03/12/2014 (press release: DebraT) // Decatur, AL, USA // Debra Talley
Racking up more than 75 years of competitive tournament bass fishing, Charlie Ingram and Ray Brazier of the hit TV show, Fishing University, show their tried and proven tips still work for them in competition.
The first two events of the 2014 FLW Tournament Series proved just that for Ingram, finishing 10th this weekend at Lake Hartwell and last month finishing 37th at Lake Okeechobee.
Ingram has fished the FLW Tour since 1997 and has qualified for the Forrest Wood Cup numerous times. Arguably, his best season came in 2004 when he finished 15th in the Angler of the Year points race and eighth at the Forrest Wood Cup. Today he ranks 11th in the Angler of the Year race for 2014 whose Championship will be on Lake Murry, SC with the largest purse in tournament history at $500,000!
In the mid 70’s Ingram started fishing the BASS circuit and very quickly won back to back tournaments; his first national tournament was cinched with a winning weight of 56.9 lbs. and became the first person to ever win 3 BASS National events in one calendar year. Ingram’s career with BASS included 8 Bassmasters Classics appearances, 4 first place finishes, 12 Top Ten finishes, 30 Top Twenty finishes, and 77 Top Fifty finishes.
Ray Brazier has been touring B.A.S.S. tournaments for more than 24 years, and five times has finished in the Bassmaster Top 10, seven times in the Top 20, and 19 times in the Top 50. He has been the Regional Champion of the Bass America Trail, and took second place in the Bass America National Championship. For the past 21 years, he entered every event of the Bassmaster Opens in all the divisions (Northern, Sourthern, Eastern and Western), and has fished events in the FLW Tour and EverStart Series.
Ray has been featured in numerous national magazines and is often asked to test boats. He was featured in a story in Bassmaster magazine on proper fishing techniques, and was featured on ESPN during the World Championship Fishing Events and Bassmaster Tournaments.
And, although most folks today know of his outstanding fishing abilities, Brazier was the number 1 motocross racer in the Southeast for many years. After competing in motocross for so many years, in 1992 he turned his interest to maritime endurance races from 200 to 550 miles in length. His division was open to 20-foot, V bottom hulls powered by souped-up 150-hp outboards. The rules required that the boats weigh 1,800 pounds dry and carry 50 gallons of fuel. Brazier claims that his Allison would hit 95 mph with two drivers and a full fuel tank and 98 mph when running “light.”
“I could have topped 100 mph, but I couldn’t keep the gear case from blowing out,” Brazier said.
Now days, Brazier is content with just enough speed to get to the special spots where the bass are biting.
So the next time viewers tune in to watch Fishing University, now you know— the tips and techniques they share have been well-earned and have withstood the test of time.
Fishing University is sponsored by Legend Boats, Honda Marine, Captain D’s, the State of Tennessee Tourism, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Tennessee State Parks, Jackson Kayak, Power Tech, Spro, Tuf-Line, Buckeye Lures, RayMarine, Hammer Rods, T-H Marine, Freedom Lures, and Power Pole.
About Fishing University
As one of the oldest Outdoor TV shows, Fishing University is celebrating 27 years of bringing quality fishing programming to avid viewers. Each week they hit the water accompanied by friends and professionals in the industry, as viewers are engaged in a competitive show that is packed full of ‘how to tips’. Not only is the show exciting, but it also lets people in on tricks of the trade from some of the very best. To add another dynamic to the situation, each boat is given a tackle box filled with identical tackle. This eliminates any tricks that one may have up their sleeves and forces them to rely on pure talent, and maybe a little luck. Fishing University can be seen on the Outdoor Channel three times a week. To see the entire schedule go to www.fishingu.com, and be sure to visit Fishing University on Facebook.
