Believing the Bass

FLW Tour Smith Lake winner Dave Lefebre. FLW photo.

I enjoyed reading the account of Dave Lefebre's FLW Tour win at Smith Lake. He finished day one in the 20s, worked his way higher each day, began the final day in 7th place and brought in nearly 20 pounds of fish on the final day to win by about 2 pounds. He did so by being keenly observant, seeing what the bass were doing, and trusting what they were doing, not what they should be doing.

I wasn't there and haven't talked with Dave, so I won't try to report details. Rob Newell does a great job of that in the final story about the win on the FLW website. Basically, though, Dave found some very specific spots where blueback herring were spawning first thing in the morning, and he caught his best fish from those exact spots later in the day. Strange thing was that the bass were nowhere to be found early, when the herring they love to eat were everywhere, but they were in the exact same spots thick and feeding aggressively later in the day, when the herring were nowhere to be found.

It didn't make sense to Dave, but that is the very thing that impresses me. Bass pros have to understand normal bass behavior and use that as a starting point. However, the best ones know how to observe and figure out what IS going on, whether or not it SHOULD BE going on. Dave Lefebre chose to trust the bass and to build his pattern based on that trust, and the result was victory in the second tour event of the season and a check for $125,000.

Erie Ice Camp Over

 

 

It's hard for me to believe that three days have already passed, but indeed we put a wrap on the second edition of Erie Ice Camp this evening after a day of catching bluegills, yellow perch and trout from Lake Pleasant. We actually spent two days on Pleasant and one on Misery Bay, which is off Presque Isle Bay. I wouldn't want to try to guess at the total number of fish caught, but it was a bunch. More importantly, from a work standpoint, I got many good photos and much fine story material, and I really appreciate Dave Lefebre and the folks at Ice Force making it happen.

 

I even drilled my first holes on this trip, and a Strikemaster Lazer Synthetic Ultra Lite hand auger made quick and easy work of about 8 inches of ice.

 

I'm actually still in PA and am not sure of my total plan. I might even find my way back to the ice before I head south. The official camp has wrapped up, though, and most of tomorrow I'll be focused on writing fish stories.

Erie Ice Calling

Ice cover in the Presque Isle Bay area is getting thicker all the
time. Dave Lefebre photo.

Dave Lefebre with a
big yellow perch caught
during last year's trip.

When the ice clearly calls I only know of one reasonable response, and right now that call is coming from Erie, Pennsylvania, where it's 5 degrees at the moment, according to the little weather experts inside my computer. A possible plan to head north and fish the frozen waters of Presque Isle Bay and other Northern PA locations with bass pro Dave Lefebre had been hanging out there, but all hinged on the ice. The cold that's gripped a lot of the country over the past few days has a firm hold on the Erie area, and the ice is thickening in a hurry.

Yesterday, after scouting some ice and looking at the long-range, Dave said the time was right to settle plans for sooner, rather than later. Looks like I'll be pointing the go-cart north in a little more than a week. It'll be my first drive to ice country, which is kind of cool. Mostly, I'm mostly just excited to have an ice plan solidly in place. No temps above freezing between now and then and not a lot of snow, so the outlook looks great for high-quality ice

Last year we divided time between a bay off Presque Isle Bay and a cool little trout lake called Lake Pleasant, and we caught crappie, yellow perch, one largemouth, various sunfish and a couple of kinds of trout, that I can think of off-hand. Lots of fish and lots of fun. I'm not sure exactly where we'll fish this year, but I'm certain Dave will have a cool plan and all the right stuff for an outstanding trip. Stay tuned.

Pro Web Live, an Inside View

No doubt you've heard the buzz about Pro Web Live, which delivers live seminars by top pros like Aaron Martens, Jason Christie and Edwin Evers into your living room, and maybe you've visited the site and seen the list of pros and schedule of seminars.

A couple of weeks ago, I got a closer look that gave me a sense of just how cool and personal these sessions will be. I sat in on an early testing and training session that was designed to help the pros learn how the whole thing will work and to gain feedback from visitors using various types of browsers and computers and with internet connections of all speeds. Several similar sessions are planned because site administrators are determined to work out any bugs and to make certain presenters have a full understanding of all they are able to do before any sessions begin.

