Looking the part

With the Forrest Wood Cup fast approaching it is time to get all my "ducks in a row".  Baits to be ordered, rods and reels to be spooled and sorted, tackle to be organized, shirts and jerseys to be ordered, and the list goes on and on.  Not to mention lots of pre-fishing to be done.  Only 30 guys qualify for the Cup through the tour.  I am really looking forward to this tournament after a year of hard work and preperation.  Must prepare for a few more weeks!  ;)  This will be my first Cup appearance in only my first year on tour.  I hope it is one of many to come. 

Thanks to Rayjus Outdoors my 2010 Forrest Wood Cup jersey is being made as we speak.  This is a great way to showcase sponsors and products that I believe in and fish with.  I will be wearing this every day of the derby as well as in the family fun zone while talking to fans.  Looking forward to representing each and every sponsor that believed in me.  I will hold my head high and represent to the best of my ability.    

Spotted Bass Spotting

These are a few of the Lanier spots that decided they wanted to tango with Ray and I.  The fishing this past week was not very good by fishwithmatt standards but we did manage to catch a few decent fish.  The days have been hot and calm, which makes it hard to convince a spotted bass to bite anything.  Fooling these fish into biting a bait is like pulling teeth, as tough as any species of fish I have ever pursued. 

Am going to be back on the water for the next 6 days with National Guard Pro Justin Lucas.  We will be making videos and lots of memories that I will share here with all of you fishwithmatt readers.  Hopefully the fishing picks up and the lake starts to show some of it's power.  Then again it is the 100 degree days of summer right now, and I know by now that these are the toughest days of fishing of the entire year.  I am off in search of another crush!  Time to stretch the string.   

Pre Practice on Lake Lanier for the Cup

Spent the day on Lake Lanier with FLW Pro Ray Scheide and was able to catch a few nice spots on a sworming hornet fish head spin.

Cup Qualified

The news has dropped....I qualified for the 2010 Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Lanier the first week fo August.  I am going ot get to fish the largest bass tournament of my life...the world championship of bass fishing.  This is what I moved to Lake Lanier for, now I am going to get to live this dream for the next few weeks.

I had a year filled with lots of travel, hard work, and many emotional roller coasters; it all came to a pinnacle on my final day of the final event of 2010 FLW tour when I caught a 3 lber to give me a limit with 20 minutes to go in the event. Glenn Browne looked at me and said, "boy, you just punched your ticket to the forrest wood cup"....I was still very skeptical, and have had goose bumps for 72 hrs!  The top 30 get to go and I am 27th in points after the season finale! Here is the link to the final standings for 2010.

I can't thank everyone that has helped me along this journey enough.  Without all of your support, prayers, and all of my great sponsors I would not be able to do any of this.  I ask that you please support my sponsors because they are great products and companies.  They have all stood behind me, whether I was struggling or successful.  I know many of them could promote else where but believe in me, believe in my mission, and believe I am driven to represent them to the fullest.

This Forrest Wood Cup appearance will all be dedicated to my good friends the Stulc family.  I am going to fish in honor of my hero Brett Stulc.  He has been fighting cancer for the better part of two years and has given me so much inspiration.  I know he hasn't been able to fish for a bit now, but want him to know I am thinking about him every time I get on the water.  Soon enough he will get to enjoy some time on the water and fishwithmatt!  Brett you are a true hero and you will always push me to enjoy life to the fullest and never give up.  Brett you rock.  You define what a crush is.