I didn't win at Little Rock, but it felt almost as good! I worked hard, and I am real happy with a 14th place finish. I have my sights set on doing that again this week at Wheeler! I am feeling good, and my head is in the right place. I just need to let this momentum carry me to another solid finish.
On the Arkansas River, I locked through to pool 5 each day. The first 2 days I caught my biggest fish of the day before I locked through flipping a UV beaver to laydowns on riprap near the lock. My spot was essentially a mile and a half stretch of riprap that I had all to myself. I caught all of my fish on various shallow diving crankbaits along the rocks. The third morning when I went to my first spot before I locked through, it was like no one was home. I tried, but couldn't get a bite in the laydowns. I had to lock through with an empty livewell, and I was a fish short when the end of the day came. Had I caught one more fish, I would have been in the final day. But, it is what it is, and I have nothing to complain about looking back on Little Rock. In fact, I am thankful that I ended up where I did.
Now, we start the Wheeler tournament tomorrow, and it is tough out there! Definitely not the same Wheeler I remember. There is no grass anywhere, and it has obviously had a negative impact on the bass. It will definitely fish slower and tougher than it has in years past. In practice I tried fishing down on the lower end near the dam, and found absolutely nothing. So, on the next day I put in on the upper end by that dam, and found more of the same thing. I have literally covered the lake from end to end, and while it was a grind everywhere I went, I can say that the mid-lake area seems to be where there is the most action. I feel good about what I have found there in practice, but am just worried about having to share it. With the lake being as unproductive as it is, the spots that are holding fish are probably going to be crowded.
I am feeling confident, and am just going to keep my faith and keep my fingers crossed for this one. If there is one thing I know, it is that someone is going to catch them. And if there is one hope that I have, it is that I am the person who is catching them! I am no longer fishing with a monkey on my back, and I just have to keep reminding myself that I have gone from no chance to having a chance.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
I'm in Little Rock, but My Heart is in Joplin
I made it through practice here in Little Rock. The heat has been overwhelming, but I feel good about things. It was a decent practice for the first couple of days anyway. Day 3 was a little rough, I am hoping that the tournament will fish like the first 2 days of practice. I am planning on locking down, I have a little spot that I found that if nobody beats me to it, should be pretty good. It is loaded with fish, and I say fish, not bass, because it has everything. You can catch a 3 pound bass and on the next cast catch a 10 pound drum. These fish on the river all like the same type of areas, so if you pull up on a spot and catch a drum right off the bat, it is a good idea to stick around for a bit and see what else is there and willing to bite.
This week the pressure has really been on. I have to perform well this time out, not only for our livelihood, but to make the classic and have an opportunity to fish next year. To put it mildly, I am nervous about this one. The plus side, though, is that this event is my kind of event. Power fishing shallow stained water.
During the break we had a lot of things going on. Unfortunately, I didn't get to go fishing with Wayne Simien, but hopefully that will transpire at another time. I really didn't get to do nearly as much fishing as I had hoped, but I feel like I had something more important to do. When the tornado hit Joplin, it was just too close to home for us. I felt like I had to do something, and honestly all I did was send an e-mail and make a couple of phone calls and I had a team of people and a garage full of tools and supplies to truck down to Joplin! It was awesome, and none of us did it for the media attention. Honestly, the guys from the KC Chiefs that came and helped out told me that they would prefer it if the media didn't take notice. We all just wanted to help out our neighbors. All of the pictures and videos of the damage really don't do the Joplin tragedy justice. To understand and grasp the devastation in Joplin, you really had to be there and see it for yourself. The whole event was very powerful and moving, and it really puts things into perspective.
For this week, I am pulling for a top 25 finish. Really, I would like a win, but I would settle for anywhere in the top 25. And, if i can do that next week too, I think I will make the classic. It might be a tall order, but I think that I can pull it out, even with the pressure on the way that it is.
