The Basin

I finished in 50th place, just inside the money cut at the last central BASS open at the Atchafalaya Basin. This is my best finish ever at this level. People tell me I should be happy, proud etc etc but in reality I am still very disappointed in my overall performance in this derby. I found an area in the spillway which had virtually no pressure which was very unique and way way different than the popular areas which were being fished such as lake Verrett and other cypress or grass lakes. The spillway was flooded approx 3-4 ft allowing the fish to get over the bank and spread out in the trees making them impossible to get at. I searched and searched the north spillway to find an area which had cleaner water and banks which would not allow the fish to get out. Well I found it, little pigeon bayou. The fish were there and they ate every day I just did not figure the subtle pattern out day to day to get a limit each day. There was a suspended crank bait pattern working day one and it shut down on day two but a very shallow flipping bite turned on day two which I did not recognize til maybe 11am and it was a 45 min run to the area leaving me only a couple of hours to get a limit which I only filled two of the five slots. What I am disappointed in is my failure to execute once I found an area holding fish. I do like my performance in practice as far as putting the time in finding fish which were not pressured and all but I hate the fact that I still could not keep up with the daily pattern thing to go ahead and fill my limit out. A limit a day would have let me do much much better in the standings, a simple limit. It did not happen. So, there is still lots and lots of work to be done and it all starts in early January with my season opener at Falcon, if I get in. I know it kinda sounds sick but I cannot wait.