"In the Boat" presented by Jewel Bait Company |
Tournament: Monticello Bass Club
June 6, 2009
Pool 2 of Arkansas River
Anglers: Jeremy Risley
Place: 4th - 5 bass – 11.11 pounds
Practice: I practiced with Andy Case, the Saturday before the tournament. We started off in the
Annex with little Luck. Then we ran into a little backwater just of the main river. Andy proceeded to
kick my butt on a frog. He lost one around 5 pounds and caught several more keepers. We then
ran to Post Lake. Andy also caught a good one in there to. We finally went to Merrisach and caught
a few shorts. I wasn’t comfortable with what we found so I went back the next day but only caught
two short fish. Since I was not on anything I decided to practice the day before the tournament. I
start off in the backwater that Andy and I found. Within 20 minutes, I caught a keeper and a short.
The rest of the day I went to Post Lake, up river and Coal Pile and had very little luck. I was able to
hook two keepers in the river and a couple shorts in Coal Pile
June 6th: The morning started off with three club tournaments so it was crowded. I ran to the little
back water that Andy and I found. I was so happy because all the other boats were passing this
area. Well the happiness was short lived because the last three boat that came by decided they
wanted to start in there to. The area is really small so it was crowded!! Within 15 minutes, I have a
short fish swirl at my frog. Then about 10 minutes later, I am working my frog through the pads and
here comes Shamu the Killer Whale waking behind my bait. This fish had to be in the 6 to 8 pound
range. It comes up behinds my bait and bites the legs and swims off. My heart hit the deck of the
boat. After that I caught a couple short fish but I couldn’t get that big fish out of my head. During
this time, I was also worried about the other boats but I noticed they were all throwing Horny Toads
and I was throwing a Bronzeye frog. So, I knew I could fish slower and catch some of the fish they
were missing. About an hour into the morning, I have a 15 ½ inch keeper nail my frog by a patch of
floating pennywart. I was just happy to get a keeper in the boat. I fish on and during this whole time I
have a 10 plus foot alligator following me everywhere which was a little freaky!! Everytime I would
turn around, it would be just behind my motor. I guess it wanted fishing lessons!! At this point, I am
in the area where the other boats have fished. I was worried that they had worked the area over.
However, that was short lived. About three casts later, I catch a short fish. I noticed they were really
close to the bank where the other anglers where not throwing. A couple of casts later, I catch a
good one next to the bank and two casts later I miss another good one. I work down the bank and
when I almost get to the end I notice an awesome patch of vegetation. While reeling in, I have one
blow up on my frog but doesn’t take it. I just stop my frog and the fish comes back and inhales it. I
work back down the bank and had little luck. I go back over to the bank that I started on and I
noticed that every time a bird would land on an overhanging tree the mayflies would just go crazy.
That would cause the bluegill and shad to go crazy to. That told me that there should be some
active fish on that bank in the shade. About that time, I was thinking man I haven’t lost a fish that I
have hooked all day (Note to self: Don’t ever think about that again in a tournament!!!!). A few
minutes later while watching all the other boats leave, I have a good one blow up on my frog and I
fight him for a second and he comes off. Then a couple cast later one swirls at my frog and doesn’t
even hit the bait. This occurs a couple more times down the bank. When I get to the end, I have
one nail my frog and I lose it too. I turn around and go down the bank again. This time I catch a
couple of shorts and another keeper. I then decide to give this bank a rest and try to go out in the
river and get number 5. Well that was a waste of time. I spent 2 hours out in the river with no bites. I
decide to run back to the area I fished all morning to try and get one more keeper. Within 15
minutes. I boat keeper number 5. I caught a couple more shorts and had an awesome bowfin blow
up. At that point, the day was over!!
Keeper count:
Spro Bronzeye frog (midnight black): 5 keepers
Final thoughts: Well for a short period of time I got to see what it feels like to be Dean Rojas. The
main area I was catching my fish had lots of over hanging trees making a lot of shade. You had to
cast way under the trees and work the frog really slow. I would wait 4 to 5 seconds between jerks of
the frog. There were hardly any pads on this bank. I believe they were keying in on the bluegill
feeding on the mayflies. I was just glad I was able to hammer out a limit in that area because I did
not have a back up. I just wish I would have got a chance to battle that big fish that looked at my
frog. I only lost a few fish which were my fault but is still good considering I was throwing a frog. This
should have been the last heavy weight tournament for the year so I should be in good shape for
the up coming tournaments on the river.
