After I knew the outboard would run, I was inspired and ready to fish. Johnny and I really didn't have much of an outlook being that we didn't really have a boat, up to that point. But after we got the boat running, the season opener looked promising”.
SWBA: Obviously, with the boat being repaired, you and Johnny were not able to get out and pre-fish for the tournament. What did you do in order to prepare yourselves for fishing the tournament?
“We really couldn't do much but basically remain in standby mode. We checked reports online, got our gear ready, loaded up on the six pound CXX, and just waited for the outcome of the boat. I haven't fished Newport since the last tournament which was February7 th, 2004, and Johnny actually hasn't ever fished the bay from a boat before, but has walked the shore of Lido Island during the summer”.
SWBA: Even though weather was not a factor on the day of the tournament, the bay did have a large influx of freshwater from a series of storms a few weeks ago. How did you find the conditions in the bay, and more specifically, how were the conditions in the areas where you fished?
“The bay in general was still really stained, much like the local freshwater lakes. And with the constant flow of water from tidal movement it makes it harder for the silt and debris to settle in the bay (Johnny). There were cul-de-sacs that we fished that had fairly clear water and we fished baits accordingly. We used a lot of clear and red flake patterns in those areas. The wind was also a factor in keeping the water clean. The protected cul-de-sac that we fished was fairly protected from the wind, and that kept the water very clear. As we turned the corner into the main channel and other parts of the bay, the water instantly became more stained, and we switched lure color accordingly. We weren't really sure about the salinity of the bay and the areas that we fished, but I think the salinity may have still been a little on the low side. The bites that we got from fish felt more like largemouth bites. More of a subtle tap than the standard spotty THUNK… They seemed to be a little lethargic, and oriented very closely to structure, even in the clear water”.
SWBA: In terms of water depth, clarity and structure, was there any specific pattern that the bass seemed to be receptive to in those areas?
“During high tide, first thing in the morning, we casted as far into the docks, and worked our baits back to the boat shaking and hopping. That seemed to work, while the fish were aggressive during the high and outgoing tide. We would get bit halfway back to the boat away from pilings in the morning. During high tide, it seemed like fish were cruising. We got sporadic short bites away from pilings, but every fish that committed to our baits seemed to be oriented to the base of the pilings. As the slack low tide settled in, the bites basically disappeared from underneath the docks. We then fished straight vertical on the pilings. We would flip a bait next to the piling and watch the line on the fall, hop it a few times on the bottom, and then repeat. That also worked really well for us later on in the day”.
SWBA: What areas within the bay did team Rice Rocket target, and what areas produced the fish that made up your 9.31 lb. stringer?
“It's kind of funny how we found our first spot, because we were almost late to the shotgun start. Half an hour before the start, the motor wouldn't turn over. I almost thought about running the trolling motor all day, but we decided to pull the boat out of the water and head back to the registration table so James could take a look at the motor.