This week the pressure has really been on. I have to perform well this time out, not only for our livelihood, but to make the classic and have an opportunity to fish next year. To put it mildly, I am nervous about this one. The plus side, though, is that this event is my kind of event. Power fishing shallow stained water.
During the break we had a lot of things going on. Unfortunately, I didn't get to go fishing with Wayne Simien, but hopefully that will transpire at another time. I really didn't get to do nearly as much fishing as I had hoped, but I feel like I had something more important to do. When the tornado hit Joplin, it was just too close to home for us. I felt like I had to do something, and honestly all I did was send an e-mail and make a couple of phone calls and I had a team of people and a garage full of tools and supplies to truck down to Joplin! It was awesome, and none of us did it for the media attention. Honestly, the guys from the KC Chiefs that came and helped out told me that they would prefer it if the media didn't take notice. We all just wanted to help out our neighbors. All of the pictures and videos of the damage really don't do the Joplin tragedy justice. To understand and grasp the devastation in Joplin, you really had to be there and see it for yourself. The whole event was very powerful and moving, and it really puts things into perspective.
For this week, I am pulling for a top 25 finish. Really, I would like a win, but I would settle for anywhere in the top 25. And, if i can do that next week too, I think I will make the classic. It might be a tall order, but I think that I can pull it out, even with the pressure on the way that it is.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Fun, Focus, and Optimism
I just got home from watching my 3 year old nephew's soccer game. And, while at 3 years old, the team might lack fundamental knowledge of the game of soccer, they are still out there having the time of their lives. The kids fall over, and get right back up and keep on playing. That is the kind of attitude that I need to have toward my fishing, toward my game. I need to stay positive, bounce back up after I fall, and most importantly I need to have fun. During this break I am going to focus on getting my head back in a positive place, and getting back to the "fun" of fishing. Then when we hit the road for the final 2 tour stops, I will be able to get out there, and fish my strengths and just have fun, and hopefully get to where I need to be in the standings.
During this break, I plan on doing a little fun fishing here on LQ and maybe travelling to one of the lakes around the Topeka area that I have been hearing some good things about. Also, I am taking former KU basketball star Wayne Simien out for a day on the lake. We will either fish here at LQ or go to a private watershed lake. It should be a really good time, as Wayne is a tremendous athlete and has a love for the sport of fishing as well. I am really looking forward to it!
This next stop at the Arkansas River should be a tough event, but it is definitely one that I have been looking forward to all year. This tournament should set up very well for my preferred style of fishing, which can only help my cause in the points standings. Wheeler should suit me well too, so I am very optimistic about my chances to salvage my 2011 season.
During this break, I plan on doing a little fun fishing here on LQ and maybe travelling to one of the lakes around the Topeka area that I have been hearing some good things about. Also, I am taking former KU basketball star Wayne Simien out for a day on the lake. We will either fish here at LQ or go to a private watershed lake. It should be a really good time, as Wayne is a tremendous athlete and has a love for the sport of fishing as well. I am really looking forward to it!
This next stop at the Arkansas River should be a tough event, but it is definitely one that I have been looking forward to all year. This tournament should set up very well for my preferred style of fishing, which can only help my cause in the points standings. Wheeler should suit me well too, so I am very optimistic about my chances to salvage my 2011 season.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Post Point
West Point was a really disappointing tournament for me. It marked the third tournament in a row that I have failed to cash a check. I haven't had that happen in quite some time. Right now, I feel like there is a lot of pressure on me to perform at Murray. I am not going to let the pressure get to me though, I am just going to go out and fish. As long as I keep my head in the right place, I still have a shot at making the Classic cut.
