Blown Chances on a Tough Day

 Saturday (04/27/2013) was the Lake Travis stop of the Kayak Angler Tournament Series.  And...well...it was just not my day.


I arrived at the park where the tournament was being held at around 5:50 am; I drove around inside the park for 35 minutes, just looking for everyone.  The worst part was that it should have taken me 5 minutes, and...I had been there before.  Anyway, I got there, registered, and launched (albeit 15 minutes after everyone else.)

Anyway, the bite was slow...just like Lake Travis always is for me.  But it was slow for everyone else I saw on the water as well.

I fished the first 6 hours with 1 fish, but it was only 9 inches, and didn't count toward my stringer.  I continued to switch baits; crankbaits, jigs, soft-plastics, changing colors, changing size, changing depths.  Everything to try to catch a fish.

At about 1:00 pm, I remembered that I had some new jig/shaky head hooks that a Jackson Kayak Fishing teammate, Rich McDade from Arizona, made for me to try out.  I rigged one up with a 4" Double Tail Hula Grub (watermelon w/black flakes) from Gary Yamamoto.  I tied it onto a spinning rod with 6 lb test fluorocarbon line, and cast it alongside a steep limestone wall.  I just let the lure drag down the wall, and bam...fish on.

It was a short fish, but it was at least something.  Five minutes later, another short fish.  I though, "alright!  Maybe I am on to something now!"

I continued down the cliff, and picked up one more short fish.  But hey, that was 3 fish in 20 minutes, so I stuck with the pattern.  I moved to the next steep cliff face that I could find and did the same thing.  I missed a hook-set on a fish.  Then a couple cast later, set the hook and pull in a 15 inch largemouth.  Nice!

My pattern is working.  Alright, now if I could just land 4 more keepers in the last hour and a half.  Two casts later, I set the hook on a nice size bass.  I landed it, got it on the board to take a picture and...

...heartbreak.  The fish flops of the board and into the lake, just as I am snapping the picture.  I somehow managed to catch a shot of the fish just as it was hitting the water.  I lost a 16.5 in fish.  Heartbreak.

About 5 minutes later, I set the hook on another 16-17 inch bass and as I am reaching in with the net, the hook pops out and the fish isn't landed.  Devastation...

I stick with my pattern though, and catch 6 more bass, 2 of which are keepers.  Giving me 3 keepers.

I should have had 5 fish (on a day when only one angler landed a 5 fish limit.)  I should have had 76 inches.  I should have finished 2nd...but I placed 12th instead.  On tough bite days, days when you might only get 5 keepers to bite, you need to take care of business   I didn't.  I lost two fish.  I blew my chances.

But, on the bright side.  I was able to move up from 21st, in the overall season standings, to 18th.  I went from being on the outside of the 2013 Classic bubble to being in a qualifying spot.  A good showing at Canyon Lake next month, and I have a chance to move up even further.