Ronnie Garrison
Well-known member
Martin - 10/14/06
Got to the lake late Friday, put the boat in to take to the crampground. Kicked a rod
overboard when I got to the dock. Last year during practice I dropped one in and
fell out of the boat trying to grab it. Scared me bad - didn’t think I would ever get
back in the boat and I was by myself. So I watched this one sink, but water was
only four feet deep. Took another rod with a big crankbait on it and brought it in
first try. Not a good start.
Helped take up tournament entry fees and then ate supper. Guys that had been there
several days said bass were hitting anything you threw and it would be hard not to
catch a 7 fish limit - kinda scary talk.
Decided to run up to point I planned on starting on to see if any baitfish present and to put in a GPS track in case it was foggy Saturday morning -
did not plan on making any casts. The sun was almost down and it was cool and I
did not see another boat on the lake until I got to “my” point. There were two guys
in a bass boat fishing it - kinda deflated my hopes. They were wearing it out -
looked like locals, wondered if they fished it every day.
The next morning I was the last one out since I was in charge today and ran to the
point - still dark at 7:10 Georgia time - but the lights on the dock were not on - it
seems to help if it is lit. I ran the point with a spinnerbait, then a crankbait. Nothing.
Did not see any bait on the depthfinder - another bad sign.
There was some fog but the breeze kept it blown away on the open water. Water
temps were around 74 but the air was much cooler - I was wearing a sock cap for
the first time this year. Breeze was not real strong - hoped it would get harder -
windy banks are good at Martin in the fall. Sky was crystal clear.
Fished that area and a nearby hump till the sun got up and missed two on a 1/2
ounce buzz bait. Ran across the river to the shady side and went around a pocket I
have caught bass in before. Missed two more on the buzzbait so tied on a smaller
one - threw it a few times but just did not feel right. Picked up a Sammy and missed
two then hooked what looked like a keeper - it pulled off halfway to the boat. Can
you say snakebit?
In disgust picked up a Tiny Brush Hog on 1/16 sinker and 8 pound line - and caught
two thowback spots on two casts. Maybe they are eating plastics. First couple of
casts with a Carolina rigged 4 inch Little Dead ringer caught a 13 inch spot - finally
a keeper in the livewell at 9:00. Not a good start.
Fished on around the cove I was in and caught three throw backs and two more
keepers. Hit one rock pile and got three on three casts - only one a keeper tho.
Out on the point I watched three guys on the next point wearing it out with topwater
- mostly poppers. Thought about trying on - turns out I should have.
Ran down the lake a little to a point with lots of deep brush on it. Picked up my new
dropshot rod - custom made by Steve Huber in Rhinelander, Wi - seven foot rod
designed for dropshotting. Northeast writer and drop shot expert Rich Zaleski said
it was the best drop shot rod he ever used, so I had to have one. Had the reel loaded
with 8 pound PLine Flouroclear, using a TTI red Standout Hook and 1/5 ounce
Mojo dropshot weight.
On that point I got two more keepers - making five in the livewell - and about six
short fish. Even the 11 inch spots fought like crazy on the light outfit - lots of fun.
They were mostly holding on a drop in 22 feet of water near brush.
Ran to another favorite point at about 11:45 and got a small keeper largemouth on a
crankbait - first bite on a crankbait. As I went around the point I noticed something
interesting on my depthfinder down in 28 feet - looked like fish on the bottom under
bait. Picked up the drop shot and landed three 11 inch largemouth - what are they
doing so deep?
While unhooking the third one wind blew me across the point. As I eased back I
saw something in 32 feet and dropped down - got a 13 inch spot. Seven in the
livewell at 1:00 - but they probably didn’t weigh six pounds!
I had said I would run up the river and look for a kicker largemouth if I got my limit
before 2:00 - it is a 15 minute run when the water is down 4 feet like normal, but
this week it was down right at six feet. Last year I lost a good six pound plus
largemouth up the river but that was the only keeper I saw up there and I fished it
for six hours. Used to be able to catch a lot of quality largemouth there but it has
not paid off for years.
I thought I knew the channel pretty good - it swings back and forth with mud flats
on both sides. I was running pretty good but decided to slow down when I noticed a
blue heron standing about 20 yards to my right. I was in the channel but it was
getting narrow.
Made it to the area I like to fish, almost to the shoals, and started throwing a DB II
to blowdowns. About the third one the plug stopped and a big fish took off. I had
the one I wanted - if I could just land it. Very strong fish. Then I realized it was not
coming up and I got a sick feeling. When I finally got it to the top my sick feeling
got stronger - it was an 8 pound flathead. Had to net it and fight to get my crankbait
back - it was out of sight in its mouth.
Fished until 4:30 and got one more short largemouth. Water was so low I could not
get to where I hooked the big one last year. At least I had a limit.
At weigh in my seven weighed a whopping 6.11 pounds. Of the 31 fishermen we
had 16 seven fish limits. Two guys had a little over 10 pounds, one of them had a
4.55 pound kicker that was big fish. Five more folks had between 9 and 10 pounds.
We paid off top six places and headed to the campgound - tomorrow we do it again
and pay back top six again.
