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Found myself looking out the office window several times during the day yesterday, watching the wind try to rip the flag off it's pole and thinking that should make for an interesting afternoon. Upon driving into Mansfield the lake really didn't look that rough and actually wasn't that bad.
Ran back uplake to the same spots I fished last weekend, bee creek and areas around there. Got back in a creek and started catching fish right off the bat on the spinner bait, only had to wade through 4 fish before we hooked a keeper, but she got off right at the boat, even with a trailer hook. In a 3.5 hour tournament you can't have that happen to you, and I was afraid it would end up costing us. Turns out we missed first place by almost 5lbs so it wasn't a big deal.
Found the better quality fish about 1/2 way back into the creek, instead of way in the back (however, action was way better in the back) - Put 2 keeps on back to back casts to the same flooded bean brush.
With dark closing in on us and only two fish in the well I made a move back towards the dam and stopped in the AR bend area. First cast with the blade I hook another keep, now we are up to 3. Worked my way down a wind blown bank and made a long cast almost up on the bank. Turned the reel over and the rod loaded up. When the fish felt the hook she started peeling drag for open water and I knew it was a good fish. After a healthy fight and a few times where I just couldn't turn her without fear of pulling the hook out I gave her some line and finally got her headed into the net. Put her in the tank with an eyeball guess of a 6.5-7lb fish and went looking for number 5.
Spend the balance of the T running lighted boat docks and we managed to stick another 4 fish or so, they were all short.
Ended up with second place and big bass of 6.88.
I really enjoy the TTZ Travis tournaments. The logistics of this T (boat ramp, check in, time frame, etc) are a great fit for me, not to mention the bang up job the TTZ guys do in running the event. The River City Big Bass Pot should be a great incentive to get out and fish it, and being back on the ramp by 9:30 leaves plenty of time to drink a blue soda and shoot the bull.
Ran back uplake to the same spots I fished last weekend, bee creek and areas around there. Got back in a creek and started catching fish right off the bat on the spinner bait, only had to wade through 4 fish before we hooked a keeper, but she got off right at the boat, even with a trailer hook. In a 3.5 hour tournament you can't have that happen to you, and I was afraid it would end up costing us. Turns out we missed first place by almost 5lbs so it wasn't a big deal.
Found the better quality fish about 1/2 way back into the creek, instead of way in the back (however, action was way better in the back) - Put 2 keeps on back to back casts to the same flooded bean brush.
With dark closing in on us and only two fish in the well I made a move back towards the dam and stopped in the AR bend area. First cast with the blade I hook another keep, now we are up to 3. Worked my way down a wind blown bank and made a long cast almost up on the bank. Turned the reel over and the rod loaded up. When the fish felt the hook she started peeling drag for open water and I knew it was a good fish. After a healthy fight and a few times where I just couldn't turn her without fear of pulling the hook out I gave her some line and finally got her headed into the net. Put her in the tank with an eyeball guess of a 6.5-7lb fish and went looking for number 5.
Spend the balance of the T running lighted boat docks and we managed to stick another 4 fish or so, they were all short.
Ended up with second place and big bass of 6.88.
I really enjoy the TTZ Travis tournaments. The logistics of this T (boat ramp, check in, time frame, etc) are a great fit for me, not to mention the bang up job the TTZ guys do in running the event. The River City Big Bass Pot should be a great incentive to get out and fish it, and being back on the ramp by 9:30 leaves plenty of time to drink a blue soda and shoot the bull.
I'm fishing with you next week? hehe
