While my teammate and I missed the opening tournament of the season in September due to family obligations, we were ready to get our 2014-2015 season started. The weather was set to be perfect, bright sunny day and little to no wind. While that is normally a gorgeous day on the water it does make for a tougher day on the water. The fall bite was supposed to started by now but with water temps in the mid 70's at launch, we knew that was not going to be the case.
We launched boat 42 of 46 and noticed going down lake that most of our typical spots already had boats on them, so we hit an area that has produced in the past and fell in-line behind another boat. We were throwing topwater and jigs to start the morning which produced two bites, but two short fish that would not keep. We covered some water and only had one other blow up on the topwater so we made a move. The move produced some more short fish on a dropshot.
With no fish in the box, we made another run into the Salt end which was very short lived. The water was chocolate in color, but had some birds around the area. We tried covering water but think we missed that bite so we ran into the main lake into cleaner water. We were fishing a flat with a drop and noticed some action out deeper so we decided to give it a try. Within a few minutes we had our first keeper and an hour later we had a limit. We culled off the area the rest of the day hoping for a bigger bite it just never came. Wish I would not have taken my spoons out of the boat prior to the tournament but we fought through and caught them all on small shad baits on a dropshot.
We finished the day with a 5 fish limit for 8.31lb and finished 21st place. It was a grind for us but we fought through. Lessons from the day are always have a second game plan and always have some spoons ready in the boat. We are looking forward to the next tournament at Apache Lake on November 15th.
Monday, November 3, 2014
Castrol Premium Lube Express - New Sponsor
I am proud to announce a new sponsor for the 2014-2015 Season, Castrol Premium Lube Express. These guys have been taking care of my business and personal vehicles for the last few years and we have finally teamed up for this season. They do all jobs big or small, basic service to custom work. Without Alvin and Blake at Castrol Premium Lube Express, I would not have been able to be out on the lake nearly as much as have been, their work is top notch. Thanks again, can't wait to see what the new season will bring.
Business Address - 10728 E. Apache Trail - Apache Junction, AZ 85120 Phone - 480-354-2740
Business Address - 10728 E. Apache Trail - Apache Junction, AZ 85120 Phone - 480-354-2740
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
TBA Summer Night Series Championship - August 22nd - Saguaro Lake
This was the first tournament for the new Ranger, so Mike and I were hoping would bring some luck. The summer storms stayed away for the night and the weather was awesome, even got a little chilled near the end of the night. There were 29 teams that qualified for the championship and we drew boat number 9 out. I was hoping for a later draw with the boat still being in break in mode but we launched and stayed in position due to all the extra lake traffic out.
Our first few hours were a little brutal, with no bites and hitting 3 separate areas. I decided might as well check an old area from the previous year that only fished for a few minutes earlier in the season. The move paid off for us with a few nice keepers, including our big fish of the night, 4.59lb largemouth. With 4 fish in the boat and some smaller fish we made a few passes until no fish on 2 passes and moved to our normal area. Within a few minutes we filled out our limit and culled 3 times, but none of significance. We continued to move from this spot to the other and culled each time and at the end of the night we managed to cull up to a 5 fish limit of 12.53lbs, which was good enough for 9th place.
After the tournament we heard how tough the fishing was for guys, we were 1 of 6 boats with a limit, but we needed the kickers that some of the guys had. We caught our fish on dropshots, texas rigged plastics and crankbaits, this was our main bite all season. While we caught some nice fish throughout the series we could never produce the monster bags like last season. On a good note, the boat ran well, the new graphs will definitely help during the regular season, and until next summer its all daylight tournaments. I am already looking forward to this series next year and looking forward to multiple series this year.
.jpg)
Our first few hours were a little brutal, with no bites and hitting 3 separate areas. I decided might as well check an old area from the previous year that only fished for a few minutes earlier in the season. The move paid off for us with a few nice keepers, including our big fish of the night, 4.59lb largemouth. With 4 fish in the boat and some smaller fish we made a few passes until no fish on 2 passes and moved to our normal area. Within a few minutes we filled out our limit and culled 3 times, but none of significance. We continued to move from this spot to the other and culled each time and at the end of the night we managed to cull up to a 5 fish limit of 12.53lbs, which was good enough for 9th place.
After the tournament we heard how tough the fishing was for guys, we were 1 of 6 boats with a limit, but we needed the kickers that some of the guys had. We caught our fish on dropshots, texas rigged plastics and crankbaits, this was our main bite all season. While we caught some nice fish throughout the series we could never produce the monster bags like last season. On a good note, the boat ran well, the new graphs will definitely help during the regular season, and until next summer its all daylight tournaments. I am already looking forward to this series next year and looking forward to multiple series this year.
Friday, August 29, 2014
New Boat - Ranger Z520 - Agust 10th
Well the day finally came to make the drive to Lake Havasu to pickup the new ride, 2012 Ranger Z520 with Mercury 250 Pro XS. I was stoked and couldn't think of anyone better to go with me to get it than my step-dad, who started me out in tournament fishing. The 3.5 hour ride there was nerve wrecking but a blast, Fred's new Ram MegaCab Dually is incredible. I had seen the boat in pictures but it looked even better in person. Justin had the boat completely detailed for me and wanted to take it out on the lake to explain all the new options and show me the all the fun extras in it.
We launched the boat and I didn't realize it was throttle run, have always had a Hot Foot, it scared me at first when hit it but got used to it pretty quickly. We cruised around the lake for an hour or so and he showed me different areas and how to find them on side scan etc plus gave me some awesome fishing advise that he's learned along the way.
Once back we had a few snags with needing longer wiring for the trailer to the plug but Justin offered to help and even paid for lunch. He helped the entire time and I am happy to have been able to purchase his boat, he is a standup guy and I couldn't be happier with the purchase. The boat has tons more room in the front and insane storage and all the new options I was missing on my other Ranger.
