Big Indiana Bass

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Our final event of the season blasted off to blue bird skies and a showdown for the Denali Rods Angler of  the Year Title hanging in the balance... but first the event itself...
 
The team of Doug Ruster and Stuart Shuler took home the SMI MARINE First Place Plaques and $1000.00 dollars.  They landed a nice bag of bass from what has been a very stingy Lake Monroe that hit the scales at 12.82 pounds!!! Doug said they could of had a monster bag if they would not of lost a couple giants. Their bag included the days Big Bass honors that weighed in at 5.79 pounds.
 
Second place and $185 dollars went to the team of Dale Brand and Dan Pennington who brought in 4 keepers for 11.58 pounds and according to Dale they also lost a monster late in the day that could of got them the win. 
 
In Third place, with the only limit of the day, was Ed Bauer and Bob Garner with 10.78 pounds to claim the BASS BOAT SAVER First Team out of the money award.

The OUTDOORSMAN SPORTSHOP SECOND BIGBASS AWARD went to the team Jeff Napier and Jim Palmer who brought in a nice one at 4.07 pounds.
 
THE DENALI RODS ANGLER OF THE YEAR RACE
 
In case you have not guessed it by now, the team of Dale Brand and Dan Pennington captured the DENALI RODS ANGLER OF THE YEAR TITLE!!!!  They were the most consistent all year and they deserve it!  In claiming the AOY title the team received AOY Plaques, two gift certificates for Denali Rods ($400 value), as well as a gallon of Bass Boat Saver to get their boat looking showroom new after a long year on the water!!! 
 
I just want to say thanks to all the teams that fished with us this inaugural year and a special thanks to all the sponsors for their support as well. I would like to give a special thanks to our Lake Monroe Division Sponsors: SMI MARINE(www.smimarine.com) out of Louisville who is the Legend Boat Dealer for our area and the suppliers of the plaques for our events. THE OUTDOORSMAN SPORT SHOP (www.outdoorsmansportshop.com) in Greenwood who provides a prize for second biggest bass at our events as well as a discount for our fishermen (Get a card from me). Also, BASS BOAT SAVER (www.bassboatsaver.com) who has provided us with a PREMIER Boat cleaning/waxing product for first team out of the money and DENALI RODS (www.denalirods.com) who will be giving our Anglers Of The Year two premium rods.

Please support our sponsors where you can and let them know we appreciate their support! 

Check out our divisional web page for full results and additional information:
http://www.actournaments.com/tdata/schedule2013.asp?Selectvalue=354
 
I would like to give a special thanks to Brian Waldman over at BIGINDIANABASS.COM for posting our results, pictures, and story.

I look forward to doing it all again next year and would like to invite everyone to keep us in mind when planning what tournaments and trails you are going to fish in the new year.

Thanks,
 
Travis Feuerbach

 

 

Date:  10-19-13
Time:  Open at 7:30am for registration, begin drawing at 8am
Due to another meeting scheduled at the Town Hall we must be done by 9:30am
Location: Waveland Town Hall – Next to the Fire Station
108 W. Howard
Waveland, Indiana 47989

 

 

We would like to invite an authorized member of your organization to attend the tournament date drawing on Saturday October 19th 2013 at 7:30am in the Waveland Town Hall.

Lake Waveland Park will accept applications to schedule tournament fishing events for the 2014 season beginning Saturday October 19th 2013 at 8:00am. There will be an “in person” drawing event at the Waveland Town Hall. Applications may also be made by mail. In person applications have preference over mailed in applications. Mailed in applications will be processed based on the order received and the availability of the date/dates requested. The in person applications (complete application form) will begin with a drawing to determine the selection order of each participant. During each round of the drawing participants may select one (1) tournament date. After round one participants interested in only one tournament date will have their dates confirmed and may see the cashier to make the appropriate payment. Additional rounds will be conducted until all participants have selected all the tournament dates they need. Completed applications and appropriate fees are required for each date requested. Photocopies of application forms are acceptable. Cash, check or money order for $25 must accompany all approved applications for each tournament date.

You may mail in a completed tournament permit application and a $25 check or money order to:
Fishing Tournament Permit Applications, PO Box 186, Waveland, IN 47989.

