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Bass Fishing in the Midwest
Mississippi River Tournaments
Gopher Bassmasters First Tournament Weekend 2010
Saturday, May 16, 2010 - Pool 2
My partner for this tournament won last year on this stretch of the river, so I was excited to fish with him for the opening tournament of the season. We fished all the water he fished the previous year but it was not as productive for both of us as it was the year before. I was throwing a Tru-Tungsten jig and also a Texas Rigged Vertical Lures Creature X. I managed only one keeper fish for the day so it was rather disappointing to say the least. It was a 3.35 pound smallie which was nice but I needed a limit for sure to be competitive in this one. I ended up finishing in 18th place. I dropped a nice smallie that I did not get good hook set on which was at least as large as the one I got to the boat. That would have helped for sure....so bad execution on a day when I wasn't getting the bites did not help. My partner brought 4 to the boat that day so we didn't have a ton of bites all day.
Sunday, May 17, 2010 - Pools 3/4
The second tournament of the weekend took us down river to Pools 3 and 4. We launched near Red Wing, MN. My partner and I for this tournament had one day of pre-fish together on this stretch of the river. My partner made it out a few more times. We had one spot with some rip rap that dropped off and was holding smallies. We caught a few there early in the morning but they were not keepers. I was drop-shotting that area and then we moved in to a little area that was was bordered by a sea wall and I was throwing a Reaction Innovations smallie beaver on a Picaso Shakedown jig head. I again caught several fish but only managed one keeper for the day. We decided at the end of the day that we should have camped out on that spot as the fish were moving in and out of that area. Others in the tournament caught fish there when we left the spot. My partner did manage a limit and I had one for 2.57 which put me in 11th place. There were fewer limits on day two which helped me out seeing as I was unable to get more keepers in the boat. I executed well but the bite was slow and didn't end up hooking up with as many keepers as I needed.
So overall I was not happy with my performance for the first two tournaments and will need to have bigger showings in June to make the cut for the state tournament of champions in Sept. Our next stops will be Sugar Lake and Sylvia/Twin in Wright County. I am currently in 17th place overall for the year and will need to put together two good days in June to move up into the top 10. I will need to do some mental prep going into these next tournaments as well because the first two took a little out of me to begin the season.
Have a Great Day on the Lake!
John is on the Pro-Staff with Secret Weapon Lures!
John is a Field Staff Member with MG Lures!
Bass Fishing in the Midwest Podcast Episode 12 - MG Lures
Bass Fishing in the Midwest Podcast Episode 12 - MG Lures
In this episode of Bass Fishing in the Midwest I interview Mickey Goetting who is the owner/operator of MG Lures in Minnesota as well he is a board member of the Minnesota BASS Federation Nation.
Played: 669 | Download | Duration: 00:11:47
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John is a Pro Staff Member with
John is a Field Staff Member with
Supporting Bass Fishing in the Midwest Podcast
Support The Bass Fishing in the Midwest Podcast
Yes, this blog entry is a shameless plug for ways you can support the Bass Fishing in the Midwest Podcast! So now that I have told you the truth take a moment an consider ways you can help support this podcast. Below are some opportunities for you to show your support.
1. Support my affiliate links. Check out the affiliate links on the right hand column of this blog and click on them to place orders.
2. Visit my storefront at Cafe Press and order the new Bass Fishing in the Midwest Podcast T-Shirt.
Come visit my store on CafePress!3. Place an order with Secret Weapon Lures Secret Weapon Lures and/or MG Lures MG Lures and tell them John Haynes sent you!
4. E-mail me suggestions for a topic for an upcoming episode or put me in touch with a guest you would like to hear interviewed.
My e-mail address is john@johnhaynesbassangler.com
Thanks to all my listeners and subscribers to this podcast and blog and Have a Great Day on the Lake!
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Pre-Fish on The Mississippi River Pools 3 and 4
Pre-Fishing the Mississippi Pools 3 and 4
I am fishing Pools 3 and 4 of the Mississippi River which covers Red Wing, MN south to Wabasha, MN on May 16th. That will be the second Gopher Bassmasters Tournament of the season with the first one being May 15th on Pool 2 of the Mississippi.
My partner for the tournament, Paul, and I went to Pools 3 and 4 on Saturday. It was partly cloudy and the air temp was in the 50's with strong winds. Several areas of the river were effected by the wind and made it tough to really methodically fish them. We were able to find some fish in the 1.5 to 2.5 pound range. There is a 14" minimum for the tournament.
The warmest water we found during the day was 56 degrees. The water was mud colored almost everywhere we fished. We were able to establish some patterns and zero in on some techniques. I need to make some color changes to some of my jigs and soft plastics from what I saw on Saturday and how we did catch the fish we caught.
