"Mini Bucks" @ North Long

Fish all caught by Chuck Steinbauer 

9:00AM-3:00PM Merrifield Bay North Long Lake
Conditions: 50-67℉, Foggy in the Morning turning Sunny, Calm to Light WSW wind, water level high
Water Temp: 59℉

In the "Mini-Bucks" tournament Merrifield Bay was divided in 5 Zones, one team to a zone at a time.  We got an hour and 10 minutes to fish each period, except for the last one which I think lasted and hour and 20 minutes so we could finish at 3PM.

The Day:
I wish I had a picture of the 5 Zones in Merrfield Bay that we used.  We started in Zone 5, which is the SE quadrant of the bay.  We didn't get hit where we started.  We next headed to the docks and Chuck got the 1.87lb fish on the first one we went too.  That was our only fish in that zone.  I think we didn't fish the dock thoroughly enough because he was in a rush to fish them all.  It was pretty much sunny during this period.

Zone 1 was next;  This zone was the South West quadrant of the bay.  We started fishing out from the reeds when the fog rolled in.  Fish started busting and Chuck got one, but it was just a small keeper.  I caught one that wasn't very big as well on the Yo-Zuri Pencil.  We came to a point and it had fish.  Chuck caught a keeper that I think we weighed and I caught one that we didn't on a Lake Fork Craw Tube.  I lost what felt like a better fish on the Craw Tube.  I had a fish hit and not get the Pencil, so quickly went to a Evergreen Shower Blows 105 which has three trebles and the back one feathered.  I caught a small keeper on a bone Shower Blows to fill our limit.  I think Chuck caught a pike next and then our big fish of the day.  I might have caught a small upgrade. I don't remember if Chuck caught any other fish.

Zone 2 was pie shaped that touched the south and western shore of the bay.  Out there I think I got a small bass and a pike on the Craw Tube.  Don't remember if Chuck caught a fish in this zone or not.

Zone 3 was the Northwest corner of the lake.  I caught a small keeper that didn't help.  Don't remember if Chuck caught anything.

Zone 4 was the Northeast quadrant of the bay.  We went up by shore where there was an inlet and I got my best bass of the day on a LiveTarget Bluegill Wakebait.  Before I could get it off the hook Chuck hooked up with a fish that was slightly bigger thus I didn't even contribute one fish to our bag.  Chuck caught one or two more fish that didn't help.

The Results:
I can't find the little notepad on which I recorded the results, it's a good thing I wrote them in my quick report.

The tournament was won by Tom "Swannie" Swanson and Keith Tuma with a 13.5lb bag.  Guy and Hammer got 2nd Place falling .09lb behind the leaders.  The Henkensiefken boys came in 3rd and got big bass with a 3.50lber.  We got 4th because Ruff and Ludenia elected not to weigh their fish. 

My Thoughts:  It was nice to catch some fish on North Long after the disaster I had out there this year.  Wish the fish would have bit a little better though.  Other than Zone 1, we never figured them out.