Get5Bass.com
Summer Series
Next Tournament - June 17th, 2010
Lake Dardanelle State Park
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
$50 Entry Fee - For Schedule and Rules Click Here
Membership Fee: $25
Summer Series
Next Tournament - June 17th, 2010
Lake Dardanelle State Park
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
$50 Entry Fee - For Schedule and Rules Click Here
Membership Fee: $25
In the Boat with........
For the "In the Boat" with Jewel
Bait Company column, Click Here
Bait Company column, Click Here
| Mr. Bass of Arkansas Pro-Am Bass Tournaments "The Breeding Ground of Champions" www.mrbassofarkansas.com |
| Mr. Bass of Arkansas Pro-Am Bass Tournaments |
News: 07/01/10
Get5 Goes "In the Boat" With Arkansas Big Bass Winner
Nick Warden
Nick Warden holds the winning lure of the
Big Bass Bonanza - A 3/4 oz. Jewel Football Jig
Get5 recently caught up with Nick Warden, 2010 Champion of the
Arkansas Big Bass Bonanza. We asked Nick specifics about his winning
catch. Here's the interview:
Get5: Why did you pick to fish the Dumas Pool?
Nick Warden: Actually, the Dumas Pool got picked for me. I wasn't going
to fish the tournament, but my step dad had just bought a new camper
and really wanted to go to Dumas to camp and fish the Big Bass
Bonanza, so I wound up going.
Get5: Tell us about your approach to fishing the Dumas Pool and what
lead you to the winning location.
Nick Warden: My original strategy was to go into the backwaters and
fish grass, but I noticed that a lot of the grass was matted up and laying
over due to the falling water. In my experience, the grass doesn't fish
well when it's like that. From their, I decided to fish areas that lead to
the backwaters, so that's where I decided to concentrate. I decided to
start at an area where I had caught some quality fish in the past so that I
might be able to catch a 3 or 4 pounder for some hourly money. When I
pulled up to the spot, I noticed the current was sweeping up pretty hard
right into it. I also noticed a lot of big gizzard shad rolling at the surface.
I tied my Jewel Football Jig on and on my first cast, it just didn't feel
right when it hit the bottom. I set the hook and the fish came right out of
the water. The first thing I thought when I seen his is "Please God, let
me get this fish in the boat". I got the fish to the boat without a problem
and laid down to get him in the boat and didn't have a problem. As soon
as I got him in the boat the jig fell out of his mouth. I had to basically lay
on top of the fish to get him under control. I got him in the livewell and
knew I needed to take him to the scales. I was going to go get my step
dad (who was fishing nearby), but I decided he could listen on the radio.
I figured the fish was at least 5.5 pounds, so I thought I would probably
win the hour, but it never crossed my mind that I would win the whole
tournament.
Get5: Tell us about the winning bait.
Nick Warden: It was a Jewel Bait Company Football Jig, 3/4 oz. in size
and peanut butter jelly in color. I tipped it with a twin tail grub in
cinnamon/purple. I used to throw a Carolina-rig a lot, up until I got my
hands on that bait. These days, if I'm going to be dragging something,
it's always going to be that Jewel Football Jig.
Get5: How did you react when you were leading the entire tournament
after day 2?
Nick Warden: I didn't have any problem sleeping and I wasn't stressed
out at all, then about 10:00 AM on Sunday I came unraveled. I felt like I
had a legitimate shot, the weights were going down, it just felt like it
might happen.
Get5: Did you hear anything about the controversy (the Higmon
Disqualification) that occurred on Dardanelle while fishing on Sunday?
Nick Warden: It was never on the radio. I actually didn't hear about the
controversy until I made it to the awards ceremony on Sunday
Afternoon. At first I was thinking that maybe the guy got disqualified
because he didn't wear his life jacket or something, but I later found out
differently. I just wanted to make sure that everyone knew that I won the
tournament on the water and that he didn't get disqualified due to a
frivolous penalty.
Get5: Well you won the Arkansas Big Bass Bonanza. What are your plans
for the $50,000?
Nick Warden: I'm in the process of convincing my wife that I need a
couple of side imaging graphs and a power pole for my boat. After that,
the rest of the money is going into the bank!!!
Get5 Goes "In the Boat" With Arkansas Big Bass Winner
Nick Warden
Nick Warden holds the winning lure of the
Big Bass Bonanza - A 3/4 oz. Jewel Football Jig
Get5 recently caught up with Nick Warden, 2010 Champion of the
Arkansas Big Bass Bonanza. We asked Nick specifics about his winning
catch. Here's the interview:
Get5: Why did you pick to fish the Dumas Pool?
Nick Warden: Actually, the Dumas Pool got picked for me. I wasn't going
to fish the tournament, but my step dad had just bought a new camper
and really wanted to go to Dumas to camp and fish the Big Bass
Bonanza, so I wound up going.
Get5: Tell us about your approach to fishing the Dumas Pool and what
lead you to the winning location.
Nick Warden: My original strategy was to go into the backwaters and
fish grass, but I noticed that a lot of the grass was matted up and laying
over due to the falling water. In my experience, the grass doesn't fish
well when it's like that. From their, I decided to fish areas that lead to
the backwaters, so that's where I decided to concentrate. I decided to
start at an area where I had caught some quality fish in the past so that I
might be able to catch a 3 or 4 pounder for some hourly money. When I
pulled up to the spot, I noticed the current was sweeping up pretty hard
right into it. I also noticed a lot of big gizzard shad rolling at the surface.
I tied my Jewel Football Jig on and on my first cast, it just didn't feel
right when it hit the bottom. I set the hook and the fish came right out of
the water. The first thing I thought when I seen his is "Please God, let
me get this fish in the boat". I got the fish to the boat without a problem
and laid down to get him in the boat and didn't have a problem. As soon
as I got him in the boat the jig fell out of his mouth. I had to basically lay
on top of the fish to get him under control. I got him in the livewell and
knew I needed to take him to the scales. I was going to go get my step
dad (who was fishing nearby), but I decided he could listen on the radio.
I figured the fish was at least 5.5 pounds, so I thought I would probably
win the hour, but it never crossed my mind that I would win the whole
tournament.
Get5: Tell us about the winning bait.
Nick Warden: It was a Jewel Bait Company Football Jig, 3/4 oz. in size
and peanut butter jelly in color. I tipped it with a twin tail grub in
cinnamon/purple. I used to throw a Carolina-rig a lot, up until I got my
hands on that bait. These days, if I'm going to be dragging something,
it's always going to be that Jewel Football Jig.
Get5: How did you react when you were leading the entire tournament
after day 2?
Nick Warden: I didn't have any problem sleeping and I wasn't stressed
out at all, then about 10:00 AM on Sunday I came unraveled. I felt like I
had a legitimate shot, the weights were going down, it just felt like it
might happen.
Get5: Did you hear anything about the controversy (the Higmon
Disqualification) that occurred on Dardanelle while fishing on Sunday?
Nick Warden: It was never on the radio. I actually didn't hear about the
controversy until I made it to the awards ceremony on Sunday
Afternoon. At first I was thinking that maybe the guy got disqualified
because he didn't wear his life jacket or something, but I later found out
differently. I just wanted to make sure that everyone knew that I won the
tournament on the water and that he didn't get disqualified due to a
frivolous penalty.
Get5: Well you won the Arkansas Big Bass Bonanza. What are your plans
for the $50,000?
Nick Warden: I'm in the process of convincing my wife that I need a
couple of side imaging graphs and a power pole for my boat. After that,
the rest of the money is going into the bank!!!
