ABA District 112 AOY

Well we just finished up our districts 2 day championship. It was two days of ups and downs. The weather was great with the exception of the wind. The wind blew pretty good yesterday and today. We launched at first light on Saturday and the wind took out my first fishing spot. I ran to another spot and after a few sand bass I tied on a Storm swimbait. I got bit about a dozen times with that swimbait, largemouth, white bass, and drum. The white bass were absolutley eating it. That is fun and all but in a black bass tournament you don't want to waste your time with them. I hooked 6 largemouth keepers (over 14 inches in Texas) just to watch them either jump a ways off and throw the swimbait; or wait until they were right at the boat and jump and throw the swimbait. I was really getting frustrated. Not only about the bass tossing the swimbait, but also for the fact that this 2 day championship was goign to determine who is our districts AOY and who gets to go to Alabama and fish for that brand new Triton. I was tied going into this tournament with my good friend and fishing mentor Mr. Bob Dean. So each fish that I lost was taking those valuable position points from me. Finally with about 30 minutes to go i finally boated a keeper that weighed in just over 2 pounds. I headed to the scales just sick to my stomach. Mr Dean weighed in a limit and was leading day 1 with 11 pounds and change. I was sitting next to last with 2 pounds and change. The guy behind me didn't catch a fish on day 1. So I went home to the wife and kids and told her that i had taken myself out of competion by loosing all of those fish. Told her that the only way to have a chance is for me to bring in a 20 pound sack and Mr Dean had to slip and have a bad day.

Day 2 rolls around and I make the long drive to the lake thinking that Sunday had to go better than Saturday. We launched and i stayed close to the ramp not running too far because i didn't want to fight the wind and the waves. Around 7 or so i boated the first keeper on a crankbait. Ok, this is already better than yesterday. I had moved over to a few docks and was fishing around them when i got hung up on something. I moved the boat over and was trying to free it up when the wind pushed the bow of the boat into the dock piling and it sent me swimming. I dropped my rod trying to catch myself so now it is in the water. I climb back up on the boat and move the boat back over to try to fish my rod out with the net. So here i am dripping wet from the chest down and the wind strikes again and pushed the boat into that same piling sending me completly under the water this time. I did manage to grab my rod while i was in the water this time. So now i am completley soaked it is 8 AM and i am already ready to go to the house. Something told me to press on. I start throwing the Storm swimbait again since i got bit a lot with it the day before. I hook up with the first fish and wouldn't you know, he throws it back at me. Now I am really mad, so I cut it off and tied on a Strike King King Shad and started throwing it. On about the 3rd cast with it I hook up with a nice 5 pounder. I start thinking 3 or 4 of those and i am back in it. The very next cast I feel a little tick like i am hung on some grass and give it a sweep and felt the tick of a bite so i set the hook. As i get it close to the boat i realize that there are 2 fish hooked, one on the front treble and one on the back. I swing them into the boat and one comes off and lands on the carpet. Both were keepers both went into the box.

At this point I have 4 fish with a 5 pound kicker int he box. 2 casts later, another 5 pounder hits and i land him. About 30 minutes after that, another 5 pounder hits and i get him in the box. In a matter of 45 minutes I went from 1 little 1 1/2 pound dink to about 16 or 17 pounds. Before the day was done, I was able to cull a couple of times to end the day with 18 pounds and change. I had lost another 3-5 pounder just before i came in also. I am thinking that my 18 today and my 2 yesterday is going to land me around 3rd or 4th for the tournament. I just needed Mr Dean to come in with less than 9 pounds to have a shot. It was down to me and him for AOY and we were tied with 756 points each. Whoever finished ahead of the other would win the AOY title. He looks at my bag and asked what i had yesterday and told me enjoy fishing for that boat in Sept and good luck with it. He had brought 2 fish to the scales that weighed 4 pounds and he finished the tournament in 3rd place with 15 pounds and change. I finished in 2nd with 20 and change and the district director finished with 27 and change. I managed to take AOY honors by 2 points.

It was my goal to qualify for nationals this year, I never dreamed that I would do this well this year so far. I managed to catch fish at every tournament I fished. Last year I blanked in 2 of the 3 tournaments that i fished so i improved. It is fun to do and the guys are great. I look forward to doing it again next year. But for now i need to learn what i can about Wilson Lake in Alabama (AOY tournament) and Pickwick Lake (Nationals). Look out Alabama here i come again!!