Bass open article

[dartag]

sittin here eating lunch reading Bassmaster article and noticed a couple familiar names.

http://www.bassmaster.com/blog/eries-bronze-miracles

[LAPORTE]

Yea it was a great tourney. It's the first time I cashed a check.

I want to thank Eric Smith for letting me practice with him for the open. We had good time hanging out. We didn't catchem during practice but we ate good....lol

Eric, I hope you knock the lights out in NY....  Drive safe also you and Carroll can get some good laughs in he is one cool dude...

I was very happy with my 31st place finish. The whole 3 fish limit really makes it tough you have to catch them bigger ones to stay around the top. I had 20.1 pounds with a dead fish plenty of 8 oz. for 2 days of fishing. That half pound would only move me up like 3 or 4 places.

I had my chances both Pros were around bigger fish all day.

Day 1 Elite series pro Grant Goldbeck. Man that guy could drive a boat. We came off pad the same time as the hefty boat on the east side of Pelee island. It was 3 flights in front of us at the ramp. I would say we were in 6 or so footers all the way out at 50 plus mph.. Champion 210 Elite boat. (21' 10" long)

Day 2  Pro Mark Hicks what a great guy to be in the boat with all day long. I had no idea who he was but he seem to know everyone. Then when he told me he was a writer for Bassmaster then everything made since. I was wacken'm good.

I thru the Goby all week with no regrets.


My overall experience was awesome. In the future I need to take more money....

[Team houston]

Don, Iv'e been meaning to congradulate you on your nice finish. I was watching your progress on line. Well done. It is a nice feeling driving home with a little bit of money in the pocket.

[markgoetsch]

yeah congrats Don!!

[YpsiBass]

Congrats Don!  Bet Erie beats Belleville lol!

[LAPORTE]

Thanks guys...

Yea Rick, Erie is way better than Belleville. But for some reason I just can't wait to get back out to my home lake again... What is it that makes that lake so great ? I don't catch fish there... I know they are there but I just seem to fail each time... Im sure this Thursday will be more of the same... Oh well Call me Mr. Zero 

[Anthony Adams]

Congrats Don

[Dan]

Congrats Don. Anthony, I emailed you info for finding the Missaukee Tournament article.

[djkimmel]

Don! You're famous!! Endorsements will follow!

Mark Hicks has been writing for all the fishing magazines for about as long as I can remember - Field & Stream, Bassmaster, Bassin' - you name it. He also wrote the Lake Erie bass book that so many people try to find and usually can't. I have one somewhere though it may have grown legs and walked away at some point.

[cameraguy]

First, Congrats
Second, I hung out (and chowed large quantities of pizza) with Eric Smith in Wisconsin during a TBF tournament. Good guy.
Third, the book Dan Kimmel is referring to is LAKE ERIE SMALLMOUTH. Apparently, it is out of print. What a shame. It is a great book that examines the hot spots in depth. It is also worth the money even if you only read the page and learn the technique to remove the hook out of a deeply hooked bass. Amazon is selling the book for over $50. Worth it even at that price but I'll bet it can be found cheaper.

[djkimmel]

I don't know. I've had people offer me that much for mine! I have no idea what happened to it though. I think someone may have borrowed it a while back and still has it checked out... I'm going to have to go through my library cards and do a search.

[cameraguy]

I have a copy...somewhere.

[fishstick]

Nice work Don!

[Skulley]

Great job out there Don.  Belleville will keep you guessing..................whether you ever want to go back there..............or not.   


BD