Boat Specs:
2012 Ranger Z520
2012 Mercury 250 Pro XS
2012 Ranger Trailer
Humminbird 1198c and Humminbird 998c
We launched the boat and I didn't realize it was throttle run, have always had a Hot Foot, it scared me at first when hit it but got used to it pretty quickly. We cruised around the lake for an hour or so and he showed me different areas and how to find them on side scan etc plus gave me some awesome fishing advise that he's learned along the way.
Once back we had a few snags with needing longer wiring for the trailer to the plug but Justin offered to help and even paid for lunch. He helped the entire time and I am happy to have been able to purchase his boat, he is a standup guy and I couldn't be happier with the purchase. The boat has tons more room in the front and insane storage and all the new options I was missing on my other Ranger.
Boat Specs:
2012 Ranger Z520
2012 Mercury 250 Pro XS
2012 Ranger Trailer
Humminbird 1198c and Humminbird 998c
Total Bass Addicts Summer Night Series - August 8th - Saguaro Lake
August 8th marked the season finale of the TBA Summer Night Series and the last qualifying tournament for the year end championship. My partner and I qualified via doing the required number of tournaments and decided to go use this as a prefish for the championship in two weeks. There were 36 boats for this tournament, the majority of which we knew were fishing 3 main areas.
We launched and decided to make a run toward the river to fish a reef near the channel edge. We planned to throw crankbaits and topwater but after about 30 minutes that plan changed. We made an adjustment to go smaller which instantly produced 3 fish, all caught on dropshots of the drop. We did keep mixing it up and finally caught the 4th keeper on a crankbait. Once the action slowed we made the move back to areas we had previously fished but none produced any keepers. We decided to run to the main lake to hit same stretch hoping to catch another big fish. Within minutes we caught our fifth keeper and over the next hour we kept culling up but couldn't get the big bite. With about an hour left we made a run back to the river to see if could get the big bite we were looking for. We caught one in a few casts but didn't help us any. We had about 30 minutes left and were going to return to our main area and crank through it but on the ride back, had boat issues - one that I feared was worse than it was - had a sensor going out and my alarms were just warning me of it. We weren't sure what it was at the time so we idled and trolled back which caused us to be late, therefore a DQ. We didn't have enough to win the tournament but we had between 13 and 14lbs, which would have been 13th place.
The season finale was bittersweet, it was the last tournament in my 2004 Ranger, and it was only time never made it back to weigh-in on time. I am going to miss that boat when it sells but the new Ranger and its warranty will allow me to fish a little more stress-free. I can't wait for the season finale and the new season to start.
We launched and decided to make a run toward the river to fish a reef near the channel edge. We planned to throw crankbaits and topwater but after about 30 minutes that plan changed. We made an adjustment to go smaller which instantly produced 3 fish, all caught on dropshots of the drop. We did keep mixing it up and finally caught the 4th keeper on a crankbait. Once the action slowed we made the move back to areas we had previously fished but none produced any keepers. We decided to run to the main lake to hit same stretch hoping to catch another big fish. Within minutes we caught our fifth keeper and over the next hour we kept culling up but couldn't get the big bite. With about an hour left we made a run back to the river to see if could get the big bite we were looking for. We caught one in a few casts but didn't help us any. We had about 30 minutes left and were going to return to our main area and crank through it but on the ride back, had boat issues - one that I feared was worse than it was - had a sensor going out and my alarms were just warning me of it. We weren't sure what it was at the time so we idled and trolled back which caused us to be late, therefore a DQ. We didn't have enough to win the tournament but we had between 13 and 14lbs, which would have been 13th place.
The season finale was bittersweet, it was the last tournament in my 2004 Ranger, and it was only time never made it back to weigh-in on time. I am going to miss that boat when it sells but the new Ranger and its warranty will allow me to fish a little more stress-free. I can't wait for the season finale and the new season to start.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
TBA Saguaro Summer Nights Series - June 27th - Saguaro Lake
With the number of fish we caught two weeks prior during the full moon, we were looking forward to this tournament. We figured our game plan would stay the same, but with temps in the 108 degree range and water temps up 6-8 degrees from two weeks prior it turned out to be much different.
We fished our same areas as the tournament prior but the results were not the same. Our first spot we shared with two other boats, none of us caught anything in the area. Our next move produced a keeper but was the only bite we got there. Next we made a move to the main lake to an area that didn't produce last time, but thankfully produced a good bite. My partner caught one that weighed just over 5lbs. Unfortunately I continued to struggle and could only get one keeper in the boat along with a few shorts. We had our lowest fish of the season so far and made us rethink some options.
We fished our same areas as the tournament prior but the results were not the same. Our first spot we shared with two other boats, none of us caught anything in the area. Our next move produced a keeper but was the only bite we got there. Next we made a move to the main lake to an area that didn't produce last time, but thankfully produced a good bite. My partner caught one that weighed just over 5lbs. Unfortunately I continued to struggle and could only get one keeper in the boat along with a few shorts. We had our lowest fish of the season so far and made us rethink some options.
MBC Summer Nights - June 21st - Bartlett Lake
With the lake rising over 20ft in the days prior to the tournament, my partner and I, knew the fishing was going to be tough and the weights close. The tournament ran 6pm-1am and it was going to be a moonless warm night. At launch the wind was blowing 15-20mph and it was 108 degrees. Bartlett is notorious for smaller fish and with the rising water and heat we decided to throw deep crankbaits on the first drops and near any point or boulders.
The first hour was slow only producing a 12lb flathead catfish. We decided to make a run to a spot that holds fish year round. It turned out to be the right decision, but took 20 minutes to find the pattern and placement of the fish. We found them on the drop from 10-16ft, and the deep diving crankbait was the ticket. Over the next two hours we proceeded to catch well over 60 fish, all cookie cutter look-alikes. Once the bite slowed we milked the spot with Carolina-rigged plastics for a few extra fish. We made a run to try to find some kicker fish. We kept catching fish throughout the night but couldn't seem to find the fish we needed. We weighed 7.93lbs and finished in 8th place - 34 boat field - 6th place taking the last check weighed 8.13lbs.
