"In the Boat" presented by Jewel Bait Company |
R&H marine 42nd annual Winter Bass-o-thon
Norfork, Jan. 2nd 7-3 pm
No wind, Very cold all day (high 28)
mostly sunny. Surface temps main lake 48 and 42 in creeks/river
Water has some stain everywhere.
Lake level 559 (7' high)
Anglers: Dave and Carl Wooten
Place: 4th 5@ 14.89
Practice: I had been off work from Dec. 18th-Jan 4th, so I had plenty of opportunity to go fishing
on just about any day, but we ended up only pre-fishing a total of 11 hours in 3 days. Our first day
on the water was almost 2 weeks before tournament day, and it was before the big rain. We
concentrated in the areas where I had been catching fish all Winter - we just kept moving in and out
trying to find the right depth. It was a tough day and We only caught fish out of one cove, but there
seemed to be a good school of blacks holding in it.
The Monday before the tournament we headed out to the lower end of the lake and put in at
Woods point to fish Brushy and Big creek. This was late in the evening and we only had about 2
hours before sunset. We headed into Brushy creek and found the hard rain had turned it into clay
mud along with a 7 degree surface temp drop. We decided not to waste our time and headed back
out toward the mouth. We fished bluff ends with jigs and worked our way back into Big creek doing
the same. At that time, it was pretty windy and mild and everything looked perfect for a crankbait
bite - but the forecast for Saturday was to be very cold. Lows at 8 and highs in the 20's, so not
ideal conditions for chunking a crankbait and we had already decided to invest as much practice
time as we needed into the jig. We left the water having caught only 3 non-keeper Kentuckies
The next day We launched early at the dam and fished until 3. We found 4 good holes that were
holding some nice schools and ended our day with around 13-14 pounds.We then decided to just
use what we found and get all our equipment ready for a cold brutal day.
Tournament day: The temperature gauge on my truck read 13 degree's as we pulled out of the
drive and launched at Panther Bay. The COE had stopped pulling water since the rain and the
lake had came back up 2 feet since last week. Surface temps read 48 on the main lake and 44
boats showed up to face a very cold day. I had no idea what to expect from the first cove we were
going to be heading, since it had been 2 weeks from the last time we fished it. There had been alot
of change in weather and lake level since then, but I really didn't care because it was close and it
was damn cold! We decided to fish it until the sun came up regardless.
We were boat 10 and I headed straight to the cove and set us down. I looked back and another
boat was headed right in our direction but then they turned and left. We were not the only team that
found this hole so I really didn't expect to catch much.As we got down to the key area Dad sets the
hook and says "big fish" as I hear his drag start pulling line, I knew he had hooked up with what we
needed. As I go for the net, I feel something pulling hard on my line and I set the hook. Now I'm
saying "big fish" and We have a double. Dad gets his half way in and off he comes. DAMIT!!! Dad
throws his rod down and runs up to net my fish. We get him in and He's a solid 4 pounder.
I was pulling on him Dad yells(talking about his fish)!!!. He never felt the bite and was pulling on the
fish and didn't get a good hook set. I reply "We were lucky to get this one because I never felt him
bite. I was pulling on him as well. We get set back up and on my next cast I start pulling on
something that felt solid then it starts kicking... OH Crap! Its a fish I yell as I set the hook. He starts
pulling line and dad gets the net ready as the fish pulls off. I drop to my knees thinking this is a
horrible start. We are fishing like Dumb and Dumber. It would be the last bite we had from that hole
and we left after the sun got up.
We then make the cold run down the lake to our next spot with nothing but frustration running
through my mind knowing we should have 3 big blacks in the box instead of 1, and also knowing we
were lucky to have at least 1 good fish to start our day. I set up on our next area and Dad quickly
hooks up with a nice fish and I net it. It's another solid black around 3 1/2 pounds. He makes
another cast and hooks up again! This one feels bigger he says and then the fish pulls off... OH
No! whats going on? I pitch the net back down and We fish around awhile and decide to go down
into the pocket a little ways. Dad catches a 16" smallmouth and I hang up and move in to retrieve
my jig. Dad puts a cull clip on the smallie and drops him in the box and makes a cast while I'm
digging out another jig after breaking off and hooks up with another smallie. We get him in and
have another 16" smallie. Dad says "that one was right on the bank in the brush" so we try pitching
the brush a little while with no luck.