It was good to get out on the water for the first time this year and hook into some fish. I will have a report on both tournaments once they are complete.
Have a Great Day on the Lake!
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Bass Fishing in the Midwest Podcast Episode 11 - An Interview with Pete Ponds
Bass Fishing in the Midwest Podcast Episode 11 - An Interview with Pete Ponds
In this episode of Bass Fishing in the Midwest I interview Bassmaster Elite Series angler Pete Ponds. We get a preview of Pickwick Lake, the next stop on the Elite Series, and discuss crankbait fishing as well as hear about the great support he gets from Ardent Outdoors and products he uses and recommends.
Also check out the other companies Pete mentions in the interview Duckett Fishing , Bandit Lures and Vicious Fishing Line
Played: 429 | Download | Duration: 00:22:28
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Gopher Jr Bass Clean-up Project
Gopher Jr Bassmasters Clean Things Up
As part of our conservation work the Gopher Bassmasters and Gopher Jr Bassmasters spent Saturday Morning at Lake Harriet in Minneapolis cleaning the lake shore and wooded areas around the lake as part of the Earth Day Lake Harriet Watershed Project.
Adult members of the Gopher Bassmasters and youth members of the Gopher Jr Bassmasters filled nearly 20 bags of garbage during the project to help clean-up and ready the area for the large number of people that use the parks and lake during the Spring, Summer and Fall.
Several joggers, bikers, and walkers around the lake took time to thank us as they watched us walk our full garbage bags back to the registration site.
Thanks to all that came out and made the day a success.
Bass Fishing in the Midwest Podcast Episode 10
Bass Fishing in the Midwest Podcast Episode 10
Kayak Bass Fishing
Featuring
Chad Hoover, author of Kayak Bass Fishing
Chad Hoover is on active duty in the Navy and stationed in Norfolk, Virginia. He is the founding member and former President of the Tidewater Kayak Anglers Association (www.tkaa.org) and the owner of www.KayakBassFishing.com. He is a regional contributor for the Mid-Atlantic and Carolinas for KAYAK ANGLER Magazine. He also guides custom trips for kayak bass fishing in Virginia, North and South Carolina.
Played: 583 | Download | Duration: 01:14:23
Have a Great Day on The Lake!
Bass Fishing in the Midwest Podcast Episode 9
Bass Fishing in the Midwest Podcast Episode 9
Played: 536 | Download | Duration: 00:32:13
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John is a Pro Staff Member with
Bass Fishing in the Midwest Podcast Episode 8 - The Preston Clark Interview
On this episode of The Bass Fishing in the Midwest Podcast I talk with Preston Clark. Preston is best known for breaking two major Bassmaster Records. He holds the record for the largest largemouth bass caught during a Bassmaster Classic, an 11-pound 10-ounce largemouth on day one of the 2006 Classic. He also broke Dean Rojas’ heavyweight record at the Santee Cooper Showdown from March 30 to April 2, 2006 with a winning weight of 115 pounds, 15-ounces. In this interview Preston talks about being part of the 2009 USA Team and winning the Euro Bass Cup as well as fishing for bass with Secret Weapon Lures Recoil Rig.
You can listen to or download the podcast here or you can subscribe to Bass Fishing in the Midwest Podcast for free on iTunes
I have listed below the websites for the sponsors Preston mentions during the interview that played a major role in him competing in the Euro Cup and helping Team USA clinch the victory.
Cooks Go To Tackle System Cumberland Pro Lures Gator Grip
J J's Magic Secret Weapon Lures Stick Jackets
Played: 742 | Download | Duration: 00:20:59
Have a Great Day on The Lake! http://www.johnhaynesbassangler.com/
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VanDam-The Machine
So the 2010 Bassmaster Classic is over and for the third time Kevin VanDam walks away with the trophy and the $500,000.00.
VanDam has proved his skills by not only capturing the Classic title three times but also being BASS Angler of the Year five times. He is a focused competitor who finds ways to win even when the odds seem stacked against him. Going into Lay Lake for the Classic many theorized that VanDam's aggressive power fishing style would not work well in the colder conditions that had set in.
That obviously wasn't true as he caught all of the fish weighed on a Strike King Red Eye Shad 1/2 oz. in gold and sexy gold colors.
The question VanDam's success raises for me is how do you stop a machine? Especially a machine that seems to have few weak spots. The other anglers on the Elite series have a little bit of VanDam in their heads. VanDam has really separated himself from the pack in terms of his ability to put winning bags together on different types of water. When you are up against such a competitor it is important to not focus away from your own game and make sure that you aren't chasing the angler but the fish.
It will be interesting to see what this years Elite series brings for wins and who, if anyone, can stop the machine.
Have a great day on the lake!
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