33rd Annual Jacob Deer Rut Contest

Click on picture,  then right click and select "print picture" to print the application form.
If you have any questions, please call Luke Estel at (618)559-5650

New Ardent Edge Reel

Click here for video featuring Luke on the new Ardent Edge Reel.

Article courtesy of www.anglerschannel.com

Strike King KVD Sexy Frog

One of the most versatile baits on the market today is the Strike King KVD Sexy Frog. From May until November this hollow bodied frog can catch bass. In the fall however it can be one of the deadliest baits to throw. With the water temperature cooling, the bass move into the shallows in search for food. In lakes where there is an abundance of grass, the Sexy Frog shines. Not only do the bass use this cover to ambush their prey, but also as an area to stay warm as the grass holds heat. In the grass, largemouth typically feed on small bluegill that flicker throughout the surface. One key to hooking up on this bait is to wait until you either cannot see the bait floating anymore or you feel the fish move with the bait. Most strikes are fierce and many anglers tend to set the hook too soon because of nothing more than sheer excitement. This will only result in multiple missed opportunities so the best advice is to wait. Not only is the Sexy Frog able to catch fish in the grass but can also be used in the open water where the bass are feeding on shad. There are typically two ways to work this bait. The first is to let the bait sit for several seconds after it hits the water then slowly inch it back to you making small jerks with the rod and the other is to work it aggressively like a frog or wounded bait fish fleeing in the water. Let the bass tell you what they want and before you know it, you will be loading the boat on the KVD Sexy Frog.

Oakley Big Bass Tour

     177 anglers showed up this year for the Oakley Big Bass Tour on Lake Guntersville in Alabama. The fishing reports had been terrible for the last couple of months and the weights for this two day event showed it. It is hard to believe that during a couple of the hourly weigh ins that an angler cashed a check for a two pound fish and that only one fish broke the six pound mark.

     One of the great things about this event is that you can launch your boat from anywhere on the lake and only check in a fish if he or she feels that it is worthy of an hourly top five fish. Starting at 9am on sat and every hour until 3p.m. anglers are allowed to weigh in if they chose. This year the payouts were $400 for first, $300 for second, $200 for third, and $100 for fourth and fifth per hour. After the end of the second day the overall big bass wins a brand new Toyota Tundra Truck.

     This year Paul Tidwell caught a 6.08 pound bass on day two to capture the Toyota Truck. Paul said he only caught two bass in the entire two days that were worth weighing in. His big fish was caught on a Tight Line Jig in five foot of water on the edge of the grass. Congrats to Paul on his big win. I would also like to thank the people at Oakley for putting on such an incredible event. It was one of the most well run tournaments I have ever fished. Here are the rest of the top ten big bass weights.

Mike Brown 5.66

Jimmy Rowell 5.31

Doug Hastings 5.03

Tim Taylor 4.88

Chris Rose 4.85

David Gray 4.70

Luke Estel 4.60

Jeff Mclain 4.54

Gerald Brewer 4.48

Crazy 8's

In the last two events I have fished on Kinkaid Lake, I have taken eighth place. Good or bad at least I was inside the top ten. In this last event which was the Murphysboro Chamber of Commerce Tournament I had found some fish on the Ava end of the lake in dirtier water. In practice I was catching fish on a Strike King Hack Attack Jig and a KVD 1.5 crankbait, but come tournament time, it all changed. I switched over to a Tour Grade Swimming Jig while my brother slow rolled a spinnerbait. I caught 20 to 25 bass throughout the day but was only able to catch three keepers. My brother was only able to catch two fish all day on a spinnerbait. For some reason the bass were not reacting to the spinnerbait or the crankbait that day, but they were eating the swimming jig. At one point during the day I could almost call my shot. The fish were tucked under lay downs and in very shallow water. I would slowly reel the jig right down the log and the bass would come out and choke it. It is crazy how some days the fish seem to want one lure and on other days want something different. Throwing a swimming jig can take a little bit of getting used to. There is no pull on the bait like a spinnerbait. Sometimes the fish want it pumped through the water where as other times they want it reeled in slowly. I prefer using 17 pound test Vicious Fluorocarbon in dirty water. When the water is stained, line size is not a factor. I use a 6’10” fast, medium heavy Falcon Cara rod and a 6.3:1 Ardent XS1000. Swimming a jig can be deadly in the fall when the fish are chasing shad and they won’t bite the more traditional baits that time of year. Give it a try this fall. You will see what I am talking about.

Luke's Big Bass at Oakley Big Bass Tournament

Click here for video of weigh in at Lake Guntersville, Oakley Big Bass Tournament



Article courtesy of www.anglerschannel.com

Estel Slams Big Smallie at Strike King Conference on Kentucky Lake

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Article courtesy of www.anglerschannel.com

Luke demonstrates the Donkey Rig for Multiple Hook-Ups on Schooling Bass!

