I caught that Crappie off a bed while Gabe was fishing for a largemouth on a bed. The largemouth were coming up pretty fast, and by the end of practice we found quite a few that were willing to bite with little effort. The problem was that lots of people had started to look by the last day, and were all finding the same fish. Gabe was confident he could catch at least 3 of the bedding fish and then go deep and drag a jig of shaky head for keeper spots. I was a little concerned that I might draw someone who was fishing for bedding bass. If I drew someone who was out fishing for spots I was confident I could do well in the tournament; especially since it was so difficult to catch any fish at all. I do well when fishing is difficult. As it happened, I drew fishing legend Jimmy Houston. We started fishing shallow, moving pretty fast as he looked for beds that he had seen in practice. All the fish were gone off the beds and there were no fish cruising. With the new no information rule I couldn't ask Jimmy to stop for the bass on beds that he missed and I saw. I would throw my worm up into the bed and free-line as he motored on up the shoreline. Sometimes when you finally pick up on the bait the fish has it, but not this day. It was a difficult day of fishing to say the least. I had a big one pull of on a jig, but I never saw it, so it could have been a cat fish(at least that's what I keep telling myself). I did lose a 3+ at the side of the boat waiting for the net. I didn't think Jimmy was going to get there in time so I tried swinging it in the boat; it flew off. Jimmy finished out the remainder of the day fishing for a bedding largemouth. He fished for it for 2 hours without success. So ends the first day of the tournament. At least I can say I fished with one of the greatest Icons the fishing world has ever seen. Jimmy was a nice guy and I was priveleged enough to hear some of his fishing stories. Here's a picture of Jimmy fishing for that bass that never did bite.

"Momma told me when I was young.... Be a simple kind of man, oh be something you love and understand" - Lynyrd Skynyrd

"I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some...." - Jason Mraz

"Give me one moment in time, when I'm more than I thought I could be. When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away and the answers are all up to me" - Whitney Houston

"Im'a be what I set out to be, without a doubt, undoubtably.
And all those who look down on me, I'm tearing down your balcony.
No if, ands, or buts, don't try to ask him why or how can he..." - Eminem
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