Fred Raby

"Fred's Club Report"
Covering The Panhandle Bass Club
Email fpraby@cox.net

~2006 ~

Panhandle Bass club fished the Tensaw Delta for our December tournament out of Cliffs Landing.
We were met at the ramp with two other tournaments one with 10 boats and the other with about 30, needless to say our 18 made launching a task. The brisk temperature of 31 degrees and a forecast of 10 mph winds had everyone bundled and ready for that first run.

We blasted off without incident, and as usual about half went north half south. I hit some of my closer spots early without success then ran further south to the grass. I saw John Buck near one of my holes and I moved in. I found fish on a shrimp colored spinner bait immediately and put 3 in the boat. Then I saw Lee Brannon headed down to where John was, a little later Mack Cramer also ran down the river headed further south. I talked with John and he had one nice one in the boat but it had been slow for him. I continued working the spinner bait followed with a craw to put two more keepers in the boat when John called me and said Lee had found the sandbar north of Gamewarden.

It must have been around 11:00 am. I gave john some rope to go help Lee and I moved out on the main river where I hooked up with a big something but could not get it in. Around 1:00 I went to check on John's progress with Lee. I found Lee standing in almost ankle deep water knitting ropes together with a local duck hunter. I apologized for not having my camera! They finally finished their macramé and John started pulling…SNAP the ropes broke and boat did not move. I offered to help but there was nothing I could do other than moral support so I moved on to find my limit.
John said they finally got the boat off with the help of the incoming tide, the duck hunter,
and some more macramé after another 45 minutes or so.

I found number 7 and decided to run north to see if I could improve my weight with a bigger fish.
I saw several other people, Billy Blackwell, Mitch Gardner, John Kasic and Mack they were all struggling. I ended up catching 19 keeper bass and 2 flounder and squeezed out 3rd place. Peter Potter also had a limit for 2nd and Frank Kelly (yes, I said Frank Kelly brought in the winning stringer with 7 fish for 10.34 pounds from McVay on soft plastics. John Buck took lunker with 2.55.
Everyone caught fish! The numbers all came from the south and most were caught of junebug worms. How's that for a different pattern!?

Next month same place, good luck and Merry Christmas.

Keep Your Line Wet!!
Fred