Genuity donates to local food pantry

On behalf of Monsanto’s Genuity^TM traits, along with the world’s elite bass anglers, the Community Services Food Pantry of Fort Madison received a donation of $1,506.

According to George Gaudette, President of the Board for Community Services Food Pantry, “All of the food and supplies purchased with this contribution will stay within the community and help needy families throughout Fort Madison and Lee County.”

Genuity^TM pledged $1 per pound for the total number of pounds of fish caught during the Genuity River Rumble, June 11-14 in Fort Madison, Iowa.

What it takes to be a pro

Although most anglers on the Bassmasters Elite Series do nothing but fish, that’s not the case for Billy McCagheren from Mayflower, Arkansas. When the Genuity River Rumble ends and it’s time to go home, he has another job. But the Series rookie has dreamed of nothing else for fifteen years and coaxing and support from his home community convinced him professional fishing is his calling.

AUDIO: Billy McCagheren

Angler’s reaction to Day 3 of the Genuity River Rumble

Oklahoman Tommy Biffle says mud and too little vegetation made for challenging angling at the Genuity River Rumble. That, he says, is much more to his liking than a tournament where the poundage comes easy. Biffle was confidet as he left the stage after weighing in Saturday’s catch.

AUDIO: Tommy Biffle

First hand look at Genuity

A timely rain at their Blairstown, Iowa farm allowed Richard and Sharyl Siek to travel to Fort Madison to see first hand the Genuity River Rumble.

Richard, who’s crops look outstanding so far this season, had his eyes opened about seed technology during a tour of Monsanto’s Mobile Technology Unit.

AUDIO: Richard Siek (2:00 mp3)

Barton shares biotech story with farmers, others

Monsanto is using the Bassmaster Elite Series to promote their Genuity brand and while there, they demonstrate to their customers the science that goes into their development of seeds. Mobile Technology Unit Ag Educator Gary Barton conducts tours of the facility as it travels from place to place around the country.

AUDIO: Gary Barton (7:00, mp3)

Texas angler doesn’t leave home without family

Waco, Texas angler Alton Jones doesn’t let his activity on the Bassmaster Elite Series tour keep him from his family. The professional fisherman and his wife home school their three children and the whole family explores the fisheries together. Jones talked about it after his weigh-in following day three of the Genuity River Rumble in Fort Madison, Iowa.

AUDIO: Alton Jones (1:36, mp3)

On the banks of the Genuity River Rumble

Scott Campbell owns Liter Fertilizer & Chemical in Center, Missouri with his father-in-law and brother-in-law. His business is one of the last independently owned businesses in the area and they are happy to carry the Genuity product line because Monsanto is a leader in their industry. Campbell is also a fan of the Bassmaster Elite Series and took time to speak with Brownfield’s Tom Steever.

AUDIO: Scott Campbell (2 min)

River Rumble Top Fifty

The Genuity River Rumble brings together 100 of the nation’s top professional anglers, each after the $100,000 top prize to be awarded Sunday.

I’m here on Saturday as the field has been cut to the top 50. J Todd Tucker of Moultrie, Georgia, who I interviewed a couple of days ago, didn’t have very good luck on Friday and didn’t make the cut. Sunday, only the top dozen fishermen stay and the winner will be decided upon weigh-in at the end of that day’s fishing. [PHOTOS]

Not to worry. The top fifty all get money. Last place is $10,000 (for fiftieth place). But these events are for serious, very serious competitors only. It’s a cool $5,000 to enter, which is usually taken care of by sponsors. They also equip competitors with snazzy fish catching equipment too; nice boats and motors not for the faint of heart. A couple of the ESPN guys (the network that covers the Bassmasters Elite Series) took us to find some the pro fishermen. A 250 horse Yamaha pushed us down the Mississippi River at an easy 60 mph.

We found and watched pro Boyd Duckett for awhile. But out of respect for the competitors, we keep our distance. I doubt we were ever closer than 75-100 yards from his boat, but it’s still interesting to observe someone engaged in an activity so intently, especially an activity normally associated with pure leisure. We watched him pull one in, but quickly throw it back because it was apparently too short. Interestingly, each angler is accompanied by a “marshal” who makes sure all the fish are caught on the up-and-up. Like a golf caddy, I suppose, who makes sure each stroke is kept track of.

Genuity River Rumble attracts pro anglers

The Monsanto sponsored Genuity River Rumble is this week on the Mississippi River at Fort Madison, Iowa. The Bassmaster Elite Series event involves 100 of the nation’s top professional anglers hitting the water Thursday. Weigh-ins each day will whittle the tourney down to the top fifty boats that fish Saturday.

“Sunday the top twelve will fish, so it’s only twelve boats fishing on Sunday and they’re fishing for $100,000, first place,” said J. Todd Tucker a professional angler from Moultrie, Georgia. Tucker is one of eight rookies in the series but has been fishing full time for a number of years.

AUDIO: J Todd Tucker (11 min. MP3)

“You really have to have that experience to be able to come out here and compete with these guys. If you don’t, you’re just going to get beat every time,” said Tucker, while practice fishing before the start of the event. “So you really got to know what you’re doing, what you’re looking for, what baits to throw; you’ve got to have a big tackle box.”

After a career of raising quail and selling tractors and irrigation equipment, Tucker began his career finding fish, which he says is the primary challenge of successful fishing. But unlike NASCAR or football, he says fishing is a sport people can do from a very young age to a very old age.

He also offers advice in finding a good fishing spot on the Mississippi River.

“What you want to look for is basically visible cover, whether it’s lily pads or trees or stumps or something like that,” he said. “You want to fish shallow and you want to throw some smaller baits, such as buzz baits, small crank baits, small spinner baits or Texas rig worm.”

The Monsanto-sponsored Genuity River Rumble at Fort Madison, Iowa, including several related events, is open for the public to watch through Sunday.