Day 2 BASS Southern open- Lake Toho

Well day two is in the books and I just had another of those days. lol After adjusting too late on day one I had made the choice to learn from that mistake and make the long run one day two. That was until I saw my boat number and knowing the lock was packed and would cut my fishing time down atleast 3 hours total. I made a last min choice to run to one place first that I found in practice but not fished. I knew I could get there in less than 5 mins and while some lock thru I could have a shot at boating a fish before running to the lock to head south. Well I sat the boat down and after 3 cast I knew I had to slow waaaaaayyyyyy down due to the water temps dropping 8 degrees over night. I picked up a "go-to" bait and tossed it to the edge of a grass line. WHAM!! fish number one in the boat. within a couple of cast my Co-Angler, Houston Smith, boated a solid fish. I continued to toss the bait and after about 15 or so cast I hit my 2nd keeper. My co answered again with another keeper. Within the first hour I had 4 fish in the boat but the wind was picking up and switch directions. I stayed about another 30 or so mins then knew I had to move. Well knowing I had fish on Toho and knew areas that would prob produce I changed up and thought I'd make one more stop before going to my long run. Well we both missed big fish we couldn't turn on that stop which made me stick to that area and once I did that I was commited to not locking down. I hit several areas most of which were still dirty from the winds on Thursday. We grinded and flipped every inch of water we came too with a few missed and several fish just not hooking up solid. It was enough to "spin" most mortal men out but we held strong and stay focused. We ended up finishing where we started but with dirty water and no results. I fell a few spots but got some points that will count in the end of the year. I will give a detailed account of the entire trip and event in another report that will explain my pre-fishing, patterns, and baits as well as a few other funny things that happened.

Day 1 BASS Southern Open- Lake Toho

Well after a number of practice days I was ready to hit the water after a long year off the tour. I had a game plan and even a "plan B" already in my head. As I took off and headed to the first stop I sat down into high winds (in an area that had been semi-protected from a north wind all week prior) and rolling waves. Well knowing from past events that shallow water grass lakes with big fish really hate choppy water I knew I wouldnt be there long. I wasnt. I spent about 30-45 mins on the trolling motor blind casting to areas that had been very productive my first week here. To give you an idea on the winds the water I was fishing was fairly clear when I stopped and got nasty by the time I knew I had to move. I hit the gas and ran back north to an area Mike and I had fished with some good results for keeper fish and had one over 5 lbs shake off. Well I made the 10 min run and the second I sat the boat down knew that was not a good move on my part, again nasty wind blown water. I satyed about 15 mins before fighting my brain and pulling up the trolling motor. On to stop 3 which was fairly protected water wise and I knew it had to have some clear water in it. I had seen numbers of beds and knowing the water temps havent dropped all week, but really gone up I had to make the stop. Yep, you guessed it water was dirty, cleaner but still dirty and every bed was vacant. This is the point I talk about in most every class I teach on tournament Bass fishing NOT spinning out. I was at a loss, everything I had was going to be nasty and I knew there was only one thing to do, lock down. Mike and I had locked down one day in practice but never made the entire run to Kissimee. I just closed my eyes and went with my gut. I made the hour run down and once in the lake saw exactly what my gut was looking for, clear water with a drop near it. Once on the trolling motor it only took about 10-15 mins for my young Co-angler and first time BASS Open fisherman, Billy Mathews to validate my choice by putting a keeper in the boat. Once that happened it was like I knew I made the right choice. I boated a fish within another 5 mins and was back in the game. about another 15 mins went by and WHAM another fish. Not big fish but they were taking a boat ride either way. lol I call it part of the "Chris Jackson- Relocation program."lol Anyway, The sun got higher and the bite got slower but he and I both missed a limit of fish. That just happens sometime and I have learned to just accept it and stay moving forward. Once time ran close we made the run back which was a great ride to jar the Kidney Stone lose at 75 + in solid 3 footers. Once closer to the ramp had a little time left and knowing this lake has huge fish knew it would only take one to keep me in the game for the top 12. Well after missing two more that felt really good I was just out of time and had to return. I had a bad sack at 2.12 lbs but Im really not worried. The reason I say that is this is a lake that is famous for one bad day and one giant day. Looking at the standing, yes I am in like 160 place but the bigger picture is im only two realistic solid 4 lb fish from a check. I have seen many angler catch me on Guntersville the same way. Sitting nice and comfy in the top 20-30 and some guy come knock me out of a check on day two catching a sack of pigs. Friday I plan to be that guy!! Huge thanks to everyone for all your support and well wishes and I will be swinging for the fence Friday. You will see the Classic "hero or zero" Chris Jackson at its best.lol See you on the water and at the tanks. Best wishes to all the other anglers and my buds fishing the event.

