Since I live on Smith Lake I was thrilled to hear that Smith Lake was on the schedule for the BASS Southern Open for May 2010. May is my absolute favorite time of year on Smith Lake for bass fishing, particularly due to the top water bite. I have faired well on other Alabama Lakes and thought if I were ever going to have a shot at taking my fishing to the next level, the 2010 Southern Open would be my best shot.

 

My father, brother, and I own and operate 6 La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries in Alabama & Tennessee. 2009 was the toughest year we have ever faced. We were forced to make many cut backs including laying off employees and eliminating positions. Frankly, I wasn’t sure if our business was going to survive.

Even though I’m a (small) partial owner, I knew it was going to be a challenge to have my father allow me to have the time off to fish all three events. I decided to write a letter and explain the importance of the series to him. I had a convincing letter but despite my efforts I was told that due to economic conditions, he felt it was best not to be away from the business for that length of time. Rather than make a fuss, I chose to accept his position, which I completely understood. Instead, I decided to sign up for the Smith event only. When it was time for me to finally register I found out that I was 90th on the waiting list. I figured I would never get in but I left my deposit with BASS just in case.

In the mean time as luck (or unluck) should have it, my mother arranged for her time share to be swapped for a condo in Orlando so that my wife and I could take our 5 year old daughter to Disney World along with my sister-in-law and nephew. Wouldn’t you know, it was scheduled for the same week as the Open on Smith. I told them all along that I would not go to Disney World if I were to make it in the from the waiting list. All along, my mother and wife (primarily my mother) were making me feel guilty about not canceling on the tournament & committing to Disney World. I called BASS several times to see where I was on the waiting list and the last I can remember I was 10th. BASS finally called on April 22 which also happens to be my wife’s birthday. My birthday present to my wife was that I would not be going to Disney with them so that I would have ample practice time before the tournament.

A few days before they are supposed to leave, my conscience gets the best of me. I finally agree to drive them down to Orlando on Sunday May 9, spend Monday & Tuesday May 10 & 11 the 1st 2 days of official practice for the Open at Universal Studios and Magic Kingdom. Then I would fly back for the tournament Wednesday morning arriving at the Birmingham airport at 8:20 a.m.
Before I begin with the events of Wednesday, I need to give a small history on my involvement with Ryans Creek Baptist Church and my growing faith in Christ.

Tony Byrd, a member of the church contacted me a few years ago seeking a little advise on tactics I used on Smith Lake. He had seen several of my posts on this website and took the step of contacting me. We began talking regularly and soon a friendship developed. He had invited me to attend church at Ryans Creek several times but honestly I just was not interested at the time.

Tony is also the primary organizer of the Ryans Creek Baptist Church tournament through the Outdoors Ministry. I believe it was two years ago that my partner Roger Shiflett and I won the RCBC event. After winning that tournament I felt compelled to attend the Church the very next day. The members there treated me like family and our pastor Brother Keith “tells it like it is” & does not “sugar coat the truth”. Since that day I have attended Ryans Creek Baptist Church regularly, read my bible (almost) daily, and have steadily increased my faith in Christ.

On Wednesday May 12 Chad Durden, a fellow member of mine with Cullman Bassmasters picks me up at the airport at 8:30 a.m. Chad is also signed up to fish the event as a coangler and we were hoping to get a little prefishing in that day. I want to make a stop on our way to Cullman at A&A Tackle so I can pick up a few baits. We stop by and find out that they are closed on Wednesdays. So I stop by Roger’s house and pick up a jerkbait I think I will need for the morning bite.

We arrive at my house and I already have the truck and boat ready. I just have to run inside get a few things together. We hop in the truck and head to launch at the dam. We launch the boat at roughly 11:30 a.m. We stop by a point close to the mouth of Ryan’s Creek and I start throwing a DD22. Within the 1st 5 casts I hook a nice 4 to 5 lb head but he jumps up and shakes the bait. We hit a few more points with out much luck. We finally arrive at an area at the mouth of a creek with bluff type walls but there are a few sections of flooded bushes and some laydowns. I toss a spook out there and land a nice keeper head. We go down a little further and I have a nice spot “shark” up under my spook. I believe this happens a couple of times. When I say “shark” I mean that the fish is excited about the bait, comes right up to it (sometimes multiple times), but does not want to commit to taking the bait. Sometimes I can get them to commit with my cadence, sometimes I can’t. In the same general area Chad lands a keeper spot on a finesse worm. It’s getting close to 3:00 p.m. and we head back to put the boat on the trailer so we can make the meeting on time.