Please direct any questions regarding tournament activity at Lake Waveland to Email: 

• Download 02 Waveland Fishing Tournament Application
• Download 01 Waveland Fishing Tournament Regulations 2014
• Download 03 Waveland Fishing Tournament Results
• Download 04 Lake Waveland Park Fish Care 101

Monroe Reservoir Sept 8, 2013
Final Results

The last of the six Trail Invitational's has wrapped up, but not without some drama. The Angler of the Year and Co-Angler of the Year championships were up for grabs. Several guys were in contention, and the tough bite at Monroe set the stage for a show down. Several guys also had to have a good showing to make the top 40 cut to fish the 2013 Forrest L. Wood Indiana Bass Federation Classic. 

Paul Jolly of Salem Indiana put together a winning limit of fish weighing 14.38 lbs.  Paul earned $2,352.00 plus the 100 points for first place.  Those points moved Paul from outside the top 40 to 37th securing his classic invitation. Congratulations to Paul who is a previous classic champion. Tim Maupin of Lawrenceburg Indiana came into the tournament tied for second place in the Angler of the Year standings with Terry McWilliams and they were just behind Kenny Bortlein. Tim's 4 fish totaled 10.38 lbs. That was good for 5th place and enough points to earn him the 2013 Angler of the Year title.  Paul Jones, Rob Kelley and Dale Fess were 2nd, 3rd and 4th. respectively. 

On the Co-Angler side, Patrick Brown of Oxford Ohio was the only Co-Angler who could put together a limit on stingy Monroe. Patrick's five weighed 8.7 lbs and they earned him $1,113.00. Patrick also ended up in 10th place in the final year end points race.   Charles Fox of Austin Indiana is our Co-Angler of the Year, he finished 12th at Monroe but that was good enough to hold off hard charging Red Grider. Red finished Monroe in 4th leaving him 2nd in overall points. Money Winners at Monroe are listed below. The complete results and year end standings are attached below.

Anglers:     
1st    Paul Jolly - 14.38 lbs; $2,352.00
2nd    Paul Jones - 14.14 lbs; $1,470.00
3rd    Rob Kelley - 13.92 lbs; $1,176.00
4th    Dale Fess - 11.94 lbs; $588.00 + $560 Big Bass
5th    Tim Maupin - 10.38 lbs; $294.00

Co-Anglers:            
1st    Patrick Brown - 8.70 lbs; $1,113.00
2nd    Nick Veselka - 7.22 lbs; $  695.63
3rd    Mike Bracken - 6.60 lbs; $  556.50
4th    Red Grider - 6.44 lbs; $  278.25
5th    Steve Freese - 5.28 lbs; $ 139.12 + 260 Big Bass

• Download Monroe_Results_Sept_8,_2013
• Download Final_Standings_Trail_2013

Thanks again to the Indiana National Guard for their assistance with this tournament.  The Indiana Bass Federation, Forrest L. Wood Classic will be held October 5 & 6, at Patoka.

by TJ Maglio

Before last October’s win at the Bassmaster Open on Smith Lake, Hank Cherry was probably not a name that most bassaholics recognized. Prior to that victory, he’d had a workmanlike career in fishing; including a couple of decent years on the FLW Tour (07 & 08) and a handful of BFL wins around his native North Carolina. A much better resume than 95% of tournament bass fishermen for sure, but nothing that separated him from the large pack of competent, yet not quite there touring pros.

Oh what a difference a year can make… Cherry’s victory at the Open qualified him to fish the 2013 Bassmaster Classic on Grand Lake; where he not only came close to winning (he finished 3rd), but pretty much stole the show on the last day, suffering an excruciating series of lost fish that likely kept him from hoisting the most coveted trophy in the sport. In the months since the Classic, I think it’s safe to say that Cherry’s career path has not only taken off, but has downright skyrocketed.

Cherry’s Open win also left him at 4th in the points, good enough to qualify for the 2013 Elite Series. Anyone who thought the personable North Carolina Pro’s Classic finish was a fluke quickly got put on notice in the very first elite event, when Cherry slapped the fourth biggest stringer on the scales day 1. He faded a bit in that tournament, and ended up 40th, but set the pace for a phenomenal season, finishing in the money in six of eight events, and ending up in 14th place in the AOY race.

