August 30
"If it don't smell right, it ain't right!" At least that's what Carlos "Chazaam" Vergara said about the Detroit River. He may have been
right. Something certainly smelled a bit foul in Detroit this weekend, and it was the fishing. The fourth stop on the BFL Michigan
Division was in fact the Detroit River, and though a few competitors found good sacks in Lake Erie, most of the field saw below
average action.
Let's start with my practice time along side Mike Elkins and Chazaam. We fished around the Trenton Channel on Friday morning,
and methodically made our way north to Lake St. Clair. A few of our river spots produced fish, but none seemed to be of
tournament quality. It was much of the same on the lake. Hot, muggy and without a trace of wind, the fish acted like the weather.
We caught a decent number of fish, but they were scattered and not many tournament quality. On the way back to Elizabeth Park
on Friday, we were watching the F1 race on Belle Isle when a huge tuna boat wake rolled up in front of Mike. Carlos was sleeping,
but I knew the situation called for quick action to evade a slippery situation. Mike quickly and precisely executed something he
called the "Perkin's Move" and slid the boat smoothly through the waves. I was expecting to get a real thrashing, but never felt a
thing.
After meeting up with Tommy Robinson, my boater for the Detroit River, I was even less enthused about fishing Saturday. Coming
in 7th in AOY standing, I was farely confident I needed a good sack to move up, and stay in the hunt. Tommy felt confident he was
on good fish in the "D", but warned me we would probably have to wait all day to get them. I'm patient, how bad can it be? Boat
#71, we ran about 3/4 of a mile up river to the spot. I had fished it before, and knew the area and how I needed to present my bait
to get bit, so I felt relieved. All I needed to do was execute, I'd never fished that spot without getting some fish. What I didn't know,
is that we would be fishing with the current. A great deal of frustration, a dozen or so lures left on the bottom for Hoffa, and a lot of
casting would sum up the day. I was able to get bit quite a few times, and every time was just like I had executed previous times
before. However, I had to wait for my boater to break off, tangle, get some food or catch a fish so that he would get away from the
trolling motor and let the boat drift. Then I would quickly get my tube in front of the boat, and catch up with it just as it got vertical.
Nearly every time, as soon as the current was moving my tube down stream and I was directly above it, I got bit. I could almost
anticipate it. Tommy, though, had been catching fish by casting a drop shot in practice, and stuck with his game plan throughout
the day. It was clear to me early on in the day that with the calm weather and cleaner than average water the fish wanted the tube
more than the drop shot. I bagged three of my fish on a Shuberts Roadkill Orange 3.5" tube with a Laketown 1/4oz rattle tube
head. That roadkill orange is killer in the Detroit river and out on Lake Erie. I got my other two fish on a Koppers Live Target
Crawfish. If you haven't seen them, get over to D&R Sports in Kalmazoo and check them out. I've been using them for about a
month now, and have been thoroughly impressed with them. Unfortunately, it just wasn't Tommy's day. He
ended up with 1, but not for a lack of trying. I enjoyed fishing with him, and was able to pick up some important
knowledge about fishing the river, and staying patient.
I was disappointed with my performance, but managed to get 14-11 to the scales. I cashed a check finishing in
13th, and moved up three more spots to 4th for the year. I still have 40 points to make up on the leader, but the good
news is that our next tournament is a 300 point format. If I do well in September, there still might be a chance. Either way, I am
happy with my performance this year, and truly enjoyed the opportunity to fish with some great anglers. I recommend it to
everyone.
So, September 6-7 I will be back to the east side to fish the BAU St. Clair division, and then again to the Detroit River for the
Michigan Skeeter Owners Appreciation Tournament. Look for the first article in the Pro Jock Section this week, and keep an eye
out for new photos in the gallery. See you on the lake.
"If it don't smell right, it ain't right!" At least that's what Carlos "Chazaam" Vergara said about the Detroit River. He may have been
right. Something certainly smelled a bit foul in Detroit this weekend, and it was the fishing. The fourth stop on the BFL Michigan
Division was in fact the Detroit River, and though a few competitors found good sacks in Lake Erie, most of the field saw below
average action.
Let's start with my practice time along side Mike Elkins and Chazaam. We fished around the Trenton Channel on Friday morning,
and methodically made our way north to Lake St. Clair. A few of our river spots produced fish, but none seemed to be of
tournament quality. It was much of the same on the lake. Hot, muggy and without a trace of wind, the fish acted like the weather.
We caught a decent number of fish, but they were scattered and not many tournament quality. On the way back to Elizabeth Park
on Friday, we were watching the F1 race on Belle Isle when a huge tuna boat wake rolled up in front of Mike. Carlos was sleeping,
but I knew the situation called for quick action to evade a slippery situation. Mike quickly and precisely executed something he
called the "Perkin's Move" and slid the boat smoothly through the waves. I was expecting to get a real thrashing, but never felt a
thing.
After meeting up with Tommy Robinson, my boater for the Detroit River, I was even less enthused about fishing Saturday. Coming
in 7th in AOY standing, I was farely confident I needed a good sack to move up, and stay in the hunt. Tommy felt confident he was
on good fish in the "D", but warned me we would probably have to wait all day to get them. I'm patient, how bad can it be? Boat
#71, we ran about 3/4 of a mile up river to the spot. I had fished it before, and knew the area and how I needed to present my bait
to get bit, so I felt relieved. All I needed to do was execute, I'd never fished that spot without getting some fish. What I didn't know,
is that we would be fishing with the current. A great deal of frustration, a dozen or so lures left on the bottom for Hoffa, and a lot of
casting would sum up the day. I was able to get bit quite a few times, and every time was just like I had executed previous times
before. However, I had to wait for my boater to break off, tangle, get some food or catch a fish so that he would get away from the
trolling motor and let the boat drift. Then I would quickly get my tube in front of the boat, and catch up with it just as it got vertical.
Nearly every time, as soon as the current was moving my tube down stream and I was directly above it, I got bit. I could almost
anticipate it. Tommy, though, had been catching fish by casting a drop shot in practice, and stuck with his game plan throughout
the day. It was clear to me early on in the day that with the calm weather and cleaner than average water the fish wanted the tube
more than the drop shot. I bagged three of my fish on a Shuberts Roadkill Orange 3.5" tube with a Laketown 1/4oz rattle tube
head. That roadkill orange is killer in the Detroit river and out on Lake Erie. I got my other two fish on a Koppers Live Target
Crawfish. If you haven't seen them, get over to D&R Sports in Kalmazoo and check them out. I've been using them for about a
month now, and have been thoroughly impressed with them. Unfortunately, it just wasn't Tommy's day. He
ended up with 1, but not for a lack of trying. I enjoyed fishing with him, and was able to pick up some important
knowledge about fishing the river, and staying patient.
I was disappointed with my performance, but managed to get 14-11 to the scales. I cashed a check finishing in
13th, and moved up three more spots to 4th for the year. I still have 40 points to make up on the leader, but the good
news is that our next tournament is a 300 point format. If I do well in September, there still might be a chance. Either way, I am
happy with my performance this year, and truly enjoyed the opportunity to fish with some great anglers. I recommend it to
everyone.
So, September 6-7 I will be back to the east side to fish the BAU St. Clair division, and then again to the Detroit River for the
Michigan Skeeter Owners Appreciation Tournament. Look for the first article in the Pro Jock Section this week, and keep an eye
out for new photos in the gallery. See you on the lake.
