brutal tournament....

carolina-rig-01 · 02-11-08, 01:20 AM

well we all talked over the past week or so about my upcoming tourney so i thought i would give the results even though i am not proud of them.

started out by running to my pea gravel point where i caught my biggest fish while pre-fishing. i was expecting my fish to be off the ledge on the main lake side as this is the closest deep water and this point had neither sun nor wind on it yet. sure enough just like clock work i started graphing fish 30 -35 feet deep in 40 feet of water. i tried dropshotting them and couldn't buy a bite. i finally caught a short on my homemade jig, the next cast i had one hit my jig while it was falling but couldn't hook up.

i didn't want to leave my fish, but knew this point would be better with a little wind and sun. so i made a short run to a bank that i found some fish a few weeks earlier. couldn't get bit here at all either. i threw a rogue, pointer, dropshot, jig, and wiggle wart (crawdad color wiggle warts are hard on bass populations when it comes to table rock).

with the wind picking up i made a longer run, for those of you who know table rock i ran from cape fair ( back of james river) almost all the way to kimberling city. i had an island with timber that i know had fish on it but the wind was howling here and it was almost unfishable.

with the wind picking up and the sun shining bright i thought now is my chance to pick the first point clean. so i pinned the ears back on the mercury and headed back upstream in 3' white caps. when i got to my point there was a kid with his grandpa on the bank of my point throwing rocks and shooting a bb gun into the water. so i mumbled a little string of cuss words and headed for a bluff end that i had a little faith in. there was a lot of cedars on this bluff end and i was graphing fish 15-20 feet deep. so i started throwing a lucky craft pointer 100dd. with the wind at gail forces i had a bite and didn't know it. i went to jerk the bait and he was there. an awkward hookset and he stayed with me long enough to feel a few head shakes and then he was gone. again another string of cuss words.

ended up being 4 fish weighed in and a lot of people didn't even catch any shorts. it was just flat brutal!

BassAddict · 02-11-08, 10:23 AM

That does sound like a tough day! hope your next tx is a lot better. My first one is March 29th and it is usually pretty tough too but not that bad.

Lilmoosecountry · 02-11-08, 10:50 AM

Who won & what was the bait that did it. You are right this weekend was brutal for fish'n. I just gave up & went home. I am tuff when comes to crappy weathor. But i am so tired of it. That it's hard to concentrate fish'n. Weathor man up here the other day. Said that we have had more Snow storms this year. Then all of the last 3 yrs combined. Tuff weathor fishermen or not. I'm getting sick of this.

lunker-lander · 02-11-08, 01:56 PM

At least you got to get out and fish....

-Lunk-

pig n jig · 02-11-08, 06:38 PM

If you did the best that you could do, there isn't anything more you could ask for ?........
except a little bit of luck, or some cooperation from the fish.

All in all, I say you had a well planned tourny, it just didn't pan out the way you would have liked it to. I like the fact that you didn't quit, when the tourny turned tough. Kudos, for not quitting.

P N J

carolina-rig-01 · 02-12-08, 02:35 AM

thanks pnj. usually on the way home and for the next several weeks after doing bad in a tourney i come up with a lot of things i should have done and just kick myself in the butt over it. but in this case i really can't second guess any of my decisions. my fish should have been there, and they should have bit, but that is the way it goes. doesn't make it any easier to stomach though.

Fish2win · 02-12-08, 04:03 AM

Good try, One rule that I learned about tournament fishing years ago. Never leave fish to find fish. Each time you are out it is good if you learn something. Fish2win

Lilmoosecountry · 02-12-08, 10:23 AM

Make this your home lake!!! Fish & Fish there every chance you get. Over time this advantage will be yours for the taking. You'll know what do when conditions get tuff.

bassnman30 · 02-12-08, 12:58 PM

carolina-rig-01,
Alot of us do what you said. Think about what you should have done and how you should have done it. Have had MANY experiences the same way.
Apparently you had a pattern and you stuck with it. Thats something that I have failed to do, regardless of the amount of time that I've spent on the water.

bassthumb32 · 02-12-08, 01:05 PM

FISH2WIN said it never leave fish to find fish. Like you and bassman said I second guess myself for the whole next week. Tournament fishing is very tough you know that someone is always going to wack them.

