rrigsby
Well-known member
Practice for the Bama BFL started Friday morning for me and my practice partner from Knoxville. I decided to put in down river Friday morning at the Seibold ramp. Partner hooked a 4# in some pretty thick milfoil on a Yum buzz frog (black/yellow) around 7:30. One hour later he gets a small keeper flipping a hydrilla edge at the mouth of Seibold on a black/blue craw. For the next 6 hours we did not boat another keeper where we spent the majority of time trying to find a deep bite. We took out at 2:30 and head up to Goosepond in hopes of better results. We eventually came across one mat with some active fish and had 6 or 7 blow ups on a frog, but no hook ups. Some of those blow ups we were able to pitch back to with plastics (brush hog, tube, or craw) and get bit, very encouraging . My partner caught 2 fish 2-1/2# and 3# and I caught one 3# there using that technique. So, Friday I only had one fish to my partners 4, but I did find one other area to fish for the tournament. Note: I never fished my area were I caught three good keepers last weekend because I was sure I was going to start there.
Saturday Day 1, I started with a buzzbait on my main area in the North Sauty area trying for an early big bite. I missed one good fish then caught a 2-1/2# doing that. Switched to a horny toad on the next pass and soon had an explosion by a 5# that I missed but was able to pitch back to it with a brush hog and catch it. Left that area to try my mat on the other side of the river but those fish were not active so I head back to my main area. I buzzed and flipped all of that area with no success so I pulled out the big worm and went to fishing slow. I soon hooked up with a 4# on the end of a grass point. Did that for another hour and then decided to start running new water. Boy, I just could not get on a rat bite any were I went, all the way up to Jones Creek. Finally, pulled out my trusty spinning rod with a 6 inch worm and 10# test...caught my forth keeper 2#s on channel swing in about 8' of water. Back to my mat near N. Sauty. I make one pass with a frog and miss an good 3 or 4#, wasn't able to get bit with a follow up. With an hour left I went back to my main area. There, all I fished was the 6" worm on the ends of grass points. 2 minutes remaining before I had to head back I hooked a good fish. I made about four cranks on the spinning reel and then the fish pulls off. I immediatly fix my worm and pitch right back to were I just lost that fish and hook up agian. This fish pulled just like the last one...could it have be the same fish??? I soon have it in the livewell and make it back to the weigh in with a few minutes to spare.
Day 1 16lbs 13oz good for 7th place and a chance to fish on Sunday.
Day 1 leader had 25lbs, his co-angler had 20lbs.
Sunday Day 2, I started once again in my main area with a big buzzbait and small a Cutthroat 3/8 spinnerbait. My partner missed a big fish on his buzzbait. I soon pick up my horny toad and catch 2 keepers, 2-1/2 and 4#s. Back to the 10" I catch a 2#. Around 10 we head up river to my new partners frog fish but never get bit. We fished for a few more hours in other areas and partner catches a 4# on his frog. Back to my main area with 2 hours to spare I catch a 3-1/2# on my big worm. 30 minutes left I head back across river to my mat to try for a big frog bite. And, of course I had one good bite but he missed it. Could not get the follow up. So I ended the day with only 4 keepers.
Day 2 12lbs 2ozs finished in 9th place
Day 2 winner had a total of 43lbs for both days.
Day 2 co-angler winner had a total of 33lbs from the back of the boat.
The winners talked about a deep jig bite for the majority of there keepers through out the tournament. The 2nd day they said they had to catch a few keepers on a frog. It seemed like most of the top finishers were on a frog bite or a piece of one. So I would have to say the frog bite was the strongest bite going this past weekend. The deep bite is still pretty good but probably starting to fade as the water cools. The flipping bite is pretty much gone with all the mats starting to break up, atleast I never caught one flipping, other than a follow up. The buzzbait bite was fair for some, I could just never hook up, even with a trailer hook on.
Good luck to all that venture to Guntersville in the up coming weeks. There will be lots of other tournaments in these next few weekends but there are also lots of fish to go around. See you all on the water.
Saturday Day 1, I started with a buzzbait on my main area in the North Sauty area trying for an early big bite. I missed one good fish then caught a 2-1/2# doing that. Switched to a horny toad on the next pass and soon had an explosion by a 5# that I missed but was able to pitch back to it with a brush hog and catch it. Left that area to try my mat on the other side of the river but those fish were not active so I head back to my main area. I buzzed and flipped all of that area with no success so I pulled out the big worm and went to fishing slow. I soon hooked up with a 4# on the end of a grass point. Did that for another hour and then decided to start running new water. Boy, I just could not get on a rat bite any were I went, all the way up to Jones Creek. Finally, pulled out my trusty spinning rod with a 6 inch worm and 10# test...caught my forth keeper 2#s on channel swing in about 8' of water. Back to my mat near N. Sauty. I make one pass with a frog and miss an good 3 or 4#, wasn't able to get bit with a follow up. With an hour left I went back to my main area. There, all I fished was the 6" worm on the ends of grass points. 2 minutes remaining before I had to head back I hooked a good fish. I made about four cranks on the spinning reel and then the fish pulls off. I immediatly fix my worm and pitch right back to were I just lost that fish and hook up agian. This fish pulled just like the last one...could it have be the same fish??? I soon have it in the livewell and make it back to the weigh in with a few minutes to spare.
Day 1 16lbs 13oz good for 7th place and a chance to fish on Sunday.
Day 1 leader had 25lbs, his co-angler had 20lbs.
Sunday Day 2, I started once again in my main area with a big buzzbait and small a Cutthroat 3/8 spinnerbait. My partner missed a big fish on his buzzbait. I soon pick up my horny toad and catch 2 keepers, 2-1/2 and 4#s. Back to the 10" I catch a 2#. Around 10 we head up river to my new partners frog fish but never get bit. We fished for a few more hours in other areas and partner catches a 4# on his frog. Back to my main area with 2 hours to spare I catch a 3-1/2# on my big worm. 30 minutes left I head back across river to my mat to try for a big frog bite. And, of course I had one good bite but he missed it. Could not get the follow up. So I ended the day with only 4 keepers.
Day 2 12lbs 2ozs finished in 9th place
Day 2 winner had a total of 43lbs for both days.
Day 2 co-angler winner had a total of 33lbs from the back of the boat.
The winners talked about a deep jig bite for the majority of there keepers through out the tournament. The 2nd day they said they had to catch a few keepers on a frog. It seemed like most of the top finishers were on a frog bite or a piece of one. So I would have to say the frog bite was the strongest bite going this past weekend. The deep bite is still pretty good but probably starting to fade as the water cools. The flipping bite is pretty much gone with all the mats starting to break up, atleast I never caught one flipping, other than a follow up. The buzzbait bite was fair for some, I could just never hook up, even with a trailer hook on.
Good luck to all that venture to Guntersville in the up coming weeks. There will be lots of other tournaments in these next few weekends but there are also lots of fish to go around. See you all on the water.
