ESPN

Nov. 19, 2009
Hot plugs & Thanksgiving

I told you last week that I was building my boat. That's going along pretty well. The only real problem left is my wrap. Unfortunately, that's turning into a hassle. With the economy the way it is, it's tough to make decisions about the final design. I don't know who my sponsors will be when all is said and done.

Still, things could be worse. My life could be like it was back when I was just getting started as a professional bass angler. Believe me when I tell you my early years were difficult.

It was so bad for a while I didn't have enough money for food or lodging. Mostly I slept in my Chevy Astro Van. I'll tell you more about it next week. But for now let's just say that it served as my motel room, restaurant and tackle shop for many years.

I used to drive around looking for hot electrical outlets. One of the best places was behind restaurants. For some reason they always seemed to have power on them, and they were secluded. I'd pull up to one, plug in my boat and go to bed.

Electricity is everything when you're tournament fishing. You can do without almost anything if you're trolling motor batteries work, but if they fail all is lost. A hot plug was a real gift.

OK, gift may not be exactly the right word. It was more like electricity on the five-finger discount. I'm not telling anyone to rip off local businesses. That's wrong; I shouldn't have done it. It's nothing I'm proud of. At the same time, however, the truth about my life is the truth. Not all of it's pretty.

I don't want to exaggerate my situation, though. There were times when I earned a check and was able to afford a campground spot with a legal outlet. That was really nice, except for the showers. I can't handle the bugs and spiders. Lots of times we'd (wannabe pros) go down to the lake — yes, the one we were fishing — and bathe in the water.

We were so poor we'd have to share shampoo and stuff. We did have some standards, though. We used our own bar of soap... most of the time anyway.

While I was living this way I mostly existed on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. They were the staple of my diet. For one thing, they're nutritious — or so I've been told — and they last at least three days before they go bad. If you're experienced, you can get them down when they're almost a week old.

So, as rough as things are right now, it could be worse. I could be living 15 years ago. Saying thanks come Thanksgiving Day is a privilege.

Nov. 12, 2009
Building my boat

I'm still in Del Rio working at the resort and trying to do as much fishing as possible. In between everything else, I'm building my new boat for the 2010 season. I hope to have it ready by the first of December so I can use it to film Weekend Angler.

Triton, Mercury, MotorGuide, Power Pole and Lowrance have shipped everything. That means we have all the basics and are ready to go.

I'm trying to watch as much of the installations as possible. That way if I'm on the road, or in a big tournament someplace, I'll have some idea of where to start to try to get it repaired. That can be a big advantage when you're in a pinch.

The electronics are especially tricky. They need to be mounted to fit my fishing style, my body size and my vision. I don't want to have to bend over or move from side to side to see something. I want everything at my immediate disposal.

With the electronics, I want to be able to move them around the boat so that I can keep the screens out of the sun and in the area on the deck where I'm fishing. The best way to do that is with gimbal brackets and ball mounts. They allow you to move the box to a new location in a matter of seconds.

Gimbal brackets also help to keep lowlifes from stealing your expensive electronics at the ramp or motel. The box is really all there is to these things, at least they're all that really matters to us anglers. Everything we use to fish is stored in the box.

If anyone steals it — all they have to do is cut the cable and keep walking — he or she can get a new cable and a transducer almost anywhere for next to nothing. After that, they're good to go with your electronics.

I like to take all my boxes off when I'm not fishing and store them in my room. Several of the guys have had trouble with theft on the trail over the last few years. In some cases, their waypoints were downloaded from their units; in others the criminals stole the whole box.

Enough on that subject, however. Let's talk about something positive.

Next week I'll update you on our plans for season two of Weekend Angler. I'm excited about it. Last year we worked on helping guys just getting started in tournament bass fishing. This year we'll take it to the next level with information for the intermediate competitive angler.

I've got to go now. I'm working on trying to sell last year's boat. It's a sweet one, first class all the way. I hate to give it up, but that's life. At least I know it'll make some other tournament angler happy.

Nov. 5, 2009
The 2010 Classic

I'm back in Del Rio spending some of my time thinking about next year's Classic. Obviously, I want to do better this time. The 2009 Classic was my first and I have to say it was a learning experience.

My performance was disappointing. It would be easy to say that it was because of the excitement and the media pressure. But the truth is that wasn't the problem at all. I know how to handle that. It was the way I fished and what happened on the water.

I've never fished a tournament where I was as prepared as I was there. That was the problem. I think I was over-prepared. I had good fish in practice. I knew where they were and what they were biting.

When the Classic started, they were gone. I can't tell you why or when but they just disappeared. I thought when the front rolled in that I could catch them in the same general vicinity — maybe a tougher bite back in the grass, but in the same area nevertheless. That was my thought; the fish saw it differently.

I remember being on my spot early the first morning when Bill Lowen pulled up near me. He laughed and said I was fishing the best spot in the river. I laughed and told him that he was on the second best spot. It wasn't long before we both realized things were going south, our fish were gone.

I learned a lesson from that. Things can change quickly on the water, for reasons we don't understand. It's better to know the water and fish the bite than it is to have big bass cornered. They don't always stay put.

Skeet Reese caught his fish from places we all knew about. His location was no secret. I wasn't fishing it because I couldn't get a bite there during practice. The tournament was different. The bite was there.

He took advantage of what the water offered. He believed that the bass would show up. He had confidence in himself and in the fish. More power to him for that. He's the 2009 Bassmaster Classic champion.

That's the way I'm going to approach Lay Lake next February. I'll go there around the first part of December and sniff around. But I'm not going to bear down like last year. I've never fished the lake before, so whatever I learn will benefit me. When the Classic arrives I'll try to maintain a relaxed attitude and fish whatever the water gives me.

Don't get me wrong. I'm going to practice and prepare. I'll try to learn as much as I can about the lake, and I'll try equally hard to put that knowledge to good use. What I'm not going to do is win practice.

I'll talk more about this next week.

Oct. 29, 2009
Something old, something new

Like a lot of the guys I'm out in Oklahoma fishing the combination fishing-poker tournament. The fishing has been tough. Bites are hard to come by. That's really disappointing because the lake we're fishing — Lake of the Arbuckles — is supposed to be pretty good. It has a reputation of producing some really big bass.

The poker is another story, however. My partner and I have been doing OK. We had a pretty good night last Tuesday and a not so bad night Wednesday. We'll see how things go from there.

I've fished for many years and I've played poker for many years. But I've never combined the two into one event. It's kind of freaky to tell you the truth. You're chasing bass one day for money and chasing poker chips for money the next day. I like it, though. It's old but new at the same time.

Once this is over it'll be time to get back to work. I'll go to Amistad and tend to the resort for awhile. I think I've told you before that's a never ending process. After that, I'll start thinking about the Classic and next year's Elite Series.

That may sound a little early to some of you but really it's not. Last week we talked about the importance of organizing and planning. Well, this is a part of all that. I'll find out what I can about Lay Lake and then start looking over my tackle. If I need something, now's the time to get it, not in the middle of January.

I'll do the same thing with next year's schedule. I'll look over each venue, determine what I need and make sure I have it before the first of the year. That's a part — an important part — of being a professional.

A big part of my preparation will be working with maps. You really can't make an informed decision about where to fish, or what you'll need, without knowing what a body of water looks like as a whole. The only way I know to do that is to get a map.

If I had one tip to give you this week, it's that — spend some time with a map, even if it's your home water and you've fished it for years. You'll be pleasantly surprised at what you discover.

To give you an idea of how important the big picture is, consider that a lot of us — including fishing legends like Rick Clunn — often fly over a lake or river before a tournament. We want to see what everything looks like. That allows us to narrow down the water we need to cover before practice.

Of course, that's not realistic for most recreational anglers. I understand that. Still, the concept remains the same — know and understand the big picture. For most anglers that means buying a good map and spending time with it.

Oct. 22, 2009
More about the little things

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a trick a saltwater guide taught me. In short, I learned to catch more fish by handling the bail on my spinning reel more carefully. That was a valuable lesson. It'll help me catch more bass.

That started me thinking about other things I've learned from the guides I've fished with while filming Going Coastal. They are many, but one "trick" they all have in common is organization.

There isn't one of them who searches all through his boat for line, swivels, hooks or a specific lure. They keep things in order so they can put their hands on what they need when they need it.

This is more than convenience, although that may be reason enough to do it. It's about fishing efficiency. If you spend an extra five minutes out of every hour trying to find the bait you want, you'll lose at least that many casts. Over the course of an eight-hour day, that costs you 40 casts. You can cover a lot of water, and maybe catch a few bass, with 40 casts.

