» 6:02 a.m. It’s a chilly 43 degrees when I meet the Lee brothers at their motel. Clearing skies and a high in the low 50s are forecast for the day. While Jordan loads gear into their truck, Matt is pulling the rain-soaked cover off their boat, a Legend V-20 equipped with a 250-horsepower Mercury outboard, Minn Kota trolling motor, Lowrance electronics and twin Power-Pole shallow-water anchors. “This is the first day of a major cold front,” Matt says. “It was raining hard when we got here last night, but we should still be able to catch fish even if the lake is muddy because I don’t think it’s been cold enough here yet to get the water superchilled.” We head out for Lake J.
» 6:24 a.m. On the way to the lake, I ask Jordan what makes for a successful bass fishing team. “Team fishing is a different ballgame from individual tournament competition because here, you’ve got two individuals, each with different personalities and skill sets, fishing for a common goal: to put together the best possible bag of fish. To be successful, they’ve got to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses so they can work together as a unit. Compatibility is the No. 1 requirement; just because two guys are great bass fishermen doesn’t guarantee they’ll make a good team. It’s more important that your personalities mesh than your fishing styles, and you’ve got to like and respect one another to be successful. A great bass fishing team doesn’t just happen overnight; my brother and I have fished together since we were little kids. Sure, we’re both real competitive and, like most brothers, we joke around and hassle each other, but we work really well together in the boat. If Matt’s running the trolling motor and has to retie, I’ll immediately move up front and take control of the boat without him even asking. If I hang a big fish, Matt will move into position to help me land it. We constantly bounce ideas off one another about fish locations, lures and presentations. When we fish together, we don’t think about it; we just do it.”
» 6:44 a.m. We arrive at Lake J. There’s a light fog over the water as Jordan and Matt pull a selection of Quantum rods and reels from storage and prep their boat for launching. They’ll both use Strike King lures exclusively throughout the day.
7 HOURS LEFT
» 7 a.m. We launch the boat and the brothers immediately take off for a reconnaissance spin around the lower end of the lake. “This lake looks like it has several structure options worth checking out,” Matt says as he studies the twin Lowrance graphs mounted on the console. “There are docks, points and steep banks, all of which should hold fish this time of year. The water looks clear and it’s 58 degrees.”
» 7:18 a.m. The brothers pull up to a main-lake point. Matt, armed with a summer sexy shad KVD 300 series jerkbait, takes the trolling motor, while Jordan, standing behind him, casts a green pumpkin finesse worm on a 3/16-ounce shaky head. “The most efficient way to fish as a team is for both guys to be up front, provided you’ve got a boat with a front deck big enough to accommodate two anglers,” Jordan explains. “Whenever we start out on a new lake, we like to try two different types of lures to try to quickly determine what kind of presentation the fish want. There’s less chance of tangling lines if the guy using a faster presentation with a crankbait, spinnerbait or jerkbait runs the trolling motor while the guy using a slower presentation with a jig or worm fishes behind him.”
» 7:22 a.m. Jordan’s worm dredges up some slimy grass off the bottom. “Bass avoid this stuff,” he says. “They’ll suspend over it, but they don’t like to hold tight to the bottom where it’s growing.”
» 7:24 a.m. Jordan switches to the same model jerkbait Matt is using in the ghost minnow color pattern.
» 7:25 a.m. Matt works the boat slowly past a shallow shoreline pocket. Suddenly his rod bows as a good fish loads onto his jerkbait. He plays it carefully; as he works it closer to the boat, Jordan plunges his arm into the water and grabs the bass. Team Lee’s first keeper of the day weighs 5 pounds, 4 ounces. Matt says, “This fish was suspending right out in front of that pocket in about 10 feet of water. I love hanging a big fish on a cold morning so my brother has to get his arm soaked when he lips it for me! I appreciate it, bro!”
» 7:30 a.m. Matt spins the boat around so they can cover the same stretch of bank again. A frigid southeast wind is rippling the water and a thick fog bank has formed near the lake’s dam. Jordan has switched to a 3/8-ounce green pumpkin/blue Tour Grade Finesse Football Jig with a green pumpkin Menace twin-tail grub trailer.
» 7:35 a.m. As they drift to a point, Jordan swings and misses. “Something just knocked the crap out of it!”
