BFL Hoosier Division 2nd Tourney

[macgyver]

Well Saturday 5/14 was the second of five regular season tourneys. It was held at Patoka Lake in Southern Indiana. The weather prior to the tourney had been stable, and warm. Then Friday night as I was driving from work to the registration, the temps went from 81 degrees to 67 degrees, with some really bad thunderstorms. When I met my partner after the drawing he had me pumped up, telling me how he had been just absolutely loading the boat with some hawgs, and had a pattern that was really working. I slept for about 3 hours before getting out of bed, and heading to the dock to meet him. Got to the dock, at 345am, he showed up at 410am. It was pouring down rain, so the rain suit was already on. We got the boat in the water, and checked in, and then waited for the takeoff starting at 530am. We took off and went to a feeder creek first off, and started fishing. He had been using spinnerbaits the whole 2 weeks prior to the tourney. Well we didn't get any hits, so I started pitching to laydowns, and stumps. Had several little nibbles but nothing of any size, they were Warmouths biting them. I finally got a decent bite after about 1.5 hours, while pitching to a couple of laydowns that were crisscrossed. I set the hook well, and had the fish, but then also had the laydown, and snapped my 20lb Fireline, that I had just retied the night before We both continued with little nibbles and actually caught a Warmouth a piece :P We had tried buzzbaits, and spinners, and some plastics at this point. He decided he wanted to move to his next spot, so we arrived, and both grabbed our spinnerbaits. On the first cast I caught a nice 3lb 5oz LM and boated it, in some weed cover. Now I was getting fired up. We continued into another stump field, and I caught another 8"-9" dink, and the boater caught a 2lb even LM. He then caught another dink in this same area. Well we didn't get anything else from the area at all. But belive me we fishied it. At this point I was thinking OK your pattern is gone, lets try something else. Well he just wouldn't give up on it. So as the day went on, he got more and more panicky about catching fish this way, so we just started going faster and faster, until he saw a fish along the shore, which he spent probably 30 minutes trying to catch. Finally he decided we were gonna start really running and gunning. So we then went to 5 different spots flying around throwing spinnerbaits, and buzzbaits. He caught several dinks on the buzzbait, but nothing bigger than 9". We finally, with five minutes of fishing left, went to a place he wanted to crank on the way to checkin. He caught another dink, and that was it. Made it to weigh in with about 2-3 minutes to spare, with 1 fish a piece. I was disapointed about the results of the day, but at least I did have a decent fish in the livewell. I would have changed tactics, but didn't have a choice it was impossible to use plastics moving at the pace we were, I know I tried. Cranks were out of the question, since it was all stumps/wood, and all you did was get caught up, I know I tried that also. Anyway I did get some points, and am currently in 77th place in our division. My goal from the start of the year was to be in the top 40 to qualify for the regionals. Still got a chance, but I need to catch fish everytime out from here on. Not neccessarily a limit, but at least 1-2 per tourney. There were lots of fish caught, and some nice limits, the Boater side tied with 2 guys at 16lbs 4ozs, the non-boater won with 14lbs of fish. They were all fishing weed beds though not the stump fields. Well another learning experience, and this tourney was better than the last one where I got 0 fish. I just have to figure out a way to catch fish even on high gear, because I don't have a choice of where or how we fish. The next tourney is at the Largest lake in the sate, which is about 1 hour from my home. At least this time, I'll be sleeping in my own bed the night before the tourney By the way the rain only stopped for 1 1/2 hours of the 10 1/2 hours we actually were sitting on the water The temps never got higher than about 65 degrees(air), with water temps being in the lower 70's. It was a long day in all the rain, but it was better than working ;D I will be prefishing the next lake myself, so I can hopefully find some spots to catch a few, without having to solely depend on the Boater knowing what's going on. That is if he will go there :-/ Not a bad day for what I faced, heck I beat my boater ;D

Lizards

[danrw84]

Well at least you got the one! How experienced was your boater in tourney fishing and at Patoka itself. Sounds like he got caught up in his pre-tourney pattern and didn't pay attention to the pattern of the day with the weather conditions and all. When's the Monroe tourney?

