Semi-Finals Shake Down
The weather continues to get colder and colder - it makes me miss sunny California! We already had our first snow here about two weeks ago. Mount Rainier already had about 47 inches; they are opening up early for ski season. I don’t ski anymore so the snow isn’t very welcome!
Since I haven’t been able to get out on the water much since the cold set in, I have been catching up on Major League Fishing and organizing tackle. They are about the only two things that can hold me over with no fishing.
The semi-finals were a great experience. They did a great job with the tournament set up. But it was not a great time of year weather wise. The first day of the tournament the winds were high, about 25-30 mph.
Day one was great but it was the little mistakes that cost me. I only weighed in four fish. We were just a three minute drive from the weigh in with twenty minutes left and I lost two monsters in two consecutive casts at the boat. My pro was netting the fish for me when I lost the first one. It was devastating. It was bigger than anything I had in the live well.
I retied and on the absolute next cast I couldn’t even believe it. I had told myself I had to reset my drag after the last fish. I casted out, flipped the bale over, and already the fish was taking it and pulling. All I could think was that I did not set the drag. I reached down to back wind, but I didn’t get there in time and the fish broke off. Two break-offs with smallmouths right at the boat; I don’t think it would have hurt so bad if I didn’t see the fish. The second one came right up to the boat. I can’t blame anything but fisherman error. I needed to fix things in short amount of time so I would be fully prepared but failed to do so.
They count everything. With the non-boaters I finished third place with the largest big fish after day one.
If you know what your strengths are, and you fish your strengths, you are always going to do a better job. Everyone said to fish a football jig. I used rage tail craws as my trailer even though everyone talks the curly tail. Drop shotting has always been my expertise. Shaw Grigsby and Ike taught me years back. It is all about how you fish, it’s not how deep you fish, it’s how you shake your worm. It’s all about shaking your worm on a slackline; I learned that from Aaron Martens and some of the guys on the Elites. I’ve practiced it and it works. Not so much shaking, but enticing.
Overall I finished in tenth place. It was so close. In my eyes two mistakes cost me. This tournament was the most fun I have had since before I left for Korea. It was a high level of competition which fuels me to work hard and fish as a boater next year!
I had a new hook on the only crank bait I used: Pacific Coast Hooks. I never lost this crankbait through practice and the tournament. I only use this hook for crankbaits.
Speaking of hooks - I am proud to announce that I have signed with Eagle Claw Hooks! I am looking forward to partnering with Eagle Claw and continuing to use a product that has served me well in many tournaments.
If you don’t have a dream shot in your tackle box… you better get one!! I use my scent from Liquid Mayhem and call it garlic bread! I think I will be married to that and six pound test for the 2018 season!
I thought the semi-finals would be the last tournament of the year for me, but there was one more tournament with my club. I had decided I was not going to fish it, but that Friday I got a call from one of my club mates. I couldn’t say no!
The weigh in was at 3pm. We took off to a new spot at 1:15 - we had not a fish at this point. We pulled up to a grass line then an area of deep water, about 12 feet, my first cast when we got around a dock I pitched in with a drop shot. I wound up the slack and there was a four pound largemouth. One in the livewell.
We then fished that pier a little bit. We got around the corner and I basically broke off the weight and bit off the tag end of my drop shot, put on a senko and skipped in between the boats. The line started moving and a five pounder was put in the livewell.
We wound up getting two four pounders and one five pounder and one that was close to five. We just couldn’t get five fish. We won the tournament with four fish - seventeen pounds. But we got a penalty. We got clocked as coming a few minutes late. We ended up in fourth place with fifteen pounds.
We stayed close to home for Thanksgiving. The weather has been so iffy and I have already been traveling quite a bit for tournaments and taking time off.
I need to get my fish finders cued in and a few other updates. I will get this boat ready for 2018!
