phOtO By
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5. Electronics rigging – Cox says the
only thing that really bothers him about
aluminums is not being able to “glass
in” a transducer into the hull as you can
do in a glass boat.
“The only way to mount a transducer
on an aluminum is on the transom, and
I always break it off from going over
logs and stuff,” Cox says. “I had a new
transducer on for the Cup and broke it
off in practice, so I didn’t even have a
depth finder in competition. I honestly
could not even tell you how deep my
best spot was. I still have no idea.”
cotaco was Money
On the first day of practice for the 2016
Forrest Wood Cup, Cox put all the advan-
tages of his aluminum boat to work,
buzzing, hopping, jumping and plowing
his way far up into Cotaco Creek.
“What really helped me in practice
was low water,” Cox says. “It was down
about 8 inches, and that’s what gave me
a big advantage in the aluminum. If the
water had been up like it was in the
tournament, I think guys in glass boats
could have found the same area.”
Cox’s key area back in Cotaco was a
bit wider, straighter and deeper than
the rest of the creek. Big trees cast dense
shade that protected the water from the
sizzling August sun. A look at Google
Earth reveals that Cotaco is also a
drainage for several springs in the area
where Cox was fishing, which helped
keep the water cool.
“I’m not sure how much cooler it
was back there,” Cox says. “My trans-
ducer was broken off. But I’m guessing
maybe 8 to 10 degrees cooler. If you
put your hand in the water, you could
octoBer-NoveMBer 2016 I fLwfIshINg.coM
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