Brent Chapman – Competition Wrapup
Friday, May 6, 2011
Photo: B.A.S.S./Seigo Saito
> Day 1: 5, 10-02
> Day 2: 5, 8-02
> Total = 10, 18-04
I probably didn't do enough homework and tournament research on this place. I talked to one or two people who told me you'd need 13 to 14 pounds a day to win and 8 or 9 to do well. I was definitely underestimating it.
I ended up fishing a marina where I'd gotten quite a few bites in practice and I had some fish up the river that I was catching on a small crankbait. I caught them a lot better in practice than I did in the tournament. I'm still trying to figure out how (the leaders) are catching them like they are.
Overall this is a pretty healthy fishery and I probably came here with too many preconceived notions. If we ever come back, I'll definitely know what not to do.
Most of the fish I weighed in came on a shakey-head and in hindsight, I kind of wish I'd thrown it more. Most of the good ones I caught yesterday came on it and I lost one and broke one off. Those two bites might've gotten me into the cut.
I can't remember ever missing three checks in a row and it's a little frustrating. I've got an uphill climb to make the Classic and all of these last three tournaments will be crucial.
Brent Chapman – Practice
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Photo: B.A.S.S./Gary Tramontina
Practice was very hit-or-miss for me. I didn't catch any good ones at all. I heard of some being caught – (4-pounders) and 5s – and rumor has it that some caught a 12. I'm hoping that I'm saving my good ones for the tournament.
What I know from all the homework I did, you can catch a few 20-pound bags here, but 13 to 14 pounds is pretty strong. From what I can tell, it's going to be a junk-fishing tournament and I'll have eight or 10 rods on my deck. I've caught fish on six or eight different things but I can't hammer out one thing and stick with it.
There's some points here, but there's not a whole lot of rock or anything on them. There's some brushpiles and laydowns and a good amount of docks. I've had bites off of each of those things, but not enough to say that I could go out and run that all day long.
Rumor has it that there's still a few bed-fish around, but I hope they're not a big factor here. I didn't count on them being a big factor at Toledo Bend, though, and it basically ended up being won that way.
