Texas Transplant
Well-Known Member
Well, returned yesterday evening from Santee Cooper and the SC BASS Federation tourney. I finished about 15th or so out of 78 anglers (34 boats). I put two in the boat; one nice one about 4+ lbs and a keeper. My partner caught 4, and lost about a 6lber near the boat.
Morning started ugly with big time fog and a delay. One of our boaters got rear-ended on the way to the lake (boat/trailer and engine damage). We got to sit around and wait till 10:15AM. Fog wasn't lifted completely by then, but good enough to venture out.
Lot's and lot's of ZERO's on the board yesterday. I think many went out trying to 'sight fish' for spawners, and it proved very, very difficult.
My partner lives near Santee in Sumter. Says he fishes about 250 days a year, and that he was 'on fish'. For the most part, we were, but really hard to catch anything, when you get second chances at scattered cypress trees.
We were in 'The Swamp' area, where the water was clear and averaged about 2 1/2 to 4 feet deep (at the deepest). He had been fishing for 2 days, and found them on individual cypress trees/stumps in this big flat.
However, someone needs to explain the following to me, for it just plain mystifies me.
First, we were fishing from a boat almost identical to mine, a 97 18' Stratos dual console. Decent boat, but let's face it, it doesn't have the biggest deck on the front, and not having the extra casting deck (which mine has), limits your movements.
'I'll get a quick limit, and then we'll put you on the front of the boat'. Well, he never got a limit, but repeated the above phrase a number of times during the day. I finally just knew that I had to find 'other targets', and fish 'behind' the boat to be successful.
He always had the boat positioned so that he got the first 'licks in', while I stood on the back patiently waiting (probably my error, but . . .). Also, since it was pretty clear water, we certainly weren't too close to the trees.
My first fish, was on a lone stick-up, that must have been 60-80 feet away. I gave it everything I had to get the worm out past that stick up, and came away with my first keeper. Then later in the day, I took my 4lber off the outside of a cypress tree, on the third cast there.
All in all, I had an enjoyable time and finished well enough. After 3 Federation tournaments, I've not zeroed as yet, and finished well in 2 of them. I get to drop my lowest score (best 5 of 6). They don't separate the anglers vs non-anglers in the standings, but I'm probably in the top 5 for the year for non-boaters. I'm going to ask if they can list by anglers/co-anglers at the end.
We threw both pumpkinseed lizards/worms, and also green pumpkin worms yesterday.
Tex
Morning started ugly with big time fog and a delay. One of our boaters got rear-ended on the way to the lake (boat/trailer and engine damage). We got to sit around and wait till 10:15AM. Fog wasn't lifted completely by then, but good enough to venture out.
Lot's and lot's of ZERO's on the board yesterday. I think many went out trying to 'sight fish' for spawners, and it proved very, very difficult.
My partner lives near Santee in Sumter. Says he fishes about 250 days a year, and that he was 'on fish'. For the most part, we were, but really hard to catch anything, when you get second chances at scattered cypress trees.
We were in 'The Swamp' area, where the water was clear and averaged about 2 1/2 to 4 feet deep (at the deepest). He had been fishing for 2 days, and found them on individual cypress trees/stumps in this big flat.
However, someone needs to explain the following to me, for it just plain mystifies me.
First, we were fishing from a boat almost identical to mine, a 97 18' Stratos dual console. Decent boat, but let's face it, it doesn't have the biggest deck on the front, and not having the extra casting deck (which mine has), limits your movements.
'I'll get a quick limit, and then we'll put you on the front of the boat'. Well, he never got a limit, but repeated the above phrase a number of times during the day. I finally just knew that I had to find 'other targets', and fish 'behind' the boat to be successful.
He always had the boat positioned so that he got the first 'licks in', while I stood on the back patiently waiting (probably my error, but . . .). Also, since it was pretty clear water, we certainly weren't too close to the trees.
My first fish, was on a lone stick-up, that must have been 60-80 feet away. I gave it everything I had to get the worm out past that stick up, and came away with my first keeper. Then later in the day, I took my 4lber off the outside of a cypress tree, on the third cast there.
All in all, I had an enjoyable time and finished well enough. After 3 Federation tournaments, I've not zeroed as yet, and finished well in 2 of them. I get to drop my lowest score (best 5 of 6). They don't separate the anglers vs non-anglers in the standings, but I'm probably in the top 5 for the year for non-boaters. I'm going to ask if they can list by anglers/co-anglers at the end.
We threw both pumpkinseed lizards/worms, and also green pumpkin worms yesterday.
Tex
