Snatcher Mississippi River Tournament

A Top 5 Finish for Swannie and I.

8:00-4:00PM Zebulon Pike Res. Mississippi River
Conditions: 58-68℉, Mostly Cloudy, Windy NW

The Day:
We ended up starting right before 8AM, thanks to a Snatcher who never showed up.  The wind was blowing on our starting spot pretty good and there were a lot of trees so I didn't start with the Plopper like I planed.  Instead I think I opted for the buzzbait and spinnerbait.  I got my first hit on the spinnerbait but it was a pike.  I then got a rock bass and then another pike.  About an hour in we went back and started over just a little before where we started the first time.  I went to the dreaded Texas Rig.  Within the first 10 minutes and before we reached our starting spot Swannie landed the first keeper of the day.  I ended up getting the Chigger Craw bit off by a pike.  I never did attempt to throw the Texas rig again.  Swannie ended up having to break off his swim jig.  We were just about to move when I got a 15" smallie on the spinnerbait.  About 5 minutes later I overshot my cast and had to break the spinnerbait off.

We ended up moving to our second area and not getting a hit there.

Off the spot #3, a shallow flat with rocks, around 11AM.  Swannie was surprized the only boat fishing there was Tim Benson who I think was 1 fish short of a limit at that time.  Swannie put on a lipless crank and caught 3 quick smallies, 2 keepers and 1 dink that had to go back.  He also caught a walleye around the same spot he got one in pre-fish.  I tried to make topwater work, but the fish weren't having it.  Swannie caught another keeper.  I had seen enough and switched to a red craw 1/2oz Berkley Frenzy lipless that I have had success with in the past in rivers.  I caught a 13 incher.  I think Swannie then caught a catfish and Tim lost a big smallie.  I got my big fish of the day, a 17 incher.

Shortly after getting that fish I cast out the Frenzy and the line broke at the spool.  Just great.  All I had left was a 1/4oz red craw Frenzy lipless.  I put a cast up by shore and got a 13.25" smallie.  Swannie got his fifth keeper then lost a good one on a swim jig.  I had a good smallie on, it would have been my second biggest of the day, and fought it to the boat.  I thought I was going to get it in the net and horsed it a bit to much and it came off.  Totally my mistake.  Losing that fish cost me 3rd Place.

With about 2 hours left we headed back down river.  I got my fifth fish, a 13.5", out of our our starting area where the wind was just pounding with about 40 minutes left in the day.  Eventually we opted to move to the western shore to get out of the wind.  I had the spinnerbait get hit by a couple of small fish, but didn't have another shot at #6.

Results:  My 5 fished weighed 7 and a half pounds, with a 2/04 big fish, which put me in 4th Place.  As you can see I beat Swannie by an ounce. Tim Benson kicked everyone's butt getting 1st with 14/06 and the 3/11 Lunker.  Fishing was tough with only two limits weighed in. Ouch!

Thoughts:  I didn't know we were going to fish that shallow flat as we barely went on to it during pre-fish.  I only had the two lipless cranks with me.  I wish I had more of them and some square bills as well.  Both Swannie and I should of had our limits.  Swannie was a great draw.  Neither of us had a clue fishing was going to be so tough.

 I am off to my best start ever as a Snatcher, so there is that.  If I can just finish middle of the pack from here on out I should reach my goal of being in the Top 10 at the end of the year.  A couple more Top 10 finishes and I should have a great shot at making the clubs Super 6 and thus make this years Challenge Cup Team.

Next Tournament: North Long on July 15th.

Zebulon Pike Pre-Fish #2

15" Strike King Buzz King

10:30AM-2:30PM Zebulon Res. Mississippi River
Conditions: 70-77℉, Sunny turning cloudy about 1PM, A bit of wind out of the North to start turning calm after the clouds moved in.

As we headed up river we came across Bill Ludenia and stopped to talk for a little bit.  Didn't get a bite for the first hour and a half at least and then I missed the first one I got a the Buzz King just after I said, "Come on fish bite."  I got the 15" smallie the buzzbait in the area where Swannie got the big bass yesterday.  I tried a few different lures without any luck.  Swannie got a decent smallie.  Then the clouds moved in and I missed a good one on a double buzzer just after I said the water we were on looked really good..  We ran up within sight of the bridge and went to the Western shore for the second or third time.  Swannie got an eye, which he released.  I got a dink smallmouth and missed a couple of bites.  A group of students got off a bus and started walking down the river as we were drifting at about the same speed.  I caught a pike and a 15" smallie while they were there on the double buzz.  Also missed a couple of hits and we called it quits.  We ran into Bill again as we headed South.

Zebulon Pike Reservoir Mississippi River Pre-Fish #1

1st Smallie of the Day 12" Spinnerbait

11:30-2:15PM Mississippi River
Conditions: 82℉, Mostly Sunny, SSE Wind

The plan was to start fishing about where Swannie stopped fishing his first time out pre-fishing and just cover water fishing the East bank of the River.  From what I saw this section of river sets up very differently than the pool below it which I have fished a few times.  The water is up and there is a lot of laydowns and trees over the water.  I can see why former club member Joe is so fond of fishing hollow body frogs in this pool.  Swannie didn't have a whole lot of success his first trip out and the report he got from Dennis was about the same.  I started out throwing a Strike King spinnerbait and within 15 minutes I had the first smallie of the trip in the boat.  I got a 13" smallie about 10 minutes later.  I added a Speed Shad to add some bulk and got rid of the Power Clip at that point tying direct.  I then got a 13.5".  I think Swannie then got in on the action catching a couple.  I got a 16.5" and had a 16 or so jump off at the boat.  Some fish were right on the bank, some were holding on wood.

Swannie was satisfied with what we were getting so he ran up to an island.  I backlashed which allowed my spinnerbait to lay on the bottom and get snagged.  I lost it, dang it.   I put on a red double willow SK with Speed Shad trailer.  As we came back down stream on the other side of the Island I had a 15 or so Smallie take it out from a nothing bank on nothing that I could tell.  We switched back to the East shoreline.  I got one last dink and Swannie landed a good 2 plus pound fish.  That was it.  We headed in.  Running into Chuck and Lois on the way back in.  It was there first trip out.  A kid who was fishing at the ramp apparently got a really nice smallie there about 10 minutes before we got there.

Hopefully I'll get to experience fishing out of Swannie's River Pro next week.