Sunday Tournament

Had a club tournament yesterday at Lake Sinclair - we fished from 6 am to 1 pm,
trying to avoid most of the heat. Didn't work, it was 81 degrees at 5 am when I
passed a bank on the way to the lake, 97 on the return trip at 2 pm. At least
it was humid!

I started on a hump near the water intake for the steam plant on the lake.
First cast set the tone, I made a long cast with a Fat Free Shad and got a
backlash, line snapped and the plug went out of sight. Stayed there about an
hour without a bite.

Next went to a bridge and threw everything I had. I had been told bass were
hitting there, but I never got a bite. After an hour I left to hit my last
hope, a creek with some shoals, but I would have to idle a long way.

Near the creek was another bridge and I decided to hit it. I worked the rocks
with a Pop-R without a bite, then worked it over a long jam on the upstream
side. After nothing hit the topwater I pitched a Zoom Mag 2 worm to the wood
and felt a thump. When I set the hook a good bass jumped and I managed to land
it. It looked to be close to 3 pounds and it went into the livewell.

A few casts later out in deeper water something thumped the worm and I set the
hook. A strong fish pulled for a few seconds then my line went slack. When I
reeled in it was cut - no fray anywhere , just a smooth cut, like a gar tooth
cut it or it hit something sharp.

I fished around the bridge a while longer but no more bites so I headed up to
the creek. After idling for 35 minutes I got to the shoals where the bass were
supposed to be hitting. I fished there for 45 minutes without a bite, then
worked the creek some. Beautiful place, shady with lots of wood cover and no
skiers or skidoos. And the water was only 81 compared to the 88 on the main
lake. But nothing hit.

I fished back to the shoals and around them, but nothing hit. I started fishing
down the creek, throwing worms, senkos, topwater, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits,
alternating. Nothing.

At 11:45 I decided to head out of the creek. I had a little time to hit the
bridge were I caught the one earlier. I got there at 12:30 and threw a worm to
the logs. Something made a loud noise behind me and I turned to see a pontoon
boat load of kids come under the bridge, yelling. Before I could turn back, a
fish almost jerked the rod out of my hand. Of course I missed it.

Fishing out a little deeper where the one broke me off, I again felt a thump
and set the hook. This time I landed the fish - about 13 inches long. Two in
the live well with 10 minutes left to fish. I cast back and felt the worm come
up something solid and big. I realized it was an old bridge piling in about 15
feet of water - that is probably what cut my line earlier. About that time I
felt a thump but when I set the hook, the fish ran a few feet and came off.

I quickly re-rigged my worm and threw back, and missed another bite. When I
looked at my watch it was 12:45 - I had to leave. Hauled it back to the
weigh-in and made it with 3 minutes to spare.

Two club members had limits of little bass - one weighed 7.8 pounds for first
and the other 6.7 for second. My two weighed 3.9 and my biggest at 2.86 was
good for big fish. I was third. Fourth was three fish weighing 3.6 pounds. 8
of the 15 fishermen zeroed.

I gotta get back and fish that old bridge piling again.

Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com

Sunday Tournament

Group: rec.outdoors.fishing.bass Date: Tue, Jul 27, 2004, 3:06am (CDT+5)
From: (RGarri7470)
Had a club tournament yesterday at Lake Sinclair - we fished from 6 am
to 1 pm, trying to avoid most of the heat. Didn't work, it was 81
degrees at 5 am when I passed a bank on the way to the lake, 97 on the
return trip at 2 pm. At least it was humid!
I started on a hump near the water intake for the steam plant on the
lake. First cast set the tone, I made a long cast with a Fat Free Shad
and got a backlash, line snapped and the plug went out of sight. Stayed
there about an hour without a bite.
Next went to a bridge and threw everything I had. I had been told bass
were hitting there, but I never got a bite. After an hour I left to hit
my last hope, a creek with some shoals, but I would have to idle a long
way.
Near the creek was another bridge and I decided to hit it. I worked the
rocks with a Pop-R without a bite, then worked it over a long jam on the
upstream side. After nothing hit the topwater I pitched a Zoom Mag 2
worm to the wood and felt a thump. When I set the hook a good bass
jumped and I managed to land it. It looked to be close to 3 pounds and
it went into the livewell.
A few casts later out in deeper water something thumped the worm and I
set the hook. A strong fish pulled for a few seconds then my line went
slack. When I reeled in it was cut - no fray anywhere , just a smooth
cut, like a gar tooth cut it or it hit something sharp.
I fished around the bridge a while longer but no more bites so I headed
up to the creek. After idling for 35 minutes I got to the shoals where
the bass were supposed to be hitting. I fished there for 45 minutes
without a bite, then worked the creek some. Beautiful place, shady with
lots of wood cover and no skiers or skidoos. And the water was only 81
compared to the 88 on the main lake. But nothing hit.
I fished back to the shoals and around them, but nothing hit. I started
fishing down the creek, throwing worms, senkos, topwater, spinnerbaits
and buzzbaits, alternating. Nothing.
At 11:45 I decided to head out of the creek. I had a little time to hit
the bridge were I caught the one earlier. I got there at 12:30 and threw
a worm to the logs. Something made a loud noise behind me and I turned
to see a pontoon boat load of kids come under the bridge, yelling.
Before I could turn back, a fish almost jerked the rod out of my hand.
Of course I missed it.
Fishing out a little deeper where the one broke me off, I again felt a
thump and set the hook. This time I landed the fish - about 13 inches
long. Two in the live well with 10 minutes left to fish. I cast back and
felt the worm come up something solid and big. I realized it was an old
bridge piling in about 15 feet of water - that is probably what cut my
line earlier. About that time I felt a thump but when I set the hook,
the fish ran a few feet and came off.
I quickly re-rigged my worm and threw back, and missed another bite.
When I looked at my watch it was 12:45 - I had to leave. Hauled it back
to the weigh-in and made it with 3 minutes to spare.
Two club members had limits of little bass - one weighed 7.8 pounds for
first and the other 6.7 for second. My two weighed 3.9 and my biggest at
2.86 was good for big fish. I was third. Fourth was three fish weighing
3.6 pounds. 8 of the 15 fishermen zeroed.
I gotta get back and fish that old bridge piling again.
Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com
======
Wheww, sounds like alot of hard fishing....but not a bad result
considering! Good finish!
JK

Nice job Ron!

WW
--
http://www.warrenwolk.com/
http://www.tri-statebassmasters.com
2004 NJ B.A.S.S. Federation State Champions



"RGarri7470" wrote in message
...
Had a club tournament yesterday at Lake Sinclair - we fished from 6 am to
1 pm,
trying to avoid most of the heat. Didn't work, it was 81 degrees at 5 am
when I
passed a bank on the way to the lake, 97 on the return trip at 2 pm. At
least
it was humid!

I started on a hump near the water intake for the steam plant on the lake.
First cast set the tone, I made a long cast with a Fat Free Shad and got a
backlash, line snapped and the plug went out of sight. Stayed there about
an
hour without a bite.

Next went to a bridge and threw everything I had. I had been told bass
were
hitting there, but I never got a bite. After an hour I left to hit my
last
hope, a creek with some shoals, but I would have to idle a long way.

Near the creek was another bridge and I decided to hit it. I worked the
rocks
with a Pop-R without a bite, then worked it over a long jam on the
upstream
side. After nothing hit the topwater I pitched a Zoom Mag 2 worm to the
wood
and felt a thump. When I set the hook a good bass jumped and I managed to
land
it. It looked to be close to 3 pounds and it went into the livewell.

A few casts later out in deeper water something thumped the worm and I set
the
hook. A strong fish pulled for a few seconds then my line went slack.
When I
reeled in it was cut - no fray anywhere , just a smooth cut, like a gar
tooth
cut it or it hit something sharp.

I fished around the bridge a while longer but no more bites so I headed up
to
the creek. After idling for 35 minutes I got to the shoals where the bass
were
supposed to be hitting. I fished there for 45 minutes without a bite,
then
worked the creek some. Beautiful place, shady with lots of wood cover and
no
skiers or skidoos. And the water was only 81 compared to the 88 on the
main
lake. But nothing hit.

I fished back to the shoals and around them, but nothing hit. I started
fishing
down the creek, throwing worms, senkos, topwater, spinnerbaits and
buzzbaits,
alternating. Nothing.

At 11:45 I decided to head out of the creek. I had a little time to hit
the
bridge were I caught the one earlier. I got there at 12:30 and threw a
worm to
the logs. Something made a loud noise behind me and I turned to see a
pontoon
boat load of kids come under the bridge, yelling. Before I could turn
back, a
fish almost jerked the rod out of my hand. Of course I missed it.