How you organize is of no importance. Some guys sort their lures by type; others prefer depth. Some anglers further sort by manufacturer and color. It's common to see everything for a drop shot rig or a Carolina rig in the same box. A lot of guys sort their plastics by style — grubs, lizards, creature baits, whatever. The possibilities are endless.

The important thing about making organization work is to do it in a way that makes you comfortable and efficient. Anything less is a waste of time.

Another thing these highly successful guides don't do is throw tackle into the bottom of their boats. They put it back in its place so they know where to reach the next time they need to use it. (This is also a safety issue. Don't kid yourself about how bad you can get hurt tripping over a tangle of fishing line and lures.)

They also keep their rods sorted and stowed away when they're not being used. There are several commercially available wraps on the market that allow you to keep the line and baits from tangling in the rod locker. You don't have to pull the whole mess out to find the one you want.

What I'm saying is that organization is not a waste of time, nor is it make-work. It's an important aspect of your fishing that helps you keep your lure in the water longer. And I don't care if you're a top professional or a beginner, you'll catch more fish if your lure is in the water.

Oct. 15, 2009
Amistad is on fire

I've been home now for a few days. I'm rested, my clothes are clean and I'm working hard at the resort. There's a lot to this place — the rooms, the restaurant and the fishing operation. I love it, but it's hard work — never ending hard work. But that's not what I want to talk about today. Amistad and big bass fishing is more interesting.

For awhile, bass fishing on the lake was struggling a little bit. It wasn't that the fish were gone — the place is full of them. It was because the lake was rising and the fish were hard to locate and pattern. That's all changed now that the water has stabilized and the fish are getting familiar with their surroundings. They're comfortable. That means we can find them and make them bite.

Basically, the lake is much higher than it has been in the past. It's been that way for a year. The fish are getting used to that, and they've moved to the shoreline. There's a solid shallow bite in progress.

Most of them are holding between the old shoreline — which is now covered with water — and the bushes growing on what was once dry ground. That water's anywhere between 2 and 12 feet deep and often has cactus poking a few feet above the waterline.

The best bite seems to be generated by Tru-Tungsten's Mad Maxx Frog worked along the surface around and through the bushes. Color doesn't seem to make much difference. Most of the guys are going with light colors in clear water and darker colors when the water's got a little stain to it.

When the frog doesn't work, they're throwing Berkley 10-inch Power Worms with very light weights. They force them into the thickest cover they can find and hope for the best when it comes to getting them back to the boat. Again, color doesn't seem to matter.

This pattern should hold until we get a few cold snaps. Even then, however, the bigger fish will only move a little ways out. They'll return as soon as we get a warm spell. This should be one of the best late fall and early winter seasons we've ever had. You can get up-to-the-minute info from byronvelvick.com.

When I see something like this happening I get excited. I don't care how much you fish, or how many fish you've caught, there's a thrill every time you set the hook. It's irresistible. I can't say I've bass fished as much as I wanted to over the last two weeks but I can say I've bass fished more than I should have.

Once I get caught up here — as if that's ever going to happen — I've got a couple of tournaments to fish, and then it'll be time to turn my attention to next year's Classic. This will be two in a row. For me that's a big deal.

October 8, 2009
It's the little things

My last two weeks have been a bear. We filmed a whole season of Going Coastal in just a few days. We fished from daylight to dark, and then we traveled to our next destination so we could fish from daylight to dark again. It's the hardest I've worked in a long time.

It's over now, though. I'm flying home to Del Rio as I put this together. When I get there this afternoon I'm going to burn my clothes — they may not be washable — and rest for at least two days, vegetate and do nothing. I deserve it, even if I have to say so myself.

Enough about my schedule, though. I'm smart enough to know that no one is going to feel sorry for me because I've been fishing too much.

What I want to talk about this week is a lesson I learned from a flats guide, Capt. Chris Jones of MudPuppy Charters, while I was fishing near Islamorada for bonefish. He's a really savvy angler and taught me something about myself and fishing that I didn't know.

For those of you who don't know, bonefishing is like hunting. Bonefish swim in gin clear, shallow water and are very wary of anything out of the ordinary. You have to approach them with great stealth; any mistakes and they're history. They're a serious challenge.

It turns out that every time I was close to catching one I would open and close the bail on my reel while I was attempting to control my line. Worse, I was doing this automatically with the reel handle, not manually with my hand.

Capt. Jones pointed this out to me and said that I should stop opening and closing the reel so much, and that I should never do it with the reel handle. It should always be done by hand — gently. His theory was that the sound and vibration from the bail snapping closed transferred down the line and scared the fish away.

In all my years of fishing, I'd never thought about those things. But when I reviewed the tape, I realized immediately that he was right. I did play with the bail too much. It was a nervous tick, like something a poker player does subconsciously that gives away his or her cards.

I'd never thought about transferring sound down the line. Again, however, he was right. When I opened or closed the bail gently, the fish didn't seem to pay as much attention to it. I definitely caught more of them when I did it his way.

It was a lesson learned, and not just about bonefish. Our bass are getting more conditioned every day. It's the little things that often make the difference between cashing a check and taking the weekend off. There's no doubt in my mind that his schooling on this subject will make me a better bass angler.

September 24, 2009
Finding the right boat shop

Boats and motors are expensive. Taking proper care of them is a must. As many of you know, I have an interest in a boat dealership in Del Rio, Texas. We offer maintenance as a part of our services. That gives me a unique insight into that side of our industry.

I thought this might be a good time to offer you a few tips on how to pick the right service facility. It isn't all that hard, but it does require an investment of your time. For most of us that's a better deal than spending a bunch of money.

1. Check with your friends

You hear this all the time. That's because it's true. Checking with other anglers and boaters is one of the best ways to get started. It'll give you an idea of what type of work a specific facility has done in the past.

Make sure you know who you're talking to, however. A recommendation from a close friend or relative may not be all that trustworthy. The world is full of people you can't please no matter how hard you try or what you do for them. Take a critical look at the advice you get.

2. Make sure they're properly trained and well-rounded

Ask about mechanic training. Have they been to the factory schools? Are they up on all the latest products and innovations? Do they have the necessary technical manuals?

Make sure they're well-rounded. You don't want a mechanic who knows only one type of motor made by one company. Wide-ranging experience is invaluable when it comes to spotting unusual problems and knowing how to fix them.

3. Look around the shop

The last thing you want to see when you walk into a place is some guy sitting around reading the paper with nothing to do. That's a bad sign. Look for a parts manager who's walking around with a phone on his ear. See if everyone is working hard, trying to get their work completed so they can move on to the next project.

It may be frustrating to wait a day or two for your boat, but that's better than having a mechanic who's waiting for a customer. Being busy equates in most cases to experience. And nothing — absolutely nothing — replaces experience.

4. Read your warranty

There's a lot of stuff that's covered by warranties. Take advantage of that. Read your warranty and talk to the shop manager about it. You might be pleasantly surprised at what's covered.

If possible, purchase an extended warranty. Modern motors are expensive to repair. If there's any way you can afford it, go for long-term coverage. It can be a real lifesaver.

Hopefully these tips will help you pick the right shop and keep your rig on the water where it belongs.

September 17, 2009
Visions of Buddy Holly

I just got back from Alaska. We were filming a new episode of Going Coastal. It was a trip I'll never forget. We fished for several species including salmon, halibut and lingcod. Overall the fishing was pretty good. I think you'll like the show when it airs next year.

The thing I remember — other than the trip out which we'll talk about in a minute — was the beauty of our northern state. I thought I'd seen the most beautiful places on earth. I was wrong. I hadn't been to Alaska. The mountains, snow, ice and streams will take your breath away.

We stayed at Elfin Cove Lodge, a really remote place. The only way to get in and out was by boat or seaplane. We chose seaplane. One day we were fishing for salmon in a nearby stream when a big female bear and her cubs decided to join us.

Now, hear me when I say this — she was a real, wild brown bear, not one of those ones you see at the zoo. As the time passed she kept inching closer and closer to us. At one point she was no more than 40 feet away. That's when I decided to advance to the rear.

I'm a loyal guy, and I appreciate the opportunity ESPN has given me with this show. But a big brown bear is a big brown bear. Until you're close to one, you really don't appreciate how big they are. I just didn't see how a confrontation could turn out to be in my best interest.

