Latest News - We have the latest news from Ranger Boats. New models for 2011, the 2010 FLW Tour wrap up, and a letter from the President of Ranger Boats. Click Here.
The Hook Up Tackle and Dobyn's Rods Sponsor Spokane Valley Marine Open at Banks Lake
Glenn and Keri May from Maple Valley, WA won the Hook Up Tackle Gift Cards cards valued at $50 for beating Kevin Jones at the Spokane Valley Marine Open held at Banks Lake on August 6th and 7th 2010. Along with Kevin and the winners, that is Dan Conrath in the Ranger Jersey (Spokane Valley Marine). Please visit Spokane Valley Marine for your next Ranger Boat!
Left to right - Kevin Jones, Keri May, Glenn May, and Dan Conrath.
The prizes won by Glenn and Keri are another example of how the Hook Up Tackle continues to support the Northwest bass fisherman. We recently provided gift cards at the TBF Qualifier at Riffe Lake in July, as well. We plan to do more in the months ahead. Please visit their website and show your support with orders!!! I also want to send a special "Thank You" to all of you who are already supporting The Hook Up Tackle. I have met many supporters in the last few months and we are truly grateful for your support.
Above - Steve McMannis (center), winner of the Dobyns Rod Certificate.
The 2010 TBF Northwest Divisional in Hardin, Montana at Yellowtail Reservoir on June 2, 3rd and 4th 2010
Above: Kevin up on the stage on day one at the 2010 TBF Northwest Divisional in Hardin, MT.
One word describes this years Northwest TBF Divisionals- “TOUGH” . The weights were low and I mean low. To give you an idea how tough it was, I had a 7.15lb bag of smallmouth bass on day one and that was good enough to put me in 9th place out of 58 anglers. If you caught a 2lb fish, it was like catching a four pounder and on top of that, there weren’t that many of them to be caught. The average size was maybe a pound and a half and if you could catch a limit of those you had done good for the day. Now, that’s some tough fishing! Many guys blanked or caught a couple of fish each day.
This tournament was about finesse fishing along with some bed fishing. The better finesse anglers shined. I can tell you that after fishing six days at this reservoir, I have improved my finesse fishing skills dramatically and learned many new techniques that will help me in future tournaments.
It was truly an awesome experience to put all of us in such a tough environment against the best 58 anglers in the Northwest. Many anglers I spoke to from other states do not agree with me but it truly made it fare for all. I understand there frustration and there pain but feel this Reservoir treated us all equally. I found it very challenging just trying to figure each day out.
Chris Ferry and Dez Ruffin earned the right to advance to the TBF Nationals next year for the Washington State Team. I want to congratulate them on a job well done. As I mentioned above, both these individuals had to over come some very tough fishing conditions. They figured out what the fish were doing and how to catch them. I am very impressed with both of them as bass anglers. I also want to personally thank Chris Ferry for taking the time to help me on the water during the prefish period. I greatly appreciated his help and he showed his true sportsmanship to me with this gesture.
Above: The 2010 Washington State Team with their 2nd place plaques at the 2010 TBF Northwest Divisional in Hardin, MT. Left to right top row: Ken Elvsaas, Dez Ruffin, Chris Ferry, Charlie Cox, Mark Maderos, Shawn McConville. Left to right bottom row: Kevin Jones, Jordan Doucet, Tom Melowitz, Tyler Walker, Larry Austin, Kenny Ganacial.
The Washington State team took second place this year. Idaho beat us out this year but we had them scared for at least the first day when we were in first place. After day one the Washington state team struggled to get more weight. We hung in there and gave them a good run on the last day but fell short. All in all we did a good job in representing the state and congratulations go out to the whole state team for a job well done!!! We beat state teams from Montana, Wyoming and the Oregon.
I know that all of us on the Washington state team are grateful for all involved in putting this event on. A big “Thank You” go’ out to all of you involved. This type of event could never happen without all the volunteers from the TBF. The president from the National TBF was on hand to host this event as well. His name is Robert Cartlidge and he did a great job. He is a true gentleman and donates his time for these events. From all of us, thank you Robert and many thanks again to your great crew of volunteers.
