Harris Chain Bassmaster

(Paul finished 126th after boating just 4-08 today.) I didn't do any good. I caught two fish again, one about 3 1/2 pounds and another barely a keeper. Those were the only two bites I had all day.

I was stubborn. I stayed in that area all day where I thought those good fish were, and I didn't get any bites. I wouldn't leave because everyone coming in there said it was a lot tougher (today), so I didn't think I could go anywhere else and catch them.

I'm starting the year out behind, but I never catch them here anyway.

(John had 12-07 today and ended up 28th.) I missed the cut by a little bit, but I was happy to get what I got. I had one decent one come off today.

I just stayed in one canal in Griffin pretty much all day, and threw Senkos in Kissimmee grass, fishing real slow. It was the same place I was yesterday.

I fished a 7' 2" Lamiglas Senko Special rod (medium), 16-pound Yamamoto fluorocarbon line, a 1/8-ounce Kanji tungsten weight and a 3/0 Owner hook. I was flipping and pitching, and letting it sit. I was fishing slow, but covering a lot of water. I kept the bait moving. I stayed in one area pretty much all day and that was the key, I guess, waiting them out. I had the canal basically to myself for 2 days.

I'm happy with how I finished. I want to stay close. I'm fishing for points in the E50s is what I'm doing. If I can stay in the Top 30 or 40 in every one, I'll be happy.

I'm licking my wounds. I got beat up. I caught two that weighed 6-04 (tied for 120th), but my partner caught two that weighed 9-11. I had three bites – I lost one fish that felt like a pretty good one.

I didn't go to the spawners, and they just nailed them. I thought I'd be too late, being boat 121, and I still think so since there were so many boats in there.

I'm around some good fish, but I messed up. I fished the first place 5 hours without a bite. The second place I went to was where Iaconelli, Bitter and couple of other people were. But I stayed in there. The first bite was a 12- inch fish that weighed 12 ounces. Then my partner caught a 4-pounder and an hour later caught a 5 1/2. Then finally I caught another one.

If there aren't too many boats there tomorrow, I feel like I can go there and do pretty well, but I don't know.

(Murray was boat 60, had 14-04 and is in 27th). They caught them pretty good. Most of the guys who caught a giant are way up there. I had all solid fish, but no big ones.

It was real cold this morning. I started out in some areas where I had a lot of bites in practice. The first area I got two bites pitching a Senko. I caught a 4 and a 2, but those were my only two bites. Then I went to another area where I had 10 bites in practice, and never had a bite. I was on Lake Griffin, and stopped on way back (to the ramp) and caught two nice ones, one another 4- pounder. I came back sort of early into Harris because I wanted to fish where I caught some last year. I caught a few good keepers, but no big ones. It was a pretty slow day – 6 keepers and a couple of shorts.

Tomorrow will be a little warmer and a little cloudier. I'll stay all day in the same areas. I know some good ones are in there. I'll just work it slow, and if I get one giant bite I'll be okay (he's not sight-fishing).

I fished today but I didn't do very well. And I needed an early draw, and drew boat 141. I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. I have a big decision to make. I know this bedding area will be loaded up with boats, so I have to decide whether to do that or go somewhere and pitch and flip around all day. The first day I got 3-4 bites in one area – maybe I'll catch them there, but I haven't been back.

I checked the spawning fish today. A lot have left the beds, but quite a few are still in there. I have a feeling 50 boats will be in there and it's not near big enough for that. But lots of beds are in there with lots of big fish. Someone will be fortunate if he can catch 2-3 of them.

Everyone's talking like it's tough, but I don't think it's anywhere near as tough as it was last year. The water temperature is up probably 8 degrees from where it was last year (now in the high 50s to low 60s), and that means a lot.

I didn't get out on the water today. We had one of those media days. We had to meet at 10:30 at the ramp to go to Disney World with ESPN and BASS, so I decided to sleep in and get my tackle ready. I'd never really been to Disney World, and I got to fish the lake there – I really enjoyed myself. Jay Yelas, Mike Iaconelli, Shaw – quite a few of us gave up our practice day, and it was well worth it since over 50 members of the media were there. And today was cold so I didn't miss much.

Tomorrow I'm going to go to a couple of canals I found. I'm going to run quite a ways, and gamble a little bit – not really because I'm already in the Classic, but because I got more bites there and I think I'll be a little more alone. I'm going to fish Senkos, fish slow and just hope those fish bite after this cold front.

It's going to be cold. It's going down in the 30s the next two nights.

I've seen lots of bedding fish, but I don't know what this front will do to them. Everyone's finding them so it could be a fire drill. I could've caught a load today. I had an 8-pounder, a 5-pounder and another pushing 5 ate it as soon as I threw in there (with no hook). If the front doesn't zap them, it will take a whole lot of weight.

In the canal I saw all those fish in, an old man was sitting in his yard and he said, "You're about boat number 30." That's what this place is known for, but I've heard some people are catching some on the lakes, a little better than last year.

Yesterday I just fished. I caught a limit that might have weighed 7 pounds.

The fishing's been pretty good, but late this afternoon the sun came out and it got a little tougher. It's supposed to get cold tonight, in the 30s, so all that stuff will probably change. It's pretty frustrating. The fishing was getting better, but now it's going to get tougher.