Sinclair Tournament and practice

Friday - February 6, 2009 - Day 37

Left home and stopped at Sinclair on the way to check things out at my
trailer at Clark's Hill - worried about the water pipes freezing.
Talked to guys at marina a good while, finally got on the water at
noon. Air was in the upper 50s to low 60s then, pretty warm except
when riding. Sunny and bright.

Tried several areas in the part of the lake warmed by the steam plant
- pretty muddy but in the low to mid 50s. Worked crankbaits, jig head
worm and even jjgged a spoon. Nothing.

At just after 4 I was fishing around a pocket and decided it was time
to head in - had a two hour drive to Clark's Hill. Said to myself -
this is last cast. Was throwing a chatterbait around grassbeds. It got
heavy near the boat and I landed a 1.5 pound keeper bass. That was it.
Everything at the trailer was fine and I spent the night there.


Saturday - February 7, 2009 - Day 38

Left Clark's Hill and got back to Sinclair at 10 AM. Put in up the
Little River and the water was real muddy. Checked out a few places -
water was 47 to 49 - too far from the Steam plant to be warmed. No
hits.

Ran down to the dam area - water was not as muddy, just stained, and
in the low 50s. Tried everything I could think of - no hits.

Nice sunny warm day - Kept a jacket on since it was cool riding but
saw people on their docks in shirt sleeves.

Went back to the marina at 3 to watch a 40 boat tournament weigh-in.
Guy I did an article with at Jackson this month was weighing - he had
8.04 and was leading. He came over and we talked. Told me where and
how he got his five bites and five keepers.

Near the end of the weigh-in a guy had 8.7 and took over first. He
came over and we talked and he gave me some tips - what he had caught
them on and the general area. He said he had one real good spot but
wouldn't tell me where - I told him I was not going to ask! He did
give me some tips.

One of the last two guys to weigh in had 8.9 and won. He came over to
talk, too. When I asked for a tip for tomorrow he got real specific -
exactly what to throw and where. Guess I will have to try that in the
morning in my club tournament - I sure didn't find anything myself.
Place he told me to fish I have caught them there before. We will see
if it works tomorrow.

On the way home went through a town and bank thermometer showed 74 at
4 PM.


Sunday - February 8, 2009 - Day 39

Flint River Bass Club Tournament - 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Lake Sinclair - Water 52 - 58 Air start 45, end 73
Water stained to muddy

Ran to the bridge where ABA winner said go and there were 7 bass boats
there already with guys casting to the riprap and 2 boats trolling for
crappie. Found a hole and made a few cast but bank fishermen throwing
nets made me leave.

Went in a pocket downstream a little and Bobby, fellow club member,
was already there. I fished some docks on the outside without a bite.

Ran to a small creek and worked docks and the ditch hard. Used to
catch a lot of Feb bass here. Jordan missed one on a jig and pig on a
dock. I got a hit reeling in my jig head worm and landed a 11.5 inch
bass - no keeper.

Went to another creek and started around docks and grassbeds in the
back - and Bobby came in and started working other side. When we met
up he said he had four keepers - I told him it took 8 something to win
yesterday and he indicated he had more than that. That really put me
in a funk - he was throwing spinnerbaits between docks and working
docks with jighead - exactly what I was doing.

We kept working the area until noon then headed to the dam area to hit
some spots there. I fished one and it was real warm in the sun and
Jordan went to sleep.

Ran down to a creek right near the dam and Jordan did not even wake
up. I had thought about this yesterday and it worked out perfect.
There is a airport on a long point on this creek and houses all around
it. Planes come in low over an island then land right behind a house
on the edge of the water. A twin engine plane started making its
approach and I started yelling at Jordan -THAT PLANE IS GOING TO
CRASH!! He woke up, jumped up and started turning in circles - I kept
it up - THEY ARE GOING DOWN - OH
GOD, What is going to happen.

Jordan got pretty upset and when the plane disappeared behind the
house I said - OH NO IT CRASHED - right on that runway. Jordan got a
real funny expression then started calling me names.

He started fishing the point we were on and caught a keeper - I should
have let him sleep. It was about 1:00. Jordan ragged me until 3:00
about beating me.

We worked the area and some more spots without another bite. With an
hour left to fish, at 2:30, we ran to the cove where I got my one
keeper Friday. Worked the grass and was going to fish on around the
cove and the docks but another boat came in and started working the
other side.

I fished back out to the point and at 3:05 said "one more cast then we
will go hit one more place." Jighead worm sank and if felt a thump -
when I went on point my line was slack and Jordan started cussing. I
reeled in fast and set the hook and landed a solid 14 inch keeper.
Jordan wilted!

Fixed the worm and threw back and felt another thump and landed a 13
inch keeper. Looked at my watch and it was 3:10 - and we were ten
minutes from weighin. Thought we would make a few more casts then a
boat headed for us - Game Wardens. They pulled up, talked a few
minutes, said they could see our life jackets and left.

We made a couple more casts and headed in - made it with two minutes
to spare.

At weigh-in Lee had five at 7.54 for first, Tony had five at 7.03 for
second and Bobby's five weighed 6.68 for third - guess they shrunk.
Fourth was 4 at 5.69. My two put me in 8th out of 20 fishermen. We had
6 zeros.

Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com

On Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:10:13 -0800 (PST), Ronnie
backed into a tree whilst ridin inna park
then wrote:

Friday - February 6, 2009 - Day 37

Left home and stopped at Sinclair on the way to check things out at my
trailer at Clark's Hill - worried about the water pipes freezing.
Talked to guys at marina a good while, finally got on the water at
noon. Air was in the upper 50s to low 60s then, pretty warm except
when riding. Sunny and bright.

