Fred Raby
Volbasser@att.net
Pensacola
Blue
Angels
Bass Page
hook.
com
"FISHING WITH FRED"
covering tidal waters and impoundments
Summer Patterns Come Early
Tensaw River, Cliffs Landing in May, the water level is almost normal, and pretty good clarity for the Tensaw.
There was total chaos at the landing, with a 100 boat tournament and four club tournaments on Memorial Day Weekend. We did come to our senses long enough to get away early and to schedule our weigh-in ahead of the other guys.
So, we were off, our 13 boats all headed to our favorite starting point. My partner and I chose to go north, where we quickly ran into some more club tournaments at Live Oak and Upper Bryants landings. Finally we ended up in Tensaw Lake where we broke out the buzz baits, and shad puppies. A hundred yards down the bank and I boated the first keeper, a one and three quarter pound bass, but the rest of that area was non productive. The boat traffic was getting pretty heavy by 7:30 a. m. and we needed to find fish. We moved on up the main channel where we found an eddy pocket with reverse current. Dave pulled out his "Wacky worm" and proceeded to boat 4 keepers in the next 15 minutes (then he ran out of nails). We both tried to improvise but the weight ratio, and balance was not the same, or the fish had turned off, so we headed to the next hot spot.
I racked my brain and came up with a moccasin Gillraker that put 3 more keepers in for me and the day was not even half gone.
Dave put the pressure on to head south to finish our limit, but after some discussion we decided to return to the spot he had boated his four and lost 3 good fish. One trip up and back down with no action we agreed to make one more pass then go south. I hooked up with a four pounder and tried to get macho only to see my line break over the rod box and the fish jump back into the water.
We headed to a secret spot Red Creek, where we saw the rest of the club…and no fish with the clock ticking and a 3:30 p. m. weigh in we knew we had to have a limit to finish in the money, so we joined John Buck and Tom Buck on the grassline where we both finished out our limits. We made the weigh in and found John Buck the only other Hawg Hunter with a limit, but I had 3 dead fish. Jere Jalite squeezed by me by .01 pound to take first, John took third and Dave was fourth. It was a good day on Tensaw for us even with the disappointment. Dave showed me something with that Wacky worm technique (he said it was his first time…right) and our perseverance got us both a limit on what turned out to be a great day to fish.
If there is a lesson here, it would be don't be afraid to try something different like Dave did, or stick with proven techniques like I did, but keep your baits in the water and stay with the fish you find.
Good luck, and keep your line wet.
Fred Raby
