If I catch one I will have to fight it for 22 minutes

Some times you just take things for granted and assume the plans made and the cards played. Here the shining example. Ring... Eddie, what time are you going to be at the lake? Mike, I am getting there early to ride around and check things out around 4:00. Great! I will see you there. So we meet up as plan, ride around and cast and even literally shake of three fish. Eddie, don't set the hook on any till 6:00. Why? The tournament starts at 6:00 (or so was the plan at the club meeting). At 5:38 I tell Eddie, the next fish that bites I am going to fight it for 22 minutes (6:00). The night goes on till about 11:30 I notice Eddie is back close to the launch. Eddie ,we have 2 and a half hours to fish! Naw Dipstick, the tournament weigh-in is is at 12:30 not 2:00!

Note to self: Check emails.

2010 FEderation Qualifiers

The following are the listings for the 2010 Ala. B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Qualifiers. So put them on your calendars.
March 13: Mobile Delta, Cliff's Landing
April 17: Lake Guntersville, State Park
May 22: Lay Lake, Sunset Marine
June 12: Alabama River, Cooter's Pound

State Championship
October 22-23: Lake Eufaula, Lake Point State Park

Better than a check

It is great to have a story picked up by Bassmasters. This article about the logos and shirt designs I have created for ourselves and various other fishing clubs and groups was written and posted on the Bassmasters.com website in the Community/Federation Nation section. To read it simply click on the headline. It is also to be in the February Bass Times. Don't take this wrong cause I will take any check that you send me.

A Nasty Rainy Day Was Perfect For A Personal Best

Even a bad day can be good. When the rain came in Saturday morning (Sept 26, 2009) Eddie and I, along with nine other boats took refuge in a vacant dock in Mint Creek. Once the lightning was out of the way we got out in the wet stuff. We were trying different things and locations and learned a bit more about the G. The rain was coming down when the largemouth took the Ribbit frog at the end of along cast in the rain. We were on the main river fishing the grass fringes. I just saw the black back roll on the bait and I set the hook and it was on. We had no scales but it was over 6 and not 7. Up o that moment my PB was 5 lb. 14 oz. from Lay Lake. The camera was fogged over so Eddie took this with my phone.

Let's Take a Break From Fishing

How about a round of Golf. That looks like a Diawa Shaft to me.

I Like Fly Fishing more and more...

I am telling you guys, there is something to this fly fishing thing. I realize sometimes the fish are small. But remember, it is really about the quality of the experience. These two appear to have the experience. They certainly have the equipment. Someone told me they had hats on, but I just don't see it.

I am thinking about Fly Fishing

For some reason I keep thinking about Fly Fishing.

50% Lure Opportunity

As a BASS Affiliated club Pradco, which includes Bomber, Booyah, Yum, Excaliber, Silver Thread, Heddon Smithwick, Rebel, Cotton Cordell Arbogast and Creek Chub, is offering a one-time 50% Off order from the Cullman Bassmasters Club. Go take a look at Lurenet.com and we can purchase any product and it will be 50% Off that amount. It is a great time to buy those expensive crankbait like the Excaliber XRs and Zell Poppers. And yes, it does include apparel. DO NOT PLACE THE ORDER YOURSELF! I will take the orders and place the order to insure the 50% off. The deadline for your order will be Thursday June 18th. There is NO GRACE PERIOD. You money will be needed at the time I give you your order (if not before). No money---no baits. We can purchase one order up to $2500. If you have never ordered from Lurenet.com (Pradco's website) you missed out on a great Memorial weekend sale with a huge amount of items that were 80% off. We get FREE SHIPPING. Also, if we order $1000 worth the club will received the Flipstah to use for a Casting Kids Event. I will be bugging you each week until June 18.

Behind the Elite Scenes

The volunteers for the Elite Series Dixie Duel on Lake Wheeler were made up of many of the club members and help from the Bassmasters of North Alabama and Lake Guntersville Bassmasters. The weather went from bad, to worse, to better, then bad, then to good. Thanks for everyone who helped and did their part manning up to their commitments. Eddie had a battery issue on the third day but we were able to meet up with him and give him some charged batteries. The image above is a shot taken of Eddie trolling Seiko around taken photos of Aaron Martens.

What Kind Of Idiot Wears A Hat Like That Fishing?

Maybe it is me, but I don't get it. That is one ugly hat. "FASHION POLICE!" The only thing that saves her is that it matches the glove she has on.

All I can say is "Umm, Umm, Umm."

And Now... The Rest of the Story

Yes, he finished 15th in the Stren Series on Santee Cooper and walked away with a check. But his thoughts were on the check that should have been his. What could cause a man to be mad enough to "bite the head off a six-penney nail and spit it through a man's forehead"?

