COULD HAVE BEEN WETTER

I had just dropped my wife’s SUV off at Sabine Ford to be serviced and was standing in the rain waiting for her to pick me up when Trey Smith opened the door and politely pointed out that it was significantly drier inside.

I feel relatively certain that his initial thought was, “Why is that fool standing in the rain,” but he managed to keep that thought to himself. In short order we were talking fishing and it was apparent that Trey was a little more upbeat than the last time we had talked.

There is very little that he does not know regarding bass fishing in the immediate area and for the first time in a long while he was in a slump of sorts. He was still catching, but not the kind of bass it takes to win the weekly Sabine River Shootouts.

In my opinion, his biggest dilemma is that due to his extensive knowledge of the entire system, he is constantly processing too much information making it very difficult to best exploit the area and pattern he is currently fishing. I have been there and done that. Even when catching fish, his mind is wrestling with lure choices, colors and a potentially more productive area.

All of that is what makes bass fishing so addictive, but it can be a curse when working on a short clock. While he was pleased that he and his partner, Luke McFarlane, had finished second and won big bass honors in the most recent Shootout, he was even more upbeat about his trip the day before.

“I just slowed down, went Old School and caught a ton of bass,” said Smith. “Best of all, I caught fish in a lot of different places on the same lure and my two best fish topped the four-pound mark.” With a three fish limit, a four-pound bass is a coveted fish.

Make no mistake about it, the die-hard group of area bass fishermen that gather at the City Launch every Tuesday afternoon do not share a hell of a lot of information. Their allotted time to get it done is short, their playing field shrinks as a result of weather conditions and any advantage is earned and secreted away. For those reasons alone, I specifically mention a lure or color only when a fisherman grants me the okay to share it with others.

We managed to dodge a bullet this past weekend as we needed anything but another glut of fresh water. It was also a blessing that the system didn’t stall out over Toledo Bend as the SRA is finally managing to pull the lake level without creating problems downstream. We know all about being downstream!

Last week’s Sabine River Shootout fielded eighteen teams that weighed in thirteen limits. Myron Waldrop and David Burman continued their winning ways with an 8.09-pound three fish limit. Trey Smith and Luke McFarlane finished second with a 6.89 bag and took home big bass money as well with 3.61-pound bass. Dawson Morris won the Kid’s Division with a 1.48-pound bass.

It is time to start making plans for the upcoming Orange County CCA Chapter Banquet. One day it is too early to even consider the date and seemingly overnight it is impossible to get a ticket. While this is a very enjoyable way to spend the evening, simply purchasing a ticket helps guarantee the future of saltwater fishing.

The event will take place at the Orange County Convention and Expo Center located on hwy. 1442 on August 8th at 6:00 p.m. Tickets cost $60 and include membership, auctions, meal and drinks. You can also purchase a corporate sponsor table package for sixteen people for $1750 or a table for eight for $600.

For more information contact Louis Moore at 409-988-4845. They also have an order form on the Chapter web site.