The reason West Point was such a struggle for me and several other anglers is because we just under estimated it. I was anticipating a low-weight, grinding it out to catch 5 keepers type of event. The type of event where a 12 lb average would put you in the final day. Everyone I talked to assured me that it would be that way, but I guess when you put the 100 best anglers in the world on a body of water, it pretty much blows away all preconceived notions. In hindsight, I really wish I would have done more of my OWN homework, instead of relying on word of mouth information. I didn't have a good practice there, and that kind of haunted me the whole tournament. I was counting on the lake to unfold and reveal itself to me a little bit each day, but it didn't, and it caught me by surprise. On day two of the event, I scrambled and fished new water in an effort to up-size my catch, but I ended up crashing and burning trying to swing for the fences. Chances are, if I would have kept the same game plan I had on day one I would have made the day 3 cut. But, it is what it is. Lesson learned, and now it's on to the next one.
I am little nervous about Murray, but I am really excited. The pressure is on, and my practice wasn't very good, but I know what I need to do. Murray is a spot lake, in that there is so much stuff that looks the same, and looks like it should produce, but each different spot has subtle differences that can be the difference between getting a bite and not getting a single sniff. Clouds and a breeze will definitely help my cause out there, but it is looking like Murray is running on a shortage of those for this week. It will really come down to a right time, right place kind of scenario out there, and will probably be similar to how West Point was. Running and gunning just stopping to make a cast or two before you move on to the next spot. While it might not be my favorite way to fish, I do know what I have to do, and I am ready to turn the corner in this season and get to where I need to be.
The reason West Point was such a struggle for me and several other anglers is because we just under estimated it. I was anticipating a low-weight, grinding it out to catch 5 keepers type of event. The type of event where a 12 lb average would put you in the final day. Everyone I talked to assured me that it would be that way, but I guess when you put the 100 best anglers in the world on a body of water, it pretty much blows away all preconceived notions. In hindsight, I really wish I would have done more of my OWN homework, instead of relying on word of mouth information. I didn't have a good practice there, and that kind of haunted me the whole tournament. I was counting on the lake to unfold and reveal itself to me a little bit each day, but it didn't, and it caught me by surprise. On day two of the event, I scrambled and fished new water in an effort to up-size my catch, but I ended up crashing and burning trying to swing for the fences. Chances are, if I would have kept the same game plan I had on day one I would have made the day 3 cut. But, it is what it is. Lesson learned, and now it's on to the next one.
I am little nervous about Murray, but I am really excited. The pressure is on, and my practice wasn't very good, but I know what I need to do. Murray is a spot lake, in that there is so much stuff that looks the same, and looks like it should produce, but each different spot has subtle differences that can be the difference between getting a bite and not getting a single sniff. Clouds and a breeze will definitely help my cause out there, but it is looking like Murray is running on a shortage of those for this week. It will really come down to a right time, right place kind of scenario out there, and will probably be similar to how West Point was. Running and gunning just stopping to make a cast or two before you move on to the next spot. While it might not be my favorite way to fish, I do know what I have to do, and I am ready to turn the corner in this season and get to where I need to be.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Half-Time
I guess the best way to sum it up is to say that Toledo was a lot like Pickwick for me. I really feel like I left early down there, and should have been in it on day 3. We camped out right by the launch ramp, and it was really kind of a heart-breaker to hear all of the names called, and hear all of the guys take off and not be out there. Just like in any tournament though, I did learn a lot. Toledo Bend really is a great fishery, and I think its vastness really kind of did me in.
On day 1 I felt like I fished pretty good, and did everything to my best ability to catch the fish that I caught. I went to my starting area confident that it would produce for me, because I had some good bites in there in practice. It was a bay that was fairly protected from the wind, and I was getting bit over the top of some grass on crankbaits. I figured I would be culling an hour into the first day, that is how good this spot could have been. But, on day 1, I only had 1 fish at 10a.m. So, I bailed, and went to my back up spot. Got in there, and promptly put together 14 pounds, and lost a couple of nice fish. Looking back, I feel like those fish really probably cost me a check, and a chance to fish on the 3rd day.