That was thrilling, no doubt about it. The ride home, however, was downright frightening. Just as we were thinking about leaving the weather turned bad — something about the remnants of a typhoon or whatever it was.

We called for the plane and were told that they didn't know if he could make it or not. Then they said that if he tried and failed we still had to pay. How's that? Anyway, we decided to give it a try. When the plane arrived, it couldn't land near us. We had to transport all our stuff by boat over to another island before we could load the plane and take off.

This was a four seater plane with four guys in it. On top of us, there was all of our equipment. I couldn't help but think about the weight. Then the pilot — in an effort to make us feel better — tells us not to worry. Even though the weather is real bad, he said we could ditch almost anywhere along the way.

I looked down. All I could see were big waves and a billion acres of cold water. I couldn't help thinking about Buddy Holly and "The Day the Music Died." But hey, all's well that ends well. It was the trip of a lifetime. I recommend it to anyone.

August 31, 2009
What am I?

I'm in Las Vegas with Mary — she's taking some well-deserved time off — practicing on Lake Mead for the U.S. Open next week. It'd be nice to score a third win. Putting something like that on my résumé would be really great. I know it's a long shot, but that's my goal. (Actually, winning any tournament with over 100 professional anglers competing in it is a long shot.)

It's really hot out here, especially on the water. Nevertheless, it's a relief to be off the road. In the last month I've driven from Del Rio to New York, back to Del Rio, and then to California and from there to Las Vegas. That's well over 6,000 miles.

It's a crazy life. There are a few laughs along the way, however. Every time I stopped for gas or food, guys would come up to the rig and say they recognized it. Then, with a quizzical look on their faces, they'd say something like, are you Byron Velvick?

When I answered yes, they'd say they thought so but they assumed we all had drivers for our rigs, that we fly from event to event while our hired hands trail along with our trucks and our boats. Don't I wish! That's just one example of the reality of professional bass fishing as opposed to what recreational anglers think about it. The reality is far from the illusion.

I'm not complaining. They mean well. It's just that they don't have a clue as to how we really live, how hard we work and how much time we spend on the road. I mean sometimes we don't know if we're professional anglers or professional truck drivers.

Speaking of hard work, Lake Mead has been a little tough for me the last few days. I know it pretty well so I'm not worried about the actual tournament, but I do wish I could find a few more big bass. It would make me feel better, give me more confidence. That's a big part of winning in this game.

I wonder if anyone has ever done a study trying to correlate practice success with tournament success? It'd probably be darn near impossible to do that. You'd have to have a working definition of good and bad. We all know that's a matter of interpretation.

Besides, you'd have to get the guys to tell the truth about their practices. That would cripple some of them — render them unable to fish. They'd be useless, half their game would be gone. I'd be one of them.

Anyway, I need to get back to finding bass. The U.S. Open is a tough event. If you screw around with it you'll pay the price. I'll give you a complete update next week, as well as a hot weather bass trick or two.

August 21, 2009
Some things are just not meant to be

OK, guys, here's my tale of woe from Oneida. It's an ugly one, too. If I've ever had this much trouble in a tournament I can't remember when or where it was, and I don't want to remember either.

I was on fish, tons of them. They were holding in some grass with rock in it that I found in the middle of a big bay. Even better, they were hungry. I honestly thought things were going my way.

But here's the thing: When the tournament started I couldn't get them to the boat. I was flipping and pitching. They'd bite. I'd set the hook. About halfway to the boat they'd pull loose. To this day I have no idea why or what I could have done to prevent it.

At first I thought it was my reel — too slow. I changed to a high-speed version so I could keep up with the fish. That accomplished nothing. I changed my rod under the theory that it was too stiff — setting the hook too hard. No help.

I changed hooks three or four times thinking that might be the problem. Still, I was landing about one out of every six or seven bass I hooked. Changing my line didn't help either.

At one point I went so far as to change weights. That was the worst of all. If I downsized from an ounce to a half-ounce I couldn't get the bites. (Of course, that did solve the problem of them pulling off. They can't get away if they're never on.)

Anyway, about noon on Friday I'd had all I could handle. I'd caught enough fish to qualify for the Classic so I thought I'd go for broke. I headed across the lake in search of giants. I wanted to make Friday night's cut and fish on Saturday. I'd get a check that way and maybe push myself up in the points standings.

About half-way across the lake I saw a big school of smallies busting the surface. I stopped and started fishing. I was catching them but they weren't quite big enough to get me a spot in Saturday's launch. Nevertheless I kept fishing. It was getting close to the time I had to leave. I had nowhere else to go.

Then, without warning, a big 4-pounder darted away from the pack and grabbed my bait, hard. That was just what I needed to make the cut. I set the hook. The fight was on. That fish was mine.

She was almost to the boat when it happened. The entire school of fish attacked my bass. It looked to me like there were hundreds of them. I watched helplessly as a 2-pounder darted in, grabbed the lure, and ripped it out of my 4-pounder's mouth.

I missed the Top 50 cut by 6 ounces.

August 14, 2009
A different bass

While you're reading this, I'll be on the water competing at Oneida. Given that, this is probably a good time to talk about what I've been doing between ICAST and this week's tournament. It'll come as no surprise that I've been filming 2010 episodes of Going Coastal with Byron Velvick.

Last week we spent some time off the California coast fishing for sharks. I'm here to tell you that if you want to have a good time, try landing a monster shark on bass tackle. It's an experience like no other.

We were chumming sharks when a big school of them suddenly surfaced. They were fired up and ready to eat anything they could sink their teeth into. I threw a Heddon Chugger — an old topwater bass bait I happened to have with me — into the mix. A 200-pounder grabbed it, and the fight was on.

I fought it for something like 30 or 40 minutes when the line snapped. In an instant the shark was gone, and I was left standing in the boat, holding my rod in my hand and staring blankly across the water.

When something like that happens you never really know why. I had a wire leader on so I don't think that was the problem. I'm guessing my line wrapped around one of its fins or maybe got hung in its mouth. But, like I said, you never really know why.

After that we went down the Baja Peninsula, near the town of El Rosario to fish for calico bass. It's a really neat place — sort of a mix between the old California/Mexico that so many of us loved and the new Gringo California/Mexico that many of us still love.

We fished with Baja's Best Charter Service and caught more, and bigger, calico bass than I knew existed. We landed a ton of them in the 5- to 10-pound range. Now, to give you a little perspective, the world record is 14 pounds, 7 ounces. Our fish were really big — anytime you're catching fish (no matter the species) that weigh half as much as the world record, they can credibly be called big.

I heard a story down there that one of the locals caught one over 15 pounds in a lobster trap. Of course, there's no way to tell if that's true or not. (Sometimes fishermen get a little carried away, you know.) Regardless, the calicos down there are big, there's a ton of them, and they fight really hard. For sure that part of the story is true.

Black bass are great fish. Catching largemouths, smallmouths and spots is more fun than just about anything I've ever done. But don't kid yourself; they aren't the only fish worth catching, and they aren't the only way to have fun with a rod and reel.

Anybody want to tell me this isn't a great life?

August 10, 2009
The Oneida factor

I'm on my way to Oneida. It's a very important tournament for me. There are lots of decisions to be made during this event, decisions that could have a profound effect on my career.

As of today I'm sitting in 18th place in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. I'm about 50 points away from the Toyota 12 and a shot at this year's AOY title. At the same time, I'm 120 points or so inside the Classic cut.

The way I have it figured, I only need to catch a couple of bass to guarantee my Classic spot. I need to catch a lot of fish, however, to have any chance at all of going to Alabama in September — a lot of big fish.

This is a sport of strategy. With that in mind, my plan is to launch on Thursday and try to boat two or three solid keepers as quick as possible. That'll guarantee my Classic spot. After that I'll probably swing for the fences. With a Top 10 finish it's possible that I could end up qualifying for the postseason tournaments. Naturally, that's my goal.

Swinging for the fences doesn't mean I'll get stupid, however.

The first thing I'll do up there is make absolutely sure I don't violate any rules. I'll be ultra conservative about No Wake zones, any off-limits areas and anything else that may come into play. Can you imagine losing a Classic berth because you were disqualified over a rule infraction?

And swinging for the fences doesn't necessarily mean fishing only for largemouths. Even though the last couple of anglers to win our Oneida tournaments targeted largemouths, I don't think that's the only way to get to the top.

There are more smallmouths swimming in that lake than there are largemouths. Of course, the largemouths are generally bigger than the smallies, but the smallies get big up there, too. It's a mistake to count them out.

