Central Pro-Am
December 4-5, 2004
Table Rock Lake
28th
$0.00
Practice was difficult, which made it hard to determine what I should do come tournament time. I spent several hours fishing deep with a spoon and drop shot. This produced mostly small fish with a few keepers now and then. I spent one day in the James River trying crankbaits and jigs, but the results were still slow. The quality of fish was better in this area though. The final day of practice I concentrated on boat docks and main lake points in the dam area. This produced some nice sized smallmouth fishing a 5/16 oz. Boo Bug around boat docks in 20-35 feet of water. I was also able to find some smallmouth on the insides of points around standing timber using the football jig. These fish seemed to be in 25-35 feet.
The first day of the tournament I caught two keepers fishing the football jig on the insides of points. The docks only produced one keeper for me, but my amateur had two nice fish with one of the smallmouth weighing in at close to five pounds. I ended the day with three keepers weighing 6.5 pounds. The second day of the event I spent most of my time concentrating on boat docks looking to find better quality fish. The first fish I caught was a nice 4.5 pound smallmouth taken from a dock in 20 feet of water. I was using a 5/16 oz. Boo Bug in PB&J with a YUM Baby Craw Bug in green pumpkin. I then lost another nice smallmouth and caught one more keeper on the jig. I finished the day with two fish weighing 7.5 pounds.
Central Pro-Am
November 6-7, 2004
Grand Lake
18th
$300.00
It was a cloudy and cool practice with temperatures in the mid-fifties and the water temperature ranged from 61-64 degrees. I tried to establish a shallow water pattern consisting mainly of crankbaits and spinnerbaits on rocky points and fishing any type of wood cover around the rocky banks. I was unable to get any bites on the spinnerbait but managed to catch a few nice keepers on a crankbait. I was using a Rebel Wee-R and Deep Wee-R in crawfish with a chartreuse belly and splatter back black. The second day of practice on concentrated more on the docks in the main lake area toward the dam. In this area I swam a 3/8 oz. white BOOYAH Jig with a YUM Muy Twintail Grub in pearl with silver flake. This produced a few keepers and several short fish in the morning. After a few hours without a bite I started fishing slowly on the bottom. I was using a 3/8 oz. Boo Jig in black and brown spice with a YUM Muy Twintail Grub in pumpkin pepper with green flake. This produced several more keepers.
The first morning I was slightly delayed with boat difficulties. After the late start I decided to forego the crankbait bite and headed straight for the docks. I swam the white jig for about an hour. This produced two short fish, and I lost one keeper. I switched to working a jig on the bottom, and this produced three keepers. I finished the day with about five pounds of fish. The second day I started the morning out with the crankbait and fished until ten o’clock without a bite. I switched to working a jig along the bottom all around the docks in 3-8 feet of water. This produced four nice keepers to give me nine pounds for day two. This helped me to finish in 18th place in the tournament.
Central Pro-Am Titlist
September 17-19, 2004
Table Rock Lake
24th
$0.00
This event was very confusing for me, and the fish didn’t seem to be in their normal locations. I basically tried to establish a shallow water pattern by throwing a ½ oz., BOOYAH Blade with double willow leaf blades around cedar trees and lay downs as well as throwing a Bomber Square A on flats with isolated cover. I did not see much success in catching keepers but caught numerous short fish with this technique. I then tried to establish a deeper pattern with a ¾ oz., BOOYAH Football Jig and Carolina rig. This produced some better keeper bass but was inconsistent. I would get a bite or two on one point and proceed to fish one or two points without a bite. As the tournament approached I began to look for some smallmouth bass in the dam area. This produced three quality fish, but it was still difficult to pattern the bass. The first day of the tournament was worse than I anticipated with only one keeper fish on a football jig. I really felt that if I had worked enough points throughout the day I would be able to catch four or five keepers. This did not happen. On the second day, with only one fish, I decided to gamble and throw the spinnerbait most of the day around standing timber and cedar trees. This produced three quality fish weighing almost ten pounds, and I lost one other 3 ½ pound black.
