The Donkey Delivers Big Bass

If Terry "Big Show" Scroggins is fishing in Florida, you can bet he has the "Donkey" tied on at least one rod -- and chances are fairly good that it's the one that's in his hand. The Donkey refers to a Smithwick Devil's Horse. Scroggins dubs it a donkey because of the way you have to work it, "Slow and steady, like a donkey."

Last weekend it was actually the " Swamp Donkey" because Big Show and Gerald Swindle were fishing Devil's Horses together on Toho, and Swindle decided to add more Florida flavor the name. The biggest fish the two of them weighed attacked a Swamp Donkey.

The Devil's Horse has been a favorite of Florida fishermen for decades. They especially like it because you can create a lot of commotion with the blades without moving the bait very far. It tantalizes big bass that are holding near cover, and they can't resist attacking. Old timers throw it year-round and in all conditions.

Scroggins contends that you really only need one color, which is chrome/black back/orange belly, and when he finds a specific bait that rests exactly how he wants in the water and makes just the right sound, he'll fish that one bait till he loses it or until the bass wear every bit of paint off it.

Toho Practice Begins Today

The current Kissimmee outlook warns of heavy fog, so the going might begin a little slow as PAA teams launch into first official practice day for the unique team event that begins on Thursday. The good news in the same forecast from a fishing fan's perspective is that the 5-day is full of sun and 80s. That means the Kissimmee Chain's fabulous bass fishing should show itself well and that some of the big girls in the system should be moving up onto their beds.

The PAA Tour Team Challenge promises big fun for fishing fans and for the fishermen themselves, who rarely get to fish together. Most pros have fished countless team tournaments over the years, but not at this level and with so many top names in the field. Add prime time for big fish on the legendary waters of Lake Toho and the rest of the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes...

Terry Scroggins and Gerald Swindle, good friends who travel together and share information during the Elite Series season, ended last year having to compete head-to-head in a B.A.S.S. play-off format tournament. This week they not only get to practice together, they get to compile their shared findings into a single strategy and fish side-by-side as a team come tournament time. Scroggins and Swindle have both won B.A.S.S. events on Toho, by the way.

Pairings also include Shaw Grigsby & Paul Elias; Russ Lane & Derek Remitz; Mike McClelland & Jared Lintner... And then there are the top pros that you can bet have matched themselves with the best local angler whose name I don't know but whose faces are very well known by anyone who ever fishes tournaments on the Kissimmee Chain. Should be exciting.

I'll have to learn all I can and report from home through most of the week, but on Saturday I'm Florida bound to watch the final-day stories unfold live!