"In the Boat" presented by Jewel Bait Company |
Tournament: Monticello Bass Club
July 18, 2009
Pool 3 of Arkansas River
Angler: Jeremy Risley
Place: 1st - 3 bass – 8.14 pounds
Practice: Andy and I put in a lot of effort for this tournament. When the bite was on at Dumas or
Lake Chicot, we were at Pool 3 struggling to find some patterns for this tournament. We made our
first trip up there around the end of June. It was the first time that either one of us had fished the
pool. We launched and headed south toward a backwater near the dam. The first outlet mouth, we
noticed a lot of activity. I quickly lost a good fish on a jig and then started fishing our way to the next
outlet mouth. While making our way up there I was able to catch several shorts. When we got to the
next outlet mouth, I missed another good one. We fished for several hours making our way up the
pool with little luck except for one short fish. As we were coming back down, Andy pulled into an
area adjacent to another backwater mouth. There was a boat in there that caught two keepers and
a really good one. During that time, I caught several shorts and Andy caught a good keeper. We
decided Andy would take this spot since he stopped there and I took the good spot last tournament.
We never got another bite all day. After that I was in panic mood!! I started doing intense Google
Earth map studying and internet research. During this time, Andy was able to make it back out
there and was able to catch some good ones around his backwater spot and several areas up river
on a crankbait. So he was pumped but I was still worried. So we went back out the weekend before
the tournament. This time we head back to the two backwater mouths down river. This time I catch a
good one and miss several on ol’ Tommy Lee. I then decided that would be where I would start
during the tournament. We ended up catching several good ones on Tommy Lee but couldn’t get
any on a crankbait. So basically, each time we went out we caught fish on something different. So
need less to say, I was pretty worried during the week leading up the tournament. Which if you have
read Frank and my reports in the past you know that usually leads to good things!!
July 18: Well it was my birthday so I was hoping that would bring me good luck. I also had Dad with
me so I was pumped about that even though he had a few guidelines for fishing my first spot. After
a short boat race, we made it to the backwater outlet mouth down river. There was another boat on
the other side of the outlet and one that motored through to the backwater. The outlet was only 50
-75 feet wide so it was a little crowded. The other boat caught several shorts but soon left after 30
-45 minutes. The shad and gar were going crazy but the bass weren’t. We were in the outlet fishing
toward the mouth with the trolling motor on 25%. All a sudden, they did something at the dam and
the water start rushing in the outlet. I had to crank the trolling motor up to 75% to stay in one spot. I
chunk a Series 5 Strike King crankbait and had a good one hammer it. While reeling it in, there was
several more that size trying to the crankbait. I get that fish in the boat and the pressure now is off. I
cast a couple more times and then pick up a rattletrap. I make a super long cast and within three
cranks, one jumps all over it but throws my rattletrap when it jumps completely out of the water. I
throw it a couple more times and then pick up Tommy Lee. I catch a short fish on it and then they
shut the water off. That was the end of the water flow for the rest of the day. After that we began to
struggle. Dad started catching them on a Carolina-rigged baby Mad Paca. I started throwing it but
had no luck. We fished for a couple more hours and decided to give that spot a rest. We went to
another spot and fished all the way back down to the outlet. Within sight of the outlet, I caught a
keeper spotted bass on the Strike King crankbait. We get to the outlet mouth and this time there is
another boat there. When we get to the mouth, I chunk out my Carolina-rig. I am dragging it along
and one hammers it. At first it felt like a drum but when a 4 pounder jumped 3 feet out of the water, I
quickly changed my mind. I wrestled that fish around and got it in the boat. A couple casts later, I
had another one smoke it but came off. I then started rotating between Carolina-rig, big worm, and
crankbait and was able to catch a few more shorts. We went to the next outlet mouth and I missed
several on the Carolina-rig. We ran around for about 45 minutes trying to get a couple keeper
spotted bass but only could catch a few shorts. We then went back to the sweet spot but wasn’t
able to catch any more fish
Keeper count:
NetBait Baby Mad Paca (green pumpkin red, ½ oz Carolina-rig): 1 keeper
Strike King Series 5 Crankbait (Sexy Shad): 2 Keepers
Final thoughts: Wow, what a tournament. Never once did I think I would win this tournament during
practice. I just wanted to survive. The outlet mouth that I caught fish from had a small sweet spot on
it that wasn’t more then 5 foot wide. If you could hit that spot, you had a good chance to catch a
fish. Like I mentioned at the beginning, Andy and I put our work in on this pool and it paid off with a
1st and 2nd place finish. We could have easily gone some where else where the fish were biting but
we knew that wouldn’t help us out for this tournament.