A guy might be able to put together four heavy sacks of smallmouths, or he might be able to put together the winning weight with a combination of smallmouths and largemouths. That's a decision that I'll have to make after a couple of days of practice.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I see no advantage in being conservative on Oneida. Qualifying for the Classic is qualifying regardless of whether you're 18th or 28th or whatever. I'd rather take my chances and go for the gold. The last thing I want is to leave New York with regrets. That would be painful.

Hero or not, we'll all know soon enough.

July 29, 2009
Golf balling, part 2

When I scouted a course I usually stood on the tees and tried to imagine where a ball would land if it was hooked or sliced. That told me where to start. At the same time I'd check out the road that looped around the outside of the course for places to hide my car.

Once I selected my targets, I returned the cart, thanked the pro with a hearty handshake and returned home. As soon as it was dark I pulled on my wetsuit and skullcap — both black — and headed off to work.

I always followed the same procedure — wade into the water and search with my bare feet for a concentration of balls. When I found one I'd slip my left foot under two balls — one between my big and first toe, the other between my third and fourth toe — and trap them on top with my right foot.

As soon as they were secure, I'd pull my feet to the surface, using my wetsuit for floatation. The balls then went into a big, cloth laundry bag I'd borrowed from the restaurant where I worked.

After awhile I got pretty good at it. Some nights I'd earn as much as $300. On one course — whose location must forever remain a secret — I earned $1,000 a night for several nights in a row. (It was a scary place, though. I earned every penny.)

On some of the better courses, security presented a problem. Sometimes they'd hear me splashing around in the water and come to investigate. The best way I found to hide from them was to waddle back against the shoreline, pile seaweed on top of my head and quack like a duck. It worked every time. No kidding — I never got caught doing that.

The best story I have from those days, however, involves my appearance on The Bachelor. Once, when I was driving a $120,000 Aston Martin ABC let me use on a date with a pretty girl at my side and a film crew in tow, I passed a country club I had golf balled a short time before.

I couldn't help but smile, thinking about my past and what would happen if they knew the truth.

Now, a final word about the legality of golf balling is in order. (I'm not a lawyer, but I did think about going to law school and becoming one. You may want a second opinion.)

I determined golf balls in water hazards are abandoned property. As such, they belong to whoever finds them. I further reasoned that most of the places I ball hawked were public. Therefore, I was safe. Besides, whenever the police caught me they seemed relieved to find out that I was only recovering balls instead of doing something worse.

July 22, 2009
Golf Balling

Nearly every pro on the tour has a story to tell about how he supported himself while he was getting established as an angler. I think you'll get a kick out of mine.

Part 1: In the Beginning

Years ago when I was just getting started as a professional bass angler, times were tough. I lived near Los Angeles, and in between tournaments I did anything and everything to support myself. If I was forced to choose one job as my primary occupation at that time it would be restaurant worker.

When I wasn't doing that, I would do a few modeling gigs in LA. There's a lot of competition in the modeling business, though. The work is hit and miss. It's never steady.

I wasn't making nearly enough money. I'm sure it showed. One afternoon I was talking to a friend who worked in the same restaurant where I worked when he turned me on to golf balling. Within minutes I knew I'd found my calling. I would become a ball hawk as I worked my way up the fishing ladder.

This fellow told me about a guy who would buy used golf balls by the pound. He explained that selling by the pound was the first rule of successful golf balling. If you sell to golfers they take the best ones and you're left with nearly worthless range balls. You have to sell in bulk if you expect to be financially successful.

(Actually, as my career progressed, I found out the hard way that selling by the pound is the second rule. The first one is to never golf ball in Florida, no matter how inviting the course may look. There are too many alligators and water moccasins in the water down there. It's just plain dangerous.)

For those of you who have lived a sheltered life, here's how a ball hawk golf balls: First, you have to gain access to a high-end golf course where the best balls can be collected. Second, you have to have a plan to recover those balls. I accomplished both by posing as a serious golfer preparing for an upcoming tournament.

I'd go to the clubhouse late in the day and talk the resident pro into giving me a golf cart so I could evaluate the course. Of course, what I was really doing was evaluating the water hazards and marking places to hide my car come dark.

That's not as easy as it sounds. To be a successful ball hawk you need to know where and how to look for balls. It's a matter of efficiency. You can't search the whole pond. It takes too much time, and time is money to a ball hawk. Besides, you can only work between sunset and sunrise.

Next week, in Part 2, we'll discuss the finer points of site selection, ball retrieval, how to avoid capture, and I'll give you my legal theory on all this.

July 7, 2009
Bass fishing and ICAST

As I write this, I'm at Oneida prefishing for the last regular season event of the year. I need every bit of information I can get before it goes off-limits. I want to finish in the Top 12 so I have a shot at winning the 2009 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title.

Later in the week I'll fly to California and help my mother. She's having hip replacement surgery. Then, on the 14th, I'm off to ICAST (International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades) in Orlando, Fla.

ICAST is a pretty big deal in the fishing industry. For those of you who don't know, it's a trade show where all the manufacturers show their new stuff. They almost always bring in their pro staff members to help. Everything you can think of — and some things you can't — will be on display.

Rods, reels, line, lures, terminal tackle and electronics make up the bulk of the offerings, but there's also a collection of clothing, bug sprays, sun block, vacuum packers, fillet knives, scalers.... You get the idea.

I wish I could give you more details, but I can't. I'm not allowed. Everything's a secret until the show. I will tell you, however, that we have some really classy stuff on the way; things that'll make a big difference in your fishing.

Unfortunately, the show is for buyers and media only. The public isn't allowed to attend. (You can get lots of info on Bassmaster.com, though. They're going to update the site several times a day starting next Tuesday. Make sure you check it out.)

I'll be there with most of my bigger sponsors — Costa Del Mar, ESPN and Fischer Productions (Going Coastal), Fish Harder Companies, Berkley and Fin-tech. It's one of my most important responsibilities as a pro staffer for my sponsors and one of the most enjoyable.

We try to highlight our newest products before they become available to the buying public. I've fished with most of the stuff I'll be demonstrating, so I have a real good idea of what it will, and will not, do for you.

That's important to me. I try to make sure accurate and reliable information gets out to you guys. That way you'll have the real skinny about a particular product, and will be able to make informed decisions about what to buy and what not to buy.

Not every sinker, lure, line, rod or reel is appropriate for every fishing situation. You don't need to buy one of everything that's ever been made. You need to make decisions based on what works on your water, especially in times like these when we're all on a budget. My job is to get that information to the outdoor media so they can get it to you.

That's what's going on in my world. I'll update you from ICAST.

June 19, 2009
Elite Confidence

I'm back. And although I had a tough tournament on the Mississippi, I couldn't be happier with my year ... or my career.

As of today I'm in 18th place in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. That means I'm Classic bound. It also means I have a shot at finishing in the Top 12, maybe even winning the AOY title itself. I know that's a long shot, but it's possible. That's good enough for me.

I read what Mary said, and I'm really grateful for her thoughts and support. That means more to me than she, or you, will ever know.

But there's something else to this year that's helped me get where I am today — confidence. I'm not discounting all the things Mary said. In my mind, however, confidence is the thing that's made the difference this year.

I've gotten to the point where I believe I can catch fish and compete successfully with the Elite guys — the best of the best. A bad practice, a bad day, or a lost giant doesn't whip me. I believe I can fish through those things. I'm not saying it; I believe it.

Now that might sound basic, but look at it this way: If I'm still looking for fish on the first day of competition, and I look over to see Kevin VanDam or Denny Brauer catch a big one, I no longer panic. In the past that wasn't the case. I'd feel intimidated. It would rattle my confidence.

Getting to the place where I'm at now sounds simple, doesn't it? All you need to do is keep your head down and fish the way you know how. Do what you do best. But, let me assure you, there's nothing easy or simple about it.

The hardest thing in the world to do — at least for me — was to ignore a bad practice, ignore the heavy-hitters on the tour, ignore bad breaks and keep fishing with a winning attitude. I've finally jumped over that hurdle.

Because of that, I'm now in a great position going into the last tournament on Oneida. I don't have to protect my Classic berth. I know it's safe, at least if I do anything at all up there. So I'm going to be swinging for the fences. I want to break into the Top 12 if at all possible and make a solid and credible run on the AOY title for 2009 this fall.

Don't get me wrong. I don't think I have all the answers, and I don't think I have the Elites by the tail. I don't, and never will. What I do have is a new attitude. It's a confidence in my fishing that maybe only another competitive tournament angler can understand.

