My Morning on Team Bass Tournament Day

 

Platte Lake Special To Start the Morning

5:36-10:00AM Cookie Jar, Out From Chuck's Reeds, Chuck's Pt, West of Access Rice, Reeds, and Docks, Todd's School to just North of the Dead Head where it becomes complete slop. 

55-70℉, Sunny, 2-5mph S

69-70℉ Water Temp

So it was Team Bass Tournament day, and I was fishing a solid hour plus before they blasted off. My first stop was the Cookie Jar. I lost what I assume was a Platte Lake Special. Caught a dink, a PLS, and a pike. Next, I headed to Chuck's Out Reeds. A sure thing to get bites, except it hasn't given me anything three times in a row now. They blasted off with 5 or 6 boats. I was amazed that they all appeared to head East except one that looked to be headed for Sullivan. I went to Chucks and had only one blow-up that missed my lure, probably a pike.

I went to West of Access Rice for the first time in forever, not getting anything. I slid in and tried some docks and didn't get anything. Went out and tried the reeds where there were signs of life, but I didn't get anything to hit. So I headed to Sullivan. Pulled one Platte Lake Special off of Todd's School on the Pit Boss after thoroughly working the area with frogs and not raising anything. I was thinking about working my way to the river. I got a 1lber at the last boat lane and had 3lber miss the Billy Goat right before the slop started that I would have to work my way through to get to the river. I said screw it and called it a day instead. I ended up napping instead of going to the weigh-in.

The Team Bass Results:

Skunked Tonight Off The Dock

 Wierd ran in the sun as I drove up to the lake tonight. I got my new transducer arm squared away and then fished off the dock for half an hour. No bites, not even on T.H.E. Jig. Did hear some sunfish snaps in the rice.

I just couldn't make myself wake up and get out of bed this morning to fish with Todd. He got a bass and pike. Fishing the Melon Patch and Access Across. He got the fish at Access Across.

DNF

 Was thinking about going out tonight, but the weather made it an iffy proposition so I went back to bed after dinner. I will be well rested when I head out tomorrow morning.

DNF

 I was maybe a bit fished out today. Got tired after dinner, so I laid down for a bit rather than pack the car and go. I was just going to fish out front if I went, which I didn't. I will probably be out early tomorrow even though it is supposed to be windy.

Bass Snatchers Gull/Crow Wing River Tournament

Chuck Fields wins 2nd Consecutive Tournament.

 

Sara & Herman with "Lunker Wood"

Sara with her 6lb Lunker & a 3/03

4/02 on Big Bite BFE

Pike on the Berkley Fusion19 Jig/KVD Shiner

What I caught fish on

Conditions: Periods of clouds and sun, 70's to upper 80's, a bit humid, light winds

The Day:
I was so disappointed that my Tackle Warehouse order did not arrive on Friday, but such is life. We blasted off as boat #4 and headed West, getting passed by Snatcher Dennis as we headed up river. Our first and second spots were slop areas on adjacent sides of the river, and we didn't get a bite at either place in about an hour of fishing. So we headed up river farther, and Bill got a quality smallmouth right away on a popper. He then got a rock bass and a couple of non-keeper smallmouths. I got a pike on a lipless Frenzy and a rock bass on a Jackhammer. I also had something that felt quality on for a few seconds on our second pass down by where Bill got the smallie.

From there, we headed up in sight of the bridge, and Bill popped a nice large on his first pitch. I think I got a pike and rock bass, and Bill got a couple of non-keeper smallies and rockies. I think we moved down the river just a little way. Bill got a nice smallie throwing a Senko by the shore and a fourth nice keeper smallmouth in the middle of the river. We pulled in behind Snatcher Al, where Bill got his first keeper; Bill got a non-keeper smallmouth.  We went down river a little way, and I got the big pike which put up a good battle. I took my time with it, and Bill eventually netted it and took pictures. I wasn't too pleased because the day was more than half over, and I didn't have a bass in the boat yet. We worked a shaded bank and didn't get anything. So next, we headed back to where the river narrows to the East of the public access. And started working our way West fishing wood. Bill got his 5th keeper pretty quickly. We continued working wood. Finally, I got a keeper in the boat out of some weeds and wood, and it was a good one, 4lbs.

There was a slop area just upriver from where I got my fish, and in the next 10-minutes, I had my bag for the day, catching two quick fish on a frog. We then went back up river to our second stop working that slop bay better than we did the first time. I got one 11-inch largemouth on a frog. Then we crossed the river expanding on our first area of the morning. Bill had to miss 5 or 6 bites on his frog before he finally got his limit fish in the boat, which was a quality largemouth. I think he then caught one that didn't help him. For the final 20-minutes, we worked the slop area by the access. I had a fish boil on my frog but did not get it and didn't try again. And then the day was done.

Results: My 3 fish weighed 7/13, which put me in 13th Place out of 17 Anglers, two of which blanked. Chuck Fields made it back-to-back wins with a 17/01 bag, and my boater Snatcher Ludenia made it back-to-back as runner-up with a 16/12. Lunker went to Snatcher Sara with a 6lb Pig.

Thoughts: I should have thought more about what it would take to catch some smallmouth. I should have thrown a football jig and brought some swing heads and square bills. I really think my lack of forethought cost me a limit. At a minimum, I should have been able to catch at least one smallmouth.  

 

One Small Bass, Tonight

Belle took the pic

 

One bass tonight, ouch!

6:40-9:45PM Reeds Across S & N, Loon Bay

72-80℉, MS, 3-8mph ENE

78℉ water High

Went to Reeds Across South while Todd had dinner. Got two pike and one bass on a chatterbait along the reed edge. I went back to pick up Todd. He tweaked his back, so I went back out alone. I went to Loon Bay. I got a pike off of a dock on Grapes of Wrath. It was dead in there, so I bounced to Reeds Across North. Had a couple of fish slap at my frogs in the reeds, pike probably. I left the reeds for F-Flat cabbage. I didn't get a bite at my waypoint, so I turned around and worked the reed line getting two pike and missing a couple of bites. Rough trip.