July 11, 2020
Wisconsin
Human Powered

Mississippi River 2020

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1st Mississippi River HBOS

Event Details

Location

Onalaska Omni Center 255 Riders Club Rd Onalaska, WI 54650

Dates

From:
July 11, 2020
To:
July 12, 2020

Event Info

 

The mighty Mississippi plays host to this installment of the Hobie Bass Open Series. The northern swing of our series is rich with bass fishing tradition and offers some incredible opportunities for our anglers. Anglers can expect a true river system that is level and flow dependent, full of feisty largemouth and smallmouth bass among many other northern fish species. Anglers will be able to spread out through pools 7,8, and 9; targeting fish on sand bars, islands, structure, and abundant vegetation.

Hobie will be following all local Covid requirements for this event.

Contactless Drive-Thru HQ —
Onalaska Omni Center
255 Riders Club Rd
Onalaska, WI 54650

Lodging:

Anglers are offered hotels applying up to a 15% discount but must call to receive the rate.

Lodging options with discounted rates (Discounts only apply here)

Additional lodging options (Discounted rates do not apply)

This event only allows a metal Ketch Board.  There will be limited supply available at Check-in, no reservations i.e. first come, first serve.

Schedule: All times are Central Standard Time (CST)

June 20th

Guide usage and communication is now off limits

July 6th

Official practice period begins.

July 9th- Registration Ends at 12:00 pm CST.  Anglers must be registered and have the all waivers turned back into to Hobie. Registration at the Drive thru Check- in will not be available.

*NOTE: Registration is ending Thursday (one day earlier than we usual) so do not miss out! Registration is CLOSED on Friday!

*Detailed check-in instructions and waivers will be provided closer to the event date.

July 10th

4:00 pm – Practice ends
4:30 pm – 6:30pm – Check-in/ Board Check/ Meal
7:00 pm – Safety and Rules meeting

July 11th

5:00 am – First Launch
5:30 am – First Cast
2:00 pm – Fishing ends
3:00 pm – Submission deadline
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm – Day 2 Check-in
6:30 pm – Day 2 Meeting

July 12th

5:00 am – First Launch
5:30 am – First Cast
2:00 pm – Fishing Ends
3:00 pm – Submission Deadline
5:00 pm – Awards ceremony

·       All event times are subject to change.

Tournament Boundaries:

Anglers can launch at any public access on pools 7,8, and 9 of the Mississippi River and its connected ‘backwaters’.  The eastern launch boundaries will be ramps/public access along or to the west of Great River Road/Highway 35. The western launch boundaries will be ramps/access along or east of Great River Road (X52) and Highway 26, Highway 16, Highway 14/61. Anglers must launch within the boundaries but can pedal or paddle up a tributary as far as they can.  No portaging is allowed. Body of water much be connected, navigably to the Mississippi to be considered legal.

Report

Snyders Conquers Field as Elite Kayak Anglers Battle to the Finish and Tally Nearly 1,000 Bass in La Crosse, Wisconsin

OCEANSIDE, Calif. (July 17, 2020) – For most of the elite field of 84 kayak anglers fishing the Hobie B.O.S. (Bass Open Series) event in La Crosse, WI, the prospect of fast action was never in doubt. With a well-deserved reputation for producing solid catches of chunky bigmouths and bronzebacks, a strong bite and tight finish was clearly anticipated. Still, Old Man River exceeded expectations.

“There were a ton of bass caught and released at this B.O.S. event,” said Tournament Director, A.J. McWhorter. “In fact, nearly 1,000 were submitted by our competitors. Even better, a lot of the fish were in the same size class, which made for a really exciting finish. With an hour to go, there was still plenty of opportunity for anglers to climb up the leader board. There really is an amazing fishery here, and Explore La Crosse and the entire community really rolled out the welcome mat.”

When all was said and done, Rus Snyders, 38, of Nashville, Tennesee, had conquered the mighty Mississippi, the bass, and the field with a two-day total of largemouths that tallied 174.50 inches. Alex Steffen, 28, of Monticello, Iowa, finished second with 171.25 inches, and Zach Humphries, of Rothschild, Wisconsin, took the third spot with 168.25 inches of bass. Steffen and Humphries, along with fourth place finisher, Nick Matthews, also qualified for the Hobie Tournament of Champions (TOC) to be held in Knoxville, Tennessee, November 14 – 15. Snyders previously qualified for the TOC by winning the Lake Fork, Tennessee B.O.S. back in February.

