ronnie

Spalding County Sportsman Club August Tournament - Jackson Lake - 7:00
PM - 2:00 AM
Windy, cloudy and cool for August, light showers. Water temp 83
degrees.

At take off I went to the ridge I like to fish at the dam - surprised
no other boats joined me. My partner and I both threw crank baits on
the first pass along the 100 yard long ridge - an old railroad spur
built to bring in supplies for the dam - it runs out right at the dam
then drops off into the deepest water on the lake.

Wind was blowing in on the ridge pretty good and I thought fish would
be stacked up on it - wrong. Not a hit on cranks. Worked back up it
with a Zoom Mag 2 worm on 3/16 sinker - light so won’t get hung in
rocks. Partner starts throwing a Carolina rig and gets hung on first
two casts. I asked how heavy a lead he had and he said ¾ ounce - told
him he would get hung on most every cast in the rocks. About three
more hang ups and he realized I was right.

Felt a hit and swung but did not hook up - half worm was gone. Rigged
back up and threw back and got another hit - let it take it a lot
longer than I like but I hooked up with a 13 inch spot - one in the
live well at 7;15. I relaxed - got the keeper I needed for points!
Second place guy in the point standings for the year missed this one
and catching one keeper would give me a bunch of points on him,.

We worked the ridge several times with different baits and my partner
got a keeper spot on a crank bait. Both of us missed several hits -
the wind made boat control and feeling your bait very hard. Another
club member was working the point and bank near us and each time we
went away from the end of the ridge near him he would fish out on it -
we saw him catch a short fish on a crank bait. Every time we would
start up the ridge toward him he went back across to the point about
50 yards from the ridge.

At 8:00 PM I worked over to the point at the dam and missed a fish on
a jig head worm, then got a keeper largemouth on the next cast. Two at
8:15 - told my partner I would be happy with a keeper on the quarter
hour ever hour.

About 15 minutes later I cast to a dock with a jig head worm and got a
hit and landed another 13 inch spot - three at 8:30. Very dark now.
Showers made us pull out rain gear and put it on for the first time -
of many - and take it off all night long.

We worked the ridge until 11 PM - got a few hits we missed and
partner caught a 10 inch spot on a crank bait. At 11 PM I saw a boat
coming down the lake and told my partner I bet it was George - last
year he came back at about 11, stopped out on the end of the ridge in
front of me and idled across it about five times then stopped and
started fishing. I had just landed a keeper out there and drifted off
while I put the fish in the live well and re-rigged. I was headed
back out there when he stopped in front of me. Since it was my fifth
fish and had a limit I was not too pissed but I still talked to him
about stopping in front of me and getting right up on top of the ridge
where the fish usually feed.

We were headed out on the ridge, about 50 yards from the end and the
good rock pile in 6 feet of water, and the boat stopped then came
right on top of the ridge. I worked toward him hoping he would back
off but he did not. He got his boat right on top of the rock pile
where I get most of my hits. When I got close he asked “Ronnie, is
that you?” I said yes, I am right where I always am in these
tournaments.

Jordan got his crank bait hung on top of the ridge and I went get it.
Usually I would tell him to break off since getting your boat on top
of the ridge in the shallow water seems to mess it up for at least an
hour, but since George was already there I figured it didn’t matter. I
always try to stay way off the ridge and cast up on top of it.

While we were getting un-hung George came around us and start down the
ridge, right on top of it. It runs about a long cast off the bank and
I think he was fishing the bank and had no idea he was on top of the
ridge where the bass usually feed.

I got pissed and told him he could have the place, I was leaving.

Jordan and I ran to a nearby point the wanted to fish and I missed a
fish on a Carolina rig. A little later Jordan hooked one on a crank
bait and when I went for the net I tripped on something and fell - and
his fish jumped right beside the boat and came off before I could get
up. Felt terrible I had cost him a keeper.

I had seen some lights on the bank nearby and I told him I wanted to
work around them with a spinnerbait. Worked the whole area and near
where the lights ended I caught a 13 inch spot on a spinnerbait off a
boat ramp. Four in the boat at 11:30 PM.

We fished the area for an hour with no more bites. Ran back to the
ridge at the dam - we could see it across the lake and could tell no
boats were on it. Jordan never got out of his seat - went to sleep. I
worked the ridge until 2:00 AM without another hit.

