Well this week we come up with the brilliant idea to upgrade the HDS units and the Active Target. Watch a Marc Marcanto you tube video on uploading. Crap, all my SD cards are are 60 g or more. Download on a 128 card and off to the Ranger. Hmm, Marcanto said use a 32 or smaller. OK so scrap the 128 and on Tuesday buy a 32 gig card, download again and off to the Ranger. Now as we all know there's a rather ominous dark cloud that follows me around and Tuesday is no exception. Arriving at Rivers End there are 2 big rig tow trucks and one flatbed in the parking area. As I'm backing the Roush to hook up and get gas both come through the gate and block the driveway. WTH?

It turns out that these two trucks are going to lift the storage container onto the flatbed. Where's the storage container.......why in front of my stall naturally.

So I power up the Ranger and begin the unit downloads. Somehow I've forgotten how to do the Active Target. As the download is completing on the last unit, here comes the tow truck driver inquiring as to if I'm leaving. I tell him I'll be getting gas and be right back. He tells me the driveway is going to be blocked "for awhile" .

Guess I'll just have to go fishing. We laugh and off to fill er up. When I return they are still in the process of setting up, so I'm able to get past and park the Ranger. Whew! Made it home in time for a nap.
Wednesday rolls around and it's off at 07:30. Blast off at 14:10. Pick up the Ranger, get ice and top off the Roush. It's now a little after 9am. one big rig on Highway 4 slows traffic.(those tomato haulers must be paid by the once as he didn't spill one tomato

) Arriving at Ladd's at 10 I'm boat 5. 5! What do these guys do get up at 2am to get here?

So load the boat and join the pow wow. There's some funny conversations that take place, especially when Dennis shows up. Caleb and he could go on for hours.
Long about 2 Stick shows up. I don't see his arrival as I'm chatting with Aaron, Angelo, and two other guys whose names I've already forgotten.

Sucks getting old. Chat with Phil awhile and notice the pow wow has broken up. Stick joins in the conversation and before to long, it's time to go. I tell stick we're going to make a short run.
After about 5 minutes at spot #1 I hook a 2.15 on a "Pops" special. A few minutes later I hook another and by 3 we have 4 for about 8 lbs. We finally get our limit about 4pm. OK so it's 8+ total according to Bubba. Spot 2 is unproductive so we head up rive to a couple of spots, and they're pretty shallow. So stick suggests we go back to spot #2. When we get there Stick says OK Eddie, two 4 pounders coming up. We laugh, but I got to go, so I tell Stick to take the front, which he does. As I'm traversing to the go spot, I notice the net hasn't been deployed. I prep the net when Stck says "Fish" and "it feels like a good one". As Stick is playing the fish I tell him not to let the fish jump, but it can't be helped as bass do what bass do. Luckily the net was in the right position and I was able to scoop her up. 4 1/2 lbr with reg lips from eating crawdads. Cull a fish and off to go.....again when Stick says "Fish" Feels pretty good too", and I slip the net under another 4lbr. Bubba says 15.5. It's 17:30.

Oh we're weighin in tonight for sure. Then I get that feeling.....you know that "this is not right feeling" something is wrong.

Well for one thing we don't catch another cull up fish the rest of the night. I miss a few bites maybe they help maybe they don't. Anyway, Stick and I head to the ramp. As I ease the boat onto the trailer ask Stick to back up a little further. and rase on up to the roller. Step down the stairs, and go to hook it up, when low and behold that Black cloud that surrounds me engulfs my being totally. Puzzled I see...................the bow eye is broken.

WTH! I carefully ratchet up and the hook capture the dangling curved part of the broken eye. I climb on the back of the truck to get Sticks attention and tell him to e a s e us up because the eye is broken. Parking we stare is disbelief. When How where all float through our head. This sucks........but is par for the course. After wiping down the boat and transferring all the gear we get in line. Total weight 14.48. Wait! Bubba says 15.5. Did I cull the wrong fish? Yep, I did that too. 55 boats last check 14.48. Hoo ray! Congratulations to the winners. I believe there were 4 20lb bags and a 19+ then 17 and us. The post Caleb made on the facebook is now missing, so this result is all speculative.
If I get the bow eye fixed by Sunday, I'll be at the memorial tournament.
TL
FE