I’m on my way home from Lake Hartwell. The trip was as close to perfect as one can get. The weather was wonderful — in the 50s and 60s each day — so I basically got everything done that I wanted to get done.
That’s unusual. Most of the time something gets left out, but not this time. I’m really pumped up about things.
Between now and Christmas Eve I’ll be transcribing notes and putting together all the information I collected, when I’m not out fighting the crowds doing my last minute shopping. (You’d think a guy would learn, wouldn’t you? I mean, Christmas comes every year, and it’s not like you don’t know when it’ll be celebrated.) After that, it’ll be time to celebrate Christmas.
Once all that’s behind me, I’ll start working on my New Year’s resolutions. They’re a serious part of self-improvement in my book. I have several in my head already, but that’s a subject for next week.
One thing happened on Hartwell, though, that I think we should talk about. Now, I know I said last week that my rods and reels were in my boxes on the boat. That was true — at the time. But, things changed. The devil got the best of me. I fished on Friday and Saturday. I couldn’t help myself.
The reason I mention that is because it created a very positive end to my trip. I caught a few good fish. That never hurts when you’re getting ready for a GEICO Bassmaster Classic.
We talk all the time about how this is a mental game. Believe me when I tell you that’s every bit as true at the professional level as it is at the club level, maybe even more so. Heck, everybody fishing the Elite Series knows how to go fishing and how to fish a tournament. It’s how you handle pressure and what goes on in your head that matters on Saturday and Sunday.
So anyway, I was able to gain some confidence in some of the baits I’ll be fishing in a couple of months, and I found several colors that I think will work pretty well for the actual Classic.
One that I’m especially excited about is our new Rapala lure. I have several prototypes, and do they ever catch bass. I can’t say any more than that about them right now, but I can tell you that they’ll be debuted at the Classic. I guarantee you they’ll be popular.
It’s pretty neat to have that kind of an experience. There’s a certain sense of pride that comes from knowing you helped make a bait that catches quality bass and that’ll help other anglers catch more, too. It just might be the perfect lure for February on Lake Hartwell.
Hey! If you’re still looking for a last-minute Christmas gift for a bass angler, don’t forget The Bass University. That’s a gift that’ll keep on giving all of his or her fishing life.
Mike Iaconelli’s column appears weekly on Bassmaster.com. You can also find him on Facebook and Twitter or visit his website, mikeiaconelli.com.