After we got the boat out George came over and apologized - I told
him that was two years in a row he had come in there and got right on
top of where the fish feed. I had fussed at him last year about
getting on top of the ridge and spooking baitfish and fish - but he
did the same thing this year.

At weigh-in the guy working the next point and the end of the ridge
had a limit weighing 8. 14 for first. He said he caught all them
around the point from us - he got only the one throwback off the end
of the ridge. George came in second with four at 5.80 - said all came
before dark. Another club member had five at 5.49 for third and said
he caught his before 9:00 PM. My four weighed 4.72 and I got 4th. Big
fish was a 3.5 pound largemouth but it was the only fish he had.

I heard George tell several people he had been fishing that area for a
couple of years in night tournaments. I did not talk to him but wanted
to tell him that was not the point, I had been fishing that spot for
35 years, had won three of the last four years right there, but the
problem was him positioning his boat on top of the fish. I don’t think
he will ever get it.

I guess I shouldn’t let stuff like that bug me but it does. I would
never stop 50 yards in front of another boat and start fishing, I
would go somewhere else. Especially if it was a fellow club member!

I leave Wednesday morning August 27 for Rhinelander. Looking forward
to seeing everyone that makes it. Will leave Rhinelander on Saturday
morning, Sept 6 for the 1200 mile, 18 hour drive home. Hope to make it
to West Point by 5:00 AM Sunday morning for a club tournament there on
the 7th.

Ronnie
fishing.guide@about.com
http://fishing.about.com

ken fortenberry

What a pathetic tale of rudeness and bad vibes. Fishing tournaments
are by their very nature terribly wrongheaded.

I consider tournament fishing to be as creepy as tournament ***.
Sure, you *could* make a competition out of both of them, but
that's totally missing the point.

If I ever fished all night and at the end of the night felt
"bugged" I'd forget about fishing and take up something that
was soothing, like knitting or bingo. ;-)

--
Ken Fortenberry

mike getz

Ronnie don't let it get to you, it's a compliment actually. I fish a local
electric only lake, it's about 125 acres, my buddy and I will be all alone
and catching fish, nobody else around us, after a few fish I'll look up and
we're surrounded or there's a beeline towards us. Nobody cares about others
anymore, it's all about themselves nowadays. Keep up the good fishing
reports!!!

Mike


Spalding County Sportsman Club August Tournament - Jackson Lake - 7:00
PM - 2:00 AM
Windy, cloudy and cool for August, light showers. Water temp 83
degrees.

At take off I went to the ridge I like to fish at the dam - surprised
no other boats joined me. My partner and I both threw crank baits on
the first pass along the 100 yard long ridge - an old railroad spur
built to bring in supplies for the dam - it runs out right at the dam
then drops off into the deepest water on the lake.

Wind was blowing in on the ridge pretty good and I thought fish would
be stacked up on it - wrong. Not a hit on cranks. Worked back up it
with a Zoom Mag 2 worm on 3/16 sinker - light so won’t get hung in
rocks. Partner starts throwing a Carolina rig and gets hung on first
two casts. I asked how heavy a lead he had and he said ¾ ounce - told
him he would get hung on most every cast in the rocks. About three
more hang ups and he realized I was right.

Felt a hit and swung but did not hook up - half worm was gone. Rigged
back up and threw back and got another hit - let it take it a lot
longer than I like but I hooked up with a 13 inch spot - one in the
live well at 7;15. I relaxed - got the keeper I needed for points!
Second place guy in the point standings for the year missed this one
and catching one keeper would give me a bunch of points on him,.

We worked the ridge several times with different baits and my partner
got a keeper spot on a crank bait. Both of us missed several hits -
the wind made boat control and feeling your bait very hard. Another
club member was working the point and bank near us and each time we
went away from the end of the ridge near him he would fish out on it -
we saw him catch a short fish on a crank bait. Every time we would
start up the ridge toward him he went back across to the point about
50 yards from the ridge.

At 8:00 PM I worked over to the point at the dam and missed a fish on
a jig head worm, then got a keeper largemouth on the next cast. Two at
8:15 - told my partner I would be happy with a keeper on the quarter
hour ever hour.