March 2008
I am excited to announce that Kdawg.net is back, and that means it is time to go fishing again, at least in
Michigan.... There has been plenty of excitement for me already this year as I look forward to
tournament season. Already this year we have had some great days on St. Clair guiding for
Smallmouth, and most importantly, have new sponsor news to announce. I will be joining up with Okuma
High Performance Tackle. I am proud and thankful for the opportunity to work with a company who has
a blue collar heart, and a desire to produce high quality equipment designed to last and perform to high
standards. Also this year, I will be returning to the BFL circuit, and making a first time appearance to the
Bass Anglers United trail. Though the past two years have seen some drastic changes for me, I look
forward to rejoining my friends and fellow anglers in on the water competition. The website has been
redone, and I've added new pages to show some pictures, and to highlight Angling Edge, my guide
service. As always, look for news and updates right here...See you on the water soon!
I am excited to announce that Kdawg.net is back, and that means it is time to go fishing again, at least in
Michigan.... There has been plenty of excitement for me already this year as I look forward to
tournament season. Already this year we have had some great days on St. Clair guiding for
Smallmouth, and most importantly, have new sponsor news to announce. I will be joining up with Okuma
High Performance Tackle. I am proud and thankful for the opportunity to work with a company who has
a blue collar heart, and a desire to produce high quality equipment designed to last and perform to high
standards. Also this year, I will be returning to the BFL circuit, and making a first time appearance to the
Bass Anglers United trail. Though the past two years have seen some drastic changes for me, I look
forward to rejoining my friends and fellow anglers in on the water competition. The website has been
redone, and I've added new pages to show some pictures, and to highlight Angling Edge, my guide
service. As always, look for news and updates right here...See you on the water soon!
June 6, 2008
Today was the opening event for the Michigan BFL circuit on Burt and Mullet Lakes in Northern Michigan.
Excitement for me was high as I've had some quality days on this body of water, and feel as though I can
compete well there. I drew a FLW outdoors legend Brian Coates for my boater and had the opportunity
to fish with an accomplished pro with a great deal of big water knowledge. I had only two bites all day, a
2.4 smallie and a 6.4 smallie, falling just a pound short of making the money. I ended up 30th for the day
on the co-angler side. Weights for the boaters neared 28lbs and I was shocked to see that 22lbs didn't
even cash a check.
Next up for me is the BFL on Sandusky bay in July, and some more guiding in between.
Today was the opening event for the Michigan BFL circuit on Burt and Mullet Lakes in Northern Michigan.
Excitement for me was high as I've had some quality days on this body of water, and feel as though I can
compete well there. I drew a FLW outdoors legend Brian Coates for my boater and had the opportunity
to fish with an accomplished pro with a great deal of big water knowledge. I had only two bites all day, a
2.4 smallie and a 6.4 smallie, falling just a pound short of making the money. I ended up 30th for the day
on the co-angler side. Weights for the boaters neared 28lbs and I was shocked to see that 22lbs didn't
even cash a check.
Next up for me is the BFL on Sandusky bay in July, and some more guiding in between.
July 10, 2008
I'm gearing up for the upcoming BFL tournament on Sandusky Bay, Ohio. Though I've never fished
there, I'm expecting somewhat dirty water compared to the North Shore of Erie and Lake St. Clair. So,
my expectations are to fish deep, 20-30 foot, probably rock piles with tubes and a drop shot. Although I
don't know what will happen for sure, it seems the general consensus on Lake Erie.
Also coming up for me is the annual Fish Fest at Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery west of Kalamazoo.
This will be my fourth year at the event, and I will again be giving instruction on how to prepare for bass
fishing, and some techniques. In addition, this year I will be having a drawing for a Lake St. Clair fishing
trip next spring. So show up with your family and check out what they have to offer.
In other news, I am beginning the push for next year already. Although 2008 is far from over, the plans
for next year have begun. I'm excited about all the opportunities that have been extended to me, and am
truly looking forward to serving many companies and people with guide services and sponsorships.
I'm gearing up for the upcoming BFL tournament on Sandusky Bay, Ohio. Though I've never fished
there, I'm expecting somewhat dirty water compared to the North Shore of Erie and Lake St. Clair. So,
my expectations are to fish deep, 20-30 foot, probably rock piles with tubes and a drop shot. Although I
don't know what will happen for sure, it seems the general consensus on Lake Erie.
Also coming up for me is the annual Fish Fest at Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery west of Kalamazoo.
This will be my fourth year at the event, and I will again be giving instruction on how to prepare for bass
fishing, and some techniques. In addition, this year I will be having a drawing for a Lake St. Clair fishing
trip next spring. So show up with your family and check out what they have to offer.
In other news, I am beginning the push for next year already. Although 2008 is far from over, the plans
for next year have begun. I'm excited about all the opportunities that have been extended to me, and am
truly looking forward to serving many companies and people with guide services and sponsorships.
August 2-3, 2008
Mike "Big Cobra" Elkins and I headed out to St. Clair for some practice and skill tuning this weekend only to find that the fish were
as willing to eat as ever. Nearly everywhere we practiced we were able to conjure up at least a few fish, though the "big" bite
eluded us most of the weekend.
Saturday found us fishing much of the St. Clair river, looking over depths of 40ft all the way down to 15ft. Though we caught good
numbers of fish, they seemed scattered and still a bit on the shy side. However, toward the end of the day in the northern part of
the river, we did discover an interesting buoy pattern. It's risky, but it could pay off if executed properly.
Sunday we experienced all that Canada has to offer. Rude, indifferent meat hunters intent on jumping your drift and driving on
plane as close as possible without trading paint. The fish however were immigrants from the US apparently, willingly taking our
offerings. The South Shore seemed to produce the best for us, and we left plenty of gulp behind for the ones we didn't catch.
The BAU Scheduled for this weekend was unexpectedly rescheduled for September, and will now be a two event weekend. I will be
fishing solo in this team event, looking for a berth to the Championship in October. Also on August 9th is the third BFL Michigan
Event taking place at Metrobeach in Mt. Clemens.
In other news, the much awaited article from Carlos "Chazam" Vergara should be out in the next week. I'm excited to announce that
he will be including a surprise recipe portion for "Chilean Sheephead", or as he calls it "Chicken of the Sea". Check back regularly
so you don't miss it.
Mike "Big Cobra" Elkins and I headed out to St. Clair for some practice and skill tuning this weekend only to find that the fish were
as willing to eat as ever. Nearly everywhere we practiced we were able to conjure up at least a few fish, though the "big" bite
eluded us most of the weekend.
Saturday found us fishing much of the St. Clair river, looking over depths of 40ft all the way down to 15ft. Though we caught good
numbers of fish, they seemed scattered and still a bit on the shy side. However, toward the end of the day in the northern part of
the river, we did discover an interesting buoy pattern. It's risky, but it could pay off if executed properly.
Sunday we experienced all that Canada has to offer. Rude, indifferent meat hunters intent on jumping your drift and driving on
plane as close as possible without trading paint. The fish however were immigrants from the US apparently, willingly taking our
offerings. The South Shore seemed to produce the best for us, and we left plenty of gulp behind for the ones we didn't catch.
The BAU Scheduled for this weekend was unexpectedly rescheduled for September, and will now be a two event weekend. I will be
fishing solo in this team event, looking for a berth to the Championship in October. Also on August 9th is the third BFL Michigan
Event taking place at Metrobeach in Mt. Clemens.
In other news, the much awaited article from Carlos "Chazam" Vergara should be out in the next week. I'm excited to announce that
he will be including a surprise recipe portion for "Chilean Sheephead", or as he calls it "Chicken of the Sea". Check back regularly
so you don't miss it.
August 12
After a long month of July, August started with a bang. I again ventured East with Mike "Big Cobra" Elkins to hit the blue waters of
St. Clair, in search of quality fish for the BFL August 9th. Practice was mediocre, leaving many options, and no real answers. The
river bite just wasn't ready, though a solid limit could be had. The big fish seemed to still be lurking in the lake, eluding most
anglers. I was however diligent on my new mission of cleaning up the river. I found this nice little mess somewhere around the
South Channel. I'm doing my part to keep America clean, I threw it back in Canada. Just kidding, it's still stinking up the cooler on
my boat.
