Fishhound Magazine 004 | Page 13

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