Rattletrap Ramblings

Recently noticed this video of the Strike King Red Eye Shad and it just confirms that it’s the best rattletrap when it comes to the shimmy when it falls. Sometimes the fish want it burned in which case has a tendency to turn on its side a bit but a lot times, they want you to simply lift the bait and then let it flutter down. When the bass want it this way, the Red Eye Shad is the best bait out there.

That being said, I’m still not 100% convinced the #2 KVD triple grips are necessary since I think fish are harder to hook with the points bent inward but they do stay on better when you’re reeling them in.

The most productive time of the year although it works any time any where is the pre spawn and I do add a red treble to the front which I think is effective any time you’re around the spawn.

Anyone who fishes these things a lot know they get torn up pretty easily but the best thing about the Red Eye Shad is that they’re cheap so you don’t feel bad about losing one or getting another one. Not such a good thing for someone who has tendency to buy something at just about anywhere they sell fishing tackle.

The first BASS Open is on the Harris Chain this year and I just slapped down $500 for the deposit on this event. The entry fee is pretty pricey but I feel pretty good about it. I’ve caught big bags at some small tournaments here and I already know what a lot of the lake looks like.

I already have some places where I know I can catch them and that gives me the freedom to try some new places.

One of the thoughts that initially crossed my mind is that some of the Harris Chain specialists know the lake even better than I do and they’ll probably beat me if they get into this tournament.

Then again, I’ve beaten them a few times as well.

It brings me to how I believe the mental aspect of fishing is so critical in your performance. I’ve got to affirm to myself that I can be a better fisherman then everyone else in the event including a lot of the full time pros that will be there.

Some may say that’s delusional, but it’s how you gotta think or you don’t even have a chance.

I’ve been wanting a new car lately and it would sure would nice to be able to afford a Black Chevy Tahoe LTZ or a Toyota Sequoia Limited. It’s funny how often you see these cars on the road after you’ve made up your mind you want one. I mean I see these cars everywhere I go now.

It goes to proves how you think about yourself and to yourself actually controls how things turn out in your life. There’s a part of your brain that controls what you pay attention to called the R.A.S or reticular activating system (man… I did learn something in college). If you think positive then your brain picks up on positive things and if you think negative, then it picks up negative things.

So my positives are that I’ve caught over 20 pounds countless times out here, I know the lake better than most of the field, I like the style of fishing on the Harris Chain, and I’ve got my eyes on the prize which is a boat, some cash, and a trip to the Classic.

Sounds good to me.

The BWS Nationals on Santee Cooper whooped my butt this past week. I came to a fork in the road and took a wrong turn as far as I’m concerned. My plan for practice was to run upriver to the Swamp, Packs Flat, and Jacks Creek one day and to check out Moultrie another day and then decide where to fish the last half day of practice.

Well, let’s just say I didn’t stick with the plan. I ended up going to the lower lake for whatever reason on the first day and stayed there all day. There was clear water and lots of eel grass. I didn’t catch much but thought that I liked fishing grass so I’ll eventually find a stretch loaded up with fish. I searched for basically 3 days and never did find any grass with a group of fish.

I concentrated on grass in 3 to 5 foot of water thinking you’re more likely to find a group in slightly deeper water than really skinny water but I guessed wrong. The groups of fish were actually in real skinny water for some reason but they weren’t in the grass for the most part.

Since the fish were ultra shallow, the best bet would be to find a little more stained water but there was none on the lower lake. The water was down quite a bit and it took me the entire practice period to figure out how to navigate the lower lake. I knew the water upriver would be more stained but I had no idea how to run it up there. I decided I’ll figure out how to get there if nothing pans out on the lower lake but ended up not going at all.

The first day I started on the lower lake and fished grass for about 2 hours without a bite. I decided to run up to Jacks Creek but decided to make a stop in the Diversion Canal before I make that long run. Of course I get 3 bites right away but only 1 keeper. I then run to Eutaw Creek only to find a merry go round of bass boats along the best stretch. I get in line with everyone else and witness 5 other fish being caught with one being an 8 pounder… ouch.

I weigh in only 2 fish but I figured I was on the board and can make it up the next day. I run to the Diversion Canal first thing thinking I’d get a limit with a few hours but only short fish bit that day. I run to Eutaw and catch a 2 pounder and then a 4 pounder on a green pumpkin senko. Then the bass turned into mudfish for some reason caught 5 monsters of the wrong flava. I weigh in only 2 fish again and Santee Cooper is not fun any more with no chance of winning.

The wind got up so much the third day that I decided not to stray too far since I didn’t have a chance at doing anything and caught 2 keepers again but threw them back since there was sense in weighing them in.

I believe my mistake in this event was fishing clear water instead of stained water. Typically the stained water has more baitfish this time of the year and fish are way easier to catch when they’re shallow.