The city of Jasper does an awesome job of hosting these larger type events. It is very well organized and they even have Jim N Nick’s Bar-b-que catered there before the meeting. During the meeting it is announced that the nonboater side has been overbooked. They ask if anyone on the coangler side would like to switch to the pro side. Four guys go up including Chad Durden to see about making the switch. Two of the 4 names are drawn at random and Chad gets to switch to the Pro side. This concerned me a little bit since he and I fish some of the same areas. However I was drawn in the 1st flight being boat #13. I knew I could have my first choice of wherever I wanted to start.
I get home from the meeting and I spend an hour or so organizing my tackle for the Day 1. I’m mentally preparing my game plan and visualize my first stop and I’m pumped because I know with an early boat number, I shouldn’t have a problem with someone being on my 1st stop. With the knowledge of the lake I’m also thinking of my first stops for Day 2. I’m saving some areas that aren’t quite as obvious that should produce the following day that will hopefully still be fresh. I’m excited about the upcoming day and I don’t get much sleep Wednesday night. It seems that I have just fallen asleep and the alarm goes off at about 3:45 a.m.

I find my coangler. He is exactly where is supposed to meet me. We get the boat launched without a hitch, then shortly after blast off for the day. Just as planned I have no problem getting to my first stop.

At approximately 5:55 a.m. I pull up to a rocky point. Within my first few casts, I immediately land a nice spot pushing 3lbs on a spook. I catch a few more fish that do not measure then land another spot that barely measures 15”. I hit some similar areas running and gunning landing a few more slot fish and unders.

At 7:00 a.m. the top water bite on points is practically over. At this time I switch gears and go to a row of docks and work my spook down the sides of the docks and in empty boat slips. While casting my spook in a boat slip I immediately hook up with a largemouth that I know will not measure. However, there is another largemouth in the 5 lb range that is chasing my hooked fish attempting to steal the bait out of his mouth. I intentionally leave the smaller fish in the water in hopes that I may have a chance to “double up.” After what seems to be an eternity, the larger fish swims off. Repeated attempts at the same dock prove fruitless. However, I know where this pig lives. I’ll try him tomorrow.

Timing is everything, especially on Smith Lake, so I switch gears one more time and throw a shaky head around one of my favorite top water areas. This area is a rounded gravel point very close to deep water. For some reason the fish seem to congregate here after they have fed in the morning. From past experience I know I will probably only catch a fish here in the time frame of 7:30 a.m. until about 8:00a.m. I make sure I am there at 7:30 on the dot. About that time, Rex Chambers, another buddy/tournament partner of mine who is fishing on the Pro side pulls up to a point close by. I’m throwing a finesse worm and land a nice keeper spot within my first few casts. Shortly thereafter I catch another non-keeper but the fish just don’t seem to be there like they should. Atleast my buddy Rex got to see me catch one.

From there things really get tough. I’m basically junk fishing, throwing cranks on points, fishing a shaky head in some of my better worm areas, but primarily I’m sticking with the spook. I’m catching some short fish here and there but no keepers. With my spook, I’m getting some dinks that are interested and following it, with a decent fish here and there that are just “sharking” under the bait. I do notice that most of the activity I have seen has come from steep banks with wood.

It’s getting to be about 11:30 a.m. and I have just 3 keepers in the boat. In my mind I feel that I am really struggling. I begin working my way back to the launch. While casting my spook I have a nice spot “sharking” under my bait. I work the spook quickly and it gets the fish excited. I then dead stick it until the fish begins swimming off. With a single twitch spot comes back aggressively to the bait but turns away at the last minute. I work the spook down the bluff a little bit further and come back to the fish that was sharking me. I toss out a finesse worm and I feel the thump. I set the hook get keeper #4.

