Bite Good, But Cramped Conditions Obscure Picture

(The following story was recently updated with additional practice reports, starting with Gary Klein's.)

The winter of 1939–40 was called the "Phony War." Europe was in a state of war, but each power stared the other in the eye – unwilling to make the first move.

Today at the Bassmaster Classic in Shreveport, La. could be called the "Phony Practice." Near the eve of competition, the Classic powers had one final chance to hone their bite. But nearly everyone avoided fishing anything they want to use in battle this Friday.

Instead, they motored around checking out other water, locked down to rule out other pools, and in nearly every instance, encountered boats at every turn.

The simple fact is the Red River's fishing smaller than ever. The water's exceptionally clear, and because the water temperature has pushed to 60 and even above, the fish are on the bank in predictable, traditional areas.

One oxbow today had eight boats in it for a single hour this afternoon. Another smaller oxbow had three. And the fish are only using certain sections of those oxbows.

Sure, some fish are sure to be out in the stumpfields, either staging or preparing to spawn on the wood, but that's needle-in-the-haystack fishing that eats up tons of time. It's a chore just moving 100 yards or so in those stumpfields.

That's why most pros are simply working down the bank, where there's usually a channel through which to work the boat.

Things will likely change though. Whereas daytime highs today reached about 70 degrees, a cold front is due sometime late Friday or early Saturday, which is expected to drop temperatures an overall 20 degrees and push nighttime lows to below freezing.

That could very well knock the fish off the bank – either to slightly deeper water immediately adjacent, or into the stumps.

But before getting into more specifics about the bite, as well as reports from the field, here's more about the Classic waters.

BassFan Lake Profile

> Lake name: Red River
> Type of water: Lowland flood-controlled river
> Fishable miles: 120-plus
> Primary structure/cover: Stumps, laydowns, standing timber, riprap, some grass
> Average depth: Roughly 4 feet in the oxbows
> Species: Largemouths
> Reputation: Lots of fish, lots of big fish, but they're in specific places, so crowding can be an issue.
> Weather: Warm throughout this week, but turning much colder late Friday. Winds will change from the southwest to the north as the colder air arrives.
> Water temp: About 60 degrees and climbing
> Water visibility/color: Varies considerably, but generally clear in the backs of the oxbows, stained everywhere else, muddy in many spots
> Water level: 8 to 12 inches high (significant, since it's tough to pick out routes through the stumps)
> Fish in: 1 to 10 feet
> Fish phase: Pre-spawn
> Primary patterns: Flipping (jigs, plastics), cranks, lipless cranks, spinnerbaits
> Winning weight: 56 pounds
> Fishing quality (1=poor, 5=great): 3 for the Red
> Biggest factors: Crowds – who'll get the best spot, and will he/she camp? Also the weather – wind can muddy the water quickly, and cold might knock the fish back. Lastly, spectator traffic – it'll be a big deal in the oxbows.
> Wildcard: The big bite. Lots of 8- to 10-pound fish swim here, and they can get you healthy in a hurry.

Crowds

There'll certainly be a lot of sharing going on Friday. The field seems resigned to the fact that they'll be in and around other boats. That makes day-1 boat position critical. The fish will have had a day to rest, and the first boats out get pick of the litter.

Also, it's customary among most to surrender water on day 2 to pros who waxed 'em the day before. So the first boats out have an even bigger advantage, since that might carry over to the next day, even though the flights flip-flop.

There's a general feeling too that this Classic will play out like a sort of chess game. Because it can take so long to get to fishable water – whether you're locking, or idling through stumps to the back of an oxbow – decisions are critical. Make a move and you not only surrender your spot to others, but you might not get a crack at the next spot you choose.

There's likewise a general feeling that the winner will figure something out inside the crowd that triggers the fish to bite a little better, and that will make all the difference. "And that's what the sport's really about," Rick Clunn noted.

As for getting away from the crowds, there seem to be no secrets left on the river. Two anglers are fishing smaller aluminum boats – Clunn and Steve Kennedy. Clunn noted he selected his 18-foot aluminum Tracker with a Mercury jet drive not to reach otherwise unreachable water. Rather, he wants it to better navigate the stumpfields and thus achieve a time edge and extra casts.