I really needed to go there before the cutoff and at least learn how to run the place but never could get time off of work.

I’d say Santee was a let down for sure but as always a humbling learning experience.

On a side note, I did hear from a few competitors that cashed a check at this event and heard their checks were reduced significantly from what was advertised. Also heard they bounced when they took them to the bank. Very suspicious.

I just returned from the BWS Regional on the Tensaw Delta in Alabama this past week and accomplished my goal of qualifying for the national championship at Santee Cooper where I’ll be fishing for $100k and a trip to the Classic. I’m getting so fired up thinking about that I’ve got to tell myself to chill the heck out, but it’s not every day you get to fish for much.

The Delta was a navigational nightmare and I’m ashamed to admit I had to get pulled out of a few places. A few sandbars, some mud flats…. you know. At high tide it’s fine, but when the water drops 2 feet then it can be a problem.

Anyway, the fishing was action packed. They were schooling everywhere on shad and every once in a while you hook into a 2 ft Red. It’s fun during practice but not during the tournament.

A cold front passed though the area the day I arrived and I figured they ought to be moving into the creeks. Within the first 5 minutes of fishing a small creek, I pull in a 3 pounder and a small limit within in an hour and I’m thinkin I like this place. The shad was everywhere and every few minutes you notice something spreading out the school like something was eating something.

It stayed cool for the first few days and I spent that time in practice exploring creek after creek finding the best schools of bass.

A warming trend started a day before the tournament and I didn’t think much of it until I checked what I thought was my best creek without a bite after an hour. A few days before, I could throw that Spook and caught nearly 20 fish in about the same time so I was starting to get baffled to say the least.

I check a few more creeks and nothing. No shad and definitely no bass.

Then I thought they might be in some of the lakes off the river but only small fish in those place.

I started feeling a little panic about half way through the last practice day. I decided to put my boat back on the trailer and launch in the northern part of the river. I went for a few a hours checking out various places on the river without seeing any fish nor any signs of life for that matter.

At about 4:30, I came across this point with timber at the end of it that intersected with a creek mouth and had deep water close by. Totally textbook with 2 pounds Coosa Spots going crazy on the shad. I caught 2 nice Spots and then watched for different areas of the point the fish were concentrating. I also noticed the current was ripping.

My experience during the week on the Delta told me that these fish needed current to get them to bite so I decided the best time to hit this spot was just before the tide was scheduled to move which was about noon on the first day of the tournament.

The first day of the tournament, I caught 3 fish in Miflin Lake on a War Eagle spinnerbait and Lucky Craft 1.5 and then proceed to run to the point at about 11:30. I was a little frustrated finding 2 boats already fishing the spot.

I told my co angler that we were just gonna fish nearby for a little bit and hope the boats leave. After about 30 minutes, both boats leave and finally get to fish this spot. My co angler said this place has been getting hammered and we should probably go elsewhere.

Well, we fish the spot anyway and I pull in a 2 pound Spot within 5 minutes. His tune changed a little when he saw that fish.

A few minutes later, one of the guys that left the spot comes screaming in with a few choice words and I said you left so it’s my spot now. My co angler then proceeds to start going on about this is what he hates about tournaments and suggested we leave. I agreed this is B.S. and we left.

I scream past the guy I got into a spitting match with and flick him off. I don’t know what good it did but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

I never did get another bite the rest of the day and weighed in a whopping 5.5 lbs which was just good enough to get me in the top 50. I decided I probably should have stayed on the point and will start there on day 2.

The next morning, I notice the same boat screaming past me about half way to the point on the river and decided in that split second that I’m just gonna stay in Miflin all day. I pull in and catch a 2 pounder within a few casts and 2 more small fish on my trusty War Eagle spinnerbait within the next hour.

I thought I made a good decision, but didn’t get another bite for hours.

At about 10:30 I decide to check the point and of course, butthead’s sitting on it so I just keep going fished a few places on the main river to no avail. After about an hour and a half, I decide to check the point again and he’s still there so I ran back to Miflin to catch 1 more small fish.

I ended the day with 5.5 lbs again. I thought not being able to fill out my limit was gonna haunt me but I managed to finish around 40th place which was good enough to make it to the National Championship at Santee Cooper.

During the awards the ceremony, I notice that the winner of tournament was the knucklehead on the point. I thought you needed current to get that place really going but apparently not.  I guess they bite there all day even without the current.

I wish I could say I figured something out but I’d say I’m a little more baffled then anything else. Every other spot I found wasn’t that good until the tide starting moving out but why’s this one different?

At least I accomplished my objective of qualifying for the National Championship and 5 foot low Santee here I come.