It’s getting to be about 1:00 p.m. and I find myself working a riprap bank. I toss the spook out there and 2 spots pushing 3 lbs are fighting over my spook as soon as it lands. I get bit as soon as the bait hits the water and put #5 in the boat. I continue working the spook around bluffs and get another nice blow up or 2 but I’m never able to connect.

I go to weigh in with 12-01. Good enough for 3rd place going into day 2.
I’m headed home and I’m excited. I’m 2 lbs away from 1st place. The phone is ringing off the hook to the point where it is a major distraction. I’m tickled that my buddies are wishing me well and I really don’t want to cut anyone short, but the phone becomes a major obstacle. I need to get myself ready (not only with my tackle but mentally)for the next day but I can’t seem to get off the phone. There are only a handful of people that I really want to talk to. Tony Byrd, my buddy from church is one of those people. For some reason he just calms me down and keeps things in perspective. He was kind of my sports psychologist if you will.

Later that evening I review what worked and what didn’t work on Day 1. The thing that stuck out in my mind most is that I never lost a fish the 1st Day. This isn’t rare but it happens more often than not. (I believe Rex can tell you about that.) I also mentally go over my game plan since on Day 2 I will be in the last flight. I know I won’t have as much time with the morning bite but it will give me more time with the top water bite that seems to be picking up after 12:00 and I won’t weigh in until 4:15 p.m. I read a couple of chapters in my bible (I was currently on 2nd Samuel), say my prayers, and I go to bed. Again, I’m tossing and turning. I set the alarm for 4:00 a.m. The last time I remember looking at the clock before I fell asleep was 1:00 a.m.

I get up and I forget all about it being my birthday. Anyway, I meet my Day 2 partner. He is exactly where he is supposed to be. This is really nice because I hate being frazzled in the morning. We actually blast off about 6:25 a.m.

On the way down the lake I notice that many of the points I like to fish are taken. I figured this would happen, no big deal since I was prepared for this. I have two places in mind that are not quite so obvious that should be available. Also, both of these areas are shaded with the rising sun, which should help extend the bite in these areas. The 1st point I pull up to is a place Roger and I have named “Little Boy Point.” On more than one occasion we have seen a young fellow that likes to talk to us. He’s always by himself, but I get the feeling he just enjoys going down to the dock to fish. (There is a reason for explaining this that I will get to later.)

Anyway, Little Boy Point is somewhat of a hidden or at least not an obvious point that has both rock and gravel. It usually holds fish, but at times it is covered up with smaller fish. I cast around with a top water bait with no results. I pick up the jerkbait I got on the way home from the airport and within a cast or 2 I hook up. It’s not a huge fish but it’s a keeper. My coangler nets the fish and I notice that the fish has come off in the net. I think to myself, “Thank You Lord.” We fish there a little while longer with maybe a non keeper or 2.

I want to get to my 2nd top water area that is just kind of an open water place, but I still have visions of the big head by the dock I saw on Day 1 so I hit that 1st since it was on the way to my open water area. On the 1st cast with a spook at the same dock I immediately hook up. It’s a decent fish but not the pig I saw yesterday. I have keeper # 2 at about 6:50 a.m. Maybe the pig will be there for Day 3.

I then go to the open water area and I immediately begin catching fish, but none of them measure. I ease from the open water to some flooded bushes at the bank. Again, I catch a few fish but none measure. I abandon that area and head to my 7:30 a.m. hole from Day 1. My coangler & I throw a shaky head around and my coangler sets the hook and breaks off on the hook set. I fish this area until almost 8:00 a.m. without a bite.

At this time, I make a pretty good run and fish another set of docks that have been holding fish. When I pull up I see some activity but I notice that they are all gar. Regardless I fish it alternating with a spook and jerkbait. I catch a few fish but no keepers. I’ve never fished a wacky rig much but about a month ago I told myself that I was only going to practice with that bait. There was a dock in this same stretch where I caught back-to-back keepers with a wacky rig senko the 1st day I practiced with it. I had my wacky rig on the deck so I decided to toss it under the same dock from practice. Keep in mind, I’m not very coordinated with skipping docks. After a few poorly aimed attempts of trying to skip the wacky rig I finally get bait where I wanted it. My line immediately went side ways but when I picked up the slack, there was nothing there. My next cast is perfect and my line goes side ways again. I begin reeling in and I’m hooked up with a nice keeper largemouth. My partner nets him, we get him in the boat, and I notice that my hook is barely attached to the fish in the fleshy area in the upper part of his mouth. Once again I say to myself, “Thank You Lord.”

