Final KSA Classic

Posted by eddie on December 7, 2015

One of my biggest problems throughout my time fishing tournaments over here was no having a reliable boat.  In the biggest event of the season, my fortunes changed for the better.  For the KSA Classic I was able to find a boat that wasn’t inhibiting to my fishing performance; I could run around the lake without worrying about running out of gas or my livewells not working.  It was definitely a treat.

Day one of the event couldn’t have gone any better.  With cloudy, overcast skies I was able to catch a solid bag up shallow that went thirteen pounds three ounces.  With that weight, I began the tournament in the top five.  Knowing the conditions would change the next day, I spent some time looking around some deeper points and found plenty of fish.

On day two, I tried to catch them shallow first but wasn’t able to connect.  Remembering the fish I had found out on the deeper points, I headed for deeper water.  Cruising around on the trolling motor on high, I relocated those fish and went to work.  With the down imaging, I was able to actually see them and stay on them.

I caught fish after fish out deep, but soon realized I had a problem.  With the fish coming from deep water, they were displaying the signs of “the bends.”   I did not have a needle to fizz them, but resorted to trying to straighten hooks and use them to no avail.  In the KSA tournaments you are penalized five hundred grams per dead fish, so it is very important to keep them alive.  I decided to head in early because nothing was working to help the fish get regulated.  By the time I weighed in all five of my five were dead.  

I ended up finishing in 11^th place despite my dead fish penalties.  I really think I could have won.  The winning weight was twenty three pounds thirteen ounces for two days and with the fish I had, I was right there.  This was my last Classic and it’s tough to end it like that.  On a positive note, I am extremely grateful for the support of the tournament staff with the KSA.  They really pull for me and tell me they want to see me at the top.  That really means a lot that they are so supportive.  I will definitely miss them.

The next KSA season starts in March and I may fish the first event of the season, but with my daughter being a senior this year, I really want to be at all of her basketball games and help her get ready for college; not to mention get ready to head home to the states soon.  I’m not sure where I’ll end up, but my first choice was the Northwest U.S.  Anytime from December until June at the latest, we could be back in the states.  I am excited to get my butt back there.

I’m even throwing around the idea of retiring.  It’s been over thirty years of service for me, including military service.  I really want to give fishing a chance and there is no better time than now.  I’m hungry after my long hiatus from fishing FLW and BASS events in the U.S.  My experience over here has helped me in many ways though.  Not only have I been able to stay sharp by fishing these KSA tournaments, but I’ve learned more about how to navigate sponsorships and I have a completely different approach now.  I’m excited about reinventing myself with current and potential new sponsors.