Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships / Photo Credit: Andy Crawford, Bassmaster

Toyota Bonus Bucks pro Cody Huff has battled severe weather and increased fishing pressure to have a chance in the Bassmaster Classic.

 

 If you’ve been watching television or your weather apps the past few days, you’re likely aware of the severe storms that moved through much of the country. It has been a struggle for everyone, and the Bassmaster Classic qualifiers have been both sympathetic and empathetic.

 

Toyota Bonus Bucks pro Cody Huff is one of the young phenoms in this sport and with high hopes and a large paycheck on the line, he’s reporting a tough practice due to the weather conditions. 

 

“Practice was brutally tough on me and I’m not posturing or anything of the sort,” Huff said. “I’m struggling to get bites whether they’re big, small or somewhere in the middle. You would think this would be a good time of year to fish because everything is lining up perfect and the water is warming. You kind of have your choice between 50-degree pre-spawn bass and 60-degree spawning bass. It lines up for a slugfest because we all know this lake has big ones, but ‘how many’ is the important question.”

 

The perceived scarcity of quality fish has many anglers worried but Huff remains steadfast in his approach. Although the weather was a big-time factor the first few days of practice, the young Ozarks angler is trying his best to stick to his plan as Mother Nature allows. 

 

“The first day of practice was absolutely crazy,” Huff said. “The wind and waves were definitely wild, but the biggest issue was the inability to efficiently navigate the lake. It’s hard to move around and explore a new fishery you don’t really know anything about. But there’s always a silver lining—these conditions have made me settle down a little more and run less on my big motor, which means I get to keep the trolling motor down and fish more. We are definitely being tested by the elements this week.”

 

With Huff coming from the Bull Shoals and Table Rock region, there are a few unexpected similarities between his home waters and Lake Ray Roberts, and he is optimistic about the possibilities ahead. 

 

“There are a couple of ways this fishery is similar to where I’m used to fishing,” Huff said. “There’s a little rock, which is key during the pre-spawn period because they hold heat. There’s standing timber, with which I’m also familiar. This place reminds me of Grand Lake or The Ozarks except without all of the docks. I will say, it has a lot of catfish and eerily similar water color which puts the fish—all species—in shallower water than you’d expect.”

 

Huff thinks things may play out different than what most pundits have predicted. The Classic may not be full of electric fish catches but if people tune in throughout the day, he seriously thinks there may be a chance of watching rare history occur. 

 

“Whether I catch ‘em on forward-facing sonar or in six inches of water, I’d really rather find a group of fish somewhere but I’m not sure if that dream will come true or not,” Huff said. “I might have to pick them off one at a time, but I’m absolutely prepared to do it. I think this tournament might be won by someone who doesn’t have a five-fish limit during a day of competition. They seriously might get four to seven bites a day and survive with that because they’ll be giants. But man, if you run into the right offshore school, it could be a runaway-type of tournament.”

 

According to old industry nomenclature, the wind is apparently your friend. But with such extreme conditions and water clarity changes, the fishable areas of the lake have been greatly condensed which is leading to crowded water and possibly increased fishing pressure. 

 

“This is a smaller lake to begin with,” Huff said. “And when you add prominent wind coming from a certain direction, it gets even smaller. Every little cut you turn into has six or seven boats in it and you don’t want to encroach on anyone’s area, so it’s a little challenging to find water. But I’m going to continue working my hardest to do this thing with the utmost respect. I have faith in myself.”

 

Regardless of the high winds and spring storms, the Toyota Bonus Bucks pro has a plan to conquer this week’s puzzle. But can he put it together? That’s the all-important question.