I drew George Plevarkis from Avon Lake, Ohio as my boater, and looked forward to getting back to a lake where I had a lot of
confidence. We started the day fishing for suspended fish in 12 or so feet, and the bite was slow. George managed a couple early,
but as the clock ticked closer to 10am I began to get anxious for my first bite. Noticing that most of Georges fish hit on slack, I
switched to the lightest head I had, and went to a perch colored tube. Immediately I hooked a fish over 6lbs, and just as quickly lost
him next to the boat. Before the disappointment sat in, I dropped back down and hooked a solid 5lb smallie and was able to get it in.
That would conclude my lake fishing for the day.
With our livewells looking empty, we headed into the river to fish for a limit. After struggling through some largies, and very few
bites, I had made it to 4 fish. Knowing that I needed a limit to have any chance in the points race for the year, I persuaded my
boater to head to some familiar water on the way in. Fortunately, he obliged, and we finished on a spot that has always been good
to me. We were both able to fill our limits. After weigh-in, the disappointment of that first fish began to settle in. So far this year, I
have been able to make the best of my opportunities, and cash in on being sharp. Losing that first fish cost me a tournament win at
St. Clair, and although I moved into 7th for the season, it left me a long ways from the leader.
However, I'm moving on, and will certainly use the lesson in the future. Next up is the Detroit River, followed by the BAU's on St.
Clair and the Skeeter Owners Northern Event.
So as the year begins to wrap up, I will be hustling to keep up with the final events. If you are interested in booking a date for fishing
with Angling Edge in 2009, get your calendars out now, because it's the best time to get the dates you want.
That's a wrap up for now, we'll see you in Detroit.
After a long month of July, August started with a bang. I again ventured East with Mike "Big Cobra" Elkins to hit the blue waters of
St. Clair, in search of quality fish for the BFL August 9th. Practice was mediocre, leaving many options, and no real answers. The
river bite just wasn't ready, though a solid limit could be had. The big fish seemed to still be lurking in the lake, eluding most
anglers. I was however diligent on my new mission of cleaning up the river. I found this nice little mess somewhere around the
South Channel. I'm doing my part to keep America clean, I threw it back in Canada. Just kidding, it's still stinking up the cooler on
my boat.
I drew George Plevarkis from Avon Lake, Ohio as my boater, and looked forward to getting back to a lake where I had a lot of
confidence. We started the day fishing for suspended fish in 12 or so feet, and the bite was slow. George managed a couple early,
but as the clock ticked closer to 10am I began to get anxious for my first bite. Noticing that most of Georges fish hit on slack, I
switched to the lightest head I had, and went to a perch colored tube. Immediately I hooked a fish over 6lbs, and just as quickly lost
him next to the boat. Before the disappointment sat in, I dropped back down and hooked a solid 5lb smallie and was able to get it in.
That would conclude my lake fishing for the day.
With our livewells looking empty, we headed into the river to fish for a limit. After struggling through some largies, and very few
bites, I had made it to 4 fish. Knowing that I needed a limit to have any chance in the points race for the year, I persuaded my
boater to head to some familiar water on the way in. Fortunately, he obliged, and we finished on a spot that has always been good
to me. We were both able to fill our limits. After weigh-in, the disappointment of that first fish began to settle in. So far this year, I
have been able to make the best of my opportunities, and cash in on being sharp. Losing that first fish cost me a tournament win at
St. Clair, and although I moved into 7th for the season, it left me a long ways from the leader.
However, I'm moving on, and will certainly use the lesson in the future. Next up is the Detroit River, followed by the BAU's on St.
Clair and the Skeeter Owners Northern Event.
So as the year begins to wrap up, I will be hustling to keep up with the final events. If you are interested in booking a date for fishing
with Angling Edge in 2009, get your calendars out now, because it's the best time to get the dates you want.
That's a wrap up for now, we'll see you in Detroit.
August 20
Good luck to all the Michigan Bass Federation anglers headed up to Charlevoix for the State Fish Off this weekend. Many of my
close friends will be trying for their shot at a State Championship, and I am looking forward to hearing the results.
As for KDawg.net, exciting things are on the horizon. 2009 is just around the corner now, and if you didn't notice, the face of the
website has been changing quite a bit. I'm looking forward to the new year, new sponsors, and more fishing. Don't get me wrong,
there is still a lot of business to tend to in 08.
So what's new? Well, for those of you who care, you can now sign up at the bottom of the home page for announcements about
updates, tournament results, and new articles on the news pages. Second, there will be a new page added soon to highlight some
of the local pros, some national pros, and some other guys who have important things to share about fishing and the business of
fishing. Honestly, I've been wanting to do it for a while, but Big Cobra persuaded me to get on it. Look for it in the navigation menu
under "Pro Jock Corner". Don't laugh, I'm dead serious. There will be all sorts of useful information there so check it out when it
comes up. I'm looking forward to hearing comments and questions.
Next weekend, I'm heading to Detroit with Big Cobra and Chazaam for the next installment of the Michigan BFL series on the Detroit
River. Who knows what to expect, but expect that the river fishing will be heating up and it's time for some heavy weights to roll
across the scales. I'm excited to get back to the water. After that, I'm heading to St.Clair with fishing legend Buddy Reynolds for a
two day event with the Bass Anglers United Trail, then back to the Detroit River for the Skeeter Northern Owners Tournament with
last years Federation Regional winner Don Fowler. Both of these guys are crazy fisherman with outstanding resumes. I've known
them both for some time, and look forward to fishing with them next month.
I'm looking to be wrapped up with tournaments by mid October, and will then be back on the water in a guide capacities. Calls
have been coming in and it looks like I'll have plenty of time to cool down my rods after November. So look out, Kdawg and friends
are going be raiding your "smallmouth neighborhood" for a few more months.
Good luck to all the Michigan Bass Federation anglers headed up to Charlevoix for the State Fish Off this weekend. Many of my
close friends will be trying for their shot at a State Championship, and I am looking forward to hearing the results.
As for KDawg.net, exciting things are on the horizon. 2009 is just around the corner now, and if you didn't notice, the face of the
website has been changing quite a bit. I'm looking forward to the new year, new sponsors, and more fishing. Don't get me wrong,
there is still a lot of business to tend to in 08.
So what's new? Well, for those of you who care, you can now sign up at the bottom of the home page for announcements about
updates, tournament results, and new articles on the news pages. Second, there will be a new page added soon to highlight some
of the local pros, some national pros, and some other guys who have important things to share about fishing and the business of
fishing. Honestly, I've been wanting to do it for a while, but Big Cobra persuaded me to get on it. Look for it in the navigation menu
under "Pro Jock Corner". Don't laugh, I'm dead serious. There will be all sorts of useful information there so check it out when it
comes up. I'm looking forward to hearing comments and questions.
Next weekend, I'm heading to Detroit with Big Cobra and Chazaam for the next installment of the Michigan BFL series on the Detroit
River. Who knows what to expect, but expect that the river fishing will be heating up and it's time for some heavy weights to roll
across the scales. I'm excited to get back to the water. After that, I'm heading to St.Clair with fishing legend Buddy Reynolds for a
two day event with the Bass Anglers United Trail, then back to the Detroit River for the Skeeter Northern Owners Tournament with
last years Federation Regional winner Don Fowler. Both of these guys are crazy fisherman with outstanding resumes. I've known
them both for some time, and look forward to fishing with them next month.