Along the way, Cherry also collected another coveted title, that of Elite Series Rookie of the Year. He bested what was an extremely stout field of rookies, including Jason Christie (winner of three tour-level events in 2013), 2010 Forrest Wood Cup Champion Kevin Hawk, and FLW stalwart Cliff Pirch.

To say it’s been a whirlwind season for Cherry would be something of an understatement, as he went from largely self-financing his maiden Elite Series season, to having sponsorship requests and media responsibilities piling up at his door. We were able to sit down with Hank for a few minutes as he catches his breath after an exciting season that saw him accomplish all the goals that he set for himself at the beginning of the year.

Q: Hank, describe the season as a whole. How do you think it went?

A: I think it went really well. I accomplished all the goals I set for myself at the beginning of the year. I cashed a check in six of eight events, made a couple top-12’s, qualified for the Classic, Toyota Texas Bass Classic twice, and won the rookie of the year. It’s interesting, because in your mind going into the season, you have these ideas that everything is going to go awesome and you are going to do extremely well in all the events. Then you get out there and actually have to do it. I guess the feeling I have right now would be best described as just really satisfied.

Q: What are your thoughts on the ROY win?

A: Going into that last event on St. Clair, I knew that if I put in a pretty good finish that it would be mine to lose. After the day one weigh-in when I caught them pretty well and some of the other guys kind of struggled, I knew that I had it. It feels pretty special to win Rookie of the Year, it was a heavy rookie class, and to know that I caught them better than those guys is just extremely special.

Q: What event really stood out to you as your best event of the year?

A: Without a doubt the Alabama River event. A lot of guys are probably not going to believe this, but that was the first time in my life that I had ever fished on a river system. And to be able to figure out a pattern when the river was swollen like that is something I take a lot of pride in. It was actually kind of a neat pattern, I found a little clean water coming out of a flooded lake and I caught them on a jerkbait at the mouth. When the water dropped, I realized that the majority of the fish I was catching were coming off a couple old fire pits and a BBQ grill that were flooded. I was bouncing my bait off those things without even knowing what they were until later.

Q: Which event were you most frustrated with?

A: It might not seem like it because I finished fourth, but West Point Lake was definitely my most frustrating event. I should have won that event, but I chickened out and didn’t do what I needed to do to win, even though I knew what that was. I could catch a limit of spots on a jerkbait, but I could also get big bites swimming a jig under docks. I caught that six plus pound fish doing it pretty early on the final day, and should have stuck with it the rest of the day. I decided to go for the limit, and likely cost myself a chance at winning. It was a good finish, but I am frustrated looking back at it because I could have potentially won that event.

Q: With one Elite season in the books, what surprised you most about fishing the Elite Series?

A: I’ve got to say, the thing that surprised me the most is that these guys are all just really solid humans. You guys only get to see them from in front of the TV, and the impressions you may have are just a small part of who they are. In my experience, they are all just really normal guys that love to fish. Take Ike for example, he seems like this intense persona, but he is one of the nicest guys out there. Sure, he is really intense about the sport, but he’s also a really great guy. I had a ton of guys that helped me out this year. Shaw Grigsby was a real help in just being able to talk about whatever. I ended up the year traveling with Britt Myers because we live like 30 minutes apart. He’s also a great guy. Gerald Swindle and Terry Scroggins were also awesome; they always had something good to say if you had a bad day on the water.

Q: What was the biggest thing you learned over the course of the year?

A: The biggest thing I learned is that you’ve got to go out there and do your job every day out on the water. These guys are so good, and they’re not going to give you anything. I learned that if I get out there and put in the hard work, I can make a living and support my family doing this, which is the most important thing. My family is my life, and I need to make sure that they are taken care of no matter what.

Q: How have some of the sponsorships you’ve gotten over the season affected your outlook?

A: That is one of the things that has been really good for me. I went into this season pretty much paying my own way. I had some great sponsors to start the year, and have picked up some more along the way. Companies like Denali rods, Livingston Lures, Evan Williams Bourbon, and others have all given me a bigger sense of ease going into each event. I’m still approaching each tournament the same way and putting in the same amount of work, but it’s calming to know that I’m not fishing to keep the lights on. There are guys out there doing this check to check, and I’m fortunate not to have that issue anymore.

Q: Gear-wise, what was one piece of equipment that you relied on all year to compete the way you did?

