"In the Boat" presented by Jewel Bait Company |
Tournament: Caleb Lane’s “Funky” Fruit Jar
August 2, 2008
Lake Wallace
Anglers: Jeremy Risley and Andy Case
Place: 5th place – 5 fish – 10.62 pounds
Practice: I was able to practice with Caleb Lane on the Thursday night before the tournament. We
caught a lot of fish on various types of plastics. The type of lure didn’t matter but color did. They
seemed to prefer black neon or junebug. This trip helped us get an idea of what type of cover to
focus on.
August 2: Derby day began with Andy and I letting all the other boats go before us. This lake is
inundated with cypress trees. If you don’t know how to run the lake, it is better just to idle. Since it
was my forth time to fish the lake, we just idled to the other side of the lake and started fishing. I
was throwing a Reaction Innovation Sweet Beaver in Black Neon and Andy was throwing a Zoom
Baby Brush Hog in Candy Bug. Within 30 minutes, I landed the first 12 inch keeper. We fished for a
couple more hours and were able to boat a couple of keepers and some short fish on the sweet
beaver and brush hog. Then with four keepers in the box, it happened!!!! We got into the dreaded
slump. We boated one fish out of the next 7 fish we hooked up with. A couple of them might have
helped us. The only fish we boated was a keeper and it came on a Paca Craw in Black Neon. Then
the flood gates were opened. We noticed they started biting the Paca Craw better then the other
lures. We caught several keepers and shorts on the Paca Craw. While fishing a small point, I was
pondering our next move when I hear Andy yell “Net”!!!! I turn around and see a good fish wrapped
up on a stump. We trolled over there and I got down on my belly with my shirt sleeves in the water
felt for this fish. I can feel it hit my arm but I couldn’t find it. Finally, I lipped it and Andy pulls me up
by my shorts. We then started to notice that all the fish were coming in the 4 foot range on trees.
We fished the rest of the day in this depth. We were able to pick off fish here and there as long as
the trees were in that particular depth range.
Keeper count:
Reaction Innovation Sweet Beaver (Black Neon): 2 Keepers
Zoom Baby Brush Hog (Candy Bug): 2 Keepers
Netbait Baby Paca Craw (Black Neon): 8 keepers
Final thoughts: Well, we made it through the 100+ degree heat and caught a bunch of fish. You
always hate to be out of check range by 0.14 pounds!!! It came down to execution and on this day
we just didn’t execute very well. While I don't know if any of the fish we lost would have helped, If we
would have landed them there would have been no wondering. But that is how fishing tournament
goes sometimes. We will take this experience and go on to the next tournament.
See ya’ at the next tournament,
Jeremy Risley
August 2, 2008
Lake Wallace
Anglers: Jeremy Risley and Andy Case
Place: 5th place – 5 fish – 10.62 pounds
Practice: I was able to practice with Caleb Lane on the Thursday night before the tournament. We
caught a lot of fish on various types of plastics. The type of lure didn’t matter but color did. They
seemed to prefer black neon or junebug. This trip helped us get an idea of what type of cover to
focus on.
August 2: Derby day began with Andy and I letting all the other boats go before us. This lake is
inundated with cypress trees. If you don’t know how to run the lake, it is better just to idle. Since it
was my forth time to fish the lake, we just idled to the other side of the lake and started fishing. I
was throwing a Reaction Innovation Sweet Beaver in Black Neon and Andy was throwing a Zoom
Baby Brush Hog in Candy Bug. Within 30 minutes, I landed the first 12 inch keeper. We fished for a
couple more hours and were able to boat a couple of keepers and some short fish on the sweet
beaver and brush hog. Then with four keepers in the box, it happened!!!! We got into the dreaded
slump. We boated one fish out of the next 7 fish we hooked up with. A couple of them might have
helped us. The only fish we boated was a keeper and it came on a Paca Craw in Black Neon. Then
the flood gates were opened. We noticed they started biting the Paca Craw better then the other
lures. We caught several keepers and shorts on the Paca Craw. While fishing a small point, I was
pondering our next move when I hear Andy yell “Net”!!!! I turn around and see a good fish wrapped
up on a stump. We trolled over there and I got down on my belly with my shirt sleeves in the water
felt for this fish. I can feel it hit my arm but I couldn’t find it. Finally, I lipped it and Andy pulls me up
by my shorts. We then started to notice that all the fish were coming in the 4 foot range on trees.
We fished the rest of the day in this depth. We were able to pick off fish here and there as long as
the trees were in that particular depth range.
Keeper count:
Reaction Innovation Sweet Beaver (Black Neon): 2 Keepers
Zoom Baby Brush Hog (Candy Bug): 2 Keepers
Netbait Baby Paca Craw (Black Neon): 8 keepers
Final thoughts: Well, we made it through the 100+ degree heat and caught a bunch of fish. You
always hate to be out of check range by 0.14 pounds!!! It came down to execution and on this day
we just didn’t execute very well. While I don't know if any of the fish we lost would have helped, If we
would have landed them there would have been no wondering. But that is how fishing tournament
goes sometimes. We will take this experience and go on to the next tournament.
See ya’ at the next tournament,
Jeremy Risley