Well, I actually used to be a pretty good basketball player. My height advantage slowly dwindled, and as I made my way into high school, the term “March Madness” quickly became another phrase that I passively ignored. But long before basketball, there was fishing. Even as a young man, I understood the gravity of the spring season. Many of my childhood birthday cakes were soon followed by a father and son fishing trip, and while the landscape bloomed, as it does every March, so too did my instincts as an outdoorsman.

I hit the water this afternoon with a slight change of pace. As I have said many times before, the artificial crawfish is a staple in my angling strategy, specifically the Berkley Chigger Craw. Like any angler, I tend to lock into certain patterns. So, what better time than March to try the Zoom Super Speed Craw? I quickly took notice of the drag, aptly produced by the extreme vibration. It was almost as if I was pulling a small willow blade spinnerbait through the water, which is no small feat for a soft plastic crawfish. When a more aggressive presentation is needed, the Super Speed Craw will definitely have my attention.

Last season, during the pre-spawn, I briefly touched upon the difficulties of spawn angling for the kayak enthusiast. It’s true, our low position relative to the water can be a major disadvantage, but it isn’t the only obstacle. Bedding fish, often found in the clear water touching the banks, are typically uncooperative for a number of reasons. For one, whether you are in a boat or on the bank, they can see you. Secondly, it is only a matter of time before these fish witness a number of bed-intruding lures, especially in densely populated areas.

It is widely believed that all fish spawn at the same time. While it is true that largemouth will spawn at the same general time every year in a given geographical region, they tend to move onto their beds in waves. Additionally, the largemouth will also bed away from the bank in slightly deeper water, often out of sight. In many cases, these covert nests will house more aggressive fish, due in no small part to their less conditioned nature. Backing off of the bank and fan casting just might be the answer to your springtime woes.

The days are getting longer and the water is slowly warming, calling North Texas anglers back to our beloved waters. With a great deal of excitement, I am happy to officially announce that spring is here. The boys and I eagerly hit the water this Monday with a very simple objective: say goodbye to our winter hibernation and reign in the 2012 season with our first spring largemouth.

Bass Pro Shops was honored to host the final weigh-ins of the 2012 Bassmaster Central Open, and while it was an absolute pleasure to be involved with the event, the scoreboard served as a stark reminder of my winter absence. Lake Lewisville has always been known as a tough fishery, but under our recent bouts of severely cold weather, a majority of the anglers came home completely empty handed. For this very reason, coupled with a number of safety concerns, I mostly avoid the winter excursion. Up Down Bass may have been a tad bit on the boring side recently, but spring is just around the corner, and it is only a matter of time before I am back to doing what I do best: paddling hard and pursuing trophy largemouth.

November is always a challenging month, both in life and fishing. The leaves have turned, and another Thanksgiving has passed, reminding us of our blessings and the importance of protecting these gifts. Conversely, in the wake of a heavy turkey feast, we often forget how easy it is to add a few pounds. Fortunately, I have my kayak, and I have my paddle. A kayak angler makes easy work of those extra calories, and the fishing has been good.

November brought about several wonderful surprises. Like most people, I too am a creature of habit. I wake every morning to a glass of cold water, followed by my usual communications routine. After sorting out my AIM and email messages, I take a quick look at my server diagnostics to make sure my client’s websites are functioning properly. On a warm and sunny morning, just a few weeks ago, I noticed that Up Down Bass had received what I can only describe as a massive traffic spike. Just a few minutes later, I received a message from Rebecca confirming that I had indeed been featured on the front page of The Outdoor Blogger Network. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this wonderful hub of outdoor cyber greatness, do yourself a favor and head on over there.

Notice I said “several” wonderful surprises. One of our very own North Texas Kayak Anglers, Shaun Russell, has officially joined the National Hobie Kayak Fishing Team. I couldn’t be more proud, and let me say with no confusion, they are lucky to have him. With a soft heart and a strong hookset, I have no doubt that Shaun will be an effective ambassador of our sport. You can check out Shaun’s blog and follow him on this new and exciting adventure by clicking here. Congratulations, buddy.

Precisely a year ago, I set out to create a public window into my life as a kayak angler. Up Down Bass has been an amazing and rewarding experience thus far, but many of the rigorous tasks involved have been entirely expected: going the extra distance to capture interesting and well-composed photographs, the late nights of incessant writing and editing, and the all-important responsibility of consistently producing quality fish. Like any difficult endeavor, it is often the unforeseen gifts that resonate in a truly profound fashion. Little has given me more pleasure than witnessing my friends progress as outdoorsmen, and while I started this online journal in an effort to document my own growth as an angler, with every passing article comes the realization that this journey is not mine alone.

I once heard a talented guitarist say that he didn’t write guitar solos. He believed that the song wrote the solo, and that it was only his job to do the song justice. In no uncertain terms, I too believe that the artwork is already there – we just have to listen to the music around us and try our best to be a humble conduit. I set out this weekend with the usual preconceived ideas of what this article would look like, only to be reminded once again that I know very little. Catching a fairly large catfish on a Berkley Chigger Craw was surely an exciting and rare occurrence, but witnessing one of my best friends, Eric, catch his first five pound bass was a once in a lifetime experience. My guitar solo was writing itself, and after stumbling upon the fact that I have a great deal of control over this website and very little control over this unpredictable world, the idea of letting the chips fall where they may blanketed me with an unmistakable peace. I couldn’t help but think about Eric’s child, due any minute now, and the changes which are sure to come in my life as well. I have always thought of Up Down Bass as a simple fishing journal, but it just may become something much more special than that.