Saturday - February 23 - Day 45

Morning dawned cool and some fog. Cloudy but no rain. We were fishing
7 to 5 - ten hour day. Since I didn't really have a clue what to do I
ran down to the big bridge and started throwing the Yozuri Livebait on
the rip. This bridge is 1.5 miles long and most of the riprap is on
the north end. I fished from the bridge about half way then tried a
jerk bait. No hits on either. Tried a #5 Shadrap, then threw a Slider
1/16 oz head and 4 inch worm. Not a bite. That is unusual, not even a
bite on the Slider.

Fished around the roadbed at the end of the riprap then ran back to
the bridge and fished the pilings. Nothing. Water temps were in the
low 50s and it was clear, could see my crank baits down three feet -
fish should have been hitting.

Started up the lake and stopped on one of my favorite river ledges.
Fished around some rockpiles. Nothing. On the upper end my crankbait
got heavy and I had a good fight - from a Pro Qualifier rod and reel.
Put it in the boat - looks like it will clean up good.

While fishing that end of the ridge I saw a boat on the next point way
upstream where I caught my one keeper yesterday. Looked like he put a
fish in the live well. I should have started there! He left and a
little later I went up there and started fishing. As I rounded the
point I saw Brent on the other side - he was the one I saw fishing. I
asked how he found my honey hole, the only place I got a keeper
yesterday. He said he had just put two in the livewell, about 4.5
pounds total. That really shot me down.

Left him there and decided to go into a small creek and wear out
everything and see what I could find. This little feeder creek splits
into several coves and has everything - pockets, gravel, rock piles,
brush piles and spawning areas. Wind was starting to pick up some and
there were some breaks in the clouds. Water was more stained in this
area but I could still see down 18 inches or so.

Worked back along a rocky point and got to a secondary point with rock
and clay. By now I had slowed down and was throwing a W-3 Tackle Stand
Up shakey head with a Trick worm on it. Felt a thump on the point and
set the hook - landed a 13 inch bass. Finally a keeper at 11:15 - the
tournament was almost half over!

Fished on around the very back of the creek. Threw up on a rockpile in
a couple of feet of water and my line started moving off. Set the hook
and broke the 12 pound PLine Fluorocarbon line. Checked it and it
broke way too easy. Threw that rod and reel in the bottom of the boat,
not into the lake like I almost did, and picked up a matching St Croix
rod and Pfleuger reel loaded with 12 pound PLine. I had replaced this
line last week and it did not break when I tried. Had a 3/16 Shakey
head on it with a Bama Bug color Tmac worm.

Fished out of the creek into the last pocket before the main lake.
Wind was blowing in on it. Threw up on a small secondary point and got
hit - landed a 15 inch 1.5 pounder - two in the live well but it was
already 12:15. Fixed the worm and threw back to the same spot and got
a bump. Set the hook on a good fish - saw it swirl under the water and
figured a good 3 pounder. Since I was fishing by myself - young guy
that was supposed to go with me decided to go to the Classic instead -
I reached down and got the net ready. As I got the fish close and
reached out with the net about wet my pants - much bigger than I
thought. Turned out to weigh 5.88 pounds - sure was glad I swapped
reels!

Wore that point and the next one out but no hits. Worked around the
outside point to the main lake to the next rocky point. Wind was
pretty strong on it. Cast up on it and got big - two pounder. 12:45
and four in the boat, one good one. My attitude had improved a lot.
Very next cast to the same spot got another 2 pounder. Filled my limit
- figured I had about 11 or 12 pounds.

I really did not want to wear out this spot since this was a two day
tournament so I started casting out to deeper water. Two guys fishing
a point upstream of me kept blowing toward me and each time they got
close I would move back on the point.

We played that game for about an hour and I thought they left, did not
see them. I fished a little ways into the creek to get out of the wind
and looked back to see them on the point. Saw each one of them put a
keeper in the boat - so much for saving it for tomorrow.

I left and went to another creek to see if I could duplicate the
pattern in the last two hours. Got one hit in a brush pile I had blown
up on before I saw it. Fish hit just feet from the boat and I broke my
line on the hookset.

Went in a little early since the lake is so dangerous. Did not have
far to go but had a good catch. Was shocked at the long faces - I had
the only limit. My five weighed 11.95 and the 5.88 was big fish for
the day. Second place was 10.5 and he had a 5.66. Wondered what
tomorrow would bring.

Got back to my campsite and hooked everything up and got the grill
going. We were at Mistletoe State Park and it has hundreds of sites
- and only about six were in use. I was chopping up my lettuce and
noticed some wood that had not been there last night or this morning.
Walked to the post and found someone had removed my card, put theirs
on the clip with a note saying "This site is taken, will be back."

I really did not care which site I was on - picked this one because it
was close to the bath house and drive thru, easy in and out with boat.
Thought about moving but my grill was going good. Decided I would
not. Got worried and checked my Glock and put one in the barrel just
in case.

I was eating my salad when a truck drove up and guy asked if I took
his card. I got it and took it to him and said yes, did not see it
until it was too late. Asked if he moved mine and he said he took it
to the check in station and they said I was already gone.

They went to another site. After grilling a steak I dumped my coals in
the fire pit and found my card.

Put new 12 pound line on one outfit and 15 on the other - both Pline
Flourocarbon. Rigged both with 3/16 head, one with the Tmac Bamabug
and one with a black Trick worm. Got a good nights sleep. Next post,
day two.

Ronnie

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