Kennedy, on the other hand, squeezed into some water today that most other boats couldn't reach. He didn't say what he found there, other than "it was a lot of fun." He's powering the jonboat, which he bought recently, with a 20-year-old motor that was lying on the floor of his father's garage.

Pool Hustlers

At least a few pros, including Ish Monroe, said they'll make the run all the way down to Pool 3, which will involve locking four times (twice down, twice back). That'll leave about 2 hours of fishing there.

A gamble, certainly, especially since there are so many quality fish in Pool 5 (the launch pool) and Pool 4.

Between Pools 4 and 5 the field seems about split, and many noted they won't make their final decision until they see the weather Friday morning.

What's Working?

Traditional river fare is what the field's throwing. Lots of spinnerbaits and jigs, some plastics and crankbaits too.

There's one spot where many are throwing a lipless rattle and that's Bobo's Hole. It's in Pool 5, and it's a ridge with some grass and deep water to each side. Red River guru Homer Humphreys predicted earlier this week that the event will be won in Bobo's.

Of course, not everyone's doing the same things with their baits, which gets back to triggering the bite. This will most likely be a "presentation" Classic, rather than a "spot" or "pattern" Classic. Expect to learn a new trick or two when the winning pattern information is eventually revealed.

Reports From The Field

Tim Horton
"I found one new little spot today, so that's a plus. I haven't made up my mind where I'll start. I have fish in 4 and 5, so it's between those two. I'm not going to 3."

Greg Pugh
"I shook off 14 or 15 bites today, so I feel good about the day. That's something real positive.

"Late in the afternoon, I was trying to get to a place where I caught two on Sunday – one about 4 1/2 and one about 2 1/2. There were a couple boats sitting there. I know fish are in the area – I caught them there in December – so I'll just go there (Friday) and see how it goes."

Skeet Reese
"I didn't look at anything much today, and went nowhere near where I wanted to fish. I did find one tiny little spot, but it's a one-boat deal and I don't know how many other boats found it.

"I decided to stay (in Pool 5) and not lock through, just to give myself as much fishing time as possible. Whether it's the right thing to do, I don't know. It is what it is."

> His guess at the winning weight: "Between 55 and 60 pounds."

Bill Lowen
"I found another good spot today, and that always counts for something. At least now I have a spot to fish when I come back (from Pool 4).

"I've not really seen anybody in my areas yet, but I'm sure we'll cross paths with somebody. There's no way I won't. Everybody's being confined with the water being so low."

> His guess at the winning weight: "I don't think it'll be 20 a day. I'm thinking 17 a day will be really solid. The fronts and stuff have been too sporadic for anything to get stable."

Kenyon Hill
"I checked a couple spots I wanted to look at and they weren't productive at all. Then I basically messed around all day. I actually stopped early and redid all my tackle.

"I'm going to fish 5, but it's all community stuff. There's some decent ones swimming around where I'm fishing. Hopefully it'll work out."

> His guess at the winning weight: "Between 47 and 52 pounds."

Mike Iaconelli
"Today was a day where I had to make a big decision on what pool I was going to fish, and today pointed me in that direction. The other thing I tried to do today was find stuff to fish in the last hour. I decided I'm going to fish 4, and I found some stuff in (5), so I'm excited. It was a productive day.

"Everywhere I went today that I thought was a good spot had at least a couple of boats on it. We knew the river was going to fish small, but with the clear water it's fishing even smaller. I think we all wanted stable water, and we got it.

"I think it's going to be about figuring out different ways to catch them in an area – how you present the bait. Everybody's kind of got the same stuff tied on, but somebody will find a little trick to trigger an extra big bite or two. That's what it'll all break down to."

> His guess at the winning weight: "I think about 18 pounds a day. I know a lot of guys are saying higher, but I think about 18 pounds a day over the course of 3 days will do it."

Rick Morris
"I ran to Pool 3 today and almost didn't make it back – I was out of fuel. She was choking coming in.

"I was trying to find something to myself, which is almost impossible here. I caught a couple decent fish. There'll be some people going to (3), but it won't be me."

