– MODERATOR COMMENT –
Welcome to FLW Live Reel Chat. Today we’re joined by FLW Tour pro Mark Pack of Mineola, Texas. With nearly $500,000 in career earnings at FLW Outdoors events, Pack has leveraged his veteran angling experience over the past few seasons to become a real force on the professional bass-fishing circuit. Recording five top-10 finishes on the FLW Tour over the course of his career (including his first-ever FLW Tour victory on Beaver Lake this May), Pack also boasts four top-10 finishes in the Stren Series as well.Today, Mark Pack is here to take questions from you, the fans. So, without further delay, let’s get started.
Q: Early on in the Beaver Lake tournament, you correctly predicted what the winning pattern would be. How were you able to be so confident in your prediction?
— Samantha C. (Richmond, Va.)
A: Just from the experience fishing flooded reservoirs that time of the year. Three years earlier, Beaver Lake was pretty flooded, and I remembered the pattern that worked then. Actually, I had a chance to win that tournament, but I lost a key fish on the last day. Basically, flooded and muddy water tends to group fish together. Also, the shad spawn on hard surfaces, and that’s why I was able to catch fish on those boat ramps and parking lots because the fish were there feeding on those shad. Honestly, I was kind of praying for flooded conditions this year.
Q: When you were in sixth place after day three at Beaver Lake, did you realistically think you had a shot to win?
— Ben M. (Lowell, Ark.)
A: Yes, because it only took one good bite to win the tournament. The problem I was running into the first day was that they were pulling current. The second and third day they weren’t pulling current, and that’s why I didn’t catch them that good. And then, the last day, I noticed when we got to takeoff that they were pulling current. At that point I knew it was on. I wound up getting a limit at around 7:15 and caught about 35 fish total that day. I was culling fish all day long. I caught my 6-pounder around 10 a.m., and I knew somebody was going to have a really, really good day to beat me. I just ran my plan the rest of the day, and everything worked out.
Q: Hi, Mark. I’ve heard that you’re a guide on Lake Fork in Texas. So what’s more challenging: finding fish with 200 grand on the line or finding fish when clients are paying you 200 bucks an hour?
— Matt Bertram (San Francisco, Calif.)
A: I wish I made $200 an hour, but I quit guiding 10 years ago. But to answer the question: It’s probably more stressful fishing for $200,000. But the thing is, when you’re fishing, you can’t think about that. You just have to stay focused on fishing.
Q: Mark, congrats on the big win. You tend to fish consistently well at Beaver Lake – seemingly more so than at other repeat FLW venues. Why is that?
— Mark Olson (Stillwater, MN)
A: That’s a real good question. And I don’t have a real good answer for that, other than I’m pretty relaxed there. It’s a confidence thing. I know the lake really well, and it fits into what I do really well.
Q: I saw you finished 11th on Smith Lake in April. What was your pattern there? Were you sight-fishing for largemouths or going after prespawn spots?
— Greg T. (Cullman, Ala.)
A: I finished in 10th, but got kicked out because of a tiebreaker. I was sight-fishing for largemouth bass. That was my primary pattern. My secondary pattern was fishing for prespawn fish. The key is finding the pattern that catches the biggest fish.
Q: Mark, I would like to know how you feel about All Pro Rods; I switched to All Pro Rods, and to this day I have no problems with the sensitive power that the APX Series rods provide. Thanks.
— Scott Towry (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.)
A: I have just starting fishing them this year, and they’re great rods. They’re really sensitive and really strong. I would highly recommend them.
Q: What did it feel like to finally get your first FLW Tour victory?
— Jasper Robbins (Wagoner, Okla.)
A: It’s taken me a while. I’ve had five top-10s, but this feels great. A win like this really gives you lots of confidence and makes you feel great. It’s just like any other sport: Whoever has the momentum usually does the best. And winning a tournament like this really gives you the momentum you need to be successful at the next event. A lot of sports people talk about getting in the zone. And once you get in that zone, you’re able to block a lot of things out, and you can minimize the distractions. Then it’s just about you and Mother Nature.
