It was indeed great to welcome Al Napier back to our group today. For those who don't already know, Al has been battling some serious health issues, and they're not over yet. As he explained to me this morning, everything is getting ready to shift into another gear, so to speak, and before that happens, he wanted one more trip on the water to do what he loves and does so well--put bass in the boat. "I figured if I could cut the grass at home yesterday, I would try to go fishing today" is how he described his decision.
Al and his son, Chris, joined 17 others anglers in a grouping of 12 boats that departed the West Neck Marina boat basin at safe light this morning. After eight-plus hours on the water, they returned with 46 bass, weighing 79.07 lbs. The average weight was 1.71 lbs. per fish.
Here are those anglers who rose to the occasion and left the marina with pay envelopes in their pockets:
1st Place, (from left) the father-son team of Al and Chris Napier, five-fish limit, 12.12 lbs. total weight. They also claimed big-fish honors with a bass that tipped the scales at 4.58 lbs.
2nd Place, (from left) the team of Zack Rhodes and Eric Laufer, five-fish limit, 10.22 lbs. total weight. Their big fish weighed 2.67 lbs.
3rd Place, (from left) the team of Steve Bailey and Bobby Moore, five-fish limit, 10.05 lbs. total weight. Their big fish weighed 2.81 lbs.
Winner of today's mystery-weight award was Dave Anderson, who had a five-fish limit weighing 7.54 lbs., which was closest to the 7.55-lb. tag that was drawn. His big fish weighed 2.22 lbs.
Here is how all the other participants finished the competition:
* The team of Rob Peppers and Don Carter, five-fish limit, 9.43 lbs. total weight. Their big fish weighed 3.22 lbs.
* Jim Wilder, five-fish limit, 8.92 lbs. total weight. His big fish weighed 3.03 lbs.
* The team of Andy Morath and Zach Bubier, five-fish limit, 6.21 lbs. total weight. They had no big fish.
* Jim Bauer, three fish, 4.84 lbs. total weight. He had no big fish.
* The team of Gary Coderre and Lenny Hall, three fish, 3.43 lbs. total weight. They had no big fish.
* The team of Jim Crist and Danny Harris, two fish, 2.72 lbs. total weight. They had no big fish.
* Wayne Hayes, two fish, 2.50 lbs. total weight. He had no big fish.
* Skip Schaible, one fish, 1.09 lbs. total weight. He had no big fish.
Gary Coderre joined the list of five other competitors who have qualified to fish our season-ending two-day Classic contest.
Congrats to all of the winners and thanks to everyone who came out to participate. For planning purposes, our next event is scheduled for next Saturday, June 23, from safe light (about 5:30) to 2 o'clock. I hope you can join us.
Having been forced, by way of doctor's orders, to sit on the sidelines today and just run things, I had the pleasure of spending more time than usual interacting with the guys who fished, and I'm here to tell you that I enjoyed every minute of it.
The one thing I always find so interesting is the vast differences in the reports from the fishermen. For instance, I heard some say they had had some pretty decent topwater action this morning, while others bemoaned the fact they couldn't buy even a single strike on topwater. For some, soft plastics made their day, but there were others who caught fish on hard baits. And, too, I learned that some fellas ran rather long distances, with barely anything to show for it, while others stayed within 5 to 10 minutes of the marina and caught fish all day long.
Just goes to show you that, on any given day, there are more than one way to "skin a cat," so to speak. The ticket to success often rests in a series of critical decisions each angler makes...all day long. The single truth that seems to be evident, for tournament after tournament, is that someone, or a select few, always will find fish (and, sometimes, a lot of 'em), even when other anglers will come up empty-handed.
This much I'm certain of: Several people, including yours truly, were happy to see what would appear to be Al's last tournament for a spell finish on a winning note. We all join in wishing you success in whatever medical procedures lay ahead, as well as a speedy recovery. God bless you and your entire family, my good friend. Come back to us soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment