Santee-Cooper and Eufaula

     I have been delaying this episode of my tournament ride because I wasn't sure how I'd feel about writing this newsletter. Let's just say it has been one heck of a roller coaster ride in April and May on the Bassmaster Southern Tour tournaments.

     Let's begin with what I hate most about first quarter tournaments. B-E-D Fishing. Co-Anglers have very little chance of catching fish until, at least, the angler has his five fish creel. No need to worry about why the co-angler creel has been reduced to three. Little chance of even getting that ! This is the only time of year when the "shared weight" program would be a viable consideration.

     Know what I felt after the first day of fishing on Santee-Cooper ? I was ready to give up fishing the first part of the year because there is almost no way to show off any skills or luck from the back of the boat when fishing "dead" water. The angler is sight fishing a bed with little or no concern for the position of his co-angler.

     I fished the first day with Trad Whaley. A really nice guy with bed fishing on the brain ! We went about as far from the launch ramp as was humanly possible. He had found many beds in practice and was going to clean up on them. The overnight weather had cooled off and the fish had left the beds he was fishing.

     I have to say one thing for him, good or bad, he had perseverance. He had only one pattern, but he really stuck with it ! No fish until a couple of hours before weigh-in. He found a bed with two fish on it. He caught both and weighed over 12 pounds. I, of course, had no chance at anything. He apologized for not getting me on fish, but I mentioned before he was a nice guy.

     This was the time I was wondering why I had spent $800.00 or so fishing a tournament that held little hope for me. Then something happened that changed all of that, and gave me hope again.

     The second day I fished with Lee Hartley ! He took me up the river and showed me that I had some talent and maybe I could overcome adversity. We pulled into a slough just off the river and he proceeded to teach me, and I really mean teach me, some of the finer points of slowing down my retrieve and paying attention to what I was doing.

     I was throwing a Baby Brush Hog in green-pumpkin-green and a Junebug color alternately. I caught my three fish limit before Lee had his first fish. He was so supportive, and was trying to teach me the finer points of swinging a fish in the boat. Listen to this ! He actually spent a lot of time instructing me in what I needed to learn. Should I repeat that ? I think you get the picture.

     Lee missed several fish before catching his only keeper of the day, but it was a dandy. A seven-pound fish that I had to cradle in my arms and land by hand ! I had done the same thing the first day with Trad. Guys, I have not lost a big fish for anyone yet, and I don't want to be in that position too many times.

     Anyway, his fish hit a large crankbait and it caught him in the side as he swiped at the lure. Just as I cradled the fish in my arms, and got a thumb lock on his lower jaw, the crankbait came free. That was too close for comfort !

     I finished the second day with six pounds seven ounces, enough to get me into the top 50, who get to fish the third day and also draw a paycheck. Lee Hartley was the reason all this happened.

     The third day I drew Casey Ashley, a 22 year old who was another excellent fisherman, and, I might add, a wonderful boat driver. We had some five to five and a half foot waves to maneuver throughout the day, and he handled them with as much ease as one could do while being pounded around on the swells.

     He did some bed fishing in the morning, and I had a couple of blow-ups on my "Gambler Flappin' Shad. When you get bit, you need to put every bite in the boat! I didn't. I missed another fish before catching my lone keeper in the afternoon. Casey had his five fish limit and finished 13th on the pro side. I finished 27th on co-angler side and got a check for a little over $400.00. I recovered decently enough to get some of my confidence back !

     One last note of that tournament ! Casey and I were standing in the weigh-in line with our fish in bags and in water as we moved through the line, when Casey handed me his fish bag and left. They announced the singing of The Star Spangled Banner, and who was singing. Man, that kid has a real voice. What a rendition ! Hope I get to hear that again ! Way to go, Casey !

     Next we move on to May, and the Eufaula tournament. I didn't know what to expect, but I thought I'd give it my best as I had bounced back in South Carolina.

     The first day I drew Skip Mundy. Great guy ! He took me 50, yes 50, miles up the Chattahoochee River to a spot that was in 22 feet of water throwing our baits up on a shallow point.

     I had several blow-ups with my Flappin' Shad and a frog I was using. Missed them all ! I like to throw a Storm Chug Bug from time to time, and this was one of those times I chose to make some commotion on the surface. I hooked into my two biggest Striped Bass ever and had a very tough fight from both of them. Mr. Mundy was a great angler and we had a ball, but no fish on my part !