I'm looking to be wrapped up with tournaments by mid October, and will then be back on the water in a guide capacities. Calls
have been coming in and it looks like I'll have plenty of time to cool down my rods after November. So look out, Kdawg and friends
are going be raiding your "smallmouth neighborhood" for a few more months.
| My big one, Chazaam crackin' one, Mike looking a little pale after the "Perkin's Move". |
September 6-7
After an arduous search, I was finally able to find someone willing to hit the water as my partner in only my second team event of the year. Fortunately for
me, it was Jon Ling. On short notice, we were only able to get one day of practice in, and after arriving at the lake and finding weather conditions to be a
bit dicey, we needed to narrow our practice to a small amount of water. Winds were blowing out of the south in the neighborhood of 25 mph, and waves
on the West Shore of Lake St. Clair were in the 3-4 foot range. Not too much to run in, but it would have made fishing a small area on the lake nearly
impossible. After some consideration, we ended up heading for the river. In hindsight, we should have headed to Famous Dave's for some early BBQ and
drinks, or maybe even just gone shopping at Bass Pro Shops. Nope, not me, I had to practice. If by some chance, you have some experience of what the
St. Clair river is like on a South wind, the story needs no telling. But for those who like to hear gruesome tales of sinking boats and souls lost to the deep,
keep reading.
I decided we should launch in Algonac. Sounds good, nice ramp, close to the main river, good fishing nearby. After putting in, I felt it wouldn't be too bad
to run to Fawn. It's only a few miles, how bad could it be? Well, it wasn't too bad on the way there. In fact, there were at least 2 other boats up there. We
were gonna fish. I deployed two drift socks, and turned the trolling motor toward the back of the boat just to keep us moving down stream. And though
waves were crashing over the motor, and the bilge was running non stop, we actually caught some fish. After about 30 minutes, we both felt it would be a
wise choice to get the heck out of there. I packed up the socks, put the rods in the locker, and tied everything down good. Ready to run! It's what
happened next that will haunt me forever. If nothing else, it will serve as a great lesson to anyone who feels that they are invincible in their bass boat, and
they can tame any wave. I used to believe that you could probably always make it back, it would just depend on the conditions as to how long it would
take. However, I now believe that there is a chance you might not always make it back. Here's how it went down, almost. As we reached the south end of
Fawn, the waves seemed to be growing in size and the distance between them seemed to be shortening. And though I was able to power up the waves
fine, I didn't have anywhere to go when we got to the bottom. We were in jeopardy of swamping the motor, so I decided I would try to quarter them to keep
the motor up higher. Probably not a bad idea, except for that head wind. We hit a big one, I don't think I would be exaggerating to say it was 7 feet tall.
Mind you that's from the trough to the crest. If I had been standing on the deck of the boat in the bottom of that wave, I am confident I wouldn't have been
able to see over it. Anyway, as I crested it, on a quarter, the wind caught the bow of the boat. I'm climbing the wave, the wind is pushing the bow of the
boat, and the wave is sliding us sideways. Before I knew it we were straight up and down, and falling to the starboard. I was literally sitting on my back.
Somehow, I had enough power to turn into the slide and bring the boat back down on the wave as it turned us back upriver. At the time, it didn't really
phase me, but just retelling the story gives me the willies. Even the "Perkins Move" wouldn't have saved me if the prop would have slipped, or the motor
swamped out or any number of things. I nearly sank the Skeeter just to practice. On the heels of Mike's Pro Jock pointer, I did everything he warned
against for some fish.
On a high note however, we lived to tell about it, and had a decent weekend to boot. We fished the lake on the first day of the Bass Anglers United event
out of Harley. Running all the way to the South Shore only to find it had been muddied up by a late night wind switch. I was pretty disappointed because I
had experienced some good fishing there early this year, and I truly felt that we would be able to score on a decent crankbait bite. However, it was clear
after a few hours of fishing that the dirty water had diluted the fishing so we headed for the river. Jon led me to a few spots he had fished in the river, and
we fished a few of the other current breaks around the North Channel in the few hours we had left. Jon got some good fish on some deeper breaks, and I
scored a couple solid smallmouth on some shallow stuff. All of my good fish on Saturday came on the Koppers Live Target Crawfish that I used in Detroit
the previous week. What a phenomenal bait that continues to impress me. I really abused that crank on the seawalls and rocks and it still runs great, and
has all it's parts. We brought in 18.1lbs Saturday landing us in fifth. Sunday, it rained and it rained. Basically it was a soaker until about noon. Though I
was soaked, and we had a boat problem early on, we managed a solid limit from some other current break spots in the North Channel. As well, we
dredged up a few from around 55' of water above the Sturgeon Hole. We brought in around 17lbs for Day 2, and though we were unable to go after the
big bite as planned before our breakdown, we cashed in on a 1st place finish with Big Bass.
So, with the end of the year now in sight, I'll be heading over to Elizabeth Park for the Skeeter Tournament this coming weekend, and then back to
Elizabeth Park for the BFL Super Tournament on the 27th. As always, look for more updates and information about what's new and what's happening.
Until then........CHAZAAM!
After an arduous search, I was finally able to find someone willing to hit the water as my partner in only my second team event of the year. Fortunately for
me, it was Jon Ling. On short notice, we were only able to get one day of practice in, and after arriving at the lake and finding weather conditions to be a
bit dicey, we needed to narrow our practice to a small amount of water. Winds were blowing out of the south in the neighborhood of 25 mph, and waves
on the West Shore of Lake St. Clair were in the 3-4 foot range. Not too much to run in, but it would have made fishing a small area on the lake nearly
impossible. After some consideration, we ended up heading for the river. In hindsight, we should have headed to Famous Dave's for some early BBQ and
drinks, or maybe even just gone shopping at Bass Pro Shops. Nope, not me, I had to practice. If by some chance, you have some experience of what the
St. Clair river is like on a South wind, the story needs no telling. But for those who like to hear gruesome tales of sinking boats and souls lost to the deep,
keep reading.
I decided we should launch in Algonac. Sounds good, nice ramp, close to the main river, good fishing nearby. After putting in, I felt it wouldn't be too bad
to run to Fawn. It's only a few miles, how bad could it be? Well, it wasn't too bad on the way there. In fact, there were at least 2 other boats up there. We
were gonna fish. I deployed two drift socks, and turned the trolling motor toward the back of the boat just to keep us moving down stream. And though
waves were crashing over the motor, and the bilge was running non stop, we actually caught some fish. After about 30 minutes, we both felt it would be a
wise choice to get the heck out of there. I packed up the socks, put the rods in the locker, and tied everything down good. Ready to run! It's what
happened next that will haunt me forever. If nothing else, it will serve as a great lesson to anyone who feels that they are invincible in their bass boat, and
they can tame any wave. I used to believe that you could probably always make it back, it would just depend on the conditions as to how long it would
take. However, I now believe that there is a chance you might not always make it back. Here's how it went down, almost. As we reached the south end of
Fawn, the waves seemed to be growing in size and the distance between them seemed to be shortening. And though I was able to power up the waves
fine, I didn't have anywhere to go when we got to the bottom. We were in jeopardy of swamping the motor, so I decided I would try to quarter them to keep
the motor up higher. Probably not a bad idea, except for that head wind. We hit a big one, I don't think I would be exaggerating to say it was 7 feet tall.
Mind you that's from the trough to the crest. If I had been standing on the deck of the boat in the bottom of that wave, I am confident I wouldn't have been
able to see over it. Anyway, as I crested it, on a quarter, the wind caught the bow of the boat. I'm climbing the wave, the wind is pushing the bow of the
boat, and the wave is sliding us sideways. Before I knew it we were straight up and down, and falling to the starboard. I was literally sitting on my back.
Somehow, I had enough power to turn into the slide and bring the boat back down on the wave as it turned us back upriver. At the time, it didn't really
phase me, but just retelling the story gives me the willies. Even the "Perkins Move" wouldn't have saved me if the prop would have slipped, or the motor
swamped out or any number of things. I nearly sank the Skeeter just to practice. On the heels of Mike's Pro Jock pointer, I did everything he warned
against for some fish.
