie now has a three-day catch of 15 bass weighing 47-7 and holds a 2-pound, 8-ounce lead over Keystone Light pro Brandon Coulter of Knoxville, Tenn., heading into the final day of competition in a tournament featuring the world’s best bass-fishing pros competing for a top cash award of up to $125,000.
“I’m just covering a lot of water and just fishing what is in front of me,” said Christie, who finished in fourth place at the FLW Tour event last month at Lewis Smith Lake. “The good thing is that I found my fish during the tournament, and not during practice. I’m hoping that new ones are coming there every day.”
Christie said that he left his main area early and caught fish steadily throughout the day. He said he caught around a dozen keepers and culled twice from his original limit. He said that not all of the fish that he caught came on an umbrella rig.
“The majority of my fish came on a Yum Yumbrella Flash Mob Jr.,” Christie continued. “That bait just lets me cover water. But when I come across some structure – a dock or a log – I’ll pull in and flip. I caught a few throwing a Bomber 6A crankbait and flipping a Booyah jig.
“It’s really all about getting the big bites here,” the Rayovac pro went on to say. “You can have it figured out and still only catch nine pounds. You really don’t know when those big ones are going to bite. My chances of catching 20 pounds again tomorrow are slim. But, I don’t think it’ll take 20 to win. I’m just going to go fishing.”
| Name | Questions and Answers | |||
| John Manuel | Q: | Being in 5th place going into the final day, what adjustments, if any, did you make to make a charge up the leader board? | ||
| A: | Having a lot of history on the lake and not being on a solid pattern, then once I caught that 6lber, I put myself in areas where I've caught big fish in the past. | |||
| Mike Lea | Q: | Was the rogue bite a soft bite or a hard bite ? | ||
| A: | Really soft, there was no physical bite whatsoever. Every bite that I had, whenever I went to jerk it they were on there. The drum were knockin' the heck out of it but the bass weren't. | |||
| Mike Eutsler | Q: | What reels did you use? | ||
| A: | Lews - BB1 6.4:1 - it's by far the best reel I've ever used. | |||
| David A. Martin | Q: | What's the lightest tackle combo you use (rod action, line, lure wt.) and what is the heaviest? | ||
| A: |
Lightest: 7ft med spin rod, 8lb Silver Thread fluorocarbon. Heaviest: 8ft flippin' stick 65lb braid, especially on the grassy Florida lakes. |
|||
| Richard Fitzwater | Q: | Falcon rods with the micro guides,are you using these and with which baits? | ||
| A: | I'm using them, but chose not to during the Classic. I was worried they would freeze up with all the problems with ice we had. I used the older style bigger guides, so it would lessen the amount of ice buildup in my guides. When I use the micro guides, I use them for just about everything, one of my favorites is the 7'6" Mike McClleland flippin' stick with micro guides, especially for the Yumbrella rig. | |||
| Joe Luethje | Q: | What gloves do you recommend for cold weather fishing? | ||
| A: | I use Under Armour for fishing, the lightweight ones like receivers in the NFL use. For driving, I use hunting mittens and can slide them over the fishing gloves so I don't always have to take those off. I seem to lose about a pair every week. | |||
| Justin Parchman | Q: | What rod do u prefer to throw a jerk bait on ? | ||
| A: | Falcon 6'6" 4 power - I go up to a 5 power for the perfect 10. It's just a little heavier bait and it's got a bit more zip when you jerk it, so I go up an action | |||
| Levi Spence | Q: | What rod do you prefer using soft plastic on grand lake? | ||
| A: | Depends what kind of soft plastic, but for big worms I use the Mike McMclleland 7'3" Falcon rod. | |||
| Brad Stephens | Q: | Does Jason have his own line of fishing rods from falcon | ||
| A: | Falcon makes a Jason Christie frog rod. | |||
| Brad Stephens | Q: | Is falcon rods going to make Jason fishing rods or does Jason have another name of fishing rods he uses what kind fishing line does Jason use on jerk baits | ||
| A: |
See above and 12-14lb Fluorocarbon Silver Thread |
|||
| Rodney Gabe Hatch | Q: | How do you search a lake that you have never been on to see what the bass are doing on it? | ||
| A: | You just have to break it down a small piece at a time. What I like to do is pick out an area and then work that area pretty good and figure out a pattern in that area. Then I use that pattern throughout the entire lake. It breaks it down so you don't get intimidated by the size of the whole lake. | |||
| John Schmitz | Q: | Where would you start on a lake like Lake Ozarks this time of year when its been cold then you get a bunch of sunny days in the 50's? | ||