We head to our next hole and set up. It takes me 2 casts to boat a 16 1/2" black and now we have a
limit at 10:10 am. I really thought We would get better quality from that spot since it was our best
hole in practice, but I was not complaining. Dad catches a 15 1/2" black before We leave that just
barely culls one of the 16" smallies. I had high hopes on our next stop but we never had a single
bite. It was the last spot we caught largemouth from and I really didn't think the next stop was going
to be anything great since all we ever catch from it are smallmouth. We did however catch 2
smallies from it in practice around 3 pounds each so we head to it and set up. We quickly start by
boating one smallmouth after another. It was a blast to catch them and We left there having caught
7 more keepers and culled the smallmouth we already had and the 15 1/2" black with 2- 18"
smallies.
We still had the 16 1/2" black that was our next cull. At that time we decided to back track and try
for just one more good black to cull but We ended our day having caught only 1 more keeper that
would not cull. We weighed our best 5 and had 14.89 landing us in 4th place. 1st place was only
15.85 and the top 3 weights were all close.
Final thoughts: We had a good bag of fish and boated 15 keepers, but it's tough knowing we
were on the winning fish. We lost 3 critical fish that would have put us over the top, plus added
weight to our overall standings. We had a shot at a really good stringer but just couldn't feel the
bites and missed out on a golden opportunity. All the blacks that we bite would just grab the jig and
sit. Adding that our hands were numb and the line stayed froze all day it was probably a wonder
that we had not lost more that we did. We have put ourselves in contention to win every
bass-o-thon this season but have only the one win. I am very thankful that we have managed to
cash a check in the last 6 bass-o-thon tournaments we have fished. These are some tough
tournaments to win and just cashing a check in one is a very good accomplishment. I can only hope
we can continue to do well.
Equipment: 7' G-Loomis rod, 10lb seaguar, 5/8 oz Jewel Football jig, Jewel Eakins Craw =
15 keepers.
Norfork, Jan. 2nd 7-3 pm
No wind, Very cold all day (high 28)
mostly sunny. Surface temps main lake 48 and 42 in creeks/river
Water has some stain everywhere.
Lake level 559 (7' high)
Anglers: Dave and Carl Wooten
Place: 4th 5@ 14.89
Practice: I had been off work from Dec. 18th-Jan 4th, so I had plenty of opportunity to go fishing
on just about any day, but we ended up only pre-fishing a total of 11 hours in 3 days. Our first day
on the water was almost 2 weeks before tournament day, and it was before the big rain. We
concentrated in the areas where I had been catching fish all Winter - we just kept moving in and out
trying to find the right depth. It was a tough day and We only caught fish out of one cove, but there
seemed to be a good school of blacks holding in it.
The Monday before the tournament we headed out to the lower end of the lake and put in at
Woods point to fish Brushy and Big creek. This was late in the evening and we only had about 2
hours before sunset. We headed into Brushy creek and found the hard rain had turned it into clay
mud along with a 7 degree surface temp drop. We decided not to waste our time and headed back
out toward the mouth. We fished bluff ends with jigs and worked our way back into Big creek doing
the same. At that time, it was pretty windy and mild and everything looked perfect for a crankbait
bite - but the forecast for Saturday was to be very cold. Lows at 8 and highs in the 20's, so not
ideal conditions for chunking a crankbait and we had already decided to invest as much practice
time as we needed into the jig. We left the water having caught only 3 non-keeper Kentuckies
The next day We launched early at the dam and fished until 3. We found 4 good holes that were
holding some nice schools and ended our day with around 13-14 pounds.We then decided to just
use what we found and get all our equipment ready for a cold brutal day.
Tournament day: The temperature gauge on my truck read 13 degree's as we pulled out of the
drive and launched at Panther Bay. The COE had stopped pulling water since the rain and the
lake had came back up 2 feet since last week. Surface temps read 48 on the main lake and 44
boats showed up to face a very cold day. I had no idea what to expect from the first cove we were
going to be heading, since it had been 2 weeks from the last time we fished it. There had been alot
of change in weather and lake level since then, but I really didn't care because it was close and it
was damn cold! We decided to fish it until the sun came up regardless.
