When everything wrapped up over the weekend at Lake Ouachita and Hot Springs, Ark., it could be called one of the hottest, toughest weeks of fishing I’ve ever seen.
In the end, Alabama angler Clent Davis rallied from 10th place on the final day with the largest catch of the tournament to claim the $300,000 first-place prize. His three-day total of 36 pounds was seven pounds more than his nearest competitor!
Temperatures were above 40 degrees C each day throughout the week, making it a challenge to stay comfortable and focused all day. In the tournament competition, less than half the anglers were able to bring in five-bass limits, showing how tough it was to catch a bass.
Despite the tough fishing and low weights last week, Ouachita is not a terrible lake–it’s just a tough time of year to fish it because of the hot temperatures. It is one of the most scenic lakes I’ve ever fished in the U.S. and has nice clear water.
The lake actually is surrounded by a national park so there are very few homes on the lake, only a few marinas. It was popular with recreational users who were camping all over the lake and enjoying the water.
Over the four practice days that we had before the tournament started, my dad and I went swimming several times each day to stay cool (I’m not sure how we would have stayed out there had we not!)
All 56 anglers in the field fished each of the first two days of the tournament while the top 10 fished a third day. It was an all-day grind but I managed to catch five fish each day and had limits in the seven-pound range.
After two days, I ended up tied for 20th but lost the tie-breaker and wound up finishing 21st. It was significant because it cost me $5,000 in prize money so I wasn’t very happy about that. I was proud that I caught my limit each day, though!
I had a little bit of bad luck in this tournament on the first day, as well. Lake Ouachita has a few smallmouth bass in it but there is no season for them so they must be released immediately. Of course, my first fish of the tournament was a three-pound smallmouth that I had to throw back.
Overall, it was a fun week in Arkansas and an honour to get to fish in the tournament. My parents came down for the week, as did my girlfriend, Shelby. It was my mom’s first time attending one of these FLW events so it was nice having her there to see the whole spectacle.
The next season starts in January down in Texas and my goal will be trying to qualify for the Cup once again.
Up on Lake of the Woods, meanwhile, the 31st-annual Kenora Bass International took place out last week and it was the Minnesota team of Craig Peterson and Scott Anderson who took top spot with a three-day total of more than 55 pounds.
Last year’s champs, Bill Godin and Leroy Wilson, finished second this time around.
Smallmouths from the south end of the lake dominated the tournament again, which has been a trend in recent years. Anderson, the captain of the winning team, has a cabin on the lake just north of Morson, so they know the water well down there and have spent plenty of time getting ready for the tournament.
This was the second-straight year that nice weather made it easy on all of the teams making the long boat ride down there each day. While there were not many limits of big largemouths brought in, the big fish each day was a largemouth surpassing five pounds.
It was tough to miss the KBI because I have so much fun competing on Lake of the Woods but everyone I’ve talked to has told me how well everything went over the weekend at the tournament and how much fun it was.
A big thanks to all of the volunteers who make this top-notch event happen every year in Kenora!
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