Central Pro-Am
August 21-22, 2004
Truman Lake
7th
$900.00
With only one day of practice I spent the morning covering some water with a buzzbait and a spinnerbait without a bite. I switch to a chartreuse and black back Bomber Square A and started concentrating on lay downs and stumps in 1-3 feet of water. This produced a couple of nice keepers and four or five short fish. As the day progressed I tried fishing a 3/8 oz., brown, BOOYAH Jig with a Mui, Twintail Grub in pumpkin with green flake and a YUM, 10 inch, Ribbontail Worm in plum around cedar trees and hardwoods. I worked the deeper trees for several hours with only a few short bites. As I went through the afternoon hours without much success I decided to try a few more shallow lay downs and stumps with the jig. This produced two more keepers and a few small fish in about an hour. My mind was then set to stay shallow for most of the tournament.
The first day of the tournament I caught two fish cranking the Bomber Square A, in the morning, around lay downs in a foot of water. I caught several short fish on the crank bait, but around noon I decided to switch to a YUM, black neon, MegaTube. I pitched the tube on a seven foot, medium heavy, St. Croix Rod with an Ardent XS Reel spooled with twenty pound, SilverThread, Fluorocarbon Line. Because of the shallow water I was using an Excalibur TG, 3/16 oz. Weight with an Excalibur Tx3 Point, 4/0, heavy wire hook. This produced my two biggest fish and several other short fish throughout the day. I finished the day with four keepers that weighed a little over ten pounds putting me in sixth place. The next day I basically fished shallow in the morning, which produced two keepers on the Bomber Square A. I then made a decision to fish flats with hardwoods and cedar trees, in 8-10 feet of water, to try and catch larger bass. This gamble only produced short fish the rest of the day. I ended the day with only two keepers, which cause me to fall to seventh place.
Bassmaster Classic
July 30-August 1, 2004
Lake Wylie, NC
34th
$5,500.00
Wow! What an amazing experience it was getting to fish my first Classic. It was great finally being able to accomplish this goal, and the event lived up to all of my expectations. It was incredible to see all of the fans and spectator boats each day of the competition, as well as during the Expo Show. It was great seeing and visiting with so many people who enjoy bass fishing as much as I do, young and old.
During this event we had one day of practice before the competition, which seemed to go by extremely fast. It was hard for me trying to check many areas that I had found, in the official practice three weeks prior to the tournament, in the brief seven hours we had. I first tried to reestablish my primary pattern cranking ledges and points with a Bomber, Fat Free Shad. During official practice this bait had produced many nice fish, but I was unable to make this pattern work during the tournament. I did manage to catch a few fish in practice and one during the tournament on a Pop-R worked along main lake points. I then proceeded to try my secondary pattern of working a 3/8 oz., brown, BOOYAH Jig with a YUM, Muy Twintail Grub in pumpkin pepper with green flake fishing brush piles in 8-15 feet of water next to boat docks. This produced my only keeper for the first day of competition, which was very disappointing for me. That evening I decided to go back to the same areas in which I had caught the fish cranking, but I would switch to a Carolina rig.
The second day of competition I knew I had made the right change in my game plan. I worked the Carolina rig along the same points and ledges using a ¾ oz., Excalibur, TG Barrel Weight with a three foot leader and a 2/0, Excalibur, Tx3 Point Hook with a YUM, Rib Fry in watermelon seed. I was throwing this bait on a 7 foot, medium heavy, St. Croix, Casting Rod with an Ardent Baitcasting Reel spooled with 17 lb., SilverThread, green line. This produced four nice keepers weighing in at 9 lbs. 6 oz., and I lost two other keepers that would probably have put me in the final day of competition.
B.A.S.S. Elite 50
June 14-19, 2004
Cumberland/Ohio River, KY
12th
After the four events $22,200.00 & Bonus of $1,000.00 for heavy stringer
This was a very tough week of fishing. It tested both patience and skill, because most of the fishing areas were crowded with tournament anglers and the fish were unwilling to cooperate. I spent two of my practice days in the Smithland Pool on the Ohio River. The areas looked very good, with several nice, backwater creeks. I spent these two days trying to put together a pattern of flipping and using small crankbaits. I was only able to catch a few fish in these areas, and most of the fish I caught were small. The few bites I had were on a 4 inch, YUM Mega Tube in black neon. Two bites came on a Bomber, chartreuse and black, Square A. One day I spent targeting smallmouth and largemouth bass below the tailwaters of the Barkley Dam. I concentrated on current breaks using a 1/2 oz., BOOYAH Blade and a 1/2 oz. jig. This area produced three keeper bites in about one hour, including a nice, 3 1/2 lb. largemouth. I had some confidence and knowledge of the area, because I finished fifth fishing this area during a Central Pro-Am event.