Wrap up of the First BASS Event 2013

Well here is the "skinny" on all the practice and tournament events of the last 3 weeks in Fla. First of all, yes I got it handed to me and I dont make excuses at all it is what it is. lol Upon my arriving at Kissimee, Fla I was stoked up and ready to hit the water. Little did I know I had some obstical to overcome along the way. One major thing was the battle with several large Kidney Stones that choose one of the worst times to deal me a fit. Now many of you that know me know I look at pain as more of an inconvenance that a probelm. I was raised and trained throughout my life to "suck it up and deal with it". Well I did but it also had a plan. I fished though not being able to bend much and when I did bend it was not really on my own accord.lol Anyway, I fished the first week in practice everyday except one and 3 main areas on Lake Toho that I knew would produce solid bags for the tournament. Many thanks to team mate and fellow angler/Guide, Scott Taylor for clueing me in on a few things as well. Scott is a guide there(Taylor Made Charters) as well as up north on the Great Lakes and one heck of an angler. He also owns a bait company that makes some awesome hand pours I have been using for sometime, Reveloution Bait Co. Be sure to check both out on Facebook and let em know we sent ya. Scott hooked a boother up with some great baits for swimming a jig in the grass and they produced some great fish including 3 over 8 and one over 7 in the first week. After week one was in the books I was very confident I could catch some fish and at worst nail a limit off bedding fish in two of the areas I was in. So the start of week two I wanted to run around and look at some new water. Monday morning of official practice I took my room mate and buddy Mike to some new stuff. We did a ton of looking on the sonar. I would be willing to say we spent atleast 6 hours at less than 1000 rpms on the boat just looking for shell beds and ditches. I was wanting to find areas the fish could move to or "highways" they would use to get to spaning flats. Well all that looking resulted in one ditch, one shell bed and a ton of gas out of the boat. Now most of you know I prefer to pattern fish NOT spot fish. I was a little worried because the only pattern I had so far was bedding fish and Hydrilia grass. Bad thing with the grass is that it is like Lake Guntersville, sometimes they are there sometimes they are not. I continued to search the next day for something odd or that others might over look. I never found anything that could convince me not to stay in Toho and battle it out with all my eggs in one basket. On the last day of practice I spent the day getting my game plan together and getting the boat ready. I do that in every event no matter how well practice went because the mental part of the event is just as, if not more, important than the physical part of fishing. We end up at the meeting and had a blast seeing old friends I havent seen in a year and introducing Mike to several people he should know. After the meeting we hit the bed and got ready for battle. One the first day I noticed the water temps had dropped a ton and while waiting for my number knew I was not going to be in the shape I had planned. I confirmed that on the first stop and went into scramble mode. One of the worst things an angler can do on the first stop is freak out and after taking a year off I was doubting myself and my gut a little. Now don't get me wrong I never lost focus or control like some do but I was close to the point of "spinning out", which in my book is just as bad as doing it. lol Anyway, I made a run even though it was too late to capitalize on it and came up with a way to salvage my day two(read the day one note). on day two I had a plan but catching 4 fish in the first 45 mins tossed a wrench in that plan fast. I made the move to stay where I was go to my bedding fish and swing for the fence. I knew this lake has a ton of big fish in it and I can catch them if I stay. I knew from day one I could catch a limit making the run but a limit wasn't going to do me any good if I wanted to mount a huge comeback and make the cut. So in true "CJ" style I said ROCK ON and stuck with the bigger bite and the gamble. Well that didnt fair too well as most of you know but I had to live with it and suck it up. One thing I know from the years of competive Bass fishing is those who win are those willing to take risk and willing to put everything they have into getting 5 bites. Well Sometimes they get them and win and sometimes they dont and lose. Either way I am blessed to play the game and learn from each day to become better and more ready for the next time I face the same conditions. Here was the problem I had with my fish so some of you can learn from it as well. One: When fishing south Fla lakes cold fronts can kill a solid bite in less than a few hours. Two: NEVER fish dirty water!! Meaning if your water gets stained LEAVE it!! Well both of those happened to me. Water temps dropped on day one and killed my bedding fish bite. When I showed up to sight fish the winds were slamming my area but I had the beds marked so I didn't care. The problem was the water temps dropped 12 degrees and got muddy. That will drive a bedding fish out to a more secure area faster than anything. I knew I had to find clean water and made the adjustment. Although it was a 30+ mile adjustment and killed some fishing time. WHen I did find an area I have not even pre-fished in I caught fish but too little too late. The pattern I found waqs the right one and one that the winner was on oddly enough. I found a huge field of pads and had clean water. I flipped a Vertical Lures Creature X and a Lake Fork Live Magic Shad in the pads. One thing I found after two bites was fish were not just "in the pads" they were only positioned in the pads that were flat without any other grass near it. That was the best pattern I saw. I then narrowed the 1/4 mile of pads down to a few hundred yards of productive water. On day two I duplicated that same bite on my first stop and boated fish. My day two co-angler, Hunter, did catch his fish out of some slop so we did move deeper into some nasty areas to get a few bites. I ended up switching up baits a little from the Creature X to the Tube X in a watermelon red color to get in the grass better. One thing that might help some of you out there is the way I flipped it. The biggest weight I had was a one ounce Lake Fork Tungsten. Well I pegged one on then backed it with another 1 oz rigged backwards. That gave me a point at both ends to slip thru the grass better and also added the weight I needed to punch the grass without having to toss the bait in the air and make a "splashdown" with my bait that could spook fish that are under pressure already. After getting back to the ramp and "licking my wounds" I learned a few good things and was humble on stage even making a few jokes about my fish being "washed in hot water and shrinking" LOL I love to make the crowd laugh and cut up. I think even if you have a bad day and no matter how exhausted you are you should still make the best of the time the director gives you on stage. I am ready for the next event and hope my experience will help others think out of the box and salvage a bad event. I want to say a HUGE thank you to God for giving me the chance to do what I do and put me in the position to effect peoples lives in someway. My family, friends, and fans for believing in me and ALL the support during this event and trust me I read every comment and when we do WIN we WILL ALL WIN TOGETHER! My Sponsors, for being such an asset to our program. Ronnie Parker at Lake Fork Lures for making some awesome stuff and making sure I have what I need. My buddy and fellow tour angler JW for tossing me some Vertical Lures baits that helped me not zero on day two. lol Curt at Daiwa for everything you do and making sure my gear is in top condition. Brad at Topwater Clothing for making me look good on the water and we all know what a task that is. LOL Gator Grip for making my custom board so I could make sure I don't bring in a short fish with all the "dinks" I caught.lol Jim at The Rod Glove for keeping my tools all safe, sound, and organized. Then Judy and John at Clear Creek Cove, They made sure everything was nice and safe while I was gone and I cant think of a better place to stay on the water than that place. See everyone in the next few weeks at the Classic and looking forward to the Next BASS Event at Lake Douglas in Tenn. Going to be a great tournament with some awesome fishing. be sure to come check it out. Thanks again to everyone for all the support and see you on the water.

