Category: Kansas Bass Fishing

2019 First Qualifier of the Year

Kansas BASS Nation Youth Team Series was on Melvern Lake September 8th. There were 22 teams that showed up for the first event of the year. Twins and I were on a really good pattern, and we were hoping that it would continue. We had checked out a spot the day before and had to shake off a couple of really good fish.

The morning of the event, there was a strong storm passing through the area. The Tournament Director decided to delay takeoff until 8. The takeoff was going to be a little different. Once you got your boat in the water, you could drive to your starting point. But, you couldn’t start fishing until 8:30. So, we decided to start on the main lake point. That was the spot we had to shake off the fish the day before. Once we started, the boys were able to catch a limit by 8:50am and also creel once by 9am.

Then after fishing the point for a little longer and hitting another point without any luck before break, Boys decided they wanted to fish the prime spot. I had held off fishing it so far due to the wind. No time waiting to fish the spot. It was time to give it a try even with the wind. As we pulled around the corner, there was another boat on the spot. So, we just pulled behind them. It was an adult team fishing another tournament. As we watched them fish up the bank, we were hoping they wouldn’t catch a fish off the prime spot. There was a little cut between some trees and bushes that the fish use to cut through the point without going all the way around. The whole area holds a lot of fish, but that little spot held some really good smallmouth. As we got near the spot, both boys casted into the spot. Nick hooked up first, but the fish came unbutton. Just then, Kyle hooked up with a really good fish. We would fish the stretch until weigh-in. Creeling three times and losing one big smallmouth in the 4 pound range. It was finally time to go to weigh-in. We had a great day on the water, and every decision we made worked. I knew we had a chance. Only thing that didn’t go right, we lost a couple of good fish. Just as the boys got to the scale, we started to hear that fishing was tough for the field. Nick and Kyle would have the only limit of the day. As the scale stopped, we ended up with 15.97lbs. Nick and Kyle would win the 1st Qualifier of the year. I was so proud of how the boys fished. Even after losing fish, they wouldn’t stop fishing the pattern. I would like to thank the two adult anglers that shared the spot with us. Thanks for showing so much sportsmanship to my boys. Also, I really feel like the equipment helped the boys catch the fish that day. All the fish came on Powertackle PG144-70 rod. The strength and backbone helped the boys hook the fish. Next event will be on La Cygne. There could be the chance for some really big fish to show up at the scale.

SPINNERBAITS

We are coming into the fall season in Kansas. Around October, I always have a Spinnerbait tied on. Spinnerbaits work year round, but there are two times of the year. They work best for me; April and October.

Spring is when I like throwing a really big Spinnerbait with double Colorado blades. I throw two different colors white and white/chartreuse. It gives off a really big thump to help attract bass. Use a very strong rod with heavy action and reel 7:1 gear ration. Prefer to throw 20 lb fluorocarbon.

Fall is the next time I like to throw a blade. The fish are feeding up for the long winter. So, the fish can really be very active and covering water with a blade can help you find fish fast. Since the baitfish can be any size, there are about three different type of Spinnerbait I like to throw. Look around at the baitfish size, and it can help you choose the right Spinnerbait. I like to throw a 1/4oz. small Colorado/Willow Spinnerbait in white. Last year, we had a great time throwing a little bigger Spinnerbait 3/8oz. in White around laydown and standing timber for some really big fish. Twins caught some really good fish last October. If the water is really clear, I prefer to throw a shad color Double/Willow spinnerbait about 1/2oz. You can burn it just below the surface. I throw the smaller or medium size spinnerbait on medium heavy action rod with a 7:1 gear ratio reel. Will throw the 1/4oz. spinnerbait with 14lb fluorocarbon and 3/8oz. blade. I use 20lb fluorocarbon.

One tip when you throw a blade, you can just reel it straight in. I like to jerk or pause the blade. That little bit of action can really entice a bite. I have seen it multiple time on my videos. When I throw a Spinnerbait right when I jerk or pause the bait, a bass will hit.

So this fall choose a spinnerbait you like. You may catch your personnel best bass this fall.

TOUGH DAY 2

This has been a tough blog to write. The day 2 at Kansas Bass Nation Youth Team Series on Wilson, is a day boys and I would like to forget. We got to our spot. The first pass through, we caught three small bass. While a couple of high school teams across from us were catching keepers. I kept trying to tell the boys to not worry about it. Finally, Kyle caught a 3 pound smallmouth. I told the boys were are ok. We just need 4 more keepers and everything would be good. Then the high school team pulled up to us, and told the boys they had 4 fish. I told the boys don’t worry about it, being two hours into the tournament only having 1 fish. It was getting to them. Then the next hour, we caught 5 small fish. The day before, we had all keepers and never caught a fish under 2 pounds. I decided to moved to another spot after a couple of the other teams moved out. Nick caught a good largemouth, so we had two keepers and everything was good. Then just before the break, Nick caught another keeper. On Friday, Nick caught the same fish. At break, I told the boys all we needed was two more keepers. Then, Nick hooked up right after break. Kyle was snagged, and I was trying to get him unhooked. I told Kyle to get the net. Just then the fish came off. Nick said it wasn’t a keeper, but it looked like one to me. One problem the boys have is they like to watch the other one fight the fish while I net it. They really need to learn to get the net fast. Then off a point which the wind was blowing really hard, Nick hooked up with a big fish. It started to swim out deep. I knew this was the biggest fish we have had all week. Just then it was gone. Nick didn’t get a good hookset. They were very upset. Next two hours, we didn’t get a bite. Driving to the ramp with 3 fish, we were all sick. We just need two more keepers. We had around 8 pounds, and we finished second place with 25 pounds plus. First place team did a great job. They were consistent having around 15 pounds both days. A lot of the teams that didn’t catch them the first day, caught them the second day.