A: There have been a lot of things I’ve relied upon this season, but one thing that stands out to me is that Denali Noirwood 7’3” slop rod. It’s the rod that I swim my jig on, and I used it a ton in almost every tournament. It might seem a little stout for skipping and swimming jigs, but I like a stiff tip and a lot of backbone so I can stay way back from docks and skip them far back under there.  I caught a lot of big fish this season on that rod, and I absolutely love it.

Q: What’s your outlook for the rest of the season and looking ahead into 2014?

A: Well, the Elite regular season may be over, but I’ve still got a lot of fishing left to do this year. I’m heading up to Michigan in a week for the All-star event, and then from there straight down to Texas for the TTBC. After that, I’ve got a few more tournaments to fish and then it’s gonna be time to start working towards next year. I’ve already qualified for the Classic on Guntersville and the next TTBC in the spring, so I’m looking forward to getting back out there. As far as the 2014 schedule goes, we’ve been hearing some rumors about where it will take us but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see once the schedule comes out. All I know is that wherever they take us, I’m going to be there and do my best to represent myself, my family, and my sponsors at each event.

Lake Monroe Angler's Choice - 9/07/2013  **OPEN**

NO MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED FOR FINAL EVENT!! TOURNAMENT ENTRY $150 + $10 BIGBASS.  $10 LATE FEE IF PAYING AT THE RAMP (Get entry to me on or before Friday, Sept. 6th to avoid late fee).

I hope everyone is enjoying the Labor Day weekend!!!

Our final event of the year is next Saturday, September 7th!
 
This event will be OPEN so anyone looking to fish this tournament will not need a membership so long as they are not fishing for Anglers Choice Championship points.  I would like to invite all those fishing the Indiana Bass Federation Invitational Trail on Sunday to join us for our event.  Hopefully we will get a few more teams to join us for our finale. 

We will be launching at safe light (approx. 7:18) and fish until 3:30pm.  I will be at Cutright ramp around 5:45am for sign up and registration. We will have our Pre-tournament meeting at approximatly 6:30.
 
I have included a copy of the entry form for anyone who needs it and please feel free to forward it on to anyone who might be interested in fishing with us. 
 
I hope to see you all there!!!

• Download ENTRYFORMMONROE[1]

USA BASSIN FALL DIVISION at BROOKVILLE LAKE

The fall division is starting this month. This actually is the start of the 2014 USA Bassin season. Points and membership count toward next year.
 
Brookville Lake

• Sept. 21
• Sept. 28
• Oct. 12
• Oct. 26
• Nov. 9
   

More information can be found on the web site at www.usabassin.com
 
Thanks,
Gregg Pigg
USA Bassin - www.usabassin.com
IN-01 Brookville Lake Fall
IN-02 Brookville Lake
IN-03 Summit/ Prairie Creek

Event #4 of the Michigan Div. BFL went out of the Detroit R. at the same time that the Elites were there fishing. This changed up some plans, and made for tough fishing. Here's how the Indiana guys fishing the event fared, then Heath's tournament notes:

23 - HEATH WAGNER  ANGOLA, IN 16-02 (5)
26 - ROY MARCHANT  ELKHART, IN 15-00 (4)
27 - ROB CAMPBELL  TRAFALGAR, IN 14-15 (5)
29 - STEVE ROTH  SYRACUSE, IN 14-14 (5)
34 - ROGER HENSLEY  JONESBORO, IN 13-08 (4)
40 - KYLE PRSKALO  HOBART, IN 12-09 (5)
46 - MICHAEL KRAMER  SOUTH BEND, IN 10-01 (5)
65 - DEWAYNE ECK  ANGOLA, IN 1-06 (1)
---   BOB SNYDER  MARION, IN 0-00 (0)

HEATH'S REPORT:

I got a good night's sleep Friday night. I cannot explain why, but I am not feeling the points lead pressure. That is not like me, I have anxiety problems before most events and do not settle down til the first cast. My practice left me a lot to think about. Go for the win or go for the check? Yet still I slept like a baby. I woke up at 4:50 which was only 10 minutes before the alarm. Blast off was at 6:30 and I was boat 3. The morning launch at Elizabeth is smooth as silk so I never get in a hurry to get there. I don't know if I have ever mentioned it, but I always stop at McDonald's every single BFL morning and get a sausage and egg biscuit meal with a medium orange juice. I can usually barely choke it down because of nerves, but I rarely eat in the boat and I have to have something in me.

