(The writer's opinions and observations expressed here are his own, and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views, policies or positions of FLW.)

Beaver is known as a pattern lake. That hasn’t been the case for me this week.

Normally, you come here, it’s cool weather, and you crank or you throw a swimbait. Or say the fish are on wood, so you go around and flip wood all day. You run a pattern. This time, I couldn’t figure out any of those little patterns to run, other than throwing a Livingston Lures crankbait, but despite catching them really well on it the first day, I knew that wasn’t a true pattern.

Things have changed every day, and those fish are moving up to spawn or are already spawning. For me, I’ve actually been running spots. I’m fishing places that I’ve caught them on in years past. For instance, last year when I made the top 10 I had a key spot. They’re not there this year, they’re down the bank a little ways.

What is unique for me this year is that because things are changing so much, those spots keep replenishing with fish. That normally doesn’t happen. So I’ve been one of the lucky guys to have so many places where I can keep catching fish consistently. I’ve been trying new stuff, but it doesn’t seem to be working. So I just keep going back to those same spots and catching fish.

I know I’m going to have to make an adjustment tomorrow to try and move up. The guys that are going to contend for the win are all catching those 12-14-pound bags. So I need to figure out how to catch a 17-18-pound bag, and there are plenty of them out there. I just need to make sure to stick those key bites.

Beaver Lake, way more than most, is a game of ounces, and if you lose those key bites, that’s the difference. I’ve lost them before and not done well. The last two years I’ve caught them and I’ve made the top 10. It goes in cycles.

I’m just happy to have had three good days of fishing in a row, since I had a bad day and a good day at the first two events this year. So to be able to get over that hump and make a top 10 feels really good.