day one

Saturday - April 18, 2009 - Day 108

Spalding County Sportsman Club two day tournament

Fishing alone, Jordan called on Thursday night and said he had to work
so could not go.

Water low to mid 60s, stained, partly cloudy windy day.

We were blasting off at 7, were behind several other tournaments. I
ran down to a creek where I had seven spots I could start - and boats
were on five of them. I should have got the hint when the two open
spots were backs of coves full of stumps - great bedding areas. Boats
were on the three points, a hump and gravel outside bank I wanted to
fish.

I started working around a good backout, throwing a buzz bait and
then a popper. Nothing. Worked some stumps with a Trick worm, then
drug a Carolina rigged Baby Brush Hog along the channel, hitting
stumps I could not see. Still nothing.

Took about an hour to work out to the next point - boat that had been
there gone. Across the creek the boat on my favorite point was still
working back and forth around it - never saw him catch a fish but he
stayed there for two hours!

There is one dock just before the point and a good brush pile out in
front of it. I fished it with a couple of baits then a jig and pig. A
I reeled in the jig to make another cast saw a good keeper chase it to
the boat but not hit - a bad sign, last time that happened was in the
January tournament I zeroed! Tried several more baits but no more
signs of that fish or any other.

When I got out on the point I started throwing a jig head worm. Hit
some rocks and as I pulled it over one I felt a thump, realized a fish
had it and I was pulling on it, the thump was it spitting the worm out
- really starting out a bad day!

Fished back to the dock but no hits. Working back to the point I got a
solid thump on the jig head and landed a good 2 pound spot. One in the
boat at 8:20.

Worked the point hard then started into the next cove and creek. Guy
still on the point. I had heard there were a few fish in blowdowns and
there were three near the back of the is cove. The first one I
pitched a Senko to it and it took off sideways - set the hook on a
good fish, weighed 2.61 that afternoon. Two in the live well at 9:10.

Fished the back of the cove with a variety of baits but no hits. Guy
finally left the point and I fished it. Had been seeing shad dimpling
the water all morning - bass should be stacked in here but no hits.
Fished around the point and into the next shallow cove. Cast right
down the middle with a Carolina rigged Baby Brush Hog and got a hit
and landed a 13 inch spot. Not much weight but three in the boat at
10:00.

A shallow blowdown on the next point produced a thump on the Senko but
no hook-up. Not sure what it was, crappie probably shallow, or small
spot.

Fished that area for a while then decided to hit some more blowdowns
since got that good fish from one and remembered a cove across the
river with several. Ran over and worked a rocky point going into it
then the first blowdown as the Senko sank I saw my line jump. Set the
hook and landed another solid 2 pound spot. Four at 11:40 - since we
were fishing till 5 PM felt good about as limit - should NEVER think
that way!

For the next four hours I did everything I could think of, including
running into a creek where I can usually catch a 12 inch spot.
Nothing. Missed one or two thumps in trees but no hook-ups, once
tore my Senko in half so figured it was a little spot.

At 4:15 I was pretty disgusted, fishing one last cove. Two guys
cranked up and ran over in front of me as I worked down one side - I
guess they want to fish the point ahead of me first. I went across
to the other side and let them have it. They left at 4:20, figured
they had to be in. I worked around the back of the creek and when I
got to the point they had moved in front of me I got a hard hit on a
jig head worm and landed another 13 inch spot. Finally five in the
boat at 4:30.

Missed one more thump in a tree top but missed it.

At weigh in everyone was shaking heads. Very tough day, should have
been good. Of the 14 in the tournament there were seven limits but
all small. My five went 8.31 and the 2.61 was big fish, until Tom
brought in five at 11.04 and a 4.79 for big fish. I was amazed -
could not figure how anyone could break 10 pounds today.

Then I got a call from a guy in another club fishing today - they had
three over six pounds including a 7 plus, winner had 14 pounds, four
people had over 11 pounds. Just shook my head and wondered how I
could re-group tomorrow. Back in the campground grilled steak, waa
asleep by 8 again.

Ronnie

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