"In the Boat" presented by Jewel Bait Company |
Tournament: Monticello Bass Club
June 5, 2010
Morgan Point
Angler: Adam Starks
Place: 1st Place- 5 fish-14lbs 03oz
Practice:
I didn’t get a chance to practice for this event since I was wrapping up Graduate School. I got in
late Friday night and met Dad at the ramp Saturday morning. The word though was that the water
levels were up about 4ft due to the Mississippi River and the fish were chewing.
June 5:
I noticed the lake was at normal level as I stepped in the boat at the ramp. I asked a guy close by
about the water level and he said that it was about 5ft higher when he was here Wednesday. That’
s great, I thought to myself. Fishing can be extremely brutal when the water levels drop that
drastically in just a few days. I was one of the last boats to leave so the first few spots I wanted to
hit had competitors on them so I ran down the lake and hit a few little flats that usually have some
activity on them. Didn’t even get a bite and fished a few other areas for awhile with out any success
as well. So I run back up the lake and hit a spot that I usually smoke them on topwater this time of
year. Within my first few casts I catch a solid keeper. I see a brush top sticking out of the water
and toss over it and work my chug bug through it. Just as dad said man that looks awesome, one
exploded on it. Number 2 in the box. I fish down this little stretch and manage to fill my limit by 8:
00. Dad had managed three keepers by this time so I asked him if he was ok if we went out deep
and tried for a big bite. We move out and I catch several white bass on a crankbait and lost a good
fish on a 10inch worm. The clouds finally break away and the sun comes out. I manage to catch a
4lber on a crankbait and that fish culls a 12 incher from earlier in the day. We move back up
shallow and Dad manages to catch another keeper for him. With just a little time remaining I go
back to the bank we caught them on earlier in the day and I told dad to watch this. I tossed my
paca craw in the very middle of this laydown with tree branches everywhere. My line is over 5 or 6
limbs. As soon as I pick up on it, a fish about pulls the rod out of my hand. I set the hook and
horse a solid 3lber over the limbs and get him in the boat. Dad said there was no way in the world I
should have landed that fish. With time running out I told dad that I was going to run up to the ramp
and let him try and get number 5 flipping flooded bushes. He managed to catch number 5 with
about 15 min left to go in the day. Satisfied with my day we ran back to the ramp.
Keeper Count:
Storm Chug Bug : 7 keepers
H20 CRS Crankbait: 1 Keeper
Net Bait Paca Craw: 1 Keeper
Final Thoughts:
I have been fishing a thousand times better here lately than when I started the year. I really
thought the day was going to be a grind with the way the water levels had dropped but people
caught fish and some good ones at that. I was just fortunate to catch a limit of solid fish. I would
have liked to have seen a few of the ones that got off during the day. The bite was a little of and
the fish weren’t eating the bait too well. I am however extremely happy with another W and glad
that I got to go fishing after two weeks of grinding it out at school. Until next time….
Fish Hard,
Adam Starks
June 5, 2010
Morgan Point
Angler: Adam Starks
Place: 1st Place- 5 fish-14lbs 03oz
Practice:
I didn’t get a chance to practice for this event since I was wrapping up Graduate School. I got in
late Friday night and met Dad at the ramp Saturday morning. The word though was that the water
levels were up about 4ft due to the Mississippi River and the fish were chewing.
June 5:
I noticed the lake was at normal level as I stepped in the boat at the ramp. I asked a guy close by
about the water level and he said that it was about 5ft higher when he was here Wednesday. That’
s great, I thought to myself. Fishing can be extremely brutal when the water levels drop that
drastically in just a few days. I was one of the last boats to leave so the first few spots I wanted to
hit had competitors on them so I ran down the lake and hit a few little flats that usually have some
activity on them. Didn’t even get a bite and fished a few other areas for awhile with out any success
as well. So I run back up the lake and hit a spot that I usually smoke them on topwater this time of
year. Within my first few casts I catch a solid keeper. I see a brush top sticking out of the water
and toss over it and work my chug bug through it. Just as dad said man that looks awesome, one
exploded on it. Number 2 in the box. I fish down this little stretch and manage to fill my limit by 8:
00. Dad had managed three keepers by this time so I asked him if he was ok if we went out deep
and tried for a big bite. We move out and I catch several white bass on a crankbait and lost a good
fish on a 10inch worm. The clouds finally break away and the sun comes out. I manage to catch a
4lber on a crankbait and that fish culls a 12 incher from earlier in the day. We move back up
shallow and Dad manages to catch another keeper for him. With just a little time remaining I go
back to the bank we caught them on earlier in the day and I told dad to watch this. I tossed my
paca craw in the very middle of this laydown with tree branches everywhere. My line is over 5 or 6
limbs. As soon as I pick up on it, a fish about pulls the rod out of my hand. I set the hook and
horse a solid 3lber over the limbs and get him in the boat. Dad said there was no way in the world I
should have landed that fish. With time running out I told dad that I was going to run up to the ramp
and let him try and get number 5 flipping flooded bushes. He managed to catch number 5 with
about 15 min left to go in the day. Satisfied with my day we ran back to the ramp.
Keeper Count:
Storm Chug Bug : 7 keepers
H20 CRS Crankbait: 1 Keeper
Net Bait Paca Craw: 1 Keeper
Final Thoughts:
I have been fishing a thousand times better here lately than when I started the year. I really
thought the day was going to be a grind with the way the water levels had dropped but people
caught fish and some good ones at that. I was just fortunate to catch a limit of solid fish. I would
have liked to have seen a few of the ones that got off during the day. The bite was a little of and
the fish weren’t eating the bait too well. I am however extremely happy with another W and glad
that I got to go fishing after two weeks of grinding it out at school. Until next time….
Fish Hard,
Adam Starks