Another Day With No Relief From the Wind

(To all those who fished our tournament yesterday, as well as to all my readers, I sincerely apologize for not providing a more comprehensive initial review of yesterday's contest last night. I really would have been better served to have just gone to bed and left this detail for this morning--a point I readily realized when I first sat down here this morning and read what I had assembled last night. The truth of the matter is that my tank simply was completely empty last night--I didn't even have the usual fumes left over to keep me going. To put it another way, I was feeling each and every one of my soon-to-be 74 years. In the future, when I feel as tired as I did last night, I'm going to withhold my review until Sunday morning, because anything else is simply a disservice to everyone involved. In closing, please know that I've gone through what I wrote last night and made some changes, in hopes of making it more palatable to all your tastes.) 

Anytime you see whitecaps in a place as shallow as the back end of Albright's, you can bet your sweet bippy on one thing: It's going to be one wild, windy, and anything but wonderful day on the water, and today proved it. I've always thought that the month of April was the month for showers (you know--the one that brings May flowers), but from all outward appearances so far, it's just been a continuation of the windy days from March. Those conditions, however, didn't deter 19 anglers in 11 boats from showing up to fish today's contest out of West Neck Marina.

Unfortunately, it was just a drill in futility for many in the field, as evidenced by the fact that four of the boats didn't even weigh a fish. Nevertheless, anglers in seven of the boats managed to find fish...and some in a big way, too. Overall, those who caught fish posted a grand total of 25 bass, including four limits, which resulted in a combined total weight of 54.91 pounds, and a 2.19-pound average.

Here are the anglers who were standing tall in the winners' circle at day's end:

(From left) Paul Celentano and Paul Higgins, 1st Place, five fish, 14.56 lbs. total weight, 6.31-lb. big bass.

(From left) Rob Peppers and Don Carter, 2nd Place, five fish, 14.06 lbs. total weight, 5.5-lb. big bass.

Gary Coderre, 3rd Place, five fish, 9.93 lbs. total weight, no big fish.

Zack Rhodes, Mystery Weight Winner, five fish, 8.62 lbs. total weight, no big fish. His total weight was closest to the drawn weight of 7.30 lbs.








Here is how everyone else finished the competition:

     * Bobby Moore and Duane Kessel, two fish, 4.25 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * Mitch Portervint and Skip Schaible, two fish, 2.18 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * Rob Chatham and Ken Testorff, one fish, 1.31 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * Not weighing any fish were Wayne Hayes and Sean Vitovich, Steve Bailey, Al Napier and Allen Napier, and Mike Speedy and Matt Hemple.

Congrats to all the winners and thanks to everyone who came out, despite the weather. For planning purposes, our next scheduled event is Saturday, April 22, from safe light to 3 p.m., or as posted later. I hope you can and will join us.

I often get "brain freeze" from eating ice cream, but it never compares to the similar pain I had early this morning as Rob and I headed south to spend our tourney day. It felt like my head was going to split in half while we were running. Today's trip to Albright's seemed to take a lot longer than usual, too, and then the fish didn't want to cooperate after we got there.

A moment of uncertainty arose during the morning trip south when one of two "big boys" running north appeared to have us in their radar sites. Regardless of the fact I kept changing course, their craft kept coming directly at us. I'm not sure if the operator was distracted with something, or if he just didn't see us for the longest of time. Fortunately, he eventually saw us and slowed to a no-wake passage. Coming back to West Neck this afternoon, we didn't see the first sign of another craft.