Although I’ve been off the Bassmaster Elite Series clock for some time now, every year I like to get in a last little tournament hurrah. In fact, I’m dictating this column before I take off on the second morning of the WON BASS U.S. Open on Lake Mohave.
It’s the 41st anniversary of the U.S Open and the second time it has been held on Lake Mohave. I like fishing this tournament because it’s the most prestigious event in the Western U.S. Past winners include Aaron Martens, Rick Clunn, Gary Klein, Byron Velvic, John Murray and Josh Bertrand.
I’m also a fan of the $100,000 prize awarded to the winner.
One of the Colorado River reservoirs, Mohave has 20,000 acres of deep, crystal clear water on the California/Arizona border. With its red rock cliffs and cactus dotted shorelines, this desert impoundment is starkly different from eastern waters.
In recent years smallmouth bass have established a healthy population here. Tournaments may be won with largemouth, smallmouth or mixed bags of both species. I’m targeting the smallmouth, and they treated me well yesterday.
I sacked 18.83 pounds of the brown ones, which put me in eighth place. Mohave doesn’t kick out limits of 5-pounders like some of our northeastern lakes, but 3- to 4-pounders are common. The lake record smallmouth is over 6 pounds. The angler currently in first place caught a mixed bag of largemouth and smallmouth that weighed 20.70.
It will be 98 degrees today out here in the desert, but the bass are in a summer to fall transition. They’re still deep. I’m catching them in 40 feet of water on 6-pound test and little size 4 micro drop-shot hooks. The West is known for finesse techniques. I’m one of 182 anglers who are trying to out-finesse one another.
I attribute much of my success yesterday to competing against the incredible smallmouth aces on the Bassmaster Elite Series tour. What I’ve learned from them specifically is how use forward-facing sonar to see and tease smallmouth into biting.
I’m feeling good about my chances. The final weigh-in for this three-day derby will take place on Oct. 18.
I’ve got to cut this one short. I’m backing down the ramp right now.
