Tourney Saturday - I was beat to death!

Nitro Owners Forum

Help Support Nitro Owners Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Texas Transplant

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Messages
6,754
Reaction score
0
Location
Fort Worth, TX
Well, our 5th Federation tournament was on my home lake this past weekend. I was hoping to draw a boater that had some experience on the lake, so that I could continue to learn more about the lake. I drew someone who lives in Charlotte, and fishes the lake 2-3 times a week. Great.



He fishes out of a 185 Skeeter. It was probably more the 'boater' than the boat, but may I not ever be treated to a day in a boat like that one. Also, his boat was in terrible condition. Live wells sucked (he had one floater). They were NEVER full. He had to reset something in the back (I assume breakers), several times during the day. And, there was not one hatch/latch that operated. Had to use my pliers to get the livewells and equip. hatches open. His cooler, only had room for two bottles (small) of my water/drinks. He had about 10-12 of his in there.



Coming out of the blast off, I thought it was somewhat of a interesting ride (poor handling), but it wasn't all that bad. However, when we left the creek arm (major) and headed up the lake, I knew something was wrong. Only several boats in sight, and the ride is rough and uncomfortable.



Once the lake started receiving pressure from other boaters, it just got worse. The boat porpoised continually. When we hit any type of wake/wave, it slammed and jumped like crazy. There was NO WIND, therefore no 'natural' waves on the lake.



Mid-day, we moved from one are to another. About a 8-10 minutes ride. I was holding on for dear life. Trying to keep me, my tackle, my rods, etc., in the boat. When we got to our next spot, I stood up and two rods (one brand new) were no longer in the boat. I assume at least some responsibility for this. He had a strap down system, but it was not very good and difficult to get to easily. Too big of fingers for small connections.



Anyway, back to the fishing. At our first stop, I got the first strike off the corner of a dock with a shallow CB. He went airborne, and promptly spit it back at me. While I was reeling in, ready to pick up a secondary bait to throw back in there to, my boater promptly cast behind me and put a bait there. We moved, and I got one at our second stop (rip-rap bank) off a lemon fluke. Boater got one also.



The rest of the day (more or less) we fished shallow laydowns and docks. However, we fished them using a drive by technique. Boater would use a fluke, followed by pitching a worm once/twice, then we would go to the next one. Never got a decent shot at a dock.



Later in the day, I finally picked up #2 off a laydown bush in the water. Nice chunk that picked up the worm and ran with it.



The last two hours, we fished no more than 20 minutes. Most of the time, we rode and looked.



Air temp when we weighed in: 97 degrees.

Asphalt temp: 110+ degrees.



All in all (after reviewing my GPS system), we moved over 30 times during the day. The longest period in any one area, was the first, which was about 45 minutes. I now have experienced Run N Gun. It's not my style.



Good part is that I did learn alot about some other areas of the lake.



Lessons learned. Sometimes you get good boaters, other times, you get . . . .



Will be back out on Wylie Saturday night for our Club Tourney.



Tex
 
Tex, since I don't fish tournaments this may be a dumb question but since you have a real nice boat, why do you fish as a non-boater? Did you protest the boaters run 'n gun style? Isn't it customary to switch ends of the boat every few hours?



Harpo
 
Tex,



Did you draw as a non-boater? I have been spoiled the last two tourneys. My club has a odd number of people and voted against random-draw which I wanted. So now I get to fish alone if evryone is paired up and it's not bad at all very relaxing.
 
The Federation Tourneys require both a boater and non-boater - nobody can fish by themselves. To guarantee a spot in the tournament, it is best to sign up with someone. Since this was my first full year to fish the Federation Trail, I decided to sign up as a non-boater with someone from another club that I know. That way, we are both guaranteed to fish the entire trail.



The draw is blind, so you may get any of the other 'boaters'. And yes, the non-boater is supposed to get half the time on the front end of the boat. However, that doesn't work out real well most of the time. The tourney director is supposed to re-inforce this (and I have voiced this many times to him and other tourney directors), but mostly, the non-boaters are relagated to the back.



Also, it is something that I need to work on. Making sure that I get my fair share of time on the front. It is a shared responsibility.



I lost one spinning outfit (drop shot). It was nothing special, but still a combo. The other was a brand new Pro-Qualifer SE combo that I recently purchased. Only fished with it three times. That one, I will really miss.



No, I didn't place. I just had a measley 3lb's of fish. I won't know the full results till later in the week when it get's posted. However, with my 'catch', I put myself in a solid position to make the November State Championship Tourney - which was one of my goals this year.



