8/27 Detroit River BFL

 

This was a big week for me on and off the water.

On 8/24 our first child, son Brandon was born what an incredible experience.  Both Brandon and my wife are doing very well and were home the next day.  Thankfully I have a very understanding and supportive wife; she gave me the go ahead to fish the upcoming BFL on the Detroit River.  Another big thing is my boat got its half wrap for my main sponsor “Revolution Bait Co.” Axiom did a fantastic job with the split letters, colors and detail to installing it. So needless to say I was pretty pumped for this event for multiple reasons. 

 

So as soon as there was enough light it was off to the first spot.  As soon as I dropped the TM the fish started eating, I had my limit and started culling before 8.  I did loose one good fish in the first spot but wasn’t too worried about it at the time. I’m feeling good with about 14 lbs in the well and decide it’s time to hit up some fish I found in Erie.

As soon as I get to my spot I know I’m in trouble the water is muddy / milky with almost zero visibility.  But the fish I found there were the size I was looking for so I fished it for a while anyways.  I ended up loosing one good one there that hurt it would have gave me at least another pound if not more.  I just pulled too hard when he was right by the net instead of playing her out a little more.  A couple more missed strikes and I could tell the fish were there but the strike zone was so small you basically had to hit them in the face to make them eat.  So off to the next area hoping the water clarity was a little better.

When I get there I’m pleasantly surprised that the water had about 4’ of visibility.  After a couple drifts I upgrade with my biggest of the day a 4.5lbs smallie but unfortunately she was the only one I could find there so I headed back to the river for a milk run of spots.

Once back in the river I’ve got about an hour so I hit up multiple spots and catch several fish but nothing that can help me, it’s off to check in.

I ended the day with 15 lbs. 11oz. but could’ve had well over 17, over all it was a decent day ending up in 26th place for the day and moved up to 19th place in points overall for the year.    

 

Just a fantastic week...

7/30 The Grand River BFL

The Grand River

I knew the minute I read the BFL tour dates that this tournament on the Grand River was going to be an adventure, one I was looking forward to, an adventure none the less. Practice for me started at sunrise on the 28th, I needed every minute of time I could get to try and learn this place, they call the Grand River.

Practice went really good everywhere I thought fish should be, they were and I caught them. Nothing in the “TOAD” family however both Thursday and Friday I would’ve had around 11 lbs and I didn’t set the hook on many of them.  So I figure I should have a pretty good showing from what I’ve heard about the Grand.

Tournament morning and I still have not decided where I was going to start, pushing 6am I make my call and up the river I go, hoping no one else will be going there. By the time my number gets called I am the first to head up river so I have my spot for sure, so I thought. The boat called right after me has the same idea, I guess it’s go time, he wants to race there and I’m more than happy to beat him there, just another reason why I love this sport.

I get there first and as soon as I put my trolling motor down I notice the water is up over 2 feet from where it was when I was there on Thursday.  All the pads I was fishing are under water now and this means one thing to me, buzzbait time. It doesn’t take long and I’ve got my first one in the boat its over 3 pounds then ten minuets later keeper #2 is in the boat just a 14.25” but it’s a great start to the day.  My hopes are up confidence is up, then as soon as the sun got over the bushes it’s like someone flipped the switch off and the bite died.

Off to my next couple stops down the river with nothing to show at either one I head to one of the bayous to do some frog fishing.  The fish were still there and I had several blow ups but the fish never actually got the frog.  It was frustrating to say the least if the fish would’ve connected with the bait I would have my limit and then some.

Basically its panic mode now I’ve tried all my areas that held fish during the week but they have look jaw or left I’m not sure which.  With an hour left I head back to my first area to flip the newly flooded bushes but it wasn’t meant to be for me.  Though with about two minuets left my co-angler flips into a bush and pulls out a keeper while pulling the “Iaconelli” “NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER GIVE UP!”  It at least ended the day on a positive note and I had a good laugh as well.  I ended up 43rd out of 73 not great but it did get me to 29th overall which I’m very happy about considering how poorly I’ve preformed so far this year. 

