Congratulations to Tom Keels and Sonny Blanton

Post by **Jumptrout51** » March 13th, 2005, 10:24 am

Tom and Sonny took 1st place honors at the NFGFC Keaton Beach club tournament Saturday March 12.
Chris Deason and guest Michael Smith came in 2nd.
Steve Stinsons' team took home a check for 3rd.
Tom's team also won BIG FISH honors along with a hefty side pot.
The team of TC and Chalk witnessed the numerous fish caught by Keels and Blanton.

Post by **Chalk** » March 13th, 2005, 10:31 am

Jumptrout51 wrote:The team of TC and Chalk witnessed the numerous fish caught by Keels and Blanton.

Yeah, we watched it....Think I'll take a video camera next time and film it...We couldn't raise a keeper with our hands being held

That's why it's called fishing and not catching.....

Congrats to BigT and Sonny....

Post by **Tom Keels** » March 13th, 2005, 11:34 am

Thanks Steve and Chalk.

We got lucky and that's all I have to say. Like chalk said, we did all but let him and tin can in the boat with us and reel their baits for them. I tried my best fellas, I don't know what else I could have done.

We caught probably 35 fish during the day. Of which 6 were keepers. 21, 18, 17, 16, 16, 15.5.

The fish were caught on 2 baits. Sonny threw a CT with a pink jig and a electric chicken SWA on a 2 foot leader. I caught my fish on an 1/8 oz pink jig with a CEE Biscuit SWA that I got from Capt. Pat McGriff at the last meeting.

We fished late Friday afternoon and found a few fish to the south near Sponge point in the clearer water. My yates creek hole to the north was chocolate milk. On Saturday we went to the place we fished Friday and got 0 bites for an hour. After trying both deeper (5-6 feet) and shallower (4 feet or less), we decided to move to the SW to the area known as dogshead.

As we approached the area the water went from fairly clear to almost a milky brown color. You could see your bait down to about 2 feet, but lost it after that.

We reluctantly stayed to try it a minute, but I was not confident in the dirty water. However within 5 casts we had 2 fish in the box. I marked this spot and we made drift after drift. We caught fish on every drift. Not always keepers, but by 10 am we had 4 fish in the box, most coming on the dead low tide. The spot we caught these fish at was on the edge of a contour line where the water dropped from 2-4 feet to 5-6 feet. We found if we got too far on one side or the other of the line, we did not get bit hardly at all.

After the tide came back in to the stage it was on Friday, we moved back to sponge point and set up a drift. About the 5th cast Sonny got our kicker fish, a 21" 3 pounder that turned out to be the only bite we got in that area the whole day.

With 5 fish in the box we went North to explore. We tried our new "dirty water pattern" in several areas, but only managed one more keeper.

It was a tough day of fishing. When some of the best fishermen in the area come back with 0, 1, 2, or 3 fish, you know it was tough.

Post by **Eerman** » March 13th, 2005, 11:48 am

Congrats guys, sounds like a pretty good day to me.

Post by **Sir reel** » March 13th, 2005, 2:11 pm

Good job to everybody who went!

What were the conditions like as far as the wind and waves? Did the wind lay off until late in the day or did you have to deal with it? Sure blew here in the PM.

Post by **Tom Keels** » March 13th, 2005, 2:40 pm

Sir reel wrote:Good job to everybody who went!

What were the conditions like as far as the wind and waves? Did the wind lay off until late in the day or did you have to deal with it? Sure blew here in the PM.

On Friday afternoon Sonny and I fished in 15-20 knot winds with 25 knot gusts. By the time we made it back to the ramp it was a steady 25-30 with higher gusts. We went to sleep hearing the jet engine outside.

On Saturday we awoke to clam winds and slick conditions. That didn't last. The wind steadily built but only to around 10-12 knots so it wasn't bad at all.

Post by **tin can** » March 13th, 2005, 9:35 pm

Congrats, Tom and Sonny. Thanks for all the help.

Some days ya win, some days ya lose. Some days ya shouldn't even suit up.

pennfish · Post by **pennfish** » March 13th, 2005, 9:40 pm

Congrats on the tourney win.

Post by **qoutrage** » March 14th, 2005, 10:42 am

Way ta go, Tom/Sonny.

Nice detailed report TK.

Post by **RedMann** » March 14th, 2005, 10:47 am

Okay, that's all well and good but who won the poker game?

Post by **Tom Keels** » March 14th, 2005, 4:18 pm

RedMann wrote:Okay, that's all well and good but who won the poker game?

Wasn't me.

Post by **Jumptrout51** » March 14th, 2005, 7:25 pm

I talked to all of them about the poker game they all CLAIM to have lost!

Post by **Tidedancer** » March 17th, 2005, 7:02 pm

Way ta go, Tom/Sonny. You guys fished hard all day. I had a blast fishing with you guys on Saturday.

BigBendFishing.Net

Congratulations to Tom Keels and Sonny Blanton

Congratulations to Tom Keels and Sonny Blanton

Re: Congratulations to Tom Keels and Sonny Blanton