Pickett Planning To Compete Hard And Have Fun In Bfl Music City Tournament On Old Hickory
Lloyd Pickett Jr
As much as he loves the competition and as much as he loves to win, tournament angler Lloyd Pickett Jr. loves the fishing even more.
“One of the great things about bass fishing is that I really enjoy it,” said Pickett, a veteran of numerous FLW and B.A.S.S. competitions over the years. “It’s relaxing for me. A lot of guys stress out in a major tournament, but I am pretty calm with it – and I have had some success with it.”
The Bartlett, Tenn., angler just fished the BFL All-American on Wilson Lake two weeks ago and he will be trying to elevate his status in the points standings in the BFL Music City Division tournament Saturday on Old Hickory Lake near Nashville. He finished 6th in the All-American, earning $12,000 plus a $5,000 Ranger Cup bonus.
“That was a tough one at Wilson Lake,” he said, “three days of storms, storms, storms and wind. Old Hickory is going to be an easy tournament.”
Pickett said he believes the winning pattern will be on the offshore ledges, although some anglers, he said, will also be fishing shallow.
“If you go upriver and up some of the smaller creeks there are bushes and brush. I think guys will be able to catch fish early throwing topwaters and buzzbaits around that, and probably swimming flukes under the limbs on the shady side, but I’ll be out in the middle of the lake Carolina-rigging,” he said.
“The fish are in a summer pattern. While Old Hickory is not really known for ledge fishing, there are a lot of ledges, roadbeds and drops. It’s like fishing the Tennessee River system lakes. I’ve been able to locate some bigger fish out on those drops.”
Pickett said he also plans to fish with a new Bass Assault jig that he acquired before the All-American.
“It’s a really good jig for jerking. It has a groove from the eye down to where the skirt stops. Like on Kentucky Lake you can take this jig and let it drop, then jerk it up about three feet and let it fall. That jig worked for me at Wilson Lake so I imagine I will do a lot of that along with Carolina rigging.”
Pickett said his goal at Old Hickory will be to improve his position in the Music City Division standings where he is in 26th place.
“I need to catch a few keepers for the points and then go for the win,” he said. “Then I need to go to Pickwick and have a good shot at the All-American.”
Even though he will probably have to fish hard to reach those goals, Pickett said he will still have fun doing it.
“If you get to the point where you set the hook and your heart is not pounding a little bit, then maybe you need to be swinging a golf club or something. But I am really not a good golfer, to I guess I will just keep fishing.”
Walmart BFL – Music City Division
Sat, Jun 28, 2014
Old Hickory Lake
Bulls Creek Access (Flipper’s)
