"In the Boat" presented by Jewel Bait Company |
Winter Bass-o-Thon Championship
Norfork Panther Bay Feb.13th 7-4pm
Water level Normal, Surface temps 42 main lake
Mostly Sunny with light S/wind in the after noon
Water has light stain most everywhere
David and Carl Wooten
Fish - 5@ 12.01- 8th place
Practice: We practiced 2 days and Monday was our first outing. We decided to spend all day
Monday in the mid-lake area and look for a good jerk bait pattern. The snow was pelting down so
hard that We could barely see the bank at times. We hit several deep and shallow brush piles
without success but managed to get 3 keepers from the deep brush. I was throwing the Megabass
110 and Dad chose to throw the lucky craft 120SP which is a deep diving model jerkbait. He caught
all the fish behind me, so at least We were finding out that the deep diver may work a little better.
On one brush pile Dad decided to try a jig and He caught a nice 3-pound black out around 25', but
for the most part it was a tough bite for us. Around the end of our day we decided to try some
channel swings and it didn't take long until Dad boats a 5+ black. So We ended our day having
caught 5 keepers around 14-15 pounds. On Thursday, we hit the lake and fished all day long. We
put in at Panther but motored all the way to the back of Brushy creek to start our day. The water
there was 36.5 and stained so We didn't even bother. We moved out of the creek to about the
middle area of the arm and the water was 42, but the bite seemed dead as we tried jerk and crank
baits. We worked our way back up the lake the rest of the day and just couldn't get a bite. We
ended our day without a single bite and was one of the worst practice days I have ever had.
Tournament: Our game plan was simple. We would just start out close and grind all day in hopes
of a good limit. We would start out with jerkbaits where Dad caught the big fish and then try to crank
out some fish in the creeks. We were boat 2 out of 19 and I headed us to our first stop. The fog was
moving in fast and by the time we got started the fog was so thick we could barely see the bank.
Dad had decided to let me use the jerkbait. He had caught fish on Monday and He would just fish a
big jig behind me. As I worked down the channel with no luck, we get to the point and I hook up with
our first keeper. He was a nice chunky 16" black. So we get the skunk out of the boat early and I
keep fishing into the pocket that connects two bluff ends. I hook up again but this time it's a short
fish. We move over to the other side of the pocket and work our way to the point, as I round the
point I get another keeper black around 17". At this time it's still very foggy and I don't want to run
even though it seems the pattern is bluff ends. We just keep grinding! We fish all the way down into
a large cove that has pea gravel and some chunk rock on both sides. We then decide to try a crank
bait in this area. Dad has on a wiggle wart and I have a Bomber 6A. We quickly hook up and have
doubles but both are short. Then I catch keeper number 3 on my next cast. He is only a little over
15" and not very heavy so I place a cull clip on him and chunk him in the box. We fish both sides of
the cove with crankbaits and then switch back to the Jerkbait and jig combo. We reach the end of
the bluff we were fishing and It's around 10:00 a.m and the fog has lifted. We start running our
crankbait pattertn at that time to finish out our limit and around 10:45 We find ourselves in a cove
without another bite. Dad wants to try some deep brush in this cove with his jig so I pick the jerkbait
back up. It didn't take long until Dad boats our 4th keeper. He was a little 15" black that looked like
a snake. So cull clip and in the box as we move on out and switch back to the crank. We move
down the main branch of a creek arm and I finally get number 5 in the boat on the Bomber. This
one is a nice chunky 16" black and it is now 11:30. The creek is getting pretty crowded at this time
and we decide to move out in hopes of culling with some better fish from the main lake. I run us out
to a main lake pocket that we didn't hit in practice to let Dad try a ledge with the jig. I was going to
try the jerkbait but Dad hooks up on his first cast with our biggest fish a 2.75 lb. black. Dad says He
was right on the ledge and now I'm thinking this is it! We normally catch good fish off this ledge and
they are normally in big schools so I dig out my jig as Dad's digging out a cull fish from the box and
we start our barrage but after several casts we found out that they didn't want to bite much today.
