Wells Stayed Focused And Kept Cranking Brush

By John Johnson
BassFan Senior Editor

To say that Jason Wells knows quite a few places that hold quality fish at Sam Rayburn Reservoir is a bit of an understatement. After all, he's personally responsible for making a lot of those places productive.

He lives in Center, Texas, which he considers the center of the bass-fishing universe. It's about equidistant between Rayburn and Toledo Bend – it's a half-hour drive from either – and he puts in a great deal of time on both impoundments.

He considers Rayburn his home water and has planted a bunch of brush piles there over the years. He exploited some of those en route to winning last week's Texas EverStart.

The 42-year-old bank vice president amassed 57-14 over 3 days to prevail by more than 7 1/2 pounds over runner-up Kris Wilson. It was easily his biggest victory to date, and was especially significant to him because he was able to keep everything together on the final day despite some adverse circumstances: He's an insulin-dependent diabetic and the stress of attempting to hold onto his lead caused some wild fluctuations in his blood sugar.

Following are some of the specifics of how he went about his business.

Practice

Wells put in 4 days of practice leading up to the EverStart, spending nights at the cabin that he and his team-tournament partner purchased several years ago.

"It rained Sunday and then for half the day on Monday and the wind was out of the south," he said. "I got a pattern going on the crankbait and decided I was going to live or die with it.

"I'm kind of known around here as a crankbait guy – I'm really not a shallow-water fisherman. I just have so much confidence in power-cranking and it's what I love to do. I love it so much that sometimes, even if it's not what the fish want, I'll try to make them bite it."

He focused on piles in 10 to 15 feet of water. He had about two dozen of them at his disposal, but eliminated about two-thirds of them before the event got under way.

“I fished my eight different areas, but none were consistent. One spot was hot one day, then another was hot the next."

Competition

> Day 1: 5, 18-15
> Day 2: 5, 20-12
> Day 3: 5, 18-03
> Total = 15, 57-14

Wells caught 10 keepers on the first day – the most he boated on any day of the event – and took a quintet of 3 3/4-pounders to the scale.

"They were pretty much cookie-cutters," he said. "I had a limit very quickly – realistically in about 15 minutes. I was fishing a bend in a creek and the shad were in there real heavy."

He spent the remainder of the day chauffering his co-angler around to other productive piles.

"I took a gamble to save the other areas I felt confident in from practice. It was a big-time roll of the dice and I knew it could come back to haunt me. If I'd ended up needing another pound to win, it would've cost me because I'm pretty sure I could've upgraded a little bit."

He began day 2 in 5th place and endured a much slower morning. He mined a 4 1/2-pounder and a 2 1/2 from his starting spot, but then didn't boat another keeper for several hours.

He finished off a mediocre limit a few minutes before 1 o'clock, then made two huge upgrades that would vault him into the lead. He boxed a 6-pounder and a 5 from the same locale within just a few casts, and then quit fishing for the day.

For the final day, he took great pains to keep all of his mental attention inside his own boat. A year earlier, he'd been in contention to win the Rayburn FLW Tour Open before "choking" (his word) on the final day and ending up 7th.

"Worrying about what other anglers were doing was one of my downfalls that time," he said. "I had to stay focused on what I knew I had to do and put out of my mind what anybody else was doing."

He returned to his regular starting spot and caught a 4-pounder and a pair of 2s within the first 2 hours. He picked up two more keepers around noon to give himself a 12-pound limit.

He then lost a 5-pounder he'd enticed with a big worm when it wrapped his line around a stump – he said there was a fish of at least 6 pounds attempting to extricate the worm from the hung-up fish's mouth.

"When I lost that one, I thought I'd blown it," he said. "That hit me really hard and I had to fight to keep my composure."

He hit a couple more spots at which he failed to upgrade. At 2:35 – less than a half-hour before check-in time – he got another 5-pounder to eat the worm, and that one eventually found its way into his livewell.

"I was really pumped about catching that fish literally on my last cast, but I was still wondering if it was enough. I wasn't sure I'd won until I walked up on stage and they told me I needed 10-09 to win it. At that point, I was pretty confident.