Q: Did the difficult fishing condtions make your FLW Tour victory that much more special?
— Jerry Weststock (Boynton Beach, Fla.)
A: A lot of the guys in the tournament were congregating on the areas of clear water down by the dam, and that really helped me out because they left the muddy water for me. I had a lot of areas all to myself, and that helped tremendously.
Q: How did you manage to figure out the winning pattern on Beaver Lake given the difficult fishing condtions?
— Todd Wright (Oakland, Calif.)
A: I was a fishing guide on Lake Fork for 12 years, and having that experience really helped me figure out what I was looking for. Beaver Lake is a highland reservoir, but when it turned muddy, it really fished like a lot of the lakes I’m familiar with in Texas, because we have muddy water conditions all the time there.
Q: There are so many pros that live in or near Mineola, Texas, and Lake Fork. What about that area lends itself so well to getting a “bass education?”
— Stanley D. (Muskogee, Okla.)
A: Lake Fork has a tremendous fish population that you can really use to hone different fishing skills. You can catch fish deep or shallow. There are just so many different techniques you can use that it really helps you to perfect those fishing skills you need to be successful.
Q: What do you do when your research fails you when you’re on a new body of water?
— Grant (Danville, Ky.)
A: That happens a lot more than you think. Because once you start thinking you have these fish figured out, that is usually when you start getting into trouble. The best thing is to always keep an open mind and make sure you have the most current information possible – not information from two weeks ago. That’s why practice is so important. Fishing is like a big puzzle. And the person who figures out that puzzle the quickest is going to win the tournament. And that’s why my guiding and fishing experience have helped me tremendously.
Q: What is the most popular bait you produce at Lake Fork Tackle?
— Steve Ritten (Bainbridge, Ga.)
A: The most popular bait is probably the Live Magic Shad. It’s a swimbait, which can be rigged in so many different ways. You can Carolina rig it, drop-shot it, fish it with a weightless hook, on a weighted hook, or you can fish it on a jighead.
Q: What is your favorite bait to use?
— Tyler (Laurinburg, N.C.)
A: Well, I’ve got some new Hyper Series baits coming out that I really like. In fact, I used a Hyper Worm and a Hyper Freak (creature-style bait used mainly for flipping or as a jig trailer) at the Beaver Lake tournament, and they’re not even on the market yet. Right now, those are probably my two favorites. But I’ve also made a lot of money fishing a Ring Fry – which is the first bait I ever developed.
Q: I read that you fished flooded boat ramps en route to your Beaver Lake win. Which ones, and will that pattern still be strong in June?
— Chris K. (Springdale, Ark.)
A: If the lake levels are high, that pattern will still be strong in June. But my guess is that the lake won’t be that high then. To answer your first question, the parking lot areas were some of the best areas for me. I caught a lot of fish around picnic tables as well. Another really good area was in Rocky Branch. You have to remember, the water levels were probably up around 10 to 12 feet at that time, and that’s what made fishing those areas possible.
Q: Why do the bass flock to the gravel and road beds when the water gets high on Beaver? It makes no sense to me. I would think they would hide in the thick brush.
— Joe Quinn (Siloam Springs, Ark.)
A: It’s directly related to the shad spawn. The shad like to spawn on those hard surfaces. And they like to feed on the algae that grows on those rocks and hard surfaces.
– MODERATOR COMMENT –
Bass-fishing fans, unfortunately, that’s all the time we have for Mark Pack as of right now. We appreciate the tremendous volume of questions for Mark and wish there was time for him to answer them all. However, FLWOutdoors.com will continue to provide as many installments of the FLW Live Reel Chat series as possible as we head deeper into the 2008 season. Again, thanks to Mark Pack for giving us his valuable time. And a very special thanks to all of the fans who participated in today’s Reel Chat program on FLWOutdoors.com.