Pre-fishing For a Tournament

By Bill Poirier

     Last weekend I spent fishing with one of our new members and a guest from Pittsburgh. I wanted to get back to Lake Reedy as we are having a tournament there this month.

     I asked, at the meeting, if anyone wanted to share expenses and do some pre-fishing. When I got two responses, it was difficult to turn either one down, so I did the only honorable thing I could think of. I agreed to fish with both of them. I was also testing my stamina for two sequential days of casting for bass.

     I had in inkling that the weather was not going to cooperate with us. How did I determine that ? It was the weather report on the weather channel. Certainly wasn't gleaned from my intelligence.

     Point is that a check of the weather before a day on the water is a good thing. Tournament days, it doesn't matter, except for being prepared for whatever the weather dictates, because we go anyway. Is that smart ? Nope, but we are macho men, and that is all that matters.

     Anyway, I will address the weather for both days now, and let you know how we did later. Saturday morning was 39 degrees and 20 MPH winds. Wind stayed up all day, but the temperature got up into the mid 50's.

     Sunday it was 31 degrees when we started, and foggy on the lake. Foggy on the way over too, I might add. We had to crawl (truck) slowly at times due to the very poor visibility. Sunday ended up being a b-e-a-u-tiful day. Temp was a pleasant 65 degrees and sunny.

     Saturday morning at 5:00AM Keith Kozelsky arrived at my place. We got to the lake at about 6:30AM. Still dark. Questioned my sanity at this point. We launched, and stayed around the ramp until we could see. We patterned the lake, and came to the conclusion that there are very few bass in the bowl. We caught a few dinks and one keeper, and fought the wind and cold all day. Never did take my jacket off. BRRRR. It was a great day on the water with Keith. Good fisherman and co-angler.

     Sunday morning at 5:30AM (insanity ?) Jim De Zort arrived, and off we went again. It was 31 degrees and foggy (wanted you to remember that). Got to the lake, launched, and took off at idle speed across the lake to our first fishing location. The GPS was wonderful. I had a "track" from Saturday, and followed it to where I thought we should be.

     When we got there, we were only about 50 feet from where we should have been. Keep in mind I couldn't see 50 feet ahead of me. Jim proceeded to out fish me. He won't be back in my boat again. I keep telling these guys, who fish with me, not to whup up on me "or else.

     Nobody listens. He also is a really good fisherman. I only got one bite, and that was late in the day.

     The only thing I can say about the weekend was that my arm didn't fall off. Saturday afternoon my wrist was aching so badly, I thought I was going to have to call and cancel Sunday. Then I would have really been a wuss. I got over it Saturday evening and felt good Sunday.

     Do you know what that brought to mind? I am amazed at the resilience of the professional anglers. All I had to do Saturday, for my next day's trip, was to plug in the on-board charger and take a shower.

     The pros have to fish hard for three days of practice, and then fish under the pressure of the tournament. They have to gas and oil the boat, charge the batteries. Re-spool reels, decide the course of action for the next day based on how they performed that day, and prepare for the ensuing day.

     Then there is the weather they have to contend with. It runs the gauntlet of bright sunny to rain to snow to wind and sometimes combinations with frontal conditions, hurricanes, and finding fish in all of this.

     I have witnessed some of these conditions, and have been frozen, drenched, both of my hairs having a "bad hair day" in the wind, but never sunburned. I always put on the SPF. Nobody needs the skin melanoma to deal with, ever. Man, I love to preach to the choir !

     Is there a moral to this story ? There is none. Go fish when you can. Have fun. Don't take yourself too seriously. Sometimes we outsmart the fish, and sometimes they get to laugh at us.