I go back and wacky rig the docks I have just fished. I’m catching a lot of small fish, spots & LM, but no keepers and I’m running out of senkos. I get to the last dock in this row of docks and hook up with a short fish, but a monster is following him out. There is no way to “double up” with this fish. My coangler’s wacky rig is in the water and the bigger fish goes towards his bait but turns away. Wow, what a monster, maybe I can get him later in the day or tomorrow. I begin fishing the wacky rig around some more docks but I soon run out of senkos. I have some similar type baits but they just don’t seem to be effective.

It’s 8:30 a.m. and I have 3 decent keepers in the boat.
try some other areas with the wacky rig but I can’t get a sniff on it. Past experience on Smith has told me that the dock bite on Smith just won’t hold up past about 9:00 a.m. I go back to the spook and catch a couple fish that are just barely short of measuring. I still try the wacky rig around certain docks but it just isn’t happening. I swing by the dock at my house and spook around some lay downs on the bank. A 3 to 4 lb head comes up to inspect my bait but quickly eases off after he sees me. I also go back by the row of docks that were productive earlier, but nothing is happening.

It’s about 11:00 a.m. and the heat is really starting to set in. I believe we had highs in the lower 90s and very little wind. I go to a shaky head area to give myself a break and my coangler catches a keeper. I never get a bite. I go back to top water and I really feel the exhaustion and it is affecting me mentally. I never got a chance to rest from walking around Disney World and Universal studios, carrying my daughter a good part of the time. The lack of sleep from the past few nights is weighing heavy on me also. Normally heat and power fishing doesn’t bother me too bad but the events of the past week had taken their toll on me.

I begin chunking a crank bait and fishing other different patterns and areas that I have not been successful with. My mistake at this time was fishing spots rather than the pattern I had success with. It was probably 3 hours of fumbling around fishing inefficiently before I pull myself back together.

At 2:00 p.m. I still have only 3 keepers in the boat and that sinking feeling in my stomach is coming on just as it did the day before. I’m thinking I’m going to go to weigh in with and average sack and fall out of contention if I don’t get a limit. I begin thinking about my faith and come to the realization that if it’s meant to be, it will happen.

At 2:30 p.m. I get my head back on straight feel like I’m getting a 2nd wind and go back to bluff walls with wood and bushes. I make a cast, the line breaks, and my spook goes flying into the air. I haven’t retied in a while and I say to my partner, I’m glad that happen when it did rather than breaking off on a fish. After retying I soon come up to a wall where 5 laydowns are piled up on top of each other. This thing is really nasty looking. Branches are intertwined together and I remember thinking to myself, “If a fish gets down in there, it would be virtually impossible to get him out.” Anyway, I cast beyond the laydowns and work the spook parallel to the bank. The water is crystal clear and I immediately see that 2 big largemouth are fighting after my bait. The fish I have hooked is coming towards me and is headed to the laydowns. With the angle I was at there was no way to steer her away. She immediately went into the depths of this group of massive pine laydowns. I feel my line sawing against the branches. I ease up on the pressure and somehow get her free of that section of branches. Then she makes a turn and buries in another section of the pines. Again I feel the line sawing against the trees. Once again I ease off of the pressure and the fish comes out and I have her in open water without the possibility of her hanging me up again. I’m carefully working the fish towards the boat and all of a sudden the fish makes a run and the hook pops out of her mouth. However, the rear treble hook catches her in the belly. Shortly thereafter, the 4+ lb largemouth is safely landed in the net. Then I totally lose my composure. I’m surprised no one overheard me at the weigh in (which would now be in progress) screaming at the top of my lungs thanking God. I’m doing my best to control the adrenaline pumping through my veins but as I’m making my next few casts I can see my line jumping because my hands are shaking so badly.

