Had a club tournament yesterday at Lake Sinclair - we fished from 6 am to 1 pm,
trying to avoid most of the heat. Didn't work, it was 81 degrees at 5 am when I
passed a bank on the way to the lake, 97 on the return trip at 2 pm. At least
it was humid!

I started on a hump near the water intake for the steam plant on the lake.
First cast set the tone, I made a long cast with a Fat Free Shad and got a
backlash, line snapped and the plug went out of sight. Stayed there about an
hour without a bite.

Next went to a bridge and threw everything I had. I had been told bass were
hitting there, but I never got a bite. After an hour I left to hit my last
hope, a creek with some shoals, but I would have to idle a long way.

Near the creek was another bridge and I decided to hit it. I worked the rocks
with a Pop-R without a bite, then worked it over a long jam on the upstream
side. After nothing hit the topwater I pitched a Zoom Mag 2 worm to the wood
and felt a thump. When I set the hook a good bass jumped and I managed to land
it. It looked to be close to 3 pounds and it went into the livewell.

A few casts later out in deeper water something thumped the worm and I set the
hook. A strong fish pulled for a few seconds then my line went slack. When I
reeled in it was cut - no fray anywhere , just a smooth cut, like a gar tooth
cut it or it hit something sharp.

I fished around the bridge a while longer but no more bites so I headed up to
the creek. After idling for 35 minutes I got to the shoals where the bass were
supposed to be hitting. I fished there for 45 minutes without a bite, then
worked the creek some. Beautiful place, shady with lots of wood cover and no
skiers or skidoos. And the water was only 81 compared to the 88 on the main
lake. But nothing hit.

I fished back to the shoals and around them, but nothing hit. I started fishing
down the creek, throwing worms, senkos, topwater, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits,
alternating. Nothing.

At 11:45 I decided to head out of the creek. I had a little time to hit the
bridge were I caught the one earlier. I got there at 12:30 and threw a worm to
the logs. Something made a loud noise behind me and I turned to see a pontoon
boat load of kids come under the bridge, yelling. Before I could turn back, a
fish almost jerked the rod out of my hand. Of course I missed it.

Fishing out a little deeper where the one broke me off, I again felt a thump
and set the hook. This time I landed the fish - about 13 inches long. Two in
the live well with 10 minutes left to fish. I cast back and felt the worm come
up something solid and big. I realized it was an old bridge piling in about 15
feet of water - that is probably what cut my line earlier. About that time I
felt a thump but when I set the hook, the fish ran a few feet and came off.

I quickly re-rigged my worm and threw back, and missed another bite. When I
looked at my watch it was 12:45 - I had to leave. Hauled it back to the
weigh-in and made it with 3 minutes to spare.

Two club members had limits of little bass - one weighed 7.8 pounds for first
and the other 6.7 for second. My two weighed 3.9 and my biggest at 2.86 was
good for big fish. I was third. Fourth was three fish weighing 3.6 pounds. 8
of the 15 fishermen zeroed.

I gotta get back and fish that old bridge piling again.

Ronnie

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