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Fall 2018
page 42
LAKE OAHE - PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA
This was a scary event for me. I had never been there, never seen the lake and guys were talking about how massive it was. The challenge was to find the best water possible on such a large place with only 2 1/2 days of practice.
This was supposed to be a slugfest; but it turned out to be one of the lowest weights of the season to make the 50- cut. I had a sub-par practice; but, I thought I was on enough to survive.
Then, the wind and thunderstorms came in and the conditions were super-bad. We were in tornado shelters two different nights. Once again, the weather followed the Series wherever we went.
I just didn’t get it done the first day. I stayed too close and was too conservative this time. That’s the struggle with decisions. All you can do is make them and hope they’re going to be good.
Several times this year when I’ve decided to make a long run and commit; it didn’t work out. So the next time I was faced with that choice, it effected my decision to do. Each time you take a chance and it doesn’t work out, it makes it harder and harder to make that same decision again the next time.
South Dakota was the time I should’ve made the decision to make the long run; but, because of what had happened the last three times, I decided to play it safe and not make a run in the forecasted heavy winds. I didn’t want to gamble on the weather and it end up costing me big time. I ended up in 99th that first day.
For most of the next day, it wasn’t much better. This one day was probably the biggest make or break day of the season, thus far. I had to make up 40 to 50 points, just to keep me in Classic contention. It wasn’t looking good, until late in the day.
Then, with less than an hour to go, I remembered a big bedding fish that I had marked on my Lowrance from the 2nd day of practice. The wind had finally calmed down enough to see again; so, I pulled up to the area, put on my sight fishing lenses from Nines Optics and spotted the monster She was coming to eat the five-inch., wacky- rigged Yamamoto Senko, that I was dropshottingThe fight was on and when I landed her, she was a four- pound, 9-ounce lifesaver. That four- pound smallmouth was probably the most important fish that I’ve caught all season.
I had 30 minutes to go and I needed one more fish for a limit. I had one more waypoint near the take off where I had caught and released a three-pounder. It was about eight- feet deep on a bed. I had fished for it every day and hadn’t
A Howell Fam stop at Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills region of South Dakota
Howell’s four-pound smallmouth lifesaver
got it; so, I thought it was gone. I
had two minutes to go.
I literally, pulled the trolling
motor up and made my last
cast, started wiggling the Senko
and boom, it bit! It was a three-
pounder. I threw it in the livewell
and made it in with 30 seconds to
spare. I missed the cut by ounces.
Fiftieth place had 18-pounds,
4-ounces. I had 17-pounds,
11-ounces. I finished in 56th and
did not fish on Saturday once
again, But, with those last two
fish, I moved up about 44 points
and probably saved my season.
I almost blew my whole season at this event. If I hadn’t had the late day catches, I would’ve finished in the 90’s and bombed out of the whole points race. Nobody can imagine the emotional roller coaster this sport creates inside! I know I couldn’t handle it without my faith in Christ.