BigBendFishing.Net

Alright, guys, I know you're siting on the edge of your seats waiting for my report so you can plan your trip. :said with tongue in cheek:

Arrived at Wingates at 0600 to find the biggest swarm of boats I've seen in a while. There were 3 tournaments going out of jacks yesterday morning. So, I pulled my rig off to the side and went inside for a good Wingates breakfast. Launched at 0645 and headed up the Flint. The water is muddy, but I've seen it worse. About a foot of visibility. Found some clean water in a cove and fished for an hour. 1 keeper. Left the slough and went to Silver Lake. The water was just a touch dark, but not muddy. I eased around, mostly looking, and caught 3 keepers. I did not see the first bed. Usually the fish are bedded up in Silver Lake. Left out of there and headed down the Flint toward Carls Pass and two of our club members flagged me down before I got there. They were fishing the Tri-State tournament. They told me they had just left where I was going to check at the bottom end of the Hooch. They caught a limit of small keepers before 0800, and were culling. I watched one of them boat a 6 pounder while we were talking. I caught 2 more keepers Between Stinky Island and Carls Pas. I decided not to go to the Hooch, and went to the creek. The sun had come out and the fish stopped biting. I managed 1 small fish on the flats, just outside the cut. Ran back to Jack's and loaded up at 1700.

The water is nat as muddy as I had expected. They are pulling water, so it's moving all over the lake. The creek is muddy, but not unfishable. If you're headed to Seminole, the fish can be caught. But be careful. There is STUFF floating everywhere.

TC, sounds like fun.

Were these bass you were fishing for ?
Do you eat them ?

I,m almost scared to ask, but what was the "stuff" floating everywhere ?

TC, a good trip and very informative
Cran, Yes it was Bass and yes, us North Florida boys it our fish And last but certainly not least, You have heard of "don't ask, don't tell"

Cran, Yesterday was a scoutong trip for a bass tournament next week. I live release all the bass I catch. Us bass fishermen are conservationists, ya know. The floating "STUFF" was anything from hyacenth to logs, to trees. It's been a long time since the Apalacaicola/Chattahoochie/Flint river system has seen this much flow. When we get this kind of flow it flushes everything down stream. I even saw one of Papa's plant pots, and one of GS' 5 gallon buckets fooating down the river.

Dang it TC, ya gonna mess up our rep saying things like that I eat all fish that I take home, and take home all fish that I can legally keep Course I don't fish tournaments neither

Tried the tournament trail for a while. Got where it seemed too much like work to try to win enough money every month to offset the new Ranger and new Ford F150 payments. Realized after about five years, I was too poor for that sport. Went back to meat fishing. Very seldom eat any kind of freshwater fish. Too many salt water fish out there that taste better.

CS, I know exactly what you mean. If you're in for the money, you're playing the wrong game. Most of my fresh water fishing is club fishing. I fish a few money tournaments. I stay in it because I like competing. I'm competing at a level I can afford. Ya gotta wanna play this game.

I fished with two clubs, Albany Bassin Buddies, and SWGA Bass Club. I enjoyed it for a while until the money boys got involved. They would bid up eveyones Calcutta til they had almost everyone's that looked good that month. They also didn't like the purse at $50 a team, so that also went up to more than the common working man could afford to pay every month to fish. When it got to a point that some of the folks with money would take off for 3 or 4 days and hire a guide on the lake we were fishing just before a tournament, I felt like it was no longer about the competition, but simply winning. I also didn't like it when everyone up here went to buddy tournaments instead of draw. Too much temptation at the small pot tournaments.

CS, the club I'm in still has a $10 entry fee. We're a bunch of poor boys in it for the friendly competition. We don't even have a calcutta. I occasionally fish a money tournament. But, as you said, the stakes are high, and the spirit of competition is gone. I also do not like buddy tournaments. I would much prefer a draw tournament. Kinda levels the playing field, and removes some temptation. There is a draw tournament on Lake Talquin Easter Saturday. That's one of the money tournaments I still fish. I can't afford to play with the big boys, but as long as our little club continues to operate under the present rules, I'll be there.

Sounds like you are in a good club. I do miss it sometimes. I wish we still had those kind of clubs here in Georgia. I club fished for a while in TENN. It was like your club there. The competion was there, but it was not the most important idea of the club. Here in GA it's a different world. The purses have become so large it's become more important than friendship, or friendly competition.