” Beating the Heat on the “Big G”

Beating the Heat on the “Big G” I always want to chuckle when I pull into one of the many boat ramps on Lake Guntersville in the summer months. You can just about have any parking spot you want and most of the time only one or two people are lining up to put in. Such a different sight than January-May when you better arrive 3 hours before daylight and still wait in line to get in the water. People seem to forget this lake holds big fish and the chance to catch the fish of a lifetime even in the heat of the summer. It’s not like they move north to cool off, they are still there just not as easy to catch as in the spring. Most anglers make a huge mistake on Guntersville thinking all the fish are moved deep in the summer months. Now they are somewhat right, some great catches come from deep water but there is a trick. Deep fish on Guntersville are not as easy to find for “non-local” anglers or anglers that have never seen the lake. I’m not saying an angler that’s not familiar with the lake can’t catch fish deep; the chances are just not as great as other smaller lakes. When I’m asked what I do to catch fish on Guntersville in the summer months or asked for tactics an angler need to do to better his/her chances I always stick with the consistent bite, shallow. I generally fish topwater in the mornings until the sun gets above the trees then break out the flipping stick for the rest of the day. I do fish a couple of other things every now and then and I’m going to break those things down for you here. Let’s start with topwater; I start in areas near the main river channel but not in the backs of pockets like most would think. Smaller pockets right off the channel with grass near the surface or topped out. I like to start with a couple of different baits. I will start with a Lake Fork Trophy Lures “Fork Frog”. I rig it on 30 pound braid with a fast 7.1 Daiwa Steez reel and a Jackall Master Stroke rod. The rod has backbone but a fast action tip to let me cast the bait a long distance. I rig the frog on a weightless Hookerz Tackle hook 4/0 hook. I cast the bait out over the grass areas and reel it slow but steady and every now and then “pop” the frog to give it a little “jumping” action. The next bait I like is one that’s near and dear to my heart. It’s the first bait I ever purchased from Jackall Lures in Japan and the bait that helped me meet and become part of the Jackall Pro-Staff, the Jackall Dagored. This bait is larger topwater “wake type“bait that has a small prop on the rear of the tail that also causes loud noise when “yanked” across the top of the water. This is not numbers bait but it is a great “big fish” bait. I have boated some of my best topwater big fish on this bait including several over 10+ pounds on several lakes in the US. I rig this bait on a Daiwa Steez Swimbait 7’6” swimbait rod with Lake Fork Flourohybrid line. I use this bait in just about any location except where grass is topped out. If I have fish in an area that’s topped out I will still swim it along the grass lines on the edge. The next topwater bait I use and catch a ton of fish on is the SK Grande’ by Jackall. This bait is super easy to cast, work, and almost always produces fish. Clients sometimes think it is too small to catch bigger fish but it’s not. I’ve had many 20-25 pound limits of fish on this bait. It’s extremely versatile and can be worked just about anywhere there is bait fish present. Once the topwater is done and the bite slows down It’s time to break out the big sticks. There are several ways to catch fish on Guntersville when it starts heating up but the best “big fish” bite is a tactic near and dear to my heart, Flipping grass! I normally will head to the main river ledges to flip. I put the boat in 12-15 feet of water on the edge of the grass lines and start by pitching to the outside edges and work my way into the heavy mats. I generally weave back and forth until I get a bite and then I stick to the type of grass I caught the fish in the rest of the day (i.e. outside edge or back in the mats). Also try to target turns in the channel, places that have good areas to hide from fast currents or small underwater points in the channel. I use a Jackall Delta Spec flipping stick topped with a Daiwa Steez 6.3:1 reel and either 65 pound braid or heavy Flourohybrid line. Now when it comes to baits there are several and I will even give you a few new little secret baits I use in a minute but we need to get it ready for bait. First I use a “bobber stopper” made by Bass Pro Shops to peg the weight I am going to use. This is very important to use because if you don't peg the weight sometimes (more often than not) the weight will drop through