Well guys for those of you that wanted to know how things went at the nationals in Florida......Here it is.
I flew into Florida on the 24th and arrived in Orlando at around 4:00, B.A.S.S. had a shuttle to come pick up those of use that flew in on Sunday. We were taken to our hotel were we checked in and kind of spent some time walking around getting our bearing on where we were to check in Monday.
Monday morning was spent just hanging out and setting up my strategy trying to get ready for my one day of prefish.I did not want to waste a moment on the water with just one day of prefish so I set up a little milk run for the areas that I had fished in Jan. I checked in mid morning and then later that afternoon Triton Boats MotorGuide and Lowrance Reps gave us a crash course of there equipment.
Tuesday morning time for prefishing!!! The prefish was basically a dry run of the Tournement. We blasted off at safe light and had to be back at the dock at 2:30 which stunk due to the fact I prefer prefishing from daylight to dark. I found out rather quickly most of the areas I had prefished were now high and dry or in 6in of water due to the draw down in preparation for hurrican season...OOPS!!! I did still have enough water on one large area that I figured the post spawn females would still be holding. I was right. I had two VERY large boils on a Bobby D'S Buzzbait and a huge boil on a Frog. Off to spot #2. I ran to a cove that had deeper water and is known for large fish. One blowup on the frog and a four foot gator trying to eat it. I ended the day figuring on spending the majority of my time in the cuts and boat lanes that I had fished in the morning and that would have the best potential of bass to help me make the cut to fish Bay Lake Fri-Sat.
Wednesday. Game day, blasted off boat #3 feeling pretty good about my chances due to the dock talk of alot of guys struggling. I arrived to my first cut which was the deepest of the six that I wanted to fish.the third cast BAM!! hooked a good fish on the buzzbait but the fish jumped and threw the hook!!! No big deal...So I thought. That was, in a nutshell how the first day went. I hooked ten bass on the buzzbait and the same thing happened with all of them but two. I would hook them and on the first jump they would throw the hook!!! Score: Bass 8 Mike 2. Day one: two fish 4lb 7 oz and a lot of ground to make up!!
Thursday: I had to catch I figured about a 17 lb bag to make the cut on Friday. I felt good about my chances due to the size of fish I was losing in the area I was in, and best of all there was just ONE other boat in this area with me. Today I was the third from last boat to blast off and boy was I in for a suprise when I go to the area I wanted to fish... EIGHT boats were in the area. I was lucky that no one was in the cut I wanted to start in but three other of the cuts were being fished. I fished my starting spot for half an hour with the buzzbait and not a sniff. I then changed up and tried flipping spinnerbaits frogs and finally decided to move out of the cuts at around 10:00 and hit some of the deeper boat lanes and the outside edge of the grass were no one else was fishing. BINGO!! I catch two small fish that don't measure but at least they were bites on the Rattletrap. I move to the very outside edge and my Kistler rod loads up and the fish streaks of to deep water, I thought it was a Pickeral the way it fought. Wrong!!! A 4lb 13 oz Largie!! Now I was in business!!! I catch another bass about 14in ten minutes later and start to feel that the worm might have turned.. At around twelve noon I begin to make another pass down the weedline that will be burned into my memory forever. As I make about my tenth cast down the weedline I almost get the rod yanked out off my hand!!! A Bass??? Who knows but about five casts later I feel a solid thud on the trap, nothing, I keep reeling and then WAM!! a solid strike and a solid 5-6 lb fish boils at the surface and then heads for the bottom. This was the fish I needed, but then I see the line coming to the surface and she jumps and does a flip and comes off!!! That hurt. Five minutes later I lose a 3-4lb bass and I knew I was in trouble then. You can't make mistakes like that against this type off competition, and I was right. I weighed in my limit which include a 15oz bass and missed the cut to Bay Lake by 3lbs 2oz.
In retrospect I would have changed nothing that I did outside of maybe flipping my trailerhook on my buzzbait upside down,but other then that The good Lord just decided it wasn't my time.