Fish2win · 02-12-08, 07:02 PM

quite a few years ago i stopped practicing for tournaments on lakes that i was knowledgeable on because it would pregidous my thinking. On the lakes I was most familiar with i would just go fishing . Ultimately I did much better that way. Dont over think the fish.
I also never asked anyone where how or how deep. Fish your own fish. I can tell you exactly how and where i am cathcing fish in a tournament and you still wont catch them unless they are super agressive. Fish your own fish.
Fish2win

Bob Smith · 02-13-08, 10:33 AM

This time of year means two things to me, in a tournament, #1, Don't run any further than you absolutely have to (especially in rough water). #2, As already stated, don't leave fish to find fish (if you are on a bite, stay with it and hope to up the weight. Moving out a little deeper will sometimes pick up a couple of heavier fish). With four fish, it sounds like you did ok, what did it take to get a check?

Lilmoosecountry · 02-13-08, 10:47 AM

I think some people have that abilty. To think like a fish i mean. Yes not every angler has it. You can tell who does & who does'nt just by responses to certain questions. I feal i do. But as i listen to others here. Zook, Rebal, bassman there are a few others. No there are some that think they do. But there thinking is more like the baitmonkey. I have to have the lastest. I have to have the most exspensive. If i don't use this new technique i won't catch fish. Never challenge a Guide who makes a living fishing on a lake that knows it with back of his hand. You'll loose every time. This is how i fish the MO. The fish are not as big as they are in a lake. But they are all muscle. With all that muscle & heavy current. Many anglers will struggle to fish the missouri river. I know were there at. I know the ever changing debri,canals,river & creak openings. I know this because i fish this area all the time.

carolina-rig-01 · 02-13-08, 01:18 PM

lol uummm bob, let me clear this up. there were four fish total weighed in, that is for the whole tournament. we blanked, had one short fish all day.

Bob Smith · 02-13-08, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carolina-rig-01

lol uummm bob, let me clear this up. there were four fish total weighed in, that is for the whole tournament. we blanked, had one short fish all day.

OOOPs! KNowing that, I wouldn't be beating myself up at all if I were you.

It sounds like a typical winter tournament where everyone is just downright LUCKY to put one in the livewell!

I've seen weigh-ins where the money got refunded or carried over to the next event as well.
At least you got out there and gave it a shot!

02-11-08, 01:56 PM	#4
lunker-lander BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: SE Michigan Posts: 1,628	At least you got to get out and fish.... -Lunk- __________________ I don't see why schools are Public. If all schools were made Private, trespassers would be eliminated!

02-12-08, 02:35 AM	#6
carolina-rig-01 BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Webb City, MO Posts: 6,387	thanks pnj. usually on the way home and for the next several weeks after doing bad in a tourney i come up with a lot of things i should have done and just kick myself in the butt over it. but in this case i really can't second guess any of my decisions. my fish should have been there, and they should have bit, but that is the way it goes. doesn't make it any easier to stomach though. __________________ You only live once. But if you do it right, once is enough.

02-12-08, 04:03 AM	#7
Fish2win BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Norris Tennessee Posts: 469	Good try, One rule that I learned about tournament fishing years ago. Never leave fish to find fish. Each time you are out it is good if you learn something. Fish2win __________________ Norris Tennessee set the hook! They dont have hands.

02-12-08, 12:58 PM	#9
bassnman30 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Lexington,NC-Worlds best BBQ. Posts: 1,945	carolina-rig-01, Alot of us do what you said. Think about what you should have done and how you should have done it. Have had MANY experiences the same way. Apparently you had a pattern and you stuck with it. Thats something that I have failed to do, regardless of the amount of time that I've spent on the water. __________________ Lexington,NC.

02-12-08, 01:05 PM	#10
bassthumb32 BassFishin.Com Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Fort Loudon, PA Posts: 682	FISH2WIN said it never leave fish to find fish. Like you and bassman said I second guess myself for the whole next week. Tournament fishing is very tough you know that someone is always going to wack them. __________________ MY LIFETIME GOAL IS TO KEEP AT LEAST A SMALL CASE OF BASSTHUMB FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.

