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The off season… Well, truthfully, the off season never really is the off season – just some time off from the competition. Although I went on vacation; you know – got some R and R in.

But once I get back it’s back to work – back with talking with sponsors; working on deals for next year. I am actually really excited about a lot of stuff that is going on for next year with my sponsors.

You know, my company is starting to introduce new products – I will definitely keep you guys up on what is coming out. I am working on a big sponsorship deal that I think is pretty much done for FLW next year which you guys will hear about soon.

I mean, there is really a lot of good things that I get to work on in the off season…even got to spend some time on the Delta fishing my Biggie Series Crank bait – you know, dropping some D Bombs on them – you know, catching some fish; so it is pretty fun!

I even had a frog bite yesterday!

So, it is a pretty great off season; I am liking it; going to the gym every day working out because I tell people all the time, you work hard in the season, but you work harder in the off season – prepping your body; being mentally prepared.

So, those are the things I have pretty much been doing; you know, a little bit of fishing while working with sponsors and hitting the gym.
Well, you guys didn’t get a blog from me a week before, because I was in Costa Rica.

Got some really good R and R; really needed a break; came back refreshed, rejuvenated to head to ICAST; which is a phenomenal show – new Biggie Series Crank Baits going well so it will be available just about everywhere as well as the Bling being available - so, super, super excited about that!

Really excited about the new Daiwa products, got a bunch of new reels – made my Samurai braided line even better, which I didn’t think that they could do – and they came out with new rods.

Snag-Proof has released my Poppin’ Frog – so check out my Poppin’ Phattie. River2Sea has done an awesome job with the Bumbershoot with John Murray; revamping the Rover with Scott Martin; they did pretty awesome with those baits. So, if you get a chance, check those out.

And now, I flew from Florida to Kentucky and now I am driving to New York and the Lake Champlain EverStart.

I’ll fish there and then immediately to Nealy Henry for the PAA in Alabama and then to the Snag-Proof Open. And after Snag-Proof Open I am going to get in some more R and R.

So, ‘til then, have fun and good fishin’
I want to say that I uphold one of the rules that you don’t do – and that is get caught up in the “dock talk” – I got caught up in the “dock talk.”
I roomed with the offshore specialist guys - Mike Iaconelli, John Crews – they can catch them offshore.

Me – myself – I can catch them offshore, but I would prefer to fish shallow and there was every possible sort of structure that I wanted to fish – up shallow – but I did not take advantage of it.

I still got a check –didn’t do as well as I wanted to and felt like I could have done better. But when your roommates go out there and they are catching 28 to 25 pound bags out deep and you know the tournament’s going to be won out deep you kind of want to go out there.

But, then there was this one California guy, Chris Zaldain – he ended up finishing in the top twelve fishing shallow and it was a mistake that I made because I didn’t practice enough shallow and I should have.

I spent a lot of time deep and I fished the first day of the tournament deep and at noon I had two little fish in the boat and I went shallow and caught 13 pounds which put me in check contention.

So, the rule for the week is do not get caught up in the “dock talk.” So, for me, no more “dock talk.”

I had a week off for R and R at my buddy’s house at Table Rock Lake – James Watson – and now to LaCrosse, Wis. for the next B.A.S.S. Elite on a place where they can say everything they want – they can tell me the Senko bite is on; the drop shot bite is on; the spinnerbait bite is on and I am going to punch and throw a frog for the whole tournament.

It had a lot of rain, so the flippin’ might be good, but I am going to spend my time punching and flipping – that’s not listening to anyone telling me they are catching them off shore – and I am going to flip and I am going to throw a frog.
So, hopefully it pans out!

On my next blog – hopefully another W out there hopefully for Ish Monroe and that will be about it!

Oh, by the way, a belated Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there - especially my Dad!
WOW – half the season’s done.

I’ve been on the road for four weeks; just one more week to go here FLW Potomac this week.

Had a decent week at the PAA – another top ten finish there.

Been a heck of a run on the season this year and lots of thanks to my baits – you know, my Biggie Series crankbaits by River2Sea have definitely played a part for me, at almost every event this year.

The Missile Baits D Bomb as well as the Snag Proof Ish’s Phat Phrog starting to come into effect so I am really excited about that; especially here at the Potomac River. I get to flip the D Bomb with a punch skirt and a River2Sea Trash Bomb.

I get to throw my Biggie Crankbait on some rocks a little bit, and, I get to flip and frog all day if I really want to.

So, I am really excited about that – looking forward to this week; had a decent week – caught a lot of fish – had a lot of decent bites – hopefully I will go big this week at the FLW Event.

Then I will have the Collegiate BASS Championship that I have to go to down in Alabama and then for a little change, I get a week and a half off.
I’ve got a little bit of business, but definitely get some R and R before my next run of tournaments.

Plus, we get to find out what the Bassmaster Elite Series mystery lake is – ten days from now.

So,’til next time – good fishin’.
We call it back to back to back to back to back to back.

Just finished a decent tournament at – gosh, where was I at? Bull Shoals Reservoir!

Yep, they all kind of run together after a while, but Bull Shoals was a great event.

Biggie Series Baits strikes again – you know, throwing my River2Sea Biggie Poppa in you know, my favorite springtime color, called Da Heater. It's a muted chartreuse bodied crawdad color that can double as a bluegill.

For some reason, the fish seemed to eat it REALLY well on Bull Shoals. Real consistent – you know, 14 ½; 16 ½ and another 14 ½ - I had a good time out there, and I caught lots of fish.

You know, really liking the new Daiwa Ballistic Series rods that I was cranking with – that 7’ 2” is awesome teamed up with a SteezReel – it has just been great!

Now it's on to Beaver Lake for another event, it was really close – ONLY about a two hour drive difference, which is kind of like going from the Delta to Clearlake.

Getting’ back on the water again, you know, no sleep for the weary!
And I want to give a shout out to my boy, Brandon Polnick who was just crushing them over there at Bull Shoals.

That’s the boy!

And, I will catch up with you guys later!