Most guys were reporting it being hard to get a bite and the winners only had 7 bites all night, but the right ones. We had the right pattern but not the right size. We are already looking forward to the next one and what it might bring.
The first hour was slow only producing a 12lb flathead catfish. We decided to make a run to a spot that holds fish year round. It turned out to be the right decision, but took 20 minutes to find the pattern and placement of the fish. We found them on the drop from 10-16ft, and the deep diving crankbait was the ticket. Over the next two hours we proceeded to catch well over 60 fish, all cookie cutter look-alikes. Once the bite slowed we milked the spot with Carolina-rigged plastics for a few extra fish. We made a run to try to find some kicker fish. We kept catching fish throughout the night but couldn't seem to find the fish we needed. We weighed 7.93lbs and finished in 8th place - 34 boat field - 6th place taking the last check weighed 8.13lbs.
Most guys were reporting it being hard to get a bite and the winners only had 7 bites all night, but the right ones. We had the right pattern but not the right size. We are already looking forward to the next one and what it might bring.
Total Bass Addicts Saguaro Summer Night Series - June 13th - Saguaro Lake
My partner and I missed the first tournament of the series, due to it being on the same weekend as our championship, so we were looking forward to going out and having fun and hopefully sticking some good sized fish. With no prefish, we just decided to wing it and enjoy it.
We hit our first spot and wasn't long before we had a fish in the boat. A few minutes later, another and within the hour we had 3 to start but nothing major in size. We made a run to another spot that produced late summer last year. We fished up and down the area without a bite and moved again. This move finally paid off with two keepers, so we had our limit. The best pattern we had was back in the grass so we headed back to where we started, that happened to be the area for the night. We proceeded to upgrade for the rest of the night, but never getting that big bite we needed. We finished with 13.18lbs, and in 13th place - 42 boat field. Hopefully the crankbait and night time wall bite will get better as the season goes along.
We hit our first spot and wasn't long before we had a fish in the boat. A few minutes later, another and within the hour we had 3 to start but nothing major in size. We made a run to another spot that produced late summer last year. We fished up and down the area without a bite and moved again. This move finally paid off with two keepers, so we had our limit. The best pattern we had was back in the grass so we headed back to where we started, that happened to be the area for the night. We proceeded to upgrade for the rest of the night, but never getting that big bite we needed. We finished with 13.18lbs, and in 13th place - 42 boat field. Hopefully the crankbait and night time wall bite will get better as the season goes along.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
MBC Seniors Championship - May 30th & 31st - Apache Lake
Well Championship weekend was here, two days at Apache Lake. Temperatures were supposed to be around 100+ and little to no wind in the morning with a few gusts in the afternoons. With one great day of prefish and one horrible day a week later, we knew it was going to be a challenge where we just had to go out and fish hard all day both days.
Day 1 - We started at the same area from prefish and noticed that the water warmed up to 72 degrees, 6 degrees warmer than previous times there and that the schools of shad had moved. There were still fish in the area and shad as well but they had moved out with the warming water. We went down the bank and managed to catch one keeper on a jerkbait and number short fish on topwater. As we came around a steep cliff Mike threw out a small crankbait and caught a nice keeper smallmouth. A few casts later to the same spot and he hooked up with another one, this one over 5lbs. After a decent fight it ended up shaking off the crankbait. Even though it was a heartbreaker it showed us that there was going to be a crankbait bite, one we couldn't find the previous 2 weeks. A few minutes later he hooked up again and we had 3 keepers in the boat. I decided to throw out deep with a deeper diving crankbait to see if could get a kicker fish. Second cast I was coming up the break-line and the bait stopped, I thought I was snagged, I pulled into it anyways to try to keep it coming and then the line shot to the top of the water. The massive fish came up shaking its head throwing water everywhere, and also shook free as my bait went flying out of its mouth. I was in shock, it was my own fault I never really set into it, only pulled into it. It took a few minutes to reset myself but had to stay focused. We made a run to our spot from last year that had bluegill beds, and we fished dropshots in order to fill out a limit. With one pass we had our limit while also culling a couple times. We went back through the area but didn't produce any other culling fish. We decided to hit another area with steep sides with crankbaits and big worms hoping for the big bite. Once again my partner hooked into a beast that was jumping and ripping line then all of a sudden was off, we couldn't believe it. Under closer inspection, the hook actually broke at the barb, key lesson always upgrade stock hooks! We made another move and managed a few more keepers of jigs and worms, to cull up but nothing of size. We weighed a limit of 10.77 and we were seriously behind the 8-ball needing a massive limit, which we had the right pattern if could only get them in the boat.
Day 2 - We started where we had the smallmouth and lost the big one, and within a couple casts we had a good fish on a crankbait and we were excited for the day. With 2 fish in the boat we came around a steep drop corner, through the deep crankbait out and it got slammed, I could tell was a big fish but something wasn't right, after a fight back and forth finally got the fish to the boat, a 15lb channel catfish. Right size wrong fish, learned a valuable lesson though while handling the fish, never stick your hand it its mouth, it rolled and ripped my thumb pretty good. The rest of the morning was tough, we fished out same areas but only had 4 fish in the livewell. We hit a steep shelf area and I hooked up on a texas-rig but it came off at the boat, fish swam straight at me and couldn't catch up. A minute later my partner had a good fish that was jumping from one side of the boat to the other, after a battle on super light test he got it in. It weighed 4.01lbs and boosted our spirits a little that finally got a quality fish in the boat and didn't lose it. We fish a few areas on the way back in and caught a few fish that culled and tons of bluegill. We managed to catch a limit for 12.21 with the 4.01 big fish. We finished 16th and could only blame ourselves due to the unforced errors. It was a ton of fun though and look forward to next season.
