my true fishing story

ok, here is my story. This is from the BASS federation championship on lake st. clair in 2005. i was fishing the st clair river in early september. it is a 2 day tournament, where your weight carries over to the second day.

I had a terrible first day of the competition. I only caught 7 keeper bass all day long, with my best 5 weighing only 13 lbs. I lost 3 nice keepers right under the boat, and numerous keepers on the hookset. My non-boater only boats 6 keepers all day long, and weighs in 18 lbs even. I could not get a big bite that day to save my life. So, going into day 2, i was in 31st place.

I knew where the big fish were, i just needed to get the right bites on day two to make the state team. My strategy was to stay there all day long, no matter what, because i know the fish will turn on and off, so i just need to wait them out.

Well, with just over an hour left in the tournament, i have 2 keepers in the boat (one 14" and a 3 lber) and my partner has 4 that go 11 lbs. I finally gave up on this spot. i knew i needed a limit to have a chance, and i didn't think i would get it out of this spot, so i moved to a spot that usually only holds small keepers, and i just wanted 3 to fill my limit.

In the first minute at this spot, i hook a nice keeper, and my partner grabs the net. the fish comes to the surface, and my partner nets the fish as my hook comes out of its mouth, that was a close one!!! i fish this spot for the next hour and fifteen minutes with no more keepers, but lots of 12'' fish, so i don't leave, hoping the bigger ones will bite eventually. they don't.

it is 3:35 and i need to go back to the launch, but i can stay a few more minutes if i push it to get back. so i stay and make a drift in the middle of the shipping channel. instantly i get a bite, and miss the fish. 2 minutes later, i hook a good keeper, get it to the boat, and it jumps about 2 feet in the air, spits my tube, and lands in the net my partner had stretched out,,, VERY lucky fish #4 of the day!!!! it is a 3 1/2 lb fish.

2 minutes later, i get a 4 lber in the boat. well, i have 5 fish now, but one dink 14'' in the boat i need to cull. i am still right in the middle of the shipping channel, and i notice a freighter coming right at me about 200 yards away. i tell my partner we need to move out of the ships way, and try one more pass at the fish.

my partner starts reeling up his line, and just as i am starting to reel up my line, i get another fish on!!!! it is another good one. the ship blows it's horn at me to move, but i can't, i'm fighting a fish. the ship is about 50-75 yards away from me when i land the fish, another 3 1/2 lber, i am holding the fish in my hand, trolling motor in the water, and i get my life jacket on me and my partner, crank the big motor, and move out of the way just in time.

i cull the little fish, and i now have about 17lbs, which is about what i thought i needed to make the team. it is now 3:40, ten minutes past when i wanted to leave, so i push it to make it back. right when i am going from the river into the north channel, i hit a wave that came out of nowhere, and i pop up in the air, my rod locker opens up, throwing a rod into the lake. well, that one is gone i said, and pushed the boat harder to make it back in time. i did get to stop for water for the fish once, and still checked in with just minutes to spare.

i started talking to everyone on shore, since i was in the last flight, i had no idea what the weights were for the day. i had around 30 lbs for 2 days, and everyone told me that i made the team easily. that was great news, but i wasn't confident yet, i knew i had lots of ground to make up. I weighed in 16.79 lbs on the day, and it was the largest sack of fish caught that day out of 210 competitors. i finished the tournament in 4th place overall, in my first federation event. i got my 3 best fish in the last 5 minutes, so i have to say, "NEVER GIVE UP"!!!!!!

Derrek Zdeb