We will be keeping up with Allen Duke and his journey in the Bassmaster Tournament Trail Southern Division.

His schedule this year is:

January 17th – 19th, St Johns River, Palatka, Florida

May 8th – 10th, Santee Cooper, Manning, South Carolina

October 16th – 18th, Lake Guntersville, Guntersville, Alabama

January 17th – 19th, St. Johns River, Palatka, Florida

Allen’s week started out on the bad side as he was in Palatka pre-fishing and heard that sound that we all dread, the sound of your motor blowing.  I got a call from Allen telling me this and told him to come back to Panama and hook up to my Ranger (he would do the same for me).  The next morning, he and Chris Daniels headed back to Palatka.  I got a call that morning from Allen telling me that they had made it but nothing worked in the boat.  It was just the breaker that had tripped from replacing the dead battery the night before.  Got another call that night saying the trailer would not back up.  No biggie, just a blown fuse not letting the reverse lights come on to disengage the brakes.  And after the first day of the tournament with only 3 bass weighing 4 lbs 13 oz and having a couple 3 pounders come off, things could only get better.  On day 2 when Allen heard them call his boat number, he showered down on the throttle; the Ranger jumped up make a noise or two and then shut down.  After a couple of hours of on-site Mercury staff looking at it, it was determined that the #3 cylinder has zero compression.  So Allen put the boat back in the water and fished around the landing all day.  Persistence almost paid off .  Allen caught 2 bass that went 6 lbs 14 oz and was only 8 places out of the money.  This was one tough week on the water, Allen said.  I would hope things can only get better from here.

Local Panama City Angler,

Allen Duke, giving it a shot.