Thursday, January 15, 2015
Fun Fishing at Saguaro Lake
All to often I am unable to just go out and have a fun relaxing day on the water with friends. Thankfully with the new work scheduling I may be able to do it more often. We headed out to Saguaro Lake to see if would could find some decent fish like the 5lb largemouth we had caught the previous week. It was a fun day to say the least, we caught them on topwater, jigs, and dropshots and the biggest was my best of the year that went right at 7lbs! Need to remember sometimes just need to get out there and remember the important part of this sport, having fun!
Thank You Tires2Go
I wanted to say thank you to the guys over at Tires2Go in Mesa. They hooked up the Ranger with some awesome trailer tires for the 2015 season. These guys are hands down the best out there, wouldn't dream of using anyone else. You can get ahold of them at 480-332-3270 or go to the website - http://www.newtires2go.com/
TBA Teams - December 13th - Bartlett Lake
This was a last minute decision to fish due to work, but was able to go. The weather was going to play a major factor as it was raining on the way to the lake and supposed to rain off and on all day with possibility of colder temps and hail as the day moved on. My partner and I were going to focus on the same type of bite as a few weeks ago up in the river and hope for the quality bites.
We started at the mouth of the river and saw some friends there, we had two fish within 5 casts but only one was a keeper. As we were fishing we had the pleasure of watching a friend slip and fall in the lake, he was fine but his pride was hurt. He must have got a good look at what was under water because within a few minutes we watched them catch one of 4lbs and another over 3lbs. We turned around and doubled back over the water we fished and hooked into one on a spinnerbait, it was over 2.5lbs and got us back into it. We moved further into the river and decided to flip the trees with tubes. Second cast and got smoked on the tube and a big fish ran through some trees and broke me off. At that point at least we knew the bite was still there from a few weeks prior. We fished one stretch for the rest of the day and unfortunately we had some fish come off and another big one get wrapped up. We had a good limit but we knew the lost fish were going to cost us, we just didn't know how bad. We finished in 13th place with 9.39lbs, the winners had 12.82 with a 5lb kicker.
We may not have won with the fish we lost, but it would have been very close and we definitely would have been in second if not as they only had 11lbs. Once again 3rd-15th were all separated by less than 1lb. It was another frustrating day due to the lost fish but at least we were on the right pattern and the only ones doing it. We were flipping the shallow trees in a small ditch in 56 degree water while most everyone else was staying deeper. Thankfully the worst part of the weather held off until the tournament was over, but made for a rough drive home through the severe hail and rain. At the end of the day it was just another lesson learned and looking forward to the 2015 season.
We started at the mouth of the river and saw some friends there, we had two fish within 5 casts but only one was a keeper. As we were fishing we had the pleasure of watching a friend slip and fall in the lake, he was fine but his pride was hurt. He must have got a good look at what was under water because within a few minutes we watched them catch one of 4lbs and another over 3lbs. We turned around and doubled back over the water we fished and hooked into one on a spinnerbait, it was over 2.5lbs and got us back into it. We moved further into the river and decided to flip the trees with tubes. Second cast and got smoked on the tube and a big fish ran through some trees and broke me off. At that point at least we knew the bite was still there from a few weeks prior. We fished one stretch for the rest of the day and unfortunately we had some fish come off and another big one get wrapped up. We had a good limit but we knew the lost fish were going to cost us, we just didn't know how bad. We finished in 13th place with 9.39lbs, the winners had 12.82 with a 5lb kicker.
We may not have won with the fish we lost, but it would have been very close and we definitely would have been in second if not as they only had 11lbs. Once again 3rd-15th were all separated by less than 1lb. It was another frustrating day due to the lost fish but at least we were on the right pattern and the only ones doing it. We were flipping the shallow trees in a small ditch in 56 degree water while most everyone else was staying deeper. Thankfully the worst part of the weather held off until the tournament was over, but made for a rough drive home through the severe hail and rain. At the end of the day it was just another lesson learned and looking forward to the 2015 season.