> His guess at the winning weight: "17 1/2 a day."

Bryan Schmidt
"I got a little bit done today. I was looking for a bait they'd hit a little more consistently. I think I found one, because I got more bites today than I had been getting.

"The fish I'm trying to catch are fairly shallow. If the cold front hits, I think it'll knock them back out to the first dropoff."

> His guess at the winning weight: "Somewhere around 55 pounds."

Kevin Wirth
"I was looking for some new water today, and actually found some. I found two new areas that I think will be very beneficial. I've got six areas I think I can catch them in."

> His guess at the winning weight: "45 to 50 pounds."

Rick Clunn
"I tried to find another area or two today, and didn't find one. My advantage with this (aluminum) boat is not getting into stuff others can't get into, but in stumpfields, I can work through them and change angles in ways you can't with a big boat. I've used big boats in timber before, and this boat's like a little waterbug.

"Hopefully the locals won't try to follow me in the tournament. A lot of them might not know I have a jet – they look and think I'm running a regular outboard – so it could mess up their boats.

"What I think it'll come down to is who's the best chess player. We're going to be looking at each other – in most areas you'll be looking at several other competitors – so being able to pattern something within what's going will be the whole key. It'll be some subtle thing, which is what this sport's really about – not just the patterns, but the patterns within the patterns is what allows you to make the better moves even if there's other boats in the area.

"You have to be able to do that to be able to win. You just hope you can make more casts than them or get luckier casts than them or find something a little more intimate than they did."

> His guess at the winning weight: "I was thinking around 60 coming in here. I fished here last spring and the bite was wide-open, even though the river was ugly. Once you found them, it was, How many can you catch? But the bite for me isn't that good right now. The river's as clear as I've ever seen it. I think the fish are more spread out right now, vs. when it's muddy and they're pushed into certain areas. Before you could find lots, but I haven't found anything with a wad of fish."

Mark Davis
"I didn't get much done today. I pretty much had my mind made up to stay in (Pool 5) and just look around today, in case I had a little time to kill between locks.

"The fishing's going to change. With two fronts moving through, one right behind the other, and cold nights, it'll hold off a lot of the fish that are trying to spawn. What's going on today will not be going on (Friday). It'll at least be a little slower, or different.

"It feels good to be back at the Classic. I hadn't been to one in a while, and it's good to be here. There's only one Classic."

Kevin VanDam
"I just used today to try to expand some new stuff. I was really just trying to look at some places that are more obscure. It's hard to reinvent the wheel here, so to speak. The fish are where they're at for a reason. Location's a big deal here, and I mean exact location."

> His guess at the winning weight: "I'd hate to guess. I don't think it'll take nearly as much as the predictions have been."

Gary Klein
"I didn't accomplish anything today. I didn't go to anything I'm going to fish in the Classic. I fished all day and got three bites, and I didn't swing on those, but they felt like quality fish.

"For me, this is going to be a Classic that has to develop as the tournament goes on. I have areas where I can go catch fish, but I don't think they're the fish I can win on, or fish that'll last me for 3 days. I'm going to have to catch my limit, then try to expand. I'll either do that by changing water, or by changing techniques in the same water.

"I think a lot's really going to change with the weather and the wind. There are a lot of fish in the stumpfields, but it's hard to fish them with 20 mph winds blowing you around. You have to fish them slow. You can't just burn through an area and expect to get bites. You have to pick it apart.

"I'm fishing Pool 5. This place is going to fish real small. I was thinking about bringing a jet boat, but decided against it. I don't know if that'll pan out or bite me."

> His guess at the winning weight: "I think everybody's high. I think we've got the potential to see some 20-pound stringers, but whether someone can do that 3 days is a row, I have no idea. It's hard to be consistent here, because if you do try to save fish and leave early, everybody comes in and catches them. I'm really hoping on weather and condition changes. I kind of look forward to that."

David Williams
"I had a better practice than I had today. Today was my worst day of practice. I was just trying to find some new areas and I didn't succeed. I just have to go back to what I found in practice. I'll probably fish 5.