Day 1 - We started at the same area from prefish and noticed that the water warmed up to 72 degrees, 6 degrees warmer than previous times there and that the schools of shad had moved. There were still fish in the area and shad as well but they had moved out with the warming water. We went down the bank and managed to catch one keeper on a jerkbait and number short fish on topwater. As we came around a steep cliff Mike threw out a small crankbait and caught a nice keeper smallmouth. A few casts later to the same spot and he hooked up with another one, this one over 5lbs. After a decent fight it ended up shaking off the crankbait. Even though it was a heartbreaker it showed us that there was going to be a crankbait bite, one we couldn't find the previous 2 weeks. A few minutes later he hooked up again and we had 3 keepers in the boat. I decided to throw out deep with a deeper diving crankbait to see if could get a kicker fish. Second cast I was coming up the break-line and the bait stopped, I thought I was snagged, I pulled into it anyways to try to keep it coming and then the line shot to the top of the water. The massive fish came up shaking its head throwing water everywhere, and also shook free as my bait went flying out of its mouth. I was in shock, it was my own fault I never really set into it, only pulled into it. It took a few minutes to reset myself but had to stay focused. We made a run to our spot from last year that had bluegill beds, and we fished dropshots in order to fill out a limit. With one pass we had our limit while also culling a couple times. We went back through the area but didn't produce any other culling fish. We decided to hit another area with steep sides with crankbaits and big worms hoping for the big bite. Once again my partner hooked into a beast that was jumping and ripping line then all of a sudden was off, we couldn't believe it. Under closer inspection, the hook actually broke at the barb, key lesson always upgrade stock hooks! We made another move and managed a few more keepers of jigs and worms, to cull up but nothing of size. We weighed a limit of 10.77 and we were seriously behind the 8-ball needing a massive limit, which we had the right pattern if could only get them in the boat.
Day 2 - We started where we had the smallmouth and lost the big one, and within a couple casts we had a good fish on a crankbait and we were excited for the day. With 2 fish in the boat we came around a steep drop corner, through the deep crankbait out and it got slammed, I could tell was a big fish but something wasn't right, after a fight back and forth finally got the fish to the boat, a 15lb channel catfish. Right size wrong fish, learned a valuable lesson though while handling the fish, never stick your hand it its mouth, it rolled and ripped my thumb pretty good. The rest of the morning was tough, we fished out same areas but only had 4 fish in the livewell. We hit a steep shelf area and I hooked up on a texas-rig but it came off at the boat, fish swam straight at me and couldn't catch up. A minute later my partner had a good fish that was jumping from one side of the boat to the other, after a battle on super light test he got it in. It weighed 4.01lbs and boosted our spirits a little that finally got a quality fish in the boat and didn't lose it. We fish a few areas on the way back in and caught a few fish that culled and tons of bluegill. We managed to catch a limit for 12.21 with the 4.01 big fish. We finished 16th and could only blame ourselves due to the unforced errors. It was a ton of fun though and look forward to next season.
MBC Championship Practice - May 17th - Apache Lake
I decided to go out and practice for the championship that was coming up and my partner had to work so I went at it alone. I had no clue what the bite was going to be like so I just went fishing in new areas because I have always struggled at Apache Lake for some unknown reason. My game plan was topwaters, swimbaits, crankbaits, Carolina-rigs, texas-rigs, jigs, and dropshots with whatever else I happen to have with me that might get bit.
The morning was brisk but almost no wind and water temps were around 66 to start the day. I started out on a bank I have never tried because it looked like was steep and would had some nice boulders on it. I was throwing a big Gunfish and could see shad swimming up and down the bank spawning. Within a few minutes I saw a fish trailing my bait, I sped up the cadence and BAM it annihilated it. I flipped the fish in and it weighed right at 4lbs. I was stoked. I kept going down the bank and could see fish staged just outside the balls of shad and they would chase the Gunfish all the way to the boat but wouldn't eat it. I decided to see if an old area still had the same bite going as last year and within a couple casts I has one around 2lbs, one 3lbs and another smaller fish. I left the area to try some new stuff again. I saw a friend of mine who made a comment about the post frontal conditions and lack of wind and I made a change to my approach with the topwater. I went to a smaller Gunfish to see of that would help them commit, the second cast confirmed it. I through it out and could see this black figure come up behind the bait and track it, sped up the cadence again and it exploded on it. I fought in my personal best smallie that weighed 4lbs and was one of the darkest I had seen, and notice when fighting it, there were 7-10 others that were trying to take the bait from her. This spot was close to where had caught the 4 earlier in the morning, so decided that spot was holding good fish due to the shad being there. I made a run to a point I had done well on in the past and threw a Carolina-rig, with a few casts I hooked up with another quality fish and landed it, another right at 4lbs. I was having my best day of size at Apache Lake. At this point I has 3 at 4lbs and a 3 and another 2+. The wind was starting to pick up and I figured I was done for the day but made the run back to where I started to see if the fish were there all day and also during the high winds. Second cast I had one explode out of the water 2 feet on the Gunfish and it was another great fish, 3.5lbs. It was only 10:30-11 but I was done for the day, I had 18lbs and was extremely stoked for the tournament.