On a high note however, we lived to tell about it, and had a decent weekend to boot. We fished the lake on the first day of the Bass Anglers United event
out of Harley. Running all the way to the South Shore only to find it had been muddied up by a late night wind switch. I was pretty disappointed because I
had experienced some good fishing there early this year, and I truly felt that we would be able to score on a decent crankbait bite. However, it was clear
after a few hours of fishing that the dirty water had diluted the fishing so we headed for the river. Jon led me to a few spots he had fished in the river, and
we fished a few of the other current breaks around the North Channel in the few hours we had left. Jon got some good fish on some deeper breaks, and I
scored a couple solid smallmouth on some shallow stuff. All of my good fish on Saturday came on the Koppers Live Target Crawfish that I used in Detroit
the previous week. What a phenomenal bait that continues to impress me. I really abused that crank on the seawalls and rocks and it still runs great, and
has all it's parts. We brought in 18.1lbs Saturday landing us in fifth. Sunday, it rained and it rained. Basically it was a soaker until about noon. Though I
was soaked, and we had a boat problem early on, we managed a solid limit from some other current break spots in the North Channel. As well, we
dredged up a few from around 55' of water above the Sturgeon Hole. We brought in around 17lbs for Day 2, and though we were unable to go after the
big bite as planned before our breakdown, we cashed in on a 1st place finish with Big Bass.
So, with the end of the year now in sight, I'll be heading over to Elizabeth Park for the Skeeter Tournament this coming weekend, and then back to
Elizabeth Park for the BFL Super Tournament on the 27th. As always, look for more updates and information about what's new and what's happening.
Until then........CHAZAAM!
Another Koppers Crankbait Fish
Jon Ling and I with 1st and Big Bass
Jon Ling and I with 1st and Big Bass
September 10-14
I was again sent to searching for a fishing partner this weekend for the Skeeter Michigan Owners Event at Elizabeth Park in Trenton, Michigan. I'm not sure
why, but it's been a difficult year to track down a willing and able partner. I started the summer with Don Fowler as my registered co-patriot for the event, but
due to an off limits conflict with another trail he was unable to participate. Finally my long time friend and fishing mentor Correy Mikel agreed to join me on the
Detroit River.
Practice started for me on Thursday. Things started out pretty well, although the weather was not cooperating. Strong South winds and threatening rain
made the current fishing difficult, and seemed to put the smallmouth bite in the river off a bit. I was able to find many quality areas, and caught 20 or so 3-4lb
fish every day of practice. However, I never ventured into the lake due to the rough water and the abundance of fish in the river. I knew that the shallow bite
would be going on the north shore of Lake Erie, but the wind conditions muddied the water, and I didn't feel that I needed to run to be competitive. After the
second day of practice though, I decided that I hadn't found the quality fish for having a chance at the win. So, on Saturday, I hit the water around 6:00 am in
an attempt to beat the wind. Immediately after arriving at my spot I saw fish on the graph, and after a few casts and some boat positioning I was able to hook
4 very nice fish. Feeling confident that this was the bite I was looking for, I headed into the river to find a few more areas to key in on for Sunday. A thorough
examination of the map the night before, and with current fishing being a strength, I narrowed my search down to about 7 current areas I wanted to hit on my
way in. The first one produced immediately and with size, and the fourth and last also had good fish there. The best thing about current spots is that they
reload. It's not uncommon for fresh fish to arrive there multiple times per day. A good friend of mine, Dave Hasty, has shared some of his knowledge with me
about the daily behaviors of these current fish, lending me the confidence to explore a spot well and fish it thoroughly before writing it off. Since it had rained
since about 9 am, I decided to head in early and get dry. I felt good about my chances, and my time on the water.
Correy made it in Saturday night, and Sunday we blasted off around 7. I was the first boat to hit Lake Erie, and one of only about 6 willing to brave the
conditions. Waves were 4-6 foot on the lake, with a few bigger ones near the mouth of the river. Gusts of 15-20mph combined with the wave activity made it
difficult to control the boat, and after 2 hours we had only managed 3 decent fish. The water was very dirty, more so than I had imagined. Although we got a
few bites, and I wanted to head further East in search of some cleaner water, I knew the safe bet was to head for clean water and into the current. Correy
caught two solid keepers off the first current spot, and I got a 2 1/2 lb largie drop shotting. We moved on to the next spot where I picked up a 5 on a
spinnerbait, and another smaller keeper. On the next spot we culled out the largie and the small fish, and with only a few minutes to go, got one more 3 1/2 to
help the cause. We ended up just under 25lbs, 7th place overall. Disappointing, but all in all, it was a great weekend. Here are a few of the highlights for me:
1.) 5lb smallmouth on a spinnerbait
2.) 32 fish on consecutive casts with a crankbait
3.) over 30 3+ smallies on spinnerbaits
4.) hanging out with some of the best guys around (anyone with a Skeeter)
5.) not hearing "Chazaam", "crackin' that", or "snicker licker" all weekend
Well, only a few to go. BFL Super Tournament in two weeks, BAU Championship in a month. Lots of good fishing still to come.
I was again sent to searching for a fishing partner this weekend for the Skeeter Michigan Owners Event at Elizabeth Park in Trenton, Michigan. I'm not sure
why, but it's been a difficult year to track down a willing and able partner. I started the summer with Don Fowler as my registered co-patriot for the event, but
due to an off limits conflict with another trail he was unable to participate. Finally my long time friend and fishing mentor Correy Mikel agreed to join me on the
Detroit River.
Practice started for me on Thursday. Things started out pretty well, although the weather was not cooperating. Strong South winds and threatening rain
made the current fishing difficult, and seemed to put the smallmouth bite in the river off a bit. I was able to find many quality areas, and caught 20 or so 3-4lb
fish every day of practice. However, I never ventured into the lake due to the rough water and the abundance of fish in the river. I knew that the shallow bite
would be going on the north shore of Lake Erie, but the wind conditions muddied the water, and I didn't feel that I needed to run to be competitive. After the
second day of practice though, I decided that I hadn't found the quality fish for having a chance at the win. So, on Saturday, I hit the water around 6:00 am in
an attempt to beat the wind. Immediately after arriving at my spot I saw fish on the graph, and after a few casts and some boat positioning I was able to hook
4 very nice fish. Feeling confident that this was the bite I was looking for, I headed into the river to find a few more areas to key in on for Sunday. A thorough
examination of the map the night before, and with current fishing being a strength, I narrowed my search down to about 7 current areas I wanted to hit on my
way in. The first one produced immediately and with size, and the fourth and last also had good fish there. The best thing about current spots is that they
reload. It's not uncommon for fresh fish to arrive there multiple times per day. A good friend of mine, Dave Hasty, has shared some of his knowledge with me
about the daily behaviors of these current fish, lending me the confidence to explore a spot well and fish it thoroughly before writing it off. Since it had rained
since about 9 am, I decided to head in early and get dry. I felt good about my chances, and my time on the water.
Correy made it in Saturday night, and Sunday we blasted off around 7. I was the first boat to hit Lake Erie, and one of only about 6 willing to brave the
conditions. Waves were 4-6 foot on the lake, with a few bigger ones near the mouth of the river. Gusts of 15-20mph combined with the wave activity made it
difficult to control the boat, and after 2 hours we had only managed 3 decent fish. The water was very dirty, more so than I had imagined. Although we got a
few bites, and I wanted to head further East in search of some cleaner water, I knew the safe bet was to head for clean water and into the current. Correy
caught two solid keepers off the first current spot, and I got a 2 1/2 lb largie drop shotting. We moved on to the next spot where I picked up a 5 on a
spinnerbait, and another smaller keeper. On the next spot we culled out the largie and the small fish, and with only a few minutes to go, got one more 3 1/2 to
help the cause. We ended up just under 25lbs, 7th place overall. Disappointing, but all in all, it was a great weekend. Here are a few of the highlights for me:
1.) 5lb smallmouth on a spinnerbait
2.) 32 fish on consecutive casts with a crankbait
3.) over 30 3+ smallies on spinnerbaits
4.) hanging out with some of the best guys around (anyone with a Skeeter)
5.) not hearing "Chazaam", "crackin' that", or "snicker licker" all weekend
Well, only a few to go. BFL Super Tournament in two weeks, BAU Championship in a month. Lots of good fishing still to come.
