"In the Boat" presented by Jewel Bait Company |
Tournament: Monticello Bass Club Tournament
May 16, 2009
Lake Chicot
Anglers: Jeremy Risley
Place: 2nd - 4 bass – 12.14 pounds
Practice: Andy and I went over to the lake the Saturday before the tournament to try to find some
fish. We struggled big time. We only landed 3 fish all day. I was able to land a fish in the 5 pound
range which helped clue me in on a pattern.
May 16: My dad came down on vacation and fished this event with me, so I was really pumped
about this day. Derby day began with us running to Toehead but quickly leaving there because
there were way too many people in there. So I do the usually running aimlessly for a couple hours
trying to put something together. Finally around 9 or so, I get my first bite. I throw my jig next to a
tree and have a hit. While reeling, I see a swirl where I just had a hit. So, I pick a spinnerbait and
throw in there. I have one commode flush it but I miss it. That was clue number 1. We continue
running around and I start to notice when I throw near a cypress tree I would get hits but not around
brush or docks. That was clue number 2. Finally we make our way down to the area I caught the 5
pounder the weekend before. We work that area and I have one hammer my jig. I start reeling it in
and about halfway back it comes off. I am really disappointed at this point and knew it wasn’t going
to be my day. We continue to work our way down that bank and I pick up a bandit crankbait. First
cast, I hook a keeper which gets revenge by hooking my dad while he tries to lips it. Once I got the
fish in the livewell, I had to do a little surgery on dad because the hook had gone in past the barb,
OUCH!!!! We get that taken care of and back to fishing. Not long after that, the fish turn on. I was
able to boat 3 more keepers and several short fish on the jig. Then we make our way back up the
lake running this pattern we had discovered. We fished near this great looking clump of tree. I pitch
my jig next to a tree and one hammers it but come off halfway back to the boat. We work our way
around that tree and I pitch right back in there and that fish hammers it again. Like last time, I lost it
halfway back to the boat. At this point, I am pretty upset with myself. Then Dad decides it is time to
but a whopping on me like the good old days. He starts hammering them from the back of the boat
on the Bandit 200. Needless to say my jig bite fell apart and I was not able to get anymore bites on
it. Dad ended up catching three keepers that afternoon and one of those was on the last cast. We
headed back to the ramp and I just knew I had messed up my chances to get a check.
Keeper count:
Jewel Eakins' Jig (7/16 oz.; Black/Blue Flash): 3 keepers
Bandit 200 (Blue Chartreuse): 4 keepers
Final thoughts: Any chance I get to fish with my dad in a tournament is an awesome time and this
day was no exception. I would have like to caught those fish that I lost but that is fishing for you. I
just glad they did not come back to haunt me. I should have not been so hard headed and picked
up the crankbait. I am glad to get that type of day out of my system and I am ready to move on to
the next tournament. Congrats to Adam for an awesome day of kicking our butts
See ya’ at the next tournament,
Jeremy Risley
May 16, 2009
Lake Chicot
Anglers: Jeremy Risley
Place: 2nd - 4 bass – 12.14 pounds
Practice: Andy and I went over to the lake the Saturday before the tournament to try to find some
fish. We struggled big time. We only landed 3 fish all day. I was able to land a fish in the 5 pound
range which helped clue me in on a pattern.
May 16: My dad came down on vacation and fished this event with me, so I was really pumped
about this day. Derby day began with us running to Toehead but quickly leaving there because
there were way too many people in there. So I do the usually running aimlessly for a couple hours
trying to put something together. Finally around 9 or so, I get my first bite. I throw my jig next to a
tree and have a hit. While reeling, I see a swirl where I just had a hit. So, I pick a spinnerbait and
throw in there. I have one commode flush it but I miss it. That was clue number 1. We continue
running around and I start to notice when I throw near a cypress tree I would get hits but not around
brush or docks. That was clue number 2. Finally we make our way down to the area I caught the 5
pounder the weekend before. We work that area and I have one hammer my jig. I start reeling it in
and about halfway back it comes off. I am really disappointed at this point and knew it wasn’t going
to be my day. We continue to work our way down that bank and I pick up a bandit crankbait. First
cast, I hook a keeper which gets revenge by hooking my dad while he tries to lips it. Once I got the
fish in the livewell, I had to do a little surgery on dad because the hook had gone in past the barb,
OUCH!!!! We get that taken care of and back to fishing. Not long after that, the fish turn on. I was
able to boat 3 more keepers and several short fish on the jig. Then we make our way back up the
lake running this pattern we had discovered. We fished near this great looking clump of tree. I pitch
my jig next to a tree and one hammers it but come off halfway back to the boat. We work our way
around that tree and I pitch right back in there and that fish hammers it again. Like last time, I lost it
halfway back to the boat. At this point, I am pretty upset with myself. Then Dad decides it is time to
but a whopping on me like the good old days. He starts hammering them from the back of the boat
on the Bandit 200. Needless to say my jig bite fell apart and I was not able to get anymore bites on
it. Dad ended up catching three keepers that afternoon and one of those was on the last cast. We
headed back to the ramp and I just knew I had messed up my chances to get a check.
Keeper count:
Jewel Eakins' Jig (7/16 oz.; Black/Blue Flash): 3 keepers
Bandit 200 (Blue Chartreuse): 4 keepers
Final thoughts: Any chance I get to fish with my dad in a tournament is an awesome time and this
day was no exception. I would have like to caught those fish that I lost but that is fishing for you. I
just glad they did not come back to haunt me. I should have not been so hard headed and picked
up the crankbait. I am glad to get that type of day out of my system and I am ready to move on to
the next tournament. Congrats to Adam for an awesome day of kicking our butts
See ya’ at the next tournament,
Jeremy Risley