We decided to run up to the cove were Dad had caught the 3 pounder on a brushpile in practice.
We both are using 5/8oz. Jewel Football jigs at this time and it doesn't take long until Dad hooks up.
This is a big one He says! It's pulling line but staying down like a smallmouth. Dad says "If it's not a
smallmouth it's a big bass" As he fights it up to the boat We quickly see why It's pulling so hard. It's
a smallmouth. We get Her in and It's a nice size fish around 18" long but it's kinda poor so not much
weight, but It did cull my 15" black from earlier that morning. At this time it's around 2:30 pm and We
have to decide on the deep jig or try to crankout another fish or two. The wind is starting to pick up
a bit and the clouds are rolling in, so we decide to run up around Pigeon creek and hit 2 coves then
fish the jig in a few more places. We ended our day without another bite and had 5@ 12.01 that
landed us in 8th place which payed $200.
Final Thoughts: We executed perfectly today and never missed a fish so I was very happy and
that's all I could ask for. We stuck with our game plan, Junk fished and ground out a limit.
We just had a poor practice and I was not expecting anything less than a grind from us.
Sometimes It's just hard to get back on track when we get off but we will turn it back around before
long. The fish are scattered for the most part although there are a few places were they are
schooled up good and I knew some people would find them. On the plus side, we had a great
season in the Bass-o-thon. We cashed a check in all but 1 event and put ourselves in contention to
win 3 events and AOY . We fell short with the loss of a few key fish and a few wrong moves.
I would like to thank Get5 for the sponsorship again this year and I hope everyone has enjoyed
reading my column. Good luck and good fishing! Dave
Equipment: 7' g-loomis, 10lb seaguar, 5/8oz Jewel football jig brown/prpl flash and Eakins craw
green pumpkin = 3 keepers. (2 weighed).
6' 5" g-loomis, 8lb seaguar, Lucky Craft 120SP bait fish silver color= 2 Keepers( weighed )
7' g-loomis, 8lb trilene xl, Bomber 6A Dark green craw= 2 Keepers (1 weighed)
Norfork Panther Bay Feb.13th 7-4pm
Water level Normal, Surface temps 42 main lake
Mostly Sunny with light S/wind in the after noon
Water has light stain most everywhere
David and Carl Wooten
Fish - 5@ 12.01- 8th place
Practice: We practiced 2 days and Monday was our first outing. We decided to spend all day
Monday in the mid-lake area and look for a good jerk bait pattern. The snow was pelting down so
hard that We could barely see the bank at times. We hit several deep and shallow brush piles
without success but managed to get 3 keepers from the deep brush. I was throwing the Megabass
110 and Dad chose to throw the lucky craft 120SP which is a deep diving model jerkbait. He caught
all the fish behind me, so at least We were finding out that the deep diver may work a little better.
On one brush pile Dad decided to try a jig and He caught a nice 3-pound black out around 25', but
for the most part it was a tough bite for us. Around the end of our day we decided to try some
channel swings and it didn't take long until Dad boats a 5+ black. So We ended our day having
caught 5 keepers around 14-15 pounds. On Thursday, we hit the lake and fished all day long. We
put in at Panther but motored all the way to the back of Brushy creek to start our day. The water
there was 36.5 and stained so We didn't even bother. We moved out of the creek to about the
middle area of the arm and the water was 42, but the bite seemed dead as we tried jerk and crank
baits. We worked our way back up the lake the rest of the day and just couldn't get a bite. We
ended our day without a single bite and was one of the worst practice days I have ever had.
Tournament: Our game plan was simple. We would just start out close and grind all day in hopes
of a good limit. We would start out with jerkbaits where Dad caught the big fish and then try to crank
out some fish in the creeks. We were boat 2 out of 19 and I headed us to our first stop. The fog was
moving in fast and by the time we got started the fog was so thick we could barely see the bank.
