Entry 249-2
My Greatest Day of Fishing, and I Didn’t Even Win with Mark Davis
Editor’s Note: Mark Davis of Mount Ida, Arkansas, has made a dramatic comeback to the BASS circuit this year. In years past, he won the BASS Angler-of-the-Year title three times and the 1995 Bassmaster Classic. Then on April 6, 2008, he finished in fifth place at Falcon Lake in Texas. At this writing, he’s leading the race for the 2008 BASS Angler of the Year. This week, Davis will tell us about his greatest day of bass fishing ever.
Part 2: Day 1 of the Tournament
Question: What kind of day did you have at the start of the first day, Mark?
Davis: We had a strong southwest wind in excess of 30-miles-per-hour. So, I went to the spot where I found the bass on the upper end of the lake, and the first fish I caught in the tournament was a 9 pounder. The second fish I caught weighed 8 pounds, and next I caught several bass in the 6-pound range.
Then the strangest thing happened. I actually culled the 6-pound bass, because they were too big. I said to myself, “Mark, this is crazy. I can’t believe you’re throwing back 6-pound-plus largemouth bass in a bass tournament. I may need these bass later in the week. Get out of here, and leave these fish alone.” So, I left that spot and ran all the way to the lower lake.
When I reached the lower end of the lake, I learned that the other tournament contestants had also found the two honey holes I’d marked as waypoints on my GPS. 
I wasn’t too concerned because I had 35 pounds of bass in my live well, and when you’ve got five fish that weigh 35 pounds, you’ve got to be confident.
I learned from making that run down to the lower end of the lake that I needed to forget about that region and stay on the upper end of the lake. I didn’t need to butt heads with the other competitors for the same fish. There was a crowd of competitors on the lower end of the lake, so I was sure I wouldn’t return to the lower end of the lake. Instead I’d bet on the upper end of the lake, and the fish I found holding there.
Question: Mark, when you came to the weigh-in, you had to feel pretty good about having five bass that weighed 35 pounds.
Davis: Yes, I did. That was the second largest stringer of bass I’d ever caught in a Bassmaster’s tournament. But when I was in fourth place with five bass that weighed 35 pounds, I wasn’t really too surprised, because I failed to mention yesterday that I was averaging a catch of at least two, 10-pound bass each day of practice. 
So, I knew it wasn’t inconceivable for a contestant to come in with 50 pounds of bass for one day of fishing on Falcon Lake. I know that’s hard to believe, but there was a 44-pound stringer weighed-in on the final day of the event.
Question: So, what was your game plan for the second day of the tournament after being in fourth place on the first day of the tournament?
Davis: I’d planned to return to those same fish I’d been catching and work on them for the rest of the tournament.
Contents:
- Part 1: Falcon Lake — The Best There Ever Was
- Part 2: Day 1 of the Tournament
- Part 3: Day 2 and 3 of the Tournament
- Part 4: Day 4 of the Tournament
- Part 5: Final Day of the Tournament
