And the full report.
Saturday we were met with temps of 48 degrees and ominous signs as all the flags in town were already standing at attention on the way to the ramp. The lake looked calm at daylight, but I believe it was trying to sucker us all into a fools rodeo. After registration, 9 of the 11 teams reported they were headed to North Graysport with only 2 hold outs for other ramps. At 6:30 I headed to North Graysport myself. A quick survey from the crossing showed at least 7 of the teams already hunkered down and hugging the east side from the white caps already visible from the west side. Although Yikes/Speck reported an attempt at the West side early on. I decided to bypass the crowds on the North side of Graysport and look for something different to the South. I ended up on the South Side of the old highway on a creek where I caught my lone fish in a creek channel by spider rigging a jig and minnow 8 ft deep in 13 ft of water after 2 hours of running the trolling motor on about 50% just to stay still as long as the wind wasn't gusting.
I didn't notice any of the FJ guys moving around much needless to say. Around 11, I decided I was just not going to do anything there and made a decision to spend my remaining time in the protection of the coves at Grenada Landing. Duck reported the same and decided to give Wolf a shot. Feelay and Jeepster's batteries had played out and were headed to lunch. Cowboy and Maj had just plain had enough, although might have put in somewhere else.
Grenada landing was no different for me from Graysport, but did provide a better wind break which I was satisfied with. Sat and Torch joined the fun at some point in there as well.
BA, who did not make it back to the weigh in reported that he put in at Wolf and made the run accross the lake, which he was quick to point out that he paid a doubly high price for. Full retail on the way out and twice market value on the way back in, mentioning it took him 2 solid hours to make it back to the ramp with a 19 ft boat. His reward for the water rodeo? 10 fish! And at least one went almost 10 inches if you mashed on it hard.
And now what you've been waiting on - Bigger and Bill Dance. The only ones to put in at ramp X. They reported fishing X hundred yards from X fishing X ft deep in X foot of water using X and reported 9 keepers plus some throw backs and did most of the damage early and sealed our fate. Odd thing was Bigger reported pulling out just a little early so they'd have time to balance beam their 7 largest, naturally assuming the rest of the field was catching them as easily as they were.
I know this is an odd tournament report, with giving away fishing spots and naming names and what not, but I figure it's a calculated risk that anyone would mind me giving away their secret honey holes. :)
Final Tally:
1st - Bigger and Bill Dance with 7 at 12.60 and big fish honors at 2.20.
2nd - Wannabe with 1 at 1.80
Tied for 3rd - Yikes and Speckhunter and the new team of Sardisbound and his son with 1 at 1.60.
Congrats, again, to Bigger and Bill Dance for the text book sheee-lacking.
Ya'll check out the Grenada paper for our heroes in living color on Tuesday. Them boys gonna be famous.
Wannabe...
