BBT Memorial 100 Last weekend

[bshaner]

This was my first BBT tournament and I have to say it was run very well.  Very efficient and smooth.  I was very impressed and especially impressed with opening the day with a prayer and support of the troops.

A+

That Pringles wrapped boat made me hungry all day though.

My partner and I were on good fish in practice and had a great pattern/plan going for tournament day.  We executed our plan flawlessly and caught a lot of 2 lbr's but didnt get the big bites we had in practice.  I think we caught over 30 fish.  We weighed in 10.52.  I think just about everyone caught a limit.

In hind sight we should have moved up with the fish.  In practice there were alot of big fish holding on the first drop off the flats in about 9 to 15 FOW but moved up on TX day.  I should have gone bed fishing.

It's a mistake I wont make again.

Not a bad showing for fishing with my bro-in-law who had never fished a tournament before.

B

[TCook]

   I was there too, and it was also my first BBT tournament. It was ran extreemly smooth and I look forward to fishing the BBT circuit this year. My partner thedude and I also had a hard time finding any fish over 2 pounds. We fished all over with many different baits and could not get a bigger bite. It sounds like making a run would have been the best decision. Congrats to Matt Morgan and Nick Neves on there gutsy decision on running 90 miles round trip to Portage. The big smallies were on beds there and the weather was faverable. I believe they had a brand new legend that might have made that decision easier. I think I will be donating alot of $ this year learning how the bigdogs get on the winning fish.

T

[Dan]

When did they run to Portage? I fished there just this Sunday and there were few smallmouth on beds.

[bshaner]

The bigger fish were all over on White.  It was just a matter of getting the bites.  I shook off a couple of 3+ on Saturday and did my best not to land the 5 lb'ish that wouldnt let go.   We just did not get those bites on Monday.    We fished a rock pile on Tournament day that I caught the 5 lbr off of in practice and caught 2 perch, 5 rock bass, 2 pike and 0 bass in a period of an hour.  We moved on.

I think they said the run was 83 miles one way.  It definately paid off for them.  I am positive we could have caught that quality of fish on White if I had gotten my head out of my back side and moved up.

When did they run to Portage? I fished there just this Sunday and there were few smallmouth on beds.

The fish really moved up Sunday evening and Monday morning.  It was a clear sky all night and a nice sunny calm day most of the day.  Any fish that were considering moving up all week definately moved up Sunday night/Monday morning.  I'd be willing to bet any cruisers decided to lock on too.

Kicking myself,

B

[OUTLAW]

First off they did not go to portage they went to arkadia or how ever it is spelled. In my mind there is no reason to give them praise all they did is run farther than any one else would. I don't feel that spending $200.00 for gas and putting a $40,000.00 boat and your life at risk for a $1600.00 pay day is a smart thing to do. Out of the top 8 teams on monday there were only 2 that came from muskegon. and 1 or 2 from white the rest came from Pentwater, portage and arcadia.

The reason the fish at white did not bite on monday is because the boys from shoreline bet them up on sunday.

The BBT tournaments are the best run tournaments in the state for the size of the event, Russ dose a great job, his payback could be better, but all in all he dose a great job.

[TCook]

Your right it was arcadia, I just read on another site. That does sound like way too much of a risk, I think some people just want to win more than the payout at this level.

[bshaner]

There wasnt really any risk.  Wind speed was about 5mph tops.  Lake Michigan was flat.  I ran full out and it was smooth as silk.

The fish on White did bite.  Tons of fish bit.  I think the big ones just moved up and I didnt follow them.

Spending 200.00 to get 1600.00 is a no brainer.  How can you beat them up about that?  Especially if they new they were on good fish.  Again, the only risk involved was - could they get the fish.  Lake Michigan was flat and an easy ride.

This conversation is already turning negative.  I'm out.  My post was about a good tournament - not go negative on the winners.

B

[10-10 Bass Busters]

Dad and I had a bummer of a day.  at least we weighed some fish even though it was the smallest sack weighed !  We caught a lot of 13 3/4" fish.  We didn't get a chance to prefish and tried last year's spots and struck out this year...oh well.  As for the whole running issue, we ran last year once up to white and got caught in some pretty rough water on the way home, and decided our boat just isn't big enough to take the chance again.  We enjoy fishing the bbt but can't compete with guys who can run way up north and bring back 18lb sacks.  I think we are sticking to smaller tourney's this year until we can improve our skills and get a bigger boat hopefully in the not to distant future.  Congrats to the winners they followed the rules of the tourney and took a risk that payed off for them.  It will be interesting to see if the DNR puts a stop to people running next year with the VHS spreading the way it is.  The tourney's will sure be alot different then.  Again congrats to all the top finishers, we had fun and maybe we will see some of you at other tourneys and maybe the 101.3 if we fish that.  Good job Russ on running another smooth tournament!

[joshimoto son]

bailipanga,

Let's hope the DNR doesn't do anything. A lot of organizations just lobbied for that to get changed recently. As of right now, the VHS issue is being handled on a Federal level and only enforced by the DNR. I'm pretty sure that's how I read it.

The ordinance for the original ban on transporting fish was strictly meant for the commercial fisherman and it was wrote in a way that included everyone.

As far as fishing goes, I don't know of too many people that start fishing tournies and win. You gotta take your licks just like the rest of us. You'll get there. Stay at it.

For me, it took me five years fishing my local club before I won my first tournament, although, I still am not as consistant as some of the guys that have been fishing for the last 20 years.

Good luck and keep at it.

joshimoto son


Just to clarify a little, the MDNR can and will regulate the VHS issue within the waters of the State of Michigan. The newest Fish Disease Control order does just that. See the VHS page on this site for the latest on that regulation. I'll be speaking next Thursday on this order at the Natural Resources Commission meeting in Lansing. The original federal order was meant to stop the transport across and out of the infected areas of all live fish particularly on the infected species list. State and international borders were the easiest to use. I've mentioned previously that we have to prepare for possible further changes from the feds (maybe), from the MDNR (possibly as the virus spreads) and probably from other adjacent states and provinces as they write protections for their own waters. Dan

[thedude]

it was a tough bite on the bigger fish for sure. two of my spots this time of year almost ALWAYS produce a 3+lb average... but all we could find there were 14 and 15" ers. I'm guessing in the next few days they will get bigger. I was also surprised at all the 13 3/4s we caught.... in the last 2 years.. i've caught very few shorts on this lake... they seemed to be overly abundant on monday.

as for the running issue... it is especially painful this time of year when running north means a 17-20lb sack... later in the summer this variable goes away for the most part as the bite even's out on most lakes. It does concern me with all of the tournies run on the grand, white, muskegon etc - all of the fish that are getting moved from lake to lake.

As many times as i have run from grand haven to muskegon or white and back, i secretly wish they would close off these lakes. Cashing a check is great, but at some point you have to stop and do what is best for the fishery.

[TCook]

   The run in the morning might have been smooth but the way back could get nasty, therefor it is risky. You never know what the wind will do on any given day.
   I myself have no problem with outlaws opinionated posts. I think its good to have a different views or a mix of personalities on a board like GLB. I am actually the same way by nature but chose to tone it down so I do not offend any readers. Outlaw just express himself bluntly, you cant knock him for that. I would be careful before you call guys out like that, it might drive them off the site. I would like to hear what he has to say, he seems to know what he is talking about.

T

[Andy]

Outlaw has the right to express himself on that matter but when you have a tournament that is open to any conecting water you have to expect guys to make the run if it be 5 miles or 100, I have done it myself. So if you can do it safely in your own mind I say go for it