Full Report 6/18/17 Zebulon Pike Res. Snatcher Tournament

A Top 5 Finish for Swannie and I.

8:00-4:00PM Zebulon Pike Res. Mississippi River
Conditions: 58-68℉, Mostly Cloudy, Windy NW

The Day:
We ended up starting right before 8AM, thanks to a Snatcher who never showed up.  The wind was blowing on our starting spot pretty good and there were a lot of trees so I didn't start with the Plopper like I planed.  Instead I think I opted for the buzzbait and spinnerbait.  I got my first hit on the spinnerbait but it was a pike.  I then got a rock bass and then another pike.  About an hour in we went back and started over just a little before where we started the first time.  I went to the dreaded Texas Rig.  Within the first 10 minutes and before we reached our starting spot Swannie landed the first keeper of the day.  I ended up getting the Chigger Craw bit off by a pike.  I never did attempt to throw the Texas rig again.  Swannie ended up having to break off his swim jig.  We were just about to move when I got a 15" smallie on the spinnerbait.  About 5 minutes later I overshot my cast and had to break the spinnerbait off.

We ended up moving to our second area and not getting a hit there.

Off the spot #3, a shallow flat with rocks, around 11AM.  Swannie was surprized the only boat fishing there was Tim Benson who I think was 1 fish short of a limit at that time.  Swannie put on a lipless crank and caught 3 quick smallies, 2 keepers and 1 dink that had to go back.  He also caught a walleye around the same spot he got one in pre-fish.  I tried to make topwater work, but the fish weren't having it.  Swannie caught another keeper.  I had seen enough and switched to a red craw 1/2oz Berkley Frenzy lipless that I have had success with in the past in rivers.  I caught a 13 incher.  I think Swannie then caught a catfish and Tim lost a big smallie.  I got my big fish of the day, a 17 incher.

Shortly after getting that fish I cast out the Frenzy and the line broke at the spool.  Just great.  All I had left was a 1/4oz red craw Frenzy lipless.  I put a cast up by shore and got a 13.25" smallie.  Swannie got his fifth keeper then lost a good one on a swim jig.  I had a good smallie on, it would have been my second biggest of the day, and fought it to the boat.  I thought I was going to get it in the net and horsed it a bit to much and it came off.  Totally my mistake.  Losing that fish cost me 3rd Place.

With about 2 hours left we headed back down river.  I got my fifth fish, a 13.5", out of our our starting area where the wind was just pounding with about 40 minutes left in the day.  Eventually we opted to move to the western shore to get out of the wind.  I had the spinnerbait get hit by a couple of small fish, but didn't have another shot at #6.

Results:  My 5 fished weighed 7 and a half pounds, with a 2/04 big fish, which put me in 4th Place.  As you can see I beat Swannie by an ounce. Tim Benson kicked everyone's butt getting 1st with 14/06 and the 3/11 Lunker.  Fishing was tough with only two limits weighed in. Ouch!

Thoughts:  I didn't know we were going to fish that shallow flat as we barely went on to it during pre-fish.  I only had the two lipless cranks with me.  I wish I had more of them and some square bills as well.  Both Swannie and I should of had our limits.  Swannie was a great draw.  Neither of us had a clue fishing was going to be so tough.  A lost fish and one poor cast cost me.

 I am off to my best start ever as a Snatcher, so there is that.  If I can just finish middle of the pack from here on out I should reach my goal of being in the Top 10 at the end of the year.  A couple more Top 10 finishes and I should have a great shot at making the clubs Super 6 and thus make this years Challenge Cup Team.

Next Tournament: North Long on July 15th.

Snatcher Tournament Mississippi Quick Report

It was indeed a grind out there today, even worse than I thought  it would be.  The fish just weren't going.  I think only two limits were weighed.  Both Swannie and I came up one fish short.  I lost a good keeper at the boat when I horsed it a little to much. Swannie lost a good one as well.  Had either of us landed our limit we would have gotten 3rd Place.  I think I ended up in 5th maybe 6th with 7 and a half pounds.  We had one guy not show up, so there were only 14 people fishing.  I should have packed more lipless baits as I only brought 2 and lost 1.

Congratulations to Tim Benson who won the tournament and big bass.

