Fished my bass club's second tournament this past weekend on the Snake river.
Day 1 - Launched around 0630 and started our run down river. As soon as we rounded the first bend we were pelted by 30 mph winds and 3-4 foot swells. Not good in an 18 foot aluminum bass boat. Even the guys in the much more stable rigs slowed way down. After a long and very rough run, we get to an area of much calmer water and decide to start here. After about an hour, and a couple rod changes, I throw a 1/4 oz lipless crank and the first strike of the day. And it's a decent fish. I get up to the boat and just as my partner goes to land it, the hooks pop free.
2 pounder, gone. Oh well, it's early. We get no more strikes in that area, so we move on. After another rough run we get to the spot we originally wanted to start at. After a few cast with the same lipless, I get another strike and this time I land it. It's a small fish, not even a pound, but it's a fish in the live well. We spend alot of time in this area. Nothing. We decide that we'll hit the spot we started at. My partner picks up 2 fish there in the last hour before we have to head back for weigh in. I ended the day with a dismal .67 lbs.
Day 2 - The winds are much calmer than they were on day 1. We decide to start in the same area as the first day. Nothing. We decided to move to where I picked up my only fish. On the way we spot a small cove and decide to give it a try. My partner throws a white crankbait at one of the points and gets a strike. Not a big fish, but a start. After thoroghly working the cover and no more fish, we move on to where we were headed. Again we spend alot of time in there with nothing to show for it. So we head back upstream. We get to a spot where a buddy of ours caught a nice largemouth in last year's tourney. This spot is shallow, 5 feet max. We work in the cove and back out with no hits. There is a large log stuck in the bottom at the mouth of the cove, mostly exposed. My partner throws a white spinnerbait at it and slow rolls it. He feels bottom and right where it drops off, he gets a hit but loses it at the boat. he throw right back and gets another strike. He lands it this time. He throws right back and gets another one! I throw and get a strike but somehow my knot slipped. Bye bye lipless crank! He ends up with 3 fish off this one log. We decide to end the day where we started. We work the shore line with lots of follows but no hits. I decide to downsize while my partner up sizes. He tosses a crankbait and gets a big hit. I see the fish in the water and it's a nice one. He lands it and it's a 3 pounder. I throw my jointed Rapala crank in the same area and a fish just drills it. I land it and although it's not a big fish, I didn't get skunked. Just before headed in for weigh in, my partner upgrades the first fish he caught. We get back to weigh in and my fish weighs 1.49 pounds, but it gave me a hell of a fight on my light action rod. I end up with just over 2 lbs total. My partner ends up with over 7 lbs. Big fish for the weekend was a 6.18 lb beast of a smallie.
Although I was pretty disappointed with my performance, I still had fun. Stay tuned for tournament #3 next month on the Pend Oreille River.
