Jay Yelas – On the Road at Pickwick

I’m back on the road again this week, at the final FLW Major of the season at Pickwick Lake, AL. This is where the field for the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup will be finalized. I currently sit in 15th place overall, and the top 40 or so qualify so I am in good shape for the Cup.

I really enjoyed spending a little time at home the last couple weeks. We finally got a break in the busy schedule and I got to spend lots of time with Jill and the girls. Plus, July is the time to be in Oregon. Our summers are dreamy. At least compared to the South, where it is nothing but steamy. Today it was 98 and humid at Pickwick Lake. There was a heat advisory issued by the NWS. Heat index of 110 or so. Lovely.

Anyway, it was a nice couple weeks at home in Oregon. I flew to my friend Jeff Barnes house at Guntersville last Friday where I had left my boat. We ate at Jeff’s restaurant, Top O’ the River, like we always do. I thank God for lifelong friends like Jeff!

I have been here at Pickwick prefishing the last few days. It is tough like it is everywhere in the South in late July. Water temps are 85-90 and bass are sluggish. I spent two days shallow and 2 days deep. The lake fished pretty small. I found 11-12# limits both shallow and deep.

This will be won deep by someone who knows the lake ledges well. I don’t have any previous summer experience here and I didn’t find any schools of big ones deep. I am not on much, and will be glad to get out of here with a check and go to the Cup.

I am going to start on a deep spot and throw a big Berkley Power Worm and a Gripper football jig. I hope I can get on this one spot.

My biggest bass came on topwater in practice at 2pm, so I will doing that as well tomorrow. I found lots of flip/pitch fish too, but they topped out at about 2.5#. I feel my best chance is on the best deep spot I found.