» 7:39 a.m. Jordan takes over the trolling motor as Matt ties on an umbrella rig. “This is Strike King’s Titanium Rig; it has several willow spinner blades attached to titanium wire arms. It’s by far the best-casting and most realistic-looking umbrella rig I’ve seen. An umbrella rig will catch big suspended bass in cold, clear water better than anything else, but unfortunately, we can’t fish it on the Elite Series tour. I wanted to try one here, however, because judging from the size of the bass in this lake, it might score a giant fish.” The rig is set up with multiple 5-inch smoke Swim’n Caffeine Shad minnows. “I’ve rigged the bottom lures on 3/8-ounce heads and the other ones on quarter-ounce heads. This helps keep the rig from rolling over on its side during the retrieve.” Matt makes a test cast; the rig looks exactly like a school of baitfish in the clear water. He’s fishing it on 65-pound braided line.
» 7:43 a.m. Both brothers are drifting down a channel bank while working jerkbaits with a series of rapid twitches interspersed with brief pauses.
» 7:45 a.m. Jordan gets a bump on his jerkbait, but the fish doesn’t hook up.
» 7:52 a.m. Matt cranks the Merc and idles 50 yards to a main-lake point. He retrieves the umbrealla rig over the structure while Jordan casts the jerkbait.
» 7:57 a.m. The wind is picking up and fog has darkened the skies as the brothers continue working over the point.
6 HOURS LEFT
» 8 a.m. Jordan switches to the finesse jig on the point.
» 8:06 a.m. They move straight across the lake to another channel bank. Matt casts the jerkbait while Jordan sticks with the jig.
» 8:10 a.m. They make a short run to a clay point. Matt tries the umbrella rig while Jordan twitches the ghost minnow jerkbait.
» 8:16 a.m. Jordan bags keeper No. 2, 1 pound, 2 ounces, off the side of the point on the jerkbait. “This one was suspending off the edge of a drop.”
» 8:21 a.m. Matt switches to the same finesse jig Jordan has been using, but with a sapphire blue trailer. They drift down a channel bank, Matt casting the jig, Jordan chunking the jerkbait.
» 8:24 a.m. The wind has picked up considerably. Jordan switches jerkbait colors to Table Rock shad (purple back/chartreuse belly).
» 8:30 a.m. Both anglers are casting jerkbaits to the channel bank.
» 8:37 a.m. As Jordan pitches the finesse jig to a dock on the channel bank, Matt bags a short fish on his jerkbait.
» 8:39 a.m. Jordan gets a hit on the jig but can’t stick the fish.
» 8:41 a.m. Jordan casts the jig to a gravel boat ramp on the channel bank and catches keeper No. 3, 1 pound, 1 ounce.
» 8:46 a.m. There’s a concrete wall on the channel bank. Matt casts the Titanium Rig to the structure and slow rolls it back to the boat.
» 8:49 a.m. Matt switches to the jerkbait and bags the fourth keeper of the day, 1 pound even, off a dock. “They’re getting smaller instead of bigger!”
» 8:55 a.m. Jordan catches two short fish on back-to-back casts off the same dock.
5 HOURS LEFT
» 9 a.m. They move straight across the lake to fish a clay point. Matt is throwing the umbrella rig while Jordan tries the jerkbait.
» 9:09 a.m. Both anglers switch to finesse jigs on the point.
» 9:12 a.m. The clay point doesn’t pan out. Jordan idles the boat downlake while scanning his electronics for structure.
» 9:16 a.m. The brothers pull up to a marina. Jordan casts the finesse jig to an empty boat slip while Matt tries the jerkbait.
» 9:20 a.m. Still working over boat slips.
» 9:26 a.m. Jordan pitches the finesse jig to a metal walkway, detects a tap and hammers back his rod. A lunker bass surges toward open water; Jordan works it closer and swings aboard their fifth keeper of the day, 5 pounds, 2 ounces. “That fish was sitting right under that metal walkway and hit the jig while it was sinking. We’ve got our limit; now we need to start culling those ‘pounders.’”
» 9:35 a.m. They run uplake to a series of boat docks in a cove. Matt bags a 1-pound, 4-ounce bass; their sixth keeper culls the 1-pound fish caught earlier. “The dock pattern should get stronger as the sun gets higher.”
» 9:36 a.m. Jordan pitches the finesse jig to a dock. When he goes to hop the lure, he detects resistance and sets the hook in a big fish. He works it to the boat, and Matt grabs the team’s seventh keeper of the day, a chunky 6-pound, 2-ounce largemouth. “Way to go, bro!” Matt exclaims. “Glad to see you’re pulling your weight today!” The lunker culls Jordan’s 1-1.
» 9:52 a.m. Having hit every dock in the cove, the brothers move to a nearby tributary arm with more docks. Both are now pitching finesse jigs.
» 9:56 a.m. Matt switches to the jerkbait while Jordan continues pitching the jig.
4 HOURS LEFT
» 10 a.m. Matt speed trolls to the opposite side of the creek arm so they can hit another series of docks.