"(The Classic's) awesome. I'm not nervous. I've been pretty relaxed. I've been doing this quite a while, but it's my first time at the Classic. It might hit me a little come Friday though."

Ish Monroe
"I'm in Pool 3, and I'm not the only one. I thought there'd be one or two, but four boats made the run today.

"I have a little bit down there, but I don't have the time to fish it all. That's what hurts. The good part is I found three areas I can fish – one each day is what it boils down to. I look at it this way: If I'm here to fish to win, then I go to one area one day, one area the next day, then save one spot for the last day. The only problem is two areas have decent fish, but one has little fish where I can catch five pretty quickly. I won't use that until the last day."

Randy Howell
"I didn't find anything today like I was hoping to. I was hoping to check a few areas I hadn't had a chance to get to yet that I thought would be good. They weren't. So probably the only thing I accomplished was making decisions on a lot of water not to go back to, which is Pool 4. I spent most of my time in 4 today, but I don't feel I have the confidence to have a chance to win there with only 5 hours to fish. I think I'll stay in 5."

> His guess at the winning weight: "I'd always been a little lower than everybody else, and I don't think the weight's as strong as everybody's saying. I'd say between 48 and 52 pounds. I'd like to know I could catch that."

Byron Velvick
"It's so great to be fishing this tournament instead of hosting it or corresponding on it. It's just exciting, and it's everything they say it is. You get treated like royalty – they're putting gas in your boats, there's service crews taking care of you.

"This is what you fish your whole career for. It took John Murray a long time to get here. We always talk about how we were the last to make it. It took him 20 years, and I joke that it took me 20 years too. We saw all our friends go by us and go to the Classic. Hopefully we'll fish many more.

"It does feel a little like fishing an Elite tournament, and I don't think the scope of it has really hit me yet. If I'm leading going into Sunday, I'll probably be a nervous wreck. But right now I feel good, and I'm happy with what I found out there."

> His guess at the final weight: "51 pounds."

Bernie Schultz
"I caught a couple of big ones today. I had a lot of bites in one area, but the two big fish were isolated in two different pools and I just really don't feel confident about either place being repeatable. I don't know what to expect. One day can be pretty good for me, then the next day pretty weak."

> His guess at the winning weight: "I'd say 46 or 47 pounds, based on what I've seen. It'll be real hard to be consistent with big stringers. I think the crowds and the weather will prevent that."

Brent Chapman
"It changed a lot today. I think this warmish weather got them a little, and they changed since the other day – at least for me. I was getting bites out deeper, but the bites were really shallow today. So I'm actually looking forward to the cold front, because hopefully it'll get the fish back to where they were.

"Today was a shock to me. The fish were a lot further along than what I thought."

> His guess at the winning weight: "Around 50 pounds."

Kim Bain
"I didn't really accomplish anything today. I actually think I went backwards. I sort of broke my cardinal rule to never go back to an area where I got a bunch of bites to see how many I'd get again. I didn't get as many for some reason, and in some areas I didn't get any bites at all. So I'm a little shaky on the confidence. But today and Friday are totally different days, and fish move around.

"There seems to be a lot of guys in the same areas. Some just poked their heads in today to see how many boats were there.

"I'm definitely getting burned out on (publicity) stuff. I don't know how to say no. Maybe it's something I'll get better at with more seasoning. I'm kind of a newbie. I like to allocate time for everyone. I don't want to be accused of being a diva, but when you pull the sheets back at night, put your head on the pillow and the phone rings – that's tough."

Launch/Weigh-In Info

Anglers will launch their boats at 7:15 a.m. at Red River South Marina, which is in a large oxbow of Pool 5, about 14 miles north of the Joe D. Waggonner Jr. Lock & Dam No. 5. NO PUBLIC PARKING is available at the marina. Instead, those who wish to view the launch must take the shuttle from the CenturyTel Center.

Daily weigh-ins begin at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the CenturyTel Center (2000 CenturyTel Dr., Bossier City, La.).

The Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo will be held at the Shreveport Convention Center during the following hours:
> Friday: 12:00 – 9:00 p.m.
> Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
> Sunday: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Notable

> To read a recent BassFan story about the layout of the Red, and how the different pools fish, click here.