Sunday - March 22, 2009 - Day 81

Sunday, March 22 - Cold, bright sun and no wind

Felt even colder running down to the rocky points - about a six mile
run. Some patchy fog - not a breath of breeze. And the sky was crystal
clear.

Fishing the rocky points I got a keeper on a crankbait at 7:30 - told
Niles maybe that was a good sign. We watched five boats go in where I
had got my jerk bait fish the day before so didn’t even try it. Worked
that points, island where we got three the day before, all around.
Nothing, no hits at all. Ran across to the small rocky creek. No hits
there either.

At 10:45 told Niles we had to make a change - the water was too clear
in the bright sun. Ran up to the small creek where I won last year.
Didn’t really have any hope - could see my jighead down about 4
inches. Very muddy.

Fished the rocky point there and worked in to some brush. Nothing.
Felt the need to get rid of some used coffee so turned and made a long
cast up the bank and put the rod under my arm. About half way through
a fish tried to pull the rod away from me! I “set the hook” by turning
my body with the rod under my arm - finally got my hands on the
fishing rod and managed to land a solid 3 pounder - told Niles it was
a suicide fish! Two in the boat at 10:30.

We worked that area hard then jumped across to an island with some
rocks. As we fished it Niles saw fish schooling back in a pocket. Ran
into it with the trolling motor on high but didn’t get any hits.

Noticed some brush and stumps in the very back in the flooded grass -
only about a foot deep. Worked a spinner bait though it and caught a
1.5 pounder. Big change of pattern, very shallow. Three in the boat at
12:30.

We worked all around that area but no more activity. Went back to
where I had caught the three pounder but nothing. Decided to run the
two shallow pockets with spinner bait and fish the two points on them
with about 1.5 hours left.

Nothing hit around the first pocket although we saw lots of baitfish
activity and one big swirl. When we got to the first point I ran my
spinner bait over it- it is clay with an old roadbed crossing it,
rocks and brush piles. No hits.

I threw my jighead near some of the brush and it got heavy - set the
hook and landed a good keeper. Four at 1:15 - not much time left.

Nothing hit around the next cove but as we got to the next point I
told Niles there was a fish there. It is clay with scattered rock and
the road bed crosses it, too. I have caught a good many fish where the
roadbed makes a dropoff.

I cast to it and so did Niles - no bites. Cast back and felt a hard
thump on my jighead and could not see or feel my line. Finally
realized the fish was headed to me and I set the hook - hard. A big
fish fought for a few seconds then pulled off - left a huge boil. Hook
on my jighead was straightened out - too hard a hook set on short
line, tight drag and 15 pound line.

Worked the point hard with just few minutes left. Cast to the dock on
the point and when I tightened up my line was sliding down the dock
cable - I thought until I felt the fish spit out my bait. I told Niles
missing two late fish like that was going to cost me.

At weigh-in my four went 8.5 pounds, giving me 17 for the two days and
first place.. Guy in first had three little fish - no wind killed his
pattern. He ended up with 14 pounds and second. Guy that had 9 pounds
the first day had gone - no fish. Third was just over 12, fourth just
under 12. Was real happy with the win on a tough, changing weekend.
Not as many big fish today - 6.15 held on for big fish.

Ronnie

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