I was paired with Eddy Frye the current co-angler leader in the points. I told him I would be there at 5:45. Well I got there a bit late at 6:00 as Mcd's was a bit slow that morning. We made it through boat check in plenty of time. I discussed with Eddy my plans for the day and he said he didn't care what I did, he was ready to go fishing. The Elite tourney was heavy on my mind. I knew going for the win would involve a few pros pulling up on me through the day as well as BFL guys. The area I have been fishing has become quite busy the last few weeks. I am not used to this as I have fished this area a longgg time with virtually no pressure. I may see one or 2 bass boats in both practice and tourney day and I can tell you who they are when I see them. Don't get me wrong, I get it, and do not hold it against anyone for checking it out. When the big bags are coming from a certain place, you have to go check it out. It's no secret Erie is hot this year and St Clair is not.

We blasted off at 6:30 right on the nose and it was at this moment I made the decision that I was going to fish Michigan water and hope to cull to a good limit. I knew that I would have much of it to myself and this is the way I like to fish. I had no worry about a pro pulling in on me. It really surprised me they didn't fish the water I was heading to as it was an easy $10,000 top 50 check. It wouldn't have even surprised me to see a top 12 come from this area.
Anyway it was about 18 miles to my first stop, which is a short run compared to what I have been doing. The winds for the day were calling for 5-10 out of the NE switching to the SE as the day progressed. This would make it a bit bumpy but it should be an easy day to move around. As I neared my first stop I got a sinking feeling that I was making the wrong decision. I don't like laying up and I felt like I was laying up by heading to this area. A few weeks ago I really thought that there was a chance to win here, but after practice, I really felt the big fish were not there in the numbers they were. I knew there was a slim chance at 20 pounds or more, and there is no doubt in my mind that that much weight was still living here in the form of resident fish, but I felt the school of larger fish had moved on. I have a 'no regrets' attitude and I already had the regrets. I seriously considered as I neared to turn the boat and head across Erie. I made a decision as I sat down that "I'm here, I am gonna stick it out and see what I can do". I no longer liked this decision before the first cast, but nevertheless it was in this area that held my destiny for the day. I was going to do whatever it took to make this place work.

There was a 17 foot Crestliner idling across the deep rock hump I had discovered a few weeks ago as I pulled in. I figured he was getting ready to perch fish as this area has been real hot for the perch bite the last few weeks. I have literally seen hundreds of boats in the distance as I have fished, but no one has fished for them within a mile of me.  I sat down on the spot and began fishing and to my surprise the Crestliner turned his boat around and came right back towards me. He stopped about 2 casts away and began bass fishing. I didn't say anything and went about my business. It was a beautiful morning with about a foot of chop on the water, so holding the boat  was not a problem.

I started with the smokin' purple flash Poor Boy's tube that I have been fishing all year. On the second cast I hooked up and put a 15 incher in the boat. I looked up to see the Crestliner now a bit closer and he was battling a 2 1/2 pounder to the boat to which he threw a buoy. After boxing the fish I trolled towards him to protect the spot and he pulled away a bit. As long as he gave me room I had no problem with him fishing here. The one thing that did concern me was the fact that there were now 2 boats close together, and on a Saturday on Erie in a hot perch area, this is not a good thing. People don't pay attention to what you're fishing for, they only see boats and stop close to fish. A third boat pulled in about 3 casts from me and anchored up. I knew they were away from the rock pile so I didn't mind, but I knew there would soon be more.

Two more casts later I hook up on a solid fish. Big smallmouth have a very unique feel when you hook one deep. They shake their head hard, but have a more "lazy" and heavy feel to them. They are fast , but nothing like a 2-3 pound fish. This fish definitely felt solid and I yelled for the net. She came right to the surface and did a slight belly flop, but I didn't get a good look. My co said it was a Hawg. She stayed right near the top and about 10 feet from the boat did what many large fish do with a tube and shook her head and blew it right out just like she was never hooked. She looked to be a solid 4 1/2+, but I will never know. A few minutes later I hook up with another solid fish that made it to the net. I weighed it at 3-9 and boxed her. Not what I was looking for, but a good start. A few cast later and I hook into another fish that felt huge. Another belly flop onto the surface and there she was, GONE!!!! I shook it off as I knew this area was loaded with fish and I would have other chances.This is the only thing you can do to not think about it, but those big girls still haunted me.