| A: | I'd probably start on pockets on the flats, ones that are catching wind and that are close to the main creek or river channel. | |||
| Jack Meriwether | Q: | Say your boat doesn't have the fancy electronics. What kind of shoreline indicators can you use to tell you what it looks like under the water? | ||
| Scott Jamison | Q: | I don't have any technology in my boat. What are some of the things you look for on a lake if you dont have a depth finder or sonar? | ||
| A: | Most of the time just look on the bank. If you see a row of rocks or clay or stumps, more times than not that continues into the water and will have the same bottom in that area. If you look up in the mountains and you see a draw it'll usually relate to the lake also. | |||
| Jimmy Pell | Q: | How would you fish cold muddy water,water temps that are 55 and colder | ||
| A: | That's tough, If I had to fish under those conditions, I would slow roll a 3/4 ounce Booyah spinnerbait with a #6 Colorado blade. Something that makes a lot of vibration, something that gets their attention in that cold muddy water. | |||
| Tanner McMahan | Q: | What was your tactics on fishing at lake hartwell back in 2011? It's about that time of year when y'all were down here. | ||
| A: | I was just looking for areas that had the most shallow water that I thought would hold the biggest amount of spawners. | |||
| Tommy Sendek | Q: | What is your go to jerkbait color in clear water? | ||
| A: | Either Blue Chrome or Blue Herring | |||
| Steve LaRue | Q: | What color of jerkbait do you use in Oklahoma water. | ||
| A: | Blue Chrome | |||
| Olien Taber | Q: | I have a question. When fishing the circuit. If you win money is it taxed by the state the tournament is held in? | ||
| A: | Some states do and some states don’t. I'd say about 20% tax it and the others you're responsible to pay the taxes at a later time. | |||
| Kendale Roach | Q: | Are you fishing both the BASS elites and FLW or just FLW? | ||
| BJ Mckay | Q: | Will you be stitching over to B.A.S.S tournaments full time or keep the full time FLW schedule? | ||
| A: |
I'll be fishing both this year. Editors note: Jason's Schedule |
|||
| Hayden Tilley | Q: | What's the best advice you can give to young anglers that want to turn pro one day. | ||
| Sonny Boyd | Q: | What's the best way for a young angler like myself to get to the pro level ... Meaning a guy that has a big family and not a lot of money ... | ||
| Daniel Baldwin | Q: | What is the best way for young anglers like myself to start working to go pro? | ||
| Doug Ruster | Q: | What is the best way to get sponsors that pay for entries gas etc? | ||
| A: | It's hard for a person to all of a sudden turn pro. If you're not competing and dominating at the local levels, you shouldn't turn pro yet. I'd recommend working through the ranks, up through the BFLs, then Everstarts or Opens to the Majors or Elites. With sponsors, if you're caching them and if you're a good role model for bass fishing, a lot of time the sponsors will find you. You also have be a good salesman and representative for the company, a lot of companies are more interested in how many products you can sell, not always how many bass you catch. | |||
| Michael Wenger | Q: | how would you confront changing weather conditions? | ||
| Justin Hazen | Q: | How do you prepare yourself to fish a cold front? | ||
| A: | If you got something going and it gets cold, the fish really aren't gonna move too drastically. They’ll still be in the same area, you might just have to change up lures or presentation. If you're fishing shallow water, you may just need to back out to the first ledge that they would go to. | |||
| Andrew Yankee Sloat | Q: | What is the best and worst parts of being a pro angler? | ||
| A: | The best part is traveling across the country and fishing different bodies of water. The worst part is being gone from family for weeks a time. | |||
| Tyler Hickey | Q: | What lures did you throw on grand lake? | ||
| A: | Rogue, Perfect 10, Bedbug jig and Bomber 6a Fire Tiger. | |||
| Jason Adair | Q: | I noticed u threw the Smithwick a lot. What other baits did u have tied on and did they catch any of ur quality fish? If you had been able to throw the A-rig, how much would that have changed things? | ||
| A: | If I was able to throw a Yumbrella rig I would have at least tried it. With the water color though, I'm guessing the Yumbrella rig woulnd't have been a major player. | |||
| Brandon Johnson | Q: | whats your favorite soft plastic. | ||
| A: |
The Yum Woolly Bug Editors Note - Video of Jason and the Woolly Bug |
|||
| Daniel Rolufs | Q: | where is the first place the perfect 10 will be available to the public? Do you make any additions and or change color of hooks on your jerk baits? | ||
| A: | I would check Lurenet.com for the Perfect 10. With most of my stuff I use factory colors. I do change the trebles to round bend Trokars though. | |||
