Ronnie Garrison
Well-known member
Ever have one of those trips when everything goes just right - every cast seems to
hit the exact spot you want it in, you never miss a strike and each fish you hook is a
good keeper and you put it in the boat? You just know which spots to fish and the
bass are on them just like you expect? My trip to Weiss was just the opposite of
that.
I got to John’s Store and Campground Thursday afternoon, got a spot and put in at
their Spring Creek ramp right at the bridge. Decided to check out the riprap since I
had caught some good bass there the same time last year. Not a bite. Ran to the
back of the creek and fished some stumps where I also caught fish last year. No
bites. Back to the riprap for another hour, still no bites. About three hours of
fishing, not a thing to show for it.
Friday morning I got up and on the water just after sunrise and hit the riprap again
for a few minutes. Nothing. Then I worked on docks, not a bite for four hours in a
half dozen different places. Went to a small pocket on the river channel upstream
of Hawg’s Den and there were Mayflies everywhere - bream, birds and turtles
eating them. By a log in the back of the pocket I landed a 2.5 pound largemouth on
a Zoom Mag 2 worm. Near the mouth of the pocket I got a bite under a dock and
felt weight but didn’t set the hook. Thought this might be a good place to start Sat
morning.
Ran up the river and started flipping a jig and pig to logs. Started around marker 84,
hitting likely looking places. Had worked up to just above marker 90 and switched
back to the Mag 2 worm and met two guys in my club going the other way. As we
talked I threw to a log, got a bump and set the hook on a 2 pound spot. Stayed in
the area until 7 pm without any more bites.
Saturday morning we started at 5:00 local time and I ran straight to the pocket with
the Mayflies. They were so thick I was afraid to take a deep breath. Lots of stuff
hitting them. I fished a spinnerbait and buzzbait around all the cover, docks, logs,
rocks on the points, no bites. Talked to a couple fishing a open tournament out of
Hawg’s Den - their first tournament. Said they could always catch a limit on that
point early - but not today. I told them “Welcome to the wonderful world of
Tournament Fishing!”
After two hours of no bites I ran to the bridge in Spring Creek. Saw a guy in the
club and he had one keeper. A kid in a small bass boat pulled in on the point across
from me and quickly caught a 2 pound bass on a crankbait. So much for no fish on
the riprap. I got no bites so I headed to a dock with brush I wanted to hit but there
was a boat on it.
Ran on up the river and it was crowded - boats running and fishing everywhere. I
ran on up past the last marker 100 - and started flipping logs. Got a 14 inch keeper
pretty quick, then missed a bass that hit my jig as I reeled it in. Looked like a small
keeper but it would have been close. It was about 9:00 now and getting real hot.
Kept flipping logs and missed one hit, then at 10:30 caught a decent 2.5 pound bass
by a log.
I fished the logs until 2:00 and with one hour left still had just the two fish. Saw
Bobby Ferris fishing several of the same areas as I was fishing - he is real good on
Weiss and everywhere else he fishes. He is in both clubs I fish with.
At 2:00 I ran down to the brush dock and caught a 13 inch largemouth off it.
Nothing else hit by time to weigh in.
At weigh -in Bobby had five at 15.72 for first and big fish with a largemouth at 5.25.
He said he caught all them up the river around the logs on jigs and spinnerbaits!
Right where I could not catch fish. Second was 5 weighing 9.72 - off the riprap. My
decision skills are really good! Third was 6.90, there were two others with 6
pounds and my 5.23 was good for 6th out of 14. We had some zeros, including one
club member who went by his cell phone time and came in an hour late since we
stayed on GA time for the tournament.
Sunday was even worse. I ran to the dock with brush first thing but got no bites.
Stayed about 45 minutes then ran up the river. Started flipping logs and finally
caught a 12 inch largemouth at 11:00 - after four hours of trying. A few minutes
later I got a thump, set the hook on a strong fish and got my heart broke when a 2
pound flathead came up. Saw Bobby several times again.
Tried some other stuff there. With 30 minutes left I was throwing a crankbait across
the mouth of James Branch cut since I saw some baitfish jump and caught two
hybrids. Then with ten minutes left got a 13 inch spot. That was it.
Bobby added five more at 10.32 for first overall with 10 at 26.04. Guy in second
added 3 more pounds and kept it with just over 13 pounds. Third was 10.52 and
fourth was 5 at 9.45 - Bobby’s partner, JJ Polak. JJ makes JJ’s Magic dip and dye
some of you may have tried. He is also president of the club.
I ended up with five at 7.17 - pitiful catch for two days. Talked with Bobby and
told him I wanted lessons - he had caught fish in the same areas I was fishing doing
the same thing I was doing. He had a little better results! Bobby said Weiss was
his favorite lake.
Did I mention it was hot. Miserable Saturday but with a little breeze, even hotter
Sunday with no breeze. Solunar Tables in my shirt pocket were soaked and ruined! I
stopped by John’s to turn in my bathhouse key and took a shower before heading
home. Nice to get the sun block off and they have a great shower, will almost take
the skin off if you turn it up high!
hit the exact spot you want it in, you never miss a strike and each fish you hook is a
good keeper and you put it in the boat? You just know which spots to fish and the
bass are on them just like you expect? My trip to Weiss was just the opposite of
that.