02-11-08, 01:20 AM	#1
carolina-rig-01 BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Webb City, MO Posts: 6,387	brutal tournament.... well we all talked over the past week or so about my upcoming tourney so i thought i would give the results even though i am not proud of them. started out by running to my pea gravel point where i caught my biggest fish while pre-fishing. i was expecting my fish to be off the ledge on the main lake side as this is the closest deep water and this point had neither sun nor wind on it yet. sure enough just like clock work i started graphing fish 30 -35 feet deep in 40 feet of water. i tried dropshotting them and couldn't buy a bite. i finally caught a short on my homemade jig, the next cast i had one hit my jig while it was falling but couldn't hook up. i didn't want to leave my fish, but knew this point would be better with a little wind and sun. so i made a short run to a bank that i found some fish a few weeks earlier. couldn't get bit here at all either. i threw a rogue, pointer, dropshot, jig, and wiggle wart (crawdad color wiggle warts are hard on bass populations when it comes to table rock). with the wind picking up i made a longer run, for those of you who know table rock i ran from cape fair ( back of james river) almost all the way to kimberling city. i had an island with timber that i know had fish on it but the wind was howling here and it was almost unfishable. with the wind picking up and the sun shining bright i thought now is my chance to pick the first point clean. so i pinned the ears back on the mercury and headed back upstream in 3' white caps. when i got to my point there was a kid with his grandpa on the bank of my point throwing rocks and shooting a bb gun into the water. so i mumbled a little string of cuss words and headed for a bluff end that i had a little faith in. there was a lot of cedars on this bluff end and i was graphing fish 15-20 feet deep. so i started throwing a lucky craft pointer 100dd. with the wind at gail forces i had a bite and didn't know it. i went to jerk the bait and he was there. an awkward hookset and he stayed with me long enough to feel a few head shakes and then he was gone. again another string of cuss words. ended up being 4 fish weighed in and a lot of people didn't even catch any shorts. it was just flat brutal! __________________ You only live once. But if you do it right, once is enough.

02-11-08, 10:23 AM	#2
BassAddict BassFishin.Com Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Richmond, Virginia Posts: 805	That does sound like a tough day! hope your next tx is a lot better. My first one is March 29th and it is usually pretty tough too but not that bad.

02-11-08, 10:50 AM	#3
Lilmoosecountry BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 1,322	Who won & what was the bait that did it. You are right this weekend was brutal for fish'n. I just gave up & went home. I am tuff when comes to crappy weathor. But i am so tired of it. That it's hard to concentrate fish'n. Weathor man up here the other day. Said that we have had more Snow storms this year. Then all of the last 3 yrs combined. Tuff weathor fishermen or not. I'm getting sick of this.

02-11-08, 06:38 PM	#5
pig n jig BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Avoca, NY Posts: 3,508	If you did the best that you could do, there isn't anything more you could ask for ?........ except a little bit of luck, or some cooperation from the fish. All in all, I say you had a well planned tourny, it just didn't pan out the way you would have liked it to. I like the fact that you didn't quit, when the tourny turned tough. Kudos, for not quitting. P N J

02-12-08, 10:23 AM	#8
Lilmoosecountry BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 1,322	Make this your home lake!!! Fish & Fish there every chance you get. Over time this advantage will be yours for the taking. You'll know what do when conditions get tuff.

02-12-08, 07:02 PM	#11
Fish2win BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Norris Tennessee Posts: 469	quite a few years ago i stopped practicing for tournaments on lakes that i was knowledgeable on because it would pregidous my thinking. On the lakes I was most familiar with i would just go fishing . Ultimately I did much better that way. Dont over think the fish. I also never asked anyone where how or how deep. Fish your own fish. I can tell you exactly how and where i am cathcing fish in a tournament and you still wont catch them unless they are super agressive. Fish your own fish. Fish2win __________________ Norris Tennessee set the hook! They dont have hands.

02-13-08, 10:33 AM	#12
Bob Smith BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Cartersville, Georgia Posts: 1,472	This time of year means two things to me, in a tournament, #1, Don't run any further than you absolutely have to (especially in rough water). #2, As already stated, don't leave fish to find fish (if you are on a bite, stay with it and hope to up the weight. Moving out a little deeper will sometimes pick up a couple of heavier fish). With four fish, it sounds like you did ok, what did it take to get a check? __________________ Bob Smith a.k.a. "Porko" (vintage Strike King variety!)

02-13-08, 10:47 AM	#13
Lilmoosecountry BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 1,322	I think some people have that abilty. To think like a fish i mean. Yes not every angler has it. You can tell who does & who does'nt just by responses to certain questions. I feal i do. But as i listen to others here. Zook, Rebal, bassman there are a few others. No there are some that think they do. But there thinking is more like the baitmonkey. I have to have the lastest. I have to have the most exspensive. If i don't use this new technique i won't catch fish. Never challenge a Guide who makes a living fishing on a lake that knows it with back of his hand. You'll loose every time. This is how i fish the MO. The fish are not as big as they are in a lake. But they are all muscle. With all that muscle & heavy current. Many anglers will struggle to fish the missouri river. I know were there at. I know the ever changing debri,canals,river & creak openings. I know this because i fish this area all the time.

02-13-08, 01:18 PM	#14
carolina-rig-01 BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Webb City, MO Posts: 6,387	lol uummm bob, let me clear this up. there were four fish total weighed in, that is for the whole tournament. we blanked, had one short fish all day. __________________ You only live once. But if you do it right, once is enough.

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