"In the Boat" presented by Jewel Bait Company |
Tournament: Wal-Mart BFL All-American
May 28th - 30th, 2009
Angler: Terrance Narveson
15th place - $4,500.00
My recent trip to Davenport, IA for the BFL All-American Tournamnet was incredible. We got to
have a practice day Wednesday and after they had given us our locking times it was obvious that
we would only be able to fish a little over an hour at what would eventually be our starting location.
With that in mind, our practice day was spent looking for closer fish. We only locked up twice and
fished backwaters in this pool all day. Catching only 3 keepers and a bunch of shorts, my boater
partner (Robert Walser) was not impressed with what he saw and said it looks like we are making
the big run for day 1. In practice I was catching my fish on a tube, RC 1.5, and Jewel Eakins' Jig.
Day 1
We showed up in the parking lot, got in the boat and a truck hooked up and took us to the water.
We were off after a short introduction of the field and this started the tedious day of time in the
locks. We got about 15-20 min of fishing between locks before we had to get in and go to the next
one to make our lock time. This was probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to do
because you basically had to land on top of the fish and start catching them. We get to our starting
location around 11 something and have 1 hour before we have to be back to the lock to go back
down. I caught two fish just prior to locking up to pool 13 on a Net Bait Paca Craw, but they were
short. At our spot on pool 13 we started at the mouth of a creek coming into the river basically
focused on fish moving out of spawing grounds to hit the summer haunts on the river. I caught
three more shorts on my Jewel jig and 1 more short on a Paca Craw. We moved to another creek
and I caught 1 more short on a RC 1.5. It was frustrating catching short fish on a short fishing day
but we still had some time on the way back down. We hit two places right out of the lock with nothing
to show. It was one more stop before we had to run to the next lock and that is where I flipped into a
bush and hooked a 3lb bass only to lose him in the bush. This was a fish I needed bad and I had no
idea at that time how badly I needed that fish. We made it to the lock into 15 and had approx 15
minutes until the next and last lock so we tried to make this one count. Again this pool skunked us.
Pool 16 with 45 minutes until check-in and we went to where I had a bite earlier in the morning. The
day had ended and we both zeroed. It was such a tough day I knew I had to step it up for day 2.
Day 2
I was in the National Guard Boat and we were boat 1 this day. We ran to the lock and started hitting
the rip rap right below and only 5 min in the day I caught a short fish on an RC 1.5 followed by
another that I could not get to touch. I then threw back out and caught a 15 inch keeper. My first
one for the tournament and it felt good. We locked up to 15 and decided to go straight to the lock
to insure a good spot out at the next pool. We were on our way up the to the dam in pool 14 and we
were fishing a small wing dam and some brush along the shore. After a few short fish I boated
another keeper. Our spot ran out of fish so we moved to a spot with some rocks just off the dam
and my first flip I caught a short on a Paca Craw. Nothing else along that bank. We were headed
down the river and my boater saw a small marina harbor. Here we really started loading the boat or
I should say my boater partner caught them. I could only catch short fish. We lock down to
15 and hit this short rip rap bank. I was throwing my RC 1.5 and got my last keeper for the day a
good 3 lb pig that had my crankbait swallowed. After a quick lock down and a short trip around and
island our time was up.
I ended up 15th for the tournament and had a blast. I hope to qualify for this again and maybe next
time I can get into that illusive top ten to fish the last day.
May 28th - 30th, 2009
Angler: Terrance Narveson
15th place - $4,500.00
My recent trip to Davenport, IA for the BFL All-American Tournamnet was incredible. We got to
have a practice day Wednesday and after they had given us our locking times it was obvious that
we would only be able to fish a little over an hour at what would eventually be our starting location.
With that in mind, our practice day was spent looking for closer fish. We only locked up twice and
fished backwaters in this pool all day. Catching only 3 keepers and a bunch of shorts, my boater
partner (Robert Walser) was not impressed with what he saw and said it looks like we are making
the big run for day 1. In practice I was catching my fish on a tube, RC 1.5, and Jewel Eakins' Jig.
Day 1
We showed up in the parking lot, got in the boat and a truck hooked up and took us to the water.
We were off after a short introduction of the field and this started the tedious day of time in the
locks. We got about 15-20 min of fishing between locks before we had to get in and go to the next
one to make our lock time. This was probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to do
because you basically had to land on top of the fish and start catching them. We get to our starting
location around 11 something and have 1 hour before we have to be back to the lock to go back
down. I caught two fish just prior to locking up to pool 13 on a Net Bait Paca Craw, but they were
short. At our spot on pool 13 we started at the mouth of a creek coming into the river basically
focused on fish moving out of spawing grounds to hit the summer haunts on the river. I caught
three more shorts on my Jewel jig and 1 more short on a Paca Craw. We moved to another creek
and I caught 1 more short on a RC 1.5. It was frustrating catching short fish on a short fishing day
but we still had some time on the way back down. We hit two places right out of the lock with nothing
to show. It was one more stop before we had to run to the next lock and that is where I flipped into a
bush and hooked a 3lb bass only to lose him in the bush. This was a fish I needed bad and I had no
idea at that time how badly I needed that fish. We made it to the lock into 15 and had approx 15
minutes until the next and last lock so we tried to make this one count. Again this pool skunked us.
Pool 16 with 45 minutes until check-in and we went to where I had a bite earlier in the morning. The
day had ended and we both zeroed. It was such a tough day I knew I had to step it up for day 2.
Day 2
I was in the National Guard Boat and we were boat 1 this day. We ran to the lock and started hitting
the rip rap right below and only 5 min in the day I caught a short fish on an RC 1.5 followed by
another that I could not get to touch. I then threw back out and caught a 15 inch keeper. My first
one for the tournament and it felt good. We locked up to 15 and decided to go straight to the lock
to insure a good spot out at the next pool. We were on our way up the to the dam in pool 14 and we
were fishing a small wing dam and some brush along the shore. After a few short fish I boated
another keeper. Our spot ran out of fish so we moved to a spot with some rocks just off the dam
and my first flip I caught a short on a Paca Craw. Nothing else along that bank. We were headed
down the river and my boater saw a small marina harbor. Here we really started loading the boat or
I should say my boater partner caught them. I could only catch short fish. We lock down to
15 and hit this short rip rap bank. I was throwing my RC 1.5 and got my last keeper for the day a
good 3 lb pig that had my crankbait swallowed. After a quick lock down and a short trip around and
island our time was up.
I ended up 15th for the tournament and had a blast. I hope to qualify for this again and maybe next
time I can get into that illusive top ten to fish the last day.