NationalProStaff.com - Renegade Bass @ Mississippi Lake: Wind + Talon = $$

After a less than decent practice on Mississippi Lake preparing for the first Renegade Bass event of the season, Nigel and I managed to pull it together and bump into a couple good fish to hang on for a third place finish plus big fish of the day.

It's not often I can point to one particular thing to credit for success in an event, but hands down, without question, we would not have had this kind of weight without the use of my Minn Kota Talon! The wind blew like crazy most of the day, and four of the five fish we brought to the scales were caught with the Talon down, and the boat held securely in position allowing us to make the precise presentations we needed to.

The few things we had gotten out of practice, were a feeling that the fish were scattered, a couple locations with smallie potential, and a possible indication that the bite in general was better in the afternoon, and in particular on the docks.

After scrabbling through a bunch of spots in the morning, we had a small limit in the boat, and spent the afternoon hitting historically good rows of docks and patches of rice. The highlight of the day was sight fishing for our big fish of the day, a nice 4.7 Largie we spotted cruise the edge of a rice field. We dropped the Talon, and I laid my Mizmo Quiver Stick in front of her, but a little short. Suprisingly she rushed forward and inhaled it, however she was facing right toward me. Fearing I would just pull it straight out of her mouth, I waited for her to turn, but as she turned, she spit the bait. She moved another 10' or so, and Nigel lead her on with the Chigger Craw, which she again sucked up, this time she got hooked and made it to the livewell, and the big show on the stage.

The other kinda neat thing during the week was that on a lake where 2-3 walleye a day can be tough, it seems they were chomping pretty good this week. While plying the depths trying to find some deeper Smallies I found a couple schools of 'eyes that were loving my Mizmo Tubes. One spot was so hot, I boated 4 on 5 casts! Next Walleye tournament out there, I'M IN!

I was using the craw in the pockets in the rice, and working the Quiver Stick around docks. Around the docks I used a 6' 10" Shimano Crucial. It's probably the shortest rod I own and use, but I feel it gives me a little better control when making precise pitches around docks and cover.

With the Ottawa River next on the sched, it'll be a little more Craw and Quiver Stick work, with a healthy dose of Froggin'.... Stay tuned!