"RichZ" wrote in message
...
Philip wrote:
Back to Saratoga....We have a tournament there this coming Saturday

THIS COMING SATURDAY?!?!?

That's dangerously close to the anniversary of the '87 snowstorm -- which
I
spent on the water at Saratoga, coincidentally.

It was the 2nd day of NEBA TOC. I was middle of the pack with a small
limit
of smallies. My pad bite from practice had disappeared with the dropping
water level, and my largemouth bite at the south end of the snake hill
point hadn't worked. But I knew I could catch a limit of smallies on real
light stuff off the north end of snake hill, and that's what I'd done. Had
to catch about 5 fish to get a keeper. but I still culled out a few to get
to about 8 pounds on day one.

Day 2, a few wet snowflakes in the morning on the way from the hotel to
the
ramp. I was over 5 pounds out of the lead, and knew I needed to go for the
LM to have a shot. The snow and wind started heavy by the time I got to
snake hill. Caught a 2 pound LM real quick. 50 guys in the TOC. By noon, I
realized I hadn't seen another boat in a couple hours. Most of the field
had left by then. My amateur partner was in tears when the lightning
started around 1. That's when the LM turned on. I caught 3, including a 7
pounder, out of 35 feet of water on a 1 oz jig and pork frog, in about 20
minutes. Never had another bite. Kept telling myself to go to the other
end
of the hill and catch my limit fish, even if it only weighed 12 or 13
ounces. But I really felt I needed another 3 pounds to have a shot at
winning, so I stuck it out. In the end, I came in 3rd. 1oz behind 2nd, and
3 oz behind 1st. One little smallie from the other end of he hill would
have done it for me, no problem.

The stretch from Saratoga to Cambridge received 22 inches of snow that
day.
It was the 4th of October, if memory serves. Power was out all the way
home. Lucky thing I'd filled the truck on the way to the lake in the
morning, cause you couldn't even get gas.

Those were the good old days!

RichZ©
www.richz.com/fishing


Great stuff Rich. I remember that storm well also. I had to work 12 hour
days for 3 weeks straight to get everyone's phone wires back in the air. You
are right those were the good ole days LOL.

Phil