A bad tourney in the making

cassidyta · 05-10-11, 03:48 PM

I have a tourney on the 21st and the outlook is rather grim.
This was the lake report from last week.

From a local site:
"The 41 anglers checked at Hodges reported catching 6 bass, 37 bluegill, 49 crappie and 5 carp. The launching conditions are excellent. The surface temp is 71 degrees. Hodges is open for fishing and boating on a Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday schedule. Boat rentals are available."

The week before wasn't much better with a report of 66 anglers and 11 bass caught.

Historically this has been a great bass lake that can produce great numbers and size. This year it has stumped some of the best sticks in Southern Cali. The water is at a 5 year high, but other than that there is no change. Fish are busting on shad, but just not getting caught.
I have read many reports of guys that know how to catch fish spending a day on the water without so much as a bite.
There was a 20 boat tourney there last month that brought in 8 total fish.

I am seriously considering just picking a spot that should hold fish, dropping anchor and waiting/hoping for one to come to my spot.
On a bright note, I think I can win it all with 1 fish!

rrw4258 · 05-10-11, 04:41 PM

Sounds like a tough gig cass... if you have fished this lake before, then you may be better off picking one or two spots that you can sit on all day and work the area over very thorough. And like you said, a 1 or 2 fish bag may win the tournament. Just go in with a lot of confidence and fish your confidence baits! Keep your chin up, and make it happen!

Ryan

bamabassman · 05-10-11, 05:26 PM

tom, in the end it is always 1 fish that wins it anyway. 1 makes the difference everytime my friend.

sounds like they may be either suspending or in the flood waters. i owuld go skinny first. then look for the suspending fish, THEN go chasing the shad. get yourself a rooster tail for the shad chasing. works here. 1/4 to 3/8 oz.

carolina-rig-01 · 05-13-11, 08:54 PM

The only thing you need to throw is chartreuse dynomite...............works everytime!

Bassboss · 05-13-11, 10:26 PM

Is live bait an option?

Ya might just try making something look, sound, and smell as natural as you can get it. A small shad swimbait might work that matches the size of the shad they're feeding. Fish in natural as you can, and hope one fools for it. 1 fish could do it, especially a kicker.

05-10-11, 03:48 PM	#1
cassidyta BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 2,928	A bad tourney in the making I have a tourney on the 21st and the outlook is rather grim. This was the lake report from last week. From a local site: "The 41 anglers checked at Hodges reported catching 6 bass, 37 bluegill, 49 crappie and 5 carp. The launching conditions are excellent. The surface temp is 71 degrees. Hodges is open for fishing and boating on a Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday schedule. Boat rentals are available." The week before wasn't much better with a report of 66 anglers and 11 bass caught. Historically this has been a great bass lake that can produce great numbers and size. This year it has stumped some of the best sticks in Southern Cali. The water is at a 5 year high, but other than that there is no change. Fish are busting on shad, but just not getting caught. I have read many reports of guys that know how to catch fish spending a day on the water without so much as a bite. There was a 20 boat tourney there last month that brought in 8 total fish. I am seriously considering just picking a spot that should hold fish, dropping anchor and waiting/hoping for one to come to my spot. On a bright note, I think I can win it all with 1 fish! __________________ If you have ever wondered if you should retie, the answer is yes.

05-10-11, 04:41 PM	#2
rrw4258 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Bellevue, Ohio Posts: 2,338	Sounds like a tough gig cass... if you have fished this lake before, then you may be better off picking one or two spots that you can sit on all day and work the area over very thorough. And like you said, a 1 or 2 fish bag may win the tournament. Just go in with a lot of confidence and fish your confidence baits! Keep your chin up, and make it happen! Ryan __________________ Never Give Up!

05-10-11, 05:26 PM	#3
bamabassman BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: cedar bluff, alabama Posts: 15,292	tom, in the end it is always 1 fish that wins it anyway. 1 makes the difference everytime my friend. sounds like they may be either suspending or in the flood waters. i owuld go skinny first. then look for the suspending fish, THEN go chasing the shad. get yourself a rooster tail for the shad chasing. works here. 1/4 to 3/8 oz. __________________ so many lures, so little time.

05-13-11, 10:26 PM	#5
Bassboss BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Shawano, WI Posts: 7,761	Is live bait an option? Ya might just try making something look, sound, and smell as natural as you can get it. A small shad swimbait might work that matches the size of the shad they're feeding. Fish in natural as you can, and hope one fools for it. 1 fish could do it, especially a kicker. __________________ If you can't fix it with heavy squats or fish oil, you're probably going to die.

05-13-11, 08:54 PM	#4
carolina-rig-01 BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Webb City, MO Posts: 6,387	The only thing you need to throw is chartreuse dynomite...............works everytime!

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