After the events from the Everglades 2-day I was excited to get back out and give it another shot.
Practice: None
Goal: Put my new rods to use, make the 2nd day and like always, learn something.
Pre-tournament Meeting: I found out that on the first day of the tournament that I would be paired up with Wyatt Boyd. He had won the first event of the season on the Harris Chain and fished from a Z20 Ranger with all the bells and whistles. We talked about the type of fishing and I was happy to hear that we would be focusing on schooling fish that could be caught on multiple presentations. It was time to get some sleep.
Day 1: We were boat 45 (2nd flight) so we waited patiently to take off. We ran to his first spot and worked some topwater for a little while. I caught a short fish, so did he. We moved on. At the next spot, I caught another short fish and he quickly boated a decent fish on a trap. We stuck around for only a little while longer before making a good run to his primary area.
At this next area, we witnessed some schooling activity and he kept throwing his trap while I threw a Gambler Sweebo on a C-rig. As soon as they started busting around us, he began to boat limit of bass. He had a double at one time but the larger of the two came off... a real heartbreaker. I still had 0 keepers, but there were fish everywhere. The schoolers showed up in a boat lane and he began to catch them like he said he had all week. It was crazy, I had never seen schoolers so in love with one particular spot (not area.) A group of schoolers started busting behind us a good ways away so we headed in that direction.
I tied on my Crankin Cracker painted Rattlin Lazer (lipless crank in Lake Toho Sexy Shad) and caught one when we got close enough to the school. It was a keeper. On the next cast I had one hit very lightly and then I felt another thud. As I got it closer to the boat I realized that I had a double on but before I got them in the smaller fish rolled off... 2 doubles that could have been. That was keeper #2 though. Things were coming together......slowly though.
We moved back to the first spot and didn't catch anything. So we headed back to the schoolers. This time we stopped at some pads on the way back. This was a chance to flip a little. (Time out: The night before in the hotel parking lot another co-angler named Jackie Barber was talking to Miles and I and was telling me that I needed to follow my gut and do what the voice in my head was telling me to do. So you know... Jackie Barber is a GREAT co-angler and he's always at the top of the list...regional are the norm, his advice is gold.) I'm back... I saw those pads and thought about all the bass that I've pulled from pads by pitching a sweebo. That's what I started doing. Three pitches in I saw my line jump and I boated a decent keeper, #3. Minutes later I pitched to a group that I saw move and didn't get bit on the fall. I picked up the worm and felt the pad and then something else. I reared back and set the hook. After a short fight, we boated a 2-3lber...my biggest and 4th fish. That was 2 fish in only 5 minutes.
We ran back to the schooling fish were Wyatt positioned the boat so that I could get my 5th fish. It took some time and a lure change. I went from the trap to my trusty Gambler Stud (watermelon red.) The fish went nuts over it. I boated a couple more fish and culled twice.
It was time to head back...we both had limits and didn't loose any fish. Job done, time to weigh in.
I weighed in 8lb7oz...not a big bag but I thought it might be enough. It was. They invited 14 anglers on each side to make it back on the 2nd day. I was in 14th...barely made it!
I then found out that I would be fishing with Kyle Fox...the guy who won the Everglades 2 day two weeks ago.
Day 2: Kyle and I headed to his first spot. He flipped, I worked a Secret Lures Chubby Frog and Gambler Stud. The day flew by... Kyle caught a decent limit flipping and I didn't have a keeper. Kyle is one heck of a fishermen. He flipped very methodically and was more focused than almost anyone else that I have ever fished with. Also, I found out that he was 21...and fished both the Central and Southern BASS Opens...unbelievable!!!
The bites were few and far between...He only culled 3 or so times. I caught one keeper on the stud and was just happy to weigh in a fish...didn't want to be the guy at walmart with nothing to show.
Weigh in: I weighed in first and didn't threaten the first place guy so I played spectator and watched some awesome bags cross the stage. One co-angler weighed in over 19lbs... crazy, he had almost 19 of my fish in that bag with just 5... woah!
Bonus of the weekend: My Dad and Brother came to the day 2 weigh in and brought my sister and my awesome girlfriend. That made the 1 fish day great!!!
Gear: I used 5 of my newest friends...my new Deep South Fishing Rods. The Inshore spinning rod and Gitem stick stood out though...sick sticks. My gambler stud fish were hooked by the Lazer TroKar 4/0 EWGs and the flipping fish came on Mihatchii Pro Flip hooks...both very good at what they do.
Thanks goes out to Bo Boyles for offering and John Kremer for letting me stay at his mother's house right next to Camp Mack... I will go out of my way for them in the future! Thanks guys!
Overall I had a great weekend and met all my goals... I cant wait for next season!!!! I cashed a check in 3 out of 5 events but caught 0 fish in the first two tournaments... goal for next year.. catch at least a keeper in every event so I can make it to the regional next time. I finished in 46th...almost a top 40.
Oh yeah...all fishing took place on Lake Kissimmee.
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