Dave Lefebre – Beaver Lake Wrap Up 7th Place on a TABU Topic

Yeah, I survived Beaver Lake! I finished 7th and actually was leading the event after day one, now pick yourself off the floor people, LOL. It was a great way to kick off the FLW Tour Major season and now I couldn’t be more excited to get on with the rest of the year. Poor Beaver Lake finishes have cost me Angler of the Year titles over the years and that will not be the case in 2011. It may be something else but at least it won’t be Beaver.

It was an exciting event and the crowds were big, especially for the final day weigh-in. One cool thing that happened was that I caught all those big fish on the first day on a TABU Tackle Tiny Tim. It’s a baby finesse swimbait that can be fished a bunch of different ways, but I used it on the back of a Sworming Hornet (Fish Head Spin) during this event and it was the deal.

If the weather would have just stayed sunny and flat I think I would have blown it away, but the clouds and wind changed everything and the bank fish went nuts, thus the fishing got better. I really had to change up dramatically to stay in the hunt for those four days. I caught them again on the Tiny Tim on day two, then on day three I caught them on a Rapala X-Rap and another deeper running jerkbait, and on day four I threw a Storm Wiggle Wart all day to get what I weighed.

The only dumb part of the whole event was that I never got to say what my secret bait was after day one. It’s actually kind of funny when you think about it, how when you’re leading everyone wants to know what you’re catching them on, but when you finish seventh, nobody cares anymore… Dave who?…what? Ha Ha! Anyway, it was Little Mr. Tiny Tim for anyone who still cares.

I got to thoroughly check out the latest shipment of Dobyns rods all week and I can tell you that the Champion Extreme 743 and 744 are absolutely perfect for that bait. I used the 743 in open water with the ¼ ounce and eight-pound-test Berkley 100% Fluorocarbon and the 744 with a 5/16 and 12-pound-test around underwater trees. It’s a bit challenging finessing that bait through the limbs of a 30-foot cedar tree, but with some practice and patience it can be done; It was a lot of fun.

On day three I had to quit fishing to rescue another competitor whose motor broke down. It was tough because I needed one more fish and they were biting late in the afternoon each day. I actually had just lost a 4 to 5 pound fish just a few minutes before I got the phone call. What made it a little worse is that he was broke down four miles further from the ramp than where I was fishing.

When I passed Dudley running the wrong way in the final minutes, he told me later that he’d thought I had lost my mind or something. We cut it a little too close, but it all worked out. I know I sure wish I could have had that last half an hour to fish though, I can’t stand weighing in four fish, it kills me. I was going to catch the last one too I promise you that, are you convinced???

Gramps had a great time and he was an asset to have with us. I hope he can come to a few more events this year, we love having him and he enjoys seeing the country. I just dropped him off at home a little while ago and I think he will sleep like a baby tonight; it has been a long two days on the road with the kids and dog. He probably forgot what quiet was.

Well, home for a week and then off to some lake in South Carolina, I can’t even think…oh yeah it’s called Hartwell. Never been there and I know nothing about it. I’ll probably start researching it tomorrow and start getting my gear unpacked and reorganized.

I love going to new places and trying to figure it out the best I can, no local info, no preconceived notions, no memories, just a clean slate. It should be fun I can’t wait to get there.

Don’t forget to check out my FLW Tour Re-Cap from Beaver Lake on FLW Outdoors.com, and also our blog “On Tour with Dave and Anne” presented by Chevy.

I’ll talk to you next week!