The morning was brisk but almost no wind and water temps were around 66 to start the day. I started out on a bank I have never tried because it looked like was steep and would had some nice boulders on it. I was throwing a big Gunfish and could see shad swimming up and down the bank spawning. Within a few minutes I saw a fish trailing my bait, I sped up the cadence and BAM it annihilated it. I flipped the fish in and it weighed right at 4lbs. I was stoked. I kept going down the bank and could see fish staged just outside the balls of shad and they would chase the Gunfish all the way to the boat but wouldn't eat it. I decided to see if an old area still had the same bite going as last year and within a couple casts I has one around 2lbs, one 3lbs and another smaller fish. I left the area to try some new stuff again. I saw a friend of mine who made a comment about the post frontal conditions and lack of wind and I made a change to my approach with the topwater. I went to a smaller Gunfish to see of that would help them commit, the second cast confirmed it. I through it out and could see this black figure come up behind the bait and track it, sped up the cadence again and it exploded on it. I fought in my personal best smallie that weighed 4lbs and was one of the darkest I had seen, and notice when fighting it, there were 7-10 others that were trying to take the bait from her. This spot was close to where had caught the 4 earlier in the morning, so decided that spot was holding good fish due to the shad being there. I made a run to a point I had done well on in the past and threw a Carolina-rig, with a few casts I hooked up with another quality fish and landed it, another right at 4lbs. I was having my best day of size at Apache Lake. At this point I has 3 at 4lbs and a 3 and another 2+. The wind was starting to pick up and I figured I was done for the day but made the run back to where I started to see if the fish were there all day and also during the high winds. Second cast I had one explode out of the water 2 feet on the Gunfish and it was another great fish, 3.5lbs. It was only 10:30-11 but I was done for the day, I had 18lbs and was extremely stoked for the tournament.
Chandler Bass Thursday Night Open - May 15th - Saguaro Lake
A friend of mine and I decided to do this tournament last minute. The tournament was the first night tourney of the season and went from 6pm-10pm, so an easy one to start with. There were 40 boats, not bad for a Thursday night, and the fishing is still in transition.
We decided to run a few patterns from last year that worked later in the season but after an hour the firs spot wasn't working too well so we made a move. We were hoping to get a deep crankbait bite going on a deep drop but that didn't work either. As it was getting dark we made a few more stops but still nothing. We hit a cover on the way back that worked in the past and had out first bite of the night, but failed to get it to hookup well and into the boat. A few minutes later we finally has out first fish, 2.5lbs. We fished down the bank without any more bites. With 30 minutes to go we went back to where we started to finish out the night. Within a few minutes my partner hooked up with a good fish, and after good battle we finally got it in the boat. After a long night the fish looked bigger than it was for the first few minutes. We finished out the night but couldn't get our third limit fish. When we pulled out the fish, what we thought was 6-7 we knew was smaller but it still weighed in at 4.98lbs and we had 7.58, which surprisingly enough was good for 7th place, was a tougher night than we thought. Even though we didn't take a check, it was a good start to the night season.
We decided to run a few patterns from last year that worked later in the season but after an hour the firs spot wasn't working too well so we made a move. We were hoping to get a deep crankbait bite going on a deep drop but that didn't work either. As it was getting dark we made a few more stops but still nothing. We hit a cover on the way back that worked in the past and had out first bite of the night, but failed to get it to hookup well and into the boat. A few minutes later we finally has out first fish, 2.5lbs. We fished down the bank without any more bites. With 30 minutes to go we went back to where we started to finish out the night. Within a few minutes my partner hooked up with a good fish, and after good battle we finally got it in the boat. After a long night the fish looked bigger than it was for the first few minutes. We finished out the night but couldn't get our third limit fish. When we pulled out the fish, what we thought was 6-7 we knew was smaller but it still weighed in at 4.98lbs and we had 7.58, which surprisingly enough was good for 7th place, was a tougher night than we thought. Even though we didn't take a check, it was a good start to the night season.
MBC Seniors - April 26th - Roosevelt Lake
With plunging temperatures and severe winds and rains in the forecast, my partner and I knew this could turn into a brutal day on the water. The temps went from 90's to a high of 60 and 35+mph winds with gusts over 50. We decided to make a short run to a spot we normally fish before the wind and weather really kicked in.
Within a few casts we had a small keeper on a squarebill, I decided to throw an A-rig since there were shad in the area and some wind while my partner continued to throw the squarebill. Within the next 30 minutes we has a limit and were culling nearly every other cast. By 6:30 we had caught over 20 keepers and were working our total weight up. Once the bite slowed on the A-rig we decided to run down lake and try to beat the wind and waves to get a kicker fish from Mystery Island. That by far was our worst mistake of the day. We fished for a few hours with only small fish that wouldn't help our total. We saw the storm rolling in and when it hit, the rain and wind were intense. I had my trolling motor on 7 and we weren't gaining any ground in the back of a protected cove. We motored out when the wind broke a little and went around a deep ledge, it panned out for a fish or two but nothing that would help. By this time I noticed it was going to be a nightmare going back towards the ramp again. We were in the back of a wind protected cove with 4ft waves capping outside of it and those were the small ones. We didn't think the win was going to let up at all and was supposed to get worse so we tightened everything down for the run back across. We made it out about a mile before we hit the 5&6ft waves with a few over 7ft mixed in. For the first time since I have owned my boat I took a wave over the front, went up a 5 and I hit the gas trying to get the nose up and buried it instead in the middle of a 7+. That was the only wave we took but it was enough to wake me up to slow down and take my time through the bigger waves. Once we got past the main basin the waves got back to 3-5 footers and was smoother driving back.
We finally made it back to where we started and my partner was soaked, and thankfully I had my 100MPH gear and was basically dry except for where some water had gone through the opening of the face guard. It was in 50's and the wind was blowing but sun was trying to shine so we set the clothes out to dry while we fished on. I'm glad I always bring extra clothes just in case, it was nice to be completely dry with the cold weather. For the next hour we caught fish and managed to cull twice getting our total to 10.42 with our biggest of the day being 2.62lbs.
It wasn't what we wanted but we did have a great day of fishing on the water despite the weather and finished in 6th place, culling error cost us 5th. We caught the majority of our fish on A-rigs with the rest coming on squarebills and dropshots. With this tournament in the books we qualified for the MBC Seniors Championship, 2 days at Apache Lake.