I really feel bad for the twins. There a lot of things I should have done since being the coach. I really feel like the fish had used the spot we fished the first day for traveling to spawn. We caught them the first day moving to the back. We should have moved shallower. Also, should have gone out the night before after weigh-in to look for bedding fish like a couple of other teams did. Also, I told myself Wilson Lake you have to fish the condition. They change daily and hourly. Catching them so good the first day, I really felt they would really be there still. Two day tournaments are different then one day. Also, great job to all the youth teams and captains that fished all year together. We fished some tough events. It was great to see all the kids weigh fish in on Wilson.

We will learn from this and get better. I would like to tell the champs great job and good luck at Nationals in August on Carroll County Lake, Tennessee.

Kansas Bass Youth Team Series Part 2

Day 1 of the Kansas Bass Youth Team Series on Wilson Lake, we had already 2 fish in the livewell at our first stop. As we moved to the second stop, the wind and boat traffic made it very hard to fish. So I decided to drive all the way into the back of the pocket. We pulled up to a grass point and on the first cast, Nick caught our third keeper. It was just at 15 inches, so we need to creel him to have a chance. Fished a little more in the back as another boat joined us in the little pocket. Moving out along the bluff wall, there was a little cut that Kyle missed a fish. I figured it was a bedding fish. So we backed out, and Nick threw up there and dragged it into the spot. He stop moving it, and just then his line took off. I’m not sure he had a good hookset. If you watch the video, you will see. If you have the right rod and reel, all you have to do is lean into the fish. You don’t really want to set the hook too hard because you can pull or pop the hook out of its mouth. It was a good 3.12lb largemouth. I figured we had finally caught one we wouldn’t have to creel. With 4 fish in the livewell at 10am, it was a great start.

We moved just a little more down the back, watching another boat catch a good one in front of us. As they went around us, Kyle hooked up with number 5. The next hour, we caught fish after fish. We creeled 3 of the smaller fish in the next hour. All the fish in the livewell were between 3.04 to 3.12lbs. Just then Nick set the hook. I was like “Really? Again?” It jumped and shad guts flew everywhere. It was a big smallmouth. As Nick played it, Kyle was praying that we landed the fish. Nick got the fish in the net, and it was the biggest fish at a weight of 3.14lbs. We had around 17 pounds. After talking a little to another boat with a couple of guys that I know very well, they told us to stop fishing and save some fish for the next day. Boys didn’t want to stop fishing, but they did from 11:30 am to 1:45 pm. We protected the spot from other boats. Twins would cast out deeper and take breaks. Around 1pm, Kyle said “I’m casting to the spot.” I was like ok. Just as I said “Ok,” he set the hook. Not good, because it was another 3 pound smallmouth. The first half of the field weighed in, and only had 2fish or no fish. But one team had 14.90 lbs. As the scale stopped at 17.54 lbs, we had an almost 2 1/2 pound lead. All we have to do is bring in a limit on day 2 and the championship would be ours.

Kansas BASS Youth Team Series Championship on Wilson Lake

The Kansas BASS Youth Team Series held their State Championship on Wilson Lake in Western Kansas. Wilson Lake bass fishing of both Smallmouth and Largemouth are on fire right know. It is some of the best fishing in Kansas. So, I knew it was going to take around 15lbs a day. It was a two day event. There are a lot of 3 pound bass in the lake. We went the day before so that we could go out and prefish.

On our first spot, I noticed a lot of big largemouth swimming around shallow. I had one follow my frog to the boat. I told one of the boys to throw a stickbait on him. Kyle threw a Senko right next to him, and it exploded on it. I told him not to set the hook. It swam a little bit with his bait before Kyle pulled on him and he then let it go. After seeing a couple of more fish and catching a couple of small bass, we decided to move to a prime spot we had fished a couple of weeks before. Nick right away caught a 4 pound largemouth. I started to see more fish on beds both largemouth and smallmouth. I decided to leave them alone so we could start there first thing in the morning. We fished a couple of more hours, catching just small fish. I was a little nervous about our starting spot due to the Sunflower Team Series was fishing a tournament the first day. Those guys don’t miss much, so I figured they had spotted the fish bedding to. They also had 65 boats fishing.

The first day of the tournament, the boys and I were ready to go. While we were running to the spot, I was just hoping no one was on the spot. As we came around the corner, there was no one on the spot. I was so excited. I knew the twins could catch some fish here. After about 5 casts, we moved right into the spot were I saw a good smallmouth the day before on a bed. The best thing was we knew were it was bedding, so we could stay back away from it and cast around the spot. Nick’s second cast in the area, he hooked up. I knew right away it was a good fish. After fighting it for couple of seconds, which felt like 5 minutes, we landed the first keeper. It was around 3.5 pounds. A great start. Then a couple more casts in another area I had seen a couple of fish shallow, Kyle was able to catch another keeper smallmouth. It was just 15 inches, and didn’t weigh much. We have to creel this fish. But, we had two keepers in the first 30 minutes. After another hour, I decided to go to where we saw the bigger largemouth the day before. As we left the cove, I saw the wind direction. It would be very hard to fish the spot. I decided to move us to another spot that had been good to us the last couple of years. It would be a great decision, and one of the best days on the water that the boys and I will never forget. Next blog and video the boys catch their biggest limit in a tournament.