Amistad Elite Series

Today went a little better than yesterday. Again I had two nice ones come off. They were difference-makers – 7-pounders. My partner caught a couple of 7s behind me. I caught tons of fish again, just nothing really of any size.

I don't know if I've ever caught that many fish in a tournament. I probably caught an easy 100 in 2 days. It was to the point of sometimes going, "What the heck's happening here?"

I was throwing Senkos and swimbaits – a Triple Trout and Matt Lures Bluegill.

I knew I needed 30 pounds to get back up in the cut, and I knew it would be tough to do. So I just fished today. I put the trolling motor down and fished the area more thoroughly than I did yesterday.

I never really figured anything out, unfortunately. I'm sort of numb. It's just a "put it behind me" type of deal.

I'm excited to be where I am (9th), but I'm not nervous. And I'm really excited for this to be my first tournament after the comeback from cancer. I feel really good about the season.

I had a camera crew with me until noon, so I might be getting some good airtime tomorrow on Bassmasters.

I want to tell you about the pattern I'm on. In practice, I was catching 14 and 15 pounds flipping trees like everybody else. I talked to my good buddy Randy Howell, who said I should try a jerkbait.

Sure enough, on Wednesday I went out and it was overcast with a pretty decent wind, and I boated 23 or 24 pounds on it. I felt fortunate, but I didn't know what to expect.

Thursday was quite a shock. The first fish I caught was about 7 1/2 pounds. I'm catching them on two different baits – a Lucky Craft Pointer 100 and a Rapala X-Rap.

Today there was no wind and I went to all new water. I stayed 5 minutes from the launch ramp yesterday, and I was 10 minutes away today, but on the Mexico side.

I'm fishing islands and points, but the best islands are the ones you can't see. I found them with my Lowrance electronics. And I noticed that, with the cadence, the faster I move it, the smaller the fish.

Today I got lucky. The wind didn't blow – it was glass conditions – but I had a 7 1/2-pounder early and a limit by 8:30.

Right now, I'm an adrenaline junky, but I'll tell you, I'm exhausted. I feel very bad by the end of the day. I don't have the strength I used to have, and the doctors say it'll take a couple of years to get that back.

I need the right food – nutrition is everything – and I need rest. I've been averaging 6 hours of sleep each night, but the doctors say I need 10 to 12. So it's not enough, but I can't get more rest at this stage of the tour season, especially with back-to-back events.

Hello BassFans. Wow, what a year it's been. I had the pleasure of last reporting to you here last March on my final tour stop at Lake Norman in North Carolina.

First off, I want to thank each and every one of you for the thoughts and support during my struggle with cancer. It has been a scary experience that I wish on no one. Cancer has taught me many things that I will be able to share, and I'll spread my testimony to help others.

As of 1 month ago we are now cancer-free. We thank God for it and hope he leads me in many positive directions to help many others out. Your letters and emails have meant the world to me and my family and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Now with that all being said, let's get on with business.

Throughout the next 7 months it'll be a pleasure to share with you my experiences on and off the water for the 2006 Bassmaster Elite Series season. Throughout these months we will talk about everyday life as a bass professional taking the tour head-on, as well as the stress of promotions for the sponsors and all the other stuff we encounter. I'm 26 years old now and this will be my 4th full year fishing professionally full-time with BASS.

As many of you know I concentrate on the promotional aspect of the business. My father and I own a company called Blue Water Promotions, and it consists of the world's largest traveling aquarium tanks. These are the same types of tanks you see at your local sportshow, but in many cases you can double those tanks to fit in ours.

My wife Rebecca and I have been on the road since January 4th doing promotions for sponsors from coast to coast. The exposure has been good for my sponsors, and besides that, I love the interaction with the fisherman and industry people.

Speaking of sponsors, we were fortunate to add KeelShield and Mercury Marine to our sponsor list. KeelShield is a keel protector company with a 100% lifetime guarantee. They are making great strides in the industry and have just became the exclusive keel protector of Triton Boats. Check 'em out!

I have a new website: www.jarrettedwards.com. Check it out and if you have any questions for me, please post them on my forum and I will get back to you. Check back this weekend for more on-the-water coverage. Thanks for reading!

Amistad Practice

Prefish was spent trying to stay dry and also trying to stand on the front deck of the boat. All 3 days we've had winds from 18 to 26 mph. I fished all over the lake and found bass and stripers in many different types of structure.

I caught them on a Rapala DT-10 crankbait in the shad pattern and on a prototype Yamamoto bait called a Flappin Hog in the watermelon color. I also caught a few skittish bed-bass.

I couldn't get the bedding fish to look at much. These fish have been pounded by numerous tournament anglers over the past 2 months. Nevertheless, many giant bags will be weighed in.

I'm pitching a lot of trees and assorted vegetation in the Mexico side of the lake. I have to weed through a ton of small keepers (less than 2 pounds) to get to a big one, but I know they're there. I've heard from a couple of my friends of several 10- to 11-pounders being caught.

The weatherman is calling for 30 mph winds for Thursday and it should make for an interesting first day. Will the bed-fishermen be able to fish their water, or will the flippers and reaction fisherman dominate? Only time will.

I feel confident I can get a limit, but it's those big fish I need to put me around 18 to 20 pounds per day. I believe this event will take about 18 pounds per day to barely make a check. I might catch 8 pounds or 18 here. Every day has been different for me.