Weird doings went down Saturday from Little Rock to Lead Hill during the Bassmaster Elite at Bull Shoals/Norfork.
At JM Associates’ studio in Central Arkansas, the computer that streams Bassmaster LIVE went kaput and the feed was down more than half an hour while IT workers rerouted it.
The cameras were still rolling, just not going out on Bassmaster.com. Some 150 miles north, Chris Zaldain kept the crew entertained. First the Californian pulled a banded water snake out of the buck brush where he’s landed most of his fish.
Later when the segment was run for viewers, Tommy Sanders jokingly called it an Ozark bull cobra, while Zaldain said its white eyes meant it was about to shed its skin.
“I love messing with nature,” Zaldain said.
Messing with stupidity was next. Anybody watching would have cringed, and Mark Zona was simply beside himself as across the screen came images of Zaldain using a shotgun to change out his prop.
Zaldain slung an ear but didn’t have the wood block needed to torque on the prop bolt, so the camera boat driver offered up his Remington 870. A couple indentions on the wood stock and the job was done. See Thomas Allen’s story and photos.
Zona commented and repeated, “Do not try this at home.”
Here’s a photo of Zaldain in action below, but all Steve Bowman’s photos of Zaldain and his many catches, the snake and the shotgun can be found here.
BLIND SIGHT FISHING FOR ZALDAIN
Zona said Zaldain’s fishing tactic was smarter than his prop change. Zaldain was blind sight fishing, just going down buck brush visualizing where beds are.
“The majority of fish he’s catching are on or near a bed,” said Zona, adding he can’t see any but is casting to places most likely to hold bedding bass.
Zaldain said he saw beds in clearer water down lake and applied where they were to his dingier water.
“If you have a big clearing then an isolated bush, that’s just a huge, huge target,” he said. “I don’t see any beds at all. I know they’re spawning, but I’m just blind casting around.
“Just like those guys do in Florida. If they don’t see you, you can’t see them, but you have a better chance of catching them.”
THARP KEEPING IT IN STRIKE ZONE
Leader Randall Tharp didn’t catch the most fish, just the most weight over three days.
“Whether he’s catching them on a steeper bluff or point, he’s putting the jig in the strike zone every single flip,” Zona said. “He’s not fishing for numbers. He’s fishing for quality, and just playing the percentages.”
Yet he did have 19 catches Saturday, behind only Matt Herren (20) and Mike McClelland (31), according to BASSTrakk.
RIGHT AT HOME IN OZARKS
Gerald Swindle enjoyed making the cut, but he was kinda sad he had to leave after three fast days that went by like the three-minute slow dance with your girl at prom. Being a redneck, he said he felt right at home in the Ozarks.
“If I look around I can probably see a Dale Jr. shirt,” he said. “Or a pair of hunting boots on somebody coming straight from turkey hunting.”
The crowd hooted in appreciation, basically saying “Yeah.”
SUNDAY DRIVE AWAITS TOP 12
Every angler has the goal and the drive to make Championship Sunday — but they admit they aren’t looking forward to Sunday’s drive.
Those who missed the Top 12 can make a leisurely trek to the next event, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Wheeler Lake. It’s 385 miles from Mountain Home to Decatur, Ala., and Google maps says that will take 6 hours, 35 minutes.
For those leaving after a champion is crowned, probably a little after 5 p.m. Sunday, it means a late night before practice is allowed at first light Monday.
“I’d like to know if anybody would like to drive me to Wheeler tomorrow afternoon,” Jacob Powroznik said at Saturday’s weigh-in.
CULLING
- James Elam had a frog in his boat Saturday, which probably made it feel very unhoppy. Elam reeled in this keeper bullfrog that probably eats anything that bugs him. Aha. C’mon, that’s toadly awesome.
- About the furthest east an angler can fish Lake Norfork is near Elizabeth, Ark. The trip to the westernmost fishable spot on Bull Shoals is near Powersite, Mo. Yep, that’s the name of the town near the dam that created Lake Taneycomo. That total distance is 86.8 miles by road, but in the hilly terrain and through small towns of the Ozarks, that would take a driver about two hours.