Great Lakes Bass Fishing Forum

Welcome to Hot Springs, Ark., and the Forrest Wood Cup. Today, Sunday, marks the start of the official three-day practice period for the 2015 Cup. Right now is when pros start to piece together the puzzle that is summertime fishing on Lake Ouachita.

To find out how the pros are preparing for this championship event, I head down to Brady Mountain Resort way too early in the morning to pester a few of them before they back their boats into the lake.

I find out that for some pros, this morning is the first time they've launched a boat in Lake Ouachita this season - or ever. For others that made pre-practice trips, it's the first time they've seen the lake since it went off limits earlier this month.