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Video courtesy of www.anglerschannel.com

A person once told me....

A person once told me that the only way you can go when you are on top is down. How true is this? Well, this was the year it happened to me. I have done well in my fair share of tournaments. For that I am very thankful. This year I did something that I have never done before and that was placing first in the USA Bassin Classic and winning a boat. Throughout that whole week of practice and in the tournament I felt different. I cannot explain it and I wish I knew how to get that feeling back. Anyway, after that win, my tournament fishing went downhill fast. I mean like a land slide. It seemed like every event I fished, I would lose the ones that would put me in the money, or make bad decisions and that cost me. For whatever reason, nothing seemed to work out for me. Finally after not winning a penny in three and a half months I won an event on East Lake in Sparta. My decision making was flawless and I never lost a fish. That day I had the same feeling. It was a good sort of calming feeling like everything is going to be ok. Whatever happened in between those two wins, I really have no idea. That is how tournament fishing goes. You have to have confidence in every event and you have to fish to win. Sometimes it works out and other times it does not. It is something that cannot be forced upon. When you force it, then it turns into disaster. I believe stress causes a lot of pressure on our fishing, even if we think we aren’t thinking about it. It is there subconsciously. Maybe that was what happened to me this year. After that big win I wanted more and put unwanted pressure on myself to do it and it backfired. Why am I telling you all this. Because I see so many guys that want to fish professionally, just like myself, but aren’t near ready. They put too much pressure on themselves and it just does not work. People do not realize the sacrifice it takes to do it full time. A couple of years ago, I would have risked everything to fish professionally, but thankfully the big man upstairs stopped me. I still fish hard but have changed my priorities. Tournament fishing will always have its ups and downs and you have to take those and learn from each one of them. If you are on a role cashing checks in every event you fish, then role with it, because eventually it will end. I f you are in a slump, do not stop fishing, because all of a sudden, something will change and you will be out of it. Trust me, I have been there. Last but not least, enjoy it. If you are a true die hard tournament fisherman like me, then you will never stop doing it, but prioritize some things. Fish hard when you can but if you are in college, study first. If you are married, your spouse comes first. If you have kids, they come first. If you have a great job, then work comes first. Tournament fishing is not going away. Just remember that there are other things in life that we all need to enjoy.

Tournament Fishing

If you tournament fish long enough, you will be the guy who gets one place out of the money more than you would like. Throughout my career I have been in that situation more than I would like. It can put a bad taste in your mouth but you can also look at it in a different way. For instance, say there are 80 boats in a tournament and they pay eight places and you get ninth. Does it stink? Yes. But you can look at it like this. You just beat 71 boats. That means you are doing something right and you just need things to go your way a little better next time. By placing in the top percent of the field means that you have all the makings of being a good tournament fisherman and one day for no apparent reason, things will start going your way. I fished for a couple of years without ever getting a paycheck. In fact, one year my cousin and I were point champions for the season and never cashed a check. Two years later we cashed a check in every event we fished. For some reason things turned around. Tournament fishing will have its ups and downs but to be successful, you have to have a positive attitude. Just remember that being one place out of the money means you’re a step in the right direction.

Go Deep This Summer

As the summer temps heat up the water, bass migrate out deep and spend the next several months roaming around points, ledges, and other types of deep structure. Today there are a multitude of baits that specifically target bass at these depths.
One of the hottest new lures on the market is the spoon. This bait has been around for years, but up until recently has it been used to catch suspended bass out off of deep ledges and points. Strike King took notice of this and has come out with the Sexy Spoon. It is fairly simple to use. Cast the spoon out and let it fall to the bottom. Once the bait makes contact with the bottom simply snap your rod up jerking the spoon off the bottom and then let it flutter back down on slack line. The strikes usually occur when the bait is falling. This is a great bait to get a school of bass fired up into feeding again. I use seventeen pound test Vicious Fluorocarbon on a medium heavy seven foot Falcon rod. I also use a fast reel like the Ardent XS 1000 with a 6.3:1 gear ratio.
One of the best baits to throw out deep is the classic ten inch worm. The Strike King Thumper worm was designed specifically for offshore fishing. I use the same tackle as above mentioned. One key I have found is to vary your retrieve somewhat. Sometimes the bass like the worm drug along the bottom and other times they want it bouncing across their face. One good thing is you can get the worm in brush piles or around stumps and slowly work it through the structure.
My all time favorite is a deep diving crankbait. I love throwing the new Strike King 6XD out deep. I throw this bait on ten pound test Vicious fluorocarbon on a glass crankbait rod. I also use a slower gear ratio Ardent which is 5.0:1. I just do not cast it out and reel it in. I am trying to bump the bottom or the structure I am targeting. When I do hit a stump I will stop reeling and let the bait float up. That is usually when the strike occurs. I also work an area casting the bait at different angles. Sometimes the bass will only bite if the bait is going a certain way. It takes a lot of patience and practice to become a good crankbait fisherman.
Another great bait that few people throw is a one ounce spinnerbait. This overlooked bait can really produce when nothing else is working. The Strike King Bottom Dweller stays on the bottom as you reel slowly. This bait can be thrown around structure much like a crankbait or a worm. Cast the bait out and let it fall to the bottom. Once it come s in contact with the bottom begin reeling it slowly back to the boat.
All of these baits work great around ledges, points, channel swings, and around deep structure. Make sure you use all of these baits when fishing out deep. Bass tend to get used to a certain bait but by mixing it up, you can keep catching them throughout the summer.