We ended up fishing in the same general area as Tim for much of the day.  Had we arrived there sooner both Swannie and I definitely would have gotten our limits.  The fish were really going when we first arrived.

Full Report when I get the results later this week.

Bass Snatchers Mississippi River Tournament Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the 2nd Bass Snatcher Tournament of the year on the Zebulon Pike Reservoir, which is the section of the Mississippi River to the South of Little Falls.  We have only 8 boats and 15 people fishing.  Hopefully the tricks I've learned fishing rivers over the years will be enough for a good finish.  I was out there twice pre-fishing with my boater Tom "Swannie" Swanson and he was out there one other time without me.  It looks like it's going to be cloudy with a pretty good breeze out of the NW.  I hope it is more WNW than NNW just to help keep the current and boat control a little more manageable.  It's going to be on the cool side as well with temps not supposed to get out of the mid 60's. It looks like they have taken rain out of the forecast, at least for now.  Cold fronts aren't supposed to effect river fish as much and I don't foresee there being a drastic drop in river temps.

From the reports I've heard and our own pre-fishing, it will probably be a grind rather than a smash fest.  Not sure what effect the cloud cover will have on the fish.  I think the keys for me will be accurate casting and hooking/landing my bites.  Have no clue what it will take to win or even be competitive.  I'll guess a 15lb+ limit to win, 12lbs for the Top 5 and 10lbs for Top 10  A limit might be golden or not, who knows.  From pre-fish I believe a 11lb limit is doable, anything more is gravy.

I'm going to start with topwater, but swim jig, and spinnerbait will probably always be right at my feet.
If I have to go to the Texas Rig, that is probably not a good sign.

7'2" Tatula MH Braid Plopper
7'1" Tatula MH Fluro Bladed Swim Jig
7' Avid H Fluro Texas Rigs
6'10" Crucial MH Buzzbazits
6'8" Avid M Fireline Topwater
6'8" Avid M Mono Topwater Prop Baits
6'4" Avid X M Fireline Spinnerbaits
6'6" IMX MH J-Braid Swim Jig

Snatcher Tournaments Set For 2017

No changes were made. Here are my thoughts on the lakes this year,

Platte/Sullivan:  For only the second time since I have been a Snatcher we will be fishing my home lakes.  Last time was back in 2011. Platte/Sullivan has a history of giving me the finger on Tournament day.  It seems like things almost always go wrong for me out there on tournament day, especially equipment issues.  I broke off a big fish on a hook set and also broke a rod at the 2011 tournament.  I also caught a 17.25" fish that day that only weighed 2/10 on that day.  Hopefully this will be the year when things line up for me out there.  Thanks to the catch and release season I should be very dialed into the fish.  I am just so stoked to be out fishing the lakes again in the Trophy after not doing that the last few years until last Fall.  I can see me being out there every day I am allowed to pre-fish; I've got two lakes to rediscover.  Hopefully the wind will die down tournament day and a topwater bite will be on.

Zebulon Pike Reservoir Mississippi River:  This will be the first time the club fishes this stretch of the mighty miss.  I've never been on this section of the river myself either.  I believe this part of the river is dominated by smallmouth.  I know some river smallmouth tricks.  Hopefully I'll draw someone who will take me pre-fishing.  Who knows maybe I'll get up the gumption   If the fish are going on topwater I could be a contender.

North Long: This will be the 3rd time the club fishes this lake since I joined the club.  I wasn't able to fish it in 2012 due to back issues.  Pretty much every boater in the club knows this lake and Gull well.  Hopefully getting a limit here won't be difficult.

Gull Lake: Ditto for what I wrote about North Long.  This will be my 2nd Snatcher tournament on the lake and my 3rd over all.

Thunder Lake: Won't make this one due to a family conflict.

Little Boy/Wabedo:  This will be the 2nd time the club visits these lakes since I've been in the club.  We fished it at the same time of year the last tournament and I did well.  The lakes set up a lot like Platte/Sullivan and because smallies are no longer eligible to be weighed I expect frogs and toads to be a big part of my game plan. I'll be looking for big fish in this one.

Other than missing Thunder, which is a lake the club has never fished a tournament on before, I'm pleased with this years slate of venues.