Kistler Rods is coming out with some new offerings in 2012 that’s getting me pretty excited. Those of you who were fans of the Graphite Plus Composite and the Alton Jones Magnesium TS Composite will be excited to hear that glass composite cranking rods will return with micro guides in a 7′ and 6’6″ model. Glass just works for some reason for cranking and can’t wait to see how it handles my traps and squarebills.

Another old favorite that’s returning is the 7’6″ extra heavy Helium flippin stick that’s been sorely needed in the Kistler lineup for those of us who fish in heavy cover and the 7’9″ deep cranking rod that was in the Argon lineup will be returning in the form of a Magnesium.

A new size that I’m a huge fan of is the 7’3″ which is a little lighter than a traditional 7’6″ but also allows you to move more line on the hook set and offers more control over the fish than a traditional 7′ rod. It’s really a perfect compromise and it will be available in a medium heavy, heavy, and extra heavy.

I haven’t heard a whole lot out of any of the major tackle portals, but let’s just say I’ve gotten this info from a pretty reliable source.

Sorry to the avid readers out there for being M.I.A lately. I’ve been concentrating on saving enough money to join my friend Jeff Holland on the BASS Southern Opens next year. He called me the other day after he read my post “6 Steps to Becoming a Bass Pro” and was fired up and ready to fish the Opens next year.

I haven’t hit my monetary goal yet, but please refer your friends and family who has real estate needs and I promise they’ll receive the best possible service.

Lately, the US Open of tennis has been on TV and it’s been bringing back all kinds of childhood memories. For those of you that don’t know, most of my youth besides fishing was spent on the tennis court. Memories of the old man picking me up from school, parking the station wagon in the shade to take a nap during my 3 hours of tennis lessons every single day during the week before going back to work, waking up with an hour left in the lesson to yell at me, us taking trips to tournaments,  and him having advice which I regarded at the time as totally useless have been occupying my mind lately.

My dad basically yelled advice and some obscenities to me every single day. The guy was trying to be helpful, but he yelled so much at me that it was a running joke at my tennis academy. Basically everyone became so accustomed to the old man’s yelling that everyone screamed at me imitating my old man with his thick Asian accent. I gotta admit it was a bit embarrassing at the time but now I don’t give a rat’s ass.

It brings me to the question of why I’m so driven to become a bass pro.

I love bass fishing, but competitive bass fishing is a whole different animal that I can’t seem to shake loose.

It gives me the opportunity for a lifestyle that I’ve grown up around. Preparing for tournaments and traveling all over the place to compete in them.

During my bid for Weekend Series National Championship in 2009, I’d wake up every morning to take advantage of my free breakfast at the hotel I stayed at and chat briefly with an old man named Edwin who traveled everywhere with his son to fishing tournaments. It reminded me of traveling with my old man during the tennis tournament days and I started every single day of that tournament with that old familiar feel of my youth…. me and the old man going all over the place and him cheering me on/yelling at me (they’re one in the same with him).

I told him I’ve been doing this my whole life with my old man as well, not fishing tournaments but going from town to town to compete in tournaments anyway. Neither one of us had to comment much more about it. We both knew why we were there and what we were involved in.

Probably the one advice from old man I utilized in that tournament was visualizing a course of action and positive outcome with every possible scenario on every single point or in this case cast. It really did help me make the most of the situation I was in.

I remember calling him to let him know I had a chance at making the Bassmaster Classic prior to the last day of the 2009 Bassmaster Weekend Series National Championship along with some possible coverage on ESPN2 and he had all kinds of advice for me yet he knows absolutely nothing about bass fishing.

What the hell?

Some people say I want to be a bass pro for the recognition, but nothing could be further from the truth. I just like reliving the days of my youth and have a chance at making the old man proud. I can’t say we’re the closest of friends but feel the need to prove myself all the time for some reason.

The competition aspect definitely doesn’t suck neither.

I also love to fish and would love to be able to do it every day.

I don’t want to sound corny but it’s the God’s honest truth. It’s pretty much a driver in life.

I’m a bit of hoarder when it comes to fishing lures and lately I’ve been eyeing some fancy prop baits since the introduction of the Rapala X Rap Prop.

Jeff Holland from the Jeff Holland Blog pointed out another prop bait that I need to try out made by Lucky Craft called the Splash Tail 90. You wanna talk about quality components, it’s a ball bearing double prop bait with a super technical paint job that Lucky Craft is know for.

A quick look at the Lucky Craft site revealed a “Gill” color that’s made but I can’t seem to find anywhere. Supposedly, it’s only available in Japan and it’s no where to be found on ebay. I guess it’ll stay on the wish list until I run into someone from Japan or Lucky Craft.

I’ve been keeping up with all the new releases at ICAST this week and man I wish I was there. The neatest bait I’ve seen so far is the X Rap Prop.