June 12, 2009
A Word from Mary

Mary Delgado here. I'm covering this week for Byron while he's fishing the Mississippi River. And I'll tell you I couldn't be happier that I'm doing it. It's a labor of love.

As most of you know, Byron has had three good events in a row and is now ranked 15th in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. That's way up from where he was earlier in the year, and, barring a complete disaster in the last two tournaments, it means we'll be returning to the Classic next February.

I think most of Byron's success is because he's now concentrating on his fishing like never before. It's been about three years since he bought Lake Amistad Resort and over one since he bought into the boat dealership down there. Those business deals really distracted him.

There have been times when he was practicing and trying to talk business at the same time. Sometimes he'd have to put everything down to check his day planner or to make notes.

That's not the way to compete at the Bassmaster Elite Series level, or to conduct business for that matter. It just doesn't work. These men have to concentrate on their first job — finding bass and preparing for changing competitive conditions.

This year he stopped answering the phone on the water. He's made a commitment that his job is to fish, that he'll tend to business when he's off the water. But don't kid yourself. It hasn't been easy.

Nevertheless, he's now letting the people he hired run the businesses and make the decisions they're paid to make. He reviews things between tournaments and makes whatever adjustments are necessary when he isn't fishing.

That doesn't mean he's neglecting his business, however. He still meets or exceeds his responsibilities to his partners, sponsors and to the press. It just means that he's compartmentalizing better and blocking his time effectively.

He's also eating better. I get up early with him every morning when he's fishing and cook him breakfast. He usually eats healthy — egg whites and turkey sausage. That fuels his body and his mind so he can do his best all day long. And he's sleeping more, staying on schedule better and paying more attention to his body's needs. That's just as important as everything else.

What I'm trying to say is that the more I'm around professional bass fishing and professional bass anglers, the more impressed I become. These guys have it tough. There's nothing easy about it. They have to juggle a lot of balls at the same time to be successful.

Byron has found a way to do that this year. I'm really proud of him — not so much because he's catching fish but because of how he's managing his career.

May 19, 2009
The Cost of a Lesson Learned

Sorry for the late posting, but I've been buried. And I know you were promised something from Mary, but before we do that I want to talk about Guntersville and swimbaits. There's an important lesson there for all of us.

As you know, I had a good tournament. I finished 8th, but could have done better had I learned — maybe "remembered" would be more accurate — a lesson sooner.

I caught most of my better bass on soft plastic swimbaits. I was working them slowly, right over the tops of the grass. My technique is basically a slow roll using the tops of the weeds as my target rather than the bottom of the lake.

The lake was on fire, and I was catching plenty of heavy keepers. We all were. It was a perfect confluence of factors: The water was up, the current was strong and the bass were caught halfway between their beds and their summer holding areas. The bite exploded.

My first bait choice was a 6-inch Basstrix Fat Minnow Paddle Tail in blueback herring. It offered a smaller profile but was still big enough to get the attention of the bigger bass. My second choice — used when I wanted a bigger profile — was a Berkley PowerBait Hollow Belly. Both have good action with slow movement and are reasonably weedless.

On the last day I really thought I had a shot to finish near the top. But my bite unexpectedly dropped off before it dwindled to nothing. That really hurt because I knew the bass were still there. I just couldn't make them bite.

Towards the end of the day I started tossing a Texas rigged 10-inch Berkley Power Worm behind my swimbait. That really did the trick. I started catching fish. Unfortunately, it was too late to put a winning bag together.

I ended the day with 18 pounds, 1 ounce. That might sound heavy, but it wasn't nearly enough to challenge Aaron Martens for the win. I finished over 13 pounds short, so I'm not saying I would have won. I am saying, however, that I could have moved up in the standings for an even better finish.

The lesson learned from all that is that when you know the fish are there and they stop biting your swimbait, follow-up with something that has a little smaller profile and moves a little slower. That big Power Worm did just that. If I'd started using that earlier in the day, I might have been able to carry more weight to the scales.

No matter though, it's not the first lesson I've learned the hard way. It probably won't be the last. Besides, when you pay a price to learn something, you're less likely to forget it.

May 4, 2009
Rearview Mirror

Smith Mountain was good to me. I finished 11th, and I'm in 46th place in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. That means I have a shot at qualifying for the Classic again. That's my goal, for sure.

I caught them two ways last week. I threw a swimbait in the mornings with success. Then, about 11:00 a.m. when the bite slowed down, I bed fished. That's a traditional pattern with swimbaits, and something I mentioned in the first installment of my swimbait series. The swimbait bite sometimes just dies during the middle of the day.

Bed fishing isn't that predictable. You can do it for years and it's still a mystery. There's always something new. Every lake's different; every fish is different.

From time to time you'll hear guys say — usually in bass clubs or on docks — that if they can see a fish they can catch it. All I have to say to say about that is they're either so inexperienced they don't know they're inexperienced, or they're just telling stories they know aren't true. No one can catch every bedding bass he sees. I don't care who they are, or where they're fishing.

I saw enough big females at Smith Mountain to easily win the tournament, and so did all the other top finishers. We just couldn't catch them. They were moving up on the beds real fast with the weather. When that happens they're territorial, but not territorial enough.

They'll travel with the male and stake out an area. But they still have a tendency to wander around a lot. You toss a lure to them and they'll nose it, swim around it and fan it. They won't put it in their mouths, however. They just won't do it. I threw everything in my tacklebox at them — big and little, heavy and light, gaudy and sedate. None of it did any good.

Sunday's two fish weigh-in was something of a disappointment. I was swinging for the fences and didn't get it done. I don't regret it, though. I might have done better if I'd been willing to fish for smaller bass. But really, I don't see much difference between 7th and 11th. I wanted the trophy, and was willing to take the gamble.

Regardless, Smith Mountain's in my rearview mirror. It's time to look forward. I'll be at Guntersville shortly and will spend a day or two organizing my tackle and making sure everything is good to go for the official practice.

It's an important event for me. I need to do well. As the season matures it gets harder and harder to pull yourself up in the AOY standings. Mary's going to do the blog next week so I can concentrate on the tournament. I'm sure you'll enjoy her thoughts and observations.

April 20, 2009
Whipped!

I just finished the toughest tournament of my career. At least, if I've ever fished a tougher one I can't remember it. I arrived at the Chesapeake Bay to fish the first Northern Open last Sunday evening and was greeted by wind, cold and rain. I knew it was going to be bad but didn't realize the full extent of it until I tried to practice on Monday.

The wind blew so hard that it rained sideways, rightways, leftways, upways and downways. I've never been in anything like it. Tuesday and Wednesday were just as bad, maybe worse. I didn't know it could get so cold and wet.

On top of all that, the tide was screwed up and didn't do what it was supposed to do. It dropped hard on Wednesday and then again on Saturday during competition. My charts were either wrong or the tide was wrong because none of that was in them.

In fairness, however, it was hard to tell what the tide and the current was doing. The wind was blowing the water all over the place. It was coming and going from every which way. Maybe I was the one who was wrong. I don't know. And at this point, I'm not sure I care.

If it sounds like I have no idea what was happening out there that's because I didn't and still don't. It was like fishing in the Bermuda Triangle.

I was so confused and disoriented I expected lights to come down from the sky and beam me up or maybe a big vortex would open up in the water and swallow me whole. Really, it was that bad. I half expected to find out a day or two was missing when I showed up at the weigh-in.

Now, they say the Chesapeake Bay is a good bass fishery. Looking at some of the past weights I can believe that. And some of the guys caught them, so I know they're in there.

Still, when Ken Cook — Bassmaster Classic champion in 1991 on the same body of water — blanks the final two days, there's something going on ... or not going on. And what about Greg Hackney? He's a river angler, a shallow water guy. Nevertheless, he didn't catch a keeper in two full days of fishing. The man blanked for the tournament. That shouldn't happen to an angler with his skills.

I wish I had a tip or a lesson for you in all of this but I don't. Sometimes things get ugly on the water, and you get your butt whipped. You don't know who whipped it, why it was whipped or how to prevent it from being whipped the next time. All you know is that it was whipped. There's nothing to do except point your truck toward the next tournament and hope it never happens again.

April 10, 2009
There is No BBD

I'm frustrated. My last two tournaments have been a mixture of good and the bad. On the good side I've been in the top 30 after the first day in both events. On the bad side, however, I've dropped hard on the second day. I haven't cashed a check from either event.

