I'm practicing for the Clarks Hill event. This is a very different lake than the ones on the Tennessee River that we have been fishing. Monday was a perfect fishing day — or should have been, anyway. It was cloudy, overcast and misting rain all day. Every so often there'd be a storm blow through. Yet, not much was happening. Bass were few and far between.
From what I heard, the other guys are experiencing the same thing. Unless something changes between now and Thursday, this is going to be a tough one. At this point I'd have to say the weights will be down and the anglers will be separated by ounces, not pounds. I think they should pump some Tennessee River water into the place. Maybe that would give it some life.
Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not bad-mouthing the lake. Clarks Hill is a great bass fishery. This just isn't the best time. What's especially frustrating to me, and most of the other anglers, too, is that there's no topwater bite. This lake is legendary for its topwater action. We all look forward to it. I don't care how you like to fish, or what you consider your specialty, there's no better way to catch a bass than on top.
And speaking of catching them on top, I stopped at Lake Murray on my way here and did something I haven't done in a long time — slept in my truck. The topwater bite was so good I fished late into the night. I couldn't leave. The action was nonstop. Finally I did get tired and slept a couple of hours in my truck. When I woke up I immediately went back out for some more action. That sounds crazy, I know. I fish all the time and still I can't get enough.
Fishing never gets old to me. I can do it all day long for weeks at a time — catching countless bass — and the next morning I want to go just as bad as I did the day before. It's like I haven't been in forever. I honestly think it's an addiction. I mean, it isn't normal to feel that way and do what I do. I'm the first to admit that. But, I don't care. I love it. It's what I want to do all my life. Who knows, maybe I'll die with a big bass on the end of my line. Come to think of it, that's probably the best way to go. I mean, what else would a guy want to do in his last moments on this earth? (Yeah, I know. Some of you are laughing and coming up with other suggestions. Well, you can have them. I'll take fishing.) That's enough for now. I need to find some keepers before Thursday or I'll break my two-tournament streak of earning a check.