Here are my picks to win the Bassmaster Classic, in no particular order.
Kevin VanDam - Obvious threat, any where, any time.
Greg Hackney - Somewhat of a local, the fishery fits his style.
Scott Rook - Knows how to win on river systems, may quietly sneak up on everyone.
Art Simms Bass Fishing
- Art Simms
- I started bass fishing after watching all of the fishing shows on tv. A few years later I thought I was pretty good, until I entered a few tournaments. I quickly realized that I wasn't as good as I thought and was only donating my money. In 1997 I joined the Viking Bassmasters of the Minnesota Bass Federation to hone my skills with some guys more experienced than me. Since that time I have learned a lot and had some major success. I have been Viking Bassmasters Club Champion three times and won sixteen club tournaments. I was the Fishers of Men Minnesota East division champion in 2006, along with a few money tournament wins and numerous top tens.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Elite tournament
Normally, I like to keep my opinions to myself, but after reading an article on BassFan, I must vent.
Seems some morons in Virginia have organized a tournament to coincide with the Bassmaster Elite tournament on Smith Mountain Lake in April 2009. Stemming from their disapproval of the elimination of co-anglers by BASS, they are billing it as “beat the elites”. Sounds like they will mirror the Elite format with cuts, keep the take off site a secret, and even offer a $1000.00 bonus to any competitor whose four day total weight beats the pros. They claim this is their chance to prove they are as good as the pros.
First, all these guys are trying to do is feed their own egos and interfere with the Elite tournament pros. Sure, some of them will beat the pros, but being locals, some of them should. Also, we all know there will be numerous confrontations over fishing spots, which will lead to bad publicity, adding another black eye to the sport of competitive bass fishing.
Second, if indeed this is over the elimination of co-anglers, get over it! BASS is a business, they listened to the pros and did what they thought was in the best interest of the sport, and I agree with their decision.
The way I see it, nothing good will come from this tournament!
Seems some morons in Virginia have organized a tournament to coincide with the Bassmaster Elite tournament on Smith Mountain Lake in April 2009. Stemming from their disapproval of the elimination of co-anglers by BASS, they are billing it as “beat the elites”. Sounds like they will mirror the Elite format with cuts, keep the take off site a secret, and even offer a $1000.00 bonus to any competitor whose four day total weight beats the pros. They claim this is their chance to prove they are as good as the pros.
First, all these guys are trying to do is feed their own egos and interfere with the Elite tournament pros. Sure, some of them will beat the pros, but being locals, some of them should. Also, we all know there will be numerous confrontations over fishing spots, which will lead to bad publicity, adding another black eye to the sport of competitive bass fishing.
Second, if indeed this is over the elimination of co-anglers, get over it! BASS is a business, they listened to the pros and did what they thought was in the best interest of the sport, and I agree with their decision.
The way I see it, nothing good will come from this tournament!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Mister Twister Comida
The air temperature was crisp like most spring mornings, the cool water of the shallow bay I was fishing was quickly being warmed by the rising June sun. With each degree of warmth there was an increase in activity by the cold blooded creatures inhabiting the small bay. After making a long cast with a weightless Mister Twister Comida and letting it sink slowly to the bottom, I saw my line move indicating a strike from a hungry largemouth bass, I quickly set the hook and reeled in a chunky three pounder.
The soft plastic stickbait quickly made a name for itself because of its ability to catch bass in many situations. As the name implies, this stick shaped bait has no appendages of any kind and is available in various lengths, it can be fished shallow or deep, and rigged many ways, but the stickbait really shines when fished weightless in shallow water due to its enticing wobble as it sinks.
My favorite soft plastic stickbait is the Mister Twister Comida. The Comida is 5 inches in length and available in many colors, my favorites being pumpkin pepper for clear water situations, Christmas tree for stained water, and black with red flake for dark water. Rigged Texas style with no weight, this bait is deadly on spring largemouth.
Generally in spring, the water is clear, so I will use a natural color like pumpkin pepper or watermelon seed. A 3/0 wide gap hook, 17 lb fluorocarbon line and a Kistler HE2 6'9" medium heavy completes my setup.
After searching for and locating typical spring largemouth haunts, like sandy shorelines or inside weedlines, start by making a long cast to your target and let the bait sink to the bottom. Because the Comida has the ability to attract bass while sinking, pay special attention for a strike during this time, which may be indicated by either line movement or a telltale tap. If no bite is detected on the fall let the Comida rest motionless for a few seconds, give it a couple of short hops and let it sink again, if still no takers, reel in and cast to another spot repeating the sequence until a bass is caught. When a fish does strike, be sure to make note of whether the bass hit on the fall, while hopping the Comida, or while motionless, and try to duplicate that presentation to continue catching bass.
