| Author | Message | |||||||||
| Picou
Wall Hanger Username: Picou Post Number: 3969 Registered: 8-2004  Rating: N/A |
Some of you know that I spent 3 years writing for the Bass Zone and then I decided to focus more on fishing tournaments instead of watching them and writing about it. Well, Mark Jeffreys called me and said there were two pro anglers who needed a partner for the Fish and Chips and asked if I was interested. Matt Reed was one of those anglers and since we have a mutual friend I hoped that would be a good fit. I got a call from Matt and we talked a while and made the arrangements to fish together. I could not pre-fish with Matt but he called me from the water both days he fished and we talked about what was working, bait selections, etc… He was having a great practice and felt he was on a good pattern that was working all over the lake. This was very beneficial because it helped me to narrow down what gear I was going to bring up to Grand Lake. I arrived at the casino Wednesday evening for registration and met Matt – I had interviewed him a couple of years ago but did not expect him to remember me. Matt introduced me to several of his friends and we talked about strategy for the week. Fortunately for me, Matt has a buddy with a trailer on Grand and they invited me to stay with them which I gladly accepted. We talked fishing and hunting for hours after arriving at the trailer and finally called it after midnight. Thursday we arrived for the poker tournament portion of the angler event with the strategy of staying in as long as possible. Charlie Hartley, who had a $500 bounty on his head, was seated at my first table – he was hilarious. Had a few FLW guys and some former Elite guys sitting with us and the cards started flying. All was going well for me until I limped in with pocket deuces in the $200 big blind position. The flop came 2, 6, 6. Randy Allen was to my left and I checked to him. He bet $400 and 2 people called so I raised to $1500 and Randy called. The next card was a 7 so I bet $3500, Randy called me again. The river was a 5 of clubs which put 3 clubs on the board for a flush draw, there was a straight draw there and I held a full house in my hand. I checked to Randy and he bet a measly $500. I called, fearing that I lost the hand by not betting more early and I was right. He had called my previous two raises with pocket 5’s and rivered the bigger boat. I was sick…. I managed to stay in the game for a while but that loss haunted me all day. You could not bet these guys out pre-flop period. I had pocket rockets (AA) and bet 6 times the blind in early position and was called by 3 players. One of them flopped 2 pair with 10, 6 off suite. Another time with pocket kings I raised pre-flop and got several callers and lost to an 8 high flush with 4 of the suite being on the board. It was brutal but I hung in till 43rd place. Matt finished in 24th for the poker tournament and our combined performance left us in 11th overall. Take off Friday morning comes at 8:00 AM and we are boat number 2. We fly to our starting location which was a community shoreline. Unfortunately for us, boat number 1 went there also – and boat number 3, 4, 6, and 7. We fished this area briefly and I was able to pick up our first keeper of the day there on a white/chart spinner bait. From there we went to another spot and I continued to throw the spinner bait while Matt threw a 100X series square bill. He quickly caught a small keeper and then 3 more short fish so I switched to a square bill also and started catching fish as well. We had 2 keepers in the boat and Matt pulls to the back of a cove and throws his square bill in front of a little dock. He landed a small fish, then on the next cast another 12 incher. He deploys the power poles and casts again which yielded yet another short fish. This went on for 7 more casts and he caught a short fish on each cast. I asked him why keep throwing there if they are all small fish and he leans back on yet another fish and laughingly states, “That’s why!” This fish was a 3 pounder. His very next cast yielded a 2.4 pound keeper and while he was unhooking that one I was reeling in our 5th keeper. We had a small limit shortly after 9:00 AM and now it was time to upgrade. Matt ended up catching 15 – 17 fish off the front of that one dock and I caught 5 or 6 just fishing around everywhere else while we were there. The rest of the day we ran the lake hitting pockets and catching stupid numbers of fish. We ended up culling several times up to our 15.32 lb limit with our largest fish being 3.24 pounds. I cannot count the times we were both hooked up at the same time pulling in fish. Matt had given me one assignment for the day – catch a 6 pounder. Unfortunately I failed at that but I did manage two 3 pounders as my contribution to the day's limit. We had a great day on the lake catching at least 80 fish with 20 or so of them being keepers. Just could not get that big bite. Coming into the final day we had set ourselves up for a decent finish by moving up in the standings