Last week proved to be an eventful one for several Team 6 members that were fishing tournaments. Team 6 members Joey Nania, Josh Bensema, and Brett Cannon all found success on the tournament scene.
Joey Nania - 1st Place Bassmaster Open on Lake Pickwick
6th Sense Pro Joey Nania closed the deal on his first Bassmaster Open win on Pickwick lake. Nania was targeting submergent grass and isolated stumps on points to catch fish. He stated, “it was all about finding areas that fish were using coming to and going away from spawning areas.” During this event Joey utilized a Provoke 106x in ‘Shad Sense’ to catch his limits early which allowed him to really slow down and focus on getting bigger bites later in the day. Given the format of the Bassmaster Opens, this win has secured Nania a spot in the 2022 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell.
MLF Toyota Series Event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir
- Josh Bensema - 2nd place
During this event Josh keyed in on post-spawn bass that were gorging on shad and barfish to catch most of his fish. His primary areas were clay points that shad were using to spawn. During practice Bensema stated that he “could catch at least 20 pounds a day on a Catwalk”. However, changing weather conditions forced him to adjust his game plan. On day one of competition Josh used a Catwalk to catch fish early and then a Carolina rig to cull-up later in the day. With high winds rolling in on day two, Bensema opted to fish his primary area with a ‘Shad Surge’ Provoke 106x. After catching his limit, he then made a long run to a different area and made a few key culls with a ½ ounce Divine Swim Jig in ‘Sexified Shad’. Lightning and Rain moved in on the final day of competition. “I was worried my fish were going to be gone” said Bensema. He quickly found out otherwise. After arriving at his first spot Josh immediately began to catch fish on a ‘Chartreuse Pro Blue’ C15 crankbait. The inclement weather had pushed his fish from the top of the point into deeper water and he used this circumstance to catch the heaviest limit of the final day (19 pounds).
- Brett Cannon - 12th place
Cannon also relied on the shad spawn to notch his top-12 finish in the Toyota series event. He emphasized that “the first hour of each day of competition was key” to his success. On day one of competition Brett used a Swank 77x to catch most of his weight. After catching his limit, the 6th Sense pro decided to leave his primary area and flip bushes with a Hogwalla creature bait. This cycle allowed him to make a key cull and finish the day with a 13-pound, 9-ounce limit of fish. Brett repeated this pattern on day two but instead of flipping bushes, he elected to punch grass mats with a Prawn 4.2. This decision allowed him to finish the day with a 14-pound, 5-ounce limit of fish and cash a nice check.
(photo by: Kory Savage)
We would like to congratulate all these guys on their success and wish them the best of luck in events to come!