Finally--There's a Topwater Bite

That's the report I got from various anglers among the 17 who participated in today's contest. I launched all 12 boats about 6:30 a..m., and we weighed in at 2:30 p.m.

Winners of this next-to-last regular tourney of the current season were as follows:

1st Place, the team of (from left) Rob Peppers and Don Carter, five bass, 12.67 lbs. total weight, no big fish.

2nd Place, the team of (from left) Bob Glass and Randy Conkle, five bass, 11.11 lbs. total weight, 4.12-lb. big fish.

3rd Place, Mike Evans, five bass, 10.56 lbs. total weight, no big fish.

Lunker Award winners, Marjorie Gottsch and her husband, Nathan (not pictured), who weighed a 4.97-lb. bass. Total weight for their three fish was 8.33 lbs.

Mystery Weight winner was yours truly, with a three-fish total weight of 3.51 lbs., which was closest to the weight drawn of 2.35 lbs.








Here is how all the other contestants finished the day:

     * Chris Fretard, five bass, 9.67 lbs. total weight, 4.12-lb. big fish.
     * Gary Coderre, five bass, 9.19 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * Wayne Hayes, five bass, 9.13 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * The team of Ronnie and Chandler McLaughlin, five bass, 7.19 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * Steve Bailey, Tom Acree, and the team of Jesse Milligan and Bobby Moore didn't weigh any fish.

Overall, today's anglers weighed a total of 41 bass for a total weight of 81.36 lbs. The average weight was 1.98 lbs.

Two more competitors joined the 29 already qualified to fish our season-ending two-day Classic. Those two new ones are Tom Acree and Chandler McLaughlin.

Congrats to all the winners and thanks to everyone who came out to participate. For planning purposes, our final regular-season event is scheduled for next Saturday, Sept. 26th, from safe light (about 6:30 or 6:40 a.m.) to approximately 2:30 p.m. Registration will close about 6:15 a.m. Running lights will be required until official sunrise at 6:55 a.m. Those who don't have running lights or they don't work will have to stay on the trolling motor until that time.

I was happy to see a topwater bite develop this morning, even though all the fish I caught with my Pop-R were only running 10 and 11 inches. I had five in that range by mid-morning, after spending time in both West Neck and Pocaty.

It wasn't until I decided to check out the front end of Albright's that I found a few keepers. Two of those fish fell for my spinnerbait, and another went for my shallow-running Scatter Rap.

Duck season evidently started today. I say that because we were sharing the ramp at oh-dark-30 this morning with some fellas dressed in camouflage. And, of course, deer season kicks off next month, so it will behoove all of us fishermen to remain alert as we head into our out-of-the-way honey holes from this point forward. I speak from experience when I say that duck hunters don't take kindly to a bass fisherman running through a bunch of their decoys.