Even though only 12 pros comprise the 2009 Toyota Trucks BASS Championship Week field, things are getting a little crowded at Lake Jordan near Montgomery, Ala.
Sure, some of the pros are fishing the same or similar stuff, but BassFans are out in droves for the inaugural post-season, and their forces are expected to increase for competition tomorrow and Sunday.
Randy Howell said it feels like a "mini Bassmaster Classic." He rarely had fewer than four spectator boats with him today, and more often eight or nine.
Welcome to the birthplace of pro bass fishing.
Big Spots Suspended
Jordan, a Coosa-river impoundment downriver from the better-known Lay Lake, offers 6,800 surface acres of water. It's bordered at the upper end by the Mitchell Dam, and impounded at the lower end by the Jordan Dam.
It's known best for pig-size spotted bass, but it's got some toad largemouths too.
Trouble is, it's September in Alabama, which means the big spots are pelagic – suspended offshore and chasing bait. And the fall transition hasn't happened for the largemouths, so that bite's reportedly slow.
By all accounts, a top-end bag at Jordan this week would probably be 17 to 18 pounds, but it looks like the winning 2-day mark for this leg of Championship Week, which begins tomorrow, will come in around 30 or 31 pounds.
Whether that weight will come deep or shallow is anyone's guess, but it'll almost certainly represent a mixed bag of largemouths and spots.
Pace 'Going Fishing'
Cliff Pace, who sits at 10th in the points race, has about 19 rods strung up for tomorrow. He said he's tried everything he possibly could over the 2 days of practice – deep, shallow, fast, slow – and will adjust with the conditions tomorrow (isolated thunderstorms are in the forecast for the next several days).
"This lake has the potential to produce some giant stringers," he said. "Whether it will – that's the question everybody's asking. It's been kind of a grind to this point, but that's what I think everybody expected. It's typical of summer fishing anywhere in the South. Some weather's supposed to move in tomorrow, and that could change things."
He noted he "doesn't have any one thing – one particular pattern or bait," which is why he has so many rods ready. His plan is pretty straightforward: "I'm just going fishing."
"It feels good to be fishing," he added. "It's definitely a great opportunity, and the way this body of water is setting up, it really does play into the term of anything can happen. With it being a little tougher, that's probably good for guys like me. It gives us a chance. If everything clicks, the potential's there."
Jordon Says Deep Stuff Tough
Kelly Jordon, who's 4th in the points, has "no idea" what the winning weight will be. "Hopefully it's whatever I catch," he said. "I haven't set the hook much. I've seen some nice ones, but it's pretty tough. If it goes your way you can get some big bites quick, but you can grind forever too. It's going to be interesting for sure. I'm looking forward to it."
He did note that he thinks he'll need 15 pounds tomorrow to be in contention. He also said he's pretty mystified about what's happening down deep.
"The bait's pushed way down. The fish are down there, but I haven't figured out a magic way to catch them. I have a couple things working and we'll see what happens.
"So far it's fun, exciting – there's a lot on the line," he added. "But you get a few bites, think you've figured something out, then it's a grind again. That's the typical deal with spotted bass. Someone will probably make it look easy. I just hope it's me."
Howell Seeks Top 3
Randy Howell's in a four-way tie for 5th in the points, and 25 points behind leader Kevin VanDam. He certainly needs a strong finish at Jordan to stay in contention for the title, but he'd be a lot happier with a Top 3.
Randy Howell says the tough conditions are typical for summer in Alabama.
He's fishing close to home (Springville) and remarked on how many fans showed up for practice. As noted earlier, he said it feels like a mini Bassmaster Classic.
"I'm excited," he said after practice concluded. "I know a lot of people from around the area and it's nice to fish this close to home – especially for something this big. And there's so much going on. I've never seen so many people here, and I've never been followed so much in practice. Who knows what it'll be like tomorrow. This place could get really crowded."
Given what he saw the past 2 days, he downgraded his expectations by a pound or two, and now he thinks it'll take 29 to 30 pounds to win.
"The weather hasn't been cool enough and the water's still too hot for the big spotted bass. And unless I missed something, the largemouth bite still seems pretty off. I fished hard for largemouths yesterday and a little today and didn't do very well. But those are what you need for the bigger weights.
"The lake does have a lot of big spots, but this time of year, you don't see many over 3 1/2. The big ones are just all suspended and chasing bait around the drops."
Faircloth Eyeing Current
The Coosa's all about current – each pro in the field knows that. The trick is to figure out how to catch fish when the gates are shut.
Todd Faircloth, also in that four-way tie for 5th, is hoping for some pull tomorrow to help his bite. His aim is to catch largemouths.
"I'm guessing you'll need 15 pounds a day to do well," he said. "I can potentially see someone catching 17 a day. I had a decent practice. I caught fish both days, and I thought the bite was pretty good today.
"I've caught fish doing two or three different things, but I don't know – we'll see. I'm just going to go out tomorrow and see what the current's doing. The big key is whether they're pulling or not. That kind of determines what I do for the day."
About the atmosphere surrounding Championship Week, he said: "It's different. I've never worked on my tackle the last day of practice and not had to go to registration. I'm excited. It's a new deal for everybody. There's been a lot of press and media covering this deal, and everybody's excited about it. I'm looking forward to it."
Launch/Weigh-In Info
Anglers launch at 6:15 a.m. CDT from Libby's Place/Lake Jordan Marina (789 Lakeland Dr., Titus). Daily weigh-ins, held at the Wetumpka Civic Center, begin at 4:30 p.m. CDT
Weather Forecast
Here's the weather forecast for the 2-day tournament.
> Sat., Sept. 12 - Isolated T-Storms - 84°/69°
- Wind: From the E at 9 mph
> Sun., Sept. 13 - Scattered T-Storms - 81°/70°
- Wind: From the E/SE at 8 mph
