The Inside Line

Of all the events listed on this year’s Bassmaster Elite Series schedule, I was most optimistic about this one.

That may come as a shock to some of you since my favorite fishery — the St. Lawrence River — is also on the schedule. And you know how much I like that place.

The reason I wanted Hartwell was the timing. It fell dead on the spawn, and I love to sight fish. And with more than 56,000 surface acres, I knew I’d find somewhere to fish by myself.

Gary Dobyns loves the spring season; but not only for the warming weather — he’s more enamored with the seasonal bass movement that increases the levels of both quality and quantity. No doubt, the prespawn is the time to punch your ticket on a whopper and the renowned rod maker is all about maximizing his opportunities.

At nearly 40,000 surface acres, Lake Lanier is spacious and welcoming. Its beautifully sculpted shorelines feature countless points, pockets and coves — all comprised of rock, sand or clay.

The main body of the lake is deep and clear but to the north, the rivers feeding Lanier flow with a chalky stain.

Fishing in February on the St. Johns River can mean feast or famine, rarely anything in between. It’s all dependent on the weather. If a severe cold front moves in, forget about it. But if temperatures are on the rise, you better make sure your tackle is up to the task.

When B.A.S.S. first released the 2018 Bassmaster Elite Series schedule, I saw plenty of opportunity. Most of the venues seemed perfectly suited to my style of fishing, and I was anxious to get things rolling.

Unfortunately, with each passing event that optimism faded. In the end, I was left with the worst season of my 30-plus-year career.

Every summer the Bassmaster Elite Series heads north, and that means big waves and big smallmouth. It is a fun way to fish but it also takes additional preparation to make sure my boat and the gear I use to tackle those big bronzebacks give me the best possible chance at success. Here are a few things I do to make sure all of my equipment is ready for the big water.

The recent Elite Series tournament at Winyah Bay was presented as a binary choice – do you make the long run to the (assumedly better) fishery in the Cooper River, or stay close and get more fishing time? Within those two choices, though, there were strategic elements that had the potential to derail even the “proper” choice.

B.A.S.S. has not yet announced the site of the 2020 Bassmaster Classic, but it doesn't matter if it's held on the Dead Sea, in the Arctic Ocean, or if take-off occurs from a Bridge on the River Kwai -- it's going to be big.

Unlike many of you, I’m generally of the opinion that golf is a waste of good real estate, but nevertheless I was moved by seeing Tiger Woods celebrate his victory in the Masters on Sunday. As fishing fans have already been reminded this year, you should “never think that your best days are behind you.”

We’ve reached peak velocity in the professional fishing world, with all three major tours holding events this week on three distinctly different venues – a TVA grass lake full of monsters, a southern smallmouth impoundment, and a massive river system that demands game day strategy as much as fishing skill.

If you’re even a casual fan of professional bass fishing, this is likely one of the most exhilarating, confusing or maddening years of your fan experience. If you’re “inside the bubble” – a tour-level pro, a wannabe pro or some other sort of industry figure – you might think you have things figured out, but in reality you should probably be more on edge than ever before. From this point forward, there will be tremendous opportunity, but there will also be chances to miss the boat.

I learned this week that just before I set out for Tennessee to enjoy the Bassmaster Classic a truck overturned near a tributary of the Upper Potomac River and dumped 8,000 bottles of ranch dressing into the drink

I’ve written previously about the thrill I experienced a couple of years ago when I was first published in Field & Stream, the magazine that truly lit a fire under my desire to fish as a 9 year old kid. Now, two years later, they’ve published me several more times.

The best piece of clothing I acquired in the past year was actually two pieces of clothing.

After nearly 25 years of tournament fishing and 15 years of writing, I remain fascinated by the tow vehicles anglers use to get from Point A to Point B. Whether it’s Craig Lamb telling me about his days of being a personal driver for Forrest Wood’s Ranger-pulling Lincoln Continental, or Rick Pierce telling me about the Lane brothers’ grandfather pulling up to Rodman Reservoir in an old green hearse, I love to hear about anything outside the ordinary.