Arizonan Cliff Pirch displayed amazing casting skills when I pre-fished with him on Tuesday before the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open on Lake Norman. His goal is to qualify for the Bassmaster Elite Series. He finished in fifth place at Norman.
Gerald “G-Man” Swindle pulls away from the dock on the final practice day before the Lake Norman Open. You can see the intensity in his eyes.
This is what it’s like to fish a practice day with the G-Man. He covers water like he’s racing in the Daytona 500.
Swindle spent much of his Wednesday practice day at Lake Norman looking for bedding and cruising bass.
While practice fishing at Lake Norman, Swindle would draw the bass out from under docks so he could see how big they were. He never boated a bass all day.
Swindle never stays in one place for more than a few minutes on practice days. The bright yellow Tundra on his boat wrap attracts too much attention.
When you fish the Bassmaster Opens, you have a chance to meet many of the country’s top professional bass anglers. David Walker was kind enough to let me snap his picture at the dock on a practice day.
My first day partner, Idaho’s Brandon Palaniuk, prepares to go through boat-check on the first morning of the Lake Norman Open. It rained Thursday and Friday morning.
Rain gear was in style on Thursday and Friday morning at the Lake Norman Open.
The sky begins to clear as Brandon Palaniuk and I get in line for the official boat check on the first day of the Lake Norman Open.
Idaho’s Brandon Palaniuk invested two afternoon hours trying to catch a bedding bass that he estimated to weigh 5 to 6 pounds. It never bit.
Palaniuk changes boat positions several times on the big bedded bass to no avail.
Somewhere under that rain gear is legendary bass pro Tommy Martin. Friday was rainy and cold. When the front pushed through, bright sunshine and a high barometer killed Martin’s hot jig bite.
The morning started out cold and rainy, but ended sunny and warm. Unfortunately for Tommy Martin, the sunny weather shut down his bass.
This is the view from our rented lake house at Norman.
Jeff Stoner (sitting) and Jarrod Nelson, two of my housemates, prepare tackle at the home’s dock.
Here’s a view of our lake house from the dock.
The Lake Norman tournament drew a large field, as was evident at the official pre-tournament meeting.
The coveted Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open trophy on display.
Tournament director Chris Bowes lays down the law during the official pre-tournament meeting for the Lake Norman Open.
