Pete Gluszek Tournament Journal

Catch More Bass with Pro angler and Bass Guide Pete Gluszek

Guntersville Season Opener - FLW Tour 2009:
 

The season is underway. I always enjoy an opportunity to spend some time at Guntersville and this year didn't disappoint. Without a doubt, Guntersville has some of the biggest fish in the country. On day one of the tournament I had better than 19 pounds and was only in 25th place. Walker had just under thirty pounds and there were over fifteen limits that were over 20 pounds. Truly Amazing! I finished 56th place.

The fish I was catching were in the pre spawn mode beginning to take the shallow grass flats. I was picking them off using a combination of three baits. The first was a Jig X. I was using this bait on rocky areas adjacent to grass flats. This is a very typical pre-spawn position for bass to gang up prior to the spawn. The other baits that I used were a 3/4oz. Horizon Spinnerbait (no longer in production) and a swimbait. I used these baits in and around the grass flats. I managed to catch everything that bit on day one, but on day two the fish were a little "poochy mouthed" as my friend from South Carolina always says. I missed three good fish and managed only three bass for ten pounds on day two. I know a lot of guys were complaining about missing fish this week and I was no different. I think the major factor in missing so many fish was the lack of current on the second day of the tournament. Without that current the fish just don't commit to the baits as well.

One major disappointment in this event came in the form of a shell bed that I found on the last day of practice. I caught a handful of big fish, 5-6 pounders, on this area. They were big and aggressively hitting my baits during practice. I only set the hook a couple of times and left them biting. During the tournament, however, the fish never showed up. This little shell bed was positioned adjacent to a major spawning flat and I was sure that I would have a shot to win the tournament there. For some reason the bass never moved on the shell bed during the tournament. I'll keep that little spot in my back pocket for next time.

Congratulations to David Fritts!!!! He is deadly when he gets on a roll.

 

Tricky Table Rock - FLW Outdoors 2009:
 

Tricky Table Rock – (Pre Event)

Table Rock is the next on the trail. This place is a deep clear highland reservoir that can be a real challenge. The fish move and change a lot depending on water temps, wind, rain and sun. I have fished here several times over the years and I expect this tournament to be a test of who can consistently cant limits of 15 inch bass. It’s not unusual to catch 30-40 fish on any given day and never land a single bass over 15 inches. It’s very common on this lake to see a guy catch a great limit one day and zero the next.

I'm up for the challenge and I expect to see jerkbaits, cranks, jigs and some type of finesse tactic to rule the event. The lake looks like its slightly above full pool right now and water temps are in the mid 40's. It’s possible that the water temps could get into the 50's by the time we get there. I expect it to see a pre spawn situation. The spawn doesn't usually happen until April. The bass should be staging and fat coming out of their winter time patterns. You can bet that all three species will play a role in this tournament - Smallies, Spots and Largemouth. Past winners always had mixed bags including all three species. If conditions are good I expect a 3 1/4 pound average to win the tournament.