Clark's Hill tournament

Friday - February 22 - Day 44

Got up in the rain at my trailer and almost could not get van and boat
out of drive for the mud. Made it to the campground and checked in
and put boat in the water at about 10 AM. Pretty cold and rainy but
water temps were in low 50s and a good color. Started hitting rock
and clay points.

Fished a lot of my favorite spots but with the water 12.5 feet low it
was very different. Also scary with lots of stumps along channels and
shoals that are not marked.

At about 3 PM I got a hit on a Yozuri Livebait and landed a two pound
fish. Only bite I got!

A little later a striper boat pulled up and guy asked me to take his
picture - he had a 30 pound striper and wanted to get a picture and
let it go. Beautiful fish.

I quit at 4:30, pretty disgusted with my results. One of my club
members at the ramp said they had caugh three keepers.



Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com

Saturday - February 23 - Day 45

Morning dawned cool and some fog. Cloudy but no rain. We were fishing
7 to 5 - ten hour day. Since I didn't really have a clue what to do I
ran down to the big bridge and started throwing the Yozuri Livebait on
the rip. This bridge is 1.5 miles long and most of the riprap is on
the north end. I fished from the bridge about half way then tried a
jerk bait. No hits on either. Tried a #5 Shadrap, then threw a Slider
1/16 oz head and 4 inch worm. Not a bite. That is unusual, not even a
bite on the Slider.

Fished around the roadbed at the end of the riprap then ran back to
the bridge and fished the pilings. Nothing. Water temps were in the
low 50s and it was clear, could see my crank baits down three feet -
fish should have been hitting.

Started up the lake and stopped on one of my favorite river ledges.
Fished around some rockpiles. Nothing. On the upper end my crankbait
got heavy and I had a good fight - from a Pro Qualifier rod and reel.
Put it in the boat - looks like it will clean up good.

While fishing that end of the ridge I saw a boat on the next point way
upstream where I caught my one keeper yesterday. Looked like he put a
fish in the live well. I should have started there! He left and a
little later I went up there and started fishing. As I rounded the
point I saw Brent on the other side - he was the one I saw fishing. I
asked how he found my honey hole, the only place I got a keeper
yesterday. He said he had just put two in the livewell, about 4.5
pounds total. That really shot me down.

Left him there and decided to go into a small creek and wear out
everything and see what I could find. This little feeder creek splits
into several coves and has everything - pockets, gravel, rock piles,
brush piles and spawning areas. Wind was starting to pick up some and
there were some breaks in the clouds. Water was more stained in this
area but I could still see down 18 inches or so.

Worked back along a rocky point and got to a secondary point with rock
and clay. By now I had slowed down and was throwing a W-3 Tackle Stand
Up shakey head with a Trick worm on it. Felt a thump on the point and
set the hook - landed a 13 inch bass. Finally a keeper at 11:15 - the
tournament was almost half over!

Fished on around the very back of the creek. Threw up on a rockpile in
a couple of feet of water and my line started moving off. Set the hook
and broke the 12 pound PLine Fluorocarbon line. Checked it and it
broke way too easy. Threw that rod and reel in the bottom of the boat,
not into the lake like I almost did, and picked up a matching St Croix
rod and Pfleuger reel loaded with 12 pound PLine. I had replaced this
line last week and it did not break when I tried. Had a 3/16 Shakey
head on it with a Bama Bug color Tmac worm.

Fished out of the creek into the last pocket before the main lake.
Wind was blowing in on it. Threw up on a small secondary point and got
hit - landed a 15 inch 1.5 pounder - two in the live well but it was
already 12:15. Fixed the worm and threw back to the same spot and got
a bump. Set the hook on a good fish - saw it swirl under the water and
figured a good 3 pounder. Since I was fishing by myself - young guy
that was supposed to go with me decided to go to the Classic instead -
I reached down and got the net ready. As I got the fish close and
reached out with the net about wet my pants - much bigger than I
thought. Turned out to weigh 5.88 pounds - sure was glad I swapped
reels!

Wore that point and the next one out but no hits. Worked around the
outside point to the main lake to the next rocky point. Wind was
pretty strong on it. Cast up on it and got big - two pounder. 12:45
and four in the boat, one good one. My attitude had improved a lot.
Very next cast to the same spot got another 2 pounder. Filled my limit
- figured I had about 11 or 12 pounds.