"A lot of crazy things happened in this tournament and I caught some fish that maybe I shouldn't have – one time I had the bill come off my crankbait with my line tied to the bill, but the fish was in the net. I believe the Good Lord was watching over me and it was just my time."

Winning Gear Notes

> Cranking gear: 8' medium-heavy Dobyns rod, Lew's BB1 casting reel (5.1:1 ratio), 12-pound Seaguar AbrazX fluorocarbon line, Norman DD22 HD or Strike King 6XD (Tennessee shad).

> Worm gear: 7'3" medium-heavy click here rod, Lew's Tournament MG casting reel, 12-pound Izorline copolymer line, 5/16-ounce lead weight, 4/0 Owner wide-gap hook, 10 1/2" Zoom Ol' Monster (redbug).

The Bottom Line

> Main factor in his success – "I'd say it was preparation and all the brush piles I've put out over the last couple years. It wasn't just knowing spots, but actually creating spots for the fish to come to."

> Performance edge – "My Lowrance HDS-9 with the touch screen guided me to every one of those piles. I'd just drop a buoy and I could sit right where I wanted to."

Notable

> Wells said he currently has no desire to fish either of the major tours. "I've got a good job and a wife and three kids, and that's just something I'm not interested in at this point in my life. I don't have a bunch of sponsors and I have no desire to make any commitments to get something in return. My family is the most important thing to me and I can do all the fishing I want right here at Rayburn or Toledo Bend."

Much of the tackle referenced above is available at the BassFan Store. To browse the selection, click here..

Final Standings

1. Jason Wells -- Center, Tx -- 18-15 (5) -- 20-12 (5) -- 39-11 (10) -- 18-03 (5) -- 57-14 (15) -- $24,881

2. Kris Wilson -- Montgomery, Tx -- 18-09 (5) -- 14-01 (5) -- 32-10 (10) -- 17-10 (5) -- 50-04 (15) -- $9,330

3. Ray Hanselman -- Del Rio, Tx -- 26-04 (5) -- 13-01 (5) -- 39-05 (10) -- 10-11 (4) -- 50-00 (14) -- $6,220

4. Philip Crelia -- Center, Tx -- 19-08 (5) -- 15-00 (5) -- 34-08 (10) -- 14-09 (5) -- 49-01 (15) -- $5,598

5. Todd Castledine -- Nacogdoches, Tx -- 12-12 (5) -- 18-04 (5) -- 31-00 (10) -- 15-07 (5) -- 46-07 (15) -- $4,976

6. Tommy Dickerson -- Orange, Tx -- 13-04 (5) -- 18-08 (5) -- 31-12 (10) -- 9-13 (4) -- 41-09 (14) -- $4,354

7. Chris McCall -- Brookeland, Tx -- 17-04 (5) -- 13-02 (5) -- 30-06 (10) -- 11-03 (4) -- 41-09 (14) -- $3,732

8. Neal Gilmore -- Magnolia, Tx -- 16-06 (5) -- 13-06 (5) -- 29-12 (10) -- 11-05 (5) -- 41-01 (15) -- $3,110

9. James Niggemeyer -- Van, Tx -- 15-09 (5) -- 13-15 (5) -- 29-08 (10) -- 11-03 (5) -- 40-11 (15) -- $2,488

10. Wade Hudgens -- Longview, Tx -- 23-01 (5) -- 7-09 (3) -- 30-10 (8) -- 7-07 (3) -- 38-01 (11) -- $1,866

The following anglers did not make the cut and did not fish on day 3.