Ohh the anticipation!
The Kalamazoo Crew Cleans Up!
Really trying hard to explain my day to Anthony
Making the cut
|
September 26-27
Big Cobra and I arrived at Elizabeth Park around 8 am on Thursday morning to begin our practice for the BFL Super Tournament on the Detroit River.
Most of our day was spent cranking shallow structure, looking for the mother lode. It was a good day of practice for me, I lost count, but I'm guessing I
caught somewhere between 1 and 2 fish in the lake. Mike fared a bit better hitting around 10. The bite was a little slow, or maybe it was just us. I was still
fighting off influenza and managed a good 2 hour nap, but the Cobra never let up. We fished for until about 6 pm, and then headed to the ramp to get
settled for the night. I did manage however, to cap my day with a solid 4lb smallie and a steak at Applebees.
Friday began with high hopes. We planned to run to a spot about 30 miles away, and the anticipation was high. The cracking was about to commence
Mike assured me, and he wasn't wrong. The lake was rolling good and it contributed to a high level of spine compression joint displacement. However,
the pain was worth it. We hit 5 or 6 good fish off his first spot. We then headed back to the North Shore and hit more shallow structure cranking up a
good day's worth of fish. They were eating a Koppers Live Target Perch. I was using the larger model that dives to 8 or 10 feet, and bouncing it off rocks
and sand ridges to trigger strikes. So after having a successful day, we headed in with a good feeling about our tournament hopes. Personally, I had
another agenda for Saturday, and that was to make a run at the Divisional Points Leader. Peter Sagartz, 43 points ahead of me on Saturday, was nearly
unreachable. Just in doing the math, I had figured that someone would have had to finish no worse than 7th place in every tournament to be tied with
him. He had fished nearly a perfect season. With that in mind, I wanted to have a good day, and at least give myself a chance. Mike on the other hand,
needed to advance 8 places to make the cut for regionals. That being said, both of us needed to have good days to accomplish our goals.
I drew Dave Reault for my boater. There was a sense of relief, and apprehension all at the same time. I was relieved because I knew Dave to be a great
fisherman who would most certainly be around fish all day. Apprehension set in because I knew that Dave was also in the points race, and if he was
fishing a small rock pile in 30 feet of water, it was going to be a painfully brutal day for me. My fears were in vain, as we fished a great deal of familiar
water in the Detroit River, and I made good use of my time in unused water. It didn't hurt that Dave was incredibly fair, and also very generous with his
"special" crankbaits. No amount of preparation could have prepared me for the depths we were cranking. I netted over 20lbs for Dave, and with only one
fish lost, I weighed 15-2. We were in the first flight, and one of the first 10 to weigh in, so I had a long time to wait to hear how things went. It was obvious
that Dave would make the cut, but I was uncertain about my chances. But, after the smoke cleared, I sat firmly in 12th place, headed on to Sunday. With
only 18 boats advancing, my chances were looking better for making a run on the points championship. Even better, my travel partner Mike made the cut
in 16th place, so I still had a ride home.
My boater for Day 2 was Jason O'Krangley. I hadn't met Jason before, but he said we'd make a long run in the morning to good fish. A huge wet mess of
fog covered the river in the morning on Sunday, and the take-off was delayed until almost 8:30 am. Since we had lost so much time, Jason decided we
should scrap the long run, and stick close to the current. After the previous day, I had a feeling it was going to be difficult to get a good limit Sunday, so I
was ready to get the most out of whatever time I had. Time went fast. Noon came quickly and found the boat completely devoid of fish. I kept fishing
slower, while my boater continued to work his areas. I got a 14 incher, then another, then a 2lb fish. In about 10 minutes I had 3 fish, with 2 hours to go.
We moved into the mouth of the river, where I picked off another 14 inch fish on a spinnerbait leaving me light but with 4 fish. I offered Jason some of my
river spots, and he obliged me the chance to hit some familiar water. On the first pass of my favorite spot in the river I landed 5 keepers, one over 3 lbs
and another 2lb fish. Next drift I caught 3 more keepers but none that would help. With only 40 minutes to go, I offered up some spinnerbait water to
finish the day. I was able to cull out both of my little fish, and upgrade a little, and Jason landed a 3 just before it was time to head in.
My 11-6 bag wasn't nearly big enough to win, but it moved me up to 8th for the tournament, securing me as the Michigan Division Points Champion. I
would like to thank everyone who helped with the celebration in the Wendy's parking lot, and Mike for supplying the sparklers and bottle rockets. It was a
tremendous year capped off with great finish. I accomplished my goal of winning the points championship, and Mike got one step closer to completing his
Dale Earnhardt Commemorative Chocolate Bar Collection. Brian Clark won the event as a co-angler, Scott Haas finished 6th as a co-angler, and Big
Cobra finished 11th as a boater. Also worth mentioning, good friends Dan Shine, Don Fowler and Bill Shroeder also made Regionals. I'm sure it will be a
great time in Tennessee, I just hope they are ready for us. Oh, and thanks for the pictures Shiner.
Big Cobra and I arrived at Elizabeth Park around 8 am on Thursday morning to begin our practice for the BFL Super Tournament on the Detroit River.
Most of our day was spent cranking shallow structure, looking for the mother lode. It was a good day of practice for me, I lost count, but I'm guessing I
caught somewhere between 1 and 2 fish in the lake. Mike fared a bit better hitting around 10. The bite was a little slow, or maybe it was just us. I was still
fighting off influenza and managed a good 2 hour nap, but the Cobra never let up. We fished for until about 6 pm, and then headed to the ramp to get
settled for the night. I did manage however, to cap my day with a solid 4lb smallie and a steak at Applebees.
Friday began with high hopes. We planned to run to a spot about 30 miles away, and the anticipation was high. The cracking was about to commence
Mike assured me, and he wasn't wrong. The lake was rolling good and it contributed to a high level of spine compression joint displacement. However,
the pain was worth it. We hit 5 or 6 good fish off his first spot. We then headed back to the North Shore and hit more shallow structure cranking up a
good day's worth of fish. They were eating a Koppers Live Target Perch. I was using the larger model that dives to 8 or 10 feet, and bouncing it off rocks
and sand ridges to trigger strikes. So after having a successful day, we headed in with a good feeling about our tournament hopes. Personally, I had
another agenda for Saturday, and that was to make a run at the Divisional Points Leader. Peter Sagartz, 43 points ahead of me on Saturday, was nearly
unreachable. Just in doing the math, I had figured that someone would have had to finish no worse than 7th place in every tournament to be tied with
him. He had fished nearly a perfect season. With that in mind, I wanted to have a good day, and at least give myself a chance. Mike on the other hand,
needed to advance 8 places to make the cut for regionals. That being said, both of us needed to have good days to accomplish our goals.
I drew Dave Reault for my boater. There was a sense of relief, and apprehension all at the same time. I was relieved because I knew Dave to be a great
fisherman who would most certainly be around fish all day. Apprehension set in because I knew that Dave was also in the points race, and if he was
fishing a small rock pile in 30 feet of water, it was going to be a painfully brutal day for me. My fears were in vain, as we fished a great deal of familiar
water in the Detroit River, and I made good use of my time in unused water. It didn't hurt that Dave was incredibly fair, and also very generous with his
"special" crankbaits. No amount of preparation could have prepared me for the depths we were cranking. I netted over 20lbs for Dave, and with only one
fish lost, I weighed 15-2. We were in the first flight, and one of the first 10 to weigh in, so I had a long time to wait to hear how things went. It was obvious
that Dave would make the cut, but I was uncertain about my chances. But, after the smoke cleared, I sat firmly in 12th place, headed on to Sunday. With
only 18 boats advancing, my chances were looking better for making a run on the points championship. Even better, my travel partner Mike made the cut
in 16th place, so I still had a ride home.
