Friday - April 18 - Day 92 - six days missed

Practice at Eufaula for club tournament

Got up early and got boat in water - ABA tournament took off at about
6:50. None came up campground creek. I went looking for the shad spawn
- as I idled under the bridge saw some on corner and on a point just
upstream. Also saw a few on the riprap at the marina.

Rode to area I like to fish and there were 7 boats there already.
Looked around some then ran to the back of a creek with some riprap
but no activity. Something blew up at a buzzbait but I did not hook
it.

Very calm cool morning - not a cloud in the sky. Went to a point and
fished it - nothing. Flipped a Senko to a willow tree and it took off
- landed a nice 4 pound bass. First bass at 9 AM.

Breeze had started blowing lightly out of north then suddenly changed
to from the south and got stronger. Started clouding up, too. Storms
coming.

Fished rest of day all over lake. Got some hits on riprap in a creek
near a marina and landed a hybrid on a crankbait. Went to the
causeways and got some more hits. Something thumped a crankbait and I
set the hook and it felt heavy, then line went slack. Figured I had
lost it but realized it was swimming right to me.

I caught up with the fish as it passed the boat. I was running the
riprap parallel to it about ten feet out and fish went between me and
rocks running parallel to it then started striping drag. Strong fish.
Then it came off. No idea what it was.

Stopped by some flats on the way in to check out shallow water and two
guys in a Bullet waved me down. They said they needed a jump but came
to me on their trolling motor - it was strong. I asked if they had
tried to jump from trolling motor and they said yes but wouldn't work.
I told them they would probaby have to disconnect the crank batterty
first - probably too dead to jump.

We tried jumping with my motor running but no luck. They disconnected
the crank battery and hooked up to a troll batter - it fired right up.

They said they were catching fish back in a "pond" in very shallow
water. Guy in front had five, partner 3. I did not get in their area
but tried some similar spots nearby. No bites. Saw them idle out at 4
to go to weigh-in - they got cranked at least. Not sure how they did.

Went in a 5 without any more bites. Changed the switch on my trolling
motor - drove me crazy all day - all the rain at Hartwell two weeks
ago had made the button short and it would run on slow speed all the
time.

Got every thing ready for tomorrow. No idea what to do. Will not go
where I saw the guys in the ABA - they are fishing today, too.