PAA Tawakoni Notebook, Day 1
Kurt Dove, GMT host Rob McCollum and Danny Blandford discuss the PAA and fishing Thursday morning.
PAA Communications
GARLAND, Texas — Day 1 of the PAA Bass Pro Shops Tournament Series presented by Carrot Stix got underway without a hitch Thursday morning on Lake Tawakoni following severe weather less than 24 hours earlier.
The field hit Tawakoni bent on maximizing the possibility for an improved shallow bite following heavy rains Wednesday. The remnants of Tropical Depression Hermine passed through, dumping up to 10 inches of rain in some parts of and northeast of Dallas. Tawakoni’s an impoundment of the Sabine River, which was hit hard and rose overnight.
Early reports had anglers working over the available shoreline cover including docks, any vegetation and points. Shad moved shallow in the last couple of weeks due to cooler nights, and the current generated by the incoming water along with baitfish should turn on the bass.
The field was tangling with winds of 15-20 mph and rolling waves in the shallow lake Thursday as a few clouds rolled in with a chance of an isolated thunderstorm.
PAA floods Dallas TV market
Viewers of “Good Morning Texas,” the morning show of WFAA-TV in Dallas, got some information on the PAA Tournament Series event at Lake Tawakoni and some casting tips from PAA officer Kurt Dove during an extended segment Thursday morning.
Dove and PAA program director Danny Blandford shared a Phoenix 619 Pro boat with GMT host Rob McCollum for the roughly 4-minute segment. It was broadcast from WFAA’s “Victory Studio” at AT&T Plaza, where the American Airlines Arena is located and is home to the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and NHL’s Dallas Stars professional sports teams.
The boat was set up just outside the studio and provided a superb stage for the trio as they discussed the tournament on Lake Tawakoni, weigh-ins at the lake and Bass Pro Shops on Saturday, and professional fishing. Dove and McCollum practiced casting at targets, as well, while discussing some casting tips.
The Dallas-Fort Worth television market ranks fifth in the nation among households.
Here’s the video clip from the segment.
Going to the backup
Business Unlimited AT&T pro Lance Vick of Texas found himself in a bit of a sticky wicket over the weekend while preparing for the tournament on Lake Tawakoni.
Vick guides on Lake Fork and fished a tournament there Saturday. Practice for the PAA Tournament Series event began Sunday, but Vick found himself in a backup boat due to problems encountered a day before.
“It threw me off on Sunday being in a different boat,” he said. “I was trying to practice and was trying to find a place to fix my boat, but with it being a holiday weekend everything was closed.”
As of Wednesday’s registration Vick still was without his Skeeter. He’s using his father’s boat this week in the tournament.
“First time in 10 years this has happened,” Vick said. “It’s just one of those things to deal with.”
Slip ‘n slide
Vicious pro Patrick Pierce of Florida also encountered a little trouble Sunday evening when his boat trailer slid off the side of a roughly 5-foot embankment in his campground.
Pierce was making a turn on a slight curve in the road when the trailer’s left tires hit the edge and slid. It lodged to the point he couldn’t pull forward, and trying to move it sideways would have been trouble.
“We found a guy with a bucket truck, like they use for utility services, who came and lifted it while an ATV pulled it slowly the other way,” Pierce said. “We finally got it out, but it took about three hours to get it back on the road. It wasn’t fun.”
Check back later for more notes and quotes from today’s Day 1 weigh-in and PAA Tournament Series action from Lake Tawakoni.
