ABA East Iowa, Division 73, Schedule Posted for Pools 12,13, and 18! -- Feb 9, 2010

To view the 2010 schedule click here!

Todd Flockhart and Danny Graham Claim Team-of-the-Year Honors on Pool 19! -- Sept 21, 2009

Flockhart and Graham fought hard all year to get this honor and it is well deserved. We wish them well at the Tournament of Champions!

Mike Huffman Claims Angler-of-the-Year Title for ABA Division 108 -- Aug 2,2009

Mike Huffman's consistent performance for 2009 resulted in a strong AOY finish for the year. Great job Mike!

Pool 19 Gives Up a 6.37lbs Largemouth!! -- July 25, 2009

Rob Bartholomew brought in a 6.37lbs Largemouth on Saturday. A very nice fish for this flood ravaged pool. Interestingly it had a bloody tail suggesting it was still spawning. This is not surprising given the cool year and 72 degree water temperature.

Click here for a picture.

ABA Angler-of-the-Year Standings Posted!! -- July 8, 2009

Click here

Dave Knutstrom Brings in Small Sack on Tough Day and Ends Up With a Win on Pool 19!! -- June 28, 2009

An already tough river became even tougher under post front conditions but Dave found enough to win.  For more info click here.

Son and Tripp Grab a Win During a Tough Day on Pool 19!! -- June 27, 2009

David Son and Ben Tripp took on tough Mississippi River conditions and came out with a well-earned win on Saturday.  For more info click here.

Ken Warren Takes Top Spot on Pool 12!! -- June 6, 2009

 Division 108 Director, Ken Warren, wins in Bellevue with just over 13lbs.  For more info click here.

Mike Huffman Makes it 2 in a Row on Pool 19!! -- May 31, 2009

 Mike Huffman claims the top spot in the American Bass Anglers event making it 2 in-a-row for him.  For more info click here.

Flockhart and Graham Top the Field for the US Angler's Choice Event on Pool 19! -- May 30, 2009

The weather was changing all day and made for some interesting fishing. To read more about this event please click here.

Mike Huffman Wins Tough ABA Tournament Pool 19!! -- May 10, 2009

 With post-front conditions that made for a tough day Mike Huffman pulled off the win for ABA Division 108. For more info click here.

Rob Bartholomew and Mike Huffman Top the Field With a Respectable Sack!! -- May 9, 2009

Windy conditions met the anglers but fishing was hot in front of the weather system moving in. Rob and Mike brought in almost 17.5lbs to win. For more info click here.

Richie Eaves Takes ABA Win on Pool 19!! -- April 27, 2009

 Long known as an angler to be respected, Richie Eaves, brought in the heaviest sack to claim 1st place trophy at the ABA event on Pool 19 on Sunday. For more info click here.

Quinton Inghram Wins USAC Kick-off on Pool 19!! -- April 27, 2009

Despite the rough weather the best teams found on Pool 19 came out to slug it out and try to stake an early claim on AOY points. Quinton Inghram topped the field at the end of the day Saturday. His regular partner could not make it so he worked with a handicap but still pulled out the win. For more info click here.

Increasing Payout for USAC Pool 19 Events for 2009!!-- Mar 29, 2009

We have heard from a number of you that you wanted better payback into the field while about the same number of anglers appreciated the guarantee of at least $1000 to 1st place with as few as 10 teams. We want all of you to know it is very difficult to meet both requests without increasing entry fees but some would also dislike this move. To try to bring the best tournament that will satisfy everyone we think we have come up with a great plan.

For 2009 we will try an optional program to increase payout. We will offer a side pot for all USAC tournaments on Pool 19 that will be paid back 100% at the ramp. Again, this is optional, so if you like things the way they were nothing really changes. If, on the other hand, you find this attractive your team may participate in this pot for an additional $50/team at each event. Also, this may be added at the ramp the morning of the tournament without a late fee if the regular entry was paid before the late fee applied.

This side pot will be awarded only to those who participate in this optional program in the following manner. This example below is based on 20 teams with all participating in the side pot. The actual payout will be adapted per number of teams participating but will closely follow the percentages shown and only teams participating in side pot are eligible for the increased payout.

As always comments are welcome.

Ken (319)721-0152

Final Schedules for USAC and ABA Tournaments Posted -- Feb 5, 2009

The City of Ft. Madison was unwilling to approve our dates so we will split between Montrose, IA and Dallas City, IL for 2009. These cities have been great in seeking us out and they both truly want us in their communities. I'm sure everyone will appreciate these locations. The City of Montrose will be dredging and improving their harbor area early this Spring to make it an even nicer place than it was last year.