I got to John’s Store and Campground Thursday afternoon, got a spot and put in at
their Spring Creek ramp right at the bridge. Decided to check out the riprap since I
had caught some good bass there the same time last year. Not a bite. Ran to the
back of the creek and fished some stumps where I also caught fish last year. No
bites. Back to the riprap for another hour, still no bites. About three hours of
fishing, not a thing to show for it.
Friday morning I got up and on the water just after sunrise and hit the riprap again
for a few minutes. Nothing. Then I worked on docks, not a bite for four hours in a
half dozen different places. Went to a small pocket on the river channel upstream
of Hawg’s Den and there were Mayflies everywhere - bream, birds and turtles
eating them. By a log in the back of the pocket I landed a 2.5 pound largemouth on
a Zoom Mag 2 worm. Near the mouth of the pocket I got a bite under a dock and
felt weight but didn’t set the hook. Thought this might be a good place to start Sat
morning.
Ran up the river and started flipping a jig and pig to logs. Started around marker 84,
hitting likely looking places. Had worked up to just above marker 90 and switched
back to the Mag 2 worm and met two guys in my club going the other way. As we
talked I threw to a log, got a bump and set the hook on a 2 pound spot. Stayed in
the area until 7 pm without any more bites.
Saturday morning we started at 5:00 local time and I ran straight to the pocket with
the Mayflies. They were so thick I was afraid to take a deep breath. Lots of stuff
hitting them. I fished a spinnerbait and buzzbait around all the cover, docks, logs,
rocks on the points, no bites. Talked to a couple fishing a open tournament out of
Hawg’s Den - their first tournament. Said they could always catch a limit on that
point early - but not today. I told them “Welcome to the wonderful world of
Tournament Fishing!”
After two hours of no bites I ran to the bridge in Spring Creek. Saw a guy in the
club and he had one keeper. A kid in a small bass boat pulled in on the point across
from me and quickly caught a 2 pound bass on a crankbait. So much for no fish on
the riprap. I got no bites so I headed to a dock with brush I wanted to hit but there
was a boat on it.
Ran on up the river and it was crowded - boats running and fishing everywhere. I
ran on up past the last marker 100 - and started flipping logs. Got a 14 inch keeper
pretty quick, then missed a bass that hit my jig as I reeled it in. Looked like a small
keeper but it would have been close. It was about 9:00 now and getting real hot.
Kept flipping logs and missed one hit, then at 10:30 caught a decent 2.5 pound bass
by a log.
I fished the logs until 2:00 and with one hour left still had just the two fish. Saw
Bobby Ferris fishing several of the same areas as I was fishing - he is real good on
Weiss and everywhere else he fishes. He is in both clubs I fish with.
At 2:00 I ran down to the brush dock and caught a 13 inch largemouth off it.
Nothing else hit by time to weigh in.
At weigh -in Bobby had five at 15.72 for first and big fish with a largemouth at 5.25.
He said he caught all them up the river around the logs on jigs and spinnerbaits!
Right where I could not catch fish. Second was 5 weighing 9.72 - off the riprap. My
decision skills are really good! Third was 6.90, there were two others with 6
pounds and my 5.23 was good for 6th out of 14. We had some zeros, including one
club member who went by his cell phone time and came in an hour late since we
stayed on GA time for the tournament.
Sunday was even worse. I ran to the dock with brush first thing but got no bites.
Stayed about 45 minutes then ran up the river. Started flipping logs and finally
caught a 12 inch largemouth at 11:00 - after four hours of trying. A few minutes
later I got a thump, set the hook on a strong fish and got my heart broke when a 2
pound flathead came up. Saw Bobby several times again.
Tried some other stuff there. With 30 minutes left I was throwing a crankbait across
the mouth of James Branch cut since I saw some baitfish jump and caught two
hybrids. Then with ten minutes left got a 13 inch spot. That was it.
Bobby added five more at 10.32 for first overall with 10 at 26.04. Guy in second
added 3 more pounds and kept it with just over 13 pounds. Third was 10.52 and
fourth was 5 at 9.45 - Bobby’s partner, JJ Polak. JJ makes JJ’s Magic dip and dye
some of you may have tried. He is also president of the club.
I ended up with five at 7.17 - pitiful catch for two days. Talked with Bobby and
told him I wanted lessons - he had caught fish in the same areas I was fishing doing
the same thing I was doing. He had a little better results! Bobby said Weiss was
his favorite lake.
Did I mention it was hot. Miserable Saturday but with a little breeze, even hotter
Sunday with no breeze. Solunar Tables in my shirt pocket were soaked and ruined! I
stopped by John’s to turn in my bathhouse key and took a shower before heading
home. Nice to get the sun block off and they have a great shower, will almost take
the skin off if you turn it up high!