Fishing out a little deeper where the one broke me off, I again felt a
thump
and set the hook. This time I landed the fish - about 13 inches long. Two
in
the live well with 10 minutes left to fish. I cast back and felt the worm
come
up something solid and big. I realized it was an old bridge piling in
about 15
feet of water - that is probably what cut my line earlier. About that time
I
felt a thump but when I set the hook, the fish ran a few feet and came
off.

I quickly re-rigged my worm and threw back, and missed another bite. When
I
looked at my watch it was 12:45 - I had to leave. Hauled it back to the
weigh-in and made it with 3 minutes to spare.

Two club members had limits of little bass - one weighed 7.8 pounds for
first
and the other 6.7 for second. My two weighed 3.9 and my biggest at 2.86
was
good for big fish. I was third. Fourth was three fish weighing 3.6
pounds. 8
of the 15 fishermen zeroed.

I gotta get back and fish that old bridge piling again.

Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com

snip Before I could turn back, a
fish almost jerked the rod out of my hand. Of course I missed it.

Isn't that always the case? I have too many times been fishing fast and got
a backlash only to pick it out in time to reel in a fish, or take a drink of
water and have a fish hit. I fished a lake here and was having no luck. I
cast out a rubber worm and laid the rod down for a sec, well it shot off
into the water like a rocket, I was able to grab it but there was nobody
home. Who says fish are dumb????????????????????

snip Before I could turn back, a
fish almost jerked the rod out of my hand. Of course I missed it.

Isn't that always the case? I have too many times been fishing fast and got
a backlash only to pick it out in time to reel in a fish, or take a drink of
water and have a fish hit. I fished a lake here and was having no luck. I
cast out a rubber worm and laid the rod down for a sec, well it shot off
into the water like a rocket, I was able to grab it but there was nobody
home. Who says fish are dumb????????????????????

Remember me mentioning the "Mystery Fish"? This is what was happening to me,
except that I was told that gar had rounded teeth and the line would usually
roll right off.

Thank You Ronnie... now I think I know I'm not crazy. Just a gar... just a
gar...

"RGarri7470" wrote in message
...

A few casts later out in deeper water something thumped the worm and I set
the
hook. A strong fish pulled for a few seconds then my line went slack.
When I
reeled in it was cut - no fray anywhere , just a smooth cut, like a gar
tooth
cut it or it hit something sharp.

Remember me mentioning the "Mystery Fish"? This is what was happening to me,
except that I was told that gar had rounded teeth and the line would usually
roll right off.

Thank You Ronnie... now I think I know I'm not crazy. Just a gar... just a
gar...

"RGarri7470" wrote in message
...

A few casts later out in deeper water something thumped the worm and I set
the
hook. A strong fish pulled for a few seconds then my line went slack.
When I
reeled in it was cut - no fray anywhere , just a smooth cut, like a gar
tooth
cut it or it hit something sharp.

Charles wrote:
I was told that gar had rounded teeth and the line would usually
roll right off.

You were told that by a liar. Mudfish (dogfish, grinnel, whatever you want
to call them) have rounded teeth and virtually never bite through line. Gar
can and do bite through it all the time.

RichZ©
www.richz.com/fishing

Thank You Rich! That would explain alot and save my sanity... a little.

Why was it that no-one else would tell me this, knowing that there are alot
of gar in our lake.

--
Charles Summers
Secret Weapon Lures
http://www.secretweaponlures.com
"RichZ" wrote in message
...
Charles wrote:
I was told that gar had rounded teeth and the line would usually
roll right off.

You were told that by a liar. Mudfish (dogfish, grinnel, whatever you want
to call them) have rounded teeth and virtually never bite through line.
Gar
can and do bite through it all the time.

RichZ©
www.richz.com/fishing

Thank You Rich! That would explain alot and save my sanity... a little.

Why was it that no-one else would tell me this, knowing that there are alot
of gar in our lake.

--
Charles Summers
Secret Weapon Lures
http://www.secretweaponlures.com
"RichZ" wrote in message
...
Charles wrote:
I was told that gar had rounded teeth and the line would usually
roll right off.

You were told that by a liar. Mudfish (dogfish, grinnel, whatever you want
to call them) have rounded teeth and virtually never bite through line.
Gar
can and do bite through it all the time.

RichZ©
www.richz.com/fishing