Blog: Back in the Groove

Pro Ish Monroe crushes 'em on day one of the FLW Tour on Lewis Smith; his sack tipped the scale at 17 pounds, 14 ounces. Photo by Curtis Niedermier. Angler: Ish Monroe.

April 14, 2015 • Ish Monroe • Angler Columns

It feels good to be in full swing of the tournament season again. We just finished the second stop of the Walmart FLW Tour on Lewis Smith Lake, and it was an excellent event.

The lake is in the best health that I’ve seen in several years. There were a lot of limits and largemouths caught. Hats off to the state of Alabama and Sen. Greg Reed, who attended Sunday’s final weigh-in, for keeping Alabama’s fisheries at the top of their priority list to preserve and conserve. I think Smith Lake rates right up there with Guntersville and Pickwick and can now be considered one of Alabama’s world-class bass fisheries.

Shout-out to the town of Jasper for lifting the slot limit for this event. You can see that their efforts for having a slot in place are now starting to pay off big time. The majority of fish I caught were well over the limit, which is testament to the fact that it’s working. I can’t say enough about the lake. It’s awesome right now, and I had a lot of fun fishing there.

One thing that people don’t realize is that the record-setting bass now being caught in California lakes actually originated from Smith Lake. It’s only a matter of time before the same record-setting spotted bass emerge from Smith.

A surprise for me at this event was the number of largemouths that were caught. I was catching largemouths in areas where in the past I had normally caught spotted bass. I was mainly fishing mid-lake and up the river and didn’t expect to see the quantity and quality of largemouths that I saw, especially mid-lake.

I ended up finishing 12th and should have made the top 10, but I lost a couple of fish that cost me. As a competitor I never second-guess my decisions; if you start doing that you start making bad decisions. I try and stick with my plan even if on the outside it doesn’t appear to be working. Mentally that can sometimes be a hard thing to do. Take day three of this event for example.

Going into the final hour I only had two bass in the boat. However, I knew that I had a late-day pattern going, so instead of going into a panic I stuck with my plan, and, sure enough, everything aligned perfectly: water temp, fish movement, air temp, sun … I caught six or seven keepers in the last hour. I am pretty sure that the two fish I lost earlier in the tournament were what cost me a top-10 spot. But that’s fishing, and now it’s time to move on to Beaver Lake.

A lot of guys hate Beaver Lake, and I think that’s because they don’t understand it. They don’t understand crystal-clear water and the fact that every time you go there you have to find a different pattern. There is no consistency to Beaver Lake.

I love Beaver Lake. I love the challenge that it presents; the fact that you’re doing something different every time you go there is fun for me. You know that if you’re fishing Kentucky Lake and Lake Chickamauga you’re ledge fishing; the Potomac River: tidewater grass; Okeechobee: flipping grass. With Beaver, you never know.

I’ve fished Beaver Lake five times. The first two times the lake kicked my butt. I hated it because I didn’t understand it. Since then I’ve cashed a check and made two top 20s, and now it’s fun for me.

I can’t tell you what is going to work until I get there. The water level and water temperature will be big factors as to how I fish. The one pattern that’s always been consistent has been throwing a shaky head. However, that doesn’t always win the tournament. If water levels are high you’ll probably see a lot of flipping and spinnerbaits being used. If it’s low a lot of Carolina rigs and jerkbaits will play.

The lake is full of 2-pounders, and I plan on finding a way that gives me the best opportunity to catch them.

This event is always special because it’s home to Walmart. The support that it gives pro anglers is phenomenal, and to experience not only its support, but the support of the community as well, is pretty sweet. Unfortunately, I will not be able to participate in the FLW Will Fish for Kids – Bill Kerr Memorial Charity Tournament associated with the Beaver Lake Tour event due to a scheduling conflict. I participated last year, and what an honor it was to be a part of the event. If you want more information on how you can fish with an FLW Tour pro on Beaver Lake, check it out at WillFishForKids.com. It’s a fun day you won’t regret playing hooky for!