I spent all three tournament days in this area using a 1/2 oz. spinnerbait and jig. I also used a Texas rigged, YUM Houdini Worm. The first day produced four fish weighing 5 1/2 pounds. Most were taken on the Houdini Worm in 8-12 feet of water along the rip-rap banks of the river. The second day of the event the water was generating, and I was able to catch a small limit early using the Houdini Worm. After catching this limit I decided to go after the larger smallmouth with a spinnerbait. I worked the spinnerbait in current breaks in 5-10 feet of water. This pattern produced three of my largest fish, including a 4 1/2 pound smallmouth, which really put up a fight! I finished the second day with the largest catch weighing in at 13 pounds and 14 ounces. This moved me from 25th place to 5th qualifying me to fish in the Top Twelve on the third day. The third day was disappointing due to the lack of the water generating. This slowed the bite for me, but I tried to stay in the area as long as possible throwing the spinnerbait. I just knew that if I could get two or three bites on the spinnerbait I would be able to make the cut. Unfortunately this did not happen. I was only able to catch one, small keeper on the worm, and I finished in 12th place.
B.A.S.S. Elite 50
May 30-June 5, 2004
Alabama River, AL
42nd
After the four events $22,200.00
Practice started out very slow for me on the first day. I caught a few keepers on a Carolina rig, YUM Rib Fry in 5-8 feet of water on the main river points. The second day of practice I decided to move up the river and fish more current related spots. I was able to catch five keepers, most cranking steep, rocky banks with a green crawfish Wiggle "O". I also caught a few keepers and short fish using a 1/2 oz., Booyah, Boo Jig in 5-10 feet of water. I was throwing the crankbait on a seven foot, glass, St. Croix Cranking Rod spooled with ten pound, green, SilverThread Line. The jig was on a medium heavy, St. Croix, Legend Elite, Casting Rod spooled with seventeen pound, Silver Thread, Fluorocarbon Line. The final day of practice I went back down the river and caught four keepers, which were larger in size, working the 1/2 oz. jig.
The first day of the event I went up the river and managed to only catch one keeper on the Wiggle "O". The second day I worked the mid-section of the river and tried some shallow backwaters. The backwaters produced a nice largemouth weighing over five pounds on a black neon, YUM, Mega Tube. I caught one more keeper on the jig and lost another three pound fish. The final day of the event I went to the mid-section of the river and tried some backwaters. This only produced three small keepers. This poor finish dropped me from seventeenth to thirty-three in the overall standings. It was a disappointing tournament for me.
B.A.S.S. Elite 50
May 16-22, 2004
Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway, MS
10th
After the four events $22,200.00 & Bonus of $2,000.00 for heavy stringer & big bass
With recent rains on Saturday the main river had quite a bit of color, but the backwater areas and oxbows stayed relatively clear. I spent my entire practice time in the lower pool, because of this pools history of larger fish and abundant, aquatic vegetation. The first day of practice I fished a large oxbow that had a lot of grass in 3-5 feet of water. The area looked very productive, but I was only able to manage two bites in this area. Some of my fellow competitors did manage to catch fish in certain areas of this oxbow using Texas rigged worms and scum frogs. I spent the second day fishing areas with stumps, laydowns, and cypress trees. I managed to catch a few keepers pitching a black neon, YUM, Mega Tube on a 3/16 oz., Excalibur, TG Weight and an Excalibur, 3 Point, 4/0 Hook. I used a seven foot, medium heavy, St. Croix Casting Rod spooled with 17 lb., SilverThread, Fluorocarbon Line. Around seven in the evening I had four bites in the same small area on a 3/8 oz., white and chartreuse, Booyah Buzzbait. The final day of practice I only was able to fish for a few hours due to mechanical problems. During this time I was able to find a area with some laydowns and grass next to the lock.
