Falcon Not Exactly Floundering

Day 1 Falcon Leader Keith Combs, BASS Photo

Falcon Lake isn't as dazzling as in '08, when Paul Elias set the Elite Series record for four days of fishing and when everyone was catching limits of jumbo fish. In fact, most pros have reported not getting a tremendous number of bites and having to grind it out their limits. That said, this big impoundment along the Texas/Mexico border obviously is still a pretty impressive fishery. Leader Keith Combs, who brought plentiful local knowledge into the tournament, weighed in five fish that averaged very close to 7 pounds (34-13). To put that into perspective, Combs' Day 1 weight would have landed him in eighth place for all four days last week at the Sabine River.

Combs wasn't alone with an impressive catch. Sixteen anglers brought in more than 25 pounds on Day 1, and 45 anglers broke the 20-pound mark. Three quarters of the field brought a limit to the scales. Big fish for the day was a tie between Edwin Evers and Rick Morris, both of whom toted a 9-11 to the scales. Contrasted with last week, when limits were very tough to come by, and decent fish were even tougher to find, Falcon still probably seems quite impressive to most of the Elite Series field.

No one ever says a tremendous amount about patterns after only one day of a four-day tournament, but reports I've heard suggest that fish are being caught both shallow and deep. Some bass are still up on the beds or staging just after the spawn, while others have already moved offshore. Combs focused on key deep-water areas that he expected to produce big fish -- if they produced at all --and said he had to work for his catch. Cliff Prince of Palatka, Florida, who is in second place after the first day, split his efforts between deep structure and shallow trees, which he fished by flipping.

They'll be back at it in another hour or so. Watch the Bassmaster blog for regular updates and even a few peeks at big fish anglers catch during the day.

B.A.S.S. All Star Campaigning

Elite Series rookie Cliff Prince had an outstanding first year on tour, qualifying for the Bassmaster Classic, and has a case to be one of the four fan picks for Toyota Trucks All Star Week.

If you follow any bass pros on Facebook or Twitter or pay attention to any bass news sites, you may have noticed that presidential candidates aren't the only folks on the campaign trail right now. Elite Series pros who were not among the top eight finishers in the season points are busily appealing to fans for votes. The first eight Toyota Trucks All Star Week places were determined strictly by the final season standings. The final four will be chosen by fan voting, which is going on right now and will continue through Sept. 10.

The dozen pros who make the final field will fish in an elimination format tournament that's spread over two weeks and is split between two different Illinois waterways. There is no entry fee, and the top finisher will take home $60,000 and the title of All Star Week Champion. Anglers who have already qualified are Brent Chapman, Ott DeFoe, Terry Scroggins, Todd Faircloth, Randy Howell, Matt Herrin, Kevin VanDam and Edwin Evers.

Many pros who aren't already in the mix are making direct appeals to fans, asking for daily votes, with some offering pretty strong incentives. Alton Jones, as an example, has committed to taking a Facebook fan on an all-expenses-paid trip to Falcon with him if he makes the post season. Edwin Evers, who is already in, is going to bat for his brother-in-law, Terry Butcher.

Like any All Star event, fans have different ideas about what the voting should be, with some picking favorites, others answering personal appeals and others studying season accomplishments and voting for the anglers who they think have earned the spots. Of course, B.A.S.S. is offering its own incentive for fans to participate, no matter who they select. Someone is going to win a Skeeter ZX190 bass boat powered by a Yamaha VZ 150 TL motor.

It'll be interesting to see who ends up making the final field. I've cast my first round of votes!

Yo-Yos, Rattles & River Bass

Cliff Prince rarely swims a Rattle Bait when he targets offshore bass during the cool months. Instead, he lets the bait sink all the way to the bottom and then yo-yos it back, continually lifting and dropping it but keeping it close to the bottom. The bass may hit it on the lift or the drop. When they do hit, Prince knows he must be ready, because they'll often hit it quickly but not get hooked if he doesn't react with a prompt hook set.

Prince's No. 1 bait for this technique, which is more like working a worm or a jig than a typical hard bait, is an XCalibur Xrk75 One-Knocker. However, he also likes the Xrk50, which is a slightly smaller ounce version of the same lure, and the rattling models of both sizes.

The bass congregate on or near bottom structure during the cool months and feed on winter-slowed or dying shad. The yo-yo presentation of a One Knocker matches the hatch perfectly and delivers big winter catches for Prince, a B.A.S.S. Elite Series rookie from Palatka, Florida, who gets to gets to begin his career of competing at the highest level on his home waters (St. John's River) in about a month and a half.

Florida Update

Well, tomorrow I hop on the big bird and head back toward Georgia after a great week of fishing and photo work. Blogs are behind, but it's not because I haven't had stuff to share. I've been without internet and have had no means of sharing.

First, a past-due final word about the PAA Tour Team Challenge. Bobby Lane and Gerald Brown, the Day 2 leaders, held on and won the event. Bobby's brother, Chris, won the previous week's B.A.S.S. Southern Open on the Harris Chain, just up the road from Kissimmee.

After the Toho weigh-in, Lawrence Taylor and I headed north to Salt Springs, Florida, which was our base camp for three days of fishing. We fished a day on Lake George with Tim Mann and then got together with Terry "Big Show" Scroggins and Cliff Prince for a day on the Harris Chain and a day on the St. Johns River. Each day was completely different, but all three were highly productive and lots of fun. I even managed to catch a pretty nice bass (pictured above) on an XCalibur Xt3 Twitch Bait, and added a hybrid to my 2012 species list. I'll follow with more about the fishing in upcoming blogs.

Sights Set on Florida Bass

"You should be hitting it about perfect," Tim Mann told me yesterday. Considering current conditions, the calendar and the 5-day outlook, Mann believes things are setting up nicely for a big wave St. Johns River spawners to move up between now and our Sunday outing. Things can change, I know, but I like Mann's confidence, and I'm looking forward to peering at some big ones on Lake George flat and hopefully getting to lock horns with a true heavyweight.

I'll also get to spend time fishing the St. Johns with Cliff Prince, a bass pro who will begin his rookie campaign as a B.A.S.S. Elite Series angler in month and a half on the same waters, which also happen to be his home waters. Terry "Big Show" Scroggins has said that Prince knows the river as well as he does -- and that says a lot.

Should be a great week of learning and gathering story material and a good chance to catch some nice Florida largemouths. Lawrence Taylor of BOOYAH Bait Company also assured me that he has some cool stuff to show me and for us to show to the fish. That means innovative tackle and tactics that I'll be able to share in stories.

First stop, though, is Orlando, where we'll attend the final-day weigh-in of the PAA Tour Team Challenge at Bass Pro Shops. The teams will actually blasting off at Lake Toho for their first day of fishing some time very soon. It sounds like the pros were down-talking what they'd seen in practice or not say much at all, so no one knows quite what will come to the scales. The lake is ultra clear now, and seemingly not many fish have moved up, so it could fish tough. But any teams find an early wave of spawners or the right pre-spawn spot, their bags could be enormous.