They were out to get me...

[Tin]

So a couple weeks ago my buddy was supposed to email me a tourney trail schedule. Well, he never did. (Keep this in mind)

So I show up to a local pond Sunday morning, and see a bunch of guys I know putting their boats in. Just so happened I somehow picked the lake that the tournament trail was fishing that same day. I started bs'ing with most of them because I had fished a lot of the tourneys the year before and done very well. They ask if I want to join in and I said "No thanks because I have to work at 2." I say this because every tournament I have ever heard of in RI fishes 7-3 with the exception of night timers during the week. So I let them all go and wait to put in. I would have just left and let them had it all to themselves but I had just drove 45 minutes to get there and wasn't about to just go home.

So I put my boat in and just go have fun with the guy I'm with. He happens to be one of my best friends' dads who is out of work for a while and just gotten into the whole bass fishing thing because he can't really do anything else.

I buzz down to my first area I always fish. No one is around so I decide to fish it. My third cast I set the hook a solid jig fish. Winch her in and it is a solid 3 pounder. A good start to the morning. A few casts later I get a fish about the same size, have her right next to the boat and she spits the jig at me. Whatever. I look to Matt and say "Good think I'm not fishing the tourney, because right about now I would be going bs." We kept on this one stretch of bank I always live on throwing jigs into 6" of water while everyone else is fishing standing timber, rockpiles, humps, and grass. After about 6 more solid 1.5 - 2.5 pound fish I can see Matt is getting a little angered with himself. I would let him come up front, throw at a bush with the senko, and get nothing. The second my jig would go in the water I would have one on.

Now like I said he is brand new to it. He is still working on mastering the spinning set-up. So I gave him my heavy cover skipping Carrot rigged with 30 pound Power Pro, a jig, and started teaching him how to do it. It was a fun day and we decided to pull at around 11:45. I had about 15, only 4 fish were under 2 pounds (remember that). Matt had 6 on his newly mastered jig technique. All of his were solid as well. I also caught a possible state record pickeral that was about 28" long and looked like it had a couple perch in it's belly. I think Matt was more psyched about that thing than his half dozen jig fish.

So we are going to pull out earlier than I would have liked to so I can make the 45 minute drive home, and I can still have some time to shower and eat before work at 2. When I realize all the other boats are pulling out too. Apparantley the tourney was only until noon... :-/ ;D Knowing this I definatley would have gotten in on it.

This lake is noted for it's quality fish, one Tuesday night tournament there I had 10 fish for 26 pounds and came in 3rd. Generally you need a 2.5-3 pound average to win and there is always a big fish over 5. So I'm standing around bs'ing with the guys I know and they start weighing in fish. Everyone has one or two fish. Long story short, 4 fish for 6 pounds wins.......fml ;D I easily had 12 maybe 13 for my best 5 and even Matt had about 9 pounds for his best 5.

O well. Any day you can catch a few dozen quality jig fish in 6" of water is fun to me.

[aarogb]

    Man that's gotta hurt.  At least you caught some pretty decent fish.

[Steven Ladner]

That would have been nice to bring home some extra $$$ and still of had a good time. At least you know you could have won it  

[burleytog]

I hate you.