» 10:05 a.m. Matt catches an 11-inch bass on the finesse jig.
» 10:09 a.m. Matt takes a snack break. “Cheetos — breakfast of champions!”
» 10:14 a.m. They exit this tributary arm and move downlake to fish another inflowing creek. It feels 20 degrees warmer here because we’re out of the wind. Jordan casts the finesse jig to a boathouse. As he bumps it across the bottom, the lure momentarily hangs up in some submerged brush and he shakes it free.
» 10:16 a.m. Matt casts his jerkbait to the boathouse, twitches and pauses it over the sunken shrubbery, and a good fish grabs the lure. He tightens down on the bass, plays it carefully until he can determine how well it’s hooked, then eases it close enough so Jordan can grab it. Their eighth keeper weighs 4 pounds, 6 ounces and culls Jordan’s 1-2.
“That’s what I’m talkin’ about!” Matt says, grinning. “This fish was suspending over that submerged brushpile in 8 feet of water. Thanks for waking her up with your jig, bro!”
» 10:30 a.m. As the brothers pitch finesse jigs to another dock, I ask Jordan for his take on the day so far. “The bite has been pretty active this morning, and we’ve been able to catch four big fish. We’re mostly alternating between jigs and jerkbaits and have been targeting docks and steeper banks. There’s not a whole lot of cover in this lake, so the fish seem to either be holding tight to docks or suspending around points and steep banks. The wind has picked up out on the main lake, and you can feel it getting colder as the front rolls through. I’d like for us to get one or two more big fish in the next hour or so because I’m betting the bite is going to get a lot tougher this afternoon. We’ll probably keep on doing what we’ve been doing with our remaining time and see how it pans out.”
» 10:34 a.m. Matt catches a squealer off a dilapidated dock on his jig.
» 10:37 a.m. Matt, manning the trolling motor, moves the boat slowly toward the mouth of the creek arm as the brothers cast jigs to more docks.
» 10:40 a.m. Jordan catches keeper No. 9, 1 pound, off a dock on his finesse jig; it’s no help to their total.
» 10:43 a.m. Jordan sticks a good fish on the jig; it runs around a dock piling and comes unbuttoned.
» 10:50 a.m. There’s a cement retaining wall near the mouth of the creek arm. Jordan hits it with the finesse jig while Matt tries his jerkbait. No takers here.
» 10:56 a.m. They move out to the main lake and cast jerkbaits to a shallow point. The wind is howling out here.
» 10:59 a.m. Jordan’s rod bows as a good fish gobbles his jerkbait. Team Lee’s ninth keeper of the day weighs 3 pounds, 14 ounces and culls Matt’s 1-4. Matt and Jordan exchange high fives. “Dude, that should put us up around 24 pounds!” Jordan says.
3 HOURS LEFT
» 11:06 a.m. Matt casts the umbrella rig to a retaining wall as Jordan continues twitching his jerkbait. The wind is sending waves crashing against the structure.
» 11:09 a.m. The brothers discuss their options and agree to run to the extreme upper end of the lake to check out conditions there. Matt fires up the Merc, and we take off.
» 11:14 a.m. It’s a bone-chilling ride to Lake J’s upper end. The water here looks muddy. Both brothers tie on crankbaits — Matt a chartreuse/black back KVD 2.5; Jordan a chili craw (red and black) KVD Flat 1.5. “There’s a lot of dirty water pouring in from all that rain yesterday,” Matt says. Jordan catches a 1-something keeper on the 1.5 off a rock bank; it’s no help to their total.
» 11:32 a.m. The brothers aren’t crazy about the dirty runoff, so they run a mile downlake to the mouth of a large tributary arm and try cranking a steep channel bank. The water here is stained. Jordan bags a 2 1/4-pounder (keeper No. 12) off a submerged rock; it’s no help.
» 11:38 a.m. Matt bags a short fish on the 2.5.
» 11:40 a.m. They reverse directions and recrank the channel bank. Matt catches a 1-pound, 12-ouncer; again, no help.
» 11:43 a.m. Jordan’s crankbait is dredging up snot grass, so he switches to a white 3/8-ounce Tour Grade spinnerbait.
» 11:50 a.m. We move into the tributary arm to hit the outer edge of a big flat. Jordan casts the spinnerbait while Matt cranks.
» 11:58 a.m. The brothers opt to spend the remainder of their time on Lake J’s clearer lower end, so we take another frigid boat ride.
2 HOURS LEFT
» 12:13 p.m. They return to the spot where Matt caught his 5-4 early in the day. Both anglers are fishing jerkbaits.