Photo by Jason Stuempges

For Snyders, this was the second tournament win on this stretch of the Mississippi in two tries. In October of 2019, he finished first out of 73 anglers in the KBF Trail Championship at La Crosse.

“The last time I fished here it was during a fall cold front and the water was both high and chilly,” recalls Snyders. “This event was the exact opposite with low, hot water and plenty of summertime heat. On both of my visits, though, the fish were chewing. There really is an outstanding bass fishery here in La Crosse.”

Despite the contrast in conditions, Snyders chose to work the same stretch of river using the same basic techniques that brought him victory on his prior visit. Most of his fish were caught flipping the outside edges of grassy patches in the early morning using a ½-ounce jig and occasionally mixing in a weedless frog or buzz bait. As the day progressed, he’d slide up into shallower water and work a 1- to 1.5-ounce tungsten jig with a punch skirt, teamed with a Strike King Menace or Reaction Innovations Spicy Beaver trailer.

“I started each day with black/blue early and, as the sun came up, I switched to either green pumpkin or watermelon candy,” reveals Snyders. “I did particularly well punching duck weed. It creates canopies, and the bass were using those for shade and ambushing bluegills once the sun got high in the sky. That area had better than average size fish compared to other stretches of the river. I was only catching 12 to 15 fish a day compared to many anglers who were culling through 30 to 40 fish. A good percentage of mine, however, were in the 18-inch range. That really made a difference with so many people catching 15- to 17-inch fish.”

Photo by Jason Stuempges

Steffen’s plan of attack centered on finding cold springs under hydrilla matts, but on day one he found the fish had moved since his practice sessions, which meant he had to go searching. “The same thing happened on day two,” he explains. “So, both mornings I got off to a bit of a slow start before zeroing in on the action. Once I found them, it was game on.”

After finishing in the 20th spot Saturday, investing time to search for more productive waters paid off big for Steffen on Sunday. After having caught only three bass by 11:30 a.m., he drilled bigmouths of 18.25, 18.75 and 19.75 inches over a 15-minute span. “That certainly helped,” he chuckles. “It put me three inches in front of third place and three inches behind first place – but with so many fish being caught, I was pretty nervous once the leader board was turned off for the final hour. Throughout the tournament, I was using a King Daddy Spro on an Abu Garcia® Max Toro setup. That’s basically a musky rig that allows me to more easily wrestle the bass out of mats. Thanks to the my Hobie Pro Angler 14, I was able to get way back into the shallow water, stand up, and fish places some competitors couldn’t reach. I think that really gave me an edge.”

Third-place finisher, Zach Humphries, was fishing the Mississippi River for the first time in this tournament, even though he is a native of Wisconsin. He worked wacky worms and Texas rigs over sand and around tree stumps to pull his limit of bigmouths. “I’m so glad I entered,” he says. “I caught a ton of bass. This really is an amazing fishery. You can bet I’ll be back.”

Photo by Jason Stuempges

In another performance of note, ninth-place finisher Joseph Sanderson, 25, of Austin, Texas, decided to enter the Mississippi Hobie B.O.S. event at the last minute. After finding a flight out of The Lone Star State, he arranged to borrow a Hobie Outback with Mirage Drive and Kick-Up Fins from Hi Tempo Snow Sports and Water Sports, a White Bear Lake, Minnesota, Hobie dealer. He then borrowed a fishing rod and took a handful of lures with him on a 16.5-mile float trip on Saturday. On Sunday, he fished only half a day so he could get home in time for work. Amazingly, Sanderson finished ninth!

In terms of payouts, Snyders took home $5,000 for the win, Steffen, who also had the big bass for the tourney at 19.75 inches, totaled $3,036, and Humphries collected $1,500 for his efforts. Sanderson’s ninth-place finish pocketed him $850, more than enough to cover expenses for his day-and-a-half fishing excursion. Over $15,000 was paid out to the top nine competitors.