The first day of competition the small area that I practiced in produced a limit of bass weighing 9 lbs. 4 oz.. The fish were taken on a Bomber Square A worked at a medium retrieve bouncing it in and around the stumps, laydowns, and cypress trees. I used a seven foot, glass, St. Croix Casting Rod spooled with 17 lb., green, SilverThread Line. This limit put me in twelfth place for the first day. The second day I went back to the same area, but I was unable to get any bites. I then moved to the area that had grass and started pitching the black neon tube. I caught several short fish and lost one nice keeper. At four o’clock, without a fish in the boat, I decided to move back to the small area and try the Bomber Square A again. As I idled into the pocket I noticed several groups of shad moving through the cypress trees. This shad activity gave me an encouraging outlook on the area. Within a matter of ten minutes I caught a 3 1/2 pounder on the crankbait. I then proceeded to catch three more nice bass on the crankbait within 45 minutes. Then it was time to head back for the lock. I finished the day with four fish weighing in at 12 lbs. 8 oz., and I had big bass of the day with a 4 lb. 12 oz. lunker! This weight put me in third place and allowed me to fish the hole course with the top twelve anglers. The hole course did not have any areas similar to what I had been fishing with the crankbait. I spent my time pitching and flipping to the shoreline grass with the black neon tube. This produced a limit weighing 9 lbs., which fell one pound and seven ounces short of making the top six. I ended the tournament in 10th place. It was a great event!
Central Pro-Am
May 1-2, 2004
Table Rock Lake, MO
56th
$0.00
With guide trips all week and the rising water, Table Rock was very hard for me to figure out! I was unable to find a very consistent deep bite during my trips. We caught a few nice smallmouth and other keepers splitshotting a 4 inch, watermelon, Houdini Worm and dragging a 4 inch, YUM, green pumpkin, Mega Tube along the gravel points and pockets in the dam area. The first day of the tournament was cloudy and rainy, so I decided to fish from the Highway 13 bridge to the dam. I caught only two keeper smallmouth, but I lost three other nice sized smallmouth, which would have really helped me in the tournament. There were several nice limits of smallmouth from the 13-16 pound range caught in this area. I was just unable to capitalize on the few bites that I had.
The second day was fairly calm and sunny, so I decided to run up the Kings River and fish a jig in the flooded brush. I flipped a 1/2 oz., black and blue, BOOYAH, Boo Jig with a blue, YUM Chunk. This produced two keepers for myself and two nice keepers for my amateur partner. We both lost a few keeper fish throughout the day. After looking back on this event I wish I would have taken one or two days of practice to try some areas in the river, especially the James River.
Citgo Bassmaster Elite 50 Tour
April 12-April 16, 2004
Lake Dardanelle, AR
35th
After the four events $22,200.00
Lake Dardanelle was about a foot and a half high at the start of practice with the water temperature ranging from 58-61 degrees. The main river had a lot of color, but many of the back water areas and creeks were clear to stained. The fish were in a pre-spawn to spawn mode, with some already completing their spawn. During practice I tried a variety of areas which included places such as Delaware Creek, Keener Creek, Spadra Creek, and Piney Creek. During the first three days of practice I caught a few keeper fish on a 1/2 oz. spinnerbait working it along the rocks. My best success was flipping a black neon, YUM Mega Tube along the rocks and around scattered clumps of grass. This pattern produced numerous keepers, several of them in the three to four pound range. The final day of practice I was able to find some very clear backwaters and catch several nice keepers fishing a five inch, YUM Dinger in green pumpkin. I rigged the bait weightless, Texas rigged, and I would allow the bait to fall along the edges of the grass. The fish would take the bait as it reached the bottom.
The first day of the tournament went very well. I caught twelve keepers and weighed in five bass at 15.1 pounds, putting me in fifth place for the first day. All of these fish were taken on a four inch, black neon, YUM, Mega Tube rigged with a 3/16 oz., Excalibur, TG Weight and a 4/0, 3 Point Hook. I used a seven foot, medium heavy, St. Croix Casting Rod, spooled with 17 lb., SilverThread, Fluorocarbon Line. The next day I did the exact thing as the day before, but the day was more difficult for me. I was only able to catch two keepers and caused me to fall to 28th place for day two. The final day I decided to change areas and do a few different things. I basically stuck with the tube, but I fished it around isolated laydowns and stumps in the backs of creeks. This pattern produced numerous short fish but only three keeper fish for the day. I finished the event in 35th place due to the fact that I was unable to catch better quality fish.
