Snatcher Fishtrap Lake (Blind)

Note Written way after the original tournament date.

I'll admit that I got a bit depressed after my finishes so far this year.   I needed an attitude adjustment to get up for this tournament.  My boater in this one, Guy Henkensiefken, asked me while we were out on the water why I wasn't doing my tournament recap blogs.  That is the reason why I have dragged my feet in writing them so long.

This was the 2nd year in a row I drew Guy for the "Blind" tournament, and this is the third time I've fished with him (Rabbit Lake '10, Cullen Chain '13).  After last year's tournament, he gave me an assignment of coming up with 20 things to talk about in the boat.  I came up with 1, Christian Ponder, lol.

Conditions: Very similar to Pelican Lake but not as cool in the morning and a little cloudier and more humid, breaking into the sun.  Very little wind.

Highlights from the Day:  

We had a kind of late boat draw; I don't remember if Guy got to go to his starting spot or not.  We started in a spot with two other boats close by.  In the calm conditions, I started out throwing the chrome sexy shad KVD Sexy Dawg.  I'm pretty sure I put the first fish in the boat, a 14 incher.  I think I had one other fish not get it.  Guy got a couple of decent fish.  It started clouding up and looked like it might storm for a while.  We moved spots, and I got one just over 15" on a black Sexy Dawg.  That was it for my topwater fish.  I don't know why they weren't going as conditions seemed perfect.  I did miss a couple of frogs in the pads later in the day.  I got a 12.25, 3x 13.75", and 14.25" and one hammer handle on a Breen Chigger Craw on various weedlines.  My lunker, a 2/12, was my last fish of the day caught out of some pads on a green pumpkin Strike King Hack Attack Jig with Chigger Craw trailer.  I think Guy got a nice one out of the same patch of pads earlier in the day.

Results: My 6 went for 9/13, putting me in 11th Place out of 20 anglers.  This was my highest finish of the year.  Guy's bag of 14/13 put him in 5th place.  The tournament winner was Tim Benson with 17/6.  Chuck Steinbauer got Lunker with a 4/3.

My Thoughts: Man, did it get hot out with no wind.  At least the beat-down Guy gave me wasn't as bad as last year.

Guy's Parting Thought (Paraphrased):  "The days in this club when I could come in with 14 or 15lbs and expect to contend for the win are over; you've really got to catch them now."  A comment that proved less than prophetic because, at the last tournament of the year on Whitefish, the winning weight was below average at only 12/11.