Final B.A.S.S Open

B.A.S.S. SOUTHERN OPEN


My last big tournament of the year was in South Carolina on Santee Copper Lake. The lake was drawn down almost three feet and trying to get around was just short of dangerous. My four day practice time consisted of concentrating on one area of the lake and trying to learn and locate fish as best as I could. With a half day left on the final practice day I had found nothing. I think I had only caught four fish total in the three and a half days I had been fishing. It was tough out there. With a couple of hours to go I made my way back into a pocket and started throwing a ½ oz. Strike King Premier Elite spinnerbait around some deeper Cypress trees. I got a bite but the fish came off at the boat. It had looked like a good one. As I idled out back to the main channel my depth finder went from four feet to twenty feet fast. Since I hadn’t fished out deep on any ledges I decided to give it a try. I spun the boat around and on my first cast with a Carolina rig I got bit. Within a minute or so I had several good bites. I marked the spot on my gps and decide that I would be fishing there on the day of the tournament. The next morning came and I went straight to the Cypress trees. I immediately caught a three pound fish on the spinnerbait. That was a good start. I ran around the lake for a while with no success and decided to go to the ledge I had found. I tipped my Carloina Rig with a Strike King Game Hawg and went to work. I caught three nice keepers and lost one at the boat. Time ran out so I ran back to the weigh in. My four fish weighed 9pounds, 9 ounces. Good enough to put me inside the top thirty. I was not only shocked but excited. Day two I decided to stay on the ledge. My partner quickly went to work catching his limit before I even had a bite. I broke two nice fish off and was starting to get frustrated. At one o’clock I picked up a football jig and put three god keepers in the boat. Time ran out again and I knew that I probably wouldn’t make it to the next day. I put my fish on the scales and those three weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces. I stood back and watched as all of the other competitors weighed in. In the end I squeaked in the top thirty sitting in 28th place. I could not believe I had made it to the final day. My goal for day three was to catch a limit and that’s what I intended to do. Day three and I ran straight to the ledge. They were there and we started catching them quick. My co angler and I both had a limit by 9 o’clock and I had only lost one fish. We stayed there all day throwing Carolina rigs catching fish after fish. In the end we had caught over twenty keepers. My rig consisted of a 6’10” medium heavy rod, an Ardent XS 100 reel, and seventeen pound Vicious Fluorocarbon line with a twelve pound leader. I used a Strike King Game Hawg in the California Craw color on a 3/0 Mustad worm hook. The key to not breaking off any fish that day was the switch to a lighter rod on day three. I was happy that I had caught a limit. Now it was time to weigh them in. When my fish hit the scales they weighed 10 pounds, 8 ounces. It was good enough to vault me into 16th place. It was a great way to end to year. I was glad it was over and I happy to end it on a good note. I would like to thank all of my sponsors for their continuing support. If not for them, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Newbold Toyota, Strike King Lure Company, Ardent, Vicious, Mustad, Sure-Life, E &D Concrete, PLP Battery Supply, Von Jacob Vinyards, Natural Gear, and Camo Clad. Last but not least I would like to thank my wife Heidi and all of my friends that stand behind me. You do not know how much that means to me.