I really did not want to wear out this spot since this was a two day
tournament so I started casting out to deeper water. Two guys fishing
a point upstream of me kept blowing toward me and each time they got
close I would move back on the point.

We played that game for about an hour and I thought they left, did not
see them. I fished a little ways into the creek to get out of the wind
and looked back to see them on the point. Saw each one of them put a
keeper in the boat - so much for saving it for tomorrow.

I left and went to another creek to see if I could duplicate the
pattern in the last two hours. Got one hit in a brush pile I had blown
up on before I saw it. Fish hit just feet from the boat and I broke my
line on the hookset.

Went in a little early since the lake is so dangerous. Did not have
far to go but had a good catch. Was shocked at the long faces - I had
the only limit. My five weighed 11.95 and the 5.88 was big fish for
the day. Second place was 10.5 and he had a 5.66. Wondered what
tomorrow would bring.

Got back to my campsite and hooked everything up and got the grill
going. We were at Mistletoe State Park and it has hundreds of sites
- and only about six were in use. I was chopping up my lettuce and
noticed some wood that had not been there last night or this morning.
Walked to the post and found someone had removed my card, put theirs
on the clip with a note saying "This site is taken, will be back."

I really did not care which site I was on - picked this one because it
was close to the bath house and drive thru, easy in and out with boat.
Thought about moving but my grill was going good. Decided I would
not. Got worried and checked my Glock and put one in the barrel just
in case.

I was eating my salad when a truck drove up and guy asked if I took
his card. I got it and took it to him and said yes, did not see it
until it was too late. Asked if he moved mine and he said he took it
to the check in station and they said I was already gone.

They went to another site. After grilling a steak I dumped my coals in
the fire pit and found my card.

Put new 12 pound line on one outfit and 15 on the other - both Pline
Flourocarbon. Rigged both with 3/16 head, one with the Tmac Bamabug
and one with a black Trick worm. Got a good nights sleep. Next post,
day two.

Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com

On Sat, 1 Mar 2008 17:11:32 -0800 (PST), Ronnie
wrote:

Saturday - February 23 - Day 45

Morning dawned cool and some fog. Cloudy but no rain. We were fishing
7 to 5 - ten hour day. Since I didn't really have a clue what to do I
ran down to the big bridge and started throwing the Yozuri Livebait on
the rip. This bridge is 1.5 miles long and most of the riprap is on
the north end. I fished from the bridge about half way then tried a
jerk bait. No hits on either. Tried a #5 Shadrap, then threw a Slider
1/16 oz head and 4 inch worm. Not a bite. That is unusual, not even a
bite on the Slider.

Snipped a great read!

Put new 12 pound line on one outfit and 15 on the other - both Pline
Flourocarbon. Rigged both with 3/16 head, one with the Tmac Bamabug
and one with a black Trick worm. Got a good nights sleep. Next post,
day two.

Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com

Way to go. I hope tomorrow is as or better for you.

Dan

Sunday - February 24 - Day 46

Cooler this morning and more fog. No wind and clear sky. Ran straight
to the rocky point expecting to see a boat but no one was there.
Caught a 14 inch keeper on about the fifth cast on the shakey head.
Just after I put it in the live well I heard a boat and it was the two
guys from yesterday. They did not see me in the fog until about 100
yards away then they made a sharp turn and went to the point they had
been on yesterday when they saw me catching fish.

Kept working the point and every time I got a little ways off it they
headed toward me. Finally I heard one of them cuss and say "might as
well leave." They ran about as far away as I could see and stopped
and started fishing.

I worked the point and eased out to nearby points, too. After a few
minutes I looked up and they were headed toward me. I cranked up and
idled back to the point and they turned off and ran back up the lake.
Last time I saw them.

I worked down to the next point and cast up to the shallows. Felt some
rock then a thump and set the hook. Solid four pound bass at 8:30 -
felt good with two in the boat, at least five pounds. Would take a
decent catch to catch me.

Worked back into the creek to a rocky secondary point and caught
another bass, good 2 pound fish. Fished on around the cove and the
point before the one I caught the good one on yesterday got another
two pounder. Four in the boat at 10:00. I was happy.

Kept fishing around the area and at noon got my fifth keeper off the
rocky point. Figured I had about ten pounds.

Left and went to some shallow hydrilla and got out a big swim bait.
Threw it for an hour over the hydrilla but no bites.

A nearby rock pile caught my attention and I went to it and caught a
13 inch fish off it on the jig head. Would not cull anything I had.

