I can’t believe that I’m at Falcon Lake right now. We got here two nights ago, and we’ve got one day of fishing under our belts. I’m really really excited for our three days here. I’m going to continue my quest to try and catch my personal best fish, Any time you come to Falcon, you stand a really good chance of accomplishing that goal. Another reason that I’[m down here is for some good time and fellowship with my good friend Pat Curry and his son Coleman. Little Alton is down here too, so we’ve got two boats. Little Alton and Coleman are in one boat, and Pat and I are in the other. We don’t have any side bets yet, but you never know how fast this can turn into a tournament with serious fishermen but, on Pat’s first cast he caught the 8-pounder you see in the photo. What a great place!
This is the first time I’ve touched my tackle since the the Wheeler Lake Elite Series event, so I’ve been scrambling to get all of my 14- and 17-pound test line off and to get my 20- and 65-pound test on. Sometimes when tournament fishing, you lose sight of the reason we fish: to have fun. They can get so intense that it’s easy to lose sight of that fact. Coming down here reminds me of how much I love to fish, I don’t know how to compare this to anything except a candy junkie getting wasted at Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. When you’re here, you’re surrounded by great fishing. The bass are bigger, more plentiful and meaner than anywhere else. While we were eating breakfast the other day, I kept glancing down at my hands because they’re perfect right now, because they’ll be torn to shreds before long.
Another thing that comes up when folks talk about Falcon is just how safe it is down here. The fishermen are starting to come back to Zapata. The mood is really upbeat. There hasn’t been any reports of violence in a while, and it seems as safe as ever. There is a huge law enforcement presence down here – especially on the Mexican side of the lake.
What’s more, the lake has been at or above full pool level for a few years now, so there’s been unbelievable spawning and recruitment. Now, though, the lake has dropped and that has forced those thousands of fish that have been up in that brush to come out an play. And they’re playing. Basically, right now if a spot looks good, there will 20 fish there. At some point in this trip, we’re going to find a school that’s so good that we won’t be able to exhaust it. Yes, it’s that good. But, if you do come down here, use common sense. Stay out of the back of the Salado River (where the church and all the violence has been) and you’ll be fine. It’s got it bad spots like any city in America.
This trip will also help keep my mind off of the voting, too. I’m trailing Skeet Reese in the voting for Region 4, and we’ve only got a few days left. I’m really hoping that my fans continue to vote. I’ve gotten really good response from them, and it really means a lot to me.
Next week I’m heading out to ICAST in Las Vegas for the big tackle show, and we’ll talk about that next week.