See ya’ at the next tournament,
Jeremy Risley
July 18, 2009
Pool 3 of Arkansas River
Angler: Jeremy Risley
Place: 1st - 3 bass – 8.14 pounds
Practice: Andy and I put in a lot of effort for this tournament. When the bite was on at Dumas or
Lake Chicot, we were at Pool 3 struggling to find some patterns for this tournament. We made our
first trip up there around the end of June. It was the first time that either one of us had fished the
pool. We launched and headed south toward a backwater near the dam. The first outlet mouth, we
noticed a lot of activity. I quickly lost a good fish on a jig and then started fishing our way to the next
outlet mouth. While making our way up there I was able to catch several shorts. When we got to the
next outlet mouth, I missed another good one. We fished for several hours making our way up the
pool with little luck except for one short fish. As we were coming back down, Andy pulled into an
area adjacent to another backwater mouth. There was a boat in there that caught two keepers and
a really good one. During that time, I caught several shorts and Andy caught a good keeper. We
decided Andy would take this spot since he stopped there and I took the good spot last tournament.
We never got another bite all day. After that I was in panic mood!! I started doing intense Google
Earth map studying and internet research. During this time, Andy was able to make it back out
there and was able to catch some good ones around his backwater spot and several areas up river
on a crankbait. So he was pumped but I was still worried. So we went back out the weekend before
the tournament. This time we head back to the two backwater mouths down river. This time I catch a
good one and miss several on ol’ Tommy Lee. I then decided that would be where I would start
during the tournament. We ended up catching several good ones on Tommy Lee but couldn’t get
any on a crankbait. So basically, each time we went out we caught fish on something different. So
need less to say, I was pretty worried during the week leading up the tournament. Which if you have
read Frank and my reports in the past you know that usually leads to good things!!
July 18: Well it was my birthday so I was hoping that would bring me good luck. I also had Dad with
me so I was pumped about that even though he had a few guidelines for fishing my first spot. After
a short boat race, we made it to the backwater outlet mouth down river. There was another boat on
the other side of the outlet and one that motored through to the backwater. The outlet was only 50
-75 feet wide so it was a little crowded. The other boat caught several shorts but soon left after 30
-45 minutes. The shad and gar were going crazy but the bass weren’t. We were in the outlet fishing
toward the mouth with the trolling motor on 25%. All a sudden, they did something at the dam and
the water start rushing in the outlet. I had to crank the trolling motor up to 75% to stay in one spot. I
chunk a Series 5 Strike King crankbait and had a good one hammer it. While reeling it in, there was
several more that size trying to the crankbait. I get that fish in the boat and the pressure now is off. I
cast a couple more times and then pick up a rattletrap. I make a super long cast and within three
cranks, one jumps all over it but throws my rattletrap when it jumps completely out of the water. I
throw it a couple more times and then pick up Tommy Lee. I catch a short fish on it and then they
shut the water off. That was the end of the water flow for the rest of the day. After that we began to
struggle. Dad started catching them on a Carolina-rigged baby Mad Paca. I started throwing it but
had no luck. We fished for a couple more hours and decided to give that spot a rest. We went to
another spot and fished all the way back down to the outlet. Within sight of the outlet, I caught a
keeper spotted bass on the Strike King crankbait. We get to the outlet mouth and this time there is
another boat there. When we get to the mouth, I chunk out my Carolina-rig. I am dragging it along
and one hammers it. At first it felt like a drum but when a 4 pounder jumped 3 feet out of the water, I
quickly changed my mind. I wrestled that fish around and got it in the boat. A couple casts later, I
had another one smoke it but came off. I then started rotating between Carolina-rig, big worm, and
crankbait and was able to catch a few more shorts. We went to the next outlet mouth and I missed
several on the Carolina-rig. We ran around for about 45 minutes trying to get a couple keeper
spotted bass but only could catch a few shorts. We then went back to the sweet spot but wasn’t
able to catch any more fish
Keeper count:
NetBait Baby Mad Paca (green pumpkin red, ½ oz Carolina-rig): 1 keeper
Strike King Series 5 Crankbait (Sexy Shad): 2 Keepers
Final thoughts: Wow, what a tournament. Never once did I think I would win this tournament during
practice. I just wanted to survive. The outlet mouth that I caught fish from had a small sweet spot on
it that wasn’t more then 5 foot wide. If you could hit that spot, you had a good chance to catch a
fish. Like I mentioned at the beginning, Andy and I put our work in on this pool and it paid off with a
1st and 2nd place finish. We could have easily gone some where else where the fish were biting but
we knew that wouldn’t help us out for this tournament.
See ya’ at the next tournament,
Jeremy Risley