Kevin Short turns it up on the Delaware

Kevin Short started every day of the Bassmaster Elite at the Delaware River with the intention of traveling farther than any of the other anglers.

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Short's long trip would in some ways be a trip home.

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Short has had to overcome several obstacles in his Elite Series career.

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Flying through downtown Philadelphia

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He made a 70-mile trip one way.

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That would take him to a small creek to the south of the city.

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The trip up the creek ...

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...provided stringers that would keep him at the top of the standings.

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Each day following the long trip,

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Short would weigh in a heavy sack for the Delaware River.

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And each day, his little stretch of a feeder creek...

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...would make him feel right at home.

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He found the stretch...

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...by studying Google Earth for hours.

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He looked up creek arms trying to find banks with trees and hard cover.

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The tactic took him several miles up the creek.

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Much of the trip required idle time.

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But once there...

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...he could catch fish...

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...on a regular basis.

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This was his second keeper on Day 3.

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And it almost slapped his Marshal.

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And it startled Jim Sexton of Bassmaster.com.

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Catches like this were commonplace.

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And despite time being a factor, he always made time to pose for his Marshal.

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When the tide was right,

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catches came quick.

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All of them around laydowns.

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And most of them hefty in size.

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Like this one, that made a mighty splash...

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...and skittered across the water.

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But before this fish could get to the boat,

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...it would come off.

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It was one of the only fish he lost all week.

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Quickly rebounding,

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...Short gets back at it...

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...catching another.

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In an event where fish catches were infrequent,

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Short's stretch of creek, much like the creeks in his home state of Arkansas,

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...made him feel right at home.

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On one side of the creek, there was vegetation...

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...and on the other, wood cover.

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The trees were perfect cover...

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...to produce a lot of bites...

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...and keep him in the race.

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There were slow moments...

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...and contemplative moments.

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But all of them tied together to make...

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...Short feel right at home.

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Short took his time to re-tie and made sure everything was just right...

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...to keep catching fish.

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Like in his home water, he picked up a small square bill...

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...and worked over the cover.

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Then he idled to the next spot.

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He passed by local turtle fishermen.

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And hit more cover.

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Idling again...

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...while pointing out spots of note...

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before taking off again...

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...for the long ride back to the weigh-in...

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...where he found a welcoming Philadelphia crowd...

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...that loved seeing the hefty largemouth of the Delaware River.

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Despite being close to winning and coming up short...

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...Short found a home away from home, one that he needed more than most of the anglers in the event.

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Kevin Short turns it up on the Delaware

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