World Fishing Network Joins as a Site Sponsor! -- Jan 18, 2009

River Rat Promotions is pleased to announce that the World Fishing Network (WFN) has joined as a site sponsor for 2009! WFN is the only all fishing network and they are gaining popularity quickly. WFN can be found on many cable networks as well as DISH. If you do not get this network call your cable provider and request WFN or watch many of their shows online at www.wfn.tv.

PAA Steps Up Payout for Their Members in USAC and ABA Tournaments! -- Nov 10, 2008

The Professional Angler Association announced this week that they will offer a contingency program for PAA members in both US Angler's Choice and American Bass Anglers events starting in 2009. This will put an additional $250 in the pockets of the winning ABA angler and the winning USAC team if they are PAA members. General membership is $50/year and this will qualify anglers for this contingency money in not only our trails but many others as well. The minimum number of boats is 30 for the tournament to qualify but we got close on several occasions last season. So bring in your friends and join PAA now. To read the entire press release include the specifics of the program visit the PAA website at fishpaa.com.

Mike Waddell Wins 2 on Pool 19! -- Oct 14, 2008

Mike and his partner Dan Goeke won the USAC team event on Saturday October 11 and then Mike followed up the next day with an ABA win! To read more click here USAC--ABA.

Dave Fritts wins AOY for ABA Division 108! -- Aug 31, 2008

Dave Fritts jumped to the lead earlier in the season and held off the field to take AOY honors this past weekend. To see the entire AOY results click here.

Rob Bartholomew Wins ABA Championship on Pool 19! -- Aug 31, 2008

Fishing was off this past weekend on pool 19 but the field grinded some good sacks. At the end of the day Rob Bartholomew topped the pack. To see the entire results click here.

David Son Wins ABA Event on Pool 19! -- Aug 17, 2008

David Son ran north and fished wood to claim an ABA victory this weekend. To see the entire results click here.

USAC Championship Location Announced! -- Aug 11, 2008

US Angler's Choice announced the location of the 2008 Championship over the weekend. Region 3 anglers who qualify will be heading to Lake Guntersville March 4-7, 2009. For more details click here.

Justin Long and Mike Waddell Win Separate ABA Events on Pool 19! -- July 21, 2008

To make up for event cancelled due to the historic flooding last month there were back-to-back ABA events on pool 19 this past weekend. Saturday's event was won by Justin Long and Sunday's event went to Mike Waddell. To see the entire results click here.

AOY Standings Posted!! -- July 14, 2008

Click here for USAC Standings. 

Rob Bartholomew wins American Bass Anglers Event on Pool 19!! -- July 14, 2008

Rob Bartholomew proves that time on the water will pay off. He brought in the largest limit of bass on July 13th to take the win on pool 19. To see the entire results click here.

Kerr and Inghram Win Angler's Choice Event on Pool 19!! -- July 14, 2008

All Pool 19 Reschedule Date Now Set-- July 3, 2008

USAC Reschedule will be in October-- June 30, 2008

Open Letter Concerning Reschedule of Pool 19 Angler's Choice Event!! -- June 27, 2008

Back-to-Back Events on Pool 13 this Weekend to Make-up Dates!! -- June 23, 2008

Division 73 of the American Bass Anglers will hold two single-day events on pool 13 this weekend to allow for make up for dates cancelled due to the flood. Launch is out of Big Slough.

Team Phosy & Antes Win the Weekend Events on Pool 19!! -- June 2, 2008

Fasananh and his daughter Emily Phosy ran away with the win at the US Angler's Choice team event on Saturday and Mike Antes took the win at the American Bass Anglers event on Sunday on pool 19. Full results, photos, and story can be found in their respective schedule section on the left of this page.

Kipling, Olin, & Fritts Won on Pool 19 Last Weekend!! -- May 21, 2008

We finally caught a break with water levels and the fish were biting this past weekend. The team on Tim Kipling and Darin Olin took a win in the US Angler's Choice team event on Saturday and David Fritts earned the win on Sunday with the American Bass Anglers tournament both on Mississippi River Pool 19. Full results, photos, and story can be found in their respective schedule section on the left of this page.