Starting the day in sixth place, he was feeling good about "bringing it home". Little did he know that he had drawn as a partner, a man that approached targets at the speed of a Blue Angel approaching a runway, only to veer away moments before the casting distance was in his reach. Minutes turned to hours and the ire brought him to his knees on the rear deck, snacking on the Lil Debbies and blowing crumbs as he mumbled his discourse. All the while looking back and seeing his lead fall and blend into the wake of the boat as his partner approached the next target.

"I don't understand!" cried his speedonic partner as he flipped the weeds that were in 1 foot of water that was dropping as fast as he approached targets. Crumbs flew from Ryan's mouth as he cried, "I undertstand you dumb #%@&. You are a #$%&in% idiot."

And the Pro still didn't get it. As time expired, with his sixth place on the board being erase he cried out, "JUST ONE FISH". One wasn't the loneliest number, it was ZERO. Ryan new it was over and walked away with 15th place, wishing to fish just one more day and daring his pro partner to "ask me for a dollar".

And that.... is the rest of the story.

They Can Talk the Talk Because They Walked the Walk

Congratulations to the Six-Man Team of Brian Morris, Chad Durden, Ryan Hall, Al Cox, Britt Smith and Lee Gregory for coming in second at the Lake Mitchell Qualifier on Saturday May 16. Special congratulations goes out the Brian who picked up the 3rd Place check as well as Ryan who picked up a 16th Place check. You guys showed well for Cullman Bassmasters. I believe that everyone on the team qualified for the State Tournament at Lake Martin in October. A great performance and you should be proud.

Stren Series - Santee Cooper

For those of you who had decided that I had quit fishing all together; your wrong. I finished 15th today at the Stren Series event on Santee Cooper in SC. I hope all of you are enjoying being in AL and I will eventually come back and fish some club tournys.

Snakehead Fish Caught on the Tennessee River

You have read about this species in the magazines. Well, it seems to be getting close to home now. Should you catch one of these, authorities are asking that you kill it and not release it back into the waters. It is considered an evasive species.

Decatur Jaycees Cajunfest Along with the Elite Series

Decatur Jaycees will host Cajunfest 2009 in conjunction with the Bassmaster Elite Series Tournament. This event will take place at Ingalls Harbor on Friday, April 3, 2009.

Join us for an all-you-can-eat Cajun dinner, live musical entertainment and the chance to meet professional Bassmaster Elite Series anglers.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for kids 12 & under. Your ticket gets you an AYCE meal and two free drinks. For more information or to purchase your tickets, call Tiffany at 353-0763 x 101.

This event is presented by Serra Toyota of Decatur. Gold sponsors are Pepsi of Decatur and Valley Budweiser.

So, after you volunteers help with the weigh-in, hang around for a bit of fun.

Forum for Cullman Bassmasters

I created a forum board for the CBM on my site. You can go there and click on Bass Clubs to get into the Cullman Board. If you like, feel free to join and start posting. You can also host photos there.

Anyone wanting to moderate the Cullman board, let me know.

Regards

Chip

Direct Link: http://www.carolinachipbasstalk.com/index.php?board=24.0

Helping out a fellow fisherman.

I am passing this information on for Bryant Pinyan. March 28th is a bigday for tournaments all over the state and here is another one. Bryant says:

I would like to tell ya'll of a benefit Big Fish tour we're putting on at Spring Creek boat launch in Guntersville on March 28th for a good friend, Greg Bishop. He has been fighting Cancer for about a year and has just left for Texas to undergo surgery. We learned that he was selling all his tackle and whatever else to have the funds to make the trip, so a few of us put together a fund raiser. Its 25 per person,and 5.00 of each entry goes toward Big Fish payout, and all the rest goes to Greg and his family. We're putting together some prize drawings after the Tournament. We would be very thankful for any of ya'll that could join us, Thank you.

If you can make it but would like to donate send it to Greg Bishop, P.O. Box 1062 Guntersville, AL 35976.

It Looks Like The "G" Is Giving Them Up!

Seems a bunch of you guys have been taking it to the Big "G" this week. Al and Jeff are upping the ante with their better catches of the day. Al's two best were 6.5 and 4.5 while Jeff's is a 7.5. Nice catch guys.

Guntersville 3/8/09

Went fishing with "Carp Rangler Tim" aka Shadlips

75 degrees, mostly cloudy and tropical winds. All were caught on a 12 foot cane pole using the reel from a fishing rocket and 4 pound test kmart monofilament... We used a Flirty Girty tipped with a chicken feather and lathered in the new Carolina Chip's "I need a bath" flavored Pig Scent gel formula. Here are the results:

Giggidy-Giggidy-Giggidy ;D

If I would Have Known... I would have fished somewhere else!

So, you get to your lake to "fun fish" only to find that there were 300 tournament fishermen fishing 12 tournaments. How were you to know? Well, now you can get some idea simply by cliking through to Classic Bass. This site has accepted the challenge of listing the happenings at various lakes in Alabama. Simple to use... and no excuse not to know.