Super User burleytog Posted April 30, 2007 Super User Posted April 30, 2007 TheBeast and I set out for Varner Friday afternoon. Rolled into town around 12 Saturday morning. After 5 hours of fitful sleep, it was time to hit the water with Randall. It was a long weekend, a long drive home today, and I can barely type because I think I've got carpal casting syndrome. Here are a few photos. More and the rest of the story will come tomorrow. Randall's got something! I thought Varner had BIG fish Have gun, will travel Twas a very very windy evening. Can you say whitecaps on an electric-only lake? Quote
Super User 5bass Posted April 30, 2007 Super User Posted April 30, 2007 How big was the big one Burley?? Come on man, details? Quote
Randall Posted April 30, 2007 Posted April 30, 2007 Can't believe you left out the best parts. ;D It was a pleasure fishing with both of you. Thanks again. Great photos. I didn't even know you had that one of me hung on the bottom. Quote
Super User burleytog Posted April 30, 2007 Author Super User Posted April 30, 2007 Can't believe you left out the best parts. ;D It was a pleasure fishing with both of you. Thanks again. Great photos. I didn't even know you had that one of me hung on the bottom. Patience grasshopper! Even after all the time on the boat Saturday, I was ready to do it again today. Quote
TheBeast Posted April 30, 2007 Posted April 30, 2007 Thanks again Randall, had a great time. Burley is still tryin to get all the pics photshopped with him in my place. Especially the one of the ? lb'er I sort of stole form him. ;D Will save the rest for the pics. Quote
Guest avid Posted April 30, 2007 Posted April 30, 2007 This sounds like a great day. Nice pix. Can't wait to hear the whole story. Quote
Super User burleytog Posted April 30, 2007 Author Super User Posted April 30, 2007 Well, here are the photos and my story. I'll let TB fill you in on his catches. We were staying about 2 miles from the lake at the Days Inn in Covington. It was cheap enough, but it wasn't the cleanest place. If you're fishing Varner, look elsewhere for lodging. Their 'breakfast' isn't worth a plug nickel. Anyway, Saturday morning we head into Covington to find some food. As we're getting ready to cross under the I-20 bridge, we pass a little car pulling a boat. TB says that must have been Randall. I laugh. Wasn't laughing when we get to the ramp and there's Randall in the same car we saw. After loading our massive quantities of tackle into the boat, we launch. Chilly morning with the air temp hovering around 50*. Randall made the mistake of putting us in the boat before launch, so we thought for a minute or two about just leaving him at the ramp. ;D Once Randall was aboard, we headed out on the quite expansive Varner. 3 trolling motors will really get you going. Started off the morning going for pre and post-spawn fish. TB hooked the first fish of the day, but it got off due to a loose drag. He did boat the first fish though just a minute or two later. I missed a couple of light bites and then boated this whopper. Then Randall got into a good one. He caught a smaller one before that I think. Then I got another. We stayed there for a while longer, then once the sun got high enough, we started looking for beds. Found a good string of them along a bank. The first two had some very very skittish fish. They just wouldn't bite anything. Very wise those fish were. Then we located a bed in some deeper water. The female was holding very tight and the wind helped us stay pretty close. Like I said, I'll let TB fill you in on the details of the catch, but this is what he ended up pulling out (that sorry SOB ) We ran around for a couple of hours looking for and fishing beds with not much luck. TB did catch a couple of small ones while I tried for a big one. The first time we ran by this one spot, there were two guys working it. 45 minutes later they were gone. Never saw the female (at least I didn't), but this guy was there. Took quite a while to get him aggravated enough to catch. Moved out a little further and TB pulled this one off a bed (after I ticked it off with a Mattlures bluegill ) We moved around some more, finding fish but fish that were unwilling to do much but spook. We finally found this one on a small shallow bed. If I had to guess, I'd say between the three of us, we threw to this fish about 500 times total. We moved around a bit more, TB got lucky on one fish in a very very shallow pocket. Forgot to snap a photo of that one. So after almost 11 hours on the water, we came in. The wind was howling and the batteries were almost dead. So Tom, did you have a good day? All in all it was a fun day. I didn't catch much, but I learned a lot. Randall is a great guide. He will put you on fish. I'm sure clients like myself (who can't cast in the wind) frustrate him a great deal. I went to Varner hoping for a 5+, but it just wasn't in the cards. I had several chances at TB's big fish, but she opted for Tom's jig and not mine. The final tally was TB with 7 fish, me with 3, and Randall with 2. If you want a chance at some big big fish, then don't hesitate to give Randall a call. Just be sure to book him early. I know I'll be back. Next time I'll leave TB at home though. Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted April 30, 2007 Super User Posted April 30, 2007 You tell a good story complimented with some nice pics. Job well done! Quote
TheBeast Posted April 30, 2007 Posted April 30, 2007 The story on the big one is a pretty good one for me. I never really did see the bed or the fish at all, but I was smart enought to see where Randall and Burley were casting to and just threw in the same place with the same jig and technique. Randall and I believe Burley as well had the fish take their jig a couple of times but missed the hookset and Randall even had it snap his line once missreading the size of it since it was so deep. I cast to the spot once saw it roll on my jig and didn't set the hook soon enough, the next cast I set as soon as I felt the slightest tick and the fight was on. So I guess you can say I stole this one. ;D This seemed to be the theme for the day I would let Randall and Burley fish a bed and get them good and mad and miss a few hook sets then I would throw in and get it in a few casts, all except for the one that we anchored down and machine gun cast to about 500 times we all missed quite a few hooksets on it and I was the one to finally get it. While letting Burley go after the beds after I pulled in the 8 I would just look around and throw a trick worm at some promising looking place and pulled in 3 that way, I would just see them break water and throw at'em these were all small the biggest came in at 1 lb even and I got it just threw out the worm and line go as we were zooming by a place and started realing in and all of a sudden had one hit and got it in, Randall takes the credit for the hookset since he had the boat wide open and it hooked it, we called this power trolling. All in all had a good weekend and highly recommend anyone that can book Randall for a trip, you will learn alot. Quote
bigdog Posted April 30, 2007 Posted April 30, 2007 Sounds like you had a purty good time.Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet fish TB. Quote
Lightninrod Posted May 1, 2007 Posted May 1, 2007 Outstanding report, pics, Bass, Bassers, and guide!!! Dan Quote
Blue Eyed Fisher Chick Posted May 2, 2007 Posted May 2, 2007 Looks like you guys had a wonderful trip!!! Congrats on the GREAT Catch!! Quote
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