See ya’ at the next tournament,
Jeremy Risley
June 6, 2009
Pool 2 of Arkansas River
Anglers: Jeremy Risley
Place: 4th - 5 bass – 11.11 pounds
Practice: I practiced with Andy Case, the Saturday before the tournament. We started off in the
Annex with little Luck. Then we ran into a little backwater just of the main river. Andy proceeded to
kick my butt on a frog. He lost one around 5 pounds and caught several more keepers. We then
ran to Post Lake. Andy also caught a good one in there to. We finally went to Merrisach and caught
a few shorts. I wasn’t comfortable with what we found so I went back the next day but only caught
two short fish. Since I was not on anything I decided to practice the day before the tournament. I
start off in the backwater that Andy and I found. Within 20 minutes, I caught a keeper and a short.
The rest of the day I went to Post Lake, up river and Coal Pile and had very little luck. I was able to
hook two keepers in the river and a couple shorts in Coal Pile
June 6th: The morning started off with three club tournaments so it was crowded. I ran to the little
back water that Andy and I found. I was so happy because all the other boats were passing this
area. Well the happiness was short lived because the last three boat that came by decided they
wanted to start in there to. The area is really small so it was crowded!! Within 15 minutes, I have a
short fish swirl at my frog. Then about 10 minutes later, I am working my frog through the pads and
here comes Shamu the Killer Whale waking behind my bait. This fish had to be in the 6 to 8 pound
range. It comes up behinds my bait and bites the legs and swims off. My heart hit the deck of the
boat. After that I caught a couple short fish but I couldn’t get that big fish out of my head. During
this time, I was also worried about the other boats but I noticed they were all throwing Horny Toads
and I was throwing a Bronzeye frog. So, I knew I could fish slower and catch some of the fish they
were missing. About an hour into the morning, I have a 15 ½ inch keeper nail my frog by a patch of
floating pennywart. I was just happy to get a keeper in the boat. I fish on and during this whole time I
have a 10 plus foot alligator following me everywhere which was a little freaky!! Everytime I would
turn around, it would be just behind my motor. I guess it wanted fishing lessons!! At this point, I am
in the area where the other boats have fished. I was worried that they had worked the area over.
However, that was short lived. About three casts later, I catch a short fish. I noticed they were really
close to the bank where the other anglers where not throwing. A couple of casts later, I catch a
good one next to the bank and two casts later I miss another good one. I work down the bank and
when I almost get to the end I notice an awesome patch of vegetation. While reeling in, I have one
blow up on my frog but doesn’t take it. I just stop my frog and the fish comes back and inhales it. I
work back down the bank and had little luck. I go back over to the bank that I started on and I
noticed that every time a bird would land on an overhanging tree the mayflies would just go crazy.
That would cause the bluegill and shad to go crazy to. That told me that there should be some
active fish on that bank in the shade. About that time, I was thinking man I haven’t lost a fish that I
have hooked all day (Note to self: Don’t ever think about that again in a tournament!!!!). A few
minutes later while watching all the other boats leave, I have a good one blow up on my frog and I
fight him for a second and he comes off. Then a couple cast later one swirls at my frog and doesn’t
even hit the bait. This occurs a couple more times down the bank. When I get to the end, I have
one nail my frog and I lose it too. I turn around and go down the bank again. This time I catch a
couple of shorts and another keeper. I then decide to give this bank a rest and try to go out in the
river and get number 5. Well that was a waste of time. I spent 2 hours out in the river with no bites. I
decide to run back to the area I fished all morning to try and get one more keeper. Within 15
minutes. I boat keeper number 5. I caught a couple more shorts and had an awesome bowfin blow
up. At that point, the day was over!!
Keeper count:
Spro Bronzeye frog (midnight black): 5 keepers
Final thoughts: Well for a short period of time I got to see what it feels like to be Dean Rojas. The
main area I was catching my fish had lots of over hanging trees making a lot of shade. You had to
cast way under the trees and work the frog really slow. I would wait 4 to 5 seconds between jerks of
the frog. There were hardly any pads on this bank. I believe they were keying in on the bluegill
feeding on the mayflies. I was just glad I was able to hammer out a limit in that area because I did
not have a back up. I just wish I would have got a chance to battle that big fish that looked at my
frog. I only lost a few fish which were my fault but is still good considering I was throwing a frog. This
should have been the last heavy weight tournament for the year so I should be in good shape for
the up coming tournaments on the river.
See ya’ at the next tournament,
Jeremy Risley