First 2008 tournament

Sunday - 1-6-08 - Day 6

Jackson Lake Flint River Bass Club Tournament

January 6, 2008 - 7 AM to 3 PM

I heard the warm weather had bass still hitting on top as last at last
Sunday but the cold front this week surely changed that. Also the
rains we had stained up the water pretty badly - it has been very
clear and in the mid 50s. I could not get on the lake before the
tournament although I had fished it four times in November and
December. Won a November club tournament with five at 11.8 and big
fish with a 3.7 pound spot, then two weeks later in my other club got
a 5 pound largemouth for big fish. Last time I fished the lake in a
two club tournament the first Sunday in December caught three and came
in 8th - had been going down hill.

Air temp was 38 with no wind but some thin clouds. Warmed up to 68 by
quitting time and clear skies after about 9 AM.

Putting the boat in we could see it had really stained up. Water temp
was 47 - too low for my liking, especially with the stain. Dropped as
much as 10 degrees this week! 15 fishermen showed up and talk was
fishing had been tough since Thursday.

Ran up to my favorite rocky point and started throwing a couple of
different crank baits and a jig and pig. Partner tried jig and a jerk
bait. I told him I didn't have much confidence in a jerk bait in heavy
stained water but it might work. He said he had heard the bass were on
rocky banks as well as sand around shad. He had read the same reports
as me.

A boat pulled up on the point across from us and we saw the guy in the
back put one in the live well at about 7:15 so we knew the fish would
hit. I knew it was caught on a jig head worm - that is about all Zero
throws.

We fished for about three hours, trying different types of cover and
structure and baits. Nothing. At about 10 we fished the rocky point
and rock pier where I had caught several bass including a 3.75 pound
spot last November. Nothing. At a ditch that had filled in with sand
my partner caught a solid 2 pound largemouth on a Texas rigged Zoom
Green Pumpkin lizard. It hit in about six feet of water. I dug out my
Caroliana rig. Had been throwing a brown Rattleback Jig with a brown
Zoom Chunk but thought they might want something slimmer. Had a black
Trick worm on the rig.

The next sandy patch we came to I felt weight on my Carolina rig and
realized a bass was swimming with it. I dropped the rod tip and set
the hook - to nothing. Fish made a fool of me, as usual. We fished
about two more hours hitting sandy pockets but no bites

Just after lunch we went into a major feeder arm and into a smaller
creek off it and started working a deep bank, fishing blowdowns. Water
was clearer here, could see a bait down about two feet here compared
to less than a foot where we had been earlier. I was back on the jig
now. I told my partner I never fished past a ditch we came to but
there was some sand on the other side and the sun had been on it all
morning so we kept going. Nothing on the sand. By the next dock I
pitched the jig and it did not seem to fall far enough. When I
tightened up a fish was going sideways with it. Dropped my rod tip and
set the hook - to nothing. Still playing that stupid touchy-feely game
the bass always win!

Next dock I pitched under it and my line moved. Immediately set the
hook and landed a 3.4 pound largemouth. Finally one in the live well
at 12:30.

A few yards down the bank I pitched to a seawall and something
distracted me. Felt a fish pull - but then it was gone. Another stupid
mistake.

We hit all the docks in that small creek without another bite. It was
now about 1:45 so we ran back to the bank where my partner caught his
keeper and I missed one. Nothing hit in those spots. We worked toward
the rock pier and met one of our club members coming toward us. He
caught one near the rock pier. He left and we started to but decided
to fish it anyway. I got no bites but my partner was reeling his
lizard in and a suicide spot grabbed it and he landed his second
keeper. He was reeling over a brush pile that is in six feet of water
- didn't even know it was there.

We kept talking about how slow the fishing was and how many people hit
this spot and trying to come up with a good place to hit. Kept talking
about sand. I mentioned a pocket across the creel where a friend got
three over 8 each many years ago in March but felt it was too early.
It is a small sandy pocket and good spawning area but I don't fish it
much.

We kept fishing an talking about where to go. We discussed several
spots but every time I looked across the creek I thought more about t
hat little pocket. Finally at 2:20 I told my partner we were going
there and had 30 minutes to fish it.

Started on a dock at the mouth of the pocket. I had picked up a Strike
King crank bait in Sexy Shad color - several people said it was good.
Bass were supposed to be on shad on sand so it seemed to be the right
bait. Water was stained and had warmed up to 52. Could see the bait
down just a few inches. This sandy pocket gets sun all day and had a
fairly deep channel going in and a good sandbar near the back.

I was telling my partner how we used to expect to catch six to eight
pound bass at Jackson in all winter tournaments but it had been a long
time since one over seven was weighed in and very few over six. Told
him about one January tournament there where I had a 8.25 and got
third biggest bass for the day.

Almost in the back of the creek we were sitting in 7 feet of water and
I threw right by a seawall. As soon as I moved the bait I felt weight
and though I hit bottom, but it moved. I pulled hard and realized it
was a fish, not a limb. Started cranking and felt the fish shake its
head and told my partner it was a good one, get the net.