My boater for Day 2 was Jason O'Krangley. I hadn't met Jason before, but he said we'd make a long run in the morning to good fish. A huge wet mess of
fog covered the river in the morning on Sunday, and the take-off was delayed until almost 8:30 am. Since we had lost so much time, Jason decided we
should scrap the long run, and stick close to the current. After the previous day, I had a feeling it was going to be difficult to get a good limit Sunday, so I
was ready to get the most out of whatever time I had. Time went fast. Noon came quickly and found the boat completely devoid of fish. I kept fishing
slower, while my boater continued to work his areas. I got a 14 incher, then another, then a 2lb fish. In about 10 minutes I had 3 fish, with 2 hours to go.
We moved into the mouth of the river, where I picked off another 14 inch fish on a spinnerbait leaving me light but with 4 fish. I offered Jason some of my
river spots, and he obliged me the chance to hit some familiar water. On the first pass of my favorite spot in the river I landed 5 keepers, one over 3 lbs
and another 2lb fish. Next drift I caught 3 more keepers but none that would help. With only 40 minutes to go, I offered up some spinnerbait water to
finish the day. I was able to cull out both of my little fish, and upgrade a little, and Jason landed a 3 just before it was time to head in.
My 11-6 bag wasn't nearly big enough to win, but it moved me up to 8th for the tournament, securing me as the Michigan Division Points Champion. I
would like to thank everyone who helped with the celebration in the Wendy's parking lot, and Mike for supplying the sparklers and bottle rockets. It was a
tremendous year capped off with great finish. I accomplished my goal of winning the points championship, and Mike got one step closer to completing his
Dale Earnhardt Commemorative Chocolate Bar Collection. Brian Clark won the event as a co-angler, Scott Haas finished 6th as a co-angler, and Big
Cobra finished 11th as a boater. Also worth mentioning, good friends Dan Shine, Don Fowler and Bill Shroeder also made Regionals. I'm sure it will be a
great time in Tennessee, I just hope they are ready for us. Oh, and thanks for the pictures Shiner.
| 2008 Tournament Schedule |
October 11
Bass Anglers United Championship on Lake Leelanau. If you fished it, then you know the outcome. But for those who like gory details, I'll fill you in.
Practice was less than spectacular. I caught 6 fish, and my guess was that the best five would have weighed in around 20lbs. This was October 7th. My
teammate Jon Ling practiced the 9th and 10th, and confirmed about the same on the same spots. But Saturday........it was like we launched on the wrong
lake or something. We started with a 3-10 right away, and then we should have went home. 7.75 hours of nothing elapsed after that first fish, prompting us
to make a hasty retreat to Taco Bell. I'm not really sure how to describe the feeling I have after failing so miserably. I suppose the best analogy would be
the way I felt the first time I rode my mountain bike. It was built for a 30" inseam, and I only have a 28" inseam. When I got off the lake today, I had the same
feeling in my gut that I did the first time I tried to put my feet on the ground with that bike. So, my apologies to all my sponsors, no great photos, no
shameless plugs, just the honest humility associated with a thorough whooping by some "awnry" smallmouth.
Having put the wraps on the BAU season, Big Cobra and I head south to Tennessee on Monday to fish for a spot in the All American. Cherokee Lake is only
a name to me, and I have no clue what to expect. There is always the prospect of finding a good BBQ joint somewhere on the way.
Bass Anglers United Championship on Lake Leelanau. If you fished it, then you know the outcome. But for those who like gory details, I'll fill you in.
Practice was less than spectacular. I caught 6 fish, and my guess was that the best five would have weighed in around 20lbs. This was October 7th. My
teammate Jon Ling practiced the 9th and 10th, and confirmed about the same on the same spots. But Saturday........it was like we launched on the wrong
lake or something. We started with a 3-10 right away, and then we should have went home. 7.75 hours of nothing elapsed after that first fish, prompting us
to make a hasty retreat to Taco Bell. I'm not really sure how to describe the feeling I have after failing so miserably. I suppose the best analogy would be
the way I felt the first time I rode my mountain bike. It was built for a 30" inseam, and I only have a 28" inseam. When I got off the lake today, I had the same
feeling in my gut that I did the first time I tried to put my feet on the ground with that bike. So, my apologies to all my sponsors, no great photos, no
shameless plugs, just the honest humility associated with a thorough whooping by some "awnry" smallmouth.
Having put the wraps on the BAU season, Big Cobra and I head south to Tennessee on Monday to fish for a spot in the All American. Cherokee Lake is only
a name to me, and I have no clue what to expect. There is always the prospect of finding a good BBQ joint somewhere on the way.
October 16-18
Cherokee Lake, Morristown, Tennessee
Mike Elkins and I headed out for Cherokee Lake with the hopes of making an appearance at the All American next Spring. Nine and a half hours of driving,
three hours of sleep in the parking lot of Wal-Mart, a quick breakfast at IHOP and a boat launch later found us staring at some beautiful scenery. Cherokee
Lake boasts some of the finest scenery that the Smoky Mountains has to offer. However, the fishery wasn't all that generous to the Michigan contingent. In
fact, it would have made Lake Leelanau look like a practice pond. We practiced hard, and though the bite was tough we managed to narrow down a
productive pattern, and even find some water that had possibilities. I was unsure of what the lake would deal me during the tournament, but tried to find a way
to fish that would be complimentary as a co-angler.
I drew John Drew from North Carolina for Day 1. We spent most of the day running the bank, with John focusing on shallow rocks. There was no shortage of
shallow rocks........I threw a floating Rogue, hoping to keep my junk out of the rocks, and maybe get a reaction bite from fish hiding in the cracks. It seemed to
work quick, putting me on the board early with a 2 pounder. John stayed with a buzzbait all day, and I threw the Rogue and a shaky head. All in all, I managed
four bites, but three were small. It was a distressing day of fishing, and I wasn't looking forward to another.
Roger Walters was my lucky boater for Day 2. I started the day in 67th, and using the normal tournament forecast formula, I calculated that I needed 8-10 lbs
to make the cut for Day 3. I was less than optimistic. We started fishing some sloping banks covered with small rock and red clay. It didn't look anything like
what I had fished the day before, so I decided that I would change my approach a bit. Whenever I could, I threw a RC2.5DD off the back of the boat, and
cranked it down as far as I could. I was hitting bottom around 13', and I hoped to find some feeding fish. When we ventured shallower, I threw a shallow
running crank or a buzzbait. Roger picked out a chatterbait, and threw it all day. In case you didn't notice, throwing a bait all day was the pattern. I picked off
a 2 pounder around 10:00am, and then another one around noon. I know that 1 or 2 more bites would be me in good shape, but it just never happened. I
stuck the deep crank whenever I could, but I lost the RC on a rock, and never felt much confidence in what I threw after that. Roger managed three fish, and
had a couple shorts.
Final results. 43rd out of 150, 1 fish out of the money, 2 out of the show. Having had the opportunity to do Day 1 over, I would have cranked all day. My
boaters covered the shallow banks well, and left little clean water. I was worried about losing cranks in the rocks, and that changed my approach. I believe
that I was around alot more fish on Day 1, and though I was using a bigger crank that might not catch the spots, I think one or two more quality bites on Day 1
would have changed my outcome.
At any rate, I enjoyed Cherokee Lake. Well, sort of enjoyed Cherokee Lake. They have a great Ruby Tuesday in Morristown, and the salad bar was good.