Within a few casts we had a small keeper on a squarebill, I decided to throw an A-rig since there were shad in the area and some wind while my partner continued to throw the squarebill. Within the next 30 minutes we has a limit and were culling nearly every other cast. By 6:30 we had caught over 20 keepers and were working our total weight up. Once the bite slowed on the A-rig we decided to run down lake and try to beat the wind and waves to get a kicker fish from Mystery Island. That by far was our worst mistake of the day. We fished for a few hours with only small fish that wouldn't help our total. We saw the storm rolling in and when it hit, the rain and wind were intense. I had my trolling motor on 7 and we weren't gaining any ground in the back of a protected cove. We motored out when the wind broke a little and went around a deep ledge, it panned out for a fish or two but nothing that would help. By this time I noticed it was going to be a nightmare going back towards the ramp again. We were in the back of a wind protected cove with 4ft waves capping outside of it and those were the small ones. We didn't think the win was going to let up at all and was supposed to get worse so we tightened everything down for the run back across. We made it out about a mile before we hit the 5&6ft waves with a few over 7ft mixed in. For the first time since I have owned my boat I took a wave over the front, went up a 5 and I hit the gas trying to get the nose up and buried it instead in the middle of a 7+. That was the only wave we took but it was enough to wake me up to slow down and take my time through the bigger waves. Once we got past the main basin the waves got back to 3-5 footers and was smoother driving back.
We finally made it back to where we started and my partner was soaked, and thankfully I had my 100MPH gear and was basically dry except for where some water had gone through the opening of the face guard. It was in 50's and the wind was blowing but sun was trying to shine so we set the clothes out to dry while we fished on. I'm glad I always bring extra clothes just in case, it was nice to be completely dry with the cold weather. For the next hour we caught fish and managed to cull twice getting our total to 10.42 with our biggest of the day being 2.62lbs.
It wasn't what we wanted but we did have a great day of fishing on the water despite the weather and finished in 6th place, culling error cost us 5th. We caught the majority of our fish on A-rigs with the rest coming on squarebills and dropshots. With this tournament in the books we qualified for the MBC Seniors Championship, 2 days at Apache Lake.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
MBC Seniors - March 29th - Apache Lake
Spawn time at Apache for me has been hit or miss, lately miss. I am not sure why but always seem to struggle there. I went pre-fishing and figured out the bed bite was not the way to go, 10-12lbs wouldn't be good enough to pull a check and all the shallow fish were small. Tournament day was going to be partly sunny to start and breezy most of the day.
We made a run to our first spot, as we pulled up 5 boats were in the area and we scrapped the idea, and headed to secondary area. Within a few minutes we had a small fish in the well, and while getting a bait unhooked shallow we noticed a few fish on beds. We decided to get them early to get a few fish in the livewell and get the day started. Within a half hour we had 4 in the well and found another that just wasn't quite ready. We made a move down lake and filled out a limit and culled once or twice but we couldn't get a kicker. We went back to the fish on a bed and a few minutes later while battling the wind my partner hooked her up and got her in. We fished down the bank a few hundred yards and caught a few more keepers but nothing of size. With the wind blowing I made a decision that had been debating all morning to hit steeper banks halfway back to spawning areas. We culled 4 times over the next 45 minutes but nothing big. We found a few big females just outside of the beds but they were not ready to eat anything. We made a move to steep bluffs throwing jigs and texas rigs hoping for the big bites. It never paid off with a fish that would cull.
We finished with a lackluster 24th place finish, weighing 12.71 with a 3.30lb big fish. Looking back We should have stayed out deeper and changed presentations but the bed bite can be addicting. The next tournament is Roosevelt which should put the fish in spawn/post spawn with shad spawns going on depending the weather.
We made a run to our first spot, as we pulled up 5 boats were in the area and we scrapped the idea, and headed to secondary area. Within a few minutes we had a small fish in the well, and while getting a bait unhooked shallow we noticed a few fish on beds. We decided to get them early to get a few fish in the livewell and get the day started. Within a half hour we had 4 in the well and found another that just wasn't quite ready. We made a move down lake and filled out a limit and culled once or twice but we couldn't get a kicker. We went back to the fish on a bed and a few minutes later while battling the wind my partner hooked her up and got her in. We fished down the bank a few hundred yards and caught a few more keepers but nothing of size. With the wind blowing I made a decision that had been debating all morning to hit steeper banks halfway back to spawning areas. We culled 4 times over the next 45 minutes but nothing big. We found a few big females just outside of the beds but they were not ready to eat anything. We made a move to steep bluffs throwing jigs and texas rigs hoping for the big bites. It never paid off with a fish that would cull.
We finished with a lackluster 24th place finish, weighing 12.71 with a 3.30lb big fish. Looking back We should have stayed out deeper and changed presentations but the bed bite can be addicting. The next tournament is Roosevelt which should put the fish in spawn/post spawn with shad spawns going on depending the weather.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Saguaro Lake - March 9th - Swimbait & Bed Fishing
I finally got some time to go out on a Sunday and relax for a few hours. Saguaro Lake had been pumping out some great fish on beds throughout the previous week so my buddy and I decided to try it out. We were not expecting how busy the lake was going to be, it was almost full by first light, guess the word gets out quick when it comes to bed fishing. The water at launch was 58 and got up to 62 in the middle of the day. The spawn may be on but it was just starting.
We decided to make a run to an area I have been throwing swimbaits around and have had some monstrous followers but no takers. Second cast of the morning I finally had my first swimbait fish in the boat. It wasn't a monster but I will take it. Within the hour I only had the one hookup but had 15-20 followers in the area, I am still working on getting them to fully commit. Throughout the rest of the morning we decided to bed fish and could only find and land smaller males. My friend had to leave early for work and with the winds picking up I knew the bed fishing was going to be tough. I hit a few spots and caught a few 2-3lb fish but only saw one decent fish, which was not ready by any means to be caught.
