I’m back home after a week in Tennessee fishing Douglas. The pollen is everywhere. It looks like it’s raining it’s so heavy at times. I love it! This is great. Spring is in full force. Everything is coming to life, and it’s finally warm enough that a guy doesn’t need several layers of clothes to stay warm.
Every change of the seasons is special. Each time of the year has its positives and its negatives. But I have to tell you that, for my money, spring is where it’s at. There’s something fascinating about watching all the plants green up and the animals start moving around after a cold winter. The whole process puts me in a good mood. It makes you want to get out of bed in the morning.
Douglas was an interesting event. I finished 7th. Anytime you can have a Top 10 finish in an event as competitive as an Open, you’ve had a good tournament. That’s especially true given the conditions. I didn’t throw the Alabama Rig.
But that was last week. One thing you can’t do as a professional angler is to allow yourself to get locked into the last tournament, good or bad. Do that and you’ll be doomed to failure. This is a sport about the next tournament, and that’s going to be at Bull Shoals. I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to it.
For one thing, it looks like I’ve fixed that first day jinx. That’s good.
For another, we’re back to the Elite Series events. That’s good, too. The lake should be on fire. I can’t say much about exactly how it’ll fish because it’s been off-limits. What’s going on there is a mystery to me as of right now. I can say, however, that it’s April and that means good fishing with lots of bass biting our lures. High-action events are always a thrill for me. I like to catch bass when I go fishing.
I know there’s another side to that argument. There can be a lot of skill in fishing all day for five bites, especially when they have to be the right bites. Doing that is an important part of our sport. Still, catching lots of fish is fun. It just is, even if they aren’t all that big.
Having said all that, I’ll be the first to admit that when we were there last year — at almost the exact same time — I didn’t do all that well. I finished 78th. That doesn’t change my opinion of it, though. The truth is I’m kind of like a little kid. I can’t wait to get going, go fishing and catch some. I’ve been that way all of my life. I suppose I’ll die that way — hope so anyway.
Next week I’ll post some information about what Bull Shoals looks like, and what I think might happen. I’m not saying it’ll be perfect but it should give you a place to start if you want to follow all the action.