Looking Back on 2008 - A Blow-By-Blow View of the Elite Series Events
February 6, 2009
I fished the Elite Series in 2008. Overall it was a good year. What impacted me most out on the trail was the knowledge that there's no substitute for hard work and time on the water. Late practices made a huge difference in the outcome of my season. Had I gone in when the other guys quit, I'd be working sponsor booths at the Classic this spring instead of fishing it! Here’s a recap of my events in 2008, both the good and the bad:
Elite Series Opener-Harris Chain (FL)
I found pre-spawners in Lake Griffin and felt my chances were strong for the competition rounds. Unfortunately, things didn't work out as planned. I was flipping a 5" Senko and Zoom Brushog to emergent weeds. The bite was slow but steady. In fact it was just slow enough to discourage others from the area, and that's something I like to figure out. It often pays to remain loyal to a slow bite, especially if you have the area to yourself. The only problem in this particular situation was the bigger fish didn't show up. I finished just out of the money on my home waters - not good.
Kissimmee Chain
I made it into the money at this event fishing a Zoom Horny Toad, speeding it across shallow beds. I missed more than I caught . . . there has to be a higher percentage lure on the drawing board somewhere (hopefully at GYCB!).
Lake Falcon
I finished 15th using jigs and Senkos. I caught a 9-pounder on a 6" green-pumpkin Senko that saved the day on the 3rd day of competition. I was fishing bushes on ledges and humps in a major creek arm. They were moving in to spawn. What I learned in that event is the fish were more responsive to a lengthy presentation, rather than a vertical, close-in approach. I garnered a good check at Falcon and some very valuable points toward the Classic.
Lake Amistad
I snagged another $10K check sight-fishing Senkos around flooded bushes. The water was gin-clear, but the fish were easy. Green-pumpkin was the ticket, either in the 5" or 6" size. I wished I’d located bigger fish in that one. I recall seeing a cruising 6-pounder in practice. I marked the spot, and on Day 2, desperately needing a 5th fish, I returned to it. It was cloudy and visibility was limited. Stupidly, while searching for her, I got too close. Once I realized my mistake, I immediately got off the trolling motor and let the wind blow me past. I told my partner not to move. Once we drifted out of her range, I turned and spotted the fish facing away from me. Rather than blow it by casting over her shoulder, I skirted the perimeter until I could make the right cast in front of her, and it worked. Using lighter line, the presentation fooled her, and after a lengthy battle, I pulled her out of some thick hydrilla. That fish meant a lot--both for the reward of spotting her in practice, and for being able to catch her after she was aware of my presence. You don't often get that from a cruising fish.
Clark Hill Reservoir
I sight-fished the first day using Slim Senkos in green-pumpkin but lost several key cruisers in the 3-plus pound range. That stunk! On days two and three I burned swimbaits over points for schooling bass. They were bigger and definitely the ticket. I wish I hadn’t found the sight-fish. Still, I had a respectable finish and drove home with a $10K check.
Lake Murray
This event was almost a duplicate of Clark Hill (they're on the same river system). I tried schoolers on points the first morning of competition, but no go. Instead I had to resort to bed-fishing to finish my limit. Day-2 was different - much different. I smoked them on the points using swimbaits, and again with the same pattern on Day-3. I got out of there with another $10K check.
Wheeler
I don't like this lake for a lot of reasons. I found lipless crankbaits to be the most productive lure at that event, using them on top of shallow milfoil and grass along the main river channel. Unfortunately, of the many strikes I got, almost all were 2-pounders. Guys near me got fewer strikes, but their fish weighed over three pounds on average. I changed to larger lipless cranks, and was even given one by top-finisher, Shaw Grigsby. That one, too, caught only 2-pounders. No money, no fun.
Kentucky Lake
I committed here to the ledge bite, which I have never made work very well. I always prefer to fish shallow there but made the change since that was what the fish were doing. I tried 8-10" worms and Rapala DT-14s along the drops. This one went about like Wheeler. Lots of 2-pounders and noo money again.
Old Hickory
I committed to the ledge bite again and this time it paid off. I cashed a $10K check doing something I usually hate doing. It felt good, but the finish did not raise my ranking in the Angler-of-the-Year standings. The Classic cut was getting near and I needed some points.
Erie
In this event I felt good going in. I finished in the money there the previous year doing what I like; fishing shallow. Unfortunately, it wasn't working this time. Worse, I fished right over the fish I needed during practice. I found them, but they were slow, so I abandoned them. Gary Klien finished in the top-10 on those fish and that stung! I should have slowed down with a drop-shot Kut Tail worm and beat them out like he did. Lesson learned (we go back in 2010!).
Oneida
This was my last chance for the Classic. By this time I'd dug myself a substantial hole. I was in 49th and needed a top-10 finish to make it in. I worked super hard, fishing from daylight ‘til after dark in the practice rounds - something I usually do in all the events. Late on day-3 I found the mother load. The weather was so bad, most anglers opted to stay in and work on tackle for the next day. Glad I didn't! If not for Terry Butcher finding the same fish, I feel I could have won that event. As it turned out, we both made the top-10 cut, and I went on to qualify for the Classic. My most productive lures were a jig with a Yamamoto twin-tail grub, 4'” Senko (both green-pumpkin), and a Rapala X-Shad.