[Shannon]

We fished the Harris Chain Saturday for our second BFL tournament. I caught 4 fish for a total weight of 6 lbs. 5oz. and finished 20th, got a check for $199.00. YEEEEE-HAW! Not much weight I know, but for the cold conditions getting four fish is a plus.
I caught three fish Friday in practice for about 7 lbs. +/- all were caught in a bunch of different canals in Eustis little harris and big harris. I caught one on a lipless crankbait from BPS XPS gold-chrome/ black back 1/2 oz, it was only 13 inches. I had two fish Friday on the zoom speedcraw blackberry w/3/4 oz. t-tungsten flippin and pitching, one weighed 3.1 and the other 2.75.
Saturday I caught one first thing in the morning on a redshad senko weightless on the harris main lake weedline East side just above the Dead River. Then I got a 2.25 further South in Harris off the corner of a dock with a grass edge right there, pitching the speedcraw. Then we went back to my canals in little Harris and My partner caught three small fish in there on a junebug trick worm and I caught two more keepers on that same lipless crankbait. I lost that crankbait with 45 minutes left to go, I keep forgetting to take my homemade plug knocker.
I was kind of shocked to see where I finished, in fact I was not even close to the weigh-in when I heard my name called, I was still in the parking lot from pulling my partner out. I really thought it would have taken more weight, but I'm definitely not complaining. That puts me in sixth points wise over all, which also shocked me this morning when I went on the FLW site.
It was a miserable two days with high winds, cooler temps, and dirty water.
I believe the first place boaters side was won on a lipless crankbait, 24 = lbs. and co-angler side was won with 16+ lbs.

 

[KeithsCatch]

Ahh the power of lipless crankbaits. See man, what I keep saying haha. 8) Just kidding.

Congrats on your check. It is amazing when we fish an event and have such a small weight and feel somewhat downcast thinking well I hope I don't finish in last place or in the lower pack then to find out you either won or took home a check. Pretty cool.

I found this info out also. It seems your tournament was going on at the same time as another large tournament called the HT3 Tournament. Here is the story about the guy who won it on Saturday. He only weighed in 3 fish yet won with over 13lbs with a 8.8lb big bass: http://www.ht3outdoors.com/nav/events/239/

 

[Shannon]

I will have to check that site out a little more Keith, thanks for the info. I haven't heard of this deal yet.

 

[TampaCountryBoy]

Hey, nice job Shannon. I agree the weather was terrible last weekend. Glad to see ya cashed a check. My first BASS Weekend event this year I finished tied for 8th and took home a few $$. But I believe the $100 hotel room, the $75 gas for the truck, food and a short shopping spree at Wally World was a tad more than the check I won. But who cares - I love this stuff

 

[imonembad]

Congratz, Man you are like butter, on a roll! Good job keep it going! Now you are gonna have a killer tourney! If you have a bad tourney it won't kill you. I think that is why most of us prefer to fish tough conditions over favorable. You are doing awesome man!

 

[Jared]

Congratulations Shannon!! :clap: :clap: :clap:

 

[Shannon]

Here's a pic of the 3.1 pounder I caught Friday in practice in a canal that I couldn't make it back to on Saturday because the guy only had a 90 horse motor and I thought we would lose too much time getting there, and last night a buddy called and told me that the co-angler who won caught his 16+ pounds in that same canal, which included a 9+. Doesn't that just figure!! :banghead: |!!| There is that hind sight 20/20 for ya!

She was sitting right beside that post in the background.

 

[imonembad]

Nice photo! I wish I could post photos!

 

[KeithsCatch]

Nice Shannon. So are you a backseater in these events? I thought you where a boater in these? Do they have openings for future tourneys?

Thanks.

 

[Shannon]

Keith I don't think they do unless you get entered early there has been waiting lists for both tournaments so far because they took away the Seminole Division this year with neither divisions having full fields last year, and now there are a bunch of people who can't even get in. That is why I signed up early the first time and signed up for two the second time around.

imonem, I don't have a boat yet so back seater I am. I had to get help getting pictures from one site to photo bucket and to here, but I'm slowly learning.
Thanks everybody, it is because of the little bits and pieces of info that we share here on the forums that also helps things come around.

 

[bassass]

Way to go bud ! Keep it up and your on your way to the big show.

 

[hi steel basser]

Congrats on the check, Shannon!

 

[FISH N CHICKS]

Your canals in Little Harris that you fished at during the tournament where your partner caught fish on the Trick worm and you caught fish on the Lipless. How did you find them? Your a Non-Boater?

 

[mary dean]

Congrats Shannon! :dance01:

 

[fish4funinfl]

WTG Shannon !!

 

[Shannon]

Fish n Chicks, I learned of these canals pre-fishing with my buddy last year and fishing club tournaments there. Plus I usually try to remember as many spots as I can from fishing with different people in all the different tournaments.
Thanks everybody.

 

[FISH N CHICKS]

Wouldn't you say that would be considered stealing someones water?.

 

[Shannon]

fishnchicks, No I it isn't because we talk prior to the tournaments and they know I will only go there if my boater isn't on anything or if I know when they will move on to their next spot. We (some of us) just have open communication regarding spots and back up spots.

 

[TampaCountryBoy]

I have to agree with Shannon,

Communication is the key. Most the time other Anglers do not mind sharing knowledge on areas commonly know as community holes but will ask you protect their better spots.

Most of us fish Clubs to learn the water and share the water as well. If Shannon and his buddy jointly found water pre-fishing it made the area his just as well as his partners.

As far as fishing tournaments I have always ask permission to fish someones water when we are not fishing together. It is just flat wrong to take anyone to someones sweetspot unless I am told it is OK. I will fish last before I violated that trust.

Very few of us have the time to fish often enough to build a current pattern before a club or organized event. We have to rely on eachother to some point.

I do not see where Shannon has violated anyone trust.

Just my point of view

 

[Shannon]

TCB, you hit the nail on the head. I have a sweet spot on Toho that one of my boaters last year took me too in the super tournament (which I placed well in because of him), he told me I could go there if I needed too but not if he is sitting on it and ask me specifically not to tell certain others about it, which in turn pissed off one of my buddies who hounded me for weeks about where we were at and I refused to tell. Also I could not return to that spot the second day because of the rules regarding sharing info from your previous days partner's spots.