2019 Costa FLW Series Championship
Lake Cumberland — Andrew Upshaw Wins with Jig & Ned Rig
Watch the full tournament coverage—smallmouths dominated as the field targeted bluff bank transitions in the reservoir's lower end during a chilly autumn week.
The Tournament in One Sentence
Upshaw won his second major title of the season by targeting main-lake transition bluffs with true river-channel swings, using a jig and Ned rig to catch big smallmouths that were staging in their pre-winter positions.
Tournament Snapshot
Event Details
- Event: Costa FLW Series Championship
- Dates: October 31 – November 2, 2019
- Winner: Andrew Upshaw (42 lbs, 15 oz)
- Prize: $52,000
Conditions
- Season: Chilly autumn
- Water: Lake about 3 ft over full pool, stained throughout
- Fish Stage: Transitioning to winter positions
Key Tournament Factors:
Upshaw's Winning Pattern
"What I figured out was main-lake transition bluffs, but it had to have the river channel swing on it—true river-channel swings." The best transitions started at 45-50 feet deep adjacent to the wall and shallowed up to 22-24 feet.
Many fish were already in or near their wintertime holes. More fish were transitioning into these areas during the tournament, giving Upshaw fresh bass coming to him each day.
"The timing deal, when they really bite on those bluffs, is anywhere between 10 o'clock and about 3. Then, as the sun goes down, they stop biting on them." The fish weren't up on the bluffs in the first hour or two of morning.
Key Location:
Upshaw had about 15 spots from Conley Bottom down to the dam. "Right where it started slightly flattening out, that's where they'd be sitting."
Winning Tackle
Paired with a green pumpkin Strike King Baby Rage Craw. "The first day, they'd eat it on the drop. As soon as you flipped it up there, it just swam off with it." Fished 5-14 feet deep, letting it free-fall on slack line and gradually fall down the bluff.
Strike King Ned Ocho Worm in green pumpkin on a 1/8-oz Gene Larew Ned Rig Pighead Jig Head. This is the same bait that won him the Cherokee Lake event earlier that season.
Top 10 Patterns: What Else Worked
No practice, all crankbait. Wiggle Wart-style baits in crawfish orange on 45-degree banks with chunk rock or table rock. Burned it near the surface on points and small pockets near creek mouths. "If wind was blowing in on it, I was confident I could get bit."
Three patterns: (1) SPRO RKCrawler 55 on 50-yard stretches of bluff wall transitions in Indian Creek, (2) drop-shot around 30-40 ft trees/logs in deep pockets, (3) drop-shot on trees fallen on bluffs in 15-20 ft for bigger spotted bass.
1/2-oz double-Colorado spinnerbait (yellow/chartreuse) on channel-swing banks with chunk rock and stumps. Never ran more than 12 minutes from takeoff. Kept the bait within 2 feet of surface, fished very quickly.
Rapala DT 14 or RKCrawler 55 in red craw, followed by drop-shot. Rocky bluff banks next to channel swings within 15 miles of the dam. "Burning it over where it drops from 8 to 14, just on the steep banks."
3/4-oz green/brown football jig with Sweet Beaver trailer. Instead of dragging, gave his reel one or two cranks then let it fall—covered water while avoiding snags. Fish were relating to wood (laydowns), not in it but just beside it.
Red RKCrawler 55 ground into bottom or banged off trees on mid-lake main river. Transition areas from mud to bluff, chunk rock to mud—had to have trees on it. Remnant bank growth from the dam repair drawdown.
Bucked the smallmouth trend—ran to Fishing Creek to flip for largemouths in standing timber. Green pumpkin Berkley Havoc Pit Boss, Texas-rigged. "Most of our bites were in a foot of water up close to the bank." Tons of shad everywhere.
Also camped in Fishing Creek for largemouths. Black Berkley Choppo topwater (4 keepers day 1 including 6-lb kicker), then War Eagle spinnerbait when topwater died. Paid attention to shad—fish would chase in "little flurries."
3/8 or 1/2-oz green pumpkin football jig with craw trailer. All smallmouth, all main lake. Fish related to stumps or random rocks on mud/gravel flats— "something big out there on a flat that they were relating to."
The Big Picture: What Worked at This Tournament
Smallmouth Approach (8 of Top 10):
- •Jigs and Ned rigs on bluff bank transitions
- •RKCrawler 55 and Wiggle Wart-style crankbaits
- •Channel swings on main lake and lower end
- •45-degree banks with chunk rock
- •Trees from dam repair era as key structure
Largemouth Approach (2 of Top 10):
- •Fishing Creek—back of a major creek arm
- •Standing timber in 1-5 feet of water
- •Flipping or topwater/spinnerbait around shad
- •Key to both: tons of shad in the area
Key Takeaways for Your Next Fall Trip
1. Target Pre-Winter Staging Areas
In chilly autumn, smallmouth are moving toward their winter holes but aren't fully committed yet. Look for transition bluffs where deep water (45-50 ft) shallows up to 20-25 ft near channel swings.
2. The Jig Is King on Cumberland
Upshaw called it "a classic Cumberland bait." Football jigs and flipping jigs dominated the Top 10. Let it fall on slack line and work it gradually down steep banks.
3. Crankbaits Cover Water Fast
The RKCrawler 55 showed up in nearly every Top 10 pattern. Burn it over transitions on steep banks. Crawfish colors worked—red craw, crawfish orange.
4. Don't Sleep on Largemouth
Two anglers cracked the Top 10 targeting largemouths in Fishing Creek. If you find shad-loaded timber in the back of a creek, it's worth a look.
Quick Summary:
- •Jig and Ned rig on bluff bank transitions with channel swings
- •Lower end from Conley Bottom to the dam
- •RKCrawler 55 as primary search bait
- •Best bite window: 10am to 3pm on bluff banks
- •Wind on the right banks improved bites
More Information
For the full breakdown from Major League Fishing, check out these resources: