I spent the first week of April, 2004, in Paducah, KY fishing the rivers where the Southern Regional Bass Federation tournament will be held in a few weeks. It was very different fishing. We are allowed to fish the Ohio, Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers but can not lock through into the lakes.

Most places I fished I had my trolling motor on high and was still backing up downstream with the current. Fishing was tough, too. I landed my biggest smallmouth ever, a 3 pound 4 ounce fish, on Tuesday on the Cumberland River. Unfortunately, it was the only bass I landed that whole day. I did catch a 5 pound drum, two pumpkinseed bream and a gizzard shad that day. I averaged catching only one keeper bass a day while there.

I stayed at the Executive Inn, a beautiful hotel right on the Ohio River and my room overlooked it. It is about 440 miles away, so it is a long trip but it is an interesting place to fish. I thought I should be fishing for catfish after seeing some of the dead ones floating. Maybe I can make a trip for them some day.

I will leave a week from Wednesday to practice a few more days and the tournament is June 9 – 11. I hope I can catch more than one bass a day in the tournament!