Tournament News


Main Page

Fishing for tigers

By Deb JohnsonMake no mistake: The bass is, as always, No. 1. But an African native commonly called the tiger fish now ranks as the No. 2 gamefish for both Fred Roumbanis and Derek Remitz.
Their taste for tiger fishing stems from an early December tour of South Africa. The two Bassmaster Elite Series pros were guests of their mutual sponsor, soft plastics maker El Grande Lures, which has offices in South Africa as well as in the United States.

During a span of eight days, the two pros traveled 1,500 miles across South Africa. On their trek, they encountered various big game, slept in luxury bush camps and resorts, were treated to several braai (barbecues) and met people they now consider good friends. But their sharpest shared memory was the time spent fishing at the Nkonkoni Tiger Fishing Camp on the Jozini Dam’s Lake Pongola.

The tiger fish’s reputation had both bass pros eager to lay eyes — and hooks — on one.

“A tiger fish has a body that looks like a striper’s, and a mouth like something you’ve never seen in your life,” Remitz described.

Roumbanis’ definition of tiger fish: “Piranha meets largemouth.”

The tiger fish is named, of course, for its ultra-sharp teeth. Picture the pointed fangs you’d see when a tiger yawns. Now imagine a full mouth, top and bottom, of those enameled knife points (albeit shorter teeth than a tiger’s long incisors). That’s a tiger fish. But formidable teeth are not the reason Remitz and Roumbanis wanted to face this tiger.  Read More

 

ROUMBANIS AND REMITZ HEADED TO SOUTH AFRICA

Moore, OK - Elite Series pros Fred Roumbanis and Derek Remitz will be heading to South Africa the first week of December representing their soft plastics sponsor, El Grande Lures, at what is being dubbed the American Invasion. 

The 10 day fishing trip, which will primarily target largemouth bass and tiger fish will be filmed and broadcast on television in South Africa. In addition to filming, Roumbanis and Remitz will meet with South African bass anglers and speak about life as a professional bass angler in the United States. 

“They’ve had a few guys come over here and fish in the Federation tournaments but nobody from the United States has really been over there to check it out,” explained Roumbanis. “From what I gather, this is going to be one of the coolest experiences ever.” 

While the trip will be Remitz’ first fishing experience outside North America, Roumbanis has some experience overseas competing in the Euro Cup in Spain. “They basically told me not to bring a lot of stuff because December in South Africa is the hottest part of the summer,” said Roumbanis. “I’m packing a lot of shorts, t-shirts, and flip-flips.

“I think that it’s going to be a really casual experience but the fishing should be awesome out there. It’s actually one of the best bass fishing destinations in the world and it’s really underrated,” Roumbanis concluded. 

Remitz is equally excited about the opportunity to ply South African waters and meet the country’s bass anglers. “From what I understand, a lot of anglers in South Africa really follow the bass fishing scene here in the United States,” he said. “El Grande has a lot of ties over there so I’m looking forward to seeing what the area has to offer.

“I’ve only seen guys catch tiger fish on TV but it looks like a lot of fun because they’ve got great big teeth and jump five-feet in the air,” explained Remitz, who just recently joined the El Grande Lures team for the 2012 season.
 

Fish with Fred

Fred has donated a day of fishing to be auctioned off for charity for the United Way through Kimberly Clark. Auction is going to be held the 1st week of Nov. at Kimberly Clark in Jenks OK. For more info contact us.
 

Dog-Walkers on a diet

By Mark Hicks ANY ANGLER WHO doesn’t own an assortment of Spooks, Sammies and other fat, dog-walking stickbaits isn’t serious about catching bass. These pudgy topwater lures slam the fatties year after year.

Many Bassmaster Elite Series pros also rely on slender stickbaits that look like Jenny Craig disciples. Oklahoma’s Fred Roumbanis favors ima’s Skimmer. This 3/8-ounce lure has a slim profile similar to a 5-inch soft plastic stickbait. Read More

 

Two Elites chasing back-to-back titles

Fred RoumbanisCOLUMBIA, S.C. — Only two anglers have a chance this week for back-to-back Bassmaster Elite Series wins, albeit wins of a different color.

Steve Kennedy, just off his May 8 victory at West Point Lake, could claim back-to-back Elite wins by taking the title in the May 12-15 Evan Williams Bourbon Carolina Clash on Lake Murray.

Fred Roumbanis of Bixby, Okla., victor in 2008 when the Elite Series last competed on Murray, is the only pro who could claim consecutive Carolina Clash titles.

Just to make things interesting: Kennedy was runner-up to Roumbanis in that May 2008 tournament. If they do well again on Lake Murray, it won’t be because they were able to repeat how they attacked it in 2008, Roumbanis and Kennedy said. Read More

 
More Articles...


Page 1 of 3