I continue with the spook and I’m really getting some good blow ups but nothing is connecting. The fish appear to be slapping at the bait rather than wanting to eat it. Finally I’m in the back of a pocket that has bluff walls and a keeper spot comes out of nowhere and takes it. I boat keeper #5. I hit a few more areas after that with a fair amount of activity. Then, I go in with ample time to make my 4:15 p.m. weigh in.

I go through the weigh in and my weight of 12-05 puts me in 2nd place, less than 1 lb behind Gerald Swindle who is in 1st. After a few pictures on stage I exit where a couple of boys request my autograph. I really don’t know how to act. I sign their yellow BASS hats and interview with a reporter or 2. What a way to spend my 39th birthday!

I gather my things up at the boat and the phone is going ballistic. Calls and texts are coming in left and right.
I’m headed home and I’m thinking about the day. Again, the thing that sticks in my mind is that I never blew an opportunity by having a fish come unbuttoned or breaking my line. Break offs and especially fish coming off were the two things that seemed be a common theme with the other contestants I talked to. I’m counting my blessings because I know in my heart that is was more than just coincidence that I didn’t loose any fish the past 2 days.

Once I get home at about 6:00 p.m. it dawns on me that I am out of senkos, and the wacky rig could potentially play an important role tomorrow. I start a mild panic because I know all of the nearby tackle stores are closed. I get on the horn and start making calls. One of the calls I made was to Kim Striker. She answers the phone, and I tell her my dilemma. She and Shawn are having dinner but tell me they will stop by somewhere and pick some up. I also call Brett Thompson, a buddy in my bass club that knows the guy who owns Todd’s Tackle. He also hooks me up with the baits I need. I meet Kim in town so she can deliver the goods and Brett stops by about 9:30 to drop some baits off. I ended up buying about $70 worth of senkos so if anyone needs an extra bag I’ll be glad to sell you some.

Sometime between 9:30 and 10:00 p.m. I get off the phone with Tony after my counseling session. I am surprisingly relaxed. All my baits have fresh hooks, baits have been retied, boat and truck have plenty of gas. I’m thinking to myself, I’m 2nd to blast off. I should pick up a few fish early, hit docks for another fish or two, and hopefully spook up a good one later in the day. I honestly have a shot at winning this event. I feel like everything is taken care of and I easily fall asleep just after 10:00 p.m. The alarm goes off at 4:30 which means I’ve gotten about an extra ½ hour sleep – I’m bright-eyed and bushy tailed. I arrive at the launch shortly after 5:00 a.m.

Arriving at the dam I notice that there is not near the crowd today since the field is cut to 30 boats. I have no problem finding my coangler for the day. We get the boat launched and we are waiting for blast off.

About 5:30 a.m. I hear the tournament director requesting that Gerald Swindle and I come to the launching dock to provide proof of insurance. No problem (I think), I’ve got my insurance card and I know I have the $300,000 minimum liability coverage as mandated in the rules. Without looking at my insurance card, I give it to Mr. Bowes, the TD, and I hear his dreaded words, “I was afraid of this.” As it turns out, I have proof of insurance but the limits of liability are not listed on my insurance card. I ask, “So what happens now?” Mr. Bowes tells me that I will not be able to fish until I show proof of the $300,000 of liability coverage. He tells me I can have it faxed to them and gives me a fax number. I panic. I start calling the number on the insurance card. All I get is an automated service stating that the offices open on Monday. I leave a message anyway. I’ve got my insurance with Worldwide Marine Underwriters and found them through another website (BassBoatCentral.) , so I call Chad Durden. I ask him to post a message on the BBC site and make an emergency post requesting Bob Louellen’s cell phone number. In the mean time I find out that they will let me use another boat as long as it has the required insurance. My coangler has a boat with proper coverage but his boat is in Jasper about 30 minutes away. This would be 1 hour round trip plus the time for him to gas up. To be on the safe side, I go ahead and send him to Jasper. Then it just hits me that I know exactly where my insurance binder is. It’s in my office in Birmingham with the folder I keep all of my boat paperwork. I call my father at 5:40 a.m. and explain the situation. He gets out of bed and drives to the store to find my insurance binder. It’s 5:45 a.m. and the 1st flight of boats are now taking off while I’m tied up to the dock. Inside I’m thinking, “What just happened, this can’t be true.” Also during this time a local acquaintance of mine that fished on the pro side offers the use of his boat. I get his insurance paperwork and without looking at it I show it to the TD. As it turns out he does not have the minimum insurance requirements. I feel like a complete idiot.