[macgyver]

[quote author=creekgeek link=board=Reports;num=1116332133;start=0#1 date=05/17/05 at 10:24:50]Well at least you got the one! Â*How experienced was your boater in tourney fishing and at Patoka itself. Â*Sounds like he got caught up in his pre-tourney pattern and didn't pay attention to the pattern of the day with the weather conditions and all. Â*When's the Monroe tourney? Â*

[/quote]

Well he said he fishes Patoka 30-40 times a year. He is a part time guide for several other lakes, not Patoka, because his buddie guides there. I agree he just wouldn't change tactics even when the fish weren't there. The toureny on Monroe(one of the lakes he guides) is 6/18. So I'm gonna be fishing it as much as the wife and work allow, from now till then. But I'm taking Strap to the coal pit this saturday, if he can get up that is ;D

Lizards

[IL.bassin36]

Good job Lizards! I don't care where your fishing, a 3 1/2 lber is a nice fish ;D

[javelinguy]

Lizards!! Congrats on staying consistent despite conditions and despite a run and gun partner. I'm a run and gun fisherman but a co-angler as well at the moment. Do quite well but have been in the same predicament. Boater who is running and gunning and your gut is telling you, that you want to slow down and fish plastics. Frustrating you bet. Unsolvable...NO

Fish or start learning the CAROLINA RIG. You can throw that same senko, creature bait, french fry, LIZARD , etc. Just let out the line as he's moving along and look..you have a bunch of strike zone to cover. Just drag it around with X amount of line out. For pauses in really good areas just disengage the reel to let it sit for 5 sec. then leave that amount out or reel it in until you see the next potential structure.

It's been working for me. AND I HATE FISHING SLOW!!!

[macgyver]

[quote author=IMhooked link=board=Reports;num=1116332133;start=0#4 date=05/24/05 at 21:25:24]Lizards!! Congrats on staying consistent despite conditions and despite a run and gun partner. Â*I'm a run and gun fisherman but a co-angler as well at the moment. Â*Do quite well but have been in the same predicament. Â*Boater who is running and gunning and your gut is telling you, that you want to slow down and fish plastics. Â*Frustrating you bet. Â*Unsolvable...NO

Fish or start learning the CAROLINA RIG. Â*You can throw that same senko, creature bait, french fry, LIZARD Â*, etc. Â*Just let out the line as he's moving along and look..you have a bunch of strike zone to cover. Â*Just drag it around with X amount of line out. Â*For pauses in really good areas just disengage the reel to let it sit for 5 sec. then leave that amount out or reel it in until you see the next potential structure.

It's been working for me. Â*AND I HATE FISHING SLOW!!![/quote]

Well believe it not, I did try that, then realized, I would be hung up everytime, in the trees and stumps we were in. That is what I had palnned, but after 2 immediate hang ups, and having to cut the line on 2 consecutive casts, I pretty much realized it wasn't gonna work. Thanks for the words of encouragement, I appreciate it. Anyway theres always the next one. I have no problem running and gunning if it's working ;D

Lizards

[javelinguy]

Good decision then. Can't wait to read about the next one. I especially like how you write about the conditions and your thoughts throughout the day.

Won my first Monday night tourney as a co-angler the other week. $260!! Fishing was so tough that 2 fish took it. I also had big bass so that was $75 bucks. Payout was down to 3rd and 4th place but no one pulled a fish beyond 2nd place so that money got bumped up. I think my wife was more happy than I was. Now...where did that money go again??

[jglassguy]

Nice article on the tournie Lizards
After all that adreniline wears off and the no sleep catchs up with ya, makes for a sleepy monday morning
eh/
next time ya see these same conditions in that stump bed try a small bomber crankbait and reel somewhat slower, the reason being that the bite is finicky, and more important, as you feel a stump quit reeling and let that bomber backup and wobble its way to the top,
the dif you have experienced it that the boater was calling all the shots and fishing a too fast a pace, an error many anglers make when running a gunning....