13th Annual Strike King Tournament Results

79 Boats showed up for the 13th Annual Strike King Bass Fish Off sponsored by 17th St. Bar & Grill held on Kinkaid Lake in Murphysboro, Illinois. The weather started out bad with heavy rain but eventually it cleared off. Early pre fishing reports were that anglers were catching them good, but the front moved through in the morning and it turned into a struggle. With the water being dirty almost all of the fish were caught very shallow. Four teams were able to bring in a five fish limit. David Guill and Lonnie Bowlin took top honors with their limit weighing 16.95 pounds. They received $2100.00. In second place were Ron Reeder and Lonnie Sadler. Their limit weighed 16.49 pounds. They took home $1300.00. In third place were Luke and Jim Budde. Their limit weighed 15.63 pounds. They won $1000.00. In fourth place were Jack and Ben Doan. Their five fish weighed 14.54 pounds. They took home $800.00. In fifth place were Scott Struense and Monty Cardroy. They weighed in four fish for 13.34 pounds. They received $600.00.
Here is 6th through 10th.


6th place Marc Sheffer- Kevin Reynolds 11.01 pounds $400.00
7th place John Lamaster- Jeromy Sullivan 10.62 pounds $300.00
8th place Josh Mileur- TJoe Grammer 10.50 pounds $200.00
9th place Cliff Pass- Richard Wagner 9.40 pounds $150.00
10th place Justin Moniger- CodyPage 9.32 pounds $115.00
1st place big bass Les Gordan- John Templeton 5.46 pounds $500.00
2nd place big bass Leslie Fred Jr.- Brian Gleason 5.38 pounds $200.00

This year was the first year not one but two keeper smallmouth was weighed in. The biggest was 2.51 pounds and Justin Moniger and Cody Page received $80.00 for their catch. This is the first time in the history of the lake that a keeper smallmouth was caught in a tournament.

I would like to thank all of my sponsors for helping out for this great event. Strike King Lure Company, 17th St. Bar & Grill, Ardent Reels, Vicious Fishing, Toney Chacheres Creole Seasoning, Southern Illinois Custom Crankbaits, and Bud Lite. These are the people that make this tournament such a huge success. I would like to my wife Heidi and my two girls for helping out with everything. Also I would like to thank all of the volunteers for helping with this event. Hope to see everyone next year.

Luke Estel

Kevin Kloever with this 5 pound bass he caught on a white Strike King Bleeding tube. This is Kevin's first bedding fish he has ever caught. Congrats

NO "I" in team!

I started fishing team tournaments when I was fifteen years old. Throughout the years I have been very fortunate to have some great partners. To this day I still have three guys I regularly fish with. My brother Lee, my cousin Jason, and my good friend Josh (Chopper) Jackson. I would not be as successful as I am without the help of those guys.
In April Chopper and I went down to Kentucky Lake to fish the USA Bassin Classic. I have fished that lake for years and I had a pretty good idea what we would be doing. We ended up finding some good fish and catching them in the tournament. We won the event which is both Chopper and I biggest win.
Fishing team tournaments requires both partners. Even if one guy catches all of the fish there is still help from his partner. That is why it is called team events.
All week long down at Kentucky Lake Chopper kept a positive attitude. When you have both guys keeping each other in a good mind frame it helps your fishing. If he or I lost one, we would just let it go and try to catch the next one. “It is just fishing.” Chopper would say. Every day we just went out and had fun and that is what it is all about.
Chopper caught one giant bass each day of the event. If it wasn’t for those two, we would not have won. I can’t thank him enough for never giving up and staying positive throughout the event. Again, there is no “I” in team.

2011 Nitro Z-8 for sale

‎2011 Nitro Z8 with Mercury Optimax 150 for sale. Fully Loaded.
Certificate - Can choose your own color and or upgrade motor. Tandam axle trailer, batteries.

Retail $33,000
Asking $31,000 or make reasonable offer
(Stock photos of boat