Breaking Free From Winter's Grip

It was Saturday at the ramp, and the energy was palpable. When I pulled up and saw all the other kayaks I knew it was tournament time. People were suddenly absorbed by their own thoughts. The only sounds were the footsteps as everybody turned and ran to their trucks. We now had 30 minutes to get to the water.

The launching point I chose was 20 minutes away by truck, and it felt far from the ramp I was leaving. As I pulled onto the highway, I realized the race wasn't over, and I wasn't alone as several other anglers were moving quickly across a long bridge towards my target ramp. I fell in line as we all sped off. The 20 minute drive passed, transitioning into a sprint to unload the boat.

Suddenly, as I paddled away from the launch, everything changed pace. Now in my zone, I began to focus on the task at hand. I was anchored on a point, all alone. Slowly turning my reel, I lifted

my blade bait and let it fall to the bottom, then lifted it a few inches again, and letting it fall…again. Nothing. I switched to a drop shot which also produced nothing. As the morning dragged on, no matter how slow I fished, I felt as though I needed to fish slower. Then, it came to me. I tied on a white slab, and placed it in my rod holder, dropped it 20' to the bottom, and let it sit (dead sticking). My days of fishing for striped bass on Texoma were about to be rewarded. I saw my rod tip move. In a flash, I grabbed my pole. It was Fish On!

It wasn't big, and it didn't fight very hard, but I had caught my first 2019 bass! OK, I didn't win, it wasn’t even a score-able fish. It didn’t matter, I was very happy. I didn't catch another fish all day, but as I drove home, I was a happy man. I had broken free from Winter and I felt the hope of Spring. As for the 2019 season, I knew it was just the beginning of a year Living The Passion.

Zachery Warren is a Kayak Bass angler originally from Albany TX and now residing in Denison, TX. He often fishes across the boarder in Oklahoma and has developed a passion for kayak tournament fishing. He enjoys the challenge of the no motor, limited electronics world of kayak angling and loves to share his lessons learned. He has tested his skills fishing local , state and regional tournaments in TX and. OK. Zach has become a regular contributor to the iBass360 blog, and we appreciate his candid and insightful tips, including his favorite tricks and tactics.