The fish came toward the boat and partner asked which side. Told him
the outside then the fish decided the other side. It was not fighting
real hard but was heavy. Partner moved over with the net and we saw
the fish flash - it was big. Got to the boat and made a strong run.
Scared me bad. I was fishing the crank bait on 15 pound Pline and
afraid I would pull the hooks out.

Turned the fish and got its head up and partner netted it. Got it in
the boat and noticed the crank bait was not in the fish's mouth and
the fish's head was half way out of the net through a hole. My heart
was pounding - biggest bass I have caught in a while, figured between
7 and 8 pounds.

We didn't stay long, headed to weigh in a little early. I am secretary
of the club so I record weights and was sandbagging it a little, I am
usually one of the first to weigh in. Couple of people brought up 3
pound bass and tournament director kept saying better weigh it for big
fish but I think I have one a little bigger. At one point I said I had
one that was probably a little bigger than the 3.2 that was being
weighted, too.

Partner got his fish and they weighed 4.5 together. I went and got
mine and everybody got real quiet. Big one weighed 8.80 and two went
12.18. Tournament director said oh well - he had been sandbagging too.
Went and got his 3.8 pounder. Look on his face was priceless!

Second place was five spots at 9 pounds, then 5 spots at 6.80 for
third. We had 28 keepers and 10 of them were largemouth, 6 were over 3
pounds each including my big one. My second bass was third biggest
bass at 3.38. Two five fish limits, four zeroes.

Strange but the two guys we saw catch fish during the day had only one
each - those were the only ones they caught. Several people talked
about how fast the fish spit out baits today - if you felt them it was
almost too late to set the hook. Guy that came in second said that
happened to him all morning but about an hour before quitting time
they started holding it good.

Good start for the year - just like last year. I won the same
tournament last year with five just over 13 pounds and had a 5.5
pounder. Hope I can keep it up.

Gongrats Ronnie....great report!

