Post by Yam on Oct 31, 2016 9:27:45 GMT -5
I arrived early Friday morning to dial in the gear. Like Lund1, I am a planner and had all the feelings he described in his report. One thing I did this time was to pretie all my leader and hook setups. I used a swimming noodle to keep them organized.
After catching some early morning bait, I fished a few hours. And after all that planning, the first fish I hooked broke my line at the knot! Awwww man...that really killed my confidence! After an unusual amount of time overthinking my issue, I determined that the 30 pound flouro section of my rig is troublesome when using a palomar knot. Thus, I tore down all my pretied rigs and redid them them all! Only this time, I used a screw driver to seat the knots with the 30 pound flouro. Honestly, I think another knot might be better for 30 pound, however, I didn't want to commit to a different knot for the tourney. In my opinion, a lack of confidence in your gear would be a killer! Thus, I went with this strategy and convinced myself I was good.
After all that thinking and thinking and thinking, I decided to go take a break and do what I love to do. Catch BAIT!!! OH YEAH!!!!!!!! Yummy..... I tell ya...when I am throwing the net, I feel like I am one with the universe. There is just something wonderful that I can't describe. The art of the throw, the meticulous handling of your bounty, bait tank care and preparation...I FREAKING LOVE BAIT! And... I love my 12 footer! Thanks Tim Wade!
After catching bait, I then wanted to try out my gear real quick and was rewarded with some confidence with this nice 34 inch fish. I muscled this puppy in so fast and hard he didn't know what hit him. Obviously, the knots held!
So then I was off to register for the tourney and socialize with all the great folks that share a common passion. Lund1, KB, StevieJayVaughn and family, Mark....to name a few. It was great seeing you all. And Gator, Arch, LBJ and Blake....what a blast and thanks for the two nights of awesome grub. Sure beats peanut butter and jelly!
Tourney morning then arrived and my partner Brock, and I set sail for our destination. Wow...those stars were something! We took a moment to look at our bait and think about galaxies and our existence and wondered if someone on another planet was fishing a tourney today. Ehhhhh...enough of that crap...it's time to fish! Let's look back at that bait!
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
I have nothing much to say about the tourney itself. It was really hard! It seems to me that everything you learn about the lake can be thrown out the window on tourney day. The pressure on the fish changes everything. Honestly, I don't feel peace when fishing tourneys. However, I will say that when you do finally land a fish and have it on the measuring board, the adrenaline is INTENSE! I guess it's good for you. We were lucky enough to land three fish all day and finished 6th. And there is no doubt in my mind that a fishing tournament is very much like a poker tournament. On any given day, luck is required to win.
After the tourney was over, I was dead.... but was able to get in a few gut-busting laughs by the fire with Arch, Gator, Mark and Mward.
Then Sunday came and after sleeping in, I was back at peace with the lake and caught some really nice fish once again! But more importantly, I was given some perspective on the importance of sleep and feeling calm and wanting to get back with my family.
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Once again...thank you Mward, Bentrod and Nathan! The mafia rocks! I'm not sure where all this is leading, but the value already gained from your tireless devotion is much appreciated!
After catching some early morning bait, I fished a few hours. And after all that planning, the first fish I hooked broke my line at the knot! Awwww man...that really killed my confidence! After an unusual amount of time overthinking my issue, I determined that the 30 pound flouro section of my rig is troublesome when using a palomar knot. Thus, I tore down all my pretied rigs and redid them them all! Only this time, I used a screw driver to seat the knots with the 30 pound flouro. Honestly, I think another knot might be better for 30 pound, however, I didn't want to commit to a different knot for the tourney. In my opinion, a lack of confidence in your gear would be a killer! Thus, I went with this strategy and convinced myself I was good.
After all that thinking and thinking and thinking, I decided to go take a break and do what I love to do. Catch BAIT!!! OH YEAH!!!!!!!! Yummy..... I tell ya...when I am throwing the net, I feel like I am one with the universe. There is just something wonderful that I can't describe. The art of the throw, the meticulous handling of your bounty, bait tank care and preparation...I FREAKING LOVE BAIT! And... I love my 12 footer! Thanks Tim Wade!
After catching bait, I then wanted to try out my gear real quick and was rewarded with some confidence with this nice 34 inch fish. I muscled this puppy in so fast and hard he didn't know what hit him. Obviously, the knots held!
So then I was off to register for the tourney and socialize with all the great folks that share a common passion. Lund1, KB, StevieJayVaughn and family, Mark....to name a few. It was great seeing you all. And Gator, Arch, LBJ and Blake....what a blast and thanks for the two nights of awesome grub. Sure beats peanut butter and jelly!
Tourney morning then arrived and my partner Brock, and I set sail for our destination. Wow...those stars were something! We took a moment to look at our bait and think about galaxies and our existence and wondered if someone on another planet was fishing a tourney today. Ehhhhh...enough of that crap...it's time to fish! Let's look back at that bait!
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
I have nothing much to say about the tourney itself. It was really hard! It seems to me that everything you learn about the lake can be thrown out the window on tourney day. The pressure on the fish changes everything. Honestly, I don't feel peace when fishing tourneys. However, I will say that when you do finally land a fish and have it on the measuring board, the adrenaline is INTENSE! I guess it's good for you. We were lucky enough to land three fish all day and finished 6th. And there is no doubt in my mind that a fishing tournament is very much like a poker tournament. On any given day, luck is required to win.
After the tourney was over, I was dead.... but was able to get in a few gut-busting laughs by the fire with Arch, Gator, Mark and Mward.
Then Sunday came and after sleeping in, I was back at peace with the lake and caught some really nice fish once again! But more importantly, I was given some perspective on the importance of sleep and feeling calm and wanting to get back with my family.
Once again...thank you Mward, Bentrod and Nathan! The mafia rocks! I'm not sure where all this is leading, but the value already gained from your tireless devotion is much appreciated!