About 6:15 a.m. I get a call from my father. He has found my insurance binder and is faxing it to the TD’s assistant. Mr Bowes tells me that I am good to go, but I have no coangler because I have sent him to Jasper to pick up his boat. All I can do now is wait. Believe it or not, even though I was screaming inside, I never lost my cool. I actually have a nice conversation with Mr. Bowes and tell him about my trip to Orlando, being a local, etc. We are basically shooting the breeze for a while. What else can I do? It then dawns on me that even though I had the proper coverage I could have been disqualified from the event for not having proof. For this I am truly thankful.

(A few days after the event I ask Chad about his post on BBC. Someone posted Bob Louellen’s cell phone within about 10 minutes. Bob calls me Monday and said he could have had it faxed immediately. Chad tells me that after he made the post he fell asleep and never followed up to see if there was a reply. As promised, I will never let Chad live this down)

After what seems to be an eternity, my coangler arrives. We blast off at 6:45 a.m. which is one hour later than our designated time.

I’m headed down the lake and mentally I’m just not together. I see a few small fish surfacing on a point I’ve never fished before, immediately I stop the boat and make a few casts. I catch a small fish but nothing is happening. We quickly pack up and leave. I want to hit the place where I started on Day 1 catching 2 keepers but a competitor is on it. It’s now just past 7:00 a.m. and I’m hoping there is some topwater bite left in the morning but I know the prime time is over. I swing by “Little Boy Point” (readers remember this place from Part 4) and there is nothing happening as I’ve got here too late. I abandon the top water bite on points and creek mouths and head to the docks. I’m thinking that 5 lb fish has got to still be hanging around that dock I saw on day 1 and caught a keeper off of on Day 2. I hit it and nothing is happening - no small fish no nothing. I go to my 7:30 a.m. stop to see if the fish are hanging out there. Nothing is happening, I finally go to my wacky rig row of docks arriving at about 8:00 a.m. The gar are gone, no dinks are stealing my senkos. The area that was covered with fish yesterday is now lifeless.

All during this time my coangler and I are making our best attempt at small talk to keep our spirits up. I apologize profusely for the insurance blunder. Never once does he complain or make me feel bad about the situation.

I swing by my dock since I had a nice fish come up on me there yesterday. Same song and dance – NOTHING IS HAPPENING. I start working down a stretch of laydowns and my coangler catches a fish or 2 on a small jig. Then all of a sudden my coangler’s drag is screaming. A huge spot has taken his jig but breaks him off on the initial run.

It’s getting to be about 11:00 a.m. and I take a break from the spook and try a worm area. Again my coangler is catching a few fish close to keeping but no keepers. Finally, a fish takes his jig and he puts a keeper in the boat. I’m thinking, maybe there is something to this jig and I begin to doubt my pattern. I continue with top water but none of the signs I like to see are there. There are no smaller fish following it out, I’ve only had one fish half-heartedly “shark” me, and there have been few slaps at my offering.

It’s now 12:00 and I’ve begun working my way back to the launch. My livewell is empty, my coangler has one. Even though I’ve been fishing pretty fast my coangler has caught more fish than I have fishing a jig behind me. By now the pressure is almost more than I can handle. Fishing is not fun anymore and I’m feeling nauseous from the thought that I am going to choke on the final day. I just want the day to be over. I think to myself, “Lord, why have you brought me all this way to let it end like this?”

I finally tell my coangler that I’m going to slow down and fish a small jig. I actually tie on one of his baits. I’m on a bluff wall and I catch a short fish or two. It’s 12:15 p.m. and I’m reeling in the jig from my last cast and a fish hits it on my retrieve. I boat the fish and it measures 15” by the skin of its teeth. I’m not impressed but it’s a keeper. At least I won’t go in empty handed. I then ease over to a place right around the corner where a large rock pile has fallen in from the bluff where I’ve caught a few fish before. I toss the jig out and feel a thump. At first I don’t think there is much to him, but then the fish starts to put up a legitimate fight. I get the fish in the boat and it’s probably 2 to 2.5 lbs. I really starting to think it’s time to change my game plan. I had just caught 2 keepers in about 7 minutes.