MBC Super Teams - November 29th - Bartlett Lake
Well Bartlett Lake is always a popular one due to the ability to catch numerous fish, especially small ones but my partner and I decided to try for a few less bits and go with bigger than average baits for the lake and going smaller if needed a fish or two. We were going to cover one end of the lake to the other as the day progressed an see what we came up with.
The game plan took us down by the damn at the end of the lake which produced a few fish early on a deep crankbait, but only two kept. As we moved off the drop off and down the bank, my partner hooked into a really nice fish on a crankbait. The 2.5lb fish is a pretty decent fish for the lake so we were happy to have it early. As the next hour or two passed the fish seemed to quit biting so it was time to head towards the river and see if we could upgrade and fill out a limit. We made a few stops on the way but only accounted for some short strikes. As we made it into the river, I was throwing a A-rig and my partner was throwing a tube. Within a few minutes we had two quality fish in the boat and were on our way to culling. We went further into the river and I was throwing reaction baits and my partner stuck with the tube to give the fish different options. He figured out what they wanted as he caught fish after fish and they were short striking mine. We culled throughout the rest of the day and lost a fish that cost us big fish honors as well as first place. We finished with 5 fish for 8.97lb and finished 15th.
With 1st-20th separated by less than 3lbs and 4th-16th by less than 1lb, the fish we lost really cost us. It was the only mistake we made throughout the day and that's fishing but at leas the fishing was fun and the lessons learned were easy to accept.
The game plan took us down by the damn at the end of the lake which produced a few fish early on a deep crankbait, but only two kept. As we moved off the drop off and down the bank, my partner hooked into a really nice fish on a crankbait. The 2.5lb fish is a pretty decent fish for the lake so we were happy to have it early. As the next hour or two passed the fish seemed to quit biting so it was time to head towards the river and see if we could upgrade and fill out a limit. We made a few stops on the way but only accounted for some short strikes. As we made it into the river, I was throwing a A-rig and my partner was throwing a tube. Within a few minutes we had two quality fish in the boat and were on our way to culling. We went further into the river and I was throwing reaction baits and my partner stuck with the tube to give the fish different options. He figured out what they wanted as he caught fish after fish and they were short striking mine. We culled throughout the rest of the day and lost a fish that cost us big fish honors as well as first place. We finished with 5 fish for 8.97lb and finished 15th.
With 1st-20th separated by less than 3lbs and 4th-16th by less than 1lb, the fish we lost really cost us. It was the only mistake we made throughout the day and that's fishing but at leas the fishing was fun and the lessons learned were easy to accept.
MBC Seniors - November 15th - Apache Lake
Apache Lake - my love hate lake. This lake has some beasts on it but I always seems to struggle to figure them out, unless its a practice day. With the warm fall weather the fish had been feeding up in the river end of the lake, so figured might as well hit a few spots towards the dam to start then main lake later in the day. A-rigs, dropshots, jigs, crankbaits, etc. were going to be the choice of the day along with spoons if could locate some deeper schools.
My partner and I started up in the river along with 3/4 of the field. We covered some water but didn't have anything the first hour or so. We came across a ball of shad on a drop off and got out first keeper on a dropshot, it was the only one we caught there. We made a move back towards the main lake on an island and finally caught a few fish, most were unders and not able to keep but did manage to add two keepers. As the day went on we threw just about everything in the boat at them, almost including ourselves. We could only manage one more fish and came out with 4 fish for 6.12lbs which put us in 29th place.
It was a tough day for everyone but seems that the fish moved from way up river to the mouth and we never figured that part out, it is another lesson learned after the fact. At least I don't have another tournament at Apache until the championships.
My partner and I started up in the river along with 3/4 of the field. We covered some water but didn't have anything the first hour or so. We came across a ball of shad on a drop off and got out first keeper on a dropshot, it was the only one we caught there. We made a move back towards the main lake on an island and finally caught a few fish, most were unders and not able to keep but did manage to add two keepers. As the day went on we threw just about everything in the boat at them, almost including ourselves. We could only manage one more fish and came out with 4 fish for 6.12lbs which put us in 29th place.
It was a tough day for everyone but seems that the fish moved from way up river to the mouth and we never figured that part out, it is another lesson learned after the fact. At least I don't have another tournament at Apache until the championships.
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