We fished Blackwater for our December tournament.  Now up to 24 active members we dominated the ramp at Carpenters Park launching 23 member boats and 5 guests.

 

Many of our members, including myself had prefished either during the week or a week or so before the tournament.  There were many ideas of where fish would be, upriver, down in the grass, Yellow river, East River and so on.  Reports had fish located in the lakes and on the river.  Pretty much a typical expectation for Blackwater.

 

We hit the water with a heavy fog, warm temps and little wind at low tide.  Blackwater is one of the few places with a reputation for better fishing with an incoming tide.  I ran upriver following Richie.  Well not really following but behind him, as we heard someone ‘kissing’ sandbars as he rounded the bends.  I arrived at Coopers basin followed closely by; you guessed it Billy, Dan, Steve, Charles and a few others.  After a few Jacks and no bass I went to one of my river spots, only to have Dan and partner follow and fish the opposite bank.  We watched his partner put on a clinic on spinner bait fishing, putting 4 nice keepers behind Dan.  I told Dan he was a pretty good net man.  John B went south and called about 7:00 telling me he had a nice keeper on a sb.  Dan moved off my hole and I moved in to go to work.  About 20 yards up the bank I hooked a nice one, tangled in a ski rope, and branches Artie showed his prowess wit the net and boated the ‘almost’ booray.  I worked on up the bank and put another keeper in on a black worm.

 

I saw John K, what a long face.  He had 1 keeper, then Wayne and Dora moved in on my hole.  We talked a minute and as a good courteous member, he moved on.  He had 2 in the boat.  We fished on with a few followers looking at our worms but no more keepers.  I went into a pocket and Artie had a couple of blowups on a frog.  With no other action I decided to try it.  Boom,  a second nice fish about 4 pounds.

 

Back at the weigh in we saw Mack, he had a limit, and several long faces also waited on the tailgate for the final results.  When all was said and done, there were 2 limits, John B and Mack, 6 also fished and several with 1 or 2.  Mack finished 3^rd with 7.46 lbs., John B took 2^nd with 8.72 lbs., and yours truly took 1^st place with 3 fish 10.67 pounds and lunker 4.95 pounds, close but no Booray.

 

All in all a good day, good weather and most caught fish.  Cliffy had no ‘confessions’ and I did not run out of gas.  No mishaps reported, although Donnie went home early sick.

 

Keep your line wet!

 

Fred