“The Hobie B.O.S. really is a great tournament series,” says Snyders. “In fact, it’s the best kayak series I’ve ever fished. The staff is terrific, the locations are first rate, and their support of the kayak-fishing community just can’t be beat.”

Steffen agrees. “Hobie always has a great game plan going into these B.O.S. events,” he states, “and I really love how everyone gets along. There’s no drama among the competitors; everyone wants to see you do well. When I came off the water at the end of this tourney, I had nearly 30 texts from other anglers offering congratulations. I can’t think of any other fishing contest where you are going to see so much good will.”

Photo by Jason Stuempges

About the Hobie BOS

The Hobie Bass Open Series (B.O.S.) aims to provide a simplified, open-to-anyone format and an elite feel for kayak anglers across the country. This series is all about providing a platform for the anglers. As participation in each event increases, payouts will grow, the Tournament of Champions (TOC) will grow, and opportunities for the anglers will only increase. Coverage of the events will set a standard and continue to solidify our sport’s legitimacy in the competitive fishing world to a broader audience. Are you ready to be a B.O.S. Angler? Learn more at https://www.hobie.com/blog/hobie-bass-open-series,974/. Join the conversation on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/HobieBOS/.

TourneyX.com final leaderboard – https://results.tourneyx.com/standings/6901

#lacrosse #wisconsin #tournaments

Results

RankAnglerStateTOTAL
1Rus SnydersTN174.5
2Alex SteffenIA171.25
3Zach HumphriesWI168.25
4Nick MatthewsIN168
5Zach GibbonsMN167.25
6Corey ScherrmanIA166.5
7Brian DelahuntyKY165.5
8Mel AsheMO164.75
9Joseph SandersonTX164.75
10Jody QueenWV164
11Jaxton OrrIN163.25
12Brady StorrsNE163.25
13Cody MiltonAR162.5
14Jay WallenKY162.25
15Kurt SmitsOH161.25
16TYLER COLEIA160.75
17Josh StewartTN160.5
18Adam RiserTN160.25
19Brandon PrinceMO160.25
20Kristine FischerNE160.25
21Donald HarshmanPA158.5
22Martin KwickWI158.25
23Eric SiddiqiOH158
24Matthew ScotchTX157.5
25Josiah MeaderIA157.5
26Joshua SharpTN157.25
27Kevin WorkmanNE156.5
28Brian CoyneOH156.5
29Greg VickersWI156.25
30Mike MooneyGA156
31Gary TrkulaMN156
32Tim IsaacsWV154
33Robert BarnettGA153.25
34Bryan HowellTX153.25
35TOMMY THOMPSONIA152.25
36Joe KomyatiNC152
37Pat LassekNE151.75
38Casey DayIA151.5
39Richie McMichaelKS149.75
40Guillermo GonzalezTX149.5
41Jason ShreckNE148.75
42Robert MossIL147.75
43Jim DavisTN147.75
44Alan ReedIN147.25
45Katherine FieldUT145
46Mike DeBruinIA144.75
47Jeremy BrandesIA144.5
48Jim RileyCO144.25
49Patrick KeatingIL143.5
50Mason GoodIA142.5
51Jordan WestermanIA141.25
52Dave SewellIN137
53R.J. HooverMI137
54Ovi BoeriuIL133.75
55Rick HaxtonNE132.5
56Kolt VolkerNE131.75
57Mark PendergrafTX124.25
58Matthew BarnesIA122
59Dustin MurguiaIL118.75
60Jeremiah BurishWI116.75
61Carter WijangcoIL115
62Michael WatsonWI114.25
63Jay MullerNE101.5
64Benjamin WagnerIA100.25
65Randy WagnerIA100.25
66Arlie MintonNC99.5
67Collin LamkinIL94.75
68Tim GurleyIA85.25
69Gary StephensIA82.75
70Nate HallPA81.75
71Hernan CortezWI77.25
72Nate GloriaNE72.75
73Anthony LarsonWI70.5
74Joe McElroyAL69.75
75Tyler SchaferNE69
76Tory BoumaNE68.5
77Scott StuhlmannMN54
78Jordan MarshallTN53.75
79Dani WendtNE43.25
80Steve GlinkaIL42.25
81Ben VadnaisWI31
82Brad UhlOK28
83Craig StormsNY14
84Peter SloanWY12
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