At the 2:00 weigh-in I had the only limit today and it weighed 10
pounds. The biggest one I had was 4.02. That gave me first with 10
weighing 21.95 for the two days. Second place was 14.38 and third was
6.97.

While loading boats Brent found out he had bad bearings. He had all
the tools and grease but no bearings. I carry and extra set and they
fit his trailer. Brent is a mechanic for a Chevy dealership - got them
changed in a few minutes.

I headed to Santee Cooper to fish for two days - fishing the Southern
Regional Fed Nation tournament there in early April and this was my
only chance to check it out. Never been on the lake. Will post about
that trip later.

Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com

On Sat, 1 Mar 2008 18:37:28 -0800 (PST), Ronnie
wrote:

Sunday - February 24 - Day 46

Cooler this morning and more fog. No wind and clear sky. Ran straight
to the rocky point expecting to see a boat but no one was there.
Caught a 14 inch keeper on about the fifth cast on the shakey head.
Just after I put it in the live well I heard a boat and it was the two
guys from yesterday. They did not see me in the fog until about 100
yards away then they made a sharp turn and went to the point they had
been on yesterday when they saw me catching fish.

Kept working the point and every time I got a little ways off it they
headed toward me. Finally I heard one of them cuss and say "might as
well leave." They ran about as far away as I could see and stopped
and started fishing.

I worked the point and eased out to nearby points, too. After a few
minutes I looked up and they were headed toward me. I cranked up and
idled back to the point and they turned off and ran back up the lake.
Last time I saw them.

I worked down to the next point and cast up to the shallows. Felt some
rock then a thump and set the hook. Solid four pound bass at 8:30 -
felt good with two in the boat, at least five pounds. Would take a
decent catch to catch me.

Worked back into the creek to a rocky secondary point and caught
another bass, good 2 pound fish. Fished on around the cove and the
point before the one I caught the good one on yesterday got another
two pounder. Four in the boat at 10:00. I was happy.

Kept fishing around the area and at noon got my fifth keeper off the
rocky point. Figured I had about ten pounds.

Left and went to some shallow hydrilla and got out a big swim bait.
Threw it for an hour over the hydrilla but no bites.

A nearby rock pile caught my attention and I went to it and caught a
13 inch fish off it on the jig head. Would not cull anything I had.

At the 2:00 weigh-in I had the only limit today and it weighed 10
pounds. The biggest one I had was 4.02. That gave me first with 10
weighing 21.95 for the two days. Second place was 14.38 and third was
6.97.

While loading boats Brent found out he had bad bearings. He had all
the tools and grease but no bearings. I carry and extra set and they
fit his trailer. Brent is a mechanic for a Chevy dealership - got them
changed in a few minutes.

I headed to Santee Cooper to fish for two days - fishing the Southern
Regional Fed Nation tournament there in early April and this was my
only chance to check it out. Never been on the lake. Will post about
that trip later.

Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com


Well Ronnie, I think you've recovered from that no fish day with me.
g

Glad ya won!

Dan

Nice story and congrats on another good job fishing.

Gary

It sure is nice to read your accounts, Ronnie. Congratulations on putting
together some winning patterns under tough conditions.

Joe


"Ronnie" wrote in message
...
Sunday - February 24 - Day 46

Cooler this morning and more fog. No wind and clear sky. snip

Well done!!

Jim

Ronnie, as always, I really enjoyed your report, and congrats on another
good outing!

John

On Mar 6, 9:38*pm, (John B) wrote:
Ronnie, as always, I really enjoyed your report, and congrats on another
good outing!

John

Thanks

Just got home from the Top Six at Clark's Hill. On Monday my partner
and I both limited out in the same little creek - I had 10.45 and he
had 9,8. Yesterday my partner and I both limited out there again - my
five went 7.05 and his 8.5. We wore that little creek out all day
both days. Yesterday was cloudy - I think bigger fish would have
moved up if the sun had been out - we caught our bigger fish Monday
after the sun had been out most of the day. I got 11 keepers that day
and culled four of the first five I caught later in the day.

With live fish bonus I had 18.5 - took just over 20 to get a check, 24
to make the state team and 30 to win. Sure did hate to lose a 3.5
pounder yesterday, my smallest bass yesterday was just 12 inches long
and probably weighed less than a pound. Needed to cull it. Not meant
to be. Old If Frogs had Wings thing!

Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com