MAVERICK27
03-01-2011, 09:24 AM
Hey gang!
Its been a while since I posted, so I think its due. I have still been fishing, but a ton of practice for upcoming tournaments. Better to keep the score off the boards for that :Secret:
First day testing the Save Phace SUM masks at Irvine. Sure beats rain in the face!! I have even been wearing it when its warm on fast runs. That way my eyes don't burn at the end of the day and my face doesn't get chapped. I absolutely love the SUM masks.
Anyway, got a call from my mentor, Don Spencer about another coaching/guide trip at the Vine. Turns out he had an angagement after the lake, so we took my boat out. Sorry its no Ranger Don :LOL: It seems nowmatter how well you know a lake, there are still people who look at it with a completely different perspective. Mr. Spencer seems to know every rock pile, weedline and piece of structure on that lake! That proved to be valuable information as you read on.
We fished multiple depths from 40' in the morning to 2-10'. The small male "clone" models, or "Buck Bass" as Don calls them are coming in to scout beds and spawning areas for the females. We even saw a bass with a huge bite mark on its tail, as if a huge bass had it in its mouth at some point. Fighting over spawning sites, no doubt.
We hauled in close to 20 fish for the day, mostly 1-2 lbr's. Most fish caught on small plastics, carolina rigs, drop shot and jigs.
Highlight of the day.....Don took me to one of his ultra favorite big fish spots. Don was tossing a jig in 50' of water, while I was on the drop shot and jig. I ended up with one clone on the drop shot and Don set the hook on something that REALLY loaded up his rod! As soon as he set the hook, he knew it was a pig. The fish came partly out of the water and he said "could be a 10" Don wanted to just grab it, but I insisted on the net (I hate losing fish :EyePop:). Once boated, the bucket mouth was enormous, but the belly wasn't full. My digital scale was completely off. I estimated the fish over 9lbs, Irvin'e site listed it at 8.5 to be safe. Either way, what a beautiful animal!! Great job Don!!
All in all , an awesome day on the water!! Donnie is a pleasure to fish with. Its always a mixture of banter and teasing back and forth, but chock full of pearls of wisdom that stay on my mind during my tournaments. If anyone wants to get into bass fishing or just go out and whack some bass for fun, call Donnie!! I promise you, it wil change the way you look at fishing forever. You may even hook into a pig on one of his secret spots!!!
I also want to thank Don Spencer for all he has taught me and continues to help me with. It is my hard work and his teachings that have allowed me to advance so quickly in the world of tournament bass fishing.
On a side note, if you get a chance...check out my article in this month's WON Bass inside the Western Outdoor News, entitled "Choosing the Right Tournament Trail"
I hope to see you at the Fred Hall Show and on the water!!!
Here are a couple of pics. I have video too. Maybe i'll get a chance to update the thread later with that. Enjoy.
http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp44/MAVERICKandCRVZ/SUM.jpg
http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp44/MAVERICKandCRVZ/clone.jpg
http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp44/MAVERICKandCRVZ/dons9.jpg
http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp44/MAVERICKandCRVZ/dons92.jpg
http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp44/MAVERICKandCRVZ/donnybass.jpg
Its been a while since I posted, so I think its due. I have still been fishing, but a ton of practice for upcoming tournaments. Better to keep the score off the boards for that :Secret:
First day testing the Save Phace SUM masks at Irvine. Sure beats rain in the face!! I have even been wearing it when its warm on fast runs. That way my eyes don't burn at the end of the day and my face doesn't get chapped. I absolutely love the SUM masks.
Anyway, got a call from my mentor, Don Spencer about another coaching/guide trip at the Vine. Turns out he had an angagement after the lake, so we took my boat out. Sorry its no Ranger Don :LOL: It seems nowmatter how well you know a lake, there are still people who look at it with a completely different perspective. Mr. Spencer seems to know every rock pile, weedline and piece of structure on that lake! That proved to be valuable information as you read on.
We fished multiple depths from 40' in the morning to 2-10'. The small male "clone" models, or "Buck Bass" as Don calls them are coming in to scout beds and spawning areas for the females. We even saw a bass with a huge bite mark on its tail, as if a huge bass had it in its mouth at some point. Fighting over spawning sites, no doubt.
We hauled in close to 20 fish for the day, mostly 1-2 lbr's. Most fish caught on small plastics, carolina rigs, drop shot and jigs.
Highlight of the day.....Don took me to one of his ultra favorite big fish spots. Don was tossing a jig in 50' of water, while I was on the drop shot and jig. I ended up with one clone on the drop shot and Don set the hook on something that REALLY loaded up his rod! As soon as he set the hook, he knew it was a pig. The fish came partly out of the water and he said "could be a 10" Don wanted to just grab it, but I insisted on the net (I hate losing fish :EyePop:). Once boated, the bucket mouth was enormous, but the belly wasn't full. My digital scale was completely off. I estimated the fish over 9lbs, Irvin'e site listed it at 8.5 to be safe. Either way, what a beautiful animal!! Great job Don!!
All in all , an awesome day on the water!! Donnie is a pleasure to fish with. Its always a mixture of banter and teasing back and forth, but chock full of pearls of wisdom that stay on my mind during my tournaments. If anyone wants to get into bass fishing or just go out and whack some bass for fun, call Donnie!! I promise you, it wil change the way you look at fishing forever. You may even hook into a pig on one of his secret spots!!!
I also want to thank Don Spencer for all he has taught me and continues to help me with. It is my hard work and his teachings that have allowed me to advance so quickly in the world of tournament bass fishing.
On a side note, if you get a chance...check out my article in this month's WON Bass inside the Western Outdoor News, entitled "Choosing the Right Tournament Trail"
I hope to see you at the Fred Hall Show and on the water!!!
Here are a couple of pics. I have video too. Maybe i'll get a chance to update the thread later with that. Enjoy.
http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp44/MAVERICKandCRVZ/SUM.jpg
http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp44/MAVERICKandCRVZ/clone.jpg
http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp44/MAVERICKandCRVZ/dons9.jpg
http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp44/MAVERICKandCRVZ/dons92.jpg
http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp44/MAVERICKandCRVZ/donnybass.jpg