Art Ferguson III
Harris Chain- BASS Tour January 31-Feburary 6
More Tour Journals


1/31/05 
Harris Chain of Lakes, BASS Tour event #2, day 1 practice:
 
Weather was decent, got up to low 70's in afternoon, mostly sunny and a mild front passing through. Got on the water around 8:00am and fished til 5:00pm. I concentrated in Lake Harris today and fished around outer and inner grass edges. Fishing mostly Kissimmee grass and some eel grass with scattered bullrush.
 
Flipping and carolina rigging I ended up getting 7-9 bites today. Set the hook on a couple and the fish are healthy. The water also looks the best I've seen it in the 3 years I've come here now. Visibility on main lake is 2' and much cleaner in many canals.
 
Should be a great tournament. Weights should be up and as long as the temps don't get too low, should be as high of weights as last year.
 
I will have a camera boat following me or have cameramen in my boat tomorrow for practice. A show run by Fisher's of Men Christian tournament circuit is doing a show with myself and Jay Yelas on a day on the water practicing as a professional for a Tour event. Should be interesting. Jay will fish with them on final day of practice.
 
I plan on looking for beds next couple days while trying to expand on what I learned today. Didn't get to sleep very early yesterday and as I type this, it's 10:50pm. Trying to do the things you have to do on the road; paying bills!!!
 
Thanks for reading and God bless!!
 
Art Ferguson
2/01/05
day 2 practice: Harris Chain of lakes, BASS Tour:
 
Hmmmmm....disappointing you could say. I fished some real good looking water in Lake Eustis today and caught one short, had 2 other bites and did see a 5-6lber on a bed and another fish around 2 on a bed.
 
Weather was stable, cool in morning, getting to almost 75-80 at one point in the day and then dropping back down to 60's when the wind and clouds resumed. Water is in hi 50's to low 60's.
 
I just have to trust God on this one. Not quite sure what happened today, had the camera crew out with me and was hoping to get some good footage of some fish but that was a no go. I guess the best way to say it is I "eliminated" some water today.
 
Get up and get on 'em tomorrow. Probably will try to expand on Harris tomorrow on what I learned on day 1.
 
Thanks!!
 
Art Ferguson
2/02/05
 
Day 3, Harris Chain of Lakes, BASS Tour event practice:
 
Weather was cloudy all day, around 60-65 degrees and fished grass out in main lake of Harris. Had a couple bites and then decided to go look for spawners and see what is up and what is not.
 
Wow, I was suprised, not only is the water 61-68 in canals, but the same area I fished last year on day 1 (couldn't catch them) was loaded with BIG BASS! Saw probably 20 over 4lbs and unfortunately, sounds like about 50-100 other guys also found them. Should be a ZOO in this somewhat tiny area. I think there were about 10-12 of us last year in there, rumors have it that 70 will be there tomorrow.
 
I am boat 117 out but will still try to get in and see if I can't pick off a few big ones. Then will go fishing on Harris. Suppose to have some rain and cloudy tomorrow. This is gonna be FUN!
 
Art Ferguson
www.artoffishing.com
2/03/05

Day 1, BASS Harris Chain of Lakes Tour event:

 
UGH! As I spoke of yesterday, I found some bass on beds (so did about 1/2 the field!!!) I went in to the canals where all the beds were and I believe there were 20+ boats all piled up on each other.
 
I tried to let this not intimidate me and moved right through where I could. My FIRST cast, I caught my only keeper of the day. A measly, but thankful one pounder.
 
Moved down the bank and yesterday had spotted a bass in the 8-10lb. range and there she was, untouched!! (get the kleenex on this next story). I anchored up, sat on the fish for over an hour. Threw everything in soft plastics I had at her and she was not budging, which is a good thing. I bumped her and 3 or 4 times, she flared at the baits. About every 5-10 minutes, she would push a bluegill off the bed, but meanwhile, just hover over and look at my baits. I had on a 4" Mizmo pearl tube with 16lb. Sunline flourcarbon "Sniper" fishing line. My hands and body were shaking as I stared this girl down for over an hour. Every once in a while I would look at my partner Robbie Sacora from S.C. and he would encourage me to not give up. At times, I found myself not breathing for 15-30 seconds!! It was exciting....BUT, she went after a bluegill one more time and when she did, she hit my line in the thrust of the movement and I felt a "tick". I didn't think I saw her flare at my bait, but I set the hook and fought her through thick pads, thick cover and finally, as she thrust one more time to get back into the real thick stuff, I realized as I pulled on her with my Kistler LTA, it wasn't turning her head. I SNAGGED her in the tail!!!! UGH! I let lipped her, she was easily over 8, probably pushing 9lbs. Looked and felt sick to my stomach as I released her to never go back to the bed the rest of the day.
 
Tim Horton, who had a 9-7 today, watched it happen and said "I'm sorry man"...it was truly one of the most disappointing experiences in my fishing career.
 
We had a 3 hour fog delay to top that and after spending over an hour on her, most of the other fish in the area were getting captured by other anglers. I had a couple other opportunities to catch other smaller bed fish, but failed.
 
Tough day on the pond as they say, but I'm learning as I go.
 
God bless and thanks for reading.
 
Art Ferguson
2/04/05
day 2, Harris Chain of Lakes, BASS Tour event:
 
WOW, thank you Lord! What a day....landed only 4 bass today, but 2 of them were over 7 1/2 lbs including the BIGGEST BASS OF MY LIFE and big bass of the tournament, an 11lb. 1oz. LUNKER....
 
The bass hit a Carolina rigged Yamamoto Senko in a watermelon color. I tipped the tail chartruese in the slightly stained waters of Harris Lake. I had the PLEASURE of fighting this fish for over a minute as it worked its way around my boat.
 
Two very exciting moments during the fight, first was when it jumped. It was very powerful and came completely out of the water. I knew it was over 10lbs, as I get to see many 6-9lbers jump when shiner fishing on Okeechobee. The second was when it jumped again, about 6' from the boat and it changed directions on me. This is when the fish has the best chance of coming off, but thank God it stayed hooked and my partner, Ken, lipped it. I had to lay back (after we hugged) and stop fishing for a few minutes. I was shaking and so excited, I couldn't hardly stand.
 
About 30 minutes later, I landed the 7 1/2lber and at this time, I actually had no reaction to this fish but to keep on keepin on. I got very focused in this time. Caught this fish also using my Kistler 7 1/2' X heavy LTA rod with a Shimano Curado 100 reel filled with Sunline 16lb. Sniper flourocarbon line with about a 2 1/2' leader and 4/0 Owner wide gap hook.
 
Disappointed with day 1, looking at many big fish and couldn't catch them and to come back and just go fishing on day 2 and get blessed with these type of fish kinda took the sting out of day 1.  I tried to stay open minded today and was willing to be versatile as the day went on. Missed 2 other "rig" bites and caught 2 shorts and missed one flipping.
 
Amazed at how you can move up from 135th to 25th and get big bass in one day of fishing. It makes you realize that there is no time to give up in this sport. As Iconnelli once said "Never give up!!!"
 
Coolest thing ever was when I talked to my fiance, Lori, and found out that her and her friends and children actually were praying to God today that I would catch the biggest bass of my LIFE....well, confirmation of His Grace came forth.
 
Thanks for reading,
 
Art Ferguson