Tourney Today

Well kind of. Dave, Jeremy and I agreed that today we would have the
official Emerald Lakes Fall Classic

Start time was at 6 a.m and weigh in at 10 a.m

Everyone in their own boat, each one equipped with a cooler for the fish.
Dead fish were an 8 ounce penalty and loser had to keep and eat the dead
fish, there was also a unique penalty for being late,l for every 5 minutes
you were late someone would reach into your cooler and remove a fish sight
unseen
5 fish limit, all fish must be at least 12 inchs

We all started heading right towards the bridge where the fishing has been
hot, Dave passed right by and under and head to the other side. Jeremy and I
fished the bridge. Jermey immediately got hung up and went to retrieve his
lure. As he did, I moved down the shoreline where he proceeded to fish right
in front of me... and hook the first fish. I asked him if it measure and he
said no. He left and I figured it did measure and he was finding a way to
cooler the fish without me seeing it.

I stayed by the bridge and wound up with my first keeper, a small bass just
under 2 pounds I figured. I head under the bridge and saw Dave working the
other side so I head in the opposite direction, throwing a speed worm over
grass beds and I have a huge wake shoot out and follow, I kill the retrieve
and wham the fish grabs it. I set the hook and this fish takes off like a
bat out of hell. I quickly realize it's a big fish, just not the right
species, Toothy critter in the 4 pound range. I get over my disappointment
and head to the back cove. I deadstick the speedworm near some pads and it's
immediately picked up. I set the hook and wind up with my 2nd keeper of the
morning. Only 7:00 a.m and I have two keepers. Looking good. I see Dave and
ask him how he's doing he tells me he has nothing and had 4 shorts. I'm
feeling even better now. Dave heads to where I was fishing and I head to
where he was fishing. I catch my 3rd a slightly over 12 inch bass but enough
to call it a keeper. 2 shorts after that and another small keeper. I had 4
in the boat now but knew I needed to find some bigger fish.

I head back under the bridge after missing a nice fish that shook my hook,
looked to be a solid 2-3 pound fish, 1 I could of used at that point. I
fished the shoreline that Jeremy fished earlier. I was throwing wacko's and
got a tap and then nothing. I waited a few seconds twitched it again and the
line took off. I set the hook and a nice fish launched. I reeled it down and
got it to the boat and into the cooler. I now had a limit and needed to
cull. Within 5 minutes I had another bite and another good fish, so I
released the small bass and replaced it with a fish around 2 pounds.

I saw Dave again and he said it had been skunky, only claiming 1 fish in
the cooler, as I pulled up onside of him he reached over and opened my
cooler. "Damn, he said. Nice bag. He showed me his 1 fish and I went to look
for Jeremy, with only about 20 minutes left to fish, I saw Jeremy by the
launch area, no doubt looking for a kicker I thought. I asked him how he was
doing and he held up 1 finger. Jeez, runaway I thought.

I head across the lake and over to the other shoreline, I cast my wacko
towards the shoreline and it's picked up. I set the hook and another nice
fish shows itself. I get it to the boat, look over at Jeremy and he's facing
the other way. I take the smallest bass and release it and head in for weigh
in.

Official weigh in results

3rd Jeremy Y 1 fish- 1 pound 13 ounces
2nd Dave V 1 fish -1 pound 14 ounces
1st Randy L 5 fish- 10 lbs 12 ounces

Not 1 dead fish, Losers pay for a trophy for the winner

Never bet a man on his home lake--- Moe Conway