I notice some flooded bushes close to the bluff close to where we are fishing and I tell my coangler I’m going to spook up this stretch of bank and if nothing happens we will just stay in the area where I just caught a couple of keepers and finish out the tournament there. I’m almost to the end of the stretch of flooded bushes and WHAM! I get a monster blow up. I’ve got a 4+lb fish on and another one that same size is following him back to the boat. The fish jumps a time or two and makes one final run before he’s in the net. It is now 12:25 p.m. and I have gone from a weight of zero to about 7 ½ lbs. The adrenalin is once again pumping and I can’t stop shaking. I now know that if I can just get another top water bite or 2 I might just win this event.

I spook around nonstop. Muscles, ligaments, or something in between my shoulder blades are aching mercilessly. I’ve made a move and am spooking some more flooded bushes. A largemouth takes my spook. I quickly land him. It’s a fat healthy fish but is 1/8th of an inch away from measuring. I’m starting to see the signs that the spook bite is picking up. I get a couple of sharks, slaps, shorts, and followers but nothing I can use. I finally come up to a laydown that is barely submerged but completely laying across a pocket. A nice largemouth comes up to strike. I make the mistake of working my spook too quickly to get it on my side of the laydown so I won’t get hung up when the fish strikes. The fish follows it to the other side of the log, but turns away when he sees me. It’s 1:50 p.m. and I leave to make weigh in at 2:00.

I get my fish in the weigh in bag and I’m told that they are keeping the Top 5 guys from Day 2 at the holding tanks to weigh in last. I notice Gerald Swindle has 4 fish but no good ones, then Andy Montgomery comes up and he has 5 keepers. At this point, I know 1st place is out of my reach. While I am at the holding tank, a young fellow that I’ve seen before at church has snuck back to wish me well. I can’t remember his name but I remember meeting him before. He tells me his name is Josh Parker. For some reason, I begin getting a little choked up. This young man has bypassed the big time professionals (Swindle, Auten, Hite, Walker, JVD, etc.) and made a point to speak with me personally. He tells me that he is pulling for me and that I have made him and everyone from church very proud.

Shortly thereafter, I go on stage. I notice that about a dozen people from my church including Tony have gotten there early and are watching with front row center seats. My father and his wife are also in the crowd, which means a lot to me. My weight is not enough to push Andy Montgomery from the hot seat neither is Swindle’s. Congratulations go out to Montgomery.

I call my wife and tell her the news as she is traveling back from Orlando. She is excited but disappointed at the same time since I told her if I won that I would get her a new car. Believe it or not, I go home and cut the grass. I didn’t want my wife’s 1st day back to be consisting of us doing yard work.

The next day I go to Sunday School and Church with my family. During the service the pastor recognizes my accomplishment. I see Josh Parker after church and tell him I need to take him out fishing with me sometime. He jumps at the opportunity and asks if we can go that afternoon. I check with his father and my wife and it’s OK with both of them. Josh warns me that he has a big tackle box (that he is proud of). I assure him that there will be plenty of room. I’ll pick you up around 2:00.

As it turns out, Josh lives with his parents in a modest home at the lake. His father gives me some general directions on how to get there by water and tells me he & Josh will be there waiting on a dock. It never hits me until I pull up in the boat to where Josh is waiting for me. Josh is the little boy from the spot Roger and I named “Little Boy Point.” True story!!!

Josh and I run up the lake a little ways and begin to fish. He likes to fish worms, but after I get a blow up or two he switched to a Pop R and hooks into a nice fish that unfortunately comes unbuttoned.

Josh is armed with a nice but very basic spinning combo that doesn’t have enough line on it to make a full cast. While Josh has a big tackle box, he could use a little help in filling it up. I gave him several bags of worms and a few lures. I also found a bait caster that will be a good starter combo for him to learn with. (I haven’t given it to him yet so don’t tell anybody.) If anyone wishes to donate any excess tackle or fishing equipment to Josh, I’d love to make his day by giving it to him. I may be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

God Bless.

Brian Morris