We had 15 boats and really pretty good conditions for our second TX of the year. My partner Dave and I started around the dam throwing cranks and rigs waiting on the generators that came on at 7:00 (supposed to) to create some current thru the canal... apparently they didn`t come on and we headed up the Tennesee to the Concord area to start. After trying several things Dave caught a couple on some nothing banks in about 3 ft of water on a homemade Crank made by I don`t know who. One was a keeper and after another small one I dug out a shallow Flatmax Bandit in the near same color pattern of white with pale Grey shading on the top.. We attempted to go back in Turkey Creek but there just wasn`t room with the crappie fisherman and all. We moved back down river looking for the cow patty pattern....flatter type terrain( ground that was too low for mansions but just right for pasture) with matching water similar to our first catches (cows seemed to be key ). Dave caught a second keeper and I caught one 1/8 short if you squeeze the tail. The fish seemed to be in the first 1-200 yards of pockets off the main channel... We moved on to another similar spot and I caught another 1/8 short which would measure 14" if you sweep the tail....Both fish were really fat...I`m getting desparate. As time is starting wind down an several more shorts between us Dave catches his 3rd Keeper (we just weigh 3 fish each for club points)....He graciously asks me if I want his plug...I said" No I`ll just lose it"....so another 10 minutes and Dave gets his 4rth keeper......I said "give me that dam plug"....we ran our plugs side by side while trolling along to check out the action and to our surprise they looked identical......lay `em in your hand and they identical in size and shape ...my Bandit had a little black on the spine....the difference was the Bandit had rattles...........we`ve got about 15 minutes left before we have to haul butt.....Dave puts a different color of the same plug on while I`m flailing the water with his plug ....and catches another just short on the first cast.....Just wasn`t my day......and it ain`t done yet....
We cut it close on time so we`re hauling water getting to the weigh `in about 18 miles away......as we come thru the canal about 70 MPH....checkin` time... lookin good about 3-4 miles from the ramp at Poplar Springs and.........
it was like somebody turned the switch off in the boat. I look at the gas guage (1/4 Tank ) and feather the hot foot trying to get it to catch and go.......Dave looks over at me in his helmet like "What are you doing"......Since I had my FishHedz on he didn`t hear me say "Your fixin` to get you A** wet"....about the time he realized it was coming the backwash hit all the way to the steering wheel.
Of course you know what`s going thru my head....BLOWN UP !! 10 year old Johnson 225 and been stupid enough to brag on how it was holdin` up lately.... Tried to crank it up and it would bark but sounded funny and weak....I told Dave to call an try to get a hold of somebody in the club to come get the fish any way while I got on the trolling motor for the slow miserable ride to the ramp.... He only had one guys number and I couldn`t find my phone which had several guys numbers....after his second try Lee answered his phone and was about 3-4 minutes behind us headed our way...He stopped and picked Dave and the fish and headed on I while went to the canal ramp.....
Dave weighs in and the comes and gets me and we go back over to weigh which is done by the time we arrive. 14 + to win ...I think second was 11+ I believe Carl Guffey had 8+ and Dave had 6.80 in his 4... I`m not real sure where every body finished for sure since they were done by the time I got my wet butt there...but I think Dave fish were 4-5-6-? ... Found out the new TX director would accept the Sweep of the Tail emoBang emoBang probably would have been second or third with the 2 I threw back....
Just wasn`t my day !!!
We cut it close on time so we`re hauling water getting to the weigh `in about 18 miles away......as we come thru the canal about 70 MPH....checkin` time... lookin good about 3-4 miles from the ramp at Poplar Springs and.........
it was like somebody turned the switch off in the boat. I look at the gas guage (1/4 Tank ) and feather the hot foot trying to get it to catch and go.......Dave looks over at me in his helmet like "What are you doing"......Since I had my FishHedz on he didn`t hear me say "Your fixin` to get you A** wet"....about the time he realized it was coming the backwash hit all the way to the steering wheel.
Of course you know what`s going thru my head....BLOWN UP !! 10 year old Johnson 225 and been stupid enough to brag on how it was holdin` up lately.... Tried to crank it up and it would bark but sounded funny and weak....I told Dave to call an try to get a hold of somebody in the club to come get the fish any way while I got on the trolling motor for the slow miserable ride to the ramp.... He only had one guys number and I couldn`t find my phone which had several guys numbers....after his second try Lee answered his phone and was about 3-4 minutes behind us headed our way...He stopped and picked Dave and the fish and headed on I while went to the canal ramp.....
Dave weighs in and the comes and gets me and we go back over to weigh which is done by the time we arrive. 14 + to win ...I think second was 11+ I believe Carl Guffey had 8+ and Dave had 6.80 in his 4... I`m not real sure where every body finished for sure since they were done by the time I got my wet butt there...but I think Dave fish were 4-5-6-? ... Found out the new TX director would accept the Sweep of the Tail emoBang emoBang probably would have been second or third with the 2 I threw back....
Just wasn`t my day !!!