the grass and the bait will stay on top of it. The weight being pegged pulls the weight down in the strike zone as it falls. Once I get the peg on I use anything from a ½-1 oz Lake Fork Lures Tungsten weight and a 5/0 – 7/0 Hookerz Tackle Flipping hook. These hooks are super thick and can handle just about anything you can connect them to and not straighten out. The knot I use is one that has increased my “hook ups” in the grass ever since I started using it, the Snell knot. I have a video on how to tie the knot on my You Tube Channel, ChrisJacksonAngler be sure to check it out. Once you have everything tied up its time to get the bait on. The choice of baits is endless and a lot of times more what an angler has confidence in. I have several I prefer, Jackall Sasuteki craw, Lake Fork Flipper, Lake Fork Lures Fork Tube, and sometimes big worms and (here’s the secret) a swimbait. If I use a swimbait I use either the Jackall Ammonite Shad or the 5.5 Lake Fork Live Magic Shad. One thing all these have in common is the colors. I stick to natural colors. On the swimbaits always shad colors but the others I will stick to Black and Blue, Green Pumpkin, Watermelon and Bluegill. The one thing with flipping is the time you flip without a bite. This will keep most anglers from doing it. Until you find fish you could flip miles of river channel before you get a bite. Once you do you can duplicate that area on the map and find more fish. The cool thing is once you find one fish you will find a pile of them. They are generally stacked up in a small area this time of year and I’ve seen a lot of doubles and triples on guide trips flipping. Big thing is don’t burn all your fish if you plan on coming back anytime soon. You can pound on them in a section and if you push them too hard they will move and you have to start at square one again. If the flipping bite doesn’t seem to be your thing and you want to cover more water there is one other tactic I use and probably one thing I am kind of known for on Guntersville and that’s “finesse cranking”. I’m not real sure where the term came from but I can tell you how I do it. I start on the grass lines on the main channel (but this can be used just about anywhere) with a good heavy cranking rod with a fast action tip. This rod will help you make accurate cast right to the edge of the grass you can see but still have enough backbone to snap the bait free if it gets loaded up in the grass by mistake. I use Lake Fork 20 pound Flourohybrid line on a fast 7.1 reel. I use the faster reel to take up slack in the line fast when I’m working the bait. Once I make the cast I then raise the rod tip pulling the Jackall Muscle 10+ in the grass. If you don't hit grass during the pull then start reeling while you drop the rod tip. Then you slowly reel until you hit the grass. Once you hit it stop the bait, hold pressure on it and lightly shake it with the rod tip pointed up. This will slowly bend the grass over and then bait will slide right off in a quick motion. That’s when most every bite I get happens. If you don't get a bite you will drive right back in the grass. You then repeat the process until you don't hit grass anymore or you catch a fish. The one thing I tell clients when I am teaching them this tactic is if you bring grass back with the bait your fishing it too fast. This is the number one way to see if you’re doing it right. Most of the feedback I get it the action is a lot like working a worm but with a cranbait attached. When you do get a bite there will be no doubt in your mind a fish hit it. They will knock the rod out of your hand if you’re not careful. It’s a very aggressive bite from very non-aggressive fish. One thing I think makes a difference between this tactics and using a shallower diving crankbait like a square bill is the deeper diver has to be worked slower and gets in the strike zone fast and stays there. The shallow diver just passes over their head and catches the more aggressive fish which are a lot of times smaller. I’m not saying they are always smaller but this tactic will get you several more bites out of an already fished or pressured area. It’s a great way to catch fish behind someone else working the line. These are a few ways I use to catch some great fish on Lake Guntersville and I’m sure if you incorporate these tactics it will increase your chances on catching the fish of a lifetime on this amazing body of water. If you want to see these in action or want to get some personal instruction be sure to give us a call and we will get you set up for a guide trip and get you on the water and in the action. See you on the water and stay cool in the heat. Chris Jackson chris@chrisjacksonfishing.com 205-706-2425

