Central Open, Table Rock

I'm loaded and ready to travel to Branson, MO in the morning. I had to take my Skeeter in this week to have the fuel injector pump filters replaced, there was debris of some kind in there. It was expensive but I should be able to make my long runs now. I have a 45mile run from Table Rock State Park up the James River where I want to go. I'm not sure what my range is but it's going to cost me a lot of money for gas now that it's $4gal.

We are timing the spawn just right since they are behind with the cool weather we've had. We are finally getting some rain now so the water is rising which should move the bass up into the buck brush by tournament time. I should be able to catch them good. I'm going to run as far as I can, unfortunately it's going to cost me a fortune.



If I don't make the top 12 cut on saturday I will fish the Bassmaster Weekend Series out of Kimberling also. I should have figured something out by then and should have a good chance however my goal is to make the top 12 so I have an opportunity to win.

After the tournament I have one day to unload everything out of my boat for the trip to Toledo Fiberglass on Toledo Bend. I'm having my hull repaired from the puncture from Lake Fork, I will be getting the Gator Hull put on which is guaranteed for life and is transferable to a new owner. I may have found a good deal for a newer 2008 Skeeter ZX225 HPDI, so the new gator hull may help me sell my Skeeter, it's a big plus down there in Texas so I may be able to get a better price for my boat.

Updates:
The Central Open was cancelled after water level on the lake rose 20' in the three days of practice. It rained heavy day and night the 3days I was there. It has been rescheduled for October. http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=2039600989917

I got the new Gator hull on the boat.
Follow these links to view videos I posted on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=2054329158112
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=2054621085410
http://www.facebook.com/#!/video/video.php?v=2058527183060&comments

I was the only bidder on a bank owned 2009 Skeeter 20i. I bid $20K to start then the bank bid $35K I got up and walked out. I was willing to pay $27K-$28K. It was a wrapped tournament boat and worth maybe $33K. I called a week later and bank still owned and are still trying to get $35K for it

Pickwick, AL

I have to start getting myself mentally ready for the second stop of the Bassmaster Central Open on Table Rock. I watched Davy Hite win the Elite Series on Pickwick in Florence, AL. I feel like I could have done very well in that tournament. I just got through fishing the same water as Hite and Terry Scroggins in the first Southern Open on Lake Toho. I've competed against Aaron Martens, Shaw Grisby, Paul Elias and the Lane boys in the Opens and the PAA event on Toledo Bend. Just the experience of sharing water with these guys has been a big thrill. I fished with Alton Jones on Falcon in my first event as a co-angler in the Elites, it was right after he won the Classic. I thought it was cool when I had the very same Yum Dinger, green pumpkin purple tied on. He did great on Pickwick flipping it in the sawgrass....I probably would have been doing the same thing. Aaron Martens was fishing one of the spots I fished in the community area up by the dam. There is a great drop off there with big boulders with the current running it's a great place to fish. I feel like I know that lake extremely well. Out there in the middle by the dam the bottom is rippled like waves on the surface and the bass sit between the humps and wait for bait to swim overhead, so swimming a jig, swimbait, or crankbait work great....slow rolling a big spinnerbait is also great. I didn't see anyone fishing the bluff walls but I'm sure they were. The bass love to pin the shad there, they have nowhere to go but up. Hite and Keith Poche fished up against the dam walls in slack water, fish where pinning the shad there and they were catching them big time. Hite won on a Berkley hollow body swimbait. I really like their thin body hollow body swimbait I use it alot and will be using it on Tenkiller next week and on Table Rock. I feel like I'm one of the boys now and know some of these guys pretty well after fishing 10 events with alot of those Elite pros. I've been becoming very versatile after competing on so many different lakes at a high level around the country, I'm sure this experience will pay off soon. Mentally, I've been through it all and that's mostly what I've been learning as well as how to catch fish these past four years. When I see these guys fishing lakes I know it's like I'm there. I can picture Pickwick in my mind and wouldn't even have to practice and be confident. Confidence is the number one thing a tournament angler must have to do good. I love it when I know where the big bass are and am catching them...then, there is the opposite of the spectrum. Frustration, and things breaking. This is a very expensive sport. I've been paying my dues and really can't wait to get back out on the water now that it has warmed up and the bass have moved shallow. I'm hungry and now it's time to win.

Lake Fork Dodge MegaBass- BassChamps

Click on link to see video shot day of tournament.
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1955666771614&comments
I caught a nice 10+ bass in practice, it was sunny and 80* the day before the tournament. It was up shallow in 2' of water on a stump, the water was 72*. A cold front rolled in and it was cold and cloudy all day during the tournament. The day started off badly as I hit a stump right and put a $3500 hole in the hull. I trailered immediately and put a tube of RV silicon adhesive over the damaged area and then duct tapped, it worked great and I didn't get a drop of water in the boat.

Unfortunately, the weather effected the bite and I didn't get the big bite I needed to win a truck. I was confident in the area, it just didn't work out. I hate fishing cold weather.



My next tournament is on Lake Tenkiller, OK Bassmaster Weekend Series, Then the Bassmaster Central Open on Table Rock. I plan to put a temporary fiberglass patch then take my boat down to Toledo Fiberglass for their guaranteed for life Gorilla Hull.
I'm really hurting now financially with all my setbacks and need to start collecting checks if I'm to continue competitive fishing.