Martens, Christie, Dave Lefebre, Shaw Grigsby and Ott Defoe were all "in the room" during that session, and it was pretty cool how much it felt like we were all sitting together because of functions like a chat room, attendee list and question-and-answer area. I mostly stayed in the shadows, just watching to see how everything worked so that I could offer feedback, but I did chime in briefly after Lefebre noted that I was signed in.

The session I attended included no seminar. Instead, they were talking about all the options the pros would have for putting illustrations on the screen, sharing documents, linking to products they discussed and interacting with attendees, and it looks to me like each seminar will be a seriously cool experience. Seems ideal for a handful of friends to sign up for together and put on a big screen, timed perfectly, of course, for the session to begin shortly after the steaks come off the grill.

Below is a cool little teaser. Visit the Pro Web Live website to learn more about how it all works and too see the list of speakers, topics and dates.

Watching the Bite

I wouldn't have caught the perch in the picture if we hadn't been watching the MarCum underwater camera view. You see the fish only grabbed the bait's tail initially. It bit decisively enough that I would have set the hook for sure if I'd been fishing by feel, but I could see the action clearly and knew the fish didn't have the hook in it's mouth. As soon as the fish finished the job, I set the hook.
Might fun stuff.

Dave Lefebre took the cool photo with his phone. Actually he has a whole series that surrounds that image on Dave's Facebook page (along with many other photos from the past few days). Be sure to check it out.

Erie Ice Fest: A Pleasant Ending

The ice conditions that greeted us this morning at Misery Bay were miserable indeed, with free-floating ice chunks separated from the shore and the wind blowing hard. Nowhere around Presque Isle bay looked better, making it obvious that we needed to figure out another plan. Dave Lefebre determined that we'd make better decisions over breakfast, so we headed to the Zodiac Dinor in Erie, which was a very good move.

We talked through a variety of options and eventually decided to visit Pleasant Lake, a small lake that tends to offer good ice when many others do not. Another good move. Plentiful aggressive trout, a fair number of perch, and a couple of bluegills helped make the lake pleasant indeed. Most trout were rainbows, but we did manage one brook trout. I caught several rainbows, so I was able to add species No. 5 to this year's list. Looking back at the past few days, best I can remember, our small group together caught eight different kinds of fish.

Tomorrow I head for the Erie airport to begin a day of travel that will end nicely at home. Erie Ice Fest has provided a wonderful start to the 2014 fishing season.

Erie Ice Fest, Day 2

We couldn't have asked for better weather today. The wind that had been in the forecast didn't materialize, but the air temperature was cold enough that our ice didn't deteriorate. Given no wind, we returned to Presque Isle Bay -- same area as yesterday -- for another round of catching crappie, perch, bluegills and pumpkinseeds. The crappie still didn't go on a rampage like they did for Dave Lefebre just a couple of days ago, but over the course of the day, we caught quite a few, and much like yesterday, we caught a gazillion of the other species. Dave also caught one largemouth and smelt.

Only one day remaining, and we're currently debating where to fish. More likely than not, we'll head back to the same area in hopes that a slab-fest breaks out. Works for me. It's a fun place to fish. Of course if we fish somewhere else, I'll bet I'd have fun there too. We might even do both, starting the day back on Presque Isle and then spending the afternoon fishing somewhere else.

One way or the other, I'd better sleep a while.

Erie Ice Fest 2014, Day 1

Dave Lefebre would tell you the fish didn't bite today, and I suppose that based on his expectations they did not. The truth is that we easily caught a couple of hundred fish, but at day's end, the cooler only contained four crappie and a dozen of the best bluegills. Two days ago, Lefebre fished the same area just for an afternoon and left with close to 50 crappie in the box.

You sure won't hear me  complaining. I had a big time catching fish all day long and am happy to be able to start my 2014 fish species list with black crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed and yellow perch. I also learned a lot by watching Dave fish, asking questions and putting some of the answers into practice.

As of a few minutes ago, Dave was still debating tomorrow's plan. I think we'll probably head back to Presque Isle Bay State Park and fish the same general area we fished today, trusting that the crappie were just in a fussy mood and will cooperate better tomorrow. Word is that the wind might be really howling, though, and if that is the case, Dave has another plan in mind. Whatever the plan, you can trust I'll be ready for it, but with that in mind, I suppose I probably ought to sleep a while.

