Monday am

So I got up extra early to try and get to the Mercury support trailer first, waited and waited around just to find out that they will not be here til Tuesday afternoon.  Kinda sucks.  Called more than a few dealerships in Orlando and Ocala and no one has a lower unit in stock.  Millers boating center in Ocala did mention that the trailer is on their lot but no one is with it, kinda sucks some more.   So I am gonna lose 3 days of practice but it could be worse, the boat could have sunk.  I also found out that Basscat will no longer be supporting the BASS opens.  Did I mention the sucky thing already.  That is sad, John McDonald is a super nice guy who has been with BC for over 20 years and I heard that he was laid off.  I suppose the economy has effected everyone.  So three events in a row I have had issues with my Mercury.  Maybe I see some writing on the wall, not sure.  I realize Yamis and Rudes have issues too, hmmm, what about a Honda....

Florida

So fishing has been spotty to say the least, Ive caught 9 fish since I have been here and that is pretty dismal but a lot of other folks are crying the same tune.  I did hear of a report of a guy landing a huge fish way up the OK river but it was on a big shiner.  Weather should keep improving and that may help things somewhat otherwise I am riding on a prayer come Thursday.  Oh yeah, I grenaded a lower unit this am, joy......doesn't sound like I missed much though.

Florida Cold

So I am told that Florida is having the coldest weather this week that they have had in a decade.  Not sure if that is true but it is cold, like 28 in the am and warming to high 40s last two days.  It has given the fish lockjaw for sure.  I have caught 2 fish in as many days way up the river.  Not too promising but the weather is supposed to change and I hope it effects the fish quickly.  I need all the help I can get right now.

Falcon

These pics are some of the nice fish I caught in practice.  To say the least Falcon is one hell of a fishery and if anyone ever gets the opportunity to come to south TX and fish it, DO SO.  The lake level is very high and these fish have taken to the extra cover which is very abundant.  A lot of people struggled in the event and I was one of them.  On the other hand a local guy weighed a 39lb sack and a 44lb sack back to back.  That is awesome.  I am guilty of not being prepared enough in all aspects of the game.  From figuring out where Fla strain bass go in a deep flooded lake when a big cold front blows in to not carrying the extra parts needed to keep my outboard going when an expected situation occurs, ie ignition coil.  I can only blame myself and I do.  I did learn a hell of a lot about this Rio Grande reservoir and I cannot wait to come back.   On to the Harris Chain.  Woot Woot, more Fla strain in January in a shallow lake.  I hope a big cold front does not blow through there, damn, just looked at the weather.  

Falcon Practice, well sort of.....

So the 'storied' Falcon Reservoir has been kicking me where it counts for the first three days.  Went out the first day and the second stop yielded 4 bass from a 100 yard stretch of bushes.  I thought well this may be easy.  I did not get another hit the rest of the day but did do alot of looking around.  Next day I looked shallow, seeing 65-68 degree water led me to believe there may be a move to the shallows.  Shallow water access is not the easiest thing to find here.  Falcon is 25 or so feet high, the highest it has been in many years or so I am told so everything has grown up.  Tree tops you see may and usually are in 14 to 20 ft of water and that makes it hard to even get to shallow water but a little 4X4ing will get you there.  Once I found some hard bottom I saw fry, now Im not sure what make or model they were but decent numbers of fry maybe a month or so old, bass??  Not sure.  I did see some cruising fish and caught two in a foot or two of water on a Senko, 7", it is considered finesse here lol.

Today I went to Falcon state park and launched, proceeded across the lake and on my first move I burned a coil.  JOY.  I limped back to the ramp and am awaiting some sort of fix.  Zapata does not exactly offer many full service shops so wish me luck in finding a replacement within 100 miles

Oh I have to add the fish I have caught are in the 4-6 pound class, maybe a 7 and those are not going to get it done in this Stren event, a consistent limit of 25+ with a kicker or two added in will be needed to make the top ten and I have scratched one limit in TWO days.  The 'storied' Falcon Reservoir is treating me like the noob that I am on this lake.  

2009

I know it has been a long time since I have posted and there is no excuse for that.  Texoma really kicked my ass with double zeros on both days of competition.  It really left a sour taste in my craw so I have not fished in quite a while picking up a rod for the first time just a couple of days ago.  

2009 if a busier schedule for me if it all works out, I am trying to fish the southern and central BASS opens again and I am adding the Texas stren series to the schedule.  If I get in all the opens I will be doubling up on unfamiliar water, Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn which can only help me.

  I am on the waiting list for all the BASS events but my waiting list numbers are not too bad so I expect to get in all events, I hope.  I really feel motivated to prove to myself that I can be a dynamic angler and DO THIS.  

Falcon practice starts next week and I CANNOT wait.  I have read so much about this lake it almost seems unreal to me.  I can't watch the elite series event I have on tivo any more or I may break the machine.  Needless to say I have beefed up my arsenal with heavy braid, 1/0 trebels , 7/0 worm hooks and a couple of broomsticks and 300 series Curados in expectation of catching  a few pigs.  If the water is clear enough I look forward to tossing the big 3oz swimmers some just to see what follows them to the boat, who knows maybe one will suck down an 8" tilapia imitation.  

As soon as the Falcon stren is over I am off to the Harris chain if I get off the waiting list and get in.  Talk about a change of gears.  Florida strain bass in late January.  If a cold front decides to blow through it should be an interesting event.  I learned alot last year at the St Johns and I hope to put some of that knowledge to good use.  Trick worm trick worm trick worm and maybe a swim jig tossed in here and there.  Slow slow slow and try not to forget these fish like bluebird skies in winter.  Florida bass seem like they are from a different planet some times.  

Well I gotta get back to many more hours of tackle prep so wish me luck and I will be updating this from the road.