| Levi Spence | Q: | Is grand lake your favorite lake to fish if not what is? | ||
| A: | Grand Lake is my favorite, absolutely. | |||
| Bobby Tindal | Q: | Where do you stay when traveling to various parts of the country? | ||
| A: | I try to rent houses with buddies or friends, or crash with someone if they live on the lake. I try to stay away from hotels, although sometimes we have to. | |||
| Becky Cross Dodson | Q: | How do you put up with James Watson and Robbie Dodson? | ||
| A: | I use earplugs and blindfolds. | |||
| Brad Tillman | Q: | Did you lose a camo glove on the first morning? If you did I have it. Picked it up outside of big hollow. | ||
| A: | I did, I'll send you a message. Hang on to it for me and I'll get with you at a later time. Thanks. | |||
| Will Reed | Q: | What are some tips or tricks on dealing with line twist on spinning tackle. Other than using a swivel | ||
| A: | I don't like to use a swivel. Once you start getting twist in your line, clip your lure off and let out a bunch of line while idling down the lake. Drag it behind the boat for about 20-30 seconds. Reel it in and the twist will be gone. | |||
| Terry R. Nichols | Q: | With Tenkiller being my favorite lake, what is one distinct similarity in stlye of fishing between Grand and Tenkiller and the one thing that is a polar opposite. | ||
| A: |
Similar: They're usually in same patterns at same time. If they're hitting a jerkbait on Tenkiller they'll be hitting it on Grand. If they're spawning on Tenkiller they'll be spawning on Grand too. Opposite: Tenkiller doesn’t have as many docks as Grand and Grand always some kind of structure to fish. |
|||
| CW Buoy | Q: | I wont ask for your favorite hole, how about a few places to avoid from grove to shangri la? | ||
| A: | I would say there aren't any places to avoid there. That's one of my favorite areas to fish and I've caught fish out of all of them. | |||
| Brandon Greenberg | Q: | What are some steps you take when pre fishing a tournament? Do you fish baits with no hook or do you bend them over or stick every fish that bites? | ||
| A: | I start off catching and if I get in area with a lot of bites, then I turn my hooks in or remove them. I try to catch a few though to check quality and to see how healthy the fish are. | |||
| Ryan Lewis | Q: | How big of a role do local anglers play during the run up to the classic or any other elite series tourney? | ||
| A: | During the Classic, the local anglers showed a lot of respect to the qualifiers. I think in return it has given Grand Lake a good reputation as a great fishing lake, and one that shows the respect of local anglers. | |||
| Shannon Kirkhart | Q: | I have a question for him: What promoted Jason to want to become an angler? How did he feel going into the top six and what was his resction to the outcome? | ||
| A: | It was a combination of being outdoors and being competitive. I was actually where I wanted to be, about 5-6 lbs back, until Cliff weighed in. Then I was about 12lbs back. It busted my bubble a bit. At that point I had to go for a big sack. Second doesn’t matter whether down by 2 or 20 so you have to try for the big bag. | |||
| Jim Trickett | Q: | Which was tougher. Shooting a free throw in Jack Dobbins Fieldhouse, which hosts its final game tonight or fishing in The Classic? | ||
| A: | I would say the Classic. | |||
| Stephen Badley | Q: | If you could fish the classic again what would you have done different this time? | ||
| A: | During practice I would have tried to spend more time developing a pattern rather than fishing places I've caught them in the past. | |||
| Ryan Allison | Q: | Question: Do vegetarians eat animal crackers? | ||
| A: | I don't know, I really don't. | |||
Questions came from these two Facebook posts: here and here.
Oklahoma native and Cherokee citizen Jason Christie is competing in his first Bassmaster Classic event next week on Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees.
CATOOSA, Okla. – Cherokee Nation officials announced today they are teaming up with local pro-angler Jason Christie as he competes in his first Bassmaster Classic.
“The Cherokee Nation is proud to sponsor Jason on his quest to win the Bassmaster tournament,” said Bill John Baker, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief. “He is a Cherokee citizen that our people, especially our youth, can look up to and be inspired by. Through his commitment, character and drive, Jason has ascended to the highest ranks of professional fishermen in the nation.”
The sponsorship gives Christie an opportunity to sport his Cherokee pride by displaying the Cherokee Nation seal and the Cherokee Nation Businesses brand on his boat and truck and the businesses brand on his jersey.