We also want to thank Gary Morris and Joe Jacoby of the Washington state TBF for their help with the state team.
In closing, this event will be remembered for a lifetime. The TBF Northwest divisional was all I thought it would be. I made some new friends, learned a ton about finesse techniques and will always remember my fishing experiences at Yellowtail Reservoir.
If you fish the Northwest Bass circuit and win a tournament while fishing from a Ranger boat powered by an Evinrude E-TEC you can take home an additional $3,500 at each Northwest Bass Tournament!
Qualifying Events
All Northwest Bass Tournaments (list of events)
Ranger Cup Payout:
$1,500 for win in a Ranger Boat
Evinrude Payout:
$1,500 for win with a 2006 or newer E-TEC
Dealer Bonus:
$500 for win if purchased from Spokane Valley Marine
Guidelines
Must be registered in the 2010 Ranger Cup Program
Must fish from the registered Ranger Boat
Must meet all clothing guidelines
Must meet all decal guidelines
must meet all Ranger Cup rules and guidelines
Special Announcement
New Dobyn's Rod retailers - You can now purchase Dobyn's Rods at Three Rivers Marine, Outdoor Emporium and Sportco.
I am now pro staffing for Dobyns Rods. Many of you have probably heard of Gary Dobyns. He is considered one of the best western bass anglers of all time! He has a passion second to none for bass fishing. Gary has won 40 plus boats and over a hundred tournaments throughout out his career. Most recently he won the 2009 U.S. Open.
Gary has developed a line of bass rods that are second-to-none, drawing on his years of experience. If his knowledge wasn't enough, he has worked hand-in-hand with Mike Long and Randy McAbee to build the best swimbait and deep-cranking rods on the market. Mike Long has caught over one third of the largest 100 bass ever caught and is a swimbait trendsetter. Randy McAbee has used the crankbait to win many major tournaments and capture the 2007 National Guard Western Series Angler of the Year.
Gary Dobyns' line of rods consists of bass rods only! One passion, one focus: to make a rod with the best components, sensitivity, durability, strength and designed to outperform the competition. Please check out his website at www.dobynsrods.com and contact me anytime for a demo or to borrow a rod to try. The response so far has been incredible from the anglers that have check out these impressive rods.
We will be sponsoring the upcoming Puyallup Hawg Hunters "Lake Sammamish Open" on March 27th and I will have Dobyns rods on display for you to check out. For information on the tournament go to http://puyallup-hawg-hunters.com/
Introducing...
A New Sponsor - I-90 Marine in Issaquah will be one of my new sponsors for the 2010 tournament season. Please contact them for all your outboard repair work for Evinrude, Mercury and Yamaha. The owner, Steve Waltz, has assured me he will do his best to get the bass fisherman in and out of his shop in a timely fashion. If you fish tournaments and need your boat back quickly, give Steve at I-90 Marine a try. Let him know your situation and he will see if he can help.
Also, I-90 Marine will be sponsoring some local tournaments with me this year; so let’s show him some support.
Announcement!
Hot Buy on 2009 Z520 FLW Staff Boats with 250 Evinrude E-Tecs - just in at Spokane Valley Marine while they last. These boats are priced at a once in a lifetime price! Please contact Dan Conrath or Gary Morris for more information at 1-800-967-5073 and tell them I sent you! (These boats are not up on the website yet.)
www.spokanevalleymarine.com
Please remember to mention my name!
Behind the Boat
Don't just take my word for it. Watch this video and you'll understand
why Ranger Boats are the best.
Announcement: New Sponsor
The Hook Up Outfitters and Tackle Store is one of my new sponsors. Located in Lake Pleasant, Arizona, they are a fishing guide service that also has an incredible tackle store. (www.thehookuptackle.com)
The Hook Up tackle web site is one of the nicest for tackle I have ever seen. The fact that it is geared towards the western angler makes it even more appealing. Please check them out and look for some good things to come for our local bass community next year as they intend to continue sponsoring local events. They sponsored the wafish.com tournament (December) on Lake Washington with five gift cards! We need to support these guys!!!