Dad had decided to let me use the jerkbait. He had caught fish on Monday and He would just fish a
big jig behind me. As I worked down the channel with no luck, we get to the point and I hook up with
our first keeper. He was a nice chunky 16" black. So we get the skunk out of the boat early and I
keep fishing into the pocket that connects two bluff ends. I hook up again but this time it's a short
fish. We move over to the other side of the pocket and work our way to the point, as I round the
point I get another keeper black around 17". At this time it's still very foggy and I don't want to run
even though it seems the pattern is bluff ends. We just keep grinding! We fish all the way down into
a large cove that has pea gravel and some chunk rock on both sides. We then decide to try a crank
bait in this area. Dad has on a wiggle wart and I have a Bomber 6A. We quickly hook up and have
doubles but both are short. Then I catch keeper number 3 on my next cast. He is only a little over
15" and not very heavy so I place a cull clip on him and chunk him in the box. We fish both sides of
the cove with crankbaits and then switch back to the Jerkbait and jig combo. We reach the end of
the bluff we were fishing and It's around 10:00 a.m and the fog has lifted. We start running our
crankbait pattertn at that time to finish out our limit and around 10:45 We find ourselves in a cove
without another bite. Dad wants to try some deep brush in this cove with his jig so I pick the jerkbait
back up. It didn't take long until Dad boats our 4th keeper. He was a little 15" black that looked like
a snake. So cull clip and in the box as we move on out and switch back to the crank. We move
down the main branch of a creek arm and I finally get number 5 in the boat on the Bomber. This
one is a nice chunky 16" black and it is now 11:30. The creek is getting pretty crowded at this time
and we decide to move out in hopes of culling with some better fish from the main lake. I run us out
to a main lake pocket that we didn't hit in practice to let Dad try a ledge with the jig. I was going to
try the jerkbait but Dad hooks up on his first cast with our biggest fish a 2.75 lb. black. Dad says He
was right on the ledge and now I'm thinking this is it! We normally catch good fish off this ledge and
they are normally in big schools so I dig out my jig as Dad's digging out a cull fish from the box and
we start our barrage but after several casts we found out that they didn't want to bite much today.
We decided to run up to the cove were Dad had caught the 3 pounder on a brushpile in practice.
We both are using 5/8oz. Jewel Football jigs at this time and it doesn't take long until Dad hooks up.
This is a big one He says! It's pulling line but staying down like a smallmouth. Dad says "If it's not a
smallmouth it's a big bass" As he fights it up to the boat We quickly see why It's pulling so hard. It's
a smallmouth. We get Her in and It's a nice size fish around 18" long but it's kinda poor so not much
weight, but It did cull my 15" black from earlier that morning. At this time it's around 2:30 pm and We
have to decide on the deep jig or try to crankout another fish or two. The wind is starting to pick up
a bit and the clouds are rolling in, so we decide to run up around Pigeon creek and hit 2 coves then
fish the jig in a few more places. We ended our day without another bite and had 5@ 12.01 that
landed us in 8th place which payed $200.
Final Thoughts: We executed perfectly today and never missed a fish so I was very happy and
that's all I could ask for. We stuck with our game plan, Junk fished and ground out a limit.
We just had a poor practice and I was not expecting anything less than a grind from us.
Sometimes It's just hard to get back on track when we get off but we will turn it back around before
long. The fish are scattered for the most part although there are a few places were they are
schooled up good and I knew some people would find them. On the plus side, we had a great
season in the Bass-o-thon. We cashed a check in all but 1 event and put ourselves in contention to
win 3 events and AOY . We fell short with the loss of a few key fish and a few wrong moves.
I would like to thank Get5 for the sponsorship again this year and I hope everyone has enjoyed
reading my column. Good luck and good fishing! Dave
Equipment: 7' g-loomis, 10lb seaguar, 5/8oz Jewel football jig brown/prpl flash and Eakins craw
green pumpkin = 3 keepers. (2 weighed).
6' 5" g-loomis, 8lb seaguar, Lucky Craft 120SP bait fish silver color= 2 Keepers( weighed )
7' g-loomis, 8lb trilene xl, Bomber 6A Dark green craw= 2 Keepers (1 weighed)