Didn't Win, but a Productive Day

Sorry, I didn't take any pictures. No big fish, or even any good solid fish
for me. Sunday was the Yuma Valley Rod & Gun Club's season opening bass
derby.

I started out throwing crankbaits in Fishers for two fish. One 13" line
toucher that I threw back figuring it would be no help anyway, and one solid
14 incher. Since I had gotten two pretty quick in Fisher's I probably spent
too much time there. I got nothing for the next hour and a half.

Then it was down to Squaw after hitting a couple of my favorite spots in
between for nothing again.

Then I worked my way into a little backwater lake that I figured was to
shallow with the low water because there is a deeper pocket in the back that
I thought might be holding a fish or two. An off hand cast of a Senko to the
tiniest little indent on one bank got me another solid little fourteen
incher. Again I think I spent too long in the area after catching one, but
it was getting close to noon. I tried another similar lake with a shallow
front and deep pocket in the back, but it didn't produce at all.

Since it was a YVRGC derby (any legal method allowed) I spent a little time
trolling around one lake while I thought about what to try next. I decided
to see if I could get into one of my favorite spawning lakes. It was an
interesting effort. With the low water I couldn't make it down the channel.
I wasted 15 minutes trying to get in, and another half an hour getting out.

I backed off to hit some minor current break spots. In the first one I had
this obsessive feeling that I was going to pick up a keeper. I picked apart
an area about 5-6 feet wide for nearly ten minutes until I was able to sling
a Senko into exactly the spot I was trying for, and boated my 4th fish of
the day. It kept, but not by much. Then I hit another spot similar too it. I
didn't even waste any time fishing any of the water in between. I just fired
up my big motor and ran down until I was close. This spot/stretch was maybe
20 feet long. I picked it apart and missed a little keeper. It would not
have been any help. I cranked as fast as I could but he rushed the boat. I
was never able to catch up with him to set the hook.

I was absolutely certain that spot would produce a bigger fish. I gave it a
few minutes to calm down and worked another area, then headed back. It took
me five pitches with a Senko to put it exactly where I wanted, and WHAM!
Felt like a pretty good fish, but it wrapped up and came off. Dang. I wasn't
sure if I had missed my last chance to improve my bag or not, but I still
had a compulsion that there was a good fish there that would bite. I rigged
up a different Senko and pulled out my flipping a stick and rigged it with a
fresh bait so I could show that fish something different. Again I worked
some water away from the spot and gave it about ten minutes to calm down and
then moved back through again slicing and dicing first with the alternate
color Senko and then with my flipping bait. I pitched into a tiny little
stick pile about a foot from where I got bit earlier and when I lifted up to
shake the bait it didn't move. My brain said I was snagged, but my hands
weren't fooled. Even as I was telling myself I was hung I was setting the
hook on my biggest fish of the day. It was another 14 incher. LOL. It did
cull out my dink though. Some improvement.

I worked that little stretch half heartedly for a few more minutes and then
fired up the big motor again to head to another little current break spot
just down the way. As I was working my way up to the "SPOT ON THE SPOT" I
got hung up again. Again my hands weren't fooled by my brain and they set
the hook automatically. Another 14 incher, and I was able to cull again, but
I had to use the balance beam. Three clones for my three fish bag. I might
have been able to improve my bag, but I had brought my scale because Lannes
didn't know if Rod & Gun's scale was in the weigh shack or not. I figured I
better get in before he opened the scales.

I didn't have a great bag, but I figured 6.5 pounds for a 3 fish bag give or
take. I thought I might have a chance if nobody stuck any toads. Three solid
2 pounders in January didn't seem to bad, but the first person to weigh in
beat me out with one fish. They only had one, but it was over 8 pounds they
caught it first thing in the morning in Fisher's. Well I thought I might
have a shot at 2nd. Nope. Another single fish weighed was over 9.5, also
caught in Fisher's. Dang it. Third had a bag similar to mine, but theirs
were all a little bigger to give them 7+ pounds. I decided to go load my
boat.

Lannes did take pictures of that 8+ and that 9+.

Bob La Londe
www.YumaBassMan.com