Apalach 2/23/03

Post by **tin can** » February 24th, 2003, 8:07 am

We got on the water about 0930 Friday morning. We couldn't see much past the bow of the boat. The fog was thick. The tide was falling, and the fish weren't cooperating. I managed to catch 2 fish in Scipio Creek. I ran all the way to the lake Friday afternoon and found a few small fish in the trees, but nothing promising.

We were awakewned around 0430 Saturday morning to the sound of thunder and heavy rain. We wisely decided to eat breakfast and hang around the motel until around 1000. The rain stopped and we launched the boats. The water was up to the docks at the public ramp, under the bridge. I have never fishedthis area when the water was this high. We soon discovered the wind was with us for the day. My partner and I went to the back of a creek that is usually not accessable. We found fish. I told my partner I was sceptical. I felt if the tide fell out we wouldn't be able to get to these fish. So we went looking elsewhere. The tide never fell at all Saturday. There was water everywhere. This gave me a bad feeling about tournament day, Sunday.

We launched Sunday morning before daylight. The water was 3.5 feet lower than Saturday. The clouds had moved out and a high pressure system had moved in. This changed everything. My partber and I went to the creek where we had found fish the day before. We could barely get in the area we had found the fish. At 1100 I had three keepers and my partner had 1. The displacement of water, and the high pressure had shut them down. After a wasted run to the lake, we found a steep dropoff bank with timber. We fished this bank the last hour and managed 1 keeper each.

The adverse weather conditions made it rough for everyone. 6.90 pounds won the tournament. My 5.27 pounds was good enough for third place.

Ya gotta love tournament fishing.

Post by **wevans** » February 24th, 2003, 8:15 am

It was rough fishin on the Ochloknee also, one fish in two days

Sounds like ya done real good for the conditions, Congrats

Post by **tin can** » February 24th, 2003, 8:17 am

Thanks, Wevans. When I saw the conditions yesterday morning, I knew it was gonna be tough I was just looking for a bite. I don't feel bad at all with a third place finish.

Post by **CSMarine** » February 24th, 2003, 8:51 am

Sounds like a typical tounament day to me. Thats why I don't miss it. A lot of folks around Blackshear are starting to worry about the water conditions for the Miller Tournament next month. Looks like a rolling pile of mud right now. Good job TC, few folks up here on the river would have been proud to catch 5lbs this past weekend.
Speaking of high pressure, looks like that's what we can expect this weekend on the Gulf.

Post by **wevans** » February 24th, 2003, 9:03 am

Dang it CS, ya went and said it out LOUD

Now we will have A low sit right on top of us

Post by **CSMarine** » February 24th, 2003, 9:13 am

Sorry Boys. I figure that Low ought to become stationary along a line from Icky River back west to about Texas. So, I should be alright over at Warrior.