About 15 minutes later I cast to a dock with a jig head worm and got a
hit and landed another 13 inch spot - three at 8:30. Very dark now.
Showers made us pull out rain gear and put it on for the first time -
of many - and take it off all night long.

We worked the ridge until 11 PM - got a few hits we missed and
partner caught a 10 inch spot on a crank bait. At 11 PM I saw a boat
coming down the lake and told my partner I bet it was George - last
year he came back at about 11, stopped out on the end of the ridge in
front of me and idled across it about five times then stopped and
started fishing. I had just landed a keeper out there and drifted off
while I put the fish in the live well and re-rigged. I was headed
back out there when he stopped in front of me. Since it was my fifth
fish and had a limit I was not too pissed but I still talked to him
about stopping in front of me and getting right up on top of the ridge
where the fish usually feed.

We were headed out on the ridge, about 50 yards from the end and the
good rock pile in 6 feet of water, and the boat stopped then came
right on top of the ridge. I worked toward him hoping he would back
off but he did not. He got his boat right on top of the rock pile
where I get most of my hits. When I got close he asked “Ronnie, is
that you?” I said yes, I am right where I always am in these
tournaments.

Jordan got his crank bait hung on top of the ridge and I went get it.
Usually I would tell him to break off since getting your boat on top
of the ridge in the shallow water seems to mess it up for at least an
hour, but since George was already there I figured it didn’t matter. I
always try to stay way off the ridge and cast up on top of it.

While we were getting un-hung George came around us and start down the
ridge, right on top of it. It runs about a long cast off the bank and
I think he was fishing the bank and had no idea he was on top of the
ridge where the bass usually feed.

I got pissed and told him he could have the place, I was leaving.

Jordan and I ran to a nearby point the wanted to fish and I missed a
fish on a Carolina rig. A little later Jordan hooked one on a crank
bait and when I went for the net I tripped on something and fell - and
his fish jumped right beside the boat and came off before I could get
up. Felt terrible I had cost him a keeper.

I had seen some lights on the bank nearby and I told him I wanted to
work around them with a spinnerbait. Worked the whole area and near
where the lights ended I caught a 13 inch spot on a spinnerbait off a
boat ramp. Four in the boat at 11:30 PM.

We fished the area for an hour with no more bites. Ran back to the
ridge at the dam - we could see it across the lake and could tell no
boats were on it. Jordan never got out of his seat - went to sleep. I
worked the ridge until 2:00 AM without another hit.

After we got the boat out George came over and apologized - I told
him that was two years in a row he had come in there and got right on
top of where the fish feed. I had fussed at him last year about
getting on top of the ridge and spooking baitfish and fish - but he
did the same thing this year.

At weigh-in the guy working the next point and the end of the ridge
had a limit weighing 8. 14 for first. He said he caught all them
around the point from us - he got only the one throwback off the end
of the ridge. George came in second with four at 5.80 - said all came
before dark. Another club member had five at 5.49 for third and said
he caught his before 9:00 PM. My four weighed 4.72 and I got 4th. Big
fish was a 3.5 pound largemouth but it was the only fish he had.

I heard George tell several people he had been fishing that area for a
couple of years in night tournaments. I did not talk to him but wanted
to tell him that was not the point, I had been fishing that spot for
35 years, had won three of the last four years right there, but the
problem was him positioning his boat on top of the fish. I don’t think
he will ever get it.

I guess I shouldn’t let stuff like that bug me but it does. I would
never stop 50 yards in front of another boat and start fishing, I
would go somewhere else. Especially if it was a fellow club member!

I leave Wednesday morning August 27 for Rhinelander. Looking forward
to seeing everyone that makes it. Will leave Rhinelander on Saturday
morning, Sept 6 for the 1200 mile, 18 hour drive home. Hope to make it
to West Point by 5:00 AM Sunday morning for a club tournament there on
the 7th.

Ronnie
fishing.guide@about.com
http://fishing.about.com

ronnie

Yeah - I have tried to keep the attitude that I will do better going
somewhere else anyway. I guess I get pissed at all inconsiderate
people - especially when I know them pretty good.

Ronnie
fishing.guide@about.com
http://fishing.about.com