The Egg is in action!

As many of you know, I own a Big Green Egg.  It's been neglected this spring, but since I have a few weeks off from fishing, I'm going to make up for some lost time.  Here is the first project from the egg.
An 8lb bone-in pork butt!  I cooked it for 16.5 hours at 190-200 degrees.  When I took it off the egg, I shredded it, added a little seasoning, and man it is crazy good!

 Here are a few pictures of the project in progress:

(Just a few key ingredients are all you need)

(The Egg is lit and the pork butt is going in)

(It's ready to come off after 16+ hours of cooking)

(Shredded to perfection!)

Pinckneyville High School Bass Fishing Begins...

Today was the first qualifying tournament for the 2010-2011 fishing team.  Our team runs it's qualifying events in the summer to prevent any conflicts with the school's traditional sports schedule. 
Today's tournament was held at the Pinckneyville City Lake, a small lake of about 150 acres.  The top three finishers for today's event were:
Ryan Chapman     10lbs 8oz
Eric Tabing           9lbs  6oz
Brad Baudison     7lbs  8oz

Congradulations to these anglers!

Got a few weeks off...

Since the American Fishing Sereis central division wrapped up last week, I have until July 2nd before I leave for the first event of the PAA tour (http://www.fishpaa.com/).  So, I think I'm going to take it easy for a while.  I'm going to try and go back to Kentucky lake and get in some good ledge fishing, and probably fish a few local events to stay tuned up.  I'll might even fish a BFL or two, other than that I'm looking forward to some fun fishing.  Yep, that's right, fun fishing, I can't wait.  No pressure to perform, just plain ole fun, if you catch one great, if not, who cares!   Fishing and of course, I'm going to fire up the Big Green Egg for some long overdue cooking.  I've slightly neglected the egg in the last couple of months, and I'm going to do my best to catch up...I can smell the baby backs right now.  Check back, I'll be posting some photos of my off-time adventures.  It's going to be like a vacation.
God  Bless,
D

Baits and Patterns for Kentucky Lake American Fishing Series

As promised, here are the baits and patterns used last week during the American Fishing Series event held on Kentucky Lake.

During practice I had been able to find a few fish in the flooded bushes and trees in the backs of the creek arms and along the sides, near secondary points.  As the tournament neared, the Tennessee Valley Authority began to drop the lake at a rapid rate.  This brought a lot of the fish out to the edge of the flooded bushes and creek mouths.  It also provided a little better access to the fish living in the flooded trees and bushes located on secondary points.

On day one I ran secondary points, creek mouths and small pockets on the sides of the creek arms that had only a few flooded bushes or willow trees in them.  I ended the day with 16lbs and 15oz, just 3 oz out of tenth place.  I caught most of my fish this day flipping a Dunn's Premium Baits Big Bite Honey Bug and throwing a Fire tiger Rapala DT6.

On day two I managed only 12lbs and 5oz.  I never had a big fish on, so I have no complaints.  I caught all of the fish I weighed this day on the Dunn's Honey Bug.  I did manage a keeper on the DT6, but culled it out a little later in the day.  One other bait I used this week was a Lunker Lure Ultimate Rattling Jig, a 3/4 ounce jig in Black, Blue and Purple color with a Zoom Super Chunk jr trailer in Sapphire blue. 

Pictured below are the baits I used in this tournament:

• The Dunn's Honey Bug was fished on 30lb Maxima Fluorocarbon line, a 3/8ths ounce or one-half ounce Penetrater Tungsten weight and a Paycheck Lures Punch Hook.

• The Ultimate Rattling Jig was also fished on 30lb Maxima Fluorocarbon, both the jig and the Honey Big were fliiped with a GLoomis 7'5" Flipping stick model # BFR894

• The DT6 was fished with a 7' GLoomis crankbait rod model # CBR845, on 10lb Maxima monofilament line. 

One good bite from making the cut...

The Kentucky Lake American Fishing Series is over, and as you know, I was in pretty good shape after day1.  I managed to catch another limit on day 2, but was never able to get a big fish, one in the four to five pound range.  I ended the tournament in 27th place, with a two-day total weight of 29-05.  It took 32-02 to make the top ten cut.  If I had it to do over, I don't think I would change anything about the way I fished this tournament, I just never managed to generate that one good bite I needed to boost my total weight high enough to make the cut.  With the three tournament season now over, I ended the year in 15th place in the angler of the year race.  That's not too bad, it qualifies me for the American Fishing Series Invitational this fall on Wheeler Lake in Alabama.  Stay tuned, I'll have pattern and baits information available in a few days.
God Bless,
D

Kentucky Lake American Fishing Series is underway...

Day one is over, and I was very fortunate today to catch a good limit.  I had 16lbs and 15oz for the day, which left me in 14th place.  I'm just 2 ounces off the top ten, which is where they cut the field to after tomorrow.  I believe that I need another 16 to 16 and a half pounds tomorrow if I want to make the cut.  Lord willing that will happen.  I know I was blessed to have caught nearly 17lbs today, so I'm grateful for that.  Check in tomorrow, if I make the cut, I'll have a  new post, if not it might be a day or two before I report.
God Bless,
D

High, Muddy and tough as a pine knot...

It's definitely a different Kentucky Lake this week.  The lake is currently 9 feet over summer pool with an inch or two of visibility.  Fishing is terribly tough right now.  The TVA is going to start lowering the lake tomorrow, progressively pulling more water as the week goes.  Possibly lowering the lake by several feet in the next three days.  At least it can't hurt the bite too bad, lol.  Stay tuned, it's gonna be an interesting one.
God Bless,
D

Pinckneyville Finishes event in fourth place

The Pinckneyville HIgh School Bass Fishing team finished the state tournament in 4th place Saturday afternoon.  Congradulations to Jake Bathon and Ben Harris.  Nice Job Guys!

Going to be out for a while

As I mentioned yesterday, I am heading to Kentucky Lake for the final regular season American Fishing Series Event, and again, I will be in the land of not internet.  I am staying with a friend, so no Wi-Fi for this trip.  I may give an update or two from the water via instant blogging ( I think that's what it's called).  Until next week, when Lord willing I can give you a run down of my winning pattern...lol, well maybe I'll win, we'll have to wait and see.
God Bless,
Duke

The Illinois HIgh School State Bass Fishing tournament is up and running...

Friday marked the start of the IHSA (Illinois High School Sports Association) state bass fishing tournament.  As many of you know, I help coach the Pinckneyville HIgh School team.  I am happy to report that Pinckneyville sits in 4th place with a five-fish total weight of 14lbs and 15oz.  We are currently 3lbs behind the leaders (I'm sorry to admit in my excitement over our teams success, I forgot the name of the team that is leading).  Take-off for day two is at 7a.m. this morning with the final weigh-in starting at 3 p.m.  Regardless of the outcome, we have had another great year with our team.  We have been fortunate enough to qualify for the state championship every year it has been held.  It would be awesome if we could bring home some hardware...you know, some wood...come on, you know what I mean...a trophy!  I can't wait to see how this one ends.
God Bless,
Duke

Leaving for the Kentucky Lake American Fishing Series in the morning...

Despite what some people are calling the 500 year flood, the Amercian Fishing Series at Kentucky Lake will still go on.  Scheduled to start next Thursday morning, FLW outdoors was unsure whether the event would take place, due to the coast gaurd shutting down the entire Tennessee river from Pickwick Landing to Paducah, KY.  The current lake level is 368.95, that's aproximately TEN feet above normal elevation.  It looks like the picnic table and barbeque grill pattern will be in effect for this one!  FYI...if you're not familiar with that pattern, it's a comment used to describe the flooded conditions on the lake, like the campground areas, hence the picnic tables and barbeque grills.  It looks like this is going to be an interesting tournament, I hope it turns out well, but I truly don't know what to expect.  Lord willing it will be a good one.
God Bless,
D

Can you smell that?

If you are smelling what I am smelling, let me tell you what it is...it's me.  Yep, me, actually it's my fishing ability.  I competed yesterday in the opening event of the Illini Division of the BFLs, and man did I stink that one up!  I finished in 30th place, they paid 16 places.  I was two pounds and seven ounces out of a check, that's downright terrible.  I shouldn't really blame my fishing ability, I caught every fish that bit, but one.  I just couldn't get a good bite, I didn't get very many bites at all.  It was just a tough day of fishing. I know I was blessed to catch what I caught, so I'm going to take my own advice and remember that it's a points race and this was the first tournament out of a five tournament series where the top forty anglers from the points list (an accumulation of all points earned over the whole season) advance to the regional-championship and I'm sitting in good shape for that.  I know that's sound advice, but...it sure sounds better when I'm saying it, instead of having to listen to it!
God Bless,
Duke