I fished the Good Friday tournament and did we ever have a ball. It was great. To be honest I'd forgotten how much fun it is to fish competitively just for the heck of it. There wasn't the pressure of trying to win big money or worrying about the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. There was a lot of pressure on the bass, however. That's something we don't see in the Elite Series, or at least not to the extent we see in recreational tournaments.
We fish bigger waters and only have about 100 anglers out there, so it's a lot different. The boats were stacked on top of each other from the beginning of the tournament until its end. Fishing that way is difficult. You have to fish your spots, but at the same time you have to try to be respectful of the other anglers. It's a tough balancing act. To be fair to Indian Lake, however, it was a really active weekend with perfect weather.
On Saturday, immediately after Good Friday, there was an icebreaker event I fished. While our bass tournament was underway, there was also a crappie tournament, a sauger tournament and a walleye tournament going on. It was a little frustrating at the time, but in the grand scheme of things it's pretty good news. Fishing as a sport is strong, and even if we prefer to fish for bass it's nice to know that other guys are able to pursue their fish of choice. A little variety won't hurt. There's another thing I want to mention, too.
The Bassmaster Marshals program is great. If ever there was something that brought its positives to light, it was this past weekend. It reminded me of how great it is to fish without worrying about another angler in the boat catching your bass. Now, I'm not saying that the guys in the back of the boat don't have the same right to the fish that I do, because they do. They paid their entry fees just like I did, and they have the same rights that I have. It's just that it's really nice to know that you're the only angler casting.
I'll spend most of this week getting ready for Smith Mountain. I'm a little worried about that perfect weather I mentioned. I said a week or two ago that I wanted to fish prespawn bass, not bedding bass. I think I may have jinxed myself. With this weather the way it is, it's possible a lot of the bass down there will be on the beds. Nevertheless, I'm really looking forward to this tournament and the two after it. These are familiar lakes that we've all fished before. Our tour should settle into a more traditional pattern. I'll write next week after I've practiced a couple of days.