I instantly changed to the drop shot to see if I could up my landing percentage, and on my second cast put another 15 incher in the box. Shortly thereafter Eddy was able to put his first fish in the boat, a solid 3-10 on a green pumpkin tube. A few minutes later and he put another one in the boat. Not being a dummy I switched back to my tube and quickly boated 2 more fish that each went 3-4. I now had 5, but did not have the right 5. Eddy was able to put 2 more fish in the box pushing 3 pounds. It was about this time (7:30ish) that the perch boats really started to gather around us. Everyone was fairly courteous and kept their distance. I knew it would be bad if spreader rigs with minnows flopped down around the smallies, but so far they were all far enough away to not affect us. I counted 13 that were 4-5 casts away. The Crestliner was still about 2 casts away and had caught a few fish, but I really had not paid attention to what he was doing. I only heard the fish jump and glanced up to see his rod bowed.

I become quite entranced in my Humminbird when I am fishing as holding on waypoints is imperative to catching fish out here. The perch boats were a little distracting, but they were all courteous and there to have a good time. I considered hollering out that the perch were out another mile, but I figured they would figure it out sooner or later when they didn't catch any. There were so many smallies here, no perch in his right mind would inhabit this area. At 7:45 I hook up with another solid fish that came up twice but never jumped. I knew it was definitely a big smallie and kept pressure on the fish.  She dove under the boat and about 3 feet from the net we saw her another 4+ fish that simply opened her mouth and spit the TUBE!!! I know I sound like a broken record the last couple events with the tube, but these large tube fish have my number!!!! I have tried different rods, hooks, and line and nothing has helped. I truly feel that these fish bite down so hard that you cannot get the hook slammed into there mouth. I think the front of the tube hits their closed mouth and never penetrates when I set the hook. My buddy Ryan, gave me a little trick to try for the next tourney. If it works I will let you know.

Once again just before 8, I had yet another large fish pull free the same way. We got a real good look at all these fish and they were all the right ones. This at least instilled confidence in me that I could put a 20 pound sack together in this area. Eddy and I contiued to put more fish in the boat over the next hour, but nearly every fish we landed was between 2-8 and 2-12. Nice fish, but not the right ones. We hooked a few others that felt good that pulled free, but we never saw them. At 9 am most of the perch boats had now moved on. The Crestliner was sticking with the area as well as the first perch boat on us. They were doing more drinking and talking than fishing, and I don't think they cared if they had a bite or not. They weren't bothering me so I didn't mind. Another perch boat pulled in and started idling right towards me. It was about a 26 footer and at first I thought it was the DNR as they pulled within 10 feet of me!!!! An older guy went to the front to lower the push button anchor when I stopped him by asking if they planned on fishing here. He said yeah they were after some perch. As calmly as I could I pointed out to the pack of about 60 boats that was forming a mile out. I told him I was fishing for bass and doing quite well as well as the guy in the Crestliner. I also told him that the other perch boat was not doing good at all that was close by. He told me that his number one waypoint was right where I was and that they were going to fish for a bit. It was then that I lost my cool. I told him that he was welcome to fish nearby, but he needed to be at least 2-3 casts away. I was bass fishing and had been here all morning and that all the other boats that came in gave me room and everyone else room to fish. There was no reason for him to be this close. He replied once again that he had a waypoint here!!! I told him I didn't care if he had 100 waypoints here he needed to give me some space. My co angler now joined the conversation as well as the guys in the other perch boat who were now listening to the conversation. Fortunately, everyone was on my side and the guy replied "all you bass fisherman are all the same, you think you own the water". I told him I didn't own anything, but a little common courtesy was all that was needed. He sped off to the pack throwing a nice wake at us as he left. At least the problem was solved and we could get back to work.