Travel Slippers

Every time I travel to ice fish I debate the same question. Add about 6 pounds and a bunch of bulk to a duffel that's already overstuffed and heavy or wear my clunky sub-zero-rated boots for five days, through travel and all?  As usual, I chose the latter, so I'm sporting the ice boots in the Atlanta airport.

I actually pack light compared to most other folks on many trips I go on, but unless you borrow all the junk you need at the other end, there is no such thing as packing light for an ice trip. My ice suit, on its own, probably has more weight and mass than all my clothes for some summer trips. Add the layers that go beneath, plus gloves,
beanie and facemask, and the bag is fairly bulky without packing anything to wear off the ice or changes of clothes. It's not a terrible thing. Just a way ice travel is different from most other travel I do.

Bags aside, I'm excited about prospects of getting out on the ice this week. The jury remains out about how many options we'll have. It was way too warm in Pennsylvania yesterday. I trust we'll figure out something, though. Actually, I trust that Dave Lefebre will figure out something. I'm a clueless follower on this trip.

First Fish of '14, Come Monday?

Well, it seems likely now that my first fish of 2014 will come up through a hole in the Pennsylvania ice. I fly to Erie on Sunday for three days of fishing with FLW Tour pro and Ice Force team member Dave Lefebre.

 Even a couple of days ago, plans seemed a little iffy due to weird winter weather. However, enough cold during that last hard snap seemingly penetrated the snow for some pretty good ice to form on several lakes, and the weekend warming trend looks less severe than had been forecast. I'm not sure whether we'll end up fishing ponds or lakes, but it does appear we'll have some good options next week.

So what will that first fish be? Could very well be a bluegill, crappie or largemouth bass, just like I'd catch from a local pond, or it could be a yellow perch, walleye or something else that has a more northerly flavor. Hopefully, this year's list will be at least a few lines long by next Thursday, when I return home.

I do still have two full days in Georgia before I drive to Atlanta early Sunday for my fight to Erie, but it's unlikely I'll do any fishing around home today or tomorrow. A few things work against such a notion. First, it's supposed to be pretty rainy. That alone wouldn't keep me home because rainy days and brown trout go together nicely. Bigger factors are the fish stories that need to be written and the stuff I need to do to get ready for travel. Gathering and packing gear to keep me warm and to help me catch fish and doing stuff like clearing memory cards and charging batteries need to be bigger priorities than catching a bluegill from a pond near home.

Come Monday, I'll be fishing.

Snow & Ice

Sunday plans put me on an airplane to Erie, Pennsylvania to spend a few days on the ice with FLW Tour pro Dave Lefebre. I've been looking forward to the trip for a few reasons. First, it's ice-fishing, and I haven't been on the ice yet this winter. Also, I've never gotten to fish with Dave. Closely related, Dave truly loves ice-fishing, and my favorite fishing trips are almost always with people who are doing the kind of fishing they are passionate about or sharing a favorite destination. Finally, Lake Pymatuning, which we'd hoped to make a primary destination, has become one of my favorite lakes in the last couple of years, but I've only fished open water there.

Ice conditions could be iffy, though, so I'm not sure how our plans might end up shifting. It has been wonderfully cold up there in recent days (as in well below zero, around the clock), but I gather that the thin early ice had just enough snow on it to insulate it from the coldest cold and the ice hasn't thickened as much as one might think it would have. An even bigger concern is that warmer weather is forecast to arrive just ahead of me. Saturday is supposed to bring high 40s and rain, which can't be good for ice conditions.

We might switch venues or even go out in a boat somewhere if the warm rain does too much thawing. Or we might end up having to cancel. Or, the forecast may shift again, and it might be cold up there this weekend. I learned long ago that what the weatherman says on Wednesday only tells me so much about what will happen on Saturday, especially in the realm of complex winter systems.

Industry Updates & Weather Watching

Deadlines, distractions and a fast-moving clock kept me from finding my way to the blog world yesterday, but it was an interesting day in the fishing industry. Two new ventures by bass pros were announced, and while there's a bit of overlap in names and faces, the two companies seem to be otherwise unrelated.