I can’t wait to get back to the Detroit River and tear up some smallies!  My only hope is for my wife to go into labor before then so I don’t have to worry about getting called in the middle of the tourney to go to the hospital.  He’s due on the 24th and the BFL is on the 27th so I hope he gets here soon!!

7/9 Detroit River BFL

Thank You Wonderland

The week started off on a bad note.  I hook up my trailer to practice on Wednesday for the 7/9Detroit River BFL, as soon as I put my transom saver on I hear “POW”, motor drops down, hit the trim switch to put my motor back up and realize the piston on my trim has snapped and is no longer connected to my motor. Looks like the anglers from Detroit are slammed with boat troubles this week and I am now one of them. In panic mode I call Scott from Wonderland and he says to get it in right away and he would do all he could to try and have the boat ready by Friday afternoon. 

Just so everyone knows the impossibility of taking a boat in at 7pm Wednesday night and getting the part over nighted so I can be installed early Friday is AMAZING!! 

Well they did it and I pick my boat up so I could fish Saturday.  Unfortunately with no time to practice I have to go on where my fish were the week before. Before heading out into Erie I stop at a spot in the river, not much to speak of for myself a 14” largehaed on a swimjig, I figured no sense in putting him in the livewell because I’ll just be getting rid of him later. However my co-angler picked up a solid 3 pounder on a top water, so it was a good choice to stop.

Off to spot number two in the river and as soon as I get there I can tell something is off.  Usually in this spot there is a lot of activity on the surface but this morning there was nothing so after spending an hour and only one missed small fish it was off to my main area I was catching fish last week.

Spot three a bit of a drive down the north shore and as soon as I drop the trolling motor and make my first cast I get a decent 3.5 pounder on the Revolution baits goby.  Less than a minute later my co-angler gets his second keeper.  After that we basically stayed in the area most of the day.  My co nailed his limit and I managed 3 smallmouths but the crazy part was how many other species we caught.  We boated sheephead, catfish, walleyes, and rockbass, there was definitely no shortage of action but it wasn’t what we were looking for so off to the next spot.

Heading back toward the river I stopped and a rock pile I had found last fall.  Well I thought it was just a rock pile but to my surprise the rock pile was more like a rock island.  The water was the clearest I had ever seen and I could see 10’ which is unheard of on Erie and that made it possible for me to scout the entire pile. While casting around I notice I can see specific boulders and I start pitching to them like stumps with my drop shot and I start hooking up with smallies.  They weren’t the biggest but managed my limit and caught more sheephead, catfish, and rockbass.  With a limit for both of us in the boat I head back to the river to try and up grade.

Stopping at the place we started in the morning with only one smallmouth to show for it which I upgraded 2oz (not exactly what you need when you only have 12 pounds).  One last effort which we only have 30 min to fish left I start throwing a big swimbait trying to get one big bite.  Well I didn’t get the bite so off to the weigh-in with a fun day of fishing but not the weight either of us was hoping for.  I ended up with 12.2 lbs good for 51st out of 83 and my co had 11.5.  The only good thing to come from this outing was I actually got to go fishing (Thanks again Wonderland) and got to stay in the top 40 to make the regional. 

Side note, my luck continued into Sunday when I was headed up to St. Clair to practice the south shore and on the way home my lower unit blows up just south of the Ambassador Bridge.  So the boat is back at Wonderland hoping to get back on the water by next week.

6/25 St. Clair BFL

The 10 that got away….

 Maybe, just maybe someday soon I will manage a decent blast off draw, however for now I sit in 65th position, part of the game. I stoked to be on St. Clair and fishing the first BFL of the year, hammer down its time to go.

Do my eyes deceive me, as I get to my first spot, it appears nobody has beat me here,  I'm pumped as I drop the TM and get down to business. The Brovarney swimjig is my first lure of choice, half a dozen casts in BAM my first hit of the day and I don't connect.  All I get back is a swimjig with my trailer (kick'r craw) made completely worthless by biting both pinchers off.   New trailer and back to work, two more passes through my area and finally another bite, connect, I know it's a good one when she starts jumping, I put the screws to her and she's in the boat in no time.  This is a great way to start the day 30 minuets in and I've got a 5 pounder in the boat.  This made me fish the same water for about another 2 hours with only a couple missed strikes to show for it. 