Basically, that means I've found fish in practice but that I've been unable to capitalize on them for more than one day. I think I know why that's happening. Now it's a matter of changing some things — in my head mostly — so that I can do better as the tournament moves along.

What I have to change is my decision making. I've allowed other boats and anglers to crowd me out of my spots and destroy my confidence. I have to be more aggressive in holding my spots and fishing the way I know how to fish, regardless of how many other boats are in my area or what they're doing.

I'm allowing the crowd to run me off to other places. I've justified moving in my mind by saying I have better spots elsewhere, but that's really not true. If I did I'd be cashing checks, and I'm not. That says everything that needs to be said.

And besides, the guys around me in my original spots are all placing high in the final results, so I know the bass are there and that they can be caught. Why should I move? It makes no sense.

Now, I don't mean to say or imply that the other guys are doing anything wrong or unethical. They aren't. It's common for Elite Series anglers to find the same fish and to fish in the same area. Sometimes it's so crowded that we bang rub rails. There's nothing wrong with any of that.

The problem is me. I'm allowing the crowded conditions to get inside my head and destroy my game plan. I call it the BBD syndrome — Bigger, Better Deal. It's a fiction. There's no BBD out there. My spot is fine. I have no good reason to move, and I'm going to stop doing it.

You have to fish your pattern — stay where you know there are fish and catch them the way you know how — and not let anything else bother you. That's a big part of tournaments and a big part of being a professional.

Hopefully, I'll remember all this stuff when we get to Smith Mountain. We'll know soon enough, won't we?

April 6, 2009
Working with the Media

I want to spend my time this week telling you about the Fish Harder Companies, LLC, writer's conference we had after the Amistad tournament and what it means to bass fishermen around the country.

Fish Harder invited several members of their pro staff to stay an extra two days at Amistad Lake Resort and meet with several editors, writers and photographers. The idea was to put these two groups of industry professionals together for an exchange of ideas and information away from the pressure of competitive fishing and editorial deadlines.

It was one of my first experiences with such an event, and it was great. Far too often we do interviews and photo shoots when we have limited time, are preoccupied or are dead tired. This was different. It was held in a relaxed atmosphere, without artificial time constraints.

The media gathering lasted from Sunday evening through Wednesday morning. Each pro was paired with a writer for a half-day on the water. At lunch we came back to the dock, ate a quick sandwich and went back out on the water with someone else. Then, in the evenings, we ate dinner and spent more time telling fish stories and exchanging ideas.

That schedule gave all of us an opportunity to fish, talk, make photos and develop story ideas that will help recreational anglers — and up and coming pros — become better bass fishermen and women. It's something we should do more often.

Those of us fishing the Bassmaster Elite Series are the ones who develop — for the most part anyway — the new, cutting edge concepts and products in the sport of bass fishing. We work with first-rate companies like Fish Harder to make products that are more effective, and therefore more fun, for everyone involved.

At the same time, the editors, writers and photographers who were there are the individuals who get those concepts and products out to the fishing public. They were able to write and photograph stories about the newest and best stuff available. That puts information in the hands of ordinary bass anglers quickly — much more quickly than would otherwise be the case.

I want to thank everyone for their efforts — the pros, the outdoor communicators and, most especially, Fish Harder. Everyone went the extra mile to get this done. It's a classic example of what makes bass fishing so special. My hat goes off to everyone who participated.

In the coming months think about this conference — and others like it — when you read about a new technique, lure or piece of equipment. Realize that if it wasn't for things like that you'd be reading about last year's stuff rather than next year's stuff.

Now, it's time to get back to the water and put some of the things I learned at the conference to good use. I'll let you know how it went next week.

March 25, 2009
Ahhh, Amistad

The Amistad event is in my rearview mirror. I'd hoped to do better, but at least it wasn't a complete disaster. I ended up in 48th place, got a check and kept myself in the running for another Classic appearance. That's not all bad.

This lake continues to amaze me. I know that some anglers and writers said the bite was off, but I don't agree with that. The water's up higher than anyone has ever seen it. That scatters the fish around thousands and thousands of acres of new water that no one has ever seen, much less fished. Even Elite Series professionals have trouble dealing with something like that. (When's the last time you watched someone flip a cactus?)

And besides that, consider that almost 100 pounds of bass was caught by the winner, Jason Williamson, from 20 feet or less of water. While, on the same day and at the same time, another guy in the Top 12 was hooking them in 40-60 feet of water with a totally different bait, and the second-place finisher was catching them in 2 feet!

Catching heavy weights at two different depths says something about my adopted home. I've been preaching for years that this is one of the most versatile lakes in our nation. I think the 2009 OPTIMA Batteries Battle on the Border proves that beyond any doubt. All you have to do is look at the facts.

Anyway, back to the tournament.

I was swinging for the fences from start to finish. I threw a swimbait every day and only stopped long enough to catch a bag of keepers when I needed enough weight to make the cut. I wanted to do really well here, and that's not going to happen if your goal is to bring five bass to the scales each afternoon. On Amistad that'll get you nothing.

This is a cannibalistic lake. Everything eats everything else in this body of water. Big swimbaits are the only way to go, especially at this time of year. The bass you want to catch — the ones that get you a check — don't bite small lures.

Even though it didn't work out, I don't regret my strategy at all. At least I didn't die with split shots on my line and a spinning rod in my hand. A couple of extra fish in the 2-3 pound range wouldn't have made any difference at all.

And, speaking of swimbaits, I'm going to be doing a monthly article on Bassmaster.com about them. I'm planning to cover everything you need to know from lure selection to tackle and everything in between. It'll be complete in every respect. The first part of the series should be posted around the first of April.

I'll be leaving for Dardanelle shortly. My ultimate goal is to win, of course, but I'll be fairly well satisfied if I fish on Saturday and Sunday. I'll fill you in on the details next week.

March 12, 2009
Toledo to Amistad

I fished the Central Open on Toledo Bend last week and then spent the first part of this week practicing for the first Elite Series event on Amistad. I hope this one goes better than Toledo Bend. I finished 154 out of 200 over there. That's pretty bad.

Nevertheless, I had a wonderful experience during the tournament. On the second day I was paired with Robbie Latuso, a co-angler from Gonzales, La. He's a heck of a nice guy and, at the time, was in first place in the co-angler standings with 16 pounds, 5 ounces.

By early afternoon it was obvious to me that I wasn't going to do anything. It just wasn't happening for me. Some days on the water you can't do anything wrong; other days you can't do anything right. I was experiencing the latter.

Latuso, on the other hand, was still in a position to win. So, I decided to let him have first crack at the bass for the rest of the day. It didn't matter much to me. Even if I caught a couple more keepers I wasn't going to get a check. What's the difference between 154 and 134?

He wasn't much of a bed fisherman so I tried to show him how to go about it, how to find them and how to make them bite. He's a serious angler and a quick study. It didn't take him long to get the hang of it.

Later in the day we found a 4-pounder on the bed back in a little pocket and he caught her. That fish gave him the weight he needed to win the Co-angler Division and take home a new Triton boat valued at over $30,000.

I'm not telling this story to pat myself on the back, or make myself look good. I'm telling it because we all need to be mindful of what we're doing out there. Our sport needs guys like Robbie Latuso. If we (professional bass anglers) can't help ourselves we need to at least help someone else who deserves it. I firmly believe that; it's a part of being professional.

But, that was then and this is now.

I need to make a good showing this week. Not only is it my home lake, it's also the first event of the season. If at all possible I want to start my season off on the right foot and return as a Classic competitor in 2010. After a taste of what it's like I'll never be satisfied with anything less again, ever.

February 21, 2009
Classic Experience

I feel a lot better about things today. I started in Pool 5 and caught three little ones. They were in the boat by 9 a.m. They didn't weigh much but they sure boosted my confidence.

But I knew they wouldn't get the job done — I really wanted to make a good showing today — so I decided to go back to where I was fishing yesterday and see if I could make them bite. It was almost a personal crusade on my part. It was important for me to know they were there and that I could catch them. It was a matter of self-respect as a professional angler.

I locked through at 11 a.m. It took forever. They were just starting to drain the lock when I arrived so I had to wait about an hour to get through. The wait was worth it, though. When I got back to my spot I caught a 4-pounder and had two other good bites that I missed. I ended up with a total of five fish that weighed 9 pounds, 15 ounces for my first Classic.

All my fish were caught on jigs with Berkley trailers, mostly Powerbait Chigger Craws. I couldn't develop a reaction bite no matter what lure or technique I tried. It just didn't happen. It was flipping and pitching all the way for me.

