With the weather starting to warm and the tournament season quickly approaching, now is the time to prepare for a successful year of fishing. This year is a big step in my fishing career as I will be moving on from the college ranks of competitive bass fishing and up to the next level, the Bassmaster Southern Opens.
My dream since I was 11 years old has always been to make it to the Elite series and taking the leap to the Opens is the next step in the process. To accomplish that goal, I will have to finish the top three in points after the three Southern Open events.
Relying on my equipment will be a major factor in whether I make it this year and one rod that I cannot go without is the Witch Doctor Tackle Surman 50G.
The first stop is the Harris Chain of Lakes in Florida, March 4th. This is a tournament where I do not just plan to have one Surman 50G on deck, but rather a whole deck full. The reason being is that there is not a better rod made for many moving baits. A square bill, lipless crankbait, jerkbait, and Chatterbait are lures that I plan on throwing on the Surman 50G in that event.
The reason that I choose to go with the Surman 50G on the Harris Chain is that I plan on fishing a lot of offshore hydrilla and eelgrass beds. Most glass rods don’t have enough strength to rip a lure through the grass, but since the Surman 50G is half glass and half graphite it allows the angler to have the power to keep a lure out of the vegetation. While powerful, the Surman 50G also offers a soft tip that allows for the angler to throw treble hooked baits without fear of a fish throwing the bait or pulling the hook. The Surman 50G is a must for grass fishing and I promise I will be keeping one in my hands for much of this event.
Stop number two for the season will take place April 15th on Douglas Lake in Tennessee. While this place lacks vegetation, it is still a great place to apply the Surman 50G. Mid-April is usually about the time in Tennessee when the largemouth spawn, as well as the shad, start to spawn. Two lures I absolutely plan on throwing on the Surman 50G in this event are going to be a buzzbait and a spinnerbait. Those two lures require a rod that allows the fish to load up and the Surman 50G does a great job at that.
The last stop of the Bassmaster Southern Open’s takes place on Lake Norman on September 23rd. Two things that go together like peas and carrots are fall-time spotted bass and topwater baits. The Surman 50G is my go-to when it comes to launching a topwater walking bait a country mile. The rod allows me to throw a topwater all day with very little fatigue and gives me the confidence that I will land the majority of the fish that explode on my lure. I suspect a Surman 50G, 30-pound braided line, and an oversized walking bait to be a recipe for success when this tournament rolls around.