On day 2, I went straight to the spot that I caught my bag the previous day. This bay was pretty large, and I literally was able to fish for 4 hours down a bank without ever having to turn around. I put my nose down, and caught fish every now and then, and was confident that sooner or later I would boat some nice fish. However, it just never happened. I got too relaxed in there, and should have made some adjustments to get the bigger bites that I needed. It was a really disappointing day for me, and it took me a couple of days to get over it, and put it behind me.
In hindsight, there is some positives to the Toledo Bend event. I got some decent AOY points, and didn't fall too far from where I was going in to the event. This same time last year, I was much worse off in the points, so that is a little comforting.
During my time off back home I am getting out and doing some turkey hunting. I have already been out once, without any luck. But hopefully this weekend out on the farm we will be able to find some cooperative birds. Next Tuesday we are leaving for West Point, but before we get there we are stopping in Birmingham Alabama for the Mark's Outdoors Tournament on Lay Lake. I have been a part of this event for many years now, and it is always a great time and a good opportunity to promote my sponsors and promote the sport of bass fishing. Camaraderie and good times with the Marks Outdoors Tournament and the fact that West Point is going to set-up to be my kind of fishing makes me really excited to get the 2nd half of the Elite season underway!
On day 1 I felt like I fished pretty good, and did everything to my best ability to catch the fish that I caught. I went to my starting area confident that it would produce for me, because I had some good bites in there in practice. It was a bay that was fairly protected from the wind, and I was getting bit over the top of some grass on crankbaits. I figured I would be culling an hour into the first day, that is how good this spot could have been. But, on day 1, I only had 1 fish at 10a.m. So, I bailed, and went to my back up spot. Got in there, and promptly put together 14 pounds, and lost a couple of nice fish. Looking back, I feel like those fish really probably cost me a check, and a chance to fish on the 3rd day.
On day 2, I went straight to the spot that I caught my bag the previous day. This bay was pretty large, and I literally was able to fish for 4 hours down a bank without ever having to turn around. I put my nose down, and caught fish every now and then, and was confident that sooner or later I would boat some nice fish. However, it just never happened. I got too relaxed in there, and should have made some adjustments to get the bigger bites that I needed. It was a really disappointing day for me, and it took me a couple of days to get over it, and put it behind me.
In hindsight, there is some positives to the Toledo Bend event. I got some decent AOY points, and didn't fall too far from where I was going in to the event. This same time last year, I was much worse off in the points, so that is a little comforting.
During my time off back home I am getting out and doing some turkey hunting. I have already been out once, without any luck. But hopefully this weekend out on the farm we will be able to find some cooperative birds. Next Tuesday we are leaving for West Point, but before we get there we are stopping in Birmingham Alabama for the Mark's Outdoors Tournament on Lay Lake. I have been a part of this event for many years now, and it is always a great time and a good opportunity to promote my sponsors and promote the sport of bass fishing. Camaraderie and good times with the Marks Outdoors Tournament and the fact that West Point is going to set-up to be my kind of fishing makes me really excited to get the 2nd half of the Elite season underway!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Bassin on the Bend
Last week on Pickwick was frustrating, to say the least. I really wish I could have day 1 to do all over again. For some reason I just got too relaxed out there, and never kicked it into high gear. I kept flipping along, and just expected the big ones to show up, when what I should have done was flipped up a limit and then made a move or adjusted my presentation to catch a couple of kickers. I was focused on day 2, and my performance proves it, however it wasn't enough to overcome my day 1. At least it was only a 55th place finish, and not any worse. I barely missed a check, which stings a bit, but in the long run it isn't going to hurt me too bad in the AOY standings. At Pickwick I stuck with what I have been doing all season. I flipped my 3" tightlines UV Blue Beaver in thick cover.
