I have fished with many different rods and reels over the years but had never sought a relationship with one company as I had not found a company that I felt made absolute top quality rods and reels, at every action, reel type, speed, and price point. That all changed when my team partner Dicky Newberry started fishing Lew's a couple of years ago. I began finding myself picking up one of his rods now and again, and then more, and more. Then I started buying them and seeing that I could buy incredibly good rods and reels, from the top of the line Team Custom Pro Speed spools (ICAST best of show freshwater reel) with every bell and whistle. To the incredibly well priced Tournament MP Speed Spools in the $140 range. I even bought some of the new Mach stuff that runs around $100 and I found that I was choosing those to be my go to reels and sticks the night before a tournament over my really expensive "other" stuff. So I am really, really pleased to announce that the Lew's team has allowed me to partner with them on the best rods and reels for the money in the market today. Couple of new things that are blowing my socks off, the team reels now have a Speed Dial which allows you to simply turn a dial to the pound test and type of your line (mono, fluoro, braid) so that you have a quick reference as to what line you have on every reel. The Super Duty Wide spool will hold 190 yards of 14# line, great for flinging big baits a really long way. Across the board there are super high speed, 8.0:1 reels available, which makes ripping traps in the grass, or keeping a buzz bait up sssoooo much easier. Then the way cool Mach series in the cool green, great 10 ball bearing reels at $99 each with matching rods in a every length and action at only $79.99 (also ICAST award winners this year). Also if you haven't seen them yet several of the rod series got the American Tackle Company's MICROWAVE line control system, which has a HUGE impact on how line goes out on a spinning rod, and is available on some of Lew's spinning and baitcasting rods. Christmas is really fun as a kid, the day all your new Lew's stuff arrives as an adult....even better!

Well, I didn't call it. However in my defense I didn't know the whole story. The whole story is the reason Sheldon Collings from Grove Ok, hasn't won much to date it...well, he's only 18 years old! Kudos to the young man, who I hear form my Oklahoma contingent say is a really good kid. Hearing varying stories but my understanding is he is solely focused on being a pro angler and has a great support system in his mom and dad. I will admit a bit of snobbery here, we practiced around each other at the Grand Costa event this year and I remember chuckling to myself that here was a guy in a 17 or 18 foot boot, with a 150 hp motor, wrapped. So couple lessons for the old guy here, (1) the fish have no idea what you are fishing out of, (2) he has a way nicer boat than I did at 18, (3) apparently I can be kind of a butthead in my thinking sometimes! Also big cajones in that he was locking down to fish below the lake. Anyone will tell you up there if you lock down you are takinga a HUGE risk of getting stuck down there and not making the weighin. I talked to a couple of more seasoned guys that found great fishing down the river but feared just that, so way to go, risk taker, I like it, I envy it! First big win for him and my sense now is, could be more to come....great, more tough  competition in the Costa series, exactly what I need! Also shout out to Melvin Dunn who made a great charge the last day with a 16-0 sack, I believe second biggest of the tournament the final day. A BFL Cowboy division guy headed to the All American.

Two days down at Dardanelle and the leader, Sheldon Collings, has a surprising weight at over 30 pounds. Not trying to jinx the guy but there have only been 6 limits over 15 lbs weighed in the entire boater field and he has weighed two of them. I'd call him a local as he's from Grove just over the border on Grand in Oklahoma, however I bet his stomach is in knots, guy has never won, only two top 10's in 32 events....interesting to see if he can close the deal for a whole lot of cash and a berth into the All American. Couple really interesting notes, I don't think a single Arkansan made the top 12 cut even though a bunch of them qualified through the Okie. Scanning down the leaderboard of guys that seem to have a shot at the win watch Roger Fitzpatrick down in 4th, although he hasn't wont in 6-7 years, he has won, actually several times on several lakes, guy to watch. Day 1 leader, well I think I jinxed him some, he was only able to put 4 in the boat for 9 pounds, less than half his day 1 weight. Our sole Texan fishing today is Lew's pro Dicky Newberry, creeping up 2 places to 8th. We talked last night, he's catching same size fish everyday, however the little area he's in has produced some 5-6 pound fish in the past, he's the most accomplished guy in the top 12 in both BFL and Costa series events, but again, he needs some luck with a big bite or probably two to make up a pretty big deficit. He does however have every chance to get into the top 6 and get another All American berth, which I know from talking to him was his #1 goal.

Day 1 is in the books and from talking to my buddies that fished yesterday the lake seemed to fish as tough as it always does this time of year, however surprisingly there were over 30 limits weighed on the boater side, and not at all surprisingly only 3 on the co side. Leading the boater side Jeffrey Smith out of...wait for it, Knob Noster, Missouri. I really hoped that the name was a play on Knob Monster and that there were tons of Bigfoot in the area, but alas Noster is Latin for "our", so it's "Our Knob", the hills in the area being the Knob, totally boring. Don't know  the guy, but he has a couple BFL wins, this year as a boater and a win at the Costa level as a co-angler interestingly on Dardanelle last year. He has a big lead but it's three days and Dardanelle will just get tougher everyday, will see if he holds up under the pressure. Surprising mixture of locals and guys that drove a ways in the top 20, couple KenSmithFishing notable buddies, Toledo guide and damn handsome man Stephen Johnston (running Humminbirds!)  in 9th with 12-12, George Clooney look-a-like and Lew's pro Dicky Newberry right there poised to make top 12 cut for tomorrow sitting in 11th with 11-15, BFL Cowboy AOY from Bossier City Nick LeBrun with 4 quality fish (hey, it's Dardanelle) sitting 17th with 11-0, and Okie stick, and unfortunately Oklahoma football fan, Chris Jones hanging around at 18th with 10-14. Like to see all those fishing tomorrow, so good vibes their way.