I would like to give special thanks to those that played an important role in me getting to this point. God, my wife, Bob Delameter(awesome buzzbait Bob!!!) Ron from HOT SAUCE Edge products, Trey and Cliff from Kistler Rods, Eric from Berkley, Mark from Bill Lewis Lures, Eric and Jeff from the Outdoor Sportsman in Stockton and the Cal. Bass Federation. Thanks to all and God Bless... Mike
B.A.S.S. Fed Nationals (My story) * Long*
-
Tony Stoltz
Re: B.A.S.S. Fed Nationals (My story) * Long*
Thanks for the great account of your trip and congratulations for representing California so well!!!
sTony
sTony
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richie hamilton
Re: B.A.S.S. Fed Nationals (My story) * Long*
>Mike,
great job sounds like you had the fish and area to do well in. next time will be your time. RR
great job sounds like you had the fish and area to do well in. next time will be your time. RR
-
Don
Re: B.A.S.S. Fed Nationals (My story) * Long*
> Well guys for those of you that wanted to
> know how things went at the nationals in
> Florida......Here it is.
> I flew into Florida on the 24th and arrived
> in Orlando at around 4:00, B.A.S.S. had a
> shuttle to come pick up those of use that
> flew in on Sunday. We were taken to our
> hotel were we checked in and kind of spent
> some time walking around getting our bearing
> on where we were to check in Monday.
> Monday morning was spent just hanging out
> and setting up my strategy trying to get
> ready for my one day of prefish.I did not
> want to waste a moment on the water with
> just one day of prefish so I set up a little
> milk run for the areas that I had fished in
> Jan. I checked in mid morning and then later
> that afternoon Triton Boats MotorGuide and
> Lowrance Reps gave us a crash course of
> there equipment.
> Tuesday morning time for prefishing!!! The
> prefish was basically a dry run of the
> Tournement. We blasted off at safe light and
> had to be back at the dock at 2:30 which
> stunk due to the fact I prefer prefishing
> from daylight to dark. I found out rather
> quickly most of the areas I had prefished
> were now high and dry or in 6in of water due
> to the draw down in preparation for hurrican
> season...OOPS!!! I did still have enough
> water on one large area that I figured the
> post spawn females would still be holding. I
> was right. I had two VERY large boils on a
> Bobby D'S Buzzbait and a huge boil on a
> Frog. Off to spot #2. I ran to a cove that
> had deeper water and is known for large
> fish. One blowup on the frog and a four foot
> gator trying to eat it. I ended the day
> figuring on spending the majority of my time
> in the cuts and boat lanes that I had fished
> in the morning and that would have the best
> potential of bass to help me make the cut to
> fish Bay Lake Fri-Sat.
> Wednesday. Game day, blasted off boat #3
> feeling pretty good about my chances due to
> the dock talk of alot of guys struggling. I
> arrived to my first cut which was the
> deepest of the six that I wanted to fish.the
> third cast BAM!! hooked a good fish on the
> buzzbait but the fish jumped and threw the
> hook!!! No big deal...So I thought. That
> was, in a nutshell how the first day went. I
> hooked ten bass on the buzzbait and the same
> thing happened with all of them but two. I
> would hook them and on the first jump they
> would throw the hook!!! Score: Bass 8 Mike
> 2. Day one: two fish 4lb 7 oz and a lot of
> ground to make up!!
> Thursday: I had to catch I figured about a
> 17 lb bag to make the cut on Friday. I felt
> good about my chances due to the size of
> fish I was losing in the area I was in, and
> best of all there was just ONE other boat in
> this area with me. Today I was the third
> from last boat to blast off and boy was I in
> for a suprise when I go to the area I wanted
> to fish... EIGHT boats were in the area. I
> was lucky that no one was in the cut I
> wanted to start in but three other of the
> cuts were being fished. I fished my starting
> spot for half an hour with the buzzbait and
> not a sniff. I then changed up and tried
> flipping spinnerbaits frogs and finally
> decided to move out of the cuts at around
> 10:00 and hit some of the deeper boat lanes
> and the outside edge of the grass were no
> one else was fishing. BINGO!! I catch two
> small fish that don't measure but at least
> they were bites on the Rattletrap. I move to
> the very outside edge and my Kistler rod
> loads up and the fish streaks of to deep
> water, I thought it was a Pickeral the way
> it fought. Wrong!!! A 4lb 13 oz Largie!! Now
> I was in business!!! I catch another bass
> about 14in ten minutes later and start to
> feel that the worm might have turned.. At
> around twelve noon I begin to make another
> pass down the weedline that will be burned
> into my memory forever. As I make about my
> tenth cast down the weedline I almost get
> the rod yanked out off my hand!!! A Bass???