We were boat 10 and I headed straight to the cove and set us down. I looked back and another
boat was headed right in our direction but then they turned and left. We were not the only team that
found this hole so I really didn't expect to catch much.As we got down to the key area Dad sets the
hook and says "big fish" as I hear his drag start pulling line, I knew he had hooked up with what we
needed. As I go for the net, I feel something pulling hard on my line and I set the hook. Now I'm
saying "big fish" and We have a double. Dad gets his half way in and off he comes. DAMIT!!! Dad
throws his rod down and runs up to net my fish. We get him in and He's a solid 4 pounder.
I was pulling on him Dad yells(talking about his fish)!!!. He never felt the bite and was pulling on the
fish and didn't get a good hook set. I reply "We were lucky to get this one because I never felt him
bite. I was pulling on him as well. We get set back up and on my next cast I start pulling on
something that felt solid then it starts kicking... OH Crap! Its a fish I yell as I set the hook. He starts
pulling line and dad gets the net ready as the fish pulls off. I drop to my knees thinking this is a
horrible start. We are fishing like Dumb and Dumber. It would be the last bite we had from that hole
and we left after the sun got up.
We then make the cold run down the lake to our next spot with nothing but frustration running
through my mind knowing we should have 3 big blacks in the box instead of 1, and also knowing we
were lucky to have at least 1 good fish to start our day. I set up on our next area and Dad quickly
hooks up with a nice fish and I net it. It's another solid black around 3 1/2 pounds. He makes
another cast and hooks up again! This one feels bigger he says and then the fish pulls off... OH
No! whats going on? I pitch the net back down and We fish around awhile and decide to go down
into the pocket a little ways. Dad catches a 16" smallmouth and I hang up and move in to retrieve
my jig. Dad puts a cull clip on the smallie and drops him in the box and makes a cast while I'm
digging out another jig after breaking off and hooks up with another smallie. We get him in and
have another 16" smallie. Dad says "that one was right on the bank in the brush" so we try pitching
the brush a little while with no luck.
We head to our next hole and set up. It takes me 2 casts to boat a 16 1/2" black and now we have a
limit at 10:10 am. I really thought We would get better quality from that spot since it was our best
hole in practice, but I was not complaining. Dad catches a 15 1/2" black before We leave that just
barely culls one of the 16" smallies. I had high hopes on our next stop but we never had a single
bite. It was the last spot we caught largemouth from and I really didn't think the next stop was going
to be anything great since all we ever catch from it are smallmouth. We did however catch 2
smallies from it in practice around 3 pounds each so we head to it and set up. We quickly start by
boating one smallmouth after another. It was a blast to catch them and We left there having caught
7 more keepers and culled the smallmouth we already had and the 15 1/2" black with 2- 18"
smallies.
We still had the 16 1/2" black that was our next cull. At that time we decided to back track and try
for just one more good black to cull but We ended our day having caught only 1 more keeper that
would not cull. We weighed our best 5 and had 14.89 landing us in 4th place. 1st place was only
15.85 and the top 3 weights were all close.
Final thoughts: We had a good bag of fish and boated 15 keepers, but it's tough knowing we
were on the winning fish. We lost 3 critical fish that would have put us over the top, plus added
weight to our overall standings. We had a shot at a really good stringer but just couldn't feel the
bites and missed out on a golden opportunity. All the blacks that we bite would just grab the jig and
sit. Adding that our hands were numb and the line stayed froze all day it was probably a wonder
that we had not lost more that we did. We have put ourselves in contention to win every
bass-o-thon this season but have only the one win. I am very thankful that we have managed to
cash a check in the last 6 bass-o-thon tournaments we have fished. These are some tough
tournaments to win and just cashing a check in one is a very good accomplishment. I can only hope
we can continue to do well.
Equipment: 7' G-Loomis rod, 10lb seaguar, 5/8 oz Jewel Football jig, Jewel Eakins Craw =
15 keepers.