Once you see their web site, I am sure you will agree: why would you buy product from any other tackle web site when these guys are providing local support for the sport we love as anglers. Their pricing and freight ($50.00 or more is free shipping) is equal too or better than any other site.
Also, you can register for their newsletter at their web site and they will keep you updated on all the new products and services they provide. (Highly Recommended)
Kevin (middle) with Ben and John from the Hook Up Tackle Store
Washington Bass Federation State Team
Here is a photo of the Washington Bass Federation State Team for 2009. That is me front and center on the lower row.
I took 3rd place in the State this year and will be fishing the Northwest Federation championship in Montana next year as a boater. If I win that event, I will qualify for the Federation Championship. Here is what I have an opportunity to win if I make it to the Championship:
Living The Dream Package
- Fully-paid entry fees as a PRO into the winners choice of the FLW Tour events, or fully-paid entry fees into the FLW Series events.
- The use of a wrapped "Living the Dream" branded Ranger boat powered by a Evinrude or a Yamaha Outboard.
- The use of a wrapped, "Living the Dream" branded Chevy Truck.
If you would like to “Live the Dream” check out joining one of the clubs affiliated with the TBF (The Bass Federation). I have a direct link on my site or visit www.wabass.org to find a club near you! It only cost me $200.00 dollars to fish the three qualifiers. For tournament fees, that is a really good deal. By the way, you can fish as a non-boater (back seater) so you don’t have to own a boat to join and fish for “Living The Dream.”
4th Place in ABA Northwest Championship
Below is a photo of me and my partner Steve Cowdrick receiving the 4th place plaque at the recent ABA Northwest Championship at the Columbia River on September 18th and 19th. That's me on the left and Steve on the right. The gentleman in the center is Dan Conrath of Conrath's Valley Marine out of Spokane. This is a proud moment for the Jones/Cowdrick team. We competed against the best bass fisherman from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana in this Championship event. It was a two day tournament, so it truly showed your angling skills.
I would like to thank all the sponsors and volunteers for making this event so successful. The folks from ABA did an outstanding job! A special thanks go's out to Dan Conrath of Spokane Valley Marine for his support and service while at this event. His website is www.spokanevalleymarine.com and they are one of the top Ranger and Stratos dealers in the Northwest.
Announcement: Washington Bass Pro has a new sponsor! Monster Energy Drinks.
I am very please to announce that Monster Energy Drinks will be one of my new sponsors. This is a premier product in the energy drink market and many anglers I have spoken with prefer their product. This is the perfect product group for fisherman and I am very excited to represent them in this industry. I will have plenty of products for all of you to try in the months ahead. Stay tuned for updates on promotions.
Make sure you look for me at the upcoming ABA Championship on the Columbia River for some free samples. You can visit their Web site at www.monsterenergy.com to check out the latest news and products.
Results from TBF Qualifier
2009 TBF Open on Banks Lake - Washington State Bass Federation Qualifier Series.
I recieved two awards at this year's TBF Open on Banks Lake: I placed 2nd for the state and also got the big fish award. Click here for complete results and pictures from the tournament.
NEW BOAT!
Check out my new Ranger z520. This is Ranger’s premier tournament boat and includes an exclusive 100th anniversary Evinrude motor. Click here see the details and more photos. Contact me about going for a test ride.
WELCOME
My name is Kevin Jones
Please feel free to contact me and let me help you get out on the water in a new or used boat.
- I will work hard to find the right boat for you and help assist with service before and after the sale.
- My services are available at no charge.
- I am an expert and you will appreciate my advice.
- My job as a Pro Staffer is to get sales leads for the dealers, so there is no high-pressure sales. I do not get paid commission.
This Web site provides information about me, the services I offer, and the sport I love.