New Weather App Sets the Bar for All Others

The outdoors changes all the time just like the world of technology. As anglers and hunters search for anything to make them better in their chosen hobby some move to technology to find ways to improve. Professional Angler, Chris Jackson is right there with them. While fihsing at an event in New York and faced with a choice to stay in an area or move to an area closer to the check in and safety due to some clouds rolling in. It was at that time it hit Chris. He told his co-angler, "we need a weather app that works on smart phones to let us know when its going to get bad." Well after making the run back and weighing his fish he made a phone call. " I called my close friend and meteorologist, Brad Huffins back in Alabama.". I told him I knew he worked closely with Weather Call, a home based weather aleart system that would call you in the event of severe weather, and wanted to make it mobile. I also asked him about adding a lightning detector to the service as well. After we talked a few hours the ball started rolling. It was only about a month later Brad called Chris and said "I think we have it.". Brad sent Chris a site to test and after over a solid year or more of testing both on the road traveling to events and on the water fishing it was tweeked and prefected.

On the 28th of September Chris released a new app for any smart phone called "chrisjacksonfishing.com Mobile Weather Alert". This new app for the phones can save you not only on the water but also on the road as well as at home. It's easy to use and one of the most important things affordable for everyone to have at only $17.95 a year, YES thats a YEAR.

This app is one of the coolest things I have ever had on my phone. I can travel to a tournament log on and set it in the seat. It goes off if I am traveling into bad weather and lets me know I need to either change my route or prepare to get wet. On the water "IT ROCKS", he says. I can be fishing and no worry about a cloud coming over the top of a mountian and bring nasty weather with it. I know if its coming long before I see the cloud and can adjust what I am doing. "It has saved me on more than one tour event or guide trip, because getting a co-angler or client on a guide trip struck by lightning is just bad for business", Chris says while joking.

