Toledo Bend was a really fun tournament. We — the Elite Series pros — caught fish just about every way you can. Before we get into that, however, I want to say a few words about Kevin and Kerry Short.
I watched Kevin’s second video yesterday and, like everyone else, I was struck by the extent of the devastation in his neighborhood. But, and here’s the thing, I was more struck by his attitude. That was his house. It’s the place he calls home. And yet, he was able to put things into perspective. Kerry wasn’t in the video but I have no doubt she feels the same way.
He made a good point, too, when he talked about the relief funds that are in place for the town of Mayflower helping people right in the community. Note that he wasn’t asking for help for himself. He was asking for help for the people who were less fortunate that he is — insurance, family structure, that sort of thing.
If you’re in a position to help I encourage you to do so. The name of the banks handling the funds and their addresses are at the end of the video. You can watch it by clicking on Kevin Short: tornado relief.
Kevin and Kerry are good people. They live life right. Holly and I wish them the best.
Now, let’s talk about the tournament.
I had a mediocre first day. I didn’t catch enough to put me near the top but I did catch enough to make a good showing possible. The second day was make or break for me.
Early on, there was a fair amount of wind. I was able to catch a bunch of them on a Luck “E” Strike walking stick. I can’t say they were as big as I wanted them to be but I sure had a ball catching them. Then the wind laid down, and so did my bite.
I really didn’t know what to do. I finally sat down in my boat, cut all of the lures off my eight rods, tied on a Snag Proof black frog and headed toward a spot I found in practice. I had three or four good bites there so I thought it was worth the 25-mile run even though I only had about 3 hours left to fish.
That turned out to be a good decision. I caught a couple of bigger fish and was able to upgrade my weight. I ended up moving high enough in the standings to make the Friday afternoon cut and fish with the Top 50 on Saturday.
It wasn’t a win but it was a save. Sometimes that’s a good as you get.
Another thing I want to mention is that the crowds were fantastic. As far as I’m concerned we can go to Toledo Bend every year. It’s one of my favorite places to fish a tournament.
One final thought: I can’t say enough about Tony Chachere, his family and the people surrounding him. They sure know how to welcome a guy to Louisiana!
Chris Lane’s column appears weekly on Bassmaster.com. You can also find him on Twitter and Facebook or visit his website, www.chrislanefishing.com.