BASS Elite Series #2 - Lake Guntersville, AL

In the couple of weeks between the Sabine River event and Guntersville I managed to get out to pre-practice for the California Delta. I am really looking forward to that event and Lake Havasu. I feel like all of us Tour anglers have a lot to gain by fishing in the western United States. When I have events out west if feels like I compete on a true national tour and it keeps us from constantly fishing the eastern half of the U.S. Before the western swing kicks off though I wanted to share with you how Guntersville went. Guntersville is a fantastic fishery but I must say I am concerned. Although the weights were pretty big, the number of fish caught throughout the day by most of the anglers was down compared to years past. One reason I believe the rip rap and hard cover bite is playing such a large factor at G-Ville is due to the reduced aquatic vegetation. I understand the TVA had some vegetation control programs take place last fall and reduced much of the grass. My hope is that G-Ville will continue to produce monster bass and a lot of them… but I do have some concerns. Here is what went down at Elite Event #2.

Practice:

I figured sight fishing would play a major role and I would spend some time looking for bedding bass, but my goal in practice was to locate areas and bass I could fish for with traditional spring time techniques. The first practice day it rained hard nearly all day and I caught a few but not much size. My best producer was a Carolina rig in the shallow water around spawning flats. Water temps were in the low 60’s and I was attempting to locate fish that were in that transition zone.

With nothing solid to show for the first day once the sun rose high I decided to do a little looking visually in some of the shallow pockets. I began to see plenty of bedding bass although only a few decent ones - there were lots of 2-3 lbers. As the clouds moved in that afternoon once again I was off to look for those fish in transition areas. Results were mediocre at best. My final day of practice I spent with BoatUS employee Dustin King. By the way, Dustin blogged about our day on the water via BoatUS’s facebook page.

I attempted to locate some fish a bit deeper in the morning of the final practice day with Dustin but had very pitiful results. As the sun rose I started looking in the shallows again and found some bedding bass in another area of the lake. A few of decent size were also located suspending around docks. I had seen enough to decide my competition days were to be spend sight fishing and dock fishing while looking for those couple of key quality bites needed to do well at Guntersville.

Event Day 1: 5 Bass / 14lbs 14oz – 78^th place of 114

I had a late boat draw and that gave me a long day of fishing which I felt was a great benefit. I immediately ran up lake to the few quality bedders I saw the previous day and quickly put 3 decent 2.5-3lb fish in the livewell. It was like clockwork and I had momentum on my side. I caught several bed fish to fill my limit but still needed to catch 1 or 2 kicker fish… 4+lbers to get to a respectable weight. I moved over to dock fishing around 11am as the sun got higher in the sky with anticipation that a few big pre-spawn females would be there for my presentation. I did manage to cull 1 or 2 times but never had that big bite I needed. On the way back to the ramp I stopped in one small cove with several docks and fished aggressively but still the same results. Unfortunately, once I arrived to weigh-in I found 2 of my bass deceased which can occur during the stress of spawning season. I was deducted 8 ounces from my catch, (4 ounce penalty per fish), so my raw weight of 15lbs 6oz became 14lbs 14oz.. I hoped that wouldn’t burn me as the competition progressed.

Event Day 2: 5 Bass / 17lbs 15oz – 67^th place of 114

Day 2 began with an hour delay due to a severe thunderstorm that passed through. Sitting in 78^th place has me knowing I need to catch a good bag to make a comeback and get into the top 53 cut and fish Saturday. My plan at this point is primarily sight fish, but to also take advantage of the morning weather and work some rip rap near the ramp. The rip rap produced a few early bass but none of significant size. Although it was cloudy, the sun began to get higher in the sky and I move directly to some sight fish to begin loading the well. It took lots of patience as several of the bedding bass had been fished for the day prior, but I consistently boated a solid fish here and there until I reach approximately a 15lb limit around noon.

After looking for several other bass I had seen in the area during practice and them no longer being there, I decide to run up lake to the same pocket I fished the day before. I found a solid fish on a bead and decide to lock down and put the time in necessary to catch her. It took about 30 minutes and when the bass finally ate it I realized it was a sold 2lbs heavier than I thought! I swing her into the boat and it’s a 5+lber! I finally got my kicker fish! One more solid bass and I feel I have a chance to make the cut.

I decide to cross the creek where I know the bottom is of better quality for spawning bass and with about 1 hour to go before weigh-in I have a bite. I set the hook and she is on. Another 4+lber - just what I need! She jumped at least 2 feet out of the water and spit my hook out. Defeated for a moment yet optimistic for another bite and opportunity. I fix my lure and next cast I skip under the adjacent dock. A fish begins to swim out the side with my lure and I set the hook only to get sawed off on the docks wood piling. Still thinking I have a chance with about 15 min to go, I return to attempt to catch the 4lber that spit my lure out and I get nothing. I set the Skeeter/Yahmaha on pad back to the weigh-in site. I weigh in nearly 18lbs and miss the cut by a slight 1lb 12oz. So close yet so far. I had the fish on to make it and with my 8oz penalty on day 1, I can only imagine ‘what if?’.

Event Total - 10 Bass / 32lbs 13oz / 67^th place of 114

Well there is one good thing I can take away from Lake Guntersville… I avoided a potential bomb. That is one of my goals this year - minimize the poor finishes if my practice doesn’t go well, and that was accomplished. The tough practice led me to a game plan to fish my strengths of sight fishing. Maybe I pushed too hard to catch bass in those transition zones during practice… although that is how the tournament was won. Once again, I am not looking back only moving forward with the Delta and Lake Havasu directly in front of me. Time to #DOIT!

Next blog… Apr. 30 - May 3, Elite Event #3, California Delta