The U.S. Open - The One That Got Away
September 12, 2008
The last few months have been a hectic time for me due to tournaments, the rod company responsibilities and sponsor commitments so it’s been a while since I had a chance to sit down and do this column. In fact, currently I’m up on the Columbia River getting ready to start the official practice for the FLW National Guard Western Series tournament to be held next week.
But that’s not what I’d like to talk about right now. Instead I’d like to talk about the recent U.S. Open – a tournament I have nearly won on a number of occasions, and this year was no different. I finished first loser again and thought you all might want a little insight into how the event went for me from practice through the last day of competition. I know looking back helps me figure out what I did right, what I did wrong and what I need to do in order to remain competitive.
Here’s how it went.
Practice
My practice would be split up due to a business trip I had to make to South Korea the week before the tournament. So, prior to my trip to Asia, I headed to Mead to practice for three days. Once I returned I’d have two more days right before the tournament started.
Many of you know I live on reaction baits at Mead. That’s how I make my money there and they’ve always been there for me in a pinch. Baits like the Lucky Craft Staysee 90SP, Bevy Shad 75, Pointer 100, the Gunfish 95, a Spook and spinnerbaits. But one bait that I had high hopes for was the new Sammy 105 that was presented at ICAST this past July. I was able to get my hands on a couple of them at the show and had that bait in mind for The Open.
On the first day of practice I covered a ton of water from the Overton Arm to Bonelli and then towards Temple Bar. I caught seven or eight fish during the day, which isn’t bad for a first practice day on Mead. I didn’t catch any big fish but I did have them follow and that gave me a lot of confidence. That’s one thing about Mead, if you know where the active fish are, you can catch them.
Day 2 was pretty much the same – I covered a ton of water, this time between Temple Bar and Gregg’s Basin. This day, though, I caught quite a few more and all off of different areas. I was searching for fish and when I caught one I would leave to find more elsewhere.
The final day of my first practice session I concentrated on the Vegas Wash area close to the main launch. This day was a clincher for me confidence-wise because in the afternoon, the jerkbait bite went crazy and that is one of my strengths. Most importantly, though, I could leave for Korea with the confidence I was on something. I mean I had jerkbaits on the brain.
A week later I returned to the Las Vegas and my close friend, Pat Donoho, picked me up from the airport. After being up for 36 hours I was beat but still excited about what I had found the week before.
That first day back on the water was good but about mid-morning I made a mistake that cost me quite a bit of time. I had picked up a spinnerbait and quickly caught a 3 1/2-pound fish in shallow water and thought I was on to something big. Unfortunately, I spent the next six hours chasing that pattern and it never panned out for me.
Prior to that I was on a pretty good topwater bite with the Gunfish in the morning and after wasting those six hours, I got back on a jerkbait bite and started doing well again, which increased my confidence.
The last day of practice was the day that really cemented it for me, though. I didn’t stick too many fish but at the same time I had a lot of followers and knew I could get them to bite during the tournament. I knew I was on the right fish to be in the hunt and possibly even win.
Day One
The first day of the tournament I got on a couple of fish early and my partner did the same. I started throwing the new Sammy 105 and my partner caught one on a worm in a spot he wanted to fish. Then we started running water; picking a fish up here and there on topwater and worms.
Shortly after we had four fish in the boat is when my luck changed. I lost a fish on a brush hog and then another on a jig. Right after I dumped the jig fish I picked up a spinnerbait and proceeded to dump five fish in a row over the course of an hour and a half. They were a mix of smallies and largemouths – I’d fight them all the way to the boat and they’d come off. They were all good fish, for Mead, and would have put us close to first place. That hurt.
Towards the end of the day I caught a good fish on a Brush Hog that finished our limit and kept me out of trouble. That fish came out of 20 feet of water on a Texas rig.
One day down and I was sitting in third place with 9.05 pounds.
Day Two
My partner for Day Two was Carol Martens and I knew with her in the boat it would free me up to fish more reaction baits. We started in the lower basin and Carol caught a couple of fish on a drop-shot and Texas rig. After we got those two fish in the boat, I made a run past Middle Point and Carol caught a third fish.
We kept going and then got on a couple of schools of fish that allowed us to cull up with 16-inch fish by 9:30 in the morning. This was a great feeling because now I could run to a bunch of big fish spots looking for a kicker or two.
I ran all the way from Middle Point to the end of the Overton Arm to fish a spot I’d seen some big fish on in practice but nothing panned out. I still felt confident – I was fishing fast and aggressive. Maybe too aggressive but at the same time I wasn’t fishing chicken at all.
After leaving the Overton we got on another school of fish but none of them would cull the fish we already had in the well.
I ended the day with 9.56 pounds for a total of 18.61 and was still in third place.
Day Three
On Day Three I went directly to the Overton to see if my big fish would bite in the morning. I’d never fished them in the morning and had high hopes they’d bite for me. I knew if they’d cooperate, I could win the tournament.
Unfortunately, the wind didn’t blow that day like it had on Day Two and the fish didn’t show. On Mead, you really need the wind to make the fish eat the reaction baits.
After that plan failed, we made our way back by fishing outside points and caught seven to nine fish. Then around 11:45 I hooked a fish that was between 2 to 2-1/2 pounds and broke him off. I don’t know why the line broke – it wasn’t a new knot but I hadn’t caught a fish on it yet or got hung up – but it broke. That fish cost me about $133,000. What a heartbreaker!
I ended the day with a limit that went 8.23 pounds for a total of 26.84 pounds and second place – again.
Looking Back
First I’d like to congratulate Justin Kerr for his win. He’s a great competitor and came from fourth place on Day Two to win the event. My hat’s off to him.
But, looking back, another lost fish cost me the U.S. Open. This tournament to me is like having a 900-pound gorilla on my back – maybe some day I’ll finally win.
On the other hand, every time I fish The Open I learn something new. That’s what keeps me going. This year I learned a lot and next year when we head back, I feel confident I can be in contention again. We’ll just have to see what happens.