Timmy Horton announced Profound Outdoors, a new lure company with lures created by a team of bass pros that will utilize a grass roots approach to sales. You can read the release on Timmy's facebook page, and if you look there, you'll see by the comments and shares that the announcement created a lot of buzz and a lot of questions. Timmy also reported on his page that he hopes to have the Profound Outdoors website live today, and I suspect that will answer a lot of questions, both about the structure and about the lures themselves.

The other announcement by a team of noteworthy pros was the creation of Pro Web Live, which brings home delivery of pro seminars via the internet. These are specific seminars at slated times, delivered with an exclusive feed and with the opportunity to ask questions live. This is the news that Dave Lefebre had mentioned a couple of days ago.

Related to Dave, I've been watching the weather in western Pennsylvania because I'm supposed to do some ice fishing with him in a week and a half. They are finally getting good, cold temperatures, but too much snow is keeping the ice that exists pretty insulted, which makes it tough for it to thicken properly.

I've also been watching weather around the Santee Cooper lakes, where I would have been catfishing yesterday had it not been pouring rain. I might get to try that one again next week, but if I'm going to do that, I'd better get back to writing fish stories.

Something New Coming

Here's all I know, and it comes from FLW Tour pro Dave Lefebre:

"Something fresh and all new is coming to the fishing world very soon! On this Thursday, Jan 2, a brand new company will launch what it is calling a win-win-win for everyone involved and long overdue. A win for the pro anglers, a win for the angler's sponsors, and a huge win for you, the fans of the sport!" This announcement will involve several of the top professionals from the BASS Elite Series and the Wal-Mart FLW Tours, including current BASS Elite Series AOY, Aaron Martens, the current #1 Ranked Angler, Jason Christie, FLW Tour standouts, Brent Ehrler and Dave Lefebre, BASS sticks, Edwin Evers, Brandon Palaniuk, and Ott DeFoe, not to mention a popular TV personality or two."

I don't even know who is making the announcement, but I suspect you could begin with Dave or any of the other names listed and watch their Facebook pages or Twitter accounts on Thursday, you can stay ahead of the game. I'll share more when there's more to tell, but I may be fishing on Thursday, so I'm guessing you can get the news faster by watching for it directly!

Starting to Steer Toward Red River

Frosted Flakes pro Dave Lefebre doing a little final packing for the Forrest Wood Cup, adding some Terminator spinnerbaits he thinks he might need for the Red River. Photo courtesy of Dave Lefebre.

Practice begins Sunday.

In only four days, 46 of the nation's top pros will begin trying to find the right fish and the proper pattern to win the Forrest Wood Cup. A week later, one of those pros will hoist the world champion's trophy and a check for $500,000.

The competition begins a week from tomorrow (August 15) and lasts four days. The venue is Louisiana's Red River, at Shreveport, Louisiana. Competition waters include three pools, 150 miles of water and an extensive network of backwaters. The weather is supposed to be sizzling hot, with high humidity.  Fishing will be good, most pros agree. The challenge will be finding enough quality fish that are willing to cooperate. Decision making and execution when opportunities do arise are apt to be critical to the outcome.

For now, most competitors are most likely doing final packing or home preparation -- studying maps one more time, double checking essentials like their insurance evidence, and tossing in a few more baits they don't want to be without. A few, no doubt, are already en route, either because of the long distance they live from the Red River or because of other stops they need to make along the way.

Jay Yelas of Corvallis, Oregon lives the farthest from the Cup venue at 1787 miles. Christopher Brasher of Hallsville, Texas lives the closest and is only 47 miles away when he is at home.

Dave Lefebre of Erie, PA said he's starting south tomorrow morning. Lefebre, who will be making his 11th consecutive Forrest Wood Cup appearance, said the only real difference in his packing for the Cup from other tournaments is that he carries far more autograph cards and such than normal because of the huge amount of interaction with bass fishing fans.

Three of the competitors -- Jason Christie, Ish Monroe and Zell Rowland -- had to do all their Cup planning well ahead of times and actually must have their minds on a totally different fishery right now. All three also fish the B.A.S.S. Elite Series, which begins a tournament tomorrow on the St. Lawrence River in upstate New York. Depending on how they fare and whether they make Saturday and Sunday cuts, they'll be traveling from New York to Louisiana some time over the weekend. For now, they need to be thinking about St. Lawrence smallmouths. Next week, they'll think about Red River largemouths.