AS Chris walked us through how to get started I noticed how easy it was to get the app and how much this thing really does. Once you go to his website www.chrisjacksonfishing.com, click on the link at the top of the page and it takes you to the page. It explains what options you have you get the app and load it to your phone by following the steps on the page. Then all you have to do is click the icon on your homescreen, set your location and go about your day. If Lightning strikes within 6 miles of your reported location your sent a phone call, text, and/or email letting you know. If another strike doesnt happen in the next 15 mins your sent another text telling you it's safe to return to what you were doing. The same with severe weather, tornado's, and flash floods within a mile of your location.

While getting updates on lightning and severe weather is the main reason to have this app, Chris points out something else he uses it for. " You can go to the page, load it and get some awesome options.". "I can hit the detailed weather tab and get up to date weather forcast as well and an up to date"real time" radar for the area I am in" says Jackson. This is awesome while on trips but really great on the water. I can see the direction winds are shifting which might make me move to a better location for catching fish. So it's a win/win anyway you look at it.

Enev though this app was created with anglers and hunters in mind it's not just for them. Everyone should have it if you ever go outside. I used it at an outdoor concert once and knew to go ahead and head toward cover when lightning was in the area. By the time everyone else "saw" the lightning I had the best seat in the house because I beat them to it knowing it was coming about 10 mins before they did. So even if you dont hunt of fish this is an app for you as well. To get more information about the app be sure to go to www.chrisjacksonfishing.com and keep you and your family safe in the outdoors. Remember when severe weather strikes seconds count and can mean the difference between life and death.

Day 1 PAA Event-Table Rock Lake

Well where do I start? My practice was ok but nothing great with only 2 1/2 days to pick apart a lake I've never seen. Table Rock is an awesome lake with some great numbers in it. I fished both main patterns in practice and on day 1 I did exactly the same thing. I made the long run this monring with almost certianty I would have a limit on the first stop. I got there and a local was right on top of it. After I pulled in about 200 yards from the point I wanted to fish he turned his boat at me and to be honest I could have moved closer but know how I hate when someone does that to me. Now if it was me and I see a guy fishing a big event I give them the water on Guntersville, I have lots of places like most locals. That wasnt going to happen so I stay away and left there without a fish.

On my 2nd stop I started with the topwater bite and had 4 fish only one keeper that jumped off at the boat. I then moved a little deeper and slowed down. Typically when your catching short fish if you move a little deeper you can find the bigger bite. The jig and dropshot gave me 19 short fish on 27 cast. Knowing how spots and smallmouth group by size I left it. I made several other stops without a bite and made the choice to go shallow and flip, which had given my my biggest fish in practice. First place I hit I tossed in and missed the bite. Made the 2nd pitch into the tree and WHAM!! She hit it and took off running. Now for those that dont know, when they do that there is more with them. When I set the hook it wrapped around a huge brushpile. I could see the fish so I pinned it to the tree and trolled into the brush. While doing that saw 3-4 more fish, all great fish trying to take the bait away from the fish I had. I laid down on the deck and stuck my arm into the water and grabbed the fish. As I was trying to get my hand in it's mouth I felt something funny and then felt like I was hit with a small hammer. I then saw the water snake that just bite me.LOL I got the fish but it was just shy of the 15 inch limit. The snake swam off before I could kill it.hahaha. Shortly after(about 5 mins) my habd started to swell and yep got sick as a dog.

I regained my composure and got my head back right then went back to flipping. I then had 4 more solid fish wrap me up as I was setting the hook and just couldnt get the bites I needed in the boat. I changed back to the deeper bite due to the boat traffic beating up my water that was shallow. I learned that typically this will shut off fish in shallow water. Yes I learned it the hard way at Lay Lake in Birmingham, Al..

Long story short My deeper bite gave me a ton of fish(45-48 total) but not one single keeper fish. I did have 3 that were very close but and even hit the line if turned the right way but I dont weigh fish if I have to flip or fan them. Also learned that the hard way on Guntersville when it cost me 3 grand for having a short fish that shrunk in the livewell after both me and my co-angler saw it was over the line when I caught it.

All in all just a bad day for me on the water as far as keeper fish go but Friday is another day. I was kinda down about it until I was reminded last year at Lay Lake during the Regionals I started day 2 in 100th place. I moved up to 12th by the end of day 2 and made Nationals so dont ever count me out.lol Im going to repeat that event and fish new water and swing for the fence. Friday will either be really good or really bad. hahaha Either way I am going to enjoy the things I am blessed with and the chance to compete against some of the BEST anglers in the industry. Thanks to everyone for the support and we will hit it hard again in the monring. ROCK ON!!!!!

