Tournament weekend

[MOSPARKY]

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It was a flathead weekend. We had a great time. weather and conditions sucked. The river was at 23 ft and rising, big storm blew in. Plenty hot.
 Tourney started at noon on Friday. We had a friend come out a couple weeks ago with a high end fish finder and help locate some likely holes. We set lines about 1 o'clock without baits just to reserve spots but not waste bait.  About 6, we baited up. I got sunburnt all to heck and chills set in, so I slept thu the overnight rebait. They got one out of 10 lines caught in the prop and cut it. Dang that was a good set, too. I got out with them at 8 o'clock to pull the lines. I felt so much better. We got a couple 20 plus pound Blues(not eligible) and a good 20 pound Flathead and another smaller flat on that run. In total we had 2 Flats about 18-20 lbs and 4 smaller ones for a total of 45 lbs. Just barely out of the money.
 Just like last year, our total catch was just shy of the big fish, which tipped the scale at 48 lbs. Biggest total catch was 193 lbs.
 We had a great time, made a few new friends and consumed copious amounts of adult beverages including a strange liquid in a simple unassuming mason jar of unknown origins.  That was sure good. Took every bit of my will power not to chug it all. But had to share, so a healthy swig and pass it on.
 We learned alot and plans are already being made for next year.

[John Andrews]

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  Nice going, MO! Make practice runs every weekend to be in shape for next year's contest.    It is important to partake of snake bite prevention.

You have some great eating, MO! I had one good flathead pole and line fishing day. I was using cut bait, cut up drum locally called perch. The flatheads really slammed the cutbait. I wasn't having any luck, was just catching perch. So, I cut one up and the flatheads went wild on it. I was fishing the Mississippi River close to home.

[MOSPARKY]

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We were on the Mississippi. Pool 25. I tried to talk them into cutbait, but they didn't want to bait up till near dark. The concencus is flats will take cut bait during the day, but the big boys come out at night and will take live bait best.
 Rod and reel was the one method we couldn't use. We were going to use some cut bait on a shor line tied to the dock, if we had carp jumping in the boat, Amazingly none did. Didn't see many jump at all. We might have had a bait shortage going on as well. Not much left after one rebait. Might explain why we waited so late to set hooks on the lines. Last year they spent a small fortune on goldfish. This year I think they got 5 dozen, they rest was blue gill from pond traps.
 Plans are already in the works for next year. Talking about digging a small holding pond for trapped bluegill so we can stock up a bit before tourney time.
 Shame I only get weekend days off on special occasions, or I'd dang near live up there during the summer. As is I work pretty much 7 days a week so vaca is it for me. But things are always subject to change. I could be forced to live there due to unfortunate circumstance or job could change, who knows. Maybe the wife will win FY $ on lottery.
 Next year the rules change as well. It will be your 100 best sets, 100 best baits. No rebaiting. Folks are running all night then too tired for the fish fry after last weigh in. So set'em once and pull them before weigh in.
 SIL will be fishing several more weeks yet, so he might find more honey holes, technics or baits. Gotta remember a couple of the compitition have or have had commercial licences, so they have spent all day, everyday on that river, for along time. We aren't going to catch up, fishing a couple weeks before the tournament.

[John Andrews]

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If you can get in some practice time, try some bullheads for bait. I have caught some nice ones using bullheads. They like 3 nightcrawlers on a hook, too. Last year I had a great flathead day using 3 crawlers on the hook and they outfished everything else.  Two nearby guys were using bluegills and only caught only 1 fish that weighed about 3 or 4 pounds. We were anchored on the downside of an exposed wingdam, right against the dam.

If you can catch some really big creek chubs, you will be in the honey, too. A small hook with a little bit of worm works great for big chub bait.

I bet a lot of the contestants are using river baits caught with castnets. I don't use one but am considering buying one.

[bohicajuan]

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I think what you need to do is get BC to come down there and you can let him go noodling for those big catfish. BC knows all about sticking his hand into old logs and overhanging structure. It's okay if a big snapping turtle bits off one of BC's fingers too, because BC is hard core and will just keep on noodling. If he gets bit by a cottonmouth, just give him a swig of that adult beverage and put him back in the water.
If he has to go under water to find the fish, don't worry, because BC can hold his breath for a good 10 minutes or more!
 
 
 
 
 

[John Andrews]

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Yep, he's tougher than an old gator!    We could float a water hose so he could have plenty of air and not even have to come up for air. He could stay down for hours. 

[Ks_Sniper]

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I surely do wish we had blues and flatheads out here in Utah. I'm stuck with a bunch of these planter trout, for the most part.

[John Andrews]

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I surely do wish we had blues and flatheads out here in Utah. I'm stuck with a bunch of these planter trout, for the most part.

Yeah, but great trout fishing in Utah! I fished and hunted in Utah for several years, was great.

I caught a 14 Lb drum (perch) yesterday evening near home. It put up a good fight. It is now cut up into cutbait and in the freezer. They are considered trash fish by most here but are great eating when caught in cold water during winter.