KATS Lake Decker 4/25/2009
Launch: Old Sailboat Ramp
Time Fished: 7:30AM-3PM
Weather: High in the 80's, partly cloudy. Winds 15-20MPH gusting to 25MPH SSE.
H2O: Stained. 1' visibility in most spots
This is the 3rd tournament this year, it feels just like last week when we had the first event. This one was on Decker, a lake that I had not liked too much from previous trips. Every time I've fished Decker, the wind has been no calmer then 15MPH. This would be no different. Luckily, I had been on some good fish during prefish to catch a quick limit.
We wait at the gate for the park rangers to unlock it, and we enter. We get everything rigged, as the clouds hover over us, lightly sprinkling. I launch, and go straight to my deep offshore spot, which is littered with brush piles. I start out with a Carolina Rig in the brush, and go awhile without a bite. A few anglers make there way back in the cove with me, so I toss my marker buoys out to let them know what I'm fishing. I feel I spent too much time here. I kept saying I needed to leave, but it was tough to leave a spot that produced well while prefishing. But then again, the conditions were way different too. I finally left the cove and made a paddle up the other arm of the lake, trying to find water that looks good.
I find some reeds adjacent to deep water, so I gave those a try. Right away, I hook a nice 16.25"er, my first keeper. This is an instant motivational boost. I had gone a few hours with 1 bite, and now I finally ditch my go-to spot and find a good keeper in unfished water for me. I continued down this stretch of reeds, with no more bites. I paddled up to a cove at the end of it and give it a shot, but got a lot of short bites. That seemed to happen a lot to me today, short bites that left me angered. I went back down the stretch of reeds, but started flipping a Sweet Beaver on a 3/4oz. tungsten TX-rig with 65lb. PowerPro. I get one bite that whole drift, and I set the hook. This fish stayed buttoned for a good 5 seconds before the hook came out. It was a nice keeper too, I watched all of it unfold in 2ft. of water next to me.
By this time, I feel like I have to start moving fast as I was running out of time. I go across the lake into a cove. Again, I get a nice bite the second I pull up to the spot, and this ones almost identical to the first keeper. Now, I had 2 that were over 16". I looked at my phone wondering how much time was left, and was shocked to see it was 2:30PM. I was at the other end of the lake, and head a stiff wind in my face coming back. I decided to leave now instead of a penalty for being late.
I was disappointed by my finish, but I tried hard to get a limit. That's fishing. The conditions weren't right for my deep fish, that's the way it goes.
Place: 16th with 2 fish for 32.75"
Kayak: LiquidLogic Manta Ray 12
Accessories: Eagle Cuda 242 fishfinder, 1.5lb. grapple anchor.