“This sponsorship is especially important to me,” said Christie, who will compete Feb. 22 -24 in the event on Grand Lake. “It is an opportunity to represent the Cherokee people and the Cherokee Nation. I am honored to represent my tribe.”
Christie, a native of Tahlequah, grew up fishing local lakes with his father, and five years ago he made his debut on the pro-circuit. So far in his professional career, he has earned 13 top-10 finishes on the national level and has ranked as high as 4th on the FLW Tour after winning eight FLW tournaments.
His most recent accomplishment is earning a spot to compete in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic by snagging a victory last summer in Michigan.
"It seemed like such a long shot,” Christie said. “I didn't know if it was even worth trying. All I knew about that lake was what I saw on the map. But I really wanted to be in the Classic on Grand Lake. It’s my home lake — my favorite — the one I grew up fishing.”
The 2013 Bassmaster Classic, presented by Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, features the top professional bass anglers in the world when they hit the lake next week.
Fans have the chance to meet Christie on Wednesday at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
For more information about the meet and greet, visit www.hardrockcasinotulsa.com.
From 
Lew's announces the addition of seasoned Bassmaster Elite Series fisherman Marty Robinson and two-time 2012 Opens' winner Jason Christie to the Team Lew's pro staff. Both anglers will be fishing Lew's reels in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic next month on Oklahoma's Grand Lake O' the Cherokees.
Robinson, from Lyman, S.C., has been competing along the Elite Series tournament trail since 2007. He has five top 10 finishes to his credit, including a third place check from the 2012 B.A.S.S. Elite event held in June on Toledo Bend Reservoir. The 2013 Bassmaster Classic will be the second such appearance for Robinson; his first was last year's on the Red River out of the Shreveport-Bossier City, La., area.
Christie, an Oklahoma angler who resides at Park Hill near Lake Tenkiller, has mostly fished FLW tournaments over the past dozen years. He's earned nearly $650,000 on that trail, including the top prize money from five BFLs on Grand Lake. He's also added another $105,000 in earnings from B.A.S.S. events, with most of that coming from his two Bassmaster Open wins last year. One of those, his July win on the Detroit River in Michigan while fishing in the Northern Open series, is what qualified him for the upcoming Bassmaster Classic. He also won the Central Open tournament on Oklahoma's Fort Gibson Lake in September.
Both anglers are known for their versatile fishing skills and are therefore expected to do well in fishing the cold waters of Grand during the February timeframe. Among all Classic contenders, Christie likely has more experience on this particular lake than any of the others anglers, adding even more pressure for him to do well in this event that many consider to be bass fishing's Super Bowl.
"Yes, winning the Bassmaster Classic is a big deal for an angler and his sponsors, but that's not why we've tapped Marty and Jason for Team Lew's," said Lynn Reeves, Lew's CEO. "First and foremost, both of these anglers are classy guys that present themselves well in whatever the circumstances on and off the water. They are simply a good fit for the Lew's brand which has earned its reputation by being a workhorse name that you can always depend on.
"Marty and Jason are joining an elite group of like-minded individuals that make up our team and make us proud every day of the year, not just during the Classic," Reeves added.
courtesy
By Mark Hicks
Sep 26, 2012
|
|
|
David Hunter Jones/BASS
Jason Christie earned his berth into the 2013 Bassmaster Classic
on his home watersof Grand Lake by winning the 2012 Bass Pro Shops Northern Open #2 on the Detroit River. |
When Jason Christie learned that the 2013 Bassmaster Classic was slated for Grand Lake, the Oklahoman knew it presented a grand opportunity. The 46,500-acre reservoir is Christie's home turf.
To qualify for the Classic, Christie would have to win one of the Bassmaster Opens, a tall order for any angler.
He rose to the challenge when he fished the second Bass Pro Shops Northern Open at Lake St. Clair. His three limits of smallmouth bass totaled 67 pounds, 4 ounces, enough to claim first place.
Later that summer, Christie, 38, put an exclamation point on his season, winning a Bassmaster Northern Open at Fort Gibson, another Oklahoma reservoir he knows well. In the span of a few months, Christie went from being unknown to Bassmaster fans to being one of the favorites to win the Bassmaster Classic at Grand Lake.
"Fishing the Classic on your home lake is a dream come true," Christie said.
Christie may be new to Bassmaster fans but he has proved to be a skilled tournament fisherman by competing in non-Bassmaster events. His success allowed him to quit a teaching and basketball coaching position at a junior high school and become a full-time bass pro in 2008.
"My dad got me into fishing and hunting early in life," Christie said. "That's where I learned to love and respect the outdoors."