This is my 12th season competing on the Bassmaster Elite Series tour, and I’m not happy with how I’ve fared in the first tournaments of the year. They typically take place in Florida, a state that been my Achilles heel.
This Elite season kicks off at Lake Okeechobee. In the past, my mindset has been to just survive Florida. I somehow needed to do well enough to avoid blowing my chances for the Bassmaster Angler of the Year title. A lot of Elite pros feel the same way.
We come to Florida in survival mode because the shallow fisheries in the Sunshine State are not typical of the lakes we fish anywhere else in the country. Florida bass don’t relate to contours.
On giant Lake Okeechobee the bass relate to small areas. You almost have to get lucky and stumble into them.
This time around I’m going to change my mindset. I’m not going to survive Florida; my goal is to win there.
Work harder
There’s no better way to find bass on Okeechobee than good old fashion hard work. In practice I’ll be on the water from sunup to sundown looking for a magical area that’s got a mother lode of heavy, prespawn females.
Then again, Okeechobee is so massive that you can’t fish all of it in the official two and one half days we’re allowed for practice. I’ve already done a ton of internet and map study. Research and past tournaments here will help me practice in areas that have the potential to produce a 30-pound bag.
Although our tournament rules don’t allow us to get information from anyone during the off-limits period, I gleaned some information by watching a big tour level tournament on Okeechobee last week. There seemed to be a common theme there as far as conditions and water clarity.
Practice fast with big baits
In years past, when I came to Florida just trying to survive, I’d slow down and throw a lot of worms. This year I’m going to throw big baits and move fast. That’s how I truly love to fish.
My plan is to fish swim jigs, vibrating jigs and swimbaits that are larger than normal for Florida. I’m going to show those Florida fatties a 7-inch swimbait. I’ll match it with a belly-weighted weedless hook so it slithers through the grass.
I’m hoping that the bigger baits will draw strikes from some heavyweights. Even one big bite in practice might clue me in to a potential winning area I can explore during the tournament.
Okeechobee is such a big fishery that I can’t waste time practicing in places that don’t have big bass potential. If I get into an area where I’m getting a lot of 2-pound bites, I’m not going to spend much time there. I’ll leave and look for quality fish.
In order to fish as much of Okeechobee as possible in such a short practice period, I’ll be running my Minn Kota 36-volt Ultrex trolling motor unmercifully. You have to stand on a trolling motor incessantly to chop through the dense aquatic vegetation that grows down here. The Ultrex has what it takes to power through that stuff.
My Battle Born lithium batteries will easily keep the Ultrex humming from daylight to dark. I’ve been running them for four years and have yet to wear them completely down. That includes the time I had to fish for two consecutive days without charging them.
I’m playing to win at Okeechobee this week. I might flop, but I’m going all in. I’m not going to merely survive Florida.
