"In the Boat" presented by Jewel Bait Company |
Tournament: Monticello Bass Club
April 10, 2010
Arkansas River- Pendleton
Angler: Adam Starks
Place: 2nd Place- 5 fish- 11lbs 7oz
Practice:
None…..Drove Back from Guntersville…got in at midnight, slept a little then went to the tournament.
April 10th:
At this point I am beaten but determined. After the long week of prefishing, tournament fishing and
then driving, I had to prove to myself I knew a little something about fishing after the thrashing I took
at Guntersville. I borrowed a friend of mines boat so dad and I could split up since this was a
singles tournament. I haven’t been on the Arkansas River in a few weeks but this is my home
water…I live 10 min from it. So I head down to the “Sack” a place that has treated me well the last
several years. As I pull up I am the only boat down there…..very odd….Merisach + Spawn = Big
Fish. What did I not know that the other folks did? Anyways I pick up my spinnerbait rod and within
my first few cast boat keeper number one of the morning. After that it dies….as I am fishing around
a few pockets alternating between the spinnerbait, jig, lizard, and trap I notice the river has fallen
about a foot and a half and there was a huge algae bloom going on. I catch two more shorts, and I
mean shorts so I make a move to fish the mid-lake area stumps. I pull up and have a decent fish
get off on a jig. Then another competitor comes running up and shuts down in front of me and
starts fishing….Are you kidding me??? How blatant was that? Does fishing etiquette not apply
anymore?? So running on a few hours sleep and exhaustion from the week I let it affect me.
Normally I don’t let folks doing this bother me because I think…they will get what they deserve. This
time however I chose to speak up, let him know that I wouldn’t do that to him and that it was
ridiculous but hey it is public water and I let him have it….I made a move. It turned out to be the
right move. I pulled up in an area and picked up my XR25 and caught three keepers in 5 casts…..
can you say sweet!!!! These fish were on fire. I catch a few more shorts and a 3lb crappie!! Very
odd bite though…Sun high, dead calm…..so not what you think the fish would bite but it was
working so I wasn’t complaining. After awhile the wind picks up and so does the activity. Fish start
busting shad and I catch a few more on the XR25 and manage keeper number 5. I switch over and
throw a Caffiene Shad to a fish that just hit…..culls my first fish of the morning I caught. Then I
catch a short fish on topwater. By this time the boats around me in this area start to close in on me
and the bite shuts down. So I make another move and don’t catch any fish that would help. Back
to the weigh in and pleased to catch 5 but thought there is no way these fish will get me anything.
Keeper Count: 6 Keepers
½ oz War Eagle Spinnerbait- 1 keeper
Excalibur XR25 Rattlebait- 4 keepers
Strike King Caffeine Shad- 1 keeper
Final Thoughts:
Have I completely missed the spawn? I didn’t see a fish on a bed. Normally I can find some big
ones on beds this time of year but I only saw a few bucks up shallow. I can’t believe 11lbs got me
second in an April Tournament on the River. However it did feel good to finally cash a check. It
was just what I needed after my Guntersville trip!
Until next time….
Fish Hard,
Adam Starks
April 10, 2010
Arkansas River- Pendleton
Angler: Adam Starks
Place: 2nd Place- 5 fish- 11lbs 7oz
Practice:
None…..Drove Back from Guntersville…got in at midnight, slept a little then went to the tournament.
April 10th:
At this point I am beaten but determined. After the long week of prefishing, tournament fishing and
then driving, I had to prove to myself I knew a little something about fishing after the thrashing I took
at Guntersville. I borrowed a friend of mines boat so dad and I could split up since this was a
singles tournament. I haven’t been on the Arkansas River in a few weeks but this is my home
water…I live 10 min from it. So I head down to the “Sack” a place that has treated me well the last
several years. As I pull up I am the only boat down there…..very odd….Merisach + Spawn = Big
Fish. What did I not know that the other folks did? Anyways I pick up my spinnerbait rod and within
my first few cast boat keeper number one of the morning. After that it dies….as I am fishing around
a few pockets alternating between the spinnerbait, jig, lizard, and trap I notice the river has fallen
about a foot and a half and there was a huge algae bloom going on. I catch two more shorts, and I
mean shorts so I make a move to fish the mid-lake area stumps. I pull up and have a decent fish
get off on a jig. Then another competitor comes running up and shuts down in front of me and
starts fishing….Are you kidding me??? How blatant was that? Does fishing etiquette not apply
anymore?? So running on a few hours sleep and exhaustion from the week I let it affect me.
Normally I don’t let folks doing this bother me because I think…they will get what they deserve. This
time however I chose to speak up, let him know that I wouldn’t do that to him and that it was
ridiculous but hey it is public water and I let him have it….I made a move. It turned out to be the
right move. I pulled up in an area and picked up my XR25 and caught three keepers in 5 casts…..
can you say sweet!!!! These fish were on fire. I catch a few more shorts and a 3lb crappie!! Very
odd bite though…Sun high, dead calm…..so not what you think the fish would bite but it was
working so I wasn’t complaining. After awhile the wind picks up and so does the activity. Fish start
busting shad and I catch a few more on the XR25 and manage keeper number 5. I switch over and
throw a Caffiene Shad to a fish that just hit…..culls my first fish of the morning I caught. Then I
catch a short fish on topwater. By this time the boats around me in this area start to close in on me
and the bite shuts down. So I make another move and don’t catch any fish that would help. Back
to the weigh in and pleased to catch 5 but thought there is no way these fish will get me anything.
Keeper Count: 6 Keepers
½ oz War Eagle Spinnerbait- 1 keeper
Excalibur XR25 Rattlebait- 4 keepers
Strike King Caffeine Shad- 1 keeper
Final Thoughts:
Have I completely missed the spawn? I didn’t see a fish on a bed. Normally I can find some big
ones on beds this time of year but I only saw a few bucks up shallow. I can’t believe 11lbs got me
second in an April Tournament on the River. However it did feel good to finally cash a check. It
was just what I needed after my Guntersville trip!
Until next time….
Fish Hard,
Adam Starks