"Fred's Club Report"
Covering The Panhandle Bass Club
Email fpraby@cox.net

Panhandle Bass Club fished Lake Eufalla for it's October and Annual Fish Off Tournament. Lake Eufalla is a great fishery, however there was much concern about it productivity due to the recent hurricanes dumping so much water into the Chattahoochee River system. Reports from the area were not promising, as local guides and club fishermen had not been putting together good stringers. We were scheduled and I think all were ready to have a break from chainsaws and blue roofs.

Our fish off tournament is scheduled to be a Friday and Saturday tournament so many of us were fortunate enough to go up Thursday to pre fish. I had the 'kiss of death' catching a 6.57 lb largemouth on practice day. Fishing was sporadic, fickled, unpredictable…we found fish in deeper lily pads, but found it very hard to get them out. The bite was tough for everyone. Wayne Cox came in with a good stringer on Friday anchored with a 6.37 lb largemouth and just over 14 pounds total with 4 fish. Mack Cramer came in with 3 for 9.76. No limits were caught, however all but one fisherman did manage to make a smell in the live well. Wayne had caught his fish on crank baits, jigs and flukes, and Mack had used a plastic crawfish. I did manage to bring in two, but my big boy had left town after his ride on Thursday.

Saturday was a whole new story. First cast I had a huge blow up on buzz bait, followed and boated my first keeper on the second cast. 'Oh Boy a good day will follow'…NOT! It was so exciting to get some early top water action, but it died as soon as it started. We did not boat another fish until 2:30 pm. Wayne Cox came in with only 2 fish, Mack had 3 again Dave Rogers came in with 4, and so the results were on the line waiting on the tale of the scales. First, second, and third place would be decided by less than one pound and as it turned out Dave finished third with 8 fish 16.86 pounds, Mack Cramer was second with 6 at 17.56 pounds and squeezing out first place was Wayne Cox with 6 fish at 17.61 pounds only .15 pounds ahead of Mack.

Fishing was disappointing, although everyone did catch fish. The facilities at Lakepoint were great as usual. Dora Thomley volunteered to take good care of us all cooking breakfast and putting us on the water ready to fish. Thanks Dora. We all enjoyed our meals, Mexican on Thursday, Seafood at Melissa's on Friday and Steak at the Cajun Corner on Saturday. All in all it was a good weekend and we did not hear a single chain saw for four days.

Keep Your Line Wet!!
Fred