Eddy and I continued to catch cookie cutter fish. It was not one right after the other, but the bite was consistent. Occasionally, we would cull an ounce or two, but really weren't gaining much ground. We really did not have a big fish bite that we knew of since 8:30. It was now 10 and I was seriously contemplating making a long run to my shallow crankbait fish. The waves were around a foot or so, so the conditions to run weren't bad at all. In the back of my mind there was also an area that I have healed up on nearby in a hurry. It usually loads up as the day wears on and the shad get active. It is a shallow rock pile that has some scattered wood on it. It tops out at 3 feet and drops to 6-8 on the side. I felt it was now my best hope at a few 4 pounders. I made the decision to stay and hope that it got right.

I decided to run in and hit some of the other shallower piles that the Coach and I caught fish on Thursday and at 11 I would hit the shallow sweet spot. My next stop produced a cull fish on a crank bait on the first cast. Still not a big one but a solid 3 pounder. Eddy hooked up on 4 pounder on his crankbait only to have the line snap. She showed herself very clearly as she jumped 4 times trying to rid her face of the nasty trebles. This day was definitely an eventful day. Eddy retied his crank bait and on the very next cast it wrapped around the end of his rod and snapped the crankbait off and sent it flying. I knew what happened and watched his crankbait hit the water. I hollered I got it and began trolling towards his crank bait. Eddy hollered "I lost the whole thing!" I thought he meant he lost his crankbait and I replied "No worries, I see it". He again said "I lost the whole thing". I turned to see him looking into the water for his rod and reel which flew from his hand when the crankbait snapped off!!! Well, I at least got his crankbait back, but he made several casts to hook his rod to no avail.

We continued fishing and caught a few more cull fish, but again, only by ounces. At 11 we made the run to check the sweet spot. I have been fishing this spot for 15 years and know it like the back of my hand. I know what puts em there. I also know that if the largemouth are on it, it rarely has many smallies. On my first cast I put a 16 inch largie in the boat that did not help. Eddy did the same. The conditions were right for it to be good, but the smallies were simply not here. One thing I do pay attention to on Erie are the seagulls and what they are doing. I have to say that the seagull is my absolute favorite animal. They have won me a lot of money over the years. I noticed while we were here that there were nearly 300 of them just sitting on the water enjoying the day. This was not a good sign. No bird activity, no shad activity, no smallie activity:)

We caught a few more largies and decided to head back to our starting area. Only one boat was left and it was the Crestliner. He now had 2 buoys out and was fishing just west of me 2 casts. Just after we arrived he pulled them both and trolled up a little over a cast to the north of me and threw a buoy. He instantly hooked a good fish and played it all around the boat. He weighed it and for the first time today I talked to him and asked him how big it was. He hollered over excitedly that it was 4-6. At least I knew there were big ones here still. We once again began catching fish and would occasionally would still get an ounce or two better. I knew we were both in the 15 pound range and this is not what I came here after. I truly believed 17-18 pounds would not be a problem. Weigh in was at 2:30 and I wanted to head back at 1:50. It was now 1:00 and I decided to hit as many of the rockpiles in the area that I could over the next 50 minutes. I was hoping to pull up on the right one at the right time and hit a school of big ones.

Over the next 50 minutes We hit 5 different spots and boated a fish or two on each. I did manage my second biggest fish of the day at 3-6. Still not the right one, but a bit better. After a few more 2-10's we had to head back to weigh in making a quick stop in the river mouth which did not give up a fish. We made it to check in with 2 minutes to spare so we literally fished nearly every second we could. By the time I made it to weigh in, several good bags had been weighed. I weighed in a disappointing 16-2 and Eddy weighed in 15-8. At weigh in end, 22 pounds won the event, and my buddy Gary, who has been fishing near by my glory hole weighed in a solid 21-15 for his second straight second. He too said practice was tough. He had nothing going so he decided to stick with the area that has been good to both of us. He said he had nothing at 10 and that is when the light switch flipped and between 10 and noon he filled his livewell with 4 pounders. It just goes to show you you just never know. My 16-2 landed me in 23rd and out of the money. Eddy cashed the last co angler check at 14th place. Amazingly, we both remained in the points lead going into the last event.

Thanks to everyone for your kind words on my stories, I really do appreciate them. I enjoy recalling my events and often revisit and re read them to see exactly what I did last time or last year. God Bless everyone!!