     This brings me to a portion of this tale that I think is funny, and sad at the same time. I have fished three Bassmaster Southern Tour events, and have never brought a fish to the scale on the first day of any of them. I told Chris Bowes, the tournament director, that I was going to bring only a book for the first day of the next tournament because I hadn't caught any fish on the first day of any of them. He told me that I should keep trying, and one day, God willing, I would have fish on the first day. Chris & Lurch, I promise to keep plugging away in future events !

     The second day I fished with Jason Williamson. He was comfortably in the top fifty after his first day. His pattern was deep diving crankbaits. I had none with me (I fish shallow in Florida) so I asked if I could borrow one. He told me that anything he had on the boat was available. He had just caught a nice fish on a white one, so I borrowed a white one ! Duh ! How silly was that ? One fish does not make a pattern, and so, sheepishly I asked to use another color to see if the fish were biting better on another color.

     I had just got one of the two colors I selected from his tackle tied on when he pulled up the trolling motor, and said we had to leave. The trolling motor was broken, and we had to try and get it fixed. We came back to the ramp, called the tournament director to see if it was all right to pull the boat and take it to the Motorguide trailer to get it fixed. Steve OK'd that, and called the trolling motor rep and asked him to meet us at the trailer. We pulled the boat, and I trailered my partner and his boat about a half-mile to the MotorGuide trailer, and we waited for about 45 minutes for the rep to return. The problem was a broken magnet in the foot. He replaced that and sent us back on our way. Lost time was about 1-½ hours.

     We stopped out in front of the ramp on the way back out, and I caught a four pound six ounce fish and was on the board at last. We fished there for a while, and then went to his primary spot, which was not more than a mile from the launch ramp. I caught another fish that weighed four pounds nine ounces out there, and was feeling pretty good about my chances of getting in the top fifty for Saturday's fishing.

     Jason caught two fish also, and we both made it into the third day's fishing, which I was paired with a Florida angler. His name was James Charlesworth. When I got in his boat, he told me he had been sick as a dog all week, and that he was just beginning to feel better. I made the mistake of telling him it was my birthday. He was great all day long.

     I caught my limit on three different baits. The first was on a Norman Mad N in a shallow cove that James had several blow-ups on frogs. We then went to several locations where he could throw the "shaky" worm. He caught one on it ! It was in the afternoon that we got to a place I could throw my deep diver (bought some the afternoon before). Caught my second keeper on it !

     About a half hour before weigh-in, we approached a non- descript bunch of pads and matted surface shallow water points. I had three blow-ups on my Reaction Ribbet Frog, and one of them was a keeper. I was one happy guy at that point.

     I had moved up from tied for last on the first day with no fish to tied for seventh place after the second day. After the smoke had cleared on the third day, I had finished in fourth place and was a trophy and $2,760.00 richer. Great way to complete my birthday !

     I came home from the tournament and, a couple of days later, was checking Bassmaster.com for the results of the tournament. I found out that I am in 21st place in the Bassmaster southern Tour co-angler standing and, if I do well at lake Lanier in Georgia, I get to fish a free Elite Wild Card tournament in November on the Harris Chain-O-Lakes. First place on the co-angler side is a $43,000.00 boat package. Pretty cool, aye ?

     Want to take a couple of minutes to praise the tournament director and the announcer for their fine work. I have been on stage with Dewey Kendrick and Ray Scott, Trip Weldon and Fish Fishburne, and Robby (I can't for the life of me remember his last name) back in 2004 in January when I won a boat on the co-angler side of the Harris Chain-O-Lakes Tournament. Trip Weldon was the Tournament Director. This is what happens when you get old.

     The point is that it seems that the Bassmasters organization is always coming up with excellent tournament directors and announcers. They have maintained that record with Chris Bowes and Chris (AKA Lurch) Carter. These guys keep everything moving smoothly, and do it with a boatload of humor, which I really like. Thanks, guys, for making this year another special one for me. Looking forward to Lake Lanier in September ! Maybe I'll catch a fish on the first day of that one.

     As I have mentioned many times, it would do each and every one of you wonders just to meet some of these great fishermen, and, who knows, maybe even learn a few things. I certainly have.

     Keep your line wet and your mind focused. Never know when that biggun' will bite.