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What I Did in My BassCat Boat

Ive seen people on this and other boards post their tournament journals and Ive always found them interesting. I hope you find mine a decent read as well. (I posted this first on BBC. The only thing Id like to add here is that after I found out I was going as a boater I took the day off before I left and gave my Cat a good cleaning. I washed and BBSed it and cleaned the carpet. I figure if I was going to be fishing with two non-boaters who may never have been in a Cat before, I would make sure their experience was a good one. As it was, neither had been in a BassCat before and both were very impressed. Between how good the boat looked and how well it ran, I know they both came away with a very favorable impression of BassCat. Of course, my non stop talking of how great BassCat was probably didnt hurt either.) I have qualified the last two years to fish the State Team Qualifying Tournament as a boater. I was a boater last year based on finishing first in my club for points. It was a good year but my week-end at the STQT wasnt. I came back with only 3 fish on the first day and on take-off for day two I blew my engine. I was hoping that this year would be better, after all it couldnt get much worse.This year I qualified as a boater by finishing third in points. I was looking forward to pre-fishing for the September 6/7 tournament on Champlain out of Ticonderoga. Before I had a chance to get out there, I found out things had changed. Due to rising gas prices and the overall economic pinch, five members of my club who had also qualified backed out. With no one to replace them that left only three fishermaen going. That dropped me from being a boater to a non. Feeling a bit disappointed, I decided not to go practice and just see what happened fishing out of the back of someone elses boat. Well, a few days before the T, I found out I was back in a boaters slot. It seems that quite a few other boaters statewide had dropped out and I was lucky enough to get the use of my boat back.The problem I had now was that it was too late to go practice and I hadnt fished the southern end of Champlain in ten years. I talked to some friends and my day one non-boater. I got some good information and my partner on day one said he had a good spot to start.Day one starts cool, breezy, and a light rain. We go right to my non-boaters spot. It was a flat with cabbage on it that he said held some good fish. The wind made it hard to work the spot well. After about an hour without a bite I looked across from where we were and saw a large cove that was completely choked with weeds. Thats my kind of fishing! We took the short ride across the lake and I saw the cove was full of pads and matted vegetation. Perfect for throwing on of my favorite baits, a Scum Frog.I worked my way into the cove, fancasting the frog. It wasnt long before I heard that lovely sound of a bass slurping the frog down. I set the hook and put a solid keeper in the boat. I worked the area pretty well, throwing the frog in the slop and pitching a senko into the few open holes. The cove gave up some decent fish, but I couldnt get all the way to the back. It looked really good but the weeds were just to thick to get in. After spending most of the morning in the cove I decided to hit a well known community hole that was not too far north . The vegetation there was more submergent with the occasional hole in it. I pitched my senko into a hole when I noticed the line stopped sinking. I reeled up the slack and set the hook on what would be my best fish of the day, a solid four pounder. I culled a few more times and ended up day one with almost 12 pounds. That put me in the top fifteen, not bad, but not good enough. The top twelve advance and I knew I would need at least that much tomorow to advance.Day two broke with much better weather. The wind had died down just enough and the sun came out. I knew the spot I was frog fishing held good fish and this weather would keep them in that area. I had only two rods on my deck, the frog and the senko. I was really applying the KISS principle. When my number was called I took of for my cove . Like the first day, there was no one else there. The only difference was the wind had moved some of the slop and I could get further back. The area that had looked good yesterday was now open to me and it didnt dissapoint. Within the first ninety minutes I was able to put four nice fish in the box anchored by a nice one that went 3.62lbs. The bite then died down and I went looking for my fifth fish. It took awhile but I was able to get my limit and cull a few times. I tried a few other spots then decided to end my day back in the cove. I worked my way to the back throwing the frog when it dissappeared under a huge boil. I set the hook and yelled for the net. I couldnt see the fish but I knew he felt good. With my 65 pound braid I winched the fish and the ball of weeds that he was wrapped in next to the boat. Then I got a look at him. He was at least 7 pounds. The only problem was that he was a pike. I got him in the boat, unhooked him and started back for the weigh-in.I figured I had at least as much as the first day but I didnt think it would be good enough. As usual, some of the guys that wacked them on day one faltered and some of the guys who didnt do so well on day one came in with big bags. I threw my fish on the scales and they pressed it down to almost 13 pounds. Now it was a waiting game. Those of us who felt we were close milled around, trading our stories of the last two days. When all the dust had settled I ended up with 24.68 lbs for the two days, good enough for 10th place and a ticket to the divisionals. All in all, not a bad weekend. I had a good time, found my own fish, my non-boaters were nice guys and I am moving on. I could get used to this.

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