Well the score is Big "O" 2 us 1 we have been here for 3 days and we have 1 bass so far.  Let me tell you it is slow fishing.

There is a little more than weeds in the lake.  We ran into a rock while taking off and put a few dings in the new prop.

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With the lake being low for a year all of the grass and weeds grew up over the whole lake bottom.  So now that it is back up everything is flooded and there is so much cover that the bass are just scattered.  Everything can hold a bass and we just have to keep our lines wet.

We actually called reinforcements today.  We called Robert Cartildge the TBF president and asked or the Florida State Federations presidents number.  We called Bob Kostrzewa and asked for a little hand.  He gave us number to call and we are going to meet Dave Smith in the morning and he will take us out and show us a few spots.

We hit her hard today.  It is tough fishing plain and simple.  We shot out of the ramp and hit the West Wall.

We keep finding some great looking stuff but no bites.  We worked around there for quite a while and then started jumping around.

We did find one spot that had 2 small fish on a bed and one cruising close by but they would not hit anything.

Then we traveled South.  We hit this area that was a small corner of the lake.  Brian set the hook on a 2 pounder the first and only fish of the day.  It hit a lizard at the base of a bush.

Then we worked a small canal and he tempted a 6 foot gator and he took the lizard too.  I tried to get a picture but he pulled off right when I took it.

We are fishing hard but the fish just are not co-operating with us.  And as the matter goes they are not co-operating for anyone else either.  Pretty much everyone we talk to is saying the same thing.

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We got up and ran to the launch this morning.  We have never been on this lake so we really did not know what to expect.  We ran the rim canal toward the Monkey Box and headed in.  This is a big body of water.  When you get to the lake you can not see the bank on the other side.

The lake has only been up for 3 or 4 months at the most and it looks like a giant hayfield that has been flooded.  There is so many spots to put a bait into it is amazing.  We looked for some key things.  Shallow water, clear water and a hard bottom.

We fished hard but the bite is just not there.  No one is getting them, guides are telling customers getting ready for a whole lot of nothing.  Locals are not even getting the bites.  Even the panfishers are drawing blanks.

We have a lot of area to cover and I think we will slow down tomorrow and work the heck out of a few of the better looking areas.

I caught the only fish of the day a mudfish.  We did run across some beds late in the day and again those areas will be worked in much more detail.

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Well it is officially season.  Brian picked me up around 7:00 and we started South.

It was a pretty uneventful ride down it took us about 10 hours to get to Okeechobee.  We kind of flew by the seat of our pants, because w did not have any idea were we were going to stay at.  It was dark when we hit Clewiston and we stopped to fill up the boat and truck with gas and asked if there was any where close by that allowed tent camping.  They gave us directions to the KOA and we set up camp.

Other than that, that was pretty much our day taking turns driving the "Living The Dream" package to Florida

I had a simple game plan today.  Get all of my stuff packed up for the trip.  I had a pretty extensive list I have been adding to over the week and I had to get it all in one place and into bags.

I started inside and got all my clothes packed up.  We are going out for 10 days and that is a lot of supplies.  I could get everything stuffed into a medium sized case.  Then I headed out to the garage and went through my boat and that was a tough decisions there.  About the only things I could eliminate were deep diving crankbaits and jigging spoons.

I went through and sorted out all the stuff I thought I may use and stuffed it into a couple of bags.  I sorted out the rods and picked about 8 to go down with me.  I added my rain gear, sunscreen, and life jacket to a different bag.

We are going low tech this week and tenting it so I also have also packed a sleeping bag and blow up matress.  I have a cooler with snacks and water ready to go.

Brian is leaving up there around 5:00 and should be here about 7:45 and then we will have another 8 hours till we hit Okeechobee.  It is going to be a good trip.