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This weekend the Franklin-Simpson Bass Cats competed at Kentucky Lake, and it turned into a day none of us will forget. The weather never really gave the anglers a break. Frigid cold temperatures stayed all day, the wind held steady, and late in the morning the sky started dropping little white pellets of snow — which we later learned are called graupel , though at the time it mostly just felt like getting pelted in the face. While parents stood on shore bundled in blankets,

We’ve officially reached the time of year where rods stay in trucks, tackle somehow multiplies, and weekend alarms are set for hours I normally only see if a child is sick. The Franklin-Simpson Bass Cats are getting ready to begin the 2026 tournament season. After weeks of shop practice, preparation, and a lot of conversation I only halfway understand about water conditions and lure choices, the anglers are ready to see what all that work looks like on the water. Every lake i

Most people never see where the Bass Cats season really starts. It doesn’t begin at the lake or at a pond — it begins in a farm shop on Thursday evenings. Inside, rods line the walls, stations are setup, and a group of students gathers around talking strategy, practice knot tying, and getting gear ready for the weekend. Our coach just calls it “shop practice,” but it’s where you quickly realize how much work goes into this sport. I’ll be honest — before my kid joined the tea