Mike McClelland is In Louisiana Cajun for a Week

By the time you read this I’ll be practicing for the Bassmaster Classic on the Louisiana Delta.

I had to get out of town early, because Bella Vista, Ark., like most of the Midwest was about to be hammered by another big storm. The last one brought a whole bunch of ice and snow to the Midwest, and if I’d have stayed, there was a chance I could get stuck; so I packed up and got out early.

Truthfully, I would have liked to have stayed at home with Stacy and the boys, but I couldn’t risk getting stuck with the storm.

I went to the Atchafalaya Basin for a couple days to kill time and get comfortable with the area again. It was great to pick up a Falcon Flippin’ Stick and try my hand at the long rod again for a while. I expect that a Jewel J-Lock Flippin’ Jig could play a role for me, but I’m also playing with our new punching skirt system and that could play a factor with a Zoom Brush Hog or Speed Craw in the grass.

I’m expecting that my War Eagle Mike McClelland Finesse spinnerbait could play a role for me down here. I’ll just play it all by ear as we go through practice.

I spent a couple of days working a dealer open house in Wheelersburg, Ohio for Stratos at Freedom Marine. I got to spend some time with Gerald Swindle and Shaw Grigsby there, and that was a good time. From everything I’m hearing, they may have sold as many as a dozen boats over the course of the weekend, and it feels good to have been a part of helping sell some new Stratos boats.

A funny story from the trip, I think I may have pushed it a little too much on the way down here. I almost ran my Toyota Tundra out of fuel; by the time I got to the fuel pump, I think there was just over a gallon left in the tank. The good news is, I know how much range my truck has, the bad news is, I was thinking about how to disconnect the fuel line from my Mercury Pro XS 250 to steal some fuel from the boat; that wouldn’t have been good to do again.

Anyway, Stacy, the boys and my dad will be coming to New Orleans on Tuesday to start setting up the booth for Hefty at the Classic Expo. It will be a busy time, but I’m looking forward to it all coming together.

For more on Mike McClelland, visit www.mikemcclellandfishing.com.