The Weather: It was cloudy with the wind switching directions a few times, and it even got calm a time or two or maybe it was just the shoreline we were fishing. I don't think it sprinkled, but at one point I put my rain gear on thinking it was going to rain pretty good. It stayed near 70 degrees the whole day and that was the water temp as well.
The Tournament:
We blasted off from the Upper Mission Access as the 12th boat out of 17 at around a quarter to 7AM. We drove West. Right away I got a 13" bass on a reed edge on a bluegill Pure Poison with grn. pumpkin Havoc Craw Fatty Trailer. A couple of casts later I got hung up in the reeds and I broke off for some reason. We fished the reeds for a couple more minutes, then went to either a sunken hump or point, I'm not sure which it is. I fished the area before back at the Challenge Cup we had back in 2009. I think I missed one bite and that was it. Nate my boater informed me at one point fish were breaking, but I never saw or heard it. It was windy.
Next we headed to a weedline off of some reeds West of the Public Access on the Upper Mission. There I got a pike on the Poison and 14.95" bass on the Stanley Phantom. Getting this fish wasted a lot of my time because I never had another fish hit it the rest of the day. Eventually we headed to a weedline on the South shore off of some reeds. Right away I got 30" or so inch pike on the Pure Poison. Nate got 2 good bass on a jig, and I got my 14" on a Hack Attack Jig with breen Powerbait Chigger Craw trailer. We moved into the reeds and Nate got another good fish. We went back out and worked the area Nate got the 1st couple without any luck. We then had a long lull trying along the SE end of the lake. Nate got one fish I think.
Next we went to a spot that I suggested on the North end of the Lake. There we ran into Guy and Jim Smith. Nate got his limit.
We next headed to Lower Mission. I got 13" and a 12" squeaker on a white Horny Toad. Nate pulled a few fish off some docks, so next we headed to a magic dock, where Nate pulled off about 6 or 7 fish. He offered me the knock off senko he was throwing and I accepted it. I don't think the problem was my fluke, but my lousy casting. I just couldn't get the lure in the right places. I missed a few bites with the senko, but I finally hooked up with another 12" squeaker. We worked some more docks and some shoreline cover with me missing several bites.
Next we headed back to the Upper Lake and the spot Nate got his first 3 fish. I culled one of the 12"'s with a 12.75" on a Grass Pig Jr. and got my big bass of the day 15.25" (1/14) off of a dock with the Hack Attack jig.
We tried a couple more spots on the Upper Lake. Nate getting a cull at that island/ point thing. I caught a 12.5" bass that didn't help on a craw tube and got bit off. Next we headed into the Lower Lake.
We fished a reed bed into the shoreline cover where I missed a couple on the Horny Toad. Next we went to a sand break and got nothing there. With 20 minutes left Nate asked my docks or caine. I chose the caine. That worked out for Nate cause he got one last good cull. I missed yet another hit on the Horny Toad and then we were done.
Results:
My six fish weighed 8lbs 11ozs which put me in 32nd out of 33 guys. Nate weighed 16lbs even and won the tournament by 2ozs!!! Great job Nate!
There were only 4 bags under 10lbs and 14lb bags went down to 16th Place. I was only saved from last place because Herman only caught 2 fish.
My Thoughts:
I just had a bad day on the water, it happens. This is my second worse performance as a Snatcher; Second only to the beat down I took at Cedar Lake in the 1st tournament of the year. At least I got a limit in this one.
I don't really know why the day went so bad. I didn't get tired or lose focus. My dock skipping and Horny Toad skills both were both super rusty. I have decided to demote the rod I've been using for skipping docks. It just doesn't have enough back bone.
One thing other than on the docks were Nate had first crack at them, we never really got into the fish. We didn't get very many bites on the weedlines for as much as we fished the them. Sounded like a lot of people got their fish up shallow on the lower lake. We spent most of the day in the Upper Lake and on the weedlines.
If I had it to do all over again. I would have thrown the Hack Attack Jig more.
Mission Lakes seem to have my number, this is 3 poor showings in the 3 times I've fished it.
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