Story by Hunter Baughman | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
Another week has flown by. It’s been a busy one for us. I had a local tournament with my dad and then four more local championships in just nine days. Then I had a day working on one of my deer leases.
The September/October time frame is always busy though. Locally, all the trails are finishing up their year, and NPFL usually has a tournament or two left on the schedule. The boat needs to be sold, and a new boat ordered. Sponsorship talks are in full swing for next year. And through all of this, deer season is weighing heavy on my mind. I absolutely love tournament bass fishing, but deer hunting is a passion for me. As the weather begins to cool, it starts to pull me towards being in the woods.
I can’t give in to the hunting itch yet, though. There are bass to be caught. At the end of this week the girls and I will make the 13 1/2-hour drive to DeLand, Florida, for Stop #5 of the 2024 NPFL season. That means this week consists of packing and preparing — oil changes, tire rotation, and trailer maintenance are some of the precautionary stuff to check off the list. Then of course, getting the fishing gear ready and making sure I have everything I need, all while my amazing wife packs for all 4 of us and makes sure we’re ready to hit the road. Plus, we’re packing for a couple of extra days this time. Since we’ll be so close to Orlando, we’re going to surprise the girls with a trip to Disney before coming home.
This will be my first time seeing the St. Johns River. Just the word “river” is enough to spark my interest. I consider the Arkansas River home. So, anything involving current related fish makes me a little excited. However, it will be my first tidal fishery. I’m not sure what to expect on that front.
I do know we’re going to see some big fish caught next week. There was a local championship on the St. Johns a couple of weeks ago. The top three teams had 31, 30, and 23 pounds, respectively. That’s catching giants! Around here, half of that is a good weight … especially in the fall.
As always, our group of guys will figure them out. They always do. Hopefully I’m in the mix at the end of the week. It’s time to come out of this slump. This year has been weird for me. It’s been one of my best years locally, yet I can’t seem put it together on the road. Every tournament is a fresh start to have a great finish, though. Maybe the St. Johns will be the turning point.
By the time we meet again, I’ll have a couple of days of practice knocked out. I’m looking forward to sharing more details of the St. Johns with you next week. Until then, go catch some fish!
