At 5:45am we began our 40 mile run south out of Plattsburgh. But as soon as we hit the main lake it was nothing but 4-5 foot waves, we have to slow down and what should have taken 40 minutes took almost double that. We arrived to the spot we would fish all day around 7am and my second cast with the drop-shot was a sign of things to come. As I'm reeling it up and have 5 feet of line out, a solid 4.5-5 pound smallie nails it, takes about 30 feet of my 6 pound fluoro out, comes out of the water 4 feet and throws it back at me. I wasn't upset or anything it just showed me what was there. About 15 minutes later I put in a 2 pound smallie and a 2 and a halfer and the boater put in a couple nice ones as well. Then I just went on a tare and banged out fish after fish. I put 3 4+ smallies in the boat by 8:30 and I was pretty much done. I fished a little longer and caught a few more 3 and 4 plus smallies but nothing was over the smallest one in the box(4.3). Now the fun part begins.
What were 4-5 footers in the morning had turned into 5-6 footers and it was brutal, even in a 21 foot Kitty Cat. Our flight wasn't due in until 2:15 but with the conditions and the 40 mile run back to Plattsburgh we left at 12:30. It was a good choice, we made it back at 2:03. We speared a couple on the way back, filled the boat with water, and I would be surprised if the boat didn't have stress cracks.
So I get the truck we pull out the boat, bag the fish and go up on stage. Everyone is amazed with the size of the fish as they are all over 4 pounds. I put them on the scale and they come up 9.08 and I'm in 2nd. ?????? So a couple of the guys start yelling for the weigh-master to re-weigh them. I asked for the re-weigh and he put them back on. 12.74!!!!!! And that was it. I now have a nice trophy, a check that paid for all of my tourney's this year, and a back that is gone from the boat ride. I'm really hurting this morning. But it is all worth getting those brown-fish on 6 pound line. Getting ready to go back up later on in the week, gonna see if I can pull a Ryan and go back to back.
*Russ, very sorry I couldn't make it to the CAST event.