Mid Year Reflections on the Opens
There has not been any big tournaments as of late, so I’ve had some time to reflect on my year so far. There’s no great finishes to speak of besides some small local tournaments.
It’s my first year fishing the BASS Opens and I think I just blew it on the first two. I should’ve been punching matt the majority of the time in Okeechobee and didn’t fish the conditions…. although if it warmed up a little quicker, I’m sure I would’ve caught them. At Smith Lake, I should’ve moved out as they pulled water out but did not adjust to the falling water like I should have.
The one thing I’m learning this year is adjusting. When you find a group of fish, they don’t go very far. They’re somewhere nearby and I need to learn to figure out where they go. I need to look for places where fish might go if conditions change. Usually I’m so worried about finding a stack of fish that I’m not worried about where they might go but I’m thinkin you gotta keep that in mind the entire time.
The last Open is on Lake Seminole in October, and I’m already researching spots and patterns. There’s been so many big tournaments here that there’s a lot of stuff to decipher, but I think I’ve zeroed in what to do. I like to flip and will probably focus on flippin and possibly froggin in the hydrilla. I like to go in with an open mind but it’s one big place and you can’t cover everything. It’ll take a lot of time just figuring out how to run the place without killing yourself.
This is going out on a limb, but I think I’ve had enough learning this year and due for a good finish at Seminole. We’ll see if my premonition is right. As long as it doesn’t rain for a week straight prior to the tournament, I believe I know what the fish are going to be doing.
