NY State B.A.S.S. Nation Chapter Opener

I just competed in the NY State B.A.S.S. Nation Federation Chapter Opener on Chautauqua Lake in Western NY. My experience on this particular water is somewhat limited. Only fishing a tournament there one other time 2 years ago. I arrived two days before the event for practice. Chautauqua is known for it's dock fishing and I had some docks around the lake I had picked out the last time I was there but this time I wanted to force myself off shore and find some smallmouth areas or largemouth weed locations. Much to my dismay, unlike last time I was here at the exact same time of year, opening bass season weekend, the largemouth were majority done with the spawn and in full blown post spawn recovery mode. There were hundreds of empty beds around the shallows. I searched and searched but found very little. Caught only 3 keeper fish on my first day of practice but did notice a certain "pattern" which how these three largemouth bit. Day 2 of practice I went smallmouth hunting and had a tough tough time. Finally just before I got off the water I found a few areas that were a bit away from the area the other anglers I could see where focusing on and caught a 5.6 lb smallmouth....then a 4 1/2 lber soon after off a similar area. Both spots were super small and weren't the type of spots you could share with other boats. Luckily there were pretty close to the launching areas so I figured on tournament day the following day I would drive to them and check and see if they were open and if not, fall back on the largemouth. Tournament day most anglers I have spoken to are talking about how tough the bite is. Many many stories of 1 or 2 fish days during practice. 184 anglers participated, 92 boats take off and I am boat 74. I take off and drive to my two smallmouth spots...boats on BOTH!!!! Decide not to play bumper boats I take off to hit some docks for some largemouth and see if I can get a limit. I am tossing soft plastics and jigs. I quickly get a limit, but only small ones. All in the 1-1 1/2 lb range but it feels good to get that limit in the boat on a lake where I know with the bite like this many anglers are NOT going to get their 5. After 4 hrs of docks I know I need to upgrade and take off. On the way back I stop at weed stretch I had found. Roughly 6-10 ft of scattered grass. Tossing a senko I make one swing down the football field size stretch and catch a 3.7 lber and 3.5 lber and upgrade my fish. I also grab one just shy of 4 and know I'm doing well. Most of the largemouth where in the 7-9 ft range. I figure I may be a fish away from being really at the top so I decide to rework this area over and over and over but never catch another one. I race to the two smallmouth spots from earlier that I missed but never see a single fish or catch another one. Head to weigh in with just under 14 lbs I figure and finish 3rd of 92 boaters. Not a bad start to the season on a super tough bite.