So off to spot #2 where the afternoon before the fish were on thick but weren't monsters just a place to fill the limit.  I get there and the fish are there just not in the same numbers as the day before.  2 hours and five missed 3 pounders later I only have 4 in the live well and need to cull 3 by the end of the day if I want to make a check. 

 At spot #3 I find cloudy water and begin thinking this was a waste of time, so the mental game starts to set in, questioning if the fish are even there, if they are will I get the bites I need, do I keep moving? Since it was a bit of haul I decide to give it a quick run though anyway. I had 3 missed short strikes, but my co did finish his limit here so the haul was worth it, now I need my fish and only an hour left.

With 4 in the box I decided to make another run to some fish where I could find my last one and at least show up with a limit.  As soon as I get there I realize I should have made the move a LONG time ago.  The water was crystal clear with at least 10' of visibility and within 10 min. I have my limit and my co has added a nice upgrade to his catch.

I know I didn't stand a chance of a check but I thought my co had a shot so we didn't take any chance of being late, with time running out we make are way to the ramp to see what the scales have to say. The final weight for the day for me was a disappointing 13-13 good enough for 36th out of 91, my co ended with 15-15 and a nice 4th place check.

I didn't get as many bites as I thought I would but I still had plenty enough to have a chance at a check.  I just have to hope for better luck in the next week on the Detroit River (Let's hope the silver bass move out by then).

The lesson today was one every angler knows.  You don't stand a chance if you miss fish. 

TBF OPEN on Muskegon

May 29, 2011 a morning I rather soon forget than write about, it started out pretty bad. The draw was decent, as boat 10 we figured our first spot would be open and we would be the first there no problem, wrong someone beat us there.  Back on plane and off to our second spot which held a couple largeheads on beds.

When set down several yards away from our wpt, drop the tm and start the silent creep into the area, nothing could be found, it appears the fish had moved off during the night. After quite a few minutes of looking the decision was made to move again so off we go again. We make our way to the marina only to find 3 boats fishing it, so far the day is horrible we are on plan D and its only 8am!

In practice we located a few rock walls that we thought should hold fish, I needed to wait for the water to warm a bit before checking a few other places, so a quick decision was made to bump the walls for a bit. Leading out with a Revolution baits kick’r craw the first keeper is in the boat and suddenly the day is looking a little better (so I thought). The next cast I get a solid bite go to set the hook and the line snaps, adding  insult to injury I watch a nice 2+ lbs largie jump around trying to spit my kick’r craw.  Retie and about 5 minutes later I get another bite and go to set the hook and the line snaps AGAIN!!  Now I’m starting to get a little worked up and I can’t figure out what’s going on with my line I haven’t broke a fish off all year before this. 

Its pushing 11am so off to the spot we were going to start at this morning, when we get there the same boat is still there.  A quick check of water and air temperature and it’s off to the bedded largemouth.  This time there is a nice one on the bed and after about 5 min. we get him in the boat on the swimjig and kick’r craw combo. Searching the rest of the area he was the only legal fish we saw or could find on a bed.  The next stop is the only place we have left where we caught fish in practice and it was by far the best area but the water had to warm up before the fish became active. 

Based on my practice I started with the swimjig in the pads this really caught them the day before but for some reason the fish weren’t very interested today.  I could see the fish were there but they didn’t want the fast moving swimjig so on to plan B and out came the top water frog.  Then the pads came ALIVE!!  I caught 6 keepers and several shorts on the frog and had a blast doing it!  They weren’t the biggest but at least we salvaged the day with a limit of fish after our horrible start in the morning. 

Ended up with a little over 11 pounds, not great but a lot better than the way the day started, most everybody that won headed to other lakes like Pentwater, White, Mona, and the Kalamazoo River.  

Today’s lesson learned is that to compete on the west side of the state I’m going to have to learn connecting waters and other lakes not just the one the tournament is being held on.