> Who knows but about five casts later I feel
> a solid thud on the trap, nothing, I keep
> reeling and then WAM!! a solid strike and a
> solid 5-6 lb fish boils at the surface and
> then heads for the bottom. This was the fish
> I needed, but then I see the line coming to
> the surface and she jumps and does a flip
> and comes off!!! That hurt. Five minutes
> later I lose a 3-4lb bass and I knew I was
> in trouble then. You can't make mistakes
> like that against this type off competition,
> and I was right. I weighed in my limit which
> include a 15oz bass and missed the cut to
> Bay Lake by 3lbs 2oz.
> In retrospect I would have changed nothing
> that I did outside of maybe flipping my
> trailerhook on my buzzbait upside down,but
> other then that The good Lord just decided
> it wasn't my time.
> I would like to give special thanks to those
> that played an important role in me getting
> to this point. God, my wife, Bob
> Delameter(awesome buzzbait Bob!!!) Ron from
> HOT SAUCE Edge products, Trey and Cliff from
> Kistler Rods, Eric from Berkley, Mark from
> Bill Lewis Lures, Eric and Jeff from the
> Outdoor Sportsman in Stockton and the Cal.
> Bass Federation. Thanks to all and God
> Bless... Mike Fantastic account. I appreciate you sharing it with us. I don't understand what turning your trailer hook upside down would do to keep that fish on? Can you explain that.
> know how things went at the nationals in
> Florida......Here it is.
> I flew into Florida on the 24th and arrived
> in Orlando at around 4:00, B.A.S.S. had a
> shuttle to come pick up those of use that
> flew in on Sunday. We were taken to our
> hotel were we checked in and kind of spent
> some time walking around getting our bearing
> on where we were to check in Monday.
> Monday morning was spent just hanging out
> and setting up my strategy trying to get
> ready for my one day of prefish.I did not
> want to waste a moment on the water with
> just one day of prefish so I set up a little
> milk run for the areas that I had fished in
> Jan. I checked in mid morning and then later
> that afternoon Triton Boats MotorGuide and
> Lowrance Reps gave us a crash course of
> there equipment.
> Tuesday morning time for prefishing!!! The
> prefish was basically a dry run of the
> Tournement. We blasted off at safe light and
> had to be back at the dock at 2:30 which
> stunk due to the fact I prefer prefishing
> from daylight to dark. I found out rather
> quickly most of the areas I had prefished
> were now high and dry or in 6in of water due
> to the draw down in preparation for hurrican
> season...OOPS!!! I did still have enough
> water on one large area that I figured the
> post spawn females would still be holding. I
> was right. I had two VERY large boils on a
> Bobby D'S Buzzbait and a huge boil on a
> Frog. Off to spot #2. I ran to a cove that
> had deeper water and is known for large
> fish. One blowup on the frog and a four foot
> gator trying to eat it. I ended the day
> figuring on spending the majority of my time
> in the cuts and boat lanes that I had fished
> in the morning and that would have the best
> potential of bass to help me make the cut to
> fish Bay Lake Fri-Sat.
> Wednesday. Game day, blasted off boat #3
> feeling pretty good about my chances due to
> the dock talk of alot of guys struggling. I
> arrived to my first cut which was the
> deepest of the six that I wanted to fish.the
> third cast BAM!! hooked a good fish on the
> buzzbait but the fish jumped and threw the
> hook!!! No big deal...So I thought. That
> was, in a nutshell how the first day went. I
> hooked ten bass on the buzzbait and the same
> thing happened with all of them but two. I
> would hook them and on the first jump they
> would throw the hook!!! Score: Bass 8 Mike
> 2. Day one: two fish 4lb 7 oz and a lot of
> ground to make up!!
