This is the time of year where I’m usually pretty excited about getting on the road for the start of a new Bassmaster Elite Series season. Don’t get me wrong, I’m just as eager to start competing as ever, but this year is different.
I’m dealing with mixed emotions about leaving home because things have drastically changed for me this year. With a little boy here on the ground, heading out for a couple of weeks is going to be tougher.
In the past, I used to leave a week early. I’ve been to Florida and the first two tournament locations a few times, so there’s not really a rush to leave anymore. I’m going to hang out here at the house a little longer, pack my stuff and make sure everything is locked and loaded once I get to Florida.
The one thing I won’t miss when I leave will be the nasty Oklahoma weather. That’s one of the biggest benefits of starting the season in Florida — the warmth. Getting that first suntan of the year is kinda nice.
Back home, the weather has been complete chaos. Last week, we had temperatures in the 70s and 80s. Now, the few days I would have liked to go fishing have been 40 degrees and drizzling rain.
I really wanted to go, but I didn’t want to take my boat out and get everything wet right before I leave. I might get one day that isn’t raining before I leave, but the high will only be in the mid 30s.
That’s one of the reason’s I enjoy back-to-back events in Florida — we get two weeks of warmer weather. From a logistical and economic standpoint, I generally prefer back-to-back tournaments because it allows us to cut down our expenses and our time away from home.
On the other hand, fishing two in a row can make it hard to enjoy your success. Also, if you have a year that’s not going so well, back-to-backs can kinda hurt you because you don’t have time off to regroup. Regardless, I’d still rather get two events done and then get home to the family.
After the second Elite tournament at Lake Okeechobee, I have a meeting with Yamaha at their headquarters north of Atlanta. I made the switch to Yamaha this year so it’ll be great to meet with them and see how they do things.
Right after that, I’ll head straight home. Hopefully, by then, my son, Laken, will be out of his crying phase, so life will be easier for me and his mama.
Since we’ve been to the St. Johns River a few times, I have areas where I’ve done well, so I can expand if I need to. There’s a lot of options in Florida, but I keep it simple. I tie on a YUM Dinger and a Thumpin’ Dinger, and I’ll have a ChatterBait and a Smithwick Devil’s Horse ready.
I enjoy tidal fisheries because everything changes throughout the day, and there’s really no consistency. Also, you’ll often find that an area may have more to offer than it seems. There might not be just a few fish; there might be a tournament-winning spot within a small area.
I will say, what’s crazy about Florida is anything could happen. You have the potential to catch a 30- or even 40-pound bag anytime.
You might catch a 9-pound bag one day, then come back and catch a giant bag and have the potential to win. The flip side is it can also work the other way.
Florida can be scary because of the volatility, but nothing beats sticking a big one in the vegetation and wrestling him out. That’s what I’m looking forward to doing.
