Last week I expressed my feelings about summer bass tournaments. This week we’ll breakdown and go over the results of my last two ABA (American Bass Anglers) summer events.
First, the Texas Pro League event was held on Lake Tyler on June 21st as hot temperatures and high winds made fishing difficult for some, but not for everyone.
It seems that no matter how difficult the fishing might be in any bass tournament, someone will figure out how to catch a big bag. It doesn’t matter if there are 200 boats or 20, somebody will figure it out!
That was pretty much the case for the Lake Tyler event, as Zach Fogal (2024 Angler of the Year) decided to show out a little as he came to the scales with 5 bass for over 36 pounds! That’s right, you read it right- 36 pounds! To put this in perspective, the next closest angler was Wyatt Frankens of Corrigan, Texas, with 27.84.
This event was dominated offshore by these two guys who are really good with forward facing sonar. It’s just another example of how good some guys are with this technology.
For me, this was a tough tournament as I struggled to catch a five fish limit and only brought four fish to the scales. But the fish I caught were descent size fish as I managed to finish 9th with a little over 13 pounds and got some good points, keeping me in the Top 10 (7th) in the overall points race.
Next was the ABA Solo 150 held June 27th & 28th on Lake Palestine. Once again, Longview, Texas native Zach Fogal backed his boat in the water and blew the field away as most everyone knew he would. Some anglers are just on another level and Zach is that guy!
Turns out, Zach came to the scales and spanked all of us with a two-day total of over 56 pounds winning this event by an amazing 18.4 pounds! Catching this kind of weight in June used to be unheard of, but not today with forward-facing sonar as it’s becoming more of the norm no matter what lake it is.
This event for me was the tale of two days, as on day one I came in with 15.80 lbs. and was sitting in third going into day 2. But what a difference a day makes! Day two was filled with one lost fish after another, as I lost a four-pounder on the first dock I pulled up on. Then I lost two three- pounders in ten minutes, not to mention the 8 pounder I lost four feet from the boat on day one.
I wound up in 6th place overall, as I had a two-day total of 25.47 pounds. Day two really hurt me, bringing in 5 bass just under 10 pounds. The fish just didn’t seem to take the bait as well. Several guys complained about losing fish on day-two.
Bass fishing is a funny sport that sometimes defies explanation! You would think in a tournament this time of year (summer), and with no major weather change, that the fishing would be the same day in and day out. But no, for some reason the bass decided they just weren’t as hungry on day two as they were on day one.
But make no mistake, I still hate summertime bass tournaments! It would not bother me in the least if tournament trails suspended bass tournaments for the months of July and August. It’s just not worth everything you have to go through as anglers with the heat, babysitting fish all day, and constant fighting against recreational boaters.
Hope everyone has a great summer and please be safe out there with regards to the heat. Heat exhaustion can creep up on you quickly if you’re not paying attention. Make sure to always drink plenty of water the night before you hit your area lake, either for fishing or just having a good time.
Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com