to 9th place so we knew we had to at least come into the scales with another 15 pounds. Takeoff was reverse order which was a good thing because with the 24 degree start the livewells were frozen shut and we needed the extra time to get them open. Our first spot was where the ridiculous dock fishing took place. Unfortunately, they did not bite as well in there but we did get one small keeper from that cut. In the next cove Matt had already fished around and was turning the boat to head out. With the trolling motor on high I hollered at him… “Fish On!” He quickly reversed the trolling motor and I brought in a chunky little 3 pounder. After running to a few other coves and only catching small fish on the square bills we went to a cove that gave us most of the 3 pound fish on the previous day. We got to the back and Matt had picked up his Strike King “King Shad” because the big shad were thick in there. He immediately caught another short fish so I picked up my white/chart Bull Dog ¼ oz with a chartreuse Colorado over a #3 silver willow. Matt did not like the little spinnerbait and was harassing me about it when I tied it on the previous night. On my first cast to about 6 inches of water with Matt once again on the trolling motor to get out of there that great heavy feeling took me by surprise and I announced “better fish on.” Once again he had to reverse the trolling motor to relieve the extra 101 ft lbs of pull. While I was bringing the fish in he asked what I was throwing and I just said, “You don’t want to know.” He laughed and responded with, “Is that the ugly spinnerbait?” Grabbing the fish and getting it in the boat Matt laughed and said, “You can keep throwing that ugly bait if you put a limit in the boat!” Well, that ugly little spinnerbait finished out our limit and culled once for us. I ended up catching 2 more keepers under the same conditions – Matt with the trolling motor on high trying to leave a spot after I just made a long cast back into a pocket. After a while, Matt started calling out to me, “I’m gettin outa’ here, make that cast!” Eventually, Matt caught our second and last cull on the King Shad around 2:30 PM and from then on it was just short fish. It was most definitely a tougher day of fishing and we boated maybe 30 fish for the day with only 7 of those being keepers. Once again, we could never get the “big bite”. And just as the previous day, I could not manage a 6 pounder but I did have that in 2 of my keepers we weighed. We showed up at weigh in fully prepared to have failed at our mission of at least maintaining position. We weighed in 12.52 lbs for the second day of fishing and much to our surprise it was even tougher for most of the field than we had experienced. We moved up to 8th place in the overall standings and received a check for $1500 for our efforts. Matt’s good friend Terry Butcher and his partner secured the overall win for $20,000 with their consistent fishing and strong poker playing. They were fishing the same pattern as we were but managed better keepers having 16+ pounds the first day and 17+ the second day. That combined with them finishing in the poker in the top 20 solidified the victory. The last day of the event was the “Main Event” poker tournament. All of the anglers were already registered and it was open to the public for a $225 buy in. We ended up with 238 entries and the prize pool was close to $50,000. The payout went down to 36th place and all that was left was to play cards. I played as best as I could and just got drawn out on too many hands. Thinking back, there are a few things I would have done different in the main event but not many. I just did not get the cards and when I did get cards my opponents would catch the cards he needed to beat me. The fitting end for me was when I was short stacked with $3600 in chips. Blinds were $600/$1200 with a $200 ante. I was two positions away from the big blind hitting and I got big slick (AK). I went all in and the big blind called me – rightly so. He had A 9 off suite and caught a 9 on the flop. The turn gave him another 9 and it was all over for me. I finished 114th or so and headed back south. Matt had been knocked out of the tournament an hour or so earlier and was already on his way back to Madisonville. So, all in all, I had a great time. I learned a lot from Matt and all the others. I was given a very informative lesson on hook sets from Boyd Duckett. Got to hang out with a great bunch of anglers and caught a ton of fish. The bonus was getting our entry fee back. We both know we could have finished better because both days we lost a 4 pounder at the boat but that is fishing. I look forward to spending more time with the square bill and attempting to apply what I learned around here. I have thrown square bills for years but never really had a lot of confidence in them there for never put much effort into them – never truly understood the “when & where”. Well, that is part of the past and now I will not hesitate to pick one up when the time is right. I had also reached the point that I did not like throwing spinnerbaits anymore but that was reversed this weekend as well. I still have a bunch of the Bull Dog heads and I will be re-painting them before spring. I want to thank Dru & Mark Jeffreys for the call, Matt Reed for all the lessons and putting up with me all 4 days, and Shawn Manord <sp?> for the place to sleep and hospitality. This was one of those “once in a lifetime” deals that I am glad to have been a part of. I don’t know if I will get the chance to fish it next year but if the opportunity arises I will be there in a heartbeat.  Thank you Lord for my family and the waters I get to fish
