(Editor's note: This is part 2 of a 2-part story in which Bassmaster Classic pros talk about what they found during the 3-day official Classic practice.)
McClelland Went Back and Forth
Mike McClelland had a couple of decent practice days, with one bad one sandwiched in between.
"It was up and down for me," he said. "The first day I got enough bites in some areas to make me think I can catch some fish in them, and then the second day was a total spinout – I fished all day without catching a bass. That was disappointing because I covered some water that I really wanted to catch fish in.
"Then yesterday I got on some water I'd looked at in pre-practice, and I had a pretty good day."
He thinks the tournament can be won from skinny water.
"I'm going to fish deep a little bit, but I came over here with the gut feeling that it'll be won shallow. I may finish last, but I'm going to fish the way I think I can win."
Kriet Needs More Bites
Almost all the fish Jeff Kriet caught in practice were 3 pounds or better, but he didn't get enough bites to be supremely confident.
"I'm going to try to catch them deep because I think that's where the big ones are," he said. "There's a lot of fish deep, but they're really hard to catch.
"You'll see them on the graph and fish and fish for them, and when you finally catch one, it's a big one. It's pretty nerve-wracking."
His plan right now is to fish deep early, and then try the shallows for awhile. If he can manage a limit, he'll go back to the depths for the rest of the day in search of kickers.
"A lot of the big fish are suspended, and you have to look at a lot of them to catch one."
Monroe Seeks Right Mix
Ish Monroe's practice was a mixed bag.
"I caught quite a few fish, and I caught some big fish," he said. "But as far as putting it all together, it ain't happening.
"I don't know if it's the weather or the time of year or what, but I can't figure it out. I can see them on my Lowrance 113 and with the Navionics I'm finding the key places, but they're just not biting."
He caught a few from water less than 10 feet deep and some from 30 feet and below, but nothing in between.
"I think I'm going to have to go deep to try to catch the fish to win. I'll tell you, the guy who wins this is going to earn it."
Ish Monroe saw plenty of fish, but catching them was another matter.
Murray's Bites Were Few
John Murray's hookups during practice were few and quite a ways between.
"I was on the two-a-day plan – I got two bites a day on all 3 days," he said. "I spent most of my time fishing deep, but I didn't figure out how to catch them.
"I caught a couple and got quite a few others to follow, but I don't know how to do it consistently."
He'd planned to focus on deep water, but his lackluster practice has him rethinking his options.
"I thought going deep would give me my best chance to win, but I might have to change that. I've got a couple of deep spots, but after that I might have to go beat the banks with everybody else.
"I think if you cover enough water, you'll get a few bites, and when you get one it's usually 3 pounds or better. If I have to, I'll just put the trolling motor down and go."
Rook not Keyed In
Scott Rook described his practice as "not too good." He fished deep most of the time, but couldn't get on anything consistent.
"Everybody says they're deep, but I can't find them," he said. "Somebody has to be on them, but in my opinion, this isn't a lake where you can go out for just a few days and figure out the deep bite."
The fish he caught were of sufficient quality, but there weren't enough of them to give him much confidence.
"I caught one here and one over there, but I couldn't find any groups. It's hard to find the numbers.
"I'd like to think that over the course of a day I could catch five, but we'll have to wait and see."
Kevin Wirth said being in the right place at the right time will be critical in this event.
Scroggins' Action Scattered
Terry Scroggins had several places where he expected to find fish during practice, but they weren't there.
"At this time of year lakes are always changing and the fish are moving," he said. "Maybe when we get back (this week), they'll be where I need them to be. But right now, they're not there.
"I fished out deep a lot and up shallow a little too, and I had nothing going either way."
He'd like to see the water temperature come up about 5 degrees by Friday, but he isn't counting on that.
"When you do get one to bite, most times it's a decent fish. But a lot of them are suspended up in the trees right now and it's hard to make them bite."
Wirth Hopes to Strike Early
Kevin Wirth thinks it'll be critical for Classic anglers to capitalize on the early bite.
"Timing's the whole deal," he said. "If you miss-guess the first day or even the first 30 minutes, you're done.
"You'd better get something done before the sun clears the trees, because after that it'll be a scramble to see if you can get a bite. That's the way these ponds are this time of year."
His practice days produced decent numbers, but he was disappointed in the size.
Kevin Short found some deep fish and some shallow ones during practice.
"I could have caught a limit each day if I'd had to, but it wouldn't have been anything special – 10, 11, maybe 12 pounds."
He said it'll be difficult for anybody to establish a consistent pattern.
"These lakes with blueback herring are so fickle. I don't think (the bass) relate to stuff – they just run with the herring.
"It's tough to rely on them to show up."
Short Found Quite a Few
Kevin Short's hopes were bolstered by what he found in practice.
"I did pretty well – I found some fish both shallow and deep," he said. "I came here in December for a week and found same deep places where I should've gotten bit, but didn't. I did this time, though, and I'm feeling a whole lot better about that."
He figures he could've caught 17 to 18 pounds a day during practice, which is right on the average that most predict will be needed to win.
"There's a lot of 3-pound fish, but I think the guy who wins is going to have to fish both shallow and deep. I don't think you'll be able to rely on one pattern or technique for 3 days.
"The guy who can figure out both bites and mix things up along with the herring, the shad and the weather, that'll be the guy who does the best."
–End of part 2 (of 2) –