The ride home was a welcome treat as Big Cobra shared 8 or 9 more hours of stories from his experiences on the water. I'm thinking of compiling them into a
book and letting him write the forward. We'll call it, "The Real Adventures of the Last Pro Jock Fisherman". It was a great year, meeting some of the best
fisherman around, competing at different events, and finding my groove. Keep checking the site, I'm going to do some background on Big Cobra, some
product information, news from the shows, and sponsor updates.
Don't forget, there is still one tournament to go: "The Hardcore Open", Gull Lake, first Sunday in November. Get a hold of Mike Elkins or email me if you need
info.
See you next year.
Cherokee Lake, Morristown, Tennessee
Mike Elkins and I headed out for Cherokee Lake with the hopes of making an appearance at the All American next Spring. Nine and a half hours of driving,
three hours of sleep in the parking lot of Wal-Mart, a quick breakfast at IHOP and a boat launch later found us staring at some beautiful scenery. Cherokee
Lake boasts some of the finest scenery that the Smoky Mountains has to offer. However, the fishery wasn't all that generous to the Michigan contingent. In
fact, it would have made Lake Leelanau look like a practice pond. We practiced hard, and though the bite was tough we managed to narrow down a
productive pattern, and even find some water that had possibilities. I was unsure of what the lake would deal me during the tournament, but tried to find a way
to fish that would be complimentary as a co-angler.
I drew John Drew from North Carolina for Day 1. We spent most of the day running the bank, with John focusing on shallow rocks. There was no shortage of
shallow rocks........I threw a floating Rogue, hoping to keep my junk out of the rocks, and maybe get a reaction bite from fish hiding in the cracks. It seemed to
work quick, putting me on the board early with a 2 pounder. John stayed with a buzzbait all day, and I threw the Rogue and a shaky head. All in all, I managed
four bites, but three were small. It was a distressing day of fishing, and I wasn't looking forward to another.
Roger Walters was my lucky boater for Day 2. I started the day in 67th, and using the normal tournament forecast formula, I calculated that I needed 8-10 lbs
to make the cut for Day 3. I was less than optimistic. We started fishing some sloping banks covered with small rock and red clay. It didn't look anything like
what I had fished the day before, so I decided that I would change my approach a bit. Whenever I could, I threw a RC2.5DD off the back of the boat, and
cranked it down as far as I could. I was hitting bottom around 13', and I hoped to find some feeding fish. When we ventured shallower, I threw a shallow
running crank or a buzzbait. Roger picked out a chatterbait, and threw it all day. In case you didn't notice, throwing a bait all day was the pattern. I picked off
a 2 pounder around 10:00am, and then another one around noon. I know that 1 or 2 more bites would be me in good shape, but it just never happened. I
stuck the deep crank whenever I could, but I lost the RC on a rock, and never felt much confidence in what I threw after that. Roger managed three fish, and
had a couple shorts.
Final results. 43rd out of 150, 1 fish out of the money, 2 out of the show. Having had the opportunity to do Day 1 over, I would have cranked all day. My
boaters covered the shallow banks well, and left little clean water. I was worried about losing cranks in the rocks, and that changed my approach. I believe
that I was around alot more fish on Day 1, and though I was using a bigger crank that might not catch the spots, I think one or two more quality bites on Day 1
would have changed my outcome.
At any rate, I enjoyed Cherokee Lake. Well, sort of enjoyed Cherokee Lake. They have a great Ruby Tuesday in Morristown, and the salad bar was good.
The ride home was a welcome treat as Big Cobra shared 8 or 9 more hours of stories from his experiences on the water. I'm thinking of compiling them into a
book and letting him write the forward. We'll call it, "The Real Adventures of the Last Pro Jock Fisherman". It was a great year, meeting some of the best
fisherman around, competing at different events, and finding my groove. Keep checking the site, I'm going to do some background on Big Cobra, some
product information, news from the shows, and sponsor updates.
Don't forget, there is still one tournament to go: "The Hardcore Open", Gull Lake, first Sunday in November. Get a hold of Mike Elkins or email me if you need
info.
See you next year.
| 2008 Trail Affiliations |
October 24
What's new around here? Well, it's getting cold, and most of the northerners are putting their fishing poles on ice in exchange for a treestand or an easy
chair. The weekend warriors have turned into loathsome cranky boys waiting for the Spring sun to put those girls back in the mood. But not us. KDawg.net
never rests, and neither do the Pro Jocks. Lots of great news to report. Fellow nail pounder and awesome bass fisherman Luke Gritter has done what the
rest of us only dream about....Congratulations Luke on qualifying for the 2009 BASS Elite Series. I'm going to help you with your entries, and after cashing
my check I figure you'll only need about $54,950. Just kidding, who wouldn't want this guy in their corner. Check out his BASS career profile. In other news,
my mentor and long time hero Scott Lakey is headed to Table Rock next week to try for $140,000 at the FLW Outdoors Stren Championship. Best of luck
Scott. Carlos "Chazaam" Vergara is also making moves as he finished up second at Burt/Mullet in the Berrien Bass Busters tourney where he boated nearly
twenty pounds of smallies. Though I heard his boater was hooking the fish and handing him the rod. No really, I think that's how it happened. Carlos'
boater coincidently had never caught a sheephead, so the rod exchange worked out well for both of them. Stay tuned to the Pro-Jock corner as we continue
to wait anxiously for the "Sheepie How-To". Speaking of the Pro-Jock Corner, there is a new article available there for the Real Pro-Jock Big Cobra. If you
haven't read it, check it out. It's a great pick me up to the dreary fall weather. And on this final note, here is a picture of one of the strangest fish I've ever
seen in freshwater, and one that roams Cherokee Lake. This may be the one that got away......
What's new around here? Well, it's getting cold, and most of the northerners are putting their fishing poles on ice in exchange for a treestand or an easy
chair. The weekend warriors have turned into loathsome cranky boys waiting for the Spring sun to put those girls back in the mood. But not us. KDawg.net
never rests, and neither do the Pro Jocks. Lots of great news to report. Fellow nail pounder and awesome bass fisherman Luke Gritter has done what the
rest of us only dream about....Congratulations Luke on qualifying for the 2009 BASS Elite Series. I'm going to help you with your entries, and after cashing
my check I figure you'll only need about $54,950. Just kidding, who wouldn't want this guy in their corner. Check out his BASS career profile. In other news,
my mentor and long time hero Scott Lakey is headed to Table Rock next week to try for $140,000 at the FLW Outdoors Stren Championship. Best of luck
Scott. Carlos "Chazaam" Vergara is also making moves as he finished up second at Burt/Mullet in the Berrien Bass Busters tourney where he boated nearly
twenty pounds of smallies. Though I heard his boater was hooking the fish and handing him the rod. No really, I think that's how it happened. Carlos'
boater coincidently had never caught a sheephead, so the rod exchange worked out well for both of them. Stay tuned to the Pro-Jock corner as we continue
to wait anxiously for the "Sheepie How-To". Speaking of the Pro-Jock Corner, there is a new article available there for the Real Pro-Jock Big Cobra. If you
haven't read it, check it out. It's a great pick me up to the dreary fall weather. And on this final note, here is a picture of one of the strangest fish I've ever
seen in freshwater, and one that roams Cherokee Lake. This may be the one that got away......
BFL Burt Mullet Results
BFL Sandusky Bay Results
BFL Lake St. Clair Results
BFL Detroit River Results
BAU Lake St. Clair Results
BAU Lake St. Clair Results
Skeeter Owners Results
BFL Detroit River Results
BFL Regional Results
BFL Sandusky Bay Results
BFL Lake St. Clair Results
BFL Detroit River Results
BAU Lake St. Clair Results
BAU Lake St. Clair Results
Skeeter Owners Results
BFL Detroit River Results
BFL Regional Results
| Complete Results |
| KDawg.net |
| Bass Fishing Hot Spot Featuring Kendall Ulsh |
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