Citgo Bassmaster Tour
March 22-March 27, 2004
Santee Cooper Lake, SC
12th
$5,500.00
Santee Cooper was in good shape with mostly stained water, but the upper lake was about a foot and a half low and dropping very slowly. The first day of practice I spent fishing the Potato Creek area. It was a calm and sunny day with the water temperature in the low 60’s. The most productive bait for the day was a green pumpkin and watermelon YUM Dinger fished around shallow cypress trees and stumps. I caught eight nice keepers, including one over eight pounds. The next day of practice I ventured a little further up the lake to the Jack’s Creek area. I concentrated on fishing groups of cypress trees in one to three feet of water. I caught a few fish on the green pumpkin YUM Dinger and had a couple of bites on a four inch, YUM, green pumpkin tube. I worked both baits slowly along the bottom working the cypress tree root systems and the bases of the trees. The final day of practice I spent fishing some areas around Potato Creek. I found another good cove in which I had seven bites and caught a couple of 3 1/2 pound bass. The fish were all taken around cypress trees in the back of the cove on a Texas rigged, YUM, green pumpkin tube.
Day one of the tournament started out slowly with one 3 1/2 pound fish in the first area, off of a cypress tree, using a tube. I then moved to my next area of stumps which produced three more nice keepers on the YUM Dinger, and I lost two other keepers. I finished the day with four fish weighing eighteen pounds putting me in ninth place. The second day started out very well in the first area that I fished. I caught three nice keepers around the cypress trees using a tube. I then moved to my second area of stumps, and they produced three more keepers on the YUM Dinger. I finished the day with five bass weighing fifteen pounds, keeping me in ninth place and allowing me to fish in the Top 12 the next day. The final day started out very nicely with three keepers in the boat, right off the bat, using the tube! I did lose two other fish. I then went to fishing the YUM Dinger around the stumps producing three more keepers. I had another limit weighing fifteen pounds landing me in twelfth place for the event.
Citgo Bassmaster Tour
March 15-19, 2004
Lake Eufala, AL
102nd
$0.00
Lake Eufala was at normal pool with water clarity being stained to muddy. The water temperature varied from 57 degrees to 64 degrees. We had a few cloudy and rainy days for practice, but the tournament days were beautiful with sunny skies and highs in the 70’s. The first day of practice I fished in the Cowikee Creek area where I caught five keepers and had four other bites. Most of the bites came from shallow, willow bushes and matted, alligator grass. Most of the fish were caught on a YUM, black neon, four inch tube worked slowly along the bottom in and around the cover. I used a 3/16 and 1/4 oz. Excalibur TG Weight and Excalibur 4/0 hook. Because of the heavy cover I was using a seven foot, medium heavy, St. Croix Rod spooled with twenty pound, SilverThread Fluorocarbon Line . The next day I tried moving up the main river, but the action was slow. I caught a few keepers on a Texas rigged, black neon tube. I also caught one nice bass on a Booyah, 3/8 oz., black buzzbait and two other keepers on a shad colored Shallow A. For the final day of practice I spent most of my time looking for bedding fish in the dam area. I found a few nice fish ready to bite on the nest, and I also found several that would be a little more difficult to catch.
The first day of the tournament started out smoothly! I caught three nice keepers off the beds that I had found the day before. These fish were taken on a white, YUM Tube, Texas rigged with a 3/16 oz., Excalibur Weight and Excalibur 4/0 Hook. The rest of the day proved to be slow. I lost two nice keepers and caught a nice four pound fish on the Bomber Shallow A. I had four fish that weighed twelve pounds putting me in 75th place after day one. The next day of the tournament I spent in Cowikee Creek. I caught one keeper in the morning on the Shallow A and one keeper flipping the matted grass with the black neon tube. I spent several more hours flipping, but I was unable to catch any keepers. I then changed to a watermelon, YUM Dinger that produced one more keeper before weigh-in. With only three fish for the day I fell out of the money to 102nd place.
