This year was a strange one. It started very late because of the long, late Winter. Then when the ice finally melted, the large amount of snow we had caused flooding and high water all over the state. Some lakes declared no wake zones to protect property and shore lines and the no wake on Lake Minnetonka lasted well into the summer.
Some lakes had fish kills because of the lack of oxygen and thick ice. Including a major one on North Center Lake in Lindstrom which was on the schedule for both of my tournament circuits.
The season started off pretty good, on our first trip out Kyle bagged a 6.3 and we caught multiple 3 pounders. It was great to lip that fish for Kyle and be part of the excitement even though it wasn't on my line. I almost fainted when I saw it and am glad we were able to get it in the boat.
It was a good start to the season especially after such a long winter.
I had decided to fish the Greenhorn Sunday series this year as well as the club tournaments. I fished the Greenhorn Wednesday series a couple years ago and it's a well run circuit. The lake lineup was appealing with North / South Center and Medicine added to the mix. After the fish kill on North Center they decided to replace it with Forest Lake and swap the dates with Medicine. Which was a huge buzz kill for me as I didn't want to miss the Medicine tourney but the club was having a tournament on Clearwater the same day. And also we were really looking forward to fishing N/S Center and was part of the reason we decided to sign up for the Greenhorn series. My original plan was to miss only one club tourney so I could just take a zero for my throw out tourney and still hopefully have a chance at making the state tournament.
So ultimately my juggling act with both series was starting to be a problem early and I would miss two club tournaments this year (never missed one before) and basically be out of it before it began. But on the other hand I made the money tournaments a priority since the club was pretty much fishing for fun and pride anyway.
Greenhorn-
At the beginning of the season we were optimistic but our mediocre finish on White Bear Lake pretty much set the tone. We just never got anything going in a positive direction and when we finally did manage a 17 pound bag we didn't even get to cash a check. Even on Medicine which is my home lake which I am pretty confident in we didn't even manage a limit.
Highlights-
At the beginning of the season we were optimistic but our mediocre finish on White Bear Lake pretty much set the tone. We just never got anything going in a positive direction and when we finally did manage a 17 pound bag we didn't even get to cash a check. Even on Medicine which is my home lake which I am pretty confident in we didn't even manage a limit.
- 6th place finish on Forest Lake, winning 2nd place bonus money, and overcoming my jinx of the lake.
- Made the Greenhorn TOC
- 17 pound bag on Goose Lake
- Guy dropping his boat on the ramp at White Bear Lake (could be a lowlight too).
Lowlights-
- Failed to catch a limit on Medicine ending streak of consecutive limits.
- Failed to catch limit in the TOC on Pokegama/Cross.
- 17 pound bag on Goose Lake only good for 6th place.
- Getting struck by lightning on Cross/Pokegama
- Breaking my flippin stick in half setting the hook on fish at Goose Lake.
Renegade Bassers-
The season started out on Washington/Stella with a 13 pound bag during a thunderstorm which was only good enough for 10th place. There were some bright spots including the win on N/S Center and the TOC on Vermillion. I'm disappointed I missed two tournaments on Clearwater which is one of my favorite lakes and Rush which I can honestly say I'm not sad that I missed. Congratulations to Nick Madison on 2014 Angler of the Year!
Highlights-
The season started out on Washington/Stella with a 13 pound bag during a thunderstorm which was only good enough for 10th place. There were some bright spots including the win on N/S Center and the TOC on Vermillion. I'm disappointed I missed two tournaments on Clearwater which is one of my favorite lakes and Rush which I can honestly say I'm not sad that I missed. Congratulations to Nick Madison on 2014 Angler of the Year!
- First place finish and big bass at N/S Center Lake which I had never fished before.
- Top 30 finish at the MNBFN TOC on Lake Vermillion.
- Back to back 4th place finishes on Vermillion out of town tourneys.
- Lake Clean Up on Maple Lake and getting sign made to post at access (will be installed in 2015).
- Ice Fest was a success even though very few fish were caught.
- Elected Club President for 2015
Lowlights-
- Missing two tournaments.
- 10th place finish on Washington/Stella with 13 pounds.
- Coming so close to making the state team but not closing the deal.
Fun Fishing and Other-
The thing about being in 2 tournament circuits is I didn't have much time for fun fishing. All my time fishing was spent practicing or fishing the actual tournaments. I didn't get to hit the Mississippi River at all and only hit Calhoun once very late in the season which are two of my local favorites.
I did get to spend a week on the Whitefish Chain which was great. We caught lots of frog fish and had a great time. I also caught a dogfish on a frog and my wife caught one on a tube. We were thinking about entering the Fishers of Men Tournament if we got dialed in but never really found many bigger fish.
I also sold my boat this Fall. Time to step up to a real fiberglass bass boat with nice live wells, a little more speed, and more comfortable ride. Hopefully the deal for the Triton I've been looking at goes through. I loved my Tracker, it was my first decent boat besides the jon boats I used as a kid. I babied it and made all kinds of upgrades to make it a decent bass fishing boat. We had some great times together... I proved you don't need a fancy bass boat to compete, but it's time for an upgrade.
I also sold my boat this Fall. Time to step up to a real fiberglass bass boat with nice live wells, a little more speed, and more comfortable ride. Hopefully the deal for the Triton I've been looking at goes through. I loved my Tracker, it was my first decent boat besides the jon boats I used as a kid. I babied it and made all kinds of upgrades to make it a decent bass fishing boat. We had some great times together... I proved you don't need a fancy bass boat to compete, but it's time for an upgrade.
Highlights-
- Kyle's 6.3 pounder
- Fishing with my daughter
- Whitefish Chain Trip
- Vermillion Twice - My new favorite lake. Awesome scenery and smallies!
Lowlights-
- Lack of actual 'Fun' fishing
- Not catching a 5 pounder all year
- Bite just seemed 'off' for most of the year
- Catching three dogfish (two in tournaments when I needed a big bite), haven't caught one for years prior.
Summary-
During the season it seemed worse than it actually was now that I am writing it all down and thinking back on it. It was disappointing we couldn't get anything going on the Greenhorn Tour, we thought and expected to do well. I'd say our problem was a combination of just expecting to do well and lack of practice time. I mentioned before that most of these lakes are familiar to the guys on the tour, and that we should have put in even more time as a result. Also it makes me think that we needed to do more 'fishing the conditions,' rather than fishing on history.
The club tourneys were disappointing just because I had to miss 2 events and was out of it before it began. It really affected my motivation and besides the win on N/S Center, my heart just wasn't in it.
The main factor I can point to as the reason for a mediocre season is being over committed. It always seems like a good idea during the Winter to schedule things for the summer, but when it actually comes and you realize that you are going non-stop, it can make for a grind. Especially when you mix in family and other commitments, it can be down right overwhelming. Also, the guys I compete against are getting better and better. It forces everyone to step up their game when the competition is so tough. I am also tired of saying 'I was so close.' Next year I want to take the next step and put in the work to make those key decisions that get results, rather than saying I was a pound short. Last year everything fell into place and it seemed like I couldn't make a bad decision. I want to get back to that and become more consistent. I never want to get to the point where I think I have it all figured out and stop trying to get better. I have all Winter to come up with some goals for myself, and our lake lineup for next season is awesome. I'm already looking forward to it. Now we just have to get through the Winter. Hope it's not as long and cold as last years!
