TW_Staff
02-05-2009, 11:02 AM
Helped by a limit weighing more than 30 pounds on the second day of competition, Bryan Hudgins of Orange Park, Fla., scored victory at the Bassmaster Southern Open on Florida's Harris Chain of Lakes with a 3 day limit of 68-06.
Hudgins started in his pads and grass and caught an early 3 1/2 from the pads, but "knew the fish wouldn't bite in the grass until about noon," so he ran down to the Beauclair canals where he felt he could catch a limit.
I couldn't believe it – there was nobody in there," he said. "There were so many boats in there in practice that the water was all muddy and you couldn't see the fish. But now that I had it all to myself, it was clean. And like what happened for everybody else in the event, the fish progressively kept coming to the bank. I saw new fish coming up and I was pretty excited after that."
He had "a lot of confidence" heading into day 2 because he saw several big fish pull in late the day before. He went directly to the canals this time and bypassed Carlton. The fish weren't locked on like the day before, but they were aggressive. So he opted out of sight-fishing and threw two baits – a Spro Aruku Shad Jr. lipless crank and a Warlock trick worm from Gitem Baits.
Winning Gear:
Lipless crank gear: 7' medium-action G. Loomis CBR (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=GLCBCR) rod, Abu Garcia Revo (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=AGRP) casting reel, 15-pound Trilene Big Game (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BTBG) mono, 3/8-ounce Spro Aruku Shad Jr. (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SPASJ) (clear/chartreuse).
Sight-fishing gear: 7'6" heavy-action G. Loomis GLX rod, Abu Garcia Revo (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=AGRP) casting reel, 15-pound Berkley Trilene 100% fluorocarbon (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BTFCC), 5/0 Gamakatsu round-bend wide-gap hook (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=GRBOBK), 1/4-ounce weight, Gitem craw (junebug/silver).
Trick worm gear: 6'6" G. Loomis IMX (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=GLMIXCR) rod, Abu Garcia Revo (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=AGRP) casting reel, 15-pound Trilene Big Game (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BTBG), 5/0 Gamakatsu EWG (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=GOSWG) hook, Gitem Warlock (redbug).
TW Staff
Hudgins started in his pads and grass and caught an early 3 1/2 from the pads, but "knew the fish wouldn't bite in the grass until about noon," so he ran down to the Beauclair canals where he felt he could catch a limit.
I couldn't believe it – there was nobody in there," he said. "There were so many boats in there in practice that the water was all muddy and you couldn't see the fish. But now that I had it all to myself, it was clean. And like what happened for everybody else in the event, the fish progressively kept coming to the bank. I saw new fish coming up and I was pretty excited after that."
He had "a lot of confidence" heading into day 2 because he saw several big fish pull in late the day before. He went directly to the canals this time and bypassed Carlton. The fish weren't locked on like the day before, but they were aggressive. So he opted out of sight-fishing and threw two baits – a Spro Aruku Shad Jr. lipless crank and a Warlock trick worm from Gitem Baits.
Winning Gear:
Lipless crank gear: 7' medium-action G. Loomis CBR (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=GLCBCR) rod, Abu Garcia Revo (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=AGRP) casting reel, 15-pound Trilene Big Game (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BTBG) mono, 3/8-ounce Spro Aruku Shad Jr. (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SPASJ) (clear/chartreuse).
Sight-fishing gear: 7'6" heavy-action G. Loomis GLX rod, Abu Garcia Revo (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=AGRP) casting reel, 15-pound Berkley Trilene 100% fluorocarbon (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BTFCC), 5/0 Gamakatsu round-bend wide-gap hook (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=GRBOBK), 1/4-ounce weight, Gitem craw (junebug/silver).
Trick worm gear: 6'6" G. Loomis IMX (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=GLMIXCR) rod, Abu Garcia Revo (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=AGRP) casting reel, 15-pound Trilene Big Game (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BTBG), 5/0 Gamakatsu EWG (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=GOSWG) hook, Gitem Warlock (redbug).
TW Staff