John

===========

First 2008 tournament

(Ronnie)
Sunday - 1-6-08 - Day 6
Jackson Lake Flint River Bass Club Tournament
January 6, 2008 - 7 AM to 3 PM
I heard the warm weather had bass still hitting on top as last at last
Sunday but the cold front this week surely changed that. Also the rains
we had stained up the water pretty badly - it has been very clear and in
the mid 50s. I could not get on the lake before the tournament although
I had fished it four times in November and December. Won a November club
tournament with five at 11.8 and big fish with a 3.7 pound spot, then
two weeks later in my other club got a 5 pound largemouth for big fish.
Last time I fished the lake in a two club tournament the first Sunday in
December caught three and came in 8th - had been going down hill.
Air temp was 38 with no wind but some thin clouds. Warmed up to 68 by
quitting time and clear skies after about 9 AM.
Putting the boat in we could see it had really stained up. Water temp
was 47 - too low for my liking, especially with the stain. Dropped as
much as 10 degrees this week! 15 fishermen showed up and talk was
fishing had been tough since Thursday.
Ran up to my favorite rocky point and started throwing a couple of
different crank baits and a jig and pig. Partner tried jig and a jerk
bait. I told him I didn't have much confidence in a jerk bait in heavy
stained water but it might work. He said he had heard the bass were on
rocky banks as well as sand around shad. He had read the same reports as
me.
A boat pulled up on the point across from us and we saw the guy in the
back put one in the live well at about 7:15 so we knew the fish would
hit. I knew it was caught on a jig head worm - that is about all Zero
throws.
We fished for about three hours, trying different types of cover and
structure and baits. Nothing. At about 10 we fished the rocky point and
rock pier where I had caught several bass including a 3.75 pound spot
last November. Nothing. At a ditch that had filled in with sand my
partner caught a solid 2 pound largemouth on a Texas rigged Zoom Green
Pumpkin lizard. It hit in about six feet of water. I dug out my
Caroliana rig. Had been throwing a brown Rattleback Jig with a brown
Zoom Chunk but thought they might want something slimmer. Had a black
Trick worm on the rig.
The next sandy patch we came to I felt weight on my Carolina rig and
realized a bass was swimming with it. I dropped the rod tip and set the
hook - to nothing. Fish made a fool of me, as usual. We fished about two
more hours hitting sandy pockets but no bites
Just after lunch we went into a major feeder arm and into a smaller
creek off it and started working a deep bank, fishing blowdowns. Water
was clearer here, could see a bait down about two feet here compared to
less than a foot where we had been earlier. I was back on the jig now. I
told my partner I never fished past a ditch we came to but there was
some sand on the other side and the sun had been on it all morning so we
kept going. Nothing on the sand. By the next dock I pitched the jig and
it did not seem to fall far enough. When I tightened up a fish was going
sideways with it. Dropped my rod tip and set the hook - to nothing.
Still playing that stupid touchy-feely game the bass always win!
Next dock I pitched under it and my line moved. Immediately set the hook
and landed a 3.4 pound largemouth. Finally one in the live well at
12:30.
A few yards down the bank I pitched to a seawall and something
distracted me. Felt a fish pull - but then it was gone. Another stupid
mistake.
We hit all the docks in that small creek without another bite. It was
now about 1:45 so we ran back to the bank where my partner caught his
keeper and I missed one. Nothing hit in those spots. We worked toward
the rock pier and met one of our club members coming toward us. He
caught one near the rock pier. He left and we started to but decided to
fish it anyway. I got no bites but my partner was reeling his lizard in
and a suicide spot grabbed it and he landed his second keeper. He was
reeling over a brush pile that is in six feet of water
- didn't even know it was there.
We kept talking about how slow the fishing was and how many people hit
this spot and trying to come up with a good place to hit. Kept talking
about sand. I mentioned a pocket across the creel where a friend got
three over 8 each many years ago in March but felt it was too early. It
is a small sandy pocket and good spawning area but I don't fish it much.
We kept fishing an talking about where to go. We discussed several spots
but every time I looked across the creek I thought more about t hat
little pocket. Finally at 2:20 I told my partner we were going there and
had 30 minutes to fish it.
Started on a dock at the mouth of the pocket. I had picked up a Strike
King crank bait in Sexy Shad color - several people said it was good.
Bass were supposed to be on shad on sand so it seemed to be the right
bait. Water was stained and had warmed up to 52. Could see the bait down
just a few inches. This sandy pocket gets sun all day and had a fairly
deep channel going in and a good sandbar near the back.
I was telling my partner how we used to expect to catch six to eight
pound bass at Jackson in all winter tournaments but it had been a long
time since one over seven was weighed in and very few over six. Told him
about one January tournament there where I had a 8.25 and got third
biggest bass for the day.
Almost in the back of the creek we were sitting in 7 feet of water and I
threw right by a seawall. As soon as I moved the bait I felt weight and
though I hit bottom, but it moved. I pulled hard and realized it was a
fish, not a limb. Started cranking and felt the fish shake its head and
told my partner it was a good one, get the net.
The fish came toward the boat and partner asked which side. Told him the
outside then the fish decided the other side. It was not fighting real
hard but was heavy. Partner moved over with the net and we saw the fish
flash - it was big. Got to the boat and made a strong run. Scared me
bad. I was fishing the crank bait on 15 pound Pline and afraid I would
pull the hooks out.
Turned the fish and got its head up and partner netted it. Got it in the
boat and noticed the crank bait was not in the fish's mouth and the
fish's head was half way out of the net through a hole. My heart was
pounding - biggest bass I have caught in a while, figured between 7 and
8 pounds.
We didn't stay long, headed to weigh in a little early. I am secretary
of the club so I record weights and was sandbagging it a little, I am
usually one of the first to weigh in. Couple of people brought up 3
pound bass and tournament director kept saying better weigh it for big
fish but I think I have one a little bigger. At one point I said I had
one that was probably a little bigger than the 3.2 that was being
weighted, too.
Partner got his fish and they weighed 4.5 together. I went and got mine
and everybody got real quiet. Big one weighed 8.80 and two went
12.18. Tournament director said oh well - he had been sandbagging too.
Went and got his 3.8 pounder. Look on his face was priceless!
Second place was five spots at 9 pounds, then 5 spots at 6.80 for third.
We had 28 keepers and 10 of them were largemouth, 6 were over 3 pounds
each including my big one. My second bass was third biggest bass at
3.38. Two five fish limits, four zeroes.
Strange but the two guys we saw catch fish during the day had only one
each - those were the only ones they caught. Several people talked about
how fast the fish spit out baits today - if you felt them it was almost
too late to set the hook. Guy that came in second said that happened to
him all morning but about an hour before quitting time they started
holding it good.
Good start for the year - just like last year. I won the same tournament
last year with five just over 13 pounds and had a 5.5 pounder. Hope I
can keep it up.

Congrats Ronnie. I would be happy just to be able to fish at this
time of year. Never got into ice fishing, just not enough room to use
the trolling motor.

Gary

On Jan 11, 7:40*am, gwilber wrote:
Congrats Ronnie. *I would be happy just to be able to fish at this
time of year. *Never got into ice fishing, just not enough room to use
the trolling motor.

Gary

Come on down - the water's soft. Can't promise we will do better than
Dan and I, but we will be able to fish. Let me check my schedule -
yep, I am available every day for next year or so.

Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com

Good Job Ronnie and always love reading your reports

--
God Bless America

Josh The Bad Bear

On Fri, 11 Jan 2008 13:16:23 -0800 (PST), Ronnie
wrote:

On Jan 11, 7:40*am, gwilber wrote:
Congrats Ronnie. *I would be happy just to be able to fish at this
time of year. *Never got into ice fishing, just not enough room to use
the trolling motor.

Gary

Come on down - the water's soft. Can't promise we will do better than
Dan and I, but we will be able to fish. Let me check my schedule -
yep, I am available every day for next year or so.

Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com

Well, I did have a gracious host! I even caught GA fish ;}

Dan the sitting in Gainesville, FL vacationer.