Got to the lake late Friday, put the boat in to take to the crampground. Kicked a rod
overboard when I got to the dock. Last year during practice I dropped one in and
fell out of the boat trying to grab it. Scared me bad - didn’t think I would ever get
back in the boat and I was by myself. So I watched this one sink, but water was
only four feet deep. Took another rod with a big crankbait on it and brought it in
first try. Not a good start.
Helped take up tournament entry fees and then ate supper. Guys that had been there
several days said bass were hitting anything you threw and it would be hard not to
catch a 7 fish limit - kinda scary talk.
Decided to run up to point I planned on starting on to see if any baitfish present and to put in a GPS track in case it was foggy Saturday morning -
did not plan on making any casts. The sun was almost down and it was cool and I
did not see another boat on the lake until I got to “my” point. There were two guys
in a bass boat fishing it - kinda deflated my hopes. They were wearing it out -
looked like locals, wondered if they fished it every day.
The next morning I was the last one out since I was in charge today and ran to the
point - still dark at 7:10 Georgia time - but the lights on the dock were not on - it
seems to help if it is lit. I ran the point with a spinnerbait, then a crankbait. Nothing.
Did not see any bait on the depthfinder - another bad sign.
There was some fog but the breeze kept it blown away on the open water. Water
temps were around 74 but the air was much cooler - I was wearing a sock cap for
the first time this year. Breeze was not real strong - hoped it would get harder -
windy banks are good at Martin in the fall. Sky was crystal clear.
Fished that area and a nearby hump till the sun got up and missed two on a 1/2
ounce buzz bait. Ran across the river to the shady side and went around a pocket I
have caught bass in before. Missed two more on the buzzbait so tied on a smaller
one - threw it a few times but just did not feel right. Picked up a Sammy and missed
two then hooked what looked like a keeper - it pulled off halfway to the boat. Can
you say snakebit?
In disgust picked up a Tiny Brush Hog on 1/16 sinker and 8 pound line - and caught
two thowback spots on two casts. Maybe they are eating plastics. First couple of
casts with a Carolina rigged 4 inch Little Dead ringer caught a 13 inch spot - finally
a keeper in the livewell at 9:00. Not a good start.
Fished on around the cove I was in and caught three throw backs and two more
keepers. Hit one rock pile and got three on three casts - only one a keeper tho.
Out on the point I watched three guys on the next point wearing it out with topwater
- mostly poppers. Thought about trying on - turns out I should have.
Ran down the lake a little to a point with lots of deep brush on it. Picked up my new
dropshot rod - custom made by Steve Huber in Rhinelander, Wi - seven foot rod
designed for dropshotting. Northeast writer and drop shot expert Rich Zaleski said
it was the best drop shot rod he ever used, so I had to have one. Had the reel loaded
with 8 pound PLine Flouroclear, using a TTI red Standout Hook and 1/5 ounce
Mojo dropshot weight.
On that point I got two more keepers - making five in the livewell - and about six
short fish. Even the 11 inch spots fought like crazy on the light outfit - lots of fun.
They were mostly holding on a drop in 22 feet of water near brush.
Ran to another favorite point at about 11:45 and got a small keeper largemouth on a
crankbait - first bite on a crankbait. As I went around the point I noticed something
interesting on my depthfinder down in 28 feet - looked like fish on the bottom under
bait. Picked up the drop shot and landed three 11 inch largemouth - what are they
doing so deep?
While unhooking the third one wind blew me across the point. As I eased back I
saw something in 32 feet and dropped down - got a 13 inch spot. Seven in the
livewell at 1:00 - but they probably didn’t weigh six pounds!
I had said I would run up the river and look for a kicker largemouth if I got my limit
before 2:00 - it is a 15 minute run when the water is down 4 feet like normal, but
this week it was down right at six feet. Last year I lost a good six pound plus
largemouth up the river but that was the only keeper I saw up there and I fished it
for six hours. Used to be able to catch a lot of quality largemouth there but it has
not paid off for years.
I thought I knew the channel pretty good - it swings back and forth with mud flats
on both sides. I was running pretty good but decided to slow down when I noticed a
blue heron standing about 20 yards to my right. I was in the channel but it was
getting narrow.
Made it to the area I like to fish, almost to the shoals, and started throwing a DB II
to blowdowns. About the third one the plug stopped and a big fish took off. I had
the one I wanted - if I could just land it. Very strong fish. Then I realized it was not
coming up and I got a sick feeling. When I finally got it to the top my sick feeling
got stronger - it was an 8 pound flathead. Had to net it and fight to get my crankbait
back - it was out of sight in its mouth.
Fished until 4:30 and got one more short largemouth. Water was so low I could not
get to where I hooked the big one last year. At least I had a limit.
At weigh in my seven weighed a whopping 6.11 pounds. Of the 31 fishermen we
had 16 seven fish limits. Two guys had a little over 10 pounds, one of them had a
4.55 pound kicker that was big fish. Five more folks had between 9 and 10 pounds.
We paid off top six places and headed to the campgound - tomorrow we do it again
and pay back top six again.