I'm disappointed in my fishing; these were not my best two days that's for sure. I would give anything to have made a better showing. No one wants to have a bad Classic, especially their first one. But, I can't change that now. All I can do is fish hard this year and try my best to do better in my next tournament. That's what being a professional angler is all about.

Despite my performance, however, I loved the experience. It was everything the other anglers said it would be and more; words can't describe it. The pomp and circumstance is overwhelming. I promise I'll work harder than I ever have before to earn a trip to next year's Classic. I never want to miss another one as long as I live.

The fans — local residents and visitors — were great and I enjoyed the attention from the media. The staff at our hotel and in the restaurants we visited were all wonderful. In all the places Mary and I have visited we've never been treated any better, by anyone.

The way we were treated by BASS was great, too. They washed our boats, backed us in, tied us up to the dock and fed us lunch. And that doesn't include the dinners and social events. It's a level of coddling I'm not used to. It is, however, a level of coddling I could get used to.

February 20, 2009
Disappearing Act

I'm bummed, really bummed. I thought I had a good area with several big fish in it. In fact, I saw them swimming around there on Wednesday. I fished hard for a good three or four hours this morning but just couldn't find them. They're gone.

I have no idea where they went. I fished everywhere I could think of in the area trying to find them. As far as I could tell they just disappeared — gone.

It was a shallow area with ditches running through it. I figured they'd move to the ditches — the water temperature dropped six degrees between Wednesday and today — but they were nowhere to be found. I have no idea where they went. As you can tell I'm numb. It's one thing not to catch them but when you don't have a clue why you didn't catch them it's another matter.

What's so frightening about it is that this was a key area for me. It was full of big fish. I should have been able to catch a couple of them and do pretty well. I didn't. It baffles me, it really does.

I have one little buck that weighs a pound. That's all. And I didn't even catch him in my primary area. I just went fishing after a while and found him by accident. I probably had eight, maybe 10 bites doing that but, they were all short. The bass would grab and peck at the tail of my Senko but wouldn't take the bait. I couldn't even catch them.

The best way to put it is that I put all my eggs in a really shallow basket and it didn't hold them.

I'll go fishing in the morning and do my best. I might even go back to the same spot. Maybe I can figure them out after a good night's sleep. But, frankly, my primary objective is to stay out of the way of the guys who are in contention. There's no reason to mess with someone else at this point.

Tomorrow's another day. I'll give you a full report after the weigh-in.

February 19, 2009
Difficult Decisions

Yesterday (Wednesday) was the last day of practice before the real thing. It was a slow day for me. I was hoping to develop a backup pattern but I didn't find one. In fact, I didn't get many bites on any pattern. It was discouraging to tell the truth.

And it was even more discouraging to find that some of the places I was hoping to have to myself have been fished by other guys. I had a few spots with real shallow water and lots of logs, laydowns and stumps scattered around. I had a good feel for where the fish were and what they were doing.

When I went there today I could tell that other boats had been in the area. A lot of the wood had been moved around. The logs especially were floating at different angles and in some cases were in completely different locations. In one place, someone had actually opened a path through the area.

All that repositions the fish; which affects the bite; which forces me to change baits and patterns. Add to that some expected changes in the weather — a couple of fronts are on the way — and you can see that I have some last minute decisions to make.

I have made my boat decision, though. I've decided not to use my jet boat tomorrow. It's on the trailer and my chain saw is back in the truck. The water's so low that anywhere I can get the aluminum rig I can get the glass boat. So, there's no good reason to sacrifice the speed. (My jet boat will only run about 30 mph.)

The speed thing will be important in this tournament, I think. It's very difficult and time consuming to get into the backwaters here. It's so bad that sometimes when you hit a stump it actually stalls your big motor. You have to restart it, travel a ways farther and then, sure as the devil, you'll hit another one. There's no way I can afford to waste time traveling to and from my spots.

Besides, if conditions change — a lot of heavy rain which isn't likely to happen — I can always fish out of the aluminum on Saturday or on Sunday. The rules allow us to switch boats if we want. That's a nice backup plan should I need it.

Anyway, as you can see I'm going to have to rethink my tournament strategy after I've had a chance to weigh all my options. But I'm not going to get in a hurry. I'd rather get a good night's sleep and something to eat first.

I'll keep you posted.

February 17, 2009
Red River Practice

Practice was a little tough, there's no doubt about that. The Red River is not fishing the way I thought it would. Big bass and solid, reliable patterns were hard to come by in practice.

But I did find a few bass and maybe have a working pattern going. It's something to start with, anyway. It won't hold for three days, or be nearly enough to win. Nevertheless, this is my first Classic as a competitor so I'm thankful for what I've got. I'll at least have some confidence when Friday morning rolls around — something to build on.

You know, I'm not like a lot of guys when they fish their first Classic. It's not enough for me to be here, that's only a part of my goal. The bigger and more important part is to win if I possibly can. I want to be a Bassmaster Classic champion.

I brought an aluminum jet boat to get into some backwater areas I found in late November and early December. I didn't tell anyone about them because I wanted to keep that part of my strategy as quiet as possible. Of course, now everyone knows. And some of the other guys brought aluminum boats, too. (Maybe my idea wasn't such a secret after all.)

Unfortunately, when I flew over the river on Thursday I realized the water's way down. In some places I knew I wouldn't be able to get in at all; in others it looked problematic. And in the areas I could get in, so could everyone else.

During practice I took the jet boat as far as possible. I got stuck several times. Once, I had to jump in the water and push it off a stump. Thankfully, I had a friend from Del Rio with me to help. He's an Iraq veteran so he was able to offer real assistance.

(Did you know it's better to strip naked before you go in the water, even if it's cold? That way you'll have dry clothes to put on when you get back in the boat. I didn't do that and had to return to the hotel for clothes. That cost me valuable fishing time.)

Anyway, my first decision will be to decide what boat I'll fish out of on Friday. At this point I don't know. I'd like to use the jet boat and get into some virgin water but I'm afraid that even that won't make it. Maybe I'd be as well off with my fiberglass boat?

But, then again, it's supposed to rain so maybe the water will come up enough to make the jet boat my best option. I could really use the extra water. Everyone is on top of each other out there; fresh water would be a really good thing. I don't know what to do at this point.

I'll give you another update after Wednesday. Maybe then I'll have some answers.

February 13, 2009
A Classic Plan

I thought this might be a great opportunity to give you the rundown on my practice schedule. Keep in mind, however, that all my fishing plans are subject to change based upon what I find on the water. (Fishing plans are like football plays, sometimes you have to call an audible at the line of scrimmage.)

Thursday: Rick Clunn and I are going to share a plane and fly over the area. This will give us an overall picture of what we'll be fishing during the Classic. Sometimes seeing the big picture is helpful.

Friday: I plan to fish as far away from the launch site as possible. I'll go to Pool 4 for sure and maybe up into Pool 3. This Bassmaster Classic will be a slugfest. I think it'll take all of 60 pounds to win.

The guy who captures the championship will be on big fish. I won't fish Pool 3 unless I'm very confident I can catch a heavy bag there. At the same time, however, I won't hesitate to make that run if I think that's where the winning weight will be found.

A Classic is about winning, no one is interested in finishing second.

Saturday: I'll spend Saturday in Pool 4 and Pool 5. The areas I'm going to explore are closer to the launch. This will likely be a challenge, but one I'll have to meet.

The pressure will be heavy, and the temptation to go for a limit will be strong. Nevertheless, I'll be looking for giants. If I find them, I'll fish those pools in competition. But that's the only way I'll stay that close. Like I said, I'm worried about pressure. This is a three-day tournament. To win you must have fish all three days — one won't do.

I should get a good idea of size as the day wears along. With four days off before the competition starts, I can afford to stick them. That'll let me get them to the boat for a close look. (I know some guys say they can estimate size by the bite. I can't. I need to look at them.)

Sunday: Sunday, the last day of official practice, will be devoted to working on whatever I've learned on Friday and Saturday.

If things are going well I'll fine tune my patterns and baits. On the other hand, if I'm still looking I'll probably concentrate on areas close to home. The last thing I want to do is make a long run to Pool 3 — it's two locks away — and look for a bite.

But if I've found big fish in Pool 3, I'll make at least one run back there to time my distances, recheck the locks and look carefully for anything that could cause me problems.

I'll give you a complete report on my practice plan — and any audibles I called along the way — Sunday evening.