» 12:16 p.m. Matt switches to the Titanium Rig. “If there’s a 12-pounder swimming anywhere around here, this is the lure that’ll catch it!” Or not.
» 12:22 p.m. They run straight across the lake to a deep point, where Jordan tries a green gizzard shad KVD jerkbait while Matt slow rolls the umbrella rig.
» 12:25 p.m. Matt switches to the finesse jig on the point.
» 12:29 p.m. They move into a pocket adjacent to the point and twitch jerkbaits on a steep bank.
» 12:36 p.m. The bros make a quick run farther downlake to fish jigs on a mud point with scattered rocks. “There’s a ton of snot grass down there,” Matt grumbles.
» 12:39 p.m. Jordan’s line hops, and he sets the hook in a big fish. It stays tight to the bottom as he attempts to work it to the boat. “This is a giant, but it isn’t a bass,” he says. Turns out he’s right; it’s a 10-pound channel catfish that he’s foul hooked! He pulls the beast aboard and shakes the lure free. “I felt it bump my line when it swam over my jig.”
» 12:42 p.m. Both anglers try cranking the submerged rocks, but their lures come back wadded up with slimy grass.
» 12:46 p.m. Matt drives downlake a quarter-mile to hit several docks with finesse jigs. No takers here, however.
» 12:49 p.m. They race back to a tributary arm they fished earlier. Matt swims the umbrella rig over the top of the submerged brushpile where he caught his 4-6.
» 12:50 p.m. Jordan crawls and shakes his finesse jig through the brushpile. It comes back unscathed.
» 12:58 p.m. They’ve idled to the opposite side of the creek to fish some docks they hit earlier. Nothing there, either.
1 HOUR LEFT
» 1:05 p.m. Matt and Jordan move to the main-lake point where they bagged the 3-14. Matt fishes the jerkbait while Jordan munches on a granola bar.
» 1:11 p.m. They make a quick hop across the lake to the marina where Jordan caught the 5-2. Matt tries the jerkbait here while Jordan fishes the jig. Neither presentation pays off.
» 1:18 p.m. Jordan locates a rockpile in 9 feet of water near the marina entrance. He drags the jig across the rocks, then tries the shaky head worm. “Man, that’s the kind of place that should hold a big fish this time of year.”
» 1:30 p.m. Team Lee races to Lake J’s dam, which is lined with riprap. As they drift parallel to the structure, Jordan cranks while Matt tries the jerkbait.
» 1:35 p.m. Jordan catches a 1-pound keeper on his crankbait. No help.
» 1:44 p.m. They reach the end of the dam. Matt fancasts the Titanium Rig while Jordan cranks riprap.
» 1:49 p.m. The wind has blown the boat within casting distance of the point where Jordan caught the 3-14. Matt combs it with the umbrella rig while Jordan tries his jig.
» 1:53 p.m. Jordan catches a short fish on the finesse jig.
» 2 p.m. Time’s up, and back to the boat ramp. In spite of frontal conditions, the Lee brothers have had a spectacular day on Lake J. Between them, they’ve boated 14 keeper largemouth; the five biggest weigh a whopping 24 pounds, 12 ounces.
The Day in Perspective
“The best fish we caught today were either suspending or holding tight to docks,” Matt told Bassmaster. “Jerkbaits and finesse jigs accounted for our five biggest bass. The clearer lower end of the lake proved to be far better than the murkier upper end. My little brother’s prediction about the bite tapering off in the afternoon was right on the money; we caught a lot of fish in the morning, but they came down with lockjaw around noon as the cold front passed through. If we were to fish this lake tomorrow, we’d expect conditions to be a whole lot tougher than they were today. We’d still hit docks and points, but we’d also spend more time trying to locate isolated brushpiles and scattered rocks with our electronics, then pick them apart with jigs and shaky head worms.”
When and Where Matt and Jordan Lee Caught Their Five Biggest Bass
1. (Matt) 5 pounds, 4 ounces; summer sexy shad Strike King KVD jerkbait; mouth of shoreline pocket; 7:25 a.m.
2. (Jordan) 5 pounds, 2 ounces; 3/8-ounce green pumpkin/blue Strike King Tour Grade Finesse Football Jig with green pumpkin Strike King Menace twin-tail trailer; marina structure; 9:26 a.m.
3. (Jordan) 6 pounds, 2 ounces; same lure as No. 2; boat dock; 9:36 a.m.
4. (Matt) 4 pounds, 6 ounces; same lure as No. 1; submerged brushpile; 10:16 a.m.
5. (Jordan) 3 pounds, 14 ounces; Table Rock shad Strike King KVD jerkbait; main-lake point; 10:59 a.m.
TOTAL: 24 POUNDS, 12 OUNCES
