Steven Taylor will represent Kentucky at the 2018 championship .
and have two more trips planned . Plus , before I went down there , I marked areas I wanted to fish on my electronics , to save time when I arrived at the lake .”
Taylor ’ s reconnaissance has been enlightening , though he admits packing for the showdown has required a Herculean effort . Tactically speaking , he expects a variety of baits and techniques to play roles in the championship .
“ When you come down to pre-fish a tournament like this , you load everything you own ,” he says . “ Same thing when you hit the water . My first trip to Bull Shoals , I had 19 rods on the front deck , so I was ready to throw anything . Now I ’ m down to three with my top presentations .”
After studying past tournament results and fishing Bull Shoals himself , Taylor has an idea about what kind of weights it will take to do well in the championship . Typically , 12 pounds a day will put an angler in the top four or five , especially in multiple-day tournaments . Taylor thinks an average of 15 pounds a day is likely to win the title .
Mike Webster , of Arkansas , qualified for the championship at Lake Dardanelle .
Arkansas ’ Mike Webster , who qualified for the championship by winning the boater division at the District 6 Semi-Finals event on Lake Dardanelle Sept . 16-17 , believes even heavier bags might be needed to claim the crown .
“ I think we ’ ll see a lot of 10- and 12-pound bags ,” says Webster . “ You ’ ll need 15 to 16 pounds a day if you want to have a shot at winning . Plus , considering the quality of the fishery and the competition , it could take 18 or even 20 pounds a day , [ depending on ] whether the bass are locked on the beds or still in prespawn mode , eating to get fat .”
Webster expects runoff and water temperature to be major factors . If the water is cold , favored lures could be lipless and diving crankbaits and spinnerbaits . Conversely , if the water is warm and high , exploring shoreline cover with the usual flipping and pitching favorites will be popular , whether the fish are bedding or not .
“ There are so many bass in Bull Shoals it ’ s unreal ,” Webster adds . “ Catching limits shouldn ’ t be a problem . Finding the 3- to 5- pound bites is another story . If you can figure out how to get those fish – and find multiple areas that hold them – you ’ ll be in good shape .”
Like his fellow competitors , Webster says winning the championship and Living the Dream package would truly be a dream come true .
“ Getting a chance to fish the FLW Tour would be an awesome deal ,” he says . “ The TBF championship winner also qualifies to fish the Forrest Wood Cup , which is on Lake Ouachita this summer [ Aug . 10-12 ]. I ’ d love a shot at winning that .”
CATCH THE ACTION Prior to the big event , news updates and angler profiles will be posted on TBF ’ s Facebook page and at bassfederation . com .
Longtime TBF sponsor Ranger Boats , based in Flippin , Ark ., will host the championship .
“ Ranger and the Federation both got their start in 1968 , and are still together to celebrate our golden anniversaries ,” Cartlidge notes .
Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock is the site of launches and weigh-ins all three days . Bass fishing fans are invited to see the anglers off each morning and enjoy the weigh-in action starting at 3 p . m . each day .
If you can ’ t make it to Bull Shoals , coverage of the TBF National Championship will stream live daily on bassfederation . com and be broadcast nationally on Federation Angler TV , which airs on the Pursuit Channel . For complete listings and showtimes , visit pursuitchannel . com .
ABOUT BULL SHOALS Dam construction : 1947-1951
Size : 48,195 acres
Maximum depth : approx . 220 feet
Average depth : approx . 75 feet
Minimum length requirement : 15 inches
Major forage species : threadfin shad , sunfish
Major tributary : White River
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FLWFIshIng . COm I apRIL 2018