I can accept failure,everyone fails at something. I can’t accept not trying.

….Michael Jordan.

PRE-FISH

My partner practiced for two days I practiced for two days we found the same thing, its tough out there. Jeff And I discussed what areas we were interested in fishing. He was going to check out the south fork and I would explore the north. Who ever found fish would let the other know if they caught fish but not where or on what. It’s the other teammates job to try to catch fish in that area.

After Jeff came back he proclaimed fishing was very tough. I fished the next day and concurred. It was really hit or miss out there, in the end we both ended up drop shotting and dartheading in twenty feet of water to catch some fish.

For my last pre-fish day I took my son and his girlfriend out. I was hoping the bite would turn on a little so I could get Carly on some Fish but she only got one bite. I ended up getting skunked but my son picked up the boat by catching one fish on a Pro Worms 6 inch worm in Mean Green. We found fish all over the place but lock jaw seemed to be infecting the lake.

Tournament Day

Going in I knew we needed to finish top forty to make the classic. I also knew the fishing was extremely tough. You still have to go out give it your all then live with the results. We had determined the north fork was going to be our best bet to catch any fish at all, the south fork might give us one big fish if we hit it just right. There was not a lot of wind so we focused on the island tops just out side of the south fork. The graph was alive with fish, we threw everything we could think of even lures we made up all to no avail. I was looking at an island that was out of the water and the small amount of breeze that was blowing was hitting it right on a rock line.  I trolling motored over to a castable distance threw out my drop-shot drug it back ten feet and put the first fish in the box a heavy 1 pound spotted bass. That was the last fish we would catch for the next six hours. We ran up the south fork, out to the peninsula, up the north fork, back to the main, then back to the north fork stopping and fishing areas for an hour or so then moving. Finally in the north fork across from rattlesnake we found a huge school of fish I dropped my morning dawn worm down and brought up a keeper spotted bass. We spent the rest of the day fishing that area. Never catching another fish. I felt I’d given it my all, was it good enough?

Coming to the scales was hard on the heart. Having two fish for two pounds I was sweating hard knowing I needed to finish top forty for a classic berth. I was in the first flight, twentieth to weigh in.Our fish weighed in at 2.12 pounds, putting us top five. That didn’t hold out, in the end we ended in thirtieth place and twenty first for angler of the year. Solidly placing us in the classic. 

I love to be consistent, I believe it will get you along ways. This year was not a picture of consistency. If it was anything it was an effort in futility. I will look back on this year trying to learn a lesson. Trying to piece together my weak points into a foundation I can build on for the future. Just not right now I have to get ready for the classic!