Ramp Change for Pool 19 Events for May 17th, 18th -- May 13, 2008

Well old man river is not ready to give us a break yet but we are going to outsmart him. The scheduled launch was at Ft. Madison, IA and I am told the park is closed through the weekend due to high water and debris. Montrose seems questionable so both the US Angler's Choice event on Saturday the 17th and the American Bass Anglers event on Sunday the 18th will launch from Chaney Creek in Hamilton, IL. If you are not familiar with this ramp it is located just above dam 19. This seems to be the most reliable option for us with the high water. Please help me get the word out to fellow anglers so no one gets left behind.

More Reschedule Announcements -- May 6, 2008

I have numerous emails and phone calls about the reschedule dates for the Pool 19 events. I inadvertently chose a date that conflicted with the BFL and an Illinois Federation event. Because there are so few choices here for larger events I normally try to schedule around those dates if they are available. Due to the multiple requests I have reconsidered these date of July 19 & 20th.  The ABA event will have to remain on the July 20th date due to the requirement of finishing the season by the end of August. The US Angler's choice event which was to be on July 19th can be moved to September and this seems to be better for most anglers. The only problem is this will make for back-to-back events on the same weekend for those who chose to fish the wildcard.

So the following final changes will occur with the US Angler's Choice events on Pool 19. The wildcard event will now be on Sun Sept. 7 and the make-up date for the regular event will now be on Saturday Sept. 6.

Please forgive the repeated changes. I am trying to make the reschedule as painless as possible but know I cannot please everyone. If you still have a conflict, however, remember you can miss an event and probably still qualify for the Championship. Please see the rules for more details on qualification and check the schedule if I have confused anyone.

Reschedule Announcements -- Apr 30, 2008

The continued high water on the Mississippi River has caused cancellation of the Pool 13 ABA tournament scheduled for this weekend (5/4). The make-up date will be June 29th at same launch.

The 4/12 US Angler's Choice and 4/13 ABA tournaments on Pool 19 that were cancelled have been rescheduled for July 19th and 20th. This proved very difficult to schedule this due to activity on Pool 19. This weekend is really the only one that would work and not have us fishing 3 weeks in a row. For the US Angler's Choice anglers please contact Ken if you have a conflict and need to transfer your entry to another event.

Email Ken

Reschedule Info?? -- Apr 18, 2008

First thank you all for your patience and understanding with my decision to cancel the events last weekend. In 6 years of running tournaments I have never had to do this before but this time I just didn't feel it was safe. The reschedule date has not yet been determined but it will probably be in August. This means that our first event will really be the second one listed on the schedule. I do not want to assume what everyone wants me to do with their registration so I will keep all of the registrations with the events now rescheduled for August. However, if you would like to transfer it to the May 17/18 event, or any other event, just send me an email and I will be happy to do that. I will be out of town until the 28th fishing the BASS Central Open and not sure if I will have internet access. Updates might have to wait until I get back so don't worry if you do not see the change right away.

Email Ken

Pool 19 Tournaments Cancelled for this Weekend Update!!-- Apr 11, 2008

Here is a statement from the tournament director, Ken Warren.

Both the US Angler's Choice and American Bass Anglers events for this weekend on Mississippi River Pool 19 have been cancelled. This decision was made based on several things. First, the river is beyond flood conditions and has a significant amount of debris in the water. Next, the air temp will be in the low 30's with the possibility of snow. Finally the wind is predicted to be high both days. All of these things considered alongside the cold water temps raises enough safety concerns that the only decision I can come to is to reschedule for a safer weekend.

I have tentatively schedule the this on May 10th (US Angler's Choice) and 11th (ABA). I will confirm this date and ramp once I get the permits re-issued. So check back before those events. Just realized it was Mother's day weekend. Probably not good choice. I'll try to come up with a better date later in the year.

In 6 years of running events this is the first time I have to cancel and event so I didn't make this decision lightly. I apologize to anyone that this causes an inconvenience. I hope I will see all of you on the make-up date.

Everyone's entry will be transferred to the new date.

Are Tournaments Cancelled?? -- Apr 10, 2008

The spring floods are affecting the Mississippi River and Ken is aware of the river conditions. However, the water in Ft. Madison is predicted to only be 1ft higher than the first event of last year and things went well during that event. Ken will continue to watch the weather and the water and he will announce a final decision at 2:30pm Friday. Please check this website after that time to see if the tournaments are a go or not. He also understands either decision will make someone angry so please understand it will not be made lightly.