11. Jonathan Simon -- Orange, Tx -- 13-05 (5) -- 16-01 (5) -- 29-06 (10) -- $1,555

12. Dustin Grice -- Hewitt, Tx -- 20-10 (5) -- 8-01 (4) -- 28-11 (9) -- $1,555

13. Andrew Upshaw -- Hemphill, Tx -- 9-15 (5) -- 18-03 (5) -- 28-02 (10) -- $1,555

14. Harold Allen -- Shelbyville, Tx -- 10-15 (5) -- 17-01 (5) -- 28-00 (10) -- $1,555

15. Stephen Johnston -- Hemphill, Tx -- 11-15 (5) -- 15-15 (5) -- 27-14 (10) -- $1,555

16. James Kiser -- Montgomery, Tx -- 13-08 (5) -- 13-12 (5) -- 27-04 (10) -- $1,244

17. Phil Marks -- Dallas, Tx -- 15-05 (5) -- 11-05 (5) -- 26-10 (10)

18. Ed Klobas -- Arlington, Tx -- 14-09 (5) -- 11-09 (2) -- 26-02 (7)

19. Tim Reneau -- Del Rio, Tx -- 10-13 (4) -- 15-04 (5) -- 26-01 (9)

20. Landan Ware -- Jewett, Tx -- 13-05 (5) -- 11-05 (5) -- 24-10 (10)

21. Larry Byrd -- Lake Charles, La -- 16-11 (5) -- 7-10 (5) -- 24-05 (10)

22. Randy Sitz -- Prosper, Tx -- 18-07 (4) -- 3-10 (2) -- 22-01 (6)

23. Kevin Lasyone -- Dry Prong, La -- 8-09 (4) -- 13-04 (5) -- 21-13 (9)

24. Jerrel Pringle -- Hemphill, Tx -- 17-05 (5) -- 4-05 (3) -- 21-10 (8)

25. Tommy Martin -- Hemphill, Tx -- 10-15 (5) -- 10-05 (5) -- 21-04 (10)

26. Austin Terry -- San Angelo, Tx -- 16-13 (5) -- 4-06 (3) -- 21-03 (8)

27. Phil Addison -- Baytown, Tx -- 9-00 (4) -- 11-05 (5) -- 20-05 (9)

28. Lendell Martin Jr -- Nacogdoches, Tx -- 7-12 (3) -- 12-00 (5) -- 19-12 (8)

29. Alton Wilhoit -- Harrah, Ok -- 5-06 (3) -- 13-06 (4) -- 18-12 (7)

30. Carl Jocumsen -- Bixby, Ok -- 9-01 (5) -- 9-11 (4) -- 18-12 (9)

31. Bill Cook -- Houston, Tx -- 8-00 (3) -- 10-07 (3) -- 18-07 (6)

32. Mark Knuckols -- Harleton, Tx -- 9-15 (4) -- 8-06 (5) -- 18-05 (9)

33. Bob Vote -- Kingwood, Tx -- 14-08 (5) -- 3-05 (2) -- 17-13 (7)

34. Shane McKnight -- Greenwell Springs, La -- 11-07 (5) -- 6-05 (4) -- 17-12 (9)

35. Russell Cecil -- Willis, Tx -- 7-08 (4) -- 10-02 (5) -- 17-10 (9)

36. Donnie O'Neal -- Pflugerville, Tx -- 8-08 (5) -- 8-07 (4) -- 16-15 (9)

37. Ritter Ferguson -- Diana, Tx -- 12-00 (5) -- 4-14 (3) -- 16-14 (8)

38. TJ Goodwyn -- Center, Tx -- 4-15 (3) -- 10-06 (3) -- 15-05 (6)

39. Bert Thompson -- Benton, La -- 3-05 (2) -- 11-12 (5) -- 15-01 (7)

40. Lamonte Loyd -- Gilmer, Tx -- 14-12 (5) -- 0-00 (0) -- 14-12 (5)

41. Dave Parsons -- Yantis, Tx -- 11-03 (5) -- 3-06 (1) -- 14-09 (6)

42. Michael Williamson -- Fort Smith, Ar -- 3-10 (1) -- 10-14 (5) -- 14-08 (6)

43. Joey Quick -- Pineland, Tx -- 6-11 (4) -- 7-13 (3) -- 14-08 (7)

44. Chris Russell -- Montgomery, Tx -- 14-05 (5) -- 0-00 (0) -- 14-05 (5)