Finally, someone has attempted to improve on the Boy Howdy and Devil’s Horse. They’re both great baits, but let’s be honest… neither one of these lures have quality components.

It appears that wait is over. I’m dying to get my hands on a X Rap Prop but will have to wait until they’re released. As soon as they’re available, I’m gonna get the black and gold as well as the perch color.

I know Devil’s Horse die hards will complain about the bait sitting slightly tail down but personally don’t think it makes a difference 90% of the time.

My favorite setup for prop baits is a 6’9″ MH Kistler Helium LTA and 15 lb mono. The rod has fast action but not so fast that it hinders casting distance or your ability to work the bait. I can literally throw the Devil’s Horse a country mile but I still have a little better accuracy with the shorter length.

The Skitter Prop which is a single prop balsa bait also made by Rapala has been one of my favorites for quite some time.

Can’t wait.

You may not know this, but my income does not come from fishing although it’s part of my plan in the future. At this point, I have to make enough money to at least have a shot at living the dream. For me, the best chance of accomplishing this goal is to concentrate on selling houses for a while.

I know, you hear it on the news all the time that the real estate market is in the dumps and will be for a long time. I’ll admit that home prices will not likely return to the levels we saw in 2005, but homes are selling and I can name countless people who will still make a 7 figure income from selling houses in 2011.

All I need is to make enough to buy a new boat and have enough money in savings to fish the BASS Opens and Everstarts next year. Needless to say, it’s still a lot of money.

I went to a seminar recently for accomplishing goals in real estate with 6 steps, but constantly related the tasks to fishing as well.

Step 1: Affirm – You need to affirm to yourself that you are who you want to be. In fishing or any other sport, you need to affirm to yourself daily that you are the best at what you do. The speaker used an example of Kid Rock on an interview with Pierce Morgan. As usual, the crass and rude Brit told Kid Rock that he’s no Tom Cruise in terms of looks or charisma and asked him if he had ever thought he’d be where he’s at today. Kid Rock’s answer was “everyday”.  Kid Rock never had a doubt that he would be rock star some day. The speaker also noted that affirmation without discipline is delusion. For an aspiring bass pro, it means spending more time studying patterns on different lakes, spending more time becoming a better decision maker and time manager, and spend more time mastering different techniques and styles of fishing.

Step 2: Track - “That which is measured grows”. For me, I know how much money I need to make this year to fulfill my fishing goals next year and need to track it. The speaker suggested a simple thermometer. I also need to set goals for improving my fishing as well. I’m a total cluts when it comes to spinning equipment, not that good at skipping docks, and not the best offshore fisherman. I’ll need to set goals with deadlines to get better at these things.

Step 3: Find a Mentor – I don’t have a mentor at the moment, but I need to look at how some run of the mill guys (guys like us) have become a bass pro. Some names that come to mind is Randall Tharp, Greg Vinson, and John Cox. All these guys have made it from the ground up.

Step 4: Work – This is the part that sucks but unfortunately a necessity. There’s no substitute for time on the water and you gotta put the work in to improve your skills so that you can compete at the highest level. For me, this is 2 part: 1. I’ve gotta learn more about different lakes like Pickwick, Guntersville, Eufala, Okeechobee, etc. 2. get better at techniques that will work in those place. The Weekend Series Championship is at Santee Cooper this year, I’ll spend a lot of time pitching finesse worms to cypress trees with a spinning rod since it’s one technique that most winners have employed at Santee Cooper, namely Ken Ellis who’s the man up there. I totally suck with a spinning rod, but I’ll be good at it come this fall. The bite could be offshore, topwater, flippin, crankin, or spinnerbait but I’m a bit more comfortable doing that.

Step 5: Build – You build from your success. If you won a tournament lately, then you need to build from there. If you did well in a tournament recently, then you can build from there. The key here is to focus on your success.

Step 6: Map – Probably the best suggestion I got from this seminar was to map out your goals. You need to write your goals down and also write down how you’re going to accomplish them next to your goals. Nobody builds a house without blueprints. For my fishing, I need to make X amount this year (a whole heck of a lot), improve some techniques I don’t like, and focus more on work than fishing so that I can fish next year. I went out and bought a dry eraser board and written down my goals for fishing and real estate with steps to accomplish those goals. I’ll be keeping track of it daily along with my affirmations, “I will make a living from fishing so I can fish every day”.

I think these steps will have you achieve any goal you have for yourself, whether it be becoming a bass pro or anything else.

Now I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no bass pro, but I’ve made a commitment to work at this goal every single day and to tell myself that it is possible.

Help me accomplish my goals by referring anyone you know with real estate needs to me. I promise, they’ll receive the best possible service. My real estate sites include: http://sworlandoblog.com, http://www.sworlandorealeasy.com, and http://sworlando.kwrealty.com.