"In the Boat" presented by Jewel Bait Company |
Tournament: Mr. Bass of Arkansas Classic
October 24th and 25th, 2008
Wright Patman Lake (Texas)
Angler: Frank Leone (Amateur Division)
Place: 26th - 3 bass - 4.82 pounds
Practice: Drove down to Texas the day before the tournament and practiced a half a day with
Dylan Hawkins. We caught several small fish on rattletraps, but I did not get to see most of the lake.
I went in a little unprepared.......
First Day: I was paired with Richard Gay. He said that we would be going up the river, so I assumed
the pattern would shallow. After a 45 minute idle to his first location (the upper end of Patman is
treacherous), our Classic had begun. We were flipping bushes and patches of matted hydrilla which
grew in front of the cover. After the first few minutes, I tied on a Black Neon tube and immediately
started getting bites and missing fish. I missed the first two (which should have easily been put in
the boat) before catching my first keeper, a solid 2.25 pounder off of a clump of grass in front of the
bushes. Things were looking up, but were soon to take a big nose dive. We got to a hot little stretch
of bank and I immediately lost two. I was starting to wonder what in the world was wrong. I was
throwing the tube on 50 pound braid. It should have been easy, but I kept missing fish. Anyway, I
had just lost two in a row and we came to a sweet looking laydown. I made a perfect pitch and one
thumped it. I set the hook hard and the fish got pinned around the tree. It swam out, but as soon as
it reached open water the fish came unbuttoned. It was meltdown time. Although it was early, I
thought that I had lost my chance at having an awesome finish and possibly win the amateur title.
After losing my fifth fish of the morning I started to struggle. I probably went at least two hours
without getting another bite. About noon I switched to a jig and immediately put my second keeper
in the boat. About two minutes later, I made a perfect pitch into the bushes and one thumped it. The
fish got pinned in the bushes and came unbuttoned. It just wasn't my day. Richard had a good day,
catching 7 or 8 keepers on his way to a 4th place position after day one. I would go on to add one
more keeper, but I also lost another. It was too little, too late.
Second Day: I was paired with Glen Bingham. Glen was a local, so I had a glimmer of hope. I
figured that although a long shot, 10 or 12 pounds might be possible. Glen was also fishing up the
river, so I was kind of pumped. We started the morning fishing a line of bushes. I started fishing a jig
and didn't get bit. I switched back to the tube and immediately missed a fish. It felt like an instant
replay of day one. After missing that fish, I sat down and switched to a 4-inch tube and a different
hook. I had to blame something! The next fish that bit got tattooed, but It wound up being a 13.75
incher. It was early and I was still confident. Unfortunately, those were the only two bites I had all
day. Glen struggled, but managed to put together a decent limit, although it took all day. He
narrowly missed the cut. My 2008 Classic as an angler was over.......
Keeper Count: Revenge Flip Jig (3/8 oz. Black/Blue) - 2 keepers
Reaction Innovations Boom Boom Tube (5-inch; Black Neon) - 1 keeper
Final Thoughts: As it turned out, my meltdown on day one did not cost me an opportunity to win
the Classic. I still don't know what happened, but I will say that I went into the tournament
unmotivated and rusty. I hadn't fished in two months and I just struggled. I got my fishing batteries
recharged on day 3 of the Classic, when I was an observer for Matt Lea. It was an awesome
experience documenting Matt's Classic victory. I can't wait until next year........
October 24th and 25th, 2008
Wright Patman Lake (Texas)
Angler: Frank Leone (Amateur Division)
Place: 26th - 3 bass - 4.82 pounds
Practice: Drove down to Texas the day before the tournament and practiced a half a day with
Dylan Hawkins. We caught several small fish on rattletraps, but I did not get to see most of the lake.
I went in a little unprepared.......
First Day: I was paired with Richard Gay. He said that we would be going up the river, so I assumed
the pattern would shallow. After a 45 minute idle to his first location (the upper end of Patman is
treacherous), our Classic had begun. We were flipping bushes and patches of matted hydrilla which
grew in front of the cover. After the first few minutes, I tied on a Black Neon tube and immediately
started getting bites and missing fish. I missed the first two (which should have easily been put in
the boat) before catching my first keeper, a solid 2.25 pounder off of a clump of grass in front of the
bushes. Things were looking up, but were soon to take a big nose dive. We got to a hot little stretch
of bank and I immediately lost two. I was starting to wonder what in the world was wrong. I was
throwing the tube on 50 pound braid. It should have been easy, but I kept missing fish. Anyway, I
had just lost two in a row and we came to a sweet looking laydown. I made a perfect pitch and one
thumped it. I set the hook hard and the fish got pinned around the tree. It swam out, but as soon as
it reached open water the fish came unbuttoned. It was meltdown time. Although it was early, I
thought that I had lost my chance at having an awesome finish and possibly win the amateur title.
After losing my fifth fish of the morning I started to struggle. I probably went at least two hours
without getting another bite. About noon I switched to a jig and immediately put my second keeper
in the boat. About two minutes later, I made a perfect pitch into the bushes and one thumped it. The
fish got pinned in the bushes and came unbuttoned. It just wasn't my day. Richard had a good day,
catching 7 or 8 keepers on his way to a 4th place position after day one. I would go on to add one
more keeper, but I also lost another. It was too little, too late.
Second Day: I was paired with Glen Bingham. Glen was a local, so I had a glimmer of hope. I
figured that although a long shot, 10 or 12 pounds might be possible. Glen was also fishing up the
river, so I was kind of pumped. We started the morning fishing a line of bushes. I started fishing a jig
and didn't get bit. I switched back to the tube and immediately missed a fish. It felt like an instant
replay of day one. After missing that fish, I sat down and switched to a 4-inch tube and a different
hook. I had to blame something! The next fish that bit got tattooed, but It wound up being a 13.75
incher. It was early and I was still confident. Unfortunately, those were the only two bites I had all
day. Glen struggled, but managed to put together a decent limit, although it took all day. He
narrowly missed the cut. My 2008 Classic as an angler was over.......
Keeper Count: Revenge Flip Jig (3/8 oz. Black/Blue) - 2 keepers
Reaction Innovations Boom Boom Tube (5-inch; Black Neon) - 1 keeper
Final Thoughts: As it turned out, my meltdown on day one did not cost me an opportunity to win
the Classic. I still don't know what happened, but I will say that I went into the tournament
unmotivated and rusty. I hadn't fished in two months and I just struggled. I got my fishing batteries
recharged on day 3 of the Classic, when I was an observer for Matt Lea. It was an awesome
experience documenting Matt's Classic victory. I can't wait until next year........