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1/18/2009
TOHO PAA TOURNAMENT RECAPThe first PAA tournament was a great success. The event was top notch and all the anglers were really
happy with everything. I feel like these events are going to continue to grow stronger each year. We had a great
crowd the final day and it was great to see the first angler owned event a success.
I'm entering my 8th year
as a professional angler and for the past eight years I have spent my January in Florida. I don't think I have fished
an event yet that hasn't been hit with a major cold front down there. We had great weather for practice but the
front hit right before the event with the coldest days of the season. Florida bass do not like it when it's cold
period. I didn't have a real good practice. I had a few areas in Kissimmee and Cypress but not much in Toho.
I started the first day in Kissimmee, it was cloudy and windy. I didn't feel real confident in the area I had
with the conditions plus it had muddied up a little with the wind. I decided to lock down to the Kissimmee river.
I haven't been down there in two years but I figured the conditions were right for it down there that day. In the
canals like the Kissimmee river it seems like the crummier the weather the better it sets up the fish down there. So
I locked down and basically went practicing. After about two hours I figured them out and quickly caught a 10.40lb limit
and it was time to go since I had to lock twice to get back to Toho. I finished the day somewhere just inside the money
cut.
Day 2 I went directly back to the Kissimmee river and caught a 4 1/2 right off flipping. I caught
a few more flipping to finish out the day in 39th making the final day cut.
The final day I ran back to the Kissmmee
river but struggled to get bit flipping. I finally picked up one of my homemade spinnerbaits and caught a quick limit.
My goal for the final day was to simply stay above 40th for the points at the end of the year. I knew I had no chance
to win it so it was strictly to preserve points. After I had what I thought would keep me where I was at in the standings
I left and headed to some hydrilla fish I had found on a lipless crankbait. I had a few big bites in the area so
I was hoping I could get a good bite and move up a little. I never ended up getting bit so I ended the event in 38th
place.
I am happy to get a good finish in the PAA Tournament Series because the PAA World Championship is
going to be held at Lake Conroe in October about 20 minutes from my house. First place is $200,000 and I don't want
to be sitting on the sidelines watching. The top 40 of the Series make the championsip.
I am on my way to
Lake Guntersville for the next 4 days to take a look at the lake and how the grass looks over there. Our first FLW Tour
event starts there this year in a few weeks. Later this week I'll head back to Florida for the opening round of
the Bassmaster Opens at the Harris Chain in Leesburg. I'm looking forward to Harris, I fished several Bassmaster
Tour events there early in my career. It fishes a lot different than Toho or Okeechobee, more like a normal lake in
the south. The only difference is the fish still hate the cold fronts and judging from my last eight years down here
we'll get one the day before the event.
1:32 pm
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