FLW BFL ARKIE LAKE MILLWOOD

This was probably one of the worst tournaments of the year. I ended up making a 8 hour drive down to Lake Millwood in southern Arkansas with the hopes of getting to flip and pitch for some big old bass. I wanted to experience fishing some new water and hoped to get to see an alligator or two. Unfortunately my boater for this tournament had not even been on the lake to practice and had only fished the lake one time in the past.

There are a lot of lakes where you could just show up and go fishing. Lake of the Ozarks is one of those lakes. It patterns really well and is easy to navigate. You don't have to worry about hitting any stumps or anything crazy. Table Rock would be another lake where you can just show up and go fishing. Lake Millwood on the other hand is about 2 to 3 foot deep the entire lake except for the main river channel which is about 20 feet deep. The lake has a ton of standing timber and you have to navigate the lake via the boat lanes. If you don't stay in the boat lanes you are going to tear your shit up really quick.

Since my boater didn't know how to navigate the lake we followed someone out for the take off on down the lake and ended up going to the first cove on up the lake. We fished and flipped a bunch of trees throwing everything from beavers to jigs and spinnerbaits. This is pretty much how the day went until it was about 3 in the afternoon when the tournament ended. My boater concentrated on shallow wood and we both failed to boat a single keeper the entire day. It really sucked to drive all the way down to Arkansas and not catch a single fish. If you fish tournaments especially as a non boater your going to experience some days like this. When I was first starting out with tournament fishing I used to get real pissed off and down on myself but as your mature as an angler you start to realize that it can't always be your day and you're going to have to accept losing as a part of the game. In order to win you have to experience what it's like to lose at any level.

While no fish were caught during this tournament by us the rest of the field absolutely crushed them. I think over 80 boaters had a limit and over 40 co anglers. I know that it just was not meant to be and that I am not that shitty of a fisherman. Sadly this was one of those tournaments where just had a bad draw. Lake Millwood I'd like to pay you another visit someday but after that trip I"m in no hurry.