Going into the second day on Big Marine I really wasn’t to sure what to expect. As stated my practice was not too great and really I was just hoping to get a limit. After getting a limit, my plan was to find a way to get a couple better fish in the boat. I started out in a shallow bay full of pads and was able to put together a limit in the area within the first hour or so on my All Terrain AT jig in the new faircloth’s craw color. I had a few other matted milfoil areas located on the lake and worked my way through these areas with no kicker fish to be found. I caught plenty of smaller fish that would not help my overall weight. I basically stuck to my guns and fished shallow to whole day and in the end came up 3 pounds short of the winner. In looking back at the event the few things that could have potentially helped me was a good fish that I lost on Bald Eagle the day before and exploring some deeper water on Big Marine. However, with only 1 day set aside to practice on both lakes, I can’t complain about the outcome.
I ended the Angler of Year in 2nd place by 2 points! Had I finished one place higher in the 2 day event or had the winner of AOY finished one place lower, I could have taken the top spot. It just goes to show how all the little things make a difference when the points shake out at the end of the year. If I don’t miss the Clearwater tournament due to an overheated motor, my chances at AOY go up even more. However, that’s fishing and sometimes you need more than a few good breaks to be on the top in the end.
Since the two day event I fished the Viking invitation on Minnetonka and took a top 20 finished out of 80 boats in early October. That was a really fun and well run event where I go to spend a good amount of time in the boat with a good buddy of mine. My final club event was on Big Marine lake in mid October. I ended up taking 2nd place fishing shallow all day with yes you guesses it, an All Terrain jig.
Today is a sad day due to the fact that my boat will be going into storage for the winter. I’m looking forward to doing some ice fishing and have already had a chance to take a doe with my bow this fall. I’m still looking for that elusive buck to fill my other bow tag and will be hard at it for the next month or so.
I’ve begun thinking about next years tournament schedule already, but have not nailed down anything yet besides fishing a few club tournaments in an attempt to qualify for the state tournament next year. I may update my blog here and there throughout the winter, but the action will most likely slow down here until the spring season comes again.
Thanks for all those that have followed along this year, I hope you have enjoyed it. It was a successful season and a step in the right direction. Have a great holiday season and be well!