Another of my favorite techniques is to Texas rig a Comida with a 1/8 ounce bullet weight and skip it under docks. This technique can be very productive year round. Try to skip to the shadiest or most inaccessible areas as possible as these are the places the lunkers tend to hang out. Fish the Comida exactly as previously mentioned except heavier line may be needed to get the fish out as quickly as possible before it tangles around the dock pilings.
You can also Texas rig the Comida with a ¼ ounce bullet sinker and fish it on deep weedlines or pitch it to holes in the milfoil, Carolina rig it on the deep rock piles, wacky rig it or use a mushroom-head jig and fish with the hook exposed.
Spring, summer or fall, under any condition, you can always find a way to catch bass on the Mister Twister Comida.
The soft plastic stickbait quickly made a name for itself because of its ability to catch bass in many situations. As the name implies, this stick shaped bait has no appendages of any kind and is available in various lengths, it can be fished shallow or deep, and rigged many ways, but the stickbait really shines when fished weightless in shallow water due to its enticing wobble as it sinks.
My favorite soft plastic stickbait is the Mister Twister Comida. The Comida is 5 inches in length and available in many colors, my favorites being pumpkin pepper for clear water situations, Christmas tree for stained water, and black with red flake for dark water. Rigged Texas style with no weight, this bait is deadly on spring largemouth.
Generally in spring, the water is clear, so I will use a natural color like pumpkin pepper or watermelon seed. A 3/0 wide gap hook, 17 lb fluorocarbon line and a Kistler HE2 6'9" medium heavy completes my setup.
After searching for and locating typical spring largemouth haunts, like sandy shorelines or inside weedlines, start by making a long cast to your target and let the bait sink to the bottom. Because the Comida has the ability to attract bass while sinking, pay special attention for a strike during this time, which may be indicated by either line movement or a telltale tap. If no bite is detected on the fall let the Comida rest motionless for a few seconds, give it a couple of short hops and let it sink again, if still no takers, reel in and cast to another spot repeating the sequence until a bass is caught. When a fish does strike, be sure to make note of whether the bass hit on the fall, while hopping the Comida, or while motionless, and try to duplicate that presentation to continue catching bass.
Another of my favorite techniques is to Texas rig a Comida with a 1/8 ounce bullet weight and skip it under docks. This technique can be very productive year round. Try to skip to the shadiest or most inaccessible areas as possible as these are the places the lunkers tend to hang out. Fish the Comida exactly as previously mentioned except heavier line may be needed to get the fish out as quickly as possible before it tangles around the dock pilings.
You can also Texas rig the Comida with a ¼ ounce bullet sinker and fish it on deep weedlines or pitch it to holes in the milfoil, Carolina rig it on the deep rock piles, wacky rig it or use a mushroom-head jig and fish with the hook exposed.
Spring, summer or fall, under any condition, you can always find a way to catch bass on the Mister Twister Comida.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
2009 tournament schedule
Thanks to a little reminder from the Bass Pundit, I thought I would post my tournament schedule for 2009.
One item of note, I found out there will be no Fishers of Men East division in 2009. It appears former FOM Director Mark Shutz has started a new tournament circuit called Full Throttle Fishing. He started with a walleye circuit in 2008 and has expanded with a bass circuit for 2009 consisting of two divisions with three tournaments each. My understanding is the points Champions from each division win a free entry into the Frankies 2 day tournament. Full Throttle Fishing seems structured very similar to FOM with a Friday night pre-tournament meeting, meal and guest speaker. I plan to fish the FTF circuit this year although I am not thrilled about the Friday night meetings, I would rather be home getting tackle ready and charging my batteries.
I also plan to fish the ABA again this year. These are very well run tournaments and a great group of guys.
ABA - 6/14 Big Marine
6/28 No/So Center
7/12 Waconia
7/26 Coon
8/9 Forest
8/23 Clearwater
9/19-20 White Bear & Big Marine
Full Throttle Fishing - 5/16 Balsam
6/20 Rush
7/25 Forest
Fishers of Men West - 5/30 Clearwater
8/29 Horseshoe
Viking Invitational - 10/4 Minnetonka
Sunrise YSB - 9/19? No/So Center
One item of note, I found out there will be no Fishers of Men East division in 2009. It appears former FOM Director Mark Shutz has started a new tournament circuit called Full Throttle Fishing. He started with a walleye circuit in 2008 and has expanded with a bass circuit for 2009 consisting of two divisions with three tournaments each. My understanding is the points Champions from each division win a free entry into the Frankies 2 day tournament. Full Throttle Fishing seems structured very similar to FOM with a Friday night pre-tournament meeting, meal and guest speaker. I plan to fish the FTF circuit this year although I am not thrilled about the Friday night meetings, I would rather be home getting tackle ready and charging my batteries.