Citgo Bassmaster Tour
March 1-March 7, 2004
Table Rock, MO
92nd
$0.00
The first two days of practice were somewhat difficult for me. I spent the first day in the mid-section of the lake mainly concentrating on boat docks and deep, suspended fish around submerged timber. The dock pattern only produced one 3 1/2 pound largemouth. The fish was taken on a 5/16 oz., Booyah Boo Bug in green pumpkin with a YUM, 3 inch, green pumpkin, Big Claw. I also tried swimming a shad colored, 5 inch grub along bluff ends and points with standing pole timber in 20-60 feet of water. This produced a few fish, but most were just small ones. I did spend some time in the upper James River trying to put together a jig and crankbait pattern. I worked the same jig along channel swing banks. This produced a few short fish. I was able to catch one nice keeper on a Golden Craw Wiggle ‘O’. After these two disappointing days of practice I moved to the upper area of the White River. This moved helped me establish what I felt was a great pattern. I fished bluff ends and pockets with cedar trees using a Smithwick Rogue in the purple darter color. I caught seven keepers in the 3-3 1/2 pound range with one weighing in at over 5 1/2 pounds!
As the tournament began I made my way back to these same areas, but due to heavy rains the water had muddied up. The rogue pattern only produced two keepers, but that put me in 55th place after day one of the tournament. For some reason on the second day I decided to stay around the Highway 13 area and fish a jig around boat docks and swim a grub on bluff ends. This decision was a mistake as it only produced one keeper, and most of the people that caught fish were in the rivers.
Citgo Bassmaster Tour
February 23-29, 2004
Lake Guntersville, AL
25th
$4,200.00
With the water temperature ranging between 44-47 degrees, and an abundance of hydrila and milfoil, the conditions were perfect for fishing a Cotton Cordell Super Spot, a Suspending Bomber Long-A, and a Smithwick Rogue. The first day of practice was very slow. I went and checked some areas that had produced bass in the past, but I was only able to catch two keepers. The next day I spent fishing more ridges and humps in the mid-section of the lake. In this area I worked a 1/2 oz. Super Spot, in Rayburn red and golden black, along ledges and ditches with hydrilla and milfoil. This pattern produced a nice limit of bass. This is the area that I concentrated on for the tournament.
The first day of the tournament started out great with a limit weighing in at fifteen pounds by 8:30 in the morning! It was every fisherman’s dream!! I caught all of my keepers working a 1/2 oz. Super Spot slowly over the tops and edges of the grass. I was using a 7 foot, medium heavy, St. Croix, casting rod spooled with 17 lb., SilverThread Fluorocarbon Line. A benefit to using this type of rod and the reduced stretch of the Fluorocarbon Line allows you to rip the Super Spot free from the grass. The second day of the tournament started out slower, but I patiently worked the same areas alternating between the Super Spot in Rayburn red and gold with black back. By the end of the day I had caught seven keepers with one over six pounds! This gave me a combined weight of thirty-three pounds.
Citgo Bassmaster Tour
February 2-6, 2004
Smith Lake, AL
38th
$2,800.00
The first day of practice started with cloudy and windy conditions and the high temperature reaching 48 degrees. The water temperature ranged from 45-48 degrees. Most of the water clarity was stained to clear. I started my practice area in Ryan Creek working some steeper channel swings and points in the mid-section of the creek arm. The channel swing produced three fish and one keeper Kentucky weighing three pounds. I worked a Texas rigged, YUM Shakin’ Worm in green pumpkin. The bait was rigged with a 3/16 oz. Excalibur, TG Weight with an Excalibur, TX3 Point, 1/0 hook. I was throwing the bait on a 7 foot, medium action, St. Croix Spinning Rod with 8 pound, Silver Thread Line. I worked the bait slowly along the bottom, allowing the bait to fall down the ledge rock. I continued to work my way up the river trying various tactics, which included working a 5/16 Booyah Boo Bug in green pumpkin and a fire tiger Wiggle ‘O’ along rocky banks and points. Without much success I switched to a heavier 3/4 oz. Boo Jig in green pumpkin. This bait produced another three pound keeper.