Its that time again. Going to host another Labor Day Derby on the river for anyone interested. 7 am until 12 pm and the same rules as Wednesday Night apply. 4 fish limit if everyone has a partner, 2 fish limit if we have any solo competitors. Fish must be 15 inches or longer, no dead fish allowed, no culling in ramp parking lot. $40.00 per boat, two big bass pots this time. One for biggest smallmouth, one for biggest largemouth. Looks like we will have a crowd, so I will pay out probably 3, maybe even 4 places. Be kind to other fishermen and boaters. Give everyone some space and be careful running the river as its pretty low right now, but far from dangerous.

This year, due to some sort of art fair going on, we will not be able to fish the Broad Ripple pool of the river on Labor Day. They will have the entire ramp and parking lot shut down. So we'll fish this tournament on the 30th St pool of the White River. Not as diverse, but still good fishing once you figure them out with both largemouth and smallmouth. More shallow water up from the ramp than BR, but more deeper water from the ramp down to the 16th St dam. Lots of grass and wood, same as BR. Basically once you run to the 30th St bridge you will have to idle if you run a glass rig. Take your time and all is well.

Just an FYI for those that might be looking for a fun little tourney to fish that doesn't eat up your entire holiday. In the pics, that's Bryan Johnson (top, left) and Reggie Gibson (below) with a pair of fish from the Lake Indy pool this past weekend. Bite's on!

If you have any questions feel free to call or text me (Josh McDermott), 317-292-6150. See you there!

Our sixth event of the season took off to overcast skies that promised a shallow bite and some fun fishing.
 
The team of Ed Bauer and Bob Garner showed up with a jet boat and headed up the creek to pull out the victory and claim the SMI MARINE First Place Plaques and $1000.00 dollars .  They landed a monster dog days of summer bag that tipped the scales at 17.41 pounds!!! This bag included the OUTDOORSMAN SPORTSHOP SECOND BIG BASS AWARD which weighed in at 4.83 pounds.  I'm betting that some of those Bauer's Custom baits played a big roll in their win.  Great Job Guys!!!
 
Second Place went to the team of Doug Ruster and TJ Edwards (Sub for Shane Peters).  They brought in a nice limit hitting the scales at 13.03 pounds. Rumor has it they caught their best fish on one of their last casts of the day.
 
For the Third time this year the Bigbass of the tournament went to the team of Dale Brand and Dan Pennington with a 4.86 pound beauty!!!  These guys know how to catch the big ones and they proved it again! Great Job!

THE DENALI RODS ANGLER OF THE YEAR RACE
 
HOLY SMOKES WE HAVE A TIGHT ONE!!!  Who would of thought that after six events with one event remaining that the angler of the year race would be separated by less than half of a point!!!  DJ Capps and Matt McClanahan maintained their lead by the slimmest of margins with 623.53 points followed almost in lockstep is Dale Brand and Dan Pennington with 623.14 points.  In a distant third is Jerry Koller and Scott Davis with 607.23 points.  But this is Lake Monroe so they are certainly not out of it.
 
I just want to say thanks to all the teams for coming out and a special thanks to all the sponsors for their support as well. I would like to give a special thanks to our Lake Monroe Division Sponsors: SMI MARINE (www.smimarine.com) out of Louisville who is the Legend Boat Dealer for our area and the suppliers of the plaques for our events. THE OUTDOORSMAN SPORT SHOP (www.outdoorsmansportshop.com) in Greenwood who provides a prize for second biggest bass at our events as well as a discount for our fishermen (Get a card from me). Also, BASS BOAT SAVER (www.bassboatsaver.com) who has provided us with a PREMIER Boat cleaning/waxing product for first team out of the money and DENALI RODS (www.denalirods.com) who will be giving our Anglers Of The Year two premium rods.
 
Please support our sponsors where you can and let them know we appreciate their support!
 
Check out our divisional web page for full results and additional information:
http://www.actournaments.com/tdata/schedule2013.asp?Selectvalue=354
 
I would like to give a special thanks to Brian Waldman over at BIGINDIANABASS.COM for posting our results, pictures, and story.

Our last event of the season will be on Saturday, September 7th!   If you or someone you know is interested in fishing with us, please don't hesitate to give me a call.  We would love to have you.
 
Thanks,
 
 
Travis Feuerbach
Cell: 317-445-0386