I also plan to fish the ABA again this year. These are very well run tournaments and a great group of guys.
ABA - 6/14 Big Marine
6/28 No/So Center
7/12 Waconia
7/26 Coon
8/9 Forest
8/23 Clearwater
9/19-20 White Bear & Big Marine
Full Throttle Fishing - 5/16 Balsam
6/20 Rush
7/25 Forest
Fishers of Men West - 5/30 Clearwater
8/29 Horseshoe
Viking Invitational - 10/4 Minnetonka
Sunrise YSB - 9/19? No/So Center
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Thank You
Now that I am done fishing for the year, I haven't had much to blog about, so I thought I would just thank those that helped me have another successful year tournament fishing.
FlaMinn Lures - Dave and Judy, owners of FlaMinn lures, are two of the nicest people you could ever meet, they work endlessly and put their heart & soul into the best jigs and spinnerbaits made - Thank you.
Kistler Custom Fishing Rods - I have been on the Kistler pro-staff for about 5 years now and I truly believe they make the finest rod available - Thank you.
Mepps/Mister Twister - The Mister Twister Comida has won lots of money for me - Thank you.
To my tournament partners, Shawn, Scott, and my best partner Triston - Thanks for great days on the water.
Last and most important, my wife, Monica. Her support of my tournament fishing is incredible, she always thinks I am going to win, and when I don't, she says I will next time. Without her support none of my success would be possible - Thank you.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
FlaMinn Lures - Dave and Judy, owners of FlaMinn lures, are two of the nicest people you could ever meet, they work endlessly and put their heart & soul into the best jigs and spinnerbaits made - Thank you.
Kistler Custom Fishing Rods - I have been on the Kistler pro-staff for about 5 years now and I truly believe they make the finest rod available - Thank you.
Mepps/Mister Twister - The Mister Twister Comida has won lots of money for me - Thank you.
To my tournament partners, Shawn, Scott, and my best partner Triston - Thanks for great days on the water.
Last and most important, my wife, Monica. Her support of my tournament fishing is incredible, she always thinks I am going to win, and when I don't, she says I will next time. Without her support none of my success would be possible - Thank you.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Monday, October 27, 2008
Big Marine - open tournament 10-19-08
When a friend informed me of a little open tournament on Big Marine it was a no brainer, I called my brother Scott and told him we were fishing.
We did not pre-fish but I knew I could count on the same area I exploited all year for one more tournament. I wasn't sure if the fish would still be on the spot, but if not, they would be close by.
Tournament morning was in the mid forties with a steady 15mph South wind. We arrived at the spot to find it very windy, cold and difficult to hold, but knowing the quality of fish residing there made me determined to tough it out.
After the first half hour without any bites we were wondering if the fish were there or were our lures just not getting to them because of the wind, so we decided to start moving around. Finally Scott connected with a couple of 14 inchers and a while later I caught a 13. We kept moving and the next fish was a 17 incher. A few minutes later Scott hooked up with a 16, which gave us our limit.
By now we had narrowed the area down to 3 separate spots which had good green weeds that were deeper than the weedline, we decided to just rotate through those spots.
About 11 am the wind started to lay down which allowed us to really slow down and pick apart the weed beds. Scott caught another 16 which culled the 13, then I stuck a 18.5 which culled one of the 14's. Next we caught a 15.5 and culled the other 14. We continued catching fish but nothing that would help.
With about 30 minutes to go I stuck what felt like a good fish - turned out to be a 16 incher which culled out a 15.5. We knew we had a good bag now so we fished a few more minutes and headed in.
We ended up with 14.29 for 1st place and big bass at 3.50 lbs. A fellow blogger Carl Spade (carlsfishingblog.blogspot.com) took second with about 10 lbs. There were a couple of 8 lb bags but most of the guys did not even weigh in.
Another great day on Big Marine, not a huge payday but a win is a win.
We did not pre-fish but I knew I could count on the same area I exploited all year for one more tournament. I wasn't sure if the fish would still be on the spot, but if not, they would be close by.
Tournament morning was in the mid forties with a steady 15mph South wind. We arrived at the spot to find it very windy, cold and difficult to hold, but knowing the quality of fish residing there made me determined to tough it out.
After the first half hour without any bites we were wondering if the fish were there or were our lures just not getting to them because of the wind, so we decided to start moving around. Finally Scott connected with a couple of 14 inchers and a while later I caught a 13. We kept moving and the next fish was a 17 incher. A few minutes later Scott hooked up with a 16, which gave us our limit.
By now we had narrowed the area down to 3 separate spots which had good green weeds that were deeper than the weedline, we decided to just rotate through those spots.
