"In the Boat" presented by Jewel Bait Company |
Tournament: Monticello Bass Club
April 12, 2008
Lake Chicot
Anglers: Jeremy Risley
Place: 17th place – zero fish
Background: This tournament was originally scheduled to be fished on Arkansas River but it was
moved to Lake Chicot due to unsafe conditions on the Arkansas River.
Practice: Since I had some extra time at work, I took Friday off to do some pre-fishing. That was
the extent of the trip, a lot of fishing and little catching. I missed several on a jig that were likely
yellow bass. I did catch one bass in the four pound range on an Jewel Eakins' jig in a brushpile. The
fish appeared to have come off a bed. That is the only fish I boated all day.
March 29: Derby day began with a short run to the brushpile where I caught the bed fish from the
day before. I fished the pile with no bites so I ran over to a bank that I had been catching a few fish
on a few weeks before. I proceeded to catch a short fish next to a cypress tree. The wind then
started blowing hard and never stopped the rest of the day. While surfing down the bank, I notice
there was a lot of shad around the docks. So I picked up a RC 1.5 and start trying it around the
docks. I caught a big white bass on RC 1.5. Then I started trying different styles and colors of
square bill crankbaits ranging from WEC to Daiwa RPMs. About every other cast, you would either
have several threadfin shad following the bait or you would hook one. I ended up catching 5 more
white bass on the various crankbaits. I then picked up the black and blue Jewel Eakins' jig and
hoped for a good fish or two. I ended up catching two catfish on the jig. After that point, I basically
have a dagger in my chest because I am not getting any bites. Then about 1:45 while pitching
around a little cypress tree, I get that tap, tap that all jig fishermen hope for. I set the hook and a
fish in the three pound range runs and then comes over to the boat. I reach down to lip it and at
that very moment, the fish opens its mouth and the jig comes out. So that dagger is pushed in a
little farther and twisted. That was the last bite I had all day.
Keeper count:
A first for the “in the boat” column, zero keepers
Final thoughts: Well the sophomore season slump continues. A combination of lack of experience
on the lake and tough conditions made for an extremely long day. The day was tough for a lot of
people with only 15 out of 31 anglers weighing in fish. There were numerous local studs that also
zeroed. I wish I would have capitalized on the one chance I had to catch a keeper but that is how it
goes sometimes. This was the first zero I have had in a really long time fishing tournaments. If Kevin
Short can zero after catching 33 pounds at Lake Amistad during the Bassmaster Elites in 2007,
then it can happen to anyone.
See ya’ at the next tournament,
Jeremy Risley
April 12, 2008
Lake Chicot
Anglers: Jeremy Risley
Place: 17th place – zero fish
Background: This tournament was originally scheduled to be fished on Arkansas River but it was
moved to Lake Chicot due to unsafe conditions on the Arkansas River.
Practice: Since I had some extra time at work, I took Friday off to do some pre-fishing. That was
the extent of the trip, a lot of fishing and little catching. I missed several on a jig that were likely
yellow bass. I did catch one bass in the four pound range on an Jewel Eakins' jig in a brushpile. The
fish appeared to have come off a bed. That is the only fish I boated all day.
March 29: Derby day began with a short run to the brushpile where I caught the bed fish from the
day before. I fished the pile with no bites so I ran over to a bank that I had been catching a few fish
on a few weeks before. I proceeded to catch a short fish next to a cypress tree. The wind then
started blowing hard and never stopped the rest of the day. While surfing down the bank, I notice
there was a lot of shad around the docks. So I picked up a RC 1.5 and start trying it around the
docks. I caught a big white bass on RC 1.5. Then I started trying different styles and colors of
square bill crankbaits ranging from WEC to Daiwa RPMs. About every other cast, you would either
have several threadfin shad following the bait or you would hook one. I ended up catching 5 more
white bass on the various crankbaits. I then picked up the black and blue Jewel Eakins' jig and
hoped for a good fish or two. I ended up catching two catfish on the jig. After that point, I basically
have a dagger in my chest because I am not getting any bites. Then about 1:45 while pitching
around a little cypress tree, I get that tap, tap that all jig fishermen hope for. I set the hook and a
fish in the three pound range runs and then comes over to the boat. I reach down to lip it and at
that very moment, the fish opens its mouth and the jig comes out. So that dagger is pushed in a
little farther and twisted. That was the last bite I had all day.
Keeper count:
A first for the “in the boat” column, zero keepers
Final thoughts: Well the sophomore season slump continues. A combination of lack of experience
on the lake and tough conditions made for an extremely long day. The day was tough for a lot of
people with only 15 out of 31 anglers weighing in fish. There were numerous local studs that also
zeroed. I wish I would have capitalized on the one chance I had to catch a keeper but that is how it
goes sometimes. This was the first zero I have had in a really long time fishing tournaments. If Kevin
Short can zero after catching 33 pounds at Lake Amistad during the Bassmaster Elites in 2007,
then it can happen to anyone.
See ya’ at the next tournament,
Jeremy Risley