The second day of practice I journeyed to a different area of the lake called Rock Creek. This area produced no keepers, but I was able to catch several fish on a 3/16 oz. Boo Bug. I worked the jig slowly along the bottom in 20-30 feet of water. Most of the fish were relating to points next to the main river channel.
I decided to spend my final day of practice back in the Ryan Creek area. I basically used the same type of techniques, but I did try to throw the crankbait more often. The results on the crankbait were the same, no keeper bites. The Texas rigged worm and jig produced one keeper and several smaller fish, so I decided for tournament day I would spend my time in the mid-section of Ryan Creek working a jig and a worm slowly along the bottom.
The first day of competition started out great! With the wind blowing 10-20 mph and a heavy downpour of rain, I managed to catch a 3.6 pound largemouth on a 3/4 oz., green pumpkin Boo Jig. I threw the jig on a 7 foot, medium heavy, St. Croix Casting Rod using 14 pound, Silver Thread, Fluorocarbon Line. I continued to work steep, rocky banks and points the rest of the day with a jig and worm. This pattern produced a dozen fish, but all of the fish were under the 16 inch length limit. The second day I returned to the same area and boated a nice keeper in the morning on the jig. I tried several banks with the fire tiger Wiggle ‘O’ without any luck. So I went back to throwing the jig but was unable to get any bites. Because of the heavy rains, I decided to move back toward the main lake. This move paid off and produced another nice keeper right before weigh-in. I finished the event with three keepers weighing eight pounds. This weight landed me in 38th place.
Citgo Bassmaster Tour
January 26-30, 2004
Harris Chain of Lakes, FL
31st
$3,500.00
It was a warm Florida day with the air temperature in the high 70s, and the water temperature was 57-62 degrees. There was a light, south wind with high clouds. I started practice in Lake Eustis fishing main lake Kissimee grass. I was using a Texas rigged, YUM Shakin’ Worm in the June bug color. I rigged the worm with a 3/16 oz., Excalibur TG Weight and Excalibur TX3 Point Hook. I was using a 7 foot, medium action, St. Croix Spinning Rod, with 8 pound, Silver Thread Line. I worked the worm slowly along the outside edge of the vegetation about six to eight feet deep. This produced a few small fish, so I decided to try some canals in the area. I was only able to catch one small keeper out of the canals. As the day went on I tried a Carolina rig and a Bomber Flat A in red crawfish without any success.
The next day of practice I concentrated on Lake Harris. I started the morning out throwing a 3/8 oz., Booyah Blade in white, with a double willow leaf. This produced a 4 1/2-5 pound bass working the bait along the edge of the Kissimee grass. After fishing with the spinnerbait for awhile without any bites I went back through the area with a Texas rigged Shakin’ Worm. It produced three more keepers. After this I decided to try a few canals and the Dead River. In these areas I fished lily pads producing only one keeper fish.
The third day of practice I decided to try Little Lake Harris and Harris looking for similar areas of Kissimee grass. This pattern produced a limit by 9:30. I then went and looked for some more protected lily pads. I found one area of pads that produced two nice keepers on a Texas rigged, YUM, Ribbontail Worm, in red shad with green flake. The rest of the day was spent using crankbaits and spinnerbaits to try and figure out a way to catch a larger fish.
The first day of competition I began in Lake Harris fishing the lily pads with a Texas rigged worm. This area only produced two fish. One was small, and the other one was a nice keeper that I lost at the boat (isn’t that always the way it goes!). I then went to the Kissimee grass areas that had produced in practice. I was able to catch a nice limit within two hours. I finished the day with 12.5 pounds putting me in 46th place after day one. The second day of the tournament I decided to spend my entire day fishing the Kissimee grass on the main lakes of Lake Harris and Little Lake Harris. I decided to use a bigger worm and sinker. I switched to a YUM Houdini Worm, in black and blue flake, with a 1/4 oz. weight. I was using a 7 foot, medium heavy, St. Croix Casting Rod with 12 lb., Silver Thread, Fluorocarbon Line. I worked the bait slowly along the outside edge of the cuts and points of the Kissimee grass. This produced another limit weighing 14.4 lbs., putting me in 31st place for the event.