By the end of the morning the swimbait seemed to be the key since had seen more follow that than on the beds I just couldn't get them to eat it. That technique is a blast but is an art form almost, it's extremely hard to learn and fine tune.
We decided to make a run to an area I have been throwing swimbaits around and have had some monstrous followers but no takers. Second cast of the morning I finally had my first swimbait fish in the boat. It wasn't a monster but I will take it. Within the hour I only had the one hookup but had 15-20 followers in the area, I am still working on getting them to fully commit. Throughout the rest of the morning we decided to bed fish and could only find and land smaller males. My friend had to leave early for work and with the winds picking up I knew the bed fishing was going to be tough. I hit a few spots and caught a few 2-3lb fish but only saw one decent fish, which was not ready by any means to be caught.
By the end of the morning the swimbait seemed to be the key since had seen more follow that than on the beds I just couldn't get them to eat it. That technique is a blast but is an art form almost, it's extremely hard to learn and fine tune.
MBC Seniors - Feb. 22nd - Lake Pleasant
Lake Pleasant in the winter can be absolutely brutal or a ton of fun depending the weather. The weather was absolutely gorgeous which means it was going to be tough. I had my partner there, even though he was toughing through some serious pain. We had an early number so he could get out in cleaner water and not take so much abuse in the heavier waves, plus we were making a long run to Humbug.
We made a clean run to our first spot but being 5th boat out, we were fifth boat into that area. I couldn't believe it, all 4 boats ahead of us were going to the exact same spot. We all filed out and fished the same shallow to deep drop off with A-rigs and swimbaits. We decided to moved down a bank since we saw some fish busting, even though we couldn't tell which species they were. After awhile with no bites we decided to cover some area and noticed there was a mud line which was affecting the water clarity for the A-rigs and made a move. Come to find out we needed to go slightly further back into the cove than we did, the shad had moved back with the warming weather into the trees. We decided to make a run to some other areas and try a more finesse approach with small swimjigs and dropshots. Tons of water covered and no fish. The water was super clear in the main lake and very cold, and the blue bird skies and lack of wind wasn't helping the bite at all. Move after move produced the same thing...nothing. We decided to make a run to the marina a little early since can usually find some fish in the scattered wood even though water clarity is 20+ft there.
We fan casted drop shots while looking for bedding fish. It produced our first bite and our big fish of the day, 2.53lb largemouth. A few minutes later we had another fish in the well and another short fish. We just ran out of time, the marina area had the fish we just made the move and adjustments too late.
It was another brutal day on Lake (Un)Pleasant as most people call it. Congratulations to Pete and Rick, they only had 2 fish but they were the right fish, a 4.92 big fish and a total of 7.79. This tournament was one of the toughest for fishing but hard to beat the gorgeous day on the lake. Lessons learned every time out and hopefully next time it'll turn out for the better.
.jpg)
We made a clean run to our first spot but being 5th boat out, we were fifth boat into that area. I couldn't believe it, all 4 boats ahead of us were going to the exact same spot. We all filed out and fished the same shallow to deep drop off with A-rigs and swimbaits. We decided to moved down a bank since we saw some fish busting, even though we couldn't tell which species they were. After awhile with no bites we decided to cover some area and noticed there was a mud line which was affecting the water clarity for the A-rigs and made a move. Come to find out we needed to go slightly further back into the cove than we did, the shad had moved back with the warming weather into the trees. We decided to make a run to some other areas and try a more finesse approach with small swimjigs and dropshots. Tons of water covered and no fish. The water was super clear in the main lake and very cold, and the blue bird skies and lack of wind wasn't helping the bite at all. Move after move produced the same thing...nothing. We decided to make a run to the marina a little early since can usually find some fish in the scattered wood even though water clarity is 20+ft there.
We fan casted drop shots while looking for bedding fish. It produced our first bite and our big fish of the day, 2.53lb largemouth. A few minutes later we had another fish in the well and another short fish. We just ran out of time, the marina area had the fish we just made the move and adjustments too late.
It was another brutal day on Lake (Un)Pleasant as most people call it. Congratulations to Pete and Rick, they only had 2 fish but they were the right fish, a 4.92 big fish and a total of 7.79. This tournament was one of the toughest for fishing but hard to beat the gorgeous day on the lake. Lessons learned every time out and hopefully next time it'll turn out for the better.
Friday, February 21, 2014
MBC Seniors - Jan. 25th - Bartlett Lake
With my partner out and no prefish I decided to fish to my strengths. The weather was steady and warming but the water was falling. I had pretty much everything rigged up just in case.
I started throwing a jerkbait and squarebill along with a deep crankbait on the steeper parts of the bank. Nothing seemed to be drawing a strike, so I went to a shakey head and dropshot. Without a bite I made a move up lake and threw a chatterbait along with the shakey head and jig, but couldn't get a bite going. I decided to keep moving up river hoping I would find something. I found some shallow trees and bushes and threw the chatterbait throughout the whole flat, with only one chaser. I decided to idle further up river and saw some baitfish activity on the surface and on the graph near a breakline. I threw a Alabama rig through the fish but couldn't get a strike. I pulled out the trusty Carolina-rig and tossed it around the brush and gravel drop.
At around 10am I got my first bite, a solid 2+ keeper. A few casts later I caught another one. Within a few casts I missed another one that I couldn't reel fast enough to catch up to it. I finally has a pattern and decided to work the entire flooded trees throwing the Carolina-rigged Brush Hog. Over the next hour I filled out my limit and was culling fish. They were buried deep into the trees and I had to almost drop it directing into the trees after pulling over them. The bite stayed steady until about 2pm but I decided to make a move as I wasn't culling up in weight and due to losing concentration, I was losing and breaking off fish. I went back towards the ramp stopping at each reef I normally hit. There were fish there but they were all smaller than what I had in the box. I made a last ditch effort to cull on some islands and caught two more but they just weren't big enough to cull what I had.
