"In the Boat" presented by Jewel Bait Company |
Tournament: Mr. Bass of Arkansas
May 23rd, 2010
Lake Dardanelle
Angler: Frank Leone
26th place - 3 bass - 5.42 pounds
Practice: Friday, May 21st and Saturday, May 22nd: I decided to fish the lower end on Friday.
When I got to my starting location I could not believe all the mud and floating debris. Mother nature
had really thrown us a curve ball in the way of 5-inches of rain. I started throwing my old reliable
white swim jig in the grass. It was like a dead sea. Absolutely no blow-ups or takers and no fish
activity of any kind. I was disappointed to say the least. I decided to move up to Delaware Bay, and
things looked a little better there. I caught a couple of fish including a nice keeper from the grass. I
then decided to fish Dardanelle Bay. I caught a keeper and a couple shorts on a Big Bite Cane
Stick, and the water clarity looked decent. All in all, Friday was very slow. Saturday was slower. I put
in a full day of practice in Shoal Bay and I was disappointed to say the least. I've never seen Shoal
this trashed at this time of year. The whole thing was chocolate milk. I managed to catch a few fish,
but only 1 keeper. Although I was totally disappointed by my practice, I figured I might be able to
scrounge around and get 5 during the tournament.........
Tournament: I started off my day on a stretch of grass in the Illinois Bayou that rarely disappoints. I
was thinking that I was the only angler on the stretch, but here comes another competitor right
towards me. I was going around him when I decided to make one last cast to the front edge of the
grass. You guessed it, a good keeper jumped all over my swim jig. I got the fish in the boat and was
relieved to have a keeper so early. I continued down the stretch and didn't have any more action. I
packed up and went to Delaware. It was a big disappointment. Besides for one sauger and a
10-inch largemouth, there was no action. Up to Shoal bay I went. When I got there, I could not
believe the change in water clarity. It went from chocolate to a foot and a half of visibility over night.
I started down my favorite stretch of bank and there was another boat coming towards me. I guess
what goes around comes around, because they caught a 2.5 and a 6-pounder right in front of me. I
be lying if I said it didn't rattle me - It did! I tried to shake it off and decided to go back to swimming a
jig. Caught a couple of 14-inchers, but no keeps. Disappointed, I headed towards Dardanelle Bay.
By now it was almost noon and I was in bad need of keeper. I got to the same stretch that produced
on Friday and nailed my second keeper on a Cane Stick. I got out of Dardanelle Bay and decided
to try something different. I pulled out a Dobyns cranking rod and decided to crank the rocks on
Hwy 64. I had gone about a half mile when I finally got a strike. It was a keeper spotted bass and I
got it in the boat. I went into overdrive mode firing cast after cast, but that was the last strike I would
have all day..........
Keeper Count: White Swim Jig - 1 keeper
Big Bite Baits Cane Stick - 1 keeper
Lucky Craft RC 2.0 - 1 keeper
Equipment: Swim Jig: Dobyns Champion 734 C FH Rod
Cane Stick: Dobyns Champion 704 C Rod
Crankbait: Dobyns Champion 684 CB Rod
Final Thoughts: I did not adjust well to the changing conditions. I let it get in my head a little bit
and that hurt me. Also, I came into practice and the tournament with too many preconceived notions.
Sometimes, when you have a bad practice, you just need to continue to practice during the
tournament. I failed to do that and had another poor performance in another MBOA event..........
See ya' on the flip side.......
Frank Leone
May 23rd, 2010
Lake Dardanelle
Angler: Frank Leone
26th place - 3 bass - 5.42 pounds
Practice: Friday, May 21st and Saturday, May 22nd: I decided to fish the lower end on Friday.
When I got to my starting location I could not believe all the mud and floating debris. Mother nature
had really thrown us a curve ball in the way of 5-inches of rain. I started throwing my old reliable
white swim jig in the grass. It was like a dead sea. Absolutely no blow-ups or takers and no fish
activity of any kind. I was disappointed to say the least. I decided to move up to Delaware Bay, and
things looked a little better there. I caught a couple of fish including a nice keeper from the grass. I
then decided to fish Dardanelle Bay. I caught a keeper and a couple shorts on a Big Bite Cane
Stick, and the water clarity looked decent. All in all, Friday was very slow. Saturday was slower. I put
in a full day of practice in Shoal Bay and I was disappointed to say the least. I've never seen Shoal
this trashed at this time of year. The whole thing was chocolate milk. I managed to catch a few fish,
but only 1 keeper. Although I was totally disappointed by my practice, I figured I might be able to
scrounge around and get 5 during the tournament.........
Tournament: I started off my day on a stretch of grass in the Illinois Bayou that rarely disappoints. I
was thinking that I was the only angler on the stretch, but here comes another competitor right
towards me. I was going around him when I decided to make one last cast to the front edge of the
grass. You guessed it, a good keeper jumped all over my swim jig. I got the fish in the boat and was
relieved to have a keeper so early. I continued down the stretch and didn't have any more action. I
packed up and went to Delaware. It was a big disappointment. Besides for one sauger and a
10-inch largemouth, there was no action. Up to Shoal bay I went. When I got there, I could not
believe the change in water clarity. It went from chocolate to a foot and a half of visibility over night.
I started down my favorite stretch of bank and there was another boat coming towards me. I guess
what goes around comes around, because they caught a 2.5 and a 6-pounder right in front of me. I
be lying if I said it didn't rattle me - It did! I tried to shake it off and decided to go back to swimming a
jig. Caught a couple of 14-inchers, but no keeps. Disappointed, I headed towards Dardanelle Bay.
By now it was almost noon and I was in bad need of keeper. I got to the same stretch that produced
on Friday and nailed my second keeper on a Cane Stick. I got out of Dardanelle Bay and decided
to try something different. I pulled out a Dobyns cranking rod and decided to crank the rocks on
Hwy 64. I had gone about a half mile when I finally got a strike. It was a keeper spotted bass and I
got it in the boat. I went into overdrive mode firing cast after cast, but that was the last strike I would
have all day..........
Keeper Count: White Swim Jig - 1 keeper
Big Bite Baits Cane Stick - 1 keeper
Lucky Craft RC 2.0 - 1 keeper
Equipment: Swim Jig: Dobyns Champion 734 C FH Rod
Cane Stick: Dobyns Champion 704 C Rod
Crankbait: Dobyns Champion 684 CB Rod
Final Thoughts: I did not adjust well to the changing conditions. I let it get in my head a little bit
and that hurt me. Also, I came into practice and the tournament with too many preconceived notions.
Sometimes, when you have a bad practice, you just need to continue to practice during the
tournament. I failed to do that and had another poor performance in another MBOA event..........
See ya' on the flip side.......
Frank Leone