The club continue to improve, as twenty-nine teams arrived at Leroy Wright Recreational Area boat ramp on Sunday morning the 27th, to test their skills against the lake and the other teams. We even had another fishing team ask to join us but the roster is full for this season. President Karl Kearcher and V-P Buddy Perry were busy doing their respective duties with the arriving teams. Treasurer Jack Berry collected the appropriate fees and registered the participating teams along with any alternates and making sure that everyone has their starting boat numbers. The morning weather was a pleasant change from the rain and wind that has been hitting the area for the past few days. It looks like another fine day to be fishing on the lake. The boat ramp was very crowded, as expected, with the limited boat docking space but everyone found a place to wait out the time until sunrise and the call from President Karl to " GO". The teams spread out over the lake and the north and south St. John's River basin to search out the elusive bass they would need to be successful at the end of the day. President Karl brought everyone together for a safety talk and reminder of the no wake zone at the bridge and Lone Cabbage Fish camp and the need for caution on the curves while running the river. All that being said, the tournament began at seven am and the weigh-in to begin at three pm.
First place was claimed by Bob Barnette and Tom Southwick, who returned with a 14.82 pound limit. Their limit was topped off with a 4.06 pound big bass. Bob and Tom anchored at their one spot in the south river and stayed there al day, which proved to be the right call. As usual, they used trick worms and sometimes a speed worm to catch their limit and fished very slow and deliberate just like they always do.
President Karl Kearcher and Brian Davidson took second place with a solid limit weighing 13.24 pounds. They ran down river past Lake Winder to find their fish in the canals and small cuts off the main river. Flippin small patches of weeds and hyacinths, where they could find moving water, proved to be their best technique and sweet beaver baits accounted for the limit. A limit that was anchored by a solid 3.49 pound big bass.
Third place went to Keith Braun and Cliff Semonski, who flipped creature baits around the knuckle grass and cane grass to account for their limit weighing 12.61 pounds. They fished on the windy north shore line all day for their limit which included a 5.99 pound big bass but just like last month it was the second largest of the tournament.
Fourth place was claimed by Fred Reid and his alternate partner Brandon Chamblis, who used some recent tournament information to move just north of the launch ramp to Lake Rose and proceeded to catch a good limit weighing 12.33 pounds. They reported that flukes and swimbaits thrown up near the grass edges accounted for their limit which was capped off by a 3.55 pounder.
Truman Patterson made the best of a one bass day by landing a giant Lake Poinsett largemouth which tipped the scales at 7.93 pounds and claimed the Big Bass of the Year. He reported that a senko was the bait that tricked her into bitting. Tommy and Tom Gates received the small creel award with a single bass weighing 2.30 pounds. The fourth place and small creel award was donated by our tournament sponsor at Strike Zone of Melbourne, Shawn Mecchella, who again showed his generosity and continued support of the club. Be sure you drop by and check out the store and let him know we appreciate his support.
Our next tournament will be at Lake Istokpoga on the 24th of November out of the 98 Boat Ramp.
