WOW! what a pressure cooker. I came into this tournament 12th in the FLW Series East and had no idea of what was about to unfold. I was thrilled to draw Brian Thrift on the first day because I knew I'd be around fish and I was, but they were all in front of the boat, if you catch my drift. After Brian had his limit, he gave me a brush hog, turned the boat, and told me where to cast. I caught a good keeper and we were gone. Day one found me in 58th place and it didn't look good. Danny Bishop, a friend of Dave Pollard who I'd fished with before, was well aware of my situation and did all he could to help me out. I lost a really good fish but was able to boat two keepers. Day two saw me fall to 65th place and I was really feeling the pressure. Drawing Peter T on day three was a blessing in disquise. After spending an hour or so preparing my tackle the night before, as I always do, I awoke that morning with a need to grab my bag of speed worms. I went to my supply bag and they were right on top of about 30lbs of plastics. Hmm? We ran to his first stop and he proceeded to wack em on a zara spook which I had left in the room because I hadn't raised a fish with it in two days! I tied on a speed worm  and started catching short fish. It was a 15 inch limit for largemouth. We moved to his second spot and I finally put a keeper in the boat. Peter T made the comment, while still wackin em on the spook, "They should be eating up that speed worm". My next two casts produced a 4 and a 3 pounder. Pete tied on a speed worm and culled with his next two fish! What a day! We left this spot to find some new water he may need for the final day. We were pretty sure he'd make the top five. After fishing a couple of hours without a bite, Pete says, " You need one more keeper and you'll be in great shape. Let's go back to where the fish are". Folks, he did not have to take me back to his fish he may need for the next day but I am truly grateful that he did. Thanks Pete!!! We pulled back on to his second spot and on my 3rd cast I caught my fourth keeper. We had to beat it back to the weigh-in. I had four fish weighing 11lbs. and wound up finishing 20th and moved to 8th in the standings clinching my second Forrest Wood Cup in three years!!! Thank you Greg and Riverfish Custom Rods, the Ohio Valley Bass Anglers, and my wife, Teresa for all of your support. God Bless!!!  

For once the weather was not a factor. I had three days of exceptional fishing and it paid off with a 9th place finish that moved me to 12th place in the Eastern Series standings, just 2 spots away from another Forrest Wood cup! Wow!!! I had three great partners in Micah Frazier, Jacob Powroznik, and Lancen Halbert. all three fished different areas for smallmouth and the fish were there. I had 12-11, 13-03, and 13-00 for 38-14lbs. I caught my fish on different baits all three days. I used 4 inch yum-dingers in green pumpkin and junebug, a small white tube, a yum rib worm in watermellon/red, a 4 inch flippin tube in green pumpkin, and a zoom lizard in green pumpkin/chartruse. I used two presentations, drop-shot and carolina-rig. All in all it was just a great time. The last stop in the Series is Lake Chickamauga in eastern Tennessee, Sept.15-18, just two weeks away. I've never been to this one so I hope I get good draws. Wish me luck!

Just a quick note about the regionals. I fished with 2010 state team member Brian Dull and had a great time. I finished 23rd out of 64 and should be able to fish the SQT at Mosquito Lake as a boater. We'll see how it goes.

Another Wet One.

Not A Bad Start.

Wow! It's finally here! I was extremely excited to say the least but day one proved to be a disaster. I fished with Mark Rose and it was a nightmare! it was the first time in my tournament fishing career that I was reprimanded for my casting. This guy was relentless! Understanding that he was fishing for a million dollars, I  relaxed my upsteam assault and fished whatever he left available to me, which wasn't much. He did catch five keepers and I was right there with the net when his last one came unbuttoned in the air. I BLANKED!!! I was at the ultimate low. Forrest Wood Cup contender on his home water and I blanked! The weigh in was very humiliating but I knew I had at least one more day. Day two I fished with Stacey King and what a difference a boater makes. We were drift fishing and Stacey kept the boat at an angle where we both could drag our baits. He was getting bit a lot but just couldn't keep a hook in them. We decided there must be a lot of small fish around. then I boated one that barely touched the 12 inch mark and decided to put it in the live well. Then I caught a two pounder and Stacey switched baits to what I was throwing. He still just couldn't get em to the boat. We then headed back  and stopped at this little strech of rip rap and I refrained from casting on it until he had really worked it over. Fishing straight out the back of the boat , I boated another keeper. Stacey commented that this was just my day. He pulled ahead to where the end of the rip rap was straight beside me an annouced his last cast. We gotta go. I through my last cast on the corner of the rock and WHAM, a 2.5 pounder! Stacey gave me a high five as he fired up the ranger and we headed in. Yesterday I was at the ultimate low. today I'm at the ultimate high! You gotta love this sport! I was totally satisfied that I didn't blank and had no concern where I finished. On our way in, Chris Zaldane ran out of gas and we stopped and towed him to the ramp. Stacey suggested I measure my small fish. Thank God he did! My first fish had drawn up and refused to make twelve inches! He would have cost me one pound! Went to the way in with no idea what was about to happen. Three fish weiging 5lbs.10oz. put me in 6th place!!! What a comeback! I couldn't believe it! (Mark Rose dropped to 36th.) The next five co-anglers dropped me to 10th place and there were twelve more to go. When it was all said and done, I was fishing on Saturday with Rusty Solenske. Rusty caught his limit and I could only boat one keeper, I lost three good fish. We were fishing in the last pool on the Allegheny going through 4 locks leaving us only four hours of fishing. Back to the weigh in. There were 10 co-anglers and only 5 bags which meant the worst I could do was 5th place and that's where I finished! What an experience!!! I just want to thank Greg Hromiko at Riverfish Custom Rods, John Compagna at Cold Duck Embroidary, and the Ohio Valley Bass Anglers for all of their support and friendship.
PS. Check the payout on flwoutdoors.com and see how much that little twelve inch smallmouth was worth! Amazing!