After an unusually long break, the Bassmaster Elite Series is getting back to work. Thanks to the staff at B.A.S.S. and all of the affected communities for working together to find a way to let us fish a complete schedule this year. I’m trying not to look past Eufaula to the three New York events scheduled for July, but it’s hard to stay focused.
I’m not saying that I couldn’t have a good tournament at Eufaula, but it’s not really in my wheelhouse. It’s going to be really hot, which hurts me both mentally and physically. I can sit outside in 20 degree temperatures all day and not complain, but those southern summertime derbies are brutal. Half the time it feels like my goal is not dying.
One thing that’s been an absolute game-changer for me in the heat is Pedialyte, which has far more electolytes than any regular sports drink and works overtime to keep you hydrated. I’m not the kind of guy who can pound 20 bottles of water a day, and I’m well aware that if you get behind on staying hydrated you’re done, so one of those bottles of Pedialyte keeps me safe. It comes in a big bottle so I drink half of it before bed and half before fishing, and I worry much less about getting dehydrated.
As I write this before leaving for Alabama, I still have zero experience at Eufaula. I haven’t even looked at a lake map yet. There was a big event on Pickwick recently, and I thought they’d smash them offshore. But it didn’t turn out that way, which convinces me that it could still be won shallow — there are always some fish that stay up.
Chris Groh went down to pre-practice and told me that there’s some kind of bank grass, so I’m hoping to find a swim jig or frog bite. Whether that’s how I do it or whether I have to go offshore, I’ll be happy to escape with a top 40. That wouldn’t make me mad at all.
A 40th place finish would still have me pretty far down in the points after struggling at the St. Johns, but I feel like I can make it up during that three-week stretch in New York. When they moved the Sabine event to a future year and replaced it with my favorite lake at my favorite time, it was like Christmas morning. I finished fifth at Cayuga last year, but I was actually pretty disappointed.
That lake sets up just like Minnetonka, and we hit it for the few weeks during the year when the fish are super-deep. My fish were leaving me last year. If we’d been there a few weeks earlier, I’m convinced that I could’ve had a really good shot to win. I’m hoping that this year I get a chance to do what I want the whole time — shallow grass, docks, flipping and frogging.
The other two New York venues are great, too. I like them all. The St. Lawrence River should be a straight smallmouth deal, which is my comfort zone, and Champlain should be a mix of smallmouth and largemouth. It’s also really nice to be up there during the heat of the summer — I definitely won’t need as much Pedialyte as I do in that Alabama heat. If things go my way, I’d love to have a blue trophy by the time I head home.
Even with a trophy, there won’t be much rest for me when I get home. Dayton is due with baby number two on Aug. 10, and she’s already uncomfortable. She thinks that the baby is going to be heavier than 10 pounds. I know she’ll feel better after giving birth.
Of course, I have a tournament scheduled on Minnetonka the day before her due date. I have witnesses who can attest that she said I can fish it, but I’ll probably sit that one out, just to be safe. I’m still going to practice to be sure my partner is on some fish, but as the due date approaches I think it’s probably a wise idea to stay around the house.