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| FishTails |
Goff competes for National Championship this week
[April 19, 2002] - By Chris Lawrence
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| Kevin Goff with a big bass. |
You would think catching 10 keepers in two hours during a practice day would give rise to optimism about your chances
in the tournament. That optimism would seemingly be boosted if the smallest of those ten keepers was a three and
a half pounder. That's the kind of day Kevin Goff and his brother Mike had on Louisiana's Red River during the
designated practice period for the National B.A.S.S. Federation National Championship. However, if you ask Kevin
about his chances---he'll tell you they're grim, deliberately.
"I'm always pessimistic." Says the noted WVBF anglers; "I seem to always do better if I don't feel
good about my chances going in."
If reverse psychology works, more power to him. However, most would think a day like that would infuse at least
some enthusiasm.
"We stumbled onto that place." Says Goff who'll represent West Virginia in the Championship in April.
"That's the wildest place I've ever been in."
The vast Red River is loaded with swampy backwater, oxbow lakes, and miles and miles of cover.
"It's intimidating." Says Goff; "The thing is a navigational nightmare. None of the maps you can
get are up to date enough to trust. I'm just not used to having miles and miles of brush and timber."
Like many places in the southern United States, the Red River has acres and acres of cover that looks like it would
hold bass. Everything looks good, but only certain spots hold fish. How does determine those spots?
"I don't know." Laughs Kevin. "That one place we found was unique. It looked a lot different than
the rest of that stuff and the pattern we found worked. There were some big fish in that one area."
Goff also located several other spots with those unique characteristics, but because of the constraints of time
couldn't fish them. Goff probably does have rise for concern given his newfound honey hole, since so many factors
will impact the upcoming tournament.
There are no guarantees the pattern will hold up a month after practice. There are no guarantees the fish will
not move to spawning cover as the Louisiana springtime warms. There are also no guarantees on the weather, which
can be fickle in the bayou.
"I always do my best when I'm negative." Says Goff.
In Goff's case it's a safe bet he'll arrive in the Sportsman's Paradise looking on the dark side. |
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