Jackson Lake Tournament

Sunday - 11/11/07 - Day 308

Tournament at Jackson Lake today. Al Bassett had called me yesterday
late - his club fished Jackson and it was won on wind blown points on
spinnerbaits. I got rigged and ready for that but wind predictions
were light - less than 6 mph.

Water temps right at 62 and mostly clear day. Air was in low 40s at
blast off but warmed up quick.

We took off at 6:30 - pretty dark. Ran to my favorite rocky point and
started throwing a Rico popper - nothing hit at it. Tried two
different crankbaits and a spinnerbait - nothing. Partner threw a
jerkbait then a Texas rigged worm. No bites for him either.

Picked up a jig and pig - Rattleback jig with a twin tail Fat Albert.
Got a couple of hits, came in with broke off tails each time.

Started working rocky banks and docks as the sun came up. Had not
been on the lake for practice so fishing old patterns - where they
used to be this time of year.

Fished to a point where I usually stop and then ran across to a big
point with lots of wood cover washed in - threw crankbaits,
spinnerbaits and jig and pig to logs, blowdowns and brush. Nothing.

Back across the lake to near where we had stopped. Got some good fish
here in the past. First cast to the point we stopped on earlier got a
14 inch keeper spot on the jig. One in the boat at 9:00 AM - kinda
slow.

We fished around a small pocket and another rocky point and I started
to leave since the bank flattens out and there are fewer rocks. The
lake was about two feet low and I could see there were more rocks than
I remembered. Made a long cast parallel to the bank across where
there used to be an old dock - two post still standing about 20 feet
off the bank. Felt a surge and set the hook.

I could see a good fish flashing in the shallow water - thought it was
hung in brush. I would pull it up and then it would go back down. Did
this four or five times and remembered there was a concrete and rock
pier under the water there - I had thrown across it and was pulling
the fish to the top edge and he would go back down. Finally pulled the
fish over and saw it was a good one.

Told my partner to get net ready - line had to be badly frayed. The
fish did not fight as hard as expected - guess I had knocked him
against the rocks too many times. It was a nice spot - 3.71 pounds and
turned to be big fish for the day.

I was fishing 20 pound P-Line Flourocarbon line on my jig - lighter
line would not have pulled that big spot over the rock pier.
The .line was visibly frayed for about 8 feet - you could see spurs
sticking off it!

Felt pretty good - two in the boat at 9:15, one of them a good one. A
little further there was a secondary point with rock and I got a tap -
set the hook and came back without a tail on my trailer. Picked up a
jig head worm and threw it to the same spot and it started swimming to
the left. Set the hook and came back without a worm. Told my partner
it had to be a little spot. Picked up a hair bucktail and threw it to
the same spot. Swam it a few feet and it got heavy - set the hook and
landed a two pound spot. Guess it was the one - we did not get
another bite on that point.

Just past the point was an old dock and boat house on the bank. The
boat house had a cement apron coming out above the water and droping
off on the end - water about a foot deep where it dropped. My partner
by now had one of my jigs and had been throwing it in the area. I
threw up on the apron and dragged my jig and pig off. As it fell I saw
a fish take off - told my partner I had spooked one - then realized it
might have my bait. Reeled like crazy, caught up with the fish and
landed a 3 pound largemouth. Another fish just meant to get caught
today! Four in the boat at 10:00 - figured I had about 9 or 10 pounds
- big change in one hour.

We fished several more spots like the one where the four came from but
no bites. Ran a few miles up into a creek and first cast on a rocky
point I felt a thump on my jig - set the hook and yelled for the net -
strong fish had me bowed up good.

I guess the 2 pound spot was going the other way when I set the hook -
much smaller than I thought! Limit in the boat at 12:30 - maybe ten
or 11 pounds.

We fished several more points in that creek but nothing. Ran out the
creek and up the river to a steep rocky bank that is often good for a
bigger fish. First few casts got a thump on my jig and pig and
landed a 14 inch spot - not sure it would cull. Six in the boat at
1:30 with hour and a half left to fish.

A few yards further up the bank I hit a brush pile, jiggled the jig
and pig and it got heavy. Set the hook on a largemouth - knew it would
cull one of the spots. Seven in the livewell at 2:00.

Went back to where I had caught four earlier and stayed there till
quitting time. Just before leaving I threw into a blowdown and worked
my jig out. As it fell off the last limb I thought it was on the
bottome and started reeling in - and felt what felt like a heavy fish.
Set the hook too late - missed it.

Had to go in.

Culled down to five at the ramp and they weighed 11.8 pounds - first
place. Spot was big fish. Second place was 8 something. He caught
his on jig and pig too. Several people said they threw a spinnerbait
all day with little success - they had heard the same reports I heard
but wind did not blow today.

Ronnie

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