Black Water Bassin' #19 in Online!! -- Mar 20, 2008

Ken conducts great interview with BASS Elite Pro Paul Hirosky and as always Ken has an opinion on recent bass fishing topic concerning closed lakes in California. To listen click here.

Join Our BASS Fantasy Fishing Group!! -- Feb 15, 2008

We have created a fantasy fishing group again this year and all are invited to join. We will have a prize or two for the top finisher based on participation at the end of the year! Don't wait as this begins in just a few days with the Classic so go online today and get signed up. Once your team is created click on "Join a Group" and search for this group then enter password and you are in. To get started click here.

Group name: FutureBass.com
Password: public

Black Water Bassin' #18 in Online!! -- Feb 12, 2008

In Episode 18 Ken visits with BASS Pro Darrin Schwenkbeck to discuss what is in store for his 2008 season. To listen click here.

Ken Warren to Conduct Seminars at the QCCA Outdoor Show -- Feb 12, 2008

Ken Warren will conduct bass fishing seminars both Saturday and Sunday at the QCCA Outdoor Show this coming weekend. The show will run from Feb 14th to the 17th . For more info on the show click here.

The Bassroom Becomes a Site Sponsor! -- Jan 28, 2008

Bassroom brings a very timely product to the market. With the entrance of more and more women to the sport their bathroom system for bass boats is sure to gain some popularity and I am very happy to have them on board. Please read from their press release below to find out more or visit their website. www.coveryourbass.com.

MESQUITE, TX --- Cover Your Bass introduces "The Bassroom" the complete portable privacy system that allows you to spend more time on the water fishing by eliminating those inconvenient moments.

Cover Your Bass is the culmination of research and development from innovators Matt and Kirk Smith, a father/son team of fishermen from Texas, who have created the ultimate portable bathroom for your fishing boat.

Aptly named "The Bassroom" this ingenious product fills the need for a portable bathroom system in a market that has been overlooked and neglected for years. With privacy concerns and today's current "eco-friendly" movements, the Bassroom virtually eliminates the possibility of over-exposure from your boat while providing an environmentally safe alternative to lengthy trips back to the loading dock.

"We've created this product to fill a void that currently exists in today's fishing arena" said Matt Smith, owner and creator of The Bassroom. "In today's world you never know who has a camera or video phone and would enjoy the 10 minutes of fame by posting a video of you "caught in the act" on YouTube or similar social network websites. The price, privacy, and function of The Bassroom provides security and comfort for much less than the cost of embarrassment or possible legal fees for over-exposure while on the lake." says Smith.

The entire Bassroom system is stored in a handy transportation bag that can easily be tucked away in your boat until needed. With a total setup time of approximately a minute, you can quickly construct your Bassroom in times of an emergency and leave the unit assembled while you continue fishing or simply fold down and store.

Although created specifically with fishing in mind, the Bassroom is gaining popularity with hikers and campers who find the ease of transport and privacy a welcome addition to their trips.

"The feedback we have received from customers has shown a wide demographic range from young adventurers to Pro Anglers.  The Bassroom is great for privacy, shade and rain shield for the entire family, including pets." says Smith.

The Bassroom system itself consists of 190T polyester material with access doors on both the front and back equipped with over-sized zippers for easy handling. The polyester is waterproof and flame-proof to assure safety and comfort. The waste disposal bags contained in the full Bassroom system are convenient zip-up bags constructed of a sturdy 2 mil plastic material which effectively and safely handle the waste storage and transporting.

Currently priced at $119.95 plus $10.00 shipping U.S. for the entire system, the Bassroom will provide years of service with proper handling and storage. Visit www.coveryourbass.com for more purchase details, videos, and product reviews from the experts.

Cover Your Bass (www.coveryourbass.com) Home of the Bassroom is located in Mesquite, Texas providing portable privacy for your boat. 1-972-849-4868

Black Water Bassin' #17 in Online!! -- Jan 25, 2008

Ken catches up with Brent "Brody" Broderick to discuss how he was able to take the risk to quit his regular job and fish for a living and how he is able to survive fishing the BASS Opens as a pro while still supporting his family. He also discusses his recent performance in the first BASS Southern Open for 2008. To listen click here.

Black Water Bassin' is Back!! -- Jan 12, 2008

After a couple month break Black Water Bassin' Podcast is back with episode 16 and it sounds better than ever. Ken explains his absence during this show and also has a great interview with Tony DeVolder from St. Ambrose University to discuss collegiate angling. To listen click here.