But all that study seemed to have gone for
naught when official practice began the
Monday of Classic Week. The fierce winter
of 2014 had stretched an icy finger into the
Deep South. Guntersville had experienced a
hard freeze. Its abundant aquatic vegetation
had died, throwing off many typical patterns
for that time of year.
The thermometer was on the rise during
practice week. Water temperatures started
a steep climb, rising from 38-4O degrees
the prior weekend to the mid-40s during
practice.
“I couldn’t catch a fish at any of the places I had
marked,” he said. “In three days of practice, I
had a total of five bites. I really thought I had no
shot at all of winning.”
Open the heavens
Then came the rains. The night before the
Friday launch found two- to four inches of
65- to 70-degree rainfall into the famed
Tennessee River impoundment.
“When I saw what had happened that first day,
I got excited,” said Howell. “I knew it would
mess up a lot of the game plans of guys who had
figured the fish out that week of practice. Those
conditions left it to someone like me to figure
it out. I knew the fish were moving up, getting
into my wheelhouse.”
Day One ended with a 20-pound limit and
Howell in 12th place.
He followed that with an 18-1/2 pound Day
Two catch that lifted him one spot in the
standings.
Day Three was all about “feelings.”
Bridge to victory
“I was running up the lake when I had this
vision, this feeling that I had to turn around and