Luke Estel's blog

I am really excited to get down to Florida to do some much needed fishing. The first B.A.S.S. Southern Open is quickly approaching and I will need to find the right fish if I want to have a chance to get into the top twelve for day three. From what I have looking at the weather, it seems to be fairly stable. The one thing I am not sure of is if the big girls are going to move up and spawn in this event or if it will be a pre spawn deal. I guess we will have to wait and see. I will be posting on how I am doing down there in practice and after each day of the tournament.

Ray Murski died tragically in a car accident late Monday night. Ray played a huge role in Strike King Lure Company. He was an icon in the sport of bass fishing. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

Florida young gun Kyle Fox qualified for the Elites this year by fishing the B.A.S.S. Opens. The 2012 season will be his rookie year on the Bassmaster Elite Tour. "This has been my goal since I started fishing the Opens." Kyle said. "I am not going to pass this opportunity up." Kyle has definitaly proved himself at the Open level and feels like he can compete in the Elites. He has  been working on a few sponsors but says that he is going to concentrate most of his time on fishing and let things fall into place as they go.

Line Rite

Dalton, GA.

Every so often there is a bait or a technique that changes the way we fish. Some of the baits that stick out in my mind are the original Slug-o, the Senko, the drop shot, and the weedless frog. This year a new technique emerged in an FLW event on Lake Guntersville that has swept the country by storm. This technique will change the way us fishermen fish for suspended bass. It is now the famous Alabama Rig. Basically it is a smaller version of an Umbrella rig that employs five swim baits to make it look like a school of baitfish.

     Like many of us, I am proud to be an American. I do what I can to buy and support companies that manufacture products in this country. One such company is Ardent. They are a reel and reel care company located in Macon, Missouri. This year they have come out with a new reel line called the Ardent Edge.

Two of the last big tournaments left for the year are facing post frontal and ever changing weather conditions. The FLW Open on Lake Guntersville has the pros shaking their heads as only two bags over 20 pounds were weighed in on day one. The well known grass guys did not fair so well as most came in with only a few fish with some in the fourteen to fifteen pound range. Lake Guntersville typically is a grass fishermen's playground this time of year but cloudy, rainy conditions kept them fish from eating.

     177 anglers showed up this year for the Oakley Big Bass Tour on Lake Guntersville in Alabama. The fishing reports had been terrible for the last couple of months and the weights for this two day event showed it. It is hard to believe that during a couple of the hourly weigh ins that an angler cashed a check for a two pound fish and that only one fish broke the six pound mark.

Next week AC Pro Staffer Vance McCullough and I will be attending the Strike King Writers Conference. Be on the look out for some great posts and videos as we showcase some of the best anglers in the world.

Kyle Fox went from 96th place on day one to 36th place on day two by sacking 15 pounds on a rattletrap. He ended up in fourth place overall in the point standings in the Northern Opens which qualifies him to get an invitation into the Bassmaster Elites. " This has been a goal of mine ever since I sterted fishing the Opens. I am going to work my tail off to get enough money to do it." Kyle said. Even if Kyle doesn't get all of the money he said he would more than likely enter them. " I am not saying I can win an Elite event but I think I can compete with them." He said.