It’s back to the real world

Before we get started on anything else I want to say thanks to everyone around here who worked on the 2014 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by Diet Mountain Dew and GoPro.

Before we get started on anything else I want to say thanks to everyone around here who worked on the 2014 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by Diet Mountain Dew and GoPro. You made it the best ever. I had a blast and as near as I can tell so did everyone else — anglers, fans and residents alike.

I’ve been thinking about my not making the cut for Sunday. I’m certainly not happy about it but, at the same time, I also have to say there was a silver lining in it. I was able to spend Sunday with a lot of family members and friends I haven’t seen in years.

My brother Bobby and Tony Chachere, along with his wife and daughters, were responsible for much of Sunday, too. Without them it probably wouldn’t have happened, and I’m darn sure it wouldn’t have been as much fun.

Bobby made the cut so that encouraged everyone to stay over, and it gave them someone in the family to cheer for as the action unfolded. Tony and his crew cooked for well over 50 people that day. With Tony and his family in charge of the food, I don’t suppose I have to tell you we had unlimited quantities of delicious offerings.

 

 

But that’s over now. It’s time to start looking forward to the rest of the year. That means putting tackle together for the next two events. Normally that wouldn’t be a big deal but these two are very different venues, and I’ll need to approach them very differently if I’m going to be competitive.

Smith Lake in Alabama, site of the second Bass Pro Shops Southern Open, is deep and the weather’s been cold. That means lots of drop shot tackle and a solid supply of Luck “E” Strike jerkbaits. Finding them will be the key.

Right after that is the first Elite event on Lake Seminole. It’s been warmer over there and Seminole has tons and tons of standing timber in much shallower waters. That means tons and tons of shallow fishing. I’m really looking forward to that place. B.A.S.S. has lots of history there and the bite will, or at least should be, fast and furious.

Different types of lakes like we see here are one of the toughest things about bass fishing on a professional level. You rarely get into the groove of things. Just about the time you get used to fishing a certain way, and with certain tackle, things change — literally overnight.

What you’ve been doing won’t work at the next stop. That change takes a toll on you. You have to prepare yourself mentally for something totally different in a matter of hours. That’s not always easy.

Everyone likes to go with what they know. If you’ve been catching them one way, it can be hard to change over to something else. Fortunately for me, I like to go shallow so this change shouldn’t be so much of a problem. Don’t take that the wrong way, though. I’m not predicting anything.

That’s enough of that for now. Next Tuesday, we’ll talk about frogs.

Chris Lane’s column appears weekly on Bassmaster.com. You can also find him on www.twitter.com/ChrisLaneFishand www.facebook.com/chrislanefishingor visit his website, www.chrislanefishing.com