Now we are at Toledo Bend, and it feels good to be back down here. This will be my fourth tournament on the Bend (the last time I was here was in 2003). The lake is low, and it is really dangerous. Many of the boat lanes aren't even safe, we are really kind of running the lake "at our own risk." The most difficult part about this place is the sheer size of it. Toledo Bend is huge! Even the map is intimidating! I have managed to find an area I want to focus on, and there are some decent fish there. I just need to dial them in a little bit, and maybe expand just a little bit. One thing I can say about this tournament for sure is that it is going to take some weight. I am expecting the Bend to put out weights that could possibly exceed what was done at Pickwick. So, this is going to be a good one, and I really am hopeful that I will have a good shot, and the Bend will treat me well.
Now we are at Toledo Bend, and it feels good to be back down here. This will be my fourth tournament on the Bend (the last time I was here was in 2003). The lake is low, and it is really dangerous. Many of the boat lanes aren't even safe, we are really kind of running the lake "at our own risk." The most difficult part about this place is the sheer size of it. Toledo Bend is huge! Even the map is intimidating! I have managed to find an area I want to focus on, and there are some decent fish there. I just need to dial them in a little bit, and maybe expand just a little bit. One thing I can say about this tournament for sure is that it is going to take some weight. I am expecting the Bend to put out weights that could possibly exceed what was done at Pickwick. So, this is going to be a good one, and I really am hopeful that I will have a good shot, and the Bend will treat me well.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Pickwick: Pre-Spawn Pandemonium
It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted, so I have a lot of catching up to do. We had our own little spring break in between St. John's and Pickwick, and got to do a lot of fun family stuff during this time. We went to Disney World, and visited my parents in Tampa. Mikayla has learned how to ride a bike all by herself, without the training wheels, and I am very proud! Mason went with me and my Dad on a charter fishing trip on a big charter boat, and did great! I am a very proud Father!
Unfortunately during our break we lost my Grandmother. We knew it was coming soon, and I am just glad that I got to see her not too long ago. I feel awful, but with my hectic travel schedule, we weren't even able to go to the funeral. I know that she understands though.
During the break I had the opportunity to go check out West Point Lake. I drove around quite a bit, and feel like it could really set up well for me. It seems like my kind of lake, which I am really excited for!
Now here we are at Pickwick, and once again we have some interesting weather going on. On day 2 of practice I was off the water at 2 in the afternoon to avoid a storm. I know some guys didn't get off in time, and they got beat up pretty bad out there. Now with this rain, and the fact that the lake is already above pool, I am afraid that they will pull the water down too much. If they pull the water down just a foot or so, it will position those fish better for us. Too much though, and they will be forced to evacuate the shallows. If they don't pull it too much down, this is going to set up to be a really great tournament. All of the fish are totally pre-spawn, and they are big, fat and football shaped!
Last year Pickwick was a really good event for me, and this year it is looking like it is going to be another tournament that I will be able to excel at. I am excited to get it started and finally be able to set the hook on all of my bites!
Unfortunately during our break we lost my Grandmother. We knew it was coming soon, and I am just glad that I got to see her not too long ago. I feel awful, but with my hectic travel schedule, we weren't even able to go to the funeral. I know that she understands though.
During the break I had the opportunity to go check out West Point Lake. I drove around quite a bit, and feel like it could really set up well for me. It seems like my kind of lake, which I am really excited for!
Now here we are at Pickwick, and once again we have some interesting weather going on. On day 2 of practice I was off the water at 2 in the afternoon to avoid a storm. I know some guys didn't get off in time, and they got beat up pretty bad out there. Now with this rain, and the fact that the lake is already above pool, I am afraid that they will pull the water down too much. If they pull the water down just a foot or so, it will position those fish better for us. Too much though, and they will be forced to evacuate the shallows. If they don't pull it too much down, this is going to set up to be a really great tournament. All of the fish are totally pre-spawn, and they are big, fat and football shaped!
Last year Pickwick was a really good event for me, and this year it is looking like it is going to be another tournament that I will be able to excel at. I am excited to get it started and finally be able to set the hook on all of my bites!
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