Getting Ready for Nationals

Well here I sit 2 weeks from the ABA nationals on Lake Pickwick in Florence Alabama. Just prior to the practice for the nationals I get to fish in the AOY tournament. The top angler from all of the ABA districts will be there for a one day practice and a one day winner take all tournament for a 2009 fully loaded Triton boat. At my last count there were 54 or so anglers qualified for the AOY tournament. I am really getting excited about it and can't wait to get out there. I think that smallmouth are going to be key on both of those tournaments. My last trip to Alabama when I went to the USAF First Sergeant Academy a few months ago the fishing was not so great. I did manage to catch a few fish but nothing with any size on it. I left my boat at home that trip and was fishing from the bank but still did not manage to do very well. Maybe this trip will be better.

I have been trying to do as much research as I can on Wilson and Pickwick. I can find some info on Pickwick, but information on Wilson is hard to come by. You would think that a lake that formerly held the world record smallmouth would have a little more info on it.

Prior to leaving for Alabama we have our first tournament of the 2010 season next Saturday. I am looking forward to that one as well. I did fish several of the local Wednesday night tournaments this year and did manage to boat a 7 1/2 pound largemouth one night, but other than that didn't do to well. It is a 3 hour tournament and sometimes the fishing can be tough. The one evening that we thought we would do decent, we didn't. We brought in 10 pounds or so but the winning stringer was 22 pounds and some change. All of that in 3 hours! They did it by dragging a C-rig in deep water. I have absolutley zero confidence when it comes to deep water. It is something that I am going to have to get over I guess. I have tried to make myself go out and fish deep and only fish deep. It seems that within 30 minutes or so I am back shallow doing what I feel the most confident in doing. Sometimes I catch 'em, sometimes I don't.

Well I hope that the next time I write I will have a brand new Triton bass boat. My fishing mentor tells me that I have a pretty good chance and he thinks that it will be won on about 15 pounds or so. I think that it will take 20 or better for the AOY and I think it will take a 15 pound average to win the three day national. Ya'll have a good one and I will talk to you soon!