February 6, 2009
Byron the Mad Scientist

I'm back from Costa Rica. It was a great trip. We caught lots of fish and filmed some really good stuff. I've been fishing Amistad a little, but my main focus is getting ready for the Classic.

I've been ordering baits and tackle all week and working in my garage like a mad scientist. There's a lot of work to do to get ready for something this important. Fortunately, my sponsors have been really good about shipping me product quickly. Right now I have just about everything I think I'll need.

Today I've been packing line. Berkley sent me some of just about everything they make. I have plenty of monofilament, braid and fluorocarbon in lots of test weights. You never know what you might need, so it's best to be prepared.

My rods are all Carrot Stix. They have some new inshore saltwater ones that are perfect for crankbaiting. I couldn't believe how good they were when I first tested them. They're soft and flexible yet they have plenty of backbone for when I catch a big one.

I'll mount SX and STX Series Abu Garcia Revo reels on them. I'll use 6.4:1 and 7.1:1 gear ratios. I don't think I'll need anything other than that. I've been fishing with those reels and those gear ratios for awhile, and I'm getting used to them. They're first-class reels. They'll do the job under almost any condition.

Plastics, shallow crankbaits, jigs, small swimbaits and 3/8- or 1/2-ounce spinnerbaits will be my basic arsenal for the Red River.

I've removed almost all my topwater plugs, spoons, big swimbaits and stuff like that from the boat and truck. There's no reason to carry a bunch of stuff I don't need, especially when I'm coming home for the next tournament. I can restock in an evening or two.

Whenever I take a break from my tackle I try to review my notes. I have pages and pages of them from last fall. They almost fill a big yellow legal pad, front and back. I tried to make notes of areas that looked good to me. Of course, it was late fall when I was there, so I had to imagine it was spring.

After I'd made notes of the area I made more notes of the type of tackle and lures I thought I'd need for February. Notes are important, we all forget things. Every professional angler I know keeps a set of notes in his boat and ready at hand.

I'll be leaving for Shreveport next Tuesday to get ready to prefish during the official practice. I'll update the blog from there, and I'll be posting daily during Classic week — Tuesday through Saturday — so make sure you come back and get the scoop. I'll do my best to keep you informed about what's going on out on the water.

January 27, 2009
Some Words from Mary

Editor's Note: Byron Velvick is in Costa Rica filming for Going Coastal. In the interim we asked his fiancée, Mary Delgado, to give us her perspective on Byron, the Classic and professional bass fishing.

I've been thinking about the Classic a lot lately as it draws near. I'm so proud and excited for Byron. This is his dream come true. It's something he's worked toward his whole life, and it'll be here in just a few weeks.

When the season started last year I remember him telling me that he didn't want to be a reporter at the Classic anymore, he wanted to fish one. (He provided expert TV commentary for the Classic in past years.) He worked harder than anyone realizes. It was all he thought about every day of every event during 2009.

Toward the end of the season it was close — too close if you ask me. I mean, being a wife or girlfriend of one of these guys is tough. Every day they're on the water competing you twist into a knot as the day wears along waiting for them to come in and weigh their fish. You hope and hope, knowing that's not enough but also knowing that it's all you can do.

He's filming in Costa Rica right now. I miss him. We usually travel together but not this time. I have work to do here in Florida, and I need to get ready for the first Southern Open this week. I'm going to be fishing it as a boater all by myself. I've never competed without Byron close at hand. I'm a nervous wreck over the whole thing and so is he.

But if I'm going to fish real tournaments as a real angler I have to do it. I'll find fish by myself and handle everything myself. I can do it. Still, when you're used to having someone around it feels kind of lonely. I just miss him — his help and advice but, more importantly, his emotional support.

Anyway, that's enough about me. Let's get back to the Classic. I get butterflies just thinking about it. In less than a month, I'll be watching him launch on the first day of his first Classic. I can't wait. I get goose bumps just thinking about it.

He's excited, too, even though he won't admit it. He acts laid back and cool about the whole thing — it's that California guy thing — but I know better. I can tell he's excited and really wants to make a good showing. He's spent a lot of time preparing mentally and even more time doing his homework. That's how he tells on himself.

Like I said before, the toughest part is what can I do to help? Really, all I can do — or any other woman can do for the man in her life — is love him, be supportive and be patient. I hope that's enough. He's important to me.

January 16, 2009
Fish Harder
As many of you probably know by now, I've signed a sponsorship contract with Fish Harder Companies, LLC. They own Tru-Tungsten and a host of other companies including Capt. Mike's Guide Proven Lures. It would be an understatement to say that I'm excited. This is truly an opportunity of a lifetime.

For years I've had a serious interest in swimbaits. I first fished with them in saltwater. I realized right away they were fish catchers. Naturally, I wanted to try them on bass. I mean, if they catch saltwater fish why not freshwater fish? The two types of fish are different, but they're still fish. At their core they're predators that live in water and react to the environmental conditions around them.

That theory turned out to be correct. I bass fished with big, heavy saltwater swimbaits, and they did catch big bass. But along the way I learned another interesting fact: Small bass will eat them, too. It wasn't unusual for a 2-pound largemouth to nail an 8-inch swimbait.

That was a revelation to me. Swimbaits are versatile. They can be made from hard material — plastic or wood — or they can be made from soft materials. And they'll fish right under the surface with a wake, along the bottom or anywhere in between. They aren't limited to only one depth.

And if they can be made in different sizes, and if the big models will sometimes catch small bass, I reasoned they would be good for just about any type of water in any part of the country.

Armed with that knowledge, I decided to make my own freshwater swimbaits, something that would appeal uniquely to black bass. Most of my creations have been developed over years of trial and error. They catch bass, and I'm proud of them. But in many cases they lack the professional touch. I'm talking about the little things that would make them better, more appealing and consequently more effective.

That's where my relationship with Fish Harder comes into play. They have the things I lack. They have access to professional engineers, professional painters and some of the best hooks on the market, Youvella. They share my commitment to quality.

I know those things because I fish with their products. My information isn't second hand. Everything they make is first-class.

So I'll be mostly working with swimbaits. They already have several top models that are popular with anglers — both hard-bodied and soft-bodied — with a variety of sizes, shapes and finishes. They catch bass just about everywhere.

By building on that base, I hope to combine some of my designs with their professional expertise to develop even better fish catching swimbaits for freshwater (bass) and saltwater fishing applications.

Like I said, this is a dream come true.

January 9, 2009
Cold Thoughts
I'm packing to do some traveling over the next three weeks — a tournament and then a trip to Costa Rica for Going Coastal. As I've been putting everything together, I've been thinking about winter fishing and what I do to catch fish when it gets cold. Hopefully some of what I do will help you.

1. Use lighter line than you ever have before.

Generally, during the winter months you'll find the water clearer than at other times of the year. And you'll find the fish somewhat lethargic. I deal with those issues by using lighter line.

If I fish a particular body of water with 12-pound-test during most of the year, I'll downsize to 10- or maybe even 8-pound-test during the winter. Lighter line is less visible to the fish and doesn't encumber the bait's movement as much as heavy line.

Don't worry about breaking off. Heavy fish can be landed on light line, especially when the water is cold and they aren't fighting as hard as they usually do. It's a matter of technique. Tie your knots carefully and set your drag properly and you'll be good to go.

2. Use more weight than you ever have before.

More weight will get your bait down to where the fish are at this time of the year. Note, however, that I didn't say to fish with a bigger bait, I said use more weight. Big and heavy isn't the same thing as small and heavy.

If your standard weight for a particular body of water is 1/2-ounce — no matter if it's a sinker or a lure — go to a 3/4 or even a full ounce. You can do this by switching to tungsten, if you haven't already, or by adding weight to your lure. You can also choose lures that are heavy for their size.

3. Fish deeper than you ever have before.

This one is last, but it's certainly not least. In fact, it's the most important. You need to push the envelope and fish deeper than you have ever fished before, or even thought about fishing.

This is especially true for guys who mostly fish in relatively shallow water. You must think deep — stupid deep. Don't fish the first or second drop. Go wild and fish the deepest water you can find. Give your lure the bends. (At Amistad right now, the most consistent depth for good largemouths is below 50 feet.)

It took me 20 years and a lot of fishless days to develop these three principles. When I apply them — regardless of where I'm fishing or which lure I'm fishing with — I catch more bass. Hopefully you will, too.

The Velvick Touch 2008
Click here for Byron's blog entries from 2008.

Click here to JOIN BASS!