Actually I’m glad people set PBs in a tourney (I set my PB two weeks ago on the same dam). Like in basketball, fishing the dam is like tossing up a layup – it’s a bunny shot, you’ll get something no matter what happens. With 30 mins remaining in the tourney we boated a 16” smallie at the dam’s SE corner b/c I know that area is $. I heard two gals squatted right there at the dam throwing only minnows and popped out two 16” SMB for just throwing a line out. It sure was like a Sonic drive-through: people were parked in their slots in uniform fashion!
My position on a proposed dam rule is strictly theoretical and I have a neutral opinion (if anything only to be a devil’s advocate). Like in basketball, the 4 ft. semi-circle immediately below the basket is a restricted zone where the defender cannot stand in the circle and draw an offensive charge; in fact, the defender himself is fouled. The restriction is designed to maintain movement through the semi-circle; otherwise it’s first man to get position under or near the basket wins. Like in Olympic diving, gymnastics, and ice skating, the final round is scored by two variables: execution and degree of difficulty. You can score a 9 (execution) on an easy maneuver (7) and get 63 points (9 x 7) or an 8 (execution) on a difficult maneuver (9) and get 72 points where the athlete who takes more risks gets more rewards (but the reverse is also true). Just food for thought here.
Melvern is truly a “lake for everyone” so that no one gets shut out; the only way you can get skunked is not throw a line in the water at all. Even then you can catch Clayton’s dead buffalo along the bank from his bow fishing exploits. It adds to the competitive spirit when strategies to get lunkers are employed in areas not along the dam.
Shane and I got our first largest fish, a 16.5” LMB, not at the dam but along the rip-rap near the state park, our first stopping point at launch. We didn’t get to the dam until 1.5-2 hours into the tourney.
These two fish a couple weeks ago were caught along a northern point just west of the rip-rap.
The northern cove adjacent to the boat ramp launch site looks appealing to explore and as mentioned earlier, so does the west half of Melvern. In some upcoming exploratory outings on either 10/3 or 10/10 Shane and I will boldly go where some people have already gone before Who knows, if we explore enough and have confidence in these spots, we may not even fish the dam in a future razor clam classic. Live by the sword, die by the sword - I love it!
