I feel pretty sure the majority of today's 20 anglers in 12 boats would agree with that statement. Our collective totals amounted to 45 bass caught, for a total weight of 76.28 lbs., an average weight of 1.69 lbs. per fish, and 6.35 lbs. average weight per boat.
The day started with an abundance of thick fog, which prompted a large number of anglers to start in West Neck Creek, only heading to their favorite spots once the sun had burned off most of the fog. I can't speak for everyone else, but both Dave and I wished we had stayed put in West Neck, given the condition of the water nearly everywhere else we visited. By far, West Neck offered the best looking water.
While some of us struggled to find a few fish, others came up with a limit and respectable weights. Here are those who took home some additional spending money today:
Eddie Sapp, 1st place, five fish, 13.97 lbs. total weight, 3.57-lb. big bass.
Wayne Hayes, 2nd place, five fish, 9.65 lbs. total weight, 3.27-lb. big bass.
The brothers team of (from left) Chris and Allen Napier, 3rd place, five fish, 8.45 lbs. total weight, 2.69-lb. big bass.
The team of Richard and Bill (not pictured) Hall, the tourney lunker weighing 3.73 lbs. They also claimed the mystery-weight award with three fish weighing 7 lbs. even, which was the exact weight drawn.
Here is how all the other competitors finished the day:
* The team of Rob Peppers and Don Carter, five fish, 8.31 lbs. total weight, 2.46-lb. big bass.
* The husband-wife team of Andy and Diana Morath, five fish, 7.81 lbs. total weight, 2.23-lb big bass.
* The team of David Dozier and Nelson Anderson, five fish, 6.77 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
* The team of Bobby Moore and Steve Bailey, four fish, 4.58 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
* The team of Dave Anderson and Ken Testorff, four fish, 4.48 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
* Stan Krason, three fish, 3.99 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
* Skip Schaible, one fish, 1.27 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
* The team of Bob Glass and J. P. Twohig didn't weigh any fish.
Three more anglers became eligible to participate in our season-ending two-day tournament. For planning purposes, those whose names joined the others are David Dozier and the team of Allen and Chris Napier.
Congratulations to all of the winners and thanks to everyone who came out to participate. For planning purposes, our next event, the season's final qualifier, is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 28, from safe light (about 6:30) to 2:30 p.m.
The 2019 race for Angler of the Year stands as follows:
Steve Bailey - 165.98
Bobby Moore - 151.45
Ken Testorff - 148.66
Gary Coderre - 143.10
Dave Anderson - 140.52
Rob Peppers - 137.65
As we near the season's final competition, our Classic two-day tournament, I've found myself thinking back on past Classics--in particular, locations where I've had the most success. Remembered one spot where my young partner at the time and I burst into the lead on Day 1, only to be overtaken by multiple other teams on Day 2, when we mistakenly went back to the same spot we had fished on Day 1. The bite on that day had been so aggressive that we figured we could return there on Day 2 and milk the area for a second nice limit.
That thinking, however, proved to be our downfall, and we wasted too much time trying to force the issue. As a result, we fell from the lead on Day 1 to well out of the money on Day 2.
I remembered today that it has been three or four years now since I've fished that area and suddenly found myself yearning for a return trip to see if it holds some of the same quality fish that propelled us into that Day 1 lead. Suffice it to say I plan to share that location with my current partner, and we'll hopefully have an opportunity to check it out before the 2019 Classic gets underway. This much I assure you, though: If, by chance, we should fish this spot on Day 1, we won't repeat my bad headwork of the past. Instead, we'll invoke a different game plan for Day 2.
No comments:
Post a Comment