ebassfish.com
has decided
to shut down
as of
February
9th.
Since 2005
it has been
a labor of
love for
both my
sister
Denese and
myself to
promote
women
anglers and
their right
to fish in a
male
dominated
sport. Many
doors were
opened for
us because
of the
website and
many friends
were made
over the
past 6 years
both on and
off the
water.
Our passion
for the
sport has
not changed
but our
focus has.
My focus has
turned to
giving back
to the sport
by teaching
and
encouraging
kids to
fish.
Also...this
may
be
my last year
as a
tournament
angler and I
want to give
it all I
have and go
out with no
regrets.
We would
like to
thank
everyone who
has
supported
ebassfish.com
over the
past 6 years
as sponsors,
advertisers,
writers and
subscribers.
If you wish
to keep up
with us you
can go to
denesefreeman.com
or friend us
on Facebook.
I will have
a special
page on
Facebook in
the near
future.
My favorite
story that I
wrote for
ebassfish
over the
years was
titled
"Blogging
From The
Back of The
Boat". I
wanted to
feature it
one last
time.
BLOGGING
FROM THE
BACK OF THE
BOAT
by Linda
Berry
As I am
writing this
blog, I am
on my way
home to
North
Carolina
after
fishing a
tournament
on Lake
Amistad near
Del Rio,
Texas. Like
so many
tournament
anglers” I
have
re-fished my
two days on
the lake
over and
over in my
mind on the
1700 mile
drive home
trying to
justify the
time away
from work
and money
spent on a
hobby I am
addicted to,
while trying
to avoid the
pity party
that is so
easy to have
after doing
so poorly.
The “pity
party” was
actually
winning as
we crossed
the Alabama
state line
leaving
Mississippi
and I was
listening to
a country
music radio
station.
Johnny
Paycheck was
singing
“Take This
Job and
Shove It”
and I was
thinking
that exact
same thing,
only I was
replacing
“job” with
“fishing
rod” and “I
ain’t
working here
no more”
with “I suck
as an angler
and I ain’t
fishin’ no
more”. The
next thing I
know, Travis
Tritt is
singing
“Here’s a
quarter,
call someone
who cares”
and once
again the
“pity party”
really
starts to
heat up. The
only thing
missing was
a pitcher of
margaritas!
I thought I
had done
everything
by the so
called
“book”. I
did my
homework on
Lake Amistad
as I do on
all the
lakes I
fish.
Technology
has made
that part of
fishing
easier. With
a click of
the mouse,
an angler
can find
virtually
anything
they need to
know about a
lake, the
surrounding
area,
fishing
reports,
etc…etc…etc.
It doesn’t
take the
place of
actually
being on the
water, but
it gives you
a heads up
on the
conditions
you will be
fishing
under during
the
tournament.
The only
factor that
might change
is the
weather.
Mother
Nature loves
to play with
an angler’s
mind during
a
tournament!
Maybe I can
blame it on
the fact
that I am a
co-angler or
non-boater.
I have
always said
that for
those of us
on the back
of the boat,
it is the
luck of the
draw that
can make or
break us.
Yeah…that
sounds good
I told
myself… I’ll
blame the
pro
(boater).
They spent
way more
time and
money
pre-fishing
than I did.
They were
suppose to
be on fish.
They are the
professional;
the one who
gets all the
credit when
their
co-angler
catches
fish. The
one with all
the sponsors
and the
expensive
rods and
reels and
tons of
tackle to
choose from.
I have
recently
started
calling
myself a
“professional
co-angler”.
Although I
have been
tournament
fishing for
17 years
now, I will
probably
always have
to be
content on
the back of
someone
else’s boat.
I do have my
own bass
boat and
feel that I
am qualified
to fish as a
pro.
Finances are
the main
consideration,
as with most
anglers.
Even
co-anglers
need to cash
a check at
each event
to be able
to fish all
of a tour
without
feeling the
financial
strain. Many
co-anglers
are going
after
sponsors,
just like
the pros. I
am fortunate
in that
regard, as
this year I
was able to
obtain a
major
sponsor
along with
some product
sponsorship.
That
sponsorship
however
doesn’t pay
the bills
back home
while I am
away from my
job and on
the lake.
OK…time
out…party
over…reality
check! What
did I do
right and
what did I
do wrong at
this
particular
tournament?
Let me list
the things I
did right
first just
to make me
feel better.
As I said
before, I
did my
homework on
Lake
Amistad. I
knew that I
would be
fishing
super clear
water and
that under
normal
conditions,
most of the
fish would
still be in
pre-spawn
mode. I
shouldn’t
have to
worry about
drawing a
pro on
bedding
fish, which
is usually a
disadvantage
to the
co-angler. I
found out
the most
popular
color for
the lake at
this time of
year;
watermelon/red
flake. I was
also told
that I had
to fish
slow…slow…slow.
I found out
from another
angler and
friend
fishing the
tournament
that there
was a
topwater
bite and
that the
water on the
Mexico side
of the lake
was warmer
than the
water on the
Texas side.
Since I
didn’t know
who I would
draw and
where they
would fish,
I had to be
prepared for
two fishing
scenarios;
warmer water
and more
active fish,
or cooler
water and
sluggish
fish.
Taking all
these things
into
consideration,
I down-sized
all my line
from what I
normally use
in the
stained
water back
home and
also put
some
fluorocarbon
line on some
of my reels
as it is
suppose to
be less
visible to
the fish. I
sharpened
all my hooks
and tied on
the baits
that I had
confidence
in based on
the
information
I had
gathered
before the
off-limits
and during
pre-fish. I
was
confident
and eager as
my pro
partner and
I left the
launch on
Day 1. I had
the right
attitude and
my pro
partner had
a good
pre-fish and
was
confident
that her
fishing
spots would
produce for
both of us.
We were
ready to
load the
boat with
some of
those
Amistad
hawgs!
Mother
Nature had
other plans
however.
What was
suppose to
be a warm
sunny day,
according to
the weather
person,
turned into
a windy,
cold and
miserable
day of
fishing. We
even had a
heavy fog
settle in
that delayed
our launch
by over an
hour. Most
all the
pro’s spots
were in open
water and
she was
unable to
keep the
boat in
position
because of
the wind. I
had to
change most
of my baits
because they
were too
light to
throw under
those
conditions
and I
couldn’t
control the
cast or feel
the bait in
the rough
water. My
pro partner
did manage
to catch one
fish by
day’s end.
She was as
disappointed
as I that we
were each
unable to
catch our
limit…not
her fault or
mine. That
is just the
way fishing
goes
sometimes.
We still had
Day 2 to
redeem
ourselves. I
thanked her
and assured
her that we
did our
best, it
just wasn’t
meant to be
that day.
Day 2
started out
great…no fog
and another
good partner
who defines
the word
professional
in every
way. I had
re-tied all
my baits and
was
anticipating
a better day
of fishing.
I have
always had
the
philosophy
that you
have to keep
your line in
the water
and to never
give up. I
have gone
all day
before with
no bites and
caught fish
the last
five minutes
of a
tournament.
I was also
excited that
we were
fishing
Mexico water
this day. My
Day 1
partner had
chose not to
fish that
far south
and had
concentrated
on areas in
Texas water.
Our boat
number was
called and
off we
“flew” to
Mexico! The
weather was
cooperating
and my pro
partner was
describing
the area we
would be
fishing and
what bait
she would be
throwing so
I could
decide how I
wanted to
fish behind
her. I was
anxious to
experience
the topwater
bite with
the bait
that was
recommended
so that is
what I chose
to do most
of the
morning. I
was thrilled
when I heard
a big
“kerplosh”
and reeled
in my first
Mexico bass.
My pro
partner was
throwing a
buzzbait and
a
spinnerbait.
This was how
she caught
fish in
practice and
they were
her
confidence
baits as she
quietly
trolled the
area she had
found
pre-fishing.
Time is
always the
enemy in a
tournament
and as the
morning soon
disappeared
and noon was
upon us, we
were
starting to
second-guess
our baits
and
techniques
after
several
hours with
no takers.
My pro
partner
started
fishing
faster and
faster
trying to
cover more
water and
pick up a
keeper bass.
One big
difference
in my pro
partner and
I was that I
love to fish
plastic
baits and
that was not
her strength
or her
confidence.
I didn’t get
the nickname
“Carolina
Linda” by
throwing
hard baits,
you know! I
had been
told the
topwater
bite would
work all day
in the
Mexico
waters so I
didn’t lay
my “Spook”
down long
enough to
try anything
else to see
if it would
work. My pro
partner did
likewise
with her
buzzbait and
spinner
bait.
Here is
where I feel
we could
each blame
ourselves.
This is the
main thing
we did
wrong. That
has always
been my
downfall,
not
switching up
after the
bite stops
on the bait
I was
catching on.
Sometimes,
it is hard
to adjust
and switch
if the pro
on the front
of the boat
is fishing
too fast. We
both decided
we should
have slowed
way down and
taken more
time with
each cast
and thrown a
Texas rig or
jig, but in
our panic to
put a fish
in the boat
because we
were running
out of time,
we didn’t.
We did
however,
have a good
day on the
lake, saw
some
beautiful
scenery, got
to know each
other as
anglers and
learned from
our mistakes
so that when
we go to the
next
tournament
we will be
more the
wiser. Every
day an
angler
fishes, we
take
something
new back
home with
us, whether
we learn it
from each
other, from
the fish or
from the
lake. So the
next time
you have a
bad day of
fishing,
don’t beat
yourself up
over the
experience.
It is easy
to do, but
you know in
your heart,
you wouldn’t
have missed
it for the
world and
there is
always the
next
tournament.
My husband
broke-up my
“pity party”
as he turned
to me while
driving and
said “When
is your next
tournament?”
Oh, I
replied, it
is a little
over 5 weeks
from now. I
need to make
reservations
and find
someone to
pre-fish
with…I can
hardly wait!
Are we
almost
home?” I
need to do
some
computer
research on
the lake! I
wonder who I
will be
paired
with….?