Champion Pro Angler
Justin Evans – 6/6 – 6.00 kg – Berkley Champion Trophy, $3,400 Berkley Cheque, & $150 Berkley Bonus Bucks
Justin Evans is a quiet achiever with a huge passion for the tournaments he has genuinely put in the hard yards going from co-angler just a couple of years ago and moved up to the pro ranks last season. Living close by at Maitland he gets some time on the water and this win will definitely help him establish himself in the ranks as one of the favourites every time we head back to Glenbawn.
Fishing against a hugely talented field Evans was on the money from the very first turn of the handle matching the hatch with a Berkley Gulp Minnow Grub in Black colour to a Bassman ¼ ounce Black Jig head. The vertical presentation that is included within this technique allows the angler to target offshore suspended bass that are sitting in comfortable water conditions.
Justin used his sounder to locate 3 main areas that produced the winning bag, including Westin Bank before the boat harbour and different locations dotted around the main basin. He mentioned to us that the critical part of his Gulping technique included the use of his Duffrods Custom Grubbin Rod matched with a 1000 spin sized reel that kept the retrieve ultra-slow.
Justin used 6 pound Sunline mainline matched with 6 pound fluorocarbon leader that was 15-foot long, that increased his bites throughout the weekend.
As we mentioned Evans has already landed himself a spot in the Berkley B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Championship that will be held in late August, where the location is expected to be in NSW. This result will give him a great opportunity to launch into the season and maybe chase down the AOY, with 4 rounds still to go, he has every opportunity to make the largest event of the season and a shot at the trip of a lifetime fishing in the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship U.S.A.
2nd Place Pro Angler
David Lane – 6/6 – 6.00 kg – Berkley Trophy, $1,500 Berkley Cheque, Tonic Big Bass Eyewear.
Following a very solid pre-fish that included using Jigs and Keitech Crazy Flappers trailers a few weeks before the Berkley Round, Lane had no intention heading offshore to a technique that he is well known for mastering, the Gulping technique. With changes in weather, the bass decided to push offshore so headed out at the end of season one and struggled to 9:30 and without a fish in the well. He scrambled and went to some go to locations he had used in previous years and came back with a moderate 1.7 kg limit that had him less than mid pack.
In session two Lane stuck to the Gulping technique and brought in the largest sack of the tournament plus the Tonic Big Bass that weighed a massive 1.51 kg that gave him a great pair of Tonic Eyewear. Session 3 saw Lane land another quality bag that put him just short of the win, but he got a great $1,500.00 cheque for his efforts.
Lane likes to use the Berkley Gulp Minnow Grub in black colour, as he feels it definitely gets him more bites at this time of the year, he presented the lure in 40-45 foot of water, and uses a David Williamson built rod made perfectly for this presentation. He used a 1500 sized reel spooled with 4 kg mainline and 20 foot of fluorocarbon leader material.
Lane has had an exciting start to the season and is currently in 3rd place in the Angler of the Year, with the winner taking part in the 2019 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship as a co-angler in the U.S.A.
Originally posted on Bassmaster Go to Source
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