fishfnatic
09-03-2012, 12:58 PM
Made plans earlier in the week to hit up the Vine with Patrick, my brother in law (Jason), and Mom. We reserved a pontoon for the first time since there were more then 3 people. Even with 3 people a little john boat can get crowded so 4 is a definite no go. Go to the lake at 5:00 or so. Met up with TS and talked a while before we got on the water. Thanks so much TS you're a very kind man. After talking to TS hit up the tackle shop to pay fees and get some mackerel. Got to the counter and I ran into an old dilemma, enter the tournament or not. I have an amazingly bad record at these tournaments. I've entered 6 and have never placed. My Mom is a gambler she told me to roll the dice, so I did. In reality I was probably going to enter anyways ;). After we leave the tackle shop I decide to look at my entry number. I laughed when I was it was number 57. Jason pulls up with the pontoon, docks we load up the stuff and head to the spot.
Jason hooks up on a couple of quick fish. Mom and I are getting skunked. Sun goes down, and just like the lake I love the bite opens up. We start catching fish left and right. Get a phone call from Patrick. He was supposed to meet us after work at 7:30. He breaks down on the freeway :/. He never made it to the lake. The bite was steady through out the night. Unfortunately they were very small fish maybe 1, 1 1/2 lbs. Getting close to my limit I started to get a bit anxious. My mom hooks up with a solid 4 1/2 lbr on camera (50 seconds into VineVideo KOC video) and finishes off her limit first. The boat pulled away after a few tangles with our lines >.>. Bite completely died. Jason is sitting at 4 and I have 3. Around 11, I get hit. Start fighting it and it feels like a beast. Problem was a weed bed stood between me and the fish. It was hooked on 30lb braid with a 15lb mono leader. Fish pulls drag several times. Either the fish was a monster I couldn't get off the bottom or it wrapped me around a log, I will never know but the knot to the hook popped when I held the line to try and gain some ground. What a bummer. In short order I land a 1/2lbr after that. One fish left and nothing close to 2lbs lol. Last fish of the night bites, luckily it wasn't by the weed bed. Boat it 4.75lbs. That was it for me. Jason is still waiting for his limit. He finally lands a nice 3lbr at just about midnight. With three limits complete we pack up and head to the scales.
I knew my fish had a slime chance of place. So I was a bit optimistic. The guy who weighed in right behind me hit the blind bogey with a 4.70 so I knew I had 1 person beat... barely.
When all is said I done, I ended the night in 12th place. Right ahead of the blind bogey winner. 2 people in the top 10 previously qualified for KOC. Some how the stars aligned and I am going to KOC! So excited. I like to credit the number 57 with this by a nose entry lol.
P.S. Looking for a partner for KOC.
Jason hooks up on a couple of quick fish. Mom and I are getting skunked. Sun goes down, and just like the lake I love the bite opens up. We start catching fish left and right. Get a phone call from Patrick. He was supposed to meet us after work at 7:30. He breaks down on the freeway :/. He never made it to the lake. The bite was steady through out the night. Unfortunately they were very small fish maybe 1, 1 1/2 lbs. Getting close to my limit I started to get a bit anxious. My mom hooks up with a solid 4 1/2 lbr on camera (50 seconds into VineVideo KOC video) and finishes off her limit first. The boat pulled away after a few tangles with our lines >.>. Bite completely died. Jason is sitting at 4 and I have 3. Around 11, I get hit. Start fighting it and it feels like a beast. Problem was a weed bed stood between me and the fish. It was hooked on 30lb braid with a 15lb mono leader. Fish pulls drag several times. Either the fish was a monster I couldn't get off the bottom or it wrapped me around a log, I will never know but the knot to the hook popped when I held the line to try and gain some ground. What a bummer. In short order I land a 1/2lbr after that. One fish left and nothing close to 2lbs lol. Last fish of the night bites, luckily it wasn't by the weed bed. Boat it 4.75lbs. That was it for me. Jason is still waiting for his limit. He finally lands a nice 3lbr at just about midnight. With three limits complete we pack up and head to the scales.
I knew my fish had a slime chance of place. So I was a bit optimistic. The guy who weighed in right behind me hit the blind bogey with a 4.70 so I knew I had 1 person beat... barely.
When all is said I done, I ended the night in 12th place. Right ahead of the blind bogey winner. 2 people in the top 10 previously qualified for KOC. Some how the stars aligned and I am going to KOC! So excited. I like to credit the number 57 with this by a nose entry lol.
P.S. Looking for a partner for KOC.