I finished 15th with 9.00lbs and know I cost myself a top 10 if not top 5 or better by losing the fish earlier. All in all though, I was happy with how things turned out. I went out there with a game plan of having fun and not having any ridiculous expectations. I had a great day with a limit to show and a few lessons learned as well. I almost dare not say I am looking towards the next tournament at Lake Pleasant on the 22nd of February, but hopefully my partner will be healed from surgery and will be able to join me as it will be a tough tournament.
I started throwing a jerkbait and squarebill along with a deep crankbait on the steeper parts of the bank. Nothing seemed to be drawing a strike, so I went to a shakey head and dropshot. Without a bite I made a move up lake and threw a chatterbait along with the shakey head and jig, but couldn't get a bite going. I decided to keep moving up river hoping I would find something. I found some shallow trees and bushes and threw the chatterbait throughout the whole flat, with only one chaser. I decided to idle further up river and saw some baitfish activity on the surface and on the graph near a breakline. I threw a Alabama rig through the fish but couldn't get a strike. I pulled out the trusty Carolina-rig and tossed it around the brush and gravel drop.
At around 10am I got my first bite, a solid 2+ keeper. A few casts later I caught another one. Within a few casts I missed another one that I couldn't reel fast enough to catch up to it. I finally has a pattern and decided to work the entire flooded trees throwing the Carolina-rigged Brush Hog. Over the next hour I filled out my limit and was culling fish. They were buried deep into the trees and I had to almost drop it directing into the trees after pulling over them. The bite stayed steady until about 2pm but I decided to make a move as I wasn't culling up in weight and due to losing concentration, I was losing and breaking off fish. I went back towards the ramp stopping at each reef I normally hit. There were fish there but they were all smaller than what I had in the box. I made a last ditch effort to cull on some islands and caught two more but they just weren't big enough to cull what I had.
I finished 15th with 9.00lbs and know I cost myself a top 10 if not top 5 or better by losing the fish earlier. All in all though, I was happy with how things turned out. I went out there with a game plan of having fun and not having any ridiculous expectations. I had a great day with a limit to show and a few lessons learned as well. I almost dare not say I am looking towards the next tournament at Lake Pleasant on the 22nd of February, but hopefully my partner will be healed from surgery and will be able to join me as it will be a tough tournament.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
MBC Seniors - Nov. 23rd - Alamo Lake - Day of Remembrance
This was supposed to be a fun tournament at a lake we only get to visit once a year. It turned out a tournament that we never got to go to. My grandpa passed away during the week and we had the services to attend. He was the one that got me started in fishing and a huge influence on me. I made to call to Paul, the tournament director for MBC and told him we were going to be unable to make it and the situation behind the reasoning. What happened next was something I will always remember. Paul said that they would have a moment of silence for my grandpa and he was launching him as Boat 1 in his remembrance. I can not thank Paul enough for the gesture and I'm sure my grandpa didn't miss it. Fred and I may not have fished the tournament that day but I guarantee it'll be one we never forget.
ABA Central AZ - Nov. 9th - Apache Lake
This was my first time back at Apache Lake since a championship back in May, and my first ABA in awhile. I forgot how hard Apache Lake could be. My partner and I were expecting a great day on the water, which it always is, but the fish didn't cooperate. We launched first thing in the morning and headed down lake, the boat ran incredible, but it was a cold first run! We planned on throwing small soft plastics, jerkbaits, swimbaits, jigs and crankbaits throughout the day depending on the area.
Once we started fishing we had 2 small unders, one smallmouth and one largemouth on squarebills. Had a big fish annihilate a swimbait but only hooked up for a few seconds, amazing how they avoid all those hooks. We went over the area a few more times without another bite. We decided to make another run to an area we usually get bit. There was another boat there so we had to fish it a different way which just didn't work as well. After some more time we made a move further down lake, which produced another small fish and a lost keeper. About half way through the day my partner finally put our first fish in the well, it was small but it was a start. A few more spots later and no fish to show, we worked out way back towards the ramp and the hump that is in front of it. That paid off with our second keeper. With limited time I decided to throw the swimbait again in hopes of a big fish while my partner through a Carolina-rig. He lost a keeper within a few yards of the ramp and I had another big fish toilet bowl the swimbait pull some drag and came unbuttoned. That's how our day ended.
I learned a valuable lesson, that I had forgot, prefish helps eliminate water and baits. We never got a chance to prefish and the bite wasn't what we were expecting. It was still a day on the water and that always helps in the end. I am looking forward to redemption in March on this lake as well as the championship in May again.
Once we started fishing we had 2 small unders, one smallmouth and one largemouth on squarebills. Had a big fish annihilate a swimbait but only hooked up for a few seconds, amazing how they avoid all those hooks. We went over the area a few more times without another bite. We decided to make another run to an area we usually get bit. There was another boat there so we had to fish it a different way which just didn't work as well. After some more time we made a move further down lake, which produced another small fish and a lost keeper. About half way through the day my partner finally put our first fish in the well, it was small but it was a start. A few more spots later and no fish to show, we worked out way back towards the ramp and the hump that is in front of it. That paid off with our second keeper. With limited time I decided to throw the swimbait again in hopes of a big fish while my partner through a Carolina-rig. He lost a keeper within a few yards of the ramp and I had another big fish toilet bowl the swimbait pull some drag and came unbuttoned. That's how our day ended.
I learned a valuable lesson, that I had forgot, prefish helps eliminate water and baits. We never got a chance to prefish and the bite wasn't what we were expecting. It was still a day on the water and that always helps in the end. I am looking forward to redemption in March on this lake as well as the championship in May again.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)