I just got back from the final Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Central Open at Fort Gibson Lake in Oklahoma. Fishing was tough, and it was hot to say the least. I had a great time there with the family. We love being on tour and on the road. Makayla helped with picking out the right lures for the job, and Mason always enjoys helping me bag my fish. I spent both days on the water with great guys. On Day Two, I was with Rodney Copeland, an Oklahoma State Trooper, and we had an absolute blast out there.
Thanks for the great day, Rodney.
Congratulations to Jason Christie for winning a second Bassmaster Open this year; that’s a pretty remarkable accomplishment. Also, I wanted to give a big shout out to Josh Bertrand. Josh was the angler I had a fish off with at the first Central Open earlier this year. Josh had one heck of a year and finished with the points lead for the series, which qualifies him for the Elite Series next year. I’m really impressed with Josh, and I think he’s going to do very well on the Elite Series. He’s dedicated and passionate, and that’s what it takes to do well. I look forward to competing against him for many years to come.
In my weekly blog, I want to offer some tips that will help you catch more fish. My tip for this blog is to find something else to do in September. Spend time with the family or hang tree stands for the upcoming hunting season. That’s what I plan on doing for a while. I say this half joking, but September is a tough month for fishing.
Fishing is very inconsistent in September, making fish hard to pattern. If you have to fish in September, I suggest changing techniques often. It’s the ultimate junk fishing time of year. You can catch them doing anything from topwater to drop shotting in 30 feet, so mix it up. If you really have to get your fishing fix in and want to catch a lot of fish, go North where the weather is starting to cool down.
Name the blog contest
Last week we started a contest to name this blog. We got a lot of great names, and it’s just too hard to pick one. Instead, we’re picking seven and all seven submitters will receive a Chapmaniac T-Shirt. Narrowing it down to just one is to tough for us to handle, so we’re again asking for your help. We’re posting all seven names on our website in a poll so you can vote for your favorite. The winner will be announced next week, and the winning submitter will win the prize pack we announced last week.
To vote, click here.
I want to thank everyone for their blog name submissions. There were a lot of great entries. Some were unique, some were funny and some had catchy rhymes, but I want to go with something that will reflect what the blog will be focusing on, fishing the Elite Series, fishing tips and our life as a family on the Tournament Trail and at home.