45. Mark Rouse -- League City, Tx -- 5-13 (3) -- 7-11 (3) -- 13-08 (6)

46. Mark Williamson -- Pineland, Tx -- 3-15 (2) -- 8-09 (4) -- 12-08 (6)

47. Dusty Schultz -- Willis, Tx -- 4-11 (3) -- 7-13 (4) -- 12-08 (7)

48. Rick Carter -- Alba, Tx -- 3-03 (2) -- 8-12 (4) -- 11-15 (6)

49. Gene Eisenmann -- Frisco, Tx -- 2-12 (2) -- 8-14 (5) -- 11-10 (7)

50. Benny Aylor -- Round Rock, Tx -- 10-07 (4) -- 0-00 (0) -- 10-07 (4)

51. David Mansue -- Hemphill, Tx -- 4-01 (2) -- 6-06 (4) -- 10-07 (6)

52. Naohiro Maruo -- Justin, Tx -- 7-03 (1) -- 2-14 (2) -- 10-01 (3)

53. Jeromy Francis -- Magnolia, Tx -- 6-11 (3) -- 3-02 (2) -- 9-13 (5)

54. Terry Rose -- Eastland, Tx -- 9-12 (3) -- 0-00 (0) -- 9-12 (3)

55. Troy Broussard -- Beaumont, Tx -- 5-06 (3) -- 4-04 (2) -- 9-10 (5)

56. Dean Perkins -- Broaddus, Tx -- 9-09 (5) -- 0-00 (0) -- 9-09 (5)

57. Bill Lee -- Harker Heights, Tx -- 4-05 (3) -- 5-01 (1) -- 9-06 (4)

58. Tommy Durham -- Whitney, Tx -- 0-00 (0) -- 9-02 (4) -- 9-02 (4)

59. Rob Burns -- Plano, Tx -- 1-06 (1) -- 6-05 (4) -- 7-11 (5)

60. Trea Luedke -- Montgomery, Tx -- 7-05 (5) -- 0-00 (0) -- 7-05 (5)

61. Michael Randolph -- Austin, Tx -- 2-14 (2) -- 4-07 (3) -- 7-05 (5)

62. John Hatton -- Buna, Tx -- 2-02 (1) -- 4-13 (3) -- 6-15 (4)

63. Bill Glascock -- Kingston, Ok -- 3-01 (1) -- 3-07 (2) -- 6-08 (3)

64. Justin Dubose -- Grapevine, Tx -- 6-06 (2) -- 0-00 (0) -- 6-06 (2)

65. Kenneth Chapman -- Odessa, Tx -- 1-11 (1) -- 4-10 (1) -- 6-05 (2)

66. Joe Gerard -- Concordia, Ks -- 1-08 (1) -- 4-03 (3) -- 5-11 (4)

67. Rich Dalbey -- Greenville, Tx -- 4-15 (3) -- 0-00 (0) -- 4-15 (3)

68. Jeff Cade -- Richardson, Tx -- 4-12 (1) -- 0-00 (0) -- 4-12 (1)

69. Timothy Griffin -- Zapata, Tx -- 4-12 (3) -- 0-00 (0) -- 4-12 (3)

70. J.B. Young -- Deer Park, Tx -- 2-08 (1) -- 2-02 (1) -- 4-10 (2)

71. Corey Harris -- Chatham, La -- 4-07 (3) -- 0-00 (0) -- 4-07 (3)

72. Burt Briggs -- Universal City, Tx -- 4-03 (3) -- 0-00 (0) -- 4-03 (3)

73. Gary Bowien -- Georgetown, Tx -- 1-14 (1) -- 1-07 (1) -- 3-05 (2)

74. Kevin Paddy -- Deridder, La -- 1-06 (1) -- 0-00 (0) -- 1-06 (1)

John Lafitte -- Keithville, La -- 0-00 (0) -- 0-00 (0) -- 0-00 (0)

Kelly Owens -- Crowley, La -- 0-00 (0) -- 0-00 (0) -- 0-00 (0)

Bob Ramsdell -- Sour Lake, Tx -- 0-00 (0) -- 0-00 (0) -- 0-00 (0)

Gregory Scott -- Longview, Tx -- 0-00 (0) -- 0-00 (0) -- 0-00 (0)

Bill Walls -- Spring, Tx -- 0-00 (0) -- 0-00 (0) -- 0-00 (0)

Big Bass

Day 1 – Randy Sitz -- 9-08 -- $158
Day 2 -- Ed Klobas -- 9-14 -- $158