| |||||||||
| Spiderman15
Minnow Username: Spiderman15 Post Number: 22 Registered: 9-2010 Rating: N/A |
Good Job Mike! Sounds like alot of fun. Don't know how to play poker so I would have started the fishing in last place. | |||||||||
| Ozziefish
Lunker Username: Ozziefish Post Number: 1720 Registered: 8-2004  Rating: N/A |
wow very cool...Matt s a great guy and one heck of a fisherman. Good for you PQ!! OzzieFish "Glory to GOD in the Highest" www.visionlure.com www.doublezzcustomlures.com | |||||||||
| Redskeeter
Moderator Username: Redskeeter Post Number: 1178 Registered: 8-2007  Rating: N/A |
Yeah, --- Very Kewl.. Nice write up PQ, we're proud of you brotha. !!!!! KBD Fishing | |||||||||
| Elderoz
Minnow Username: Elderoz Post Number: 80 Registered: 4-2009  Rating: N/A |
Thats a great recap PQ - Good poker talk , bigger houses, evil rivers, and no fold-em hold em'. Sounds like a lifetime experience. Did you go all "Helmuth" on the guy with the fives? ha! If you could have the full house hand back to replay, or the 4 lb fish back on the hook-~ I wonder, which would it be? | |||||||||
| Picou
Wall Hanger Username: Picou Post Number: 3971 Registered: 8-2004 Rating: N/A |
Well, both 4 pounders that were lost were on Matt's line so I would probably take the full house hand.  In all honesty, there is little we could have done different on those fish. They were both short line strikes and both were barely hooked on the rear treble. I sure thought about getting up and cussing like Helmuth. I did throw down my dueces in disgust and spouted out, "UN_FREAKIN BELIEVABLE!!!! YOU CALLED ALL THAT WITH POCKET 5s??????" I think the biggest mistake I made was letting that hand make me be over cautious. I was afraid to bet top pair from then out. Thank you Lord for my family and the waters I get to fish
| |||||||||
| Picklefork
Bluegill Username: Picklefork Post Number: 237 Registered: 12-2009 Rating: N/A |
You did good Picuo.....it's not like you do that every day.....hind site 20/20. Gongrats....you should be proud of yourself..... | |||||||||
| Tomc
Bass Username: Tomc Post Number: 709 Registered: 12-2006  Rating: N/A |
Great write up Mike and even better job in OK. Congrats on a super weekend Thanking the Lord, all day long --- tomc | |||||||||
| Dru
Crappie Username: Dru Post Number: 554 Registered: 2-2005  Rating: N/A |
Nice job Mike. Glad you had fun. BassZone.com  
| |||||||||
| Ozziefish
Lunker Username: Ozziefish Post Number: 1725 Registered: 8-2004 Rating: N/A |
Square Bills do work...but Spinnerbaits are for fags...;) OzzieFish "Glory to GOD in the Highest" www.visionlure.com www.doublezzcustomlures.com | |||||||||
| Picklefork
Bluegill Username: Picklefork Post Number: 242 Registered: 12-2009 Rating: N/A |
Your startin' to freak me out Oz.....you have some how melded' with zeetard......the stars are alligned bizzarly or sumpin'...............LMAO..hahahahaha.......... | |||||||||
| Picou
Wall Hanger Username: Picou Post Number: 3974 Registered: 8-2004 Rating: N/A |
LMAO O'Zeeter....... Thank you Lord for my family and the waters I get to fish
| |||||||||
| Elderoz
Minnow Username: Elderoz Post Number: 82 Registered: 4-2009 Rating: N/A |
ya know - When Rick was young, probably about 12 years old, during his CB radio days, before his "white guy afro" years - he said to me- "When I grow up, I want to be a bass fishing board provocateur" (Thats how he used to talk in NY btw.) Now look at him,  | |||||||||
| Ozziefish
Lunker Username: Ozziefish Post Number: 1726 Registered: 8-2004 Rating: N/A |
That's what happens when you drink 60 Pacifico's  OzzieFish "Glory to GOD in the Highest" www.visionlure.com www.doublezzcustomlures.com | |||||||||
| Nyyankee
Bass Username: Nyyankee Post Number: 850 Registered: 8-2008 Rating: N/A |
Hey dat look like NY waters bros. Repeat after me Texas schooled dimwits TO-POG-RAPH-Y = not flat above sea level...ex. hills, mountains etc. | |||||||||
| Elderoz
Minnow Username: Elderoz Post Number: 83 Registered: 4-2009 Rating: N/A |
Not NY- guess again  | |||||||||
| Redskeeter
Moderator Username: Redskeeter Post Number: 1181 Registered: 8-2007 Rating: N/A |
Mexico.... KBD Fishing | |||||||||
| Picklefork
Bluegill Username: Picklefork Post Number: 244 Registered: 12-2009 Rating: N/A |
Looks like wearphuquearewhe mehico...jeeeze. | |||||||||
| Nyyankee
Bass Username: Nyyankee Post Number: 880 Registered: 8-2008 Rating: N/A |
write a book and call it boring. |
