THE BUSINESS NEWS OF FISHING.
Best on Tour will bring you a business perspective of the fishing industry to help keep you up to date. 2019 will be the biggest year pro fishing has ever seen!
1. Stat of the Day
PRESENTED BY: Sunline
Shallow water anchors are now standard issue on tour level rigs. Here is a look at anglers with Power Poles versus anglers with Minn Kota Talons on the Bassmaster Elite Series.
2. Money Matters
PRESENTED BY: Big Bite Baits
Contingency programs have long been associated with boat manufacturers when it comes to tournament bass fishing. TAG (Tournament Anglers Group) is an innovative rewards community for anglers competing in both fresh and saltwater tournaments, which changes that equation. Offering up to a $5000 payout to winners of sanctioned events, this new program provides top level pros, co-anglers, and everyone in between the opportunity to compete for great payouts in three tiers of membership. Check it out here.

3. Behind the Scenes
PRESENTED BY: SPRO
How many rods does a tour level professional typically carry in their boat? Based on a recent survey the average is 25. The breakdown results in 20 casting rods, and 5 spinning setups. Most pros store extra rods and reels in their tow vehicles in case they need to replace equipment during an event.
4. Anglers Tribune
Bradley Hallman On High Water Fishing In The Ozarks

During my recent 1 ON 1 LIVE matchup on Grand Lake in Oklahoma versus Andrew Upshaw, I was reminded of a very important lesson that I learned years ago on Ozark fisheries. If you weren't aware our lakes here in Oklahoma are approaching record flood levels. The high water presents several difficulties when fishing, but also offers opportunities. The opportunity I was able to exploit on Grand Lake recently is something you might think only happens in Florida fisheries, or lakes with a large amount of heavy vegetation. I won the match flipping mats, that's right, flipping mats on Grand Lake. Rising water on lakes around my part of the country creates what I refer to as trash mats. It's simply a result of the rising water level floating sawdust, limbs, logs, or whatever happens to be on the bank, and then the wind compacting those items into a type of mat. At Grand I was able to punch the mats with a 3/4 oz tungsten weight and 80lb Sunline FX2 braid on my Falcon Lowrider. Most guys probably don't even carry that type of stuff in their boats when they launch on a lake like Grand. Punching these trash mats isn't the only option, frogging, or even fishing the edges of them with a spinnerbait can be very lucrative as well. I've seen this exact same scenario on Beaver Lake, and other similar fisheries throughout the region. Fish take advantage of these conditions, using these mats for shade and a great ambush point. The next time you encounter these conditions on your favorite lake, give this pattern a try. I think you will be pleased with the results.
5. Baits Not Being Talked About
With the shad spawn playing a factor in several recent tournaments across the country, a small hollow belly swimbait has been showing up on anglers decks. Baits like the 3.5" Big Bite Baits Suicide Shad are becoming a popular alternative to chunks, when using a swim jig to mimic a shad. Using a different style trailer can often times make a big difference in getting bites in highly pressured areas.
6. What We're Watching & Listening To
PRESENTED BY: Gamakatsu
20FT Deep "FORTY 9th"
The end of the 2018 season was a turbulent time for the world of professional bass fishing. The long time platform for so many of the best anglers in the world, the Bassmaster Elite Series, witnessed anglers depart for a new league, Major League Fishing's Bass Pro Tour. But 36 of those anglers remained to be part of the 52 angler field in the 49th Bassmaster Classic in Knoxville, Tennessee. ​
It was a different vibe than any other previous Bassmaster Classic.​
The 20FT DEEP crew captured that vibe in the latest documentary, "FORTY 9th".
Check it out here.
7. Jersey Watch
PRESENTED BY: Denali
Jocumsen's International Flavor
Elite Series professional Carl Jocumsen's jersey features a wide variety of sponsor logos, including some of the international variety. The Australian native represents Molix, Bassman Spinnerbaits, Miller Rods, and Hobie Asia Pacific, which all make their homes outside of the United States. Jocumsen utilizes his social media channels, Instagram in particular, to help promote his sponsors. Utilizing the tag feature on the app, Jocumsen is able to give his followers a direct link to various company profiles.
8. Regional Recommendations
Anglers begin competition today in the Bassmaster Open on Lake Chickamauga. Located only a few steps from one of the largest boat ramps on the lake is Dayton Boat Dock. No doubt many of the anglers have eaten and shopped for tackle there this week. DBD has a great breakfast, lunches to go and a top selection of all the tournament tackle needed for the Chick. They have top sellers and many hard to find regional items with great prices. See all the great tackle at Dayton Boat Dock by visiting their website www.realdealtackle.com.
9. Best for Last
PRESENTED BY: AFTCO
As water temperatures continue to rise fish care in tournaments becomes increasingly important. A number of organizations like B.A.S.S, Shimano and AFTCO have published information on the best practices for bass handling.  The University of Mississippi in conjunction with 10 different state fisheries agencies recently conducted an extensive survey to study the impacts of Largemouth bass handling during summer conditions to to determine conditions that stress fish, and could contribute to Largemouth Bass Virus (LMBV).
The objectives of the research were:
1 . Determine whether easily implemented livewell operating procedures
improve the survival of black bass caught in summer tournaments;
2 . Determine the angler catchability of Largemouth bass infected with
LMBV;
3 . Determine if livewell conditions affect the prevalence of LMBV infection;
and
4 . Determine if livewell conditions affect the occurrence of LMBV disease. 

In an extensive test, they measured water temperature, livewell temperature, fish landing time and dissolved oxygen in replicated summer conditions that bass face during a tournament from catch to livewell and ultimately release. The key points of the study were catch and release tournaments had a minimal impact on the survival of bass if they were landed quickly, handled properly and kept in livewells with good water quality, oxygen levels and temperatures below 84 degrees. You can view the entire study at this link:

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