About 11 am the wind started to lay down which allowed us to really slow down and pick apart the weed beds. Scott caught another 16 which culled the 13, then I stuck a 18.5 which culled one of the 14's. Next we caught a 15.5 and culled the other 14. We continued catching fish but nothing that would help.
With about 30 minutes to go I stuck what felt like a good fish - turned out to be a 16 incher which culled out a 15.5. We knew we had a good bag now so we fished a few more minutes and headed in.
We ended up with 14.29 for 1st place and big bass at 3.50 lbs. A fellow blogger Carl Spade (carlsfishingblog.blogspot.com) took second with about 10 lbs. There were a couple of 8 lb bags but most of the guys did not even weigh in.
Another great day on Big Marine, not a huge payday but a win is a win.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Sunrise YSB & Viking Invitational
Over the last few weeks I fished a couple of open tournaments. There is not much to tell and the outcomes were similar so I thought I would blog about them together.
First was the Sunrise Bassmasters YSB tournament held on North & South Center, this is a annual fundraiser where a portion of the entry fee is donated to the Lakes Area Youth Services Bureau. I did not have a chance to pre-fish since I was on vacation the week prior but my Brother Scott was able to get out and locate some fish holding in pads. Along with a couple of rock spots I have, a plan was set. We started on some pads on South Center that I have done well in the past but had no takers. We then fished the pads by Hazleton and caught a 15 incher on a buzzbait. Next we ran some dock with no bites. We then decided the shallow bite was not happening so we checked both of my rock spots and again no bites. We then ran to North Center to some more pads and managed to catch two more keepers fairly quick on A 3/8 oz FlaMinn Lures jig. We stuck with pads & docks the rest of the day and ended up with no more keepers. With only three fish for our efforts we didn't bother to weigh in.
Next was the Viking Invitational on Lake Minnetonka, another fundraiser, run by the Viking Bassmasters. All contestants are required to bring non-perishable food items which are donated to a local food shelf.
Once again I did not have time to pre-fish, but being the time of year it is, my partner Shawn and I thought we could throw spinnerbaits and jigs around docks, weeds and pads all day, cover lots of water and come up with a limit of nice fish. We started in Black lake where we caught a 12 incher on a dock, next I caught a 14 incher on another dock in West arm. We then went a long time without a bite. Around three o'clock I ran to a weedline spot I know in Spring Park bay and fished for about fifteen minutes with no bites. With only about fifteen minutes until weigh in we ran some docks nearby and caught a 16 incher but by now we were out of time. Again with only three fish it was not worth running all the way back to Excelsior bay so we loaded the boat and headed home.
These two tournaments were very humbling for me. I had a very successful year fishing the ABA, my confidence was high and I thought I knew the tournament waters well enough to do well. I fished hard and stayed positive each day, but after bombing twice I am reminded the importance of pre-fishing.
First was the Sunrise Bassmasters YSB tournament held on North & South Center, this is a annual fundraiser where a portion of the entry fee is donated to the Lakes Area Youth Services Bureau. I did not have a chance to pre-fish since I was on vacation the week prior but my Brother Scott was able to get out and locate some fish holding in pads. Along with a couple of rock spots I have, a plan was set. We started on some pads on South Center that I have done well in the past but had no takers. We then fished the pads by Hazleton and caught a 15 incher on a buzzbait. Next we ran some dock with no bites. We then decided the shallow bite was not happening so we checked both of my rock spots and again no bites. We then ran to North Center to some more pads and managed to catch two more keepers fairly quick on A 3/8 oz FlaMinn Lures jig. We stuck with pads & docks the rest of the day and ended up with no more keepers. With only three fish for our efforts we didn't bother to weigh in.
Next was the Viking Invitational on Lake Minnetonka, another fundraiser, run by the Viking Bassmasters. All contestants are required to bring non-perishable food items which are donated to a local food shelf.
Once again I did not have time to pre-fish, but being the time of year it is, my partner Shawn and I thought we could throw spinnerbaits and jigs around docks, weeds and pads all day, cover lots of water and come up with a limit of nice fish. We started in Black lake where we caught a 12 incher on a dock, next I caught a 14 incher on another dock in West arm. We then went a long time without a bite. Around three o'clock I ran to a weedline spot I know in Spring Park bay and fished for about fifteen minutes with no bites. With only about fifteen minutes until weigh in we ran some docks nearby and caught a 16 incher but by now we were out of time. Again with only three fish it was not worth running all the way back to Excelsior bay so we loaded the boat and headed home.
These two tournaments were very humbling for me. I had a very successful year fishing the ABA, my confidence was high and I thought I knew the tournament waters well enough to do well. I fished hard and stayed positive each day, but after bombing twice I am reminded the importance of pre-fishing.
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