PAA Arkansas River-Practice Report

It was a long drive to get here from Georgia and I've been working hard on the water the past three days.  This is my first time fishing the Arkansas River but it reminds me of the rivers I fished back home in New York, a mix of industrial and backwater areas.

My practice has been pretty good so far.  I'm confident I can have a good showing here provided I get lucky with the locks.  To get to the areas I found I have to lock into a different pool on the river.  There's a lot of barge traffic and they can fill up the locks for hours.  My biggest concern is getting to my fish....and getting back.  It's a real possibility that either may happen and will ruin my tournament.

Provided I get lucky with the locks, I feel good about this tournament.  I've been catching bass the way I like to fish and have pinpointed two key areas that should give me enough weight to be in the hunt.  I've been flipping my new outfit, a Quantum Smoke reel and rod combo.  This setup has been a joy to fish all day, very light weight and real sensitive.  It should be the only rod I'll need tomorrow.  I have a game plan that can work and it's a great feeling.

Hopefully I'll be able to lock through with no problem.  This is all or nothing for me, a big gamble, but I hope it pays off.

Wish me luck! :)