Joshimoto Day 1 Everstart

[McCarter]

Josh finished 26th yesterday with 15-11.  His boater only caught 2 fish.  Josh said he was just fishing harder than his boater and because of that was able to get more bites.  Anyone who knows Josh knows how he gets when the money is on the line.  That dude gets focused like no one else i have ever met.

Lets keep the fingers crossed for a big move today!  Looks like he drew a guy who is on some fish.  His day 2 boater had 17+ yesterday!

PB himself

[bshaner]

Ya I illegally streamed video from work and watched him weigh in.  He was definately focused.  Will watch it again today.  Shhhh!  Dont tell the boss.

They got some really good weather out there eh?!  crossing fingers now!

B

[djkimmel]

I got a call a short time ago and forum member Ben Felton (my friend who is on a HOT streak!!) made the top 20 cut again today. He had 21-7 yesterday and 14-14 today despite contrary winds I'm told.

I'll have to look and see how Josh did too.

[djkimmel]

Here's a picture from the Stren web site of Ben's 2 big smallies from his first day 7th place 21-7 limit: http://stren.flwoutdoors.com/photo.cfm?id=20570

Josh missed the cut by just a little finishing in 28th.

Team houston finished in 26th.

I see Bryan Coates (a forum member) is in the top 5 along with perennials Joe Balog and Mike Trombley too. I'll have to check for more later if I can because I've been leaving people out in the past (like LUMBERLEO winning the last BFL co-angler, but I don't always know a real name to a screen name either - eventually... but not yet).

[Team houston]

I was fortunate enough to draw the legendary Steve Clapper on day one. Unfortunately he had only one day of practice because he was up fishing the Canadien championship. We each caught 3 at his first spot that were 3.5 to 4lbs each. We then hunt and pecked aroud but could not come up with any thing. We then went back to were we started and I caught one more small one. He even tried to go catch some LM, no bites there either. I ended up with 4 fish for 13.10    The next day I drew another legend, Stacy King. He told me he fished his first tourney in 1968. I knew where we would be fishing because he was in the same area as Clappers starting spot. Stacy stayed in the same area all day and caught 20lbs. The 2nd day started very slow for me. Stacy was whippin my but to put it bluntly. He put 4 quality fish in the boat and lost a couple more and swung and missed on many more before I had one bite. We have all had those days and I was thinking please NO!  We changed locations and I caught two more, one about 3 and a 1.5lber. I figured with three fish I would cash a check so now I relaxed a little more.  Meanwhile Stacy culled one there and caught a couple small ones that would not help. They would have been gold for me. We then went back to our starting location. Being relaxed with 3 fish I started getting some bites. I caught one about 3lbs and another close to 3. I caught one more keeper that wouldn't help. I ended the day with 14.2  , more than I thought I had. Stacy had 18 and change and made the cut in 11th place. I thought I had a really good chance at it, because two yrs ago I easily made it with 26.1    This time I had 27.12 and wasn't even close. The fishing is so good out there now you can't have two good days. You have to have two great days to make a cut. I will take 26th and $300 and run. Any time you cash a check you are doing OK. I want to say both of my partners were class acts and a pleasure to fish with.          Phil      p.s.  fish were caught on tubes, drop shot and jig and worm and jig and sweet beaver.

[djkimmel]

I haven't looked yet, but I got a call from Ben Felton from the front line and he had a slow day, finishing 19th overall. Still another great finish for him in a streak of high finishes.

Congratulations to all the GLBass.com members who finished well.

[joshimoto son]

My first day pro was Jim Jones... He was second in the points standings... at the registration meeting both of us were just hoping to catch enough fish to maintain our spots in the points.

Jim is a great guy to fish with and was able to locate a couple spots where there was fish. I scratched out a limit through out the day and only had five bites to get my 15-11.
Jim had five bites also but was only able to capitalize on two of them.

The second day I drew a local guy, Greg Glasser, I met him last year fishing the Federation Classic Series and he knew exactly who I was when I called him on the phone to make arrangements to meet the next morning.

We were boat number one and we made a 40 mile run to a single rock hump that he and his friend Hardy Tusgledara (sp?) had found in practice.

After the first five minutes of being there we were sharing that spot with five other boats.

I relate that style of fishing to sitting around a camp fire. all the boats nosed in fishing the top of the hump. Almost everyone caught fish there, but no one caught a limit. Greg had three and I had one.

The Co-angler big bass of the day came from there which was a 6-8.

I witnessed a couple guys losing fish, and felt their pain as we had all lost our share of em in the past.

We made our way back slowly and at the end of the day going up river toward the north end of Grosse Isle (sp again) and fished a flat with weeds and pockets of rocks.

I was able to pick up two four pounders there to finish my day, Greg caught a four pounder, and wished we had more than a half an hour to fish it. I missed the cut by 1 lb 7 oz.

I only went through the "if I only had one more fish" phase for that day, and the reality of it all set in the next day.

I cut three out of four checks possible checks
I ended up 17th overall in the points standings
and I'm going to Alabama to fish the National Championship.
All this in my first year.

I'll take it!

I would like to congratulate "Angling Axe Man" for securing his spot in the Championship too.
I know there is other anglers on this board that fish the Stren Series... but I am only aware of where Axe man is.

joshimoto son

[dartag]

I was fortunate enough to draw the legendary Steve Clapper on day one. .

we were in the little blue Ranger when you guys came up.  the boater asked if i knew who that guy was.  i told him Steve Clapper.   i almost fell out of the boat when he asked  " Are you the legendary Steve Clapper " 

i told him we must be in the right spot if Steve was fishing there.  sounds like he had a tough day.