Georgia Spring Afternoon

OK. Maybe it's a stretch to call Feb. 23 spring. Still, with half a dozen different types of flowers blooming in the yard and the thermometer showing mid 70s, yesterday afternoon sure seemed springish. So much so that Nathaniel and I had to slip out and take a couple of laps around the pond.

With spring often comes wind, and yesterday's springlike ways fit the bill in that sense. Nathaniel, who normally controls the canoe, spend more time working his paddle blade than a crankbait or other lure. I got to keep casting and managed five bass and a bream, all on a Road Runner Pro Marabou 2.0. The fish were generally shallow, like they thought it was spring also.

Bassmaster Classic - 49 Bassmaster Classic competitors launch in a couple of hours. I've ridden along a couple times as a Classic observer, so I can kind of imagine the excitement as the competitors, media and B.A.S.S. officials gather in hotel for early-hours breakfast, migrate to the boatyard and then make the grand police-escorted procession through the darkness from the convention center area to the boat launch, where big crowds are likely gathering already.

Most competitors' minds are most likely racing with thoughts about where they'll begin, what they'll do if that area is too crowded, whether they'll guard a spot or move around, try to fill a limit or go straight for something larger... Some are likely quietly focused, wearing the full game face. Others are grinning and telling stories like it's any other fishing morning.

It's not any other fishing morning, though. It's the Bassmaster Classic. I didn't end up making the trip to Louisiana, but I'll be watching the blogs and other posts and will pass along anything interesting that I discover!