Tex
 
Tex-



Sorry about the bad draw. I suggest next time that if your draw's boat is a bomb, let him and the T director know that your boat is operational and switch them out. (It happens sometimes.) You have just as much right to safety and fair fish keeping as the next guy.



Try and keep an open mind with the run and gun technique. In a bigger, better equipped boat, it's a hoot! (You should never have to get "beat up" to do something you love!) Run and gun is a very successful tactic to dismiss. You can pattern fish on a topwater, crankbait, ..... (whatever), then go find multiple duplicate conditions with the same baits rigged, and "A-Culling" you will go! Makes life kinda simple. IMHO



Better luck next time, and remember "every time you survive, you win!" (Scott Martin - 2001 BASS Eastern, Lake Ontario/St. Lawrence Seaway)
 
I'm certainly not dismissing run and gun completely. Just the way he executed it. I learned, and that is what is the most important.



I know that when chasing them mean-mouthed-spotted-bass on Keowee, I'd do better moving from point to point chasing them.



However, when you come to a big laydown, and get only one cast to it, that's not enough. I never got more than one pitch into a dock, either.



I had lemons, so I made lemonade. When faced with only getting to fish the very used rip-rap water, I still got one. I'm getting better at picking out available targets that the 'boater' passes up. And if I need to have out 60' of line to keep a bait near a target for a little longer, I'll do it.



Tex
 
I love to "run and gun" when it can. It worked great for me on sunday where i had patterned some smallies on deep humps. Each hump i would hit would yield a few fish then dry up. When that happened it was time to move to the nest one. By the time i left the third hump i had culled 4 fish. I dont think i spent a total of 30 min at each hump then it was off the the next one. I burned almost a whole tank i ran so much.
 
We ran so much on Saturday, that we re-fished one spot, and I didn't even recognize it! It was only after I looked at the tracks on the GPS, that I realized I was there twice.



After the first two spots, both at 30-45 minutes, the rest were more like 10-15 minutes at best.



Just preference. One of these weekday mornings, I'm going to make some of the same run, but spend a little more time. That way, I should get a better feel for it. I'm going to take a 'kitchen timer' with me, and when it goes off (probably set it for 20-25 minutes), I'm moving.



Tex
 
Should've ridd'en in a Tracker, SMOOTH RIDE!!!



Man you are having a LOT of learnings this season!!!



I agree on the part of being a non-boater until you've learned enough, and feel confident enough. But at the rate you're going, you either need to accept the crappy back spot or TELL each boater at the begining of the Tourney that you WILL get your 1/2 up front or you'll SIT ON THEM!!! LOL
 
Trep,



You and I have discussed this a couple of times before. Next year, I will either have the support and backing of the Tourney Director, will be fishing as a boater, or will not be fishing the federation at all.



If the Tourney Director is not going to enforce/apply the rules, then I'll do something different.



Having said that, several of the boaters I had this year wanted to know when I wanted the helm. On those occasions, I either took the helm, or deferred to them. As is always the case, some are good about it, others are not.



Part of the problem comes from the fact that the BFL's (along with Everstarts) are setup so that the non-boater MUST stay in the back. But in those tourneys, the back seat guy is fishing against the other back seat guys. In the Federation tourneys, I'm just as much fishing against the guy in the front, as he is me. It's not in his best interest to move to the back (other than to be fair and follow the rules/guidelines).



Tex
 
I'm still not used to the idea of fishing against the guy in the front of the boat...

Our club is boat against boat...

So you fish as a team...your best 5 fish against every other boat's best 5 fish...

I like this concept better...

You each can be trying a different tactic to see what works best...



az
 
In our local club, we have both a Team (boat) competion, and also the individual competion. For the team, monthly plaques. The individual is for the span of the year.



Tex
 
I love to "run and gun" as much as anybody.





But you need to stop "running"

to do any "gunning"



Sad to hear about the miserable day.I guess it's all part of fishing as a co-angler.All you can do is shrug it off,learn from it and dream about the day where you are paired up with somebody that is a pleasure to fish with.
 
I put this year down to 'learning as much as possible'. That means from a lake perspective; technique perspective; and general experience also.



I'm trying to make lemonade from my lemons.



I've had some really good experiences last year and this also. And I certainly learned some good things this past Saturday. Just need to figure out how to 'apply' all the lessons!



Tex

 
Back
Top