The lake was devoid of hydrilla and lilly pads due to the massive weed eradication program that the state has implemented to make the lake a better place for fish and recreation. They also lowered the lake level so that the silt and decaying debris would be easy to bring up with your trolling motor and making the water color brown with about 10 centimeters of visibility. Navigation required some quick reactions on the trim, tilt and jack plate while stopping and a shift in the boat weight or balance (passenger to the front) just to get up on plane after a lengthy idle to look for deeper water. The weather did cooperate as we experienced soon light wind, clouds and temperatures from 61' o 85' along with he water temperatures from 68' to 74'. Fishing was a hi or miss proposition, as the wind shifted, clouds came and went and the number of boats in some areas increased on day one due to other tournaments on the lake.
President Bill got the weekend off with a few words about the tournament, weigh-in and a warning of low water conditions, which he experienced personally along with Jimmy Blount prior to the tournament and Rick Jenkins during the tournament. Twenty-three teams made the long trek to Harney Pond Canal but some club members traveled a bit farther to get there that others, Alan Elder traveled from the middle east ,5000 miles, on Wednesday then worked on his boat Thursday and Friday just to fish on Saturday. Don Hinman made a quick trip back to Melbourne on Friday night for a boat exchange. Everyone was asking about the whereabouts of Lloyd and Jennifer, no breakfast, Mike Calloway and William Flood along with Larry Cruce and Tim Iler who are having some medical problems along with the other three teams who are missing in action. It was a tough weekend of fishing with a few teams retiring early, but still the weigh-in proceeded with the help of Dwayne and Rick at the scales and a good crowd to cheer on the luck teams who located fish and made it to the top of the leader board.
Day one leader, Justin Neal and Justin Sonnier, cruised to their first win of the season by posting a mega bag weighing 19.89 pounds on Saturday and then they only needed five more pounds to win on Sunday but they crushed the competition with 13.03 more pounds to bring their two day total up to 32.92 pounds. Topping that off with a day one Big Bass of 5.33 pounds which Justin Neal claimed using a flippin bait in the buggy whips.
Brothers Thomas and Raymond Taylor rebounded from a Saturday total of 8.09 pounds by adding 15.91 pounds on Sunday for a 24.00 pound total to claim second place. Using swimbaits and dragging worms through the muddy waters proved to be their best method to finding bass in Lake Okeechobee. Thomas capped of their day with a 6.03 pound Okeechobee giant and Big Bass for the entire tournament. All this while being cheered on by past president and Dad Clyde along with mom , wives, girlfriends and kids. Good job boys.
Third place, only 0.28 pounds back, was Karl Kearcher who's two day total of 23.72 pounds came mostly on flukes which he said he was flippin in the grass and buggy whips. This must be a new technique that these northern small mouth fisherman are using that we have not heard about as yet.
Small Creel winners for the two day event goes to Alan Hough and Jack Spradlin, who recovered from a tough day one to post a 3.27 pound day two weight to claim the generous gift certificate from our friend Shawn at Strike Zone of Melbourne. He also donated two $50.00 gift certificates which were given out as door prizes at a drawing held each day.
President Bill thanked everyone for coming out and covered the club business before adjourning the meeting and heading back north. The next tournament will be on Miami-Garcia on April 28th. SEE YOU THERE.