God Bless

Phil.4:13

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Lake Chickamauga Event

Last weekend was the was my first tournament event of the year on Lake Chickamauga. After only seeing the lake once before but having a good finish there last year I was ready to get to Tenn and see if I could keep the streak rolling. I rolled into town on Wed moring and as soon as we pulled up noticed the water was way down from last year. After the rains I would have expected the water to be higher if anything but plans were changing as I was ideling around looking at the sonar.

I made the run to one of my best areas from last year and after making a few adjustments my buddy boated his biggest fish ever on a Jackall Muscle 15+ in Chart/Purple color. I was fan casting a point sitting in about 18 feet of water looking for fishin that were ready to move up for the spawn. I boated one fish in the 4 pound class and had several more bites I shook off. We moved around in the area tossing several baits and getting a few strikes. I put a Lake Fork Ring Fry on a small C-Rig and boated another solid keeper. We changed areas looking for some clear water but that was just not going to happen with high winds and pending storms rolling in. We made the move back to the ramp with a productive day one practice and got dry.

On day 2 of practice we wanted to build on what I had seen from the previous day. I hit main lake points where water got very shallow but would drop fast into deeper water. We still boated fish on the Muscle Deep 15+ and also the Jackall TN70 in a Red Craw color. One key was to make sure you worked the bait on the bottom very slow. We hit several areas and boated fish on all but one place. Most of the fish looked to be just coming up so I was very happy with the bite and what I found.

Day 3 of practice was only a halfday due to needing to get everything ready and the meeting that afternoon. We mainly rode and looked alot and I laid a track for my main run I was planning. On the night of the meeting it did nothing but get colder and pending thunderstorms were looking like they were going to move in and stay. That night we got pounded with rains and wind and were heading to the ramp in a down pour. I was hoping they would blow out of the area fast to be honest. I really needed the sun to be out to make my bite stable.

On the monring of the tournament I was sitting on the boat watching weatherreports and radar. We got held due to some nasty lightning but after that storm moved through we were off. I made the 20 min run North of the ramp to my first stop. I really didnt have anything before 9 am but wanted to make sure I got that area so I stayed on it. I boated my first fish on the Jackall TN70 in about an hour. Once I had that bite I noticed it was very sluggish and the bite was very light, unlike the bites I had during the week. I worked the area another hour until I saw my Co-Angler swing on a fish and miss right at the boat. I moved the boat out a little more and the next cast hit another fish and put it in the boat. I had slowed way down fishing the Jackall Cover Craw on light line trying to "coax" a bite. The rains were still pounding us but I was now running against the clock. This is the one time most tournament anglers have issues. I had 2 more areas that produced well in practice and wanted to hit them but had said in my mind I wouldnt leave this place without a limit. Well I always go with my gut and when it said to leave I left with only 2 keepers in the livewell.

On stop #2 I sat the boat down and within 5 mins of setting up boated my 3rd keeper fish. I noticed the water level had changed and also got a little dirty. I still worked the area the way I did in practice and boated 4 more non-keeper fish. I then moved out to the first break(where the better fish should have moved to) and started slowing way down. I was fishing a Jackall 4.8 Flick SHake rigged on a Dropshot and 6 lb line. I hooked a huge fish I saw on the sonar and he came up once. When he took the last dive we pulled me back in the brush and ended up breaking off. This is something that you just have to know will happen when you downsize. I had this happen one more time before time just ran out and I had to go back to the ramp. I did boat several more fish but none that were legal.

I ended the day with 3 fish that went 8.84 and gained some points torward the Regional event. Missing the first event I really need a good finish at Ft Loudon coming up. I want to say a special thanks to everyone that came out to see us and all the well wishes and support from our fans on Facebook. Also a huge thanks to our Sponsors, Jackall Lures, Lake Fork Trophy Lures, Hookerz Tackle, ReserveFishing.com, The Professor, Elite Series Products, Wired2FIsh, Gemini Sports Marketing, Topwater Clothing, Bass Pro SHops, and Gator Grip. Without these guys we couldnt be doing any of this. Looking forward to getting back at it soon and hope to see you on the water. ROCK ON!!!

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