The FLW Tour season opener at Okeechobee is in the books. The lake was definitely stingier this year and no one came close to breaking the century mark. Congratulations to Drew Benton on his first tour win in his very first tour event.

My practice went well and I found myself fishing some very familiar water with some of my good friends. JT Kenney, Brandon McMillan, Scott Martin and I all worked the same stretch up North and it was pretty evident the first day that a LOT had changed.

I only had four good bites in the three days that I fished and boated three of the four. All three were in my bag on day two. I caught them pretty early on day two and decided to make a run to check some fish that could possibly help me on days three and four. Unfortunately, I had some mechanical issues at about 2:30. I cannot thank my good friend Brandon McMillan enough for coming to get me and taking me to the weigh in. He sacrificed his own fishing time so I could make it in and I will never forget that!

I stuck with flipping using my standard Okeechobee gear – 7’11 XH Halo rod, Halo Vega reel, 80# Gamma Torque braid, 1.5 oz Reins tungsten sinker and switched between a Gambler Why Not and a Bitters Best Value BFM. I also managed to catch one key fish flipping a ¾-ounce 4×4 Heavy Hitter Series black and blue jig.

I am not satisfied at all with my 15th place finish, but considering I almost zeroed on day two, I shouldn’t complain. Angler of the Year and the Forrest Wood Cup are still within reach and a paycheck is always a good thing.

My sights are now on Smith Lake which is just 30 minutes North of my home in Gardendale, Alabama. Smith has really come on strong the last couple of years and I think the lake is going to surprise a lot of people in a few weeks. It is almost the exact opposite type of lake as the Big `O’ and it brings its own set of challenges. I can’t wait!

See you there.