"I found this little place in practice. It was an offshore, main river channel ledge, maybe 50 yards long, sitting in 8 feet of water," Randy Howell said. "I only caught a couple of small keepers there in practice, but I couldn't get it off my mind. It looked like a big bass spot.
"I went there on Friday morning but didn't do any good. I decided to give it one more try that afternoon — some spots fish better in the afternoon, especially big bass spots. I Texas rigged a 3/8-ounce Lunker Lure Football Shak-ee Head with a 10-inch, watermelon/red plastic worm. (It was in the bottom of my tacklebox. I don't know who makes it or where it came from.) After a couple of up and down bounces she was on.
"That spot turned out to be a real solid, afternoon big bass hotspot. My stubbornness paid off this time. I not only got my 6-pound, 6-ounce Purolator Big Bass there, but I caught another 5-pounder off it during the tournament."
Howell fished his bait with a Quantum 7-foot, 4-inch, heavy action Tour Edition PT rod, a Quantum Burner Tour Edition PT casting reel (7:1 gear ratio) and 17-pound-test Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon line.