> Thursday: I had to catch I figured about a
> 17 lb bag to make the cut on Friday. I felt
> good about my chances due to the size of
> fish I was losing in the area I was in, and
> best of all there was just ONE other boat in
> this area with me. Today I was the third
> from last boat to blast off and boy was I in
> for a suprise when I go to the area I wanted
> to fish... EIGHT boats were in the area. I
> was lucky that no one was in the cut I
> wanted to start in but three other of the
> cuts were being fished. I fished my starting
> spot for half an hour with the buzzbait and
> not a sniff. I then changed up and tried
> flipping spinnerbaits frogs and finally
> decided to move out of the cuts at around
> 10:00 and hit some of the deeper boat lanes
> and the outside edge of the grass were no
> one else was fishing. BINGO!! I catch two
> small fish that don't measure but at least
> they were bites on the Rattletrap. I move to
> the very outside edge and my Kistler rod
> loads up and the fish streaks of to deep
> water, I thought it was a Pickeral the way
> it fought. Wrong!!! A 4lb 13 oz Largie!! Now
> I was in business!!! I catch another bass
> about 14in ten minutes later and start to
> feel that the worm might have turned.. At
> around twelve noon I begin to make another
> pass down the weedline that will be burned
> into my memory forever. As I make about my
> tenth cast down the weedline I almost get
> the rod yanked out off my hand!!! A Bass???
> Who knows but about five casts later I feel
> a solid thud on the trap, nothing, I keep
> reeling and then WAM!! a solid strike and a
> solid 5-6 lb fish boils at the surface and
> then heads for the bottom. This was the fish
> I needed, but then I see the line coming to
> the surface and she jumps and does a flip
> and comes off!!! That hurt. Five minutes
> later I lose a 3-4lb bass and I knew I was
> in trouble then. You can't make mistakes
> like that against this type off competition,
> and I was right. I weighed in my limit which
> include a 15oz bass and missed the cut to
> Bay Lake by 3lbs 2oz.
> In retrospect I would have changed nothing
> that I did outside of maybe flipping my
> trailerhook on my buzzbait upside down,but
> other then that The good Lord just decided
> it wasn't my time.
> I would like to give special thanks to those
> that played an important role in me getting
> to this point. God, my wife, Bob
> Delameter(awesome buzzbait Bob!!!) Ron from
> HOT SAUCE Edge products, Trey and Cliff from
> Kistler Rods, Eric from Berkley, Mark from
> Bill Lewis Lures, Eric and Jeff from the
> Outdoor Sportsman in Stockton and the Cal.
> Bass Federation. Thanks to all and God
> Bless... Mike Fantastic account. I appreciate you sharing it with us. I don't understand what turning your trailer hook upside down would do to keep that fish on? Can you explain that.
-
CV
Re: B.A.S.S. Fed Nationals (My story) * Long*
Amazing how similiar our National events went, Mike, we lost all the fish we needed to move forward and in my case I got to miss winning a Ranger 519 in the Ranger Cup by 3oz and not moving forward to the Masters. That really left a mark on me too, ouch. I think I need to play with you guys again in the Fed as going to the Nationals is at the very least a very addictive type of tournament and treatment that only those that have made it know anything about.
You'll get back there Mike, I know you too well and I have faith that you can do it again.
Like someone told me when I was down and out about my National event in Alabama, "At least you got that far".. So True.
Cris
You'll get back there Mike, I know you too well and I have faith that you can do it again.
Like someone told me when I was down and out about my National event in Alabama, "At least you got that far".. So True.
Cris
-
Cooch
Congrats and Great job Mike!
You got a chance to live the "Dream", one that many of us would love and strive for the oppurtunity to do so.Keep up the faith, the hard work and you'll git back there again someime!
Cooch
Cooch
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