Tried several areas in the part of the lake warmed by the steam plant
- pretty muddy but in the low to mid 50s. Worked crankbaits, jig head
worm and even jjgged a spoon. Nothing.

At just after 4 I was fishing around a pocket and decided it was time
to head in - had a two hour drive to Clark's Hill. Said to myself -
this is last cast. Was throwing a chatterbait around grassbeds. It got
heavy near the boat and I landed a 1.5 pound keeper bass. That was it.
Everything at the trailer was fine and I spent the night there.


Saturday - February 7, 2009 - Day 38

Left Clark's Hill and got back to Sinclair at 10 AM. Put in up the
Little River and the water was real muddy. Checked out a few places -
water was 47 to 49 - too far from the Steam plant to be warmed. No
hits.

Ran down to the dam area - water was not as muddy, just stained, and
in the low 50s. Tried everything I could think of - no hits.

Nice sunny warm day - Kept a jacket on since it was cool riding but
saw people on their docks in shirt sleeves.

Went back to the marina at 3 to watch a 40 boat tournament weigh-in.
Guy I did an article with at Jackson this month was weighing - he had
8.04 and was leading. He came over and we talked. Told me where and
how he got his five bites and five keepers.

Near the end of the weigh-in a guy had 8.7 and took over first. He
came over and we talked and he gave me some tips - what he had caught
them on and the general area. He said he had one real good spot but
wouldn't tell me where - I told him I was not going to ask! He did
give me some tips.

One of the last two guys to weigh in had 8.9 and won. He came over to
talk, too. When I asked for a tip for tomorrow he got real specific -
exactly what to throw and where. Guess I will have to try that in the
morning in my club tournament - I sure didn't find anything myself.
Place he told me to fish I have caught them there before. We will see
if it works tomorrow.

On the way home went through a town and bank thermometer showed 74 at
4 PM.


Sunday - February 8, 2009 - Day 39

Flint River Bass Club Tournament - 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Lake Sinclair - Water 52 - 58 Air start 45, end 73
Water stained to muddy

Ran to the bridge where ABA winner said go and there were 7 bass boats
there already with guys casting to the riprap and 2 boats trolling for
crappie. Found a hole and made a few cast but bank fishermen throwing
nets made me leave.

Went in a pocket downstream a little and Bobby, fellow club member,
was already there. I fished some docks on the outside without a bite.

Ran to a small creek and worked docks and the ditch hard. Used to
catch a lot of Feb bass here. Jordan missed one on a jig and pig on a
dock. I got a hit reeling in my jig head worm and landed a 11.5 inch
bass - no keeper.

Went to another creek and started around docks and grassbeds in the
back - and Bobby came in and started working other side. When we met
up he said he had four keepers - I told him it took 8 something to win
yesterday and he indicated he had more than that. That really put me
in a funk - he was throwing spinnerbaits between docks and working
docks with jighead - exactly what I was doing.

We kept working the area until noon then headed to the dam area to hit
some spots there. I fished one and it was real warm in the sun and
Jordan went to sleep.

Ran down to a creek right near the dam and Jordan did not even wake
up. I had thought about this yesterday and it worked out perfect.
There is a airport on a long point on this creek and houses all around
it. Planes come in low over an island then land right behind a house
on the edge of the water. A twin engine plane started making its
approach and I started yelling at Jordan -THAT PLANE IS GOING TO
CRASH!! He woke up, jumped up and started turning in circles - I kept
it up - THEY ARE GOING DOWN - OH
GOD, What is going to happen.

Jordan got pretty upset and when the plane disappeared behind the
house I said - OH NO IT CRASHED - right on that runway. Jordan got a
real funny expression then started calling me names.

He started fishing the point we were on and caught a keeper - I should
have let him sleep. It was about 1:00. Jordan ragged me until 3:00
about beating me.

We worked the area and some more spots without another bite. With an
hour left to fish, at 2:30, we ran to the cove where I got my one
keeper Friday. Worked the grass and was going to fish on around the
cove and the docks but another boat came in and started working the
other side.

I fished back out to the point and at 3:05 said "one more cast then we
will go hit one more place." Jighead worm sank and if felt a thump -
when I went on point my line was slack and Jordan started cussing. I
reeled in fast and set the hook and landed a solid 14 inch keeper.
Jordan wilted!

Fixed the worm and threw back and felt another thump and landed a 13
inch keeper. Looked at my watch and it was 3:10 - and we were ten
minutes from weighin. Thought we would make a few more casts then a
boat headed for us - Game Wardens. They pulled up, talked a few
minutes, said they could see our life jackets and left.

We made a couple more casts and headed in - made it with two minutes
to spare.

At weigh-in Lee had five at 7.54 for first, Tony had five at 7.03 for
second and Bobby's five weighed 6.68 for third - guess they shrunk.
Fourth was 4 at 5.69. My two put me in 8th out of 20 fishermen. We had
6 zeros.

Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com

Good read Ronnie, thanks. Remind me not to sleep in your boat! :}

Finding fish is always the key. I've been talking to locals about two
local lakes and the consensus is go out in the middle of the lake and
pretend you're fishing structure where there is none until the water
warms slightly and then hit the North shore and channel mouths. Bass
supposedly are full of eggs but not spawning yet. Pretty much the
same for Crappies. I'll find out tomorrow.
Everyone says use minnows and shiners. When I say I use soft
plastics, jigs and spinners the comment, that'll work but you won't
catch as many. I'll find that out tomorrow too.

Should be interesting. I just wish the water levels were higher.
_

Dan TOASTY in Florida for now

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