Fednaton Top Six

Thursday November 20 - Day 300 - 15 days missed

Georgia Federation Nation Top Six

Water temp 59 - 62, sunny and cool. Water stained to clear. Calm

Woke up in the motor home at Oconee to a cool calm morning at 7 AM.
Got on the water at 8 - very cold on the water, some frost. Rode a
few points looking at brush piles - didn't see any fish. Worked a
steep rocky bank and hooked, and lost, what looked like a 14 inch
keeper on a jig and pig - it picked it up and ran toward me.

We fished a few more places then at about 11 went into a small creek
where I placed second in a club tournament last March. It is lined
with docks and a lot of brush piles and has some big boulders and
ditches. We fished almost to the back without a bite. Watched a guy
working the opposite side and saw him catch three. Got close and saw
he was throwing a Fluke. He said it was working pretty good.

Jordan tied on a white trick worm and quickly caught a short fish.
That was the only bite he got.

We fished till about 4 - wind started picking up - and never caught a
keeper.

Got in and ate supper. Two other club members set up across the street
from us in a big fifth wheeler. Said predictions were for bitter cold
tonight.

Ate supper and got into bed and asleep by 8:30.

Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com

Friday November 21 - Day 301 - 15 days missed

Water temp 56 - 60, sunny and cool. Water stained to clear.

Cold very windy day. Drove up to a ramp about five miles up the lake,
didn't want to make the run and also was going to have to go that way
to get gas. Jordan and I got on the water before sunrise.

Started working deep banks and docks. Nothing. Fished hard for
several hours with different baits and places. No hits. Just after
noon decided to jig a spoon around some brush on a point. After about
20 minutes got a very fat 14.5 inch keeper from 22 feet deep. Worked
the area and some others like it until 2 PM without another fish.

Went in, got gas, ate supper and went to the drawing. Drew the guy we
had seen catching fish on Thursday. We planned on fishing some
different ways but hitting his pattern hard.

Went back to the campground and took a shower - getting miserably cold
but wind was dropping. Got in bed by 8 PM.


Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com

Saturday November 22 - Day 302 - 15 days missed

Took off just before sunrise to a calm morning and 22 degrees. Ran up
and fished some seawalls on steep banks and deep brush. Partner wanted
to wait until middle of the day to try his dock pattern. Fishing a
seawall with a #5 Shadrap I got two hybrids and a short bass.

Later working docks in an area I like I got a 13.5 inch bass on a
jighead then one a little smaller. NO keepers. At 11:30 we headed to
partners pattern. After working it for three hours he had two short
bass. I did not get a hit.

We finished up the day on some deep rocks. Neither one of us had a
keeper.

Felt awful - from cold or just mental attitude, not sure. Ate supper
and got in bed at 6:45!

Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com

Sunday November 23 - Day 303 - 15 days missed

Got up and found out one of our team members had been throwing up all
night. Met my partner at the ramp - supposed to be Boat 1. Partner was
pres of Federation. They tried to find an observer for the boater my
team member was supposed to go with but could not. Pres asked if I
would go with him as no boater and he would not fish. At first I said
no but then thought I had nothing to lose. Would be paired up with
Mike, a guy I have known for a long time and a great fisherman. He had
8.5 pounds yesterday and was in top ten.

I got some stuff and got in Mike 's boat. He was the very last boat -
39, same as my number from yesterday. We took off and ran to where I
had fished yesterday. We fished the same area and some of the same
places.

Mike quickly caught several throwbacks and two keepers. Then I got a
short fish. We kept working docks and he got up to four keepers. I
threw by a dock and something behind me splashed. I looked back and
fish grabbed my worm and ran under dock. When I set the hook the line
broke on a dock post.

A few mintues later I picked up my worm and it was moving sideways.
Set the hook on a strong, heavy fish. It made a run of several feet
then turned toward the boat. Mike had the net in the water. It made
another run and pulled off. I guessed around 5 pounds. I was really
snakebit - no thing would go right in this tournament.

Mike got his limit and I caught several short fish, then two keepers.
We kept working docks and catching fish. I got another keeper - three
for me, about eight for Mike.

With 20 minutes left to fish I landed another keeper - four in the
livewell.

At weigh-in Mike had 9.5 pounds and I had 7.1. He ended up second
place overall. I came in 22nd - three pounds off the team. So close
again but no cigar!

I won't forget the big one I lost until the next big one gets off and
replaces it in my memory.

Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com

Left this out of the report on Saturday - tried this at about 9 AM

Tried jigging a spoon where I had got the keeper but patner was not
happy - kept saying we needed to leave. I had planned on fishing the
area for at least an hour - this is a huge flat point at the mouth of
a creek with dozens of brush piles in water from 12 to 30 feet deep.
Takes work to locate the bass there but they are always in the area.
We left after about 15 minutes.

*Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com

On Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:46:50 -0800 (PST), Ronnie
backed into a tree whilst ridin inna park
then wrote:

Sunday November 23 - Day 303 - 15 days missed

Got up and found out one of our team members had been throwing up all
night. Met my partner at the ramp - supposed to be Boat 1. Partner was
pres of Federation. They tried to find an observer for the boater my
team member was supposed to go with but could not. Pres asked if I
would go with him as no boater and he would not fish. At first I said
no but then thought I had nothing to lose. Would be paired up with
Mike, a guy I have known for a long time and a great fisherman. He had
8.5 pounds yesterday and was in top ten.

I got some stuff and got in Mike 's boat. He was the very last boat -
39, same as my number from yesterday. We took off and ran to where I
had fished yesterday. We fished the same area and some of the same
places.

Mike quickly caught several throwbacks and two keepers. Then I got a
short fish. We kept working docks and he got up to four keepers. I
threw by a dock and something behind me splashed. I looked back and
fish grabbed my worm and ran under dock. When I set the hook the line
broke on a dock post.

A few mintues later I picked up my worm and it was moving sideways.
Set the hook on a strong, heavy fish. It made a run of several feet
then turned toward the boat. Mike had the net in the water. It made
another run and pulled off. I guessed around 5 pounds. I was really
snakebit - no thing would go right in this tournament.

Mike got his limit and I caught several short fish, then two keepers.
We kept working docks and catching fish. I got another keeper - three
for me, about eight for Mike.

With 20 minutes left to fish I landed another keeper - four in the
livewell.

At weigh-in Mike had 9.5 pounds and I had 7.1. He ended up second
place overall. I came in 22nd - three pounds off the team. So close
again but no cigar!

I won't forget the big one I lost until the next big one gets off and
replaces it in my memory.

Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com


Sounds like you gave it your all Ronnie. I've fished with you enough
to know your all is damn good. Sometimes it's just not enough.

You tell a good story every time you post. Thanks.

danl

wish catching was as easy as telling a story about fishing!

Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com

On Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:28:15 -0800 (PST), Ronnie
backed into a tree whilst ridin inna park
then wrote:

wish catching was as easy as telling a story about fishing!

No you don't, it wouldn't be as much fun then!

Dan

Thanks for sharing the experiene with us Ronnie! Wish you could have put
a couple more in the "well"! I enjoy your stories...and maybe even learn
a little...thanks!

John B

John B wrote:
Thanks for sharing the experiene with us Ronnie! Wish you could have put
a couple more in the "well"! I enjoy your stories...and maybe even learn
a little...thanks!

John B



Me too, Ronnie. I don't reply often, but I look forward to your posts.